Chapter 49 Punished
Sesshoumaru entered his brother's rooms followed by Rin who took the dark girls from her Lord while he gave Akari to her mother. Rin had heard the commotion and came to help; doing so by taking Izayoi and Tsuki to their room to play while Akari was looked after. Kagome gasped when she saw her little girl's bruises and turned horrified eyes to her brother-in-law. Sesshoumaru told her what he knew had happened and said that he would also be seeing Inumaru as soon as Inuyasha had dealt with him.
"Sesshoumaru, please..." Kagome pleaded. 'What would Sesshoumaru do to her son?' She watched as his face went as blank as it always used to be before they had all reconciled and she knew he felt insulted; even hurt.
"Are you afraid that I will cut and poison his ears or beat him till his back is bloody and raw or any of the other things that Inuyasha told you I have done to him in the past, Kagome?"
"No!...I...He's never told me what you did Sesshoumaru, he never talks about his childhood. You did that to him?" Kagome found it hard to believe, but Sesshoumaru stopped her trail of thought by saying:
"I will not harm your son, but I am the Daiyoukai and he must learn certain rules. Inumaru is not a human Kagome, his youkai blood demands to know his position in the pack and so far he has had youth and disability to protect him but now he needs to know his place. His blood calls out for strength, today he issued a challenge that I am afraid must be answered. He will not be happy until he can respect his father's strength over his own and mine above all other, this is the youkai way.
"Kindness and understanding is all he has known until now, but it is not enough. You do not wish for him to become a powerful bully, therefore he must learn his limits; believe me." Sesshoumaru's words made sense to her and she acquiesced; nodding while she stroked and kissed her small daughter's abused ears. As Sesshoumaru finished speaking, Inuyasha walked in; his small son tucked under his arm and a very angry look on his face.
"You may have him when I am finished Sessh. Do you want to wait or shall I bring him to you?"
"I will wait Inuyasha."
"Kagome will you surpress our son's barrier for me? He raised it when I removed him from under his bed." Inuyasha looked at her intently, needing her to understand and to trust him. Kagome didn't like it but she did trust her mate with their child; she also was angry with the pup, making sure that he knew this by her facial expression that let him know that there was no escape from the consequences of his actions through her.
Once the pup's barrier was down, Inuyasha took him out of the room and back into his own. He was going to find this difficult; although he hadn't heard his brother's explanation to Kagome, as youkai himself he recognised the pup's unconscious challenge. He felt his own youkai want to surface to meet his son's, but this was all part of being a father he said to himself and gritted his teeth.
Inumaru knew this was going to be most unpleasant for him but he was still angry and wanted a fight, he was not going to just submit to being punished. He knew just what was coming, even though he himself had never been spanked before; he was afraid but his blood still felt strong and hot and he stood defiantly in front of his father. Inuyasha recognised all the signs and felt a certain pride that the pup was brave even if he had to learn his place. None of that pride showed on his face however, now was certainly not the time.
"Stand down pup." Inuyasha said and signed. Inumaru stood still and shook his head negatively. 'Enough was enough' thought Inuyasha and the pup was grabbed and over his father's knee in one swift movement; his hakama down by his ankles. Inuyasha did not hold back, the spanking was well and truly deserved; his hand, firm and strong. The pup had to learn that he was totally in the wrong for hurting his sister and for the implied challenge by his youkai. This was not correction, he'd had all the gentle persuasion and reasons; this was punishment for his misdemeaners pure and simple.
When Inuyasha finally stood his pup upright, he turned his back on him and went over to the window. He offered no comfort to the pup; the next move was up to Inumaru and this, the child's youkai knew by instinct. However Inuyasha was prepared to wait patiently, he realised his pup was proud and a lot like Sesshoumaru; he was strong and clever, much more so than his father. Inuyasha understood this and he also recognised the potential for trouble that that could cause if not controlled properly.
