InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In His Father's Footsteps ❯ Chapter 1

In His Father's Footsteps

InuYasha Fanfiction

By Kittyonnails

Sesshomaru scowled at the garden. He was home again, and as usual that had put him in a sour mood. As oldest son, he was supposed to have taken over as leader of the dog-demon clan as well as lord of the western lands. That was the reason he had returned, as he did most every winter, to his childhood home.

He never spent more than a few days here, it was too unpleasant. Sesshomaru prided himself on his stoic manner. He would not compromise himself by remaining at home. Or at least he would have never risked losing composure until now. Something unimaginable had happened. Even after all the confusion and hurt he had endured due to his father, Sesshomaru had followed in his father's footsteps. He too had fathered a half-breed with a human.

Sesshomaru had retreated to his ancestral home, his family's mountain stronghold. He tried to tell himself that it was for safety, that he did not want his enemies to find out about the child. Maybe Jakken could buy that, but it was proving much more difficult to fool himself. He knew that he had come here to provide a happy childhood for his child-to-be.

Human women had been the weakness that caused his father to lose control of the lands. The demon nobility had joined against him. Father had been able to fend them off, but unable to protect the woman he loved. Grief-stricken, but determined to keep control, his father had tried to earn the loyalty of the masses by killing the demon Ryokotsei. Though a success, it was the end of him.

Then came the mystery of his father's burial and the inheritances left to himself and InuYasha. It had been years later that Sesshomaru had received the Tensaiga, and many more before the mysteries of his father's life had began to unravel. Even now, many years since, there were still things he did not know. It was not likely that he would ever know all his father's secrets.

He had kept one secret here in the estate that even Inuyasha was sure to be ignorant of. Sesshomaru sighed to himself. It was time he faced that secret. He rose from his seat and slipped down the hall, to the east wing of the estate. He knelt at a door decorated with black roses and knocked quietly.

"Yes, come in." the reply came. He slid the shoji, just enough to slip through, then entered.

"Mother, I have returned." he bowed low to his clan's matriarch. No one but him knew she was alive, and so he had publicly assumed the titles associated with the head of his clan. Although, that seemed ridiculous given his current circumstance.

"Yes, welcome." His mother sat behind a screen. He could only see her silhouette, but that was normal. Since her husband's disgrace, his mother had refused to allow anyone but her maids to lay eyes on her. Sesshomaru had been only a pup when his mother had gone into hiding. His father had been too busy to care for him, so he had stayed with his mother. The maids had tended him and mother spoke with him, but the love had left her spirit. Once again, he was having an emotionless conversation with mother.

"My entourage and I shall be staying for some time."

"Yes, I see."

"Mother…" It was always difficult for him to talk to mother. Since he had left home she had become distant, even to him. He knew she would probably never speak to him again once he told her of the situation.

"yes?"

"How is your health?" it was fine, of course, but Sesshomaru could not bring himself to sever his connection with his mother just yet.

"I am in perfect health, but I see that your injury has not healed."

"Mother, my arm is not going to heal."

From the other side of the screen she sighed and shook her head.

"A shame." she commented. Sesshomaru felt his arm throb. He was all too aware of the shame his mother felt that her son had lost his arm to her husband's bastard. As a demoness of good breeding, she kept her comments vague. Sesshomaru knew what his mother alluded to bringing up his arm, more than ten years after the loss . She was disappointed in him for not bringing her the head of his vanquished half-sibling, a promise made long before he lost his arm.

Almost as long ago, he had abandoned the oath. His mother was a devout Buddhist, and encouraged her son to study Zen. Even though most demons have no immortal soul, upper-class, purebred demons did possess one. It was the study of Zen Buddhism that had convinced him to discard the oath in favor of disowning and forgetting his half-brother all together. Mother had not agreed with his philosophy, and he had left home. He had not intended to battle his brother, but the Tetsusaiga had entered the picture. Shamefully, it was greed for the sword that had driven him into battle with his half-brother on so many occasions. Even now, after all that had happened between them, there was only an uneasy truce between himself and Inuyasha. Mother, of course, knew nothing of the brothers' battles.

"Yes, well, if you will excuse me, I must return to my companions." he bowed and turned to slide the shoji.

"You've brought her again. I can smell the stink of human from here. Beware my son, a human does not make a good pet."

"As I am learning. Thank you mother. Goodbye." He slid out of the room and into the hall, wondering if his mother was aware already of the child-to-be. How could she? Especially since he was sure that the mother was not yet aware.

Thinking about her, Rin. She had grown from a sweet and pleasant girl into a beautiful and wise woman. Only a human, and yet she always seemed able to understand him. His only other companion in life had been Jakken. Loyal but insincere and noisy, Jakken had served him to the best of his meager ability. It was Rin who had truly been a companion. The child had began their introductions wordlessly, trying to care for him. No one had tried to help him like that before. He had been intrigued by her innocence and selflessness. When she was killed, he used the Tensaiga to resurrect her. From then on, she had followed him through all his travels.

