AN: It has come to my attention that I never mentioned that the Inuyasha I was using in this story was the half-demon one…uh, sorry. *sweatdrops*. But I guess it really doesn't matter, at least not yet it doesn't. I'm not totally sure how I'm going to end this after I read one of my reviews -_-;; but I promise I will finish it, despite the people who don't like it. And thank you for all the reviews ^_^ again it makes me feel special and want to write this o.0
Oh, btw…I'm grounded again starting Friday. *sighs* I hate when this happens…once again, gomen, but I will be writing out the next chapter on paper during my grounding so I'll just have to type it up…my parents also said that they don't know how long they'll ground me for, but I'm guessing no more than 3-4 days -_-;;


CHAPTER 5: Shippo, the Fox Youkai

"Kagome! Wake up already! We're there!" Sango shook Kagome awake and hoisted the sleepy girl to her feet. She staggered a bit before she remembered how to balance herself. Sango sighed as she pulled her friend off the bus and into the wilderness.

The two girls looked around with their lips slightly parted in astonishment and a shiver slipped down their spine. It all felt familiar, and this was devastating to them because they were hoping that it would feel different, and look different…but it didn't. Everything looked the same; every tree looked the same height and seemed to be trying to grab at them and drag them kicking and screaming into the forest's depths where no one would hear them scream.

Sango walked over to one of those trees and seemed preoccupied with something on the ground. Kagome turned around to leave and get back on the bus, but met up with Tokuno's chest as the first time they met.

"Where you going?" He asked, something twinkling in his eyes.

"U-uh no-w-where," she stuttered as she faced the forest again. Tokuno wrapped his hands around her shoulders and grinned.

"I didn't think so. Sango and especially you are going to enjoy this trip. I promise," he grinned again, and Kagome stared up at him. She looked back and forth between him and the soil on the ground.

'Should I tell him? Sango would think so…it's only because of me that she hasn't said anything yet…this might work out all for the better anyways. He'll protect me.'

"Tokuno?" Kagome asked, finally making up her mind. When she got no reply, she said his name again. As if snapping out of a trance, he peered down at her with a baffled look.

"Wh-what? Huh? What did you say Kagome?" he inquired gently. She looked down at the ground with a transfixed gaze. "You seem hesitant, Kagome." She only nodded. "You can trust me." Again she nodded.

"It's just that…I…I mean Sango and I had something happen to us in the past, and…" she stopped herself from going any further. His eyes twinkled again, but Kagome didn't notice.

"What, Kagome,"-he said her name soothingly-"what do you want to tell me?" She sighed, but kept silent.

"Hey Kagome! Come over here for a second!" Laughed Sango, waving her arm to where she was. She was bending over and was watching something. "Hurry girl! It's sooooo cute!" Kagome nodded over at her friend.

"Coming!" she said, running over to Sango, glad for the interruption…she just wasn't ready to tell anyone yet…maybe never. Tokuno, unbeknown to them, had glared forebodingly at Sango.

'So close…she almost told me, meaning I would have gained her total trust…'

Everyone gathered around Sango as Kagome pushed through the group of 20 or so people.

"What's going on?" the teacher called out, pushing through the mob scene. "Okay, everyone, back away! Let me through!" Kagome had ended up crawling towards-and more importantly away from Tokuno-to Sango. Kagome gasped.

"Oh my god! What is that??? It sorta looks like Inuyasha…in away, with the ears…and that bushy tail." Kagome commented, with a loud snort from Inuyasha.

"Ah! Let me outta here!" the little creature requested. The other students tried to seize it as it leapt over their heads and into the forest, bounding from one tree branch to another.

"What the heck was that??" the teacher grasped her heart as if she was having a heart attack and sunk to the ground.

"Kagome! Hurry! Let's follow it!" Sango grabbed Kagome by the elbow and started to pull her out of curiosity towards where the 'thing' had gone.

"But Sango! I don't think we should! Remember last time we left our group!! Do you?? ANSWER ME SANGO!!!" Kagome cried out as she tried to pull back.

"That's all in the past, Kagome…there's nothing we can do…besides, I'm sure whatever it was is gone now." Sango said quietly and came to a stop to pull her best friend into a warm bear hug. A blur sped past them.

