This is a sequel to Forever with Lord Sesshomaru. I suggest you read that story first to get caught up, but this one can be a stand alone...

Summary: Kagome discovers that when you time travel things can get pretty messed up. A story about twisting time lines and family Kagome never knew she had in the modern era. How can she have a half demon for a niece? Set in all times and eras and back again. SxR mostly.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any characters from Inuyasha. Any original characters, please don't reuse.

Chapter 1

The Curse of Immortality

Feudal Era – 1574

Where is he? Rin sat on the stone pathway in her garden. She took a deep breath and looked at the flowers around her. It wasn't helping to calm her nerves. Everything around me is falling apart. She put her hand on her forehead attempting to massage out her frustration. I now understand why demons don't like dealing with humans. After spending over half a century uniting the humans and demons in her lands, the peace was beginning to fall apart. The human powers changed too often. New rulers rose and old friends passed away. Every time the leadership changed, so did relationships between the humans and demons and their allegiances with Lord Sesshomaru.

"Mother?" a sing-song voice came from her left.

She turned to the voice's owner, a half-demon girl. "What is it Shiori?" Her third oldest child sat there among the flowers. She held a daisy in her hand and spun it around between her fingers. The girl was eighteen, but because she was half-demon she aged slowly. She looked to be the same age as six-year old human girl. Her silver hair reflected the colors of the flowers around her.

Shiori looked up and smiled. Her dog-like ears twitched with the motion. "This flower is called a daisy. It matches your necklace!" She pushed herself up and came to sit beside Rin. "I picked it for you."

The Lady of the Western Lands took the flower. "Thanks sweetheart." The girl smiled and handed Rin the flower. The woman took a deep breath of the daisy's scent. They always reminded her of her mate.

"Look! Here comes Father!" Shiori pointed up towards the sky. Rin looked up but didn't see anything. She inwardly smiled. She had gotten used to the fact a long time ago that everyone in her family had better senses than she did.

The woman stood up and watched. After a few moments, the shapes of AhUn and two dog demons came closer. Sesshomaru had gone to visit with Karasaya, the leader of the dog demons. He wanted to be sure that the dog demons would help him if a war broke out. This is how Kagome said it would be...one day all the demons would be gone. She wasn't going to go down without a fight though. AhUn landed in the garden with Sesshomaru and Ryomi, their oldest daughter, on its back. Yemon and Isas landed beside the dragon demon. "Sesshomaru!" Rin walked to her mate as he dismounted. He reached out and placed his hands near her elbows and held her before him. His face was blank, but she could see the emotion in his eyes. She saw frustration there and...she couldn't place it.

"Karasaya is with us, but only for protection. He won't go on the offensive," the demon lord said in his usual emotionless tone.

"I'm not surprised," she answered. "We may need him sooner than we thought. Word has come from Shinakio that diplomats from Edo arrived to negotiate a deal with them."

A look of surprise flashed across Sesshomaru's face but quickly disappeared. "A bold move. This is the furthest they've moved into our lands."

Rin nodded. "I have no doubts that Shinakio will remain loyal to us, but it could mean a-"

"They'll be attacked," Sesshomaru finished for her in a soft tone. He let out a growl. "I will teach these fools to stay out of my lands!"

"My Lady?" Isas said from beside her. He was Sesshomaru's adviser and had been a long-time, loyal friend of the Lord and Lady. He also was a dog demon, a wise strategist, and a fierce warrior. "I'll organize a reconnaissance team to watch for any incoming threat to the village."

"Thank you Isas," she answered with a nod. She looked back at her mate to see him watching her daughter, Ryomi, entering the castle. The teenage girl looked upset. Not teenager...she's sixty-two. Rin sometimes forgot that her children were much older than they looked. She definitely acts like a seventeen year-old. "Is something wrong?"

"She's acting oddly."

"I'm surprised she didn't stay to discuss Shinakio with us." Rin frowned. Ryomi was always interested in what was going on in their lands. The young half-demon worshiped Sesshomaru and followed him anywhere he went. The couple had yet to formally announce an heir; most figured it would be Kenchiro, the second oldest, since he was the eldest male. Sesshomaru and Rin on the other hand favored their first born, Ryomi, over Kenchiro though. Ryomi would make a fantastic leader.

"She'll talk to us if she wishes. Shinakio needs to be addressed first," Sesshomaru said. Rin nodded and began to walk away, but Sesshomaru held onto her. She looked back up at him and raised her eyebrows. The demon lord moved his hands to her back and pulled her closer. He leaned down and gave her a deep kiss.

She smiled up at him as he let her go. "Shinakio could wait..."

