Disclaimer: How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie pop (which I don't own)? The world may never know.

Inuyasha: Ss pie, your doing it again; you're tying to get away from putting a disclaimer on me, saying that you don't own me.

Ss pie: Well, I said it without having to actually say it, didn't I? My mission is complete.

Inuyasha shakes his head. "Fan girls. Can't get enough of me. Feh."

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Chapter 10: Fowl Play

"Ook ook! Ih urned ue!" squeaked Shippo, pointing at the Popsicle stick in his mouth overjoyed. His little paws ran around the lunchroom table.

"You know, we'd actually get to see it if you'd take it out of your mouth, Shippo," Miroku pointed out dully.

Shippo gasped, almost swallowing the pop. "Oh! Ight!" He took out the Popsicle and examined it before he exclaimed yet again, "Look! Look! It turned blue!" Yes, another Popsicle miracle. At this his friends nodded rather unconvincingly happy and turned again to their meals. Kagome just picked up a spoonful of the sloppy mess she had been served and stuck her tongue out in disgust as it drooped down toward her dish.

"Kagome, stop making faces at your food. One of these days it might just attack you for doing that," said Sango.

"Yeah! And like my momma always says," Shippo closed his eyes and shook a finger, "'you should never play with your food, dear'."

Kagome sighed and stared at her food. "Go ahead; eat me if I care! In fact, you'd be doing me a favor!"

The table laughed and Sango tried to reassure her friend. "Kagome, I'm not kidding. There have been accidents in the school before where the food isn't well cooked and it actually does attack the student." Kagome gasped and that just made Sango laugh even harder. When Kagome asked angrily if she was only kidding, she added, "Nope—I'm not. But your face is always priceless, Kagome." Her friend harrumphed and looked to the side, embarrassed.

Shippo pointed toward a far side of the lunchroom. "Speaking of priceless, why's that big chicken walking—I mean—waddling over here? You guys know him?" Miroku, Sango and Kagome looked up just in time to see a big, six-foot yellow chicken coming up to them, apparently annoyed at all the stares it was receiving. Not to mention the few snickers, whispers and chuckles in the background.

The giant poultry had barely made it three feet away from their table when it turned around (ruffling some feathers) and clucked, "Try and laugh it up in my face, you cowards—and I'll knock you out cold with my drumsticks, ya here!" Everyone at Kagome's table except Sango gasped. Was that...Inuyasha? The giant chicken growled then snorted as a final statement and waddled closer to the table. Seeing Shippo covering his mouth with both hands in an attempt to keep from laughing, he punched him on the head, knocking him out. "Twerp!"

Shippo grabbed his head. "Ow! Hey!"

"You think this is funny!" Obviously that was a dumb question, but he had to give it a try.

"Inuyasha…Is that really you?"

The hanyou in the full-chicken suit turned to Kagome. "Well, who else would it be!"

"Oh…I just…had to check…heh…"

"What! You laughing at me, too, Kagome!" he growled. Before she could tell him how sorry she was, he glared over to Sango, which seemed more like a twist of the beak from his suit. "This is all you fault!" His feathery wing let a few feathers fall down effortlessly as he pointed to her.

"Calm down, boy." Sango looked uninterested in playing this little game with him again. "Look, I told you that this would be dangerous work, Inuyasha. You just didn't ask what in fact it was going to be."

Miroku folded his arms in front oh his chest. "Hmm… Let me guess. Sango dear, you volunteered to help out in the carnival again this year and I could but assume that Inuyasha was your bait this time for the costume fitting—am I right?"

Sango sighed. "Yeah, except for the part where I volunteered… Kaede sort of 'gifted' me with the job since she liked how everything turned out last year."

Miroku nodded. "So, in other words, no one else wanted to have this burden about them? Hmm?"

Sango rested her chin on her hand. "No one else was stupid enough to ask for it."

Shippo laughed. "But Inuyasha sure was sure dumb enough to fall for the old I-have-a-dangerous-job-for-you-to-do line!" Bonk. "Ow—hey! Inuyasha! Stop hitting me!" Still holding up his feathered-fist, the hanyou blushed under the suit, knowing all-too-well that the kitsune was right. He never backed down on a dangerous mission—but maybe next time he could actually ask what it was about?

Miroku patted Sango on the shoulder. "You have my condolences."

Sango immediately grabbed his hand. "And by that you mean you'll help me out, right?" The monk froze on the spot. It was one thing to support your woman but… help her out? That was too much to ask for. "Listen, monk, I need an extra pair of hands to help out around…in fact, a lot of 'em. So come with me!" She pulled him away from the table.

"No! Sango! Wait a second! I never said—"

"Too late now; I need help picking things up and cleaning up the place, so your wind tunnel was first on my 'first to do' list."