Still, it would have remained simple if she had not been so intuitive. It was her ability to read him that had endeared her to his heart in adulthood. Of course, her ravishing beauty was another stepping stone. Before he even realized it, he was in love with her. Despite his feelings, he had refrained from any action until the day she joined him in the bath. Her beauty shone in the steamy water, and she smiled.

"M'lord, I know your heart is troubled. I want to remind you that Rin is yours: mind, body, soul, and heart."

She said it humbly, though she looked him in the eyes as she said it. He had not needed her permission, but the fact that she was giving it spoke to him a request rather than a submission. He had not been able to resist.

Since then, he had enjoyed her regularly. In truth, they had enjoyed each other. He could not rationalize how her happiness pleased him. It had not taken long, only two months after it had all begun he had sensed the life within her. For the first time, he had not left Rin with Ah-Un while he made his visit. Soon, Rin would realize her condition. Until then he would bear this burden alone.

She was in the vegetable garden, marveling at the assortment of produce that was growing on the mountain plane. As he approached she turned her always smiling face to him.

"M'lord, what bounty this garden bears. It is amazing." she gestured gracefully at the rambling cucumber patch. He smiled slightly.

"Rin, we will be staying here for some time, so I'm sure you will have the chance to enjoy it." She smiled up at him. He knew she was wondering why they were here, but she was smart. She would never ask him so bluntly. He reached up and traced his finger gently along her jaw line, watching her blush and look away. Their intimacy still intimidated her. He would enjoy this innocent love while it remained. Surely there were only a few weeks remaining before she realized. The future was so uncertain, it felt as if this moment might be their last.

* * *

This was it. Sesshomaru told himself when he saw Rin's troubled face. She had just opened the door to his chamber.

"M'lord… I have…urgent news." she whispered. He nodded for her to continue, wondering if he made the right decision in letting her discover for herself what they had done together. The time for regrets had passed, but his heart ached seeing her in such fear of him.

"I think, I am with child." She stared resolutely at the mat as she spoke. Sesshomaru could not help notice that she had suddenly abandoned her usual speech pattern. Since her childhood, Rin has always referred to herself in the third person. This self-deprecating manner was common among children, and basically good manners. Perhaps she had decided that her situation warranted a more adult manner.

"You are correct. Rin, you shall bear my firstborn." She looked up at him with eyes full of wonder.

"But M'lord, I am human." she said it like an apology.

"Yes."

"Then you did not intend…"

"No, I did not." Now it was Sesshomaru who looked away. He had not thought that she would worry over his intentions about the child. He suddenly felt ashamed. Rin bowed low, and left the room.

Was she sorry that he had done this to her? It should be an unimaginable honor for any human woman. Inuyasha's mother had thought so. What was Rin thinking? Suddenly, her restrained manner no longer appealed to him. True, he had not wanted her to be as wild as the human his brother enjoyed, but as Rin had gotten older her manner had become more reserved. It was a rare moment that she commented on anything of more than casual interest. She should be happy. He frowned as a cloud of uncertainty settled over him.

He remembered Inuyasha's mother. Princess Izayoi, as she was known. Sesshomaru had been only a pup when father had met her. He remembered her beauty. He had been much too young to realize what a beautiful woman could do. Only twice had father taken Sesshomaru to see his new lover. It was not really so odd that he would take a bedmate outside of his spouse, what was scandalous was that he had acknowledged the child she had borne him.

Sesshomaru had never seen a baby unless he counted the day his father brought him to the place where he kept the princess, to introduce him to his baby brother, who was yet unborn. In childish innocence, everything had seemed fine. The princess was really an extraordinarily kind woman. She had shown him how to listen at her belly for the sounds of life. He remembered asking his father if his new brother would be coming to live with him. His father had sat him down and explained that as firstborn son, he was the heir. That meant that he was the one who should live at the house. He was going to let little Inuyasha grow up to inherit the house where they had visited him.

He was so young then. Much too young to understand why his mother was shutting him out. A few years later, he began to make the connection. Father would bring him on some journey or jaunt, then when he retuned, Mother would accuse him of spending time with humans. After Father's death she made a point to explain to him that little Inuyasha was only his half-brother. She also spent days being upset with him for any real or imagined contact with his infant sibling.

She needn't have worried, Sesshomaru thought to himself. Father made sure that she would have all the power she needed to take revenge out on princess Izayoi and little InuYasha. He got himself killed. Sesshomaru grimaced, remembering the bitter loss of his father followed by his mother's coldness. He had been so young, and Inuyasha, even younger. Could he really protect his child from the same fate?