Chapter Nine: The Shikon No Tama

Kagome found herself standing in a plane of darkness. The ground beneath her feet was smooth, like marble, but she couldn't see any light reflecting off of it. Yet when she looked down, she could see herself in a pinkish glow. She stretched her hands out, but touched nothing. Cool air, motionless, surrounded her. She had a foreboding sense of endlessness, like she could keep walking for an eternity in this place and never find an edge. She turned, slowly, her eyes straining in the dark. Then she caught sight of a change in the blackness. A pinpoint of light, far off.

Moving towards it, she felt the air start to move around her. It blew into her face, picking at her hair and pushing it back. At first the force of the wind was light, a mere breeze. Then, the more she moved towards the light, the harder the force became. Soon she was struggling against it, each step becoming harder to place on the ground before her. Involuntary tears blurred her vision as the gale whipped against her face. Kagome closed her eyes, and reached out her hand to feel for the source of the light. Her fingers closed on something cool and round, something that fit perfectly in the palm of her hand. Using her other arm to shield her vision, she looked down at what she was holding. She saw a pink stone that glowed like her spiritual power. Then a noise sounded, seemingly from all around her, a woman's wordless shout. Kagome looked up, and found herself standing in a field at sunset. The sky was purple and orange, and the clouds a dark unhappy blue. The wind, still whipping around her but not as angry as before, now lifted the billowing sleeves of her white haori. Something growled.

Then pain erupted in Kagome's side. Her hand flew to cover the blood-soaked cloth, torn by five claw marks. She gasped, confused and angry. The bitter feeling of betrayal filled her, unbidden. The growl came again, this time from in front of her. She looked up to see Inuyasha, wearing a red haori and hakama. Now they were in a forest. Before she knew what she was doing, Kagome drew and arrow and readied it on her bow. Her bow? Had she been carrying this before? But her bow had broken, back at archery practice…

Pink spiritual power, aimed at Inuyasha, gathered in the tip of her arrow. Kagome's heart leapt into her mouth. She tried to shout, to tell him to get out of the way, but she had as much control over her tongue as she did her hands. And Inuyasha just glared at her between long white bangs, daring her to shoot. She loosed the arrow, and it flew straight, burying itself in Inuyasha's chest and pinning him to the tree behind him. He didn't move. Kagome raised a hand to her cheek, and felt tears there. Then the pain in her side flared and she pitched forward onto the forest floor.

Except the floor disappeared and she was suddenly falling through cool air. She landed lightly, and upon observing her surroundings found she was at home. Sort of. Her family was nowhere to be seen, and there were no visitors at the shrine. Her only company was the Goshinboku, standing proudly at the center of the grounds. Familiarity flooded her, but not because this was home. She stared at the Goshinboku, then turned slightly, and raised her arms as if she were going to shoot an arrow towards it. She could almost see Inuyasha there, pinned against the tree. Like just before. And like in the images on her father's flash drive. Excitement pulsed through her. Had she seen what happened that night?

Something pressed hard on the front of her mind.

A deep, resounding No.

No? This wasn't what she was here for? No. That same something she couldn't identify pulled her towards the tree, which had begun to glow with a pink light. She touched the bark, which stripped away from the tree like a wrapper, leaving the white wood underneath. A deep scar marred the tree's flesh, and the pink light poured out of it. Kagome brought her face very close to the tree, lining her eye up with the scar to look inside. She couldn't quite make out what was in there, just that it was glowing very brightly. Leaning back, she placed her hand against the wood over the scar. The trunk began to untwist, widening the cut until she could fit her hand through, then her arm. She reached deep down into the trunk, fingers fumbling against dead leaves, damp wood, and wriggling things. It made her skin crawl, but still she searched until her hand found something solid and round. Grasping hold of it, she yanked her arm from the tree and looked down into her palm. That pink stone, the one from before. But now it wasn't smooth. There was a crack, a chip, really, where a large sliver had come out. And now the pink light poured from that crack like water, pooling onto the ground.

Kagome heard something behind her. A laugh. A laugh that chilled her to the bone. A hand came down on her shoulder, gripping it tightly. Something slithered against her leg. Kagome froze. Fear crawled up her spine and immobilized her. Something came very close to her ear. A face, and breath that tickled her neck. The lips moved.

"Found you, Kikyo."

