InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Reunion ❯ Chapter Thirty-two ( Chapter 32 )

Chapter Thirty-two

A/N: Howdy, howdy, howdy! I can't believe I just did that! Thank you for all the kind reviews to my work. And for all the reviews to get another chapter out. Oh, and thanks, Valese, for the info. I had heard some of it, but not the part about the show only being put on hold until the manga got far enough ahead that it wouldn't be overlapping. I recieved some interesting news the other day. One of my stories (Poetry Through Time) has been nominated for best poem/songfic by the IYfanguild. I was shocked. I knew that several of you liked my work, but I never thought about the possibility of getting a prize for anything. Now, for a teaser. I have a major bombshell to drop, I just haven't figured when it will go into this storyline best. And, it will be something that could radically change Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's relationship. evil grin That's all you get at this time. ducks flying objects Aawww! I love you guys, too! Now, on with the story. I don't own Inuyasha.

Takara approached her mother's rooms. She had questions that needed answered and she hoped that Yukiho could provide those answers. As she rounded the last corner to her mother's chambers, she saw Daremo standing guard at her door. She also saw Inutaro approaching from the other end of the hallway and began running toward him. He saw her at the same time and began running toward her, too. They met almost directly in front of Daremo in a kind of collision that was a very emotional hug. After a moment or two, they parted from the tight embrace but not from each others presence. They shifted their position until they were facing each other, holding both hands.

"I have questions for mother." stated Takara.

"As do I." replied Inutaro. "By the way, what happened between you and the demon lord?"

"That's one of the reasons I have questions for mother." That was all Takara would say about that. She turned her head to look at the somewhat bemused Daremo. "Daremo? We need to see our mother. Will you permit us to pass?"

Daremo looked at the two hanyous that were almost like siblings to him. He nodded. "Lord Tanaka left instuctions to allow you to pass." He paused, hating himself for what he had to say next. "Do not attempt to take her from her rooms. If she is found outside them before her trial, she will be executed on sight."

Inutaro's eyes narrowed. "That is extreme, Daremo. I do not like it."

Daremo looked Inutaro in the eye. "Extreme or not, I have my orders. You know of my devotion to duty, Inutaro. Do not force me to choose between it and you, my friend. You wouldn't like the choice."

Inutaro's temper flared. This had been a very bad day for him and his pride had taken a few blows. "Do you think that you can take me?" he snarled, placing his hand on the hilt of Jajjimentotsume.

Daremo straightened and placed his hand on his own sword hilt. "You already know the answer to that." He looked at him, blandly. "My father chose me as his successor for the title of master of the Mitsurugi style. And his reasons had nothing to do with the blood linking us. He knew which one of us was the better swordsman and the better teacher. As do you."

"Inutaro, stop it!" Takara demanded, before he could reply. "You know that he is right. You may be very good with a sword but he is better." She put her hands on her hips. "Apologize to Daremo. He is only doing his job, and you know it!"

Inutaro growled in frustration and then looked at Daremo, a bit sheepishly. "Sorry, Daremo. This has been a trying day. My temper is a little off." Then he grimaced. "Besides, I lost a fight earlier and have not been in a good mood ever since."

Daremo nodded his head. "Forgiven." He smiled, grimly. "It was Lord Sesshoumaru that beat you, wasn't it?"

"He got lucky."

"No, he didn't. You did." Daremo shook his head. "I have seen him in action. That you are alive is surprising." Daremo held up his hand as Inutaro looked ready to explode again. "Peace, brother in training. I speak only of what I have seen. Lord Sesshouamru is not a youkai to be trifled with. I am glad that he chose to spare your life."

Takara cleared her throat. "I hate to interrupt this, but I would really like to see my mother."

Inutaro blushed and Daremo nodded his head to Takara. "Of course, Takara." He stepped to one side of the door. "Take as long as you need." He took a deep breath. "For what it's worth, my friends, I'm sorry."

Takara stopped and smiled at Daremo, slightly. "Thank you." She looked at her brother, who had an equal look of gratitude. "Let's go see mother." Then she slid open the door to the room and stepped through.

The interior of the room was dark. At first Takara was afraid that her mother was asleep and that she would have to wake her. 'I don't want to wake her, but I have got to find out some things.' As she and Inutaro made their way to the sleeping area, she noticed that there was a candle burning on the far side of the sleeping chamber. She immediately knew what her mother was doing. She was kneeling before a small shrine on that side of the room, head bowed in prayer. Takara looked at her brother and he nodded thoughtfully as he recognized what their mother was doing, too. They had seen her doing this on a daily basis for as long as they could remember. Takara stepped forward and laid a hand on Yukiho's shoulder. "Mother?"

"I've been expecting you, dear one." Her voice was husky from crying. She didn't open her eyes or raise her head. "Is your brother with you?"

"I am here, mother." Inutaro kept his voice neutral. Takara glared at him.

Yukiho drew a deep, ragged breath. "Oh, my son! Please forgive me. There are so many things that I should have told you a long time ago, but I had been telling the lie for so long that I had come to almost believe it myself."

"Mother, why?" Inutaro asked in a tone that was an equal mix of anger and anguish. "All these years, you have knelt before this," he indicated the shrine with a wave his hand, "and have been lieing about this great love that you and father had."

Yukiho looked at the shrine that contained only a strip of paper with Inuyasha's name on it. Her tears started again. "I wish that I could make you understand, that I could make you see. I do love your father, with all my heart and soul. And I always believed that he loved me. I always thought that the only reason that he hadn't come back was the death of his grandfather, but I also thought that when he was old enough and strong enough, he would come for me."

"But he didn't, mother."

