When Kagome arrived at the castle with Kirara, she was surprised to hear a lot of commotion going on. There was shouting, and every now and then, she was certain she heard stuff being thrown.

"Let's go see what it is, Kirara," Kagome said, leading the way inside. Kirara shrunk down to normal size and followed, mewing worriedly. Kagome, leaving her packages and backpack behind, picked her up and began petting her.

"I'm telling you, you are out of your mind!" she heard Sesshomaru bellow. "There is NO way in this world or the next that I'm going to do that!"

"Sesshomaru," Inutaisho said firmly, "If I have to drag you the entire way, I'll do it, and you know that I mean what I say!"

Kagome turned a corner and spotted Inuyasha crouched outside a door, listening. He didn't look happy that his brother was getting told off, quite the contrary. He looked worried.

"What's going on?" Kagome whispered, hoping that Inuyasha could hear her over the shouting. "Why are they yelling like that?"

"I don't know. He went to see Sesshomaru out in the garden, and they talked for a few minutes, and then all of a sudden they were shouting at one another. They came in here for a little more privacy, but that's pretty much pointless since they're being so loud."

Kagome nodded, agreeing. "Why are you listening?" she asked, certain that he wouldn't want to answer her.

"I think they're keeping something from me," he whispered back. "I want to know what it is."

They listened a few more minutes, but all that they heard was Inutaisho telling Sesshomaru that he would do it, and Sesshomaru telling Inutaisho that he would not.

"Come on," Inuyasha said after a while. "I don't think we're going to learn anything new. Let's go outside and see the others."

Kagome nodded and followed him, stopping only long enough to grab her packages and pack. Once they were outside, Kagome distributed the bounty amongst her friends. Rin was there, and so was Jaken, and Kagome thanked her lucky stars that she had remembered to pick up something for them as well. Shippou immediately ripped open his box of candy and commenced to giving himself a sugar rush. Rin joined him, while Jaken sniffed the potato chips Kagome had given him with suspicion.

"Thank you, Kagome!" Sango said happily. "Oh, I love this!"

"Me, too!" Shippo said just as Sesshomaru stormed into the garden.

"I need to speak with you, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said as he stalked up to the group. "He wishes it."

Inuyasha nodded and followed Sesshomaru, but he didn't look happy about it. He returned a few minutes later, looking very put out.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked, seeing how Inuyasha looked.

"I have to take history lessons from him!" he muttered, picking up his potato chips. "Grr."

"History lessons? History of what?" Miroku asked.

"The clan," Inuyasha explained. "Inutaisho finds it deplorable that I don't know any clan history."

"And your brother's not happy about it, I take it?" Sango wanted to know.

"No, he isn't," he muttered. "Sesshomaru thinks that teaching me is a waste of his time."

"Don't worry," Kagome said. "You're smart, and history's easy. The lessons won't be for long."

Inuyasha looked as if he doubted it.

Space

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru met every afternoon for lessons after Inuyasha had rested. He still got tired easily, and Inutaisho insisted that he take it easy. They worked inside Inuyasha's room or in the garden. Kagome overheard a lesson, and realized that most of it was getting names, events, and dates by rote. In her opinion, that was the most boring type of learning there was, but she wasn't about to tell Sesshomaru so. He was still upset at having to teach his younger brother.

Everyone began to notice that Inutaisho often disappeared during the lessons. No one knew where he went, but it was apparent that he went somewhere. Sesshomaru asked him once where he went, but he was told curtly that it was nothing for him to worry about. As if to close the matter, Inutaisho asked him how the lessons were going, and that put Sesshomaru in a foul mood. "Very slowly," he muttered, and stalked off.

Inuyasha was outside with his friends. "I'm starting to get worried," he confessed. "Where's he going every day? It's almost as if he thought up those lessons just to keep us busy and out of the way."

"What reason would he have to do that?" Shippo wanted to know.

Inuyasha glared at him. "If I knew that, I wouldn't be wondering why, now would I?" he growled.

Shippo went and hid behind Kagome.

"Maybe it's something that he doesn't want you guys to worry about," Kagome suggested, putting Shippo on her lap. "Mom and Grandpa often keep things from Sota and me when they don't want us to worry. Usually though, we insist they tell us, and nothing stays secret for very long. A family's supposed to band together to get through rough times."

"I don't think this is a guy you insist with," Inuyasha said doubtfully.

"Inuyasha." It was Sesshomaru, come for the daily lesson. Inuyasha sighed and walked over to his brother.

Space

The next day, Shippo staked out Inutaisho's room. He was trying to figure out for Inuyasha and Sesshomaru why their father left every day. Wearing a spare shirt of Inuyasha's (he had several of them in his room instead of just the one red outfit now) to mask his scent, Shippo began following the dog lord as he left. He walked outside and leapt into the air, flying towards his destination, and Shippo followed on Kirara, who had agreed to help. Hopefully, Inutaisho wouldn't smell them.

It seemed he didn't. He flew for some time, and soon, he dropped down into the trees below. Shippo follwed, and wondered where they were.

Inutaisho led them to a small clearing, where he bowed to a large rock. Was it a grave? A memorial? Shippo peeked through the bushes at him, trying to figure out what was going on.

That was when the rock began to glow.

Author's Note: I know, evil cliffie, but this looks like a good place to end.