Chapter 8: The Fear of Death

I thought I knew you well

But all this time I could never tell

I let you get away

Haunts me every night and every day

You were the only one

The only friend that I counted on

How could I watch you walk away?

I'd give anything to have you here today

But now I stand alone with my pride

And dream that you're still by my side

But that was yesterday

I had the world in my hands

But it's not the end of my world

It's just a slight change of plans

That was yesterday but today life goes on

No more hiding in yesterday

'Cause yesterday's gone

Love, my love I gave it all

Thought I saw the light when I heard you call

Life that we both could share

Has deserted me, left me in despair

But now I stand alone with my pride

Fighting back the tears I never let myself cry

But that was yesterday

Love was torn from my hands

But it's not the end of my world

It's just a little hard to understand

That was yesterday

But today life goes on

You won't find me in yesterday's world

Now yesterday's gone

Goodbye yesterday

Now it's over and done

Still I hope somewhere deep in your heart

Yesterday will live on

– "That Was Yesterday" by Foreigner

Even though Touga's relationship with the gods was tenuous at best, he prayed.

He pushed his massive claw deeper into Ryuukotsusei's chest, penetrating the rocky cliff behind the dragon and pinning him there. Ryuukotsusei's bony arms stretched out to swipe at him, even as the light died from his eyes.

"Do not think…you have bested me…Dog Demon General. I…will return," the dragon sighed before stiffening as if with rigor mortis.

The heart just above Touga's paw slowed almost to the point of stopping—but not quite there. The dragon had gone dormant to cheat death. If Touga removed his claw, he feared the dragon would revive, beginning their battle all over again. If he could just wrench the dragon's head from his spine and crush it in his jaws, he would win.

Unfortunately, Touga did not have the strength to finish the job.

Blood gushed from a gash on his ribs, painting the canyon floor crimson. His tongue lolled out as he panted, his vision going dark around the edges.

No. He could not pass out now. Izayoi was expecting him. He had to return to her side.

But he dared not remove his claw for fear of reawakening this beast.

Touga's bones creaked as he maneuvered his muzzle around his paw. This much, he could still manage. He tilted his head and bit down, breaking the claw off. He stumbled back, his blood splashing against the stone as he made sure Ryuukotsusei remained asleep. When he confirmed it, he sighed, transformed back into his human guise, and fell to his knees.

A stiff breeze funneled through the canyon, and Touga nearly shivered. The cold had never felt so fierce before. Heat dripped out along his arm and chest.

It was then he knew.

I'm dying.

The words should have sent terror into his heart. Instead, all he could hear were Inukimi's long-ago words to him: You're not invincible, Touga—much as you might like to think it.

She was right. Is this karma for ignoring her words? For leaving her? he wondered. He let out a soft snort of resignation.

All those centuries she had been trying to tell him, in her own terms, not to put himself in mortal peril, but he had been too proud and confident to heed her. And now, just when he was about to enjoy a new phase of life with Izayoi and their son, he would lose it.

The gods have a cruel sense of humor.

Perhaps thinking of his first wife made his senses more aware, but just then, he scented an unexpected demon nearby.

Sesshoumaru.

Touga hesitated. He did not want his son to see him this way, so defeated and on the verge of death. Even if Sesshoumaru no longer respected him as he once had, he wanted the boy to remember his father as a great warrior.

But this could very well be the last chance I ever have to speak with him.

So this was it then. He would say his parting words to Sesshoumaru, and then he would go back to Izayoi. He would die only in her arms and nowhere else.

With great exertion, Touga lifted himself into the air. As soon as he saw Sesshoumaru, however, his son bolted. Frustrated by the chase but determined to speak with him, Touga followed Sesshoumaru over the rocky lands of the canyon that soon gave way to snow-covered dunes of sand that met a black-ice sea in a shore of frozen slush. Sesshoumaru alit there, and Touga gratefully touched down behind him.

"Son, what are you doing here?" Touga asked.

"Two great beast kings lit up the sky with their battle. I wondered if your time with the humans had softened you, so I came to see how it would play out." Sesshoumaru's golden eyes cut down to his father's injuries and narrowed a fraction. "Though you emerged victorious, your wounds speak to newfound weakness."

"They are a small price to pay to protect Izayoi and your brother."

Now Sesshoumaru's face darkened. "My brother."

