Sesshōmaru Ante Iam Part 1: Early Years- Chapter 12~All Together Now

• "-nii"= Big brother, i.e. Onii-chan, Nii-sama, Name-nii, etc
• You know I'm descriptive with OCs. Reference Ch. 6 to refresh memory if needed. By the way, to me Taishō's looks exactly like in the 3rd movie, for that matter, Rumiko herself designed him that way.

~~A Month Later~~

It's autumn: the leaves are yellow, red, and orange.

Taishō hasn't yet explained the exact details of how the "seed" gets into the woman.

Sesshōmaru is 11 today.

He's playing in a large pile of leaves making them all crunch, then he sees his father coming, "Ah, Chichi-ue!" and falls into the big pile- "Oomph!"

Taishō gets him out of there.

"Heh heh [blows away a leaf on head] I guess that was a little careless of me."

Taishō hugs and kisses Sesshōmaru, "I have a present for you puppy!"

Smiling and blushing, "Really?"

A moment later Sesshōmaru appears from behind a tree trunk. He's wearing new clothes: a white kimono with large red floral patters at the left shoulder, collar, and sleeves; fur on his right shoulder. Armor consisting of a black cuirass that's gray at the top with curved ends, red tassels inside of that and closer to the center two spikes; a thin spiked gray cauldron; four tassets; all tied by a blue sash with two bands of yellow at the tips; and ankle-high, black boots.

"Well Chichi-ue, how do I look?" Sesshōmaru says while twirling around to show everything off.

"You look… adorable!"

"I, I, I look – adorable? I, I, I'm a man now!"

Taishō doesn't answer, only smiles.

Sesshōmaru pouts and blushes, "Chichi-ue… thank you so very much."

"Come on, Sesshōmaru," he stands and Sesshōmaru follows. He grabs Sesshōmaru and sits him on his arm.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to visit Grandma and Grandpa today at The Estate."

"Are Akiyo and Oba-chan going to be there?"

"Hmm… we'll see."

Unlike the manor of Sesshōmaru's mother, the estate of his father – which is actually considered the family estate – is on soil, located in the mountains in central Japan.

They arrive at the broad and shallow stone stairs that lead up to the large red Chinese style gate – the entrance to the TheEstate with its dark tiled roof. No walls connect the sides of the gate, not even any doors in between, just a two foot high/61 cm red decorative fence at its sides. Completely intertwined around the fence and gate, fine green vines with small trumpet-shaped blue flowers. No guards in sight either. The 'welcoming' building and courtyard in front are plainly visible and seemingly defenseless, open to anyone, well, except Grandpa Mikazuki is sitting there. He had caught their scent earlier.

"Haisai," he says.
(*casual 'hello' in the Okinawan language)

Grandpa gets up with the help of his staff. He's in the previously mentioned outfit, with white tabi and black Chinese "v-neck" slippers on his feet, and this time his outer blue kimono is tied by a long white sash and draped over his shoulders is a dark blue haori that is decorated with the family crest. He wears full black gloves with gold tips on the middle finger.
"Why'd you come here?"

"Can I not come to visit my mother and father?"

"You're still as rude as ever, huh you old geezer?" comments Sesshōmaru.

"What? I see you're still a smart-alecky little brat, you shrimp!"

"Bite me!"

"Enough!" The temper in this family really does widely flare up every other generation…

"Sesshōmaru! Hiroshi! You've come to visit!" It's grandma also dressed in what was previously mentioned but over that she's wearing a purple kimono with fancy bird patterns on it. She has on white tabi. Grandma's quite short especially compared to her son and husband (6'3''/190.5 cm and 6'1''/184 cm respectively), while she stands at 5 feet/152 cm—actually she's 4'9''/145 cm but with her three inch lavender lacquered wood zōri with red straps, she stands a bit taller.

Taishō puts Sesshōmaru down, and Grandma hugs him. She then hugs Sesshōmaru tightly, "Oooh! I missed you! My, how you've grown! You even wear armor now!"

"Too - tight! Can't breathe! Ribs- cracking!"

She lets go of him leaving Sesshōmaru breathing heavily- I thought I was going to black out!

"Sesshōmaru, are you going to be alright?"

