I am so sorry for the slow update. I've had terrible writer's block due to P.T.S.D. and I have to force myself to write. It's just been bad lately. That is partically why this chapter is short. Just, bare with me, faithful readers. Of course, I don't own "InuYasha."


The south was just devastated by a series of tornadoes. My friends and I lost a lot of people we cared deeply about. I dedicate this chapter to them.

Chapter 6

The Journey Begins

Previously on InuTaisho:

Izayio runs off when she learns that InuYasha has two Shikon shards. InuTaisho decides to tell Sakura and Akira about his coming change and makes a deal with Sakura to return to her time for three days during his change. Sakura and InuTaisho confront each other about how to use the Shikon no Tetsu and InuTaisho reveals that the only person he cares about is Izayio. The three groups (InuYasha's, Izayio, and InuTaisho and Sakura) prepare to go to Tokyo, where Sakura has felt the presence of a shard.

X

Sakura held tightly onto InuTaisho until her knuckles turned white. His arms cradled her legs and backside as he glided through the forests faster than any human. Then again, he wasn't human. And, she had just learned he would only be human once a month. She leaned her face closer to his ear, her breasts pressing against his back.

"InuTaisho?" She asked, loud enough for him to hear her.

He didn't look back. "What?"

Sakura placed her chin on his shoulder. "How come Akira said she had never heard of Tokyo before if this village is called Tokyo?"

She felt InuTaisho shrug below her. "I've been dead for fifty years, girl. From what I've heard, Kyoko is starting to go through big changes. A lot of the humans your age are starting to call it Tokyo, while the hags still call it Kyoko. It doesn't matter what it's called to me. When I was a pup, it was called Edo.

"That's the problem with you humans. You have to name everything. You all can't live without categorizing everything." Sakura thought she could hear a growl rumble from his throat.

Sakura thought about that and slowly nodded. "Maybe…"

Silence fell between them. Sakura had a feeling InuTaisho was thinking about certain words that humans –and maybe yokai- might have called him. He was a halfbreed. She could understand why he would be hurt by being called something like that. Maybe mutt. She shivered. It was so cruel.

She could feel InuTaisho slow below her. She looked up towards the sky. It was getting lighter outside. She felt sleep tugging at the edges of her mind. She tried to shake it off. She tried to think of the last night she had slept through. She couldn't remember. It was probably the night before she came here.

InuTaisho jerked below her and she screamed and held on. Sakura heard him snort below her. "Girl, don't be falling asleep on me."

Sakura shook her head, shaking away the sleep. "I'm not, InuTaisho," she mumbled.

InuTaisho slowed to a walk. "We're almost there." He whispered.

Sakura loosened her grip. InuTaisho still held onto her thighs. She tapped him on the shoulder and he slowly released her. Sakura tried to smooth her clothing, but she soon gave up. She walked to InuTaisho's side. InuTaisho didn't look at her, he merely walked forward towards the where the trees thinned out and she guessed Tokyo, or Kyoko, waited for them.

V

InuTaisho could hear Sakura's footsteps behind him. He focused on the tree line ahead of him. Focusing on his mission, he hoped, would keep the memories at bay. His fists clenched and his shoulders tightened. He had thought that when he and Izayio had left this village a hundred years ago, he would never be back. And yet, here he was.

'Sister? What's a halfbreed?' He could hear his younger self asking Izayio in his mind. That had been the first time he had seen Izayio cry. As far as he could remember, it was the only time he had seen Izayio cry. She didn't even cry when InuYasha left them.

InuTaisho stopped suddenly and swore. He couldn't keep the memories away. He was walking into them. He didn't notice or hear Sakura until she stood in front of him. Her chocolate eyes were wide as she looked up at him.

He imaged that Mother had had those same eyes. Izayio's eyes were that color when she was human. InuTaisho jerked his gaze away.

They needed to finish their business here and leave. Quickly.

He drew in a deep breath and he noticed that he had blocked out all the surrounding noises. They came back to him quickly, like cotton had hastily been removed from his ears.

"-okay? InuTaisho?" He looked down at Sakura. He slowly registered that she had asked him a question.

Was he okay? He would as soon as the left. He shrugged around her. "Feh, girl. 'Course I am. I was taking in our surroundings. Let's go."

