Chapter Five:

The full moon shone brightly down upon the land shrouded in night far below, obscured only by a few wisps of cloud that passed before it. A wolf howl echoed throughout the woodlands, marking the beasts silent worship. Lord Sesshomaru stood in the mists, staring silently up at the sky. He was tall, with long silver hair, and dressed in a cloak of fur of indeterminable length. His clothes were white and red, and he wore black armor. At his side was a sword that he never used. The symbol of the crescent moon was upon his brow, and markings as if from a claw were on his perfect cheeks. His yellow eyes gazed upon the sky with stoic disposition.

Some time later Jaken scurried up the hill, led by the staff of two heads. The little green imp had to run to stay ahead of Lord Sesshomaru's long strides. At last he came to a halt before a shrine. 'Milord here it is!' he cried 'The tomb that we've been searching for!'

'You're sure?' asked Sesshomaru as he approached.

'Aye milord,' cried Jaken 'the staff as always has led us without fail! Clearly it must mean this tomb!'

Sesshomaru looked at the tomb, trying to conceal his distaste. It was a massive structure by human standards, no mistake. Yet the cut stone pillars were unimpressive for a demon. He knew almost at once that this was not the place he was looking for.

'Allow me to prove it!' cried Jaken, before approaching the tomb.

However as he did it, a low snarl echoed and man brown and black wolves emerged from the stones, salivating at the possibility of an easy meal.

'…T-this isn't right at all,' said Jaken, before glancing back. 'Milord, success! It is exactly as I expected!'

Sesshomaru approached him. Jaken had been with him for many years now, and because of that Sesshomaru did not strike him down for his failure. However he had become irritated, and it would only take a little to make all the years mean nothing. As he walked forward, Jaken stepped behind Sesshomaru fearfully. The two of them made their way into the very center of the wolves encampment. Snarls were all around them.

'N-nice doggy…' said Jaken fearfully, glancing from side to side.

The growls became louder, and Sesshomaru looked to the wolves, not allowing any of his irritation to show. 'The fang,' he said 'it is a fang I seek here. Once I possess it, I shall transform myself into a far greater power. Yet why must I explain? My power is what it is, I shall not always be limited thus. Can it be that I am afraid? Or is it merely I know not my own limits?' He raised one hand, and it glowed yellow with power. 'Perhaps… I presume…'

The wolves as one leaped at him in fury. He spun round, a whip of yellow light surging from his arm. Within moments the whole pack had been reduced to blood and limbs.

'The fang,' he resolved 'it is the fang I seek here.'

He looked to the bloodied corpses of his enemies, then to Jaken. 'Position the staff, Jaken.'

'Yes milord!' cried Jaken, scampering up to the top of the shrine and putting it down. The face of a beautiful women cried aloud upon the staff. 'This time it is the beauty who responds. Do not tell me we have been misled?!'

Sesshomaru turned to walk away in disgust.

'Milord, wait for me!' cried Jaken 'Your humble servant comes! Milord!'

Sesshomaru did not dignify him with a response.

A few survivors from the pack fled across the grasslands, panting heavily as they rushed past. Myoga the Flea hid, watching them run, and finally sighed. 'And here I thought I'd seen it all. Lord Inuyasha will want to know about this. I must go quickly.'

The moon peered down on all of this.

In another place entirely, a group of samurai were toasting the ascension of a new leader. Their flags were white with a black spot in the center. They were well armed, and looking forward to future victory. Once the Band of Seven had made the samurai appear weak, but those days were now long past.

As the feast was about to commence, the leader spoke to his men. 'We rejoin the main force on the morrow! Let us eat of this war tonight, so that we might have strength for battle!'

'Aye,' said a Lieutenant 'and let us give thanks that we have such a leader to follow.'

'Lead us to victory!' cried a samurai.

'That I will!' cried the Leader 'And more besides!' And he began to laugh,

His laughter fell short with the sound of screams and horses neighing in fear. Rushing out, they saw a man clad in ornate white, with silver hair standing in the midsts of his soldiers. His warriors looked terrified, and several lay dead.

'Whats this?!' cried the Leader 'Are ye mad?!'

The man looked up at him, regarding him as one might a servant. 'I need a boat.'

'You need a what?' said the Leader, before breaking out laughing. 'Before a battle? And we're to give it are we?!'

'Yes you are.' said the man simply. 'And now.'

The Leader stopped laughing and gripped his sword. 'I think not!'

