InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Step Brother Dear ❯ Shippou vs. The Shadow ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: Well I'm slightly disappointed that I haven't gotten any reviews but I guess it's to be expected since this story isn't very good but I'll keep writing and I guarantee that by the second chapter things will pick up. The prologue and the first are just a sort of an introduction.

Chapter One: Shippou vs. The Shadow

There was always something about the winter that he didn't like. The icy winds crawled up the spines of all creatures and raised goose bumps on their flesh couldn't have been the problem, for he didn't shiver in the cold as the humans did. It wasn't the freezing droplets of rain that ran down his face and soaked his clothing, nor did the problem lie in the tiny crystalline flurries the humans called snow.

A time when the trees shed their leaves and the vegetation would die only to come back like the bears of the north do from their perennial slumber. Perhaps it was the loneliness that peeved and depressed him. Rarely did any emerge from their dwelling and rarely was there any form of activity to look forward to.

Ryuuketsu often wondered why he had not taken a mate over the years to keep him company those long cold winter days. A feminine addition to his household who he could trust his sanity in; a beautiful flower amongst the solemn graveyard that was his castle. After all, there was never any guarantee that he would ever see Kagome again. Only if he survived the taxing centuries and tracked her down in the flourishing cities of the future would he see his little hime again.

But new traveled quickly and from the north where he tended to his lands and the surrounding tribes did he hear word of Inuyasha first. Inuyasha and his tragic demise by the miko Kikyo. Inuyasha and his awakening by the reincarnation of Kikyo. Inuyasha and his quest for the blasted Shikon no Tama. Only then was his interest suddenly piqued.

The fake Shikon couldn't have survived being burned with the dead miko could it? Surely not, it was only made up of his crystallized poison and hardly a portion of the actual jewels power. That had to mean that the original was back.

He dared to hope that little Kagome, whom was probably not so little anymore, was back. For months he kept his ears open to more gossip about Inuyasha by luck he caught a familiar scent during one of his annual visits to a primary wolf tribe off the western lands which his cousin presided over their prince.

There was no mistaking the scent. It was a mix of his beautiful Mika's scent and that of a female dog demon. Although it wasn't quite the same as he remembered, but that would be expected. As a baby her scent was pure and innocent, as a growing woman it was near intoxicating.

The rage he had slipped into when he smelt it upon the filthy hay of his cousin's bedding. The tribe cowered and Kouga growled rebelliously against his accusations and threats. A human Kouga said, a human had lain in this bedding. Not a half demon.

He was no fool. Ryuuketsu huffed scratching his claws violently against the tree he sat in keeping watch of the sleeping group from above during their most vulnerable night.. Even Inuyasha can smell the power radiating off of the girl, Kouga, being a full demon can smell it at a frequency the hanyou could probably never dream of. But none have caught scent of her hanyou blood, so deeply hidden and masked behind her miko powers and the Shikon no Tama's essence that even Naraku has missed it.

The sky was dark and the humans and demons below slumbered unaware of his presence. The normally vigilant inu hanyou slept deeply partially due to fresh injuries and partially due to the modern medicines that weakened his human mind and healed him from the inside.

Kagome, he noticed, slept with her bow and arrows clutched tightly to her chest leaning against the trunk of the tree he occupied. Her kit lay peacefully in her lap, the hair on his tail raised slightly and his mood agitated.

His breathing was calm but he did not snore as he usually did in sleep. The kitsune was obviously awake; and he could sense him.

Smart kit. Ryuuketsu grinned from above and as if he sensed it Shippou turned his head from being buried in his surrogate mother's stomach and glanced up cautiously. There hidden in the darkest of the dark was a black shadow lounging carelessly on a branch above. What he could have mistaken for two sparkling emeralds were instead a pair of eyes shining brighter than the moon could have on any night.

The presence meant no harm but the hair on the back of his neck and his tail pricked and stood on end. Just because the figure had no malice towards the group didn't mean it wasn't powerful beyond belief. Power that seemed somewhat familiar, as if he'd encountered something similar to it.

He had been feeling strong youki for weeks now, always following them. And those strange emerald eyes always focused in his general direction. But he knew that they weren't meant for him, for whenever they were on him, he was with Kagome. Ever since he first felt them he rarely strayed from the human miko and rarely didn't encounter that green gaze so bright and intense.

"You can't have her." He whispered fearcely, afraid for the girl's safety. "I won't let you harm Kagome."

Ryuuketsu smiled astonished at the kit's fortitude. "Come here kitsune." His smooth voice almost made Shippou jump out of his skin and his own turquoise eyes widened with fear.

This was the first time he had actually heard the stranger speak. It was always easier to imagine facing their shadow when it had no voice. Now that he'd heard it however, it reminded him of the cold silky voice of Sesshoumaru. Smoothed, sweetened, and deepened with demon age. This voice commanded many things and he dared not refuse the request while he had no protection against the outsider.

Glancing at Kagome first, then Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and the only other demon in their circle, Kirara, he noted they were all peacefully sleeping. Extracting himself quietly from Kagome's lap he scurried up the tree until he reached the demon that he knew to only be a foreign shadow until now.

