Timeless Love

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Chapter Twelve: Scars


Shippo sat up on the roof that was over the well. His heart bled for Chiyoko as he watched her running from the well crying. He wished he could have done something to ease the pain she was feeling but he couldn’t see her just yet.

He waited for Inuyasha’s arrival knowing how badly injured he would be. As he waited he remembered the battle in full detail. What he remembered most was how mad he had been. How mad it had made him that Inuyasha had showed up right as he was about to ask Chiyoko to be his mate. It was the only way he could have gotten out of fighting with Inuyasha. In truth, Shippo didn’t care if he died at Inuyasha’s hands because it would have been an honorable death, but the thing he had most wanted to avoid was having to fight with the man whom he loved. Inuyasha had always been like a big brother and best friend to him.

As Shippo laid across the roof he wondered what was going to happen now. From this point on he had no idea what would take place. He did know however, that the issue of Chiyoko’s protector was still something that had to be dealt with. No matter what, Shippo was going to keep to his vow. Which meant only one thing, him and Inuyasha would have to battle again. He had worked so hard over the last five hundred years to become a great fighter and maybe this time he would have a better chance. Shippo knew that even if he trained for a thousand years it wouldn’t change the fact that compared to Inuyasha he was still a lesser demon. Even with Inuyasha being a hanyou, Inuyasha was stronger by blood.

When the thought passed through his mind he noticed he smelt Inuyasha’s blood below him. Jumping down and looking into the well house Shippo didn’t see anyone. “Inuyasha?” he called out. He listened for a response but heard nothing. The smell of blood was strong in his nostrils but there was no sign of him. Shippo ran over to the well and looked inside. Inuyasha was slumped over and unconscious. Without any delay Shippo jumped in and took Inuyasha out of the well. Shippo held Inuyasha’s limp body in his arms as they sat by the well.

Panic rushed through Shippo like lighting hitting the ground. He remembered that past this night he had never seen Inuyasha again. He thought maybe it was because he had left the area. But he never thought that there was a possibility that during their fight the last blow to Inuyasha’s gut could have been fatal.

“Inuyasha talk to me! Wake up! You can’t die! I didn’t want to kill you! PLEASE WAKE UP!”

Shippo held Inuyasha for what felt like an eternity. Inuyasha made not a single move. His breath was so shallow it seemed that any moment he would stop breathing all together. Tears ran down Shippo’s face as he thought maybe Inuyasha wasn’t going to make it through this time.

“INUYASHA, PLEASE DON’T…”

“Would you stop yelling already?” A conscious Inuyasha answered.

“Oh thank the gods you’re still alive.”

“Did you really think I’d let some little punk kid kill me off that easily?”

Shippo smiled at Inuyasha and helped him up. “Are you going to be alright?”

“That’s what I should be asking you. When I left you back there you were almost dead. I’m sorry Shippo, I tried to make you forfeit so I wouldn’t have to kill you. But you’re just as stubborn as I am.”

“Yeah well, I guess I picked up some pretty bad traits from you over the years.”

Shippo helped Inuyasha walk to his house. When they reached the front Shippo said good night.

“Shippo I need you to do something for me.”

“Anything.”

“I know my daughter well enough to know that she's going to try and disobey me. She is going to go after you and I don’t want her to see what I did to you. If she sees that I left you for dead she’ll never forgive me. I can barely forgive myself.”

“I’ll put up a fire barrier at the entrance to the well house so she can’t go through.”

“No. I want you to talk to her, let her know your okay.”

“Alright, if that’s what you want.”

“Oh and Shippo, one more thing. Try not to steal her from me while I’m recuperating.”

The two of them parted and went their separate ways. Inuyasha went into his house to get bandaged up. He also now had to face his daughter and try to explain why all of this had to happen. Waiting patiently under the Go-Shinboku tree Shippo watched the well. ‘Soon’ he thought ‘soon she’ll be here.’
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In a faint voice Kagome started to come to. “My poor little Shippo… Inuyasha tell me you didn’t kill him. Please! He was like a…” Choking on her tears she couldn’t finish her sentence.

