Chapter Eight

"Bug off girl." Removing the hands from his eyes, Shippo huffed in moderate annoyance. "Don't you have something better to do than pester me Souten?"

Undaunted, the cheeky young woman pulled up a seat beside him. After straddling the chair, she raised a brow and flashed a lovely smile at the morose lad. "Nope!"

Much like the kitsune, she was also outfitted in a more modern look. Souten wore a loose, long-sleeved shirt that was tucked into baggy smoke-gray jeans. Over the white shirt, she'd donned a cut-off spaghetti-strapped tee that was as vibrant a red as her eyes.

Although she was completely covered from head to toe, her natural curves rebelled against the clothing in a way that made the days of her being mistaken for a boy ancient history.

Still, Shippo thought the current combo echoed her old armor disturbingly.

Right down to the twin buns on her head that had enlarged along with her lengthened hair. Only now, they were held up with insanely cute scrunchies.

Scrunchies with tiny lightning bolts and thunder clouds dancing on them.

For the thousandth time since his arrival, Shippo tried to figure out why the heir to the Ikazuchi Clan had been accepted into such an exclusive school.

'It's not as if she was personally invited to come here like I was.' Even in the depths of his depression, that little thought had the power to lift his spirits somewhat.

'She probably whined her way inside…' he thought cynically as Souten idly transformed and untransformed a nearby plant. The sight of such effortless magic usage soured his previously bad mood even more.

"Don't you have a three-foot mushroom to fuck or something?"

The youkai girl didn't even bat an eye at the acidic comment, mainly because she was used to dealing with his mercurial temperament. Over the centuries at the academy, she and Shippo had had more than a few on-again/off-again flings so the young woman had literally seen every side of him that there was to see.

Late however, he'd been acting on edge and she was worried about him.

So instead being offended, she responded to the taunt with a purr, "Oooh as much as hearing that turns me on, what would your beloved sensei say if he knew that his star pupil had such a naughty mouth?"

At the reminder of the decorous kitsune, Shippo flushed deeply and dropped his head down on a book lying open before him. Slightly dejected, his words were muffled by the thick pages.

"Knowing Sensei, he'd probably give me that enigmatic half-smile of his, pat my head for the effort and then say something that would have had you fleeing in tears with less than two words."

Surprisingly full lips all but pouted as Shippo angled his head her way, "Gods Soda, why can't I do this?!"

"I don't know Shipping." Warm and soft, she reached out to pat his arm comfortingly.

The occasional use of colorful nicknames was another touchstone in their relationship. Filled with more than a little teasing zest, her voice was still caring even as she quipped, "I don't know what your problem is but maybe if you read the book instead of using it as a pillow, you could find out what you're doing wrong."

Having said that, the textbook was deftly plucked from beneath the russet head, causing the pale mound to slam against the desk.

"Hey!" Shippo yelled as he rubbed the side of his head.

"No yelling in the library." was the breezy response.

After a moment of perusal, Souten glanced at her friend. "You're reading 'Your Friend The Tree: Learning To Love It'?" Ruby eyes blinked in confusion. "Why are reading this thing? It's first-year stuff and you're way beyond that."

Closing the thick tome with a decisive snap, she wiggled it in the air dismissively, "I mean it's not like you have some deep seated grudge against all plant life and run around blowing them up or anything!"

The giggle that sprang from her lips hung forlornly in the air for a few second before dying off when she saw his face. Understanding dawned at the stricken look written there.

"Oh my god…you're the one that everyone is calling 'Weed-Killer'?!"

Shippo snatched back the book with a bit more force than necessary at the hated epitaph and hid his flaming cheeks behind its covers.

"Go study somewhere else, I'm not in the mood to play."

Rising gracefully to her feet, the young woman stroked her hair back towards the carefully maintained buns. "I can see that and now I know why!"

At the admonishing tone, Shippo did his best to become one with the book.

This wasn't the first time that he'd heard the name "Weed-Killer" uttered aloud. Usually it was spoken of as a joke of extreme hilarity by the student body as they wandered the halls between classes. After all, the sudden renovation of the squash garden into a reading nook filled with plant sculptures had been hard to explain away.

Closing his eyes with a low groan, Shippo suddenly realized that the crater in the side yard would provide untold amounts of new material for the rumors as well.

'Maybe Sensei can say that it's for a new pool?'

Somehow, the kit didn't think the excuse would fly.

Thankfully for him, none of the gossiping hordes knew that the horticultural serial killer was the hand-picked "heir apparent" of the school's founder!

Not yet.

Once again, Souten pulled the book away so that she could whisper to him face to face. "You really are the Weed Killer!" Her lowered voice further at his look of utter panic. "Oh man Shippo, what the hell is going on? You handled yourself better when we fought in that stupid duel, and that was ages ago!"

While Shippo could bear the shame of the moniker by hiding under the banner of anonymity, having Souten say it made his chest uncomfortably tight.

"I don't know what's wrong with me Souten. Before last month all of my studies were going great, but now everything I do is a complete mess! Even Sensei is puzzled. I-I'm afraid…" Tilted eyes darkened with worry beneath thick chestnut lashes as he uttered the root of all his uncertainties. "I'm afraid Sensei will send me away!"

As children, the two youkai had fought one another tooth and nail before settling into an uneasy comradery that being schoolmates demanded.

As budding teenagers, they had turned to one another often to talk about similar burdens of homesickness and loneliness. Years later, that friendship would mature to the point where they could share the easy comfort of casual lovers.

