You In My Nightmare: Moments Missed

“The palace?” Tensei blinked.

“Yeah, we’re all going over there to play” Chiharu began.

“Our parents said we could as long as we don’t bother anybody” Mihana added.

Tensei glared down at her sandals, “I’m…not allowed to go there…not unless I’m with mommy…”

“Come on, Ten-chan…” Hiko began

“She said not to let anyone see me…”

The children thought on this.

“Oi, oi! I have a kitsune mask my big brother got me from a festival. If you wear that, no one will know it’s you!” Kaku piped up.

“Yeah! And I have scarf you can tie your hair up in…” Koto added.

“…well…okay, if you’re sure we won’t get caught”

“Of course not! Come on, it’ll be fun!”

Shino-maru pushed himself up onto his feet, tottering, his golden eyes screwed up in concentration.

“You can do it, Shino-chan, come to mama…” Sachiko cooed holding out her arms.

Sessho-maru watched them from his study, his heir was growing stronger by the day, a proud smile tugged on his lips.

“She wants to know who her father is”

Fawks words tore at him and he pulled away. Even though he could never acknowledge her as his child, Sessho-maru had done his best to give Tensei what he could. He had given her a father by way of his cousin, made sure she had a proper home and that she was safe and healthy. He’d have been lying if he denied a desire to know her, he hadn’t even seen the girl since she was born.

“That’s it, Shino! Look at you…!” Sachiko laughed. Sessho-maru looked back just in time to see his son take his first steps. How many firsts had he already missed with Tensei?

Had she called out to him with her first word?

The sound of children at play caught his attention, he turned toward the garden.

“It is merely the servant’s children, pay them no mind, milord” Jaken said, gathering the paper’s from Sessho-maru’s desk. The sound of a flute, cut through the din overcoming the ecstatic giggles.

“…That flute…”

The imp blinked up at his master, “If they are bothering you, sir, I can make them disperse…”

“Leave them be” Sessho-maru said, heading in the direction of the sound.

“Play for us!” Koto chirped.

“Yeah, Ten-chan, you brought your flute, ne?” Kaku asked.

Tensei nodded, pulling the flute from her robes. It had been a gift for her third birthday, no one would tell her who it was from but it didn’t matter, she’d been getting gifts like that for as long as she could remember. It was special because it wasn’t made from wood, the flute had been carved from jade and had taken her a while to master but now she could make it sound sweeter then any wooden flute.

Tensei lifted her mask slightly, putting it to her lips. She played a soft, merry tune and the other children started to dance. Koto, Yuya and Emiri joined hands, twirling around in a circle. Chiharu and Mihana danced with each other as the boys sat in the grass, content merely to listen.

None of them seemed to notice when Sessho-maru came upon them. Tensei was the first to see him, she stopped playing, dropping her flute. The other children turned, dropping to their knees and bowing before him.

“…G…good day your lordship…” Kaku stuttered. But Sessho-maru ignored him, approaching the girl in the mask. Tensei trembled, glaring down at her feet as Lord Sessho-maru knelt before her, picking up the discarded flute.

“Where did you get this?” he asked.

“It…was a gift…mommy wouldn’t tell me who it was from…” she stuttered. Sessho-maru hooked a finger under her mask, lifting it to gaze into the pup’s teary golden green eyes.

“What is your name, child?”

She immediately glared at the ground, “Tensei, my lord”

“Please don’t be mad, Sessho-maru-sama!” another little girl leapt up.

“Mihanna…!” Kaku muttered.

“Tensei’s ma says she can’t be seen in the castle. Please don’t get Ten-chan in trouble…” she sniffled.

Sessho-maru rose to his feet, “You’re not in trouble…”

He handed her back the flute, “Come with me”

Tensei glanced back at her friends before following after the stoic lord.