WARNING!! WARNING!!! This chapter was pretty shoddily written, so I
decided to revise it. Instead of fighting the head honchos in this
chapter, they will only fight Shippo. The battles with Senjeta and Inarki
will be in the next chapter and then comes the ending. I just wanted to
remind you and I hope this does not cause any inconvenience.
-Randall Flagg2
But as Warner Brothers, Jon D. MacDonald and Long Island Dragway know so well, there's a Mr. Hyde for every happy Jekyll face, a dark face on the other side of the mirror. The brain behind that face never heard of razors, prayers, or the logic of the universe. You turn the mirror sideways and see your face reflected with a sinister left-hand twist, half mad and half sane. The astronomers call that line between light and dark the terminator. -Charlie Decker, Rage
Become vengeance David. Become... wrath. -John Doe, Seven
Yes there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run there's still time to change the road your on. -Led Zeppelin
Serenity rushed at Aya to attack. She reared her arm back to slash. Aya watched the movements of Serenity's arm carefully, then grabbed it as Serenity's arm descended towards her. "Did you really think your little blade would work against me?" she taunted. Aya's smile became a full fledged snarl and she twisted Serenity's arm almost all the way around. Serenity cried out and stepped back, giving Aya enough time to punch her in the stomach. Serenity felt the air whiff out of her as she clutched her stomach with one hand. Her other hand was held out in front of her.
"Fox fire!" Serenity shouted. A swirling ball of flame suddenly shot out of her hand and struck Aya in the face. The demon screamed, half in pain, half in anger and clutched her face. Already a burn mark was appearing on it. Serenity jumped at her and reared her claws back.
"Iron reaver soul stealer!" Serenity's claws would have cut Aya into pieces, had she not brandished her scythe. Instead of hitting their intended target, her claws struck the blade of Aya's weapon, stopping them. Serenity retracted her arm, allowing Aya to slash at her. Serenity ducked and then jumped as Aya swung low at her. Serenity took out some leaves and tossed them up into the air.
"Multiply!" Serenity commanded. The leaves changed into exact clones of her. Aya was bewildered. Which one was the real one? She growled bitterly and swung at them with her scythe. The first clone turned back into a leaf. She slashed again, getting only a leaf once again.
"Damn you! I'll find you somehow!" As Aya slashed at the clones, the real Serenity took out her slash sickle and cut Aya across the back with it. Aya screamed and whirled around with animal like speed and tried to punch her. Serenity doubled back and readied her claws again.
"I thought you'd be a bit tougher Aya! You're not much for an elite!" Aya snarled angrily at her. Just as Serenity readied her next attack, a sharp pain shot up her back. Serenity turned around to see Zanza standing before her, whip held in one hand.
"Aya was right! You are tougher then you look! But even with your powers you are still no match for us." Zanza dashed behind Serenity with such speed that she seemed to leave after images. Before Serenity could react, she was whipped again. Zanza was running circles around Serenity, whipping her again and again. Aya threw in a couple of punches and kicks as well for spice.
"Argh!!" Serenity screamed as she was hurled into the ground by Zanza's whip. Her luck seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. Serenity moaned in pain. Her body was covered in bruises from Aya and slash marks from the dreaded whip. She didn't know if she could fight anymore.
"I must say again little girl," Zanza taunted, "You are a bit stronger then we thought you would be. You've actually managed to hurt me a few times and you're still alive after all those blows with my whip. I am impressed, really I am, but this has to end!" Zanza stepped over Serenity and raised her whip. "Looks like its lights out for you!" Zanza brought her whip crashing down on Serenity's back. She screamed. Zanza raised her weapon again and brought it whickering down, bringing another scream from Serenity. Just before Zanza could whip her again, Sango's boomerang came flying out of nowhere and struck her in the leg, knocking her back. Sango grabbed Serenity and picked her up.
"Are you ok Serenity?"
"I'm alright, but I'm ticked off!" Serenity exclaimed.
"Just rest for now. I'll take care of her!" Sango drew her katana and dashed forward to engage the coyote. Zanza ducked the blade and slung her whip forward. Sango blocked it with her sword and backed away as another blow sailed her way. Sango tried to attack, but it was hard because Zanza's whip was long and gave her the advantage. From a small pouch on her armor, Sango took out a pair of daggers. With amazing precision, she pitched them forward. One of the daggers missed, but the other struck the opposing woman in her stomach. Zanza yelped and clutched at her stomach. Already she could feel blood rising in the back of her throat. It was time to reveal her special ability.
"Not bad demon hunter. Not bad at all. I admit I'm impressed, but do you think that my whip is my only weapon?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I have only showed you the beginning of my powers. I think you will find my ability to be your worst nightmare!" Zanza concentrated her energy into her body and a yellow aura surrounded her. Thunder rumbled and a large, black cloud appeared above her. Sango looked up just in time to see a bright flash of lightning shoot out of the cloud and strike the female warrior. Her body began to crackle with electricity. Zanza grinned and stretched out her hand. Sango realized what was going to happen just as her opponent shot a ball of electricity out of her hand. Sango sidestepped it, but then felt a blast of agony surge up her body as a thunderbolt struck her from behind. She collapsed to the ground.
"Got you, didn't I?" Zanza said. Her voice was becoming congested with blood, but she didn't mind. "Allow me to explain how my powers work. Like Kaname, I too can control the elements, but instead of fire, I control the thunder, giving me the ability to create lightning bombs. Even if my opponent dodges them, the bombs explode into shrapnel which can catch my opponent from behind. You're weak, I can tell, so I guess this is goodbye!" Zanza threw another thunder bomb. This time is struck Sango squarely in the chest, knocking her over. She tried to block the next blow, but her boomerang did no good against the blast.
"Sango no!!" Miroku shouted. One moment Miroku was charging forward, and the next he stopped as Kayami darted in front of him, kodachis drawn, teeth bared.
"Take one more step and I'll slice you up like sashimi you piece of shit!" he snarled. Miroku jumped forward and swung his staff, but was hurled back when the demon jumped to one side and punched him in the face. Miroku collapsed to the ground.
"Wait your turn monk. You'll get yours soon enough." Kayami walked back to join his comrade.
As Sango was struggling to survive her enemy's barrage of thunder, Serenity was beginning to reveal a hidden power of her own. It had taken longer then she had hoped for, but in the end it was worth it. Serenity's body was glowing a dark red aura and her eyes were glowing like hot coals on a barbecue. "Just a little more and I can help Sango." Serenity focused all of her anger into her demon energy as best as she could. Slowly, her temper flared and her anger began to take over her brain. "A little bit more." she whispered. Suddenly, Serenity's head shot up and a strange smile crossed her face. Her eyes were blood red and there were purple slashes across her face. She was in her full demon form. "Time for some payback." she said aloud.
