November 2009 Week 2
Title:How It could Have Been; ch 75, Misunderstandings
Author:petalears
Universe:AU
Rating:PG
Summary:Problems start early.
Quote:The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway. - Henry Boye
Misunderstandings
When they returned it was obvious to the parents that the two boys had grown closer and that their bond was far stronger than it had been before. From Sesshoumaru, there was a protectiveness over the younger boy that rivalled his father’s and Inu no Taishou recognised that his eldest son’s youkai instinct was almost mature and was treating Inuyasha as a son. As for Inuyasha, his trust was fully complete in the older brother and he would now always look to him for approval and guidance. Their father sighed and he spoke to his mate later to get her advice.
"It seems that our eldest has grown up a lot while he’s been with Inuyasha, My Mate."
"Hmmm?" The Lady replied sleepily, briefly wondering why her mate was not asleep as usual after their energetic nightly romp.
"Sesshoumaru; it is apparent that he will soon want a mate and children of his own." Inu no Taishou said forlornly and he managed by that statement to wake his mate completely. She turned to him with an incredulous look.
"What on earth gave you the idea that our shy, often very self-centred son was ready to take a mate? He is hardly at ease with females yet, if he’s even noticed them."
"Perhaps we should have betrothed him at birth and then he wouldn’t have any need to search for himself."
"Where is all of this coming from My Love? You were twice Sesshoumaru’s age when we mated, and I remember you were still a coy and unsure boy. I do not think we need be concerned yet that our eldest pup is about to leave the den."
"Surely My Mate, you felt how possessive his youkai was over Inuyasha, I felt almost as if I would have been challenged if I said anything regarding the pup. I think I may have to remind our eldest that Inuyasha is his brother, not his son."
"You will do no such thing My Love; I will not have my son subjected to anything that will disturb the bond he has with Inuyasha. I will fight you all the way should you attempt to assert yourself over him due to some stupid notion that he has replaced you in Inuyasha’s heart." The Lady hissed and her mate stared in surprise, his mate normally was light hearted and sarcastic, not this vehement viper. But a quick recall that a female will defend her pups above all and even to death, made him calm, realising his words were perhaps, ill advised.
"I would never harm our children My Mate...I just thought..." He stopped in amazement when he scented her tears and his youkai berated him for being the cause. It was almost unheard of for his mate to cry and Inu no Taishou wasn’t sure how he had caused her to be quite so upset; he hated her tears, they made him feel defenceless and as if the world had fallen away at his feet.
"My Love..?" He questioned gently as he enfolded her in his arms.
"Never question Sesshoumaru’s loyalty to you My Love...when he thought you had died...it was only that tiny pup that saved him from completely cutting himself off from everything. He is very like me, but he was so alone, Inuyasha in his life has made such a difference to our eldest and all for the good. Sesshoumaru adores and idolises you and if you try to infer that he is taking your place within Inuyasha’s heart, he will break their bond rather than fight you and both of our boys will suffer."
"Calm yourself My Mate; I shall do nothing to separate our sons. I know how my boys feel towards me and I am very well aware of how their bond grounded Sesshoumaru. The fear of him being left with the Western Lands so young and before he grew into his personality was a constant companion driving me to live." At this his own voice choked as he remembered the very real fear and overwhelming love he’d had for his son; and as for his mate, she clung to him as if he had only just recovered.
"I’m sorry My Mate, I have been a fool; I was jealous I suppose, because of Sesshoumaru’s growing influence over Inuyasha, I didn’t mean to hurt you."
"You will hear no arguments from me on that score My Love." His mate answered; her mood getting better all of the time."And remember, just because our eldest has shown he is becoming even more responsible toward his sibling, doesn’t mean he is ready to mate and become a father." When she heard no further reply to her comment, The Lady settled back down to sleep, content with having the final word.
For the next few months everything settled down once again; Inuyasha had come to accept the wisdom of his human siblings, understanding them far better now that Sesshoumaru had explained it to him. The older brother had not been overly talkative during their hunting holiday; in fact Sesshoumaru had let Inuyasha do most of the talking while he just listened, and every now and then put things into some form of perspective for the pup.
But although Inuyasha now understood the reasoning of his siblings, he couldn’t just stay away completely; his human nieces and nephews were just as dear to him as his future youkai ones. Therefore he often watched them from a distance, sneaking away to observe them without their knowledge; and in the years to come, as they too passed away, his human family and life got further and further away.
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Adolescence was an eagerly anticipated time for young youkai and their parents; as with all species, their bodies and voices changed and grew and the child became a youth. It was also the time that their youkai surged and any abilities associated with their youki came to the fore. So everyone kept an eye out on the younger pups because it was also the time when they found out their natural order when in pack or group. This happened if possible under controlled conditions, matches held in the dojo preferably, but often spontaneous fights would occur as youkai vied against youkai.
