InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Serenity - A "Pride" Sidestory ❯ Prologue

Serenity - A sidestory for Pride (in the Name of Love)
Written by Jezz-Ra
Warnings - A little violence and some language, perhaps a bit of angst
Disclaimer - I don't own Inuyasha, don't make money off it. Wish I did.

Archived at - inu.adultfanfiction.net, fanfiction.net, and mediaminer.org ::: Anywhere else, ask!
Questions or Comments? - Email me at megami_no_remon@hotmail.com

A/N - Another 'Pride' sidestory for your reading pleasure. I suppose it could stand alone, if you're not a follower of my bigger work. Part mini-Sesshy fun, part delving further into his past and how some things went down.

I've never read to the point in the manga where Sesshoumaru's mother is actually brought into play, so I really don't know how things went down canonically and I don't think it mentions a whole hell of a lot anyways. I am aware that she is not named, so I went with the most common name I could find for her (Kimi).

I'm QUITE sure this is NOT how it would have happened in the series, but it's the way things went down in my world, so please don't send me reviews telling me I don't know what I'm talking about. =D

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Toga dismissed the servants that had summoned him and leaned back against a decorative pillar, one eyebrow arching as he watched Sesshoumaru. His pup was very studiously building some sort of wall in front of the doorway to one of the castle's gardens, and for the life of him, the inu Lord couldn't figure out why.

After watching his puppy struggling to pull another rather sizeable stone out of the fish pond, his curiosity finally got the better of him. He straightened and headed for the garden.

The garden in question was fairly sizeable and roughly circular in shape. It contained a beautiful fish pond with a small waterfall, fed from an underground spring. Several small trees and exotic flowers had also been planted there. Tall vines had grown up the walls. The whole thing gave an illusion of a secluded little world within a world. There was only one entrance to the main courtyard, and it was this that Sesshoumaru was building a wall in front of.

As soon as Toga neared the wall, his young puppy, only a handful of years old, gasped and ran over, giving Toga his sternest look.

Toga stopped on the other side of the wall and slowly lifted an eyebrow. "Good afternoon, my Sesshoumaru. What are you doing?"

"This Sesshoumaru is building a wall so that intruders can not easily breach my defenses."

"Intruders? In the middle of my castle?"

Sesshoumaru squared his shoulders proudly. "This Sesshoumaru has declared this garden an autonomous nation. It is no longer part of your castle. I am Lord here."

Toga blinked, then blinked again. He bit his tongue to keep from bursting into laughter. "I see..."

"Since you are a foreign lord, if you enter I may have to decide it is an act of war," Sesshoumaru warned Toga very seriously.

"Oh...of course. What if I come for purely diplomatic reasons? We can discuss a treaty over lunch. I had the cook make your favorite..."

Sesshoumaru's eyes lit up and he abruptly bounced over, his eagerness ill-concealed. "This Sesshoumaru accepts your terms."

"Very good. I would not wish for there to be a conflict between our nations."
"Soon I can invite you over for dinner, my Lord Father. I just have to finish my border security."

"Oh? What shall we have?"

"Fish. I have lots of fish in my pond. And even some fruits."

"Very good. Do you know how to cook them?"

Sesshoumaru paused, then frowned slightly. "No. This Sesshoumaru does not know how to cook...and Lords do not cook."

"Well, that's not entirely true. I can cook passably well." Toga flashed his puppy a grin as Sesshoumaru hopped the wall and followed him towards the dining hall. "There are times even Lords have to be by themselves, and it is useful to have skills like that to feed yourself while traveling and doing border patrols."

"I am going to hire a cook." Despite his claim, however, the concept of cooking things on his own now intrigued the young taiyoukai.

"Are you, now..."

"May I post signs in your lands to advertise?"

Toga chuckled. "Of course. How will you pay them?"

Sesshoumaru stared at him. "This Sesshoumaru has no lack of money, as there are several trusts in the treasury in my name, as well as the money my attendants have access to to buy me what I wish when they take me to the market."

"Ah, but those trusts are in MY treasury, Lord Sesshoumaru, and given only to the son and Heir of the West....and if you are now the lord of your own nation, you cannot be the Lord of my nation without conquering it, and thus you cannot be Heir and are rendered ineligible."

Sesshoumaru blinked, then frowned. His brow furrowed as he mulled over that problem.

"Perhaps we can arrange a trade agreement. If you do me the pleasure of visiting my lands frequently for discussions and lend me your advice when I ask, I will in turn provide you with meals and whatever resources you require."