It seemed a very long wait but eventually the pup's howling had ceased and he came to stand behind his father. Inuyasha would still not acknowledge his son even when he felt a small hand pull at the leg of his hakama. He stood still and with his arms folded; waiting for his son to speak and hardening his heart against the sound of his son's tears.
"Pah?" said a subdued voice and Inuyasha turned immediately looking sternly down at Inumaru. Seeing his father's normally warm and loving eyes looking like chips of ice staring at him, the pup choked on a sob and looked away. That was all that was needed for now, Inumaru's youkai had recognised Inuyasha's authority and now Inuyasha let his eyes warm up. This time when his son called to him, he held out his arms to the pup and was relieved to hear the child say 'sorry' in his own way with sound and gesture.
"You must now go with your Uncle Sesshoumaru and make amends for the damage and disrespect you caused him. You were rude and spoiled a lot of important work. Sesshoumaru is your pack leader and Lord, he will decide what he wants to do with you."
"Mah?"
"No, not yet. Mama is looking after Akari, because you hurt her face and ears. Mama is angry with you." Thankfully, that upset the child too; indicating that his heart had not grown hard and bitter. He'd just needed some firm discipline before he was spoiled; so waiting once again until Inumaru was more calm, Inuyasha carried him back to the main room and put him down in front of the waiting Sesshoumaru. The pup couldn't see his mother as she was with the other children and soothing their ruffled feelings.
"I think I was harsh enough on him Sessh, I don't think he needs any more." Inuyasha was aware that Sesshoumaru as the Lord of the West also had the right to punish the pup.
"Harsh? Inuyasha, in comparison to how I was with you?... I seriously doubt that." With that Sesshoumaru looked down at the sorry looking scrap of inu hanyou pup with his head bowed in front of him. Inumaru raised his head slowly to gaze at his Uncle. If he thought his father had looked coldly on him he had made a mistake when he saw Sesshoumaru. The Ice King was at his best, not a sign of recognition for his beloved nephew was in the frosty eyes that were unmoved by the evidence on the little face of his earlier distress.
Inuyasha recognised the look, he'd had it directed at himself all of his life and for a moment he feared for his pup. Sesshoumaru became aware of his brother's unease and correctly deduced the reason. Not wishing to alarm Inuyasha, the youkai smiled gently at him above the pup's head and then fixed his mask firmly back in place. He signed for the pup to follow him and without waiting to see if he was obeyed he turned and started to leave.
Inumaru followed but he called to his Uncle and got in front of him talking and signing for all he was worth trying to get his message across.
"Oo...Oo...Orry...no more smack... sore bottom. Please no more smack. Pah...Pah... No more smack."
Inuyasha shook his head and replied that it was Sesshoumaru's right to discipline him however he saw fit, and Inumaru would have to accept it. Sesshoumaru still ignored the pup; he was thinking how alike his brother and nephew were to look at. Inuyasha's worry for his pup made him look just like Inumaru and how he had always looked himself when he knew that his brother's discipline awaited him.
Putting the past once again out of his current thought, Sesshoumaru led the way to his office and once inside he closed the door behind a now whimpering Inumaru.
"You will tidy this mess that you made Inumaru. You will find all you need in that cupboard." Sesshoumaru proceeded to sit in his chair and read from one of his books but all the while he watched the pup pick up the papers and clean up the ink. Neither did Sesshoumaru make allowances for the age of the pup, everything had to be cleaned properly, each stain scrubbed until it was gone.
He watched as the pup cried silently over the spoilt pictures that his sisters had been drawing and as he remembered the pain he had caused the youngest. After one hour of scrubbing and cleaning during which time he hadn't had a single word from his uncle or a kind look, Inumaru was told to come to him. Sesshoumaru told him to hold out his hands and before he knew what was happening, his uncle had struck him twice on each palm with a thin birch rod.
