The Fate of Our Love by Cassial_Darkfox

Chapter 1

The Fate of Our Love

By: Cassial_Darkfox

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any affiliated characters. I do own Kaido and anyone not in the show. Enjoy!!

Rating: Mature for future chapters and possible dream scenes. If you don't like that sort of thing don't read, r & r otherwise.

Chapter 1

He had short hair, to his shoulders and it was silver with faint black streaks starting at the very bottom of his hair. His eyes looked nothing like those of the youkai he resembled, his were blue. On his face there was one set of stripes, they were a deep blue. The small boy had no tail, nor any sign that he was inu, but it was evident that he was just by the way he acted.

The youkai boy was lying in the grass just looking up at the night sky. His head was lying on his arms which were folded behind his head. His legs were covered by dark green silk hakamas. He had a slightly lighter haori on with a black sash tied at his waist.

He was there only two days a week, no more. It was anyone's guess when those two days would be. He only came at night and always alone.

Inuyasha had been watching the boy for only five days, two days a week and one at the beginning of the current week. At first Inuyasha simply ignored him, then as the boys continued to show up he started keeping an eye on him. This was the first time Inuyasha had ever seen an inuyoukai so young without a parent nearby. So this being as odd as it was Inuyasha started to watch him more, though this was the first time he had stayed as long as he was. Inuyasha was determined to see why this boy stayed out so late and without protection.

A slight sniffling caught his attention and he turned his focus back to the boy in the grass. To his complete and utter shock the boy was crying. He was being quiet about it but the tears where there as plain as anything else. Inuyasha watched the boy try to stifle his tears and felt sorry for the small youkai. He knew how it was to cry as a child.

The wind shifted through the grass and the trees bringing a new scent to Inuyasha. This scent wasn't new, in fact, he knew it quite well. Inuyasha looked up past the line of trees and found the owner of the scent.

His half-brother was standing there watching the young boy as he had been doing. There was something different about him though. Sesshoumaru wasn't wearing any armor and he didn't have any swords with him. He was also wearing a simple hakama and haori, not the usual one he wore at all. His stance was tense and his eyes seemed to hold as much sadness as the boy.

Inuyasha gripped the hilt of the Tetsusaiga and prepared to attack him if he tried to attack the boy. He tensed as Sesshoumaru started towards the boy. He didn't know what to expect and was ready should the boy need his help. Youkai or not Inuyasha would not let a child die.

"Kaido."

His ears twitched at the soft utterance from Sesshoumaru. At first he feared he had been caught, but when the boy shot up Inuyasha knew he was speaking to the boy.

The boy didn't try to wipe his tears away, he let them fall. "Father." He got to his feet and simply watched Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha was beyond confused. He had no idea that Sesshoumaru had a son. The last he had seen of Sesshoumaru was the final battle with Naraku, and then he just vanished and didn't bother Inuyasha for the Tetsusaiga ever again. Now hearing that he had a son, an heir, made Inuyasha falter for a brief second.

Sesshoumaru knelt and watched his son just as he was watching him.

That was all it took for the boy. Inuyasha watched as he ran to Sesshoumaru and cried on his father's shoulder. He never would have thought that his brother would allow anyone, even his own pup, to cry on his shoulder. Sesshoumaru hated weak youkai, but his reaction to his son's tears confused Inuyasha further. Sesshoumaru, his cold-hearted brother, had tears falling from his closed eyes as well.

"Why does it hurt so much father?" The boy pulled away from Sesshoumaru and looked into his father's eyes.

"I don't know son."

"Will it ever stop?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes closed tightly as more tears streamed down his cheeks, "No, it won't."

He wished he knew what they were talking about. Inuyasha had never thought he would see his brother cry and now seeing it he wished he knew what was so bad to cause tears to fall from his brother's eyes. What surprised Inuyasha more was the inexplicable need to take his brother's pain away.

The Western Lord picked his son up and left the clearing.

~*~

Inuyasha sat in Kaede's hut in silence. Sango and Miroku were going about their usual routine for the morning. Miroku would pat Sango's behind and she would hit him and call him a hentai. It was always the same. One difference, Sango was pregnant. Inuyasha doubted they knew, but he could smell it on her.

