Title: Tides Against Time

Rating: M (Language, Violence, and Adult Content)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the Little Mermaid. All rights should go to Inuyasha Inc. Disney and Hans Christian Anderson.

Music: The song I have selected for this chapter is: "Spongebob Music: Grass Skirt Chase." I love to listen to music on YouTube while I read to add to the atmosphere. You are welcome to listen along with my music selection if you want. It is not required. When you see these marks (***) that means to begin to play the selected song. When you see (xxx) this means to stop playing the music. It is important to pay attention to these marking as there is more than one song for this chapter. I do not have credit for these recordings or channels but I think it adds to the story.

Note: Remember demon aging – 3 human years is 1 in demon. Demons stop aging at their prime age, males being 25-35 and females 20-30. Their life is infinitely after that. Mermaids live for 300-500 years. They age the same rate as demons and stop the same maturity ages as demons but do not have infinite life spans.

Tides Against Time: Time Goes On

[Four Demon Years Later]

( *** Spongebob Music: Grass Skirt Chase ***)

"Prince Lorenzo! Get back here this instance!" shouted his angry nanny as she made chase after him.

"Gots to catch me furst Mrs. Sango!" shouted the determined pup.

Soon little feet zipped through the castle gardens causing the horses to fuss in their stables. Without pause or concern they continued into the main foyer causing a servant carrying a tray of hot tea to slip and clatter to the floor. Not daring to turn around and get caught the little feet then rushed into the kitchen as a short cut. There he accidentally knocking a cook into barrel of flour. The air clouded in white in an instant. Unable to stop, the little devil dodged Sango's grabs and successfully made it up to the second floor. There servants and castle workers weaved and swiveled from their path. Fresh laundry flew into the air and a row of armor lining the wall fell over causing a loud crash. It wasn't until he burst through two heavy wooden doors and jumped into a strong pair of arms that he stopped.

"HAHA! I beats you Mrs. Sango!" the little boy laughed triumphantly as he pointed to the disheveled nanny trying to hold herself up by the doorframe.

"Care to explain why you are covering my office carpet with flour?" asked a slightly amused baritone voice.

"Forgive me… my… Lord. We were… in the gardens… having… our lesson. When Prince…. Lorenzo decided… to avoid… lessons." Sango began as she tried to catch her breath. "I tried to… get him to… stop… but he caused… quite a mess… on his way… here. Please forgive me… in not being able…. to stop him."

"Is that true my Son?" asked Lord Sesshomaru as he looked down at his nearly five year old pup with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe… just a whittle bit. I didn't means to makes a mess." Lorenzo defended innocently. His big honey brown eyes staring up into his fathers apologetically.

The four year old half-demon had everyone wrapped around his little finger. Not a day went by where the little puppy didn't get into trouble. He was the spitting image of his uncle with two white dog-ears cresting the top of his head and lack of markings upon his skin. The only parts that were of his mother was his half human blood, her golden brown eyes and heart shape jaw line. The morning Lorenzo entered the world was the day a small part of Sesshomaru's heart had mended. It had not healed completely but had been temporarily stitched together. Not a day had gone by that he didn't think of Kagome but the sharp pain of her passing had cooled away to a hallow numb.

During his wife's pregnancy they had surprisingly developed a sort of friendship. They had bonded over their growing pup and their loneliness. Their evening strolls through the garden had become their nightly routine and it wasn't uncommon to see them lounging together with Lorenzo under the stars. To an out looker looking in they looked like a happily married couple. Recently his son has been asking for a younger sibling to play with. To say the conversation hadn't opened up old wounds was an understatement. Later that same night they had gotten into a headed argument and his wife to his frustration had confessed her love for him. Angry and confused he had retreated to the confines of his office. That had been over a week ago and he had yet to see his wife since then.

"How much is a little mess…" Sesshomaru questioned down at his son. His amber stare however was towards the nanny.

"Well… uh… your see my Lord." Sango said nervously as she tried to avoid the young prince from getting into too much trouble.

"How much." Sesshomaru questioned against more sternly making Lorenzo's ears flatten back nervously.

