Chapter 13
Awakening
He awoke with a splitting headache. His senses were aching as he breathed in the foul smoke Naraku had concocted that still wafted in the room. It wasn't enough to send him into coughing fits but it was enough to confuse his senses, give him a slight headache, and make his head swim slightly.
He tried to move, only to find he seemed to be latched to something. Blinking his eyes clear he finally took stock of his situation, using his sense of touch more than anything as his eyes were blurry from the smoke.
His feet were chained together and his wrist was linked to someone else's, his brother no doubt, judging from the blurry white and tan image he could barely make out through watering eyes.
His clothing had been removed leaving him in nothing more than underclothes and the floor he was laying on seemed to be very cold stone. So cold he was almost shivering. He wasn't blindfolded, but a mettle bit was wedged so tightly into his mouth he could taste blood dripping from the corners. The bit didn't taste so great either.
He tried to move his hand to untie it, but found even more pleasantries to his restraints. Both he and Inuyahsa had collars on their necks with chains leading to opposite walls, resulting in neither one of them being able to get close enough to the other to help get the bit out.
He snarled around the bit and tried to summon his poison to melt the chain holding him to his brother. Nothing happened. He could feel his youki he just couldn't access it. He figured the room was either sealed or the collar on his neck was warded.
He yanked on the chain attaching him to Inuyasha, attempting to waken him. Perhaps his youki had been sealed, but not his natural strength. With both of them pulling the chain should snap.
His brother snapped awake, coughing around the bit in his own mouth before turning his head to stare at him with blurry eyes. Unable to speak, he picked the chain up in his hand and wiggled it, trying to tell his brother to pick it up.
Inuyasha starred at him in confusion, but did pick up the chain latching them together. He pulled lightly, then raised his eyes brow, hoping his brother got it. Inuyasha seemed confused for a second, than his eyes widened and he nodded his head.
They both stood up and held firmly onto the chain latching them together. Inuyasha held up his free hand and counted backward. When he closed his fist they both pulled, straining against it with all of their might.
They both collapsed to the ground as something resembling electrical current raced through them. Snarling, Sesshomaru noticed the runes inscription on the band latched to his wrist.
He looked to his brother and noticed Inuyasha had also just noticed the runes. This was followed by what must have been his brother cursing, though it was impossible to make out just what it was he was saying.
They sat up again and stared at each other, each waiting for the other to think up something to do to get out of this mess. Inuyasha tried pulling against the chain latching him to the far wall, but just ended up in pain again.
He tried to break the barrier to his youki, but failed miserably. He gave up for the time being, and judging by the defeated look his brother had, he had giving up to.
He turned his thoughts from escape to Kagome and the children. Were they safe? Did Naraku have them too or was Kagome able to protect them? Was Kagome even safe, or alive? He had seen and felt her purifying power and knew she had been fighting before this damn smoke had all but knocked him useless.
"Oi. They are awake." Came a familiar voice from the other side of the door.
"Impossible. He is dead." Sesshomaru thought as the door opened and two people walked in.
One was of medium build and could be mistaken for a woman at first glance. He had a thick, blue strip pointing down running from his eyes across his check. The other was short and was wearing a white outfit with a veil over his round face. That one he knew was dead. He had killed him.
Inuyasha shouted something, but it was garbled beyond recognition.
The two laughed and the taller of the two walked up to Inuyasha as the shorter one walked up to him.
"Not so immune to my poisons now, are you Taiyoukai?" The man chuckled.
He ignored him, not rising up to the baiting. His brother, on the other hand, shouted out a stream of curses that were completely non-understandable, but he figured they were somewhere around the line of 'get away from me you sick bastard.'
He glanced over to his brother and saw the other man rubbing himself all over his brother, whispering things into his brothers ear that had his eyes wide. Sickening.
"That is enough Jakotsu." Came another voice from the door.
