Beyond 25

The Lady was only too pleased when the lunchtime meal was announced as it immediately distracted Inuyasha from starting an argument with his brother. However her peace was short lived; when Aimi came in to join them, the girl took one look at her youngest brother and started to cry. She threw her arms around his neck and despite his obvious alarm at having been the cause of her tears, Inuyasha patted her gently on the back and told her to shut up.

"Whatever is the matter Pup?" Asked her nurse; a kindly but firm Inu who had much experience in the upbringing of royal pups.

"I hurted Inyasha with my poison drool."

"I'm alright Aimi. Stop fussing."

"Aimi, Inuyoukai do not drool; we merely release our venom through our mouths when in youkai form." The Lady scolded; she ignored Inuyasha's sudden grin and swift look at his brother, he got a glare in return, which restored the hanyou's good mood. Aimi though was not appeased, but she tried to correct her statement.

"I hurted Inyasha with my poison dripping from my mouth. I melted his hair all off."

"Oi, I told you to be quiet Aimi, you didn't do anything to my hair, your Mama cut it off."

"Mama..?"

"Yes Aimi, I did. Inuyasha's hair was a mess because it was never groomed. Now his youki won't be trapped in his hair, and he is already stronger for it. So stop worrying him like a good girl; he already knows you didn't mean to harm him." The Lady was used to her daughter's obedience, Aimi rarely needed to rebel, but she did this time; she wasn't prepared to drop the subject, although it took another turn.

"Come here Inyasha; I will brush your hair." Aimi went over to the desk and picked up a large brush. And with all the self certainty and outrage of the child who is also a bossy older sister, she started to scold him. Inuyasha submitted to his sister to keep her quiet, but it didn't last; the girl was not skilled and managed to trap the brush in his hair near to his ears and yanked on them painfully.

"OK, that's enough." He squawked and made to leave, but Aimi was not having any of that and a tussle started. In the blink of an eye and before The Lady or Sesshoumaru could separate the pair, Aimi proved that although a child in mind, she was a strong, young adult youkai. She upended a most surprised Inuyasha and swatted him with the hairbrush.

"Mama said that if my hair isn't brushed it looks like she don't care for me. If your Mama don't care about you, I will instead." Aimi said, ready to bring the hairbrush down again. Inuyasha however jumped up and spun in the air before snarling,

"My Mama did care, you stupid bitch; she always cared for me, what do you know?" Inuyasha was upset and therefore spoke before thinking. The Lady raised her aura before things could spiral out of control.

"Inuyasha, stand still and curb your language; Aimi, what do you think you were doing, apologise to Inuyasha, you could have hurt him.

"You did that to me when I didn't want to be brushed."

"I am your mother and you were being disobedient. You however are not Inuyasha's mother and had no right to hit him. Now say you are sorry."

"But…his hair is…he must be brushed…"

"Aimi, do not argue, what has got into you today? Inuyasha's Mama went away when he was a small pup, she cannot care for him anymore and you made him sad because of what you said."

"She's gone away? Like Papa and…and MyKats?" Aimi's voice sounded small.

"Exactly so."

"Didn't nobody look after him and brush him?" She whispered.

"No, Inuyasha was alone." The Lady replied; equally as quietly. Aimi went over to her fuming little brother and put her arms round his neck and hugged him tight.

"I sorry Inyasha, I didn't know. I will look after you now; you will be my pup."

"I ain't nobody's pup Aimi, I did all right by myself thank you, now stop worrying over me and go and eat; I'm hungry." Inuyasha said grumpily and after The Lady reigned in her aura, he led the way to get his dinner, followed by his sister who was just as distracted by good food as he was.

The dinner was a solemn affair; nobody spoke much except for a general politeness. Inuyasha was trying to calm down and looked quite strange with his shorn locks and Sesshoumaru frowned over his plate of untouched meat. Inuyasha noticed that occasionally his brother glanced at him when he thought the hanyou wasn't looking; and once more Inuyasha started to get jittery and annoyed. But he decided he would try to keep calm, his brother's behaviour was unusual so something must be troubling him; Inuyasha thought that maybe a light hearted question would help. So with as little rancour as he could muster he asked;

"Do I have something on my face Sesshoumaru; or does my short hair really bother you?" Inuyasha smiled as he spoke, trying to show he was not angry, but rather puzzled. He didn't expect the look of open eyed shock that raced across his brother's face before Sesshoumaru's normal blank mask re-asserted itself. Nor did he miss a similar look on his Aunt or the peal of laughter from Aimi which explained the reactions of the other two somewhat.