"The horses are upset, hot tea was spilt, a china set broke, the cook is stuck in a barrel of flour and the halls are covered in laundry and fallen armor." Sango quickly spit out.

"And you chose not to stop this game of yours through all of this?" asked Sesshomaru disapprovingly down at his pup.

"I-I sahweyz Papa… I was just happyz pwaying wif Mrs. Sango." Lorezo sniffled as he looked down at his tiny leather boots.

"Next time slow down. You could have really hurt someone. Why don't you and Mrs. Sango help clean up before you continue your lessons?" Sesshomaru suggested as he pat his son on the head.

"Ohtay Papa! Next times I swow down. I just gets bored wifout someone to pway wif." Lorenzo said as he whipped the tears from his eyes and smiled up into his father's.

"I will look into a playmate. Now, run…" Sesshomaru began to say but was interrupted.

"No Papa, not just any pway mate. I wants a bwuder or a sistah dat will be wif me forever! Can you gets me one? Pwease Papa?!" Lorenzo begged making Sesshomaru and Sango stiffen.

"Let's let your father get back to his work. I'm sure he was very busy when we came in." Sango said trying to cover for Sesshomaru's obvious tongue-tie.

"Oh… ohtay. Will you eat wif Mama and me tonight?" asked Lorenzo with hope filled eyes.

"Perhaps." Sesshomaru said as he ruffled his son's hair making him giggle.

"Come, let us do as your father asked." Sango said as she ushered the young prince out the door.

As the two continued their way back down the hallway little pitter-patter of feet could be heard accompanied by warm childish laughter. Listening to it all made a soft chuckle escape the dog Lord's lips. How he loved that boy and all his mischief. He had been told by Kaede that his son acted a lot like he did before the accident. It was hard for him to picture himself as a rambunctious pup. Never the less the issue of his son's request for a sibling needed to be resolved as soon as possible. He understood his son wanting a brother or sister. Having demon dog blood running through his veins, the need for pack was strong; especially through the Inu no Tashio line. However, the thought of betraying Kagome by lying again with another was just too much. He truly loved his son and wanted to offer him the world but this request required a lot to consider.

However, could he deny something so fundamental to his son's development? Even he had Inuyasha for a sibling. Dog's need pack and in that, pups grow together to make each other stronger. Could he and his beast deprive Lorenzo of this? It wasn't as if he would be sleeping with just anyone. He was married after all. But could he? Could he lye with his wife and betray his mate once again? Five demon years ago he had made that very clear. Their relationship was strictly professional and technically over now that Lorenzo was born. However, since getting to know his wife, spending time with her and witnessing her care for his pup, he had learned to care for her in a way. He wouldn't call it love but there was definitely a bond between them. Could Sara's scheme in becoming friends with him over the years knocked down enough barriers to even allow these thoughts to cross his mind?

He was sure after his wife's declaration that there would be no hesitation in consummating their marriage bed once again. However, he wasn't going to jump into this decision lightly. He needed time to consider this decision thoroughly and of course discuss it with Sara once he had decided. Until then he returned his attention to the rolls of scrolls scattered over his desk. He could think on those matters later. Much... much later. Seeing a familiar royal seal melted on a scroll he used his claw to break it and began to read the contents inside.

-s-

Sesshomaru,

My ship will be passing through Spanish waters at the end of the winter months. I was hoping while traveling back from Morocco that my family and I could visit for a few days. I believe the last time we saw each other was the summer before your brother's special celebration. You are of course familiar with the situation as to why I was unable to attend. Again my sincerest regrets in being unable to aid you in your time of need. If your harbors are welcome to us raise our signal as in years past. Hope to see you in a few weeks.

Your old friend,

Louie Griffon La Fléche, Earl of Paris.

-s-

Hidden in the seclusion of his study a smirk flickered across his lips. Rolling the scroll up he placed it inside his desk and reached for the bell resting to his left.

"Yes, my Lord?" asked a servant after hearing the bell ring.

"Have the harbor tower raise the blue sail with the white griffon on it high in the bay. I will be expecting an honored guest to arrive in one month's time." ordered Sesshomaru as he continued to look through the papers on his desk.

