June 2008
Title:How It Could Have Been; ch 71, A Healer's Insight
Author:petalears
Universe:AU
Rating:PG
Summary:Inuyasha visits The Lady's Palace
Quote:"What is food to one, is to others bitter poison." - Lucretius
A Healer’s Insight
The Lady would have reached their destination quicker if she’d transformed into her energy ball to transport Inuyasha and Shinju to the Palace of the Sky. But she had an opportunity that she didn’t want to miss; this was the first time that she had allowed herself to hold the boy as her own pup and not one she was to hand back. Therefore she took to the skies on her cloud and held him comfortably forward on her hip and close to her body, while Inuyasha laid his head on her shoulder with his arms around her neck. The small hanyou was cuddly by nature and it was not all to do with his humanity.
She also knew that she had this little one to thank in that Sesshoumaru was not a completely cold ice block. The Lady had not been a particularly young mother, but she was a stunning beauty and knew it; she was haughty and very proud, very like her eldest son and daughter. When she gave birth to her first pup she was overly concerned with not having any proof of motherhood clinging to her clothes. Sticky baby fingers and mouths were not to be tolerated and so Sesshoumaru was always cleaned and washed immediately before being presented to his Mama.
She was never cruel, she loved her pup, but she was very aloof until the baby was old enough to know not to touch her until he was clean. Then she would pick him up to sit him on her lap, but again, she would only hold him firmly on her knees so he couldn’t squirm around, because she would be aware that her gown might get creased. By the time she fully realised what she was doing, and that her beloved son might be pushed away, the pup was no longer coming to her for his cuddles and only receiving them from his father, who was away from home much of the time in the early days.
As it happened fortunately for them both, Sesshoumaru never doubted his mother’s love for him, but sometimes there had been a lot of awkwardness; that is, until she held him naturally when he feared his father had died. But ever since his bond with his little hanyou brother who was so naturally loving, Sesshoumaru had been able to show and be shown more physical affection and when the other pups came along their mother didn’t make the same mistakes with them. Now she truly enjoyed all the aspects of being a mama and wanted to be the same with her adopted boy.
For Inuyasha too it was a welcome change, it had been many years since Izayoi had been able to carry him in this way and even his sister and sisters-in-law found him heavy to handle now. And yet he was still young enough to want this level of mothering although he would fight the suggestion if it was put to him verbally. He was not alarmed at the mode of travel, but in any case Aunty was making soothing rumbles which he could feel through his body and made him feel safe.
The Palace in the Sky eventually grew bigger in their sights as they approached and Inuyasha took in his first glimpses of his Aunt’s original home. It was held aloft by the immense youkai of her forefathers and those of her immediate relations who still lived there. When they had bathed and were ready to be presented, the pair were taken to a large reception hall where there were announced formally. Inuyasha was kept close to his aunt by her arm and sleeve, while his eyes took in some familiar and some he didn’t know. Thankfully there was nothing in the scents of any to cause him alarm.
One large and tall male who Inuyasha knew he’d seen at the Palace before and who was his Aunt’s father sat down on a large cushion and called the small hanyou over to him. At first Aunty seemed reluctant to let him go, but she would not be a disobedient daughter and her father reigned over her branch of the Inu clan with a firm hand. Another male who had a vaguely familiar scent and who was just as impressive as the first came to sit beside the first and the two conversed quietly together before the second one called Inuyasha over again.
"Surely the son of My Son should not be scared to come and speak with his Grandpapa Inuyasha?"
"I’m not scared Grandpapa." Inuyasha asserted and went to stand before both Inu as tall as a small boy could be.
"You should be pup; we hold the power of life or death over you." Grandfather spoke this time, casting a shrewd glance at his daughter.
"Why would you want to kill me; I’ve done nothing wrong?" Inuyasha answered boldly and reasonably.
"Perhaps the manner of your existence Pup." He said cryptically as far as Inuyasha was concerned, he hadn’t understood, but he heard his aunt snarl:
"You would speak of such things in front of an innocent pup of barely fifty years?"