Inuyasha gently picked Kagome up and carried her to their bedroom. “Get some sleep and we’ll talk in the morning.” He kissed her lips tenderly “Chiyoko will help me finish bandaging my wounds and then I’ll be back. Okay?”

Kagome just laid there crying softly. Closing the door behind him Inuyasha fell to the floor in pain. Chiyoko ran to help her father up. “Are you going to be okay papa?”

“I’m hurt pretty badly but in a few weeks it will be like this never happen.”

Sitting Inuyasha down on a chair Chiyoko knelt down to help him finish bandaging his wounds. She noticed the stab wound to his stomach had already bled through the bandages that first covered it. “You shouldn’t have picked mom up. This wound here is really bad and you just made it worst.” Unwrapping the covering she took a good look at it. “I’ll put some butterfly stitches on it to help it stay closed. This way it will heal faster.”

Inuyasha just stayed quite. The pain was almost too much to bare. Everything around him looked to be spinning. He didn’t have much time before his body shut down so he could recuperate.

Once Chiyoko finished she helped her father to the bed. This was the first time she had ever seen her farther in this condition. As mad as she had been at her father for treating Shippo the way he had it hurt her to see him like this.

Once Inuyasha was laying down and under the covers she looked at her sleeping mother. Kagome hadn’t taken the news well at all. “Papa, why didn’t you tell mom that Shippo’s alive?”

“He doesn’t… want…Kagome to….know he’s here.” Inuyasha struggled to answer her. He felt the sleep taking over his body. He knew it would be days before he would wake up and wanted to know that his daughter would be alright. In great pain Inuyasha spoke to her “I’m sorry… Chiyoko... but I had… to…”

“Shh. You need rest.” Leaning down she kissed him on the forehead. “I understand why you did it, I’m not mad at you. I know he’s not dead, but I am a little worried. If you look this bad… Shippo must be…” Tears welded up in her eyes as they did in Inuyasha’s. “Please papa, let me go bring him some bandages and medicine.”

A tear slid down the side of his eye as he heard her request. “No! I don’t want you… to see what I did to him. Please…”

“Papa, he has no one to help him. Are you going to just leave him for dead?”

“He’s full… youkai he’ll heal… faster then me.” This was all he could take, he had reached his limit. The pain was so unbearable that his body shut down. Sleep washed over him as everything faded to black.
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Chiyoko packed a bag for herself. Her eyes were so watery she could barely see what she was packing. She fitted as many clothes into the bag that she can fit. Next she grabbed her soaps, deodorant, brush, and as many other grooming accessories she could find. The last thing she took was the first aid kit, placing it at the top of the bag.

Quietly Chiyoko made her way down the hall. Reaching the front door she heard a voice call out to her. “You won’t be able to go through the well.”

Turning around she faced Hana. “Just because papa said I can’t go doesn’t mean I won’t be able to. Besides, I’ll be back before he even wakes up. Three days tops. I just want to make sure Shippo’s okay.” With that said Chiyoko left.

Hana smiled knowing Shippo was out side waiting on Chiyoko. “I love being able to hear everything!” Going into the living room Hana sat down by the window, cracking it open just enough to hear what was going to happen next. “My own privet reality TV show.” She watched intently as she saw Chiyoko round the corner and head for the well house.
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As Chiyoko turned the corner she noticed a blue light at the door way of the well. Not sure what it was she drew closer to it. Standing about five feet away from the glowing blue light she felt the intense heat that came of it. Slowly she reached out her hand bringing it closer to the flames. Coolness touched her hand as she did so. As if testing her limit took a step forward. When she felt the flame weaken she took another step, this time she brought her hand so close to the flame that a small hole appeared where her hand was, as if deliberately trying not to burn her.

“Haven’t your parents ever told you not to play with fire? You could get burnt.” Letting down the shield completely Shippo took a step forward out of the dark, letting the moon light touch his skin.

“I knew you would never let me get hurt.” Chiyoko said as she continued on her way to the well.

“Chiyoko don’t go in there.”

