September 2010 Week 2
Title:How It Could Have Been; ch 50, Breakthrough
Author:petalears
Universe:AU
Rating:PG
Summary:An eventful week with the Inus
Quote:Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.
-Author Unknown
Breakthrough
The following week positively flew by and was eventful to say the least. Inu no Taishou took time from his duties to allow him to be around for his family and as the weather was balmy, a lot of the time was spent outdoors in the gardens, forest or by the sea. It was good for all of them, but mainly Sesshoumaru who was able to play as a pup and regain his natural equilibrium, which had been rocked by his angry challenge and subsequent discipline. Inu no Taishou was glad to see the boy holding his head up again and being able to look his father in the eye without the flash of shame. It had been a hard lesson but necessary, and it should quell the Alpha son for a few centuries without need of a repeat.
By the second day of Inuyasha’s return, replies to Inu no Taishou’s letters had come and all were in agreement to his proposals. So the father once again spoke with his middle son, and told him that his schooling had changed; he would be in school for seven days and then have seven days at his homes. He could alternate his days off between the farm and the Palace, or if one wanted him for longer it was obviously flexible. There would however only be one holiday now, the long one in the summer; Inu no Taishou knew he had made the right decision by the light in Inuyasha’s eyes, shining like suns at him before the pup launched himself into his father’s arms.
The other parents had agreed, although they could do little else; some were delighted, there were Mamas who missed their youngest at home. But some did want to take advantage of Inu no Taishou’s offer of keeping their children as wards, where it wasn’t convenient for them to be home so much more. For his own safety, Kouga was one of the latter; however he could still go home more frequently, three or four days at a time, with the rest of the week back in the Western Palace.
It would work to everyone’s benefit in the family, Sesshoumaru’s youkai wouldn’t feel so pulled when his brother was away for so long and Izayoi would have more frequent times with her pup for the rest of her life. When the youkai took the news personally to her later that day, her eyes filled with tears of gratitude; happy she would have her Inuyasha home more often, and happy that her Lord was such a perceptive and generous soul.
About midweek, once Sesshoumaru’s embarrassment was fully gone and he was perfectly natural again, Inu no Taishou planned to take him alone for a hunt and devote some time to his eldest pup. There was to be a feast towards the end of the week, a special guest of honour would be celebrating and Inu no Taishou wanted a deer as well as other meat for the tables. Meat hunted personally by the host, showed the guest special honour. Sesshoumaru was excited, he’d had to share his beloved father for nearly eighteen years now and sometimes missed the time when it had just been him and Papa.
The preparations were in hand for the two to leave after an early lunch; they aimed to travel to a forest in a more remote area, where the animals were rarely hunted and grew to larger proportions. It would take the best part of the rest of the day and they didn’t expect to be back until well after nightfall. As they weren’t taking anyone else, they would have to carry the deer and any other meat themselves to where the cart would be waiting, harnessed to Ah-Un.
However just before the meal was announced, a great wail was heard in the royal apartments nursery and cries of ‘my baby sister; my Hanako, no, no, no, no.’ this was followed by the sound of heartbroken crying. Of course by then everyone was already rushing to the nursery in order to reach the small hanyou who had finally recognised his grief. But Inuyasha was just standing and looking shocked, it was not he who was distraught, but Michiko who was clinging to him in her distress. At their young age, the brother and sister had similar sounding voices, even if Michiko was seldom heard to cry.
The two pups were the same height now, Michiko was eleven and had reached her slow growth a while back but even so, she was as tall as Inuyasha including his ears. Being a full youkai to his half made the difference; he was small for both a youkai and a human of his years, and his mixed blood would keep him shorter for many years yet. So far the pup hadn’t noticed the incongruity, but he would, as soon as his younger human brother started to surpass him in height.
Inu no Taishou picked up both of his pups in his arms, but had to hand the confused Inuyasha over to Sesshoumaru because his daughter was clinging with both arms to him, sobbing into his neck. Patting her back and growling softly, it took many minutes to calm the child down and her mother was finally able to take her from Inu no Taishou, allowing him to question his son. Inuyasha wasn’t sure what had happened, so eventually, his father asked him some leading questions.
