Hello again. Lol, I know it's been a long time but I've been busy with school homework and stuff like that. I can't believe that the last time I updated this story was before my exams and I know that was a long time ago. I'm really sorry about that. Once I get a new idea for a different story, I get the bad habit of working on the new story and not anything else. : ) : ) I hope that you all can forgive me. If it's any constellation, I did well on my exams. : ): ) I thank you all for your wonderful reviews. They really made my happy to see that most of you liked that chapter and the entire story. Well enough babbling, here's your long waited chapter.

Left Behind

Sesshoumaru's attack merged with Inuyasha's and Shouru's to create a huge blast. Naraku tried to create a barrier around him self, but he was too slow in doing so. The three watched with anticipation to see the retched hanyou finally destroyed. A blinding white light filled the area and then a huge gust of wind followed, blowing everything away from Naraku. The jewel shards, which Naraku had in his possession, were thrown towards Inuyasha and he had caught them before they were blown away into the forest. Shouru pulled out his kunai and stabbed it into the ground to keep him self from blowing away with the wind. Sesshoumaru stood where he was with the Tokijin back in its place, not allowing the explosion of energy to affect his posture.

"Damn you wretched fools!" Naraku's voice came from a distance, as if it was fading away into eternity.

When the light faded, nothing of Naraku was left.

"He's gone. That bastard is finally gone," Shouru whispered with relief.

Inuyasha looked at the jewel shards that were now in his possession. They were contaminated with Naraku's evil and he knew that they should be taken to Kagome as soon as possible. Without a word, Inuyasha took off in the direction that she was in. When Sesshoumaru knew his brother was gone, he turned his attention to Shouru.

"Did I not tell you keep your distance from Tsuto?" he asked with some annoyance.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, I meant no disrespect towards you. Tsuto is still young but she now bears your child. She is my sister, just as Inuyasha is your brother. Even though you hate him because if what he is, you would never let someone other than yourself destroy him," Shouru replied quietly.

"Inuyasha would live a life knowing that I was not his brother, if the decision was his. You had the decision of not knowing she was your sister, yet you sought her out anyway."

"Forgive me lord, but I believe that now that Naraku is dead, Tsuto would be more than grateful to see your face again," Shouru said as he turned to walk into the forest.

I waited for Sesshoumaru to arrive. A large blast had come from the trees and I had felt a large gust of wind blowing from his direction. 'Please let Sesshoumaru be alright. If Naraku is able to kill him, then what is to become of me? I would become his again and then my life would be once again meaningless. Sesshoumaru's… Our child would be…' I felt tears wanting to pour from my eyes because of my worry for Sesshoumaru. The trees rustled slightly and the sound had caught all our attention. All but Miroku's, since his attention was directed to his cursed hand as the wind tunnel was disappearing. Inuyasha burst out of the trees and my heart almost stopped because of it. 'Sesshoumaru is alright isn't he? If Inuyasha is alive and well, then he must be, right?' Everyone ran to Inuyasha, asking if Naraku was finally dead. I waited a few minutes, waited for Sesshoumaru to come out of the forest. When a few minutes passed and he didn't come out, I fell to my knees with shock. 'I'm over reacting. He can't be dead. Sesshoumaru's a demon, Naraku was a half demon.' It felt like my heart was slowly breaking apart within my chest. Tears slowly formed in my eyes and before they could fall, I felt an arm go around my waist.

"What the…"

"Quiet Tsuto, we must leave before Inuyasha becomes aware of my closeness to you," his cool voice whispered into my ear.

"Sessh…" I began, but before I could finish we were in the forest.

'What's wrong with him? Why does he sound different?' I wondered as I was placed on my own feet. Sesshoumaru took hold of my wrist and started to lead the way through the trees without saying a word to me.

"Uh, Sesshoumaru, where are we going? What's going on?"

"Jaken and Rin are waiting at your village. I'm sure that your sister would be glad to see you are well," he explained rather coldly, not looking back.

'Why is he so mad? Did I do something wrong? Or did Naraku do something to him?' At that thought, I tried to pull away from him, tried stop him from dragging me along.

"What did he do to you?" I asked him, frustrated by his actions.

