Finding You

ok for some stuff you might want to know....

1
The Aura
Basically it goes like this
pink-weakest---red weak---orange---yellow---green---blue---purple-strongest Kagome is right between blue and purple, thus the dark blue color.

2
Japanese words*
Ningen-human
Ecchi-pervert
Hentai-pervert
Houshi-Monk
Youkai-demon
Monk-priest
Miko-priestess
Geisha-concubine/whore/slut for sale
Taijya-Demon slayer
Nani o shite imasu ka-what are you doing
Hai-yes
Hanyou-half demon
-chan – referring to someone younger or close
-san – similar to Mr. or Miss
-sama – Lord or Lady, term of respect used when referring to a someone superior
Kitsune-fox demon
ne-I've seen it used as huh/right/ok
okaasan-mother
matte kudasai-wait a moment
Onegai-please
Onegai Shimashita-please(more formal and with more emotion)
baka-idiot/moron/stupid
Futon-japanese traditional bed, lays flat on the ground
Otousan-dad

3
Explanations**
InuYasha means 'Female dog demon'
Territory-foxes do claim territory, some are rather fickle about it unless mating season comes around. Silver foxes, though territorial, like to stay in groups, while Red foxes tend to only like family in their territory.
Theif-Youko Kurama is the greatest youkai theif of his time, this is actually stated in YYH. He is later killed and reborn as Suichi, who is called Kurama.
The smell of dirt, bones, and ashes-InuYasha mated with Kikyo back in the day and now that she lives again and has a new scent, the mark changed to match.
Youko can turn into three foxes-a huge one(think Sesshoumaru) a medium sized one(like a little bigger than Kirara, with longer tails) and a small one(about the size of Shippo)
bag-the yellow bag about three times the size of Kagome.
Murr-dog version of a purr its almost like a growl.
Four hundred and eighty years--shes 20 years old in this story ppl, its been five years and they are after the last shard

---

Chapter 1: “Well, she has, however. But now the cat’s out of the bag! I found out some things!” -A Streetcar Named Desire

---

Meet Youko Kurama, world famous kitsune thief of both the Reikai and Makai, though he wasn't so much a thief at the moment, more like a peeping-tom, but whatever. That didn't matter to him currently, but does anyone ever ask him? No, but then again no one was around at the moment to ask him, besides his current 'prey.' His intellect told him to stay away and not to make himself known to this woman, having noticed she was even bothered, slightly, by the fact that her friend wanted to bathe with her. Her ramblings gave that much away. He found interest in this ningen girl's ramblings, but again did anyone really care? Not really. Well, possibly his best friend, and partner in crime, Kuronue, but then again he might not. They had formed their group out of greed and a love of trickery after all.

Sunlight shot down in beams through the tree leaves as Youko rested on a sturdy branch. Unseen by all, he yawned and looked for any signs of life in the immediate area. He sensed his 'preys' aura, but couldn't quite make out its strength level. Being a kitsune, curiosity was a second nature. But this aura was strange, it made him want to do two things that clashed greatly. He went to check it out, quietly hopping from tree to tree, getting far closer than he actually should. He scented the hotspring that she was currently climbing out of, and a pleasant smell of an on coming storm. The sky, however, was as clear as it could get, not a cloud in sight, much less a storm. He landed in a tree branch that hung just above the hotspring he had scented and looked down to see the woman dressing.

Youko followed her with his eyes of amber-gold, this strange woman that held an aura of great power, almost as great as his own. The aura was a darker blue color, which was more than just strange, but very rare. Even amongst the greatest youkai* light blue was rare, and much more rare, obviously, with ningen*. Even those that held spiritual powers, like monks* who were most likely to carry the blue aura, rarely carried even the lightest blue auras. And, yet, there the girl was, dressing herself by the hotspring she had just bathed in, glowing with such immense power. Her scent even held the after taste of purification that only the strongest mikos* held, and that was only when they had no control. So, he figured in the ever quick brain of his, that she was an untrained miko. A miko that dressed like a rather desperate geisha* girl, at that. His eyebrow twitched as she slid on the skirt, which clung to her hips yet had slits down her thighs, most likely for movement, but it was still short, stopping, just barely passing, at the knees. Even her Haori was strange, clinging to her breasts like a second skin.

Other than the strange state of dress there was another thing that Youko noticed about the odd young woman. Strange enough, though, there was no taint in her aura. Nothing to even hint at her prejudice towards youkai, that nearly all humans held, especially those of such spiritual energies. No, there was no hate swirling in that amazingly powerful aura of hers. There was no such darkness at all about her, yet she held a soft white glow of purity of the mind, body, and soul. She was untouched; a virgin. The girl's purity was unmatched by any he, Youko Kurama, had ever seen before, and he had seen a great many things. Unmatched and uncontested, she was simply something all youkai yearned for. The purest of the pure. The ultimate high for any youkai, of any aura level. He had no doubt youkai would be after her by the thousands.

He wanted to steal something.

He wanted to leave it alone.

He didn't know what 'it' was or even that 'something,' but the feeling was there. It was poking him in the back of his mind like some child begging for attention.

