Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I have a cat, a sword, a guitar, and my voice.

The lands of the Western Provinces were peaceful, and had not been bothered with war or famine for many decades.

Almost a century to be exact. The lands were not ruled with an iron law like many were, but were ruled by, strangely enough, a taiyoukai who's tranquility and joyful nature were known to all. He ruled peacefully, never causing any sort of political or moral issue with neighboring lords, and he was never questioned even with his warm nature.

For flowing in his veins was the black blood of the youkai, and the strength of the inu youkai clan which had survived several millennia of bloody youkai wars.

Ningen and youkai coexisted, learning from one another and basking in the warm watch of their lord. For many years he sat alone upon his thrown, showing no discontent of any kind in any fashion. But slowly his closest advisors, the ones who still remembered the days of the previous Inu no Taisho, began to see a slow decline in the

young taiyoukai's demeanor and the discontent which had never been seen before suddenly began to rear its head within the amber eyes of the new Inu no Taisho.

Naturally, the advisors were worried. For if anyone learned of the young tai's emotional status, the whole kingdom could go under.

So, being older than the young male by many centuries, the advisors cleverly began to weave a plan without their master knowing. They began to hold many great feasts where youkai came from great distances to behold the glorious lands the current Inu no Taisho held. This went on for some time, galas and feasts were becoming more and

more common in the lands and were always the talk amongst the country's women.

But to the dismay and frustration of the advisors, the young lord's discontent did not lessen, but instead seemed to grow. That is, until the night of a particular lunar eclipse.

This eclipse was like nothing any youkai or ningen had seen, showering the world in a beautiful wash of strange astral light. Storytellers and old village leaders would later recognize this night as a disturbing omen, never truly revealing why they said such, but they continued to look upon the startling beauty of that night as an ill omen

against the peaceful country.

For that night, the discontent in the young taiyoukai's eyes disappeared with a single blink.

All it took was a single glance in the right direction and the young lord had stood transfixed in place where he stood out on the balcony over-looking his kingdom. He had been captivated by the beautiful astral rays of light from the eclipse, but what he saw at this moment time had stolen his breath and locked it away in some gilded cage.

She had taken his breath away.

Long waves of glorious liquid silver ran down her back, seeming to sparkle in the light of the candles and torches about the grand hall. A light, formal yukata of pale blue was draped upon a petite, yet undoubtedly strong, body and was decorated with small silver vines and flowers that could only be seen in the correct light. Her silver obi was

fastened tight and he had to use very little imagination to know how her curves were truly set. Just from the back she was beautiful.

But she seemed to know he was staring, because in a slow, almost fluid, motion and swirl of expensive silk and liquid silver, she turned and looked upon him with the most stunning ice blue eyes he had ever seen. Not in any mortal, youkai, or any other creature had he'd seen such glorious, mirthful eyes. A faint tinge of pink instantly rose

to the surface upon her elegant cheekbones and over the rumbling sounds of the gala, the young taiyoukai could hear her melodious laughter, which sent tingles throughout his tanned skin.

Many years later many people would look back upon this moment and tell of how the hall suddenly quieted, all eyes now focused on the young tai and the beautiful hime from the Northern Provinces, both of which stood still with their eyes glued to each other. Time seemed to stand still for all in the room, and it was said some sort of spell

seemed to break as the young Inu no Taisho took slow, graceful steps towards the blushing beauty, his eyes glittering with wonderment and something else.

At this time in history, we would say it was "love at first sight".

Many of the onlookers were other females, all wishing to catch the young prince's eye, and even though she did not show it, the blushing hime must have felt the jealous glares being directed at her person.

When the young tai finally stood before her, he once again found himself breathless, for she was even more stunning up close. A rebellious fire, one that many females were rid of early on, burned brightly in her eyes and he wanted to smirk when he realized she would be quite a challenge. The light tinge of pink upon her cheeks was said

to have grown to a full blush suddenly as the young lord slowly knelt before her and took her dainty, clawed hand in his before placing a chaste, respectful kiss upon her knuckles.

