Rule Number Eight:
Children grow up too quickly. Let them enjoy being young and free…and try it yourself sometime.
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"Osuwari!"
Wham.
"Damn it, Kagome, he deserved it and you know it!"
The girl let out a loud "Hmpf" before turning on her heel and stalking away, a kitsune grinning slyly at Inuyasha from her shoulder.
Inuyasha mentally strove for patience as he waited for the subduing spell to release its effect on him.
'That kit's gotta learn! All he ever does is cause trouble, and get pampered. He's gonna end up being some weak, worthless demon unless Kagome lets him toughen up and take what's comin' to him.'
He flexed his claws and shot from his self-made crater in the earth as soon as he felt the spell lift, and stomped his way after the rest of the group on the trail ahead.
o0o
"Ouch…oww…."
"I'm sorry, Sango, I really am trying to be careful."
"I know Kagome." The exterminator bit her lip and cringed as Kagome made another attempt at removing the lollipop stuck in the strands of her long hair.
"Ah, there. Got it." Kagome squirmed uncomfortably, offending candy in hand. "I'm really sorry, Sango."
She sighed. "It's not your fault, Kagome. Shippou's the one who got it stuck there."
Kagome nodded, staring at her feet guiltily. "Well, yes…but I'm the one who gave him the candy and got him all hopped up on sugar so that he jumped on your shoulder and got even more candy stuck in your hair."
"You were just being kind to him, Kagome. I understand. He is just a child after all."
Sango smiled kindly at the other girl, before turning back to her task of cleaning her hiraikotsu.
'But if that little demon pulls something like that again, I swear I'll let Kirara use him as a chew-toy.'
"I see Kagome was successful."
Sango glanced up to smile at the monk beside her. "Yes, she was. It's…still a little sticky, but that will wash."
Miroku sat next to her, giving a slight wince that Sango's sharp eyes didn't miss. "Is something wrong, Miroku?"
He smiled back at her, but she could sense a slight irritation in his face. "Oh, it was just a little misunderstanding involving Shippou, Inuyasha, and, unfortunately, myself."
She quirked a brow as he chuckled darkly. "Shippou seemed to think it would be funny if he used his magic to disguise himself as me, and then dump his bowl of ramen over his head before running away. Naturally, Inuyasha came looking to me for revenge."
He gave a wry grin. "Luckily he heard Shippou laughing in the bushes nearby before he beat me too badly. I swore to him I never did what he accused me of, and when we realized Shippou was covered in ramen, well…."
He shrugged and trailed off.
"He didn't hurt Shippou too much, did he?"
"No. As usual, Shippou ran for cover behind Kagome, and Inuyasha ended up eating dirt."
Sango chuckled. "Poor Inuyasha."
"Indeed. I'm not too inclined to feel badly for the fox anymore. He needs to grow up a bit. He grimaced and rubbed his side tenderly. "Inuyasha's fist really hurts when he catches you off guard."
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"A story, Kagome? Please?"
Inuyasha watched as she tucked the tiny kitsune into her sleeping bag. 'Babying him again, as usual.'
"Sure, Shippou. What kind of story would you like?"
"About you!" He smiled up at her. "I want a story about you when you were my age."
She smiled. "Hmmm…about me. You know, I don't really think there is anything very interesting to say about me when I was little. I was a pretty average little girl, with an average life, an average home, and an average fam-…." She choked herself off and bit her lip, looking at the ground in sadness.
'Aw shit.' Inuyasha looked away. 'It's so easy to forget. She lost one of her parents when she was little too….'
He looked up sharply when he saw Shippou move to her lap and lift her chin. "It's ok, Kagome. I lost my parents too."
Kagome smiled sadly at him. "Shippou, somehow I don't see how you losing your parents makes it ok at all. No one should have to lose a parent…not when they are so young."
One of the enigmas that the group had discovered about Shippou was this: For a young demon who acted like a child, he held some sort of understanding that would shine through at times, and he would shock them all with his ability to conceive the deepest of thoughts.
It was obvious that, once again, he would astound the group with wisdom beyond his years, and Inuyasha could see Miroku and Sango also watching him intently, shadows of pain behind their eyes, eagerly hoping that something would be revealed to them as well. 'They can feel it too…like the kid holds some secret we've all been dying to know.'
He looked back at the little fox demon again and scrunched his brow. 'How does he do it? How does he run around acting like a little childish brat at some times, and then other times seem suddenly…grown-up?'
He was still in Kagome's lap, staring intently into her face. "Sango lost her mother when she was little…and then her father later on. And Miroku…he's an orphan too. So is Inuyasha. And you…you lost your father. We all lost either one or both of our parents when we were very little."
He shifted his weight to sit on her leg, and he held one of her hands in his, stroking the back of it. "My mother once told me that it's the things we learn from each other that truly keeps us together. Like…you'll always be with me, because the lessons I learned from you will always be with me. Do you see? And…the words that my papa and mama always said to me will stay, so I'll never lose them either, because they are a part of who I am. The things that they taught me are what make me who I am today. Like what you've taught me, Kagome."
