Disclaimer I do not own Inuyasha.
Warning this chapter does talk about family inter-marriage, not anything too skivvy like brother sister relations but I did feel the need to warn you guys.
For what felt like the thousandth time that night Sesshomaru sighed it was always tedious dealing with his family.
"I am only saying Sesshomaru, do you really need to shut yourself up in that drafty old castle, and it cannot be good for that small girl," his sire spoke.
"I am done talking about this with you, as long as the half-breed is here, I have no wish to be," he growled back to him. He always felt more agitated when away from the old castle, and dealing with his rash half-brother always brought out the worst in him.
"Son, we are your pack. Do not forsake your pack, nor the comfort a mate can provide."
Sesshomaru remained silent and looked out at the courtyard, the boy was out there training with his father's men running blindly into them without any thought. 'Pathetic,' he thought.
As though he could hear the thoughts of his eldest the dog general smirked. "You were much the same when you were his age."
"I was never so weak," the younger yokai replied.
"He is not weak, do not let your feelings about his mother cloud your perception," Inutaisho stated firmly.
"It is bad enough you had to take another mate so soon after Mother's leaving, but did you have to procreate with a human?"
Inutaisho sighed, bringing his hand up to his forehead.
"Sesshomaru, do you know the lineage of your family?"
"Of course, this one knows our line," he stated simply.
"But do you know the line of your mother, did you know for example that she and I shared the same great-great-great grandsire? Did you know that her mother and her father had more than a few shared sires?"
He took a deeper breath and looked at his son.
"I took Izayoi to mate not just because my beast had lust for her but because in her I saw a chance. The humans reproduce at an amazing rate, much faster than we can. You are most likely the last full Inu that can be, without weakening the stock so to speak. But with the humans, we have a chance. We can produce children with them that will be cognisant, they will be able to walk among the humans and will not just be snarling beasts."
"I am sure Mother would be happy to know you jumped on the first human avaliable," Sesshomaru said.
"You and I both know she had been gone for a long time, and maybe I could have been more attentive. Maybe I could have stopped her from hurting herself. But I cannot change the past, and I will admit Sesshomaru I was lonely. Izayoi helped heal that pain."
"You do not need to remind me," Sesshomaru began.
"The shipwreck was not your fault, and your mother had shunned my bed long before that happened, she would have broken at some point Sesshomaru, she left me long ago, I am only thankful she could stay clear for your sake."
Sesshomaru had never shared with anyone the full details of his rescue. He had just been leaving his puphood when it had happened all those summers ago, the storm had come out of nowhere. It had ripped the ship apart casting him overboard, where he had become overcome by the sea.
All he remembered when he came to was the taste of blood in his mouth and a merling was under him. She had forced him off of her and fled back to the sea before he could speak, he had slowly made his way back to the sea side castle. His Mother, who had never been overly affectionate held him to her tightly and actually cried. When he had told her a merling had saved him she had been so overjoyed she hurled her mating gift from father into the sea. He found her then every week throwing some once beloved treasure into the sea. When he had asked her why all she said was he was her greatest treasure and she would never be able to repay the merling for returning him to her.
This behavior had gone on until he left adolescence, she had thrown everything she had of value into the sea. He remembered the last time he saw her, she had stroked his hair fondly with a cloudy look in her eyes she told him again he was her greatest treasure. He had awoke next morning and found she had hurled herself into the sea. Her note had said she was the only thing left of value.
After that his father had shut off the castle and taken his court to his summer castle in the woods. Fifty years after the death of his mother his father had taken an impregnated a young human.
Sesshomaru endured the shame on his mother's behalf and he had stayed with his pack until Inuyasha was twenty summers, he then told his father of his wish to return to the castle by the sea.
He was content in his loneliness, happy to be back by the sea, when he looked at it he felt peaceful.
Until Rin had shown up in his life, washed up from the sea like him. While he wasn't overly fond of humans he could not bring himself to force the girl away. So he took her as his ward, and then others followed. First came the taijiya to keep her safe when he was away, then the monk to educate her, and then the fox kit to keep her company.
He mused over what his father had told him, and while it was true he never really looked into the ancestry of his Honored Mother, he could not find a way to contradict his father.
'So this one will be unable to mate another inu, very well perhaps I may be able to find an ookami demoness, or a kitsune at worst'.
He left his father wishing he could face the sea once more. Across the courtyard he saw the Wind Witch descend from the sky, she met his glance and smiled.
'Or a Wind Witch at worst.'