Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha...big surprise

Chapter Four: Big Brother

Kentamaru wandered the darkened halls of the castle, blindly navigating his way to his room as if dazed. In reality the young hanyou was lost in his thoughts of the events that had come to pass this night. He passed by a window, turning his head to glance out the glass. Large clouds were rolling and billowing in the night sky, lightning striking inside their bulk and illuminating the sky.

He passed it by continuing his solemn march. The night sky reflected his current mood, he realized, after what his mother and father just presented him with. The thought of it brought a light scowl to his features but he'd be damned if he ever let one of his parents see that it upset him. He turned to enter his own quarters and sighed.

A lone torch lit the entire room, giving it an eerie and gloomy feel. There was a large futon bed perfectly centered on the far left of the room. On his right was the sliding door that led to his bathing room. Kentamaru ambled over to his bed, spinning on his tail and collapsing on his back onto his mattress. To his left now, away from the foot of the bed was his private balcony. The doors to which were closed and the drapes strewn across them, though gaping open slightly to reveal a bit of light as lightning streaked across the sky again.

Directly to his left against the wall in the corner was his desk and strewn across it were his bamboo practice swords. To his right was what served as his closet, nothing but an ornate tapestry hanging on the wall concealing shelves where he held his clothes and a few meager possessions.

Lightning flashed outside, the brightest flash yet, and illuminated the room. Kentamaru closed his golden eyes and by the time the thunder sounded the hanyou prince was already asleep.

"It's your call kid," Inuyasha called to him from inside the great room. The four who stood outside the doors with their heads against the wood all pulled back as if burned. The two retainers nodded encouragingly at him and backed away from the door, taking Canis along with them who was looking extremely confused. Sucking in his breath Kentamaru pushed open the door and stepped inside.

His mother and father stood in the room close together. Kenta gaped at the state of the once regal great room. The table was split in two and the drapes hung in tatters about the windows. He looked to his mother, her ears pressed to her head and an arm wrapped around her stomach as if to comfort herself. She was fighting a losing battle against her emotions. He could honestly say he had never seen his mother look so unsettled.

The look of utter helplessness on his mothers face jerked his heart painfully. He looked to his father for the assurance and hope he had always provided for his children and was surprised not to find it. Inuyasha was standing close to Kagome, using his proximity to calm both of their struggling emotions. Kenta assumed it was a losing battle for he had never seen the look on his fathers face before. It was hard, stolid and despite the strong and defiant stance his father took, there was an air of defeat about him.

Kentamaru masked his own fear and unease and strode forward what he hoped seemed confidently. As he approached his eyes flitted to the scroll in his mothers hand. Inuyasha noticed this and pried the scroll from Kagome's grasp and tossed it to Kenta.

Kentaread over it quickly and then up at his parents. "Is this some kind of a joke?" he barked incredulously, amusement lighting his golden eyes. If this was some sort of joke either it wasn't funny or he just wasn't getting it.Kagome closed her eyes and leaned on Inuyasha in an attempt to quell his temper. A temper, she sensed that was quickly rising. Inuyasha bristled in anger, rising up taller but Kagome against him kept him from lashing out at his eldest son.

While his mother might have saved Kenta from Inuyasha lashing out physically, he knew that he very well deserved whatever Inuyasha had coming and knew his mother would have to agree to that.

"Does this seem like a joke?" Inuyasha roared, wrapping his arms around Kagome and holding her closely in an attempt to calm himself. Or maybe he was occupying his arms and hands so as not to give in to temptation and smack his son upside the head. "Does it look like I'm fucking around here Kenta?"

Kentamaru handled the criticism well, remaining tall and unabashed in the face of Inuyasha. When Inuyasha backed down with a sigh he looked down once more at the scroll.

Taiyoukai of the Southern Lands Kaleb and the Daimyo of the southeasterly region of the Western Lands, Lord Tochio hereby agree to a truce; so that one Kentamaru of the honorable line of Inu no Taisho shall court both chosen daughters of the above named lords. It has been agreed upon that Kentamaru shall choose which of the girls and houses respectively with which to form the alliance.

"So Harusan was wrong. He got allegiance and alliance backwards," Kenta realized. The scroll went on to describe in great boring detail the rest of the deal. The jest of it was simple.

