A/N: I feel like writing more of this one. Hope you guys enjoy. Please, read and review.

Miroku was at a loss. Ever since the day she'd gone off on Inuyasha that day at Kouga's Sango hasn't been herself. He walked up to the woman he loved and slipped his arms around her waist. She stopped and sighed.

"I'm not in the mood Miroku."

She said and he noticed how her voice seemed broken. It was missing it's usual amount of emotion when threatening him.

"Sango my dear, what is bothering you?"

Miroku asked and Sango turned around in his arms and broke down.

"She's by herself Miroku."

Sango said crying into his shoulder.

"That's not true Sango, she has Shippo."

Miroku said trying to comfort the woman crying in his arms. Kilala mewled and rubbed her head against Sango's leg trying to comfort her.

"Why did we let her go? We should have gone with her."

Sango cried and Miroku just rubbed her back comfortingly. He was unsure what to do. He felt the same as Sango, but they had no idea where Kagome was.

"She's tought Sango, she can handle herself. I'm sure we'll see her sometime soon."

Miroku said and Sango nodded before pulling back and looking up at him.

"Thanks Miroku."

She said wiping the tears from her eyes. He smiled down at the woman before him before helping her to her feet.

"Don't worry about it."

He said before they started walking towards the East again.

'I'm sure we'll see Kagome sometime soon.'

Kagome smiled whens he saw the Eastern palace in the distance.

'Looks like we'll get there sooner than expected.'

Kagome thought to herself.

"Kaa-san, can we take a break?"

Rin asked and Kagome turned to look back at her and Shippo. They looked beat.

"Yeah let's rest. We'll reach the palace by tonight."

Kaogme said as she set down her bag. She was running out of supplies, but she was too far away from the Bone Eater's Well to go back and get more.

"Shippo, can you and Rin go gather firewood?"

Kaogme asked and Shippo nodded as he and Rin walked off into the forest to do as she'd asked. She sighed as she sat back and looked up at the sky. The sun was still high in the sky, lighting everything around them. She closed her eyes and let her senses roam. She quickly found Shippo and Rin and smiled when she heard Rin call him onii-san. She listened to the sounds of the forest around her. The trees rustled as wind blew through their leaves. The air had gotten cold as winter was setting in. Kagome smiled as she heard a family of deer a few feet away eating at the grass.

'You've improved greatly.'

'Thanks. It's strange. It's almost natural for me to listen for things and sense them. So much has changed since I went back to talk to my mom.'

Kagome thought as she took a deep breath and relished in the quiet sounds of the forest around her.

'So you still consider them family?'

Kagome's beast asked.

'Hai, I do. They raised me since I was a baby. Though they may not be my biological family they are still my family in my heart.'

'Hmm, and what about your actual family here? How will you react to them?'

'I'm not sure. I mean I am a little upset that they just left me at the bottom of a well, but I understand why they did it. My only concern is that they won't want me back.'

Kagome said with a sigh.

'Do not worry so much. Of course they will want you back, you are their daughter.'

'Yeah, but how will I show them I am who I say I am? I mean how many people do you think have said they were their daughter grown up?'

Kaogme said and her beast was quiet for a while.

'I had not thought of that.'

Kagome sighed.

'I don't suppose you remember anything from when I was a baby that you can tell me to help me now?'

Kaogme asked hopefully.

'I'm sorry.'

Kaogme sighed as she stood up.

'It's fine, I'll just figure something out when we get there.'

Kagome thought as Shippo and Rin came back to the camp with armfuls of wood. Shippo started the fire with his foxfire which had gotten much stronger.

"Alright. Shippo, keep your sister safe while I go hunt."

Kagome said and Shippo nodded. Kagome smiled before running off into the forest towards the family of deer she had heard earlier.

After eating Kagome leaned back against a tree.

"That was good."

Shippo said and Kagome nodded.

"Kaa-san are we going to train tonight?"

