Shattered Hearts

"…All this time spent in vain

Wasted years wasted gain

All is lost, hope remains

And this war is not over…"

The night was cold and the wind eager. Clouds slowly filled the starry sky as the sign of mourn. Lady Reina was staring at the Meido Stone, which was given to her just a couple hours ago. She had no idea why her beloved mate entrusted this thing to her. The only thing she was sure that this Meido Stone will be a great help to his son. After all… those days there was no other reason he would go to that castle, just him. Even though they still had their mutual respect towards each other, times changed both of them.

The Eastern wind brought the scent of blood with itself. Although it was a faint scent, Lady Reina recognized it immediately. She knew this one well. After a very long time her amber gold eyes expressed something that resembled sadness. A smile ran through her face for the fragment of a second as she sat down in her throne.

"Oh my… You chose quiet a fancy time to die…" she sighed.

"Mother, is Father still here?" asked Sesshomaru. Lady Reina didn't notice when or how he arrived to the castle. Indeed, the presence of her son didn't surprise her. It was to be expected that he will appear in the very moment he senses his father. However, he was late.

"He wished… to be present at the birth of his child." She couldn't say anything else about him. She still respected him with all her heart and… she still loved him that way.

Sesshomaru upon hearing this immediately disappeared. He followed the scent of his father's blood in the wind. Wrath was harbouring in his heart while flying in the air towards him. He couldn't believe how he is able to do this. Not just to him or to his mother. There was something more respectful than they were.

"Father!" shouted Sesshomaru when he caught the sight of InuTaisho's human form standing at the shores. He landed behind him majestically however, the tone of his voice didn't change. It was still reproachful. "Why are you willing to go there?"

"Sesshomaru… I believe the answer is clear to you as well."

"If you really wish to go there, you will destroy Inutaro's memory. Be aware of that."

Upon hearing the name Inutaro, InuTaisho trembled a bit. He was still that kind of wound on his heart that didn't heal yet and it will never do…

~~Back in the last years Kamakura-period~~

During that time InuTaisho was just a powerful demon on the Western Lands. He was feared and respected all around the region. It was not just his followers and his army that made him strong. It was also the unbreakable bound of his family: his mate and his two sons: Inutaro and Sesshomaru. InuTaisho personally watched how his children grew up and become more and more powerful. He enjoyed fencing with them – teaching the latest techniques he mastered at the battlefields. The life in his household couldn't have been happier… until that day.

It was a bright and pleasant summer day, when InuTaisho came back from a campaign at the borders. When he went away he said that there is an attack coming from the East and he has to stop them. He also took with himself his elder son, Inutaro in order to learn and to fight by his side. Sesshomaru was angry about this at first – since his father considerate him a child and he underestimated his powers. But in the end he calmed down and he waited impatiently his father's and his brother's come back.

"Welcome back!" he rushed in front of his father and brother in the very moment he saw their march. InuTaisho changed back to his human form and embraced his son. "Did you succeed?"

"Of course, Sesshomaru" said InuTaisho with a huge smile. "I wouldn't have come unless all the intruders haven't left the Western Lands. They won't come back anymore."

"Will you take me next time, too?"

"Well, I'd rather wish for not to be a next time."

"Father, don't be so mean to him!" asked Inutaro and he sent a bright smile to him. InuTaisho's eldest son took a lot after him; only his eyes and the shapes of his stripes were his mother's.

"Brother!"

That was the moment, when Sesshomaru noticed that his brother didn't come alone. Behind his back an elegant woman came forwards. She was a rare beauty – she must have been a princess among the humans. But Sesshomaru didn't like that human scent.

"Father… who is the woman?"

"Sesshomaru don't talk like that. She is Natsumi and soon she will be your brother's mate."

"They will be… like you and Mother?"

"Yes, so please, try to be nice to her."

However, as usual it was easier to be said than done. Sesshomaru didn't talk to her during dinner; indeed, he showered her with hating looks. No matter how many times his dad poked him to change that – he couldn't help but have a bad feeling about her. That day he decided to go to bed earlier; he had no wish to see her any longer. But that night Sesshomaru couldn't sleep at all. And the reason was his parent's argument in the next room. It went all night about Inutaro and his human woman.

"That woman is not worth that at all."

"I understand you, Reina but it's his decision."

"Inutaro isn't even 300, he is still a pup."

"A pup, who already defeated a whole army."

"An army of lower demons! Darling, we aren't talking about a demon child. Inutaro is our son."

"You won't loose him, Reina by letting him go. He needs to try which way could be the best for him."

"Tell me one thing. Does he marry that woman because he wants to or he just wants to fascinate you? 'Cause you always found humans such wonderful creatures…"

"It was his own will to pick her as his mate."

"And you didn't hesitate to agree with that!"

"It's because his decision. No matter what we will say, he will do things in his own way."

"Just like his father does sometimes…"

"Actually his mother also can be stubborn sometimes…"

"Fine, blame me! But I won't change my mind. I don't let my son to mate a human."