Kenta was to choose between two girls, courting them both evenly as the contract depicted. If any one side tried to sway his decision the truce would be called off and war would erupt. Also in light of his decision both lords had agreed to peace, there would be no war despite whom he chose.

At the bottom the two lords had scrawled their names accompanied by their respective wax seals. In the center of the document, at the very bottom were 2 spaces. One for Inuyasha's signature…and one for Kentamaru's.

When Kentamaru looked up once more at his parents, their faces shone with concern. "It's no joke," he breathed his eyes seeking out his fathers. Inuyasha closed his eyes and shook his head.

"It's the real damn deal," he growled, his anger directed not at his son but rather the document in his sons hand. Kagome's expression was unreadable as she watched Kenta intently.

"We've got to take this seriously," she said trying and failing to keep her voice calm and rationale. "We never meant to get you involved in this Kenta. You're too young to be dealing with all this." His mother apologized and Kenta could feel the sadness and sincerity in her voice. Her words rang true in his own thoughts.

He was fifteen, had slain but one real demon and had yet to formally end his childhood training. This left him a pup in the eyes of society and yet here he was, a new heavy weight and burden suddenly piled on his inexperienced shoulders. He was to end a bitter feud between nations, by getting married no less! How was he to deal with the task of courting two girls, obviously of high society and social ranking? The only girl he'd met, outside the ones that worked and lived in or around the castle compound, was Flora. And he didn't even really consider her a girl, she was just…Flora. The wolf youkai, daughter of the Northern Taiyoukai Kouga and she had annoying brothers.

Kenta realized for the first time that he knew nothing about the opposite sex. Nothing. Whatsoever. He was the last person on earth to go about courting these girls to end the feud. This could only end badly, but there was the gnawing feeling, deeply rooted in his soul telling him this was his only option.

"I don't really have a choice do I?" Kenta said finally, an air of finality in his voice.

"No war for a girl, any of two lovely young ladies mind you, hardly seems a bad trade Lord Kentamaru," Myoga stated from his position on Kentamaru's shoulder. Kenta glared down hard at the flea.

"I don't know anything about girls," he snarled at the flea before picking him off his shoulder and flicking him away disdainfully.

"Keh, girls are simple." Inuyasha boasted, puffing himself up. Kagome elbowed him in the side playfully with a shake of her head.

"What you know about girls and women could fit inside Myoga's brain." Kagome cracked, stepping away from Inuyasha to shoot him an incredulous look. Inuyasha folded his arms and 'Keh'd' as Kagome strode over to throw a loving arm around Kenta whose cheeks tinged and looked away.

"These are no ordinary girls Inuyasha. More like…princesses," She informed him squeezing Kentamaru reassuringly, who cringed under his mothers arm.

"That's comforting," he muttered though no one seemed to pay him any notice.

"Oi I know more than you give me credit for!" Inuyasha barked in a non-threatening way uncrossing his arms. Relaxing back and folding his arms again he added. "I got you didn't I?"

Kagome smiled at her mate. It was this she loved about him. The endearing moments when he had her wondering how she had ever lived without him for so long. Locking eyes with him with her most sincere and heartfelt gaze Inuyasha's cheeks tinged.

"You get credit," she said softly and Inuyasha blushed even more, embarrassed at his reaction in front of his son.

Kentamaru watched this exchange and rolled his eyes. Sticking out his tongue and feigning disgust he would have liked no more than to storm out the room but his mothers arm around him compelled him to stay. Catching Kenta's obvious look of disgust and discomfort and quickly composed himself.

"So what's it going to be?" he asked his son sternly. Kagome hugged Kenta tighter to her side.

"Like I said, I don't really have a choice," Kenta repeated stepping away from Kagome to face his father. Kagome looked like she wanted to protest, but both were wearing hard matching expressions they looked so similar she was silenced. He closed his eyes and bowed his head solemnly. "I can fight better than I can talk to girls I'm sure of that…but choosing war over peace because it's easier on me is something I cannot do." He stated and looked back up at his father. "Because whether I like it or not…you taught me honor. Honor to do what is right and be damned the consequences to myself. So there's really only one choice for me." And he held up the contract. Inuyasha gave a curt nod, unable to say anything in the aftermath of his son's speech, and took the contract.

