This chapter remains the same. Skip if you've been here before. If not, why not read on, neh? NEH!? Oo

Disclaimer: I own eps 1-150 and 3 movies in Japanese. I own five manga. I just wanted to brag.

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The turn of events so shocked Inuyasha that he staggered backwards into a tree. "What!?"

"Yes, I think this'll do you quite well. Goodbye, hanyou. Oh– wait. Tell me your name. I must know before I send you down to my father."

"Inuyasha...bastard!" snarled the half-demon. His ears were pricked, and though his temper was raging inside, he felt he might have made a huge mistake.

Sesshomaru's face darkened. "Go to where you belong, hanyou!" He started to form a whip of green-blue light in his clawed hand, when suddenly–

"Wooooooooooooo!" came a high, mournful call. It sent chills up Inuyasha's spine. He shivered, eyes wide and fixed on Sesshomaru. The whip's formation had stopped; it broke into little splinters of light. "More inu-taisho about tonight, eh?" whispered Sesshomaru, his body stiff and head turning toward the sound.

"Live for today, hanyou half-brother," came Sesshomaru's voice as the demon sped from the trees and out of sight.

Inuyasha remained a motionless statue for a moment.

Then he crumpled onto his knees, breathing hard. Gasps almost like sobs tore themselves from his throat, and though he wished for tears to relieve his pain, none came. His clawed hand gripped his chest, clutching as he struggled to make sense of the last two hours.

Mother. Gone out of this life...somewhere far behind him, lying amongst the bodies of villagers and slain demons...

Father. A demon, long dead; an inu-taisho that oka-san had only mentioned when at her most mellow and nostalgic. Father, a figure never entered in Inuyasha's twelve years of life, a mysterious presence.

Sesshomaru. A horrible reality... who was trying to kill him?! A brother– well, half-brother– whose eyes were icy and haughty, and whose bearing was regal. Inuyasha couldn't help but admire him– and fear him.

Inuyasha saw the crumpled figure of his younger self among the dark trees for a moment longer. Then Kagome abruptly sat up. "Inuyasha...are you all right?" and he jerked to consciousness. "What?" he snarled. "Of course I'm all right! I'm always all right!" Then he shook his head and cleared it...and remembered who he was talking to. "Oh. Yes. I am. I was dreaming..."

"I thought so," she whispered. Her eyes were faintly visible in the dim firelight. "You were saying something, and it sounded so sad...I thought maybe–"

"Don't ask," snarled Inuyasha. "You always want to know my dreams, but they're mine."

"'Scuze me for worrying," she said haughtily after a pause. Instantly Inuyasha's heart sank. Say sorry, his mind whispered encouragingly. For some reason, he thought of his mother, her arms around him. "Kagome, I..."

"No, don't bother. I'm going back to sleep," she said, giving him a look, then turning the other way and laying back down.

Inuyasha sighed and inwardly cursed himself, half-heartedly.