Kagome screamed, and flung her hand up, solidly connecting with the thing beside her. She didn't look back as she ran towards the great tree. But she didn't get far, because something slimy latched itself onto her leg and pulled. She went crashing to the ground, and the last thing she saw was a large knobbly root headed straight for her face.

Cold water woke her up in the real world. Kagome, now soaked and shivering, sucked in a deep breath of air as she flailed to a sitting position. Rokuro was shouting her name, having dropped the bucket he used to fling the water at her. He knelt down, grabbing her by the shoulders and trying to ask her if she was okay. Still disoriented, she punched him, hitting him square in the jaw and pushing him back so hard he fell to the floor.

"Nope, okay, she's good," he moaned, giving up and laying on the wood floor as water slowly spread out around them. Kagome, breathing heavily, looked up to see Mushin puffing on a pipe in front of her.

"What was that?" she asked with barely contained anger. Her chest hurt, her head hurt, and now her fist hurt from it's sudden connection with Rokuro's face.

"Look in your hand," Mushin replied. Slowly, grudgingly, Kagome looked down at her hand. The knuckles were red, but for the first time she noticed that her fingers were closed around something. Slowly she opened them.

The pink stone sat in her palm, still cracked, but utterly real.

"What is this?" Kagome asked.

"It is the Shikon Jewel. The Jewel of Four Souls. It grants immeasurable power to any demon that wields it, and an immeasurable capacity for corruption in the wrong hands. I could not see it before because your spiritual energies masked it, so spread out as they were. But when you concentrated them into a single wave, the jewel shone so brightly from your chest that it was unmistakable. We are lucky you could not control your powers before, or else any demon may have sensed the jewel and come after you," Mushin replied. Kagome narrowed her eyes. A straight answer was not what she expected. Mushin puffed his pipe again.

"When teaching, simple explanations are only a hindrance to the student. They should be reserved for situations of the utmost urgency," Mushin said. Kagome did not answer, just held the jewel out to him.

"Here," she said, "Take it. I don't want it." Mushin leaned away from the jewel, his fingers clenching tightly on his pipe. His droopy eyes widened, his wrinkled features stiffening as if he were concentrating very hard. His free hand raised slightly off his knee, then he lowered it again and grasped his bony leg until his knuckles turned white.

"I cannot," he said, "I am not worthy to hold such an artifact. Only those with the power to keep it pure have that honor." Kagome shook her head.

"Well, that's not me. I just found out I had spiritual powers, and I still have no idea how to control them, so if this thing is really important, I shouldn't have it."

"On the contrary, I think perhaps you are exactly the person who should have it. Rokuro." At his name, Rokuro sat up with a groan.

"Sorry I punched you," Kagome said quietly. He shrugged.

"Sorry I threw water on you," he said. He stood, and left the room. Kagome could only assume Mushin wanted to speak to her privately.

"What did you see?" he asked, when Rokuro had left. Kagome hesitated. She didn't want to tell him, but she wasn't quite sure why. It felt so...private. Like revealing a dream to a stranger.

"I...um...well I was dressed as a miko," she said, "And Inuyasha was there-he's a demon from the sector-and I...shit, I shot him." Mushin nodded, hmm'ing sagely.

Kagome continued, "And then I was at the tree, and there was a light coming from it. And so I reached inside and found the jewel. Then there was something...evil...it came up behind me. It said it found me. Except it didn't say my name, it said a name...Kikyo? I think that was it."

"My dear," Mushin said, "Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"I guess," Kagome replied, "My grandpa does, but I've never really thought about it."

"The things you have seen, at least some of them, they are memories of your past life. A life when you may have, in fact, been a priestess. Perhaps it was even your responsibility to guard the Shikon Jewel from the clutches of demons. It is a task that you now bear in this life."

"Oh I can't-I'm not-there's no way I could possibly-I mean, what?"

"You must," Mushin replied. Kagome shook her head.

"No. No way!"

"Do you want to find out why your father died?"

Kagome froze. How did Mushin know about that?

"You want to find out why he died, which is why you want to talk to Inuyasha, which is why you went to the Youkai sector," Mushin said. Kagome nodded, too shocked to talk.

"Then you will carry the jewel. It will draw the answers you seek, whether you like them or not. If you want to forget this ever happened, leave the jewel here. I will find some inferior miko to guard it," Mushin said.