Inuyasha motioned with his head for Kenta to follow him, and he led him over to the desk by the fireplace and pulled a feathered writing quill from an open bottle of ink. He slammed the contract down with unintentional force and hastily scribbled his name in the space.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome who was already at his side with a lit candle. Slowly she dripped some wax next to his name. Inuyasha pressed his claw to the droplet of wax and with a flash of youki energy the seal of the Inu no Taisho appeared. Turning to Kenta he held out the quill.

Forcing down the lump in his throat, Kentamaru snatched the writing utensil from his father's hand and proceeded to scrawl his name…

Kentamaru sat bolt upright in bed as lightning cracked across the sky followed by the eminent crash of the thunder. His haori was hot and damp with sweat and clung to his clammy body. He pushed back his damp bangs out of his eyes with shaky hands and out of habit he adjusted and twirled both the rings on his left hand. He stood up to shrug off his haori, which pooled easily enough to his ankles at the foot of the bed.

He made his way over to his mirror and desk where he kept his practice swords as well as a shallow basin of water. Feeling the need to splash his face with water to rid himself of the sticky feeling of his nightmare induced sweat he knelt before his desk.

Letting the water cool his hot face he lifted his head to look at his own reflection. What he saw looking back at him most certainly wasn't his own reflection…

Well…it was his reflection…mostly, but he only recognized half of it, if that made any sense. The left side of his face was human, his human form down to a human ear and his stark black hair. Even his eye was human, having taken on the shade of brown he inherited from his mother. This was a face he recognized, having to revert to it every time the full moon came around.

The right side of his face he did not recognize at all and it chilled him, could feel his body start shaking and the sweat returned seeping from his pores. On his right cheek appeared two thin jagged stripes, violet in color. His fangs were elongated and frighteningly sharp. Kenta gasped and fell back on his haunches then just as quickly scrambled forward, grasping the edges of the mirror so hard it creaked, his strength threatening to break it and leaned in close to it, his face not an inch from its surface.

"No, no…" he whimpered as he stared at his reflection. A demonic red eye with an aqua iris winked back at him. "What is this…?"

Releasing the mirror and falling to the ground, he stared at his own hands. One human…one clawed. "Is this what it means to be me?" he thought.

Literally, half-human…half-demon…hanyou…

"There's no way this'll work. Hanyou. Who am I kidding? No princess, demon or human would even settle for a hanyou let alone love one. Who are we fooling?" he thought miserably berating himself. "What have I done?"

"What the FUCK is this?" a voice yelled at him. Kenta's head snapped up and found himself staring into his own mutilated reflection, which was staring back at him wearing a smug smile…but Kentamaru wasn't smiling…

"Since when does Kentamaru, son of the great hanyou and miko Inuyasha and Kagome feel sorry for himself." The figure in the mirror asked. "Since when does Kentamaru, the worlds first pure bred hanyou doubt his blood?"

Kenta stared aghast at the mirror, it was right, whatever it was. In all 15 years of his life Kentamaru had never regretted being a hanyou.

"Never," he realized and stared his reflection full in the face, no longer afraid of it. His reflection nodded and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Damn straight."

"Just what are you?" Kenta demanded cocking an eyebrow at the mirror.

"A part of you, a part of you that you don't really need…"

Kentamaru sat bolt upright in his bed, his sheets strewn over his body wildly. Awkwardly he ran his claws through his disheveled bangs before checking to make sure he had two ears on top of his head. Yup, all present and accounted for, both fuzzy and one bent at the tip.

Whipping his head to look at himself in the mirror. No horrid stripes or the freaky red eye and no human features either. He was back to classic Kentamaru. Letting out a dramatic and relieved sigh he untangled himself from the sheets and crawled out of bed.

"Wicked dream," he thought as he stood up yawning. Ambling over to the tapestry that his closet while he scratched his bare chest, he lazily pulled out a haori. Throwing on the short-sleeved vest he strode over to his balcony where the morning sun shone through the cracks in the drapes.

Throwing open the drapes and the door in one swift motion Kenta made to step to out onto his balcony. Dropping from his second story balcony down was the quickest and easiest route to the dining hall. But perched on the balcony rail, crouched down and staring intently at him was Inuyasha.

