Chapter Two: Fate Filled Encounter

She hummed as she followed after her lord, a bright smile on her face. She was hoping that her wish would be granted soon. She had put all her heart into the paper stars and finished it last night, her heart fueling her wish for her lord's happiness.

"Lord Sesshomaru, are you happy?" She asked innocently, Jaken following behind her.

"Stupid child, never ask our lord such questions!" He bellowed out.

"I'm content," he said softly, not sure if it was a lie or the truth. He never felt as if he needed anything, aside from the constant companionship of the young girl that he felt was his ward.

"You never feel like you're missing something?" She looked up at his face to see that he was thinking.

"I've never thought of missing anything." But then he thought of his left arm. It was missing but he somehow made up for that. He was wondering about his wards questions. Why had they now emerged? 'Perhaps she needs a woman figure to grow up with,' he thought but knew there were no women that would gladly raise an orphaned young girl.

"Oh." She looked disappointed. "Okay lord Sesshomaru." She went back to looking at the ground, thinking that her lord would never find a woman that would love him. 'I've worked so hard for nothing.' She sighed and fell back a bit behind her lord only for him to stop abruptly. "What's wrong my lord?" And that is when she saw it.

A beautiful woman lay ahead of them as if asleep. In her lap was a kitsune kit and a neko youkai, all asleep without a care in the world. There was a slight glow of a silver orb around them but it was barely noticeable. Neither seemed to have notice that they were there, that is until the neko seemed to pick its head up and its fur stood on end as a low growl escaped its small form, as if it was protecting the woman and the kit.

"What is it Kirara?" A soft voice said, trying not to wake the kit and that is when she noticed that they had company. "Lord Sesshomaru," she barely whispered and stood gracefully, kit in her arms and the neko standing in front of her. "I am sorry, I did not know these were your lands." She bowed slightly to show him respect. "I will be taking my leave." She made to turn away but the kit in her arms woke up and yawned big, sleepy eyes looking up at her. "Good morning Shippo."

"Good morning mama," he said in his half consciousness. The truth being that he thought of her as his mother.

She smiled softly and patted his head, forgetting that she was still in Sesshomaru's presence. "Did you sleep well?" He nodded and shook off the sleep. "I'm glad to hear that."

He knew the kit was not her true son, not by blood anyway but the kit had clearly called her mother. He started to wonder if this woman had adopted the kit as her own, and if so, why? Usually people frowned down on orphans and would not give them the time of day, or they would throw rocks at them, but this didn't seem like the case with her. She seemed to love the kit as if he were her true son. He really didn't understand this but then he remembered that he, too, was taking care of an orphan.

"Who are you, pretty lady?" the child asked as she stared up at the woman, marvel in her eyes. She never saw such a beautiful and kind looking woman.

"Hello there. I am Kagome and these two are Kirara and my adopted kit Shippo. What's your name?" She knelt before the child, Shippo in her arms and Kirara now perched on her shoulder.

"I'm Rin." She grinned. "What kind of demon are you?"

"I'm not too sure if I'm a specific kind of demon." Rin looked confused at her reply. "You see, I was not a demon at birth. I'm not sure how I am a demon. I woke up like this."

"Oh." She smiled again.

'I wonder what type of demon she is,' Sesshomaru thought as he watched the interaction between his ward and the demoness before him. 'I can't recognize the feel of her. It's demonic but pure.' He caught her scent in the breeze to see that it was of sakura and vanilla. It pleased his nose and he couldn't help but feel content with the woman's presence. She just had this calming feel she gave off and he was a victim of it.

"Mama, you kind of feel like a dog demon, at least partially, but the other part is a bit confusing," Shippo stated. "There's just something about how protective of me you are."

At this Kagome blushed. She hadn't realized that she was that way, but she refused to let Shippo get hurt. He was her pup now, after all. She would take care of him, like she promised when she first took him in. She would not let anything happen to him. He was her responsibility.

'Could she be a dog demon? Of what clan? I don't see a specific mark on her forehead.' He tried to see past her pearl colored bangs but couldn't. He could tell that she, herself, was not entirely sure what she was. He had to find out.

She looked at the two groups. She had not bet on them meeting this soon, but she didn't mind. This just meant that her job of granting two wishes at once was going to be easier. She would just watch how they interacted with each other.

"Kagome-sama, can I feel your hair? It just looks so soft." Rin's eyes begged and Kagome couldn't help but to laugh softly.

"If you want." She watched as Rin ran her hands through her hair, eyes shining brightly. She chuckled at her reaction and watched as Rin slid her fingers through it repeatedly.

"It's so soft, almost like feathers." She giggled when Kagome picked her up. "I like you Kagome-sama. All the women I come across are all mean to me."

"That's horrible. You're such a sweet little girl." Kagome refused to believe that anyone could hurt such an innocent child. "That isn't right Rin-chan, no one should ever hurt you." She hugged the girl as if she were her own child. "If I could I would make sure no one ever hurts you again." She was determined to help the young girl.

'She would take Rin as her own, without a single question. It is hard to find that in a person. She is caring and compassionate. She would make a great mother.' He watched as Rin's smile brightened. He couldn't really understand what was going on through the woman's or his ward's mind.

