From the second that she opened her eyes, Karin Bane knew that she was screwed. She lay in the middle of a cove of trees with a square patch of empty earth pressed against her back, and the only sound that filled the air around her was rustling leaves and what sounded like some distant sound of work being done. Dazed, she sat up, rubbing her head. Karin, or Rin as she preferred to be called, was beyond confused. Confused didn't even begin to cover the emotion she felt at the moment.

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she forced herself to think. What was the last thing she could remember? "Think, Rin," she told herself firmly, as she'd told herself multiple times in the past, "Think!"

An image flashed before her eyes, just as she hoped it would, though it wasn't what she wanted to see, and she'd shoved it away as soon as she could. Shuddering at the sensation of a plummeting fall and smoke and screams, she tilted her head back to stare silently up at the sky for a few moments. it was a beautiful blue, dotted here and there by fluffy white clouds. "Am I dead...?" she breathed, pinching herself. She winced. She knew for sure it wasn't a dream. Did it hurt to pinch yourself when you were dead?

She looked down, examining the empty square patch of earth beneath her, then shrugged, forcing herself to her feet. She staggered for a brief second, unsteady on her feet as dizziness filled her. But she remained standing and brushed her jeans off, wiping her scraped hands on her thighs. A quick adjustment to her favorite sweatshirt and tucking some a piece of long dark brown hair behind her ears, she spun in a quick circle, trying to determine where exactly she wanted to go.

A child's laughter suddenly filled the air, followed by another's. Rin glanced over her shoulder in time for a boy that was around the age five and a girl around three came running into the clearing, both grinning broadly. It wasn't the fact that there were two small children running around a forest by themselves that caught her attention, or that they were both clothed in a strange style she'd never seen. No; it was their appearances that made her blink in confusion.

The five year old boy had gleaming silver hair that was carefully cropped so that it spiked up around his head. On top of his head were two twitching dog ears, and at each side of his tanned face were long longs of silver hair that ended just below his shoulders. He had sparkling eyes that were the color of molten gold, and claws tipped each finger. And when he grinned at the girl who was chasing him, he revealed pearly fangs that seemed to gleam in the sun.

The girl was petite at three years old, with midnight black hair as dark as her brother's was light that stopped half-way down her back. Just like the boy, dog ears swiveled atop her head and golden eyes gleamed excitedly. She had long locks of hair pulled over her shoulders to hide her lack of human ears, and each finger was also tipped with a claw. Rin couldn't see her teeth, but she'd bet someone a hundred dollars that the girl also had fangs.

The girl's gentle laughter chimed in the air like music. "Nii-chan! Watashi o kyatchi!" she cried, suddenly taking a massive bound. Her pretty green yukata fluttered around her as she glided down through the air, and without pause, her brother managed to easily catch her.

"Oto-san wa Amai, sore o okonau ni wa shinai koto o itta!" the boy scolded firmly, though his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Anata ga toraburu ni watashitachi o shutoku shitaidesu ka?"

"Gomen'nasai," she replied, though a smug smile played along her lips. Suddenly, she flicked an ear, her little nose scrunching up with a confused look upon her face. Her golden eyes suddenly locked with Rin's own wide brown orbs and she gave a gasp of surprise and what might have been a hint of fear. "Nii-chan!" she cried, pointing. "Nii-chan, mite!"

The boy whipped around to look in the direction she pointed. His eyes narrowed and he set his sister down, turning to face Rin with a growl. Pushing the girl behind him, he barked, "Anata dare? Anata wa akuma, anata yori yoi jikkō o, shite iru baai wa 'gen'in Oto-san ga kuru!"

Rin's mouth popped open and no sound came out. God help her, they spoke another language! And certainly not one of the three languages she was familiar with! "I..." she whispered, licking her dry lips. They were slightly chapped, she noted dully. "I won't hurt you," she finally stated, raising her hands in surrender when he gave a low snarl, small fists clenched. The girl peeked anxiously out from behind him.

"Nii-chan," she whispered anxiously. "Watashi wa Oto-san o motomerubekideshou ka? Kare wa sugu ni Oka-san ni kite ita to nobe..." Her ears twitched, swiveling back towards the trees.

"Hai!" her brother said with a quick nod. "Jinsoku Oto-san o tori ni iku! Watashi wa sore ga akumada to omou!" The girl looked terrified at his words, then turned and darted off into the trees, wailing, "OTO-SAN! OTO-SAN, TASUKETE! AKUMA GA ARU!"

Rin watched her leave in confusion. "Who the hell is Oto-san?" she breathed to herself, confused. The boy simply gave a smug look, crossing his arms as he said something in the strange language. Whoever it was, Rin decided that it wouldn't be good for her.

