Chapter 1: Life After Naraku
Kagome watched Kaede. Kaede grasped the plant near the root, and sawed at it with a small sickle. Small flecks of dirt spotted their red kimono bottoms, their white shirts spotless. The air filled with a sharp bitter sweet smell as the plant finally cut free. Kaede laid the plant on a white cloth next to her on the ground. She picked up another sickle.
"Here ye are, Kagome." Kagome nodded, and took the tool. Slowly at first, she sawed at the thick plants. As she got better, she got faster. She looked up at the sky, and smiled. It was a perfect day, not a single cloud in sight. The sun was beginning to set, lighting the sky in gold brilliance. Birds chirped their farewells, and the wind tousled the green leaves. She looked back at her work, and sawed quicker. Sango was about to give birth to the third child. Miroku and her already had twin girls. They loved Inuyasha's ears.
She was going to help Sango after the child was born. Sango would be exhausted, and would need nourishment to keep her safe from illness so soon after giving birth. The blade stopped suddenly, and Kagome tugged on the handle. This one was really thick. She tugged harder, and the blade slashed through it, and continued into her hand. With a cry, she dropped the sickle, and clutched her hand. Bright red blood seeped through her fingers, and dripped onto the turned soil.
"Kagome! What have ye done to yourself? Let me see ye hand." Kagome carefully extended her hand, biting her lip to stifle her gasps of pain.
"Ye cut deep, Kagome. I'll need to stitch this." Red and white approached quickly from the other end of the field.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha appeared at her side. He put a hand to her cheek, and stroked her face with his thumb. Kagome blushed.
"Are you okay?" She nodded, and grimaced when Kaede proded the wound.
"Yeah…oooooh!" Inuyasha looked worried.
"What is it---oh. What are you doing to Kagome you old hag?" Kaede looked his coolly in the eye.
"Do ye wish Kagome to bleed out? Bring her to the hut, Inuyasha." Inuyasha looked at her hand, rolled his eyes, and cradled Kagome in his arms. The trio walked to Kaede's hut near the entrance to the shrine. When they walked in, Shippo was there feeding the fire.
"Kagome!!!"
"Oh, hey Shippo! You came back from your training?"
"Yeah, only for a while though. Hey, what happened to your hand, Kagome?"
She shrugged.
"Cut it." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
"Gored is more like it." Kagome rolled her eyes in turn.
"I'm fine, relax. Kaede will stitch me up good and new, right Kaede?"
Kaede nodded, towards the bedroll, and Inuyasha laid Kagome on it. Kaede reached into a bowl, and drew out a white cloth. Next, she brought up a needle and thread. She filled the bowl with water, and added some leaves to it. Heating it over the fire, the leaves turned the water cloudy. She dipped the cloth in, and then wrung it out. Kaede handed it towards Inuyasha, who took it, and brought it to Kagome's face.
"Wait, what is this stuff?"
"A liquid that will make you go into a deep slumber, so I can sew ye up without ye in pain."
"Oh. Okay." Inuyasha grabbed her other hand tightly, and brought the cloth to her face again. Kagome breathed in deeply, and blinked several times. Inuyasha put the cloth down, and put a hand to her cheek.
"You'll be fine Kagome, I promise." Kagome smiled.
"I know, you go help Miroku, he's worried about Sango. Okay?"
I shook his head.
"They'll be fine, I'm staying right here." Kagome raised her eyebrows.
"Okay, but leave Kaede alone. She knows what to do. It's not like she going to kill me. Relax." Inuyasha's face softened. He leaned forward, and kissed her gently on her lips. Kagome tried to sit up, but he kissed harder, keeping her head down. She began to reach her hand to his hair when Shippo coughed.
"Uh, guys, I'm too little to see that kinda stuff." Inuyasha smiled against Kagome's lips, and drew back. Kagome blinked, her vision began to blur drastically. She went to rub her eyes, but her hand was too heavy. She moaned in defeat, and fell asleep as Kaede approached with the needle and thread.