"What's the matter? Can't the poor demon hunter get up?" Zanza said sarcastically. Sango glared at her defiantly. She knew she was beaten, but she wouldn't give her opponent the satisfaction of seeing her frightened. Zanza glared back.
"Well if that's the way you're going to be I'll-" And suddenly Zanza was torn in half by a certain young girl. Sango looked at Serenity and gasped. She looked like Inuyasha when he went full demon!
"What the-?" Kagome asked.
"Inuyasha, what is going on with her?" Kiyashi inquired.
"I'll tell you what's happened. My sister is in her demon form now. I think this battle is going to be over very soon."
Serenity looked at her claws. They were soaked with blood. Good. That was the way she wanted it. She looked at Aya, the one whom Sango had originally been fighting with and relished the look of fear the spread over her face. Time to kill again. Serenity held out her hand.
"Fox fire!" Serenity commanded. A blue blast of fire flew out of her hand. Aya was suddenly hurled backwards, no longer a demon but a blazing ball of fire. Serenity grinned. It always fun like this. She turned towards her friends and stared at them as if they were her enemy's. Then with a roar, she charged.
"She's gunning for us! What do we do?!" Kiyashi screamed. Inuyasha drew back his fist and waited for Serenity to get within a fair distance of him. Just as she reared her claws back to strike, he stepped forward and punched her in the face, knocking her down. Serenity fell to the ground in a heap. For some time, she didn't move. Then at last the purple streaks on her face disappeared and her eyes went back to a violet color. She looked up at Inuyasha.
"Did I get them?" she asked wearily.
"Yeah you got them Serenity. You got them good." Serenity suddenly began to cry. "What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked.
"I'm sorry Inuyasha! I was just so scared before I transformed! And now I've killed them and-and-" Serenity broke down completely and wailed. Kiyashi hugged her close to her chest, muffling her loud cries.
"It's alright little one. You're alright now. There is no reason to cry. You've fought the good fight and you can rest." Serenity continued bawling. Kiyashi rubbed her back to calm her.
"You're so motherly. What's the deal?" Miroku said.
"I had children once. I raised them and I took care of them with my late husband. Then-" Kiyashi broke off in mid sentence and looked down at the ground balefully.
"And?"
"Oh never mind. That's an entirely different story." she almost whispered. Serenity's cries had ceased, but she was trembling and sniffling violently. She looked up at Kiyashi with red eyes.
"I'm sorry Kiyashi-san. I don't mean to be crying. I was just frightened for Sango." Serenity whispered. Kiyashi let her up and patted her head.
"It's alright Serenity. You beat them and that's that."
Further ahead the remaining coyotes, Konichi and Kayami stared at their enemies in disbelief. First Kaname had been killed, now Aya and Zanza were gone! It was rare that they ran into such opposition. "What do you think?" Konichi asked. "Would you like to go next Kayami?"
Kayami took out his kodachis. "I would be honored Konichi. I think I'll take that monk there!" he said, pointing towards Miroku. He stepped forward. "What about it monk?! Would you like to challenge me?"
Miroku rolled up his sleeves and readied his staff. "I accept your challenge." he said confidently. Just before either competitor could attack, something that looked like a hole appeared in the sky. Three figures descended from it. Two of them Inuyasha recognized, but the third he did not. This unknown figure was unlike anything Inuyasha had seen before. This unknown apparition suddenly pointed both of its hands downwards charged energy into them. A pair of gigantic fireballs shot out, directly towards the remaining coyotes. There was a massive explosion of blue fire, forcing the hanyou to cover his eyes. When the brightness died down, he saw two large craters where the two demons were once standing.
"Hello. We meet again Inuyasha." Senjeta said.
"Where is Shippo?! What have you done to him?!" Inuyasha roared.
Senjeta laughed. "Smell the air half breed. I think you will find he is very close by!" Inuyasha sniffed the air and gasped. He could smell Shippo's scent in the air, but something was different about it. It was much older, far stronger then it was before, and it was far more evil. He looked at the three figures and realized with horror that the smell was coming from the unknown third figure! A wave of realization flooded over him and he understood at once what had happened.
"Shippo? Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me. Are you surprised? After Senjeta took me in, he made me much stronger then I was before."
"But why? Why would you let him turn you into this-this- thing of evil?" Inuyasha stammered.
"Because I'm fed up with you and the rest of you!" Shippo snarled. "You've always said I'm weak and a burden to you and all sorts of other things! Did you think I would take it forever?! Well I decided I don't need trash like you in my life and I'm here for revenge!"
"That's right boy. Show him what you are made of!" Senjeta said. Everybody was shocked. They didn't know how Senjeta had transformed Shippo into this, but they knew that the fox they had known and loved was mad as hell and there was no stopping him now. They would have to fight him.
"Shippo I'm not going to fight with you." Inuyasha said. "As much as I'd like to, I refuse to fight you."
"Hmph! I always knew you were a coward at heart! So many times you have hurt me, and now your given a golden opportunity and you're backing down. I am surprised at you." Shippo scowled.
"I am not afraid! I just don't wish to fight with you! The real Shippo would never do this and let some fucking corpse gobbling bucket of shit like Senjeta manipulate him and trick him! He would have come back to us!" Inuyasha ducked out of the way as a blast of fox fire came sailing his way, creating a large crater in the ground.
"You can't run away you know! The only way to escape here is to fight your way out and your new opponent happens to be me!"
Inuyasha sighed and unsheathed tetsusaiga. "Alright then. If that is your choice, then I'll fight you!" He began to walk forward, only to be stopped by Kagome.
"No Inuyasha! I won't let you go through with this!"
"Move it Kagome! This is the only way I can save us! If you want to be stuck here forever, then be my guest!"
"If you want to get to him you'll have to go through me first! I'll probably lose but-" Kagome didn't finish as Shippo snuck up behind her and backhanded her to the ground.
"Bitch!" Shippo spat. "Stay out of this! This is between him and me!" Shippo paused for a moment, then threw a handful of leaves at Inuyasha. The dog demon dodged most of them, but a few of them cut through his kimono as if they were razor blades. Shippo jumped forward and bathed his fist in fox fire. Before Inuyasha could move, Shippo punched him directly in the stomach. Inuyasha doubled over and Shippo threw another leaf, this one directed at his head. Inuyasha saw it coming and blocked it with his hand. The leaf however was much sharper then it looked and pierced his hand. Inuyasha winced and threw a right hook, nailing the fox in the stomach. He jumped forward and punched Shippo everywhere he could.
"Stop it Inuyasha!" Kagome called. She ran forward, only to be grabbed by Kiyashi. "Let go of me!" she screeched.