Touga nodded. He needed to relay this information. When he died, at best, he would leave Izayoi in this world alone; at worst, he would take her with him, having bound her to his soul with his mating mark. But with the bond incomplete because of her humanity, he could not be sure what would happen. He needed contingency plans.

Not only did he need to stay alive long enough to make sure Izayoi gave birth, but he needed to ensure her and the baby's protection—or at least their son's, if Izayoi didn't make it. He was not naïve enough to believe Sesshoumaru would offer it. Quite the opposite, rather.

He needed assurance from his son before he could rest, though he would never rest in true peace.

"He will be born soon. Sesshoumaru…I know you are still angry with me, but do not take it out on Izayoi or the boy."

"Is that your dying wish?" Sesshoumaru asked.

So he realizes. "Would that I did not have to say such to you."

"Would that you had never laid eyes on that mortal woman."

Touga grit his teeth. He tried to force some authority in his words, but they lacked the bite he wanted. He was just so exhausted. "Sesshoumaru, that is enough. I have said what I need to. I must return to her now." Before some other calamity approaches.

"Father, do you insist on going?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Do you intend to stop me, Sesshoumaru?" Blood dripped from his arm into the snow, every small pelt another second of his life ticking away. If he didn't leave now, he might never make it.

"I will not stand in your way," Sesshoumaru answered. Touga's heart relaxed. Perhaps the boy still held an ounce of respect for his father after all.

But his hopes were dashed with Sesshoumaru's next words.

"However, before you go, you must entrust the swords Sou'unga and Tessaiga to me."

Touga understood why he asked. As his first-born and currently only living son, Touga's property was Sesshoumaru's birthright.

But the way Sesshoumaru was now, he would use these weapons for mass destruction and personal gain. While Touga himself had started the path to forging these swords for the same reason, he found he had become more powerful when he chose to fight for someone else rather than himself.

Sesshoumaru needed to learn this lesson before he could wield these swords.

"And if I refuse, will you kill me, your own father?" Touga asked.

His words were a test. Yes, inheritance by ritual murder was the way in other demon clans. But he hoped he had given Sesshoumaru enough love and compassion over the boy's life for it not to come to that.

Sesshoumaru remained silent for a while. His non-answer spoke volumes. He did not come right out and deny it. Yet because Sesshoumaru was a bluntly honest sort, Touga expected him to admit his intentions. Could he hope that because Sesshoumaru hadn't, he might actually not want to kill him? Was he simply trying to hide his emotions as his mother did?

"Do you desire power so much? Why do you seek power, my son?"

"The path I walk is the Way of Supreme Conquest, and it is power that will reveal the way for me."

"Supreme Conquest?" Touga echoed. He closed his eyes. Of course, I should have known. I walked that path too once. And I raised Sesshoumaru to be just like me in that regard.

So it is true. At the end of our lives, we focus on our regrets.

If this had to be the last lesson he ever taught his son, he would do so.

"Tell me, Sesshoumaru: have you someone to protect?"

"Protect?" Sesshoumaru paused, as if he were really thinking about it. But Touga wasn't surprised by the words that came out of his son's mouth. "The answer is no. I, Sesshoumaru, have no need of such."

Sesshoumaru raised his arm, as if he intended to use his light whip against his father.

But Touga would not let his son strike him. If Sesshoumaru had to live with the memory of his father's death, he would not live it believing he had a hand in it.

Besides, Izayoi was counting on him to return.

Touga transformed, roaring at the sky in a mixture of anger and agony. Then he flew off towards his manor, leaving Sesshoumaru behind in the snow.

"Master!" a pipsqueak voice cried out into his ear.

Myouga? How long has he been here? Had he come with Sesshoumaru? He would never have stayed for the battle with Ryuukotsusei.

"I bring grave news. The manor has been taken over by human samurai, and Izayoi -dono has gone into labor!"

What? Samurai? He had made no human enemies, and he had been gone for far too short a time for an army to invade. So who…?

His eyes widened in realization. Takemaru. It must be him.

He put on a burst of speed. A man in love, he knew, could not be trusted to think rationally.

"Please, Master, I beg you not to be so rash!"

Touga growled, trying to convey his message without speaking. It was too painful. As he ran across the land, his injuries rained blood upon the snow.

"You must reconsider, my lord!" the flea demon pleaded. "The wounds from your battle with Ryuukotsusei have not yet healed. This is sheer madness."