Kagome did not react at first, just let Mushin's words wash over her. When she had strung enough thoughts together to answer, she opened her mouth and spoke slowly.

"How am I supposed to keep this thing safe? I can't even keep my powers in check," she said.

"A soul as strong as yours, even fragmented, will find a way. You will learn quickly, because you must. In the meantime, we will give you aid," Mushin said. He gestured to Rokuro, who had reentered the room holding a necklace with a little leather pouch. Symbols were etched into the leather. Rokuro sat next to Kagome and opened the pouch. The smell of herbs drifted out and teased Kagome's nose.

"Put the jewel in here," he said, "It should be powerful enough to mask the energy from it. At least for now." He handed the pouch to Kagome and she placed the Shikon Jewel carefully inside. When she closed the pouch, she felt a switch flip in the room. Both Mushin and Rokuro sighed in relief as the weight of the jewel's energy eased and slowly disappeared.

"Wear that token around your neck at all times," Mushin said, "Never take it off. Come back in a month so I can safely replace it. The Shikon will burn through its power quickly."

"Mushin," Rokuro interrupted, "We really have to go, the cab's waiting."

"It's Monday already?" Kagome asked, startled.

"You were out for hours, all through the night. If we don't leave soon we'll miss the train," Rokuro said. He was clearly trying to speak gently, even though he kept eyeing the time on his phone. Kagome stood, her muscles protesting. She turned to Mushin.

"I want to know why my father died," she said, "So I'll keep it. But once I know that, I'm done. Someone else can take care of it. I don't want to be a miko, and I don't want to keep this jewel." Mushin nodded.

"If that is what you wish, I will make arrangements," he said, "But consider: you went to the Youkai Sector to understand your father's death. Perhaps your father died so you would go to the Youkai Sector. The gods work in mysterious ways, Miss Kagome. Do not spend all your time looking for answers, or you will never understand the web of their plans."

"Kagome…" Rokuro said, his voice verging on a whine.

"Let's go," she said, eyeing Mushin. He was back to riddles, and her head hurt too much to argue with him.

On the once again empty train, Kagome sat next to Rokuro, her head resting on his shoulder. She was surprised how comfortable the position was, considering he was a boy and they hadn't known each other that long. Maybe it was because she spent the whole night exploring her unconscious mind and hadn't gotten any real sleep. Suddenly remembering something Mushin had said, she sat up, making Rokuro jump.

"Hey, you grew up at Mushin's shrine, right?" she asked. He nodded.

"But he said your family lived close by. Why didn't you live there?" she asked. Rokuro looked down and Kagome immediately felt bad.

"I'm sorry," she said, "You don't have to answer that, I shouldn't have pried."

"No, it's okay." Rokuro pushed up his right sleeve to reveal his strange glove. He slid a thumb under the edge of the glove and pulled it up. A sudden wind filled the train, and Kagome grabbed onto his sleeve as stray pieces of paper and other bits of trash flew into a black hole in Rokuro's hand. He only left it free for a second, then quickly pulled the glove back down. Kagome stared at his hand, her mouth wide open.

"What? What was that?" she asked in a high pitched voice.

"The Kazaana," Rokuro replied soberly, "It's a curse that has been passed down in my family for generations. An evil baboon demon laid it on my ancestor, and it has consumed every firstborn son in my bloodline, then passed to the next."

Kagome stared at him in horror.

"Oh my god, Rokuro I had no idea. I'm so sorry," she said. She took his gloved hand, ignoring his flinch.

"What can we do?" she asked.

"They only way to get rid of the curse is kill the demon that cast it," he replied. Then he grinned.

"But the likelihood of finding him is slim to none, so I'm just gonna get married young, have a bunch of kids, and hope they're all girls," he said. Kagome suspected his cheeriness was false, but played along anyway.

"Oh yeah? Who'd be willing to have your kids?" she teased. Rokuro clasped both her hands and held them to his chest.

"Kagome Higurashi, would you do me the honor of bearing my children?" After a moment of barely contained mirth, they both burst out into laughter, and Kagome pulled her hands away.

"I wouldn't be able to anyway," she said, "Apparently it's my fate to become a priestess and guard a sacred jewel my whole life. I'm pretty sure that doesn't involve any 'impure' activities like babymaking."

