All right, first off I am apologizing for taking a while on this chapter. In my defense I wanted the meeting of our two main characters to be good, and I hope you think it is. I took a long time planning this out, plus with work (40 + hours a week- not bad for part time I think) and school vastly approaching (August 31st, another semester starts) I have been busy-but I have taken the time to chip away at this chapter and at last for all who have been patiently waiting, here it is. Do enjoy.

Chapter 4- Encounter

It was extremely dark in his dream that much Shippo knew for certain. He recalled the feeling of being carried ever so gently; it felt like he was floating. And a lingering scent that Shippo could not place. It seemed familiar and yet somehow very different. Figures cloaked in shadow moved in front of him. If only he could reach them, ask them who they were. Hands stretched out, he could almost touch them. He was inches away…..

"Oi brat! Get up!" A rough voice barked.

Something heavy hit Shippo's head and he was very aware of a sagging weight upon his mattress.

"C'mon little baby, quit hiding under there!" The voice drawled.

"Is the little kitsune afraid, did he have a bad dream?" Another voice sneered.

Shippo groaned. Not them, please no. Not this early in the morning.

He flung back his worn afghan to see three faces jeering at him. Great, just great. It had to be them. He gave his best scowl to the three bullies, which in his opinion was pretty good for a seven year old.

"What? Did we wake you?" A dark haired boy with silver eyes sat on his bed, flanked by his two cronies.

"Knock it off, Hotaka."

"Aw did I hurt his feelings?" The older boy jeered. At age eleven, he was significantly taller than Shippo, and he never let him forget it.

"You don't mess with Hotaka! The wolf demon is a proud race and don't you forget that!" One of the other boys, Matsu who was a panther demon, bared his fangs at Shippo. At second in command, he stood just an inch shorter than Hotaka, with brilliant cerulean eyes, and a jet black tail that matched his hair. He was the one who held Shippo down while the others took turns wailing on him. Or, if they were bored, they'd invent some other imaginative 'game' like fox hunting. That seemed to be there favorite.

"Yea!" The last boy agreed pumping his fist. He sported brown fuzzy ears upon the top of his chocolate mop of hair. A bear demon, Teishi was basically the follower. He would follow Hotaka and Matsu around and cheer them on when the picked on some other kid. Mostly it was just Shippo; they seemed to have a special interest in him.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Shippo pushed his way through the three demon children. Turning to his shabby chest of drawers, he wrenched open a drawer, causing his meager selection of clothing to nearly come spilling out.

Shippo snatched up his favorite shirt, paper thin cotton garment the color of jade. Rooting around he found a pair of baggy slacks grey in color. Searching through his other clothes, he pushed aside his faded yellowing socks. Where was it?

"Looking for this?" Hotaka dangled Shippo's all time favorite and only vest in his hand.

Shippo gritted his teeth. They just had to take it, his favorite!

"Give it back."

"Ooooh! Looks like he's serious!" Matsu mocked.

"If you want it, come and get it." Hotaka eyes darkened cruelly.

Shippo flung himself at the boy, and was caught by two sets of arms.

"Take him outside." Hotaka ordered.

The two other boys dragged Shippo across the room, weaving through the countless bunk beds until they reached a door. Hotaka pulled on the knob until the door creaked open. The chilly morning air ruffled Shippo's hair and caused him to shiver through his hand me down pajamas.

Stocking over to a particularly mucky mud puddle, Hotaka proceeded to dangle Shippo's vest over it.

"No! Don't! Stop it!" Shippo screeched from his hold. He felt his eyes prick with angry tears.

"Aw is the baby going to cry?" Hotaka sneered. The other two laughed right along with their leader.

"Fine. You want your vest? Here it is."

He held it out to Shippo, who looked utterly flabbergasted at the complete turnaround.

He reached out to grab it, when at the last second Hotaka let it fall from his hand. The cloth fluttered to the ground and into the sticky mud before Shippo could grab it.

"Oops." Hotaka said innocently.

He stuck his foot and stepped on the vest, sending it deeper into the mud.

Shippo's eyes widened as he saw his beloved vest being flooded with the filthy muck.

"Sorry Shippo, it was an accident." Hotaka trilled.

The other two howled at his joke and left Shippo to pick up his ruined vest. By the time he had fished it out with a stick, they had already returned inside.

Holding it on the end of a stick, he hurried inside to escape the chill. Not that inside was much better anyway, it was always drafty.

Shippo scurried into the boy's community bathroom and let his vest drop into the sink with a squelch, splattering mud droplets all over the mirror.

Turning on the tap, he began to vigorously scrub at the article of clothing in a desperate attempt to get the stains out. After about ten minutes of scrubbing Shippo's hands ached. But there was still a big stain on the back that just would not come out. Deciding he had given it his best, he rung out the sopping vest and went to hang it on his bed post.

His growling stomach reminded Shippo that he was already late for breakfast and if he didn't get a move on he wouldn't get any. Hurriedly throwing on his clothes he sprinted back to the bathroom to scrub the grit from his face.

Looking in the mirror, Shippo did a quick self check. His ginger hair stuck out in all directions and he looked like a raccoon demon the bags under his eyes were so predominant! Snatching up a comb he snagged it through his hair, trying to tame the unruly tangles. After a few silent minutes of struggling, he gave up. Throwing down the comb he dashed from the bathroom and off to breakfast.

Hurrying down the long dim hallways his keen ears picked up the chatter of the other children as he neared the dining hall. Dozens of long tables greeted his eye, most of them occupied by children of all different sizes and all of them were demon in some way.

Ignoring the stares he was getting he quickly plopped down at a bench and grabbed the nearest bowl to him.

Rice gruel with a side of plum pickle. He shouldn't have been surprised; it was what he had eaten for breakfast every day for the past seven years. Grapping a spoon he plunged it into the mush and began to wolf it down. Better to eat fast then lose your meal by being too slow.

A gong sounded very loud and abruptly. The children all began pushing away the benches and carrying their bowls to the kitchen. Piling them up on the cart for the staff to clear away, the crowd began to line up in specific formations for their school lessons. Shippo saw this and began to choke down his mush in an effort to get a full stomach. If he didn't hurry up he would be in major trouble with…

", would you care to explain to me why you are not in line with the other children?"

Shippo looked up, his face still dripping with gruel to see two dark eyes staring at him from behind a current of long midnight hair. Uh oh.

"Uh, nothing Mr. Onigumo, I was just still hungry so I wanted to finish up my meal and uh…

He trailed off at the cold look the man was giving him. "So you thought you would be deliberately disrespectful. You assumed that you could lollygag at your own pace while the other children are clearly in line, waiting for their instructors?"

Shippo gulped. "No sir, that's not it at all, I just…

The man leaned down, until his dark hair tickled Shippo's nose. "Silence. It is not the staffs fault nor the children's that you were late coming to breakfast. Your meaningless prattle is unimportant, now I suggest you get to your line before the consequences become severe."

Shippo licked his lips and flung himself away from the table and to his line. He would have liked to point out to Mr. Onigumo that children actually had been the cause of his lateness, but he did want to live to see his next birthday so he decided against it

He had been lucky in a way; at least it wasn't Mr. Ikazuchi who had stopped him. Shippo shivered. That man scared him.

"All right children! Follow your respective instructors to you classrooms!" Mr. Onigumo barked.

Shippo scurried after his line as they walked in perfect synchronization after their instructor. He was in the primary school group which meant he was in the second grade along with the other seven year olds.

His line filed into their classroom, each student quickly scrambled to his respective desk. Shippo sighed and walked to his lonely desk in the far back left corner. He sat down on the rickety chair and placed his hands in tangled disarray on top of the wood.

Chatter buzzed through Shippo's keen ears. It was nothing new, another day of meticulous school.