"’Chiko didn’t know Papa; she didn’t know ‘bout Hanako."
"I suppose it hasn’t been spoken of, near her; she is still young and with the birth of Hiroto..."Inu no Taishou mused, leaving Inuyasha still confused."
"You mean no one told her...why? Doesn’t it matter...only to me?"
"It’s not that at all Pup, and you can see that it matters to Michiko. How did she find out Little One?"
"She saw the scarf I been using from Auntie and asked when she would go back to visit and play with Hanako. I told her not to be silly, Hanako was dead and she couldn’t play no more ‘cos her ashes was in a jar."
"That would do it." Inu no Taishou sighed; it was not Inuyasha’s fault that he was still as bluntly spoken and tactless as a pup. "It was remiss of us not to break the news to her gently. There is no excuse; we all knew she enjoyed her visits to the farm." He put Inuyasha down and with his high ponytail swinging down his back, he strode off after his mate and daughter. Inuyasha stared up at Sesshoumaru who was also starting off after the rest of his family; the older boy had parting words for the younger:
"It will be good when you have mastered the art of careful speech Inuyasha, then perhaps you won’t hurt Michiko with your words." He was not condemning, merely observing, and although Inuyasha didn’t fully understand all of his brother’s words, he got the message that he had upset Michiko and that everyone had left him alone. He just stared with big guilty eyes down the passage and wondered what to do. His gaze was interrupted however by a tiny blue dragon, wreathed in green flames that hovered and darted just out of his reach.
"That is one of my favourite illusions My Little Lord; guaranteed to be a distraction from unwanted thoughts." Susumu was standing smiling at Inuyasha and as he held out his hand to the small hanyou, the dragon landed on his upturned palm. Inuyasha was fascinated and was about to touch, when it launched itself and flew out of sight down the corridor. Susumu laughed quietly at the disappointed look on Inuyasha’s face and said ‘never mind, look’ and a purple bird flew about the boy’s head, making him smile again.
"I knew a little pup who when he was feeling sad, liked my blue dragon the best. But I can make many other things from my illusions, what would you like?"
"Another pup Susu...who was that?"
"Just a little one who was sometimes alone at night and didn’t like night time noises, or thunderstorms, or funny smells, or not having the light on when he woke up, or being hungry a couple of hours before his tea, or baths, or hair washes, or his nurses lessons, or needed a story read, or...the list was endless at the time. But he could always be distracted by these toys." Susumu smiled at the eagerly listening Inuyasha, and the shadowed figure of Sesshoumaru.
"You is talking about Shu, isn’t you?"
"I name no names, Little One; far be it from me to let out anyone’s secrets. But now, what would you like to see?" At this he made a veritable menagerie of tiny creatures in the air, some real, some mythological, all were brightly coloured and served to take Inuyasha’s mind off having been left sad and alone, if only for a little while. Sesshoumaru was watching the display so as not to disturb Inuyasha and he caught Susumu’s grin and slight bow in his direction. It was only seconds later that Inuyasha caught his brother’s closer scent and raced into his arms before curling up in his tail.
"Shu...Susu told me of a little pup he used to...en...en...entain. Was it you?"
"Entertain, I heard him; do you really think I was such a naughty pup Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru said sounding shocked, while he glared at the unperturbed Susumu.
"Of course not...not really...I don’t think so... anyway it would have been a long time ago." answered the completely loyal little brother.
"To me it seems only a matter of a few years Little One; but as My Lord says, it couldn’t have been him, he was surely never such a demanding pup and who am I to contradict Lord Sesshoumaru."
"I do believe you’ve been had, My Sesshoumaru." Laughed Inu no Taishou, who came to tell them all that dinner was announced and diffused the tension between the master and servant. Susumu’s tongue had been known to run away with him before, not often, but always at Sesshoumaru’s cost; not that he was harmful at all, just mischievous at times. "Thank you for entertaining My Inuyasha, Susumu; but now I require him to come to lunch." So saying, he hiked Inuyasha up onto his shoulder and led the way.
