Beyond my field of vision, children played in the creek while their mother's did the laundry. I was perched in a tree high enough to over the top of the forest. I was keeping guard of the village women since no men accompanied them to the creek. Sure, the area had been safer than most Nippom because of the efforts of Inuyasha and his pack. However, becoming too comfortable could be dangerous. Especially to women and children. After all, other humans could be just as dangerous as a raging demon.

I had yet to confront any bandits or demons around Edo. Deciding to bring them to the attention of Inuyasha. It was his territory anyways, and I knew he didn't need my help defeating those who wandered too close to the village with ill intentions. Yet still, here I am, guarding the village.

"Don't you have anything else to do?" Inuyasha yelled from below.

"As a demon ..I find myself with an abundance of time..." I huffed, peering down at my freinds pup.

"Whatever... You know they're safe, right?" He reminded.

"Complacency is dangerous, Inuyasha. You might be an accomplished warrior, but even you can't know what will come." I gently warned.

"I might not be a sight seer but this nose can pick up anything coming or going for miles."

"Unless there is a heavy rain or the assailants are wearing a special herb to stunt your sense of smell. Not to mention illusionist and other demons with powers specializing in prowling." I shot back. "You are known throughout the lands. It may attract as much as detour those who have ill intentions."

"Are you trying to tell me that something is lurking nearby?" He asked, scanning the forest.

"No, if there was, I would be more blunt about it. I don't take threats to life lightly."

"I don't get you." He admitted.

"What is there not to get?" I questioned.

"I've met demons before that weren't hostile to humans, but you're the first I have met that would go out of their way to protect them. When I think of other Inuyokai, I think of that bastard but then you come along...You're totally different."

"Hmm...I do have golden wavy hair, while his is straight and silver." I acknowledged scratching my chin.

"That's not what I mean, and you know it! Why are you the way you are!?"

"Basic respect of life and compassion for other's suffering?" I frowned, jumping down from my perch.

"But didn't you have to raise yourself? Haven't you been chased from villages before despite not causing any harm? Then there is being sealed by those monks. Others would hold a grudge or even seek revenge."

"It is true. I haven't been treated with the same grace as I have given. However, I try to be the bigger person in such situations. Why carry around such miserable emotions? It will only hurt me in the end." Closing my eyes, I sighed deeply. "I'm tired, more tired than I care to admit. I just want to be happy. I want people to be happy. Why can't we all just...be happy?"

"Keh, some people just aren't happy until the world is just as miserable as they are." He shrugged.

"I know..." There was a long awkward silence between us. The wind picks up to a howling between the trees.

"Kagome is worried about you isolating yourself out here. Can you just come and have dinner with us? Just to get her to stop nagging me?" I looked back to him only to see him turned away. I couldn't help but smile.

"Sure...I'll come at dusk."

"I'll let her know." He said, walking back the way he came towards the village. High-pitched laughter bloomed beyond the trees accompanied by splashing. If I closed my eyes, I could almost fool myself into thinking I was younger. The sun beating down on me, the sounds of children laughing and their parents talking.

You would think that after all that has happened and all the time that has passed, these memories would fade away. Yet, they lingered. Sometimes, they felt more real than what I was going through currently. I guess I was experiencing dissociation episodes. It wasn't surprising. In fact, I think if that was my only issue, then I was doing rather good all things considered.

I stayed where I was long after the village women and children left the creek. Slowly, I watched the sun sink down to the earth until it was about sunset. I almost teleported to the front door of Inuyashas hut but decided it would be too flashy. Not to mention lazy. So I walked there, feeling exposed as soon as I stepped out of the woods and into the village's edge. Hopefully, no one would pay me any mind

"Hello Aunt Aerials!" Kagome exclaimed upon noticing me coming. I flattered in my steps, both perplexed and abashed by the title she had given me. Her smile was ear to ear as I continued forward.

"Hey...Neice Kagome..." I fumbled my return greeting. I had half a mind to do a 180 and return to the forest, if only I hadn't given my word.

"You don't mind, do you?" She asked weakly.

"No, no! I'm just surprised, is all. I mean, I am not a sister to either Inuyasha's father or mother...so."

"But you were their friend, right?"

"Yes... I mean, I guess. In a sense of the word." I shrugged as she led me into the hut. "I mean, I did call Tashio uncle, but Izayoi...yeah, she was just Izayoi. So..."

"Maybe freind isn't good enough to describe the relation you had with them. Maybe family would fit more." She suggested.

"Yeah, they were family." I nodded, looking at the spread of food laid out on the mated pairs table. Inuyasha was already chowing down as if it was the first meal he's ever had. I shook my head and took the seat farthest from him, both to avoid the splash zone and to not intrude.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed tiredly, sitting down beside him. Mouth stuffed full, he looked up. His ears flattened against his head when he noticed the displeased look on his mates face. "You can't just wolf everything down like that! Sometimes, I wonder if you even chew your food!"

"I chew!" He defended placing his bowl down.

"Could've fooled me." Shaking her head, she shot me an apologetic look. "Go ahead and help yourself Aerials."