'My wish could be granted after all. She could make lord Sesshomaru happy and she could be a mother to me, like she is for Shippo-kun. But does she want to be with me and lord Sesshomaru?' This saddened her greatly.

"What's wrong Rin-chan?" Kagome looked at her eyes to see sorrow. 'What could be causing her sadness?'

"No one ever treated me like I was their own child. I forgot what it was like to have someone that treated me like I was their daughter but I know you have to go soon." She didn't want to cry but her tears started to fall.

"Ssh. Please don't cry Rin-chan. I don't have to go anywhere. I don't really have anywhere to go." She rubbed the child's back as Shippo looked confused. "I can't exactly go back to my companions."

"You would stay with me and lord Sesshomaru?" Rin's tear-filled eyes looked up at her, begging that it was true.

"If lord Sesshomaru allowed it then I would." She looked the child in the eye, no lies lying in her eyes.

Rin brightened up and looked back at her lord, still in Kagome's arms. "Can she come with us my lord?"

He thought of it a moment, weighing the pros with the cons, not sure what would happen if she stayed with them. 'Rin likes her but I don't know if she can fend for herself. She's beautiful and smells great, but she has a kit with her that will need to be looked after. She some how calms me but I can't risk dropping my guard. She is willing to look after Rin and has shown no sign of disliking Rin and she doesn't have a thought to harm Rin, but she might be after my power.' The pros did seem to out weigh the cons but for some reason he didn't want to give in, that is until she smiled.

Her smile made him question himself. He felt like there could be a lot more in his life, as if he were now missing something important in his life, but he didn't know what. He tried hard to find what it was but it seemed to elude him the whole time. He was frustrated by the knowledge that something was missing but he didn't know what. But it would dawn on him soon. He would soon come to realize that he needed a mate to share his life with.

"You guys, that was Kagome," she tried to reason with them. "She may have seemed like someone else but it was her."

"What makes you say that my dear Sango," the monk asked as he looked at her.

"Kirara would not just fly away with a stranger and Shippo hates leaving Kagome's side. It's the only explanation for why they went with her." Sango tried hard but both seemed to doubt her. "Miroku, you're suppose to be the wise one but you seem to be so blind in this situation."

"I resent that," he scoffed.

"We can't be sure it was her," Inuyasha said as he walked on. "Now hurry up. We have jewel shards to find."

"Baka hanyou, is that all you can think about?" Sango raved, anger on her face.

"Keh." And he kept walking on through the forest.

"Can she come with us lord Sesshomaru?" Rin pleaded again. She wanted so much for Kagome to go with them, not just to take care of her but also so she could some how get the two to be together.

He nodded before he continued to walk. Rin was happy and Jaken was complaining about how he had to now look over a weak woman and another annoying child. Kagome just smiled and followed after Sesshomaru, Rin at her side smiling and Shippo still in her arms as Kirara sat on her shoulder nuzzling her cheek.

'It's nice out and I have a place to stay for the time being,' Kagome thought as they traveled. "Rin, when we stop for the day, do you want to go take a bath?"

"Really?" Kagome only nodded. "I would like that." Kagome smiled down at her as Shippo jumped out of her arms and onto the floor. He walked up to Rin and she smiled. "Shippo-kun, come play with me." She took hold of his arm and started to pull him away, Kirara following after the two children to make sure nothing happens to them.

"Get back here!" Jaken ran after the three, trying to make sure nothing happens, or it would be his head. This left Kagome and Sesshomaru alone.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, noticing the soft smile on her face as she watched the children and Kirara run away from Jaken, all of them laughing and smiling. It almost felt like they were a family. She chuckled lightly as Jaken tripped and fell flat on his face. The children squealed before jumping on his back.

'She's so beautiful and seems so care free.' He inwardly sighed. 'What is this that I am feeling? It is unfamiliar to me.' He turned his sights away from her to try and think of her no longer but it didn't help when he picked up her scent on the breeze. He loved it so much and it caused him to want to hold her but he would not do it. He would maintain his self control.

She sensed danger so she ran out and stood protectively in front of Rin and Shippo as Kirara grew to her bigger form and growled low as the large bear demon came out of the forest in front of them. She flexed her claws but kept all emotion out of her face as the bear roared. She didn't know what she was doing but she was going by instincts now.

"Stay behind me you two," she said in a serious tone as the bear charged them. She just disappeared in a flash and reappeared behind it just as it collapsed dead. She flicked her wrist and the blood was gone. She walked up to the bear and placed a hand on its head before forcing her purifying powers through it. It turned to ash completely and she walked back to the two children.

"Are you two okay?" She crouched before them to be eye level with them.

"Yes Kagome-sama," Rin said. "I was a little scared but you protected me and Shippo-kun."

"Of course. Shippo is like a son to me and you are almost like my daughter." She smiled. "In time I might adopt you like I did Shippo, but you have to be a good girl, okay?"

Rin's eyes brightened and she nodded vigorously. She always wanted a mother and a brother. She already had a father figure in her lord. She wanted so much for her family to be a complete one and she hoped it would be soon.

Author's Corner:

Nothing much to say this time, just enjoy.