He was dead before he could take a step forward. The silver haired man snapped his neck with one claw in an instant. His men took a step back in terror, as the mans eyes glowed red. A demon! He was a demon!

Lord Sesshomaru had found someone who annoyed him more than Jaken. The fool hadn't lived long enough to regret it. He tossed his limp corpse into the water, smashing one of the boats which lay moored by the shore. Even so, Sesshomaru couldn't help but wonder why he kept Jaken around.

'Why you…' began a samurai.

'Lord Sesshomaru,' called Jaken as he came out of the long grass. 'I regret to inform you that there are no boats.' He paused. 'Ah, unless you count those over there… of course.'

'Wha… what is that?' asked a samurai.

'Your not even human!' said another.

'Their beasts…'

'Worse than beasts…'

'Kill them!'

Humans were weak, insignificant, pathetic, simpering insects unworthy of a death by Lord Sesshomaru's hand. That his father had tainted his bloodline with a half demon was one of his chief sources of shame. And yet Sesshomaru had to admit that he still vastly preferred humans to samurai. It was a viewpoint shared by most demons. It was offense enough that humans existed in the first place. But that some of them had set themselves above the others, and claimed to be their superiors?

That was offensive.

And now they would die for wasting Sesshomaru's time.

'Jaken, I leave them to you.' said Sesshomaru, before turning to walk away.

The samurai gave out a great war cry and charged. Yet Jaken set down the staff of two heads, and unleashed a torrent of flame that consumed them. They only had time to scream, and then they were ashes on the wind.

'Ahahaha! Feel the power of the staff of the skull!' cried Jaken.

Now Sesshomaru remembered why he kept Jaken around. He needed someone to exterminate the insects he occasionally encountered.

'Eheheheh,' said Jaken 'they might have been spared. Yet such is the arrogance of these lofty samurai warriors, that each and every time Lord Sesshomaru must teach them their lesson anew.' Sesshomaru was already walking to the boats. 'Hello, Lord Sesshomaru, I've done as you asked. Wait for me my Lord! I'm coming!' Then he stopped as the staff pulled itself from his grasp. 'What is this? The fang, its changed location.'

Lord Sesshomaru was quick to anger, and there were certain subjects which you simply were not allowed to talk to him about. And yet in the interests of advancing Lord Sesshomaru's goals, Jaken had to ask.

As he padded them down river, Jaken spoke. 'Lord Sesshomaru…'

'What is it?'

'Might we not ask Lord Inuyasha where the tomb is?'

It was the wrong word to say. 'Inuyasha?!' Sesshomaru struck out, and cast Jaken from the boat to land in the river. As the goblin came up floundering for air, Sesshomaru took hold of the oar and shoved him down under the water. 'I'd prefer not to think of him.' he said calmly.

'F-forgive me!' cried Jaken, desperately trying to stay afloat.

'He is, for our purposes,' said Sesshomaru as he shoved Jaken down again 'dead. Wasn't he sealed to a tree fifty years ago?'

'But sire…' gasped Jaken 'the spell! They say it was removed but recently-' He was shoved under the water, blubbering for air. 'Besides the staff, its been acting strange! Its because of Inuyasha, I'm sure of it! Speaking of the staff milord, mightn't you remove it?! I can't breath!'

The next morning as birds chirped throughout the sky, Kagome climbed up the well while pushing her bike the whole way. For as long as she lived, she could never remember exactly how she managed it. Her school uniform had been stolen, having disappeared when she fell down the well. Now she was dressed in a blue long sleeved shirt, quite heavy, and heavy jeans. A short skirt was not the ideal outfit to wear on a feudal adventure after all.

She wiped the sweat from her brow in satisfaction. 'Hmm, made it.'

'So how is it I wound up in some weird, feudal alternate version of Japan?' she wondered to herself later as she drove along the dirt roads. 'In the present my family are caretakers of a ancient shrine. With a five hundred year old tree and a scary well on the grounds. I guess we're kind of weird ourselves.

It was through the well that I made it here, where monsters came after a jewel in my body. Though I didn't know it at the time. With the old priestess Kaede and the other villagers looking after me, I'm doing okay. Though I don't dare think about what other monsters might come.'

Her thoughts went back to that night where Inuyasha had said her name. Those friends he kept on mentioning, they didn't sound like very good people. And yet she found herself wanting to learn more about them. She hoped his injuries hadn't gotten much worse since last time. 'He's rude, he's crude, and he says he hates me. But if we can find the jewel thats all that matters right?' she paused. 'I wonder if normal people have inner monologues and talk to themselves? Probably not, no.

