Sesshomaru looked down at the baby resting in his arms. 'My brother's son,' he thought, watching the child curiously. 'The future of the Inu demon race rests with this small child.'
Sesshomaru had stopped by Kagome and Inuyasha's home earlier that morning, as he promised he would do periodically. To say Inuyasha was surprised when he said he wanted to spend time alone with Tashio was an understatement. Inuyasha was ready to take his head off. 'Though if Inuyasha wasn't protective of his pup he'd be a failure as a father.' Luckily Kagome had calmed Inuyasha down, allowing Sesshomaru to spend time alone with Tashio. They sat beneath the Goshinboku, the very tree where Tashio's parents met years ago. "Pup," Sesshomaru said seriously, "I have important things to tell you." Tashio laughed in reply, shaking his tiny fists at Sesshomaru. "You are the future of the Inu demon race; you bare a heavy burden. Even though your father is a," Sesshomaru paused momentarily, remembering Kagome's threat about not saying anything she wouldn't in front of her son. Sesshomaru didn't fear her, but he would not bring her wrath upon him unnecessarily. "Although your father is a half demon and your mother is a human miko, you are very special." Tashio lay quietly in Sesshomaru's arms, his small fists clenching and relaxing. Curiousity over took Sesshomaru as he took Tashio's tiny fist in his hand, a smile tugging at his lips as he gripped Sesshomaru's finger tightly. "I wonder if you will be like your father and grandfather and take a human mate one day," Sesshomaru mused aloud. "Both of them took human mates, maybe you will too. It would be much better if you took a demon as your mate, but you will be just as stubborn as your parents I think. If you must take a human mate," Sesshomaru grimaced as he said this "at least pick a strong human. Well as strong as humans can be. Let her be strong like your mother. She's a powerful miko; she could purify your father if she chose to. Pick a mate who will help strengthen you and remain by your side."
Sesshomaru looked up at the swaying branches of the tree, wondering about his future as well as Tashio's. He was getting older, though not by demon standards. Still he had yet to take a mate; truly he did not desire to have a mate. He never desired anyone's company, save for Rin's when she behaved. To take a demon for a mate would make his life more difficult. He could never be as free as he was right now. Still part of him wondered what it would be like to have a mate after seeing the happiness Inuyasha had. He even wondered what it would be like to hold his own pup in his arms.
He was snapped out of his thoughts as Tashio began to cry, fidgeting in his arms. "What's wrong pup?" Sesshomaru asked, looking at the child. To say he wasn't a pro at taking care of children was an understatement. He could barely handle Rin and she was much older than Tashio. He tried bouncing Tashio in his arms like he had seen Inuyasha do once before getting up from the forest floor. Tashio stopped crying as Sesshomaru began to walk through the forest, his tears drying in the warm summer air. Sesshomaru smiled slightly, an irrational pride filling him at his ability to stop Tashio's tears. "Tashio one day you will become Lord of the Western Lands. Just like your father and I are, just like your grandfather before you and your ancestors generations before him. As you grow I will teach you the things you need to know, both about fighting and about our heritage. It is important to know where you come from. Your father doesn't much about your grandfather; he was just a pup when he died." Sesshomaru looked down at Tashio, surprised to find him sleeping peacefully. "Next time I come to visit I'll tell you about your grandfather." Sesshomaru walked slowly back to Inuyasha's home, savoring the quiet moment with Tashio.
