Koikokoro (Awakening Love) by cloud

Insanity

This is a sequel, read Koinonayami(Love Troubles) first.

Koikokoro (Awakening Love)

Prologue: Insanity

It was a dreary day. Even though it was mid morning the sun still hadn’t risen completely and only grey light splashed across the land. It crawled lazily through cracks in blinds as rain fell sluggishly outside. It was the type of day where most would crack open an eye for a moment before throwing their covers back over their heads to sleep.

Sesshomaru Taisho felt similarly, but as his alarm clock flickered ten thirty, he sat up from the soothing warmth of his blankets. He glanced out the window and sighed at the dreary atmosphere. He hated days like this, and even though he had no real obligations to full fill, he had always forced himself out of bed before eleven. It had been a good night too. There had been no dark dreams or haunting predictions, only an everlasting darkness that left him feeling rested.

As he climbed out of his bed and padded silently over to the wall to floor mirror on his closet door, he reminded himself that a good night’s sleep did not promise a good day. The mirror in front of him showed a well built man in his mid twenties, with silver hair stuck up in all directions from sleep. It only took a moment for him to brush his bangs down and pull his hair into a lose tail that reached his shoulder blades. His bangs parted naturally, displaying delicate stripes of maroon over his eyelids.

With his hair attended to, he grabbed a silky black shirt from his closet and buttoned it up before slipping on a pair of loose khakis. For this kind of weather it suited to dress comfortably. Dressed and ready to face the world, he walked down the stairs quickly yet quietly on bare feet.

The cold wooden floors felt good on his toes as he headed for the scent of bacon in the kitchen. Inuyasha was the only one there with a half eaten plate of bacon and eggs. He looked up, a bit surprised to see Sesshomaru up so late, before greeting, “Oy aniki.” 

He stared at Sesshomaru expectantly for an answer like he did every morning, for it was an unspoken rule in the Taisho household, that how Sesshomaru responded to the greeting determined how the rest of the day would go. If he responded with a grunt and went on his way then everything was fine and a sigh of relief passed through everyone. 

If he responded with a very small smile and said, “Good Morning otouto-chan,” then things were a bit off and at least one person needed to stay around to watch him. If he responded with a cheerful laugh and a playful, “Your silly aniki, you know you were born first,” then things were going to be rough and at least a few people needed to keep an eye on him.

It had been like that for almost five hundred years, when Inuyasha had first greeted his brother and the stoic prince Sesshomaru had burst into tears. It had been embarrassing and confusing for the whole family, even Sesshomaru who understood his condition the best. Physiatrists reasonably claimed that he was suffering from multiple personality disorder and just needed a bit of psychiatric treatment, but Sesshomaru knew better. His body housed something a bit more potent then another personality, and it all started when he made a wish in a completely alternate reality.

Realizing that he still hadn’t responded, Sesshomaru grunted before grabbing his plate of barely cooked sausage and bacon with a small side of eggs. He sat down across from Inuyasha and silently ate his breakfast, not bothering to watch the relief cross his face.

“I’m going into the city today to do some shopping for dad’s birthday; do ya want me to pick something up?” Inuyasha asked, his voice gruff despite the polite gesture. He was given free reign to be as juvenile as he wanted to be 500 years ago, but now that Sesshomaru needed help with remembering small things it had forced even him to grow up a little.

“I am fine,” Sesshomaru answered coldly, as he stood and threw most of his plate in the trash. He hated the careful way people danced around him, like walking on eggshells. It used to be amusing when they were worried he might slice their heads off, but it was irritating now when the only problem was if he’d switch again.

As he walked down the main hallway towards the door, Sesshomaru decided that he would head to the office and get something productive accomplished, horrible weather or not. Next to his room was a cosy office space with a sleek black laptop and a comfortable black chair.

He opened the laptop and clicked a button on the top. It whirled to life as he slid over and pulled out a battered leather journal. He flipped passed the pages, watching as the handwriting changed sporadically. Some of it was smoothly written in cursive, flowing flawlessly. While some was a nice cursive, written a bit larger and yet more spread out. The last handwriting, however, was script and had the consistency of a fourth grader.

He opened to an empty page and wrote in the same small cursive that began the journal. 

Something is wrong. I can feel it in the air that this calm day will have a rough ending. 

His hand skipped down a line and the writing opened up and got a little bit larger. 

I sense it too. We need to find someone or something. There is a zing of power in the air that is calling.

The writing changed back to the smaller cursive. 

Are you positive? Have you asked your brother yet? I sense it too but this may be a false alarm.

Now the writing was ragged and large like a child. 

Yes I sense it, strong and powerful and addictive. I want to see it. Please daddy let us find it!

There was a pause in the writing before the small cursive returned. 

All right, we will see what we can find, but try not to cause a scene this time.

Yes father.

I’ll try Daddy.

Sesshomaru dropped the pen with a clatter as he glanced over the sporadic writing. It was shorter than normal but quite a bit more important. With suppressed hope, he rose from the chair and left the room, completely ignoring the started computer.

His destination was the door, but before he could leave he had to pass through the main hallway. As he approached the sliding door entrance of the dining room, soft voices filtered through the thin sound barrier and he caught the conversation between his father and the other lords.

“Inutashio, really you have to decide soon,” Ryuu grumbled.

“Truthfully we all believe it would be best to appoint Inuyasha as your heir for now. Sesshomaru is a fine warrior and would make a great strategist, but now a days he can only spend a few hours in the office before his mind gets strained,” Houou remarked, his voice sad. 

Sesshomaru clenched his fist at the idea. He wasn’t an invalid, he could function it was just that the flashes were getting more frequent lately.

“Even I’m worried about the boy,” Toru sighed, his normally laughing demeanour crushed. Sesshomaru felt ready to growl out, of all the lords he expected Toru to back him up.

The crushing blow came when he heard his father’s heavy sigh and the defeated words,” I know, I know.”

That was it, flick, click, switch; Sesshomaru was gone. His cold demeanour melted away to reveal dropping eyes and a quivering lip, as tears streaked from his faded golden orbs. 

“ANIKI,” he cried as he kneeled down and scrunched his head to his chest. “ANIKI NO,” he screamed, rocking back and forth as he placed his shaking hands over his head.

In a flash the three lords and his father where at his side and Inuyasha came in seconds later. 

“Sesshomaru,” Inutashio practically whispered. He hated seeing his son so distraught, so unreal. Sesshomaru’s eyes, no some one else’s eyes stared up at Inutashio, filled with tears before he flung his body into his strong arms. 

“Aniki, gomen ne,” he cried softly, nuzzling against his suit jacket. A soft voice escaped Sesshomaru’s mouth instead of his usual baritone, “I’m glad you’re alright Engetsu.”