He narrowed his eyes, but a small smile pulled at the corner of his lip. "We'll wait for the scouts to return."

Kenchiro found his older sister in the great hall. She was practicing her fighting moves. I bet I could beat her. He frowned. If I could get her sword away from her... She was easily a head taller than him, but Ken was sure that he was stronger. He had turned forty last year and had been practicing his sword technique as long as he could remember. The boy only looked to be about ten, but he was much smarter and stronger than any human ten-year old.

"What do you want?" Ryomi asked without stopping her routine.

"Wanna duel?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Why do you say that?"

She paused and looked at him. "Mother would get mad at me if I beat the crap out of you again. She and Father are too busy to scrape you off of the floor right now."

Ken made a face. "You're such a loser Ry. You just don't want to fight because I would beat you!"

His sister let out a sigh. "Go away creep. I've had enough of pushy men for one day."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means go away."

The boy rolled his eyes. "Fine. You're boring anyways."

Sesshomaru watched his mate pace back and forth before him. She walked with her left hand resting on her swords and her right swinging angrily at her side. Every time she reached one end of his study, she spun around and quickly paced to the other side causing her hair to flow behind her in flurry. Her face was set in a scowl, and while the demon lord preferred when she smiled, she still looked beautiful. As usual, she wore her armor, today over a deep blue kimono. She was the Lady of the Western Lands, and what perhaps attracted Sesshomaru to her the most was that she had established herself in that position. Most subjects not only respected but also feared the human woman nearly as much as they did her demon mate. Many still gawked at the fact that she was nearly a century old, had delivered four half-demon children to date, and still had the body of an attractive, twenty-year old human. The demon smiled to himself. Her appearance may not have changed over time, but her ferocity had. Perhaps it was because she had spent so much time with him; the woman was fiercely loyal to her people, and even more, she fiercely loved him. "Rin," Sesshomaru closed his eyes. He didn't want to see her reaction to his words. "Pacing will not bring back the scouts any sooner." He feared nothing, but still knew better than to invoke his mate's wrath.

He opened his eyes as he heard Rin pound her fists on his desk. She stood before him. "And what am I supposed to do? Just sit around and wait for our lands to be torn apart?" The look in her dark eyes showed not only determination, but also desperation. "I've worked too hard over the last sixty some years to have some upstart from Edo tear our lands apart!" The woman sighed and moved backwards to sit down on one of the short stools in front of his desk. Sesshomaru understood her frustration. They could only hope that Shinakio had turned away the dignitaries they had met with. If Shinakio turns against us, a war will begin in my empire.

"Human minds are easily swayed when they hear that they'll be protected from demons. If I remember correctly, that's how we originally made so many allies among the humans. Now they are simply choosing the better deal," Isas said from where he was leaning near the door.

Rin nodded from her seat. "I know. It's easy to keep allies among the demons because the clan rulers have not changed. The humans villages have gone through at least two generations of leaders since we've started. It takes constant negotiation to keep them loyal." She looked up and caught Sesshomaru's gaze. "Most don't even remember what it was like when the demons did whatever they liked in the Western Lands."

"I will continue to do whatever I like," Sesshomaru stated. "Nothing has changed. We will defend those who remain loyal to us and show no mercy to those who aren't. It is the same rule we've always followed."

"I know." Rin looked down at the floor. "It just feels like I'm always losing my friends." The pain from decades of memories was apparent on her face. The demon lord sometimes wondered if immortality was too much on his mate. She had a soft heart, and she had lost many people over the years.

A knock came at the door, and Sesshomaru granted permission to the visitor. One of the scouts, Hiraku, entered the room. "Shinakio is under attack!"

Rin jumped up from her seat. "What?"

"Word has it that the leaders from Shinakio turned away the diplomats from Edo. When asked to join them, the Shinakio leaders refused to assist in the attack on Shouhei. The army from Edo is now moving against Shinakio," the scout said.

The human woman spun towards Sesshomaru. "We have to help them!"

He nodded and stood. "Let's go." As he moved around the desk to follow his mate, he wondered how many other villages would be attacked because they remained loyal to him.

Ryomi looked across the trees of the forest. All I can see is smoke. Is it coming from Shinakio? She had left the castle shortly after her parents had and went to a high spot in the front yard. She climbed one of the larger trees there to try to see what was happening at the villages to the north. Yemon of course had followed her. He's annoyingly predictable. A few years ago, her parents had decided that the politics in the Western Lands was making it unstable. As a result, each of the children had been assigned a guard to watch over them at all times. For some unknown reason, they had selected Yemon as her protector. While she did consider him as a friend, he usually annoyed the living daylights out of her. She sighed. "They should have let me go with them. I'm more than capable of fighting," said the half-demon. "They could of used you too Yemon." She carefully sat down on one of the higher branches.

