Fae Tree 22
A/N: Thanks to everyone who voted for this story in the 1st Quarter 2021 Feudal Connection. Thanks to you it won the 3rdd place for the Best Drama.
Hope you will enjoy this chapter!


22


"What the hell, mother?" Inuyasha blinked.

"Lady mother," Lady Kimiko corrected with a wave of her hand as she approached him. "Your body has matured, but your spirit is still childish if you think that I will allow you to frolic with a human."

She reached up a hand and touched his cheek just like Izayoi had done before. It took him a second to step away from her gentle touch, he was so stunned by her words.

"What the hell, lady mother?" he asked. "You don't know her and you can't order me..."

"Humans are dangerous. It's wise to stay away from them and their senseless greed," the silver-haired woman said, her voice cool. She lowered her hand and looked to his biological mother. One could suspect that the two wives of the shiro inu leader would hate each other, fighting for his favor, but that was far from true. Yes, Lady Kimiko was a serene sage while Lady Izayoi was a hot-headed avenger, but one would've been shocked how often these two agreed on matters. Just like right now, Inuyasha realized when he saw the expression on his mother's face.

"I'm afraid that she's right, Inuyasha," Izayoi stepped closer. "When yasha and humans mingle, misery is bound to follow. These who are reckless enough to fall for a human, find themselves robbed of their own will, tortured or destroyed, if not by their lover then by other humans. Many a times a wronged yasha with broken heart had came to request of me to avenge their loss, for they could not fight against these who had ensnared them."

Concern was in her warm eyes and Inuyasha swallowed, looking between the two mothers. He knew they weren't mean, they just based their beliefs on countless tales of how humans did wrong to yasha kind, most of them real accounts. It wasn't their fault that Kagome was different from the selfish, greedy humans and that they didn't know that. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to collect his thoughts. He had tried to plan out what he was going to tell them, but all he got were shards of arguments. And to convince his mother, he knew he needed more than that.

He glanced to his father, the older male standing back and remaining quiet while his mates could order Inuyasha to stay away from Kagome and Inuyasha couldn't really argue with his command, unless he wanted to leave the pack. He wasn't too keen on it, since he just got them all back, but he didn't want to lose the chance for friendship or something more with Kagome. So, instead of arguing with his mothers, he took a deep breath. Barking at his mothers wasn't the right way to go if he wanted to be on his father's good side. He had to act not as a yapping pup, but an adult yasha and he felt sorely lacking in the charisma to win in a discussion to two bitches that held sway over his father. The fact that Touga was still silent, watching him patiently, gave Inuyasha hope that he could win the pack over despite the words of his mothers - which were wise words, sure, but not when Kagome was the human they were concerned about. And Souta was fine too, not a greedy human from fables material And, on the topic of fables, Inuyasha remembered, his father was fond of these. So, instead of arguing his case, he decided to treat his family to a story.

Decision made, Inuyasha straightened his back and twitched his ears a few times to relax. He got it. He could tell them a story. He was a shitty storyteller, yes, but he could make up for that in honest emotion. He looked around the hall, his mothers stopping their rant about shifty humans when they saw him lift his chin. He saw a pale shadow approach his father to stand at his right - Sesshomaru decided to join their parents. He was alone, an emotionless mask over his perfect features. The shiro inu leader didn't even look his way, his golden eyes focused on his youngest son.

"Let me tell you all a story, okay? I'm sure you will see stuff my way," Inuyasha said, as confident as he could manage to be while he was stared at by four inu yasha, all of them powerful in their own right. They were his family and he deeply longed to have them on his side, seeing things like he did. After a century away even Sesshomaru's emotionless ass was welcome company - at least until the big idiot annoyed him enough to want to punch him in his perfect face.

"Your way, huh?" Touga raised a brow, but gave a short nod, gesturing towards the table. "Very well, let us sit and hear your story, son."

"Touga..."

"Husband..." started the women at the same time and in the same tone of voice. Inuyasha almost snickered at what his father had once referred as 'doghouse tone'. Now the man just shrugged as he went to sit on his chair at the head of the table.

"He ain't no pup anymore. We have to hear him out."

"This Sesshomaru's brother alluded to some details of his absence earlier," Sesshomaru spoke quietly. "This one wishes to learn more and if we do not listen, he is bound to sit in a tree like a neko and pout."

Inuyasha's fist clenched, longing to break his brother's snotty nose, but all he did was to scowl at him - after all his brother was willing to listen, even if he had to voice it in that way. Like - when Inuyasha did pout?

Scowling he followed his family to take a seat around the table. He looked at their faces and took a deep breath. They were his pack, his kin. He wanted them to see and understand his fondness of Kagome and Souta, the friendship they had created.

Because, being a part of his family again aside, he wasn't sure he could battle them over it. Like, he had a chance against Kimiko in a fight, but not when she used her magic. Izayoi was smaller, but insanely vicious. Sesshomaru was maybe an oak sage like his mother, but he was skilled in battle. And Touga, well Inuyasha didn't know if there was a living yasha able to win against his father.

