Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Learning to Love	By : Ikaru Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 22062 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Disclaimer: I don't own it, never have and never will make any money from this...I'm going to cry now....
Wow wow!! Me is soo excited...I was actually gonna make Ch 11 longer but it just didn't seem to fit so you all get a treat, my muse continued to work......Whoot!!
This chapter will have some tear jerking moments toward the end. As I don't want this to be a complete downer, there will also be purely fluffy moments; the mystery of Sesshoumaru's mother's death is only one of the secrets that will be revealed about the past, and it all happens while Sesshoumaru is sleeping....ok on with the show!!
###############
Sesshoumaru followed his mate into the comforting embrace of sleep, him mine filled with images of his past. It wasn't long before those images began to merge into memories that began to play in his dreams.
######Sesshoumaru's Dreams########
Ikaru was visiting again. He truly enjoyed her visits. He and his mother always looked forward to her visits; they would plan extensively the night before her arrival to pack as much activity as possible into her short stays.
They were all outside in the gardens at the moment, his mother sitting under the shade of one of the many large trees located there. He and Ikaru had been sparring, and she had been winning!! Finally, his mother called them over to rest for a while.
"My, my, you two were certainly going at it today weren't you, I think Ikaru about had you Sesshoumaru." She laughed, it was soft and gentle, and warmed the hearts of those who heard it. It also conveyed the deep love she had for the two pups cradled into her sides.
"I did Mama!!! I almost had him, one day I'll beat him for sure!!" An excited Ikaru chirped her fuzzy ears twitching in excitement.
"I'm sure you will one day my little darling, but don't expect it to be an easy fight!" She chuckled, running her claws up and down her back slowly calming her.
"Okaa-san how could you tell her that!!! She'll never be able to beat me!!! I simply won't allow it!!" Sesshoumaru pouted
"Well then my darling Musuko, I suppose you will simply have to train harder to maintain your advantage over her then won't you?" She smirked at him.
"No way!! No matter how much he trains I'll train harder and beat him for sure!!" Ikaru said enthusiastically.
"Never!" Sesshoumaru said with a little growl.
"Peace my children, it isn't about who is stronger, you both will be very strong when you grow up, I can tell that even now." She smiled gently as her children had resorted to sticking their tongues out at each other, she crossed her arms and grabbed both slick little appendages and held tight as the two struggled to get free from her iron grasp, "Tongues stay in the mouths little dears, now if you promise to behave I'll let you go." When they both nodded their agreement she let them go and watched as they sucked their tongues back into their mouths like lightning.
"Now as I was saying, you will both be very strong when you grow up. Sesshoumaru you are a stronger tactician than Ikaru, and Ikaru you are a stronger fighter than Sesshoumaru, but if you combine your talents you both would be a force to be reckoned with, and I could not be prouder of the both of you. Now shall I tell you a secret little ones?" She gave them the 'I have a big secret' look, and true to their nature, the curious little pups jumped at the chance to learn a secret
"Tell us tell us Okaa-san!!" They chirped excitedly in unison.
"Oh very well, did you both know that............" she did a long dramatic pause, holding out until both pups were practically bursting with curiosity, "That you two were to be mated?" She smirked at their shocked faces. The both paled considerably then looked at each other and cringed, letting out an "eeewwww!" at exactly the same moment.
"But Mama he is my brother, how could we become mates? Besides I don't wanna be his mate, I like being his sister just fine thanks!" she crossed her arms over her chest and nodded her head in determination. His mother looked at him with expectant eyes, patiently waiting for his response.
"I agree with Ikaru, I see her as more of a sibling than a potential mate; there is no way it would work out." Sesshoumaru spoke calmly, but the determination was there in his eyes as well.
Suddenly Lady Serenity burst out laughing, not the gentile laugh from earlier, but one full of genuine mirth.
"My precious ones we all realized it long ago, and it was decided it was poor match. You two make far better friends and siblings that you would mates anyone could see that. My apologies children, I couldn't resist the urge to tease you both with that little tidbit of information." Her laughter rang out once again, as the pups took their revenge by tackling her to the ground and tickled her mercilessly, a deed she return tenfold to the children. As their laughter rang though the garden, the images began to fade.
#########Next dream###########
Several years had passed from the last dream. Sesshoumaru and Ikaru had matured a great deal mentally but were still considered young pups. Like had always been done, Ikaru's visits were still planned meticulously by Sesshoumaru and his mother.
Lady Serenity cared for both pups dearly. The time she spent playing with them was like heaven to her. This visit, however, brought a sense of foreboding with it that she just couldn't seem to shake.
She watched her pups play and spar, and true to her word, Ikaru had finally started to win against Sesshoumaru while they spared. Unlike before, however, there was no sense of rivalry. As they sparred they gave each other advice, teaching and learning form one another. They had taken her advice all those years ago, and started putting it to practical use by her next visit back then. Lady Serenity's golden eyes glittered with pride; her ankle length silver surrounded her pups as she tackled them in the middle of their match, the whole group laughing hysterically as they tried to find a way out of her mass of silky hair. There was suddenly a deep warm chuckle rumbling through the garden. They all managed to make peep holes in Lady Serenity's hair, only to spot the lord of the castle, more affectionately known as Papa to Ikaru, Oto-san by Sesshoumaru, and Mate by Lady Serenity.
