A/N: Welcome all to yet another exciting chapter of -drumroll- Innocence! And thanks to the wonderful moderatos of , we now have the added features of italics! -cheers- So happy hunt, er-- reading fellow addicts! -holds up peace sign- Have fun at my vain attempts at humor!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or IY! So try to arrest me, and I'll sue ya! Nyah! -blows rasberry at evil lawyers and runs away before they can beat her with their gavels of doom-


:: Scroll Four ::

:: Idol ::

Kagome, as well as the every other person in the room, tried stifling their laughter. Really, they did.

Only to find it downright impossible.

Shippou was the first to fall, burying his face in to her stomach as he gasped for air while muffling the sound of his hysterical laughter with her shirt. Kagome bit her lip, feeling the tell tale sign of her own amusement bubbling up inside her throat. She knew it wasn't going to be long until she too was reduced to a similar state as her son.

Why did they have to be so damn cute?! She whined in her mind. It just wasn't fair!

It wasn't enough that they were both unbelievably handsome. Or, that they were both powerful and formidable enemies. And had irresistible fluffy appendages for her molesting-pleasure.

No--- This was much, much worse.

And with them denying it profusely when she had pointed it out to them, quite bluntly mind you, as they attempting to eat with impeccable manners, while their eyes glittering lovingly at the small Styrofoam cups in their hands, as if they were about to confess their undying love for the inanimate object at any moment...

It was just too much.

Kagome stood up on shaky legs, politely excusing herself in a strained voice before bolting out of the hut and in to the forest, Shippou secured in her arms, hands smacked over his mouth so he couldn't be heard. If you didn't count the loud snorts and choking sounds.

As soon as she knew they were at a safe, out-of-hearing-range distance away --- she opened her mouth, letting her amusement take over from there.

Birds flew out of the trees at the loud, insane, hysterical laughter resounding through the forest; she and her son rolled on the grass-covered clearing, arms clutching their aching sides as tears of joy streamed down their rosy cheeks.

She knew she looked foolish; she knew she looked weird and childish -- but she didn't care. She had just witnessed possibly the funniest thing in the next five centuries to ever occur and she wasn't going to pass it up for anything-- not even her dignity. She was never going to get the image of the two, prideful demons devouring the ramen like starved little children out of her head.

The newly-transformed demoness had no idea how longed they stayed there, in their childish indulgence of humor. Five minutes... five hours. But it seemed like forever until they had calmed down, laying exhausted on the grass, taking deep calming breaths of air to replenish their neglected air supply.

"I have an entirely new respect for ramen." Shippou sighed, a grin lighting his face. Kagome swiped away the moisture on her cheeks.

"I second that." She rolled on to her stomach, resting her cheek on her crossed forearms. "Who would have thought such 'upstanding demons' would have a fetish for ramen?"

"What's a fetish?" Her son asked innocently. She blushed.

"Uhm... it's-ah... when someone really--no.." She decided now was a good time to change the subject. "Shippou-chan, can you tell me something?"

He bobbed his head, head titled in a cute, questioning pose. She resisted the urge to hug him like she would her stuffed animals at home. Er, the ones that didn't have all the stuffing gushing out of its neck from being hugged so many times at least. Ehehehee... ANYWHO, Shippou had a knack for adorableness, and he knew how to use it to his advantage. Focus, Kagome! Lest you fall victim to his cuteness!

"Do I look that different? As a demon, I mean?"

He looked at her with wide, admiring eyes as gleeful realization struck him.

"That's right! You haven't seen yourself yet, have you?!"

She shook her head in the negative. He jumped up in renewed vigor. She watched him enviously. Ah, to be young again... So full of life and energy... These old bones don't serve this old lady like they used to... ow, me hip... me hip!

He grasped her clawed hand in his smaller one, trying to drag her to her feet.

"Come on Kaa-san! I'll show you!"

She slowly scrambled to her feet; half for effect and half from wariness. And a touch of old-lady-ness thrown in to the mesh as well.

"Show me?" She asked. "What do you mean?"

"The hot spring nearby! You can look at your reflection in the water!" He explained, impatience and excitement lacing his voice as he pulled his surrogate mother down the worn dirt path.

"All right, all right..." She laughed, picking up her pace. Moving a little ahead of him, she spoke deviously. "Hey Shippou-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna race?"

Excitement lit his face, before he was off; leaving her slightly thrown off balance, before she shook herself out of the stupor, realizing her son was nowhere in sight.

"Hey! That's cheating!" She cried, chasing after him.

A few minutes later ,both competitors collapsed beside the waterside, gasping out claims of victory.

"Na-uh! I win!"

"No way!"

"I won fair and square, and you know it!"

"Fair and square..?! You took of before I could even say 'go!'"

"Well, you have longer legs! I get special privileges!"

"Really now?"

"Yep."

"You evil, evil child."

"I know."

Kagome breathed out a sigh of defeat before crawling over to the water. However, all signs of disappointments were quickly wiped from her expression replaced by shock.

