InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shadowed Nights ❯ Critizing converstations ( Chapter 7 )

Shadowed Nights
By The Black Dragon Queen
Co/Authored by Kallipso .
Notes:
*Pokes koishii-tenshi and Neko-Chan who are still twitching on the floor…* Um… I didn’t do it. *Turns to stares at quivering Solitare1* I have become a narcotic… Oh well.

Anyway, I really thought I would crack this chapter out really quick- as you can see it’s already been a month. I didn’t think that writing Sango and Miroku would be this hard but I really don’t know the characters. So I apologise if they are OOC- I tired! So this will be a short chapter… -don’t hurt the Cloud plushie!-

Kallipso * smirks as she cuddles her pilfered plushies of Ed, Sephiroth, and Vincent. And Glares at Riki-Tiki-Tabby who holds Cloud plushie by throat* How did you get him from me?
R-T-T: *Smirks* My secrets will die with me! Bwahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!
BDQ: *Sweatdrops* Oh well. *Cuddles new Roy and Ed Plushies that arrived in the mail.*
Kallipso: *Gawks* What the? Where did those come from?
BDQ: The mail, duh.
Kallipso: *Rolls eyes* Ok~ay. Where did the mail come from?
BDQ: The post office. …Hey wait, I thought I was the blonde.
Kallipso & R-T-T *start advancing * Tell us now or suffer our wrath.
BDQ: Fine! *Wait’s for the two to stop advancing* … the internet. *Runs away!*
Kallipso & R-T-T: *Mindboggle* WHAT? *Kallipso Snatches Cloud*
Kallipso: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! MY BISHI’S! *Runs away*
R-T-T: *Blinks* What have I gotten myself into?
Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru: You don’t want to know.

~ON WITH THE STORY~

Shadowed Nights-
Criticizing Conversations: Chapters 37-42

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Regrouping

“…”

“…”

“Is she dead?”

“…”

“…”< br>
“No.”

“…”

“& #8230;”

“Damn.”

“…”
“…”

“I could always hit her again.”

“What? No!”

“Why not?”

“Stop trying to kill Kagome!”

“I could always kill you kittling.”

“Leave Shippo out of this.”

“He’s annoying.”

“That’s no excuse to kill him.”

“Pthhhh!”

“I hate you.”

“Sesshoumaru!”

“What?” ;

“What are you two doing out here anyway?”

“We were hungry.”

“And you couldn’t wait for five frickin’ minutes?”

“But Inuyasha, we were hungry now.”

“Why couldn’t Sesshoumaru make you something?”

“ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?”

“The kit’s right, have you seen my cooking?”

“That still doesn’t explain why you had to follow me.”

“Did you want to return to the cave to find only rotting corpses?”

“…”

“…̶ 1;

“Who knew dog face could be morbid?”

“How about I just eat the fox?”

“You two knock this off now!”

“Inuyasha-sama? Can Rin come out now?”

“Oh dang. Gomen-nasai Rin-chan, I forgot about you.”

‘Having a bad day?’

“You stay out of this!”

“Who are you talking to?”

“None of your business!”

“Squeek!”

“You stay out of this too!”

“When did Kuufuku show up?”

“Gah! The Rat! Quick! I need a bigger rock!”

“SESSHOUMARU!”

“WHAT?̶ 1;

“Put the bolder down.”

“Damn you! Stop ruining my fun!”

“Stop trying to kill Kuufuku! Anyway, what’ll you achieve by killing him?”

“It will make me feel better.”

“…”

“…” ;

“Behold, the all powerful Inuyoukai. Done in by a little measly rat.”

“I am not finished yet!”

“Gah! Sesshoumaru! Put Tokujin away!”

“Ooo.”

“She’s waking up. Get me another rock.”

“What is your obsession with rocks?”

“Sesshoumaru-sama! Rin found berries!”

“FOOD!”

“Shippo! Behave!”

“Mmph.”

“…Sesshoum aru, did you just eat the whole basket full?”

“… Maybe.”

‘Are they always like this?’

“Trust me, this is a good day.”

“Whom are you talking to?”

“You really don’t know?”

“Would I bother asking you if I did?”

“Seriously? You can’t hear her?”

“‘Her’ who? That’s what I’m trying to figure out?”

“You mean it’s not a normal youkai thing?”

“What ‘thing’? Could you possibly attempt to give me a straight answer?”

“Could you possibly give me a straight question?”

“What are you two talking about?”

“Never you mind Shippo.”

‘Hmm, apparently you’re brother can’t hear me.’

‘What was your first clue genius?’

‘No need to get defensive pup.’

‘Don’t call me “pup”.’

“Eh? Inuyasha, why are you scowling?”

“I’m not mad at you Shippo.”

“Great, then what did I do?”

“I could name a million things, but at this moment it’s not you either.”

“Well there’s a surprise.”

“The whole world does not revolve around you, Sesshoumaru.”

“Well obviously you think it does.”

“What? Where did you get that notion?”

“Here and there.”

“What are ya? Nuts?”

“This coming from someone who has yet to gain proper communication skills.”

“You really want me to kick your ass, don’t you?”

“Hah! Like you could actually do it!”

“TETSUAIGA!”

“You want a fight! Well you’ve got one--”

“…”

“…”< br>
“Inuyasha, it’s not doing anything.”

“I kinda noticed that Shippo.”

‘Obviously, bad temperament runs in the family.’

‘Will you stay out of this!’

“Inuyasha-sama! Rin is out of berries, can Rin pick more?”

“Later Rin.”

“But why not?”

“Rin, sit.”

“She’s not a dog you know. That’s what you’re suppose to be.”

“Okay, that did it. Inuyasha, I’m going to kill the kit now.”

“For the billionth time! Both of you knock it off!”

“EXCUSE ME!”

The Inu, Neko, kitsune, hanyou, and little human girl sitting in the snow turned to look at Sango and Miroku who were still standing at the edge of the clearing. Sango’s mouth was sill-hanging open in shock and Miroku was looking between the small group and the still unconscious Kagome.

“Could someone please explain what the fuck is going on here?”

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Congested Quarters

The small group of youkai stared at Miroku in shock while Rin happily started to build a new snow fort.

Miroku glared at them, his eyes stopping at each in turn. Even Kirara wasn’t spared. “What are you doing Inuyasha?” Miroku continued angrily. “Why are you way out here? Why did you leave the village? Why did you take Shippo?”

“Err, I came on my own,” Shippo tried to explain.

“And most importantly-WHY THE HELL IS SESSHOUMARU HERE?”

Sesshoumaru stared at the monk and raised an eyebrow. A look that normally garnered some trepidation but considering that Sesshoumaru had found Inuyasha’s own basket of nuts and berries and was currently stuffing his face, lacked its usual impact.

“Mirouku,” Inuyasha said calmingly. “I can understand that you’re confused and do admit that I owe you some explanation-”

“You’re damn right you do,” Miroku grumbled.

“-and I’ll give you one.” Inuyasha finished. “I will explain everything-” Sesshoumaru shot Inuyasha a fierce glower as he popped another berry into his mouth and Inuyasha quickly finished his sentence with a “that I can.”

Mirouku looked between the two Inu Brothers, not once missing the shared glance. His scowl deepened.

Snago glanced nervously at the two scowling men and slowly moved closer to Inuyasha, “Er, have you been alright?” she asked the hanyou. “I mean, when you left you were looking-”

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru shot the girl a withering stare. “-er, not yourself.” She finished lamely.

“I’ve been healing,” Inuyasha cryptically replied.

“Oh,” Sango blinked. “Well, that’s good…”

“Indeed,” Sesshoumaru commented between bites.

Sango regarded the youkai for a moment, her own gaze mirroring Miroku’s between the two brothers, minus the hate filled glares at the Taiyoukai.

“Did Sesshoumaru force you to leave the village?” Miroku suddenly demanded, his glare never leaving the taller youkai.

Inuyasha gapped. “What?”

“Was Sesshoumaru keeping you away by force? Is he holding you prisoner?” Miroku continued

“Now hold on just one moment!” Inuyasha growled. “You actually think that Sesshoumaru kidnapped me? ME? What the fuck?”

“We didn’t even receive word by letter that you were alright.” Miroku argued. “We just haven’t heard from you period. It’s as if you dropped off the face of the earth!”