At this Miroku was relieved. "Well, if that is the case, then I'd be happy to help out!" He grinned form ear to ear. "You should have said that sooner, Sango." After all, anything was worth it to be even in the same room as her—just as long as it meant having to do practically nothing to help her out. His wind tunnel was known to be the best vacuum cleaner around.

Sango kept dragging him toward the lunchroom's exit thinking, Just as long as you make my life easier, pervert…

Kagome watched them until thy left. Boy were those two meant for each other…

"Hello! What about me! I'm still stuck in this thing and I can't get out!"

Kagome sighed. Why do they have to leave me with the chicken…? "Inuyasha, calm down, your making a scene. Do us a favor and shut your beak, will you?" Inuyasha growled, offended.

"Hey! How come you never hit anyone else whenever they say a wise-crack but always hit me?" Shippo crossed his arms. "It's not fair." He added in a hushed tone, "Turkey legs." Bonk. "Ow."

Inuyasha snorted. "The next being that tries to be a smart-ass with me I'll…"

Thump! A big, brown, cardboard box was dropped onto the table. "And what do we have here? Inuyasha in a chicken suit, I presume?" Kagome, Shippo and the chicken looked up to see none other than Bonkotsu standing over them. "I've got a package for you." Before Inuyasha could bite him he continued, "Prof. Mankle wants some one like you to take this to her classroom."

Inuyasha, still wearing his chicken head, feh'd. "Why do I have to do it?"

Bonkotsu smiled. "Glad you asked!" He quickly took out a little whistle from under his fighting uniform and blew in it. In mere seconds the whole band of seven was standing behind him. Kagome and Inuyasha jumped back surprised. Shippo was still feeling nauseas to do anything. "Because…We, the Band of Seven," at this every member either flexed their muscles or posed with their weapons while Bonkotsu smiled at them, his teeth shining, "are busy helping out with the carnival decorations!"

Inuyasha fluffed his feathers. "Well, you missed Sango by a hair. She's already gone."

At their leader's command, five of the members hurried out to find the demon slayer. Bonkotsu rested his Banryu on his shoulder. "Well then, we're off!" Starting to walk away, he shouted back, "Oh! And Inuyasha? The professor wants you to be on that A.S.A.P." The hanyou growled. Why did that filthy cat bother him so?

Before he could continue his thoughts, tens of hundreds of frantic girls ran after Bonkotsu, screaming out their love for him. The little hearts in their eyes pulsed.

A little disturbed and trying to change the subject, Kagome asked, "Inuyasha, does Prof. Mankle really take it out on you this much?"

The hanyou nodded, making his crest wiggle. "That darn cat has more lives than I have manners."

Kagome sighed. "I'll say…" Inuyasha feh'd.

"Inuyasha, dear…" The three in the table looked up to find Jakotsu this time staring down on them. "I have a little something for you, too." His smile was a little too uncomfortable, especially for the hanyou.

"What do you want, freak?"

Jakotsu laughed. "Oh, Inuyasha… you don't have to act all defensive on me...I know that you know that we're meant for each other…." Inuyasha practically fell back in his chair.

"Jakotsu! Stop playing around with the dog! Come help me out over here!" Bonkotsu waved over to his companion from a far side of the lunchroom.

Jakotsu sighed. "Oh, alright, alright." Inuyasha inwardly counted his blessings. But not a second later his fowl cheek received a warm kiss from the boy. "I'll be thinking of you as I always do, hunk." Jakotsu finished by winking at him playfully and walked away. Inuyasha's wings tried to wipe off the wetness on his chicken head cheek frantically.

Kagome came up from under the table with Shippo on her shoulder. "Is it safe to come out yet?" By then half of Jakotsu's own fan club was already making its way across their table, three fourths of the group composed of young boys in love.

A shiver crawled up Shippo's spine and made the hairs on his tail stand on end. "I think so…"

Inuyasha dried off the sweat that had formed on his feathery forehead. "Glad that's over."

Kagome took one last look at her tray and shooed it aside. "So, Inuyasha, I wonder what that box's for?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't know. Who cares?"

Kagome stood up from her seat. "Well, whatever it is we'd better get it to Prof. Mankle's class right now."

Inuyasha's chicken face crooked its head to the side. "What do you mean, 'we'?"

Kagome put her hands on her hips. "What? You don't want me to come?"

Inuyasha waved his wings. "No! I-I mean… no-- that's not what I meant…"

She swayed her hair as she picked up her tray with her other hand. "Fine then. It's settled."

"Can I come too!" Shippo cried out. Inuyasha just feh'd. "Yeah! I get to come!" He hopped onto Kagome's shoulder. "Do you think we can stop by the snack bar and get another popsicle, Kagome?" Kagome smiled and nodded.

Just as a very disturbed chicken walked out the exit door behind the two, Rin ran across the lunchroom floor, holding a tray in her hands.

"Stop running, you insolent child, or you'll fall!"

Rin stopped and looked back to face Jaken, panting from having to run all the time behind her. "Master Jaken I can't find a seat anywhere." Ah Un moaned behind the imp.