"No. He didn't." Her body shook from the sobs. Takara knelt beside her and put her arms around her mother as she cried. Inutaro remained aloof.

"Mother, release the binding."

Yukiho looked at her son in shock. "What?"

"I want you to release the binding of souls that you have on father." Inutaro began pacing. "Look, mother, what you did was wrong. You know that! If you release Inuyasha from this binding voluntarily, it would go better for you. He might even forgive you for doing it, in time and with Kagome's help."

Yukiho's face became dark with anger and jealousy. "What has she got to do with this?"

"I have spent some time talking with both of them. She is a strange and remarkable woman. Father is hot tempered and brash. She is a calming influence on him. And she is the most forgiving person I have ever met. She has the true heart of a miko."

"Some miko! She steals my son from me, as well as my mate!"

Inutaro shook his head. "She has stolen nothing. I am still your son, mother. And Inuyasha was never you mate."

Yukiho crumpled in on herself. "Even if what you say is true and he would forgive me the binding of souls, do you think he can forgive me for you?"

Inutaro's face was stone. "That I do not know, mother. I do not know if I can forgive you for that, as yet."

"Inutaro!" Takara exclaimed. "That was uncalled for."

"Stay out of this one, Takara." Inutaro said, flatly. "I was concieved by deception and deciet. It is none of your concern. It is strictly between mother, father, and myself."

"Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't see it that way. He believes that his families honor is involved." Takara paused. "I don't see it that way, either. Too many people are affected by this."

Before Inutaro could speak, his mother interupted. "Your sister is right, Inutaro-chan. What I did may be between you, your father, and I, but many others have been caught up in it, as well." She looked at her son, love and affection shining through her eyes from behind the pain. "As wrong as it was, I am not sure that I wouldn't do it again. Having you has been one of the greatest pleasures in my life."

"BUT I WAS BORN OUT OF A LIE!" roared Inutaro. "You lied to everyone about this, mother! You even lied to yourself that you were trying to save him!"

"That's not true!" Yukiho screamed back. "You weren't there! You didn't see him pinned to that tree like he was dead! You didn't hear his heartbeat slowly fading, day by day! I was desperate to do anything to save him and when I couldn't wake him from that damned spell, I was desperate that he always have a bloodline to remember him! And if what I did was wrong, then so be it! I acted out of love for him."

Inutaro looked at his mother, unfazed by her outburst. "Then release him! Prove your love, don't hold him against his will or then everything you have said is a lie and your rape of him will be complete." With this final word, Inutaro spun on his heel and left the room.

Yukiho collapsed into sobs and clung to her daughter. "What am I going to do?" she moaned.

"I don't know, mother. I can't answer that for you." Takara paused and debated whether or not to tell her mother this, then decided that it would be best to get it over with. "But I can tell you that Lord Sesshoumaru wants to execute you over this." Yukiho looked at Takara in alarm. "It's alright, mother. I talked to him and got him to agree not to execute you, for the time being. He is even considering letting it go completely. Much will depend on if you can break the binding."

"You have great powers of persuasion, dear one. Thank you."

Takara looked uncomfortable. "Mother, I don't think it was me alone that persuaded him. Both he and his retainer knew my name and I have never met either of them in my life. You saw how Lord Sesshoumaru reacted to the monk when he asked me to bear his child. Do you know anything that might explain this? Is it related to my mother or my aunt?"

Yukiho had been using this time to compose herself. She sniffled a little before answering her daughter. "I may have an answer." She sighed, deeply. "You know that you were named for your aunt, your mother's twin sister, and you know that she died before you were born. Your mother almost never talked about her death, but one time she did." Yukiho paused. "Takara, this is not pleasant. Are you sure that you want to hear it?" At Takara's nod, she continued. "Very well. Your aunt was raped and murdered." Takara was aghast. "That's not all. She was pregnant at the time. Her child died with her and her mate nearly went insane with grief."

"And her mate was?" Takara asked, fearful of the answer.

"Haven't you guessed that, Takara? You are the image of your mother, so you are also the image of her twin. Your Aunt Takara was mated to one of the most powerful demons in the land. His name is Sessoumaru."

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"Jaken, where is Rin?"

"I left her with the demon slayer and the monk, my lord."

Sesshoumaru frowned in distaste at the mention of the monk but said nothing. He might be a lecher but he wasn't a child molester so Rin was safe from the monk's advances. An errant thought brought a brief smile to the corner of his mouth. 'And even if she wasn't, the slayer would kill him if he did.'

"See to Rin, Jaken. I wish to be alone."

"But, my lord!" Jaken protested.

"Leave me, Jaken." He turned his back to the toad demon and walked deeper into the shadows of the forest.

"Yes, my lord." Jaken was resigned. He knew what his lord was going to do.

Sesshoumaru walked through the darkening forest, lost in his thoughts. 'What do I do, beloved? I have never felt this way about a woman since you left me, and now, I cannot keep her from my thoughts. Am I betraying you? I know that you would not think so but it is not you who has this burden. My youkai wants to claim her. It has never reacted this strongly. Is it just her appearance or is it more. When she embraced me, it felt like you were there. I could almost feel the bond that we shared, renewed. Is it possible? Could she be you, reborn? But she is a hanyou, so it cannot be.' He stopped in a small clearing and looked at the stars. He listened to the wind in the trees so that he would not have to think on his lose any more.

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Kagura stood outside the camp that she shared with the retainers of her lord. She called the winds to her and let them rise. Then she smiled.

A/N: Yes, I know that it is the same ending. Anyway, I just thought that this would be a good place to stop, for now. Of course, I know that you don't think so.snicker Until next time.