A Bedtime Tale by ZakiyaUna

A Bedtime Tale

A/N: I do NOT own Inuyasha one bit if I did I would be rich. Note that this is a One-Shot.

Vocabulary: (if you do not know the meaning of some words)

Youkai- Demon

Hanyou- Half-breed

Kitsune- Fox

Taiyoukai- Great Denom

Inu-Dog

Saiai- Beloved * (I wont use Koi like some people do in their stories, I asked my friend from Japan and she said it meant carp and that this word is the right on to use)

Now on to the Tale:

“Mama, where’s Papa?” a small kitsune-eared girl asked.

“He was supposed to tell us a story, Mama.” a small kitsune-ear boy piped up.

“He is hunting children.” their mother chuckled.

“Awe…” they sighed.

“If you wash up quickly, my children, I’ll tell you a story that I know your father hasn’t told you yet.” she smiled.

The children jumped for joy as they scurried off to the washroom. As they ran, their bare kitsune-feet pattered upon the floor. They washed quickly, and once again ran back towards their bedrooms jumping in their cozy beds awaiting for their mothers arrival. As their mother entered, their eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Are you ready?” she asked as she kissed her children’s cheeks.

“Yes, Mama!” they shouted.

“It was a gloomy day out…” she started her story, “Many warriors of different species came together to battle the every evil spider hanyou that destroyed families, lives and villages. Among these warriors were a courageous kitsune youkai, determined monk, fearless inu-hanyou, strong willed slayer, spirited priestess and the feared taiyoukai inu lord. They battled for days and countless hours. A small human ward and retainer of the Inu-Taiyoukai lord witnessed the courage and strength from these powerful warriors as the dreadful battle lingered. In the end they succeeded in destroying the evil spider and life to the lands was restored, but that my children is not what my tale is about. That is for another time, this is what happened after the battle; the lives of the warriors.”

She laid her children down and tucked them in as she continued her story.

“Once the spider was destroyed, the beautiful priestess purified the remaining shards and fused them into her chunk of the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls. She held this treasure to her chest as she wished her unselfish wish. She looked up and smiled a smile that radiated stronger then the sun itself. As the warriors rejoiced in their victory, they stopped to noticed a glow coming off their priestess. For she was disappearing to their very eyes. They cried and hollered as they tried to stop her from vanishing and when she was gone a roar of sorrow and grief erupted from the throat of the great and mighty inu youkai lord!”

The mother kissed her children upon their foreheads as she held back tears of this distant memory.

“Their priestess was no more, for she returned to where she was needed most. They grieved for days but the stoic youkai lord was heart-broken, for you see she was his intended. As the days past he kept more to himself and lingered around her well hoping she would pop her head out of the well. The kitsune youkai came up to the grieving lord and handed him a red scarf. The kitsune spoke up `She’d want you to have this, not me.’ The inu lord nodded his head, holding the scarf to his delicate nose, her scent still on it. He looked for the last time towards the well and walked off into the trees.”

The small girl gasped and held her blanket to her face. “That’s so sad, Mama!”

Her mother sadly smiled yet continued on with her tale, “When the lord wandered off never to be heard of again, his half-brother, the inu-hanyou, took his place as heir and new lord of the west. His older brothers’ retainer stood by the younger’s side. As for the human ward she stayed behind with the slayer, monk and kitsune to create a new life. As the years went by the monk and slayer found happiness within each others arms.”

“See sissy, there are happy parts to!” the brother tried to cheer his little sister up.

“Yes son, but that is not the case. They both had the most beautiful wedding. It was short-lived, the slayer become pregnant with the monks first child. A hard labor took all her strength and will to live. The slayer and newly mother passed into the afterlife. Her final words was ‘Hiro’ and thus became her sons’ name. The monk was heart-broken, torn inside, lost his will and soon after passed onto the next life; meeting with his beloved wife.”

“Mama, this story isn’t very happy.” the young girl pouted as her brother rubbed her back.

“Dear, not all stories are happy ones.”

“Mama, what happened to the kitsune youkai! Was he strong? Handsome? Did he play tricks? Was Papa like him?” her son shouted excitedly.

The mother chuckled, “Yes, your father was a lot like him, very handsome, strong and loved playing tricks on others. He married and mated the young human ward. They took in the monk and slayers’ only child raising him as their own son until the day he passed on; Hiro lived a happy long life. The kitsune and human ward lived a happy life; they also had two beautiful children.”

She raised from the edge of her children’s bed and tucked her daughter in once again. She said goodnight to her hanyou children as the candle started to lose its strength to light the room.

“Mama?” the young girl called out.

“Yes dear.” the mother turned around.

“What ever happened to the sad youkai lord.” she asked.

“Yeah, and what about that beautiful priestess.” her son also asked.

The mother smiled. “That my children, I myself do not know; it is a mystery til this day. He most likely is wandering the lands in search of his beloved. Now my children close those eyes you must sleep.”

~oOo~ ~oOo~

“Mom, I’m going to have to call you back, just got home.”

“Have a goodnight, dear,” her mother said over the phone, “I love you.”

“Love you to mom.” she hung up her phone.

The young woman walked through her front door to her small apartment she’d been living in for a couple years. She threw her purse on her couch. She walked to her answering machine, noticing no missed calls. With a sigh she glanced around her surroundings, she noticed her curtains were slightly blowing. Cautiously she walked towards her window.

“How odd? I don’t remember leaving this window open.” she closed and locked the window.

She turned and walked towards her room flicking on her light, she rummaged through her junk mail. Slowly she gazed up from her handful of junk mail, gasping at the sight before her. The junk mail scattered upon the floor. Her mouth gaping open due to the shock.

“It cannot be!” she whispered

“I’ve found you, Saiai.”

“Sesshoumaru…”