Chapter Two - Awakening

Sesshomaru groaned, his head felt like his brain was beating against his skull. The last thing he remembered was seeing a vision of his dead father. Slowly he sat up and opened his eyes. What he saw made his heart skip a beat.

'By the gods...'

He was in the tomb of his father atop one of the many spires of rock. Yet that's not what he stared at now. What froze his body in shock was standing a mere three feet from him. InuTaisho, alive and well was standing with his back to his eldest son. In the elder demons left hand he held the Tenseiga, and in his right...he gazed at Sesshomaru's left arm. Taken from him by Inuyasha in their first battle for the Tetsusiaga.

"F-father?" Was the only thing Sesshomaru managed to say.

The elder demon turned to his first born, his once steeled golden eyes now soft and full of suspicious moisture.

"My son," InuTaisho said softly. He dropped the Tenseiga and knelt down in front of Sesshomaru his free hand almost hesitantly reached up and touched Sesshomaru's cheek.

For the first time in many years the Sesshomaru didn't know what to do. His father had died when Inuyasha was three summers old, yet there he stood, alive and well.

"H-how-" Sesshomaru started.

"I don't know," InuTaisho cut him off "I remember the battle with Ryukotsusei, the wound, and then...darkness." His gaze fell to the ground.

"H-how long was I dead?" He inquired softly

"Over 70 years father." Sesshomaru answered softly

For a moment there was a tense silence as InuTaisho digested this information.

"70 years...Izayoi...Inuyasha...Are they-"

"She died about three years after you father..." Sesshomaru's voice was quite, but InuTaisho sensed there was something the younger demon wanted to tell him.

"Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru sighed and took in a shaky breath

'Here goes nothing' he thought

"F-father...I failed you."

"son?" the elder demon looked confused

"After Izayoi died Inuyasha's human family threw him from their lands. I took him in at first but...but then I began listen more and more to what the other nobles said." Sesshomaru's mask shattered and a tear slipped down his cheek.

"I abandoned him...I began to believe he was the reason you died, I blamed him for it, I left him to fend for himself, I let myself fight with him, I tried to kill him...I-I" Sesshomaru voice broke and he buried his face in his fathers shoulder and cried softly.

After composing himself InuTaisho embraced his oldest. Holding him like he had done when he was a pup.

"Where is he now my son?" he asked softly

Sesshomaru told his father about his nightmares, what he'd learned from observing Inuyasha's friends. After he finished his tale Sesshomaru looked his father in the eye. InuTaisho stared into the distance with a blank expression on his face.

"Father...I know what I have done to my blood is of a quality fit for a lowly wolf demon, but please, help your wayward son back. I-I don't want to hate anymore."

There was a long pause in which time itself seemed to stand still. The span of no more then a minute felt like an eternity to Sesshomaru, then InuTaisho let out a long sigh.

"We've all made mistakes Sesshomaru. And maybe it isn't to late to mend some of them." With that said he placed his hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder. Gently he pulled his Kimono aside and looked at the stump of Sesshomaru's arm.

Sesshomaru watched as his dismembered limb was reconnected, a warm tingle in his shoulder was all he felt as the muscles, nerves, bones, and sinews reconnected. It was over in moments and Sesshomaru for the first time in a very long time, flexed his left arm. After a moment the faintest hints of a smile graced his lips.

"tsk tsk. It's still stiff" he said with a grin in his voice

"Suck it up pup!" InuTaisho laughed softly and ruffled Sesshomaru's hair. "Now, we have work to do. We must find Inuyasha, and pray he's alive."

Naraku smiled very pleased with today's work. In his hand he fiddled with his latest prize, a blood-soaked fang.

'I probably should have waited to break his jaw until after I ripped it out...but oh well, tomorrow's another day.'

Naraku laughed loudly and walked deeper into the miasma covering his palace. Behind him the sound of laughter was heard...human laughter.

Miroku sat silently in font of Kaede's fire pit. Kagome had gone back to her own time, Shippo was with Keade who was attending to some sick villagers, and Sango and Kirara were walking around the village. He thought of the attack almost two weeks ago that had stolen Inuyasha from them. The demon was in the shape of a human, dressed in black from head to toe. Yet it's face was blank. There was no mouth, nose, or ears. Just a pair of blood red eyes. It had jumped down from a tree in front of the group, before anyone had a chance to react it attacked.

The speed of the beast was uncanny. It had moved faster then even Kouga could move at his fastest. It ran first for Inuyasha, before he could draw his sword the demon had grabbed him by the throat and rammed him into a huge boulder. The boulder exploded with the incredible impact and the beast then threw Inuyasha like a rag doll at a tree. Miroku had just begun pulling the prayer beads from his arm when the creature appeared at his side and with one hand snapped his wrist. Sango didn't even have time to draw her katana before the beast dropped into a low kick, she screamed in pain as the bones in her leg snapped easily.

Kirara lunged for the monster and bit it's left arm, unfazed it pulled a dagger from it's sash and planted it into Kirara's exposed side. She roared in pain and anger and the second she released her hold, it shoved he to the ground and stabbed her again and again.

Kagome attracted it's attention when she shot it in the back with her arrow, but the creature didn't even blink. in one fluid motion it threw the bloody dagger at her. Her bow was cleaved in half .

Inuyasha appeared almost out of nowhere ramming the transformed Tetsusiaga into the demons chest. He succeeded in pushing it back a few inches before it head butted him, sending him sprawling backwards. The monster effortlessly ripped the blade from it's chest a foul black liquid seeping from it's befouled innards. Inuyasha got to his feet again, panting heavily and blood dribbling down his chin. The monster lunged again and this time planted a small dagger that was literally seething demonic energies into Inuyasha's stomach. The half breed gagged and fell limp in the black clad demons arms before it disappeared into the forests.

Miroku clenched his fist in anger. Inuyasha was the closest thing he had to a brother. They know things about each other that nobody else ever had and they were the closest thing to a true family either had ever known.

'He may be a bit rough at first,' he thought 'but he's the greatest person I've ever know.'

Miroku sighed and gazed out the window staring into the beautiful night. 'I swear this Inuyasha, we'll find you. And may the gods have mercy on whoever took you from us...Because I won't.'