As it happened, both Inuyasha and Michiko had reached the same time together, but fortunately being of different sexes, the need for youkai posturing was reduced. Michiko was an Alpha female, but was no competition as she had learned that Inuyasha was not to be taken advantage of in any case. She also found that she had a youki whip and Dokkasou exactly the same as her eldest brother and her mother, and The Lady was well able to take care of her daughter’s instruction.
Inuyasha meanwhile had grown at least five inches over the last year and now stood just below his father’s chin and was no longer a rounded pup, but a skinny and bony boy. His voice had deepened slightly although it still squeaked on occasion, much to his chagrin and so far the only power he had manifested was his Sankon Tessou that he’d inherited from his father. He would have loved to have the youki whip, the same as Shu and now Michiko; but was told that this was the gift of their mother.
It was the consensus of the adults and healers that if Inuyasha had only inherited one youki ability, it was at least a practical one, combining natural defence and offence together. It didn’t take long for Inuyasha to prove himself in the dojo with the others who had reached adolescence. At last he had shown that although born a beta youkai by situation, he was still a very strong Alpha hanyou and even Kouga was impressed. Inuyasha would always be Inu no Taishou’s and Sesshoumaru’s beta by birth and choice, but anyone else would have to defeat him, and that would not be easy.
But he was an easy going boy and although slim in body, he was still round cheeked and wide-eyed, different to his full youkai siblings; whose faces, like most youkai, started to become more defined at adolescence. At first he didn’t notice any difference; he had always tried to please and was a good pup, but it wasn’t long before everyone noticed that he stayed a baby face even as he went through puberty. The final straw however was when he heard the term ‘cute puppy’ applied to him more and more.
Of course he made the mistake of remonstrating against the name, but that just drew attention to the words and made more people make use of it; even Inu no Taishou was heard to call him ‘Puppy’. Inuyasha didn’t know why he was suddenly annoyed at every little thing, and he hated not being taken seriously and treated like a baby, when he was obviously passed being a child. He no longer acted like a small boy, but was far more adult in his action and speech and yet he still saw the secret smiles that he just knew he wasn’t supposed to have noticed.
It was while he was sulking one rainy day in the passage way leading to the nursery that he discovered another of his abilities quite by chance. Inuyasha was in a mood and working himself into a bad temper, when he carelessly knocked over a vase that was on display. It was not particularly valuable, but his Aunty liked it and he swore at himself until he remembered that it was she who had annoyed him this time. Inuyasha wasn’t sure where all of his anger was coming from, nor did he care; but he wasn’t going to go an own up like a ‘good little boy’, that was for sure.
It wasn’t long before the mess was discovered and questions asked; Inuyasha knew he was in for a scolding when they found him, but he didn’t go to meet it, he waited for them to come to him and read a story while he did so. His parents did come in to the room and saw him reading and as Inuyasha looked up at them, they didn’t notice the guilty demeanour and only saw the innocent pup. In fact Inuyasha looked so innocent that the fact that he was the only one in the area and had been all morning didn’t register.
They left him alone with a fond smile and the puzzled pup gained a blinding insight that hit him like a thunderbolt; Inuyasha decided to test out his new theory. So over the next few months lots of annoying things happened, for instance rice was found spilled on the floor of the kitchens in the pantry, and a bundle of hair ribbons was found creased and knotted together instead of smoothed and ready to use in The Lady’s rooms. Often a cake or other treat that had been set aside would vanish or other missing things would turn up in unexpected places.
Inuyasha was very careful; he never left a scent anywhere that he couldn’t have been or on things he should never have touched and it became a game of stealth that he greatly enjoyed. He was never malicious, only mischievous and no one believed that the cherubic faced pup had anything to do with the strange goings on. He perfected the ‘butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth’ gaze when anyone asked him if he had seen anyone behaving suspiciously. Inuyasha was in his element, if everyone thought him too cute and good to behave badly, then he would capitalise on their mistake.
The downside was that nobody thought to bother Inuyasha with their suspicions or what was being done to catch the culprit. Nothing happened for a while in any case because Susumu had come to visit with them; he was always a welcome guest and he adored the younger pups as well as being great friends with Sesshoumaru. He had many stories to tell and kept them entertained about the world outside their walls. Then when the younger ones including Inuyasha had gone to bed, Susumu would relax with the adults and keep them informed of what was going on.
A couple of days later and when there was no sign of mischief afoot and no complaints from the staff, Inu no Taishou sighed with relief; perhaps the miscreant had finally had enough and got bored enough to stop. Susumu enquired about what had been going on and Sesshoumaru and his mother informed him of the nuisance no one had been able to identify. They had come to the conclusion that it was either a Kitsune kit or Neko kitten; there were plenty of both around and both species relied on tricks and playful behaviour. Whereas Inu and the other youkai young, were nowhere near the pranksters of the foxes and cats; even when learning their pack order.
