InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Nature ❯ What Could Have Been ( Chapter 8 )

Note: I don't own any of these characters. I just find them fascinating.

Yore walked out into the courtyard of her father's home, the place that had been her home for her entire life. Despite the fact that it was winter, the sun was out today and the sky was crystalline blue. True, she had a wing of her own that afforded her privacy, and she had servants who were dedicated to her. But this was still her father's house. Once she'd dreamed that she would go to live in the West, where she would sit side by side with Sesshoumaru, the Great Demon of the West, as his mate, and bear him pups.

But he had chosen a human woman, and the feeling of, what, race betrayal, had never left her. With the human he'd had two children, hanyou, whom rumor said took after their father in viciousness, temperament and guile. And her son, the pup she'd born him, preferred to study, to meditate, over his demon heritage. What a disappointment he would be to his father, who would probably have killed him already if he knew what type of demon he had become. At one time she'd dreamed of going to Sesshoumaru's castle and presenting him his full demon son, but that dream had turned to ashes as had all her other dreams.

"Daughter."

The voice was soft, its rough edges smoothed by age but not totally erased.

She bowed to her father, her heart constricting at the sight of him. He was old now, and old for a demon was something a human couldn't fathom. His beard was almost full gray, and his eyes were rheumy. But those were the only signs of his age. He still walked tall, and carried himself like the Great Demon he was. "How are you today?"

"I am fine father, but you didn't come to talk to me about the weather did you?"

They walked inside and she sat, arranging her kimono while he sat down, old age not slowing the process down.

He sighed, sitting down across the table from her as she poured him tea. He liked the ritual of it. Like most of his kind, he needed sustenance, but tea was not part of it. He took the time to study her. She was still beautiful, her thick golden hair falling around her body, matching the gold of her eyes. So much like her mother…

"There are rumors on the wind that Sesshoumaru is moving to consolidate his power," he said after taking a sip.

"By moving against Leiko and Akemi," she stated plainly, meeting his eyes.

"Yes."

"And once he consolidates, he will move against us, despite his promise to you."

"I'm surprised he held to it this long daughter," Yemon said, his eyes hard.

"You drove a hard bargain."

"Did I? Or was it just that he was waiting for his offspring to be older, and ready to challenge me."

The sipped their tea in silence, Yore wanting to scream. She knew her father was too old to stand against Sesshoumaru, a demon in his prime, and that he would try to compromise, to make a deal.

"We can't surrender to him father," she said, her eyes blazing, her pupils lightly rimmed with red.

"And who will fight him Yore?"

Again Yore avoided his eyes.

"My son is the son of the Great Demon of the West…"

"Who studies the stars, and not the ways of the world. You and I both know what Sesshoumaru would do to him."

"I will use anything in my power to stop Sesshoumaru from taking our domain from us, including making him aware of the existence of Yukio, a full youkai, someone he could be proud of."

"A youkai who is more human than his mate. If I were younger…"

"I am younger."

"Yore…"

"Leiko rules the North, and no one contests her. They won't challenge me if I assume your throne."

"It is your son who should rule!!!!!" Yemon screamed, causing the walls of the den to vibrate.

"He will. Once this is over, I will turn power over to him."

"And what weapons will you use against Sesshoumaru? Do you think he'll fall for you again?"

"No, but he will regret taking a human over me. And when he does, when he comes to me, I will kill him."

Yemon looked at his daughter, his eyes no longer rheumy, but clear, and Yore realized the old man act was that, an act.

"Yore, if you approach him like that, he will feed your carcass to the crows. Hear me out," he said, raising his hand to stop her from protesting.

"I've made up my mind. I will go and see him. With Yukio. You will stay here and rule in my stead. If we're not back by summer, it won't matter."

Yemon stood and left, and Yore hung her head, hot tears falling from her eyes. When her tears hit the table they burned holes in it, something she didn't even notice. She could rule. She would rule. She stood and went to her quarters, removing a small vial from her things. She would show Sesshoumaru what he could've had, what a pair they would've been.

Yukio paused in his wandering. Something in the air had changed, and he knew somehow it had to do with home, and his mother. He'd been having the most disturbing dreams lately, dreams of death, and one of the humans he was friendly with, a monk attached to the local temple, had told him the demons of the North, East, and South were restless, that the sea had claimed many lives, and the Great Demon of the West had shown himself in his horrific magnificence, killing a miko. Leiko had not stirred all winter.

In his human form Yukio was slight, his face almost feminine, with golden eyes and midnight black hair. He did not wear armor like his grandfather, or his mother for that matter, and he would spend time talking with humans when he could.

