Author's Note:Thanks for reading everyone, I hope the last chapter didn't suck too badly, something about it didn't turn out quite like I wanted. Any suggestions? Please read n' review, c'mon its my birthday tomorrow!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, for the 22nd time in this fic.
A chill in the evening air was foretelling the coming fall, and life in the castle where Izayoi resided was surprisingly calm. Her father hadn't thrown her from his house, or made any threat to her after she had told him of her relationship with Inutaisho and the child she carried. In fact, he paid her no attention whatsoever, and seemed to be withdrawing into himself. No one in the castle really spoke to her or even looked at her. Her servants took care of her necessities, but only to the extent that their duties were minimally fulfilled. It was if she was a ghost in her own home.
One evening when the sun was sinking into the west, Izayoi sat watching it, always searching for sings of Inutaisho returning from his home. Suddenly, a figure appeared in the distance on the horizon. She could barely make out the person's image from so far away, but she could tell it was not human. The fiery light from the setting sun set ablaze his silver hair, and his golden eyes stood out from the shadows around his face forming from the light behind him. She couldn't believe her eyes, he had finally returned to her as he had promised.
"Inu. . .Inutaisho." she whispered as she took a step forward. Myouga leapt up to her shoulder and strained his eyes into the distance. Izayoi took another step forward, tears of joy filling her eyes. Suddenly, Myouga's vision came into focus and he felt a chill run down his tiny spine.
"No, my lady Izayoi, stop!" he cried out to her in fear. "That is not Lord Inutaisho, please, let us return inside quickly!" he whimpered. He knew the cold expression upon that demon's face. It was Sesshoumaru. He wondered frantically what in the world he was doing here. It couldn't be good.
Surprised at his outburst, she took a step back. "But, Myouga, if it is not Inutaisho, then who is it?" she asked fearfully. Suddenly, the figure on the horizon turned and disappeared into the glow of the sunset. It was as if he had never been there at all, a phantom in the evening light.
"It was Lord Sesshoumaru, Lord Inutaisho's son." he said, still in a quiet, shivering voice. He was certainly glad that Sesshoumaru had left. He feared for a moment that he may cause trouble, but that usually was not the young demon's way.
"Lord. .Sesshoumaru?" she asked. "Why were you so fearful of him, and why did he turn away and leave after watching us?" she questioned him.
Myouga paused for a moment. This information certainly was not going to put her mind at ease. "Lord Sesshoumaru has had unpleasant encounters with humans in the past." he began, pulling from what little information his master had told him during their journeys. "He has developed a grudge for humans over the years, and avoids them at all costs." "To say the least, he doesn't think very highly of the human race, and rarely suffers one to show disrespect towards him." he finished.
"I see." Izayoi said softly. "I have heard most demons feel that way about humans." she told him quietly. Her hopes for her child having a caring older brother had just been dashed. She wondered how father and son could be so different from one another.
Myouga said nothing in reply, and sat on her shoulder with his mind working excitedly. If Sesshoumaru knew about his father and Lady Izayoi, then he must have seen his father since he left on his search for Ryuukossei. Myouga wondered where his lord and master was and what may have become of him. He hoped against hope that all was still well, and Inutaisho was still alive.
Sesshoumaru continued his journey even after the sun had set and the moon had risen. He had begun searching for his father again, and returned to the east as he had been unable to find him elsewhere. He hadn't heard of any battle between his father and Ryuukossei, so he assumed that his father hadn't found him yet. He had at last looked for his father at the home of the human woman he seemed to be so obsessed with.
The look of joy on her face when she had seen him on the horizon was sickening to him. Her ineffective human eyes had obviously mistaken him for his father. He still couldn't believe that she was the reason his father had abandoned all that he had gained in his life. She was just a human, and they all looked the same to him. And now, it was obvious that it was nearing time for her to have her child, the useless half-breed whelp. It should be drowned at birth, he thought to himself. It had no place anywhere in the world, to kill would practically be merciful if nothing else. He felt himself sneer involuntarily in disgust. He picked up his pace and continued to the south, where he himself had heard rumors of Ryuukossei's whereabouts.
Fall continued on and winter was close once again. Inutaisho knew now that Izayoi's condition must be obvious and that her father must have discovered the truth about their relationship. But Myouga hadn't come to him yet with news of any ill event, and that old flea could probably find him faster than anyone else. He could probably smell his blood on the other side of the country as much as he had drained from him, Inutaisho thought. Perhaps her father had accepted things the way they were, but even he found that too hard to believe.
He was only a little ways to the south from where Izayoi lived now; he had tracked Ryuukossei's scent here. It was becoming stronger and more recent, and he was sure that his long journey would be over soon. He couldn't deny however that he was exhausted, having traveled incessantly for months now to find the cursed old dragon. He scoffed into the cold night air. For someone who was after his life, Ryuukossei certainly was taking his sweet time. If he had known it would take this long, he would have dealt with other matters first. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice calling to him. He froze where he stood. It was Myouga, and he sounded quite upset.
"My Lord, My Lord!" the old flea called, jumping onto his shoulder. "You must come quickly!" "Lady Izayoi's father has gone mad and sent her away with Lord Takemaru!" he told him. "He and Takemaru have concocted a plan in their broken pride, and now Takemaru has taken her to his home to await your arrival!" he continued. "He plans to defeat you when you arrive, as retaliation for his losing Lady Izayoi!" "And as you must know milord, your child will soon be born!" "You must come and quell Takemaru, I am sure he means to do her harm!" "He has gone just as mad as her father!" he cried.
"The fools!" he shouted in anger. But he was interrupted. The ground began to shake, and from behind him great peals of dark laughter erupted. It was Ryuukossei. He rose up from beside the mountain behind Inutaisho, and great vapors of demonic energy emanated from him.
"So, my dear Inutaisho, we come face to face again at last!" he laughed. "And at just the right time!" "Leave it to you to be so dense as to follow me relentlessly while your beloved human wench was in danger, as if I was the only threat to her." "I could have killed her anytime I pleased while you were off playing in all the forests of the land looking for me." he bragged. "Now die knowing that she will soon be dispatched by her spurned lover, gone mad with grief and jealousy!" "Such is the nature of pathetic humans!" he roared as he moved in to strike. Inutaisho readied himself for battle, and Myouga fled as fast as he could.
Not far from the site on the eastern shore of the sea, Sesshoumaru suddenly felt two great demonic auras rising. He knew that his father must have found Ryuukossei, and battle had been joined between the two. He continued down the shoreline in the general direction of the battle, which seemed to be in the mountains just to the west. He knew he couldn't interfere, but he would wait close by for the outcome. Meanwhile, Inutaisho stood poised for combat with Tetsusaiga in his hand.