After that night the two children of royalty were always together. Inseparable.

She taught him to ride horseback, something which he had never bothered to trifle with and something she insisted was worthy of learning. He taught her to fight with a sword, the only weapon she had not yet mastered. He taught her to be mischievous more than she naturally was, and she taught him to laugh. Sometimes they bickered, but it was

quickly resolved with hearty laughter. Often they could be seen playing childish games that were many decades behind them, even while they sat at the same table as many other lords of various stations.

But it mattered not to them. All that mattered was that they were together, and finally, after nearly two years of denying the truth, the two spirited youkai were mated.

Another year later, the new heir to the western throne was born.

A child who was said to have the perfect balance of his mother and father. The stunningly beautiful inu youkai had glorious silver hair like both parents, but inherited the gleaming sheen from his mother, along with his grace which was discovered at a very early age when he had fallen from his cradle unharmed. He held his father's deep amber eyes that resembled a dying sunset. Also inherited from his mother were the lethal poisons running within his black blood, poisons that were much stronger than the ones his father held.

The babe grew into a toddler, and then a young boy. A bright boy who let nothing escape his curious eyes, and never hesitated to ask questions. He was as playful as his parents, and inherited a mischievous streak from his father's blood, one that many had hoped would die out. But alas, many lords and ladies found themselves far more intoxicated then they had intended at one particular gala.

What they didn't know was that the young boy had not been alone in the deed, but was in fact helped by both of his parents.

As the years went by, the young boy began to train in the art of combat. Many hours of his days were spent sparing with his mentor, and father's chief advisor, who's crimson eyes watched on as the young boy turned into a rough adolescent. He was rebellious, strong, and in need of some stiff discipline. But when the Inu no Taisho was confronted with the matter, he simply laughed and told the advisors or servants to return to their duties.

When he had reached his twenty-third summer, fifteen in ningen appearance, his was instructed by his mother about the rare and powerful poisons within his black blood. Not only did they spar during their times together, they laughed and joked and did the typical things mothers and sons did.

But one day as they worked with the young youkai's youki whip, the Lady of the West collapsed.

For many years to come, stories were heard of how the young son ran through the halls of the castle, calling for his father or anyone to help. But many servants were out at the market, and those that weren't were out in the gardens tending the beautiful flowers the Lady loved so much. Now many of tales change here. Some say the young son of the lands remembered that his father had left with his advisors and would be away for several more days at least. Other versions said that he did in fact find the Inu no Taisho in his study and they raced to the fallen lady's side.

Unfortunately for the young prince and the Western Provinces, neither of these were true.

In fact, the young prince did find his father. But instead of working in his study or being away on the business of a lord, the Inu no Taisho was found within his chambers, and was undoubtedly not alone. Something inside the prince

had frozen in that moment as he watched his father bed another woman, a ningen no less, and for the very first time the prince felt something he did not know.

Rage.

The young lord flew into an uncontrollable rage, his eyes having bled to a deep crimson and his black blood burning beneath his skin. A snarl ripped itself from his gut and within his own mind, the young prince watched from a far away view as his father turned with wide eyes and the woman beneath him screamed.

It was then he could no longer see through his own eyes.

When he awoke, the young lord found himself alone and covered in blood. Ningen blood if his nose correct, and he knew it was. He had looked around to see only dark forest and hear nothing but the eerie silence of the night. But the silence was quickly shattered by a heart-wrenching howl, not one of a wolf.

A howl of dog, so tortured in sound that it reminded the young prince of a dying animal.

With speed not even his parents could challenge, the young lord had leapt to his feet and headed towards the howl, and was shocked after many minutes to find himself within the entry hall of the castle he'd grown up in. He had paused, only to set off once more when another resounding howl was heard from the direction of the dojo and the

memories of previous hours rushed into his mind.

It is said, in all the tales of these events, that the life within the young lord died that day.

The day his mother, the Lady of the Western Lands, perished due to complications she'd had with a pup not even her mate knew she was carrying.

