Inutaisho walked the hall in worry. He had seen no sign of Sesshomaru for a while now. He knew that the boy could hide well, but he never thought that his eldest son would hide this long. He paused and looked out over the garden.
With the storm finally gone, things had settled peacefully. The air was thick with the scent of water and the plants as they absorb the moisture as quickly as they could. Not to mention the ozone from the thunder and lightning. By now any scent Sesshomaru might have made in his flight was gone now. The youkai sighed. It had been no use to try during the storm, the ozone was too thick. And now the winds and water would have washed it away. He resumed his pace in melancholy.
As he neared the children's room, laughter caught his attention. What struck him as odd was the third voice in the medley. He rushed to the door and peeked inside.
Playing on the floor with Inuyasha and Hikaru was Sesshomaru, laughing lightly and with a little force. All three of them appeared to be having fun together and their father was not inclined to destroy whatever magic wove them all together for this moment. Instead he watched his children together in harmony and felt a great joy well up in his heart. He then realized that there may be hope for Sesshomaru after all.
******
At dinner that night, Sesshomaru was a little more amiable towards his siblings than he had previously. He did apologize to his stepmother for his harsh words. Surprised at it, she forgave him without a second thought. He refused to eat anything, nothing Inutaisho said could convince him to try human food. The youkai was glad that things were turning out so well.
After the meal he called his son to one side. "May I have a word with you, son?"
"Yes, Father. If it is about my behavior earlier this afternoon, I truly am sorry. I was angry and confused about a lot of things. But I think that I understand now. You love all three of us; and you're trying to protect us in different ways," Sesshomaru said.
Inutaisho reached out and hug his son tightly. "Yes, that's precisely what I was trying to get across to you. And from what I have seen, you are learning how to dance beautifully."
Sesshomaru smiled and hugged his father back. "I still don't understand what you are talking about, but I thank you for it."
When he retired to sleep, he saw that there was a small bouquet of crushed flowers on his bed. He looked over and saw Hikaru and Inuyasha curled up in their beds. A small smile made an appearance on his lips. His sister had kept her promise and given the flowers that she had risked to find to him as a present. Also on his bed was a small toy soldier; apparently from Inuyasha. Hikaru had indeed surprised him; her and Inuyasha. He had never known before how much he meant to the both of them. And so he went to sleep feeling better than he had for a while now.
******
The morning the sun had come out to dry off the earth and warm the air. After breakfast the younger children were allowed to play in the garden provided that their older brother keep an eye on them. He agreed without complaint and joined the hanyou outside.
"Come on, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha! The ground is dry enough for us to all play together!" she cried out. Hikaru took her brothers' hands and led them out.
Sesshomaru was still a bit nervous about being with his younger siblings, but allowed himself to be dragged along. He was determined to change his ways.
Once among the flowers, Hikaru settled nii-san and nii-chan on the ground then went and gathered more flowers. Occasionally she would return and unload small bouquets in the center of their little ring. In the mean time, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha sat in silence. Neither knew what to say to the other. Eventually, Sesshomaru knew that he had to say something.
He coughed to clear his throat. "Um, Inuyasha. I just want to say…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have broken that soldier. That was mean of me to do it. And thank you for giving me that soldier that you left on my bed," he said.
Inuyasha smiled and cheered up. "Thank you for letting me know, nii-san. I forgive you for breaking my toy. I know that you were very angry at something. At the time, I thought that it was me. Now I know that it really wasn't. And I wanted you to have the soldier because Hikaru was giving you something to show that she loves you and I wanted to do something like that. I'm glad that you like it." He responded.
Sesshomaru was relieved that there wasn't going to be any grudges because of this. By this time, Hikaru must have decided that she had enough flowers for whatever she was going to do. She placed the last batch in the small pile and sat in between her brothers.
"Okay! After yesterday, I thought that it would be fun if could make something for Mother and Father." she announced importantly.
"But what can we make for them?" Inuyasha asked.
"And what is with all these flowers?" Sesshomaru added. The scent that was coming off was lovely, but with all of them together, it was very strong and heady. The young youkai covered his nose with the sleeve of his robe.
