Chapter 1: Long Lost Friends

A modest monk of the Buddhist order strode into the small village. His unruly, jet-black bangs swayed as a light breeze blew. The rings on his staff also jingled in the wind. He smiled at the familiar surroundings. He used to come to this same village quite often, whenever he and his traveling companions needed to rest, or when Lady Kagome desired to return to her homeland after a quarrel with Inuyasha. However, it had been three years since he had been within a hundred leagues of the village. "Miroku? Is that really you?" a young male voice said. Miroku turned to see the voice came from a young, auburn haired boy with emerald hued eyes and a big fluffy foxtail.

"Shippo?" Miroku asked.

"It is you!" the fox tailed boy replied, giving his old companion a friendly hug. "It's been too long! Where are Inuyasha and Kagome?"

"You must've grown a meter since I last saw you! Inuyasha and Kagome are at Kaede's hut, awaiting your return. I'm sure they're anxious to see you. But before you go, would you be as kind as to tell me where Lady Sango has taken up residence?"

"Sango lives there." Shippo informed him, pointing to a humble home not too far off. "I don't think a day has gone by that she hasn't thought about you. She'll be so happy!" Miroku watched the young fox demon scamper off towards Kaede's house.

Outside in front of the house Shippo had directed him to there was a young girl who laughed as she played with a twin-tailed cat. As the monk approached the cat stiffened and her ears perked up. The feline ran over to the monk, hopped onto his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek. He chuckled. "It's nice to see you too, Kirara." He walked over to the little girl and crouched down so they were at eye level with one another. "Is this where you live, little one?" Miroku asked the girl. She nodded with a smile. "Is your mother at home?" She nodded again. "Could you go get her?" The little girl turned and went back in to the abode to fetch her mother.

She returned with her mother, pulling along by the hand young woman who appeared to be in her late teens or early twenties dressed in a pink kimono. Her chestnut hair hung down to her mid back and was tied into a low ponytail near the end. She smiled sweetly at the monk and bowed, as it was customary to do so when addressing a man of the cloth. "May I help you?"

Miroku retuned the smile, though he was slightly disappointed this woman did not seem to remember him. "Do you not remember me Sango?"

Sango gave him a quizzical look. The face looked familiar, but she couldn't put a name to it. That is until, she took note of his eyes. His eyes, held a beautiful, almost violet, deep blue color to them. She only knew one person with eyes that color. "M-Miroku?" she asked, a waver in her voice.

He showed her his right palm, the black mark having been erased completely, leaving it as whole as her own. "We beat him." he said.

Sango ran towards him a smile as wide as the Pacific spread across her beautiful features. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him roughly. Tears of joy streamed freely down her face. She buried her head in his robes, as she was sobbing uncontrollably. "I can't believe your back!" she cried, her voice muffled by his thick garb. "Are Kagome and Inuyasha with you?" she asked looking up at him.

"Yes." he answered, kissing the crown of her head. "They are both at Kaede's. I suppose you would like to see them as well?"

Before she could respond in the affirmative, her daughter tugged at her kimono. "Mommy? Do you know this man?"

"Yes Haruko. He is your father."

Back at Kaede's place, Kagome was getting impatient. "Where are they? I want to see my niece!" she said exasperatedly as she tapped her toe against the floor.

"Be patient Kagome! You know, Sango is being reunited with her husband after three years apart from each other." Inuyasha reminded her. "Believe it or not, seeing us may not be the first thing in her mind."

"Look what the winds blew in!" Inuyasha and Kagome both turned to the door to see none other than Shippo leaning against the frame. "You're not one to tell anybody to be patient Inuyasha. I remember back in the day you refused to wait longer than three days before you had to drag Kagome back to this time." Shippo had definitely picked up Inuyasha's snide attitude, even through their three-year separation.

Kagome skipped over to Shippo and squeezed him so hard one might suspect she was trying to break every bone in the kit's body. "My little Shippo!" the priestess squealed. "You've grown so much since I last saw you!"

Shippo laughed. "It's nice to see you too Kagome."

After Kagome released Shippo from her vice-grip, Inuyasha promptly had him in a headlock. "Hey runt. Did you get less little while I was gone?" he asked jokingly.

"Let me go you great lump." Inuyasha released him. "And to answer your question Kagome, I bet Miroku and Sango are probably on their way here right now."

"Hey gang! Look who I found!" as if on cue Miroku entered Kaede's hut with his wife and daughter.

"Sango!" Kagome exclaimed as she threw her arms around her best friend. "It feels like it's been forever!"

"It has been a while hasn't it?" Sango said as she returned her friends embrace.

"And is this cute little girl my niece?" Kagome asked, obviously referring to Haruko. Sango nodded. Kagome took a knee so she and Haruko were more or less even. "What's your name?"

"My name is Haruko." Haruko replied.

"That's a nice name. My name is Kagome." Kagome said.

"You're pretty." Haruko continued.

"Thank you. Can you tell me how old you are?"

Haruko counted on her fingers to three and showed them proudly to Kagome. "Three! That's this many!"

"You're just adorable!" Kagome cried, hugging the little girl. "I am your Auntie Kagome. And that man there is your Uncle Inuyasha."

"Hello." Haruko said to Inuyasha. "I like your ears. Can I touch them?"

Inuyasha's normally hard expression softened into a grin at the sight of such a cute, innocent little girl. He leaned over as far and as low as he could so she could reach his ears. "Sure. Knock yourself out kid."

Haruko giggled at the touch of her uncles soft ears. "They're fuzzy!"

The four adults and Shippo sat down around the small fire pit, and Haruko sized the chance to climb onto Inuyasha's shoulders, and began to yank his ears relentlessly. "How?" Sango asked, obviously referring to how they had defeated Naraku.

"It's a long story." Inuyasha said. "But I suppose we have plenty of time on our hands don't we? How about you kid? You like stories?" he asked Haruko.

"Yes!"

"Then today is your lucky day." Inuyasha told her as Sango lifted her daughter off Inuyasha's head.

"Don't pull on his ears Haruko. They're very sensitive." Sango scolded, sitting herself and Haruko down in Miroku's lap as Inuyasha began to relate their tale of travel.