Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. This story was written for my own entertainment (and for the entertainment of my readers)

Shattered Reflection: On the outside, Sesshomaru is calm and controlled. He seems like the perfect demon. What if that is just a mask, and the inside is broken beyond repair? This story deals more with Sesshomaru's childhood and how tragic events have shaped his current attitude and personality. It involves a haunted past that led to his hatred for humans and his half brother, why he watches over Rin, his reasoning for never traveling back to the palace, and why he craves power and control. There is also a very dark story behind what everyone assumes to be demon markings on his face. Possible Hurt/Comfort Close Friend SessXRin Pairing

WARNING: EXTREMELY DARK FANFIC!! Angst/Drama, Rating M, Anorexia, Possible Bullemia, Body Dismorphic Disorder, Cutting, Depression, Possible Suicide Attempts, Child Abuse, Incest, Rape, Sexual Slavery.

~Some Of The Content In This Story May Be Triggering For Certain Individuals. If You Believe This Story May Act As A Trigger For You Then Do Not Read It! I will NOT be held accountable for anyone who relapses because they read the story without reading the warnings. (I also will not be held accountable for anyone who relapses after reading the warnings and decides to read the story anyway.)

A/N: Sesshomaru does not make an appearance until the end of this chapter, but the prologue contains necessary information on how everything began. Don't worry, I made it interesting for you. I even worked a lemon into it for you guys. This story also may differ from all my others because I am considering making it switch from past events to the present.
~Shinoryu translates to "Dragon of Death"
~Katsumi is a Japanese name meaning "Victorious Beauty"
~A blood moon is an ominous sign that something either very good or very bad is about to happen, but either way it is going to be life changing.

With that being said, please enjoy the prologue to my latest story "Shattered Reflection". If you enjoy it please review. Words of encouragement and constructive criticism is appreciated. I do not appreciate or tolerate flames. The warnings are clearly listed, if you do not like the content then don't read the story. Any flames I recieve will be responded to in a very public and humiliating way. Everyone who reviews will be added to my VIR (Very Important Reader) List along with a response to your review in all my upcoming chapters.

Katsumi stood at the open doors on her balcony, looking up at a blood red moon rising over the Western Lands, while her maid finished folding the sheets down on her bed. Soft noises of the cheerful departing guests and clamor from the servants putting everything away drifted up to her room and signified the end of another Annual Courtship Ball.

She quietly walked over to her antique vanity table and sat on the bench to look at her reflection, looking up briefly when her maid began speaking. "Lady Katsumi, you looked beautiful tonight. It is a shame Lord Inutaisho was called away on business. I'm sure he would have been awestruck." Katsumi nodded in agreement as she opened one of the mirrored double doors on her vanity to reveal a set of shelves containing the finest jewelry and perfumes in all of Japan. She removed her diamond encircled blue sapphire earrings as she spoke. "Yes, I would have enjoyed myself much more had he been here to share the evening with me." She granted the maid, Hakari, a slight smile as she moved over behind the bench. Katsumi held up her long silver hair as Hakari unfastened her necklace and gently placed it in her hands. Hakari was a sweet human child, no more than seventeen, who elected to become Katsumi's personal maid. Over the years Katsumi began to favor her over the other servants and eventually came to trust her with her personal items, such as priceless jewelry. Occasionally, Katsumi even allowed Hakari to borrow her gowns for special occasions.

Katsumi ran her long delicate fingers over all the gems that had been woven into a lace pattern on the necklace as she allowed Hakari to brush her long hair. The main gems were the tiny diamonds that covered every inch of the chain, except the clasp. Amidst those sparkling jewels were much larger blue sapphires and red rubies. She finally ran her finger over the emblem that dangled just below the tightly fitting necklace and frowned inwardly. It was a Inu demon wearing a crown, Lord Inutaisho's symbol. She sighed quietly, although she loved Inutaisho a great deal, she couldn't help but feel trapped on occasion. The necklace was absolutely astounding, and probably worth more than many of her guests could afford, but in the demon world, what appeared to be a necklace was, in reality, something much more. It was a declaration, a warning, and a sign that anyone who chose to ignore said warning would be challenging Lord Inutaisho himself . The accessory wrapped tightly around most of her neck and clearly showed the emblem to the world. Katsumi knew the seemingly heartfelt anniversary present was nothing more than an elaborate dog collar. The Inu charm warned the world that she had been claimed, that her master was Lord Inutaisho, and any attempt to claim her would be a direct threat against him.

