THREE: KAGOME'S POV

The monthly preparations for the night of the new moon are very much under way. Inuyasha has been taking great care in keeping the kids safe, ours and Sesshomaru's. After all, it's the least we can do. We've been taking care of Kou and Haku on this night for the best part of eight years because Sesshomaru suddenly theorised that we would be better suited to take care of Kou and Haku. Not that it was ever easy to deal with a rowdy grieving twelve year old kid and his six year old brother as they dealt with the loss of Yukiko.

If it wasn't for what happened to Yukiko, we wouldn't be babysitting them, but if we had been faster then that wouldn't have happened to her.

The night air is bitter, the cold harsh winds are nipping at my nose and cheeks as Inuyasha runs as quickly as he can toward where the strongest demon in the west resides. Kirara is up in the air, Miroku, Sango and Shippo are on her back. We're keeping pace with Jaken, who is riding upon Sesshomaru's own personal long distance form of transport; A-Un, who was only used to carry his late wife Rin across long distances.

"We must hurry! Lord Sesshomaru is trying to protect his children, he cannot fight until we can assure the safety of Kou, Haku and Yukiko."

"We understand! Faster, Kirara!" Sango commands, the two tailed cat demon kicks her legs back and propels forward, Inuyasha follows.

This just seems so surreal. We never imagined that Sesshomaru would have a child with Rin, let alone three that he would dedicate his life to protect. She really changed him. It's terrible to think that he's been left with only himself to protect the three half demons that Rin carried.

"Oh my gosh! Lady Yukiko!"

"Yukiko!" Inuyasha gasps, running aside and jumping onto a nearby tree branch to see what's going on.

The only physically mature child that Rin carried, their twenty year old half demon daughter, Yukiko is outside of her father's reach, sword unsheathed. We have heard of her power, compared to her brother's development, Yukiko is the better equipped one, but for a half demon, of her age, to be facing such a huge foe, alone, seems to be completely absurd.

"Lady Yukiko!" Jaken shouts again, holding out the staff of two heads and launching an areal assault.

On the ground, Sesshomaru's daughter truly looks like her father. Her fighting style is representative of the methodology that he used to use in combat, particularly with opponents that appeared to be of a similar level of strength. She's incredible, her agility is amazing.

The demon that is attacking her, looks in the air, spotting Jaken, holding the staff and projecting flames from it to protect the oldest of the half demon children that he now knew he had to protect.

Yukiko has clearly seen an opening to attack, but looks worn out, like adrenaline is being expelled from her body simply by breathing. With one fluid motion, she draws a different blade from her waist. This is our queue, we all know what that blade is. Its a sword that Sesshomaru commissioned for her, he got Totosai to make one for each of his kids, it is only Yukiko who has left home to pursue her ambitions and has therefore needed such a weapon at her disposal.

"She hasn't mastered that sword." Jaken declares.

Inuyasha grits his teeth and shrugs me off his shoulders, unsheathing his own weapon. So many colours are rushing past me, I cannot make out a thing. There's no way for me to shoot an arrow into the fray, I could hit anybody. Who could be down there? Who is using their swords? I can hear metal on metal, shouts and hisses of pain, but I cannot see a thing.

"What are you doing here, wolf!" Inuyasha shouts, mortified. Wolf? Koga? Do we know any other wolf demons?

"I followed the pup's scent." Koga? Is Koga down there? Why would Koga, the chief of the wolf demon tribe come running to...oh my god! Did he think we were fleeing from an enemy? He would follow if he thought that the kid we named after him would be in danger! He's going because he thought that Koga was here!

"Lady Kagome! Can you see anything?" Miroku asks.

"I can't see a thing!"

