Author's note: Okay… next chapter. Yay. More Sesshoumaru-sama… and Hanaharu's "secret." … Well, everyone should know it… if they pay attention to the series at all. Oh… and… sorry to any Buddhists that were offended... if that last chapter offended anyone... slap me in a review... Heh heh... -sweatdrop-

Tawny-golden eyes glanced up to the sky; the young fourth-demon saw that it was almost nightfall, what she feared. Up ahead was the demon lord she had joined only earlier that day; he had been going nonstop since then. She could deal with it… she was just worried about tonight. She looked up at him, pace quickening into a light run as she came up to his side, causing him to stop and wait for her to speak, or whatever she was going to do. "Sesshoumaru-sama, if it is alright with you, I would like to find somewhere to rest before sundown."

"Girl, Sesshoumaru-sama can do as he pleases if he doesn't want to stop, then-" Jaken tried reprimanding the girl, telling her it was Sesshoumaru's choice to stop whenever he wanted.

"Fine." He interrupted the toad. They had entered the forest a long time ago from the field where Hanaharu woke up. This would be a fine pace to rest for the night, as long as they got moving first light tomorrow.

This action that the lord made surprised Jaken, the girl had first got to join them and then she got to pick where and when they settled down the first night she was there. It was as if she were controlling the lord, as if she was telling him what to do. Jaken wouldn't stand for it. "But Milord, we could get so much traveling done before we would have to stop and rest."

The lord only glared down to his servant, knowing that it alone was enough to shut him up. "The girl is only one fourth demon. If you were here and were dragged out or a river just before drowning you would need your rest, too. Needless to say, she will be in much better condition to travel in the morning."

Hanaharu only looked up the lord as she stood next to Aun, keeping a small, clawed hand on the beast's shoulder blade. "M'lord, how did you know I was only one fourth demon?" She was confused, she had never even told the daiyoukai her name let alone her parentage. She was confused, wondering about how he could know. Had she said something in her sleep when she was pulled from the river? It was almost as if he were psychic, and it sort of scared her. Hanaharu grabbed onto her tail, maybe that was it, how he knew.

"Your scent."

'My scent?' Well… maybe it was kind of obvious seeing that he was daiyoukai. She didn't have as strong a sense of smell and such. But that still didn't explain why he had the same kind of tail that she had. Hanaharu had never seen another demon with anything quite so… unique. She thought it was because she was fourth demon that she had it. Guess not. Sesshoumaru was definitely not any less of pure demon blood. "I see." She looked sort of disappointed. If he was able to tell just because of her scent, everyone else that had a nose better than hers could, too.

Jaken was kind of embarrassed, how did he not sense it? Oh, well, at least his lord was still able to. "Of course Sesshoumaru-sama was able to tell what you were. You smell mostly human, and your aura's not very strong."

The girl looked disappointed, her hand still on Aun as the beast lay down. It was the friendliest creature in the bunch from what she could tell. The daiyoukai was quiet, but she could tell he was kind. Why else would he have saved her from that river? And the toad… he was kind of annoying, but he was significantly loyal to his lord. There were good qualities about him. "I guess you're right. I wasn't using my head." She smiled lightly, watching the lord walk off again to sit down near a large rock, the toad also walking off to go get some rest.

Hanaharu looked up at the sky, she could already see the moon out, first quarter. The sun wasn't completely got, yet, so this was her time to hide. She sat behind the large beast, luckily it had turned so that she could sit up against it and be comfortable while at the same time, turned away from the youkai lord so that he couldn't see her.

Hanaharu looked down at her tail, hugging it tightly as she stared at the ground. 'Perfect time to run away, Hanaharu, you idiot. Otou-san is probably so worried… But why should I think about him? Sesshoumaru-sama will take care of me… but… who knows how long?'