"Should it be necessary, his tender age will not deter me." Her father replied, noting that Inuyasha’s expression showed he was still lost as to understanding what was going on.
"Then I will remove us both from your presence; we came on good faith for a visit, the pup needed rest, he will obviously not receive it here." With that she spun quickly and grabbed her pup, enfolding him to her breast and left.
"I did not give you leave to go My Daughter, come back here with the boy."
"I do not answer to you any longer Sire; My Lord awaits us back at the Western Palace and unless you wish to risk war you will not stop us leaving." She hissed, her lovely face nearly transforming, her eyes glowing reddened gold; but although she was now furious, Inuyasha was unhurt and still felt safe. He was bemused at the goings on, but knew not to interfere when the adults were in discussion. Before she could leave the room though, she was confronted with her mate’s father who was grinning in an annoying and cocky way that she recognised.
"Come back to us now Mate of My Son; truly you are worthy to be the mother of my grandchildren. Your anger does you credit." His voice and presence were not to be ignored and she allowed herself to calm down from her furious state to just being angry, as she realised what had happened.
"You sought to test me." She stated.
"Bitches have been known to bide their time when asked to look after another’s pup; then unforeseen accidents have happened. It was necessary; this pup is much beloved of My Son and part of the family, the circumstances of his birth notwithstanding. You would have been well within your rights to not accept such a child."
"I have waited for My Son since he was conceived; his mother saved My Mate’s life, My Son is bonded to his brother. You think I would feel any differently to My Mate and Heir where our family is concerned?"
"No, you were never doubted, but the test was for your benefit as well. Now we would like to talk to Our Grandson...Inuyasha?" The youkai who was his father’s parent watched as the pup came unafraid to stand once more before them.
"You are not going to kill me, are you Grandpapa?" He said looking into eyes that were common to his father, himself and Hiroto. In shape they were all the same whereas Shu and Michiko were exactly like their mother’s. But it was his other grandfather who answered;
"No harm will come to you from anyone of us Inuyasha; you are safe and welcome to stay until you return home. You will find other children to play with and gardens for you to run in, games also can be found in your room. You can make yourself at home, but first we want you to see the healer, he will be entrusted to keep you healthy, so he needs to meet you, is that alright?"
"Yes Grandfather."
"Well done, now come and let us hold you; it is many years since an Inu pup ran around here." Grandfather held out his arms and Inuyasha went willingly into his lap and both Grandfathers spent time getting to know the boy, asking him questions and letting him talk to his heart’s content. The Lady sat and watched silently, mulling over this unusual development, she could tell that there was more to this than it seemed. When Inuyasha was finally sent off with the healer who had a pocketful of treats by way of introduction, the two older Inu sent for tea and The Lady immediately asked;
"Why did you need to send Inuyasha away to the healer, My Son is not ill?"
"The pup we have seen today Daughter is not the same one we have seen in the past on our previous visits. True we have only seen the boy briefly and at a distance, but there is noticeable change." Her father said and the other grandfather joined in.
"To elucidate, Inuyasha is far too pale and his cheeks are a startling red against his skin. Normally the pup’s human blood causes his skin to be a couple of shades darker than his siblings. His eyes are quite dull and have dark shadows beneath them. Obviously he has lost his mother and is in grief for that, but this has a far more insidious cause. He is underweight for his size, there is a tremor in his hand and voice which has become almost natural, and if this isn’t nipped in the bud he will become a shadow of his former self."
The Lady was shocked, instantly seeing for herself what her father and father-in-law were saying and berating herself, for not having noticed it earlier. But they told her not to be surprised, she was always around and change occurred so gradually that it wasn’t hard to miss. By the evening, Inuyasha was back with his Aunty and telling her all about the interesting things he’d found in the healer’s quarters. Later the healer explained all he had learned from the pup, just through letting him speak.
