Always

A/N: No sex this chapter folks. It’s really background information.

Chapter 3: Remembering the Past

With arms tucked into the sleeves of his ro:bo, Sesshomaru made his way to his sleeping room and the large decoratively painted armoire that stood against one wall. It would not take him long to reach Inuyasha, and since the household would not expect him to return until the dinner chime, he was in no hurry. His ki would allow him to teleport to Inuyasha’s exact location within minutes, so there was time. And right now, he felt the desire to wax nostalgic, something he had refrained from doing for quite awhile, such was the pain it caused.

He pulled out his kamishimo he would wear to fetch his wayward brother, slinked out of his sleep kimono then meticulously donned each piece. Turning towards a slimmer cabinet next to the armoire, he topped the ensemble with his bone armor. It was a gift from his okaasama to commemorate his majority, a very big deal in Yokai society. And made from one of her fangs much like the two swords his chichiue had forged by Totosai, for his sons. He draped his bibu up and over his shoulder. He stroked Mokomoko sensuously as he recalled Inuyasha’s question about his own bibu and why Sesshomaru had named his.

He explained to Inuyasha about the Inu-Yokai bibu’s being a primeval extension of their true forms and as such, continue to be visible even when they take on the more ningen appearance.

“Bibus’ appear when an Inu reaches majority and continues to grow until you have reached your zenith in growth.” Sesshomaru offered.

“Key, you mean I’ll be stuck with some sho:jorashii fluffy bibu hanging off my backside for the rest of eternity?”

Sesshomaru chuckled and then proceeded to show Inuyasha just how sho:jorashii their bibu’s could be when he goosed him right in said backside and then pulled his feet out from under him so that he would fall flat on that the very same rump, all before Inuyasha could even blink.

Rubbing said meaty body part Inuyasha would concede, “okay, so it has its pluses.” Than grinning slyly, “But you did not answer why you have named yours”

“When I was little, I could not control it as I have learned to do since, so I thought it to have a mined of its own. I named it and it has stuck ever since,” Sesshomaru confided.

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Finishing his attire, the Lord strapped his two katanas Bakusaiga and Tenseiga within the specially made belt he commissioned from the leather worker in town. It was in the style he saw a soldier wearing on one of his many trips to India. Sesshomaru wasn’t sure of its actual origin, just that he liked its handiness and style.

Again standing at the balustrade that encompassed the balcony spanning the length of his suite, he continued to think back to that pivotal time five years past when Inuyasha was supposed to meet him the night after they had made love.

Sesshomaru smiled fondly, even though he only partially penetrated his little brother, he still saw it as consummation of their affection, a love that had taken a couple of years to blossom and flourish, if it had not been for that miko baita.

Sesshomaru involuntarily hissed at the mere thought of the damnable wench.

How she had gotten her hooks back into Inuyasha after their relationship dramatically changed that eve of the lunar month, he didn’t quite understand. All that concerned him at this point, was that he had waited these five long years for this day… and his need would be sated by Kami!

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Leaning forward a smidgen, placing both hands upon the railing, Sesshomaru recalled when their relationship began to change.

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It was a short time after he took on the human girl-child Rin. Only a select few in this world knew that the ‘ice prince’ was a misnomer, that he did indeed have emotions, but like his chichiue taught him from the beginning, showing emotion was dangerous for a DiaYokai, especially for the Inu clan. The Inu’s have been, are and may always be, thee most powerful clan in Yokai society. To show any sort of weakness would be fatal. A leader could ill afford to appear weak lest they spend all their time in combat, defending their person, their loved ones and their realm.

Inu-no-Taishou’s domain was vast, so maintaining, protecting the lands and its peoples was no easy task. Sesshomaru could not spend too much time fighting when his job as its Lord entailed not just diplomacy within his own realm, but with other Lords and lands far and wide. It was one reason why Inuyasha did not see very much of him until the menace Naraku appeared.

Alas, he was digressing from his original train of thought.

Inuyasha.

When Sesshomaru first found out about the ningen Izayoi, and her relationship with chichiue, he was beyond furious. Finding out that his oto:san had commit fuchu: was dishonorable to his okaasan and through association, himself. “How could his chichiue do this to his family, his wife, his son and heir?” It was the highest form of insult in Yokai society.

Unlike believed of Yokai or practiced in ningen society, Yokai were not polygamous nor engaged in extra-pair copulations. When Yokai mated, they mated for life. Needless to say his adoration for his oto:san suffered irrevocable harm, and his okaasan would just disappear off the face of the earth. He would come to think her dead, wondering if she had committed jisatsu in her grief.