This is were you meet Kagome Higurashi, an all powerful miko of strange tastes and an even stranger background. It wasn't every day someone stumbled upon a miko from the future, you know, but to them, to her, it wasn't TOO strange. She had, after all, been in the past, on and off, for about five or six years. Her school uniform had been tossed away when she finished her highschool years, and her clothes usually consisted of skirts and loose sleeved shirts, seeing as she couldn't stand any other type of shirt. That was just one of the many things that made Kagome, well, Kagome.

Unknowingly, Youko's tail fur spiked with worry when he felt another presence. Youko was mildly surprised when that presence, another girl of a somewhat purity, entered the scene. And what's more, the girl was a Taijya*! It wasn't that she was as pure as the girl, no there was a great sadness that clung to her, but very little prejudice. The taijya looked at the younger more pure girl with such affection, Youko almost thought they could be family...almost. They did not smell the same, but the same scents of their group clung to them. The oddity of two pure forms caused Youko to almost miss what the Taijya said.

And so, you've stumbled upon our Taijya, Sango Takanaka. She was rather odd, but who wouldn't be, having spent years in the presence of a Hanyou, Youkai, Perverted Monk, Cat Demon, and a Miko of untold power? Also throw in the fact that everyone had been some how hurt by the same person, or rather evil hanyou, magic, and random youkai attacks and you get some insanity going on. Oh and you can never forget the fact that her brother is a mindless puppet for the evil hanyou, and that said puppet killed her entire village, including their family. Yup. Insanity.

Kittens with cream, thats what the girl that entered the scene reminded Youko of. She looked so damn proud for some reason or another. "Nani o shite imasu ka*? Kagome the great InuYasha deams that you must come to his side or face the impending doom of whatever he can think of at the moment!" The taijya said and this 'Kagome' girl giggled. Youko quirked a brow. Female dog demon**?

Ok, so the girl's name was Kagome. Such a sweet name that deserved praise. He mentally murred compliments to Kagome's mother, whom he pictured in his head to be just as sweet and pure as Kagome herself. "Hai*, hai! Tell our beloved Hanyou* he'll have to wait a bit more! But, please, god please, sneak Shippo over here. InuYasha wont let him have fun anymore now that we're so close to completing the jewel, you know, Sango." Kagome said and flipped a wet strand of hair back over her shoulder before she began to dry it with some cloth, it looked almost like sheep wool to Youko, and yet...not.

Kagome called the other girl Sango? Also a nice name, though not as nice as Kagome. However, who was Shippo? Obviously a child, since this InuYasha person would not let him have 'fun' anymore. "Well hurry, Kagome-chan*, InuYasha told me he smelled a Kitsune* youkai nearby, it's off to the west a bit but it's pretty close, be careful, ne*?" Sango said, leaving the small clearing. Youko's ears flickered. A kitsune off to the west? He'd check it out in a minute.

Unannounced, about two seconds later, a flying ball of red-brown fur, which was screaming something so high-pitched Youko could barely make out that it was Kagome's name, appeared from the edge of the forest. The thing tackled Kagome, almost toppling them both into the water, however she somehow managed to keep her footing on the slippery rocks and hold the thing out infront of her.

Rounded eyes showed that the all-knowing Youko Kurama was again surprised. It was a kitsune kit! He watched as Kagome cooed at the boy and ran around with him, playing odd games that never lasted too long. The kitsune boy-Shippo-was much too fast for the ningen miko, yet she held herself as if she were not a bit tired. She was, apparently, use to it.

Ah and so enters the ever loving kitsune boy Shippo, clinging to his adopted mother's breast as if he were some how attatched. You think Sango was insane? Try being in Shippo's shoes. Having your father slaughtered infront of you, and skinned for that matter, being picked on by a psycho hanyou with half a brain, being a youkai with no other youkai to really look up to so you look up to your miko mother, and growing up around people who are constantly being attacked by youkai that you should actually be like, but aren't because you have been mislead into the human world! Ah, and you can never forget that your mother isn't from this time and you are in love with the sister of the very same brothers that killed and skinned your father in front of you.

Alas, all good things had to come to an end. "Kagome-okaasan*! Matte kudasai*! I think I smell something weird..." Shippo said and Youko sniffed, and cursed his lack of attention. A female kitsune was coming right for the young kit, probebly thinking another kitsune had moved a family into HER territory.

Ah, so his instinct is telling him to protect the girl? How odd. But did that mean she was the one he wanted to 'steal?' Possibly. Only time would tell.

Males, adult males at least, could spot a female kitsune from miles away. This particular kitsune female stopped short of the treeline, hiding from Kagome and Shippo, but Youko could sense her plainly. Kagome took in a deep breath of air.

A second after she inhaled, Shippo covered his delicate ears, taking this as a sign of painful loud screeching, Youko covered his own ears as well. "INUYASHA~~~~!!!!!" She screamed, grabbing hold of Shippo and looking around for any possible dangers.

