At Fair: Inuyasha, Jovan and Takehiko

After breakfast, Takehiko led Inuyasha and Jovan out to the courtyard before summoning his golden youki cloud to carry the three of them. As they traveled to the village, Takehiko told both his children about the day they had been born. Then Inuyasha and Jovan filled Takehiko in on their lives. Jovan hugged Inuyasha when he told them about what had happened with Kikyo fifty years ago and about the struggles he had over the years. Inuyasha blushed and awkwardly patted Jovan's back before pulling away from the hug.

Takehiko laughed when Inuyasha told them about the arguments he and Kagome had gotten into over the years. Jovan giggled when she heard about Kagome sitting him out of a tree by accident.

"I know that most of the arguments were my fault, but she just doesn't listen."

"Son, it sounds to me like you may have been a bit overbearing while you traveled."

"Telling her that she couldn't go home would be like her telling you that you couldn't go see Kikyo while she walked the earth, Inuyasha."

"Yeah, but what if she left and couldn't come back. Or if she got hurt. I said I would protect her. I couldn't protect her if she wasn't there."

"Son, you can't protect her from everything and she will start to resent you if you try. I think this has more to do with your mother's death than Kagome." Takehiko laid his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "You were left alone too young and for far too long."

"Keh, it ain't got nothing to do with mother." Inuyasha crossed his arms and pinned his ears against his head. "So, what do you plan of doing now that you're alive again, dad?"

"Oh, I think I'll look us some of my old friends. I hear that Lord Hideki is still the Lord of the South. His daughter died 60 years ago shortly after the birth of her son. His daughter's mate and her son disappeared, leaving Lord Hideki's elder granddaughter as the only heir to the south. From what Sesshomaru told me, Lady Itazura only found out about her mother's mating, the birth of her otōto, her mother's death and her otōto's disappearance when she arrived back from the continent 50 years ago. Apparently she's been looking for them since she came back. Lord Hideki and I were good friends and his daughter was only 200 years younger than me."

"I remember Lady Mother saying that Lady Itazura showed up at your funeral. Lady Mother thought it was strange that Lady Itazura said not even death could keep you still for long."

"Well, Lady Itazura often said strange things that would make sense later. When she was 200 she told me that someday she would catch up to me in years of life." Takehiko laughed and shook his head as he thought about the nine-tailed Kitsune. "Since I spent 200 years dead, she did catch up to me in years of life."

"So, could she see the future or something?"

"No, no really. It's more like if she truly believes something, it comes true. When she was a kit, she told me that there was a magic well that could take really special people to a different time."

"There is a well that can take Kagome and me to different times."

"True, but before she told me about the well, there was no well there. I'm not sure if she ever figured out that she was causing her beliefs to become reality or if she still thinks that when something happens like that, it's proving her beliefs right."

"Well, that's an interesting talent. I didn't think anyone but a Kami could make things like that happen."

"She's the daughter of Inari, the Fox God. There are only a few who know about this, so don't tell anyone else. Lord Hideki trusts our pack, but if others found out about Itazura's talent they may try to capture her for their own greed. It isn't only her good beliefs that come true. When she was a child she was convinced that there was a monster under this one bridge that would eat any child that crossed the bridge. Ten children were eaten before Lord Hideki and I killed it. To keep her from creating another monster to take its place, we had to take her with us when we killed it so that she knew it was dead."

"For her sake, I hope she doesn't know about this ability of hers. If she did find out about it, she'll probably blame herself for what happened to those children." Jovan sighed as she thought about how she would feel in Itazura's place.

"I know. Having that much power is a heavy burden to bear. Let's put the subject of Lady Itazura aside. We've arrived." Takehiko smiled at his two child as they landed. "I'm glad to see that Sesshomaru hasn't changed anything while I was gone."

Inuyasha looked around and he jaw dropped. He had expected a town full of youkai who would look down on him for being a half-breed. Instead he saw youkai, ningen, and hanyou all smiling and talking as they walked through the fair.

"What the…" Jovan giggled and patted Inuyasha's arm.

"Aniki said that it was tradition to have the harvest fair here. I've missed attending the last few years while he was busy with Naraku."

"When I became the Western Lord, I had this village built to be a refuge to those who wished to live in peace. Several of the youkai and ningen couples have lived here for hundreds of years. Every year the harvest fair is held here to remind others that youkai and ningen that there can be peace between us."

"Aniki told me that as long as the village stayed peaceful, there was no reason to bother the villagers. I think the real reason he didn't bother the villagers was because he felt he could make up for not being able to protect you better by protecting the village."

"Sesshomaru had a heavy burden to bear himself. By all rights, he shouldn't have had to take over as the Lord of the Western Lands for another four or five centuries. One of the reasons he was angry was because he wanted to earn his place as Lord by surpassing me in power."

"Lady Mother told me that Aniki wanted to prove to everyone that he was worthy of being their Lord. So when he was a pup, he focused on becoming what he thought a lord should be. Though it was only after Father met Mother that Aniki pulled away from his friends and family."