Sesshoumaru stopped walking and then turned towards me.

"Wha…"

"Why aren't you boasting about your victory? Why aren't you telling me he's dead? I know that you don't like to show your emotions, but why won't you even smile?" I yelled, closing my eyes and trying to look away from him.

Suddenly Sesshoumaru's arm went around my back and he pulled me into a protective embrace. It had felt the same as it always did, and suddenly my rage towards him was gone. Tears wanted to fall for my own fear of losing him, for even having the slightest doubt that he had not survived the battle with Naraku. 'Why am I so stupid? I should have known that he would come back, that that bastard couldn't kill him. How could I have been so stupid?' I wrapped both of my arms around him and squeezed tightly.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, letting my tears fall without a care.

"Why are you crying for me?" Sesshoumaru whispered, holding me a little tighter.

"I was scared… that I was gunna lose you, that I would never get to see your face again," I whispered, burying my face into his armor and hoari.

I didn't know when I had become such a crybaby or a weakling towards things, but I didn't seem to care anymore. Maybe it was because I had found the person I had loved and wasn't being forced to be with a guy that I hated with my heart and soul. All I knew was that I didn't care about having to be strong anymore. 'He must think that I'm a total idiot, crying and clinging onto him like a small child.'

"Tsuto, you know how I feel about you crying," he whispered softly into my ear.

"Shut up," I laughed into his chest.

Sesshoumaru released me and then he took hold of my hand instead of my wrist. He continued to lead the way to my village, pulling me along behind him. 'I wonder why he always drags me everywhere. It probably gives him a small sense of power over me, even though he has major power over me since I'm a girl... and fourteen…' I pouted at the thought of his strength difference compared to me and then laughed slightly at myself for no reason.

"Why are we going back to my village? Couldn't you have Jaken take Rin back to the castle?" I asked him curiously.

Sesshoumaru didn't speak for a few moments and then the wind suddenly picked up from nowhere. The wind brought a kind of sadness that you wouldn't be able to feel in most places, but since it was near Naraku's castle the feeling was kind of normal.

"I cannot keep you at the castle Tsuto. I have to leave you at that village until the pup is born. I have to leave you behind," Sesshoumaru said with what sounded like some hate.

'Why does he seem so mad? Does he think that I hate him?' I was confused and my heart slowed down because of it. I thought that Sesshoumaru would lash out at something, but nothing had happened. Before I could open my mouth to ask why, he had answered for me.

"As a dog I am not permitted to see my mate when she is with child. It would be because a male dog gets overprotective and jealous when his mate is to be touched by another. Being the full blooded dog demon that I am, that is what would happen to me if I did not put you in a safer place."

In Sesshoumaru's voice you could hear his hateful growl towards the thought of abandoning me, but I could also hear that he was hurt to have to do it. 'This must be so hard on him. Nine months without seeing him is gunna be hard on me too.'

"I understand Sesshoumaru. Just promise me that you won't let anything happen to yourself before we are to see each other again," I said with a small smile.

Within that moment, before Sesshoumaru could agree, the village came into sight and Ah-Un and Jaken were outside the village waiting for Sesshoumaru's return.

"My lord, what took you so long? Did you finally defeat that blasted Naraku once and for all? I bet you were the one who killed him sire!" Jaken cried happily, sucking up to his lard as usual.

"Jaken, where is Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Why she's in the village with all those mortals. That other child had said that Naraku had kidnapped her and that that was where you were. My, she had found us just in time. If she had been any later Naraku's sanyosho would have gotten her!" the small imp had said rather happily for being the one to destroy the insects and save Rin.

'Oh god, Rain! I forgot that she had been there too. Damn it why am I so stupid sometimes?' I scolded myself for not remembering that my own sister had been in danger.

"Sesshoumaru, could you let go? I want to go make sure that Rain is alright," I said quietly, not really wanting Jaken to hear because he would make a big deal out of it.

"I will come with you," he replied almost instantly.

I was kind of shocked to see that Sesshoumaru was willing to go into a human village which was obviously FILLED with humans.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, are you going in there with all those pathetic humans!" Jaken cried with complete and utter shock.

With a devilish smirk on my face, I looked at Jaken with innocent eyes.