That doesn't matter. I cannot afford to lose her.

"Please, my lord!"

Besides…I am not long for this world. If she had already gone into labor, then perhaps he would make it just in time….

"Master!" Myoga bawled.

Izayoi, I am coming for you.

Sometime later, he entered the forest outside their home. The moon darkened in its eclipse. As he neared the manor, the cries of a newborn filled the air.

My son!

Touga transformed into his human guise and pulled out Tessaiga when he was within sight of the front gate. Numerous soldiers stood guard outside it.

"Wind Scar!"

His perfected attack tore through the gates, laying several men to waste. The small army rebounded, and archers shot a volley of arrows from the rooftop. Touga charged straight into their midst, not even wincing as they stuck into his armor or found purchase in the meat of his muscles beneath. He was already too much in pain to care.

With another swing of his sword, he unleased the Wind Scar, further decimating their ranks. "Izayoi, Izayoi!" he called out as he ran inside.

"At last, you've come, demon. A little late though," Takemaru said, appearing from inside the manor and approaching him in the courtyard.

"What?" Touga gasped.

"Izayoi-dono is beyond your reach now. I dispatched her myself."

Touga saw red as rage surged in his veins to replace his lost blood. "Damn you, fool!"

The two rushed at each other, but even in his weakened state, Touga was just that much faster and stronger than the human. He shattered Takemaru's armor and sliced clean through the bastard's arm, then rushed through the halls, sniffing out his beloved wife.

In the background, he heard Takemaru order, "Set the mansion afire with that demon and everyone inside. Burn it to the ground!"

As burning arrows pelted the manor, it went up in flames like tinder.

I have to get Izayoi and the child out of here—now!

The newborn's cries eventually led Touga to their bedroom. He plowed through a burning set of shogi doors and tore away the curtain protecting his mate from view.

"Izayoi!" he called out.

His wife lay cold and dead despite the rising heat, but her arms were wrapped protectively around their newborn son, who whimpered and writhed in her grasp. Touga's heart lurched at the sight, as if it had leapt from his body and left him hollow.

His mate had died…and he had not felt it.

What a gift and a curse this half-created bond was between them. Had she been able to complete her side of the mating, he would have died when she had, and their son would be condemned to death after having only just taken his first breath.

And yet, without the ability to feel her emotions, he had had no idea of her fear and pain. If he had, he would have rushed back sooner. Perhaps all of this could have been avoided.

Or perhaps it was his fate to suffer in such a way.

"Izayoi," he said in a soft voice.

I can fix this.

Touga pulled out Tenseiga.

He knew he was going to die soon. That meant Izayoi too might die soon. So bringing her back now could simply be a false hope he gave them both. How cruel a mate was he?

But I cannot stand to see her like this.

He was a demon, after all. At his core, he was selfish.

"Carry out my will, Tenseiga," he said as the messengers of the netherworld appeared over her body. He cut them down in two swipes.

Izayoi's eyes blinked open as she took a breath.

Touga pulled out the Robe of the Fire Rat from his armor and threw it over his wife and son. Would that they could enjoy this moment as a family, but as he sensed that bastard Takemaru approach from behind, he knew that time was even more of the essence. He stood and turned to face the threat, drawing his sword and keeping Izayoi behind him.

"I have no regrets about fighting you to the death," Takemaru said as he walked through the room aflame with hellfire. "Let us journey together into the netherworld."

Touga had given parting words to his eldest son. Now he needed to give them to his youngest, even though the child wouldn't understand. Let this be my blessing for you.

"Live long—" Touga started.

"My dearest!" Izayoi cried out.

"—Inuyasha," Touga said.

"What is that?" Takemaru asked.

"The infant's name. The child shall be called Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha," Izayoi breathed, pulling the blanket more closely around the crying child.

Touga could hear his mate's heart stampeding in her ribcage. How sweet the sound, and yet—! Have I doomed her with this bond? "Now go!" he commanded her, hoping against hope he had not.

"Yes," Izayoi answered.

All around Touga, the timbers burned and collapsed, but still he crossed swords with Takemaru. Even if he himself had to die today, he would make sure to eradicate this threat so Takemaru never dared come after his mate or son.

An ominous groan sounded through the roar of the flames, and he looked up at the ceiling as it buckled. Touga held up an arm to defend himself, knowing though that this was the end.

