Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha or related characters they belong to the respective owners. OC's are mine.

Chapter Twenty Six:

Inu no Taisho, the Lord of the Western lands, sat in his study watching the activity in the plaza below. Two of his sons, Sesshomaru and Kenshirou, where training in their true forms. Sesshomaru had size to his advantage, while Kenshirou had stamina and speed to his, as well as this being the first time Sesshomaru had been allowed to transform for some time.

The Lord of the West was only truthfully paying half attention to the sparing below. His thoughts were currently on his second son, Inuyahsa. It had already been a year since his son had left on his first wandering…and while a year meant little to either yokai or hanyo it was the longest he'd be separated from the pup. Of course he'd received missives, and status reports every couple of weeks. Yet he hadn't seen his son in person since he'd departed the mountain of the ancients almost a year ago.

The Lady of the West entered to find her mate deep in contemplation. She allowed fifteen minutes to pass before speaking, "You're worried about your son?"

The Lord shook his head, "They seem to be conducting themselves appropriately…"

The Lady smirked at his quick answere, "I'm referring to your other son…the one who isn't here right now."

The Lord growled, "He's fine…I doubt my brother has allowed them to face anything more serious than your garden variety lizard yokai."

The Lady looked at her lord's desk and noticed a recent missive from her brother-in-law. She reached for the scroll, and when her lord made no move to stop her she picked it up, and read it aloud, "Brother…I concur, we'll head there before the next moonless night. I'm sure staying there that night will be difficult for him, including after I tell him what that place is. Perhaps our journeys will take us back to the palace soon, but I'm doubtful. Anytime we head in the direction of the palace for more than a few miles Inuyasha redirects us elsewhere. Finale as I promised last time I'll include a report on Inuyasha's and Koga's battle performance."

"Koga first, he's actually not too bad, but let his father know he's not ready for the, you know what. He's got five confirmed solo kills against rogue yokai of above average power ranking, and about sixty confirmed kills of average to below average power rankings."

"Now for your son, the pup has got talent, even without wielding your fang. He's got fourteen confirmed solo kills of above average power ranking, and sixty confirmed kills of average to below average power rankings."

"Yeah I know they're tied on the lesser stat, but unless I take them closer to the boarders it's not likely of us running into a lot of rogue yokai. Well, they're starting to wake up so I'm going to get this letter off. May our paths cross once more?"

The Lady placed the missive back on the desk, "It seems Inuyasha is performing admirably. Though, I do wonder why he's avoiding coming home?"

The Lord nodded, "It is because he knows Sesshomaru is here. I've seen it when Sesshomaru watches Airi and Kenshirou get letters from Inuyasha, he's realized the damage he's caused."

The Lady lowered her gaze, "If we'd have stepped in sooner?"

The Lord shook his head, "Would have changed nothing. I'll admit I've done some horrible things to my own brothers in the past, but we've always had a chance to repair those damages."

The Lady frowned, "You were also all pure yokai. Sesshomaru had very little contact with Moko when she was growing up, and by the time they came here to stay Moko was immediately assigned to guard Izayoi. Sesshomaru's first brother was also the one he'd have the hardest time understanding…even we can't understand the child completely."

The Lord frowned, "Child?"

The Lady narrowed her eyes, "Yes child. Yes we've always treated Inuyasha as a pup of this tribe, but we forget he is also a child of the human tribe. We do the same to Airi, but unlike Inuyasha she has had minor contact at the most with humans. Inuyasha had his mother for the first nine years of his life; she raised him and cared for him as a human would. Moko and Airi were both raised as we Inuyokai raise our young. They still have the confusion of their human emotions, but they've never been taught of the baser emotions. We can't teach them what we can't feel."

The Lord nodded, "You've reminded me of something I've long ignored. I never took into account such things when dealing with these children, yet I believe you have."

The Lady bowed, "There are something that a mother just does better, plus I've the experience gained from that blasted test as well."

The Lord grinned, "So you've gained some understanding about my families little test."

The Lady glared then changed the subject, "When are you bringing my son back?"

The Lord smirked, "They'll be back soon…trust me…what Inuyasha is about to go through will not be pleasant."

The Lady allowed worry to cross her face, "What he'll go through?"

The Lord turned back to the window, "Be prepared…they are going to the cave."

Koga and Inuyahsa followed their supervisor at a distance. While Inuyasha had never revealed the truth to Koga the wolf had noticed several things over the last year. The first was they always returned to that hut on the moonless night, and secondly he always seemed to pass out shortly before or after arriving there.

