Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Moonlight
By : kirayasha
Category: InuYasha > General
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Moonlight
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11: Brotherly Love

By
kira

Author�s
notes: Once again I�d like to thank my betas, Ithilwen & Tiranth for their invaluable help in making this story the
best it can be! Thank you, Ladies!! Thanks also to Blaze-chan for encouraging
me to keep on writing! *huggles*

Inuyasha
managed to come through his first year of life, experiencing nothing worse than
the usual scrapes, bumps and minor illnesses that plague any youkai child.
Gradually, as she came to know her young charge better, Tsuki began to realize
that the fever Inuyasha got while teething was just as normal for a human child
as it was for a youkai one. The same with the odd cold or two he came down with
as his body learned to build up resistance to the world around him. Tsuki also
began to realize that while Inuyasha was not as fragile as the human babies she
remembered from the village that bordered her father�s, he was also not as
strong as the youkai ones she had seen around the palace. He was in a word,
simply �Inuyasha� and he was a dear to her as her own pup would have been. Somehow,
making it through life�s little milestones was considered a great
accomplishment, although Sesshomaru thought it was complete and utter nonsense,
a fact he wisely kept to himself.
Spending
time with his father now meant a recitation of Inuyasha�s achievements instead
of time spent learning how to govern the empire that the young youkai lord
thought he was going to take over any day now as Inutaisho traveled down the
long road to senility. Sesshomaru was sure that no one but a befuddled old man
would think that anything a baby hanyou did was that important. To make matters
worse, Tsuki, who spent all her free time looking after Inuyasha, echoed his
father�s sentiments. But the thing that really galled Sesshomaru more than
anything else was the fact that Inuyasha adored him, no matter how short
tempered he was with him or how much he ignored his presence.
So
instead of coming back from a particularly trying day of dealing with the
ministers and bureaucrats that helped make his father�s job easier and
unwinding under Tsuki�s loving care, he found himself face to face with a
younger brother who was rapidly becoming an annoyance. All Sesshomaru had
to do was walk into Tsuki�s room, and Inuyasha would crawl over from where he
had been playing and climb onto Sesshomaru�s lap. Then Sesshomaru would have to
sit there patiently while Inuyasha babbled on, either pulling his hair or grabbing
his fluff, until after what she
considered to be a descent amount of brotherly bonding, Tsuki would emerge and
picked him up to nurse him. Sesshomaru found himself forced to listen all over
again to the same stories his father had told him earlier, nodding in all the
correct places while wondering why everyone felt it necessary to dote on a
hanyou child of all things. So he nearly missed hearing something that no one
had heard before.
�Muu�� Inuyasha cooed as he held out his arms to his elder
brother.
Tsuki�s
eyes went wide and she let out a high pitched sound somewhere between a giggle
and a squeal of delight as she cuddled Inuyasha.
�Tsuki?!� Sesshomaru looked over at her, his heart pounding
as he tensed to protect her from whatever had made her scream.
�Did
you hear it?� She looked over at him, a silly grin plastered on her face.
�Muu��
Inuyasha cooed at her and giggled happily as she made silly faces at him.
�Sugoi! You said it again!!� Tsuki said softly as she
tickled Inuyasha�s belly.
Sesshomaru
watched Tsuki as she played with his brother and he wondered if he should ask
her what she was so excited about. Curiosity won out as Tsuki seemingly ignored
him in favor of the little hanyou. Quirking an eyebrow at her, he asked,
�What�s so amazing about Inuyasha cooing?�
�You
mean to tell me you didn�t hear it? He just said his first word and I can�t
believe you weren�t listening!�
�Nani? I was
listening and he didn�t say anything other than his normal babble. Come
to think of it, all he does is make
stupid noises.� Sesshomaru looked at her like she was crazy.
�Stupid noises? Baka! He�s trying
to learn how to talk! And he just said his first word!�
�Really�so
tell me what did he say?� Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow at her as Inuyasha
waved his hands and cooed happily.
�Maru-chan!�
�Hai�?�
�Baka! His first word was
�Maru-chan�� Her irritation turned into a smile when Inuyasha said it again.
�Muu��
�See! He�s calling you!� She cuddled Inuyasha
before sitting him on Sesshomaru�s lap. �Who loves his big
brother?� she cooed.
�Muu��
�Kawaii!! I really have to go tell
Ningen-hime! She�s never going to believe it! Who have thought that his first
word would be Maru-chan!� she giggled and left before Sesshomaru could hand his
brother back to her.
�Muu��
�I
believe you said that before�� Sesshomaru said dryly.
�Muu�� Inuyasha cooed and waved his hands excitedly as he
bounced up and down on Sesshomaru�s knee.
�Careful, Whelp! You�re going
to�fall�� Sesshomaru said, and feeling rather pleased with himself that
Inuyasha�s first word was his name, he allowed himself to favor his brother
with a slight smile. Picking up the end of his fluff, he playfully teased
Inuyasha by holding it just out of his reach. �You can�t catch it�� he said in
the same soft sing-song tones he used with Inuyasha when no one was around to
hear him.
�Muu��
He
chuckled softly when Inuyasha reached out and finally caught hold of it. �Not
bad, Whelp, not bad at all��
888
�Come,
Maru-chan, let�s go have a picnic. It�s a beautiful day outside and it�ll be
fun! Inu-chan will love it too and it�ll be good for him to be outside in the
fresh air and sunshine.� Tsuki smiled at her mate and reaching for his hands,
she took them gently in hers. �Please�You�ve been so busy lately that I never
see you anymore.� She moved smoothly into his embrace. �I miss you so much,
Maru-chan, it hurts��
�Hai,
I miss you too, but couldn�t we go on our own without him?� Sesshomaru asked
hopefully.
�Iie�
Besides, why would you want to go without him, when it�s so obvious that he
loves you and adores you? I�m actually surprised at you, Maru-chan!� She pushed
away from him and stood there, back towards him, confused and saddened by his
insistence they be together without Inuyasha. Tsuki could not for the life of
her understand why he was not thrilled with the idea of spending time with his
baby brother. She knew he had been very excited when she was pregnant as they
used to lie awake at night for hours taking about it and besides, she thought
he liked babies. She considered herself very lucky to have the chance to care
for Inuyasha and as time went on she came to love him very much, and she was sure
Sesshomaru felt that way about him as well, so it came as shock to hear
otherwise.
�But,
we�re with him all the time, Tsuki-chan, except when I�m busy with my father.
It�s like I can�t see you without seeing him as well. We never alone together
anymore and well�ummm� we haven�t had sex in months! Damn it! I�m tired of
hearing your excuses about being worried you�re going to get with pup again and
won�t be able to care for him or you�re afraid he�ll wake up in the middle of
it! Shit! Why the hell can�t he go spend the night with his mother? He�s a big
pup now and he won�t need you for much longer. Look at him! Because of his
human blood, he�s grown much faster than he would have if he were
youkai-�
�But
he�s still a baby! You know, if I didn�t know any better, I�d say you were
jealous of him!�
Sesshomaru
looked at her like he she was mad before her words sank in, �Keh! That�s
ridiculous! As if I would be jealous of a
mere hanyou!�
��A mere hanyou!� He�s not a mere hanyou!
He�s your little brother not to mention our foster son and I just can�t believe
you�d be so, so�so awful about him! You know, I don�t want to go anywhere with
you!� She spun on her heel and headed towards Inuyasha who had awaken from his
nap, crying.
�Fine!� Sesshomaru glared at her
retreating form. Closing his eyes, he mentally counted to ten and then left for
the peaceful yet lonely haven of his old rooms. He walked swiftly through the
corridors pondering what she had said. Me,
jealous of a stupid hanyou? Never! He sighed softly.
I just miss you, Tsuki-chan, that�s all. You spend so much time with him, you
never have time for just me anymore�All I want is to be with you and do all the
things we used to do together, before he came to dominate your life. Why can�t
you see that? Why must we fight over him all the time? Sesshomaru shook
himself out of his reverie as he approached his room. Kneeling, he quickly slid
the door open and crawled inside, then shutting it behind him; he stared at the
empty confines of his lower chamber. The unfurnished room seemed cold and
barren and it reminded him painfully of the way his life had been before he met
Tsuki. Closing his eyes, he realized he would rather be there with her even if
he had to share her with Inuyasha, than be all alone again.
Sesshomaru
took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, calming himself, before heading
towards the door. Once outside, he slowly retraced his steps.
888
�Come,
let�s go on that picnic. I�ll get the things together while you finish feeding
Inuyasha.� he whispered in Tsuki�s ear. When she did not respond, he tried
apologizing, before gently nuzzling her cheek until he coaxed a smile back onto
her face.
�Hai��
she sighed softly and he quirked an eyebrow at her, before she shook her head
to clear away the slight frown that briefly settled there. Smiling sweetly, she
handed him Inuyasha, before snatching the hanyou back again. Cuddling the
laughing infant close, she danced over the shoji leading out to the warmth of
the inner garden. �Coming?� she called out over her shoulder as Sesshomaru
stared at her dumbly before following her out.
He
turned, and closing the shoji behind him, he heard her thanking the servant for
their lunch before the trembling woman handed it to him. The frightened woman
bowed and he gave her a curt nod in return, before leaving with his mate and
brother. They strolled along the low veranda surrounding the women�s quarters,
and Sesshomaru was pleased to note they were heading in the direction of
Ningen-hime�s rooms. Only because he had had a lifetime�s worth of practice was
he able to keep the calm mask of indifference plastered on his face, when they
paused just outside her rooms.
�Please
wait for me here, Maru-chan,� she said softly before disappearing inside along
with his brother.
Sesshomaru
waited patiently, his mind filled with happy thoughts of finally having some
private time alone with his mate. He was therefore surprised when he saw Tsuki
emerging from the rooms, his brother and the human in tow. There was one brief
moment where his cool mask of indifference threatened to erupt into a petulant
frown as he was worried Tsuki had talked the human into coming along with them
before he noticed his father�s presence.
�Chichi-ue��
�Sessho-kun,�
Inutaisho said; a touch of amusement in his voice. �What�s all this I hear
about a picnic?�
�Ummm��
Sesshomaru stood there, trying to think of something to say, while hoping he
could get them to look after his brother, while seeming not to. �Hai. We�re going to go picnic down
by the plum orchard. Why? Are you coming with us?� Please say you won�t and
that you and the stupid human rather spend time here with Inuyasha�
�Sorry
to disappoint you, my son, but I have other things to do at the moment. Perhaps
Izayoi-hime would like to go?� He turned to the human who was standing there
cuddling her son.
�Gomen
nasai, but I�m also wanted elsewhere this afternoon. Atsuimi-hime asked me if I
could show some of the new girls proper court
etiquette.� Izayoi smiled sweetly and Sesshomaru was sure she and his
father were up to something, but he just could not bring himself to argue about
it.
Inutaisho
chuckled, �She means showing them how to behave like a lady during various
ceremonies, while giving a hint of the whoring to come later�� He winked at
Izayoi and she sighed and shook her at him as a deep crimson blush spread
across her cheeks.
�Dono-sama!�
she exclaimed before hastily adding, �You�ll have to forgive him, Waka-sama, as
Inuyasha just hit him in the head with one of my geta when he tried to take it