Izayoi…you must survive. Live a long life. Live long and well…with Inuyasha.

And as a blistering heat enveloped him, he knew no more.

Izayoi ran up the forested slope with a wailing Inuyasha tucked in her arms. Her heart pounded in a mixture of anxiety, fear, and confusion. Despite the constant ache that strummed through her bond with Touga—the ache of his pain, she had long ago realized—he was calm.

Too calm. Resigned, even.

Touga, please come back to me, she begged. How would she survive if the day of their miracle son's birth was also the night her invincible demon lord died?

How had she survived? Takemaru—her friend—had stabbed her and left her to bleed out in both wound and labor. Yet now, there was no sign of either injury. Her body felt refreshed as it hadn't in ages.

Touga must have saved her with his Tenseiga. That was the only explanation.

She would dwell on her death another time. For now, she had to get Inuyasha to safety.

Heat burned at her back, and she turned to find their entire manor aflame. She froze, tears glazing her eyes as she took in the sight of her home disintegrating.

"You must be the dog demon general's human wife."

Izayoi screamed and spun around, finding a man with cropped auburn hair setting down an enormous basket of herbs. She pulled Inuyasha closer to her breast. "W-who are you?"

But the man—no, he had to be a demon with those looks—didn't answer before bolting down the hill towards her home. She lost sight of him.

Had he entered the flames?

Suddenly, the main hall collapsed in in itself. The bite mark on her neck seared, and she slapped a hand onto it.

"No, Touga!" she screamed, falling to her knees. White-hot, shooting pain radiated from her mark. A wave of dizziness passed over her, and her vision darkened.

No…not again. Inu…yasha….

Izayoi barely managed to keep from falling on her son as she collapsed in the snow.

Inukimi sat up in curiosity as Sesshoumaru walked up the stairs of the palace. She hadn't seen him since Touga left with that human tart a few years back. She didn't blame him. Memories of Touga lay around every corner of this palace, and Sesshoumaru had taken his father's departure as a personal offense. Inukimi let him go, knowing he was at a stubborn age and one where he needed to learn how to take care of himself anyway. Still, seeing him return, her heart lifted.

Sesshoumaru had grown more independent since his Rite, but she had been able to bear his wanderings, knowing he'd come back. And when Touga had been home, well…that had made it all the easier.

But for the first time since his Rite, Sesshoumaru had gone years without coming back, rather than weeks or months, leaving his mother the sole one to shoulder the burden of their loss.

Unfortunately, she did not have the option of running away. Not like her son. Not like her husband. Someone had to run this territory when the men shirked their duties and went to pieces.

Still, losing both of them in one go had taken a greater toll on her heart than she'd imagined. She had believed she would be able to live as she once had before Touga came into her life, but he and Sesshoumaru had changed her in ways she never thought possible, and while she went about her daily routine as she always had, inside, she wished someone from her family remained at her side. Sesshoumaru was no longer a little demon who needed her anymore. Touga didn't need her either, it seemed.

So who did?

"What brings you home, Sesshoumaru?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru's permanent scowl deepened as he walked past her. "Father is determined to kill himself for that mortal woman."

"What do you mean?"

But Sesshoumaru kept walking past her towards the doors to the palace. Inukimi stood up. "Sesshoumaru, stop." Finally, he heeded her command, glancing back at her over his shoulder. "Why would you say something like that?"

Sesshoumaru huffed. "Surely you heard the news. Every demon in the region knew that Father was battling Ryuukotsusei."

Yes, she had heard that. It was the first she had heard of him in years, since she made no move to sniff out rumors of his new lifestyle. But she'd found the news strange, given that he seemed to have ceased all war activity when he left. "And?" she prompted.

"Father came away the victor…barely. But he ran straight back to her. Apparently, humans have invaded their home to protect that woman from him."

Petty satisfaction warmed her gut that the couple's little love story was not quite as rosy as it seemed.

But her son's next words doused any flame of happiness she had.

"He's going to die if he takes them all on."

Inukimi's heart lurched. No, he can't. He's too powerful.

He might have been gone from her palace—but she never imagined he would be gone from her life. This fascination with the human was a passing fad. The woman would die in due time, and after he went through a suitable period of groveling, Inukimi would welcome him back. That was how this was supposed to work.

He was not supposed to die before he came home.

