Shippo and the Magic Wand 1-1

-
Shippo and the Magic Wand
By Alesyira
-
Canon Universe, Continuation
-
Summary:  Shippo finds something strange in the forest, and chaos in beauty ensues.
-
Rating: PG for mild language.
-
Author’s Note:   This section is split up into several smaller parts, like mini chapters.  It originally started as a one-shot, but I got a little too much into the idea and wrote WAY too much to keep it confined to a single posting.
-


-
-
A cold morning
-
-

I didn’t want to wake up today.  It was chilly in the hut; I stretched my hand out, blindly searching for Kirara’s warm fur.  Bare wood met my fingers, and I grumbled with the idea that I’d actually have to get up.  It’s not as though the cold is bad for me, it’s just...  I’m still a little kid, and there’s something really tempting about staying warm and comfortable for as long as possible...  Especially if someone special is keeping you warm, like snuggling with Kagome (that’s always the best.)  But she went home yesterday to visit with her family and buy supplies.


Cracking open an eye, I saw that everyone had left already; Miroku and Sango had mentioned last night about needing to visit her old village for some reason or another... but I couldn’t remember what it had been, exactly.  I think I was busy working on my last drawing when they discussed that trip.  And as to Kaede’s whereabouts...  Hm.  I paused for a moment to listen carefully.  I could hear a few birds chirping nearby, the thumping footfalls of a horse in the dirt, and the faint sounds of earth shifting and roots tearing.  She must have gone to tend to her herb garden.


Kagome was due to come back some time after noon today, but she didn’t give us an exact time... So I stretched and got up, walking slowly to the hut entrance to peek outside at the morning.  Inuyasha was probably sulking in the woods nearby.  The two of them had argued (again) when she’d asked to go home for a few days.  He’d yelled that she didn’t need to because school was over, and she’d argued that she had a right to spend a little bit of time with her family.  You’d think, after three years of us being a pretty tight-knit group, they’d have learned to get over their silly fights and admit they like each other more than they already do.  We, and by that, I mean Sango, Miroku, Kirara and I, all know that they harbor strong feelings for each other.  You’d really have to be blind not to see it.  None of us are exactly sure why they still argue so much, but sometimes we have to wonder why (with all the tension and constant bickering) they aren’t more than just close friends.  


My mother and father didn’t argue even half this much when they were still alive.  They always spoke to one another in respectful tones, honoring each other’s status as an equal partner in the relationship.  In fact, Father practically worshipped the ground she walked on (because Mother was the most beautiful kitsune youkai in the whole world.)  Family is terribly important to my kind, the kitsune.  I’ve met a few other kitsune youkai (lower class and not much to learn from) during our group’s years of traveling the countryside in search of the sacred shards, but I have still yet to learn anything more about my kind beyond what I experienced with my parents.  Father hunted for us and kept us safe from attacks, and I spent so much time with Mother that the few times that she had to leave my side always felt strangely cold and surreal.  It put the idea of a nurturing mother to a whole new level, as though without her presence I wouldn’t thrive.  


Sometimes, when Father was away, she’d tell me to curl up in the corner while she’d creep outside the den to fend off intruders...  One day, she didn’t come back.  I’d...  fallen asleep while waiting, and Father returned with his prey...  We both went out and searched for her, but we never found her body, nor any trace of where she’d gone.  It took me a long time to realize what that might have meant:  that she’d been eaten whole, in order to not leave any trace behind.  Deep down, in some morbid part of my soul, I was glad that she’d not suffered through the terrible death that Father had endured...  being skinned by that bastard...  I swallowed back the lump that started to block off my throat; my parents had been gone for some time now, and I’d learned a long time ago that it wasn’t good to dwell on those sad memories.  


Sometimes I’m not sure why they come to mind every time I think of Kagome and Inuyasha – maybe it’s because (in a small way) I see them as a sort of adopted parents?  I still don’t know how I feel about that yet... I mean, Kagome and Inuyasha taking the place of my parents.  They don’t really raise me like parents would – Kagome showers me with small presents (candy, crayons and paper, and other things that make me happy,) coddles me, and makes me feel loved... but Inuyasha picks on me like an older brother would, and I know I’d never try and annoy my father half as much as I annoy Inuyasha.  


But they are definitely family now, and I want to see them as happy as they’ve made me over these last few years.  There isn’t much I can give back to them beyond my own love and affection.   ‘Well, that, and a liberal sprinkling of irritation all for Inuyasha,’ I thought, a small grin gracing my lips.  Happy...  yes, I’ve been unbelievably happy with the group...  I’ve found more love and support and companionship than I’d ever have thought possible after the loss of my parents.  But...  Something is off.  Something has always been off.  In the first few years of my life, I grew from a kit the size of Inuyasha’s fist to nearly the size I am now.  My growth slowed after Mother died, when Father had to take over raising and protecting me.  He was very much capable of parenting, but it was never the same.  I felt cold and alone, as though there wasn’t so much light in the world anymore.  Kagome described this feeling to me as ‘depression.’  


