How the Mighty...

How the Mighty…

How? That is all this Sesshoumaru wishes to know. The day started out so well, and then I opened my eyes. It is not easy for one such as myself to wake up and the first thing to grace my vision is that pathetic excuse for my honorable father’s son, Inuyasha. Not only does he have the gall to approach my person, but to lean over me in such a manner… when did he get so tall?

“You’re a fucking ugly kitty, aren’t you?” Excuse me? Inuyasha lifted the small white kitten from the box by the scruff of his neck, studying it with a scowl.

You will put this Sesshoumaru down, now. Then you will get on your knees and beg my forgiveness.

“Are you sure this one was the only one they had, Miroku?” Inuyasha griped. A dark-haired man sitting on the couch nearby huffed.

“Yes, Inuyasha, I’m sure. And might I remind you that if you had been more prompt in your search for Kagome’s birthday present, you would have had more say in the kitten that was chosen. As it is, you have half an hour to get to Kagome’s home.”

“Keh, but then I’d have to take care of the little fuzz ball.” Dokkasou! “God dammit, you little monster! You scratched me!” Inuyasha dropped the kitten back into the box and nursed the four small scratches on his hand. Die a slow painful death from my poison claws, hanyou. Monk, you will explain these happenings to this Sesshoumaru or suffer the same fate.

“Well, he probably did not appreciate being swung around like that,” Miroku provided.

“Yeah, well if he snags my favorite sweater, I’ll skin his ugly little hide.”

“And he’s not ugly.” Miroku sighed, standing up and retrieving the kitten from the box. Unlike Inuyasha, he cradled the kitten gently in his arms, stroking his head. Put this Sesshoumaru down, now. I do not recall giving you permission to touch my person. “He’s a Persian.”

“He looks like some one punched him in the face!” Inuyasha huffed. “I don’t want to give Kagome a broken cat.”

“Trust me; he’s supposed to look like that. Now, if you don’t get going you’re going to be late.” Miroku placed the kitten in the box and handed the whole thing to Inuyasha.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Catch ya later, Miroku. Come on, you stupid cat.” Inuyasha walked out to his car, waving good-bye to his friend over his shoulder. Opening the passenger’s side door, he placed the box on the seat of the red Accord, ignoring the glare the kitten sent him. He walked around and got into the driver’s side.

I do not know how you have managed to capture this Sesshoumaru, but when I am freed, you will regret this transgression. Standing up to his full height and placing his hands on the edge of his prison for support, as the ground kept shifting unevenly beneath him, Sesshoumaru peered out. His eyes widened, but only a fraction. It was not the fact that there was another prison beyond the one that held him or the fact that some of said prison’s walls were transparent, nor the fact that they seemed to be moving at a speed his worthless half-breed brother was not capable of. What shocked him, shook him to the very core, was a small reflective piece beyond the second prison.

In it he could see himself – or at least the creature in it that copied his every move – but not as he remembered looking. His whole body was covered in long, soft white fur and his elegant visage had been squished and flattened. His perfect golden eyes were now far too large and round for his head. But the insult of insults, were the two white, triangle ears adorning the top of his sickeningly cute head.

Hanyou, what have you done to this Sesshoumaru! What black magic is this?!  Spinning around, he roared his battle cry at his brother… only his ‘battle cry’ came out as more of a ‘mew.’

“Shut up, we’ll be there soon,” Inuyasha groused back. Sesshoumaru growled, as best as a small kitten could growl. “Look, I don’t fucking like you either. But you’re not staying with me. You’re a gift to my girlfriend. She’ll see to it you live a long, happy life where you get fat and lazy.” You seek to make this Sesshoumaru a pet to your wench?! “And while you’re at it, you’ll get me big bonus points with Kagome. So it works out well for everyone involved.” You will pay dearly for this insolence, hanyou, mark my words.

The ground lurched and Sesshoumaru’s cardboard prison slid forward. With an involuntary, and very undignified, squeak, the demon lord went with it. The quick hand of his brother, however, steadied it. Sesshoumaru scowled up at his brother from his upside down position in the box.

