InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Mapped Life ❯ A Mapped Life: All the Pretty Horseys, and all the Kings Men... ( Chapter 20 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

I DO NOT OWN Inuyasha or the Crew, Rumiko Takahashi does. But I do own my original characters.


A/N: Yes, i know it has been a VERY LONG WHILE, sheesh I thought i would never get over that writer's block. And bam! a few months, ten cups of fresh brewed coffee and fifteen real hours later, I get chapter twenty of the printer. Buckle your seatbelts please, we will expirience brief time jumps throught the chapter. Just a heads up, pay attention to the dates, they will be utterly important for the next few chapters. For those few that do me the honor of reading my humble musings, I am forever grateful you put up with me, I have no excuse for the lack of update, all I will say is Life sucks and then some...

I am still searching for a beta to pull my ears on my grammar and repetitive nature, who knows maybe someday I might find one...

Enough rambling already, without further adue, A Mapped Life: Chapter 20: All the pretty horses, and all the kings men...

February 19th 1970, Sesshoumaru six months old,

Location: Taisho Mansion Boston Massachusetts,

Sesshoumaru’s birthday is set as October 17th 1969.

Manami’s birthday is set as November 7th 1969.


Toga was dazed on how fast his avid toddler was growing, just a few months back he was holding his chubby hands as he taught him to walk, and now he had to keep things out of his reach so he wouldn’t put them in his mouth, or rend useless with his sharp baby canines.


Task which at the time carried him occupied, Sesshoumaru had managed to climb up to his desk and tear through some very important peace treaties that Toga had left lying about carelessly, now he would have to come up with a good explanation so the other clan could send him a new copy, or what was he to say?


“Yeah this is Toga Inu no Taisho, I am calling to require a new copy of the peace treaty you had provided me with, since my son managed to use it for poison-claw target practice…yes two copies sound well,”


Toga shook his head disapprovingly at the shreds the papyrus scroll had become, he would soon have to milk the babies claws and send for an antidote to be made, he was getting to smart for the staffs’ own good. And Ren had taken a good couple of lashings with a miniature energy whip, things that Toga had still not taught him, `who knows? Maybe he is an early learner? Or maybe Lora is teaching him?’ Toga unceremoniously shrugged at his musings.


Then he was brought back to the present when he heard a loud thud followed by a crash, and a yelp signaling his child was in the middle of another exploration of the kitchen area. He ran down the stairs, through the courtyard and into the kitchen area, where now little Sesshoumaru was sporting a crock pot as a helmet and a large cooking spoon as a sword, which at the moment he held pointing menacingly at the head cook. Said cook was blue in the face and fresh cut vegetables were spread everywhere, apparently little Sesshoumaru thought it lucrative to take over the kitchen before lunchtime, and the cook was not having none of it. Toga swooped down and removed the large pot from his son’s head and took the “sword” from him giving it back to the cook.


“Come on now Sesshou surely you don’t want to render us cook-less we need to eat, to be big strong and healthy, and the cook would sure like to keep providing us with said food, so how about we go find Oka-san and play?”


Little Sesshou clapped his chubby clawed hands excitedly and swayed his head from side to side, spilling his spun silver hair everywhere, as his father took off with him down the hall and towards the study, area where he could sense Lora occupying, she relished in the warmth that the study provided, she had taken over it soon after she was declared fit to move around again after birthing Sesshoumaru, and she basked in the cozy environment not to mention she could barely feel the chill of winter soon to pass, the cold season still blowing out it’s full worth in Massachusetts.


One of the many reasons why the former Inu no Taisho chose this location, he liked the snow, and used to come to the mansion when it was summer in Okinawa; he would retreat to these silent mountains, and dense forests escaping from tediously boring peace treaty meetings, and grandeur tea parties that the ladies of the high youkai society liked to through in his favor, and so on and so forth.


Toga stopped dry in his tracks and whirled around to look at the view of the mountains peaks still covered in heavy white snow. His son now five months and a half old blinked curiously and extended his little hands toward the cold glass pane, running his warm fingers in circles and leaving behind a messy pattern of squiggles and stripes.


