A/n: Okay… Reviewers. I don't want to sound whiny but over 1,000 people viewed this last chapter….. and I only got 40 reviews! (cries) Waaaahhhhhhh do you hate me? Seriously, (sniff sniff) am I doing something wrong? (sobs) WHY WON'T YOU REVIEW MY LOVLIES?

Also I was surprised… no one got the scholar comment! The Scholar's name was "Iknow I. Talls. Which can be respelled to make "I know it alls." HAH! Funny, no?

XD Anyway, I had some fun with this chapter… I decided to make it funny and fluffy again, with just a hint of plot stuff at the ending. Oo I think after this the plot should start coming together a little better. Anyways, I give you this week's installment of…

My Pet

Of Haikus and Hobbies

'Let sleeping otters lie' was an old Japanese proverb. It supposedly originated from the rumor of what happened if you woke up an otter youkai. The picture was said not to be pretty. Rumor has it that two powerful youkai, a dog and a snow leopard, started the saying after accidentally waking up a steward when they were children. Unfortunately, for the castle, and for Saku…Kagome had never heard of it.

"Saku! Saaaakkkkuuuu! Saku, Saku, SAKU!" Kagome shouted.

Saku awoke with a growl and a snort. "Who DARES to—,"

"Ah you're awake!" Kagome said, obliviously throwing her arms around the snarling demon while flinging herself on his bed, completely disarming the otter and his anger.

Saku blinked once, twice, his obsidian eyes rolling with confusion as the happy human female chattered into his neck. He glanced out the window over her head, which was nestled into his chest, and saw just hints of the sun rising over the horizon.

"Lady Kagome, why are you up at this hour?" He asked, his voice rusty as he rubbed sleep from his dark eyes.

Kagome didn't exactly give him a straight answer and continued to rattle off about 'Inu Yasha time' or some other such nonsense before she kept prattling away. Saku concluded that Kagome had to be a morning person. It was illegal for a person to be this happy at such an ungodly hour of the morning.

"Did you need something Lady Kagome?" Saku asked as Kagome finally released him.

"Well… now that you mention it…" Kagome said with a sly look. Saku deeply regretted his mistake. "Would you please turn into your demon form?" Kagome asked.

"Why?" Saku suspiciously asked.

"I just want to see it!" Kagome whined. "I'm positive you'll be sooo cute! I mean, Windsor was just absolutely beautiful, and the twins are still sick so they can't transform for me, so I want to see you!"

Saku narrowed his eyes, trying to follow her train of thought. He was unable to and gave one last grumpy look at the sun before turning to the bright female before him. "As you wish Lady Kagome. Although I'm warning you, I'm not nearly as grand or as impressive as Lord Sesshoumaru or General Windsor."

"That's fine!" Kagome happily chirped, lifting some strange sort of yellow sack with her arms.

Saku shut his eyes, released his powers, and there was a popping noise and a puff of grey smoke. When it cleared it revealed Saku, the size of a normal otter, his pelt a glossy brown, and his adorable obsidian eyes blinking at Kagome while he sneezed around his white whiskers.

Kagome melted. "AWWWW! You're so cute!" She said. Saku cringed, he wasn't exactly aiming for cute. Professional would have suited him better, and if she had claimed he was intimidating (however unlikely that may be) it would have tickled him blue. He was pondering this when he was suddenly scooped up by the cherished pet and dumped in the yellow sack.

Saku poked his head out of it as Kagome zipped some strange sort of thing around his head, leaving him unable to get out. Saku stared up at Kagome with his big black eyes. Traitor.

Kagome grinned before gently petting his head. "Sorry Saku, my panda guard refuses to go with me to the hot springs, and I need some sort of supervision otherwise Lord Snowpants will get after me." With this Kagome shouldered the sack and skipped out of Saku's room.

Saku was left to wonder exactly how he had gotten into this mess, and how did Kagome discover which room was his?

