Disclaimer: I do own, nor did I create, the magnificent Inu-Yasha or 
Ranma 1/2. Please do not sue lil’ ol’ me. *cute kitty-eyes*

Sesshoumaru’s Imouto-chan, part 7

*Sesshoumaru paces, yes, paces, along his tree branch.  Inu-Yasha’s been 
gone for several days now... Usually, that would serve to please 
Sesshoumaru, but he worries that his father’s spirit harbors yet anger 
over his mistreatment of his brother.  An angry spirit...  He chuckles 
with false humor to himself* (Imagine... the mighty Sesshoumaru, afraid of 
a spirit!  But... I am the ~only~ one aware of the danger... A restless 
Taiyoukai bodes only disaster.  Not even another taiyoukai could 
withstand such...  Why did Otousan have to ~die~?  It just makes no 
sense... and all for that pathetic human of his...  It’s all Inu-Yasha’s 
fault, for distracting him.)

*Flashback*

*An infant Inu-Yasha, at that toddling age when any second not watched will 
result in inevitable exploration of the most dangerous surroundings, 
rides on his father’s shoulders.  His father, a handsome, mostly human-
looking youkai, with hair blindingly white and tail so silver one almost has to 
look away, laughs heartily as he races with a much younger, teenage 
Sesshoumaru across a green field.  Though their speed surpasses 
anything mortal, neither father nor son stretches his limits.  Inu-Yasha 
laughs and entwines his little hands into his father’s hair.  Ahead of 
them, a mortal woman sits on a broad picnic blanket, removing food from a 
carrying-basket.  Her long, silken kimomo prevents her from romping with 
her family, but her heart still plays with them, as she watches.  Although 
even now she still has not won the heart of the reticent Sesshoumaru, she 
has at least made peace with him, and helped him finally dry his tears for 
his real mother.  From young Sess’s view, as he pauses in his play to return 
her gaze, she seems content to comfort him, to wait until his heart heals, 
before forcing her way in.  Although his own mother has been dead several 
years now, he still misses her terribly.  The woman sees his gaze, and waves 
gently to him, smiling.  He nods respectfully, if without warmth, and starts to 
look away, when he spots movement behind her.  His eyes widen, and he 
shouts.*

*Time moves at half the normal rate for an eternal minute, as his father also 
notices the danger and touches into his youkai superspeed, racing 
across the meadow to cleave the attacker with his trademark fang, and 
therefore protect his mate.  Sesshoumaru, with a youngster’s belief that his 
idolized father can never be defeated, watches with something akin to 
interest, but closer to idle curiosity.  His stepmother, a mere human woman, 
tries to flee, but trips over her own skirts, much to Sess’s amusement.*

Young Sess: (Why does she worry so?  Otousan will defeat the idiot.  Then again, 
humans are ~so~ weak.  I guess it’s just habit.)  *a little sound giggles next 
to his knee, and he turns to see little Inu-Yasha also watching the adults, 
with absolute no clue of what is happening.*

Inu-chan: Mama fell!  *giggles again*

Sess: *rolls his eyes* You have no idea what they’re doing, are you?  I guess 
‘tousan put you down here for me to watch you... *sighs at the “unfair” 
amount of work heaped onto his shoulders*  Baby-sitting again... *grabs 
his younger brother’s hand to prevent Inu-chan from toddling off*  Come on. 
Maybe we’ll be able to actually see what baka would attack us.  I think 
‘tousan’s playing with him.