“Good job, graceful.” Before Sesshoumaru could right himself, he was once again hoisted into the air, prison and all. He tried to stand up to see over the edge – it would not do for him to be taken by surprise in his… compromised state – but every attempt he made was thwarted by his brother pushing him back down. When he attempted to scratch the insolent whelp, he got thumped on the nose. “No scratching! Bad!”

Inuyasha walked up to the front door and knocked. A moment later it swung open to reveal a lively woman. Mrs. Higurashi wore a white apron, crisp yellow shirt and a light blue skirt. Her clothes were dusted with flour and he could smell cookies baking in the kitchen. The young hanyou smiled at her.

“Ahh, Inuyasha, you must be here to see Kagome.”

“Yes, I am. I brought her birthday present.” He lifted the box for her to see.

“Awww! Aren’t you a cutie pie?” Sesshoumaru thought he might be sick as he was lifted high, spun around, and finally cradled like an infant. “Yes, you are! Yes, you are! Oh, you’re a feisty boy!” Damn you, woman! Put me down! Mrs. Higurashi began to scratch his stomach as she made baby-talk and cooing noises. Sesshoumaru retaliated by scratching and biting at her hand… only to find he could not even break the skin. “I’ll have to get you lots of little playthings.” Sesshoumaru was almost grateful when the infuriating woman returned him to his brother’s cardboard prison… almost. “Kagome’s up in her room. We’ll be having dinner in a few hours and cake afterwards, you’re more than welcome to stay.”

“Thank you,” Inuyasha answered as he slipped off his shoes and hurried up the stairs, annoyed kitten in tow. When he reached Kagome’s door he stopped. He ran his hand through his hair, to make sure it was not mussed too badly, and lifted Sesshoumaru out of the box. “Ok, fur ball, make with the cute.” He tucked the cat into his arms as he had seen Miroku do, and knocked.

“Come in.” Inuyasha pushed the door open and poked his head in.

“Hey, Kag. Happy Birthday!” Kagome was lying on her stomach in bed, her feet kicking slowly in the air above her. A magazine lay open in front of her. At the sound of his voice she turned and smiled.

“Inuyasha, you remembered!”

“Feh! Of course I remembered. And I got you a present.” He watched her eyes light up as she hopped off the bed.

“Oh, Yasha, you didn’t have to do that.” He gave her a withering look before turning it into his best smile; he stepped into the room. Sesshoumaru sat in his arms, scowl firmly planted on his face. Kagome squealed. “Oh, Inuyasha, he’s soooooo cute!”

Touch me and die. But the demon lord’s threat came out again as a tiny ‘mew.’ Kagome squealed in delight and he found himself held high over her head. Sesshoumaru gave her his best glower. His opinion of the worthless wench went up a notch when she stopped her insistent noise making and lowered him to eye level. Good. Now put me down and undo this black magic.

“His ears…” Kagome breathed, “They are… just like yours!” Sesshoumaru’s hopes crumbled. Damnable mortal! Do not compare me to that mongrel! Release me!

“Hey!” Inuyasha twitched his ears.

“Aww, but you’re still number one,” Kagome soothed, taking a step closer to him. She tucked her new kitten into one arm while reaching up to scratch one of Inuyasha’s ears.

“I’m glad you like him. I spent weeks looking for just the right one for you.” Inuyasha smiled, before lowering his mouth to hers in a gentle kiss. This open display of affection disgusts this Sesshoumaru. With a quick wiggle, he managed to gain his freedom. Had he been any less of a demon, he would have snorted at his brother’s mating display. At the least it would give him time to escape their presence.

Slinking out of the still open door, Sesshoumaru made his way into the hallway. Passing the cardboard prison, he only gave it a fleeting glower before making his way to the edge of the landing. The cliff was lined with widely spread, wooden bars. Do these pathetic humans think they can contain this Sesshoumaru with such primitive methods? He slipped easily between the bars and looked down. The distance to the ground was only a trifle, a mere inconvenience to him.

