InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Angel ❯ A New Time, New Place, New Life ( Chapter 73 )

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Chapter Seventy-Three:

A New Time, New Place, New Life

 

Please read the author's note at the end. Important information.

October

Sunlight streamed through an open window, brightening the small room with brilliant streams of yellow and smidges of gold. The warmth of the sun penetrated the coldness, bathing the occupants with comforting heat.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes slowly, allowing the peace of the nearly silent world around him to flow through him. Birds chirped outside the wool covered windows, and the gentle sway of leaves blowing in the light breeze nearly lolled him back to sleep. Looking down at the warm bodies plastered to the front of his chest, his heart constricted with a combination of relief and renewed grief that he was coming quite used to feeling when he looked at this small fraction of his remaining family.

Kagome lay silent beside him, a few trickles of tears brimming on her lashes even while she slept.

He was used to that as well by now, and yet the sight of it still brought a blistering, helpless fury to the forefront of his mind. But even with the tears, a year away from Japan had helped rather than hindered her emotional healing.

She slept well at night now, instead of pacing the length of their bedroom, weeping silent tears. She had as of yet spoken a word since their pups murder, but was smiling now. Those smiles were slow to form, and even rarer to see, and lasted no more than a fleeting second but they were there. They were where he could see them, and bask in the beauty of a smile he had feared he'd never see again.

He knew those small smiles were largely due to their slowly growing pup, slower than normal.

Rikimaru seemed reluctant to gain his independence. He preferred to be nestled against his mother's bosom, content to explore only the space she occupied. It was not only strange for a pup not to broaden the space in which it explored, it was downright unnatural.

Usually, at his age, it was nearly a full time job trying to keep up with a growing pup. Their naturally curious natures often took them far from the protection of their parents, their desire to search, learn and explore a consistent impulse.

This was a time when they interacted heavily with their siblings as well; getting to know their pack, strengthening familial bonds. In contrast, his pup was as attached to his mother as she was to him.

Had they lived in normal circumstances Sesshomaru would have put a stop to the attachment immediately. In the long run, such an attachment to one's mother would cause nothing but problems and heartache for both parties in the future. But these were hardly normal circumstances. The loss of their pups had forced the bond between mother and son, and because of that, he could not separate them. Not when they both needed each other as much as they did.

In the future, when their son eventually out grew the need for the bond, it would hurt her. He knew that down to his very soul. Yet, even knowing that, he could take no action now.

They had time before he interfered.

Before the pain of that future invaded their lives, he would enjoy his child as he was.

Sesshomaru felt his own lips curl upward as he looked down at the tiny bundle curled between him and Kagome that looked so much like him.

Once again he was filled with wonderment, complete and total awe that he had taken part in creating such a being, such tiny copy of himself that filled his parent's hearts with joy and happiness. Tenderness, an emotion he had once thought disgusting and useless filled him on a constant basis now. Warm feelings of love and protectiveness were a part of his world now, and he had accepted it surprisingly well.

He watched closely as his son's eyelids fluttered, and his opened, closed, then opened again. Amber eyes, unfocused, a mirror of his own grasped his own. To Sesshomaru's vast amusement, those eyes closed and opened again a few more times before they remained open.

His son stared up at him with clear recognition, his little clawed hand reached out to his face.

A little clawed hand grabbed onto his bottom lip, tugging hard. He allowed the abuse long enough for his son to get a giggle out of it before he scooped the little troublemaker up and into his arms.

Instinct took over. Leaning forward he nuzzled his son, growling softly in his throat, an animalistic morning greeting that his son returned with a baby growl of his own. His little arms reached out and grabbed onto his father's silver locks, his fingers tangling gently in the silken strains. Another growl escaped Sesshomaru's throat, one of love and comfort.

The answering whimper made him smile.

His son spoke in a series of barks, yelps, growls and whimpers. He had yet to even attempt to vocalize his thoughts with human words.

