Return of the Hanyou

By: Lady Tiger LiLy

Chapter 2: Youkai Rumble

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Once out of the forest, Shippou placed Junko back down on the ground. "Are you ok, Junko?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you."

Shippou smiled. "You don't have to thank me. You know by now that I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

Junko nodded. As they walked back to the village, she suddenly spoke up, "Um, Shippou?"

"Yeah?"

"We're not really courting, right?"

Shippou froze in his steps at the question. "What? Oh! No, of course not!" he blushed as he waved his hands in front of himself to further indicate his point. "I was just saying that so that demon would leave you alone!"

Junko nodded, finding herself blushing. "Oh."

Shippou calmed some but was still blushing as he smiled. "Why don't we hurry back to the village? It's about time to eat!"

Junko nodded. "Alright."

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That evening, Shippou laid awake on his bedding in Kaede's hut. Memories of that day's events plagued his mind…

"Let go of my woman," the elder demon said in a threatening tone.

Shippou let go of Junko and stepped in front of her to shield her from the demon. "She's not yours to have," he replied.

"She is without a mate as am I so I have every right to try and claim her as mine! And there's not a thing you can do about it!" Saikyou stood back, looking quite smug.

Shippou was at a loss of words. "You can't!"

Saikyou chuckled aloud. "And why is that?"

"Y-You can't because… because she is my woman!"

Of course what he said wasn't true! Junko and him weren't mates! They weren't even courting!

Right?

Shippou realized he didn't really know anything about how kitsune mate or go about finding a mate. His father died when he was too young to understand or care about such things.

Just then, Shippou lifted his head and sat quietly for a minute. "Junko?"

He got up out of his bed and exited the hut. He quietly walked over to the hut next to Kaede's, which was Junko's hut. Inu-Yasha had firmly suggested that Junko have her own hut. Apparently he didn't look to kindly to Shippou and Junko both sleeping in the same hut.

Shippou could smell something was wrong. He called out her name softly but found no answer from her. He then took the liberty of letting himself in. "Junko?"

As he entered, he found her lying on her bed, mumbling soft, incoherent words. He made his way to her and knelt down to her. He noticed her breath was irregular and her body was tense.

She was just having a bad dream.

Shippou's hand was compelled to reach out and gently stroke Junko's head to comfort her. When he did so, she stirred and her eyes opened impartially.

"Shippou, don't go," she slurred as she looked over at him.

"Junko?" he spoke softly.

"Don't… Don't…" she repeated.

Shippou hushed her and continued to stroke her head. "It's alright. I'm right here. You're just having a bad dream."

"Don't leave me… Don't…" she trailed off.

Shippou thought for a moment. He then drew away his hand and lowered himself next to Junko so he could lay at her side. He laid next to her on the outside of her blanket and put his arms around her figure under the blanket.

When he had done this, Junko's incoherent mumbling gradually came to a stop and she snuggled into his warm frame. Her breathing fell back into a normal pace as her body relaxed into a quiet sleep.

Shippou watched her as she fell back into her peaceful sleep. He then held her tight for a moment. It had been sometime since they had shared a bed together. He didn't realize until then that he missed it. It was nice having a warm body to lie next to. He inhaled her scent as his eyes fell shut for his mind and body to welcome sleep.

"I won't leave you."

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Junko woke the next morning well rested. She sat up and looked at her surroundings and found herself alone in her hut.

She reached up to hug herself as she looked around her hut. "What an odd dream," she spoke aloud in remembrance. "I could have sworn Shippou was here." Junko had been only half awake when she saw Shippou that night.

Junko shrugged it off and got up and read for the day. She dressed out of her sleeping robes and dressed into her pink kimono with red flowers. She slipped on her shoes as she stepped outside the hut. The morning sun shone down on her as she stepped out. Her eyes squinted shut as they adjusted to the light of the new day.

"Now to find Kaede-sama so to get something to eat." She could smell the hot stew coming from Kaede's hut as it sifted its way to her hanyou nose.

