Discalmer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters!

Hello, Everyone! I'm so very sorry this took me so long to update! I've been really struggling with this chapter. Also, I didn't realize, for waterer reason, I accidentally kept calling Rima, (Sahara's oldest sister) Akina in the last chapter. I will make this change as soon as I can, but I wanted to address it so there is no confusion. HER NAME IS RIMA! :)

Sahara turned her head to look back at her wings with curious eyes and they fluttered in response. Perhaps, she thought, they could go back the same way the had come out? She tried to remember what had transpired in the forest earlier. She sat on the bed and covered her face with her hands trying to concentrate.

Her thoughts brought her back to the river where she had seen the two demons fighting. She remembered feeling mesmerized by the battle and how odd the man in red looked with dog ears on his head. And then there with the other male dressed in white, with long silver hair. Her heart began to beat violently in her chest. She dropped her hands from her face and quickly stood from the bed. Golden eyes clouded her vision, beautiful molten orbs that she suddenly desired to stare into. Suddenly, nothing else mattered, she had to find him. She felt herself move towards the door to open it when it was suddenly slid open in a hurry and an older demoness blocked her way, snapping her out of her daze.

"Akime!" Sahara stepped away from the door blinking confused at the silver haired woman, whose orange colored eyes scanned the room, "You are not supposed to be here, go to your duties downstairs, immediately!" The stout woman hurried towards the bathroom moving past Sahara, just as Akime stepped out.

"Forgive me, Rei-Lynn, you were busy, and I had noticed that our guest had already been awoken. I thought I could be of more help here." Akime explained with a tight smile.

"Lady Sahara is not to be of any concern to you!" The woman whom Akime called Rei-Lynn seemed rather annoyed at the younger demoness, "You are needed downstairs to attend to Rin. That is your duty."

Akime's face immediately scowled, "I don't see why I have to entertain a human child, when she is perfectly content with picking flowers all day long."

"Content or not, Lord Sesshomaru wants Rin supervised at all times. There are other demons around afterall." Rei-Lynn pointed to the door, "Now, if you would please return to your instructed duties, I won't have to bother the Lord with any of this nonsense."

Akime huffed, but bowed politely and left the room, sending an annoyed look Sahara's way before shutting the door.

Rei-Lynn shook her head with a sigh, "That girl will be the death of me one day."

"Um..?" Sahara didn't know what to say, confused by the sudden turn of events and her previous desires forgotten, but the old demoness turned to her with a warm smile.

"Forgive her, Milady. Akime has some personal issues she hasn't been able to sort through yet. I suppose curiosity got the best of her and she came here without permission." She bowed lowly as she continued, "I am Rei-Lynn, I am in charge of all the maids in the palace and am Lord Sesshomaru's personal attendant, which is why I am also here to attend to you." She stood up straight again and motioned Sahara to move closer to her, which she complied hesitantly. "It is my understanding that you've recently discovered your demon form and that you've been raised by humans your entire life thus far, is that correct?"

Sahara nodded, "I was with my brother when he took me."

Rei-Lynn blinked at her, "Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Yes, I suppose it was Lord Sesshomaru." Sahara replied quietly.

"Do you know why?"

Sahara shook her head and then stared at Rei-Lynn for a moment, "If you are his personal attendant, doesn't that mean you know why he has brought me here? I'm just confused why a demon lord would have any interest in me. Akime said that the Lord does what he wants when he wants, is that true?"

Rei-Lynn smiled a warm, but amused smile as she turned to the bed to look at the kimono that Akime picked out, "I think it is best that Lord Sesshomaru answers your question about why he has decided to take you so suddenly. I was surprised myself when he brought you here. He does do as he wishes, but he usually has a very good reason. I am aware as to what your purpose is in his life and that he has been searching for you for some time now. However, I believe full heartedly that Lord Sesshomaru should be the one to discuss that matter with you."

Sahara tilted her head to the side, "I have a purpose in his life? I've only heard of him told in horror stories in my village."