"There seem to be underlying insecurities with the pup My Lords and Lady; I have deduced much from the young prince, he is a happy child, but is often worried. This latest fear of being sent away has deep roots that I feel have been caused by his not having one place of dwelling. I completely understand how this has come about, but Inuyasha is very young to have been moved from place to place. This lifestyle would be no problem for him or any child; in fact many thrive on migration, but for the fact of his having separate parents and multiple carers. He is confused and like most Inu pups he really needs a consistent den.
"He tells me he has a home at a farm, at his siblings’ homes, at school, at the Palace and now here and where this has been no obvious problem until now, he has started to feel he has no stability and still has concerns about being abandoned somewhere else. My recommendations for now is to let him eat and sleep when he wants to and what he wants, his weight causes me concern and his face is gaunt for an immature pup. I have of course taken into account that a hanyou is smaller than a full Inuyoukai, but Inuyasha should be heavier."
The healer looked up from his notes that he had written down as Inuyasha chatted away to him while exploring the various potions and treasures. He then bowed and was allowed to leave after saying that so far no permanent damage was done. The Lady was distressed, but Inuyasha came in and was so enthusiastic about his room with all the toys and a table with plenty of food, that she had to hide her dismay and gave him a large cuddle. Then she asked him if he would like her to share his room so that he would not be alone.
Inuyasha’s eyes sparkled and he nodded, he liked it here but he was a bit afraid that he would wake up and find everyone he knew had gone away. As it happened Inuyasha had a wonderful time in the Palace of the Sky and he regained some of his bonny looks and he didn’t miss anyone or worry about anything, because time in the clouds seemed to stand still. He even learned to ride Shinju, now that she was more used to her transformation, and after The Lady had made sure that the dog didn’t mind. Although she could have simply ordered Shinju to be transport for the pup that would never be able to transform, she would rather he have a willing pet, than a coerced one.
But eventually it was time to leave, they had stayed away for a whole month and The Lady was missing her family even though when Sesshoumaru visited he brought news; it was time to be home. There was a surprise for her as she made herself ready; both sets of Grandparents were going to go too, it was high time for them to see what was happening at the earthly palace. So this time carried in his Grandpapa’s arms, Inuyasha was taken away back to the Palace.
The homecoming was a surprise and very joyful and a banquet which had been in preparation for just this day was announced. The younger pups were overjoyed to see their mother and both burst into noisy tears as they leapt into her arms. She also felt the strength of the bond she shared with Inu no Taishou grow and become vibrant, as his pleasure in having her home was felt in the intimacy of her mind. But Inu no Taishou also had his hands full with his hanyou son; he had taken him straight away from his father and was not going to let him go anytime soon.
Later after the hullabaloo had died down somewhat and the excitement of seeing the grandparents too had abated, it was time for the small pups to go and rest before the banquet. When they got to the nursery there was a bit of an awkward silence as the pups hadn’t spoken to each other since their misunderstanding. Takara watched them from her seat; she didn’t intrude but was on standby for any unpleasantness. But it wasn’t necessary, Michiko had done a lot of growing up in the time her mother had been away and she came over to her older brother and put her arms around him.
"I’m sorry Inuyasha, I didn’t mean to be horrid...I’m sorry."
"So am I...we just didn’t think..." Hiroto added.
"So...you do think I’m your brother now?
"Of course we do...we are sorry..."
"It’s OK, oh by the way, the pup is now called Shinju; have you seen her, she’s had a bath and looks much prettier?"
"Where is she?"
"In the garden I expect, she’s been practicing her flying."
"Let’s go and find her."
"Pups, you were told to rest now, go and lie down and be quiet." Takara said, interrupting them and reminding them of the reason they were in here. They did as they were told and after Michiko said ‘we’re glad you’re home again Inuyasha, you look different somehow’, there was soon just the sound of deep restful breathing from the three pups. Takara watched over them and was thankful, it didn’t take much for them to settle again to their normal relationship at this age and resentments could be easily put aside if they hadn’t become entrenched.
Meanwhile, Inu no Taishou was reading the carefully prepared healer’s report which he’d been given and he too was shocked. How could he have missed all of this, and yet he didn’t doubt the veracity of the findings; he knew the healer of old and had complete trust in him. Besides he had seen for himself how well Inuyasha looked now, his face was rosy and had a healthy glow as well as being not quite so drawn. He sighed and looked at his parents who were sympathetic to him.
