Sweet Scent of Redemption Rain

Disclaimer: No.I sadly do NOT own Inuyasha & co. *throws myself on knees* I'm not worthy!! So, read on with this knowledge: Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, I don't own, So you can't sue!

Lol, read on!

Preview: Shippou and Rin are older now. Rin is a demon exterminator like Sango, and Shippou is a cold, angry youkai like Sesshoumaru. When they meet on one of Rin's jobs, they struggle with their feelings of loneliness and bitter loss.

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*~ Shippou remembers a little group of six, traveling together always to piece back an ancient magical jewel.
Rin remembers those happily ignorant moments spent adoring a stoic monster. ~*

~Shippou's POV~
The villagers spotted the woman barely even a quarter of a mile away. On one side, walking with feminine grace was a cat youkai. On the other was a spot, which was sure to have been occupied once, but was empty now. She wore a normal woman's kimono that was blue and white. Over her right shoulder was a white thing that looked to be fluffy. Her hair was onyx colored and shimmered in the afternoon rays. Although one could most likely not see it as I could, her eyes were hazel, and almost completely devoid of any emotion. She was, to say the least, the most different woman I'd ever seen.
I watched from my normal point looking from a tree. I came to the village often to oversee how it was doing. It was a village in the Western Lands, the vastest territory of all four in Japan. It was mine by a default, a mistake if you will. The great Inuyoukai's lands. I would not have gotten them easily. Looking back at the woman, I stole a glance at the cat beside her. Something seemed the strike my memory, but I just couldn't figure out what that was. I pushed the thoughts aside and went down to find the village miko.

~Rin's POV~

Absent mindedly, I gently ran my hands over the pelt given to me by Sesshoumaru. My heart shuddered with the sudden turn of my thoughts. The fire cat beside me seemed to be content, but this was not my sentiment. I hadn't felt contentment in almost three years, ever since Sesshoumaru left me. I turned to my friend.

Kirara meowed in reassurance without my even telling her what was wrong. I laughed, and said, "I feel as if you may have done this before!" Kirara just meowed again.

That is the bad thing about animals and some youkai. They can't speak. It's sad really, because no one but them ever knows of their past. What do they do with their troubles? I sighed, knowing that only them knew the answer. I looked around the village as we entered it. The huts were like that of a village Sesshoumaru used to go to a lot.
Berating myself for thoughts of him again, I watched the village in its moments of life. Here and there were children, playing with pets and annoying their mothers and fathers. Women were doing their daily chores and chatting with other women or their teenage daughters. I grimaced.

"Kirara, maybe this is a bad idea." I voiced my thoughts.

I hadn't been to the Western Lands in the two years after my decision to leave his castle and become a demon exterminator. I was a little unsure about coming back, but the village miko promised a sum. Normally, I did these things for free. Anything to keep my mind off the hole in my heart.

Kirara meowed and continued walking, which I took as a sign that she did think it was a good idea. I followed her.

~Shippou's POV~

Upon entering the hut of the village miko, I found the last person I would like to see. Even though Naraku was good as dead, she somehow survived. I can still remember Inuyasha's roar of hate to find she had not died and laid her soul to rest. Inuyasha had gone for more than three weeks, traveling to all the villages he could so he could find her. This is why Kagome left. Kagome was my mother stand-in, and Inuyasha, somewhat like my father. Even Miroku was my family, despite his lecherous ways.

I announced my presence furiously, though she already knew I was there.

"Kikyou!" "Hello. I am afraid I do not remember you." She said.

She sounded sweet, the ways Kagome had always told me she used to be before Naraku made her soul hatred in its purest form. I was not so easily deceived.

"I traveled with Inuyasha, then I was younger." I told her, trying to jog her memory.

"Ah, I remember now. You're the kitsune." She laughed. "You were a cute little thing."

To me, her laugh was disgusting. It was hollow, and held no warmth, not even the tiniest bit of life. It was not like Kagome's. But what had I been expecting? I was being like Inuyasha. This is something he could have done. He was always mistaking the two, though it's not easy to do, he did it. And chased Kagome away. I tore my thoughts to shreds mentally. My stare was cold as Kikyou got up and came over to me.

"And let me guess, you're the youkai I've summoned to help the village with this demon?" Her eyes were as cold as I remembered them.

"Yes." I said, anxious to leave Kikyou behind and start on my work, "What kind of youkai is it?"

"I believe the villager who saw it, said it was a hawk." Kikyou replied.

I was silent for a moment. All the things in this town were dredging up some kind of person in my mind, someone I remembered. The harder I thought to bring that person to light, the farther they came into darkness. I left the hut. I didn't need Kikyou to find this demon; I could do it on my own. However, my leaving was not exactly done alone. A woman was standing in my way now.
It was the woman with the fire cat. Looking closely, this cat looked familiar too. The sword that used to belong to Inuyasha, the Tetsusaiga, was pulsing at my side. I wondered vaguely if this woman had anything to do with it.

"Can you move, please?" She asked impatiently.

I moved to the side and obeyed, but did not go to slay the demon as I planned. I went just outside the door of the hut, though I could have heard them from just about anywhere in the village with my youkai hearing.

"You must be the demon exterminator." I head Kikyou say, "Welcome to our village."

"My name is Rin, and this is my companion, Kirara." My heart stopped.

Kirara was Sango's, how did this. Rin, get a hold of her? My mind was dragging up my last memories of our little group's days in hope that I could find out what happened to Sango. So far, I could think of nothing. I leaned closer to the door.

Kikyou made no sign of recognition to the cat, and said, "I hope you do not mind, as this is a fairly powerful youkai, but I have invited another person to help you."

"I need no help, you can send them off." Rin said.

Her voice was easy to tell from Kikyou's lifeless screeches. It was like a nymph's, so beautiful and musical. But there was an emotion in her voice that I couldn't myself identify.

"On the contrary. Why don't you meet him, he's just outside?" Kikyou suggested.

I didn't feel much like making myself known to the woman, but I didn't know these lands as well as Kaede's village, so I left to be found. She came out a second later.

"Who are you?" She asked immediately.

Up close, she was very beautiful. I berated myself for thinking so, but she was. Now I could see her eyes even more clearly than before. To find them blue. They did not show her soul like most eyes I've seen, but they were mirrors into your own. She reflected everything that I was feeling. I shuddered.

"My name is Shippou. I am here for the youkai." I explained.

"Well you can leave, I need no help." She said.

"No, I can't leave. I'll do as I promised." I told her. Who did she think she was?

"Then stay out of my way." And with that, Rin left. Kirara followed her noiselessly, and I wanted to call out to my childhood pet, but I dared not.