InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tomaru's Story 2: Prejudice ❯ Chapter 1

Blanket Disclaimer for All my Inuyasha Fanfictions- I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related thereof. All storylines created by me belong to me. So there.

 

Chapter 1

 

It was his 20th birthday, yet somehow it felt just like any other day. He didn't feel any older, nor did he feel any different now that he was considered to have reached his majority. No… the difference he felt had been with him for the last several years, ever since he realized what he was.

 

He was Tomaru, heir to the throne of the Western Lands, firstborn son of Sesshoumaru and his ningen mate, Kagome. Tall as his father and just as devastatingly handsome, he should have had legions of females fawning over him, courting his favor.

 

Instead, he was shunned, by youkai and ningens alike, because he was both, and he was neither.

 

The young hanyou stood in front of the huge window in his bedchamber, staring outside at the winter landscape. Snow was gently falling, creating a soft whisper that only he could hear with his exceptional hearing.

 

Other than that, he was completely motionless, a stance taught to him by his tai-youkai father. His gaze focused on his reflection in the window rather than the landscape beyond, and he hated what he saw there.

 

The gold eyes were no problem. His father had the same eyes, as did his uncle and his grandfather. The long silver hair, the same shade as his father's, wasn't the issue either as it hung loosely down his back. The light green crescent on his forehead that pronounced him as the heir to the Western Lands was half-covered by long silver bangs that fell over his eyes. That wasn't it either.

 

No, the problem was the two snow white dog ears poked out from the top of his head, occasionally rotating to capture every sound.

 

It was those ears that marked him as a hanyou. It was the ears that caused everyone to avoid him.

 

Baring his teeth at his reflection, he clenched a fist in frustration. Damn those ears! If it weren't for them, he'd look like a full youkai- like his father.

 

As it was, he looked more like his uncle, Inuyasha.

 

His mother only spoke of it when they were alone, having shown him pictures of his uncle and their friends often throughout his youth that she had taken with her “camera.” If he didn't know that she had come from 500 years in the future, he wouldn't have believed her. But those pictures… he grudgingly admitted that he looked just like his uncle.

 

But if he didn't have those damn ears…!

 

Kagome told him once when he was fifteen that he was Inuyasha's reincarnation. Basically, Inuyasha's soul had returned when Tomaru was conceived and now resided inside the handsome young hanyou.

 

He supposed that accounted for a lot of the anger he felt at odd moments. His mother had said that Inuyasha had an incredible temper.

 

A knock sounded gently at his door and he turned, his white and green silk robes rustling softly.

 

“Enter,” he said without emotion, just as he had been taught.

 

The large wooden door opened to reveal his older sister, Rin. His father had resurrected her before he had taken Kagome as his mate and had, in a way, adopted her. She was a full ningen in her upper twenties, with incredibly long black hair and dark brown eyes. She was dressed demurely in an orangeish-yellow formal kimono, tied with an embroidered brown obi that complimented her lovely features to their fullest. She smiled when she looked at her younger brother.

 

“You look just like Father,” she said in a soft, delicate voice. She was once an exuberant child, full of sunshine and happiness, but eventually matured into a reserved young woman due to the arrival of six siblings.

 

Tomaru snorted un-tai-youkai-like, sounding too much like a certain uncle of his. “If I didn't have these blasted ears I might.”

 

Rin blinked at the furry appendages. “What's wrong with your ears? You constantly complain about them, but I don't know why. I adore them.”

 

She would. She had always been the one rubbing the ears of one of his sisters when she'd style their hair. She refrained from doing so to him because he was male and she felt he'd be uncomfortable with it.

 

He allowed himself a momentary scowl before putting his stoic demeanor back into place. “Because they're not like Father's. Because they're not like Komichi's.”

 

Komichi, second youngest and the only other son of the Inu no Taishou, had been born with pointed youkai ears, much to the surprise of his parents and siblings. While he lacked the crescent on his forehead marking him as the heir to the Western Lands, he was identical to Sesshoumaru, with twin light blue stripes on his cheeks and wrists. In fact, there wasn't anything that revealed Komichi to be a hanyou like his siblings.

 

Except for his long black hair. That he got from their ningen mother, but it was hardly a hanyou trait. Anyone looking at him would guess he was a full youkai.

 

Such was not the case with Tomaru.

 

He loved his little brother. Of that there was no doubt. But every so often he'd find himself wishing he had been the one born with youkai ears instead of dog ears.

 

Perhaps then their esteemed father would be prouder of him.