She closed her eyes as she looked up at the sun. She had already begun to not be able to smell as well as she had. The girl sighed, her large fluffed tail receding, it no longer existed. She blinked and her eyes became dark, much like her mother's and her ears became those of a human. Her claws also changed, her hair turning a deep black color. She just had to keep hidden from the lord until morning… not like that would do much seeing that he could probably smell her change. Hopefully he wouldn't say anything and the toad would stay where she couldn't be seen.

The creature she leant up against looked down at her with both heads, grunting as it nudged her side. It hadn't seen her like this until just now... of course not, not even Sango or Miroku knew which night she changed. It was her parent's and her secret. Aun was surprised, this was the first time it had ever seen some one who was demon suddenly turn human. It was strange.

"Shhh. Aun, onegai." She didn't want Jaken or Sesshoumaru-sama to see her like this, especially Jaken. Sesshoumaru might not care, seeing that he really didn't care about anything that went on with her, but Jaken. The toad would at least protest her being there. He already had. The girl rubbed Aun under the chin, getting a pleased moan from it as the bead lay on of its heads down on her lap. "Just don't tell Sesshoumaru-sama." She leant back up against the dragon, closing her deep auburn eyes.

Horrified screaming… that was all that ran through InuYasha's mind. The screaming of his daughter's death under the hand of some pathetic demon that he could have saved her from. He woke up again; started and almost falling out of the tree he had taken shelter in. InuYasha had been traveling all that day and most of the night before; he needed rest if he was ever going to find Hanaharu. He had yet to pick up her scent again, and due to that he was upset and even scared for her.

With a hand up against the trunk, he looked up at the moon, clutching the kimono over his chest. "Damnit. I gotta stop dreaming like that." He looked at the ground, leaning back against the tree as he crossed his arms.

'Hanaharu better be safe… I don't know what I would do if she wasn't... and... How would I tell Kagome?' He closed his eyes once more, sighing as he tried to get to sleep again. It would have been nice to have some one out here helping him, but Miroku and Sango had their own lives, and Kagome… he couldn't stand putting her in danger, too.

InuYasha wanted to find her quickly and take her home. Not only was he worried, but also everyone in the village knew. It's not like InuYasha screaming at six o'clock in the morning couldn't be heard for at least a mile all around. After a few moments, the hanyou fell back asleep, knowing that he wouldn't have long to sleep. He had to catch his daughter's scent again, it seemed it had totally disappeared… as if she had been carried away by something.

After tonight his chances of finding Hanaharu alive would be bleak. The first quarter moon was the time when Hanaharu lost her demonic blood, and that was tonight. If she wasn't already dead, then she was human at the moment, and that was why InuYasha had to find her.

It was at least an hour before Hanaharu was bothered at all, sleeping against the beast in her human form. One of Aun's heads looked up towards where Jaken was coming closer, almost growling towards the toad… it sounded more like a deep mumble, though. The girl was kind to Aun, in turn, it wanted to protect her.

"Shhh, Aun. I'm only- eh?" He looked down to Hanaharu's human form, so much different from her fourth demon self. He was so surprised that he almost fell backwards, clutching the staff he carried in his three-fingered hands.

Without trying to wake the girl, Jaken ran over to his lord. Complaining from the toad was unavoidable. "Sesshoumaru-sama! That girl! She's-"

The lord looked as though he had been sleeping. Not anymore. "Jaken. I know. Urusai."

The toad stopped talking for a moment, looking up as he questioned his lord with wide frightened eyes. "But Milord, if you knew, then why did you not tell her to be on her own?"

The lord was annoyed with Jaken, but he would answer Jaken's question. "Because, Jaken, all creatures that are a crossbreed of ningen and youkai go through times when they become human." Obviously Jaken didn't know this. The only reason he did? His younger brother. He knew that InuYasha went through those times on the new moon, but never went after him because it would be a fair fight. There was no doubt that he would be able to kill off InuYasha during those times.

"But Milord, if you knew that then why didn't you go after Inu-"

This got a glare from the lord before he laid his head back against his large tail, ignoring the toad as he fell asleep again.