Sesshoumaru prowled through his castle very early in the morning, unable to sleep due to the wretched tapestry and painting on his ceiling that had kept him in continuous nightmares. He kicked Jaken around, avoided the south wing after smelling Kagome near Saku's room, and generally had a pleasant morning…until he stumbled upon his distant cousin.

"Sesshoumaru, darling, what's the matter?" Amarante asked with a roll of her r's while she flopped onto a chair.

Sesshoumaru paced the room, back and forth, back and forth. "I feel…irritated. Ever since that foolish leopard left I feel like I should be watching my back." The Western Lord mused.

Amarante's eyes swept across the room before she returned her bronzen gaze to her cousin's tense form. "Have you seen anyone suspicious lately?" She prompted.

Sesshoumaru paused, thinking. "No. But there is an aura in this castle that I find…annoying."

"Sure it's not your own?" Amarante snorted.

Sesshoumaru shot her a warning gaze and continued pacing.

Amarante sighed. "You're going to wear a hole in that rug which is practically a relic from my grandmother." She lectured, Sesshoumaru stopped and stared at her with glowing and intimidating golden eyes. "Tilt your head slightly down." Amarante ordered.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed a fraction.

Amarante rolled her eyes. "Always suspicious. Sheesh! This will help you relax!" She said, getting up from her chair and strolling towards him, she grabbed his arm and led him over to the window where the sun was half of a golden orb on the pink streaked horizon. She reached up to his face and tilted his chin downwards. "Now take a deep breath!" She ordered.

Sesshoumaru hesitated a fraction of a second before doing as he was told.

"Good now raise your hands and lightly touch your finger tips together." Amarante bid. Sesshoumaru shot her an irritated look before doing so. "Now drop your left hand." Amarante said. Sesshoumaru dropped it. Amarante stepped back and stared at him for a few moments, tapping her lips with her finger while loudly humming.

Why was she humming? Sesshoumaru pondered this while he stood in the supposedly 'relaxing' stance. It really was a little comforting, but it felt absolutely stupid. Sesshoumaru supposed that he had better snap out of it, or Amarante's pride would swell from the fact that he followed her advice.

"Perfect!" Amarante chirped.

Sesshoumaru straightened. "Hn?" He grunted.

Amarante turned around and lazily strode out of the room, pausing to take a piece of paper from a gecko youkai standing by the door with a sketchpad.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, that was Mitchu…his most notorious spy…what was he doing here?

Sesshoumaru managed to get a glimpse of the white paper, which showed Sesshoumaru standing in his 'relaxing' pose, his hand touching Kagome's while they stood together over a black and white version of the rising sun. So that was how she obtained her painting material.

"AMARANTE!" Sesshoumaru bellowed. The fleet footed feline had already disappeared, and was scrambling through the castle. Sesshoumaru felt an animalistic grin slid across his face before pursuing her. It always felt good to release some steam on his cousin. Now she certainly deserved it.

Saku was promptly and unceremoniously dropped into a hot pool of water. After sliding through the liquid and observing Kagome cautiously lower herself into the hot spring he slid over to a corner in hopes of transforming into his humanish form without being noticed.

"Ah, ah, ah Saku! You stay just like that." Kagome said, rinsing out her hair.

Saku turned to blink innocently at her, using his cute otter features to his advantage.

"And don't try giving me otter eyes either." Kagome said, ignoring the look.

Saku glared at her, giving a high pitched bark as if to say. "What will you do about it?"

Kagome straightened and flung her wet hair over her shoulder. "I broke the charm holding back my powers once, who's to say I can't do it twice?" She sweetly asked.

Saku considered this and decided that there was some shard of truth to it. So he puttered around in the water for a little while before diving to the bottom of the hot spring to tickle the human girl's feet.

"Stop it Saku!" Kagome laughed, his soft glossy fur touching the pads of her tender feet while he purposely tickled her heel with his paws. "Saku!" Kagome squealed, nearly toppling over as she released a belly laugh.

