Peace & Protection

My Dearest Shippo:

If you are reading this letter to everyone then the worst has happened. I am either dead or the jewel sent me back to my time…please let it be the later of the two options. Because if I was sent home, I can pretend you are going to find me in the future and I will not have to pretend like this was all a dream. I had a feeling I would not be allowed to stay in your time. Just know that I really, really, really wanted too.

Shippo you have been the best adopted son/brother a girl could ever ask for. If you stay close to Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Sango, and yes even Miroku you will grow up to be very wise, powerful and handsome demon around.

Tell Sango that I will miss her companionship the most. I never had a sister and she was the closest I would ever come to having one. Whoever Sango decides to marry will be lucky to have such a beautiful, strong, graceful, and passionate women, I am just sorry I am not there to make sure he is worthy of her. Tell Kirara to take a well deserve vacation and I hope that she has several litters of kittens.

Tell Miroku to keep his hands to himself pervert! Tell him that I will miss our debates and his wisdom. He is smarter than most men in my time and will one day make an excellent father if he is not one already. I will not be surprised if some village women's father comes looking for him to take care of his responsibilities.

Tell Kaede that I will remember everything she has ever taught me. She was my first friend in a strange new world and I will forever carry her love and guidance close to my heart.

Tell Sesshomaru thank you for helping us defeat Naraku. I just know we killed that bastard or otherwise I would not be back in my time. I hope I am in my time and not dead in a ditch some were but any ways I digress. Tell him it is better to embrace and acknowledge his family then trying to eliminate them; he will only be stronger for it.

Tell Koga that I am not his women and he might as well give in and mate Ayame but I have always appreciated his friendship and loyalty.

Tell Inuyasha that I am sorry. Sorry that I broke my promise to stay by his side, sorry for not being able to be what he needed me to be. Sorry about our argument and by the way it was a lie. Not that it matters now. Tell him that I do not regret one moment we spent together and I only ever wanted him to be happy. He is not worthless or dirty and I am better for knowing him.

Now Shippo, the next thing I am going to tell you is real important and could change my future. Demons are myth in my time or that is what humans in my time think anyways. But I know of a powerful Fox demon who can, if he practices, find away to create a ring, necklace, something to make sure demons look like humans so they would not fade from existence. I have started several incantations and had several ideas on how this can happen. I have been writing them down in a notebook that I have hidden in the floor board of Kaede hut.

Maybe Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Mirkou can find away to make it work. Inuyasha has been to my time and can tell you anything you need to know. I also included some important dates to remember and some stalks and bonds to buy…If you are going to live to see me again you might as well be wealthy. Think of it as my way of taken care of you when I cannot physically be there. Just don't mess up my future too much.

Remember that I love you…I love all of you.

Kagome

Shippo stared out of the plane window, recalling every single line of the letter Kagome had given him what seems like a lifetime ago. The letter itself no longer existed. Over the years it had develop creases from where he had folded the letter to store in his breast pocket and tore gradually from constant rereading and inhaling her fading scent. Even after it tore, he kept it until time wore away the words and aged the paper yellow.

Her words inspired him. Shippo wanted so badly to see her again that he begged Sesshomaru to help him find a Kitsune master to train me. Over time, with the help of the Inu-gang, Shippo became the best Fox demon around.

Trained to fight by Sesshomaru.

Educated by Miroku.

Learned patience from Sango and loyalty from Inuyasha…

All for Kagome…

The women who loved and gave unconditionally and never asked for anything in return. She believed in him and gave him the tools to make it back to her.

Although, her reaction to seeing them alive and well in her time was not what he had expected. She looked so tired and sad that Shippo was convinced for sure that seeing them again, especially Sango, would make her extremely happy but the look on her face as Sango stood between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru seemed only to break her not heal her.

Watching her crumple to the ground, as she watched Inuyasha, Sango, and Sesshomaru leave the shrine grounds. Shippo vowed that he would take care of her. He would shelter, protect, and love her like she did for me when he was a kit. Nothing and no one would make him walk away, not after all the work he did to make sure he survived to see her… and so he stayed.

It was difficult at first. Shippo moved closer to the shrine to be with Kagome more. He called everyday and spoke to the family. He came by every weekend to help clean the shrine. Eventually Kagome embraced her time with him with open arms, and he eventually became her beloved aniki but she refused to see the rest of our small family or even hear about how their time with him was spent while waiting for her to be born. It was sort of a silent agreement between them. He could stay but the others were to stay away.

Shippo tried to ask Kagome about it once; she just froze and told him she needed time. Time to enjoy her era; time to be a teenager, time for school, she just wanted some time without them…like they had time without her.

It hurt to hear her say that but he understood. They had time to grow and change and she wanted the same. So he kept them updated with monthly progress reports. Of course Kagome never knew and if Shippo wanted to stay in her good graces Kagome could never find out.

Kagome immersed herself into school work; determine to graduate with honors and with her friends. It was her way to escape facing them. She needed a new purpose and school gave her one.

Due to all of her absentness her school was planning to keep her behind a grade, but Kagome was persistent. She took classes during the summer and studied every night until the school revoked their decision and allowed her to graduate with her friends.

What was more surprising was when Kagome wasn't studying for school she went back to a secret love. A love none of us even knew she had…dance. Who would have thought, a girl as clumsy as Kagome could dance as graceful as Sesshomaru could fight and with the same passion Inuyasha used to show when he use to protect her.

Dance gave her tranquility that she could not find with him, or anyone, and anyplace since returning to the future.

Kagome practiced dancing as frequently as she could without having it interfere with her studies. She considered herself a contemporary dancer even thought she had trained as ballerina since the age of 12. Through dance she found balance and after awhile she found control. Control over her emotions and her dormant miko abilities.

When Kagome danced her power would surge up and illuminate just under her skin giving her an ethereal glow. In the beginning she would be radioactive for hours after dancing, just to be near her would slightly singe Shippo's skin. With her constant practicing came perfection and with perfection came the ability to bring her powers forth… without having to dance.

She was ecstatic and for the first time Shippo saw a glimpse of the old Kagome, carefree and happy. From there on out she was happier and laughed more. It was like a door had been open and the sad and bitter Kagome was kicked out and replaced by more confident Kagome.

With new confident came a rebellious streak. A streak that granted would have shown itself if she was a normal teenager who did not fall down a well but it was unexpected. Kagome started to go out more, dance more, and came home drunk more, until one night she didn't come home until the following morning.

Kagome had went out the night before with that Hobo guy that Inuyasha hated so much and she came back the next day reeking of him and lacking her innocents. To say Shippo nearly lost his centuries of practice control was an understatement. All he could think about was how could she do this? This wasn't the Kagome he knew.

He had to find a way to keep her safe so he spoke with Inuyasha and begged him to send one of his fangs. Shippo informed the confused and annoyed Inu that he was creating a protection charm for Kagome, in which the aggravated Inu easily agreed. He just forgot to inform him who he was protecting Kagome from…but that was years ago.

Kagome is now a grown women living in New York. Hopefully, she will not be to mad at him that he was returning early from his trip to Japan and bringing the pack.