Inu-chan: Play? Game? *curiously regards his elder half-sib, and allows himself to 
be pulled along toward the scene in front of them.  And surely, the boys’ 
father seems to be taking longer than usual to dispose of this new menace... 
the attacker, a quickly-moving blur that vaguely resembles a human, leaps 
over the taiyoukai’s sword time and time again.  Several times, it dives 
towards the human woman who tries to edge away, and tinny laughter 
sounds along with her shrieks.  But never does it reach her.  Sess arrives 
within good viewing distance, and stops*

Sess: *to Inu-chan* We’re stopping here.  Sit, okay?  *Inu-chan ignores him and 
tries to keep going forward* No... No, stay ~here~, Inu-Yasha!  Hey, get 
back here! ... No, ~sit~!  ... Yes, that’s better.  *Finally, Inu-chan gets the 
hint and stays seated beside Sess, who rolls his eyes at the antics of infants, 
then seats himself on the grass.  Inu-chan, of course, immediately looks like 
he wants to walk away again, but Sess, driven to bribery, takes a ball out of 
his shirt, where he has (for just this sort of purpose) conveniently hidden it.  
Inu-chan crows with delight and starts playing with it, to Sess’ relief.  He 
turns to watch his father finish “playing” with the odd attacker.  But, to his, 
shock, his father throws away his sword and transforms into his battle form!  
His mate grabs the Tetsusaiga, since it was to her that his father threw it, 
and clutches the hilt to her chest.  The nimble antagonist also transforms, 
shedding human-like form for something that makes a flaming dragon seem 
benevolent.  Then again, from Sess’s experience, a few flaming dragons 
~were~ kind-hearted... While this thing, obviously, wasn’t.  For while his 
own father towered over Sess by several meters, this strange attacker was 
half again the taiyoukai’s size.  Instead of four feet, he had two and a set of 
wings; instead of fangs, he had a beak and clawed wingtips; instead of a 
furred tail, he had scaled one.  Sess begins feeling truly frightened, for the 
first time.  The bird-creature caws, a mocking sound, and dives at the dog 
youkai, who, in turn, pivots and allows the other to smash its beak into 
the ground.  It rears up again and flaps out of biting range as the 
taiyoukai lunges, then avoids his tail to its side.  He chases after it, but it 
swoops out of his reach and then reverses to charge back at him.  He leaps 
out of its path at the last second and twists midair to land on its back, but 
it rolls out from under his paws before his claws can dig in deeply.  Still, 
blood splatters from ten streaks across its wings and back.  A few drops 
sizzle where they land.  Prudently, Sess decides to back away, and 
looks down at his cubling half-brother.*

*Or, rather, where his cubling half-brother ought to be.  Sess looks wildly about, 
searching for his charge.*

Sess: (Surely he couldn’t have gotten far!) *His eyes skim the grass, then - finally- 
swing over movement to his left.  Inu-chan chases his runaway ball, and 
catches it.  Then he stops, looks around, and sees Sess watching him, and 
grins happily.  Inu-chan toddles back toward his big brother, and then, to 
Sess’s embarrassment, half-climbs into his lap.*

Inu-chan: Sess!  Ball!  Sess play?  *Sess rolls his eyes, but grabs the ball and rolls 
it - carefully ~away~ from the fight in front of them - for his little brother.*

Sess: Go fetch, Inu-chan.  *snorts at his own little pun as Inu-chan delightedly 
wobbles after the bright ball.  He forgets his earlier idea of moving away, 
since it seems that the battle is moving instead, and away from the boys.*

*Sess’s father’s teeth hold the tail of the attacker as it tries in vain to fly away.  It 
does succeed, however, in dragging the other youkai several meters before 
turning and lunging at his eyes.  He drops the tail and ducks out of the way, 
then snaps at it as it continues its retreat.  Now it seems the taiyoukai has 
won the battle against the larger creature, to Sess’s delight.  It retreats yet 
again as the dog-youkai snaps at its air-born heels.  But then it wheels 
about and grabs the taiyoukai’s thick fur at the base of his neck, and flaps 
heavily, raising both into the air.  Although it doesn’t have his spine, it does 
have him in a position that he can’t attack from.  It finally drops the other 
youkai when the strain becomes too great, slashing with both clawed wings 
at his falling back.  Now the taiyoukai, too, bears injury.  Still, he catches himself well, 
and leaps after the bird youkai to hammer it with a claw as it begins a 
descent.  He manages to knock it out of its planned course and slam it into 
the ground.  Sess notes that while the bird youkai had the advantage of 
speed in human-form battle, now his father is unbeatable.  The larger size 
slows the beast down.  The taiyoukai pounces on the fallen bird youkai, but 
misses as it barely manages to recover and roll away before taking back to 
the air.  It tries a change of direction, and kicks with its talons at Sess’s 
father before lunging through the air - straight toward Sess!*

