Chapter 3, POV Sesshomaru
Inuyasha, age 0:
Father is a half breed. I am a quarter dragon. He reached up to touch the moon on his forehead. No, it changes nothing. I was chosen to rule the clan next.
Sesshomaru did not merely leave the clearing for an hour, or even a day. It wasn't until a week later that he returned to the clearing to seek out his father. Fortunately, it seemed his father made zero attempt to hide their scent trail, likely hoping he'd follow. At the end of the trail, he came across a small human village. The scent of Izayoi was strong, but his father's own scent vanished. Fine, he'd talk to the woman. Many of the humans bowed to him and fled, shaking in terror. At the end of the scent was a home of good quality, certainly better than any of the huts in the village.
"Lord Sesshomaru," called out a woman. She was holding a fussing baby.
"Izayoi." The woman's eyes shot up. It was the first time he'd called her by her name. "Where is my father?"
She looked back down at the baby. "He couldn't stay here… he left you a letter." She looked back to Sesshomaru, only to be greeted by a blank glare. At his continued silence, she went to retrieve the letter and gave it to Sesshomaru.
Son,
I thank you for aiding me when my own strength was failing. As promised, I will leave So'unga with your mother with instructions that you may have it whenever you may request it. However, let me warn you, the blade is powerful without a doubt, but it is not your true strength. It has useful abilities, but rely on it, and you will only hold yourself back.
My son, I have watched you all these years, and taught you all that I could. But there is one lesson that can not be taught. Figure out who you are. You are one quarter dragon, heir to the Tsuki inuyoukai line, but what does that mean to you? My blade Hatobasuto grows stronger when my heart is in the fight, when I have someone to protect. Find your own reason to live, your own path, and you will find that you can fight with more strength than you could ever imagine.
If my enemies knew of Izayoi and Inuyasha, they would become targets, so I must continue to limit their exposure to me. But, I will be around if you need guidance.
The page was signed with a dab of the dog's blood. It was the inuyoukai way.
Find a reason to live? He did not understand. He was the heir. He had grown up mostly under his mother's tutelage and was taught everything he needed to rule. Anything he ever wanted, he could have… but when was the last time he actually asked for anything? He didn't want anything. He had everything. Was that the difference between him and his father- that his father knew what it meant to want more because he didn't have everything? He wanted power. That could not be handed to him… yet So'unga was handed to him. No. He'd earn his own power. A blade formed of his own youki, that would be his truest power, formed of his own will.
Over the next decade, that would be Sesshomaru's sole goal. He would not abandon his path of Supreme Conquest. He would simply let it guide him to the moment when he would manifest his own magnificent power.
Inuyasha, age 2:
"Mama! Papa!" The little boy dressed in red shouted at his parents. He was carrying some insect he must've hunted. He was active as a small child.
Izayoi laughed, "good job pup, now we have to get you clean for dinner. Your father brought a feast."
The little boy sniffed himself, "no," before plopping on the ground. It was his favorite word, he said it as though he didn't know the word yes.
"Yes, yes." He wasn't given much choice as Izayoi went to pick him up for a bath.
It was a rarity that his father could visit, but he always brought food, clothing, and money for the mostly single mother to ease her burden. These days, Sesshomaru saw everything. After failing for a year at his new quest, he reconsidered it. His brother was apparently not going to grow up in luxury. Perhaps he'd learn what it meant to desire something by observing his less fortunate brother?
Inuyasha, age 5:
It had been a couple weeks since he last visited. Last he'd seen, his father had gifted Inuyasha a ball to be able to play with.
Sesshomaru sniffed him out, he wasn't by the family's small home. No, the scent carried to a small courtyard. He observed the sight, several children were gathered, many adults overseeing them. Watching for a few moments, he could make out the game to be Kemari. His eyes finally glanced over to Inuyasha. He was standing along the sidelines, like he was trying to secretly observe the crowd.
"Kick it straight! It's going to fall."
"I got it."
