A/N: Ummmm...not much to say, I'll just start the chapter :)

CHAPTER TEN: A mother's encouragement

"Wh-who are you?" Kagome asked in an small voice. The woman who stood before her was the most beautiful being she had ever seen. She had elegant and long dark hair, a kind and pretty face, and was dressed in an exquisite white kimono. The woman smiled at Kagome.

"I am Lady Izayoi," she replied in a clear and rather musical voice.

"Then you're...you're Inuyasha's mother?"

"I am indeed. It has been so long, Kagome, but I'm pleased to see that you've grown up beautifully." Kagome found it hard to believe that a woman like her could call anyone beautiful.

"Are-are you a ghost?"

"I guess you could say that. I've passed over from the other world to speak with you."

"Why?"

"Because I wish you to be happy. You see, ever since before your birth you were betrothed to Inuyasha. Your mother Satomi and I planned for you two to grow up together, get to know one another, and hopefully learn to love each other. But things didn't go as planned, and you and Inuyasha grew up without knowing each other."

"But we did. We saw each other in our dreams."

"Yes, I know you did. You two were destined for one another, therefore when Inuyasha dreamed he could see his future wife."

"I wasn't dreaming though, so how did I see him?"

"You are a miko, and you have the power to see what cannot be seen by most mortals. It is a complicated power, and there are very few who understand it, but don't trouble yourself trying to understand." Izayoi then stepped closer to Kagome and held out her hand. "Come with me, there are many things that you need to understand."

"Where will we go?" Kagome asked, slowly taking her hand. Izayoi smiled and began to lead her forward.

"Into my past," she said over her shoulder. As she said this, a portal opened up and the two women walked through it. In a rush of color and light, Kagome found herself standing in the middle of what appeared to be a large field.

"What-" Kagome started, but she was interrupted by a child's voice, singing a sort of lullaby that seemed to be enchanting in a way. Kagome turned around and located immediately the source of the song. It was a small girl with long dark hair and a pretty face, sitting amongst the flowers and singing her song. "Is that-?"

"Me, yes," Lady Izayoi answered, looking fondly at the child. "I was quite a lovely child. I loved to sing, and pick flowers." A sad look came over her and she fell silent. Suddenly, something else caught Kagome's attention. It was a young man, standing a few feet away from the girl. He was extremely handsome and had long white hair tinted with blue and soft golden eyes. Kagome realized immediately that he was a youkai, though she couldn't figure out why he looked so familiar. The younger Izayoi seemed to feel his presence, and stopped her song to turn around and look at him.

"Who are you?" she asked in a curious yet unafraid voice. When the demon didn't answer and stood motionless before her, Izayoi stepped towards him and handed him a small pink flower. "I'm Izayoi...what's your name, sir?"

The demon was silent for a moment, then replied "Inu no Taisho." The scene began to change before Kagome's eyes, swirling into a mass of color, then reshaping into the same field, only she guessed it was many years later. This time, a young woman, perhaps a little older than Kagome, stood in the field, singing the same song and picking flowers. She looked much more like the beautiful Izayoi who standing next to Kagome. Once again, the handsome demon stood near the girl, watching her. However, this time it was he who approached Izayoi.

"Hello again, Izayoi," he said to her.

Izayoi turned around and smiled at him. "It's been a while, I was wondering when you would come back to see me."

"I had certain things to attend to before I returned. Now, Izayoi, I wish to make a proposition to you." He got down on one knee and took her hand in his. "I know that I am a demon, but I have this strong desire for you that I cannot explain. Please, Lady Izayoi, would you consider becoming my mate?" Kagome gasped, for now she understood that this man was Inuyasha's father.

Izayoi looked speechless for a moment, but then she broke into a smile and replied "Yes. I too desire you, and I wish to become your mate." Inu no Taisho allowed a smile to grace his features and stood up.

"Then let us mate as soon as possible," he announced. Again, the scene changed, but this time when it reformed they weren't in a field but inside the shrine that Kagome now resided in. Izayoi lay on a mat in the middle of the room, covered in blankets with candles surrounding her. Her breathing was heavy and she appeared to be in pain. Kagome guessed that she was in labor. Slowly, the woman turned her head towards the open window and reached her hand up as though to touch the moon.

"Inu-no-Taisho," she breathed "come...please-my dearest."

"Look out the window," the present Izayoi instructed, gesturing for Kagome to come over and see. Kagome looked down and saw a small figure blast through the gates. By the long light hair she assumed that it was Inu no Taisho. Guards began to attack the demon, but he merely blasted them away with his demonic powers.

