Trading Places

Chapter 1

Sesshomaru was worn out. He'd been walking aimlessly for months.He trekked to the forest at the Easternmost  edge  of the West’s territory.There were scent markers his. His father’s. Well, not anymore,he supposed.There was another scent he couldn’t identify,as well. As he now walked along,he thought to himself. How had this happened to him? He supposed that that's just how life was:there one minute and gone the next.He remembered exactly how he had gotten into this situation,like it had happened yesterday.

Even though he and his father had their differences,he had always been content in every other facet of his life. He had a doting mother (even if she did annoy him),a vast fiefdom,and the attention of his father. Then in one fell swoop,all that ended,and his comfortable life had been upheaved. His mother suddenly took ill,and in a short span she was gone. In the matter of what seemed like moments (but what was actually more along the lines of about half a decade) his mother was snatched from him.

He had taken his mother's loss hard,though none would know it as he held his composure,as was proper and expected of the future Lord of the West. His father,however took very little time to mourn. He had almost suddenly took a new bride. A human bride. She stood stood almost eye level with him,so Sesshomaru had no choice but to look her in the eye,much to his chagrin. She had long,glossy black hair. A dull color, in Sesshomaru’s opinion. Her eyes were large and hazel,and framed by long lashes. She had a round face and a slim but supple frame. She was Izayoi,and she was to be Sesshomaru's stepmother.

And though she was always kind and sweet to Sesshomaru,and treated him like her own son, Sesshomaru would never come to love her. He would constantly hurl insults after her,telling her that she was nothing more than a replacement,and his father's bed warmer. His father never stood for it,and commanded his son to respect her.

“You must treat her with the same respect as you would your own mother" said Touga, Sesshomaru's father,after he and his son's latest argument over his abuse toward her.

“Hn" was Sesshomaru's slated response. Despite the fact that she was a beautiful human,she was just that,human, and would never have Sesshomaru's respect,or love. How could his father disgrace his mother's memory like that,by mating with what she hated most: a human.

And then worst of all came the baby. Born disgustingly soon after the wedding,was a little baby boy. He was born under the cursed,New Moon. He was born with black hair,just like his human mother. As the night goes back into day,the boys hair lightened,and he grew two tiny fangs to his parents delight. They named him InuYasha,or dog spirit, and he was a living curse to Sesshomaru.

Touga was enamoured with his new family,and Sesshomaru,plainly,was not. He did try to get along with them,honestly,but it was never good enough for his father. Was it his fault the stupid baby cried every time he tweaked his ears? No,the baby was just weak.The baby was loud,and pink and smelly. Sesshomaru stayed as far as he could from it. Izayoi,who was a conscious,and mobile adult,he couldn’t avoid.She called him into her room,where she and his father slept one day.

“Let me brush your hair Sesshomaru.” she said to him several times.

“No.I have servants to do that.” he said.

“But I want to do it. You never let me.”, she whined.

“Right,and I still won’t let you.” He turned to leave, but she grabbed his sleeve.

“You and I have never had time to bond as mother and son.” She looked a little forlorned.

“You never were my mother and you never will be. My mother is dead.Filthy human slut.” Sesshomaru wretched his hand free from her grip,breaking her wrist in the process. She cried out in pain,and his father came running into the room.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?” He bellowed,eyes bleeding red and facial stripes becoming jagged.

“She needs to learn her place.She is not my mother,she’s your whore.” Sesshomaru hissed back at Touga.’Ever since she came here everything’s different. You don’t have time for me you ignore me. You only have time for her and that vile, half-bred thing.”

Touga,for the first time ever,struck his son across the face. His claws were drawn,and his hand was covered in Sesshomaru’s blood.

“Get out.” he said,voice so quiet that even Sesshomaru's demonic hearing almost didn’t pick it up.

“What? You can’t kick me out!I’m your heir!” said Sesshomaru,outraged.

“Not anymore. You are banished until you learn some respect. Don’t come back until I send for you.”

“You can't do this to me,I’m your son!” Sesshomaru said incredulously. Power gathered into the palm of Touga’s hand as he held it out,palm towards Sesshomaru’s face.

“Not any more.”

And that was the last Sesshomaru saw of his family.

Sesshomaru continued to trudge along. He was tired to the point that he couldn’t see straight. He couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten.He was walking with no destination in mind,simply trying to get away from painful memories,and his lost title. He was simply Sesshomaru,not the heir of the West,not the son of Touga,Inu no Taisho. He was nobody.

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear the pitter patter of paws,until the howls were upon him. He was suddenly felt the sharp fangs of rabid wolves in the back of his neck,as he was  slung to the ground. He was disoriented,and the wolves were upon him,biting him and slashing him with their claws. How could he have been so stupid to have not noticed he had stumbled into Wolf territory? That’s what the unfamiliar scent was! He was so far lost in thought that he had missed all of the scent markers and invisible boundaries. He finally summoned his wits,and brought out his poison wip,and swung it at his assailants. He managed to cut two of the wolves clean in half, and the rest of the wolves jumped out of the way. He was able to stand, and he waved his arms wildly. Tis drove the rest of the wolves away,running with their tails between their legs.Exhausted,he collapsed back to his knees,and then back onto his stomach as his eyes rolled back he caught sight of a shadowy figure. The the darkness overtook him.

Hi. I’m not dead and I finally have free time. I’ve always wanted to write an InuYasha fanfic,so here I am