Little did she know, but as she drove along the path she ran over a sentient flea who was taking a rest after three days of non stop walking. 'Hmm,' said Kagome 'felt like I ran over something. Must have imagined it.'

It was a nice day, all things considered. Inuyasha was busy enjoying it, sleeping in a tree branch, when Kagome got back. And then she started talking at him endlessly.

'First aid treatment?' asked Inuyasha. 'I don't need it, go away.'

'You do too!' snapped Kagome 'Come down here!'

'Nothing doin,' he snapped.

'Come down!' she cried again.

Inuyasha ignored her.

'Sit boy!' she snapped.

He was hauled out of the tree and hit the ground hard. It actually hurt, though not a lot and he forced himself up. 'What the hell is your problem?!'

'I'll just take a look okay!' she said, bringing out a first aid kid. 'When you are hurt that bad you need to have medical treatment!'

'I told you to go away!' snapped Inuyasha 'You act like I'm the one who lost?!'

Kaede walked alongside the village children, her hand in a sling still. Her wounds were healing, albeit slowly, and the children were concerned.

'Lady Kaede,' said a child 'are you all better?'

'Aye child,' said Kaede 'almost all better.'

'Then you are going to find all the jewel pieces soon?'

Kaede laughed. 'Not soon, perhaps, but aye, though it would help if Inuyasha and Kagome would try and like each other a little more.'

'They do like each other!' said a girl.

Kagome was straddling Inuyasha's chest beneath the shade of a tree, and struggling with his robe. 'I said take it off!'

'What if I don't feel like it?!' he snapped.

'Undress!' She snapped.

Kaede stood in front of the children. 'Avert ye eyes!' she cried, before turning to face them. 'Mayhap ye like each other more than I first thought.'

The two of them looked up, then at each other, then suddenly parted ways. Inuyasha shoved Kagome off him and stood up. 'I would have thought you'd have figured out by now that my bodies different.' He pulled off his shirt to reveal undamaged skin.

'Your not hurt…' realized Kagome.

Kaede was impressed and astonished. 'For so great a wound to have healed and leave no scar…'

'Look, just because it would have killed a human doesn't mean its a big deal for someone like me!' snapped Inuyasha 'Jakotsu did worse to me when we first met. Its fine!'

'He's not full human, but not demon either.' thought Kagome to herself. 'can someone be half?'

'Ow!' hissed Inuyasha as he put his shirt back on. They looked to see the largest flea they had ever seen drinking from him. The flea finished and looked up.

'Greetings and salutations,' said the flea.

Inuyasha slapped him with one hand, flattening him, before drawing him in front of his face. 'Myoga,' he said 'what are you doing here?'

Kagome knew just what needed to be done.

'Lord Inuyasha,' said Myoga 'I've come to-'

Then Kagome sprayed him with a can of bug spray, sending him into convulsions.

'What does that do?' asked Inuyasha.

'Um… whoops.' said Kagome.

As the sun was waning, Myoga recovered enough to speak and called them together in Kaede's hut. Kagome found herself wondering about what

'So Sesshomaru is trying to find my dads tomb, huh?' asked Inuyasha.

'As guardian of his final resting place,' said Myoga 'I could bear it no longer.'

'So you took off and came here instead.' reflected Inuyasha.

'But its the remains that are important,' said Myoga. 'and they are no longer there.'

There was a long silence as Inuyasha gave Myoga a long, flat look. No one spoke, and after a moment Kagome's curiosity overwhelmed her. 'So where are the remains?'

'Regrettably,' said Myoga 'no one knows.'

'Then why are you bothering me about this?' asked Inuyasha.

'Inuyasha,' said Kaede 'was it not true that your father not a phantom beast, that the western lands were his domain?' Kagome pictured a gigantic dog, flying higher than the cloud as archers fired at him.

'I don't care.' admitted Inuyasha.

Kagome was annoyed. 'Would it kill you to show a little interest in your families history?'

'Your father was a demon among demons.' said Myoga proudly. 'Great and powerful, his blood was especially delicious. And you, Lord Inuyasha, have inherited that from him.'

'Wow,' said Kagome 'and what about his mom?'

'Oh, he raped her.' said Inuyasha.

