The Professor

The very next morning, Saeka and Sesshomaru packed a few belongings to take with them to the village while Miharu tried on a special gift that Sesshomaru had brought her. It was a brand new outfit. A beautiful summer kimono that was black with silver circle designs. It even came with a pair of black boots. When she saw it, she had squealed and thrown her arms around him in thanks.

" I love them!" she cried.

" I'm happy to hear that." He said. Saeka had simply looked on proudly. As soon as Miharu was out of earshot, she said to him, " You have changed so much since we met."

" What's that supposed to mean?"

" It means I still have reason enough and more to still love you as much as I do." She said.

Miharu ran in, dressed in the new kimono. " Thank you! I love it! And I love the strange footwear." She said, lifting a foot to gaze at the new boots. Saeka laughed. " We thought it was ridiculous that your Professor wouldn't let you wear shoes." She said as Miharu lowered her foot. She was literally bouncing with excitement. " Are we going?"

" Yes, very shortly." Saeka replied.

" How are we going to get there?"

" You'll fly with your father. I'll fly alone." She said. As Miharu watched, a large pair of feathery white wings suddenly sprouted from between her shoulder blades. Sesshomaru then led them outside. Miharu went to stand beside him as he began to rise up into the air. This time, she wasn't afraid of him.

Saeka flapped her wings, creating a miniature dust storm and followed them. Miharu remembered that since Sesshomaru had been circling when he had taken her, she knew it shouldn't take that long too reach the village.

And she was right. Less than twenty minutes after take-off, they landed just outside the border. Saeka pulled her wings in and stood beside Sesshomaru.

" All right," he said. " The villagers are still terrified of me, so you two had better walk ahead of me while I do the best I can." He said. They both nodded.

" Be careful." Saeka said to him. Miharu led the way with her parents following her. Boy it was hard to get used to that.

As they approached, several men with bows and arrows suddenly appeared and aimed at them.

" You, women!" they called. " Get away from that demon!"

Miharu stayed put. " Stand down. It's me, Silver." She called, using her old name for the time being. The men weren't convinced and didn't lower their weapons. Instead, they yelled, " We offered a warning!" and fired.

Saeka screamed, but Sesshomaru leapt in front of them and slashed the arrows away with one quick swipe of the light whip.

Saeka sighed. " Thank you, Sesshomaru." She then put on a stony face and stepped forward. " I am the healer, Saeka. Lower your weapons." She commanded. At this, the men did as they were told, for Saeka was known throughout Japan.

" Our apologies, Healer, but may we ask, what you are doing with this demon who destroyed our village?" one of them asked.

" That's none of your concern. Please take us to Lady Kaede." She said gently but firmly. They nodded and obeyed, though rather reluctantly and preferring to keep away from Sesshomaru, although he ignored them completely.

" Lady Kaede, the demon is here to talk with you." They called.

" Oh all right. This had better be good." She grumbled. She came out of her hut and froze. " Sesshomaru? What are ye doing? Is that Silver?" she asked.

" Yes." He replied. " Would InuYasha happen to be here?"

" I'm afraid that he and Kagome went out for a while. They should be back soon. Would ye all like to come in?" she said. Saeka bowed. " We'd appreciate that and we have some news for you." She said. Kaede nodded and stepped back. They all stepped into the hut and she went in after them.

Saeka and Sesshomaru sat down a little ways away from the stove and Miharu took a seat beside Sesshomaru, which Kaede found a little strange. She turned to Saeka. " So my dear, it's been awhile seen I last saw ye. Ye haven't really changed."

" Thank you, Lady Kaede. Neither have you."

Kaede smiled and turned to make some tea.

" Would ye all care for some tea?" she asked.

Miharu and Saeka both nodded, but Sesshomaru shook his head.

" Now then," Kaede said, sitting down. " Oph, this old back of mine ain't what it used to be. Sesshomaru, I would like to speak with ye about the destruction ye caused. What was the purpose and what were ye looking for?"

" Actually, I have found it." He said.

" Really? And what were ye looking for?" she repeated. He looked at Miharu who smiled at Kaede whose eye went wide. " What's this? Ye were looking for Silver?"

Saeka smiled at Kaede. " He was looking for our daughter." She said. At this, Kaede nearly fell out of her chair. " Daughter? Ye mean to say that ye two—ah, I can't believe it!" she said laughing. " So Silver was really your daughter, Sesshomaru? No wonder ye didn't kill her! Hah! Hah!" she chortled. " Now how did it happen that she ended up in Kagome's world?"

" She was stolen shortly after she was born." Saeka said. " The night she was taken, Sesshomaru promised me that he would find her and he did. He kept his promise."

" Well I am happy. Did ye rename her or did she keep the name Silver."

" We renamed her Miharu." Sesshomaru said.

"Beautiful Clear Sky? It fits." Kaede said, translating the name. " She's a beautiful young demon. A regular spitting image of you, Sesshomaru." She said. She laughed again. " I wonder how InuYasha will react to this?"

" How will I react to what?" he suddenly snapped from outside. The door opened and he stomped in, followed by Kagome. She saw Sesshomaru sitting by the stove next to Saeka and froze. " What's he doing here?" she squeaked. InuYasha turned and yelled. " Hey! What the hell are you doing here, Sesshomaru? Taken hostages, have you?" he shouted.

" Be quiet InuYasha. I have simply paid a visit." He said. InuYasha unsheathed his claws. Miharu stood up between them. " You'll have to fight me first." She said. InuYasha froze. " What? Are you nuts? You can't protect him! He tried to kill you!"

" InuYasha, leave her alone." Sesshomaru said, getting to his feet. InuYasha glared at his older brother. " You stay out of this! Wrecking the village was enough, but taking hostages is low, even for you!"

Sesshomaru was about to respond when all of a sudden, people outside began screaming and a loud explosion ripped through the village.

As they all watched the window at the panic outside, the wall behind them was suddenly ripped open and a horrible steel machine appeared on the other side.

" An excavator!" Miharu cried. " But how? They won't even be brought to Japan until many hundred years from now!"

" That's right!" a horribly familiar voice said through the P.A. attached to it. Miharu shook her head in disbelief. " No. I thought I was safe here." She murmured.

Suddenly a blast of energy from a Stun Phaser attached to the roof of the cab fired from the nozzle of the gun and collided with Sesshomaru. His body was surrounded in a bright sphere of transparent purple energy and as he stood up to free himself, it suddenly crackled with life and he cried out as it zapped at him, forcing him back down. " What is this? I've never felt so strong a force before." He said.

" Sesshomaru!" Saeka screamed. Another blast and she was caught too. But when it zapped her, she screamed in pain and collapsed. Sesshomaru tried to get to her, but was forced to stay back. " No." he said.

Kaede was shocked and she quietly began to search for her bow and arrows.

Miharu was staring at them in horror and disbelief. " No!" she cried. She ran forward, but was stopped by the barriers. " No!" she screamed again. " Mom! Dad!"

InuYasha made a face of complete shock. " What did she say?" he mumbled.

As she watched, the door to the excavator opened and a man stepped out. He had his hands clasped behind his back as he smugly descended the steps.

" Hello, Silver." He said.

It was the Professor.

A/N: Yipes! The Professor has shown up. So now what's gonna happen? You'll find out if you keep reading. Jeez, I sound like the corny narrator from The Powerpuff Girls. Well this ain't Townsville and I'm no narrator. I'm the writer, gosh dang it! Sorry, I'm a little hyper right now. Which is unusual, 'cause usually, I'm solid blank and blah. Augh, you get the picture.