Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story and the whole alternate universe it resides in belongs to me. Me me me!

Chapter Twenty-One: The Shikon Jewel

July 22

"Are we there yet?"

"Not yet."

The group traveled over the rocky hills, towards the only mountain that Shippo knew of that he knew very well (as Kikyo's daughter had hinted at). It seemed like a million years since he had been there last. His family had once lived in these mountains. The kit was a bit wary of returning. He didn't want to face the memories of the family he had lost. He could remember his father's face, but couldn't recall his mothers. The only mother he had in his memory was Kagome. The only family he could remember being a part of was this one.

And now he was in danger of losing his new family. It wasn't the same without Kagome. No matter how much Sango tried to mother him, or how many bedtime stories Inuyasha mutilated, it just wasn't the same.

"Are we there yet?"

Shippo rolled his eyes. "For the last time, Inuyasha, we aren't there yet! I said I'd tell you when we got there didn't I?"

"Keh," the dog demon scoffed, "Just making sure you don't just start wandering around."

Of course, Inuyasha wasn't fooling anyone. His anxiety had everyone's last nerve buzzing. Even Kikyo had kept from baiting him the last few days to keep from being on the receiving end of his increasingly volatile temper. Shippo had a different reason for trying to keep in the dog demon's good graces. Inuyasha's threat that he'd leave them all behind on go by himself seemed more and more like a promise. And the kit had to be sure that if he left that he'd take him along.

"What do we know about where to look?" asked Sango tiredly.

"Did Kagome mention anything more about it when the two of you were sleeping in bed together?" leered Miroku.

Shippo cringed as Inuyasha's eyes narrowed.

"We weren't sleeping."

Miroku's laugh made Shippo want to run for cover. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles.

"I did not think you were."

Inuyasha growled. "We were just talking, you pervert."

"Is that what you call it?"

"Daddy's an idiot," Sango murmured to her child as she began walking quickly.

Shippo decided to follow her example. He turned to watch when he felt he was at a safe enough distance. Kikyo gave them a wide berth as she tried to catch up to Sango. The fox kit spared her a glance as she walked by. Her hand was on her stomach, as if protecting the child from the yelling, cursing, name calling, and flying fists. The bigger her belly got the more confused Shippo got about his feelings. On one hand he still blamed her for Kagome being gone, on the other hand, he was a little excited about seeing the new baby. What would he be to it? Anything? Did he even WANT to be anything to it?

And she really loved that baby. He often caught her talking to it when they walked, like Sango did with Ryoku. She was careful about what she ate and with what she did. Everything she did was with thought to the child inside her. It was awfully hard to hate someone who loved their baby so much.

It just made him miss Kagome more.

Laughter pulled him away from his thoughts. Shippo shook his head. How could Miroku laugh like that after the pummeling he just got? Did the man enjoy pain?

"He is giving us a few moments of rest," explained Kikyo softly as she took the opportunity to sit down. "Miroku is a very self sacrificing man."

Shippo sat down once Sango had come over to sit beside the miko. It still felt as if he were somehow being disloyal to Kagome if he did anything that seemed too friendly. But if Sango were sitting as well, then it was okay.

"There has to be an easier way for us to get a break," grumbled Sango.

Kikyo smiled at her. "Have you often been able to use reason with Inuyasha?"

"I haven't."

The silence that followed made it very clear that there was only one person who had been able to reason with the dog demon, and she wasn't there anymore.

By the time Miroku was able to stand back on his feet without wobbling, the others were rested enough to be able to continue. This time Inuyasha hung back and Shippo took the lead. There were occasional complaints about them being too slow, but that was about it. Seemed like Inuyasha was no longer in a combative mood. Shippo felt a little bad for him. His arms were tucked in his sleeves and he was scowling, but for all his posturing, the fox kit could tell that he was hurting. Suddenly the short break didn't seem worth the pain it caused the dog demon. Moving was the only way he could keep the feelings of loss from being too overwhelming. And the reminder of his night with Kagome only seemed to hurt him more. Not that he'd let any of them see. But Shippo was a demon too, and his senses told him of the suffering Inuyasha wouldn't admit to.

