InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Coyote Tricks: Outfoxed ❯ It's Bacon ( Chapter 4 )

Author Notes: This chapter is rated R for nudity. Please read all disclaimers and warnings in Chapter I if you haven't done so.

Coyote Tricks: Outfoxed

Chapter IV: It's Bacon!

The lovemaking had continued well into the night. Shippo awoke late the next morning to the feel of a warm body in his arms. He opened his eyes and found his arms and legs around a male Kit who was sleeping soundly on his back. He smiled remembering last night and like the morning before found himself admiring Kit's fine toned body from up close this time. Looking around there was no sign of Caitlin. He disengaged himself from the sleeping coyote, which showed no sign of waking, and finding his fundoshi tied it on with practiced ease.

Kit's brain groggily climbed toward consciousness, `smell good' his sub-conscious mumbled, as a thought image fluttered about his head looking for a connection. Slowly climbing out of bed, his ears swiveled to home in on a sizzling sound. He stumbled forward as the thought image made it's sought for connection. "Its bacon!" a voice out of a dog treat ad leaped into his head bringing a grin to his lips. Stepping into the living area, he saw Shippo taking the last of the bacon he was cooking off the stove. Shippo turned with two plates loaded with scrambled eggs and bacon.

"Well, the dead walks," he said grinning. "Cat left a note saying she had to go to work and she would see us later."

Kit grinned in return and then pointing at Shippo's waist he asked, "What's that you're wearing?"

"Oh that," Shippo said looking down at his only piece of clothing, "it's called a fundoshi."

"It looks like a cross between a loincloth and a jock strap."

"It was the traditional Japanese underwear until the West introduced us to such decadent things like boxers and briefs. Unfortunately, western underwear doesn't mix well with a tail, so I still wear this."

"Yea I know what you mean; I usually do without all together."

"Well I have spares; as soon as we finish eating I'll show you how to put one on."

Kit and Shippo were heading down the path to the main lodge when Kit saw a blur of motion coming up the trail towards them. Before he could even react the blur stopped directly in front of them and with a gust of wind resolved itself into Sesshomaru.

`Damn he's fast,' Kit thought.

[Shippo,] Sesshomaru said fixing the Kitsune with his stare.

[Lord Sesshomaru,] Shippo answered with a bow.

Glancing at Kit, Sesshomaru continued, [I see age has not improved your taste in `companions', you reek of human and hanyou.] He placed an emphasis on the last word to indicate something distasteful.

Kit's limited Japanese could not follow the conversation but he figured he was part of the subject. His ears twitched as he willed himself to remain calm and controlled. `Patience and control', he thought to himself, `Spirit Singer will tear you a new one if you tore into a demon lord in the middle of the conference. Not to mention he has 700 years more experienced than you and can probably wipe the floor with your sorry ass.'

The Shippo's tail twitched nervously as he met Sesshomaru's eyes and quietly responded, [you did not always feel so poorly of the companionship of hanyous or humans.]

Kit wasn't sure what was going on but Sesshomaru's face looked it was going to crack and for a brief moment surprise glittered in his eyes. It was soon replaced with something very dark and menacing. Kit's ears flattened against his head as spirit energy flared around the demon lord and the air took on the charge of a thunderstorm about to break. Kit stood amazed as Shippo did not back down but stood his ground, his own spirit energy flaring in response so that the Kitsune's tail fur stood on end. Kit could almost see the invisible lightning shooting between their eyes. Then something changed in Sesshomaru's eyes behind the darkness, respect perhaps or more likely remembering that fighting would not be tolerated at the conference and there were many high powered demon lords around to enforce the rule. Whatever it was, he proceeded to relax his power and said in a quiet deliberate voice.

[You will not speak of this again!]

Then suddenly the thunderstorm was gone and Sesshomaru continued as if nothing had happened.

[Jaken was most negligent in packing our supplies. This Sesshomaru understands that your companion has transport and knowledge of the local area.]

Shippo still a little shaken replied, [Yes, Lord Sesshomaru]

[This Sesshomaru requires you to take Jaken into town so he may purchase supplies,] Sesshomaru said then he turned and walked away.

Kit watched him go with his mouth hanging open, and then he slowly turned to look at Shippo.

"What the hell was that all about?" he asked.

"Oh nothing, Lord Sesshomaru wants us to take Jaken shopping," Shippo replied and started walking down the path again.

Kit stared after him for a moment. It was slowly dawning on him that he had made a common and sometimes fatal mistake in the world of near immortal spirits and demons. He had been fooled by Shippo's appearance. He was beginning to think the Kitsune was far older than he suspected. "Now wait just a minute!" he called as he ran to catch up with him.

