Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, Sunrise, Viz Communication, Yomuri TV, Shokagagkun, and its affiliates. It does not belong to me. I'm only borrowing the characters of the Inuyasha series for writing this story.

Rating: M.

Italics — flashback, thoughts, and emphasized words.


Chapter 2: Inuyasha's Reaction

Inuyasha sat on the large bed, which was made of wood. Archaic depictions were portrayed on the four wooden legs and the head and top part of the bed. Deep red cushions were on the left side and a chair and table was on the opposite side of the bed. The room was decorated with two large paintings: one was of his parents, who were side by side and in the middle was a younger version of him; the other one was of Kagome and him. Those two images were very dear and close to his heart. They were the people he loved very much, and would even die for them, if necessary.

But at present, he was busy glaring at one of those pictures—the one that depicted his parents; he was glaring specifically at his father. His father, who was illustrated as having a long white hair, tied in a topknot, and was wearing white haori and hakama, which was embellish with silver color. He also had a silver obi tied to his waist, and was carrying Tessaiga, Tenseiga on his left waist. He looked magnificent as stood alongside Izayoi, who wore a light pink kimono. Inuyasha himself wore his standard garments—red haori and hakama. He glared at the image; he couldn't forget what happened just two and half hours ago.Inuyasha couldn't stop thinking about what his father said. His mind drifted back when that servant came knocking on his door...

A knock was heard in the one of the many door entrances, in the eastern-wing part, of the Great Inu no Taishou's palace.

"Young master, may I have your permission to enter your quarters," a quiet but croaky, deep voice uttered and placed the hand on to the door.

"Come in." A rough male voice finally declared, after five to seven minutes later, in response the person's frequent knocking on his door.

As the person entered the room, who was most definitely a male, he bowed, and sat on the floor on one leg, before the young master and looked up at him. The young master, who had his back turned towards the room and the man, was currently sitting on the balcony perch. He wore a crimson fire-rat haori and hakama; and his silver-white wild silky tresses blowing on his backside as the gust wafted by. After a few minutes had passed that he finally turned and looked inside his room.

The young master had puppy koinu ears at the top part of his head each side and two bright and vibrant yellowish golden eyes, that at last looked up at the alleged person who decided to disturb and encroach during his private time — in his own personal sanctuary, no less. Inuyasha looked completely irritated and annoyed, and glared at him for his trespassing as well as his indiscretion.

"What is it, Heero?" Inuyasha barked.

"Young Master, Inuyasha, … your father…" said a male demon, Heero, who looked around in his middle thirties according to a human's eyes, but in demonic years he was around five hundred, (give or take a little). He had long slanting vertical scar going from the left side of his forehead to right side of his cheeks as well as on going straight alongside the neck. He had small bushy pallid-ashen hair. "… The master has requested your immediate presence in his office chambers."

"Alright." Inuyasha, the young master, declared. "You can leave now!" he ordered, and the servant left.

It was around twilight hours, just sometime after the sunset. The sky appeared reddish-orange. The breeze was blowing smooth and strong, and the temperature was neither very cold nor hot. Fall season was around the corner, and the weather was pleasant and enjoyable, especially during the late evening and nighttime. Inuyasha really loved it when the strong gust of wind would flow through his soft and silky white mane and made it fly. He also liked when breeze would just go by and almost touching his skin. He felt relaxed and calm, all of his day's tension gone from his body. He didn't like it if anyone disturbed him during this time, except for Kagome, the human miko; he wished to be his mate, his life companion. That is why he was quite annoyed when that demon, Heero, relentlessly knocked on his door, and entered his room.

Flashback ends.

With that Inuyasha came out of his small reverie, but it didn't end there. How could it end there, after all because his father hadn't yet delivered the awful bad news? The news that will change his life in a matter of days; no, not days, it would change in a matter of seconds. His whole world was broken in a matter of seconds, after what his father said. He couldn't forget the emotions he felt, pain and the ache he felt, when his father said that he was going to mated with Sesshoumaru.

