autumnleaf16

Author’s Note: this is kind of a default chapter in a way, as it was suppose to be in the middle of the last chapter. but I decide to make it into a new chapter as it got quite long, and I like most part, so I don’t want to delete it. Basically this chapter focuses solely on Sesshomaru (although he does naturally think of Sango). I won’t say anyway because I don’t want to give much away so all the explanations would be in the author’s note at the end.
Mamoru means protect, to protect.

Ironically, as she used lies to explain herself, he ended up convincing others that the rumours which had begun were truths.
The current region of the West was much like the son that she ruled on behalf of. By being able to hide her emotions so well, most believe them to be non-existent.
That was why, she could tell that her son had changed easily, as they were too similar.
“So the stories I’ve been hearing are true.” She began easily, not taking her eyes away from the infant her son was holding protectively. “My son is travelling with a human girl, and has recently acquired another human infant.”
“Have your eyes blinded your sense of smell?” he immediately retorted back.
For the first time in his life, he was awarded with the satisfaction of surprising his mother. Her eyes narrowed at the same time as a frown appeared on both her face and mouth, and she even took a step toward him in disbelieve.
“A hanyou…”
“My daughter.” Her son stated this so calmly- as if him siring a child with a human was not the most impossible thing. She had always thought that the only way for the West to have an heir would be forcing him into an arranged relationship, as he seemed both uninterested and unconcerned with such things.
The idea had remained in her head due to the obvious reason that it was impossible for her to carry it out.
“She might be my only heir.” He continued easily, his tone almost too calm. “Although I might be able to have a son when I am reunited with the human who will be my mate.”
“Your children will be hanyou…”
“They will rule as my heirs, because I will only sire children with her. And I,” he would have rested his hand on the hilt of Tokijin to emphasize his point if it wasn’t for the fact that it was already engaged in another task. “I will protect them from anyone that dares to bear them any ill.”
“You will protect them…”
Once more, she recollected the final time she saw her mate- it was just before his elder son saw him for the last time too. The two of them had stood side by side to look at their son, one of the few things that brought them together.
“He can be very strong, but he will never be strong enough if he only live for himself.” Had been the final statement of the one who sired her son. “If he have no one to protect then he will continue living recklessly, nor would he be able to reach his maximum abilities- he would always just see that level in others as they protect their loved ones from him.”
“And we are to be blamed for that.” She admitted, one hand tugging at the fur she wrapped around her shoulder, her status was a constant reminder of why she entered into such a relationship in the first place. “We taught him wrongly., but we might still be able to correct him. That is why I ask you to not go to her in your condition now, as you will surely die.”
“I cannot abandon her!”
“Then you would abandon your own son.” She reasoned. “How would I be able to let him understand the importance of protecting someone when you will die from it?”
But he still left, and that was also the day when her son finally closed himself completely due to his obsessive quest for power. He even neglected his duties as the lord of the West by leaving his territory. She realized that the reason he had once protected the West was not due to any love for these land and people, but for the sake of showing all that he could do what his father did.
Her hand closed over the necklace that Inunotaisho had gave her. She was meant to use to help her son grow stronger when he was deemed worthy enough to know of tenseiga’s other secrets by having gained compassion.
It seemed that she would still be using this meido-seki to let him wield tenseiga with a higher level of power, only that it would be done in a different way. In a way that neither of them had even considered to be possible.

He knew his mother well enough to detect the light that suddenly appeared in her eyes, as well as recognizing it as a bad sign.
“I had been waiting for you for a different reason.” She began, her lips curled into a sweet smile as she launched her bait by dangling the necklace in front of him. “I can show you a way to make tenseiga more powerful. Of course, such abilities do not come freely, you will have to make a journey that is relatively dangerous.”
Though his outer expressions remained immobile, he was fuming inwardly. He should have realized that just as his mother had always been able to hit him at the one spot that would hurt, she would be able to find a way to rob him of his original certainty.
Tenseiga…how long had he spent in cursing his father for giving him a sword that he could not use to kill? Even though he would now be grateful to the blade forever for having brought Sango to him, he still desired more.
The truth was that he would not be satisfied until the sword let him used it as his father had been allowed to use it.
But the consequences of accepting his mother’s offer was too great. He had never worried about what might happen with his death until he met her, and then held their child in his arm. He realized that he could not act in a reckless fashion anymore as his death would leave both his daughter and Rin without someone to look after them.
He would never let his daughter grew up as Inuyasha had. Wasn’t that why he returned to this palace in the West? Because it was safer.
I made a promise to your mother, he told Namida silently, I will keep it. If I fail…I cannot face Sango again.
As he turned around to look at Rin, the little girl finally smiled again, and he vowed that he would protect Rin as well. She was like a daughter to him now, and he owed her many thanks for all that she did: to let him start caring for another. Without her, he might never have saved Sango as he would not feel a need to do so.
“No.” he declared out. “I will not make this journey.”
The sudden murmuring of the blade forced him to finally hand his daughter to Rin in order for him to pull the blade out and examine it.
“Tenseiga heard what I could not hear.” His mother explained as she returned the necklace to its original position again. “It consider you as worthy as wielder as your father was. Tenseiga will now let you use it as it had allowed your father to use it.”

He ended up sitting at one corner of the garden with their family’s’ faithful hounds in front of him. He was glad of their company as unlike all the other yokai in this palace, they did not understand that what he had announced a few hours ago was an unusual thing.
“You must all look after Namida and Rin.” He ordered, aware of the murmurings that could not be destroyed despite his warnings.
Not for the first time, he turned to thoughts of Sango, she must be with her friends by now. It was strange how she could still make him behave in such a foolish fashion even when she was no longer beside him. He ended up wandering whether she was thinking of him, and being slightly angry by the idea that she might be distracted from doing so due to that monk.
He knew that it was better for them to part as travelling with her would not be safe for their daughter, or for Rin. But he couldn’t help but to imagine about the happiness such a journey would bring.
Once more, the question his mother had asked echoed inside his mind with his answer.
“Are you happy with your actions?”
“If I had not been happy then I would not be sad now.”

Author’s Note: so originally this chapter was just the middle of the last chapter, but as I said I like the result. I guess this shows how much Sesshomaru changed as he want to protect someone very strongly. First of all about tenseiga…in this fan fiction I am saying that Sesshomaru knew that his father could use tenseiga as a weapon instead of just a sword to save people, and since there is the whole idea of tenseiga choosing him to be the wielder, and whether he was worthy enough, I decided to add in the bit of tenseiga letting him use it to a higher level due to hearing him deciding to actually give up the chance of being stronger in order to protect Namida and Rin. I don’t think this is going too far as he did say something like ‘to let this sword gain power due to your life being lost is not worth it’ when Rin died, and Tenseiga does seem to be a sword with a mind of its own much more then tessaiga, as tenseiga often cause Sesshomaru to do something.

Although I have to say, initially I thought about having him make the journey and doing something like the manga, only that it involved both Namida and Sango instead of Rin. I don’t know, probably a scene when he refused to come out without his daughter as he’ll say something like he could not face Sango due to what had happened. But this ended up as the final version and I think this outcome of his realization is quite good too.

Lastly, in regard to him addressing hounds, it seems that yokai are often accompanied by animals that are similar to them, both Koga and Ayame have wolves around them, and that bird princess had a lot of birds with her, while these bat yokai had all these bats, so I guess Sesshomaru and his family would have dogs with them.