Lovely, the beauty had a great pair of lungs on her, or so Youko sarcastically said to himself. He hated loud women, usually. Just as she finished her scream an Inu* Hanyou came running from the woods, his sword out looking around for the damned kitsune. He spotted her immediately and snarled. Youko landed next to this...InuYasha male and struck the female before InuYasha could. The silver kitsune grasped the female's neck and slammed her into a tree so hard it nearly broke her back.

Stupid intincts.

"What do you think you are doing in my territory**, bitch?" Youko growled out.

"Y-your territory?! YOU LIE!! This is MY territory, you damned SILVER!!" Hissed out the red vixen, her red-brown tail puffed up with anger.

"Sorry, did I stutter, bitch? I, Youko Kurama, claim any area within twenty meters of this kit and the ningen MINE!" He snarled out. The vixen visibly shook with fear.

"Y-you're Youko Kurama?! Th-the theif** trained by none other than Sesshoumaru-sama himself?! Onegai*! O-Onegai Shimashita*! Do not kill me!" The vixen screamed, and Kagome stepped up.

"Ano...Y-Youko Kurama-sama*? Onegai...let her go. She has done nothing...onegai..." Kagome pleaded, Shippo quivering in fear. Shippo pressed his face to Kagome's breast, reliving the death of his mother. "Onegai, stop, onegai!"

And so you realize Kagome's true nature. Kind. Forgiving. Amazingly trusting. She'd get killed very easily.

So this was the 'it' he wanted to leave alone? Possibly.

"Don't you beg him, Kagome! You heard her, he was fuckin' trained by my god damned stiff of a brother! He's probebly here to kill us! He claimed you and Shippo as Territory!" InuYasha yelled, right as Sango, Miroku, and Kirara entered the clearing, Kirara carrying the large pack** that Kagome usually held onto.

And so you meet InuYasha, the half-bred inu hanyou with half a brain. Of course you can't blame him, running for his life all these years. Being pinned to a tree for fifty years would be quite enough to drive one insane, but he was pinned by the woman he loved. Oh, it wasn't so bad, he was sleeping the entire time of course, but woke to find a girl that looks exactly like his past love and trying to kill her. His brother trying to kill him. Being subdued by a simple word-sit-though it could only be said by said girl. Finding out your lover did NOT betray you, then have her come back to life and try to take you to hell. Oh yes, and being around everyone in that group in general. Yes, half a brain means you don't have to think so much so you are actually less insane than the others.

Kagome growled at InuYasha, then turned back to Youko with pleading grey-blue eyes. "Onegai, Youko-san*."

Youko sighed and dropped the young vixen, who ran off without another word. He stared at Kagome for a moment, catching her eyes with his own. "What exactly are you?" He asked her, sensing far more than he had before. "Your soul is too large, your aura too innocent. It is as if you are not ningen at all." He took a step forward, only to be attacked by the monstrousity of a sword, the Tetsusaiga.

"Keep your filthy hands off'a her!" InuYasha snarled. Youko, again, quirked a brow.

"Why? She has not been mated, she has not even a courting mark on her. You, on the other hand, do. A human has bitten you." Youko said, wrinkling his nose slightly. "The mark smells of dirt, bones, and ashes**." InuYasha paled and Youko almost smirked. So it was a secret?

It was Kagome's turn to take a step back. "D-did you say dirt, bones, and ashes?" She asked, gripping Shippo closer, who was now looking very, VERY angry.

Youko nodded, an eyebrow raised in question, which was ignored as Kagome's eyes began to flare in anger. Her glare set down on the hanyou boy and Shippo was dropped as she took a deep breath of air, slowly counting to ten. ...nine, ten...damn it whoever came up with that shit either had a half assed temper or had none at all! She screamed mentally, the angry thoughts echoing in any telepathic demon's mind within a seven mile radius. Youko's eyes widened in response as he jumped into a tree. Females had horrid tempers, especially mikos, for some damned reason. Wasn't miko training suppose to calm their auras or some shit? Control their emotions? Whatever it was, it didn't help this particular miko in question.

"DAMN YOU INUYASHA!!!" She yelled, and dropped Shippo to the ground. "SIT!!! SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT!!!!!!" She screamed, warm tears falling down her cheeks. "You god damned MAN! You dare tell anyone to stay away from ME and MY body, possessively clinging to me when you have no right! You made me believe that I stood some kinda chance! That I could be with you, though I don't have a clue why I wanted to!! You used me for attention when you're damn MATE wasn't around!"

Shippo was immediately on InuYasha's head chewing and scratching at the hanyou's ears. Youko was extreamly amused by this action, also by the fact that the word 'sit' had a rather funny effect on the hanyou's necklace. So the little vixen had some subjugation prayer beads on him? Too bad it wasn't something more perminent...like a tattoo maybe? Or put the spell directly on his skin... He watched as Kagome's now pale face twisted in rage and pain. So the hanyou had been messing around with this creature? Stupid boy. Such purity should not be hurt in such ways. Pain in the heart and mind are two things that leads to impurity, which is why most people in the world WERE impure. Youko wanted to take the hanyou's head from his damn body! Someone so pure...so beautiful...how could anyone hurt something like that? How could anyone play with another's heart so?

