I knew that Kaede was surprised at my insistence for training, yet pleased as well. No doubt, everyone had assumed my worry for Miroku's life would make me want to keep pushing onward until I either died or won by sheer luck. As much as I care for my friends, I need to stay alive more, and that means doing whatever it takes.
"Child, I am glad ye have finally asked for help, but what has changed yer mind so suddenly?"
'Should I tell her the truth, or just the cover story I've been using?'
Sighing, I made myself comfortable and began telling the truth.
"I'm going to die soon. Or, at least I will if I don't gain enough strength to fight off Kikyo and regain my soul."
The shocked look on on the older woman's face was even more proof I had changed drastically.
"What do ye mean?"
"She's been stealing pieces of my soul for a while now. At first, it was slight tugging, but stronger she became, the worse it got until she was tearing away pieces and taking them. At first, all I noticed was the pain, but after the first few times, I noticed that I wasn't feeling things the same. My powers, emotions, life, and soul, she's taking them all from me."
I spent the rest of the afternoon telling her everything I knew about it, and we came up with a rough training schedule. There was real fear in her eye when she looked at me, and I realized that was yet another emotion I no longer felt.
"What is it Kaede?"
"Child... It may not work. Ye are asking for a lifetime of training in less than a month while losing more power all the time. It is very likely ye will die before ye have learned enough to fight back."
"I know that, but I don't have any other options."
She was looking at me strangely, and it made me realize that I didn't truly know her, didn't know the secrets she held or the true capacity of her powers. That was made even more evident by her next words.
"There is a way, if ye truly don't fear death."