She placed the necklace along side all the other accessories, bracelets, rings, pendants, earrings, hair clips, and even various tiaras, almost all of them bearing the royal insignia. Inutaisho said he thought she looked beautiful when she wore jewelry, which may have been true, but she knew the main reason he wanted her to always wear some form of jewelry was so people would always know who she belonged to. She smiled as she remembered him kissing her on their anniversary. He placed the necklace around her neck and said 'It is only fitting that a demon as beautiful and priceless as you wear something so precious'. It wasn't as if Inutaisho was cruel, he was kinder than many Lords from the surrounding areas. Katsumi just hated feeling as if she were his personal possession.

Closing the doors to once again look at her reflection, she reached down and opened one of the drawers that were on either side of the vanity. These drawers held her make up, skin care products, manicure items, combs and brushes, and anything else she might use to improve her appearance. Katsumi grabbed a small cloth out of the drawer and wet it before beginning to wipe off her make up. Hakari went to the walk in closet and pulled out Katsumi's robe and laid it on her bed. "I suppose you are relieved Lord Inutaisho will be arriving in a few days time. It must be difficult remaining apart for so long."

Katsumi smiled and placed the washcloth back in it's drawer before grabbing the robe and walking behind the folding curtain to undress. "It can be difficult at times, yes. However, I knew it would be difficult from the very beginning. There is a price to pay for falling in love with a Lord." Katsumi stepped out from behind the curtain with the red and black robe tied at her waist. She smiled at Hakari as she pulled her hair out from under the collar. "Hakari, I can handle the rest myself. It is late and you must get up early." Hakari nodded and bowed "Yes, Lady Katsumi. Please let me know if you require any further assistance." Katsumi laughed lightly and waved her hand dismissively at the comment. "Sweet dreams to you as well, Hakari."

Once Katsumi could no longer hear Hakari's footsteps echoing in the halls, she walked over to the balcony doors and opened them quietly. Her hair flowed around her gracefully as she once again stepped out into the night. The full crimson moon made the sky look as if it were bleeding and gave everything a mystifying red tint. Katsumi looked out over the lands and smiled when she spotted a shadowy figure amongst the trees, glowing green eyes piercing her soul. She held up her index finger and motioned for the being to join her. The entity took flight and soon landed beside her on the balcony before tucking his bat-like scaled wings back in.

Katsumi gently placed her hand on his jaw and brushed his cheek with her thumb as she spoke softly, in hushed whispers, fearful of waking anybody up. "Shinoryu, it has been far too long." Shinoryu placed his hand over hers and pulled it to his lips to gently kiss the back of her hand. "Yes, it has. I believe it has been almost three months since he last left the palace. How have you been, love?" Katsumi smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Much better now that you are here. I only wish we could have spoken more during the ball." He nodded, "As do I, but it is best to keep our conversations to a minimum so we do not draw attention to ourselves." He ran a clawed hand gently through her hair "Did I tell you how ravishing you looked tonight? You managed to make the rest of the women look like mere peasants. All the wealthiest, most powerful, nobles in all of Japan attended and you still managed to stand out over all the rest." Katsumi's smile widened at his flattery. Inutaisho never spoke to her in such a way. "I could say the same about you, dearest. You managed to make all the other men attending cling to their mates in fear of losing them." Shinoryu chuckled softly and ran a finger down her neck and over her collar bone. "So what happened to the necklace you never take off, the one everyone is envious of?" Katsumi wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. "I put it away with the rest of my jewelry. Tonight, I belong to no one but you."

That was all the invitation Shinoryu needed. He picked her up and pulled her into a passionate kiss as he walked through her bedchamber and gently laid her on the mattress. Without breaking the kiss, he got on top of her, straddling her hips and began unlacing her robe. Katsumi's breathing increased as she began to untie his shirt and pull it off of him. Her fingernails raked over his chest and stomach causing Shinoryu to moan and arch his back. He pulled Katsumi up, so they were both on their knees, and helped her out of her robe before tossing the garment on the floor. He began kissing her passionately as his hands trailed down her sides, eventually landing at her lower back. He pulled her in close and bent down to place his mouth over her hard pink nipple, flicking his tongue over the bud. His other hand moved down her stomach agonizingly slowly.

Katsumi's breathing was heavy as she moaned his name. Her fingers finished untying his pants and they fell loosely around his knees. Her fingernails raked down his chest and over his stomach before circling around his length. She pulled out of the kiss to tease his neck with her tongue as her hand increased speed. She gasped when she felt Shinoryu's fingers finally enter her and her hips moved along to his rhythm of their own accord.