away from him. What I�m really supposed to be doing is showing them how to
discreetly show interest in a man. Despite what some people think,� Izayoi
paused, �subtlety is far more alluring than the methods they�ve been taught to
favor.� She gave Inutaisho a faint mocking smile as she playfully teased him by
underscoring her words by tilting her head to the side as she pretended to look
at her son, exposing the long smooth plane of her neck in the way that the dog
general found enticingly erotic.
�Hai�Then
we mustn�t keep you,� Sesshomaru said softly when he detected the undercurrent
of flirtation going on between his father and the human. He closed his eyes and
waited patiently while Tsuki made her goodbyes before adding his own, �Sayonara,
Chichi-ue; Ningen-hime.� He gave them each a slight
bow and he briefly watched them walk away before turning to his mate. �Come,
Tsuki-chan, let�s go.�
888
The
walk to the orchard was as uneventful as the setting up of their picnic.
Inuyasha for once did as he was told and stayed put where Tsuki had set him
down. When they were finished, the little hanyou playfully pretended he did not
want to move. He sat there, chubby arms folded across his chest, looking away,
before slyly looking back, until he could not take it any longer and started
laughing. The more his older brother frowned at him, the more he laughed until
he had Tsuki laughing along with him. Growling softly, Sesshomaru leaned in to
say something to him, when Inuyasha reached out and grabbing two handfuls of
his older brother�s hair he pulled himself up into a standing position.
�Inuyasha!� Sesshomaru said through
gritted teeth. �Let go!� He tried untangling his brother�s hands, but it only
made him pull harder.
Tsuki
also tried getting him to let go but to no avail. A few tense minutes passed
until Inuyasha, tiring of the �game� abruptly let go, taking a few silvery
strands with him.
�Shit!�
the youkai prince swore as he rubbed his temples.
�Maru-chan! There�s no need to
swear! Besides, he�s just a baby and you�re a man�� Tsuki picked Inuyasha up
and held him close as if to protect him form his older brother.
�Hai!�
�And you know how much I love it when you
pout�� she said suggestively
Sesshomaru
glared at her before smiling, �Are you trying to be subtle, Tsuki-chan?�
Encouraged by the look she gave him, he leaned closer.
�Hai��
she said breathlessly, leaning closer to him as well.
�I
find it very alluring and so much better than the methods you were taught to
favor,� he said softly.
�And
that�s why you love me�� she whispered in reply.
Closing
her eyes, Tsuki moved even closer to him, and Sesshomaru was quick to close the
distance between them. Just as they were about to kiss the momentarily
forgotten member of their party made his presence known, �Muu!� Inuyasha burbled happily as his brother and
Tsuki separated.
�Why don�t we eat now?� she said softly,
hoping to diffuse some of her mate�s irritation.
�Grrr�� the two brothers replied with an identical growl.
888
�When�s
he going to sleep?� Sesshomaru sighed softly. He sat there, watching his
younger brother crawl after butterflies, his body radiating impatience and
frustration over the situation. He really wanted some quiet time alone with his
mate, and the fact that had their son Aisoku lived he would be pretty much
enjoying the same circumstances as he was now, was totally lost on him.
�He�ll
sleep when he�s tired, Maru-chan,� Tsuki replied in what felt like the
hundredth time. �I told you, he doesn�t always like to take a nap in the
afternoon.� She sighed as well. �I was hoping some time spent outside in the
fresh air and sunshine would-�
�Make
him sleepy,� he finished for her. �I know that, but he�s been crawling around
for a while now.� He yawned and Inuyasha looked over their way. �He�s making me
sleepy when he�s the one who should be napping!� Sesshomaru closed his eyes and
growled softly when he heard his brother laughing. The little hanyou had tried
to stand up by himself but had fallen on his butt and
he sat there, clapping his hands and laughing.
�Sssh��
Tsuki soothed. �Come lie here with your head on my lap and maybe he�ll take the
hint.� She reached out and gently stroked his cheek. She smiled, pleased to see
he returned it in kind and she patted her lap before her smile broke into a
giggle.
�Keh��
Sesshomaru said before moving to take her up on her offer. He laid there, his head nestled comfortably in her lap, while
she rubbed his temples. Under her gentle touch, he could feel his tension
melting away and he was surprised to find he didn�t mind it one bit when
Inuyasha came over and snuggled up next to him. As far as he was concerned the
faster the little hanyou went to sleep, the better. Unfortunately, Tsuki�s
touch proved to be too soothing and he drifted off to sleep long before
Inuyasha did, much to his mate�s amusement.
Tsuki
carefully maneuvered herself out from under Sesshomaru�s head. When Inuyasha
stirred in his sleep, she tenderly rubbed his back until the he fell back
asleep. Sighing softly at the sight of the two brothers dozing peacefully in
the shade of the plum trees, she reached inside the lunch box where she found
some scraps of paper and a small brush, ink stick and her ink stone. She also
removed an old chipped sake cup with she filled with some water from the bamboo
flask. She then spent the next twenty five minutes in peaceful contemplation of
the sketches she would make, grinding the ink stick into ink for her sketches.
After carefully loading her brush, she made a few quick strokes on a small
piece of paper before she set to work on sketching the peaceful scene before
her. This became the first in a series of small paintings she would paint of
the slumbering brothers. This small sketch would later find its way into
Inutaisho�s possession and he carried it with him until the end of his life.
Tsuki also managed to draw several other quick sketches for a watercolor she
planned on making when she had time. As she gathered up the sketches that had
been drying in the sun, Tsuki heard the familiar half groan half sigh that
signaled Sesshomaru�s return to wakefulness. She quickly put her things away
and sat watching him with amusement as he surfaced from his dream.
Sesshomaru,
feeling the weight of someone lying across his chest, carefully moved his arm
out from under his head. In his dream-fogged mind, it was Tsuki who had
snuggled up against him and he slowly brought his arm down in arc to rest
against the small of her back. Unfortunately his hand met nothing but the grass
he was lying on despite several minutes of furtive feeling around for the
missing half of his woman. Frowning, he cracked his eyes open as he looked down
to see who lying across his chest. The look of horrified disappointment on his
face when he saw it was Inuyasha, made Tsuki laugh despite the pang of sadness
she felt inside.
�Did
you have a nice sleep?� she asked softly and Sesshomaru growled as he rubbed
the sleep from his eyes.
�Hai��
he sighed. �Do you think you can come here and get him so I can get up?�
�Hai�just
give me some time to finish packing everything,� she said as she folded the
cotton square they had used as a picnic table. After carefully placing it
inside their lunch box, she came over and knelt beside him. Leaning over, she
gave him a quick kiss before picking up Inuyasha.
�What
did you do while we sleeping?� Sesshomaru asked after stifling another yawn.
�I
just sat there and sketched�� she said with a giggle.
�Sketched
what?� he asked as he sat up and stretched his arms over his head.
�You,
Inu-chan, the trees�� she said sounding somewhat vague and Sesshomaru had the
feeling she had been sketching yet another sketch of himself and his little
brother. He would not have minded had she kept the sketches to herself, but she
often made of point of sharing them with Ningen-hime and Sesshomaru hated the
idea of the two them sitting there cooing over them. Just thinking about it
made him flush with embarrassment and he hoped Tsuki would not notice.
�Look
who else is up�� Tsuki�s soft voice intruded upon his thoughts and he looked over
in time to see Inuyasha yawning sleepily on her lap.
�Muu��
he said as he reached out to his brother.
�Not
now, Whelp, we need to get back to the palace,� Sesshomaru said and he stood up
in one fluid motion before leaning over to assist Tsuki. After a quick look around
to see if they had forgotten anything, the three of them slowly made their way
back to the palace.
888
Inuyasha
disturbance of their private moments was fast becoming a reoccurring nightmare
in Sesshomaru�s humble opinion. It also did not help that Sesshomaru was
frustrated that Tsuki still refused to allow him to couple with her because of
her fears she would become pregnant again. While Atsuimi-hime had been somewhat
helpful in her suggestions, when she was not teasing him about it, as to what
to do to relieve his tension, to Sesshomaru, they felt more like a prelude to
pillowing rather than a substitution for it. Plus there were some things that
Tsuki refused to do no matter how much he wheedled and coaxed and he often left
her in tears, angry more with himself for upsetting her than for her refusal to
do as he asked. It was becoming more and more torturous to be in her presence
than not, so he reluctantly moved back permanently to his own quarters. He was
to spend many a lonely night, engaged in solitary pursuits while his thoughts
refused to stray far from her. After yet another sleepless night he came to a
decision that was to set the pattern of his life in later years. He had decided
to wander his father�s lands, in the hope that the farther the distance between
them the less temptation, and the easier it would be to deal with not having
her in his bed as often as he wanted. Having made that decision, he was amazed
to find that sleep came much more easily that night.
888
�Chichi-ue�?�
�Hai�?�
The dog general looked up from the set of scrolls he had been reading and
looked at his son who was seated across from him.
�I
was thinking it�s about time I learn more about your empire,� Sesshomaru said
as he too looked up from the scroll he had been reading.
�Really?�
�Well,
I was thinking a good way to do that would be to go out and survey the lands.
This way I can get to know those who live there.�
Inutaisho
thought it over for a minute as he studied his son�s face. �I went through the
same thing with your mother when she had you.�
�Nani?� Sesshomaru quickly
pretended to study the scroll in front of him in an effort to hide the blush
that slowly spilled across his cheeks. Please don�t tell me pillowing
stories about you and Haha-ue�
Inutaisho
shook his head. I see I hit a nerve there�but which one? �I said �I went
through much the same thing with your mother.� Unlike Tsukikage-hime, she
really had no excuse -�
�Tsuki-chan,�
Sesshomaru whispered softly, a look of longing passing on his face.
�Tsuki-chan,�
the dog general smiled at the correction. �Other than she refused to let go of
you�I know you don�t want to hear this, but your mother still nursed you even
though Toukasa-chan was fully able to.� He paused and collected his thoughts.
�Sessho-kun, I have no idea why they do that, other than it must be some woman
thing. All I know is your mother loved you very much and she should have
recovered sometime after you were nearly a year had she been able to let go. I
really missed her and I wanted her back in my bed.�
Sesshomaru
felt the heat increase across his cheeks. Damn it! He is going to
tell me pillowing stories! I suppose I should be thrilled that he thinks I�m
old enough to talk about such things like a man, but I really don�t want to
hear this shit� He groaned softly and tried not to wince when his father
paused.
�Sessho-kun,
are you alright?
�Hai��
�Good.
Then go inform your mother and the girl of your decision. When you�re through,
come back to me and we�ll discuss what you need to do.�
�Hai��
Sesshomaru got up and left as quickly as he could while trying to appear as if
he had all the time in the day to leave. As he closed the shoji leading to his
father�s study, for one brief moment he could have sworn he had heard the sound
of his father chuckling, but quickly dismissed it.
Striding purposely down the corridors of the palace on his
way to the women�s quarter�s, Sesshomaru thought of ways to break the news to
Tsuki that he was leaving to go survey his father�s lands.