Rin asked and Kagome turned to look at her and Shippo.

"You two can spar with eachother. That way I can see what you need to improve on."

Kagome said and Rin and Shippo looked at eacother before smiling. They jumped up and ran a few feet away from camp. Both drew their weapons and nodded at each other. Then Shippo charged at Rin. Kagome watched as her son and daughter sparred with each other. Rin blocked his attack and jumped over him. She spun around and tried to attack him from behind, but he blocked with his sword.

"Remember you have more than just your weapons to fight with. While fighting use anything and everything you have."

Kagome said as they pushed off from eachother. Shippo nodded and Rin smiled as she spun her sai expertly. Both had improved greatly. Rin was now no longer afraid to fight, but she wasn't power hungry either. And Shippo knew when to stop unlike other youkai his age. Shippo formed a blue-green ball of flames in his left hand and charged at Rin again. Rin ran full out towards him, and just as he was about to hit her in the stomach with his foxfire she slide to her knees and went trough his legs. She quickly stood up and knocked him to the ground. She placed a knife to his neck and smiled as she tossed his sword out of his reach.

"I win."

Rin said and Shippo smirked before knocking her off him. He turned to face his sister with claws ready.

"If you say so."

He said before charging at her again. Rin jumped out of the way and Shippo shot blasts of fire at her feet, keeping her at a distance from him.

"Give up?"

"Never."

Rin said and Shippo smiled.

"You can't attack me with your sai unless you're close up, just give up."

Shippo said and Kagome smiled at her son's ignorance.

Rin stood her ground and waited for Shippo to attack. He shot a blast of fox fire at her and she threw one of her sai at him, pinning him to a tree. She jumped out of the way of his attack and sored through the air. She landed right infront of him. She retrieved her sai and placed one against his neck and the other pointed right at his heart.

"Again, I win."

Rin said and Kagome stood up clapping. Both children turned to look at her.

"That was very good. Rin you've learned how to weild the sai expertly, and Shippo you've improved greatly with your fox fire."

Kagome said making both children blush at her compliments. Rin sheathed her said and Shippo retreived his sword.

"Come on, let's get you two cleaned up then we'll head out."

Kagome said and both children followed her to the hotspring. It was split down the middle by a giant rock. Shippo went over to the left, stripped and waded into the water. Kagome and Rin did the same on the right. Kagome quickly washed her body and hair and turned to Rin. She poured some shampoo into her hand and worked it into Rin's hair.

"Kaa-san?"

"Hmm."

"Do you really think Lord Sesshomaru will find me?"

Rin asked and Kagome's hands stilled in her hair before resuming what they were doing.

"I'm sure he will. He cares about you and as soon as he hears about you being in the Eastern lands he'll come get you as soon as he can."

Kaogme said rinsing her hands and telling Rin to rinse her hair.

"Why do you act that way when I talk about Lord Sesshomaru?"

Rin asked as she resurfaced. Kagome sighed as she worked some conditioner into Rin's hair.

"I knew you'd ask that eventually."

Kagome said as she told Rin to rinse her hair again.

"Why?"

Rin asked as she resurfaced.

"Remember when I found you in the forest?"

Kagome asked and Rin nodded.

"I was kinda pissed off that Sesshomaru wasn't able to sense your blood when I could and my senses were all jumbled."

Kagome said as she and Rin got out and got dressed.

"So kaa-san was worried about me because Lord Sesshomaru wasn't there when I needed him?"

Rin asked and Kagome nodded.

"Thank you kaa-san."

Rin said hugging Kagome. She smiled before hugging her back. Shippo walked up to them and smiled at his mother and sister.

"What'd I miss?"

He asked as Kagome and Rin pulled apart.

"Nothing much."

Rin said as they headed back to the camp. They gathered their things and started walking towards the Eastern palace again.

"Kaa-san do we have to call you Katrina here too?"

