Disclaimer: Inu Yasha and all the characters in it are the sole creation of Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 2:

"Now what do we have here?" Rin opened her eyes slowly.

"Ittai," her hand clutched the sensitive spot in the back of her head. She felt the scab where the blood had clotted. It took her a moment before she realized she was not alone. "Who are you?"

The old woman chuckled. Her face was round and jolly despite the patch over her right eye. Rin noticed that she carried a basket and wore the garments of a miko.

"Perhaps I should be asking you that question. You smell like a youkai." The woman's eye widened with recognition of the sword at her side. "Tetsusaiga. . . " She looked at Rin closely "So it is you. I see you're becoming quite a woman. A quite troublesome one at that. The villagers told me a girl came last night with a youkai. I would give Sesshoumaru-sama my thanks, but he doesn't seem to be here anymore."

Rin turned her head, pain searing with the mentioning of his name. Sesshoumaru-sama . . . the name throbbed with the memories of the previous night, stronger than the physical pain of the blow he dealt her...

The old woman grimaced at the sudden change in expression and shook her head. "Whatever adventures you went through last night, you should get yourself cleaned up. Follow me." She gave Rin a hand and helped her to her feet. Calmly she turned and began walking towards the village. "You probably don't remember me. I am Kaede, the Miko of this village. Little sister to Kikyo nee-sama." Rin was silent. "I remember you came here years ago, when you were still a child. That day Inu Yasha gave you that sword. I never thought Sesshoumaru sama would object to Inu Yasha's desire to become human." She sighed. "The last great battle. The height of Inu Yasha's power before he sacrificed them all for humanity. I always thought it was strange that Sesshoumaru sama never killed Inu Yasha when he truly had the chance. Perhaps he was waiting for that day. The day when Inu Yasha would be strong enough to truly pose a challenge."

Rin looked up. Her thoughts had echoed her own thoughts over the past few days.

"But all that is done now. Inu Yasha is gone. Off to live a human life, with Kagome chan to help him. Though I wouldn't be calling her "chan" anymore." The old woman chuckled to herself. "Ah, but forgive me. I'm sure you don't want to listen to the mere ramblings of an old woman. You look like you are in more need of food."

The trip to the village was short. Sesshoumaru and Rin had not wandered far from the outskirts before their argument broke out. Kaede led a half dazed Rin to her own humble dwellings. Rin couldn't help but note how cozy it felt despite the bare furnishings... Kaede quickly began preparing a meal while Rin sat wide eyed, and uncomfortable. She couldn't remember ever being invited inside someone's home before; the awkwardness of the situation chasing her into silence.

"Well, you don't seem like the talkative kind. At least eat something though." Kaede handed her a bowl of rice porridge. Rin did feel very hungry though and just picked at it. "Not hungry either eh?" Kaede shook her head. "Perhaps a good wash and some fresh clothes will make you feel better. That bump on your head couldn't have been pleasant in the making. I'll ask Sango san if she has any clothes to spare for you as soon as she returns. I think she has some of Kagome chan's old things. You look about her height so it should be alright." The old woman smiled. "I doubt you want to borrow my miko robes."

Rin sat mute, staring down at the bowl of food in her hands. The old woman had just found her, and yet she was here now taking care of her.

She remembered all the nights of Jaken's bad cooking. Sesshoumaru sama never needed to eat human food. He made Jaken cook just for her. And then there were all those times Jaken chased her into taking a bath those childish days when she would rather roll around in the grass until she became so itchy she couldn't stop scratching. She had exasperated Jaken all those years. She knew he was not accustomed to dealing with children, but he had to.

But now she missed Jaken. Through the years, he had eventually come to show his own affection in ways Rin was sure he didn't show Sesshoumaru sama. She couldn't believe that it had all been Sesshoumaru sama's orders, despite Jaken's protests. But Jaken wasn't here right now. Sesshoumaru sama had sent him to another part of the country on one of his special errands Jaken was so accustomed to. Rin wondered if things would be different right now, had Jaken been there last night.

Jaken loved Sesshoumaru sama. She was sure of that. But he showed his love through his life long servitude to the cool unaffectionate master Rin herself could not help loving. How would Jaken feel when he found out what she had done?

"Eat up now. There's no point waiting for it to get cold." Rin's attention came back to the little cottage and the bowl of untouched rice in her hands. Five years later and she was still being taken care of, though not by anyone she had expected.

Just then a pair of voices came from outside and a tall slender woman stepped through the door. Covered in dirt and sweat she looked like she had just been through a battle. Rin recognized the black uniform and pink armor made from youkai bones. It was the youkai exterminator. She looked nearly the same, merely aged slightly from battle and many days under the sun. Close behind was a monk, clad in black and purple robes. He held the same staff he did five years ago, though his right arm was bare, no longer covered up with cloth or bound by prayer beads.

"Ah Sango san, you are just in time," Kaede chimed in.

Sango looked up in surprise. "From what I hear, we just missed all the action. The villagers told me there was an episode last night."