888
Izayoi sat in the middle of the tatami lined floor in Inutaisho�s room,
waiting patiently for her mate to join her. She had spent the time watching
over Inuyasha as he napped contentedly close by. She found it hard to
concentrate on the scroll she was supposed to be reading as she missed her son
and the afternoon visits were very precious to her. Now that he was awake, she
put her scroll away and played with him. It was a rather noisy game, where
Inuyasha would alternately throw the brightly colored wooden animals around the
room and she would get up and retrieve them for him or he would bang two of
them together. It was not the first time Izayoi wondered if she should have
given him the softer youkai toys made out of old leather. However, she just
could not bring herself to let Inuyasha play with the smooth river rocks and
polished sticks that Sesshomaru often gave him. The way Inuyasha liked to throw
things around made her hesitate to let him play with them as she was afraid he
would hurt someone or possibly himself. No matter how many times Tsuki told her
that was what youkai babies played with, they reminded Izayoi of the things
poor village children used to amuse themselves. Still, despite her misgivings,
she made one concession, a simple owl made from dried grasses that brought back
fond memories of one her nurse had given her as a child. Wincing at the sound
of the wooden toys hitting the delicate lacquered tables, Izayoi wished
Inuyasha liked the toy as much as she did.
�Inu-chan, please stop that, baby, you�re going to break
something and your father will be mad at us,� she gently admonished when a
wooden dog landed on the low table, knocking over her empty tea cup.

Inuyasha sat there, laughing at her, banging his toys
together when he suddenly stopped. �Iii!� he cried as he dropped the toys and
leaning over, he twisted around until he had pushed himself onto his knees and
crawled towards the inner shoji.

Izayoi hastily gathered her son�s playthings together in one
pile before going to wait by the door with him.

Inutaisho listened carefully to sounds on the other side of
low shoji leading to his room, before quickly sliding it open. �Boo!� he cried
as he stuck his head in and Inuyasha squealed with delight. The dog general
slid it closed and played �boo� with his young son a few more times before he
crawled completely inside his room. Kneeling on the floor, he scooped Inuyasha
up in his arms and stood up. Making silly faces at him, Inutaisho walked over
to his mate and kissed her on the cheek. �Did you have to wait long for me,
Koishii?�

�Iie, I don�t think so,� Izayoi said softly as she tried
disentangling Inuyasha�s hand from his father�s ponytail. �Don�t eat that,
Inu-chan!� she said before finally freeing it. �Tsuki-chan and I think he�s
getting his back teeth as he�s started chewing on everything in sight again.�
She smiled at her mate�s raised eyebrow. �Thankfully he�s not sick this time
like he was the last time he was teething. But I do wish he�d stop throwing
things.�

Inutaisho laughed. �Hai...� he said as he picked up the
straw owl, that Inuyasha had thrown earlier, from where it had landed in his
scroll bin. Izayoi smiled as the dog general took the owl and rubbed it on
Inuyasha�s belly. �I�m going to eat this tasty lil pup!� he said in a rough
high pitched voice and Inuyasha laughed as he tried to grab the owl.

�How was your day?� Izayoi asked. She was now sitting on one
of the large cushions in the room, and she had a clear view of father and son.
She watched them play with each other, happy that Inuyasha had someone else to
play with besides herself, Tsuki, and Sesshomaru, as there were no children
around Inuyasha�s age for him to play with. The only one close enough was a
daughter who was recently born to a lesser nobleman and his wife and by the
time she would be old enough to play with, Inuyasha would be too old for her. Sighing
softly, she wished things would have been different for Tsuki�s son would have
been the prefect playmate for Inuyasha had he lived. That thought saddened her,
so Izayoi forced herself to smile and after a while her mood lifted as she
watched her son play with his father.

888

Sesshomaru quietly slid the outer shoji opened, and slipping
his sandals off, he entered Tsuki�s room where he saw her sitting quietly
reading a scroll. �Tsuki-chan�?� he said
softly and was happy when she looked up and smiled. �Is Inuyasha asleep?�

A slight frown creased Tsuki�s brow. �I honestly don�t know,
Maru-chan. He was sleeping when he left here earlier, but he could be awake
now. Why?�

Sesshomaru gave a barely perceptible shrug. �No reason,� he
said softly, �other than now I know we won�t be interrupted.� A few quick
strides and he was at her side, smiling as he thought of how he would like to
spend the time with her, and wondering just how he could get her to tell him
how long they would be alone before Inuyasha came back.

�If you had bothered to come around more often, you�d know
that his mother takes him every afternoon to go play with your father,� Tsuki
said softly and there was no mistaking her frosty tone.

�Gomen, Tsuki-chan, but I�ve been very busy lately-�

�I�m sure you have been.� But that�s no excuse for ignoring me, my love�

Sesshomaru reached out and took her hand. �Arigatou, I
appreciate you being so understanding, Tsuki-chan.� He raised her hand to his
lips and kissed her palm. �And now I�m sorry to say I went and did something
foolish.�

�Hai�?� Please tell me
you haven�t found a wife after assuring me you never would�

He grinned sheepishly at her and Tsuki felt an icy stab of fear
through her heart. Closing her eyes, she steeled herself for what he had to
say, missing the look of sadness that briefly flashed across his face. A moment
of silence hung in the air between them between them before he spoke. �I told
my father I wanted to get to know his empire better by traveling throughout it.
I figured I would start with the perimeter so that I could learn its boundaries
and then eventually travel the interior.�

�Hai�that�s wonderful and all, but you do know I can�t
possibly go with you.� She opened her eyes and looked him sadly as a couple of
tears silently coursed their way down her cheeks.

Sesshomaru, hating to see her like that, looked away. �Hai,
I know that. That�s why I said it was foolish. You do realize that if I�m going
to inherit all of this, I need to know more about his empire.� He gently
squeezed her fingers. �If I didn�t have you, I�d have gone months ago, but I
couldn�t bring myself to leave you and-�

�But you can now,� she said flatly as her eyes started to
well up with tears. �Why? Don�t you love me any more?�

Sesshomaru, irritated by what he perceived as her
foolishness, made a little snort of disgust. �Don�t be stupid, Tsuki! I still
love you and I always will, so get that nonsense out of your head. I honestly have
been busy with my father, but I was also upset with having to�� he looked away,
and finishing softly, said, �share you.�

�Nani? Share me? With
who?� She thought about it for a minute. �Takahara?� she said as she
looked at him like he had three heads.

�What about Takahara?� Sesshomaru growled and her smile
quickly faded.

�Nothing!�

�What do you mean �nothing�?� Sesshomaru glared at her.

Tsuki, suddenly feeling defensive, retorted angrily,
�Nothing! There is nothing going on with him!� She made a small sound of
despair as angry tears stung her eyes.

Scowling at her, he replied coolly, �Are you sure?�

�Hai!!� she shouted at him. Looking away to calm her anger and
wiping her tear stained cheeks, the silence stretched between them before she
broke it. �All that nonsense with him was settled long ago and thankfully he
hasn�t bothered me since. He barely even glanced at me the other day when
Ningen-hime and I brought Inu-chan to see Toukasa-chan. Maru-chan, there isn�t
anyone else I want to be with, so why would you have to share me?� She looked
at him with a puzzled frown on her face as she could not for the life of her
figure out who he meant or why he suddenly seemed less tense.

Sesshomaru sighed and quickly changed the subject. �I�m glad
you�re not crying any more, Tsuki-chan, and I suppose I could tell my father
I�ve changed my mind,� he said as he prayed she�d let the matter go.

