Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. You all are awesome. All original characters belong to me, pardoning the Lord and Lady of the South along with Arya. I have to credit Alora-sama for letting me use them in the story. And fair warning, the happy moments in this story are going to slowly dwindle. In a chapter or two, the story shall get rather dark.
"As long as I'm here, nothing will harm you," Achika repeated, standing up as she draped the fur back over the couch. Sesshoumaru nodded at his mother's words. She had never lied to him, so Inutaishou wouldn't harm him. Dusting off her hands, she looked over at her son from head to toe. There were teeth marks, claw marks, and all sorts of food smeared on his kimono. Grape candy stained his lips and fangs, making him quite sticky. The woman shook her head, hoisting Sesshoumaru into her arms. "Bath time," She told him, as she headed toward the baths.
The baths were magnificent (as well as every thing else in the castle) going on for what seemed liked forever. There was a bath or rather, pool, filled with crystal waters that shimmered at the slightest touch. Several silver racks held deep blue color towels, all fluffy and cozy. Marble lined the floors, making everything glimmer as light reflected off of them. The funny thing was, that these were just the baths for the guests. The Western inu clan had a personal bath to themselves, far more suitable for people of such noble blood. Gold racks held their towels, and the pool was even bigger, complete with a small waterfall. But to Sesshoumaru, the ritzy bath made no difference. A bath was a bath. Achika held the squirming child in her hands, trying to keep him under control. How very odd; he didn't wish to wear clothing yet he hated taking a bath.
"Sesshoumaru, hold still. Once you get in, you'll like it," She informed him, but her son was too busy chewing at her arm to hear anything. His fangs did nothing to puncture her four-layer kimono, yet the boy continued to do anything to free himself. Achika sighed, bopping her son on the head lightly. "Stop that now. Be the docile child I know you are." She said softly, setting Sesshoumaru down, who amazingly obeyed. Yet, he just stood there, for he couldn't remove his garments and he didn't want to run around for he knew he would only get into more trouble. The demoness removed two of her own kimono layers (she was aware they would be ruined by the time she forced Sesshoumaru into the water) then went to work with rolling her sleeves up again. Redoing her bun, she sighed once more, massaging her temples. Gods...give me strength.
Kneeling down behind Sesshoumaru, she began untying his obi, setting down the expensive material, then began freeing him of all his clothing layers. Finally, after what seemed like forever to the child, Sesshoumaru was free of all clothing, the chains of the itchy material released him. His mother chuckled softly, for in addition to the pink stripe birthmarks he had on his face, there were two identical magenta stripes on the left cheek of his rump. She couldn't even begin to comprehend that this child was going to inherit the Western Lands and become a mighty lord. He was just too damn cute for his own good.
Sesshoumaru was enjoying his freedom, looking at the clothes that had been removed. He was free! The child was about to sprint to the door so that he might parade his...freedom...to the rest of the castle until his mother pulled him up from underneath his arms, plopping him into the water. "No, Sesshoumaru, bath first," She said softly, but firmly, while the boy shot her a dirty look, one that looked suspiciously like her husband's. Achika began to cleanse the youkai's dirty locks, rubbing with a fluffy sponge while the boy pouted, his arms crossed over his chest, posture slumped.
Bath. That mere word disgusted him. Whoever invented it should have dropped down dead, at least according to Sesshoumaru. Hygiene was stupid. A waste of time. His mother arched a brow as she heard him scowling, shaking her head as she began to scrub his arms.
"Mother, why do I have to take a bath?"
"Because, you want people to like you. You want friends, do you not?"
"What does a bath have to do with friends?"
"Nobody wants to be around someone who smells," Achika pointed out, rinsing behind the boy's ears.