“Kitty! No!” The next moment, Sesshoumaru found himself swept up in his brother’s female’s arms. “You can’t jump from there! You could have hurt yourself!” He scowled as she cradled and coddled him. Damn you, human! Do you really think me as weak as you? But his protests went unheard, or they only came out as a pitiful ‘mew,’ being that the infantile position was crushing his lungs. “Oh, I bet you’re hungry.” Before he could protest, not that he thought she would listen (or understand for that matter), the infernal wench was carting him off down the stairs. At the top of the stairs Inuyasha scowled at him.

He was set on the cold tile floor of what he could only guess was a kitchen; though it was unlike and kitchen he had ever seen. There was no fire pit, nor any cooking utensils he knew. The walls were lined with large wooden ‘chests’ and metal panels.

Sesshoumaru chose to ignore all the strange devices in favor of keeping an eye on the girl. When she pulled a small container out of the ‘chests’ and opened it, he wrinkled his nose. The contents smelled horrific. She upturned the container into a bowl and used a spoon to break up the stuff before setting it on the floor at his feet.

“There you go cutie. Eat up.” She beamed at him. Sesshoumaru looked down, and for the first time in his proud life felt the urge to vomit. In retrospect, it would have been an excellent way to express his opinion. The ‘meal’ she proposed for him to eat looked like the inside of a dead ogre, chopped and warmed over. You can not be serious, woman.He glared at her.

The effect was ruined, however, when he was knocked over by something large, furry, and multicolored. Growling, he jumped back to his feet to see a mammoth among cats eating out of his bowl. The fact that he did not want, in fact would rather die than ingest that slop, was of no consequence. It was his and no one, man, demon, or otherwise was going to take possession of it without his consent.

You- snooze- you- lose.The hulking fur ball snorted between bites.

“Buyo! That’s mean!” Kagome scooped up the larger cat even as he protested and squirmed. “That food is for the kitten. Eat your own food.” She shifted the brute in her arms and used her foot to push the bowl back in front of him. With an indignant snort, he turned up his nose and walked away. “I guess he wasn’t hungry,” Kagome mused and set Buyo down to finish the food.

“Now you know why I like dogs,” Inuyasha snorted from the doorway.

“And that has nothing to do with your heritage.”

“Feh!” Inuyasha huffed. “So, what are you going to call him?” Kagome looked over at Sesshoumaru, who had stalked off towards the living room.

“I don’t know.” She frowned. “He’s all white and fuzzy, so… maybe Fluffy.” Sesshoumaru frowned. Kagome made a face. “But that just doesn’t seem right…” She put her finger to the side of her mouth. After a moment her face lit up. “I know!” She rushed over and picked Sesshoumaru up, holding him high over her head. “I’ll call you Mr. Fuzzums!” For all his grace and narcissism, Sesshoumaru had no response to that statement. Inuyasha snorted. She gave Sesshoumaru a crushing hug before setting him back on the ground, giving him a little push towards the living room. “Ok, Mr. Fuzzums, go play with Buyo. You two play nice.”

I will rip out your eyes and feed them to Jaken. Sesshoumaru turned pointedly and walked in another direction. If he could not speak to the wench, or render her into a puddle of boiling flesh, he could at least not do anything she said. Until he could regain his true body, defiance was all he had.

He found himself in a small room off to the side, filled with boxes, old books, and dust. The distinct scents of youkai and magical ingredients perfumed the room, but they were all old and unused. Sesshoumaru frowned, not liking the room in the least, as it added to his suspicions about his… circumstance. But he could think of nowhere else to go to escape that infernal woman. Finding a, relatively, clean spot hidden behind some boxes, Sesshoumaru sat down and began to mull over his situation.

So, Mr. Fuzzums, is it? Sesshoumaru looked up and scowled at the intruder, the larger cat from earlier. And I thought Buyo was bad. Buyo sat down, his excess poundage spilling onto the floor. Sesshoumaru sneered in disgust.

What do you want of this Sesshoumaru? The cat looked up at him from cleaning his paw. He looked surprised, as much as his feline features would allow.