There was utter silence. Kagome wasn't quite sure about how to react to that. 'What do you mean?'

'Just what I said,' said Inuyasha in disgust. 'he was a powerful demon, she was a beautiful human women. He didn't feel like taking no for an answer, so he had his way with her against her will, and let her suffer the consequences. The only decent thing he ever did was get himself killed just in time to be completely absent from my life.' He rose up and made his way to the door. 'This red robe I'm wearing is the only thing he left me.'

'Inuyasha, I… I'm so sorry…'

'Just drop it,' said Inuyasha 'if Sesshomaru wants to defile dads tomb, more power to the bastard.' And then he was gone.

Kagome couldn't quite conceive of what she had heard. Of course she was aware things like that happened, but rape was just something which happened in greek myths, and on the news. She'd never had someone whose whole life was owed to it. 'Was… was all that true, Myoga?'

'Yes,' said Myoga gravely. 'Inutaisho originally courted her in earnest. However he had a romantic rival in that regard, a powerful samurai named Takemaru. Izayoi chose Takemaru over Inutaisho. Inutaisho had often taken humanities part among demons, and he had been mocked for it. To be spurned in favor of a human was a mortal insult, and a terrible humiliation. In his pride, Inutaisho forced the issue.

When Takemaru learned that Izayoi was with child, he convinced himself that to bear a child fathered by a demon would be a fate worse than death. He resolved to slay both Izayoi, and Inuyasha. Inutaisho had already been badly injured doing battle with another creature which does not come into this tale.

However he arrived in time to save Izayoi from Takemaru, though he did not survive the confrontation. Inuyasha was raised in the castle of Izayoi's brother, and was not very happy there. Later his mother was killed by bandits.' Myoga remained silent. 'It is unfortunate, however I believe Inuyasha blames his father for much of his misfortune.'

Kagome felt suddenly very angry. 'Well he should! His Father sounds like a horrible person!' And she stormed out after Inuyasha.

She found him sitting at the top branches of the same withered tree from before. As she wheeled her bike out beneath the tree, she looked up at him. 'His father was a complete dead beat, and his mother was killed because there was no one to protect her. No wonder he's so abrasive.'

She remembered when her Mother had come up behind her while she was leaving, offering her the first aid kit. She'd been reluctant to take, it, but her mother had insisted, and in her usual mom way she'd ended up taking it.

Then she thought to her own father, and clenched her fist.

Suddenly a great gust kicked up, sending leavings falling from the trees around them, and Kagome's hair flowing around her. A presence seemed to fill the air around them, and suddenly Inuyasha descended. 'Get down!'

Kagome was forced face first into the dirt, and looked up in annoyance. 'Inuyasha,'

'He careful,' said Inuyasha 'he's coming. Can you feel it?'

Kagome looked up to the moon, obscured by clouds. As the clouds passed away in the gusts, a long carriage was revealed, drawing without horses. It was floating on the sky above, and a strange goblin was carrying a flag, leading it onward.

'A carriage…' said Kagome.

Suddenly the carriage turned around, and a beautiful dark haired women looked out from within it. Inuyasha stood up and walked forward, a distant and shocked expression on his face.

'Inuyasha, whats wrong?' asked Kagome as she rose.

'Mother…' said Inuyasha in a breathless tone.

The clouds above became thicker, swirling together into a maelstrom that did not seem entirely natural. The very world itself seemed to bend as the women stared out, and it was now that Kagome saw she was clad in chains. She tried to move forward. 'It is you! Inuyasha!' Then she cried aloud as the chains pulled her back.

'Mother!' cried Inuyasha as he rushed forward.

'It can't be!' said Kagome 'Your mother is dead! Myoga told me so, er um…'

'Inuyasha!' cried Izayoi, before a great black hand reached out of the sky and took hold of the carriage, crushing it in its grip.

Two red eyes emerged from the clouds, to reveal a giant many meters tall. It had corpse white hair, and it towered over them with a roar. And in its hand now was Inuyasha's mother.

'He's going to kill her!' cried Kagome.

'No he's not!' roared Inuyasha, leaping for the demon.

Yet suddenly a burst of flame shot forth and nearly scorched him, and Inuyasha was forced to retreat. Atop one of the giants biceps, a little green goblin stood, gazing at them with yellow eyes. And far above him, on the giants shoulder stood a man with silver hair, looking down on them.

'It is you…' said Inuyasha 'Sesshomaru!'