"It was mostly my fault that Sesshomaru withdrew from others so much." Takehiko sighed and shook his head as Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Sesshomaru was my heir, so I had to be tough on him. I pushed him to study hard and train hard. I was busy with running the lands so it was rare for me to have time to just play with Sesshomaru as a pup. The only time we had together that wasn't used for studies or training was during the harvest fair."

"So that's why he's always so serious?"

"He wasn't always this serious. Sesshomaru had some friends and he did play with them when he had the time. No, I'm afraid that the reason Sesshomaru became so serious was because of my relationship with your mother."

"Aniki felt that Father was replacing him and betraying Lady Mother."

"Sesshomaru was only a little older than you two when I meet and fell in love with your mother. Things had been peaceful in the lands for a while, so I didn't have to work as hard and had more free time. Free time that I spent with your mother instead of with him. I was so wrapped up in your mother that I was ignoring Sesshomaru when he was looking for reassurance that he was still important to me."

"It must have really hurt when he found out Mother was pregnant."

"Yes, I imagine it did. Especially since I talked about little else and spent even less time with him than before. I'll never forget look on his face when he asked if I had been this excited when his mother was pregnant with him." Takehiko sighed again and rubbed his hand over his face. "I didn't even think before I opened my mouth, and once I said it, I knew I should have worded my answer better. I told him that of course I was excited when his mother became pregnant since I needed an heir. It was just different since I loved Izayoi and our pup."

Both Inuyasha and Jovan's jaws dropped and they looked at Takehiko in disbelief.

"I really didn't mean for it to sound like I didn't love Sesshomaru, but of course, that's how it came across and he didn't give me time to try to explain better before he took off. That's when he completely closed off."

"Yeah, I would have been pissed off too if I heard that. No wonder he acted like he hated me when I refused to live with him after Mother died."

"You are going to talk with him about this aren't you Father? You know that Sesshomaru is really very sensitive."

"Wait, what? Since when is Sesshomaru sensitive?"

"He's always been sensitive otōto, that's why he closed off like he did and only relaxes when he's around people he considers pack. He hides his feeling behind a mask of coldness so that people don't get too close. The only people I know of that have gotten passed the surface and into his heart are a few of his childhood friends, Rin, me and now you. It really did hurt him to know that you thought he had abandoned you and Mother."

"Jovan is right, Inuyasha. Sesshomaru has always been very sensitive when it came to some things. Any slight made to someone he cared for would send him into a rage when he was younger. That's one of the reason I pushed him so hard in combat training. He needed the discipline so he didn't kill off everyone who even looked at him or his friends strangely. Once, before he decided that a real Lord didn't show his emotions, he brought home an injured two-headed dragonet and begged me with tears streaming down his face to help the dragon."

"So that's where he got Ah-Un."

"So he still has the dragon then. I thought he would have released it by now."

"Oh, he tried to release Ah-Un, Father. However, Ah-Un refused to leave his side. At least Ah-Un isn't as annoying as Jaken. That imp really needs to learn some respect."

"Let me guess, the toad called you a lowly half-breed and ranted about how it was beneath the Great Lord Sesshomaru to put up with hanyou and ningen girls." Inuyasha snorted and shook his head when Jovan laughed and nodded. "I don't know why he puts up with that annoying toad."

"Oh, I know why he puts up with him." Takehiko laughed. "I saw how the two of them interact earlier today. The annoyance is utterly loyal to Sesshomaru which is very important to him and why he trusts Jaken to watch Rin. He also gets the added benefit of getting to step on the imp, watch Rin torture the imp and threatening to kill the imp. Jaken's a form of stress release that helps him keep from killing other annoying people."

"That makes sense. I knew there had to be a reason he kept the thing around."

"Personally, I think Jaken is in love with Aniki but knows that Aniki would kill him if he ever suggested it."

"Ok, I think I'm going to throw up. That has to be the grossest thing I ever heard. Even if it does explain why the toad fawns all over Sesshomaru." Inuyasha shook his head to dislodge the thought.

"I see Jovan has Sesshomaru's sense of humor." Takehiko laughed as Jovan giggled at Inuyasha's expression.

"What, Sesshomaru has a sense of humor?" Inuyasha laughed as Jovan sputtered and tried to defend Sesshomaru's sense of humor. "Geeze, I was just joking. I know he has a sense of humor, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to put up with traveling with us while we hunted Naraku. Though I'm sure that most of his laughs came from Kagome sitting me."

Jovan and Takehiko laughed and nodded. They both knew that seeing Inuyasha subjugated like that would amuse Sesshomaru. As they passed the different booths, Inuyasha noticed a booth that was selling different waxes and polishes for weapons. He thought about how hard it was for Sango to find the ingredients and make the wax she used on her Hiraikotsu.

"Wait up a sec. I need to check this stall out." Inuyasha headed over to the booth and sniffed at the different waxes until he found one that smelled like what Sango used.

"That wax is used to keep youkai bone weapons polished and contains a strengthening agent to help keep the weapon from breaking."