Not that he blamed his son when his mother was mute and his father had always been on the quiet side. There was hardly any way for Rikimaru to learn to speak when the two people around him rarely spoke. This was something that could and would be rectified immediately.

Not only did he want to hear his son's voice, there was also the fact their safe haven was becoming infested with the outside population.

When they first arrived to this unknown land, there'd been an infestation of humans. Every way they turned humans littered the lush green land, clad in strange clothing, with only a few demons among them. Weary of unknown humans Sesshomaru had steered clear of the villages in favor of the deep forest far from the busy humans.

Inside the dense trees and overgrown vegetation, demons roamed. It was such a striking contradiction to what he was used to he had been half tempted to return to Japan.

Back home demons ruled, villages were bursting with youkai while humans remained a minority. Here, it was the opposite. Sesshomaru had no way of knowing if the humans were demon friendly or not, nor was he willing to chance it. So, upon the second day of their arrival, he wandered deep into the forest, searching for an area that was best suited for a home. His search halted in a lush patch of forest that was a short distance from both a bubbling hot spring and a small raging river.

The land was flat enough to build upon, fertile enough to support crop, and isolated enough to remain hidden from the humans for quite some time. He'd made short work of any and all demons and other predatory life forms that had thought to retain claim on the little territory.

It had taken him five days of hard labor to build their tiny but sturdy hut, to clear the area of debris and settle his mate and son into their new home. During that time, Kagome had sat in stony silence, watching as Rikimaru crawled here and there, exploring the area closest to his mother, and never going far from her side.

His son squirmed in his arms, pulling him from his reflective thoughts. Sesshomaru released the wiggling pup, watching as he wandered over to his sleeping mother.

A snuggle beneath the chin and a soft whine was all it took for those luminous brown eyes to appear.

The smile that bloomed on his mate's face was both beautiful and heartbreakingly sad. Her eyes, no longer as dull and lifeless as they once were, moved slowly from son to mate. In those eyes, the words she either could not or would not speak were conveyed through the brown depths.

Good morning, those eyes whispered to him.

Reaching out, he brushed stray locks of dark hair from her face with gentle fingers.

"Good morning," he murmured.

With those whispered words, their day began.

Kagome remade the bed while Sesshomaru tackled the daunting task of dressing their overactive pup in a crisp white shirt and simple brown pants. The clothing of this new land was a lot more complicated than the simple action of slipping on a kimono or yukata. The shirt was closed by a line of small white buttons, the pants needing only a single button, with loops for a belt. The stockings were a bit rough but not uncomfortably so, and the shoes, when polished were shiny and dark.

Kagome had a much easier time of putting on clothing. Her dress was a simple blue, ankle length gown with a modest cut bodice that slipped over her head. A starch white apron tied around her waist, and well worn light brown ankle length boots completed the outfit.

The clothing was from a village a good distance away.

Sesshomaru had stolen the first few articles earlier in the year, observing the few youkai that lived in the small dwelling. Afterward, when their land had begun to bear fruit, he had bartered and sold the food at a reasonable price. The villagers weren't shocked to see a demon, nor were they discriminatory enough to turn away what he offered to barter. Now, every few months, he traveled into town and bought clothing, and other materials need, as well as listened for any useful information or important events that had or would take place that could affect him and his family.

Though they were removed from the general populace, it did not mean they had to remain ignorant of the doings of said populace.

Know thy enemy.  

It was a phrase he knew well. Those not of his blood, not of his pack were the enemy until proven otherwise.

From what he'd gleaned from talk around the town, the current King was facing a land of people fed up with back breaking taxes, deplorable living conditions and scarcely enough food to survive each miserable week, while the King and his family lived in comfort, their dinner table near overflowing with rich meat, bread and wine.

There was talk of rebellion and war.

Recruiters littered the villages now, beaten down, angry men looking to strengthen their rebellious group of vigilantes looking to incite a war in the pursuit of change. Some had even dared to approach him with a plea for his strength on their side.

