I want to give a special WELCOME BACK to byakugan-master93! Thank you so much for reviewing. I think that dialogue is one of the hardest things to do in writing because of how much it changes between characters. Kaihaku No Iroke I want to apologize for updating so fast. I understand that some people don't get a chance to check the site every day or maybe even every week. I'm going to try to do about a chapter every three to four days from now on. Thanks to everyone for your reviews. Ok in this chapter I'm going to continue with hints about what another pun off of the title is. It's important to the story but not the most important aspect. REVIEW!!!

Chapter XI

THE GARDEN LESSONS

Kagome sighed as she studied her surroundings. It was beautiful enough but after about an hour it was starting to become very dull. The garden was surrounded by a high stone wall that enclosed a fairly large area. The miko noticed several servants who went silently about tending to the various trees, plants, and ponds in the hidden paradise.

The guards paid little attention to the small group so they were left to their own devices. Their were many exotic plants that Kagome knew must have come from other countries and for a while these were able to hold her attention. 'I wonder what Healo meant,' the miko thought as she strode among the rare flora. Her eyes darkened as she shook her head ', It probably will hurt him a lot.'

Kagome had come to see over the short time she had known of Healo that the demon lord was very important to Inuyasha. Even though she didn't know him at all she thought that he cared about the hanyou's feelings too. She was interrupted by fits of laughter off in the distance. When the miko glanced curiously in that direction she found a hedge with a small opening forced into it.

'It might be dangerous,' she paused and looked back towards her companions. She didn't see them and so she thought ', I'm sure that it can't be anything dangerous. I'll be back before they realize I'm gone.' With a small grin she made her way quietly towards the gap in the prickly wall. She heard muttered laughter as she finally began to peer through the opening and she smiled softly.

There were two young children, no older than eight or nine, laughing and playing in the hidden part of the garden. Kagome was not surprised to see that she knew the little girl. She was an adorable soft spoken child and she constantly shot glances to her surroundings. 'Rin,' she thought with certainty. Kagome was also surprised at the beauty of the area. There was a crystal clear pool in the center of the small enclosure, which was where the children were sitting near the water.

There were white lilies, crimson roses, and many other flowers that together created a kaleidoscope of color. There were also a few marble statues of various grand demons and, perhaps, ancient heroes long forgotten by the lands they once fought for. However, the miko could understand the main reason that the children had come to this spot. It seemed to possess a certain peace and quiet that is often hard to come across in the hustle and bustle of everyday living.

Kagome returned her attention to the children and found that she had no idea who the young boy was. He looked about eight or nine years old, he had luxurious golden hair, which was kept in a style like Sesshomaru, merry sky-blue eyes, and a tanned complexion. She could also tell that he was a demon because of his dark blue stripes and tail though he had no mark on his head. He smiled warmly and openly at his companion and was apparently skilled at provoking her humor. The miko gave a soft sigh ', I remember when Sota and I were little.'

Suddenly the young demon stiffened as his gaze came to rest on the young miko. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise at the boy's senses but she gave a soft smile and said quietly ", I am sorry to have disturbed you." Any tension was broken when Rin saw who was making her friend so nervous. "Kagome!" the child cried as she rose and made her way to the miko's side. Her companion was somewhat slower to react but he gave a welcoming smile and also approached Kagome though at a more cautious speed.

She knelt down and opened her arms to the excited young girl who giggled as she embraced the miko. "Kagome I'm so happy ot see you again! Do you want to meet my friend, Sulam?" Kagome gave a small laugh, stood, and turned a kind gaze unto the young demon. The said demon straightened slightly and said ", I am Sulam Diamend Tepes, heir to the Northern Lands." He said this with such solemnity that Kagome struggled not to laugh at the declaration, but Rin was not so self-controlled.

Sulam gave a little growl and said in an irritated voice ", Rin it is not proper for anyone to scorn a Lord's title." Rin's sarcastic response was stolen by a rich voice ", Indeed, that is so, but you, my son, are not yet a Lord." Kagome turned to see that it was the demon lord himself. His words may have been slightly mocking but there was no trace of this in his benevolent smile. The demon laughed heartily at his son's expression and said almost as if talking to a class ", The powerful are given their powers by the masses. You must never forget that."

The younger demon grinned and nodded fiercely as the miko looked on in confusion. Almost as if sensing her distress Healo spoke softly ", Inuyasha wished to be alone for a little while. He is handling this much better than I thought he would." Kagome smiled in understanding at the demon lord and said ", I've seen many times in my travels with Inuyasha that despite his hard words and attitudes that he really does care about other people."

Healo swept back his dark hair as he seemed to drill into the miko with his sapphire orbs. "Yet he does not understand how you feel?" Healo asked with a raised brow. Kagome hesitated for a moment before saying delicately ", I don't think he even realizes what my feelings for him were." Sulam decided to interject ", That's sad. Father says that I should always be mindful of the feelings of others, even if I don't understand them."