She smiled at him. "What did I teach you, Shippou?"
"You taught me that I can be strong, even though I am small. And you taught me to appreciate what I was given, and be thankful for what I have. And you taught me how to love my friends and family above all else…and that if I didn't have a family left, to love my friends as my family. And the things you taught me…they helped make me, well…me."
He turned to the man to his right. "And Miroku." Inuyasha saw him jump slightly at being addressed. "He has taught me how to be more patient, and that life is worth living, and determination is a valuable strength. And that having a sense of humor and a smile can help me get through the bad times."
Miroku grinned at him, and Inuyasha could distinctly make out a slight blush dusting his cheeks.
"And Sango." It was her turn to be startled now, and she ducked her head at the sudden attention she was receiving from the group. "I learned from her that, even if we lose someone, we should always treasure their memories and honor them, the way she honors her family and her village and the things they taught her. And I learned that true strength comes from within. I also learned to never let go of the hope that things will get better, the way she never lets go of the hope that Kohaku will be ok again."
Inuyasha watched her as she sniffled and squirmed slightly before Shippou's attention went to himself.
"And Inuyasha."
Shippou smiled at him as he felt his eyes widened. 'You're kidding, right?'
"Inuyasha taught me to be true to myself. He hasn't admitted it to himself yet, but…he's proud of who he is. And he puts others before himself all the time. He'll gladly risk his life to save any of us, without a second thought. And I…I wanna be just like that."
Shippou swallowed and stared at him a moment while Inuyasha stared back. 'He…he wants to be like me?'
The kitsune turned back to Kagome. "I bet your father taught you stuff. Or, I bet the way he lived his life taught you things. He set an example for you, and he loved you…and he helped create who you are today. None of us really consist of our own unique parts. Those around us give us bits and pieces of themselves, and that is what we are made of."
He jumped back into Kagome's sleeping bag and snuggled down, yawning widely.
"Mmmm…so sleepy. Goodnight Kagome. Goodnight everyone."
Kagome swallowed. "Goodnight, Shippou."
Inuyasha heard the rest of them give their goodnights before giving his own. "'Night…Shippou."
The rest of them eventually made their way into their own sleeping spaces, but Inuyasha stayed up long into the night, trying his best to examine what pieces he was made of, and who they were from.
He wasn't surprised at how many pieces came from the little group of friends around him. What shocked him most was…how many of them there were from the tiny kitsune snoring gently next to Kagome.
How is it that he was capable of such deep thinking and capable of impacting everyone so forcefully, and yet still acted as a child?
He thought on his own childhood, and about what those of the group around him must have been like. None of them could have been easy.
'I think…I think we all just…grew up too quickly. We had to. And…and I suppose that just because we did, and we didn't get to experience all the joys of being young…doesn't mean he shouldn't.'
Inuyasha nodded to himself before calling it a night.
'I suppose it wouldn't hurt to be just a little more tolerant of the kit after all.' He grimaced. 'But only a little.'
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Next:
Rule Number Seven:
Be yourself. Your identity defines you, so make sure it is one you can be proud of.
Yeah…sorry about the small delay. I went to visit my little brother for the day.
Anyhoo, on we go:
FF:
AnimeFan300: Thanks! Glad you like! I will try my best to update at least every other day, though things are about to get a little hairy for me as I move back home to Indy, since classes are let out for the summer here at the university. But I promise I'll try and update frequently.
Dragon: I tried really, really hard to stay true to the characters. It's difficult to know what is going on inside of their heads because they are all so deep and complex, but I think I did an ok job, and I'm glad you think so too.
Angel: Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed, and I'm flattered. Hope you enjoy my other two one-shots as well. Sorry there aren't many…I just started writing. Beautiful was my first one, and is most definitely my favorite, as Miroku is my favorite character…so complex and fun to write about. Thank you for your review.
Jedi: Ah… a pun… gee, thanks. Just kidding, you make me chuckle. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Strike: Ah, and I'm glad you were my first reviewer too! Grin I have a hard time writing humorous, though I consider myself a fairly funny person. It just doesn't come easily for me. I'm glad you found it funny.
Lucinda: Once again…I love you! Your reviews make me smile. Lol, hope your mouth is feeling better, and I'm flattered to be on your list. Thank you so Waves: Glad you liked! Thanks for reviewing!
MM:
Cutie Pie Hentai: I really appreciate that. I found that it takes a heck of a lot of work to write a good one-shot. As I found very few one-shots that I really liked online, I tried writing some myself, and I really enjoy it. Thank you for making me feel like I did it correctly. grin And never hesitate to leave criticism, though I'm very glad you couldn't find any in the last one. Lol…thanks for your honest review.
Dark Angel of Love: Aw, thanks! I will try and update fairly frequently! I promise!
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Ok, that's that. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. You have no idea how much your honest opinion means to me. I am always striving to improve my writing, even though I don't consider myself a writer, really. I'm a musician! But…it's nice to know I have some other talents as well, and I like improving them. Feel the love!