Kitsune

Silver Chaos Girl

A/N: The devastating lack of Shippou x Rin fanfics has finally broken me down. I adore this couple! After years (Well, not really...) of procrastination and research, here I am, ready to show the fruits of my Kitsune obsession. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING! Really! It's all my parents' money! You think I own something as awesome as 'Inuyasha'? No way, man...

~____________________________~

Every Demon race is different.

How easy would it be to group Wolf-demon and Dog-demon in the same class, and assume that their cultures and powers are the same... To place upon the same level a Wolf, one of a pack of scavengers and drifters, with the highly disciplined and traditional Dog... Ah, but such talk would anger both parties, and surely the life of such an ignorant speaker would not be long. If one were to inspect a randomly selected individual from both packs, anyone possessing a margin of common sense would reason that there are large differences.

However, Kitsune are unique, even among the diverse world of Demons. Creatures of darkness, it is the vixen that are valued and respected. Even in the feudal, male-dominated society of ancient Japan, a female Kitsune is feared.... a leader. Every fox possessing a warped sense of honor and a mischievous streak, they deal justice and bring balance, in their degrading ways.

Drawing their magic from their elements, a Kitsune lives up to 1000 years, a tail growing every 100, and power builds slowly. Alas for mortal man, there were other ways for these foxes to become strong...  

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In the past....

Tossed off insults, like 'you weakling', 'you runt' or 'you little brat' had never bothered him much. Inuyasha was in the heat of the moment, as was he. His child-mind always forgave the half-breed. Funny how he had never wanted to say that to the silver-haired man before...........

He would give anything to say that now.

Shippou sighed heavily. He could admit it, he wasn't too proud to beg, he had wanted them to stay-stay-stay!

But Kagome couldn't. She couldn't, because as much as the schoolgirl made herself at home in the past, as much as people came to accept her.... The strange, pretty, bundle of confusion didn't belong here. She wasn't part of this world yet.

In the end...

The faithful and hard-headed Inuyasha went with her. Had to go with her. They were 'meant to be'.

That didn't stop Shippou from kicking and screaming and throwing an absolute fit. The day they left he sat in Kaede's hut, sobbing and mumbling hateful things about them both. Lady Inari, how the redhead regretted that later. Though, in some small part of his mind he was glad he gave them such a guilt trip, whining, 'You said you would take care of me!' 

Now...    

If they came back, would they recognize green-eyed Shippou anymore, this established Kitsune? How Inuyasha's stinging insults as the Half-breed pried the child of his leg haunted the fox now. 'Stop your blubbering, you weakling! Be a man! Don't bite me you runt! We're sorry, you little brat, but that's the way things are!'

When Kaede died, Shippou hadn't felt like going to Sango and Miroku.  He just... hadn't. Not after the spectacle he made of himself. On some insane urge, the boy went into the forest to train, for the glory of strength weighed heavily on his too-young mind.

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The whispers of days past, carried by the summer wind, filled the single-room hut for one blissful instant before dying down again. The oppressing rays of daylight filtered through the thin veil Shippou was using as a makeshift wall from where his companion had knocked it down in a rage. The summer air was muggy and moist, clinging to his exposed body like a second skin. 

"Oh, Fuku-ryuu, don't be that way... come inside!" Shippou cajoled, fanning his sweaty face. Long since outgrown his child-stage thanks to the wonders of holy power, he was now an attractive youth, sparkling green eyes and rich red hair that was fanned out. The Kitsune was rather well built, but gave the impression of being slender through his height, which was greater than of his previous companions.

Sitting outside the safety of their hovel, Fuku-ryuu growled a few choice curse words at his friend before roaring, "Not 'til ya put some damn clothes on, ya little freak!"

With off-white hair, blue eyes that seemed to reflect much knowledge but no sight, and brown, withered skin, Fuku-ryuu was a frail-looking sort, resembling an old man with the many folded wrinkles around his eyes and mouth...but his aura and the way he held himself suggested otherwise. His deed (Punching out the wall) only served as testimony that this man was more than he appeared. 

Grinning, the fox stretched his nude form, arms reaching up, up. "I always used to do this during the summer at Lady Inari's!"

"I ain't Inari, an' I ain't appreciatin' the view." His companion growled back. "'Sides, what if someone comes up and sees ya, in yer birthday suit and all yer Kitsune traits in plain view?" Not true, he was in his humanoid form- Shippou's twin tails lying limp and his paws were the only fox-parts visible!  

The redhead flashed a patent fox grin- his eyes slit to the point where you could only barely make out the forest-green pupils. "Such rude thing to say about my Fortune... and besides, I'll hear anyone who comes up this road long before they see us, and I'll transform- it isn't hard." 

"Yeasure. ...Yer Fortune is a fertility goddess. I ain't no fool. She probably did more than jus' 'appreciate' ya." Fuku-ryuu shook his white-ish head, mumbling, "Foxes."

"Well, better than blind dragons who insist-" Shippou shot up, sniffing the scent carried on the air. Waves of nostalgia coursed over him... this was....   

The dragon's unseeing eyes looked out at the row of trees.  

"Inari be with us- that's the smell of a Dog-demon."

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A/n: Hey! You've made it to the end of the chapter! Awesome... Now I've got some stuff to explain! I try to stay away from "Fangirl Japanese" as much as possible now, but certain things, like 'Kitsune', which are more than mere 'fox demons', have to be put in. I'm also trying to put in a lot of mythology! Like Inari, a fox/fertility goddess, which you will see more of later! A fuku-ryuu is a dragon of 'good luck', so... I named my dragon that. He's also blind, which isn't in myth, just me playing around. (Y'know, 'Blind luck'?)  Why is he companions with Shippou? You will see!