Koga knew that hanyo each had a time when they were fully human, just as he'd learned hanyo could become fully yokai. Though the full yokai thing was always fatal, the full human was easy enough to survive. Koga had surmised that the moonless night was Inuyasha's human time, but wisely kept quiet, really who was he to refuse a drug induced nap.

He was kind of worried though this time. They'd not even started toward the hut, and the moonless night was upon them. The sun would go down in only a few hours, and they seemed to be in a very dense woodland area. Koga growled nervously as he spoke to Inuyasha, "Shouldn't we be taking shelter soon?"

Inuyasha had also been concerned. About a week prior his uncle had retaken the lead, he'd allowed Inuyasha and Koga to switch off taking the lead depending on who wanted to do what. He only took over when they seemed to be at a standstill, or they needed to avoid some form of danger. Inuyasha frowned at his friend, "You know?"

Koga snickered, "You guys made it pretty easy for me to figure out. It's the only time we go back to that hut, and I'm always drugged when we get there."

Inuyasha shrugged, "So you want a medal or something?"

Koga chuckled, "No, but what are we going to do?"

The scarred one grunted, "We will stay in that cave up ahead."

Inuyasha and Koga jumped slightly realizing they'd been heard, and then looked toward their destination. Once they were at the cave entrance Inuyasha frowned, "This place seems familiar, have we been here before?"

Koga shook his head, "We've stayed in a lot of caves, but never one that reeked with this pain and suffering."

The scarred one growled dangerously, "Koga! You'll keep watch out here…and under no circumstance will you enter this cave. No matter what you hear or smell. If a threat approaches call for me, and I'll deal with it."

Koga nodded then took up a place near the entrance and sat. Inuyasha then followed his uncle into the cave.

Inuyasha's gaze traveled around the space, which appeared to have been vacated hurriedly a long time ago. The main chamber had what remained of a fire pit, and scraps of what were probably sleeping mats at one time. There was a small alcove at the back of the cave where an apothecary table stood, the drawers had been emptied and the wood had begun to rot.

Inuyasha sat next to the fire pit and stared at the dark cave walls, "I have been here before haven't I?"

His uncle nodded sadly, "We found you lying not more than five feet from where you're sitting now. Your brother Sesshomaru and Moko found you first, your brother then immediately called for me. Jaken had already treated most your older wounds, and apparently was preparing to tend to your fresher ones when we arrived.

Inuyasha frowned, "Jaken? I always wondered, but…"

His uncle nodded, "He was a member of the group that abducted you. He did not play a part in either your physical abduction, or your torture that followed. He was prolonging your suffering by order of the panther yokai."

At the mention of the panther Inyasha cringed.

His uncle snarled, "So he's the one that…"

Inuyasha nodded, "The rat and lizard were the only ones who watched while he did that."

His uncle's aura seemed to attack the cave, "We all accepted some of the blame for what happened…I could have easily wiped out every panther yokai in existence, but I didn't."

Inyasha frowned, "How?"

His uncle growled, "When your father was first forming his kingdom I was conquering certain regions for him. These areas were held by strong daiyokai. Three times I forced the panther tribe to retreat, after the fourth defeat they had nowhere to retreat. They surrendered, but I didn't conscript them or annihilate them. I let them flee to lands beyond our planned borders." His uncle sat next to the fire, "One of my few acts of mercy, and it results in harm befalling one of my nephews…"

Inuyasha watched his hands at the claws seemed to melt away, "I'm only lucky they kidnapped me the day after my human night. If it had been any earlier or…"

His uncle snarled, "Do not think on such things."

Inyasha began to fidget, "Do we really have to stay here?"

His uncle nodded, "We've never truly forced you to face what happened to you…"

Inyasha snorted, "Face it…why would I even want to remember it? I should just chalk it up to another fine example of my brother's great caring. So what he was one of the first to find me or that he knew to call for your help. It was his carelessness that put me in that situation in the first place."

The scarred one nodded, "Yes…it's true that Sesshomaru put his duty to watch over you aside in favor of his duty to the western lands. That only shows though that your brother is a poor judge of signifying importance. Also he failed to ensure the guard change and doubling had been implemented immediately. Nor did he think to check on you even though we'd had a disturbance at the main gate."

Inuyasha frowned, "You see! Even you know he was the one at fault for this."

His uncle shook his head, "There were many at fault pup. I or any other member of the family could have checked on you, or checked that the guards were in place. It was Koga who'd first realized you were missing. His father and he had returned early from their hunt, and when he was sent to play with you he couldn't find you. He notified you brother first, and Sesshomaru immediately started searching the palace. When that failed we realized what happened and set out to find you."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, "Isn't it the older brother's responsibility to look out for his younger siblings."