"Why do you say that?" she asked. Touga had been close to death before—multiple times—but he always managed to pull through. Because he was the strongest. Because he was Touga.

"Because this was always going to happen."

Inukimi frowned. "What do you mean?"

Sesshoumaru finally turned around and met her gaze. "You didn't kill her when you had the chance. So he was always going to put his life on the line for her."

The rest of his words went unspoken: Because that's just who he is.

"She's going to die one day anyway. Why should I invoke your father's wrath?"

"Ah, so that's the reason." He looked away from her.

Is he looking down on me? "Do you think I should have killed her? I notice you never made a move to do so."

Sesshoumaru cut a look at her. "I have, Mother. I've killed her many times. Nothing changed. He still died—often willingly."

"What are you saying?" Inukimi's eyes widened in realization. "Wait…did you know this would happen? Did you see this…during your Rite?"

He didn't answer, but it was all the confirmation she needed.

"You knew. You knew he was going to meet her—to leave with her, and you said nothing."

"You know the rules, Mother. We must not impart what we see unless…no, until it comes to pass."

Inukimi clenched her fists in her fur. She did know, damn it. It was why, as much as she had wanted to confide in Touga for centuries—to use his strategic mind to their benefit—she couldn't. Akuru would punish her if she did.

So she had been left to bear the knowledge of tragedy alone.

"So you can speak now? What you've seen has come to pass? He's…dead?"

Sesshoumaru blinked slowly. "Perhaps. Most likely."

"And you did nothing to help him?"

Sesshoumaru glared at her, and for the first time in centuries, she saw hurt in his eyes. "I thought you, of all people, would understand the futility of fighting fate, Mother. Our Rites do not end until we accept it."

Inukimi felt her heart break for the second time in her life. He tried. Was that his Rite? To suffer his father's death over and over and over again until he could accept it? My poor son—no wonder you came back so detached. Akuru, you are cruel indeed.

But she already knew that—or the progenitor would not have burdened her with the heavy weight of knowledge that he did.

"Even Father knew his end was drawing near," Sesshoumaru continued. "Yet he refused to give me Tessaiga or Sou'unga."

Inukimi's frayed nerves snapped. "You tried to take your inheritance before your father was even dead? Shame on you, son. Did I not teach you better?" she hissed.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "If I do not take them now, they will be left to her brat. …Assuming he survives."

The breath left Inukimi then. "They have a child?"

Her son gave a noncommittal grunt and walked into the palace without another word.

Inukimi gripped the large necklace that fell upon her breast. When Touga had finished his quest to gather swords containing the power of Heaven, Earth, and Hell, he had gifted it to her. Inside the giant medallion in her grasp, the Meido Stone pulsed. It was this very stone that had helped Touga achieve complete power with the Tessaiga, which he had cleaved into the Tenseiga, realizing it was far too much power to contain in just one weapon.

Only she and Touga knew the true extent of the necklace's power. The Meido Stone created a portal to the netherworld. It was a very powerful weapon, and one she rarely used. She saved it for only the most noteworthy occasions.

But being given a gate to the netherworld lent her an extraordinary ability, and one she had to use responsibly: the ability to bring back the dead. To date, she had never used that power before. She had never felt the need to.

Without hesitation, Inukimi transformed and leapt off the platform. She had no idea where Touga was, but she followed Sesshoumaru's scent, knowing it would lead her to him.

She didn't care if it was Touga's fate to die. She had the power to save him, and she would use it if need be.

She tracked her son's path to a snowy beach, where she landed. The shallowest hint of footprints—human and dog—still remained, now filled in by snow. The cold dampened their scents, but both Sesshoumaru's and Touga's were evident. As she sniffed the area, one place in particular was potent: a maroon patch of frozen blood.

Touga's blood.

She caught his scent and raced into the air, her heart pounding. That metallic tang almost overpowered his scent. He was badly injured. She only hoped she made it to him in time.

This wasn't supposed to happen. She had chosen the strongest for a reason. With her consort, she was meant to lead demonkind into a new age. Akuru had shown her this over and over again. That time hadn't come yet—she didn't know when it would come—but that meant Touga couldn't leave her. They had a great task ahead of them. She couldn't do it alone.

Nor did she want to do it alone. She wanted him by her side. If he was with her, she knew they could overcome any odds.

But he's no longer by my side, is he? Is Akuru testing me? Was I meant to carry this burden alone all along?

