Hey guys. So sorry for the long time between the updates. Life's been pretty up in the air and hectic. Between quitting one job and trying to find another, getting engaged, and being pregnant, it hasn't been exactly easy to get this chapter written as there was alot that needed to go into it. But enough of my excuses, on to the story!

Chapter 9

'Damn! Where is that pitiful excuse for a human?' A seemingly young man stood in the middle

of the Albanian forest waiting for the person who could possibly help him in his task. 'It's a

shame he's not in a corporeal form, or I could kill him for his lateness!' he growled, causing

birds to scatter from the area. A snake came slithering into the area and came to a stop in front of

the man.He glared down at the snake, thinking of killing it before he realized that this was who

he was here to meet.

"Pathetic." he growled out. He walked over to the tree line where another man stood trembling

with fear. "Possess this simpering fool as I will not lower myself so much to talk to a snake." he

said as he shoved the man to the ground.

After a few minutes, the man got back up. "What do you want from me?" asked a high pitched

voice that did not come either of the two men.

"The same thing I wanted from you last time, Riddle!" the silver haired man shouted.

"Do Not call me by that name!" the voice screeched. Within seconds, the first man had 'Riddle'

up against a tree, his icy blue eyes shooting daggers into the trembling man he held by the throat.

"I will call you whatever the hell I like because I own you!" The man's eyes flashed dangerously

red for a minute before he regained control of his temper. He released the man before walking to

the edge of the clearing and adjusting his suit. "Now, get back to England and do the job I'm

paying you for." he said as he walked into the trees and disappeared.

"So, how're you liking that new arm, Fluffy?"

The tai-youkai growled at his younger sibling. "Why must you always use that infernal name?"

"Because it irritates you so." Inuai grinned up at Sesshomaru. "But that still doesn't answer my

question. How's the new arm working for you?"

"It is working just fine, Inuai. Thank you." he said softly. Inuai had to admit, Sesshomaru had

changed quite a bit since she had 'rejoined' the family. He was no longer as cold as he was when

she had first met him. Before, he never would have let anyone help him, especially not a mortal.

But with Inuai's insistence, he had gone with her to Germany and had Winry Rockbell-Elric craft

him a custom arm, which, with a little help from Inuai and her magic, would easily transform

with him.

"So... are you ready to go back to visit your mother?" he asked as they reached the bottom of a

long flight of stairs. Inuai knew where those stairs led to. They went to the Higurashi shrine. The

same shrine that Kagome had frown up in and that housed the well.

Sesshomaru placed a comforting hand on Inuai's shoulder. She looked up to see the concern

written plainly on his face. "I don't really have a choice, do I?" Inuai asked wryly. "I mean,

they're all up there waiting for me."

"That they are. But you were the one who decided to go today." Sesshomaru smirked. "You're

not thinking about backing out now, are you?"

"No!" Inuai replied indignantly. And with a pop, she left Sesshomaru laughing on the street as a

little white dog ran up the stairs to the shrine.

"Ummm... A little help here? Inuyasha!!"

"Whaddya want wench?" Inuyasha looked down to see his currently fuming mate at the bottom

of the well. The half demon simply smirked at her before jumping down and helping Kagome out

of the well. "Come on, you guys, we've got a lot of ground to cover."

The group slowly made their way to the village, enjoying the beautiful scenery of Feudal Era

Japan. Presently, Inuyasha and Kagome came to stand at the base of the Goshinboku. They both

looked up into the branches of the tree reminiscing, as Kagome reached up to run her hand

reverently over a hole in the bark before reaching up to tweak Inuyasha's ears.

"Ahem. If you two lovebirds are about done, we need to get moving. It's getting dark, and we are

expected in the village soon." Sesshomaru remarked, smirking slightly as the pair in question

turned red before scurrying off toward the village, leaving the rest of the group laughing in their

wake.

"Inuyasha! Kagome!"

"Sango!" Kagome called out as she ran to meet her friend. "It's been so long!"