'Indeed,' said the silver haired man. 'I've quite missed you as well, little brother.'

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were brothers?

'I don't think Kikyo can say the same for you!' snapped Inuyasha.

'…What did you just say?' asked Sesshomaru in a low tone.

'Sorry, didn't mean to touch a nerve,' said Inuyasha 'I just didn't figure you had the guts to try and rob our fathers tomb. Don't you think maybe you should stick to common bandits. Graverobbing seems a little out of your league. Or did run out of injured children to beat up?'

'You dare to show such disrespect?' cried the goblin. 'It took many arrows to fell Lord Sesshomaru, while it took only one to fell you!' Then suddenly the goblin looked absolutely terrified, and looked back to Sesshomaru.

'Which happened to him twice in a row!' snapped Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to beat Inuyasha to death right there and then. However in this particular circumstance, it would not due to kill him until after he had attained his objective.

'Jaken,' said Sesshomaru from where he was waiting. 'once we're through, I want him dead.'

'Y-yes milord,' said Jaken, voice fearful. And so he should have been.

Sesshomaru looked to the girl standing behind Inuyasha. 'A mortal, how interesting, others would be shamed, but with you little brother? The girl quite suits you.'

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, and clenched his claws. 'A lot of full demons have made comments like that to me in the past. Their all dead now.'

Kagome could not help but take a step back at Inuyasha's tone. For it was suddenly filled with malice, hatred, and a will for destruction which shocked her. Within the grip of the demon, Izayoi was dragged up by one chain.

'These human creatures,' reflected Sesshomaru 'I would think you've had enough of them. Or is it a taste from father.'

'I've had enough of you.' said Inuyasha with a smile. 'You didn't come all this way to comment on my taste in companions. Now get down here and fight, or leave. I don't care which.'

'Be not a fool,' said Sesshomaru 'I've no such time to waste. The tomb of our father, where must I seek it?'

'Why the hell are you asking me?' asked Inuyasha 'If I knew where Father was buried, I would have turned the place to rubble years ago!'

'Seeing, yet never seen,' said Sesshomaru 'protected, yet never known to its protector. No other clues are known.'

'I've got better things to do with my time than listen to you spout poetry, you effeminate make up wearing jackass!' snapped Inuyasha 'Now get down here and let me kill you, or piss off! And as long as we're on the subject of gender roles I know crossdressers more manly than you!'

Evidently the two brothers hated each other. Most people would have either flared up, or backed down after a statement like this. Sesshomaru did neither, though his hands were shaking. 'I see,' he said 'then you leave me no choice but to let your mothers suffering convince you.' Then he lashed out with a whip of light against the demon. The creatures grip tightened upon Izayoi, who moaned in pain.

'Inuyasha…' said Kagome.

'Oh come on!' said Inuyasha 'That isn't mother! I watched her die with my own eyes, while Sesshomaru did nothing to stop it! He and I were literally watching as it happened! I'll admit the superficial appearance is the same, but its obviously a trick.'

'Uh… Inuyasha,' began Kagome.

'A trick is it?' asked Sesshomaru.

'Your the fool!' said Jaken 'Recalling spirits from the nether world is a simple task if you are Lord Sesshomaru! He was even so kind as to give her flesh, and yet her own son prefers to let her suffer! How sad to be mother to one such as you!'

'Oh stop it.' said Inuyasha 'You aren't fooling anyone.'

Izayoi reached out with one arm, love unconditional in her eyes. 'Inuyasha… I have come back Inuyasha… back from the world of the dead…' She smiled, and then groaned as the beast clenched its hand around her. Then she fell faint.

Inuyasha seemed to be almost moved by it, but he took no action. Finally he spoke. 'How?'

It was a simple question, phrased towards Jaken and Inuyasha looked calmer than he ever had.

'The how does not matter-' began Jaken.

'Yes it does!' said Inuyasha 'Because you are trying to convince me that you are holding my dead mother hostage. I want an explanation, I want to know how Lord Sesshomaru took someone who has been dead for over a hundred years and brought them back in the image of health.

And don't just say 'he's Lord Sesshomaru' we both know that on the list of most powerful entities in Japan, he's not even in the top five.'

That almost made Sesshomaru make an expression. He sprang down to the ground, his cause forgotten for a moment. 'You insolent half breed…' Then he stopped and mastered himself. He looked up to the giant. 'Crush her to dust, perhaps her dying screams will make him talk.'

