The Lord of the Western Lands growled one threatening word. "Toutousai."

"Huh? What? Where am I? Who are you?" The old man scratched his head, looking at Inutaisho with a blank expression. Growling again, the lord hit the old man over the head.

"I sent for you some time ago, Toutousai. Why do I find myself sitting in your cave instead of at my home?" Inutaisho said.

"You young ones, always so impatient!" Toutousai folded his arms, staring at the lord across the fire. "And why should a great swordsmith such as myself, with my age and wisdom, come to see such a young and brash lord."

"Toutousai, if you consider me young, I fear knowing your true age. But I believe, smith, that you owe me some respect, seeing as how you have deigned to settle upon my lands."

Inutaisho kept his voice level, knowing from his new mate, Izayoi, that he had a habit of simply growling his requests unintelligibly. Luckily, she had been brave enough to do so. He expected it had been the cause of a few misunderstandings in the past years. Though, if anyone else had tried to point out a fault, they would find their statement to be the last to cross their lips.

Izayoi....Izayoi was what drove him to make this request of the eccentric and, he observed with annoyance, somewhat senile swordsmith. He had concluded, having met Toutousai, the only thing that surpassed his ability in smithing was his stupidity. That, however would not drive him away from this most important task. Especially since he had left Izayoi, currently carrying his son, back in his castle. It was a seperation that, if he thought too much on it, would send him into a panic.

The idea to come to Toutousai had come from a conversation he had had with Izayoi, concerning the future of his present and his future son. They had been dining, he simply watching her eat, and she consuming enough for two and then some when she had paused, setting down her rice bowl and chopsticks, and looked at him, black eyes more serious than he was used to seeing them.

"I am concerned." Izayoi announced, almost making him laugh. She noticed his amusement and narrowed his eyes. "Inutaisho-sama."

"Forgive me." He said, willing the smile off his face. "What makes you so concerned?"

"Even though you did not see fit to inform me, I know I am carrying your child." Izayoi said.

Inutaisho waited, not admitting anything. He had known yes, and had been waiting for an oppurtune moment to tell her.

"You dislike this?" He said cautiously. Despite her impeccable manners, her grace and her beauty, Izayoi had a temper to match him and nerves of steel to go with it. He doubted she disliked carrying his child, but human females were irrational and unpredictable creatures. At his question her eyes widened and she shook her head.

"I dislike the fact that you did not tell me. I am....very happy to be carrying your child." Izayoi said, almost shyly. Inutaisho let himself smile, joy and pride competing for the prominent emotion in his heart.

"But-" Izayoi continued and he felt wariness relentlessly squash both joy and pride, "I know that our son will not have the powers of a full demon. I fear for his safety. That is why I am concerned." Her expression saddened, and panic that she might cry started to overtake wariness. "I know I myself will not be able to defend our son."

"I will-"

"I do not think anyone of your lineage will enjoy being coddled." Izayoi pointed out cooly. He accepted the slight barb and nodded. "I believe that we should think of some way to ensure that our son will be protected always."

"There is also the chance that his demon blood could drive him mad as well." Inutaisho said thoughtfully, then caught the look on Izayoi's face. "It hardly ever happens though, I promise you, Izayoi." He waited, hoping she would not hear the lie in his words and relaxed as she did not, and nodded. "Myouga."

"Yes, my lord Inutaisho!" Myouga hopped up onto the inuyoukai's nose and began sucking greedily. Inutaisho squished him between to fingers distastefully and flicked him onto the table. Izayoi giggled slightly, covering her mouth with one hand, used enough to their antics to know that Myouga was not injured despite being completely flattened.

"What do you know of the swordsmith Toutousai, recently settled upon my lands?" Inutaisho waited for the flea demon to pop back into a three dimensional existence. Having done so the flea bowed before speaking in a slightly irritating voice.

"Mi'lord, Toutousai is a very very old man who is famed for both his skills as a swordsmith and his strange behaviour. They say he is very reclusive, and is choosy about who he makes swords for, having both the ability to hide himself and fight if necessary. It is rumoured, tht if you can get Toutousai to make a sword for you, you need never fear anything again. Not any living creature, nor anything otherwise." The flea began to hop over to Izayoi.

"Does my lady Izayoi desire a sword? I had no idea that she had such talents." He said, hopping onto her hand. Inutaisho lazily flicked the flea into the wall with his whip.