"Let's hurry up," he shouted and he leapt forward, surprising himself. "We can get there before nightfall if we hurry!"

The group complained that Shippo's pace was even more brutal than Inuyasha's. Four times Kikyo had to stop to use the bushes, and Sango needed to stop twice to feed Ryoku. Shippo could feel frustration bubbling in the air. But he wasn't sure if it was his or Inuyasha's. When Miroku suggested a meal break, Shippo nearly cried.

"But we're so close!"

Before he could begin to wail, he was grabbed by the collar and tossed into the air.

"C'mon, brat. They can catch up."

The fox demon had seen Inuyasha run before, had even been a passenger many times as they flew through the air. But he had NEVER seen him go this fast before! He shouted directions at him and held on tightly. He glanced back once and saw Kirara following at quite some distance away. He wondered how she was able to carry so many grown adults. And a baby. The thought was erased from his head as they entered the woods at the base of a mountain.

"Stop!"

Shippo flew over Inuyasha's head and landed in some prickly brush.

"Ouch!"

"What? You said 'stop', so I stopped."

"You never let Kagome go flying off."

Inuyasha snorted. "She hangs on better."

Not wanting to start a fight, Shippo merely made a sound of disbelief as he pulled himself out of the brush. Once on his feet he turned away from the dog demon and looked at the woods. There was something about them that made him… sad.

"I used to live here," he said softly. "It is my home."

Shippo wasn't prepared for the gentle way Inuyasha picked him up and set him on his shoulder once more. He was grateful that the others were far enough behind them that they wouldn't see the tears that were threatening to spill.

"Was your home."

Shippo managed a smile. "Yeah. Was." He wiped at his eyes, then pointed slightly to the left. "There's a trail that way. It leads up into the mountain."

They bolted for the trail, pretending they didn't hear Sango yelling for them to wait for them. Inuyasha being Inuyasha, he didn't take the trail exactly. Instead he leapt from point to point, springing quickly to the top where Shippo indicated. One last jump sent them soaring far above the clearing. It dawned on the fox kit that this way there he could scope out the area for danger first. He was impressed. He had always thought that the dog demon was showing off. But seeing him scan the area on the way up and on the way down he changed his opinion.

Oh no.

Did he actually just learn something helpful from Inuyasha?

Worse…

He was GRATEFUL!

He really needed Kagome back soon to bring balance back to his world.

With a satisfied grunt that there were no lurking enemies, Inuyasha landed, quickly tossing the kit from his shoulder to the ground. They both looked around. Though neither was quite sure what they were looking for.

"Is this it?"

"I think so."

"You think so?"

Shippo scowled. "It wasn't like she drew me a map with instructions, you know. She just said the mountain. And this was the only place that made sense. My… my Papa used to bring me here."

"Feh."

Inuyasha and Shippo both turned when they heard a feminine yelp.

"Oh yeah. Kaede said I was supposed to be watching out for Kikyo." Oops. He turned to Inuyasha and they both shrugged. She was with Miroku and Sango, so she should be safe enough. Hopefully Kaede didn't have scary enough powers to know that he forgot about her mother and let her fend for herself on the mountain. Though part of him was curious as to what the girl would be able to do.

He tapped his chin.

"Though if they came up the trail, instead of leaping over everything like we did, they may have run into a den of wild cats. Oh, and there is one section that is all thorny brush. That wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't tipped with poison." Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at Shippo's comment. "Not a really really bad poison, just one that makes you itch like crazy. Unless you try to eat it, then it will just kill you."

"Anything else?"

Shippo cocked his head to one side and thought. "Hmm… they'd know enough to not touch the hives where the giant poisonous insects live. Right?"

Inuyasha sighed heavily. "Maybe we should go check on them."

They were saved the trip when Kirara hobbled into the clearing, followed by an irate group of humans. Miroku was curled protectively around his son while Sango helped Kikyo limp along. They were all disheveled with torn and dirty clothing.