Rei-Lynn burst out laughing at Sahara's comment, "I bet they were truly terrifying! But I've heard that the Lord doesn't needlessly kill humans anymore. I know he used to, but Jaken has said that they don't go near villages anymore unless it is necessary for Rin."

Sahara thought about this for a moment. If he cared to have his human companion protected and kept away from humans so he didn't have to kill them, could he really be as horrible and terrifying as the stories say?

"He cares for a human child?" She asked obeying Rei-Lynn's motion to follow her.

"Yes. Apparently, young Rin had been severely attacked by wolves some time ago. Lord Sesshomaru brought her back to life and she hasn't left his side since." Rei-Lynn placed a finger in the wooden tub to test the water temperature. "At least Akime did somethings right." She muttered before turning back to Sahara. "You should be able to get in now."

Sahara blinked to clear her mind turning back to her wings having been reminded that she still couldn't figure out how to get them to vanish again.

"Oh, of course!" Rei-Lynn captured Sahara's attention once again, "I forgot you probably don't know much about your demonic capabilities yet. You did just wake up not long ago. Lord Sesshomaru did say that you had fainted during your transformation."

Sahara's eyes went wide, "That's right! He took out a shard of something from my chest and that's when..." She trailed off hugging herself tightly remembering the intense pain that had coursed through her.

"It must have been very frightening and painful." Rei-Lynn squeezed her arm comfortingly. "But you will learn how to control your powers and abilities in time."

A thought crossed through Sahara's mind and without thinking she suddenly asked, "Am I really the last butterfly demon?"

Rei-Lynn sighed heavily, "You are the last as far as anyone knows. But I can't tell you anymore right now. We must get you ready to see the Lord."

Sahara looked away from the elder demon an odd feeling resonating within her at the idea of seeing him again. She fingered her throat where his hand had once been when he held her against the tree and began to think of his honey colored eyes that seemed to search down into her own. She wished she could stop herself from thinking of them, of him.

"Lady Sahara?" Rei-Lynn touched her shoulder gently again almost causing Sahara to jump out of her skin.

"I'm sorry! I just..." She didn't know how or if she should explain these odd feelings towards a man she'd only just laid eyes on and was slightly afraid of.

Rei-Lynn gave Sahara a smile, a smile that made the young girl wonder if the elder woman knew what Sahara was experiencing. "Let's get you ready. I want you to concentrate and concentrate really hard on folding your wings back into your body."

Sahara blinked a few times, "Will it work?"

Rei-Lynn nodded.

Sahara closed her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could. She imagined her wings folding themselves together behind her. A tingling sensation erupted in ripples down her back as she tried to think of the rainbow colored wings to be sucked back into her back where they had grown out from before. A clap from Rei-Lynn snapped Sahara's eyes open to see the old woman's beaming face.

"You did it!" She exclaimed happily.

Sahara turned to her back and sure enough, the wings were gone. Her eyes lit up in wonder, had they really gone back into her back? But she hadn't felt any pain as she thought she might have.

"Come into the tub, Milady. We must rid you of the cat smell, Lord Sesshomaru doesn't appreciate cats very much."

"Cat smell? But I haven't been-" She stopped herself, "Touya.." She looked outside of the room and to the window of the bedroom across from her. "I wonder what they are doing."

After the siblings introduced the group to their father, Okumo took another sip of tea before speaking again, "It had only been a few months that Sarylah actually lived with us." Okumo began the story of his late lover. "She was happy, but she was plagued with some sort of secret that I was unaware of until right before she was killed."

"What was that?" Touya leaned in closer.

"Well, that's another story that I'm not sure I should tell you before telling Sahara." The older man mused at Touya's expression before continuing, "Anyway, she felt..." He paused stroking his dark beard in thought, "Well, maybe I should tell you a little history before I tell you why she made the decision to see the butterfly demon to the north."