"It's mine." It wasn't, the ball fell.
"Oh no." One of the kids complained.
"What is it?"
"The ball," he answered. "Some of the stitching is coming loose. The grain is falling out."
Sesshomaru observed as his brother's ears immediately perked up and he slowly approached towards the field, "Papa gave me a ball." He observed as his brother started gently kicking the ball into the air, only for the crowd to disperse. He noticed and accidently kicked the ball too hard that it rolled away. He went to retrieve it, only for one of the adults to pick it up. The young pup approached the man looking like he was hoping he'd toss it to him.
But the man didn't, he laughed. "Silly hanyou." He left, with the ball.
He could see the emotions play across his brother's face: pain and sadness, quickly replaced by a false smile. He ran in what Sesshomaru knew to be the direction of his home and into his mother's arms. "Mother, what's a hanyou?"
He watched her cry.
Inuyasha, age 9:
Sesshomaru was angry, very angry. He had tracked down a fire youkai in order to test his strength. He failed, miserably, and had actually been badly injured. The fire youkai literally couldn't be touched. He still didn't have the first clue how to stop it. Just thinking about it, he growled, only to hear a squeak to his side.
"S-s-sorry." It was his brother. He saw his nose twitch, "you, you smell like pa."
Apparently, the half inu had finally developed his nose. "Hm. I am your half brother."
"Brother?" he seemed to taste the word. "Brother!" The pup tackled him in a hug.
The audacity of such an inferior being! He growled, "remove yourself!" Not that the pup needed to obey, he shoved him right off.
"Brother?" he whispered, his ridiculous ears twitching.
A rude comment about being half brothers was on the edge of his tongue, but he refrained. Perhaps his momentary obliviousness to his surroundings was an opportunity. "Hanyou." The ears dropped. "What do you want from life?"
The pup thought for a moment, at least his brother wasn't hurting him like the others. "I wanna be strong like pa."
Power? He merely desires power like myself? "Why?"
"To protect mother!" Protect? 'Have you someone to protect?' "I don't want her to cry anymore."
It was a foolish thought, but Sesshomaru was intrigued. "Follow me… brother." The boy gasped at the title and followed without hesitation. Sesshomaru led him to a tree, the thickest one in the forest. "Climb to the top." The pup looked between the tree and his brother, unsure, but he did as instructed. One clawed hand above the other, he climbed. He climbed 8 arm lengths before a hand slipped and he toppled to the floor. Sesshomaru looked at the downed pup, "you are too weak to protect your mother." With that parting, he left the area.
It was on his next visit three weeks later that a puppy-eared boy met him outside the tree line. "I can climb the tree!" he declared before walking over to the same tree absolutely littered with claw marks.
Sesshomaru then stood watching as his little brother did indeed make it to the top of the tree before jumping down the branches. Interesting. Without comment, he then walked to the same tree, and in a single swipe, cut it down. His brother squeaked at the impact. "Cut down the tree," he said, pointing to another thick tree.
Inuyasha attempted to do so, only to barely scratch the tree. Sesshomaru left.
It was on his next visit three weeks later that a puppy-eared boy met him outside the tree line. "I cut down the tree!" he declared, before walking over to the designated tree.
Sesshomaru observed the scene. The tree was indeed downed, as well as two others. He could see the dried blood and chipping on his brother's claws. They'd grow back stronger. He then walked over to the downed tree, and hefted it over his shoulder. He then led Inuyasha on a walk at least 3 miles from the village. "Return the tree." Inuyasha looked at him in disbelief, but approached the tree anyway. He could barely move it. Sesshomaru left.
It was on his next visit three weeks later that a puppy-eared boy met him outside the tree line. "I returned the tree," he claimed, sounding unsure. Sesshomaru followed him to the site. The tree was indeed returned, although it had been cut into multiple pieces. Well, his father did praise creativity, but physical strength was necessary. He walked away from the site without a word until coming across a huge boulder. "Bring the boulder." He left.