Kaede served them all their breakfast and went out to get Shippo. Most mornings the kit could be found playing with the children in the village. The villagers had become so accustomed to seeing youkai and hanyou that they no longer fear them. Kirara was always with Shippo to make sure he was protected.

Sango sighed, and then held her stomach as a sudden wave of sickness overcame her. She set her food down and waited for it to pass.

"Are you alright Sango?" Miroku looked at her with nothing but concern on his face.

"Yeah just a little sick." With a warning look at the hand wondering too close to her rear she started eating her food.

'It's about time.' Inuyasha had been wondering when their first child would be arriving. It had been over five years since Naraku was finally defeated and the Shikon was returned to its whole state. Around a year after Naraku's fall Miroku asked Sango to marry him and she accepted. Kaede had performed the ceremony in her own hut in the village.

Shippo came running in with Kirara following. He went right for his bowl of food. As the kit was eating he looked at Sango curiously.

Inuyasha watched him. He was afraid that Shippo would say something about Sango being pregnant.

"Why do you smell funny Sango?"

"Shippo! That wasn't nice!" Sango scowled at the young kit.

Inuyasha grabbed Shippo before he could say anything else. "Yeah, stop being rude brat."

"Lemme go!" He struggled against Inuyasha's grip, then with no other way out he said, "Fox Fire!"

He dropped the kit as blue flames burned his flesh. "Why you...! Come here!"

"Inuyasha leave Shippo alone."

His attention shot to the door of the hut. "Tell him to stop being an idiot." Inuyasha turned his head away from Kaede and tucked his hands into his massive sleeves.

Kaede sighed, "He is but a child Inuyasha. And ye need to leave him be." She stiffly sat down in front of the food and served herself some.

Not wanting to smell what he was Inuyasha left the hut. He walked casually with no where to go and no reason to really be there. Ever since the final battle with Naraku Inuyasha had been restless. Everyone was settling down, but he still longed for battle, for adventure. He was still young and the youkai in him wanted battle, wanted blood, and wanted a mate.

Putting aside those thoughts Inuyasha thought about Kaede. The scent that was bothering him the most was the one lingering on the old miko these days. Kaede was getting old, all of them knew it, but few of them realized just how old the hag was. She was nearly seventy and her health was finally failing. The faint scent of approaching death was clinging to Kaede and it was only getting stronger.

He didn't want to be the one to tell Kaede anymore than he wanted her to die. She had gotten them through a lot in the past years with Naraku and even more after that. Inuyasha himself was at his last leg after the final battle. Kaede helped pull him out of the depression that was quickly taking over after what happened with Kagome.

"Forgive me father."

Inuyasha looked into the sunlit clearing of the Bone Eaters well and saw his brother once again. With him was the boy, Kaido, which had been continuously going to the clearing. His eyes adjusted to the bright sun and found that they were looking at him. He felt suddenly very small. After a brief moment of awkwardness Inuyasha said, "Sesshoumaru what are you doing here?"

"I do not believe it is any concern of yours hanyou." His voice was cold but his eyes held none of the ice they used to. Something or someone changed him for the better.

"This is the village I protect and you are not welcome here. Leave Sesshoumaru." His voice was so commanding that it surprised him and it seems that it surprised Sesshoumaru as well.

"I see that you have grown some in the past five years hanyou." A smirk formed on his face, "We'll see if your sword skill has grown as well." With a pointed look his son stepped back. Sesshoumaru pulled the Tokijin and waited.

Inuyasha's heart beat increased at the chance to finally fight someone. He removed Tetsusaiga from its sheath and pointed it at Sesshoumaru, "Let's go." He rushed Sesshoumaru without a warning.

As expected Sesshoumaru blocked his attack with ease and dodged the next attack. Inuyasha leapt back then pushed off the ground with Tetsusaiga tucked next to his chest. As he neared Sesshoumaru he thrust the sword out towards him. His attack was blocked and used to throw him away.

Inuyasha looked up from where he had hit the tree when a prick against his neck drew his attention. Sesshoumaru was standing above him with the Tokijin at his throat.

"You have gotten sloppy in your years since Naraku's defeat hanyou." He stepped away and put the Tokijin back in his sash next to Tenseiga. Sesshoumaru moved back near his son and turned away from him.