"Good morning class." A sultry female voice floated into the room.

The class fell silent, and Shippo swore he could hear his heart hammering in his chest.

The children stood at once and bowed to the woman who stood at the front of the room. The instructor stood tall and proud dressed in a form fitting dress of radiant fuchsia. Her dark tresses were swept up into an elegant perched on the top of her head. Neither pearls nor ribbons complimented her hair, only a lone white feather stuck out from the flawless locks. Her ruby red lips seemed to quiver on the verge of an amused smile as she silently scanned the room, looking for misbehavers. Everyone feared the wind sorceress and her formidable powers. She was a voluptuous woman with ample curves. Every male species in the building stopped and turned to stare when she sauntered by. Even the young boys tried to pick under her long flowing dresses whenever they thought she wasn't looking. Shippo could care less.

"Good morning Ms. Kagura." The class chirped obediently.

"You may sit." She ordered. The children all sat. Shippo plopped into his chair and ducked his head, glad for once that he sat behind a large and beefy kid; he could easily hide this way.

"Today we shall continue our lecture on the history of ancient Japan. Now as you all know, Japan has been home to several demons for over thousands of years. And the present day has brought us to a new reality. At one time, demons were scorned and feared by humans. That is not necessarily the case today, seeing as most human have learned to cooperate and coexist with demons. We walk among them as everyday people. But hundreds of years ago, that was not the case. In Japan's feudal era demons were seen as terrible, merciless creatures that thirsted for blood….."

Shippo laid his head on top of his ratty textbook, wishing the day was over already. The teacher's voice faded away as he drifted off into a wonderful dream. This one was different from the usual nightmares he suffered from. In this dream he didn't live in an orphanage. He didn't share a room with thirty other roughhousing boys. He wasn't served the same meager meal day after day. He didn't sleep underneath an old army blanket on a thin and lumpy mattress. He was looked after and cared for by someone. He was loved.

The young fox smiled contently as he lulled deeper and deeper into dreamland. This dream felt so real, he could almost see the person standing over him, but they were cloaked in shadow. If he could just reach out and touch them, then he would know who they were. Then, from out of the darkness a sudden flicker of gold illuminated the gloom.

"Mr. Kijutsu." The voice spoke softly. It was a woman. Well that was unexpected. Strange, the voice sounded exactly like…

Shippo roused groggily from his dream. His vision was still blurry. But one thing stood out clear as day. Ms. Kagura was leaning over him, her crimson orbs flickered darkly.

"Nice of you to join us Mr. Kijutsu. I'm sorry that your dream was so much more interesting than what I have to say." She purred softly.

Shippo thought his heart was going to leap up into his throat. His breath died in his throat and his tongue felt like it were made of cotton!

"Well? Don't you have anything to say for your despicable behavior?" Ms. Kagura was leaning so close to him now, he could smell her expensive perfume. He tried not to gag as he was shrouded in a thick cloud of lady musk.

Wow. Shippo could not catch a break today. He struggled to calm his heart before attempting to answer. What was he supposed to say anyway, 'sorry I fell asleep in your class?' Yea, that would go over well. He had to say something, because she was awaiting his answer. The entire class had turned in their seats to stare at them. Great.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep Ms. Kagura. I haven't been sleeping well and I…..

She held up a hand, effectively bringing his embarrassed mumbling to a halt. Seriously, what was it with adults and interrupting him? They expected him to answer their questions and when he did, they interrupted him and never let him finish! It was annoying.

"I have no time for your tedious excuses. Now if you would kindly try to stay awake. I know that my class may not be the most interesting to you, but I do pride myself on being able to teach the ancient history of Japan."

Shippo felt the blood rise to his cheeks. "Yes ma'am." He managed to stutter abashedly.

Kagura nodded and abruptly turned away, her heels clicking to the front of the classroom.

That was close. Shippo breathed a silent sigh of relief, glad that Kagura was one of the less cruel instructors. Sure, she could still make a student want to disappear with that intimidating stare of hers but at least she wasn't entirely like Mr. Ikazuchi or Mr. Onigumo. She actually possessed a heart. At least Shippo thought she did. He hoped so anyway.

The rest of the lesson passed without any further incidents. The bell sounded for the end of the class and Shippo dipped his head to his desk once more, using his textbook as a pillow. The children immediately gathered into their little groups, chattering about some insignificant thing or other. Shippo wouldn't know. He was never included.

He closed his eyes and waited for the next instructor to appear and begin teaching them.

"Attention children, it's time to begin." A prim voice chirped.

Right on time. Shippo looked up through bleary eyes to see a man step into the room. He was dressed in traditional clothes. He wore a long sweeping kimono the color of lavender that fluttered down to his feet. Purple markings painted his cheeks from his eyes down to his jaw bone.

His hair was black and swept into a bun which was perched precariously on his head. He looked very girly in Shippo's opinion. Maybe that's why he taught art.

"Good day class and welcome to another wonderful day of art with me, your artist master Jakotsu!" The man sang dramatically to the room as he stared at them all through sparkling eyes.

"Well don't just sit there you silly lumps! Get up and grab an easel and some paint. Let's get to making masterpieces!"

He fluttered across the room to the stack of easels that sat on the teacher's desk. Sweeping his hand dramatically he gestured for the children to get up.

There was a sudden stampede as the children all scrambled to get the best paint set. There was a mad dash for the good paintbrushes and an assortment of moans when someone's canvas got trampled on. A spatter of water had someone hissing, probably a cat, Shippo thought bemusedly. They always had a strong disliking to the water.

Shippo lagged behind, waiting for the crowd to die down before slowly going and grabbing the last easel. It was bent slightly, but what could he do? He took a set of paint and a brush before heading back to his desk, trying not to slosh his cup of water on the way.

"Ok!" Jakotsu clapped his hands. "Today you are going to be painting a representation of your dreams. You can be as creative as you like. Use those blossoming imaginations of yours! There are no limitations Begin!"

There was an instant clatter as everyone began to open their paint sets and slosh their brushes into the colors before slapping them to the white canvases.

Shippo stared thoughtfully at his canvas for a moment. What should he paint? He ruffled his carrot colored hair in concentration.

He dipped his brush carefully in the black paint before streaking it across the canvas, marring its perfect whiteness with his imagination.

An hour later Jakotsu was walking around admiring their work. He stopped short of Shippo's canvas.

"Oh my." His mouth opened and closed as he stared at Shippo's 'art'.

"Shippo dear, this is quite…. Interesting. This is a dream that you had?"

The fox kitsune nodded silently while staring at his painting, waiting for another reaction.

Jakotsu was shocked to say the least. Most of the kid's paintings consisted of ponies and rainbows, flowers, animals or people, candy, or whatever other trivial things children dreamed about. But this…..

He stared at the painting, taking it all in. The canvas was painted almost entirely black. Jakotsu could make out shapes that resembled trees. Deformed blobs painted in white and purple centered the page. White splotches were flung sporadically near the top, the boy's representation of stars. Trickles of blue dripped down the easel. Rain. But the most significant thing of all that stuck out from the picture was the eyes. Golden eyes burned through all the dark chaos that seemed to surround the painting. They were so profound and clear, their powerful magnitude seemed to smolder indefinitely. The pupil, as dark as the pitch blackness that surrounded it held an infinite fire that burned persistently, as if they were staring into Jakotsu's very soul.

He shivered, before turning away from the abnormal painting created by a seven year old kitsune. It wouldn't do for them to see him so unsettled over what was meant to be a pleasurable task in order to rouse the imagination. Heten would need to know about this.

"Ok class!" He chirped, putting on his happy mask for the children. "It's time to put away your paints. Your paintings are all wonderful! They will be set up in the dining hall so that everyone can see the masterpieces that you have created. That ought to brighten up the room hm?"