"Reina, if you are against him this much, Inutaro might…"

"He might do what? As I said he is just a pup, not even a full-fledged demon. My powers suppress his."

"At least the weight of his heart does…"

"I DO have a heart! And it says now that I must protect my son from that woman!"

In the end Sesshomaru decided to go over to his parents. He entered the room without knocking which resulted angry glances from his mother.

"What's wrong, Sesshomaru?" asked InuTaisho. "Did we wake up you?"

"I don't like her either." Even though Sesshomaru didn't come to speak up his opinion, he couldn't help but let the words out.

"Who are you talking about?" InuTaisho took in his arms his youngest son and lifted into the air.

"That woman. She is taking Brother away."

"See? Even a pup can see that!" Lady Reina seemed very pleased when she saw that at least someone shares the same opinion.

"Why do you think so, Sesshomaru?"

"It's because she is a human. And they do nothing but harm each other."

"Don't you know that not every human does that?"

"Darling, I think Sesshomaru is old enough to face the truth. Even the purest pearl will can be stained if you put it in dirty water or you don't treasure it. The same goes for humans."

"So that's how things stack up." In the heat of the quarrel nobody noticed when Inutaro came in the room. But now everyone was looking at him. His golden eyes were filled with disappointment and wrath. It wasn't clearly visible in the shadows but it seemed as if a tear drop would have run down on his face. "I'm disappointed in all of you. Especially in you, Sesshomaru."

"Inutaro, we are just saying that…" Lady Reina tried to save the situation in vain. But this was the first and the last time Sesshomaru saw his mother to act really like a mother should.

"Enough. I'm going to leave the castle with Natsumi for once and for all. You are no longer my family."

"Inutaro, wait!" InuTaisho tried to stop his son, but he couldn't. He followed them to the castle garden – however, he couldn't do anything but watch his son leaving.

InuTaisho firmly believed everyday that if Inutaro realizes his mistake, he will return to the castle one day. And according to this he was waiting for him each day. And whenever he was out on a campaign he was searching for him – at least to know that he is fine and he really doesn't need anything. Lady Reina however, was thinking differently. In her presence Inutaro's name was forbidden to be spoken or even just talk about him. And slowly she managed to reshape Sesshomaru's way of thinking the same way. From one day on he didn't wait his Brother anymore and he focused more on studying – even if that meant that his Father was stricter to him than he ever was. Sesshomaru thought that it's because he was comparing him to Inutaro. That's why he always tried harder every day and he began to refer to himself with "this Sesshomaru". InuTaisho didn't understand his behaviour but he thought that it's fine – he will grow out of it by time.

But the worst was just yet to come. One day Myoga, the old flea came to the castle. He was holding his ragged handkerchief and he was trembling but not because of fear. InuTaisho thought it might be important what his old friend wants to say, so he asked his mate and his son to the room.

"Mother said that she has other things to take care of" said Sesshomaru when he entered.

"You've grown quiet a lot, Master Sesshomaru! You are becoming more and more like…" Myoga tried to be friendly with him; however, he had to face such a killing stare he never had to before.

"Is this everything you want to say?"

"I don't remember being him so cold…" whispered Myoga to InuTaisho.

"Me neither…" The Great Dog Demon continued loudly. "So… why are you here, my dear friend?"

"I'm afraid I bring terrible news, Oyakata-sama."

"They can't be so bad, Myoga…"

"But these are indeed, Oyakata-sama…"

"Hurry up and spit it out. I have better things to do." Sesshomaru cut in.

"Well… Master Inutaro is…"

"Did you find my son?" asked InuTaisho with a smile on his face. However, it disappeared quickly when he heard the rest of Myoga's news.

"He was found dead, Oyakata-sama… Your son… Master Inutaro is dead!"

InuTaisho's face turned pale upon hearing the word. He felt as if something in his body would have broken his soul and now he is desperately trying to collect all the remaining pieces. He had no idea what happened – and he didn't want to know either. He lost one of his sons. And there is nothing worse when a parent must to see his child laying death.

Sesshomaru didn't show his emotions. Lately he learned not to express any feeling – but back then he felt as if he would loose control inside anytime. He was hurt and he realized he had right: humans do nothing but harm others. He couldn't do anything but hate and despise them as well as his brother.

That day was the last nail in the coffin of the happiness in InuTaisho's castle. Those days of felicity smashed into millions of pieces and all the fragments were blown by the wind of the next winter. And it never returned there ever since…

~~100 years later~~

"Do you insist on going, Father?" asked Sesshomaru once more.

"Will you stop me, Sesshomaru?"

"I won't try to stop you. However, before you go please entrust the swords Sounga and Tessaiga to me."

"And if I say I won't, will you kill me, your own father?" After a little break InuTaisho went on. "Do you desire power so much? Why do you seek power so much?"

"The path I walk is the Way of Supreme Conquest. And it is power that will reveal the way for me."

"The Way of Supreme Conquest, huh? Tell me, Sesshomaru… have you someone to protect?"

"There's a light, there's a sun,

Taking all the shattered ones

To the place we belong"

/Trading Yesterday – Shattered/