Disclaimer: I dont own this, this disclaimer applies to the rest of the chapters from this point onwards

Chapter 2

The Past and the Present

Shippo and Myouga stared open mouthed at 'Kirara'. Sango, Miroku and Kagome stared too while Inuyasha retained a dignified silence. Sango looked a bit hurt after a while however and turned away.

"Sango? What's the matter?" Miroku asked as she started to walk away, Hiraikotsu slung over one shoulder. Midoriko interrupted him.

"Although Kirara wasn't truly here in the flesh, she has been with you forever. Kirara's tamashi has been with me since I sealed her and all the other youkai inside the cave. It was the only way to save the both of us." Midoriko's voice was gentle.

Kirara turned to Sango and smiled. "I've been with you all along. I love you and Kohaku very much too." She smiled brightly.

Sango smiled reluctantly and went over to give Kirara a heartfelt hug. Kirara had been her companion for so many years after all.

"I think we should all go back to the village now." Inuyasha commented in a bored voice.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome hissed at him. "You're spoiling a good moment!"

"Keh! So what? I can say – "

"Inuyasha…" Kagome glared at him and Inuyasha froze at the dangerous voice. "OSUWARI!"

There was a huge crash…

Heiwa ran down over the hills. She had to get home quickly or her mother would be worried fit to burst. Her silver locks trailed out behind her and her gold eyes watched the bumpy ground on which she ran carefully.

Heiwa looked a lot like Kagome… except for the hair colour. To her mother's disappointment, she also had not inherited her father's dog ears. Heiwa loved her parents, but sometimes they were too much. She loved to watch her mother 'osuwari' her father though… something she wished she had inherited also (imagines… ).

"Heiwa!" Kagome called to the girl practically flying down the hill. Boy was she fast! As fast as Inuyasha even.

Inuyasha stood next to Kagome, leaning on the doorframe, looking slightly putout. He sighed and fiddled with the headband which Kagome had brought back from her world…

Authour's Note: youkai and ningen age differently (what I'm lead to believe anyway, believe me? TT) but in this instance, because Heiwa is now more ningen then she is youkai (technically NOT classified as hanyou), she probably can 'like a normal ningen' yet still have immortality. It would be nice being her…

Miroku and Sango watched Heiwa tearing down the hill and wondered Koharu was. Sango was immensely protective of Koharu and was always strongly reminded of her brother, Kohaku, who's whereabouts were unknown, whenever she looked at him. Miroku sometimes felt guilty too because Koharu would be the one to inherit the Kazanaa when he died (the first not to have a name starting with 'M' too…). So far it had been six years and nothing had happened but Miroku had prepared himself for the worst.

"Koharu!" Sango yelled with relief as she watch the sweaty boy emerge from the trees. She had though that her five year old son had been with Heiwa, but apparently that assumption wasn't right. He looked as though he had been exercising…? She frowned slightly but put that though aside as she led him inside.

Kiko and Sesshoumaru were on the outskirts of the village. Sesshoumaru could understand what Kikyo wanted, staying there, but was happy to oblige her. It was really quite strange what he would do for Kikyo.

Sesshoumaru had though once that he had feelings for Kagura, a detachment of his nemesis, Naraku. However, after she died, he had ceased to think of her… besides, as a detachment of the hanyou Naraku, she would be a hanyou also. Sesshoumaru had traveled after that, just like he used to, he came across Kikyo one day though as he was collecting water from the stream for her young adopted daughter, Ran. He cool demeanor, so much like his own, drew her to him, even if she was a ningen. Kikyo was one serious cool person!

Sesshoumaru wrenched himself out of his memories and sighed. Rin and Ran didn't seem to get on very well though. Ran was now 17 and Rin, 14. The both of them had fallen for Kohaku before he disappeared. As Ran was closer to Kohaku's age, she seemed to have an advantage and Rin wasn't happy about that.

Sesshoumaru was also puzzled (for once…) at why Kikyo had chosen to return to the village also. It was after he got there and saw Inuyasha and Kagome with the Shikon that it made a little more sense. Kikyo was back to look after it. It didn't make Sesshoumaru want to kill Inuyasha any less though, but Kikyo was a dangerous miko, so he would do as she willed… at least for the time being…

Kikyo watched Sesshoumaru carefully from outside. Although he had said that he was 'attracted to her'… or something… and she felt attracted to him in a way too (or was it just her love for Inuyasha… maybe not…) but she didn't know if she could trust him not to murder anyone…at least for the time being…