She was buried beneath a grand statue of her likeness, depicted in stark white marble that glittered under the moonlight alone, and white lilies were planted about the beautiful shrine by the lord's orders, for they had been her favorite as well as her own scent.

On that day, six centuries ago, the young heir to the western throne died and was reborn in a form that honored his namesake.

Sesshoumaru, first born son of the Inu no Taisho, died. Born was Sesshoumaru, the Aristocratic Assassin.

The lands seemed to wither after the death of the young lord's mother and her unborn child, as though she had been connected with the lands themselves. But there was no doubt that she had been connected to the Inu no Taisho, for he too began to wither away.

He locked himself away in his study, and did not come out for many days at a time. Sometimes he would remain locked inside for an entire lunar cycle. When the lord was seen, he looked to be a walking cadaver. Soulless, withered, and a mere shadow of his former self. Eventually, after many months of this cycle, the lord simply began

to disappear. Mostly for weeks at a time, sometimes several lunar cycles, and once for nearly a whole year. Many began to worry for the state of the kingdom, and the advisors began to consider hiring assassins to kill the Inu no

Taisho, so that the young heir, Sesshoumaru, could instead sit upon the throne. He was of age, he was cunning and calculated, and he could best all but his father in battle. So then why not make

him the new Inu no Taisho? Many asked such, but were never answered. Finally, after nearly four years of tireless unease in the kingdom, a climax was reached as the Inu no Taisho appeared within the courtyard in a flash of brilliant light and an explosion of youki. He looked alive again, healthy, and was most certainly not alone.

Screams of outrage and distaste were heard for miles.

On the arm of the once highly respected lord was a ningen, the very ningen he had bedded the day his mate had died. A fine scar ran down her right cheek and many surmised the Inu no Taisho must have used his blood to heal it. Along with the wounds the young Sesshoumaru himself had inflicted, for she looked completely healthy.

And very heavy with the weight of an unborn child.

Sesshoumaru, who had remind nearly silent for near four years, had let out a shout of indignantly and rage that was barely controlled beneath his skin. In those moments he wanted nothing more than to rip the throat from the woman cowering behind his "sire" and leave it for the wolves. He wanted nothing more than to scatter her bloody remains into the wind, to blame her for causing his mother's death, and for causing his father to be too late.

But he was silenced as the blade of his father's sword sliced into the flesh of his neck, leaving a small cut as a warning before he had simply backhanded the youth, sending him to the ground several hundred feet away. Then, without another look towards his only son, the Inu no Taisho entered the castle with his new ningen mate on his arm as she clung to him in obvious fear.

Suddenly, the tale of the stunning lunar eclipse from years before came back, and many knew the ominous warning had passed. Now the ominous present loomed overhead, and many prayed to the Kami as much as possible, hoping they at least would be saved. But as time wore on, rebels began to form secret societies as the babe within the ningen mate of the western tai grew ever larger. Two kinds, which had coexisted for centuries, suddenly fought at the sight of one another, both blaming the other for the mistake within their government.

But biggest blame was between the young lord himself and the Inu no Taisho.

Both despised the other, blaming one another for the death of the first mate. The Taisho insisted that the young lord could have done more in order to save her, and the young Sesshoumaru insisted the same about his sire, and cursed the elder male's foolishness for not detecting his own mate's pregnancy. Gradually, they began to argue fiercely, often shaking the stone walls that surrounded them. Many hoped that the young Lord Sesshoumaru would slay the Inu no Taisho at times like this, but unfortunately for them, Sesshoumaru was still rash in judgement and fought like the rough youkai teen he was.

Even if his demeanor did not reflect such.

But the arguments escalated one night, the night when no moon hung in the sky, and the servants would forever remember the words shouted throughout the halls as the screams of a young hanyou babe were heard amongst the hatred.

"Ungrateful wretch! I should spill your blood upon this floor for such words!"

"Well then 'Oh Great Sire', do it! If you cannot kill me, then banish me! I will no longer tolerate this injustice! This humiliation! It's a dire sin! A disgusting deed that mother would have scoffed at!"

