Okay. I'm pretty sure that this will be my last chapter dealing with Inuyasha's memories. Thanks for reviewing and remember that any suggestions for my writing or really anything are acceptable. This is the kind of sad chapter. Review.

Chapter VII

THE PRICE OF HAPPINESS

Inuyasha didn't want to believe his eyes. How could his sweet mother possibly be in this position? She was going in and out of consciousness as she lay dieing in the suite that had been hers for over two decades. Soft, warm blankets were piled over her, but they could do no good. Her body was giving out on her.

Anyone who knew Izayoi could see the ravages of age which had finally caught up with her. Her mysterious illness seemed to be eating away at her already aged body. Inuyasha could see the bones of her fingers as she moved slightly in her delusions. He did not know how much more he could bear to watch. He was now 44 years old and he possessed the body of a nine year old, but he still felt like he was four.

He reached out his hand to grasp hers as his eyes sought the only other person who had been allowed to stay in the room. His sapphire eyes gleamed with deep-set emotions as he watched a woman he respected be destroyed by illness without blinking. Inuyasha could feel the grief radiating off of the demon lord as they waited for the inevitable.

Her ancient, lined face was scrunched in concentration as she muttered inaudibly. Her periods of consciousness were growing farther apart and shorter in duration. For a few more moments the hanyou waited hoping that she would awaken again. He almost began crying when he saw his mother's hazed eyes begin to open. She swept the room slowly, almost as if afraid to absorb too much at once.

Her eyes lingered for a moment on the solemn demon lord who glanced once from the dying woman to her son. She seemed to understand the message and turned to the struggling child. Healo stood quietly and when Inuyasha started to ask him where he was going the demon answered aloud ", You two need some time along." In his mind Inuyasha felt compassion traveling off of the demon as he silently left the room.

"Inuyasha ," the dying woman said softly. Her son turned to her with eyes full of unshed tears as she said in a weak voice ", My dear little boy. I am sorry that you have to experience this in your life so soon. You have the life of a demon and so, for good or evil, are bound never to die unless killed. You will have to watch some that you care for fade as I am. That is the part of mortality. Inuyasha, no matter what happens know that your mother loves you and regrets nothing."

Inuyasha had managed to remain silent through his mother's words to him. Even in his grief and disbelief at his impending loss, he could see the wisdom that his mother had given him. He reached out a clawed hand and grasped his mother's bony one since he was afraid that if he spoke he would lose the delicate control he had right now.

Izayoi understood as she gave a soft smile and said weakly ", Tell Healo that he may come back in now." Inuyasha nodded, stood, and went to the door. When he opened the door he found that Healo was leaning against the wall holding his chin with a hand in deep concentration. It took the demon lord a moment to realize that the boy was waiting for him to speak first. He immediately straightened and said softly ", Yes."

Inuyasha lowered the mental barrier that Healo had instructed him how to make and thought ', Mother wants you to come back in.' Healo hesitated for a moment before answering vocally ", Very well." Inuyasha immediately turned and made his way back to his mother's side. His mother smiled at him briefly but she turned her gaze towards the lord who stepped closer to her. For a moment there was a kind of peace before he spoke.

Healo grinned but his eyes were sad as he said ", My lady is it fair for fate to do this to me? First my mother, who died because she loved my adopted father, then Inutaisho who died because he loved you and Inuyasha; now it is your turn. You die because you loved your son more than you cared for your own life." The lady interrupted him sternly despite her aged voice she still summoned an air of authority as she said ", My lord I am surprised at your behavior. I have just told my only son that I have no regrets, and nothing in the world could convince me that my declaration was not true. No illness or pain could bring me doubt about whether or not I should have loved my son, and you."

Healo seemed to lose some of his control as he replied hoarsely ", Yes Izayoi. But, why is it fate's choice to destroy everything I hold dear. If you die then my brothers and I will be all that is left of the house of the West and the North and the—my lady why is this happening to me?" Her eyes filled with compassion as she sighed and answered ", Healo, that is one of life's great mysteries. You have lived three times longer than I. Why should I know the answer to this? I have faith that all of you are more than capable to live up to the memory of my mate."

Inuyasha couldn't take this anymore as tears finally began to roll slowly down his face. His mother began to speak again while the demon was struggling to regain control of himself. ", Healo, I want you to swear to me that when I am gone, you will take care of my son. He is not ready to face the all the pain of the world, yet," Izayoi said firmly. Healo seemed to take great comfort and strength from her words since his voice was calm when he answered ", I promise to do my best to protect him."

The lady nodded softly and said ", I know that you will keep your word. I have no more worries. I am ready." Inuyasha felt a stab of pain that he expressed when he spoke ", No mother. You might be ready but I ain't." She sighed and said carefully ", My son if I could chose to go on living I would, but the choice is no longer mine to make. My body is surrendering not I." With these words she fell back into unconsciousness.