'Wait milord!' cried Jaken 'His request has merit, if we explain how you brought her back, he will have no choice but to believe! Erm… if I may…'

'Do it.' said Sesshomaru, before leaping back up to the beasts shoulder. 'If this fails, you die.'

'Lord Sesshomaru was gifted a very special sword by your father,' said Jaken 'a weapon which a half breed like you was judged unworthy of. The tensaiga possesses the ability to bring back those who have died a single time!'

'Inuyasha…' cried the women pitifully.

'Well that changes things doesn't it.' said Inuyasha, before surging forward. 'Iron reaper soul stealer!'

The beasts arm was severed, and it fell back reeling. Inuyasha's mother landed on the ground, and Kagome rushed up to her. 'Oh no, are you okay?'

'Kagome,' said Inuyasha 'you and her get out of here. I've got family business to attend to.'

'I think not.' said Sesshomaru, before slashing the giant with his whip again. 'You are worthless!' He slashed the demon repeatedly across the face. In its death throes it fell forward, hand reaching for Izayoi and Kagome. There was no time to move, no time to do anything!

'Mother!' cried Inuyasha as he interposed himself.

'Inuyasha!' cried Izayoi.

Izayoi raised both hands, and into her hands came a white ball of light which surged over them all. Then they were gone.

'What a bother,' said Sesshomaru.

'Aye milord,' said Jaken 'and yet it goes so well! Please milord, leave it all to me.'

'This scheme of yours is beneath me.' said Sesshomaru 'Should it fail, Jaken. I meant what I said before.'

Jaken cowered. 'As you will milord.'

In another place entirely the light faded to reveal a far green country and a swift sunrise. Inuyasha awoke and looked upon flowers and lily pads floating upon a breathtaking lake. A shrine could be seen a little ways away. All the colors in this place were deeper, brighter, greater in every way than those in the world he knew. He could not help but feel an immense sense of peace, not unlike what he had felt when he embraced Kikyo.

Kagome was near him, but she was asleep. He looked around in awe. 'This place… where is it?'

A presence appeared. 'At the border of the spirit world,' said a voice. Inuyasha looked up in surprise, and saw Izayoi, his mother standing before him. And yet he did not feel surprised to see her. It was as if she had always been there. 'I must be crossing over it very soon.'

'Crossing over?' asked Inuyasha 'Do you have to go so soon? I… I just got you back.'

She turned and made her way away without a word. Inuyasha looked to Kagome, then trailed after his mother. They walked beneath the shade of great trees, and the shadows here were darker.

'Inuyasha,' said Izayoi 'you've made a lot of mistakes, haven't you?'

'Yes,' said Inuyasha bitterly. 'when you died everything went to hell. I was just a kid, and… it doesn't matter, its too late now.'

'Such terrible violent days…' reflected Izayoi. 'and you all alone, with no one to care for you.' She turned around, and her eyes, her eyes didn't hold an ounce of shame. 'How can you ever forgive me?'

'There is nothing to forgive,' said Inuyasha, turning away, a feeling of unease settling over him. 'that bastard Inutaisho is the one I'm angry at, him and Sesshomaru.'

'Inuyasha…' began Izayoi, drawing close to him. 'partings are never easy, wouldn't you agree?'

Inuyasha looked to where Kagome lay unconscious. 'I…'

Kagome awoke upon a far green country, and at once felt something off about it. It was as if she was walking amidst a vision not meant for her. She heard wind blowing, and opening her heavy eye lids looked across a lake to see Inuyasha and his Mother staring at each other. She could not heard their conversation.

'Inuyasha's mother…' she thought. 'she's okay.' She tried to rise, but found she couldn't move. She struggled against he bindings in vain.

Then she saw Izayoi's reflection on the pond. It didn't have a face. Though she did not understand exactly what was going on, Kagome knew without a doubt that something was wrong. She tried to speak, but in vain. 'Inuyasha snap out of it! She doesn't have a face! Whoever she is, she's not your mom!'

Authors Note:

Well here we have some long awaited details on the divergence point for this fic, the true divergence point. This was alluded to in Inuyasha of the Band of Seven, but the exact details are left vague. Here I thought was an excellent point to elaborate upon it.

And if anyone has any complaints about Inutaisho being out of character, the only thing we know about his relationship with Izayoi is that he cared about her enough to save her from Takemaru. Even Zeus went out of his way to protect his lovers.

I have pretty big plans for the next chapter, and I hope you stick around to see them.