Yay! Chapter 2! I hope you like it!
Years passed and Sesshomaru grew into a young boy of three years of age, making Akuma seven. Inutaisho and Ryoku figured this made their daughter old enough to stay at the castle alone and watch over her brother on occasions. This day was yet another one of those occasions when the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands would go do their mysterious errands which Akuma was still trying to find out more about. Inutaisho and Ryoku gathered some clothing and food and put them in a sack before having a talk with their daughter. The seven year old demon couldn't say that she was too happy about having to baby-sit Sesshomaru, even though she loved her brother dearly and slightly enjoyed those days that she had to be a mother figure to him, especially when she got the boy to take a nap. However, today Akuma was ready to perform her little mission of spying on her parents when they went to do the secret errands, and would have greatly preferred to not have to drag along Sesshomaru since there was the possibility that he would foil her little plans.
"Akuma, we need to have a talk with you," Inutaisho said.
Akuma nodded and approached her parents, Sesshomaru following her as he sucked on some kind of apple-flavored candy that Ryoku gave him. Seeing that the boy was behind his first-born, Inutaisho sighed and slapped the base of his palm to his forehead.
Akuma turned around to see her brother. "Sesshomaru, get out of here!" she said sternly.
Tears welled up in Sesshomaru's eyes before the demon boy broke out in sobs. His sister rarely ever raised her voice to him, and when she did it at the times when he was irritating her too much when she was trying to do something important to her, the words stung in the little boy's ears. Even at an early age, Sesshomaru was quite sensitive and sobbed at the site of having someone's voice raised towards him.
Ryoku scooped up her son in her arms as his tears stained her white kimono. "It's okay, Sesshomaru. Akuma didn't mean anything by it." she said in a soothing voice. Sesshomaru's sobs turned into sniffs as he buried his little head against his mother's chest. Ryoku brushed back her son's bangs and placed a kiss on his forehead before putting him down. Sesshomaru ran over to Akuma and grabbed onto the leg of her pants.
Akuma bent down to her brother's level and pulled him into a hug.
"Oneesan mad?" Sesshomaru asked.
"No, I'm not mad, Ototo," Akuma replied to the sniffing boy as she brushed a small tear away from his golden eye. "But I need to talk to Otou and Okaa alone. I'll play a game with you later." When Sesshomaru obviously wasn't going to leave, she added, "How about you go to your room and pick out a game for us to play."
A big smile spread across little Sesshomaru's face as he raced out of the room to pick out a game.
"Sesshomaru has really taken a liking to you, Akuma," Ryoku said.
Akuma shrugged. "I spend a lot of time with him. He's all I have who's somewhat close to my age."
A moment of silence spread throughout the room. Neither Akuma nor Inutaisho or Ryoku spoke a word. It was so quiet that even Sesshomaru's childish giggles from down the corridors could be heard. Akuma started walking in circles, waiting for either her mother or father to say whatever they were going to say before they went to do their errands.
"Akuma," Inutaisho said to get his first-born's attention.
She looked at her father. "Yes?"
"You're not a little kid anymore, and everyone has known that," the Lord of the Western Lands continued with what he was saying. "You're beginning to grow into a beautiful, smart, powerful … uh … dog demon."
"I'm only seven," Akuma said.
Ryoku took a deep breath. "I'll tell her, Inutaisho, even though I'm not sure if … she's ready …"
Akuma tilted her head to the side with a curious look on her face. "Tell me what? Ready for what?"
Ryoku put her hand on her daughter's head, fingering through her silky silver locks. "Akuma, you're Sesshomaru's older sister, and in a sense, his protector. Within years, you will take over as Lady of the Western Lands and will have a great amount of power granted to you, power that many demons would give their lives to have. I know that you're aware of it all and that you have been talked to about ruling the lands since you were able to understand what we would be saying. You will always be counted on to look after Sesshomaru and any other children that your father and I might have, even in further centuries."
"You have told me that, too, Okaa,"
"You must also take care of yourself, Akuma," Inutaisho told her. "You must never let yourself be defeated … by anyone, even by your rivals ruling the northern, southern and eastern lands. This means that you must always triumph against those of even equal power to you. The normal life span for a dog demon of out pure-breed heritage is nine hundred eighty years, that's how long you must live, and when you die at age nine hundred eighty, you must die a peaceful death. So much depends on you."
Akuma didn't understand a word that Inutaisho told her. She knew that she would be the protector to every younger sibling that she would have and that when she became Lady of the Western Lands that she would have that great amount of power that demons would give their lives to have. What her mother told her, she had understood for years. What her father told her, she didn't understand. Of course, she would want to live to her full expectations in life, but she didn't understand why it would mean so much. What would depend on her? Why must she die a peaceful death? What would happen if she was defeated by someone? Akuma didn't bother to ask, for she could tell by the expressions on her parents' faces that they knew that she wouldn't understand.