“Okay, as if Sesshoumaru could actually beat me-” Inuyasha ignored Sesshoumaru’s increasing growls. “Why would you think that he would hold me hostage?”

“Well how do I know how far his insanity runs?” Miroku snapped back.

Sesshoumaru sniffed in offence before picking up the basket and calling to Rin to accompany him back to the cave.

Inuyasha relaxed some when he realized that Sesshoumaru wasn’t going to attack Miroku outright for the monk’s assumption of him. Not that Inuyasha blamed Miroku’s worries. Though Inuyasha had to admit that some of Miroku’s guesses were way off target.

Inuyasha shook his head in answer to Miroku’s accusations before angling his body so Shippo fell of his shoulder. “Go with them, we’ll be right behind you,” he told the kit. Shippo didn’t look happy about leaving with the other Youkai, but after noticing that Kuufuku was trying to pounce on Sesshoumaru’s trailing Fur the kit let loose a wicked grin and sprinted to catch up.

Turning back to the two humans who he still considered his friends, he wandered over and hoisted Kagome’s limp body over his shoulder. “Look, you two. It’s not what you think. Sesshoumaru and I just ran into each other and he kinda stuck around.”

“Inuyasha,” Sango placed her hand on his free shoulder, “he’s always tried to kill you before. Why are you-?”

Inuyasha sighed and waved a hand, cutting off Sango’s concerns. “I’ll explain it all when we get to the cave.”

Miroku gave him weird look, “cave?”

“Er, yeah.” Inuyasha scratched the back of his head with his free hand. “Well, it’s been an odd couple a months.”

“You could say that again,” Sango muttered.

Inuyasha glanced back but shrugged as he moved onward towards the others. Miroku quickened his pace to match Inuyasha’s ground eating steps, even with the extra weight of the comatose Kagome on his back the hanyou was damn fast.

They walked in silence for a little while, only Inuyasha’s snicker occasionally breaching the silence as Kuufuku pounced onto the trailing end of Sesshoumaru’s Fur and was hitching a ride, his little claws digging into the thing to hold on.

Miroku’s continued side long glances at him were starting to drive him batty though.

“Inuyasha-” Miroku started.

“So how’s Kaede-baachan?” Inuyasha interrupted.

Miroku kept up with the shift in topic pretty well. “Kaede-sama’s is doing fine. …wondering where the hell you went to but fine.”

“Feh,” Inuyasha huffed. “She probably just want’s me to fix that fence she’s been harping about ‘fore I left.”

Miroku glanced at him. “You fix fences?”

Inuyasha shrugged. “Had to do something when everyone left for their whatever’s.”

Miroku thought of this for a moment. ‘Kagome down the well, me on my pilgrimage trips, Sango visiting friends …’ he glanced back at Inuyasha. ‘I didn’t realize he would be lonely.’

“What else did Kaede-sama have you do?” he asked honestly curious.

Inuyasha shot him a suspicious look but went with the flow. “Fixed that hole in her roof from the summer rains.”

Miroku’s eyes lit up. “I wondered who it was that fixed that after you left.” He paused a moment, “didn’t think it was you though.”

“Figures,” Inuyasha sulked.

“No, I mean I knew you could fix it if you wanted!” Miroku countered, rapidly back peddling. “I just didn’t think Kaede-sama could convince you!”

Inuyasha shot a menacing glare at the monk and Miroku slumped slightly, noticing that Sesshoumaru had glanced back to scowl at him.

Miroku glared back then smirked as Sesshoumaru noticed his extra passenger.

Frowning, Sesshoumaru took his Fur in his hand and with a quick flick of the thing, set the rat flying into the air. Grinning in satisfaction, he ignored Inuyasha’s cry of protest and continued forward.

Sesshoumaru had been eavesdropping on the conversation behind him and didn’t like how it sounded one bit. At all. It sounded as if they had been taking advantage of his brother! And making him do all the manual labor at that! It wasn’t as if he was ashamed of the hanyou’s domestic skills. If anything it proved Inuyasha will to survive. And the cave’s interior was a testament to it.

‘Manipulative ningen’s,’ he thought angrily with each stopping step.

Suddenly noticing that he was now in the lead of the mixed matched heard, Sesshoumaru slowed his steps ever so slightly; causing the girl and the bounding kitsune to move ahead of him and in turn, basically lead the way.

Sesshoumaru frowned as he heard the monk try once more to strike Inuyasha up into an explanation and Inuyasha’s blatant change of topic.

‘Damn humans,’ Sesshoumaru groused. ‘I suppose I’ll have to be “nice” to them, HAH!’

He glanced back again noticing the monk was walking with hunched shoulders, ‘well you should be depressed you pathetic ningen,’ as well as the female human who was currently looking between Inuyasha and himself.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the girl when their eyes met before turning back around, totally disregarding her inquisitive look.

His delicate ears suddenly heard the sound of the girl moving to catch up with him, her steps loud as they plowed through the deep snow. She came shoulder to shoulder with him and quickened her pace to meet his.

He spared a glance at the girl but said nothing as she had yet to say anything to him.

They both could hear Inuyasha quicken to catch up and Miroku hurrying behind him.

Unfortunately, neither person was speaking so Inuyasha had no clue as to what Sango’s motives were catching up with his brother. Inuyasha shot Kirara a confused look and the cat gave him a feline equivalent to a shrug.

The small group, continued on silently, only Shippo’s small giggle when Kuufuku reattached himself to Sesshoumaru’s Fur breaking the silence but even that didn’t last very long.

Arriving at the cave Sesshoumaru and the children quickly ducked into the entrance as Sango and Miroku gave An and Un a rather surprised stare. The Lizard looked over his impromptu paddock with a bale stare before continuing to munch on a branch that had obviously been yanked off a nearby tree.

Sango and Miroku shared a worried glance before both ducked into the cave.

Allowing their eyes to focus, both humans gapped at the scene before them. The cave was actually… homey. They took note of Sesshoumaru setting down at the little scratched table, soon joined by the children as Inuyasha deposited the comatose Kagome onto a futon on the far side of the room.

Inuyasha gestured towards the little table and Miroku visibly balked at Sesshoumaru’s challenging gaze. Sango however, studied the Youkai’s reclining figure for a moment before taking measured steps and seating herself between Sesshoumaru and Shippo’s seat, Kirara immediately jumping into her lap.

Inuyasha sat on the taller youkai’s other side and raised an eye brow at Miroku, unconsciously mirroring his brother.

Miroku shuddered. He had to remind himself that they were brothers after all and that it really shouldn’t be surprising if they had a few quirks in common. ‘That has to be the most important point we always forget,’ Miroku mused. ‘We always forget that they are brothers.’

Steeling his nerve, Miroku walked calmly to the table and sat himself down between Shippo and Rin.

Inuyasha’s posture immediately relaxed and he gave the monk a grateful smile that Miroku unconsciously returned.

Sesshoumaru continued glaring at the two humans who shifted uncomfortably under the intense gaze.

They all stat there; staring at each other. No one dare saying a single word.

Rin and Shippo were easily bored but Shippo knew that this was a serious situation and Rin was content to stroking Kirara who had mysteriously appeared in her own lap.

Miroku coughed nervously, his former bravado somewhat subdued now that he could plainly see that Inuyasha had in fact been alright and had apparently made a home for himself.

Inuyasha looked between the two groups, knowing that he was the only connection between them. He knew it would have to be he who broke the silence but Inuyasha was still dreading the coming conversations.

He went with a neutral topic instead.

“I’ll go make the tea.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Tea Talk Take Two

“NO!” Sesshoumaru snapped. “No more tea!”

Miroku and Sango jumped in surprise and stared at the youkai, neither sure what to make of Sesshoumaru’s vocal protest to a mere drink.

Inuyasha frowned at his brother. “What is your aversion to tea?”

Sesshoumaru scowled again but refrained from responding in front of the humans. ‘Tea,’ he thought sourly. ‘Why is it that when we’re facing a long and emotional conversation- he breaks out the friggen kettle?’

The two adult humans stared at each other, neither one sure how to impose themselves into the… argument? Stare down?

“Inuyasha-sama!” Rin broke in unconcerned. “Rin is hungry!”

