I don't own Inuyasha or anything having to do with this show. I make this only for entertainment purposes, (and an excuse to avoid my homework:). So don't sue and enjoy the fic!

The Feudal Fairy Tale Begins Again...

By: Msmelanie

Edited By: Okibi Chan

Chapter Thirty Six: What's That?

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Kagome gazed up at the sky and groaned. The group had only been traveling for a day a half, and already she was growing impatient, moody, and highly strung out.

And so far, it had seemed, was everyone else.

"And that?" Sly asked as he pointed to the grass below his mom who was currently carrying him.

Miroku groaned. "Grass..."

"No, not that. That." Sly said again as he continued to point toward the same place as they continued walking.

"..." Miroku looked back down. "A bug."

"What kind of bug?" Sly asked.

"I don't know!" Miroku looked at Sango.

Sango feigned ignorance.

"Hey, hey, pops?" Sly asked Inuyasha as he pointed toward the back of Kagome at the bug again. "What kind of bug is that?"

"I don't know. It's just a stupid bug." Inuyasha replied with annoyance at being asked about something stupid. Again. He decided that the little female dog demon he was carrying needed bopped on the head.

"Hey! What was that for?!" she shouted.

"Stress relief." Inuyasha replied.

Two whole minutes went by until Sly found something else again. "Hey lecher?"

Miroku groaned again. 'He's trying to learn about our time. Do not get upset.' He kept telling himself. 'The annoying child is simply getting to know unfamiliar territory.' "My name is not lecher. My name is Miroku."

"Okay." Sly replied as he pondered about something. He looked back at Inuyasha. "Hey pops? Is Miroku a lecher?"

"Definitely." Inuyasha frowned as he eyed Miroku.

"Okay." Sly turned back toward Miroku. "Hey lecher, what are those things around your hand?"

'Calm. Remain calm.' "They are beads." Miroku replied. "And please call me Miroku." he said as he eyed the hanyou back. "Not lecher."

Sly looked up at his mom. He had been trying to learn about anything and everything he could about their new time, since his mom still believed they wouldn't be going home for awhile, and there was nothing else to do. So, now was the time to ask about the strange things he didn't know about. For instance...

"Mom, what's a lecher?"

Kagome looked down at Sly. "It's Miroku."

Inuyasha just grinned.

Sly frowned slightly. "No, mommy. I meant, why is he a lecher? What IS a lecher?"

Kagome looked down nervously at her son. "What...like a definition?"

"Uh-huh." Sly replied.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome who was still fidgeting. Lecher. Yeah, it had a definition. But how to make it sound less...

...adult?

"He puts his hand on girls' butts." Shippou said from Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome looked back down at Sly who apparently was thinking about Shippou's answer. She pointed to a tree nearby. "Ooohh...look honey! Do you know what's in that?"

Sly didn't fall for her diversion. "Then aren't me and pops lechers too?"

Kagome and Inuyasha both froze in shock.

"What?!" Inuyasha shouted. "I'm not a lecher!"

Sly looked back at his mom. "But sometimes when I hug you, I touch your butt." Then, he pointed to Inuyasha. "Then, when dad carries you, he likes touching your butt."

Inuyasha suddenly seemed to act a little different, and there was a slight hint of pink on his cheeks. "No, that was...different.because uhhh..."

Miroku couldn't help but smile.

"What?!" Inuyasha barked back at Miroku.

"I think he wants to say that you're worse than him." the she-demon replied from Inuyasha's arms.

"Am not!" Inuyasha barked at Miroku. "It's not lechery if the wench likes it!"

Kagome was beginning to grow redder than the reddest rose she'd ever seen. She was so mortified that she wanted to screech but her voice was caught in her throat.

Inuyasha quickly learned his mistake and held the female dog demon up in his hands. "Don't sit me or..." he looked down at the she-demon. "What's your name again?"

"Mizuko." she grumbled. 'He never remembers.'

"...yeah, anyway you'll hurt the brat." Inuyasha finished as he looked at Kagome nervously.

Kagome continued to tremble. 'Wench likes it? If the wench LIKES it?! Kami, how could that idiot say that I like it?!'

Sly looked at his mom, then at Inuyasha. 'Okay, apparently I hit something I shouldn't have...I know! I'll ask about it later.' "Hey, Sungo?"

"Sango." Sango replied.

"What's that?" Sly asked as he pointed to the ground.

Everyone groaned again.

Ten minutes later...

"Kagome. Kagome. Kagono nakano tori wa! Itsu itsu deyaru? Yoakeno banni, tsuru to kame to subbeta. Ushirono shomen da re?" Sly, Shippou, and Mizuko were singing together. Again. For the tenth time.

Inuyasha couldn't stand it. "Would you three just shut up?! You don't even know the song!"

Sly, Shippou, and Mizuko just ignored him and sang. Again.

Miroku covered his ears. "Lady Kagome? Could you perhaps..." 'Strangle those stupid brats!' "persuade the children to be quiet?"