"Yes, too long." replied a rich tenor voice. Kagome and Sango both turned toward the voice, only

to come face to face with a monk holding a very squirmy little girl.

"Miroku!"

"Who'd you steal the kid from, monk?" Inuyasha asked, grinning ruefully.

"Well, Inuyasha... if you and Kagome would come back more often," Miroku stated, causing

them both to blush in embarrassment. "You would know that this little bundle joy is our darling

daughter."

"Oh my Kami! Sango! She's adorable!" Kagome squealed causing all the demons present to

wince. "What's her name?"

"It's Suki." Sango replied. "So, Kagome, whose your friend back there?"

Kagome looked behind her to see a certain silver head and dog ears hiding behind Sesshomaru. "Uh, Inuai?"

"Y-yeah?" squeaked Inuai as she peeked out from her hiding spot.

"Are you okay?"

"Really, REALLY big boomerang." she quickly stuttered before letting out a terrified squeak and

ducking back into her hiding spot as Sango readjusted her weapon.

"Why are you afraid of Hiraikotsu?" Kagome asked her trembling sister-in-law. She had never

seen Inuai act like this and, truth be told, it was unnerving everyone in the group.

"You know," Inuai perked up, "I seem to remember someone yelling that before that thing came

hurtling at my head!" she yelled causing the demons present to flinch.

"Excuse me? The only friends I throw this at are Miroku and Inuyasha. Granted, you look a lot

alike..." Sango started.

"Say, why do you two look so much alike?" Miroku asked, finally joining the conversation.

"Why don't we go inside, away from prying eyes and ears." Kagura replied before anyone else

could.

Once the small group had settled into Sango and Miroku's hut, and Suki was fed and put down

for the night, they sat around the fire enjoying the warmth and each other's company. It had been

almost two years since they had all been together like this. Sango mused silently to herself.

"So..." Miroku started, startling most of the room out of their thoughts. "Are you going to

introduce us to this amazingly beautiful young woman you've brought with you?"

"Watch it, bub." Inuyasha growled at the monk. "That's my sister you're talking about!"

"Wait! Your sister??" Sango asked, shocked at this revelation.

"Well, yeah. She's my twin to be more specific." Inuyasha stated as if it was everyday fact.

"You might want to explain that a little better, baka." Sesshomaru said reasonably, catching the

confused looks on the monk and demon slayer's faces.

"Feh!"

"Let me." came a female voice from the shadows. Everyone turned to see two very familiar

amber eyes glowing softly in the corner.

"You've failed me again, Riddle!" the silver haired man snarled at the somewhat humanoid thing before him. "How hard is it to kill a fucking child!"

"Do not call it my failure!" Riddle nearly hissed. "It is Lucius who has failed you."

"But that is where you are wrong. It may have been Lucius who failed to kill the boy, but since he works for you, it is your failure!" he snarled, causing his eyes to flash red.

"You must tell me how you do that." hissed Riddle. "It would help me to instill fear in the hearts of those pathetic Muggles."

"Fool, only demons, like myself, can do that!" the demon nearly laughed. "And it's when we can no longer control our anger. Now, here is the item I promised you. Though you don't deserve it."

"Excellent! Now I shall be returned to my former glory!"

"I hardly doubt that." mumbled the demon. Riddle, however, didn't notice or simply did not care. "Now, go find this Wormtail you keep blathering on about, so you can finally kill that boy." The demon started to walk out, but was stopped once again by Riddle.

"Wait."

"What could you possibly want now, Riddle?" the demon questioned exasperatedly.

"You've never told me your name. I would like to know the name of the one who is suppling the way for me to regain my body." Riddle replied. The demon turned to fully face Riddle. The look on his face clearly showing the debate on whether to indulge the human or to leave him in the dark.

"If you must call me something, then call me Andrew."

"Is that your real name?" Riddle hissed, smirking.

"No, but you would have too much trouble pronouncing my real name." And with that being said, Andrew walked out leaving Riddle alone to his thoughts and kicking the large snake just outside the door.

