Welcome to the final chapter of Inner Rage. I want to thank you so much
for the reviews you have given me. They really mean a lot to me. Only
read the revised chapter seven and chapter eight if you felt that they
weren't good enough or wanted more out of them. Here comes the final
chapter. I should warn you it is short though. Nevertheless, I hope it
pleases you.
-Randall Flagg2
Old friend, what are you looking for? After those many years abroad you come with images you tended under foreign skies faraway from your own land. -George Seferis
"Has he come out yet?" Kagome asked worriedly.
"No. He hasn't even said so much as a word since he woke up." Inuyasha replied. It had been a week since their battle with Senjeta, and things had cooled down at last. Well, everything was normal except for one thing. Shippo was in a deep depression over what he had done. He never spoke or said anything to anybody at all. All he ever did was sit alone in one of the village huts, staring blankly at the walls as if he were expecting something to come out of them. Kagome could understand how the little fox felt. He had attacked his friends, almost killed Inuyasha, and Kagome knew that his shame must be great for such an act. She only wished there was a way to help him.
"Inuyasha, maybe you should talk to him. You still haven't apologized to him yet." Inuyasha turned away as if he didn't hear her.
"Come on Inuyasha! You said you would apologize and you haven't done that yet! What happened to that?!" she demanded.
"It's because-"
"Oh I get it!" Kagome said angrily. "You were just saying you would apologize to keep me off your back, weren't you?! How do you manage to live with yourself?!"
"No, it's not that Kagome. It's that I'm afraid of apologizing."
Kagome froze. Inuyasha afraid of something as simple as apologizing? No, that couldn't be. He wasn't afraid of anything! At least not to her knowledge. "Why are you afraid?" she asked. "It's not like he's going to attack you like he did before!"
"It's not that either. It's because I'm afraid that it won't work Kagome. Right now he's in shock and it doesn't seem like he'll come out of it. I'm worried that even if he hears me, he won't snap out of it. You've seen how he is! He just sits there staring at the wall! How can I get through to him?"
Kagome sighed. He was right. It would be difficult to get through to Shippo the way he was. He was almost catatonic from shame and grief. "Well at least try Inuyasha. I don't know what will happen if we can't bring him out of it. I think that because you started it all, I think you should be the one to apologize to him. Maybe that will bring him out of it." Inuyasha sighed and nodded his head. He walked into the hut.
He found Shippo in the center of the hut. The kit was staring blankly at the wall. He did not move when Inuyasha entered the room, nor did he so much as say hello. He just sat there staring at the wall with a blank expression on his face. Inuyasha tapped him on the shoulder, but got no response.
"Shippo? Are you in there?" he asked. Again, no response. "Please hear me out Shippo. I want to say I'm sorry." Then Shippo stirred. He turned around and looked at Inuyasha as if the hanyou had struck him instead of saying he was going to apologize. Whimpering, he shrank away. Inuyasha sighed. He was still in shock.
"Please Shippo, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to say I'm sorry." he said again. Shippo stared at him as if he had gone crazy. Inuyasha did not apologize for anything he did. Why was he doing it now?
Shippo finally spoke. "Really?" he whispered.
"Yes. You see Shippo, I'm really sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to say the things I did to you a few nights ago. I was just angry and lost control of myself. I also want to say that you're not a burden on us and that I'm sorry about what I said about how I should have let Hiten and Manten kill you. I didn't mean that at all. The thing is Shippo, I admit that I'm short tempered and that I snap a lot, but that's just the way I am. It's hard for me too you know. I only hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. So what do you say? Will you stop moping around and get on with your life?"
Shippo stared at Inuyasha in disbelief. Had he really heard what he thought he had? No, he couldn't have. But he had. Inuyasha had actually apologized to him. Something in him moved. Shippo lowered his head and his lips began to tremble. Tears welled up in the fox kit's eyes. He had never felt so happy before. Then he flung himself into Inuyasha's arms, sobbing. He buried his face into Inuyasha's chest and began to shake as sob after sob escaped him. Inuyasha hugged him like a parent would a child and rocked him.
"It's alright Shippo. Just let it all out. There is no shame in crying." For some reason or another, Inuyasha started crying along with him. He wasn't sobbing, but one could not say his voice wasn't hitching either. "I'm sorry." he wept, his tears running down his face and splashing gently on Shippo's head. "I'm just so sorry. I won't do anything like this again. I swear on my name I won't hurt you like this again." Inuyasha hiccupped and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Shippo looked up at him.
"Thank you Inuyasha." he said. "And I'll try not to be such a brat anymore."
"It's alright. We'll always be here for you." Inuyasha whispered. He was not aware that Kagome was watching from outside.
