Koikokoro (Awakening Love)
Chapter Two: A moment of Clarity
Five hundred years ago Sesshomaru's world was put on pause.
It started on a normal morning. Sesshomaru performed his daily training in the dojo, working through his complicated sword katas and basic blocking maneuvers before working his way to the kitchen for a quick bite of dried meat.
Inuyasha was already in the kitchen, munching loudly on whatever it was that the cooks had made for him. He looked up, a bit of rice on his face, and grumbled," Oi morning aniki." Inuyasha wasn't one for pleasantries, but he did so enjoy irritating his brother in the morning.
The cooks still working in the kitchen were still watching Sesshomaru's response to the greeting long after Inuyasha returned to his food, and it was them that got to see the remarkable sight of him with a very small smile on his pale features. "Morning," he returned before moving to a bowl of dried meat that had been left out for him.
Inuyasha looked up curiously, before shrugging and returning to his meal. It was the first time his brother had ever responded, but he just figured that the icicle prince was actually in a good mood for once. It was later as he was leaving that things got very strange. Firstly Sesshomaru was always the first to leave, but as Inuyasha got up he was still sitting there slowly chewing the meat. "See ya, Aniki," he remarked, trying to announce that he was the first to leave as he headed out the door.
Inuyasha and the entire kitchen staff froze as a foreign sound left Sesshomaru's mouth. It was a soft chiming sound that bubbled with emotion. It was laughter, but that couldn't be right. Inuyasha sprung around to see Sesshomaru still laughing before he remarked," You're so silly, don't tease me. You know you were born first."
If Inuyasha had had anything in his hands, it would have been dropped to the floor. "Stay here Sesshomaru, stay right here," Inuyasha ordered as he quickly decided to find father. He was slightly surprised when Sesshomaru didn't say anything before he sped out the door and towards the lounging room. He burst through the door with a gasp, his breathe short more from surprise then fatigue. "Father!" he cried, his hands shaking. Inuyasha was a warrior in his own right, and though he did not get along very well with Sesshomaru he still cared for his brother. "Something is wrong with Sesshomaru."
Inutashio was standing the moment the door slammed open. He was used to Inuyasha's occasional outburst, but never anything about Sesshomaru's wellbeing. "What happened," he demanded, turning to his youngest son. At his side the other lords he had been having a meeting with stood as well. Toru, Hokado and his son Houou, and Sou and his son Ryuu were all visiting the western palace to meet and basically renew their friendships to keep the taiyoukai four strong. Sesshomaru should have been there earlier, but Inutashio hadn't realized how serious it was.
Inuyasha just shook his head and pointed before racing back to the kitchen, the lords and princes followed. Sesshomaru was still sitting there, his bowl now empty. "Aniki," he called as Inuyasha came back. He stood quickly and walked over to embrace him.
Inutashio starred for a moment. There really was no response to that. "Sesshomaru," he called softly, placing his hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder.
Sesshomaru stood back and looked him straight in the eyes before answering," Why are you calling me Sesshomaru? My name is Mangetsu and who are you?"
Five hundred years in the future as Mangetsu snuggled against him, Inutashio could still remember his own son forgetting who he was. At the time no one was really sure what was wrong with Sesshomaru, but as time past most physiologists diagnosised him with dissociative identity disorder. Sesshomaru instantly said no, and when one of the doctors suggest they film Sesshomaru in his change and then show him the video Sesshomaru still said that he did not have the disorder. No one really knew what to do with him or his two separate identities.
"Mangetsu," Inutashio called softly as he shook the emotional boy's shoulder. He had finally learned their names a few years ago and a bit of counseling for himself taught him how to handle them. Mangetsu was childish and cried quiet a bit, but he could handle him well enough.
It was Engetsu that bothered him. Engetsu acted like a younger version of Sesshomaru, but when his doctor reviewed a bit of footage from him. He looked the demon lord straight in the face and told him," I don't know if this is your fault or not, but that child was sexually abused and if not then viciously physically abused. When an identity is created it is to escape a reality their brain cannot accept." Inutashio never responded to the remark, but he worried if there was something his eldest wasn't telling him.
"Inutashio," a voice from his lap called.
The Taiyoukai looked down to find Engetsu's serious eyes peering up at him. He sighed, 'spoke to soon.' Inutashio released his hold to give Engetsu room to move. It didn't take the boy long to shift away from him and sit cross legged on the floor. It was unusual that Engetsu called him by name. Most time the two boys were not thinking clearly enough to respond to outside stimuli and got their memories confused with reality. "Is something the matter?" he asked, wondering about the smoldering gaze.
Engetsu nodded slowly before answering, "We have been sensing something for some time and Mangetsu confirmed it this morning. We need to find the source of what is calling to us. It is important."
Toru's scarlet gaze glittered curiously as he knelled down. "What is it that you sense?"
"I'm sorry Lord Toru, but we cannot tell you yet," Engetsu responded quickly, surprising the tiger youkai, he hadn't realized that the boy knew his name. "I have to go," he remarked, standing.
Inutashio stood with him. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you go alone," he spoke, determined.
"Then you and you alone come with me," Engetsu answered with a challenging look.
Inutashio met his stare just as sternly, but it was strange to see his son's face behind those emotion filled eyes. "Alright then," he responded, standing. "Please just enjoy your day together while we are out," he told the lords. They all nodded in agreement and not for the first time Inutashio was thankful for how close all the lords were.
Engetsu took a step forward, but he was unsteady in the body for a moment before he got his bearings. "We should hurry," he remarked before heading quickly for the door. Inutashio followed after him, and together the duo made their way to the capital city. Engetsu some how managed to hail a cab that took them straight to Todai.
