Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I mean... obviously ;)

In another life, things were completely different. The gods made sure she was of the same species and that she was also of a royal line. In this life she had constructed mentally, she would be introduced as a strong, capable daughter that would be perfect alongside the rule of a Lord. She would be fierce, powerful, and knowledgeable. She would be the daughter of a mighty, full-blooded demon union that she would refer to as her parents. They would teach her of all the things to do, of how to – one day – stand beside a Lord and feel the respect from the people of the lands that were now hers as well. She would get to mate the love of her life, give birth to their heirs, and all would be perfect.

In another life.

But this was the only life she knew. This was reality. And reality seemed to love tearing her apart.

Rin did not know how long she had been standing there, staring after her Lord's receding back, before he had disappeared altogether. Her arms still curved around her midriff in a self-hug and there was now a figurative, gaping hole in her chest where her Lord had taken her heart with him.

For thirteen years, the Western Lands were her home. Her sanctuary, her being.Today, they were just that, the Western Lands. A place no longer welcoming to her, for she knew Lord Sesshomaru's warning rang true. Should she return she would be greeting her demise.

"Rin… we have to go, Rin. Many of the men are wounded, and they have to get back…," Suki whispered behind her.

Keiji could see the despair surrounding Rin once the small battle proved to be over. His heart yearned to put her at ease but he was at a loss. Part of him rejoiced when she had said she wanted to leave with him, until he had realized she had mostly made the decision out of concern for his safety. He could not fathom why she would take such measures knowing that it could cost her everything she knew. His anger had subsided enough to make way for the sympathy he held in regards to her state of being. But he vowed then and there that he would always protect her; most importantly, he would be there to mend together her emotional wounds. Deciding that, in her current mind frame, his assistance would be the less helpful, he had approached Suki in suggestion of her being the one to coax Rin.

Suki placed her hands on Rin's shoulders, trying to gently pull her away. However, upon taking her first step, Rin collapsed in Suki's arms. Uncontrollable sobs now breaking free from the girl's throat. Her body shaking with the oncoming slaughter of them. Suki tried to hold Rin up, her own heart breaking for Rin and for what she, too, had lost. The Western Lands had been home to the both for so long.

Seeing Suki struggle to hold Rin up, he walked over and lifted her in his arms. Careful not to dirty her with the blood that he had gotten on his armor, General Tsung turned to face his prince.

"I will carry her until she settles, your highness."

Keiji simply nodded his head, afraid that Rin would lash out should he have been the one to grab Rin. Rin took no notice of the person who now held her. She had simply buried her face into his chest and continued to cry.

General Tsung turned to face Suki and took pity on the poor girl who was also crying but had managed to keep her composure.

"Grey is a steady horse. You may mount him back to the palace until she is ready to join you," he explained.

Suki eyed the strong horse warily before nodding her head in understanding. She walked over to Grey, hesitant. The horse looked at her through its black, glossy eye, and reared its head as if to say "it's okay".

Keiji walked over and helped Suki atop of Grey before mounting his own steed. He looked over at his General, his respect for the older yet wise man growing exponentially.

"Are you sure?" Keiji questioned. Rin's sobs had yet to die down and the guilt inside him continued to grow.

The General knew that the prince was at odds with his own person. Knew that Keiji must be beating himself up on the inside. He had seen how the prince wanted to pick the girl up, and could tell that his hesitation was out of fear of the girl directing any displeasure at him. Anyway, how many times had he helped carry his men back from battles? This would no different.

General Tsung shook his head, "Do not worry yourself, your highness. She is lighter than a sack of rocks. She will quiet down as we travel on."

Keiji prayed that his General was right, and as he led his men back home, prayed that she would find it in what remained of her heart to forgive him.

Yukio had recalled a time when he had felt things were annoyingly difficult to get done. His sinister plans always seemed to fall through at the last minute, his ire always his dominant feeling. However, this new turn of events – why, this was all turning out to be too perfect!

He cackled malevolently as he finished witnessing all that had transpired just shy of the northwest borders through the mental eye he had managed to place in Keiji's mind. The more defiled the young prince's soul became, the easier it would be to soon reel in his will as well.

'Stay away… from my son…!'Kishiro hissed weakly from the crevices of Yukio's control.