"Yes… I'll be fine. I just need a moment."

Grandma, "Come on, let's go inside," she picks Sesshōmaru up and goes inside.

"Has Aki-nii been around?" asks Taishō to Grandpa.

"Unh? Oh yeah… he said he'd be back by tomorrow."

Grandma enters the room still holding Sesshōmaru, "Miji, look whose here!"

"Miren-Oba-chan! Hi."

It's the lady with white hair dressed in red from chapter 5. She's sitting at a table, some papers in front of her. A male servant kneels at the side of the table, "Will, will that be all Miren-sama?"

"That will be all, thank you. You can go now."

"Y-yes, ma'am. My pleasure," he leaves.

Grandma puts Sesshōmaru down. He goes over to his aunt.

"Setchan."

She's pretty. She has the same green marks as Grandma, but also has red lines on her upper eyelids. Her eyes are a bright ivy-green. Her face has sharp yet delicate features. Her white hair curls: her bangs curl, and one set of sidelocks curls into her face just under her chin, the next set of sidelocks curl in but then curl out at her nice chest. The rest of her hair flows down behind her shoulders to mid-back, curling outwards at the ends.
She's dressed in a red kimono with red six-petal flowers within pink hexagons grouped in threes at the left shoulder, collar, ends of her sleeves and bottom corner of her kimono. Her sash is wide and wrapped around her lower abdomen a few times; it's white with a big black stripe in the middle. The knot's in a bow at her left, with the ends hanging long. She has a thick silver bracelet with three red rubies in them worn on each wrist. And a green scarf tied around her neck in a simple knot which has blue river patterns on the ends which hangs down to almost her waist.

Taishō enters.

"Roshi-nii!" she calls.

"Miji, so you are here. That's wonderful."

Grandpa also enters, "Alrighty then, everyone's said their hellos, so now let's get to relaxing."

Sesshōmaru jumps on his aunt and hugs her, "Miren-Oba-chan, guess what?"

"What?"

"I can have puppies now!"

Everyone's eyes widen.

Grandpa jabs Taishō with his elbow, "Boy, what the hell did that mean?"

"Uh… hehehehehe – he, um…" he turns his head away, "Sesshōmaru blossomed early…"

"Wait, what?"

"In the hell?"

"Seriously?"

Sesshōmaru bounces on his auntie's lap, "Yup, since last month. I can make 'seeds'."

"I, I can explain…!" *nervous laugh*

~~Next day, mid-morning~~

"Akiyo!" Sesshōmaru runs over and hugs him, he then gets picked up.

Auntie puts her hands on her hips, "Hey Setchan, it's rude to call Aki-nii just 'Akiyo' – he's your uncle!"

Akiyo responds, "Oh, he's not being rude."

Sesshōmaru looks at him, "Yeah, I'm just being… very casual, right Akiyo?"

"Right." Akiyo takes a good look at Sesshōmaru, "Oh ho, I see my little brother lets you wear armor now."

"He gave it to me for my birthday yesterday."

Grandma claps her hands together, "That's right! wait… Roshi, don't you always mix up the day when you first met Sesshōmaru with the day he was actually born?"

"Eh… well… I suppose, but I didn't exactly pay attention to how many days old his mother told me he was when I held him that first time."

Grandpa pats his back, "Well, close enough. Since Aki's here at last, this calls for a party."

"Roshi, how old is he now?" asks Akiyo.

"Eleven."

Grandpa whistles.

*Servant* (yeah, that's right, they get there own sound effect, that's how great they are)

"Bring out saké for the boy."

"Otō-sama, he's too little!"

"What? That's how old all of you were when you snuck in your first taste."

Silence.

"That's what I thought. Hey, make it the weak stuff."

"Ojii, can it be sweet?"

"Sure it can," he looks at the servant, winks, snaps, "Go."

The servant disappears.

Grandma asks Taishō if Sesshōmaru's 'ready' for 'that' yet.

Sesshōmaru looks questioningly at them.

"Eh… yes, I think he is."

Grandpa whistles.

*Servant*

"Prepare the ceremonial saké."

"Yes, sir! Do I still bring the sweet weak saké?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Chichi-ue, what's going on?"