I would describe it as missing my mother, but deeper.  Much... much deeper.  My soul practically cried out for her missed embrace...  and as these years have crept by, I’ve begun to notice (with slightly growing alarm) that I’ve yet to grow any more.  I’m still the same, short fluffy-tailed cutie that I was the day my father died.  Pint-sized, bright, easy target, with an adorably cute voice that easily gets the girls to coo...  and did I mention my huge baby eyes?  Oh, it’s killer:  quirk my eyebrows and lips into a sad expression...  top it off with the watery-eyed expression of hopefulness, and I get my way.  Under the onslaught of my charm, it’s nearly impossible to deny me anything (reasonable) my little heart desires.

-
-
Up a tall tree
-
-

I reached back to straighten out my customary ponytail, flicking my bangs with quick-moving fingertips to make sure they were fluffed and slightly messy - the perfect appearance for a mischievous little kit.  I had a few tricks up my sleeve to try on Inuyasha today.  Ever since Kagome had made him swear that he wouldn’t seriously hurt me while she was gone, I’ve been testing the limits of his patience with my illusions, knowing I wouldn’t pay with my tail if I were to be caught.  


I wasn’t sure how long he’d continue to fall for the sneaky maneuvers that I kept coming up with, but because of that, I constantly tried new things to see which methods were most effective against the sometimes-overbearing hanyou.  It was a decent way to learn how much I could and could not do, I think.


It was hard to hold back a snicker when I thought about what I’d be trying first today.  For the last few years, I’ve been working on perfecting my illusions, and the two hardest things to overcome were forgetting to hide my tail (or losing concentration midway into fooling someone, and it suddenly would appear) and keeping the illusion up long enough to really pull a good prank.  I was pretty sure that today would be the day to give Inuyasha a nice scare.  In the back of my mind, I had to wonder if – after all my ingenious pranks – would Inuyasha believe his own two eyes ever again?  ...And then I had to muffle another bout of giggling.


I took my time searching for Inuyasha, being as quiet as possible - because I knew if he detected my approach before I was ready, he’d never fall for what I had planned.  Every few steps I had to stop and hold my breath to stifle another laugh; it was just killing me to keep quiet.  Finally, I’d crept close enough to catch his scent on the breeze, which was perfect for me; it meant that the wind was in my favor and would hide my true identity.  From the strength of his scent and the speed of the wind, I figured he was probably up in the Goshinboku, waiting for a sign that Kagome had returned.


I pulled a leaf from my pocket and placed it on my head, carefully transforming myself into the image I’d been secretly practicing for a month.  I was pretty sure I had it perfect, even to the smallest detail in the clothing... and for the finishing touch, I picked up two sticks and used two more leaves to transform their appearance into the swords we were all very familiar with.  Feeling adequately prepared, I carefully tucked them into the sash tied around my waist.


Oh, this would be simply terrible if I could pull it off!  


Then came the most difficult part of the trick, keeping a perfectly straight face.  I took a deep breath and relaxed into a bored expression, standing as composed and tall as I could manage.  The short stroll through the trees would be easy enough, but I had to make sure I stayed quiet enough so that I wouldn’t draw any more attention than even the smallest creature that would naturally inhabit the woods.  I stepped up to the base of the tree and found my unsuspecting victim dozing lightly on a branch almost out of sight.  Perfect.


I knew that Inuyasha could detect each of our energy traces when we were nearby, but we’d all been together for so long that sensing me nearby while he napped would feel as natural as a stray breeze (which meant that he probably wouldn’t even notice my presence for a while).  I stood in that spot, staring up at him (in the most perfect illusion I think I’ve ever pulled off, but how sad that no one got to see me hold it so steadily!) for what seemed like ten whole minutes before he finally noticed something was amiss and woke from his little nap.  


I saw him shift and look down, and I swear his eyes grew to the size of his own hands before he fell right off his branch and landed with a crash on the other side of the tree.  My plan, although small and very dependent on the wind and pure circumstance to be in my favor, had worked perfectly.  He would have noticed his brother’s approach well in advance because of scent and the humongous field of power that Sesshoumaru seemed to radiate whenever he walked around.  (I think it’s impossible to not know that Sesshoumaru was in the area ...unless you were unconscious or dead.)  So imagine poor Inuyasha’s surprise when he looked down from that tree...  


In a flash, I was off running in the opposite direction, using my kitsune magic to help levitate me high enough to not leave an obvious scent all over the forest floor.  It had taken a lot of practice to get any good use out of my flying abilities.  Sure, I used to be able to float really slowly when I’d needed to go up sheer cliffs or out of the reach of a nasty youkai, but I’ve always known that I won’t always have someone there to save me...  and if I wanted to live to adulthood, I knew I’d need to make it work for escaping quickly and without much of a trail to be hunted by.  After seeing Sesshoumaru run once a long time ago, I’d practiced my method and tried new things until I’d discovered exactly how I could mimic the skill.  I used a carefully controlled amount of my magic to keep my body levitated mere inches from the ground and kicked off with my toes in a half-run, half-flight.  It worked wonders and left very little of my scent trail behind.  When I made use of the skill, I could easily keep up with Inuyasha, which made fleeing from him a simple task of zigzagging and moving unpredictably.


Today’s trickery had been pure brilliance: the planning, approach, execution, and withdrawal.  


