Shippo was terrified. Everything around him was loud, and to make matters worse, he was separated from his Mama in all of the chaos. His tiny nose was filled with horrible smells and the air was oppressive all around his tiny body. His paws hurt from running and when he finally slipped on a mass of gray slime and tripped over a tree root, he decided he'd had enough. Salty tears fell from his cerulean eyes and his chest heaved with heavy sobs.

"Mama!" He wailed as he sat rubbing his sore ankle. He was suddenly swept up from behind and tossed into the air, landing in a pile of soft cream-colored fur as a small dark-haired girl clung to him and held him close.

"Shippo! Hold on tight!" It was Rin and Kirara to the rescue. "We'll help you find your mama!"

The trio advanced quickly, the fire-cat taking flight towards the heart of the battle. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha struck the killing blow as they descended and with a piercing shriek, Naraku was no more. Shippo slid quickly from Kirara's back and launched himself at Kagome.

"Mama! Mama, I couldn't find you!" He wailed pitifully.

"Shippo! It's alright, I'm here. Everything is going to be okay." She soothed as she snatched up the kit and cuddled him close to her chest and ran her fingers through the soft fur on his head. She glanced up as she heard sniffling and noticed Rin had followed her adopted child.

"Miss Kagome, Lord Sesshoumaru is gone." She voiced quietly. Sure enough, the demon lord was nowhere to be seen. Surely he wouldn't have abandoned his ward?

"Come here, Rin. We can go find him together in a minute but I think we all need a big hug right now." She pulled the girl into her embrace and held the children tightly, her nose in Shippo's hair.

"Miko," Came the voice of the stoic daiyoukai, "I believe this trinket is your responsibility."

He approached them nearly silently and deposited the now completed jewel into her open hand. Nodding reverently, he turned on his heel to find a vantage point further from the overwhelming smells of the battlefield. Rin jumped up intending to follow her lord.

"Rin. Remain with the kit. This Sesshoumaru requires time to compose himself." He stated firmly. She nodded back at him, uneasy and desiring his reassurance but knowing better than to argue with her lord when he was in an agitated state.

"Yes, my lord." She replied and settled back against Shippo and Kagome. Kagome began to seek out Miroku and Sango when she caught the eye of the flying cat.

Kirara meowed knowingly and trotted over to the small huddle to retrieve the small ones.

"Thank you, Kirara. Kids, I need you to go and sit with Kirara. I want nothing more than to hold you close right now, but it's my job to make sure we get rid of this awful thing once and for all. I'll be back with you before you know it. Do you trust me?"

Shippo gripped onto her shirt harder but knew that his mama was telling the truth. She had obligations that needed to be fulfilled. He was just so afraid that she was going to disappear and he couldn't lose his mother again.

"I promise, Shippo. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, but you know this is something I have to do. I love you, Shippo. You're my baby and I'll always take care of you." She spoke to him tenderly squeezing him harder.

Reluctantly, he released his death-grip on her clothing and nodded.

"I love too, you, Mama." Rin took his hand and hugged him.

"Come on Shippo. Your mama has been showing me how to fix ouchies. Let's go look at your foot." She guided him carefully to the fire-cat who lowered herself so the two could climb up. When they were secured, she moved slowly to a less damaged section of the clearing and settled onto the ground. Shippo still wasn't comfortable being so far away from the woman who had taken care of him when he lost his parents, but he knew he had to trust her. Rin inspected his sore ankle carefully and wrapped it with a length of ribbon. The two worked to calm themselves from the commotion and before he knew it, he was falling fast asleep against the warmth of the feline and his friend.

They were all dozing peacefully as the transformation took place.

"Fear not, brave beast, precious kit, and darling daughter. You will be back with your pack soon. Rest and be at ease." A melodic voice whispered over them as they slumbered. "Your memories as they are cause you pain, but they will not be erased from you. They too will merely sleep until you find each other again."

The presence departed as the magic whisked them away.