What would perplex Sesshomaru however, was not only why his oto:san committed fuchu but with a ningen of all females. His oto:san was a God among Yokai, the most beautiful and powerful Yokai this Sesshomaru had ever seen then and since. Chichiue could have any female he wished. For that matter he could have had Sesshomaru, if he so desired, being that copulation between family members or those of same sex was not taboo amongst Yokai as it was within ningens.

-----

Sesshomaru shook his head.

-----

It was in complete contrast from what he knew of his oto:san. Chichiue did not employ ningen within his household, nor on rank within his army. And he was always telling Sesshomaru to be wary of the ningen in his own dealings with them. Sesshomaru knew his oto:san did not bare ill will towards ningen, just seemed to tolerate them because they were everywhere and as a Lord of the West, he ‘had’ to deal with them.

It was a conundrum.

Before chichiue’s indiscretion, his own feelings for the ningens ran toward kirai. From what history of his kind taught him, ningen were murderous vermin who were decimating the Yokai of all nations with their greed from the moment they themselves formed clans.

First it was the ningens thirst for land that drove entire yokai clans out of ancestral homes… then it was their greed for superiority that began to run the rivers red with their misguided beliefs. Because of ningens, the Yokai race was a mere shadow of the greatness they once were.

Now they were nearly extinct and those left were slowly going mad, murdering without discretion, even their own kind, such as Naraku and his minions had done for years.

Chichiue once told him that it was the ningens’ jealously of Yokai that fueled their hatred. Sesshomaru suspected that it was also ignorance of what they did not understand.
And it was not isolated to the great land of Japan, it was all over the world, which lent to his summation that Yokai’s time on this world was increasingly limited as long as the ningens continued to procreate like rabbits and murdering them into extinction.

The first insult was finding out that his oto:san committed such an unthinkable act in the first place. The second was this Sesshomaru finding out from their advisors’ on the eve of his return from a pilgrimage to the far East and his oto:san’s ultimate destruction.

That very night he had approached his oto:san, near begging for his swords of power to aid Sesshomaru in his quest to keep the Western lands safe from those that would seek its destruction once word traveled of the discord falling upon the house of Inu. And fall it would if someone did not defend its borders, and at the moment, chichiue did not appear in the frame of mind to do so.

But as seemed to be the norm of late, his oto:san continued to degrade his son and in stead offered the cryptic; “Do you have some one to protect?”

Or some such nonsense.

Adding insult to injury he would even ask if this Sesshomaru would go so far as to kill him for the swords.

-----

“Keh.” Sesshomaru snorted at the memory.

As if this Sesshomaru would lower himself to such homicidal behavior, even IF his name translated to ‘perfect assassin’.

-----

He was so shocked at the insinuation, that all he could do was stand there, watch his father take on his natural form and go to his ningen-ama.

Alas, Sesshomaru would never be given the chance to demand answers from his oto:san. Normally the Inu no Taisho would have healed from his injuries inflicted from his and the great dragon diayokai Ryukotsusei’s battle, however, once reaching the palace of the ningen Izayoi, he would be confronted with the ningen general Setsuna no Takemaru and there, in his weakened state and in flames, loose his life force.

-----

A lone tear escaped one golden eye as Sesshomaru continued to reminisce.

That was also the night he would begin to despise the ningen race.

-----

He was too young to take over the title of Inu no Taisho. He was too young to lead his people. So, again he left, with just a few parting instructions for the palace staff and a few more for his oto:san’s council and advisors to once again travel afar.

Unfortunately, the Inu realm began to fall in ruin and chaos under the auspices of all left in charge. His absence nearly lent to the total destruction of his house.

Due to his travels and the utter debauchery he witnessed caused by the ningen and their greed, the hate began to grow. He stood testament to war after war, never getting involved unless his hand be forced. Not only Japan was under siege by its ningen factions, scrabbling for any little bit and piece they could plunder, but throughout his pilgrimage, the entire globe reeked with its infection.

Miraculously, as time bore on, he would learn to focus the hate he bore ningens, lest he go on a murderous rampage like he’d seen happen to so many other Yokai, taking out anything and everything in his path. Instead he disembarked on his worldly travels, went back to the Chuugoku region and his ancestral home situated in the mountains of San’in near Matsue with one purpose… to take his rightful place as his oto:san’s heir.

-----

And here he has remained, he thought fondly, peering out across his domain.

Home.

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He would fight hard to gain back what he had nearly lost. Repairing the damage done in his absence was a long and arduous task, but he did it. The lands and its people began to prosper. He even tolerated the ningen that made their homes within the Western Lands… however, he minimized their infiltrations close to the palace, that tolerant he had not become as of yet. Their boisterous and holier-than-thou nature as well as their scent was just too much for this Lord to keep to close to his person for comfort.