"Yes, my Lord. Is there anything else you are in need of assistance?" asked the servant.

"No, you are dismissed." Sesshomaru said and continued on with his Lordly duties. It was later that night that Sesshomaru decided enough was enough and joined his wife and son for dinner.

"Papa! You came!" Lorenzo shouted happily from his seat. Having moved too quickly he accidently flung his dinner off of his fork and onto the servant's face standing behind him. "Opps… sahweyz."

"That's quite alright." The servant chuckled as he whipped the sauce from his face with a napkin.

"Lorenzo darling, I know you are excited but remember to keep your fork on the table next time." Sara scolded gently as she tentatively smiled up at her approaching husband. "I pray your day has been well?"

"Hn. I received word from a close friend of mine. He and his family shall arrive at the end of the month. They are in route towards Morocco and plan to visit after their trip." Sesshomaru informed as his plate of food was placed in front of him and he began to eat.

"Wonderful! May I ask who it is?" Sara asked as she took a sip of her tea.

"Earl Louie of Paris and his mate Queen Elizabeth of England. I believe they have a daughter a few months older than Lorenzo and a son not two demon summer's old." Sesshomaru said.

"Oh Lorenzo! It looks like you will be getting a friend to play with in a couple of weeks!" said Sara happily.

"Yay! I hope day wykes bugs and wunning and pwaying in da mud and sword pway and eating cakes and jumping and spinning and swimming and…" Lorenzo declared rapidly.

"Alright, alright darling. Settled down." Sara said as she and her husband chuckled at their son's enthusiasm. "I'm sure she will love to play with you but you have to remember to play nice with her so she will want to come back."

"Why can't she stay?" asked Lorenzo with a pouty lip. "I want a fwiend that will stay!"

"Darling, she will have to go home with her family. She lives far away and..." Sara cooed gently.

"No! No one ever stays wif me. No one will be my fwiend!" Lorenzo cried before running out the room.

"Lorenzo darling wait!" Sara cried as she excused herself from the dining table leaving behind a contemplative dog Lord behind.

[The Grand Palace - Paris, France]

"Your Grace, we just received notice that the Griffon was spotted in Valencia's bay." informed the scout.

"Excellent. Give the coordinates to the captain and inform him of our detour along our journey back." informed the Earl as he continued to stare out his office window. "Is there anything else to report?"

"No Sir, not since this morning." said the scout.

"Good, you are dismissed." Commanded the Earl as he took a sip of his tea and continue to look out the window.

As soon as his scout had retreated he reclined in his chair by the window. It was late winter and the afternoon sun already hung low in the sky. Spring was just around the corner and the bushes and trees were just beginning to bud. The air still held a crispness to the breeze and the sky was cloudy and grey. It was the perfect day to lounge under warm blankets, eat a warm bowl of soup, read a book and snuggle with your mate. Off in the distance four figures could be seen meandering around the frozen gardens. Their colorful parasols, nobility dresses and wintery dress coats stood out against the bare shrubbery. One having strawberry blond curls bounced as she ran. Her warm laughter filled the air around them as she played and was followed closely by a white downy haired boy. His finger tightly clutching to his mother's as he dared to chase her on unsteady legs. Watching them play brought a tenderness to his fatherly eyes. Setting his tea cup down he decided to join them and their fun.

"Père!" cried the little girl as she jumped into his awaiting arms. Her bouncing ringlets tied off with blue ribbons framed her angelic face; and her bright blue eyes shimmered with happiness. Her cherub cheeks were pink from the cold and she smelled crisp the the winter breeze.

"Have you come to pway wif us? Maman and auntie Rin were helping Arthur chase me." The little girl asked as she wrapped her arms around her father's broad neck.

"What a good lesson to help teach your brother little one. Did you have fun helping him?" asked Louie as he looked over towards his approaching wife, waddling son and adopted sister.