"Hey Jaken, can I see that staff of yours?"

"It's master Jaken to you, you brazen child. Since you are prisoner to lord Sesshoumaru, I will allow you to see it," he agreed with a proud face, trying to suck up to Sesshoumaru even more.

'Hopefully this stupid thing will laugh like the last time I touched it and then I can smash him over the head with it.' Jaken handed the staff over and then the man started laughing and then I used it to hit Jaken over the head with it.

"I'm not a prisoner, I choose to be here, and you suck Jaken!" I cried as I walked into the village with Sesshoumaru following behind me.

"Behold the dismal fate of Jaken," the imp said with some confusion as he passed out on the ground.

'I wonder if Rain made it back alright. Guess there's only one way to find out!' I thought with a smile before running on ahead towards the hut where my parents lived. Sesshoumaru didn't run, though he would have preferred to stop me. Such a childish nature was beneath him and he did not wish to take part in it.

"Hey mother, father, Rain!" I called as I reached their hut with a smile.

Rain had heard my voice and came out of the hut, looking for me everywhere she could.

"Tsuto, Tsuto where are you?" she called.

My mother came out as well, but my father was nowhere in sight. 'I wonder where father is. He must still be at the bridge working. I wonder how big it is.' Running to Rain, I almost tackled her to the ground with my arms wrapped around her.

"I'm so happy you're alright. I never thought that I'd be this happy again!" I said with a huge smile on my face.

Some people were heard screaming and my mother was about to usher us into the house when she too saw what everyone was screaming at. Turning to look back, I saw Sesshoumaru just walking towards us without a care that everyone was screaming and yelling to get away from him. 'What are they so afraid of?'

"Mother it's fine. That's Sesshoumaru. That's the guy that got me away from Naraku!" I explained as I pointed towards him.

My mother was slightly surprised to hear that a demon would even take the time to consider saving a human, let alone keep her alive afterward.

"But Tsuto he's a demon," she whispered.

"Naraku was a demon and you let him take me away. Does that not count?"

"He's the reason he came here to take your sister with him," mother replied sternly.

"Mother, Tsuto and Sesshoumaru were the ones who saved me. They were the ones who told me to go find Rin and Jaken!" Rain protested with what looked like tears in her eyes.

She hated it when people fought. She especially hated it when her family fought even though it didn't happen very often.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin's voice came out of the hut as she ran towards him with a happy smile.

Stopping, Sesshoumaru watched as the small girl ran up to him and wrapped her small arms around his leg since she wasn't big enough to reach his waist. He then looked at my mother and me as we watched him with interest.

"I do not plan on staying here, if that's what you're worried about. I brought Tsuto here for some time. I may harm her if she is near me in the next nine months, and that will be something that I will not be able to tolerate," Sesshoumaru said coldly, not really caring about the stares he was receiving from various people.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, can I stay here with Tsuto and Rain? That way you'll have to come back?" Rin asked innocently.

My mother stepped forward with a small smile on her face.

"She is welcome to stay here. Though, I am not too sure that you should return so often because the villagers do not care for demons just as much as they do not care for us," she said rather coldly.

"Stay if you wish Rin. I will visit, but not too often. As a dog I will get protective and perhaps even attack anyone for touching Tsuto since she is now my mate and forever bound to me."

"So Tsuto's pregnant with your child? And not Naraku's?" my mother said with shock and surprise.

I laughed slightly at even the thought of Naraku anymore. Now that he was dead, I had nothing to be afraid of, except losing either Sesshoumaru or my unborn child.

"Naraku's dead, mother! Never to be seen again except in the pits of hell. The village doesn't need to be afraid anymore and I'm finally free!" I said with a happy smile.

The thought would almost have been too good to be true except that it was true and everything would be happier again. Rin ran to Rain and they both smiled before running off to the meadow not too far away. I walked up to Sesshoumaru and wrapped my arms around his chest.

"I'll miss you Sesshoumaru, just promise me that you won't go and get yourself killed. I guess this is goodbye for a while," I whispered, looking to the right.

"Only for a while. Then I'll come back to you."

With that, Sesshoumaru walked away again, heading towards the forest where his vassal was waiting.

