NAGIKO
*
The spring sun was warm on Nagiko's face. She seated herself by the tiny rippling stream, watching pale lotus blossoms catching against the rocks. Often, out of habit, she glanced up at the sky, half-expecting to see a great silhouette against the clouds.
"Get away from us!"
"Filthy little halfbreed!"
Nagiko's breath caught. Quickly she gathered her trailing kimono and went as fast as she could over the little bridge, into the courtyard.
There, a tiny red-clad figure was flinching away from two larger boys -- they were at least six years old, and one was clutching a handful of rocks. Both of them spat insults at the younger boy, and before Nagiko could speak, one flung a rock at him.
Inuyasha flinched as the stone bounced off his cheek. Then he seemed to transform. His wide eyes flamed, and his dirty face crinkled into a mask of rage. The other two boys stepped back in surprise; Inuyasha's little hand went up with a cracking sound. His claws glinted in the sunlight.
"Inuyasha!" Nagiko cried.
The little boy hesitated, and glanced back at his mother. He scampered over to her before the boys could make another sound.
"Leave my son alone," Nagiko said sternly.
She took Inuyasha's small hand and led him across the bridge. She could feel his tiny claws digging into her fingers. She knelt at the water's edge and gathered him into her lap, letting him peer over her trailing sleeves. He always loved watching the minnows darting in the water.
When people first saw her son, they always remarked on what a beautiful child he was. Then they saw his silver hair, his piercing golden eyes, and the tiny ears poking from the top of his head. She had named him "Inuyasha" in honor of his father, a powerful demon who usually took the form of a great dog -- another thing about him that gave strangers pause.
Nagiko's heart grieved when she saw her son, barely more than a baby, being tormented for being half-demon. Her lord had told her that this would probably happen, and Nagiko had hoped he was wrong. She stroked her son's silvery hair, watching his troubled face reflected in the stream.
"Inuyasha?" she said softly.
"Yes, mother?"
"You mustn't try to harm anyone weaker than you."
"They -- they threw rocks at me." Inuyasha pointed at his bruised cheek as evidence.
Nagiko winced. "I know that, my child. You can fend them off. But you mustn't use your claws on them. They don't realize how strong you are already. You could hurt them badly."
"Yes, mother."
A month before, Inuyasha's claws had been as soft and blunt as a puppy's. But suddenly he had learned how to make them razor sharp when he wanted. Nagiko now dressed him in a small fire-rat kimono, as his claws tended to shred any other clothes she tried to put him in. She'd tried to get him to wear sandals, but he cried and kicked them off.
He also showed flashes of temper when people annoyed or angered him. When Nagiko had told him so, the Dog-Lord said wryly that the child had gotten that from him, as his other son had it too. Sesshoumaru barely acknowledged his father's wife, or his much-younger half-brother, but the Dog-Lord was not without hope that he would be on friendlier terms with Inuyasha, perhaps when they were both grown. Nagiko wasn't sure, but then, she had only met her stepson twice in the whole course of her marriage.
Nagiko wasn't afraid for Inuyasha's safety. Even at three, he was tough enough to defend himself if he had to. A bandit had once waylaid Nagiko's procession. When he kicked at Inuyasha, the child had stood his ground and punched the man in the leg -- hard enough to shatter his knee. She could only imagine his strength when he was older.
What she feared was that he would grow bitter. He was too young to understand why anyone would taunt him, but his rage showed that he was starting to be affronted by it. When he could understand fully, what would happen then? He was neither demon nor human, and so neither would accept him fully.
Inuyasha seemed to have forgotten the fight now. He was playing with some colored pebbles, then tossing them at the fish.
"Inuyasha," Nagiko called.
Inuyasha dropped the pebbles and ran to his mother. She tweaked his dog ears and said, "Inuyasha, I want you to listen." When he nodded, she said, "I want you to remember that people who treat you badly are stupid and fearful, and that among demons and humans both, there will always be those who will be kind to you."
"Yes, mother."
Taking his hand again, she led him slowly into the palace.