Jaken looked at her in the eye. "Listen, Rin. You just can't run off on me like that! What would Lord Sesshomaru do if something happened to you?"

Rin looked down at the floor innocently and swayed her foot across it. "…he'd kill you, Jaken."

Jaken nodded in exaggeration. "That's right! And would you want that to happen, Rin?"

Rin inhaled a gulp of air before thinking for a while, then answered, "No. I don't think so."

Jaken smiled. "Good. –Hey!" Rin giggled for joking around and ran off again somewhere.

"Hey! Rin! Rin! Come back here! What have I just said!" Ah Un groaned. Jaken pulled on his reigns and started after the little girl again. "Oh why couldn't my Lord be appointed with another dragon or demon like me, Ah Un?" His answer was another groan. The little green man nodded, pleased. "That's right. It isn't fair… It isn't fair at all…"

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Once Inuyasha had gone inside Prof. Mancle's classroom he set down the box on her desk. Kagome and Shippo circled around it.

"Oh! I wonder what it could be!" chimed in Shippo.

"Feh. Let's just go already…" answered Inuyasha, crossing his wings in front of his chicken breast and starting to walk out the door.

"Wait," shouted Kagome, "aren't you a least bit intrigued to what it could be!" Inuyasha grunted but nonetheless walked over. Kagome started inspecting the box on all its sides. "Hmm…I wonder what it could be…"

"Keh! Just open the damn thing!"

Kagome snapped back at the hanoyu." I can't just invade some one else's privacy! I mean, it's sealed shut and everything!"

"Then why do you bother me so much with all that," his voice changed into a high-pitched girly tone, "this is so interesting! I want to see it!"

Kagome growled. "Inuyasha, sit boy! Behave!" The hanyou stuck out his tongue.

"Hey guys! I've opened it!" Shippo's announcement made the two look over to the box, which apparently was never closed—or had just happened to open up by itself. Kagome eyed the leaf in the kitsune's hand.

"Shippo, you didn't…" The fox demon instantly turned on his most puppy-eyed look at her and bit his bottom lip as innocently as possible, which worked. He knew Kagome couldn't be mad with him for too long, and she managed to let that slip.

Inuyasha smirked underneath his costume. "Hey, nice work, Shippo. You've now officially earned the title of a break-in-little-booger."

Shippo whined. "Kagome!"

"Well, Shippo. You do have a habit of getting into Inuyasha's things lately…" The fox pouted. She was right, and she couldn't get him out of this one.

Inuyasha panted. "Gee, I think I'm actually lacking oxygen in here…" Kagome didn't hear him for she had started rambling through the boxes' items. Inuyasha felt his head. "Kagome, I'm feeling kinda…dizzy all of a sudden…"

As Kagome brought one of the mysterious items from inside the box to eye level, Shippo fell inside the box to mettle through it himself. The girl looked at the tiny ring in her hand curiously. "Hmm…I wonder…"

Shippo popped up his head from the box. "Well, what is it! What is it!"

"Wow. I'm starting to feel like Sesshomaru in this thing…" Inuyasha was swaying from side to side, fluffing his wings. "You know, with his boa and all…"

Kagome walked over to him, looked for the head's open button, and took off his chicken head. "Now. Are we done?" She revealed a very sweaty dog underneath, hair clinging all over his face.

Inuyasha blinked and tried to adjust his eyes and breathing to the world outside the costume. "What the—" He blushed, realizing his suit did come off after all. "Well that was embarrassing…"

"Look, Inuyasha. It's a ring." Kagome handed him the round structure, which he took and examined.

"Hey! And there's a bunch of them in here, too!" Shippo exclaimed. When the other two looked inside the box, they found that it contained hundreds of rings in it. "And look, Kagome! They have the student's names written all over them and everything!"

Kagome searched on. "Hey. You're right."

Inuyasha crossed his wings. "Why would Mancle order rings for us?"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't know, but with the looks of things, it couldn't be good."

Shippo smirked and looked at Kagome evilly from the corner of his eye and asked maliciously, "Do you think, that maybe… this is all fowl play?" Double bonk.

"Inuyasha, stop doing that to the poor kid!"

"Well I would if he'd stop buggin' me!"

"I swear, sometimes you two act like brothers, you know?"

"Feh. Let's just get out of here, I'm starving." That's right. He hadn't been able to eat anything ever since he had put on the suit.

Kagome sighed but soon giggled. "Well, don't you think you'd first like to take that thing off?" She stared at his little tail.

Inuyasha looked behind him and wiggled it for emphasis and nodded. "Right."

Kagome came close to him still giggling and began searching for a way to get the rest of the costume off. "Here, I'll help you."

The hanyou blushed and backed away. "Uh—wait! I'm…uh…sorta not wearing anything under this…"

Kagome blushed. Shippo hopped onto her shoulder. "Ew…"

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