Sesshoumaru’s glare whipped around to stare at the little girl but Inuyasha was all smiles. “Of course Rin-chan, we haven’t had breakfast yet, have we?” Rin eagerly shook her head and Shippo’s tail was actually wagging in anticipation. “And if no one else is going to complain, then I’ll make tea as well,” Inuyasha declared as he started to get out the kettle and the ingredients for miso soup

‘He’s trying to drown me,’ Sesshoumaru thought angrily as he scowled at the Hanyou’s back. Out of the corner he saw the two ningen’s watching as well. “Damn tea,” he groused, ignoring the odd looks he was receiving form the other adults at the table. Inuyasha’s sensitive ears picked up the statement and he turned to glare at Sesshoumaru momentarily before retuning to his task.

Sango and Miroku suddenly felt a nerve-wracking strain as they sat there at the little table while Inuyasha busied himself with the cooking. Neither of them knew what to say. They hadn’t seen their hanyou friend in months and to find that he was living with his hate filled youkai brother, in a cave… Well, what does one say in such a situation?

“Er, this is actually a nice place you have here,” Miroku ventured.

Sesshoumaru snapped his head around to turn his glare to the two adult humans. “You are surprised?” he sneered.

Sango nearly pounded Miroku into the ground with her boomerang, ‘Wrong thing to say,’ she thought mournfully.

Miroku, meanwhile, jumped in surprise at being addressed by the taiyoukai as he had never before actually spoken to Sesshoumaru.

“Well,” Sango shifted as she once more exchanged nervous glances with a now fidgety Miroku and desperately tried to defuse the situation. “We knew that Inuyasha could take care of himself, naturally.”

“Naturally,” Sesshoumaru mocked as he glared at the monk.

Miroku’s eyes darted between the two and he tried to pacify the raging youkai, “It’s just surprising that Inuyasha would settle down in one spot. Form what we’ve been told; he’s always had to keep moving before he came to Kaede’s village.”

This time it was Inuyasha who snorted in disagreement. “You do realize that I am over two hundred years old, right?” he asked as he set down the steaming kettle.

Miroku looked at him puzzled, “Well obviously, since you are a youkai-”

“Then I’m surprised that you didn’t realize that there would be some points where I would find my self in the same place for a few years,” Inuyasha frowned, tapping the long cooking chopsticks against his shoulder angrily.

“Er, well I- I mean that I- er…” Miroku fidgeted. In truth, he hadn’t really thought about it. It was always so easy to forget that Inuyasha technically was very much older than him and if he stayed a hanyou or managed to get full youkai status would remain alive long after he had died. ‘How could I forget that the all this time that we’ve been together is actually a very small moment in his very long life,’ Miroku chastised himself. ‘That he would still be living long after I’ve been turn to dust…’

The thought was actually quite heartbreaking.

Sango shook her head and lightly whapped Miroku upside the head. “Honestly,” she chided, “think before you open that mouth of yours.”

“I would listen to the female, letcher,” Sesshoumaru growled flexing his fist. “Before you say something that could get you killed.”

Inuyasha set down a few bowls of food angrily, ensuring that Sesshoumaru’s sloshed over the side more than the others. “I know that this is an odd situation, but please could we eat before committing multiple murders?” Sesshoumaru glared at Inuyasha who simply glowered right back. “You do know that if I don’t get a yes, the first murder will be yours,” Inuyasha told him. The deadpan tone in his voice told Sesshoumaru that while Inuyasha could be kidding about killing him, he wasn’t above giving them all a bruise or two.

The cave was once again engulfed in an eerie silence, as the groups at their breakfast. It was the children who finished first and while Rin asked if she could go play outside Shippo refused to move.

Inuyasha scowled. “Shippo, you too.”

“What?” Shippo cried. “Why can’t I stay here?”

“You heard him kit, out!” Sesshoumaru snapped.

Shippo puffed out his little chest angrily before whirling back to Inuyasha. “I want to stay!”

Sesshoumaru gapped at the child’s impertinence and was actually getting ready to physically toss out the small youkai when Sango piped up.

“Now Shippo,” she said soothingly, “We have some adult matters to discuss and I don’t think you should have to be bother with adult talk.”

“I don’t mind, I can stay.” Shippo counted eagerly.

Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to roll his eyes as he reached forward and snagged the kit by his collar and started to physically carry the boy to the exit. “You are a youkai,” he growled at the small kit under his breath that only Shippo heard him. “Learn your place.”

“Hey! What do ya think you’re doin’ you crazy Inu!” Shippo cried as he started wiggling outlandishly. “Put me down!”

“Gladly,” Sesshoumaru returned as he chucked the child out the door.

Shippo went sailing with an undignified squeek and landed with a dull thud on the remains of the snow castle.

“SESSHOUMARU!” Inuyasha shouted aghast at the scene he had just witnessed.

Sesshoumaru calmly returned to his place and sat down gracefully. “He’ll live,” was all he said and no sooner than the words were out of his mouth than the small kit stopped back into the cave covered from head to toe with large clumps of snow.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the child but Shippo simply yanked his overcoat form his pallet and started to trump out of the cave again.

“Are you alright?” Inuyasha asked at the kit stormed away.

“Nobody ever lets me know anything!” the kit groused in response before he disappeared once more.

Sesshoumaru gave Inuyasha a smug grin and Inuyasha had never before felt such a stronger urge to punch him in the nose.

Sighing, Inuyasha simply started to gather up the remains of breakfast and decided to just ignore what had transpired. He wouldn’t forget what Sesshoumaru had done and fully planed to have a very lengthy discussion with the other youkai, but for now he had more pressing matters to attend to.

After gathering the dishes and refilling everyone’s tea, much to Sesshoumaru’s displeasure, Inuyasha took a deep breath and turned to his two former friends. “Why didn’t you help me?”

Sesshoumaru took a deep gulp of tea in hopes of hiding his expression to the childish plea he heard in his brother’s voice. ‘Like a sword to the gut he got right to the heart of the matter.’

Sango and Miroku were obviously just as affected by the deepened sadness to Inuyasha’s question.

“We,” Sango started. “We honestly didn’t know how.”

“That is no excuse,” Sesshoumaru countered before he grunted in surprise to Inuyasha’s elbow in his side.

“He is right, Inuyasha,” and Miroku’s voice betrayed how he hated that fact. “We should have realized that our indifference to the situation would have affected you and left you with very little choices.”

“More like only one,” Inuyasha scathingly interrupted.

“We didn’t think that it was really that bad,” Sango argued.

“How could you not wench?” Sesshoumaru barked. “The bruising he sustained should have been a large enough hint.”

“You’re not helping,” Inuyasha snapped.

“We thought that Inuyasha could handle it,” Miroku bellowed just as loudly as Sesshoumaru. “We didn’t think that Kagome would do that much harm to Inuyasha.”

“That’s right,” Sango agreed. “Kagome’s human and doesn’t have the strength that Inuyasha has.”

“Since when does Kagome ever need strength when a simple ‘osuwari’ could damn near cause a concussion!” Inuyasha shouted his face red with anger. “Kagome never needed physical strength to damn well nearly kill me.”

“Kill you?” Sango gasped. “What-?”

Inuyasha growled at her-actually growled at her. “Did either of you ever noticed that as time went by my fighting style has actually gotten slower?” he snarled.

Three jaws dropped at the announcement and even Sesshoumaru stared at the hanyou in surprise.

‘It’s true,’ the Inu realized as he thought over the previous battled he had had with his younger brother. ‘Every time I encounter him, his movements were getting slower.’ Sesshoumaru could very well give himself a mental wack upside the head. ‘His reactions were normal but it was if his body couldn’t keep up with his mind’s commands.’

“I was actually, physically getting weaker,” and here Inuyasha paused to send a stern glare to Sesshoumaru, daring him to say anything. Sesshoumaru simply sat there, almost in breathless anticipation of Inuyasha’s next words, just as enthralled of the hanyou’s shouting accusations as the two humans were.

“She would shout that damn command word every day,” he growled. “And when ever we encounter Kana, Kagura or any other youkai under Naraku’s reign my body would already be exhausted and bruised to the point of near collapsing.”

The two sagged slightly under Inuyasha’s withering glare, the argument deflating out of them as Inuyasha collapsed in his seat breathing heavily from all the shouting he had done.

Sesshoumaru, meanwhile, was actually gawking at his brother in complete astounding wonderment. ‘The fact that his body was completely worn down and to still come out the victor against countless powerful youkai, myself included, is nothing short of miraculous.’ Sesshoumaru realized that there truly was more to Inuyasha than he thought and the taiyoukai could actually feel the beginning strands of pride at his brother’s accomplishments rise within him.

