The blaring sun was riding high into the late afternoon sky as a group of weary travelers trudged down the beaten path.
"I still can't believe that youkai didn't have any shards." Inuyasha grumbled for the umpteenth time that day.
"We know, we know Inuyasha," Miroku dejectedly sighed. "At least we were able to help some villages along the way. We even made some extra money." The monk gave a contented pat to the now jingling coin purse attached to his hip.
"We only made some extra yen because you conned the village heads into giving us free rooms and meals for the night."
"My dearest Sango" Miroku feigned distress. "I'm hurt, accusing a holy man of such close-fisted crimes. What would Lady Kagome ever say if she were to hear you?"
Sango gave an un-ladylike snort. "She would say the same thing you dirty monk. If you don't believe me ask her when we get back to Kaede's village."
"That's if she's even there," the permanent scowl on Inuyasha's face deepened. "That lazy wench never leaves her home unless I go there and drag her back by force. She's always flighty, taking off when we're in the middle of our quest to go back home and take her precious tests. It's her fault we don't have all the shards yet."
Inuyasha heard a merry tinkle before Miroku's holy staff descended upon his dense skull.
"Hey!" Inuyasha barked out. "Damn it that hurt you know!" Inuyasha rubbed the tender lump forming on his head, only to wince as he nicked it with one of his claws.
"You're forgetting something Inuyasha. It's your harsh words and actions that send her away half the time."
"What the hell are you talking about now you stupid monk?" The fowl tempered hanyo glared at cracked and crumbling dirt path.
"Like you don't know" Sango glared at Inuyasha. "Sneaking off to see Kikyo all the time, comparing Kagome to Kikyo. Have you ever thought that maybe insulting her fighting and cooking skills could make her upset too?" Miroku cringed at the venom in her voice. Sango ever got this angry when she was defending Kagome.
"Well she's supposed to be Kikyo's reincarnation right? So shouldn't she be able to fight like her. Besides when do I insult her cooking? I love her ramen."
"Just forget it Inuyasha. It wouldn't do for Lady Kagome to deal with an argumentative group first thing she gets back."
"Keh whatever." Inuyasha mumbled. Forgoing any sort of apology the hanyou forged on ahead of the others.
A blaring growl rent the air once again. Elongated triangular ears flattened themselves to a snowy white skull as the irritating sound grated against the foxes hearing once again.
"What the hell is wrong with you, are you injured or something?" The fox whirled on the stumbling woman child behind him. Now that he thought about it the glazed look in her eyes couldn't be normal. He couldn't remember if clutching ones stomach was a normal occurrence among humans either.
"I'm hungry. You know, in need of nutritional sustenance. We weak defenseless mortals need to eat on a regularly basis." Kagome glared weakly at her captive. Not even Inuyasha drove her this hard.
"Why didn't you say anything sooner then?" The fox gave an apathetic sigh and wove a hand through his hair. "Come on based on the conditions of this atmosphere there should be some low hanging berries around here somewhere. They would be small and red, almost triangular shaped."
"Small red triangular shaped berries? Do you mean strawberries?" Her stomach gave another audible growl.
"I haven't a clue as to what you mortals call them; I just know they're edible." He leaned down and started to search among the trailing fauna. His gaze rose to meet Kagomes. "Well are you going to come help or not? You are the one who's hungry are you not?"
"Uh yea…" A blush came unbidden, leaving a pale pink trail across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, at his unwavering gaze. Quickly shaking her head to dispel the image from her mind's eye she got on her hands and knees and started searching.
Shuffling ensued as the two searched among the leaves. Yoko was the first to spot the splash of crimson red among the brittle leaves.
"Here, hurry up and eat. We're almost at my base." He stared into the distance, probably imagining the state his camp was in.
"Doesn't matter, my friends will be here any day now." She still continued to pick the delicate little red fruit.
The spirit fox glanced at the diminutive human and scoffed. How anyone could that much faith in a few people was beyond him.
His ear twitched. A different sound than the girl behind him, what was this? It almost sounded like four running feet. Could this female be right? There were three others members in their band of shard hunters, not enough to match up with the amount of feat. But if memory served him right the slayer often rode her fire cat companion. Growling he extracted his rose and shifted into a battle ready position.
"What's wrong?" Kagome stopped what she was doing as soon as she heard the formidable sound. A gust of wind appeared blowing the foxes hair backward, the sun illuminating each silky strand.
He didn't answer, just stood there in confusion. There was no smell of sweat and blood from the hanyo, the smell he usually used to find their group. No, it almost smelled like a small kitsune.
Auburn hair glinted at the curve in the road bobbing up and down as the figure sprinted as fast as he could.
"Shippo!" Kagome would recognize the little kit anywhere. Jumping up she raced to incept the young kit.
"Kagome!" Shippo leaped into familiar arms. His heart was pounding and each gush of air was forced as he tried to catch his breath. "I've been searching for you forever. I was so scared I'd never see you again." The little boy was sobbing into her shirt, trembling with the force of his sobs.
"Shush it's okay Shippo. I'm here, every things okay now." She cuddled the young lad, offering him the only form of comfort she could. "You're such a brave boy finding me all on your own. Where are Inuyasha and the others?"
"They were away, investigating a couple of rumors. I'm sorry Kagome; I had to find you before the trail faded." His sob's renewed themselves as he confessed his failure.
"It's okay Shippo it's not your fault." Kagome hugged the kit to her chest trying to calm him down.
"So this is what you have to save you, a sniveling kit?" A silky tail switched agitatedly back and forth as the spirit fox walked towards them.
"Do-don't you come near Kagome!" Shippo wiped his eyes and jumped from his friends warm embrace. He stood as tall as his forty three centimeters would let him but was still incapable of hiding his fear as teeth chattered and legs trembled.
"Move aside kit this has nothing to do with you." Shippo was right to cower as cold impassionate eyes bored down at him with un-relinquishing derision.
"Don't you dare get near Shippo chan." Kagome lunged forward and pulled the quivering kit to her chest once again.
"Humph" he gave a contented smirk. In the blink of an eye before either miko or child could react, the bandit had leaned over snatching the kit by the tail. "You can have this one back once we reach base."
Ignoring the protesting cries of Shippo, Yoko tossed fox child over his shoulder, keeping a firm grip on his fluffy tail the entire time.
"Hey wait a second! Let him go!" Kagome rushed to catch up with the retreating figure.
"As I said before you can get him back once we reach my hide out." All of this was spoke in a neutral tone, completely unaffected by the diminutive fists pounding upon his back.
A chill raced down her body, at the same time an unsettling resignation established itself within the pit of her stomach.
Realization set in.
She couldn't defeat this man, nor could she rescue her precious kit. With a cold impassivity she realized what she had to do. To protect that small flame of life, one so cherished in her heart, she would follow this man.
She would follow this demon into the lion's, err, foxes den.
My deepest apologies for the long wait. I was kidnapped along the path of life and held hostage by that nasty history day business. Thumbs up to anyone who knows what I'm talking about. Gomen for the short (and suckish) chapter too, this just seemed like a good place to leave off. I swear upon my stack of Pandora Hearts manga that I will have another update up before the twenty third. Any who…..What was I going to say again? Ah well couldn't have been that important, ja ne.