This pleased the young taiyoukai and he nodded eagerly. "This Sesshoumaru accepts your terms." Without any further ado he began tearing into his lunch with as much dignity and manners as he could muster around his eagerness and hunger. After all, he HAD been working hard all morning. He hadn't realized how much effort it took to build a wall! He really needed to get himself some servants. Oh, and an army as well. Though how could he afford to pay servants and an army if he didn't have a coin to his name?

Toga watched Sesshoumaru losing himself in thought, and could almost hear the wheels turning in his puppy's head. A grin twitched his lips. // Most pups chase their tails and pretend to be ninjas or pirates. Mine takes over a garden and declares it an autonomous nation under his own rule and means it. I suppose there's a first time for everything, though...I've never before had any part of my lands successfully taken over. //

Sesshoumaru pushed his plate back and gave Toga a very serious look. "Thank you for the lunch, but this Sesshoumaru must get back to work. There is much that I must do. Can...Can I borrow some things?"

Toga smiled. "Take whatever it is you need, I'm sure you will be able to repay it when your nation is more financially stable."

Sesshoumaru bowed politely and thanked Toga before scampering out of the room. Toga chuckled to himself and leaned back in his chair. He would allow Sesshoumaru his fun for now - after all, there wasn't much that could threaten him inside one of the castle's inner gardens. Besides...it was ALWAYS entertaining to see what his curious little puppy came up with next.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Towards evening, Toga decided to go check on his offspring and see what he was up to. He blinked in surprise when he approached the garden.

Sesshoumaru HAD been busy all day. He had apparently abandoned the effort of making a rock wall and instead had opted to use wood. A rough fence had been constructed, complete with a small gate. The new barrier, however, was not what surprised Toga the most. Sesshoumaru had carefully arranged some flat rocks and a couple of pilfered end tables outside of the doorway to his little domain.

On one of the tables was a large basin of water with a few fish inside. Fruits and even a few flowers and pretty stones from inside Sesshoumaru's garden. A carefully drawn set of signs proclaimed this was the official Grand Bazaar of the Central West, and it listed prices for the various things the young inu lord was trying to sell. Sesshoumaru had actually sold quite a few things already. Many denizens of the castle were amused by the young inu lord or trying to curry favor through humoring the pup...or the rare passer-by actually did desire some item or another.

Toga strolled over and eyed the 'Grand Bazaar' seriously before smiling at Sesshoumaru. "Good evening, Lord Sesshoumaru. I see you have been busy."

Sesshoumaru nodded and adjusted his ponytail. He was exhausted. He had no idea that it would be so difficult to start his own nation. "It is almost time for me to close the market for today. Would you like to come in?"

Toga nodded. "Oh, please. I would like to visit your nation."

Sesshoumaru gathered up his wares into a small cart he had borrowed and then hauled it through his makeshift gate. Toga politely offered to help haul the load - Sesshoumaru seemed to be struggling a bit - but his pup had given him a stern look and thanked him curtly before informing him he was more than capable of handling his own job. Toga was long accustomed to Sesshoumaru's stubborn pride and didn't argue.

Toga hid his smile at the sight of Sesshoumaru's new 'house'. It looked as though his pup had made a genuine effort but ended up frustrated and instead simply made a structure based around a table. // Huh. Wonder how he got that table out here... //

Sesshoumaru flopped down tiredly on the grass near the fish pond and then laid back, watching the clouds drifting overhead and the first hints of sunset. Toga sat down next to him. "So, my Sesshoumaru...you truly intend to stay here?"Sesshoumaru tilted his head to look at him. "Of course, my Lord Father. I cannot abandon my lands."

Toga propped himself on an elbow. "I see...what if your poor father gets lonely in the West all by himself, though?"

Sesshoumaru blinked before frowning. He hadn't thought of THAT... Slowly the young taiyoukai's gaze drifted over to the nest of blankets and pillows he'd made in his table-house. "You may stay here with this Sesshoumaru." He nodded, pleased with his solution.

"Ah, thank you for the gracious offer, Lord Sesshoumaru." Toga couldn't help but grin as he flopped back on his back, imagining what his rivals would think if they came upon him sleeping in a pile of blankets under a table in his garden. // Eh, that's one of the best parts of having a pup, though... I get to play at being one again myself. //

The two of them lay together in companionable silence for a while. Toga finally moved to glance over at his pup and couldn't help an affectionate smile. Sesshoumaru had fallen asleep, tired out from a hard day of hauling and building things. Toga debated bringing him into the castle and putting him to bed but decided his pup would be quite put out when he woke up.

