InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shippo and the Magic Wand ❯ Part Four ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Kagome returns from the future and meets up with Shippo and Kaede, and after Shippo tries his very best to explain what he thinks has happened, someone unexpected pops in for a visit...

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.27.2006 | Updated On: 10.16.2006 | Pages: 14 | Words: 14.6K | Visits: 765 | Status: Work In Progress

Shippo and the Magic Wand

By Alesyira

Canon Universe, Continuation

Summary: Kagome returns from the future and meets up with Shippo and Kaede, and after Shippo tries his very best to explain what he thinks has happened, someone unexpected pops in for a visit...

Rating: PG for mild language.

Author's Note: My old computer has been out of service for a long while now, which is why this update is so very late. I lost everything I had typed before, from the near-complete first version of this chapter, to snippets of everything that I'd thought about and written regarding this storyline and its sequels. It was hard to rewrite this chapter from scratch... By the way, I'm currently working with a super-lame keyboard that ignores about every eighth letter, so if you see typos, drop me a line so I can fix them.

A cold morning

When the sun rose the next morning without sign of Kagome's return, I took it upon myself to pace oh-so-faithfully at the edge of the clearing. Over and over again, I had to remind myself that the most I could do was wait (patiently as I could) and pray that she'd return as soon as possible, simply for the sake of her well being... not to mention that I was also in need of some serious cuddle time to best assuage my worry for her.

The bright blue light that signaled her return almost went without my notice, for I'd been so busy imagining the various ways we'd greet one another that I though it had just been one of my little daydreams. Then I heard the soft sounds of shoe scraping against rock and the quiet rustle of vine echoing from the interior of the well that proved my hopes to be reality. I turned to sprint in her direction, knowing that at any moment she'd be back within my grasp, and all my fears could be set at ease once more.

Halfway across the clearing, something frighteningly familiar snaked into sight and caused me to trip and tumble --face-first, Inuyasha-style-- to an unexpected halt. My next breath of air got stuck in my throat (behind an overwhelming glob of terror for my favorite human in the whole world) as I tried to convince myself that there was no way I'd just seen...

I was almost afraid to look as I picked myself up from the dirt, but sure enough - as soon as my sight settled upon that weathered wooden rim, a bright, unmistakably blue vine flipped into view. My eyes widened as it wound its way along the lip of the well, firmly anchoring its deadly leaves into the grooves and cracks... My first thought (after the initial fear and disbelief, of course) was that the vine was attempting to climb out, just like...

`Kagome!'

I could feel every hair on my oh-so-adorable tail stand on end as I finally realized the awful truth: Kagome was inside the well with that evil blue vine!! I don't know why I stood there frozen in panic when I'd already told myself (a million times over, I bet) that I'd risk life and limb to save Kagome from any danger that might come her way...

The sight of her hand coming into view was probably what finally spurred me back into motion.

“Kagooomeee~!! ” I wailed, pushing myself to run toward her just as her face came into sight. She looked unharmed, but she seemed completely unaware of the deadly flora that was plainly visible barely a foot from her. Her head snapped up the instant she heard my voice, and the previous expression of early-morning grouchiness changed into pure terror so quickly that I was sure she'd just noticed the terrible danger she was in.

“Shippo, get back!!” she shouted, frantically waving her free hand at me as she pushed herself onto the edge of the well. “It's not safe - go find Kaede!” She climbed over the rim on the well's opposite side, stumbling once on her now-discarded backpack as she tried to back away from me. I cringed, my eyes bulging from their sockets in absolute horror as I plainly saw those deadly blue vines retreat into the sleeves of her shirt! I wanted to stay and do something... anything that could help - but I quickly realized that Kagome's stricken expression wasn't because she was afraid for her own safety... she was worried about me.

It had only been a short moment of hesitation... I nodded shakily and took off in the opposite direction, using any of the tricks at my disposal to zip through the village, speedily glancing through each hut until I found the aged miko. She understood my panicked explanation for her presence being needed and followed me - albeit slowly - back down the path to the well. ...It took her so damned long that I nearly gave in to the urge to carry her the rest of the short distance, but one harsh look from her at the muttered suggestion gave me an extra bit of patience.

How do you say...

Just as we cleared the tree line, Kagome caught sight of our approach and stood. “Kaede, what do I do about this vine?!” It seemed almost odd that she would need to ask such a question, because the bright blue vines made no motion to hide its presence. It slipped around her arms, the vibrant color standing out against the soft tan of her skin.

Kaede released a soft sigh, and I got the strangest feeling that she'd been expecting something like this. Kagome continued to stand behind the well, a fist held to her mouth that did little to hide the trepidation in her eyes. I think the only thing keeping Kagome moderately calm was the easy pace Kaede and I took while approaching her.

Kagome clasped her hands together as she sat on the edge of the well, her eyes downcast. “The old woman told us all of the dangers, but I had no idea...”

