Title: Encore

Ship:Sesshomaru/Rin

Timeline: Post Naraku. Kinda AU.

Rating: M

A/N: Inu Yasha doesn't belong to me—I own absolutely nothing, and I'm making no money off this, so please don't sue me, thanks.

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Chapter 1

'How is it that anytime we seem to be drawing in on Naraku, you have to go back to your time?'

'That's not true! In fact, almost everytime I have to go, he seems to have gone into hiding!'

Sango sighed as she took her seat between Shippo and Miroku.

'They're still at it?' she said in tones of weary disbelief.

'Shippo has even bet me that it will be ten minutes before this is resolved,' the monk replied with a smile.

'With or without an 'osuwari' command?' she asked dryly, as the other two chuckled. 'So, let me guess. Kagome-chan wants to go home to her time, and Inuyasha is…reluctant to let her go?'

'What else?'

Sango sighed as she leaned back on her hands and watched the sparring couple.

'Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that Inuyasha is afraid Kagome-chan will meet that Houjo person again?'

Miroku tilted his head in mock thought. 'Perhaps, my lovely Sango. But don't let him know that you have guessed his big secret,' he warned her, with a twinkle of amusement in his eye. 'Especially since Kagome-sama is yet to catch on.'

'I promise his secret will be safe with me. Has Kaede-baba invited us to dinner?'

'Yes she has!'

Shippo smiled excitedly as he started telling her about the menu for the evening, and the three of them ignored the argument continuing five feet away from them.

It was much later, when they were exclaiming over Kaede's cooking skills that the topic came up again.

'Guys, I'm going to be gone for a few days,' Kagome said, looking around at the little group gathered in the hut. 'I need to get some supplies for when we finally face Naraku, plus Mama told me I'm going to be counselled so I can choose a career after I graduate school.'

'You need to choose a career?' Miroku asked, his eyebrows raised. 'You're a miko.'

Kagome smiled a little bitterly. 'Unfortunately, there's no requirement for mikos in my time.'

'I can see why a career would be a problem, then,' Sango replied thoughtfully. 'I was born into the taijya business, I never even thought of anything else…' she went on with a frown.

'Alright already! Enough about that damned school! You can go after breakfast tomorrow,' Inuyasha snapped.

'Thank you,' Kagome said sarcastically.

'I'd never hear the end of it, otherwise,' the hanyou went on with poor grace, which made her glare at him.

'Wouldn't it be a good idea for you to go along with her, Inuyasha?' Miroku smoothly added, and Sango smiled at the definite look of relief that crossed the hanyou's face. He's glad someone else came up with the idea, she thought as she supressed a smile.

'Keh.'

Which everyone took to mean as an affirmative, so on that note, the discussion moved onto other matters.

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'Come on,' Inuyasha said with ill disguised impatience as he waited for Kagome to say goodbye to their friends.

'Be good while I'm away, Shippo-chan!'

'Bring me back some more of those sweets, Kagome!'

With a last wave, she turned away, and Inuyasha sighed as she shouldered her bag higher on her shoulder.

'Ready,' she said, smiling at him, and he curled one arm firmly around her waist as they both jumped down the well.

She experienced the now familiar sense of disorientation as they travelled through the centuries that separated her world from the one she had just left, and then their feet had touched solid ground.

She looked up at the walls before her, and sighed as she adjusted the backpack on her shoulders. The climb up was suddenly looking a lot more tiring than usual.

'Give that here,' Inuyasha said, taking the backpack from her and climbing the walls.

She followed with a smile, thanking him as she did so.

'Keh. What's in this, anyway? Smells terrible!'

'It's that old uniform of mine—the one that got oni guts all over it from your 'wind scar' attack the other day,' she reminded him as she threw a leg over the lip of the well. 'Lucky I always carry a set of spare clothing, or else you'd have had a pretty rough few days, what with that senstitive nose of yours,' she giggled. 'I tried washing the blood away, but it didn't really work…I just hope my mother can get the stains out or I'll have to junk it.'

'We'll worry about clothing later,' he replied as they both headed to the house. 'Do you think your mother could make some ramen?'

She opened her mouth to reply, but came up short at the sudden sensation of demonic energy washing over her.

'What is it, wench?'

'Inuyasha,' she said, clutching his arm and turning alarmed eyes toward him, 'do you feel that?'

'What do you—' He broke off as his nose twitched, and then his own eyes widened.

'What the hell?'

Even as she watched, he brandished Tessaiga and whirled about, scanning the courtyard intently. In a moment, his eyes widened further, if it was possible, and he looked down at the ground.

'I think it's coming from here,' she whispered, as his gaze met hers.

'Let's find out,' he said grimly, as he sheathed his sword, and set to work digging up the ground with his claws.

In a few moments, he had unearthed what looked to be a large, wooden box.

'What is that?'

Her mother and grandfather had come out to investigate when they had heard all the noise, and they were both staring in disbelief.

'Is it a part of the shrine?'

Her grandfather shook his head, and all four of them looked at each other in puzzlement.

'I can sense very strong demonic energy from inside it,' Kagome whispered, even as Inuyasha stooped forward with a cry.

'That's the family crest! This belonged to the House of the West!'

His gaze met her own confused one.

'You don't think—'

Inuyasha said nothing, flexing his fingers as he reached for the wood. He jerked his hands back at the contact, glaring at his hands in amazement.

'That thing zapped me!'

'Mama, Oji-san, maybe you'd better go inside,' Kagome called nervously. If Inuyasha couldn't open it, it had to be because there was spiritual power holding the container closed.

If whatever was inside had been sealed in…

Reluctantly, her family moved indoors, and she silently thanked her stars that Souta was still at school.

'I think I should try,' she said to Inuyasha, who drew Tessaiga as she bent to cautiously open the wooden box.

There was a brief flare of spiritual power, but it died beneath her fingertips, and she slowly pried the lid off.

With a gasp, she drew back, and Inuyasha stared.

'Well, shit.'

Lying inside was Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands.

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A/N: There is more to come. Thanks for reading, all concrit is very welcome. : )

I do not know if Japanese middle/high schools offer career counselling, apologies if I have just bent reality.