Chapter 7: Pranks and Redemption

Three days passed with events showcasing the strengths of the females. Shippo would spar with a male from Asguard everyday before lunch. It always gathered a crowd of females. They were eager to see him in action, in more ways than one. He was attractive and intelligent. He had showed a bit of magic. He was a master of illusion as well. And the females found themselves wondering what his tails felt like. Needless to say, only Kagome had been able to touch his eight tails. He had her brush them everyday. The females were jealous of their relationship.

"What a fine specimen," a blonde in green said to Lady Sif. "I could eat him up." She smirked.

"You do know he is an important person, Amora," Sif said. "Not a warg."

"Not like you have a chance with him," Amora said. "It would be easy enough to cast a spell on him."

"A spell wouldn't work on me," Shippo said as he pulled on his haori. "And I have wonderful hearing." He smirked and Amora blushed. "Perhaps you will spar with me tomorrow, Lady Sif."

"Of course, general." She was shocked but wouldn't show it.

"Call me Shippo." He smirked as he headed in. The females swooned as his tails flickered behind him, hair brushing his butt.

~Midguard~

She shot up, sweat slicking her face and hair. Her breathing was rapid and her eyes dilated. Since meeting Thor's sister, she had been plagued by nightmares of her past, worse than before. She pulled on a shirt and a pair of pants before walking outside. She looked to the sky. It was a full moon. "Kagome," she whispered almost desperately.

~Asguard~

Kagome felt the pull of the call. She looked to Lady Sif. "There is something I must attend to." She stepped out onto the balcony and she cut a hole in the dimension before stepping into it. It closed behind her and she cut another hole and stepped through it to see Natasha Romanov looking at the moon.

"Your aura is distressed," she stated and Natasha looked at her.

"I have been having nightmares since I met you. My past plagues me." She seemed shaken.

"I cannot erase your past," Kagome stated, "But I can ease the burden you carry." She approached slowly. "There is two ways to go about this. The fast way and the slow way. The fast way will have you drained for a few days. The slow way will take days but you will have energy and feel less fatigued. It is easier on you to take the slow way. The fast way might break you."

"Please, just help me."

"I will, but you will become a votary of sorts for me." She moved closer to Natasha. "Tonight you will rest. Tomorrow I will be back at sunset." She placed a hand on Natasha's head and a light shined briefly. "You will not be plagued with nightmares." Natasha nodded and headed back in, exhaustion in her bones. "Good night, Natasha Romanov." She cut a hole in the dimensions and stepped through it, returning to Asguard.

~Next Morning~

Shippo lounged out in the sun, Kagome sitting behind him. She had a brush in her hand and a tail in her lap. His eyes were closed and a lazy smile on his face. She ran the brush through his tail. Their was a group of females looking on. He could hear them whispering about how their princess was bound to be his wife. He could never do that. She was his mother afterall.

"Lady Kagome, General, breakfast is ready," Sif said.

"Alright." Shippo stood slowly before helping Kagome to her feet. "I look forward to our spar before lunch, Lady Sif."

"Like wise, General." She followed after the two.

"Shippo, can you go ahead? I would like to talk with Lady Sif." He nodded and headed off. "Not many know, but I met Shippo and Lord Sesshomaru just over five hundred years ago. I know the other females think I will be chosen as his wife because of the relationship I have with him."

"My lady?" Sif looked confused.

"When I met Shippo, he was a kit. I took him in and raised him as my own for about three years. He is like a son to me. True, he is older than me now, but I can only ever see him as my son, and I want what is best for him. When the time comes, he will ask me to approve the woman he takes as his mate."

"I'm not sure I understand how you could have met them five hundred years ago when you are no older than two decades."

"Time travel. I used a well on the grounds of the shrine I used to live on to travel into the past."

"And the grooming?"

"Kitsune are social creatures." They took seats away from everyone else. Shippo was surrounded by females, whom was being awed by his fox fire. "But they only let pack touch their tails. It is a form of bonding, and reassures their young. But not even mother's can touch their hair after they hit a certain age." They started to eat. "Kitsune tend to be showy, so don't mind that. It will tone down once he mates."

"They seem to be throwing themselves at him," Sif said, looking at the table Shippo sat at.

"It is a sort of test. He's looking for a mate, so he will not be bedding anyone during the process." Kagome stood from the table. "He will not take them as his mate. They are too easy." They moved to the gardens to see Rin sitting in the blossoms. She always did love flowers. "He will want someone that he knows will be faithful. Someone strong and independent, but knows when they need help. He's grown up with Sesshomaru as a mentor, so he will want someone with honor."

"Why tell me this?"

"You stand a better chance of catching his attention." She smiled at Sif. "You have honor and I have not seen you be intimate or overly close with any male." She could see Shippo approaching. "Time for you to spar with the general, Lady Sif. Do your best to impress him." She pushed in the direction of an approaching Shippo. "I shall see you both at lunch." The two nodded and they were gone.

~The Spar~

Shippo took his stance, sword drawn and haori gone. Lady Sif was in her stance as well, her eyes taking in every little move he made. The females stood to the side, watching on. Amora was scowling. She didn't want the female to impress the male.

Shippo leapt forward and Sif blocked his strike before pushing him off and going for a strike of her own. Shippo dodged it and sent out an attack of his own. She dodged his three strikes before making an attack of her own. Her three slashes missed but she was able to connect a kick to his side. He smirked and attacked again, delivering his own kick, which sent her stumbling backwards. She dodged his next attack and smacked the back of his head with the flat of her blade.

