Sesshomoaru was a bastard that never knew when to stop. Yes, he was the one that informed be about the festival. However, I still could not help feeling a certain dislike towards him though, at the time, I knew no hate. I believe that, perhaps, it was in lessons one day that he threw me over the edge. All week, thus far, he had been taunting me about my being a half-demon, along with saying various words that were elusive to my vocabulary. Lessons, that day, were sparring. Normally, I would have fought one of the weaker children of the courtesans. However, that day Sesshomoaru had promptly insisted he would be my opponent, and we were soon at our mark and ready to begin. His smile, which I loathe today, haunted my dreams thereafter.

At the sound of he bell we were off, and I was soon found upon the ground, writhing as my dear brother wrestled my arm behind my back. The overseeing courtesan, after giving a quick laugh at my dilemma, asked, "Inuyasha. Do you wish to forfeit?" I didn't know. I was too busy having my brain cells killed from lack of oxygen. "Inuyasha! Do well, sweetie." Mother. She stood on a nearby veranda then watching us fight. For some reason or another, she seemed both pale and flushed at the same time. Her handmaidens, stupid human women with nothing better to do than nit-pick, tried to console her, "M'lady, your son will be fine. But you require rest. Please, let us escort you to your apartment." But she wouldn't have anything of it. We locked eyes for a minute and I saw her sadly smile. I knew that I had to beat Sesshomoaru and make her happy!

"Well now, little brother, how about we try something new?" Just then, he grabbed my ears which, at the time, were still weak to the touch, and pulled. Yelling, I thrashed about as he proceeded to try and rip my poor members from my head. My mother, seeing this, went to step forward. But she was politely held back by her handmaiden, Suya, and retreated to the depths of shadows. Takani, another one of her handmaidens, then stepped forward, first bidding, then pleading, "Please, Sesshomoaru, let your brother be." But he wouldn't have it, and he didn't even listen to her. Just then, though Sesshomoaru held tight to my ears, his poisoned claws were suddenly at my throat, "Say mercy." I growled, doing my best to spit at him, "No!" Feeling his claws mildly piece my skin, he threatened again, "Say mercy." "No!" "Insolent fool!"

Upon shutting my eyes, I heard his claws dig into tender skin and promptly smelled blood; human bloodOpening my amber orbs and coming back to the light of day, I gasped and pulled away from my brother. He had pierced my mother's hand, which had only tried to protect me! "Mother!" She smiled forcedly and I saw Sesshomoaru visibly smirk, "It's all right, Inuyasha. My hand will be fine." Though hating to do so in front of my brother, I began to cry. "Nayama? What's happened here?" Hearing the commanding voice of my father through the crowd, all of us dropped obediently to our knees; save my mother, who fell. Father caught her, asking again, "Nayama? What's happened here." She smiled, saying weakly, "Nothing, Inumoaru-kun. The boys were only playing, that they were." Then, she passed out.

I smile and cry on that memory as it hides in the shadows. Being so young, Sesshomoaru's poisoned claws could not kill her. However, for the short time thereafter she was alive, that hand was paralyzed. That hand, which had only wanted to protect me.

My brother was in quite a bit of trouble after that. Father, having never yelled before at his firstborn son, actually proceeded to reprimand him, whipping him harshly with a willow branch. I watched as father did this, and the look of hatred that Sesshomoaru threw at me was one of pure loathing. Meanwhile, mother was put to bed for many days thereafter. The poison of my brother's claws slowly spread through her weak immune system until it was diluted enough not to harm her. But, even then, my father made her rest right up until the day before the festival.

On this day, we were made to bathe. Saying silent prayers for strength and patience, the servants rounded both my brother and I up and marched us out to the hot springs near our home, though we did this at separate times so as to keep us apart. Sesshomoaru went first, and then it was my turn. Laughing at me for how ridiculous I must have looked, the servants made me sit within the water as they scrubbed my silver hair vigorously to free the dirt from it. Mud, sweat, and blood, which had been caked on me for weeks now, slowly washed off into the water, and I was almost sad to see it go. When they were done, they robed me in a silk yukata and threw away my ripped and dirty, ill smelling training uniform, laughing at me heartily when I asked what I was to wear. I had very little other clothing. Grumpily, they marched me back to the house, and I had to endure a few seconds of the arrogant smile that was Sesshomoaru's before retreating back to mine and my mother's apartment. But, unlike I had thought, she was not alone.

As soon as I walked in the door, I saw my father hastily pull away from my mother and stand up. She sat on her futon and, looking flushed, quickly retying her kimono around her bosom. I paid it no attention, for my father had begun to smile, "Inuyasha-chan, did you have a good bath?" I raised an eyebrow at him, "Not at all, father. And they threw out my clothes." I had added this last part with humility, and he laughed; not at me but at the tone of my statement, "Yes, well, you were in need of new festival clothing anyway, no? Nayama-dono? Would you like to give it to him, or shall I?" She bowed her head and smiled, something about the formal way that she normally treated my father missing, "I shall Inumoaru-kun. I shall." Then, she slowly got to her feet and walked into an adjoining apartment. I watched her go then looked back to my father. It was odd, but he suddenly struck me as very old. I could see the shadows of the wrinkles on his face and I wondered if, perhaps, he wasn't as immortal as I had once thought.

Mother returned a few moments later, first bidding me to shut my eyes. I quickly complied, covering them with my small, clawed hands. I heard mother and father unwrapping something, then heard my mother's soft voice, "Inu-chan. You may look now." Slowly I opened my eyes and drew in a breath, "Oh…" Between the two of them, they held up a new outfit, which was bright red. It consisted of billowing red hakama pants, a plain white kimono top, and a red kimono top of an odd cut with wide sleeves. My mother smiled, "This is an early birthday present, Inu-chan. You can wear it to the festival tomorrow." Now, my father took the outfit from her and knelt down next to me with it, "It should suit you a little better than what we've been making you wear. It's made from the fur of a fire-rat, and the material's quite strong. It will grow with you. Yes, much more becoming of a young man." Then, he stripped me of my yukata and helped me into this new outfit. All the while, mother looked on and couldn't appear more proud. I felt my father's fingers as they brushed over my skin to tie everything in place, and I realized that the two of us had never been this close. Except for when I was a baby, I suppose, he had never held me. When he was done, he stood back to admire the effect. I, myself, was looking down. The fabric was heavier than what I was used to, but it made me feel strangely safe. The wide sleeves reached to my knees, and I momentarily delighted in waving my arms around like wings while smiling. Again, my father laughed then suddenly looked down at his chest. He smirked and pulled at Myouga, who had found this the perfect time to grab a snack. Holding the little flea up to the light, he smiled, "Myouga? What do you think of Inuyasha's new garb?" Myouga struggled out of my father's grasp and sat on his hand, "It's very handsome, Lord Inumoaru. Very handsome indeed."

And so, that is how I came to own the very same outfit that I have today for, indeed, the fabric did grow with me. And, also indeed, it was stronger than any suit of armor.