And she was correct. Within seconds of the girl running off, there was a blur of red and silver as an older version of the boy materialized, his lips pulled back in furious snarl, a massive sword held in his hand. Rin's face went pale and she dropped to her knees. So Oto-san is his dad...just great. I'm gonna die in a weird place with no way to tell why! Suddenly, however, the man paused, sniffing the air furiously and studying her curiously before sheathing the sword he held. He growled in annoyance, turning to his son. "Saisho! Anata wa kanojo ga nandeatta ka o kakunin suru anata no hana o shiyō shimashita ka?"

The boy looked startled at his father's words. Flushing in embarassment, he shook his head 'no', then frowned as he inhaled sharply. Suddenly, he flattened his ears, looking guilty. "Kanojo wa ningenda. Mōshiwakearimasenga, Oto-san." Looking embarassed, he turned to the stunned Rin and bowed apologetically. "Gomen'nasai. Watashi wa akuma no tame ni anata o machigaetaga, watashi wa ima anata ga ningendearu sanshō shite kudasai."

Rin stared at the boy blankly from her position on the ground, struggling to determine what he was saying but unable to do so. "Uh..." she whispered, stammering. But, much to her relief, she was interrupted by the arrival of a woman, who carried the girl from earlier in her arms. The man straightened, his gaze warming at the sight of her. "Kagome," he said simply.

To Rin, it was obvious he loved her. His gaze smoldered with warmth and affection for the curious raven-haired woman who made her way over. Her blue eyes flickered to him for a brief moment and she smiled before turning her attention on Rin. "Amai akuma ga atta to nobe...shikashi, kono shōjo wa, Inuyasha hitodearu. Watashi wa kanjinai- oh!" She cut off with a gasp, her gaze scanning Rin from head to toe. Her eyes went round and she suddenly cried, "Inuyasha! Kanojo wa gendai no fuku o kite iru!" She set her daughter down, hurrying over with a broad smile and questioning, "Anata ga doko ka hoka karada, anata wa sōde wa arimasen? Gendai no jidai?"

Rin pulled back slightly, nervous despite her relief at the friendliness the woman was showing as she accepted the hand she offered and was pulled to her feet. "Um...I'm sorry," she whispered, frustrated tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I don't understand what you're saying!"

The woman slapped her hand over her mouth with wide eyes. "Ā! Anata ga eigo o hanasu!" Then she grimaced, suddenly saying in English, "Sorry, I wasn't aware that you didn't know Japanese...you speak English, correct?"

Relief flooded through her. "Yeah, I speak English," she said with a faint smile. She cast the three dog-eared strangers standing slightly away a look. The man glared at her warily, hand on the hilt of his sword and ready to unsheathe it should he need to.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "No wonder Amai was so confused... I'm Kagome, and this is my husband, Inuyasha," she waved at the man, who grunted in response at his name, "Saisho, and Amai." The girl smiled shyly at her name and Kagome laughed, gathering her up into her arms again. "They don't know English. How on Earth did you get here though?" She frowned. "The only person from the modern era to get here has been me, and the last time I was there was nearly seven years ago..."

"I don't know," Rin said honestly, "I just woke up over there, in that patch of dirt. The last thing I remember is-" She cut off with a grimace of pain and fear. No time to think about that.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said suddenly, tone sharp. His gaze was locked on the patch of dirt. "Hone ītā no ido ga nakunatte imasu." He paused, glancing at Rin for a brief second before adding quietly, "Soshite kanojo wa Rin, Kagome no yō ni takusan nioi ga suru."

Kagome looked at him in surprise. "Hontōni? Kanojo wa Rin no yōna nioi? Anata wa omoimasu ka...?"

"Kanojo wa Rin no umarekawaridesu ka?" Inuyasha shrugged, an ear twitching towards his suspiciously silent children. Both were watching with wide eyes, and he paused before saying quietly, "Sore wa kanōdesu. Watashitachiha mo kakunin shite iru made, watashi was mushiro, Sesshomaru wa hanare eria kara itai."

Kagome nodded her agreement, opening her mouth to speak again, but Amai interrupted, tugging lightly on her sleeve and saying quietly, "Oka-san? Watashi wa josei no dōyōda to omoimasu."

Kagome gasped. "Sorry," she said apologetically to Rin, glancing gratefully at her daughter. She paused to tell her husband, "Watashi wa yoku ni kidzuita. Watashitachiha, go de sore ni okotta kamo shirenai mono o setsumei shimasu." then turned back to Rin again. "We were discussing the disappearance of a well that was where you landed. It's gone now for some reason. And we were discussing different possibilities." She smiled kindly.