He stepped briskly towards the tree line with Sakura at his heels. As she was fully human, she stumbled around in the near darkness of dawn. The faint light had no effect on him. He paused and turned to face her. She looked up through her bushy bangs and a look of apology flickered across her face. She jerked forward. However, her foot got caught on a fallen branch. Her chocolate orbs widened and she lurched forward, her mouth parting to scream. On reflex, InuTaisho reach out for and caught her. Sakura fell onto his chest with a gasp. She tilted her head up and looked up at him. InuTaisho swallowed hard. The last time she had been this close, he had kissed her. He would not make that mistake again.

He looked away and moved his hands up her waist to her shoulders. He pushed her away and released her. She stood there for a moment.

"Thank you," she mumbled.

InuTaisho turned away again. "Just watch your step, human."

He didn't turn back, but he had a feeling that his harsh tone had made her flinch. He growled. He had only known her for three days and he was already picking up on her habits. They continued forward in silence until they exited the forest. InuTaisho's eyes flickered around. Edo had changed a lot since he had left. It truly was taking on the name Tokyo. The village had, at the least, doubled in size. The huts were larger and there were more manors.

Not many people were out; mainly the working class who were preparing to open up shop. The smells that drifted to him were of baking foods and humans; no yokais or hanyous. He looked down at Sakura.

"Do you sense the jewel?"

Sakura looked up and nodded, her eyes flickering away. "On the outskirts on the other side. It's still pure." Her nose crinkled again in the adorable way it did. "But…I can sense a…not so pure holder."

InuTaisho looked towards where she was looking. He started forward, but paused. He faintly heard a scream, a slap, and a call of "Kazue!" He looked back at Sakura over his shoulder.

"I think I know where it is." He turned back and sprinted forward. Sakura stumbled along behind him, but he didn't slow.

X

Kazue rubbed at his cheek where a red imprint of a hand was slowly fading. He grinned as he watched the yokai slayer grumblingly finish tying up her long, brown hair. She wore her black slayer clothing with her sapphire blue armor covering vital places. She was preparing to go on a mission.

Saya finally turned and face him. "I don't want you to come with me, pervert."

Kazue gasped in pseudo shock. "Saya! I thought we had a special bond!"

Saya picked up her katana and sheathed it in her blue obi. "Jun is coming with me. I need you to stay here and watch after Tokyo. I don't how long we will be gone and Yasu is expecting soon."

Kazue leaned on the side of Saya's hut entrance. "Aren't there mikos that are supposed to take care of that? Can't we contact Izayio?"

The slayer crossed her arms. "Izayio hasn't stop in since I was a child. I have no idea where she is. And mikos these days are few and far between. Tokyo isn't Edo anymore."

Kazue opened his mouth to argue but stopped. He looked over his shoulder. Saya's interest was piqued and she followed his direction of gaze. Saya gasped and reached for her blade. Coming down the path was a yokai with silver hair and startling red robes.

Kazue swore and reached into his sleeves for sutras. "Why didn't I sense it sooner?"

Saya shrugged. "It doesn't matter now, monk." She whipped around and called towards the village gates, "Sound the alarm! Yokai!" Almost immediately, bells began clanging through the early morning air.

Yokai slayers appeared almost out of thin air. The yokai stopped abruptly and growled. He raised his hand and cracked his fingers menacingly. A woman wearing tattered miko robes ran up behind him and stopped, panting.

Saya readied her weapon. Her eyes flickered around, calculating the moves of her comrades. She looked back at her enemies. She cocked a brow. Was the miko being held hostage?

She turned to Kazue. He met her gaze and she nodded towards the miko. He nodded in understanding. Saya flicked her hand and in one fluid motion, her comrades sprang forward. Saya headed for the yokai, her sword held down at her side. She jumped up and swung up wards with a slight curve. The yokai easily dodged and returned the attack with his claws. Saya swore and twisted to the side, just barely missing being slashed.

V

InuTaisho whipped around to face the yokai slayer. He recognized the outfit as one Sango wore a few times on exterminations when he was a pup. Meaning, this girl was probably related to her in some way. He held back on his attacks, only swiping at her to save face.

He glanced back at Sakura and growled. Her arrows were useless in a hand-to-hand fight and she had no way to protect herself, even as the monk that had been with the slayer approached her. Sakura awkwardly held herself, preparing to throw a punch that InuTaisho knew would have no affect on the monk. Swearing, he twisted around and threw a punch at the approaching slayer, throwing her back into three more slayers. He jumped up and flipped and landed in front of Sakura. The monk stopped his approach and pointed his golden staff at him.

"Yokai, be gone! Leave this fair maiden be and return to your domain!" He declared.

