Sesshomaru smiled at Inyasha cheerfully, "Welcome, little brother. It's been a long time. Have you finally come for a refill?"
        Inuyasha ground his teeth together, resisting the urge to wipe that cocky grin off his brother's face. "I need information."
        Sesshomaru raised a delicate eyebrow. "I see, and what sort of information would that be?"
        Inuyasha flexed his hands at his sided, knuckles cracking. "Information about Kikyo."
        "Ah yes!" Sesshomaru snorted. "That human wench. If I recall, father introduced the two of you. He died shortly after. It was so sad. I nearly cried, well, perhaps not, but you understand." He remarked, turning back into the house, Inuyasha following.
        "I didn't come here for a trip down memory lane, Sesshomaru."
        "No, I suppose not." Sesshomaru sighed.
        "Daddy!" A shrill shriek of excitement erupted from a tiny, black- haired girl who leapt into Sesshomaru's arms.
        "Rin. I told you to never leave the chambers above. You are only to leave when Kagura or myself come." He scolded half-heartedly.
        "I'm sorry, Daddy, but Kanna opened the lock with her mirror, and we thought we'd surprise you." Inuyasha stared at the little girl in shock. Something was so familiar about her, but he could not place what it would be.
        "Return to your rooms immediately." Sesshomaru commanded, and Rin nodded cheerfully and raced up the steps past another little girl who had white hair. The white-haired child followed calmly and Inuyasha could only stare at his brother with an expression of astonishment.
        "Let us retire to my office." Sesshomaru said and led Inuyasha into a shady room with heavy wooden blinds on the windows. Only thin bands of light drifted through, making dust in the air sparkle and dance.
        For several minutes, they were quiet, locked in a sort of staring match. Eventually the silence was broken, and Inuyasha said, "Kikyo."
        "Yes."
        "She had shikon in her system."
        "Yes."
        "Well!" Inuyasha demanded. "Don't just say yes! Why did she have shikon in her system!" He thundered, rising from his chair and slamming his hands onto Sesshomaru's desk, long cracks appearing in the old wood.
        "What do you want me to say?" Sesshomaru questioned.
        "Just tell me why she had shikon in her system!" Inuyasha demanded, calmer now, but still seething.
        "She must have used it." Sesshomaru remarked disinterestedly.
        "She was an anti-drug activist! Why would she have used drugs?"
        "How should I know?" Sesshomaru growled, "I'm not a psychic."
        "You're a fucking druglord!" Inuyasha bellowed, heaving air in as he tried to calm himself.
        Sesshomaru shook his head wearily in the face of Inuyasha's ranting. "And?"
        Inuyasha swept his arms across the desk, sending Sesshomaru's laptop crashing to the floor. "You're the only one who has access to Shikon. You're the one who's controlling the drug market and all the people selling it!"
        "Why do you think that I keep track of all the products once they've paid for it? Once they're sold to smaller sellers, they're gone, and I couldn't care less where they end up."
        "If you had a single thing to do with Kikyo's death, I'll rip your heart out and feed it to you piece by piece." Inyasha snarled.
        Sesshomaru's unbreakable calm cracked for a moment, and he jumped to his feet, "Damn it! I didn't kill Kikyo!"
        "Yeah, well neither did I." Inuyasha retorted, "And they all think I did!"
        "Sometimes, people don't want to hear the truth." He said.
        "I want the truth." Inuyasha demanded.
        "Sometimes it is better that the truth remains unknown." Sesshomaru remarked, eyes unwavering from Inuyasha's.
        His evasive remarks and replies were slowly adding fuel to Inuyasha's rage. "Fine! I'll be back before long!" Inuyasha informed him, slamming the door so hard that it cracked and fell off its hinges.
        Sesshomaru shook his head. Inuyasha was going to learn more than he was ready for.

* * * * * * * *

        Jaken woke with a start. A child's laughter burst out and he clamored out of his huge black leather arm-chair. "Why does Lord Sesshomaru make me play babysitter for his stupid children? I was his faithful servant for many years before these stupid children came, yet he puts them before me! Oh, my Lord Sesshomaru! Why?"
        "Mister Jaken?" A timid voice asked softly, "Are you alright?"
        Jaken scrabbled over the side of the chair and landed on the ground with a thud. "Rin! What are you doing?"
        "We're hungry. Kanna says that you should go get us something to eat." She informed him solemnly and giggled.
        "I am not your servant. I am only here to serve Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken retorted angrily straightening his robe.
        "But, if you don't get something for us, we'll have to go get it ourselves." Rin pleaded.
        "So go! See if I care!" Jaken squawked.
        "But Daddy wasn't happy when we went down earlier. He told us to stay in here." Rin argued.
        "You - you went down earlier?" Jaken stuttered. "You left the room?"
        "Uh huh!" Rin nodded. "Daddy was talking to a man who looked a lot like him, but he wasn't as handsome as my Daddy." Rin supplied.
        "Oh, no! You little mongrels went out when I fell asleep! Lord Sesshomaru will kill me for this! I'll be no more than a memory!" Jaken wailed piteously.
        Kanna slowly walked up beside Rin. She did not smile, but slowly watched Jaken for a moment before her eyes slid on to the door. "Father's coming."
        "What?!?" Jaken yelped. "Oh, no!"