She gave him a funny look as she pretended not hear him. �I
know I do spend a lot of time with Ningen-hime, but that�s because she likes
being around Inu-chan. She is his mother after all, and had things worked out
differently� I�d also want to spend time around whoever was looking after our
pup.�

�I know that, and let�s just drop the matter,� he said, and
leaning in he tried to kiss her, but Tsuki deftly moved away when she heard the
outer shoji open.

�Inu-chan!� she said and Sesshomaru paled when he thought
she had guessed who he had meant until it dawned on him someone had opened the
outer shoji. He scooted around on his knees until he sat there facing the
intruders. Groaning softly, he realized he had wasted yet another afternoon in
which he could have been alone with her.

�Suu!� Inuyasha cried as he leaned
out of his father�s arms.

�Gomen nasai, forgive our intrusion, but someone was
hungry,� Inutaisho said as he set Inuyasha down on the floor.

�Hai, we knocked and when there was no answer, I thought
maybe you were sleeping and that�s why we entered. Please forgive us,� Izayoi
said softly to Tsuki who had stood up to greet her.

�It�s alright, we weren�t doing anything important. I was
just telling Maru-chan about the afternoon we had spent with Toukasa-chan and
the ladies. Oh, look!� She pointed over at Inuyasha who started crawling
towards Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru sat there, wishing he could leave, as he really
did not want to watch his father fussing over his half brother. He felt a stab
of jealousy over the fact his father never had much time for him when he was
younger and it was only when he was on the verge of manhood that his father
started spending more than just an hour or two in his presence. Sadly he
realized that it was only when he had started showing an interest in his cousin
Hitome-chan that his father had really come into his life. It saddened him to think
that his father preferred spending time with his brother rather than him and
Sesshomaru found it galling that an infant hanyou was more appealing than a
full blooded adult son. It was several minutes before the insistent tugging on
his hakama penetrated his thoughts.

�Muu!� Inuyasha cried as he banged
his hands on Sesshomaru�s thigh. Inuyasha smiled when Sesshomaru looked down at
him and spoke.

�What do you want, Whelp?�

�Muu!�

�I think he wants you to pick him up, Sessho-kun. You know,
it�s funny, but he was crying before and Izayoi-hime thought he was hungry.
Maybe he just missed you,� Inutaisho said.

Sesshomaru, feeling extremely uncomfortable playing with his
brother under his father�s scrutiny, leaned over and picked Inuyasha up so that
he stood on his lap.

Inuyasha immediately started to bounce up and down on his
toes and he laughed when Sesshomaru looked at him and quirked an eyebrow.

�That�s amazing, he must have really missed you, Sessho-kun,
and that�s why he was crying. I hope you�ll forgive me for keeping you away from
him for so long.�

�Hai�� Sesshomaru said softly. �Chichi-ue, do you think I
can put off my trip for a while?�

�Hai. You know, if I were lucky
enough to have had a brother when I was your age, I wouldn�t have wanted to
leave home either.� He smiled and nodded at Sesshomaru. �Who wants to grow up
big and strong like his brother?� Inutaisho gently tickled Inuyasha�s sides,
causing him to giggle, and bounce more vigorously on Sesshomaru�s lap. �You
know he really loves that straw owl you gave him. Who would have thought that a
simple human peasant�s toy would be so appealing? And that he would be so
gentle with it?�

Sesshomaru looked at his father and sighed. What straw owl? Then it hit him. That old piece of crap?
�I don�t know�who?�

Inutaisho laughed. �It�s a rhetorical question, Sessho-kun.
Seriously, I�m surprised he hasn�t ripped it to shreds as he�s very hard on his
other playthings. By the way, that horse you loved to play with now has three
legs and a half-eaten tail.� Inutaisho grinned at his elder son. �Don�t look at
me like that, Sessho-kun. I tried giving him river rocks to play with but his
mother claims he�s going to get hurt playing with them. Besides, Inu-chan loves
playing with your old toys.�

I bet he does.
Sesshomaru thought as he wondered what other childhood treasures of his
Inuyasha had broken. �I see...� Sesshomaru said listlessly as he pulled the end
of his fluff out of Inuyasha�s mouth. �Must you chew on that?� he said softly.

Inutaisho looked at his sons and felt happy, watching them
interact with each other. �Anyway, I think you need a break worse than I do, so
I�ll leave you here to spend time with your brother. There�s nothing better to
make you forget the cares of the day than to sit back and enjoy the simple
pleasures of being around a baby. No wonder your mother always wanted more of
them�� He looked over and nodded at Izayoi, who made her goodbyes to her
friend. �If you�ll excuse me?� Inutaisho gave
Sesshomaru a slight bow, before turning, and walking over to where Izayoi stood
with Tsuki. Having said goodbye to the girl, he left along with his human mate
and Sesshomaru watched them go.

The joys of being
around a baby, my ass! Let me tell you, Chichi-ue, there�s nothing joyful about
being puked on, drooled on, and pissed on or any other number of disgusting
things they do�

888

�Dono-sama!� Takahara cried as he
entered, from the opposite end, the same hallway as Inutaisho and Izayoi. �I�ve
been looking all over for you. I was told you were in your rooms and when I
failed to find you there�� he trailed off, quickly closing the distance between
them.

�You went in search of me.� The dog general finished and
laughed.

�Hai!� Takahara laughed along with
him. �Konnichiwa, Ningen-hime,� he said and gave her a slight bow which she
returned.

�Konnichiwa, Takahara-sama.
Dono-sama, it appears you both have something of importance to discuss, may I
be excused?� she said softly.

�Hai, I will send for you at dinner time. You may go.�
Having dismissed his human mate, the dog general headed down the hall to his
rooms, Takahara at his side, talking about nothing important until they reached
the privacy of Inutaisho�s rooms. �What�s so important, old friend?�

Takahara, who had heard the news via his network of yamainu
spies, told him. �It seems Ryukotsusei is up to his old shit again.�

�And you know this, how?� The dog general quirking his
eyebrow at him while he waited for his response, decided to go to his tansu and
look inside. After finding a small bottle of sake, he returned and set it on
the small table top brazier to warm. �Well?� he asked as he went back and
retrieved two small cups.

�While I was out riding this morning, I came across a couple
of yamainu who looked pretty beat up. They said the old dragon was trying to oust
them from their territory. I told them we would look into the matter.�

�I see. You did well to tell them that.� The dog general
picked up the bottle of sake to check its warmth. �Gomen, my friend, but this
is all that�s left from last time.� He smiled at Takahara, although the smile
did not reach his eyes. He had smelt the faint odor of a lie hidden in
Takahara�s story and while he could not tell which part was the falsehood, it
saddened him to think his old trusted friend was plotting something behind his
back. �We will leave early tomorrow to see if there�s any truth to the matter,�
he said as he poured the remains of the sake into their cups. They drank in
silence until the dog general broke it. �Who knows,� he shrugged. �We may find
ourselves with a valuable if weak ally. The yamainu would make an excellent
buffer to the north and if we can bring one tribe under our banner, the rest
will soon follow.�

�My thoughts exactly,� Takahara said as he drained his cup. �Arigatou.� He
held his empty cup up and then set it down. �I�ve taken far too much of your
time away from the lady. If you�ll excuse me?�

�Hai�� Could
Sessho-kun and the others be right about you? Are you planning something, my
friend?

888

As soon as Takahara had left, Inutaisho sent for his wife as
he had several things that he needed to discuss with her before he left. The
okugata-sama was pleased to be summoned and she made a great show of it in
front of Izayoi who simply shook her head sadly. Atsuimi had seen it and she
came over to her.

�You must forgive okugata-sama, she�s been very happy at the
turn of events lately,� Atsuimi said as the two women walked through the inner
corridors of the women�s quarters.

�Hai, I know that. I�ve been spending a great deal of the
dono-sama�s time during the day, so it�s only natural she would have the
nights�� Izayoi trailed off softly.

Atsuimi-hime laughed. �Hai.�

�Don�t get me wrong, Atsuimi-hime, he should spend more time
with her than me and she should certainly be the one to warm his bed at night,
but��

�But you�re beginning to understand her as it were, ne?�

Izayoi nodded. �Hai��

�He�ll probably spend the rest of the day and most likely
the night with her,� Atsuimi said knowingly.

�I know�� Izayoi said softly. �I wish I didn�t feel so
jealous, but I can�t help it.�

Atsuimi shrugged. �So
you�re jealous and you can�t help it. It�s what you do with those feelings that
you can help.�

Izayoi thought about it. �You�re saying I shouldn�t give in
to those feelings, ne?�

�Hai.� Atsuimi nodded. �How is it
you know this, but she doesn�t?� she said dryly.

Izayoi smiled. �Who knows? But I appreciate it nonetheless.�
She sighed softly before continuing, �Just knowing that someone acknowledges
the fact that I do feel this way, helps a lot to banish those feelings. I don�t
know why, but it does.� She shrugged and then smiled brightly at her. �Arigatou, Atsuimi-hime.�

�Douitashimashite,
I�m glad I could help. Would you like to come to my rooms and have tea?�

�No
thank you, but perhaps I could another time? Or maybe you would like to come to
my rooms instead?�

�Hai�Perhaps
another time, then. And don�t worry; I�m not angry. I�m sure there�s another
man in your life who wouldn�t mind spending time with you and I wouldn�t want
to keep you.� Atsuimi smiled at Izayoi�s puzzled expression. �Think about it��

�Inuyasha��

�Hai!
Sayonara, Ningen-hime.�

�Sayonara,
Atsuimi-hime,� Izayoi said as she turned and headed to her rooms.

888

Sesshomaru was up at dawn the next morning. He stretched and
yawned softly, careful not to wake his brother who was sleeping peacefully
between himself and Tsuki. As much as he wanted nothing more than to lie there,
snuggling up behind his woman, while thinking up pleasant ways to wake her up,
he could not, whether or not Inuyasha was there. He was to leave within the
hour for the mountains in north where the yamainu tribes dwelt on the fringe of
his father�s territory. Yawning again, he quietly slipped out from under the
old quilt and padded softly over to where he had left his clothes. Minutes
later he was dressed and kneeling next to Tsuki�s and Inuyasha�s sleeping
forms, he bent and kissed them goodbye, before straightening and leaving.

