A/N: This is an edited version of the original fanfic, written and published here in 2005. Hope you enjoy!^^
Disclaimer: InuYasha and co belong to Takahashi-san, so I'm making no profit of them.
Summary: Inutaisho mourns before the end.
Feedback: Always very appreciated.
Of Fathers and Brothers
It's with deep joy that I watch my young InuYasha playing with my human mate. I love both of them with all my heart, no matter I am a full youkai and the Lord of the Western Lands. But just then my eyes catch the shadow of my eldest son, Sesshoumaru. He's on top of the taller tree of the palace's garden, he stays there silently observing the same scene I too observed, but his eyes radiated a very different emotion. In his eyes I see the blood thirsty fury of an enraged youkai.
I know that Sesshoumaru hated me when I took a human as mate, in the place of his mother, as much as I know that he hates my chosen mate as well. However, I hoped that InuYasha could have melted some of the coldness in Sesshoumaru's heart, after all, they're brothers. How could I have been so blind? No, Sesshoumaru hasn't changed because of InuYasha, he seems to have united all his anger towards me and my mate and directed it into my youngest instead. I fear that if InuYasha were left alone be it for a second with Sesshoumaru, he would be dead.
The tragedy of it all is that I see so much love when InuYasha looks at Sesshoumaru! He's so innocent as to ignore the rage in his older brother's eyes as he tries to hug him all the time. Sometimes he achieves his goal and Sesshoumaru accepts him for brief moments before throwing him in the floor with disdain. And I know he does so merely because of me, to please me. Even if it makes him hate me more then.
That's the wicked sense of honor of Sesshoumaru, much alike his own mother. She is a brave and powerful youkai, but most attached to honor than to her own feelings. Otherwise, she wouldn't have married me even not loving me at all. Unfortunately, Sesshoumaru seems to have inherited her ice heart as well.
My two beloved children, I feel that one day you shall hate your weak father. Hate me because I won't be with you when you grow, to guide you and protect you from the outside world, or to shed your tears when the time for them comes. I will be leaving you both too soon and you may never forgive me in this early departure. What will be of you two when I am gone?
"Inutaisho-sama, Toutousai has arrived. He has brought the swords with him."
I leave my absent thoughts interrupted to look at my loyal friend, old Myouga. He motions me to go into the royal room, and I silently follow him. Totousai-san is there, the honoured sword-maker. But if he has brought the swords, then my time in this world is near to its end.
He shows me his masterpieces. Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga. One made for protection, the other made to bring life back to those who have just gone. One meant to control the youkai fire into InuYasha's heart, the other meant to put some warm fire into my heartless Sesshoumaru. Both made of my jaws, a posthumous gift to my children. To make them remember how much I loved them. How much I will always love them.
