A1969: awww! I love you guys! Thank you all so much for the reviews! And the faves…and alerts…and for reading!
Inuyasha: who's bleeding?
Sesshoumaru: …
Sango: I take it, they're still deaf.
Miroku: *nodding* much fireworks, such noise, very deaf—wow.
Kagome: you did not just speak in meme-language.
A1969: you know what really grinds my gears? When people start speaking in memes!
Kagome: jeez. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!
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-Chapter Forty-Eight-
.:Chibimaru:.
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Clara
Dream.
How else could I explain this?
As I looked down at the little boy in front of me, he regarded me with wide, curious eyes. And it was strange, seeing Sesshoumaru with wide eyes. It just didn't fit. It wasn't right. It was like a violation in the very rules of nature. The world was going to implode any moment now, I could feel it.
"Clara?" the little boy said.
I shook my head. It wasn't the same, deep, cold voice I knew and loved—his voice was a bit high-pitched, in the way only a child's could be. From the periphery of my vision, I could see Inuyasha's mouth hanging open.
"Se-Sesshoumaru?" I stammered.
He wobbled a bit as he stood, clutching the oversized haori around him. Wobbled.
"What the hell?" Inuyasha said.
At the sound of his voice, Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped to Inuyasha. "Half-breed," he said, his voice high-pitched and annoyed. Inuyasha was still too stunned to reply.
Snapping out of my stupor, I hesitantly approached him. He stared warily at me. "Y-you know who I am?" I asked.
He pouted. "You're Clara."
Pouted. Sesshoumaru pouted.
"It seems like he knows who we are," Kagome mused. She sounded just as dumbfounded as I felt.
"But he may have the mindset of a child," a voice suddenly said.
We jumped. "Myouga!" Inuyasha snapped, glaring at his shoulder where Myouga was bouncing up and down. "When did you get here?!"
"Myouga?" Sesshoumaru asked. The way he talked—he dragged out the word, the way a curious child would. This was so strange. It was like the 'Twilight Zone'.
"To answer your question, Master, I just arrived," Myouga said. "Oh, dear, this isn't something you see every day. Lord Sesshoumaru, turned into a child!"
"Cut the crap," Inuyasha snapped. "What do you know about this?"
"Who changed him?" Myouga asked. I could hear awe in his voice. "Lord Sesshoumaru is a daiyoukai from an illustrious bloodline. His strength is known far and wide. Spells and enchantments rarely work on him."
"It was a goddess by the name of Anru," Kagome answered.
"Anru," Myouga said, his voice thoughtful. "I've never heard of her."
Sesshoumaru frowned heavily at us. Gathering the long folds of his haori in one hand, he walked towards me. I couldn't move—admittedly, I was still in shock.
He tugged on my sleeve. "Clara!" he said. Was it just me, or…did he actually…whine?
I shook my head again. I must seem stupid. "Sesshoumaru?" I said.
He held his arms out to me, not the least bit pleased with something. "I'm tired. Pick me up," he demanded.
He wanted me to pick him up. Good lord, I felt so disoriented.
Giving myself a mental kick, I picked him up and held him in my arms—he was a bit heavy. He stared at me, his eyebrows meeting in the middle. This was just too strange.
"It looks like you were right about him having the mindset of a child, Myouga," Kagome said, staring at us.
"He was a bit spoiled as a child," Myouga said carefully.
Sesshoumaru continued to stare at me.
Normally, I would be blushing by now, but—he was a child! Oh, wait, my boyfriend was a preschooler! This was so disturbing. Was I breaking the law somehow? Oh, good lord, this wasn't some twisted form of pedophilia, was it? I mean, I wasn't even attracted to him at the moment! I wasn't even…this is just…urgh. I'm going to get a headache.
I shook my head vigorously.
"Why are you always shaking your head?" Sesshoumaru asked, blinking.
"I was just thinking," I told him.
"Then stop thinking!" he said.
I blinked.
"Yup, sounds spoiled to me," Inuyasha said, crossing his arms.
Sesshoumaru twisted in my arms to glare at him. "Half-breed."
Inuyasha blinked. "Brat."
"Insect!"
"Pest!"
"I hate you!"
"Well, welcome to the club, kid!"
Sesshoumaru growled menacingly. "I'm going to—"
Inuyasha smirked. "What, go cry to Clara?" He laughed, clutching his stomach.
Sesshoumaru suddenly leapt from my arms and launched himself into the air. As he fell in front of Inuyasha, he kicked him in the jaw. There was a dull thud! and Inuyasha's head whipped to one side as Sesshoumaru's bare foot made contact, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"If I recall, Lord Sesshoumaru was quite the prodigy at an early age," Myouga said. I wasn't surprised to find him on Kagome's head.
Sesshoumaru landed on the ground as Inuyasha sat up. He clenched his fist and glared at his little elder brother. "You pipsqueak!" Inuyasha snapped. "I'm going to—"
"SIT!"
Inuyasha swore loudly as he crashed into the ground. "It looks like you know your place, half-breed," Sesshoumaru said smugly. "Below dirt."
I blinked, taken aback by the malice in his voice. Somehow, it seemed wrong to hear a child talk like that…
"Sesshoumaru," I said.
He immediately walked back towards me. "You shouldn't talk like that," I admonished.
He pouted and crossed his arms. "Why not? He's just a half-demon."
I knelt in front of him so we were at eye-level (which was strange—Sesshoumaru was usually the one looking down at me from his imposing height). "It isn't very nice," I said sternly.
He scoffed and stubbornly crossed his arms. "So? He's half-human!"
That, I was not expecting. Even though I knew he wasn't thinking properly, Sesshoumaru's comment admittedly stung.
"I'm human," I pointed out.
He paused, as though just realizing that fact. "You're not like the rest of them," he said.
"Oh, but I am," I said, raising my eyebrows. "And you claiming otherwise will not make me any less human. But that's not the issue here." I paused, suddenly realizing that I probably sound like his mother (not that I knew what Lady Hayomi was like as a parent). "You shouldn't speak to Inuyasha like that. He's your brother, after all."
Sesshoumaru slowly uncrossed his arms. His lower lip jutted out as he stared at me. "You hate me."
I gaped. "What? No, I don't hate you. What makes you think that?"
"Because you're angry at me!"
Wow, just wow—he really was a kid. And then, the situation suddenly seemed so funny, I couldn't help but laugh.
Sesshoumaru frowned at me. "I don't get you," he huffed. "I'm the Lord of the Western Lands—I'm not funny!"
I paused, then laughed even louder. Pretty soon, Kagome, Inuyasha, and Myouga were laughing along with me. "Be quiet!" Sesshoumaru snapped.
"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru," I chuckled. He glared as I stopped laughing. I smiled and ruffled his silver hair—it was still silky. "But no, I'm not angry at you, silly," I said. "I just don't want people saying you're not a nice person, that's all."
"You're not angry?" he asked, golden eyes widening.
"Nope," I said. I leaned back on my haunches and smiled at him. Without warning, Sesshoumaru threw himself into my arms. I nearly fell over as I wrapped my arms around him.
"Clara, I'm hungry," he complained. He buried his face against my shoulder.
Well, that was something new.
. . .
"What is this?" Sesshoumaru asked, sniffing suspiciously at the bowl of ramen I put in his hands.
"If ya don't want it, then don't eat it!" Inuyasha snapped.