"Wait Sesshoumaru!" He stood up on shaking legs and faced his brother's back.

"I will not be the one to provide you with meaning in your life Inuyasha. I have my life own that I am trying to live." He turned and looked at his younger brother, "You are hanyou, ignore the callings of your youkai nature. It will get you into trouble once again hanyou." Sesshoumaru started walking away again.

"I have nothing to live for anymore. Kikyo was laid to rest after Naraku died, Sango and Miroku have started a family, Shippo doesn't need me, and Kagome-" The wind picked up around him as Sesshoumaru took to the skies leaving him in the clearing all alone.

"Move forward with your life, do not mourn over the past and what could have been."

Inuyasha looked down and saw Kaido, his brother's son, looking up at his father as he left. "What are you still doing here? I thought he was you father?"

"He is, but I asked him if I could stay here while he tended to business in a nearby youkai village." Kaido looked at him, "So who are you anyways?"

~*~

Kaido looked at the hanyou his father had been talking to and waited for a reply. The look on the hanyou's face told him that he had asked a stupid question. He ran through his memory of the people he had met in his life and couldn't place the hanyou's face.

"I'm Sesshoumaru's half brother, your uncle I guess." His eye brows furrowed, "You don't know about me?"

He answered sincerely, "No. My father doesn't like to talk about the past very much. So I don't really know much about his past." Kaido looked past Inuyasha to where he could smell the village. "You live in the village?"

"Yeah, with my friends."

Somewhat hesitant to ask what he wanted, Kaido stayed silent.

"What?"

"I didn't say anything."

"But you wanted to." He glared at the kid, "Say it."

"Is it a hanyou village?"

"No, it is a human village."

"Oh." Kaido sat down on the grass and looked up at the sky.

"Why are you always over here?"

He looked at Inuyasha then at the well, "I don't know. I feel comfortable here, like I've been here before."

"Sesshoumaru wouldn't bring you here would he?"

"No. My father didn't bring me here; my mother did when I was a pup." His eyes felt more watery than he wanted them to be at the moment. He didn't want to look like a pup to Inuyasha.

"Your mother huh? She must be something to get Sesshoumaru's attention and love."

His eyes took in Inuyasha's stance. He looked calm but Kaido could tell he was focused on their conversation more than anything else. "You didn't know my mother did you?"

"No. I barely know Sesshoumaru. I didn't even know he had a kid, let alone a mate. I never saw Sesshoumaru with anyone other than Jaken and Rin. The only time he traveled with more than those two was when he joined us to fight Naraku. Even then he never left us to go elsewhere."

"I see." Kaido sat up and looked at Inuyasha fully, "Tell me about Naraku."

Inuyasha smiled at the kid and started reliving the details of how everything started.

~*~

The sun was low in the sky and descending towards the mountains for the evening. Birds flew sparely in the sky over Inuyasha's Forest and even fewer flew over the clearing with the well in it. They were frightened, just as were the lesser youkai and even the stronger ones; the Western Prince was in the forest. The forest was quiet as Inuyasha concluded the tale of Naraku's defeat.

"So Kagome used Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga to release all of the youkai he had devoured to make his body. She purified the Shikon as it was inside him and that was the last thing, that killed him. After that we used the Tetsusaiga and the Tokijin to decimate the remaining pieces of him. Sesshoumaru hung around for a week to make sure that Naraku was really gone and then vanished."

"What happened to everyone else?" Kaido's eyes never left Inuyasha's face and hadn't since the story started. "Are they still all alive?"

"Yeah, Sango and Miroku got married and live in the village with me. Shippo is still as annoying as ever and also lives in the village with us." He sighed, "Kohaku-"

"I know about Kohaku. He lives in a village not far from the palace."

"What?"

"Yeah, he lives in the village near the Western Palace. He married Rin not too long ago. I go to see them every now and then."

"Sango thought he died after Naraku did, he wasn't at the final battle. I'm gonna have to tell her about this." Inuyasha yawned and leaned back against the tree they sat under.

Kaido was still in awe of everything his father had been through. "What about Kagome? What happened to her?"