Well, she was used to getting her way. She would bring Touga with her into the future—one way or another.

But soon, the acrid taste of smoke filled her lungs, and she came upon a human manor collapsed and engulfed in flames. A trail of destruction at the front gate told her the same thing her nose did: Touga had gone inside. But had he come out?

A whiff of another familiar scent blew through on the wind—one she would never forget even if she wanted to. Kirinmaru?

The scent led up the forested hill beside the manor, but the trees were too close together for her to be able to walk through in this form. She transformed back to her human guise and hurried through the forest. Touga's scent grew stronger, as did the stench of woodsmoke and blood—and not just his own, but a woman's as well. That woman, no doubt.

She came upon a clearing lit by a fire and froze.

That's not Kirinmaru.

A young man with short, scarlet hair knelt on the ground, tending to Touga, who was wrapped from head to toe in poultice-laden bandages. What hadn't already been patched on his face was marred by scratches and burns, and blood seeped through the bandages on his arms and shoulders.

What happened? Why isn't he wearing The Robe of the Fire Rat?

The man turned around, and his eyes widened. "Ah, Lady Inukimi!"

"Who are you? Kirinmaru's spawn?"

"Something like that," the demon said with a disarming smile. He bowed his head. "Forgive me for not standing, my lady, but the general here requires my immediate attention." He turned back to bandaging Touga. "My name is Riku. You may consider me Kirinmaru's right arm—or left horn, rather." He laughed, but she didn't understand the joke.

"Why did you come here?"

"I came at my master's behest."

Kirinmaru? Inukimi's eyes slid over to the pile of Touga's discarded armor and the swords that lay atop it. She could understand if Kirinmaru sent his underling to steal Touga's legendary weapons. She could not understand why Kirinmaru wanted to keep his rival alive.

"Why? Surely his demise would benefit your lord."

Riku smirked. "Privy as I am to Kirinmaru's feelings, my lady, I am not sure I have the words to explain them. Suffice to say, my master felt that he would regret the dog demon general's passing more than he would celebrate it. What would this world look like without such a strong demon in command?"

Her world would look like infinite darkness, that was for sure.

"How did you know to come?"

"Ah, it was a most curious thing. Everyone was talking about how General Touga was fighting Ryuukotsusei, and Kirinmaru was confident that the general would emerge the victor. But then Sesshoumaru, of all people, paid us a visit."

"Sesshoumaru?" That did not sound like her son. Sesshoumaru knew Kirinmaru, of course—Touga had taken Sesshoumaru to battle many times since his Rite—but Sesshoumaru had never expressed any sort of liking or even respect for the kirin.

"Yes. He delivered the news that he would soon become the Beast King of the West. Of course, when Kirinmaru heard this, he was understandably troubled and feared the worst had already happened. But Sesshoumaru clarified—reluctantly, I must admit—that the general had not yet perished…though it was only a matter of time. So Kirinmaru dispatched me posthaste to bring some healing herbs." Riku turned to her and smiled. "It was lucky your son came to us when he did, or I might not have made it in time, since I would have had to search for him. But Sesshoumaru even mentioned where the dog demon general had gone. Was that on purpose, I wonder? Did he intend for my master to finish him off, or…?"

No. Inukimi knew as much in her gut. Sesshoumaru was angry with his father—rightfully so—but the boy she remembered adored his sire.

Akuru's Rite might have deadened Sesshoumaru's feelings towards Touga's demise, but she didn't believe it had eradicated his love for him. Or else why would he have tried to save him so many times?

Was this his final attempt to subvert fate?

Had Sesshoumaru taken a gamble…and won?

"How is he?" she asked, nodding towards Touga's body.

"It was a close call," Riku hummed. "His heart stopped briefly, and I had to restart it. Had I been any later, he wouldn't have made it. …He still might not make it," he added in a lower voice. He then cleared his throat and nodded towards a shadowed part of the glen. "I have not had time to see to the lady and the child yet, however."

Inukimi had been ignoring the potent smell in her nose up to that point but could no longer. She glanced past the fire Riku had built and found Izayoi lying against a tree using a red robe as a blanket. Inukimi's eyes widened, and she walked towards her just to be sure.

The Robe of the Fire Rat….

She had given it to Touga to keep him from being hurt by flames—not so that he could protect another woman.