Sesshoumaru made a little noise in his sleep and rolled over, curling up against Toga's side. His sire curled an arm around his pup and closed his own eyes. // This...is perfect, isn't it? I think if I could live forever in a moment, I would be more than happy to choose this one. I wish you did not have to change from how you are now, my precious Sesshoumaru. Soon enough you'll get older and I won't be able to spend times like these with you. You are growing up too fast...and you will be such a serious adult. I can see the signs in you already. You're already far too old for your age. Ah, I am becoming a sentimental old fool after all, aren't I... ? //

Closing his eyes, Toga allowed his mind to drift.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The three demonesses giggled, and then one of them rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come now, that isn't quite fair...surely he has some other redeeming qualities."

"Katsumi, the only redeeming qualities you have in mind lay between his legs. And while its none of your business, at least I can't complain in THAT regard."

"Well, obviously, if you let him get you pupped, Kimi. You always swore you never wanted children."

Kimi scowled in distaste as she glanced down at her swelling belly. "Ugh. Don't remind me, it's enough of a pain in the ass to deal with...but I couldn't put him off the topic of when he'd get his heir forever. I don't intend to keep the wretched thing. I'll have some sort of complications soon."

"Well, you do know that was probably one of his main reasons in actually looking for a mate...though I'm still surprised you managed to get your claws in him. I heard that he rejected tons of females before you."

Kimi smirked and sipped at her tea. "Toga is a sentimental fool. All I had to do was convince him I loved him for something other than all this." Here, the inu demoness made an all-encompassing gesture meant to include the Western lands in their entirety.

"What if he finds out?" Katsumi blinked.

Kimi laughed. "Hn. He thinks I'm absolutely smitten with him and not his wealth or power. That aside, he has this moronic honor code and sticks to it at all times. He already vowed to make sure I was provided for for the rest of my days, and he would NEVER break his word."

"But if he doesn't get an heir, won't he seek out another mate?"

"Hn, I don't really give a damn if he did. But I suppose I'll have to keep one of the damn pups eventually, a brat to make sure that he can never get rid of me. But it sure as hell won't be this one."

"Won't it...?"

All three of the demonesses froze in place, eyes widening at the soft, deep, and slightly shaking voice. As one, they turned towards the doorway.

Kimi was on her feet in an instant. "Toga!" She didn't dare to say anything else, desperately wondering at what point in her conversation with her friends he had walked in and not wanting to give away something he may not have heard.

Toga stood in the doorway, his shocked rage and pain warring for dominance as he struggled to keep his composure. He could feel tears stinging the corners of his eyes, but they would not fall. He could barely hear her call his name over the sound of his heart breaking. All the past few years with his beloved mate, and it was all a cruel joke? He LOVED her...!

Kimi offered him a sweet smile, although she could feel the cold sweat breaking out on her skin. "Toga, what a surprise...when did you get here?"

Toga's voice had dropped to a low growl, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. He could feel blood on his fingers from where his nails were digging into his palms, but he didn't care. "Somewhere about the time where you were discussing my lack of redeeming qualities."

Kimi laughed nervously. "Oh, no...it was just...it wasn't what it sounded like..."

"I may be sentimental, but I am no fool, you heartless bitch! I loved you...and I gave you everything you wanted."

Kimi dropped her ruse, well aware that the game was up. Curious though her friends were, neither of them wanted to be anywhere near the enraged inu Lord at the moment and they quickly slid out of the room. "And I was happy. Then you had to go and complicate things with your stupid need for an heir. I want no part of a pup. Why in the hell would I want to deform my body and walk around looking grotesque for almost a damn year just to spit out some mewling brat? They're nothing but trouble!"

"Damn you...how...how could you do this to me?" Toga hung his head, trying hard to contain the ache that was consuming him. Whether or not she had ever cared for him, he had loved her deeply and thought it was returned. She had always been a perfect, model mate...always been so sweet and loving. And he had been so careful when he finally announced he was seeking a mate...so careful to make sure that whatever female he chose to court would truly care for him and not JUST what he had or who he was - even if he wasn't fool enough to believe that wouldn't be at least part of the draw.

"Oh, don't be an idiot. You really think you're just going to stumble on some bitch and find true love? Its all a lie. Only filthy commoners mate for this ridiculous farce they call love. But you claimed me and I'm carrying your pup, so I suppose you're stuck with me, aren't you? Might as well learn to deal with it and quit acting like a kicked puppy."