Rin asked and Kagome smiled before shaking her head.

"No sweetie, here you can call me Kagome or kaa-san."

Kagome said and both Rin and Shippo nodded.

As they walked Kagome listened to Rin and Shippo talk about random things. They had grown up. Shippo was now around nine and Rin looked to be about the same age. It wasn't right that they had to grow up in such a time of war and violence, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"Kilala is the fastest demon in the air."

Shippo said.

"And I say Lord Sesshomaru is the fastest demon in the air."

Rin said.

"He doesn't count. He's an inuyoukai. Kilala is a nekomata, and is the fastest in the air."

Shippo said.

"Fine, then Ah-Un is the fastest in the air."

Rin said and Shippo looked at her confused.

"Ah-Un?"

Shippo asked.

"Hai, Ah-Un looked after me when Master Jaken would go off hunting for us. He is the fastest demon in the air."

Rin said and Shippo continued to argue with her. Kagome smiled as she listened to them bicker. It had taken some time, but she had managed to get Rin out of her habit of talking in third person. Now it seemed like she never did it.

"Kaa-san! Tell onii-san that Ah-Un is the fastest demon in the air." Rin said.

"Kaa-san! Tell onee-san that Kilala is the fastest demon in the air." Shippo said in unison with Rin.

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at her children. She picked both of them up and nuzzled them making them giggle.

"How 'bout this. They are both two of the fastest demons in the air, no one can beat them."

Kagome said and both children smiled. Kagome smiled to herslef as Shippo sat on one shoulder while Rin sat on the other. She was really glad she had demonic strength now because carrying both like that was kinda tiring.

After a while of silence Shippo asked a question.

"Kaa-san? Is that the Eastern palace?"

Shippo asked pointing towards a grey stoned palace surrounded by youkai guards.

"Hai it is."

Kagome said as she put both Rin and Shippo down on the ground and knelt to face them.

"Now listen. While we are here you are to show the demons here the upmost respect, am I understood?"

Kagome asked and Rin nodded. Kagome had expected that, living with Sesshomaru probably made Rin learn to be respectful to all demons. Kagome nodded and turned to Shippo.

"Does that mean I have to be respectful to all youkai?"

Shippo asked and Kagome nodded.

"Hai it does."

Kagome said and Shippo nodded in understanding after a while.

"Okay then. Stay close to me and don't cause any trouble."

Kagome said as she stood up, took each child's hand and walked towards the northern gate of the palace. She was stopped by the guards.

"State your business here ningen."

One of the guards said. Kagome noticed it was a bear youkai with black hair down to his shoulder. Dark brown eyes, and a pleasant face.

"I'm he-"

Kagome started, but was cut off by the other guard.

"Leave! The Lord and Lady of the East have no business with a ningen and her brats."

Kagome turned to glare at the other guard and saw that he was a higher ranking youkai. He had dark, fire red hair going down to mid back tied into a high ponytail. He had dark blue eyes and Kagome noticed he was wearing the colors of the East. Kagome recognized his scent instantly. He was a phoenix demon.

"General Tai, w-what are you doing down here?"

The bear youkai from earlier asked.

'So he's the general huh.'

Kagome thought to herself. She felt Shippo's aura flare and pressed against it with her miko aura to calm him. Both demons before her flashed their eyes to her at the feel of her miko powers.

"Miko, what are you doing here?"

The bear demon asked pointed his spear at her. Kagome glanced back at General Tai, daring him to interupt her again.

"I am here to see my mother and father."

Kagome said and both demons burst out laughing. General Tai was the first to regain his composure.

"You're mother and father. Ha! And who would they be miko wench?"

Tai asked and Kagome's eyes narrowed at being called wench.

'You know this guy is beginning to remind me of a certain taiyoukai I know.'

Kagome thought with a smile.

"The Lord and Lady of these lands."

Kagome said and both guards looked at her like she was crazy.