Sesshoumaru, who was sitting next to me, turned to Inuyasha and glared. "I wasn't talking to you," he said.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and slurped noisily from his bowl. "Just try it," I urged, smiling at Sesshoumaru.
He sniffed suspiciously at the bowl again. "Its scent is too overpowering," he complained.
"Maybe he'd prefer a bento?" Kagome asked. "I've still got some in here somewhere." She rummaged through her backpack.
I took Sesshoumaru's bowl of ramen from him, and took a sip of the soup. "See?" I said, smiling. "It tastes great!" Though, admittedly, I didn't think ramen was a good form of nutrition for a child.
Sesshoumaru scowled, took the bowl from my hands, and sipped. He blinked rapidly as he looked into the bowl. "It's good," he admitted. He picked up his chopsticks and ate.
Inuyasha stared as his brother scarfed down his ramen. "Yeah, it says something about you two," I said, grinning at him. "Same taste, eh?"
"Shuddup."
Sesshoumaru set his bowl down. "I'm done," he announced. He looked up at me. "Clara, I'm thirsty."
I passed him my water-bottle. There wasn't any trace of the cold, stoic adult-Sesshoumaru I knew at all. This Sesshoumaru was completely different.
Sesshoumaru handed me the bottle, before he lay down and curled up on my lap, drawing his large haori around him. "I'm sleepy," he said.
"I thought you said demons didn't need sleep," I said as he snuggled into my lap.
He ignored me and promptly closed his eyes. He was out in under a minute. Amazing.
"Actually," Myouga said. I glanced around and found him on Sesshoumaru's head. "Demons do sleep, when they're either exhausted or badly injured. Lord Sesshoumaru, however, is rarely exhausted or injured, so he almost never sleeps."
"Oh," I said. "Well, it looks like he needs his naps." I looked down at the little boy sleeping on my lap. He looked more like a putto than a demon, actually. I suddenly had a mad urge to squeeze his cheeks.
"What do we do now?" Kagome asked, staring at Sesshoumaru.
"We need to find Anru," I said softly. "She changed him, I'm sure she can undo it."
"It's not like gods are easy to find," Myouga said. "They're very elusive and only show themselves when they feel like it."
"Well, we did find Kasai," I pointed out.
"Totosai went with us, remember?" Inuyasha said.
"Oh, you're acquainted with Kasai?" Myouga asked, mildly surprised.
"Maybe he knows about Anru," I said hopefully.
"Or, we could try going to Lord Sesshoumaru's mother first," Myouga said. He shuddered, as though he dreaded the thought. "Lady Hayomi is an extremely powerful spell caster in her own right. She was the one who created Tessaiga and Tenseiga's protective barriers."
"She did?!" we exclaimed.
Myouga nodded. "Then, it's settled," Inuyasha said. "As soon as the brat wakes up, we're leaving."
I gave him a flat look. "I'd appreciate it you don't him call him a brat," I huffed.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he scoffed. "Just don't expect me to go all soft on him, because he's a kid. He's still Sesshoumaru."
I looked down at Sesshoumaru. His fist was curled beside his face. The haori he wore really was too big for him. I made a mental note to ask Lady Hayomi if she had anything his size—I was sure she did.
I let my fingers trace the crescent moon on his forehead. His face was peaceful and serene. The expression was totally different from the one I was used to see him wearing all the time. It was…warm, almost as though he didn't have a single care in the world.
"Hey, Myouga," I said quietly, still staring at Sesshoumaru. "You knew Sesshoumaru when he was just a child, right?"
"Of course," Myouga said. "I was there when he was born. He had very tasty blood as a babe. If you could avoid the claws, that is."
I placed a hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "Can you tell me what he was like growing up?" I asked. From the corner of my eye, I saw Inuyasha and Kagome perk up. No doubt, they were just as interested as I was.
"Why would you want to know?" Myouga asked. The tone in his voice made me think that he didn't want to tell me.
"I was just wondering how he got so cold," I said.
"I'm not sure I'm the right person to tell you that," he said slowly. "Because I'm not so sure myself."
"You're the best person to tell me. You were there when he was born, after all. You saw him grow," I pointed out.
"Why are you so interested?" Myouga asked. He leapt from Sesshoumaru's head and landed on my shoulder.
I looked at him. "I love him, Myouga, of course I'm interested," I said.
"You know," Kagome said, grinning at me. "Given the situation we're in now, that sounded a bit wrong."
I blinked as I felt my cheeks warming. "It's not like that!" I snapped, mortified. She and Inuyasha laughed. "Shut up, and keep your voice down. Sesshoumaru is sleeping," I said. I tilted my head towards my shoulder and raised my eyebrows at Myouga. "Well? Will you tell me, or not?"
Myouga crossed his arms and sat down. "Everything?"
"Don't leave out a single detail. Tell me everything," I said. I looked down at Sesshoumaru. "It's just that he seems so different from the Sesshoumaru I know. If this was how he was at this age, I was just wondering what happened, that's all."
Myouga looked down at Sesshoumaru. "Well…"
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"Splendid, Master!" Myouga exclaimed.
Perched atop the Great Dog Demon's head, he watched as his Master's Dragon Twister tore through the army of ogres in front of them. Behind them, Myouga could hear the triumphant shouts of the Dog General's demons.
"Half their army destroyed in less than a heartbeat!" Myouga said. "No one can really match your power, sire!"
Myouga watched as the remnants of the Ogre Army fled, but not before their general threw the Great Dog Demon one last look of loathing, before running off like the coward he was. Grinning broadly, the old flea leapt onto his Master's shoulder.
"Lady Hayomi will be most pleased to hear of your victory!" he said.
His Master glanced down at him. "A victory against cowards is hardly something to boast of," he said as he strode back to his cheering men.
Myouga felt sweat pouring from his brow. "Of course, my lord," he said. As powerful as his Master was, he knew the Great Dog Demon resorted to battle as a last option. He was a bit queer in that manner.
The moment the Dog General approached, his men immediately fell prostrate to the ground at his feet. "Victory to you, sire!" they cheered.
Myouga watched as his Master raised a hand. "This victory is—" His Master stopped speaking, and immediately glanced towards the sky. Silhouetted against the noon sun, Myouga could see an object headed towards them.
The object drew closer and Myouga could see that it was Akane. A young bird demon with wings as swift as the wind, Akane served as the personal messenger of the Lady of the Western Lands.
"My lord!" Akane landed in front of them, her wings folding behind her as she immediately knelt on one knee. Placing a hand on her chest, she held out a sealed scroll. "I have an urgent message from my Lady."
The Great Dog Demon took the scroll, broke the seal, and immediately began to read. Myouga only had time to see the words 'difficult' and 'infant', before his Master transformed.
"Master!" Myouga exclaimed. He clung to a clump of silky fur as his Master bounded across the earth. "Is the Lady—?"
"Yes." His Master's word, spoken directly from his mind, carried with it a sense of urgency. His Master ran faster, for flight was not a gift his clan possessed.
"Has the little lord been born already?" Myouga asked eagerly.
The Dog General did not answer. His lack of a response made Myouga frown with worry.
. . .
The doors to the birthing chamber slid open with such force, the wood splintered. Midwives, who had been scurrying about, immediately stopped at the sight of the Great Dog Demon. Myouga felt as though he wanted to cringe with them. Perched atop his Master's head, he could not see his expression, but he felt it must be something truly frightening.
