Chapter 4

After Sesshomaru had left Inuyasha and Shippo had rushed back to the village as fast as they could. While Shippo had wanted to go up ahead and meet with his Oji to see what it was that had happened and that the danger his mother had picked up on had nothing to do with their pack, he understood why his father had asked him to stay at his side so that they would arrive all together. For right now it was important and best for everyone that they all remained in groups. Just as they had neared the region that held their little home, Inuyasha let out a low growl to in from his son to stop running and moved his mate so that he could hold Tessaiga and Kagome at the same time. Just as Shippo was about to ask his father what it was that he had felt or smelled close to them, he turned and watched as his Oji appeared before them with blood covering his armor.

Before Shippo or Inuyasha could start their questioning, all eyes turned to the waking miko as she whispered out, "Rin…oh god my poor Rin…"

"She is gone, I was not able to make it on time, forgive me Imoto-san," Sesshomaru replied in a surprisingly gentle voice.

"Just what the hell happened?" Inuyasha growled out in anger and worry as she allowed Kagome to pull free and to stand up on her own.

"Oji, is she really…" Shippo began to ask only to stop short and look away.

"Your pack awaits our arrival, they have not told me how this came to be or who it was that has ended the life of one of mine. We will be meeting in her hut." Sesshomaru stated as he locked eyes with his younger brother.

"Shippo take your mother back to the village." Inuyasha ordered as he took a step toward his brother.

Unsure of how his brother would take it but hoping that he would understand that it was nothing against him and that it was more of a need to get a few answers from his sister, Sesshomaru locked eyes with his younger brother and said, "If it is alright with you Ototo-san, I would like to travel with my Imoto-san, there is something I wish to speak with her about."

"Shippo, Inuyasha go…I'll be fine. I'm sure Ani will keep me safe from whatever it is that was dumb enough to attack my family." Kagome stated in a calm and cold voice as her inner demon began to surface.

After feeling certain that his brother would let no harm to come to his mate and that he would also make sure that she would not run off to find the bastard that had killed Rin, Inuyasha turned to his head and gave a single nod before he took off in the direction of the village. Now that he didn't have to worry about dropping, not that he ever would or could, his mate Inuyasha was able to go at a much faster speed than before. He needed to speak with Sango and Miroku and he needed to make sure that the whole pack would be present for their meeting.

While Kagome struggled to get her emotions under control, Sesshomaru kept an ear out to make sure that his brother and nephew were out of hearing range. Just as he was about to ask Kagome if she was alright and if she would be fine giving him a bit of her time, the cold lord of the west found himself offering his sister a small grin as he heard her say, "I have a barrier up, no demon, hanyou, or human will be able to hear us. If they have been caught within my barrier their sense will be dulled so that it prevents them from over hearing us."

"You truly are the best fit mate for my brother; you balance him out perfectly Imoto-san."

After letting out a small sigh Kagome replied, "And in other ways he helps to balance me out. But we're not just standing here to talk about my mate. Ani tell me what it is that you need me to help you with."

"I need you to explain this to me, these were some of her final thoughts and it enrages this Sesshomaru that she felt the need to do such a thing when she was just now declared a master."

Kagome held her breath as she looked and just stared at the piece of paper that held her daughters last thoughts. While a part of her wanted to, needed to read her last thoughts, the thoughts the drove her to leave the safety of the village another part of her told her that it would not be right for her to read it. It was a letter that she had left behind for one person and one person alone. Just as she was about to take a step back and sadly inform her brother that she could not, Kagome froze in place when she heard his cold, calm, and slightly saddened voice say, "I would greatly appreciate it if you would aid me in this Imoto-san."

After taking in a deep breath and after getting better control over her emotions, Kagome nodded her head and agreement and took the letter he had offered her. As she began to unfold it, Kagome could only come to realize one thing, and that was that no matter how much her mate would ask her, or how much she would feel like telling him she would have to keep this secret with her. She could not and would not tell her mate of the letter their daughter had left behind before she had left the village on her own.

