Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or characters. I do own the prophecy mentioned throughout the chapters.

Chapter 2

Inuyasha was running in the meadow with Izayoi chasing after him. "You can't catch me!" he laughed and turned away from her running.

"Don't go too far." she smiled and shook her head. She watched as Inuyasha continued to run around. He tripped, falling into the flowers. Izayoi laughed, walked over and picked him up.

He laughed as she held him upside down. "Mommy!"

Placing him right side up, she let go of him and walked over to the little stream. Inuyasha looked at his reflection and looked back at his mother. A sad expression was plastered on his face, his ears dropped a bit from here usual perkiness. Izayoi knew that Inuyasha was still sad about the other day. It was hard to keep her to keep him hidden when he had such an adventurous spirit.

Just like his father, she thought. She was about to say something, but Inuyasha spoke first.

"Why am I so different mommy? Why can't I be like everyone else?" he sniffled and tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to pour down. Izayoi sat by the stream and placed Inuyasha on her lap.

"You are unique love. There is nothing wrong with being different."

"But why am I not allowed to play with the other children? I always have to stay hidden and can never go to the village with you." She sighed not sure how to explain things. It made her heart ache every time she saw Inuyasha said. She wanted him to be happy, to live as a regular kid, but knew that it was futile. He would always have to be away from everyone. They both sat in silence until Inuyasha spoke up again. "Mommy, I heard the children talking about a story."

"What kind of story?"

"I-I think it was about a hanyou. One said that the hanyou was very bad and hurt a lot of people and everyone was sad."

Izayoi thought for awhile and the story came to her head. "I know that story; a priestess told me that story when I was a little girl."

"Is it scary?"

"Well, a little but it has a deep meaning."

"Why do people tell that story?"

She stroked the top of his head. "It is because it has great meaning. You may not understand it at first, but it will come."

"Do you know it?"

"No, it's been awhile since I ever thought about it."

"Oh…"

"Would you like to hear it Inuyasha." He hesitated before nodding. "Okay, now pay close attention Inuyasha." He nodded. "There once was a young hanyou. He was seventeen years old. Notable to return back to his birth place, he was left to wander the earth. He was angry that he was all alone. He began doing terrible things to the villages he passed. Hurting the young and the old, laughing at the pain he caused them."

"He's not very nice."

"I know, but it is only because he was angry about the way people treated him."

"Oh," he was quiet again as Izayoi continued.

"Many people tried to stop him, but none succeeded. In no time, he was ruler of the land. If anyone wanted to survive, they had to listen and obey his every command. Days passed after his ruling and he became lonely. The emptiness that was in his heart came back. Taking a couple of his men, he raided a nearby village to erase the empty feeling. He set the huts on fire and destroyed the people. He came across the very last hut that was far from the village. A young girl the same age as him was there. She had hair the color of the night sky and big round eyes that told a story of sadness and understanding. Now the hanyou felt attracted to the young girl. He did not want to harm her. He decided to take her and make her his personal slave.

"In the beginning, the girl fought him constantly. She never obeyed his commands or duty as his slave. The hanyou was very upset, yet he could never harm her. He could never bring himself to do so."

"But why when she never listened?"

"Whenever he looked in her eyes, he felt free. Everything that he did was forgotten and he felt loved. He felt that he finally had a chance to be happy. But she didn't feel the same about him at first. She hated him for what he was doing, for what he did to her home. She made sure that she made him suffer the way she was.

"One day, while she was walking to her room, she heard a noise from within. When she was inside, she found the hanyou in bed tossing and turning. She knew she had the perfect opportunity to end the hanyou's life and her misery, but she too could not do it. Instead, she watched him. Every now and than, he would speak out. She walked over to him and touched his forehead gently.

"As soon as she touched him, she saw everything. She saw his life flash through her eyes. When it was over, she found the hanyou staring back at her. She pulled away and for the first time, she was crying. She knew his secret, why he was the way he was, everything."

"Why was he?" Inuyasha looked up at her. "What caused him to hurt people."

Izayoi thought long and heard, but shook her head after awhile. "I don't know baby. I don't remember that part."

"Okay," he looked a bit disappointed.

"I'm sorry baby." she kissed the top of his forehead.

"It's okay mommy. What's the rest of the story?"

"That I never got to hear. Before she could tell me the rest, she died. I heard bits and pieces from other people, but nothing that can concluded the story."

"Aw."

"Don't worry dear, I'm sure you will be able to hear the rest of it someday." That cheered him up. "Not let's go. Kaede should be fixing dinner by now."

"Food!" Inuyasha got up and began running home. Izayoi followed behind quietly. She was deep in thought. She wondered about the story, why the hanyou began killing people. It puzzled her that she could not remember.

Maybe it's not important. Though that did not stop her from thinking about it. Kaede may not something.

Izayoi and Inuyasha walked back hand in hand to Kaede's house. Inuyasha ran up to meet the old woman as she came out the door.

"Why, hello Inuyasha. Did you have a good time with your mother?" Kaede patted his head.