Sesshomaru snorted, their odor that assaulted his sensitive nose was the cause for his demands that Rin bath as often as she did. At the very least once every other day, though he would have preferred EVERY day.

His hate did not disappear however, just became narrowly focused.

Focused entirely upon the heads of the two he blamed for the near destruction of his house…

…Izayoi and by association, her bastard half-breed musuko, Inuyasha.

He made no overt moves towards contact with the two, in fact for all intent and purposes he would ignore their existence. He was aware that after the attack on her diamyo’s domain in Yonaga, Izayoi would return to her mother’s home in the southern part of the Chuugoku near Okayama. Far enough away from Sesshomaru that he could have actually forgot about their existence.

There was only one time Sesshomaru would travel to the region of Okayama. He was in the general area to meet with its ningen Lord and due to chance or a subliminal curiosity he would spy the little hanyou playing with his ball near the forest.

He remembered being incensed with the little gaki’s submission under the ningen of the palace. The scene was definitely not becoming behavior of the son of the great Inu no Taisho, actually cowering under their assaults both verbal and physical. Sesshomaru did not know whether he should slaughter the ningen for their disrespect or beat the little hanyou for his nonresistance. Than later, to top off the encounter, the hanyou had the disrespect to approach his person without the proper protocol.

By now Sesshomaru was so livid with what he had witnessed, he turned his back on the hanyou and offered that the next time they met he would kill the little gaki him self.

-----

Sesshomaru deeply inhaled with the memory. It was not that he actually would kill the whelp. He was just so angry, that he let his emotions go into overdrive and he overreacted. But at that time in his life, he was not about to admit that.

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Soon after, Izayoi would die of some ningen disease, leaving the hanyou without proper rearing for the son of a great Yokai Lord such as their oto:san, and that just would not do. Sesshomaru, as DaiYokai would need to correct this, so he sent a ningen emissary to do what needed to be done. He of course had way too much to do with cleaning up the mess that was created to be concerned for his oto:san’s half breed yaro.

Of course the rest is history.

He would begin to take his retainer Jaken with him on his expeditions across his lands when he needed to go on his border checks, He would do this once every few months. Yes, the Lord could leave this action up to one of the units in his army, but he felt as DaiYokai he needed to keep a certain amount of hands-on with the people and lands a Lord oversees and protects. You could not do this sitting behind a desk. Besides, it gave him a chance to unwind from the windbags of court that he had to endure constantly.

The next time he would interact with his sibling would be the fight over his father’s fang many years later. If Sesshomaru ever really lost any and all control, it was over what he believed to be his rightful heritage, the Tetsusaiga and the fight that ensued.

Healing from that particular farce in the forest would bring him his Rin. She would prove to be one of the best things that happened in his long and tumulus life.

Sesshomaru sighed and let a soft smile cross his lips, then gently shook his head how such a tiny package of ningen moxie could near bring the great diayokai to his knees was one of the wonders of the world. Rin would teach him much, especially in a round about way, how to eventually deal with Inuyasha.

The great Lord’s first lesson would be that of Akape, the act of unconditional love.

With that followed awaremi. The act of mercy, charity, compassion, pity, sympathy and even remorse, he would begin to understand and incorporate these feelings into his very character. He embraced these new emotions willingly. Although he remained stoic to all else, to those he loved he would learn to express these new-found feelings.

Sesshomaru shook his head, his long silvery mane flowing like silk with the movement as he refocused.

~Again I digress.~ He concluded.

By the encounter at their oto:san’s gravesite, the hanyou had become his customary lewd, crude and rude self. If Inuyasha’s behavior insulted the Lord’s innate sensibilities before, they left him horrified by now. It would not help that the insolent gaki actually got the upper hand in said fight and took this Sesshomaru’s sword arm off just above the elbow.

Sesshomaru saw Inuyasha as a blight on the house of the Inu clan, a wart that would need to be controlled or so-help-him-kami if all else failed, removed altogether.

The only problem was, Sesshomaru had absolutely no idea how to accomplish this. It turned out that every other chance meeting with the baka would just be a lesson in futility. Before Sesshomaru could get a handle on the issue and approach his ototo with some semblance of reproach, the moment they spied one another, they would quickly degenerate into hurling insults, drawing swords and threaten to even kill the other, to the point of coming darn close to doing just that.

But something stayed both their hand.

What was absurd, Sesshomaru would ponder after later encounters, that both had opportunity to deliver a death blow, yet, neither of them took the advantage.

As time wore on, Sesshomaru found that he did not hold fast to his hate where it came to Inuyasha. He does not remember when, why or how it left him, but it did. If anything, the emotion had morphed into confusion and if there was one thing this Sesshomaru could not stand, it was being confused about anything. So instead of drawing his sword the moment he felt like going on the defensive in their encounters, the Lord would stay his hand.