Inuyasha shouted another ineligible word, but this one Sesshomaru knew. 'Bankotsu.' The leader of the Schichinintai walked into the room followed by another man Sesshomaru recognized.
This one had accompanied Jakotsu in his attempted to slay him two years ago and was also directly responsible for Rin's near death. How were they alive again? He answered his own question almost immediately.
"The same way there were resurrected the first time. Shikon shards." He thought, answering his own question.
"Naraku-sama wants to see them." Came another voice, this one very young and emotionally dead.
His eyes settled on Kohaku as the human boy walked into the room.
"Right. Bring them." Bankotsu ordered as he stood aside.
Jakotsu unchained Inuyasha's as Suikotsu, the one with iron claws and a permanent sneer on his face, untied his own. Instantly he yanked on the chain, ripping it out of the mans hand as Inuyasha did the same.
They bolted forward together, his own speed nearly halved by the loss of his youki and the chains on his ankles, though it wouldn't have mattered since Inuyasha could only run so fast and he sure as hell didn't want to be slowed down by dragging his brother around. He didn't even have his poison to melt the damn hanyou's hands off. They were stuck together for the moment.
Using the chain linking them together they close line Bankotsu with it as they sprinted for freedom. A door stood in their way and they both slammed shoulder first against it, knocking it down and continued their wild run.
For the first time ever they were working together as one unit, their desire for survival more important than their petty rivalry. Suddenly, the chain dangling from Sesshomaru's neck was drawn taunt, nearly choking the life out of him as his momentum ripped him off of his feet.
He was jerked again as his own sudden stopped jerked Inuyasha to a halt and his brother fell to land across his legs, both of them racked with electrical current at the chain between them was drawn taunt.
He looked up behind him to see a very smug Bankotsu as he yanked on the chain again, dragging him across the floor as he tried to get to his feet to take the pressure off of his neck, but having a hard time getting his balance as Inuyasha was dragged with him, weighing him down like an anchor and the two of them were hopelessly tangled together in the chains.
Suddenly he was jolted from the other way as Jakotsu managed to get a hold of Inuyasha's chain and both were pulled taunt. The moment the chain holding him to his brother was taunt they were both racked with blinding pain again.
For several minutes the two men played with them like that, dragging them apart and watching them wriggle on the ground in pain and all the while chocking from the tight pull on their throats. The other two laughed.
His pride was ruined and rage starting to cloud his mind but it was cut short by the pain he was in. The torture was ended when Kohaku returned, reminding them in that dead voice of his that Naraku wished to see them.
The chain loosened. They were helped rather rudely to their feet and all but dragged down several corridors before being thrown to a wooden floor. Before either one of them could stand up one of the schichinintai put a foot on their back and held them down, pulling the chain around their throats taunt so they had to arch their heads up to keep from chocking to death.
Naraku had an amused look on his face as he regarded them. It sent both of them into a rage. They fought against their restraints, Sesshomaru even managed to get Bankotsu off of him and to his knees before Bankotsu regained control over him and pinned him to the floor again.
Naraku laughed as the two of them were beating into submission. Inuyasha screamed another ineligible stream of obscenities to Naraku which Sesshomaru figured translated as, 'Naraku you bastard, when I get free I'm going to kill you.' Followed by a description of just how he would kill him.
Naraku laughed louder, infuriating his brother even more. He, however, forced himself to remain calm, breathing deep and even. Naraku nodded to Bankotsu, who leaned down and took the bit out of his mouth.
He resisted the erg to lick the blood, both dried and fresh, off of his split lips and get moisture back in his mouth.
"Sesshomaru-sama, how is your mate doing?" Naraku asked pleasantly.
He didn't answer. Naraku just chuckled again before turning his attention to Inuyasha. He did not order Inuyasha's bit removed, although he did address the hanyou.
"I must say I was surprised to find the two of you together. Fighting over Kagome perhaps? No. I see no signs you were trying to kill each other. Tell me Inuyasha, did you give up another woman to another man so easily again?"
