InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Lifetime Loving You Part 1; Seasons in Owari ❯ Before There Were Heroes ( Chapter 15 )

Chapter 15; Before There Were Heroes

(Kagome's POV)

The next morning was the beginning of everything, my new life as a soon to be mother, and the beginning of one of the greatest love stories known to the dog demon race. Most found it appalling, Polaris would tell me, but I found it the origin of all that Inu-yasha was and had come to be.

I went for a walk in the green summer lawns in front of the estate. The barn on the land was on a little hill and the rice field was on my other side some ways away. All around us were thick woods that looked like each tree grew within six inches of the other.

I sat down in the grass and let the warm summer sun heat my back. It was cooler today and perfect for walking. I wished it could have been better for Inu-yasha. I turned to my side to admire the rice field, and saw Inu- yasha working hard in the field with a brown hakama on instead of his red ones. He still wore his white shirt for some time, but when I caught sight of him, he had already begun to remove it and let it hang around his hips. He whipped the sweat from his brow and picked up his tool again to work at the soil and rice weed.

The mysterious Aki was not far. His skin was far more copper than Inu- yasha's. His black hair was shorter as well and tied back in a tie to keep the heat off his neck and to keep it out of his face. Aki had one lime green stripe on each cheek, and large golden eyes. His body was fit, but Inu-yasha's seemed for more built. 'Must be a warrior thing,' I thought to myself and looked at Inu-yasha once more as he worked the soil and let the sun make every drop of sweat that collected on his body glisten.

Even though the earth smudged his face and arms, he looked more like Inu- yasha than ever. The earthy, rugged look made his eyes stand out even as sweat trickled over his brow.

I turned away and looked over the slight protrusion in my middle. The baby was growing inside of me, and wouldn't stop until it was ready to come out of me.

I closed my eyes for a moment to think, and just as I did I heard a voice and footsteps in the shifting grasses. I turned around and found Polaris beside me with a wooden tray and blanket. "Lunchtime, Dear! You need to eat healthy in order for that baby to come out with then toes and fingers."

She spread a blanket out before me and gestured for me to join her. I got to my feet and took my place across from her. Polaris lowered her head in prayer and I joined until she picked her head back out to take hold of her small bowl of rice and a clay jar of thick red sauce.

I took a small bite of my rice and watched as Polaris poured the sauce over her rice. I became curious and swallowed my food. "What kind of sauce is that?"

Polaris looked up at me for a moment and then at the jar. "Oh, yes, this? This is my fourth sister's special sour sauce. It gives the rice some flavor and nutrients that are good for the body. Go on have some!"

I took the tiny jar form her hand and poured a small amount into my rice bowl and mixed it in with the grains. I took a bite and savored the slightly sour, sweet taste in my mouth. "It tastes like honey and something else."

Polaris smiled as she took a bite. "It's a sour herb that demons enjoy. Most humans don't know of its flavor."

I helped myself to more of the flavored rice, and Polaris looked me over a moment longer as I ate. She caught me on several occasions looking over her shoulder to check on Inu-yasha who was still working in the rice field.

She finally placed her half emptied rice bowl down and looked at Inu-yasha, and smiled. "He has grown so much since I last saw him." Polaris chuckled to herself, "I still remember the first time I saw his little face when he was a wee babe. He cried day in and day out after he was born."

I placed my rice down. "You knew Inu-yasha when he was just a baby?"

Polaris gave me an odd look and shook her head. "Not just as a baby! I knew him the moment he was born."

My eyes widened in surprise. Polaris folded her hands in her lap and looked at Inu-yasha, and raised her hands to her face to admire them. "It was my hands that brought him into this world, and placed him into his father's arms."

I smiled and looked into my rice bowl. "Inu-yasha has never told me about his birth or those that he knew before his mother's death. The memories must be too painful."