Hikaru made a face of exasperation and rolled her eyes, "I'm going to teach both of you how to make flower necklaces and crowns. Father and Mother would appreciate it if we each made them ourselves."
The rest of the morning was spent teaching the all-thumbs brothers how to turn the flowers into strong, tightly woven crowns and necklaces. After a few attempts, Inuyasha understood why his imooto had gathered so many flowers. They came apart if something went wrong with the weaving.
They watched Hikaru create her masterpieces with little effort. She had made two sets then set them aside. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha felt inadequate at the skill that she had. But Hikaru made no mention about their progress; instead she simply went to each of them and offered her advice about how to go about this business.
The children worked throughout the morning and skipped lunch to get the job done. By the middle of the afternoon, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had completed their work. True, their work wasn't as good as Hikaru's but it was still very well done. Unfortunately, they only managed to make on set of the crown and necklace; they had gone through that many flowers in order to make just one crown and necklace each. Sesshomaru suggested that Inuyasha's gift go to his mother while he would give his to Father. The hanyou agreed.
The trio returned to the manor and found their parents enjoying the late afternoon sun. Inutaisho's human wife was a little worried about the children being gone for so long; but he assured her that with Sesshomaru looking out for them, the hanyou should be all right. They were relieved that they all returned all right and surprised by the gifts. Especially when Hikaru presented her crafts to her brothers. Their eyes went wide. All that time she had been making something for them! Sesshomaru was so overwhelmed that he embraced both Inuyasha and Hikaru in a great hug.
This took everyone by surprise. No one had ever expected Sesshomaru would ever display such a show of emotion. In fact, neither had he. It urge had taken him by surprise. But it gave him a nice feeling inside.
******
The rest of that day passed in peace. It was almost like a daydream; but it was one that neither Inutaisho nor his wife wanted to wake up from. They wished that it continue on this way.
Sadly the parents knew that it wouldn't. Time was running out for them. The second day was over and soon will the third. Then everything will be restored to what they were. They were running out of borrowed time.
So the next day (and final day), each of the parents told the children that they wanted to talk to them alone at some point during the day. The children were curious and wondered at what Mother and their Father wanted to talk to them about.
Sesshomaru was the first to go. He saw Father sitting on one side of a table, opposite the door. On the table as a tea set with two cups. His second wife was no where to be seen.
"Sit, Sesshomaru. There are a few things that I would like to discuss with you before tonight." he said.
The young youkai sat at the table and accepted the offered tea. "What do you mean, Father? What happens tonight?"
Inutaisho waved away the question. "It need not concern you right now. Tell me, my son, do you love Inuyasha and Hikaru?"
Sesshomaru squirmed under his father's intent stare. He looked away before replying, "To be honest, Father…"
"I want nothing more than that."
"In some ways, I do love them but in other ways, I still don't." Sesshomaru looked towards his father, "Is that a bad thing?"
The older youkai chuckled. "No, no. I should have expected nothing less. Something like love cannot happen over night. It may be realized, but real love must be nurtured over time and worked like learning a new sword technique. I was just hoping that your relationship with them had improved with your stay here."
Sesshomaru gave a half-smile. It looked sincere, probably the first that he had in a long time. "I think that it has, Father, I truly do. I don't resent them so much now. I may not care for them as much as you might want me to; but I don't hate them now. And I know that you love all us equally. Just that we all have different needs."
Inutaisho reached over and squeezed his son's shoulder. He wanted to hug the boy. But there was a table separating them. The hope that he had for his son was shining bright in his chest. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. There was a time that I worried that my advice had come too late for you. But know I see that it wasn't. It came at the right time for you to learn. And you are learning perfectly! I hope that you take the lesson to heart and don't forget it."
Sesshomaru's smile grew wider and he left feeling better and for some reason at ease. The youkai talked a little bit longer than Sesshomaru was allowed to go. He rejoined his sister and brother in their room until Inuyasha was called in.
******
Inuyasha crept in on his hands and knees into the room. Mother and Father looked so sad this morning. He hoped that he hadn't done anything bad.
