***I do not own InuYasha or any other characters***

~Blood~

Huge red eyes bulged at him, glaring in disdain and madness as lifeblood pooled around them. It sickened him while at once fascinated him too. His great and powerful father, lost to insanity, soon to be dead by his hands. Would he end in such a way? Toga hoped not, if this was to be his end he would choose another. Forge another in any manner he could.

It was not the worry of being killed by his own offspring, as he had none, it was of ending with no sense of self.

His Father snarled, gurgling on the blood that clotted in his throat, as he attempted to raise himself again.

Toga wanted to be elsewhere.

Wanted not to be the one to do this.

Wanted it to fall to another.

He was the only one with the strength.

The only one who had the power.

It was his duty.

Power and duty are a heavy burden.

Father crouched, it was a slight movement, one that might have been missed if he was not so on edge.

His beast of a father leaped at him, death in his eyes.

With less effort than it should have taken Toga dodged the snapping fangs and used his own to grasp neck. Tendons and muscles pulled and flexed beneath his jaw.

The scent of panic and fear was overwhelming, but he did not release his hold.

The iron tang of blood on his tongue made him want to retch, but still he held.

A deep whine left his father's faltering chest; Toga steeled himself against the sound; he had to be ended.

Images of entire Cites, laid waste with destruction and death, reminded him why.

A memory of far too many at his paws, killed by the noxious poison he exhumed. All of them had once been allies, some Toga's pack and friends.

Toga gripped tighter, the image of his mother, now dead, steeled his resolve all the more.

His father who once doted on his woman had, in the end, ripped her throat out.

His Father, who once had eyes as bright and golden as his own, now only looked out through pools of liquid red the color of the blood he spilled.

When the heart stopped its beating, and the lungs stilled with their last rattled breath, Toga let him fall.

Body wounded from the fight.

Soul, wounded from the duty forced upon him.

He looked at the rising of the crescent moon and howled a bitter cry to the gods who cursed him.

**End**