"Don't be foolish. Shippo will surely kill you if you get in his way again. Is that what you want?"
"But I can't let Inuyasha kill him! I just can't!" Kagome wrenched free of the cat demon's grasp and ran forward, but Kiyashi was quick and tackled her to the ground.
"I'm sorry I have to do this Kagome, but it's the only way I can keep you safe!" Kagome buried her face in her arms and began to sob. She just couldn't let this happen. She just couldn't.
Inuyasha continued punching Shippo as hard as he could. Then suddenly the fox's body was bathed in flame, forcing him back. Shippo threw seven leaves into the air. "Multiply!" he commanded. Seven clones of himself appeared. Inuyasha watched in horror as the clones stretched out their hands. Each of them threw out a ball of flame. Inuyasha tried to dodge, but could not and he was enveloped in fire. Shippo jumped up and delivered a savage kick to the hanyou's face. Inuyasha clutched at his face and fell back down.
"Time for the big stuff." Inuyasha thought. As Shippo rushed at him again, Inuyasha swung tetsusaiga at him. The swing would have cleaved the kitsune in half, but he saw it coming and dodged it. Shippo grinned. Finally his opponent was truly fighting him.
"So that's how you want to play the game? Fine then! I've been practicing swordsmanship myself!" Shippo unsheathed his katana and charged. The air was filled with the sound of clashing steel. Inuyasha ducked Shippo's horizontal slash and jabbed tetsusaiga at his adversary. Shippo sidestepped it and made a vertical swing at him. Inuyasha grabbed the katana and shoved it to one side. He sprang up and slammed his fist into Shippo's face, knocking the fox down.
Kagome could stand no more. Sobbing she shoved herself upwards as hard as she could. Kiyashi fell off. Before she could restrain her again, Kagome took out her bow and arrows and pointed them at her. "Take one more step and I'll kill you!" she said. Kiyashi backed away. Kagome was going to find a way to get Shippo back to normal if it killed her. She advanced on the two fighters.
"Kagome no! Get back or he'll kill you!" Inuyasha said, momentarily distracted by the approaching miko. That was all the time Shippo needed. With a mighty thrust of his arm, he plunged his katana deeply into Inuyasha's chest. Inuyasha screamed and fell to the ground. Shippo stood over him grinning.
"Shippo," Inuyasha asked weakly. "What's happened to you? You weren't like this before."
"As if I don't know that. You think I wanted to remain the way I was? Weak and foolish, unable to defend myself? Well I'm a whole new person now. Thanks to Senjeta, I have become what I have always dreamed of being!" Shippo raised his sword and pointed it downwards like a cross. "Now it's time to finish you off!" Shippo plunged his sword downwards into Inuyasha's stomach, bringing a scream out of the hanyou's throat. Shippo smiled and pulled his katana out. It was stained with crimson color.
"How does it feel Inuyasha? Does it hurt? I hope it hurts!" He readied his sword again and stabbed his victim again. Inuyasha struggled to get up, but could not he was in so much pain. Shippo stabbed him again in the shoulder.
Inuyasha looked up at Shippo with saddened eyes. "Why have you let him deceive you? Why did you let him turn you into this monster?" he asked sadly, as if he were on the verge of tears.
"I didn't let him deceive me. You made me do it. It was because of you that I am what I am. It was because of your words that I ran away and joined the coyote tribe. It was all because of you that I let him turn me into what I am now. If you want to blame somebody, blame yourself." Shippo saif coldly. His blade came down and pierced Inuyasha's other shoulder. He raised his sword and slashed Inuyasha across the chest. He slashed him in many other areas, perhaps too many to count. The ankle, the leg, the arm, the stomach, once across the face, so many places. One could only speculate how Inuyasha could have survived it all.
"Please stop." Inuyasha said weakly. "I can't take it anymore."
"Shut up." Shippo growled. "I'm going to repay you for everything you've done to me." Shippo lost interest in using his sword and began to kick Inuyasha around the ground like a living soccer ball. All the while he was grinning and muttering about how much fun he was having. He was having such a good time he was not aware that Inuyasha was crying.
"I can't believe they did this to him." Inuyasha mentally sobbed. "He's right. This is my fault. If I hadn't said those things to him this would never have happened." Inuyasha felt tears of remorse ooze out of his eyes. Soon enough, watery gasps were escaping his mouth as Shippo kicked him again and again, enjoying every moment of it.
"Inuyasha!" Serenity cried. Serenity ran forward, but Miroku grabbed her and restrained her.
"You must not go. He will surely kill you if you try to stop him!"
"Let go of me!" Serenity raged. "I have to help him! I can't let him suffer like this!" Serenity struggled, but it was no use. At last she bit down on Miroku's hand, forcing him to let her go. Just as she started to run forward again, Miroku swung his staff and brought it down squarely on her head. The hanyou girl cried out and sunk to the ground. Miroku kneeled down to her level.
"Serenity please, listen to me! I'm sorry I had to do that, but I can't let you go and get yourself killed! Please understand that I am only trying to protect you. Now please, be wise and keep away from them." Serenity looked from Inuyasha, to Miroku, and back again. She lowered her head and her body shook. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. Then Serenity looked up at the monk and started to wail. Miroku hugged her tightly. Almost immediately he felt his robes dampen. He couldn't blame her though. Her brother was suffering and she was being forced to watch it. That would bring anybody to tears. He knew that there wasn't much they could do and that things looked bleak. For now, they would simply have to endure.
As Serenity's cries rang out in the wasteland air, Kagome was still walking towards the fox she had known and loved. She knew Inuyasha would not last much longer if this kept up and she had to do something about it. She ran at Shippo and jumped in front of him. The fox stopped his attack and stared at her. Now they were just standing there like a pair of gunfighters in a movie. Then Shippo drew back his fist and struck her in the face. Kagome recoiled, but did not back down.
"Get out of my way girl! If you get out of my way I'll be merciful on you when I finish with him." She did not obey. Shippo charged fox fire into his hands, only to be stopped as Miroku jumped forward and brought his staff down in a vertical swing on his head.
"Leave Kagome! I'll take him!"
"Miroku no! I won't let you kill him!" Kagome said, taking out her bow again.
"I'm sorry Kagome but we have no other choice!" Miroku however had forgotten to watch his back as Shippo punched him hard in the back, knocking him down. Miroku jumped back to his feet and swung his staff. Shippo grabbed it and pushed it to the side. Enraged at the monk's interference, Shippo threw a ball of flame at him. Miroku flung out a handful of spirit ward scrolls to block the flame and charged. He managed to get in two punches and then was thrown back by Shippo's own punch. The fox demon charged and threw more fireballs at Miroku. He twirled his staff in front of him like a baton and blocked the shots, but Shippo darted behind him and kicked him in the back of the head.