Inutashio was more curious then anything as he walked beside Engetsu through the student filled pathways. They were almost in the middle of the university grounds when some girl came running from around the corner and nearly ran Engetsu over before continuing on with a yelled 'sorry'. Engetsu gasped and then sighed as if all his stress was released before falling against his guardian.
When he looked up it was Sesshomaru's eyes that greeted Inutashio. "We are close," he said strangely before standing straight on his own. "We wish to head to the café now," Sesshomaru commented as he turned in the direction of the Crescent café. Inutashio followed once more, this time more confused then ever.
The crescent café was a beautiful building that mixed the old and the new in a comforting blend. It was started by Inutashio's second mate, Izayoi. She had found that her mate's business bloomed with little help and moved her interests elsewhere. In a moment of extreme boredom she found two hobbies. The first was painting and the second was baking. With a bunch of money and skill it did not take long for her to make a café that served tasty, but cheap, pastries during the day and rich dinners at night. Many of the college students loved the place for its dark blue drapes and entrancing moon and star patterns hidden everywhere. She had a contest going that anyone who could find all the moons would win food for life. The last one had yet to be found.
Sesshomaru, despite all the students, found the place very soothing and tried to visit as often as he could. When he walked in the place was empty. It was closed for cleaning but all of the lords, his half brother, Izayoi, and surprisingly his mother was there. She had left to travel about fifty years ago and came around randomly to visit him. Glancing at her worried eyes he guessed she had heard of his disaster this morning.
No one greeted him, not sure who he was exactly until Inutashio made some sign behind him signaling everything was okay, but as Sesshomaru felt the heat of so many eyes on him he felt a pressure in his mind. It built to a headache until he just turned and headed back for the door. "I need to walk, I'll be back soon," he said before disappearing. No one followed him, respecting his wishes after scenting the anger building up.
"How has he been doing?" Sakura asked, turning to her ex-mate and friend.
The demon lord sighed as he ran his hand through his silky hair. "He seems to be switching more and more often now and I'm worried. He worries me when he speaks in the plural, he didn't use to do that."
The room was silent for awhile. There really wasn't anything to say that had not already been said. Inutashio moved to say something when the door was torn open. A woman, face flushed in fear and exhaustion, and her dog came barreling in. The dog turned back to the door instantly and started to growl. While the girl gasped for help.
"Are you alright?" Inutashio asked as the girl spun around to face him. He was surprised to see her jolt and then smile at the sight of him. She whispered something before she fell backwards in a dead faint that almost made him miss catching her. He looked down at the small black haired woman in open curiosity. How could this young human possible know the true name of his son?
"Is she okay?" Izayoi asked as she peered over her mate's shoulder.
"She will be fine I'm sure, just exhausted," he answered automatically, and swinging her effortlessly into his arms he moved to the stairs leading up to a small room above the café. He placed her on the bed and careful removed her shoes before turning to leave her to her rest. He was almost surprised to see her pup standing in the doorway. The dog had its hackles raised and soft puppy fangs bared, but for an instant her small black pupils flash red against ice blue.
Any normal dog, let alone pup, would never growl at an Inuyoukai of any kind but here this little one stood warning him. He could hear the message in her growls, "She saved me and I will risk my life to save her if you so dare lay a claw upon her."
Inutashio smiled at the bravery and gently growled back, "I wish no harm of this child, I sense great good in her and respect such innocence." The pup looked pleased and quickly zipped around him and onto the bed. She curled close to her charge and lay down but never closed her icy orbs.
Inutashio left the room with a worried look on his face. He could already tell that the woman did not possess an ordinary dog. She had tamed, with what seemed to be surprising ease, what Inuyoukai called a hellhound. They were not real hellhounds but they were demon souls that had been accidentally placed in a dog. They were normally extremely violent and sometimes crazy. The dog seemed to be neither and he had to wonder what the woman did exactly. Not to mention the fact that she had reeked of darkness. It smelled as if darkness had literally covered her completely, but there was a burnt ness about it that seemed as if she had forced it away. There were two problems with this assessment, however, number one was the fact that why would darkness so powerful even be after a weak human, and two how could such a powerful darkness be driven away by a weak human.
"You look a little sullen," Toru commented as soon as he came down the stairs.
"Its nothing I'm sure, she will be fine," he answered, knowing that Toru would see through his lies. The tiger made a discrete grin; he would corner the Inuyoukai later.
"Poor thing, I'll make some fresh scones for when she wakes up," Izayoi remarked as she moved into the kitchen area, followed by Sesshomaru's mother, Sakura.
Sakura watched as the other woman flittered about the kitchen with ease, pulling things off shelves and counters without even glancing at them. "You're worried," she commented.
Izayoi sighed, not looking up from her work. "I know when Inu has something on his mind, I would be dense to not. And Sesshomaru today, I've never seen Engetsu and Mangetsu so lucid and then to ask to leave like that. I know he is your son but I care for him to even if he may hate me. Something is going on, be it good or bad I can sense a change on the horizon."
Sakura laughed humorlessly. "You're right about that, something speaks of change in the air, but for my son's sake may it be good," she sighed.
"Yes, it has been hard for him these last five hundred years," Izayoi remarked.
"Really I wonder if it is him that it has been hard on or us. He has always been fine with the personalities in his body," Sakura commented, watching her old friend work the dough into shapes.
They both stopped moving, however, when the door bell chimed. Sesshomaru was back.
Sorry this chapter is so short but this seemed like a good torturing spot to stop.