"When the wars between demons and humans began, the butterfly demons were arguing amongst themselves. You see, butterfly demons are unlike the stereotypical evil monsters that are told in children stories and a lot of the demons you generally see today. They are a peaceful race and they were content in mingling with both humans and demons since they could easily manipulate their appearances to be either. However, some felt that it was their duty to fall back on their demonic heritage and help the opposing demons fight the humans. Whilst the others wanted no part in the war, so they fled to some unknown place. Sarylah's family was the majority of that portion that were against participating in the war, but she refused to leave her homeland.

Sarylah's parents were nobles. Her mother, I've been told, was a very stubborn woman and was very controlling over Sarylah's life after the death of her late husband. So, obviously, she was completely opposed to Sarylah's decision to stay behind. So, she disowned her daughter and left with the clan to the unknown world, leaving Sarylah behind.

A very long time after that, I came to meet Sarylah. We fell in love and she took care of Touya, Rima, and Gwen as if they were her own. She was so beautiful and so full of wonder, happiness, and adventure. When she told me she was ready to settle down and live with me and my children I was ecstatic. I felt like everything was finally falling into place. Unfortunately, that would never be."

Okumo sighed glancing down at his tea cup before taking a sip and looking back at his audience with solemn eyes.

"Word of the remaining butterfly demon race that had also remained being obliterated began to spread and it wasn't long before it reached us. Sarylah became depressed thinking of the loss of her people. There was no way of knowing whether or not her family and the few other butterfly demons who had left were still alive in the other place in which they fled. But she said she still knew of one remaining male butterfly demon. A lord at the North who had broken off from her clan and led the other butterfly demons into the war, still resided there. She began talking about how they were the last and it was their duty to keep their race alive. So, one day, she left."

"She just up and left you?" Kagome leaned forward her eyes wide.

"Yes." Okumo sighed heavily. "I understand she had her reasons and I have come to terms with it. She did come back, but over a year had past before she did."

"She should've just stayed gone." Touya muttered.

"Touya!" Rima scolded, "Thats disrespectful!"

Okumo shook his head at his eldest daughter, "Let it go. I understand his feelings and he is entitled to them."

"When she did return, she had brought Sahara with her, wrapped in a pale red cloth." Gwen smiled remembering the day. "It was bright and sunny and Sahara was a beautiful baby. However, we knew she was a demon. She had her tiny pointed ears and fangs and a red marking shaped like a heart on her forehead. We had to hide her from the villagers until Sarylah brought the jewel shard."

"How was the piece of the sacred jewel shard obtained?" Sango suddenly asked. "It's only been a few years since its been shattered."

Okumo began scratching his beard again, "Sacred Jewel shard, you say? I don't remember Sarylah ever mentioning a sacred jewel shard before. She said she got the fragment of a crystal that would hide Sahara's true self so that she could live in the village with us. She placed it in Sahara's chest when Sahara began walking a few months after they arrived. But I don't believe she ever told me the name of the crystal it came from."

"But that doesn't make any sense." Inuyasha said suddenly, "Kagome said the jewel inside the girl was a shard of-"

Kagome chuckled nervously cutting the half demon off, "Well, about that... I thought it was a sacred jewel shard, but it turns out that it doesn't fit with the other fragments." Kagome pulled out the half completed pink jewel along with a thick glowing dark violet shard that obviously didn't match. "I guess when I saw the light from Sahara's chest I just assumed it had to be a shard. You can have this back." She gently handed the shard to Rima who took it carefully.

"If Sahara ever comes back we could give this to her. It is the last thing her mother gave her."

"If?" Touya stood up suddenly, his ears pointed upright on top of his head, "There should be no 'ifs' about her returning! We will bring her back from that arrogant mongrel demon lord if its the last thing we do!"

"Touya, calm yourself. There is nothing you can do. Now that she is in her full demonic form she has to have been aware of her betrothal to the Lord of the West by now." Okumo took another sip of tea nonchalantly.