"What do I do, I can’t alter his family?"
"Are you going to take my advice Son?"
"I’m open to any suggestions Father."
"Hmmm, I wonder; you obviously can’t stop him seeing the humans, but it won’t be long before that will draw to a close, at least so often. You can however make sure they do not have any other authority over the pup than that which is normal for siblings. You and your mate are the boy’s parents now, they should defer to you if he misbehaves or needs counsel."
"Very well, that is something I can make sure of, anything else?"
"Yes, and this is important...don’t send him away to school, he needs his own room and family scents around him. You can easily set a school room aside here and the others all know who he is now and it would probably benefit all of the pupils to share a dormitory rather than have their own rooms in any case, they must feel isolated. And before you say that it worked for Sesshoumaru, I know it did, but he was a different case, he is your heir and your lands were not at peace. He needed to be kept under guard and you were often absent.
"I am not saying stop his schooling; just make sure he comes back to his den. This is something he has never had, unlike the other pups and it is taking a toll on his health. You must take into account more, that Inuyasha is half human too, not just physically but mentally and in heart. He is a very strong pup and able to deal with most things in the youkai way, but not all and it begins to notice. His bond with Sesshoumaru is still very strong is it not?"
"Definitely, it grows as they do."
"Very well, don’t separate them for a while by sending Sesshoumaru away; let him know that he is to be more alert to his brother, at least until the child starts to pick up. And don’t worry so much, children normally bounce back very quickly under the right conditions."
"What do I need to do Grandpapa? What is this about Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked as he entered and overheard the conversation. His father gave him the healer’s report to read. He took one look at them all before leaving and going in search of his brother and he studied the sleeping pup, noticing the superficial changes for good. However when the boy awoke Sesshoumaru could see that Inuyasha’s eyes were still haunted therefore his youkai urged him to protect the heart of his brother and to see that he became whole once again.
Author:petalears
Universe:AU
Rating:PG
Summary:Inuyasha visits The Lady's Palace
Quote:"What is food to one, is to others bitter poison." - Lucretius
A Healer’s Insight
The Lady would have reached their destination quicker if she’d transformed into her energy ball to transport Inuyasha and Shinju to the Palace of the Sky. But she had an opportunity that she didn’t want to miss; this was the first time that she had allowed herself to hold the boy as her own pup and not one she was to hand back. Therefore she took to the skies on her cloud and held him comfortably forward on her hip and close to her body, while Inuyasha laid his head on her shoulder with his arms around her neck. The small hanyou was cuddly by nature and it was not all to do with his humanity.
She also knew that she had this little one to thank in that Sesshoumaru was not a completely cold ice block. The Lady had not been a particularly young mother, but she was a stunning beauty and knew it; she was haughty and very proud, very like her eldest son and daughter. When she gave birth to her first pup she was overly concerned with not having any proof of motherhood clinging to her clothes. Sticky baby fingers and mouths were not to be tolerated and so Sesshoumaru was always cleaned and washed immediately before being presented to his Mama.
She was never cruel, she loved her pup, but she was very aloof until the baby was old enough to know not to touch her until he was clean. Then she would pick him up to sit him on her lap, but again, she would only hold him firmly on her knees so he couldn’t squirm around, because she would be aware that her gown might get creased. By the time she fully realised what she was doing, and that her beloved son might be pushed away, the pup was no longer coming to her for his cuddles and only receiving them from his father, who was away from home much of the time in the early days.
As it happened fortunately for them both, Sesshoumaru never doubted his mother’s love for him, but sometimes there had been a lot of awkwardness; that is, until she held him naturally when he feared his father had died. But ever since his bond with his little hanyou brother who was so naturally loving, Sesshoumaru had been able to show and be shown more physical affection and when the other pups came along their mother didn’t make the same mistakes with them. Now she truly enjoyed all the aspects of being a mama and wanted to be the same with her adopted boy.