“Look at all of this son, this will also be yours when you are old enough to help your father rule over this land, we shall do it together, I will show you how to reign a empire and you will keep me sane, just you and me son, just you and me…”


Sesshoumaru bounced up and down trying to free himself from the hold Toga had on him so he could trot outside on the wooden deck, but he stopped all squirming when he heard the shrill giggle and unceremonious squeak that his mother intoned down below.


`Oh and there is the case with those two, when will they ever come out and tell me that they feel for each other, it´s not like I am going to stay married to Lora, her time at my side has come to an end, she will be free to do as she pleases soon, will my cousin ever come up to me and honor her will marrying her? I do hope so since this is getting way out of hand, and the gossip can not leave the sanctuary of this estate, or else I am inline for a pre-nuptial lawsuit, and long tedious explanation to the neighboring clans!’


Toga stood gazing over the second story of the study overlooking the four grand walls stacked wall to wall in famous literature and encyclopedias that had been accumulated over the years by his honorable father. The fireplace was lit with a colorful display of embers, two figures lay atop the bear pelt on the floor, their laughter and whispers could barely be made over the crackle of the dry firewood.


Kenichii and Lora basked in their new love openly in front of the servants and visitors that often came along to deliver messages from neighboring estates and youkai entities. They hugged and stole bashful kisses in the rosebush maze in the garden, and passionately embraced one another in the crisp dew of the waning moon. They slept together almost everyday, in the room that was Sesshoumaru’s nursery, and if Toga didn’t put a stop to it soon, little Sesshoumaru would soon start thinking that Kenichii was his father, not him, and that was something that Toga would not tolerate.


Toga cleared his throat and descended the stairs with his son in his arms, Sesshoumaru cuddling closer to his father’s embrace, looking at his mother out of the corner of his eye, her flushed face and mussed hair not the appearance he was accustomed to see her wear.


“Oh! Toga you should have heard the story Ichi just told me, see it had this prince and a farmer girl, the prince was hurt and the girl found him and nursed him back to health and…”


“Lora”


“Yes ?”


“Have you two decided when you would grace my person with the knowledge that you and Kenichii have been spending more time in each others company?”


“Why, I, I mean we…”


“What was that now? Did you think me blind, deaf, and ignorant? Did you think I wouldn’t notice this?”


“Why no, it’s just that we were waiting to…”


“Waiting to what my dear? Waiting until lust got the better of you two and you bared him a son also? Please woman, don’t think me a fool!”


“Inu it was nothing like that! Don’t say things that you don’t know if they are true!”


“Why Lora my dear do you forget that I am also a full Inu youkai, and the Taiyoukai at that, my sense of smell is greater than yours, of course I know you two go down to the frozen rose maze and bask in each other…”


“It’s not that way Inu! Ichi and I have done none of that yet, I respect my son and I respect my dignity, I would never be with another man while I am still married to you.”


“Good, then it is time to sign the divorce contract, the six months are up, Sesshoumaru is more than ready to be on his own and eat solid foods, I don’t want the messengers running their mouths to their lords of the shows you two put on in my sons’ nursery room and balcony.”


“Toga! You don’t know what you are saying, stop it at once!”


“Oh of course I know what I am saying, don’t try to fool me Lora; you are just accomplishing the task of digging yourself a whole much deeper than it already is…”


“But Inu, my baby is still five months old! You said you promised that I would be able to stay with him until he was six months old! That was the arrangement!”


“Oh Lora, did you forget that you delayed your birth a month a half? So he technically is six months a half old.”


Lora stumbled to her feet and reached for the baby, but Sesshoumaru held his fathers’ shirt tighter and hid his face in the crook of his neck. All the screaming between his parents and the anxiety radiating off Lora made him insecure in her presence, little Sesshoumaru whimpered and dug his baby claws into his father’s chest when Lora tried pulling him away from him. Toga growled menacingly at Lora and spun around cradling his son in a reassuring embrace.


“Lora don’t you ever try taking my son away from me, if you try fleeing with my son, I so much as swear that I will have your heart on a platter you two timing conniving wench!”