He quickly squashed them into the dark mental box labeled “all sappy emotions-deposit here” and quickly lost the key.

“Inuyasha,” Sango finally ventured after a long period of silence. “How could we have know that you were in pain? You never speak to us of what you’re feeling or how injured you are. We never know that you even are injured until you collapse.”

Miroku nodded. “All we saw was Kagome yelling at you and a few ‘osuwari’s’.”

“What about the kettle?” Inuyasha counted furiously. “You saw then how bad it was! And you- neither of you- did ANYTHING!”

Sesshoumaru glanced at him confused. ‘Kettle?’

“That was-” Miroku started before Sango whacked him again.

“You are correct Inuyasha, we should have realized then just how bad it was getting,” she agreed.

Sesshoumaru’s head swiveled between the two groups. “You said that it was a tree branch,” he accused Inuyasha.

The hanyou turned with a frown, “this was before that. Kagome threw a kettle at me when I was backed into a corner of Kaede’s hut. My only option was to get hit or slash it to pieces with my claws.”

“Kaede was furious that you destroyed one of her ceremonial kettles,” Sango muttered absently.

“Well, it wasn’t me that she should have been pissed at,” Inuyasha snapped and Sango slumped even further.

Sesshoumaru’s scowl darkened as he took in the two chastised humans. “So you knew that there was something seriously wrong with the Miko long before he left?”

“We thought it would get better,” Miroku argued.

“That is no excuse for you to turn a blind eye to your ‘supposed’ friend’s need.”

“Sesshoumaru,” Inuyasha growled, “how many times do I have to repeat myself? ‘can. Take. Care. Of. Myself,’.”

The taiyoukai made a scoffing sound at that announcement. “Hence your multiple need for The Goo.”

“What goo?” Miroku demanded.

“Not goo, The Goo,” Inuyasha clarified.

Miroku blinked, “what?”

“Er, never mind,” Inuyasha smirked slightly as he enjoyed an inside joke for the first time in his life.

“So things escalated with the kettle?” Sesshoumaru asked as he tried to get a mental time line of the event’s that brought Inuyasha to living in the cave.

“Well, the kettle was a turning point but it didn’t really escalate until the tree branch this year like I said.”

There went Sesshoumaru’s time line.

“A year?” he demanded and whirled on the two ningen’s as he started to rise to his feet. “You let that female,” and he spat the word, “continually abuse him for over a year?”

The two reeled back at the malice that dripped from Sesshoumaru’s words, Sango’s hand actually coming to rest on her boomerang.

Inuyasha reached out to lay a hand on Sesshoumaru’s shoulder and firmly tugged the enraged youkai back down. “This doesn’t even concern you, Sesshoumaru,” Inuyasha reprimand. “You keep this up and I’m throwing you outside with the kids.”

Sesshoumaru sat down, still fuming but at least no longer homicidal.

Inuyasha frowned as he moved to refill everyone’s cold tea.

Sesshoumaru huffed as he set Tokujin down once more. ‘One of the problems with him being half human,’ he thought bitterly. ‘The subdued desire to just slash and be done with it.’

Sango and Miroku were silently conversing with each other as Sesshoumaru frowned at the next cup of tea that was placed before him.

As Inuyasha sat down himself, Miroku spoke up hesitantly. “We-” he glanced at Sango, “We really didn’t realize that it had been going on for that long.”

Sesshoumaru let out a sarcastic “ha!” but again received Inuyasha’s elbow in his side. He took another sip of tea to refrain from more scathing retorts.

“We truly did not see just how badly things were getting between the two of you,” Sango continued, trying her best to ignore Sesshoumaru’s snort of disbelief. “Things just escalating more and more ever so gradually-”

“Chucking a kettle is ‘gradual’?” Sesshoumaru muttered.

“-that we really didn’t realize just how badly things were until it was too late and you had left.”

Miroku and Sango nodded at each other resolutely and now even Sesshoumaru was curious as both moved back from the table and bowed deeply to the floor.

“We are so sorry, Inuyasha,” Miroku said somberly, “for failing you as a friend and companion.”

“We truly are to blame for not helping you in your time of need and as such have proven that we are not worth your friendship or your forgiveness.”

“We are both truly sorry!” the both said in tandem as their heads got lower, if possible.

Inuyasha gawked at the two figures that were bowed before him in complete shock, the impact of them actually showing him- him such respect was actually quite astounding.

And at the same time the fact that these two who Inuyasha admired and respected would actually be bowing to him when Inuyasha had only found disgust and malice in his life was truly quite terrifying.

“Well I’ll say this for them,” Sesshoumaru smirked from his seat as he took another long swill of tea, “They certainly do know how to grovel.”

Chapter Forty: Accepting Facts

Inuyasha gasped in shock as he snatched the cup from Sesshoumaru’s lax grasp, and with an elegant turn of the wrist dumped the entire contents right over Sesshoumaru’s head.

Sesshoumaru was suddenly very glad that he had a dislike for tea and had simply nursed the cup he had been drinking. It was quite cool as it seeped into his clothing. His temper however, was not.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing you stupid hanyou?” Sesshoumaru snapped as he immediately jumped upward and tried to shake the tea out of his hair before it managed to soak any further into the silver tresses.

Inuyasha’s livid glare was just as fierce as he too jumped to his feet. “You forget that they’re my friends,” Inuyasha emphasized the word, “and I will not have you ridicule them!”

Miroku and Sango dared raise their heads as the watched the two Inu youkai argue. While they were not surprised that the two were arguing, as it seemed as if that was what the two brothers did best, they were surprised that Inuyasha would stand up against his brother for them. Even now after everything that had happened.

They both slowly made their way back to their seats and tried to stay in the back ground as they watched the exchange with complete fascination.

“‘Friends’?” Sesshoumaru scoffed as he stripped out of his outer robe and started to try and squeeze the liquid out. “I thought that was the whole point of this conversation? That they weren’t your friends and how they left you to the mercy of a power hungry bitch!”

Inuyasha gasped, reeling back as if he had been punched in the face. “How dare you!” he growled, his voice going low and quiet. “Take that back!”

Sesshoumaru gave the hanyou an odd look. “Take what back?” he asked as he shook out his robe, frowning at the mass of crinkles. “That they did nothing to help you when you were in a very dire situation,” he turned to glare at his brother as he dropped the now ruined robe on the destroyed pink one that lay on the ever growing rat-nest. “Hate to break this to you brat, but it’s the truth.”

“I know that,” Inuyasha growled between clenched teeth, “and it was not what I was speaking about. I don’t care what they may have done in the past, they’re my friends and that includes Kagome.”

Sesshoumaru gapped in shock as he took in the look of intense sincerity in Inuyasha’s eyes completely ignoring the following two gasps from the humans. “Are you insane?” Inuyasha’s glare just got darker. “She’s insane!” Sesshoumaru shouted at the top of his lungs waving in Kagome’s general direction. “Certifiable! How can you defend her like this?”

Inuyasha’s look lost the ferocity as he turned to glance at the still comatose Kagome, his look becoming more pensive and sad. “She wasn’t always,” he explained. “There was a time there in the beginning where we were friends.

Sesshoumaru’s look dropped even further. “What does that have to do with anything?” he demanded. Inuyasha’s logic seemed to be strung together from mismatched yarn as far as Sesshoumaru could reason. “She may have been your “friend” once but its clear form her actions that she’s defiantly not anymore.”

Inuyasha’s frown return with vengeance as he pierced Sesshoumaru with a stern gaze that seemed to be a cross between disgust and pity, “clearly,” he said softly, “you don’t understand what it means to be a ‘friend’.”

Sesshoumaru’s first reaction as to gasp and shrink back, almost as Inuyasha had done earlier, but the egotist within him refused to allow Sesshoumaru to express any emotion instead of the fierce hurt that was welling within him.

“I thought we had cleared this up before,” Sesshoumaru’s face lost its glare as instead, it went almost completely blank. “I have no ‘friends’,” he stated as if reciting a well memorized play. “I am the Taiyoukai of the west; I have no need of friends.”

Inuyasha shook his head as he rubbed his forehead tiredly. “Then you have absolutely no idea what it feels like to be betrayed by a friend-”

“All the more reason not to have them,” Sesshoumaru interrupted smugly as he yanked out one of the less damaged robes from his corner and tugged it on.

