InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Family Instincts ❯ Family Instincts - Tea with Fluffy et al ( Chapter 2 )

Family Instincts - Tea with Fluffy et al

By Majicman55

 

Okay, okay. I do not now, nor have I ever, owned any part of InuYasha. I just like playing with the characters.

 

 

Akamaru walked into the mansion shared by his immediate family.

 

“Immediate” was the operative word. They had tried allowing the whole family to live in Sesshomaru's castle…and if you had thought it would be one happy family, you would have been wrong.

 

They fought like dogs.

 

Sure, Sesshomaru had offered InuYasha and Kagome a place to live, complete with nursemaids for their children, but the Great Lord of the Western Lands hadn't expected this. By mom and dad's hundredth anniversary, there were dozens of siblings living within the castle.

 

Sesshomaru and Kagura weren't slouches and had over a dozen children, themselves, but they were seriously outnumbered.

 

And besides, even though The Great Lord of the Western Lands had lightened up considerably (well, at least for him), his nature was given to solitude and contemplation and, at its worst, brooding. He valued his privacy, and even though he loved children and was a good father, too much of anything wasn't a good thing.

 

Besides, as youkai faded into the background to make way for the dominance of man (or so they thought, according to Sesshomaru), a castle full of hundreds (if not more) of ageless members of one family was sure to draw suspicion. So the family was dispersed…at first throughout Japan and later around the world.

 

Even the four who had come after Akamaru, Aoimaru and Midoriko were now living around the globe. Tsukiko was living in America and was CEO of an important corporation. Kaede had followed the path of the one she was named after and was a doctor in Africa. She specialized in finding herbs that could be turned into medicines (oddly enough, patented by Tsukiko's company). Then there were Yoshi and Katsu. Last time Akamaru had heard, they were still trying to start a pro wrestling league in the former Soviet Union.

 

Mom always said they took after their father.

 

All this came later, though. After the majority of descendants had scattered, something important was discovered: when the direct descendants married ningens, the children might have some youkai and/or miko characteristics, but they certainly were not immortal.

 

At first, this came as something of a relief to mother, although at first Akamaru hadn't understood why. Then Sesshomaru, who was used to the ways of power, explained how the discovery of an immortal race would inevitably lead to war. That was why Kagome had been glad that only direct descendants would share immortality.

 

It wasn't till the early to mid-20th Century that there came the first “throwback.” At least that's what they called it at first. It had appeared shortly before Japan entered World War II.

 

InuYasha and Sesshomaru had combined their attacks to stop it and Kagome had sealed it beneath Mount Fuji. In a way, it was ironic that the Japanese regarded the mountain as a living thing. With the still-living creature sealed under it, there was some truth to the notion.

 

Few of these threats emerged over the years, but when they did…

 

Akamaru shuddered. He and Aoimaru and Midoriko had all played a part in holding that almost mindless beast still after their father and uncle had subdued it and while their mother sealed it. Power without intelligence, that's what it was. Yet he pitied it.

 

The only good thing from the incident was that Kagome, InuYasha, Sesshomaru and Kagura - and parts of the immediate family - had left the country briefly. This was originally to allow what rumors that had surfaced from the incident to die down, but wound up in their living in Canada for the duration of the war.

 

 

******************

 

 

Akamaru poured himself a cup from the automatic coffeemaker and sat down at the kitchen table. For a long moment, he was lost in his private thoughts.

 

“This Sesshomaru wonders how you can drink that Western swill.”

 

Akamaru smiled. It was a long-standing joke about how he had become so “westernized,” although it really wasn't true…especially when it came to ramen.

 

“Want me to put on some water for tea?”

 

“Yes, thank you.”

 

Akamaru got up, filled the kettle and placed it on the stove.

 

“This Sesshomaru read your report. You might be interested in two seemingly unrelated news items.”

 

“Go on.”

 

“First, Tokyo police report the discovery of a severed hand in a local park. They are searching for the owner of the hand. Second, there is a report of five men bringing their friend, less a hand, to a hospital in Kyoto”. All the men seemed confused as to how they got to there.”

 

“I bet they are,” mused Akamaru. Then, under his breath, “So she didn't kill them.”

 

Sesshomaru's eyebrow shot up. “Indeed.”

 

Akamaru stared at his uncle. “I saw her do it.”

 

“Just because she didn't kill them…you do realize this does not mean she is not dangerous?”

 

“Doesn't mean she is, either!”

 

Both Sesshomaru's eyebrows shot up. “Be respectful when you talk with your elders.”

 

“Or you'll do what, old man?”

 

A fraction of a second later, Akamaru found himself pinned to the kitchen wall, Sesshomaru's poison claws wrapped around his neck, a single drop of hissing green poison ready to fall on his exposed neck.

 

At that moment, InuYasha and Kagome walked into the kitchen.

 

“Oi! You've just gotta stop baiting your uncle.”

 

“Be a dear, Fluffy, and let our son down.”

 

“This Sesshomaru would prefer it if you did not call him `Fluffy' when he is trying to teach your whelp some much-needed discipline!”

 

Kagura followed InuYasha and Kagome into the kitchen. “Damn it, Fluffy! You've put holes in my walls again! I ought to make you patch that yourself.”