'Milord knew? Then… I won't question Sesshoumaru-sama's intentions.' He walked away from his lord back to the place where he had been sleeping, crossing his arms as he held the staff in hand again. 'But this girl… She's InuYasha's offspring. Wouldn't Sesshoumaru-sama find it easier to just kill her off? He doesn't need any competition.'

Sniff…sniff sniff…sniff… sniff… "Kami… damnit." InuYasha brought his face off the ground, crouched as he stared at the sky. Early morning, about an hour before the sun would come up. He smelled Hanaharu… but… he also smelled his older brother. Sesshoumaru didn't even know that InuYasha had a daughter, let alone one that was nearly in her teens and only one-fourth demon. He knew now.

Maybe Sesshoumaru didn't kill her… she wasn't here and there was no smell of blood. The hanyou stood up, looking towards where the scents went, Sesshoumaru had left with Hanaharu, there was no doubt, but were they still together and was she still alive? He could only hope that she was still alive and not terribly injured.

'Sesshoumaru… if you've harmed a hair on Hanaharu's head, I'll kill you. This time, I won't hesitate.' The grass he stood in was up to his knees, but that made it easier to tell where they were standing and what may have happened. If he didn't smell her blood, and she seemingly went with Sesshoumaru intentionally, then maybe she wasn't dead. Sesshoumaru once had a human girl fallowing him, why not another? Because… she was his competition. If something were to happen to Sesshoumaru, InuYasha would be heir to their father's lands. After him, it was Hanaharu.

No use waiting here. Hanaharu still had a good hour in her defenseless human form. InuYasha started running, knowing that even if he was too late to help Hanaharu, he could kill Sesshoumaru. Then again, he hadn't seen his brother for years. There was an occasional moment where he caught his brother's scent, but never any contact. They were too busy to bother each other. Sesshoumaru knew that InuYasha protected that village, it was his territory, but he didn't care. He had the rest of the lands of the west to himself. 'Gomen ne, Hanaharu. If anything happens to you, I'll kill him.'

Russet eyes fluttered open, the light had been just barely visible from behind the mountains, but she wouldn't change back until it was peeking over them. 'I hate this night.' She stood up as she looked over the back of the beast. Sesshoumaru was gone, but Jaken still sat in the place where he fell asleep. She sat down and patted Aun's head, waking the beast as it looked up at her with all four eyes.

At least she had some protection from demons that may come to kill her. But she didn't know how Jaken and Aun could do anything. She had only been with them about a day. If Sesshoumaru left her with them he had to have a good reason. Either he didn't care about her, or Jaken and Aun were enough to take care of her. Hanaharu looked away from the sun as it began to peer over the mountains.

With a pulse of youki, the young girl's hair grew pale again, her claws returning as she clutched her hands. Again at her side was the large black tail and the doglike ears appeared back from the silver hair. She opened her golden eyes as the beast of burden watched, patting its head as she came around to the other side looking down at Jaken. He was already awake, sitting as he watched the sun rise.

He didn't look as though he had seen her, but all she had to do was hope that he didn't walk up and see her last night. The first quarter moon… Her father had told her something one night… once when it had been his turn, when there was no moon.

"Hanaharu," the hanyou held his young daughter in his lap, she looked to be about six years old, and almost asleep as she clung to the fire rat robes he wore. Like he had so many times before, the hanyou had reverted to his human form under the powers of the moon-less sky above him. His hair was dark, as were his eyes; his dog-like features such as his ears, fangs and claws had disappeared.

The young fourth-demon's eyes fluttered open as she looked up to her father. If you didn't know any better there would seem to be no resemblance between them. He was human at the moment, holding a small demonic child. "Otou-san?"

He watched his daughter before looking at the sky again. "Do you know why we change once a month?" He stoked her hair, coaxing the girl to look up at him not so tiredly.

