Shippo rolled over, sweating. It was now the hottest part of the day. The green leaves of the Goshinboku tree touched against he face. This was an unpleasant sensation, it was itchy and weird.
He hopped down to a branch that was down and to the left. This was the very same branch were Kagome and Inuyasha had spent last night together.
As he grew more awake, he remembered last nights events. He had begged Kagome to stay. Reluctantly she had agreed. He remembered Inuyasha beating him upside the head and knocking him out.
Surely Kagome didn't leave without saying goodbye. Shippo slowly climbed down the trunk of the tree, ignoring his squirrely rivals who were watching him from the tree's billowy flesh of leaves.
He walked through the village in search of Kagome. It occurred to him that perhaps Kagome was visiting with Sango and Miroku. He made that his first stop.
He would have entered their hut, but he saw Inuyasha and Miroku having a rather intimate conversation in the doorway. They spoke in hushed tones. Shippo hid and listened.
"Inuyasha, you really screwed up."
"I know..."
"But... I don't think that she'll never forgive you." Miroku reassured him.
"I should go find her and apologize... shouldn't I?"
Shippo gawked at this... Inuyasha was willing to apologize for something? Weird!
"That's mighty big of you, Inuyasha. Normally I would say that. However, today I'm going to tell you to leave her alone."
"Why should I leave her alone?" Inuyasha seemed surprised. "She's upset! I should definetly go apologize to her!"
"Yes, Inuyasha. Those are both facts, Kagome is upset, and you should apologize... Just not TODAY!"
"I'm going to go find her and apologize, I feel really awful about this."
Inuyasha started walking off and Miroku seized his shirt. "Listen, Inuyasha! I'm not suggesting, I'm telling! Leave her alone! This isn't just about how you feel. Let Kagome have a day without you to start recovering from this mess."
Inuyasha yanked Miroku's hand off of him. "It's never helped us to wait each other out. That's how we ended up not talking for nineteen years!"
"That's different, Inuyasha!" Miroku insisted. "You are not waiting her out, she is not going to come back and see you. You will go and apologize LATER, you are waiting knowing that you are going to apologize. This is different from all of your other little fights. Let Kagome scream and cry by herself for a while. Let her scold her mother, have a bath, buy some new locks for her doors and some weapons... then... when she feels a little more secure she might not KILL you for harrassing her further!"
"I don't want to let Kagome cry! I hate it when she cries!" Inuyasha insisted.
"That being said, you shouldn't go off and make her cry more. Right now, you are absolutely not a comfort to her. She is going to cry. When being held captive by you, someone whom she once trusted, made her miserable, do you really think that you can comfort her? I know what you want to do... you want hug her and let her come crying to you if she's going to cry at all. This time, however, you are the one who made her cry, if you touch her again today she is going to scream so loudly that whole world will hear her."
Inuyasha pouted. He sagged his shoulders and threw his head up. He sighed. "I feel so guilty about this... I can't believe that I upset her so badly."
Miroku put his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "I know, old friend. This is very hard for you, but remember, Kagome is one of the most forgiving people out there."
Shippo looked on in shock. What in the hell happened? Surely he didn't miss that much! How could there be such a big fight without him waking up? This must be why Inuyasha beat him up. He must have known that something big was going to go down and he didn't want him to be conscious for it. Why would Inuyasha do something this stupid on purpose?
"Miroku... I'm going to get out of here. Everyone in this village is apt to kill me the next wrong move I make."
"Just remember... Don't go bother Kagome today! No matter how tempting it may be!"
"Oh what are you going to do to me if I try?"
"I'll tell you what I'm not going to do... I'm not going save you when Kagome tries to kill you!"
"Fine, fine!" Inuyasha said as he stalked off. "I won't go see her today."
"Have a nice day!" Miroku called after him, sort of laughing at him.
Inuyasha simply blew a raspberry at him and kept walking.
As soon as Inuyasha was out of sight, Shippo rushed into Miroku's hut.
Right now, the hut only contained Miroku. Sango had taken Kirara and the children out somewhere.
"Miroku! Tell me what happened!" Shippo exclaimed.
"Shippo... where were you this morning?" Miroku looked at him puzzledly.
"I was knocked out in the Goshinboku tree! Inuyasha knocked me out last night before he did whatever he did this morning, now spill it!"
"Oh.. This morning, Inuyasha refused to let her leave. He held her so tight that she couldn't move. He tricked her into taking off his rosary and then he wouldn't let her go, no matter how much she screamed and cried. It was left up to me to remove her from the tree."
Shippo looked grieved by this information. "I should have never asked her to spend the night."
Miroku petted Shippo's head. "It's not really your fault, Shippo. Everyone is just a victim of circumstance today."
"So, is Kagome really gone?" Shippo looked at Miroku sadly.
"Yes, you could see her.. but.. the only one who can take you is Inuyasha, and the thing is..."
"I know, I heard you talking." Shippo cut him off.