His mate had her long blond hair pinned into a soft pink hat. It was decorated tastefully with three rosy pink feathers. In one gloved hand was her white parasol and in her other hand was their son's chubby hand. Her dress was a matching rose pink color and on the bodice were embroidered red roses. Having been walking outside in the early spring chill her cheeks has a soft blush to them making her forest green eyes stand out. She was absolutely beautiful. Their son had white leather training shoes upon his wide feet. Knee stockings covered his bowlegged legs and navy blue slack pants went to his waist. His green shirt, brown jacket and orange bow tie made his white down feathers and warm brown eyes shine. When his son realized who he was, a wide toothless grin appeared upon his drooling face. His innocent giggled filled Louie's heart with happiness.

"Oh yes! Odette loves helping her whittle bwudah." Odette exclaimed happily.

"And how about you my dear? Has the spring air gotten to you yet?" asked Louie as he leaned down to kiss his mates rosy cheek.

"A little. We were actually getting ready to head back inside when you joined us." Lizy said as she took his arm in hers and began to head back towards the palace. "What brought you outside? Have you finished for the day?"

"I have and received good news. Lord Sesshomaru has approved our visit." said Louie.

"Wonderful!" Lizy said unaware of their sister's concentration behind them.

"Lord Sesshomaru? Who is this man?" asked Rin curiously.

"He is the Lord of Spain and a close childhood friend to Louie and I. Why do you ask? Has something crossed your memory?" asked Lizy in a hope filled tone.

"The name sounds familiar. Must be from the lessons you taught during my Spanish tutoring or something." said Rin as they made their way down the hallway.

"Perhaps. The old dog has had a rough couple of years. I thought since we would be traveling through that liege of water we could swing by and say hello." said Louie.

"What do you mean couple of years? What happened?" asked Rin.

"Well… do you remember me telling you about my uncle tricking my father into marrying me so he could steal the thrown?" asked Lizy as they sat down in the family parlor.

"Yeah, and how he got in trouble and you were able to break the contract and marry your childhood sweetheart instead?" continued Rin.

"Yeah well the story continued on with my uncle and his two daughters. His daughters were arranged to marry Lord Sesshomaru and his younger brother Inuyasha by a contract formed over 50 years ago. You see, my uncle was a greedy man and wanted to over throw the world. He tricked their father into a contract with his daughters so that once he took the thrown from me he could then take over Spain as well. However, my eldest cousin offended Lord Sesshomaru by sleeping with another and Lord Inuyasha went behind everyone's backs and eloped with his lover instead of my younger cousin." Lizy said as she sat down at a small table in the parlor.

"The contract was voided because both Prince Inuyasha and my cousin Lady Kagura broke it. Once peace was reestablished between our countries everything went back to normal. That is until Lord Sesshomaru came out with his life mate a couple days later. I heard she was very beautiful creature but a member of his court kidnapped, rapped and murdered her before she and Sesshomaru could officially mate." Lizy finished.

"Oh that's horrible! Just getting out of an arranged marriage to find true love and then have her take away like that! How terrible!" said Rin in disbelief. "What kind of demon is the Spanish Lord anyway?"

"Dog demon." informed Lizy as she took the offered teacup a servant had brought in.

"Oh gosh…" Rin said in horror.

"Yes, since then he has been suffering. To add to that, Italy forced him and his court into another binding contract not two months later. We were told if they didn't go through with the contract Italy's networking would have made Spain go bankrupt." Lizy continued.

"So of course to avoid a bloody war, save his people from bankruptcy and starvation he agreed to the contract." Piped in Louie as he sat with a sleeping Arthur resting on his chest. "The Barron of Napel's having an eligible daughter at the time was offered as Rome's end of the bargain. However, she being human could only offer Spain half-demon heirs. Italy gained footing into Spain by requiring an heir before the end of their first year of marriage or war would come anyway. With the heir being half human it makes Spain an easier target should assassination be required. Either way Sesshomaru was underhanded and there was no way for him to stop it."

"How cruel!" Rin said in disbelief.

"We would have gone to console him during his time of mourning but that was when we had to quickly elope before the Duke realized he had been found out. Then you came into our lives a few days later." Lizy said with a warm smile and patting her hand affectionately.