THE END
*
The spring sun was warm on Nagiko's face. She seated herself by the tiny rippling stream, watching pale lotus blossoms catching against the rocks. Often, out of habit, she glanced up at the sky, half-expecting to see a great silhouette against the clouds.
"Get away from us!"
"Filthy little halfbreed!"
Nagiko's breath caught. Quickly she gathered her trailing kimono and went as fast as she could over the little bridge, into the courtyard.
There, a tiny red-clad figure was flinching away from two larger boys -- they were at least six years old, and one was clutching a handful of rocks. Both of them spat insults at the younger boy, and before Nagiko could speak, one flung a rock at him.
Inuyasha flinched as the stone bounced off his cheek. Then he seemed to transform. His wide eyes flamed, and his dirty face crinkled into a mask of rage. The other two boys stepped back in surprise; Inuyasha's little hand went up with a cracking sound. His claws glinted in the sunlight.
"Inuyasha!" Nagiko cried.
The little boy hesitated, and glanced back at his mother. He scampered over to her before the boys could make another sound.
"Leave my son alone," Nagiko said sternly.
She took Inuyasha's small hand and led him across the bridge. She could feel his tiny claws digging into her fingers. She knelt at the water's edge and gathered him into her lap, letting him peer over her trailing sleeves. He always loved watching the minnows darting in the water.
When people first saw her son, they always remarked on what a beautiful child he was. Then they saw his silver hair, his piercing golden eyes, and the tiny ears poking from the top of his head. She had named him "Inuyasha" in honor of his father, a powerful demon who usually took the form of a great dog -- another thing about him that gave strangers pause.
Nagiko's heart grieved when she saw her son, barely more than a baby, being tormented for being half-demon. Her lord had told her that this would probably happen, and Nagiko had hoped he was wrong. She stroked her son's silvery hair, watching his troubled face reflected in the stream.
"Inuyasha?" she said softly.
"Yes, mother?"
"You mustn't try to harm anyone weaker than you."
"They -- they threw rocks at me." Inuyasha pointed at his bruised cheek as evidence.
Nagiko winced. "I know that, my child. You can fend them off. But you mustn't use your claws on them. They don't realize how strong you are already. You could hurt them badly."
"Yes, mother."
A month before, Inuyasha's claws had been as soft and blunt as a puppy's. But suddenly he had learned how to make them razor sharp when he wanted. Nagiko now dressed him in a small fire-rat kimono, as his claws tended to shred any other clothes she tried to put him in. She'd tried to get him to wear sandals, but he cried and kicked them off.
He also showed flashes of temper when people annoyed or angered him. When Nagiko had told him so, the Dog-Lord said wryly that the child had gotten that from him, as his other son had it too. Sesshoumaru barely acknowledged his father's wife, or his much-younger half-brother, but the Dog-Lord was not without hope that he would be on friendlier terms with Inuyasha, perhaps when they were both grown. Nagiko wasn't sure, but then, she had only met her stepson twice in the whole course of her marriage.
Nagiko wasn't afraid for Inuyasha's safety. Even at three, he was tough enough to defend himself if he had to. A bandit had once waylaid Nagiko's procession. When he kicked at Inuyasha, the child had stood his ground and punched the man in the leg -- hard enough to shatter his knee. She could only imagine his strength when he was older.
What she feared was that he would grow bitter. He was too young to understand why anyone would taunt him, but his rage showed that he was starting to be affronted by it. When he could understand fully, what would happen then? He was neither demon nor human, and so neither would accept him fully.
Inuyasha seemed to have forgotten the fight now. He was playing with some colored pebbles, then tossing them at the fish.
"Inuyasha," Nagiko called.
Inuyasha dropped the pebbles and ran to his mother. She tweaked his dog ears and said, "Inuyasha, I want you to listen." When he nodded, she said, "I want you to remember that people who treat you badly are stupid and fearful, and that among demons and humans both, there will always be those who will be kind to you."
"Yes, mother."
Taking his hand again, she led him slowly into the palace.
THE END