Sesshomaru stood staring at the moon it had been three terribly long years. A year to a demon was nothing at all, a blink of an eye. Hardly worth any thought, demons hardly took notice of years or birthdays. There was no reason to think much about them or to cherish them if you live forever, it's just a measurement of time ticking by. However these three years for Sesshomaru were like hell, he knew Rin was alive and that gave him hope. The Fox assassin had failed at his job, Sesshomaru had found that fox's village and he took it out killing all of that village. He saved the assassin for last, he even killed the assassin's family slowly infront of him. Sesshomaru wanted to make it painful for the assassin after all that fox tried to kill Rin, his mate…his love. If he would of killed Rin, the west would fall because Sesshomaru who had been keeping it at peace with so many rival clans would of died along with Rin.

The Sesshomaru however found the one behind the assassin, his mother. The fox told Sesshomaru who he worked for in exchange that his son who was found hiding under floor boards be allowed to live. Sesshomaru nodded and agreed to this, afterall the boy looked to be a newborn and would have no memory of Sesshomaru. Which meant the boy wouldn't plan to come and later take revenge and Sesshomaru would find the monster who ordered for Rin's death.

Sesshomaru took the infant to a neighboring fox village where it was taken in. Sesshomaru stared at the moon it was grey and white, many had said that the moon had a face while others said there was a city on it. The late daiyoukai lord, Inu no Tashio had brought this up to Sesshomaru when he was younger. Sesshomaru smiled and looked up at the moon and remembered that time.

Inu no Tashio and Sesshomaru were walking along a lush forest for hours, the smell of the forest rushing into his nose making him aware of all the scents and he turned his head to his father. Smelling a scent that shocked him and made him narrow his golden irises 'A human woman.'

"Father-"

"Sesshomaru what do you see in the moon?" He knew better his father was simply trying to lead Sesshomaru's mind down another path to avoid the scent his father carried on him, Sesshomaru mentally smirked 'Fine, I'll play your game. For now.' The young daiyoukai heir lifted his head up and glared daggers at the moon for some reason he found little happiness or joy in anything. His mind wondered looking at the moon 'What is so special about the moon?' He internally sighed making a mental note of his father being a strange lord, no demons really gives the moon much thought it is there and that is it. Mortals have came up with stories for everything the moon surely had a thousand different tales, for different reasons like legends, religious purposes and entertaining stories.

It seems mortals find it necessary these days to make tales of everything, tales of their meaningless existence or if they see an odd rock it holds a story. Villagers live short meaningless lives, they are born, they breed and work on fields then they grow old and die.

'How should I answer father? Is there more meaning to this?'

"Sesshomaru."

The Daiyoukai heir turned his head so he looked his father right in the eye meeting his cold stare with one of his own. He was determined to be better than his father to surpass him, his cold stare must be colder. And it was Sesshomaru had worked on his stare for many years he could make servants flee and noble men fear him. Sesshomaru was also growing his hair long like his father, Sesshomaru's hair wisped in the wind. His hair was cross between the northern winters snow and the surface of the glowing moon, it reached his waist. He had a few more decades before it was to his knees like his father's. He wore a outfit almost exact to his father, however his father choose to have purple flowers that were no specific flower. Sesshomaru made note to tell the tailors that he wanted red sakura blossoms. They were the color of blood showing he was a powerful killing machine and sakura blossoms to show grace and nobility. His belt was yellow and purple not red and blue, yellow was his mothers favorite and purple obviously his father's favorite. These colored showed his roots and he stared at his father reaching an answer.

"The moon is the moon and nothing else but a light during the darkness of night. Father why do you smell of a human woman?"

"Sesshomaru things are not always as they seem. The moon can be seen as many different things, you simply have to look at it with a different state of mind. That goes for many things… Like humans. Humans may be seen as weak by demon, because they are not as physically strong and they do not live long lives. Many with their short lives do nothing that demons see as extraordinary, they are born, they rut and they die. However due to their short lives they can see things we cannot. They can appreciate every good thing they have, like having food in their bellies or waking up every morning to live another day. That to them is precious. Demon can go a month without food, water or sleep. We do not treasure the things that humans do. Poor villages find that 'Love,' is the best thing in the world. It seems once one finds that they are very happy no matter what hardships they endure they can with love."