"Inuyasha, there you are. We've been waiting for you. Please come in." his mother said. She and Father were sitting there on cushions with a third in front of the door. The little hanyou walked in and sat down gingerly.
"What have I done now?" he whispered.
They looked at him in surprise for a moment. Then they looked at each other and laughed. Inuyasha was shocked and confused at their reaction. He sat there in silence until they finally settled down.
"Oh, my darling Inuyasha. You're not in trouble at all. We just wanted to talk to you. You're not into any trouble." Father explained.
Inuyasha smiled and perked up. At a signal from his mother and crawls into her lap. He nestled in there and looked up at his parents. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"My son, we just want you to be happy, that's all." she said, stroking his hair. "We've been worried that you might grow up with a hard heart, that's all."
"Hard heart?"
His father nodded. "It is something that affects a lot of humans and most of the youkai. It means that you don't give a da- I mean, that you don't care about anyone other than yourself. And when you do care for someone, it is only to how you might use them to your advantage."
Inuyasha snuggled in his mother's arms and whispered, "I don't think that I could ever be like that."
"You might be surprise at how often someone says that when they're young and change as they get older." Inutaisho said. His voice was heavy with memories and experience. He shook his head to chase it away.
"We hope that you truly mean that." His mother said.
Inuyasha nodded. "I really mean it, Mother. They're scary! I don't ever want to be like that!"
"Can you promise something, Inuyasha?"
He nodded. "Sure, what is it?"
******
Hikaru entered the room and shut the door behind her. Mother and Father were sitting on cushions talking to each other.
"Mama, Papa. You wanted to see me?"
They looked at her and Inutaisho patted his lap. Without a word Hikaru scrambled over and crawled in. Her parents were silent for a few moments. They were content to just simply have their daughter there with them. An old ache returned to their hearts. But they pushed it aside to focus on the present.
"Oh, darling, we wanted you to know how much we love you. And how we'll always be watching over you and your brothers." Mother said.
Hikaru nodded, "Of course you will. I know that."
Their expressions fell. "But we can't be there all the time, daughter. There will be times when we cannot protect you or your brothers."
She rose and managed to put the tip of one finger on the tip of his nose. "Don't worry, Papa. I'll look after my nii-san and nii-chan. I'll take good care of them both!"
He was surprised. "That's not what I meant…"
"But someone has to! They'll get into trouble on their own!" she cried.
Her parents looked at each other than laughed. It wasn't what they had intended to tell her, but it seemed that she had her own idea. But Inutaisho didn't correct her. It occurred to him that she would play a significant part in the future of his sons. "Very well, Hikaru," he said, "you take very good care of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. And you're right, they might just need it." he stroked her hair and they all talked nonsense for the rest of the afternoon.
That night, Sesshomaru was asked to step outside with his stepmother. He agreed reluctantly; he still didn't like that much, although he had to admit that he had never really given her the chance. They stood on the porch overlooking the garden. Darkness was falling and the night creatures were calling out its welcome in their own various ways. The silence stretched out between them for moments until Sesshomaru decided to speak first.
"Um, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about, Stepmother?" he asked.
"I just wanted to straighten some things out with you, Sesshomaru, before you settled in for the night." She responded. She knew that she had to be careful not to let slip anything that might tell him that this was the last night.
"I know that you've made up with Inuyasha and Hikaru." She continued. "I wanted the same for us."
He gave a soft grunt. "I've merely accepted them as they are. And they are my blood family. Things are not so simple for you and me. You're only tie to me is through them. Other than that there is nothing. You are not my mother and can never be." He said.
She gave a soft smile and shook her head. "Sesshomaru, I never asked to be your mother. I have only asked that you accept me in some capacity as a friend." She looked up into his eyes. "Can you do that?"
He was shocked for a moment and his face showed it. He had never thought to hear such things from her. But it wore off and he gave a small smile. "I can't think of you as a friend of mine, but I can think of you as a very brave woman for being with my father. And…I envy your tolerance of others. I wish that I could have that kind of understanding."