"I knew it Inuyasha. Your tough on the outside and rude to just about anybody you meet, but underneath you're just a big softy." she giggled. Kagome turned away in case Inuyasha was looking behind him. She didn't want him to know she had been watching. She didn't want him to see her.
"So tell me Shippo. What was it like in the coyote tribe?" Inuyasha asked.
"It was really nice. Up to the point where they deceived me, I liked it. They treated me fairly, the way I've always wanted to be treated. Senjeta hit me just that one time, but it was for good reason."
"You got a place to sleep?"
"Yeah. They let me sleep in Senjeta's hut. It was tough getting used to sleeping without Kagome, but I got through it. The only thing I didn't like was the food."
"Why wasn't the food good?" Inuyasha asked.
"It was disgusting. Coyotes are scavengers, so they eat things that are dead already. Each night and morning somebody would bring back some sort of kill for us too eat. It was tough for me because I prefer my meat cooked." Shippo said, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the memory of the food. The first time he had seen what was to eat, he had almost vomited. He was not used to eating raw meat. In the end though, he had relented because it was all there was to eat and he could not let himself go hungry.
"When you fought me, you were pretty good with your sword. Did they teach you how to fight or something?"
"Yeah. Inarki told me Senjeta had ordered me to undergo swordsmanship, so I practiced at it as hard as I could. It was a lot of fun. Senjeta even gave me a real katana to practice with!"
"This place sounds like paradise." Inuyasha said.
"In a way it is. Everybody seemed to get along with one another. I never had any bad experiences except for the time Senjeta slapped me."
"Well that's all behind you now. It's good to have you back with us kid." Inuyasha said. Shippo smiled and hugged him warmly. Inuyasha smiled and hugged him back.
"Thank you Inuyasha. I really feel a lot better now."
"No problem Shippo. Once again, I promise never to say things like that again." As Shippo hugged him, Inuyasha thought something he had never thought before. "Maybe one day you can call me father."
THE END
Review Responses
Rekouri Sentusu: I'm surprised you liked the chapter. I mean the final battle was rushed and no offense, but I think it was written too quickly.
Maru-sha: Well, I'm glad you liked it. I hope this story please you.
Rushyuo: I don't know what you mean in your review by just saying "ah well", but thank you for reviewing. I hope you enjoyed the rest of the story.
And that is Inner Rage. Keep your eyes open for my next one. It will either be a YYH story or a Tenchi Muyo story. See you all again! -Randall Flagg2
Old friend, what are you looking for? After those many years abroad you come with images you tended under foreign skies faraway from your own land. -George Seferis
"Has he come out yet?" Kagome asked worriedly.
"No. He hasn't even said so much as a word since he woke up." Inuyasha replied. It had been a week since their battle with Senjeta, and things had cooled down at last. Well, everything was normal except for one thing. Shippo was in a deep depression over what he had done. He never spoke or said anything to anybody at all. All he ever did was sit alone in one of the village huts, staring blankly at the walls as if he were expecting something to come out of them. Kagome could understand how the little fox felt. He had attacked his friends, almost killed Inuyasha, and Kagome knew that his shame must be great for such an act. She only wished there was a way to help him.
"Inuyasha, maybe you should talk to him. You still haven't apologized to him yet." Inuyasha turned away as if he didn't hear her.
"Come on Inuyasha! You said you would apologize and you haven't done that yet! What happened to that?!" she demanded.
"It's because-"
"Oh I get it!" Kagome said angrily. "You were just saying you would apologize to keep me off your back, weren't you?! How do you manage to live with yourself?!"
"No, it's not that Kagome. It's that I'm afraid of apologizing."
Kagome froze. Inuyasha afraid of something as simple as apologizing? No, that couldn't be. He wasn't afraid of anything! At least not to her knowledge. "Why are you afraid?" she asked. "It's not like he's going to attack you like he did before!"
"It's not that either. It's because I'm afraid that it won't work Kagome. Right now he's in shock and it doesn't seem like he'll come out of it. I'm worried that even if he hears me, he won't snap out of it. You've seen how he is! He just sits there staring at the wall! How can I get through to him?"
Kagome sighed. He was right. It would be difficult to get through to Shippo the way he was. He was almost catatonic from shame and grief. "Well at least try Inuyasha. I don't know what will happen if we can't bring him out of it. I think that because you started it all, I think you should be the one to apologize to him. Maybe that will bring him out of it." Inuyasha sighed and nodded his head. He walked into the hut.
He found Shippo in the center of the hut. The kit was staring blankly at the wall. He did not move when Inuyasha entered the room, nor did he so much as say hello. He just sat there staring at the wall with a blank expression on his face. Inuyasha tapped him on the shoulder, but got no response.