*Sess recognizes immediately the danger and starts to move, then realizes for the 
first time that Inu-chan has yet to return to him.  As the boy scrambles away 
from the approaching fight, he searches for his half brother amongst the 
grass.  Like all toddlers, Inu-chan has chosen the ~least~ desirable moment 
to wander off.  Then Sess spots him - and nearly has a heart attack at the 
tender age of 14.*

*The young Inu-Yasha is currently chasing after his new toy, right into the path of 
the two fighters.  Sess cries out and begins running after the boy, knowing 
not even his (still developing) youkai speed will bring him there quickly 
enough. Inu-chan’s mother, all but forgotten, screams as she, too, sees her 
child in danger.  The taiyoukai turns to look, and just barely avoids stepping 
on the boy.  The bird youkai sees a moment of distraction, and lunges, 
sinking its beak deep into their father’s side.  But instead of roaring with 
pain, he snaps his head around and clamps his teeth around its neck, and 
promptly breaks its spine.  He flings the suddenly limp creature away from 
him, then stands panting over the now frightened Inu-chan.  Sess, who had 
frozen when the bird youkai had impaled his father’s ribs, runs forward again.*

Sess: *worry in his voice* ‘Tousan!  Otousan, daijabou da?^  *His father  
de-transforms, and stands clutching his ribs, silent and rather pale.  He turns 
to face his oldest son.*

^father, are you okay?

Taiyoukai: Sess... Sesshoumaru... *he falls to his knees and looks around, then 
smiles as he sees Inu-Yasha safe, if frightened to tears.  His mate reaches 
his side and kneels beside him, wrapping her arms around him and 
supporting his weight.*

Inu-Yasha’s mother: Are you...? *she trails her words off as he smiles at her*

Taiyoukai:  Aishiteru.^  *her eyes go wide as she hears this, and she shakes her 
head in denial.*  It was poisoned... *His words fall on resisting ears all around.*

^I love you.

Sesshoumaru: NO!  No, you’re the Taiyoukai!  Poison doesn’t - it won’t - it’s not 
that bad!  

Inu-chan: *having waddled over, still crying* ‘Tousan?  ‘Tousan?  *he takes his 
father’s hand and shakes it, confused, ignorant of what has happened.*

Taiyoukai: *looking down at his youngest son* Sesshoumaru... take care of 
Inu-Yasha... and his mother.

Sess: Otousan... *feels tears fall down his face*

Taiyoukai: I must... go now... *stands with a sudden strength, his eyes turning an 
odd blue*

Inu-Yasha’s mother: No... *clutches at his tattered robes* Please, no! *Her face is 
drenched with tears*

Taiyoukai:  Goodbye, my family... I must go.  *He pulls a single black pearl 
hanging on a silver chain from his neck.  He clutches it hard and murmurs a 
few words, then a black vortex appears in front of the small family.  He steps 
away from them and through the vortex, which closes with a bright burst of 
light.  The three remaining must shade their eyes from the light.  Inu-Yasha 
starts crying, and the light fades, revealing only flattened grass*

*back to present*

Sesshoumaru: *sighs* (I only wish... no, no wishes.  That’s all past.  It doesn’t 
matter anymore; nothing matters anymore.  The only thing I must do now is 
placate Otousan’s spirit, before he fills with wrath and becomes a destructive 
spirit.  What was done was done, and what remains to be done ~must~ be 
done.)  Jaken!  *the frog creature appears at his elbow*

Jaken: Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?

Sesshoumaru: Check the well for magic.  I wish to know its secret.

Jaken: Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama, whatever you wish.  *bows and begins 
investigating the well*

Sesshoumaru: (Hmmm... Jaken has always been a loyal servant... but sometimes...)