"I was wondering what all the ruckus was out here. Now how did you three manage this?" Lord Inutaishio queried as he started looking for a way to release the still giggling trio.
"Mama tackled us while we were sparring Papa!" Came the mirthful voice of the daughter of his heart.
"It appears she enchanted her hair to keep us trapped." Came the more rigid voice of his son, but you couldn't miss the happiness in his voice either.
"Mate what were you thinking. It'll take me forever to get through these spells." Lord Inutaishio groaned.
"Well then mate you had better get started." Came the reply from Lady Serenity, her laughter ringing in her voice.
It took him well over an hour to disenchant her hair enough to start fishing around for his pups. He finally grasped one around the waist and pulled them free from the mass of silky hair. Ikaru came out laughing hysterically, giving Lord Inutaishio a big hug for rescuing her. Next came Sesshoumaru who also gifted his father with a hug. Last came Lady Serenity still laughing as her hair relaxed as the last of the enchantments lifting at her command. She clutched her husband around his neck giving him kiss on the cheek as his reward.
"Well children operation 'Get Inutaishio out of his stuffy study for some fresh air' was a complete success!" They all three burst out laughing at the look of confusion Lord Inutaishio was sporting.
"Oh I see that is how it is then, this was all just a plan to get me out of the study was it?" Lord Inutaishio said giving them a serious look. He smirked when they all stopped laughing, gulped and nodded their answers. He gave them no warning as he lunged at them tackling all three to the ground, and started tickling them all. Once again, the garden was filled with the sounds of laughter. They all collapsed a short time later all gasping for breath.
"I must say I am very blessed to have you all worry over me so." Lord Inutaishio panted as the others just smiled to breathless to answer.
Lord Inutaishio stood once he caught his breath. The others had also stood and started to brush themselves off and straighten their hair and clothing. Lord Inutaishio got a mischievous idea and quickly acted upon it. He swooped in and grabbed both of his pups and hoisted them onto his shoulders, Lady Serenity started laughing at the shocked look on Sesshoumaru's face. Ikaru just squealed in glee at having this personal time with her Papa, and hung on tight to his neck.
"Ikaru I'm sorry to say it's time for you to return home to the East. Your escort has been waiting for you for a while now. Your parents will be expecting you soon." Lord Inutaishio remarked a hint of disappointment filled his words, it was so rare for him to be able to spend time with her on her visits, it never seemed to bother her though; she seemed to care for him just the same.
"Awww....but Papa we just got you out of the study to play, now I have to go home, I wanna stay a little longer." She made such cute pouty face that Lord Inutaishio almost gave in, almost.
"I really wish you could stay longer Musume, but you must return home. Your parents will worry." Lord Inutaishio knew he had won the argument then, Ikaru never wanted to worry her parents.
"Oh alright Papa, but you gotta promise to play with us the whole time I visit next!!" She smirked deviously still clinging to his neck.
"I suppose you won't let go of my neck until I agree," he sighed dramatically at her enthusiastic nod beside his high ponytail as she nuzzled herself in his hair, "Oh very well, Musume you win, you have my word." Her squeal of delight made him wince, but he wouldn't have changed it for the world. She said her goodbyes after that, hugging Sesshoumaru, and hugging and kissing Lord Inutaishio and Lady Serenity on the cheek. She waved goodbye as she and her escort started the long run back to the Eastern Palace.
Lady Serenity still couldn't shake her uneasy feeling, and it only got worse the farther the daughter of her heart got away from the Western Palace.
****several weeks later****
Lord Inutaishio had sensed that his mate was distracted lately, always wondering around in a daze with a worried look marring her lovely face. It wasn't unusual for her to mope for a few days after Ikaru's departure but this was bordering on ridiculous. Finally, one night he couldn't take it any longer. He cornered his mate in their bedchambers and demanded to know what was wrong.
"Mate I am sorry I have worried you. Ever since Ikaru left the last time, I have had a foreboding feeling looming over me. I cannot shake it; I know something is going to happen to her, something horrible." Lady Serenity wrapped her arms around herself to try to keep her body from shaking.
Lady Serenity had two gifts of sight. One allowed her to feel future events; this gift helped very little because she never knew what would happen or when, just that it would in the future. Her second gift allowed her to look back on her memories in her dreams, at will, and see them in an omnipotent perspective. She knew her second gift had been passed to her son, though he had no control over it. He would tell her about his dreams, but he would switch from the omnipotent perspective to his own, and these dreams happened randomly at best. There was no training for this type of thing, so while she had full control of her abilities, her son's gift would always flicker, though she never told him this.
"There is nothing we can do mate. All we can do is wait and hope for the best, and pray Ikaru and her parents are alright." Lord Inutaishio said calmly as he embraced the shaking form of his mate, but he too had had a bad feeling recently as well, he just couldn't place it.
Suddenly Sesshoumaru came busting into the room. The look on his face told them both something was horribly wrong.
"Musuko what is wrong?" Lord Inutaishio said looking worried, his son never barged into any room no matter what the situation.
"It's....it's Ikaru, she been hurt, like seriously hurt. I was meditating in my room when I felt it. She's been injured severely....and...and...." the poor pup couldn't say anymore as he was overcome with his tears. Lady Serenity rushed to his side, cradling him in her lap and trying to sooth him.