"How could you do that to Okaasan!?! You bastard! I'll kill you and then you can't hurt her no more!!!" Shippo cried out before jumping out of the way of Miroku's staff, which was dropped on InuYasha's head pretty hard. It wasn't the fact that it hit that amused Youko so much, rather the fact that he swore he heard an empty 'thud' sound rather than the usual 'bonk' sound.

"InuYasha, how could you do such a thing to Kagome-sama?!" He said, his voice shaking as he tried hard to stay calm. Oh, so the monk cared so much about the girl he was struggling to control himself. Unlike mikos, monks had more control. Maybe it was a female thing, most females were rather...emotional after all. "She has been treating you with nothing but kindness and, dare I say, LOVE, for the past several years! And yet, everytime her back is turned you go to Kikyo!" Youko saw Kagome wince at the name. Her purity was being marred by her depression, sure it made her aura a hauntingly beautiful color, but it was pain. Youko wanted to sooth her, however, his curiousity over the treatment of the hanyou got the better of him.

And so you meet the hentai houshi, Miroku. Of course he has every right to be perverted, seeing as he'd die soon if he didn't kill Naraku, and so he must produce an heir. To what? Who knows. He just wants some one to carry on the wind tunnel and kill Naraku. Also he has an amazing habit of not giving up on Sango's rear, which his hand was often found upon. Of course this resulted in severe concussions, and, as I said before, more insanity.

Sango shoved Miroku aside, bringing her sword down, only to be stopped by Miroku's staff. "Now, now, Sango-chan. We need not kill the baka*." Miroku said and handed her the Hiraikotsu, which was promptly brought down on InuYasha's back. An audible crack was heard and InuYasha groaned, just as he had not even a month ago when Kagome had sat him until his back actually gave out. Youko sighed. Not kill him? Why the hell not? He was annoyingly egotistical, he hurt the precious purity of Kagome, he had an annoying voice, he was loud, obnoxious, and most of all he just plain pissed Youko off. What kind of person, youkai or ningen, hurts anything of such purity?

Youko watched with intrest as Kagome went back to sit by the river that connected to the hotspring he had first seen her while the others calmly made camp. He watched as Kagome fell into a depression, marring the beauty of her pure aura. This would not be tolerated. He gave InuYasha a hard kick, causing the boy to go through a tree and hit another, only to fall unconcious. He snarled at the hanyou before slinking off into the forest, to watch Kagome at a close distance unnoticed.

By this time Shippo was with her, murmuring sweet soothing words to his adopted mother. He nuzzled his head into her stomache, a kitsune form of affection. The kit loved this girl very much. Youko watched closely as Kagome kissed the kit's forehead and smiled sadly down at him. Shippo took it as a real smile and curled up in her lap to rest. Youko took a quick glance back and saw the Taijya and the monk were settling down for the night. He sighed and walked up to Kagome.

"Miko, you should go to the camp and rest by the fire, you are likely to get sick if you stay here too long." Youko said, standing about two feet away. Kagome nodded lifelessly and stood, scooping Shippo into her arms. She walked stiffly, the bounce in her step dead for the night. Youko watched as she pulled a thick futon* out of her bag and opened it, sliding inside with Shippo, and slowly fell into a fitful sleep. He lay beside her, running a clawed hand through her hair to calm her down enough that she didn't disturb the kit she loved so much.

Sango had drug the Hanyou back into camp and he was now laying by the fire. Sango, herself, was resting against her giant fire cat while the monk lay close by. Youko shifted into his fox form** and curled his large body around Kagome's smaller form. He settled his muzzle near the kit, while his nine tails came all the way around and rested over Kagome's back and shoulders. Truly she was a beautiful creature, one that he had no intention of losing any time soon.

Truth be told, she wasn't his, he knew this very well, however he was only youkai. Her purity lured him to her, causing his mind to flutter into his own realm of wishes and hopes. He knew she was not his, and that her purity was getting to him, but he did not care. He would protect her from the vile creature known as InuYasha, and the thousands that would no doubt come for her. He would stay by her side, also to help her raise her kit, he was, after all, a kitsune himself. Of course the kit was a red and he a silver, but that didn't matter to Youko as much as it should, considering red and silver kitsune were at war. The black kitsune tended to stay on the silver's side, however there were those golden kitsune that ran with the red. Silvers and black were little in number, however they were much stronger than the average red or gold.

His mind stopped its wondering and he yawned, showing his long fangs and curling his tongue. The girl really did have a calming effect on him. He grew some plants in the fire, since his element was Earth he did have that wonderful ability to do so, and watched as the fire grew. He nodded slightly, knowing the warmth now reached the others, and stuffed his muzzle in the girl's odd futon. It was warm inside, and filled with her and the kitsune's scent. It was comforting to say the least. He curled his tails to cover the girl's entire body before falling asleep himself.