Inumaru cried out in pain and shoved his stinging palms under his armpits, his hands already sore from all the scrubbing. Then after five minutes of watching the whelp in his misery, Sesshoumaru called him back and told him to hold his hands out again. Inumaru was most upset but he would not risk eye contact with his uncle and Lord and he would not plead anymore so obediently he held out his poor little hands out as straight as he could in front of him. After all Papa had said that Sesshoumaru had the right to deal with him as he wished.
Sesshoumaru however took the pup's hands in his own and said that 'hands should be put to better use' than Inumaru had done that day. Then he brought each hand to his face and licked along the cuts on the pup's palms soothing and healing them before he wiped away the boy's tears. When Inumaru thought it safe to look, he found that his uncle looked friendly again and he was so relieved.
He had hated the feeling he got when he was looked at with anger and disdain from his Papa and Uncle; Inumaru preferred to be approved, when he felt that he was not liked he had wanted to curl up and die. Suddenly he realised that his Uncle wished to speak with him and gave him his full attention.
"Are you still angry Inu?"
"No uncle, I am sad. I should not have been a bad pup."
"You have learned your lesson then, that is good. But I have something I want to tell you and I want you to think about it if you get cross about anything again."
"Is it a story Uncle Oo?" Inumaru was excited when Sesshoumaru nodded his head and, with words and gestures told the boy a story of two brothers. Two brothers with the same father and different mothers. But the older boy was jealous of the younger and thought he hated him because the father had died to save the baby's life. The older boy misused his power over the younger and was often cruel, hurting him in anyway that he could, once even nearly cutting off his ears.
"Not the baby's fault the Papa died Oo."
"No, but the older boy was grieving and wanting someone to blame. He was wrong, just as you are wrong to hurt your sister because she can hear and you cannot."
"Yes, I will say sorry." Inumaru got a nod of satisfaction from his uncle who carried on with his story.
The younger one was sad because he really loved his older brother, who he knew could also be kind and loving when he wanted to be. The smaller child just wanted to be strong so that his brother would love him always. But when the boy's mother found out about the cruelty her son was suffering, she took the child away and they went and lived somewhere else.
This made the older boy very cross because he missed the happy times with his little brother, his smile and the love he always showed to him. He became very lonely and had no friends but he was too proud to say sorry and he had no one strong enough to stop him or discipline him. He then heard that when the boy had been gone for about a year, the child's mother died and the pup was left on his own having been driven away by the people who had never accepted him. He was only eight years old and alone and frightened in a huge forest.
"I know what happened now Oo."
"You do?"
"Yes, the older brother found the younger one and took him home and looked after him, he was sorry that he had been naughty and he missed his brother. And they all lived happily ever after."
"That, I believe is how your mother's fairy stories end is it not?"
"Yes, I like the happy ones not the sad ones."
"Unfortunately Inumaru, this story is no tale, it is all too true."
"True?...What happened to the little boy in the forest Oo?" Inumaru's voice trailed off quietly as Sesshoumaru carried on with his story telling the child the harsh truth that the older boy had left the small one to live on his own in a world that was extremely harsh. He told him how the older boy had watched over his younger brother by making sure that nothing killed him for he had reserved for himself that right. But as far as the younger was concerned, no one cared that he was often starving, cold and frightened or beaten nearly to death for stealing food.
There was no one to care that the younger one's love for his brother seemed to die only to be replaced by hatred. Because whenever the two met, the older would only leave when his brother was once again shown that he was inferior often with his back bloodied by his brother's whip and left lying unattended until the welts healed. There was no one who would make the child a warm fire, get him food or care for his wounds.
By now Inumaru was in tears once again. as had been noted he was far from stupid and even though he was very young, he knew why uncle Oo was telling him all this.
"I am not like the big brother in the story Oo, I am not." He was most upset to think that he could be considered so awful by his uncle.
