-1[Drabble Collection Title Possibilities

[Character(s) Shippou, Sango [Platonic to Romantic

This is a collection of inter-connected drabbles dedicated to the relationship between Shippou and Sango.

- - - - -

Title: The Warrior
Character(s): Sango, Shippou
Rating: PG
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Word Count: 626
Posted to: iyficcontest
Theme: A Shoulder to Cry On

- - - - -

The moon was too full. The stars were too bright. Even the tall grass covering the hillside that gently swayed in the breeze was too picturesque. Overall, the night was too pretty for the feelings rolling through her stomach.

Staring blankly into the darkness, she wondered when everything would finally be set to rights. 'What will I do when the world stops spinning so quickly?' Since joining the band of unlikely warriors and friends, the days had been long - almost endlessly so. But, that was her favorite part.

While traveling or fighting, there was no time to think. There was no time to reflect on what had been, or what would be. It simply was, and that was enough.

As a goal oriented person, there was no room in her mind for the excess of mourning. However, there would be a day, soon, when all of that would pass away, and it was in the quiet moments like this when she nearly lost her composure. 'I will not cry. A warrior must be strong, brave, and never risk the possibility of showing weakness to an enemy.'

The forest - with its dark shadows - could easily cover the demon or his minions. No place was safe. In these final days, it almost seemed as if he surrounded them. Watching and waiting, the pressure to maintain a strong front was exhausting.

"Sango," a small voice called out from behind, and it was only a moment longer before the tiny fox hopped into her lap. His large, cerulean eyes examined her face with alarming intensity. "Is something wrong?"

The demon hunter shook her head. "No, Shippou. Why are you up so late?"

"Something smells funny," he replied, tapping his nose.

"Oh," Sango asked, her interest sparked. "What do you smell?"

Shippou nervously tugged on his tail. "I don't know. It's coming from the woods, but I've never smelled anything like it before."

"What does it smell like?" She questioned and laid one hand on the Hiraikotsu.

Frowning, his face scrunched as he tried to separate the different scents. "It kinda smells like ink."

"Does Inuyasha know?" Sango wondered, examining the tree line for any suspicious activity.

"Yeah," Shippou sighed and snuggled into her lap. "He said it was nothing."

"Good," Sango responded, slightly loosening her hold on her weapon and relaxing enough to give the kit a soft pat.

The pair sat in tentative silence for the next few minutes, listening to the sounds of the forest echo through the valley.

"Hey, Sango," Shippou spoke up, disturbing the calm once again. "What are you doing out here?"

Running her fingers through his think hair, she released a soft sigh. "I could not sleep."

"I have to go away sometimes too," he knowingly replied. "When I can't sleep, and when I think too much. Sometimes I have to be by myself, but my papa used to say that its okay to have someone else to talk to when you're feeling sad." With watery eyes, he looked up at the taiji-ya to see the sadness reflected on her face. "My papa knew lots of things like that. I miss him a lot, and Kagome says that's okay too. So, I think it'd be okay if you were sad for just a little while."

"Oh, Shippou," Sango whispered, the dam around her heart breaking for a few moments as she buried her face into his hair. "I miss my father too."

So there in the darkness on a hillside with the world standing still, she let her tears fall into the hands of the youkai child, and the mighty demon hunter found that nothing came crashing down.

There was, quite simply, peace.

- - - - -