Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. However, the story concept is entirely mine, as are a few characters.

Winter's Dawn
By Hatred's Legacy

Prologue

Aikka, take the children and flee! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" The Great Demon Lord Reijtsu of the Eastern Lands, her life-mate and love, yelled desperately to her.

She watched as he quickly impaled a lesser demon through the heart with his sword, twisted it, and then wrenched the sword back out. Great bouts of blood gushed forth from the already dead demon's gaping wound. The scent of blood was so strong in the air it threatened to overpower her senses and push her into a demonic rage.

She took a step forward, intent on fighting by her mate's side. He already had several grievous wounds, blood flowing freely from them all. Normally, such lesser demons would not be a problem, but there were simply to many of them. Their numbers were never ending.

"Aikka, did you not hear me?!" He dodged another demon's claws. "Get out of here and find our pups! Now!"

Aikka ran to the doorway of their chambers and then turned around. "Reijtsu, I..."

Reijtsu spared a glance behind him and growled, "Go, woman! Before it's too late!"

She nodded and fled from the room.

"I love you, too," whispered Reijtsu.

"Ah, how touching. The Great Demon Lord a sentimental fool," a voice hissed. The sea of demons parted, a graceful figure stepping forward.

"No," Reijtsu breathed.

The figure chuckled, his amethyst-colored eyes alight with amusement. Reijtsu dropped to one knee and used his sword as a prop to stay upright, the last of his strength finally leaving him. He had lost too much blood, suffered to many wounds. His vision dimmed slightly. The end was near.

Reijtsu blinked the blood out of his eyes and looked up into the other's eyes. "You make me sick," the demon sneered. In one fluid movement the demon slit Reijtsu's throat open with his claws. A gurgling noise rose from Reijtsu's throat as he choked on his own blood, and then his lifeless body slowly slumped to the floor.

~ ~ ~

Aikka felt the link snap and she stumbled in her run. She came to a complete stop and looked back down the corridor. He mate was... Dead? Aikka flexed her claws and made to go and avenge her mate's death but a familiar scent drifted to her nose. She went numb all over. It was the scent of one of her pups. Accompanied by the strong smell of his freshly spilt blood.

"Please, not him too," she whispered.

Aikka ran down the remainder of the dark corridor and threw herself into the room where the smell had originated from. A few steps into the room and she slipped on the floor, landing in something warm and sticky. Her pup's blood. She slowly stood up and looked around the room, her face drained of all color. It was everywhere. Great arcs of blood were spattered on the walls, the windows, and the drapes. The whole room was painted in her child's blood. Her second born. Her sweet, little Lienktsu. And there he was. His lifeless body crumpled on the floor, torn and battered beyond recognition. Aikka sunk to her knees in grief, her arms hugging herself.

A slender figure stepped forth from the shadows, daintily licking the blood from his claws. "Do you not appreciate my work?" A dark eyebrow arced. "Well?"

Aikka lifted her eyes to meet the others, a blank look on her face. "... You? But... what have you done?" She whispered softly.

Laughter resounded throughout the room. "It was quite easy I assure you. I enjoyed it in fact."

Aikka gave a wild scream and lunged at him, toppling them over and landing on top of him with a gasp. The demon smiled coldly and rolled Aikka off of him, and then stood up, straightening out his rumpled clothes. He had anticipated Aikka's move. She always had been quick to anger. Aikka now lay on her back, gazing up at the ceiling, her mouth working, vainly trying to form words. A dagger coated in poison lie embedded deep within her chest.

The demon bent over and grasped the hilt of the dagger and gave it a sharp twist. Aikka screamed, blood streaming from the corners of her mouth. The demon sighed in pleasure.

"I think I shall let you keep my dagger to remember me by," he stated matter-of-factly. He kicked her in the side, causing a few sharp cracking noises. "Oh, dear. I do believe I may have broken a few ribs." He laughed and strolled over to the doorway before turning back around. "I hear that the poison I used is dreadfully painful. It shouldn't take too long to kill you. Enjoy!" And with that he disappeared through the doorway.

Reijtsu, I will not fail you. I will save our last child no matter what...

Aikka rolled over onto her side and vomited blood before losing consciousness for a few minutes. When she awoke her limbs were already starting to become paralyzed from the poison. After several minutes of struggling, Aikka finally managed to climb to her feet. She leaned heavily on the wall with her shoulder and made her way out of the room and down the corridor, smearing a bloody trail along the wall as she went.

She sniffed the air, searching for the scent of her daughter. She caught a faint whiff. She was outside. Aikka hurriedly turned to her left and started slowly down a flight of stairs. Then a fit of coughing hit her, causing her to miss a step. She went tumbling down the stairs, landing at the bottom with a painful thud. Aikka lay on the floor gasping for breath. If at all possible, the dagger had been shoved even deeper into her chest. And her left leg... it didn't feel right. Was it broken?

Aikka lifted her head up, her blurry eyesight making out the doorway. Lucky for her that with the attack, they had left the doors wide open. She crawled across the floor, making it through the door and finally outside of their castle. She continued to crawl towards her daughter's scent, losing all track of time. When she stopped, she was in their garden, at the very edge of the forest. She had no idea how long it had taken her to get there. Maybe minutes. Maybe hours.

"Mother?" A timid voice asked.

Her daughter! She had finally found her daughter! She tried to reply but all that would make it past her swollen throat was a soft wheeze of air.

"Mama, what's wrong? Please answer mama!"

She could feel small hands caressing her face. Oh, how she longed to just tell her everything was going to be okay! To simply be able to hold her in her arms! She tried to smile, but she failed even in that. She couldn't even see her darling Shijira's face. She didn't remember closing her eyes, but surely she had. Everything was darkness. A cold shiver ran through her body.

The small girl grasped her mother's shoulders and shook her lightly, tears streaming down her face. "Mommy, please! Tell me what to do!"

She couldn't even hear her little Shijira anymore. She wondered if she was still there. Maybe it had all been a terrible dream. Maybe if she went back to sleep she would wake up and everything would be back to normal. That was it! She would just take a small nap. And everything... would... be... fine...

"No! Mommy! Don't leave me!"

Author's Note: Please take note that this occurred while Inuyasha and the group were still searching for the shards of the Shikon no Tama.