The Sport Of King's by beermoney5

Prologue

The Sport Of King's

Prologue

Kagome glanced over at the monitor in the living room of her apartment at Dragon Strike Farms, a renowned breeding and training facility for thoroughbred racehorses. There were two apartments above the mare and foal barn. Kagome lived in one and the other was for other employees to stay in when they were on duty. There were two mares that were due any day now. They were dozing in the their large box stalls so she went back into the kitchen to fix some dinner. Just as she started Sango walked in.

"Sorry I'm late. Any changes."

"Nope. They're just dozing. I'm really excited about it. I can't wait to see these two foals. Especially, Red's. They're both going to be something special if they live up to their Grandsires names."

One Eyed Red, named because she was blind in one eye as a foal, was a chestnut. She was by Seattle slew and the Stallion she was bred to was by Alydar. Porsche Power, who was the other mare due, was by Affirmed and the stallion she was bred to was by Spectacular Bid. Everyone on the farm was excited about these two foals especially the owners. The farm had had a dry spell on winners for a few years. Even though the farm had some decent runners and were not necessarily hurting financially, they needed a spectacular horse to put them back on top.

"I think everybody is excited about these two foals." Sango said as she walked into the kitchen to help Kagome.

"I know. I just can't wait for Red's foal. Seattle Slew and Alydar are like my two most favorite racehorses of all time. I hope she foals on one of my watches."

"Your funny." Sango said chuckling.

"Whatever you can't wait either."

"I kno..." Sango stopped her sentence looking at Kagome when they both heard what sounded like water running out of a spigot.

"Oh my God. Who is it?" They both said running into the living room to check the monitor, knowing that sound had been a mare's water breaking.

Red was circling just as they looked at the monitor and was starting to lie down.

"I'll call the main house. You call the vet." Kagome instructed to Sango.

As they were making their phone calls they ran down the stairs into the barn. Five minutes later Inutaisho, his mate Izayoi, his two sons Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, and Kikyo showed up. A minute later the breeding manager Kagura showed up.

"Well how is she doing?" Inutaisho asked Kagome and Sango.

"Okay so far. The hooves are starting to come out." Kagome replied.

"Good. Did Yoruichi say how long till she gets here?"

"She was just finishing up at another farm down the road and said she would be here in fifteen minutes."

Kagura went inside to assist the mare if she needed it while the others waited out-side the stall. The mare grunted and pushed and the foal's head started to come out lying on his front legs. A couple more contractions and the shoulders passed allowing the foal to slip right out. By this time almost everybody that lived on the farm was in the barn.

"The foals a little small." Inutaisho said as Kagura started drying the bay foal with a towel as the mare nickered to him. "What is it?" he added.

"It's a stud colt." Kagura announced after lifting his tail and checking.

"How's the mare doing?" Yoruichi asked walking into the barn.

Everyone turned their attention to the vet as she walked up to them.

"Fine, the foal just arrived. He's a little small though. I'm a little concerned " Inutaisho replied.

"I'll check both the mare and foal out after the little guy stands."

"Um.... there's another foal coming." Kagura said from inside the stall.

"WHAT!" everybody replied at once turning back to the stall.

Sure enough there were two little front hooves coming out with the foals head resting on the front legs as the mare started having contractions again. The shoulders followed shortly after and he slipped out just as easily as the first. Kagura immediately started drying the smaller chestnut foal off.

"How did this happen? I had the mare checked." Inutaisho said a little upset.

"Did Dr. Sullivan check the mare? Because I don't remember checking this one." Yoruichi asked.

"Yes, you were out of town."

"He must have missed the second follicle when he palpated the mare. It's rare but sometimes it happens. Let me check them out make sure there vitals are okay." She said as she walked into the stall.

The vet checked both the foal's heart beats, and their respiration and watched to see if they would stand. The larger of the two foals tried to stand but was to weak to do so. The smaller and second foal just lay there with his legs tucked underneath him.