With that said Toga continued his silent march toward the door, and left without uttering another word, his presence a mere flicker of warmth left in the room, Lora looked at Kenichii and at the half open door, now she had to choose between love and devotion, her son or Kenichii, the decision would be hers to take, but irrevocable, in the sense that if she chose staying with Kenichii she would never see her son until his twenty first birthday, that was the way the contract was made out, if the mother met somebody and got emotionally attached to said person, she would not be able to see the child until he was considered an adult for youkai society.


Kenichii who had stayed quiet through out all of the conversation, stood and walked up behind Lora, wrapping his arms around her frail body in a reassuring manner, whispering sweet promises of a better future in her ear. Lora turned into his embrace and laid her head on his shoulder and a hand over his heart.


“I love my son Ichi, but I can’t stand being away from you, you gave my life reason, I choose to be with you…”


Kenichii tightened his arms around her and put a hand on her head, offering his beloved silent comfort, and the time she needed to mourn the loss of her child. Lora had chosen love over devotion, Kenichii over Sesshoumaru, and now there was no going back.


-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-


The following morning Toga sat behind a large redwood desk in the room he had redecorated to use as an office, in front of him sat Lora and Kenichii, and atop the desk rested the divorce contract, in which the clauses for the divorce to take place where highlighted in bold letters, nothing was said as first Toga and then Lora signed release of the marriage agreement, then Kenichii added his signature to testify that he was the person who Lora fell in love with, reason why she would not get to see her son until maturity.


Toga extended a sealed non-descript envelope towards Lora, she took it, and stood, a brief glance inside confirmed her suspicions; he was paying her off so she wouldn’t have to come back for anything in a long time. Kenichii stood beside her, and bowed to Toga, he unrolled a parchment, the same type used for the previous marriage, as he explained his reasons to Toga he signed it and sealed it in his blood, gesturing for Lora to do the same, after she did Toga signed as witness and rolled the parchment up handing it back to Kenichii, he bowed and exited the office, walking out toward the deck his hair fluttered behind him in the crisp morning wind.


Kenichii tucked the parchment securely into his coat pocket and embraced Lora, he smiled and kissed her passionately, but her responses were half witted compared to how torn she felt inside, he led her down the stairs and out of the mansion, where a car was waiting to usher them to their new home. Toga had seen beforehand to helping his cousins find their own place, they decided to settle in a quiet almost secluded estate they bought from a human old man in Colorado, who used it as a winter vacation getaway. The house was located atop a cliff, surrounded by large trees and dense foliage, it had large windows that covered both lower stories and four chimneys, all in all it was a nice quiet place for Kenichii to retreat and start his own family.


Kentaro decided to stay with Toga, and help him watch over Sesshoumaru, the next few years of the tikes’ life would be hard, they would have to be by his side until he was able to fend for himself, and knowing that they had a declared enemy was all the worst. Toga had arranged for Emi to travel and meet up with them the following week. He got hold of news that Lord Takumi was killed by the dragon’s goons, leaving Lora heir to his empire, and his millions.


The week passed by and Emi finally arrived, she had a long trip and was still experiencing bouts of sea sickness that made her trip towards the mainland all the more taxing. Ren tended to her and she was back to her pregnant, happy self sooner than expected.


A quarter moon cycle later she gave birth to an adorable baby girl, who Kentaro and Emi decided to name Manami after a long and heated discussion. The girl was perfect copy of Emi’s facial features and peachy skin but had inherited her father’s copper hair, and icy blue eyes. Another thing that had both Emi and Kentaro surprised was that she was born with crests, in a light blue color that arched over her cheekbone in twin stripes, and both chubby wrists, the same as her father’s, that with time would grow darker and more accentuated over specific parts of her body.


Manami was full Inu youkai, since both Emi and Kentaro were of the same breed, but her mother descended from a working class family and her father from a noble family, that is why they never knew that she would inherit Kentaro’s bloodline and crests.


Sesshoumaru had taken Manami in as he would a sibling, and soon there was no stopping them, when Manami felt distressed she would start crying and little Sesshoumaru would pitch in, soon their bawling would grow into a wailing contest that nobody not even Toga knew how to put an end to.