Shippo stared at his painting in incredulous silence. This was supposed to brighten the room? He highly doubted that is 'masterpiece' as Jakotsu had so ecstatically called them would brighten up the room. It would probably frighten some people.

He pushed his untidy orange fringe out of his eyes, noting the bit of crusted paint that had matted there. He would have to be sure to get that out during his bath tonight.

He clambered up from his desk and gathered his supplies in an armful and shuffled up to the front of the classroom. Setting his tin of paints on the massive stack along with the others, he hurried to the sink in order to rinse out his cup and brush.

Shippo squirted a dollop of soap onto his paint blotched fingers, scrubbing them furiously under the icy stream of water.

"Ah hem." A deep voice coughed.

The boy whirled around, his wet hands flinging water droplets in every direction. There stood Mr. Ikazuchi at the front of the classroom, staring with piercing eyes right at Shippo. It was just then that the kitsune noticed that he was the only one out of his seat. Everyone else had already sat down and was dutifully staring ahead while he had been clambering on and making noise like an oblivious idiot.

"To your seat Mr. Kijutsu." Mr. Ikazuchi directed coldly.

Wiping his dripping hands hastily on his pants he dashed to his seat, his face aflame with embarrassment and shame.

The man held his gaze for another minute, before turning away to face the class.

Shippo ducked his head, pressing his burning cheeks to the cool wood. He could feel the stares boring into his skull. His classmates continued to sneak glances at him when they thought he wouldn't see.

"Today we will be taking our lesson outside in order to further practice the inevitable abilities that you no doubt are beginning to show due to your demon heritage."

The class murmured in an excited buzz, glad to be out of the stuffy classroom and out in the fresh air.

An abrupt clap of thunder brought the chattering to a halt. Heten stared his students down through heated crimson orbs. Some of them cowered under his gaze, showing him complete submission through flattened ears and the drooping of the head and tremble beneath his stance. Lowering oneself meant showing the elder complete and utter submission. He was the alpha of sorts in this clan. Not to say that he lowered himself to the standards of inu youkai and their belligerent and undignified ways. But he was top commander of Ikazuchi Inc and head of this unclaimed pack of demon children.

He smirked. Thunder defiantly came in handy when dealing with an unruly mob of whelps.

"Now then." He continued on. "When we are outside, you will conduct yourselves with the utmost grace and poise that I know you are capable of. And if I see any foolishness or trickery of any kind this privilege will not be extended again. I expect all of you to be on your best behavior and to heed my word while we are within the training grounds. Am I clear?"

The class bobbed their heads vigorously in a hurried attempt to convince him.

"Very well. Then form an orderly line and we shall make our way to the training grounds."

A mad dash occurred as demons pushed and pulled each other, wanting to be the first one in line.

Shippo let himself be jostled and shoved between the other swarming bodies. He winced as he brushed against a steely scale, no doubt a dragon youkai.

"I said orderly."

The children stumbled over themselves in order to cram together in a crowded line. Shippo found himself jammed between a bull and porcupine youkai. So his back was bruised by the bull's incoming horns as he tried to avoid being jabbed by the spines in front.

He sighed amongst all the chaos around him. This was Training class after all. It was up to the students at Ikazuchi to be able to control their abilities by the time they were to go out into the world. This class taught them the fundamental theories as well as hands on experience in learning to develop their skills as youkai of this generation.

"As future representatives for the youkai population, you need to be well practiced in the art of your abilities as well as know the culture and lineage of your youkai brethren." Heten informed the group in his no nonsense voice whilst leading them out of the class room.

The breezy wind unleashed its silent relief upon Shippo's muddled senses as the class paraded out into the rolling green hills. The fresh air was a change to the stuffy interior of the villa, where some of his classmates simply forgot to bath for three nights in a row. Shippo suspected it was the pig demons, they liked their dirt and muck Needless to say, and it had gotten more than a little ripe. The head administrator Mr. Ikazuchi had to be called in to reinforce the rules of proper hygiene. No one forgot to bath after that. But still, the constant swirling scent of many demons often left Shippo dizzy at times. He was grateful to breath in the fresh air and smell nothing but the trees that dotted the distant perimeter of the land.

"You will follow me to the training grounds." Heten whirled around after directing the class and began to sweep forward along the worn path that lead into the pine scented forest. Shippo walked along with the others, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of his surroundings. Matsui oaks surrounded them, their massive branches leaning overhead, blocking most of the sky.

Shippo caught a glimpse of the cobalt heavens that ascended far above them. The weather was mild enough, a crisp wind still lingered, whistling through the trees. Shippo hugged his thin shirt to himself, wishing he had worn something a little warmer, or at least had his vest. All in all it was temperate enough for the month of March.

Heten lead them through the familiar trails that lead to the training grounds. Shippo knew it by heart; he had been coming here as long as he remembered in order to train his inner youkai. When demon children entered 'the villa' as they called it, they were put into a special program, one that taught them the skills they needed in order to grow up as a functional member of society.

Humans had come to accept, if not tolerate demons over the last few centuries. That's not to say that some still didn't scorn them. There were still those that believed that demons were still believed to be the work of the devil, some hellish creation put on the earth to wipe out the humans.

Shippo scoffed to himself. As if he would have any reason to destroy a human. But that was not the way every demon thought. There were still those, who wished to rid the world of useless humans that overpopulated their territory as they called it. Yes, some demons still marked the land as theirs, only now it was owned by the wealthier ones who could afford to purchase and prosper from it. Mr. Ikazuchi was one of them, owning the villa and its grounds that surrounded it. Shippo knew of a few others with fabulous, enriching lives. The Takahashi's being the predominant family.

If there was one family that was considered royalty it was them. They owned over half of Japan thanks to their thriving company and endless wealth.

Shippo sniffed disdainfully. They lived like kings, while he was stuck here, longing for a proper family.

I bet they don't worry about things like if they will get enough to eat, or when they will get the next hand me down pair of pants.

"Hey watch it!" A snarky voice hissed.

Shippo blinked, realizing he hadn't been watching where he was going. He had walked right into a panther demon. By the way he was swishing his tail; Shippo guessed he was not very pleased.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

The young panther grumbled angrily, before turning back around to the group. Shippo discovered that they had made it to the training grounds.

A large clearing had been made out in the middle of the forest. The dirt here was packed down tightly. Although this did make it a very uncomfortable landing if you happened to fall to the ground. It was hard as a rock. Shippo knew because of his variety of bruises having being slammed into it so many times.

Along the far side of the clearing was an obstacle course. Shippo grimaced. Being one of the shorter ones of his class made falling from that thing a lot more painful. The drop was farther for one thing.

Shippo scanned it. A row of tires lay on the ground in pairs leading up to the first obstacle. A wall stood, about ten feet high. A tattered rope lay swinging in the breeze, his only source of climbing the wall. And that wall was made of granite, a slippery substance, and smooth as glass and with no room for foot holds.

After the mountainous wall there was the pit. Overhanging this hole was a set of monkey bars. One had to use their upper body strength to swing from bar to bar, while perilously hanging above the pit. To fall meant certain doom. The pit had gravel at the bottom. Although they were not sharpened to a deadly point, they still hurt to fall on. Shippo was lucky if he made it half way across before his strength failed him, causing him to fall. Falling meant starting all over again.

If you made it past the pit your next challenge was to crawl through a set of tubes. Then there was the test for balance. Eight poles were set in a straight line. They sat at different heights and the object was to leap from pole to pole while keeping your balance. They were designed to be very small so that only one foot could be on the pole. The trick was to know how to balance your weight to avoid falling.