He also began to spy on the hanyou when said half breed was not aware. It would be one of those times where he would find out two things. One, Inuyasha’s weakest period, when he turned full ningen and two, that the ridiculous looking miko in his rag-tag little pact was abusing his ototo.

The miko-ama was lucky he refrained from depriving her of her very existence the moment he first witnessed her “Oswari” command, sending his sibling’s already emaciated looking frame crashing to the ground.

That was not the worst part, to top the preverbal cake, Inuyasha did not reprimand the ama. The look of utter disbelief on the diayokai’s face would have been priceless to anyone who had witnessed it. Sesshomaru for the life of him could not imagine why his little brother would not put the little ama in her place. Even if he did think her the beta female, it was unheard of in Inu society, Kami! In Yokai society for anyone to even live after such a display of disrespect.

Now some who did not understand Yokai norms would have said Sesshomaru should have intervened. However, that would have added insult to injury. Inuyasha was alpha of his pack, to interfere was to challenge that position. Sesshomaru had no desire to become responsible for Inuyasha’s troop of miscreants, nor did he think such action would be accepted with open arms by Inuyasha him self. So he continued to observe, cringing almost visibly every subsequent time he witnessed the assault. And for the first time since the hanyou was birthed, he began to worry for his ototo’s safety and health.

-----

Sesshomaru snorted.

-----

It was with humongous wide eyes when that little revelation smacked him in the snout back at the palace when he again would think upon his actions and decipher them in his solitude.

Now he was actually concerned for the hanyo’s well being. He sighed dramatically, something he could reward him self with when he was alone in his chambers. The mighty diayokai sat with a pronounced *thud* upon his futon within his sitting room and smacked his head into his palm. The myriad of changes in his life were becoming nigh absurd.

It wouldn’t be until years later, when he and Inuyasha began to mutually repair their relationship, that he would once again hear his chichiue’s warning not to trust the ningens with anything important. Apparently said agent did absolutely nothing to improve Inuyasha’s situation, like find him proper foster care in or around his okaasan’s homeland as he was instructed. In fact, it seemed the agents report back years ago to the diayokai was a total fabrication from start to finish. He never even approached the hanyou.

Inuyasha had literally raised him self.

This bit of information shocked Sesshomaru, in fact ‘shocking’ the diayokai was becoming an annoying habit by what ever powers were in charge in the spirit world, if anyone even was in charge! Of course, Inuyasha did not understand why he would be, after all, according to him, his aniki should have seen to his care personally, instead of putting his life in charge of some unreliable servant.

“Keh,” he snorted after that snide remark. As if he had the time to take out from reconstructing his decimated lands to worry about his family’s taint. Thankfully, Sesshomaru chose not to voice that remark, it would have went over REAL well. But it was honest. At the time, Sesshomaru’s priority was to take over for his oto:san. Inuyasha was, under all intents and purposes, taken care of.

The illumination would enlighten the Lord to the whys and wherefores of Inuyasha’s undesirable behavior. No wonder he had appeared despicable to this Sesshomaru, he had not the proper education. All this time, Sesshomaru came to believe Inuyasha’s behavior was directly due and caused by his being hanyou, not once thinking it could be a lack of training. In the Lords defense, it was not like he had other hanyo’s to compare his ototo with. Hanyo’s didn’t live long, if they survived birth at all.

To Sesshomaru this was no small revelation, however, nor did it bode well for his character. Leaving Inuyasha after that particular visit caused the great Inu a lot of sleepless nights trying to come to terms with the implications.

It was within this period he vowed to repair the damage that had been done, as best he could.

If Inuyasha allowed it.

Sesshomaru’s transformation from the ‘cold yaro’ his ototo had a perverse habit of calling him, to where he would be today would be a long and arduous challenge, but well worth it her surmised.

The road to his redemption was not paved in gold however; there would be ruts within the road he traveled, some deep, some shallow. Some would be painful. Yet no matter what was said of the great diayokai called Sesshomaru, he was forever tenacious. He would not back down from a challenge, not without a fierce fight, and his awakening was worth fighting for, he came to believe.

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Sesshomaru grinned in his thoughts, Naraku would find out just how tenacious he could be. And for that matter, so would Inuyasha.

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The brother’s relationship would drastically mutate after he nearly lost Rin… again. If it was not for the sudden appearance of his okaasan who was the one who would help save Rin's life, Sesshomaru was not sure how he would have handled the loss. Rin had managed to do what no other had managed, found the way to soften his heart, which ultimately lent to his turn-around with Inuyasha.