Yemon perched on a branch on the other side of the tree. "Experience and knowledge are two different things." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, you still can't beat your mother in a duel."

"Shut-up guard!" she growled. She had to admit her mother was a strong fighter and even though she was human, she was still stronger than most smaller demons. Father, on the other hand, is a different story... Ryomi was Sesshomaru's and Rin's oldest child. Ever since she had realized that she wasn't like the rest of the demons, she had despised the fact that she was a half-demon. She adored her father and wanted to be just like him. She had his same long white hair and his golden eyes, but the white ears on top of her head gave it away that she was different...that she was only half demon. The young woman inwardly sighed. Her mother was strong, the strongest human she had ever met, but the fact that human blood flowed in Ryomi's veins meant that she was weaker, easier to kill, and not immortal. She thought she could overcome the weakness; her uncle Inuyahsa was a half-demon and very strong. That was proof that she could do it. Her father never gave her the chance though. He never let her show him how strong she could be. He always demanded that she stayed somewhere safe and stay out of trouble. I could never be as strong as father...

"They'll be fine," Yemon said interrupting her thoughts. "Your parents are very powerful." Ryomi pushed her hair back off of her shoulders annoyed at him. No duh guard!

"Didn't I tell you to shut-up?" The dog demon sighed but didn't reply. She frowned at her friend. She wasn't sure why he was getting on her nerves so badly today – worse than usual. Maybe it's because I don't want to be around any demons today... She knew her father was just being overprotective, and didn't necessarily doubt her abilities. He took Uncle Inuyasha with him into battle all the time. So it's Daitaro that's bothering me... The girl scooted closer to the tree and pulled her knees closer. She wrapped her hands around her legs and rested her forehead on her knees. That jerk.

"Ry?"

"What Yemon?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you Princess."

She smiled. "You're just saying that so I won't have you reassigned."

"Maybe. Would you want to have to guard your brother?"

"Definitely not!" Ryomi laughed. "I couldn't handle being guarded by Katsutoshi anyways. He's such a downer."

She heard Yemon chuckle. "So are we good?"

"For now. Next time, I'll be sure to have Master Jaken issue you some kind of punishment for insulting me."

"No thanks." They both laughed. "What I meant to say was...it's because...it's not because you're a half-demon that your mom can beat you. I mean...that doesn't make sense. Let me start over." Ryomi smiled from behind the tree. She knew Yemon was trying to be nice. He just wasn't very good at it. "You're strong, and it doesn't matter if you're a half-demon. Your parents are powerful, and it takes someone really powerful to beat them."

"I know. Besides, you can't beat Mother in a duel either," she taunted him with a smile.

"What?" She felt the tree shake as he moved on his branch. "Who told you that?" The dog demon's head poked out from around the tree's trunk above her.

Ryomi laughed and tilted her head back to look up at the demon. "Mom did."

He frowned. "Go figure." With the grace that only a demon had, Yemon jumped up on the branch above her. He lightly landed and then laid out across the branch so his head was right above her. "I just wanted you to know that I don't think you're weak because you're a half-demon."

She frowned and narrowed her eyes at him. "And why are you suddenly being so nice?"

He shrugged. Ryomi didn't let up her glare, and he finally sighed. "Daitaro told me what he said."

"Oh." She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and looked down at her feet. This was something personal that she didn't really want to talk about with him. Ryomi had been friends, good friends, with Daitaro, Lord Karasaya's son, for a long time. She went with her father to visit the dog demons' mountain sanctuary a few times a year, and Daitaro and his little sister, Emiko, were always there to entertain her. After decades of visits with Daitaro, they had become close friends, at least until their last visit. That bastard. He had flat out said to her "You know Ry, I love when you come visit. I wish you could stay here all the time...If you weren't a half-demon, I'd even think about taking you as my mate someday."

"He only told me because I asked him why you were mad," Yemon said. "I called him an idiot."

She half smiled. "Thanks."

"I consider him as a common enemy. Next time we see him, I'll hold him, and you can punch him. We can claim he was trying to come onto you."

Ryomi couldn't help but to giggle. "Alright." She frowned and looked up at her friend. "This doesn't get repeated you know!" He nodded. "And you don't have to be nice to me! He's an ass, and I'm not upset about it."

The dog demon raised an eyebrow. "Strong words Princess." He smiled. "That's good. I hate when women harbor some belief that their asshole boyfriend can change with time. If he really cared about you, he wouldn't care that you're a half-demon. It's not like he's the only heir to the dog demon clan."