He didn't get to sleep to long, considering that red vixen came back and was desperately trying to arouse him in his sleep, touching him in the most in appropriate places, most likely to mate him and run. He kicked her away, stood, and snarled, hovering over Kagome and Shippo. The vixen snarled back, only to whimper right afterwards. She lifted her tail and turned her back to him, trying to get him to scent her arousal and lose control, too bad he never did lose control in such ways.

"You will not be recieving any kits of mine, bitch. I suggest you get out of my sight unless you want to be ripped apart." He snarled at her, waking Kagome, who froze at the sight of the large kitsune above her. She turned her attention to her surroundings and saw the vixen from earlier leave with her tail between her legs. Youko, or at least she thought it was Youko, lay down beside her and wrapped himself about her as he did before. He sniffed at her slightly before nuzzling her and sticking his nose into her sleeping bag. She giggled as he let out a deep breath of air that tickled her, though the breath of air actually shoved Shippo back near her knees.

"Gah! You moved Shippo!" She snapped at him, opening her sleeping bag and retreiving the now scared kit. She cooed at him and cuddled him, promising it wouldn't happen again. "Aw, Shippo-chan, you can sleep ontop of me where you wont be moved like that again, ok?"

Shippo nodded, yawning much like Youko had but an hour ago, and they lay back down. Shippo crawled under her shirt, and rest his head on her heart. He did love to listen to it. Youko noticed she did not push the kit out, quite the opposite. She rubbed his back through her shirt, then closed the futon, and cuddled into his silver fur. She was so trusting it was almost sickening, she could die one day by trusting someone like that. He curled a paw around her futon and pulled her closer. She stiffened a bit but relaxed when Youko curled his tails about her once more. He knew she liked his fur, everyone with half a brain liked the softness of his fur, so that ruled InuYasha out apparently. He let himself give a soft chuckle at the thought as he kept his ears open for the 'thud' sound, hoping someone would hit him again and it would happen once more. He heard the nearby bush rustle and lifted his head to growl, watching for the red fur he knew was there. That red vixen would be back, and he was not going to let the disgusting creature touch him in such ways again, especially infront of...

Ah, so that's it. Youko realized as he nuzzled Kagome. He wanted Kagome, yet since she is a miko he also wanted to leave her be. Of course this merely ment she was a challenge, and he did so love challenges.

---

It was early morning when Kagome awoke to Shippo's laughter. She looked around, seeing all white she wondered if she had gone blind some how, however Shippo's form slid down from the white and was tossed up into the air by a flash of black. Kagome rubbed her eyes and remembered the fox. She didn't say a word as the fox effortlessly caught the kit in his jaws, careful to catch only the back of Shippo's shirt, and dropping him to the ground. Shippo squealed and climbed back up for another go. Kagome sat up and saw that InuYasha was still on the ground, grumbling about his back as Sango massaged it. Miroku looked rather miserable off to the side glaring at Sango and InuYasha, which Kagome labeled as jealousy. Kirara was, at the moment, missing. Kagome cocked her head to the side. Kirara never went missing...

"Ano...Sango-chan? Where is Kirara?" Kagome asked and Sango blinked, looking around. Youko took this time to shift back to normal, catching Shippo in mid-air as he did so.

"Kirara informed me she went hunting for breakfast, and to tell Kagome-chan that she need not cook Raw-mane?" He looked down at Kagome. "What is that anyway?"

Kagome yawned. "Instant noodles, from...ah...my land!" She said and grinned up at the fox, who was now tossing Shippo in the air and catching him. "Um...Shippo, how about me and you go take a bath?" Kagome asked and Shippo was set on the ground.

"Okaasan!" He yelled and hopped up into her arms, causing Kagome to blush a bit with happiness. She did love it when he called her mother. "Youko-san is really nice and knows all the fox games and about fox fire and illusions and stuff! He said he'd stay and train me! Can he, Kagome?!"

She didn't have the chance to answer when a rock came flying at the two of them, which was caught by Youko. "NO! WE AIN'T GOT NO ROOM FOR YOUR DAMNED KITSUNE LOVER BOY, KAGOME!!!" InuYasha said and Kagome scowled.

"He'd be alot of help, InuYasha, and help Shippo learn more about the Kitsune ways!" Kagome snapped and snarled, as much as a human could at least. "This is NOT under negotiations! Youko-san will stay as long as he likes! Now if you will EXCUSE ME! Me and Shippo were headed out to bathe! And Miroku! If you dare come near I'll sic not only Sango on you, but I'll sic Shippo and Kirara on you! Is that clear? And YOU!" She yells, pointing at Youko. "If you come near the springs I will take back what I said about you and kick you out of the group in two seconds flat!!! Come on Shippo." She ended in a sickeningly sweet voice as she cooed and coddled the kit. She walked over to the huge yellow bag, now sitting over by InuYasha, and grabbed her shampoo, conditioner, comb, brush, body soap, lotion, and a change of clothes before walking off.

Seriously he wondered how the kit kept on Kagome's best side. He was a kitsune, after all, and tended to be mischievious. He watched the rest of the group for a while. Miroku had fallen into a fitful sleep, muttering things about 'baka hanyous,' Sango was currently rekindling the fire, and InuYasha was growling to himself, glaring at a particularly interesting tree that was about ten feet from him. Youko stood and silently left without anyone's notice. Kirara would be back soon with food, so they would be distracted for a bit.