"You took me by surprise there, Lady Sif," he commented as he turned around, the muscles in his torso flexing as he did so. He smirked as he got back into his stance. She got ready again and they started again, neither giving anymore ground.

Amora scoffed before waving her fingers, the ground under Sif's feet becoming mud. She slipped and landed on her butt. The other females started to laugh. Amora smirked as she made her way over.

"You really should pay more attention to your surroundings, Sif," she said with a smirk.

Sif scowled but said nothing. Shippo helped her to her feet.

"If you are trying to impress me, you've failed." His face was serious. "All you have managed to do is prove to me that you are childish and immature. As are they for laughing at an obvious prank." He sheathed his sword and pulled on his haori. "Go change, Lady Sif. Perhaps we will resume our spar tomorrow before lunch."

"Very well, general. I thank you for the spar." She sheathed her sword. "I shall get cleaned up and see you at lunch." She turned and walked away towards her room as Shippo made his way to the gardens. She easily got out of her armor and clothes. She washed the mud from her arms, legs and face before getting dressed in another set of clothes and armor. She made her way to the dining hall. She found Kagome with Thor, Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral. Shippo seemed to be talking with Lord Sesshomaru. She took a seat next to Kagome.

"I heard what happened," Kagome said. "What she did was uncalled for. I am glad Shippo stood up for you. He has been giving the other females the cold shoulder since."

"I have another spar with him tomorrow." She started to eat. She knew the other females were glaring at her.

"I have somewhere I must be at sunset," Kagome told Sif. "I will be back pretty late."

"Do you need me to go with you?"

"No. I will be in no danger." She smiled at Sif. "I appreciate your concern, but there are more festivities I want you to partake in. Should my father ask, tell him I was called away to handle an important matter."

"Of course." They finished eating and Kagome went to the training pitch to train, knowing a male or two would approach her. They always did.

"Kagome," a male said as he approached. He was a head and a half taller than her with blond hair and green eyes. He was built like most Asguardian males. "I am Brandt." He gave her his most charming smile.

"I have training I want to get to." She moved past him.

"Perhaps, I can help you pass some time." He moved next to her.

"I am not interested," she commented.

"I could show you the true pleasures of life, if you were to become my priestess." He moved closer and tried to give her a sauve look.

"I am not interested in becoming anyone's priestess," she said with a scowl. "Thor, Aniki."

"Yes?" He walked out from the hall. He could see the scowl on Kagome's face. "The sun will set soon, little sister. You said you had an engagement to get to."

"Ah, yes. Thank you for reminding me." She smiled at him before unsheathing her sword. "I shall be back later." She cut a whole in the dimensions, before stepping into the rift. It closed behind her.

"Approach my little sister with such motives again and you will regret it." Lightning crackled around his Mjolnir.

"I apologize, my prince." He bowed and left the training pitch.

~Midguard~

Kagome stepped out of the dimension to see Natasha sitting on a bench. "We shall begin now." She moved closer and pulled Natasha to a secluded place at Stark towers. "Sit now, Natasha." She sat down cross legged and Natasha copied her. "Now close your eyes, Natasha. Remember back to your first memory." She let her power leak into Natasha's head. Flashes of Natasha's past filled her mind. She allowed her powers to caress Natasha's soul finding the holes and darkness. She started with those holes and darkness.

It was a few hours later when Kagome withdrew her power. Natasha opened her eyes, feeling tired, but somewhat lighter. "Sleep, Natasha. Tomorrow we will continue." Natasha started into Stark tower.

Kagome cut a hole in the dimension and moved quickly back to Asguard. She moved quickly to her room, too tired to do much of anything. She changed into a night gown before crawling into bed. The next few nights would be tiring.

~Next Morning~

Kagome yawned as she sat at the table with her father. She would need to meditate to get her energy back.

"You are unusually tired, miko," Sesshomaru said as he took a seat, Rin next to him. "The kitsune complained about missing his morning tail brushing."

"Hn," she commented as she ate some fruit. "Long night, so sue me."

"Little sister," Thor greeted. "Long night?"

"In a sense." She stood. "I need to meditate." She left the room and headed towards the gardens. There was a peaceful pond she could meditate next to. She sat next to the pond and closed her eyes. She cleared her mind and started to allow her power to caress her soul and body. She could feel her energy slowly replenishing. She would have to do this for the time she was helping Natasha. She would need all the energy she could get.

"Kagome, perhaps I can help you take a nap," a voice said from behind her.

"I am not napping." She never opened her eyes or moved. "Nor would I give you the time of day." She breathed deeper. She was starting to feel refreshed. She stood and opened her eyes. The black-haired, blue-eyed male was still standing there. She moved past him. She could feel Loki nearby. "Loki, aniki." She smiled at the trickster. "Would you mind taking care of this one?" Loki smirked before zapping the male in the ass. He jumped up before running off. "Thank you, aniki."

"Aniki?"

"Big brother." She threw an arm around his shoulders. "I always wanted a big brother, now I have two." She smiled as they walked in. "Change into Thor!" Loki did so and she grinned broadly. "Now me." He did so. "You are awesome." She was giddy. She liked having a brother with such strong magic.