Soon, her hanyou ears heard the sound of laughter. She turned and found Shippou being tackled by the village children in a playful manner. Junko smiled at the scene of Shippou letting the little ones pin him to the dirt and strangle him. But then Junko's stomach growled, bringing her back to the smell of the stew.

Suddenly, the wind began to change directions and Junko lost the scent of the stew. The wind picked up for a moment but soon died down. Junko followed her nose to the new scent that replaced that of the stew.

The youkai, Saikyou.

Junko stood quietly as she stared at him. He was only a few feet's distance from where she stood. He acknowledged her presence by meeting her gaze. She soon noticed his stern expression was growing angrier.

"Kitsune!" he barked.

Shippou was already aware of Saikyou's presence and had risen from the ground; the tackling children provided no restraint for his youkai strength. The children let go as Shippou rose, sensing that the situation was serious. After all, a strange youkai had entered their village and they could feel Shippou's muscles tense at the youkai's presence.

Shippou glanced at Junko who was roughly in the middle of the two youkai. She looked worried. He then moved his gaze to the intruding youkai. "What do you want?"

Saikyou could smell that kitsune's disgusting scent all over the girl. Though he could smell she was still fertile, meaning she has no mate yet, it still made him grow in anger. After the kitsune left with the girl the previous day, it was then that Saikyou came to the realization that the girl was not a youkai but a hanyou. This puzzled him. Though half-demons were looked down upon by full-demons because of their inferior strength, this girl was different. Yes, she was pretty but the fact alone that a half-breed would turn down a strong wolf youkai prince like himself for a mate made her intrigue him all the more.

This made him want her more.

This mangy kitsune claims she is his woman. If this is so, then he's going to do what any youkai would do when two males find interest in the same female.

They would fight for her.

"Kitsune! I challenge you! You will fight me if you wish to keep your woman!"

Junko grew wide-eyed at this statement. "What?"

The two males stared at each other. Saikyou was waiting for Shippou's response.

"This is ridiculous!" Junko shouted. "Shippou! You can't do this!" She then turned to Saikyou. "I AM NO ONE'S WOMAN!"

Saikyou promptly ignored her. "Fight me!" he shouted at Shippou.

"No," Shippou said sternly.

"No?"

"No. Now leave the village and leave Junko alone," he replied in the same tone.

"I'm not leaving until you fight me, you COWARD!"

Something about how Saikyou said 'coward' struck something in Shippou.

Shippou had his head hung slightly so now his bangs hid his eyes. His fists clenched tightly. All his life he had been promptly known as a coward. Inu-Yasha had always made that known. He spent most of his life being pushed around; the Thunder Brothers, Inu-Yasha, and countless demons they encountered. He was a weak little fox boy then. Now, he was a grown kitsune youkai. Stronger, quicker, and certainly no longer a coward!

"If you do not fight me, I'll just take your woman and destroy your village! Leaving you with nothing!" Saikyou taunted.

That was the last straw.

Junko gasped at what she saw before her. The blue flames of his Fox Fire outlined Shippou's body though he was not burning. He looked up at Saikyou with glowing red eyes; fangs bared.

And ran straight for him.

"Shippou, no!" Junko shouted.

Saikyou quickly dodged Shippou's rampage and smirked. "Seems I struck a tender spot. I had not anticipated on you tapping in to your youkai blood."

Shippou turned about to the wolf youkai. Saikyou then ran toward Shippou and tackled him into a nearby hut.

"Shippou!" Junko yelled to him. "You have to get him out of the village before you two end up hurting someone, let alone destroy the village!"

Shippou heard Junko's words. He pushed Saikyou off of him and ran away, out of the village. Saikyou did not hesitate to follow close behind.

Junko gaped at the rubbish left over of the once whole hut. She couldn't help but feel this was all her fault. After all, the two youkai were sparing because of her!

"Junko, what's going on?" Kaede asked. The children had found Kaede quickly and lead her to where the youkai were before they left.

"This is all my fault! I can't let this continue on any further!" she replied as she then ran off in the direction of the two demons.

"Junko! Wait!" Kaede shouted to her but to no avail.

