This chapter is dedicated to Dark-ekin because as that gracious reader put so eloquently that they were ready for the next chapter! Thank you for that it made me smile lol. Thanks to everyone else as well for reviews!

*7 years later.*

Inu No Taisho had never given up hope on finding his second born, he searched high and low to find no sign. It never occurred to him to look outside the western lands, and why would he..it was not as if Izayoi would have returned home. No she loved him, and would never deny him the chance to be her or there child!

Sesshomaru watched his father over these past few years and it made a pang fill his heart..gradually he started to wonder what would have happened if the child had returned with his father. What did the boy look like? What did he like to do? Honestly he couldn't figure himself out. One second he was angry and thinking cruel thoughts about the boy and the next he was wondering if the child would have liked him.

Sesshomaru shook his head he was now on his way to his study, he was in one of his darker moods. He glided down the hall but an approaching scent captivated his attentions. His stoic face became as cold as the chilling snow of winters.

'By the god's here comes that simpering fool of a kappa!' Oh how he loathed the little green toad! However he did have his uses, and was as loyal as he could be. That hover did not dismiss the fact that he grated on the heir's nerves.

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks to look out a window, vaguely he wondered what his little broth- No the hanyou was doing. He scowled, it didn't matter what it was doing. He clenched his fist before unclenching them. The kappa's scent was going stronger, Sesshomaru gave it two no three more minutes…

Sesshomaru smirked, he HAD told Jaken earlier that he did not wish to be disturbed, and truly the kappa did know better than to dis-obey his orders. He went and waited by the corner raising his foot up. Just like he predicted the little green toad came barreling around it and straight into his boot. He pushed as the other rushed forward consequently it sent the kappa flying back and into the wall.

Smirking the Daiyoukai walked over to his retainer that lay unmoving. His eyes sparkled with mirth as he nudged the collapsed form. "How positively entertaining of you!" He snickered eyeing the mark his boot had left on the other's face.

Highly amused the demon looked out the window, his lips twitched with the urge to grin. He used his momoko to pick up the little green body. He glided back to his previous position by the window and his momoko tossed the servant into the tree.

'Hmph...that ought to keep you busy.' Sesshomaru thought smugly, before resuming his journey back to his office. Once done with his paperwork, he had plans to explore all the four lands. It was a burning need, that he could not explain as if he was searching for something. That was a ridiculous thought though. He had no need for anything, he was perfectly content wasn't he?

*Several days have passed.*

Inuyasha, lived a life of fear and pain. He couldn't understand how his mother could be so loving and then..so cruel. He always tried his best to please her, yet that didn't save him from her wrath it never did. Nor did she try and protect him from the villager's wrath, one second he was her precious little prince the light of his life, and the next he was a monster- no a mongrel that needed to be taught his place.

Today it seemed was a good day, or so he hoped. He tried to sit still in his seat, but he couldn't help but wiggle! She was hurting him every time she ran the comb through his thick tangled hair it would catch and then she would yank, pulling out precious strands.

"Inuyasha, my dearest love...My little prince! Cease your struggling, it will only serve to tangle your hair more!" She all but cooed as she concentrated on her task at hand.

Inuyasha just couldn't help it, he squirmed once again at another painful yank...and he did want to go outside, escape into the garden where he felt completely loved and welcomed. His eyes watered as she yanked so hard his head snapped back.

"Mother...please I want to play in the garden…" He tried to speak respectfully afraid to anger her and be punished. His small arms came up to hug his small waist as he looked at the ground, he felt her stiffen.

"Inuyasha." That one word and he knew, he had crossed some invisible barrier and angered her beyond fixing. Izayoi placed the brush to the side, and stood making her way over to the small window inside her sizable cabin.

She took a deep breath at war within herself, she didn't want to hurt her baby. She never did but when the darkness in her soul took over there was nothing she could do about it. Her son was a monster yes, but that did not mean she did not love him.

However if she did not teach him his place then who would? No she had to be the one to discipline him! Her hands tightened and then her cruelly lit eyes sparkled with malicious intent towards her child.

"Inuyasha, bring me the brush dearest one." She called in a melodious voice.

The seven year old flinched and reached out with a small hand grabbing the hair brush he walked back to his mother in the next room. She took it from him with gentled hands and reached out touching his cheek with a finger.

"It is a mother's job to make sure her child is raised right. You little monstrosity that you are, still came from me, so this is my job." She turned back to the window looking out it, her tone neutral. "Do you understand? No matter how inferior you are, it is my job to teach you."

The small child trembled and fought back his tears, he didn't even have time to say yes mother before she started in on him. His head snapped to the side as she backhanded him with the brush and a heavy hand.