"Ah, yes," Kaede mused, "but no worries over that. It was. . . taken care of." Kaede turned to Rin and it seemed that for the first time Sango and the monk noticed she was there.

The monk stepped forward. "Ah, young maiden," he took Rin's hands in his own, "you look like you have suffered much, but let me reassure you that all will be well now. Will you please grant me the favor of bearing my child?"

Rin tried to pry her hands away from the unnerving monk, but before she could react, a large "clunk" sounded and the monk released her hands. Rin looked up in astonishment at the monk, now clutching a growing lump on his head and the obviously perturbed Sango san who had given it to him.

"Hoshi sama," Her rising intonation seemed almost mocking.

The monk smiled sheepishly at her. "jyoudan jyoudan."

"What am I going to do with you two?" Kaede shook her head. "I can't even have you two act decently in front of guests." Though the two adults seemed to be beyond the age for lectures, they both looked sheepishly at the ground.

"Don't mind them," Kaede reassured her. "they always act this way."

Rin just nodded her head in understanding.

"Sorry about that," the one named Sango replied. "My name is Sango. Nice to meet you. And that lecherous man over there is Miroku sama."

Miroku sama waved and smiled sweetly.

Rin just nodded to all of it, suddenly shy in front of the friendly strangers. Well, she couldn't completely call them strangers since she had seen them before. Although, they didn't seem to recognize her.

Kaede chuckled. "You two remember Rin, don't you? Sesshoumaru sama's child companion."

"Ehh?!" Sango san and Miroku sama chimed in simultaneously.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it," said Sango. "I completely didn't recognize you."

Miroku took her hands once more and looked at her wistfully. "You have blossomed into . . . " Catching a cold look from Sango, Miroku cleared his throat, "You've grown a lot since we last saw you."

Rin averted her eyes in embarrassment. Indeed she had grown since five years before. She had once been only a foot taller than Jaken. But she remembered those days that her kimono seemed to get shorter and shorter on her. Sesshoumaru sama said nothing, but she was silently grateful the days Jaken came back with a new, larger kimono for her. It had been even more embarrassing when her body had begun to change on her. Jaken took her to a village to find a healing woman and it was then that Rin learned about what was happening to her. It was nearly the only time she had really received help from someone besides Sesshoumaru sama and Jaken.

"Anata." Sango cut in. "Leave her alone, you're embarrassing her."

Miroku sama shrugged. "Old habits die hard?"

"For you it's more like an inherited trait."

"Now now, I've already done enough babysitting." A small voice piped in from the doorway. A small kitsune youkai walked in leading a little boy by the hand. Rin recognized the kitsune. The big bushy tail and red hair held back by a large blue bow. It was the kitsune that accompanied Inu Yasha's gang, although Rin did not recognize the little human boy at his side. The little boy looked about three years old. Just old enough to walk and get himself into trouble.

"Ka-chan." The little boy tottered over to Sango.

"There you are," Sango cooed. She picked up the little boy and kissed him on the forehead. "I've missed you so much."

Miroku rose and wiped away a mock tear. "Always seeking out the pretty girls first." Miroku's face beamed. "I couldn't be more proud. Come here little Kohaku, don't forget your own dad now."

Rin started at the name. It was familiar to her, and she suddenly remembered the boy from the youkai exterminator clan. He had guarded her the day she was kidnapped by Naraku. He had seemed so nice, though she knew he had been deeply troubled. She never knew what became of him. Rin was surprised that she failed to make the connection earlier. Both Kohaku and Sango were from the youkai exterminator clan. No doubt, they were from the same family. But now that Sango had given her own son his namesake, Rin concluded that Kohaku did not survive Naraku's service. Though her acquaintance with him had been short, she could not help but feel a slight twinge of sadness. She had spent an evening with the boy and she had felt a slight kinship with him, as though they were bound through their common suffering.

Rin looked at the small family. The child was beautiful. He had his mother's fair skin and black silky hair and looked out at the world with his father's misty blue grey eyes. He smiled and sounded a peal of childish laughter at his father's silly faces. Perhaps the greatest beauty was his parent's love. Rin looked away, envious. She once had a family too. She once had older siblings that would take her out and play, hold her by the hand and embrace her warmly, before their bodies were torn apart before her eyes.

Rin sighed. She would never be able to live a normal life among humans. Too many things reminded her of what she lacked, or what had been taken away from her. All her life her only true source of joy had been her family, and then Sesshoumaru sama. In a sense, he had been her family. Him and Jaken. But now even that had been taken away.

"Hey, who are you?"

The little Kitsune peered into Rin's face. "I haven't seen you before."

Kaede handed the kitsune a bowl of rice. "Hey thanks!" His eyes lit up and he no longer seemed absorbed in observing her.

"This is Rin chan." Kaede answered. "She is the one that now carries Tetsusaiga. Surely you remember her."

"Oh yeah!" The kitsune's face lit up once more. "Where is it? Have you ever used it?"

Rin shook her head, slowly pulling the old sword from its scabbard. "I only tried using it once, but it didn't transform."