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A hint of a small smile, of which he found he was doing a lot of lately, reminiscing over one time in particular, after Rin had been returned to him.

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There she sat cross-legged, tiny hands laying limp atop her lap, surrounded by a sea of fallen cherry blossoms. Her head downcast, he could smell the dejection so strong it was like a knife piercing the great Diayokai's heart. She didn't even look up when her Lord silently walked up to her.

"Rin." He called softly.

No answer.

"Rin." He repeated with a little more demand.

Slowly a plump face full of fresh tears looked up at him, conveying so much sorrow, causing the feeling of the knife to twist.

"Hai Lord Sesshomaru-sama," she sniffled.

Sesshomaru puffed out his chest (mainly to remain in control of his emotions) and crossed his arms within his kimono sleeves. "Why do you weep onna-no-ko?

*sniff, sniff*
"No one wants to play with me." Rin whispered, bowing her head yet again.

The great dog demon stood mute for a moment, not sure what to say or do with that statement. He was curious though, seeing her with a gaggle of her kind only a short time ago.

"What of all the ningen kodomo you were with a short time ago?"

*sniffle*
"They do not want to play with me."

A small sigh escaped the Lord's lips and he nearly rolled his eyes. "I understood that Rin, but it is the 'why' that I ask."

Rin peered up and silence reigned as he watched a lone tear escape the corner of her eye to traverse her rosy cheek, take a dive off her chin, and then to land unceremoniously on her placid clasped hands. The knife twisted further, causing him to actually gasp, although with Rin’s ningen ears, she would thankfully not hear it.

Gathering himself together, Sesshomaru thought with some hint of amusement, he should win some kind of award for the infinite patience he had for the little ningen, waiting for her reply.

"Because," she began, "I am nothing but a filthy little kijin-aijin," she mumbled.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened and if Rin had been a demon herself, she would have smelled the anger wafting dangerously from the inu-kijin, "Rin." He intoned authoritatively, "Where do you get such ideas?"

Rin blushed thinking she had displeased her Lord, " That is what the other kodomo said when I asked."

Sesshomaru blanched. "Well, if that is their reason, they are not good enough for my onna-no-ko."

He attempted to smile at the little one but really, it appeared like it actually caused him pain, Rin thought. Yet she was elated that he had been at least trying of late to show her more emotion than in the past. There was only one problem...

"But now I have no one to play with."

Jaken was away on a diplomatic mission and the servants’ children were just as busy as their parents usually. Then she had a thought, lowering her head, yet peeking at her Lord through her dark bangs she near pleaded, "Will you play with me Sesshomaru-sama?"

The Great Inu DiaYokai of the West blinked.

And blinked again.

This may have been the first ever that any one in the great land of Japan, or anywhere else for that matter, rendered the great warrior... speechless.

Sesshomaru's eyes darted towards each corner of the globe, shifting his head ever so slightly in order to do so. His demonic sight looking for any other sentient being within eyesight of the two.

Sweeping his Yi aside, he ceremoniously sat down in front of the little one, "This Sesshomaru would know what 'play' Rin would like to engage in.” he modulated.

A wondrous smile graced her small face as her hands clasped together as she bowed...

"Ara Sesshomaru-sama!" she exclaimed, excitement rolling off her like waves, "Rin would like to play 'horsie'!"

Sesshomaru would have gasped if he was a lesser being. Instead he just stared for a moment at the diminutive akuba in training, wishing that a hole would magically appear and swallow him whole at this precise moment.

After a few pregnant moments, he removed his yi. Placing it on the grass he assumed the 'horsie' position.

"Only for you my little onno-no-ko, only for you." He whispered.


It was that incident that Rin would begin calling her Lord chichiue or oto:san instead of Sesshomaru-sama.

Also during that time, they had finally defeated Naraku and the miko Kagome went back to her time to finish school.

Just a few straggling minions to take care of and the Western lands saw some relative peace for the time being, giving the diayokai the ability to spend more quality time with his ototo. And spend time he did, for he needed to prove to Inuyasha that his desire to mend their damaged relationship was sincere.

Oh,Inuyasha would fight this change in the ‘cold blooded jaro’, unbelieving that his brother capable of such things as feelings. His smart mouth would go off just as always, trying to antagonize his brother into their routine fights, openly gaping at said Lord when all he would get was a light chuckle or a “keh”, mimicking Inuyasha. What really began to confuse the hanyou was when Sesshomaru started to add playful witty barbs back at him.

They continued to physically fight, but the action took on more of a sparring implication, with Sesshomaru adding suggestions for improving Inuyasha’s techniques. And damn if he didn’t improve his other skills too.