"Where is she?" the Dog General asked. His voice was cold, smooth—the voice he used when he was endeavoring to keep his emotions under check.
"My lord," one of the midwives said. "The Lady is delivering the infant, even as we speak."
Myouga leapt onto his Master's shoulder. The Dog General's nostrils flared. Even to a lesser nose, the scent of blood in the air was unmistakable.
At that moment, a bloodcurdling shriek pierced the air and Myouga felt his Master stiffening. Without another word, his Master strode through the midwives.
"My lord, please!" one of the midwives pleaded. "Men are not allowed into the birthing chamber."
"And who among you will stop me?" the Master asked.
The midwives watched helplessly as the Great Dog Demon strode deeper into the chamber. With every step he took, the scent of blood grew heavier. Myouga frowned. Had the Lady lost much blood?
They eventually came to a screen partition. Behind it, Myouga could hear Hayomi, Lady of the Western Lands, struggling to deliver the Lord's heir. She was panting, trying to catch her breath. Even for a daiyoukai, childbirth was no small feat.
The labored breathing immediately stopped. "I-Inutaisho?" The Lady's voice was firm. Myouga admittedly felt awed at her strength.
His Master sat gracefully beside the partition, folding his legs beneath him. "I am by your side," he said.
"You're…You are not supposed to be here," the Lady gasped.
"My lady, please," they heard the midwife say. "I can see the child's head. Just one more push."
They could hear the Lady clenching her teeth as she pushed. His Master tensed, a heavy frown on his face. Myouga had never seen his Master anxious, and yet judging by the way he clenched his claws, he had no doubt in his mind that the Master was on edge.
A moment later, they heard the high-pitched keening of a newborn.
The Great Dog Demon instantly sat straighter, his golden eyes alert. As Myouga stared at him, he saw his Master's eyes soften, and the corner of his mouth curl into a smile.
"What is it?" his Master asked.
"A son," Lady Hayomi said. She no longer sounded tired. Her voice was proud. "Our son."
They could hear the baby crying as the midwife cleaned after both mother and child. Myouga hopped impatiently on his Master's shoulder. Several minutes passed before the midwife removed the partition, and they could see the Lady and the babe.
Lady Hayomi did not look the least bit ruffled, or so it seemed. On closer inspection, Myouga could see that the Lady's skin appeared somewhat wan and her posture a bit slumped. Despite that, the Lady's smile was pleased and her eyes shone with pride.
His Master smiled at his wife and newborn son. The baby was delightful. He had inherited his parents' silver mane of hair. On his forehead was the same mark as his mother's—a crescent moon. It was a sign that the child was gifted with his mother's ability of flight. On the babe's cheeks, Myouga could see that the boy had inherited, paternally, his grandmother's double-striped markings.
Myouga's eyes misted as he continued to stare at the baby. His face resembled that of his father, but he had his mother's elegant eyebrows and her pale complexion. Admittedly, the baby looked like a porcelain doll.
"My Lady, what a delight!" Myouga exclaimed as he hopped from his Master's shoulder and onto the Lady's.
"Thank you," Lady Hayomi said. Myouga stared at her, surprised. The Lady must indeed be happy to say a word of thanks. He watched as she kissed her son's forehead and smiled at her husband.
It seemed as though the Dog General was at a loss for words. "Hold him," the Lady said.
The Dog General hesitated, before carefully taking his son in his arms. The moment he held the baby, the boy's eyes slowly opened, and the Dog General found himself staring into a pair bright, golden eyes.
"My son," he said quietly. He sounded awed. The baby began to squirm and he brushed his lips against the child's forehead.
Myouga hopped onto his Master's shoulder. "My lord, the child is a wonder!" he said. "I can already feel his demonic aura—quite strong, for a babe."
The old flea glanced at the baby's round cheeks and swallowed. He wondered—did the boy have the same tasty blood as his father, perhaps? He leapt lightly onto the baby's cheek.
"Myouga," Lady Hayomi said, her voice quite sharp.
"My apologies, my Lady," Myouga said. "I was just—" He was cut short when a tiny hand fell on him. He floated gently to the ground as the Great Dog Demon let out a peal of laughter.
"Still a babe and already he knows how to attack!" The Dog General sounded proud.
"Yes," Myouga said, dusting himself off. "One can tell he'll be a prodigy."
He watched as his Master continued to stare at the baby. "Sesshoumaru," he said.
"Pardon, my love?" Lady Hayomi asked.
"That will be his name. Sesshoumaru," he said, smiling at the baby.
The Lady smiled as she reached towards her son, brushing a finger lightly against his cheek. "It is a name he will have to live up to," she said softly.
The Great Dog Demon smiled. "He is my son—no doubt he will surpass our expectations."
. . .
"Are we going to see the young lord today, Sire?" Myouga asked, clinging to his Master's fur. He could hear the rhythmic thud of the Master's large paws on the ground as he ran.
Five years had passed since the baby's birth, five years of which the Dog General had left to battle demons on the Continent. The Master had not seen his son since his birth, much to Lady Hayomi's chagrin.
"It has been five years since I have laid eyes on my son," the Master said, his words brushing against Myouga's mind. "I am anxious to see how he is."
"I'm sure the boy is doing fine, my lord!" Myouga said.
His Master chuckled. "When I left, Hayomi was coddling him," he said. "I have no doubt she has since been indulging him."
"He is her first child, Master," Myouga said, the wind rushing past them. "You know how women get."
When they reached the palace in the Western Lands, they found the entire clan assembled at the courtyard, waiting to greet their erstwhile lord and master. As the Master transformed into his humanoid form, the servants and retainers immediately bowed, their foreheads touching the cobblestones.
On the steps to the palace, stood the Lady of the Western Lands, her hands clasped in front of her. She was smiling at her husband.
"My lord, I am happy to see that you are safe and well," the Lady said. Judging from the clipped tone in her voice, Myouga had a feeling that the Lady did not relish the five years of her husband's absence.
"Where is Sesshoumaru?" the Dog General asked as he strode through the servants and retainers. He stood before his wife, a slight frown on his face.
The Lady blinked, then glanced down at her side, as though expecting her son to be standing there. "He was here a moment ago," the Lady said, somewhat embarrassed. "Where has he gone?" She turned to a servant. "Find Sesshoumaru, now."
The Great Dog Demon frowned, before he lifted his gaze to the deep eaves overhead. A pair of curious golden eyes looked down at him.
"Sesshoumaru," the Master said.
Lady Hayomi looked up, surprised. "Come down, Sesshoumaru," she ordered.
The young lord leapt from the eaves, and landed gracefully in front of his Father. Myouga studied the child. In the five years that passed, Sesshoumaru had grown. That was how it was with demon children—they aged just as rapidly as human children, however, upon reaching puberty, their aging slowed down dramatically.
Myouga watched as Lady Hayomi placed a hand on her son's shoulder and smiled at her husband. The Dog General knelt on one knee in front of his son, scrutinizing him.
"Do you know who I am, Sesshoumaru?" he asked.
Sesshoumaru stared at his Father, tilting his head slightly to one side. "My Father," he said promptly, in the same clipped tone Lady Hayomi used when she was displeased. "Or so Mother says."
The Dog General raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"I've never seen you before," Sesshoumaru said frankly. "Mother says you were battling demons, which was why you left us."
Myouga gaped at the child's choice of words. "You have been far too lenient with him," the Master said, looking up at his Lady.
