Author's Note: Um… I had half this chapter written up, and then my dad "activated" the BSoD and had to redo my settings… which got it deleted and got me pissed off at him. MAN! I had the perfect intro for…>.> …You'll see. But yeah, if you're not up to date on the latest manga in Japan, you might not know what's going on. Spoilers for you! –winning gesture-

"Damnit!"

"How long has she been missing, InuYasha." The monk stood outside his door. The sun was just cleared of the trees and it looked as though both of them had only been awake for a half an hour.

"I don't know, but she's not anywhere in the village." He crossed his arms, staring at the ground. "I bet she left last night after our argument." That last comment was to himself.

This was the most upset Miroku had seen his friend in a long time. He knew how he babied and spoiled his daughter, but to hear that she ran away was just ridiculous. "It couldn't have been your fa-"

"Urusai, houshi." InuYasha snorted towards his friend. He knew it was his fault. "You gonna help me or not?"

He nodded; knowing that Sango would understand once Kagome came over and explained everything. "Hai. Let's-"

As soon as he said yes, the hanyou sprinted off towards the forest, not even caring to bring anything with him. He didn't care if something got in his way, he would kill it without a regret. He didn't know what he would do if… no thinking about that right now.

"ANOTHER RIVER?" The small hanyou girl ran her fingers through the water. This would be the third river she crossed that day. This one seemed the calmest so far. She couldn't rest, though. By now her father knew she was gone, and most likely looking for her. Washing off her scent in three rivers would keep him busy for a while.

She took a few steps back from the water's edge, kneeling down on her knee, but then fell back to a sitting position. "Ow!" She grabbed her knee, looking at the ground where a small wound had spilt blood onto the ground. "Dangit." She stood back up, a small crimson spot on her amethyst kimono. "I don't have time to stop and worry about that right now," she mumbled, standing up as she looked at the river. She could jump… most of it, and swim the rest of the way. Hanaharu nodded, taking another two steps back and running forward, jumping into the air. She took a deep breath, ready for impact of the water.

She landed hard, being sucked under by the submerged current of the river. She had trusted the seemingly calm waters, and now, if she couldn't get out, it would cost the fourth-demon girl her life.

She tried swimming upward, but to no prevail, it was too strong of a downward pull. She opened her mouth, bubbles floating to the surface as she continued being pulled downstream. She clutched her large ebon tail, unsure of what would happen to her. Would she be saved, or left for dead. At the moment, she wanted her father to come and be the hero he always was. At least to her.

Hanaharu inhaled water, the last thing she remembered before blacking out.

A small fire was built in the middle of the dark forest, the monk and hanyou sitting near it on opposite sides.

"It's been a long tie since we've slept out in the woods." The monk sat cross-legged on the ground as he looked up past the canopy of the trees towards the stars.

"Almost twelve years." InuYasha was watching the flames dance, lying on his side supporting his chin against a clenched fist. Hanaharu was almost eleven, Kagome knew exactly; she was better with dates, but he knew at least a month. 'I might not get to celebrate it.'

"Cheer up. Buddha wouldn't want you to be so melancholy." The monk was only trying to cheer him up, but he winced at his friend's answer.

"Fuck Buddha." He snorted, closing his eyes. "For all I know my daughter could be dead, and all you can dish out at me is a bunch of BS about someone you don't even know exists."

Miroku was offended by the answer, but the hanyou was right about one thing. Hanaharu… "InuYasha. I know how you feel about all of this, but offending Buddha isn't going to make anything better."

He thought about it for a moment. Miroku was a monk, more religious than he would ever be. "Gomen."

"As long as you ask Buddha to keep Hanaharu safe, he will."

"I still think it's a load of BS."

The monk let out a sigh. He was never going to get through to InuYasha. "Think what you will." He lay back on the cold ground, closing his eyes and listening to the sounds of nature.

InuYasha laid his head on his crossed arms, letting out a wondering sigh. He had one last thought before he fell asleep. 'Buddha… I know I haven't done much to deserve it but, onegai, keep my daughter safe.'

Moaning in pain, the small girl woke up… startled; she grasped her tail. She was nowhere near a river, and she was dry… it was morning. She curled up, closing her eyes again and burying her head in the ebony tail.

"You! Girl! Quit your stalling and get up. Milord will be back soon and you had better show your proper respects!"