*flashback*

*A young Sess sits in his room, his shoes still bloody from the grass.  He 
stares at the wall opposite him, wondering how his father could have lost.  
The only sign of expression on his face are the tracks of tears, which travel 
over a marble statue: expressionless, emotionless, uncomprehending.  So in 
shock is he that he does not even remember how he returned to his room.  A 
slight scratching at the bottom post of his bed draws his dubious attention - 
his mother’s old servant, left to him, the frog-like Jaken, stands watching 
him.*

Jaken: Sesshoumaru-sama... My condolences.  I hear your father fought a mighty 
battle, and destroyed the creature even as it defeated hi-

Sesshoumaru: *moving so quickly not even he can keep up, he finds Jaken’s head 
under his fist*  My father cannot be destroyed!  He is the mighty Taiyoukai! 
He-he’s not- He can’t be defeated!  *a rage bubbles inside of him, but a 
helpless one, as much at himself as anyone else.* (I-I let him down... I 
couldn’t help him... I let Inu-chan get away, and distract him...)

Jaken: *sympathy coating his voice* My young Lord Sesshoumaru, you are of 
course always right.  Forgive me, your father could never be defeated! Not, 
at least, without outside help - outside help like those pathetic humans of 
his...

Sess: *releasing Jaken and backing up a little* Wh-what do you mean?

Jaken: Why, that filthy pathetic excuse for a youkai would certainly never had laid 
its claws on the mighty taiyoukai of the West, if he weren’t distracted by his 
half-human son and petty mortal wife!  *Scorn coats the frog’s voice, then 
replaced by sympathy and caring*  If I were you, Sesshoumaru-sama, I 
would advise staying away from those filthy humans.

Sess: B-but Inu-chan... *memories of his little brother, smiling at him, 
giving him child’s presents like flowers and doodles, watching and admiring 
him even as he watched and admired his father...* 

Jaken: *as if Sess had never spoken*  First, that wench tries to steal your 
mother’s place, and then her son distracts him at a crucial moment in 
battle...  Why, they practically murdered him themselves!  Just by being so 
pathetic!  I will, of course, do whatever I can to aid you, Sesshoumaru-sama.  
*bows humbly*

*present*

Sesshoumaru: (If not for Jaken, I might have trusted that human wench... I would 
have certainly not thrown her and her child out...)

*flashback*

*Inu-Yasha’s mother sits at the kitchen table, holding the sobbing Inu-chan in her 
lap.  Sess had asked her to leave him alone for a while - but now he comes 
into the kitchen.  She has a look of sorrow on her face, but now 
Sesshoumaru knows it can’t be real - at least not as real as his.  No one 
hurts as badly as Sesshoumaru, no one!  There are no servants around 
tonight, so she must have told them what happened earlier and sent them 
away - good.  Even though he knew now how little she really cared for his 
father, she had still seemed nice to him - he had felt guilty about making her 
go, but at least there wouldn’t be an audience.*

Sesshoumaru: *looks her straight in the eye* Go.

Inu-Yasha’s mother:  *looks confused*  What, Sess?

Sesshoumaru: I am Sesshoumaru-sama, woman.  These lands are mine, by rights 
of inheritance.  Now go!

Inu-Yasha’s mother: *starts to walk toward him* Sess... I know it’s hard, Sess...

Sesshoumaru: *bellows* I SAID GO!!! KEEP YOUR GRASPING MORTAL HANDS TO 
YOURSELF AND GO!!! AND TAKE YOUR BRAT WITH YOU!!!  *something 
within burns, and without knowing quite how, he melts the table.  Somehow, 
Inu-Yasha’s mother sees something in his eyes, which makes her already 
tragic expression become yet more sorrowful.  She says nothing, however, 
but only nods, then turns around and takes Inu-Yasha by the hand*

Inu-Yasha’s mother: Come, Inu-Yasha... we have to go now.  *she leads him out of 
the room, and Sesshoumaru hears his protests and questions fade away*

*Only when the last echoes of the last sounds of his step-mother and half-brother 
have faded, and candles on the table and counters burn into equal amounts 
of melted and solid wax, does Sesshoumaru curl up on the floor and cry.  He 
does not even notice the shadow beside him creep up until it speaks*