He'd declined all offers.

This war had naught to do with him, or his family. As long as they remained disconnected from the villagers, they had nothing to worry about as of yet.

As he finished dressing his son and stood him up on wobbly legs, he watched Kagome run a brush through her silken locks.

 She pulled her hair to the side in a loose, messy ponytail that left strains of blue-black shimmering down her right shoulder. Such a style might have made a lesser woman look unkempt and unappealing, but on her, it gave her an earthy, sultry look. The effect brought to mind a gorgeous woman unaware of how her stunning beauty left those around her thunderstruck with awe, lust and envy.

Rikimaru toddled over to her, planting his face into the starch white apron, his little arms gripping one leg through the thin material of the skirt.

Smiling down at the yelping pup Kagome pulled him up for a quick kiss, and then set him back down as she wandered over the kitchen to make breakfast. Sesshomaru wandered into the next room and took a seat on the feather and moss stuffed couch. It was a beat rougher, harder than he was used to but it served its purpose.

"Rikimaru," Sesshomaru called from his place on the sofa in the small sitting room.

His son wobbled in on short stubby legs, arms outstretched. Leaning against his father's knees, Rikimaru gnawed on the roughened material. Instead of growling a rebuke to his little pup, Sesshomaru remembered his earlier decision.

His son needed to learn human language.

"Rikimaru, you do not chew on clothing," he admonished firmly, one clawed finger held in front of his little face, "only food goes in the mouth,"

Liquid gold eyes, a mirror image of his own, looked up at him with innocent curiosity, and open confusion.

"Only food goes in the mouth," he repeated slowly and watched in mild amusement as his son's little lips moved as if forming the words he heard with his mouth.

Rikimaru blinked up at him for a few moments longer before lowering his head back to Sesshomaru's cotton clad knee. Pulling his head up again, Sesshomaru corrected him once more.

"Father," he said pointing to himself, "has said no," he said shaking his head, "Do not put clothing in your mouth,"

Again that confused expression, though it was a little less confused and more inquisitive. His mouth moved silently at first, then the words came, or rather, tried to come.

"Fahlah," he sounded out.

Sesshomaru felt his heart clench with pride, despite the fact that Rikimaru had not pronounced the word correctly. He knew enough to understand what his son was trying to say however, and that in itself was a great accomplishment in his eyes.

"Father," Sesshomaru reiterated, sounding the word out slow and long, allowing his pup to listen to the enunciation of the word.

"Faahlaaaah," the little pup repeated.

Kagome walked silently towards the pair, a strangely tender look in her shimmering cinnamon eyes. She looked as though she was on the verge of the greatest joy or the most heartbreaking of grief. It was such a blended look of both that Sesshomaru could not tell which expression was correct and which was not.

Perhaps it was both.

It hurt his heart to see the look on her face.

Abruptly her lips curled, and that oh so desired smile broke over her face like the sun breaking through the darkening clouds of a rainstorm.

Seeing it, Sesshomaru reached out with a clawed hand and beckoned her closer. Once she sat down next to him, he lifted a squirming Rikimaru up onto his lap. Turning him to face Kagome, Sesshomaru gripped his little fingers and pointed them towards the still smiling woman.

"This is your mother," he lectured.

Rikimaru growled softly, instantly reaching out to her for a quick hug and cuddle.

"Use words, Rikimaru," Sesshomaru commanded softly, pulling him back, "Say mother,"

Rikimaru squirmed, whimpers of distress growing in volume. Kagome's smile vanished swiftly, and she had that look in her eyes that Sesshomaru knew all too well. It was that expression that said, "please let me have my child, he's the only one I have left,".

Sesshomaru sighed and handed over the wiggling little body.

Though she never spoke, Kagome had developed what he called facial expression communication. Without uttering a single word or sound, her wants, desires, displeasure and amusement was clearly and easily communicated to him. He could read her expressions as surely as if she'd spoke them aloud.

