Tailz: LOL! I think I cleared all that up. I'm glad. I even got a few
compliments for "interesting cliffy" and "creative plot twist." Hooray! I'm
happy! What a twist, ne? Reviews are quick, quick, quick lately—we just
broke 200 reviews!!! I've never had so much input in one place before!
Like, WOW. ::Starry eyes:: ::Trembling lip::
Sanji: Here it comes, guys. Grab your raincoats.
Tailz: ::Bursts into blissful tears::
Sanji: There, there, Tailz...you shouldn't cry when you're happy...! We got enough of it when you're sad!
Tailz: WAAAAAAAA!!!
Sanji: ::Awkward pat on the head::
Tailz: ::Sniffle:: ::Smile:: Hehe....
Sanji: What're you smiling at?
Tailz: Glomp
Sanji: O.o Uh.... Chapter, now, folks... O.O
-------------------------------
"Kaede-baa-chan?"
The elderly woman looked up from mixing her herbs in the basket and smiled patiently at the little kitsune that had followed her almost constantly since his arrival in the village a few days before.
"Yes, child?"
"Do....d'you think she'll be okay?" His tone of voice was tearful. It was the same question he'd asked so many times. Kaede was a patient woman, lucky for little Shippo. Anyone else would've thwacked him by the time he'd reached his eightieth time asking the same question.
"I am sure of it. Inuyasha would never let such a fate as this befall the lass." Shippo looked down thoughtfully, a bit of reassurance crossing his face. It was true, of course. Inuyasha had never failed her or given up on her before, despite what he believed. They'd been through hundreds of battles with hundred of demons, rescued tons of villagers, recovered almost all of the shattered Shikon no Tama. They'd met Miroku, and Sango and Kirara. But before the others, before he had joined them, it had been just Inuyasha and Kagome. Shippo wondered what it'd been like then. Kagome told him stories about how Inuyasha had tried to kill her when they'd first met. He couldn't image it.
Kagome wasn't stupid at all, but she could be very naïve when it came to a certain half-demon's feelings. Even Shippo recognized the look in his amber eyes in battle, when he glanced at her—after their foe made a threat, or she was injured. There was terror written there. Shippo knew that Inuyasha would absolutely die—whether physically or not—if anything were to happen to her. She was his whole world, whether he admitted it or not, and if something were to happen to her...if she were to die....
Shippo was sure a part of him would die with her. The happy part. The caring part. The part that half-smiled in the middle of his "You've got to be a man" lecture, even though he was trying to be serious. The part of him he rarely showed to anyone but her. The Inuyasha they knew and loved would be lost forever, leaving behind a hollow shell. Shippo prayed that would never, ever happen. Idly, he bent down to pick a pretty wildflower. He could take that to Kagome and Inuyasha later. The sickroom desperately needed some color, and Inuyasha needed something to distract him from his worrying.
But somehow, he didn't think an ordinary blossom had that sort of power. None of them did, after all. They'd all tried to cheer Inuyasha up—to get him to leave the stuffy sick room for just a little while, to take a break. Miroku had even offered to take Inuyasha's place in watching Kagome while he slept—and his intentions had been honorable. Inuyasha had denied all their wheedlings but one. Sango had gotten him to eat a bite of fish once. But that had been it.
::FLASHBACK::
Shippo stood before the sick house nervously, holding a bowl of soup Kaede had prepared earlier. Twilight had just ascended about the small village. Everyone was going inside, and a sleepy sort of stillness was settling as the mothers and fathers tucked their children into bed...
Mothers. Fathers. Shippo tried to swallow the lump in his throat. The closest thing he had to a mother and father were in that sick house. The girl that had become so much like his mother was fighting for her life, and, in a different way, so was the boy he could almost call his father. Kagome was suffering physically, struggling physically, while Inuyasha was suffering emotionally, struggling with his own feelings of doubt and depression. Shippo could see the deep hurt in the hanyou's eyes even as he first entered the hut, feeling his courage abandon him on the threshold and bolt for freedom.
