InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Nature ❯ Demon Nature Chapter 18 Hello Father ( Chapter 18 )

Demon Nature Chapter 18 Hello Father…

I don't own the Inu Yasha characters.

Yukio flew between his brother and sister, wondering why they didn't try and kill him. The fact that they didn't meant that their father had told them not to. And if Sesshoumaru told them not to kill him, then he wanted him for something. And that could mean that he'd live a while longer, at least until he'd figure out a way to neutralize him.

Yukio almost screamed when he saw that they were flying directly at a mountainside, and Taisho smirked before the glamour parted and admitted all three of them into the palace of the Great Demon of the West. Yukio didn't know what to expect, not even what his father looked like in human form. They landed in what appeared to be a throne room of some sort. The proportions were huge, with a slightly raised dais at one side of the room.

Sakura disappeared from sight leaving her brother Taisho with him.

"Where did she go?"

"To see if Father will see you now. If he's occupied…"

"I can wait. I've waited all this time, another day or so won't bother me."

Taisho looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"He already knows you're here. Otherwise you wouldn't have gotten through the entrance."

Both men turned, Taisho bowing deeply, and Yukio bowing, but keeping his eyes fixed on the demon entering the room.

"Leave us Taisho," Sesshoumaru said softly. Taisho left at once, disappearing somewhere in the vast complex. Yukio stood still as Sesshoumaru walked over to him, sizing him up as he approached.

"So, you are Yukio," he said, walking around him.

"Yore gave me a fine son, or so it would seem."

"You never cared one way or the other…"

"I cared enough to come when you were born, to make sure you were mine. After that there was no need to interfere."

Sesshoumaru came to a halt in front of Yukio, yellow gold eyes looking into bronze gold ones.

"I hear you write poetry and study the movement of the planets and the stars."

"I have interests in those areas, yes."

"And how do those studies prepare you for ruling a domain?" the demon who was his father asked him.

"Logic, clear thinking, are all involved in what you think are my trivial pursuits."

"I never said they were trivial pup. I asked you to explain to me how they relate to getting and using power."

"I…"

"I gave my children an order, to bring you to me. I expected them to be up against someone who was their equal mentally. They opened up an attack on two fronts, and you fell right into their hands. So I need to know how prepared you are to rule since you care so about the moon and stars."

"You asked them to bring me back alive, which means you still need me."

"Do I?"

"I am your son, and if I rule the south, and my brother and sister split the north and east, then you rule the demon world. Or do I misunderstand your intent?"

Sesshoumaru didn't answer Yukio, instead walking over to his throne chair and sitting down, regarding his son as the total stranger he was.

"Leiko offered you a deal. What is it?"

"I unite with her against you."

Sesshoumaru bared his fangs, growling deep into his chest.

"You sent her away."

"Yes. I wanted to know what you would offer me."

"Nothing more than I already have."

"Excuse me?"

"Yemon came to call on me when I was about your age, and new to running a domain. He brought along his daughter, who was in heat. You are the result of that. I never sought your mother out, and I think it safe to say she never wanted me as a mate. It was the last time I was tricked."

"But you let a human share your bed, and bear your pups."

Sesshoumaru fell quiet, his eyes boring into Yukio's, waves of power flowing along his body. If there had ever been any chance of them getting along, it was gone. It would be years before Yukio would understand the full implications of his statement to his sire.

"I see," Sesshoumaru said after a short silence. Before Yukio could move, Sesshoumaru had him by the throat, stopping him from breathing.

"The deal is you will fight with us against first the north, then the East. You will fight as my son. When it is over, and we've won, you will go back to your domain, where you will make sure your mother doesn't interfere with any of your decisions. You can make her death painless, which is more than she did for her own father," Sesshoumaru said, holding him so that they were eye to eye.

"I can't kill my mother…"

"When she finds out about your human mate, what will she do?" Sesshoumaru asked, not breaking eye contact.