Inuyasha snarled something back. He assumed the e-e-o was suppose to be Kikyo and the a-o-e was suppose to be Kagome. The rest was ineligible. Blood was running freely from the corners of Inuyasha's mouth by this point, running down his check to drip on the floor.
"Despicable." Was his thought as he watched his brother make a fool of himself.
Useless hanyou or not, no one but him made his family look bad. And he knew Kagome would not approve if she knew he had let Inuyasha be led like this when he could have stopped it.
While he most certainly didn't owe her anything, if he wanted to win her trust enough for her to give him the completed Shikon no Tama to make his wish for all members of his family to be full youkai he would have to make such sacrifices like this.
"Inuyasha, shut up." He said calmly.
Inuyasha blinked and looked at him in surprise.
"What do you want with us Naraku?" He asked calmly.
"I want your power. But I also desire Kagome's half of the Shikon no Tama. For that I need you alive and well. After I have what I want I will add your power to my own." Naraku answered.
"And by then you will not need it." Sesshomaru pointed out.
"True enough. However, I shall still need servants to serve me."
"You are a fool to think this Sesshomaru would ever willingly serve a creature like you."
"Ah, Sesshomaru-sama, by then you will have no choice. By then my power will be complete and all you will be able to do is shudder in terror at the purity and power of this Naraku."
"A foolish hanyou's dream. My mate would never dishonor herself enough to give you her half of the Shikon no Tama."
"She is human. Humans are notorious weak when their loved ones are in danger. She will do it for your freedom Sesshomaru."
"She is very loyal." His brothers words echoed in his mind.
"She is no fool. She would never exchange something that powerful for my return. Not after everything I have done to her."
"You underestimate her compassion." Naraku responded.
"I had even forgiving you…." Her words echoed in his mind and he knew they were true.
For the first time in his life he feared for the safety of another above even his own. Even after everything that had happened to her she remained so pure, so forgiving, so compassionate. He knew then he would follow Inuyasha's advise as if it were the holy scriptures.
Human she may be, but he could not have chosen a better mate to match him. It was as if their mating had been destined. He smiled at Naraku in a way that wiped the smile from the hanyou's face.
"I would sooner die then allow you to harm a single hair on the head of my mate or my unborn child."
Naraku snarled as he ordered them taking away. The bit was replaced in his mouth as the two of them were dragged back to their cell and thrown roughly to the floor before the chains around their necks were latched to opposite walls again.
(break)
Ladies Akio, Aleria and Terea sat across from Kagome and Sango as they discussed battle plans. They had not heard a word from Naraku yet. No demands had been sent to her. It didn't matter. She knew what he wanted and she was not about to give it to him.
"Sesshomaru would sooner die then have me disgrace him by handing Naraku the jewel shards. I can't let him have them anyhow." She thought determined as another woman joined them.
"Ayame." Kagome greeted warmly as the ookamiyoukai joined them. "How did you get here?" She asked.
"I heard Kouga was coming here and that Naraku took Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. How'd that happen?" Ayame asked, ignoring the other taiyoukai in the room.
Terea and Akio seemed amused by the ookami while Aleria seemed shocked by her blunt attitude. To Kagome, she was just Ayame. Kagome sighed as she answered.
"I do not know, but I suspect Naraku used that poison he used last time. It weakened Sesshomaru and Inuyasha considerable, but had no effect on me." She answered solemnly.
"A toxin targeted at youkai then." Terea commented.
"Who would concoct such a thing?" Ayame asked.
"Naraku, or a henchman of his." Kagome answered firmly. "He hates Inuyasha and arose Sesshomaru's wrath not once, but twice now that I know of. He forced Sango's brother to kill his family and fight his sister. He cursed Miroku's blood line with the Kazaana that will one day destroy him and will continue on to his children unless if Naraku is destroyed. He forced Kikyo and Inuyasha to kill each other. He kidnapped Rin and myself in an attempted to control Sesshomaru. He hired a kuromiko to curse and kill me after trying to make me kill Inuyasha." She snarled in rage.