Shippo felt his stomach constrict into tight knots. He took a deep breath of the fresh air, wishing he hadn't eaten so fast at breakfast. Swallowing the overwhelming lump in his throat, he turned to focus his attention on the teacher.

"….Now as long as you remember those rules and pay heed to what I have told you, everything should go smoothly. Now off you go to start your warm up."

Shippo's eyes widened as he realized he had not been listening to what Heten had been saying.

The class turned away and an immediate stampede took place as each one scrambled to be the first one to the obstacle course.

Shippo was left coughing and feeling slightly dizzy as he was left in the dust behind his classmates.

A shadow enveloped him and he turned to see Heten towering over him, a satisfied smirk on his features.

"Well Mr. Kijutsu, I see you have proven once again your inability to follow even the simplest of directions."

Shippo's hair stood on end as he felt the crackle of energy snap around Mr. Ikazuchi. He may have been a young demon, but he knew how to recognize an aura. And judging by his, Heten was not pleased.

"I suggest you get going." Crimson orbs stared him down, and Shippo felt the back of his neck prickle. Not needing to be told twice he wretched himself away from Heten's penetrating stare and scurried off to the obstacle course.

Minutes later he found himself dangling above the pit. His scrawny arms already ached from having held on to the bars for so long. And worse, his hands were starting to clam up, leaving a thin layer of sweat perfect for slipping.

It was always the middle he got stuck at. He started off fine, full of energy, swinging from bar to bar over the perilous pit. But then he would get half way there and his miniscule reserve of strength would fail him.

Shippo managed to take another swing before his arms completely gave out. He fell through the silent air, awaiting the painful collision with the ground which was sure to come.

He felt his small body connect with the gravel. A wave of pain enveloped him as he attempted to get to his feet. He took in the damage. His pants were ripped. He could see through the jagged rips of fabric to his bloodied knees.

Wincing, Shippo sniffed and brushed back the oncoming tears. There was no reason for him to cry. Crying was for babies. Only the weak cried. Shippo had cried. That must mean he was weak.

Shaking it off, he began the ascent, digging his small hands into the pits walls, pulling down dirt clods as he struggled to reach the top. It seemed like forever until he finally made it to the top. He used the last of his strength to pull himself over the edge.

Panting heavily, Shippo lay there gulping in the fresh air to his screaming lungs.

"Mr. Kijutsu, are you incapable of following directions, or are you simply just lazy?" Heten stood over him, a disapproving frown on his face.

"Uh….I" Shippo stumbled. Where was his tongue?! He wished he could say something clever so as to impress Heten, but nothing came to mind.

Heten sighed. "Very well, since you prove sorely inadequate and unable to complete even the most basic of tasks I suggest you join the others over in the sparring area."

Shippo took one last fleeting glance at Heten's emotionless expression, before scurrying off with his tail between his legs.

He arrived to witness a jumble of kids gathered excitedly around the sparring arena.

"All right my children!" Hetens voice cut through their bubbling chatter, silencing the group. "Now we will focus on honing our skills so as to become better demons. Each of you has your own unique strength and power one that comes with your demon genetics."

"For instance." He stepped out in front of the group to the middle of the arena. His face had gone completely passive, eyes closed in concentration. All was still. Then Shippo felt the wind change. The balmy breeze picked up and formed a full fledged gust, shaking the trees braches and sending his hair whipping wildly.

The air was suddenly alive with static and electricity. Shippo watched as the sun was engulfed in a barrage of nasty storm clouds. The brilliant blue sky was gone, replaced by rolling thunder heads and crackling lighting. Thunder boomed overhead, causing a shiver to trickle down Shippo's spine.

It's only a storm. He's merely showing his power. Shippo tried to remind himself as his teeth started chattering.

A bolt flashed across the sky, illuminating the dark clearing they stood in. The entire group jumped, startled by the horrific display of their headmasters power.

"There. That was just a small dose of my power. You may one day find yourselves with similar skills and power. But for now, you are here so that I may teach you to control it. Now, I want you to break off into partners. Pick someone of equal ability and strength to your own. This will be your way of testing one another and building your endurance. Go."

There was an instant scramble, as all the children jockeyed for their friends. Shippo weaved his way through the jumbling mass of bodies, trying to find someone to pair up with. The crowd cleared and he was left staring into a young panther demon's face. Shippo gulped. It was the one he had bumped earlier. Based on the smug expression on his face, Shippo knew that this was going to end painfully.

"All right once you have found a partner, I want the two of you to spread out. We will be working on close hand to hand combat today. You would do well to remember that there is no hitting of the face. Keep it below the neck. And if I see anyone of you displaying even a trickle of your aura's physical power you will live to regret it."

Shippo barley had time to register what he said before the panther was on him. Swiping and pawing he got in a clear shot and knocked the fox to the ground.

Shippo landed hard on his bottom and felt the pain shoot up his spine upon the impact. He couldn't help it that he was smaller. The panther was at least twice his size and he had the benefit of strength on his side.

But there was one small advantage that Shippo relished having. He was quick. He couldn't land a decent punch, but he was good at dodging them.

Sparring was supposed to teach them how to defend themselves, should they ever need to. Shippo grimaced at the irony of it all. He defended himself on a daily basis, from the other demons he lived with. And this was not during their training sessions. Where was the justice in that?

Dodging another furry paw, Shippo risked a jab. His small paw connected with the panther's chest. As quick as a whip, a black tail slapped into the side of Shippo's head. Down he went.

A small cloud of dust rose up as Shippo collided with the dirt once again. Coughing and sputtering he squinted through the swirling cloud, searching for his 'opponent'.

Rumbling laughter filtered through the dust. "Pathetic! I've fought smaller demons that were tougher than you Kijutsu!"

Shippo slowly got to his feet. "We're not supposed to attack above the neck." He reminded the young panther.

A scoff was the reply he got. "Oh boo hoo! Must you always play by the rules? In the real world your opponent isn't going to play by the rules. And there won't be anyone to protect you! Especially not your parents, because their dead."

Something deep inside Shippo stirred. "Take that back." He said calmly, his emerald eyes unusually bright.

"In your dreams kit! Mommy and daddy abandoned you because they saw you as a waste of time. And then they went and got themselves killed like the idiot foxes they were! It's just too bad they didn't see fit to place you with someone who actually cared, instead you got dumped here. You're a reject."

A hot liquid was boiling in Shippo's blood now. It bubbled and broiled, sputtered and frothed. Shippo clenched his small palms, trying to hold back. His fingers were tingling with a prickly heat.

"Stop it." He hissed through clenched teeth. His aura was snapping wildly now at the end of its leash.

"Or what?" The panther taunted, smirking arrogantly, fangs and all. "What could you do? You're so small, so puny, and so weak."

Shippo snapped. The raw, uncontrolled power clawed its way out, snapping the rope which bound it inside. Hotter and hotter Shippo's insides became. Flames burned his insides, begging to be released. He had to let it go. It was too much to bear.

His hands became his outlets and with a mighty screech, he unleashed the aura within. Flames burst from his palms in a mighty flourish of sparks. The flames rocketed towards the panther, colliding with him, completely knocking him off his feet.

"What is going on here!?" A thundering voice broke through Shippo's wall, leaving him breathing heavily. He blinked, looking around. What had just happened?

Heten was at the panther's side, helping the yowling cat to his feet. He inspected the charred clothing and the singed fur. Then he turned his glimmering eyes onto him. Shippo was rooted to the spot as Heten glided over to him.

"Come with me!" He hissed menacingly. He turned to the west of the bunch, wide eyed and staring. "Class dismissed!"

The group immediately began to shuffle about, making their way back to the villa. Shippo only wished he was one of them. Instead he found himself staring into Heten's heated eyes. Pale fingers curled around Shippo's forearm as he was tugged along after the headmaster.