Shooting Rin a wary look, Inuyasha suddenly added, "Taiyō ga sugu ni settei sa remasu. Wtashitachi wa modotte koya ni mukau hitsuyō ga arimasu. Akuryō ga dete kuru toki, wtashitachi ga koko ni dete iru baai wa, watashi ga nayami shōten o motsu koto ni narimasu. Watashi wa anata no san to betsu no ningen o ki ni shite ita toki, watashi wa tatakau koto wa dekimasen."

Kagome sighed in annoyance. "Un, un." She must have seen Rin's frustrated look because she suddenly cursed before saying apologetically, "I'm sorry, it must be frustrating that you don't know what we're saying." She reached out to touch Rin's forehead, then paused. "May I? I'm a priestess that's gone through a lot of training. I haven't tried this before, but if you're willing, I could try and transfer my knowledge of the langauge to you..."

"Please," Rin replied gratefully. Kagome chuckled, touching Rin's forehead lightly.

"There," she said after a moment. Inuyasha growled uneasily as she relaxed her aura, and nervous, Saisho fisted his hand in his father's hakamas. Kagome gave another smile. "Can you understand now?"

Rin blinked in surprise, then nodded with a relieved smile. "Yeah," she replied, grateful. "Thank you very much."

Inuyasha snorted in irritation. "Kagome," he snapped, eyeing the strange woman, "The sun."

How weird it was to hear Japanese yet understand it perfectly. Rin sank her teeth into the side of her cheek as Kagome retorted, rolling her eyes, "I heard you the first time, Inuyasha, we're going." She looped an arm through Rin's. "Why don't you join us for the night? I doubt you've got anywhere else to say, and I'm sure I'll have a yukata around your size." She frowned. "You're a little bit shorter than I am though..." When Rin cast an unhappy look down at her clothes, not wanting to get rid of them, Kagome patted her arm reassuringly. "I know you want to stay in them, but trust me. It's better to dress for this time period. I should know. I ran around in a middle school uniform for two years." She laughed.

"Papa," Amai mumbled worriedly, "Is she coming, too?" She wrinkled her nose. "She smells weird. It makes my nose ache." Saisho nodded his agreement.

Inuyasha made a soothing rumble in his chest, easily picking his daughter up and letting her sit on his shoulder. She giggled, hugging his head and being careful of his ears. "Yeah, your momma's bringing her home." He frowned. "We're lucky Miroku and Sango aren't bringing their brats over tonight." He sniffed the air intently, ears swiveling. "And we're even luckier that bastard isn't passing through the area right now."

Kagome pursed her lips into a tight line. "Oh, but they'll be over in the morning if I know them. And don't use that language around the children, you know how fast Saisho picks up on that," she scolded angrily, giving him a glare.

He huffed. "Feh."

Rin found herself fighting back a smile as the group fell into a comfortable silence, striding easily through the trees. After a few minutes of walking, Saisho suddenly grinned, darting away. Moments later, they reached a break in the trees, revealing a single wooden home. In the distance, Rin saw a village and fields around them, smoke curling gently from some of them. Saisho disappeared into the home, and Amai squirmed until she was set down before following her brother. Inuyasha stuffed his hands into his sleeves, walking closer to Kagome. He sniffed for a moment, then reported, "Looks like Shippo stopped by. He'll be over tomorrow, too."

Kagome's face lit up with happiness. "Good! I missed him last time, I was away with that other village for a few days."

"Be glad. The runt nearly burnt down the hut," Inuyasha muttered with a grimace. He held the door covering open for Kagome, who ducked easily inside, and then for Rin. As she passed, he narrowed his eyes, growling under his breath, and Rin shivered slightly at the sound. She had no doubts that if Inuyasha didn't like something that she did, she'd be dead.

Kagome had set to work on setting up a fire in the middle of the room, scolding her son for some reason or another as he flushed. Inuyasha dropped down beside the doorway, tucking the sword that had previously been at his hip -Rin silently wondered how it had shrunk- in his lap. Uncertain, Rin knelt beside a wall, making herself comfortable.

So it was a surprise when Amai suddenly crept over and tugged lightly on her sweatshirt's sleeve, examining the material curiously. "What's this?"

"It's called a sweatshirt," Kagome told her when Rin blinked in confusion. To Rin, she said not unkindly, "They weren't born yet when I ran back and forth between this time period and the one you're from. They don't know what you're wearing."

Rin nodded uneasily, then smiled faintly at Amai. Amai returned the smile brightly, then declared, "I like 'er, Momma!" She climbed without hesitation into Rin's lap, surprising the human girl and earning a frustrated sound from her father. Ignoring both, Amai clapped her hands over Rin's face and demanded firmly, "What's your name? Mine's Amai."

Rin hesitated. "I'm Karin Bane," she repiled after a moment. "You can call me Rin, though." She frowned when Kagome froze with a gasp and Inuyasha stiffened, giving a furious growl. "What?" she questioned. "Is there something wrong with my name?" She became slightly defensive.