She nodded. So why am I still upset about it... "Yeah. It's funny how you think you know someone, and then it turns out that they aren't what you thought they were."

"Yeah," Yemon said. "Don't worry. I'll always be here – same old Yemon." He gave her a smile.

She returned the smile to her guard. No way would I trade him for Katsutoshi. She looked over his face for a moment. He didn't smile too often, and he looked nice when he did. His dark eyes and hair were a sharp contrast to most dog demons who had light eyes and hair. She liked that he was different. "Are you growing your hair out?" She reached up and grabbed at the end of his ponytail that was hanging down. It wasn't very long, but it reached down to his shoulders.

He shrugged. "I thought about it. My hair is so dark though, that I'll probably look like one of those human samurai if I grow it out and wear it high."

"I like it long."

He smiled. "Well, if it pleases you Princess. If you'd like, I can cut off my left leg if that will please you too," he said sarcastically.

She gave him a mock-scowl. "I didn't mean that you had to grow it out! But now that I think about it, you would probably fight better without your left leg! You wouldn't stumble over your own feet!" The pair laughed and Yemon hopped up on the branch. He began to hop on one foot and pretend to fight. He about fell when he hit his head on the branch above him. Ryomi was laughing so hard, she wiped tears from her eyes.

She stopped as the dog demon paused. "Do you smell that?"

The half-demon sniffed at the air. Nothing seemed out of place. "What is it?"

"Humans."

She frowned and raised her eyebrows at the comment. "There are humans living at the castle..." Duh Yemon!

"No, Ry, lots of humans." He held out his hand, and she took it. With one swift movement, he pulled her up, wrapped his arm around her waist, and then begin climbing higher in the tree. Ryomi grabbed onto his armor afraid she would slip from his grasp. He stopped and pulled her up beside him on a high branch. They were high enough to see over the branches and leaves of the tree. "There." She followed his finger as he pointed and then gasped. From the south, a whole army was marching towards them. She twisted her head to look in the opposite direction to see smoke still rising from Shinakio and Shouhei. "This was a set-up," Yemon said in a low tone beside her.

"We have to warn the castle."

"Hold on." Yemon crouched and then jumped high. Ryomi felt her heart skip a beat as they flew through the air. They touched ground a few moments later, and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. The dog demon let go of her waist and grabbed her hand. "Come on Ry!"

She glanced behind her. "Yemon!" Arrows began to hit the ground behind them. Her guard paused for a split-second to scoop her up into her arms and then took off at phenomenal speed towards the castle.

They reached the front gate, and Yemon let her down. Ryomi ran further into the castle. "We're under attack! Kenchiro!" She saw some of the servants in the dining room. "We're under attack! Make a run for it!"

"Head east," Yemon said from behind her to the servants.

The young woman ran further into the castle. "Kenchiro!" she screamed. "Where are you?"

"What is going on?" She spun to her left to see her brother coming down the stairs. "We're under attack. We have to make a run for it."

"Why don't we fight them?" She frowned at the boy. He was a few decades younger than her, but he was still old enough to know not to question her.

"You can stay and fight if you want, but those of us who aren't complete idiots are making a run for it!"

"I have to leave my stuff?"

"No time Ken! Let's go!" Yemon said as he came up beside her. "Where's your guard?"

"I'm here Yemon," Katsutoshi said from behind him.

"Go get AhUn and meet me on Mom and Dad's balcony," Ryomi ordered.

"Princess, your mother took AhUn with her," Yemon said.

"Damn it!"

"I'm telling Mother you said a bad word," Kenchiro said.

"Shut it!" Ryomi snapped. "We'll have to run for it." She began to run upstairs. "Shio!" She ran to her little sister's room. Shiori wasn't there. She frowned and then headed to the next room. Haya, the pig demon servant, was in there with her baby brother, Genkei. "Haya, we have to go! The castle is under attack." She helped the pig demon get the baby around. "Have you seen Shiori?," Ry asked as she draped a blanket over the boy in Haya's arms. Yemon entered the room at that moment.

Haya shook her head. "I'm sorry I haven't seen her."

"I'll look in the south wing," Yemon said and rushed off.

Ryomi rushed back downstairs to find Kenchiro and Katsutoshi still standing there. "What are you waiting for? Run!"

"Did you find Shio?" Ken asked.

"No. Run! Go!" She yelled and pointed at the front door. She turned around and headed towards the back door. With any luck, Shiori would be playing in the garden.

"Ry!" She spun around at her brother's voice. Humans in full suits of armor burst through the front door. Katsutoshi immediately began to fight them off.