        The door swung open and Rin and Kanna made their way to the door, Rin chattering excitedly, and Kanna solemnly watching Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru smiled a soft smile and picked Rin up. Kanna stood by him and gently took his hand. "Daddy! Did you bring anything today? Do you have any sweets for Rin?" Rin chattered, pulling at the front of Sesshomaru's jacket.
        "Sweets?" Sesshomaru questioned, "What would you need sweets for?" He inquired and set her down on the sofa. Kanna let go of her father's hand and sat down beside Rin, primly and calmly waiting. "Kanna, do you think that Rin needs more sweets?"
        "We have sufficient food, Father." She said simply.
        "Sufficient food! So I thought!" he said. "No, I haven't any sweets." He told them, and watched the disappointment sweep across Rin's face. "What if I have something different? Would that cheer Rin up?"
        "You do have something! I knew it! Come on, Daddy! Hand it over!" Rin chirped excitedly, bouncing up and down and clapping her hands together.
        "Very well." Sesshomaru said solemnly and produced two small packages from inside the jacket of his suit.
        "Ooooh!" Rin squealed as she revealed a beautiful silver hairbrush with an elaborately carved handle. Her name was carefully engraved on it. It gleamed brilliantly as Rin ran it through her hair several times, giggling with glee.
        Kanna slowly opened her gift as well, and revealed an identical copy of the brush with her name in place of Rin's. "Thank you, Father." She said, calmly placing the brush on the coffee table.
        "Do you not like your gift, Kanna?" Sesshomaru questioned.
        "It is lovely, Father. I thank you." She said tonelessly.
        "If you don't like it, Kanna, tell me what you would like instead. Whatever you want, I will get for you." He told her, taking one of her small hands in his.
        "Father, I would like to go outside." She said softly. "I would like to be able to play by myself in the grass."
        "Kanna, you know you can't do that in the city. It's dangerous. There are many people who do not like me and would hurt you or your sister to get to me." He explained. "What if I got you a new video game? Would that make you feel better?"
        "Father, can't we go somewhere where it isn't dangerous?" Kanna questioned, longing filling her normally emotionless eyes.
        Sesshomaru frowned. Somewhere where it wasn't dangerous. . .there was no place like that, not in this business. Sesshomaru frowned, maybe it was time that this business ended. His daughters were young now, and they didn't realize what it was that their father did, but when they grew older, would they still care for him. Would they forgive him for this?
        He shook his head slowly. "Perhaps, Kanna. We will have to see what the future holds."
        Rin shifted uncomfortably, not liking the solemn tone in the room. She grinned suddenly and prodded Kanna. "Show Daddy one of your tricks! You know, with your mirror!"
        Kanna looked at her stonily. "Why?"
        "I'm sure he'll be impressed! Come on! Make Jaken dance!" she squealed.
        Kanna nodded and picked the mirror up off the floor. "Father?"
        "I would like to see, Kanna. Please show me?" He said, wondering what it could be that she was planning to do.
        She nodded solemnly and held the mirror before her. A bluish glow drifted out of Jaken, and he slid to the floor senselessly. The mirror shimmered as the bluish light was pulled into it. Kanna sighed and in a soft voice, said, "Jaken, do the chicken dance!"
        Immediately Jaken sprang to his feet and began doing a tiny imp's version of the chicken dance. Sesshomaru could only stare in horror. "Kanna! Stop that! Put it back!" He commanded.
        Kanna looked at him with hurt filling her eyes, but she returned the bluish light to Jaken who sat up slowly, rubbing his head as if he was waking up. Rin giggled, "Isn't it funny? Jaken does whatever we ask him to!"
        "Kanna! Where did you get that mirror?" He demanded, kneeling down in front of her and taking hold of her shoulders.
        "Father?"
        "Kanna! Answer me! Where did you get that mirror!" He demanded.
        Kanna looked at him with an expression of fear on her face, "Grandfather gave it to me!" She said fearfully.
        "Grandfather!" He repeated, "You don't have a grandfather!"
        "Yuh huh!" Rin argued, "We met him the other day, in the room on the third floor!"
        "Room on the third floor!" Sesshomaru repeated, "What were you doing on the third floor!"
        "We were hungry, and Jaken told us to go find food ourselves!" Rin told him, "But we got lost, and we found a room with a man in there! He said that he was Kagura's dad! That makes him Kanna's grandpa!" Rin insisted.
        "You met Naraku!" Sesshomaru thundered, and turned on Jaken, crushing him beneath his foot. "You imbecile! You were told to keep the children in the room! But you failed! All the years I have kept you in my service despite your constant failures! But the one time I needed you to be successful, you allowed my daughters to come in contact with that monster!" He bellowed, and grabbed hold of Jaken by his head, "I should kill you right now, but I know the girls are fond of you, so I will spare you this time. If you ever fail me again, nothing will save you." He snarled, and dropped Jaken on the floor like a rag.
        Sesshomaru turned, frowning at the two little girls who stared at him with a mix of fear and confusion, "Listen, Naraku is a very bad man, girls. You must never ever go near him again." He told them, "Kanna, I'm going to trust you to destroy that mirror immediately." He said softly. "Girls. . .tomorrow I look for a safe place for you. I was a fool to keep you here."