Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, only this plot line.

A/N: Happy Birthday Bobby aka Shippo-Chan! :D

Summary:

Shippo practices his homework assignment from the fox demon academy and thinks he messed it up. Kirara isn't a very happy neko, when she ends up becoming an unexpected participant. Shippo also wonders if maybe he shouldn't have played so many tricks on his fellow classmates.

Tricking a Trickster:

Shippo floated down from the air in his balloon-like form announcing, excitedly, "I did it. I finally made rank nineteen!" He landed in Kagome's outstretched arms with a grin plastered across his face.

She hugged him close. "Congratulations Shippo, that's great." She brushed an affectionate kiss across his forehead and then bent over to place him on the ground.

Kirara ran around in circles by her feet and voiced her agreement with a mew.

Noticing that the others were not around, Shippo stared at his motherly figure. "Uh Kagome... Where is everybody?"

She blinked and snapped her fingers. "Oh that's right! Sango and Miroku are waiting by the well because Inuyasha and I are returning to my time for my little brother's birthday celebration."

Shippo frowned. "How long will you be gone?" He didn't like when Kagome left, because he was worried he'd never see her again. That and Inuyasha usually picked on him more whenever she wasn't around.

She ruffled his hair affectionately. "Only a couple of days," she said, watching him chew his bottom lip. Guessing that he was nervous, she reassured, "Don't worry, Inuyasha is staying with me the whole time this trip, so you will have plenty of time to relax without him picking on you."

Shippo sighed heavily. He lowered his eyes to the ground and scuffed his paw in the dirt. He was happy that Inuyasha wouldn't be around to pick on him, but he always missed Kagome while she was gone.

Kagome knelt to hug the little tyke and soothed, "Don't worry Shippo we will be back before you know it." Proud of his accomplishment she added, "And since you've passed I'll make sure to bring you back a special treat."

He perked up and asked, "Really?" staring at her with hopeful eyes.

"I Promise." She grinned.

His eyes lit up and he pumped his fist in the air. "Cool!"

Kagome chuckled and then gave him a serious look. "But, you have to promise to behave for Sango while I'm gone, k?"

Shippo grinned at her and stuck out his hand. "Deal."

Kagome shook his hand. "Good." She pulled her pack on and walked into Kaede's village, where Inuyasha was watching her weed the garden.

"Okay Inuyasha, I'm ready to go."

He huffed and shoved his hands into the sleeves of his fire rat haori. "It's about time. The sooner we get back, the sooner we can continue looking for Naraku."

She rolled her eyes. "Would you give it a rest already, Inuyasha? A couple days of relaxation isn't going to end the world."

He huffed and followed her over to the well mumbling, "Don't bet on it."

Kagome turned to face him with a hand planted firmly on her hip. "Inuyasha..." She raised an eyebrow.

He swallowed nervously as his amber gaze darted towards her. 'Oh no... not that voice...' His triangular ears flattened against his head.

He dreaded what would most likely come next. That tone combined with that look, scared him, because it was usually followed by an impromptu sit.

When he realized he didn't get face planted, he lowered his eyes to the ground and brushed past her. "Yeah yeah, let's just get going already." He mumbled, trying not to upset her any further.

Shaking her head in exasperation the future priestess followed him into the well.

Miroku looked at Sango and quirked a single brow, commenting, "It would appear that Inuyasha is getting rather anxious."

She nodded and proceeded to clean her weapon with a special oil and cloth. "I think we all are."

"Indeed," Miroku sighed and placed his staff on the ground before him. He pressed his back against the well, with his hands face up on his knees, and the fingers pinched together. He closed his eyes and focused on clearing his mind.

Shippo blinked and thought a little sad, 'She's gone again.'

Sensing her friend's sadness, Kirara mewled and nudged his hand with her head, while she climbed in his lap staring at him.

He blinked and stared into the fire-neko's eyes for a minute.

She mewed to him and butted her head against his chin.

He smiled and scratched behind her ears. "Thanks Kirara." He rose to his feet. "Come on let's go play."

She mewed and followed after him as he ran towards the river bank.

Shippo laughed and his little legs pumped up and down while he ran towards the open field by the flowing water.

He turned and ran backwards so that he could watch Kirara running towards him. He secretly enjoyed watching her fur blow in the wind as she ran- especially the way her little body moved fluidly as her paws pounded the ground, and her two tails swayed from side to side behind her.

He hadn't told anyone yet, but he was starting to notice all kinds of things about her lately.

Things that he wouldn't normally pay attention to - for instance, the way her fur shimmered in the sunshine with a hint of blue in the black covering the tips of her ears, paws, and around the tails. Or the way her eyes seemed to lit up with happiness whenever she was around her mistress. He really enjoyed watching her eyes brighten.

He continued running backwards and challenged, "Come and get me if you can." Turning to run straight and increasing his speed. He laughed as he felt his red hair flying in the wind.

He really enjoyed playing tag with Kirara. She was the closest thing he had to a friend his age. There were so many things that he enjoyed about her. She was playful, and brave, and strong.