"Wow." That was all that escaped past Inuai's lips as she looked at the massive crater. "So, this is the place?"

"Yeah, this is where Naraku met his end." Inuyasha said, pride evident in his voice.

"Well... I guess I'm proud of you, big brother." Inuai said plainly. She quickly glanced back behind her and scanned the trees. That's odd. I could've sworn I heard an owl.

"Come on, let's get out of here before the baka gets a bigger head than he already has." Sesshomaru chuckled as he deftly side-stepped Inuyasha's swing.

"So, where to now, bigger brother?" Inuai asked sweetly as she skipped around the tai-youkai. Sesshomaru simply sighed and continued to walk, trying to banish the image of a little girl with dark hair and brown eyes. Rin. Kagura reached over and took her mate's hand, knowing where his thoughts had turned.

Rin had followed Sesshomaru faithfully since the day he had brought her back with Tensuiga. Sesshomaru had come to look at the girl with affection. He know she would not live as long as he and Jaken, but hoped to, one day, see her find a mate for herself and start a family. But unfortunately, it was not to be.

Flashback

"Stay here, Rin." Sesshomaru told the young girl. She was almost to the age when she would be left in a village to forge her own life.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama." she replied with complete trust that he would come back for her.

"Guard her with your life, Jaken." he ordered the toad demon as he left the trees, walking toward the battle raging in the clearing.

"Oi! Bastard! What took you so long?" Inuyasha called as he let loose the Wind Scar toward Naraku.

"Better late than never." the tai-youkai smirked, sending an attack from Tokijin.

Across the clearing, stood two mikos trying to simultaneously bring down the demon's barrier and dispel the deadly miasma with their sacred arrows.

"Concentrate, damn it!"

"Shut it, Kikyo!" Kagome spat. She was getting seriously tired of the undead bitch. If they didn't need Kikyo's spiritual powers along with her own, Kagome would have purified her ass by now.

"Listen, you little imposter..."

"No, you listen, Kikyo!" Kagome yelled at the miko. "I'm tired of all the shit you've put Inuyasha and I through! You still think after all this time, that he's going to go to hell with you when this is all over! But I've got news for you. He's chosen to live with me! He doesn't want you or your slutty ways! So leave him the hell alone, bitch!"

All Kikyo could do was stand and stare as, all throughout Kagome's tirade, her spiritual powers had grown so much that they now rivaled those of Midoriko.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kagome screamed. "Quit staring at me and start firing!"

"There is no longer any need for me to be here." Kikyo said, admitting defeat. "Take care of Inuyasha, or I'll be forced to purify your ass."

"Hiratkotsu!"

"Wind Tunnel!"

"Nothing's working! Kiara, we need to get higher!" Sango called to her faithful neko youkai as one of Naraku's tentacles came hurtling at them.

"Sango, there's only so much we can do to keep Naraku distracted until Kagome and Kikyo can break through his barrier." Miroku replied calmly to his love. "Say, where is Kikyo?"

The demon slayer looked quickly toward her best friend. Kagome was practically glowing with power. "I guess Kagome can handle the barrier by herself now." she murmured to herself. Just as the words left Sango's mouth, Kagome's arrow broke through Naraku's barrier, effectively weakening the powerful miasma.

"Alright, Inuyasha! He's all yours!" Kagome called across the clearing to her love.

"Well, Miroku, let's get rid of some of these tentacles and help out the demons." Sango commented before having to smack the lecherous houshi for his wandering hands. "Keep your focus on Naraku, not my ass!"

"Kagura, take care of the demon slayer and the monk. Kohaku, you've got the miko." Naraku ordered. "The half breed and his brother are mine."

Kargura and Kohaku each shared a secret look before heading off toward their destinations. The battle had been raging for a whole day, and everyone was beginning to grow weary. Miroku had fallen off of Kiara as a tentacle shot toward the neko youkai and broken several bones. Sango and Kiara were fighting valiantly with Kagura, but couldn't get the upper hand, or so it seemed. Just when everything seemed hopeless, Kagura turned to the taijiya and smiled before sending an attack toward Naraku. Sango just sat and stared at the wind sorceress in shock.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Kagura asked the surprised taijiya. "Naraku is ripe for the taking."