It was a strange way to communicate, and he had no idea when it began, only that now that it was here, he was glad for it.

He needed that connection to her as much as his pup needed that extra love his mother gave freely. Sesshomaru stood, and headed for the kitchen, Kagome trailed after him, Rikimaru yelping happily in her arms as he snuggled her under the chin. The meal was light this morning, nothing more than a few sliced of meat, eggs, a serving of fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice for the pup and steaming tea for the parents.

While Kagome cleared the table and washed the dishes, Sesshomaru grabbed his sword and headed out to the fields out back.

With his sleeves rolled up mid forearm Sesshomaru went to work harvesting from the thick green vegetation. Behind him, Kagome knelt with their son, pulling up weeds and fertilizing the soil.

Who would have thought the mighty, ruthless Sesshomaru dirtying his hands with hard labor? Labor reserved for the peasants and commoners, the people he had deemed beneath his notice and regard. Looking back on it, even he had to shake his head at his own arrogance, at how little he knew about the people he ruled over. How ignorant he was of what it took to put food on the table each and every day. To have a family to feed and worry for, to be humble and frugal at times.

It was eye opening, it was a rude awakening and yet it was fulfilling, rewarding, tranquil even.

Going to bed every night after a hard day's work was the greatest of feelings.

The work went fast today, and midway through, the sky filled with heavy dark clouds, a rumbling heard off in the distance. Ending work early, Sesshomaru herded his family inside the house just as droplets of rain began to drop from the sky.

A warm fire in the fire place held the chill brought on by the rain at bay.

As the wind began to howl and droplets struck the roof, a loud thump at the backdoor drew Sesshomaru attention. Tense and on edge, he listened again closely, straining to hear the noise again. He glanced over at Kagome. She was silent, motionless, her eyes big and round. For a moment, there was complete silence, even Rikimaru held his breath, sensing the tension radiating from his parents.

A shuffling noise followed by another, louder thump brought Sesshomaru out of his seat.

Bringing his finger to his lips he stood on silent feet, weapon in hand as he crept to the back door. When he reached the door, he sniffed, drawing in a deep breath in an attempt to identify the intruder if possible.

The list of people or creatures that were likely to trespass on his territory was limited to a handful of individuals. Not once had any human or demon come close enough to knock on his door, but there were beasts throughout the plain that roamed and occasionally stumbled to the house in search of a quick meal or shelter from the rain or heat. Given these past experiences, he felt it was more than likely they were dealing with some poor animal looking to get out of the rain.

The rain dulled his sense of smell, however, making him extra cautious, just in case the "animal" was not really an animal at all.

Hand on sword, muscles tense, Sesshomaru opened the backdoor.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was calm today, something InuTaisho was coming to get used to. The first eight months following his son's departure had been pure and utter chaos filled with anger, mistrust and discontent among the inhabitants of the Western lands. Rumors, ridiculous rumors had begun to circulate almost immediately after Sesshomaru left.

InuTaisho has driven his own son from his homeland. InuTaisho has exiled the great Lord Sesshomaru in order to gain control of the Western lands. Sesshomaru has abandoned his position as Lord in the face of his great and terrible father.

And not to forget his favorite one.   

Lord InuTaisho murdered his son, his son's mate and child in order to secure his place as ruler.

For a brief moment, there had been talk of rebellion, a small faction of Sesshomaru supporters had riled up the citizens, threatening to overtake the still decimated Western Castle. Riots had ripped through villages, protesters lining the wall surrounding the Western Castle. Senseless violence, unexplained murders, and even rape had followed. The unrest had given the violent individuals a chance to commit their crimes while all eyes were turned to the issue of InuTaisho, and his son's abrupt disappearance.

He'd quelled that disruption as soon as he'd been able to do so. All offenders that they'd been able to capture had been punished doubly. Extra jail time, extra fines, a few had been put to death for the transgressions.

None had been spared, none shown mercy.