The miko sighed and Healo laughed before he replied ", True. So how do you suppose your Uncle Sesshomaru will feel when he learns that you two broke into our mother's garden?" Both of the children paled slightly but Rin recovered and said ", Sulam said that he would understand." The young demon was quick to add ", Rin really wanted to see the roses so I cut a small hole in the hedge."

Healo glanced at the opening before replying dryly ", Hmph. Small you say. Even so you really shouldn't use your claws to enter places where you are not allowed. However, considering that the deed was done in the service of a lady I will overlook it." Rin giggled as Sulam shook his head as he realized what his father was suggesting. The lord turned to Kagome and said sternly ", However, I don't believe I will so easily overlook your code of conduct towards this charming young lady."

Kagome smiled warmly at the demon who continued ", Sulam this is Lady Kagome Higurashi." The miko's smile faded as she felt shock at his knowledge of her name but the young demon took no notice as he gave a small bow and said ", Hello Lady Kagome." She gave a small nod of thanks before turning with open suspicion to regard his father. He smiled at her secretively as if waiting for the awkward moment.

She narrowed her eyes and asked ", How do you know my name, I mean, my last name." Healo's eyes took on a measuring look as he said quietly ", You will find that I will quickly learn a great deal there is to know about you." He grinned and continued ", Do not be alarmed by this. I have a certain…flair…for this sort of thing." Kagome was a little freaked out but she thought ', He is a demon after all. If he is a Lord he probably has a lot of spies or something.'

Healo's smile softened as he said ", In time you will understand as much about me as I know about you. However, now is not the time to begin that undertaking. Instead I believe that we should return to your companions and my guards." The miko nodded as she said sheepishly ", Yah. I kinda forgot to let them know where I was going." Rin laughed, Sulam smiled, but Healo only said kindly ", Yes Lady Kagome. It was very irresponsible of you to do so. You must seek to be a better example."

The miko studied the demon lords face, but she found no sign of annoyance or really any negative emotion. 'He's only playing with me,' she thought with a mischievous grin. Kagome said in amusement ", Lord Healo I don't thing that it is proper for a demon of your stature to tease a poor young miko." The demon lord became more somber and his eyes darkened as he replied quietly ", Well since I no longer have any lands I suppose I am free from that requirement."

Kagome expression said it all but she asked ", What do you mean?" Healo sighed and turned to gaze northward as he answered ", I love my brother, Sesshomaru, immensely but do you think that I would dwell here if I didn't have to? Powerful he may be but he is a demon of a very different caliber than I. Powerful? No doubt. Wise? Few kings could find a better advisor, but for all that he still lacks something vital. I believed for a long time that after certain…events…in his life that he had lost the ability ot love. Thankfully I believe that I may have been wrong."

With this last statement Healo turned a kind eye on Rin, but a moment later he returned to watching the northern horizon. Kagome was too stunned to speak just yet but she stepped up beside the demon hoping to see what he was studying so adamantly. She gasped softly at what she saw. The northwest was beautiful enough with it's shining sea and pale sand shining in the slowly setting sun, but the Northern Mountains were shrouded in mist. When she glanced to the northeast she began to understand his sorrow. She could see beyond the Silvan River to the beginning of the plains of the north, but beyond that was only shadow.

Healo regarded the stunned miko openly and said ", Yes. Darkness lies upon my entire kingdom. My greed brought me down in the end to utter destruction." She was obviously upset and asked through disbelief ", How could one man, or even one demon cause this?" The demon lord's eyes softened as he answered ", My lady, over your relatively short years I know that you have seen more than enough evidence to show you the powers of pure evil. It is true that neither I nor Naraku by ourselves would have accomplished this, but together our evil was great enough. My despair over my mate's death and his malice towards life itself combined to form a deadly result."

Kagome smiled sadly and said ", So your mate is dead?" Healo answered quietly ", Yes. It has been many years, but I do not wish to recount that tale again today." The miko's eyes lightened with understanding as she said ", You told Inuyasha." The demon lord did not deny this as he stared into her eyes and declared ", He had more than enough right to know." She sighed as she turned away and thought ', I never get to know anything.' The demon surprised her by saying ", In time you will know all that transpired. It seems only fair if we are going to work together to destroy Naraku."

She nodded grimly. 'I may not know all the circumstances but my heart tells me that Healo is as much a victim of Naraku's twisted webs as everyone else. I don't understand what happened but I believe him.' Kagome didn't know it but her thoughts were very gratefully received by Healo. 'Indeed they all have a right to know. The die is cast the Empire will either triumph and rise to greatness beyond anything it has known before, or it will fail utterly at last, and fade from the world,' he swore solemnly as the sun finally set over the sea.

Ok. Again thank you all for your reviews. I will try to update by Thursday or Friday. I wonder if any of you see where I am going with all of this. Trust me it is a fairly tangled situation but it will start clearing soon. Tell me what you think. Remember the more you review the more I want to update. Review.