Saku popped up and shook off, feeling and looking most pleased with himself. Kagome recovered and supported herself on unsteady feet before lunging at the mischievous otter youkai. Saku dove beneath the water with a splash before attacking her sides with his clever paws, managing to tickle her in spite of the weird cloth that covered her.

Kagome shouted with laughter and Saku emerged, grinning mischievously as he floated on his back and banged together two rocks he had found at the bottom of the hot spring.

"Oh, I'll get you back for that!" Kagome said, striking out faster then he ever imagined a sluggish human could move. She grabbed him and pressed him against her collar bone, wickedly laughing while Saku released yelps and barks, tickling the back of her neck with his whiskers.

Kagome nearly drowned in laughter while barely managing to hold onto Saku when a strict looking sakura youkai approached the outdoor hot spring.

"See here Lady Kagome, you and your pet need to hush up! Young Lady Rin is still sleeping, and if she wakes up now the entire castle will be in an uproar!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Kagome said, apologetically bobbing her head. Saku found himself doing the same thing before he shook his head, clearing it.

Wait a minute! He was a steward, not a pet! And where did that lady come off telling him to be quiet! Saku was about to give the exiting sakura youkai a piece of his mind when Kagome suddenly stiffened.

"I thought I told them to stay in bed!" She growled, her face turning stormy. Saku blinked, what on earth was she talking about? Moments later he felt the aura's of Haruko and Hiroshi stirring in the hospital wing. But how did the girl know that before him? Kagome was but a mere human!

Saku studied his Lord's pet with interested eyes while she clambered out of the hot spring. "Come on Saku, why don't you re-transform while I dry off and than we can go have a talk with those two dratted twins. They obviously don't know what it means to take a day off!" she grunted.

Saku splashed in the water once more, wondering just what sort of creature Lord Sesshoumaru obtained before hopping out of the water. Only time would tell exactly how special Kagome was.

Sesshoumaru heard bare feet pounding along the outer perimeter of his secret study. (Secret because it was a random room he had walked into, discovered that it was empty, moved all of his things into, and prayed that Amarante hadn't learned about yet.) It was near the outer area of the castle in an open air corridor. The intruder smelled like Kagome, with Saku many yards behind moving at a slower amble.

Sesshoumaru gave an almost inaudible sigh before standing and opening a side door and stepping out into the corridor. Kagome crashed directly into him and fell to the floor with a splat.

"We have really got to work on that." She groaned, glaring up at Sesshoumaru from her spot on the floor.

Sesshoumaru froze, a group of servants were cleaning the far end of the corridor where Saku was just rounding the bend in an unconcerned walk. What made him apprehensive was the fact that one of them distinctly smelled like Amarante. Sesshoumaru tucked this tid bit in the back of his mind before returning his attention to Kagome who was rambling and had scooted forward to grab his arm to use as leverage when hauling herself to her feet.

"Seriously, that is the second time in under twenty four hours we've crashed into each other." Kagome said, placing her hands on her hips.

Sesshoumaru decided Kagome had to be a morning person. He wondered how she managed to survive even though she obviously woke Saku up early in the morning. Let sleeping otters lie…..

"Sesshoumaru, are you even listening to me?" Kagome huffed.

"Yes, of course." Sesshoumaru said before freezing. Was that? No. That wretched fox wouldn't dare—!

A brilliant streak of green and red zoomed down the hallway, and Sesshoumaru barely managed to grab Kagome and throw her over his shoulder before leaping aside as the Eastern Lord failed to stop and went directly through the wall at the end of the hallway.

Sesshoumaru sighed, now in addition to his new roof, new study, and new room, he would need a new wall for that section of his castle.

"Um, what just happened?" Kagome asked, twising her head while planting her hands on Sesshoumaru's shoulder blades.

"That, was a running moron." Sesshoumaru said in a deadpan tone as Saku continued on in his unconcerned walk.

Ryder's head poked through the bushes outside the now shattered beyond repair wall. He leaped out of the greenery and brushed off his brilliant green clothes before leaping back into the castle and zooming down the hallway.

