Kagome and Sango sat talking about everything while Miroku was afraid to speak for fear of another hit to the head. "How is everyone?"
"They're fine. My brother Kohaku is dead. He died in the battle with Naraku. Fortunately, I was blessed with a daughter whom I named after him. She and Shippo are dating. Shippo also cares for a baby demon cat whose pride was killed in our last major battle. I sent Kirara away to live with Kohaku, but that wasn't as far as I thought it to be. Kouga, the wolf king, has a wife and pups. I continue to age but Miroku does not. Every now and then we fight demons, but not like when you two were here. Kiada is gone for this place. You and Inu-Yasha died in battle leaving a small puppy like creature here with Miroku."
"Why does Miroku not age?"
"Miroku does not age because Miroku was working on a potion to stop the expansion of his air void when we destroyed Naraku; however, Naraku left the air void in his death so Miroku tried the potion. As it turns out, Miroku has frozen himself in time so he cannot age."
"I think I've seen Kohaku…isn't she a demon?"
"Actually, she's a hanyou like Inu-Yasha."
"A demon exterminator has a hanyou child?" Kagome mocked Sango's life.
When Inu-Yasha returned to check on Kagome, she was sitting on the floor in the small hut with the old slayer; the un-aged monk; the demon called…Kohaku; Kirara; the teen-age Shippo; a baby demon cat-tiger thing that looked as if Shippo was parenting; the adult Kouga; a female wolf that was attached to Kouga's arm presumably Kouga's new girl; and the wolf prince's pack's three royal family protectors, but all Inu-Yasha took notice of was how happy Kagome looked. Her eyes were lit up for the first time since they returned to this time. She has never seemed quite that happy with me. He thought disappointedly to himself causing his ears to droop to the sides.
A strong wind blew though the woods. Inu-Yasha snapped back to reality drawing one of the Tetsusaigas ready for battle. From the woods emerged a figure walking with a stick… an old woman. She hunched over as she walked presumably from old age. The woman stopped a few yards from him. She was exactly who he didn't expect. She smiled at Inu-Yasha as she approached him. Inu-Yasha slowly lowered his sword. He thought she was dead; everyone had told him she was long gone. With all their changes in age, he believed it. "You're still alive?" He antagonized her age putting away his sword. Actually he was quite glad that she was alive because she always had a solution no matter the problem. Maybe she would know how he could get back to his own time. She simply nodded pleasantly to him.
Inu-Yasha and Kagome's reappearance had shocked everyone so he didn't expect Kiada's reaction to be much different; however, he could not tell. The puppy creature that Kagome fell in love with, the one that he met when they reunited with Kirara for the first time in this world, circled Kiada's shoulder. The creature had brought the old woman to Inu-Yasha. He was thankful it had for he may never have found her otherwise. All the passion was drained from her face. He turned away from her, facing the hut. He knew if she'd come here, she'd come to see him and Kagome.
Inu-Yasha approached the hut quickly and entered slowly. "Inu-Yasha" Kagome smiled at him. Inu-Yasha turned uneasy back to the door, concentrating on the entrance. "It won't bite you." Kouga joked. "Relax." Miroku joined in. Inu-Yasha shot Miroku a deadly look then looked back to the door. Kagome stood up…Something's wrong. "What is it Inu-Yasha?" Kagome asked calmly, quite concerned for Inu-Yasha's uneasy nature. Everyone began to feel uncomfortable with Kagome's concern. Inu-Yasha took a step toward the door. She should be here by now. He thought.
With Inu-Yasha's step, the puppy flew speedily through the door and over to Kagome. Inu-Yasha leaned out of the way of the small thing. Everyone laughed. Kagome's carefree attitude lasted only a few seconds; she figured out the puppy was not what Inu-Yasha was concerned with. Kagome walked over to Inu-Yasha grabbing his arm for support as she stared into the same abyss as he did. Wind pushed through the entrance. The others quieted down at Kagome's fear, but something was wrong: Kagome WAS use to fighting demons, why was this any different?
Through the entrance appeared a hand. The hand reached in for Inu-Yasha's hand for support, Kiada walked entered the hut. Kagome looked pleased that her friend was still alive. The others gasped from shock. Kiada nodded at Kagome then turned to leave. Inu-Yasha motioned for Kagome to follow Kiada. Then the three left the wide-eyed hut.
Kiada spoke. Her voice sounded almost as if she had two voices that were trying to synchronize. "I know you've both come from the future trying to get to the past. You both must complete your tasks here before you can return to your own times. You have all your old friends and some new ones. They will help you. Use them wisely." "What tasks?" Kagome asked Kiada. Kiada smiled and looked to the book in Kagome's bag. Kagome pulled out the book and Inu-Yasha hovered over her. "What tasks?" Inu-Yasha repeated Kagome's question. He received no answer. He glanced up, "Kiada?" he questioned. "She's…gone…" Kagome said in disbelief.