“Kagome, child... Calm yourself. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened after you returned home. Did the plant harm a member of your family?” Kaede continued to walk toward Kagome at her hobbling pace, unconcerned with any possible threat the vine might have posed.

“When I woke up this morning, I was going to take a bath before coming back, but as I took off my shirt, I found that it...” she paused, shuddering at some remembered moment. She turned partially to the side to lift the back of her shirt, exposing the middle portion of her back. I watched in morbid fascination as the plant shifted and settled against the smooth flesh. “It had attached itself... I couldn't grab hold of it to pull it away from me, and then my cat...” The shirt fell back into place as Kagome pressed her fingers to her eyes. I could see her lips tremble, but she stubbornly clamped them tight together to prevent the sobs that threatened to break free. To see her in such a state made my heart twist. Kagome was trying her best not to burst into miserable tears, and she probably felt as afraid and confused as I did...

Kaede's eye narrowed in brief contemplation and after a moment of silence, she let out a heavy breath and carefully folded her knees beneath her to sit upon the grass. Her fingers laced together in her lap as she closed her eyes and relaxed. “I was afraid this would happen,” she murmured. “Kagome, come sit by us,” she said, motioning to the ground. I edged toward her and sat as well, watching Kagome in nervous anticipation. If Kaede felt comfortable enough with the dangerous vine to encourage Kagome to be near us, then I knew there probably wasn't as much danger as I'd previously feared.

“But... the vine has already knocked out my cat - I didn't even have the chance to stop it... What if it hurts you, or absorbs all of Shippo's energy?” I shuddered visibly at the suggestion, and Kagome remained rooted to her seat on the far edge of the well, unwilling to approach us.

“Child, do not fear. Your friends should be safe for the time being. The old woman had you collect that seed for a very specific purpose, and I believe Shippo has already discovered why,” she said, giving me a pointed look. Of course, at this statement, I gulped nervously, glancing between the two women. My poor mind was still stuck on the idea that Kagome had that horrible plant writhing around her limbs... So I had no idea what the hell she meant me to tell Kagome that either woman did not already know. “Or perhaps,” she continued, “He'd like to show you what he found yesterday?”

Sharing Something Beautiful

My thoughts came to a screeching halt as something familiar and terribly important tickled my brain. `I found...?' It took nearly a single breath before it all came rushing back: the beautiful white flower, so perfect in every detail, no longer the strange illusion it had once been. My worries about Kagome deflated immediately as something very obvious popped into mind: the vine had purpose...

I'd been so worried for her health the night before that I'd paced for hours, even cried myself to sleep... But the solution to the problem had been within reach the whole time, and I hadn't thought of it once. I realized I'd gotten lost in my thoughts and blinked quickly, nodding as I stood. “Come on, I'll show you,” I whispered, knowing she'd hear and follow. The fear I had felt (my own, as well as Kagome's) when her problem had first been exposed had shifted into a sort of anxious curiosity as we allowed our thoughts to twist around this strange development in our already-tumultuous lives. I'm sure Kagome was still nervous about allowing the vine near me, and I was terribly curious about what had happened to her lazy cat...

“What did you find, Shippo?” she asked, pulling me from semi-evil thoughts of neko-demise. I glanced over my shoulder at her as she followed me from the clearing. She looked so hopeful and confused - I almost hated not knowing exactly what she thought about the situation. Kagome has always had way too much patience for me...

“You have to see it, to believe it, I think...” I was unsure of how I could even begin to say aloud what I had discovered. To come right out and say, `You're a real youkai!' seemed like... well, wrong. I'm sure that she'd forgive me for everything, just like she always does, but I knew that dropping that simple statement would be too much...

Maybe by showing her the clues I'd discovered, the idea would naturally follow, and I wouldn't actually have to be the one to tell her. “You remember the lily...?” I began, knowing we were near the place it grew.

“Yes,” she responded hesitantly, crouching to step underneath a low-hanging branch. “What happened to it?” she asked, catching the sad note in my voice.

`It's perfect,' I wanted to say, but I bit my lip as we slipped through the tree line. I barely caught Kaede's voice as she muttered something about returning to the village for lunch as I skirted around a prickly bush, following my nose back to the secluded spot.

Before I realized it, we were at the edge of the small thicket... and suddenly I found I couldn't swallow. I cleared my throat and snuck a glance up at the girl beside me, who didn't seem as tall as I'd remembered during our trip... I firmed my resolve and pressed into the secluded space, moving to the side so that Kagome might have room to crawl in beside me, and together we crouched next to the beautiful white flower.

“Shippo,” she breathed, smiling slightly. “There is nothing wrong...” She giggled a little nervously as she gently ran a finger along the soft petal. “I was worried that the flower had wilted, and that I was going to be next.” She winked at me, and I felt my cheeks turn pink in slight embarrassment.