"Haha, sorry about that Sesshoumaru!" Ryder said, sheepishly rubbing his head.

Kagome strained her neck, trying to see the Eastern Lord. She saw a flash of red hair and green eyes. "Shippo?" She asked, pressing harder against Sesshoumaru to try and twist around.

Sesshoumaru hiked her further up his shoulder, jostling her and sending her sprawling against his back.

"Wha?" Ryder asked, narrowing his eyes before shrugging it off. "I see your pet's finally awake! The others were so jealous when they learned that I saw her before they did!" Ryder smugly said.

"Kitsune, why are you here?" Sesshoumaru impatiently asked. The last thing he needed was Ryder and Kagome making the connection.

"Oh, I was just dropping by to tell you that all of us will be a little late." Ryder said, turning back to his 'friend'.

"Us? Late for what?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"You old sly dog you! Your ball of course!" Ryder shouted, flashing a piece of parchment in his face. Sesshoumaru snatched it from the kitsune's hands and stared.

You are cordially invited to the House of the West by Lord Sesshoumaru and Lady Amarante in order to view the beauty and wonder of his latest pet, Lady Kagome. The ball shall start on the night of the…

Sesshoumaru saw red. "Amarante!" He growled under his breath. His cousin would surely pay.

"By the way Sesshoumaru, nice pet. She's a real looker, I can see you've grown attached!" Ryder said, suggestively wriggling his eyebrows at the way Sesshoumaru was holding Kagome.

Sesshoumaru darkly glared at the kitsune.

"Anyway, Lila will be a little late. She's traveling by foot, I honestly don't understand why since she could just fly here and get it over with, but whatever! I've got to be going, I'm traveling with her to keep her company. See you tomorrow Sesshoumaru!" Ryder called before high tailing it out of the castle. Even he was not foolish enough to stick around when Sesshoumaru's eyes would start to burn crimson like they were now.

Sesshoumaru, completely forgetting the human miko on his shoulder, was debating the best way to behead his cousin when his ear twitched.

Sesshoumaru turned his attention to the sound that had attracted his senses.

"Two, dog and miko

A single spark of pure love,

An otter swims"

Sesshoumaru unconsciously shifted Kagome, letting her slid down his chest while he continued to listen to the hushed voice that seemed to be writing the words down. Kagome, her arms fastened around his neck, clamped down on his abs and back with her legs as she stared at Sesshoumaru who was looking straight ahead with deep concentration.

"Love found between two

Kisses beneath sakuras

Drops of water fall"

Sesshoumaru raised his gaze to the ceiling where he noted sakura petals and blossoms were painted. "Haiku." He simply said.

"What?" Kagome asked.

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze to Kagome, who resisted the urge to pull back as his silvery hair nearly brushed her cheek. She was suddenly aware of how close they were.

"Nothing important. Just Amarante up to her tricks." Sesshoumaru said, noticing with interest the slight increase of the pace of Kagome's heart.

"I see." Kagome said, staring into Sesshoumaru's gold eyes.

"That you do." Sesshoumaru replied, staring back into her blue pools.

"Ahem." Saku coughed, breaking the moment. He had finally caught up, even though he had slowed his speed to match a snail oozing along the path.

"OH!" Kagome said, dropping her arms and releasing the hold on her legs. Sesshoumaru hesitantly let her go and she dropped to the floor. "Right! We've got to go to the twins!" With out any further comments she hustled down the hallway, Saku slowly ambling after her.

Sesshoumaru watched his pet go before turning and sweeping down the hallway. Following his nose to the servant who had Amarante's scent all over him. His cousin would pay, for the poems and the 'ball'.

"No, wait! That's cheating!" Kagome yelled, stomping a foot some hours later in Sesshoumaru's prized gardens while Haruko danced away.

"It was not. You are it." Haruko declared.

"Whatever! I can't use my miko powers like you guys can use your youkai powers!" Kagome huffed.

"And whose fault is that?" Hiroshi asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Kagome growled and ran to tag Saku, who had moved a grand total of two feet during the entire game.