Well, someone thinks very highly of himself. Look, kitten, I’m the cat in charge in this house. So like it or else. Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed.

Do you presume to threaten me? I am Lord Sesshoumaru of the western lands. I have rendered things that would leave you shivering in your skin to nothing more than puddles of flesh. If you wish to remain as you are, you will leave my presence this instant. Buyo stared at for a long moment before bursting into what could only be feline laughter. The pudgy body rolled on the ground as he curled his paws against his chest.

Oh, kitten! You’re a riot! He managed between laughs. Next you’re going to tell me you’re really a bird.

Do not be absurd. This Sesshoumaru is an inu taiyoukai. If possible Buyo laughed harder.

Oh, gods! Stop! Stop! I can’t breathe! Sesshoumaru glowered menacingly at his larger companion.

It is the truth. My worthless hanyou brother and his wench have conspired to trap me in this… body. I must find out how it was done, then undoing it will be a trifle. You shall assist me in this matter, and if you disobey me, I will kill you. Buyo made no response because it looked like he could no longer breathe. He lay flat on his back making coughing and laughing noises. After several minutes, the obese cat got control of himself.

Oh, kitten, you are a hoot. Just try to stay out from underfoot and you’ll do fine. He picked himself up off the floor with much effort and began to walk out of the room. Oh, and, kitten. Keep clear of that dog hanyou the younger human girl is always bringing around. He’s not fond of cats and will make you ‘dance.’ Then he was gone, slipping around the corner with a flip of his tail.

When I am free of this body, this Sesshoumaru will kill you as well.

He was not sure how long he sat behind that box, his mind wandering around and sorting through all the things he could remember before he woke up as… this. The last thing he remembered was that bastard Naraku appearing in his lands and using some new miasma. It had been chokingly thick and left him feeling light headed and dizzy.

To make matters worse, when all hope seemed lost and he was about to be felled by the lower demon, none other then his brother had appeared. The hanyou had had some strange mask over his nose and mouth, preventing the miasma from reaching his lungs… or maybe he had imagined that.

After that everything was a blur. His brother and the wench had been talking about… something, after Naraku had fled. Then the girl had started a fire and began making something in her strange metal pot. The wench had given some of the strange food to Rin. His ward had eaten some before offering him the rest. In that moment he decided he must have been delirious, because he had given in and eaten the noodle dish.

Sesshoumaru’s eyes snapped open and a growl passed between his lips. That food! The wench must have slipped something into it that caused this disembodiment. He paused. No, Rin had eaten the food and had suffered no ill effects. Besides, as worthless as his brother was, he would never hurt a child, human or demon. Also, Inuyasha and that wench of his were eating that slop as well.

His brow furrowed slightly as he remembered what his mother had told him when he was still a whelp.

“Human foods are strange things, Sesshoumaru. They like it cooked in strange herbs so it’s a wonder they don’t poison themselves. You must never partake of these. They can hide ill-meaning in the broth that would go undetected until it is too late. Remember this, and you will grow strong.”

Is this what my honorable mother spoke of? He bit down a growl of frustration at having forgotten his mother’s lesson. After a moment, he let it go. He had no one to blame but himself. Besides, brooding was something his brother would do and he was above such acts.

“Mr. Fuzzums! Here kitty, kitty, kitty.” Not on your life, wench! Unfortunately, he forgot that his threats came out as tiny ‘mews.’ He cursed himself as the girl came around the corner, a bright smile on her face. “Fuzzums, what are you doing in here?” Kagome scooped the protesting kitten into her arms. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” She cooed, stroking his head in a calming manner, “But jii-chan will be really upset if he finds you in here. I don’t want to have to pull those sticky wards out of your fur.”

Kagome left the room, closing the door behind her. Sesshoumaru flopped against her shoulder in mock defeat. Perhaps if she thought she had won, she would stop carting him around like he was an invalid. How wrong he was. The next moment he was placed into his brother’s arms.

“Inuyasha, will you watch Fuzzums while I go shut off all the rooms he shouldn’t be in?” It was not really a question, because she walked out of the room without waiting for his answer.