Inuyasha leaned forward and his ears went back. "Kagome stayed with us for about a month after Naraku died. She vanished after that, we don't really know what happened to her. I feel that she went home, that she didn't want to be here anymore with me always talking about how it was unfair that Kikyo died." He sighed, "Kagome loved me. When she first came here she loved me more than anything and wanted to stay by my side. I wouldn't let her; I was too concerned about Kikyo and being a youkai."

"She loved you and you cast her aside. Why did she keep coming back if she knew you didn't love her?"

"I don't know. I think she had something else keeping her here, it wasn't me after a while." Inuyasha turned and faced Kaido, "In fact Kagome-"

There was a loud boom that interrupted Inuyasha mid-sentence. Kaido turned his eyes to the village and smoke was rising from it. He shot up and raced into the village with Inuyasha on his heels. From the corner of his eyes he saw Inuyasha falling behind, 'I can't let that happen. If I show up there first I might be attacked by the villagers.' Kaido slowed just enough to let Inuyasha shoot past him and make it into the village before him.

When Kaido finally made it into the village-he slowed considerably while still in the forest-he saw Inuyasha with his Tetsusaiga fighting a group of youkai. At the sight of the youkai he growled and his eyes flashed red. He rushed forward to intercept their attack on Inuyasha. Kaido raised his hand and formed a shield of energy around them and pushed the invading youkai back.

"What are you doing here?!" His voice held authority and echoed through the village.

All, save one, of the youkai shrank back in fear. Their leader bowed to Kaido, "My young Lord I was not aware that you were in the area. Had I known I would have held our attacks until you were safe." His tone was mocking.

"I need no protection in my own lands." Kaido let the shield fall. "Now, what are you doing here in this village?"

"My young Lord, your father ordered us to attack this village. I would have thought he would have told you..." He smirked at Kaido, "Or are you fighting with him?"

Kaido tensed, "My father did not order an attack on this village. This village is under the protection of our soldiers. Now one more time; what are you doing attacking this village? And remember that lying to me is not a good idea."

A look of fake fear crossed his face, "Oh no you're not going to tell your father are you?" He growled, "Please. Your father has grown weak in his lordship, no one fears him. Having a bitch and a son softened him just like it softened his father." He shrugged, "As for attacking this village: I am simply getting rid of some human scum. And as a bonus I get a hanyou."

"I will not allow you to kill any of the people living in this village." Kaido's body relaxed. "No one will be harmed except you should you try something foolish."

He laughed, "I do not fear you anymore than I fear your father." The leader launched into an attack, not knowing that his comrades had fled. "You will die whelp!"

Inuyasha tried to rush to Kaido's aid but he blocked him. "This is my fight. Please stand back or I will force you back." He didn't wait for Inuyasha's reply, Kaido attacked.

At top speed he was ten times as fast as his attacker and took him down quickly. Using the youki whip he learned from his father he disposed of the youkai. Kaido stopped as soon as he had struck the youkai and stood not five feet from him as he fell apart. "Your mistake was thinking I was helpless." He turned and saw all the unbelieving looks on the faces of the villagers and Inuyasha. His attention focused on who he assumed was the miko of the village, "Please forgive me for drawing them here. They have been plaguing villages for months." Kaido bowed.

"It is not yer fault. Ye need not worry about us." Kaede's single eye held an odd twinkle in it, "I thank ye for getting rid of them though."

"It was my duty. I could not let them do anything to this village." He watched as a woman with long dark hair walked up to Inuyasha and looked at him.

"Who are you anyways?" She asked the question with curious eyes that held no anger or hate in them.

"My name is Kaido. I visit the outskirts of this village quite often and was speaking with Inuyasha when we heard the attack." He could tell she was a youkai exterminator so he figured this was Sango, Kohaku's sister. It was also clear to his nose that she was pregnant. The father whom he assumed was the monk, stood close to her and was watching him closely. "I will not do anything to harm these people monk."

Miroku tried to relax but he couldn't. "You must forgive me Kaido. It has been a long time since this village was attacked and the last time Lord Sesshoumaru and Kagome were here to help. With Kagome gone we have lost our driving force you could say."

"I see." He nodded, and then felt a sharp prickle in the back of his neck. Kaido turned to the forest surrounding the village. His keen eye sight caught movement.

