Okay, false alarm. My dad's getting me in July. See, he was gonna pick me up on Friday, but then I found out that I wouldn't be able to go to Metro Kon and I rescheduled. He doesn't have a prob with that, he seems not to want me to come down...nyah...

Wow, this story's getting long. I typed three chappies in an hour, I think. Maybe 45 mins...that's boredome. Well, at least I'm not grounded like I was before...

After a short while, Sesshoumaru apologized for compulsively attacking Shippo and for popping the ball.

"It's okay," Shippo told him. "I shouldn't have used my top…"

Sesshoumaru rose to his feet.

"Look now, no harm done. I am able to walk, and that is all…erk!"

Sesshoumaru froze in place and fell over like a limp noodle as he felt pain between his legs.

"Very well, I am a bit hurt…" he admitted in his soprano-pitched voice.

"Aww, does this mean we can't play anymore?" Rin said sadly.

"Let me rest for a few minutes, then I shall give you both a treat, how is that? It will be a further addition to my apology for popping your ball."

Sango put her cleaning rag down.

"Hmm…I wonder if maybe Sesshoumaru would mind it if I took a bath here too? What do you think, Kirara?"

The fire-cat mewed and gave a small nod.

"You sure?" Sango wondered worriedly.

"Mew!" Kirara replied assuringly, giving a kitty smile to her owner.

"Alright then."

Sango stripped herself bare and lowered herself into the hotspring. Kirara mewed and settled herself down.

Oh Sango, Sango; If only you knew how well Sesshoumaru seems to manage children… she mused to herself. The things Ah-Un has told me…

Sesshoumaru felt much better after his short break, other than feeling more than a little hungry.

Grrgggle.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, what's that?"

"Nothing," the taiyoukai replied to his ward quickly.

Grrrrggggle.

"Is that your tummy, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"…No."

"Are you trying to keep a secret from me?" Rin asked.

"Of course not," Sesshoumaru replied. His stomach gurgled again and he winced, knowing the gurgle would soon turn into pain and that he had two weeks to outlast.

"You are hungry, Lord Sesshoumaru! Why don't you admit it to me?" Rin said, slightly hurt.

"I did not wish to worry you, Rin…"

"You never really worry me. You're my strong, kind lord! You'll always come through in the end!"

Sesshoumaru smiled.

"Now, I do recall that I said I'd have a treat for you, Rin and Shippo. Just hold on for a few more moments…"

Sesshoumaru let crimson bleed into his eyes and ceased in suppressing his demon transformation. In no time at all, he was in full Inu-Youkai form.

:Climb on: he told Shippo.

(Uh, sure,) Shippo replied. He helped Rin up and they both clung on for dear life as Sesshoumaru began to leap about. Eventually, the young ones began to enjoy themselves and squealed in delight. They were unperturbed by Sesshoumaru's massive limp and didn't notice he was bleeding at his midsection after about thirteen minutes of leaping around.

"Yay! Faster, faster!" Shippo squealed.

Sesshoumaru was enjoying himself so much that he hardly noticed his condition until his paws gave out and he slid forward a good ten feet.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin cried. She and Shippo leapt from the taiyoukai's back and he transformed back.

"Oww…" he muttered stoically. He didn't even sound as if he was in pain, but his eyes were slightly unfocused. "I am bleeding."

Slowly, Sesshoumaru removed the fire-rat robe Inuyasha lent him. It was wet with his blood.

"Rin. Would you be so kind as to bandage my wound?"

"Of course!" Rin said. "Wait here!"

Sesshoumaru kept to his sitting position, and just as before in the snow, a wave of blood was expelled forcefully from his stomach wound. He shuddered, noting that the gush wasn't as bad as the first time it had happened with Kagome.

"I really should not sit up," he murmured to himself. His uneven bangs covered his eyes.

"Sesshoumaru, are you okay?" Shippo asked. "Do you need anything?"

"Nothing you can give me, kit."

Rin came back and immediately went to work patching Sesshoumaru's wound. She had become quite the nurse after having to tend her comrades' wounds, with the exception of Sesshoumaru himself. He hissed as she tightened the bandages.

"Is that better, my lord?"

"Hn. Yes. Thank you Rin."

Sesshoumaru pat her on the head.

"I'm just glad you're a bit better now. Thanks for the ride!" she said cheerily.

"You're very welcome…"

"Such a sweet scene."

Sesshoumaru felt the hairs on his neck bristle.

"What is your business?"

"Keh! So this is the famous Lord Sesshoumaru? Not much to look at anymore, are you?"

A snake demon came out of it's hiding place.

"I will ask again; what is your business, demon?"

"You know what will happen to a weakened lord. I have come to take over your lands."

"Take over. Feh. You cannot take over until you kill the current prince of the Western Lands. Only I know who that is," Sesshoumaru sneered.

"You have a son!" the snake hissed.

Sesshoumaru grinned sardonically.

"Grragghh! I shall slay you regardless!"

The snake rose to his full height and bared his three-foot fangs.

Sesshoumaru drew his Toukijin.

"Come at me then."

The snake struck very rapidly at his opponent, but Sesshoumaru dodged with a back flip and shot out some energy through the Toukijin.

"Your movements are much too slow!" Sesshoumaru said. He landed gracefully, but the shock of his attack caused his stomach to spurt blood.

"Ugh!"

"Slow am I! Damn you!"

The snake struck again, but Sesshoumaru blocked with the Toukijin. Before he could leap away this time, though, the snake's tail wrapped itself around his foot. He growled and made to slash outwards with his claws, but the snake had already wrapped itself around the demon lord before he unsheathed his claws.

"You bastard!" Sesshoumaru snarled. He then felt an excruciating pain in his gut as pressure was applied.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin cried. She leapt up to the snake and began to pound it ferociously.

"Little wench!" the snake hissed. It slammed the very tip of its tail to the ground and knocked Rin away. Sesshoumaru growled, but his eyes widened as the snake's coils tightened even more. His lips and face began to turn purple.

"You…will…not…hurt…the child!" he roared. Left with no alternative, he ran his claws out as far as he could. Still, their length could not pierce the snake deeply, so he ran them out even further; a sharp pain in each finger alerted him that he was straining his claws much too far.

I don't care! I must uphold my duties! I promised Sango!

His eyes turned crimson and he increased his youki. A primal roar ripped itself from his throat and finally, he was able to move his hand and rip through the snake. He buried his fangs into the demon's flesh.

"Gah!"

"Take that! Go Sesshoumaru!" Shippo cried.

Sesshoumaru chewed on the snake's flesh. Angrily, it bared its fangs at Sesshoumaru's back.

Ugh…I have made…my brother's mistake… he thought, eyes losing focus. He then gasped as the snake's fangs entered his back.

"Hiraikotsu!"

R & R pretty please!