She stepped up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "That is what we've been trying to teach you, Sesshomaru. We can only hope that it has stuck somewhere in you." She kissed him on the cheek and let him go back inside. She walked down the hall towards the room that she shared with the older youkai.
He rubbed the place where the kiss had landed before settling into his place next to Hikaru. By some unspoken agreement, her bed was placed in between her brothers' where they could both keep an eye on her. None of them commented on it as they all settled in and drifted off to sleep.
******
Sesshomaru awoke the next morning with his mind feeling heavy; as if he had been asleep for a long time and dreamt the whole while. He managed to push himself up with his one arm. Damn his brother for crippling him in this manner. He sat up and heard two other sleeping forms breathing deeply. He looked to his left and saw his otooto and imooto still sleeping peacefully. The sight of them touched some spot in his heart and the memories of the past three days flooded him and threatened to overwhelm him. It took all of his strength not to collapse.
++ 'otooto' means younger brother and 'imooto' means younger sister remember.
As he sat there trying not to cry; Hikaru murmured and woke up. It took an instant for the memories to spring up. She lay there for a moment and stored back to where they should be. She could always think over them again at a later date. The young hanyou smiled; grateful that she now had memories in her childhood of her parents. She was glad that she had done it. Choking noises caught her ears and she saw that Sesshomaru was already awake. And he was trying not to cry.
She sat up and knelt by his side. "Nii-san? Are you all right?" she whispered.
He managed to gain control of himself and look her in the face. "I'll be all right, Hikaru," he said.
She looked into his eyes for a moment. Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "It was worth it, wasn't it?"
It took him a moment but he recovered and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Yes, it was. You were right."
They were silent for a moment. Then a sighing hanyou stirred and began to wake up. Sesshomaru released Hikaru. Without a word she turned and roused Inuyasha. He awoke and looked at them both but said nothing.
There was some tension between the brothers but it seemed eased somewhat. Hikaru realized that they might have somehow actually come to an understanding and wouldn't be fighting any time soon. She was thankful for that.
"You still owe me a toy soldier, you bastard." Inuyasha grumbled.
Sesshomaru sneered. "So says you, asshole."
Well, at least they didn't sound angry at each other.
With the storm finally gone, things had settled peacefully. The air was thick with the scent of water and the plants as they absorb the moisture as quickly as they could. Not to mention the ozone from the thunder and lightning. By now any scent Sesshomaru might have made in his flight was gone now. The youkai sighed. It had been no use to try during the storm, the ozone was too thick. And now the winds and water would have washed it away. He resumed his pace in melancholy.
As he neared the children's room, laughter caught his attention. What struck him as odd was the third voice in the medley. He rushed to the door and peeked inside.
Playing on the floor with Inuyasha and Hikaru was Sesshomaru, laughing lightly and with a little force. All three of them appeared to be having fun together and their father was not inclined to destroy whatever magic wove them all together for this moment. Instead he watched his children together in harmony and felt a great joy well up in his heart. He then realized that there may be hope for Sesshomaru after all.
******
At dinner that night, Sesshomaru was a little more amiable towards his siblings than he had previously. He did apologize to his stepmother for his harsh words. Surprised at it, she forgave him without a second thought. He refused to eat anything, nothing Inutaisho said could convince him to try human food. The youkai was glad that things were turning out so well.
After the meal he called his son to one side. "May I have a word with you, son?"
"Yes, Father. If it is about my behavior earlier this afternoon, I truly am sorry. I was angry and confused about a lot of things. But I think that I understand now. You love all three of us; and you're trying to protect us in different ways," Sesshomaru said.
Inutaisho reached out and hug his son tightly. "Yes, that's precisely what I was trying to get across to you. And from what I have seen, you are learning how to dance beautifully."
Sesshomaru smiled and hugged his father back. "I still don't understand what you are talking about, but I thank you for it."
When he retired to sleep, he saw that there was a small bouquet of crushed flowers on his bed. He looked over and saw Hikaru and Inuyasha curled up in their beds. A small smile made an appearance on his lips. His sister had kept her promise and given the flowers that she had risked to find to him as a present. Also on his bed was a small toy soldier; apparently from Inuyasha. Hikaru had indeed surprised him; her and Inuyasha. He had never known before how much he meant to the both of them. And so he went to sleep feeling better than he had for a while now.