To my dearest Lord Sesshomaru, by the time this letter finds you I would have already started on my journey to the western lands. I was declared a Taijiya master by Lady Sango and have proven that I would be able to hold my own should there ever be a need for me to travel alone. However I find myself missing you, most often than most days now, and have come to realize that I can no longer be parted from you. I began my journey at first to prove to you that I would be able to hold my own as a part of your demonic court in the western lands and now I find myself hoping that this will not only prove to you that I have some value for a human but that I would be a good choice as a mate. I must confuse now while I still have the courage within me, I love you. I wish to be your mate and I cannot bear to be near you should you choose to have a proper mate, instead of a child at your side. I hope that the news of my travels of my accomplishments will help to convince you that I would be a good, mate for you.

But I have also learned that dreams are for children, and a child I am not. Should you not wish to see me since I have reveled to you my love I ask that you have Jaken sent to me upon my arrival at the Western Lands. I would need no message, no promise, no explanations. I will do as you will, I was do what you wish of me, even if what you would ask would be for my return to Inuyasha-sama's pack. But, if you can find it in your heart, if you can see and are convinced that I could possibly be a good match for you I ask that you wait for me. Wait for me my lord just as I have waited years for you. Once I arrive, any trail, any test, any demon you wish me to slay I will gladly do so if it will help you see me for the woman that I am rather than the child that I was. I hope that I do not take long and I so, whole heartily wish to see you soon my Lord,

Forever yours, Rin

As she whipped away the tears that had escaped her eyes, Kagome looked up and locked eyes with her brother only to surprisingly watch as he dripped poison from the tip of his claws to destroy the letter that had been left to him. Enraged by his actions, Kagome growled and threw her Ani against her barrier knowing that it would not hurt him and growled out, "What the hell have you done?!"

"I do not wish to risk others reading what was left to only this Sesshomaru. It is enough that I have read it, and it will forever be engraved in my heart. What I need your help to figure out Imoto-san is what my ward meant by 'proper' mate."

Unable to hold back her laughter, Kagome began to laugh at her dense brother. While she had known that Rin had fallen in love with Sesshomaru and while she was sure that it would be a crush that would fade with time should Sesshomaru chose to never see his ward again once she was married, she had no idea that Rin had already given her heart completely to her brother. Once her laughter died down, Kagome locked eyes with her brother and said, "Forgive me brother but it was not something that I could hold in."

"You will do well to tell this Sesshomaru what it is that he has messed."

"She loved you, she loves you just as I love Inuyasha, she knew that she was not a demon, that she would never be seen as the proper mate for the Lord of the West but she took her chance…she…she left to travel on her own, to make it know to all demons that she may be human but she would have the strength, the speed, the intelligence to become the Lady of the West." Kagome explained as tears began to once again run down the side of her face. "She wanted to prove most of all to you that she was worthy of being your equal as the woman she was; that Inuyasha and I, had raised her to be."

After a while of silence, Sesshomaru turned his back to his sister and said, "Let us go, if we take too long Inuyasha will be sure to come after you and I and I do not wish for the hanyou to think that I am incapable of taking care of you."

"Sesshomaru…"

"Are you ready to leave Imoto-san?"

Realizing that there was nothing she could say, that there was nothing she could offer her brother to help ease the guilt he was so hard trying to cover up in his heart, Kagome gave a single nod and allowed him to pick her up and carry her back to the village. When they arrived Inuyasha had already sent Shippo to watch over the little ones since he couldn't bare the sight of Rin in her hut, she was still covered in blood and had not been cleaned. 'There's so much to do…Rin…may you find happiness in your next life.'

Her body wouldn't do what she wanted it to do. It wouldn't move, she couldn't breathe, yet she could still hear the words, the parting words of those she loved. Could hear their cries, could smell their tears and feel their touch as they each held her for one last time. Just as she was about to try to fight the hold of whatever it was that was keeping her from saying a word, from letting her family know that she was alright, that she was still alive, the world went black around her as she pulled into memories, long lost memories that she didn't know were hidden in the furthest and darkest parts of her mind.

