Title: His Brother's Pup
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: mild language, child abuse, some violence
Summary: Having never recovered from his mother's death, Sesshoumaru struggles through puberty with a father who practically hates him, a human woman who's supposed to replace his mother and a hanyou half-brother who tries too hard to befriend him.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. All unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am making no money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.
A/N: This story will cover the two brother's years as childhood but it begins with Sesshoumaru being around 10 (in human years) and Inuyasha is around 6 (in human years).
His Brother's Pup
by Ladya C. Maxine
"Stand straight, Sesshoumaru. A noble never slouches."
"Yes, sir."
"And fix that face of yours. This is a welcoming, not a funeral."
"…It feels like a funeral."
"What was that?"
"Nothing, sir."
Snorting, the Lord of the Western Lands circled his first-born a couple of times. The tailor had made a wise choice in dressing the young youkai in royal red and white kimono with a yellow sash around the boy's waist, the knot hidden by the pup's long silvery hair. Despite the not-very-pleased face, he looked respectable. However...
"We have to do something about this," the lord muttered to himself as he lifted his son's thickly furred tail from where it had been resting over a shoulder.
Growling softly, he resisted the urge to pull his tail out of his father's claws. His tail, which he himself prized, was just one of his many faults his father was constantly pointing out. Whether it was his tail, his soft-spoken voice, his solitary attitude; there was always something wrong.
His father released the pup's tail, which wrapped itself over the shoulder. He walked around and came to stand before the young youkai.
"Your brother will find it amusing."
"Half brother, sir," he corrected. "A half-breed half brother."
"You will not speak of him in that manner!" his father barked, gold eyes narrowing. "Inuyasha is as much my son as you are and you are going to get along with him. And if you don't…"
He trailed off, the unspoken threat making a greater impact than a named one.
"My lord?" A servant appeared in the doorway. "The lady's escort draws near."
"Is the rest of the staff ready?"
"Every worker has lined up to greet her."
"Excellent. Return to your post."
Gulping, the elderly youkai nodded and hurried off as fast as his old bones allowed him.
"Come, Sesshoumaru, we will welcome our new family."
"A mortal and a half-mortal? She'll be lucky to make it to forty and he'll be lucky to even reach his majority," he muttered, trailing behind his father.
Spinning, he grabbed his pup's collar, claws digging into the fabric as he growled in the youngster's face.
"Try me one more time, Sesshoumaru, and you won't even reachpuberty. Understood?"
He stared defiantly up into his father's face. Ignoring the helpless feeling within him, he looked away, face solemn and golden eyes trained on the floor. A hard shake was his first and last warning to respond.
"Understood, Sesshoumaru?"
"Yes, sir," he said softly and was released roughly.
"Come."
Not giving his first-born a second glance, he strode off, boots echoing heavily on the wooden floors.
Staring balefully at the older youkai's back, he followed, rubbing his neck tenderly and hissing when his palm brushed against a thin but long scrape his father's claws had inflicted.
A scent of honeysuckle and lavender drifted over him as he passed a table in the corridor. A freshly cut bouquet of flowers had been arranged in one of the hundreds of ancient vases in the palace. The brightly coloured blooms were meant to welcome their guest into their homes but they only served to distance him as they reminded them of the only female he would ever accept in his life. Sadly, she had been robbed of hers far too soon.
Years had passed since her death but he still remembered how his mother used to sit in the gardens, with him on her lap, as she arranged far more elegant and beautiful bouquets, the fragrances always lingering on her soft skin. Every time he went outside he was reminded of her. Which was why he preferred staying in; such memories were too painful to confront.
"Sesshoumaru!" his father's voice thundered back to him from up ahead.
Giving the table a slight caress, he quickly moved on, passing down the halls and descending the grand staircase before finally catching up with his father who walked ahead.
Falling into step, he wanted to tell his father to send her back. To not accept this mortal woman and her whelp of a son. To not forsake his real mother.
But he knew his father wouldn't listen. The Lord of the Western Lands had long since stopped paying heed to anything his son said. Sesshoumaru was often under the impression that his father tried to not notice him at all sometimes. What had once been a strong bond had unravelled during the years following their loss and his father was content to wait and watch the last cord snap.
Unlike him, his father had easily moved on. But two years had passed when news reached the castle that the lord had taken on another as his bride. To only add to Sesshoumaru's horror and disgust, later news announced that this new bride, a human at that, was carrying the lord's son. A hanyou.
'Have I fallen so far out of your favour, father? Do I mean so little to you now that you'd settle with a half-breed?'
However, he remained silent, even as he stood with spiteful eyes as the carriage bearing their now permanent guests entered the courtyard, drawn by a grand beast whose two heads were held tall and proud despite it's shameful load.