Inuyasha’s by now happy mood, didn’t last much beyond sitting down; he could see his sister and the traces of Michiko’s upset were still clear on her face. His ears lay flat on his head in sympathy and he whined at her that he was sorry; she gave him a watery smile and then it was time to eat. Lunch was not a prolonged affair and soon, Inu no Taishou and Sesshoumaru were saying goodbye and wouldn’t be back until after nightfall.
Once again, Inuyasha was left to his own devices as Michiko didn’t return to the nursery where he was, and the small hanyou found it wasn’t the same thing to play alone when he was now used to his siblings all around. Still, he made the best of it and drew some pictures for his father and brother for when they came back and he made a special one for Michiko, to apologise again for upsetting her. Then he went for a walk in the gardens and played ball and all of the time his mind was going over and over, Hanako and her short tragic life.
The thing that disturbed him the most about it all was the fact that everyone said she was different from the norm, and in the long term it was better for her that her life was only short. He didn’t understand that and he was too young and inexperienced to know what they really meant; he found that his thoughts were making him sad too, but he couldn’t stop them. He really missed his baby sister and suddenly he found that he was in tears and crying for the first time since she had died.
With everything else that had been going on, no one had remembered the moonless night and as Inuyasha’s hair turned black and he became human, his sorrow for his sister intensified. But he knew he should be safely hidden away indoors, the family wing of the Palace was safe but for some reason he was not allowed outside where he could be seen. So he went to sit by the wall of the nursery with his knees to his chest, willing the pain and memories to go away.
It was not long of course until Inuyasha was found; Takara the nursemaid was always around and soon she brought the boy his tea. Putting the tray down, Takara went over to Inuyasha and sat down next to him and then picked him up and put him in her lap. She rocked him slowly, not asking what was the matter until he calmed and realised he was hungry again. By the time he had finished his meal, the Lady had come in and spoken softly with Takara who explained Inuyasha’s misery. He felt that he too was different to everybody else, like Hanako, and that nobody would mourn his death either.
The Lady had seen Inuyasha as a human many times but not up close, and she’d not had personal dealing with him; she was intrigued by what she saw. The silky black hair and the almost violet eyes were attractive, he looked even younger though and very vulnerable. A wave of great protectiveness rolled over her, the child was so innocent yet of the ways of the world, his whole life so far had been sheltered from the knowledge of any that would hate him for what he was, his human relations notwithstanding.
She opened her arms to him and he hesitated until she smiled, and then he ran to her, tears starting afresh because of upsetting Michiko and why. She soothed him with sensible words, telling him not to fear his differences and that he was special to them all. He shuddered in her hold, able to let go because he was human and more emotional in any case, but to her he was just a child needing comfort. She swept him up and into her arms and tails and told him everything would be alright and to go to sleep, she would stay with him. Or rather he would be staying with her, she thought; it was good that he’d let his grief go however, and knowing that the boy lost most of his superior senses when he became human, she kept the sense of touch surrounding him, with her warm furs.
Inuyasha relaxed totally in her arms and tails and for the first time in what seemed a very long time, he was able to go to sleep without a frown on his face and immediately, rather than waiting until his little body was exhausted. His grief was finally expunged and his heart felt lighter in his chest as he snuggled down in his aunt’s care, feeling just as safe as if he were with his mother. When Inu no Taishou and Sesshoumaru returned much later that night, Inuyasha had stayed asleep in the warm tails and looked set for the night.
The Lord and his heir deposited their cargo by the kitchens and then bathed, before hurrying to the source of the distressed scent, finding all they could see was a lot of black hair draped over the Lady’s fur. A quick glance at the moonless sky told both of them what was obvious and that the hair belonged to their little hanyou and the Lady filled them in with the rest of the details. Inu no Taishou gently fingered the long black tresses without disturbing the sleeping pup and heaved a sigh of relief.
"At last he can recover again and put all the strain behind him. It’s taken a great deal to get him to this point though."
"Well he has had a lot of help My Love, you have both made him safe and content, his youkai is more contained; Michiko triggered his memories and being human has allowed him to break past his barriers. And a touch of softness from me was all he needed, his aura is calmer than it’s been for a while; I will keep him with me for the night. I think he will be able to go forward from here."
Her mate agreed, it was apparent that Inuyasha was now more settled and comfortable in his mind, and he was grateful that the little boy had loving homes and families that all helped him to live well.