It wasn't until he climbed within a foot of the man did he smell the scent of wolf demon. Had be been less frightened he might have even found a scent that proved relations to two demons he'd encountered before.

"So," said the mysterious man. "You're the first to have sensed my presence kit. I would have expected the monk or hanyou to do so but you've beaten them to it. Congratulations."

Surprised, Shippou hopped a little closer actually stepping onto the branch now noting the deep groves in it with trepidation. Those grooves were no doubt caused by claws.

"I'm the first because I'm always with Kagome and you've been trying to make yourself known to her haven't you? You're the one that makes her heart pump faster." Shippou glowered at the figure in the dark still unable to see any distinguishing features despite his heightened senses.

Receiving no answer his temper grew and he bared his fangs demanding the other to speak. "Is it the jewel shards you want?! Because she won't give them to you and Inuyasha and the rest will protect her!"

"Yes, I know. She is the binding that keeps you all together is that not so? If there is ever a moral soul that wished harm upon her then I should hope to eat my own tail. But I neither wish for the jewel or for harm to reach her." In that moment the stranger leaned forward toward Shippou and the kit found that the shadows that earlier blocked the demon from view encompassed him and let him within their shield where he was able to view the wolf demon.

The first thing he noticed besides the jeweled eyes was the green lightening bolt on the demon's forehead. It was the mark of royalty, and a position as Taiyoukai over the northern territories.

The second thing was a face that held such stark similarity to the western lord's that it nearly sent the fox demon flying to the ground screaming. When he found himself being hauled by his tail back up to the branch he opened his mouth to find a hand firmly planted there keeping him quiet.

"Hush now little one, I am not your enemy." The Lord of the Northern Lands answered however still felt the unmistakably sharp canines of the child biting into his palm. The neutral expression on his face did not change even through the pain and he waited until the kit wore himself out with his struggles before letting his bloody hand slide off of him.

"Come back to your senses yet Shippou? Struggling against me is futile especially when I mean no harm. And I'd advise you not to attempt pulling any of your clever little artifices on me."

"Ohhh!" The kitsune wailed. "This is too much! First we have the Lord of the Western Lands after our hinds then the Prince of the wolves, and now we have the Lord of the Northern Lands after us, not to mention Naraku and his minions!!"

The soft chuckling of the Northern Lord brought Shippou out of his crying fit and Ryuuketsu ruffled the boy's hair kindly.

"Do not let my presence alarm you for when I am near you are most secure."

Shippou looked up at the man with a newfound awe. For a Taiyoukai to give his vow of guardianship upon the group meant they were truly worthy. What made them worthy, he had no idea but he would accept it with gratitude.

Now that his mind was back on the rational track Shippou began to truly notice the peculiarities of the Northern Lord. It was true that upon first glance he resembled the western lord but definitely not in the color scheme.

Where Sesshoumaru was light the northern lord was dark. His hair the same knee length as the other Taiyoukai's was a deep midnight black that shone a light green in the little light the stars provided. The top half was in a pony tail while the bottom was allowed to cascade down his back in thick silky waves. His bangs just as unruly as Sesshoumaru's were parted in the middle revealing his mark of royalty. His dark eyebrows rose in the characteristic arch that all wolves possessed.

Shippou vaguely wondered if there was a relation between them. On his cheeks he sported two deep blue stripes much like Sesshoumaru's and his face was nearly identical had it not been for his jaw which was a bit more masculine than the western lord's. With some amusement he also noted the golden rings on the demon's pointed ears some with dangling jewels much grander than the bronze hoops Miroku wore.

But the most bizarre part of the northern lord was his clothes. They were not the traditional kimono of the royal families or even the commoners garb but rather foreign. His hakama were tight and made of a tough, shiny type of black leather, instead of wearing sandals he wore even thicker leather that covered his whole foot and stopped just short of his knees. A black sleeveless type of tunic was covering his upper half dropping to his knees with a leather belt around his waist. And peaking out from underneath the top half of his outfit was a long sleeved shirt made out of metal links. Over all of this was a thick cloak lined with fur on the inside and black leather on the outside.

Now, Shippou had heard myriads of strange things about the northern people; about how they slept on futons that stood a few feet off the ground. About their tables and chairs which also stood feet off the ground unlike the comfortable cushions of Japan. He'd also heard about their strange clothing but never had he seen such restricting and uncomfortable looking garments.

"Now I know you've been told it's impolite to stare kit" The elder chastised him and before Shippou could really stop himself he found the courage to inquire as to the other's connection to Inuyasha's half brother.

"Did you know that you look like Inuyasha's brother?" He peaked up at the northern lord curiously.

Ryuuketsu's eyes darkened but his facial expression had not changed as he ground out his next words. "Go back down and sleep kit, we'll talk another time."

The authority in his voice was final and sensing this Shippou awkwardly scurried back down the tree and into Kagome's lap, where he was finally able to fall into a deep sleep, knowing they were being watched over by the Taiyoukai.