Shinoryu wrapped his free hand around her back and slowly moved forward, until he was once again on top of her. He slowly pulled his fingers out before pressing his erection against her core. Katsumi pressed her hips up against him and moaned, a silent plea for more. Shinoryu, not being able to hold out much longer himself, granted her request. He pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss as he thrust forward and sheathed himself deep inside of her.

Katsumi couldn't help the cry of pleasure that escaped from her as she felt him fill every inch of her. Wrapping her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck, she pressed upwards, urging him to go deeper. Shinoryu pulled out before impaling her once more. His speed quickening to match hers. He moaned her name in a soft whisper as their bodies writhed with pleasure.

Katsumi continued to thrust her hips upwards to meet his frenzied pace until she felt she would be driven insane with pleasure. She had to bite down on her bottom lip to stop the cries of pleasure threatening to erupt from her soul as she felt him fill her completely. Her body tensed and began to quake. Her nails dug into his back as her body climaxed, causing a multitude of indescribably euphoric spasms as the rest of the world faded away. Shinoryu felt her body clenching around his and it was only moments later that his own body tensed and passion took over. He erupted deep inside her and whispered her name into the night as his body writhed along with hers.

Katsumi and Shinoryu were holding each other in a loving embrace when a commotion erupted within the palace. Katsumi barely had time to reach for her robe before a fist rapped against her bedroom door. "Lady Katsumi!" Hakari's excited and happy voice called out. "Forgive the interruption, but Lord Inutaisho has arrived early!" Katsumi cursed under her breath before responding "Give me just a moment, I am making myself look presentable." She gave Shinoryu one last kiss. "Get out of here. He will destroy you if you are seen." Shinoryu nodded and kissed her hand one more time. "I love you Katsumi." With those final words, he spread his wings and flew off the balcony and out of sight.

Katsumi ran towards her closet and pulled out a black and red kimono and quickly pulled it on. She then opened her vanity and found the necklace he always wanted her to wear, the elaborate dog collar. As she walked towards the door she clasped it around her neck and adjusted it so the emblem was in the center.

When she opened the door, she found Inutaisho was only a yards away from the door. She smiled warmly "Inutaisho, I am so happy you were able to return early this time." Inutaisho returned the smile as he walked into their bedroom. "Just as it makes me happy to be with you once again." She followed him into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. "So how was your journey, my Lord?" Inutaisho smirked "As long and tiring as they always are, but there will be time to talk about that later."

He pulled her into his arms to kiss her gently, but suddenly pulled back and growled deeply. "Katsumi, why is there another male demon's scent all over you?" Katsumi's heart stopped for a moment before she could regain her composure. "I have no idea, Inutaisho. You know, the Annual Courtship Ball was tonight, many men asked to dance with me. It would have been impolite to say no." His eyes narrowed on her and made her skin crawl. "That is not what I mean and you damn well know it. This is not the smell of innocent contact." Before Katsumi could react, the arm he placed around her back trapped her against his chest and his free hand reached inside of her kimono. His hand separated her thighs so his fingers could push inside of her. Katsumi struggled to free herself, but it was too late. He let go of her and pulled his hand away, his fingers showing evidence of the intimate moment she just shared with Shinoryu.

He harshly grabbed her by the throat and pulled her towards him, his eyes wild with fury. "How could you do this, Katsumi? Do you have no self respect or dignity? No, I suppose you don't." Katsumi struggled to free his hand, but he just gripped tighter. Her eyes were filled with terror and unshed tears. She had never seen him in such an angry state before. "Please, Inutaisho, I'm sorry." She choked out. This only caused him to become angrier "You dare to call me by my first name? You aren't even worthy enough to address the servants so casually." He let go of her and dropped his arm and Katsumi's hand instinctively reached up to her neck.

"You are nothing more than a filthy, disgusting, bitch in heat." He backhanded her forcefully, causing her to fly back a few feet before landing on the floor. Inutaisho closed the distance between them and stood over her "It is a sickening joke that you would be given the title 'Lady' when you are nothing but a dressed up whore." As he said that he ripped the diamond choker off of her neck and threw it across the room.