InuTaisho snorted. "You're calling this wench 'fair?' Maybe you need your eyes checked," InuTaisho's claws glistened. "Allow me to check them for you."

He moved forward slightly and he heard Sakura gasp. "InuTaisho, stay!" He heard her call out. And like before, his rosary glowed and he was pulled to the ground and with a BAM!

He weakly lifted his head. This time it did not hurt as bad and the spell was already beginning to wear off. He looked over his shoulder at the girl, hurt. She would let pretty words from an attacker sway her loyalty to him? Then again, she almost gave it to InuYasha. Perhaps she was not as loyal to him as he thought she was.

Sakura looked down at him with wide eyes. "He has a shard. I couldn't let you kill him. He's not evil."

InuTaisho looked away and sprang up to his feet. So, she was loyal to him. She just had too big a conscience. Sakura walked up beside him, and looked up at the monk. The slayer had now joined the monk at his side with a male slayer at his other side. The other few slayers were clustered around them all, watching for any signs of attack.

Sakura smiled. "Hello, houshi-sama. My companion and I are searching for the shards of the Shikon no Tetsu. The miko Akira has assigned us the job of collecting the shards and restoring the jewel. I can sense that you have a shard, and that it is still pure. Could we please have it so we may complete our mission?"

The monk glanced over at the female slayer. Her eyes were locked on InuTaisho. The monk's gaze slid back over to Sakura and then ran over her body. InuTaisho did not appreciate this and stepped forward and to the side, blocking her from his view. He could remember what she said earlier about the holder not being completely pure. He would not risk his miko being defiled and loosing her powers.

"You." The slayer's tone forced him to look over at her. Her eyes were narrowed. "The miko called you 'InuTaisho' before she subdued you. You wouldn't, by any chance, be InuYasha's son, would you?"

Preparing to be attacked, InuTaisho tensed. "What of it?"

The slayer crossed her arms. "It's just that InuYasha's son was pinned to a tree fifty years ago by the miko Momoko. There is no way he could be alive now because the miko died. And further more, his sister, Izayio, confirmed when she was here ten years ago that he was still traped. I would like to know how, if you are he, you are alive, here, now."

InuTaisho straightened to his full height. "That is none of your concern, wench. Allow me to ask you about your lineage. You would not happen to be a decedent of Sango and Miroku would you? And don't lie. I can smell their blood in your veins, how ever weak. And you have her looks."

The slayer straightened too. "Aye. They are my ancestors on my mother's side. Now, tell me. Are you InuYasha's son?"

InuTaisho looked into the eyes that had at one time been his surrogate aunt's. He could not lie to his would be surrogate cousin; he only had so much family he could trust. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm InuYasha's son. And I'm very much alive and well."

She stiffened and glanced at the other two. After a time, she sighed and relaxed her shoulders. "Give them the shard."

Anger flashed in the boy's eyes while the monk looked puzzled while reaching into his robes and pulling out the shard. Sakura smiled brightly as she reached for it. However, her smile turned into that of shock as she glanced over the monk's shoulder. InuTaisho quickly turned to face in that direction. He raised an eyebrow as the new visitor came closer.

The slayers parted for her and the small group before InuTaisho and Sakura turned to face the newcomer. The leader clapped her hands together and squealed. She then rushed forward to hug the new woman.

Izayio returned the hug gently, never taking her eyes off of InuTaisho. The slayer pulled away and smiled.

"Izayio, welcome home! It's been so long! And look! This guy says he's InuTaisho!" The slayer gushed.

Izayio's eyes slid to the slayer. "It's good to be home, Saya. And, yes. My brother and I have had the pleasure of meeting already." She clearly gave 'pleasure' a double meaning. "Saya, do you think a few of you could help me with a quest?"

The slayer, Saya, quickly sobered up. "Of course."

InuTaisho and Sakura glanced at each other. The hanyou finally stepped forward. "Izayio, why not join us? We both are collecting the shards."

The monk and Saya glanced back and worth at the hanyous. Izayio straightened. "No, brother. We are not after the same goals," her gazed shifted to Sakura, who shrank further behind InuTaisho. "Sakura, you know what his desire is. You need to assist myself and not him."

Izayio did not sound like herself, InuTaisho dawned. She sounded colder. Evil. He stepped closer to her, preening down at his older sibling. "Izayio, I thought we were after the same goal? Keeping InuYasha from gathering the jewel."

Izayio barked a cold laugh. "I would prefer Father get the jewel before you, Little Brother."