"Love? What a tedious emotion."

"The woman you smell on my body, is a mortal princess who has claimed she too has found love. She now claims to carry my child." This caused the world to stop for Sesshomaru, his father. The all powerful and highly respected Inu No Tashio, will father a half demon. 'I wished to be like father, however father shames us. Mother and I, no not us alone his whole clan for creating a half breed with a mortal woman. Her status as a princess makes not different that she is a mortal.'

"Father, how can you be so foolish to breed with a mortal."

"Because I have found a new strength one that your mother nor you poses. One I'm fairly sure neither of you will ever possess."

"What is this power you speak of?"

"Love."

Sesshomaru left his father's side and set out on his own to become stronger, as he looked up at the moon he glared 'I see nothing.'

Sesshomaru looked at the moon with soft eyes and smiled a slow smile, and remembered he had once asked Rin what she saw in the moon. That was a long time ago, it was a time he had enjoyed more than he had realized. It was a time when he wasn't alone, he had Rin, Jaken and Ah un all at his side. They were all filled with joy simply to be traveling with Lord Sesshomaru. Rin a girl who never asked for anything other than to stay with him, what she saw.

'A ying yang sign, my lord. Part of the moon is grey and part of it is white, just like your beautiful hair my lord.' At the time those words brought a joy to his heart, yet he hadn't known why. Sesshomaru now wished for nothing more than to have his mate, he had saw to it that when he found her they would live safely in the palace of the west. He had slain his mother and all those loyal to her, all those loyal to his father remained in the palace. He even hired a doctor who wasn't only skilled in demons anatomy, but also human anatomy. His cook also was familiar with many mortal dishes so Rin would be able to eat food she was used too, she could eat the food that Sesshomaru and the other demons ate. However he wasn't sure she would want to, she might want to stick with her familiar ways.

She might want to act like a mortal even if she is immortal. He would be fine with that, except that if only he could find her and hold her in his arms. He would never leave her side again no one would ever separate them again. He had sent search parties out of her, he had checked many villages within three years and hadn't even found a trace of her so far. He had found Inuyasha and his mortal mate, a priestess called Kagome. However they also claimed they had not seen her since she traveled with him as a child and had no idea what she looked like. It seems that his brother and Kagome were trying to start a family however it seemed difficult for them.

'Rin is alive… if she weren't I would be dead. But if she is alive… then where is she? Has she hid from me that well or has she crossed the sea?'

Sesshomaru didn't sleep much, nor eat or drink he has been pushing himself to the brink with his need to find her. Something burned deep within him to tell him something had happened to Rin, that something had changed and that he needed to find her that much quicker.

Rin smiled and was painting with her daughter, her daughter seemed to want to share her mother's talent. They both wore aprons to avoid getting paint on them, Chiestuka seemed to be very focused. She had tried finger painting Rin had read that was a hobby that many children at Chiestuka's age enjoyed. But her daughter complained how messy it was and that she didn't like the feeling on her fingers. It made Rin giggle, Rin remembered that when she was a child she was very messy and even covered in dirt at times. 'Perhaps she gets it from her father.'

Rin wasn't painting anything in particular; she had just begun to randomly paint a brown line. That brown line changed into a branch and that branch had many red sakura petals. Then a flash happened in her mind those gold eyes… She smiled and drew a pair of golden eyes just like that eye she had painted about two weeks ago. Rin looked out of the corner of her eye to see her daughter was painting a big yellow flower with a big green stem and a brown middle.

'A sunflower.'

She had to sneak glances because Chiestuka grew angry if someone peeked at her paintings before she was done with them, it made her nervous and she liked her paintings to be a surprise. Rin always praised and encouraged her little one to do her best and she had to saw Chiestuka had inherited her painting skills. Chiestuka's painting looked like a six year olds and yet Chiestuka was only three, she had a true talent. If her daughter wanted to be a painter she very well could. Rin would help and give her tips as she got older if Chiestuka still enjoyed to pain as she grew.

Suddenly there was loud talking and Rin heard it was coming from a boy's voice she grew used to, Souta's. He was her age and he had asked her out twice and she had explained that she could never date him because she was mated and her body and soul wouldn't allow her to date him. He understood and they stayed friends, Chiestuka didn't really take a huge liking to anyone other than Kagome's mom. But since Rin supported herself even paying rent for their home, Chiestuka was never away from Rin's side. And Rin didn't interact much with the Higurashi's because she didn't want to get too attached and forget where their true home is. In the past, with her mysterious mate she knew next to nothing about.

