The Midnight Bloodline

Sesshomaru noticed the wolf prince’s minions hanging around and would have sighed if it would not have been undignified. It would seem that they were going to have company soon; he had better mind his manners, what few manners he had that is.
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Anisuke returned to camp after traveling to the nearest village with Rin to get some new clothes. Rin and he now had brand new wardrobes that were thankfully being carried by Anuk-sun after he had shrunk them down, though they still took up a good bit of space, he may have overdone it just a little bit, maybe.
He was now wearing a black silk kimono with an emerald sash, it was plain but it made his eyes glow. Rin had insisted on getting clothes that looked just like him and wearing what he was, he thought that it was very cute and flattering. He had no idea that it made them look like parent and child, which is what she was going for after all.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the camp only to be hit by the scent of another very dominate canine, a wolf. He scanned the area and found the source of the smell almost immediately. He was standing across from Sesshomaru with his arms crossed and a slightly aggravated look on his face. He was only slightly shorter then Sesshomaru and seemed to completely unaffected by what little height advantage Sesshomaru had. Anisuke couldn’t stop his blush as he took in the way that the wolf was dressed, he left very little to the imagination. When Rin came to a stop beside him she let out a small gasp that drew the attention of both of the canine’s to them.
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Kouga felt his mouth water, what a beauty! Small and slender with an aura of power swirling from his cute little ears to his tiny little toes, and almost of age to mate too. He knew that Sesshomaru had eyes on him already but maybe they could work something out, after all, it would take more then one dominate to fully appreciate such a treat. Two might not even be enough, so cute.
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Rin scooted closer to Anisuke, she knew that he wasn’t going to hurt her but the wolf still made her a little nervous; he was just so loud compared to Lord Sesshomaru. But being close to her ’mommy’ made her feel better.
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Sesshomaru watched Anisuke’s face carefully, and almost growled when he blushed. He knew that Anisuke was attracted to him, but he also knew that even as a taiyokai, keeping a Midnight fox happy was going to be difficult. Midnight foxes are the only kind of fox that are ’pack’ family yokai, each submissive normally had at least two mates, it was said that the submissive foxes had hearts too big for one love. It looks as if he may have to learn how to share, because there was no way he was letting Anisuke go now.
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The evening after that point was a little strained at first but with Kouga’s outgoing personality, it didn’t stay that way for very long. Soon enough even Sesshomaru was seen to be smiling a little though he would deny it to the last and tear apart any who would dare bring it up -glare-. Kouga didn’t seem to have trouble bringing out the more outgoing side of Anisuke either; it was a sight Sesshomaru’s entire group was happy to see.
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Far away from their enjoyment, Naraku was watching them carefully through Kanna’s mirror with great interest. He was most interested in this new demon, it was said that Midnight kitsunes had the ability to do almost anything if they only put their minds to it. Perhaps he could find something that the little one wanted to trade for a favor that would forever free him from the influence of that filthy bandit Onigumo and the dead priestess Kikyo. Though to be perfectly honest, he was also interested in the kitsune himself, some of the mannerisms he showed threw up warning flags in his mind. He would have to catch him when he was alone, or with only the little human girl, yes that would do nicely, after all, no one had told him about Naraku.
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It was only a couple days later that Naraku got his chance. Anisuke had left the group, which now included Kouga, to gather some herbs from the banks of a nearby creek; he wanted to make dinner that night and wanted everyone to like it. He was rather startled when he looked up to find a handsome yokai staring at him from only a few feet away, he hadn’t seen or smelled him approach. He breathed deeply to find that this man had a rather strange smell, he smelled like a full-blooded demon but there was also the smell of a human soul, a disgusting human soul at that.
Naraku knew that Anisuke could smell Onigumo when his cute nose scrunched up. “Greetings Anisuke-san. My name is Naraku and I have come to ask you for a trading of favors. You do something for me and I will return the favor in whatever way you wish.”