"No," Kagome managed to get out, her voice hitched with emotion. "It's just...Inuyasha's brother- I mean, half-brother," she corrected at the look he shot her, "he took care of a little girl named Rin. Sesshomaru has a sword that is able to revive a person from the dead, but he can only do it once, we found out." She became quiet, eyes misting over with tears. "It's a long story..."

"I've got time," Rin said with a sigh. "Not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon."

Kagome smiled faintly, moving to a chest and digging around. "Inuyasha, could you get the kids to bed?" she asked quietly.

Amai moaned her protest. "But Momma..."

"Now," Kagome said firmly. Inuyasha nodded, growling a quiet command. To Rin's surprise, the children obeyed immediately, rushing into a separate room with Inuyasha close behind to make sure they actually went to sleep. Kagome handed Rin a yukata. "Put that on, I'll help you tie it," she murmured before continuing, "First off, you need to know a few things. There are things called demons that roam this world. You don't see them in the modern era. Period. Trust me, I looked."

"I'm going to take a guess and say that your husband's a demon," Rin said quietly, shrugging off her sweatshirt and the T-shirt underneath. She followed suit with her jeans and shoes and socks, sliding her arms through the sleeves of the sunset orange yukata.

"He and my children are half-demons," Kagome corrected, setting to work on helping her tie the yukata shut. "Inuyasha's mother was human, like you and me, but his father was the great dog demon Inutaisho. He was extremely powerful when he was alive. Inuyasha surpassed him long ago, though." A look of pride crossed her face. "Anyways...

"I'll start off by explaining Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru is Inuyasha's half-brother, he shares Inutaisho as a father, but his mother is a full demon, making him a full-blooded demon as well. In the past, he slaughtered humans just for the hell of it. But then, we're not sure how, he came across a little girl who went by the name of Rin." Kagome's eyes softened. "For some reason or another, he let her tag along with him and his little servant guy, Jaken. He protected her, and had Jaken make sure she was well cared for.

"At the same time, Inuyasha, me, and a few of our friends were fighting against a demon known as Naraku and gathering shards of a fairly powerful object that I'd shattered." Kagome gave a hint of a smile. "Sesshomaru teamed up with us to fight him in the end, most likely because Naraku kept using Rin against him. We all got out of that battle alive and destroyed Naraku. I'm not very sure of what happened after, because I wasn't able to come back here until three years after that battle.

"After I got back, though, I learned that Sesshomaru had left Rin in that village you saw. She was under Inuyasha's protection, and she was learning how to live with humans again after traveling with a demon for so long. He stopped by every now and then with gifts for her, though, so it was kind of hard for her to forget him."

Kagome's smile vanished and Rin automatically knew that the bad part of this sweet little story was approaching. "Around the time I became pregnant with Saisho, though, things went bad in the village. Out of nowhere, a group of demons attacked. Inuyasha didn't want me fighting, but I helped him and our friends get rid of them. We made sure our friend's chidlren were alright before going to see who was hurt."

The woman's blue eyes fluttered shut, grief crossing her face. "An old friend from when I first came here, Kaede, had been killed. A woman who'd been in Kaede's home with her had been slain as well, and in the middle of the mess lay little Rin. She had been cut from her shoulder to her hip, a swift and clean cut. It was deep though, too deep. I tried to save her, but...the poor girl had just lost too much blood.

"Sesshomaru knew somehow. We're still not sure about how he did, but he showed up. I told him what had happened and..." She broke off for a few seconds as Inuyasha ducked back into the main room. He frowned, his ears flattening when he realized that tears had begun to roll down Kagome's cheeks. He settled down beside her, ignoring Rin in favor of pulling her into his lap and burying his face in her neck, rumbling soothingly.

"It was like the two had a connection that nobody else could understand," Kagome whispered softly. "Before he arrived, just seconds before, Rin was asking for him. All I could hear coming from her while I was trying to save her was her calling for her Lord Sesshomaru. And he heard her somehow. He just...showed up and told me to leave. When I came back, she was dead, and Sesshomaru was just standing there with Tenseiga out. The sword I told you about, the one that can bring people back from the dead. He couldn't bring her back. I never thought I'd see Sesshomaru with some kind of emotion on his face other than anger or annoyance, but he was just stading there, shock written across his entire body. Like he couldn't believe she was gone. Then he just...vanished. The most we've seen of him recently is Inuyasha catching his scent when he passes through."

Rin blinked, touching her cheek when she realized tears had begun to fall. Grimacing, she wiped them away with the yukata's sleeve. "That's why you're surprised by my name," she murmured, understanding crossing over her. She would be surised if the situations were reversed.