Lady Hayomi raised an eyebrow. "He is a child," she said.
"He is a lord." The Master stood and placed a hand on Sesshoumaru's head. The boy looked up at him with wide eyes. "There is much he needs to learn."
. . .
"Sit straighter, Sesshoumaru, a lord does not slouch," the Master said.
From above the Master's head, Myouga looked down at the little boy kneeling at the table across them. Sesshoumaru looked down at the scrolls spread on the table, frowning as he straightened his shoulders.
Myouga felt sorry for the boy. It had been a week since the Master's arrival, and already he had taken Sesshoumaru under his wing, educating him, teaching him to behave like the lord he was to be. The flea demon could see the boy fidgeting, his golden eyes occasionally darting to the open shutters. It seemed as though the Master had been right about Lady Hayomi cossetting the boy.
"May I leave now?" Sesshoumaru asked, after a moment's pause.
The Dog General gestured to the scrolls before him. "Have you finished?"
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Then do so," the Master said. His tone was both curt and gentle.
Sesshoumaru sighed, before taking up the brush in his hand. At that moment, the door slid open and Lady Hayomi strode in. Upon seeing her, Sesshoumaru set down his brush and loped towards her.
"Sesshoumaru, I told you not to cling to me," the Lady said, as she gently removed Sesshoumaru's hands from her sleeve. "It is very unbecoming of a lord."
The boy lowered his gaze, disappointed, before he bowed. "I apologize, Mother," he said.
The Lady nodded. "Return to the task your Father set you," she ordered.
"And then, may I go?" Sesshoumaru asked. He sounded impatient.
"When your Father says you may," the Lady said.
Sesshoumaru sighed as he settled himself back at the table. Myouga leapt from his Master's head and landed on the tip of Sesshoumaru's brush.
"No need to look so gloomy, Sesshoumaru," the flea said. He gave the child a sympathetic smile. "You can go play afterwards."
Lady Hayomi seated herself beside her husband. "Sesshoumaru, remember that you are a lord," she said, firmly. "You have responsibilities that you need to perform."
Sesshoumaru lowered his eyes. "Yes, Mother."
. . .
Sesshoumaru gripped the wooden sword tightly in his hand as he slashed through the air, his movements nothing more than a blur. Now seven years of age, the boy had grown taller.
Myouga had been right in saying that the boy was a prodigy. Under the Master's tutelage, Sesshoumaru's skills seemed to flourish. At six, he had learned to harness the potential of his full demon power, something that few demon children could boast of. And now, Sesshoumaru's skill with the sword rivaled most demons. A prodigy, indeed.
But at what cost?
Looking closely at the child, Myouga couldn't help but notice that the curiosity in Sesshoumaru's eyes seemed to have vanished. More often than not, there was a rather cold look in the boy's eyes, something that his parents failed to notice. Child's play no longer seemed to interest Sesshoumaru, who took to following his Father wherever the Dog General went.
Myouga hopped onto his Master's shoulder just as Sesshoumaru leapt into the air, bringing the wooden sword down on an unseen enemy.
"Be careful, Sesshoumaru," the Master said. "You leave yourself open to attack."
Sesshoumaru stopped and bowed. "I apologize, Father," he said. Myouga cringed at the curt tone in the child's voice. Though his voice was still the high-pitched voice of a little boy, Sesshoumaru's choice of words might as well have been an adult's.
It was as if the boy had grown too fast in too short a time.
The Great Dog Demon nodded. "Again," he said.
Myouga hesitated. "Er, Sire?" he said.
"What is it, Myouga?" the Master asked, without looking down at him.
"Perhaps the boy could use a little break?" he suggested.
The Master's golden eyes fell on him and he inwardly squirmed. "Sesshoumaru needs to be ready," he said quietly. "Our adversaries are numerous. The Panther tribe have been stirring, and Lord Kaijin's forces are gathering again."
"I thought Lord Kaijin was preoccupied with a mortal woman, Sire, the priestess Midoriko, I hear," Myouga said.
The Master frowned. "A great a fool as any," he said. "It matters not. Sesshoumaru needs to be ready to face down any adversary, if he is to be my heir."
"I will not fail you, Father."
Myouga and the Dog General turned towards Sesshoumaru, who had been listening quietly to their conversation. The Master nodded. "I know you will not," he said. "Now—again."
Myouga sighed as he watched the little boy swing the wooden sword and said nothing more.
. . .
"Tell me, Myouga, how is Sesshoumaru doing?" the Lady of the Western Lands asked as she sipped her tea. She set her cup down on the table and looked expectantly at Myouga.
The flea demon sat cross-legged on the table. "Splendidly, my Lady," he said, looking up at her. "He is extremely intelligent for his age and quite skilled with a sword. And he isn't even eight summers yet."
Lady Hayomi smiled. "I thought as much," she said proudly.
"However," Myouga said slowly. "I do think that, maybe, you and the Master should go a bit easy on him. He is still just a child, after all."
The Lady frowned. "I have made the mistake of pampering him too much in the past," she said.
"He's a child, he's supposed to be pampered," Myouga said.
"He is a lord, before he is a child," the Lady said, narrowing her eyes sternly at the flea demon.
Myouga bowed. "My apologies, my Lady," he said.
. . .
Myouga hopped along the veranda, ill at ease. The Master had left not too long ago to battle the demon lord Kaijin. Normally, this would not have been an issue, had it not been for the fact that the Master had brought Sesshoumaru with him.
Sesshoumaru, at seven summers, would have his first taste of blood and battle.
There was no longer a doubt in the old flea's mind that this battle would wipe away any remaining vestiges of the innocence the boy had. Demon lord or not, no one should be killing at so tender an age.
The flea stopped. At the end of the veranda, staring absently at her garden, was none other than the Lady. Though her expression was impassive, Myouga could tell, judging by the way she clasped her hands, that the Lady was on edge. Though she was of the opinion that Sesshoumaru was a lord before he was a child, she was still his mother. No doubt she was sick with worry.
"Myouga, if you intend to say something, say it," the Lady suddenly said.
"I'm sure the young lord will be fine, my Lady," Myouga said, hopping towards her.
"Hn," was all the Lady said.
Myouga turned to leave, when the Lady spoke up. "Myouga, what do you think of Sesshoumaru?" she asked quietly.
The old flea paused, not really knowing what to say. "Be frank," the Lady added. "I can tell when you speak lies."
Myouga fiddled with his thumbs. "In all honesty, my Lady," he said. "I think the young lord is…no longer a child."
"Elaborate."
Myouga cringed. "Two years ago, he was a happy child, a bit spoiled, but happy," he explained. "Now, he is…different. Cold. And, like you say, more a lord than a child."
The Lady was silent, and Myouga could not fathom what she was thinking. Was she, perhaps, regretting the sternness with which she and her husband raised Sesshoumaru? Or was she pondering on the success of it?
"That is all," the Lady said at last. "You may leave."
As Myouga hopped away, he glanced over his shoulder just as the wind blew, and the Lady of the Western Lands closed her eyes.
. . .
"I have been thinking, Myouga," the Master said, a decade later, as he walked along the covered veranda of the palace.
Myouga, seated on his Master's shoulder, looked up at him. "I'm all ears, Master," he said.
"Sesshoumaru has come of age," the Master said, glancing down at his retainer. "Hayomi and I have discussed it, and we are of the same mind that we find him a bride."