For Inuyasha too it was a welcome change, it had been many years since Izayoi had been able to carry him in this way and even his sister and sisters-in-law found him heavy to handle now. And yet he was still young enough to want this level of mothering although he would fight the suggestion if it was put to him verbally. He was not alarmed at the mode of travel, but in any case Aunty was making soothing rumbles which he could feel through his body and made him feel safe.
The Palace in the Sky eventually grew bigger in their sights as they approached and Inuyasha took in his first glimpses of his Aunt’s original home. It was held aloft by the immense youkai of her forefathers and those of her immediate relations who still lived there. When they had bathed and were ready to be presented, the pair were taken to a large reception hall where there were announced formally. Inuyasha was kept close to his aunt by her arm and sleeve, while his eyes took in some familiar and some he didn’t know. Thankfully there was nothing in the scents of any to cause him alarm.
One large and tall male who Inuyasha knew he’d seen at the Palace before and who was his Aunt’s father sat down on a large cushion and called the small hanyou over to him. At first Aunty seemed reluctant to let him go, but she would not be a disobedient daughter and her father reigned over her branch of the Inu clan with a firm hand. Another male who had a vaguely familiar scent and who was just as impressive as the first came to sit beside the first and the two conversed quietly together before the second one called Inuyasha over again.
"Surely the son of My Son should not be scared to come and speak with his Grandpapa Inuyasha?"
"I’m not scared Grandpapa." Inuyasha asserted and went to stand before both Inu as tall as a small boy could be.
"You should be pup; we hold the power of life or death over you." Grandfather spoke this time, casting a shrewd glance at his daughter.
"Why would you want to kill me; I’ve done nothing wrong?" Inuyasha answered boldly and reasonably.
"Perhaps the manner of your existence Pup." He said cryptically as far as Inuyasha was concerned, he hadn’t understood, but he heard his aunt snarl:
"You would speak of such things in front of an innocent pup of barely fifty years?"
"Should it be necessary, his tender age will not deter me." Her father replied, noting that Inuyasha’s expression showed he was still lost as to understanding what was going on.
"Then I will remove us both from your presence; we came on good faith for a visit, the pup needed rest, he will obviously not receive it here." With that she spun quickly and grabbed her pup, enfolding him to her breast and left.
"I did not give you leave to go My Daughter, come back here with the boy."
"I do not answer to you any longer Sire; My Lord awaits us back at the Western Palace and unless you wish to risk war you will not stop us leaving." She hissed, her lovely face nearly transforming, her eyes glowing reddened gold; but although she was now furious, Inuyasha was unhurt and still felt safe. He was bemused at the goings on, but knew not to interfere when the adults were in discussion. Before she could leave the room though, she was confronted with her mate’s father who was grinning in an annoying and cocky way that she recognised.
"Come back to us now Mate of My Son; truly you are worthy to be the mother of my grandchildren. Your anger does you credit." His voice and presence were not to be ignored and she allowed herself to calm down from her furious state to just being angry, as she realised what had happened.
"You sought to test me." She stated.
"Bitches have been known to bide their time when asked to look after another’s pup; then unforeseen accidents have happened. It was necessary; this pup is much beloved of My Son and part of the family, the circumstances of his birth notwithstanding. You would have been well within your rights to not accept such a child."
"I have waited for My Son since he was conceived; his mother saved My Mate’s life, My Son is bonded to his brother. You think I would feel any differently to My Mate and Heir where our family is concerned?"
"No, you were never doubted, but the test was for your benefit as well. Now we would like to talk to Our Grandson...Inuyasha?" The youkai who was his father’s parent watched as the pup came unafraid to stand once more before them.
"You are not going to kill me, are you Grandpapa?" He said looking into eyes that were common to his father, himself and Hiroto. In shape they were all the same whereas Shu and Michiko were exactly like their mother’s. But it was his other grandfather who answered;
"No harm will come to you from anyone of us Inuyasha; you are safe and welcome to stay until you return home. You will find other children to play with and gardens for you to run in, games also can be found in your room. You can make yourself at home, but first we want you to see the healer, he will be entrusted to keep you healthy, so he needs to meet you, is that alright?"