 

It wasn't that Sesshoumaru didn't involve himself in his children's lives- in truth, he was a very good father and leader, actually showing them affection despite his cool demeanor- but he was the Inu no Taishou, and that title carried a lot of responsibility. Responsibility that would be Tomaru's one day. He just felt that he always fell short of his father's expectations.

 

Rin just smiled. “Your ears are perfect. They suit you.” She turned and stood by the open doorway. “Father sent me to summon you. It's time.”

 

His neutral demeanor back in place, he straightened his back and nodded once, preceding his sister from the chamber. His ceremonial silk robes, white with a green floral pattern identical to his father's, flowed with him like a second skin, his armor styled in a slightly different manner. He bore the black torso covering that was the same as Sesshoumaru's, but the silver plate above it was flat, with no spikes. There was no spiky shoulder armor either- that was flat as well. Two gold tassels hung from the silver plate and a long red and navy blue sash looped around his hips before being tied in a very large bow at his waist. He really did look like his father: calm, cool, and collected.

 

If it weren't for those stupid ears twitching all the damn time… They constantly gave away his emotions.

 

And a tai-youkai is not supposed to have emotions.

 

He offered his sister his arm, something that was a real no-no in the tai-youkai world. As the heir, he was supposed to enter the ballroom alone, making a regal entrance. To escort his ningen sister as if she were an equal… it was a statement to the gathered clans that he considered Rin as important as he was.

 

They would not forget the slight.

 

His was a very precarious position. Any weakness would be discovered and exploited, as his father reminded him frequently. And being a hanyou, his situation was more hazardous. Some clans did not approve of the next Inu no Taishou being only a half-breed.

 

The Ookami no Taishou of the Southern Lands, however, approved mightily and was Sesshoumaru's strongest supporter. Then again, he was an old friend of the family.

 

The guards, two hawk youkai that his father trusted explicitly, opened the grand doors to the ballroom. The otter youkai who was announcing each guest as they arrived was also an old friend of the family- Kanta, now all grown up and proud to help out his friend Shippou by serving the tai-youkai family. He nodded when he saw who had finally arrived to his own birthday celebration and coming-of-age ceremony.

 

“Heir to the Western Lands and Future Inu no Taishou, Tomaru!” Kanta intoned, catching the attention of every youkai in the room. “Escorting his esteemed sister, Lady Rin!”

 

Hushed murmurs began- obviously his slight to the youkai present had been noticed. Not that he cared. A tai-youkai is above the feelings of others… Well, except for his mother, he noticed. His father would do anything for Kagome- his affection for her was obvious.

 

Regally, blank-faced, he walked across the ballroom floor with a smiling, blushing Rin on his arm. Originally she had planned to stay hidden in the corner, watching Haya, their youngest sister at 5 years of age, so that she didn't get into trouble. Now, she was being stared at by every youkai eye in the room. Knowing that she had her brothers and her father around should anything untoward happen kept the smile on her face.

 

Tomaru approached the seats of honor at one end of the room- two ceremonial ones on a small raised dais for Sesshoumaru and Kagome, and eight smaller ones, four on each side, for their children. Of course, Haya probably wouldn't stay in her seat, but that was not his problem.

 

Releasing his arm about halfway across the room, Rin stepped back and moved off to the side, where Tamiko, the eldest daughter at nearly 19, was trying to keep the five-year-old mischief-maker in her seat. Tamiko looked up in relief, her white ears drooping slightly. Her long silver hair was pulled up in a formal coiffure, decorated with strands of pink beads to match her pale pink floral kimono and pink crests on her cheeks. “Thank Kami you're here,” she whispered softly to Rin. “I've got to get in my seat before Father arrives and Haya is being a royal pain.”

 

Rin simply nodded and took her seat next to the squirming little girl. Haya's silver hair had been pulled back into two long braids, tied with magenta ribbons to match her kimono and crests, which matched her father's perfectly. She blinked up at her sister with innocent brown eyes- the only natural-born child in the family to have her mother's eyes- gave Rin a bright smile and immediately calmed down, the picture of childhood blamelessness. She knew better than to fool around with Rin.

 

The other two seats next to her were already filled, Kioko and Aiko already seated and regarding the assembly with stoic expressions. 17 and 16, respectively, the two lovely girls were on the cusp of womanhood and were determined to find the best match for marriage. Male youkai seemed to be less inclined to shy away from half-breed females as potential mates, and both young women had several suitors.

 

Of course, Kioko's coloring might have something to do with her irresistible allure. Long silver hair, streaked with black, was coiled up on top of her head, curling around her black-tipped white ears in a fetching style. Yellow ribbons streamed from the design, curling around her shoulders and enhancing the thin yellow crests on her cheeks and the bright sunshine yellow of her formal kimono. Her hands were folded demurely in her lap as she gazed across the crowd with topaz eyes.