"Not bad monk. Not bad at all. But even you are no match for me!" Shippo grabbed a handful of leaves from his pocket and flung them at his adversary. Due to Shippo's enhanced powers they were as sharp as razor blades. Miroku winced as some of the leaves cut him. He dug into his robe and threw a spell scroll at Shippo. It latched onto Shippo and paralyzed him. Seeing an opportunity, Miroku jumped forward and began to batter Shippo with blow after merciless blow.
"Stop it Miroku! Please, just stop it!" Miroku did not listen and continued to hammer Shippo with his staff. Then suddenly, Shippo tore the scroll off and flung it to the side. Miroku stopped in shock. Nobody had ever stopped the effect of his scrolls before! He was so startled that he failed to dodge Shippo's next blow. Shippo's fist came flying forward and struck him in the stomach with bone shattering force. Miroku felt the air whiff out of him and he sunk to the ground. Shippo laughed.
"Nice try monk, but you have to do better then that! My powers are far greater now then they were before!" Shippo kicked Miroku in the face and sent him to the ground. He turned to Kagome. "You're still here girl?! I told you to go away!"
"No." Kagome said. "I want to heal you Shippo. I don't know what Senjeta has done to you, but I know there's still some of the old you left in there!" Snarling, Shippo punched Kagome in the face, bloodying her nose.
"I told you to stay out of it! Are you too stupid to understand that?!" Kagome smiled weakly at him and he punched her in the stomach. It hurt tremendously, both physically and emotionally, but Kagome wouldn't lose here.
"I am telling you for the last time bitch, you will stay out of it!!" Shippo punched her twice more and stopped, waiting for her to go back. She did not. Instead she staggered forward and fell on him, hugging him. Shippo shoved her off with a snarl, but she just did it again. Before he could strike her again, he felt the shoulder of his cloak dampen. Then he could hear sobs.
"Please Shippo!" Kagome wept. "I know your still inside there somewhere! Don't let Senjeta fool you! You are not what you think you are! You are not a killing machine as Senjeta makes you think! You-" Then she felt Shippo's claws dig into her back. She moaned, but did not let go.
"What are you doing?! Stop that this instant!" Senjeta roared. He had good reason to yell like that. Love was after all, the only thing that could break the spell he had cast. He had come too far, and he was not going to lose his one chance to get the sacred jewel now! He began to advance forward when Inarki put a hand on his shoulder.
"How dare you stop me?! Let go of me or I'll kill you!" the coyote leader snarled. Inaraki shook his head gravely.
"No Senjeta-sama. You must not interfere. Even if she does break the curse, they are still no match for us!" Senjeta contemplated tearing Inarki's head off right then and there, but then he decided not too. Inarki was right after all.
"Alright then. We'll see how things work out. I doubt she'll do as you think she will." he said. He sat down on the ground and watched the scene unfold.
Shippo raised his claws to strike her again. He would not let this girl interfere. "Let go of me now or I'll tear your heart out!" he hissed.
"No." Kagome sobbed. "I won't let you go. You can still go back to being the Shippo I knew and loved. There is still time for you to save yourself." Suddenly, something happened. Kagome's body was suddenly surrounded by a pink and red aura. Shippo's body tensed. Something was happening to him. But what was it? He did not know. With a scream, he struggled to free himself but could not. Something besides the girl was holding him back.
"I'm going to heal you Shippo." Kagome whispered. "I'm going to heal you and help you remember who you are." Shippo struggled even more, but then he relaxed. A memory of something forgotten was coming back.
*FLASHBACK*
"How exactly do you play this game Kagome?" Shippo asked.
"It's quite simple really. I deal you and myself two cards, one face down, and the other face up. The idea of the game is to get as close as you can to twenty one or get twenty one without going any higher." Kagome explained. "Be careful though. If you go over twenty one or tie the dealer, you lose." Shippo nodded. This game seemed easy enough. He looked at his cards and saw he had a total of ten.
"Kagome? What do I do if my cards aren't high enough?" he asked.
"Then you ask for another card." Shippo did so and looked at the new card. It was a ten. He smiled.
"What do I do when I don't want anymore cards Kagome?"
"Then just say you stand with the cards you have now." Shippo set his cards down and waited for Kagome to decide what to do.
"I think I'll stand with what I have." she said. "Show me your cards Shippo." Shippo set down his cards. Kagome smiled. "I got nineteen. I lose this time Shippo. You beat me by one point." Shippo giggled playfully and Kagome hugged him.
"Can we play again Kagome?" Shippo asked.
"Some other time Shippo. It's getting late. I'll play with you again tomorrow." Shippo pouted slightly, but went along with what she said. He was just about to drift off to sleep when Kagome tugged lightly on his bushy tail.
"Hold on a second Shippo. I have a couple of presents for you." Kagome dug into her bag and came out with bar of chocolate and some light blue clothes. Shippo took the chocolate immediately, but stared curiously at the clothing Kagome had brought with her.
"What are those?" Shippo asked as he bit into the chocolate bar.
"They're pajamas Shippo. People wear them to bed in their sleep in my time. I figured I might get you a different gift besides chocolate. Why don't you try them on?" Shippo took the clothes and went behind a bush to change. When he came out he was dressed in a pair of light blue two piece pajamas. He blushed a bit, feeling a bit embarrassed in this strange clothing, but that feeling left him when he saw Kagome smiling warmly at him.
"Thank you." Shippo said politely. Kagome smiled and lay down in her sleeping bag. Shippo curled up beside her and fell asleep. He couldn't wait for tomorrow.
*END FLASHBACK*
Shippo paused. A feeling he had forgotten began to creep over him. How could he have forgotten that day? That had been one of the happiest days of his life. The warm sun, the card game, the presents she had given him, and pretty much the entire day. He felt tears begin to form in his eyes as he remembered all the good times he had shared with Kagome and the others. The time she had played a game called chess with him, the many times she had given him candy, and so many other things that he had forgotten during the time he had spent with Senjeta. He realized at once what a fool he had been. Shippo felt that feeling again and realized what it was. It was love, the feeling he had forgotten. His body glowed a dark lavender color, then mist began to swirl around his body. Kagome suddenly felt herself leaning on thin air and she almost fell over. She quickly balanced herself and stood up. When the mist cleared, Kagome found herself looking down at a small child in dark green kimono pants, a fuzzy vest, and a kimono shirt with leaves on it. He was unconscious. She hugged Shippo to her chest and began to sob again. "Your free." she whispered and kissed his forehead. "Your free."
Review Responses
Rekouri Sentusu: Your right, Inuyasha did take a beating! Hope this chapter was to your liking.