When Sesshomaru smiled for the first time, Inuyasha’s eyes got so big and jaw dropped so wide he looked like one of those big ugly fish he had seen for sale at market. Sesshomaru thought he would fall down right there with one of those laughing fits he had seen others ‘fall’ into. However, he was not willing to loosen his regal façade that much and refrained himself. It did surprisingly warm his heart to know he felt like it.

Thinking back, the desire to act in such a manner, actually made him feel giddy. Something he had not felt since he was a child.

Even Rin and Inuyasha’s pack would take notice of the smooth change in him and made comment on several occasions when they thought the mighty Lord couldn’t hear. Inuyasha was so confused by now that he broke down and went to the old miko Kaede for advice. Kaede however was no help at all, she just kept on stirring the stew and instructed that the hanyou should maybe go to the source, namely Sesshomaru himself. At the time, Inuyasha was not impressed with the old hag’s advice.

As days and weeks went by, Inuyasha decided he couldn’t take it anymore and stomping his backside up to his brother, demanded a full explanation of said strange behavior. Of course the Great Lord of the Western Lands only offered, “We all change as the sands of time Inuyasha. I have found that you are worthy of this Sesshomaru’s notice and even brotherly affection.”

Then the DaiYokai really messed with his head, stepping forward, he cradled Inuyasha’s face in both hands, bent down, kissed his forehead, nuzzled his cheek and growled. The hanyou was not stupid, he knew what that gesture along with the gentle growl meant, it was inu-yokai’s way of showing great affection between family members. His mother taught him that. Once again, Inuyasha’s eyes bugged, jaw dropped and all he could do was stand there.

Without saying a word he shook his head and walked back to the village in a haze, but not before witnessing that smile gracing his brother’s face.

With each passing day and increasing encounters with Sesshomaru, Inuyasha began to believe, and therefore accept the changes that were blossoming within his brother.

Inuyasha started to change as well, less hot-headed and more polite towards others. A sense of calm was beginning to dominate his ki instead of the angst he was so used to. Kaede was the first to notice and made the comment that he was ‘growing up’. He did not forget Sesshomaru’s past behavior, it was the sting the memories caused that would begin to fade.

Kaede offered that this was because Inuyasha was learning to ‘forgive’ his brother, lifting the millstone from around his neck, which he wasn’t even aware he was carrying. “Well-being,” she would say, “always out weighs affliction.”

Their visits became lighter and longer, with Sesshomaru and his small group sometimes staying for a day or two. Sesshomaru would use these times to teach Inuyasha additional combat techniques, like fighting hand to hand and mastering alternative weapons besides his sword. Further subjects he would instruct Inuyasha on where issues like Yokai law, politics, and societal customs. Topics Inuyasha’s mother could not teach him thoroughly, being that she was human, did not live long and lived amongst ningen rather than Yokai.

As time progressed, Sesshomaru would take Inuyasha and sometimes members of his pack back to the palace for days and the instructions would continue, including writing, language and the arts.

Sesshomaru remembered fondly the first time Inuyasha stepped foot on his ancestral lands and home. The look of awe on his ototo’s face was precious. The emotions he was experiencing that day were much like what he remembered feeling when he was a child and his chichiue and okaasama where together and happy. It proved that it was not only Inuyasha’s ki that was morphing, but his own as well.

The changes between the brothers did not leave their respective companions in the dust. The atmosphere changed with all concerned. It was like a chain reaction. The greatest and most visible change came between Inuyasha and the kitsune yokai kit Shippo. It vastly improved, becoming more brotherly, going so far as to Shippo calling Inuyasha chikyo:dai. Their in-fighting all but ceased. Yes, they continued to tease one another, as brothers want to do, but the edge was gone, replaced with mutual understanding and respect. Plus, much to Sesshomaru’s relief, Inuyasha stopped hitting Shippo on the head and ‘going postal’ as Inuyasha called it. That action, once witnessed early on, concerned the great Lord as to how Inuyasha would treat his Rin. So it was an immense relief when it discontinued.

Shippo would listen more and calmed his mischievous behavior. It helped that there were kitsune yokai within the palace staff to help pave the way for his more mature conduct.

And it did not go unnoticed that not only was it Inuyasha who begun to emulate the dai-yokai, but Shippo as well, although Shippo even more so, being found to go so far as to mimic the great inu’s stance and walk.

Sesshomaru started to ‘like’ the little kit. Yet it still shocked him when one day Shippo hesitantly approached the mighty Lord and quietly asked if he could call him oto:san like Rin did when she was in front of others. She would still call him chichiue in private or with family only.

---------

Sesshomaru was in his library conducting light business with his door open, which meant that it was alright to approach him. When closed you dare not, unless there was a kin-slaying or fire, which really was moot because any emergency that arose within the palace grounds would be known by the dai-yokai long before anyone could even think about informing it’s Lord.