"Ha! I'll beat you in finding the little runt, Higurashi!!" Inuyasha hollered as he leaped by. Kagome's eyes grew angry as she stared after him.

"Wait up, Inuyasha!" Miroku called to him and sped up. He wasn't about to let his friend have all the fun…besides, Sango seemed to be heading that way to. He winked at her as he passed them and she blushed.

"Inuyasha you baka!!" Kagome growled after him while shaking her fist. "Not if I can help it!!" She took off after him, pulling Sango along for the very 'intense' ride of jumping over bushes and logs. In her rage, she had forgotten about her fear of the forest.

"Kagome! What are you doing?? SLOW DOWN!!!" Sango pleaded for her life, but it was no use. Kagome was determined to beat Inuyasha and there was no way in hell she was going to let anything stop her from doing so.

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder to see Miroku beside him and the girls gaining.

'Wow…didn't know she could run so fast.'

"Inuyasha, you bastard slow down!!!" Kagome screamed, reaching for his shoulder to shove him to the ground. Only inches in between them, Inuyasha stopped abruptly and she bashed into him, knocking both of them to the ground, followed closely by Sango and then Miroku on the top.

"Why'd you stop?" Miroku asked, rubbing his head as he waited for his vision to focus once again. Sango climbed out from under him and brushed herself off. She frowned when she saw Kagome squirming as she tried to pick herself off of her rival.

"Getting a little attached to me, Kagome." Inuyasha smirked, earning him a kick in the ribs.

"Hmph! You wish!" Kagome grumbled as she turned away from him and walked to where Sango was standing. Miroku saw his chance.

"WHAT THE FUCK???" Sango swiped a hand away from her butt. "What the hell are you doing??"

"Uh…" he thought frantically for a solution to her question, finding none, he just smiled. Sango, remembering his reputation for 'pinching butts' and 'grabbing chests', just huffed as she hid behind Kagome, sending murderous glares to Miroku.

"So why did you stop, huh, Inuyasha?" Sango asked as she looked around for a reason. Inuyasha didn't say anything, and looked like he was keeping something from them.

"SO?" Kagome stressed out the vowel and stomped her foot on the solid ground. When again he didn't answer, she lunged at him. "TELL US YOU DIM-WITTED ASSHOLE OR I'LL KILL YOU!!" They locked arms and each pushed back testing the other's strength. Inuyasha had the upper hand, and pushed her against a tree.

"Say it," he murmured into her ear. She tried to head-butt him, but he evaded it and insisted on not letting go until she said it.

"Never!" Kagome fought some more until she finally realized that she wasn't budging an inch until she said it.

"Let her go you pervert!" yelled Sango, but Miroku held her back.

'Here's your chance, Inuyasha…don't blow it. Say you're sorry even though it's going to take a lot more than that to smooth things over…if you can at all. I see the way you look at her. You can't hide it from me.'

Sango fought him, but this battle was almost as one-sided as Kagome's and Inuyasha's. "Let her go! Don't you think you did enough damage???"

"Come on, Higurashi! Say it…you know you want to…" he grinned at her and she bit her lip. He sighed when she refused to look at him, turning her head away from his and closing her eyes. "Say it," he said forcefully, yet still playfully. He let out a small gasp when he saw a tear slide down her cheek. He immediately let go and backed off. She slid down against the tree and brought her legs to her chest.

"Kagome…" Sango whispered as Miroku, too, let her go. He took his chances again and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Kagome…look," Inuyasha began painfully. "I didn't mean to let my anger get the better of me that day…and….I'm sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck and stared down at Kagome, awaiting her reaction.

"Just go away…" she whimpered softly into her arms. Sango sat down beside her, glaring at Inuyasha and Miroku, and she put her arms around her friend.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha sighed. She heard giggling in the background.

"Hey! Look! It's that fox-looking thing!" Miroku said with enthusiasm. He pointed into a small clearing. Kagome lifted her head and looked, standing gradually to her feet.

She walked slowly towards it and in a calm manner, bent down and positioned herself next to it. Its eyes were round and wide with the same inquisitiveness in them as its chaser.