Maru-sha: I hope I got Serenity's attacks down. And I figured since she is Inuyasha's little sister, she should have a full demon form as well. Hope you don't mind that.
But as Warner Brothers, Jon D. MacDonald and Long Island Dragway know so well, there's a Mr. Hyde for every happy Jekyll face, a dark face on the other side of the mirror. The brain behind that face never heard of razors, prayers, or the logic of the universe. You turn the mirror sideways and see your face reflected with a sinister left-hand twist, half mad and half sane. The astronomers call that line between light and dark the terminator. -Charlie Decker, Rage
Become vengeance David. Become... wrath. -John Doe, Seven
Yes there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run there's still time to change the road your on. -Led Zeppelin
Serenity rushed at Aya to attack. She reared her arm back to slash. Aya watched the movements of Serenity's arm carefully, then grabbed it as Serenity's arm descended towards her. "Did you really think your little blade would work against me?" she taunted. Aya's smile became a full fledged snarl and she twisted Serenity's arm almost all the way around. Serenity cried out and stepped back, giving Aya enough time to punch her in the stomach. Serenity felt the air whiff out of her as she clutched her stomach with one hand. Her other hand was held out in front of her.
"Fox fire!" Serenity shouted. A swirling ball of flame suddenly shot out of her hand and struck Aya in the face. The demon screamed, half in pain, half in anger and clutched her face. Already a burn mark was appearing on it. Serenity jumped at her and reared her claws back.
"Iron reaver soul stealer!" Serenity's claws would have cut Aya into pieces, had she not brandished her scythe. Instead of hitting their intended target, her claws struck the blade of Aya's weapon, stopping them. Serenity retracted her arm, allowing Aya to slash at her. Serenity ducked and then jumped as Aya swung low at her. Serenity took out some leaves and tossed them up into the air.
"Multiply!" Serenity commanded. The leaves changed into exact clones of her. Aya was bewildered. Which one was the real one? She growled bitterly and swung at them with her scythe. The first clone turned back into a leaf. She slashed again, getting only a leaf once again.
"Damn you! I'll find you somehow!" As Aya slashed at the clones, the real Serenity took out her slash sickle and cut Aya across the back with it. Aya screamed and whirled around with animal like speed and tried to punch her. Serenity doubled back and readied her claws again.
"I thought you'd be a bit tougher Aya! You're not much for an elite!" Aya snarled angrily at her. Just as Serenity readied her next attack, a sharp pain shot up her back. Serenity turned around to see Zanza standing before her, whip held in one hand.
"Aya was right! You are tougher then you look! But even with your powers you are still no match for us." Zanza dashed behind Serenity with such speed that she seemed to leave after images. Before Serenity could react, she was whipped again. Zanza was running circles around Serenity, whipping her again and again. Aya threw in a couple of punches and kicks as well for spice.
"Argh!!" Serenity screamed as she was hurled into the ground by Zanza's whip. Her luck seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. Serenity moaned in pain. Her body was covered in bruises from Aya and slash marks from the dreaded whip. She didn't know if she could fight anymore.
"I must say again little girl," Zanza taunted, "You are a bit stronger then we thought you would be. You've actually managed to hurt me a few times and you're still alive after all those blows with my whip. I am impressed, really I am, but this has to end!" Zanza stepped over Serenity and raised her whip. "Looks like its lights out for you!" Zanza brought her whip crashing down on Serenity's back. She screamed. Zanza raised her weapon again and brought it whickering down, bringing another scream from Serenity. Just before Zanza could whip her again, Sango's boomerang came flying out of nowhere and struck her in the leg, knocking her back. Sango grabbed Serenity and picked her up.
"Are you ok Serenity?"
"I'm alright, but I'm ticked off!" Serenity exclaimed.
"Just rest for now. I'll take care of her!" Sango drew her katana and dashed forward to engage the coyote. Zanza ducked the blade and slung her whip forward. Sango blocked it with her sword and backed away as another blow sailed her way. Sango tried to attack, but it was hard because Zanza's whip was long and gave her the advantage. From a small pouch on her armor, Sango took out a pair of daggers. With amazing precision, she pitched them forward. One of the daggers missed, but the other struck the opposing woman in her stomach. Zanza yelped and clutched at her stomach. Already she could feel blood rising in the back of her throat. It was time to reveal her special ability.
"Not bad demon hunter. Not bad at all. I admit I'm impressed, but do you think that my whip is my only weapon?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I have only showed you the beginning of my powers. I think you will find my ability to be your worst nightmare!" Zanza concentrated her energy into her body and a yellow aura surrounded her. Thunder rumbled and a large, black cloud appeared above her. Sango looked up just in time to see a bright flash of lightning shoot out of the cloud and strike the female warrior. Her body began to crackle with electricity. Zanza grinned and stretched out her hand. Sango realized what was going to happen just as her opponent shot a ball of electricity out of her hand. Sango sidestepped it, but then felt a blast of agony surge up her body as a thunderbolt struck her from behind. She collapsed to the ground.
"Got you, didn't I?" Zanza said. Her voice was becoming congested with blood, but she didn't mind. "Allow me to explain how my powers work. Like Kaname, I too can control the elements, but instead of fire, I control the thunder, giving me the ability to create lightning bombs. Even if my opponent dodges them, the bombs explode into shrapnel which can catch my opponent from behind. You're weak, I can tell, so I guess this is goodbye!" Zanza threw another thunder bomb. This time is struck Sango squarely in the chest, knocking her over. She tried to block the next blow, but her boomerang did no good against the blast.
"Sango no!!" Miroku shouted. One moment Miroku was charging forward, and the next he stopped as Kayami darted in front of him, kodachis drawn, teeth bared.
"Take one more step and I'll slice you up like sashimi you piece of shit!" he snarled. Miroku jumped forward and swung his staff, but was hurled back when the demon jumped to one side and punched him in the face. Miroku collapsed to the ground.
"Wait your turn monk. You'll get yours soon enough." Kayami walked back to join his comrade.
As Sango was struggling to survive her enemy's barrage of thunder, Serenity was beginning to reveal a hidden power of her own. It had taken longer then she had hoped for, but in the end it was worth it. Serenity's body was glowing a dark red aura and her eyes were glowing like hot coals on a barbecue. "Just a little more and I can help Sango." Serenity focused all of her anger into her demon energy as best as she could. Slowly, her temper flared and her anger began to take over her brain. "A little bit more." she whispered. Suddenly, Serenity's head shot up and a strange smile crossed her face. Her eyes were blood red and there were purple slashes across her face. She was in her full demon form. "Time for some payback." she said aloud.