Polaris looked at me with soft eyes as the wind blew light green strands of hair in front of her face. "The story behind Inu-yasha's birth is a far greater story that you think. Inu-yasha is more precious than most take him for. He is the product of Inu-taisho's softest side, the side that felt emotion for humans. He's his father's symbol of how much he loved his mother."

I placed my rice down and became interested in what Polaris had to share with me. The old demoness seemed pleased with my interest and picked up her cup of tea. "It is a long story, but if you have the ear for such love and sadness, I will share the story of Inu-taisho and Princess Mika with you?"

My eyes opened a little wider. "Princess Mika?"

Polaris nodded with a soft smile. "Inu-yasha's mother!"

I folded my arms as Polaris placed her tea down in front of her. She folded her hands and helped me to my feet and had me walk beside her. "Mika was a special woman, with a great mystic power. Her mother had had an affair of her own with a man of spiritual magic, and Mika inherited that from him. She lived her live as a princess for sometime, before she was sent away to a remote part of Kyoto. It was believed that the empire, wanted her to be separated from men so that she would remain a virgin until she was wed." Polaris giggled and smiled as she looked at me, "And then she found Inu-taisho."

I took her arm. "Where does the story begin?"

Polaris smiled as she walked beside me and placed her warm hand on mine. "It all began the night of Lord Sesshoumaru's birth."

"Sesshoumaru? But I thought this was about Inu-yasha?"

"It is, or it soon will be, but in order to understand him, you must understand his father, and in order to know him, you must know the pride he had for his first son...and Sashimi."

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(Inu-taisho's POV)

I was strong, invincible, and feared by all in the Western Lands. A demon among all demons, and I was feared like the gods of war and their horrible wraith upon mortals. I was never seen in any other form than my truest form, a large phantom dog that men feared. I was a giant with my heavy mane and coat of silver hair, a monster. I was a symbol of fear in the eyes of men, and I took pride and honor as a demon because of that simple factor.

Yet, no matter how much pride I had, not matter how strong I was, fatherhood was a dream I adored.

I remember the night I was out in the forests of Osaka when Lady Kioko called to me in the dead of night. "My Lord and Master, come quickly!" she cried. Inuko was a young thing with fiery red hair and golden eyes.

I sat in my human form on a rock with my right hand dog demon, Ho-ku, whom was Inuko's father. His green eyes looked at his daughter and he snarled. "Daughter, Lord Inu-taisho is in a moment of meditation, you were asked not to disturb him."

"Enough, Ho-ku!" I spoke suddenly with my hand in the air telling him to hold his tongue, "Let the child speak! I am finished after all."

Kioko ran to my side and got on her knees and humbled herself before me. I turned my face to her and flicked my elaborate dog-ears free of fireflies. I opened my deep golden eyes and looked at the child before me brushing my silver waves of mane from my face. Kioko looked up at me and I could see the three purple stripes that decorated the sides of my face reflected in her eyes.

"Come, young one, what news do you keep from me?" I spoke in the language of my people. Kioko's eyes brightened up as she looked at me and her soft young smile spread across her face. "Master, your mate, Sashimi is ready to give birth to your first son."

I closed my eyes and bowed my head. "I will be at Sashimi's side in a moment, Child."

She bowed and ran through the woods to return to my mate's side. I got to my feet and fixed my robes of red and black with Tenseiga at my side. I had my ears folded back and my eyes shut as I faced the waters before me. "Look, Ho-ku! A storm in the distance makes the ocean tremble. The waves hit the rocks like feuding bulls."

Ho-ku looked at me bewildered. "Does this trouble you, Brother?"

I opened my eyes again and looked at him as the wild blew my silver mane behind me. The golden sun that crowned my forehead shimmered as I looked into his eyes. "Brother, I know that this child is not my equal. He will master his mother's power, but he will never master mine."

Ho-ku came to my side. "Should he be killed?"

I glared at him and snarled with a low growl. "My blood shall not be touched. The child is still my son, and no other." My eyes glowed red for a moment before I calmed myself and looked out into the depths of the ocean. "Sashimi and I will breed again. I will get the child my dreams have told me of, but I fear that Sashimi is not strong enough in her power to support my blood."