Sango stared at her for another minute before Kagura's words sunk in, and she turned toward their mortal enemy to help out.

Across the clearing, Kagome and Kohaku were fighting their own battle, when in the middle of an attack from Kohaku's scythe, he turned and redirected it at Naraku. Kagome didn't even think twice about what had happened and started firing her arrows toward the giant tentacled freak in the heat of battle with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

Just like Kagura and Kohaku's betrayal, the tides began to turn against Naraku. In a desperate attempt to regain the upper hand, Naraku sent out a tentacle towards Kohaku, in an effort to obtain more power from the jewel shard imbedded in the young boy's back.

Rin had been watching the fight intensely. There were a few terse moments for the young girl when she felt her lord was in peril. She would desperately try to run to Sesshomaru but would be stopped short by Jaken. He would severely reprimand the girl and call her silly until she gave up and went back to playing with Ah-Un. She had just rejoined Jaken watching the fight, when she saw a tentacle racing toward Kohaku. She cried out a warning to him, but realized that he could not hear her as he was too much into the fight to notice his surroundings. Rin quietly looked toward Jaken to notice he was more interested in the main fight between Naraku, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru to thwart her. She quickly made up her mind and started running toward the boy, shouting as she went. She was about ten feet from him when he finally heard her calls of warning and turned around. Naraku chose that moment to speed up his attack. Rin saw this and ran to put herself between the tentacle and Kohaku. But the force from the attack was so strong that it not only went through Rin, but Kohaku as well.

Sesshomaru could only watch on in horror as Naraku's tentacle cut cleanly through the girl he had come to love as a daughter. "Nooooo!!!!" He growled out. His eyes beheld the horror in front of him before turning red. He growled loudly as he prepared to let loose the beast inside of him. He would not let Naraku get away with that.

With Sesshomaru in his true form and Tetsusaiga sharing the power of a jewel shard, Naraku could not stand much longer. "Kagome!" Inuyasha called. "I need one of your arrows now!"

With Inuyasha's attention diverted, Naraku took the chance to end the hanyou's life. He sent a tentacle toward the unsuspecting hanyou, but it did not meet its mark. Just before it would have hit Inuyasha, Kikyo jumped into the way and took the blow meant for her former love. Inuyasha just looked down at the miko and said a silent 'Thanks' before turning back to Naraku. "This is the end of the line, Naraku!" Inuyasha snarled at the beast in front of him. "Now, Kagome!"

Naraku screamed in fury and pain as Kagome's sacred arrow went ripping through his body. Before he could recover enough to counter the attack, Inuyasha sent his own attack toward the wounded hanyou. "Adamant Barrage!"

End Flashback

"I thought you said this would give me my body back!" Riddle hissed at the demon standing before him.

"No, I merely said it would give you a body, but this one does seem to fit you quite well." Andrew drawled. The demon calmly stood there taking Riddle's wrath in stride. There was no reason to be so upset, at least now he has a body. Andrew thought to himself. "So what do you plan to do now that you have a body?"

"I thought that would have been quite obvious to you, Andrew." Riddle smirked. "I'm going to take over the wizarding world."

"And what of the boy?"

"He will die, just as we planned."

"You seem so confidant of that, but yet he has thwarted you several times already." Andrew snarled.

"Yes, but I plan to take out the old man. With Dumbledore out of the picture, the wizards will be lost." Riddle said.

AN: I hate to leave this here, but I figure you all deserve at least something since you've all been so patient these past five months. I promise it won't take me that long to update in the future. Let me know what you think and anything that I can improve on.

Blanket disclaimer for A Hanyou's Life: I do not own anyone or anything you recognize from Harry Potter, Pirates of the Carribean, Full Metal Alchemist, Lord of the Rings, and Inuyasha. I do own Inuai, Kermit, and, the soon to be seen, Mist.