"What's the matter? Can't the poor demon hunter get up?" Zanza said sarcastically. Sango glared at her defiantly. She knew she was beaten, but she wouldn't give her opponent the satisfaction of seeing her frightened. Zanza glared back.
"Well if that's the way you're going to be I'll-" And suddenly Zanza was torn in half by a certain young girl. Sango looked at Serenity and gasped. She looked like Inuyasha when he went full demon!
"What the-?" Kagome asked.
"Inuyasha, what is going on with her?" Kiyashi inquired.
"I'll tell you what's happened. My sister is in her demon form now. I think this battle is going to be over very soon."
Serenity looked at her claws. They were soaked with blood. Good. That was the way she wanted it. She looked at Aya, the one whom Sango had originally been fighting with and relished the look of fear the spread over her face. Time to kill again. Serenity held out her hand.
"Fox fire!" Serenity commanded. A blue blast of fire flew out of her hand. Aya was suddenly hurled backwards, no longer a demon but a blazing ball of fire. Serenity grinned. It always fun like this. She turned towards her friends and stared at them as if they were her enemy's. Then with a roar, she charged.
"She's gunning for us! What do we do?!" Kiyashi screamed. Inuyasha drew back his fist and waited for Serenity to get within a fair distance of him. Just as she reared her claws back to strike, he stepped forward and punched her in the face, knocking her down. Serenity fell to the ground in a heap. For some time, she didn't move. Then at last the purple streaks on her face disappeared and her eyes went back to a violet color. She looked up at Inuyasha.
"Did I get them?" she asked wearily.
"Yeah you got them Serenity. You got them good." Serenity suddenly began to cry. "What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked.
"I'm sorry Inuyasha! I was just so scared before I transformed! And now I've killed them and-and-" Serenity broke down completely and wailed. Kiyashi hugged her close to her chest, muffling her loud cries.
"It's alright little one. You're alright now. There is no reason to cry. You've fought the good fight and you can rest." Serenity continued bawling. Kiyashi rubbed her back to calm her.
"You're so motherly. What's the deal?" Miroku said.
"I had children once. I raised them and I took care of them with my late husband. Then-" Kiyashi broke off in mid sentence and looked down at the ground balefully.
"And?"
"Oh never mind. That's an entirely different story." she almost whispered. Serenity's cries had ceased, but she was trembling and sniffling violently. She looked up at Kiyashi with red eyes.
"I'm sorry Kiyashi-san. I don't mean to be crying. I was just frightened for Sango." Serenity whispered. Kiyashi let her up and patted her head.
"It's alright Serenity. You beat them and that's that."
Further ahead the remaining coyotes, Konichi and Kayami stared at their enemies in disbelief. First Kaname had been killed, now Aya and Zanza were gone! It was rare that they ran into such opposition. "What do you think?" Konichi asked. "Would you like to go next Kayami?"
Kayami took out his kodachis. "I would be honored Konichi. I think I'll take that monk there!" he said, pointing towards Miroku. He stepped forward. "What about it monk?! Would you like to challenge me?"
Miroku rolled up his sleeves and readied his staff. "I accept your challenge." he said confidently. Just before either competitor could attack, something that looked like a hole appeared in the sky. Three figures descended from it. Two of them Inuyasha recognized, but the third he did not. This unknown figure was unlike anything Inuyasha had seen before. This unknown apparition suddenly pointed both of its hands downwards charged energy into them. A pair of gigantic fireballs shot out, directly towards the remaining coyotes. There was a massive explosion of blue fire, forcing the hanyou to cover his eyes. When the brightness died down, he saw two large craters where the two demons were once standing.
"Hello. We meet again Inuyasha." Senjeta said.
"Where is Shippo?! What have you done to him?!" Inuyasha roared.
Senjeta laughed. "Smell the air half breed. I think you will find he is very close by!" Inuyasha sniffed the air and gasped. He could smell Shippo's scent in the air, but something was different about it. It was much older, far stronger then it was before, and it was far more evil. He looked at the three figures and realized with horror that the smell was coming from the unknown third figure! A wave of realization flooded over him and he understood at once what had happened.
"Shippo? Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me. Are you surprised? After Senjeta took me in, he made me much stronger then I was before."
"But why? Why would you let him turn you into this-this- thing of evil?" Inuyasha stammered.
"Because I'm fed up with you and the rest of you!" Shippo snarled. "You've always said I'm weak and a burden to you and all sorts of other things! Did you think I would take it forever?! Well I decided I don't need trash like you in my life and I'm here for revenge!"
"That's right boy. Show him what you are made of!" Senjeta said. Everybody was shocked. They didn't know how Senjeta had transformed Shippo into this, but they knew that the fox they had known and loved was mad as hell and there was no stopping him now. They would have to fight him.
"Shippo I'm not going to fight with you." Inuyasha said. "As much as I'd like to, I refuse to fight you."
"Hmph! I always knew you were a coward at heart! So many times you have hurt me, and now your given a golden opportunity and you're backing down. I am surprised at you." Shippo scowled.
"I am not afraid! I just don't wish to fight with you! The real Shippo would never do this and let some fucking corpse gobbling bucket of shit like Senjeta manipulate him and trick him! He would have come back to us!" Inuyasha ducked out of the way as a blast of fox fire came sailing his way, creating a large crater in the ground.
"You can't run away you know! The only way to escape here is to fight your way out and your new opponent happens to be me!"
Inuyasha sighed and unsheathed tetsusaiga. "Alright then. If that is your choice, then I'll fight you!" He began to walk forward, only to be stopped by Kagome.
"No Inuyasha! I won't let you go through with this!"
"Move it Kagome! This is the only way I can save us! If you want to be stuck here forever, then be my guest!"
"If you want to get to him you'll have to go through me first! I'll probably lose but-" Kagome didn't finish as Shippo snuck up behind her and backhanded her to the ground.
"Bitch!" Shippo spat. "Stay out of this! This is between him and me!" Shippo paused for a moment, then threw a handful of leaves at Inuyasha. The dog demon dodged most of them, but a few of them cut through his kimono as if they were razor blades. Shippo jumped forward and bathed his fist in fox fire. Before Inuyasha could move, Shippo punched him directly in the stomach. Inuyasha doubled over and Shippo threw another leaf, this one directed at his head. Inuyasha saw it coming and blocked it with his hand. The leaf however was much sharper then it looked and pierced his hand. Inuyasha winced and threw a right hook, nailing the fox in the stomach. He jumped forward and punched Shippo everywhere he could.
"Stop it Inuyasha!" Kagome called. She ran forward, only to be grabbed by Kiyashi. "Let go of me!" she screeched.
"Don't be foolish. Shippo will surely kill you if you get in his way again. Is that what you want?"