"D-Dad," Kenta stuttered in surprise. "I-I was just coming to breakfast," he explained hurriedly offering up an excuse for himself as he scratched the back of his head self-consciously.

"Guilty conscience?" Inuyasha laughed as his son struggled to figure out why he was perched on his balcony waiting for him to come out. "Come with me," was all he said and Inuyasha leapt from the balcony.

Kentamaru shrugged off his father's mysterious behavior and leapt off the balcony after him.

Inuyasha walked with Kentamaru along the edge of the forest in relative silence. Kenta couldn't help but throw anxious glances at his father, wary from the unsettling silence. Had his father called him here so they could walk in silence?

"I know…I know it wasn't easy to sign that contract Kenta," Inuyasha said suddenly, his voice faltering as he tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Kenta shrugged his shoulders and looked ahead. "Like I said, I didn't really have a choice." He said lacing his fingers together behind his head. He saw his father nod his head once out the corner of his eye. "Anyway its no big deal," he assured him.

"It is a big deal," Inuyasha said more forcefully than he had intended. "You signed away an important part of your life. Gave yourself an obligation that you don't need at your age." Inuyasha reasoned.

"I know, I know but where else would I have met a girl?" he said turning to his father. "I mean the only other girl I know is Flora." He eyed his father closely for his reaction.

As expected a low growl emitted from Inuyasha who turned on his son as if he had been slapped. "Keh, wolf…" he snorted and Kentamaru turned away with a laugh.

"My thoughts exactly," Kenta laughed louder and Inuyasha calmed. They walked a little ways farther in a more comfortable silence.

"Kenta," Inuyasha piped up. "The decision you made, you really made things easier for your mother…and for me at your own expense. I want you to know you didn't have to do it…I didn't want you to do it…but it made things easier." Inuyasha said seriously.

"I just did what you taught me to do," Kenta grumbled.

"Your mother must have taught you that," Inuyasha snorted gazing into the depths of the forest to hide his embarrassment and blush. "Still, I- I'm proud of you," he spat out quickly.

Kenta's eyes widened as the words rolled off his fathers tongue. Inuyasha was not known for his open affection though Kenta had learned to spot and hold dear the moments when his father was happy and pleased with him.

"Keh, mom make you say that?" he snorted uncomfortably.

"No she didn't, I-I meant it. You've grown up and its time you end your training. About damn time." Inuyasha snorted back. Kentamaru stopped in his tracks and looked at his father eyes shining hopefully.

"S-Seriously?" he stammered. Inuyasha shrugged offhandedly.

"Yeah, what you did yesterday shows your ready." Inuyasha said and the light that stole in Kentamaru's eyes Inuyasha could have sworn he looked just like Canis when the youngster bounced around happily. "I'm telling you right now it's not going to be easy." He warned.

"Why would it be?" Kenta replied smiling brightly. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he smiled baring his fangs at his father in a cocky grin and Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk at his son's confidence.

"You're going to track down an…acquaintance of mine to pick up something. It'll take you three weeks to get there assuming you know where you're going." Inuyasha explained arching an eyebrow at Kentamaru.

"What's the downside?" Kenta said matching his father's expression perfectly.

"You're taking Canis too," he said carefully watching Kenta's reaction.

"WHAT?" Kentamaru's voice rang out in the forest sending several nearby birds into a hasty flight. Inuyasha folded his ears against his head as the tirade continued. "What? NO! Why?" he hollered irrationally and began pacing back and forth his long haori twirling about him as he turned.

"Canis has to begin his own training. Either he goes with you or you don't go at all." Inuyasha stated in a tone that clearly depicted the subject was not up for debate. Kentamaru narrowed his eyes at his father darkly which Inuyasha matched with his own hard glare.

"No way. There's absolutely no way that mom would ever let her precious baby go," Kenta stated boldly calling Inuyasha's bluff. Inuyasha folded his arms in his sleeves and lifted his chin arrogantly.

"Your mom will be fine she's got another baby to worry about while you two are away," he snorted but the remark was lost on Kenta who was storming back to the castle already. Inuyasha bounded after him determined to, if nothing else, beat his son to Kagome's side.