“So, Fuzzbutt, how’s life?”

Miserable, you worthless waste of flesh. “Mew.”

“That’s too bad.” Sesshoumaru looked up in surprise. Do you understand this Sesshoumaru? Inuyasha looked down at him and grinned. There was something about that smile that did not bode well. “You know what always makes me feel better? Dancing!”

Before Sesshoumaru could escape, his brother had snatched him by his front paws and stood him upright. Inuyasha chuckled to himself as he moved the kitten back and forth in a bizarre Kitty Conga. Sesshoumaru hissed and growled his displeasure, twisting and trying to sink his teeth and claws into his brother’s flesh. Sesshoumaru’s back feet barely touched his brother’s legs.

This Sesshoumaru is not your plaything! Release me this instant! Sharp claws finally found flesh.

“Shit!” Inuyasha shook him off easily, sending his little kitten body tumbling across the ground. “You stupid little monster!”

“What’s all the noise in here?” Grandpa Higurashi stuck his head into the living room. “Oh, it’s you, demon.” Sesshoumaru’s ear perked up. Thank the gods! You, priest, will return this Sesshoumaru to his true state and I shall spare your life when I smite all those responsible for this humiliation.

“Yeah, I’m here, Jiiji. Kagome’s my girlfriend and it’s her birthday, remember?” Inuyasha snapped back. The old man’s eyes narrowed.

“If you really cared for her, which I doubt, you would remove your evil spell from her.” Inuyasha jumped to his feet and growled. Sesshoumaru felt his short-lived hopes fall by the wayside. For all his brother’s crude, uncouth behavior, he had the blood of a dog demon running in his veins. He would be loyal to a fault when it came to his chosen mate. The priest was as good as dead.

“Look here, you doddering old fool, I’m not going anywhere, and if you were anyone else besides Kagome’s grandfather, I’d slit your throat for even suggesting it.” The old man did not say anything right away and Sesshoumaru waited.

“Demon begone!” The ward stuck to Inuyasha’s forehead and Sesshoumaru could not help but smirk, fully prepared to enjoy his brother’s suffering. But Inuyasha only gave an annoyed huff and pulled the would be ward off, ripping it into tiny little pieces right in front of the priest’s face. Sesshoumaru scowled, his hopes of returning to himself plummeting again. If this priest did not have the power to banish a measly half-demon, there was no hope of returning him to his true form.

Fool. “Mew.” Both men looked down at the forgotten third party. Sesshoumaru looked back in annoyance.

“Oh great, now you are attracting strays as well,” The old man huffed.

“He’s not a fucking stray. He’s a purebred Persian and Kagome’s birthday present.” The older man’s eyes narrowed. Before Sesshoumaru could react, due entirely to the sluggish body he currently inhabited, he had a ward stuck right between his eyes. The demon-turned-kitten growled his displeasure, and earned himself three more paper decorations. He swatted at the offending hands, but the first ward covered his eyes and prevented him from seeing properly. Over head he could hear his brother laughing at his failing attempts.

“So, you thought to entrap my precious granddaughter with your hell spawn beast, did you? Well, too bad, demon. My ofuda will keep your evil intentions away.” Sesshoumaru growled again as he found his new body was ill adapted to removing the irritating bits of paper from his person. There was a pause in the argument and his less-than-demon hearing picked up the sound of light footsteps coming his way. Suddenly, he was swept up into what felt and smelled like his brother’s arms and held protectively against a toned chest.

“How could you?” Inuyasha asked, his voice aghast. “He’s just a little kitten.” The ward over Sesshoumaru’s eyes was gently peeled away. Regaining his sight, Sesshoumaru turned his attention to the offending priest. This Sesshoumaru has changed his mind. You will die first. “It’s okay, Mr. Fuzzums, I won’t let that mean old man stick any more of his useless ofudas on you,” His brother soothed.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, trying to guess what his brother was playing at. Then his wench came around the corner. Sesshoumaru sneered. You will pay dearly for using me in your mating display, little brother. And don’t call me Fuzzums.

