To Kill A Mocking Squirrel by Maru

To Kill A Mocking Squirrel

The characters of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz Media. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

To Kill A Mocking Squirrel

The day was bright, the wind light, the sky clear. And so it was for this reason that her and I sat out on the grass, doing our papers for our Literature class.

"Hey, Sesshoumaru, can I borrow a pen?" Kagome asked, holding her hand out like she already knew the answer. I considered declining but then dug out the pen, laying it in her palm. She gave me a breathtakingly sunny smile that always undid me and went back to her paper.

I dragged my eyes back irritably to my paper and forced myself to concentrate on it. But my attention strayed... I looked up and saw a squirrel staring down at me from not but a few feet away. It stared at me inquisitively and then continued down the tree, running a few short feet across the grass before stopping and facing me again. Squirrels were naturally shy creatures and this one's boldness bothered me. Was it just me, or did its eyes look crazed, its mouth drooling? Could it rabid?

I picked up a nut and just as the creature started to dart towards Kagome, I threw it. The nut hit the little mammal square in the head with a resounding 'thunk' and it dropped in its tracks. Kagome gave a little squeal of surprise and jumped to her feet, staring around for the source of the noise.

I pointed, "Squirrel attack." I said nonchalantly. She looked over at the downed squirrel and gave a little cry of displeasure. Bored, I watched as she stumbled over to it, dropping to her knees.

"Why did you have to kill it?" She asked in a devastated whisper.

I ignored her question. "You don't know that it's dead. It might wake up and bite you, you dumb girl."

She glared at me spitefully and then picked the animal up, feeling its chest by its elbow carefully for a heartbeat. The crestfallen look on her face told me she had found none. She bowed her head and something that might have been guilt washed over me.

"Put that dirty thing down and go wash your hands, woman." I told her. Her eyes shot up to meet mine.

"Shut up, you asshole!" She yelled at me. "You killed-" but she went silent because something was happening.

Hand glowing with a pinkish, purplish light, the girl stood, gasping. After a moment the glow faded and somehow I had gotten to my feet and was standing directly beside her. It was because of this that I saw the little squirrel's chest shudder and take in a large breath. Its eyes popped open.

"Holy freaking cow!" Kagome exclaimed, eyes frightened. The animal scrambled to its feet and Kagome, the idiot that she was, tried to hold onto the frightened creature. It bit her and she let go of it abruptly, letting it fall to the green carpet of grass and scamper away.

I couldn't keep from smirking when I met Kagome's wide eyes.

"Told you."