"So now you've given yourself to another demon. I never expected you to do that," my mother mocked with a smirk.

"Yeah well I never expected that my mother would turn me into a whore either. Now we're even," I whispered, walking into the hut without a care towards her words.

'I am a whore, nothing but. I pretty much gave myself to Sesshoumaru, hoping that he would give me something Naraku couldn't. Maybe I'm not thinking clearly enough. I remember, Sesshoumaru tried to get me to mate with him, not the other way around, but I'm better off with him. At least I know that he would never purposely hurt me…' I sat against the wall and closed me eyes. I wanted to see my father. Him and Rain seemed to be the ones who cared. My mother didn't give a damn. That was why she gave me away. I knew that she didn't really care about what happened to the village people, that she didn't care about giving me away. She only cared about keeping my father with her. 'Now I'm beginning to wonder if she was working for Naraku all along. That would be why she gave me away like that, like my future didn't matter but his did. The bastard, I wish I had had the chance to kill him with my own hands.'

"Hello. Is master Shou around?" a familiar voice wondered.

"Oh no, I'm sorry. He's been working down by the bridge for a while now. Might I ask who you are?" my mother's voice came with happiness.

I waited for an answer but nothing came after a few minutes. Then I got to my feet and walked outside only to see Shouru standing there in front of my mother.

"Shouru?" I wondered with a small smile.

"Oh Tsuto, I did not know that Sesshoumaru would bring you back to your village so soon," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, something came up. I wouldn't mind going to see father, so I could take you down to the bridge if you want to go. I haven't seen father in a long time, and I know that you haven't seen him in a long time either."

My mother was slightly confused but then gave it up and went inside the hut where she could do some cooking.

"So that's your mother, huh?" Shouru asked me with a solemn tone.

"I'm starting to wonder if she really is a mother, or if she was just a piece of Naraku once left behind to fall in love with father. As far as I'm concerned now, meeting father is most important," I said with a fake smile, trying to show that I didn't care as much as I thought I did.

"I could take you from here, but I'm sure that Sesshoumaru would not appreciate the thought if me, a half breed, taking his mate away from where he left her. Am I right?" he asked with a smile.

"True, true, dear brother, true, true."

Together the two of us set off towards the bridge to be built, where our father was working without a thought that he would receive a visit from anyone but Rain.

'I wonder what it must be like for Shouru, to not know his father, but to know who he was. Would it be like growing up in Naraku's castle, living without any parents at all?' The thought plagued my mind. I wanted to ask him, I really did, but couldn't seem to find any courage to do so.

"Shouru, what's it like, to live without a father you never knew?" I asked him finally, sick of being quiet.

He looked at me with a small smile.

"I wanted to ask you that. What it was like living with a demon that you hated your whole life?" he laughed slightly.

"It's cold and unloving. It feels like you're the only one you can count on because you know no one's going to come around to save you. You feel… trapped," I whispered, feeling the loneliness come back to me for a few moments.

My heart felt like it was clenched in someone's fist, like someone had a tight hold over it. Though, I knew that it was the hate that I had harbored towards Naraku before Sesshoumaru had sworn to destroy him. No matter where I would go, that same hate would never leave me.

"Without family, life doesn't have a meaning. As long as someone is there, you know that you're not alone and they can protect you. I had to protect my mother because she couldn't really protect me since I was weirdly stronger. When she told me that my father had left, I hated him for abandoning us, but then I forgave him because I knew it wasn't his fault. She told me that a demon named Naraku chased him away from her, and that I should destroy him."

'That doesn't really explain anything to me.'

"The feelings, the hatred, it wasn't worth it. Nothing was different from having both parents," Shouru finished with another smile on his face.

"I see."

'I know now that hatred had never solved anything, only that it will last for eternity if you allow it to. Once manifested in a heart, the darkness will one day take over you, and you too will hate everything that you come across.'

End of Chapter 11

Hello again everyone. Sorry that it's so short, but at least I took the time to update right? Lol! There will be one final chapter after this one. So, no worries on that. : ) : ) I really hope that you all enjoyed that short but updated chapter. : ) : ) Anyway, sorry for any spelling errors and please R&R and wait for the next chapter. : ) : )