"No; Inu, you are not. But you could become so if you let yourself be jealous and bitter and if you were not corrected or punished when you do wrong. No one was able or would dare to try to stop the older brother when he needed it and his father who certainly was strong enough and would have beaten him for his deeds was dead. You love your sisters don't you? You should protect them if they needed you, not hurt them and be a disgrace?"
"I do love them and I will look after them. I am not lonely like the big brother you told of, my sisters love me."
"If you wish to keep people loving you, you must be kind to them and love them as well; Inumaru."
"What happened to the little boy in the forest Oo, did he die, does the older brother care at all?"
"He did not die, he grew strong and yes the older brother's jealousy died and he found he had loved his brother all along and he tried to make the best amends that he could. He was very lucky. The younger one wanted his love still and was able to forgive; even understand, so they are now very close friends as well as brothers." Sesshoumaru beckoned his brother over to him.
Inuyasha had been standing in the doorway but out of his son's sight for the whole time; now he came to stand by his brother and pushed his head under Sesshoumaru's chin. The older brother licked the mark of the younger one and reached up to pet his head and ears; he understood how difficult it had been for Inuyasha to let someone else deal with his son without interrupting. He too was still learning that in youkai society there were rules that were difficult to accept, but deep inside Inuyasha recognised his brother's rights even over his own family.
Watching the two brothers, Inumaru came to his own revelation; they were the brothers of Oo's story. His eyes widened in realisation and Sesshoumaru watched him in turn, wondering what the pup would do with the news. Inumaru jumped into his father's arms and hugged him round the neck, telling him over and over again that he was sorry. Inuyasha assured him that it was O.K. he was fine, no one was angry anymore with him and they all loved him and even Sesshoumaru came to pet him as well as his father.
But as a last sobering note for the pup, Sesshoumaru showed him on his father's ear where the fur no longer grew and reminded the pup that that was where a jealous bitter anger had caused him to try to mutilate his younger brother. Inumaru nodded, he had learned a salutary lesson and was much subdued; so surprisingly was his uncle and noticing this the pup hugged him too and told him not to worry, it was happily ever after wasn't it?
Rin knocked on the door and asked to take Inumaru back as it was now his bedtime. She knelt down next to him on the ground and spoke clearly so that he would understand that she would take him back to his mother. Her natural sympathy was triggered as she saw the tearstains on his face and she gave him a hug, stroking his hair and ears and with a final kiss she led him away.
Inuyasha turned to his brother in some shock, he could smell salt clinging to Sesshoumaru and his brother had turned his head away.
"What is it Sessh, what's wrong?"
"Rin and Inu, for a moment they looked just like you and your mother when you left me. You were so small and I so cruel. How is it that you do not still hate me?"
"I don't know why I don't, I never did, I've always loved you and I still do, you will just have to accept it. Perhaps it was mother, she always hoped that we would be true brothers and I guess I always hoped it too; even when things were really dark for me. Humans seem to have a lot of hope. I dunno, it's just not always possible to explain your feelings."
Inuyasha smirked and held out a soft silk square to his brother. "Now wipe your face Sessh, don't you have a hankie on you? You really should carry one you know." Then he grinned at Sesshoumaru until he got a smile in return and ruffling his brother's hair this time he ran out quickly before Sesshoumaru could get retribution. Back in his rooms with Kagome, he found her tucked up with a sleeping Inumaru. She smiled at her mate as he came over to take his small son from her and put him to bed.
"He is really sorry for his behaviour today Inuyasha."
"I know; he is not a bad boy, he just has a lot to learn. The youkai blood flowing in his veins is some of the strongest there is, coming as it does from my father. If it is not properly trained and with his spiritual powers, he could be an absolute tyrant." Inuyasha told her all that had happened with Sesshoumaru and Inumaru and then when she questioned him, he told her for the first time many of the things that he had lived through as a child.
That night Sesshoumaru sent a courier to Kouga asking if it were possible for Kouga's uncle who was also deaf could come and give some training to the little Prince of the West.
TBC