Sango nodded her head in agreement to what Kagome was saying, a look of anger and horror crossed the face of Ayame. The other three ladies remained composed but Kagome could sense their anger and horror through her miko powers and by the look in their eyes.
"This hanyou has no honor." Sango added. "He slaughter many ookami and than covered Inuyasha in their blood just to get Kouga to try and kill him so he could get the Shikon no Tama shards from Kouga's legs after they died fighting each other."
"This Naraku can not be permitted to live. We will help Kagome, Lady of the Western Lands. What can we do to assist you?" Lady Terea asked, fire burning in her eyes that the hanyou had dared to attack and harm her child and her fellow ookami.
Kagome smiled inward and mentally thanked Sango as the other two ladies offered their help as well.
"For now we can not do much until Naraku makes his demands. I can almost guarantee that he will promise Sesshomaru-sama and Inuyasha's return in exchange for my half of the Shikon no Tama or for both the jewel and me." Another thought made her blood run cold as she tried to analyze the situation.
"What if he makes me choose?" She thought desperately. "My heart tell me to rescue Inuyasha but my honor tells me to rescue Sesshomaru. No. My heart tell me to rescue them both. I may not love Sesshomaru as a mate, but I do care for him a little. I care for him as I do any of my friends."
The realization kind of took her by surprise as she remembered waking warm and safe in his grasp as he interrogated Inuyasha. She remembered his words after she had sealed him as clear as day.
"I do not see you as a possession."
He had used the last of his strength to try and get through to her instead of cursing her for harming him. He cared about her in his own way, cold and indifferent though it may be. He had yet to deny her anything out of spite, short of talking to her friends but that had been as much her fault as his.
"Kagome-sama." Sekira cried as she burst into the room, quickly bowing.
"What is it?" Kagome asked, dread rising in her chest as she feared that Naraku must have made his demand and it was not a good one judging by Sekira's reaction.
"Kagome-Sama, Kouga-sama has arrived and is severely injured. He….."
"Kagome-neechan." Sekira was cut off by a wounded Hakkaku as the Ookamiyoukai barged into the room, an equally injured Ginta behind him.
"Ginta, Hakkaku." Kagome exclaimed as she looked at them in horror.
They looked like hell and both were dripping blood on the floor.
"Kouga-kun. That wind witch attacked us with a hoard of youkai and…." Ginta faltered.
"They took Kouga-kun's shards." Hakkaku finished, tears streaming down his face.
A look of horror crossed her face before a steel determination took over. The look was frightening and inspiring all at the same time.
"Sekira, see Ginta and Hakakku to the infirmary and see to it they are cared for. I want to know when Kouga-sama has recovered enough to speak to me." Her voice was cold and emotionless and Sango couldn't help but to compare her to Sesshomaru right then.
Cool, calm, collected. Kagome was radiating it and it was affecting everyone. She was in control and others obeyed without question or hesitation. Sango felt both proud of her friend and worried that the carefree Kagome she knew as a sister would be gone forever after this.
Both ookami left, following Sekira to the infirmary without a word of protest, Ayame going with them, a look of concern on her face.
"Jaken." Kagome called.
The toad youkai was by her side in an instant, bowing before her as he had only ever done for Sesshomaru in the past.
"Hai, Kagome-sama." He cried.
"Find whatever forces that will answer to Sesshomaru's banner. Then get Ah-Un ready to leave at a moments notice. Do this quietly so as not to arouse suspicion. Naraku has spies everywhere and I do not want him knowing we are mobilizing until his front gate is ablaze in the fires of retribution."
"Hai, Kagome-sama." Jaken cried as he bowed again and left.
"Sango-chan."
"Hai."
"I want you to find Jeninji and get him and his mother to get as many medical supplies ready as possible, and if possible convince them to come with us and train our own medics in what they can in the little time we will have. Take Miroku-sama with you."