‘Kagome will be so proud to hear of today’s flawless illusion!’ I thought, my chest puffing up in pride.


Then again, if I told her... (and I definitely deflated at this thought) ...she might get mad at me for trying to pick a fight with Inuyasha again.  Damn.


It wasn’t long before I’d made enough distance between the possibly enraged hanyou (although, he could have gone looking for Sesshoumaru’s scent instead of my own, but regardless how ignorant I thought him to be...  I couldn’t take that chance) to revert to my normal form, allowing the shift to occur with the pronounced *pop* that normally occurred if I wasn’t trying to be quiet.  The ‘swords’ at my side turned back into sticks, and the leaves I’d used for the illusions fluttered to the forest floor.

-
-
Waiting in the dirt
-
-

It was too bad that my best illusions couldn’t stay that way forever - then maybe I could make something really useful for a change.  I felt my stomach rumble; it seemed I’d been so excited about my newest plan that I’d forgotten to get something to eat for breakfast.  I took a look at the small wristwatch Kagome had given me last month to see what time it was, hoping she would return soon.  I missed her company whenever she was gone, and I seriously needed some attention (and the snacks that she always brought back with her.)


I sighed and kicked some dirt with my toe, trying to figure out if I should go back to Kaede’s for lunch or not.  If Inuyasha saw me now, he might suspect that I was behind his unexpected tumble from his branch (or he already knew and was searching for me right then.)  Again, it was something I was not about to risk.


I decided to go find myself something to eat, and took off into the brush, heading toward the stream that flowed nearby.  I caught a fish with little effort, cleaned and cooked it with my fox-fire and had eaten before an hour had gone by.  With nothing left to do but plot my next illusory adventure, I snuck through the forest to find a good spot to watch for Kagome’s return without being discovered by Inuyasha.


It was like this every day that Kagome was gone.  We all would have something to occupy our time (or we would find somewhere to be bored in private) and we’d wait for her to come back.  Without Kagome here, we didn’t do anything fun, we didn’t find any shards, we sometimes didn’t even talk to each other.  Kagome kept us all together, even the simple task of waiting for her to come back kept us from wandering away from the village very often (unless something really needed our attention.)  On especially boring days like this I’d find myself wondering, ‘If Kagome left for good, would we all still be friends?  Could I count on Inuyasha or Sango or Miroku to watch over me if Kagome wasn’t here to do it?’   I know I’m getting older, and I like to pretend like I’m able to do everything that they can, but deep down, I know I’m still a little kid that needs to be taken care of.


I still have times where I find myself in a dangerous situation and need to be rescued, moments when I do something wrong and need to be corrected, or even days that I just need a hug because I’m feeling lonely.  I know there will soon come a day when I’m old enough that I won’t want or need that kind of attention anymore, but I’m not there yet.   Not yet.  Something’s holding me back, and at this rate, I fear I’ll be a little kit forever (even though that sounds impossible and really stupid.)


So I sat there, wondering about the finer details of our group while I waited in the shade for Kagome to come back... for everything to go back to normal.  I figured that Sango and Miroku would probably be back soon – probably before nightfall – so that we could go hunt shards again in the morning, but they could be anywhere now, doing anything.  By anything I mean...  well...  everyone knows that they’re happy being with each other, and I’m pretty sure they’re trying to have babies from they way they smell sometimes.


I don’t ever want to bring up that subject, and from the blush I caught Inuyasha with one day after they’d returned from a lengthy ‘walk,’ I’m pretty sure he knew the same thing and didn’t want to mention it either.  I guess Sango probably told Kagome during one of their baths, as well...  We all knew, but nobody admitted they knew (or even dared bring it up), and everyone seemed happy with that idea.  Whatever works for them, I suppose...  


A while back, I would have been prone to blurting out private information like that without a second thought to whom it may hurt or embarrass, but I learned (the hard way) to stop talking so much.  I’d hurt Kagome’s feelings once when I’d repeated something that Inuyasha had muttered earlier that morning, and she’d gone home for an entire week, sealing the well behind her to make sure she wasn’t followed.  I hadn’t repeated his words out of malice, it had just been sheer curiosity:  “But Inuyasha said that he’s practically dead already...  Why are you going to go read to him?”  Kagome’s grandfather had suffered from something so bad that he had to permanently stay with healers to keep him alive.  Obviously, there had been a reason that Inuyasha had not told her those words, instead choosing to gripe about it when she wasn’t around to hear...  I learned then about the value of silence and secrets....  for some things aren’t meant to be repeated, especially when you’re trying to help a certain miko and hanyou to admit they want to be mates with each other.


That memory brought up other concerns as I lay there on my stomach in the shade, kicking my small feet behind me.  I reached to the side to pull a stick from the underbrush, using it to scrape up small bits of leaves and dirt from the ground in front of me.  If Kagome and Inuyasha weren’t both so stubborn, maybe they’d be able to settle their silly arguments and be happy together like Sango and Miroku are.  Why couldn’t they get along, anyways?  He still, after years of the same routine, yelled at her every time she demanded to go back to her own time, and she, in the same situation, knowing it never changed every time she went back home, still fought with him about it.  How could two people that like each other so much argue about the oldest and (in my opinion) silliest thing they’d ever argued about?  Going home, not going home...  It was their most common dispute.  In fact, sometimes it seemed like it was the only thing they argued about.