All previous adrenalin drained from his body as Heten pulled him through the trees. Shippo's stomach filled with dread. How was he to explain himself? He was specifically told not to show the slightest inkling of his youkai aura, and what did he do? He practically burned the fur off that panther. He had deserved it though. Shippo frowned. The way he had talked about his parents, as if they were glad to be rid of him….. Shippo felt the fire flare up hopefully, and hastily smothered it.

All too soon they were back to the villa, Heten banged through the front doors, pulling the two children along after him. The young panther, whose name was Kano, continued to mew softly, trying to lick at his wounds. Shippo snorted at the name, it meant one's masculine power or capability. Kano certainly had power behind him. He reminded Shippo of Matsu, one of Hotaka's lackeys.

Heten lead them through the halls, past wide eyed stares and cheeky grins. Everyone knew who was at fault. Shippo dropped his head, trying to suppress his burning cheeks.

They swept through another door and were at the infirmary. "Jinenji!" Heten called throughout the softly lit room. A shuffling came from beyond the rows of pristinely made beds.

A half demon appeared, carrying an array of bottles in his hefty arms. "Oh dear! What has happened?!" He lumbered over, taking in the site of the mewling Kano.

"Mr. Kijutsu here apparently got out of hand, and this is the end result." Heten gestured to the young panther who was trying to lick himself mournfully.

"Oh well not to worry, I'll have him fixed up soon enough. Come along Kano and let me see those burns." Jinenji's kind blue eyes surveyed the injuries. He placed a gentle arm around the cat and led him into the deeper into the bowls of the infirmary.

"Follow me." Heten commanded. Having no other choice, Shippo trudged behind him.

They swiveled through the halls once more until they arrived at the dorm where Shippo slept. As if he knew exactly which bed was his, Heten stopped by the kits bunk.

"Sit."

Shippo did, a hot lump already rising in his throat. Curling his legs underneath him he began to absentmindedly fiddle with his tail.

Heten leaned forward, commanding Shippo's attention. "Would you care to give me an explanation of that underhanded display of childishness? He asked calmly.

"I specifically recall giving you all explicit instructions not to use your power or unleash your aura in any way."

Shippo knew not to be fooled by his calm exterior, for this was the most dangerous aspect of Heten. Nonetheless he felt like he should attempt some kind of speech.

He took a steadying breath. "Sir, I heard exactly what you said. It's just that when Kano provoked me…"

He trailed off, noticing Heten's piercing stare flare up. Whatever he had meant to say was lost as he swallowed the last ounce of his courage.

"Provoked? Honestly Kijutsu are you really so easily goaded that you would let your opponent find your weakness that effortlessly? Of course he was provoking you. That is the entire point of these exercises. It is to learn to control ones emotions in the heat of a battle. In a real situation your opponent is going to try and provoke you into attacking so that you are off your guard, blinded by your anger. Then that is the moment when they will strike, effectively exploiting your weakness. Your job is to keep your emotions under control so that you won't be pushed into attacking when you're not planning to."

Shippo sighed, burying his toes further into the blanket. It wasn't that he deliberately attacked. It was just Kano had said those things about his parents. And then there was that jab about him being weak… it all came undone and Shippo just could not control it. That feeling, needing to release that raw, pent up energy. And when he finally did it was like instant relief. The coil that had been winding tighter and tighter inside him finally snapped. It had felt good. But how could he explain that to Heten.

"Mr. Kijutsu I'm waiting for an explanation. Or are you going to continue to sit there with that ignorant look on your face?"

Twin blots of color dotted Shippo's cheeks. He took a deep breath, preparing his excuse.

"I did not intend to attack him. I didn't even know that I had the power to do so. He started making remarks about my parent's deaths…..He told me I was weak." Shippo said this last part in a whisper.

If there was one thing he hated it was being picked on for being smaller. He always felt helpless, most of the other kids were bigger than him, and it didn't help that he was small for his age anyway.

"Regardless of that fact, you could have chosen to come get me and inform me of the situation. Instead you chose to act on your own, without giving your actions ample consideration. We all make mistakes, and yours is no different from others I have delt with. And like the many others I will deal with your actions the same way."

Shippo gulped. What would it be this time? He had heard of kids being smacked for their misdemeanors. He hadn't felt a hand on his backside in a long time, and hoped to keep it that way. Sometimes they were forbidden to play with the others when it was free time. Instead they had to sit on their beds, alone.

The kit shuddered, he would never tell anyone, but this was the punishment he feared the worst. He hated to be alone. Being banished to the room by himself brought out his worst fears.

"You will spend fifteen minutes in the corner in order to think about your actions and what you could have done instead to prevent such an unpleasant event from happening again."

Shippo perked up. A time out? That was it? That wasn't too bad. He could handle that.

As if seeing his hopeful expression, Heten continued on. "Also you will have your supper in here. You will also be missing out on the observatories today."

Shippo's fleeting bliss evaporated. The 'observatories' as Heten so mildly put it, was the time when couples visited the villa to see the children and possibly think about adoption.

Shippo craved these days when people came, their eyes sweeping over the lot of them, searching for someone to bring home. He had always hoped it was him that they would pick. Each time a group visited he would put on his best, shining smile and beam up at them through emerald eyes.

Heten had just put a damper on his plans for this visit.

"No!" He moaned. "Anything but that sir, please!" He was looking at the headmaster and owner of the roof over his head, praying that he would change his mind and say that it was all a joke.

Heten's expression told Shippo that it was no joke. "I am sorry, but this is my final decision. Perhaps this will teach you to think before you act."

He stood up, his long robes fluttering to the floor. Walking some steps away he grabbed a hard backed chair and placed it in the corner. Without a word he pointed.

Shippo slowly dragged himself off the bed and shuffled over to the chair. He sat with a noticeable thunk on the hard wood. The one small advantage was that he wasn't sitting on a smarting bottom. It wasn't much, but Shippo would take it.

"In fifteen minutes you may get up, but until then I expect you to stay put. You may eat lunch in the hall with the others, and you will attend the rest of your classes. But dinner as well as the rest of your night will be spent in here."

Shippo merely nodded, trying not to sulk and failing miserably.

"I expect an answer from you Mr. Kijutsu, not impolite silence."

"Yes sir, I understand." Shippo's voice came out thick. He battled with the hot lump that had returned in his throat.

"Good. Remember, fifteen minutes." Then he was gone, and Shippo was free to fall to pieces in his chair.

Fifteen minutes seemed to drag on forever. He swung his short legs against the chairs rung; they were just short enough to where his stubby toes could not reach the ground.

Finally, Heten returned. "You may go and attend lunch." He informed the forlorn kit.

Shippo didn't wait for any other invitation; he shot out of his chair and dashed through the maze of bunks and out the door.

Lunch was a somber affair. He mostly picked at the lumps of meat that adorned his plate. They were nearly tasteless anyway, adorned with the barest of spices in order for them to be consumed. Shippo usually liked to play a game with himself. He would imagine that the food on his plate was some scrumptious meal. He imagined grilled fish and steaming rice, or perhaps some savory noodles in a delicious broth. Fresh fruits would be piled high on the bowls in front of him, ripe for the taking.

But not today. Shippo had abandoned his game in favor for pushing his food around his plate.

The bell gonged and the hall was flooded with hapless students headed off to their respective classrooms. Shippo slid off his bench and found his line.

Classes, normally dragging on until eternity, seemed to fly by today. Shippo scoffed, it's like time seemed to be mocking him, bringing his punishment closer.

All too soon it was dinner. But instead of joining his classmates in the rush for the dining hall, Shippo trudged to his room. Well technically it wasn't his room; he shared it with thirty other young boys.

