Parental Nightmare

Inu no Taishou was a strong and respected veteran, used to shocking sights on the battlefields; taking responsibility for sending his troops into the front lines and knowing he did what he had to do to keep his lands and people safe. The days were long gone where he questioned himself in anguish about what he had to do, he was not vicious or cruel although he could be ruthless, but he could always sleep with a clean conscience. He hadn't suffered night terrors since being a very young youkai...until now, and it hadn't been a battle that had caused them.

Once again as he sat up sharply in his peaceful bed, he was aware of the blinding relief in finding his reality was no more than a dream. His Lady woke because of his disturbance and stroked his back soothingly and assuring him in a quiet voice that both of his boys were fine. He was grateful for the warmth in her hands, the strength of her touch and her understanding without words. He lay back down, his head against her breast and relaxed again as she stroked his hair, raking her claws gently through right down to his scalp.

Instead of going to sleep however, Inu no Taishou awoke rapidly and with his golden eyes sparkling with crimson, his grin purely feral; he pounced on his mate and rolled her over. The Lady was not to be outdone, her claws and fangs came into play as she joined him snarling. The pair no longer wished to be contained and swiftly they flew from their chambers, taking to the skies in their natural forms to finish their coupling where they would not cause destruction. When they were sated, they returned to their bed and settled down in the way they were before, talking softly and affirming their love.

"I will be pupped again from this night Beloved."

"That prospect gives me great joy My Dearest."

"Even after the nightmares your boys caused you?" She smirked.

"Even then, Sesshoumaru was too long on his own; he is a good elder brother and he needed the companionship. He acts much more his real age now than the little serious adult he was in danger of becoming before his time."

"Our son's nature is not one that takes responsibility lightly it is true."

"He needs reprieve sometimes from himself. You saw how his face was as he carried Inuyasha home from that ill conceived hunt."

"Yes, I have never seen him so like a marble statue except for his eyes...bleak despair. I never wish to see that again in any pup, let alone one from my belly."

"He thought Inuyasha dead or near so and brought him to me to revive with Tenseiga. I have to admit, seeing them coming out of the forest like that...Inuyasha so boneless and with the blood from his mouth..."

"That is what you see in your dreams My Love?"

"That and a broken Tenseiga. In my dream I have to bury my little pup." His voice choked and she was quick to assure her mate who, however strong he was in face of battle, was the most loving and attentive father.

"That should tell you it is but a dream. Inuyasha was merely knocked unconscious with a couple of broken bones. Sesshoumaru was forgetting the pup has human blood and is more fragile than a full youkai, which is why he thought the total inertia must mean he was dead."

"Our poor little pup..."

"You mean Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes, there was no expression on his face at all; he was wound up so tight and suppressing everything."

"He is like me in many ways."

"He is My Mate, and that is not a bad thing; but you do not turn yourself so far inwards as he does, that is where it helped to have siblings who wouldn't let you stay alone for so long."

"I agree, but that is now changed."

"It still comes to the fore; you noticed how he was while we were all with Inuyasha after he'd been seen by the healer?"

"I noticed he was taciturn, but that is all, I was too absorbed by the puppy."

"Of course, and I never cease to appreciate your acceptance of the boy, My Mate."

"He is like my own in my heart My Love, besides all that I owe to his mother. I hated all the circumstances around his being, but not him; he is a most winning pup. In fact, he takes more after you in the way Sesshoumaru is like me." She smiled and he kissed her tenderly, sensible of the veiled compliment.

"You are still remarkable My Mate."

"I never did hear what actually happened to the pup, only vague hints and I know Sesshoumaru took the blame." She said and he was surprised, but then again, she had stayed with Inuyasha until he healed while he dealt with his eldest.

"It was his fault in as much as he was not supposed to take Inuyasha on just any hunt...I had expressly forbidden anything larger than rabbits and fish until Inuyasha was older. But our son thought he knew better than his parent and that he could thrill Inuyasha with a boar hunt and I have no doubt show off to his little brother. He had told Inuyasha to stay completely still and not move, but of course he didn't take into account the fact that Inuyasha has not had his training in stealth yet and that a young pup cannot keep still.

"Apparently Inuyasha was very good until the boar came closer with Sesshoumaru behind it, but its head was on a level with the pup and scared him, making Inuyasha break cover. Of course it gave chase and tossed him twice; fortunately it was with its nose and not the tusks, because Inuyasha was small enough to miss those. But the second toss threw the pup into the tree where he was knocked out and broke his arm and ribs." Inu no Taishou recognised that his mate seemed thoughtful and concerned as he finished speaking. He encouraged her to speak by running a claw gently up her arm.