Inuyasha watched him silently approach, not saying anything until he was very close. "What is it, Shippo?" Even his voice didn't hold its usual bite, or the customary insult of 'brat' or 'baka'. He sounded numb, like nothing Shippo could do could really make any difference. Something shifted deep in the little kit's heart. He felt a deep rush of sympathy for the hanyou that looked so brokenly drowning in self-blame. "Don't worry, Inuyasha. Kagome'll be okay. She's strong." His voice sounded painfully hearty, as did the comfort. "Like you," he added as an afterthought. He smiled brightly, meaning it as a compliment.
"Is that why you're here?" Inuyasha asked vaguely. It was as if no one had spoken. Shippo felt his ears lie down flat on his head in displeasure at the miserable numbness in the usually fervent voice. He sensed that there was nothing he could do to shift this mood that was consuming him—no one could. Nothing could. Only...
"I brought you some dinner." Shippo stepped forward and set the bowl down tentatively, as if afraid Inuyasha might strike out at him. Of course, he didn't—he just sat there, beside his prone, still charge, watching the kit's movements impassively. Shippo felt the eerie feeling that Inuyasha was looking straight through him, into something no one else would be able to see. Perhaps a memory of sweeter times, or an argument. Whatever it was, there was no clue on the stoic face.
Shippo knew better than to stand and wait for Inuyasha to say something. He wouldn't. His job accomplished, he left the hut with a swish of a tail, scurrying off in the opposite direction of the death-filled building. He would return later to find the bowl untouched. He hadn't visited since.
::END FLASHBACK::
What could he do differently this time? He wasn't sure, but he was going to do something. Gathering his courage along with a deep breath, Shippo rushed the remaining yards to the sick house, stopping just outside the door. Undoubtedly, Inuyasha knew he was there. Undoubtedly, Inuyasha didn't care, either. With a swallow and a clench of his fist, the little kit pushed the door open just enough to slip inside.
The dimness was blinding after being in the bright sun all morning. Shippo blinked back the purple spots that loomed all over, glancing about the small room. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the semi- darkness and locate the dark shapes. At last he spotted them—they were sitting in the corner nearest the fire. At first Shippo could only see Inuyasha, covered in blankets, and a horrible panic assailed him. What if—she wasn't—they would've told her if Kagome had...wouldn't they? Surely—
"She's all right, Shippo." The voice startled him. He jumped. Inuyasha hadn't lifted his head from its position on his chest, just above the bundle of blankets—he'd remained unmoved, speaking in a tone too soft to belong to the battle-hardened hanyou. Bundle—of course! Shippo looked a bit closer and saw the top of a coal-black head. Relief. Warm, wonderful relief. OF course she was okay. Nothing would happen to Kagome. Shippo willed his heart to stop pounding, stepping forward timidly, slightly reassured by the tired gentleness in Inuyasha's voice.
"I...Inuyasha, I..." He reached out and placed the flower down before them, swallowing again. "I...wanted to bring..." Why was he stammering so badly? Shippo couldn't make his mouth speak what he wanted it to. Inuyasha lifted his head a centimeter's width, glancing impassively at the flower, and then at the kit. His eyes lingered on Shippo before he glanced away quickly to stare at the fire instead.
Shippo waited, listening to the crackling of the flames. When at last he gave up, several moments had passed in silence. He turned towards the door.
"Arigatou..." The gruff voice stopped him in his tracks. Shippo turned quickly to find Inuyasha smiling at the fire, as if he couldn't bare to meet the visitor's eyes. "Kagome will appreciate your flower...when she wakes up." There was another moment filled with the crackling of the red-hot light in the furnace. Shippo took one step forward tentatively, and then, as if forcing himself to do so before he lost the nerve, he closed the distance between them. With the utmost care he nuzzled into the hanyou's side, hoping that he wouldn't be pushed away.
Inuyasha blinked, clearly surprised and unsure what to do with the situation. He glanced down at the quivering head of red, and realized with a jolt that the little kit was crying. "Shippo...?" he asked awkwardly, not quite sure what he could do to help. What he did know was that he hated it when anyone cried, Shippo included. "What's...er..."