“It's nothing like that,” I murmured, pushing a pebble with my finger. “When I asked the old lady to help you, I didn't think that she'd...” I paused, not sure how to say what I had in mind. Kagome smiled warmly and ran her fingertips through my bangs, encouraging me to continue. “Well, she did just as I asked and gave you back your identity, but she couldn't undo the spell.” I watched her carefully for reaction to my words, but all she did was purse her lips in slight consideration.

She nodded once as she shifted to sit in the dirt. “Well, I kind of suspected that was the case, since she'd given me something to wear to change me back...”

I tugged on the front of her shirt to interrupt her as I pointed to the flower. “But there's more to it, Kagome.”

“More?” she asked, frowning slightly as she turned her attention back to the precious white plant. Time seemed to slow as she leaned forward to brush her cheek against the single bloom, her bright face softening in the late afternoon light.

I knew it the moment she realized what I had discovered the day prior, and she met my searching gaze with her own as her hand absently settled on one of the bright blue leaves that had settled around the curve of her neck. “Then that means the vine...” Her line of sight slid from me to the forest floor as she paused. “It was meant to absorb my youki?”

Accepting the truth

Her face had paled slightly at this idea, and I figured a change of topic would be a good idea. “Kagome, you still look the same...” Her mouth turned into a slight smile at my earnest expression, and I turned more to face her, tilting my head to look up into her downcast face. “But I think...” My voice dropped to a whisper as the next words pushed forth, “you're probably as much kitsune as I am, now.”

I couldn't think of anything else to say after that.

I felt strange... torn between so many emotions. I felt joy that Kagome and I now shared something very special, very unique and rare... but my heart twisted with sadness that I'd changed my favorite human into something she may not want to be. I was frustrated that I hadn't clarified what the old woman should do (she'd given back Kagome who she was, but the spell remained intact... I should have known she'd take into account my wording!) And now, those fluttering butterflies in my stomach told me how damned nervous I was. My biggest worry was still the same - How would Kagome ultimately deal with her new `self?'

We stayed in that spot for hours, watching the flower rustle slightly in the stray breeze that filtered through the underbrush. “I think I figured everything out once I saw this flower,” I said, pulling at my too-short sleeve again. “My growth... strange things about your actions and behavior... It's all because you'd changed during our trip.”

Kagome tugged on my hand as she turned and the two of us crawled out of the underbrush. The forest seemed subdued and calm as we made our way back to the well in silence. “Shippo, I don't understand... What does your sudden development have anything to do with me?”

I rubbed my forearm as I tried to piece together a good answer that would not confuse us both. “Well, I'm not really sure. I've been thinking a lot about Mother and Father lately, and I guess the way I've been growing probably happened because you and I are so very close.” My face scrunched up at the thought of what I needed to tell her, because it wasn't something that I really wanted to talk about, especially at this moment.

I had, once before, told Kagome and Inuyasha how Mother had disappeared before Father's death... It had been shortly after my attempt to steal Kagome's Shikon shards so many years ago. I'd found it impossible to tell them about the loss of my parents without blubbering like a baby. (Talk about embarrassing...) That night was the first that I slept curled up next to Kagome. She had helped me realize I was no longer alone.

“When Mother never came home...” I began, feeling the stirrings of despair that only surfaced when I talked about that time in my life. Kagome touched my arm, lending her silent support in that moment of echoing sadness. “Well, that was when I stopped growing, really...” My voice trailed off as my thoughts centered on Kagome and the implications of what my connection with her could mean.

“To think that it's started again, and at such a fast pace... the only reason could be because I'm using your energy. It must be why you're so tired when we're near, especially if my body is trying to catch up with my age. And I think that's what the vine is for, now...”

“I ...see,” she said, seeming as though she were lost in her thoughts.

A short breeze ruffled our hair and clothes as we stepped back into the well's clearing. Kagome pushed a lock of hair from her face as she glanced over at me. “You know,” she murmured, “I'd like to go back to the ocean sometime, with you. It was so nice to listen to the waves rolling in...”

The nervous fluttering that had been plaguing my insides settled at this positive change in topic. Memories of the short time we'd spent on those sun-warmed shores filtered through my dark musings and sparkled with the hope that we'd have time together.

Calm before the Storm

She grinned down at me and stopped to pull me into the circle of her embrace. “Jeez, Shippo, you're really getting humongous. Let's go dig out some clothes for you to wear, okay?”

The sun had barely begun to dip below the tree line as we dug through the bags of clothes her mother had packed. I ended up wearing a pair of loose-fitting pants and a slightly baggy t-shirt - just to make sure I had a bit of room to grow overnight. I wasn't too sure I'd be growing at such an accelerated rate anymore, though, since the vine had attached itself to Kagome to absorb her youki. Without that excess of energy, the only way I'd be able to draw from Kagome anymore is if I somehow tapped into her spiritual energy again... But doing so could prove dangerous to Kagome if it left her sleepy or feeling drained before a battle.