He headed through the dim and empty corridors of the palace,
hurrying to his room, where he kept his armor. On the way there, he met up with
his father and was pleased to note his father had spent the night with his
mother rather than his human mate.

Inutaisho, noticing his son discretely scenting the air,
chuckled inwardly at him. Sessho-kun, in
case you�re wondering I always spend time with your mother before leaving on a
long and dangerous journey as there is much to discuss before I go. If we
happen to spend time afterwards engaging in the pleasures of the flesh, so be
it, but that is really none of your concern, my son.

�Chichi-ue, I was on my way to get my armor and I was
wondering-�

�If I could help you? I�d be
honored to, my son.�

�That�s not was I was going to say, Chichi-ue, but if you
don�t mind, I can help you with yours afterwards.�

�Hai. I understand Toutou-sai
assisted Hirogawa in the making of your new armor.�

�Really?�

�Hai, and therefore you know it�s going to be as strong as
it is lightweight. May it always protect you as long as you wear it, my son,�
Inutaisho said as they paused in front of the low door leading to Sesshomaru�s
room. They knelt before Sesshomaru slid the door back, and crawling inside,
they sat up admiring the beauty of his armor before getting up to go over to
it. It was hung upon a wooden form and Sesshomaru eagerly ran his hand over its
smooth surface, noting the way the tiny lacquered leather plates were enchanted
to appear as one whole unit. He then touched the upper breastplate and shoulder
guard and noted with satisfaction that they were forged in the manner that the
taijiya had copied from youkai smiths from the cured remains of a dragon�s rib
and jaw bone respectively, and therefore it would offer protection against them
as well. He also noticed with wry amusement that there was only one shoulder
guard in order to accommodate his fluff

He stood there for several minutes lost in thought before
his father�s voice intruded upon his reverie, �Are you going to stand there all
morning admiring it, or are you going to put it on so we can leave?�

Shaking his head to chase away his stray thoughts,
Sesshomaru said, �I was just waiting for you, Chichi-ue�

Inutaisho chuckled and as he set to work helping his son
into his armor, he explained the finer points of it, with the chief one being
it was lightweight and comfortable enough to be worn like a second skin. Plus
it made so that he only needed one person to help him into it, which was
something Inutaisho wanted his son to remember. �Sessho-kun, when you finally
do go out on patrol, it�ll be easy to sleep in this since it fits you closely
and it�ll keep you dry underneath as well as warm. Plus it has an interesting
feature that�ll work as long as you are wearing it.�

�What is that, Chichi-ue? I already know I can wear it and
transform and that it�ll grow with me and melt away at such times only to
reappear when I�m back like this.�

�That�s true, Sessho-kun, and I�m glad to see you were
paying attention. Anyway, the most important feature is this; should your armor
become broken in the heat of battle, it will regenerate the missing and broken
parts in much the same way your body will heal your wounds.�

�Is that why Hirogawa wanted a drop of my blood and a strand
of my hair?� Sesshomaru asked as he ran his hand down the front of his armor.

�Hai. It is now bound to you in
such a way that no other may this and when you are old and finally pass on into
the next realm, if your sons bury you in it, it will protect your bones for all
time.�

�Oh�� Sesshomaru said softly as he thought over.

�And don�t worry; I�m having something made for your brother
as well.� He waved his had at Sesshomaru�s look of dismay. �I know he�s too
young for armor at the moment, so I asked Hirogawa�s wife to weave some cloth
made of fire-rat fur and from there make Inu-chan a simple gi to wear until
he�s old enough for his own set of armor.�

�Hai�� Sesshomaru smiled wanely.

�I know it seems like a silly extravagance, but he�s not as
strong as a youkai pup. And besides, I couldn�t resist getting him something as
well. You know how much I like to spoil my sons.� The dog general grinned.

�Hai� And arigatou, Chichi-ue, I really appreciate this more
than you know.� Spoiling your sons my
ass! More like spoiling the brat and this is just your way of making me feel
less left out�

�Sessho-kun, this is for you.� Inutaisho, reaching inside
his kimono sleeve, pulled out a silken bundle. �Izayoi-hime gave this to me and
asked that I deliver it when you were dressed in your armor.� He laughed at the
expression on his son�s face. �It�s not from her, Sessho-kun; Tsukikage-hime
had asked her to give it to me, so that I could deliver it to you.�

�Hai.� Smiling sheepishly,
Sesshomaru took the proffered bundle and opened it. Inside, was a soft silken
obi of dark blue with indigo watermarks woven into it.
�It�s beautiful, ne?�

�Hai. Let me help you.� Inutaisho
soon had the sash draped around his son�s waist, and stood back to admire him.
�She chose well, Sessho-kun. Now come, let�s go help me into my armor.�

�Hai��

888

Tsuki woke up later that morning, keenly feeling her mate�s
absence. She did not have long to miss him, however, as Inuyasha also decided
�now� was a good time to get up. He had rolled over and away from her and would
have normally snuggled up next to his brother. Since Sesshomaru was not there
and Tsuki had gotten up to make tea, he missed the soft comforting warmth and
security he got from sleeping between them.

�Wah�!� he cried as he pushed himself up into a sitting
position. �Muu! Suuuu!! Waaaaah!!�
The tears poured down his cheeks as he scrunched his face up tightly. �Wah!!�

�Coming, Inu-chan!� Tsuki said as
she stepped back around the sleeping screen. �What�s a matter?� She said
softly, kneeling next to him and gathering him in her arms before standing up.
Inuyasha cried and hiccupped in her ear as she gently rocked him back and
forth. She held so that his head was resting on her left shoulder and it was
not long before his tiny fist balled up the collar of her sleeping kimono. As
she walked around the sleeping screen, she felt him pull it towards him as he
stuck his thumb in his mouth. �Silly pup. Are you
hungry, Inu-chan,� Tsuki asked. �Silly pup, silly pup,� she sang softly, while
making her way to the brazier where she had a small pot of water for tea. After
checking to see if it was ready to boil, which it was not, she moved away from
it and headed over to her tansu. Opening one of its many doors, she reached
inside and pulled out clean clothing for Inuyasha, before closing it and
sitting in the middle of the room. After setting his clothes down within easy
reach, she gently laid Inuyasha down on the tatami. �Silly pup, silly pup�� she
sang over and over and Inuyasha cooed along with her. She quickly changed him
and then put him to her breast. Still singing, she nursed him until he had his
fill. Then she sat him down and gave him a ball to play with while she went and
made a pot of tea. Fearing he would get into it, and burn himself, Tsuki left
it on top of the tansu. Turning around, she laughed when she saw him crawl over
to her. �Silly pup!� Tsuki said again and then bending
down, she picked him up. �I would like to have my tea in peace this morning,
Inu-chan. But since Maru-chan�s not here, I guess I�ll have to manage without
him. Now, will you be good and let me have a sip?� she asked as she reached for
her teacup and Inuyasha also reached out his hand. �Iie!
You can�t have that, Inu-chan! It�s too hot and you�ll burn yourself.� Sighing,
Tsuki decided to see if she could get him interested in a game of roll the ball
on the floor as she wondered how Izayoi had tea whenever he spent time with
her. �I guess your mother waits until after you�ve gone�� she mused out loud to
Inuyasha, who gurgled in agreement.

888

It took three days of hard riding to reach the edge of
Inutaisho�s territory where it butted up against the mountainous region of the
yamainu. They set up camp as they waited for word of their arrival to reach the
leader of the yamainu. Fortunately they did not have to wait long before their
leader and a small group of his men appeared. A lone figure detached itself
from the small group that headed towards them. He slowly walked and when he was
about halfway from his men and the dog general�s camp he paused.

�Oi!� his voice rang out over the stillness of the summer
day. �I mean you no harm! I�ve heard the great Inutaisho would come to hear our
troubles and give aid to us!�

�Wait there!� one of the dog
general�s sentries called out before dispatching another to go in search of
Inutaisho. Soldiers slowly gathered, giving the impression that they were they
there out of idle curiosity, while really gathering there as the first line of
defense. A few minutes later, Inutaisho accompanied by his son and Takahara,
arrived to see what the fuss was.

�I am the one called Inutaisho! State your business!�

�I am Kurayami, leader of the northern tribes. I seek
permission for me and my men to enter your camp!�

�You may enter, but all weapons are to be left here, under
the watchful eye of my weaponsmaster!� Inutaisho called out, before turning to
his men. Nodding, one of them took off in the direction of the weapon�s
master�s tent. Inutaisho waited patiently for the yamainu to arrive and once
they did, he left orders for them to be given food and drink while he talked to
their leader.

�Come, this way,� Inutaisho said as he headed towards the
large pavilion that was set up for him to receive the representatives of the
northern tribes. He figured things must as serious as Takahara had claimed if
their leader had left his mountainous stronghold to speak with him personally.
And yet, he could not shake the feeling something was not quite right as he had
been told by his own spies that Ryukotsusei was happily ensconced in the
mountains of the western most border of the dog general�s lands, doing nothing
more than wenching and raiding the tiny human settlements there. They said the
raids had practically stopped once the humans started to send the old dragon
pretty young women. And as much as that tribute disgusted the dog general, he
was inclined to ignore it as long as it kept Ryukotsusei occupied.

�Hai.� The wolf and his two men
followed Inutaisho and Takahara while Sesshomaru brought up the rear.
Sesshomaru studied them intently, even though to all outward appearances he
appeared to be mildly bored by the whole thing. Once everyone inside the tent,
Sesshomaru hung back and spotting a passing lieutenant, he saw to it they would
have refreshments and a wench to serve them, before slipping inside.

�You�ve already met Takahara and this is my son,
Sesshomaru,� Inutaisho said as Sesshomaru sat down on his right pleased that
his father had addressed as an adult.