Anisuke measured the man carefully, he knew that his yokai was not a nice man, he seemed to be the type to manipulate those around him, but there was also something about him that was oddly exciting and alluring. Surely there is no reason to refuse to even listen, after all, he knew that he could protect himself if need be. “What favor is it that you wish to ask of this Anisuke?”
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Naraku suppressed a smirk. “I wish to be rid of the human soul that plagues me. It should be no problem for one such as you to remove.”
Anisuke felt the curiosity bubble, a human soul attached to a yokai, how strange. “How did you manage to have a human soul attach itself to you? And why offer me any favor to be rid of it, surely it could not truly be a bother.”
Naraku shifted, this little one was smarter then he had anticipated. “The human soul is that of the bandit Onigumo, as he lay dieing he made a pact with any demon that would listen to give his body to them to become a demon. He had become fixated on the miko that was tending to him, Kikyo. I was the demon that was created.” Naraku looked to the side as he remembered a time he was not too fond of. “At first I was merely a vessel to house his soul as he turned Kikyo and her lover, Inuyasha, against each other. He made them believe that the other had betrayed them, this led to Kikyo’s death and Inuyasha being sealed to a tree within the forest near Kikyo’s village.”
He paused as if trying to remember something that was at the very back of his mind, he was hardly even aware of Anisuke at this point. “For many years he was the controlling power, he wasted his time playing with human lives for amusement, he even cursed a monk with the power of the wind tunnel which passes from father to son and grows in power until it consumes the one who bears it.
Anisuke’s mind traveled to the monk, Miroku, if he remembered correctly. He leaned against a tree as Naraku continued in an almost trancelike state. “It has only been recently that I have been able to become the dominant personality, through the use of the shards of the Shikon jewel. I have used it to remake myself several times, making myself more powerful in the attempt to purge myself of Onigumo, but even in a separate body that soul still influences my actions.”
“Kikyo’s soul was brought back to the land of the living by a dark witch by using the power of her reincarnation, Kagome.” Anisuke felt his eyes narrow; her very name pissed him off. “She travels now, consuming souls and plotting a way to take Inuyasha to hell with her, as even though she knows that it was not he that betrayed her she still holds a grudge against him. I would personally enjoy ripping that woman’s head from her body, but Onigumo’s soul will not allow me to harm her, which aggravates me to no end.”
Naruku finished with a scowl on his face, even thinking of that woman made him angry.
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Inuyasha stared at the fire longingly as Kagome complained about some test she had to take back in her own time. He was so tired of her constantly whining about every little thing, she had gotten better after Anisuke put her in her place but she was still an immature little wench. He knew that sometimes his behavior was a bit childish, but at least he tried to make up for it later and he actually owned up to it, she thought that her actions were perfectly fine, she even thought that wearing ‘jeans’ and a shirt was an improvement. Songo may wear pants when in battle, but she changed into a kimono as they neared a village. So now instead of thinking that Kagome was a whore, they thought that she was some kind of demon man with a female face, a real improvement.
“Inuyasha! Are you even listening to me?” Kagome was standing in front of him with her hands on her hips, wonderful. “I come to this backwards era to help you look for jewel shards and you don’t even listen to me! SIT!”
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Scotland, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Dumbledore sat at his desk, sucking on a lemon drop as he sorted through the post. The Minister was trying to deny that Voldemort had returned and was trying to prove that he was senile and not suited to protect their children. Amazingly the were not doing the same to Potter, they were painting him as the manipulated hero that was being deluded into saying that He was back. Potter was now a rallying point for many of the people who wanted to see him out of power; he had received numerous howlers demanding that he let Potter out of wherever he had hidden him, simply ridiculous. He was almost glad that those Dursleys had gone to Japan, no one would look for the Boy-Who-Lived that far from home.
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Sirius was pissed, Dumbledore wouldn’t let him out of this damned house, and he was tired of being a prisoner. He wanted to be free, and if he couldn’t have that he at least wanted to have his godson. Harry was his world; the only thing that kept him going, Remus had his own life, and was constantly going out on Order business. All Sirius really wanted was to hold his Prongslet in his arms and never let him go, but he wasn’t even allowed to write him a letter, not even a letter!
