What if Inutashio lived after facing Takemaru? What If Izayoi was still unable to convince him to run before the great dog demon descended upon the castle? What if Inutashio didn't use Sounga, but instead Tessaiga? One small choice may change the fate of our favorite gang, or are some things simply set in stone? The river of time is ever flowing, and with the Sacred jewel defying the flow of time, what would one choice change about our favorite feudal fairy tale?

'Because I can't get this idea out of my head, here's another Inuyasha fanfic for yall! AU obviously, I definitely and sadly do not own InuYasha, I hope you all enjoy and here's the first chapter!' -LadyChey

"My dearest…." Izayoi whimpered, clutching her infant closer to her chest, tears beginning to spill down her face. Inuyasha…. Her mate had given her the most beautiful infant boy, white hair with adorable ears. Her hand trailed down the baby's face as she stared into it, willing him to stop crying long enough for her to see the color of his eyes. She hoped he had his father's eyes. Those beautiful amber eyes that smoldered her. She at least had something to remember Tashio by.

The fire blazed long into the night, and Izayoi refused to leave her spot atop the hill, watching silently while holding Inuyasha close. Unable to bring herself from the sight, she remained there throughout the night, cooing to her baby and mourning her mate until sleep claimed her.

When the first glimmers of sunshine hit her face, Izayoi was disoriented. The firerat was tucked around her, protecting her from the morning chill as she leaned against the tree she had rested upon the previous night. The smell of smoke, ash and death was still pungent in the air despite the dewy morning. The most disturbing thing was not that, but the lack of warmth in her arms. The absense of her baby had Izayoi jerking up from her comfortable position, her eyes frantically scanning the area around her.

The soft bubbling coo of the baby drew her eyes directly forward, the silhouette in front of her erupting a dam within her. Tears quickly spilled over her cheeks as she pushed herself off the ground, not sure if she was positive this wasn't an illusion. His profile alone had to be the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life.

"My dearest…" She whispered softly, knowing he would hear her.

Tashio didn't turn fully around, but did look at her, his eyes soft and warm and glowing in reflection of the morning light. "Izayoi…" His soft rumbling voice sent her heart a flutter, and she hobbled to his side.

He let out a soft growl, looking at the blood stains still remaining on her kimono from her attempted murder. Izayoi only smiled, her tears falling freely and endlessly. A hand reached up and cupped his cheek, her other free hand resting on Inuyasha in his arm….

Arm, was the key word. Izayoi, confused as to why he did not embrace her even though he did lean toward her, looked him over to see his left arm missing from the elbow down. Though the wound was still red, puckered and angry, it was already healed to the point of no longer bleeding. Izayoi gasped, her fingers trailing down his face to wrap around the back of his neck.

"My lord…." She whispered, concern dancing in her eyes as he merely rumbled in response. "It is of no consequence all things considered." Tashio nuzzled the top of her head, comforting her all he could with Inuyasha in his only arm. "I was sure I would not return to you and Inuyasha. For this life and chance I have been given, I am grateful having given such a small sacrifice."

Izayoi's lip quivered but she managed to nod, unable to find words that could express how happy she was, how regretful she was to have brought such a wound onto her lover, only because of a jealous man.

"We shall return now." He stated simply, right before whipping his hair, tossing a speck from his neck onto his shoulder, revealing Myoga the flea.

"M'ilord you're alive I am so glad!" Myoga sobbed, bowing to Tashio upon his shoulder. Tashio narrowed his eyes at Myoga as Izayoi gently pulled Inuyasha from his grip, smiling at her infant while she made her own cooing noises, leaving the demons to converse.

"You always doubt me so Myoga." Tashio stated, a shadow of a smile appearing on his face. Myoga bawled harder.

"M'ilord you shouldn't tease me! Ryukotsusei had severely wounded you! You did not kill him even but sealed him away! Then you risk your life to save Lady Izayoi from those hoolums and their well stocked army….!" Myoga fell into another fit of blubbering incoherently. Izayoi, unable to ignore the conversation completely, let out a small giggle.

"And you fled to somewhere that you may not witness my great victory against the fools." Tashio stated, smiling still as he knew it would bother the flea.

Ever predictable, Myoga leapt to his small feet and glared, still crying. "I have always witnessed M'ilords victories! Except well… There was too much smoke for me to witness this one…." Myoga ended his argument in a mumble. "How… How did you manage this M'ilord?"

Tashio sighed, looking at his mate who stood to the side, curiosity in her eyes as well.

