Disclaimer: Ok yeah, I don't own Inuyasha and I never will so let's get on with the story.
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TO THE READERS: Well people… This will be the last chapter for this story. I know it's a lot shorter than my other ones, but that's because I had only intended for this to be a one-shot. Yeah, that plan failed. But it ended up going pretty well. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.
-Japanime625
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CHAPTER SIX: Secrets
Everyone looked at Mayu expectantly. Shippo was thoroughly interested. Now he would know why Mayu never spoke about her family.
Mayu absent mindedly wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt. She was nervous. I really don't want to tell them… But Shippo should know…
InuYasha scowled. She was taking too long. He was about to tell her to hurry it up when Shirrow interrupted.
"So are you gonna tell us, or not? We're waiting…"
Kagome looked at her son and frowned. "Shirrow!"
"What? If she's gonna tell us, then she should just get it over with…"
Kagome was going to scold him for being rude, but Mayu suddenly spoke up.
"You're right, Shirrow…" she said quietly. "I'm sorry…"
Everything was quiet. Mayu took a minute or two to gather her thoughts and clear her throat before starting.
"Y-you see… I… I really don't even have a family."
InuYasha looked at her quizzically. "So… you live by yourself?"
"Yes… well, that is… I didn't used to…" She looked down at her lap.
"Well, which is it?" he asked grumpily.
"InuYasha," Kagome sighed. "Be nice… She's trying…"
"Well, she should try harder. We're not getting anywhere…"
"I… I ran away…"
Everyone turned to look back at Mayu. Before anyone could ask why, she continued.
"Everyone else in my family was slain when I was very young. I had no where else to go, and I ended up being forced to serve a cold-hearted lord that ruled close to where I lived.
He despised demons and he only had us around to keep as slaves. We were forced to work outside during winter… Only a few of us had warm clothes… So many demons died from sickness each year…
The horrible working conditions continued year after year… Eventually, some of the older demons started a revolt and some of us managed to escape with our lives.
I'm afraid that the lord that ruled over us might have sent out people to try and find anyone that managed to escape. I don't think I should stay in this village much longer in case they're getting close… I need to keep going…"
Everyone was silent as they let what Mayu told them sink in. No one had expected her to say anything like THAT.
Shippo sighed and walked out of the room. It figures that I'd fall in love with someone that wouldn't be able to stay in the village…
Kagome watched him leave. "Shippo… Where-"
InuYasha put his hand over hers and she looked at him. He merely shook his head and patted her hand lightly before getting up and following the young fox demon.
Suddenly, there was a sniffle.
"I'm sorry… I… I didn't mean to make him upset. I just… I thought he should know before it's too late…"
InuYasha turned around. He knew that scent all too well. Great… Now she's crying… He looked back towards the door. Shippo was sitting outside. There was no doubt that he would still be able to hear what anyone said inside. Shippo will have to wait. She needs us more than he does…
So the dog demon went back over to them, sat next to Shirrow, and listened. Kagome sat next to her, and tried to get her to stop crying. After a few minutes, she calmed down and Kagome told her she should go talk to Shippo. Mayu agreed and went to sit outside with him.
Kagome took InuYasha's hand in her own and pulled him along with her out of the room, down the hall, and into their bedroom.
InuYasha closed the door silently after he entered the room. "What is it?"
"We should help her…"
He sighed. "Kagome…"
"I know… You don't like 'playing the good guy' all the time… You've told me before. But we can't let her go through this on her own."
"It's not that… Shippo should be the one to help her. If I go and save the day, what will that help him accomplish? Mayu's in love with him, not me. She would want him to be the one to help her."
"Yeah, but…"
"But what? You want them both to be happy, right?"
She nodded.
"Then let Shippo have his chance to help her."
Kagome frowned slightly and looked out the window. "But what if his idea of helping is to run away and stay with her to act as a body guard?"
InuYasha hugged her. "Well, then we'll try to persuade him to let us help…"
"And if he won't let us?"
He was silent for a moment, and placed his chin on the top of her head. "I guess we'd let him go…"
Everything was silent. Kagome let her thoughts wander to back when they had first met Shippo. She had loved him like a son.
The door creaked open and they turned to see Shippo standing in the doorway. He looked upset as he looked up at them.
"Would you be angry with me, Kagome?"
She looked at him, slightly confused. "For what, Shippo?"
"For leaving with Mayu…" He looked away. "I don't want her to get hurt… and I know she can't stay here as long as they're looking for her. So, I'm going to run away with her to keep her safe…"
Kagome knelt down and hugged the fox demon tightly and tears began to fall. "No… No I wouldn't be angry… You do what you have to."
Shippo hugged her back. "I'll miss you, Kagome. We'll come back someday."
"I know you will…"
"Shippo… You're leaving again?"
They turned to see three sets of eyes watching from the doorway. The one that spoke was Noriko.
Kagome wiped the last of her tears away and stood up as he daughter walked towards her adopted older brother.
"Yeah, Noriko… I'm leaving again…"
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Promise you'll come back?"
He smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah. I promise."
Shirrow scowled and wiped away a tear he hoped nobody had noticed. "You better come back, fox! Or else I'll come looking for you to kick your sorry butt!"
Shippo continued smiling. "I know…"
Shirrow 'hmphed' and wiped away another tear before running at Shippo and hugging him.
The young fox demon looked over at Kotaro. The tiny half demon stared at him curiously with big eyes. Shippo pulled Shirrow off of him and walked over to his youngest sibling.
"Kotaro… I know you don't really know me that well… And that you prob'ly won't even remember who I am when I come back… But you should know that I'm gonna miss you too…"
They hugged and Shippo said his final good byes and walked out the door…
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Shippo and Mayu came across Myoga one day a week later. They sent him back to InuYasha with a message saying that they were doing fine and that they shouldn't worry about them. Kagome was happy to hear from them. She had been worried.
Myoga became their personal messenger. ((A/N: Although, he didn't like it very much…)) They would let each other know how everything was going through him.
After hearing the latest message from Shippo, InuYasha smiled. It's good to know they're okay…
He looked at Shirrow and smirked. "C'mon, Shirrow. Let's go outside. It's time for you to train a little bit."
His son rolled his eyes and sighed. "Do I have to?"
"Well, yeah." He replied. "You have to get stronger if you plan on beating up Shippo if he doesn't come back, right?"
Shirrow smiled. "Yeah, you're right."
And the two of them walked out side. Today, InuYasha threw a rabbit pelt. The instructions were simple.
"Go find it."
With that said, Shirrow began following after the scent as InuYasha jumped into the branches of a tree to think over the last couple of weeks…
………THE END………