Taishō smiles, "Sesshōmaru, puppy, you're being considered to go through the family initiation."

"Initiation? What's that?"

They go back inside and Akiyo comments that "It's when you have officially earned the family name."

They sit and Grandpa begins to explain, "Sesshōmaru, I'm sure you've seen children, hell even grown adults, who are respected despite their spoiled rotten, shallow, egotistical attitudes, only because of their family name. Now, tell me child, why is that?"

Sesshōmaru thinks, "It's because one of their ancestors was great and powerful."

"Exactly. Now tell me this, why the hell should those bastards be respected for something someone else did? Especially if that stuffy bastard is a good-for-nothing, lazy fool who can't live without their servants to do all the crap that their dumbasses can't do and won't bother to learn, and then throw a tantrum over some insignificant stain?"

Sesshōmaru thinks again then looks up at his Grandpa "That person is unworthy and doesn't deserve it. They bring dishonor to their name."

Grandpa smirks, "Lovely answer. This where our family's a bit different; it's something I decided on because I have standards. You have to earn our family name. You can't just be walking around with the Agekkōki name like you've done something with you life. Your granny and I, we came from those little islands to the southeast, specifically Uchinaa. When we came here we were considered foreign and those Yamato looked down on us. We earned this nobility, this estate, and those bastards' respect. A good chunk of it through sheer fear and power. It humiliated them and shut them up. And now behold, we're one the most respected, feared, and richest of families.
"They said an uneducated, supposedly unrefined southern 'rogue' could never beat their warriors," *sigh* "They could barely touch me. Your Granny could also break their asses in half. Your father, he's become the Dog General – speaks for itself. Your uncle's the current head of the clan and has maintained its rank. Your auntie, she helps keep this place running, and is quite fast."

He patted Sesshōmaru's head, "See? All of my progeny kick ass, literally and metaphorically. Now your father feels that you're ready. He sees potential in you, that you will maintain this name and what it means, maybe even raise it. And I hope that you'll be respected for being 'Sesshōmaru' and not only for being 'Inu no Taishō's son.' Do you understand?"

"… Yes, sir. I do."

"...Good," he whistles again.

*Servant*

"Take him somewhere else for awhile."

"Why?"

Taishō reassures him, so Sesshōmaru leaves with the servant.

Taishō, Grandpa, Grandma, Akiyo and Auntie settle themselves and form a circle. Akiyo begins, "So Roshi, what do you see in Sesshōmaru?"

Taishō explains about what happened between him and Sesshōmaru's mother, and what Sesshōmaru said afterward.

Grandpa, "I see… that little brat is capable of articulating pretty well, and he's certainly devoted to you."

Auntie, "Has he said anything like that before?"

"Uh… *thinks* I think one other time…"

^^ Sesshōmaru was nine and sitting on his father's lap on a hill. Taishō had his arms around him, "Sesshōmaru, would you like to be a big brother some day?"

"Is Mother pregnant?"

"What? No. I'm just… curious."

"Do you ask because you have a big brother? And are one too?"

"Maybe. So yes or no?"

"Hmmm… sure."

"Why?"

"I wouldn't mind having a sibling to order around and do my bidding."

"Like a servant?"

"Yup."

"Would you like a brother or sister?"

"A little brother…"

"Why?"

"So I can torture him."

"But wouldn't you also love him?"

"Hnn… I guess, I mean the reason for a big brother being born first is to protect his little brothers and sisters, right?"

Taishō looks on stunned, "Did you… hear that somewhere?"

"I don't remember." ^^

"Does that count?" asks Taishō.

Grandpa, "Huh."

"What do you all say?"

~~The next day after sunset~~

Everyone's dressed very fancy, more than just usual noble kimonos and such, and if the author could draw anime characters then it would gladly be linked, and alas, it'd be too long and difficult to describe the clothes, but still – moving on.

Grandpa tells Sesshōmaru, "You're daddy's gonna be the one to initiate you."

Taishō takes his place, "Sesshōmaru, you're going to have to drink this," he hands Sesshōmaru a cup of clear saké that shimmers red.

"That's all?"

