By: Lady Tiger LiLy
Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. I own what I own.
Chapter 8: Bedside Visitor
All was still that night in Feudal Japan, so still, that a certain wandering traveler had gone unnoticed as he entered the demon slayers' village.
"I am close."
Silently, he hopped to a house. He sniffs a bit before continuing. He then finds his way to a room within.
Junko breathed softly as she slept soundly; unaware of what was in her room, searching for her.
Shippo was sitting on a grassy slope when Junko walked up to him and sat next to him. He noticed she was wearing the same clothes as Kagome used to wear. "Junko?" Shippo spoke to her.
Junko gave him a soft smile.
Shippo looked down and saw he was wearing a familiar red kimono. Suddenly, the earth quaked and begun to rip apart, creating deep canyons. Shippo gaped at the spectacle. He then heard a scream. Turning around, he saw both Kagome and Junko. The earth broke under their feet and they fell into the deep cracks of earth, both barely able to hang on the edge of earth.
Shippo panicked. He didn't know what to do. Kagome and Junko were both too far apart from one another. He couldn't get to both of them and the earth was quickly crumbling away from their fingertips.
Shippo then saw a flash of red and streaks of silver. Before he knew it, he saw Inu-Yasha at Kagome's aid; pulled her to safety. He then pulled Kagome to him and held her in a caring embrace.
Shippo watched them until the quaking earth became much more violent and caught his attention. He turned and saw Junko still hanging to the edge of earth that was now crumbling away faster.
Junko's grip gave out just when Shippo's clawed hand grabbed hold of her wrist. He pulled her up to safety and noticed she was no longer wearing the same clothes as Kagome. She now wore her own clothes. Shippo looked down and saw he wore his usual clothes once more as well.
He looked over at where Inu-Yasha and Kagome sat; both looking at him. Shippo looked down as he felt Junko suddenly hug him. Unsure, he gently wrapped his arms around her in return. He looked back to where Inu-Yasha and Kagome had been but saw they were no longer there.
He heard a scream. He looked down at his arms and found Junko was missing.
Shippo shot up suddenly; a cold sweat on his brow. He slowed his breathing and sighed. 'A dream.'
He heard the same scream again.
'Or was it?'
He shot out of his bed and ran to where the scream came from.
"JUNKO!"
He charged into her room when suddenly, Junko ran into his bare chest and grabbed him tightly. Responsively, he put his arms around her in a protective hold.
"What's going on!" He asked her.
But another voice spoke. "I'm afraid I startled the poor child."
Shippo looked around for the owner of the voice, but saw no one within the room. "Who are you! Show yourself!"
"Could you be the same kitsune cub that accompanied Inu-Yasha all those years ago?"
"How do you know me!" He growled as his grip on Junko tightened without realizing it.
"It is, I!" the voice replied.
Suddenly, something hit Shippo on the nose. He crossed his eyes to look down at his nose. "MYOGA!"
"How good it is to see you again, Shippo! It has been a while!" Myoga smiled.
Shippo had a look of irritation. He pinched the little flea demon off his nose and squished him flat.
"What's going on!" Miroku asked as he and everyone else ran into Junko's room. They saw the half naked Shippo holding the frightened Junko as she peeked out from his embrace. Miroku smirked. "Oh, I see. Do forgive us for intruding."
Shippo turned bright red as he let go of Junko. "It's not what it looks like!" He said more to Miroku than anyone else.
Sango hurried to Junko's side. "What happened? Are you alright? We heard you scream!"
Junko nodded. "Yeah, I'm ok."
"I'm afraid this was my doing." Myoga sighed as he jumped up onto Sango's shoulder.
"Myoga?" Sango blinked.
"She screamed over a bug?" Kohana blinked sleepily.
Junko reddened with anger. "You would too if there was a bug on your nose, sucking your blood while you slept, then wakes you up and starts talking to you!" She said in her defense.
Myoga sweatdropped.
"Why are you here, Myoga?" Miroku asked.
"Rumor of the Shikon no Tama." He responded.
"What?" Sango replied in disbelief.
'Shikon no Tama? That's the jewel Kaede spoke of.' Junko thought.
"What have you heard?" Miroku asked.
"It is rumor among the demons that the Shikon no Tama has resurfaced itself."
"But how can that be?" Sango asked.
"That is what I am trying to find out." Myoga replied. "I went in search for Lord Inu-Yasha but could not find a trace of him. I then knew that if the Jewel has returned, then so must have Kagome. I tracked her down for sometime by searching for her blood and that's when I found her." He pointed to Junko. "You taste of Kagome's blood, but I also taste demon blood in you, child."