"Shippo? Are you in there?" he asked. Again, no response. "Please hear me out Shippo. I want to say I'm sorry." Then Shippo stirred. He turned around and looked at Inuyasha as if the hanyou had struck him instead of saying he was going to apologize. Whimpering, he shrank away. Inuyasha sighed. He was still in shock.
"Please Shippo, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to say I'm sorry." he said again. Shippo stared at him as if he had gone crazy. Inuyasha did not apologize for anything he did. Why was he doing it now?
Shippo finally spoke. "Really?" he whispered.
"Yes. You see Shippo, I'm really sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to say the things I did to you a few nights ago. I was just angry and lost control of myself. I also want to say that you're not a burden on us and that I'm sorry about what I said about how I should have let Hiten and Manten kill you. I didn't mean that at all. The thing is Shippo, I admit that I'm short tempered and that I snap a lot, but that's just the way I am. It's hard for me too you know. I only hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. So what do you say? Will you stop moping around and get on with your life?"
Shippo stared at Inuyasha in disbelief. Had he really heard what he thought he had? No, he couldn't have. But he had. Inuyasha had actually apologized to him. Something in him moved. Shippo lowered his head and his lips began to tremble. Tears welled up in the fox kit's eyes. He had never felt so happy before. Then he flung himself into Inuyasha's arms, sobbing. He buried his face into Inuyasha's chest and began to shake as sob after sob escaped him. Inuyasha hugged him like a parent would a child and rocked him.
"It's alright Shippo. Just let it all out. There is no shame in crying." For some reason or another, Inuyasha started crying along with him. He wasn't sobbing, but one could not say his voice wasn't hitching either. "I'm sorry." he wept, his tears running down his face and splashing gently on Shippo's head. "I'm just so sorry. I won't do anything like this again. I swear on my name I won't hurt you like this again." Inuyasha hiccupped and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Shippo looked up at him.
"Thank you Inuyasha." he said. "And I'll try not to be such a brat anymore."
"It's alright. We'll always be here for you." Inuyasha whispered. He was not aware that Kagome was watching from outside.
"I knew it Inuyasha. Your tough on the outside and rude to just about anybody you meet, but underneath you're just a big softy." she giggled. Kagome turned away in case Inuyasha was looking behind him. She didn't want him to know she had been watching. She didn't want him to see her.
"So tell me Shippo. What was it like in the coyote tribe?" Inuyasha asked.
"It was really nice. Up to the point where they deceived me, I liked it. They treated me fairly, the way I've always wanted to be treated. Senjeta hit me just that one time, but it was for good reason."
"You got a place to sleep?"
"Yeah. They let me sleep in Senjeta's hut. It was tough getting used to sleeping without Kagome, but I got through it. The only thing I didn't like was the food."
"Why wasn't the food good?" Inuyasha asked.
"It was disgusting. Coyotes are scavengers, so they eat things that are dead already. Each night and morning somebody would bring back some sort of kill for us too eat. It was tough for me because I prefer my meat cooked." Shippo said, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the memory of the food. The first time he had seen what was to eat, he had almost vomited. He was not used to eating raw meat. In the end though, he had relented because it was all there was to eat and he could not let himself go hungry.
"When you fought me, you were pretty good with your sword. Did they teach you how to fight or something?"
"Yeah. Inarki told me Senjeta had ordered me to undergo swordsmanship, so I practiced at it as hard as I could. It was a lot of fun. Senjeta even gave me a real katana to practice with!"
"This place sounds like paradise." Inuyasha said.
"In a way it is. Everybody seemed to get along with one another. I never had any bad experiences except for the time Senjeta slapped me."
"Well that's all behind you now. It's good to have you back with us kid." Inuyasha said. Shippo smiled and hugged him warmly. Inuyasha smiled and hugged him back.
"Thank you Inuyasha. I really feel a lot better now."
"No problem Shippo. Once again, I promise never to say things like that again." As Shippo hugged him, Inuyasha thought something he had never thought before. "Maybe one day you can call me father."
THE END
Review Responses
Rekouri Sentusu: I'm surprised you liked the chapter. I mean the final battle was rushed and no offense, but I think it was written too quickly.
Maru-sha: Well, I'm glad you liked it. I hope this story please you.
Rushyuo: I don't know what you mean in your review by just saying "ah well", but thank you for reviewing. I hope you enjoyed the rest of the story.
And that is Inner Rage. Keep your eyes open for my next one. It will either be a YYH story or a Tenchi Muyo story. See you all again! -Randall Flagg2