I knew I'd have to keep my distance from Kagome from now on, just to be on the safe side... hers and mine. The vine had tucked itself out of sight under her clothes, but the knowledge that it was there and fear of the unknown held me back when I would have rather curled up close.

After I'd changed out of my ridiculously short outfit, Kagome and I settled in the grass, a short distance from the dry well. It was strange, almost, having her just to myself as the sun began to set. “Kagome, when this I all over... you know we'd want you to stay with the group. You wouldn't have to hide behind the bracelet, and you could be...” I stopped mid-sentence. I wanted to say, `You can be yourself,' but I knew that wasn't true, and it would make no difference how I worded it. Kagome would never be `herself' anymore, no matter where she lived or what she did.

“I know, Shippo. We could stay together and be a family. You really need someone who'll always be there for you...” I could sense her sadness as she spoke, so I took her hand within my own as we both looked up at the slowly appearing stars. “But I don't belong in this era, and we both know that. Besides... I could never raise you the right way... There's only so much a human can do in the place of a youkai parent or relative.”

She knelt down beside me and squeezed my hand tightly. “I'll never be able to teach you the basic skills of survival that every little kit needs to know. And I'd never be able to forgive myself if something were to happen to you because of my ignorance.” She was right, of course... She and I were now both in the same boat, so to speak. We both had no idea how to really use our gifts, but still, the glimmer of hope remained that we would find a way to live together. I couldn't help the dreams of keeping Kagome around forever... It ate at my heart to know that one day she'd go home and never come back again.

“Maybe fate won't be so cruel to keep us apart forever,” she winked. “I imagine with all the crap we've gone through to help out others, we've worked a bit of good karma into our futures...”

I think I noticed the silence first. The small nest of baby birds that had been chirping nearby fell silent. Animals that had just been quietly rustling in the underbrush for food grew still. The entire forest paused, as though holding its breath. I could feel the fine hairs from my arms to my nape stand straight as a shiver of apprehension snaked up my spine.

The wind had come to a complete standstill, and the warmth from the day had become nearly stifling without the cool evening breeze.

I could see Kagome tense at the edge of my peripheral vision. I shifted toward her as the sound of my name slipped through her lips, carried on the breath of her exhalation.

Years of Inuyasha taking out his frustration on those youkai stupid enough to come within miles of the forest surrounding the village had practically ensured our safety, day or night. It was common knowledge throughout the lands: to set foot within his territory was to invite death.

Especially as Naraku thinned out the population of middle to high-classed youkai in search of new strengths, very few beings seemed to remain strong enough to pose a threat to us.

The odds were definitely in our favor as Kagome and I rose by that battered old well, tensed and waiting for the inevitable encounter.

I took one breath, then two, feeling the damp evening air fill my lungs as we glanced through the surrounding trees. The flavors of the wind passed through my nose and over my tongue, telling me everything about the plants and animals nearby...

Something snapped. An invisible dam that held back a crushing wave of jyaki broke, unleashing upon us a staggering flow of dark energy. Kagome reacted instinctively, erecting a diverting barrier around us, but it wasn't in time to prevent the intended damage. We both fell to the ground, stunned.

Hordes of lower-classed youkai erupted from the tree line on all sides, converging on our location with random offensive blasts of power. I found out how wrong I was: the odds were no way in our favor.

We scrambled, trying to get a decent distance from the Bone Eater's Well and a workable defensive position.

Distractions

Number one rule when going up against an enemy that has you outnumbered and surrounded: stick together.

Kagome worked with fluid efficiency at my back; the evening gloom was lit up in the brilliant glow of her holy arrows streaking toward the looming masses. My hands ached as I flung a burst of foxfire at a fast-moving youkai that had evaded Kagome's most recent arrow. The fire connected with the beast's flank and unexpectedly splashed. As the youkai fell to the earth, shrieking and writhing and consumed by the flames, I turned and flung another mass of flames. I had wanted to stand and gape at the obvious alteration to my foxfire, but there was no time to think about it.

Another creature screeched and flew past in a blur of leathery wings; I barely caught the beast's flank with a swipe of my sharp claws. It shrieked as blood spattered across my face, but it flew away as quickly as it had approached and I did not get a chance to finish the beast. I felt something drizzle down my fingers and pool underneath my claws... enough to drip audibly to the grass at my feet with a near-silent hiss. I glanced down, concerned that I may have sustained some sort of unnoticed injury that had caused my own blood to spill...

Droplets of a thick liquid clung to the crushed blades of grass, dimly glowing pale blue like my foxfire. Confused, my gaze flicked between the still dripping fingertips and the sizzling mess on the ground. `That's odd, the color's all wrong. That last youkai had red blood, not blue...' My thoughts felt jumbled and confused as I tried to figure out what was so wrong about the liquid dripping from my fingers.

A bright flash to my left pulled my attention from the odd liquid too late. The sound of an explosion made my ears ring, drowning out everything else as I felt my larger frame crash heavily against a youkai in my path.