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Hermione and Ron were not even thinking of their ‘friend’, they were much too busy making out on Ron’s bed in the Burrow. They had only been going out since the second day of summer, but were already groping each other when they found the chance. Neither of them was worried about Harry as he was probably fine and they had more important things to do.
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Remus nursed his newest wound as he moved to the back of the cave; he couldn’t believe that Dumbledore thought that any werewolf pack would ever joined a side with him on it. After all, Dumbledore had been on the muggleborn’s side for years and the majority of the anti-werewolf laws were put forth and passed by muggleborns. Remus himself was not that fond of them, they brought the prejudices of the muggle world to the wizarding one. They thought that werewolves were just like the ones in their fairytale books. He sighed as he downed another healing potion. Hopefully the next pack he had to visit was in a better mood.
The only thing that had saved him this last time was the fact that he knew Harry. He had been shocked that while werewolves hated Dumbledore they loved Harry; he was floored when they explained after the ’disagreement’. Turns out that Harry had run into a werewolf when he was younger and had helped him by tending his wounds, both when he was a wolf and when he was a man. The werewolf had asked why he was helping him and Harry said. “When someone is hurt, they deserve to be taken care of.” It takes a very rare wizard to think of a magical creature as a person, as sad as that is.
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Voldemort looked over his ranks in mild disgust, what was once a glorious army was now a forth of the size it once was. It was at times like these that he wished that he had not jumped to conclusions about the fragment of prophecy that Snape had brought, perhaps there had been a better way to handle the situation. Oh well, it seems as if it is time to take a small trip to Azkaban.
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No one in all of England had any idea that Harry was no longer with the Dursleys; maybe, just maybe they should have paid more attention to their savoir.
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Anisuke found himself deep in thought, he knew that he could separate Onigumo and Naraku, but he knew that in doing so he will be giving Onigumo his own body. He could make sure that he formed somewhere else but that would be the best he could do. “If this Anisuke frees you of the human soul, he will gain his own body and will likely not be pleased with you, or me. Would you be prepared to be forced to face him as a demon just as powerful as yourself at some point?”
Naraku knew that that was a possibility; he knew Onigumo would be a very troublesome opponent who knew everything about him. “I would rather face him in a field of battle then to worry about him gaining control of my body on that same field. What would you want from me in return for this favor?”
Anisuke tilted his head to the side as he considered. He knew that this man had done many horrible things that had nothing to do with Onigumo, but so had Sesshomaru and Kouga. The yokai spirit was a violent one. There was also the fact that he got the same feeling from Naraku as he had from Sesshomaru and Kouga. “I would only ask that you refrain from hurting those close to me, and to assist them in the destruction of Onigumo as most of the blame for your actions, whether or not he deserves the credit.” Anisuke could not quite suppress the smirk that blossomed.
Naraku found himself with an answering smirk, and here he had thought that he had fooled the young fox into thinking that he was an innocent in all this. “I suppose that it would be easier for me to defeat him in your company, but would your company allow my presence? My history with them has not been spotless after all.”
Anisuke cocked his head to the side, yes, he was sure that both Sesshomaru-sama and Kouga-sama would not be pleased if he showed up with Naraku in tow, on the other hand, it would be better to have him around to help take care of a ‘man’ he knows so well. “They may not like it but I’m sure that I could convince them to at the very least allow it.”
Oh, I’m sure that they would do just about anything that you asked them to, I know I would, the thought almost caused Naraku to break out into a grin. This little one had three yokai wrapped around his little fingers and had absolutely no idea. He had managed to fall rather hard in the time he spent spying on him, watching his every move, and seeing him in person just cemented it. “Then it is agreed, you will free me and I will help to get rid of my alter ego of sorts. Is there anything else that you want? I was already planning on destroying Onigumo if he continued to exist.”