Inuyasha huffed in exasperation. “-nor do you realize how powerful friendship can be.”

Sesshoumaru scoffed at that statement but Inuyasha wasn’t finished.

“This is what it means to be a friend Sesshoumaru,” Inuyasha continued. “That you can forgive each other and move on!”

“But you left!” Sesshoumaru argued as he whirled around, the rope laying partially open as it hung on his lank frame. “You left to come here! Would that not mean that you consider yourselves no longer friends?”

Inuyasha shook his head. “I may have left but that was for self preservation. She is, oddly enough, still my friend.”

Sesshoumaru boggled. “WHAT?”

Inuyasha glared as he sat down once more at the table, refilling the human’s tea. “I do not expect you to understand,” he quipped sarcastically as he set aside the kettle, “since you don’t need any friends.”

Sesshoumaru stared at Inuyasha as the hanyou went about cleaning up breakfast and studiously ignoring him.

He glanced at the humans who were also watching Inuyasha intently. It was clear that neither could understand where the fight had come from and both were a little awed at Inuyasha’s words.

Sesshoumaru glared again at Inuyasha’s back before reclaiming his spot at the table, grateful that the tea had only gotten him wet and that the cushion was still moderately dry.

The two humans looked again between the two youkai apprehensively. Neither knew what they should say.

Sango glanced at the two inu-youkai once more before she nodded her head as if agreeing with whatever conclusion she had arrived at. Sango stood and very slowly made her way towards the still moving hanyou. Inuyasha’s little ears swiveled back at her approach but he himself made no move to acknowledge her approach.

“Inuyasha,” Sango started softly. Inuyasha still said nothing. Sango glanced back at the two at the table before a resolved look graced her features and she leaned forward to wrap the brooding hanyou into a hug.

Inuyasha stiffened as he felt arms encircle him but Sango’s reassuring scent surrounded him as she gave a small squeeze before releasing him all together. He slowly turned around and was confronted with a look of pure gratefulness and still containing just a little bit of awe.

“Thank you.”

Inuyasha stared at the demon slayer bemused for a moment before nodding back at her, “you’re welcome,” he replied and that was that.

Sango gave him a small grateful smile before returning to her seat at the table. Nothing more was needed to be said.

Sesshoumaru glared as the female sat down before turning to glare at Inuyasha who actually seemed calmer and more relaxed. His gaze whipped once more to the female, his teeth grinding together in frustration.

‘How dare that female think that she can put her hands on my mate and get away with-’

“Yipe! Hakaisou!” There was a sudden clunk as the demon slayer brought the flat side of her weapon down onto the male’s head.

“Ouch! My lady, what have I done wrong? Ouch! Ow! Hey! Stop it! INUYASHA!”

Inuyasha came back to the table, openly laughing now as he watched Sango repeatedly whap Miroku over the head.

Sesshoumaru stared at the three as they all started laughing at their antics. “I’m surrounded by loons,” he murmured absently as he watched the laughter move into a slight hysterical note.

Inuyasha calmed down first, wiping an escaping tear from his eye as he settled down in his seat. “Well, it’s good to know some things never change.”

“Indeed,” Miroku groaned as he scooted a little further out of range.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the man before turning back to his now cup of water. He scowled at the liquid before turning his glare to a rather smug looking Inuyasha. Curling his lip into a small snarl, he downed the drink before reaching for the kettle himself. He may be starting to despise tea but at least it had a flavor to it and if he had a choice, Sesshoumaru would choose anything over water. He was not a pup, after all.

Inuyasha blinked as the long arm invaded his personal space to snatch the tea kettle away from him and watched with bewilderment as Sesshoumaru poured his own tea. Sesshoumaru never served himself if he could help it. If Inuyasha was there he acted as if he was to be waited on hand and foot.

Sesshoumaru felt the eyes on him and gave Inuyasha a withering glare as he poured. Inuyasha’s smirk returned full force as the hanyou turned to the monk across from him and offered some of the winter fruit that he had collected.

Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed even further as he moved to put the kettle back but it was then that his eyes caught that of the female demon slayer and found the exact same smug look as Inuyasha in her eyes. Sesshoumaru tilted his head in question but the girl’s smile just seemed to get bigger as she looked from one youkai to the other.

She raised her small cup and with a tilt of her head pointed in Inuyasha’s direction raised it slightly in salute to Sesshoumaru before taking a decisively non-feminine gulp.

Sesshoumaru’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as he stared at the woman but she had moved on into the conversation about how Inuyasha was dealing with the winter supplies for four people.

The inu-youkai felt himself slump backwards slightly in shock at the implications that the girl gave him. Inuyasha glanced at him for a moment before going back to discussing the safe topic of winter survival.

Sesshoumaru gapped slightly at the woman who even now was giving him smug looks and every time that stupid grin got bigger, his scowl got darker.

‘How dare this female,’ he thought angrily. ‘What does she think she knows?’ The damn smile returned.

‘She knows that I think of Inuyasha as my mate, that’s what she thinks,’ Sesshoumaru scowled as he drained his tea and once more reached for the blasted kettle ignoring Inuyasha quizzical look number two. ‘Hell, if a pathetic little human has figured it out, then all it would take is a youkai three seconds to understand the situation. Hell even I don’t understand the situation yet.’

He drained the tea again and finished off the kettle, thrusting it back into Inuyasha’s grasp. ‘Why does my life have to be a bloody carnival?’

He gulped the last of his tea and looked back to where Inuyasha was making yet another pot.

Inuyasha shook his head as he felt Sesshoumaru’s eyes glaring a whole on his back. ‘For someone who complains so much about tea, he sure drinks a lot of it,’ he mused silently.

“What I don’t understand,” Miroku was saying, “Was how you managed to get Shippo out of the village undetected. Everyone knew you were missing and the whole village was instructed by Kaede-sama to watch for your return.”

Inuyasha sighed again as he set the kettle down with at “thunk” in front of Sesshoumaru who simply gave him a bored look. “Indeed,” he drawled, startling the two humans. “I would like to know this story as well since I was not present when you fetched the brat.”

Inuyasha pulled a face at his brother for a moment before turning back to Miroku. “For the hundredth time, I did not go and fetch Shippo. He found me himself.”

“What?” the two humans cried in unison.

“But, how could he do that?” Miroku gasped. “He’s just a child!”

“A youkai child,” Sesshoumaru interrupted. “Why you humans constantly forget that small detail is beyond me.”

“He may be a youkai child but he is a child,” Sango argued determinedly.

Miroku and even Inuyasha stared at her in disbelief that she would argue with a full grown and known powerful youkai.

Sesshoumaru glared at the girl for a moment and tension filled the other two males at the table as the looked between the two who were currently in a stare down.

Sesshoumaru’s glare finally subsided as he gave the girl a mock salute with his tea and drained the cup.

Inuyasha felt the apprehension literally drain out of him as his body sagged slightly with relief.

Miroku however was confused. “Well, that brings us back to my original question. How did Shippo find you all by himself?”

“Because he wasn’t by himself,” Inuyasha drawled as he glared down at the small neko curled up on a corner portion of Sesshoumaru’s discarded robes.

Kirara graced Inuyasha with a large yawn before rolling over and returning to her nap.

“Kirara brought him to you?” Sango gasped. “But why would she do that?”

It was Sesshoumaru who answered her, “never underestimate a youkai’s instinct for survival,” he told the slayer. “She probably saw the situation with her,” and here he once more made a gesture in Kagome’s vicinity, “and realized a kit would not survive the situation.”

Inuyasha suppressed his surprised that Sesshoumaru was willingly contributing to the conversation but nodded his agreement nonetheless. “I think that was the reason too,” he agreed.

‘Are you going to tell them about our wonderful communication skills?’ Kirara’s voice entered Inuyasha’s mind. ‘After all, I know for a fact this is not a skill of mine.’

‘Will you shut up!’ Inuyasha scolded. ‘I have no idea since we discovered that Sesshoumaru can’t hear you!I thought it was just something all youkai did.’

Kirara snorted in disbelief. ‘How’d you come to that conclusion pup?’

‘I don’t know now hush, Sango’s talking. ’

“What I don’t understand,” Sango was saying. “Is why Kirara would do such a thing when she knows that we were taking care of him in Inuyasha’s absence?”