There was a commotion in the front courtyard. Lady Serenity carried Sesshomaru as she followed Lord Inutaishio to the palace gates. They never made it that far, there limping in the front door was none other than Ikaru. She was covered in blood; many injuries adorned her small body, as well as several arrow shafts sticking out of her back. Following her was an extremely injured guard, clutching a piece of parchment to his chest.
"CALL THE HEALER!!" Lord Inutaishio bellowed as he rushed forward to catch Ikaru as she finally collapsed in the front hall. Sesshoumaru had wiggled free from his mothers grasp, and reached Ikaru's side gust as his father did.
The healer came rushing in moments later. She ran over to where the lord was kneeling only to be thrown back by a powerful barrier.
"What's the matter Haruka? Get over here now!!" Lord Inutaishio growled his eyes beginning to bleed red.
"My deepest apologies my lord but I cannot get near the young lady or yourself for that matter. There is an extremely powerful barrier surrounding you." Haruka bowed low, preying the enraged lord didn't kill her for not being able to help.
"Fine then, keep that one alive I have questions and he will answer them. Leave any medical supplies you think I might need to care for her. I'm taking her to her room." Lord Inutaishio growled; someone would pay for hurting his Musume.
"Mate let me take her. That guard does not look like he is long for this world; you must do your questioning now." Lady Serenity advised, she walked right up to her mate, whatever barrier had repelled the healer, had no affect on her.
Lord Inutaishio's eyes were almost completely red by this point. He looked down at the pup in his arms, her hair was matted with blood, not all of it her own. He gently smoothed some of her hair away from her face, quietly whining at her trying to wake her up. Some of the blood on her he couldn't identify, he assumed it to be the enemies, and some belonged to her parents. He had to find out what had happened, so reluctantly he released the pup to his mate who quickly took her and rushed off to tend to her with Sesshoumaru following closely behind her.
"What has happened in the east?" Was the only question Lord Inutaishio was able to force out in his fury.
The injured guard was unable to talk, the healer was working quickly to try and save his life, things would be hard but she thought he might be able to pull through, but it would take at least a day before he could talk properly.
"My lord, please forgive me, but he is not able to talk at the moment, it is a miracle that he is still conscious. It will be a day at the very least before he is able to talk, but given time he should be able to make a full recovery, but right now he must rest." Haruka said bravely. It took a lot of courage to stand up to her lord normally, but only an idiot with a death wish stood up to him when he was angry. "My lord might I recommend you go and help tend to the young lady, I will make sure this man remains alive long enough to question."
This seemed to strike a chord in the lord; his instincts were driving him in two very different directions. One side wanted to seek revenge on the ones that had hurt his Musume; the other side wanted to go and cradle his pups in his arms and chase away their hurt. He knew Haruka was a very skilled healer, and if she said she would keep the man alive, then it would be so. He was just turning to leave when the guard coughed; when he looked back, the guard was holding out the parchment that he had been holding close to his chest as if his life depended on it. He couldn't talk but the look in his eyes let Lord Inutaishio know the bloodied parchment was important. He took it from the guard then disappeared.
He appeared in front of the doors that led to the chambers Ikaru used when she visited. The pained cries of his pup were echoing from within the room, letting him know he had made the right decision. He rushed in, and the sight that greeted him would haunt him for a very long time.
Ikaru lay face down on the large futon in the middle of the room; the shafts of at least ten arrows lay beside his mates' thigh. Sesshoumaru was holding Ikaru down while his mate extracted the last of the arrowheads, but something was wrong. Her other injuries should have started to clot up by now, but the blood still flowed freely. His mates face shown the worry he felt, he quickly went to her side to examine her himself. Looking over the injuries was hard because she was covered in so much blood. He growled, it was impossible to deduce anything like this, he gripped his mates arm, and gently lifted Ikaru with his other arm, and went to the place where they washed before entering the hot spring. He let his mates arm go and signaled her to hold the pup. Sesshoumaru brought over some supplies to help clean her up.
They stripped her of her tattered kimono. Lord Inutaishio slowly and very gently washed the blood from her hair, his mate used her free hand to clean her body, and Sesshoumaru kept bringing in clean hot water and cloths. Her bleeding still hadn't stopped.
"Inu what are we going to do; she'll bleed out if we can't stop the bleeding soon." Lady Serenity said her eyes misting over with tears.
"I don't know Serenity; I just don't know what is wrong with her." Lord Inutaishio hung his head, he didn't know how to save his pup and it was killing him inside.
"Well we can't just give up! Sister wouldn't give up on us so we can't give up on her!" Sesshoumaru said taking the bucket of water, he was carrying, and pouring it over her rinsing away the fresh blood.
"Sister...sister...Musuko that's it!! Ikaru...Ikaru...you must wake up my child." He shook her gently until he heard her groan. "Ikaru, Lady Sakura and I are going to give you some of our blood; it will bind you to us so you will be our daughter in every sense of the word, it will give you the strength you need to recover." He whispered, noticing how pale she was getting.