"It's not just your name," Inuyasha said suddenly, voice gruff and muffled from his place with his face in his wife's neck. "It's your scent. I know the scent of every person I meet. Your scent is identical to hers. Right down to the scent of lillies." He wrinkled his nose. "And you look like her. Older, but like her."

"Huh," Kagome huffed, "Like Kikyo?" He tensed at the name and she rolled her eyes. Her sadness seemed to have vanished. "We're worried about what Sesshomaru will do if he catches your scent or sees you."

Rin bit her lip nervously. If Inuyasha had responded badly to her, then she didn't want to even begin to think about the demon that had taken care of the girl she was similar to would do upon seeing her...

And suddenly, Rin began to feel her resolve break. Tears began to stream down her face and a muffled sob escaped her before she could help it. Inuyasha jerked in confusion, demanding hotly, "Why are you crying?!"

Kagome soothed him by kissing his cheek before hurrying over to gently hug Rin. "I know it's a lot to take in," she murmured in Rin's ear, squeezing the girl around the shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Rin."

Rin screwed her eyes shut. Trapped in a strange time period full of demons and half-demons with no recollection of how she got there other than the last few seconds before she'd woken up. And on top of that, she heavily resembled a dead child, meaning she would most likely be killed by the caretaker of said child. This would only happen to her of all people.

This was the worst unending dream ever.

That night, Rin slept on a spare futon that the family kept in their hut, staring into the flames of a dying fire, fully aware of the narrowd eyes that were watching her intently. In the same way that she didn't move from her spot, Inuyasha didn't move from his.

Pain rippled through her form as the fifteen year old stared blankly up at the wooden ceiling above her. Distantly, she was aware of someone working desperately on her, though for what reason, she was uncertain. All she knew was that she wanted to see the one person who'd always come when she needed him. His name kept leaving her lips in a hoarse, wanting tone, and the person beside her soothed her with words of "Soon."

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. There was a furious growl and the strange woman who'd been working on her left quickly. A warm hand tipped with claws touched her cheek and she breathed its owner's name, leaning into his touch. "Lord Sesshomaru," she managed to get out, gasping desperately for air. It was getting harder to breathe.

"Rin," his deep baritone replied softly. Beneath his icy calm exterior, she could sense the rage that threatened to boil over. Someone had messed with what belonged to him and he was beyond angry, beyond even fury.

Despite the pain, her lips curved into a happy smile and her eyes fluttered shut as she did so. "Hm," she hummed in response. She was the only one to ever see this soft, gentle side of the powerful Lord of the West. And for that, she was proud. And then, quite suddenly, the pain began to disappear. Her breathing quickened and she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes again.

Her Lord had come, and that was all she wanted.

And as her last breath left her lips, she could've sworn she heard him whine softly.

"HEY, MOM! WHO'S THIS?!"

Rin jerked awake from her dream with a small scream of surprise, upright in an instant, shoving whoever was practically on top of her off with wide eyes. The girl hit the ground with a loud yelp, and the boy who'd been near her face squealed, fleeing to hide behind a strange woman who was staring at Rin with eyes that matched her own surprise. It took only seconds for Inuyasha to slide into view, hand on his sword. Then he relaxed, however, and huffed, "You could have knocked, ya know," he snapped, "I would've heard you."

The woman turned her large, expressive brown eyes on him. "Sorry," she apologized, "It was Miroku's idea."

"Was not," the man who stood beside her protested, his own violet eyes curiously remaining on Rin. "I blame Tōhi for charging right in without making sure they were awake just yet."

"I'm awake at the break of dawn, Miroku," Inuyasha said bluntly, rolling his eyes. "So stop blaming Tōhi and man up, monk."

"Yeah, Dad," the boy chimed up, still holding his mother. "Don't blame me. You said it was okay to go in and wake 'em up."

Despite their banter, Rin recognized the sense of companionship the adults shared, especially between the two men, who were retorting playfully while the woman watched on in amusement. A few moments later, Kagome joined the woman and they beamed at each other. "So," the woman said softly, smiling apologetically at Rin when she stood and brushed herself off. "Who's this?"

"I'm Karin Bane," Rin greeted, smiling nervously. "You can call me Rin." When her eyes shot to Kagome, wide, and Miroku frowned, she sighed and added, "I already know what you're thinking, I got questioned about it yesterday so don't bother whispering and being all secrative about it."

"Well I'm Sango," the woman said firmly, giving an embarassed look. "This is my husband, Miroku. This is Tōhi, our youngest," she rested her hand on the boy's head. The girl closest to you is Bara, and the one hiding behind her father is Rirī." There was suddenly a small cry of excitement when a little ball of orange tackled Kagome around the waist in a tight hug, making her laugh. "And that would be our mutual fox demon friend, Shippo."