Inuyasha stared at his mother for a moment before wordlessly getting up and leaving the room. He couldn't bear to stay in that room a moment longer. As he arrived in his quarters he found everything was in its normal place, as if nothing out of the ordinary were occurring. Nothing but the eerie silence gave any indication of the tragedy that was taking place.

It was about twenty minutes later had Inuyasha heard a soft knock on his door. By the sense of grief and pity he detected he knew who it was and what they had come to tell him. He opened the door and found Healo with a dead look in his eyes as he said quietly ", Her suffering is over." The hanyou felt his ears flatten even more as he saw the amount of despair in the demon lord's eyes. To Inuyasha, Healo had been the personification of strength, but now you would never be able to see it.

Inuyasha's Memory

26 years later

So much had changed in the 26 years since Inuyasha's mother had died. The most obvious change was the excitement in the atmosphere at Brilith. Nine years after Lady Izayoi's death Healo finally took Lady Avia of the Southern Lands as his mate when he reached the customary age of 200. This was greeted with joy for two reasons, first that the North had already allied with the West so that this marriage was of great political advantage. Also there was the fact that Healo and Lady Avia genuinely loved each other, a rather rare occurrence in political marriages.

However, there was one variable of the marriage that the people were afraid might cause a war. Lady Avia had two elder brothers, but they both fell to roving bands of bandits only three years after Healo took their sister as his mate. The people were afraid that if something happened to Lord Nelit that war would result since, by law, their own lord would inherit the throne. Shortly after the brother's deaths the imperial regent and the Eastern Lord both sent ambassadors demanding that Healo swear that he would never accept the Southern Lands.

Of course Healo had curtly refused the demand. ", If something should happen to my father-in-law then it would be the duty of Lady Avia's mate to rule those lands," he had replied calmly. This answer did not please either of the lord's, but since Lord Nelit concurred with Healo's answer there was little that the other lords could do. Unsettling, was Sesshomaru's reaction to the crisis, but Healo had assured Inuyasha that it had been unnecessary for him to get involved in the affair.

Luckily the people did not devote much thought to the crises because only months afterwards the Northern Lands had a new heir. Sulam Diamend Tepes was born on Inuyasha's 57th birthday and was greeted with an unheard of amount of rejoicing in Brilith. It seemed that with a mate and newborn son that Healo finally came unto his own. The Northern Lands prospered as never before in their history. True they did not control all of the area they once had, but the people were prosperous, the army well-trained, and bandits were nearly destroyed in the North. Healo was viewed by many citizens of the other lands as the ideal ruler and the North was given a mystical quality by the poets and writers who wrote during that time.

For a while Inuyasha was content with his life. Healo fulfilled his word to Izayoi and did even more by attempting to have the hanyou instructed in the usual manner of a lord's child. However, Inuyasha absorbed little of this education, but his gratitude to his brother was very great. Lady Avia always went out of her way to be especially nice to him, and though he wouldn't admit it even Magus became kinder towards him.

One day Inuyasha finally knew it was time. He had just turned 70, and he felt it was time for him to go out on his own. Still Inuyasha held of leaving for a few months because he knew that his decision would sadden his brother. Finally he could wait no longer and went to see his brother.

Inuyasha knocked on the door as he prepared himself for what he was about to do. The door opened swiftly and revealed the glorious Lady Avia. Her sky-blue eyes sparkled as she said ", Lord Inuyasha this is a pleasant surprise. Please come join us." Inuyasha gave a small bow and entered the room. Healo rose to greet his brother and asked ", To what do we owe this visit?" Inuyasha smiled at the little boy in his brothers arms. Sulam had inherited Healo's dark blue eyes and stripes, but his mothers golden hair and tanned complexion.

The hanyou turned his golden orbs to regard his older brother and lowered his mental shields. Curiosity flickered across the lord's pale features before shock became evident in his eyes, then sadness. Inuyasha could feel the heartbreak coming off of his brother which caused his ears to flatten as he turned his gaze to the solid stone floor. ", Why," the demon lord asked softly.

Inuyasha hesitated for a moment before saying ", I feel that I am ready to go out on my own. It's calling to me." Healo gave a sigh before saying ", But I promised your mother that I would keep you safe—" Inuyasha butted in earnestly ", And you have. But I want more out of life than these walls, this city, or even the whole North can give me. Your people are kind to me because they love you, not me, because you have and still are making a mark on the world. I want that chance too." Healo smiled sadly and said ", So soon. I know that you are ready brother. So I will give you permission to go. I hope that you will return soon."

Inuyasha's gaze became resolute as he responded ", I won't come back until I am I know that someone thinks that I am great too." Avia spoke with humor ", Then he will never return." Inuyasha gave a small laugh as he left their room. His childhood was over. It was time to see what he could make of himself.

Yay! Another chapter. Ok this is supposed to happen about 10-15 years before he meets Kikyo. I know it might sound kind of random right now but all of this stuff WILL be important later, assuming I ever get there which reviews would help ensure. So REVIEW!!!