Maybe Inuyasha likes her so much that he’s afraid she’ll leave him for someone else.  I overheard Kagome telling Sango a story like that once; the girl she knew didn’t love her boyfriend anymore and found a new one that was better.  That wouldn’t have ever happened with my parents, because Father thought my mother was so perfect that he would never find someone better (or as good,) so he did everything to make her so happy that she’d never want to leave.  But then, I also knew that my Father was definitely the most handsome and strong kitsune in all the lands, so she would never have wanted anything more.  I guess it doesn’t help that I still haven’t met any kitsune youkai even close to my parents in skill or power, and I could be unbalanced in my concept of beauty since I do tend to think highly of foxes in general...

-
-
A flower sprouts from weeds
-
-

I accidentally broke my stick as I jammed it under a small bed of thorny weeds and sighed in annoyance.  I had been enjoying myself, absently removing the sharp plants from the soft earth as I drifted in my thoughts.  There was a small layer of soft foliage struggling to grow that was being strangled out by the unpleasant weeds, and I figured it deserved a fighting chance...  My mother (again, with the memories of Mother!) could have guided the plants’ growth with her fingers, but I had no such luck with manipulating flora.  My specialty, illusions, was inherited from Father, along with my cute little fox-feet.  


I stuck my hand back into the bush to see if I could find another stick to resume digging up the roots of the evil weed.  Sure enough, my tiny fingers closed around the worn edge of a thin stick, but I almost let go of it in favor of a thicker one.  That is, until I tested how strong it was with a firm press into the ground.  When it didn’t seem to bend or break, I pulled it from the bush and looked at it in confusion.  The stick was pretty thin and not very long, but it wouldn’t break when I tried to snap it and seemed to be slightly polished.  It was also as straight as the pencils in Kagome’s backpack, so I immediately checked it for any signs that it may have been one of the strange things that she brought back with her.


But again, I was wrong: it was just a weird looking stick.  So, I took my luck and ran with it, using the sharper end to dig at a really nasty, thick root that was keeping the spiny plant firmly anchored to the forest floor.  “This would be so much easier on me if it were just some pretty flower,” I mumbled, poking at the tiny, harmless-looking leaves that hid the itchy thorns from sight.   ‘Flowers...’ I remembered the one time that Kagome came back smelling like strange flowers I hadn’t been to recognize.  She’d opened one of her books to a picture of something she called a ‘lily’ flower, saying that the bath salts that her mother had bought recently were to blame, and that this was the flower that she smelled like.


I poked lightly at the weeds again, absently wondering what a flower like that would look like in person, and where they grew in the wild.


Something white caught my attention as I sighed again, and I glanced down to see something I hadn’t expected.  The relatively tall flower I’d been thinking of from Kagome’s book was growing in the spot I’d just been jabbing with the stick.  I knew for certain that it hadn’t been there when I’d starting digging in those weeds to begin with... so where had it come from?


I slowly leaned over the flower and took a careful sniff, but couldn’t detect anything but the weeds that had been there the whole time.  I reached out to touch the blossom, and the petals were smooth and soft to the touch, but it held none of the scent that Kagome had carried that day.  It was at this point that I had the strange suspicion that the stick I held wasn’t just some branch that had been smoothed and sharpened by a random person suffering from intense boredom.


...I had been thinking of that flower when I’d touched the weeds with the stick...  


I tapped my fingers together as I considered the possibilities.  Perhaps...?


I reached into my pockets and removed a small wooden top, still a favorite toy of mine (and still just as effective for fooling dimwits into thinking they’re being attacked by large spinning weapons of doom!) and pictured something that would always make my day brighter:  a lollipop!  I pointed the stick at the top with the vivid image in mind, and sure enough, (I didn’t even have to poke it) it suddenly was a large red lollipop, sparkling in the rays of sunlight that filtered through the trees above.  My mouth began to water immediately upon seeing the delectable treat, and I wasted no time in sticking it in my mouth...


...Only to spit it out in horror!  My beloved magically created lollipop still tasted like wood and paint!  (Oh, what torture!)  It seemed to me that I held some sort of... magic wand.  Something that cast illusions on things that looked and felt real.  It reminded me of the kitsune magic I could use, but without the leaves, sound or puffs of smoke.  And I was still unable to make my illusions feel real to the touch. (Father could, but that was only because he’d had a century of practice before I was born.)


The flower held the texture and appearance of being a real flower, but it retained its original scent of the weed it had been before my meddling.  My wooden top looked and felt like a real lollipop, but it still tasted just like the toy it had been.  


A momentarily evil thought crossed my mind as I looked down at the innocent-looking piece of not-really-candy.  I pictured Inuyasha’s favorite (chocolate) wrapped in the shiny metallic packaging and shook the strange stick at the top-turned-lollipop.  I discovered (much to my delight) that the magic had worked yet again.  I grinned so widely that I was sure my face would be stuck like that permanently (the expression was a sure sign that I was about to cause some serious mischief.)  I pocketed the candy with a mental note to give it to the unsuspecting hanyou some time later in the day before taking off into the bushes in search of other ‘things’ to test this strange magic on.