InuTaisho's face darkened. Sakura gasped. Izayio paid no mind to them as she turned to Saya. She held out her hand.

"Give me the jewel, Saya." Her caramel eyes were hard.

Saya stepped back, holding her arm out in front of the two males. The monk returned the shard to his sleeve, understanding Saya's message. Sakura's hand twitched for her bow. One of the males could not have been much older than her own brother. Izayio growled and rushed forward. InuTaisho gasped as she lifted Saya up by the collar of her slayer attire and hefted her aside as if she weighted no more than a pup. Izayio had strength that she had never possessed before yesterday. InuTaisho leaped forward as she reached for the monk.

Sakura screamed out and lurched forward too. Her goal was to protect the boy first. Izayio grabbed the monk by his throat and held him up, jumping away from InuTaisho as he rushed passed them. Izayio tore as the monk's sleeve, ripping the jewel away from him before throwing him aside like Saya. He knocked into the boy before falling to the ground. Izayio's eyes held lust as she gazed upon the jewel.

"Thank you, Kazue. I knew a man of your stature would be cooperative towards the correct purpose." Izayio coldly spoke.

Sakura kneeled beside the boy. She brushed his unruly bangs aside, tears welling in her brown eyes. She looked up at Izayio. "Izayio. Please…" Her voice cracked.

Izayio spared her a glance. "If you are not with me, you are against me. Give me your shard and I shall recover the rest."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "No."

Izayio snarled like an angry dog, her lips pulling away from her teeth and revealing fangs. She reared her hand back, her claws glowing. She moved as if to strike Sakura. InuTaisho cried out in defiance before jumping forward. Sakura closed her eyes and bent over the boy.

However, the pain never came. Sakura waited a few seconds before looking up. She gasped when she saw the man holding Izayio back. InuTaisho stood in front of her in shock as well.

"InuYasha!" Sakura cried out in relief. She knew he could not be evil if he was saving her.

InuYasha did not reply, he merely twisted himself and the growling Izayio around. He threw her to the ground and stood hunched over her, growling wildly too. Izayio looked up through her thick bangs. Her eyes flickered around, releasing she had been defeated. She hissed and flipped up and backward. She turned on her heel and sprinted out of the village.

There were shouts to follow her throughout the village. The slayers left standing chased after her. Sakura waited until the village became silent again to speak.

She cleared her throat. "InuYasha…thank you."

InuYasha turned and looked down at her. InuTaisho kneeled beside Sakura and gripped her shoulders. She weakly looked over at him.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

His concern surprised her. She nodded and then frowned. "But we lost the shard."

InuTaisho opened his mouth to reply, but InuYasha spoke for him. "No we didn't." InuTaisho and Sakura looked up at the older hanyou who held up the recovered shard.

InuTaisho growled. "Great, now you are two ahead of us."

Sakura elbowed him in the ribs and frowned. "InuTaisho, stay." InuTaisho flung to the ground. Sakura waited for his curses to die away before speaking again. "We can discuss the jewel later. We need to help the slayers. And then…figure out what was wrong with Izayio."

InuYasha frowned and crossed his arms. "That wasn't Izayio."

InuTaisho's spell began to fade away. He looked up at his father. "What the hell do you mean, old man? That was my sister."

InuYasha shook his head. "She might have looked like Izayio, but she wasn't. That was Aya; Izayio's alternative being."

Sakura raised a brow. "Are you saying she has D.I.D.?"

The hanyous looked at her curiously. "Dissociative identity disorder or switch personality disorder. We learned about it in psychology. But, it's not a real psychological disorder. It's just something that the Americans came up with in response to the media. There are only very few real cases. As there is no media here, Izayio must really have it."

InuYasha smiled slightly. InuTaisho just snorted, breaking the mood. "I don't care what it is called or who came up with it. What the hell is wrong with my sister?" He glared up at InuYasha. "What did you do to her?"

Anger flashed in InuYasha's amber eyes. "I did nothing to her. It's the affect of a spell that was cast on her when she was brought back from the dead."

InuTaisho lurch to a stand. "What? Izayio was never brought back from the dead!"

InuYasha's eyes flickered down to the wounded. "Son, perhaps we should care for the wounded before we get into all that."

InuTaisho crossed his arms. "Fine."

The two hanyous and the futuristic miko assisted the villagers in treating the wounded, granted Sakura did more actual care than the other two.


Please give me some love and review. And because I can;t let a chapter go without asking stupid questions: How will InuTaisho react when InuYasha tells him the entire "fairy tale?"

~Azarath101