"You mean I get to go too?" Canis exclaimed as Inuyasha and Kentamaru argued their individual cases to Kagome. Kenta shot Canis a glower and the boy fell back silently into his seat.

Kagome closed her eyes and set down her chopsticks softly beside her bowl. Kenta was leaning over the table, his golden eyes pleading with her. Inuyasha was sitting in his own place at the table, chin in the air and arms folded arrogantly.

"Yes you do Canis," Inuyasha said sternly and Kentamaru's expression darkened Canis clapped his hands together excited. Kagome and Kenta both opened their mouths in protest.

"Inuyasha I think I should have some say in this matter, don't you?" she asked her mate in a dangerous and falsely sweet tone. Kentamaru tried to staunch a smirk from spreading across his face like wildfire.

"You can have a say Kagome," Inuyasha agreed with a terse nod of his head. "It just doesn't matter." And he stuck his nose in the air in an arrogant act of finality.

Kagome fisted her skirt in her hands and Kentamaru instinctively backed down as her miko energy crackled with her youki in a powerful combination. Inuyasha cracked an eye open to peek at his mate and winced at the heat coming off her. Canis flattened his ears and whimpered

"I-uh…I mean…" Inuyasha stammered as he backed away from Kagome. He reached for Canis to use him as a shield but the boy was too quick and he scratched at his father before scooting away from him.

Kenta, figuring out a way he further his fathers torment leaned in close to Kagome, seemingly unharmed by her stinging aura.

"What else did you say father?" Kenta remarked his eyes gleaming deviously. Inuyasha's expression darkened immensely at his eldest son. "Something about moms got another baby to worry about while Canis and I are gone?" he smirked at his father when Kagome's eyes widened in surprise then narrowed in on Inuyasha.

Flames blazed in Kagome's brown eyes and her aura was practically visible in the air. Inuyasha was glowering at Kentamaru, seriously contemplating risking Kagome's wrath to reach across the table and throttle the boy.

"Is mama gonna have another baby?" Canis piped up innocently. Kentamaru backed away smiling smugly at Inuyasha.

"Kentamaru," Inuyasha rumbled under his breath cracking his knuckles beneath the table. Hearing his full name, especially coming from Inuyasha wiped the grin off Kenta's face. The room had gotten deadly silent as Kagome glared down Inuyasha who in turn was glaring at Kentamaru, while all the while is slurped his breakfast noisily watching raptly the members of his family.

"Inuyasha," Kagome warned as he got a familiar gleam in his golden eyes. Her aura cracked around her again. Inuyasha seemed not to have heard her, his eyes locked on his son.

"Oh shit!" Kenta yelled scrambling back as Inuyasha came flying over the table after him. Plates and bowls clattered to the floor as Inuyasha moved with all the grace of a baby rhino. Before Inuyasha could get a hand on Kenta, Kagome's voice rang out.

"KENTAMARU OSUWARI!" Inuyasha's hands closed on nothing as Kenta was pulled to the ground by the force of his mothers spell. As soon as Inuyasha had sailed clearly over Kenta, Kagome locked eyes with her husband in midair.

"Inuyasha…" she smiled wickedly.

"Damn it," he swore loudly.

"OSUWARI!" and Inuyasha was pulled from the air and sent slamming into the hard floor. A large dust cloud settled in the room and all had fallen silent save for Canis who was clapping his hands together happily and shouting "Again, again!" over and over.

"Inuyasha how long have you kept this from me?" Kagome asked much more calmly now as her aura dissipated. Inuyasha and Kentamaru were grumbling as they pushed themselves up.

"I found out last night jeez woman, and you would have found out on your own in a week or so, so what does it matter?" he grumbled rubbing his head as he sat up from the floor. Noticing the state the room was in he added, "Oh your going to clean this shit up wench!"

Kenta surveyed the room. Dust was slowly settling, while plates, bowls and remnants of breakfast littered the table top and floor. "Damn dad," he joked.

"Damn you Kenta!" Inuyasha snapped finally losing whatever hold he had on his temper. "When are you gonna learn to keep your damn mouth shut, grow up and be a man?"

Kenta turned on his father. "When are YOU?" he snapped back. "How am I supposed to be a man when I'm stuck on babysitting duty?"