It was on his next visit three weeks later that a puppy-eared boy met him outside the tree line. "I brought the boulder!" he declared, before walking over to its destination.
Indeed he had, although he hadn't expected the boy to succeed so quickly. "How?"
The pup's ears flattened. "I, uh… borrowed a piece of leather and managed to roll the boulder onto it. The leather was easier to pull." He looked at his brother. "But it was still really hard!"
For several moments, Sesshomaru merely stared at his half brother. In his own mind, he had concluded that mixed youkai were hardly the same thing as half youkai. And yet, this puny hanyou was willing to meet every challenge. True, these were only challenges for a small child, but he did well. The barest of smiles appeared on Sesshomaru's face without his notice. The boy, however, did notice. Despite not knowing his older brother for very long or knowing just how rare such a sight was, it was the first smile he had gotten and he couldn't help but give a toothy smile in response. Like clockwork, the visits and training continued.
Inuyasha, 10th birthday:
"Father, you came!" The little boy sniffed out his father a mile away and rushed to tackle him in a hug.
"It's good to see you pup." The man pet his ears. "I'm sorry though, I can't stay."
"What?" the boy whined.
"I'm sorry pup, the southern snake clan is planning to make an attack for the border and steal our territory. If I don't go, and now, this village could get overrun with people fleeing."
The boy was nearly in tears, "you promised. I see Sessh more than you!"
"You do?" The man was surprised. He'd caught Sesshomaru's scent of course, but he was here that frequently? Why? "I'm sorry pup, but I did bring you a gift."
He could already smell it, it was his favorite food. But that's not what he wanted. The tears began to fall.
"Don't cry pup, I'm sorry." He really had to get going to meet his army. He was supposed to be there an hour ago. "I promise I'll come visit you in a few days. You, your mother, and I, we'll do something special."
"Father." That wasn't Inuyasha's voice.
"Sesshomaru? What are you doing here?" He didn't notice his own son's approach and he was about to go into battle? His little one always distracted him. Sesshomaru chose not to answer him. He was using his brother to learn about personal desire, he didn't feel his father would be the most pleased. "If you're here, will you watch over Inuyasha today? I brought enough food from the palace that you can partake too."
The pup's melancholy mood interested him so he nodded in agreement. The Inu no Taisho gave a sigh of relief before hugging his youngest and taking off. "Tears are a sign of weakness pup."
"Shut up!" He screamed before running off.
Sesshomaru raised a brow at the pup's behavior. The pup had never yelled at him before, and it wasn't as though kindness was in his nature before. One thing he'd learned training the pup is that he was stubborn. He also noticed the food his father brought was left behind. Realizing something was bothering the pup, he moved downwind to observe. He found him in the tree line near the village. For a while, he just watched as Inuyasha played with what appeared to be a new ball.
x
x
x
"Hanyou!"
The boy flinched. He knew what came next, what he had definitely hoped wouldn't happen on his 'special' day. He didn't have to look. The boy that called his name would be surrounded by several friends, all of them several years older than him. They wouldn't have come if his father was there.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you dog!" The words were accompanied by a kick to his side. He fell over. The other boy straddled his legs over him and punched him, never on the face, the marks wouldn't be seen. "We beneath your notice, is that it?" Another punch to the stomach. "You dumb mutt!" He didn't dare dodge, he knew what they would do. He could only close his eyes for the next strike. It never came. Standing over him, holding onto the boy's wrist was his brother.
"You dare?"
"Run!"
They all fled, all except the boy stuck in Sesshomaru's grip. "Let go, dog!" Sesshomaru merely tossed him aside like garbage. He was out cold, but alive.
Before he could even blink, Inuyasha found that he was suspended in the air by his brother's claws around his throat. "B-o-er?" He couldn't breathe. He was promptly dropped and smacked in the face, causing him to slam into a tree behind. He whined in pain, that one hurt far more than the boy's.