So, he started his tale with his adventures as he went across the yasha lands. His stay in Ulthar where he'd befriended the neko princess Sango and her little brother Kohaku. The visit to the coast where a bat and a seal yasha had an adorable girl, who'd been prejudiced because she was too seal for bats and too bat for seals. The battle with two cocky thunder beasts. Then he finally told his pack about his visit and unforseen stay in a freshly made human settlement. He brushed over the years of sealment and then got to the good part before his family had a chance to jump and yell how they were right about how bad humans were.

He told them about their first meeting, well, their two first meetings, because she'd ran off when he'd first spoke to her. He told them about his songs he played to her, their talks. He told her about drawings and how she'd tried to get to know more about him. He didn't tell them about her weak attempts at getting his true name, no matter how amusing they had been. He told them about little Souta and how the siblings worked together both to protect him and to break the stupid human belief that their females were inferior. He explained how Kagome had released him and how he'd taken them both on a mad dash through the night landscape. How they'd danced the rest of the night away among ookami. He even told them about his refused proposal. He described her as fair of heart and body, witty and kind, generous and humble. He smiled, remembering her bashfulness and awe at his music. He cited how she'd scolded him without fear of his anger when she'd felt he deserved t.

And during that lengthy tale none of them interrupted him, which was tradition. No matter how much they wanted to ask questions, it was not polite to disturb the flow of a tale.

And when he finally reached the bit where he returned home, the four of them just looked at him, silent for a while.

"Alright, so you found two friendly humans, one of them a spirited girl," the Full Moon said slowly. "What of it? Their family and villagers would've been vicious, were they aware of your existence."

"Kagome and Souta didn't betray me and they never will," he growled.

"Their bloodline should be still punished for ensnaring one of shiro inu," Lady Izayoi spoke next.

"That priest is long gone. Kami, his kids are long gone! And if you try to do something to them, I swear I will not let it happen!" he lowered his ears, glaring at the two females. And there he'd hoped they'd like the strong willed Kagome. He was sure they'd adore her, once they dropped their prejudice

"You're certainly smitten, Inuyasha," his father spoke and his wives turned to look at him. "What? Didn't you see how his eyes light up?"

"Puppy love, this one believes, would describe that look," Sesshomaru supplied.

"I'll give you puppy love," Inuyasha started to rise from his seat. He'd talked for ages and all they had to say was joking about his feelings and refusing to see Kagome as she was.

"Inuyasha, sit," Touga ordered patiently. "And Sesshomaru, don't antagonize him he just got home."

Sesshomaru shrugged.

"I'm going to go see her," Inuyasha declared, resting his hands on the table top to lean a bit forward. "You don't have to like it."

"Inuyasha!" his mother scolded

"Touga, talk some sense into him," said his mother.

Inuyasha looked up to his father, the mighty lord that ruled all inu yasha, who led them to battle and guarded the borders of the sacred forest.

"You are a man now, Inuyasha," he said slowly, pointing to his face markings. "Tonight, I believe, we should hold the ceremony of your coming of age. Your sword has waited for you."

"You ain't bribing me with the sword to do what you want," Inuyasha aid hotly. Once he'd have given anything to get his heirloom sword and claim a place in his fathers hunt. He still longed for it, but he didn't want that if he couldn't go back and see Kagome. The memory of her shy smile and her feisty attitude were always on his mind.

"Tomorrow at dawn, Sesshomaru will lead you into Yasha no Mori," Touga continued as if unaware of his words or the glances he got from the rest of the family. "The Emperor will see if your affection for the human is a blessing or a curse."

"Father!"

"Touga"

"Husband!" the three of them voiced their shock and (in Sesshomaru's case) displeasure. Inuyasha blinked, realizing that his mothers weren't about to oppose the leader's words. He guessed they hoped that the judgment of the highest authority among yasha would be the same as theirs, and would somehow sway his choices.

He didn't see fit to tell them that he wouldn't listen to the Emperor if the Emperor babbled nonsense.

"Father," Sesshomaru pleaded. "Certainly, lady mother would be a far better choice for a guide. This one is not..."

"I have spoken," Touga clapped his hands loudly. "Now, let's prepare for the feast. My boy came home and he's bound to be impressed by his sword!"

Inuyasha stood there, staring, as his mothers rushed to call for servants and prepare the feast. Sesshomaru grouched away, probably to whine to his wife that he was going to be dragging Inuyasha across the sacred forest tomorrow.

A heavy, warm hand rested on Inuyasha's shoulder. A breath tickled his quivering ear when his father bent down to speak in the furry triangle.

"I gave you a chance, nothing more, son. If she is worth it, you will accept the Kirin's test and prevail."

Inuyasha turned his head, but his father was already walking away, waving his hands and yelling he wanted a roasted deer spiced with rosemary for himself.