Shippo perched on Kilala's back, his posture acute as he scanned the horizon for the smoke that would give away their camp. He remembered it was somewhere south of the mountains, where the lake gave way to a small stream that stretched for miles; it marked the border of Sesshomaru's land, yet it didn't encroach on the taiyokai's western territory, simply circumventing it like most things did with the western lord.

The kitsune frowned when he thought about Sesshomaru, and subsequently, his half-brother Inuyasha. The hanyou was a handful, but he had never threatened Kagome like he did in their camp; the young miko's aura blanched with fear as he had approached her, fangs barred and his scent dripping with feral arousal. Shippo had seen the way Inuyasha's eyes bled crimson, his golden gaze paling to an icy blue – and yet, the hanyou's gaze had been molten with intention, unlike the ravenous beast he usually became when his yokai blood surfaced.

He was sure what Inuyasha said had more meaning to it that he could understand, given the strange ways adults sometimes spoke – saying one thing and meaning something else entirely.

Shippo shook his head, blue bow swinging as his ponytail mussed in the air. He marveled at the strange ways of adults. Despite his young miko being on the cusp of that peculiar shift from adolescence to adulthood, the kit could smell when she bled, and like Sango, Kagome could be a scary woman when she was angry.

Shippo's thoughts drew back to Inuyasha, a scowl scrunching up his innocent face. "Inuyasha's always the reason mama is mad," he observed, and Kilala nodded her head gruffly, keeping a rigid form so as not to shake her precious cargo; the neko had grown fond of Shippo, who had the heart of a hero despite his small, unaccommodating stature.

Shippo's stomach knotted in uncertainty. Kagome had been mad at not one, but two canines on this night; the brutes approached her with the same scent, their fangs practically dripping as their desires took to forceful contact. Shippo remembered the way Kagome reacted to the wolf demon that had kidnapped him. 'Kouga.'

She had aimed her bow at him, but the arrow didn't feel like her other shots; its power had been softer, and it tasted less saccharine in the air as she drew back to fire.

'Was she holding back?' Shippo speculated, and then he paused in his train of thoughts, startled. 'Would she have shot him?'

The way she melted in that vicious wolf's arms made his stomach turn and his mind hurt. He put one of his little hands to his temple, massaging gently as he felt a vein pop in frustration. He had a pervading feeling of helplessness as he recalled how Kagome practically gave herself to the hungry wolf.

"I don't want to lose her," Shippo cried suddenly, and Kilala reared in surprise. When the neko realized he wasn't in danger, she purred, letting the vibrations soothe the kitsune that was nestled safely in her shoulder blades. His fingers dug into her fur, seeking the comfort she provided with her soft warmth.

Being the only two full-blooded yokai in their group, Shippo had grown rather attached to Kilala, as they often communicated in a way only yokai understood. Despite the well intentions of their human companions, it was something Shippo missed dearly, especially when he reminisced about his late father. Sometimes he wanted to have a new father figure, and at first he had looked to Inuyasha to fill that role, but he quickly found the inu-hanyou preferred dishing out lumps rather than comfort.

'Mama is enough for me.'

Shippo sniffled, rubbing his eyes as tears began to well in the corners. His emerald irises shone brightly as the dew of his sorrow came to a head, and his eyes narrowed as his grief gave way to determination.

"I won't lose my mama to wolves again," Shippo whispered, "I'm going to protect her this time." The little kitsune knew of only one person who could save Kagome from the wolf, though Shippo was loathe to admit it, even to himself.

Inuyasha may dish lumps out in heaps, and he may be a stubborn half-breed who put his foot in his mouth way too often, but the hanyou always did one thing right: he protected Kagome at all costs, even from himself.

Shippo took solace in that.

Despite Kagome and Inuyasha's fight earlier, he knew Inuyasha would go after her… so long as he wasn't with the earthen miko he had claimed to love in life: Kikyo.

Updated: January 7, 2019