Author:petalears
Universe:AU
Rating:PG
Summary:An eventful week with the Inus
Quote:Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.
-Author Unknown
Breakthrough
The following week positively flew by and was eventful to say the least. Inu no Taishou took time from his duties to allow him to be around for his family and as the weather was balmy, a lot of the time was spent outdoors in the gardens, forest or by the sea. It was good for all of them, but mainly Sesshoumaru who was able to play as a pup and regain his natural equilibrium, which had been rocked by his angry challenge and subsequent discipline. Inu no Taishou was glad to see the boy holding his head up again and being able to look his father in the eye without the flash of shame. It had been a hard lesson but necessary, and it should quell the Alpha son for a few centuries without need of a repeat.
By the second day of Inuyasha’s return, replies to Inu no Taishou’s letters had come and all were in agreement to his proposals. So the father once again spoke with his middle son, and told him that his schooling had changed; he would be in school for seven days and then have seven days at his homes. He could alternate his days off between the farm and the Palace, or if one wanted him for longer it was obviously flexible. There would however only be one holiday now, the long one in the summer; Inu no Taishou knew he had made the right decision by the light in Inuyasha’s eyes, shining like suns at him before the pup launched himself into his father’s arms.
The other parents had agreed, although they could do little else; some were delighted, there were Mamas who missed their youngest at home. But some did want to take advantage of Inu no Taishou’s offer of keeping their children as wards, where it wasn’t convenient for them to be home so much more. For his own safety, Kouga was one of the latter; however he could still go home more frequently, three or four days at a time, with the rest of the week back in the Western Palace.
It would work to everyone’s benefit in the family, Sesshoumaru’s youkai wouldn’t feel so pulled when his brother was away for so long and Izayoi would have more frequent times with her pup for the rest of her life. When the youkai took the news personally to her later that day, her eyes filled with tears of gratitude; happy she would have her Inuyasha home more often, and happy that her Lord was such a perceptive and generous soul.
About midweek, once Sesshoumaru’s embarrassment was fully gone and he was perfectly natural again, Inu no Taishou planned to take him alone for a hunt and devote some time to his eldest pup. There was to be a feast towards the end of the week, a special guest of honour would be celebrating and Inu no Taishou wanted a deer as well as other meat for the tables. Meat hunted personally by the host, showed the guest special honour. Sesshoumaru was excited, he’d had to share his beloved father for nearly eighteen years now and sometimes missed the time when it had just been him and Papa.
The preparations were in hand for the two to leave after an early lunch; they aimed to travel to a forest in a more remote area, where the animals were rarely hunted and grew to larger proportions. It would take the best part of the rest of the day and they didn’t expect to be back until well after nightfall. As they weren’t taking anyone else, they would have to carry the deer and any other meat themselves to where the cart would be waiting, harnessed to Ah-Un.
However just before the meal was announced, a great wail was heard in the royal apartments nursery and cries of ‘my baby sister; my Hanako, no, no, no, no.’ this was followed by the sound of heartbroken crying. Of course by then everyone was already rushing to the nursery in order to reach the small hanyou who had finally recognised his grief. But Inuyasha was just standing and looking shocked, it was not he who was distraught, but Michiko who was clinging to him in her distress. At their young age, the brother and sister had similar sounding voices, even if Michiko was seldom heard to cry.
The two pups were the same height now, Michiko was eleven and had reached her slow growth a while back but even so, she was as tall as Inuyasha including his ears. Being a full youkai to his half made the difference; he was small for both a youkai and a human of his years, and his mixed blood would keep him shorter for many years yet. So far the pup hadn’t noticed the incongruity, but he would, as soon as his younger human brother started to surpass him in height.
Inu no Taishou picked up both of his pups in his arms, but had to hand the confused Inuyasha over to Sesshoumaru because his daughter was clinging with both arms to him, sobbing into his neck. Patting her back and growling softly, it took many minutes to calm the child down and her mother was finally able to take her from Inu no Taishou, allowing him to question his son. Inuyasha wasn’t sure what had happened, so eventually, his father asked him some leading questions.
"’Chiko didn’t know Papa; she didn’t know ‘bout Hanako."