I twisted my body to roll with the collision; my arm flew to the right, crushing the creature's snout as he scrambled for an attack.

`Kagome!' I leapt to my feet, scanning the hordes of youkai for any sign of her. Instead of an organized wave of attacking youkai, the beasts seemed confused and scattered; some were fighting amongst one another in the blurry haze of smoke. `What the hell's happening?'

My mind was a swirl of confusion. There should have been an obvious flow of battle... Maybe a divide-and-conquer strategy, a flood of youkai so thick it would wear us down, or even a maneuver to flank us... This fight seemed completely uncoordinated and random, as though someone had ordered the army to kill enemies and allies indiscriminately...

But where my logic failed, instinct stepped in. The screeching howl of a hulking beast met my ears, and time slowed.

I forgot to think. My worry about our slim chance of survival faded into a fog.

My feet left the ground in a gravity-defying leap - the youkai barely had time to look up before my foot collided with its jaw. My hands were ablaze as I used the still-reeling youkai as a platform to skip over a grappling pair of slimy things. I absently flicked the liquid that had collected on my fingertips onto the creature below me and it ignited with the bright flare of my foxfire.

Blue flame splattered across the surrounding creatures and stuck, spreading to everything it touched. To stop and admire the newly discovered attack would mean losing precious seconds -

I had to find Kagome.

The confusing fight flashed by in a horrible mix of sluggish haze and lightning-quick clarity; youkai originally rallied to kill the two of us seemed unsure of who was friend or foe, and certain youkai seemed to become targets if they stood out from the horde. A hacked off limb flew by my neck as I touched off into another leap.

A blur of motion and roars muffled by the haze of battle - then suddenly I saw one of Kagome's arrows streak through the sky.

My breath was coming in quick pants as I dodged between the legs of a towering oni - I leapt when I heard the whistle of wind behind me, tucking my legs up and twisting mid-air to kick off the oni's swinging attack with a boost in momentum.

My hands flashed at my sides as I soared through the smoky air, sending the flaming liquid in wide arcs toward any youkai nearby.

Amidst the screams and howls of battle and pain, I could hear her shouting my name.

`Almost there, how'd I get so far away?!'

A lucky strike broke my left shoulder, singeing the material of my borrowed shirt. A clawed hand tore through my thigh before I blindly struck back with my own burning claws -

- And then I was there. Kagome released another arrow before immediately swinging her bow around to strike at a youkai that had managed to draw close enough. It disintegrated in a muted flash of holy light and ash.

“Shippo!” Kagome exclaimed, relief written across her face. The moment was short-lived as I glanced down to find she had only two arrows left... I met her determined gaze with a firm expression that conflicted with my adolescent appearance.

Gone were my days of flower picking and butterfly chases with Rin... `Last night, I cried myself to sleep...' My hand flicked outward in a reversed swipe, sending streaks of fiery liquid at another wave of approaching youkai as I backed toward Kagome.

She was bruised and bleeding from a cut on her arm, but still looked to be in good shape. “Together,” I heard her say. “We can do this!” I nodded as her right hand found my left in a brief lull in the onslaught. My broken shoulder was numb from the pain, but at least the gashes on my thigh had stopped bleeding.

Between our combined efforts and the odd confusion that randomly pit the attacking youkai against one another, we were holding a decent defense.

Stumbling through the shock and awe of a brand-new attack in the middle of a battle - as I'd learned with the flaming liquid trick earlier - seemed to carry with it a painful price.

It was a flying bug that moved faster than I did that triggered the second discovery that night. I'd sent a barrage of illusionary flashes mixed with foxfire to scatter and burn a swarm of giant insects, but one escaped and came in for a swift counter-attack on my left side.

I was still unable to lift that arm - and there was no way to turn in time to defend with my strong arm...

I needed to be strong. I couldn't fall to a tiny bug like this.

I had to be able to fight alongside Kagome, for together we would make it, or together we would fall.

In that single, fleeting moment of clarity, a pale blue barrier sprang to life - the insect collided with it and promptly burst into flames.

I blinked in shock. `Those weren't flames of purification...' I shot a look of astonishment over my shoulder at Kagome, whose occasional flashes of energy glowed with an obvious pink tint. I felt the shudder of energy as a monstrous youkai crashed into the barrier.

I turned and saw a hairy, twisting mass of sharp teeth and spindly legs burst into flames as well. The barrier flickered and faded as I watched in stunned disbelief at the unexpected display of power. `Father...'

Because I was relatively sheltered in my early days as a kit, I had seen my father use a barrier in battle only once - as a last measure to protect Kagome and me during the fight with Hiten - the elder Thunder Brother...

My thoughts jerked to a halt as something flashed in the edge of my peripheral: The last victim of my unexpected barrier apparently had a significant other that looked just as ugly and twice as big. Its spindly legs snapped out and caught me in a crushing grip, and my exclamation of `Shit,' ended up being only a sharp hiss of expelled air as the damned beast squeezed.