Inuyasha noticed his change in attitude, "What's wrong?"

"They're here."

"What do you mean?" Miroku looked past Kaido to where he was looking and saw nothing.

Just as Miroku finished what he was saying twenty youkai appeared from out of the forest. One of them advanced towards Kaido with confidence. When she reached him they dropped to one knee and bowed their heads. "My Lord, forgive us for taking so long to get here."

"Did you get the other three?"

The female youkai looked up at Kaido and smirked, "Of course, they were no match for me." She stood and motioned to the others behind her, "They got there after the three were dead." With a shrug she smiled, "I guess I'm just too good for them."

Kaido shook his head with a smile, "Does my father know?"

"Yeah, Crim went to tell him." She looked past Kaido and blinked, "Wow, I didn't know they lived here."

"That is why this village is protected." He shook his head again and looked back at Inuyasha, "This is Sitora, she is the General of the Army and a member of the shinobi squad."

Sitora put her finger up to her lips, "But don't tell anyone about it."

"So are you heading back to the palace now?"

"No I think I'm going to wait for your father and I'll just go back with you two. Besides it's been a long time since I have been to this village." She turned and waved at the soldiers behind her, "You guys can go now. Check any and all villages on the way back to the palace, but be discreet about it."

After they dispersed Miroku and Sango looked at Sitora closely. Sango commented on her first, "You look familiar, why?"

Sitora smiled, revealing her fangs. "The last time you all saw me was when I had black hair. More tiger than I was human. Undercover; black hair, tail, tiger ears, stripes all over my face-" She broke off and her features shimmered, "Kinda like this." The youkai they had seen stood before them.

Inuyasha's jaw dropped, "You were the one that spied on me and Miroku while we were bathing!"

"Yeah I remember that." She sighed, "Fond memories."

Sango blushed, but managed to glare at the tiger.

Sitora held her hands up, "I would never look at anyone's naked husband, but at the time he was available." She smiled, "You're very lucky to have him Sango."

She blushed a deeper shade of red, "Thank you."

Kaido sighed, "So are you going to hang around here for a while or leave?"

"Hmm, as interesting as it sounds to stick around here for a while I think I will be going. At least then your father won't have to kill me for doing something stupid." She smiled and waved once, "Nice to see you all again. Bai bai!" Sitora took off at top speed.

As soon as her youki was gone Kaido felt another strong youki approaching, it was his father. He looked at Inuyasha, "I guess it's time for me to go."

Inuyasha didn't question him; he could feel Sesshoumaru's youki. He nodded, "See ya around then."

Sango and Miroku were about the question the suddenness of his leaving but they sensed Sesshoumaru's youki.

Kaido stood away from the others as his father descended from the sky. His eyes shone, he felt the tears wanting to escape but he put a firm lid on them. He would wait until he got home to ask his father about his past.

Sesshoumaru landed as gracefully as ever. He looked past his son at his brother, "What happened?"

"Youkai attacked the village and Kaido killed the one that didn't run away. The others Sitora got." Inuyasha smirked, "They said something about you being weak..."

"Inuyasha!" Kaido turned and glared at the hanyou.

He froze and chills ran up and down his spine, that glare. He knew that glare. 'No way. That's impossible.'

Sesshoumaru saw Inuyasha's reaction, "Kaido, was it the band of youkai responsible for the hanyou village?"

Inuyasha jolted back to reality, 'Hanyou village?'

"Yes, it was the same youkai. They attacked the village while I was out by the well." Kaido looked back at Inuyasha and his friends.

Kaede bowed as best she could to Sesshoumaru, "Lord Sesshoumaru, it has been a long time. I am glad to see that things are going well with you."

He caught what she meant and simply nodded, "Kaido."

"Yes father?"

There were shocked gasps from the rest of the villagers who were gathered and from Sango and Miroku. Startled eyes looked from Sesshoumaru to Kaido.

"We must go; there are problems on the northern borders." Sesshoumaru turned halfway away and summoned his youki cloud.

Kaido smiled a true smile and ran to his father. He grabbed onto his father's arm and waved to Inuyasha as they went up, "Bye Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha smirked, "See ya around kid."

~*~