"You sounded just like Papa, Inyasha; he's always saying that. When is Papa coming home Mama, and MyKats; I miss them." Then Aimi started to sniffle and her mother stood to comfort her. Sometimes it seemed as though the girl realised on some level that her father and brother were never coming home and sometimes she forgot. The Lady had told her long ago that the two had died; but the concept of death being a permanent state of affairs remained a foreign one to the childlike mind.

Inuyasha was bewildered, he didn't seem to be able to do or say anything right and he turned to his brother only to see Sesshoumaru's back as he left the dining room. He became exasperated; enough was enough and so he also left, he was not a mind reader, if someone wanted to explain, he could be found in his room as there were no comfortable trees in the Sky Palace. It was not too long before The Lady sought her 'nephew', who was still fuming alone and looking like he would run away at any minute.

"I seem to cause problems wherever I am; I have upset the peace of your family more than once and for this I am sorry. I think I should just go back to the village, I can help Sesshoumaru from there, it will be better for all of us." Inuyasha said, without turning to look at The Lady. She though was understanding of the skittish boy and went to pet his ears. Inuyasha was stiffly accepting at first but then relaxed; he was a mix of human and inuyoukai, both species with a need to be touched and to belong. And it was something he had sorely missed; for most of his life with only brief interludes, he had been denied this basic right.

"You are now part of our family, silly Puppy; families don't just run away when differences of opinion occur."

"But…"

"No buts, Inuyasha; your home is with your brother and his family, now your family. You are owed an explanation however. It seems that when your youki was completely freed from its ties apart from Tessaiga, it appears to have grown. Your eyes are now exactly like your father's in colour and depth, it also appears you have a similar sense of humour when you use it. It will just take a bit of time for my son to adapt."

"Great, another thing for him to hate me for."

"He doesn't hate you anymore Puppy, remember?"

"Yes but that was before…before all this" Inuyasha griped, then he stiffened and bowed his head. "Oh Great, Aimi is upset again."

"Is she? How can you tell?" The Lady asked; which surprised Inuyasha as her sense of smell was greater than his, how had she not noticed? Inuyasha couldn't keep a look of anger from crossing his face at this sign of neglect, but his aunt was unmoved. She was going to start his training in differentiating between scents, as she totally agreed with Sesshoumaru; some of the pup's basic skills were woefully inadequate.

"First Inuyasha, tell me what you can deduce and remember Aimi is with her nurse, not alone." The Lady hoped to remind the boy that his sister was not uncomforted. Inuyasha was moody but willing to learn.

"Well, she is sad, but not crying thankfully."

"How do you know?"

"There is only a hint of salt in the air; she is angry too, but it is different."

"Very good, so my pup is slightly tearful and what is the difference in the anger?"

"Well it doesn't seem to be, I don't know…coming out at me, in waves or something."

"How is it then?"

"It is sort of surrounding her and there is a shameful bitter tang to her scent that I don't know."

"You have done very well, so she is sad, angry and that other is guilt; what you are scenting is remorse with not a little self condemnation."

"Stupid girl, I've told her not to keep on; how do I get through to her, she'll make herself ill. I'd better go and talk to her again. Do you think if I play with her and her dolls it'll help?"

"I am sure that Aimi would enjoy that immensely Puppy, but your lesson is not yet over."

"Whaddya mean? I'm not just going to ignore her, she'll make herself sick."

"Have you ever felt remorse Inuyasha, the sort My Pup is suffering?"

"Once…once when I hurt a little girl and blinded her in the eye. She'd done nothing but she was in the way…I couldn't forgive myself for that, even when she told me it weren't my fault." He answered softly and The Lady could scent his shame still.

"Kaede forgave you Puppy; you were good to her and you and she had a special relationship, she loved you dearly."

"I know…but…but…

"I said no buts, remember? Just try and think about how badly you felt and how Kaede forgave you when you go to deal with my Pup please."

"Of course I will, but I have nothing to forgive, Aimi is not at fault."

"I know she is not; but you have assumed rather than use your senses properly, it is not my daughter who is in pain, but my son."