"I see." Miroku said, trying his best to sound wise. It was one of his favorite things to do: sound smarter than everyone else.
"It sure does suck that Kagome left that way..." Shippo said as he began to trod out of the hut.
"Try not to be too hard on Inuyasha."
"I'll try." Shippo said upon leaving.
Miroku let out an exaggerated sigh. "No-one ever pays any attention to me! I don't see why Inuyasha gets all of the glory!... I'm going to take a nap." Miroku told himself as he slumped down onto his bed.
Shippo knew exactly where he'd find Inuyasha. Shippo sat down against the well. He kept an eye out for Inuyasha. He knew that Inuyasha was trying his hardest not to come here. He also knew that Inuyasha would no doubt be here soon.
In under five minutes, Shippo saw Inuyasha coming towards the well. He hid behind it, and as Inuyasha arrived and was contemplating jumping in, Shippo jumped out at him.
"Stop right there!" Shippo commanded. "You are not supposed to bother Kagome today!"
"How do you know about that? I knocked you out, runt!" Inuyasha demanded of him.
Shippo smugly stepped on the surface of the well. Seeing as it was mid-afternoon, the wood was burning hot. Feeling his feet burning Shippo jumped back onto the grass, trying very hard to maintain his smug expression. "Yes, you did. However, being the great detective that I am, I already know what is going on."
"Great detective? Yeah right, great eavesdropper is more like it."
"Call it what you want. You are not supposed to bother Kagome today and you know it."
"Butt out, Shippo." Inuyasha said while stepping onto the rim of the well.
Shippo grabbed onto the back of Inuyasha's shirt. "No! Leave Kagome alone!"
"Why don't you stop being such a goody two-shoes and come with me?" Inuyasha asked.
Without even pausing for consideration Shippo declared, "No! I will not have Kagome hating me too!"
Inuyasha waited a few more seconds, despite the pain his feet were experiencing. "You thinks she hates me?"
"Yeah, probably." Shippo told him honestly.
"Then I've got to fix that!"
"NO!" Shippo yelled as Inuyasha jumped in the well. Shippo did not let go of Inuyasha's clothes, but he also held onto the hot wood of the well with all of his might.
Shippo did not succeed in keeping Inuyasha there, instead he ended up with a right hand that hurt and a left hand full of torn, red and white, clothing.
Grouchy at his failure, he marched back to Miroku. Miroku was sitting in his bed and stewing. "I tried to stop him." Shippo taddled on Inuyasha.
"Stupid dog!" The monk declared and slammed his pillow down in frustration.
He hopped down to a branch that was down and to the left. This was the very same branch were Kagome and Inuyasha had spent last night together.
As he grew more awake, he remembered last nights events. He had begged Kagome to stay. Reluctantly she had agreed. He remembered Inuyasha beating him upside the head and knocking him out.
Surely Kagome didn't leave without saying goodbye. Shippo slowly climbed down the trunk of the tree, ignoring his squirrely rivals who were watching him from the tree's billowy flesh of leaves.
He walked through the village in search of Kagome. It occurred to him that perhaps Kagome was visiting with Sango and Miroku. He made that his first stop.
He would have entered their hut, but he saw Inuyasha and Miroku having a rather intimate conversation in the doorway. They spoke in hushed tones. Shippo hid and listened.
"Inuyasha, you really screwed up."
"I know..."
"But... I don't think that she'll never forgive you." Miroku reassured him.
"I should go find her and apologize... shouldn't I?"
Shippo gawked at this... Inuyasha was willing to apologize for something? Weird!
"That's mighty big of you, Inuyasha. Normally I would say that. However, today I'm going to tell you to leave her alone."
"Why should I leave her alone?" Inuyasha seemed surprised. "She's upset! I should definetly go apologize to her!"
"Yes, Inuyasha. Those are both facts, Kagome is upset, and you should apologize... Just not TODAY!"
"I'm going to go find her and apologize, I feel really awful about this."
Inuyasha started walking off and Miroku seized his shirt. "Listen, Inuyasha! I'm not suggesting, I'm telling! Leave her alone! This isn't just about how you feel. Let Kagome have a day without you to start recovering from this mess."
Inuyasha yanked Miroku's hand off of him. "It's never helped us to wait each other out. That's how we ended up not talking for nineteen years!"
"That's different, Inuyasha!" Miroku insisted. "You are not waiting her out, she is not going to come back and see you. You will go and apologize LATER, you are waiting knowing that you are going to apologize. This is different from all of your other little fights. Let Kagome scream and cry by herself for a while. Let her scold her mother, have a bath, buy some new locks for her doors and some weapons... then... when she feels a little more secure she might not KILL you for harrassing her further!"
"I don't want to let Kagome cry! I hate it when she cries!" Inuyasha insisted.