"Yes. Mommy told me a story!" He bounced with excitement. Kaede raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more. Izayoi had in mind to ask Kaede if she knew the story that she had heard. But she would ask when Inuyasha was asleep. Kaede glanced toward her.

"Is there something wrong, Izayoi?" She asked. Izayoi couldn't help but feel queasy at the moment but she didn't understand her feeling. She sat down as Inuyasha ran across the yard chasing a bird.

"Yes, but I would like to ask you when Inuyasha isn't around to hear." She glanced up at Kaede. She smiled, and in it there was something, something akin to sadness. Izayoi didn't understand why she would smile like that.

"Alright. Call me when Inuyasha gets tired," Kaede called, walking away from Izayoi and into the forest again. Kaede knew exactly what story she would want to know. As a young girl, she tried to remember all the bits they had told her. Her older sister, Kikyo, knew more about it. She had learned it from the old priestess who had foretold the prophecy. She gathered the herbs methodically as she started to relive that shared moment with her sister.

"Sister, what was that priestess talking about?" A younger version of Kaede asked. Her sister looked up momentarily.

"She told me of the prophecy revealed to her. I cannot not tell you all of it. Only the last part," Kikyo gazed at Kaede. "The last part will be about the hanyou. He will come and he will be disdained by the people he is near. He will have no love saved for the woman who bared him. But in time, he will fall in love, with a young girl. Only she will be able to stop the evil within him." Her voice faltered at the end. She continued to gaze at the fire.

"But Sister Kikyo, why are you telling me this?" Kaede worried. She did not know of what her sister spoke of, but whatever she said she believed. Kikyo stood all of the sudden. Her face had paled considerably. Kaede knew she must have seen something in the fire, something that had frightened her. She gulped and looked at Kaede.

"I cannot reveal to you the purpose. Only know that dark times will befall." Kikyo turned away to make her way out the small hut. She hesitated at the makeshift door. She didn't look back.

"Kaede, make sure that when I die, you burn my remains." She left before a shocked Kaede could ask anything more.

Her sister had died only a little after that. She only revealed that and another part, but a part she was afraid to even think of. Kaede resolved to pretend not to know about it when Izayoi asked. She would put two and two together and then what would happen? She didn't want to spoil Inuyasha's untarnished childhood.

As for the girl who would love him, she would need the very strength of the world to do so. Kikyo had revealed her vision to her and the just hearing it was ghastly. All the killing, the malice, the hate he would have, would be immense. She just hoped that they could change that. She picked the last herb that she needed and walked back to her house. The sun was setting and soon it would be Inuyasha's bed time. Time to talk to Izayoi.

Izayoi sat watching her beautiful son play with the little animals. She smiled softly at the sight. Even though the people would be scared of him, these harmless little animals could see the wonderful boy inside. He laughed, and the act brought another smile on Izayoi's face. She thought upon his father, who he so greatly looked like. She remembered the day she met him. How he was kind and loving, so much that she loved him unconditionally. Their first night together would be one she would never forgot, conceiving Inuyasha.

But her world had come crashing down when Inutaisho, Inuyasha's father, died in battle. She had cried her eyes out that night. When she came back to her parents in the village, she was already six months pregnant. The old priestess that usually made her yearly trip to the village around this time of year took one look and uttered the words that had condemned her and her son. That was when she went in that abandon house.

She had been scavenging for herself, but the baby came early. She struggled by herself, but at last Inuyasha was brought into the world. During that time was when she had came there. That was five years ago. She was brought back to reality when Inuyasha's tugged on her arm

"Mommy, it's almost sundown." Inuyasha yawned. He was tired after all the running. One thing for sure, birds were fast.

Izayoi lifted Inuyasha in her arms and made her way inside the house. She tucked him in, and said goodnight. Soon, Inuyasha was fast asleep. Izayoi walked outside to wait for Kaede. The stars twinkled above her. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander.

"Is the child asleep?"

Izayoi whirled around but only saw Kaede. "Oh, Kaede." She said pressing a hand to her chest. "You startled me." Kaede smiled and laid her hand on Izayoi's shoulder.

"What was it you wanted to talk about, child?" She asked, even though she knew. Izayoi walked closer to her.

"There's a story I heard about, when I was a little girl. Inuyasha heard from the children. It's about the hanyou." She pursed her lips. "I want to know the end." she said simply. She didn't voice the suspicion or her fears. She had spent time thinking about it, but she still wasn't sure if she was right, if Inuyasha was the one that it talked about.

She didn't want to know.

Kaede spoke carefully. " Ah. I have heard of that one. My sister Kikyo told me." Her gaze met Izayoi's. "But I don't know the end, either. No one does. " She turned to the door of her house "For now." She disappeared into the darkness before Izayoi could ask anything. She was left outside, alone with her thoughts. She gazed toward the heavens.

"Oh please, Kami. Protect my little boy," She pleaded. She turned and entered the house.

What she didn't know was that, she should have asked for herself as well.

They were coming.

Please Review! This story is just getting started!!!!!!!!