Jaken: Very wise, Sesshoumaru-sama, very wise.  They cannot hurt you anymore.  
*Young Sesshoumaru only shakes a little harder, drowning floor, and his 
heart, with his tears.*

*present*

Sesshoumaru: *still deep in thought*  (Why do I dwell on that?  Jaken was right... 
Humans caused my problems; they still do.  Even Inu-Yasha’s human wench 
causes me trouble!)  *yet his thoughts are not so vehement as he might 
have wished.  Another stream of thoughts enters his mind*  (But if father 
loved ~her~ that much, how could she have been so spiteful?)  *He shakes 
the errant thought from his mind, and decides to soak into some meditation, 
and rid himself of his troublesome thoughts.*  (What happened, is past, and 
what must be done, must be done...)

*In Nerima*

*Cologne sits in her room in the back of the Neko Hanten.  Though it is the middle 
of a workday, she is letting Shampoo and Mousse handle the customers, for she has 
something more important to do.  At least, it is the lee of the afternoon, and 
she ought to be finished before business picks up again.  She holds in front 
of her the thimble full of blood Inu-Yasha gave her.  She pours some onto a 
shallow silver plate, then pours over that a slightly silvery liquid.  She chants 
and swirls the two together, then sprinkles over that dried herbs, which 
seem to disappear as soon as they hit the liquid.  The only change is that the 
reflections on the water become more and more clear - and then solidify into 
something that is ~not~ in the room.  A handsome male face shines clearly 
out of the liquid, one which sports a fine layer of velvet-like fur, just a tad 
more than normal human facial hair.  Three razor-thin stripes on each side 
of the face, a small nose that somehow resembles a dog’s nose yet doesn’t, 
angel-white thick hair that falls shoulder-length, and two dog-like ears prove 
the man not quite human.  Cologne chants a few more words, throws in a 
small bunch of fresh herbs, and the person in the liquid changes, flowing 
from the human form to youkai battle figure, eyes red with battle-rage.  
Cologne nods approvingly, then swirls the liquid around in the plate and 
drops one final batch of dried herbs in.  A human woman beams back at her, 
a beautiful woman with the fine features of nobility and kind eyes.  Cologne, 
in an afterthought, trickles the remainder of the thimble’s contents into the 
liquid.  She chants more chants, and settles a single rosebud on the surface.  
From where it touches ripples flow outward; every ripple changes the image 
on the surface.  One image remains when the ripples reach the outer edge: 
Kagome’s face.  Cologne nods in thought, then pours the liquid into a pouch 
of silk over a bucket.  The liquid goes through the silk, but several herbs 
remain in the pouch.  Cologne draws the strings on the bag and hangs it up 
to dry, and later reuse, then sighs and takes the bucket to empty and clean 
it.*

Shampoo: *as Cologne comes into the kitchen* [Well, Great-grandmother?]

Cologne: [It is well, child.  The boy is as he says he is: half-youkai, half-human. 
However...] *she pauses, then continues* [However, he has already chosen 
a mate.  Once a youkai has chosen, and the chosen has in turn chosen him, 
the bond is unbreakable.  I must forbid you to pursue either kiss of death or 
kiss of marriage.]  *Shampoo looks absolutely delighted at this, much to 
Cologne’s annoyance.*  

Shampoo: Hai, Great-Grandmother!  Shampoo no chase Inu-Yasha!  Ranma still 
Airen!  *smiles happily*

Cologne: Go and serve the customers, Xian Pu.  *Busies herself with the cooking, 
fretting to herself over the antics and whims of the young.*

*at the Tendo household*

Soun: Ranma, boy, why don’t you be a proper gentleman and ask my Akane out on 
a date?