******
The morning the sun had come out to dry off the earth and warm the air. After breakfast the younger children were allowed to play in the garden provided that their older brother keep an eye on them. He agreed without complaint and joined the hanyou outside.
"Come on, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha! The ground is dry enough for us to all play together!" she cried out. Hikaru took her brothers' hands and led them out.
Sesshomaru was still a bit nervous about being with his younger siblings, but allowed himself to be dragged along. He was determined to change his ways.
Once among the flowers, Hikaru settled nii-san and nii-chan on the ground then went and gathered more flowers. Occasionally she would return and unload small bouquets in the center of their little ring. In the mean time, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha sat in silence. Neither knew what to say to the other. Eventually, Sesshomaru knew that he had to say something.
He coughed to clear his throat. "Um, Inuyasha. I just want to say…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have broken that soldier. That was mean of me to do it. And thank you for giving me that soldier that you left on my bed," he said.
Inuyasha smiled and cheered up. "Thank you for letting me know, nii-san. I forgive you for breaking my toy. I know that you were very angry at something. At the time, I thought that it was me. Now I know that it really wasn't. And I wanted you to have the soldier because Hikaru was giving you something to show that she loves you and I wanted to do something like that. I'm glad that you like it." He responded.
Sesshomaru was relieved that there wasn't going to be any grudges because of this. By this time, Hikaru must have decided that she had enough flowers for whatever she was going to do. She placed the last batch in the small pile and sat in between her brothers.
"Okay! After yesterday, I thought that it would be fun if could make something for Mother and Father." she announced importantly.
"But what can we make for them?" Inuyasha asked.
"And what is with all these flowers?" Sesshomaru added. The scent that was coming off was lovely, but with all of them together, it was very strong and heady. The young youkai covered his nose with the sleeve of his robe.
Hikaru made a face of exasperation and rolled her eyes, "I'm going to teach both of you how to make flower necklaces and crowns. Father and Mother would appreciate it if we each made them ourselves."
The rest of the morning was spent teaching the all-thumbs brothers how to turn the flowers into strong, tightly woven crowns and necklaces. After a few attempts, Inuyasha understood why his imooto had gathered so many flowers. They came apart if something went wrong with the weaving.
They watched Hikaru create her masterpieces with little effort. She had made two sets then set them aside. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha felt inadequate at the skill that she had. But Hikaru made no mention about their progress; instead she simply went to each of them and offered her advice about how to go about this business.
The children worked throughout the morning and skipped lunch to get the job done. By the middle of the afternoon, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had completed their work. True, their work wasn't as good as Hikaru's but it was still very well done. Unfortunately, they only managed to make on set of the crown and necklace; they had gone through that many flowers in order to make just one crown and necklace each. Sesshomaru suggested that Inuyasha's gift go to his mother while he would give his to Father. The hanyou agreed.
The trio returned to the manor and found their parents enjoying the late afternoon sun. Inutaisho's human wife was a little worried about the children being gone for so long; but he assured her that with Sesshomaru looking out for them, the hanyou should be all right. They were relieved that they all returned all right and surprised by the gifts. Especially when Hikaru presented her crafts to her brothers. Their eyes went wide. All that time she had been making something for them! Sesshomaru was so overwhelmed that he embraced both Inuyasha and Hikaru in a great hug.
This took everyone by surprise. No one had ever expected Sesshomaru would ever display such a show of emotion. In fact, neither had he. It urge had taken him by surprise. But it gave him a nice feeling inside.
******
The rest of that day passed in peace. It was almost like a daydream; but it was one that neither Inutaisho nor his wife wanted to wake up from. They wished that it continue on this way.
Sadly the parents knew that it wouldn't. Time was running out for them. The second day was over and soon will the third. Then everything will be restored to what they were. They were running out of borrowed time.
So the next day (and final day), each of the parents told the children that they wanted to talk to them alone at some point during the day. The children were curious and wondered at what Mother and their Father wanted to talk to them about.
