A Tale For The Holidays

Dear Readers,

I am trying my best to keep up with the Japanese portions of my story. An example of this being Haha for Mother and Chichi for Father and so forth. I want to try this for future stories as well. I hope that you enjoy this since I am getting my Japanese dictionary up and running. So if you have any suggestions I am willing to listen.
Other than that please enjoy my story and Happy Holidays! I seriously hope this is putting all of you in the Christmas mood.

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Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
Our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
Our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years we all will be together
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

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Inuyasha tucked his pup into bed with his wife. He knew Fuyuki would eventually wake up for feeding and changing as Inuyasha rummaged through the bag he brought for the white linens to set by the bed as he curled up to his wife trying to find some sleep.

He had talked to his Ani all about the rapes and beatings, but as for locations that did not matter anymore since as soon as his demon powers returned he had either maimed or killed the bastards who hurt him as everything healed itself rather quickly after his human nights.

Besides those times there were times he was ill and afraid he would die. One time he caught pneumonia and woke up in some old villager’s home only to be forced to lie back down. It was a good thing Sobo (Grandmother) Kaya was blind or she would have screamed in fear when he changed back into his hanyou form. Sobo Kaya cared for him until he was well since even as a hanyou the pneumonia could still kill him.

Inuyasha had stayed with Sobo Kaya until the day she died. Sobo Kaya was an old miko who lost her eyes to a demon, but her powers did not wane. She felt Inuyasha’s demon power in the beginning, but it wasn’t evil so she chose to ignore it. At her death she told Inuyasha that she knew he was a hanyou, but loved him like he was her own child since she had been so alone for so many years. It was a blessing from Kami that brought Inuyasha to her and Inuyasha protected that house until the day those bandits came and burned it to the ground while he as a helpless human watched.

Everything was always being taken from Inuyasha, until Kagome arrived. Now his Ani had taken him from a village that accepted him into this castle that was as cold and empty as his Ani without the bustling of servants or the usual amount of guards that would normally protect such a huge place.

Perhaps his Ani’s emptiness was why Inuyasha was forced to recite all the times Sesshoumaru wasn’t there for him to his Ani. Why Sesshoumaru required that information was beyond Inuyasha. It was all in the past so why did it bother him now?

All the times humans and demons had betrayed him he couldn’t count on his fingers. After a long time he didn’t sleep on his human nights and would hide in the darkness in caves or in trees until he was hanyou again.

At one time Inuyasha had a demon friend or so he thought. Atsushi was a fox demon who like Inuyasha was on his own for reasons that Inuyasha could understand now, but did not then. The fox demon was crafty and fun to be around. For almost a month Inuyasha thought that perhaps not all demons were bad and that he could befriend them maybe filling that empty void in his heart for companionship. That was until Inuyasha turned human and Atsushi attacked him and raped him. Of course when Inuyasha tried to fight back when he turned hanyou he could not. He was trapped by the fox with some kind of spell keeping him from getting off the floor.

Atsushi laughed at him as the young hanyou tried to break the spell as he howled for help over and over again. Inuyasha was still only a toddler in demon years when this occurred.

“You can’t escape me bearer. I will keep you until you are pupped with my seed and then I will kill you unless you agree to be my mate little hanyou.”

For some reason Sesshoumaru told him to stop talking after telling that story. There was a strange gleam to Sesshoumaru’s eyes as if confirming something. It was almost as frightening to see his Ani stand up smiling with a wicked gleam to his eyes. His last words before he left Inuyasha alone in the garden were ‘so that is why…..’ It made no sense to Inuyasha who thought his Ani was indeed a sick bastard for not even letting him finish and to smile about it. It wasn’t funny at all. It had been a terrifying incident and he had been lucky to escape after Atsushi had been killed by some local priests. That was what had saved him from being raped repeatedly by the bastard.

In fact Inuyasha felt the gut feeling that he should leave this place with his wife and child as soon as possible. Something was wrong with his Ani and Inuyasha didn’t want to stick around long enough to find out what warped thing Sesshoumaru wanted to do to him.

First though he would have to find a way to keep that village and his friends safe from Sesshoumaru’s wrath once he escaped. Inuyasha would willingly comply with Sesshoumaru until it was time to leave. Perhaps if he annoyed his Ani enough the bastard would let them go.

Tomorrow he would test the barrier. There had to be a weakness somewhere. Perhaps with red tessaiga he could open a space and escape with his wife to a new place with their friends where Sesshoumaru would never find them, but that still left Sobo Kaede’s village without protection. Somehow Inuyasha would find a way, but for now his body needed rest. It was safe enough to rest here wasn’t it?

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Sesshoumaru was in his study reading over some scrolls that he had glanced at in the past, but now needed to read since it would help him to understand his Otouto better.

If Inuyasha was indeed a bearer than Sesshoumaru refused to train him since indeed his Otouto had good reason to be weak right now. He was going to start a heat cycle which had to be the reason that Sesshoumaru hadn’t killed him in the past. It was the only thing that made perfect sense on why Inuyasha still breathed air when Sesshoumaru could have killed him at any time.

Inuyasha had this very rare scent to him that made Sesshoumaru feel attracted to the pup which made him want to kill Inuyasha even more since Sesshoumaru refused to let a smell stop him from his goal which at the time had been tessaiga.

