The Ookami's Grudge

Disclaimer: I do not Own Inuyasha or any related Characters. Inubiki is a creation of my own mind.

Author's Note: The prologue is set at the beginning of the 3rd Inuyasha Movie. Some of it may be off from the script, but that's because it's been a while since I seen it, and I have the Japanese version. Of course, stuff HAS been added to explain where Inubiki came from.


Prologue: The Night of the New Moon


Wind whipping through his hair, the young heir to the Western Territories stood gazing at his father. “Are you going, Father?”

Without turning to look over his shoulder, the current lord lowered his head slightly. “Will you try to stop me, Sesshomaru?” he inquired, his voice soft giving no more indication of his emotions then his son.

“No. I won't stop you.” The heir replied. “However, I would that you give me Sou'unga and Tetsuseiga.”

“And if I say no, would you kill your own father?” Asked the current lord, lifting his head, still not looking behind him; he wasn't entirely surprised by the silence coming from his son. “Do you desire power that much? Why is it you seek power, my son?”

“For my tyranny to begin, power is necessary.” Sesshomaru responded.

“Conquest, Sesshomaru? Is there nothing you wish to protect?” The words echoed across the sands of the beach. The only sounds in the night surrounding the father and son were the crash of the winter waves and the drip-drip of the mighty lord's blood as it flowed from his mortal wound inflicted by the dragon in his fight earlier that evening.

Sesshomaru, for the first time, showed a flash of emotion. Not much, just a second's worth of thought reflected over his face. “Something… to Protect?” If he'd been the type, he would have snorted. Lifting his arm, he prepared to strike his father, “I have no need to pursue such a meaningless endeavor.”

Before the heir could attack, though, the great lord let his true form be seen; a great beast who could only be described as a massive dog of some kind. Without another word, the great demon bounded away through the trees to a palace settled on the edge of a river.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Currently at the palace, warriors and priests gathered, preparing for the great demon's arrival. One warrior in particular, with his helmet clasped under his arm and a naginata in hand, made his way through the palace towards one of the chambers within.

Meeting him on his path, a servant informed him that the Princess was giving birth, only to be killed by the man.

One couldn't say he was heartless… Just rather set in his closed minded, human, way.

Reaching the Princess' chamber, he moved inside and knelt beside the curtain. “Who's there?” She lifted her soft voice, pained from labor, to his ears.
“It is I, Takemaru of Setsuna.” The soldier replied at her question.

The princess seemed relieved to hear this. “Takemaru? Thank goodness.” She said, wincing. “Please. You must take the people from here. Their lives are not done.”

Assuring her that they would be fine, he said simply “My feelings will never change” Then stabbed her with his naginata causing her to cry out in further pain. Settling his helmet back on his head he turned and left, pausing only a moment when the cry of a child caught his ears - Just as the moon blacked out in the sky.

The roar of the great demon reached his ears and he turned from the dieing woman and child to the coming battle.

Of course… before Takemaru knew it, he was missing an arm. “Cast the Flames! Burn him to hell!”

“But the Princess…” responded one of the soldiers in concern.

“She cast her fate when she whelped with the demon's brood.” Takemaru said cruelly, and the archers, all though some not willingly, released their flaming arrows upon the House.

“Izayo! Izayo!” The great demon exclaimed, searching for the woman; before long finding her dead body surrounded by burning curtains. Throwing the frame holding the curtains aside, he drew the Tensaiga.

Feeling the pulse from the `Fang of Heaven', he gazed at the imps who'd come to take his human mate and half-blood child away to the netherworld and swung without mercy, killing the creatures with one swing.

Color returning to her cheeks, Princess Izayo's eyes fluttered open and her head turned to gaze up at her lord. “Sire?” she said softly, sitting up and gathering her son to her chest as he started crying.

Turning her gaze back up to the demon lord, she opened her mouth to speak when he withdrew a haori made from the fur of a fire rat and draped it over her shoulders.

From there things got… a little hairy. Takemaru arrived and he and her Lord began fighting - But only after he spoke.

“Inuyasha.”

“What?” Takemaru demanded.

“The child's Name. Inuyasha.” He said. “Now, Izayo, Run.” He commanded.

"H... hai.." she murmured, and indeed, with a single glance back at him, she ran until she reached the far side of the bridge and was halfway up the snow covered hill.

~*~*~*~*~

Unbeknownst to either of the fighters or even Izayo, a servant moved through the trees on the far side of the Palace, a swaddled bundle in its arms. “You Poor thing,” She crooned to the bundle, whose eyes opened revealing beautiful golden orbs.

The servant paused in the forest, looking back as the palace collapsed, a sad expression falling over her face. She had been one the Princess' most loyal personal servants and the one who'd helped Izayo escape to be with the demon lord whenever possible. Who was she to say 'no' to her princess, when Izayo was in love?

When the bundle in her arms had first been born, she'd thought the child dead. Poor Izayo, the pain she must have gone through to learn she'd given birth to a still born daughter. The servant prayed the second child, this little one's twin, would be strong and healthy.

“Come on, little one. We need to get out of here.” She said, and hurried on her way through the trees.

TBC...

Edited: Tuesday, April 7th, 2009