The demon simply rolled his eyes at the attempted warning. He would use every pawn in this game until his victory. The human mind was far too easy to taint and take over. Lord Kishiro's own greed had brought him to his own ungovernable state.

"Once I extract revenge on that despicable dog, I will plunge these lands into a new era. One where demons rule high once again and the wastes of space known as humans will be nothing more than slaves. Or whatever is left of them," he stated, laughing with malice. He watched through the window of the northern Lord's study. He could see the vast land of the North from his position up high, and though he could feel excitement for the impending bloodshed, his gaze darkened as he recalled times from long ago.

"Damn, that Sesshomaru. This all would have been well underway if he would not have intervened nearly fifteen years ago with that pathetic half-brother of his, Inuyasha. And even more irritating that it all started with their rotten father two hundred and fifty years before that," Yukio spat aloud.

'What in Kami's name… are you talking… about?'Kishiro whispered. His soul was weakening, struggling with all might to hold onto his body. To not disappear because of this disgusting demon now inhabiting it.

He could see the flames of Hell in a recollection of a time long passed that was not his own. Thousands of souls were crying out in anguish, surrounded by clouds of rancorous aura; their corpses portraying all types of maimed limbs with which they used to crawl up a hill that had been forged by melted rocks. All were reaching out for a single, silver sword impaled in its center. The top of the sword portraying a spherical pummel and looked to be the color of blood.

The memory cut off, giving the Northern Lord a strong urge –should he have been in control of his body – to shudder in disgust. What had that been?

"That, my dearest Lord, was Hell," Yukio replied with a grin.

'Just who exactly… are you…?'

Yukio scoffed. As if that was important. Though, he supposed it was time to finally reveal what exactly his plans were. After all, maybe a little family history would be nice to revisit.

"Two hundred and fifty years ago, an ancient being— formed from the hate and suffering of the inhabitants of Hell— made a pact with a deranged soul. The soul had fallen for a priestess during his life that had taken him in when he had been attacked by a horde of demons. She tended to his health and as time went by he began to fall in love with her. Though she had felt the same, she put her duty above everything and told the man they could not be, and slowly began distancing herself from him to avoid further growth of his affection. Darkness began to grow in his heart as it became evident she was turning him away every chance she got, and so, he decided to take matters into his own hands."

"One night as she decided to check in on him, he forced himself upon the priestess, and though she fought and fought, it proved to be futile. In despair upon her impurity she felt unfit to continue her priestess duties and fled the village that very night. The man awoke the next morning, realizing that she had long gone, and he grew furious. She still had the gall to deny him even though she had been sullied with his essence. Rotation after rotation, he spent scourging village upon village in search of her."

"Years passed by, his soul darkened by every life he had taken or destroyed. So into the darkness he had fallen, that he could not recognize his sane thoughts from his iniquitous ones. Until finally, one day he came across the castle of the Samurai and had witnessed her walking in the gardens. His body frozen with the shock at seeing her again after many moons was enough to subside all the evil within himself. He took his first step towards her, and froze again. For there, besides her, was a small boy hanging onto her hand. He saw as she kneeled before him, caressing the child in a loving manner. He knew instantly who the child was to her, and his anger came roaring full force."

"As he infiltrated the castle, the Samurai were alerted and the priestess knew immediately who had come for her. She warned her son to hide, to stay quiet at all costs, and to not come out until she came for him. Unfortunately, though she succeeded in ending his ravenous life, it so happened to be at the cost of hers, as well."

Kishiro simply listened in mild horror, but immense interest. Two hundred and fifty years ago? He had heard legends growing up of the great dog demon Inutaishou. Could this be one of his stories?

'What was the pact? And… what happened… to the boy?' Kishiro inquired curiously despite his weakness. Yukio chuckled.

"Ah, yes. Well, having survived, the boy eventually became the leader of the Samurai; training and fighting his way to be the best amongst them. Met a beautiful woman, got married, and carried out a legacy through his own son, Takemaru."

That name! Kishiro knew that name. But from where? And how?

"Now, I say legacy because twenty years prior to that was when the pact was made. The ancient being lusted after the idea of Hell up above and the man? His anger would not leave him be. He needed to exact his revenge on the priestess who had made a fool of him. She had denied him time and time again only to have a child with someone else? Ah, but that's where things got… interesting. For you see, this twisted man had no idea that the boy had been his son."