"I suppose it hasn’t been spoken of, near her; she is still young and with the birth of Hiroto..."Inu no Taishou mused, leaving Inuyasha still confused."
"You mean no one told her...why? Doesn’t it matter...only to me?"
"It’s not that at all Pup, and you can see that it matters to Michiko. How did she find out Little One?"
"She saw the scarf I been using from Auntie and asked when she would go back to visit and play with Hanako. I told her not to be silly, Hanako was dead and she couldn’t play no more ‘cos her ashes was in a jar."
"That would do it." Inu no Taishou sighed; it was not Inuyasha’s fault that he was still as bluntly spoken and tactless as a pup. "It was remiss of us not to break the news to her gently. There is no excuse; we all knew she enjoyed her visits to the farm." He put Inuyasha down and with his high ponytail swinging down his back, he strode off after his mate and daughter. Inuyasha stared up at Sesshoumaru who was also starting off after the rest of his family; the older boy had parting words for the younger:
"It will be good when you have mastered the art of careful speech Inuyasha, then perhaps you won’t hurt Michiko with your words." He was not condemning, merely observing, and although Inuyasha didn’t fully understand all of his brother’s words, he got the message that he had upset Michiko and that everyone had left him alone. He just stared with big guilty eyes down the passage and wondered what to do. His gaze was interrupted however by a tiny blue dragon, wreathed in green flames that hovered and darted just out of his reach.
"That is one of my favourite illusions My Little Lord; guaranteed to be a distraction from unwanted thoughts." Susumu was standing smiling at Inuyasha and as he held out his hand to the small hanyou, the dragon landed on his upturned palm. Inuyasha was fascinated and was about to touch, when it launched itself and flew out of sight down the corridor. Susumu laughed quietly at the disappointed look on Inuyasha’s face and said ‘never mind, look’ and a purple bird flew about the boy’s head, making him smile again.
"I knew a little pup who when he was feeling sad, liked my blue dragon the best. But I can make many other things from my illusions, what would you like?"
"Another pup Susu...who was that?"
"Just a little one who was sometimes alone at night and didn’t like night time noises, or thunderstorms, or funny smells, or not having the light on when he woke up, or being hungry a couple of hours before his tea, or baths, or hair washes, or his nurses lessons, or needed a story read, or...the list was endless at the time. But he could always be distracted by these toys." Susumu smiled at the eagerly listening Inuyasha, and the shadowed figure of Sesshoumaru.
"You is talking about Shu, isn’t you?"
"I name no names, Little One; far be it from me to let out anyone’s secrets. But now, what would you like to see?" At this he made a veritable menagerie of tiny creatures in the air, some real, some mythological, all were brightly coloured and served to take Inuyasha’s mind off having been left sad and alone, if only for a little while. Sesshoumaru was watching the display so as not to disturb Inuyasha and he caught Susumu’s grin and slight bow in his direction. It was only seconds later that Inuyasha caught his brother’s closer scent and raced into his arms before curling up in his tail.
"Shu...Susu told me of a little pup he used to...en...en...entain. Was it you?"
"Entertain, I heard him; do you really think I was such a naughty pup Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru said sounding shocked, while he glared at the unperturbed Susumu.
"Of course not...not really...I don’t think so... anyway it would have been a long time ago." answered the completely loyal little brother.
"To me it seems only a matter of a few years Little One; but as My Lord says, it couldn’t have been him, he was surely never such a demanding pup and who am I to contradict Lord Sesshoumaru."
"I do believe you’ve been had, My Sesshoumaru." Laughed Inu no Taishou, who came to tell them all that dinner was announced and diffused the tension between the master and servant. Susumu’s tongue had been known to run away with him before, not often, but always at Sesshoumaru’s cost; not that he was harmful at all, just mischievous at times. "Thank you for entertaining My Inuyasha, Susumu; but now I require him to come to lunch." So saying, he hiked Inuyasha up onto his shoulder and led the way.
Inuyasha’s by now happy mood, didn’t last much beyond sitting down; he could see his sister and the traces of Michiko’s upset were still clear on her face. His ears lay flat on his head in sympathy and he whined at her that he was sorry; she gave him a watery smile and then it was time to eat. Lunch was not a prolonged affair and soon, Inu no Taishou and Sesshoumaru were saying goodbye and wouldn’t be back until after nightfall.
