Prologue

The young prince of western land stared impassively at the scroll in his hands.

He was not a prince anymore, but the emperor of the west. His father`s untimely death had seen to that. The scroll in his grasp only proceeded to congratulate him on that matter along with offering condolences upon the late Inu No Taisho`s demise.

He had received many other letters and gift bearing similar messages such as this and his growing irritation towards the simpering smiles that hid behind such offerings had caused him to ignore most of them if not destroy them at sight. He accepted only those which came from the ones with a true heart.

The letter that he held presently was from a cousin he despised. But he was aware that the said cousin harbored no such ill will towards him and having known the present Western Lord`s temper with him would choose to call him with only urgent messages.

The prince was right in his assumption as usual. After speaking of condolences, the scroll proceeded to inform him of growing rebels in colonies of lesser demons and a plot of destroying his infant bother.

Seshomaru cared nothing for the rebels. They could be crushed within moments when he would choose to do so. However the plots birthed by the power hungry daimyos of the council to kill his new born brother were an immediate and worrisome threat.

Seshomaru was not disillusioned. He was aware of the growing threat of the council posed. His father refused to take heed of their attempts on his life, choosing instead to spend his time with his human wife. He refused to think ill of his subjects. His trust had been his downfall at the end.

Seshomaru would not make that mistake. Not when his brother`s life depended upon it.

No. He corrected himself. My half brother.

He refused to get attached to the hanyou any more than necessary. His father fell trying to protect a human woman and a hanyou. He chose to call a human his mate and loved her enough to sire half-blood children even when he was aware of the hatred that both demons and humans alike shared towards all hanyou. He believed love of family was enough to soothe all wounds inflicted by the world on his sons. His trust and love was what destroyed him at the end.

Seshomaru did not have any such belief. He knew that the world would be harsh to the hanyou and no love of family would heal those wounds completely. At most it would offer him a sanctuary.

I care for him because of father. I shall protect him because father had wanted to.

But if he were to be honest to himself, he had to acknowledge his own affection for the child. He had sent the other two pups, litter mates of Inuyasha, as the child was named by his father, to Ryogen, his youngest litter mate. Seiga and Sayuki, he chose to call them, when he was offered the honor by his father. He was asked to name the other one as well and he did choose the name but asked his father to bestow it upon the hanyou.

He knew that Inuyasha would need all the blessings he could have.

His father had not asked him to send the eldest and youngest pups away. It was hours after his father had fallen that the pups started screaming in pain.

Seiga, the eldest, was more youkai than human and his youki attempted to destroy his spiritual powers that he inherited from his mother. For Sayuki, it was the opposite. The youngest pup was more human than youki and his spiritual powers tried to purify the youki within him. It was a split second decision that Seshomaru made in giving the pups away to Ryogen, who was master in the field of all sorts of magic.

But it was not his expertise alone that convinced Seshomaru to make that decision. He could have asked Ryogen to stay with the pups in west if that was the case. It was the occurrence of the night that drove him to make that decision.

The ones who destroyed father will come after the pups. I must protect them.

The council was aware of Lady Izayoi`s delivery that night but knew not the number of pups she birthed.

The council cannot learn of Seiga or Sayuki. Not when they are unbalanced within themselves.

So he sent the pups away. Inuyasha he kept for absence of any pups at all would the council`s suspicion. If they started a hunt to sate their curiosity, they could come across Seiga and Sayuki as well.

Inuyasha would have the worst of fate among the three. But perhaps this Seshomaru could protect him from most harm.

No. He corrected himself again. I will protect him till he learns to protect himself. And I shall ensure that he learns everything.

He made his own decision regarding the pups` safety. That alone was proof enough of his feelings towards his new born brothers.

Then again, he supposed, it could be a side effect of being the one to help in their birth.

The midwives had fled at the sight of fire, leaving Lady Izayoi in her labor pain. Seshomaru knew only the basics of yokai birthing process but there was no one he could call upon for help in that short time. He was gratified when the human woman directed him throughout the process, ignoring her own pain. She had shown greater confidence in him than he had in himself.

He wondered if his father had any premonitions of all those accidents.

His father knew of his own impending battles but not of his lady`s troubles. Of this he was certain.

But he, Seshomaru, had foreseen what his father ignored. He could not trust the midwives who put on a fake smile in front of their princess and insulted her for loving a demon behind her back. Nor could he trust the soldiers who were once under Takemaru.

Heart of a soldier is for his leader first and princess second.

His father refused to hearken to his words upon that matter. "You can always protect her if there is trouble. But trust a little, my son. They cannot be so cruel as to harm a pregnant woman who cares for them". He had spoken with a smile, believing his son to be overprotective of the princess.

Seshomaru did not trust. He called upon his brothers` help and their presence.

He protected the ones he was asked to but was unable to protect the one he loved most.

Seshomaru had not known his father till he was three hundred years of age. His mother Tsukiko raised him and his brothers away from his father, hoping to use him in her devious schemes for gaining the western throne. His father had his loyalty at their first meeting. The elder demon loved him in his own way but could not give him the same trust in political matters. He was pained but preferred it all the same for he did not need to worry about being used against his father.