Searing agony tore through my mending shoulder as the humongous hairy worm tried to twist me in half. White stars of pain flashed before my vision as Kagome turned and saw me, her eyes widening in fright. I couldn't hear anything beyond the blood thundering loudly in my ears, but I could see her hand reach in my direction, her lips forming a desperate plea of denial.

I knew Kagome wouldn't be able to purify the youkai while it held me, and I had become so focused on Kagome's stricken expression that I almost missed the flash of blue in my peripheral. The second and third flashes caught my attention as the furry abomination - some dastardly cross between a centipede and raccoon - that held me captive crumbled into dust.

I collapsed into a heap of agony as my injured shoulder - and whatever the hell had happened to my back - protested the rough jarring motion, leaving no room to wonder anymore at my unexpected rescue.

I coughed and wiped a smear of blood and ash from my mouth. Kagome helped me stand, and together we stood to face whatever might come next.

Silence.

Kagome had her bow and final arrow clutched in her left hand as she held me to her side for support.

We waited for another attack. Not much time had passed since the battle began, for the sky had not completely darkened yet.

Flickering blue vestiges of my foxfire still illuminated the battle that had occurred near the well. A few of the larger youkai were still slowly dissolving due to grazes with Kagome's power. A cloying film of dust and ash drifted in wisps with an encroaching fog, sticking to the sweat and blood on our bodies and making a terrible mess.

The remaining youkai seemed to hover in wait, at the edge of the clearing. The evening air was humid and still... completely quiet, save for a strange clacking noise coming from somewhere in front of a... `Not clacking...' I realized, my eyes narrowing on the faint red glow I could see just ahead of us.

Naraku came into view as he rounded a tree trunk. ...And he was clapping. “What an interesting evening,” he said with an amused smile. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to punch him squarely in the mouth. “All alone in the deep, dark forest, with no protection from the monk, slayer, cat or dog...” he sighed with mock disappointment. “And of course, you have just what I need, too...” he purred, walking a slow circle around the clearing. He didn't draw any nearer, though, as he closed his eyes and smiled.

“You know, I couldn't have planned this better. It's as though you invited me to pay you a visit,” he grinned, stopping to lean against a tree. “I suppose I should be fair, and give you a head start. You could run for a while, I think, until you tire... or until I catch you.” He examined one of his perfectly groomed claws as he sighed in mock annoyance. “But I'd hate to draw this out anymore than we've already done so, what with the years we've played chase.”

“What took you so long to get around to finishing this?” Kagome demanded as her frustration and annoyance surfaced.

“Well, I was looking for further additions to my form, and I found a few new little minions for your friends to play with,” he smirked, looking far too confident. “I'm afraid your companions will be a bit too occupied to come running to your rescue for a while,” he said, moving away from his tree trunk with easy grace.

“Three years of violence, betrayals, and mind games... and this is how it's going to end?” Kagome asked with a look of complete disbelief.

“Ah, yes,” he grinned. “Of course, I came prepared with some minor allies to keep you busy for a little while, but don't worry. You won't be alive when it comes time to explain your loss to Inuyasha.”

“Oh, thanks,” Kagome grumbled, pulling back her last arrow to aim at his face. Before she could release, he faded from sight into the smallest wisp of a shadow, reappearing dozens of feet away. Kagome quickly adjusted her aim to line up with his new location, but he vanished again, this time to appear in the trees high above us. The game continued for a few moments as Kagome became more and more agitated, and finally she shouted, “Hold still, you bastard, so I can kill you!”

He chuckled darkly, vanishing completely in another unexpected (well, maybe not totally unexpected) wave of lesser youkai. Kagome growled in exasperation, tucking her arrow away safely before taking up another defensive stance with her bow. The blue vines uncurled from her arms and arched around her, ready to lash out in any direction.

The previous fight had drained our energy, and with Kagome down to a single arrow, I knew we wouldn't be able to defend ourselves forever. Kagome's blue vine snapped out at approaching youkai, and I realized the source of their initial confusion. The attacking youkai had been determined to get to Kagome, but as the youki drained from their companions, the creatures that had witnessed the attack immediately turned and attacked one another.

A brief lull in the battle revealed Naraku floating high above us, enshrouded in his protective barrier as he watched our meager fighting with a smirk. “You know,” he called down to us, “You could just hand over that piece of my jewel and make it easier for yourself...”

I knew Kagome wouldn't give up so easily... “You could make it easier for the whole world by just handing your piece over to us!” she shouted, her hands clenched in rage.

“He could just roll over and die and save us the trouble,” I muttered, pushing an annoying lock of red hair out of my eyes.

“Ah, the kit speaks,” he sneered down at me. “...And has grown a remarkable amount since I last spied upon your group.” He seemed to look thoughtful for the smallest moment of time before I found myself picked up by one of his earthy tentacles. The motion had been so swift that I barely had time to suck in a fresh breath of air before I found my chest compressed in a tight squeeze.