Upon stumbling into the hospital wing, where the youkai fled Kagome like ants before a flood, Kagome had inspected the sore cheetah twins and deemed them okay. However she expressively forbid them from training and practicing. After dawdling around the castle for a good hour, discovering the twins did little besides training, (What kind of hobby is that?) Kagome called Saku and the twins out to the garden to introduce them to a game called 'tag'.

Hiroshi zoomed by Saku, but the quick limbed otter reached out with an arm and threw the cheetah back in the direction he had come from, sending him slamming into a tree. "You're it." Saku unconcernedly said, scratching an elbow.

"Saku! You're going to open up their wounds again!" Kagome lectured, shaking a finger at the otter.

Hiroshi recovered and sped off, smacking Kagome in the back of her head. "I tag you! You are it!" Hiroshi laughed before dashing away.

Kagome wished she had taught them different phrases. Ones along the lines of "You're cool, I'm a loser", or something.

"Oh that is IT!" Kagome shouted. "You two, here, now!" She ordered. The cheetahs apprehensively drew closer to the petite miko. "Bend over!" She ordered.

Hiroshi darted through the garden at top speed, running splat into a tree. "Owwww!" He yelped, rubbing his most likely broken nose.

"Tag, you're it!" Kagome sweetly said, hopping up to him and batting him on his shoulder before running off.

"I don't understand why we have to wear the blindfolds and Saku doesn't!"

"He wasn't abusing his youkai powers like you were! Besides, this is good practice which is what you've wanted to do all morning! What's wrong, is it to difficult?" Kagome taunted.

Hiroshi growled behind his blindfold, using only his hearing and smell to try and locate the other players. "Ah, Saku! You should have at least moved by now!" He shouted, pointing in the general direction where the unconcerned otter stood.

"Why do you say that?" Saku asked.

"Kagome's gotten you at least five times now, and you've hit me after every single time!"

"Oh you stupid, simple pup." Saku said, rolling his eyes before shaking his head, trying to get some of the left over moisture out of his ear from his unexpected swim in the hot springs.

"What did you call me?" Hiroshi snarled.

"New game, Lady Kagome?" Haruko hastily asked, blindly navigating his way up to Kagome.

"Good idea! New plan!" Kagome yelled.

"Red rover, red rover, send Kagome on over." Hiroshi said with a smirk.

"This is awfully stupid since we only have four players to begin with." Haruko said with a yawn, his hand linked with his twins. "Not to mention that you and Saku just keep squabbling over Kagome." He added as the young miko dropped Saku's hand and took off running across the garden before ramming into the linked hands of Haruko and Hiroshi.

The twin's arms never even budged but Kagome slid and somehow ended up behind there arms. "HAH! Take that Hiroshi!" Kagome challenged.

"You so did not get through!" Hiroshi protested.

"Whatever, your hands separated for a split second and I dashed in at that exact moment!" Kagome said, brushing grass off her clothes.

"Did not!" Hiroshi challenged.

"She fell Hiroshi, let it go." Saku advised from across the garden. Scratching his stomach while turning to look at the small audience they had attracted, mostly consisting of gossiping maids and servants.

"Admit defeat Hiroshi! I trashed you in tag and I'll trash you in red rover too!" Kagome laughed.

"General Windsor, how nice to see you!" Haruko stepped in, nodding at the cream haired horse youkai who had strode into the garden.

"Exactly what are you four up to?" Windsor asked, observing the abandoned blindfolds on the ground.

"Red rover, wanna play?" Hiroshi asked.

"He's on my side!" Saku claimed.

"Hey, since we have five people why don't we play a different game? This one is Waaaayyyyy more fun, I promise!" Kagome said, skipping back over to Saku.

"But we were winning!" Hiroshi whined.

"YES!" Haruko declared.

"Are you ready, Lady Kagome?" Haruko asked, his cat eyes fastened on his charge.

"Do it as hard as you can Haruko." Kagome said, a wicked smile on her features.