-
-
And horses say ‘Meow’
-
-

If the unremarkable stick could cause weeds to grow into beautiful flowers and random toys into candy... but left the basic essences of scent and taste the same as it had been before it had changed, then I seriously needed to find out what else it would work on.  I had already begun to form an idea of what I would do if I turned out to be right in my suspicions.  I silently made my way back toward the village, looking around at the various creatures along the way.  A couple of small brown birds chirped and hopped around on the packed dirt road, pecking randomly at bugs hidden in the dirt; a small gray cat licked its paw next to one of the villager’s huts.  My grip on the stick tightened in anticipation as I racked my memories for something different...  


A while ago, Kagome told me the story of a handsome prince who’d rescued the captive princess from a dragon while riding a beautiful white horse.  I held back another snicker at the thought of a humongous mythical dragon kidnapping Kaede to hold her captive in a tall tower for an elderly prince to rescue...  I knew that having a dragon possibly running amuck in the nearby villages was far too risky, so my thoughts shifted to another, less threatening idea.


My mind finally made up, I looked back at the small cat that had decided to stalk the birds nearby.  It shifted on its paws, looking as though it were preparing for a pounce, and I lift the thin stick to point it at the unsuspecting feline.  I scarcely had time to blink before a magnificent white steed appeared in its place, still crouched by the wall of the hut.  It made its carefully planned leap for the birds, but as it was completely unaware of its new shape and strength, it accidentally bound completely over the now-frightened and scattering birds.  The poor, confused animal stumbled slightly as it landed, scrambling back to its feet and looking around in completed bewilderment.  


It let out a tremendous meow, (truly the sound of a frightened and angry feline,) before streaking off with a half-stumbling gallop into the nearby woods.  I stared in amazement as the horse tried (and failed) to leap into the low-hanging branches of a tree, scraping its hooves against the quickly shredding bark for any sort of grip that would help it ascend into the safety of the branches.  It made another very cat-like yowl as it charged even farther into the forest and out of sight.  I cautiously moved to the now-mutilated tree and could only find the scent of a cat.


‘So the target keeps its scent, taste, and previous behavior, to include its original sounds, ’ I thought.  I walked back into the woods, deep in thought at the possibilities I now held in my hands.  Was there anything that really needed changing for the better?  There had to be something that would help our group in its hunt for the shards... ‘Maybe I could use this thing to transform Naraku into a fish,’ I thought with a short laugh. ‘I really could, and then he’d be an evil-fish-spider-hanyou that would no longer appear as a threat to anyone... which might be bad, because then no one would take him seriously and we’d all lose the fight against him...  and he’s a shapeshifter anyways, so he’d get rid of the fish appearance as soon as he figured out...’


I placed the wand carefully into my vest and took off at a dead run to the spot where I’d been waiting for Kagome’s return.  There would be time to consider my choices while I kept an eye out for her arrival.

-
-
A coincidental opportunity for a bad choice
-
-

I streaked through the forest, nearing my favored waiting spot as something greenish-gray caught my attention.  It was a shinidamachuu!  We hadn’t come across Kikyo in a while, so the appearance of her soul-stealers was a weird coincidence, and a lucky one at that.  I had in my possession something that could turn the clay miko into a clay pot, freeing Inuyasha from his stupid obligation to follow Kikyo to hell.  Jeez, they’ve been going on about that for so long that I can’t even remember when he’d even made such a dumb promise.  I changed course and followed the floating creature to its mistress.


I approached silently, wondering if I would catch a snippet of their usually private conversations away from the group, but what met my eyes was so totally unexpected that I almost gasped out loud.  Kikyo’s normally blank expression was turned into a smile as she held Inuyasha’s hand.   ‘Since when does she ever smile?’ I thought in confusion.  I had previously been under the impression that Kikyo felt nothing other than anger toward her situation, but maybe something had seriously changed since we’d last seen her!  The expression she held made her look more human, warming her normally deadpan face into something prettier and (I thought this in horror) maybe even desirable again.


I had to do something!  Inuyasha was looking back at her with a smile, too, and I knew at this rate, the relationship we’d all hoped would happen between Kagome and Inuyasha was becoming less and less possible.  I fingered the smooth wood in my pocket, wondering what would happen if I just turned her into a rock.


I shuddered at the idea of how angry it could make the irritable hanyou, especially with the close way the two were speaking.  There was no hostility, no anger or wariness, just the two of them enjoying the moment.  Something big must have happened to change the resurrected miko, at least emotionally.  She still smelled like death and dirt, but her personality was definitely altered somehow.  Without Kagome or Miroku here, I wouldn’t be able to tell if there had been a change in her semi-soul...


So transforming her into a rock was definitely out of the question.  I didn’t want to risk his wrath by destroying something that had just changed for the better... (especially if that something/someone was a possible ally in the final battle)


But there had to be something I could do to push him back into Kagome’s direction!  I pouted in my frustration as I took off into the forest, once again heading in the direction of the Bone-Eater’s Well.  As if right on cue (and I swore then that despite any good luck I’d stumbled across thus far, it had to count as the unluckiest moment ever,) the shining blue light appeared around the well’s opening and I knew she had returned.


