Chapter 11

Set Into Motion

"So-o-o-o-o-o-o-o, brother-in-law-to-be," Kagome drawled, leaning in far to close to Sesshomaru for his taste. Then again, her breathing his air was far to close, so it was a coin's toss to tell what was really to close. Her being a miko and his brother's fiancee (which by association made her annoying as hell) put her off limits for a head-removal. Damn. "Do you li-i-i-i-i-i-ike her, or do you lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-"

Sesshomaru scowled even more so than usual. "I understand, now please stop holding your vowels," he snarled.

There was a loud slamming noise. Both Kagome and Sesshomaru turned to find InuYasha staring incredulously at Sesshomaru... from the ground. "Holy crap!" he screeched. "You said another full sentence! How many do you have in there!?"

He got no reply, just a slight disdainful grunt and a rather dirty look. InuYasha shrugged and sat up. "One, two," he said, counting on his fingers. "Three-"

"Silence."

He shrugged again. "Have it your way. I only got to three, so I'm going to stick with three. This is rather counter-productive against you."

Next to Sesshomaru, Kagome clapped her hands together, earning a surprised look from InuYasha and no expression from Sesshomaru (real surprise there...)

"So, how are we going to win the war against... her father, right?" she asked, staring at him expectantly.

Blank expression.

She continued to wait, never blinking.

Sighing, InuYasha leaned close to her. "Kagome, I think he's done talking now. Filled up his quota for the day."

Kagome sighed and slumped on her pillow next to Sesshomaru. "I was so hoping he'd tell..." she muttered, standing and stepping down the stairs, InuYasha trailing behind her.

"Why do you think he's got a plan- OW!"

A pillow had mysteriously hit him in the head... and been stuffed with a wooden block. InuYasha turned around slowly to find Sesshomaru looking at the ceiling with a innocently bored expression... and Rin staring in horror at her ruined castle of blocks.

Finally, when InuYasha and Kagome had left (Kagome dragging InuYasha bodily from the room), he stared at the ceiling in true boredom.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Rin called from next to him.

He turned to face her slightly, an elegant eyebrow arched. "Yes, Rin?"

"What are your plans to help the pretty-lady?"

Gack! What was it with children and asking uncomfortable questions? Next she'd be asking...

"And-"

Here it comes...

"How will I get my block back?"

Whoo... that was a close one-

"And where do babies come from?"

Shit!

"Ask Jaken."

"I already did. He said you get them from a store just like everything else."

"Then ask Kagome."

"Ok!" She squealed and leapt up to skip out the door, calling "Kagome-nee-chan!!!"

Sesshomaru almost slumped in his chair in relief, secretly grinning as he heard InuYasha start choking and Kagome scream.

Ah yes, the birds and the bees...

Hm... back to that question... How to defeat that annoying... bastard. No, InuYasha was a bastard (both literally and metaphorically). No he was just an evil evil... Sudden loss of words...

Well, the army was already secretly massed together... good start... but what now...

And how to get Kagura out of it alive... and with him keep all limbs.

Sesshomaru scratched his chin. He could put InuYasha in charge while he looked for her and that- no no. Ba-a-a-a-ad idea...

Maybe Kagome... or maybe not.

He sighed, slumping back against his chair. Fuck. What he needed was someone... someone who knew how to run things. Someone who knew Father...

He could call Toutou-sai! Yes, that would-

The memory of him drunk the last time Toutou-sai was here... The poor servants would never be the same.

But... Hmm... if he locked away the sake, brought Myoga here and Hyoga... all three of them could run it... hopefully... while he was gone! This might! This might actually-

"M-my-my lord!!! My lord!"

He jerked at Jaken's voice. "What?"

Jaken shuffled slightly, looking suddenly embarrassed. "Are... are you ok?"

"What reason would there be for I not to be 'ok'?"

He paused before going on. "Well... you looked..."

"Yes?"

"Erm... cheerful."

Sesshomaru blinked, surprised. "What? How so?"

"You were smiling."

"Ah."

Right... he needed to remember not to do that...

Standing, Sesshomaru prushed himself off. "Jaken, call Myoga, Hyoga, and Toutou-sai."

Jaken bowed. "Yes M'lord."

Sesshomaru knelt, hands on his legs, as Myoga, Hyoga, and Toutou-sai knelt before him, heads pressed against the floor.

Well, Myoga and Hyoga were doing that. Toutou-sai was more reclining and using his pinky finger to find the wax in his ear.

Not very respectful, but hey, he was a good leader and blacksmith.

"So," the old man drawled, eying Sesshomaru with his large, bulbous eyes. "What exactly were we summoned for."

It was vaguely amusing to watch Myoga turn red with indignation and Hyoga try and calm him down, turning him white with her threats.

"This Sesshomaru have summoned you here," Sesshomaru boomed, cutting off the beginnings of an argument between all three parties, "because this Sesshomaru will not be here for a short period of time. In that time, this Sesshomaru wishes for you three to lead this domain, keep its people safe, and to kill any soldiers of a man named Naraku. Am I understood?"

They stared, wide eyed at him before nodding vigorously. Even Toutou-sai. An inner voice in Sesshomaru's head muttered 'Score!'

He stood, golden eyes piercing. "And do not allow my idiot brother to marry whilst I am away. This union is too important, both emotionally and politically, for this Sesshomaru to be absent. Am I clear?"

Once again, they all nodded vigorously. Nice…

But, just as Sesshomaru was about to leave his palace, Toutou-sai spoke up, that damned pinky in his ear again.

"M'lord?" Sesshomaru paused, not even facing them. "If I may be so bold as to ask, for what reason, exactly, are we being left in charge here, and for how long?"

Slowly, ever so slowly, Sesshomaru's face turned to Toutou-sai. His demonic markings grew a bit jagged along his cheeks, his crescent moon standing in high contrast to his unnaturally pale skin. When he grinned, Toutou-sai noticed with a bit of apprehension that his teeth were rather more… pointed than usual.

"You three can figure it out," Sesshomaru said, his voice a bit more gravely than usual. Then he was gone.

Myoga, Hyoga, and Toutou-sai sat there for a few moments, just staring at the door. Finally, Toutou-sai spoke. "Do you two have any idea as to the reason?"

Myoga gave a humorless chuckle. "I have a few."

(A/N: Ah, Winter Break. The snow, the Christmas tree, the Hanukkah candles (some things make having a Messianic Jew for a mother all worth while), and the gifts… and, unfortunately for you people, no updates for about two weeks. Sorry, but Blue Moon and I live to far apart, and since there's no school for us to sneak off to the library during lunch and/or Instruction Access (a.k.a. the break between first and second periods), there will be little to no (most likely no) contact via fanfiction. Sorry, but it's the way things are.

Now, since Blue Moon has mysteriously disappeared, I'll just have to close this up with an interesting joke. Ok, so a duck walks into a Supermarket and asks the manager if he has any duck food. The manager, who is slightly busy, looks puzzled and answers "No, we don't. Sorry sir." The duck nods and waddles away. The next day the duck comes in again and-

-SLAM-

Oh God, somebody help me!

Blue Moon: *smash* Don't ever lock me in the closet again, FMQ!

FMQ: But-but-but… -cringes away- I-

Blue Moon: *'nother smash*

-silence-

Blue Moon: Don't forget to review! *walks off dragging a bloodied and unconscious FMQ*

And don't forget, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, and Happy Holidays! Stay safe! And we'll be back after the break. Ja ne!