"Well other than being small and a little weak, they seem to be okay only time will tell if they are going to make it." Yoruichi said as she left the stall. "Someone is going to have to milk the mare and bottle feed the babies and make sure they get the clostrum if they are going to have a chance. They are going to have to be lifted up on their legs to try and strengthen them also. It's going to take a lot of time and dedication if they are going to make it."

"I'm short staffed at the moment but these foals me a lot to this farm. I'll find someone who's reliable."

"Um... I'll do it." Kagome said

"Are you sure Kagome? There is a chance that they may not make it." Inutaisho replied a little concerned knowing how attached she could become to the two foals.

"I'm sure I want to do this. Please let me."

"Okay. Let Yoruichi show you how to milk the mare and feed the foals and anything else that has to be done."

Kagome went into the stall with Yoruichi as the others said goodnight and headed out of the barn. All that remained in the barn with Kagome and the vet were Inutaisho, Izayoi, Sesshomaru and Sango. Shortly after the vet left. Then Inutaisho and Izayoi left the barn and headed to the main house after telling Kagome if anything happened or she needed help, to call them.

"I'm going to head up to your apartment and finish dinner. I'll bring you some when it's done." Sango said as she headed up the stairs to Kagome's apartment.

"Are you going to stay for awhile?" Kagome asked Sesshomaru.

"I was thinking I would keep you company for awhile. Unless you don't want me to." He said with a smirk.

"Only if you want to." Kagome said trying not to make it so obvious that she wanted him to stay.

Sesshomaru went to the office in the barn to grab a couple of chairs as Sango came back down the stairs bringing the food. Sesshomaru went and grabbed another chair for Sango and then they sat out side the stall eating with the stall door open watching the foals. Red kept licking the foals one at a time and then would give them a little nudge trying to get them to stand. Every half hour to an hour Kagome would go into the stall, milk the mare and then feed each of the babies. After feeding the babies she would then pick up one of foals while Sesshomaru or Sango would pick up the other. They would help support the foals as they stood on their feet trying to strengthen their legs.

After a few hours Sango went up to Kagome's apartment to go to sleep and Sesshomaru headed back to the main house. Kagome just sat in the shavings on the stall floor dozing lightly for about ten minutes at a time while listening to the foals and Red. Sometimes she would sit there with one of the foals in her lap while she petted him in-between breaks. She kept up her routine every half hour or so feeding and lifting the foals one at a time. Eventually the larger of the two foals could stand on his own if Kagome lifted him on his feet. So she would lift him and help him over to Red so he could nurse on his own and not have to be feed with the bottle.

Kagome was a little worried about the smaller foal. He was eating well and alert even nickering but he was still so weak. She just kept up her routing through the night. When morning came Inutaisho came out at around seven to check on her and the foals.

"So how's it going?" He asked.

"Great. The larger foal can stand on his own and take a couple of steps if I lift him up. He's also nursing from Red. The smaller foal still needs help standing but he's eating well."

"That's good to hear. Maybe they'll make it after all. How is the mare reacting to them?"

"She knickers to them when they move and licks and sniffs each one of them. If they make it I think she will accept them both."

"That's good to hear too. Well, I have some business to take care of I'll check on you a little later today to see how there doing." He said before leaving the barn.

Kagome's friends hung out with her off and on though out the day in-between their chores on the farm. By the end of the day the larger foal could get up on his own and clumsily walk over to Red to nurse. The smaller foal still couldn't get up on his own without assistance but could stand on his own if helped to his feet. Sesshomaru stopped by that evening to keep Kagome company and to bring her some food.

"You need to get some rest." Sesshomaru told Kagome as she kept yawning.

"I can't. The foals need me right now. And I am afraid if I go up stairs to lay down I will over sleep and one of the foals might die."

"I'll look after them while you sleep."

"I need to be here."

"Kagome I am fully capable of taking care of these foals. I grew up on this farm surrounded by horses. You know that because you also grew up here. Stop being stubborn and let me help you."