"It was not without sacrifice. I shall tell you on our travel back to the Shiro." Tashio approached Izayoi, wrapping his arm around her and taking flight into the early morning sky.

"Well haven't you had me worried! The forces under Ryukotsusei have fled, we are victorious, and your Son is nowhere to be found. I've tried to summon him home to comfort me when I thought you were lost. But my word he's so fussy. Taya darling and Minato have been the only ones to consider my torment!"

The sultry voice of Kimi could be heard by all of the travel party, even Inuyasha, who turned in his mother's arms impatiently to see where the new noise came from. The party descended to the steps of the Shiro to land in front of lady Kimi, who stood with her arms tucked into her sleeves and a smile upon her face. The vision of elegance and grace, her long white hair was piled atop her head into one long ponytail, and her kimono was impeccable. A goddess in mortal form compared to the bloodied exhausted human beside the lord of the west.

"Shame on you Tashio." Kimi approached boldly, patting her husband on the face as she looked him up and down, taking in his battered appearance. "And you've lost a limb! My word what am I going to do with you! The lords will be so aflutter the next gathering when they see you!"

Tashio 'hmphed' at his wife and just stared down at her while she smiled playfully, ever the show dog, she held herself tall and proud, even before her husband and his new mate. Turning her gaze to Izayoi, Tashio suddenly let out a growl, a blatant warning to his wife to mind herself, especially with a new pup.

Kimi simply shot him a smirk and approached Izayoi all the same, her small hand reaching out to gently tilt up Izayoi's chin. "I can certainly see why my husband's beast was infatuated with you. My word you are stunning!" Kimi's eyes roamed over Izayoi hungrily, up and down before stopping on the infant half demon in her arms.

"Oh! This must be my son's little half brother. Look at those ears! Those eyes! Tashio he has your eyes how lovely!" Kimi smiled down at the pup, her eyes softening considerably. Though not usually fond of humans, Kimi could not contain herself around pups. Her gaze shifted back up to Izayoi, who shifted nervously under the golden gaze of the demoness, and shocked the poor human woman with a blinding smile.

"Come, we have much to discuss and much to do. We shall get you out of those bloodied rags and bathed post-haste." Kimi gently wrapped her fingers around Izayoi's arm, careful not to disrupt her comfortable hold on Inuyasha.

"What-" Izayoi blinked in confusion and looked at Tashio, who only nodded as the women marched along, though his glare did not falter.

"Women…." He sighed, right as Myoga began babbling about documents and scrolls to commemorate the evening's events for future reference.

Kimi did hear him, and only smiled wider. This was not what she had planned initially for her future, having married a skilled and well respected general for political and power standings. Kimi believed she would give birth to a proper full blooded heir to rule the western lands that once were ruled by her parents, left to her and Tashio, and retire to her shiro high in the mountains away from the noise and rabble of mortal men below, isolated, alone and at peace with having pleased her parents.

This was far more interesting.

"I apologize my lady… I don't quite…" Izayoi struggled to find words to express her confused tired mind. It had not occurred to her really yet that she had died the previous night, with her newborn in her arms. A few hours ago she was sure she had lost everything, now she was being tugged by her mate's…. Wife… around a shiro that far outshined her family's own. Her mate very much alive and mostly in one piece, as well as she.

"Shh, It's alright dear. I shant eat you." Kimi patted her arm, offering a soft smile to the shorter human as she guided her through the halls of the vast, seemingly never ending shiro. Izayoi's look of horror caused her to laugh full heartedly.

"Human's are on an occasion my family's choice of meal. However since Tashio became infatuated with you, it's been hard to come up with reasons to devour such easy and might I say, chewy prey. You are pack now dear, you and your young pup. You are not only under the protection of your mate but his pack as well." Kimi explained as if she were reading facts from a book. She probably was quoting, in her own way, a book she had read in her younger years. But she wasn't entirely sure.

"I highly doubt Tashio has explained anything to you before things escalated. But he and I do not have a loving marriage as you humans tend to. Ours was a political one, my family protected and ruled over the west for many generations. Our forces were mildly dwindling, and our bloodline becoming a bit rich if I do say so myself. Tashio was a very promising potential, showing great power and leadership. So it was decided we marry and produce pups." Kimi had only stopped speaking long enough to open a large Oak door that led to one of the bathing rooms, carved out of the mountain side with the shiro built into the stone to form a clouded hot spring.