Youko raced ahead and beat the girl to the hotsprings, just barely. He lashed out with his rose whip, striking the ground about two feet away. She turned and glared at him as she dropped Shippo. She sent a small blast of her spiritual energy towards him, something she had recently learned how to do thanks to her many near-death experiences. He dodged the blast and grinned at her, his tail flicking about much like a cat's.

"Hey! Stop playing around! Kagome-okaasan and me are gonna take a bath!" He said, setting up the bottles of shampoo and conditioner near the hotspring.

Kagome smiled at Shippo. "And I, Shippo, not and me." She corrected and turned back to Youko with a scowl. So that was it. The kit defended her often enough to stay on her good side for a good long while, Youko thought.

Youko shook his head. "You two should not stay here unprotected, I could have killed you earlier when I first saw you by this hotspring yesterday, you know. Don't worry you were already dressed, though you were a bit wet." He lied as a dark pink shade began to glow bright on her skin. Kagome gulped.

"W-well...I have Shippo with me!" Kagome said and Youko shook his head.

"I will keep my back turned to you, unless you want me to join you..." He purred out and Kagome threw her shoe at him, which was caught and returned.

Shippo, however, jumped up into Youko's arms. "YEAH! It'll be like when okaasan and otousan* and me took baths!!"

Kagome looked down sadly at Shippo then to Youko. "Ok but we all wear bathing suits. Shippo, go get mine, yours, and the one I brought for InuYasha, you know, the red ones he refuses to wear." Kagome said and Shippo ran off. Kagome then turned on Youko. "Seriously, Youko-san, if you want to protect us, next time dont let him see you and dont watch us...He's looking up to you as his late father, and...you'll leave eventually...distance yourself as much as you can. It'll be hard enough when I have to leave..."

"I don't intend on leaving the kit any time soon, Kagome-chan. And why would you leave? He obviously sees you as his 'okaasan.' And you, my dear, are a puzzle I'd like to solve." Youko said and Kagome sighed.

"He only started calling me that the other day, and it can't be helped. After the jewel is put back together...I may have to go back and...stay there...." Kagome said and she closed her eyes, turning her head from him. "Somewhere...Somewhere...Shippo can never follow..."

"Where?" Youko asked and Kagome sniffled a bit, trying to keep from crying. Youko sighed and wrapped his arms about her, humans liked the 'hug' thing, right?

Kagome stiffened a bit, but other than that, Youko noticed no fear, disgust, or even rejection. "I-I live five hundred years in-in the future and Shippo ca-can't go back there with me..." Kagome choked out, and Youko's ears perked. Five hundred years into the future? How is that possible? "I w-will be born four hundred and eighty years from now**. Even if he lives that long, he'll have to wait until my adventures are over to come up to me, so he doesn't mess up the timeline and things...b-but after I'm gone he'll only have Miroku, Sango, InuYasha, and Kirara. InuYasha ages about the same as humans, so Shippo will only have Kirara in the end, an-and I don't know how he'll survive!" She spilled out and Youko smoothed down her hair. She told her story, about how she was pulled down the well, how she met the hanyou InuYasha, and how things progressed from there.

"I will watch him, and have people I know watch him as well, keep him safe. Even if I die, which is highly unlikely, Koroune would take care of Shippo. I will not leave him alone, if it means so much to you." He said and let out a murr*, her scent of tears was going away, thankfully. "Have you even tried to bring him back with you?"

"Who's Koroune?" Kagome asked, looking up at him as she stepped out of his comforting hold. "And now that I think about it, I haven't tried. Oh, and thank you Youko-san." She said and backed away to bowed lightly. Youko chuckled.

"That will have to wait til next time, your kit is almost here." Youko said and placed a hand on her head, stroking her hair lightly. Kagome smiled at Youko lightly and walked off to meet Shippo.

Shippo hopped into the clearing with the bathing suits clutched tightly to his chest. "Shippo, why dont you take Youko behind those bushes over there and show him how to put the bathing suit on?" Kagome said as she took her bikini-which had replaced her normal bathing suit when her friends back at home shredded it since it was out of fashion. She blushed at the thought of having to wear this infront of Youko. It was almost as bad as wearing it infront of InuYasha! She slipped behind some bushes on the other side of the hotsprings and changed. She came out minutes later and she almost fled to the hotsprings, hoping to get into it before Youko saw her. She left her took her clothes with her, setting them down a foot from the hotspring so that she could grab them and wash them later.

She sighed as the hotspring comforted her and settled on a particularly comfortable rock. She wiggled, a bit, and leaned back. She waited there, letting the smells of the hotspring wash over her and the heat calm her. She heard the bushes rustle and looked up to see a blushing Youko being dragged to the hotspring by Shippo. Shippo jumped in and swam over to Kagome who grabbed him and kissed his forehead.