"Keh," issued Canis and Kagome smiled warmly at him from across the table. Inuyasha stood suddenly and turned to leave. Kenta scowled at his turned back as Inuyasha paused with his hand on the doorway.

"A man isn't measured on how well he can survive on its own," Inuyasha said just loud enough to be heard. "Any fucking dimwit can keep himself alive all you have to do is drink water. A true man is measured on how well he can protect what is close to him when it cannot protect itself." And with that he left.

Kenta stared dumfounded at his fathers retreating back. His cryptic words made him feel like a worthless pup. He turned to his mother who hung her head disappointedly.

"I expected more from you Kenta," Kagome sighed sadly. "You and your father are so alike most of the time. I know he would have reacted like you did today but you…I thought you would be able to see what he was talking about at least." Kenta bowed his head in shame. The disappointment in her voice, the guilt trip…it got him all the time.

"I'm sorry," he murmured looking away.

"It's not me you have to apologize to Kentamaru…" Kagome said. Kenta's head snapped to his brothers empty place. It was then he noticed the open window and a figure in red scampering across the lawn.

Inuyasha watched from the large windows in the great room as Canis played with a ball in the grounds directly below the massive windows. As if sensing his fathers eyes upon him Canis looked back over his shoulder and up at his father. The ball was tucked under his arm and upon spotting Inuyasha's frame in the massive window he smiled up adoringly at him before turning back to resume whatever game he had been playing by himself.

The sight of his son, playing ball by himself invoked memories of himself as a child and the torment he had known. He was glad his sons would never know the shame and humiliation he had, at least he hoped they would never know what it was like...to not be accepted by anyone…even your family. Exhaling loudly he closed his eyes to gather his thoughts.

When Kagome had birthed him his second son Inuyasha had vowed that his sons would not turn out like him and Sesshomaru did. There would be no ill feelings between the brothers despite their ten year age difference. He smiled when he recalled Kentamaru's initial reaction upon meeting his new baby brother.

Ears squashed against his head and his ten year old face set in a tight scowl worthy of Inuyasha, he eyes the baby closely before sticking his nose closer to the wailing bundle in his mothers arms and sniffing it cautiously.

"He smells funny," Kenta observed looking up at Inuyasha who was standing over him. Inuyasha clapped him on the shoulder and smirked down at him. Kenta turned back to the baby and gingerly poked back the blanket covering his tiny ears.

"HEY! Why the hell ain't his ear bent?" Kenta blurted out. Inuyasha's hand immediately came around to clamp over his sons mouth. He chuckled nervously at a fuming Kagome and hurriedly kissed her forehead before hauling Kenta out of the room. Kagome had always had a problem with Inuyasha swearing in front of his son, since Kenta usually copied everything his father did or said. Each time Kenta displayed any particular vocabulary he picked up from his father in front of Kagome…it was usually Inuyasha who was punished the worst.

"I don't hate him," Kenta's much deeper and more mature voice opened Inuyasha's eyes bringing him out of his memory. They stood in silence as they watched the youngest member of the family play. Inuyasha shook his head. He'd never fully believed that Kenta hated his brother, but he'd be lying if he said the fact that Kenta wanted to go it alone hadn't scared him. Brotherhood was a touchy subject for the Taiyoukai.

Kagome had laughed at his fears and brushed it off with a kiss on his cheek and one of her smiles. She'd claimed that Kenta was just going through a…what did she call it? Phase? She'd gone through a similar period of time with her own kid brother or so she said. Inuyasha figured he'd take her word on the matter since she at least had a half normal childhood, the not normal half being when she was thrown into the past.

"You're his idol you know?" Inuyasha said finally. "He thinks you can do anything." Kenta chanced a glance at his father. Inuyasha seemed absorbed in the view below.

'Almost like I think of you?' he thought reverently before looking down at his younger brother. All he'd ever wanted to do was to make his father and the worlds see that he wasn't just a copy. He was not Inuyasha and he didn't want to be. Sure Inuyasha was his idol…but that's why we have idols...to surpass them. Of course he'd been disappointed that his end of training was to play delivery boy and babysitter.