"Oto-san do you need some of my blood too?" Sesshoumaru questioned
"No son, by her taking our blood she will really become your sister. You see our blood has to combine in her to give her our strength, and since our blood is already combined in you it might hurt her instead of help her." He said
"Papa what are you talking about I'm already your daughter aren't I?"Ikaru whispered coughing a little at the end; it was becoming harder for her to breath.
Lord Inutaishio smiled at the pup. "Yes you are right Musume, you are our daughter. This will bind you by blood to us though; you will become a princess of the West and carry our family symbol as well as your own."
"Ok...Papa...."She whispered before slipping back into unconsciousness.
"Hurry Inu if we wait any longer she'll surely die!" Lady Serenity urged.
The both cut their wrists and pressed them to a large cut on her abdomen. They both felt their blood flowing into her replacing what she had lost. Slowly the color returned to her cheeks and a blue crescent moon appeared on her forehead beside her golden one.
"*pant pant* It's working...Sesshoumaru go and get some clothing for her and some bandages from Haruka, we'll need to bind her injuries, it looks like she'll pull through." Lord Inutaishio said. It took a lot of energy to save Ikaru's life, but it was worth it. Sesshoumaru returned quickly with the items requested, and helped his parents bind Ikaru's injuries and clothe her. The servants had replaced the bloodied futon with a fresh one while the family was tending to Ikaru, so Lord Inutaishio placed his precious bundle on the clean bed. He and Lady Serenity left for a short time to clean themselves up and change clothing, then returned to find Sesshoumaru asleep on top on the blankets next to Ikaru holding her hand. They both smiled at the cute scene before them, Lady Serenity quietly slipping out to retrieve some clean clothing for Sesshoumaru. Working together, she and her mate were able to change Sesshoumaru without waking him. Feeling uneasy, they both decided to stay in the room with the pups.
Lord Inutaishio suddenly remembered the bloodied parchment the guard had been protecting. He fished it out of his pocket and carefully opened it. The blood had soaked thru the parchment but it had no effect on the writing. He and his mate looked over the contents of the letter. It read:
"Our dear friends, I fear as you are reading this something terrible has happened in the East. Recently there have been many uprisings in our lands between the demons and humans. We have done what we could to quell the fighting but it has been for naught. The demon Hibiki has been pushing for a mating between our daughter and his son Hiraku. This must never come to pass, I know you, Lord Inutaishio, and my mate have discussed this at length. I fear it is through his influences that these uprisings are taking place, though we have no proof. There is supposed to be an all out attack on the palace this very evening. I am sending Ikaru to you, please I beg you to protect her until we are able to calm the turmoil in our lands. Should my mate and I not make it through this please prepare Ikaru to take over the lands in our place. This is a huge burden we would be placing upon you, our most dear and trusted friends, and believe us if there were another course we could have taken we would have taken it in order to keep this burden from you. Although knowing the two of you and your fondness for our little one you will never see it as such, we still feel a large measure of guilt for imposing on you both in such a way. We will be sending her to you with a group of our strongest and most loyal guards, we prey she and this letter arrive to you safely.

Our most humble thanks and well wishes, we prey to meet you again under cercumstances that are more favorable our friends.

Lord Ookamitaishio and Lady Sakura

Upon finishing the letter, Lady Serenity was crying, and Lord Inutaishio was fighting with his beast. Both already knew the fate of their friends, Ikaru had barely made it to them alive, all but one of her guards having been obviously killed in route.
"Mate, stay with the pups. I'm going to the Eastern Palace to investigate. No one attacks what is mine and escapes without retribution." Lord Inutaishio's eyes were already glowing red in the semi lit room. Lady Serenity knowing it would be pointless to argue with him just nodded and watched him go.
"Be careful my mate...." She whispered into the night.
Ikaru didn't wake up for three days, when she did the images of what had happened over took her and she cried in Lady Serenity's embrace, Sesshoumaru not knowing anything he could do to help simply stayed close. Lord Inutaishio returned that night. Ikaru left Lady Serenity's embrace and ran to Lord Inutaishio. He embraced the quivering pup, letting a soothing growl rumble from his chest. He stood holding Ikaru up as she embraced his neck still crying. Lady Serenity looked into her mates eyes and knew the fates of their friends; she gasped tears quickly filling her eyes. She quickly excused herself and rushed from the room.
"Ikaru you must listen to me carefully. Your parents didn't survive the raid on the palace." He paused as she gasped and let a fresh flow of tears start. "All of the ones responsible for the attack are no longer a part of this world, and the ones that attacked you and your group have met their ends as well by my claws. We will travel to the Eastern palace and give them a proper burial by tomorrow night." She suddenly started to fight in his grasp, her voice almost nonexistent from all of the crying she had been doing.
"Ichigo...Ichigo....I have to go and see him....Papa let me go....I have to see Ichigo!!" She gasped.
"Calm yourself Ikaru, who is Ichigo?" Lord Inutaishio queried the struggling child. He finally set her down on the ground and watched as she quickly left the room. He followed closely behind her as she followed her nose to the quarters the mysterious guard was recuperating in.
He watched as she threw the doors open and rushed in to embrace the man. He was sitting on the side of his raised futon; it was used to make the job of the healer easier by lifting the patient up off the floor so the healer had easier access to the body of those injured.