"I don't want friends then." Sesshoumaru confirmed, wriggling his nose, "And besides, you said Father smelt like a pig and yet you were all smooching on him and—"
"Sesshoumaru, that's enough," The demoness cut off, in a warning tone as she soaped his hair a little too vigorously. Sesshoumaru could have sworn he saw a blush on the woman's face as he looked up but said nothing about it. Achika finished cleaning the child, washing the last bit of soap of out his hair. "All right then, Sesshoumaru. You're clean," She spoke, her words laced in motherly tones. The boy looked up at her, cocking his head to one side.
"You sure?"
"Yes...why?" The woman asked suspiciously, confused at her son's behavior.
"Good," He put plainly, then out of nowhere threw his fists into the water, sending splashes toward his mother, who was instantly soaked. Achika blinked open her eyes as best she could, her eyelashes sticking together from being so wet. Her kimono was ruined, water dripping down the sides. Sesshoumaru had a clever smug on his face, one that shouldn't belong on a child of six. The demoness was frustrated, yet not surprised. Her son was known for this sort of thing. At this point, Inutaishou had entered, his brows furrowed, the only sign of his anger.
"Achika, my cloak isn't fully—" Here, the warlord noticed his drenched wife, smirking. "Having fun, dear? I'm so glad you could share the joys of Sesshoumaru with me..." He chided, looking her over. Standing up, her lips were parted in a scowl, eyes narrowed. Pointing an index finger at the man's chest, she snapped.
"I want you to know that we could have had a wonderful, adorable little girl. That's all I wanted, someone who liked to play dolls or cook. But noooo! Your stupid chromosome gave us a troublesome boy," She sneered, as the man sniggered softly.
"Yes dear, I apologize," Inutaishou said dryly, bemused that the tables had turned somewhat. While the two were talking, Sesshoumaru had taken this upon himself for his escape. Hauling his bodyout of the water, he shook off while his parents bickered. Making another sprint for the door, his father turned just in time to lock it. The taiyoukai frowned, shaking his head as he snapped a towel from the rack, thrusting it to his wife who was blowing strands of wet tendrils from her forehead. "Achika, I'm raising our son to be a lord, not a nudist. Dry him off and fetch him some clothing." His wife was only moments away from choking her pretentious husband. Why did she marry him again?
"But of course, those were my intentions," She faked a smile, taking the towel and scooping up the wriggling Sesshoumaru in it. Inutaishou simply smirked, no longer flustered about his pelt as he left the bath. Sighing as she sat down, the demoness put her son on her lap, beginning to dry off his hair along with the rest of him. The youkai child went back to pouting, then after a few minutes, he was set down as Achika went to get him his under kimono. She was still dripping wet, her mood flustered as she ripped off the kimono that had been seton a small tableby one of the bustling maids.
"Stick your arms out," She snapped suddenly, which scared Sesshoumaru into following her orders. Wrapping the layer around him tighter than usual (which was saying something) she proceeded to yank his hair into a short ponytail. Sesshoumaru tried to exhale, but his mother's fury had left him in an extra layer of skinwhich bound him.
"Mother, are you, mad?" He chanced, watching her dry off her own hair, then removing the second layer of her kimono which was soaked, so that only her light pink one remained.
"Why of course not, Sesshoumaru," Achika confirmed, pulling Sesshoumaru up into her arms then moving him to her hip as always. It wasn't that she was mad...rather she was furious. Oh, she would get Inutaishou back. That's how their marriage worked. Sure, they loved one another, but they were constantly pulling pranks on the other, as if their wedlock was some sort of competition. "Come now, we shall get you ready for the ball," The demoness smiled, her mind already formulating her next plot. Her son's eyes widened, trying to escape her grasp again. A ball was evil. It meant formal attire. It meant being polite. It meant...clothing.
The under kimono was already enough, and Sesshoumaru couldn't even imagine what his mother had planned for him outfit wise. Taking him to her room, Achika sat him down on a stool in front of a dresser, mirrors looking back at them both. Inutaishou was already there, finding an outfit for the event. The wife shot her husband a look as she went to select several kimono layers for her son. Sesshoumaru tried to scoot away. Why did clothes haunt him so?