I crouched in the bushes, pulling my hair in an attempt to jerk any kind of wonderful idea from my head.  Kagome’s backpack was tossed over the weathered wooden rim, and she followed shortly afterward, climbing out with practiced ease.  She sat on the well’s edge for a moment, humming contentedly and brushing her fingers carefully through her shining black locks.  It was mid-afternoon, and there seemed to be no obvious reason for her to hurry back to the village.  


She had stopped wearing those strange outfits – her uniforms, as she’d called them – a long time ago, opting to wear more colorful (and usually more sturdy) outfits, determined mainly by the season.  Pants and long-sleeve shirts kept her warm on the colder days of our travels, but all throughout the warm seasons she’d returned in shorts.  Today, she’d decided on a lovely cream sundress, an outfit I’d rarely seen her wear before.   ‘Maybe it’s new... ’ I thought to myself, and I had the flash of a memory of my mother wearing a kimono of that very same color.  


Her crimson hair had been twisted into an elaborate design and pinned back with combs that sparkled in the sunshine, and it had been the time that we had traveled far to the North for some important formal gathering.  I had been left for the day with other youkai children in the care of a wizened old neko youkai, and played to my heart’s content the entire time.  When they’d come back, Father couldn’t stop reminding her about how she’d been the most beautiful in attendance, and Mother had blushed when he said that he would have had to fight off every other male youkai there if it hadn’t been such a formal occasion.


It was easy for me to connect Kagome with memories of my mother, simply because Kagome was one of the most wonderful and beautiful humans I knew.  I could never put my finger on any physical qualities that made her truly stand apart from the rest, but her gentle personality and trusting, open nature quickly ensnared anyone who spent mere moments in her presence.  Inuyasha sometimes compared the undead miko and Kagome, and we all knew that they bore slight resemblance to each other.  


Maybe... if Kagome were prettier than Kikyo--so pretty that there would be no doubt that she truly was the better of the two--then Inuyasha would want her more.  But how could I improve on what she already had?  


If I wanted to try and enhance her natural beauty, I’d need to understand the physical qualities that would work the best.  Sango had an exotic quality to her, and she easily drew attention from the males we crossed paths with, but men that even spared a second glance in her direction quickly caught on to the deadly efficiency in everything she did, leaving most too frightened of her to even consider speaking to her.  Of course, it didn’t help that the monk was on the receiving end of punishing strikes that would easily knock out the average male.


We’d encountered numerous human females in the villages we’d traveled through, but they all seemed plain and homely, simple in their attire and attitudes.  Kagome easily outshone any of those girls...  Even the occasional hime that we’d saved from abduction or possession couldn’t quite compare to our Kagome.  They were quick to frighten, far too fragile and easily broken...  It was as though their beauty simply came from their careful grooming and expensive, intricate outfits and decorations.  


Then my thoughts trailed to youkai women we’d crossed paths with.  Most had been amazingly beautiful, but their looks were always marred by the obvious taint of evil that wove throughout their actions and expressions.  There were a few exceptions...  Shiori, the young bat-hanyou we’d met some years ago, would probably grow into a beautiful woman one day, as well as Souten, the youngest Thunder sibling.  But, those were just dreams for now, as they would remain childlike for at least another decade...  I frowned, trying to single out any adult female that we’d encountered that could be considered the most beautiful...  


My rapidly shifting thoughts jerked to a immediate halt.  I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t come to this conclusion sooner, because I’d been reminding myself so often that day about how wonderful and exceptionally beautiful Mother had been...  The only adult female I could think of that could be considered prettier than my Kagome was Mother.  But Mother had been a youkai, with deadly sharp claws, petite fangs, pointed ears and a long, soft tail...  


But surely, if Kagome were as beautiful as Mother had been, then she’d have every male within sight falling at her feet in adoration and worship!  And then Inuyasha wouldn’t want to be with Kikyo anymore, because Kagome would obviously be so much better!  My logic made excellent sense, but I knew I couldn’t cast a spell on Kagome to make her look exactly like my mother had appeared...  If I did that, then she wouldn’t be herself anymore.  So I had to think of the small changes that would help, without changing too much...


Kagome stood and stretched after she’d finished finger-combing her hair, bending over to pick up her backpack.  She slipped her arms through the straps and adjusted it a bit before stepping off in the direction of the village.  If Inuyasha hadn’t realized she was back yet, he was sure to notice very soon!  My time for action was running short, so I made up my mind and pulled the wand from my vest.  My body was nearly tingling in anticipation of what I was about to do-- just a small change, something that would make her look prettier...  Her scent would stay the same, she’d still speak like she had before, and I knew that her spirit would remain just as it had always been...  She’d still be our Kagome, so this couldn’t possibly hurt!   ‘Just make her prettier...’