He flopped on his familiar bed, inhaling the must that shrouded his sheets.

"Dinner Mr. Kijutsu." A voice roused him from his pity party.

Shippo looked up to see a young woman from the kitchens proffering him a tray. She was a dragon by the looks of her. She had piercing coal eyes and an iridescent glow about her skin. Her glinting tail swung beneath her snowy uniform.

Brushing her jade hair out of her eyes, she gestured to the tray. Shippo took it and stared into the bowl that contained his evening meal.

Noodles swam in a yellow broth. It actually looked promising. He looked up from his bowl to thank the woman, but she had already left.

Shippo picked up his chopsticks and dipped them into the bowl, sloshing a bit over the sides. He was just about to raise the food to his lips when a voice rang out, making him loose his appetite.

"So, the little kit got in trouble huh?" Hotaka stood leaning against the cold doorframe a sneer plastered on his face.

"Go away." Shippo mumbled.

"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!" A new voice joined them. Matsu. Shippo guessed Teishi wasn't far behind.

He was right as snickering filtered through the doorway, and the three laughed as if at some private joke.

Shippo really didn't feel like dealing with them twice in one day. So he put on his best glare.

"I said I don't feel like being bothered."

"Ooooooooh! We better run boys, he looks angry. He might release his youkai, and then we are all in trouble!" Howling erupted as they held their sides and cackled at his attempt to be fierce.

Shippo frowned into his noodles. He really didn't need this right now.

He stood up, while silently placing his untouched bowl on the tray. Fixing them with his most intimidating glare he attempted to draw upon the mysterious power that now lay dormant inside him. Nothing happened.

Shippo squeezed his eyes shut, hoping this would trigger something.

"What is he doing?!" Matsu scoffed.

"He's probably looking to find that power that he thought he possessed. Freak."

Shadows overwhelmed Shippo, even through his clenched eyelids; he could sense that something had changed.

Sure enough, he felt arms twisting around him as he was lifted bodily from the ground. His eyes flew open to discover that he was now being carried by Matsu and Teishi, Hotaka leading the way.

It was no use to struggle. But that didn't mean Shippo wasn't going to try. He writhed and bucked, aiming a kick at Matsu.

The breath was suddenly knocked out of him as Shippo felt a clawed fist connect with his stomach. He heaved, trying to force his breakfast back down.

Through the empty halls they dragged him. Shippo swung his head around wildly, looking for a teacher to call out to. None where there. They were all attending dinner. His struggling would go unheard.

Down a winding set of stairs, deeper and deeper they went into the bowls of the villa. The light did not reach down her, and the lights dimmed and flickered ominously.

At last they had reached their destination. The storage closet. Hotoka wrenched open the heavy oak door Shippo was unmercifully thrown into the darkness.

"Enjoy your time in solitary confinement freak." Hotoka hissed. He began to force the door closed.

Shippo knew this was his one and only chance to escape. He flew at the door, slamming it with his small fists, pushing on it. It was useless. There were three of them and one of him. In the end Shippo found himself sitting in the darkness, as the bolts on the outside slid into their metal slots with a brutal finality. He was locked in. Alone. In the dark.

Shippo leaned against the forgotten mops and pails that had long since been gathering dust. So this was it. He would be stuck down here forever. No one knew where he was. This though frightened him. He felt his heart zoom into overdrive.

He felt his throat hitch and the onslaught of salty tears came. No one would ever find him. He would never belong to a family. The darkness seemed to relish his fear and uncertainty and pressed in on Shippo, suffocating him. He curled into a ball, folding in on himself letting the darkness swallow him into the endless void.

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"Watch that tree!" Kaede shrilled, attempting to snag the leather steering wheel. Inuyasha jerked sharply to the left, avoiding the towering oak that hung over the dirt road.

"I saw it." He replied to his terse assistant. It was just after six in the evening as the Ferrari prowled its way through Japan's countryside. The headlights flew over the darkness, the shadows shrinking back as it beam swept over the road, combating with the murky blackness in its path.

"I don't see why you had to come with me." Inuyasha complained as he swung the car around another sharp turn.

"It was the only way you were going to be allowed to come. Besides would you rather be slumming it out on the streets?"

Inuyasha grumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?" Kaede turned her eyes to beady slits as she gazed at him. Even through shadow cloaked her face; Inuyasha knew she was burning holes through his head.

"Nothing." He ground out.

"That's right. Because if you didn't accept this, the company would be out of a lot of important clients, plus a massive amount of funds that Ikazuchi Corp. is supplying us with. All in all it comes down to that without that company we would be worse off. So be grateful that you didn't get demoted or worse fired."

Inuyasha was silent and Kaede knew that she had gotten to him.

They rounded another windy turn.

"Where the hell is this place?! We have been driving for over an hour and a half!" He spat out, frustrated that his car was getting bathed in dust. Furious that he had to come all the way out her just to mingle with some brats. And agitated beyond belief because Kikyo was at home in their bed and he wasn't there to join her! And worst of all, how long would she be there, considering his dad had repossessed his apartment. He didn't say exactly when Inuyasha had to be out, but he knowing his dad, he would come home to a locked door and be forced to trek it over to his parents place.

"Turn here." Kaede said suddenly.

Inuyasha swerved down a narrow road, past a rickety old sign marking its notch in the long windy path it occupied.

Down the drive the vehicle crawled. They rumbled past dense shrubbery and endless trees that stretched out to touch the starry abyss. Inuyasha had to admit, he would never be able to see any stars back home, due to the bright lights that Tokyo was constantly submersed in.

They pulled up to a massive villa, twinkling lights winked at them from the many windows. Inuyasha cut the engine and exited the car with dread knowing at his stomach.

"Stop sulking." Kaede ordered him.

Inuyasha huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn't sulking. He was merely expressing his thoughts out loud.

They walked through the sliver of waning light and up to the porch. Inuyasha was just about to announce their arrival with a heavy knock, when the massive oak door creaked open.

Squinting through the dim light Inuyasha could just make out the shadow of a man.

"Good evening Mr. Takahashi and Ms. Kashikoi." A smooth voice addressed them with a formal bow.

"Cut the formalities. I'm not my father." Inuyasha foiled the man's attempt at a formal introduction. "This is Kaede." He jerked his thumb towards the affronted woman.

The shadow seemed to falter before regaining confidence. "Very well then, please do come in."

He backed up into the light foyer and the shadow melted away. It was Naraku Onigumo.

Inuyasha suppressed a grimace. Naraku was dressed in sweeping robes of ivory. Ebony flowers danced on the wavering texture, a sharp contrast against the light material.

It was obvious that Naraku preferred the more traditional clothes. Inuyasha glanced down at his own attire. With casual black slacks and a button down red dress shirt he thought he looked quite nice without overdoing it. He eyed his shiny Fulton shoes custom made from New York. Maybe they were a bit much. After all, he didn't want to overwhelm the little whelps.

"Kindly remove your shoes."

Inuyasha slipped off his Fultons, setting them down along with Kaede's special orthopedic pumps. They donned slippers instead.

"Right this way." Naraku gestured. He set off across the foyer.

Inuyasha took this time to observe the place. The faded wall paper was peeling against the chipped paint. The lights definitely needed replacement, seeing as the flickered and dimmed far too often.

The half demon glanced at the floor to notice the various scuff marks. It could do with a through washing, or better yet replace the entire thing.

As they padded down the dreary halls Inuyasha noticed the general shabbiness the home possessed.

"This is the kitchen." Naraku's pale hands brushed a faded and chipped swinging door. Inuyasha squinted, barley making out the characters that spelled kitchen. He could hear the banging of pots and pans and vaguely wondered what they fed the children here.

"This is the boy's dormitory." Naraku swept past a room occupied with several ratty looking bunks beds.