“Jii-chan, what did you do to my kitten?” Kagome dashed across the room and took her new kitten from Inuyasha’s arms. Carefully she pulled the rest of the wards off. Sesshoumaru allowed it only because he could not remove the annoying bits of paper himself. However, when the irritating wench hugged him, he sank his teeth and claws into her arm. Kagome yelped and put him down. “Look what you did, Jii-chan, the poor thing is traumatized!”

It will take much more than a foolish priest, a worthless hanyou, and a wench like you to ‘traumatize’ this Sesshoumaru. With a final hiss and flick of his tail, he stormed out. Had he hoped to escape to some far corner of the house to mull over his problem, he was sadly mistaken. Buyo came lumbering around the corner and plopped down right in the middle of his path. The overweight feline gave him no more than a passing glance as he began to clean his paws. Move.

Buyo looked up from his task and raised a catty eyebrow. Make me, Fuzzums. Sesshoumaru growled. He could proudly say that, unlike his brother, he had always maintained his cool under pressure. But even a powerful demon lord has his limits. With a battle cry that sounded far less fierce than he would have liked, he attacked.

Buyo rolled back with a yowl as the smaller cat leapt for his throat, claws extended. Sesshoumaru was relieved to find that, despite his disembodiment, his fighting skills had not suffered in the slightest. It was incredibly satisfying to feel his claws sink into soft flesh and to hear the pained cry of his foe. Like many large oni, this cat’s great weight would be his downfall.

The fat cat rolled heavily onto his back, taking Sesshoumaru with him, and gave an angry hiss. His hind legs came up and claws dulled from lack of use dug into Sesshoumaru’s tender belly. The smaller cat roared and sprang back. The infernal ears flattened against his skull and his back arched of its own volition. Buyo crouched low and gave a deep growl. For a moment they watched each other, tails flicking back and forth.

Buyo lunged. Sesshoumaru leapt straight into the air. The larger cat rolled easily onto his back mid-lunge and grabbed Sesshoumaru by the leg. The demon-turned-kitten twisted in midair, pulling out of the light grasp before the claws could sink in. He landed lightly and sprang.

His aim was perfect, but his luck was not. A clawed hand grabbed him out of the air and he found himself looking into his brother’s annoyed gold eyes.

“No fighting. Bad kitten.” Sesshoumaru growled as he got his nose lightly bopped again. “And don’t growl at me either.” Fuzzums got in trouble, Fuzzums got in trouble. Buyo chanted from the girl’s arms as she checked him over for injuries. The larger cat let out the most pitiful mew, letting himself go limp in Kagome’s arms.

“Oh, poor Buyo!” Kagome cooed as she stroked the fat cat’s head, “Fuzzums, look what you did!” Beat that, kitten! Sesshoumaru hissed his displeasure. With a quick twist, he turned in his brother’s grasp and sank his tiny teeth into the flesh of his hand. Inuyasha yelped and dropped him immediately.

Sesshoumaru hit the ground on all fours and, with all the dignity he possessed, walked out of the room.

“Stupid cat,” Inuyasha groused. Kagome placed Buyo back on the ground after determining that he had no serious injuries.

“He’s a cat, Inuyasha, they’re like that. He probably didn’t like the way you were holding him.”

“Stupid cat,” Inuyasha repeated, putting his wounded hand in his mouth.

Sesshoumaru found himself in another room off to the side. This one was very small and filled with clothes and dust. The clothes look stuffy and many were covered in a strange thin material. It seems as good a place as any to resume his plans to escape this curse that had been placed on him.

Hours passed, though to the patient demon sitting in the dark corner with his own thoughts, it seemed like only minutes. Smells of dinner wafted past him and still he did not move. Kagome called for him, and even walked past his hiding place several times, but still he did not move. His brother’s scent faded from the home, yet Sesshoumaru remained where he was. When the sounds of night slipped into the house, only an ear flicked.

