Hi! I'm back, as promised. I've decided to revisit this story, because God knows it needed a lot of editing. It's not great, it's not my best work, but I love the plot and I'm determined to continue it.

Here's a bit of background info, so you can understand this: Inukimi is Sesshomaru's mother, and is Inutaisho's formal mate. Inutaisho is out fighting Ryukotsei, which is why he's unable to protect Izayoi. Izayoi is Inutaisho's human mate. Which is why she's hated by Inukimi.

Okay, now read!

Summary:

Hundreds of years ago a half-demon was born. Cursed from birth, Inuyasha spends a lifetime in pain. Unspeakable horrors are unleashed when he dies. Brought back against his will, Inuyasha become the defender of the people who wanted him dead. Broken beyond repair, he finds the one person who will ever see him as an equal. IkuKag

::~

Prolouge

::~

"Kill that baby!" The scream echoed throughout the halls as thousands of soldiers and demons alike burst through the castle gates. They quickly set everything on fire, raiding each room they came upon.

Izayoi heard them coming as she ran fearfully for her life. She rounded a large column and locked herself in a large room, hearing the pounding on the door. She was going through labor, yet she ran. The contractions hurt a lot, but she had to ensure the safety of her unborn child. I will not allow you to die, Inuyasha she vowed. Izayoi pressed herself tightly against the wall and fought to keep her breath. Her legs felt like they were on fire and they were soon going to buckle underneath her.

"My Lady!" She heard Myoga say as he jumped towards her. He landed on her shoulder just as Izayoi collapsed on the large bed. Her eyes were closed, her face contorted in pain. She clenched her hands tightly, trying to suppress the pain she felt.

"Myoga..." She said weakly. Myoga perked up and looked at her with worry. Inutaisho has trusted him to protect her but he was a flea, after all. His eyes flitted from the woman to the door, worried that the demons and humans would catch up to them soon.

"Yes, Lady Izayoi?" He said, in panic. Izayoi was already beginning to give birth. There was no way she was going to continue running. Inutaisho, please come soon! He begged.

"My child, Myoga. They want my child. Inutaisho isn't here. He cannot protect us. You have to take him away from here." She said, pushing. Myoga was distracted, jumping from corner to corner trying to come up with a plan.

"We must do something! The nurse, where is the mid-wife?!" He said, his voice rising. Izayoi grabbed him and held him in her pale hand. "No! Do not call anyone! They will kill my child!" She said, pushing harder. She tried to suppress a scream. Tears were beginning to form at the edge of her dark blue eyes.

"What will we do?" Myoga said, trying to ignore the blood. How he wished his master were here. "Take him." Izayoi said through clenched teeth. Her baby was being birthed quickly. She tried to suppress a scream again. "What?" Myoga said, ready to flee. Izayoi nearly squished him between her fingers. He wasn't running away this time. She knew Myoga was a coward, no matter how many times she defended him from her mate.

"Take my child! Hide him. Hide him in the village, and give him to a woman. Tie his life to Sesshomaru's, so he doesn't kill him." Izayoi said, gritting her teeth, and trying to hold back a yell. "There—there is a witch in the village. She can—she can do it.

Myoga nodded. "It will be done." He said, resolve in his eyes.

And hour later, Izayoi had finished birthing a little baby boy. She smiled as she held him in her arms, his head already containing a small tuft of white hair. He squirmed, in the hold of his mother. He was ready to let his first scream pierce the air.

"You look like your father, Inuyasha." Izayoi said, as she saw him yawn. She smiled, her love for him ever increasing. "Remember that everything I have done, was for your own good, my child. Take care, my love. Live the life I want for you. Protect yourself, Inuyasha. The life you have ahead of you is hard, and turbulent." She said, swaddling him in a blanket, and handing him to Myoga.

"May the gods have mercy on you, my child." Izayoi said, kissing her baby on the forehead.

::~

It was long after Myoga was gone, that the doors had burst open. Inukimi entered, with a hoarde of demons behind her.

"Where's the brat?" She asked, grabbing Izayoi by the hair. She noticed the blood on the bed. So she had given birth already, so be it.

"Long gone." Izayoi said, with a dazed smile. Inukimi screeched. That baby would be the end of them all!

"What have you done?" She yelled into Izayoi's ear. "Kill him!" She ordered the demons behind her. They began to fly out of the window, roaring and tearing everything in their path. Izayoi smirked as she watched them go.

"You can't kill him. His life is tied to Sesshomaru's. He dies, and so does your beloved son." Izayoi bit. Inukimi pushed her back on the bed, and gave her a resounding slap. For a moment, everything was silent.

"You'll regret this, human. You are impudent, and that will be your demise." Inukimi spoke slowly, her words sounding like venom in her lips.

"You will never see your baby. You will never hold him again in your arms. A demon's curse is the will of the world." Inukimi said, the half crescent on her forehead glowing as she placed the curse on Izayoi.