Youko didn't understand how the kit could be so comfortable in these clothes. These were more revealing than his normal clothing, and even that was considered pretty indecent. These clothes barely covered his thighs, at least his other clothes covered his knees, stomache, back, and part of his chest. He felt...naked. Which was not really a bad thing, considering the pure being was just as 'naked' as he, but with the kit there too he couldn't attempt anything really.

"Theres my boy! I was beginning to think you ran off with Youko-san and left me all alone!" She said and Shippo laughed.

"Okaasan, he didn't wanna put it on! I think he's shy~!" Shippo said teasingly, and Youko flushed, jumping into the pool to get the kit. Shippo squealed and swam away, and Youko ended up grabbing Kagome instead. Both blushed and he looked down with a smirk.

"That's a good look on you, Kagome-chan..." He purred out and Kagome kicked him away.

"Ecchi*!" She said and stuck out her tongue at him.

"Don't show me that delicious little tongue of yours unless you intend to use it..." He murred and his mouth was quickly beside her ear. "On me preferably..." He said and ran his tongue along the outside of her ear. Kagome growled and shoved him away.

She muttered some curses under her breath about hentai kitsunes and stupid soft hearts. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched Youko snicker at her lack of comfort with him so near. He sat beside her, holding his arm out to the kit who latched on. Kagome blinked as Youko threw the kit high up in the air and sent some fox fire after him. She was so scared for the kit she stood suddenly, her hands over her mouth.

Youko chuckled, eyes roaming her body before he explained. "This is a kitsune form of training, its a game for kits. Also, sorry for the...boldness...Kagome-chan. Your purity effects me, it is like...some kind of addiction for demons, particularly we kitsunes." He said and looked up as Kagome settled back down. She and Youko watched as Shippo shot his fox fire to cancel out Youko's and fell right back down into Youko's waiting arms.

Shippo was giggling and Kagome smiled. Youko would be good for Shippo. She reached over and snatched Shippo away, grabbing the shampoo. Youko raised an eyebrow as she put some of the goo into his hair after taking out the ever present ribbon and setting it aside. Shippo murred and let Kagome scrub his hair with the flower scented goo, which turned into bubbles quite quickly. After she was done he dunked under water and she put some white goo in his hair, he swam away and rested in a shallow part of the hotspring. She smiled at Youko.

"Want your hair washed? Its really more healthy than the stuff they use around here..." She said, wrinkling her nose at the thought. Youko thought for a second, nodded, and kneeled in front of her, with his back turned. Kagome put in the shampoo and scrubbed, which had Youko murring in no time. It felt so wonderful! When she was through he dunked under water, as Shippo had, staying under a little longer to get out any extra shampoo in his much longer hair. When he came up Kagome smiled.

"You'll have to keep this next one in for a while, it basically heals your hair and makes it smoother." She explained and he nodded. She put the white goo-like substance in his hair and used one of her hair bands to put it up in a bun. She then looked at Shippo. "Shippo-chan, you can wrinse it out now!" She said and Shippo dove under water, scrubbing his hair with his little hands. Kagome laughed and began to work on her own hair. She, unknowingly, strained the bikini top against her breasts as she did so, causing Youko to lick his lips. She did have wonderfully full breasts, and a tiny waist. Youko murred and went to the other side of the hotsprings, leaning back and watching her through his lashes. She wrinsed and put in the conditioner, holding her hair up.

"Youko-san come here so I can get my hair band back and you can wrinse!" She said and Youko sighed, doing so. She took the hairband out and he dunked underwater, running his claws through his long hair. It did feel much smoother, a nice change from the course hair he was use to having in this form. He liked the softness of his fur in his fox form, which is why he was in his fox form as much as possible. He came up and watched Shippo drying off with the sheep wool looking thing before grabbing one of Kagome's hair brushes and using it on his own hair. It wasn't long before he had his hair back up in a ponytail. He then proceeded to lay on a rock, arms and legs out, and dried his tail with the sun's rays.

By now Kagome was wrinsing out the conditioner. Youko grabbed one of her brushes, the one the smaller kitsune had used, and pulled it through his long hair. Again, it was a wonderful feeling. He murred as he kept it up, leaving the warmth of the hotsprings and shaking himself off, careful not to get Shippo or Kagome with the water droplets that flung from his tail and hair. He then set the brush back down and ran his claws through his hair to check for any extra tangles. There were, surprisingly, none!

Kagome, now out of the hotspring and drying off, sat on the rock where her brushes were and worked with her hair. She used the brush to take out the tangles, the comb to seperate her hair, and then she began to braide her hair. After she was done she tied the end with the hair band and she proceeded to wash the clothes she had worn earlier that day. There was alot of dirt in the clothes, and he could smell faint traces of blood, her blood as well as others. His golden eyes followed her as she went behind the bushes with her spare clothes and changed. She came out wearing tight-very tight-pants that left nothing to the imagination. Her shirt was light blue, with black sleeves, and had the word 'Meow' running across her chest in black velvet.