Toga's eyes snapped up and a growl burned in his throat. "Is THAT what you think? Perhaps it is YOU who is the fool, Kimi. I swore to provide for you...I can damn well still do that without keeping you here as my mate."

Kimi's jaw dropped, her perfect features marred by almost comical shock for a moment before she growled herself. "If you even think about getting rid of me, I'll rip this thing out of me without a second thought!"

"You wouldn't DARE..." Toga couldn't truly make his brain reconcile the fact that this hateful creature was the same sweet and adoring female he had woke up next to a few hours ago.

"Oh, I would. In fact, I'm kind of glad that this happened. I'm sick of acting like some moonstruck moron and fawning over you. Its disgusting. I wanted status, wealth, and power and I gained all three. It wouldn't be bad to have a decent fuck on occasion and you seemed up to that task as well. If I had to act like a simpering idiot to get these things, so be it. But the game's done, isn't it? Good.""You're right about that much..." Toga hissed before turning. He couldn't take it anymore. He hurried from the room before he did something he couldn't take back. His rage was almost as immense as his pain.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The next few months didn't make the misery any less - if anything, it was worse. No longer caring to maintain her ruse, Kimi did anything she felt like and went out of her way to lash out at Toga. She openly mocked him and brazenly insulted him to all and sundry. Toga could tell she had taken to rutting with any male that was willing simply as another barb against him, and his wounded rage was constantly in danger of boiling over. Any time the inu Lord's ire grew to the breaking point, all she had to do was remind him that she could tear the life out of her belly before he could react and Toga would retreat, allowing her to continue as she would. She went out of her way to try and hurt him in any way that she could, delighting in the sadistic power she held over him. Who else could say they could so lord it over a demon who was arguably the strongest in all the world?

Her pregnancy was running its course despite her self-destructive habits, and eventually things hit something of a plateau. Toga noticed almost immediately when she backed off in her striking at him and began to do things in silence. She was due to have the pup soon, very soon.

Kimi worried, rolling her options around in her mind. Under no circumstances did she actually want to give birth to the wretched thing...but if she didn't, she would lose her leverage on Toga. She had a sneaking suspicion, however, that she was going to lose her leverage either way. He had said it himself, hadn't he...he had sworn to provide for her and he could do so with or without her living in his castle.

Eventually she made up her mind. She was going to lose her position regardless, so she might as well get one final deep lash in while she had the chance. She waited until the middle of the night and fled under the cover of the summer thunderstorm raging overhead. She could tell that she was about to drop the damn thing leeching off of her body instinctively and didn't want to do it anywhere where her mate could save it.

Toga, however, had been waiting for just such an occurrence. He had no trouble overtaking her, and Kimi had shrieked when the viciously enraged male had suddenly loomed in front of her. She clawed at him but was easily deflected. Toga saw the defiance and hatred seething in her eyes and then she had made to claw at herself...and he had enough.

With a roar, the taiyoukai lunged, capturing her wrists in a bruising grip before hauling her off her feet, bound and determined to carry her back to the castle. Kimi screamed and bit and kicked, but she didn't have the strength or the endurance to do much. The first pains of her labor hit before they made it back into the castle.

Toga summoned a healer and hauled her into a room, bound and determined to hold her down by force if necessary until his pup was free of her. As it turned out...he had to. Her labor lasted for several grueling hours. She eventually stopped struggling against him, resorting to threats and eventually even pleading, but Toga's expression never changed and his grip never loosened. When her nicest pleas failed, she resumed her scathing insults.

Eventually, Toga spoke. "As soon as you are recovered from this, you are banished from these lands and are never to return. I have arranged for your living and expenses to be paid for. But you will not return to my lands on pain of death, Kimi. You will be gone by morning."

"You're not serious!"

"You'll find I'm entirely serious. I have already sent out the couriers announcing that you are no longer my mate and are stripped of all the perks your rank and status previously provided."

Her ensuing rage faltered as the physical pain of the actual birth overwhelmed her. Toga's heart skipped a beat when he heard the first cry of his newborn son. The healers were relieved - they had feared Kimi's self-destructive habits she had adopted to lash out at their Lord would cause the babe to be damaged. It had taken him a while to cry, and he was a bit too small...but nothing that couldn't be overcome.

Kimi had passed out from the pain and exhaustion, and Toga was glad for it. His eyes widened as he got the first good look at his firstborn, and he couldn't keep a grin from exploding onto his face when the healers finished cleaning it up and he finally got to hold the little thing. In that moment, all the pain and suffering he had gone through to get to this point had been worth it. The deep ache in his heart was eclipsed by his sudden fierce and consuming love for this perfect little puppy.