Ranma:  *freezes, his hand holding a sweet roll, as he and Inu-Yasha were in the 
of grabbing a snack after another small sparring session (which, of course, 
Inu-Yasha won, but Ranma ended up showing him some more tricks of 
Anything Goes Martial Arts)* Uhhh... *Inu-Yasha suddenly starts “choking” 
on his own sweet roll*  Oh, no!  *thumps Inu-Yasha’s back in a desperate 
attempt to dislodge the sweet roll - and attention from himself*  Gosh, 
Inu-Yasha, I think we’re going to have to get you to Dr. Tofu’s right away!  
*grabs Inu-Yasha by the hand and practically drags him out of the house.  
When both boys reach the street, and a nearby roof, they exchange glances 
and burst out laughing.*

Inu-Yasha: You can ~not~ act, Ranma!

Ranma: Ah, well, thanks anyway.  I think it worked, though.

Inu-Yasha: *shrugs* If you make me do that more often, though, you’ll have to  
show me more martial arts moves.

Ranma: Deal!  A move a rescue.  *both start laughing again*

Ukyou: *climbing up onto the roof to see what the noise is*  Ran-chan! Inu-Yasha! 
What are you two doing up here? And what’s so funny?

Ranma:  Hey, Ucchan!  I guess we found your roof, by accident...

Ukyou: Well, in that case, why don’t you come in?  It’s the middle of the afternoon, 
and I’m sure you’re hungry, Ranchan.  And you too, Inu-Yasha!  *the boys 
exchange a look, then both hop down*

Inu-Yasha: *grins*  (Another meal I don’t have to catch, cook, or buy... I could get 
used to this!)

*An hour later sees the boys heading back to the dojo, replete with okonomoyaki.  
Somehow, they find their shared strange adventures in life have made them 
fast friends.  And Ranma notes Inu-Yasha seems in a particularly good mood 
today, for some reason.  The hanyou seems to be constantly smiling, as 
opposed to his usual brooding expressions.  It seems, in fact, as if a great 
weight were lifted off his chest.  Of course, it could just be the fact that the 
girls decided to go shopping, and mercifully left the men out of it...*

Inu-Yasha: Watch out.  Amazon approaching.  *steps aside as Shampoo slams 
the spot that Ranma just was in with her bike.  She pouts a little to find she 
missed her mark*

Shampoo: Airen!  Why you move?  Never mind, Shampoo bring Airen some lunch!  
Here! Eat!  *Hands Ranma a take-out Ramen box.  He shrugs and takes it 
(as usual), and downs the contents.  Shampoo watches him eat, smiling 
sweetly.*

Ranma: *finishing* So what brings you around, Shampoo?

Shampoo: *turns to Inu-Yasha* Great-Grandmother say, she prove who your 
parents were, and you be youkai after all.  *shrugs* She also say it no 
matter that you beat Shampoo.  No kiss of marriage or death.  *grins*  
Shampoo happy!

Inu-Yasha: *rolls his eyes* I told you that already.  Now will you all leave me 
alone?

Shampoo:  *regards him* You should no be so grouchy.  Your face freeze like that.  
Anyway, Shampoo have deliveries to run!  Ja, Airen!  *zooms off*

Ranma:  *glances sidelong at Inu-Yasha* You have no idea how lucky you are.

Inu-Yasha: What’s that supposed to mean?

Ranma: *shrugs*  Just that you don’t have to deal with a purple-haired Amazon 
chasing you across everything...

Inu-Yasha: You think I don’t have enough problems to make up for it?

Ranma: Hey, I never said that!  Hey, put that down!

*splash*

Ranma-chan: Whatcha do that for?  *water drips off her nose*

Inu-Yasha:  *throws now-empty cup of water grabbed from random passerby into garbage 
can*  Because I’m lucky, that’s why.  *It goes downhill from there - but, 
fortunately, only in a joking way.  By the time the two get home, they aren’t 
two boys, but rather, two very soaking wet young women, laughing as they 
play with a pair of water guns borrowed from some near-by ten-year-olds.  
Nabiki snaps a quick pic of them as they come in the house, only to run to 
the backyard to continue their play.  She follows, her camera and spare film 
at hand.  Kasumi starts heating up some hot water.  Eventually, Akane and 
Kagome return, place their purchases in a safe, dry place - and make a 
bucket full of water balloons.  The day after Christmas is filled with laughter 
and squealing, and lots and lots of water.  When everyone finally tires and 
heads inside, and Ranma returns the borrowed water guns, Kasumi provides 
hot water and towels and dry clothes.  Finally, dry and sipping hot cocoa, all 
youngsters sit in the dining room, relaxing.  And talking.*