But for all his thinking, he found no solution to his situation. The thought that he might be stuck in this weak, feline body for the rest of a mortal life began to sink in. It made him sick. If his enemies could see him now, they would probably allow him to suffer as he was for their own amusement rather than kill him. Frankly, he would rather die.

“There you are.” Kagome’s voice broke into his thoughts and the flood of light from above blinded him. He blinked rapidly, too distracted to realize just how undignified it was. “Is this where you’ve been hiding all this time? I bet you were napping. It’s been a big day for such a small kitten.” For the love of the gods, put me down. Despite appearances, I am not your pet.

But it was all he could muster to make the vocal protest as the woman carted him off up the stairs. It struck him odd just how tired he felt. As a demon, he could easily live on a single meal a day and sleep only a few hours each night. But this young body was begging for food and rest. He could remember Rin always asking to stop so she could eat or sleep. Was this how she felt? How could she stand it? Could she survive without him there to protect her?

He vaguely noticed when Kagome shut the door to her room, sealing them inside. She set him gently on the bed. Sesshoumaru forced his eyes open, not willing to take his gaze off the wench. A moment later, she started stripping off her clothes.

Sesshoumaru snapped his eyes shut, the very idea of seeing his brother’s woman naked made his stomach turn. I had no idea my brother was into loose women  as well. Though I guess a half-breed must take what he can get. When the sound of clothes wrapping themselves around flesh reached his ears, he opened his eyes again.

“Alright, Fuzzums, I’m all ready for bed.” She picked him up again, holding him over her head and smiling up at him. “And you, mister man, can sleep right here next to me.” He glowered at her.

Woman, I would sooner turn over all my lands and power to my worthless brother and make a living licking the jelly from between Naraku’s toes then share a bed with you.“Mew.”

“That’s my cute little Fuzzums.” Kagome slipped into bed and tucked the little kitten next to her breast. Sesshoumaru squirmed and darted away. “Aww, Fuzzums, don’t you want to sleep with me in this nice warm bed.” No. He found a dark corner of the room and glared at her. Kagome shrugged and rolled over in bed.

Sesshoumaru continued to glare long after her breathing had slowed in sleep. It would be so easy to walk up and slit her throat. Yet even in his tiny mortal body, the demon could not bring himself to slay a sleeping girl. Humans were defenseless enough when awake; slaughtering one while asleep was dishonorable.

That, and the fact that his body was too tired to move.

The demon lord kept watch on the girl, even as his eyes slid closed of their own volition. Sleep finally passed over him in a crushing wave, pulling his small body with it. He could not remember a time he had slept so deeply.

&&&

Sunlight turned the inside of Sesshoumaru’s eyelids red, but he refused to open them. He felt wonderfully rested and was not eager to greet another day like his last. He took a deep breath to assess the world around him. The first ‘delightful’ scent to grace his nose was that of his brother and that wench. Any hope that remained died a swift death.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, you bastard, open your goddamned eyes so we can leave. I’m so fucking sick of babysitting your ass.” The demon lord’s eyes flew open. Inuyasha stood a few feet away with his wench half hidden behind him. His arms were tucked deep into his billowing red sleeves and a sour expression was plastered across his face. The two stood silhouetted against the sun rising over the Western Lands.

“Sesshoumaru-sama!” Rin cheered and jumped onto his chest, giving him a hug. He did not return the gesture, but made no attempt to remove the girl either.

“My Lord! You have awakened!” Jaken bowed deeply next to him, tears forming in his eyes. Sesshoumaru stood slowly, carefully placing Rin on the ground as he did, and taking in his brother. Inuyasha’s hand had gone to his sword, ready to fight if it became necessary.

“Rin, Jaken, we are leaving now.” He turned his back on his brother and strode gracefully into the forest. The human girl laughed and ran after him while the toad scrambled to catch up.

“Don’t say thank you or anything, you bastard!” Inuyasha screamed after him. The half-demon huffed when no reply was forthcoming.

“I bet he’s thankful in his own way,” Kagome soothed.

“He’s a jackass,” Inuyasha countered. “Come on, Kagome, we have shards to find before you have to go home for this ‘birth day party’ thing of yours.”