"Run Mater Kenchiro!" Katsutoshi called over his shoulder.

Ryomi grabbed the boy's hand and ran out of the back door into the garden. She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the armored men were also coming around the back of the castle. In between the men and her sat her little sister among the flowers. "SHIORI!" The small half-demon girl looked up as one of humans approached her. Ryomi felt like she was running in slow motion as she approached her sister. She was too late. She reached her little sister as her small body collapsed lifeless on the ground.

NO! Rage overtook her. Ryomi launched herself at Shiori's murderer as he pulled his sword out of the girl's flesh. Like her father, her claws were full of poison, and she knew how to use them.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Yemon flew through the southern corridor. "Ori! Have you seen Shiori?" Sometimes the young girl would play dress-up with the seamstress.

"No Yemon. What's wrong?"

"The castle is under attack. Get out." He ran back towards the main section of the Western Castle. I hope Ry has found her. He reached the main hallway to find Katsutoshi fighting off men coming through the front gate. "Where's the kids?" He didn't wait for a reply and rushed through the open back door.

RYOMI! The woman was fighting off the attackers. He saw Shiori's and Kenchiro's bodies laying on the ground a few feet away from her. No...no no no no. He rushed to help her. She was surrounded, but between her sword and her claws, she was fending the men off. Yemon jumped at the men standing behind her. Using his sword, he cut two of them down and then spun to his right. With super strength, he pulled off the man's mask and slashed his claws across his face. The cut was deep enough that, Yemon was sure he wouldn't be getting back up. He turned back towards Ryomi and cut down the man on her right. He spun to his left and froze. The man in front of the half-demon impaled her right through the stomach.

The world seemed to freeze for a split second as the princess' blood ran down her kimono. NO! Yemon swung his sword as hard as he could downward onto the man's helmet. The force was enough to cut through the human regardless of the armor. Yemon let go of his sword, grabbed Ry's body, and pulled her back. He jumped backwards away from the army and crouched down. "Ry!" He looked down at the woman to see she was looking up at him.

"Run!" she whispered faintly.

"I won't leave you. Lord Sesshomaru can revive you with the Tensaiga. I'll get you to him Ry. I promise." He felt tears in his eyes. I can't lose her. "I promise!"

"Then don't die," she said as she closed her eyes. "Run." Yemon looked up to see the attackers were almost on him again. He sat the woman down. He knew she was already gone. He felt his demon blood taking over. They will pay. I won't let her down. He transformed into his larger dog demon form and began to slaughter every human around him.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

One thing they don't tell you about being immortal is that memories fade, but you never forget pain. You can accept that your friends will age and die, but when it's your fault that they died young, the guilt never leaves you... Rin wiped the tears falling down her cheeks. She frowned down at her hand to find it was covered in black soot. The ash continued to fall to the ground around Shinakio Village. It would probably fall for days.

"Is anyone else missing?" she heard Isas ask one of the humans behind her.

"I believe everyone has been accounted for...bodies too."

Rin looked down at the family beside her. They had lost their youngest son in the fire. When she and Sesshomaru had gotten to Shinakio, the village was already ablaze. She was told that the village had been attacked from a distance; archers shot at the village using flaming arrows. No one had marched into the village; no one even pursued the villagers who were running away. And it's all my fault. I allied this village with Sesshomaru and the demons... The woman closed her eyes as she felt them begin to water again. "Lady Rin?" She reopened her eyes and turned to the man beside her. Zoki had become a good friend of hers. She felt guilty over his son's death. "Where do we go now?" He pushed a hand through his hair causing ash to fall down onto his shoulders. "What would my grandmother have done? How can I – I wasn't even able to save my son...how can I help my people?"

She swallowed and shook her head. She had been good friends with Zoki's grandmother, Hisako. Hisako had brought the people of Kuwa to live at Shinakio after their village had been attacked. Even though the Kuwa villagers had become a part of Shinakio, many still had looked up to Hisako's family for guidance. She had been a great leader at a very young age. "You're not responsible for these people, Zoki," Rin answered. "But it is your choice whether or not you lead them. Even your grandmother had moments where she was weak, but she never let it show. If you can't do that, allow someone else to lead. Even leaders need help sometimes." Zoki nodded. "I believe Lord Jien is leading the survivors to the southeast. He can lead Zoki, just be there to help him when he needs it."

The man nodded. He seemed to be relieved that he didn't have to take on any responsibility. "Thank you My Lady."

"And Zoki...I'm so sorry about your son." The woman swallowed to clear her throat. "I'm so sorry." The tears began to stream down her cheeks again. Zoki nodded at turned back to his family, leaving Rin alone.