�I have left my own son back home guarding our territories.
This is my nephew, Nibori,� the young wolf nodded when introduced, �and this is
my old friend and trusted advisor, Kokuyo. Rather than waste the dono-sama�s
time, I will come to the heart of the matter. You have heard of the dragon
Ryukotsusei, ne?�

Inutaisho quirked an eyebrow at him as he sat back and
folded his arms across his chest. �Hai�?�

�Well he�s taken a liking to our lands and our women��

�Really? I have heard he has
developed a taste for human flesh,� Sesshomaru said softly and judging by the
startled gasps and looks he got, he was pleased he had taken the time to listen
to Myouga-jijji�s complaints about his father�s business. However, he was not about to give away the
fact he knew the old dragon was currently holed up in the area bordering
territories of the western tribes, for his father had once told him, if you
give your enemies enough silk they will find a way to hang you with it.

�I had not heard that, Waka-sama, and besides whoever told
you that was lying.�

�Indeed�?� Sesshomaru said, quirking his eyebrow at the wolf
and looking very much like his father in the dim interior of the tent.

�Hai! That old dragon has even
carried off my sister, Yoshiko. We found her ravaged half-eaten body some days
later. Fortunately we came across Takahara-sama, and he told us about you and
he swore you would listen to our pleas for help. I can see he didn�t lie about
you for you are here just as he�d said.�

�It was bad enough my poor mother was widowed now my poor
younger sister and brothers are orphaned. I want my revenge on the bastard who
did this! My uncle said you would help us and-� Nibori was interrupted by the
woman who had entered with a tray of food and drink. Inutaisho watched as the
older wolves soothed the younger.

�Arigatou, Hana-chan,� the dog general said. He was about to
dismiss her when he noticed Nibori eying her and there was no mistaking the
lust in his eyes. So the whelp finds her
attractive, eh? Good, I must find a way to get her alone so I can tell her I
have work for her to do later on� �I want you to stay, my dear and serve
us.� He turned to the wolves. �She�s very beautiful, ne?� Inutaisho said with a
smile. He noted with amusement that Takahara seemed upset by the attention the
girl was getting from the young wolf. Too
bad, old friend, she�s got better things to do than warm your bed tonight. And
just to make things even more interesting, I�ll see to it Sesshomaru keeps the
two of them alone and away from the rest until the morning� It�ll be worth the
price of a few bottles of sake and a new kimono to see what information she can
pry out him.

�That�s terrible. It must be hard for you to be away from
them,� Takahara said.

�Hai, but they�ll manage. My aunt is looking after them and
if we can count on your help, it�ll do much to ease my mind while I�m away.� He
looked over at the dog general.

�Hai. However, I wish to think this
over before I commit to anything,� Inutaisho said before leaning over and
speaking softly to Sesshomaru. �My son will show you where you can stay until I
have come to my decision.� The dog general rose along with the others. Minutes
later Sesshomaru was leading the yamainu through the camp to an area set aside
for their �guests� until his father could decide what to do with them. It was
heavily fortified without seeming so and all Sesshomaru had to do was get them
settled with Nibori alone in his own tent, then go back and bring Hana with him
under the guise of a little �fun.�

888

�You mean this is all for me?�

�Hai. I figured if you had your own
tent, it�d be easier for you to be alone with the girl,� Sesshomaru winked at
him and the young yamainu grinned as he felt his cheeks heating up at the
thought.

�But why not bring her to your tent? Wouldn�t it be easier?�

�Hai�but then it would be harder for you to find it in the
dark. Besides, we would want my father�s men to think you were spying on the
camp, ne?�

�Hai, I suppose so. So when will you be back?�

�Hopefully soon.� He smiled. �When
I saw her earlier, I told her to try and be available for whatever duties my
father needed and I told her to stick around in case I wanted her.� The two of them laughed.

�She�s that good, ne?�

�Hai� I�d better get going before someone else spots her.
Waka-sama or not, if I don�t get back soon, she�ll get tired of waiting and
then where would we be?�

�Hai� I�ll see you later, then!� Nibori said when it hit
him. �Wait, you said I�m to be alone with her?�

�Hai� Is there a problem with that?�

�Hai! I mean iie! I mean she is
your woman, ne?�

�Hai, you could say that,� Sesshomaru laughed �And more
importantly it also means I�m free to do with her with what I like, and I feel
like sharing the wealth.� Sesshomaru winked and he felt disgusted by the young
wolf�s nervousness mixed with lust. �I may stay for a bit or I may bring her
and leave.� He shrugged.

�Arigatou!� Nibori exclaimed in the
same tone one would use when given a large treasure rather than a lowly whore
and it was all Sesshomaru could do to keep the bile rising in his throat down.

�Keh. Think nothing of it. Now if
you�ll excuse me, I need to go find her.�

888

�He�s safely in the tent, Chichi-ue, and waiting for me to
return with Hana-chan,� Sesshomaru said as he entered his father�s tent.

�Good. You know what to do then?� The dog general turned to
the girl.

�Hai. I�m to show off my charms,
ply the boy with sake and get him to talk��

�Good, I knew I could count on you. Sesshomaru, take
Hana-chan to��

�Nibori, his name�s Nibori.� Sesshomaru said.

Inutaisho nodded. �-Nibori�s tent.
Play your part well, Hana-chan, and I�ll see to it you�re handsomely rewarded.�

�Hai! Arigatou,
Dono-sama.�

�Iie, arigatou to you, Hana-chan,� the dog general said as
he dismissed them.

888

Sesshomaru led the girl through the camp, enduring the
catcalls and ribald remarks of his father�s men as he made to Nibori�s tent.
Glancing over at Hana, he was surprised to see a look of amusement on her face
and after a while he simply ignored her bawdy replies. Just walking through the
camp with her, reminded him painfully just how much he missed Tsuki for both
women were of a similar height and build. He was happy that Tsuki had the good
fortune to be spared a life as a camp follower as he realized she would never
have lasted long in such circumstances. And yet here he was with a girl, who
while slightly older than Tsuki, certainly enjoyed her work. And he marveled at
how she could wink at and flirt with the passing men when he knew Tsuki would
be dying of shame. Even so, he was grateful when they stepped through the
opening of Nibori�s tent.

�Look who I brought,� Sesshomaru said with an enthusiasm he
did not feel. Stepping aside, he reached around and held the tent flap open,
allowing Hana to enter the room, much to Nibori�s delight. Hana favored the
young yamainu with a similar smile as she closed the distance between them. She
sat on the floor cushion across from the men and coyly asked if they wanted her
to pour sake for them.

�I brought a bottle with me,� Sesshomaru asked as he held up
a small earthenware jug.

�Hai!�

�Hana-chan, if you will do me the honor of pouring for us?�

�Hai,� she said with a shy giggle. Hana took the proffered
jug from Sesshomaru and after locating a couple of teacups; she poured for them.
Sesshomaru took the jug from her and poured her a cup as well. After he set the
jug down he raised his cup along with the others and everyone cried, �Kampai!�
Hana then made sure that no cup was empty and after a while Nibori took on the
role of keeping her cup full. Sesshomaru also noted with wry amusement that no
one seemed to notice he was barely drinking, not that he cared. But what had
amazed him the most was the fact that, despite matching Nibori cup for cup,
Hana seemed giddy while Nibori was clearly intoxicated and he hoped the young
wolf would not pass out before she could get the information they needed. Sighing
softly to himself, he sat back and watched as Hana flirted with the young wolf
and he tried not to groan out loud in disgust at the yamainu�s feeble attempts
to flirt back. When he could not stand it any more Sesshomaru moved over to sit
next to Hana.

�Hana-chan,� Sesshomaru said softly as he hoped none of the
sickness he felt in the pit of his stomach reached his voice, �why don�t you
show our guest some hospitality?�

�Hai�� she said breathlessly and leaning forward, she slowly
slid the right side of her kimono off her shoulder. Nibori watched as she drew
her hand back from her arm and left it covering the soft fleshy mound of her
breast. Smiling seductively at the young wolf, she moved her hand again so that
where it had once covered her breast modestly; she now used her fingers to
tease the nipple.

�She�s very beautiful, ne?� Sesshomaru said as Nibori stared
open mouthed at the girl. Unable to find his voice he simply nodded at
Sesshomaru, while never taking his eyes off Hana.

Hana slowly sat back and removed the kimono from her left
shoulder, fully exposing her breasts. This time instead of touching herself,
she reached out and took Nibori�s hands and carefully placed them over her
breasts. She moaned softly at his clumsy attempts at fondling her and catching
Sesshomaru�s eye, she nodded at him. Taking his cue, for the tent suddenly felt
hot and stifling, Sesshomaru quickly got up to leave.

�Where�re you going?� Nibori asked and there was no
mistaking the lust in his voice.

�Back to my own tent as I can have her anytime I want, so
consider her my gift to you. She�s a good woman, aren�t you Hana-chan?�

�If you say so, Waka-sama�� she said with a giggle.

�Hai, I do�� Sesshomaru said as he paused by the tent�s
entrance. By now the girl was completely naked and she seemed to be enjoying
herself despite the wolf�s awkward advances. �Enjoy, my friend,� he said, and turning
to leave, Sesshomaru quietly slipped out, having done his part in his father�s
plan. Walking slowly back to his father�s tent, his thoughts were on Tsuki and
he wondered if he should tell her what he had done, when he imagined her tear
stained face. Realizing it was better if he kept it a secret, he imagined
instead, she was telling him about all the stupid things his brother had done
during the day.

888

Three days after Sesshomaru had left, Inuyasha took his
first steps. He had pulled himself up on the little table where Tsuki sat
working turning a couple sketches into a finished watercolor. He was tired of
her half-hearted attempts to amuse him by looking up and making faces at him.
He tried in vain to reach across the table to get at what she was so engrossed
in, that he stumbled and quickly righted himself.

�Inu-chan! Be careful, little one,
or you�re going to hurt yourself,� Tsuki said with a smile.