Myouga's eyes widened in shock. "A-a bride, my lord?" he said.
"A betrothed," the Master clarified. He stopped and stared out at the garden. Sesshoumaru was sitting, cross-legged, in front of a pond, his cold, golden eyes staring into the blue waters.
Already in his early teens, the young lord was dressed in impeccable armor, like his father. What he was doing, Myouga could not tell. Perhaps, observing the koi as they swam lazily beneath the pond?
Apparently, the Master himself was curious, for he leapt from the veranda and strode towards his son. Sesshoumaru looked up and inclined his head respectfully. "Father," he said simply. "Myouga."
The Great Dog Demon sat on the cool moss beside Sesshoumaru. "You wish to find me a bride," Sesshoumaru said.
"Yes, I thought I would discuss the matter with you," the Dog General said.
Myouga thought the young lord would frown, but he merely glanced back at the pond.
"You will not marry her right away, of course," the Master said. "She is to be your betrothed and you will marry when you are at the right age."
Myouga frowned as he observed Sesshoumaru. There was no trace of the curious boy who had climbed the eaves on the day of his Father's arrival. There was only the cold, calculating heir to the Western Lands.
Sesshoumaru continued to stare into the pond. "As you please, Father," he said.
. . .
Her name was Etsuko.
She arrived on a rainy day, with her retainers and her lady mother. And little did Myouga know that she was to be the first of many. She was stunningly beautiful, with large, golden eyes and silver hair. Upon her forehead was a black circle. Dressed in a flowing kimono, the young girl standing before them was more goddess than demon, in all honesty.
Myouga watched as Sesshoumaru, flanked by his Mother and Father, tilted his head to acknowledge the girl's presence. Etsuko smiled proudly at him before she bowed. Her bright eyes were eager.
"I am honored to be in your presence, my lord Sesshoumaru," Etsuko said.
"Hn."
The Great Dog Demon and the Lady of the Western Lands glanced at one another, surprised at their son's lack of response. Very subtly, the Lady nudged her son's foot with her own.
Sesshoumaru scowled. "The honor is mine, my lady," he said curtly.
Myouga flinched. The words seemed both wrong and insincere coming from Sesshoumaru's mouth. Thankfully, Etsuko and her mother failed to notice.
But for how long?
. . .
"How are Sesshoumaru and Etsuko doing, Myouga?" the Lord asked. They were running across borders of the Western Lands, his Master in his true form. The afternoon sun blazed overhead.
Myouga clung to his Master's fur. "They are respectful with one another, Master," Myouga said.
It was an understatement. Sesshoumaru hardly sought out Etsuko's company, but she sought him out almost ravenously. It was quite clear that the girl was deeply in love with the cold-hearted boy. Myouga felt sorry for her.
"I am glad to hear that," the Master said. "I was beginning to think that Sesshoumaru—"
At that moment, a high-pitched scream tore through the air. A woman's scream.
The Master immediately veered towards the forest where the screams came from. Heavy paws thudded on the warm earth as the Great Dog raced through the trees, uprooting them as he rushed past.
Myouga felt a warm light enveloping them as the Master transformed. There, in a clearing, was a horde of ogres surrounding a lone figure on the ground.
Myouga could only make out the figure's silky mane of black hair, before the Master drew his dread sword, Sou'unga. The moment he drew the blade, the ogres stopped and stared at him. Recognizing the powerful Dog General, their black eyes widened in fear. They immediately turned and ran towards the trees, leaving the figure on the ground.
"Cowards," the Dog General said as he sheathed Sou'unga.
"You can't blame them, Master. You're extremely powerful in your own right," Myouga gushed. "But when you draw Sou'unga, I swear your power is godlike!"
The Master scoffed. "Hubris is a sin, Myouga," the Great Dog Demon said. There was a small smile on his lips. "Do not let Kasai hear you say it." He turned to the figure crouched on the ground.
Myouga could see a simple servant's kimono over which spilled a mane of lustrous black hair. Her hands were covered over her head, her face pressed close to the ground in an effort to shield herself.
No doubt, a human servant of some noble family. But what was she doing out here? The question was answered when he saw a basket of freshly plucked pears beside her, the fruits spilled on the ground.
"They are gone now," the Dog General said as he knelt in front of the woman. "You are safe."
The woman's long fingers twitched. Myouga couldn't help but notice that her hands were much too smooth for a servant's.
She slowly raised her head. The Master's eyes widened in surprise.
To say that the woman was beautiful was an understatement. Her gentle brown eyes stared hesitantly at them, and her full lips were parted in surprise. Her skin was like porcelain, almost glowing. Thick tendrils of black hair framed her face. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek from where she had pressed her face close to the ground.
Myouga gaped. He had never seen a human as beautiful as she. And so, it seemed, had the Master for he was staring at her with an intent look in his eyes.
The woman regarded them for a moment, and Myouga thought she would flinch at the sight of the Great Dog Demon. "Th-thank you, my lord," she stammered. Her voice, like her eyes, was gentle.
The Master smiled at her. "You should not be wandering these woods alone, my lady," he said.
She stared at him, surprised. "H-how do you…?"
To Myouga's surprise, the Master reached towards her and carefully brushed away the smudge of dirt on the woman's cheek. "A maiden with a face like yours is no mere servant," the Master said simply.
The human blushed, embarrassed. "No," she admitted. "I—"
"Princess Izayoi!"
At the sound of approaching footsteps, the Master immediately stood. Myouga glanced from over the Master's shoulder as they strode through the trees, keeping to the shadows. The human had gotten to her feet, gathering her basket of fruits towards her. The Master stopped and looked back at her.
"Princess Izayoi!"
From the opposite edge of the clearing, a man dressed in armor burst through the trees. "Takemaru," the woman named Izayoi said.
"You should not have left the palace, my lady," the warrior said. He relieved the lady of her basket and frowned. "Why are you garbed in the clothing of a servant?"
"I wanted to get out of the castle for a while," Izayoi admitted.
"Do not be so careless, my lady," Takemaru said gently. "Come, your lord father is most anxious."
As they left, Izayoi glanced back towards the trees. "Quite a beauty, don't you agree Master?" Myouga asked. "I wonder if her blood tastes just as good."
The Master did not answer. Myouga looked up. His Master was still staring after Izayoi.
. . .
After the incident with the human princess, Myouga began to notice a change come over his Master. He seemed restless, his thoughts straying far. Even Sesshoumaru, cold as he was, noticed his Father's behavior and voiced his opinions to his Mother. The Lady merely said that he was longing for a battle.
As Myouga hopped across the garden, he suddenly felt the pinch of claws around his body. He let out a shout of surprise as his feet left the earth.
"Myouga."
Myouga immediately stopped squirming the moment he recognized the cold voice. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" Myouga said. Admittedly, being caught between the young aristocrat's claws was not something he relished. "Greetings, my lord! I thought you would be with young Etsuko."
Sesshoumaru frowned heavily at him. "That girl is a nuisance," he said dismissively. "But I am not here to talk of my bride. Where is Father?"
"Eh?" Myouga said.
"He has been gone for two days," Sesshoumaru said. "Mother worries." That Sesshoumaru of all people seemed concerned caught Myouga by surprise.
The old flea hesitated. He had a sneaking suspicion that he knew where the Master was, but that was not a suspicion one shared with Sesshoumaru.