What went on in the room while Achika forced her son into clothes need not be mentioned. What does need to be known is that it was chaotic and Achika was close to strangling Sesshoumaru. Finally, Achika pushed her demon son out the door, the poor boy suffocated in a four-layer kimono. His hair was brushed gracefully into a slender ponytail; his eyelids had a magenta eye shadow of sorts, in which he protested.
"Mother, I don't want make up...it's girly," He whined, looking at her with remorseful amber eyes, hoping puppy eyes would assist in getting the make up removed.
"Sesshoumaru, lots ofmales that have royal blood wear it. Now, I want you to sit down in the living room till your father and I come down there. You are not to remove any of your clothing, understood?" Achika was in that frantic mother mode. Everything had to be just perfect. Her son nodded, walking down stairs in his kimonos of many blues. Slamming the door, she scowled, going to her closet as she began to pull out her pink haori and hakama along with the magenta armor. Inutaishou watched her for a moment before speaking.
"You're going to wear your armor there?" He asked, looking at the breastplate then to the haori and hakama. Although Achika had had these items of clothing made specially so that they would be 'prettier,' these garments were actually supposed to be for males.
"Well, I am the Lady of the Western Lands, I have to look, professional..." She mumbled, straightening the outfit. "Besides, we are dealing with a castle full of youkai. It's best to be prepared for an attack, even if these youkai are supposed to be civilized." Inutaishou stood up from the bed, gently taking the armor from her hands, as well as the other garb.
"Achika, you need nothing to shield you. I will always be here to protect you," He said softly, nuzzling her hair. Her heart almost melted right then and there. She then shook her head away from his nuzzling, placing the armor back into its place as her spouse withdrew as well. "Wear this," Inutaishou said softly, pulling out a grand seven-layer kimono from the closet. It was a deep purple, several layers of periwinkle exposed over slit sleeves with white blossoms dotting the rims. The kimono was carefully sewn, the fabric of the richest silks. A jade obi completed the outfit, speckles of purple dotting the material. Apparently, it was for only special occasions; such an outfit was too magnificent to wear to small parties. Achika took the gorgeous fabrics, looking them over. Inutaishou never picked out what he wanted her to wear, so the demoness knew this was a rare treat. Nodding, she smiled, standing on tiptoe to kiss his forehead.
"As you wish, milord..."
When the trio did arrive to the Northern Lands (the current place where the annual ball was held) the festivities had already begun. Sesshoumaru clung to his mother's kimono sleeve, intimidated by so many people. Inutaishou adjusted his midnight black kimono, the silver obi tucked neatly around his waist. Greeted by servants, the three were given the highest respects. The Northern castle was larger than that of the Western one (Inutaishou at the time wasn't quite as powerful as he was known for later on, though he wasn't one to be reckoned with). Sesshoumaru looked around the castle with eager eyes, trying to take in every detail. A large fireplace was centered in the wide room, a welcoming fire cackling happily in front of a thick crimson rug. Above the mantle hung a sort of coat of arms, a majestic fox placed atop two crossed blades. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings, small firefly like lights twinkling in the glass, illuminating the room. The area was mainly decorated with crimson, the main color of the Northern Lands. The only servants that were present were youthful females, all very pretty. Inutaishou sighed, recalling the Northern Lord. He was a good man, very intellectual, but sadly a womanizer. Perhaps it was his nature of being a fox youkai, or that women were just his weakness.
Other demons that had been invited but were not of the highest rank filled the area, discussing the latest in war and politics; basically, all the dreadfully, droning, boring things adults busy themselves with. Achika stood close to her husband as they made their way through the crowd, Sesshoumaru holding his mother's hand still as he looked around. Inutaishou was suddenly startled as he heard a voice call directly from behind him.
