Rin stood up again, awakened by the same nightmare-the day her family was killed. She looked around Sesshoumaru was out hunting again and Jaken lay in his regular position, getting some sleep. She's had that nightmare for awhile now, afraid to tell that to Sesshoumaru. She sighed and got up, leaving the sleeping Jaken all by himself, forgetting the consequences he may suffer. She wandered off into the woods.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kanaoke sighed as she washed the dishes of her so-called husband and his band of thieves. She looked back on the day this had all started.

~~~Flashback~~~

"Kana! You are not to see him anymore! He's dangerous!"

"Oh. Mom! Come on, please?" Kana replied.

"Absolutely NOT," her mom answered for the fiftieth time.

"Fine. Fine. I'll go tell him," Kana answered dejectedly, running towards the meeting spot for her lover and herself.

"Oh. Oino-kun!" The teenager turned around to see his beloved with tears trailing down her face. "Mom…*sob*…Mom had forbidden me to see you again."

"What?"

"I'm…I'm so sorry. But…she said I can't see you again!"

"That old withered *****," he said, hugging her close. Kanaoke quivered slightly at his violent tone, then, ripped herself from their embrace and ran home full of tears.

That night, as she was preparing to go to bed, Kana heard a violent knock on the door. Her father got ready for the worst and told her mom to open the door. She gasped as her mother's limp body fell backwards and was shocked to find Oino's sword covered with her blood. She could do nothing as he slaughtered the rest of his family. Then, moving towards her, he took hold of her arm and dragged her along. Still in shock from what she saw, Kana said nothing, hoping this all was a dream.

"Kanaoke-chan! Please don't leave. I'm scared." The small voice issued forth from the frail frame of her youngest sister, Rin. Oino's eyes narrowed with obvious annoyance, motioning for one of his henchmen to do away with the child. However, the scared look on Rin's little face brought Kana back to reality. Screaming for Oino to please let her youngest sister go, she went over to cover Rin from the blows of the swords. Oino motioned for them to stop and walked forward to Kana.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a threatening voice.

"Please, Oino-kun," she shivered slightly at the title, considering that he just murdered her entire family, "Let Rin go. She…She's just a child. Besides, she may not even survive. There's no harm in letting her go." Oino was about to snort when his comrades motioned that people are coming in the distance.

"Leave her and hurry," Oino told the two men with their swords drawn and hoisted Kana onto his back.

~~~End Flashback~~~

Kanaoke felt a tear drip down as she recalled her own words: "She may not even survive." And all this was because of her. She was brought back to reality by a sharp kick in her side.

"Get back to work, you old hag," Ramika, Oino's most recent consort, said, spitting at Kana before disappearing into the shade. Kana sighed and got back to work

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rin, thinking about the dream she was having, unwittingly wandered into the Oino's camp. As she heard the scraping of pots , she looked around, trying to find the cause of the sounds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From somewhere behind her, Kanaoke heard a soft gasp. Lifting up her head, her eyes locked with those of the newcomers.

"Could it be…" Kana thought, her heart thumping wildly with hope. She felt a slight fluttering sensation when she heard the soft murmuring of the girl.

"Kan-aoke?" Rin said softly to herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaken, finally waking up, looked around to check on Rin, only to find that the young girl in his charge had wandered off again! Checking around to make sure that Sesshoumaru had not found out, he quickly hurried off after the girl's footprints.

"Uh. Why can't Lord Sesshoumaru take care of the girl himself? Oh! Why must I suffer the horrible task? I can only hope that I catch up to that girl before Lord Sesshoumaru does. She's awfully fast for a human! Why can't humans have no legs? Would've made life so much easier!" Jaken puffed his way down the trail.

***************************

Thought I'd add some humor in the end and Jaken makes the best clown. ^_^

OK. There is a little tiny notice: Rin is currently around 15 years old. And, well, somehow, she aged that fast in a year or so. Yeah, I know, doesn't make sense but I can't have Kagome still traveling back to feudal Japan after 7 years! ('k 'k. Explaination in a later chapter) Same as my other Inu fanfic-At least 7 reviews to confirm I have readers.

Oh. Yeah. Forgot:

***DISCLAIMER***

Do not own Inu-Yasha, Kagome, Kikyo, Naraku, Rin, Sesshoumaru, toad (=Jaken), ect.

(I am planning on STEALING it =P Kidding, Rumiko Takahashi!)

***(continued)DISCLAIMER***

I DO OWN Kanaoke, Ramika, and Oino and the gang. Make not mistake and don't DARE copy me!