It had been a harsh lesson for the people to learn, but it was one he could not afford not to teach. He would tolerate no such activities in his lands.

The strong would not prey upon the weak. Not while he still had a single breath in his body.

Now, there were merely whispers of discontent. Nothing more than a passing comment here and there about his son's departure.

Reconstruction of the Castle was nearly complete, the wounds of the loved ones of those that perished during the battle with the Evil Six had begun to heal, and the Western lands was returning to the peaceful place as he remembered it before his imprisonment.

It should have made him happy.

He should have been content at the very less.

He was neither.

Depression threatened to drown him each morning he rose, it became harder and harder to pretend that he was not torn to shreds inside. Living and ruling here in the same castle and land he'd ruled centuries before brought back memories. Wonderful, horrific memories that ate away at him daily.

He walked the halls hearing the laughter of his beloved Izaoi, the pitter patter of his pup's feet when they were young echoed in his ears. Ghosts of the past plagued him, the pain he'd caused stared him in the face every day.

It was the sweetest of anguish to live here. An anguish that had not bombarded him as much as when he'd had Sesshomaru here, and he'd been trying to reason with him, but now his son was gone, taken his family with him, and the absence had left a gaping hole in his heart, his very soul.

He'd had hope, that after the battle, he could rebuild his relationship with his son.

That was no longer a possibility considering the fact that he didn't even know where Sesshomaru had relocated to. They'd lost the trail days after he'd first left. Now, they had no idea where to look for him. It was a harsh reality to face. He may never see his eldest son, Kagome, or his only living grandchild again.

 "He will return you know,"

InuTaisho nearly jumped at the sound of his brother's voice. Either he was getting old or he was more distracted than he realized not to have sense his brother approach. Neither explanation was a good thing to consider for him.

"This place is his home, he knows that. He can only stay away for so long," Toramaru said, "Give him time to heal, to make sense of his life,"

"He could have done that here," InuTaisho protested in a low voice, "I would have helped him. I would have done all that I could to make his pain bearable,"

His brother moved to stand next to him.

"You cannot live his life for him. Take these words as you will, but Sesshomaru is used to dealing with his problems on his own. He has been that way since before you left,"

InuTaisho's jaw locked and his fist clenched. He knew what his brother was about to say.

"As much as I hate to say this, it is none the less the truth. Sesshomaru stopped looking to you for affection and guidance the moment he realized who Izaoi was to you and where you were during his mother's illness and death. I do not think that will ever change. The pain of that time and place are too deep, rubbed raw from your untimely return to the world of the living,"

Blinking back moisture, InuTaisho turned his eyes up to the sky, as though a solution to rid him from all his pain would fall from it.

He knew all this was true, and it sickened him. Crippled his soul and twisted his heart until he could barely breathe. He had been a failure as a father, but damn it all to blistering hell he didn't want to remain one!

"Then what-" he broke off, overcome with emotion for a moment.

He swallowed, took a breath.

"Them what am I to do if he does return?"

"You put your pride aside and do right by your son, grovel if need be, but put forth your best effort to fix this broken bond. And after it all, if you still cannot reach him, you content yourself with the fact that you tried your hardest and accept the fact that you may never have the type of relationship you wish to have with him. But you cannot focus solely on him, do not forget you have two sons,"

InuTaisho sighed.

He was right. Somehow, through the entire mess, InuYasha had been pushed to the background. In a way, he had felt guilty about paying any extra attention to InuYasha when years ago, he had paid more attention to InuYasha's mother than to Sesshomaru and his mother. It was stupid, and yet that's the way he felt. As though Sesshomaru deserved more time because of the past when, in reality, there was no way he could make up that time.

It was gone forever, and no amount of fussing with his eldest son would change that.

"He is in love, did you know that?" Toramaru questioned, "He asked me for advice just the other day,"

InuTaisho glanced in surprise at his brother.

He hadn't known, hadn't realized that his youngest son was even favoring any one female. InuYasha had gone to his uncle for advice instead of his father. What the hell did that say about him?