"I'm not at all certain, my lord," Myouga said.
Sesshoumaru gave him a glare and then he squeezed. "Ack!" Myouga coughed. "My lord!"
"You know I cannot tolerate lies," Sesshoumaru said coldly.
"Lord…Sesshoumaru!" Myouga coughed. The young lord loosened his hold, and Myouga gasped.
"You were saying?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"I told you, I'm not at all certain," Myouga said.
"Your suspicions will suffice."
Myouga sighed and told him. As he finished speaking, Sesshoumaru frowned, before dropping him on the ground. The old flea watched as the young lord took to the skies. He could not deny the dread he felt at what Sesshoumaru would find.
. . .
It seemed as though Sesshoumaru found nothing. As far as Myouga could tell, the young lord continued about his business with the same cold detachment he had. He avoided Etsuko's advances and trained vigorously with his sword until he was exhausted. He made no mention of his Father's absences, which, admittedly, made Myouga feel relieved.
"I see Sesshoumaru has been training rather hard as of late," the Master remarked one afternoon, as they strolled along the veranda.
"Maybe he seeks to impress young Etsuko, Master," Myouga said, though he knew this was hardly the case.
The Master chuckled. His listlessness seemed to have evaporated as quickly as it had come. "Sesshoumaru, impress a girl?" the Master said, amused. There was a thoughtful in his eyes. "Sesshoumaru does not care for such frivolities," he said quietly.
"That, admittedly, is quite true," Myouga said. He sat on the spiked armor of his Master's shoulder. "Master, is it true that he asked to have both Tessaiga and Sou'unga?"
"Yes," the Master said. "I have no doubt that Sesshoumaru is more than capable of wielding both. However, I do not think either blade is a match for him."
"Eh?" Myouga said, surprised. "Don't tell me you plan to give him the Tenseiga?"
The Master did not answer for at that moment, they heard the sounds of a girl sobbing. A second later, the door ahead of them burst open with a bang! and out came Etsuko, tears streaming down her lovely face. She looked rather dishevelled. Her kimono had slipped off her shoulders, and the rouge she wore was somewhat smudged.
"Etsuko?" the Master said, surprised.
Etsuko stopped and blushed in embarrassment. "I am sorry, my lord," she said, bowing.
"What has happened?" the Master asked urgently. "Has any harm been done you?"
"No, I—" She glanced over her shoulder just as Sesshoumaru came out from the room she had left. Sesshoumaru threw her a careless glance before walking away. It did not escape the Master's notice that his son was fixing the sash on his armor. He frowned.
Etsuko shook her head. "I am sorry, my lord," she said quietly. "But Lord Sesshoumaru does not care for me, and I can no longer stand him."
The Master looked taken aback. He was silent for a moment, before he placed a hand gently on the girl's head. "I understand," he said.
Etsuko held her head high as she walked away. There was no doubt in Myouga's mind that they would no longer be seeing her.
. . .
"Sesshoumaru, I need to speak with you."
Myouga watched as the young lord strode into the Master's study. Sesshoumaru knelt gracefully in front of the Master's table, a scowl on his face.
The Master clasped his hands together, golden eyes studying his son. "Etsuko has left," he said.
"None of my concern," Sesshoumaru said dismissively.
The Master frowned. "Sesshoumaru, did you not even have the slightest affection for her?"
"Affection?" Sesshoumaru scoffed. "Such an asinine notion, but not as foolish as the thought of love."
"What are you saying?"
"Love and affection are useless, the former more so," Sesshoumaru went on. "What care have I for such things?"
"What do you care for?" For the first time since he had known him, Myouga could not help but think that the Great Dog Demon sounded tired.
Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped to the wall on which hung the three swords his Father possessed. There was no mistaking the hunger in his eyes.
"Power is a fleeting thing," the Master said quietly.
"Love even more so," Sesshoumaru countered. "Are we finished? I've business elsewhere."
Myouga gaped. He had never heard Sesshoumaru speak that way to his father before.
The Great Dog Demon nodded and Sesshoumaru stood. The young lord paused at the door, an elegant hand resting lightly on the wood. He glanced back at his father.
"I know about the human."
The Master looked up, surprised, but Sesshoumaru had left. He sighed.
"I'm…sorry…Master," Myouga stammered. "I told him about—"
The Master shook his head. "Hayomi is aware," he said. "She does not care, so as long as Sesshoumaru is my heir. However…" He looked up at the door through which Sesshoumaru had left. "I am beginning to think Sesshoumaru should have been a child before he was a lord."
"You raised him quite splendidly, Master!" Myouga said, shaking his head. "Nowhere in the land will you find a young lord like Sesshoumaru."
"I am not perfect, Myouga," the Master said quietly. "I have made mistakes. If only I had been wise enough to see them."
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
Clara
"So, you're telling me he got the way he is, because our father loved my mother?" Inuyasha snapped, glaring at Myouga.
Myouga bounced up and down on my shoulder. "No, Master!" he huffed. "I'm saying that I don't really know why Lord Sesshoumaru is so cold."
"Then what's the point of you telling us all that?" Inuyasha said, glaring.
Myouga shrugged. "She asked," he said, pointing at me.
I frowned as I looked down at Sesshoumaru. I brushed his bangs away from his forehead. I couldn't help but think about the many things in Sesshoumaru's life that probably made him so cold as an adult. Was it because he had been trained to be a lord at an age where most children were still clinging to their mothers? Was it because his father had been too stern? Or was it because his father fell in love with a human, despite having a wife? Or was it a combination of the three?
"It doesn't really matter," I said quietly, more to myself than to them.
"Why not?" Kagome asked, surprised.
I traced my finger along the double stripes on Sesshoumaru's chubby cheek. "At the end of the day, he is still Sesshoumaru, and that's all I really care about," I said. "Besides—he's not as cold as you make him out to be, Myouga."
"Judging from the way he's constantly clinging to you, he isn't as heartless as he used to be," Myouga said. "I'll acknowledge a lot of things have changed Lord Sesshoumaru—the little human girl, you, and, in a way, even Master Inuyasha."
"What?!" Inuyasha spluttered. "I don't care about him, you flea."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "You're brothers, Inuyasha, a part of you must care about him."
Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms. I smiled as I looked down at Sesshoumaru. Yes, he had changed. The adult-Sesshoumaru I knew was still somewhat cold, but beneath that exterior, he was a nice person. And that was all that mattered, really.
Sesshoumaru's eyes suddenly snapped open, and he looked up at me with a frown on his face. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru, did we wake you?" I asked gently.
"You were noisy," Sesshoumaru said, sitting up and glaring at Inuyasha.
"Not my fault a little kid like you needs his sleep," Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome said. She glared at him and he scoffed.
Sesshoumaru stretched his arms and yawned. He turned to me. There was a very serious look in his eyes.
"What is it, Sesshoumaru?" I asked. "Is something bothering you?"
He shook his head. To my surprise, he leaned over and planted a kiss on my cheek. I blinked, my mouth hanging open.
Okaaay…
"Well, it looks like he still has his feelings for you, at any rate," Myouga muttered, shaking his head. "Never thought Lord Sesshoumaru would come to love a human. That ought to give the Master a laugh."
I didn't know if that was disturbing or cute.
Sesshoumaru glared at me. "Kiss me back!" he ordered.
What?
He tugged on my sleeve. "Kiss me back, like you always do," he said.
