~Oh my Goddess (not the anime/manga)! I've been waiting forever! Someone finally asked me what I meant when Inuyasha said he would Sleep.

Snowecat- The answer to your question.

            When Inuyasha says he's going to Sleep, he quite literally means that he's going to go into a deep, deep sleep, almost exactly like when he was pinned to the Goshinboku. Just… he won't be dead. Just wait until you find out how long he sleeps! But that isn't going to happen for a long while yet. Thanks so much for asking!

Onto the story!~

End of Days

By Alpha Parvani

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            After that most traumatizing incident, everything was pretty much back to normal.  Now I can tell you about Koga… Insert amused, uproarious laughter here.

                                                            *********

"Will you shut him up?"

"Just because you asked, no."

"Inu-cha~an…"

"Don't you fucking dare pull that on me. Besides. He's just hungry."

"Feed him!"

I was so amused by the near-falsetto tone Koga's voice took with those two words.

"You broke his last jar, baka. Remember, you sat on it?"

"Oh…yeah… That hurt like hell."

"I never would have guessed."

"Cynical bastard."

"Love you too."

            This was a typical conversation between me and Koga whenever Shiro would not stop crying. Which was happening just then. He was screaming, wailing, and sobbing like it was the end of the world. Which, for him, it technically was. I sighed and bounced my son gently, trying to stop his tears. Koga sat off to the side, his hands over his ears. I glared at him for a moment. "Grand help you are." He stuck his tongue out at me. I snapped my hand out and grabbed it. He gurgled and pulled back.

            I laughed and wiped my hand on his arm. "Wolf spit. Gross." He growled and turned his back to me. "Sulking, ookami-kun? How cute." I heard him mock me in a girlish voice. "I had no idea you were so femin- OW!"

            I jumped and looked down at Shiro. He had somehow managed to, literally, rip open my clothes and clamp onto a nipple. And he had sharp little teeth. I growled at him warningly. He looked up at me, startled, and let go. I lifted him off my lap and set him on a blanket. Removing my shirts, I reprimanded the pup.

~No.~

The inuyoukai language was universal and extremely easy for Shiro to understand.

~Father-male. Not mother-female.~

He whined. ~Hungry. Food.~ As if to make me feel worse, his little tummy growled.

            I groaned. 'Way to make me feel bad, pup.' I looked at Koga. "I don't know what to do… he's so hungry…" I rubbed Shiro's stomach tenderly. He whimpered and squirmed before rolling onto his stomach. I watched him push himself onto his hands and knees, something he had been doing more and more. He crawled over to my blanket and sat in the middle of it.

He began to cry again.

Koga howled in agony.

The wolves all whined and barked in concern.

I was getting a headache.

"SHUT UP!"

Dead.

Silence.

            I sighed in relief. "Thank you." I turned to Shiro and put my finger in his mouth. He gurgled and started gnawing on it. I winced. "You have enough teeth… I think it's time to start feeding you a few little solids, little one." He looked at me in confusion. I smiled and pulled my finger out of his mouth.

            "Koga… I need some of that fish you caught last night." The wolf prince nodded  and went off in search of said fish. "Everyone else, shoo. I have no time for you." The other wolf demons laughed and went about their business. Most of the wolves went off sullenly, but two or three females stayed to help me with Shiro. I pet each of them for a moment in thanks.

            I lifted Shiro into a sitting position, rubbing his little ears and poking his most ticklish spots. He giggled and purred almost at the same time. I smiled happily. 'Gods, I love this pup… Too much.' I picked him up and set him in my lap, running my fingers through his silky hair. I was amused to find that his hair had a curl to it, some actual ringlets.

            Koga returned then, holding a fish that he had placed in the fire for a few moments. I smiled at him as he handed to me. His hand lingered on mine for a moment, then he moved to sit across from me on the blanket. I cut a small piece of the fish off and turned Shiro to face me. He blinked then patted my chest. I grumbled a warning to him and he put his hands back in his lap.

            I held the fish bit out to him. He looked at it for a moment, then back at me. ~Food?~ I nodded slightly. He stared at it again before opening his mouth a little. I chuckled and put the fish on his tongue. He made a funny face, then swallowed it whole. I panicked when he started hacking. Rubbing his back, I eventually got him back to breathing normally. He smiled at me happily and squirmed. ~More! Good!~

            I complied. Koga would cut off a small piece, give it to me, and I would carefully feed it to Shiro. He continued trying to swallow the pieces whole until Koga and I both scolded him. He chewed on it a little after that.

            The sun was setting by the time we managed to feed Shiro enough to make him happy. He snuggled against me in the crook of my arm and yawned widely. I playfully put my finger in his mouth. He looked at me, surprised, when he bit down on my finger. I smiled and pulled my finger back out. He giggled tiredly, then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

            I looked up and was immensely amused to see Koga already sleeping… unfortunately, for him, it was my blanket. I whined pitifully and gently set Shiro in a little bed-nest I had made for him out of several furs. He continued sleeping.

I crawled across my blanket to Koga and shook him gently.

No response.

"Koga… Wake up." More shaking.

No response.

"Koga! Get up!" A rough shake.

He snorted and rolled over.

I groaned and gave up, settling for just curling up beneath a warm fur.

I fell asleep quickly… but didn't continue sleeping. I woke up after a nightmare, to Shiro's screaming. 'Why does it only wake me up…?' I shrugged and sat up, rubbing my eyes. My son continued squalling until I went to him. He reduced to sniffles and whimpers. "What's the matter, little pup?" I lifted him out of his nest and cradled him against me. ~Father-male.~ "Oh…Otou!" I blinked. 'He spoke.' I smiled broadly, filled with pride. He was so young… and he was already talking!

            I nuzzled him and rubbed his ears. ~Bad things?~ I asked. He pouted. I took it as a yes. I smiled kindly and went back to my blanket and furs. Koga was sitting up slowly, looking exhausted. "Wassa matter?" I laughed quietly. "Bad dreams." Koga nodded slightly and patted the space on the blanket next to him. I lay with my back against the wolf demon, Shiro snuggled in my arms. "G'night…" Koga yawned and breathed on my ears. They twitched as I drifted back into sleep.

~Whee… Nothing much to say. R&R!!

~Alpha Parvani