"I should kill you for such weakness." The boy's startled eyes met his, and Sesshomaru grabbed onto his throat again. "Father is one matter, being half human is clearly another. I bothered to train you, and you are not even capable of trying to fight back? Not one punch or even a block?"
The boy whined, unable to talk. Sesshomaru loosened his grip, curious about what nonsense the pup would spout. "If I defend myself, they tell the others I hurt them! They even use blades to make cuts and say my claws did it. The villagers beat mother for it. It's better me… I heal." He was reduced to tears again. "I just wanted father to stay today so they wouldn't beat me."
The pup whined again as he saw a dangerous look come across Sesshomaru's face. Suddenly, the hand that was grabbing his throat was moved to the back of his clothes and he was dragged along as Sesshomaru started walking. Soon, they came across the headman's home. The man was smart enough to greet him.
However, seeing the elder roughly dragging along the child, he came to the wrong conclusions about the situation. "What has the brat done now?" A crowd had gathered. Even the children attacking Inuyasha before had shown up.
It was well known to the village that the Inu no Taisho was a sort of benefactor to the people. In exchange, Izayoi and their child were supposed to be safe. His father had had a home built in preparation for their stay, and it was the second nicest apart from the headman's home. He also had food delivered for the entire village occasionally, as well as furs around the winter. He personally paid the village's tax to the local human lord. In addition, few were foolish enough to attack a village under his protection.
Sesshomaru took a sniff and noticed something about the scent on Inuyasha. "Why is my father's son being beaten by your own?" He removed Inuyasha's haori to expose the already present bruises.
The man laughed. "You expect me to believe my son is hurting the hanyou? How laughable!"
Sesshomaru didn't answer and merely looked towards a woman he saw arrive at the scene. "And Izayoi? Why was she beaten?"
The man stopped laughing. "The wench deserved it for not controlling the monster. It attacked our children."
Sesshomaru grabbed his brother's wrists and brought them to his nose. "He scratched them?"
The question confused the man. "Of course he did! Tore through their arms when they tried to defend themselves."
He looked down at the pup. "Inuyasha? Why did you attack them?"
The pup's ears flattened. He'd told them before and they only beat him harder for 'lying', but even that one punch from his brother hurt more than all of the bully's punches combined. He didn't want his brother mad. "I never touched them. They attacked me, and when I tried to leave, they cut themselves and said I did it. They beat ma for it. I just let them beat me after." Izayoi was near to tears at the confession. She hadn't told her husband because she thought it was a one time thing. Maybe Inuyasha really did just forget his claws. But they'd beaten him more?
Sesshomaru released his brother who looked to him then ran to his mother. "The boy is telling the truth. His claws do not smell of blood, nor have they ever." He looked back at the headman. "I believe I will inform my father of this." The man paled. That was probably worse than Sesshomaru killing someone. They needed his money and protection.
He looked back to the pup. To his surprise, he found that the child had run off. With a silent sigh, he pursued.
x
x
"A youkai does not run from his problems," he informed the boy hiding in the tree. He did not get a reply and reluctantly hopped onto the branch with the boy. The boy's eyes were filled with tears, but they did not fall. "A youkai does not cower."
The boy growled before yelling, "but I am not a youkai!"
Without reaction, Sesshomaru asked, "then what are you?"
The boy just looked up in confusion, "I'm hanyou."
Sesshomaru let himself lean back on the branch, "what does it mean to be hanyou, who are you, what do you desire in life?" It was the same question his father asked him, the same question he could not truly answer. He was a youkai, but who was he?
To his surprise, the boy actually considered the question more than last time. For several minutes, the boy squirmed and looked in every direction, before, finally, his eyes met Sesshomaru's. "I want to belong. I want my family to be together and happy. And, I want to be strong enough to protect them like you!"
Do you have someone to protect?
Why? Why did it always come back to protecting someone? Withholding a verbal growl so Inuyasha would not misunderstand, he left. Remaining on the tree in his spot, was a thin, but long item wrapped in cloth.
It was many years before Sesshomaru allowed their paths to cross again.