Sesshomaru was the first to go. He saw Father sitting on one side of a table, opposite the door. On the table as a tea set with two cups. His second wife was no where to be seen.
"Sit, Sesshomaru. There are a few things that I would like to discuss with you before tonight." he said.
The young youkai sat at the table and accepted the offered tea. "What do you mean, Father? What happens tonight?"
Inutaisho waved away the question. "It need not concern you right now. Tell me, my son, do you love Inuyasha and Hikaru?"
Sesshomaru squirmed under his father's intent stare. He looked away before replying, "To be honest, Father…"
"I want nothing more than that."
"In some ways, I do love them but in other ways, I still don't." Sesshomaru looked towards his father, "Is that a bad thing?"
The older youkai chuckled. "No, no. I should have expected nothing less. Something like love cannot happen over night. It may be realized, but real love must be nurtured over time and worked like learning a new sword technique. I was just hoping that your relationship with them had improved with your stay here."
Sesshomaru gave a half-smile. It looked sincere, probably the first that he had in a long time. "I think that it has, Father, I truly do. I don't resent them so much now. I may not care for them as much as you might want me to; but I don't hate them now. And I know that you love all us equally. Just that we all have different needs."
Inutaisho reached over and squeezed his son's shoulder. He wanted to hug the boy. But there was a table separating them. The hope that he had for his son was shining bright in his chest. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. There was a time that I worried that my advice had come too late for you. But know I see that it wasn't. It came at the right time for you to learn. And you are learning perfectly! I hope that you take the lesson to heart and don't forget it."
Sesshomaru's smile grew wider and he left feeling better and for some reason at ease. The youkai talked a little bit longer than Sesshomaru was allowed to go. He rejoined his sister and brother in their room until Inuyasha was called in.
******
Inuyasha crept in on his hands and knees into the room. Mother and Father looked so sad this morning. He hoped that he hadn't done anything bad.
"Inuyasha, there you are. We've been waiting for you. Please come in." his mother said. She and Father were sitting there on cushions with a third in front of the door. The little hanyou walked in and sat down gingerly.
"What have I done now?" he whispered.
They looked at him in surprise for a moment. Then they looked at each other and laughed. Inuyasha was shocked and confused at their reaction. He sat there in silence until they finally settled down.
"Oh, my darling Inuyasha. You're not in trouble at all. We just wanted to talk to you. You're not into any trouble." Father explained.
Inuyasha smiled and perked up. At a signal from his mother and crawls into her lap. He nestled in there and looked up at his parents. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"My son, we just want you to be happy, that's all." she said, stroking his hair. "We've been worried that you might grow up with a hard heart, that's all."
"Hard heart?"
His father nodded. "It is something that affects a lot of humans and most of the youkai. It means that you don't give a da- I mean, that you don't care about anyone other than yourself. And when you do care for someone, it is only to how you might use them to your advantage."
Inuyasha snuggled in his mother's arms and whispered, "I don't think that I could ever be like that."
"You might be surprise at how often someone says that when they're young and change as they get older." Inutaisho said. His voice was heavy with memories and experience. He shook his head to chase it away.
"We hope that you truly mean that." His mother said.
Inuyasha nodded. "I really mean it, Mother. They're scary! I don't ever want to be like that!"
"Can you promise something, Inuyasha?"
He nodded. "Sure, what is it?"
******
Hikaru entered the room and shut the door behind her. Mother and Father were sitting on cushions talking to each other.
"Mama, Papa. You wanted to see me?"
They looked at her and Inutaisho patted his lap. Without a word Hikaru scrambled over and crawled in. Her parents were silent for a few moments. They were content to just simply have their daughter there with them. An old ache returned to their hearts. But they pushed it aside to focus on the present.
"Oh, darling, we wanted you to know how much we love you. And how we'll always be watching over you and your brothers." Mother said.
Hikaru nodded, "Of course you will. I know that."
Their expressions fell. "But we can't be there all the time, daughter. There will be times when we cannot protect you or your brothers."