"I know but.... " Kagome was cut off by the sound of Porsche's water breaking in the next stall.

Sesshomaru ran out of the stall, excitement on his face as he called his father on his cell phone with Kagome right behind him. Sesshomaru had picked the mare out at a yearling auction six years ago. His father had let him pick the stallion that Porsche was bred to this time so he had a personal interest in the mare and foal. Once again the barn was full of people by the time the gray foal was born. The foal was on his feet within minutes of being born, a natural instinct to be able to flee from predators. Soon after he had made it to the mare's side and was nursing. Everybody left except for Inutaisho, Sesshomaru, and Kagome, after the vet arrived and gave him a clean bill of health before checking the twins.

"How have they been eating?" Yoruichi asked Kagome.

"Really well. The larger foal is having bowl movements but not the smaller one."

"Have you given him an enema?"

"Yes. He has passed the black fecal matter newborns do, but he hasn't passed any of the milk yet."

"I'll give him some mineral oil before I leave to see if that will help move things along. Let me know if he still can't defecate." Yoruichi said then left the stall after giving the mineral oil.

"What do you think?" Inutaisho asked Yoruichi as he walked her out to her truck.

"It's not good. He should be passing the milk by now. We can give him a little longer before the decision has to be made whether to put him down or not. It's up to you."

"I want to give him a chance so we'll wait a little longer. I call you if he gets worse."

"Okay I got to go. Keep in touch." She said as she started her truck and headed down the drive.

"Kagome get some rest." Inutaisho said as he walked back into the barn. "Sesshomaru can look after the foals for awhile. That's an order. I'm going back up to the house now. Call me if anything happens." He added before heading up to the main house.

"Wow Porches foal is ginormas." Kagome said as she wrapped herself in a blanket and sat in the savings of the box stall.

"He is good size." Sesshomaru said with pride in his voice.

"Do you have a name picked out for him yet?" She said trying to stifle a yawn.

"My father reserved Entai for me."

"That's an awesome name. I wonder if he would let me name the twins."

"He might if you don't come up with something outlandish like you always do."

"I think one of the foals should be named Crusty Crustacean." She said yawning.

"That just proved my point that you should never be allowed to name anything ever. And I think its time for you to take a nap."

"I'm fine." She said as she yawned once again.

"Come here." Sesshomaru said as he sat down in the shavings pulling Kagome down in his lap.

Kagome rested her head on his chest and then closed her eyes as he stroked her hair. In no time she was fast asleep. While she slept Sesshomaru gently laid her down in the shavings as not to wake her so he could tend to the foals. The larger foal didn't really need any more help. So Sesshomaru spent most of his time helping the smaller foal to stand and nurse from Red while Kagome slept.

After about four hours Kagome awoke bolting upright to a sitting position. Looking around she saw Sesshomaru trying to get the smaller foal to stand while the larger one kept nudging him with his muzzle.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked getting up and walking to the larger foal to move him away from Sesshomaru.

"For about four hours."

"Four hours! Why didn't you wake?"

"You needed your rest. I was just about to wake you. This little foal has taken a turn for the worst."

"What! You should have woke me sooner. What's wrong?"

"He has stopped eating and is getting weaker. He can't stand on his own anymore."

"You should have told me sooner."

"He just started to act like this. I called my father he's on his way." Sesshomaru said as his father walked into the barn.

Inutaisho took one look at the foal and went to the office in the barn. He came out a few minutes later.

"I called Yoruichi. She's on her way." Inutaisho said walking back to Red's box stall.

Twenty minutes latter Yoruichi walked into the barn. She immediately went into the box stall kneeling next to the foal and listened for any guts sounds with her stethoscope.

"He still hasn't passed any fecal matter?" She asked Kagome.

"No."

"Well I hate to say this but he doesn't have any gut sounds. Which means he probably doesn't have a fully developed intestinal tract or there may be a gap in his intestines were their not joined. His symptoms are all leading to this."