"Thank you, but I would be more comfortable if you got your plate first."

"It's RUDE to not serve your guests first." She insisted shooting Inuyasha another scathing look.

"Yes, but...you need food more than me. If I didn't eat for the next week, I would be fine. You, on the other hand, wouldn't be. So, for me, eating like this is more of a luxury than necessity. I want you to get your fill before I even touch anything." I explained.

"It's okay, I made plenty. Trust me, Inuyasha doesn't need to eat as much as he does, and yet here he is stuffing his mouth like there will be no tomorrow."

"Hey! I'm not that bad." Inuyasha defended finally.

"You're on your third bowl..." She pointed out plainly.

"I burn a lot of energy. Besides, it's not like I would eat all the food if we were low and couldn't find more." He muttered.

"Either way. I insist you serve yourself first, Kagome. I just do." I interrupted their little argument.

"If that's how you feel." Kagome relented, reaching out to serve herself finally. I scrutinized her as she did, making sure that she wasn't just putting something in her bowl to pacify me. Once I was satisfied, I began to fill up my own bowl. Without hesitation, I began to eat and immediately moaned at the delicious flavors that ran across my tongue.

"Hands down, this is the best meal I have had in a very long time. Totosai could benefit from some pointers from you." I complimented.

"Thank you! I couldn't imagine eating Totosais cooking."

"That old man cooks!?" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, when I was living with him, he would make the oddest concoctions. Eventually, I took over the cooking. When I left, he hated the thought of losing access to my cooking. I did worry about him, though. Whenever he's working on a big project, he just doesn't stop. I once watched him work the forge for a week straight." I still worried about that old man.

"Did ya ever meet the flea bag?" Inuyasha asked.

"Myoga? Informative as he may be, the little guy is a coward."

"Yep, that's him, alright." Kagome muttered dryly

"So where is your weapon?" Inuyasha asked.

"I don't have one. I had finally agreed to Totosai making me one, but then...well, I got sealed. I could always go back and ask but...I don't really think I need one. I'm not exactly a confrontational type of girl." I shrugged.

"Even I have a weapon, and where I came from, things were mostly peaceful. You really should get one if only to have it, just in case." Kagome advised sternly.

"Yeah, yeah. I know it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. It's not that I am not good with a weapon...it's just that the thought of killing someone makes me...squeamish." I admitted.

"Surely you've killed someone before, possibly because you didn't have a choice. You shouldn't go all chicken like when ya defending yourself or the ones in your pack." Inuyasha huffed.

"I've...never..."

"Never?" Kagome asked, to which I shook my head doing my best not to look at either of them.

"How'd the hell did you survive!?"

"Barely...it's probably why I got sealed in the first place. They...uh...tried to kill me but settled for sealing me. I tried to reason with them, but obviously, that failed. They surprised me with a trap making escape impossible...without killing any of them." I twitted my thumbs desperately trying to keep my thoughts to myself. They didn't need to know. Only Toga knew, and he took it to his grave as promised. I don't think they would go around telling my secrets, but...I just got lucky Toga was honorable, and I was so...young. "Between Toga, Totosai, Myoga and Bokuseno...I didn't really get into situations where I couldn't fight or run."

"There's no shame in that. I wish I didn't have to kill those I did. They left me no choice in the matter."

"Remind me not to rely on you in an emergency." Inuyasha snorted.

"Don't be such a jerk, Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed. That word made me perk up. Jerk...that was a word I had once called Toga and Totosai. Neither of them knew what it meant but had guessed what it implied when I used it in reference to them. The mated pair bickered back and forth while I stared at Kagome.

'Does she have a few secrets of her own?' I wondered. My mind began to race. One word seemed to tilt my world off axis. 'Could I have started the circulation of that word?' I mused. No, why would Totosai or Toga use that word to another and start a country wide game of telephone with it. Yet, the implications of Kagome knowing that word...it meant...

"Are you from the future?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. Both stilled, eyes swiveling to me in sync. Inuyasha looked defensive while Kagome was simply bewildered. Kagome opened her mouth, but Inuyashas growl stopped her from uttering a single word. His head whipped around towards their window, another growl rumbling in his throat.

"Someone is coming, and they ain't too worried about us knowing." He stated, getting up from the table. Kagome quickly followed his lead, rushing to grab her bow and quiver leaning against the wall. I focused in the direction he had been looking and felt it. Whoever was coming was strong and coming in fast. I took a deep breath through my nose and was filled with apprehension.

It was female, but more importantly...it was Inu.

A/N

DUN DUN DUN...

WE ALL KNOW LADY INUKIMI IS COMING TO DO RIGHT BY SESSHOMARU'S THREAT. WONDER HOW SHE AND INUYASHA ARE GOING TO GET ALONG XD. SORRY THIS CHAOTER TOOK LONGER THAN I HAD HOPED. MY FREIND WHO USUALLY READS THESE BEFORE I POST THEM HAS BEEN VERY BUSY...ANYWAYS...COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED. IT LETS ME KNOW YOU GUYS WANT MORE AND WHAT THINGS ARE WORKING AND WHAT ISN'T.

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN FRIENDS.