"I'm sc-scared, Inuyasha!"
"Scared? Of what?"
"Th-that something will h-happen to Kagome! I d-d-don't w-want her to die!" He wailed, and Inuyasha felt that it was the most obvious thing in the world. But he bit his tongue, feeling for what could have been the first time sympathy for the kitsune. Poor little Shippo had lost both his parents at a young age. Inuyasha knew what THAT was like. And now, the girl he'd almost to come to know as a mother was...grievously ill.... With a grim sort of certainty, Inuyasha slipped one arm out from under the bundle and shifted all the weight to his other arm. He slipped the free limb hesitantly around the little kit and brought him just an inch closer.
"Now, look, Shippo. Kagome's going to be all right." He sounded so sure... "She's strong enough to win against this stupid sickness. And she'd never want to leave us here...leave you here." Shippo glanced up incredulously, the tears still rolling down his face. Was Inuyasha...comforting him? Trust filled the cerulean eyes as he glanced away with the tiniest of smiles. He really felt like a little kid again, nestled between the two older people that were almost his parents. Sure, they had their differences, and they were an odd pair, but Inuyasha and Kagome loved each other, he was sure of that...and they both cared for him in their own way.
Sniffling, he looked hesitantly upwards again. His eyes travled over Kagome's peaceful face to Inuyasha's fervent one, and he smiled.
Inuyasha was baffled at the sudden change. "What're you smiling at?"
Shippo sniffled, directing his assured smile directly at the hanyou, meeting his eyes. "My family."
-----------------------------
Tailz: AWWW! Isn't Shippo-chan just ADORABLE?!
Sanji: ::Still looking shocked at being glomped::
Tailz: Okies, guys, thanks as always for the wondeerrrrfulll reviews that make life worth living! Super-sorry for the slow updates, by the way. I'm going away once again two days from now for what is most likely the rest of summer...and I have no compy, once again. But don't worry! I will write while I'm gone, and post like mad when I return!! Maybe I can fit in one more update tomorrow...hm...Well, ja ne, guys! Enjoy your summer, and be safe! See yah in August!!
Sanji: Here it comes, guys. Grab your raincoats.
Tailz: ::Bursts into blissful tears::
Sanji: There, there, Tailz...you shouldn't cry when you're happy...! We got enough of it when you're sad!
Tailz: WAAAAAAAA!!!
Sanji: ::Awkward pat on the head::
Tailz: ::Sniffle:: ::Smile:: Hehe....
Sanji: What're you smiling at?
Tailz: Glomp
Sanji: O.o Uh.... Chapter, now, folks... O.O
-------------------------------
"Kaede-baa-chan?"
The elderly woman looked up from mixing her herbs in the basket and smiled patiently at the little kitsune that had followed her almost constantly since his arrival in the village a few days before.
"Yes, child?"
"Do....d'you think she'll be okay?" His tone of voice was tearful. It was the same question he'd asked so many times. Kaede was a patient woman, lucky for little Shippo. Anyone else would've thwacked him by the time he'd reached his eightieth time asking the same question.
"I am sure of it. Inuyasha would never let such a fate as this befall the lass." Shippo looked down thoughtfully, a bit of reassurance crossing his face. It was true, of course. Inuyasha had never failed her or given up on her before, despite what he believed. They'd been through hundreds of battles with hundred of demons, rescued tons of villagers, recovered almost all of the shattered Shikon no Tama. They'd met Miroku, and Sango and Kirara. But before the others, before he had joined them, it had been just Inuyasha and Kagome. Shippo wondered what it'd been like then. Kagome told him stories about how Inuyasha had tried to kill her when they'd first met. He couldn't image it.
Kagome wasn't stupid at all, but she could be very naïve when it came to a certain half-demon's feelings. Even Shippo recognized the look in his amber eyes in battle, when he glanced at her—after their foe made a threat, or she was injured. There was terror written there. Shippo knew that Inuyasha would absolutely die—whether physically or not—if anything were to happen to her. She was his whole world, whether he admitted it or not, and if something were to happen to her...if she were to die....