The human reeked of smoke and dried sweat. Her long hair stuck to her damp skin in clumps. Her wet clothes stuck to her beneath the Robe. The scent of dried blood rose from a red bundle wrapped protectively in her arms. It moved, whimpering, and a flash of silver hair pricked Inukimi's heart.

Curiosity overwhelmed her, and she bent down to pull the clothing away from the baby's face. She grit her teeth. Though he had his mother's face, Touga's features were undeniable in the pair of dog ears atop his head and the golden eyes blinking up at her. Birth blood streaked his body. What had happened down there that they hadn't even had time to clean the child before escaping?

Inukimi clenched her fists. This child should have been mine. What hasn't this woman taken away from me?

Sesshoumaru. She still had her son…even if he did not show any love towards his mother.

Inukimi turned away, but just then, the baby howled. She winced as the newborn's high-pitched cry shattered her ears, but the boy's mother made no indication that she heard him. Inukimi found that strange. No matter how tired she had been after giving birth to Sesshoumaru, his cry had always pierced through the haze of sleep and triggered an instinct in her to go to him.

Much as Inukimi wished it otherwise, the woman was not dead; she heard her faint heartbeat. Was she that weary from labor?

Though the boy smelled of birth blood, he didn't reek of feces. The cry struck a familiar chord in her, and Inukimi clenched her hands, trying not to heed it.

She knew that cry. It had taken her some time to distinguish Sesshoumaru's different cries, and if she was right…his brother sounded just like him. The boy was hungry. And if their flight had indeed been as hurried as it appeared, he likely hadn't had his first meal yet. He would starve if he didn't feed soon.

Why does that concern me? His parents were lax enough to leave themselves in this state. Let it be on their heads if he dies.

But the boy cried, and cried, and in the end, she couldn't stand it anymore. Just for the sake of keeping my ears from bleeding, she thought.

It didn't cross her mind to simply silence the child by killing him.

She knelt back down and pulled open the woman's juban, revealing an engorged breast, then positioned the baby so that he would latch. With some satisfaction, Inukimi noted that she wasn't enormous, so he took to the nipple quickly, suckling with abandon.

As the child drank, Inukimi noted the bloodstain on the human's waist creeping across her white juban from beneath the red haori. She moved the robe aside, reached out and fingered a tear in the undergarment. Yet peering through the gap, she saw no wound. Blood had dried all across the woman's underclothes. Curious, she peeled back the bottom flap of the juban. Though the robe was awash in rusty red, the skin of her thighs was immaculate.

Inukimi sniffed. The blood she smelled was dry, not fresh. This woman should have still been bleeding from labor. Why wasn't she?

Unless…. Inukimi glanced back at Tenseiga, glinting atop the pile of swords in the firelight. Did she already die? Did you save her, Touga?

…What a weak thing she is. She flipped the robe closed and waited.

When the babe finished his meal, Inukimi set the human's juban to rights and burped him. Finally, he was quiet. She replaced him in his mother's arms and stood. "This child is filthy," she announced, turning back to Riku. "Wash him so that I don't have to smell the blood on top of his half-breed stench."

"Just a moment, my lady. Let me finish—"

"Go," Inukimi said, swiping the bandages from his fingers. "I will see to the general."

Inukimi took her time wiping down the rest of Touga's body, covered in blood, soot, and sweat. Her fingers traced a jagged blue marking that peeked through his wounds unscathed. Did that woman trace his stripes as she used to?

Now's not the time for that. He'll be yours again soon enough. Just wait a few more years.

After Riku finished washing the baby, he left to get more water and wash the bloody rags. Inukimi remained at Touga's side, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. She would remain until she was certain his life was no longer in danger.

When she could no longer smell Riku in the vicinity, she murmured, "You silly demon. You've overextended yourself again. Didn't I tell you last time? You can't leave me." She glanced over at his mistress and new son, and her grip on his hand tightened. "You won't leave me, do you understand? Because I curse you, Touga of the Storm Clan."

She was no sorceress. There was no power to her words, other than that she spoke them. And it would have to be enough.

"Lest you forget me, may memories of us weigh down your heart as love for you does mine. I curse you by the red thread of fate that binds us together; may it never be severed, no matter how much you try."

Riku returned, and Inukimi kept a silent vigil at her husband's side. But when the human woman stirred, Inukimi stood up.