For so long as you both live, you will never be able to see each other. Should you lay eyes on your son again, I will release my power. The world will burn in fire, then freeze in ice. She stormed out of the room as she heard Izayoi's cries of agony.

::~

"What's this?" Said the village woman, when a large bundle of blankets appeared on her doorstep. She picked it up, and was shocked to find a baby. Not only was it a baby, but it was a demon child. It had peculiar amber eyes and there were pale pink dog demon ears at the top of its head. "Hio! Look!" She said, running into the hut to her husband, Myoga stared from a corner, making sure that the child was safe. He had already gone to the witch, who bonded his life with his older brother's after hearing that it was the son of the great Inutaisho. No one, neither human nor demon dared cross his power when something needed to be done.

"What?" Her husband Hio, said as he walked out of the back room where he was working on a sword. He stared at his woman strangely when he saw that she had a small bundle in her arms. "Look, a baby!" The woman said, holding him out to her. Her husband stared at her with wide eyes, and took the bundle from her arms.

"Kai, it's a demon! It's a demon baby!" He said, setting Inuyasha on the table. Kai and Hio stared at the abomination, not knowing what to do. It was a beautiful child, but they knew that often the most beautiful demons were the most deadly. "It looks like it's half-demon." Kai said, reaching for Inuyasha's ears. Hio pulled her hand away, fearing that it would hurt her.

"Don't." He hissed. Kai shrank away from him obediently. "We must kill it." Hio said with resolve. Kai latched onto his arm, worry etching her features. She knew that they were powerless if the demon's mother were to arrive.

"No, Hio! What if its mother wants to go after us? We cannot risk the curse of a demon. Maybe we should go to the village miko." Kai said, as she saw her husband nod in agreeance.

::~

"A half-demon, you say?" Said the village miko. Kai and Hio nodded. The old woman walked over to the baby that was still in the woman's arms.

"Poor thing. His fate is to be shunned by both humans and demons, never being one or the other. He will suffer, for he has no place. He will be named Inuyasha Kinjiraretajinsei. For the life he has, is forbidden." She prophesized. In her arms, the small child lay sleeping, oblivious to the rest of the world.

::~

"IZAYOI!" Inutaisho yelled, as he burst through the castle. He gripped his side, realizing that the wound Ryukotsei inflicted wouldn't leave him enough time. Dread etched into his heart, as he realized that his castle was decimated. Demons, he said, taking a whiff of the air. And..humans?

"Don't ask for her." Inukimi said, appearing before him. She looked calm and at peace, after what she had done. He was at her side in an instant.

"What did you do?" He yelled, grabbing her arm.

"I did what you couldn't do!" Inukimi yelled, trying to get out of his grasp. Inutaisho growled and she stopped moving.

"Where is he?" He roared.

" The child is gone. You will never see him again." Inukimi said, fire dancing in her eyes. Inutaisho gave her a deadly look. When this was over, he was going to rip her apart.

"Mama!" Sesshoumaru yelled, running out from behind the corner of the hallway, where he was watching the entire ordeal. He was too late.

Inutaisho's eyes glazed over as unrestricted anger and pain tore through him.

Inukimi fell to the floor, expelling her last breath.

Sesshoumaru ran towards her, and for the first and last time in his life, tears flooded his eyes.

::~

"Izayoi." Inutaisho whispered. He barely had enough energy to stand. Izayoi weakly watched him from her bed. He crawled over to her, using Tetusaiga as leverage.

"Inutaisho!" She yelled, as she helped him over to the bed. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Our baby..." Inutaisho whispered, his eyes slowly drooping.

He's safe. He's away." Izayoi reassured him.

Inutaisho's heart filled with dread. He thought that Inukimi had killed his son. What had he done?

"Inutaisho?" Izayoi said, holding him up.

"I'm sorry." He said, as he fell to the floor.

"Inutaisho!" Izayoi yelled, as she kneeled beside him.

"... Not gonna make it." Inutaisho whispered. Izayoi's tears freely began to fall as she wept over the impending death of her husband.

"Save him." Inutaisho said, his breathing becoming shallow. Izayoi gazed at his beat up body.

" No, you have to survive. You have to!" She said, sobbing. She felt as if something in her was being slowly ripped apart and set on fire. Inutaisho held her hand.

"Take my power. Protect him." He said, as he began to glow blue. Smoke began to encircle Izayoi. The smoke settled in her, making her lungs burn. She yelled, as the pain tore through her. She gazed at Inutaisho, her eyes now golden as she possesed his powers. Inutaisho squeezed her hand, as he heard death calling. Sweet death, it would relieve him of his pain.

"What did you name him?" He said, his eyes beginning to lose color. Izayoi's tear fell on his cheek.

"Inuyasha." She said, as she saw him die in her arms.

Inuyasha. My son.

::~

Revised 7/713.