"See," said Shippo, "They're just fine."

"Man eating plants?" demanded Sango angrily.

"Huh. I forgot about those."

It was probably a good thing that they were too tired to do anything other than plop down on the grass. The looks that promised death were enough to make him nervous, though. Inuyasha drew the fire away from the kit when he announced that they needed to get up and start looking around for the witch.

"Miko," corrected Kikyo.

Shippo personally thought that Inuyasha was correct, but he kept his mouth shut and started hunting the area for any trace of the witch. He tried using his senses. But he couldn't see her anywhere. He couldn't hear her. Sniff sniff. He couldn't smell her. The only ones he could smell, hear, or see was his pack. He tried to keep the sense of disappointment from taking over, but before he knew it he was sitting in the middle of the clearing crying out of frustration.

No one told him to be quiet.

Too distressed to drag himself back onto his feet, Shippo watched his companions search. Miroku called for Midoriko while weaving in and out of the trees at the perimeter. Sango inspected the area for any hiding spots with Ryoku strapped to her back. Kirara was searching from above. It was difficult telling what Inuyasha's technique was. He seemed to be appearing and disappearing all over the place. Kikyo was just sitting in the middle of the clearing.

Just as Shippo was about to work up the energy to get up and remind the miko about their search, the woman began glowing. The glow turned into a big bubble of light. It stung a little. Sango turned her face towards it, like she would sometimes do to feel the warmth of the sun on her face. Miroku also seemed to be enjoying it. Kirara wouldn't even come close to the light.

The light began to hurt a little more, but Shippo refused to leave. He did, however, go to Inuyasha and hide… er… sit behind his legs.

"You called little sister?" asked a smooth, cool voice.

"Yes, Midoriko."

Shippo peeked behind Inuyasha's legs. Sure enough, there stood a strange woman with a very powerful aura. She was very pretty, but very scary.

"I require your assistance to go back to where I belong."

The woman smiled warmly, though Shippo didn't feel warmed by it. In fact, he unconsciously tightened his grip on the fabric around Inuyasha's calf.

"You are where you belong."

Kikyo's calm face seemed to twitch a bit as she spoke. "I have a family I must return to. A husband and a daughter."

Midoriko frowned. "You married? You bore a child?"

"Yes." Kikyo stood and faced the woman with a raised chin, looking like she was about to do battle. Shippo wondered if having a family was against the rules for a miko. Would Kagome get in trouble too? But the rules didn't really apply to her. Did they?

It looked like the woman wanted to say something, but she simply stood there with her arms at her sides and simmered. It was very nerve wracking. He didn't miss the fact that Sango had passed her son to Miroku and was casually laying a hand on her weapon. Then she took a breath and spoke calmly, even though Shippo was fairly certain she wanted to incinerate them all.

"You have made your choices. Now you must deal with the consequences."

Inuyasha tensed, and Shippo fought another wave of tears. Midoriko wasn't going to help them?

"I do not belong here!"

"This is your world. I will not aide you in this quest. I will not allow you to disrupt the fragile balance of the worlds for your weakness."

"You WILL help me!"

Kikyo brought up her hands and scrunched up her face. She looked at her hands quizzically. Then she looked up at Midoriko with a look of dread.

"Yes, vow breaker. I have stripped you of your powers. You are worthy of being a miko no longer. Remember all that you have lost for your worldly desires. Now, return to me the jewel."

The woman moved to approach Kikyo, who was now sitting and looking miserably at her hands. Before Shippo could blink, Inuyasha had disappeared and reappeared in front of the witch. He had his sword out and looked more than ready to use it.

"Give me back Kagome."

For the first time since she had been summoned, Midoriko's face softened.

"I am sorry. But the girl does not belong to this world."

"She belongs with me!" he growled.

"I can not help you." She looked beyond Inuyasha to Kikyo. "Return the jewel."

Still in a bit of a shock from having her powers yanked from her, Kikyo simply sat on the ground looking like she was in shock. So Midoriko opened her hand and called to the jewel. It floated from where Kikyo had been carrying it to her outstretched hand.