The pixyish kitsune stood within the doorway, head bowed shuffling his bare paws for what seemed like ages. When Sesshomaru begun to lose patience with the little kit, he put down the quill he was using for a particular correspondence and looking at Shippo let out a low rumbling yap… which told the little kit that he’d better start talking lest he actually succeed in annoying the dog-demon, of which only a baka would even think to do.

“Sesshomaru-sama, may I speak with you?” Shippo raised his head a bit to peer up at the Lord, who despite his changing attitude was still scarier than all seven levels of hell.

“Is this not why you are here Shippo-kun?” His eye contact never wavering.

“Well,” Shippo looked back down at his feet, “Hai.”

Shippo's subservience reminded Sesshomaru so much of Inuyasha when he witnessed the ningen taunting him as a pup, it rankled his nerves and caused the small hairs on the nape of his neck stand out on end. The little one needed to become more dominant if he was going to survive, not only as a Yokai, but as a prominent member of his household, being that the kit was nearly Inuyasha’s adopted son, which gave him at least ‘some’ status.

“You will look at this Sesshomaru when you speak young kit.” He intoned.

Shippo tentatively brought his head level, his small body shaking slightly, but managed to look straight into the dai-yokai’s eyes. “Hai Sesshomaru-sama.”

Sesshomaru gestured for the kit to take a seat that was positioned in front of the ornate desk and short legs hurriedly obeyed. Since the seat was a bit high for the kitsune, it took a great deal of effort for Shippo to sit, climbing and faltering a time or two. Sesshomaru made no move to help him, knowing that not only did the kit need to do things on his own, but that Sesshomaru had faith that he could accomplish his goal. Even if it did take him a few tries to succeed.

Once situated, both went back to just looking at one another.

“You try my patience otokonoko.” Sesshomaru stated, again reminding Shippo to be more forthwith.

Shippo ducked his head, not breaking eye contact, “Tsu:kon Sesshomaru-sama.”

“Do not apologize Shippo-kun, just get on with it.” Sesshomaru repressed the desire to close his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Hai. Sesshomaru-sama,” he shifted nervously in his chair, “Would it be alright if I were to call you…” And here was where Shippo’s voice became near inaudible. It was just lucky Sesshomaru had exceptional hearing. “… oto:san?”

There were a couple of moments where you could almost hear a cartload of feathers drop before Sesshomaru responded.

“Why? Is Inuyasha not more of a oto:san to you then this Sesshomaru?” the yokai Lord was genuinely perplexed by the request.

Shippo clasped his hands together nervously, “Iya.” He answered.

“Explain Shippo-kun.”

“Inuyasha is more like my chikyo:dai Sesshomaru-sama. You remind me more of my birthing oto:san.” Shippo produced the most dazzling smile, much like Rin when she truly wanted something. That particular thought caused Sesshomaru to squint at the squirt. He scented no dishonesty within the kit and by his physical behavior, of which Sesshomaru prided himself in being an expert at deciphering, the kit was truly excited at the prospect of calling him oto:san.

“Are you aware of the enormity the task of becoming my musuko would entail little one?”

Shippo’s’ eyes got impossibly big, “Iya,” he answered meekly.

Sesshomaru rose from his seat, which greatly distressed the kit, not knowing what or how to respond to the Lord’s movement, so Sesshomaru motioned for him to remain seated. He made his way in front of his desk, directly before Shippo and leaned back on it, but bowed his upper torso close to the kit, “It would mean musuko,” he intoned gently, “that there will be expectations of the musuko of a powerful Inu-DaiYokai.”

Shippo gulped visibly and audibly.

Sesshomaru continued, “There will be regimented lessons in all sorts of disciplines.” He started to tick them off one by one, so many that Shippo was beginning to feel dizzy as Sesshomaru leaned in progressively, till he was nearly nose to nose with the kit. “There will be events that will require your utmost controlled social graces. You will be watched, wooed and even insulted by everyone who will want to make a name for them selves.” Sesshomaru paused, watching the kitsune squirm, his eyes getting bigger with each vocal punctuation, than he leaned back again and continued, “What say you Shippo-kun, are you up to the challenge?”

Shippo let out an explosive breath, air he had been holding within him the whole time and for a moment there was silence. “Hai Sesshomaru-sama.”

Sesshomaru grinned, “Than musuko, so it is and so shall it be written, that from this day forth, you will be known as Shippo, onzo:shi in the house of this Sesshomaru.”

When Shippo began to cry, Sesshomaru gripped him under his shoulders and brought him to his chest, pleased that he could now offer solace to the little kit, when in the past, he would have cut off his arm again to refrain from such behavior.