"Not for her, for my son." Inutaisho said, thinking hard. Though, perhaps some sort of protection for Izayoi was in order. The humans he had plucked her from were buzzing noisily around his borders, and while he would like to have made an example of them for the youkai who were annoying him, Izayoi knew and liked several of the humans he had taken her from, and had even requested that they be allowed to visit her. Of course, now with the possiblity of such a powerful sword in wait for his future son, and he to protect her now, she had no need of such protection. He would have to visit this Toutousai.

The idea for the second sword had come after a confrontation with his firstborn, Sesshoumaru. He did not need an all powerful sword for protection, and Inutaisho had no plan of making him one. That would only add to the boy's ego and assurance that he, Sesshoumaru, was above everything and anyone else on the earth. The confrontation had started over Inutaisho taking Izayoi as a mate, and his lack of shame for happily awaiting the birth of his hanyou son. Disgusted with him, Sesshoumaru had set out to destroy him. Being older and stronger, Inutaisho had defeated the young inuyoukai, if not with ease, then with no relative difficulty. Inutaisho did realize, however, that Sesshoumaru's hate for humans, and in fact, for anyone but himself would evenutually lead only to his son's own misery. A miserable and powerful youkai do not bode well for those living anywhere near him. Or anyone far away either. Thus the second sword, a sword of compassion had come to his mind. And with the idea of two swords, one for each son, he had sent for the swordsmith Toutousai. After a month passed, he had taken it upon himself to pay a visit to the old man, in part due to his own impatience and also because of Izayoi's insistence. Now he sat across the fire from the old demon, who showed signs of definite senility and idiocy.

"Two swords." Toutousai said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "For who?"

"My sons."

"Definitely not. Sesshoumaru is incapable of feeling and has no need of anything that could increase his power. And the unborn one is not likely to actually survive long enough to use a sword, hanyou that he is." Toutousai said, folding his arms and looking away. Touga ground his teeth at the insults, and rembered Myouga's words about Toutousai being able to hide himself away. If he attacked the old man now he would never get his swords. His sons would suffer. Izayoi would be disappointed.

"I know the faults of my own, Toutousai. I know Sesshoumaru's ability to feel and my unborn child's future difficulties in protecting himself." Inutaisho said, unable to keep the growl out of his voice.

"Eh? what was that? I don't hear so well..." Toutousai said, cupping a hand to his ear, the expression on his face clearly saying he had heard the demon lord quite well.

"I said I know my sons have and will have their faults!" Inutaisho roared.

Toutousai nodded, a slightly crafty look on his face. "So what would you have me, a swordsmith do?"

"I want a sword for my youngest, to wield to be able to protect himself, and the humans he will no doubt be with." Inutaisho said, thinking of Izayoi's smiling face. "I want a sword for my eldest to be able to heal, to revive those should he ever need anyone."

"Hmph." Toutousai was doing a poor job of trying not to look intrigued. "And what would you have me make these swords from? Thin air?"

"Could you?" Inutaisho said. Toutousai snorted and the demon dog snarled, baring teeth. Toutousai looked at him and tapped on his teeth, surprising Inutaisho so much that he lost his angry epxression completely.

"Those will do." Toutousai said simply.

"My fangs?" Inutaisho said incredulously.

"What better material could there be, espeically if these are gifts to your sons?" Toutousai said. "Just come and let me extract them." he said craftily, pulling out a pair of pliers.

The Lord of the Western Lands returned home minus two fangs. He went immediately to Izayoi's room, detecting the scent of her tears.

"Izayoi." He said quietly and she hastily wiped at her eyes.

"You've returned." She said, giving him a full smile.

"Toutousai has agreed to make the swords. I will not leave you again until I go back for them." Inutaisho stepped forward and wiped the remaining tears off of her cheeks. "And I will find out who has saddened you so." He said, angrily, feeling his lips pull back for a snarl. He expected Izayoi to try and calm him as she usually did, but instead she clapped her hands to her mouth and shook. He looked at her, puzzled.

"What is it?" He asked, concerned, and then realised she was laughing.

"Oh, my..." She finally managed to still herself.

"Toutotusai required them for the swords." Inutaisho said, his voice gruff with slight embarassment. Izayoi giggled again.

"They will grow back, won't they?" She asked and went into another fit of controllable laughter.

"Of course they will!" Inutaisho said angrily.

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Hm, Inutaisho or Touga....personally, I prefer Inutaisho...so that's what I used. If Rumiko Takahashi decides to pick a name, and puts it in a book or manga, I'll fix it then

Ah, and reviews are always weclome. Constructive criticism...flames....spelling mistakes....anything....