Susumu was a diplomat and a kitsune, well versed by now in all forms of trickery and reading between the lines; he also knew this family very well and he knew without shadow of a doubt, who the culprit was. But his admission was met with scepticism, how could he possibly know when nothing had happened for a few days? So he agreed that he would stay for a week and at the end of that time he would tell them who it was he suspected, after observing surreptitiously.
Susumu’s week was very telling and although there were no more incidents, this only confirmed that it was Inuyasha as far as the kitsune was concerned. Not only that, as he watched the pup interact with everyone, Susumu felt compelled to warn Inu no Taishou that he thought something more sinister was in the offing. The kitsune had seen the boy’s face several times and the sneering expression was one that didn’t truly belong to the sunny pup, especially when directed albeit unseen, at a member of his family. It was time to voice his concerns.
"Are you sure of your facts Susumu, do you still know which kit or kitten was playing mischief with us?" Asked the General with a smile; he was feeling light-hearted but then frowned at the serious look on his ambassador’s face.
"You are searching in the wrong direction Sire; the boy is neither Kitsune nor Neko, although the species is just as annoyingly playful in the adolescent stage."
"I’m at a loss then Susumu..."
"You have forgotten the human race Sire; their children often go through a trying period of time between child and adult, it is just that their lives are so short we hardly notice the problem. Indeed it is rarely a problem for youkai."
"I don’t know of any human youngsters that have access to the internal rooms Susumu, I think you must be mistaken. Besides it is of no real consequence, children will be children and no harm has been done."
"Forgive me Sire, but you are not considering one very important individual and I feel I must warn you that there could be dire consequences if he is left to carry on as he is doing."
"A human I am forgetting...there is no such child...unless you mean...my son?"
"You are indeed forgetting that Inuyasha is not fully Inu; his human heart is equally guided by his human make-up..."
"You are surely mistaken Susumu, of all my younger children Inuyasha is the best behaved...you only need look at his face to see that the pup wouldn’t be party to deliberate naughtiness." Inu no Taishou was getting angry at the perceived slur on the character of his beloved Inuyasha. But Susumu wouldn’t back down now; he was in a privileged position with the family and for the love of the family, he had to alert them to the danger Inuyasha could be in.
"Sire I have watched him closely and I believe I know what is causing him to do these things. Inuyasha has reached puberty, has he not? With that comes body and mind changes, he is no longer a small child and yet he is being treated almost like a baby again by everyone. I have seen him turn such an ingenuous expression that wasn’t there when he was a little pup, into something scathing when no one is watching. I do believe he is angry My Lord and if you don’t want things to suddenly get out of control I strongly advise you speak with him."
Inu no Taishou was a wise ruler and he had always put faith in those who he trusted to serve him such as Susumu; he didn’t just accept what he wanted to hear, neither was his mind closed to suggestion. He evaluated his friend’s words and saw the truth; Inuyasha was rebelling against not being taken seriously and treated as more of a child than he had been as a child. It was only in a minor way at the moment, but resentment could grow and cause serious problems. It was time to speak with his son; hopefully without the need to mention the disturbances.
Inuyasha was in his room; he had bathed and was now reading before going to bed. For some reason he felt hot and bothered, frustrated and if boys did it, he would have screamed. With a heavy sigh he flung down the scroll he was reading and got into bed, pulling the covers over his head, he was tired and that too annoyed him, he always seemed tired and lethargic recently. He ignored the knock on his door but he couldn’t ignore the bed dipping as his father sat down on the side of it. Inu no Taishou came straight to the point; it was the least he could do to make Inuyasha feel he was being taken seriously.
"Susumu informs me that you seem to be angry Inuyasha, and he feels that we as a family are to blame for this. He says he has noticed we are not treating you as a maturing young adult and this is causing you to understandably feel annoyed. I have been thinking too along those lines, and I am sorry if you feel you have been belittled. Are we right to think that Inuyasha?" Inu no Taishou waited until he saw the affirmative movement of Inuyasha’s head.
"Well now we know, things will change; you feel we are mocking you when we call you ‘Puppy’, don’t you? I have never mocked you My Son, I love you too much to do that, but I haven’t fully considered that you are now a young man and not a child when I have been affectionate. Would you prefer me not to call you Puppy anymore?"
"Not always, only sometimes." Was the cryptic reply, but the father understood and asked if he’d been forgiven. He got a huge hug in reply and Inuyasha settled down once again to sleep a lot happier in his mind. He’d not had to explain his feelings, which he felt would have been very difficult, but his father had understood and taken the burden of explanation from him and made the problem go away. Suddenly all desire to do damage in some way had gone from the darker places that were making themselves known in his mind.
As he grew older, Inuyasha was understanding more about who and what he was; things he overheard and recalled from when he was younger now made more sense to him and a lot wasn’t flattering. He knew he would need his families support in the years ahead and he had felt that he couldn’t depend on them to take him seriously, the thought was frightening; now though he felt much better, but time would tell.