"My son and heir...my Sesshoumaru..."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Finding an inu demoness to nurse his pup on such short notice proved to be a feat in and of itself. Toga began to seriously worry that he might have to either bribe or force Kimi into the task and the thought both disgusted him and filled him with a heavy sense of foreboding. He didn't want to let her be anywhere near his pup. He was afraid to even let the tiny creature out of his sight, actually, for fear that she might harm Sesshoumaru simply to get a final strike in at him.

As it turned out, it wasn't an issue. Luck was with the inu lord. A couple of travelers, a mated inu couple, had stopped by in the castle town so the female could birth her own pup. She was shocked when the Lord of all the west suddenly showed up at the inn and begged her help. Toga offered her wealth and status.

The inu lord was, in turn, shocked by the demoness' response. She told him not to worry about any of that. She had no desire for money or land or nobility, but she would happily help him because it was the right thing to do. It warmed Toga's heart to find a demoness that did things for the right reasons, and he insisted on repaying her well regardless.

For the first year or so, there was hardly a moment when Toga would let Sesshoumaru out of his sight. He kept the pup close to him at all times, no matter what he was doing. He had a very real and healthy fear that his ex-mate would try something dastardly. In some ways, he doubted it - getting past his defenses to do something that would be akin to signing her death warrant carried not only too much personal risk, but it was more trouble than it was ultimately worth.

Still...Toga remembered an old saying about hell, fury, and scorned females and didn't want to risk his son's life on a 'probably'.

As time passed, Toga's own heartbreak began to settle. He had been desperately and terribly hurt by his mate's...betrayal, if it could be called that. He had been skeptical about taking a mate in the first place, but had finally decided it was time to take a chance. He was lonely and....well. He was a fairly emotional creature. He didn't like to be by himself and wanted someone to love.

Now, even though his mate was gone, he still had someone to love and care for, someone that needed him. Toga filled his heart with his puppy and devoted himself to caring for him. In many ways, taking care of Sesshoumaru went a long ways towards healing his pain. Any time things started to hurt too much, one look of those huge golden eyes was enough to bring a smile to the inu Lord's face.

After some time had passed, Toga ordered every trace of his former mate's influence to be erased from the castle. He wanted no memories of her left behind. His servants took to the task and destroyed everything that had belonged to the demoness, redecorated her rooms, and even redesigned the gardens she herself had commissioned. Toga was pleased to have his castle exactly how it had been prior to her arrival.

Raising a child had its difficulties...and Sesshoumaru wasn't much of a normal child. The pup was infernally curious and got into everything. It only got worse when he took his first few tottering steps and learned he could reach things he had never before imagined accessing. The things he managed to grab invariably made horrible messes...such as the time his puppy had been sitting on the floor next to his desk in the study one moment...and wearing the contents of his inkwell the next. It had taken weeks before his little Sesshoumaru wasn't spotted black and white.

But all in all, despite his fiendishly curious nature, his pup was fairly well behaved and quiet. About the only time his puppy cried was if he made any real effort to slip away for a while - Sesshoumaru had grown used to his father's strong, secure presence being about at all times and he didn't like to be separated. In truth, Toga felt just as insecure about his puppy being out of his sight as his puppy did, so those occasions were few and far between.

Just as Toga was the center of Sesshoumaru's world, so too was the opposite true. Toga cherished his pup and loved him fiercely, and it was precisely what he needed to get him through his pain.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The inu Lord slowly blinked open his eyes, returning to the present. He smiled affectionately at his young pup curled up against him and sleeping peacefully, his heart filled with love and serenity at the sight. He truly didn't know what he ever would have done if he hadn't had his Sesshoumaru over the past few years.

Toga sat up slowly, careful not to wake his sleeping pup. It proved to be a somewhat difficult task to tuck the boy into his nest in his table-hut without accidently jarring him out of his slumber, but Toga managed. He mentally thanked his mokomokos - they surely made some impossible tasks much simpler.

Sesshoumaru's pile of blankets was a bit deeper than Toga had first thought and proved to actually be quite comfortable...even if the elder inu couldn't quite stretch out fully. Oh well. It was a small price to pay for his oh-so-serious puppy's happiness. However...Toga hoped this current phase wouldn't last TOO long // My son, you'll be a ruler eventually, no sense in rushing things. Trust me, enjoy the peace of not having so many commitments while you can. You do not belong to yourself when you are Lord...so revel in it now. Heh.. Autonomous garden nation, indeed... I'll never fathom where you come up with some of the things you do...//

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sesshoumaru blinked fuzzily when he woke. The light was hitting him at odd angles. He was snuggled up with his father - who was still asleep - but that wasn't overly surprising.

