"Mom!" Onigumo shouted, "Im home! And I brought some friends!"

"Friends...?" Inu-wan Kenobi raised his eyebrow. Kikyo glared at him and walked behind the boy.

"Friends, you say, Onigumo?" a voice questioned from behind a door. An elderly woman with one eye stepped out from behind it. "Oh, you're serious!"

"That's his mother!" Inu-wan whispered to Qui-gon Sesshie, "Looks like his great grandmother!"

"That was uncalled for." Qui-gon Sesshie muttered to his padawan, and then he straightened up and looked the woman in the eye. "My name is Qui-gon Sesshie, this is Inu-wan Kenobi and this is Kikyo." He said, motioning to his companions.

"My name is Kaede." The woman smiled, "Make yourselves at home. I know how dangerous sandstorms can be. I am glad you made friends with my son."

"Come on!" Onigumo said to Kikyo, "Let me show you Kanna." He dragged Kikyo off to the next and only room in the small hut. Kikyo smiled and bowed slightly to Kaede as Onigumo closed the curtain door.

"I wanted you to be the first to see." He said, uncovering what appeared to be a young girl. Kikyo gasped as the body sat up.

"This is Kanna." Onigumo stated proudly, "I made her."

Kikyo touched the girls' hair. "You made her...?" Her hand jumped back as the Childs eyes opened.

"Greetings, Master Onigumo." She whispered emotionlessly, "How may I be of service?"

"Introduce yourself to Lady Kikyo." He ordered.

Kanna turned to Kikyo. "Good afternoon, Lady Kikyo."

Kikyo gaped at the site. Kanna stood up and stepped gracefully off the bed. She was completely naked.

"I... haven't had time to find something for her to wear." Onigumo blushed, looking away.

"She's amazing." Kikyo said in awe, "You made her? But how?"

"I can do things other people can't." said Onigumo, "I just... made her. It's hard to explain. She doesn't really have much emotion, but she does what I tell her to, and she can help mom around the house."

Kikyo just stared. Kanna seemed completely human, but how could anyone--especially a little boy--create a human?

Shippo Binks walked in the room. "Onigumo, Kikyo, dinner's ready! Oh--oh my..." Shippo blushed, "Why is that little girl naked?"

"Naked?" Kanna whispered softly, "Whatever do you mean?"

"You know..." Shippo whispered, "Your parts are showing."

"My parts are showing?" Kanna looked down, "My goodness."

Kikyo put the bed sheet around the girl and patted her on the head. Shippo Binks led her and Onigumo to the worn out wooden table where Kaede had laid out the plates. A simple yet good smelling dish of food was set out for them all.

"This is delicious, Mrs. Kaede." Kikyo smiled, wiping her mouth politely.

"That's just Kaede." Onigumos mother corrected, "Im not married."

"I am so sorry." Kikyo apologized.

"Did your husband die or something?" Inu-wan Kenobi asked.

"Inu-wan." Qui-gon Sesshie said sternly.

"No, no, im not a widower." Kaede shook her head, "I was never married."

"Oh. So you're one of those women." Inu-wan glowered at her.

"Inu-wan!" Qui-gon Sesshie shouted.

"No! It wasn't like that!" Kaede cried, "There was no father. As in there never was a father."

Inu-wan Kenobi cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I have never been with a man in my life."

"You're that old and you've never"--

"Inu-wan!" Shippo Binks and Qui-gon Sesshie yelled in unison.

"Come now, you all! Let's eat this lovely food Kaede set out for us." Kikyo pleaded.

Shippo snatched a wiener-shaped octopus from Qui-gons plate. He got away with it the first time but the second time he was conked over the head by Qui-gon Sesshies fist.

"Don't do that again." He hissed, pushing the fox-child away.

Onigumo took a second look at Qui-gon Sesshie. He thought he saw a lightsaber on his belt... was this man a Jedi Samurai? Were all of them?