I snorted and marched up the slopes to the estate, and with Ho-ku at my side. "Sashimi's blood is weaker than mine, and thus she will never be able to bare the son I desire. I have chosen a mate poorly, my friend, and now my blood and legacy dies with me."

Ho-ku stopped me and looked at me. "Inu-taisho, do not loose hope. This dream of the son you desire will one day come true. If the fates have sent you a vision of your future, then surely you will find it in time."

I nodded and began my way up the side to be at Sashimi's side. She did bare me a son and I was indeed proud. I raised my first born son to the pack of dog demons in my tribe and spoke, "Nemiros, domi caniso yoko-masi, Sesshoumaru! Miso pelro biro!"

Behold, your dog demon brother, Sesshoumaru! My first-born!

All joined in a chorus of roars and howls as the moon appeared in the sky. I did not join my brothers and sisters, however, for my vision still haunted me. I was to bare a son, one that would be a sign to all men. My blood was to bring something into this world, and it haunted me for years to come.

My son grew into his young teenage years, the hundreds, when he began to show his mother's nature, Sashimi's ruthlessness and desire for power. I had chosen her once for that willingness, believing it would serve my fated purpose. It never did, for after that night, Sashimi would never mate again.

I sat at the fortress of my mansion as my son, Sesshoumaru, worked his nose not far from me along the top of the wall. "Father, I can smell blood not very far from here."

I did not turn to him. "Sesshoumaru, you smell the scent of the hunting party."

He came to my side and sat down beside me. "Father, you have been troubled for many days now."

I closed my eyes, feeling annoyed with my son's presence. It was normal for a father to begin to shun his son once he began to mature. Sesshoumaru was coming of age, and he would soon have to live without me at his side.

"Leave me, my son!"

Sesshoumaru did as I commanded and as soon as she disappeared I jumped down into the courtyard and slashed a sapling into slivers of wood.

I growled, and then I heard her cold voice.

"What is with you? You have not been yourself since the day of your son's birth. You have never come to my side at night, and you have started to reject Sesshoumaru at such a young age. He was once your pride and joy, and now you have changed."

I turned and saw Sashimi's platinum eyes and rose pink hair. Her cheeks each had one red stripe across them and a silver moon on her forehead. Her ears like a humans only pointed, like my son's.

I snarled and turned from her. She growled and her eyes glowed green. "Inu-taisho, you hide something from me."

I turned around and glared at her with red fury in my eyes. "Feh! You no longer amuse me, Sashimi. You once desired power, when all your blood has done is made me weaker."

She snarled as her features began to show and mine joined in our fury. "You are ungrateful for the son I have given you?"

I growled in a low voice, "No! I am ungrateful for the fact his mother's blood shames him. I have realized that you and I are not the same. Your desires are not mine."

Sashimi snarled and lunged as she fought with me. Our brawl brought every dog demon in our tribe around. The ground sizzled with the poison in Sashimi's poison flower, claws. My claws glowed gold as I ran my claws through the earth leaving grooves and ditches in their wake.

Finally, our brawl stopped once I pinned Sashimi and returned to my former state. Sashimi snarled and pulled herself away from me. "You can have no other mate as long as I live, Inu-taisho, and you have no will to kill me or any of your own tribe. You would be forsaken if you did such a thing."

I snarled and stomped off to find my rock by the ocean. I had made my choice to reject Sashimi, but I was still bound to her until death parted us. I sat before the ocean, ready to welcome it. Death had already come to my blood. Was there any point in continuing? What was worth living for, now? What was it that I desired?

That's when I realized I had not found my true purpose, what I truly desired. What was left? What had I not found, not learned? I was a demon, a god! Then why was I not pleased with myself? It made no sense!

"What have I not found? If this is all that my life is worth, then why do I desire something more? What more is there? What makes life so wonderful if it is not becoming powerful?"