A smile spread across Anisuke’s face causing Naraku to blink. “Oh, well the only other thing I could want from you in exchange is the Shikon jewel and that comes with you into the group anyway so I am killing two birds with one stone already, perhaps later I will think of another favor.
“Why would you want the jewel, surely you don’t need it?” The mischievous grin that Anisuke aimed his way made his mouth go dry.
“Oh. I don’t need it but I would greatly enjoy seeing Lady, and I do use the term lightly, Kagome’s face when she finds that the little demon she so insulted managed a feat she couldn’t. The resulting temper tantrum would be well worth it, do you not agree?”
Naraku threw his head back and laughed, it was the first real laughter he had had, that did not include something that got him closer to his goal of freedom anyway. “Yes, that would be a wonderful use for the portion of the jewel that I have.”
From there on they were both all business, it took slightly longer then either of them expected to untangle Onigumo’s soul, he had managed to wind himself tightly around Naraku’s soul. After unwinding the soul without damaging the other Anisuke used the small window of opportunity to essentially fling the soul as far from them as he could manage. The whole process took quite the toll on Anisuke, leaving him far too exhausted. That left Naraku the task of carrying Anisuke back to where his group was most likely becoming worried, not that he would complain about having to carry the cute fox, but dealing with Sesshomaru and Kouga without Anisuke as a buffer would be anything but enjoyable. Hopefully Anisuke would be conscious enough to defend him to the others, or at least make them give him a chance to explain before they decided to gut him.
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Inuyasha felt a change in the air that caused a shiver to run down his spine, something had changed, even his weakened yokai instincts could tell him that. He could only hope that this change would not end up getting everyone killed.
Shippo felt the change more acutely then Inuyasha did, he knew that the change would make things easier and harder at the same time. It made him think that perhaps it was time to put his plan into action. He was tired of being thrust into battle by Kagome for his small powers of fox fire and illusions. She used to be a good momma, she would play with him and protect him, but now she ignored him most of the time and the only person who paid any attention to him now was Inuyasha, and he only yelled and hit him on the head. It didn’t really hurt but it didn’t make him feel very good. Maybe that Midnight Kitsune would take him in, Mommy had always told him that any kitsune would take care of someone else’s kit, it was in the kitsune nature to protect any young.
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Both Sesshomaru and Kouga were slightly worried about Anisuke, they knew that he was more then capable of protecting himself if need be, but he had been gone for far longer then he had told them he would be. When they felt the shift in the spirits, they were both ready to find Anisuke when they saw a figure moving through the trees. When he entered their camp site the only thing that kept them from attacking on sight was the body of a sleeping Anisuke in his arms.
Sesshomaru had to use every ounce of his control to speak past the growl in his throat as Kouga was already in full growl. “Put Anisuke down and this Sesshomaru will consider not destroying you slowly and painfully.”
Naraku flinched back slightly, Sesshomaru was one canine that he was not to fond of being on the bad side of, he was certainly more bite then bark. “Anisuke has done me a great favor and one of his requests was for my assistance, so until he wakes up and can confirm my story I will continue to keep his person close, as he is the only thing that guarantees my survival.” Of course there were other reasons he wanted to hold Anisuke, but from the looks on the two canines’ faces, they were more then aware of what those reasons were.
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Kikyo left the area around the village that she had inhabited for several weeks at her usual slow walk. She had felt the shift and knew that it did not spell good news for her. The spirits whispered and teased her telling her that soon the world would be free of her wandering form and the souls that she had consumed would finally have their revenge. She did not fear true death, so long as she was able to take Inuyasha’s soul to hell with her. She did not hate him, but he belonged to her, and if she was no longer among the living then he had no right to continue on either. She would also not mind taking that insufferable reincarnation of hers down as well, calling that girl her reincarnation made her stomach turn, the girl was nothing more then a child trying to play adult games. She would learn what it was like to lose those games.
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Anisuke awoke to find three dominant yokai glaring at each other from opposite corners of the camp with Rin, Jaken, Ah-Un and the wolves watching amusedly from a safe distance away. Naraku was the first one to break the glaring contest to acknowledge him. “I do hope you are ready to tell them of our deal, as it seems that they would both love nothing more then too rip my head from my body.”
