A/N: I just uploaded a one-shot called The Hanyou Odyssey. if you haven't done so, please check it out and give me some feedback. If you like it, I have another one-shot that I am thinking about getting out of my mind and onto the computer!

Chapter 57

The heat from the sun beat down relentlessly on the humid, summer day. It had been a hot, dry summer and Inuyasha was glad they had grains and vegetables stored and money to purchase anything they needed. The crops were withering in the summer heat, as was the family of hanyous.

Miroku's daughter, Aya, was happily picking flowers and acting like a little girl. Her suitor, the young lord Ronin, had come and asked Miroku if he could marry Aya and Miroku agreed. While Aya and Cho happily planned her wedding, intended for the late summer, Sango busied herself with creating Aya's wedding ensemble and Miroku worried where he would come up with Aya's dowry. Since Miroku was a simple Buddhist monk working as a farmer to support his family, the lord's family had agreed to accept 2 steer and 450 yen to accept Aya into their family.

Inuyasha assisted his friend by giving Miroku one of his steer to use for the dowry. Inuyasha figured it was the least he should do, especially since he had already tossed a couple men off his property who desired Kaori and figured that since she was a worthless half-demon (no matter how pretty she was), Inuyasha would be willing to pay their hefty requests for dowries. Since Kaori wasn't ready to be married yet anyway, Inuyasha just calmly punched the men out then hauled them to the road.

Shippou, for his part, was hanging around both Kaori and Cho, batting his eyes and looking cute. Inuyasha ordered him away from Kaori a number of times, grumbling something that sounded like, "and you used to complain about me two-timing Kagome."

As Inuyasha grumbled about kids and misguided love affairs, Kagome just giggled and kissed his cheek as she nicknamed him, 'The Overprotective Dog'.

Inuyasha was thankful that Yasha, at least, hadn't lost his mind over a girl. He needed Yasha's assistance with running the farm. But even that was going to change.

The day of Aya's wedding came, and both families went to the castle for the ceremony and celebration. Aya looked absolutely stunning in the outfit that Sango had made for her. Throughout the festivities, Cho, Mirai, Nami, and Kaori walked around with stars in their eyes. Much to Miroku's (especially with 3 daughters to keep an eye on) and Inuyasha's chagrin, the men found themselves chasing away future suitors. Kagome joked to Sango that with a 16, 15, and 14 year-old it wouldn't be long until another wedding was taking place.

By summer's end, Cho was being courted by a young samurai in-training named Akifumi and Mirai had eyes for a young farmer's son named Shige. Miroku was tearing his hair out.

Rin's oldest, Uyeda, found numerous girls following him around whether he was at home (daughters of families staying at the inn) or in town when they were selling at their stall.

Yasha also found himself the object of some girls' attention, but he wasn't interested in any of them. Kaori played up her looks and flirted with all the young men and boys that went by the village or stayed at the inn. Much to her dismay, a simple growl or bark from her overprotective father kept most of the potential suitors at bay. Inuyasha knew HE would decide when Kaori was ready to look for a suitor and the tender age of 12 was not it.

The next Harvest Festival was a great success for many reasons. Most was monetary, but for Sango's daughters, it had two of them engaged to be married in the spring, as Cho's and Mirai's young men asked for their hands in marriage. Miroku was glad the festival was profitable, since now he had two dowries to pay.

Shippou, having lost Cho to Akifumi, tried to stay quietly around Kaori. He enjoyed her presence and her scent and he always could say they were just friends. But, in his heart, he had a deep growing affection for the free-spirited young hanyou girl.

Shortly after the festival, the cool autumn weather found Inuyasha tilling his ground for winter wheat, Yasha and the other pups preparing the barn stalls for winter, and Kagome washing woolen blankets and sweaters to shrink them before they were worn. As Kagome worked by the river, with Kazuo playing near her, she felt a figure approach as Kazuo said, "Lady". Kagome turned around and saw the young girl approaching. She looked familiar to Kagome, as she eyed the girl with silver-blue hair, purple eyes and a simple white kimono. As Kagome stood up, it came to her, who this child was. Kagome smiled as she greeted the girl,

"Shiori!"