"Is there a surgery that could fix it?" Inutaisho asked.

"No, unfortunately not. And even if there was he's to weak to make it through surgery."

"Okay go ahead and put him down. I don't want him suffering anymore."

The vet went to her truck to get the supplies she would need and came back to the box stall. She walked over to were Kagome was sitting in the savings with the foal's head in her lap. A couple of tears were already starting to run down her cheeks as she stroked the foal's neck.

"Kagome come." Sesshomaru said reaching a hand out to her.

"No. I want to be here for him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay." He said stepping to the side of the stall.

Yoruichi knelt back down next to the foal. She found a vain in his neck and inserted the needle of the syringe pulling back a bit to see if it was in the vain. When she saw some blood fill the syringe she administered the injection. Within a couple of seconds the foal stopped breathing. Yoruichi checked the foal to see if he was breathing then checked his eyes for a reaction. When she got none, she pronounced that the little foal was gone just as Koga showed up to take the foal out back to bury him. Before he went into the stall Inutaisho placed a hand on his shoulder stopping him shaking his head in the negative.

"Give Kagome a minute with him."

"Okay." Koga said as they watched Kagome hug the foal while tears ran down her face.

"Kagome, it's time to let Koga take him." Sesshomaru said reaching for her.

Kagome immediately hugged Sesshomaru and buried her face in his chest while she cried. Koga came in and picked up the foal and headed out of the barn with the mare hanging her head over the stall door nickering for her foal. Immediately after Inutaisho walked Yoruichi out to her truck.

"I'm sorry Inutaisho."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. It's nobody's fault just a bad diagnosis on Dr. Sullivan's part. This is one of the risks we take breeding horses. Luckily it doesn't happen often. I've been lucky all these years. These were the first set of twins I have ever had and hopefully the last."

"I hope Kagome will be alright." Yoruichi said getting into her truck.

"She will."

"Goodbye." Yoruichi said as she headed down the drive.

Inutaisho headed to the training barn leaving Kagome and Sesshomaru alone.

"You did the best you could." Sesshomaru said to Kagome as he stroked her hair.

"Well it wasn't good enough. The foal still died."

"You heard what the vet said. There was nothing that could be done."

"I know but I still think maybe I could have done something different and he would still be alive."

"You know you did everything that could have been done. Stop talking nonsense." He said lifting her chin up with his fingers. Looking her in the eyes as he wiped her tears away he added. " You still have the other foal don't forget."

"I do don't I." She said as the little bay foal nudged her in the back with his muzzle making her smile.

Turning around she wrapped her arms around the foal's neck giving him a hug. "Your going to be the greatest racehorse of all time aren't you." Then added as she placed both hands on each side of his face after hugging him and looked into his big brown eyes. "Your going to be the next Triple Crown winner just like you grandsire Seattle Slew aren't you?"

The foal bobbed his head up and down as if he understood and was agreeing then gave Kagome a big nudge with his muzzle. Both Kagome and Sesshomaru started laughing at the foal's antics. Then Kagome gave him one last hug before her and Sesshomaru went to leave the stall.

As she got to the door she stopped and looked over her shoulder at the bay foal one last time and said, "I see you latter little one." Before leaving the stall.

A/N: Horses have a gestation period of eleven months. Horses should always be check a few weeks after being bred for twins. A vet can usually tell if there are two follicles and pinch one off eliminating the possibility of twins. It's not a good thing for horses to have twins usually one or both foals will be still born. It is very rare for both foals to survive. Seattle Slew and Affirmed are both Triple Crown Winners. Affirmed was the last horse to win the Triple Crown in 1978. Alydar is the only horse in history to come in second in all three races of the Triple Crown ( Alydar came in second to Affirmed ). Spectacular Bid is also a racing icon and won two races of the Triple Crown. I do not own Inuyasha or it's characters.