Inuyasha smiled at her and bounced up and down a few times
on his toes. Tsuki watched him and laughed, before she went back to her
painting.

�Suu?� he cooed. Inuyasha bounced a few more times before he
took another sidestep.

�What are you doing, Silly Pup?� Tsuki asked as she briefly
looked up.

�Muu!�

�Maru-chan�s not here, sweetness��

Inuyasha sidestepped again before squatting down. He held on
to the low table and briefly mouthed it before decided he did not care for the
taste of old lacquer. Pulling himself upright again, he took a couple more
sidesteps as he inched his way around. When he reached the corner of the table
he had a brief moment of panic when he reached out and nothing met his
outstretched hand. He stood reaching out with it, before he grabbed the
adjacent side, sending a little shockwave through the table.

Tsuki, thankful she was just loading her brush with paint,
frowned and looked up at him as she cried, �Careful, Inu-chan!� Smiling she
said, �How�d you get there?� She reached out and pinched his cheek
affectionately. �Be a good little pup and stay in one place. I�m nearly
finished and when I am, I promise I�ll show it to you.�

�Suu!� Inuyasha�s baby laughter was
joined by Tsuki�s own.

�Go play with your ball�� she said softly as she went back
to her painting.

Inuyasha frowned as he did not like being ignored. He was
about to let out a loud protesting cry, when the movement of Tsuki�s paintbrush
caught his eye. He watched fascinated as it moved across the paper, almost
dancing, and he wanted it. He reached out and tried to grab it, but it was as
erratic and ephemeral as the butterflies that flitted about the garden. So he
sidestepped again and slowly inched his way closer to her. He soon realized if
he moved slowly enough and resisted the urge to bounce happily, Tsuki would
forget about him as she made her brush meander across the paper. Growling
softly, he stalked his �prey,� inching closer and closer to his foster mother
and the paintbrush she held in her hand. Just when he had gotten close enough
to possibly grab it, Tsuki set the brush down and looked over at him, a look of
amazement on her face. �Just how did you get here, Inu-chan?�

�Suu!� he said as he inched his way closer to her.

�Sweet Kami-sama!� she exclaimed. �You�re walking and I
nearly missed it! We must show your mother!� Tsuki stood up and came around
behind him and picked him up just as he grabbed the paintbrush. �Give me that!�
Tsuki said as she took it away from him and set it down and Inuyasha started
crying. �Don�t cry, Inu-chan!� she soothed as she made her way to her friend�s
room.

888

�Ningen-hime! You�re never going to
believe it! Inuyasha started to walk!� Tsuki was sitting in Izayoi�s room,
nursing Inuyasha while she told her how he inched his way around the table to
her. �It was the most amazing thing! And he was so good too. He let me sit and
paint while he watched. Not even Maru-chan is that patient!� She laughed.

�Really? Do you think he�ll do it
again?� Izayoi asked.

�Hai� or at least I think so. Why don�t we see if he�ll do
it again, when I�m done?�

�Hai! Should I move one of my
tables closer for him?�

Tsuki shrugged as she thought about it. �I suppose it
couldn�t hurt. Good he�s finished.� She sat him on the floor and tucked her
breast back inside her kimono. Tsuki then gathered him back into her arms and
made her way over to the table Izayoi placed in the middle of the room. �Come,
Inu-chan, let�s see you walk again�� she said softly as she set him down next
to it. Moving around to the opposite side, Tsuki sat next to Izayoi and waited.
Inuyasha stood there and bounced up and down on his toes a few times, smiling
shyly at the two women, who smiled back. �Come, Inu-chan!� they called and
Inuyasha plopped back onto his bottom, before leaning over and getting on his
hands and knees, he crawled quickly over to them.

Tsuki laughed as Izayoi picked him up. �You were supposed to
walk to Haha-ue, not crawl, silly baby,� Izayoi said softly.

�Aha!� Inuyasha
burbled happily at her.

�Silly baby�� Izayoi said softly as she held him close.

Inuyasha sighed contentedly and laying his head on her
shoulder he stuck his thumb in his mouth as he felt the silky softness of her
kimono with his free hand. Eyelids growing heavier, he gradually fell asleep.

888

Hana reported back the next day, confirming Inutaisho�s
suspicions that the whole thing was just some elaborate ruse. However, that did
not stop him from forming a treaty with the yamainu, which greatly pleased him
as he was able to leave a small detachment of men behind to keep an eye on
things. A huge celebration was planned for later that night to cement things
and Sesshomaru was looking forward to it as it meant they would be heading for
hime the next day.

He had spent the day listening to Nibori�s tales about Hana
while wishing he was elsewhere and drawing on his experience with Tsuki, he
threw in a few made up stories of his own before a long silence settled between
them. Finally unable to stand it any longer, he asked Nibori what was troubling
him.

�I�m worried about my little brother, Kouga,� Nibori said
softly. �He was sick when I left and I hope he�s alright. You should see the
lil runt.� He laughed. �He�s one summer already and he�s just starting to walk
and there�s no stopping him. He used to make my mother crazy as she was always
frightened she�d wake up one day and he�d be gone. Who knew she�d be the one to
leave��

�Hai�� Sesshomaru nodded. �I too have a little brother that
age. He�s only crawling, but he�s such a pain in my ass.�

�Really? I�ve got a couple of
younger brothers and they�re all like that until they get bigger. Don�t you
know that? Or do you only have sisters?�

�Iie, I didn�t know that,� he said sarcastically, and then
softening his tone, he went on, �I did have a sister once when I was little,
but she died soon after she was whelped�� Sesshomaru trailed off, surprised
that he was opening like that to his potential enemy. As much as he hated
himself for being so weak, a part of him wanted to hear more about Nibori�s
brothers and if that was the price he had to pay, he found he was willing for
once to pay it.

�Gomen, I didn�t know��

Sesshomaru shrugged. �It�s okay. Tell me more about this
Kouga.�

�Hai. He�s the baby of my family,
totally spoiled by my mother as he was all she had left of my father. There�s
not much to tell as he doesn�t do much as you know, but it was fun to watch him
trying to get up and walk. He used to fall down on his ass all the time and
he�d get this real insulted look on his face. My mother used to say one day
he�ll take over the tribes and be a great leader. If he does, then he�ll have
my support.�

�What about you? Don�t you want to rule the tribes?�

�Iie! I�m not much of a leader; I�d
rather serve under a great man than try to be one. Besides, that�s all nonsense
anyway, as my cousin Sorato is going to take over one of these days. So tell me
about your brother. What�s his name?�

Sesshomaru sighed. �What�s to tell? His name�s Inuyasha and
he�s�� he hesitated, and feeling Nibori�s silent encouragement, he went on,
�he�s the son of one of my father�s concubines.�

�Oh� I have a half brother too, although I never met him.�
At Sesshomaru�s puzzled look, he clarified, �I remember hearing my parents talk
about him once. And all I know is he�s around my age and I think his name�s
Keiichi or something stupid like that.� He laughed at the look on Sesshomaru�s
face. �That�s what I remember the most about what they had said. He was a real
idiot and he lives with another tribe somewhere to the south where life is so
much easier.�

�I have a foster brother named Keiichi. He�s a real idiot
too.� Sesshomaru laughed. �I�m surprised he�s lived as long as he has. There he
is, the one over there whispering sweet nothings into his mare�s ear. Imagine
riding a mare into battle.� They laughed.

�Aah �� Nibori said softly.

�Hunh?�

�Nothing, Sesshomaru-sama, Tell me more about your brother.�

�What�s to tell?� Sesshomaru shrugged. �He eats, shits, and
gets into my stuff if my woman isn�t careful.�

�Your woman? I thought you said he
was your brother,� Nibori asked as he quirked a bushy eyebrow at Sesshomaru.

�My woman looks after him.� Sesshomaru sighed.

�You�ve got pups of your own too?� Nibori asked, sounding impressed.

�Iie, she was carrying a pup and she lost it. And when it
looked like the stupid� woman couldn�t take care of him, they gave him to my
woman,� Sesshomaru inwardly cringed when he realized he nearly said �human.� Bad enough I nearly gave it away that
Inuyasha�s a hanyou, but why the hell am I telling something I found hard to
talk to Tsuki about? What is it about him that I can talk so freely about
something so painful or is it just that I need to sort my feelings out, as
Tsuki would say? He frowned and turned to glare at Nibori when he felt the
wolf pat him softly on the back. Great
now he�s offering me sympathy�

�I see.� Nibori nodded. �He sounds like Kouga. Just wait
until he gets teeth and starts gnawing on your stuff. We used to have this one
really pretty lacquered table that my father brought back from some long ago
raid, and none of my other brothers ever touched it when they were little.
Kouga chewed it up like it was an old piece of wood. It was all I had left of
my mother too.� He sighed sadly as Sesshomaru nodded. �I guess now I�ll have to
find me a woman to look after him for me and keep him out of trouble. It
shouldn�t be too hard as there are many who want to marry into my family. When
I get married, will you come to my wedding feast? I know we just met yesterday,
but I feel as though we could be friends.�

�Hai, I feel that way too. If my father doesn�t have other
plans for me, I suppose I could come.�

�Good, it�s settled then.�

�Hai.�

�So, do you have a lot of duties to do for your father? You
know, like looking after tribe members, settling minor disputes, patrolling the
territories? I can�t believe all the shit I�ve got waiting for me when I get
back. It almost makes me wish I could stay here forever.�

�Not that much, as my father has a ton of men to do most of
that for him. I�ve been working on treaties with him and reading petitions.
Gods, the shit his people whine and complain about��

Nibori laughed. �Tell me about it! This one�s mad that that
one stole his woman, and this one after all the fussing and fighting and
complaining suddenly decides he doesn�t want his woman back as he�d rather have
another one!�

�Or that one�s upset that another has more land to patrol
for my father and it�s not fair that he doesn�t. Never mind that this one�s old
and looks after a little plot of land, because that�s all he�s capable of.
They�re worse than the women at times! Thankfully my mother takes care of the
women�s issues and they only bother my father as a last resort. In fact the last
time one of them went over my mother�s head like that, she found herself
married off to an old man on the other side of my father�s lands. In fact he
was so old; he had had sons older than her.� Sesshomaru laughed.