Once again it was Sesshoumaru who argued the point. “Humans,” he stated simply. “You are both humans and like it or not, the kittling will still be a child once you’re dead and gone-”

“Sesshoumaru,” Inuyasha scolded.

“-the blasted cat must have determined that the kitsune could only be protected by another youkai, simple as that.”

“‘Simple as that’,” Miroku repeated.

Sango quickly whapped the monk over the head again and Inuyasha quickly moved the ceramic cups out of harms way.

“Yes, well as much as it is amusing to see you all beat each other into a bloody mess,” Sesshoumaru drawled. “I still have some questions. For example, what the hell happened that made you start searching for Inuyasha?”

~*~ hakaisou (n) depraved; sinful priest AKA Sanzo ((as defined on “Jeffrey's Japanese<->English Dictionary Server” http://linear.mv.com/cgi-bin/j-e/dict))

Chapter Forty-One: Distressing Information

Sango and Miroku gapped at the youkai in shock as Inuyasha stared at his brother in horror. Sesshoumaru ignored them all and instead continued with his questions. “Did something happen with Naraku? Did you hear of something he was planning? Is he going to attack? When is he planning to strike?”

Inuyasha turned towards his friends, now in a near panic as Sesshoumaru voiced concerns that never even crossed the hanyou’s mind.

‘Kami-sama, he’s right,’ Inuyasha realized. ‘Just why did they come to find me?’

Miroku seemed very hesitant to answer the Taiyoukai’s questions and glared at the youaki as if offended that he dared impose himself into their conversation.

Sango, however, had no such qualms about answering. “Actually, we weren’t searching for Inuyasha,” she confessed.

“You weren’t?” Inuyasha asked surprised and just a little bit hurt.

“Oh, no,” Sango was quick to sooth Inuyasha’s ruffled feathers, “we were always looking for you; however, it wasn’t you specifically we were on the lookout for when we found you.”

“Then,” Inuyasha frowned as glanced at the two. “What was it you were searching for?”

“Oh for Kami-Sama’s sake, will you answer my question or not?” Sesshoumaru interrupted the rather heartfelt moment. “Is. Na. Ra. Ku. On. The. Move?”

“It has nothing to do with Naraku.” Surprisingly it was Miroku who answered. “It’s actually because of Kagome that were out in this weather.”

“Kagome?” Inuyasha asked surprised. “But you said you weren’t searching for me and Shippo said that was all that has been on Kagome’s mind since I left.”

“Well it was at first,” Sango started explaining. “However, now her focus has moved into another direction.”

“Kagome is now almost as obsessed with finding the jeweled shards as Naraku himself,” Miroku told them.

“The Jewel shards?”

“What is everyone’s obsession over that rock?” Sesshoumaru huffed as he poured himself another cup of tea, absently refilling Inuyasha’s when he saw that it, too, was low.

Miroku glared but continued on. “Once it became apparent that you could not be found Kagome began obsessing over the jewel shards. She would have us go out in search for them in neighboring villages at all hours.”

“In the beginning,” Sango continued. “We would only be out for a day or two, but as time went on and there was still no sign of any of the pieces she became even more violent.”

Inuyasha gasped. “How is that even possible?” he asked in shock.

“You don’t want know,” Miroku admitted and Inuyasha threw him a sympathetic look.

“Each time we thought that we had a solid lead that turned out to be nothing, Kagome would get even fiercer than before,” Sango continued.

“She even took Sango’s boomerang and whacked me with it,” Miroku admitted sheepishly. “I never really realized how much Sango pulls those hits until Kagome did it herself.”

Sango gasped. “I do no such thing,” she huffed. “Why would I bother pulling my hits against a hentai like you?”

“But Sango, my sweet…”

“‘Sweet’?” Sango hissed angrily.

“Er, my lady, er… um…”

Inuyasha was completely tuning out the well known banter and was contemplating the boomerang with great curiosity. Getting on his hands and knees, he moved around Sango over towards the weapon.

Sesshoumaru quickly drained both his and Inuyasha’s tea, grabbing Miroku’s for good measure as Inuyasha’s pert little derriere presented itself in his direct line of vision.

‘I never thought I would see the day that I would willingly try to drown myself on tea,’ he thought absently as he watched Inuyasha’s back arch as he reached forward to drag the boomerang towards himself. ‘Is it possible for lightning to actually shoot into a cave and strike me down?’

Sesshoumaru reached for Sango’s tea only to jerk back as her had came down automatically onto his with a smart “smack”. “Damn wench,” he muttered before returning to stare –drool- over Inuyasha’s qualifying attributes.

Hell, even the inner curve of the Hanyou’s feet were starting to tempt Sesshoumaru into more sensual ideas as he memorized every curve of Inuyasha’s body only marred by the large clothing Inuyasha was wont to wear. ‘Scissors; I need scissors. ’

“Whoa,” Inuyasha’s voice snapped Sesshoumaru out of his haze like dream of what would actually happen if he had scissors. “This thing is heavy even for me,” Inuyasha continued.

Sango nodded as she slid the weapon to her side with ease. “It was one of the four great weapons of my clan, passed down by generations. It took me years for my body to finally handle the weight.”

Miroku even reached over and tried to lift the impressive item, only managing to lift in four inches off the ground, even with both hands. “I don’t understand,” he muttered. “Kagome wielded it with such easy single handedly.”

Sesshoumaru actually looked contemplative as he watched the three alternately lift the weapon. “Idiots,” he finally announced, causing all three to whirl around to glare at him. “Did any of you stop to think that it may be due to the jewel shards the girl already possesses?” he asked in a bored tone.

Inuyasha took the bait. “What’s due to them?”

“The girl’s strength,” Sesshoumaru explained with a small satisfied grin. “As a priestess, she has the ability to draw on the jewels powers.” ‘I figured it out. I figured it out. I’m better than you. Nya, nya…’ he mentally crowed in childish glee as he took another swig of tea and finished off the pot, holding the kettle out to Inuyasha expectantly.

The other three at the table blinked in surprise while Inuyasha simply tossed the kettle back towards the fire, much to Sesshoumaru’s dismay. How was he to occupy himself without tea?

“Does she still have the jewel shards with her?” Inuyasha asked his two friends hesitantly. The other two solemnly nodded and Inuyasha glanced at the still unconscious Kagome.

After a few moments, he nodded his own head sharply and climbed to his feet. With a last look at the group around the table, the hanyou slowly made his way towards his cot.

Miroku and Sango both stood up when the realized exactly what it was that Inuyasha was up to, both ready with their respective weapons as Miroku held his staff in front of him, ready for anything. Both gave Inuyasha an encouraging look while Sesshoumaru watched on in feigned boredom even though his eyes traced Inuyasha’s every move.

Inuyasha turned back to the task at hand as he slowly made his way to the comatose girl. Her outfit had changed for winter and she now had on a pair of pants that she once called “jeans” and a bright red puffy coat.

Carefully he knelt down beside her, watching her face for any hint that Kagome was on the verge of waking up. Taking a deep breath, he slowly took the silver “Zipper Tag” in his two clawed fingers and slowly brought the zipper down, the small rasping sound it made echoing in the hushed quiet of the cave.

Sango and Miroku tensed at the sound, both shifting nervously as they watched Inuyasha with clear apprehension.

Sesshoumaru’s facial expression did not change in anyway, however Sango noticed the tight grip the youkai had on his tea cup and relaxed her stance slightly, comfortable in the knowledge that if Kagome were to suddenly wake, Sesshoumaru would protect the smaller youkai.

The only thing that worried Sango however was would the Taiyoukai show any restraint in dealing with the crazed Kagome.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, had managed to get the zipper all the way down and was slowly parting the red fabric, revealing the mauve sweater below. He could already see the chain for the fused jewel shards that Kagome wore trailing down into the neckline of the fuzzy fabric and with a quick glance once more to ensure that the girl was still unconscious; he very slowly brought his hand towards her neck and hooked the thin chain with a claw.

Checking her once more he very carefully brought the chain upward. Extremely slowly, he started moving the chain around looking for the small clasp that Kagome had first shown him when she first set the Jewel shard.

“Where the hell are you?” he muttered slightly under his breath.

“Squeak?”

Everyone stopped at the sound.

Ever so slowly, Inuyasha brought his head upward until golden eyes met small beady black ones.

Inuyasha gapped in shock.

Sango and Miroku stared in horror.