"My lady, I am so relieved to see you well. I must apologize for not protecting you better. Please forgive me." He pushed her gently away from him and kneeled then bowed until his forehead touched her toes. She grabbed him under his chin and made him rise until he was sitting on his bed again then embraced him again.
"Nonsense Ichigo, you and the others did the best you could. It saddens me that they all had to give their lives to protect mine; I want you to forgive me for not being better able to protect myself though all of this. Okaa-san and Oto-san died in the raid, they died so that I might live. Papa has already gotten our revenge; we now must return to the East and give those who died a proper send off to the afterlife." She said in a monotone voice. She released him from her embrace, and stepped away from him an emptiness filling her eyes.
Sesshoumaru had also followed her as she led the way to this room; he sensed her inner turmoil that wasn't being expressed in her voice, and saw her eyes going cold and empty. He knew she was starting to fall into herself, and how dangerous that could be. He rushed up to her and slapped her across her cheek. Everyone looked on in shock as the young prince stood there looking at the young princess angrily. When she looked back at him, the empty look in her eyes had disappeared to be replaced by confusion and some hurt.
"You will NOT give up Ikaru. You have far too much to live for to give up now. You are now my sister and pack and I WILL be there for you whenever you need me. So turn to me if things get to be too hard, I will help you carry your burdens. You are not alone Ikaru....I am here with you." He whispered as he moved closer and embraced her. In his embrace, she cried again for her losses. The two adults watched on in amazement as the young prince saved Ikaru from herself.
The next night Ikaru lit the wooden altars of all her people who had died in the raid on the palace. Her mournful howl was heard all across the East. The scene once again blurred; the last this he saw was his sisters face full of sorrow.
##########Next Dream############
This dream was set over two centuries after the previous. Both he and Ikaru had gone thru the demon equivalent to puberty. They had both had growth spurts, their ears had changed into the pointed elfin ears of an adult, and his voice had gone through a dramatic change.
At this time, Ikaru was off in the East with his father taking care of some urgent matters that had suddenly arisen. He cared about his sister dearly, but he savored the time he was able to spend alone with his mother, just as Ikaru loved to spend alone time with either of their parents.
It was a lovely day outside and he decided to take advantage of it by taking his mother on a picnic. He quickly prepared a basket of assorted treats they both enjoyed to eat when they did this sort of thing, and then went to find his mother; she was in his father's study going over some documents. She looked up at him and smiled brightly.
"Would you mind accompany me for a picnic on this lovely spring day Okaa-san?" he said in his deep velvety voice that made the women in court swoon.
"Well how could I refuse when you ask like that my dear Musuko?" she jokingly questioned linking her arm with his as he led her out to her favorite shade tree in the garden. He had grown taller in the last two centuries; he was now shoulder high on his mother, this being compared to barely being at her waist when Ikaru had come to live with them.
They had a wonderful time sitting and chatting in the garden. It wasn't long before the basket was empty, and they were both reclining against the tree rubbing their pleasantly full bellies. Lady Serenity pulled Sesshoumaru over until his lower back was resting on her folded legs and his head was resting on her bosom over her heart, keeping her arms secured around his shoulders.
"You realize my son, no matter how old, or big, you get you will always be my little pup." She smiled as she cuddled him close to her.
"I do believe Okaa-san; I would not have it any other way." He smiled as he lay there and listened to the strong steady beat of her heart.
They eventually had to return to their duties. The day ended uneventfully, and everyone retired early to be able to welcome back the lord and princess in the morning. Around midnight the alarm was sounded. Sesshoumaru and his mother quickly met the General in his father's study.
"General what is going on, why is the alarm being sounded?" Lady Serenity said worry in her voice. She and Sesshoumaru were both clad in sleeping kimono waiting for the general to fill them in.
"My Lady, Young Prince, there is a large group of infidels in route to the palace. They show no sign of changing course; they will be within sight of the caste within the hour. I have already assembled the army and we are merely awaiting your orders to proceed." The General bowed low to the pair.
"General is there any sign of a leader among them? The beasts never gather in large numbers without a leader, you kill the leader, the mob will quickly dissipate." Lady Serenity queried.
"That is the strange thing my Lady, there is no apparent sign of a leader. If there is one, they are cloaking themselves extremely well. Our best scouts have come back empty handed three times already looking for one." The General said, worry ebbing into his voice as well.
"I see if that is the case General you have my permission to proceed. Do not let them get within the outer boundaries of the palace territory; I want them to be kept back as far as possible!" Lady Serenity ordered, her voice taking on the edge of the leader she was. "I'll join you as soon as I get into my battle gear."
"My Lady I am certain it won't be necessary for you to join in this battle..." The General tried to talk her out of it; her death glare silenced any further comment. He shook off the chill that glare sent down his spine. "I mean....*cough*.....of course my Lady. We will await your arrival at the main gate." He bowed and exited the study.
"Okaa-san may I accompany you as well?" Sesshoumaru asked he didn't want his mother to go out there alone; he had a bad feeling about the situation.
"If I told you 'no', would you listen?" She laughed when he shook his head no. "Then come Musuko, we must hurry. The longer we dally the closer they get." She said as she was walking out.
****an hour later****
They were standing on top of a hill overlooking the battlefield stood Sesshoumaru, his mother, and the General all in full battle gear. In the distance, you could see a feint red glow of the beasts eyes as they approached. Their numbers were huge.
