Chapter XVI

"So, how do you feel about my brothers?"

"I used to want to be with Inuyasha. We tried to work it out, but..."

"It didn't," Inuhime finished. "Sesshomaru?"

Kagome blushed. "I admit that I am having feelings for him."

Suddenly, they heard a key unlocking the door. When the door opened, it revealed Arashi, the Northern Lord and a small youkai girl with a tray that had food on it.

"Hello, my dear Inuhime and Kagome."

"What do you want with us, Arashi," asked Kagome.

"That will be reveal in due time. Now, however, eat." The servant youkai placed the tray between the two prisoners and left the prison cell.. He, too, left the cell and lock the door.

"You should eat Kagome."

"But I am not hungry."

"You will be soon. You are human. You need food to keep your strength up."

"What about you, Inuki?"

"I am not hungry, Kagome."

"But don't youkai need to eat to keep their strength up, too?"

When Inuhime looked at Kagome, she saw such sadness in her eyes.

"Why are you sad, Inuki? Don't say it's nothing because I know that's not true."

"Tell me, Kagome. What do you know about my father's death?"

"Huh? Well, I know that he came to rescue Inuyasha and his mother from Takemaru after his battle with Ryūkotsusei. He fought Takemaru before he died."

Inuhime nodded. "Before he fought with Ryūkotsusei...

Flashback Begins...

A few months before the Great InuTaisho fought with the ryu-daiyoukai, Ryūkotsusei. The ryu-daiyoukai was making negotiations with the inu about peace between them. The terms were that the InuTaisho would give his only daughter to the ryu and in return he would stop terrorizing the Plains of Musashi. When InuTaisho talked to Inuhime, she was enraged. Inuhime has always been wary of the dragon youkai. The dragon wasn't anything like her father, who was honorable and respectable by all, humans and youkai alike.

"And you actually believe him, father?!"

InuTaisho sighed. He knew that she wouldn't like the news, but he truly believed that it would stop the great dragon from terrorizing the lands. "Yes, I do, Inuki. For all he asked for was you. He said that you could bring him peace and calm his inner youkai. And I agreed with him. You had this light about you, my daughter, that I know that you can do what he's asking for."

Flashback Ends...

"... what father didn't know was Ryūkotsusei was planning something sinister. He knew how Inu are when one of their pack has been injured or worst dead. I may had been his mate-to-be, but I will always be part of father's pack. Meaning that if something would had happened to me, all may pay the price of father's wrath."

"What did Ryūkotsusei do to you, Inuki?"

"Oh, all he did was beat me to a bloodied plop."

"How did your father find out?"

"Myōga was the one who told him." Inuhime sighed. "Father caught him hitting me when he came to confront Ryūkotsusei about what Myōga told him."

Flashback Begins...

Just as Ryūkotsusei was about to hit Inuhime, InuTaisho blocked him with his own bare hand. He spoke to him as his beast was taking over.

"How dare you strike my daughter!" His voice was dangerously calm. He punched the ryu-daiyoukai to the other side of the clearing. He looked over his daughter to make sure she wasn't seriously hurt. He nuzzled her and taking in her scent to calm him enough to think clearly. He said in unison with his inner youkai, "I am so sorry for this, my daughter. Please forgive me. Sesshomaru keep her from interfering." Sesshomaru nodded as they watched their father walked off while unsheathing Tessaiga. They watched their father fought a titanic battle against the ryu-daiyoukai and barely surviving the fight.

Flashback Ends...

"I blamed myself for father's death. If I was stronger then he wouldn't have to come and fight the bastard. He would still be alive, today."

"No, I don't think so. Your father came to your, Inuyasha's, and his mother's aid because that's what fathers do. He went to protect you from danger. Besides, I believe that he knew inwardly that he would die. He died protecting those who he loves the most in this world."

There was a moment of silence.

"You know what. You are right. Thank you, Kagome."

"No problem... now lets figure out how to get out of here."

Meanwhile...

Inuyasha and company return to the Western Palace. Once they arrived, they saw Hikaru and Sesshomaru walking towards them.

"Milord! Milord! Something's terrible happened," yelled Jaken as he ran toward his lord.

Sesshomaru and Hikaru stopped once Jaken was in front of them panting. "What happened Jaken? Where's Rin? Kagome?"

"Keh, Rin is fine. She's on Ah-Un." As if on cue, Ah-Uh landed gracefully.

Rin immediately ran to her lord and cried, "I was so scared, Lord Sesshomaru! Lady Kagome was kidnapped!"

Sesshomaru frowned at his half-brother. With a blink of an eye, Sesshomaru grabbed him by the collar of his red haori and pulled him closer to himself. "You let her get captured! Give this Sesshomaru one reason why he should let you live!" Sesshomaru was ready to use his poison claws.

"Keh, it wasn't my fault! Okay! I was asleep!"

Hikaru quirked an eye brow. "You fell asleep."

Sesshomaru growled darkly, "This one should kill you for your incompetence!"

Then someone unexpected said, "Lord Sesshomaru, please don't kill him. He may sometimes be an idiot, but he protects Kagome seriously. He was in a deep sleep when we tried to wake him up! He's really a very light sleeper!"

"It's true, my lord," Rin added.

"Hn, if you weren't Kagome's friend, hanyou, you would've die by my poisoned claws."

"Feh!"

"Now tell us, something, hanyou, which direction did Lady Kagome's scent trail went towards," Hikaru commanded.

"I am not going to tell you unless I could come too."

"This isn't the time for your foolishness!"

"He can come," Sesshomaru said with finality.

"Keh, her scent trail leads to the North."

"Did you happened to catch the scents of her abductor?"

"It was a dragon."

"hn, it seems to me that those dragons are luring us into a trap by using our sister and Kagome as bait." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "Jaken?"

"Yes, milord?"

"Take Rin and Shippo into the palace. Tell this one's mother what happened. Also if..." Sesshomaru didn't need to finish that sentence because he gave Jaken a smirk , that means death if something bad happens to Rin and now Shippo."

"Yes, milord!" He ushered the pups into the palace and do what he was told.

"Inuyasha, can you keep up?"

"Keh, of course."

"Time is of the essence." Without another word, Sesshomaru and Hikaru ran into the forest as Inuyasha followed them.

Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi

Fanfiction (c) ladytari