"Yes, but drink it quickly as though…. as though… *sigh* I'm quoting your Grandpa okay?" he inhales and says quickly, " 'As though you'd just beaten the- " he stops. "Never mind quoting. In summary someone who is supposed to be revered but doesn't truly deserve it speaks badly of you so you hit them in retaliation. And after all that you went to a tavern to drink saké because you were still ticked off."

"I see… Is there more?"

Taishō continues, "Immediately after you drink it, without having actually tasted the saké, you throw the cup over your shoulder without looking or caring – as if to condemn the world!"

Sesshōmaru blinks.

"Then you savor the saké."

"Huh..? Do I.. drink it again?"

"No," he whispers the explanation. It's like when one drinks soda or a shot really fast, and then goes "Sst…! aah…" afterwards.

Sesshōmaru does just that- *Shatter* "Sst…! Aah…"

"Banzai!" says everyone else.

"More saké!"

~~Mid-afternoon the following day~~

Everyone slept in late and then took a bath to 'recover' from last night. Everyone's back in their usual clothes.

Sesshōmaru goes outside and looks up a big dark barked tree with bright red leaves. His uncle lies on a branch. He wears dark red hakama; black long-sleeved Chinese shirt that buttons on the right with yellow edges; sleeves ending in a double cuff fashion showing the yellow underside. Black Chinese slippers that cover the tops of his feet; no tabi. A dark blue mozzetta over his shoulders that reaches to mid-forearm and has a short mandarin collar; white fur edges at the bottom; and a decorative light blue double bow at the right side; it's fastened below the collar by a strap, which attaches to a decorative gold pin on the left.
He has the same forehead mark as Grandma; pine-green marks except they're broad vertical lines that begin from his lower eyelid and continue until his jawline; a red line on his upper eyelid. Akiyo has white hair in a short braid that reaches mid-shoulder blade; straight cut parted bangs and a lock of hair in the center of his right bang that reaches to mid-cheek. He looks about 39 (Taishō and Auntie look to be about 34-36 and 30 respectively).

"Akiyo! Are you awake?"

He opens his golden colored eyes and sits up, "Do you want something?"

"I have a question."

Akiyo jumps off the tree limb landing in a kneeling position in front of Sesshōmaru, "Yes?"

"Why are there so few of these trees?"

"Those trees only grow on soil where a star has fallen. The more star-dust in the soil, the more trees."

"There's only seven on this estate, do you know if there are others?"

"I've seen six or eight."

"And our family name comes from this tree, correct?"

"Yes," he looks behind him at the tree, "Come on, there's still one more thing to do."

Everyone's inside. A servant brings out a scroll, sets it on a table and opens it. It's the family tree.

Grandpa, "Now that you've been officially initiated, you can now have your name, along with the clan's name, put down on this beauty."

The calligrapher-servant, "Mother's name, sir?"

Taishō tells him. A line is drawn between his name and her name.

"And the child's full name?"

"Agekkōki Sesshōmaru, written as 'Kill' 'Life' and then the boys' 'maru'."

Grandma, "You're now the first-born of the third generation."-on paper…

Grandpa then sharply asks his elder son, "Hey Akiyo, why the hell haven't you had any kids yet?"

"….."

Grandpa whacks him on the head with his staff, "No answer, huh?"

Taishō smiles and holds back a snicker- *WHAK!* he got hit too.

"And why the hell did you have this one so freaking late in life? Couldn't you have had him sooner? Before I was half-dead?"

Grandma joins in, "You know, you could've also had more pups after him."

"Yeah, that's right! Wh-where you going? Get your not-having-pups-asses back here!"

"Run Aki-nii! Run Roshi-nii!"

"Don't encourage them!"

Sesshōmaru smiles on as he watches- This… all of this…. Everyone…

Grandpa chases his sons around, at least tries to, whacking them with his cane for not reproducing enough before he got so old.

"Aaah! Quit it!"

"Otō-sama!"

"I don't give a rat's ass if you're the Great Dog General, head of the clan, or grown! You're still my children. I'll put you over my gotdamn knee whenever the hell I feel like it!"

"Aaa-aahh!"

….Don't end… Let this last awhile longer… please. Don't let this all end….
….I don't want to see anyone gone…

つ づ く...