"Oh, I didn't mean to hold you back from visiting your friend. If I would have known I…" Rin began to say.

"It wouldn't of mattered if you did or didn't. I was found pregnant with Odette not two weeks after that remember? Traveling in my condition, being newly crowned Queen of England, newly mated and learning how to communicate with my mate from another country was a bit overwhelming." Lizy said leaving no room for argument.

"I along with Lizy had other responsibilities I was unable to leave. We sent Lord Sesshomaru our apologies and condolences. He received them in kind." Louie said. "All of us were a little over whelmed with how quickly everything changed."

"So did Lord Sesshomaru and his wife have an heir?" asked Rin. "Or did they end up going to war?"

"Against his inner demon, Lord Sesshomaru was able to force a pup on his wife. They have a half-demon son named Lorenzo who I've been told keeps everyone very busy." Louie chuckled. "I'm excited to meet the little hell hound."

"Well at least Lord Sesshomaru got a happy ending." Rin said. "Thank you for entrusting me with your friend's story. I'll be sure to be respectful while we are visiting."

"Trust me Rin, it's best we all be reminded. My dear friend has suffered much in his life and hasn't been the same since his mate died. There were many times in his letters that I worried for his mental state. I'm just grateful he has an heir now that keep's his burdened heart lighter." Louie said as he stood up to rest his sleeping son into the bassinet.

"Maman? Père? Can you come read with me before nap time?" asked Odette as she slipped into the room dressed in her frilly nightgown.

"Of course little one." Louie said as he and his mate began to lead their daughter back into her room. "Rin, feel free to do as you wish before supper."

"Thank you, I think I might take a hot bath. Being outside today in the chill has made me a bit tired. Could you have my dinner sent to my room please?" asked Rin.

"Of course. Rest well Rin. We'll see you in the morning." said Lizy as she followed after her family into their chambers.

Once she was alone Rin slipped into her private chambers across the hall from the Royal family's and began to undress. Pulling out the pins in her hair, long wavy ebony fell to lie at the sway of her hips. In the candlelight, dark, indigo and violet undertones played against the thick tresses. Unlacing the corset up her back a content sigh escaped her coral pink lips. Seeing her handmaids bring in four buckets of hot water she expressed her gratitude and continued to pull off the many layers of her high fashioned attire. Once free she untied the knee high stockings laced to her girdle and kicked off her frilly high-healed shoes.

Grabbing the robe lying across the truck at the foot of her bed she wrapped it around herself and slipped into the now humid bathing chambers. Testing its temperature with her toe she found the rose oil and chamomile-laced water to be just right. Braiding her long hair down her back, she then wound it up on top of her head to keep it from getting wet. Carefully slipping into the large water basin she reclined against its lip and closed her tired blue eyes. Thick black lashes kissed her pale skin and rosy cheeks.

Since she had been found five years ago nothing seemed to ease her soul more than a hot bath. Being a water elemental it made sense to be connected to the water but with how much she enjoyed it, Louie liked to call her his little mermaid. The first time he had teased her she swore she heard a deep male's voice speak the nickname instead of Louie's warm tenor voice. Around the same time little slips of her memory would cross her mind, but nothing clicked together to form a clear picture. Most of them were of swimming in the ocean and exploring its depths; playing with sea creatures, snippets of colorful tails and warm laughter. Whatever her memories were from it appeared that her life had been happy and carefree at one time. So how did she end up on the beach with a wooden flute in her hand and no memory of who she was or where she had come from?

Last summer she and her adopted family returned to the beach for a family vacation. She had hoped that returning to the spot might trigger other memories but nothing came to her. She even swam out into the ocean to see if any land marks would lead her to something or another water creature who knew who she might be. But once again she came out empty handed. They figured she must have ridden the tide from somewhere else. It wasn't until last fall when Lizy's cousins came to visit that strange flashing images would cross her vision at random times. Her eldest cousin Lady Kagura had looked at her strangely upon first meeting. It wasn't until learning her name as Rin that she seemed to relax and apologized for mistaking her for a dead woman. She had told Kagura and Kanna that they too looked familiar but couldn't place where she had seen them before. They had all laughed at the awkwardness of the situation and become close friends after that.