"Well, if it isn't Inutaishou," Came the wistful voice. The warlord turned around to see whom had spoken, his eyes warming as he spotted the kitsune demon. The Northern Lord was clad in a brilliant scarlet, a deep emerald obi around his middle that matched his mischievous eyes. A single, jagged stripe of black ran under his left eye, his deep orange locks ran over his forehead, chopped short at his shoulders. His skin was darkened with a pleasant tan.A sliver of an inch taller than Inutaishou, he held himself in high-esteem. He was most certainly a 'partier.'
"Lord Sasame of the North, it's been a while," Inutaishou said, shaking hands with the Northern Lord who was accompanied by several vixen women. Technically, there wasn't just one Northern Lady; rather there were many Northern concubines. The demonesses shadowed Sasame till he shooed them away. Achika let out a sigh, how could such a nice man be such a lecher at times? Sasame noted this, bending down as he pressed kiss to the free hand of Achika.
"Lady Achika, 'tis wonderful to see you well," His eyes twinkled, looking the woman over, before standing up straight again. The Northern Lord's eyes fell to the demoness' chest lingering there for a few moments until Inutaishou cleared his throat. He was aware that he couldn't say anything to Sasame, for lecher he may be, he was still the most powerful demon in Japan, but Inutaishou didn't find he liked someone making subtle passes at his mate. Achika blushed lightly at the awkward silence until Sasame spoke.
"All in good fun, Inutaishou. But Achika, if you ever wish to..." Here, the fox demon trailed off, his eyes resting on the child that stayed close to his mother. "Oh, I wasn't aware you two um, had a son together...Never mind then..." The Northern Lord chuckled, looking at the demon child. Sesshoumaru shifted nervously, looking up at the other warlord. Achika pushed her son forward, the boy frowning before he spoke.
"Hello, I'm Sesshoumaru, son of the Western Lord Inutaishou," He said flatly, as if he had rehearsed the sentence several times, in which he had. Sasame simply smirked, realizing the boy didn't care for formal introductions.
"Well, hello there, Sesshoumaru, it's a pleasure to meet you," The Northern Lord replied, looking over at Inutaishou. "Have you begun training the boy yet?" He asked quietly, his clawed hands placed together.
"He's only six, I thought I might wait a little longer before I give the boy a sword," The Western Lord replied in a joking manner, but the look on Sasame's face showed this wasn't a laughing matter.
"...Inutaishou, could I speak to you on an important matter...alone?" Suddenly, the kitsune youkai was serious, his face stoic. Sensing something wrong, the warlord nodded, glancing at his wife.
"I'll be right back, Achika. Why don't you take Sesshoumaru to look around?" He suggested as Sasame nodded.
"Right, we'll only be a minute. I'm sure Sesshoumaru would like to meet the daughter of the Southern Lord and Lady. They are in the study area..." Sasame said before heading off with Inutaishou. Achika blinked, everything had happened so fast that she didn't know what to say. Shrugging, she gripped her son's hand tighter, making her way to the study. After a good deal of weaving around the inhabitants of the castle, Achika entered the room to find an inu youkai and his mate discussing something quietly, a demon girl held close to the father. The Lord and Lady looked up from their conversing, smiling warmly at Achika and her son.
"Lord Hayate,"Achika bowed to the Southern Lord, then tohis Lady. The child in Hayate's arms never looked up, clinging to his chest. Hayate tried to fix the forest green material, his silver eyes warming as he looked at his beloved daughter. His forehead bore the moon of the South, two black stripes running under his right eye. The Southern Lord was as tall as Inutaishou and just as pale as the rest of the Western race. But it wasn't necessarily a sickly pale, more of a refined, aristocratic fair skin. His wife kept her arm close to his yet didn't speak much. She wore an autumn inspired kimono, a saffron yellow as fall leaves decorated the majority of the outfit. The Southern Lady's raven hair was wrapped into a bun at the nape of her neck, which revealed the black marks of a moon on her forehead and a teardrop under her left eye. She was very pregnant, expecting a child in the near future.