`Not again!' My shoulder still ached terribly as the bones mended and pulled back together, and I could barely suppress the groan of agony.

He lifted me swiftly to meet his gaze, and I found the fear that gripped me overshadowed the throbbing pain that lingered in my shoulder. “What has allowed you to grow so much in size and power?” he murmured, running a claw down my cheek. Terror (and those stupid tentacles wrapped around my arms and torso) kept me paralyzed in his grip, and I was helpless to do anything against him as he examined me for other obvious changes or additions.

His gaze slid toward the miko standing far below. “How unusual, for the child to have gained so much in such a short time... Whatever has caused your young friend to grow will certainly be a useful addition to my own form.” My heart stopped as the thought of being absorbed sunk into my head. “And after I've finished with him, I'll take back what rightfully belongs to me.”

There was but a brief pause before I felt his grip widen and envelop my lower body. The field had grown eerily silent, as though in anticipation of retaliation by Kagome, or some emotional outburst of tears... Naraku was still watching her, an evil smirk just barely twisting his lips.

“No, you won't,” I heard her say. Naraku paused in his motions, clearly intrigued by her suddenly grim attitude. The grip on her bow and final arrow slackened, allowing the two to slip to the ground with a slight clatter. “You'll trade his life, for mine.”

Exchange

“Oh ho, little miko,” he chuckled. “And how do you consider this a fair trade?” he asked, a devilish grin on his face. I knew what he was thinking... If he'd planned to kill the two of us anyways, then there would be no reason for Kagome to offer...

“Because you want the source of his new power, and I think you'd give me his safety in exchange for it.”

Naraku narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips in consideration. “Just think,” she continued, her voice carrying an air of calm resignation, “instead of absorbing a mere adolescent youkai, you could gain what's behind his accelerated growth.”

Naraku looked unimpressed, though, raising a single eyebrow in annoyance. “Why should I believe you have access to such a thing?”

A sick feeling took root in my stomach. `Don't show him... don't tell him...' I felt vaguely panicked that our world was about to come crashing down...

“Because,” she said, her fingers drifting to the thin silver band encircling her wrist, “I am the source of his power.” With that, she pulled the bracelet from her arm and slipped it into her pocket.

A heartbeat passed before her form rippled like a pebble striking water, and Naraku's grip actually slackened enough that I could get a normal breath of air. If he hadn't known that I'd grown so much, then he definitely wouldn't have known that Kagome had become something entirely different. Maybe he was stupefied from seeing Kagome turn into a full-grown female youkai right before his eyes...

He murmured just loud enough for me to hear, “And she wanted me to trade?” He smirked, tightening his grip on my form as more of his earth tentacles shot out in her direction.

I barely managed a strangled cry of “Run!” before a writhing mass of mud slapped around her. (I supposed I wouldn't want to grab hold of an angry, overprotective miko with my bare hands, either...) Naraku controlled the mass of earth to lift her up to our level, ignoring her glare as he turned her body this way and that, looking at her altered appearance.

“You will release Shippo, now,” she said, and I got the distinct feeling that she was trying very hard not to shake in fear. It wasn't our ideal method of facing off with Naraku, but we had to be strong for the sake of each other.

Naraku laughed heartily, still mere feet from the two of us suspended in the air. “First, you will show me how you are connected to this kit's growth.” Kagome blanched. While it was true that the two of us kind of knew how the connection worked, there was really no way for either of us to show him how to do something that was based purely on instinct.

“I- I can absorb youki, and transfer it into other creatures...” she stammered, her nerves clearly getting the best of her.

`Transfer it?' I wondered. I had to focus on my hatred of Naraku to keep the confusion from showing on my face.

Naraku smirked. “Absorb youki? Miko, the only thing you can do with youki is destroy it.”

Kagome scowled at Naraku, “If you're so smart, then how can I only destroy it when I'm obviously a youkai?”

“It is merely an illusion concocted by your kitsune; an admirable power which I shall assimilate into my own.”

Desperation

I don't know what Kagome had been hoping to accomplish, but since there was no time to think of a clever plan to fool Naraku, we were running low on realistic ideas... Kagome had apparently reached the end of her patience just as Naraku's extensions began to swallow me whole. I heard a rumbling sound that reminded me of an earthy collapse of dirt and rocks...

I managed to gasp in a final breath of air before his pulsating, squishy flesh finally covered my head. I was disgusted. I was terrified... I tried wriggling free; I tried changing forms. My youki was running dangerously low from everything I had done earlier, and Naraku was sucking away the very life-force that I needed... My limbs grew heavy and my eyelids drooped as my youki waned, and I began to feel the creeping fingers of despair walk up my spine.