Flashback begins:

Another knock was heard in a large brownish colored door. Parts of the door, at least the top part and the both sides of the door, had golden embroidery-designs placed on it. Detailed designs and patterns of various images of women and men in dancing poses were placed not only on the door, but also throughout the entire hallway. The entire passages of the hallway were placed with silver coloured pots with medium height green plants potted in them. Sounds of light water falling, from top to bottom, through some of these images could heard, as Inuyasha brought his hand forth to knock on the door again.

On every column of the passageway, a guard was placed. The guards were all wearing red haori with black hakamas tied with a golden obi in the center of the waist. They all were carrying big long scythe, with crescent moon design on them. It was placed on their right hand.

"May I come in, father?" Inuyasha asked second time before he entered his father's office chamber.

"Come in, Inuyasha." A deep voice resonated from the inside of the room.

The office chamber, other than royal throne room, was strictly used for important official and administrative conference. It was situated in the second floor on the northwestern part of the citadel. Inu no Taishou's office chamber was the second biggest room compared Inu no Taishou's private chambers as well as the royal throne. Like the hallway, inside of Inu no Taishou's was filled with depictions of various art images. On the left side, three legendary swords of Inu no Taishou were placed, starting with Tessaigabeing the first, then Tenseiga, and the So'unga. All the three swords were placed in their sword-scabbard.

"Is there anything you need from me, Father?" Inuyasha inquired.

"Inuyasha, sit down." His father replied in return, "I have something very important to discuss with you."

Dread filled up within Inuyasha's heart. The only times his father would want to discuss "something very important" will be if he was lagging behind his studies or did something very, very stupid – like the time he decided to wear a woman's kimono and dared to venture in the royal throne room, when he was around eight years old. He still couldn't forget the looks his father, Sesshoumaru, and those present in royal court gave him. Inuyasha shivered at the memory; he will never do something like that. His father had to literally take him out of the royal room and to Inuyasha's room, and then proceeded to explain in simple terms why a boy shouldn't wear a girl's clothing. Few days later after the 'wearing girl's kimono,' had been done, people gave him strange looks, and girls often giggled quietly at him.

But at present, Inuyasha was confused as what his father wanted to discuss. He hadn't been lagging behind his studies, nor did he do something stupid. He was quite good at sword-fighting, language, which was somewhat ironic since he liked to cuss a lot, and writing. He was slightly weak in mathematics. But he was doing fine in all of studies. Then why did his father called from his meeting.

"Father, is there something…" Inuyasha halted as his father interrupted him, saying "Inuyasha, for what I'm about to say, Sesshoumaru must be present as well. So be patient."

"What? ... What the hell does he have to do our meeting?"

Damn Sesshoumaru. Is there a time when he can live me alone?

"Inuyasha, don't talk like that about your brother and soon-to-be your mate." Inu no Taishou replied.

"My w-what?" Inuyasha stammered.

"Your mate."

"You can't be serious!!" Inuyasha paused. "I can't mate with Sesshoumaru; he's my half-brother. Moreover, I'm committed to someone." Inuyasha almost yelled at his father.

"Don't raise..." Inu no Taishou was interrupted as another knock was heard in the door.

"May I come in, chichiue-dono." It was Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha could recognize that voice anywhere. It was silky soft, extremely direct to the point, and had slightly cold tone to it.

"Sesshoumaru, come in." Inu no Taishou said, as Sesshoumaru entered the room. "We were discussing about the mating that will happen between you and Inuyasha in the end of the month, on the full-moon night."

"And Inuyasha has already given you the reply." Sesshoumaru told point blank, looking straight at Inuyasha's eyes.

Hatred and abhorrence was burning brightly and deeply within Inuyasha's two golden eyes. How could Sesshoumaru talk about it like that, as if he had no care in the world; didn't Sesshoumaru hate him. He should've been incensed beyond reason. But Sesshoumaru took it so calmly and peacefully.

"Shouldn't you be angry or something, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha shouted. "How can you take this news so easily, after all you're supposed to be my so-called mate?"

"Sesshoumaru already knows." Inu no Taishou told. "He knew that even before you were born, Inuyasha."

"What?" Inuyasha said bewildered. How could he have known that? Is father being serious or is he pulling my leg? Inuyasha thought.