"I…"

"She will kill her, and you, and together she and Hotaru will rule the domain. Her hatred of me is deep enough to force her to do that. If you want Ai to live, you will do as I say. Kill her."

He relaxed his grip and turned away from Yukio as if to leave.

"Stay the night. There is room. Jaken will see to it that you are comfortable."

With that Sesshoumaru left, and Yukio sank to the floor. Kill the female who'd given birth to him? He could see no need for that drastic an action. Deciding that his father was demented, he decided to do no such thing.

"Yukio-sama…"

"I am leaving," Yukio said.

"Tell my father I said good bye."

"I am sorry Yukio-sama, but you will be staying for a few more days. This way please."

Yukio could swear they exited the same door he came in, but everything had shifted, and he couldn't tell where he was. He did know that right now he was a prisoner in this place, and would continue to be, until he agreed to Sesshoumaru's terms.

The food was fresh, and Yukio, with nothing to do but think, went over what the demon who sired him had asked of him. Fighting with him was not a big deal, it would be interesting to know just how he planned to attack Leiko, who was formidable in her own right. But the part about Yore, about the danger to Ai from his mother…Sesshoumaru didn't have his rep based on idle speculation, so he had to take time and go over in his head everything his mother had done. His mother couldn't possibly know about Ai, what she meant to him…but she did. Nothing else made sense. He'd "accidentally" heard about Hotaru and her family, and gone to investigate for himself. His last visit with Ai had been found out because "someone" had seen a huge black wolf land in her parents compound. And his brother and sister had known, and now his sire knew. His mother, like most demons able to assume human form, hated humans as weaklings and lesser beings than themselves. Some of them had powers, that was a given, and some of them could work powerful magics against demon kind.

But the Demon Lords, those who ruled over the lesser demons, were another case altogether, and humans feared and despised them. And among the Demon Lords, his sire was the most feared. It took a lot of energy to maintain human form, and harnessing the tremendous power of the demon into such a vessel took a lot of practice and patience, but once they accomplished it the form could be maintained with no major problems. Of course, full demonic power came when in true demonic form, but even as humans they still had access to their demon power. His sire was right though. Any pup, child born to him and Ai would be born with a bounty on its head. Somehow he had to protect his mate…

The temple grounds would not bar his mother, or Hotaru for that matter, from entering when they wanted. When it came time for Ai to give birth, she would be weak, and the child could be killed and eaten without any problem, as could its mother. And he knew Yore would do that just to taunt him. The pup Hotaru carried, a full youkai, would be the heir apparent, and he would be reduced to a figurehead, ruling from behind his mother's kimono. In order to protect Ai, he had to make a deal with his sire, who was reputed to be quite a sorcerer in his own right. Of course, Yore would know he'd come here, and now he would be the enemy, someone to be eliminated. If he had gone off yesterday, he would've walked right into the trap Yore was bound to have set up by now. He needed to get Ai to safety, to make sure she would be safe where she was. And he couldn't do that from here.

When the serving demon came with his mid day meal, he grabbed it, growling.

"Tell my sire I want to see him. Now."

"Lord Sesshoumaru is occupied. He will come when he is ready," the arrogant little imp said with a sneer.

"I said I want to see him now," Yukio said, impaling the imp on his claws.

"Tell him his son is waiting."

"He is with Rin-sama. He will not be disturbed."

Yukio dropped the imp, who was partially paralyzed from the injection of venom into its body. Rin was his fathers life mate, and Yukio sat down, knowing his wait would be a long one.

Nishi started as the young demon landed next to her.

"Sakura-sama."

"Nishi. My father needs you to do something for him."
Nishi knew to bow low before this demon. She was the equal of her father, with a fiery temperament.

"There is a human, Ai, staying at a temple. Bring her to him."

"Why…"

"You question the will of Lord Sesshoumaru?" Sakura growled, baring fangs as she stood watching Nishi as if she were contemplating lunch.

"No my Lady."

"Bring her."

Nishi let go of Lady Sakura's kimono, tearing it as she did. Enraged, Sakura reached out to grab Nishi with her poisonous claws.