Once again, Inuyasha was left to his own devices as Michiko didn’t return to the nursery where he was, and the small hanyou found it wasn’t the same thing to play alone when he was now used to his siblings all around. Still, he made the best of it and drew some pictures for his father and brother for when they came back and he made a special one for Michiko, to apologise again for upsetting her. Then he went for a walk in the gardens and played ball and all of the time his mind was going over and over, Hanako and her short tragic life.
The thing that disturbed him the most about it all was the fact that everyone said she was different from the norm, and in the long term it was better for her that her life was only short. He didn’t understand that and he was too young and inexperienced to know what they really meant; he found that his thoughts were making him sad too, but he couldn’t stop them. He really missed his baby sister and suddenly he found that he was in tears and crying for the first time since she had died.
With everything else that had been going on, no one had remembered the moonless night and as Inuyasha’s hair turned black and he became human, his sorrow for his sister intensified. But he knew he should be safely hidden away indoors, the family wing of the Palace was safe but for some reason he was not allowed outside where he could be seen. So he went to sit by the wall of the nursery with his knees to his chest, willing the pain and memories to go away.
It was not long of course until Inuyasha was found; Takara the nursemaid was always around and soon she brought the boy his tea. Putting the tray down, Takara went over to Inuyasha and sat down next to him and then picked him up and put him in her lap. She rocked him slowly, not asking what was the matter until he calmed and realised he was hungry again. By the time he had finished his meal, the Lady had come in and spoken softly with Takara who explained Inuyasha’s misery. He felt that he too was different to everybody else, like Hanako, and that nobody would mourn his death either.
The Lady had seen Inuyasha as a human many times but not up close, and she’d not had personal dealing with him; she was intrigued by what she saw. The silky black hair and the almost violet eyes were attractive, he looked even younger though and very vulnerable. A wave of great protectiveness rolled over her, the child was so innocent yet of the ways of the world, his whole life so far had been sheltered from the knowledge of any that would hate him for what he was, his human relations notwithstanding.
She opened her arms to him and he hesitated until she smiled, and then he ran to her, tears starting afresh because of upsetting Michiko and why. She soothed him with sensible words, telling him not to fear his differences and that he was special to them all. He shuddered in her hold, able to let go because he was human and more emotional in any case, but to her he was just a child needing comfort. She swept him up and into her arms and tails and told him everything would be alright and to go to sleep, she would stay with him. Or rather he would be staying with her, she thought; it was good that he’d let his grief go however, and knowing that the boy lost most of his superior senses when he became human, she kept the sense of touch surrounding him, with her warm furs.
Inuyasha relaxed totally in her arms and tails and for the first time in what seemed a very long time, he was able to go to sleep without a frown on his face and immediately, rather than waiting until his little body was exhausted. His grief was finally expunged and his heart felt lighter in his chest as he snuggled down in his aunt’s care, feeling just as safe as if he were with his mother. When Inu no Taishou and Sesshoumaru returned much later that night, Inuyasha had stayed asleep in the warm tails and looked set for the night.
The Lord and his heir deposited their cargo by the kitchens and then bathed, before hurrying to the source of the distressed scent, finding all they could see was a lot of black hair draped over the Lady’s fur. A quick glance at the moonless sky told both of them what was obvious and that the hair belonged to their little hanyou and the Lady filled them in with the rest of the details. Inu no Taishou gently fingered the long black tresses without disturbing the sleeping pup and heaved a sigh of relief.
"At last he can recover again and put all the strain behind him. It’s taken a great deal to get him to this point though."
"Well he has had a lot of help My Love, you have both made him safe and content, his youkai is more contained; Michiko triggered his memories and being human has allowed him to break past his barriers. And a touch of softness from me was all he needed, his aura is calmer than it’s been for a while; I will keep him with me for the night. I think he will be able to go forward from here."
Her mate agreed, it was apparent that Inuyasha was now more settled and comfortable in his mind, and he was grateful that the little boy had loving homes and families that all helped him to live well.