A silence spanned as she examined her erected, triangular ebony ears atop her head and canine fangs poking forth from her mouth. Her features had changed, leaving many remnants of her old self visible, but enough of a difference to send her gaping in surprise. Whoa... Kagome, you have just entered the twilight zone. Flipping her long, wispy black tail back at forth testing it's authenticity. Swaying it from side to side, or wrapping it around Shippou to deposit him in her arms. Her piercing eyes, once a smoky blue, were now a bright, unnatural cobalt color. Her most defining feature of being a demon. Minus the fangs, tail, and ears. Oh, and the claws. And the inhuman strength and speed. And--er, okay maybe it wasn't the most defining feature.

Slowly, a wide smile spread across her lips as she turned to look at her son. However, instead of a modest exclamation of her altered changes, she spoke with sparkling egotism radiating in her voice.

"Whew! I look good, don't I?"

Shippou was, once again, on the ground laughing as his mother preened in her reflection for his benefit. Puckering her lips out, and striking a pose she'd seen a on TV a few weeks ago during a fashion show. A hand rested on her hip in a sassy attitude as she strutted down an imaginary catwalk; nose held loftily in the air and shoulder working back and forth in a exaggerated roll back and forth.

Kagome continued on for a while more, and was in the middle of a rather amusing impression of a model. Her hand holding her hair off her neck in a messy bun, and her hips jutting from side to side, expression changing as if a picture was being flashed every five seconds, her posterior sticking out in the air, when an calm voice interrupted her, a thread of amusement underlining it.

"What, in all the seven hells, are you doing?"

She snapped to attention, dropping her pose to clasp her hands innocently behind her back as she spun to look at the visitor with a smile of dubious cheerfulness lighting her lips.

"Ah, so you finally realized we were gone, Youko-sama? For a while there, I thought you were gone for good. Along with my entire ramen supply." She added with a barely suppressed grin fighting to claim her mouth. He had the decency to look a abashed, but his sly smirk gave him away. The sneaky bastard.

"What ever gave you that impression, Lady Kagome?"

"Well, it might have something to do with--- Wait, how'd you know my name?" She asked abruptly, cocking her eyebrow suspiciously at him.

"I do believe I heard your companions call you that."

Ah, yes. Leave it to them to give her away. She was going to tell them her name was Fufa; kitsune queen from the far, far South. Bow down if you wish to live! Mwuahaha!

Oh well, she sighed. There goes my fantasy of ruling over legions upon legions of devoted monkey boys that would follow her every command...

Blissfully unaware of her inner conflict, Shippou poked around Kagome to look at the other fox more closely; scrutinizing him with a speculative eye. All of a sudden his eyes went as big as saucers and he cried out loudly in recognition, jolting Kagome out of her thoughts quite quickly, shouting. "What?! Fire? What?!"

Shippou bounded to rest at the silver kitsune's feet, idolization quickly filling his wide, green orbs.

"You're Youko Kurama!" He pointed to the towering fox; waving the digit excitedly as he spoke to his mother in awe. "The Youko Kurama!"

Kagome looked at her son in confusion, then at Youko's smug, slightly conceited expression. Oo-kay, she was missing something important here.

Shippou seemed to realize this soon enough, gushing like a rabid school girl over the older fox. She blanched, banishing the mental images of that particular notion out of her head.

Note to self-- Never EVER compare Shippou to gushing school girls again. Kagome shuddered. Now, that was a entirely new level of nightmare right there.

"He's practically a living legend! My parents were always talking about him when I was little! He always pulls off these extraordinary heists, and he's known for being the biggest---" He was cut short by a hand covering his mouth. Kagome's eyes followed the hand, joined to a sleek, muscular arm, to the handsome face and gleaming golden eyes of the bandit. She slanted her head to the side, regarding them curiously with a devious twinkle to her eyes.

"Biggest what, Shippou-chan?" She cooed sweetly.

"Uh.." Catching the older fox shaking his head almost imperceptible for him not to continue, he quickly improvised. "The biggest, most wonderful gentleman ever to exist!"

Shippou looked proud of himself, as Youko sighed in relief. Kagome tucked this conversation away for future reference. Hmm, I wonder... Ah, so many possibilities for such a offhand remark.

"Hey, Youko?" She queried, suddenly getting an idea. The two foxes, eager for a change in topics, quickly quipped,

"Yes?"

"Do you know any good concealment spells?"


Ah, chapter COMPLETED! Z00t!

I hoped you all like it! It's been a while since writing this particular story, so sorry for any mistakes you may find. -rubs back of head nervously- Please send your reviews! They are most helpful! -winks- Also, voting is still up. Hopefully, I'll have the final tallies by either next chapter or the one after that. I will get around to it! Promise!Also, in one of the next two chapters Kagome's new "breed" of demon will be revealed. But I couldn't resist ears and a tail for her. Like our fair, young Kagome, I too have a guilty pleasure for the damnable appendages. -smiles- Anywho, that's it for now, and--

BIG THANK YOU'S TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE REVIEWED! THIS CHAPTER IS FOR YOU! nn -hugs and pocky to everyone!-

G'bye!

Signed your friendly, yet slightly psychotic, pocky empress,

-Miko Angel-