May Quote
Title The Truth Shall Set You Free
Author landofthekwt
Rating K
PromptMay: Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance. Confucius
POV SessMom
Word Count 1450
Warning none
Summary The Lady tells Inuyasha that truth
Part of the Garden of Memories Universe
She hesitated Kagome seemed so certain that she was right, but she was lying to Inuyasha for one hundred fifty years she was suddenly supposed to tell him the whole truth. Everything. Izayoi's curse and her part in the whole sordid mess that led to Izayoi's death.
If she said nothing,Kagome had already told her that she would not tell burden clearly lay on her to determine whether she should jeopardize her relationship with the person she treated better than her own son. If everything went sour she would be alone again. Not a prospect she relished.
Whether she told him or not, Inuyasha was still coming Things had to be in order The rock garden must be in order. The path must be swept. The chrysanthemums must be ready for Izayoi's grave. The only thing missing was Izayoi gone forever with her mate across the Bridge of Forever.
Inuyasha never knew she was there, but he spoke to her every year as if she were there Would it hurt more to learn that she had always been there to listen to his tales or would hurt more now that he knew that she was gone forever The Lady just hoped that for Inuyasha's sake Izayoi was still listening wherever she was
Everyone was drafted for the cleanup from lowest stable boy to the guards who had not moved from their posts in centuries. The Lady was not the most popular person in the castle but the chief cook and bottle washer had rallied support to her side.
The Lady beamed. The castle was cleaner than the first day its was created. Now she was ready for Inuyasha come hell or high water. She mused that that was how this all began . Hopefully Inuyasha would be receptive to what she had to say to him.
She hurried back to the throne room. First impressions were always the most important They set the mood. She needed the mood to be perfect. She could not afford to throw away her relationship with Inuyasha after two hundred years.
Just as she was passing the rock garden she heard a familiar voice. " Honored Mother, I am here for our anniversary. Her heart skipped a beat. The moment she dreaded the most was here. She would face it with him as she had for the last two hundred years
"Welcome littleone. My house was such a mess that I did not have time to greet you properly I must look a mess."
Inuyasha laughed and hugged her " Honored Mother, I cannot imagine you looking anything but magnificent. "
The Lady blushed. "How was your trip? Normally I bring you here. Have you suddenly grown wings?"
Inuyasha replied. "Kohaku was visiting his sister. He allowed me to bring his nekomata. 'With that Inuyasha pulled Kirara out of his sleeve and handed herto the Lady. Kirara wrapped herself on her neck, purring soothingly. '
Going back to the tea room was a trip through the Garden of Memories. The Lady was so solemn Inuyasha could not help himself by doing things to lighten the mood. It was the anniversary after all. A time of Joy Not a time for sour faces.
In the rock garden he skipped stones. In the sakura lined walk way he created a whirlwind of sakura petals that made even the Lady laugh. He caught a fish in his mouth that brought back memories of the first time the Lady saw him. The reason that she changed her mind about him.
He bounded into the clone of Goshinboku and refused to come down until the Lady joined him in its branches. When she changed into true form, he had to remind her that dogs cannot climb trees. She persisted because flying dogs have no such barriers.
He presented her with chrysanthemums from her ikeban would have been a kind gesture except that she had been saving those flowers for Izayoi's grave and there was no time to grow replacements.
At last they reached the tea room. A place where they had discussed many thing over the centuries including his marriage to Kikyou and Kagome. If the Lady wanted to have tea with him, the conversation must be so important that it could not wait.
The Lady began her tale A tale full of deceit That time had passed. It was time to tell the truth and let Inuyasha judge her. She hoped that their relationship over the last two hundred years counted for something even if was built on lies.
He listened in silence as she told how she refused Sesshoumaru's request to give them shelter after the fall of Kamakura. How she hounded them from town to town . Never allowing them to put down roots.
It had been easy to convince villagers to drive them away. Youkai were hated. When who slept with youkai were sluts. The half breeds by such unions were abominations good only for killing. the sooner they were gone the better.
No one would give them food. No one would give them shelter. There was no place to rest. if not for a mysterious benefactor they might have died of starvation. Inuyasha always wondered who was watching out for them
The Lady knew it was Sesshoumaru who was feeding them and intimidating the villagers, but that tale was not hers to tell. Sesshoumaru could have opened his castle to her just like hr family,the Shimazau could have, but he could not openly aid her without risking revolt.
She had not been there at the end. The first she knew that Izayoi was dead was when she cursed her as she lay dying. By the time she reached the gravesie Izyaoi was buried and Inuyasha was gone. Only the flowers told her that Sesshoumaru buried her and left flowers onher grave.
The Lady explained the curse. Ho How she was required to bring Inuyasha to Izyaoi's grave every year to tell her what he had done that year. She really had not choice in the matter. The curse really did compel her.
Lastly she told Inuyasha that his mother had been in Hell all this time. Any time she wanted to she could have released Izayoi with the meidou seki, but the curse kept her in hell and prevented her from leaving the Lady's presence. She was forbidden from seeing her son
When she finished, she waited for Inuyasha's reaction He looked almost bored by what he heard as if he had heard it all before; More he waited, the more she fidgeted Feeling lilke she was a prisoner in the dock awaiting sentencing
"Keh, is that all I knew all this years ago. You did not kill Mama, She wanted to die The night she left she told me that she could not take it any more . She was going to Father in the after life and leaving me behind to fend for myself . She asked me not to curse her for doing so and I never will"
"As for you Curse or no curse you have always been a mother to me. I know you were watching out for me. I never would have survived if you had not been. Sesshoumaru stopped caring when Mama died. He buried her and left flowers, but I never saw him again until he tried to take the sword."
"I treasured those visits because I knew you actually cared about me. From the time I caught that koi in your pool, I knew that whatever happened to Mama, I would always have a home here. Even if you could not open your home to me, at least you opened your heart to me."
" I am sorry Mama is gone, but she has been gone for along time. Now at least she is with Papa, the person she was trying to reach the night she gave up and died. I still want to go to her grave with you. I am sure that Mama is still out there listening to me"
"Mostly I want to spend as much time with you as I can. I know Kagome put you up to this. She has a good heart, but sometimes she meddles in things she ought to stay out of. I am glad that the two of you have grown close enough to confide in each other"
"This time is ours, Honored Mother. Not Mama or Papa, or Sesshoumaru or Kagome can ever come between us. " With those words he reached and took her in his arms. For the first time in forever., the Lady cried tears of joy. Her son had come home.