Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Inuyasha.

Pie for One: Shippou's Adventure

I had to do it! There it was just sitting there, smelling so good. My mouth waters even now with the thought of it. My name is Shippou. I live down by the old temple with my mother, Kagome, and friends. I'm hiding right now in the water shack by the pond for a very good reason. If my mother finds me I'm really going to get a "what-for" from her. I guess I have enough time to tell you about what has been going on here, but we have to be very quite. I don't want anyone to hear me and find me. SSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!

The whole ado started this morning. I got up feeling like I was on top of the world. The sun was shining brightly and the birds were singing sweetly outside. My nose was twitching in anticipation of a beautiful day full of possibilities. To me this was the best time of the year, besides the celebration I mean. The leaves were falling from the trees so that you could pile them together up high and jump in them and then play.

Breakfast went as it always did but today there was a special something in the air, a sweet something. Today was the fall harvest celebration down in the town centre, by the sandal shop. Not only was today the celebration, but it was also the bake sale day and that meant that my mom was baking her special, make-your-mouth-water blackberry pies, yummy!

After breakfast this morning was finished my mom sent all of us out of the house to play while she finished up her baking for the celebration. So, I went to play in the fall leaves, jumping from pile to pile and rolling around throwing the leaves in the air. Then that sweet and tantalizing smell came wafting through the open kitchen window to tease me. I then climbed out of the leaves that my friends had piled on top of me, as if beckoned and I followed the sweet smell.

I looked around, as I slid up to the side of the house, and finding I was alone I went into the kitchen. Just as I raced around the corner to the counter I ran smack into my mom. "What's the hurry?" she said, catching me by my shirt collar.

"I just wanted to come in and see if you needed any help with your baking for the celebration?" I said to her while wiggling out of her arms and moving stealthily as possible with her watching to the sweet smell.

"No you don't," she said as I reached for a taste of the steaming blackberry pies, "those are for the Bake Sale today." She told me as she pulled me back towards the way that I had come.

"Oh please mom?" I said to her with my most endearing "I-am-so-sweet" look in my eyes and my bottom lip sticking out and trembling ever so slightly.

These tactics usually work on her but obviously not today because she said, "Oh, don't give me that look. I need all of these pies for the celebration but maybe later if I have time I'll bake some special cookies for you and your friends. Besides, the pies will spoil your lunch," With a firm nod of her head she pushed me towards my friends, "Why don't you go back outside and play with the other kids from the village while I finish up in here."

I walked away from her dragging my feet with my head and ears down. Visions of those sweet pies kept dancing in my head and every now and caught a whiff of that sweet smell as it drifted softly across my nose. I saw my friends still playing in their leaf piles, but I didn't feel like joining them anymore. Sweet blackberry pies were all that I had in my mind, swimming just out of my reach. It's amazing how much more something becomes important when it is denied.

I went and sat beside the big tree growing beside our home, thoughts of those pies were still drifting through my mind. I wanted a taste so very bad. I needed a taste so very bad. I had to have a taste so very bad. Just as I was working myself up to a frenzy of dancing with the yummy pies my mom opened up the kitchen window a placed a pie on the window sill. Steam was rising slowly and softly from it. I was pulled to the sill by my nose. As I came closer I could smell the sweet smell that was haunting me. There the pie was and my mouth started to water to a constant flow. Just having it so close to me was all I could take. Looking over one shoulder then the other to see if anyone was watching or near, and seeing that no one was I peeked in the window. I saw myy mom was walking out the back door with a bucket for water to clean up, leaving the area empty.

Oh the sweet temptation! I saw my moment and I took it! Snatching the pie from the sill quickly I ran for all I was worth. What I didn't count on that my mom had forgotten something in the kitchen so she was just walking in as I was in the middle of my snatching of the pie. I froze, but the pie was already in my hands so I continued to run. I could hear my mom starting to yell, but I figured that I was already in deep trouble and I kept going.

That of course leads us to the now and the why I am here in this shack. Even though when they find me I know that I am going to be in deep trouble, the pie was worth it. You wouldn't happen to have a napkin so I could wipe off my face? I have blackberry pie all over it.

A noise behind me made me freeze when I heard, "Shippou! Where are you? Get back here you little troublemaker!" my mom shouted, "You are going to get it when you get home!"