"Nice to meet you," Rin replied politely with a sigh. She, quite honestly, just wanted to go home and pretend none of this happened. But as that wasn't going to happen... She turned uncertainly to Kagome, biting her lip. "Is there anything I can help you with today? I feel like I'm invading your home...and if I am, I'd like to make up for it."

"Sango and I have to get some laundry today while Inuyasha and Miroku go on a demon slaying job," Kagome replied thoughtfully. "Do you think perhaps you could keep an eye on the children? They'll hang out around here or run around in the forest, and even if you do get lost, Saisho and Shippo will be willing to help you find your way back. I know for a fact that there's no demons running around. I would've sensed them already if they were."

"I'd be glad to," Rin agreed, relieved to have something to do.

Kagome threw her head back and laughed. She turned to Inuyasha, who was frowning. "You two need to get going if you want to be back before the sun sets. Hurry home and be safe, alright?" She tweaked one of his ears lovingly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I don't want a repeat of last time."

Inuyasha grimaced, as if remembering something he wasn't particularly fond of, and Miroku promised, "I'll make sure he comes home in one piece, Kagome. It was nice to meet you, Rin." He gave Rin a kind smile, violet eyes bemused, then ducked outside after pressing a kiss to Rirī's head. Inuyasha bid his wife farewell, then followed the monk.

"Now," Kagome said with a bright smile, letting Shippo escape from her arms. "I'll go wake Saisho and Amai, and we can go Sango." She slid into the room that the two children were still sleeping in and Rin remained silent as Sango knelt and said sternly to her three offspring, "You do exactly as Rin says, is that understood? I don't want her telling me that you three were bad for her. Especially you, Tōhi."

Tōhi blinked innocently at her. "Yes, Momma," he agreed with a sigh. He turned to his sister's, who nodded their agreement, smiling at each other.

Suddenly, Shippo, who was around the size of a twelve year old, gently tugged on her sleeve and Rin turned her attention onto him. He gave a toothy grin, green eyes sparkling. "Don't worry, Miss Rin," he said honestly. "I'll make sure you don't get lost. I'll help you keep up with Amai and Shoshiro and the others, too, they go in all different directions at once."

"Just tell them some folk tales that you might know," Kagome told her, reappearing, "They'll settle down and listen to any story that's not Japanese by origin at this point. I told them a few that I knew from other cultures, but there weren't many...what country are you from?"

"The United States," Rin replied, earning a smile from Kagome. "I took a college class in literature, and we had a whole semester on folk lore from around the world. I should be able to keep them occupied for a long time."

Sango gave a relieved sigh. "Good. It gets exhausting keeping Tōhi in line," she muttered, eyeing her son. He pretended not to notice, too busy trying to sneak up on Shippo and grab his tail. But the fox demon had seen him and easily swept the tail out of his grasp with a smirk, a fang poking out over his lip. "Shippo's tricks work a lot of the time, too. If they get bored, you take over for Rin, Shippo."

Shippo huffed. "I don't like them messing with my stuff. They break it, and then the other fox demons get irritated 'cause they have to help me make new ones."

"Well don't give it to them then," Sango muttered, rolling her eyes, "Just show them the tricks. Now off with you!" she added when Amai and Saisho came into view, still yawning. "All of you behave."

Rin smiled as she herded the five children out with Shippo's fault, deciding then and there that she was fond of the fox demon. After a few minutes of walking towards the nearby forest, Amai suddenly yawned and stopped, asking sleepily, "Can you carry me, Miss Rin?"

Rin fought back an adoring coo as she easily scooped the three year old into her arms. "Of course, honey," she told her, kissing her forehead. Amai smiled, then cuddled against her shoulder with a content sigh.

Shippo caught her attention by waving a hand in her face. "Uh, Miss Rin? Can I ask you something?" Rin blinked, then nodded, uncertain of what he wanted. "You smell like Kagome did when she used to go back and forth through the Bone-Eater's Well...are you from where she is from?"

Rin bit back a sigh. Did all demons have sharp noses? "Err, sort of," she admitted, aware of the many ears listening curiously. "I do come from the time period she comes from, though I'm not from the same country." Shippo frowned in confusion, opening his mouth to question her, but she held up a hand to silence him. "I'm not answering any more questions about that. I'm going to help Kagome and Sango with these rascals, then figure out how to get home. That's it."

Shippo looked slightly disappointed, growling to himself in annoyance, and Rin paused with a frown. It had taken her no time whatsoever to adjust to the fact that there were demons and half-demons around. Then again, that might be because of the friendly ones around her...

"Here!" Bara cried suddenly, flopping down as soon as she spoke. "Let's sit here!" Her sister beamed, flopping down beside her, and Tōhi sighed as he joined them in the lush green grass. When Saisho joined them, his ears twitching this way and that, Shippo began to count children, making sure they were all there, nearly forgetting to count Amai in Rin's arms.