"You're mother cannot scoff boy! Thanks to you, she lies within the ground and her soul wanders in the Underworld! Be not a fool in assuming she can scoff at me, for the dead cannot scoff!"

"Who are you to say such things?! You, who has forsaken her and bedded a disgusting wench such as that Izayoi! You have slaughtered the memory of my mother by bedding this woman! You have proved she meant nothing to you! And you have proved your own flesh and blood is worth nothing!"

The young lord had fled from the castle that day, leaving behind an enraged Inu no Taisho.

Large sections of the surrounding lands were decimated at the young prince's hand, poison scorching the earth black and claw marks forever engraved upon the granite cliffs to the east of the castle. Many of the villagers remained

within their homes for many days, living on what they had near. But after nearly a week, the destruction suddenly stopped. For the peasants, life went on as it should.

But for the nobles, chaos and discord ruled their minds and hearts.

Sesshoumaru, after finally ceasing the needless destruction of the Western Provinces, was no longer trackable. There was no word of his well-being and many of the advisors considered that maybe he had been slain by some assassin sent by the Inu no Taisho himself. But then again, what kind of creature would murder his own son? Surely their lord did not despise his first born so much as to kill him.

For many lunar cycles, the nobles of the West deliberated on the problems plaguing the lands. Unease was much greater than before since the news of the young hanyou prince's birth escaped into the villages. Already, nearly seven rebel societies had been destroyed and their members slaughtered after giving all their valuable information. But the dismay of the nobles and advisors, the Inu no Taisho did nothing. To enthralled was he with his new son,

the filthy hanyou, to give a care about his lands, his people, and his missing first born. Many considered taking the matter to the high council, who had without a doubt heard of the matter, and request that the Inu no Taisho be removed from his throne and a replacement would reign until the fate of the first born son was known.

For after near three years, no news of Sesshoumaru was heard other than the old stories.

Many were giving up hope, knowing that the kingdom was doomed to fall at the rate it was going along. Some of the smarter people of the area simply packed their belongings and left without a struggle, instead of staying behind

and watch the world fall down around them. For surely, this is what was to come. So many thought this, and just as many could not decided whether to keep praying or leave.

But a sudden roar of cheers and hope soared across the lands the day a familiar white-clad figure appeared on the cliffs near the Inu no Taisho's castle.

The return of the elder prince Sesshoumaru made many anxious, for they knew that the young lord's return would not fare well for the Inu no Taisho or others in his company. Very few feared for the hanyou child, who now reached his father's waist, and said that he was a needed sacrifice to return peace and tranquility to the lands of the West.

Crowds of peasants, ningen and youkai, followed behind Sesshoumaru as he approached the castle at an even pace. Many could see the changes in the young youkai, and they could only assume he had trained during his absence. He wore heavy spiked armor that looked like nothing his father wore, his kimono's decorative splashes of color were no longer hues of blue but instead deep, blood red and many believed that it was in fact the blood of one of the lord's opponents.

Perhaps the blood of the Inu no Taisho would soon don the white silk as well, many would say.

When he had reached the castle, Sesshoumaru had looked upon it with steely eyes of ice and an expression so fierce, yet hollow, that many of the followers closest to him backed away in fear. The castle guards had charged them, their captain barking out orders from atop his black stallion. But before a single blow was exchanged, a

woman's shout was heard from behind the soldiers and all eyes turned to see the "Lady" of the castle running as fast she could towards the commotion, though having a difficult time with all the layers in her kimono.

"Look at the wench run!"

"She gives orders as though she is important!" The followers all shouted in unison with each other, their insults making Sesshoumaru fight back a smirk.

"Such an unworthy blood traitor to bare a child such as a hanyou!"

"Disgusting is what it is!"

"Disgraceful!"

"Silence all!!!" The followers all seemed to lose their fire, their will to insult, as a booming voice echoed from across the castle grounds. Sesshoumaru barely turned his head to see his sire standing in the sunlight wearing a kimono reminiscent of previous years, a young child clinging to his leg.

