Disclaimer: {Guess what? I don't own anything, except for Kurounmei.} ((and sadly only Rinku is mine ::Sniffsniff::))

Kati: Had to move Old Acquaintances out of Imagination Version 7.0 on request from Chels, we've got this wonderful new sign on though together… its all good

{___} that is Kati's comments, not part of the story

When its in two of these (( like this)) that means its Chels-dawg is talking, its not in the fanfic!!!

Underline is the beginning of a chapter

-~-~-~-~-~- Means around same time, different setting, same character(s)

_-_-_-_-_-_ Means Around same time, different people

*-*-*-*-*-* Means years apart baby!! Long time no see

Chapter One: Of Fate and Wolves

Sesshomaru and Kurounmei {means black Fate} perched in an ancient tree above the gardens where Inuyasha and Rinku Ookami played. The younger pairs laughing wafted through the fragrant trees and bushes, and carried up to the older pair.

"Childish." Sesshomaru said, his voice full of disgust and scorn.

"Hmm… don't suppose we ever did that when we were five did we?" Unmei smirked, spitting her sarcasm. "Lighten up Sesshy!"

"Don't call me that."

"Now you've overgrown that too? For you its like twelve is too old for everything." She gave him a playful shove that fully knocked him out of the tree and sent him plunging the thirty feet earthward. Being the full-blooded youkai {Full demon} that he was he easily flipped and landed half kneeling on the packed dirt path. Experimenting with his power, Sesshomaru extended it in the form of a whip, which wrapped around her ankle and with a tug, pulled Unmei –considerably less gracefully- from the slim branch.

Unmei landed tactlessly due to the whip coiled around her leg and the fashion in which it was retracting into his hand, it loosed its hold and she struggled up to her feet. "Now I'm glad I ignored mother when she told me to wear my kimono." She grumbled. "Oww! My butt." She shook her waist length blue-black hair out of her face and her lavender eyes glinted dangerously. "Hey, I've got an idea! Wanna see if I can still beat you?"

"You only won last time because Inuyasha was in my way.:

"Yes or no, Lord High-and-Mighty?"

"Fine." Within a split second Sesshomaru was behind her, she spun aiming to score with her claw-like nails. He got out of the way with time to spare and tried the whip again.

Unmei tried to distract him with meaningless talk while dodging. "You know what, I've always envied the way your hair is longer than mine, even though you're a guy, and how your markings came out all cool." She gestured quickly to her own seven scratch-esque silver face markings, three on her right cheek three on her left and one on the center of her forehead. She had more on her hands and back, Sesshomaru hadn't seen the ones on her back for obvious reasons, but she claimed to have them though.

"Hnn." He sliced at her face, missing only slightly.

"Too bad we can't use our true forms here, Inuyasha's mom would get pissed off if we trampled her roses though." As Sesshomaru had his dog form, Unmei had a Panther form, she complained that it looked like a confused tiger because of her odd colorings and markings. You couldn't tell she was a panther youkai at first glance because all she had to prove that by in human form was fangs.

The talking Unmei was doing only diverted her attention more from her surroundings and she backed into the tree fairly hard. Sesshomaru snatched her wrists in one hand and put his free one beside her, blocking exits. Their faces were less than three inches apart. Sesshomaru felt something small and round hit his lower calf and turned to see a small blue ball and further back, Inuyasha and Rinku, their mouths agape.

"I win." Sesshomaru said recovering first, he released Unmei and from his superior height, shot her a glare that clearly said 'shut up'.

Rinku 'eeped' and raced forward rescuing the ball and then diverting her course off into the bushes by the tree. Inuyasha followed suit.

After a lengthy silence Unmei spoke up. "That was… interesting." She brushed off her black fuku and pants, seemingly attentive to the red fire-like hemming on both which also spread across her right shoulder.

"Unmei? Kurounmei!" A gruff voice echoed from the garden entrance.

"See ya' Sesshy!" She dashed off toward the source of the voice, her father, disregarding any comments sullen Sesshomaru might have made.