"Hai, Kagome-sama." Sango bowed as she got up and left, not taking long to hunt down Miroku before heading out.
"Ladies Akio, Terea, and Aleria. Can I trust you to mobilize with a minimal amount of attention being drawn. Naraku has a large army of lesser youkai he cares nothing about and Kagura can control the dead so we will be fighting zombies as well. He may have created more offspring as well since no army of lesser youkai would have been able to hold Sesshomaru-sama and Inuyasha at bay long enough for the smoke to have crept up on them unawares.
"Also, make sure your warriors are prepared to deal with that smoke. From what I can tell it is very powerful and stings and burns a youkai's senses. Hopefully Jeninji well be able to concoct something to counter it but until then we will just have to try and avoid it. Do I have your support?"
"Of course Kagome-sama." The three ladies agreed as they got up and left, returning to their own lands to mobilize.
With orders having been giving, she let out a sigh before standing up and heading down to the infirmary where Ginta and Hakkaku, covered in bandages, where hovering over Kouga. Ayame sat on the bed next to a barely conscious Kouga who was in obvious pain and covered in so many bandages he almost looked like a mummy.
Kagome sat down next to Ayame and Kouga smiled up at her the best he could. She could all but feel his pain.
"Kouga-kun." She called softly. "Who did this to you?"
"Those damn Schichinintai bastards." He answered weakly.
"Schichinintai?" She asked in shock. "They are dead."
"Naraku resurrected them the same way he did last time. I got that big ogre one again. Moron put his shard in the same place but the others were too strong, too many."
Speaking was clearly a pain for him as he coughed, blood welling in his throat.
"How many did you see, and which ones?" She asked, very concerned over this new development. "Bankotsu, Suikotsu, and Jakotsu. I took out the ogre. There was another one I didn't recognize. He had an annoying voice, his face was veiled, and he was wielding poison."
"Mukotsu. He must have been the one to create the poison than. Sesshomaru-sama killed him so it is no surprise he would go to great lengths to create a poison to take him out. Did you see anymore of them?"
"No. Just those five." He answered.
He was clearly weakening and needed to rest. Kagome smiled down at him as she ordered him to rest before retiring for the night herself. She had a lot of work she was going to have to do come morning and she was determined to get the rest she needed when she could.
For the first time ever she could sleep in her own bed, a bed never used once. She never even looked at it as she climbed into the bed she usually shared with Sesshomaru. It seemed too empty and she felt so alone all of a sudden.
"At least I have you." She thought to her unborn child as she rubbed her stomach.
She felt tears streaming down her face as she dared to think about how hard it would be for her to rule these lands without Sesshomaru's help. Thoughts about how she could possibly raise their child alone. Even with Miroku and Sango to help her it would not be easy.
She was human, her child would be a hanyou, unable to defend himself, or herself, yet. The West would be very weak and many enemies would seek to conquer it. There was no telling if Sesshomaru's forces would answer to her without the fear of there Lord's reprehension.
"Sesshomaru." She cried silently. "I need you. I can't do this alone. Who will help me raise our child? Who will defend our lands if I fail?"
Sekira listened to her cry as she picked up the discarded clothing Kagome had tossed to the floor before crawling into bed. Despite the fact Sesshomaru was gone she still followed his orders. She refused to speak to Miroku and she still slept nude and never mind how cold she got.
Kagome was surprised to realise that she missed Sesshomaru's warmth more than anything. He was always radiating heat and it was no wonder she always woke up next to him, curled up in his arm. He was like an in bed heater she was unconsciously drawn to. Not even Inuyasha had radiated heat like his brother did.
"I love one, but am mated to the other." She thought. "Poor Inuyasha. Every woman he had ever loved was taking away from him. One by Naraku, one by his own brother. I should have fought him. I should have used my purifying powers to keep him at bay until I was through the well. I was so close.
"No. That would have been foolish. All I would have done was infuriate him and I would either be dead, or beaten into submission and the mating would have been worse." She denied.