Flash Back

'Maya, Maya get your sister.' A woman's voice was heard as she turned to face the small coward that had entered their small, home at the back of the village.

'Yes Oka-san…come Aya, let's go play.' The young dragoness stated with a smile on her face as she ran over to her younger sister.

'Oka-san…Oka-san where is Otu-san?' the young child of no more than three summer old was heard whisper.

'My Queen,'

'Queen Haniyasu,'

'There is trouble and the king is nowhere to be found.' Her people came to her in worry.

Wanting to listen to what it was that was happening but also already having promised her mother that she would care for her younger sibling, the dragoness of ten summers old, knew that if she would be given the chance to see how her mother ran their lands, how she would be expected to run their lands when the time came for her to rule, Maya looked over at her younger sister, smiled and convinced her that the game they were playing was a game that their mother would be aware of. Once they had reached the outer courts, and the edge of the village, Maya stopped following her mother and the village people when she heard her sisters whispered voice ask, 'Are you sure? Oka-san said to never leave the village.'

'All is well my little dragon, you'll see, Oka will not mind for I will keep you safe and she will never know.'

'I thought you said that this was a game.'

'And it is, do not worry my little dragon. Now follow.'

Without waiting for her younger sister to say another word, the dragoness jumped up high and into the trees as she got closer and looked into the clearing where her mother stood proudly with her people at her side. There in the clearing, so close to their village, was a rather large dog demon with wounds covering her body. Their mother quickly began to grow the herbs that would be needed to help the Inu demon but stopped when she heard a low growl. The two watched while the dragoness that was their mother let out a hiss of her own before stating, 'You are too close to my home demon, and whatever troubles you may had led this way I will have none of. If you were unable to kill what has wounded you so, I suggest you leave for if you being danger hear I will be sure to kill both the danger and the one that has caused the danger to appear in my home.'

'Oka-san should not have said such a thing.' Aya whispered in a soft tone that Maya was almost certain she would not have heard her should she had not been holding her sibling on her back.

Before Maya could ask her sister what it was that she spoke of, she turned her eyes back to their mother as they heard her say, 'I do not have all day, I am the lady, queen of this village, I do not have the time to be waiting on such things.'

'Let's kill the demon!'

'Kill it before it brings the demon to our village, to our lands my Queen,'

And just as the dragons that had gathered around the demoness to kill her, even if she was wounded, even if they could not tell that it was not danger she had with her but her young, they all moved forward to do as such only to stop in shock when they found their Queen's youngest daughter standing in the way and with a glow of power around her. Before any could say a word, they watched as the eldest daughter of the Queen appeared at her sisters side and said, 'Aya, Aya what do you think that you are doing?'

'She ran…was not safe…her baby…she just had a baby.' Aya whispered as she slowly approached the Inu demoness.

However being as young as she was, not knowing the protective instincts that took over when one had a child, she had no idea that she was being seen as a danger to the young that the demoness held with her because of the actions of her family and the actions of the people that her mother led. Realizing the danger and having sense the change in the demoness aura before any other in the clearing, the child's power ragged out of her and blew her elder sister away from herself and the demoness and into the arms of their worried mother just as the Inu demon had made her move. As she was hit with a cloud of poison the young child filled with power closed her eyes and allowed all of her instincts to do as they willed to keep her safe.

'Aya!' her worried sisters cry was heard while the rest of the dragons had quickly moved back. They had heard of a few demons that could control poisons, that had poison as blood and could will it as they pleased just as some of the dragons born in the royal line could control certain elements rather well and quickly, just as their Queen. But before the Queen could make her move to protect her own child, they all watched with shock gazes as they witness the true, great power, uncontrollable power, of the second child to their Queen and feared of what this meant. Feared what the lack of control of her powers could do to their home.