"There has to be a leader General. The beasts never gather in this number without one. I want a squad of trackers sent out to try once again to see if they can find them; their orders are to kill on site. We'll make our stand here." Lady Serenity ordered
"Yes my Lady, it shall be done." The General bowed and left to complete her orders. One may not realize it by looking at her but the Lady of the West was just as skilled in war craft as her mate, if not more so in certain areas.
"Sesshoumaru when this battle starts you will be on your own. I will not be able to protect you here; you have been training for these sorts of moments for a long time now. It is time to put your lessons to use. I give you one piece of advice my son, always trust your instincts, they will never lead you wrong." Lady Serenity hadn't told anyone, but she had been having an ominous feeling for a while now, and she had a feeling it had something to do with this battle. The look on her sons face was one of calculation, and determination.
"I understand Okaa-san; may I ask one favor before we go into battle?" He looked to her; at her nod of approval, he made his request. "May I see your smile one last time before this battle starts?" She laughed at his simple request and granted it instantly, the happy smiling face he adored so much spread across her face.
"Then I have a request of you also my Musuko." She said her smile still on her face.
"Anything." Was his reply.
"Give me one last hug?" She said as she opened her arms. He quickly entered her warm embrace. So it was the army looked upon the hill to see mother and son embrace clad in full battle gear, the almost full moon casting its light upon to duo making their hair glow like a halo around their bodies. The serene moment was interrupted when the first wave of beasts broke through the forests edge on the other end of the field. The pair on the hill broke apart and quickly took up their position at the head of the army.
"CCCHHHAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGEEEE!!!! I DON'T WANT A SINGLE ONE OF THOUGHS BEASTS LEFT ALIVE!!!" Lady Serenity raised her sword and howled into the night.
At her command, the army surged forth. They met the beasts in the middle of the field and the clash of steel and howls of agony filled the night. The battle had begun.
Lady Serenity and Sesshoumaru dove into the battle head on, with graceful arcs of their swords and lightning fast swipes of their claws they lay waste to any of the beasts that were unfortunate enough to get in their way. Regardless of the number they cut down; however, they never seemed to make any headway in the battle. It seemed that every time they cut down one enemy two would pop up to replace it. Lady Serenity realized the battle was going nowhere fast; it was time to take drastic measures.
"MEN! FALL BACK BEHIND ME IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES!" she bellowed above the sound of the battle around her. She gave the soldiers a moment to comply with her command; she wanted to spare as many lives of her people as she could. When the vast majority of her men had fallen behind her leading their current enemies with them, she began focusing on her demonic sword, pushing energy into it until it pulsed to life in her grasp. Her smile turned deadly as she jumped into the air and called out her attack.
"SAKURA BARRAGE!!!" She yelled as she swung her sword through the air three times focusing on three different areas of the battle. From each swing of her blade, an arch of light pink energy was released that was quickly broke apart into millions of tiny glowing fragments that resembled sakura blossoms. They shot towards the enemy decimating the vast majority of beasts in an instant; their numbers didn't recover this time like they had before. She had some control over her attack and was able to spare the few soldiers who couldn't get out of the way in time.
Sesshoumaru was having trouble with the amount of time the battle was taking. He was still quite young so his stamina wasn't as great as that of the soldiers around him. His breathing was already heavy, his arms and legs were becoming fatigued, and he was covered in sweat and the blood of his enemies. He sported several minor cuts and scrapes, but luckily nothing severe. He pushed on regardless of his discomforts. This was the real thing he was participating in, not training, and if you hesitated here, you died. When his mother's voice spread over the battlefield, he fell back with the rest of the soldiers and watched in amazement as his mother turned the tide of the battle with her one attack.
This amazing display spurred the soldiers on, moral went sky high, and any fatigue was forgotten as they pushed on to finish what their Lady had started. Sesshoumaru went back into the fray at full force, slicing off heads, and slicing enemies neatly in half with his sword, and disemboweling and melting enemies with his poison filled claws. So focused was he on the battle he never noticed the enemy masking their aura behind him. His senses warned him a moment too late, the next thing he knew he was thrown to the ground and his mother was locked in battled with a cloaked figure.
Lady Serenity floated in the air for a few moments to survey the effectiveness of her attack. Their numbers didn't replenish themselves as they had before, now they were down to manageable levels and her soldiers were making quick work of what remained. From her high vantage point, she found her son fighting with all he had, keeping up with even the more seasoned warriors surrounding him. He heart filled with pride at the sight, and then she noticed the dark figure slinking through the battling mass make its way toward her son. Her son was oblivious to the threat, her paternal instincts kicked in and she rushed to his side just as the cloaked figure had been ready to strike. She pushed him out of the way at the last moment and locked swords with the dark figure. Her eyes bled red and she snarled at him as he chuckled at her.
"My my Lady Serenity such a show of force, one would think you didn't have it in you with your normally docile nature, and such an impressive attack, then making it just in time to save your precious son. Quite the hero aren't we Lady of the West." The dark man chuckled at her breaking the lock and lunging at her again. She managed to block every attack he sent her way, countering and even striking him in the arm on one occasion.