"But I can't let Inuyasha kill him! I just can't!" Kagome wrenched free of the cat demon's grasp and ran forward, but Kiyashi was quick and tackled her to the ground.
"I'm sorry I have to do this Kagome, but it's the only way I can keep you safe!" Kagome buried her face in her arms and began to sob. She just couldn't let this happen. She just couldn't.
Inuyasha continued punching Shippo as hard as he could. Then suddenly the fox's body was bathed in flame, forcing him back. Shippo threw seven leaves into the air. "Multiply!" he commanded. Seven clones of himself appeared. Inuyasha watched in horror as the clones stretched out their hands. Each of them threw out a ball of flame. Inuyasha tried to dodge, but could not and he was enveloped in fire. Shippo jumped up and delivered a savage kick to the hanyou's face. Inuyasha clutched at his face and fell back down.
"Time for the big stuff." Inuyasha thought. As Shippo rushed at him again, Inuyasha swung tetsusaiga at him. The swing would have cleaved the kitsune in half, but he saw it coming and dodged it. Shippo grinned. Finally his opponent was truly fighting him.
"So that's how you want to play the game? Fine then! I've been practicing swordsmanship myself!" Shippo unsheathed his katana and charged. The air was filled with the sound of clashing steel. Inuyasha ducked Shippo's horizontal slash and jabbed tetsusaiga at his adversary. Shippo sidestepped it and made a vertical swing at him. Inuyasha grabbed the katana and shoved it to one side. He sprang up and slammed his fist into Shippo's face, knocking the fox down.
Kagome could stand no more. Sobbing she shoved herself upwards as hard as she could. Kiyashi fell off. Before she could restrain her again, Kagome took out her bow and arrows and pointed them at her. "Take one more step and I'll kill you!" she said. Kiyashi backed away. Kagome was going to find a way to get Shippo back to normal if it killed her. She advanced on the two fighters.
"Kagome no! Get back or he'll kill you!" Inuyasha said, momentarily distracted by the approaching miko. That was all the time Shippo needed. With a mighty thrust of his arm, he plunged his katana deeply into Inuyasha's chest. Inuyasha screamed and fell to the ground. Shippo stood over him grinning.
"Shippo," Inuyasha asked weakly. "What's happened to you? You weren't like this before."
"As if I don't know that. You think I wanted to remain the way I was? Weak and foolish, unable to defend myself? Well I'm a whole new person now. Thanks to Senjeta, I have become what I have always dreamed of being!" Shippo raised his sword and pointed it downwards like a cross. "Now it's time to finish you off!" Shippo plunged his sword downwards into Inuyasha's stomach, bringing a scream out of the hanyou's throat. Shippo smiled and pulled his katana out. It was stained with crimson color.
"How does it feel Inuyasha? Does it hurt? I hope it hurts!" He readied his sword again and stabbed his victim again. Inuyasha struggled to get up, but could not he was in so much pain. Shippo stabbed him again in the shoulder.
Inuyasha looked up at Shippo with saddened eyes. "Why have you let him deceive you? Why did you let him turn you into this monster?" he asked sadly, as if he were on the verge of tears.
"I didn't let him deceive me. You made me do it. It was because of you that I am what I am. It was because of your words that I ran away and joined the coyote tribe. It was all because of you that I let him turn me into what I am now. If you want to blame somebody, blame yourself." Shippo saif coldly. His blade came down and pierced Inuyasha's other shoulder. He raised his sword and slashed Inuyasha across the chest. He slashed him in many other areas, perhaps too many to count. The ankle, the leg, the arm, the stomach, once across the face, so many places. One could only speculate how Inuyasha could have survived it all.
"Please stop." Inuyasha said weakly. "I can't take it anymore."
"Shut up." Shippo growled. "I'm going to repay you for everything you've done to me." Shippo lost interest in using his sword and began to kick Inuyasha around the ground like a living soccer ball. All the while he was grinning and muttering about how much fun he was having. He was having such a good time he was not aware that Inuyasha was crying.
"I can't believe they did this to him." Inuyasha mentally sobbed. "He's right. This is my fault. If I hadn't said those things to him this would never have happened." Inuyasha felt tears of remorse ooze out of his eyes. Soon enough, watery gasps were escaping his mouth as Shippo kicked him again and again, enjoying every moment of it.
"Inuyasha!" Serenity cried. Serenity ran forward, but Miroku grabbed her and restrained her.
"You must not go. He will surely kill you if you try to stop him!"
"Let go of me!" Serenity raged. "I have to help him! I can't let him suffer like this!" Serenity struggled, but it was no use. At last she bit down on Miroku's hand, forcing him to let her go. Just as she started to run forward again, Miroku swung his staff and brought it down squarely on her head. The hanyou girl cried out and sunk to the ground. Miroku kneeled down to her level.
"Serenity please, listen to me! I'm sorry I had to do that, but I can't let you go and get yourself killed! Please understand that I am only trying to protect you. Now please, be wise and keep away from them." Serenity looked from Inuyasha, to Miroku, and back again. She lowered her head and her body shook. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. Then Serenity looked up at the monk and started to wail. Miroku hugged her tightly. Almost immediately he felt his robes dampen. He couldn't blame her though. Her brother was suffering and she was being forced to watch it. That would bring anybody to tears. He knew that there wasn't much they could do and that things looked bleak. For now, they would simply have to endure.
As Serenity's cries rang out in the wasteland air, Kagome was still walking towards the fox she had known and loved. She knew Inuyasha would not last much longer if this kept up and she had to do something about it. She ran at Shippo and jumped in front of him. The fox stopped his attack and stared at her. Now they were just standing there like a pair of gunfighters in a movie. Then Shippo drew back his fist and struck her in the face. Kagome recoiled, but did not back down.
"Get out of my way girl! If you get out of my way I'll be merciful on you when I finish with him." She did not obey. Shippo charged fox fire into his hands, only to be stopped as Miroku jumped forward and brought his staff down in a vertical swing on his head.
"Leave Kagome! I'll take him!"
"Miroku no! I won't let you kill him!" Kagome said, taking out her bow again.
"I'm sorry Kagome but we have no other choice!" Miroku however had forgotten to watch his back as Shippo punched him hard in the back, knocking him down. Miroku jumped back to his feet and swung his staff. Shippo grabbed it and pushed it to the side. Enraged at the monk's interference, Shippo threw a ball of flame at him. Miroku flung out a handful of spirit ward scrolls to block the flame and charged. He managed to get in two punches and then was thrown back by Shippo's own punch. The fox demon charged and threw more fireballs at Miroku. He twirled his staff in front of him like a baton and blocked the shots, but Shippo darted behind him and kicked him in the back of the head.