As if deaf she walked into the well house. Looking ahead of her she saw that blood cover the ground. There was so much blood she was surprised her father had even made it out of the fight alive.

Shocked she asked the question that boggled her mind. “Is this all from my father?” Tears made there way to the rims of her eyes.

Feeling a warm hand on her shoulder she turned to look at Shippo. “How… is he still alive? He lost so much blood.”

“He’s part youkai.”

For a moment quietness filled the air. Then with out another thought Chiyoko started back towards the well, forcing Shippo to break the silence. “Where do you think your going? If I’m not mistaken you where told not to go back through the well ever again.”

Stubbornly Chiyoko continued to walk to the well as she spoke. “I don’t care. I have to go make sure your ok. If my father was this badly hurt I can only imagine what he did to you. I couldn’t live with myself if I just left you there all by yourself. It’s because of me that all of this happened.”

Sitting down on the well Chiyoko started to turn her body. Once both feet where over the wells lips Chiyoko prepared herself to find a young Shippo at deaths door.

“You won’t find me once you enter the well.”

“How would you know? You’re probably laying on the ground somewhere unconscious bleeding to death. For all you know I’m the one who bandaged you up before you even regained consciousness and you never knew!”

“But I do know. I know you never come back to my time. Not now, not ever.”

Tears freely ran down Chiyoko’s face as her emotions took over. “You’re lying! I could never leave you! Not like that! Not when I know you were left to die! Not when I love you so much! I can’t just leave you to die! I CAN’T!”

From behind Shippo took hold of Chiyoko. His loving embrace claimed her distraught soul. With softness in his voice he spoke. “I’m here. Look at me and see I’m standing here with you and I’m alright. Can’t you understand there is no need for you to worry? If it makes you feel any better someone has already found me and is tending to my wounds.”

“I know you’ll be alright. But I need to be with you in your moment of need. I need to see what my father did to you. Why can’t you understand that?” She said using the same tone he had used.

“Because I don’t want you to see me like that.”

For the first time since she had sat down on the well, Chiyoko turned her face and looked at Shippo. “Was it that bad?”

Letting go of her Shippo took a step back. He knew if he didn’t want her to enter the well he would have tell her what she so desperately needed to know. How badly he had been hurt. Taking a deep breath he reached up to the top of his blood stained shirt and slowly started to unbutton it.

Lifting her legs back over the top of the well, she now fully faced him. Even with him standing just a foot away it was hard for her to see through the blackness. Chiyoko’s eyes strained in the dark as she watched; one by one the buttons become undone.

Once the buttons were all opened he slid the piece of clothing off and handed it to her. Raising his left hand to the height of his chest he said two words “Fox fire” letting out a small ball of blue fire that floated over his hand. The blue light lit up the room allowing Chiyoko to clearly see her surroundings.

Chiyoko was shocked at what she saw. Standing in front of her was a half naked Shippo. His body was something to admire. His arms were toned and muscular. The roundness of his biceps was breathtaking. With the shadow of his blue light his six pack was perfectly outlined. But that’s not what shocked her.

His left arm right next to his shoulder sported a faded scar about four inches long. And on his right arm there was a scar that looked to reach one fourth around his arm as if it were trying to be an arm band. But what shocked her most was the right side of his chest. Just inches from his heart there was a light eight inch scar.

Fear stuck in her voice heavily as she made her request. “Can you turn around for me?”

Moving his arm to his side Shippo turned around allowing Chiyoko to see the scar on the right side of his back. This scar was only about three inches long, but Chiyoko understood what it meant. Her father had run Tetsusaiga straight through him.

Her hands started shaking as she touched the scar on his back. Crying Chiyoko ask a question that had only one answer. “Oh, Shippo, how could he have done this to you?”

Turning Shippo took hold of Chiyoko and held her close to his chest, letting the blue light disappear. “He had no choice. Death was the only thing that was going to keep me from fulfilling my vow to you. Your father didn’t want any of this to happen. In the end he only had two things he could have done at the time, kill me or leave me for dead. He could have easily killed me after I lost consciousness, but he didn’t. It’s because of him I’m here and still have a chance to fulfill my vow.”
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