"Lady Achika, it is good to see you once more. Where is your husband?" He adjusted the girl (who was about the same age as Sesshoumaru) in his grasp, trying to pry her off from her death grip but she only snuggled closer to him. The demoness laughed at this, and then went on talking.
"Oh, well, he had to go speak with Sasame about something. But Sesshoumaru came with me..." She said, pushing the boy in front of her. The young youkai sighed. Great, another boring introduction that he had to do. At this, Hayate managed to get his daughter out of her embrace, plopping her down. She had dark locks like her mother, though her markings hadn't appeared yet on her face. She was clad in an amethyst (which was also the color of her eyes) kimono along with a black obi that had pink veins scattered across it.
"Hi, I'm Arya, daughter of the Southern Lord, Hayate. I'm pleased to meet you," She spoke sweetly, giving a little bow to Sesshoumaru, who raised a brow at her.
"I'm Sesshoumaru, son of the Western Lord, Inutaishou. Although, I'm not really pleased to meet an ugly girl like yourself. If I had it my way—" The boy was interrupted as he felt his mother pop him lightly on the behind, speaking through her teeth.
"Sesshoumaru, I don't think that's the proper way to speak to a girl..." She hissed, and then forced a laugh. Hayate and his wife laughed softly as well, the Southern Lord shaking his head.
"It's quite all right, Achika. Arya isn't as angelic as she seems either." The warlord chuckled, yet his wife still said nothing. She was strangely quiet.
"Well then, why don't you two go off and play? I'm sure you'd find that much more entertaining than talking with us adults," The Western Lady suggested, and the two children agreed, walking at a fast pace away from the group. "Just don't get into any trouble..."
"Look, I don't want to talk to a stupid girl like you," Sesshoumaru snapped curtly, his arms crossed over his chest, pouting.
"Well, I don't like talking to a boy with frog breath," Arya sneered as they walked in to the playroom for the children. There were countless toys in the brightly colored room, yet the two youkai children took no note of it as they were too busy in staring down the other.
"Frog breath?!" The boy snarled, clearly offended, "At least I don't have cooties," Sesshoumaru prodded, his little amber eyes lowering. Arya beamed at him, then out of nowhere with lightning fast reflexes licked his cheek with a slimy, wet tongue. Sesshoumaru stepped back, appalled.
"Now you do," Arya said in triumph. Unable to control his temper, the boy lashed out at the girl wrestling her to the ground.
"Father says I'm not supposed to hit girls, but he's not here..." Sesshoumaru glowered, as they tumbled on the ground, disturbing other demon children and their playthings.
"Well, that's too bad..." She growled back, pinning him to the ground as she rammed her knees into his thighs, stretching out his arms as she put her tiny talons to his wrist, making Sesshoumaru squirm in protest. "Because now you've been beaten and there's nothing you can do about it..."
Unaware of his son's bickering, Inutaishou stepped into the office like area of Sasame, sitting down quietly. The Northern Lord joined him but not before giving a quick smooch to a kitsune demoness. He was then completely serious as he sat down in front of the Western Lord. Inutaishou said nothing, looking around at all the paintings that decorated the room. The women in the pictures could have used some more clothing thought Inutaishou, but this was the Northern Lord he was dealing with.
"Inutaishou, you're a close friend of mine, right?" Began Sasame, his green eyes flickering along with a tail that emerged from the rear of his clothing.
"Yes, I believe so..." The warlord agreed, not knowing where his friend was getting at.
"So then you'll accept my advice when I present you with a problem?" Sasame prodded, looking over at Inutaishou.
"Most likely," The Western Lord replied succinctly. Sighing, Sasame clicked his talons together, pausing before he spoke again.
"Inutaishou, you are the second most powerful taiyoukai in all of Japan with Lord Hayate falling close behind you. We are both your friends and I know I can speak for him as well when I say we will assist you in any troubles you have. But I..."
"But you what?" Inutaishou persisted, emotionless as ever. What was the man getting at?
"I've got some bad news for you..."