After Inuyasha was indeed declared the true heir to tessaiga there was really no reason to go after the weapon any longer. He also, especially lately, had the urge to baby his Otouto like one would a female. The desire to hear of Inuyasha’s woes was a sign that Sesshoumaru would indeed change things for his Otouto so that such things would never happen again.

Inuyasha confiding in Sesshoumaru was a sign of trust. Now it was just to get Inuyasha to open up some more and see him as a brother should. That was the first goal.

Sesshoumaru knew for a fact that he did not wish to mate a weak female, but no one said anything about mating a fairly strong male who could bear fruit. It seemed Inuyasha’s was indeed a rare gem amongst men. No wonder Chichi (Father) wanted Inuyasha protected. Inuyasha was meant to be his mate not just his Otouto.

Now it would be how to court Inuyasha properly and allow the pup to still have a human female for his mate as well. Sesshoumaru wasn’t into sharing, but this ‘courtship’ would require that he did indeed share with the little human female otherwise he may lose his mate completely.

Sesshoumaru had no desire to claim Kagome. She was just a woman child who was much too young for his tastes and Sesshoumaru would not mate with a human. That was just a fact of life. However, his Otouto just became a valuable asset in a time where Sesshoumaru would be forced to at least consider one of his Haha’s (Mother) courtiers for a mate. His Haha was right, he was still young but demons his age usually had a littler of pups with someone by now even if they did not stay mated to the one to give them an heir.

There was also the fact that if he mated Inuyasha that his lands would be safe from prying hands. Sesshoumaru could think of nothing that was really stopping him from mating his Otouto. It was just a matter of courting him properly.

Sesshoumaru had no clue how to woo a man although he had male lovers in the past. He also had female lovers, but never stayed long with either sex since it was indeed only sex he had been after. Sesshoumaru knew he couldn’t buy his Otouto since things in general would never please his Otouto.

What Inuyasha craved was affection. Sesshoumaru wasn’t exactly one to give much affection to another individual, but he could learn by watching Inuyasha with his human Tsuma (Wife).

Reading the scrolls was like reading someone’s love letters. It was indeed a bit sappy, but these were written by ancient Inu’s who had indeed fallen in love with each other despite one being a hanyou bearer and the other being a full Inu demon. In their union the two gave birth to a son whom would be their heir. This of course being before his Chichi’s time it was no wonder that Sesshoumaru had not heard of it before.

Sesshoumaru did know that there had been male demon bearers, but even that was rare. From reading these documents it seemed that their relationship had been quite similar to his and Inuyasha’s experience with one another.

Inuyasha wouldn’t go for flowers or candy. Perhaps food, a favorite dish? He planned lessons already for his Otouto, but perhaps there was something Inuyasha would prefer to do now that he was here.

There were the blankets that were created from Chichi’s fur. Perhaps Inuyasha would like something more than the fire rat kimono from his Chichi and maybe even a nice set of armor. He could always incorporate the fire rat material into his Chichi’s kimonos.

For visiting his Haha Inuyasha could not go about dressing like a commoner. Sesshoumaru would make the proper adjustments with the tailor tomorrow since he knew of one of Chichi’s kimonos that would work well for Inuyasha and he had several pairs of boots from when he was younger that might fit those bare feet. Inuyasha definitely needed new clothing.

Sesshoumaru would also insist that both Inuyasha and Kagome bathe before going to his Haha’s home. She could smell dirt a mile away.

There was also that damn thing called a Holiday that his Otouto wanted to celebrate. He needed to inquire Kagome about this since it was indeed important to both his Gimai (sister in law) and his Otouto that this is done at the human village.

Perhaps Sesshoumaru would allow Kagome to have the few servants he had to decorate the castle with those strange decorations. That might please both Inuyasha and his Tsuma.

Sesshoumaru put the scrolls away and sat by the fire. There really was no reason for the fire to be lit other than the comfort it gave at night when the fairies slept. There Sesshoumaru meditated for what seemed like hours as he made plans in his mind on how to approach his skittish brother with this new information.

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Sango and Miroku cuddled with their three children. It had been so quiet since Inuyasha and Kagome left that no one said much to each other. Even the villagers were less cheery and everyone had the same thought of who was going to take over once Sobo Kaede passed on to the netherworlds.

Sobo Kaede had become ill and there was no time to train a new miko since she gave all her training to Rin and Kagome. Kagome was planning on staying in the village with Inuyasha. None of them ever thought that Sesshoumaru might come and take his brother in.

It was a given that Rin might leave them any day, but the half built house that was now collecting snow was a sad sign of how lonely this place was without their friends.

Sango was especially sad since her Otouto was no longer here. Even Kirara seemed to be depressed as she laid on the blanket that once belonged to Kohaku while he was staying at the village.

“Sango, we should find a way to tell Inuyasha and Kagome about Sobo Kaede.”

Sango sighed.

“Yes I know this Miroku. Problem is we do not know how to get to Sesshoumaru’s castle. I don’t know how we can tell them when we do not even know where they are at. Perhaps in the morning you could take Kirara and see if a scent trail has been made. I think if Sobo Kaede dies on Christmas it would be a tragedy for this whole village. Kagome or Rin really are our only hope.”

Miroku nodded as he kissed his wife goodnight. Hopefully in the morning it wouldn’t be snowing again since that would not help them trace their friends’ departure.