The child.

Sesshoumaru had narrowed his eyes upon the boy, seeing its ears flatten against its disgusting head. Wide amber eyes were clouded with the disgusting brown of his mothers eyes and did not shine brightly like his father's or brother's. He wore an outfit of solid red, and looked so utterly innocent that Sesshoumaru wanted to rip him away from his sire's leg and reveal to him just how cruel the world could be.

He wanted to utterly corrupt the boy, and destroy the spirit hidden with him.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, onegai! Let us not fight! We are family, if not by blood then..." He turned and glared at the ningen wench with a glare that made many wish for their place six feet under the soil.

"Speak not of family wench! If you cherished family so much, then you should not have destroyed this one!" A strange tone had overtaken the young lord's voice, and he seemed so much more wiser and capable now than several years before.

Perhaps now the council would grant him the throne and rid the world of the current Inu no Taisho.

"M'Lord, I did not mean to do so! I love my Lords dearly and I despair when I see them at odds! You are father and son, yet you fight like enemies described in the ancient texts! Onegai, place the past behind you and walk towards me! Onegai, become the prince and brother you were meant to be!"

Silence reigned heavy after the woman's speech, and Sesshoumaru did not falter. All waited with baited breath that began to feel like fire within their chests. But the held breaths turned to screams and shouts, mixed of horror and victory, as Sesshoumaru simply smirked before lunging at the woman known as the "Lady" of the Western Lands, and without belying a single emotion, sliced open her abdomen in a single, clean slash.

She was dead before her body hit the ground.

Cries and screams of a young hanyou would be forever heard within the minds of all present on that day, as well as the tortured, outraged cries of a dog as the Inu no Taisho ripped the skin from his humanoid form and transformed into the monstrous hound known as his true form. Crimson eyes burned with hatred towards Sesshoumaru, and

screams of horror escalated as the followers fled upon the sight of an enraged inu taiyoukai.

All the while, Sesshoumaru had simply wiped the blood from his claws with an icy expression. It was only when the Inu no Taisho began to descend upon him did the young tai react.

"Father, you are a fool now. You were a fool years ago. But now, be a fool in the afterlife!" Screams of fright and shock echoed across the lands as the young prince's body suddenly grew and shed its ningen-like appearance. Suddenly, two gigantic white inu youkai stood looming over the lands, evenly matched in size. They exchanged

snarls and growls, but before they could leap at each others throats, the shout of a child rang out.

"Aniki, yamete!" Surprisingly, Sessohumaru had faltered like his father, glancing down at the hanyou boy with clear disgust in his crimson eyes. "Mother was right! We shouldn't fight! We are a family and family ties are stronger

than the ties of revenge and hatred!"

Many of the commoners were shocked. To hear such words from an unworthy hanyou, it was insane! Of course they knew he'd been educated, but for him to speak in such a way to his own brother, who had just slain his ningen

mother, and not have any sort of hatred in his eyes.

Silence ruled the lands in those moments.

Looking at the child through red hazed vision, Sesshoumaru studied him closer. The child bore such a resemblance to their father, possessing a more rough face and darker hair. But even with the differences, the child was his blood

sibling.

And no matter how much he may have despised the boy, Sesshoumaru found he could not kill him.

The Inu no Taisho must have realized that his eldest son had resigned the fight, for he suddenly faded back into his humanoid form and fell to his knees next to his second mate. His howls of despair were heard by all, and Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as he too reverted back, when he saw that the young hanyou child had not removed his eyes from the older sibling of the two.

Was he not saddened by the death of the ningen wench Izayoi?

Thinking back, Sesshoumaru was so confused on the matter. The confusion was well veiled, only released in times such as this. Life had changed much since then, since that day over half a century before. His father, who still remained the Inu no Taisho to this day, hated him with a passion so fierce that many waited with held breath for a confrontation. The elder lord's ire was ever present, that much as certain. Yet, he kept it hidden to the eyes off others.

Particularly his second born son.