Kagome frowned at Miroku. 'What does he think I've been trying to do?!' She once again tapped Sly's shoulder. "Honey, two seconds? Quit singing? Please?!"

Sly sighed as he heard the sound his mom made. That sound was right before 'punishment.' "Ooookay."

Oohh...finally. Some peace and-

"Shippou?" Sly asked Shippou.

"Yeah?" Shippou answered.

Great. What would it be this time?! He's already asked about the trees, the bugs, the grass, the-

"Why aren't you with your mom and dad?" Sly asked.

Everyone stopped walking.

Shippou looked at the back of Kagome's shirt. "..."

"Don't you love 'em?" Sly pressed.

"KAWAII YOUKAI!" Kagome shouted angrily.

Inuyasha wanted to bark at Kagome! HOW could she say the kids whole name?! ****, he'd been nice enough to her about it lately! But as he looked at the expression on her face, he quickly realized the damage had been done, and he didn't want to mess with her at that particular time.

Neither did Sly. He pressed his ears flat against his head. What was wrong? What had he done to make his mom yell like that? "...Momma?" he called out very softly.

"Kawayou! How could you be so CRUEL?!" she angrily shouted.

Sly kept his ears pressed tightly against his head. What had he said that had been so cruel?

"I don't EVER want to hear that come out of your mouth again!" Kagome pressed on.

Sly just sunk his head shamefully into his mother's embrace. What had it been? Was it the remark about Shippou loving his mommy and daddy? Were they cruel to him? Or was it why Shippou was with them? Had something evil happened to Shippou because of his parents? "...sorry..." he whispered softly.

Kagome's anger didn't wane. "Kawayou, I have been very easy on you for a long time now. But you have been nothing but a nuisance all day." She looked up at the sky angrily. "I've carried you long enough for you to recuperate."

She put Sly down.

Sly just looked at the ground.

"I don't want to hear another word out of you until we reach the next village." Kagome stated to her son as she began to walk again.

Inuyasha put down Mizuko as they continued to walk. Silently.

No one spoke up against Kagome since she seemed to be above the normal level of angry.

Sly and Mizuko walked behind everybody slowly.

Sly bent his head toward the ground with shame and guilt. He didn't know what he had done to make his mom hate him so much, and that made him feel even worse.

Miroku, Shippou, Sango, and Inuyasha all looked back once in awhile at the kids.

They were eerily silent.

Inuyasha looked ahead at Kagome and frowned. How could she discipline a demon pup THAT way?! 'Great. When she finally decides he needs discipline, she goes and pulls that ****.'

Inuyasha slowed down and started to walk next to Sly. Sly noticed, but didn't seem to care as much. It didn't matter how Inuyasha would scold him. Or how loud he might bark at him. Nothing was going to compare to how he hurt his mother.

Inuyasha looked down at his pup and made mental notes what Sly was doing. 'Fidgeting with his fingers...Flattening his ears as low as they can go.' Not good signs. 'I don't believe this.' He couldn't see Sly's eyes with his head bowed. 'If he's got his eyes closed, that ***** and I will have a serious talk soon.'

Inuyasha stared straight ahead. He hadn't been raised by his father at all, and his mother was limited to what she knew about youkai.

So when it came to demon pups, she didn't know squat. Luckily, that stupid flea Myouga had taught him a little about it.

Inuyasha lowered his ears. '****! I've never even told Kagome what the differences were between raising human brats and pups! ****!' If he had the power, he would've 'sat' himself.

Inuyasha tried to calm down as he suddenly figured out what an idiot he had been. 'Dammit, why didn't Sango mention anything?! She's the ****ing expert!' Inuyasha agreed with himself vehemently. 'That's right. This is all that exterminator's fault.'

After Inuyasha found his scapegoat, he began to concentrate. What had Myouga said?

'Hmmm...' Inuyasha was drawing a blank. Myouga just yapped his mouth so much; he had to figure out what was important on his own. 'That old flea mentioned something about security...'

Inuyasha sniffed around. '**** it. I'll just make him explain it again.' Inuyasha looked at the back of Miroku.

Myouga shivered as he felt a hot glare upon his back. He glanced over his shoulder to see what it was. 'Oh...Master Inuyasha actually WANTS me to come to him? Well, well, well!' Myouga jumped over to Inuyasha's necklace. "What great wisdom of mine do you seek, Lord Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha whispered lowly to him. "Look at my pup..."

Myouga did as he was told.

"What the **** do you think I want to know?!" he said in a harsh but quiet tone.

"Ahhh yes. It seems the mother's scolding had some affect on him." Myouga replied. "I was surprised you hadn't stopped her."

Inuyasha kept his voice low, but his tone toward the flea strong. "With the mood my wench was in, I could've broken my back with all her oncoming sits!" He frowned at Myouga. "Now you stupid flea. How do I make my pup feel better?"

Sly still had his eyes closed. He knew Inuyasha was still near him because he could smell him. He didn't know if he was yelling at him though, since his ears were pulled down onto his head so low.