"Sesshoumaru looks to you almost in adoration My Love; all your words he takes to heart. I can't help but ask you keep an eye on him for a while, in case he takes your words of censure too deeply. He will be very grieved he has disappointed you, without feeling you might stay angry and displeased with him."

"You are a wise mother indeed and we are as one mind on this. Do you recall my asking you if you took notice of his demeanour when we were with Inuyasha?"

"I told you I was more interested in the pup at the time."

"Well, I was in a position to be able to watch both of the pups My Mate, being as Sesshoumaru was sitting opposite me, he didn't look up at me once or change expression, but he winced at every sound of pain that Inuyasha made, even when the pup was awake, feeling better and revelling in the attention."

"Inuyasha did rather milk the situation didn't he? He is still enough of a baby to want all the petting."

"It was reassurance that he needed more. But whereas Inuyasha was feeling better with all the fuss, Sesshoumaru was suffering badly with guilt, and I knew he was anticipating my anger. Did he not tell you what I said and did? "

"He didn't, and to speak the truth I didn't think to ask, he seems happy now so you must have said the right thing and I haven't been worried."

"He was not happy at the time...when I indicated for him to follow me he was so stiff and proper. Before I even said a word, he had bared his neck to me voicing that he had betrayed my trust, was a disappointment and was sure he warranted my severe displeasure for risking his brother's life. My heart went out to him and just as you also knew, I knew that if I spoke harshly and indeed how he deserved, he would take it and it would fester in his heart. This I did not want; he is just a pup still, whatever he may think.

"Instead I brought him close to me and spoke of the wisdom of listening to those older and more experienced than him. I reminded him that he was not very learned in the ways of small pups yet, and Inuyasha was nowhere near as old or as predictable as Sesshoumaru. I told him that he had not betrayed me, although he had gone against my wishes; betrayal was too strong a word for the disobedience shown. I also reassured him that I was not disappointed in my son who hadn't tried to hide his transgression and boldly and swiftly sought to remedy it. I did say however that of course I was displeased with his actions, but that would be remedied once he had fetched my slipper and become acquainted with it again."

"He would not have liked that My Love."

"No, but a little humbling was needed; he also had to let go of the guilt and yet know he was loved. Our son is quite a complex and yet fragile personality. I wasn't lenient, it was no token spanking, but he wasn't harmed, just too sore to sit down comfortably. It was little enough price to pay for his wrongdoing, but I haven't destroyed his spirit. He couldn't deny that he was chagrined to have to own up to his misadventure because of the accident; but when I pointed out that his guilt would have grown greater until he owned up, he knew it was the truth. He would have hated waiting all the time for Inuyasha to let something slip."

"It will not hurt him to be so disciplined; he can get a bit big for his boots yet."

"That is what I felt and sometime after I dismissed him to his room, I went to check on Inuyasha, only to find that Sesshoumaru was there and the little pup was commiserating with him as usual."

"That is their bond; they have always known when the other is distressed."

"It pleases me greatly, even when Inuyasha growled at me while stroking his brother's hair."

"He growled at you? Are you sure?"

"Certainly...he was most outraged that I had not only made his brother cry, but that I had spanked him when he was all grown up. It gave me the perfect opportunity to enforce what I wanted Sesshoumaru to remember about his punishment. I said firmly to both boys that where they both saw an adult in Sesshoumaru, I was his father and only saw a sometimes still naughty pup."

"Ouch."

"Yes but it took the pressure off our son, he now understands that he is not responsible for adult decisions all of the time, even if he has certain duties to perform and stands by my side for some of those. He now knows I see him as a child who disobeyed me, and not a man who betrayed me. I was relieved when Sesshoumaru came to me and wanted to cuddle and of course Inuyasha wasn't to be left out. They both wept, and it was good for Sesshoumaru to be softened but not crushed by his experience."

"I am no longer surprised that I heard nothing about it from him though."

"No, He is still a proud pup, but a chastened one. They both appreciated the roast boar for dinner however especially when I said it deserved to die for causing such pain to both of my boys."

IYQ March 2010 Week #1:

You're only in trouble if you get caught!

-Aladdin, Disney's Aladdin