She rose and managed to put the tip of one finger on the tip of his nose. "Don't worry, Papa. I'll look after my nii-san and nii-chan. I'll take good care of them both!"
He was surprised. "That's not what I meant…"
"But someone has to! They'll get into trouble on their own!" she cried.
Her parents looked at each other than laughed. It wasn't what they had intended to tell her, but it seemed that she had her own idea. But Inutaisho didn't correct her. It occurred to him that she would play a significant part in the future of his sons. "Very well, Hikaru," he said, "you take very good care of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. And you're right, they might just need it." he stroked her hair and they all talked nonsense for the rest of the afternoon.
That night, Sesshomaru was asked to step outside with his stepmother. He agreed reluctantly; he still didn't like that much, although he had to admit that he had never really given her the chance. They stood on the porch overlooking the garden. Darkness was falling and the night creatures were calling out its welcome in their own various ways. The silence stretched out between them for moments until Sesshomaru decided to speak first.
"Um, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about, Stepmother?" he asked.
"I just wanted to straighten some things out with you, Sesshomaru, before you settled in for the night." She responded. She knew that she had to be careful not to let slip anything that might tell him that this was the last night.
"I know that you've made up with Inuyasha and Hikaru." She continued. "I wanted the same for us."
He gave a soft grunt. "I've merely accepted them as they are. And they are my blood family. Things are not so simple for you and me. You're only tie to me is through them. Other than that there is nothing. You are not my mother and can never be." He said.
She gave a soft smile and shook her head. "Sesshomaru, I never asked to be your mother. I have only asked that you accept me in some capacity as a friend." She looked up into his eyes. "Can you do that?"
He was shocked for a moment and his face showed it. He had never thought to hear such things from her. But it wore off and he gave a small smile. "I can't think of you as a friend of mine, but I can think of you as a very brave woman for being with my father. And…I envy your tolerance of others. I wish that I could have that kind of understanding."
She stepped up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "That is what we've been trying to teach you, Sesshomaru. We can only hope that it has stuck somewhere in you." She kissed him on the cheek and let him go back inside. She walked down the hall towards the room that she shared with the older youkai.
He rubbed the place where the kiss had landed before settling into his place next to Hikaru. By some unspoken agreement, her bed was placed in between her brothers' where they could both keep an eye on her. None of them commented on it as they all settled in and drifted off to sleep.
******
Sesshomaru awoke the next morning with his mind feeling heavy; as if he had been asleep for a long time and dreamt the whole while. He managed to push himself up with his one arm. Damn his brother for crippling him in this manner. He sat up and heard two other sleeping forms breathing deeply. He looked to his left and saw his otooto and imooto still sleeping peacefully. The sight of them touched some spot in his heart and the memories of the past three days flooded him and threatened to overwhelm him. It took all of his strength not to collapse.
++ 'otooto' means younger brother and 'imooto' means younger sister remember.
As he sat there trying not to cry; Hikaru murmured and woke up. It took an instant for the memories to spring up. She lay there for a moment and stored back to where they should be. She could always think over them again at a later date. The young hanyou smiled; grateful that she now had memories in her childhood of her parents. She was glad that she had done it. Choking noises caught her ears and she saw that Sesshomaru was already awake. And he was trying not to cry.
She sat up and knelt by his side. "Nii-san? Are you all right?" she whispered.
He managed to gain control of himself and look her in the face. "I'll be all right, Hikaru," he said.
She looked into his eyes for a moment. Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "It was worth it, wasn't it?"
It took him a moment but he recovered and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Yes, it was. You were right."
They were silent for a moment. Then a sighing hanyou stirred and began to wake up. Sesshomaru released Hikaru. Without a word she turned and roused Inuyasha. He awoke and looked at them both but said nothing.
There was some tension between the brothers but it seemed eased somewhat. Hikaru realized that they might have somehow actually come to an understanding and wouldn't be fighting any time soon. She was thankful for that.
"You still owe me a toy soldier, you bastard." Inuyasha grumbled.
Sesshomaru sneered. "So says you, asshole."
Well, at least they didn't sound angry at each other.