I could hear Inuyasha and Kagome sniggering. I blushed, mortified. I ruffled Sesshoumaru's hair and he scowled at me.
"When you're older," I said. "A lot older."
"No, now!" he insisted.
I quickly stood. "We have to get going," I announced.
"Where are we going?" Sesshoumaru asked.
I approached Ah-Un, making sure that Sesshoumaru's clothes, armor, sword and pelt were on him. The dragon nudged my head with one of his. Was it just me or did he look amused?
Sesshoumaru appeared at my elbow. "Clara, where are we going?" he asked, tugging on my sleeve.
"We're going to see Lady Hayomi," I said, smiling at him. "Maybe she knows how to reverse Anru's spell."
He nodded, his expression pensive. "Is he coming?" Sesshoumaru asked, glancing over his shoulder at Inuyasha.
"You got something to say, kid?" Inuyasha snapped.
"Clara says I have to be nice to you, so I can't call you a half-breed to your face," Sesshoumaru said innocently. Innocently. It was a strange expression on him.
"Why, you pipsqueak!" Inuyasha leapt to his feet raised his fist.
"Inuyasha, don't," Kagome said, getting to her feet. She hitched her backpack on and gave him a reprimanding look.
"He started it!"
"And who's the mature one at the moment, you or him?" Kagome asked flatly. Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it.
"Geez," Inuyasha muttered as he approached me and Sesshoumaru. He squatted in front of his brother, who glared at him.
"Listen up, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said. "Just because you're a brat doesn't mean I'm going to go soft on you. You're still a bastard."
"Inuyasha, your language!" Kagome and I snapped.
Sesshoumaru growled. "I hate you," he hissed.
"Feeling's mutual," Inuyasha said as he stood. He placed a hand on my arm. "Anyway, we should get going before it gets d—aargh!"
Inuyasha leapt back as Sesshoumaru's claws flashed towards him. A moment later, a gash appeared on his fist. "You brat!" he snapped, glaring at Sesshoumaru. "What the hell was that for?!"
Sesshoumaru scowled at him. "Don't touch her, she's mine!" he growled.
My mouth hung open.
"Hm," Myouga said. "I don't recall him being that possessive." He looked up at me. "Must be because of his feelings for you. Can't really say. Who knows how the minds of children work?"
"You idiot, Clara's not a thing you own!" Inuyasha said as Kagome ran towards him. She took his injured hand in hers and frowned.
"I love her, so that makes her mine!" Sesshoumaru huffed.
I blinked.
Well, that was basically the first time I heard him say he loves me. But it would have been a whole lot better if he had said it yesterday…before he was changed. I still had to make up my mind whether or not it was cute or disturbing.
I shook my head, and picked Sesshoumaru up from behind. "Clara, put me down, I can walk!" Sesshoumaru said. Now that he wasn't at all tired, it seemed like he wanted to act mature.
Ignoring Sesshoumaru, I carried him over to Inuyasha. Kagome was bandaging his fist. He swore as she dabbed antiseptic on the wound.
"Apologize to Inuyasha," I said as I set Sesshoumaru down on his feet.
He blinked. "Why?" For a moment, I could see the adult-Sesshoumaru looking up at me with the same flat expression he wore when I did something he found 'foolish'.
"Because you hurt him, Sesshoumaru, and that's not very nice," I said sternly.
"Forget it," Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes. "He's Sesshoumaru. I'd have a better chance of turning into a cat than he has of apologizing."
Sesshoumaru stubbornly crossed his arms and looked away, his nose held high in the air. "Told you he was spoiled at this age," Myouga said, nudging my neck with a small arm.
"All right," I said, turning back to Ah-Un. "Don't apologize if you don't want to."
I glanced behind me. Sure enough, Sesshoumaru uncrossed his arms. He looked a bit distressed. A moment later, he was standing in front of me.
"Clara, are you angry at me?" he asked.
I shrugged. "I don't know," I said nonchalantly.
"Don't be angry!" Sesshoumaru tugged on the sleeve of my haori, his expression actually pleading.
I glanced pointedly towards Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru swallowed the lump in his throat before he reluctantly walked back towards his brother.
"What do you want?" Inuyasha spat as his brother approached. I cringed at the harsh tone in his voice.
"Hey, go easy on him," Kagome said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder.
Sesshoumaru looked as though he swallowed something sour. "I don't want Clara to be angry with me, so I have to apologize," he said grudgingly. He avoided looking directly at Inuyasha.
Inuyasha blinked. "Whatever, kid."
Without further ado, Sesshoumaru darted back to me. "I apologized," he announced.
I sighed. Though I'd rather he did it because it was the right thing to do, I guess it would have to be enough. Child though he was, I was fairly certain Sesshoumaru's demon pride still lingered in his current mindset.
Smiling, I ruffled his hair. "No!" Sesshoumaru said, swatting my hand away. He leapt towards me, and I automatically wrapped my arms around him, carrying him. He frowned. "I apologized, so give me a kiss," he said, his tone quite serious.
I stared at him. I could hear Myouga chuckling near my ear.
"You know, Clara, we won't judge you if kiss him just to shut him up," Kagome said, grinning, as she and Inuyasha approached.
"Shut up," I snapped. I turned back to Sesshoumaru and smiled at him. "I told you, when we lift Anru's spell off you."
He glared. "But I want one now," he said. "You kissed me a lot yesterday."
I felt my face burning as Inuyasha and Kagome laughed.
Good lord, what have I done to deserve this?
"Look at the time, let's get going," I said. I set Sesshoumaru down on his feet and he huffed as he crossed his arms.
"Fine. Later," Sesshoumaru said.
I resisted the temptation to slap a hand to my forehead, and sighed.
. . .
"My, I didn't expect to see any of you so soon," Lady Hayomi said. She was standing at the steps that led into the palace, looking regal like she always did.
I kept Sesshoumaru behind me as Lady Hayomi came towards us. Her expression was amused, like always.
"I do not suppose it is because you miss my company," she said, raising her eyebrows at me. Her gaze flickered towards Inuyasha, who crossed his arms. Her smile grew wider. "You even brought him along. Unexpected indeed, don't you agree, Myouga?"
"Ehe," Myouga said. He was sitting on my head. "One can never truly hide from Lady Hayomi."
Lady Hayomi frowned. "I smell and sense Sesshoumaru, and yet I do not see him," she said, bemused.
I bit my lower lip as I slowly stood aside. "Mother," Sesshoumaru said, in a high-pitched voice I was sure would take Lady Hayomi by surprise. And it looked as though it did.
Lady Hayomi stared, her eyes widening. Her eyebrows rose, threatening to vanish completely into her bangs. For a moment, she looked astonished, before her usual apathy returned.
"How…unexpected," she said. Though she tried to keep her voice steady, she sounded surprised.
Sesshoumaru left my side and rushed towards her. She looked down at him, blinking. "Sesshoumaru?" she said, as though saying his name would somehow make him transform into an adult.
Sesshoumaru immediately clutched her sleeve, his tiny fists bunching her kimono. Snapping out of her stupor, Lady Hayomi sharply tugged her sleeve from his grip. Her stern expression immediately returned.
"I told you, Sesshoumaru, a lord does not cling," she said severely. I stared, taken aback by her tone.
Sesshoumaru lowered his hands. There was no mistaking the disappointment in his eyes as he lowered them to the ground. "I apologize, Mother," he said. There was no trace of the 'child' from earlier. This was what Myouga had said—that his parents had raised him not as a child, but as a lord.