Inuyasha now looked to be fifteen in ningen years, well into his physical training at the castle. He still wore his bright red garbs, those of the fire rat's fur, and strangely, he did not hold hatred for his sibling. He knew his older brother despised him, he knew Sesshoumaru had murdered his mother, and he knew their father would kill his first born without cause. Even still, Inuyasha did not hate Sesshoumaru. Instead, he idolized him.

Sesshoumaru snorted, flicking a small bug off of his haori. He lay eagle-spread on his back, his arms folded beneath his head and a frown upon his face. It was times like this, when the world seemed so far away, that he allowed himself to indulge in the phenomena of emotions and expression. It was times like this when scraps of the once bright and lively child of the west reappeared, though much more subdued. A stray hair from his bangs drifted over the tip of his sensitive nose and he snorted, blowing it back into place. His hair was for once not against his back, but was instead in a high ponytail like his father's, only it appeared far more regal on Sesshoumaru. The Inu no Taisho always had a wild, unrefined look to his face.

Sesshoumaru was called by many the "Ethereal Prince of Beauty".

He scoffed at this, feeling like some sort of weakling with a name like that. Although, his actual name was enough to make his ego swell, and had he'd been the youkai from before, he would have puffed out his chest with his pride. As it was, he somewhat resembled his younger self now. His clothes that were usually pristine white with splashes of crimson color were instead looking rather...normal. His haori was a forest green color, no other colors present on the fabric, and there was no armor present to cover it. His hakamas were rather untraditional. Sesshoumaru himself had bought them from a foreigner and was quite happy with his find. His haori was tucked in at the waist, the brown hakamas held up with a belt also given to him from the foreigner, and the bottoms of each leg were tucked into a pair of worn , black leather boots that made virtually no sound when he moved. Other than that he only had his sword, that was strapped to his belt, and a few odds and ends to make his wanderings less hassle.

Gazing through the canopy of green, Sesshoumaru could see the blue sky above and a pair of birds fly by. Everything was so different out here, including himself, and if he had a choice, he'd remain away from the castle for good. He knew, if the Kami would allow it, he would give away his title and everything he had to remain this free.

Yes, free.

Free from the worries of a prince, free from the hatred of his father, and free from the strange adoration his sibling held for him. As it was, he had been gone for nearly a month and the council would request him back soon. With a loud sigh, he realized his freedom was indeed short lived and he would have to return. But before he could even stand, a piercing scream echoed within the woods around him.

"I will not die!!!"

It was that of a female, strained and hateful in sound. Sesshoumaru suddenly stood from his place on the ground and readied himself, for he could hear her coming. Her panicked breaths were thunderous in his ears, her footfalls rushed and pounding. But against that, he could also hear the footfalls of others all around her on the ground and trees. The clang of metal on metal was heard, the clanging of chains as well.

The girl was being pursued.

Suddenly, the female form broke through the edge of the trees, no more than a blur of color and noise as she turned towards the nearest attacker and through up her hand, facing her palm towards them and letting out another shout.

"Just leave me alone!!!" A bright light shone brightly from her hand suddenly, so bright that it hurt his eyes to some degree as he watched. At that time, all he could make out of her was a slender form, lean and tone from what he could see, and she was small. Very small.

The screams of several of her attackers echoed in the clearing as the light died away, leaving three of her pursuers gone. But she crouched low when she realized that three was not enough to get her freedom or escape. Sesshoumaru himself realized this, and before he could fully think about his actions, his sword was drawn from its sheath as he ran towards her form as many colorless forms leapt from the trees. He heard her block the first of the creature's swords, but again it wasn't enough and she cried out as a blade sliced through her arm. Another cry was heard when a slice was delivered to her hip, nearly cutting deep enough to grind against bone.

She fell to her knees as he reached her, looking utterly defeated as she looked up with wide eyes at her attackers.

Wide, sapphire blue eyes. But they didn't hold his attention for long and he barely made a sound as he swung his blade in an arc, sending out a wave of energy towards the dark creatures.

It wasn't long before their screams were simple echoes in his memories.