Sesshomaru gently lifted the kitsune's chin to gaze into his eyes, “But please tell me little Shippo-kun, who named you by what hangs from your ketsu?”

A crane could have fit through Shippo’s gaping maw.

That was how Inuyasha found them, laughing as Sesshomaru found one of Shippo’s tickle spots still in his arms. Just one more incident of many that would continue to shock the half demon regarding his brother’s evolution.

Than one day a couple of years later, as if to complicate matters more, Sesshomaru came to a startling realization. Not only did he love his little ototo… but he LOVED his little ototo.

What cataclysmic event took place to make him see his budding adulation for his little brother? When he realized that he not only stopped taking lovers, but stopped even looking at another with any hint of desire, yet began to do so with Inuyasha.

Many a time after Sesshomaru’s enlightenment, their visitations would take on a more sexual undertone to their playful bantering, of which they increasingly engaged in as time wore on like most siblings.

Sesshomaru continued to call Inuyasha a hanyou, but unlike the past, it was becoming more of a pet name rather than spat out in indignation, saying it with a slight lilt to his voice and a impish grin on his face and no longer prefaced with the word ‘filthy’ or the like.

Just as the name “yaro” morphed with new meaning when Inuyasha would retort in kind.

However, contrary to his sibling’s declaration that he was a hentai at one point, Sesshomaru was not ‘ranko:-no’, he did not bed or try to bed anything and everything. Sesshomaru was extremely selective and only had a handful of lovers in his long lifetime.

After all, the Diayokai was over 600 years old, 400 of those were after his majority, obviously he did not lived all that time a virgin, he had had his fair share of lovers. Unlike say Inuyasha who was only 206, reaching his age of majority only a few years ago. Albeit stunted, due to his years bound to the Goshinboku.

Inuyasha was yet a ‘pup’ in Inu-Yokai standards because of it. His body was right in sync with his years; it was his brain that needed to catch up. So, with that in mind, Sesshomaru decided to take any sexual level of their relationship at a slower pace than nurturing the relationship of being brothers, which he felt was more important.

There were many a time after one of their sexually charged bouts however where Sesshomaru would need to high tail it out of proximity as soon as possible, lest he molest the little hanyou right there in front of Buddha and everybody. And if the scent of lust was any indication, it was becoming clearer that he wasn’t the only one with these feelings.

If Sesshomaru had known then what he knew now however, maybe he would have done things differently. Hindsight though is perfect and at the time he refused to burden Inuyasha further by adding yet another confusing component to their relationship

As it turned out, when Sesshomaru did reunite with Inuyasha a week after their tryst in the hot spring, Sesshomaru would find out he acted a little too late. Inuyasha would inform him that not only was the recently returned miko ‘pupped’, but that he would be ‘doing the right thing’ as he called it and marrying the wench as soon as could be arranged.

---------

Sesshomaru gently closed his eyes as he continued to stand motionless at the edge of the balcony. Even today, five years later, the images of that night caused a tear to slip past black, thick lashes and drop down to the front of his kamishimo.


Translations: which are all in Japanese unless otherwise stated
hai -yes
ara -oh!
onno-no-ko -female child;daughter
ningen -human
kodomo -children
kijin -demon
kijin-aijin -demon-lover
yi -button less coat (Chinese)
akuba -witch
koromo -clothes
ro:bo -for all intent and purposes, it indicates Sessh’s night robe
chichiue / oto:san -father
akape -unconditional love, as in agape
ki -life force
okaasama -mother
kitsune -fox demon
chikyo:dai -foster brother
oto:san -father
iya -no
musuko -son
onzo:shi -son of a distinguished man
Tenseiga -“Heavenly Fang”, can revive the dead, made from Sesshomaru’s fathers fang
Bakusaiga -“Explosive Crushing Fang”, generated at the same time as Sesshomaru’s
regenerated left arm, so therefore carries the same significance as the
Tetseiga in showing Sesshomaru’s power
Izayoi -Inuyasha’s mother
kirai -dislike
baita -slut
Inu no Taishou -Great Dog General, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha’s father
fuchu -adultery
jisatsu -suicide
Setsuna no Takemaru -the soldier who kills Izayoi and causes ultimately
the death of the Inu no Taishou, not sure what
rank he had
gaki -brat
baka -idiot
yaro -bastard
chikyo:dai -foster brother
Shippo/bibu -tail
sho:jorashii -girlish
tsu:kon -sorry
hentai -pervert
otokonoko -boy
onzo:shi -son of a distinguished family
ketsu -ass, buttocks
ranko:-no -promiscuous
kamishimo -samurai garb