-
-
Remembering too much
-
-

I focused on my mother’s attributes, trying to pinpoint exactly what had made her so beautiful.  Her eyes had been a bright green...  the shade was matched with a thin line of color along her top eyelid...   ‘That would look nice on Kagome, too, ’ I thought as I twisted the wand between my small fists.   ‘The vibrant green had complimented Mother’s natural affinity with plants, which responded to her touch as well as--’ I don’t know why my memories were straying to the unimportant details!  I shook my head in an effort to get back into the thoughts of what made Mother so desirable— ‘Let’s see...’ Her lips had been a... a--I couldn’t remember the word Father had used, but something Miroku had said once came to mind:   ‘Alluring’...  --an alluring shade of pink...  thick and smoky eyelashes that artfully framed her eyes...  Her ears had been just like mine, pointed at the tips (and I know Father had been especially fond of nibbling on them, although I’m not sure why)... her hair had been the most beautiful shade of red, just like her tail... and both had been so soft, like the most expensive silks I’d ever touched. ‘But I don’t think she’d appreciate the tail, regardless of its advantages.’


‘What else?  I’m forgetting something...  Claws and fangs?’   Mother’s had been petite and fit her personality well, but picturing Kagome with the sharp implements seemed a bit...  strange.   ‘...Maybe not,’ I began to think to myself as I looked back toward the girl from the future.  My mouth fell open in surprise as I saw what I’d inadvertently done:  everything I’d pictured had changed on her!  I couldn’t see the smaller details from this distance, but her ears and hair color had changed, and--! ‘Kagome is going to kill me when she discovers that tail!  I didn’t want her to get the tail!’ Her tail was long enough to brush the ground (which she would have easily noticed) as she walked, but luckily for me, it had curved up and away from the short grass, twisting and wrapping around itself in an obvious display of her happiness that afternoon.  That small action, however, lift her skirt indecently, exposing her to the slightly cool breeze.  She shivered and rubbed her arm with one hand while she reached for the hem of her skirt with the other, tugging it closer to her legs with a clenched fist.  


He could hear her mutter from this distance, “Maybe I should have brought a coat...”


‘Stupid magic! ’ I thought, shaking the harmless looking stick in annoyance.  A number of bad phrases I’d heard Inuyasha saying ran through my head, all scrambling for the chance to be the first out of my mouth...  I’d only meant to change the little things and give her a slightly new appearance, not a tail!   I shook the stick even harder, trying to decide what I should do...  I had to think quickly.  I wanted to make sure Kagome had all the right small changes, and none of the excessive ones!  I breathed out heavily and looked back up at her, raising the wand and knowing that I had to get rid of the tail before it was noticed-- ‘Work backwards...?  I’ve got to change...’


Before I could set my mind on the specific task of removing the tail, the wand was snatched from my fingers, and I found myself looking up at a short, wrinkly old woman.  “I lose this damned thing for just a few hours, and already some troublemaking kid has picked it up and caused mischief!” she said, scowling down at me.  With the magical object out of my grasp and in the control of someone who looked like she knew exactly how to use it, I found myself frozen in fright.  “I should turn you into a toad, you horrible child!” she scolded, glancing back over her shoulder at Kagome, who had almost reached the tree line.  “I certainly hope you thought your actions through carefully, young man.  I’m sure that whatever punishment I could deal out won’t be half as bad as angering that miko,” she sneered, vanishing from sight with the smallest burst of sparkles.


‘What the hell just happened?!’ I thought to myself in a panic.   ‘Who was...’


My confused thoughts immediately froze at the sound of Kagome’s shrill scream, echoing throughout the forest.

-
-
Comforting omissions
-
-

My heart leapt into my throat and I found myself rooted to the spot, with two choices bouncing back and forth in my head:  Flee the scene or run to her.  Rational thought (and probably any notion of self-preservation) fled my mind as I raced in her direction, more concerned with her well-being than saving my own tail from whatever awaited me.


When I reached her side, she was on her knees in shock, clutching her new tail with her hands, looking at it in half-wonder, half-fear.  “Kagome?” I asked, my voice a mere whisper.  I was supremely afraid of what she would say.  Would she hate me?  Would she refuse to speak to me ever again?  She tore her eyes away from the soft fur of her newest appendage to gaze down at me with wide, newly green-rimmed eyes.


“Shippo...” she murmured, opening her arms so that I could climb into her embrace.  She held me so tight that suddenly I felt like I’d been the worst kit ever.  “I...  I have a tail...” she said, her voice wavering.  I looked up into her face, searching her expression for the blame and condemnation for what I’d done to her...  but her eyes were shut tight as she held me. ‘She doesn’t know I’m to blame... ’ I realized, wondering if she’d noticed the other changes that had happened.  “What...  what happened to me?”


I really didn’t know what to do.  I felt confused and completely stupid, knowing I had just turned Kagome’s world upside down without even trying.  Maybe I should have told her the idea and gotten an idea of what she’d like before going through with it on my own.  I nuzzled my face into the crook of her neck in a measure of comfort, patting her cheek with one of my small hands.  “I think you look pretty,” I whispered with a smile, hoping with my whole being that she wouldn’t be terribly angry.  She opened her eyes and looked down at me, returning my smile with another tight hug.  