He looked up at the sky, noticing it was a magnificent shade of blue. It was winter, but here the winters were relatively mild, allowing the humans to eke out an existence year round. His ears were in the same place humans had theirs, but they were not human ears, and he rotated them, listening to the air. He had to get home. He walked until he found a grove of trees. Stepping inside, he transformed and took to the sky, hoping he was high enough not to scare the local populace. He saw the shimmer that marked the barrier his grandfather had erected around his den, and saw that the colors had faded, that right now any demon could get in. Landing in the courtyard, he resumed human form and walked to the inner court where his mother stood waiting.

"Yukio."

His mother approached, dropping to her knees, her head bowed low.

"Mother. What is the meaning of this?"

"Hail, Great Demon of the South!" she said, her body low in supplication, her eyes flashing fire.

"I…what have you done?"

Yore looked at her son, the demon light gone from her now almost human eyes.

"My father has passed on," she said with a fierce smile.

"You are now the Great Demon of the South."

"I…"

The staff came out and greeted him as lord and master of his domain.

Yukio could only gape, unable to speak, looking from the staff to his mother.

"Come son. We have a lot to discuss."

Later, Yukio stood on the balcony of what had been his grandfather's room. He'd had it stripped, mats put down, and a new futon brought in for when he wanted to sleep that way. He was the Great Demon. Ironically his mind turned to his father, Sesshoumaru, who was now his equal in rank. What would he do when he heard that Yemon was dead, and that he, Yukio, had assumed power. Did Sesshoumaru even know he was his son? If anyone should share rule with him, it should be him, Yukio, and not his hanyou children. His mother had talked to him about taking a mate now, and he sighed, walking back inside and closing the doors.

A mate. Someone to have pups for him, a demoness worthy of accepting his seed.

A demoness. He had met a few in his wanderings, and he'd lingered with a few of them, making sure it wasn't that time for them. But none interested him.

He closed his eyes, another face coming into focus. Ai, she of the blue black hair and wide brown eyes, who loved philosophy as much as he did. How many nights had he spent in her company, her mother sitting quietly in the next room listening through the shoji screen. He had to tell her the truth about himself, and why he would not be able to see her anymore. Changing shape, he again took to the sky, this time under cover of darkness, landing softly just outside the compound where Ai lived. He leapt over the fence, still in demon form, a large black canine against the black night, red eyes able too see as if it were daytime. He kept his mouth closed, not wanting the poison of his saliva to destroy this place. His claws glowed with the miasma that traveled with him in this form. Ai was in her room, probably reading he thought to himself. He reassumed human form after landing on her balcony, and stepped inside. Ai looked up, covering her mouth to stifle her cry.

"Yukio."

"Ai."

Yukio caught his breath. He'd never seen her like this, her hair loose down her back, her features softened by the lamplight.

"It's late, I'm not chaperoned…"

He knew that, and he hoped his body's reaction wouldn't stop him from doing what he had to do.

"I won't be long. I've come to tell you goodbye."

"Goodbye? Why?"

"I've, I've come into my inheritance…"

The doors to her room burst open and two of her fathers guards, arms at the ready, burst in. Her mother followed her father in, her hair down and sweeping the floor.

"Ai!!" her father shouted.

"Yukio?" her mother gasped, looking at him in shock.

"Ai, you're all right?" her mother asked, rushing to her daughter.

"Why wouldn't I be? What is going on here?"

"One of the maids saw a demon dog, a large black one, come into the compound and leap onto your balcony."

"No one is here but Yukio mother. Father, please put your sword away. I'm fine."

"Why is he here, at night, unannounced? How long has he been here?"

"We were studying, and it got late," Ai lied, dropping her eyes and letting a blush color her cheeks.

"I'm sorry sir, madam. But I'm glad I'm here, to keep Ai safe."

"I'm her father. I keep her safe until she is married. Please. Leave my house."

"Yes sir," Yukio said, bowing deeply.

He left through the door this time, and walked out, his emotions swirling inside of him. Ai had lied, for him. And in that lie he knew she knew he was more than he seemed. How he'd see her again he didn't know. He had duties now, responsibilities now. This domain was his to protect and defend. And come spring, he'd have to face the demon every other demon feared, his father, Sesshoumaru, who would be coming to assume control of what was now his to defend. And he would have to face him as his son, and as his foe. Feeling he was far enough from the compound, he transformed and took to the sky, streaking back to his den.

For her part, Ai stood on the balcony, straining to see the man she loved one last time. When the cold finally became too much, she went inside, lighting a brazier to give herself some warmth. She hung her head, her hair falling like an ebony curtain over her face. She had seen what he was from the beginning, and she had thought that maybe, just maybe, love was possible between human and demon. She, like every girl, knew that the Great Demon of the West had a human as his mate, and she had thought that maybe Yukio would make her his. Even now the thought of it sent heat through her loins. But it had only been a thought, and now, with her parents horrified at a man being in her room, she was sure they'd marry her off in the spring to Masahiro, who'd been courting her for the last few years. He'd assumed his inheritance he'd said. What that meant she didn't know. All she knew was that she would never see him again. And right now that pain was more than she could bear.