A voice… of someone she had never heard before. It was kind of high-pitched and annoying at times, but whoever it was seemed loyal to whoever his lord was. "Huh?"

She opened her eyes to see a small creature standing in front of her, maybe two feet tall, and it looked like some sort of a frog-type demon. He was clad in a brown kimono that split near the legs and a small pointed hat that strapped down under his chin. In his hand was a wooden staff. At the end seemed to be two heads. She wasn't sure if they were a real man or woman, and she didn't want to find out.

"Your lord?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama was the one who pulled you from that river, though I have no idea why, and you had better show him you are grateful. If you don't, he may just abandon you here." The toad-like creature said as if it were a threat to keep her in line. Hanaharu understood. For all she knew this lord of his could have pulled her out of the river to eat her.

'Sesshoumaru-sama?' The girl stood, looking back behind her to see a large beast. It was a brownish color, what looked like to be the mix between a horse and a dragon. It had two heads, each snout had a black muzzle on it, and it had two tails, one for each head. Running down its long necks were black manes, its large body folded up on the ground as it was resting, and one head sleeping as the other on looked up at her.

"I don't want to be left alone. Not out here." She came closer to the large beast, wondering if it would bite her. Hanaharu reached out to pet its mane, and all she got out of it was a happy grunt from it.

"Stop playing with Aun! You're wasting time." The toad seemed kind of annoyed… of course; with past experiences you would think that he were more used to having a kid ignoring him.

She turned back towards the toad, bowing slightly. He may be annoying, and a stranger, but he was one of the people that saved her from certain death. "Gomen nasai, I-"

"Jaken," a cold voice rand out from behind her, but he seemed young, she could tell.

Turning around, Hanaharu could see the taiyoukai standing before her. She almost gasped in awe.

The youkai had long silver hair, much like her own, only silkier and much longer, his cold golden eyes glancing down to the girl only just above half his size. The markings on his face were enough proof to say he was a demon, the cerulean cresset moon on his forehead, the claret eye shadow and the burgundy striped cheeks. His pointed ears came back under his long hair, and it seemed that he was missing his left arm. Over his right shoulder was what seemed to be a cream-colored tail, one just like her own.

The youkai wore most white hakama and a kimono, red flowered patterns on the sleeves and left shoulder. His armor was another story. The breastplate was a deep charcoal color, steel-colored spiked sections of his armor above the breastplate and over what remained of his left shoulder. Around his waist was a sash, going back around his thighs to his lower back attached to his armor; the sash was golden and violet, hanging down in front of him. He also wore black shoes over his feet, protecting them from the earth. In his sash was what seemed to be a sheathed sword, the hilt of it was pattered red and white, and the sheath was wooden.

Hanaharu couldn't help but stare at him; she had never seen anyone like him. She always thought that most demons, at least the ones that occasionally attacked the village were ugly. 'He's so beautiful… how could he harm me?'

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" The toad bowed slightly, listening to what the lord had to say.

"Urusai," he obviously didn't want Jaken picking on the girl, he wasn't finished with her.

"Hai… M-Milord."

The hanyou had his nose almost plastered to the ground, sniffing for any sing that his daughter had left behind. Her blood. He smelled it, but only a little. He sat on his knees staring into the water, broken. How could he have let this happen? Was he doomed to have a tortured life? If he at least didn't find Hanaharu's body, he wouldn't be able to move on.

The monk stood behind him. They had both been away from home for two days, searching for InuYasha's daughter, and he knew, that if she hadn't gotten help… or eaten, they would have found her by now. "InuYasha, don't give up. I'm sure she will either go back home on her own or we'll find her. If you give up now then you'll never know."

The hanyou just sat on the ground, head lowered as he thought. The monk had no idea how he felt. Miroku had ten children and they all loved him, InuYasha had one child but she hated him. How could they compare? "You should go home."

This got a stupefied look from the monk as he just stood there behind InuYasha. "But you-"

"This is my problem, not yours." He stood up, looking at the river. He had gotten used to Hanaharu's scent disappearing every time she came to a river, so if she had kept going, he would know. "I smelled her blood on the ground right over there, so, if anything has happened to her, you don't deserve to have to go through seeing her."

"She's not dead, I can tell you that, InuYasha. But if you insist on going alone, I want you to come back with me and rest for a day. You'll need it."