Then, Sly was picked up. He didn't know what to make of it. He was getting to know his father pretty well, and didn't think he would actually hurt him. Whatever the hanyou wanted to do, he'd let him. He just didn't feel like fighting against him at the moment.

Inuyasha sighed with relief. His pup wasn't fighting him. 'Don't mess up. Don't mess up. If not, he'll end up like I did.' He felt a quick shudder run through him. No way would his pup go through that! 'Okay, now step one...'

Did his mother hate him? Did Inuyasha hate him? Did Shippou hate him? How about the whole world? Sly didn't know, but he was betting it did. No one loved him anymore, he was evil. He was pure evil somehow. Was he born evil?...wait...what's?...'ooohhhh...'

Inuyasha continued to rub one of his claws gently against the palm of Sly's hand.

Sly couldn't help but react. The strange motion felt kinda nice...

and it tickled a little too.

Inuyasha smiled at his success. His pup was beginning to slowly smile. 'Okay, on to the second step...'

Sly didn't understand what was happening. For a moment, he was scared. His father had just grabbed his left index finger and put it in his mouth. Inuyasha was a good guy, right?! Then, a few seconds later he started to relax. Inuyasha was only nibbling his finger lightly. Not even enough to leave a bruise.

Inuyasha watched the ground and kept his ears on alert. He had to make sure that he wouldn't in any way accidentally hurt Sly's finger. If he did, there would be no way to repair the mental damage it'd do.

Sly smiled. It felt weird, having his dad nibbling on his finger. But at the same time, he felt something different. He felt...secure. His finger could be snapped off by Inuyasha at any time. But he knew it wouldn't be. He...trusted his dad?

Inuyasha smiled again as he took Sly's finger out of his mouth. He had now established contact with Sly's mind again and now a feeling of trust.

Last step...

Sly relaxed. He didn't know what the **** Inuyasha had been doing, but it had somehow made him feel like his old self again. 'I'm not evil. At least, pops doesn't think I'm evil....what the ****?!'

Inuyasha looked down. He didn't really know if his pup would like that, but he had to follow through all the steps.

He couldn't afford to mess up.

'This feels WEIRD! Is he actually licking the back of my ears?!' Sly thought.

"Lord Inuyasha, you need to start closer to the tip." Myouga recommended. "We are trying to prop his ears up, not lower them completely onto the skull."

Inuyasha growled at the interruption, but did as Myouga said. He started to lick at the tips of Sly's ears.

Sly didn't know what to make of Inuyasha's current antics. He didn't necessarily think it was good or bad...

What was Inuyasha trying to do?

Inuyasha couldn't help but smile as his continued licks had slowly been lifting his pup's ears.

Sly started to hear birds chirping, water flowing, squirrels making nutty sounds, grasshoppers jumping, etc. 'My ears are back up?' He slowly began to open his eyes back up...

Inuyasha couldn't help but squeal a small bark in his delight when he saw golden amber eyes open up. His pup was okay now! "*bark* how you feeling?!"

Sly thought about his question. 'Damn. I'd been feeling really lousy. Really, REALLY lousy...but now, I don't feel that bad.' "I actually feel pretty good."

"That's good." Miroku replied.

"You seemed completely out of it." Sango added.

Sly looked up at Inuyasha. "Does mommy hate me?"

Inuyasha just smirked at his pup. "**** no, pup. I think something's just going on with her." He scratched his pup's head. "Once she calms down, you'll see."
As time went by, Kagome was starting to lose her anger. She had also started to realize what she had done to Sly. '...I shouldn't have come down so hard.' she realized. '...He...he never even knew...'

How could she have gone off like that? Over one innocent question? She was starting to feel VERY guilty. She had gone so far as to put her son down. 'Kami...I had been practically evil!' She squeezed her eyes shut. Sure, he had been pretty annoying, and sure she was still previously upset by Inuyasha's comment and about not getting to discipline him with a sit.

But those weren't the real excuses.

'I don't...' Kagome sighed as she opened her eyes back up. 'I don't want Kawayou exposed to...'

///////"How about school?" Her mother asked. "Will you let him go or will you homeschool him?"

Kagome winced. School. That was something she knew was coming up soon, and she still didn't know herself. "I wish I could homeschool him, but there's no way I could work at the same time." She sighed. 'I wish I could just keep him sheltered in my arms for the rest of his life.'/////

'...life.' Kagome looked down at the ground. That's when she realized why she had done what she said. Partly Inuyasha, and partly Shippou's drudged up feelings of guilt and remorse. But it was mostly... she didn't WANT him to know. Not about Shippou's parents' death. Or Sango's family and village death. Or about Kohaku. Or about Miroku's plight or...

Inuyasha's past.

'He doesn't even understand death.' Kagome sighed. 'How could he? No one near us has ever died yet...'

She knew she handled the situation wrong.

She knew Kawayou was hurt and confused by her actions.

And she knew she would be hearing an earful from Inuyasha very soon...

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