Sesshoumaru actually saluted the little vermin with his empty tea cup.

It wasn’t every day that a rat climbed onto the unconscious face of the crazy priestess.

The rat squeaked happily once more before moving forward and brought his jaw down around the thin silver chain in Inuyasha’s grasp.

“Kuufuku!” Inuyasha gasped as the animal dragged the jewel shards towards himself before vaulting off Kagome’s nose.

“What the-?” Miroku cried out as the rat darted between his legs and made a “rat” dive into his pile of pilfered robes.

“Quick, he’s got the shard!” Inuyasha cried out as he moved to the pile and started throwing robes every which way; the still tea soaked one artlessly landing on Sesshoumaru’s head.

The Taiyoukai pulled it off with some distaste and watched the three dig through the pile. “Again I ask, ‘what is the fascination with the stupid pink rock’?”

“Damn it, Sesshoumaru! Stop sitting there and frigging help us!” Inuyasha snapped as the pink robe nearly landed in the fire. “We can’t let him leave with it! Naraku still has his minions searching for it!”

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow before pointing towards the other side of the cave. “He went that-a-way.”

The three stopped and stared at where Sesshoumaru pointed towards his own little cot.

“And then he went that way,” he pointed towards the still unconscious Kagome, “before going that way,” now pointing towards the passage towards the storage cave.

“Damn, he’s going for the clubhouse!”

“The what?” Sango asked dazed as she followed Inuyasha’s sprint towards the tunnel.

“I’ll explain later, but you two will have to go in and get him!” Inuyasha said before snapping over his shoulder. “Kirara! You’re a Neko-Youkai, get the rat!”

Sesshoumaru watched the three disappear down the corridor before glancing back at the small twin tailed neko who let out a dainty yawn before slowly getting to her feet. Taking her time to stretch her front paws before stepping forwards and stretching her back, the small neko made her way over to the table, gracefully jumping onto the shinny surface.

Lapping up what remained of her mistress’s tea, the small youkai licked her chops before trotting over towards Sesshoumaru, dropping like a rock into his lap.

Sesshoumaru stared down at the now once again sleeping neko.

“Comfortable?” his voice dripped in sarcasm.

The blasted thing started purring.

“Sesshoumaru!” Inuyasha’s voice bellowed out of the tunnel. “Where the hell did he go?”

“How the hell should I know?” he called back irritably. “I just told you what I saw,” he clarified as Inuyasha emerged from the shadows.

“Danm, then he must have ducked out the small exit.”

Sesshoumaru bit back the urge to reply “well duh”. Instead occupied himself with stroking the small cat.

Sango’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she saw where exactly her familiar had settled and even Inuyasha glared at the creature.

‘Are we comfy?’ he asked angrily.

Kirara gave him a smug grin, ‘Jealous?’

Inuyasha gasped. ‘I am not!’ he countered zealously.

‘Someone protests too much,’ Kirara’s voice sang in Inuyasha’s head.

“What will we do?” Miroku’s voice interrupted any reply that Inuyasha may have had.

“I never expected a rat to take the shards,” Sango admitted.

“Kuufuku?” Inuyasha asked surprised. “Actually I’m not surprised at all.”

“Does this mean I finally get to do the rat in?” Sesshoumaru asked hopefully.

Inuyasha gave Sesshoumaru a rather considering look before the two children wandered into the cave.

“Hey Inuyasha! What was Kuufuku doing with this?” Shippo asked as he held up the small necklace.

Inuyasha crowed in triumph as he took the item from the small kitsune and Sesshoumaru visibly deflated.

“Damn.” He muttered as he glared at the rat in Rin’s arms, who for all Sesshoumaru could tell, was laughing hysterically at him in his rat like chuckle.

“New plan!” Sesshoumaru announced, his voice carrying over the small din of Inuyasha’s explanation to the two adults about the family’s “pet”.

The whole group turned to stare at Sesshoumaru with utter confusion in their eyes.

“Forget trying to defeat Naraku in even combat,” he announced as he righted the tea kettle and started searching through Inuyasha’s little boxes of leaves.

He looked up, his eyes actually shining with suppressed mirth. “We’ll just send the rat.”

Chapter Forty-Two: Two of a Kind


The group boggled as Sesshoumaru happily continued to make tea, actually whistling a little tune as he set the water to boil.

Miroku turned to Inuyasha. “That was unexpected.”

“Yeah, that happens a lot around here,” Inuyasha admitted as he moved back to the table, staring at Sesshoumaru uncertainty.

Shippo and Rin darted towards the table as well, Shippo shaking off the snow where most of it “accidentally” landed on Sesshoumaru.

The taiyoukai glared at the kit before he huffed and marched out of the cave.

Inuyasha watched him go, just a little bit alarmed by Sesshoumaru’s sudden attitude before he felt a tug on his sleeve.

“Inuyasha-sama,” Rin looked up at him. “What’s for lunch?”

Inuyasha blinked in surprise. “Lunch?” and he glanced once more out the cave door where Sesshoumaru was just returning, his one arm now at rest behind his back. “Oh no, has it really been that long?” he asked in surprise as he quickly jumped up and made his way towards the stores. “I’ll be right back.”

“Inuyasha,” Sango quickly made her way to his side. “would you care for some assistance?” she asked.

Inuyasha sagged in relief. “That actually would be great!”

“YIPE! COLD!”

They quickly looked back into the cave where Shippo was now dancing around the table trying to get the large clumps of snow from going down his shirt collar.

Miroku was staring at Sesshoumaru in unhidden surprise as the youkai regally sat back down in his seat and poured himself a fresh cup of tea.

Sango and Inuyasha both shrugged before moving into the passage, discussing what would be best for lunch for six people.

“Ooooo,” Shippo growled as he finally managed to rid himself of all the snow. “You know this means war!” the little kit growled.

“Hah!” Sesshoumaru scoffed. “I’ve been fighting in real wars before your parents even considered you existence!”

He leaned forward till his nose was nearly touching the small kit’s “Just try it.”

Shippo, unfortunately for Sesshoumaru, took that as the okay, and shoved some of the snow collected from his shoulders right into the youkai’s smirking visage.

Miroku quickly hid a snort of laughter with one hand as a small cluster of snow lazily slid off one elegantly soaked eyebrow to land over the youkai’s eye.

The growl that emanated from the youkai however quickly squashed any mirth from the monk and he reached for his own warding beads incase Sesshoumaru proved to be vengeful. He glanced quickly in the direction Inuyasha had gone and hoped that the hanyou would return quickly to quell the situation.

Shippo apparently had the same idea as he quickly scampered after Inuyasha’s wake and out of sight.

Sesshoumaru stopped his growling and was now simply wiping up the rapidly melting snow off his face as Rin played with the re-confiscated Kirara.

Miroku was at a loss.

The whole situation was completely surreal to him. Nothing at all what he would have expected of Sesshoumaru forced into a situation with Shippo and Inuyasha. He would have expected Sesshoumaru to be lording over all of them; making outlandish orders or some such nonsense.

In truth, the whole thing seemed… normal…

‘Bizarre,’ Miroku mused as he watched Sesshoumaru go back to his tea and continue to wipe the snow from his lap.

The youkai finished and Miroku found himself caught in an unwilling staring contest with the older man.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the fidgety monk before him as he took another sip of tea.

“So, you get hit in the head often?”

Miroku jumped at the sudden question. “Um, er, well actually… um-”

Sesshoumaru sighed, any hope for a somewhat civil conversation evaporating like the water on the floor as he poured another cup. “I’ll just take that as a yes, shall I?”
Miroku puffed out angrily but Inuyasha and Sango returned before he could reply.

“Hope everyone likes rabbit,” Inuyasha announced, ignoring the face that Shippo was pulling behind him. Obviously the little fox had voted against the rabbit but had been over-ruled.

“Oh, rabbit should be fine,” Miroku replied.

Sesshoumaru simply ignored everyone.

“Well I mind,” Shippo voiced angrily. “I hate rabbit.”

“I could always feed you a squirrel,” Inuyasha retorted.

“How ‘bout rat?” Sesshoumaru mused, eyeing the “Gray Fur Ball of Doom”- patent pending.

“Damn it Sesshoumaru, behave.” Inuyasha hissed.

“Why?” Sesshoumaru snapped back. “It’s not like we’re trying to impress foreigner dignitaries, not that you ever could,” he added absently. “They are, as you say, your friends and why the fuck should I care what your friends think of me?”