Continuing down the hall they stopped outside a great archway. With a flourish Narkau presented them with the dining hall.

"The children await your presence." He purred.

Inuyasha gingerly stepped aside the man and through the doorframe.

There, all assembled among the many benches were the children of Ikazuchi's Children Home.

There must have been over at least fifty, all of them different sizes and ages, and all of them possessing demon qualities.

Inuyasha's golden eyes swept over the lot, eyeing them as they fidgeted and twittered nervously. He spotted all different types of demons. There was panther, wolf, dog, bear, cat, dragon, horse, cat… the list went on and on.

Looking around, Inuyasha spotted several paintings adorning the walls. Several depicted smiling suns, and flourishing flours, typical coming from the imagination of a child. One in particular stood out from the rest. It was so different in comparison; Inuyasha wondered why he did not notice it earlier.

It sat between two rather bright paintings each splattered with bright yellows, blues, pinks; a rainbow of colors covered the canvas.

The one in the middle however was the complete opposite of the surrounding paintings. It was if someone had taken the canvas and dipped it into the night itself. Blackness covered the entire surface. Inuyasha could make out dark misshapen blobs painted haphazardly. The only true color was a smattering of yellow on the canvas. He could not tell from this distance what it was, but from here it stood out against the dark backdrop.

The painting unnerved Inuyasha. Among all the happy, bright expressions of art, why was this one so dark and foreboding?

"If you would please follow me, Inuyasha. We can begin the proceedings." Naraku directed into his puzzling thoughts, effectively shattering his mental analysis of the artwork.

He turned to see all of the children looking hopefully at him. Some smiled widely, their expressions unsettling. How many visitors did these kids get?

Still, others scowled at his presence, the older ones of course. They had been here long enough to come to the conclusion that they would never leave. Any visitor was just a slap in the face. They scorned new faces; it just meant someone else would be leaving, while they remained. Inuyasha felt a stabbing pity for them.

His goal was to pick out one of these whelps in order to help mentor him, in hopes that he would also learn some 'social skills and responsibility'. He was to do this for a year, taking the snot nose, sniveling whiner out into public in order to show them what they were missing whilst being cooped up here in what they called a home.

"Ah, Inuyasha, glad you could make it." Heten Ikazuchi approached him, eyes shimmering wildly, a smirk hiding behind his false smile.

"The children have all been informed of your situation. They know what your purpose here entitles. Now all that remains is for you to get acquainted with them and pick one out."

Inuyasha suppressed a snort. Pick one out? They weren't pets. The dog in him growled lowly, and Inuyasha felt the heat spike. Easy, he told himself. But he couldn't help it; even as he composed himself he could not help but think about his own nature. He was a dog, roughly speaking. He had seen those mutts humans dragged around on leashes, the thought made him grit his teeth. His aura rose again hopefully. No, no, he wouldn't lose control. He was different than those creatures' humans called pets.

"Inuyasha? We are ready for you now."

He turned to see Heten looking at him expectantly. It was best to get it over with.

Inuyasha began to stroll through the aisle; every eye in the room was watching him intently. He took in each eager face; every hopeful smile seemed to constrict his windpipe. He could not imagine living here. All his life he had grown up with the world at his fingertips. No request was denied, no privilege out of reach. And these whelps had virtually nothing to call their own. How could he pick just one?

Deciding it would be better to do this the old fashion way, Inuyasha closed his eyes, reaching out with his youkai aura. He would let his instincts chose for him. He felt the pleasant warmth snake its way around the room, lingering here in there, hovering over the children, testing them. He felt their uncertainty, their skepticism, every feeling and desire that coursed through their small bodies.

A small ping in the back of his conscious caused his aura to snap back, reeling. He quickly reined it in, all the while his ears pricking wildly, trying to find the cause of this disturbance. Odd, it was so wild, so completely unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Snapping his eyes open, Inuyasha's head whirled around, causing the children to flinch.

"I sense something…out of balance."

Heten and Naraku blinked at him for a moment. It was Heten who recovered first.

"Ah, that was probably just your intuitive nature reacting to all of the other demons here." He interjected smoothly.

"Yes, now why don't you choose so that we can move on…..

"No." Inuyasha's voice cut across their hasty attempt at redemption.

Kaede spoke for the first time. "What is it Inuyasha?" She asked quietly, stepping forward towards the half demon, a mote of concern in her eyes.

"Something's not right. I sense a presence. It's….. Struggling." Inuyasha fumbled for the right words as he tried to grasp hold of the floundering aura he felt so strongly.

He turned abruptly towards the halls. " It's this way." He started forward, Kaede on his heels. Naraku and Heten were left to fumble in his wake.

Through the hall of mazes he walked with purpose, past endless rooms, down a dingy stairwell. All the while his aura seemed to thrum faster and faster the closer he seemed to get. He felt the heat increase dramatically as they rounded a corner. They were now in the dimly lit basement of the villa.

He spotted a chipped oak door at the end of a long hallway. He started towards it, his aura and his heart beating erratically against his rib cage now. Fingers tingling, he stretched out a hand and grasped the rusty handle. The door would not budge. It was then that he noticed the trusty lock bolted into place. Unhinging the latch he pulled the door open with an ominous creak.

A stream of light flooded the musty darkness. A sour smell assaulted Inuyasha's nose, but that was not what had his eyes transfixed. There, lying against the battered mops and buckets was a small body.

He heard Kaede gasp. His eyes feasted on the small child that lay defeated in a slump. Small and very thin, mostly likely malnourished, he was crouched in a fetal position. Inuyasha could smell the absolute fear radiating off him. He noted the tail and paws. He was a kitsune. Not more than seven years old. Orange hair fell in ragged clumps, falling across the younglings face.

Inuyasha bent down to examine the fox. Taking the small body tenderly in his arms, he lifted the kit from his fallen place. The scent of tears washed over him, and Inuyasha felt a knife plunge into his heart. How long had the kit been here?

"He needs immediate medical attention." He rounded on the staff, eyes blazing.

The staff seemed to come out of a trance and immediately snapped to attention. Heten moved toward Inuyasha to take the kit.

At once a wave of possessiveness rolled over Inuyasha. "I'll take him!" He snarled. At the same time, he tried to grasp the strange feeling that had come over him. It was almost territorial.

"The infirmary is this way." Heten informed him.

Without a word Inuyasha set off, careful not to jostle the fragile life in his arms. His nose followed the overpowering smell of disinfectant which lead him to the healing wing of the villa.

Carefully laying the kit on the bed, Inuyasha turned to the resident healer.

"Well?!" He barked. "Fix him!"

Jenenji flinched at the biting tone, but nonetheless did not back down. "Physically he is exhausted. He will need lots of rest in order to recover. Mentally…. I cannot say. Only time will tell. We will have to wait until the boy awakens."

Inuyasha turned away from the doctor, thoroughly frustrated. His eyes softened as he gazed at the sleeping child. He watched as he flinched in his sleep, his eyelids quivering behind some unseen nightmare.

"What is his name?" Inuyasha asked Jenenji.

"Shippo." Came the healer's soft reply.

"Shippo." Inuyasha rolled the name around on his tongue.

He sat down in the hard backed chair beside Shippo's bed.

His eyes swept over the fretful child, yearning to help him in some way, but powerless to do so.

The name sat, quivering on Inuyasha's tongue. He leaned slightly towards the boy.

"Shippo." He called out softly in his rumbling tone.

It was like a chain reaction. The kits eyes flew open to reveal brilliant emerald orbs, wide with fear, uncertainty and a thousand other unknown emotions swimming behind those eyes.

Shippo twisted his small head and looked around. Where was he? He wasn't in the janitor's closet anymore. By the smells alone, he concluded he was in the infirmary.