"Betrothal?!" Everyone in the room said in unison surprise masking their faces.

"Sesshomaru betrothed? I can't even imagine him getting married and having kids." Inuyasha recovered quickly returning back to his position turned away from the others staring out the door.

"Me either." Kagome agreed placing a finger to her chin in thought, "He doesn't seem the type to settle down."

"I don't think he has a choice in the matter." Sango said quietly, "My people used to tell stories passed down from old times before the humans and demons began to clash. When a betrothal is created between demons its eternal. It has been said that a demon could die if stayed away from his or her mate for too long."

Rima turned to her father her dark brown eyes expressing concern, "How long ago was this created, Father?"

Okumo scratched his chin again staring up at the ceiling. "Lets see, Sarylah said that she escaped from the Demon lord of the North by setting a portion of his palace on fire. The distraction allowed her and Sahara to easily flee. However, just outside his lands they were almost captured until the Great Dog Demon defended them."

"Oh my!" A tiny old man's voice was suddenly head from Inuyasha's direction causing the small family to turn to Inuyasha in surprise, "You don't mean Lord Inuyasha's father, do you?"

Inuyasha smacked his chest and let the flattened flea demon fall into his hand, "Myoga? What are you doing here?"

"I was just passing through when I heard talk about the great war and your father." Myoga popped back up with a smile, then turned to the rest of the group, "Although, I would say its highly impossible that your Lady Sarylah had the chance of meeting my great master." He sat down with his legs and four arms crossed over his body, "The girl I saw by the river could be no older than fifteen or sixteen. Lord Inuyasha was sealed to a tree about fifty years ago and his father would have passed about a decade and a half before then."

"If thats true," Miroku crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side trying to piece all the information together, "Sahara should be about seventy years old!"

"That does sound rather far fetched when you think about it." Gwen mumbled quietly.

"So, when she was saved by Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father, what did Sarylah say happened next?" Kagome asked.

"Well, she thanked him and began talking with him apparently. He told her about his son, Sesshomaru, and one thing led to another, then Sahara was to be the young Lord's intended."

Touya growled deep in his throat, "I'm tired of sitting here contemplating as to whether or not this is a true thing! I'm going to find my sister! The way I see it, its a hoax and Sahara is in danger. I'm going to find her and bring her home." He began to walk towards the door, but Inuyasha stood in his way.

"You are a fool if you think you can take on Sesshomaru by yourself, Kid."

"Move it, Dog." Touya hissed, "I can take on that mongrel with my own two claws."

"I can't let you go. It would be bad for my conscious if I allow you to go in like an idiot and get yourself killed."

"Then why don't we go with him?" Sango stood up her Hiraikotsu at her shoulder, "We could make sure they both get back to their family safely."

Inuyasha's golden eyes shifted over to his friend before looking back to Touya, "I'm sure Sesshomaru won't be reasoned with. In his eyes the girl is his and he won't give her up. It's just a pointless fight. Besides," He crossed his arms over his chest, "we should be looking for more shards and Naraku, not playing fetch."

"We already know Naraku has the rest of the jewel." Shippo stated from the safety of Kagome's shoulder, "If you ask me we just have to wait for him to make his appearance. So helping these guys out isn't really a waste of time."

"No one asked you, Shippo!"

"Inuyasha, don't talk to him like that. He does have a point." Kagome glared also standing. "I agree! I think we should go."

"Kagome! Did you not hear what I just said?" The half-demon huffed.

"There really is no need." Okumo looked at the group a solemn look plastered to his face. "Sahara is as much as a daughter to me as Rima, Gwen, and Kindra. However, she is a full-blooded, noble demon. I knew sooner or later she would find out and would have to leave us. Honestly, I'm sorry I couldn't have said goodbye to her, but I know that's where she belongs."

"Father, I'm astonished! You would just give up like that?" Touya shouted out of anger, "She is probably held captive, confused out of her own mind, while we sit here arguing about nonsense!"