She watched them for a moment and then felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to her left and looked up to see her mate there. "Rin, come with me." She nodded and followed Sesshomaru to where Isas stood with Masajun and his guards.

Sympathy crossed over Isas' face when they neared him. He frowned. "My Lady, I think we need to move onto Shouhei."

Rin once again wiped at her face. "You think the army is heading there next?"

"I fear they may already be there."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Sesshomaru put his hand on her shoulder, holding her in place. "Shouhei is close enough that we'd smell the demon blood if they were attacked. The tragedy here at Shinakio is a distraction. They should have moved in on Shouhei while we were occupied here. They haven't, so they must be planning something else."

The human woman shook her head. "You call this a distraction? They destroyed a whole village that refused their offer to join them. Plain and simple! Why is it always that you think the humans are out to destroy all the demons?" She took a deep breath and continued to yell, "If you wanted to choose the easiest and the least expensive way to destroy a village while running a campaign, this would be it!" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. At that point she didn't even care.

"Perhaps both of you are correct," Isas interjected. "We do know they planned on attacking Shouhei, we just don't know when. Perhaps we should go check it out."

"Then go," Rin replied. "I'm gonna make sure everyone gets out of here safely." She turned to walk away.

"Rin," Sesshomaru called after her. The demon lord began to follow her, so she turned around to face him. She was angry and tired. If he wanted to fight about it, she'd take him on. "What do you wish to do?"

The woman paused completely dumbfounded. "I..." She felt tears accumulating in her eyes once again. "Can we just make sure they get somewhere safe?" she asked weakly. Suddenly, she no longer felt like fighting.

Her mate nodded. "We'll provide an escort. I'll have Isas scout out the location of the Edo army."

"Thank you." Sesshomaru helped her onto AhUn and took his reins. He suddenly paused and turned his head. She looked over to Isas to see he was looking in the same direction. Shouhei is that way...

"Hnn, we no longer have a choice," Sesshomaru said.

"It's Shouhei!" Isas yelled over to them.

Sesshomaru gave AhUn's reins once last tug and then took off on foot. AhUn began to follow him, and the rest of the dog demons joined them. The trip to Shouhei was short. Rin frowned as they neared the village. It was silent. Sesshomaru stopped short before a few yards away from the edge of the village. She looked at him to see his eyes wildly looking around. "What is it?" she asked. It was dark and a fog sat low in the air. It was very, very quiet.

"There's a...funny scent here," Masajun said from beside her. He was the head of the guards, and Rin knew to he was always serious when he spoke. He doesn't recognize the scent? Is it blood?

"Stay back," Sesshomaru ordered. "No one goes into the village, not even AhUn."

Rin frowned and dismounted the dragon demon. "What about you?"

Her mate looked over to her and drew his sword, Raisaiga. "You can follow me if you choose, but no one else."

The woman drew Bakusaiga from her sash and followed after Sesshomaru. They slowly moved forward between the buildings. "What is it?" Something odd was happening if he was allowing her to fight with him but not the rest of the dog demons.

"This mist is dulling my senses. Does it affect you?"

"No."

"Be my eyes and ears. This must be some trick of the spiritual arts."

Rin frowned. She had been wrong. "If they are traveling with priests or monks, Isas was right. They are targeting the demons."

"Do not fear Rin. It will take a lot more than tricks to silence me."

The woman smiled, but it quickly faded. How long until the future Kagome predicted comes true? Not only did she worry for Sesshomaru, but she was terrified for her children. A future with no demons... The woman pushed open the door as they passed by the entrance to one of the huts. She looked around inside, but didn't see anyone. "It's empty."

"It's not." Sesshomaru pushed passed her and went further into the hut. He pushed open a curtain revealing a pair of demons. They looked to be raccoon-dogs. She turned away. Both were clearly dead; victims of stabbing wounds. "This mist must dull the senses of demons and put them to sleep. They are killing the villagers as they sleep."

"We have to warn them."

"No Rin," his voice came back weakly.

"Sesshomaru?" She felt her eyes widen as she looked over her mate. "Are you alright?" She put Bakusaiga back at her waist and place her hands on Sesshomaru's chest.

"If there is a priest close by, he will sense my presence. I...hnn." The dog demon let out a soft growl. "Let's go." He took her hand in his left and led her back outside. Rin understood. He won't admit he's too weak to fight off an army. The pair returned to the others. "We're leaving," he announced. Rin hopped up onto AhUn and Sesshomaru sat up behind her.

"What about the villagers?" Isas asked. Sesshomaru didn't respond.