She blinked and rubbed her eyes, snapping out of her tired state. "Because the moon hates you?"

The hanyou scratched his head… so... Hanaharu had over heard him one night talking to Kagome; though from his memory, what he said was much more vulgar. "I was just joking around when I said that, Aka-chan."

"Oh." She yawned, grabbing her tail as she still held on to InuYasha. "Because we're only part youkai?"

He knew that Hanaharu didn't fully understand the concept of being partially demon, but she knew enough to know that she wasn't human or demon. "Hai." He rubbed his daughter's head, making her smile up at him again." But we also change as a reminder to ourselves."

She was a little confused. Six year olds didn't always understand everything their parents told them. "A reminder?" She closed her eyes for a moment before looking back up to him to finish.

"Hai. A reminder that tells us that we need to know what we are, and that we need to protect the ningens like your mother." He had realized that a long time ago, that his purpose in life was to protect humans and be with Kagome, and now he was letting Hanaharu know that her human blood actually helped her to appreciate them more. She had never really seen demons before, any way. InuYasha always ran off and killed them before they even got close to the village. He despised any demon that came into his forest, his territory.

"Oh…" She closed her eyes again, she had heard it, but was too tired to really think about it at the moment. InuYasha never slept the night of the beginning of the cycle, but he always made sure that Hanaharu slept, he was just making sure she got rest. And besides, he only stayed up out of habit. Those years that he spent by himself… they took a toll on his life. The small girl fell asleep, knowing her father was there to watch her… even if he was human at the moment.

That was all that Hanaharu remembered of that moment before she fell asleep… her father telling her that she needed to protect humans. 'Otou-san… I know you told me… but… Sesshoumaru-sama is taking care of me now.'

She looked off to the side, the daiyoukai appearing from the darkness of the forest. His gleaming silver hair was easy to spot from where he was. With her large ebon tail in her grasp, she grabbed Aun's reigns and pulled him towards the lord.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" The girl beamed, walking up to the lord, the toad right behind her. He was now her lord. She would fallow under him until she was able to take care of herself. She had decided she wouldn't go home. Her father was probably out looking for her, and this was the third day she had been missing. If he found her with Sesshoumaru, there was no doubt he would be mad, he would be upset that she ran off, regardless. Sesshoumaru-sama would protect and stand up for her, though. She hoped.

The youkai lord looked up towards the forest. His otouto was close; there would be no avoiding this confrontation. He would want his daughter back…. But who said that Sesshoumaru would listen to the hanyou?

InuYasha hadn't gotten much sleep the nights before, but it didn't seem to bother it only meant that he was closer to finding his daughter. He was so far out of his territory; demons kept attacking him, unknowing of the fate they were condemned to until they got in his way.

They would jump in his way, yelling out insults at him as he ran, attempting to get a meal out of him. "Hanyou!" "Mutt!" "Weakling!" Names to the effect, though he would have his fun with them, slashing each one in two as he continued on. "I don't have time for this crap!" The sound echoed as he jumped from the canopies, looking ahead at the large clearing where Sesshoumaru stood, Hanaharu only feet away from him. He growled, if Hanaharu was injured just the slightest bit, InuYasha would blame it on his elder brother.

Sesshoumaru only stared over the trees at his younger brother, causing Hanaharu to look up at what he saw. 'O-Otou-san?' She stared for a moment, tightening her grip on the items in her hands. "I don't want to go back." She ran behind the demon lord, leaving Aun to Jaken as she let go of the beast's reigns.

What was she doing? Hanaharu actually wanted to go with him? What was that about? The hanyou landed on the other side of the field; hand on the sheath of the Tetsusaiga as he glared at Sesshoumaru. He didn't care if Hanaharu chose to run behind him. InuYasha was taking his daughter home.

Author's Note: Bwahahahahaha! If Takahashi can leave cliffhangers, so can I! Muahahaha! -cough-

Inu: (sweatdrop) 'She's nuts.'