 

“Fine.” The Great Lord of the Western Lands sighed and released Akamaru to slide back down to the floor.

 

Akamaru rubbed his neck gingerly as he looked at his uncle. “Last time I heat water for your tea for a while.”

 

“Hn.”

 

Kagome made herself, InuYasha, Sesshomaru and Kagura tea and all everone sat down at the kitchen table. Kagome smiled. “So what's this I hear about your meeting a `beautiful' girl?”

 

“Hn. Beauty does not mean `not dangerous,' miko.”

 

Kagome blinked charmingly as she passed Sesshomaru his tea. Unseen by the taiyoukai was the pink glow that momentarily suffused his cup. “Of course not, Fluffy.”

 

“Don't call me Fluffy!”

 

“Oi. What's the matter? Kagura didn't let you have any last night?”

 

Sesshomaru stared icily at InuYasha. InuYasha screwed up his eyes and stared back. The contest finally broke when the Great Lord of the Western Lands took a sip of his tea.

 

“ACK! Hot-hot-hot-hot-hot! What did you do to my tea, miko?”

 

Both Kagura and Kagome were laughing and pounding the table.

 

 

******************

 

 

“You say she teleported herself out of the park?” said Kagome.

 

“Not till after she erected a barrier that severed the hand of the one who grabbed her…and not till after she sent all six of them to Kyoto.”

 

“See?” said Sesshomaru. “She is dangerous.”

 

“With all due respect...” Akamaru bowed to Sesshomaru, who acknowledged the gesture. “…she could have killed them, yet she did not.”

 

“Who's to say she won't next time?” asked Kagura. “Who's to say she won't kill you next time?”

 

“Hn. She is powerful, yet untrained. Your mother was like that once, and she was very dangerous.”

 

“I'm very dangerous now,” said Kagome, smiling at Sesshomaru.

 

The Great Lord of the Western Lands winced. “One day, miko, I shall learn how you can become so scary.”

 

“It's called `being able to back it up.'” Kagome smiled sweetly, again. “But I think I'll let Kagura take care of keeping you in line.” Kagome turned to the wind sorceress. “Okay, Kagura?”

 

Kagura lowered her cup of tea and smiled. “Patch those holes in my kitchen wall and you just might get some tonight.”

 

“You mean?” InuYasha actually fell off his chair and was rolling on the floor, laughing.

 

“Watch it, dog-boy. Who said you were getting any?”

 

“Ka-go-me,” whined InuYasha.

 

“There are some things,” muttered Akamaru, “I don't want to know.

 

 

******************

 

 

“So, do you think she saw you?” asked InuYasha.

 

“I think so. I growled at the six men attacking her and they all turned to look. I can't see how she could have missed me.”

 

“Did you sense anything from her?”

 

“Like what? Fear? Hell yeah, she was afraid.”

 

“Tell me about her.”

 

“She's beautiful.”

 

InuYasha watched his son, who was staring into the distance.

 

“She's so beautiful, dad. She reminds me a lot of mom. Funny thing was…I couldn't really sense her till she attacked those men. Then, when she was done, a wall went up. Did I say she's beautiful?”

 

InuYasha rested his hand on his son's shoulder. “Yes, you did.”

 

“I'm sure she only hurt those men as much as she needed to. There was no evil in her heart, dad,” Akamaru insisted.

 

“Keh. I hope you're right. Just remember, I didn't even like your mother at first. How can you be sure this girl's not evil?”

 

“I…I don't know.”

 

InuYasha steered his son towards the door. “Keep looking for her, then. If she has the kind of power your mother thinks she has…in the wrong hands, she could be dangerous. Besides, if the public sees her as a monster, the public will think all of us are monsters.”

 

“I understand.”

 

“Then go find her.”

 

 

******************

 

 

“You heard?”

 

Kagome came in from the next room, looking serious. “Yeah.” She smiled a bit. “This enhanced hearing I got from our mating had to be good for something.”

 

“The kid's got it bad.”

 

“Kid?” Kagome arched her eyebrows. “Akamaru's almost five hundred years old, you know.”

 

“He'll still always be a kid to me.”

 

Kagome sighed. “And to me, too. Think we should help him?”

 

“Feh. Yeah, but keep it in the background. Don't want to hurt his self-confidence like we did with his flying.”

 

A pained look came into Kagome's eye. “I…I'm sorry.”

 

“Hey, I used the subjugation spell, too. I'm just as guilty as you are.”

 

“Still…”

 

InuYasha played with the mating mark Kagome had put on him and watched as his mate got progressively more excited. “I know what will take your mind off it.”

 

Kagome looked around nervously. “H-Here?”

 

“Of course not! How `bout out back in the dojo. I don't think anyone's using it…and there's a big Jacuzzi...”

 

Kagome grinned ear-to-ear. “You're on!”

 

 

 

A/N: In response to Fyrloche-nsi…yes, “the three terrors of Naraku and Kikyo's butt” will be showing up soon. Probably in a few more chapters, but not right away. And, yes, they will be an integral part of the story. But, as I said before, be ready for plenty of surprises!

 

Remember, this is a rewrite.

 

As always, please read and review. Thanks!