Page 19
Panel 1
Koinu closes his eyes and sniffs the air.
Koinu: *sniff* *sniff*
Panel 2
Koinu sits in Inuyasha "doggy" posture, arms between bent knees, looking disappointed.
Koinu: Sigh. Kagome’s not here, is she? Damn.
Panel 3
Close-up of Haruka.
Haruka: Koinu-chan . . . what . . . what’s happening?
Panel 4
View of Koinu. He looks upset and is hugging himself.
Koinu: I dunno. I’m really confused right now.
Panel 5
Side view of Koinu, still hugging himself. Behind him the nurse still holds the IV line.
Koinu: Mommy? Daddy?
Panel 6
View of Haruka and Yoshi, clinging to one another and looking surprised.
Koinu (offscreen): Is it still my birthday?
Page 20
Panel 1
View from behind Haruka, who is hugging Koinu
Haruka: It’s still your birthday, Koinu-chan.
Koinu: Where’s my Optimus Prime?
Haruka: It’s at home, baby.
Panel 2
View of the two from behind Koinu. The back of his hospital gown is open, revealing Snoopy underwear.
Haruka: We’ll bring it to you from home in the morning.
Koinu: Do I have to sleep in the hospital tonight? I want to go home.
Panel 3
Haruka holds Koinu in her lap.
Haruka: It’s all right, sweetheart. Mommy will be here too. OK?
Koinu: OK. Sigh. It’s my birthday and I have to sleep in the hospital. Kagome isn’t here. And my Optimus Prime is at home.
Panel 4
Close-up shot of Koinu on Haruka’s lap.
Koinu: Shit.
Page 21
Panel 1
View of a bird sitting in a nest in the fork of a tree.
Panel 2
Close-up view of the same bird.
Panel 3
Suddenly a clawed hand grabs the bird, with blood and feathers flying.
Panel 4
View of a very dirty young Inuyasha—somewhat older than at the beginning of the book, but still a child. He holds the dead bird in his hand and is bringing it up to his open mouth, prepared to bite.
Panel 5
Inuyasha bites into the bird and chews.
Panel 6
An adult-sized clawed hand grabs Inuyasha by the throat. Inuyasha—mouth full of feathers, is wide-eyed as he drops the bird.
Inuyasha: URRRK.
Panel 7
An angry-looking Inuyasha, feathers in mouth, is glaring, face to face, at the pleasantly deadpan Sesshoumaru, who holds him by the throat.
Sesshoumaru: Look at you. You’re disgusting. Do you remember who I am? Do you even recall how to speak?
Panel 8
Same view of the two. Inuyasha considers.
Panel 9
Inuyasha spits out a mouthful of feathers as he speaks.
Inuyasha: Feffomaru.
Page 22
Panel 1
Full-length view of Sesshoumaru, seen from behind. He holds a naked and very dirty Inuyasha dangling in the air by the neck. To their right are three youkai: Jaken, now in his usual toad form and carrying the Staff of Heads; Uma, a humanoid with round, staring eyes and feet reminiscent of the hooves of a Clydesdale; and a more or less humanoid known as Magpie, with sharp features, sharp fangs, bird-claw feet, and hands—if any—hidden by wide kimono sleeves.
Sesshoumaru: You are a fucking disgrace.
Uma: Ha ha!
Magpie: Sesshoumaru-sama, if you’re not going to eat that can I have it?
Panel 2
Front view of Sesshoumaru holding up the naked, dirty, bedraggled, and—yes, disgusting Inuyasha.
Sesshoumaru: It’s not edible. It’s disgusting. It smells worse than carrion. This Sesshoumaru wouldn’t eat it even if it weren’t family.
Panel 3
Close-up of Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru: But in fact, this fucking thing is this Sesshoumaru’s fucking half-brother. Product of an unfortunate alliance on the part of our otherwise noble and estimable father.
Page 23
Panel 1
Full-length view of Sesshoumaru, seen from behind, holding a dirty, kicking, naked Inuyasha at arm’s length. Facing them is Jaken holding the staff of heads and pointing to the side.