�What�s so funny?�

�Rumor has it that this woman thought she could take her old
husband to bed and get with pup so she could set her own son up as heir.�
Sesshomaru laughed again. �What she didn�t know was he�he�had grown so old he
had forgotten how to bed a woman.�

�Really?� Nibori laughed. �May
Kami-sama protect us from that fate!�

�Hai!�

They laughed for several minutes before silence stretched
between them.

�Damn, it must be nice to not have so many worries that you
can listen to idle gossip, amusing as it is,� Nibori said softly. �Seriously
when I get home, I�ve got to step up and run my household in my mother�s place,
as well as help Sorato out. I�d give anything to live comfortably and hope my future
woman keeps Kouga out of my shit.�

�Well, I was supposed to go out on patrol and learn the lay
of land. You know, get a feel for my father�s empire, but that all changed when
we were told you needed our help,� Sesshomaru, feeling defensive and slightly
insulted, said. �I�ve got a vast empire that I need to learn how to govern,
which is a lot harder than keeping track of a few tribes.�

�True, but let�s not fight, my friend,� Nibori said. �We�re
supposed to be allies, not enemies. Besides, if the elders hear us fighting,
it�ll ruin everything and we�ll never hear the end of it.� Anyway, if what my father said is true, you won�t need to learn how to
govern an empire��So let�s just sit here and brag about our brothers. I
know you�d rather brag about your woman, but give me a break; I don�t have one
at the moment, that is unless I can coax Hana-chan into being mine�� he winked
and the tension that had settled between them was broken when Sesshomaru
laughed. Turning the conversation towards the benign topic of family life, they
chatted some more about their brothers before their conversation turned towards
women and the feast later that night.

888

�Let�s show your mother what you can do, Inu-chan.� Tsuki
said brightly as she came over to him. Inuyasha had been standing and holding
on to Tsuki�s low table, happily banging a small wooden Dharma doll on the table. Tsuki took the
doll away from him, much to Inuyasha�s annoyance, and he started to protest
loudly before she grabbed his wrists and said softly, �Let�s go, Inu-chan!� He
stood there for several minutes, standing in front of her, until he picked his
foot up a few times before finally taking a step. The more Tsuki encouraged
him, the farther he walked until they made it all the way over to where Izayoi
sat.

�Oh
my! What a talented
little boy you are!� Izayoi said as she hugged him.

�Aha!� Inuyasha said
with a laugh.

�Hai! Haha-ue!� Izayoi
said �That�s me, and that�s Tsuki-chan.� She pointed to her friend.

�Suu!� Inuyasha said and the two women fussed over
him. They tried to teach him how to say �Chichi-ue� but the little hanyou couldn�t
say it. All he did was make a few burbling noises so they stopped trying to
teach him how to say things in favor of playing �roll-the-ball� with him. When
he grew tired of playing with the ball, Izayoi took Inuyasha by the wrists and
walked him around the room until he started fussing.

�Gomen, Inu-chan, Haha-ue�s
sorry she tired you out. And you must be hungry as well�� Izayoi soothed as she
picked Inuyasha up and cuddled him, before handing him over to Tsuki so that
she could nurse him.

His tummy full,
Inuyasha happily settled down for a nap and the two women spent the time
discussing the letters they had received from their men.

888

Sesshomaru lay awake long into the night, thinking back
about his conversation with Nibori and wondering why he had told him so much
about himself. Nibori may have been easy to talk to, but he was still a
potential enemy and it was never a good idea to reveal a possible weakness to
one. Still, he felt good about having done so, for talking about Inuyasha to
someone who was not involved in court politics and more importantly someone who
did not know he was hanyou lifted a weight off his heart he did not know was
there. With a start, he realized he missed the little runt as much as he missed
Tsuki before a little voice in his told him he was really just longing for her
and that Inuyasha was an unfortunate part of being around her that he had to
put up with. Still, he was happy he was leaving for home at dawn for that meant
being with her again. Rolling over, Sesshomaru closed his eyes and soon he
drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

He woke up at dawn to the sounds of the camp breaking down
and packing away. Sesshomaru quickly dressed and gathered his things as well,
before collapsing his tent. Once everything had been carefully stowed away, he
hurried off to get his mount.

Within minutes Inutaisho�s troops were on the move and
Sesshomaru was happy to be heading for home.

888

Sesshomaru sat on his horse, wishing his father had allowed
him to take his war dragon instead. Had he been able to, he would have been
home already. So he rode on, half listening to his father�s conversation with
Takahara, as his mind drifted towards Tsuki and coming home. Grinning inwardly,
he thought about all the things he wanted to do with her as soon as he got back
and he hoped she would not mind that he did not head to the bathhouse first. In
fact he hoped they could have a bit of fun before during and after his trip
there. He was enjoying a particularly intense fantasy when another familiar
face came to mind. His brother would be there too, most likely being tended to,
which would not give Tsuki the opportunity to welcome him home in the manner he
was hoping she would. Sighing, he let his thoughts drift to Inuyasha and
wondered what the little runt got up to while he was gone. After his talks with
Nibori about their brothers, he realized maybe having Inuyasha around was not
as bad as it seemed. While he was not much fun now, he would grow up and then
Sesshomaru would have someone to teach things to. Although he was not exactly
sure just what one would teach a hanyou, or even if Inuyasha would live long
enough for him to do so. Since Sesshomaru had never really paid much attention
to him, and he took for granted all the little things his brother did and the
milestones that Inuyasha had passed, that Tsuki and Izayoi celebrated.

888

After three days of riding hard and getting thoroughly
soaked in the autumn rain, they finally rode in through the main gates of the
palace. Sesshomaru quickly dismounted and even though he was in a hurry to see
Tsuki, he forced himself to walk sedately behind his father and Takahara. He
was glad when his father dismissed his friend as he turned his attention to
him. They hurried through the gathering storm, and ran up the steps leading to
the main building. There inside they were greeted first by the okugata-sama,
who welcomed them home formally. Izayoi also greeted Inutaisho formally much to
Sesshomaru�s amusement and she was quickly forgotten when he saw Tsuki. She
stood there holding Inuyasha in her arms and she struggled with him for a few
minutes before she set him down on the floor. �Wait,� she said with a smile as
she knelt down behind Inuyasha and took him by the hands. Straightening up as
much as she could, she said softly, �Walk to Maru-chan��

Inuyasha laughed. �Muu!� he cried as he took a step.

Sesshomaru laughed.
�Very good, little brother,� he said as he knelt down and Inuyasha took
another couple of steps before Tsuki let go of his hands. He took a couple of
wobbly steps before Sesshomaru caught him. �Gotchya!� he said as he picked him
up. �Here, you take him before I get him all wet,� he said as he handed his
brother off to Tsuki.

�Hai. Gomen nasai, I�m sorry to
have made everyone wait while Inu-chan showed off, but I thought you both would
like to see it,� Tsuki said softly, keenly aware that she not only made
Sesshomaru wait, but she had also made the dono-sama wait as well.

�All is forgiven,� Inutaisho said. �What you�ve just showed
me was priceless. Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Tsukikage-hime.�
The dog general pinched Inuyasha�s cheek and with a rustle of silk he was gone,
accompanied by his wife and human concubine. Tsuki giggled at the sound of the
okugata loudly protesting that he was making her all wet and ruining her new
kimono when he threw an arm around her.

�Miss me?� Sesshomaru asked impishly.

�Hai! Come, let�s get you out of
those wet things before you get sick,� Tsuki said as she gently took his arm
and lead him towards the women�s quarters.

�Hai�but aren�t you forgetting something?�

�Hunh? I don�t think so�� A puzzled
frown settled on her face and Sesshomaru chuckled softly.

�You sure about that?� He quirked an eyebrow at her.

�Hai�� she said softly as it hit her. Stopping dead in her
tracks, she turned to face him as she settled Inuyasha on her hip. �Welcome
home, Maru-chan,� she said impishly as she leaned in to kiss him.

So she does remember
the last time I was soaking wet�Sesshomaru gently took her face in his
hands and brought his face closer to hers. Capturing her lips with his own, he
kissed her like he meant it until a tug on his sleeve reminded him they weren�t
alone and they broke away from each other. Just
wait until I get you alone, Tsuki-chan, because I�d love to know just how much
of that afternoon you remember�

�Muu!� Inuyasha cried, holding his
hand out to him.

Sesshomaru laughed. �What do you want, runt?�

�Muu!�

�Inu-chan, Maru-chan can�t hold you as he�s all wet. Let�s
hurry back, before he makes a fuss,� Tsuki said and as they made their to the
women�s quarters she sang softly to Inuyasha. �Silly pup,
silly pup!�

Sesshomaru chuckled and shook his head. �Silly
pup?�

�Hai!�

�Muu!�

�Silly pup indeed,� he said as they walked along the near
empty corridors. �Is there anything else he can do?�

Tsuki looked over him, surprise written all over her face
until it melted into a smile. �Hai. I started giving
him a couple of spoonfuls of okayu * in the morning
and again at night before we go to sleep, and I don�t think he likes it all
that much better than he did the omoyu** I used to feed him, but it�s helped
him sleep better at night. He�s also staring to call Ningen-hime, �Aha� which
is just too cute and he also�� she prattled on about all the things they did
together while he was gone.

Sesshomaru smiled and nodded in
all the right places. Hai, it really is
good to be home again. Who knew I missed the runt as much as I missed
Tsuki-chan...

888

FYI:

*okayu: Regular rice gruel.

**omoyu: Thin rice gruel feed to babies at around five
months to help wean them off the breast.
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Moonlight	By : kirayasha Category: InuYasha > General Views: 2275 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Moonlight