Shippo was sure a part of him would die with her. The happy part. The caring part. The part that half-smiled in the middle of his "You've got to be a man" lecture, even though he was trying to be serious. The part of him he rarely showed to anyone but her. The Inuyasha they knew and loved would be lost forever, leaving behind a hollow shell. Shippo prayed that would never, ever happen. Idly, he bent down to pick a pretty wildflower. He could take that to Kagome and Inuyasha later. The sickroom desperately needed some color, and Inuyasha needed something to distract him from his worrying.
But somehow, he didn't think an ordinary blossom had that sort of power. None of them did, after all. They'd all tried to cheer Inuyasha up—to get him to leave the stuffy sick room for just a little while, to take a break. Miroku had even offered to take Inuyasha's place in watching Kagome while he slept—and his intentions had been honorable. Inuyasha had denied all their wheedlings but one. Sango had gotten him to eat a bite of fish once. But that had been it.
::FLASHBACK::
Shippo stood before the sick house nervously, holding a bowl of soup Kaede had prepared earlier. Twilight had just ascended about the small village. Everyone was going inside, and a sleepy sort of stillness was settling as the mothers and fathers tucked their children into bed...
Mothers. Fathers. Shippo tried to swallow the lump in his throat. The closest thing he had to a mother and father were in that sick house. The girl that had become so much like his mother was fighting for her life, and, in a different way, so was the boy he could almost call his father. Kagome was suffering physically, struggling physically, while Inuyasha was suffering emotionally, struggling with his own feelings of doubt and depression. Shippo could see the deep hurt in the hanyou's eyes even as he first entered the hut, feeling his courage abandon him on the threshold and bolt for freedom.
Inuyasha watched him silently approach, not saying anything until he was very close. "What is it, Shippo?" Even his voice didn't hold its usual bite, or the customary insult of 'brat' or 'baka'. He sounded numb, like nothing Shippo could do could really make any difference. Something shifted deep in the little kit's heart. He felt a deep rush of sympathy for the hanyou that looked so brokenly drowning in self-blame. "Don't worry, Inuyasha. Kagome'll be okay. She's strong." His voice sounded painfully hearty, as did the comfort. "Like you," he added as an afterthought. He smiled brightly, meaning it as a compliment.
"Is that why you're here?" Inuyasha asked vaguely. It was as if no one had spoken. Shippo felt his ears lie down flat on his head in displeasure at the miserable numbness in the usually fervent voice. He sensed that there was nothing he could do to shift this mood that was consuming him—no one could. Nothing could. Only...
"I brought you some dinner." Shippo stepped forward and set the bowl down tentatively, as if afraid Inuyasha might strike out at him. Of course, he didn't—he just sat there, beside his prone, still charge, watching the kit's movements impassively. Shippo felt the eerie feeling that Inuyasha was looking straight through him, into something no one else would be able to see. Perhaps a memory of sweeter times, or an argument. Whatever it was, there was no clue on the stoic face.
Shippo knew better than to stand and wait for Inuyasha to say something. He wouldn't. His job accomplished, he left the hut with a swish of a tail, scurrying off in the opposite direction of the death-filled building. He would return later to find the bowl untouched. He hadn't visited since.
::END FLASHBACK::
What could he do differently this time? He wasn't sure, but he was going to do something. Gathering his courage along with a deep breath, Shippo rushed the remaining yards to the sick house, stopping just outside the door. Undoubtedly, Inuyasha knew he was there. Undoubtedly, Inuyasha didn't care, either. With a swallow and a clench of his fist, the little kit pushed the door open just enough to slip inside.