"This one is my favorite. You probably need as much rest as you can get, you humans are so fragile." Kimi took Inuyasha from Izayoi's arms, ignoring her small cry of protest as she handed the infant to another dog demon that she had not seen following them. The young woman was stunning, her dark hair and chocolate eyes lighting up at the sight of the pup handed to her. She had a very homy, motherly air to her, but despite her beauty and comforting presence, Izayoi still started to protest.

"Hush darling, I have not finished my tale. This is Taya, new lady of the eastern lands Tashio has just freed from Ryukotsusei. She is a dear friend of mine, and I hope soon to be another pack member." Taya bowed her head in greeting, her black-brown eyes dancing with mirth. "Kimi, please don't tease the poor woman too much, she has been through so much already." Taya smiled at Inuyasha in her hands before looking back up at Izayoi. "Welcome Lady Izayoi, You may call me Taya if you wish, I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of eachother." Taya bowed once more before continuing down the long corridor. Kimi waved goodbye to her friend, a playful smirk on her face from Taya's teasing comment.

"Your pup shall be safe and moved to your own room. No one would dare touch a pack member of Tashio in his own home. Simply suicide, now where was I?"

Kimi pulled Izayoi inside, shutting the heavy door behind them and began stripping with no shame, leaving her clothes in a trail on the stone floor.

"My house mark, the moon, is for heir's and prodigy's of the lords and leaders of the western lands. Though Tashio is my husband and leader of our armies, he has not accepted my mark as my mate. Sesshomaru carries my mark however, as a bloodline heir." Kimi waded into the hot water of the spring, pausing to turn and fully face Izayoi stark naked. "You see where I am going with my tale?" she asked, hand on her hip as she eyed the uneasy human before her. Izayoi had disrobed to her own nakedness, but bashfully covered herself as she looked up at the stunning demoness.

"I… I don't my lady…" Izayoi swallowed, and with a flick of Kimi's wrist, followed the demoness into the steaming water. Kimi smiled as she approached, cupping water into her palm to gently spill over Izayoi's head.

"I mean to tell you, Lady Izayoi, you and your pups presence are of no consequence to me. Therefore I do not have any reason to kill you and displease my husband." Kimi smiled softly, as if the words she had just said did not imply she would kill the woman if needed, and sank down to sit in the water, resting her head along the stone edge. "You make Tashio happy, and a happy lord makes for happy lands as I'm sure you could assume."

"I see.." Izayoi said softly, following suit and letting a soft sigh through her lips as the water engulfed her and soothed her aching muscles. "I thank you my lady, for your compassion towards another strange woman in your territory." Izayoi managed a soft smile at the beautiful daiyokai. "And I hope, if it is not too presumptuous of me, that our… pups… find companionship and grow strong together. Though from what I hear, your pup is exceedingly stronger than my lord when he was of that age. I can only hope Inuyasha will be half as strong." Izayoi lowered her gaze to the rippling water and smiled, dreaming of an older Inuyasha following his half brother into the future.

Kimi, sat quietly for a moment, considering the human's words. Her initial response was to think yes, it was very presumptuous for her to assume that the future lord of the western lands would allow a whelp of a pup to follow him around. But after a moment to think on it, the more the thought appealed to her.

Yes Sesshomaru was stubborn. However, there was a reason she had left ruling the western lands to Tashio, he had compassion. Compassion for the humans that lived in the land. The humans that grew in numbers and strength by the day. As was evident with her husband's now missing limb. Though he had been weakened prior to his fight, her spies were absolutely sure, one lone human man had nearly destroyed the great Tashio. The thought unsettled her. As did a possible uprising for her son once he becomes the western ruler. Sesshomaru needed companionship and to learn how to rule fairly. Taya and Minato's pup was still too young to be mated, though she and Tasio hoped for a bonding between the young pup and Sesshomaru.

Kimi smiled "I think some brotherly love would be good for our pups." She conceded. Shifting to relax into the spring, she had only just closed her eyes when the sound of her alarmed husband's voice reached her ears, jerking her straight up in the water once more.

"Get dressed and have a guard show you to your quarters!" Kimi was a blur as she rushed out of the spring, slinging a plain white kimono over her naked form as she bolted for the door and to the other side of the shiro, following the sounds of commotion.