-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&a mp;-


October 17th 1970, Sesshoumaru one year old, Manami six months and a half old.


Location: Taisho Mansion.


Months passed by and Sesshoumaru turned one year old, and little Manami turned six months and a half old. It was late autumn and the trees had already started to lose their foliage, the leaves turning an interesting shade of orange, brown and gold. Toga went back to traveling around the world meeting with business partners, while he was gone he left Sesshoumaru under Kentaro’s care, but it was Emi who had to run after the hyperactive pair of tikes. Toga had allowed Emi to place Manami and Sesshoumaru in the same nursery, that way they would have an easier time taking care and picking up after them both.


During one of his brief visits back at the mansion Toga milked Sesshoumaru’s claws clean of the poison nature he had inherited from his mother, so he could bottle the poison and take it to an old youkai healer to get the antidote, now that his son and his niece were spending a large amount of time together accidents and brawls tended to happen. The antidote was in delivered to Ren’s care in capsules a week later, just in time to treat Manami of a nasty gash across the forehead Sesshoumaru had landed in a messy fight for Emi’s attention that afternoon, and by nightfall Manami was declared immune to Sesshoumaru’s poison.


The cold season settled in, bringing forth Christmas eve, and it was spent in family, Kentaro, Emi, and Manami, Toga, Sesshoumaru, Ren and Myouga all sat around the dinner table to feast on Christmas dinner and catch up on each others’ lives, both tikes sat next to each other babbling in Inu and Japanese, Toga was surprised on how much they had learned together with the help of Ren and Emi they would be speaking full phrases in a few more months.


The time came to gather around the tree Emi and Kentaro had taken time to put up, honoring the western celebration for Christmas and had gone out to town to buy everyone a present. They got Myouga a new pipe and Ren a new television since she liked watching soap operas so much. Kentaro handed Emi the keys to a new town car, and she in return gifted him a new set of biking leathers to replace the one he had left behind in Okinawa when the had to leave without notice. Toga gifted Myouga and Ren a closed envelope and two roundtrip tickets to Hawaii, so they could go on a weeks paid vacation. Then he handed Kentaro a bulky envelope, and asked him to open it when he was alone with Emi. The kids received knitted coats from Ren and Myouga, and little sleds and bikes with training wheels from Toga, and Emi got those building blocks and other toys to keep them interested and occupied for the time being. The rest of the evening was spent listening to the radio and drinking eggnog.


-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-& ;-&-


November 7th 1975, Sesshoumaru six years and a half old, Manami’s birthday, she turns six.


Location: Midsummer Acres, Breeding farm.


“Oh daddy! Look at that one! And that one, oh look at all the pretty horses!”


“Yes dear…”


“Daddy look at the spotted one, and the freckled one, and the tan colored one, did you see them daddy?!”


“Yes dear…”


“Daddy I can’t believe you finally brought me to Midsummer Acres! I always wanted to see and pet all these horseys! I love you so much daddy!”


“I love you too dear, so much…”


Little Manami was running around from paddock to paddock, petting and hand-feeding the horses apples she made sure her father stopped to buy before they reached the farm. It was her sixth birthday and in some odd moment last week she had mischievously managed to convince her father to bring her here for her birthday.


“Daddy, thank you so much for bringing me here on my birthday!”


“You’re welcome sugar puff…”


“Oh daddy, I like this horsey so much, can I have one when I am old enough, huh daddy can I can I?”


“Oh I don’t know koi, where would you keep it? Are you sure you won’t get bored of it like you’re puppy? I mean Muffin is so lonely sometimes, you don’t like to play with him anymore…”


“Oh daddy that’s because Muffin got so big now, I can ride him like a horse…”


Her mother stood dumbstruck as the little pigtailed she-devil worked her magic on her father. I was like watching a train wreck; you just can’t bring yourself to look away…


Said puppy was her pet Great Dane, which one day she saw in the pet store window and just had to have, and stood as tall as Myouga on all four paws, which was reason enough for Manami not wanting to take him out on his daily stroll through the woods until she was older. Emi shook her head at her daughters’ antics and even more at her mates’ helpless behavior; he didn’t know when to say no to the girl, she got anything and everything she asked for, with only batting her eyelashes at him.


