Hey! This is Riddlestyx, and this is the second story that I started. I say started because I don't know how to update (WAAAAAAAAAAH!). So if you like this story or my other story, "The New Recruit", check my profile and e-mail me how to, or I can't give you any more stories. Enough of my whining now. Read and please enjoy! All rights go to the original owners.

English/Regular

Thoughts/Emphasis

Japanese

"Logan, are you sure about this?" Scott Summers asked the shorter man leaning against the wall.

"Shades, I taught you how to use your powers and I taught you some hand-to-hand, but there are some other things that I can't teach you. The martial arts that I taught you were child's play. The guy I called knows more than I do, and he has experience working with people with powers." Logan grumbled. This was sixth time Scott had asked him that, and it was really starting to piss him off.

"Logan, I trust your judgment, but from what you say, Shippo Higurashi can't speak or understand English. That may be problematic if he plans to train the students." Xavier said in concern.

"He's a quick study and I'll translate until he's fluent." Logan growled through gritted teeth. What the hell has Shippo got up his sleeve? He speaks perfect English! If this is some sort of freaking prank, I'll skin the idiot alive!

"When does he arrive, Logan?" Ororo asked, speaking for the first time.

Logan checked his watch and grimaced. "Now." He answered, turning and leaving Xavier's office.

Shippo glanced up at the gate in front of him before jumping over it. He knew that he could have been seen by someone in the mansion in front of him, but he didn't feel like waiting. Besides, nobody had been watching, so his human façade would last for some time before somebody discovered. Anything out of the ordinary that happened would be ignored, thought to be someone else's doing. Logan had said that all these kids had powers, and some were pranksters.

"Hi Shippo." Growled out a voice in Japanese.

"Hello Logan." Shippo replied in Japanese, giving a smile to his friend.

"Why is it that we are pretending you don't speak English?"

"This way they'll speak more freely around me, since I don't understand it."

"Well this better not last long, I don't really feel like translating for you."

"Oh, relax. This won't last long at all. Trust me on this one."

"That's what you said last time, and I woke up three days later in some roach motel in Louisiana!"

"Oh will you just let it go, already? That was 5 years ago!"

"Fine, forget it. We've got company."

Shippo turned, and he had to admit, there were a lot of kids there. Men and women, boys and girls, black and white and blue. Shippo had to admit, they were a pretty colorful group.

"I see our new teacher has arrived." said Hank in a pleasant tone of voice. Shippo noticed the anxiety in his smile, like he was worried about something. He was about to ask Logan about it, when he notice the same expression on the other blue mutant, Kurt. They must think that I am going to be scared of them, Shippo realized. They were the most different looking of the bunch, but their auras were pure. Better put them at ease.

Shippo smiled and bowed, greeting them in Japanese.

"Um, why was he, like, bowing to us?" asked one of the girls uncertainly. Kitty, Shippo thought, recognizing her from one of the pictures that Logan had sent him, although she wasn't wearing the pink blouse that she had worn in the picture. Instead, she was wearing a dark red button up T-shirt, fitting for the beginning of September.

"It's standard greeting in Japan." Logan growled, his eyebrow twitching already.

"What exactly is Shippo's mutant ability?" Scott asked, sizing up the red haired man. He looked more like some starving artist you would see out of a movie, not like a fighter. The man (who couldn't have been much older than Jean and himself) looked like he could have been a mutant; his coloring was nothing like you would see in Japan. Higurashi had long red hair going down his back in a ponytail and bright green eyes.

"I guess I forget to tell ya, but Shipp ain't a mutant." drawled Logan, the corners of his mouth twitching a bit to keep from laughing. Logan knew that Shippo was a kitsune, but the others didn't have to know that.

"WHAT? HOW THE HELL IS HE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TEACH US ANYTHING IF HE ISN'T A MUTANT?" Scott yelled furiously. "WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE LIKE MAGNETO ATTACKS US? HOW WILL HE BE ABLE TO PROTECT HIMSELF? HOW DO WE KNOW HE ISN'T FROM THOSE FRIENDS OF HUMANITY GUYS?"

I see why Shippo wanted to keep quiet now, Logan thought, Summer's is so high strung, I should have seen this one coming.

"Scott!" Jean gasped, surprised at his outburst, just like everyone else.

The yard had gotten very quiet. But the mewling of a cat and the soft laughter coming from Shippo broke the tense silence. Everyone turned to stare at Shippo, wondering what he was laughing at. They were all surprised at what he did next.

"You see, Logan? This is why we were pretending that I don't speak English." Shippo laughed. Everyone stared for a moment before they caught on to what Shippo was talking about.

"Nice." Bobby said, sounding impressed with the prank.

"Professor Xavier." Shippo greeted the younger man (not that the Professor knew that). "It is a pleasure to meet you; Logan speaks most highly of you and your students. He also says that your students need some extra training."

"Yes, and Logan claimed you were experienced in such areas." Xavier replied, smiling pleasantly. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you two come to meet?"

Shippo grinned and (just for the hell of it) gave the X-Men a very brief look at his sharp teeth before hiding them again with his illusion. But before he could open his mouth to tell the story, Logan stepped forward and decked him!

"It's not a kid's story." Logan hurriedly mumbled.

"Are you seriously that embarrassed? Everyone gets drunk at least once in their lives." Shippo snickered, rubbing his bruised jaw.

"This sounds interesting." Tabitha laughed.

"I don't know if it's interesting, Boom-Boom, but it sure was funny." Shippo agreed.

"How did you know Tabby's name?" asked Jamie, the youngest of the X-Men.