 

Aiko was just as stunning- a raven-haired beauty with the same gold eyes, dressed in an elaborately black-embroidered white kimono. Her long black hair was also pulled up, styled around her black triangular ears, with long strands dangling around her delicate face. Her twin white crests were a stark contrast against her jet-black hair. She, too, gazed expressionless at the crowd of guests.

 

The two ceremonial chairs on the dais were empty, awaiting the arrival of the Inu no Taishou and his mate. On the other side from the girls were four other chairs, three of which were already occupied.

 

The chair closest to the dais was given the honor of displaying a dark green sash, symbolizing the guest of honor and heir to the throne. Next to that empty chair sat Komichi, dressed in his white and light blue ceremonial silk robes, sans the armor. The boy was only 11, after all, and Sesshoumaru felt he could wait to don armor when he reached puberty. Komichi tried to sit as still as possible, mimicking his siblings (except Haya) by maintaining that cool, disdainful look, but he was only 11… every so often he'd break into a delighted grin at the excitement of the situation.

 

Tamiko sat next to Komichi, silently searching the crowd for her beau. The son of a long-time ally of her father's, Kioshi was completely infatuated with the lovely hanyou woman. The fact that he was a mountain dog youkai was just icing on the cake for Sesshoumaru. Tamiko couldn't care what he was- inu youkai, fish youkai, ningen- she loved him for who he was, not what he was.

 

Shippou, now in his mid-twenties and so breathtakingly handsome he actually had to utilize his kitsune illusions to hide from the hordes of females wanting to try and seduce him, sat next to Tamiko, keeping an extra eye out for trouble in case he needed to get his sisters and brother to safety. Tomaru could take care of himself, but the girls needed his protection and Komichi was still in training.

 

Tomaru stopped in front of the dais, waiting for his parents to arrive. His siblings turned toward him and gave him gentle, loving smiles- except the two youngest, who grinned as broadly as they could. He worried that Haya would jump out of her chair and glomp him like she usually did. That little girl absolutely adored her oldest brother.

 

Maybe it was because they were so much alike, maybe it was because he was the oldest of the natural children. Whatever it was, she had latched herself onto Tomaru and refused to let anyone else near.

 

Luckily Rin was on hand to keep her in line.

 

A sudden movement caught his eye and he straightened marginally. The room grew absolutely silent. Keeping a somewhat bored look on his handsome face, he watched as his father, dressed in his orange-red and white ceremonial robes, complete with armor and ceremonial pelt, escorted his mother, lovely as ever in lavender formal robes. Her long black hair was not tied up like her daughters'- instead, it was pulled back in a simple low ponytail with a lavender and silver ribbon. She smiled lovingly at her son, so proud of him she could burst.

 

Sesshoumaru, expressionless as always, led Kagome in front of her seat, where she stood respectfully. All seven children stood up, Haya restrained by Rin's hand resting on her head between the white dog ears.

 

Gold eyes regarded the man in front of him, as if weighing his worth by his appearance alone.

 

“Tomaru,” he said, with absolutely no inflection in his voice whatsoever. Tomaru stepped forward, determined to show his father that he was worthy of his approval.

 

A little green youkai- Jaken, of course- ran across the room, bearing a long fluffy item in his stubby little arms. He stopped by Sesshoumaru to hand his lord the pelt, when the tai-youkai fixated the underling with a glare.

 

Jaken swallowed, his big yellow eyes wide in fright. Restraining a sigh, he instead moved over to Kagome, who gently took the pelt from the youkai. Turning, she stepped closer to her mate, the pelt draped over her outstretched arms.

 

Sesshoumaru gave Jaken one last look that promised castigation later, then reverently took the pelt from his mate. He turned to Tomaru, the pride in his gold eyes belying the detached look on his face. “Today, my son is 20 years of age and has reached his majority. As the heir to the Western Lands and future Inu no Taishou, we now bestow upon him his own ceremonial pelt.”

 

Stepping down from the dais, Sesshoumaru carefully wrapped the fluffy pelt around Tomaru's left shoulder- the opposite one Sesshoumaru wore his pelt on- and stepped back, a smile shining in his eyes although his face remained serious. “Wear it with pride and with honor.”

 

Tomaru bowed respectfully. “I will, Father,” he replied clearly. As he straightened, he was attacked by a small, giggly figure around his middle. Everyone looked at Tomaru's waist.

 

Haya was hugging her brother as tightly as she could, all her little girl restraint gone.