She cried herself into a restless sleep where she had nightmares of her mating with Sesshomaru and watching as Inuyasha's heart was shattered and her friends shunned her.
She dreamed of her child and how it would be shunned by all others, assuming they lived long enough for the child to grow to know the horrors of being shunned. She dreamed of the Western Lands burning and of humans being slaughtered by hoards of youkai as they fought for control over these lands.
Her dreams were cut short by another image, this of a man she didn't know, although he seemed familiar. He stood before her and slowly her dark visions were replaced by a field of green grass with a bright blue sky.
The man was tall and had a purple strip on either check like Inuyasha had when he went full youkai. His white hair was held back in a pony tail and ran to his waist. His eyes were a bright golden and his build was much like Sesshomaru's. His eyes betrayed a great wisdom and something that reminded her of Inuyasha, though what it was she could not place.
"Mate of my son." The man said, and his voice radiated command without the indifference Sesshomaru had. It almost sounded warm.
"What?" She asked. "Who are you?" She demanded, going on the defensive and drawing her miko powers about her, ready to defend herself. "How did you get here?" She demanded.
"You are the mate of my son and bear his mark. Your soul is torn between your love for my youngest and your obligation to my eldest." The man continued as if she had never interrupted him.
"Your youngest and eldest?" Dawning came to her then.
"How are you here? You're dead. I saw your remains inside the black pearl. Why are you here?" She demanded, in control of her emotions once more.
"You called me here. Your feelings for my sons has summoned my soul to ease yours. Being a Miko helped." He chuckled with a smile.
"Inutashio?" She asked hesitantly, remembering the name Myoga had called Inuyasha's father. "I called you here?" She asked stunned.
"Your pain called to me. Being mated to my son makes you family, thus I heard your call. I must say I am surprised Sesshomaru would mate a human, giving his hatred for them. Though I must say your power is astonishing, equal to or greater than his I am impressed to say."
"Sesshomaru still hates human, and hanyou's." She said bitterly.
"Yet he mated you."
"Only in the throws of Midsummers Eve." She snarled.
"Ah, Midsummer's Eve. It is how I met Inuyasha's mother." He said fondly.
"Huh?" She asked shocked.
"It was during the last Midsummer's Eve with a full moon that I met with Inuyasha's mother and we mated. I never meant to mark her but fate would work against us. I did as any respectful mate would do. I brought her home and welcomed her fully into my house, and in time learned to love her.
"She forgave me for taking her life and showed me such love, loyalty and affection as I had never known a human could show. I believe Sesshomaru's hatred for humans comes from the fact that he feels I betrayed his mother by taking another mate, a human one at that. His minds was too clouded by the feelings of anger and betrayal to notice that Inuyasha's mother came into our life as a result of Midsummer's Eve.
"When Inuyasha was born he was horrified. Inuyasha never noticed and followed Sesshomaru everywhere, trying to impress and emulate him. Inuyasha felt truly betrayed after my death and his mother and he were banished from the only home he had ever known by the very brother he emulated."
Inutashio sighed.
"Sesshomaru had hoped that by banishing them he would restore the honor to our house that he believed I had destroyed. He lacked compassion."
"Hence Tenseiga." Kagome clued in. "A sword that could only be used for healing. He used it to resurrect Rin. It was after that he started to change."
"Tetsusaiga was designed to protect Inuyasha from his own blood and hot headedness while Tenseiga was designed to teach Sesshomaru compassion for others. From what I have seen in your soul it seems that they are learning."
"Sesshomaru had tried to kill me four years ago, than just two years ago he saved my from the Shichinintai, although he denied it. I find I am starting to understand him more. He and Inuyasha have more in common than they would care to think about." She chuckled, Inutashio joining her.
"Inuyasha is nursing a broken heart over Kikyo, but he does not hurt for you anymore. He has come to understand that he loves you as a sister more than a lover. He still loves you a lot, but he is not jealous. He is angry that his brother does not treat you with the respect he figures you are due."