Inuyasha gave Sesshoumaru the evil look number four before turning back to Shippo, “looks like your saved kid, the squirrel is going to someone else.”

Shippo laughed outright and Inuyasha smirked triumphantly as Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the threat.

“I’m positively shaking in fear.”

“As well you should be,” Inuyasha returned. “Squirrel meat is really tough.”

“Should I take you as an expert on squirrel meat?” Sesshoumaru asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. “Eat what you can catch, and for some reason all I could ever catch as a kid was squirrels.”

Sesshoumaru tired not to let that information sink heavily into his chest instead responding with, “Should it be any wonder considering how extraordinarily stupid squirrels are?”

“Considering I was fishing? Yes, you should.”

Miroku blinked. “How did you catch squirrels if you were fishing?”

“Took me a while to figure out that I should use worms for fish, not acorns.”
Sesshoumaru neatly cuffed Inuyasha on the back of the head as the hanyou walked by. “Even you are not that stupid.”

“I was a kid!” Inuyasha protested.

Sesshoumaru snorted into his tea, no longer believing a word the came out of Inuyasha’s mouth as he spun a tail of ravenous squirrels attacking him for his acorns for the two children.

Sango and Miroku laughed merrily at the exuberated tale as they helped Inuyasha with the salted meat, Kirara and Kuufuku both subtly trying to sneak pieces of meat from the pan.

‘Oh Kami-Sama,’ Sesshoumaru suddenly realized, ‘this is actually feeling… homey…’

He looked around at all the other occupant in dawning horror.

‘Where the fuck is that lightning?’

Inuyasha noticed the stricken look on his brother’s face and gave him and inquisitive look.

Sesshoumaru simply shook his head as he took another swill of tea.

Inuyasha shrugged it off and helped Sango locate the few spices he kept for flavor.

Lunch was a quick affair. Gratefully one minus the squirrel meat thought Inuyasha threatened it a few more times.

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome a few times as he absently nibbled on his last slice of meat. “What are we to do with her?” he asked pointing in the girl’s direction.

Sango and Miroku both went silent as they too looked over at the girl.

“We can’t keep her at Kaede’s village any longer,” Sango finally spoke up. “Even the villagers were starting to become fearful.”

“Well she defiantly can’t stay here!” Inuyasha protested. “That’s why I left in the first place!”

“Couldn’t you just shove her down that well of hers?” Sesshoumaru asked as he snatched another piece of meat from Shippo’s plate when the kit wasn’t looking.

Inuyasha glared but said noting of the theft, instead answered his brothers question with a shake of his head.

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome a few times as he absently nibbled on his last slice of meat. “What are we to do with her?” he asked pointing in the girl’s direction.

Sango and Miroku both went silent as they too looked over at the girl.

“We can’t keep her at Kaede’s village any longer,” Sango finally spoke up. “Even the villagers were starting to become fearful.”

“Well she defiantly can’t stay here!” Inuyasha protested. “That’s why I left in the first place!”

“Couldn’t you just shove her down that well of hers?” Sesshoumaru asked as he snatched another piece of meat from Shippo’s plate when the kit wasn’t looking.

Inuyasha glared but said noting of the theft, instead answered his brothers question with a shake of his head.

“That wouldn’t be right either,” he explained. “We have to figure out what’s wrong with her. Her family should have to be burdened with this.”

“Why shouldn’t they?” Sesshoumaru argued. “They are, as you say, her family.”

Inuyasha sagged. “I know, but for some reason, I just feel responsible.”

“Oh that is the biggest load of bull I’ve ever heard.” Sesshoumaru exclaimed. “How is it your fault that her attitude in down the sewer?”

“He’s right,” Sango agreed. “None of this is your fault.”

“But what if it is?” Inuyasha burst out. “What if me pushing her so hard to find the jewel shards made her snap?”

Miroku and Sango looked at Inuyasha helplessly, neither knowing what to say.
“Just what was it that made the witch snap anyway?” Sesshoumaru asked finally. He received four shrugs and a small wine from the neko. He rolled his eyes. “Did any of you try to find out?”

Inuyasha stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“That undead preistestss of your’s, what does she have to say about it?”

“Kikyou? What about her?”

“She is the girls other half, is she not? Has she not noticed anything unfamiliar?

Inuyasha shook his head, his eyes widening in realization. “We haven’t seen Kikyou for a few months now.”

“Well what about all of father’s retainers that for some reason or another seem to like you best?” Sesshoumaru asked. “That flea creature and the others. What do they have to say about the situation?”

Inuyasha blinked. “um…”

Sesshoumaru actually slouched back in astonishment. “You didn’t ask?”

“Well, what would they know about it?”

Sesshoumaru looked around the little table in growing disbelief. “I thought you never brought it up because it had been dismissed.” He muttered absently. “Did none of you think that maybe she’s possessed under a spell cast by Naraku?”

The other adults stared at him blankly.

Sesshoumaru threw down his piece of bunny bone and cupped his forehead into his palm, “I’m surrounded by idiots,” he muttered. “Did none of you think to take her to a real healer? Not those so-called human healers but a spiritual one?”

Three shakes of the head confirmed his suspicion.

“Well then, there you are. The first order of business,” he announced as he once again picked up his lunch and started eating again.

Inuyasha and the others shared a look.

“And just where are we suppose to find a ‘spiritual healer’?” he asked sarcastically.

Sesshoumaru glared. “You seem to make friends where ever you go,” was his snide reply. “I’m sure one of the other demon tribes has a youki healer among them, it’s not the same as a ningen’s reiki but close enough for what you want to find out.”

He reached for his tea to clear out his throat. “What of that Ookami tribesman? Koma?”

“Kouga,” Inuyasha corrected.

“What about him?”

Inuyasha sat back with a huff and crossed his arms. “Never in a million years will I ask for that wolfs help,” he announced.

Sesshoumaru shrugged. “Then I’m fresh out of ideas.”

He returned to the remains of his meal so it took Sesshoumaru a few moment to realize that an utter calmness have enveloped the cave. Not wanting to look up, Sesshoumaru slowly took a deep breath and glanced up ward.

The entire table was staring at him.

“Nani?”

“The western palace has healers…” Inuyasha started slowly.

“Oh hell no!” Sesshoumaru protested, but anything else he was about to say was drowned out but the high pitched scream.

“Inuyasha!”

The hanyou whirled around to find Kagome standing like an angel of hell, glaring daggers at him as she advanced. Sesshoumaru quickly leaping over the table to stand in front of Inuyasha before anyone else could so much as gasp at Kagome’s recovery.

“How dare you hit me!” Kagome continued completely ignoring Sesshoumaru’s presence. “You will pay for disobeying me! Once I replace the beads you will spend the rest of your life in the dirt do you hear me? Do You HEAR me?”

Sesshoumaru Started to withdraw toukujin when Suddenly, Kagome went completely silent, her mouth an “O” of surprise as her eyes suddenly rolled backwards and she once more slumped to the ground.

The group stared in disbelief at the once again comatose Kagome laid prostrate at their feet before slowly looking upward at the strange man who was causally throwing a rock up and catching it one handed, a smug look on his face.

“Man,” the stranger smirked at the shocked groups, “and I thought I had fucked up friends.”

~TBC

The End of The Challenge
OKAY PEOPLE! LAST CHANCE! WHO IS THIS PERSON? If any one can figure out who this new character is gets a cookie and a short Kuufuku tortures Sesshoumaru side story dedicated to them!

Japanese Index:
Arigato (gozaimasu)-Thank you
Baka-Idiot/stupid
hakaisou (n) depraved; sinful priest aka Sanzo ((as defined on “Jeffrey's Jap-English Dictionary Server” http://linear.mv.com/cgi-bin/j-e/dict))
Hanyou-Half Demon
Hakuchoo-Swan
Inu-Dog
Kitsune-Fox
Kisama-Bastard (roughly)
Koinu-Puppy
Kumo-Spider
Miko-Priestess
Nani?- What?
Neko-Cat
Ningen-Human
Otouto-Younger brother
Ookami-Wolf
Osuwari-Sit
Shika-Deer
Taisho- General
Tokage-Lizard
Youkai-Demon
Youko- Fox Demon (Think Kurama in Yu Yu Hakusho.)
Youki-Demon Spirit