But Kuminitsu, the late Inu-no-taisho, had known his pain and tried to show his trust in other matters. He had always had many lovers and cared greatly about what his son thought about them. They became friends as Seshomaru grew and despite his respect for the elder inu-yokai, he often found himself to be exasperated at his father`s antics.

He never trusted the women his father bedded. He knew that the elder demon trying to find someone who would love him, but Seshomaru felt irritated that his father refused to learn from his mistakes.

The women were always after his power over the west.

Every time his father was cheated by his expectations, he was there to help him forget. He would request for a hunt away from the castle, a stroll by the ocean, private lessons and even stories. Sometime, in between such moments, he would ask his father to trust less.

"But it would be a sad life if I could not trust". His father had smiled at him. "And you are always here to help me in caution."

"And yet another lover of yours has cheated you." He had felt tired. "Why do you insist upon trusting?'

He had cut off his father`s protest, his anger over riding his etiquette. "You must have smelled her façade." He had spoken. "Yet you allowed yourself to get attached to her. Why?"

"Everyone deserves a chance, my son". His father had attempted to placate him.

He had been flabbergasted. "Even one attempting to kill you?" he had choked on the words, the very words causing a fear within him.

"Well, I knew you would protect me." He had sensed his father`s mirth at his protectiveness in those words and had given up on speaking any sense in him.

Towards Izayoi, he had truly been overprotective. He knew she was the right choice.

She would return father`s love tenfold increased. He would be happy with her.

And he had been eager to see him happy. Starting with his own mother, or perhaps even before that, there were so much blunder in Kuminitsu`s life. He wanted to see his father happy more than anything.

And Izayoi did make him happy. The late Emperor was never one to be depressed for long but with Izayoi at his side, His happiness seemed to radiate from his very being.

There were enemies who wished to destroy the human princess. Seshomaru killed them all before they could strike. He was the Perfect Blade, molded into sharpness by his mother. She wished to use him against his father but a perfect blade was wielded by none. He had used his skills against the ones who wished to harm his father, but did not inform the elder demon.

The perfect blade cuts none, my son. All blades know to kill but only the best knows to forgive.

However, Seshomaru knew that his father was aware of his escapades. But he did not stop him and that alone was permission enough.

With time, Seshomaru cared for Izayoi for who she was. Not only because she was precious to his father, but because he had found a mother in her, a human woman who was centuries younger than him.

He worried less for her though. She does not trust as easily as father. She knows the art of diplomacy better as well.

He could ask for her time whenever he wished as well. She treated him as though he truly was her son.

A demon does not ask for mother`s love once they are of age.

Seshomaru came of age two hundred years before he met her. He had been the hair to the throne of west ever since he had came of age for he was out of his mother`s claim since that moment. But he had not known maternal love at his own mother`s hand. He found it when he met Izayoi.

He hoped that her love would remain even after she learned of his decision regarding her future.

When Seshomaru entered Izayoi`s room, she was rocking her child to sleep. She wore her hair down, without any adornment, and a simple black kimono with a white obi, indicating her grief. There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked tired. But she did not cry as she did for previous few days and even offered Seshomaru a small smile as he knelt before her.

"I come with grave news, Lady". He decided to get to the point.

"Aye", Izayoi nodded." I sense that from your eyes."

"The council grows blood thirsty." He informed her. "They are looking for any chance they could have to harm you and Inuyasha."

"But you shall protect us." He felt sick at her trust.

"I shall protect you from death and their hunger. But I cannot protect you from all pain."

Izayoi smiled at him." I can protect Inuyasha and myself to some extent as well Seshomaru."

He nodded once. "You must teach Inuyasha to hate me.", he whispered.

"Why?"

"It is not safe for you to stay here anymore." He could not look at her trusting eyes anymore." I have arranged for you to stay at a human village. You shall not be treated kindly there but nor shall you be harmed physically. The human there detest demons and hanyous and thus the council shall not think of looking in that village. Since you shall not be treated kindly there, Inuyasha will do his best to become stronger to protect you. I shall claim the right of killing him before the council thus rendering you untouchable by any other. As he grows, I shall cross sword against him, under the pretension of my hatred, to teach him to fight. For that he must have a deep hatred of me or any other demon so that he does not trust the wrong person. Also the council shall not bother him if they believe to be unwanted by me."

He waited for any harsh word Izayoi had in store and jerked in surprise when he felt her cool and tender hand caressing his cheek.

"And what of you?" She whispered. "Who shall protect you?"

Seshomary did not know how to answer her.

He took Izayoi and Inuyasha to the village border by himself and showed them their new house.

He bowed to Izayoi when it was time for farewell. He took Inuyasha in his arms and bend to kiss his brow. The pup giggled and pulled on his hair.

The sky overhead had darkened and drops of rain fell around him. It was untimely rain for the season was autumn. But then again, he mused, everything is untimelyat present.

He felt the human whom he loved as a mother touching his face. He also felt a sting in his eyes.

"Take care". She whispered to him. "Take care my son."

"Farewell mother". He whispered, trying to engrave the feel of her hand on his cheek and the warm weight of his brother in his arms, in his soul and being.

It was not rain alone that wetted his cheeks.