"We can't help them," Rin replied softly. "Not now." For what felt like the hundredth time that night, she felt the tears began to fall down her cheaks once again. She felt Sesshomaru tug on AhUn's reins, and they rose up into the air. We'll have to come back tomorrow and see if there are any survivors. I wonder if Samuru... She bit down on her lip.

She suddenly felt Sesshomaru tense up behind her as they flew towards their home. "Faster AhUn," he ordered. Rin grabbed at the dragon demon's saddle as he took off faster. "No matter wheat happens, stay on AhUn Rin," Sesshomaru said into her ear. "The castle is under attack."

"What?" she shrieked.

"Do as I say. Stay on AhUn!" Sesshomaru let go of her and jumped off of the dragon demon. He flew past them at a phenomenal speed. Rin could make out smoke in the distance. Her heart froze in her chest. Her home was on fire. She pushed AhUn to go faster. She had to get to her children.

Sesshomaru went straight for Yemon. The guard was the only one he saw fighting. The great dog demon transformed midair and hit the ground close to Yemon. The force of his landing sent the human men falling around him. He let out a large growl and spit acid onto the ground. He glanced over at the other dog demon. His dark brown hair was matted with blood. "Where is Ryomi?" Yemon growled but didn't respond. Angered, Sesshomaru transformed into his smaller form and drew Raisaiga. He swung the sword and lightening struck the ground around him. "Dragon Strike." The human attackers fell under the lightening attack for yards around him. He didn't know which was worse: the screams from the human men or the scent of their blood. "Where is Ryomi?" he yelled up to Yemon.

Yemon transformed down and sunk to his knees. In this form, his wounds were easy to see. If he hadn't been a demon, he would surely have already been dead. "I lost her," he finally choked out.

Sesshomaru growled. "Lost her?"

"I'm the only one left!" He slowly got up. "The rest are dead. I – I kept her body. I knew you could revive her, but- but she was what they wanted. I held onto her as long as I could...they took her." Yemon sank back to his knees and buried his hands into his face.

Thoughts of killing the failure of a guard crossed Sesshomaru's mind. He decided instead to kick him. The demon lord sunk his foot in Yemon's back causing the guard to fall face first onto the ground. "I'll need your help. That's the only reason I'm allowing you to live!" He glanced around to see they were almost surrounded once again. "Let's find her body."

Yemon pushed himself up from the ground. "They killed all of them. They took them and...and they-" He took a deep breath. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"Out with it fool."

"They burnt their corpses with the castle."

Sesshomaru froze. They're gone? A fear gripped his heart that he hadn't felt since he lost Rin in the underworld all those years ago. They can't be saved?

"My Lord?" he heard Isas' voice from behind him.

The demon lord tilted his head down and closed his eyes. He had seen the size of the army on the way in. He and a half dozen dog demons alone weren't enough to defeat them. He knew his own limits. "Go to the mountains. Take Yemon."

"Uh, yes My Lord," Isas replied.

"Sesshomaru?" Rin yelled. He looked up to see his mate still in the air above him. He had to get her away before she was struck by an arrow.

He glanced around to see the human men holding off. They weren't foolish enough to rush into battle against him after seeing his lightening attack. "Go!" he yelled once more to his dog demons. He took off into the air and in a smooth motion, he mounted AhUn behind Rin. He avoided her gaze and wrapped his arms around her midsection. He didn't want her to turn around and see his face. He didn't want her to know yet.

"Sesshomaru, our home is on fire! Where are the children?" He stayed long enough to make sure his men were headed towards the mountains and then directed AhUn to the west. "Sesshomaru? Where are we going? Where are my children? Sesshomaru!" Once they reached the coast, he landed the dragon demon. He slid off pulling Rin down onto the sand with him. "Where are my kids?" she shrieked.

Sesshomaru pulled her into his arms and buried his head into her hair. I failed to protect them... The demon lord had not allowed himself to cry in a long time, but with Rin sobbing in his arms, he was unable to hold back his own emotion. The thought of his children caused his breath to catch in his throat. His precious Ryomi was gone. The child who had adored him, wanted to be like him, his pride and joy...she was gone. He clutched his mate closer. She would never forgive him. He would never forgive himself.

Modern Era - June 23rd, 2000

"Are you staying for a few days Kagome?"

Kagome put down the book she was studying and looked over her shoulder at her mom. "Just until after my exam. You know how Inuyasha gets."

Her mom smiled. "I know, but I'll try to keep you as long as I can. I'll just have to bribe him with some more food."