"I wouldn't want to hurt you." Haruko purred.

"I know you never would, my cheetah youkai!" Kagome taunted. "Now…bring it!" She ordered, swinging Haruko's sheathed sword in the air like a baseball bat.

"You two sound absolutely dirty when you play this paseball." Hiroshi complained from second base.

"It's baseball!" Saku corrected from his spot on a stone bench that was serving as the dugout.

"Whatever!" Hiroshi said as Windsor crouched behind Kagome, ready to grab the ball (which was stolen from Rin's play room).

"Why do I have to be the catcher anyway? I'm on Kagome's team!" Windsor muttered.

"Bring it!" Kagome again shouted to Haruko, the pitcher.

Haruko wound up and threw the ball, which sped towards Kagome at an unbelievable speed. Kagome swung the katana at the ball, managing to hit it.

The ball zoomed past Hiroshi, who had leaped after it, and instead bashed one of the observing maids in the head. The maid fell to the floor with a crash, knocked unconscious.

All five players froze before jumping up and tearing off in separate directions, Kagome still carrying Haruko's katana.

"Meet you guys later!" Kagome shouted leaping over a bush and running down a hallway.

"Gotcha!" Haruko shouted, running towards the armory while Hiroshi ran for the stables, Saku the hot springs, and Windsor the outer walls.

Namir stood shivering, pressed against a wall, watching the cheerful garden that her nephews, their charge, the steward, and the general had just vacated. "They're on to me." She whispered, the maid who had been hit was mere feet away from the African youkai, and had been babbling away to her. She felt a drop of sweat slide down her face. "Lord Agu, you've entrusted me with far too much!" She whispered.

Sesshoumaru sighed and opened his door for the second time that day as feet pounded down the corridor by his secret study. He stepped outside and Kagome careened into him again. This time Sesshoumaru clasped her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder before she even had a chance to fall to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Kagome squealed.

"There appears to be a problem that will require our attention." He said, navigating his way through his gigantic castle. "Your guards, General Windsor, and Saku are already being summoned." Sesshoumaru said, walking toward the gigantic outer walls of his castle. "Why aren't they with you anyway?"

Kagome nervously laughed and decided it was best not to tell him that they had given one of his chamber maids a concussion. "What's going on?" Kagome asked.

Sesshoumaru glanced at her rear which was against his shoulder before looking forward again. "We will be receiving visitors.

"Again?" Kagome groaned.

"Ones you are in acquaintance with." Sesshoumaru added before leaping to the top path on the stone walls. Windsor, the twins, and Saku were already there, peering over the walls.

"What are you talking about?" Kagome impatiently asked, suddenly silenced by a loud voice.

"KAGOME! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING ON TOP OF SESSHOUMARU?"

Kagome slid down Sesshoumaru's front before hanging over the walls. "INU YASHA?"

A/N: Ohhhhh yes. I am evvvvvilllllll. Muwahahahah. XD Sorry, I wanted to have some fun with this chapter. Don't worry, next chapter I deal with ALL of Kagome's party, and Kouga!

I had SO much fun writing this! (Especially the games part.)

Okay, the Haikus are mine, although they aren't very good and they aren't even made correctly. A Haiku consists of three verses with syllable patters going five, seven, five. I tried to do that, although I don't think they ended up very nicely.

Anyway, thanks for all of your support. Please Review People, I REALLY NEED IT! Seriously, although this story has been viewed more times then HEART HACKING, it's gotten like half the reviews. (That makes me sad.) Besides that…..

Okay, I'm trying to send my story (The one I wrote that has my characters and my plots) to agents. XD So far I've gotten four rejections. It makes me cry. WHICH IS WHY I NEED YOUR REVIEWS! As a side note…. Muwahah, the long reviewrs will start getting replies to their review! Especially now… since I don't really know what to do.

Anyway, sorry about the wait. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Was it funny enough? PLEASE REVIEW! (Begs and grovels)

Pegasus Rider.