"*huff huff* You are far more skilled than I originally gave you credit for Serenity! But I will not allow you to beat me here!" The masked man disappeared from her line of site, she quickly turned to where she knew Sesshoumaru to be fighting, and her blood ran cold as she saw him engaged in battle with her son. She could do nothing about it, however, as she was suddenly attacked by a swarm of beasts that pushed her farther and farther from her son.
Sesshoumaru had quickly gotten up from the ground and moved away a short distance from his mother to give her the room she needed to fight, before engaging the mindless beasts once again in battle. He had been shocked by her intervention, but quickly got over it; he had been careless by being too focused on the battle before him, as a result, he had become unmindful to his surroundings. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice; he focused on the battle before him, but he kept himself alert to what was going on around him as well. His senses noticed a threat just in time for him to counter it. His attacker was the same one his mother had saved him from and had been battling a moment ago.
Sesshoumaru did well against the masked enemy. He managed to counter all of his attacks, pushing him back to the top of the hill where he had overlooked the battlefield. The clash of swords and cries of death and injury began to fade showing that the battle was nearing its end. On top of the hill, Sesshoumaru and the cloaked figure charged at each other again and again, sparks flying off of their swords at every meeting.
"*pant pant* Well boy your skill is exceptional, but I've been holding back. It wouldn't have done to kill you right of the bat; I had to wait until your mother could enjoy the show as well." He chuckled.
"Bold words from a beast that is already winded from such a short skirmish." Sesshoumaru growled and attacked.
Unlike before, however, the cloaked figure took the advantage. It took him only five moves to disarm and knock Sesshomaru to the ground.
"You see boy, I was holding back. Now accept your defeat AND DIE!!" The dark man lifted his sword high into the air and aimed for Sesshoumaru's heart.
Sesshoumaru didn't have time to get out of the way. He shut his eyes, ready to accept his fate. He heard the sword slicing through the air and connect with something then felt something warm splattered onto his face. He quickly opened his eyes to see his mother run through with the blade that was meant for him. The sword had entered just above the top of her chest plate and exited through the bottom. She staggered for a moment, coughing up blood.
Lady Serenity had made quick work of the troublesome beasts that had been pushing her back. She pushed through the thinning ranks of demons; her soldiers were doing an excellent job of finishing the battle. She suddenly spotted him on top of the hill overlooking the battlefield, he was doing well against the man, but she knew for a fact the man was holding back. Her heart rate increased as she saw him disarm her son, she rushed to her son's aid. There was no time to push him out of the way so she took the hit for him. The cloaked man stumbled back, obviously surprised at her sudden appearance. The sun was just peaking over the horizon as the sounds of the battle finally ended with the last of the beasts dying screams fading with the growing light of the morning.
Lady Serenity reached for the protruding hilt of the sword sticking out of her chest, she gripped it and pulled it free from her chest, gasping from the pain. Before the cloaked man had time to recover, she used his own sword to slice off his head. A purple amulet fell out of the cloak as the head fell from the body; it exuded tremendous dark energy, and Lady Serenity assumed it to be the way he had been controlling all of the beasts. She used the sword to stab the amulet, watching as it shattered then covered it in her poison; the dark aura disappeared almost instantly.
Her last task done, Lady Serenity stumbled backwards, falling to the ground. Sesshoumaru scrambled over to her taking her head into his lap.
"Okaa-san....Okaa-san.....you will be alright, we'll get you back to the palace and Haruka will tend to your injuries. You will be back to your old self in no time....." Sesshoumaru whispered as he brushed his mothers' hair from her face, gently stroking her cheek.
"No my Musuko, I'm afraid that won't be possible, I am not long for this world. I am uncertain what that mans purpose was, but I believe it was to take one or both of our lives. I am sorry I won't be there for you from now on, promise me you'll be strong for me Sesshoumaru." She coughed again, little trails of blood started trickling down the sides of her mouth. Sesshoumaru could hear the gurgles in her chest as her lungs slowly filled with fluids.
Lord Inutaishio and Ikaru had sensed the battle and started to rush back to the Western lands as quickly as they could. It was dawn before they made it to the scene of the battle, mounds of demons lay scattered over the field, and the earth was soaked in blood. On a hill overlooking the carnage, they saw the blood spattered silver head of Sesshoumaru. Both their hearts skipped a beat as they saw a second head of silver hair in his lap. Lord Inutaishio suddenly gripped the side of his neck in pain, his eyes widening as he rushed forward to the hill, Ikaru hot on his heels. When they made it to the hill, they stood there frozen. Sesshoumaru was sitting there with Lady Serenity's head in his lap, her face deathly pale, and a pool of blood surrounding them.
"MAMA!!!" Ikaru yelled as she lunged forward to grip Lady Serenity around the waist. "No Mama you can't leave us, please Mama no!!"
"Serenity please don't leave us, not here, not like this." Lord Inutaishio whispered to her as he took her hand nuzzling it against his cheek.
"Now I know I was truly blessed in my life to have been gifted with all of you, and also being gifted to see you all in my last moments. If I could stay with you, you know I would in a moment. Alas, it is my time to leave this world. Inu promise me you will move on, find another mate someday, someone to make you happy. I know it will be hard, but will you one day try for me." She smiled when he nodded into her palm.