"Arf" A bark resonated from somewhere near Kagome's shoulder. "Right" Kagome said. "Come on Inu-Yasha. Let's go read some more. You can ask our friends about our new enemy." The puppy circled Kagome. Kagome turned to the creature lifting her hand to show her good intentions before traveling back to the hut with Inu-Yasha close behind.
Both of them received strange looks from the others when they returned. "Where's Kiada?" Shippo asked carefully with the stripped kitten in his lap and Kohaku leaned on his shoulder with Kirara in her lap. "…Gone" Kagome answered him unsure of herself. Kagome plopped down on the floor with the book. She had already read most of it. She knew that the book held the adventures she already knew about. Kagome had a feeling that Kiada had placed a safeguard on the book so that her and Inu-Yasha wouldn't find out too much too soon. Kagome opened the book skimming through it. For some reason there was no record of their time traveling. Kagome shut the book; it told her nothing she didn't already know. The answers she was looking for weren't in this magical book. Inu-Yasha sat against the wall near Kagome and the group but not quite a part of it. However, they were use to this behavior from Inu-Yasha so they gathered around him.
Inu-Yasha knew this might be his only chance to acquire the answers he needed so he questioned them. "Alright…" he started "let's start with you each of you are and why you are important to this group." The others sat in disbelief. This couldn't be the same Inu-Yasha that they knew. Sango was the first to speak. "I am Sango. This is Kohaku. Kohaku is a hanyou like you, Inu-Yasha. She is my daughter and you know Kirara." Shippo jumped in. "Inu-Yasha and I always did butt heads over what to do," He told amusingly to Kohaku. "This baby tiger demon is Tora; we rescued her not too long before you both died in battle…" Kouga was next to jump into the conversation. "When you died, I had no choice but to choose a mate that would always be with the pack." He nuzzled his wife staring at Kagome, his lost love. He longed to be with her, but he knew she would be leaving soon with him, stupid mutt. The heartache was obviously painful for Kouga so he made the excuse that the wolves needed to get back their pack. With that, Kouga briefly flirted with Kagome as Miroku does with any female then disappeared out the door and the wolves were gone.
While Kirara moved to cuddle with Kagome, the puppy creature crawled into Inu-Yasha's lap. "Where did…the puppy…come from?" Kagome questioned hesitantly. Sango and Miroku looked at each other then to the ground. It saddened Sango not to have that answer. "We don't know Kagome. You just showed up with him one day." "Does he have a name?" "You named him…Kougyoku Koinu…I think. We call him Koinu" "What can he do?" Inu-Yasha chimed in. "He has the same Shikon detection abilities as Kagome, he can grow and fight like Kirara, and he can heal the injured." Inu-Yasha looked down at the creature in his lap absolutely amazed at its abilities. Kagome smiled slightly. "Tell me about, how we were killed." Inu-Yasha requested. They may have been about to discuss how they died but Inu-Yasha seemed to be the most caring toward the pup she had ever seen him act, besides with her. Inu-Yasha leaned back against the wall as if Koinu wasn't there. He didn't mind the creature in his lap. In fact every now and then Inu-Yasha reached his hand down petting the creature.
Sango started to explain. "Our last great threat, Shugyoku, challenged us too fight. We had already defeated every large demon in existence except this one so we went to fight it. You and Kagome fought hard. You both fought to protect each other. Kiada fought to protect the group, Shippo and Kohaku fought to protect Tora and Miroku and I fought to protect each other. The wolf pack and other demons that you guys became friends with fought as well. Koinu helped Kagome and Kirara helped Miroku and I. This single battle lasted for days. The downfall hit. Miroku's air void was expanding at an alarming rate, I could not pick up my boomerang anymore, Kirara was seriously injured, Shippo and Kohaku retreated to a safer position to protect the child, The wolf pack retreated due too their number of causalities, and other demons pulled out due to the treat on their lives. Kiada wore out all her magic and vanished, but you…Inu-Yasha, and Kagome still attacked in full force. We made selfish decisions. You two fought with all the strength you had left and in destroying our enemy you destroyed yourselves. After the battle, we retreated to lick our wounds. Since then there have been demons, but none very strong. We erected a temple over the well in your honor and safeguarded all your possessions from any possible attack. However, we did not expect your arrival through the well. Now…I understand that the Shikon Jewel is missing. We must retrieve that at all costs." "Is Naraku dead?" Kagome asked. Her question attracted Inu-Yasha's attention. "Yes he has been for a long time. Why?" Sango replied. Then how is the sir void still intact?" Inu-Yasha questioned. Miroku answered. "Even though Naraku is dead, I still carry the curse, but at least it won't pass it on to the generations that follow." "If Kiada is dead then where did this book come from?" Kagome asked with Shippo responding. "Kiada had been working on it before the attack, I think she used her magical powers to ensure the book finished writing itself." Kagome had run out of things she wanted to ask. Inu-Yasha fortunately had a few questions. "If our greatest enemy was defeated, then why were we sent to this point in time instead of to that battle?" Inu-Yasha's question made them think; he had posed an interesting thought.