Judging from the looks that were being sent Naraku’s way, he was certainly right about the other’s intention. “I made a deal with Naraku to free him from the parasitic soul known as the human bandit Onigumo, in exchange for his help in defeating Onigumo, as his soul was not destroyed in the process, and also to use the jewel as a form of amusement when annoying Kagome.” Anisuke figured that in their current state, sweet and short was the only kind of explanation they were going to except.
He was right; they both understood that it was a very sound plan. Sesshomaru did not really hold a grudge against Naraku, as he would do almost anything himself to rid himself of a human soul that was within his own body, -shiver- disgusting. Kouga had more of a grudge against Kagura then he did against Naraku, but he could put such things aside for the betterment of his pack, and from the looks of things, Naraku was going to become pack. That in fact was what made the two of them so on edge, they had a hard enough time adjusting to each other and now there was a third dominant, they knew that the group was now complete though, which made it slightly easier to deal with, slightly. Now all they had to do was wait until Anisuke came of age and went into heat, hmmm, they would all enjoy that day.
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Shortly after the group expanded it was decided that it was time for both Sesshomaru and Kouga to visit their lands to check on their people. They both had people that they could trust to run things while they were gone, but they wanted to be sure that everything was running as usual. They both refused to leave Anisuke alone though, so they decided to go, as a group, first to Kouga’s as it was closer, and then to Sesshomaru’s. Anisuke was slightly confused about the smirks that graced the other’s faces whenever they talked about visiting Sesshomaru’s castle, especially when he had confessed that his fifteenth birthday was in a couple weeks.
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It was on the way to Kouga’s pack that they crossed paths once more with Inuyasha’s gang, though considering the large chunk of the jewel they had in their possession, it was inevitable. Anisuke sensed them long before they even got close. He spent several minutes arguing with the others about how to handle the problem. Anisuke wanted to face them on his own, to fully enjoy the look on Kagome’s face. The dominants did not want Anisuke anywhere near Inuyasha alone, they knew he could handle it but it was still their job to make sure that their sub was safe and happy. It took teary eyes and an irresistible pout to finally convince them to watch from far enough away that Inuyasha wouldn’t be able to sense them as Anisuke had his fun. So Anisuke moved to one side of a rather large field of wildflowers as he waited for the confrontation.
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As she rode on Inuyasha’s back, Kagome shouted out directions. “There is a very large shard of the jewel just south of here, it has to be Naraku!” She gripped Inuyasha even tighter as he sped up.
In fact, everyone seemed to move just a little faster. They all hoped that this would be their chance to defeat Naraku once and for all. The only one in the group that was not looking forward to a battle with Naraku was Shippo; he never really cared about Naraku. The only grudge he had ever had was against the Thunder Brothers, and they were both dead.
One could only imagine their surprise when they raced into the meadow where the shard was to find, not Naraku, but to find little Anisuke weaving flowers together to make a crown. “Oh hello, is there something the matter?” The smile that crossed his face was just short of evil.
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It took every ounce of control Anisuke had to keep from rolling with laughter at the looks on their faces when they skidded to a halt. They looked as if someone had viciously murdered their favorite puppy. “Oh my, you all look like you were expecting someone else.”
Kagome jumped off of Inuyasha’s back with what she thought was an intimating glare. “I know that you have a large shard of the Shikon jewel, so hand it over.”
That was all it took, Anisuke could not stop the laughter. She actually thought that she was just going to demand the jewel and he was going to hand it over. “You really think that you could scare me into just giving up such a pretty little bauble.” He saw all of their eyes widen as he pulled the large chunk of the jewel out of his kimono. It made a rather fetching necklace as far as Anisuke was concerned.
Inuyasha felt the color drain out of his face. “How did you get that? The last time I saw a shard that big, it belonged to Naraku.”
Anisuke allowed his face to form into a slightly smug look. “Oh yes, it was Naraku’s but he thought it would look better on me, and besides, he didn’t need it anymore.”