"All accounted for," Shippo confirmed with a smug look, settling down beside Rin when she'd sat down as well. The sounds of birds filled their ears and Rin took a moment to listen before setting Amai down. The half-demon child practically purred when Rin hesitantly rubbed one of her ears, the longing in her too great to resist further.

"Good," Rin answered.

"Now tell us a story!" Saisho demanded impatiently, unhappy wasting time that could be used for better things. Rin giggled, stroking Amai's hair, and Shippo silently mused over how quickly that Amai had bonded with her.

"Alright, calm down," Rin said with a grin. She searched her mind for a few moments, then finally settled on a tale she was overly familiar with due to her childhood.

It only seemed like minutes later, though it was over an hour, that the sound of rustling and thiet thudding drew their attention away from Rin and her story. And even then, it was only Saisho and Amai who first heard it along with Shippo. The three with demon blood listened intently. "What's that?" Amai asked uncertainly, turning to look at her brother.

Saisho shook his head, a light growl coming from deep in his chest though it was nothing like his father's. "I dunno. Sounds bad though."

"Demon," Shippo confirmed warily, standing quickly. "We should head back to the hut."

Rin frowned, though she urged the other children back to their feet, lightly grasping Amai's hand when she slid her small hand into Rin's. "You're a demon. What's so bad about the one you three hear?"

"Some demons would rather eat us," Shippo said grimly. "Saisho, you lead. Miss Rin and I will make sure everyone stays together." Looking worried, Saisho agreed. Amai shifted her hand to his and released Rin's, taking comfort in her brother with a nervous whine. Tōhi kept close to them, with Bara and Rirī hurrying along behind them. Shippo became even more nervous, however, when even the humans of the group were able to hear the commotion that was followed by a loud roaring scream. "Not good, not good," the fox hissed, urging the children to go faster. "Saisho, go get-"

Shippo was cut off when a massive body suddenly came chasing after them, easily breaking through trees like they were twigs. Rin's eyes became as wide as saucers and Bara screamed before taking off at a dead run. The other children scrambled behind her, also screaming, and Shippo hurried to keep up with them to make sure they got to safety. In the distance, warning bells began to ring deeply.

Rin cursed, scrambling after the children, but somehow managed to lose sight of them and ended up running from the demon by herself, panting for air too hard to scream. The demon gave what sounded like a triumphant laugh when she very nearly stumbled, lunging. It's lunge unbalanced it, and the clumsy creature tumbled, sending her sprawling as well. Gasping, Rin tried to crawl away, but ended up trapped between the demon and a massive tree.

The demon bared a mouthful of sharp teeth and Rin's face paled, pressing back against the scarred tree. Okay! So maybe they're not all nice guys! As if playing with her, then demon grabbed her leg, dragging her towards it before suddenly releasing her and laughing as she scrambled back again, terrified.

Then, however, the demon's game was interrupted. "Move aside," someone, another demon by the sounds of it, growled. Rin blinked. She'd heard that voice somewhere, but her curiosity was taken over by fear when the demon scowled, reaching for her and snarling in a gravely tone, "Make me."

It's hand reached towards her and she screwed her eyes shut, giving a small whimper.

But the demon's hand never reached her. Instead, warm liquid splashed her face and Rin's eyes snapped open as she gave a gasp. The demon's body crumled to the ground, its head rolling away into the trees, and Rin fought the urge to vomit when she realized that it was blood that had spattered her. Her gaze flickered to her savior.

She had a good guess at who he was from the second she saw him. Icy golden eyes stared coolly at the demon's body as he flicked blood from his claws, a lip curled just slightly in disgust. Long silver hair drifted around him in a slight breeze and that, coupled with the magenta stripes, crescent moon, armor, and obviously expensive clothing, made him seem almost godly.

But then his emotionless eyes were on her and Rin's face paled when they widened fractionally before narrowing into furious slits and she knew that there was no way Sesshomaru, Lord of the West, was going to spare her, the girl who was so alike to the human child he'd once protected.

A/N

And so begins this fanfiction. :) Thank you for reading! Drop a review with your thoughts if you don't mind! ;)

This takes place ten years after the defeat of Naraku and seven years after Kagome's return to the Feudal Era. In my eyes, when Rin first meets Sesshomaru, she's eight years old. I generally conclude that the fight to find the Shikon no Tama shards went for around two years, making Rin ten when she went to stay with Kaede. Three years later, she's thirteen upon Kagome's return. In this fanfiction, Kagome becomes pregnant with Saisho two years later, making Rin fifteen years old when she dies. Or the original Rin, anyways. ;)

Below is a set of translations for the Japanese spoken at the beginning of this chapter. This was all me using Google Translate and Wikipedia's list of Japanese honorifics as usual, so I have no doubt that it's horribly full of mistakes, but. It's the best I could do. |D

Translations

(Japanese, English)

"Nii-chan! Watashi o kyatchi!" - "Big brother! Catch me!"