Sesshoumaru: Jaken. Nearest body of water.
Jaken: That way, Sesshoumaru-sama. About two hundred feet.
Panel 2
View of Inuyasha flying backward through the air (having been thrown by Sesshoumaru) toward a pond with lily pads and rushes.
Inuyasha: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaablub!
Panel 3
Inuyasha’s legs disappear into the pond with a splash.
Panel 4
Inuyasha treads water in the pond; there is a comical lily pad on his head. Sesshoumaru’s and Jaken’s feet are visible where they stand on the shore of the pond.
Inuyasha: You . . . fucking fucker! You fucking . . . penis . . . piss fucker!
Sesshoumaru: "Penis piss fucker." Such creativity! Do you hear that, Jaken? That’s the human side coming out.
Panel 5
Close-up of Inuyasha in pond. He is dripping wet and angry.
Inuyasha: I’m going to come out and kill you, fucker! I’m . . .
Panel 6
Closeup of Sesshoumaru, his expression blandly pleasant.
Sesshoumaru: You are going to stay in until you’re clean, asshole. Do you know what your asshole is? It’s the hole in your ass. The one you shit through. One of the things you’re going to clean thoroughly before you come out.
Panel 7
View of Sesshoumaru standing with Jaken.
Sesshoumaru: Jaken, watch him. Magpie, bring this Sesshoumaru your treasure bag.
Inuyasha (offscreen): I’m fucking cold! It’s fucking cold in here!
Panel 8
Closeup of Magpie, looking angry.
Magpie: My treasure bag? You can’t have my treasure bag! My treasure bag is mine!
Panel 9
Closeup profile of Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru: Uma, give me Magpie’s treasure bag. Kill him if he interferes.
Page 24
Panel 1
Sesshoumaru speaks to Uma and the angry Magpie.
Sesshoumaru: There’s a good kimono in there. The princeling who wore it has no use for it. And as I recall, Magpie forgot to share.
Magpie: That’s mine! Fuck you, Sesshoumaru! Fuck you, Sesshoumaru! I’m going to get you for this. That’s fire-rat fur! That’s magical!
Panel 2
View of Sesshoumaru, Uma, Magpie, and Jaken. Sesshoumaru has the same pleasant expression.
Sesshoumaru: Well, it seems not to have helped that young prince. Jaken, if Inuyasha is clean, bring him out.
Magpie: I’ll get you, Sesshoumaru. I’ll get you and your brother.
Panel 3
Full-length view of the group. Sesshoumaru watches as Jaken uses the Staff of Heads to prod the naked, dripping Inuyasha toward the rest of the group. Uma holds out the jacket of the familiar fire-rat-fur kimono. Magpie is ranting to himself.
Inuyasha: I’m going! Stop poking me with that thing!
Sesshoumaru: Come on and get dressed, Inuyasha. Nobody is going to hurt you. The white one first, Uma.
Magpie: …Kill Both Of You…
Panel 4
Close-up of Inuyasha dressing in the kimono. We can see that he’s very thin.
Inuyasha: I don’t have to get dressed if I don’t want to.
Sesshoumaru (offscreen): I don’t have to stop Magpie from killing you.
Panel 5
Inuyasha is dressing.
Inuyasha: It’s too big.
Sesshoumaru (offscreen): You’re young. You’ll grow, if nobody kills you first.
Panel 6
Close-up of Inuyasha, who is angry and nearly dressed.
Inuyasha: I don’t need you!
Panel 7
View of the group. Sesshoumaru, in profile, has begun walking, and the others are falling into place behind him. Inuyasha looks defiant, Magpie is still muttering, Uma and Jaken are expressionless.
Sesshoumaru: You have been terrorizing farms throughout the district for almost two years, eating rodents, chickens, and whatever small birds and animals you can get your hands on. Nevertheless, you look like you’re starving. I will not have it said that this Sesshoumaru’s brother was left to roam loose and starve. Jaken, next fresh battlefield?
Jaken: About two hours’ march, Sesshoumaru-sama.
Magpie: My bag . . . not yours . . . I’ll get you for that . . .