lostmoonchild: Hey, everybody! Here's chapter twenty six. I don't own Inuyasha or anything else unless I say otherwise.

Chapter Twenty Six

Sesshomaru stared calmly at the young miko and his idiot brother before looking at the small girl who was now running her fingers over some bumps, reading out loud to Rin what the bumps read. "Of the most mysterious of demons, dog demons have proven over the centuries to be some of the most mysterious. Not much is known about dog demons because over the years they have shown to be very clever in being unseen to those who they do not wish to be seen.

"One of the greatest dog demons in history was the great dog demon, InuTaisho, the Lord of the Western lands who died two hundred years before the Great Battle (see pg. 991 for more information) took place. In his lifetime, InuTaisho carried three great swords: the Tetsuiga, Tensaiga, and the Sounga; and fathered two sons: Sesshomaru, a full demon; and Inuyasha, a half demon."

"Sesshomaru-sama, you're in this funny looking book!" Rin said excitedly. "What's it say about Sesshomaru-sama?"

Hana turned some pages and smiled when she read Sesshomaru's name. "Well, it says lots of stuff. How he got the Tetsaiga, how he fought with his half brother Inuyasha, how he lost his arm…"

"Enough." Sesshomaru said calmly. "Miko, you have not informed me of how your pup's book knows so much."

"My pup's book is a special book from five hundred years into the future, Sesshomaru." Kagome answered.

"You lie! Lord Sesshomaru, I ask that you do not believe this wench! No human nor demon can travel through time." Jaken protested loudly.

"Tell me that when you're in a room shouting "Where is my Lord Sesshomaru? I must get back to his side immediately!" and then you see me coming into the same room as you watching you try to hit me with that staff of two heads." Kagome answered lazily. "Sesshomaru, I know that it seems hard to believe but Hana and I aren't from this world."

Sesshomaru frowned and said, "How would I know you are telling the truth?"

Kagome sighed and said, "In the past few weeks, you've been considering something. In a few years, when your Chosen is of the right age there will be some form of ritual."

Inuyasha looked surprised at the look of shock that had appeared on Sesshomaru's face. "How does a simple miko know of what this Sesshomaru is planning?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I can tell you more, if you wish." Kagome answered. "Your mother, for instance."

"Silence." Sesshomaru said coldly. "You wish to irritate this Sesshomaru, don't you?"

Kagome sighed again and looked calmly at the Demon Lord. "Sesshomaru, answer me this if you will. Hana and I are not dressed of someone from this world so where would we have come from?"

Sesshomaru fell silent and thought about what the young miko was saying. "Tell me what the future is like."
"Cousin Yusuke is one of the Makai kings." Hana said pausing from looking something up for Rin to hear.

"Hana, quiet." Kagome said handing both Rin and Hana a sucker.

Hana squealed with excitement and sucked on the sucker, staying quiet. Rin looked at hers confused and licked the side cautiously before putting the candy into her mouth. "What the two girls are eating are called 'suckers' which is completely harmless." Kagome said reassuring the demon lord. "I give them to the demon and hanyou kids I work with a home."

"What are you, exactly, to demon and hanyou children?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"I'm a nanny, I guess you could say. I make sure that they get put into good homes, adopted, and grow up to be better than most demons I know."

"tell me, are you adopting?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome's eyes narrowed and said, "Sesshomaru, in the next five hundred years I had better pray you do not put any child you father up for adoption although I know its normally not a dog demon habit."

"Dog demons who put their own children up for adoption are usually killed for abandoning their pup." Sesshomaru said calmly. "So do not question a dog demon's ability and willingness to keep a pup."
"That's funny, Sesshomaru, seeing as I'm adopting an inu hanyou pup." Kagome said her eyes flashing a little. "Abandoned by both the mother and the father."

"Humans are willing to abandon their own."

"Demons are willing as well. Recall that kid about five hundred years back? Both parents abandoned the kid?"

Sesshomaru's eyes showed some kind of emotion as he nodded slightly. "This Sesshomaru remembers." Sesshomaru said with a slight sigh. "Tell me, miko, how is it that you know these things?"

Kagome smiled faintly and said, "Sesshomaru, when I was little I was told to give you a message. I never have forgotten but whenever we crossed paths, it was never on the best of terms."

"What's the message?"

"Don't doubt what the miko has to say. Someday, she just might prove useful in you being recognized among the kings… you aren't recognized now, are you?"

Sesshomaru looked at the young miko, slightly surprised at how she knew that. He never got an audience with the Makai Kings, only told through letters that the Kings were busy. "This Sesshomaru has no concern."

Hana listened quietly and started whimpering when she felt a familiar burning sensation. "Ka-ka!" Hana whimpered starting to shiver a little.

"Shh. Here, you can S-I-T by Inuyasha. How's that sound?" Kagome questioned with a gentle tone.

Hana's whimpers lessened when she felt Inuyasha's hair and sat next to him. "How do I know you aren't lying, miko?" Sesshomaru questioned.

Kagome smiled faintly and said, "You asked him for Souunga and for Tetsuiga before he died. But he asked if you had somebody to protect and you didn't. 'The path I walk is that of supreme conquest.' I believe you said."

Sessomaru felt numb when he heard Kagome quote what he had said the night his father had died. Nobody knew what he said that night, so the miko had to be telling the truth. That or she put some kind of bewitchment over him. "You don't know anything." Sesshomaru said getting up. "Jaken. Rin. We're leaving."
Kagome hesitated a minute before saying, "She was beautiful, wasn't she? You must have loved her very much to be mourning still."

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks and looked back at Kagome, surprised to see a tear rolling down her face. "Who?"