"That's because she is Kagome and Inu-Yasha's kin." Shippo informed. "The reason you couldn't find Inu-Yasha is because he lives with Kagome in her time now."
"What!" Myoga shouted in surprise. "I knew not of this!"
"Well, maybe if you didn't always run off when things got ugly, then you would have." Shippo replied.
Myoga sweatdropped guiltily.
"Wait, he knows my mother too?" Junko said as she pointed to the little flea youkai. "Am I the only person who doesn't know about my own mother!" She sighed angrily.
"Myoga, it is impossible that the Jewel has come back. Kagome has not returned and Junko does not have it." Sango replied.
"Hmm…" Myoga looked thoughtful.
Kohana yawned. "I'm going back to bed. Don't let the bed bugs bite, Jun Bug!"
Junko's face turned red as she growled to herself.
Miroku placed his hand on his wife's shoulder. "It is late. We should all rest and talk more about this in the morning."
Sango nodded in agreement. "Yes, go back to bed everyone."
Mamoru and Rin nodded. They said goodnight to everyone and went back to their beds with Miroku and Sango behind them.
Junko looked over at Shippo as he stood silently staring at her.
Myoga jumped onto Junko's shoulder. "I'm so sorry for disturbing you."
Junko nodded.
Suddenly, Shippo left. Junko watched as he did so.
'I know what I must do.' Shippo thought as he went back to his room.
Junko had gone back to bed and laid quietly when she heard the faint sound of feet patting on the floor. She opened her eyes and saw a shadow of a figure appear on the wall. She turned over and looked over at the doorway to find Shippo. She blinked at him. "Shippo?"
She then saw Shippo with something he never had before. She gulped when she saw what it was. "Shippo?" She said timidly.
Shippo advanced. His hand reached toward his left hip as he drew out a sword he had hung to his waist. The light of the moon that crept into the room illuminated the blade making it look as if it were glowing.
He seemed to study the blade before he looked over at Junko. Junko gasped when he held up the sword. He held up the blade to his left and swooped it across to his right as if trying to get a feel for it.
Junko squeaked and hugged her blankets closer to herself. "What are you doing!" She asked with irritation. "Are you trying to scare me or something?"
Shippo looked from the blade to her. "This was you're father's sword." He held it out for her to see.
He moved the blade out of the moonlight to show her. Without the light of the moon to reflect an illuminating glow on the blade, she saw it looked very old and beat up.
"Don't be fooled by Tetsusaiga's appearance." He told her.
Junko looked at him. "Tetsusaiga?" She nearly whispered to herself.
Shippo placed Tetsusaiga back into its sheath and walked back to the other side of the room and sat down against the wall. "Go to sleep now." He said.
Junko was going to ask why but she already knew; he was going to stay and watch over her for the rest of the night. "I'm ok now, Shippo. You don't have to stay." She spoke.
"Yes, I do." He spoke.
Junko gave him a puzzled look. She was about to say something else when he spoke again. "Just go to sleep, Junko." His voice was unwavering and serious.
Though hesitant, Junko decided not to argue with him. Instead she laid back down to go to sleep. She wasn't sure why she didn't ague with him though. Maybe it was because she was really tired now, or maybe it was because she felt safe having Shippo there; protecting her with her father's own sword. It was almost like having her father there watching over her in a way.
'Tetsusaiga…' She spoke in her mind. 'Dad probably used it to protect mom… And mom was to protect the Shikon no Tama…' Junko remembered what Kaede had told her. 'Shikon no Tama. The jewel that was found within my mother's body. She was entrusted with it… I wonder what happened to it.'
Shippo listened to Junko's breathing and could tell she finally drifted off to sleep.
"Is that really-!"
"Be quiet!" Shippo hissed to Myoga on his shoulder.
"Sorry!" He amended. "Is that really, Tetsusaiga!"
"Yes."
"But how!"
Shippo looked down at the handle of the sword at the red piece of cloth that was tied to it.
(Flashback)
"Kagome!" Shippo cried in her arms. "Why are you leaving? Don't you like us anymore?"
"Shippo." Kagome soothed. "Of course I do. In fact, I love all of you very much, but I have to leave and take the jewel with me so no demon can get it. If I use it to travel back and forth, demons could sense the jewel and come for it. And I don't want to leave it in Kaede's village because I don't want to put the village in danger of a demon attack. Do you see?"
Shippo nodded sadly. "I'm going to miss you, Kagome."