"Oto-san wa amai, sore o okonau ni wa shinai koto o itta! Anata ga toraburu ni watashitachi o shutoku shitaidesu ka?" - "Father told you not to do that, Amai! Do you want to get us in trouble?"

"Gomen'nasai." - "I'm sorry."

"Nii-chan! Nii-chan, mite!" - "Big brother! Big brother, look!"

"Anata dare? Anata wa akuma, anata yori yoi jikkō o, shite iru baai wa `gen'in oto-san ga kuru!" - "Who are you? If you're a demon, you better run, 'cause Father will come!"

"Nii-chan. Watashi wa Oto-san o motomerubekideshou ka? Kare wa sugu ni Oka-san ni kite ita to nobe..." - "Big brother. Should I call for Father? He said he was coming with Mother soon..."

"Hai. Jinsoku Oto-san o tori ni iku! Watashi wa sore ga akumada to omou!" - "Yes. Go get Father quickly! I think it's a demon!"

"Oto-san! Oto-san, tasukete! Akuma ga aru!" - "Father! Father, help! There's a demon!"

"Saisho! Anata wa kanojo ga nandeatta ka o kakunin suru anata no hana o shiyō shimashita ka?" - "Saisho! Did you use your nose to see what she was?"

"Kanojo wa ningenda. Mōshiwakearimasenga, Oto-san." - "She's human. Sorry, Father."

"Gomen'nasai. Watashi wa akuma no tame ni anata o machigaetaga, watashi wa ima anata ga ningendearu sanshō shite kudasai." - "I'm sorry. I mistook you for a demon, but now I see you are human."

"Amai akuma ga atta to nobe...shikashi, kono shōjo wa, Inuyasha hitodearu. Watashi wa kanjinai- oh!" - "Amai said there was a demon...but this girl is human, Inuyasha. I don't sense- oh!"

"Inuyasha! Kanojo wa gendai no fuku o kite iru!" - "Inuyasha! She's wearing modern clothes!"

"Anata ga doko ka hoka karada, anata wa sōde wa arimasen! Gendai no jidai?" - "You're from somewhere else, aren't you! The modern era?"

"Ā! Anata ga eigo o hanasu!" - "Oh! You speak English!"

"Hone ītā no ido ga nakunatte imasu. Soshite kanojo wa Rin, Kagome no yō ni takusan nioi ga suru." - "The Bone-Eater's Well is gone. And she smells a lot like Rin, Kagome."

"Hontōni? Kanojo wa Rin no yōna nioi? Anata wa omoimasu ka... ?" - "Really? She smells like Rin? Do you think...?"

"Kanojo wa Rin no umarekawaridesu ka? Sore wa kanōdesu. Watashitachiha mo kakunin shite iru made, watashi wa mushiro, Sesshomaru wa hanare eria kara itai." - "She's Rin's reincarnation? It's possible. I'd rather Sesshomaru stay away from the area until we're sure though."

"Oka-san desu ka? Watashi wa josei no dōyōda to omoimasu." - "Mother? I think the lady's upset."

"Watashi wa yoku ni kidzuita. Watashitachiha,-go de sore ni okotta kamo shirenai mono o setsumei shimasu." - "I noticed the Well. We will discuss what might have happened to it later."

"Taiyō ga sugu ni settei sa remasu. Watashitachi wa modotte koya ni mukau hitsuyō ga arimasu. Akuryō ga dete kuru toki, watashitachi ga koko ni dete iru baai wa, watashi ga nayami shōten o motsu koto ni narimasu. Watashi wa anata no san to betsu no ningen o ki ni shite ita toki, watashi wa tatakau koto wa dekimasen." - "The sun will set soon. We need to head back to the hut. If we're out here when the demons come out, I will have trouble focusing. I can't fight when I'm worrying about you three and another human."

"Un, un." - "Yeah, yeah."

Names, Meanings, etc.

Saisho (First) - 5 years Old - Eldest Son and Child of Inuyasha and Kagome

Amai (Sweet) - 3 Years Old - Eldest Daughter and Youngest Child of Inuyasha and Kagome

Tōhi (Spruce) - 7 Years Old - Eldest Son and Youngest Child of Miroku and Sango

Bara (Rose) - 9 Years Old - Twin of Rirī and Eldest Daughter and Child of Miroku and Sango

Rirī (Lilly) - 9 Years Old - Twin of Bara, Second Daughter, and Middle Child of Miroku and Sango