Returning Home

A year passed by swiftly in the courts of the Western Palace, Inuyasha turned eight and learned that human babies were able to hurt him, much to his delight. He had been playing gently with Yori in the suite his human parents occupied, when the boy had scratched Inuyasha on the cheek. Inu no Taishou had come to check on the pup when he smelt his blood and tears. The scratch was already healing and the father was puzzled by his son's distress.

Inuyasha couldn't have been hurt enough for tears by the small incident; but then he noticed that these were happy tears, judging by big smile on the young hanyou's face. Inuyasha explained that he knew he was not dangerous now, because the baby had used his nails to scratch him. His father's words of a year ago finally made perfect sense to him.

Inuyasha was very happy living at the Palace; he had both families close by and both babies to play with, when he wasn't 'helping' his father or Shu. His brother and sister both adored him and the feeling was mutual, and all three would be found most often together in the large playroom set aside for the purpose. Izayoi and the Lady would most usually be somewhere in the vicinity companionably taking tea or just chatting.

Makoto would visit the farm at the weekend taking his wife and son, but not Inuyasha. The pup didn't want to go, not yet. He loved the farm, but it reminded him too much of when he had mutilated his mouth and claws to visit. The claws were now back, although they were often trimmed still to make sure they stayed straight; but the teeth and fangs had not grown any replacements yet and he still spoke with a slight lisp. Besides, his father was not ready to let the boy out of his immediate area; he didn't trust the insidious visits that the rest of the human family made to the farm.

Sesshoumaru too found relaxation and enjoyment when he spent time with all the pups and he was remarkably patient and indulgent with them including Yori; his father smiled recognizing, the fact that his eldest son was very good with children. All games stopped when the younger Inu entered the children's room and they clambered all over him wanting his attention, and his quiet ways always got the best responses from them.

Inuyasha was at his happiest when they were all together; he was too young to fully understand the dynamics of their family and considered them all brothers and sister. Sesshoumaru had corrected him once, indicating that technically, Yori was not his own brother, but Inuyasha had been so upset he had not attempted to do so again. Inuyasha had thought he meant that if Yori was not his brother then neither was Inuyasha, he didn't grasp the concept of step families and Sesshoumaru had to spend the whole afternoon with a clingy distraught little brother.

Later that year, Izayoi found she was expecting once more; this time Inu no Taishou could confirm she was due to have twins, male and female. Of course this was exciting for Inuyasha; he loved to lay his head on his mother's stomach trying to hear the babies as they moved, their heartbeats sounding like far away drums. Yori would get angry when he couldn't hear in the same way and end up throwing a tantrum.

The twins were born rapidly and without too much fuss, which was just as well as far as Sesshoumaru was concerned as he was looking after Inuyasha during the time his mother was in labour. This time the pup understood more of what was happening and wanted to go and see if the babies were born yet. Sesshoumaru had his work cut out for him just keeping tabs on the boy as Inuyasha kept trying to escape.

After a month it came time to take the twins to see the rest of the family and Inuyasha was given the option of going with them or not. He was not bothered about seeing the family again although he had missed playing with his 'cousins'; but he had also got the inu nature, wanting to protect his family at all costs and with babies this feeling was intensified. Izayoi was glad he wanted to come; she hated the sense of division when he was not with them.

To Inuyasha's delight, Sesshoumaru would accompany them all; ostensibly as added protection for the vulnerable family, but in reality to insure that no unwanted remarks would come Inuyasha's way from the Grandmother. She of course easily read the situation, as she saw the small hanyou holding tightly to the sleeve of his soon introduced brother.

But the party was soon under swing for the new babies, who were handed round from aunts and uncles and proved they were good natured by temperament; they didn't fuss but smiled most of the time. Inuyasha stood proudly by watching the proceedings as Yori and the twins were indulged; nobody seemed to notice the other little boy or made a fuss of him and he wished he could go and find his older brother who had gone outside and was speaking with the guards.

As the evening progressed and the tentative friendships of cousins re-forged, one of the children asked Inuyasha what had happened to his teeth, was it a youkai de-fanging ritual, as one of the uncles had claimed? The pup blushed as he now knew that his efforts had been harmful and not the benefit he had intended, but he was truthful and told them that he had taken them out himself. There was general shock at first and then great admiration from the boys at least, who all now wanted to see the injuries.

At the small sound of disgust though from the Grandmother, who had gone to make sure of what was happening outside, Sesshoumaru came silently behind her. Satisfied with her jump of surprise and knowing he had her attention, he whispered in a quiet but deadly voice, that should anyone cause Inuyasha to feel unwanted in any way at all, ever again, there would certainly be reprisals.

Then he vanished again just as swiftly, but she knew, even though she had never met him before that his words were serious and would without doubt be carried out. That he was acting on his own and without his father's blessing she doubted, therefore she was doubly aware that she was on thin ice and would make sure that the family knew the boy was off limits. The Father was known, the son was not yet but he had made a sound impression that she could trust him to keep his word.

She was no fool; she knew that she now could not stop the children playing with Inuyasha either, as that could make him feel unwanted too. All she could hope for was that the boy would remain mainly at the Palace and eventually leave the rest of his human family alone.

When Sora the boy and Chouko the girl were about six months old, the family was ready and able to return to the farm to live. For Inuyasha it was a mixed blessing, he felt like he was being torn in two and so did Yori; Sesshoumaru found them both wailing and feeding each other's misery in a small unused room. He would have smiled but for the embarrassing fact that he felt like joining in, he would miss his brother being around greatly; and even the human children would be missed.

Their Father chuckled on seeing the boys, reminding them that Inuyasha would be coming up daily as he always had done, and that later that year he would remain with them again during the week because he would be starting school. This cheered them up; Inuyasha was looking forward to school; youkai in his father's court started formal schooling at the age of ten when their development slowed right down.

Of course Inuyasha could read and write and do basic maths already, but this would be much more of a challenge. He would be joining a small class of youngsters from all walks of life, whose parents served in various degrees all over the West, and all would be living in the Palace. Sesshoumaru of course had lessons further up the school and had tutors for different subjects, although he had extra than his classmates as he was the heir to the West.

His friends were the sons and some daughters of other nobles and dignitaries; the children Sesshoumaru had started with, were a more select group than would be in Inuyasha's class. Inu no Taishou had many parents asking for their offspring to be educated along with his eldest as there were many benefits to be had. Forming political alliances and possibly eventual mating contracts were some of the obvious.

But there had not been any such for Inuyasha; possibly it wasn't generally considered that Inu no Taishou would bother with formally educating his bastard child, even when it was clear that he had been recognised as a Prince. Thankfully none of it would matter to Inuyasha, there were others of less influence perhaps, but who were grateful for the opportunity of a good education for their children.

It still seemed a long time for a young child, but his father knew that it would soon go and he had a present for all the family. Hanging in the corridor of the Royal quarter was a large portrait with the Inu family, the human family and the children; including the six month old twins all together, Inuyasha in the middle as the link between all of them, a simple smile on his face. It marked the time when Izayoi and Makoto could go home again and would serve as a reminder of the closeness they had all shared.

IYQ Community; June 2008 Week 2 "Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond reach of proof." - Khalil Gibran