Silver
"You can't be serious," Shippo whispered, looking into Kagome's hand. He made no move to take the seed.
"It's just a stupid seed," Inuyasha complained. "What ever you gave him took a week to make."
"Kagome, you didn't tell me that this other fox was a silver," he continued in a soft, awe stuck voice.
"A silver?" she looked at the cub balanced on her shoulder.
"Are you sure, Shippo?" Sango asked the kit.
He nodded, reaching out one small paw to touch the little gift, and decided against it at the last minute. "I'm sure."
"What's so special about that damn seed?" Inuyasha grumbled.
"Well, the seed itself would be normal enough if it weren't from a silver." Sango looked impressed.
"What do you mean by silver?" Kagome asked.
"A silver fox," Shippo said in his strangely hushed voice. "Silver's are very rare...very, very rare." He shivered delightfully.
"You've seen fox magic, Kagome. It is mostly illusion. But with silvers, the magic is real. They also hold a very deep bond with nature. Growing things are special to them, hense ethe seed," Sango tried to explain. "And they have great power, like the noble youkai."
"Feh! There's nothing noble about that demon." Shippo bristled and gave Inuyasha a look of hatred. "It's just a stupid seed. It probably won't even grow." Inuyasha stomped away.
"Shippo, why don't you take it?" Kagome shifted nervously. He ducked his head under her neck.
"I don't want to ruin it."
"Shippo?"
"I gave him a token, a welcome to show that he is a friend to my tribe...my family. I didn't have any crests left from before," he said sadly, "so I made one." He moved into Kagome's arms and cuddled against her. "I'm the only one left from our line, so I used a simple symbol on one side of my old family crest, and a new one on the other for my new family."
Kagaome gathered him closer. He sighed content to hold tight to his mother figure.
"Shippo, he gave this to you. It isn't going to ruin if you touch it."
"I don't want it to grow yet," he answered.
"What do you mean?"
"If I touch it, then my fox energy will trigger it to grow, just as his energy would show him the truth of the crest I gave him."
"Oh," Kagome looked at the seed. "How do you know he's a silver?"
"Well, he'd have silver fur and hair...more tails...yellow eyes like most of the old family youkai nobility...."
"But Shippo, Shuuichi has red hair and green eyes. And I don't recall any tails..."
"But he has to be. I know he does." Shippo looked longingly into Kagome's hand.
Kagome closed her fingers over Shippo's gift and sifted the fingers of her other hand through the soft hair on his head. "I'll take care of it for you, then. Let me know when you want it." She carefully wrapped the object into a small square of cloth and stowed it in her large pack.
"Thank him for me, will you Kagome?" he asked.
"Yes, Shippo, no problem," she grinned. "Well, let's get going. We won't find anything here."
Sango and Miroku fell into step beside her as she headed in the same direction as Inuyasha. They would have to collect the foul-tempered hanyou and make their way north, to find Naraku.
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"Where is she now?" Boton asked Koenma. She watched the screen focus on the girl she called a friend.
"Somewhere north..."he answered distracted.
Stamp
Stamp
"They're camping. Has anything happened since she left?"
"Not much. They killed three lesser demons, defeated a youkai noble who was after Kagome's shards, fought with that Naraku person's mobs, and met up with that wolf prince, Kouga."
"Not much?" she stared at Koenma pointedly.
"Not for them."
Stamp
Stamp
"Hmmmm," she watched as Inuyasha appeared behind Kagome and began talking. "What is he saying?"
"Huh? Oh, I turned off the sound. They are on their way back, so nothing important is going to happen now." He stamped a few more files.
"So why are you still spying on her?"
Stamp
Stamp
STAMP!
"I'm not spying! I need to know when she's close by so I can send one of the team to meet her."
Stamp
"Oh?"
Stamp
STAMP!
"She said she would be back in a week and a half. She should be in tomorrow," she continued.
"I know."
Stamp
"Then why-"
STAMP!
"OUCH!" he held his swelling thumb in front of his face, pulled the pacifier out long enough to shove in the aching digit, and glared at lady death.
"Sorry," she said not meaning it one bit.
"That's why." he pointed at the screen.
Boton turned around and saw the members of Kagome's group scatter. A large bird with two? Yes, two heads attacked from above them. It circled and swooped only once more before Inuyasha took it out in one swipe with his claws.
"Wow," she watched the dog demon with feigned disinterest. "They're good."
"That would make four lesser demons."
"I saw."
"Shouldn't you be busy somewhere?"
Stamp
Stamp
"Not really."
Stamp
"Don't make me give you something to do. You wouldn't like the jobs I've got in mind."
Stamp
Boton sighed and snaked a foot around the chair leg to drag it closer. She plopped into it and decided to enjoy the scenery. The pretty silver and gold unattainable scenery. She knew Kagome liked the half-demon, but she also knew that the other girl wasn't romantically interested anymore. Kagome had admitted that she felt strongly for her companion, but also that she knew it would never work. Kagome was too much of a reminder, a replacement for Kikyo. She could never be sure if he loved her or just the parts of Kikyo he remembered. That left Boton an opportunity, since she was neither a priestess, a reincarnation, or the walking dead. She determined to get his attention after his blatant move to ignore her last time. Boton watched the white ears swivel toward Kagome and rubbed her fingers on the silk of her kimono, remembering the texture. She smiled and stood to leave.
"Koenma, sir?"
The stamping paused.
"I'll go meet her tomorrow."
"Good, good," he agreed. "Take one of the others, too."
"I intend to," she kept her smile.
"Good."
She swept out the door, thinking of who would provide the biggest distraction to Kagome. Instantly, she knew what to do.
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"Ah! Kagome must be coming back soon!"
"What makes you say that, Sota?"
"Those people are here again," he pointed out Boton and Shuuichi's figures by the well shed.
Mrs. Higurashi set her bag of groceries down and moved to greet the tall figures. She liked these new friends of Kagome's. She learned that Kagome was indeed on her way back and left to prepare dinner and a bath for her daughter. "You will stay for dinner, too, won't you?" she asked over her shoulder.
"You really should. Mama makes the best food!" a familiar voice called out from the gloomy recesses of the well. One pale arm emerged to grasp tightly to the worn wood, followed by a dark head. "Hi!" she said brightly.