"Not bad monk. Not bad at all. But even you are no match for me!" Shippo grabbed a handful of leaves from his pocket and flung them at his adversary. Due to Shippo's enhanced powers they were as sharp as razor blades. Miroku winced as some of the leaves cut him. He dug into his robe and threw a spell scroll at Shippo. It latched onto Shippo and paralyzed him. Seeing an opportunity, Miroku jumped forward and began to batter Shippo with blow after merciless blow.
"Stop it Miroku! Please, just stop it!" Miroku did not listen and continued to hammer Shippo with his staff. Then suddenly, Shippo tore the scroll off and flung it to the side. Miroku stopped in shock. Nobody had ever stopped the effect of his scrolls before! He was so startled that he failed to dodge Shippo's next blow. Shippo's fist came flying forward and struck him in the stomach with bone shattering force. Miroku felt the air whiff out of him and he sunk to the ground. Shippo laughed.
"Nice try monk, but you have to do better then that! My powers are far greater now then they were before!" Shippo kicked Miroku in the face and sent him to the ground. He turned to Kagome. "You're still here girl?! I told you to go away!"
"No." Kagome said. "I want to heal you Shippo. I don't know what Senjeta has done to you, but I know there's still some of the old you left in there!" Snarling, Shippo punched Kagome in the face, bloodying her nose.
"I told you to stay out of it! Are you too stupid to understand that?!" Kagome smiled weakly at him and he punched her in the stomach. It hurt tremendously, both physically and emotionally, but Kagome wouldn't lose here.
"I am telling you for the last time bitch, you will stay out of it!!" Shippo punched her twice more and stopped, waiting for her to go back. She did not. Instead she staggered forward and fell on him, hugging him. Shippo shoved her off with a snarl, but she just did it again. Before he could strike her again, he felt the shoulder of his cloak dampen. Then he could hear sobs.
"Please Shippo!" Kagome wept. "I know your still inside there somewhere! Don't let Senjeta fool you! You are not what you think you are! You are not a killing machine as Senjeta makes you think! You-" Then she felt Shippo's claws dig into her back. She moaned, but did not let go.
"What are you doing?! Stop that this instant!" Senjeta roared. He had good reason to yell like that. Love was after all, the only thing that could break the spell he had cast. He had come too far, and he was not going to lose his one chance to get the sacred jewel now! He began to advance forward when Inarki put a hand on his shoulder.
"How dare you stop me?! Let go of me or I'll kill you!" the coyote leader snarled. Inaraki shook his head gravely.
"No Senjeta-sama. You must not interfere. Even if she does break the curse, they are still no match for us!" Senjeta contemplated tearing Inarki's head off right then and there, but then he decided not too. Inarki was right after all.
"Alright then. We'll see how things work out. I doubt she'll do as you think she will." he said. He sat down on the ground and watched the scene unfold.
Shippo raised his claws to strike her again. He would not let this girl interfere. "Let go of me now or I'll tear your heart out!" he hissed.
"No." Kagome sobbed. "I won't let you go. You can still go back to being the Shippo I knew and loved. There is still time for you to save yourself." Suddenly, something happened. Kagome's body was suddenly surrounded by a pink and red aura. Shippo's body tensed. Something was happening to him. But what was it? He did not know. With a scream, he struggled to free himself but could not. Something besides the girl was holding him back.
"I'm going to heal you Shippo." Kagome whispered. "I'm going to heal you and help you remember who you are." Shippo struggled even more, but then he relaxed. A memory of something forgotten was coming back.
*FLASHBACK*
"How exactly do you play this game Kagome?" Shippo asked.
"It's quite simple really. I deal you and myself two cards, one face down, and the other face up. The idea of the game is to get as close as you can to twenty one or get twenty one without going any higher." Kagome explained. "Be careful though. If you go over twenty one or tie the dealer, you lose." Shippo nodded. This game seemed easy enough. He looked at his cards and saw he had a total of ten.
"Kagome? What do I do if my cards aren't high enough?" he asked.
"Then you ask for another card." Shippo did so and looked at the new card. It was a ten. He smiled.
"What do I do when I don't want anymore cards Kagome?"
"Then just say you stand with the cards you have now." Shippo set his cards down and waited for Kagome to decide what to do.
"I think I'll stand with what I have." she said. "Show me your cards Shippo." Shippo set down his cards. Kagome smiled. "I got nineteen. I lose this time Shippo. You beat me by one point." Shippo giggled playfully and Kagome hugged him.
"Can we play again Kagome?" Shippo asked.
"Some other time Shippo. It's getting late. I'll play with you again tomorrow." Shippo pouted slightly, but went along with what she said. He was just about to drift off to sleep when Kagome tugged lightly on his bushy tail.
"Hold on a second Shippo. I have a couple of presents for you." Kagome dug into her bag and came out with bar of chocolate and some light blue clothes. Shippo took the chocolate immediately, but stared curiously at the clothing Kagome had brought with her.
"What are those?" Shippo asked as he bit into the chocolate bar.
"They're pajamas Shippo. People wear them to bed in their sleep in my time. I figured I might get you a different gift besides chocolate. Why don't you try them on?" Shippo took the clothes and went behind a bush to change. When he came out he was dressed in a pair of light blue two piece pajamas. He blushed a bit, feeling a bit embarrassed in this strange clothing, but that feeling left him when he saw Kagome smiling warmly at him.
"Thank you." Shippo said politely. Kagome smiled and lay down in her sleeping bag. Shippo curled up beside her and fell asleep. He couldn't wait for tomorrow.
*END FLASHBACK*
Shippo paused. A feeling he had forgotten began to creep over him. How could he have forgotten that day? That had been one of the happiest days of his life. The warm sun, the card game, the presents she had given him, and pretty much the entire day. He felt tears begin to form in his eyes as he remembered all the good times he had shared with Kagome and the others. The time she had played a game called chess with him, the many times she had given him candy, and so many other things that he had forgotten during the time he had spent with Senjeta. He realized at once what a fool he had been. Shippo felt that feeling again and realized what it was. It was love, the feeling he had forgotten. His body glowed a dark lavender color, then mist began to swirl around his body. Kagome suddenly felt herself leaning on thin air and she almost fell over. She quickly balanced herself and stood up. When the mist cleared, Kagome found herself looking down at a small child in dark green kimono pants, a fuzzy vest, and a kimono shirt with leaves on it. He was unconscious. She hugged Shippo to her chest and began to sob again. "Your free." she whispered and kissed his forehead. "Your free."
Review Responses
Rekouri Sentusu: Your right, Inuyasha did take a beating! Hope this chapter was to your liking.
Maru-sha: I hope I got Serenity's attacks down. And I figured since she is Inuyasha's little sister, she should have a full demon form as well. Hope you don't mind that.