Miroku stepped forward with slight hesitation. “What do you mean by that little one?” The wind tunnel still existed, so Naraku had to be alive.
“Well, the only reason he wanted it was to be powerful enough to properly eject Onigumo’s soul from his body. I took care of that for him, though now Onigumo has his own demon body somewhere out there, but I’m sure that he’ll be easy to deal with later on.” He gazed toward the sky with a thoughtful look on his face. “Sesshomaru has told me that you have been searching for the jewel for over a year and you couldn’t even keep your hands on half of it. I wasn’t even trying to look and I now have most of it. That certainly shows the glaring difference between humans and yokai, does it not Lady Kagome.” He attached the title only because he knew it would just piss her off even more.
Kagome flushed, she knew that the title was more of an insult then anything else that he had said. Songo stepped forward to stop her, but she was far too pissed. “How dare you insult me?! I may not be as powerful as you, but I know things that you couldn’t even dream of.”
Anisuke let a smile cross his face, that was just the opportunity he had been waiting for. “Oh really, are you perhaps referring to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo?” He watched as her face paled. “Or maybe the 120 steps that lead to the Higurashi shine and the Bone Eater’s Well. There is also the 500 years worth of history that separates this time from the one we both come from, is that what you think that you know that I do not?”
Kagome could not stop shaking. “You’re from the future too. How? I’ve never seen a demon in my time.”
Anisuke almost felt sorry for her, almost. “Just because you have never seen something, does not mean that it does not exist.”
Inuyasha stepped forward and in front of the hyperventilating Kagome. “Anisuke-sama, I would like to request the use of the Shikon jewel. I wish to use it to become a full-blooded demon. I would also like to know where Naraku is now so that I can destroy him.” He was more then a little surprised to find himself flat on his back before he had time to blink, with Anisuke staring at him in disgust.
Anisuke battled his anger rather well all things considered. “You are a hanyou, that is what you are and what you were meant to be. Instead of seeking to change that you should be leaning to control your demon blood. I have no respect for someone who would only seek the easy way out. The Shikon is not meant to be your escape route.” He gazed at each member of the group causing all but Shippo to flinch away; Shippo met his gaze with a sense of longing. “And as for the location of Naraku, the only thing that you need to know is that he is with me and therefore out of your league. If you truly wish for revenge, it is not he that you should focus on, but rather his now separate counterpart, Onigumo.”
A slight wind whistled through, bringing a woman in a flowered kimono and a small girl in white with no emotion in her eyes. “That was very well said, Anisuke-sama.” The woman’s voice was confident, despite the drawn weapons of Inuyasha’s group. “It is very nice to meet you, I am Kagura, and this is Kanna.”
It only took a moment for Anisuke to remember what had been said about the two. “Yes, Naraku was wondering how long it would take for you to join him.”
Anisuke turned back toward the others looking slightly impatiently. “Well if you have nothing more to say, I have places to go and people to see. I would greatly appreciate it if you would travel as fast as you can in another direction. After all, Onigumo is most certainly not where I am going, and if you have any hope of overcoming him, you had better confront him before he adjusts to his new form.” He stared at them significantly until they left, although he noticed that one of their number had slipped away from them at the last moment without the others picking it up.
He walked over to the young fox and knelt down to his level. “Is there some reason you have left your company, little Shippo?” He made sure that his voice was as gentle as possible, even though he was still a little peeved over the hanyou’s self-hate. You are what you are.
Shippo shifted from foot to foot. “I lost my parents along time ago and Kagome used to take care of me, but she doesn’t love me anymore and I don’t want to fight anymore.” He gazed up into Anisuke’s eyes to find understanding. “I want to travel with you, please.”
Shippo was both shocked and thrilled when he was picked up and held as Anisuke turned toward the others. He knew that he would be safe now, no matter what happened he had a new momma.
No words were needed between Anisuke, Kagura, and Kanna as they turned and made their way to where the others were waiting.
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