"Yes Grandfather."
"Well done, now come and let us hold you; it is many years since an Inu pup ran around here." Grandfather held out his arms and Inuyasha went willingly into his lap and both Grandfathers spent time getting to know the boy, asking him questions and letting him talk to his heart’s content. The Lady sat and watched silently, mulling over this unusual development, she could tell that there was more to this than it seemed. When Inuyasha was finally sent off with the healer who had a pocketful of treats by way of introduction, the two older Inu sent for tea and The Lady immediately asked;
"Why did you need to send Inuyasha away to the healer, My Son is not ill?"
"The pup we have seen today Daughter is not the same one we have seen in the past on our previous visits. True we have only seen the boy briefly and at a distance, but there is noticeable change." Her father said and the other grandfather joined in.
"To elucidate, Inuyasha is far too pale and his cheeks are a startling red against his skin. Normally the pup’s human blood causes his skin to be a couple of shades darker than his siblings. His eyes are quite dull and have dark shadows beneath them. Obviously he has lost his mother and is in grief for that, but this has a far more insidious cause. He is underweight for his size, there is a tremor in his hand and voice which has become almost natural, and if this isn’t nipped in the bud he will become a shadow of his former self."
The Lady was shocked, instantly seeing for herself what her father and father-in-law were saying and berating herself, for not having noticed it earlier. But they told her not to be surprised, she was always around and change occurred so gradually that it wasn’t hard to miss. By the evening, Inuyasha was back with his Aunty and telling her all about the interesting things he’d found in the healer’s quarters. Later the healer explained all he had learned from the pup, just through letting him speak.
"There seem to be underlying insecurities with the pup My Lords and Lady; I have deduced much from the young prince, he is a happy child, but is often worried. This latest fear of being sent away has deep roots that I feel have been caused by his not having one place of dwelling. I completely understand how this has come about, but Inuyasha is very young to have been moved from place to place. This lifestyle would be no problem for him or any child; in fact many thrive on migration, but for the fact of his having separate parents and multiple carers. He is confused and like most Inu pups he really needs a consistent den.
"He tells me he has a home at a farm, at his siblings’ homes, at school, at the Palace and now here and where this has been no obvious problem until now, he has started to feel he has no stability and still has concerns about being abandoned somewhere else. My recommendations for now is to let him eat and sleep when he wants to and what he wants, his weight causes me concern and his face is gaunt for an immature pup. I have of course taken into account that a hanyou is smaller than a full Inuyoukai, but Inuyasha should be heavier."
The healer looked up from his notes that he had written down as Inuyasha chatted away to him while exploring the various potions and treasures. He then bowed and was allowed to leave after saying that so far no permanent damage was done. The Lady was distressed, but Inuyasha came in and was so enthusiastic about his room with all the toys and a table with plenty of food, that she had to hide her dismay and gave him a large cuddle. Then she asked him if he would like her to share his room so that he would not be alone.
Inuyasha’s eyes sparkled and he nodded, he liked it here but he was a bit afraid that he would wake up and find everyone he knew had gone away. As it happened Inuyasha had a wonderful time in the Palace of the Sky and he regained some of his bonny looks and he didn’t miss anyone or worry about anything, because time in the clouds seemed to stand still. He even learned to ride Shinju, now that she was more used to her transformation, and after The Lady had made sure that the dog didn’t mind. Although she could have simply ordered Shinju to be transport for the pup that would never be able to transform, she would rather he have a willing pet, than a coerced one.
But eventually it was time to leave, they had stayed away for a whole month and The Lady was missing her family even though when Sesshoumaru visited he brought news; it was time to be home. There was a surprise for her as she made herself ready; both sets of Grandparents were going to go too, it was high time for them to see what was happening at the earthly palace. So this time carried in his Grandpapa’s arms, Inuyasha was taken away back to the Palace.