However, now her flashes were becoming more frequent and sometimes violent. She had also begun to have horrific nightmares. Some of battling terrible monsters in the sea with razor sharp teeth or burning red eyes, silver hair and black tentacles. Others were of drowning, being beaten by a man in a white robe or left to die in a dirty shack in a pool of her own blood. Now the dreams occurred every night and every single one ended with piercing amber eyes. Lizy had asked her why she looked so tired and she had shared a little bit of her dreams. She never went into too much detail because she didn't want to frighten her adopted sister. Lizy suggested talking to a counselor about her dreams thinking that they might be able to help her put the pieces together. Thinking she might be onto something Rin met with a counselor and shared everything she could remember experiencing since her recovery on the beach.

It felt good to let out the burdens and the counselor deduced that the flashes and nightmares were actually recovering memories; especially with how they occur with trigger points and frequency. It made sense for her to have experienced a traumatic event to lose her memories. However, they had yet to learn exactly what had happened and who had caused her to lose them in the first place. The counseling did not stop the nightmares from happening but helped her to pay attention to details within the dreams to pinpoint were and who was with her. After months of studying they had found she was suffering from three separate dreams. One was her nearly drowning by a cackling beast with red eyes and black tentacles. The next dream was being unable to escape a man beating her under a tree near a pond of sorts. The last dream was of her hiding out in a dirty shack somewhere along the coast. The beast that was hunting her was a dark silhouette that had angry red eyes and a horn on the top of his head.

There was always a block in the middle of this particular dream that seemed to leave out information. It always ended with her washed up on the beach and her looking up into amber eyes. Her counselor said that the mental block was her mind protecting itself from something traumatic and suggested not to focus on it or else risk causing herself more harm. Frustrated that her body was protecting her from information she let it drop for the time being and focused on the flashed images she was randomly having. These never fit together no matter how hard she tried to piece them. They were almost ghostly images. Little fabric glimpses in time lost. She would hear a voice saying something when no one was there or would capture movement in the corner of her eye of figures invisible to the naked eye. The same amber eyes, phantom lips kissing her neck and silky silver hair brushing her cheek were the most prominent. Whoever this being was she could only guess he had been some type of lover to her.

Because of this train of thought she had declined many suitors who had passed through the Grand Palace. Her beauty and kind nature had unintentionally caught the attention of many eligible bachelors. She had shared her concerns with her adopted family and it was through Louie's insurance that none could have her unless going through him is what finally made her relax. On top of these visions, every time a male had approached her she felt uneasy and knew that her soul knew who it belonged to. Although she couldn't remember who this silver haired, amber eyed being was his intimate caresses were enough for her to hold back. She just hoped whoever he was that he was still looking for her as much as she was trying to get back to him. When Lizy mentioned the name Sesshomaru her heart had fluttered slightly in her chest. That alone made her stop and ask for more information.

The story she was told had broken her heart for the Lord but she had disappointingly didn't feel anything else. Could she have possible know this Lord? She did speak a little Spanish when they had found her. Could she have possible come from there? The closer there trip to visit the Moroccan doctor came, the stronger the pull on her heart became. Finishing with her bath she dried herself off and dressed in a silk nightgown. Eating her supper and placing the tray outside her door she then brushed her teeth and climbed into bed. Surprisingly no bad dreams came to mind this night. Instead she dreamed of sailing upon a mighty beast high in the sky. Her finger tips playing amongst the clouds and strong magenta striped arms holding her closely in a loving embrace. Unknowingly as she dreamed, a blue light shimmered over her body. As the sun began to rise in the sky it become one with her person; finalizing its task and ultimately the key to unlocking all her questions.

[End of Chapter 48]

(And a new adventure begins! Sesshomaru now has a four year old son and they are approaching the five demon year anniversary of Kagome's death. The Le Fleche family will be making their way to Spain after visiting a doctor in Morocco. Will Rin be able to recover her memories? Who is this mysterious silver haired, amber eyed, magenta stripped lover? Only time will tell! Thanks for reading and more chapters to come!)