"IZAYOI! I'M COMING!" Kagome heard him yell. In a few moments the door was blasted open and Inu no Taisho rushed in to Izayoi's side. Izayoi opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Inu-" she began, but she felt a surge of pain go through her body and she screamed.

"It's alright, my wife, I'm here for you," Inu no Taisho whispered. Izayoi screamed in pain and breathed heavily for quite some time until finally a baby's cries were heard.

"It's here?" asked he. Izayoi nodded and pulled her newborn baby out from under the blankets. Even though the baby was a newborn it already had quite a lot of long white hair and two small and fuzzy ears poked out of its head. Kagome didn't need to look twice to know who the baby was. Inu no Taisho smiled and took the baby in his arms. For a moment he and his son stared at each other, both with large golden eyes. "My son...Inuyasha."

"What?" Izayoi asked as her husband handed her son back to her.

"That will be the child's name: Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha," she repeated, looking down fondly at her son.

"And now, I must go," the demon sighed, turning back towards the large hole he had made in the wall. Izayoi looked up at him, her eyes full of concern and confusion.

"Why, my husband?"

"Your people are not happy with me, I'm afraid. You see, I married you, and for that they hate me. Do not forget, I am a youkai, and for that they will not let me live."

"But I will tell them not to harm you! They will listen to me, and it will all be alright!" Inu no Taisho sighed and walked over to her. He slowly brought his hand up and stroked the side of Izayoi's face.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured with a smile playing at his lips "I feel as though I am leaving a great treasure behind...but I must go, Izayoi, you understand?" He leaned down and kissed her. Izayoi returned the kiss, tears running silently down her face. The kiss was broken when Inu no Taisho's keen ears picked up the sounds of men shouting and running through the mansion. He turned swiftly back towards the window. Izayoi watched him and felt as though her heart was crumbling.

"Where will you go?" she asked quietly.

"Far away to the East."

"Will you come back?"

"Perhaps."

"Do you really have to go?" Inu no Taisho turned back to his wife and gave her a sad smile.

"Yes, I do my dearest. Never forget that I love you and that you mean more to me than anything in the world."

"I love you too, and I'll never forget you, I promise," Izayoi responded in a stronger voice than before. There was pounding on the door and Inu no Taisho leapt onto to the balcony swifter than any human.

"Live long, Izayoi. May you and Inuyasha live long and healthy lives. Farewell."

"Farewell, my love," Izayoi whispered as her husband leapt off the balcony and into the night. As soon as he was gone, the door was broken down and a bunch of men entered, armed and ready.

"Where is he? Where's the mononoke?" one demanded.

"He must've escaped through the window!" said another.

"Look! The woman carries a mononoke baby in her arms!"

"It must have been his child. Hurry, men, we must destroy the babe before it brings misfortune upon our entire village!"

"No! You may not harm this child!" Izayoi said, hugging Inuyasha defensively.

"But my Lady, the baby is fathered by a demon, he must be destroyed."

"I don't care, he is still my son!"

"My Lady-"

"Begone you terrors!" Izayoi practically screamed, holding her baby even closer to her bosom.

"I think that's about all you need to see," the present Izayoi said calmly to Kagome. Taking her hand, she led Kagome back through the portal to the present day world. Time in that world had appeared to have temporarily been stopped, for there was no wind and the birds and butterflies had appeared to have been frozen in midair.

"Why did you show me all that?" Kagome asked as she sat down next to Shippo.

"Because you needed to know the circumstances of Inuyasha's birth in order to understand him better." Kagome didn't respond and looked down at her hands. Izayoi stepped down from the portal and hugged her. "Do no be afraid to become Inuyasha's mate. He is a kind being and I am certain that the two of you can grow to love one another. Please, think it all over carefully before coming to a decision."

"I will," Kagome said firmly, returning the hug. Izayoi smiled at her for a moment, but the smile faded when she turned back to the portal.

"I must depart back to the other world now. Good-bye, Kagome, it was nice speaking with you, and remember, if you ever need to talk to me, just come back out to my grave and I will do my best to come and speak with you."

"Thank you, so much. Good-bye Izayoi." And with that, the woman stepped back through the portal and both she and the portal vanished from sight. Immediately, time started back up again.

"I wonder Lady Izayoi would say to you if she were here today," Shippo sighed, showing no signs that he had noticed Kagome's absence or that time had just stopped.

"I have a guess," Kagome murmured as she placed a flower on the grave, wondering why tears were falling down her face.

A/N: Sorry it took so long, but I've been preoccupied with stuff and school's driving me insane with all these final study guides which are like 10 pages long x.x I also auditioned for two plays, one of which I didn't make and the other I'll find out Wednesday if I made it. Alrighty then, I'll try real hard to get the next chapter up soon!