"Touya! What is your plan?" Rima stood up to her brother, "You think you could just run there, grab her, and leave? We've heard all the stories of Lord Sesshomaru. He is a merciless killer. You could risk getting Sahara killed too if you interfere." She sat down content her point got across to her brother, "Besides, we don't even know where the Lord lives."

Touya looked away shamefully. He hadn't thought that through.

"I agree with Rima." Miroku spoke nodding his head quietly, "We can't expect to go without a blood shed. Not to mention, we'd be going against something beyond our control. As Sango said, a promise between demons is eternal. I think its better to leave it at that." He looked at Okumo and then Touya who didn't meet his eyes, "I'm sure Sesshomaru will still want to go after Naraku for his own personal reasons and he won't take Sahara with him, seeing as how she is intended to bear his children. When that happens, Sahara could get away and come check in with you guys. I'm sure she will miss you."

"There's no way we could go see her ourselves?" Gwen suddenly spoke up combing dark brown hair between her fingers nervously. "Inuyasha is his half-brother, right? You should know where he lives. I just want to know if she is still okay."

Touya's ears twitched and eyes lit up suddenly, "Thats right! You could take us there!" He suddenly placed his hands on Inuyasha's shoulders excitedly, "What if we just settled with seeing her?"

"If you haven't noticed, I'm not really on good terms with Sesshomaru. And even if I was, I'm not familiar with where he lives." Inuyasha glared knocking Touya's hands away before turning from him.

"It would be a good excuse to find out." Myoga nodded his arms crossed in contemplation.

"I don't care to."

"Inuyasha." Kagome moved closer to her friend, "We have to do something to help them. What if something horrible does happens to her? This is her family." She turned from him leaning against the door frame staring down at her feet, "I'm sure she is just as terrified as I was when I was dragged down the well by Mistress Centipede and had no way home. Sesshomaru isn't much of a talker, we know that much, he probably won't explain things to her very well. He would probably just end up scaring her further. Even I hate being around him. He is super scary sometimes."

He eyed Kagome warily and quickly looked away, "Its none of our business."

Sango moved closer to Inuyasha her eyes dead set on him, "But he made it our business. We were there when he kidnapped her. These people don't have any means of defending themselves or her. We owe it to them to help her."

Inuyasha gave her an annoyed look, but Shippo spoke jumping back to Miroku's shoulder to be a safe distance from Inuyasha's aggression, "You did let him get away with the girl, Inuyasha."

The half-dog demon gave a warning growl to the small fox kit before huffing in irritation, "Fine! Myoga will take us to him, but I'm not doing anything except making sure you don't do anything stupid." He glared at Touya.

"B-but, Milord?" Myoga looked up at Inuyasha with hesitant eyes, "Is it really necessary for me to go along too?"

"Of course it is! You're the only one who knows where my Old Man used to live. Don't make me tie you again." Inuyasha warned exiting the tent.

The group listened to Myoga's complaints about being tied and having to go on the journey with them. They felt satisfied in being able to help the family.

"So, I think it's best to have as few of people to go with us as possible." Mioku turned back to the siblings and their father. "Too many will slow us down as we don't have much room on Kirara's back."

Rima and Gwen looked at each other and nodded in unison as if they had come to an agreement using some form of eye communication.

"We think that Touya should just be the one to go." Rima relayed to the group who looked a bit surprised, "Honestly, I'm sure we would all like to go." She looked at her father who nodded for her to continue, "But Kindra really shouldn't go and we need to stay here and look after her and Father."

Miroku nodded, "Very well." He stood up facing Touya, "We shall probably start the journey in the morning. I'm not sure how long the trip will be, but I'm sure it's a long one."

Touya nodded.

"Please, feel free to stay the night with us." Okumo smiled standing as well, "We are about to get dinner started anyway and have plenty to eat. You travelers probably don't get much good food to eat."

"Thank you so very much!" The group smiled and bowed politely.