"Kill me if you wish Sakura. Explain that to your Lord Father."

Sakura stood down, eyes still blazing, watching as Nishi turned and headed for the temple, tucking the small piece of silk into her travel pouch.

The two humans who had been left alive by Sakura and Taisho were named Masao and Rei, and they had been Ai's only company since she'd come here. She was sitting in the garden reading when she heard a commotion, and saw Masao and Rei trying to repel a woman who was human. Ai stood watching silently until the woman saw her.

"Ai-sama, please, your humble servant begs admission to your presence."

"She is evil, a witch. Stay away from her Lady Ai," Masao said.

Ai, never one to heed instructions, came to where Nishi stood.

"What do you want with me witch?" Ai asked, her eyes as cold as her voice.

"To free you from Lord Yukio, to take you back to your parents."

"How do you know I want to be free of Lord Yukio?" Ai asked, her hand going protectively to her stomach where she knew their child was already growing.

"I…"

"Yore sent you here," Ai accused, stepping forward.

"You came to kill me."

Sakura watched from the cover of the evergreen brush, her ears picking up every word.

"No. Lord…"

"Lord? Lord Sesshoumaru? If one as great as he sent one like you to fetch me, he must truly think me a fool," Ai said, eyes distant. Sakura knew her plan would fail, and her first thought was to leave, her father would be angry with her, but she had to hear this out.

"He owns you doesn't he?"

Nishi looked down.

"I serve him…"

"He lay with you, and in exchange for your life, he made you his servant. You are much older than you appear aren't you?"

"The Master wants to see you…"

"I carry your masters grand child in my womb witch. My child, hanyou or no, will be a direct heir to his domain, and he wants no challenges to his own hanyou children. Serve my interests witch, and you will continue to live."

"Your Lord Yukio is a mere pup compared to my master. What protection can you offer me from Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"None," Sakura said under her breath, her eyes glowing hell fire.

"You are human like me. I gave myself willingly to my Lord, but you were raped."

Nishi looked down. Raped, and her child devoured in front of her. She hated Sesshoumaru, but she had been his slave for so long…

"I need to be protected. I need to make it so that no one, no spawn of Sesshoumaru, or the Demon Lord himself, can enter this temple. I need to make it so that the Lady Yore, and the demon mate of my Lord Yukio can never enter this place. Can you do that for me witch?"

Nishi knew she was dead either way she went, and decided that no matter what, she would help this human.

"I hear talk that Lord Yukio isn't like his sire. You love him."

Ai knew she was playing for her life, and if admitting this to the woman would get her to do what she wanted done…

"I have loved my Lord since I first met him."

"Has he marked you? I sense him around you…"

"I bear his mark, yes."

Sakura gasped. Never had a demon lord taken a demon mate, but marked a human as his life mate. Hotaru would be livid.

"You are nothing to Sesshoumaru, and you know it. Do this for me, and when my pup reaches maturity…"

"I will be long dead. Demon's age differently than we do. Your Yukio is several hundred years old in our years."

Ai had not known that, but the skillful way he'd made love to her should've told her…

"Enough. Do as I ask."

Sakura watched as the spell was performed, the chant lasting well into the night. There appeared to be nothing there, and Nishi, exhausted, had been carried inside the temple to rest. Without something physical of hers, how had Nishi…it was like walking into a wall. Sakura cursed under her breath, and tried again. She couldn't get through. Nishi had to have used something she'd used…the tear in her kimono.

Transforming into demon shape she took off for home. Better to face the music now than try and lie about it later. She'd born the brunt of her father's hatred for many years, only recently had he embraced her as his. That meant more to her than anything, and she was not going to let one of her father's sorcerers take that from her.

Sesshoumaru was in a small room in what appeared to be his private apartment. There was a strange look on his face, one Yukio couldn't begin to understand. His children, who sat watching him with barely concealed dislike, flanked Sesshoumaru. They wanted him dead.