Kit checked out the resort's limo and met Shippo and Jaken in front of the main lodge building.

"As a service to our spirit world guests the Resort makes these charms available for traveling off site, they project a glamorie that makes you appear human and save you from having to use your own spirit energy to maintain illusions." Kit said holding up a couple of necklaces with a simple charm on each. He placed them around their necks. Shippo appeared much as he already did but with human feet and no tail. Jaken appeared as a small pasty faced man about five feet tall. Kit offered him a mirror to view himself.

"This will not do at all!" Jaken complained. "This visage is not in keeping with my status, it should be taller."

Kit tried hard not to laugh. "No problem, the mage who created the charms is a friend of mine and she built some adjustments into the spell."

Kit held his hand over the Jaken's charm and muttered in something in elvish. Jaken's figure shimmered for a moment. He remained the same height but now his nose was more hooked and a large wart appeared on one cheek. Jaken looked into the mirror again.

"This is much better." He proclaimed after a moment and got into the rear of the limo.

"I don't understand," Shippo said. "He looks worse."

"Oh yea, well the charms can work both ways you see. Right now he thinks he looks like Brad Pitt." Kit said with a grin.

Shippo gaped for a moment then broke out laughing.

"What about you?" He asked as they got into the car and pulled out.

"Oh I can change into anyone I want to and I have this," Kit said pulling out the stone charm Shippo had noticed before. "It has a glamorie on it just like yours so that anyone who looks at me won't see the ears and tail unless I want them too."

"Oh what are those marks around the edge?"

"Teething, I've had it since I was a baby, a gift from dad."

They wound up spending most of the day and having to go as far as Colorado Springs to find the items. Kit and Shippo were having lunch at the mall food court as Jaken shopped. Kit came back from the WacDonalds stand with a couple Big Wac meals. As they ate, Kit had made small talk with an aim to getting a few clues as to Shippo's age. He got him to reminisce about his childhood adventures with Sesshomaru's half-brother Inuyasha and Lady Kagome. Putting the little hints he gathered from the conversation with his knowledge of Japanese history put it in the mid 1500s when Japan was rocked by decades of civil war as feudal lords vied for power. That would make Shippo something like 500 years old! Kit wondered how many tails he had.

"By the way," Kit said after a while, "Thank You"

"Thank you for what?"

"I have the feeling that part of that `request' from his lordship was over me. Has he always had it in for half-breeds or is it just me in particular."

"Oh no its not you, it something that started a long time ago with his brother I think. What is funny is there was awhile when he got over his prejudices and got along OK with humans and Inuyasha."

"Really what caused that?"

"A girl of course," Shippo said with a grin. "Her name was Rin. He took her in after her village was destroyed by wolf demons. Nobody understood why he did it but it awoke something in him. She grew up to become his consort and he gave his love to no other while she lived."

"So what happened?"

"She died," Shippo said his expression becoming distant. "She lived to be well over a hundred with all the best that the Lord of the Western Lands could provide. His father had left him a great sword, Tensagia with the power to restore life to the dead. I think he believed that with the sword she would always be by his side. And for a while it worked as she grew older and would succumb to some disease or accident, he would always revive her. But she eventually reached a point where she was so tired of life that each day was suffering. It was then that Tensaiga refused to revive her. He went a little mad for a while afterward and when he returned to his senses all his old prejudices seems to have come back. I know he has never touched Tensaiga since."

"Man, that's really sad," Kit said. "I almost feel sorry for the old bastard."

"Don't, I've known him almost all my life and he was always a stuck up pain in the ass even when Rin was alive. He is also a cold-blooded killer that would as soon chop your head off as say good day to you. Sometimes I wish I could just take him down a peg or two."

After eating they wondered around the mall waiting for the time to meet Jaken. Kit suddenly stopped in front of a store.

"What is it?" Shippo asked.

"Remember when you said you would like to take his lordship down a peg?" Kit said walking into the store.

"Yes"

Kit reached out and picked up a bottle holding it for Shippo to see.

Shippo read the label and grasped Kit's intention. 500 years of wisdom and survival skills tried to shout out a warning but somehow were overcome by the wicked and highly infectious grin developing on Kit's face.

"You are fucking insane." Shippo said at last.

"Yes I am," Kit said.

Author's Note: So what was that all about? Find out next chapter. I know I'm mean.

A fundoshi is a long single piece of cloth that is runs between legs and around the waist to form something like a cross between a loincloth and jock strap. If you are interested in seeing a fundoshi and how it is tied go to Tiger Will's Fundushi site: http://www.geocities.com/sg_tiger.geo/fundoshi.html

Warning the site shows pictures of a male putting on the garment. Although genitalia are not shown, pretty much everything else is.)