It felt wrong.
"Hey," I said. Sesshoumaru looked towards me. There it was—that cold look in his eyes. I smiled and held my arms out towards him. "Come here."
Sesshoumaru wasted no time as he rushed towards me. He leapt into my arms and I drew him close as his weight hit me. I smiled at him, and he leaned his head against my shoulder. This was the side of him that his parents probably wanted him to forget—the child.
He may be Sesshoumaru, the cold, powerful daiyoukai of the Western Lands, but, for now at least, he could be this, even just for a little while.
Sesshoumaru buried his face against my neck, and Lady Hayomi pressed her lips together, as though displeased. And she probably was.
"Come along, then," she said as she turned towards the palace. "I believe we've much to discuss."
. . .
Lady Hayomi set her cup of tea on the table, and smiled that amused smile she always wore. Beside me, Sesshoumaru kept his golden eyes fixed on the table. On either side of us, Inuyasha and Kagome both appeared tense.
"What happened?" Lady Hayomi asked, raising an elegant eyebrow at me. I guess Sesshoumaru got the gesture from her.
I explained about out run-in with Anru, how Sesshoumaru pushed me out of the way as she attacked. "So, if it were not for you, he would not have gotten this way," she said. There was a small, taunting smile on her lips.
I cringed and hastily looked down. Admittedly, that stung somewhat. "I'm sorry," I said.
"You have nothing to be sorry about, Clara," Sesshoumaru suddenly said.
I looked up at him. He poked my cheek with a finger. "Don't be foolish."
I couldn't help it—I smiled at him. He turned back to his mother, his mouth pressed in a stubborn line. For a moment, Lady Hayomi regarded us with a thoughtful expression on her face, before she turned brisk again.
"Shizune," she called out.
The door opened and Shizune strode in. She knelt on a knee, placing a hand reverently on her chest. "Yes, my lady?"
"Take Sesshoumaru, and give him something else to wear," she said, her tone almost bored.
Shizune had the strangest expression on her face. It was as though she wanted to laugh at Sesshoumaru, but—for the sake of honor—was holding back her reaction.
She nodded and Sesshoumaru glared at her. "Go on," I said, nudging him towards her. "You need to change out of that, you know." I pretended to eye his oversized haori with comical disdain.
He huffed, before following Shizune out the door. "Now that he is gone, I wish to discuss this Anru," Lady Hayomi said. She was giving me a level stare.
I hesitated. She was quite intimidating. "Do you know her, my lady?" I asked.
"Of course," she scoffed. "She is Kasai's twin sister."
"Twin sister?!" Inuyasha, Kagome, and I shouted.
I felt my mouth hanging open from shock. "But Kasai's an old geezer!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "And she's a brat! How could they be twins?"
Lady Hayomi's amused smile returned. "Something about them being too mischievous and invoking the other gods' ire," she said dismissively. "In any case, you had best ask Kasai about Anru's whereabouts."
I paused. "You mean, you can't change Sesshoumaru back?"
"No," she said. "I obviously cannot. Powerful as I am, a god's spell is something I cannot break." Her expression turned sour, as though she didn't like admitting it. "However, you need to leave Sesshoumaru behind."
I gaped. "What?" I said.
She narrowed her eyes at me. "Sesshoumaru is a powerful demon, Clara," she reminded me. "Thus, he has powerful enemies, aside from the half-demon he hunts. Other demon lords who are not his allies will take this chance to hunt him down, and he cannot defend himself from them."
"She has a point," Kagome admitted.
"It's best if you leave before Sesshoumaru comes back," Lady Hayomi said abruptly.
I stared at her. "Without saying goodbye?" I asked.
She narrowed her eyes. "He loves you," she said delicately. And it felt strange hearing his mother say it. "His mindset may be that of a child, but his memories and emotions are the same. He will not let you go."
Lady Hayomi was right. I had no doubt that Sesshoumaru had a lot of enemies, and if they knew about his predicament…But, somehow, it felt wrong not saying goodbye.
I shook my head. "All right," I said slowly. "We'll be leaving then."
. . .
"Hey, you all right?" Inuyasha asked as we walked back to the courtyard where Ah-Un was.
I bit my lower lip. "I…I honestly don't want to leave without telling him, at least," I said. It didn't feel right. It was like I was leaving an important part of me behind.
"Lady Hayomi does have a point, Clara," Kagome said gently. "I doubt Sesshoumaru would let you go without him."
"I know," I said. "Still…" I shook my head and smiled. "I'm being silly."
"Geez," Inuyasha said. "Once we get to Kasai and find a way to change Sesshoumaru back, you can be with the brat again."
I rolled my eyes. "Stop calling him that, or I'm going to hit you," I said peevishly.
We approached Ah-Un, who grunted. "Let's go," I said, patting one of his scaly necks. He tilted a head and glanced behind me. "No, we have to leave without Sesshoumaru." Somehow, saying the words aloud made me feel a dull ache in my chest.
Inuyasha sat on Ah-Un first, taking his reigns as Kagome scrambled behind him. I sighed as I hoisted myself up on Ah-Un, and wrapped my arms around Kagome's waist.
"Inuyasha, don't pull too hard on his reigns, okay?" I said, reaching across Kagome to tap him on the shoulder.
"Right," Inuyasha huffed. "Anyway, let's go before—"
"Do not touch me!" Though his voice was childish, there was no mistaking the imperious tone in Sesshoumaru's voice.
I froze and glanced behind me, just as Sesshoumaru burst through the doors of the palace, Shizune following close behind him. "My lord, wait, your lady mother does not—" she called out. She grabbed his shoulders and hauled him back.
"I am your lord, how dare you lay a finger on me?!" Sesshoumaru snapped, pulling away from her. Shizune grasped him firmly by the arms. "Let me go! I need to find her! I want CLARA!"
His golden eyes found mine from across the courtyard. "Dammit, let's go." Inuyasha nudged Ah-Un, and the dragon immediately took off.
Sesshoumaru ran to the courtyard as Ah-Un soared higher. "Clara!" he shouted, looking up at us. There was something else I could hear in his voice aside from anger...hurt? I felt a lump in my throat.
I felt the cold wind rushing past me. Looking down, I saw Lady Hayomi approach Sesshoumaru, saw her place a hand on his shoulder and steer him firmly back towards the palace.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as I remembered the way he shouted my name. "Clara?" Kagome asked as the palace of the Western Lands grew smaller behind us.
My grip around Kagome's waist tightened as I clenched my fists. There was a terrible ache in my chest, and I had the mad urge to jump and run back to Sesshoumaru. Get a grip, Clara—Lady Hayomi was right. Prodigy or not, Sesshoumaru was bound to be defenseless in his current state, if one of his powerful enemies decided to hunt him down.
I shook my head. "I'm fine," I said quietly. "Let's go."
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
A1969: I wonder how long we can keep on insulting Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru.
Inuyasha: …
Miroku: hey, Sesshoumaru—are you neutered?
Sesshoumaru: *throws Miroku away*
A1969: you can hear!
Sesshoumaru: I can lip read.
Kagome: you know, the fact that you were looking at Miroku's lips is somewhat disturbing.
Sesshoumaru: *glare*
Kagome: *hides behind Sango*
A1969: anyway, don't forget to review! For me? xD