Through it all, they had held a solid core of friendship that might seem flighty to an outsider but was unshakable between them.

Without another word, Souten wrapped her arms around him. Stroking his back through sturdy green fabric, she sought to soothe the doubts that must have been assailing him all this time, cursing his erstwhile mentor as she did so.

"Shhh, I'm sorry Shippo. It'll be okay." A fleeting kiss was freely given and taken gladly. Threading her fingers in the silky waves of reddish-gold, Souten held him tighter. "We'll get through this like we have before. I'll even help you study if you want."

"Thanks Soda, but I can't." he responded softly. With Souten, there were no barriers to his innermost self and they both knew it.

Nearly cradled against her, he was not even attempting to hide his relief anymore than he'd previously tried to guard the misery that had been housed within his slim frame.

Tucked into the crook of her shoulder, he sighed deeply, "I'm going to try and see this through with Sensei. He chose me and I can't let him down."

Already upset with the man who had put so much pressure on her beloved friend, a touch of cattiness crept into Souten's voice as she leaned away from the depressed boy. "Not if you're starting to fail like this after all these years Shippo! Maybe you need to forget Kurama and train with Urameshi-san."

Satisfied that the cub appeared stable, she made the mistake of continuing to voice her disdain, "Everyone knows that he's the best teacher here."

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Those unnaturally compelling fingers danced along the pale flesh of Hiei's throat, drawing no resistance from the now seated demon. Crouched in a corner of the room, Youko nearly wept at the visible blankness in those crimson eyes. Though still alive, Hiei had fallen before his weapon could even be employed.

That sonorous voice called out again, "Do you see how easy it is to give in Little Fox? How at peace your friend is now?" Questing fingers threaded into the spiky hair with its curious ring of snowy strands, tipping back the head of the fire demon for a puzzled inspection.

"I've never dealt with one who looks so youthful and yet is not. I wonder how he will differ from the others when it is time to play." Releasing his hold, the black-garbed figure resigned himself to stroking the pallid cheeks of his latest acquisition.

"Ah well, I have plenty of time to find out. Don't I Little Fox?"

"Go…away…please." Screwing up his eyes to avoid that gaze, Youko tossed his head from side to side in denial. "Leave us alone!"

If anything, the voice became sulky, as though insulted by the refusal of some costly gift. "I don't understand you Kurama. Why would you have ever wanted to leave such bliss Little Fox?"

It was a gently asked question made all the more fiendish for its false sentiment. Youko fought not to be ill. 'Because it wasn't bliss you bastard!' he wanted to scream. 'It was hell and I saw the souls you sacrificed for that false paradise!!'

The kitsune wanted to rant and rage against the sickeningly familiar ki that crawled up his body, numbing his limbs into uselessness as it did so.

He wanted to flee from this room and get as far away from the creator of his nightmares as he could.

Youko wanted many things, but above all of that, he desired something more.

He wanted to know how Musou had found him.

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Disturbed motes of dust drifted dreamlike back onto their previous perches as the gust of turbulent air that originally moved them faded away.

Sharp and quick, the sound of the slap reverberated through the small alcove, lingering longest with its victim.

With a strident hiss of denial, Shippo sprang to his feet to glare down at her. "Don't you ever say that about Sensei again!" Arm still high from the follow-through, Shippo tried to will his both his breathing and temper back under control.

Turquoise eyes flickered harshly with the uncharacteristic fit of rage that left him trembling as it fled.

In fact his voice shook almost as badly as his body, making him resemble nothing so much as a wind-battered leaf. "D-don't say that! He's a good man! D-don't say that about him!"

At the sight of the disbelief and alarm shining in Souten's eyes through the fingers of the hand cupping a reddened cheek, control returned far faster than he could have imagined. Falling to the ground before her, he slid his arms around her waist and buried his tear-streaked face against her thighs.

"Soda…Souten I'm sorry!" Those comforting arms descended again, causing him to cry aloud as though burned with his own guilt, "I didn't mean to…I don't know what's happening to me!"

"Shippo…it's okay…it's okay." The air was saturated with the heavy odor of tears as she bent forward to cover his head with her torso, neither one noticing the moisture soaking rapidly into their clothing.

Although the slap had shocked her, Souten knew that Shippo regretted the act as soon as he'd done it and she knew why.

He'd hadn't been himself.

The eyes that had narrowed hatefully at her had been dark and flat, worlds apart from Shippo's natural color. Someone had struck her, but it hadn't been her kitsune. He hadn't resumed control until after the blow was struck, leaving him saddled with the guilt of the action.

Murmuring soothing platitudes, Souten continued to rub his slender shoulders.

Now she was even more disturbed about her friend's state of mind.

'Heaven help you love, what is going on?'

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A/N: Now that was just strange.

When did Souten get to the school?

Youko: Shortly after Shippo did. She had successfully headed her clan without any familial aide and she was merely a child back then. I was greatly impressed with her and offered her a place here. At first she refused, but reconsidered when she learned of Little Tail's enrollment.

Okay…Why did you choose Shippo then?

Youko: He had potential that I felt would benefit from training under another kitsune.

Ah. What's your connection to Musou?

Youko: … …

Well?

Youko: That's not a subject that I wish to discuss right now. I believe it's time for me to keep my appointments with some other writers. Good day Mistress Bakani.

…you can't run forever fox…