Disclaimer: I don't own Shippo and the rest of the Inuyasha characters mentioned here. They all belong to the talented and wonderful Rumiko Takahashi.
"…What is…that? Some kind…of weapon…?" Kanna asked Shippo, looking at the spinning top on the ground. Shippo had torn a huge part of the grass to make room for spinning his toy top. "Is it…dangerous?"
"Come on! You can't be serious!" Shippo said to Kanna, not believing that the girl has never seen a top before. "You've never seen a top before? Even played with them?" Kanna shook her head. Shippo frowned a bit.
"…I…never played…with toys…" Kanna said to Shippo, eyes focused on the spinning top. "…I never played…with anything…or anyone." Shippo then had this sad look in his eyes as he looked at Kanna, who was paying every bit of her attention to the top.
"Not even your "dad"?" Shippo referred to Naraku. Kanna motioned her head sideways as a form of "no". Shippo felt even sorrier for Kanna at this point. The memories of his late father playing with him ran through his mind. Shippo felt very sad for Kanna, that she's missing out on life's goodness.
"Ah! Forget about it for a while! I'll play with you!" Shippo said happily, as he actually managed to smile at Kanna. Kanna's eyes grew a bit larger due to amazement. This Shippo…he wants to play with me…? Kanna looked at Shippo's cute smiling face. Everything was new to her. She never had anyone this close to her, wanting to play with her. Sure, Naraku got close to Kanna, but it was only if she was needed to do something. This was the first time someone actually approached Kanna for a leisurely good time. A very small and unnoticeable smile formed on Kanna's face. But then, something in her twitched. What is this? She thought. Why do I…feel so…happy? A…smile…why did I smile…? Shippo noticed that Kanna was spacing out.
"Uh…you OK, Kanna?" Shippo asked the white girl. Kanna slowly looked at Shippo again and nodded. "…I guess you're itching to spin the top, huh? OK then! Here, Kanna." Shippo offered Kanna the string and the top. Kanna paused a while and finally took the string and top. She held the string in one hand and the top in the other. She just held them…as if waiting for something. Shippo finally got the message and told her how to spin it.
"Here, I'll show you. You take the string and then you wrap with around the top, see?" Shippo demonstrated, coiling the string around the top. "And then you place it on the ground…and then, let it rip!" Shippo pulled on the string and sent the top spinning on its merry way.
"Let…it…rip…" Kanna repeated Shippo's words in a dead manner. "…Um…Shippo…can I try it?" Kanna asked Shippo.
"Sure! Here." Shippo gave Kanna the string and top once more. Kanna looked at them and followed exactly what Shippo told her.
"Wrap it…around…" Kanna recited to herself, as Shippo watched her do it. "Place it on the ground…" She then put the top down on the ground. "And then, …let it rip!" Kanna pulled on the string and sent the top spinning steadily.
"I…I did it!" Kanna declared to Shippo in a livelier tone. "See, Shippo? …It's…spinning!" Kanna pointed at the spinning top, beckoning Shippo to look at it.
"That's great Kanna!" Shippo acknowledged her, watching the top spin in a stable speed. He then turned to greet Kanna for a job well done. "See I knew you-" But Shippo was stopped when he saw Kanna smiling. She had a really pretty face. The glowing happiness on the girl's face made Shippo feel good, for he had done something good for another person, even though she is associated with Naraku. But something else in Shippo stirred. He has never seen anyone smile like that. Kanna's smile…it was just like that of an angel's. She had her eyes closed happily, as her lips were formed in a sweet, pure smile. Shippo has never seen such as a smile.
"…H-Hey…you're smiling!" Shippo exclaimed cheerfully. Immediately Kanna opened her eyes.
"Why?…What is wrong? Is…it wrong to…smile?" Kanna asked Shippo. "…I..I'm sorry…I smiled."
"What are you talking about? There's nothing wrong! Happiness is one of the best things in life, Kanna." Shippo said, almost shouting. He found it so ridiculous that Kanna was apologizing to him for smiling.
"Happiness?" Kanna repeated. Shippo nodded. "Kagura often talks about happiness…she says that happiness is…achieved when you're free…"
"She's right." Shippo said. "No one likes to be cooped up and doing what other people tell them to. And I could tell you've never experienced happiness." At this point, Kanna said nothing. She simply looked away from Shippo. He was right. The boy, on the other hand, waited for Kanna's response.
"…Shippo…teach me…how to be happy." Kanna suddenly requested. Shippo almost fell back.
"W-What?" Shippo asked.
"Teach me to be…happy…" Kanna repeated. Shippo regained his cool and looked Kanna straight in they eye.
"Look…I may be a kid, but I know for a fact that you can't teach someone to be happy." Shippo said seriously. Kanna listened on. "You can only HELP someone be happy…because it's the person's own decision if she wants to be or not."
"…Then…I want to be happy…Shippo…I want to be." Kanna responded. "Help me…to be happy…" Shippo spotted the very core of Kanna's sadness. All her life, the poor girl has never experienced happiness. And it was like something in his heart urged him to do something about it. It didn't matter to him anymore if she was one of Naraku's spawned children.
"Sure, Kanna. I will." Shippo agreed, giving Kanna a warm, friendly smile. "Not only that, I'll be your friend as well." With this, Kanna froze. She came to the village to do something for Naraku, but when she heard about what Kagome was telling everyone, she was fascinated with it. And now, she meets this Shippo boy, and now she learns about happiness. Everything that Kanna encounters today, were all new to her. She never felt happiness in all her life. Kanna looked at Shippo…the one person who wanted to be her friend. Suddenly, Kanna felt something in her twitch once more. She breathed heavily. Since she was Naraku's "favorite child", he has entrusted her with her heart, knowing that Kanna would never betray him. What is this I'm feeling…when I look at…Shippo? My…heart…it throbs… She bowed her head and heaved tired sighs. This Shippo boy…he is so good to me… And then once more, she shone her rarely seen smile at Shippo. The boy was once again astonished at how Kanna looked so pretty.
"Thank you…Shippo…" Kanna said.
"N-No problem." Shippo stuttered, still looking at Kanna's angelic face. Shippo gulped and thought to himself, Oh man, what's this I'm feeling? Shippo, you bonehead! Pull yourself together! He then snapped out of it. "Ehehehe, well Kanna, how about we talk about something else?"
"Sure…"