"Most likely because I show Sesshomaru so much respect when we are together as a way to appease his sense of pride. Having his mate throwing herself at his brother is a blow to his ego and image, something he will not tolerate in Inuyasha's presence. He has forbidden me from speaking to Inuyasha."
She felt tears streaming down her face again and let them fall unabashed.
"It was an order giving in anger and I know he regrets it." Inutashio counselled. "I understand you severely ruined his pride.
"I slapped him, knocking him to the ground, got him covered in mud, and berated him for acting like a spoiled brat right in front of Inuyasha and my human friends." She admitted a little guiltily.
"And did he deserve it?"
"Every last ounce of embarrassment." She said firmly.
"Part of a mates place is to keep their mate in line and remind him when they are acting inappropriately. My own put me in my place no few times." He chuckled at the memory.
"Oh. Did Inuyasha's mother get a rosary for you?" She asked innocently.
"No. But she had her ways. The servants were loyal to her and getting flea infested clothing, freezing bath water, and other such discomforts reminded me just who ran the household." He chuckled, and Kagome joined in.
She sighed wistfully then as she sat down and looked up at the sky.
"Something is still troubling you?"
"I may have to make a choice. A choice I am not ready to make. A month ago it would have been easy, but now I find myself torn between love and duty. Naraku has both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, and I know he will want to trade them for my jewel shard and possibly even myself. Knowing Naraku he will make me choose who I want to rescue. My heart screams for Inuyasha while my honor screams for Sesshomaru.
"If I lose Inuyasha I will lose the one man I love more than life itself, even if I do only love him as a brother. If I lose Sesshomaru I will have to rule our lands alone and our child will be unprotected from the other youkai looking for our blood in hopes to claim the now weak lands as their own. I do not know what to do.
"I can not hand the jewel over to Naraku, but I will if it will set them free. I can always reclaim the jewel later and purify it, even though I know Sesshomaru would sooner die then have me dishonor myself by handing over the jewel to Naraku . I am torn on what to do." She admitted.
"You worry over nothing, and yet everything. Naraku has yet to make his demands so you have no way of knowing if he will force you to choose or not. You have the support of your friends and allies and I know you will do the right thing. No one should have to choose between their honor and love."
"Did you love Sesshomaru's mother, or was it an alliance mating?" She asked out of the blue. "I know so much about Inuyasha's mother but I have never heard anything about Sesshomaru's."
"I loved her very much." Inutashio admitted, and even she could see the pain in his eyes and heard the pain in his voice. "She was very powerful and was my equal in all ways. Our mating was a union of joy and I was delighted when she accepted my courtship."
"What ever happened to her?" Kagome asked.
"She died protecting my heir and my lands while I was fighting a taiyoukai from the North. His assassin intended to kill my heir in revenge and she found out and tried to stop it. She was already wounded from earlier battles but won the fight. She died from her wounds soon after.
"Sesshomaru was too young to remember very well but he grieved for the longest time, and so did I. It would be a hundred years before I would find love again in Inuyasha's mother."
"Oh. I see." She said sadly. "That must have been hard. Growing up without a mother. I grew up without a father, but still. Nothing can compare to a mother's love."
Inutashio nodded his head in agreement.
"And I was never there for him. He resented the time I spent with Inuyasha, Sesshomaru having been old enough to take over many of my duties, freeing up some of my time. He despised me for the love and affection I lavished on his younger brother."
"That, being an older sister, I can understand. Sometimes I get insanely jealous when mother does something for Souta that she never did for me." She chuckled. "But than I remember how much she loves me and all is better again." She sighed. "Thank you for telling me so much and helping me. I appreciate it. I do have one last question before you leave though."
"What is it?"
"What was Sesshomaru's mother's name?"
Smiling, he told her as he disappeared, the name echoing on the winds as she awoke to the dawn. It was a name she would remember for a long time.