"Do not tell them I was here," she said before walking into the trees beyond the reach of the firelight's fingers. She remained close by, her hand on the Meido Stone, ready to use it if Touga lapsed. During that time, she watched as his human mate roused herself, checking on the baby and Touga before cleansing herself of blood. Then she took up the spot where Inukimi had sat not long before.

Inukimi remained hidden until Touga's breathing changed.

"Dearest?" the woman asked, noticing the difference as well.

The word pierced Inukimi's heart, and she turned away, heading home. She would not torture herself by watching their sickly displays of affection. Besides, Touga was safe. That was all that mattered.

Stabbing pain roused Touga from the darkness.

Is this Hell? Would he suffer feeling those final, mortal blows to his body for eternity? Was his life of warmongering a sin he had to pay for?

Or was the betrayal of his wife what led the minions of Hell to punish him so?

"Dearest?" The word was a distorted call from a dream. Do they dare torture me with Inukimi's voice as well?

But wait. She had never called him "dearest." That was…that was…. Touga struggled to open his eyes, his mind telling him one thing and his heart another.

"Son, why don't you call our for your father? Maybe that will wake him up."

A baby's burbling filtered through his senses. But that made no sense. Sesshoumaru was grown up now….

A baby. Wait. A flash of fleeting moments blurred by pain and flame crossed his mind. Inu…yasha?

Touga pried his eyes open with every fiber of his being, and it was one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life. Izayoi's pale, beautiful face filled his vision. Tears glistened in her eyes.

"Oh my dearest, you're awake," she sniffed, her tears dropping onto his chest. "Thank the gods!" She broke down into sobs, and Touga reached to console her but gasped as the skin on his whole arm needled in pain as it pulled. "Oh, don't move! You're still badly injured," Izayoi said, sniffing and rubbing his head.

"How…am I alive?" he asked, his voice coming out as a whispered croak. He had been so sure he was going to die—had known for a fact that Ryuukotsusei's final attack dealt a mortal blow. Only sheer willpower pushed him to make it back to his mate and son.

"A young man called Riku brought you here. He found you in the wreckage and took care of you. I…I'm sorry I couldn't stay awake to tend to you, my love. All I remember is a horrible pain in my neck, and then…I passed out."

He glanced up at her neck, a portion of his mating mark visible from the loose robe. The center of the mark had darkened a bit, like a corpse rotting.

Just how close had he come to death? Would she have died then…if I had?

The knowledge chilled him to the bone. I risked my life to save her…and yet I would have left Inuyasha an orphan nonetheless, if not for Riku.

He would have to speak to Riku and Kirinmaru once he recovered—to thank them for his life. A humiliating prospect, considering their rivalry, but he could not deny it: I owe them a life debt.

"You went through…a traumatic experience. I cannot…begrudge you rest," Touga wheezed, drinking in the view of his wife. "But where…is our son? Our…Inuyasha?"

"Here, my love," Izayoi answered, tilting the little bundle over his head so he could see the boy's face better.

"Inuyasha," Touga breathed, a smile coming to his lips without thought. "My little boy. Looks at those ears, darling."

"Aren't they adorable?" Izayoi asked with a giggle, giving one a kiss. The ear gave a twitch, and Inuyasha wriggled in his mother's arms. "They're so soft, too. I don't think I'll ever get tired of playing with them. Our son will become so annoyed with me."

Touga chuckled, though it turned into a hacking cough, and Izayoi grabbed a bowl of water for him, helping him to drink it.

As he settled down and looked back at their son, he was so thankful Izayoi was not disgusted by Inuyasha's demonic ears. Half-demons were such a toss-up in terms of looks. The child looked human otherwise, save for his crop of silver hair and golden eyes.

"Our miracle child," Izayoi murmured, cuddling the baby closer to her. "In more ways than one."

Touga was determined to touch his son, so he raised his arm, bearing through the pain, and stroked the boy's head with just the pads of his fingers.

Just then, a scent wafted from his hand—one quite out-of-place. He paused, subtly sniffing once more—but not subtly enough.

"What is it, dear? Is something wrong?"

"Was anyone else here?" he asked.

It can't be. Why would she…?

"Not that I'm aware of, though we could ask Riku when he returns."

It must be an old scent, he told himself, though his instincts denied it, knowing it was too strong to be so. Thus, Inukimi's aroma lingered in his nose—and the old guilt lingered in his heart.