Katsumi's heart leapt in her throat as she listened to his next comment, she attempted to speak but no words would escape her lips. Inutaisho bent down, and she could clearly see his pupils glowing as red as the fiery pits of hell. "I can promise you this Katsumi, I will remember that particular scent for the rest of my existence. If I ever come across the demon who came into my palace, my bedroom, and took my mate for himself, I will recognize him, and he will be shown no forgiveness. I will torture him slowly, until he begs for death, for an end to his misery. I will see him on his hands and knees throwing himself at my mercy, and I will laugh in his face because no mercy will be shown to him. He will die slowly and suffer excruciating pain for his crime." Inutaisho then pulled a small wrapped gift out of his pocket and tossed it down in front of her before walking away. He opened the bedroom door and paused before entering the hallway. "You have destroyed everything. From this day forward, I have no mate outside of public affairs." He walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Reaching out, Katsumi unwrapped the small package with shaking hands to find a small jewelry box. Inside was a beautiful silver ring with a large diamond in the center. Around the diamond were tiny rubies that had been cut into the shape of hearts. When Katsumi read the inscription on the inside of the ring, fresh tears began to fall from her crystalline eyes to stain her cheeks. The inscription read: 'You may be the Lady of the Lands, But you are the Queen of my heart'. That was followed by the only phrase she had ever wanted him to say: 'Katsumi, I love you'.

She read the words over and over, her heart shattering a little more with each line. Katsumi remained crumpled on the floor for hours, sobbing into the carpet as her world crashed around her. What had she done?

Nine Months Later

Katsumi sat up in the bed screaming, her legs spread far apart as she pushed with all the energy she had left. The room was filled with midwives rushing around her preparing for the new arrival. Inutashio stood in the corner waiting to see the child. He thought back to the day he was told the news.

Flashback:

Katsumi timidly knocked on Inutashio's study before entering. He turned around at the intrusion and growled when he realized who it was. "What do you want?" His voice was cold and harsh, his face an apathetic mask.

"I need to tell you something Inutashio..." She spoke softly. He glared at Katsumi and spun his chair around to face her. "Well, tell me so I can get back to work." He set his scroll aside and waited impatiently. Katsumi looked down, unable to meet his gaze as she spoke even quieter, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm...pregnant"

She winced as Inutashio let out a fierce growl and threw his work to the side before standing and moving over to her, his eyes flickering with all the fury in hell. "Is it mine?" When she looked away instead of responding, he repeated himself. "Katsumi, is it my child or not?" Tears began to gloss over her eyes as she spoke. "I do not know." He growled again and grabbed her chin harshly, forcing her to meet his glare. "No, of course you wouldn't, you worthless whore. I bet it could be the child of a dozen men. You better pray that the child resembles me, for both of your sakes. Now get out of my sight. Your presence sickens me." He dropped his hand that held her chin and turned his back to her, resisting the urge to throw her against the wall.

End Flashback

That was the only reason he remained in the room while Katsumi gave birth. He needed to see if the child shared his features. Inutashio highly doubted he was the father, because he was gone for a week and a half exactly nine months ago. Still, he needed to see the infant to be certain.

Katsumi glistened with sweat and her screams echoed throughout the palace as she gave one final push. The midwife quickly cleaned off the infant and wrapped him in a blanket before handing him to Katsumi. "A beautiful baby boy, my Lady. He looks exactly like you." Inutashio stood and walked over to the bed and peered down at the newborn Katsumi was holding. It was true, the child looked exactly like his mother. This meant that anyone could have fathered him.

The midwife gently picked up the infant and held him out for Inutashio to hold. "Would you like to see your son, my Lord?" Inutashio looked down at the infant then directly at Katsumi before responding. "I will not claim something that I do not know to be mine. I made that mistake once, and it will never happen again."

Inutashio turned to leave before his anger had the chance to take over. He was stopped right as he opened the door by the midwife, who was still in shock over his previous comment. "My Lord..." When he turned to look at her she continued, choosing her words carefully. "The child's name..." She explained further upon receiving a blank stare. "He is the first born son, heir to the Western Lands. You are the one who must choose a name for him."

Inutashio turned around and directed his cold stare towards Katsumi before speaking. "The child will be named Sesshomaru, the perfect assassin, because conceiving him destroyed all the love we once shared." He then turned and walked out of the room, leaving Katsumi to care for Sesshomaru.

She gently rocked the yawning infant in her arms and whispered in his ear "Don't worry, my child. I love you, and as long as I'm around Inutashio will never harm you." She held her son close to her chest as she rocked him to sleep underneath the glow of the second crimson moon of the year.

There it is! The prologue to my latest story. The next one will have Sesshomaru in it, I promise. Did you enjoy it? Please review and let me know what you think. *Big hugs to all my readers!*