"The priestess had found out shortly after his… liberties with her body that she was with child. And so, when he rose from Hell, wielding the sword that would later be known as Sounga –carrying the evil being inside it's pummel's eye— the man had no idea that he would be going head to head with his own flesh and blood. It was during this fierce battle of the two that he found out who exactly the boy was, and the momentary shock was all it took to be slayed once more."

Kishiro sat with stunned silence. Sounga. The blade of Death, said to raise 100 dead men from their graves with a swipe from its wielder. There were plenty of stories to instill fear in any man at the very mention of its name. It was said that it would take control of its beholder, bending them to its will, making them act out horrendous activities. Kishiro knew where this story would end… he had heard plenty of it as a child.

"When the son defeated him, his soul returned to the netherworld. Though it seemed that Sounga stayed behind. At the time, the dog demons were the unrivaled menaces of our kind. Many were mercenaries, taking and killing as they pleased. But the son had heard of one who had apparently taken a liking to humans. Sympathized with them, so the son sought him out. In his travels, however, he began to realize that Sounga was still conscious, and the sword aimed to drive him mad."

"He had collapsed under the God tree, screaming into the wind for the voices to stop. He begged for mercy and was given none. And just when he had decided to end it all, Inutaishou appeared out of nowhere. Relief befell the Samurai Lord, and before Sounga could render him incompetent once again, he explained everything as he handed the sword over to the dog demon."

"As a result of Inutaishou dominating Sounga, the Samurai Lord learned just how powerful he was, and before he lost his mind to insanity, he begged him to ensure Takemaru's future. To find a way to protect the humans from demons even long after he passed. Inutaishou had forged such an absurd hierarchy where the lesser existences would be guaranteed protection by the Lords of the respected lands, whether it be human or demon," Yukio spat the last of his words.

Such a despicable agreement that had created such inconveniences throughout the centuries to come. Even now, having to resort to wearing human flesh was not only absurdity but it was demeaning to someone of his power. At this point in his story, Yukio had walked over to the table in the study and taken a seat on the zabuton placed in front of it. He looked at the fire he had lit moments before and chuckled as he gazed into the embers.

"What a disgrace it must have been to be slayed by the person in which you had ensured all these decrees would protect. I'm sure you are aware Lord Kishiro, of Inutaishou's fall at the hand of Takemaru; the very person he oversaw guaranteeing a future, and though fallen with him, had been the exact human to end the existence of the supposed most powerful dog demon of his time. Over a human woman, nonetheless!" Yukio laughed in amusement, the humor not taken to Kishiro. Shrugging his shoulders, Yukio simply continued.

"Alas, though Sounga played his cards well by manipulating and corrupting Takemaru's mind because of his jealousy of the relationship between the woman he loved and Inutaishou, the dog Lord still managed to banish away Sounga with the aid of his vassals. That's where Sesshomaru's pathetic half-brother, Inuyasha, stepped in. Nearly fifteen years ago, together they destroyed the ancient being in Sounga, and the sword itself was swallowed up by the netherworld."

"What everyone fails to realize is that, that in which was created from the never-ending flow of either death or life is never defeated. A will –no matter if good or evil—that can transpose even the flow of time could never be easily done away with. At least… that's what my ancestry has taught me," Yukio finished off as he stood up once more. He walked over to the window, picking up the sounds of the northern prince's soon-to-be arrival. Though still very faint he could pick up Rin's scent amongst all of them. His excitement grew as he realized that along with that the king had begun to piece some things together.

Kishiro observed as Yukio watched the horizon through his eyes. Knew that the demon could sense his son's incoming company. But it was the excitement he had felt within himself that forced him to analyze everything he had just learned. Where did they fit in all of this? How exactly did the old stories explain who this demon was? And the second the demon had caught a whiff of his son's love interest through his nose, everything snapped into place. His blood ran cold and his thoughts halted into absolute silence.

"Ahhh. There it is. The sweet indication of someone realizing they are standing before Death. Lord Kishiro… have you understood who I am? Have you understood how you tie perfectly well into this web fate has ornately designed?"

