Anger

Sesshoumaru was in awe and aware of the feeling for the first time in his life. Kaede had handed him his new pup straight from the birth, so that he could imprint the baby's scent and that his instinctive youkai could recognise the pup as his. The scents of Rin, the pup and his own distinctive scent mixed together to form the birth smell that was imperative for the bond to form, and never be doubted. No matter who said what to cause trouble and intrigue in the court in the future, Sesshoumaru would always know that his mate was faithful, and that he was the Sire of the heir of the West.

Of course intellectually he knew this well enough, but the baser instincts had also to be appeased for the youkai. Once he was satisfied, and the pup's own youkai had subsided, Sesshoumaru was able to allow the pup to be taken and washed before being handed to the mother for feeding. Rin was exhausted but well and fit, and had been freed of the afterbirth while Sesshoumaru inspected his young.

The Daiyoukai was staggered at how quickly the pup had wrapped his hands around his father's heart and made a place for himself. The feeling of overwhelming love and the need to protect the tiny creature was almost frightening in its intensity. Sesshoumaru was mature enough to realise this was exactly how his own father had felt at the birth of both of his sons, and he silently apologised for not understanding so much when Inuyasha was born.

Sesshoumaru's mother's eyes were laughing at him fondly as she read his face clearly for the first time since her child learned to hide his every thought. She had insisted, against his for once vague opposition, in tying his hair back into a topknot as they waited with Rin for her to give birth.

"You look the image of your Father Sesshoumaru."

"It is hardly surprising considering my son is hanyou Mother." He said with slight exasperation at the perceived slight.

"I did not mean that my Son; you look just as he did when I birthed you. He was so proud and it was as if he grew twice as big with you in his arms. You feel the same way don't you?"

"I am not the one who resembles Father, I favour your look."

"Your brother may look more like Inu no Taishou than you in physical feature, but with your expression and your hair dressed just so, you could be him again with the child in your arms. I remember your Grandmother putting his hair up and warning him that all pups like to pull hair; he wore it up ever since you were born. His mark of adulthood you might say, you would be wise to do the same."

"It would not hurt you to see me thus?"

"No, Sesshoumaru; you are his son and he would have been so proud of you and your mate. Tell me, what are the pup's markings?"

"He has the moon and one stripe to each cheek in the same colour and shape as mine. I noted one stripe the same to his wrist before they all faded. His youkai eyes are red and teal, but in his calm state they are as golden as his uncle's, rather than the amber of mine."

"That is not all that will remind you of Inuyasha; you have no qualms now about your hanyou son?"

"None at all, and none of my brother either."

"Then all is as it should be. Your Father would be most pleased with the family now."

"What of you mother?"

"I was never bothered by your Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru; I thought him quite sweet when I saw the pup, he was about a year old then."

"You saw him with Izayoi?"

"Of course, I wanted to see what she was like, and do not forget, Inuyasha is as much your father's son as you are. If I'd been concerned about either of them, I would have killed them both myself. But enough of this, we are to celebrate your new son." The Dowager Lady went over now to her daughter-in-law to congratulate her before allowing the girl to sleep and taking the pup into her own hands and conversing with Kaede about the birth.

Kaede was fascinated and a little bit angry that she hadn't been warned that the new hanyou would be born as an angry little youkai. The Lady laughed and said no one had thought to remember; but the trauma of birth was a threat to the new life and it came into the world fully defensive and aggressive. The aura and youki of the father was essential to not only calm the pup down immediately, but to help it feel safe and know it's place in the pack.

"How did Inuyasha's mother manage then without the father?" Kaede wondered aloud and Sesshoumaru answered.

"My Father was present just after the birth, his youki was at its height after his flight and was easily enough to quell the birth youkai of Inuyasha."

"Did it happen with his own children, he took them so quickly from me that I didn't really see?"

"Unfortunately, he was probably afraid if it happened and deemed it expedient to keep a secret. The youkai subsides almost immediately. So quickly, that I was unable to tell if my son has any other bodily markings; I will find out when he starts to train." Sesshoumaru was unable to take his eyes from his son and once again regret at not understanding his father until it was too late, washed over him. Kaede made note to ask Kagome if her children had been born in their youkai transformation.

She knew that Sesshoumaru had been training his brother in control, since it had been proved that Inuyasha could have some say in how he acted. He had proved that in the final battle within Naraku and she had seen the hanyou training his own children; but it made her sad that Inuyasha had gone through so many hardships and had so many mental scars from his actions that need not have been.

Of course he was alright now; accepted and loved with a family of his own, but there was insecurity on occasion, a feeling of lack of worth which could still lead to unwise words and anger. Kagome understood and so did everyone who mattered to Inuyasha, but he found it hard to let go of the guilt he felt if he upset her and would on occasion revert back to sitting in Goshinboku. His low self esteem would take many years to fully go; being, as it was, built on the vicious lies he had been told for most of his life and certainly for his formative years.

And although she had no right to do so, Kaede felt great anger at the imperious way that the Lady of the West had ignored the needs of the very young boy, when she could have helped so easily. Kaede only knew of some of the things Inuyasha had been through as a small pup, but she remembered well the youth she had known. She remembered the lost and longing expressions he couldn't hide, and her anger blazed until it became known to the youkai in the room.

Realising that she was making a spectacle of herself and that she was no longer needed at the moment, Kaede bowed and left the new father and grandmother alone with Rin and the sleeping pup. She knew that Sesshoumaru would call her if she was needed and went to rest in her own room, on her way being stopped by an anxious new aunt and uncle. After telling them that they would be called for as soon as Rin was able to receive visitors, she went to lie down.

The Dowager looked thoughtful for a moment after Kaede left and mused that the old miko was angry.

"She befriended Inuyasha when she was a child, she knows he has suffered in his life and she resents it for him." Sesshoumaru said, it was not the first time he had realised that often the women in Inuyasha's life would champion him, besides the natural female feeling of resenting any neglect of a child.

"Ah, she feels I should have interfered, maybe I should have done; certainly your father would be disappointed in my behaviour."

"More so with mine."

"Perhaps; Is she entitled to such animosity, is she a danger to my Grandson?"

"No danger at all and this you know; her animosity is another thing, she used to be in love with Inuyasha when she was a girl, but he was courting her sister."

"So Kaede is that child; I saw her with him a few times. I have news for you my Son, with that level of anger, her love is not in the past...she is still in love with him."

30 Shards Community; shard # 25 Lies.