”Thank you, Shippo,” she said, standing with me still clutched in her arms.  She looked around warily before moving once again in the direction of the village.  “We need to get to Kaede’s quickly.  I...” she swallowed once in her nervousness.  “I don’t know who did this, or if they’re still around. We need to go find everyone...”  I gulped, once again wracked with the guilt that I knew exactly what had happened to her.  I was stuck with indecision:  should I tell her what happened now (and set her current fears to rest) or wait until they figured it out to admit what I’d done?  


It didn’t take long for me to reason that, if I told her now, she’d be angry for sure... but it would only be because she hadn’t had a chance to see how lovely she looked yet!  I couldn’t help but gaze up at her admiringly, for the changes that had happened had only served to enhance her looks.  To me, she was truly the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen, maybe even prettier than Mother had been.  Surely, Inuyasha would be unable to resist her now!  The guilt was allayed momentarily as I stared up at her.


She must have noticed my awed stare, because she blushed slightly and looked away.  “So, it doesn’t look that bad?” she asked, running a tongue carefully over a sharp fang.  When I shook my head in response, she sighed and began walking down the trail to the village.  “I don’t really feel much different,” she admitted.  “But the tail feels a little funny, and I’m pretty sure that I’m going to accidentally kill myself with these claws,” she held up her hand to show me the razor-sharp edges.  I bit my lip in thought, wondering if her teeth and nails really would damage her still-frail skin.  After all, I hadn’t taken away her humanity with my hasty actions...


I took her hand in my own as she walked quickly (almost running) toward the village, pressing one of her small claws against my palm and pulling it along the skin.  If it could cut me, then we’d have something to worry about; human nails, no matter how sharp, shouldn’t be able to draw my blood with an accidental swipe.  I breathed a sigh of relief at the mere tickling sensation from her claw, satisfied that it wouldn’t do much damage.  “Just don’t bite your lip anymore when you’re thinking real hard,” I cautioned, knowing that the tender skin would be easily punctured.  I’d really not meant to give her claws or fangs or a tail, but it seemed that everything I’d thought while I was shaking that damned thing around came to pass.  I was just extremely lucky that I didn’t change her into the spitting image of my mother; regardless of how beautiful she was-- I didn’t think Kagome would appreciate losing her identity to that extent.  At least, this way, she was still easily recognizable as herself...


“What the fuck?!”  Kagome jumped at the harsh tone, nearly colliding with the confused hanyou as he dropped into our path.  I watched as his eyes widened in total shock at her altered appearance.  He scented the air with a look of disbelief, narrowing his eyes at her.  “What did you do?” he asked, but neither of us missed the note of accusation directed at her.   


Kagome choked on her reply, tightening her grasp of my smaller frame.  I could catch the scent of her tears as they threatened to spill.  I clutched the thin material of her dress tightly with my small hands, burying my face in her warmth.  I was terrified that he’d reject the choices I’d made; I didn’t want to cause Kagome more unhappiness than what she’d already endured.  I heard him shift closer, and the sleeve of his haori brushed my back as he reached a hand out to touch her.  I took a peek at the two of them, hoping and praying that I hadn’t completely ruined everything.


His fingers had looped around a lock of her newly red hair, and he ran his thumb across it with a look of confused wonder.  “You look like...” he said, his voice barely audible.  I gulped, knowing that he would definitely recognize what she now resembled.  My thoughts were confirmed as he glanced down at me for the briefest of moments.  “What happened?” he asked, smartly rephrasing his question to sound less like an accusation.  


She sniffled once, then quickly wrapped her free arm around the hanyou, pulling him into her embrace.  I found myself squashed between the two of them, but the realization that she immediately latched onto him for support in her confusion was comforting and made the whole strange situation seem worthwhile.  “This isn’t one of Shippo’s illusions?” he asked, pulling back to take a closer look at her.


“No, I don’t think so...  Is it, Shippo?” she inquired, looking down at me with some hope shining in her eyes.  I shook my head in response, and almost cried at the despondent look that shadowed her expression.  She was confused and upset, and I’d been the cause of it all.  I wasn’t able to squash the tiny thrill that I harbored after seeing how very beautiful her changes made her, but the guilt weighed me down, overly heavy in my mind.  


Would they suspect that I’d lied, that I’d really been behind it all?  I had been working diligently on my illusions, so maybe they would think I’d discovered a new skill...  But then again, I’ve never been able to keep my illusions for long, so they wouldn’t suspect me for long, if at all.  


‘Wait, what am I thinking?!’ I was trying to convince myself that they wouldn’t think I’d been the cause...  If I just told them what had really happened, then I wouldn’t need to beat myself up about whether or not I’d be discovered.  Yet, if I told them now what I’d done, then everyone may run off to find the old witch that took back her wand in an attempt to change Kagome back!  Then I wouldn’t get a chance to see if my changed had helped any or not...  and I didn’t want that to happen, not yet.


As Kagome held the two of us tightly, seeking her comfort from our embraces, I made up my mind to hold my tongue for a little while longer.  If they gave it some time, they would surely find that her new looks were better in the long run.  I nuzzled my face into her warmth, trying to swallow back the nagging fear that maybe I had been wrong about everything, especially in keeping the secret.

-
-
Continued here. ->www.deviantart.com/deviation/2…