Emi frowned as she mulled it over, `note to self: try it sometime, see if it works for me too, there’s that ticket for the movies and those red shoes I’ve been dying to have…´


Emi snapped back to the present as she saw her daughter be hefted over the fence by her father to then be pulled up to ride in front of a stable hand, which was riding a lively looking mare.


“Oi Taro! Snap out of it you ass! Just look at what my little girl is doing! She could hurt or killed, or gravely injured!”


“Don’t sweat it babe, look at her, she already rides like a champ, and still hasn’t taken a riding lesson in her entire life, and lil’ Sesshou is not far behind, see?” He said as he pointed towards the neighboring paddock where Sesshoumaru was trying his luck at riding a pinto mare all by him self.


“Kentaro you twit what do you think your cousin will say when we bring his son back in two pieces for him to patch up? Opps I dropped him? No Such Luck! Now get my kids off those damn animals before I break out the Sais!”


The stable hands and other visitors surrounding them started to laugh but thought better of it as soon as she leveled them with a formidable glare. Taro leapt off his perch on the wooden fence and jogged up to the horse Sesshoumaru was riding, and pulled him off, then did the same with Manami, he hefted both kids on his back and made silent ways back to the car.


“Daddy why is mommy so mad? Did I do something to make her mad at me?”


“No sugar, you have done no such thing, mommy is just stressed and maybe tired of all the work she has to do at home, just be quiet for the rest of the trip back home and don’t say anything about this to her…”


“Ok daddy, here she comes…”


Emi stormed up to the car, opened the door and slammed it with as much force that Kentaro almost thought it was going to come off at the hinges. She made sure both kids had their seatbelt on and buckled up, then proceeded to cross her arms and glare out the window waiting for him to start the car and drive back to the mansion. Nothing was said for the rest of the trip and the kids all but ejected from their designated seats when the car came to a stop outside the front door. Once they were alone, Kentaro let his head drop back onto the headrest.


“Emi, I understand you worry about them, because they have been placed in our care, but they are kids, and they have the right to play around and have fun. They are youkai, and take a lot more to get hurt. Toga knows that and you should realize that to, I am your mate and you should trust and respect me a little more, Sesshoumaru is my nephew and Manami is my baby girl, I am always going to protect them, even if it means putting my life on the line to do it, if you don’t trust me to take care of them, then you should rethink you’re current status as my wife and mate…”


Kentaro left without another word leaving Emi gasping for air, she was worried, mortified, and her motherly instincts kicked in, but never under any circumstance did she want to belittle Kentaro in public, but she did and now she had hell to pay for.


The day went by and Manami, Sesshoumaru and even Ren made use of the sleds that were found lying in the storage shed, they beamed down a curved hilltop for the rest of the afternoon, Kentaro keeping an ever watchful eye on them. Then they went inside and warmed up around the fireplace, drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows and eating grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches, while Taro told stories of their Grandfather Ken in the feudal ages. The kids played twister and watched television for the rest of the afternoon. Ren sent them upstairs to brush their teeth and wash their hands, so Taro could tuck them in.


-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&a mp;-


Emi stayed secluded inside their bedroom for the rest of the day, watching the children play outside in the snow and heard them laugh while they played in the study. After that she heard the faucet churning water while they washed up for bed. And was finally graced buy Kentaro’s presence after he put them to bed.


He washed up in their private bath and dressed for bed, not uttering one syllable to her, he rolled toward the opposite wall and within minutes was asleep, she never got to apologize to him.


Emi sighed, the tension radiating off her body in waves, she frowned while she drew herself a bath, moaning as her tense muscles flexed under the hot water, a while later she joined Kentaro in bed and curled up into herself, wrapping the fleece blanket around herself, she fell asleep thinking…`isn’t there a saying that says “never go to bed mad at each other”?...´


A/N: Thank you for reading, I respect custructive critism, how about some?