A/N: Holy…sweet gods. It's been ages, I know. And I still have multiple Beyblade fics to update, and it will probably be suicidal to try and start a new story now but…I couldn't resist. I've enjoyed Inuyasha for so long that I needed to try my hand at writing a fic based on it. And then…this came up. Lol, this is my take on what Sesshoumaru's childhood might have been like. So here is the prologue, and the first chapters are coming soon, so tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor do I pretend to.

.oOo.

In the beginning there was only darkness. A consuming, hateful darkness that welled up inside of her, permeating her flesh and blood. The instinct to kill. The desire for power. It kept her alive…made her strong.

They called her Izanami.

Her dark hair spilled over the armor she wore over her silk kimono; simple armor…ancient armor. She carried a sword mostly for decoration. Her claws were sufficient enough for most enemies. Claws that made carrying a sword seem like a useless burden—claws that burned.

And still she looked too thin, too much like a noble woman to be a threat. She was tall and slender; her pale skin rivaled only by the moon's shining face. She was an enigma, a youkai that did not seem like a youkai; her black hair and soft features making it seem as though she were a human woman…an exquisite woman, but human nonetheless.

Looks can be so very deceiving.

She was no human, her claws and fangs and golden eyes reminding those who crossed her path of this fact violently; and yet…somehow the sight of her still lulled her enemies into a state of forgetfulness. She had begun to wear armor to remind them that she was no mere woman. She was a youkai. A warrior…always a warrior.

"Tsuki-sama, there is something missing," she spoke out loud to the darkness, her voice a smooth, beautiful alto.

Purpose, replied the moon.

She nodded, contemplating the words. It was true. Her world was built on mindless killing; a lust for blood and recognition. But she lived for no one, because no one had ever acknowledged her before she had raised her claws to strike them down. No one had ever taken her seriously.

No one…until him.

He marveled at her strength, her raw power, and her strange ningen-like beauty. He watched calmly as a wave of mononoke crashed over her. For a flicker of an instant he almost reacted. And then they were cleaved in two by a single magnificent strike of her claws. Ripped to shreds by the acid rumored to be flowing through her veins. Inutasho hid his surprise well. She was glorious.

Ever since that day, they were inseparable. He gave her freedom. She gave him loyalty. Together they made an empire of the Western Lands.

They were in love.

Finally unable to wear her armor any longer, she unfastened the worn breastplate and spiked shoulder protectors from her torso. It would no longer hold secure over her ripe belly. Tying the heavy apparel with a silk cover, she lifted it, and placed it gently in a small trunk along with her sword. Straightening once she was finished, she placed her hands on her full stomach and closed her eyes, the strong pulsing of the calm youkai not unlike her own setting her mind at ease.

The scent of her mate made her turn, and she took him in. He smiled at her, a proud, grateful smile. A smile that promised her everything and nothing at all. A smile that made her believe that she had a purpose.

In the beginning there had been only darkness. In the beginning, she had been alone. In the beginning, she had no reason for being, but to satisfy her own selfish desires.

In the beginning, she had been empty.

No, replied the moon. Misguided.

And Izanami understood. Her lust for blood had clouded her true strength. It was the one thing that her enemies could never take from her. Even if they killed her in the end, somehow she knew. She knew that her son would continue living. This was her ultimate ability, her last stand against a world filled with death…this was her gift of life.

And they called him Sesshoumaru.

.oOo.

A/N: And that's that! I chose the name Izanami because it was the name of the creation goddess in Japanese mythology. It just seemed to fit. This was a very fast-paced time skip between certain times in Izanami's life before and after meeting Inutasho. And yes, the armor that she was wearing was the armor that Sesshoumaru wears when he is older except that hers has both shoulder protectors, not just one. And the reference to "Tsuki-sama" was the moon goddess. That will come into play later. In anycase, thanks for reading!