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Chapter 2: Disappearing and glowing
"Let me see the bottle, Inuyasha," Miroku asked, holding out his hand. Once placed there, the monk stared at it thinking on what Kagome had said. 'The jewel wants to be with her? I suppose that since it was torn from her that it would want to be reunited… but still, hearing the voices of the souls inside?'
A sudden thought occurred to him. 'I wonder…'
He took out one of the shards and turned to Kagome, "Lady Kagome, hold this for a moment, please."
"Sure," she replied hesitantly. What did he have in that mind of his? He did have his thinking face on so…
She held out her hand and watched as Miroku dropped the sliver of the jewel in her hand. It hit her hand and continued into her hand like a rock dropped in water, ripples and everything.
The miko snatched her hand back, "What in the world just happened?" She cradled her hand to her chest. It was tingling.
"The jewel was ripped from you," Miroku explained, shrugging like it was obvious, "It's only natural to think that it wants to be reunited."
"And you would probably gain some if not all of its power." He finished, feeling quite proud for figuring it out.
"But," Kagome started, looking confused, "It's never done this before. It only started after that soul from the jewel had escaped…"
Well that threw a wrench in his theory.
"Maybe we should ask Kaede about this." Sango suggested.
That night the girls went for a bath in a near by hot spring. Kagome sat against the side in her bathing suit and stared at the jewel fragments in the small bottle in her hand.
"Do you really think I should Sango-chan?" She suddenly asked. "I mean, Kaede said I should merge the jewel with myself, but… I donno know…"
Sango thought for a moment before answering, "I think that Kaede wouldn't lead you or us in the wrong direction. It is a bit strange but it makes some sense. The jewel is unbalanced because it lost a soul. Merging with the jewel would be a way to fix it like she said. It will also take care of destroying it as well. No one would be able to take it or use it for evil ever again." Sango smiled at her lost and confused looking sister. She took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
"Inuyasha was so mad, though," Kagome can clearly remember all the 'words' he used on Kaede when she said that. She had to sit him 6 times before he shut up… and he was still grumbling about it.
"He'll get over it." Sango replied with a wave of her hand. "And if he doesn't, I'll whack him until he does!"
Both girls burst into laughter at how he would react to that. The mental picture was just too funny.
"Ok, ok," the miko started as they regained control of their laughter. "I think Kaede may be right, but she said that it might change my appearance… How much would I change?"
"Well," Sango thought out loud while wadding out into the deeper part of the spring. "There are demon souls in the jewel, but there is also a miko soul… I think you would take on some demon characteristics but not much more."
"Would I have ears like Inuyasha? That would be so weird but so cute at the same time," Kagome giggled a little while tugging on her ear lobe. "Hmm, maybe not. So maybe just the enhanced hearing and stuff. That wouldn't be so bad. Maybe some claws too" She made 'claw hands' to add to that statement, though it only succeeded in making the slayer laugh.
"Come on, lets get out before Miroku sneaks past Inuyasha." Sango said as she got out with Kagome following behind.
Once they reached the camp, Kagome decided to let the others know that she was going to do as Kaede said. Of course that would be after Inuyasha had some ramen. It might soften him up a bit…
With that thought, she set a pot of water collected from a stream earlier over the fire. Once it was boiling, she added the noodles. When the noodle were no longer stiff, she added the flavor packs and dished a bowl to everyone, making sure Inuyasha got the most. Hey, every little bit counts.
As they ate, the group discussed their next destination.
"I think we should head north. We have been all over the South with no traces or hints of Naraku." Miroku suggested, before slurping up some noodles.
"Well we could go east, but we would probably run into Kouga. And we don't need any unnecessary fights to slow the hunt." Kagome chimed in. Sure she liked Kouga as a friend, but it was really starting to get annoying with the whole 'my woman' crap.
"We can't go west. We'll run into Sesshomaru, and again unnecessary fights." Sango added while placing her bowl to the side, finished.
"Hey! Those fights aren't unnecessary! Sesshomaru is a bastard, and Kouga needs to shut up! Those are good enough reasons!" Inuyasha nearly shouted. He hated the way Kouga hangs all over Kagome. He hated Sesshomaru, period. The bastard wants to kill him and take his sword!
"Hmm, it seems north is the best option right now." Kagome said, completely ignoring him. "Beside we still have a few months before winter. And now that I am being home schooled, I can afford to be away for a while. I'll still need to go back before we leave to-" Kagome was cut off by Inuyasha's immediate denial.
"You just went back! We need leave by morning! Who knows if that asshole is up there? We might miss him!" Inuyasha shouted, scowling at Kagome.
"I WAS going to say that I need to restock if we are going to be gone a long time! Do you really want to run out ramen?" She asked, trying not to get mad at the baka hanyou.
That brought him up short as he considered that. He didn't really want to run out of his precious ramen, especially if it is going to be cold!
"Fine, wench! In the morning, you can go. But don't take all day! We have ground to cover." He huffed, crossing his arms and scowling into the forest.
'So much for softening him up. Well I have to tell them…' Steeling herself, she began, "Um guys?" She waited for everyone's attention before starting again. "I decided to do what Kaede suggested."
She really didn't get a chance to finish before Inuyasha exploded, "What?! You can't do that, bitch!"
Really he should know by now that a command and an insult like that doesn't make Kagome listen.
"What did you call me?! Sit! I can do what I want! Sit! And the more I think about it the more right it seems to be! Sit! So this is what I am going to do, and you can't stop me! SIT!" Once there was a nice Inuyasha shaped hole, Kagome huffed and grabbed the bottle to uncork it. She hesitated before dropping the shards, about ten in all, in her hand. Like earlier that day, the jewel shards were absorbed by her hand. Almost immediately, a glow started. Not a bright one but a soft one. Kagome felt wonderful; it was almost like being whole again. Like not having that awful ache that has been there since Kikyou stole part of her soul. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation. When it receded, she opened her eyes and smiled.
A gasp escaped everyone as they looked at her eyes. Gone was the soft, warm brown that colored her irises, now a brilliant cerulean colored one and a dazzling lavender colored the other. They shone brightly against the backdrop of her fair skin and glossy black hair, even in the dark.
"Kagome," Shippou asked in childhood innocence, "Why are your eyes different colors?"