-~-~-~-~-~-~

"Yes daddy?" She reached her father in record time and skidded to a stop.

"Collect your things, we leave at noon."

"What?"

"We are leaving the court."

"Why? Why can't we stay here?"

"Enough!" He cried, startling Unmei. "Be obedient for once and go!"

Unmei did, skittering in the direction of the palace like a kicked animal.

-~-~-~-~-~-~

She did not have time to say good bye to Sesshomaru, nor was she permitted to. The carriage pulled out at high noon and she took one last good look at the place she had called home all her life. It was all behind her now as they fled the Lord of the Western Lands, all over a simple disagreement her father and he had held. And where they were headed even her 'wise' father did not know.

_-_-_-_-_-_

Rinku sat there looking at Inuyasha, as they rolled the little blue ball his mother had given him earlier, she was about five at the time, he was the same maybe a little older. "So what's your mommy and daddy like??" he asked.

"Mommy and daddy??" she looked at the ball as it rolled her way, her claws placed gently around it as she tried not to pop the ball.

"You know, my daddy's dead but my mommy's nice, you've been eating at my house since we've met, don't you have a house and a momma to cuddle up too??" his white dog-like ears twitched as he yawned.

She looked away slightly, "Well I- .....no"

He looked at her with confusing eyes "but why??"

"I dunno every time I go near her she gets all..... mad" he looks down remembering his mother, how safe he feels in her arms when she hugs him, wondering how Rinku could live with out a mother (( Its soooo sad :'()). Rinku stood up, looking toward a couple kids playing. "Those are my brothers and sisters, ....or at least half" He cocked his head in a cute way, she giggled at him and turned to explain. "my father is a wolf demon in a humane form disguised, so he could get closer to my so-called mom, My mother didn't know till she had me... saw my ears, teeth and claws.... my father had left by then, and instead of killing me she kicked me out of the house, furious, she hates demons... so after that she went and found a ((hot hunky sumo wrestler ^-^)) Village man and had my half brothers and sisters" she looked back toward them.

"Oh..." he said as he studied them over "they don't look like you" he was noting, because her hair was black but with golden streaks resembling that of a wolf, also her golden eyes, his were golden too but he had white hair and white ears, hers were entirely black.

A demon crow flew out of the tree and swept down toward her screaming brothers and sisters running away from the demon, "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" Rinku jumped at the demon screaming "SILVER CLAW OF DEATH!!!" slashing the demon to pieces, she stood staring in horror at her claws, Inuyasha watching wide-eyed holding his ((little cute, adorable)) ball, ((They didn't know about there powers yet!!)) She walked toward her terrified, crying half brothers and sisters "a-are you ok?" she was cut off by a vicious slap across her face, causing her to fall back, she looked up tears in her eyes to see what- who hit her, her eyes softened in shock "M-mommy??"

"You little beast, how dare you call me that!!!" her brothers and sisters ran to hide behind their mom. "beast?..."

Rinku slowly rose to her feet wiping away the fresh tears rolling down her face she looked up her sharp golden wolf eyes staring into her mothers cold humane eyes, there was also fear in her mother's eyes too, for her love was for her human children, her hatred was for Rinku, she was disgusted. Rinku was a curse to her, she was ashamed she had had a child, with demon blood running through her veins. A strong looking village man stood by her mother's side looking at Rinku.

Inuyasha a ran to his mother confused with all the village men crowding around Rinku, forcing her toward the forest with arrows and stones, "Mother why are they hurting Rinku, what did she do??" His mother only watched sadness in her eyes, thinking that if they did that to Rinku her child may be next. Rinku stepped back slowly, glancing at Inuyasha and his mother, she knew he was safe, but was guilty, angry at herself, trying to figure out what she did wrong, her mother looking coldly at her happy to see her leave. A single tear left Rinku's face as an arrow skinned her arm her ears twitched with the new feeling of pain, she turned running deep into the forest her blood dripped every few steps hoping she could leave her scent for Inuyasha to follow.