Kasumi:  *sitting to the side and watching the others banter and laugh.  She 
smiles serenely at the sight, and her eyes fall on Inu-Yasha.*  (Inu-Yasha-san 
seems much more relaxed, now.  What did that book of Dr. Tofu’s say?  
Oh, yes - as if he is living the childhood that he missed.  That was the 
section about youngsters who had to grow up too fast, because of 
psychological trauma... and I suppose loosing both one’s parents certainly 
qualifies as a trauma!  It’s good for him, to be able to relax...*

Nabiki:  Kasumi, have you seen my notebook?  It seems to have disappeared...

Kasumi:  *interrupted from her reverie*  Oh, my, I believe it’s under the counter, 
Nabiki-chan.  *Nabiki gets up and goes to look for it.  A “Thanks!” drifts back 
through the door.*

Inu-Yasha:  *sweatdrops*  Uh-oh... I didn’t mean that!  

Nabiki:  *head pops back in*  Too late!  That’s 300Yen on Akane beating Ranma 
up before the night is over!

Akane:  WHAT???  *glares at Inu-Yasha*

Inu-Yasha:  *waving his hands around in denial*  I was joking!  Joking!

*Scene of severe bodily harm done to Inu-Yasha by Akane cut out due to explicit 
scenes of violence*

Ranma:  *grins*  Hey, for once, it wasn’t me!

Akane:  *transfers her glare*  Ranma...

*Like before, only Ranma gets beat up*

Kagome:  Um, Akane-chan, maybe we should go outside for a few minutes...

Akane:  *sweetly*  Whatever for, Kagome-chan?  It’s nice and warm in here, and 
SO QUIET....  *Two silent battered boys nod vigorously*

Ranma:  Quiet, absolutely!

Inu-Yasha:  Not a sound!!!  *Sneak out to the dojo together*

Nabiki:  What a shame, I owe Inu-Yasha 300Y, too...  *grins mischievously*

*Time goes by.  Dinner time passes, and Inu-Yasha and Kagome find themselves 
alone in the dining room as everyone else heads to bed.  They exchange 
glances as they realize they’re all alone.*

Kagome:  Oh, Inu-Yasha... Um, so...

Inu-Yasha: *affects an aloof demeanor* Oi, wench, spit it out.

Kagome:  *decides to overlook his words*  We’ll have to go back in a couple of 
days.

Inu-Yasha: *reluctantly*  Yeah.  *pause* So?  We can get back to what we’re 
supposed to be doing - collecting shards!

Kagome:  *sighs*  Are you sorry you came along?

Inu-Yasha:  *snorts* What makes you think that?  *fidgets absently with a napkin 
in his right claws, carefully not meeting her eyes*

Kagome: ...

Inu-Yasha:  *quietly, gruffly, almost even sullen*  No.  I’m not sorry.  *louder*  
What’s with all the questions, anyway?  

Kagome: ...

Inu-Yasha:  ... oi, Kagome...

Kagome: Hai, Inu-Yasha?

Inu-Yasha:  Are you... sorry you brought me?  (Why did I say that?!)

Kagome:  ... Iie.  I’m very glad.  *blushes, then stands up*  It’s late.  I’m going to 
bed!  Goodnight.  *starts to leave, but Inu-Yasha grabs her hand as she 
passes*  Eh?

Inu-Yasha:  I- I... *loses his courage and changes his words*  We’ll have to... let 
the others come back and visit us.  We are going back right away.  *He 
made the last a command, not a question, trying to regain his old image of 
tough youkai.  Kagome just rolls her eyes*  

Kagome:  Good night, Inu-Yasha. *heads upstairs*