"I'm going to miss you too; all of you. And you'll have Sango and Miroku to watch over you." Kagome took the tie off her uniform and used it to dry Shippo's tears. She then handed him over to Sango. She took Shippo's hand and placed the red clothe in his little hands. "Whenever you feel sad, you can dry your eyes with this and remember me." She smiled to him.
Kagome then walked over to the well, soon followed by Inu-Yasha.
"Inu-Yasha…?" Miroku spoke.
Inu-Yasha turned and looked at the monk. Without a word, he grabbed Kagome's hand. Miroku smiled and nodded. Miroku then put his hand around Sango's shoulder to comfort her as she watched her friend leave her.
Inu-Yasha stood up on the well's edge and helped Kagome to do so. He then turned to look at Miroku. "Watch yourself, monk."
"My blessings to you and Kagome." He smiled.
Kagome then turned to Sango. "Keep him in his place."
"Oh, I will." She assured.
"See-yea, brat."
"Good riddance, you stupid half bread!" Shippo stuck his tongue out at Inu-Yasha.
Inu-Yasha grinned at the little kitsune. Kagome squeezed Inu-Yasha's hand and together, they jumped into the well.
Miroku, Sango, and Shippo returned to Kaede's village and stayed there for a few days. Shippo had gone for a walk and was sitting by the river's edge. He held Kagome's tie that she gave him and sighed.
"Shippo?"
He turned around. "Kaede?"
"Shippo, do ye miss Kagome and Inu-Yasha?"
"Nope! Just Kagome!" He huffed.
"Why is ye so bitter towards Inu-Yasha?"
"Because he's a mean, smelly ol' half bread! I'm glad he's gone! He was always pickin' on me!"
"I see. Well, I came to tell ye that there is something in my hut that I think ye should see. Come."
Shippo watched Kaede head back to the village and decided to follow.
Kaede led the way inside her hut. Miroku and Sango were there too.
"Shippo, go look there." Kaede told him as she pointed past Miroku and Sango.
Shippo walked up between Miroku and Sango. He gasped lightly when he saw-
"Tetsusaiga!" Shippo said in surprise. "Inu-Yasha forgot Tetsusaiga!"
"That's what we thought at first." Sango replied.
"But we don't think Inu-Yasha would be that careless with Tetsusaiga." Miroku explained.
"What are you saying?" Shippo asked.
Kaede stepped up to Shippo. "We believe Inu-Yasha left Tetsusaiga behind; for you."
"What! Me! But why!"
"Maybe he felt you should have it. We know he wouldn't want to give it to Sesshomaru. Besides, none of us can wield it. You are the only one capable; when you get older that is. The sword IS larger than you are!" Miroku spoke.
Shippo eyed Tetsusaiga. 'Why? I don't understand? Why would you do this, Inu-Yasha?'
(End Flashback)
"I believe Miroku was right. I think that Inu-Yasha left me his Tetsusaiga though I don't know why." Shippo said to Myoga. "Since then, Miroku and Sango have been keeping it."
"But how could he abandon his Tetsusaiga! You know what happens when he does!" Myoga spoke loudly.
"I know!" He hissed at Myoga to hush him again. "Maybe Inu-Yasha figured how to control the demon within. Maybe with Kagome, he can. Maybe he doesn't need it where he is now. Or maybe he left Tetsusaiga behind so we would know that they would return someday. I don't know!"
Myoga sighed and nodded. "Perhaps you are right."
"Well, whatever the reason…" Shippo looked over at the sleeping Junko. "…I'm glad he did."
"I'm surprised to find you can even touch it!" Myoga marveled.
"I am a demon… but…" Shippo seemed a little embarrassed to admit it as he blushed lightly. "I have the heart of a human… I've been with humans most of my life after I lost my family… I think they have sorta rubbed off on me…"
"I see. Well, I'm sure Tetsusaiga will serve you as well as it did for Inu-Yasha." Myoga nodded. "Once you are able to wield it, that is."
Shippo sighed. 'What if he's right? What if I can't wield it? I have to! If I don't, I might not be able to protect Junko. I have to protect her. I have to.'
Were you surprised to see Myoga? Please tell me! I want to know what you thought about Myoga showing up! I didn't even think about him until I started to write up this chapter! I hope this chapter was ok! I thought it would be cool to let Shippo have Tetsusaiga! What about you? I know that all of you have figured out by now what's up with Junko so please bear with me! Things can't be revealed until it is time! It's part of the plot here, people! Until then, please keep reviewing!
Lady Tiger LiLy