"I will try for you mate." He swore to her.
"Ikaru I am so sorry to leave you, now you will have lost two mothers, please forgive me for making you go thru that kind of loss again." She whispered, it was becoming harder to talk and breathe.
"There is nothing to forgive mama; I promise I'll be strong for you." Ikaru whispered, tears rolling silently down her cheeks.
"My children watch out for each other as you always have. You have both brought so much joy to my life. Sesshoumaru I'm so proud of you, you will be a fine warrior, leader, and man when you grow up. Ikaru, you were always my daughter in my eyes, even before my blood ran in your veins. You will be a fine leader and protector to your people, and one day you will find a mate and have a family of your own. It saddens me a great deal, I so wanted to see my grand pups......" she whispered as her eyes shut. With her last breath, Lady Serenity said what was deep within her heart, something that had been forgotten by her people, but her voice was nearly gone so none of them heard it.
"I love you all......"

Ikaru howled the moment Lady Serenity's heart stopped a long mournful howl that spread over the land. Lord Inutaishio followed shortly after; adding his mourning to his daughters as the pain in his neck increased as his mating mark faded then disappeared with his mates passing. Sesshoumaru just sat there too stunned to do anything other than look at his mother's peaceful face. If he hadn't known any better he would have simply thought her to be asleep, the knowledge that she was really gone hadn't sunk in yet.
They took her body back to the Western palace to perform the funeral rights. Lady Serenity wasn't the only casualty in the battle, the General and a handful of other soldiers had also perished in the battle.
As they lit the altars Ikaru once again let loose her long mournful howl, it wasn't only for her this time though, it was for Sesshoumaru too. He had become very cold and distant since they had left the hill. He never shed a tear, or showed any form of morning, so she mourned enough for the both of them. As Lady Serenity's body was engulfed in the flames, the images began to fade once again....
####End dreams#####
Sesshoumaru sat up covered in a cold sweat. He hadn't dreamt of those things in years, and the ability his mother had gifted him with had also remained dormant since her death. He looked over to where Kagome was supposed to be sleeping only to find her sitting there wide-awake looking at him with concern.
"What happened to your mother Sesshoumaru?" She asked, the determination in her voice surprised him.
"Why do you want to know mate?" he was uncomfortable talking about it, still feeling very much responsible for her death.
"You were yelling 'Okaa-san' in your sleep, the pain in your voice concerned me, what happened Sesshoumaru?" This time her voice left no room for argument, he was going to have to face his past.
"There was a battle, I was still very young by demon standards, it was the first real battle I had taken part in. I was fighting a cloaked figure; he had been toying with me, pretending to be weaker than he was to give my mother time to get within sight of us. When she was, he disarmed me as if it was nothing, and knocked me to the ground. He took his stance to kill me, I closed my eyes at peace with the way my death would come, but the blow never came. Something warm splattered my face. When I opened my eyes, my mother was standing in front of me run through with the sword that was meant for me. She finished off the man, and then destroyed the amulet that allowed him to control the beasts that had attacked us. She collapsed after that, I held her head in my lap till she passed from this life, at some point before she died my father and sister had shown up, but I'm not quite sure when though. What all happened after she died is nothing but a blur in my memory, I only vaguely remember her on the altar as the flames consumed her body. My heart turned cold on that hill. I remember that much." He finished.
"You never mourned for your mother did you?" Kagome asked quietly.
"Not that I recall, I was numb for the longest time I didn't believe I was worthy of mourning her." He said with his head hung low. "She died for me, I wasn't worth dying for...." The next thing Sesshoumaru knew he was being held to his mates' chest, his ear over her heart.
"I think it's time you cried for your mother Sesshoumaru......" she said into his hair, his arms slowly slipped around her waist, a short time later she felt the wetness of his tears running down her chest as he silently cried. Finally after centuries of blaming himself for his mother's death, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to mourn in his mates' arms.
################
Well that's it for this woozy of a chapter. Just some notes:
Okaa-san=means mother, Sesshoumaru always addresses his mother this way; Ikaru does the same thing when referring to her biological mother.
Oto-san=means father, Sesshoumaru always addresses his father this way; Ikaru does the same thing when referring to her biological father.
Musume=means daughter, Lord Inutaishio will often refer to Ikaru, and eventually Kagome, this way, but not always.
Musuko=means son, Lord Inutaishio will often refer to Sesshoumaru this way, but not always.
Now a little treat for you all
Muse: OH MY GOD IT'S FINALLY DONE*passes out* @@
Little muse: Oh no....Author Lady Muse has passed out!!!
Author Lady: *runs in* Oh no, you think we over worked her?....it was only 17 pages....I thought she could handle it!
Little Muse: Apparently not....and she didn't even do the whole chapter, I did a lot too!!
Author Lady: Not now little one, now what are we going to do about Muse....She's out cold...
*Author Lady and Little Muse poke Muse with sticks*
Muse: *jumps up suddenly* WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING!!
Author Lady/Little Muse: AAAAAHHHHHH IT'S AWWWAAAKKKEE!!!!! *runs and hides*
Muse: Damn annoying people....can't even pass out in peace. *grumbles* Hope ya'll enjoyed the chapter, you know what to do now. Much thanks.......Ja ne
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Learning to Love