InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pieces ❯ Pieces -- Part III ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Not mine. Wall calendar excluded.

 

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Pieces

-Jasmine Fields-

 

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Pieces -- Part III

 

 

Shippo liked his traveling companions.

 

Even though he was a mere child youkai -- okay, perhaps not merely a child since he was approximately thirty years on the human timeline... nonetheless, the traits and youth were displayed by his everyday antics and pranking ways -- and even though they were human, and so-o-o obvious about being human, he tried to figure out what it was about them that was common to youkai in general. After all, he had chosen to help them carry out their insane mission of hunting down and destroying that which stole life from all living beings.

 

But, there were things that the species did that always puzzled him since they varied from youkai traditions and youkai heritage and youkai purposes.

 

Like love.

 

He didn't understand the concept at all and had conversed about it with Kirara on several occasions in their youkai mannerism when the humans were fast asleep or during the quiet travel that often was followed by a few hard days of labor, or battling other threats or quarreling amongst themselves over something mundane. She didn't know either, but thought it might be something like unconditional loyalty. He thought she might be mostly right.

 

And sometimes, he thought he understood it completely when he lay next to Kagome at night and his thoughts wandered toward something resembling peace, but didn't know if it was because he was tired or because they were safe or because it was just Kagome's presence near him.

 

One day, he accidentally discovered something common between youkai and humans when he attempted to play a prank on Inuyasha. He almost missed that opportunity to notice the similarities, but didn't let himself ignore his instincts or reasoning when Inuyasha scruffed him and bopped his head for something he must have spoken erroneously.

 

The day had been nothing spectacular - except perhaps the air might have been cleaner and cooler - and although by-then accustomed to Miroku and Sango's cat and mouse game of touching and slapping and Kagome's continued support to Inuyasha, despite the fact that somehow Kikyo's involvement with Inuyasha was essentially the cause of their relationship sorrows (though he doubted Kikyo was evil and associated with the darkness in any way), he had decided to perform an experiment. (And now that he thought about it, it really was more mischievous tomfoolery than anything else).

 

He used his progressing illusion skills - because he had been practicing, now able to hold onto his illusions for several hours - and turned himself into a copy of Kouga and took Kagome's hand in his. Inuyasha hadn't noticed, because, after all, he was Shippo, so his sense of smell wouldn't detect anything changed with his new physical appearance. He didn't talk in Kouga's voice, because he wasn't totally certain how he was going to pull off his joke without being detected otherwise; illusions of his were getting better, but he had yet to master vocal semblences.

 

Add to the equation the possibility of being skewered alive by Inuyasha's claws.... Shivering in near fear, ears twitched; he heard Miroku snickering and whispering to Sango to shut up and watch the turnabout of events to play out. There was a promise in there to intervene if the situation got out of hand - and for that particular help, he was grateful for, since perhaps they would be able to appease the hanyou should a violent instance arise.

 

Inuyasha had been walking far enough ahead of their group, so it was now or never...

 

"Kagome? Have you ever kissed somebody you didn't love?"

 

She was still looking ahead yet to notice his transformation as he held her hand walking behind her.

 

"Shippo? Where is this leading?"

 

Shaking his head silently, he wondered himself what was going to happen. Perhaps he hadn't planned everything out as far advanced as he intended; he didn't know how to answer her both honestly and without spoiling his fun.

 

"I was just wondering a little bit about what love was like."

 

A strange light had passed behind her eyes as he came around to face her and enveloped her in his arms and brushed a kiss across her cheek. She was stunned silent, but didn't back away from him.

 

"Is it like the hugs and kisses and candy we share, Kagome?"

 

By then, the hanyou had stopped and spun around in time to see the Shippo-transformed-to-Kouga illusion sneak that kiss. For a moment, Shippo expected him to go into a rage. But when he didn't, he knew his prank had failed. Darn it, he had wanted to see blood! (Not his own, but you know, the fox in him just couldn't resist playing the antagonist).

 

She looked so sweet as she thought a moment with her hair whipping around when the words finally fell from her lips.

 

"Sometimes, Shippo."

 

Inuyasha had practically beaten him to a bloody pulp after that, though, he wasn't sure if it was because his question was a stupid one or because he had eluded his hanyou senses or because he acted as Kouga and kissed Kagome (though he was more inclined to suspect the latter). He never was truly satisfied with her particular answer.

 

Later, in the evening, when Sango and Kagome were bathing - and he had almost been allowed to go with them when Miroku (of all people) stopped him.

 

He'd never forget that conversation.

 

"If all love included candy and hugs and even kisses, kit, we wouldn't have need for vengeance and justice or a need to be together to fight-off the dark creatures that inhabit this world, and..."

 

The monk paused and cautiously spared a glance up, appearing to seek wisdom from the invisible universe. Inuyasha plopped down at that moment and his ears flicked back and forth as he snorted.

 

"Keh... what the monk's tryin' to say is that it ain't like it'd be worth fighting for if it were just like that."

 

Deciding not to press his luck by transforming into Kouga anymore, since the wolf youkai had his own purposes to seek out Naraku and suffered enough on his own, he pondered.

 

That was probably the best answer he was going to get from anybody.

 

 

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