His uncle smirked, "That's true…though I'm the second born…it was my duty to watch out for the eight siblings that were younger than myself. I'll admit I wasn't the most attentive brother, and a few of them didn't even meet me till they were nearly adults themselves. Inuyasha, you've been no more attentive to your own siblings than Sesshomaru was with you. You've been too busy with your own concerns to realize that I'm sure."

Inuyasha bowed his head, "I know I've not been the best brother, but I don't go around thrashing them like he does to me."

The scarred one nodded, "True, but there are other forms of abuse than physical. I'm sorry you had to face the amount of physical pain you've had to endure…not just what you suffered in this place. If I could I'd change that, but what is done is done. It is you that decides what comes next. Do you stand on your own two feet and fight, or are you going to cower behind your father. I know you don't want to believe me, but one day your brother will rule our tribe. When that day comes…if your father still lives after that day…he and all his siblings will be required to take to the sacred places. We will each chose where we go, but we must go."

Inuyasha frowned, "Why?"

The scarred one shook his head, "It is the way it has always been. Your father was the first to ever spare their own father, but I do not see any way for Sesshomaru to defeat your father honorably without killing him. Maybe in another four centuries, but by then your brother should have begun the cycle anew."

Inuyasha bowed his head, "What about Sesshomaru's mother?"

The scarred one shrugged, "She's free to do as she wishes. It's been a rare occurrence for the mate of our tribes leader to survive the bracelet test."

Inuyasha slouched where he sat, "So I get to lose both my parents and Sesshomaru gets to keep his mother…guess the first born gets all the good fortune."

The scarred one frowned, "Inuyasha…there is no guarantee as to what the future holds. There is only the rules of nature we must abide by, and for Inuyokai those rules include Sesshomaru proving his strength by defeating your father in single combat. Do not think I look forward to that day anymore than you. Your father was my brother long before your mother's grandparents were even born."

Inuyasha shivered and his uncle noticed he must be starting to remember the past. Inuyasha frowned at his uncle, "What will you do when that happenes?"

The scarred one shrugged, "It depends…if your father survives we've agreed to go join your grandfather at his manor…if your father doesn't survive I'll probably leave the western lands."

Inuyasha frowned, "But, you said…"

The scarred one nodded, "If Sesshomaru kills your father I will not remain here to serve him in any capacity. He will only prove that he's of the same stock as the older Inuyokai, the ones whose pride and arrogance will terminate our tribe." He turned to look out the cave entrance, "I know of at least four other Inuyokai tribes beyond our borders. I'd probably go and unite them to challenge your brother's dominance. It would all spiral down to a sticky civil war that would most probably end with every yokai in the islands being slaughtered."

Inuyasha bowed his head, "I'm not sure what I'll do when brother takes over."

Sesshomaru stared at the moonless sky. After a year of his brother being gone the heir was calmer during the moonless nights than he'd been when the pup had first gone. Sesshomaru turned to see his father standing at the door, "Father."

Inu no Taisho gave a curt nod, "They're at the cave you found Inuyasha in."

Sesshomaru frowned at the information, "Why would they go there?"

The yokai lord narrowed his eyes, "So your brother could put closure to some things." The lord then turned back to the hall, "I'm expecting them to return soon…I want you out of the palace before they arrive."

Sesshomaru bowed, "Where do you want me to go?"

Inu no Taisho growled, "Go find whatever you're looking for to become more powerful…because I'm not going to simply wake up to find you've slit my throat while I slept. And if I even hear rumors of you going after Inuyasha for the Tessaiga you'll come to a very regrettable end."

Sesshomaru cringed, "Father…"

Inu no Taisho leaned Tenseiga next to the door, "If you wish to truly rival my power, learn to truly master this sword."

With that Sesshomaru watched his father disappear around the corner. The daiyokai heir waited several minutes before picking up the sword and exiting his room, "Come Jaken…we're leaving."

End Chapter Twenty Six

A/N: Ok, the five reviews for the last chapter might have helped a little…that or I was just feeling this chapter way too much, we'll just have forge ahead and find out. Okay, we did have a tiny time skip there…yes when you're talking about a story that's encompassing hundreds of years a single year could be but a blink of an eye, or at the very least the click of next chapter button.

Sorry, I'm a theatre tech, and I spend a whole heck of a lot of time around people who do nothing but philosophize, debate, and joke…usually a lot of that last one, sans also my unusual work hours. If you're unfamiliar with what a theatre tech is, well we're the people that make sure the performers you see on stage have everything they need, including sets, props, costumes, lights, and sound. After watching the halftime show last Sunday, well several people have some answering to do.