I don't own Inuyasha. Only the dragon demon and, later on, the fox demon are mine. This story takes place between seasons four and five, I would think.
Chapter One- The Berry
Kagome carefully packed her bag, making sure that the delicate items were on the top. Let's see…books, books, first-aid kit, more books, lunch boxes, ramen cups, chips, marshmallows, and a small candy bag for Shippo. She smiled at the bag. She had a soft spot for the fox child. He was adorable and he adored her. She got the impression that he viewed her as an older sister which made sense, but she felt their relationship was more like a mother and child. She was certainly protective of the little kitsune, especially if Inuyasha was picking on him, which seemed to be frequently.
Shippo is an interesting demon. He is still a kid, but he's determined to be strong. He likes to play, but willing to pitch in and help. Honor means a lot to him. He attracts the interest of human girls with his friendly nature and proves not all demons are evil or bad. Kagome hoisted the backpack onto her shoulders before leaping into the well.
Shippo perched himself on the well's rim, awaiting Kagome's return. Nearby were Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Kirara. He was eager to see Kagome. He regarded her like an older sister thought she sometimes protected him from Inuyasha in a motherly way. Inuyasha tended to be rough with him in an older brother way, but mostly like a bully. She knows I can protect myself with my illusions so it's really only Inuyasha she has to save me from; only she can control him.
A glow from below drew the little kitsune from his musings and he quickly looked down to see a black-haired teenager with a yellow bag. "Kagome!" he exclaimed, his fluffy tail swishing happily as he jumped down to the ground.
Kagome appeared on the rim and smiled at her friends as Inuyasha came over and took her bag off her. She found the half-demon's old-fashioned notions of women's capabilities to be charming at times, like now, but other times it was insulting. She had strong feelings for Inuyasha; she just couldn't bring herself to tell him for at least a couple of reasons. One was his infantile behavior. She was certain he was older than her though he didn't look it and yet sometimes he acted like a child and she seemed to react in a similar manner. It was only upon reflection that she regretted her behavior; there was just something about Inuyasha that prompted her to behave childishly as well. The other reason she hadn't told him she loved him was Kikyo. Ever since the priestess had been resurrected, Inuyasha would pursue her, show affection for her. He showed Kagome tender feelings too, but it was always brief. Kagome knew, deep down, she couldn't compete with Kikyo, but was a bit tired of the half-demon practically cheating on her with Kikyo. Perhaps once the jewel is whole again and everything is peaceful, I'll return home and stay there. Kikyo can have Inuyasha. I'm sure that will make him happy.
Inuyasha set the bag on the back of the bicycle, his thoughts on Kikyo and Kagome. Kikyo's resurrection had been a bittersweet reunion what with both believing they had been betrayed by the other. The misunderstanding had gotten cleared up when they learned of Naraku's existence and history. While Inuyasha wished to destroy Naraku and keep Kikyo safe, the priestess claimed she would defeat Naraku and once he was gone, she would allow herself to die.
The idea of his beloved dying again was a heartbreaking one and made him determined to kill Naraku first. She may be angry if that happens, but she would get over it and we could be together. But…what about Kagome? He looked at the girl who was cuddling Shippo. Yes, she was Kikyo's reincarnation, but her personality seemed different from Kikyo. Part of it could be because she was a little younger and had her mind on affairs going on in her modern world. There was also something about her that caused them to fight like, well, like cats and dogs. Yes, despite all that, he had strong feelings for her that may go beyond what he felt for Kikyo. I love both of them, but I can only have one, I know that. I just can't decide right now. Maybe I'll get lucky and one will die so I won't have to choose.
"Inuyasha?"
The silver-haired boy blinked to see Kagome who seemed concerned. "You okay?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah. I was just…wondering what you were going to do when we beat Naraku and get the jewel."
"Oh. Well I'll probably go home and stay there."
"I see," he said quietly, but inwardly he was cheering and sobbing. On one hand, he definitely wouldn't have to choose but on the other hand, he would never see Kagome again. He definitely considered her a friend and would like to keep seeing her.
Kagome hopped on her bike and the group resumed their travels, but her mind was on Inuyasha's response. It had been unusually quiet and she wondered if her answer saddened him. Truthfully, the idea of saying goodbye to her friends for good was a terrible one, but this wasn't her time and the whole point of this journey was to collect the jewel shards- period. Does Inuyasha not want me to leave for good? I mean, he is a friend, despite my feelings for him. But if the jewel is complete and a wish is made on it, I would need to make sure I returned home or else I'd be stuck here, which wouldn't be so bad.
Shippo settled in the bike's basket, noticing it seemed a little smaller than the last time he rode in it. Hmm, maybe I'm getting a growth spurt. Well, that's life. I can't stay small forever. I'll eventually grow into a big, strong demon. A shame Kagome won't see me grow up. His ears had heard the conversation between Inuyasha and Kagome and it saddened him to think he'd never see her again. I know she knows we're her friends and that we'll miss her, but she has family back home who miss her when she's with us. I just gotta keep it together when she had to leave us for good.
"So, any new leads on Naraku?" Kagome asked as they traveled.
"None," Sango answered. "Some demons chose to come after us for no reason other than we are looking for jewel shards."
"Feh, fine with me," Inuyasha spoke up. "I just get stronger with each one we beat."
"Huh, you think they wouldn't attack as you don't have any shards as they're with me," Kagome said.
"Well, they don't know that you live in another time," Sango said.
"True enough." The sound of sniffing caught her attention and she looked down to see Shippo leaning forward slightly and breathing deeply. "Shippo?"
"Mm. That smell," he said softly. "I remember it. It is Foxes' Delight."
"Foxes' what?"
"Delight. It's a delicious berry that foxes love, almost rare to find."
"Huh, well maybe we could pick some for you." She saw Sango and Miroku nodding and Kagome added, "What do you think, Inuyasha?"
"Uh, yeah," he said, sounding distracted. "Besides, I smell something enticing to me in the same direction." He took off toward the smell with the gang behind him. It wasn't hard to keep up with Shippo directing them with his nose.
Kagome couldn't believe her eyes. It was a small wild garden that featured different varieties of flowers, berries, fungi, and plants. The dog half-demon was already chewing the leaves of a plant Kagome recognized as the sago palm, a plant dogs loved to eat. No wonder he found it enticing.
"Kagome! Over here!" called Shippo. She turned her attention to the fox who was surrounded by berries that bore a resemblance to raspberries save for the white spots on it. A pleasant scent rose from them. "So, this is Foxes' Delight, huh?"
"Mm." Shippo nodded as he chewed on one. He swallowed, licked his lips, and said, "They're wonderful. Have one, Kagome."
She plucked a berry while Shippo pulled out a cloth to collect them. She tentatively took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. Oh, wow! It is delicious. She finished the berry before gathering a cloth of her own and collecting more. "You're right, Shippo. They're wonderful. Try one, Sango. Miroku?"
"Uh, no thanks," Sango said. Kagome saw her wrinkled nose and guessed it didn't smell good to her. I guess that not all humans like the smell. That's fine; to each his own. She returned to collecting berries, occasionally eating one as did Shippo.