We are now timing how long it will take me to write this chapter. Okay, it's Mother's Day, at 4:26 PM. Ready, GO!

"I was thinking…" Continued Kagome, "Maybe you should try to get Kohaku involved in something that takes place outside of the kitchen."

"Me?! Um, you do realize that Kohaku wants to serve my head on a platter, right? No pun intended."

"That wasn't exactly a pun Miroku." Sango interjected.

Kagome ignored both of them, "We all love that Kohaku makes food for us, he does a wonderful job, but he has a reason for busying himself all the time."

"I barely even know Kohaku, but it seems to me like he has a passion for it. Even if you think he doesn't do much else, he does train."

"That he does, and very well for an eleven year old boy. But," Casting a worried look at Miroku and Sango, Kagome attempted to explain her worries, "His age is the problem. He does so much work, and seems to greatly enjoy it, but it doesn't appear like he's as social as other eleven year old boys would be."

Miroku laughed, "I can't agree with you on that Kagome! Have you seen him in the kitchen Kagome? He's a real live wire! Besides, there are so many people with kitchen duty around him; it's hard to believe that you think he's lonely."

"I suppose that's true." Smiled Kagome, "I'm probably wrong anyway! Just remember to spend time with him; he is only an eleven year old boy after all! But do you know anything of his past?"

Sango and Miroku looked at her with curiosity.

"Kohaku has always been on his own. He can't remember who raised him as a baby. By the time that he was of an age where most people have fragments of memories, whoever raised him was no longer around. Did that person, or family member, die? He doesn't know, and we've done research into it, but we haven't discovered anything yet. His first memory is of being lost in the woods. He was calling for help, either from his siblings, parents, or an unrelated person, he can't remember. The only thing that he can remember is that he was near an old well. Soon he fell into it, and was stuck in there for a long time before Kaoru found him. This is surprising for someone as kind as Kaoru, but she didn't do anything other than help him out of the well. He remembers how she seemed hurried, sickly, and thin. She had told him that she would return in a few hours, and that she could help him then. But she didn't return."

"I don't understand, Kaoru has treated me so kindly ever since I first came here, how could she do something like that?" A trembling Sango inquired.

"I'm not done yet Sango; please don't blame Kaoru just yet. Remember how Kaoru appeared very sick? She collapsed about ten miles away, and was eventually found by Kikyo. Kikyo says she brought Kaoru to the nearest village, and attempted to rid Kaoru of her illness. But Kaoru was in a coma, and remained like that for six months. Eventually she recovered enough to be conscious, but it was another two months before her memories returned. As soon as they did, she remembered Kohaku. She begged Kikyo to go find the boy, but Kikyo refused to leave her side, Kaoru was so very sick. Part of it was also that Kikyo didn't want to tell Kaoru that eight months had passed, and the boy was probably dead."

Miroku and Kagome met eyes, "How sad." Miroku quietly said.

"Yes," Kagome agreed, nodding, "But the story isn't over yet. After many months of fighting, and recovering from the disease, Kaoru was finally strong enough to go looking for Kohaku, but she didn't find him. Kohaku had wandered away from the forest she had found him in. He took up residence in an abandoned village that had been annihilated because of war. By chance, Kaoru and Kohaku crossed paths a little over a year ago, Kohaku recognized her right away, because she was from his very first memory…"

"So cooking must be one of the few things Kohaku could enjoy while he was alone. He must still take comfort in it." Sango whispered, "Wait, so then does he know if his name is truly Kohaku?"

"Yes, he can remember that at the very least."

Miroku's reluctance from earlier had completely vanished, "I see, that truly is terrible. I'll do whatever I can to get him to spend more time with us. No one should ever be alone has much as he has."

Sango looked at Miroku's serious expression. She had never seen his face that way before; it made him look all the more handsome… Wait! What am I thinking? Sango thought, flustered, as she blushed bright red. When Kagome and Miroku looked at her curiously, she hurried to say something, "H-hey Kagome! Aren't you supposed to be making Inuyasha come out of the equipment room?"

"I what-? OH! Inuyasha!" Kagome ran over to the black door and yanked it open, her footsteps on the wooden floor echoing off the retracted blue bleachers of the gym. Miroku and Sango could hear her snapping at Inuyasha, "Haven't you been moping around in here enough already? What kind of man does that? Get your butt up!"

Miroku laughed at Inuyasha's stupidity, "Inuyasha should have known better than to try to get any sympathy from Kagome."

*

Finally! Sango thought to herself as she walked from the gym, tonight's training is over! She repressed a yawn, and time for some sleep! She was heading down the tenth grade hallway toward the slayer's quarters, when she saw Kohaku. He was leaving them, and looked tired. "Kohaku!" She called.

He finished rubbing his eyes from his recent yawn, then waved back at her. "If it isn't Sango! How's all the secret training?"

Sango put her finger over her lips, and looked around. There were only blue lockers and classrooms surrounding her, no lurking Kikyo. "It's not really a secret anymore when you say it out loud like that Kohaku." She giggled.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Me and my big mouth!" He then scratched his head and laughed good naturedly.

"Speaking of mouths, are you headed over to the cafeteria to start breakfast?" Sango looked up at one of the digital clocks on the wall. The glowing red numbers told her that it was a little after four in the morning, a time during which most people don't want to be awoken. "Are you going early today for some reason?"

Kohaku cocked his head and gazed at Sango, confused, "Early? No, I'm right on schedule! I can never seem to get out of bed any earlier than this!" He laughed again.

"Don't you think four in the morning is a little bit too early to be getting up?"

"No, I'm okay with it! Besides, all the poor kitchen duty people should be getting up to help me in a few hours!"

Sango stood on the tiled floors and gaped at Kohaku, the eleven year old boy before her, "D-do you want me to help you in the kitchen? I'm not a great cook like you, but I can get the job done."

Quickly, he shook his head, "No way! You've been up for hours training, and you haven't gotten any sleep yet! There's no way I could let you help me when you're feeling so tired!" His dark eyes shone determinedly, his hair was ruffled, and his cute freckles stood out on his face.

He looks so young, but he feels like an older brother to me… How odd. Mused Sango. When she realized that Kohaku refused to do anything until she gave up on trying to help him, she said, "Kohaku, you're an amazing boy."

His face lit up, "Really? Thank you! That feels even better coming from you Sango!"

"What? Why does it feel so great coming from me?"

"Hm? Oh… Actually, I don't know why. It just… does."

*

Le gasp! I did some foreshadowing! I'm so proud of myself! *tear*
Mwahahaha, it's still Mother's Day, and it's 5:34! SCORE!