// Where a...oh. Oh, that's right. Hm. I'm surprised he stayed here. // Sesshoumaru let his sleepy gaze drift over to his father, trying to remember when he had gone to bed in here and unable to do so.

Very, very carefully Sesshoumaru slid free of his sire's warm embrace, praising himself on his stealth when his father didn't wake up. // He stayed over in my new nation, it is only fitting that I prepare him a nice breakfast. He always feeds visiting dignitaries and I don't have a cook y et... // The young taiyoukai busied himself with gathering fruits that grew in his garden. Much to his delight, he had found the nests of some waterfowl and he gleefully raided a few eggs - although he did not prove very adept at cooking them. Nor did he prove too adept at cooking fish, either....

Despite his lack of experience, however, Sesshoumaru was extremely proud of the breakfast he managed to put together and he was too eager to share it to allow his father to sleep any longer.

Toga made a show of yawning and stretching and waking up, though in truth he had come to the moment his pup had started to move. His senses were on a permanent hair-trigger and, while he could tell that there was no impending threat, his curiosity had prevented him from going back to sleep.

Sesshoumaru's eyes were gleaming and he was barely refraining from bouncing excitedly in the mess of blankets. "My Lord Father, I have made you breakfast!"

Toga blinked and then smiled. "Have you? Well, I best hurry then...I'm famished.""It's pretty much the best breakfast ever.""Best ever, you say? Well, now I'm doubly eager to eat."

Toga kept a genuine smile throughout the meal, even though anything Sesshoumaru had 'cooked' was barely edible. // Thank the gods for fruits...but he tried. // Sesshoumaru nibbled on a fruit himself and watched his sire anxiously, and couldn't help but grin when Toga proclaimed it to be the best breakfast ever, indeed.

"This Sesshoumaru should cook for you every morning," his pup informed him with an extremely self-satisfied nod.

// Ack... I want to live! I want to live! // "Well, that's a fabulous offer. But lords do frequently have busy mornings, so it is alright if you do not have the time. This is why we hire cooks."

Sesshoumaru thought about it for a long moment before nodding slowly. "You are right. Perhaps only on occasion, then."

Toga was barely able to hide his sigh of relief. "Well, it was a wonderful evening, Lord Sesshoumaru, but I am afraid I have some duties to attend to of my own, back in my own lands. After a nice soak in the bath, that is."

Sesshoumaru's eyes drifted over to his pond. The water was clean and sparkly, but it was also fairly cold. He was still on the fence about whether or not he enjoyed baths. He certainly did enjoy the feeling of being nice and clean and he knew he had to be presentable to be a good lord, but...my, a hot spring sounded wonderful.

"You are, of course, free to join me," Toga said with a grin, catching the general drift of his son's internal debate as he watched the pup frown at his lake.

"This Sesshoumaru can not keep using the resources of your lands if I am to be Lord of my own...."

Toga sighed. "Well, thats a shame. I was thinking of inviting you to lunch and dinner. Perhaps even for a trip to the sea later on this afternoon. Its already starting to get warm... and I thought perhaps you might wish to sleep in my castle as well. It is fairly humid today and it will probably storm this evening."

Sesshoumaru bit his lip and tried not to squirm as each thing was added to the list. Suddenly, the prospect of carving out his own nation and raising it to grandeur wasn't near as exciting as a nice warm bath in a hot spring or swimming with his father in the sea or sleeping in that wonderful giant bed, safe and protected from the raging summer thunderstorms.

"My Lord Father?..."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. "Can I just be your Sesshoumaru and heir again? You...you can have the garden nation back. I'll let you take it over." Sesshoumaru offered his throat in submission, proving he was serious about the offer.

Toga bit back a grin before scooping the startled boy up in his arms, giving him an affectionate hug before setting him down. "Alright. I accept your offer...and you can be heir to all the West again. But no matter what you do, what you ever do...you will ALWAYS be my Sesshoumaru. That will never change."

Sesshoumaru smiled, pleased, and then followed Toga to the hot springs for a nice, long soak. He could be Lord later...and his next nation would have hot springs of its own. And he would remember to hire cooks and guards while he still had access to the treasury. Yes. But for now, he was content to simply be Sesshoumaru, son and heir.