Down a Forgotten Path
Disclaimer-I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.
The day began with a warm breeze wafting through the treetops. The breeze stirred the hair of the young inu child wandering down a path in the garden. He was playing, alone as he always did, just a few steps ahead of an inu female. The female had long silver hair streaked with blue flowing to her hips, her eyes were the deepest pools of blue many had ever seen. She walked with a purpose and a natural grace that led many to believe she was unable to defend herself. This often led to the untimely demise of several demons attacking her humans. The only odd thing about this inu youkai was her deep love and understanding of humans. She enjoyed talking to them, liked to watch as they made their way through a life that was sometimes to harsh for their fragile bodies. She protected them when the need arose and taught them many things. She smiled at the young child in front of her. He was her greatest accomplishment and her greatest joy. She feared for him because of his contentment in being alone but she was also proud he could take care of himself so easily. He looked more like his father then her but he had her interest in humans and her desire to help them. He showed humans kindness and understanding, the female's greatest wish was that her son would continue to show these feelings later in his life. Neither of the inu youkai knew today would change both of their lives forever.
Down the path ran a young warrior, he was covered in blood and was severely wounded but he continued on. The warrior rounded a bend in the path and came upon the two inu youkai, mother and son, playing in the sun, laughing with the innocence of childhood. The female turned and saw the blood soaked warrior "What has happened?" the smell of human blood wafted to her delicate nose.
"I'm sorry Lady Mitsuko the human village was attacked many are dead and the attacking youkai can not be pushed back. We need assistance."
Mitsuko bent to her son's level "I have to go help the humans, Sesshomaru. Go back inside." Sesshomaru watched as his mother walked away from him for the last time. He would always remember her walking away but the memory that stuck with him and haunted his dreams came two days later inside the great hall. He had seen the trail of people coming to the castle wall, running down the steps he couldn't wait to see his mother and tell her all of the things he had done in her absence.
The same young warrior entered the hall first, the pain and sadness washed off of him and the others in waves. Sesshomaru stopped in the middle of the great hall, his mother was not behind the warrior nor could he see her amongst the others. There were several youkai carrying a stretcher covered with a rough handmade blanket. Sesshomaru was drawn to the stretcher, he had to lift the blanket, had to see what had become of her, what had been done to her. Mitsuko lay on the stretcher, her once lively blue eyes closed forever. Her silver hair was streaked with red as well as the familiar blue. Sesshomaru could smell death coming from her; he knew she was gone forever. The wound of death was delivered to her heart. Sesshomaru could see where a sword had entered her chest and cut through her heart. Everyone offered him their sympathy and words of comfort. Humans came to see the son of their protector and to offer him what comfort they could. Something inside of Sesshomaru snapped, in his child's mind the people who had caused his mothers death was not the youkai who had killed her but instead the humans who had needed her protection. In that instant, Sesshomaru pushed aside his mothers teaching and turned his back on weak humans. Sesshomaru turned from the group gathered in the great hall and walked up to his room.
Sesshomaru's father returned the next day to find his mate dead and his son a cold creature. Nothing the father could do would bring his son back to his warm, trusting self. Soon the father stopped trying and he and his son became distant from each other.
The years began to melt into each other and Sesshomaru grew into a cold, uncaring, lonely tai-youkai. When his father took a human mate Sesshomaru saw this as an indiscretion against his mother. When the human female bore his father a hanyou child, Sesshomaru could find no fault with the child. He after all had done nothing wrong. A small spark of what he had once been began to burn in his heart once more. When the human female was killed and his father died trying to save her life, he saw her as the reason his father died. She was just another weak human causing the death of a strong youkai. The hanyou child became a source of blame and weakness. Sesshomaru drew deeper into himself and became colder.
Sesshomaru looked across the fire to the new human in his group. She was curled into a ball under her blanket the only part of her that was visible was her short dark hair. She slept but she did not sleep peacefully. She also had such a tight grip on the blanket that her knuckles were white. Even in her sleep she had to fight for what was hers, even a blanket.
Sesshomaru looked down at the small human child curled against his side. She lay completely relaxed and peaceful. She was covered with his fur but had it pushed down to her waist. Sesshomaru pulled the fur up to her chin and smoothed her hair down. She completely trusted him to take care of her and not let anything happen to her. For her he had found a human female to teach her and for her he would endure the female's presence. If anyone looked into Sesshomaru's heart they would see the great tai-youkai would do anything for the young human girl including give up his own life to ensure her life would continue if the need ever arose. She had lit up his once dark cold life; she brought him warmth, sunshine, and laughter. She was his greatest accomplishment and his greatest joy.