I wince. I hate thinking back to that night, that demon struck Yukiko, she received a fatal blow right before Inuyasha and Koga used the Wind Scar respectively with the Goraishi to have it retreat, wounded. It was ridiculously painful to watch Yukiko fall, she looked just like Sesshomaru's beloved, Rin. Unlike Inuyasha, I did not visit Sesshomaru when Rin passed away, in favour of taking care of my children as the new moon approached, so I had never seen him so broken and distraught. Yukiko didn't deserve to die on that night, she was so young and strong, and died valiantly, going out of her way to protect her brothers and her father. I've never understood why Sesshomaru would have let her out to slay this opponent, but whatever his motive was, it wasn't just enough to explain her death.

Part of me always worries for Kou and Haku on this night, they have always seemed to be consumed by her memory, despite the company of Inuyasha and our children.

Speaking of my children, where is Koga? I've seen Kikyo and Kou today, they're currently with Inuyasha, getting ready for a night of mortality, but I haven't seen Koga or Haku since breakfast. I don't doubt that they would go very far, but nightfall in the winter is unfortunately very unpredictable. It looks to be mid afternoon, but it could be night in merely hours. Thank goodness that the demon we named our first child after will be here in...

"Hello Kagome, nice to see you again, how's the pup and the other pups?"

I laugh as a gust of wind pulls my hair around, Koga of the wolf tribe is here. "Inuyasha is fine, two of the kids have come back, I'm just waiting for Koga and Haku to come back now."

"Want me to go up and fetch them?" I am offered. I nod my head.

Koga sets off, dashing away from the rice fields and up the hill that leads into the forest.

"KOGA! HAKU!" He shouts, seizing both boys, from what I can see, he's got them in a headlock.

"Your clothes...KAGOME!" Koga calls.

With an eyebrow raised, I make my way up the hill, nodding to the kids that Koga found before something could happen to them. I look up at the man who directed me here and follow his gaze, eyes widening when I see a girl, a teenage girl, in a twenty first century school uniform, a very familiar school uniform, a uniform that I remember wearing all of those years ago

"You go to Yamashida High School. Don't be afraid! forty years ago, I went to Yamashida High School." I flail my arms, I've probably just completely mortified her. Wait...how is a kid from Yamashida High School here, in the Feudal Era? I thought the well was closed and could only be opened on instances of urgency. Does that mean that there is a reason for her to be here? That she's been destined to travel to this era? Just like I was?

"I do." The girl with the soft looking chocolate brown hair and glasses says with a small smile.

"That's incredible, Mum." Koga says, eyes wide with admiration.

"What's your name?" I ask, smiling sweetly at the young girl before me.

"My name is Reina, Nakagawa Reina." She replies with a nod of her head and pushes up her glasses.

"We should go to the village." I suggest, Koga nods, still not releasing the child he shares a name with, or his cousin.

"Um..." This Reina girl seems afraid.

"You needn't be afraid, those three are going now. RIGHT Koga."

"Sure, I'll take them to Inuyasha." He sighs, dragging both of the younger demons by their cute and pointy dog ears, to where they hide with Inuyasha on the night of the new moon.

"You're probably really scared right now, Reina. But don't be afraid, this village is safe." I assure.

"I'm not afraid of the village. I'm afraid because...why aren't you home?"

"This is home, I decided to stay and marry my husband, if you're here, you should be able to come and go as you please, but you should stay the night here, the forest is dangerous at night."

"That makes sense, thank you Ma'am." Reina bows her head at me.

"Right this way, you can stay in our home tonight." I beckon Reina into the house that Lady Kaede once lived in.

"Thank you." she bows again.

"Are you okay, Reina, you seem uneasy? Are you hurt? Scared?"

"Scared." she admits. "I was running from someone when I jumped in the well. I didn't think he would find me if I hid in there."

"He?"

"Some creep was chasing me as I went home. I was prepping for an entrance exam."

"Entrance exam? Reina, are you in third year?"

She nods her head. "The exams are in four months."

"Then you really cannot dwell here, we'll get you home as soon as day breaks."

"Kagome! I heard you mention that demon again! I thought you already dealt with entrance exam!"

"HEY! PUP! Go back to the puppies!"

"Make me, Wolf-Cub!"

"This place seems like some sort of soap opera." Reina muses, pushing up her glasses.