The homecoming was a surprise and very joyful and a banquet which had been in preparation for just this day was announced. The younger pups were overjoyed to see their mother and both burst into noisy tears as they leapt into her arms. She also felt the strength of the bond she shared with Inu no Taishou grow and become vibrant, as his pleasure in having her home was felt in the intimacy of her mind. But Inu no Taishou also had his hands full with his hanyou son; he had taken him straight away from his father and was not going to let him go anytime soon.
Later after the hullabaloo had died down somewhat and the excitement of seeing the grandparents too had abated, it was time for the small pups to go and rest before the banquet. When they got to the nursery there was a bit of an awkward silence as the pups hadn’t spoken to each other since their misunderstanding. Takara watched them from her seat; she didn’t intrude but was on standby for any unpleasantness. But it wasn’t necessary, Michiko had done a lot of growing up in the time her mother had been away and she came over to her older brother and put her arms around him.
"I’m sorry Inuyasha, I didn’t mean to be horrid...I’m sorry."
"So am I...we just didn’t think..." Hiroto added.
"So...you do think I’m your brother now?
"Of course we do...we are sorry..."
"It’s OK, oh by the way, the pup is now called Shinju; have you seen her, she’s had a bath and looks much prettier?"
"Where is she?"
"In the garden I expect, she’s been practicing her flying."
"Let’s go and find her."
"Pups, you were told to rest now, go and lie down and be quiet." Takara said, interrupting them and reminding them of the reason they were in here. They did as they were told and after Michiko said ‘we’re glad you’re home again Inuyasha, you look different somehow’, there was soon just the sound of deep restful breathing from the three pups. Takara watched over them and was thankful, it didn’t take much for them to settle again to their normal relationship at this age and resentments could be easily put aside if they hadn’t become entrenched.
Meanwhile, Inu no Taishou was reading the carefully prepared healer’s report which he’d been given and he too was shocked. How could he have missed all of this, and yet he didn’t doubt the veracity of the findings; he knew the healer of old and had complete trust in him. Besides he had seen for himself how well Inuyasha looked now, his face was rosy and had a healthy glow as well as being not quite so drawn. He sighed and looked at his parents who were sympathetic to him.
"What do I do, I can’t alter his family?"
"Are you going to take my advice Son?"
"I’m open to any suggestions Father."
"Hmmm, I wonder; you obviously can’t stop him seeing the humans, but it won’t be long before that will draw to a close, at least so often. You can however make sure they do not have any other authority over the pup than that which is normal for siblings. You and your mate are the boy’s parents now, they should defer to you if he misbehaves or needs counsel."
"Very well, that is something I can make sure of, anything else?"
"Yes, and this is important...don’t send him away to school, he needs his own room and family scents around him. You can easily set a school room aside here and the others all know who he is now and it would probably benefit all of the pupils to share a dormitory rather than have their own rooms in any case, they must feel isolated. And before you say that it worked for Sesshoumaru, I know it did, but he was a different case, he is your heir and your lands were not at peace. He needed to be kept under guard and you were often absent.
"I am not saying stop his schooling; just make sure he comes back to his den. This is something he has never had, unlike the other pups and it is taking a toll on his health. You must take into account more, that Inuyasha is half human too, not just physically but mentally and in heart. He is a very strong pup and able to deal with most things in the youkai way, but not all and it begins to notice. His bond with Sesshoumaru is still very strong is it not?"
"Definitely, it grows as they do."
"Very well, don’t separate them for a while by sending Sesshoumaru away; let him know that he is to be more alert to his brother, at least until the child starts to pick up. And don’t worry so much, children normally bounce back very quickly under the right conditions."
"What do I need to do Grandpapa? What is this about Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru asked as he entered and overheard the conversation. His father gave him the healer’s report to read. He took one look at them all before leaving and going in search of his brother and he studied the sleeping pup, noticing the superficial changes for good. However when the boy awoke Sesshoumaru could see that Inuyasha’s eyes were still haunted therefore his youkai urged him to protect the heart of his brother and to see that he became whole once again.