Inuyasha was the first to wake that morning. He sighed with yearning as he looked over at Kagome, who had laid down facing away from him. He decided to take a walk alone and get some thinking done.
What kind of sword would his Old Man have left him? It must be something worthwhile if Sesshomoru wants it. It must be deliberately hidden if he is still looking for it. He mentioned finding his fathers grave. Where would he have put it?
Inuyashas father was an incredible demon. He conqured many lands and bedded many women. Mostly other demons, hence Sesshomoru. However he did fall in love with one little human. That was his mistake, Inuyasha kicked at the ground in a huff. Why did he give me a human mother?
He hated to think about his parents. His father died when he about ten, and his mother was gone for three years before that. She loved him so much. Even Sesshomoru, whose mother had abandoned him. She cared for them in her little palace their father built for her in the his 'palace of mine eyes', is what he always used to call it.
She died there too, holding onto our father in her last moments. Inuyasha climbed into a tree and as the sun rose he recalled that awful day.
Sesshomoru, being full demon was growing much stronger than Inuyasha was. They used to wrestle and play with little wooden swords his father had made them. On his brothers birthday, he asked his father for one of his swords. He told him he wanted to be better than even him.
Father laughed and told him he would have to wait, and to be more powerful than him, he would have to defeat him. Sesshomoru was furious. He went to where Inuyasha was playing in the pond, trying to catch the little fishies nibbling on his toes. His mother watching over him, serenely.
She was always so content just watching the boys play. She never complained, or asked for anything. His father never gave her the chance. Whenever he left he returned with carts full of gifts for all of us. Mother was dressed as a queen, and she acted the part just as well.
Sesshomoru came stomping over, fuming. Mother told him to come play.
"Try letting the fish tickle your feet, Sesshomoru."
"I am not a baby anymore. I am tired of you treating me like one. Your the reason my father won't give me his sword! He's saving it for Inuyasha!" He spit at her. She gasped and put her hands to her face.
Inuyasha turned around to watch, his mother was in tears. He saw the little half demon child staring at him, so he rushed into the water and snatched him up.
"Why were you even born! You are useless, you'll never be as powerful as me and yet you are still the favorite!" He shook the little boy. Inuyashas mother stopped crying and hurried into the water. She grabbed Inuyasha out of Sesshomorus hands and took a step back.
This just infuriated the young boy even further. His eyes turned red, his nails turned into claws. He crouched, and the woman and child inched further away, shaking. With one swipe of his claw Inuyasha was tossed into the water. The woman fell and tried to grab hold of him, but with another swipe her chest was ripped completely open. She fell forward into the water. Sesshomoru stepped over his dying stepmother, and started towards his terrified half brother. He loved the look of fear in his eyes. He watched as he kept backing up, eyes never leaving his.
"Sesshomoru! What are you doing? Oh, no, what have you done!" The boy didn't turn around until he was whipped around by his father. He shook the boy uncontrollably. The red in his eyes faded, and his claws retracted. He had never seen him this angry. He dropped him into the water and with a force unknown to Sesshomoru, he was thrust over a hundred feet away onto the other side of the pond. The trees over there stretched their roots and grabbed hold of him, forcing him to the ground.
He watched as his father bring his dying wife to the shore. He glared when he embraced Inuyasha and they all lay there as the woman gave her last breathe.
The sun was just coming over the trees as he remembered one last thing about that day. As his mother lay there, struggling to breathe, he looked over at his brother. He was tossing and turning, trying to get out of the trees grasp. He glared over at Inuyasha, and then turned his eyes to his mother and father. There was a look of utter sadness. Like he felt guilty for killing the only person who cared for him.
Ever since that day, Inuyasha and Sesshomoru fought like never before. Broken arms, legs ripped apart. Being full and part demon made it so there was never any lasting damage but the hatred was still there. It would always be there.
His father never spoke of that day. He was hardly around much after that. The only way they knew he had died was at the time of his death they were ejected from his paradise. Left alone in the woods to their own devices.
Years later, Inuyasha happened to stumble upon a gravesite dedicated to his mother. There was a statue of her likeness and many jewels and golds were all around it. In the human world she was treasured too. He left almost as soon as he arrived, it was too painful.
Inuyasha sat up suddenly. That's it! I wonder if her gravesite would hold any clue as to my old mans, he thought. He would have to get their before his brother, so he would have to act fast. Did he dare try to take the group? They would surely just slow him down. Kagome however, he could not leave her with that pig.
However, maybe if he left tonight while everyone was asleep he could be back by morning. He sighed while he was out, it would be nice to visit Kikyo. The statue and her forest were in two different directions. He noted that he would make a visit in the next few days. He wanted to investigate that sword first.
He hurried back to camp, where the three were packing breakfast and blankets up. Kagome wouldn't look at Inuyasha. He tried to get her attention silently with his eyes, but she he realized she was purposely avoiding him.
As they continued on their path she stayed away from the group for the first half of the morning. He wanted to grab her and demand she talk to him, but he felt as if maybe he did something wrong.
She did chit chat with the rest of the group as Miroku began talking about his conquests. Inuyasha couldn't help but roll his eyes as he described one girl after another. This one had the tightest behind, that one seemed to have eight arms. How could he get around so much and act like he never truely cared for even one?
Even the one woman he did love, Inuyasha was always respectful of boundries. They may have kissed and touched as a man and woman would, but they had never lain together as Miroku had with so many of the female population.
Thinking about the love he once had made Inuyashas urge to see Kikyo even stronger. Tomorrow night, he promised himself.
The day was uneventful, although they made great distance. Inuyasha estimated it would only take a few hours if he ran.
Kagome was still avoiding him. He hated that he had to leave instead of talking to her, but Sesshomoru could not beat him to that statue.
Everyone went to sleep and once he could sense their breathing had slowed he got up and sprinted to the forest and through the trees. He didn't think, he just ran. After about three hours he saw a glint in the middle of the trees.
He slowed, and walked cautiously through the foliage. He stopped suddenly. The statue was overgrown by moss and vines. He began to rip off all the signs of abandonment. It took him almost an hour to make it how he remembered.
Once he was done he stepped back and sat down on the ground. He just stared, looking for something out of place. Some sign his old man would have left him. He got up and began examining everything.
She was a princess. Her family jewels placed all over the monument. Her hair comb was jade, her lips were crushed rubies. She had a necklace filled with all the colors you could think of around her neck, flowing down to her belly. The statues resemblance to her was uncanny. Whoever created this must have adored her. Every single detail was correct.
Inuyasha looked her over inch by inch and then stopped. Her eyes. Her eyes had been brown. A deep chocolate brown. These eyes, well one was brown. The other one was a gray color with purple stripes. How did he miss this?
He let his claws come out and he began to paw at her eye. That was the hint. He chipped away a large part of her face but finally got the jewel loose. He held it in his hands and held it towards the moonlight.
"The palace of mine eyes..." He whispered. The jewel went completely black. He gasped and felt a strong force pulling him in. He closed his eyes.
The smell of a dark, dank cave and bones awoke him. He looked around and gasped. Right in front of him was his fathers skeleton, in full demon form.