Mashin: Decided to get writing this. Since it was the one with the most votes when I checked, I'll start it first!
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Nothing at all. I certainly do not own the two anime/manga mentioned. Otherwise, I'd be hauling my butt to some paper with a pencil and a pen, and get drawing.
On a side note, some things may be jumbled up or confusing, because I read the manga of the two animes, I don't watch it. So there may be some different facts, and it's hard to read freshly translated manga online. So, sorry if I get some stuff wrong.
It was cold, it was raining, and he had no source of warmth, other than the limp body sleeping beside him, his wet and damp tail that was already wrapped around him and the body, and his clothes, which were wet. He felt cold to the core and tired, already feeling the cramps in his leg muscles.
They had been traveling for more than 2 days straight, them being the outcasts of the group of bandits and the ones to make sure their tracks were covered and nobody followed them. They were mostly tormented for them even being there, but it was an easy way to get shelter, protection, and some food for the while.
Simply looking around him at the wet scenery reminded him of memories. Memories of the people he left behind.
Sadly letting out a chuckle, his eyes watered with the sadness of his travels, letting tears make their way down his face and onto his lap. The boy besides him stirred, as a raindrop hit their noses, obviously showing their shelter-consisting of a tree with thick leaves-wasn't working.
Sighing, he nudged the boy beside him into the land of living. As the boy in black beside him started grumbling and getting up, he spent a few more seconds watching how a raindrop slowly fell off the leaf beside him, dripping noisily onto the ground.
"Hey Shippo-chan, you getting your butt up or what?"
Scowling at the pathetic nickname he had gotten from his long hair, Shippo let his gaze rest on the boy again, getting up and running towards him.
"Coming Hiei, don't get your pants in a bunch!"
Taking one more look at the clearing they used to take, he quickly made his way to the moving Hiei and the moving group of bandits, somehow wondering if it could have turned out better.
"Shippo-kun, do you like the rain?"
A Shippo a few years younger looked up at a raven-haired girl. She was wearing a modern schoolgirl uniform, which was uncommon in this era. Her hair was damp and down, and the rest of their group was nearby in the shelter of the hut Kaede gave them a few months back.
"Yeah, but it damp! And wet! Do you like it Kagome-chan?"
The girl Kagome just laughed, her eyes twinkling with happiness. Cocking his head to the side, Shippo took another look at her, and then went back to watching the raindrops fall from the cloud-filled sky.
"Well Shippo-kun, everything's got its' faults. You remember that, okay?"
He had a feeling those words had a second meaning.
"My fault would be my strength, wouldn't it?"
He looked down. He didn't really expect an answer to that, it was just said in the heat of the moment. Bowing his head, his gaze rested on the rain-hit grass in front of him. When he thought about it, the grass had a nice scent…
"Shippo-kun, you're stronger than Inuyasha in many ways. We're not all perfect, so why bother?"
Startled, Shippo looked up at Kagome, who was looking at the God tree from their point of view. "What do you mean Kagome-chan?"
She sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"What I mean to say is that you have to take the bad with the good. You can't ever expect for someone to be completely perfect, that's like asking for World Peace. Despite all you want, it won't happen. You just live on with it."
Smiling, she looked down at Shippo. "Besides, strength is something you can earn! You don't need the power to crack the earth to finish a battle, though that would help. Using your brain can get you out of most things. So, you beat Inuyasha!"
Smiling, Shippo laughed at the joke just made. She joined in, only to stop a few seconds later. "Remember, all of us will accept each other, no matter what faults. Okay Shippo-kun?"
He smiled softly.
"Okay Kagome-chan."
Brown eyes suddenly flew open, as Kagome jolted into a sitting position, sweat pouring off her brow and her eyes shaking. Slowly running a hand through her hair-a habit she had gotten, she looked up at the sky to see the ceiling of the fairly large cave they were seated in.
Suddenly remember that they were traveling at the moment, she let out a breath she never knew she had and got up, slowly and silently getting out of her cold sleeping bag, remembering at times how it would be warm and how Shippo would be curled up beside her, sleeping as peacefully as her.
She shook her head. That was in the past. And while she may had loved-No, she still loved-him, he had left, and Inuyasha wouldn't give them enough time to look for him. But still, she asked every person they came across if they had seen the little kitsune cub.
Tears gathered as she noticed that Inuyasha was missing. No doubt visiting Kikyo and reporting to her. A small pang of jealously rang throughout her body, but she ignored in and decided to move towards the front of the cave, and become sentry for another sleepless night. She had lost count on how many times Inuyasha had left them for Kikyo, leaving the group defenseless and vulnerable when asleep.
With another sigh, she got up and stared at the sky, the rain leaving for only a little moment. Shippo…
"I bet I could make a bigger fire than you!"
"No way, I bet I could!"
"No! I bet I could burn both of you, because you two are annoying the hell out of us! Now shut up and clear the trail! We don't want people noticing us!"
Shippo and Hiei flinched as they bowed their heads, going back to their job of making sure there were no tracks. They had just been talking about their abilities, and they wanted to see how powerful they were at the moment. But the stupid bandits had to interfere and yell at them!
Huffing, Shippo brought the leaf on the ground, brushing it until it just looked like regular dirt with no marks on it. Hiei was doing the same thing beside him, and they quickly broke the leaves and dropped them on the ground, before running forward to catch up with the band.
It was quiet as they caught up, the two boys holding onto twigs. "Hey Shippo?"
"Yeah Hiei?"
"Can you tell a story about that group you talk about? The Inu-tachi?"
Shippo's eyes dulled with a few memories as he looked at the sky, not wanting Hiei to see his eyes. "Sure Hiei, after nightfall."
Nodding, Hiei went back to looking around.
Sighing, Shippo looked at the end of the band, wishing he were more powerful.
"Kagome-chan…"
Now, the crickets continued to chirp, as the fire in the center of the camp crackled with the new wood added by Shippo.
Sighing, he leaned back against the tree, Hiei and him the lookouts for the night. The moon had barely shown, leaving them in the comfort of the fire. Around the clearing, bandits slept peacefully.
"Hey Shippo, you gonna tell that story yet?"
Shippo sighed, making sure no other bandits were up, and making sure no stray youkai were after them yet.
"Sure. What part did I stop off at last time?"
It was quiet for a little while as both of them tried to remember, the fire flickering in the distance.
"I think it was the story about Tsubaki. When the girl Kagome was controlled by the shards."
Nodding, Shippo took a blade of grass from the ground and turned it into a whistle, blowing into it and making a sharp shrilling sound.
"Okay, here's what happened when they went after Tsubaki. Inuyasha was racing through the night, and Kagome was on his back. They come up to Miroku and Sango who can't get pass the barrier. Without warning, she loads an arrow and shoots it, breaking the barrier in one shot! And as the group continues…"
As Shippo continued weaving his tale and telling it to Hiei, he noticed how he was truly happy telling the stories of those he left behind, and another pang of guilt hit his heart.
Mashin: Well, that's the end of the first chapter! Not much happening here, except finding out some stuff. Here's a little re-cap if you were too tired/lazy to read the whole thing.
Shippo left the Inu-tachi, and joined up with a group of bandits, where his job is to cover their tracks. He shares the job with his only friend Hiei. Yes, it's the mini-version of the anti-social Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho.
Leave a message if you like! Bye Bye!
-Mashin