"This doesn't make any sense. How could he have known that he is supposed to be my mate? Inuyasha asked.

"But I don't love him. I feel nothing for Sesshoumaru, but loathing. I love Kagome, and my mind, body, and soul only belongs to her, Father." Inuyasha pleaded. "After all, you married my mother because you love her, didn't you. Then how can you tell me to mate with someone for whom I don't feel anything?"

"Enough, Inuyasha!" Inu no Taishou said in hard and definite tone. "The mating will take place on full-moon night, at the end of the month." After saying that Inu no Taishou left his office chamber, after asking them leave. But both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha waited for sometime before leaving their father's office chambers. As Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were walking down the hall, to their private rooms, anger and fury could be seen radiating from Inuyasha's face, and then he abruptly stood in front of Sesshoumaru's face and said.

"Know this, Sesshoumaru, I will never love you, at least not in the way our father wants us to, whether we're mated or not. Do you understand?" He didn't wait for any reply, and started going towards the eastern-wing, never witnessing the painful and sorrowful look in Sesshoumaru's eyes and face.

"How could you do this to me, father?" Inuyasha said out loud, as he walking towards his room. "You know that I love Kagome, Father. Yet you want me to mate with him."

Flashback ends.

May be he should talk with his mother. Inuyasha suddenly thought, as he sat on his four-legged wooden bed. After all, his mother often took his side, when trying to convince his father about something – like the time when he wanted to go out into the woods alone, when he was twelve.

"Yep, that's it." By saying that he immediately rushed out of his room, and went to their parent's room, which was located centrally on the third floor.

After, ten minutes of venturing along the hallways, he suddenly found himself in-front the room, and before he could knock, a soft, yet motherly voice called saying, "You can come, Inuyasha."

"How did you know it was me, not father?" Inuyasha asked.

"A mother can tell," Izayoi; she was sitting in front the mirror and was combing her hair. "You won't understand that, until you become a parent yourself."

"I also know what you came for, Inuyasha?" Izayoi said in a soft and compassionate voice. "But I'm sorry to tell you that in this matter, I agree with your father."

All colour drained from Inuyasha's face. "You mean, you agree with him that I should mate with Sesshoumaru, not Kagome."

"Yes."

"How can you do this to me? You're my mother, and you know that I don't like Sesshoumaru. I hate him."

"Inuyasha, you're still young to understand that just because you love someone deeply, doesn't mean Kagome loves you as well." Izayoi continued. "You're father knew that you were the only one who could mate with your brother. You were the only one who could rival him in strength and mating"

"Even though you're old enough for the demon world, doesn't mean you how the world works, relationship among mates work." Izayoi told, "You still don't understand the difference true love you feel for a mate and the love you feel for another person. I can say that because I know the love I feel for my mate, my husband, is nothing like I had ever felt for Takemaru of Setsuna. I only cared for him as friend."

"But I don't love him that way. How can I mate a person, no less my brother, if I don't feel anything for him?"

"Even though you may not love him at the moment, Inuyasha, But in time you will. Both your father and I know that." Izayoi told with a small smile. As she finished saying that, Inuyasha was completely broken and requested to leave.

As Inuyasha left, Izayoi's face became slightly saddened. I know that you're the only mate for Sesshoumaru; I just hope everything goes well for you two. I don't want what you're father told me would happen to come to pass. I hope you know what you're doing, my love.

Inuyasha just fell down on his bed, as soon as he came into his room. Even his mother sided with his father, and broken his heart. Tears were left loose and he tried very hard not to cry, but the tears wouldn't cooperate with him. Why were the fates being so cruel to him? Why couldn't he mate with his love, Kagome?

What was he going to say to her? Inuyasha thought as he lay on his bed. After all, she will be here, at his room, within an hour.He dreaded as the watch tick tocked towards eight. She will here soon. Inuyasha realized, but... what could he say to alleviate her pain and grief, her questions?


Author Notes: sorry for the delay. I have lot classes and exams going on. So updates for all my stories will take some time. Moreover, the Japanese terms for this chapter will be given in chapter 3 of my story.

This part takes place before Inuyasha told Kagome about his mating with Sesshoumaru.

Review please.