I knew that if Kagome were to attack Naraku with her holy powers, I would not be able to escape the purifying burn, and so, I resigned myself to the idea that my time on this earth was short-lived. Knowing that I had very little to give to help Kagome, I pushed aside the terror that squeezed in on me like the mounds of youkai-eating flesh and focused every last ounce of thought on protecting my dearest friend...

A moment later, I fell to the ground in a crumpled Heap-of-Shippo, caught completely off-guard. `What in the...' I weakly pushed myself to my hands and knees, barely noticing the shredded pieces of flesh littering the ground. I shook my head once to try to clear the lethargic fog...

The ground shifted beneath me --throwing off what little balance I had recovered-- as the wind twirled into a cyclone that encompassed the entire clearing. It tore through any youkai still hovering nearby, throwing their lifeless, bloody corpses in random directions as an obvious display of strength. It quickly became apparent that Naraku's recently acquired control of earth and wind would help him in this battle. I looked up to see what had happened to Kagome, and gasped.

Kagome stood near me; more bright blue vines had torn through the back of her shirt to hover protectively around her body. Two flicked out to wrap around another earthy tentacle that sprang from the ground near me, effectively dissolving them back into dirt as they drew in Naraku's youki.

He looked beyond angry as he hovered across the clearing, and it seemed we were at some kind of stalemate. Kagome's jaw clenched, her bristling tail twitched furiously behind her. She reached into her blouse and withdrew the one thing to spur some kind of reaction from the evil hanyou across the clearing: The Shikon no Tama.

Almost immediately, Naraku's left hand shot across the field, extending out from his arm like a twisted gnarl of sharp thorns headed straight for the pink glow of jewel. The blue vines immediately snapped out to defend her against the attack, but they could only slice through the spikes and not absorb their energy. He renewed the attack, this time splitting the limb in several directions to overwhelm her numerous defending vines. Once his `hand' closed around the jewel between her fingers, his body materialized mere inches from hers.

I felt frozen as I watched with my mouth agape. `He's that close... why doesn't she just purify him?!' Kagome's vines quickly wrapped around his arms and torso as Naraku grinned evilly.

“You should have already realized that you can't drain my youki like you could with every other creature on this battlefield,” he murmured.

“No, I can't,” Kagome agreed, a frown darkening her face as Naraku extracted his blackened half of the Jewel. A few more vines slipped around his neck and curled around anything it could grab hold of as her back began to glow a dim pink.

“And once I've completed the jewel and taken its power for my own...” he sneered, bringing his dark half towards the portion held trapped between his and Kagome's hands.

He never had a chance to finish that sentence as her holy power ripped through the vines on Kagome's back, engulfing everything they touched in pink fire. He had been able to escape her devastating power once before due to his body separating before it burned completely away... Naraku was shrewd when it came to battle strategies, but he must have forgotten his logic when faced with what he'd fought so hard to attain.

As her vines dissolved away into ash, all that remained of Naraku was a wisp of purple mist and a few deformed human bones. I dragged myself the few yards to her collapsed form and slid underneath her limp arm. It was dark and peaceful once more in that clearing as the sounds of forest life slowly returned; all trace of the dangerous creatures had faded before the moon rose over the tree line.

I stared up into that perfectly clear night sky, wondering at our luck that evening... Naraku and his minions had nearly killed us by setting us up in a vulnerable position, yet we managed to win without loss of life or limb. I grimaced at that thought before carefully flexing my injured shoulder. Not only that, but the beasts Naraku had gathered could have come back to finish the two of us off as we lay exhausted next to the battered portal to Kagome's time. It seemed that once he had vanished, they had no further desire to stick around and be next.

She coughed in exhaustion as her body curled around my own. “I don't get it,” she gasped, wiping a smear of blood off my cheek. “My vine didn't hurt you once...”

I grinned a little and said the first thing to pop into my head: “It's `cause you love me more than your stupid cat.”

“You've been around Inuyasha too long,” she grumbled, threading her fingers loosely throughout my bangs.

“Maybe,” I agreed, slipping my hand into her pocket to extract the bracelet she'd removed earlier that evening. I pressed it into her palm before finally relaxing against her soft frame, allowing my body the rest it needed to recover from injuries and overexertion. ...I wasn't sure if she put it back on before I let the oblivion of sleep drown my senses.

Oh, it's not over yet!

There's still a lot to be covered, and I've got a lot of plot-bits that need to be wrapped up before I can move on to bigger and better things... If you have any questions about the storyline, parts you didn't understand very well... or crits in general, don't be hesitant to leave a note! I do have a few things I know to wrap up, but if I forget to mention something next chapter, I'll feel silly... There will be at least one more chapter in this story, and I still want to write the sequel, but I lost all of my notes and the entire first chapter when my last computer met its untimely demise... Anyways, enough rambling. Thanks for sticking with this long-winded bit of writing, everyone! ...And those occasional nudges to post more kept me writing when I felt more like crushing the keyboard with a heavy rock...