Rin sat her canvas to the side and took off her apron holding it and setting it aside, she stood and smiled down at her daughter "You finish painting and when I get back I'll look at it. But mommy is going to see what all the noise is about." Chiestuka nodded and smiled looking up at her mommy, she looked at her picture wondering how she can impress her mother. So far she just had a lone flower and her mommy could paint everything.

'I'll add big clouds! A rainbow! And and a… A Sun!'

Rin smiled turning to see her daughter, who seemed to have a strong determination and left. She was wearing a kimono that was white with a light blue pattern made up of tiny snowflakes over the material in some parts leaving other parts white, there were a few light purple flowers and she wore a solid purple obi with her hair all pinned up but her sliver combs and pins, she had one purple flower clip off to the side, she wore her fur around her neck and slipping on her sandals as she wore tabi socks too. Rin took a deep breath and walked out of the front door shutting it behind her and following the stone path to the front of the shrine. There she saw Souta hugging a woman who wore a priestess yukatas, Rin glared she couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in disgust.

'She may since Chiestuka, I'll have to be careful.'

Rin walked up to the two and put on a fake smile that seemed real she used it on many and only got real smiles in return. Rin looked at Souta who had changed a lot compared to the little sweet boy he once was, now he was a man his hair was not combed and slick it was now gelled and spike. His hair reached to the nape of his neck and it had tips of red, he wore shirts with band names and skinny black jeans or jeans with holes in them. He also had a piercing in his right ear and on his bottom lips two one on each side.

"Souta are you not freezing wearing that?"

He turned and grinned at her he ran over and draped his arm over her shoulder and she glared daggers at him 'At times you are beyond friendly.' "I'll never be cold seeing a beauty like you Mai." Suddenly the priestess turned to Rin and smiled, the priestess had shoulder length black hair and her eyes were brown, she wore no makeup and seemed to have a scar on her right cheek "MAI?!"

This shocked Rin, how did she know her name? Or the named that she used for now, anyways.

"Do I know you?"

Suddenly a loud sound came from inside the well house and out came a man she did recognize, the half breed. She could say that and feel nothing because her daughter had no trace of human blood in her veins and neither did Rin, she had washed that thought of her being human away long ago. The half breed wore the fur of the fire rat and he had doggy ears that were a dead giveaway of who he was.

"Inuyasha."

"Hey Mai, I see you got to see Kagome before you saw me."

"Kagome?"

The priestess with short hair nodded with a big smile and spoke "Long time no see." Rin nodded she had to agree to that it had been three years for mortals those must be long, however for Rin they seemed to speed by when she was with her daughter. But when she remembered her true home on the other side of the well and how she didn't belong here in this era, suddenly those three years feel a lot longer than they were.

"So Mai, did you have your child?" Inuyasha walked past the little group and dropped a box by the door, it was still winter and it was chilly Rin didn't want to be outside much longer. She didn't want to worry her daughter nor catch a cold.

"Yes, I had a girl. I must be getting back home she is waiting for lunch. You are free to come over anytime and visit."

Kagome's smile began to grow bigger and then she was suddenly on Rin hugging her, no actually almost squishing her "Oh I can't wait how about after lunch?!" Rin nodded and then she tried her best to shrug Kagome off, it seemed Kagome didn't want to let go. It was her mother who had to get Kagome attention to coming inside and catching up with their family and to let her get back to her own home. Rin sighed in somewhat some annoyance 'Kagome has sure changed in these three years, as have I. I used to be very childish and happy with no worries now I'm a mother and I can be cold to others… I hope I can go back to being warm and kind like how I remember being in my home era. Perhaps my attitude has changed living in this era and it will change back once me and Chiestuka go home… Which will be soon I hope.'

Rin smiled she had saved up enough money from selling her paintings and even had it converted to the currency system of the feudal era. Rin now only had to get a sword tutor to help her learn the way of the sword in order to protect both her and her daughter as they traveled hoping to find a new home and to find her mate, that she is forever bound too. However Rin thought it odd that she loved this man with all her being even though she couldn't remember hardly anything about him.