Izayoi didn't stop, not even when her arm began to ache and blood seeped into the floor from the hard bristles of the brush stabbing into his tender flesh. Her heart for the meantime was completely black. She could only watch in horror as she abused her baby, as if from a far she wanted to speak but couldn't it spoke for her.

Insult after insult was hurled at the now unconscious boy and when it realized this it grew angry. She dropped the brush and glided into the kitchen grabbing a pail of water she made her way back and threw it on the half-breed.

Inuyasha awoke instantly his small body ached and throbbed, he couldn't help but throw-up what little food his body had retained from the night before. Izayoi's nose wrinkled at that smell, and her mouth tightened.

"You will clean up this mess, bathe and then join me for lunch." She lifted her head up high and glided out the room.

Quivering and crying, the small boy tried to get up but found he was in too much pain. So he crawled to a stand until he was able to pull himself up inch by agonizing inch. His face was a multitude of different colors.

Izayoi sat in a chair in their shared bedroom, her head in her hands. She had managed to gather back some vestige of control. She wept quietly for what she had done to her only son, her hands spattered with speckles of his blood.

She stood after some time, intent on checking on Inuyasha. She knew he was not old enough to heal himself as a youkai should be able to. She went into the bathroom where he had finished dressing himself in the red fire rat robe.

The boy was toweling his hair dry, his face was downcast and ears laid flat against his head. Izayoi's heart wrenched as she looked over his beaten appearance, he looked half starved as well.

"Come let us eat." She held out her hand to the small boy, a sorrowful smile on her face.

Inuyasha obediently put his hand in hers, he loved his mother and with that love came forgiveness. He knew it wasn't her fault, he could sense the darkness in her yet he remained relatively happy.

She led him to the kitchen where a small table awaited with food. Sitting himself down, he waited for her to be seated and to fill her plate first. Once he saw her place a bite to her lips he reached out to for his own.

A scream filled the air as she lashed out with a knife stabbing the boy's hand. Inuyasha continued to scream and she stood so suddenly she knocked her chair over.

"STUPID CHILD! GET OUT! GET OUT!" She shrieked having lost control once again.

Inuyasha reached over and pulled the knife out of his hand he let out another high pitched scream, and stumbled away. Tears streaming down his face he ran, out of the house and into the garden.

Sobbing he collapsed at the trunk of a tree that outlined the forest, he clutched his hand to his chest as the blood flowed from the wound. An hour passed before he could stop his tears, his forest stayed silent watching over the boy with unseen eyes.

Izayoi came out some time later, she bandaged his wounds and gave him a red ball to play with. In return the little boy smiled at his mother easing her heart. "Alright then my lovely one, have fun playing."

Inuyasha waited until she was in the house he turned to the tree and grinned. He began to bounce the ball and a breeze swept in tousling his hair, giggling he looked up. "Thank you for the breeze and offering me comfort. I am sorry, you saw mommy like that! She doesn't mean to be mean." He wore a solemn expression clutching the ball to his chest now.

"All is forgiven little one, we were never require any thanks from you. It is our sole pleasure to ease your mind and try to erase your burdens. Come to us anytime and we will try to shield you from the evil's of this world for you are always welcome among our branches."

Inuyasha grinned at the seemingly silent tree, the words having been whispered so silently that only he courd hear. Despite being told that no thanks were needed, he yet again gave the tree his gratitude. Another breeze tousled his hair from the opposite direction, carrying his scent into the forest.

Sesshomaru and Jaken had been traveling for many a day's without rest for the Daiyoukai did not need it. Jaken groaned his poor small feet ached and he could barely keep up with his lord long strides.

Sesshomaru came to a stop making the kappa run into his leg, yet the western Heir paid no attention to Jaken running into him. A scent was being carried to him, instinctively he knew it was the hanyou's. The boy that his father had been searching for was here, he felt a coldness enter his blood, yet there was always the strange acceleration of his heart.

Jaken looked up and studied his lord, his impenetrable eyes and inscrutable countenance gave little away as to why they stopped. However the kappa wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, gratefully he fell on his butt and laid flat out, panting heavily.

"Jaken, return to the castle. Inform father I have found what he has been missing, to meet me at the border." His tone gave nothing away, his eyes only narrowed. Mentally he wondered why he was informing his father, he could get rid of the child this very instant...and yet...he couldn't betray his father in such a way. Besides he found he was reluctantly eager to see what the boy was made of.

The little kappa didn't dare protest, he took another breath before getting up and trudging back the way the way he came. Perhaps his lord would allow him to summon his two headed dragon if he asked.

As if reading his mind Sesshomaru turned and stared at him, "Jaken you won't reach father in time if you don't summon the dragon's." With that being said he strode off in the direction the scent was coming from.

TBC…

I am very pleased with how this chapter turned out. Please feel free to tell me what you think! Thank you for your support and see you next chapter!