"I see." Shippo looked at the sword. His stern expression did little to hide his true childish curiosity. "oh well, I suppose there isn't much need for it now that the shikon no tama is gone." Shippo looked up at her with curious eyes. "But what are you doing here? What happened to Sesshoumaru sama?"

Rin looked away. Kaede came to rescue picking up the kitsune by his tail and settling him down again near her.

"Now now, leave the girl alone, she's had a rough night. You can interrogate her later, after she's eaten and had a nice bath.

Rin took her cue and stuffed in a mouthful of rice. She couldn't talk if her mouth was full. Kaede smiled contentedly and went back to attending the cottage. "Sango san, I was wondering if you still had some of Kagome chan's things. I was hoping we could lend them to Rin chan."

"Oh. Yes, I do have them, but I'll have to dig them out somewhere. I'll go fetch them right now." She put little Kohaku down and took his hand. "Come on. You can help mommy."

Miroku smiled innocently and looked up at the pair. "I'll stay here and help Rin get comfortable."

"Houshi sama!"

Miroku jumped up at the rising intonation in his wife's voice. "Or I can come help you and little Kohaku." Sango laughed at her husband, her laughter trailing even as they disappeared behind the cottage door.

Rin continued to eat. More to keep silent in front of the kitsune rather than for any particular hunger. She looked at the quiet Kaede and the curious kitsune that tried to pretend he wasn't looking at her and Rin sighed. For all their kindness, she couldn't help but wander where Sesshoumaru sama was right now.



Jaken tripped merrily into the cool forest. "Sesshoumaru sama! Sesshoumaru sama! This humble Jaken has returned. Where are you Sesshoumaru sama?"

"Jaken." His cool voice sounded from behind him. Jaken whirled around and bowed low. "shut up."

"ha. . Hai Sesshoumaru sama."

Jaken was taken aback. He had been used to Sesshoumaru's coldness, but usually he didn't receive such harsh treatment so soon. At least not since Rin had been with them. Jaken smiled slightly at the thought of the child. Well, she was growing up, but to him she was still a child. He looked around, but noticed she wasn't there.

"Ano. . Pardon my impudent questions but where is Rin chan, Sesshoumaru sama?"

"Gone."

Jaken's eyes grew wide and panicked. He ran around franticly imagining what could have happened. "Oh no! What happened! Surely she wasn't kidnapped again like when that rude Naraku came and tried to make Sesshoumaru sama . . ."

"Jaken" The glare in Sesshoumaru's eyes was enough to silence him. Jaken didn't dare question him further. But his mind wondered. Things had been fine when he left them. If something really had happened to Rin, surely Sesshoumaru sama would have gone to save her. She couldn't have been killed since Sesshoumaru sama still possessed Tenseiga. And how could he just let Tetsusaiga wander off like that? No, something was definitely wrong, but not in any usual sense. Humble Jaken would just have to venture off and find out on his own.



One hot bath and a fresh kimono later, Rin was whisked away by Shippo chan to explore the village. The kitsune was quite sociable, providing most of the conversation. He didn't interrogate her as she had expected, but seemed more determined to explain to her all the details of their village life. He told her about all the times he got to baby-sit little Kohaku when Miroku sama and Sango san went to neighboring villages to fight youkai. He wanted to go with them too of course, but he had a greater purpose; protecting little Kohaku until he was old enough to start learning how to fight.

Rin giggled at the kitsune's pride in his fighting ability. Rin had been around youkai long enough to know that they aged differently than mortals; although it had been five years since she last saw the kitsune, he was still just a pup.

A disturbance in the distance cut off Shippo's next statement, followed by the emergence of a large Centipede looking mononoke.

"Ack! A mononoke!" Shippo screeched. He jumped behind Rin and clung to her. "Quick, let's go get Sango san."

But Rin stayed where she was. The villagers rushed out to fight with spears and ropes in hand, but it swept them away effortlessly. The mononoke leveled a few more houses with them before it turned and made its way towards her.

"Oh no, it's coming towards us!" Shippo puffed himself up and stepped in front of Rin. "Well, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." He turned into a big pink balloon and tried to distract the mononoke from the village, but it didn't work. The mononoke easily knocked him aside and he was snapped out of his transformation.

Rin looked up at the big thing and contemplated trying to use the rusted sword. True it was rusted, but surely it could cut through something. Rin began inching away. Whatever she was going to do, she needed to decide quickly.

The mononoke was upon her faster than she had anticipated. It raised its tail to lash at everything in reach, but then suddenly it froze and collapsed to the ground; in half. The dust rose high from the large bulk slamming into ground, but one thing was for sure; the mononoke was still though Rin could not fathom what had killed it.

A young man ran up to Rin and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Are you alright?"

Rin looked up startled. She looked at the young man, at his large brown eyes; they were honest, albeit a little clouded sometimes, and could not mistake the striking resemblance they bore to his sister. He had grown considerably; his body still transitioning out of awkward adolescence into manhood while strengthened by years of fighting youkai. She wouldn't have recognized him had it not been for his voice and suddenly she knew why the mononoke had died so suddenly.

"Kohaku. . ."