"You wanted to see me," his sire said in those soft, aristocratic tones that made you want to back hand him. There was no softness there, just iron. Yukio found his voice, and began to speak.

"I will fight for you. But you have to promise to protect Ai."

"And I would do this because…"

"It's my condition to work with you."

Sesshoumaru looked at this stranger who was his son. The insolent bastard actually thought he needed him.

"Your life mate doesn't need my protection pup."

"She is human…"

"And she has recruited someone to help her against all of her potential enemies, including me."

"I…"

In a flash the three surrounded him.

"You will be back here in the spring, when the cherry blossoms fall. You will fight with your father against our common enemy," Sesshoumaru said, still using that soft town of voice.

"And you had better hope that your life mate stays behind the barrier she's had created. It's been a while since I've eaten a new born pup."

Yukio recoiled, horrified at what his father was saying.

"You have no heart!!!!!"

"I am a demon, and I am a ruler. If you survive, maybe one day you will understand that you too are a demon, no matter how many books you read."

Hotaru smiled as the servant poured her tea. She liked this one, and felt comfortable in her presence. So when she felt her womb contract, she made no connection between the humble servant and her distress. A midwife was taken from the nearby village, but it was too late to save her pup.

"She is in pain…"

"She lost her pup you ass," Yore snapped at the midwife.

"She will lose more than that. This was powerful magic, magic meant to make sure Hotaru never conceives again."

"Impossible!!!!! I have no enemies in my household," Yore said with more confidence than she felt.

"It appears that you do. Let me attend to Lady Hotaru. I am sure you can attend to the other matter on your own."

Nishi was long gone, back behind the barrier she had created at the temple.

"It is done as you wished my Lady."

"Good."

Ai sat down, looking at Nishi. She had no further use for her, but she knew she had to be polite.

"How can I repay you?"

"Give me refuge here."

"Nishi-kun, I can't do that, and you know it."

Masao and Rei were now standing behind Nishi, and after knocking her out with a garden tool, bound her with rope, and tossed her into a sack covered with binding spells. Throwing Nishi over the back of a horse, they took her deep into the forest where they left her. It took two days for Nishi to work her way out of the bag, knowing that by now Yore was looking for her, and that Sesshoumaru had to know what she had done to help create an alternate line of succession. Her only chance lay with Akemi, in the East. Leiko was too far away. Taking a bath in a nearby hot spring, Nishi headed toward what she hoped was safety.

Ai sat in the darkened room, a single votive light burning. The child she carried would be the only legitimate heir to the Southern Demon Domain if Yukio prevailed. Hotaru would conceive no more. If she was lucky, her line would prosper out of the direct eye of Sesshoumaru, and Yore. As Yukio's de facto wife, they would not be able to touch her here. She yawned, and lay down on her sleeping mat, closing her eyes.

It had been a long day.

In another darkened room, where no light was needed against the darkness, Yukio sat looking at a now sleeping Hotaru. The loss of the pregnancy had taken all chances of her ever conceiving with it. It was rumored that a sorceress had found a way into the lair, and given the poison to Hotaru disguised in her tea. Yore had slaughtered almost the entire guard corps in her ire, leaving them with few demons to scan the perimeters of the domain.

He had never intended for his hanyou children to rule. He'd wanted them to be able to pursue the scholarly life he wished he could partake of. But now they would be his heirs, just like his father's hanyou's were his. Yemon, his grand sire, had ruled for eons, and that was the only thing Yukio was banking on. Yemon would still be alive if his mother hadn't decided that it was time for him to assume the throne as his father had made clear. Hotaru stirred, opening her eyes.

"Yukio-sama, forgive me…"

"You've done nothing that needs to be forgiven Hotaru. We were deceived, and we will have our vengeance."

"Yes my Lord," Hotaru said, closing her eyes as he touched her face. The drug put her back to sleep, and he sighed. Nothing would be better right now than to go to Ai, to hear her soothing voice, be in her presence. She was the only innocent in this mess he thought to himself.