"Shippo-chan! Time to go! You and Youko go change while I gather the stuff!" She called out to the kit as she put on her shoes. Shippo bounded off to Youko, and they walked back into the bushes where they had changed earlier. It took much less time for them to get on their normal clothes, and they wrapped the bathing suits in the wool-thing that Youko had yet to figure out the name for! By the time they tumbled out of the bush, Shippo's foot getting caught on a tree root once, they found Kagome packed up and ready to leave. Youko grabbed the items from her arms and chuckled.

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They made their way back to camp, laughing happily as Shippo ran about, showing off his abilities to Youko. The rocking horse was the last, and actually made Youko proud. Most of the younger kitsunes did not learn tricks like that until much later. As they entered camp a rock flew right past Youko's head and Youko raised an eyebrow at the hanyou who threw it. The monk was sitting on InuYasha, rolling his eyes at the hanyou's behavior.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY KAGOME!!??!" InuYasha yelled at the kitsune, who snorted.

Shippo was the first to rise to his defense. "Youko-sama was protecting me and Okaasan! He wasn't doin' nothin', stupid mutt!! Besides, she ain't yours!" The red kitsune yelled and put the bathing suits and towel back into Kagome's bag. Youko followed the suit.

"Yeah RIGHT! Like I believe THAT!!! What'd you do Kagome, huh? Have a GOOD FUCKIN' TIME?! Can't have me so you go off with a Kitsune?!" Hanyou yelled harshly, causing Kagome to growl. Youko's growl, however, over powered hers.

"Unlike your little slut, hanyou, Kagome-chan is as pure as pure can get! The only thing that marrs her purity is YOU! Any time you're around darkness spills into her aura, not of hate, no I dont think the girl is even capable of hate, its PAIN! Why? Because you are too much of a coward to admit you had a mate! She decided you were worth waiting for and what did she get in return? PAIN!! Damn you, hanyou! If it wouldn't hurt her at all your head would have been taken from your body the moment you made her cry!" He growled out, his eye sight clouded by a red haze.

"Youko-kun...please stop, its fine." Kagome said, placing a hand on his arm. Youko sighed and looked down at her.

"He hurts you...How can you sit back and let him..." Youko muttered and Kagome smiled.

"Nothing I'm not already use to by now." Kagome replied and InuYasha growled.

"Get your damned kitsune ass away from her!!" InuYasha yelled and Youko rolled his eyes.

"As if some half-wit hanyou can stop me, besides, she's not yours." He said and wrapped an arm around Kagome, pulling her close. Kagome blushed and put her hands on his chest.

"Ano...Youko-kun...onegai...do not fight with him. I don't like it when he's mad." She said and Youko sighed, letting her go. Kagome smiled up at him and looked around to see Kirara had come back and with plenty of food for all. Vegtables, fruits, and two whole deer! They'd be eating well today. Shippo was already sitting down eating a bowl of the stew, Kirara at his side lapping up the rest of her own bowl. Kagome grinned and ran over to get herself a bowl, closely followed by the kitsune male.

Sango served each of them a bowl, glancing shyly at the handsome kitsune. Miroku got off of InuYasha and got both him and InuYasha a bowl. InuYasha ate rather sloppily, disgusting Youko a bit, though he didn't show it. Kagome ate sitting on her futon, Youko only about three feet behind her. Shippo was now playing with Kirara's ball of string, which Kagome brought for her once, and Kirara was batting at the tip of Shippo's tail lazily. Sango sat off to the side, eating as she thought about their last encounter with Kohaku, and Miroku watched her intently as he ate. It wasn't before long that Kagome realized how low on supplies she was.

"Hey, Sango-chan, can I borrow Kirara and go home? I need more things, and I think my mom's worried, I haven't been home in a month!" She said, glaring at InuYasha at the last statement.

"NO WAY BITCH!" InuYasha snarled out, which wasn't very threatening from his position on the floor, not that it ever was any more to Kagome. Youko, however, snarled right back at InuYasha.

"She wants time with her family, she shall have it!" Youko snapped and Kagome smiled. Sango chuckled.

"Go ahead, Kagome-chan, just don't sit InuYasha-san, he's still healing." Sango said and Miroku nodded. InuYasha paled and looked at Kagome with puppy dog eyes.

Kagome giggled and grabbed her pack. In a flurry of fire, the small fire cat was now a ferocious demon, one that Youko was sure could protect Kagome. He stood and helped Kagome tie her pack to Kirara's back.

"How long will you be gone, Kagome-chan?" Youko asked and Kagome smiled as she got on Kirara.

"Only a couple days, InuYasha knows where to find me if I dont come back on time." She said and she reached out, playing with Youko's ears, who simply murred and let her. "If something happens, bring InuYasha to the bone-eaters well by Edo, ok? InuYasha and I are the only ones so far that can get through, to my time. I'll see you later, Youko, watch Shippo for me and dont let him pick on InuYasha right now, he's hurt." Kagome said and she left.

Youko sighed and turned into his fox form, the same medium sized fox that had wrapped himself around Kagome just last night. He picked up Shippo and they lay were Kagome's scent was the strongest, her futon that she left behind.

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A/N

Welp thats about it for chapter one!