Inuyasha's words rang true in his mind. Any dimwit could keep himself alive…but the life of another close to him, one who's dependent on you to survive, one who could not protect himself. That was a true test of skill… his father really was smarter than anyone gave him credit for.

"I guess I've got a lot to live up to and learn." Kenta admitted ruefully but Inuyasha shook his head.

"Nah, he idolizes you cause you're his brother. That's all you have to be." Inuyasha turned to Kenta a serious look in his eyes. "Think you can handle that?"

Kenta smiled slowly. "I think I can," and he opened the window before leaping to the ground and effectively scaring Canis shitless.

"AH! Don't do that you baka!" Canis yelled as he scrambled to pick up his ball and scratch his brother with his claws at the same time. Kenta merely laughed heartily before reaching around to pluck the ball from his brother's grasp. He raised it high above his head out of Canis's reach.

Despite Canis's growling Inuyasha could discern the amusement and happiness lighting his younger sons eyes. A bronze figure suddenly swiped the ball from Kentamaru and Kei bowed slightly to give the ball to Canis. A blur of black swept by and the ball was gone as Harusan lobbed the ball back to Kenta, who caught and then had to duck as Canis leapt for him.

Soon the grounds were awash with laughter and the sounds of the kids and their retainers playing. Inuyasha felt Kagome come up beside him. "You know, Inuyasha you're a pretty good father." She mused then patted her stomach thoughtfully. "It's a shame this little one will never get to meet its daddy." She shot him a dangerously amused glare.

Inuyasha fought back a flinch and let an uneasy "Keh," he was relieved when Kagome laughed and leaned against him. "You're not mad?"

"How could I be?" she asked motioning out the window to where the boys had forgotten the ball in favor of tossing Canis back and forth between them. "Be careful with him!" she called to them below and the yard echoed with 'Kehs'

It was dark and the castle walls were lit with torches when Kenta came in carrying an exhausted Canis over his shoulder like a sack of rice. There were no hard feelings between the brothers from the events that passed this morning. Canis was young but far from stupid and nothing if not perceptive. He understood when Kenta wanted space, especially in the presence of Inuyasha. Both of them wanted to be taller, stronger, better in the presence of their father. Kenta always made it up to Canis somehow, playing with him, having sword fights or races and letting him win.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad leaving with Canis. It was far better than being alone. And had he not just been thinking that Canis desperately needed training and then here he was denying him just that.

Kenta kicked open Canis's bedroom door and strode over to the bed. He heaved Canis onto the bed, dropping him rather than setting him down. Canis didn't wake up, just let out a rather profound snort. Smiling mischievously Kenta reached over to grab a pillow and smacked Canis across the face with it. Again the little hanyou did not awaken but rather latch onto the pillow and roll over sleepily.

Suppressing a laugh Kenta got up and made to leave.

"We're gonna kick ass tomorrow right Kenta?" Canis's sleepy voice called to him. Kenta smiled and nodded his head.

"Hell yeah we are," he told him and paused briefly before adding. "And for dad's sake…don't let mom catch you saying that word."

I hope you are all enjoying your summer and I am truely sorry this chapter took so long to complete. I went through a horrible funk where I was convinced my writing was worthless and shitty...as well as many computer troubles that I have to have Wings of Ash check my emails and do everything for me.

Interesting Facts?
Umm...This Chapter is dedicated to Wings Of Ash
Oh and yes...Kouga is a Taiyoukai

Wings Of Ash-- This has been quite the adventure having Decptress go all emo on us once again and delcare her work unworthy of public viewing. But I must say "All's well that ends well" and I would also like to add CANIS IS SO ADORABLE! I wish me and my brother were like that when we were younger. There might only be an age difference of 2 years but that doesn't mean we were best of friends. So any way Kudos should go to Deceptress for finally finishing this chapter and I hope everyone is having a great summer. Please be on the lookout for more updates.-->Wings Of Ash P.S. Both are delicious

BetaraiL-- Our computer is on the screwy side lately,... we've even had to back up all previous stories on Wings of Ashs computer... its been a hassle. This was a great chapter although there were moment when the Deceptress forgot that and convinced herself that it was crap and almost vowed to never write again. Some reviews stating otherwise would be nice.

No one answered my question so I am going back to the old ways soo...

Starburst or Jolly Rancher?