"That being said, you shouldn't go off and make her cry more. Right now, you are absolutely not a comfort to her. She is going to cry. When being held captive by you, someone whom she once trusted, made her miserable, do you really think that you can comfort her? I know what you want to do... you want hug her and let her come crying to you if she's going to cry at all. This time, however, you are the one who made her cry, if you touch her again today she is going to scream so loudly that whole world will hear her."
Inuyasha pouted. He sagged his shoulders and threw his head up. He sighed. "I feel so guilty about this... I can't believe that I upset her so badly."
Miroku put his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "I know, old friend. This is very hard for you, but remember, Kagome is one of the most forgiving people out there."
Shippo looked on in shock. What in the hell happened? Surely he didn't miss that much! How could there be such a big fight without him waking up? This must be why Inuyasha beat him up. He must have known that something big was going to go down and he didn't want him to be conscious for it. Why would Inuyasha do something this stupid on purpose?
"Miroku... I'm going to get out of here. Everyone in this village is apt to kill me the next wrong move I make."
"Just remember... Don't go bother Kagome today! No matter how tempting it may be!"
"Oh what are you going to do to me if I try?"
"I'll tell you what I'm not going to do... I'm not going save you when Kagome tries to kill you!"
"Fine, fine!" Inuyasha said as he stalked off. "I won't go see her today."
"Have a nice day!" Miroku called after him, sort of laughing at him.
Inuyasha simply blew a raspberry at him and kept walking.
As soon as Inuyasha was out of sight, Shippo rushed into Miroku's hut.
Right now, the hut only contained Miroku. Sango had taken Kirara and the children out somewhere.
"Miroku! Tell me what happened!" Shippo exclaimed.
"Shippo... where were you this morning?" Miroku looked at him puzzledly.
"I was knocked out in the Goshinboku tree! Inuyasha knocked me out last night before he did whatever he did this morning, now spill it!"
"Oh.. This morning, Inuyasha refused to let her leave. He held her so tight that she couldn't move. He tricked her into taking off his rosary and then he wouldn't let her go, no matter how much she screamed and cried. It was left up to me to remove her from the tree."
Shippo looked grieved by this information. "I should have never asked her to spend the night."
Miroku petted Shippo's head. "It's not really your fault, Shippo. Everyone is just a victim of circumstance today."
"So, is Kagome really gone?" Shippo looked at Miroku sadly.
"Yes, you could see her.. but.. the only one who can take you is Inuyasha, and the thing is..."
"I know, I heard you talking." Shippo cut him off.
"I see." Miroku said, trying his best to sound wise. It was one of his favorite things to do: sound smarter than everyone else.
"It sure does suck that Kagome left that way..." Shippo said as he began to trod out of the hut.
"Try not to be too hard on Inuyasha."
"I'll try." Shippo said upon leaving.
Miroku let out an exaggerated sigh. "No-one ever pays any attention to me! I don't see why Inuyasha gets all of the glory!... I'm going to take a nap." Miroku told himself as he slumped down onto his bed.
Shippo knew exactly where he'd find Inuyasha. Shippo sat down against the well. He kept an eye out for Inuyasha. He knew that Inuyasha was trying his hardest not to come here. He also knew that Inuyasha would no doubt be here soon.
In under five minutes, Shippo saw Inuyasha coming towards the well. He hid behind it, and as Inuyasha arrived and was contemplating jumping in, Shippo jumped out at him.
"Stop right there!" Shippo commanded. "You are not supposed to bother Kagome today!"
"How do you know about that? I knocked you out, runt!" Inuyasha demanded of him.
Shippo smugly stepped on the surface of the well. Seeing as it was mid-afternoon, the wood was burning hot. Feeling his feet burning Shippo jumped back onto the grass, trying very hard to maintain his smug expression. "Yes, you did. However, being the great detective that I am, I already know what is going on."
"Great detective? Yeah right, great eavesdropper is more like it."
"Call it what you want. You are not supposed to bother Kagome today and you know it."
"Butt out, Shippo." Inuyasha said while stepping onto the rim of the well.
Shippo grabbed onto the back of Inuyasha's shirt. "No! Leave Kagome alone!"
"Why don't you stop being such a goody two-shoes and come with me?" Inuyasha asked.
Without even pausing for consideration Shippo declared, "No! I will not have Kagome hating me too!"
Inuyasha waited a few more seconds, despite the pain his feet were experiencing. "You thinks she hates me?"
"Yeah, probably." Shippo told him honestly.
"Then I've got to fix that!"
"NO!" Shippo yelled as Inuyasha jumped in the well. Shippo did not let go of Inuyasha's clothes, but he also held onto the hot wood of the well with all of his might.
Shippo did not succeed in keeping Inuyasha there, instead he ended up with a right hand that hurt and a left hand full of torn, red and white, clothing.
Grouchy at his failure, he marched back to Miroku. Miroku was sitting in his bed and stewing. "I tried to stop him." Shippo taddled on Inuyasha.
"Stupid dog!" The monk declared and slammed his pillow down in frustration.