"Bring back Kagome!"

Midoriko ignored the dog demon and studied the jewel now resting in the palm of her hand. It was simply a jewel. There was no light, no glow. Shippo wondered how she could be so calm with Inuyasha just inches from her, and snarling and looking ready to start shredding her. There wasn't even a flutter of an eyelash when he finally grew so angry that he took a swipe at her.

His claws went right through her.

Literally.

He stumbled a bit as the momentum of the swing carried him forward. Shippo would have laughed at the startled look on his face if he hadn't been sure that he was wearing a similar expression. But at least the strike seemed to get her attention.

She smiled kindly at Inuyasha. "I have been dead for centuries, demon. You can not harm me, for I have no real body for you to touch."

"What… How… What…?"

"It is my duty to protect this world. Though in death I have lost much power, I have not lost it all." She opened her hand and let the quiet jewel float. "I put my power, my soul, everything… into forging this jewel. But it is silent. It sleeps." She frowned at it. "And I can not wake it."

Shippo wanted to remind the woman that it glowed for Kagome, but he preferred to not have her attention on him. She was much scarier now that he knew that she was… well… dead.

Dead or not, it was still startling to see a sword swing through her middle.

"I want Kagome back! Now!"

Midoriko turned her attention from the floating jewel to the furious dog demon. "You can not. She must remain where she belongs."

"She belongs here!" Another swipe of the sword.

"No." She sighed. "The fabric that holds the worlds together is fragile," she explained. "Letting a person into a world where they do not belong can cause destruction beyond imagination. It will alter the path of time. Choices that might have been made will have changed. Important world changing events could somehow never occur because of one misstep by an interloper. Is it worth forever altering the course of the future for one young girl?"

"Yes."

Shippo swallowed. Then he added his "yes" to Inuyasha's. It was closely followed by Sango's and Miroku's. Ryoku offered up a happy gurgle and Kirara meowed. Kikyo stood silently and nodded.

Shaking her head Midoriko sighed once more. "Kagome should feel blessed that she is so loved."

"You'll help us?" asked Sango.

Midoriko closed her eyes.

Then she closed her fist, causing the jewel to shatter. She opened her eyes and sent the pieces flying with a wave of her hand.

"No."

With that, she simply vanished.

Kikyo started crying. Sango was screaming at Midoriko to come back. Miroku was trying to calm his wailing son. Inuyasha was staring at his palm. Shippo was too numb to do anything at all. Midoriko had been their last hope. And now that was gone.

"What are we going to do now?" he asked in a whisper.

Inuyasha closed his fist.

"We aren't giving up, runt. We'll get Kagome back."

"But… how?"

He opened his hand again and looked at the object in his palm. This time Shippo noticed that it was a piece of the shattered jewel. One tiny little pink shard.

"I have no magic…"

Shippo turned to look at Kikyo. Her hands were trembling, and the blood seemed to have drained from her face, making her look as pale as a ghost. Even more ghost looking that Midoriko, and she was actually dead!

"We all got our problems today, wench," muttered Inuyasha as he tucked away the jewel.

Kikyo dropped her hands and just let the tears fall freely down her cheeks. Shippo's heart lurched at the raw pain on her face. He could almost smell the despair.

"Without my magic… I may never see my family again…" she choked back a sob. "Not even through a reflection!"

No one spoke a word.

Even the insects stopped chirping.

Never see Kagome again?

It was too horrible to contemplate.

Shippo felt the tears welling and was about to open up his mouth to let out a wail of agony. But before he could, Inuyasha grabbed him. Then he grabbed Kikyo. The others would follow soon. It didn't take many guesses for Shippo to figure out that Inuyasha was taking them to the closet body of water. Probably that small spring they had passed a couple of hours ago.

He wouldn't complain though, no matter how many hours he had to stare into the water. Watching. Waiting. Hoping.

Praying.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note:

I want to thank y'all for your kind reviews. Next chapter they'll be brainstorming what to do next now that Midoriko has refused to help them.