The dimness was blinding after being in the bright sun all morning. Shippo blinked back the purple spots that loomed all over, glancing about the small room. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the semi- darkness and locate the dark shapes. At last he spotted them—they were sitting in the corner nearest the fire. At first Shippo could only see Inuyasha, covered in blankets, and a horrible panic assailed him. What if—she wasn't—they would've told her if Kagome had...wouldn't they? Surely—
"She's all right, Shippo." The voice startled him. He jumped. Inuyasha hadn't lifted his head from its position on his chest, just above the bundle of blankets—he'd remained unmoved, speaking in a tone too soft to belong to the battle-hardened hanyou. Bundle—of course! Shippo looked a bit closer and saw the top of a coal-black head. Relief. Warm, wonderful relief. OF course she was okay. Nothing would happen to Kagome. Shippo willed his heart to stop pounding, stepping forward timidly, slightly reassured by the tired gentleness in Inuyasha's voice.
"I...Inuyasha, I..." He reached out and placed the flower down before them, swallowing again. "I...wanted to bring..." Why was he stammering so badly? Shippo couldn't make his mouth speak what he wanted it to. Inuyasha lifted his head a centimeter's width, glancing impassively at the flower, and then at the kit. His eyes lingered on Shippo before he glanced away quickly to stare at the fire instead.
Shippo waited, listening to the crackling of the flames. When at last he gave up, several moments had passed in silence. He turned towards the door.
"Arigatou..." The gruff voice stopped him in his tracks. Shippo turned quickly to find Inuyasha smiling at the fire, as if he couldn't bare to meet the visitor's eyes. "Kagome will appreciate your flower...when she wakes up." There was another moment filled with the crackling of the red-hot light in the furnace. Shippo took one step forward tentatively, and then, as if forcing himself to do so before he lost the nerve, he closed the distance between them. With the utmost care he nuzzled into the hanyou's side, hoping that he wouldn't be pushed away.
Inuyasha blinked, clearly surprised and unsure what to do with the situation. He glanced down at the quivering head of red, and realized with a jolt that the little kit was crying. "Shippo...?" he asked awkwardly, not quite sure what he could do to help. What he did know was that he hated it when anyone cried, Shippo included. "What's...er..."
"I'm sc-scared, Inuyasha!"
"Scared? Of what?"
"Th-that something will h-happen to Kagome! I d-d-don't w-want her to die!" He wailed, and Inuyasha felt that it was the most obvious thing in the world. But he bit his tongue, feeling for what could have been the first time sympathy for the kitsune. Poor little Shippo had lost both his parents at a young age. Inuyasha knew what THAT was like. And now, the girl he'd almost to come to know as a mother was...grievously ill.... With a grim sort of certainty, Inuyasha slipped one arm out from under the bundle and shifted all the weight to his other arm. He slipped the free limb hesitantly around the little kit and brought him just an inch closer.
"Now, look, Shippo. Kagome's going to be all right." He sounded so sure... "She's strong enough to win against this stupid sickness. And she'd never want to leave us here...leave you here." Shippo glanced up incredulously, the tears still rolling down his face. Was Inuyasha...comforting him? Trust filled the cerulean eyes as he glanced away with the tiniest of smiles. He really felt like a little kid again, nestled between the two older people that were almost his parents. Sure, they had their differences, and they were an odd pair, but Inuyasha and Kagome loved each other, he was sure of that...and they both cared for him in their own way.
Sniffling, he looked hesitantly upwards again. His eyes travled over Kagome's peaceful face to Inuyasha's fervent one, and he smiled.
Inuyasha was baffled at the sudden change. "What're you smiling at?"
Shippo sniffled, directing his assured smile directly at the hanyou, meeting his eyes. "My family."
-----------------------------
Tailz: AWWW! Isn't Shippo-chan just ADORABLE?!
Sanji: ::Still looking shocked at being glomped::
Tailz: Okies, guys, thanks as always for the wondeerrrrfulll reviews that make life worth living! Super-sorry for the slow updates, by the way. I'm going away once again two days from now for what is most likely the rest of summer...and I have no compy, once again. But don't worry! I will write while I'm gone, and post like mad when I return!! Maybe I can fit in one more update tomorrow...hm...Well, ja ne, guys! Enjoy your summer, and be safe! See yah in August!!