Learn To Get Along…

Story: Before The Twists Of Fate

By: Sky

Butterflies were the greatest creation, InuTaisho thought, watching as his daughter chased the multi-colored creatures around the large flowered meadow that came up to her waist. She had been begging him since breakfast to go outside with her. He had finally relented, and brought his ledgers outside with him, along with his daughter. He had taken them to a place below one of the weeping willow trees, but before long, he had found that he couldn't concentrate on them, because his daughter had wanted to play. So he had taken her out from under the tree, and into the sunlight, and had engaged his daughter in play.

At the time that he started thinking about how he needed to get back to his ledgers, the most wonderful little creature came and helped him out. A bright yellow-and-blue butterfly went flittering right between then, and landed on Kagome's nose. InuTaisho had stopped wrestling, and folded his hands behind his head, watching the daughter that was sitting on his chest. The butterfly gently opened and closed its wings, and every time they were closed, Kagome went cross-eyed as she still tried to view the creature. Then, it went flying off into the beautiful meadow of wild-flowering plants (which the seeds had been carefully distributed to look wild), and his daughter went right after it.

InuTaisho had gone back under the tree and to his ledgers, when he heard a delighted noise, and looked up to see that there where several more butterflies. They varied from the size of his palm to the size of one of his pens quill-tips. And there were about 30 of them. Now that was odd. There hadn't been any butterflies in the field before. Catching a movement from the corner of his eye, he looked over to see a silver form mostly hidden in the grasses, with tail slightly swaying in amusement. And that explained where the butterflies came from.

He was pretty sure it was some form of kitsune magic that brought the butterflies to the field. For, even as he watched, more arrived, and his daughter had more creatures to chase. He turned back to watch the kitsune, who seemed to be enjoying the sport before it, and he smiled at it. This was a perfect distraction for his daughter to let him get his work done. After seeing an ear flick his way, InuTaisho murmured a 'thank you' and went back to work.

The next time he had looked up from his ledgers, the meadow was full of butterflies. In fact, it was a blanket of living color, as the butterflies lifted from their flowers, the delicately avoid the hands of the young girl, and flutter off to rest somewhere else, while she was distracted by another one. Towards noon, when the sun was its hottest, many of the butterflies left, and the rest settled in the shade of the branches of the willow tree that InuTaisho was laying under. And following suit was Kagome, who had decided to go and lay with her head on her fathers lap, and sleep in the shade. He had watched her sleep, and smiled at her. Pulling the basket that they had asked for the servant to bring a bit closer, he removed a flask of cooled wine. After pouring himself a glass and drinking it, he rested an arm on her shoulder, and leaned back against the tree, and dozed.

About an hour later, a servant had come by with chilled food, and he had awoken at their approach. Noticing the servant's burden, he gently awoke his daughter, and then helped her arrange the feast before them. As they ate the meal, Kagome chattered on excitedly about chasing the butterflies around, and InuTaisho smiled at her fondly, and nodded when she got to a particularly fascinating part. As soon as she finished her meal, the butterflies removed themselves from the shaded branches of the willow, and fluttered back into the meadow, with an ecstatic Kagome right on their heels.

It wasn't long though, into that second romp, that Sesshomaru appeared, with a scoff towards his little sister, that caused her to stop in her play.

"Typical," he said, examining her with disdain. "Only children are found playing in the meadow. And with butterflies no less. You're not fit to be an heir of our great father." Now during this, InuTaisho had gotten the distinct impression that his son hadn't seen him. Therefore, he help perfectly still, and watched to see what would happen. These two had to learn to get along at some point.

Kagome's bottom lip started to tremble a bit at the words of her brother, and he sneered at her.

"And most certainly, and heir doesn't cry. You're a waste of time and air. She should never have whelped you." With that, Sesshomaru turned, and started walking from the meadow. InuTaisho felt his eyes narrow, and bleed a bit red, and he had decided to teach his son a lesson, when a blur of brown and black caught his eye. Before he could identify what it was, the mass landed right in the middle of Sesshomaru's left shoulder, which was exposed instead of covered by his silver mane. And the boy froze. InuTaisho was surprised, and turned to see his daughter standing there, huffing angrily, with her right hand dirty. He could only guess that she had scooped up the dirt in a heartbeat from somewhere near her feet.

Sesshomaru turned with chilling slowness, and faced the arrogant creature that dared to throw something at him. His amber eyes narrowed dangerously, but instead of being intimidated, the little creature instead started growling at him. At him! And if that hadn't been bad enough, the little vermin reached down, and with the quickness of youth, was launching another mud-ball at him! This one he saw though, and was able to duck, but he didn't come out unscathed. It had caught the tip of his ear, and he felt the mud splay over the side of his hair.

Quick as a flash, he was standing not a foot away from her, looking down with cold and angry eyes at the small creature before him.

"You big Meanie!"

Before he had a change to react to her shout, a small fist connected with someplace totally unexpected, and the great Son of InuTaisho, Heir of the Western Lands, was felled. All Kagome did was 'humph!' at him as he lay on the ground, and then stormed off to another patch in the meadow, and went back to playing with her butterflies. InuTaisho was hard pressed not to make a noise, though it was getting extremely difficult. His son had still not risen from the grass, which was not helping. Finally, when the boy did rise in a kneeling position, InuTaisho noticed he gave his sister a measuring look, before stiffly walking from the meadow. InuTaisho was pretty sure he was trying to regain his composure.

After that, they had gone inside, for InuTaisho decided that there had been enough excitement for one day. And Kagome was content with that. She waved goodbye to her butterflies as they left the field. Sesshomaru was not seen for the rest of the day.

The next day though, as Kagome as outside playing in the inner palace gardens, a most unexpected visitor came by. The nursemaid of Kagome watched in surprise as Sesshomaru entered the gardens. This was a surprise, because when he was old enough to realize that they were used as a play-pen for visiting children, or residing ones, he had refused to step a single foot into them. It was at this time that InuTaisho looked outside his study window, and saw his son approaching his daughter. He tensed momentarily, remembering yesterday, but allowed this event to take place, whatever it might be.

Kagome, who had seen her brother coming, stood defiant as he approached her. Though, InuTaisho did mark with amusement that he stopped just outside of the range of her fists. He apparently still remembered yesterday.

"What you did yesterday was an unhonerable attack," Sesshomaru stated, as if addressing an underling. Kagome's eyes still shown defiantly at him, and she did not budge a muscle, or break her challenging eye contact with him. And just slightly, enough so that no one but someone who knew him all his life would notice, he relaxed. Just a fraction, but Sesshmaru's shoulders relaxed.

"I shall have to instruct you on the proper way to handle your opponent." And with that, Sesshomaru took on the task of teaching his sister. InuTaisho watched them for a moment in amazement, then turned to look at the portrait on the wall of he and his mate.

'Mayhaps you were right Iyanari. Maybe they will learn to get along…"