I'm back with a new story! Yes, after 10 plus years of being MIA I've been inspired to start writing again! And it's all thanks to Yashahime! Now bear with me as I go along. It may take a while to get back into the swing of things but I'm confident I'll get there in time! Feel free to give any tips or advice- just don't be too mean! LOL!

Hopefully you enjoy the beginning of this series!

Disclaimer: I do not own the InuYasha or Yashihime we all know and love. Any and all characters belong to their respective creators. I only own the plot(as always...sighs)

After the Rainbow

Chapter 1

A small female figure dressed in red made her way back home after another demon slaying mission. It had been a few days and she was eager to see her parents again. With a sizeable sum in her pocket, Moroha was quite proud of another job well done and had quite a grin on her face.

She and her twin cousins Sestuna and Towa had a request to slay a powerful ogre demon that had been terrorizing a large farming community a few days west of Old Lady Kaede's village. She remembered the kami-awful stench and the ugly vomit colored flesh of the giant bastard. It was quite a task bringing down such a giant that had caused enough damage but combined with her hanyou cousins they were able to draw it away from the village and avoiding the demon's giant arms, they were able to sever its head and bring it down with a mighty fall.

After receiving praise from the grateful village and with their bounty they left, a job well done.

Parting ways with Towa and Sestuna after reaching the village, Moroha stretched out her arms and placed them behind her head and admired the gorgeous late summer sky. While she enjoyed the thrill and excitement of slaying demons, the quarter demon child always looked forward to going home…

Home…

She had a home now. A place to come home to while being greeted by her mom and dad.

After being raised by the wolf demon tribe then being sold to a demon bounty master, Moroha was always moving, never settling. She had heard stories of her famous parents, her famous inu hanyou father and priestess mother but believed they were dead. Her heart had a small gaping hole that she wasn't aware of until being sucked into the Black Pearl and finally reuniting with her parents. And in her father's embrace she let out all 14 years of sadness, loneliness and pain.

Now she was able to go out on her own without worrying if she had her mom and dad. She knew they'd be there waiting for her to return. Moroha let out a big sigh, able to relax and relish in the summer sights and sounds. The chirps of the forest birds, the smell of soil being dug up and the mixture of herbs in her mother's garden. Sniffing a few times, she concluded her mother was planting in her herd garden behind their hut.

"Mom! I'm back!"

Kagome, in her miko garb looked up to her daughter, a maternal smile gracing her face. "Moroha! Welcome home, darling." Her daughter sat down beside her, similar to how InuYasha would, and kissed her cheek. "Glad to see you back safe and sound."

"Ah, it wasn't we couldn't handle. That bastard stunk like hell though- it was hard to fight it and not lose my lunch." She scrunched her nose at the memory. " I had to wash myself a number of times before I wasn't smelling like it anymore."

Kagome only shook her head, partly amused. "There's no doubt where she got her mouth from." She was so much like her father, it astounded her sometimes. But it was so good to have her back under her roof again. After missing 14 years of her daughter's life the miko valued every moment she shared with Moroha. She knew her daughter was independent and could take care of herself but as a mother, she couldn't help but worry every time she left. And seeing her child back with her and her husband made her want to make up for lost time. It was a slow process but every day their family bond was getting stronger.

The two worked in silence. Moroha was beginning to learn about the different herbs and their properties. While some made her have sneezing fits -those her mother handled separately, others she could handle without much difficulty. She watched Kagome and by observation and scent, she was able to copy her and sort out the herbs that were ready. Surrounding by the mostly pleasant herbs and her mom's soothing scent-although she noticed it was slightly different from a few days ago, she'd have to ask about that later, the child was content.

After some time, the two stood up; Kagome gathering her rather full basket and walked back to the house. Moroha told her about the latest mission and being able to stay close to home for a while. Kagome talked about her day and tending to various injuries and illness around the village and only recently returned to her home before Moroha appeared.

"So's where's Dad?" She set her bow and arrow and sword down in their corner and began to stretch, hearing a few cracks and pops. She noticed his scent was stale, meaning he hasn't been home for a while.

"He said he was going to patrol the area around the village with Miroku, perhaps catch something for dinner." The woman set her basket aside for later, and began to start chopping some vegetables for their meal. "After the bandit attack a few weeks ago, he's not taking any chances."

The teen, knowing the dinner time routine went to get some rice to wash. She remembered that, bandits were becoming more and more of a threat than they'd like. While it wasn't a huge group, it was enough for the village to be more vigilant and to use extreme caution when venturing out. Moroha- when not out on missions, joined her father and Miroku sama, along with the other able bodied men to scout and patrol the village and surrounding forest.

It wasn't long before the veggies were chopped and the rice cooking. Moroha, scratching with her hind foot behind her head- much to her mother's amusement, wondered, "Has it always been this way?" At her mother's confused expression she added, "Bandits I mean. Demons are easy to kill, but bandits are mostly human, right?" Remembering the stench of blood and death bandits carried with them, her uneasiness with killing any human was noticeable. With being mostly human herself, it was something she struggled with.

Kagome, noticing her daughter's struggle said, " I understand. Slaying demons is no easy feat but we do it because lives are at stake." Recalling the numerous battles of her youth and their main mission of destroying the most vile and despicable demon of all, she spoke from experience. " I struggled as well in the beginning. Coming from a peaceful era 500 years from now, I had no clue. But your father- in his own way, taught me it was either kill or be killed." Grinning at the memory of her husband when they first started on their adventure she continued, "While we didn't encounter many groups of bandits, it was still a possibility. All of us: me, InuYasha, Sango, Miroku, and even Shippo knew the dangers. Killing humans are not what we did/do. Injuring or incapacitating them is what we try to do so they can't harm anyone again. But we've never killed a human if we could help it."

Moroha listened quietly. Over the last months she heard of the many tales and adventures her mother and father had many years ago. She was enraptured, from the demon crow her mother purified along with the now vanquished Shikon Jewel, to the horrid Thunder Brothers where they encountered Shippo, and the many trickster demons they caused then such trouble. Even the stories of her dad's battles against Uncle Sesshomaru were fascinating. But the one her parents spoke about, one that brought such anger, pain and grief was the dark hanyou called Naraku. His name was not mentioned very often because the destruction, sorrow, and overall pain left in his wake was too horrid to mention. And the very fact that he was a hanyou himself, Moroha shivered.

Her mom's hand upon her head caused her to look up in her mother's brown eyes, the ones she inherited. " I hope there's never a time when you have to choose whether or not to spare a human life. I know it bothers you, it bothers all of us. But just know," Kagome undid her daughter's bow and let loose the black waves, falling around Moroha's shoulders. "If it does, we will be here for you, no matter what."

Knowing that she wouldn't have to face a decision alone anymore, Moroha's heart settled at her mother's words. She closed her eyes as her mother's hands began to comb through her hair, feeling more content than before. Maybe it was the act itself, or her inu demon blood, perhaps both but she felt love in those hands and growled in response, causing the miko to smile happily behind her.

A while later, Moroha heard her father coming down the path, along with the smell of a fresh kill. She bounded out of the hut and was greeted warmly by InuYasha, who had a fresh boar carcass on his shoulder. After a quick hug and pat on the head, they walked towards the house where the matriarch was waiting. A small greeting and passionate kiss later, Kagome sent her husband off to strip, clean and prep the meat, Moroha following behind.

So, what did you think? Remember this is just the beginning and there's more excitement to come, I promise!

Until next time... Ja Ne!