Arrankor: Yeah, wasn't a huge fan of it myself- don't like giving Koga a reason to

gloat, it annoys me- but it was an ideal time to introduce him, and unfortunately,

InuYasha wasn't in a good condition to fight, not that he'd know that. I had to

rewrite this chapter, I went a little too in-depth into my twist and wrote myself into

a corner. xD So, I settled for a flashback, while I figure out a better way to write

it so that it doesn't happen again.

[[I do not own InuYasha]]

InuYasha's mind wandered back, remembering the town he was born into, and the town

that he moved to soon after. Izayoi's father had been falling on hard times long

before InuYasha's birth, but the half demon grandson wasn't exactly good for the

reputation either. From the moment the half demon was born, it was surely his fault

that crops suffered, that merchants paid less, but charged more, than the sun only

lasted so long in a day- surely it was InuYasha to blame. Izayoi never suffered the

man's upset rants, he was a man of wealth and subsequent greed- losing that was

quickly breaking him little by little. He remembered the night they left, yet another

use of the term halfbreed, one his mother in particularly didn't seem to care for, and

one he'd come to share a distaste for very quickly. She had gathered what valuables

she had possessed, bundled InuYasha up in a blanket, so that only his face showed- he

could walk and follow along well enough, he had grown quickly to the adolescent stage-

but he was also distinct, for few women in this dying town traveled with silver haired

children with golden eyes, dressed wholely in red. InuYasha had behaved during this

time, if only because he could feel how important it was to his mother, that her will

wasn't to hide him, but the protect him- that's how it felt at least.

It seemed that merchants were far more agreeable to woman, one particularly as

beautiful as Izayoi especially, she didn't choose to sell the sum of her jewelry

though, not yet- after all, it would need to last a long time. So they left both

their birthplaces, Izayoi the only place she'd ever known even, but she didn't feel

sad- at least he didn't remember it that way, it looked more like she seemed happy, as

if leaving would bring more joy than sorrow. Perhaps she was right. Maybe at least.

He spent many days wandering around the woods in their travels, Izayoi wasn't as

accustomed to this life so she frequently required breaks and stops, and frequent

nourishment. InuYasha tried to help with that part, though he didn't manage to catch

a fish during that travel, he did manage to get washed down stream once- Izayoi

probably lost a good ten years in the chase that day. He got scolded and embraced

simultaneously, it was an odd feeling.

Each town they went through, InuYasha remained in hiding, but Izayoi took his opinion

into consideration- though he honestly didn't understand the question as well as he

would now. She would ask if this place felt comfortable to him, she seemed to take in

everyone's actions, small idle conversations, as if judging the town's value- but in

reality, she was doing her absolute best just to find a place where InuYasha could

grow without fear, or at least she had hoped. The place she had settled at was on the

outskirts of a simple town, a modest town, one of few people and fewer dilemmas. They

were understandable weary of InuYasha when she finally brought him along without

having him hiding, though as he communicated with them, they seemed to lighten up-

within a month's time, no one looked twice at the half demon. Izayoi was pleased,

truly believing those people would come to accept InuYasha, and herself perhaps, as

members of their community. That was enough, a place to call home, safe and without

persecution or judgment. If only her own father could have seen that.

Izayoi rashioned her jewelry, selling it only as it was needed, and living

particularly modestly, she didn't purchase extravagant foods, the bare minimums, but

quickly learned to cook them in interesting ways, always finding something new to

change them up a bit. InuYasha always enjoyed those parts, though the food may not

always be better, because Izayoi seemed so pleased when she prepared a new meal, even

if the ingredients rarely changed. He may not have understood everything his mother

suffered for him, but he knew that whatever she faced, she did so happily- that fact

caused more pain in his memories of her than anything. Knowing now that she feared

for him, worried over him, and took such care to never let him see that back then-

that he'd be happy, that was her wish.

He was running through the forest, now alone- demons pursuing him if only for the

disgrace of their blood to be within his body. Wait.. what happened before that?

Damnit.. he couldn't remember. He only knew.. it was significant.

#

InuYasha felt his memory fade again, as consciousness took back over. InuYasha felt

at home, of course he did- he was home, the scent of Sango eminating from the blanket,

he could hear her heartbeat slowly, ryhthmically, she was sleeping. The kids- yeah,

the kids were here as well, Peru was whistling with every exhale.. Ame snored.. and

Huot was breathing through her mouth, making an audible sound with each breath. "Was

it a dream?" He wondered aloud, yet quietly. '..Nope, I can smell them- Kagome,

Kaede, even the wolf... I wonder.. what happened..' He thought, but his head was

fuzzy, all he could remember right now was Izayoi, his mind began again playing it in

his head. He knew what happened, but he had forbid himself of thinking about it for

years.. trying to gather the details was proving difficult, but he knew what happened.

His mother had died.. '..Gesshoku.. You shouldn't still be alive.. I'll make sure to

fix that..' InuYasha thought.

#

He closed his eyes again, replaying the events of that day in his head once again; the

details slowly piecing back together, the fragments of a tragic day. InuYasha and

Izayoi we're living relatively happily, perhaps modestly, but happily.. The demon

slayers came, word of a demon walking amongst the townspeople- that reliable community

that Izayoi believed in, tried to resist, but before long- Izayoi's name had left

their lips, the location, and the boy- InuYasha. Gesshoku found Izayoi, threatening

her life- InuYasha attacked him purely on instinct, wanting nothing more to protect

his mother. He'd stared into the man's eye, as his immature claws ripped through the

flesh around them. Gesshoku had fell back as a result of this action, but Izayoi was

thoroughly out of breath.

"Run, InuYasha!" She ordered. He had assumed she'd be coming with him, so he began to

run. Izayoi didn't go, instead she stood; preventing the recovering slayer from

pursuing her son any further. Having no choice, he eventually drew his sword to

prevent her from interfering any longer. InuYasha returned some time later, after

realizing that his mother wasn't with him- he was careful not to get caught as he did,

but when his eyes found that village- all of a sudden he could smell nothing but smoke

and blood. He covered his nose and proceeded into the village, he couldn't hear

anyone, but everyone that had lived there was still there.. even Izayoi. The flames

had engulfed a lot of the village already, the slayers were gone, but so was Izayoi's

life; he arrived and tried to rouse her to awaken, as if she were merely asleep. He

pulled her from the flames before they could claim her, but as days began to pass, he

began to understand that no matter what he done, she wouldn't reawaken. Dragging her

over to a nearby lake, he washed the soot from her face and began to dig her a hole.

Honor those who've past, he'd been taught. He eventually placed flowers there, some

years later he'd find a good stone, and use his maturing claws to carve her name into

it. Even if he was chased by demon's to return to this desolate area, where no human

inhabited any longer.. he always returned to this place.