"Logan sent me some pictures, that way I don't have to deal with memorizing all of your names." Shippo chuckled before turning back to Scott. "You know, I'm pretty sure the earth isn't going to swallow you up if you talk again, Mr. Leader."

Scott had been quiet since his outburst, horrified that he had insulted their new instructor.

"Seriously, Mr. Leader, you have got to calm the hell down; otherwise you'll fly off the handle and make yourself look like a jackass. Like you did just now."

Another stunned silence followed Shippo's statement. They were shocked at his language and bluntness.

"So, are you going to tell us how you and Logan met or not?" Rogue asked suddenly.

"I'll forget about the Louisiana thing if you forget about how we met." Said Logan in an almost desperate voice.

"What Louisiana thing?" Scott demanded.

"Five years ago we went for a beer run, and when we drank it later, we both got very drunk, and Logan woke up 3 days later in some random Louisiana motel." Shippo reminisced cheerfully. Logan looked stricken.

"What's so embarrassing about that?" Ray asked.

"We had been in Canada." Shippo explained, smirking at the expressions on their faces. "Now then, are we going to stand out here all day, or should we go inside?"

The X-Men all shook themselves and mumbled quick apologies. Shippo had caught them all off guard, he looked and acted a bit like a frat boy, but even after humiliating Logan like he did, Logan hadn't threatened him, but seemed to respect him, as if he were an equal. His eyes, a few noticed, held a careful, calculating look, as if he were looking for threats and possible escape routes. Despite his attitude, there was no playfulness in his eyes, not like Bobby, but they seemed….tired. The same kind of hardness that Logan had in his eyes.

"Yo, Kirara!" Shippo suddenly yelled. An off white cat with huge orange eyes and black patterns across her fur hopped up onto his should. There was a series of "aaaaaws" and "oooooooooohs" from the girls, squealing about how cute it was. Shippo smiled, remembering how Kagome had reacted the exact same way when they had first met the cat demon. And he almost burst out laughing at the idea of the kids' reactions if they saw Kirara's demon form. But then again, Shippo mused, they may not react like that, considering all the stuff they've seen with that whole Apocalypse deal.

"This is my cat, Kirara, she's been trained, so don't worry about her making a mess or anything. Don't ask me what breed she is, I don't really know." Shippo assured them. Yeah, it was definitely a good idea to put a spell on that collar I got her. It may have raised some weird questions if I brought along a two-tailed cat. "I wouldn't have brought her along, but I don't trust the few friends I have to not end up killing her, by accident or not."

"They would kill a helpless cat?" Ororo asked in surprised horror.

"Maybe, though, in Kirara's case, it could be an accident, because they like her, but what the hell do I know, I hardly ever see them. Besides, they have this tendency to be stupid and violent."

"Ahem, Mr. Higurashi, Logan told us you could teach the students how to mix their abilities and fighting skills more efficiently. How do you plan to do this?" Professor Xavier asked, intrigued by the idea.

"Well, Logan didn't tell me what all of your students could do, so I'll have to create an individual style of fighting for each of them. Until I do that, I think that I'll just toughen up, and get a basic idea of what they can do." Shippo explained, completely professional, all teasing gone. He yawned and grimaced. "Damn jetlag, Professor, I hope you don't mind but I was wondering if I could rest for a while?"

"Of course Mr. Higurashi, Ororo will show you to your room."

"Professor, my name is Shippo; Mr. Higurashi is my great-grandfather." Shippo said in amusement before following Storm up the stairs.

"Okay, was it just me or did any of you think he was hot?" Tabitha asked once Ororo had returned.

"Tabby, he's got to at least be in his thirties, if he and Logan have known each other long enough to get drunk when they first met." Rogue said in an all too patient voice.

"Don't jump to conclusions about Shippo. He's a lot tougher than you'd think and he can get really cruel when he's pissed off. He's done a lot of stuff that would be considered illegal." Logan warned the kids.

"Are you sure Logan? He was quite pleasant on the way up to his room." Ororo said doubtfully.

"I've known the guy for a while. He's killed people, he's watched people get killed and he's seen friends and family die senselessly since he was a kid."

"That's awful!" Jean gasped, looking horrified.

"Just don't bring it up if you can help it, otherwise he'll get back at you."

"Y'know, the best way to talk about people behind their backs is when you know they're out of earshot." came a bored voice. Shippo was leaning against the railing of the stairs and looked vaguely annoyed.

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" Logan sighed.

"I was drawn back down here by the sound of you telling everyone my heavily edited sob story."

"How long have you been up there?"

"Goth-Girl was saying something about me being in my thirties; how that was the only way we could have gotten drunk together. But just to set the record straight, Logan was the only one who was drunk, I can hold my sake."

"Don you need some help or are you capable of falling asleep on your own? Cuz I'm happy to assist."

"Nah, I'm good. But before I leave, I think is should warn that I going to be a terrible influence on you kids, because I will drink, I will swear, I will smoke cigarettes, and I will probably be seen walking around without a shirt on. And guys, that shirt thing only works if you know you look good without it on." Shippo stopped talking suddenly.

"That it?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Shippo turned and left the room.

A few minutes passed in silence.

"I guess I also forgot to mention that he's weird as hell?" Logan asked nobody in general.

"Yeah, you definitely forgot to mention that." Scott deadpanned. "Anything else we should know?"

"He likes to play pranks."

"It's starting to feel like we're getting another student rather than an instructor." Hank observed.

"Not for long you won't." Logan said with a smirk.

Wow, ten pages! Hope you liked it; I've been working on it for a while. If you liked it, tell me how to update it, because then I can write some more! Please review!

P.S. My computer has been screwy lately, so even if someone tells me how to update, it may be awhile before I do so.