He liked her fur and how warm it was when they snuggled eve without being near the fire. And he liked the purring noise she made when his head rested against her stomach when she laid on her side.

The list just went on and on.

At his challenge, Kirara mewled and quickly ran around to try and cut him off. Seeing that he was distracted for some reason, she quietly moved to the side of him. She pushed back on her hind legs and then leapt forward, using the muscles in her tiny legs to propel her toward her target.

Shippo had become lost so deep in his thoughts, that he was knocked off his feet when her little furry body slammed into his, sending them rolling across the ground and down the small hill, to land in a heap of tangled limbs, with both of them panting.

Shippo closed his eyes trying not to get dizzy and focused on his breathing. The slight weight of his friend on his chest impaired his breathing a little, so when his head stopped feeling like it was spinning, he used his arms to push her off to the side, explaining, "Kirara, I can't breathe."

She mewled and lay over on her side still breathing deeply, as she lowered her head to the ground. She licked his cheek affectionately and stared into his eyes, as if to ask if he was okay.

Shippo blinked and then smiled. "I'm okay Kirara. What about you?"

She jumped up and began dancing around him in circles and then playfully pounced on him.

He laughed and said, "Yeah I guess that was kind of fun." Before adding sternly, "No more for now, okay." As he sat up and pulled some things out of his pocket.

He looked at her questioning gaze and replied, "I have some homework to do before my next lesson."

Kirara sat back licking her paws and mewed.

He chuckled, "Thanks Kirara." He stared at the items in his hand and said, "Now let's see... I think I'm supposed to mix the green pellet and the blue pellet with the yellow powder and some water."

He carried his stuff over to the water and scooped some fresh water into the tiny jar.

He voiced, "Now, how much of the powder was I supposed to use again?" He pursed his lips as he thought back to class and smirked, 'Oh yeah!'

He happily added half of the yellow powder into the bottle.

Kirara followed him and mewed tilting her head to the side.

Shippo blinked at her question and said, "Yeah Kirara, I'm sure, okay. Now stand back." He popped the green and blue pellets into the water and capped the bottle. He then shook it vigorously, watching as the smoke and water mixed into a concoction.

'Looks like it's working,' he thought excitedly and continued to shake the bottle.

His eyes widened as the jar exploded in his hand and the contents splashed all over he and Kirara.

Kirara mewed in annoyance at stared at him with a 'Why am I wet?' type of look.

Shippo's eyes widened as he said, that's not what was supposed to happen.

He squeaked as he and Kirara started expanding and he felt something like hot air filling his insides.

His eyes widened as he reached for Kirara and they started floating into the air. He wailed, "This is not supposed to happen!" starting to get a little freaked out.

"Kirara stay with me," he ordered.

She responded by sending him a glare and an angry mew.

Shippo assured, "I'm sorry Kirara. This wasn't supposed to happen. It should have waited until I drank it and then changed me into a different color."

Kirara sent him a glare and started giving him the silent treatment, as they continued expanding and floating high into the air.

Shippo huffed, "Oh come on Kirara, it's not like I did it on purpose or something."

Thinking back to how he'd been playing tricks on his classmates a few weeks ago, he sighed and thought, 'Maybe this is my punishment for tricking everyone lately?'

Kirara continued to ignore him, not even dignifying his apology with a mew.

They floated over towards the well and Shippo yelled, "Sango, help us!"

Her eyes widened and she tossed a rope up to him, instructing, "Grab it Shippo!"

His tiny arm flailed around the side of his big belly and managed to catch the rope. "Now what," he cried frantically.

Sango tugged him down towards her and when his foot was in reach Miroku grabbed his foot and tied the rope around his ankle.

Sango then yelled for Kirara to stay put while she tied another rope around the neko's foot and anchored them to keep them from floating away.

Miroku asked wide eyed, "Shippo what did you do this time?"

Shippo defended, "Nothing Miroku, I swear. It was a homework assignment that went wrong."

Miroku frowned and asked suspiciously, "A homework assignment, eh?"

Shippo nodded explaining, "It was homework to be done before my next class, but it didn't work like it was supposed to."

Realization dawned on Miroku and he busted out laughing and grabbed his stomach because it hurt from laughing so hard.

Catching on Sango joined him in the laughing fest.

Kirara glared at them both, still remaining silent.

Shippo wailed, "Hey! What's so funny?" Not happy about obviously being left out of the loop.

Miroku took several minutes to compose himself and grinned saying, "The fact is that I've never heard of the fox demon academy assigning homework."

As he registered Miroku's words Shippo's brows furrowed in confusion.

Miroku started laughing again.

Sango chortled, "Looks they finally decided to get you back Shippo." and continued laughing.

Shippo's eyes widened and he stared at his inflated body, and the inflated body of his best friend, as realization finally dawned on him.

The look on the face of the self proclaimed trickster caused the demon slayer and monk to both start laughing all over again.

A/N: Okay there it is, enjoy! XD