"Yeah, Sango uses this stuff on her Hiraikotsu. She's low on the wax and she's been having trouble finding the ingredients to make more." Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably as Jovan smirked at him. "What?"

"You like Sango, huh otōto." Inuyasha blushed and scowled at her.

"Oi, what are you implying. Sango's a friend and pack mate." Takehiko chuckled.

"It's plain to see that you like the young woman, Son. You were smelling her hair when you were hiding behind her at breakfast."

"Wha…Tha…You're seeing things."

"Don't worry, Inuyasha. Sango likes you too. She blushed and her scent spiked when you plastered yourself against her back."

"Keh, you're both imagining things." Inuyasha huffed as he handed the booth owner some money for three containers of the wax Sango used. "We're just friends. Friends help each other out."

"Whatever you say otōto." Jovan giggled as Inuyasha stuffed the wrapped containers into his haori with a red face.

Before Inuyasha had a chance to reply, the three of them heard an excited squeal and saw a flash of red before Takehiko found himself flat on his back. Inuyasha and Jovan laughed as a very excited kitsune female with knee length blood red hair and nine tails sat on their father's stomach.

She was wearing a two-piece kimono. The top was an off the shoulders, long sleeved lavender kimono that showed off a bit of her cleavage, while the skirt part was worn low enough on her hips that her tails were free to move. The lavender skirt was ankle length with slits up the sides that reach mid-thigh which showed off her long smooth legs as she straddled Takehiko's waist. Both the kimono and the skirt had white swirling designs on them. She was wearing black boots that reached mid-calf and she wore a white and lavender sash that held her katana and sheath. The sheath was black with red foxes on it and the hilt of the katana was wrapped with dark red leather.

Takehiko laughed as he looked up into the smiling lavender eyes of Lady Itazura. He sat up and lifted the grinning kitsune off his stomach before standing up.

"Hello Lady Itazura. It's been a long time."

"I knew death couldn't keep you still for long, Take-kun." Itazura laughed as Takehiko sighed at the nickname she called him by.

"So this is Lady Itazura." Itazura looked over at Jovan and Inuyasha and laughed.

"You must be his and Izayoi's children, I thought there was only one of you."

"Lady Itazura, this is Inuyasha and Jovan. Jovan was raised by Kamiko, no one but Sesshomaru and Kamiko knew about her until just recently."

"Oh, that explains it. Say, you haven't seen any little kitsune around have you?"

"I've only seen one kitsune lately."

"Was it a boy about 60 years old?"

"Well, Shippo's a boy, but we don't know how old he is. He's still a little guy though so he could be around 60. Why do you ask?" Inuyasha frowned as Itazura hugged him.

"Can you take me to him? Please? I have to find my little brother, but all I found out about him is that he's 60, has reddish-orange hair, emerald green eyes and was orphaned. I've been looking for him for so long, but that father of his just kept moving. Then I finally found his father, but he was dead and my poor little brother wasn't there." Takehiko, Jovan and Inuyasha looked at each other and shrugged.

"Well, Shippo's probably with Kagome." Inuyasha frowned.

"Why don't you come back to the palace with us after the fair closes for the day. You can meet Shippo and his adopted mother at the banquet tonight?" Jovan smiled at Itazura as she hugged her.

"Oh, thank you so much, Lady Jovan. I really hope that Shippo is my baby brother. I'm running out of places to look."

"Where have you looked so far?"

"Well, I canvased the entire southern, eastern and northern lands. I stopped at every village, both ningen and youkai and checked every cave, burrow, den and nest in all three lands. I had just stared looking in the western lands when this stupid kumo-hanyou tried to catch me, but that was 6 months ago and I heard that he was defeated by the great Inu no Taisho's sons and their friends." Itazura giggled. "So I decided that it was safe enough to came back and start searching again. I've covered the northern part of the western lands and I'm working my way south."

"That's a lot of territory you covered. Are you sure your brother's alive?" Jovan smacked the back of Inuyasha's head and frowned at him. Itazura giggled as she saw him rub his head and frown at her.

"I'm sure he's still alive. Any son of my mother would have to be smart and resourceful. I know he's alive. I just need to keep looking until I find him." Jovan smiled at the cheerful kitsune.

"I'm sure you'll find him, Lady Itazura."

"Oh, please, call me Itazura. I don't like titles. Thank Kami that grandfather just took a new mate and they're expecting another kit. I'm sure that the kit will be a boy. No way do I want to be stuck ruling the southern lands. Nope, I'm going to make sure my baby brother is happy and healthy where he is, or take him with me and raise him myself and wonder around wherever I want to go."

"Well, for now, why don't you wander around the fair with us? You don't mind, do you Inuyasha?" Jovan gave Inuyasha her best puppy dog eyes and he caved.

"I guess she can tag along. Not like it's going to matter too much if there's three or four of us."

"Oh, we are going to have so much fun!" Itazura giggled as she grabbed Inuyasha and Jovan by the hand and wrapped her tails around Takehiko. "First stop, the fireworks booth!"

Takehiko laughed as the pretty kitsune dragged them into her mischief.