Breaking the door to Tashio's work space, Kimi blinked in shock at the sight before her. The sacred jewel, having been in possession and protection of Minato and Taya, hovered and glowed with power in the middle of the room. Taya, standing to the right of her, held out a protective arm across her pup. A small black haired pup with bright blue eyes that gave her the perfect balance of her parents. Minato, a far more wild looking Dog Daiyoukai with shorter black spiky hair stood just past her, his hand on the hilt of his own sword. To her right, Tashio stood with his golden eyes locked on the jewel, a snarl rolling in his chest as he eyed it carefully.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Kimi snarled, narrowing her eyes at the blinding light. Before she or any of the other Daiyoukai in the room could move, the jewel flew in a direct bee-line for the young pup in the room. The purple light shooting straight into her chest.

"My pup!" Taya cried, her arm encircling her pup just as her body began to glow, then suddenly evaporating into the air, taking Taya with her into the glowing aura before disappearing entirely.

"Taya!" Kimi and Minato both screamed seemingly at the same time, Minato lunging into the space where his mate and pup had been just a moment ago. His claws dug into the flooring, shattering the wood beneath his palm. "Taya? Taya!" Minato pummeled the flooring beneath him, his blue eyes slowly bleeding gold and red.

"Minato!" Tashio barked at him, causing the dark haired dog demon to pause in his scrambling "They are not here. Their scent, their aura's… They are completely gone…." Tashio said firmly, as if to not only convince his friend but himself as well.

"What…." Kimi padded over to the spot in the floor that Minato had shredded, her eyes wide and lost. Biting her lip, tears sprung to her eyes and spilled over in quick hot streaks down her pale face. Moving in a blur once more, she shot forward and landed her knee right into Minato's cheekbone, sending the Young Daiyoukai flying into the far wall.

"You wished upon the jewel didn't you?! After being entrusted with it! You fool! You've costed yourself your mate and your pup!" Kimi's eyes had fully bled red, her tears soaking her face that was slowly turning feral. "You never wish upon the jewel! The lords decreed no Daiyou-"

Tashio's only arm wrapped around her neck, stopping her airway and her stalking towards the still stunned Minato. Her claws came up and sank into the flesh of his arm, her legs kicking up in a futile attempt to free herself. "Calm yourself Kimi! I allowed it!"

The dark rumbling of Tashio's voice in her back commanded her instincts. Slowing her fighting to a stop, Kimi eventually stood slack in his arm. Tashio however did not release her from his grip until he could no longer catch a glint of red in her eyes.

"You…. Taya…" Kimi's soft small lips trembled, her face still wet with still fresh flowing tears. Slowly, as to not be pinned again, Kimi floored Tashio with the most lost and destroyed expression he had ever seen on his wife. "You let them wish on the jewel? Taya is gone…. The pup…." The unnamed pup, still too young to have been named, old enough to stand and follow her mother, but too young to manifest her powers and be given a name. Taya had wanted to wait and give her a special name that fitted the future lady of the west. Now… Kimi let out a broken sob.

"Taya made the wish so as not to break the law, she wished for her pup to grow up safe." Tashio stated, resting his hand on Kimi's shoulder. "She was no fool, Though I do not believe this was the one correct wish the previous priestess told us of."

"You speak of her as if she is no more! I refuse to believe this! We must find her!" Kimi snarled at Tashio before turning on her heel and back down the walkway, barking orders at guards and servants alike to begin the hunt. Tashio sighed and shook his head, he would let her do as she pleased for now, knowing there was no other appeasement for her at this moment. Taya and herself had been pups together, they had trained and grown together, and even supported each other during their suits for their respectable mates and husbands. Kimi had not mated with him as Taya had with Minato, but despite their bond Taya never left Kimi's side if possible. The two were almost inseparable.

Now, with the female daiyoukai gone, there was no stopping Kimi in her rage and anguish. Without the calm comforting reasoning Taya offered to Kimi, the scale tipped into a much more brazen territory. Tashio was in for quite the time until he found out what happened to them.

He turned to face his friend who still knelt on the floor, his clawed hand gently cupping his cheek. His blue eyes cast downward in a blank stare.

"Go get some air my friend. We shall attend to your mate and pup's search. You must gather yourself as the eastern lord." Tashio swept out of the room, still deliberating where he should start. With his wife in a flurry in the shiro and his mate and young pup barely adjusting to their new surroundings, the next best option for him to start was one that he was not excited to attend to. He needed someone with incredibly keen senses to help him in his search for the lost pair, and the only one that came to mind unfortunately was probably still angry with him.

His older wayward pup. Sesshomaru.

'If all else fails… Bokuseno is my only hope for my friend…'