The servants stood straighter as the carriage door was opened by the footman, who held out a gloved hand which was accepted by a slender one from inside the carriage.
Around him, he heard the servant's whispers of appraisal and approval but he didn't share any of their sentiments. This was what all the excitement was about? A plain human? As beautiful and charming as the servants claimed her to be he noticed almost at once that, despite her bearings, she lacked any natural grace of his mother. Layered in robes, she seemed to shuffle rather than walk and her eagerness to greet those around them was almost desperate, as if begging them to accept her.
His father smiled broadly as he stepped forward to embrace the woman.
"Do you have everything?" he asked, eyeing the luggage that was pulled by a second cart behind the carriage.
"I do now," she beamed, resting her head on his shoulder.
Sesshoumaru swallowed, feeling nauseous.
Releasing her, his father peeped into the carriage and his smile grew wider as he held out his arms. A little blur of red shot out into his waiting embrace with a series of giggles.
"My, you have grown!"
"Soon I will be as tall as you, dad!" the small pup stated proudly, his energetic and happy voice making Sesshoumaru grit his teeth.
He had known what to expect from the woman, but this hanyou…How could his father even hold it? The only distinguishable youkai features were the white mane and golden eyes, nothing more. No markings at all. Mutant white ears stuck out from the somewhat tangled hair. The demon aura coming from the hanyou was terribly weak, even for a half-breed.
"Hello there."
Tearing his eyes away from where his father was gaily tossing the whelp into the sky, he looked up to find the woman staring down at him with a bright yet somewhat bemused expression. The stench of mortality rolled off her and he scrunched his nose.
"You greatly resemble Inutaisho; are you a relative?"
A few of the servants muttered, bewildered. Sesshoumaru gaped slightly, eyes widening at the question. The woman looked nervous at the response her question had aroused.
"Have I insulted you?" she asked.
"Excuse me, Lady Izayoi," one of the senior servants said, bowing to her new mistress. "I fear you are mistaken. This is Prince Sesshoumaru."
The woman merely stared, urging the servant to press on.
"He's Lord Inutaisho's first born."
The blue eyes widened as they fixed on him, more confused than ever.
"His…His son?"
"Did you not know, my lady?" Sekyo asked.
The woman shook her head, turning to the lord, who was in conversation with the newest addition to the staff; a few of her own advisors and her most trusted handmaidens (all humans) who had followed their princess to her new home.
Sesshoumaru listened on in silence, eyes on the ground as he turned the information over in his head again and again. His father hadn't even mentioned his existence to his new mate? Why not?
The woman quickly tried to recover from her folly.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha will be thrilled to learn that he now has a big brother."
Her smile faltered when he simply stared at her, not answering. The silence between them grew uncomfortable but luckily the servant stepped in once.
"Please excuse Sesshoumaru's silence; meeting people is hard for him."
"Oh, I see. I understand." The smile returned. "I may have been too forward."
"You did nothing wrong, Izayoi. He's simply in one of his dark moods," his father informed, as he came over, Inuyasha resting on his hip. The half-breed's ears perked up at the sight of the other youth. "Just leave him to his own devices. He prefers to sulk when in the companies of others. Leave the servants to deal with him"
He looked up, unable to ignore the hurt and betrayed feelings his father's words ignited. His relationship with his father had diminished over the years, but to speak so lowly of him before a mortal… Lowering his eyes he felt the growing frustration inside him slowly seeping out as tears.
This was not right. These people didn't belong here! How could his father simply replace his mother, who had been a beautiful and wise pure-blood youkai, with this mortal? He didn't want this. He didn't want to be here and simply watch from the distance as this woman took the spot that only his true mother could fill.
"You never mentioned him, dear," the woman said softly.
"You would have met him eventually," he responded, sounding none too concerned. "I didn't want you or Inuyasha to get false hopes."
"Don't say that," the woman scolded his father. "There's no such thing as a bad child. All he needs is some time. Isn't that right, Sesshoumaru?"
Having had his eyes on the ground the whole time, he was startled when arms suddenly wrapped themselves around him. With a hiss, he lashed out. Cloth and flesh tore and she fell back on her rear. The servants gasped and he heard that hanyou pup squeak in fear.
"Don't touch me!" he shouted at her as she cradled her bloodied arm. "I don't need time, you filthy human! I don't need you or that hanyou! I want my mother!"
He turned and ran back inside, ignoring his father's angry commands that he apologized.
Flinging the door to his room open, he jumped onto the window ledge. He wrapped his tail around him, hugging it as he drew his knees to his chest and cried softly.
'Mother…I want you back…'
Tbc…
Read & Review, please.