Kagome chuckled. "In that case, we may never leave." No, Inuyasha would destroy my neighborhood if we stayed here for too long. She and Inuyasha had been married for a little over a year. They lived in the feudal era, but came back every once in a while to visit with Kagome's family. She had decided a few months ago to attend a some medical classes at the local community college. Talented doctors were in short supply in the feudal era, and she enjoyed helping people. Kaede had taught her everything she knew, but her techniques sometimes were nothing more than superstition. Kagome paused as Kaede crossed her mind. She hopped she was doing okay alone. The old woman moved much more slowly than she used to which was probably Rin's fault. The girl had brought a spark to Kaede's life, but Sesshomaru had taken Rin back with him early that year. Now Kaede just seemed to be bored with everyday life. Kagome had decided she wasn't ready for children quite yet, but she almost wished she had a baby to help keep the old woman busy.

"If you're staying overnight, can you do me a favor?" Her mom looked out the window and up to the sky. "The news is saying that a large storm is going to hit us tomorrow. If you and Inuyasha could make sure everything in the shrine is secured down, I'd appreciate it. It's just too much work for your grandfather."

"No problem Mom. We can do it."

"I'll have Souta help you."

"What is all of this junk?"

"It's not junk Inuyasha," Souta replied. "They're family treasures."

"Yeah, sure," the half-demon said sarcastically.

Kagome shook her head. "If you two would stop opening every box, this would go faster. We're just supposed to make sure nothing is going to fall off of the shelves if a storm hits."

"Where's the fun in that?" Souta said. She rolled her eyes. Her sweet little brother had become a teenager, and now there was nothing sweet about him. She pushed a few boxes in front of a set of glass jars on one of the shelves. Hopefully the boxes would keep the jars from falling.

"Look Inuyasha!" Souta said as he opened a box.

"What's that?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome smiled. At least Inuyasha wasn't too bored when they came to visit. He and Souta and become friends, and the boy was good at entertaining the half-demon. Inuyasha had recently discovered video games, and he had become hooked.

"They say this trinket will make a man invincible if he wears it in battle." Souta held up a rusted piece of metal.

"Looks like junk to me," Inuyasha said.

Kagome left the pair to argue about it and went outside to get some more boxes that were stacked there. She paused as she noticed a couple standing over by the Bone Eater's well. They must have come to visit the shrine. "Can I help you?" She looked the pair over. The woman stood closest and looked to be in her early thirties. She wore a stylish, yellow sundress that went down to her ankles. She had dark hair and was wearing a large black sunhat. She couldn't see the man very well because he was standing behind the woman, but Kagome could see that he had white hair that was cut long for a man. It flowed around his head and stuck up in places like it had a mind of it's own. She noticed that he wore a black hat also. The woman looked her way and gave her a large smile. Kagome almost frowned, but caught herself. She looks familiar.

"What the hell?" she heard Inuyasha yell from inside the shrine. The half-demon stormed out.

Kagome froze. "Your hat!" she snapped at him. These people are going to see his ears!

Inuyasha didn't seem to hear her. "Why the hell do I smell Sesshomaru?"

"What?" Sesshomaru came through the well? Go figure something like this happens when we finally get some visitors!

Kagome heard a laugh and turned back to the couple standing there. The woman had her hand on her mouth and was giggling. "I'd definitely say we've found them."

"Indeed. There's no mistaking that scent," the man said. Kagome's jaw dropped open. She knew she recognized that voice. Sesshomaru? He cut his hair?

"What the hell are you doing here?" Inuyasha yelled. "And who's she? How'd you get through the well?"

"Kagome," the woman said before the brothers could begin to argue, "I can't believe it's you!" The woman came at her and wrapped her in a hug. "I-I've missed you so much!" Kagome took a good look at the woman's face when she finally released her from the hug.

She almost told the woman she had no idea who she was, and then it suddenly hit her. She realized who it was. The smile was unmistakable. "Rin?"

"Yup! It's me!"

A sequel! Yay!

Just like with Forever with Lord Sesshomaru, it may take me some time in between updates, but I'll try to keep posting chapters as soon as I can!

You'll see over the next few chapters where I'm going with this, until then you'll just have to wait in suspense! To give you a little preview – after Sesshomaru and Rin find Kagome and Inuyasha in the modern era, it will cause the timeline to change, not only for them, but for the children Sesshomaru and Rin lost too...

Hope you'll keep reading! Look for the next chapter soon!

-Rachel

FYI – If you're trying to figure out my dates, I'm going with Kagome's 15th birthday was in 1996 – the year the manga first was published. If you don't like it, too bad. :)

Also, I don't know if there's an exact science to how quick a half-demon is supposed to age...just run with what I'm going with here. Sorry if you don't agree with me.