'You… you are…'

"You see, Lord Kishiro, the mishaps in stories being passed along through the ages is that very important factors sometimes are left out. However unfortunate that may seem, it looks like it can be very convenient as well. Because, let's say the entire truth had been shared along word for word… then of course, everyone would have known who to seek. To look out for the one who would continue to strive for the most powerful to become the rulers of this world once again. They would have known that Takemaru of Setsuna had a part of him that lived on."

Yukio could finally see Keiji leading the others in the distance. His satisfaction growing with a hunger that would not be satiated until his plan was successful.

Yukio turned towards the door that led in and out of the study. He would need to prepare to go greet his "son". He had much to discuss with him; much to hear, too, especially in regards to the girl. Before he shut the door to the study, Yukio recessed into that crevice of the mind he held the king captive, standing before his see-through form, and bowed –a cruel smile upon his lips.

"Pleasure to meet you, your highness. I am Yukio of Setsuna. The only living heir of Takemaru of Setsuna. Let us enjoy a prosperous segment in time together as you aid me in bringing this world to its knees."

It had been nearly an entire moon cycle since Lord Sesshomaru had returned from where he had gone after his control over his demon had imploded. Nearly an entire moon cycle since the green toad had learned from his Lord that Rin and Suki would no longer be living in the Western Lands. Nearly an entire moon cycle since her room had been cleared out and that terrible mare, Mo, were all sent to her in the Northern lands per his Lord's orders.

Jaken wandered through the gardens that Rin had tended to herself most of the time, noticing how most of the flowers lilted in an almost depressing manner. He hated to admit it but his little heart broke when he learned that Rin was no longer welcome. That she would never be coming back because she had made the decision to stay with that imbecile of a northern prince. It was hard to accept that she would settle on a decision as hefty as that one. This had been her home since she was a small child. She never mentioned being unhappy, in fact the girl was always laughing or smiling in the most delightful of ways.

He was not sure in what area he had gone wrong, or if it even had been him at all. Regret coursed through his veins as he remembered the countless of times he had referred to her as a "stupid woman" or a "manner-less ingrate". Had he gone too far?

He heard the whines coming from Ah-Un and he looked over to the two-headed dragon in sympathy. Even they were distraught without her presence. The entire mansion seemed to have become clouded over with a layer of sadness as the news of her departure spread like wildfire. Perhaps he would be lucky enough to see her again one day. Or at least that his Lord would reconsider not letting her visit.

To him it looked as if his Lord was just as lost without the girl as the rest of them. Twice already he had ordered Jaken to fetch her before realizing there was no Rin to fetch. Though, the one time Jaken had thought to bring up his reconsideration, he had nearly lost his head as Lord Sesshomaru sent his poison whip flying at him with a snarling, "we do not speak of her!"

Jaken may not be the smartest demon in the world, but he knew when Lord Sesshomaru was perturbed. Had his Lord perhaps indeed fallen for the human girl? Did he regret letting her go?

"That stupid, stupid girl! This all probably happened because she was being contradictive as always! Lord Sesshomaru has no patience nor time to be wasted on such trivial matters!" Jaken blurted to no one, stomping his small webbed foot in the grass. He stomped a few more times before toppling over completely. But instead of helping himself back up, he stared up at the sky the way he had seen Rin do plenty of times. He wondered if they would ever get used to the silent gap she had created, and huffed as he then punched the dirt beside his head.

What had his Lord been thinking? Rin was under his protection. Had been for many, many years and now suddenly he could not seem to be bothered. Something did not feel right, and he got the same foreboding feeling he had gotten that day in the village in which Rin had first met that damn northern prince.

"Rin… stupid girl. Stay safe...," he whispered into the winds, hoping that by some miracle they would reach her. Wherever she was.

Hi guys! I didn't write anything on the last update because I figured I needed to reintroduce the story since it had been... well... a really long time since the time before that! And if you've recently stumbled upon the story, well, WELCOME! And thank you so much for giving this fiction your time. I actually plan on doing a huge revise to the beginning chapters, so if you've already read through those (sorry for all the typos ^-^') I will be notifying when those have been fixed in case anyone would like to revisit them!

I know it might be too much to ask, but if it's not too much trouble, I'd really appreciate your feedback! R&R? Thanks a bunch! :)