Junko ran as fast as her hanyou legs would let her. She soon found the sparing demons out in the open fields outside the village. Shippou was still as he was with blue flames around him and his glowing red, demonic eyes. Saikyou was about to attack again when Shippou produced balls of blue flames in his clawed hands.

"FOX FIRE!" he snarled as he hurled the blue fireballs at the youkai.

Saikyou managed to dodge the attack except for his left shoulder, which began to sting from the burn that the fire inflicted. Being he dodged the attack by Shippou, Shippou was now open for a direct attack.

He punched Shippou square in the jaw.

The force of the blow sent Shippou back a few feet onto his back. Shippou stumbled up onto his feet. Before he could totally collect himself, Saikyou came up to him and kneed him in the stomach. This caused Shippou to lean forward in pain and lack of air. Followed after that, Saikyou laced his hands together with his fingers as if to create one giant fist and gave him a blow to the back of the neck. Shippou completely collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

"Shippou!" Junko shouted as she ran to his side. "Shippou! Shippou, are you ok?"

"I win," Saikyou promptly announced.

"YOU ARE SUCH A JERK!" Junko yelled at him.

Saikyou was slightly taken back by her yelling. He defeated him and she still wanted the kitsune? "You are my woman now," he spoke.

"What? Are you serious? I AM NO ONE'S WOMAN, GOT IT?" she shouted at him.

Before Junko could protest further, Saikyou grabbed Junko away from Shippou's limp form on the ground and lifted her up onto his unburned shoulder.

"WHAT THE HELL? PUT ME DOWN!" she shrieked.

Saikyou didn't respond but leapt off with his prize.

"NO! PUT ME DOWN! SHIPPOU! SHIPPOOOU!" Junko shouted helplessly as she saw Shippou's unconscious form soon disappear from her site.

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Shippou groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a roof over his head. "Wha…? Where…?"

"Ye awake, I see"

Shippou turned his head slowly toward the familiar voice since his neck and head hurt like hell. "Kaede-sama?"

"Yes," she replied, as she was busy tending to a pot of food over the fire.

"SHIPPOU!"

Before Shippou knew what was happening, he was looking into the golden eyes of a very angry hanyou that held him up by his shirt. "Where is she? What happened to my daughter?" Inu-Yasha growled in a very threatening tone.

It took a moment before Shippou registered the information. "Huh…? JUNKO!"

Shippou tore out of Inu-Yasha's grasp and ran out of the hut. He was dumbfounded as he looked over the village from where he stood. "Junko? JUNKO!" he shouted. Kaede, Inu-Yasha, and Kagome stepped out of the hut. Shippou turned to them. "What happened? Where's Junko? Is she alright?" he asked urgently.

Kaede hung her head. "Junko was taken by the formidable youkai."

Shippou looked shocked. It was his fault this happened. He let her down…

Kagome looked worried to death. She was dressed in a white, long sleeve blouse and a knee-length green skirt as she stood, hugging herself, trying to comfort herself. "Kaede baa-chan, what was this demon that took Junko?"

"Aye, I believe the youkai was that of a wolf."

"Kouga!" Inu-Yasha growled.

"No, it wasn't Kouga," Shippou spoke grimly. He clenched his fists tightly.

Kagome looked at Shippou with a sadden expression. "Shippou-chan? Are you alright?"

"It's my fault…" he spoke through clenched teeth.

"You're damn right it is!" Inu-Yasha snapped. "I've only been gone a week and I can't trust you to watch over my daughter!"

"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome scolded.

Shippou couldn't bring himself to meet their eyes. He relaxed his jaw. "I'm sorry," he couldn't help but apologize.

Inu-Yasha grabbed Shippou by his shirt. "Let's go," he said in a slightly mellower tone as he dragged the poor kitsune along.

"Huh? Go where?" Shippou blinked.

"You and I are going to track this bastard down!"

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AN: Shippou had not quite tapped into his true youkai form. Kind of how Sesshomaru's eyes get red sometimes when he fights but he doesn't turn into his true form; the giant white dog demon? Like that. Look out, Saikyou! You have an angry daddy hanyou on your trail! Questions? Comments? Concerns? Let me know! See you next chapter!