His eyes wondered, taking in his surroundings. Everything seemed so unfamiliar and hazy. He looked around, until he glimpsed a flash of gold.

Turning around he saw a man, or demon, he wasn't sure, sitting beside his bed. Long, floaty silver hair billowed around his shoulders. He had soft, creamy skin. But Shippo could not stop staring at his eyes.

Twin orbs of amber were staring intensely back at him. They seemed to sparkle and ignite in the bright fluorescents. Some deep hidden feelings were hiding behind the ring of flaxen that hypnotized Shippo.

All noise faded away, until there was nothing but silence. Shippo feasted on the eyes before him, intent on staring at them forever. The eyes seemed to take on a haunted look, as they continued to stare right back. A world of amber and emerald collided between the two, washing away all other thought and sense.

Then the man spoke. "Hello Shippo." The voice was deep, and rich, rumbling in the kit's bones.

Shippo felt something deep inside him shutter and then stir to life. A warm tingle began to spread from his toes to his fingertips. Something in him had awoken.

The gold continued to penetrate him, looking through as if to his very soul. Shippo felt exposed, as if no obstacle separated him and this man.

It was so strange; Shippo had never felt this way before. It was as if every feeling, every thought and emotion had been laid bare. There was a strange energy emitting from this man's aura. A warm, physical feeling, something Shippo could almost touch. The warmth seemed to envelop him, fall over him like a hazy cloud of blissful heaven.

"How do you know my name?" Shippo's voice came out thick and raspy.

"The healer told me." The reply was so simple; it confounded Shippo, who lay back against the snowy pillows.

"Would you like to know my name is?" The question caught the small fox off guard. No one ever took his opinion into consideration, yet here this man sought to know what Shippo wanted.

He nodded.

"Inuyasha Takahashi."

"Are you a demon or a man?" Shippo asked his eyebrows knitted together in confusion, a comical sight on his young face.

Something glimmered in Inuyasha's golden orbs, than a soft chuckle filled the room. It was raspy, and deep, unlike anything Shippo had heard, but somehow it comforted him.

"Close, I'm a half demon. Half dog, half human."

Shippo's emerald eyes flitted to his ears. As if sensing they were being watched, the ears twitched a little. Peaked with curiosity he leaned slightly toward the twitching appendages.

"Shippo!" A rough voice had him lurching back against his pillows. Heten had entered the room, a disapproving frown on his face.

"I don't think Mr. Takahashi would appreciate that." He admonished whilst pinning the fox to his bed with a glare.

Inuyasha immediately took notice of the change in the boy's behavior. He was practically cowering against the sheets.

"I hope he isn't bothering you Inuyasha." Heten swept forward, his steely eyes still on Shippo.

"No. Not at all." Inuyasha too had his eye on the fox, though his gaze was the exact opposite of Heten's, a softened look, his eyes glimmering unusually bright.

"Well then…. as long as he isn't making a nuisance of himself." Heten drew himself up to his full height, as though trying to look intimidating. Seeing he got no response, he left the room in a sweep of purple robes.

Inuyasha turned back to Shippo, and as if reading his thoughts, lowered his head so that his ears were in full reach of the curious hands.

"Just don't pull on them." He informed the kit.

Eyes wide with disbelief, Shippo reached out a tentative hand. His fingers froze, inches from the silvery, triangular ear.

"Well? Go on, it's what you wanted isn't it?" Inuyasha prodded.

Still there was nothing, it was as if Shippo had frozen.

"I promise I won't bite."

A bubbling giggle had escaped Shippo, and soon his face was alive with laughter. The sound was new to Inuyasha, but he found that he did not mind it.

Cautious so as though not to hurt them, Shippo stroked the silvery ears. Oh how soft they were, like velvet! He rubbed them ever so gently. He was startled by a deep rumbling sound. He looked around wildly, wondering if there was some unseen demon hiding in the closet waiting to gobble him up. When he saw nothing, his heartbeat relaxed somewhat. He continued his determined scratch and only then noticed that the perturbing sound was coming from Inuyasha!

"Mmmmm." The half demon mumbled. He cracked open an eye. Shippo was staring at him. Caught looking, the foxes' face melted into a timid smile.

Inuyasha sat up, relishing in the contentment he felt. "Shippo, do you know why I am here?"

"To pick someone out." Shippo looked at his hands, which were twisting nervously in his lap. Why was he asking him this? Didn't he know that Shippo wasn't supposed to be included in the observation for today?

"You could say that. I have been sent here on an assignment."

Shippo perked his head up, wiping the orange strands from his eyes. "Like for school?"

"Similar to school, yes. But I have been sent here on behalf of my career. My job is to choose a child and interact with him for one year, in order to gain further knowledge and social skills. In return my job will continue to stabilize." Inuyasha tried to explain it in the simplest words possible, so as not to confuse the boy.

"So….your doing this for your job?"

Inuyasha nodded.

"Oh." So that was it. He was only here because his job sent him. Shippo felt his throat constrict.

"So I guess you have someone already picked out huh?"

"Yes I have."

A hot lump bulged in Shippo's throat. He felt his eyes tearing up, his vision became blurry. He would not cry. Just because this nice man had been kind to him, comforted him, made him laugh, and had already picked some other kid for his assignment that was no reason to get all blubbery. Shippo was seven after all!

Wiping his nose noisily on his sleeve, he looked out the window and into the night.

"He must be pretty neat, to be picked special for an assignment like this."

"I think so yes, he is pretty unique in his own way."

"Well….. Maybe you could introduce me sometime." Shippo played with the pillowcase, trying not to think about anything in particular.

"Of course. I think you will quite like him." Inuyasha played along. But when he saw the boys crumbling expression he decided to spare him any more grief.

"Would you like to be that boy Shippo?" He asked, the words spilling out of his mouth before he could take them back.

Shippo looked up, bewilderment etched on his face. "Me?" He whispered in disbelief. "But I….. He trailed off, unable to comprehend what had just been presented to him. He had been chosen? Why? What was so special about him? Out of all the others, he Shippo had been picked… it was unbelievable.

Inuyasha watched the boy's eternal struggle. He himself did not know entirely why he picked Shippo to be his case. Perhaps it was an overwhelming desire to instill some hope into an otherwise hopeless boy's life. Regardless of what it was, something within Inuyasha compelled him to reach out to the fox child.

"A simple yes would suffice." He offered.

"I….Shippo opened and close his mouth for several seconds. Unable to form words, he nodded.

"That will do." Inuyasha nodded to himself. "Now, why don't you tell me a little about yourself Shippo?" He settled into his chair, as if for the night. "We are going to be spending a lot of time together after all."

Shippo looked awed for a moment. Someone actually wanted to know about his life. So he launched into an animated tale of life in the villa, included tips and tricks on how he avoided bullies, which teachers not to mess with, his favorite hiding places, the story went on and on into the ever darkening night.

Inuyasha found himself avidly interested in what Shippo had to say. Never before had he taken in interest into anyone's problems except his own. But here he was, listening to child babble on about what an adult would consider trivial problems, but were monumental to someone like Shippo.

And as the night stretched on, and so did Shippo's tale, Inuyasha decided that maybe, just maybe children were not all as irksome as he once thought.

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This is another lengthy chapter, one I enjoyed busting out. I hope you enjoyed it. I think that it takes a good look into Shippo's life, before introducing Inuyasha into the picture. I am also very much evolved in "A New Start", so if YOU haven't read I suggest reading it. *wink wink* It is a work in progress that steadily gets better as you read on, trust me, I've been working on that one for a few years, and I can tell the difference from the first chapter to the latest, the writing improves each time. Anyway, leave comments if you wish, I appreciate any!