"Nay, I had no idea, he has not spoken to me of her, nor have I seen him around any woman that he looked to harbor feelings for. Who is she?"

"That is because you have your head buried in grief," Toramaru admonished softly, "Her name is Lady Jolicia. She is Lord Yamiko's little sister,"

InuTaisho searched his brain for Jolicia, hoping to match her name with a face.

He shook his head.

"I am not sure if we have met or not, I cannot remember her,"

He knew Lord Yamiko of the Southern lands well enough. The male was a bit short tempered, impulsive, a bit irresponsible at times, but otherwise seemed to be a nice, well liked young demon.

"What is she like?"

Toramaru went silent for a moment, pondering the question, weighing his answer. InuTaisho didn't know if the pause meant he was trying to word his answer in a way that wouldn't make this female seem worse than the devil, or if he was simply trying to choose only a few of her many good attributes.

"She is...different," he began carefully, "she knows her own mind and speaks it often. She is a bit like Lady Kagome in that respect but a bit more...aggressive in her opinions,"

The picture coming to InuTaisho's mind was not good at all. He breathed a mental sigh. Leave it to his youngest son to fall in love with a woman wilder than an untamed horse.

"Not to say she is a bad woman, she is not," Toramaru assured him when he got a glance at the look on his face, "her strength helps the Southern lands run smoothly. Lord Yamiko is prone to move from place to place and is known notoriously for dodging paperwork and responsibilities. Jolicia is more like his keeper than a younger sister. She keeps him on track to the best of her ability. Often times, she is successful in returning him back to the Southern lands, other times, she has no choice but to handle things on her own in proxy of her brother,"

That at least was good to hear. He could see now why she might be a bit touchy about her opinion being heard and known. It was a well known fact that the world they lived in was primarily a male dominated society. Women weren't valued for their minds, but rather their dowry, womb, cooking and cleaning skills.

"She is very well respected in the Southern lands and highly regarded as an asset despite her gender,"

"Is she a good influence on him?"

"Surprisingly yes. InuYasha has changed quite a bit. She was the driving force behind his joining the military recently. As the youngest son, he will not inherit the Western lands, but he can carve out his own life with the money and glory of serving. He may even gain territory of his own. He spoke to me before enlisting. He wants to be able to provide for his mate and pups should he ever take the step to get himself attached. He wants to stand on his own two feet,"

That at least made InuTaisho feel a bit better about this woman that was influencing his son. He knew the feeling of wanting to have something to call your own, of having stability, of looking around your home and seeing everything you worked hard to gain.

He'd feared his son would continue to waste his life as he had been; skirting around society, letting social rejection dictate his actions and feelings. Even after all these years, and despite the respect they had for InuTaisho, half breeds, as they were called, were not considered equal to demons in youkai society, nor were they accepted in the human society.

It was a hellish existence his son had to endure on a daily basis from his own people. Something even InuTaisho, as much as he was dying to, could not shield him from.

"I think you should speak to him," Toramaru stated, "As much time and energy you invest in searching for Sesshomaru, in flaying yourself to death over past mistakes, redirect that to InuYasha. Do not forget Sesshomaru, pray that he returns, but do not make InuYasha pay for your mistakes,"

"Aye, I will speak with him, thank you brother," he said as he turned and placed a hand upon the other male's shoulder, "You have been the rock of this family for so long. You've helped me and my sons when we could not or would not help ourselves. I thank you from the very fiber of my being,"

Toramaru smiled.

"There is no need for thanks, you are my family, my pack. It is not a burden to care for any of you, it is my greatest and only joy,"

~~~~~~~~~

 

Finally got back to my story. The last few years have been really hard. I do apologize for the unplanned hiatus, and as I continue my story I'll explain the changes and events that kept me from it. Thank you all for sticking with me, and continuing to read. I am actively working on the next chapter as you read this and hope to make this fanfic better and better.

Laters!

~Sessakag