"You know who I'm talking about, Sesshomaru. She works with demon kids, she was your nanny once. I learned everything I know about taking care of demons from her." Kagome answered. "She died in an attack when you were little. Some type of snake demon came and ate her whole. You witnessed the event and killed the demon. That was the first time you ever killed."

"Nobody knew about that." Sesshomaru said. "She told you, didn't she?"

"I know that was uncalled for, but I have to get your attention somehow." Kagome answered a silent tear rolling down her face. "She says, "Remember." and that she's sorry for leaving you but she was sick and wasn't getting better. She didn't want you to see her death, but you had a nightmare… What was it?"

Sesshomaru remembered back to when he was a pup and said quickly, "This Sesshomaru has no time for trivial questions."

"The monsters." Hana said quietly looking in Sesshomaru's direction. "You hated the monsters and dreamed they killed everybody."

"Silence." Sesshomaru said coldly.

Hana looked unfazed and she said, "I saw the monsters. Mommy married one and everybody knew daddy was bad. Ka-ka threatened to kill him if he touched me again. Mommy ran away after that and daddy got told he was going away for a long time. One time daddy hurt Ka-ka so Yu-Yu beat him within an inch of his life. Ka-ka managed to pull the right strings so only daddy would get into trouble."

Sesshomaru looked at the blind child before sitting down. "What exactly did I dream then?" Sesshomaru questioned, willing to test them.

Hana looked thoughtful and said, "There was a castle. You're really small, five in human years maybe. Its dark and you're scared. There's scratching at a door. Somebody's shouting but I don't know what. Then there's blood… everybody you know is on the ground. You're covered in their blood… the heads of the ones who were beheaded are saying "your fault" and one of them is screaming "how could you do this to us?" over and over again. You're shouting you didn't do anything."

"HANA!" Kagome said putting a hand over her foster daughter's mouth when she saw the look on Sesshomaru's face.

Hana looked confused not entirely understanding what was wrong. She could feel the shock and confusion coming from Sesshomaru in waves. Pulling away, she crawled over to Sesshomaru ignoring Inuyasha's warning growl. "Am I right?" Hana asked crawling onto Sesshomaru's lap causing the demon Lord to stiffen.

Sesshomaru was tempted to simply push the girl away but saw the pitiful look in her eyes. She truly saw what he dreamt as a child. "What do you want of this Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Help." Kagome said looking serious. "Sesshomaru-sama, I need your help to save a child's life."

"Who's?"

"Mine."

Sesshomaru looked confused for a minute trying to figure out why somebody in perfectly good health wanted his help saving their life. "Why?" Sesshomaru asked.

"When I was a child I fell into bad company. I did some things I'm not proud of. Things that would have killed me." Kagome said, a silent tear rolling down her face as she wrote something down. "Please, Sesshomaru, I need you two go to this place on this date. You'll see a child begging for some stuff to make pain stop. That stuff is bad stuff. I don't care how you do it, but I need you to make that child understand that she's only killing herself."

"And I'm assuming you're that child?"

"Yes. I'd have somebody else do it but I remember you making me stop. Also remember a few other things but you saved my life since nobody could reach me."

Sesshomaru took the paper and looked at it for a minute before nodding. "You ask Lord Sesshomaru to save the life of a worthless human?" Jaken said looking insulted.

"I'm asking Lord Sesshomaru to ensure that he meets Rin." Kagome hissed in the youkai language.

"Explain, miko." Sesshomaru growled.

"If I hadn't freed Inuyasha you wouldn't have gotten into a fight with him and wounded which would mean not meeting Rin which means she would have still died and but she would have stayed dead because of those wolves and you wouldn't have known which would result in…" Kagome said before catching herself. "The rest I'm not qualified to reveal just yet."

Sesshomaru nodded a little and tucked the paper away for safe keeping. "Anything else I should be aware of?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yes. We're going to fight against Naraku. If you want to help, then great. If you don't, oh well. Either way, I'd keep my guard up. You know how much Naraku loves manipulating people to suit his needs. If he survives the battle, I'd keep an extra close eye on people you care about."

"You're not turning to the Makai Kings, are you?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"I try to stay out of their eyesight as much as humanly possible. Only time I dare go to them is if I need a huge favor that I need."

"And help with the battle against Naraku…"

"My pride is about as big as yours and Inuyasha's. I'm not turning to them and asking for what I know they won't grant."

Sesshomaru managed to suppress a smile and saw for a minute what his brother found so interesting about the miko. She was determined and knew to a degree battle strategies. Building up your allies was important in the first steps to a battle. "This Sesshomaru will help." Sesshomaru said with a nod. "If I should ever need assistance then you will return the favor, correct?"

"That's how it works, Sesshomaru-sama. Arigato for your help."

"Don't thank me just yet. I'm curious on who else you're going to get."

"Trust me, your curiosity will be satisfied." Kagome answered with a smile.

Sesshomaru looked doubtful but motioned for Rin and Jaken to follow him. "Are you sure about trusting him with your life?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah. Trust me, Inuyasha, I'd have you save my life but you won't knock sense into my skull."

Inuyasha playfully growled before remembering that they had a child watching -or listening- to them. "Feh, we'll finish this some other time." Inuyasha growled.

Laughing, Kagome grabbed her brush and began brushing her hair before working on Hana's hair. That was one demon on their side, how many more could they get?

lostmoonchild: Kagome asking our dear Sesshy for help?! Yeah, I'll admit to writing that. Anyway, how about one or two reviews before next Tuesday since I'm attempting once more something that's a royal pain for me: deadlines. Read and review, flames are accepted!!