"You don't have to understand," Ryoku assured her daughter. "I know, this is too much to be telling a seven year old."
Akuma nodded. "That's okay. I'll understand when I get older. I hope."
"We're sure you will," Inutaisho told her. He and Ryoku each gave her a kiss and left.
Akuma was lost in thought as she stood in front of the castle's main entrance, her mind thinking of every possible solution to her question of what Inutaisho was talking about and what Ryoku was bringing on. She was brought back to reality when a little voice said, "Come on, Oneesan! Let's play!"
She turned around to see Sesshomaru tugging on her kimono, the demon's small thumb stuck in his mouth. Akuma sighed and took her brother's thumb out of his mouth.
"Don't do that, Sessho-chan, you'll wreck your teeth," she said.
Sesshomaru nodded and took his older sister's hand.
"Didn't you find a game for us to play?" Akuma asked.
"No, I don't wanna play any of the games," Sesshomaru replied. "Did you wanna, Oneesan?"
Akuma smiled at her brother and shook her head. "No,"
Sesshomaru then remembered why he was asked to leave the room. "What did Otou and Okaa say? Did you do something bad?"
Akuma shook her head. "No, they just wanted to tell me that I'd have to look after you while they were away. It was nothing."
"Then why did they want me to go?" Sesshomaru asked, his golden eyes full of wonder.
"That's just the way parents are, Ototo," was the only reply that Akuma would give her younger brother. She didn't want to confuse him with what Inutaisho said, since she didn't understand it herself. Either way, it wasn't exactly Sesshomaru's business. That was proven because Ryoku and Inutaisho didn't even want the boy around to hear the conversation between them and their daughter.
Akuma and Sesshomaru walked up and down one of the castle's corridors, since neither of them could figure out anything else to do. Inutaisho's saying didn't even cross Akuma's mind as she tried to figure out some way to occupy Sesshomaru for a few hours so that she could go spy on her mother and father when they did their errands. However, since there was obviously no way that she could get her brother to take a nap, Akuma knew that there would be no way to pry Sesshomaru from her side.
"Akuma, I'm bored, can we play a game?" Sesshomaru asked in a hyper way.
"Yeah, let me think …" Akuma stalled as she thought about using this 'game' as a way to spy on Inutaisho and Ryoku.
After a few minutes of waiting that seemed like eternities to Sesshomaru, he wrapped his small arms around his sister's and swung her arm back and forth impatiently. The boy giggled as he walked, slowly clinging himself for a 'ride on the side of Akuma's body.
"Okay, Sesshomaru, let's go play a game,"
"Yay!" Sesshomaru exclaimed as he thrust his arms in the air. He lost balance and fell on his bottom with a plop. The boy started sniffling and tears welled up in his eyes for the second time that day. Akuma saw that this was happening and she scooped up the heavy three year old in her arms as best as she could.
"Don't cry, Ototo," Akuma said soothingly. "If you cry, the game won't work right. In the game, you can't make any noise that could get someone's attention."
Sesshomaru nodded as he tried to control his sobs. He rested his head against Akuma's shoulder and put his arm around her.
"How will we play the game, Oneesan?" Sesshomaru asked.
"We're gonna go someplace off of the castle grounds. The point of the game is that no matter how excited you are, no matter how happy or confused you are, that under any circumstances that you can't make a sound." Akuma paused, seeing that Sesshomaru didn't think that the game would be too much fun. She thought for a second and then came up with the perfect way to get him interested. "It's a training game that even Otou and Okaa did when they were my age. The game tests patience, and that you can stay focused on your goal under any battle circumstance."
Sesshomaru's eyes widened in awe. "Wow! I'm gonna play a training game?"
Akuma nodded. "Yeah, but you can't let Otou and Okaa know that we did this,"
"Why not?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Because this training game is only supposed to be played by kids my age and older. I'm letting you play with me because I like you so much and because you're my only brother. If Otou and Okaa found out that I let you play, Sesshomaru, they wouldn't let me play anymore, they'd find another way to train me with patience. And for you, they'd never let you play at all, they'd train your patience in a different way, too. The rules are very strict that demons younger than seven can't play." Akuma explained, praying for her plan to work.
"I won't tell," Sesshomaru said sincerely. "I wanna play."
Akuma smiled and put her brother down. "Good. So now I'll take you to where we'll play. Just remember, don't make a sound, and don't tell Otou and Okaa."
Sesshomaru saluted his sister. "Yes, Oneesan!" he exclaimed.
Akuma couldn't help but laugh. He was so cute and adorable, just like she was at his age. She began to lead Sesshomaru off of the castle grounds, ready to attack if a low-rate demon came bothering them. She followed her sensitive nose to find Inutaisho and Ryoku in a remote area of the forest near the grounds.
Here we go, Akuma thought. Maybe now I'll finally find out what the story is behind these 'none of your business' errands.
I am only asking for 2 reviews since this is the second chapter, but like before, more is fine with me!