"Damnit, houshi!" InuYasha growled, looking back at him. "Every moment I waste is another chance that she might get killed! Hanaharu doesn't know how to protect herself." He was upset and frightened for his daughter's life. If he didn't bring her back alive and well, he didn't think he could tell Kagome.

"Hai. I understand. Just come home with her soon." The monk turned to leave. He hated to abandon the search, but he was sure that Kagome and Sango were worried sick.

"Miroku," they turned towards each other. InuYasha's tone of voice had changed, he seemed calmer, more solemn. "Arigatou. You didn't have to come out here and put up with my crap. I can't tell you how grateful I am."

This made the monk smile. "Yes I did. I couldn't stand to see you and Kagome-sama suffer like this. And besides, I trust you."

InuYasha nodded, "Tell Kagome, that if I'm not back in three days by noon, tops, to not come looking for me." With that, InuYasha sprung out across the river, running off into the forest.

"I doubt she'll wait three days." The monk turned back around, walking back towards the village. He had a long walk ahead, and now in his thirties, this wouldn't be so easy going back by himself. He was a bit older now, but InuYasha still looked the same as he always did: young, energetic, and still arrogant to the rules that weren't set by himself. Miroku had no doubt that InuYasha would outlive Kagome by many years. In fact, when she grew old, he would still look the same. Poor InuYasha. Once Kagome was gone, all he would have left would be Hanaharu, and if she was gone…

"Girl," the lord only stared down at her with cold eyes. Was this the young child he pulled from the river? She wasn't even in her teens, yet she had been there by herself, probably well taken care of. "What were you doing in the forest?" This was his domain, so it was appropriate to ask. And besides, she just her scent reminded him of his vile younger brother. He hadn't seen InuYasha in over ten years.

"M'lord, I would rather not talk about it, if you don't mind." She spoke as if she totally respected the inu-youkai before her. And she did, lest she wish to have her head lopped off. She looked up to Sesshoumaru, eyes full of fear and respect, but also of appreciation and even a bit of security.

"As you please." The lord turned around gracefully, starting to walk away, the toad fallowing at his heels.

Aun looked back at the young girl, grunting to her before Jaken came back and grabbed the reigns, tugging him towards the lord. "Sesshoumaru-sama! Please, don't leave without me!"

Hanaharu just stared after him. The demon that had saved her life was now leaving her here in the field. She didn't want to be alone. "Sesshoumaru-sama," she cried out, running a few steps after him before falling to her knees again.

The youkai turned his head, looking back to Hanaharu as he stopped looking over his left shoulder, the toad stopping at his feet. "Hai?"

"M'lord…" she looked up, near tears; the fear of being alone again written all over her face. "If it is all right with you, I ask permission to fallow you. I promise I won't be a burden, and I will get my own food. I just don't think I could survive out here on my own."

Jaken was about to say something when Sesshoumaru spoke up. All he knew was that he didn't want to have to deal with another brat.

"Do what you will," The lord started walking again. If this girl were going to fallow him, then he wouldn't mind. It would be like it had been those years ago when he had another young girl trailing after him. It was obvious, her parentage. She was an exact image of him, if not for the tail and color of the ears… and the fact that she was a girl. She looked exactly like her father, but he was not going to point this out, and if Jaken were to try, he would ignore the toad like he had many times before.

'He said yes?' The girl stood up, whipping the tears from her eyes. This demon… he was totally different from what the demon stereotype was: stupid, ugly, and vicious. He was quiet, kind, and to her, she could already tell that he was powerful. The girl rushed up behind the beast, laying a hand up against its thigh. She could feel Aun's muscles contracting with each step. 'He's nothing like what Otou-san told me about demons.' She shook the thought out of her mind. Right now, she didn't want to think about him. Now that she was with Sesshoumaru, she didn't need her father's help. Besides, why would she want her father to help? This lord was the one who fished her out of the river half-dead.

Hanaharu was attached to him already. Even if she was only a young girl, Sesshoumaru had taken her in and just being near him made her feel safe for some reason. The last thing that was on her mind wasif theywere related.

Author's Note: …That was the longest delay.. and the longest chapter. Ah, well, I guess just having her fallow Sesshoumaru-sama like Rin did gets me all giddy inside. Maybe they'll go pick flowers! XD …Just kidding… but she does like flowers. XP Wait 'to see what happens next… yeah. Once she finds out she's related to him. Weeeee! –flies around the room- '…You can fly?' raises brow o.0; -falls->. You just had to point that out….