"Hi, little guy," Kagome cooed as she reached out to touch it. "My name's Kagome…what's yours?" Her hand brushed against its bushy tail and it allowed her to.

"I'm Shippo…" he said carefully.

"Don't worry Shippo, we're not going to hurt you, I promise. I just want to talk."

"I'm Sango," she interrupted as she sat down besides Kagome, followed by Miroku and Inuyasha.

"I'm Miroku."

"First thing's first. What the hell are you?" Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow and folded his arms. Kagome whacked him upside the head.

"You're one to talk," she groused.

"I'm a Fox Youkai," Shippo said, sensing nothing wrong with these four people. Inuyasha snorted and Kagome pinched his foot.

"A demon? There's no such thing as those," Sango tried to comprise, but could find no other explanation to his appearance. "And aren't all demons suppose to go around eating people? I mean that's what I read once in a book as a little kid." She finished quickly and blushed as her hands fidgeted in her lap.

"I'm not bad, don't worry." Shippo reassured her.

"And if he was, I'd protect you Sango," Miroku said slyly, but she didn't notice.

"Why are you here…these woods are dangerous," Shippo pried as he raise an eyebrow. He sat in front of Kagome.

"We're here on a fieldtrip, with our class. I guess we better be getting back," Kagome shivered as she continued. "It's getting late…and dark. I don't want to be here without anyone around…I want to go back now!" She declared, standing to her feet and facing Shippo.

"I understand…" he sighed sadly as he turned to leave, and whispered "I know what it's like to feel alone…my father…" Shippo stifled in a cry.

"What about your father," Kagome asked. Shippo turned to her and flew into her arms as she sank to her knees.

"He's gone…something killed him," Shippo sobbed loudly. Kagome embraced the little youkai tightly in her arms for a long time while the others just watched. When she was finally able to speak, she whispered:

"I'm so sorry Shippo, I didn't mean to…" she stopped as she realized he had fallen asleep in her arms, a semi-restless sleep. "Sleep well, my friend, and don't worry. I'm not going to leave you here alone in this hellhole…I know what it's like to feel alone here…" That reminded Inuyasha of Sango's and Kagome's conversation before, but he wasn't about to ask. He just stood there, waiting and watching Kagome. Sango had eventually leaned up against Kagome and had fallen asleep. Kagome was next.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said quietly as he stood next to his friend. "It's late…don't you think the teacher would have found us by now…I don't think we wandered too far off." Inuyasha shrugged, but Miroku could see the worry etched in his expression.

"Doesn't matter, we'll head back now anyways…" he stared at Kagome and Sango.

"Should we wake them?" he nodded. Inuyasha went to them and shook them lightly, but got no reply.

"Wake up, girls…and guy," Inuyasha added. He shook them again and started freaking out when then didn't say wake. "They're not waking up!" he frantically checked for a heartbeat and sighed contently when he found one on Kagome. Miroku checked Sango's.

"She's fine to. Let's just carry them back," Miroku suggested, and got a hesitant nod in return.

"But if she wakes…" Inuyasha sighed. "Alright, let's go." He picked her up in his arms and hugged her close to his chest.

'She's still hugging Shippo like a protective friend.'

"Okay, I'm ready." Miroku and Inuyasha headed back towards the way they came, hoping to find the campsite that their classmates were sure to have set up by now…or so they thought it was the way. It was getting very late, and only the moonlight and the many stars lighted up the area around them.

Kagome snuggled into Inuyasha's shoulder and shivered, hugging Shippo even closer for warmth. Inuyasha smiled.

"It's cold out," he stated. "Reach into my bag and pull out my jacket. Miroku obeyed and got the jacket. He tossed it to Inuyasha who caught it with his shoulder. "There's one more in there if you need one for Sango." Miroku nodded and got the other coat to place over her.

"We've been walking for awhile now. Don't you think we should have seen them by now?" Inuyasha nodded.

"Yeah…I don't like this one bit…something's not right here…"


AN: Alright…a longer chapter than most of the previous ones, so review please and let me know what you think. And I'll start writing the next chapter…on paper -_-*