"Aren't we lucky?" Rokuro said, "Doomed to be sucked into a vortex and a life without sex."

"I'm jealous of Sango and Karin," Kagome whined, "Why couldn't I be the demon slayer?"

"Yeah, I'd rather have a demon kink," Rokuro replied. Kagome scoffed.

"Karin does NOT have a demon kink," she scolded. Rokuro shrugged.

"I dunno, all I'm saying is we should keep an eye on her," he said.

Kagome and Rokuro made it back in time for Monday classes, but Kagome decided not to go to hers. The last thirty minutes of the train ride she'd gotten progressively tired, her lack of real sleep catching up to her. Rokuro was able to herd her off the train and back to the dorm, but the minute she got to her bed she was out like a light. She fell asleep to the sound of Rokuro and Sango's hushed conversation as he explained everything that had happened at Mushin's.

Sango looked over at her friend, sleeping soundly in her clothes and over the covers.

"I've heard of the Shikon Jewel," she said, "My family has stories about it. About a priestess who was killed protecting it. Apparently it was burned with her body on her funeral pyre. That's the last anyone saw of it, until now."

"The wards will keep demons from sensing it for awhile, but it'll burn through them in a month or so." Rokuro said.

"What about her spiritual energy?" Sango asked, "Can she control it?" Rokuro shrugged.

"Sorta. It's not going crazy now, like it was before. But demons will be able to tell she's a miko, for sure. I keep my powers hidden completely, but I'm not sure she'll be able to." Sango pursed her lips. She didn't like this, not one bit.

"You're very protective of her," Rokuro commented with a grin, "Almost like a mother." Sango eyed him suspiciously.

"Why?" she grumbled. Rokuro took both her hands in his.

"Sango, would you do me the honor-" She pulled her hands from his quickly.

"Whatever it is, I don't want to," she said. She opened the door and started to push him out.

"Come on, Sango, give me a chance-"

"No."

"We'd make beautiful babies-"

"No! Perverted monk, get out of here," Sango said, shutting the door. Rokuro called to her from the other side.

"Sango, think of the children!" She locked the door in response. Chuckling, Rokuro turned on his heel and walked down the hall towards his room so he could get ready for class.

Kagome woke up that afternoon and dragged herself to the dining hall. After a meal she felt refreshed, but didn't feel like going to her last class so she just went back to her dorm. The sun was just starting to set, when something tapped against the window. She glanced up from her journal notes, then let out a squeak as she saw a familiar figure crouching on her window sill. Inuyasha gripped the side of the building, tapping against the glass with his claw. He stared at her intensely, eyebrows drawn together and corners of his mouth turned down. He looked a bit like a monkey in a zoo, glaring at her through the glass. Pointing at the window, he made a little opening motion. Kagome snapped her sagging mouth shut, and scowled. What? She stood and walked over to the window, opening it roughly and nearly knocking him off the side of the building.

"Watch it, wench!" he snapped, throwing his arms out to catch himself.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome hissed.

"Sesshomaru said you found out you were a miko," Inuyasha replied. Kagome waited for some further explanation, but it didn't seem like he was going to give any.

"And?" she prodded. Inuyasha's brow furrowed, as if he was realizing for the first time that he didn't have any particular reason to be there.

"Well...I don't know!" he said. Kagome crossed her arms and stepped forward, causing him to lean out over the open air beyond the window.

"Last time I saw you, you said 'see you never', why the change of heart, huh?" Kagome demanded. Inuyasha grimaced.

"I-you-back off!" he stuttered. Kagome stepped back and sighed.

"Why don't you come in so we can talk," she said. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I can't, idiot. There's a barrier around the building. It's hard enough to get this close."

"Then what do you suggest?" Kagome asked, prickling at his insult. He glanced behind him, then back to Kagome. Then he held out an open hand just beyond the window. Kagome looked between his hand and his face.

"You want me to go out the window?" she asked.

"Well, they're definitely keeping tabs on you. If you go out the front door-"

"Okay, I get it." They stared at each other for a second.

"Well?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome bit her lip.

"You're a half demon, right?" she asked abruptly. Inuyasha stiffened a little.

"Yeah…" he mumbled. Kagome sucked in a breath and squared her shoulders.

"Just remember that I'm a priestess now, so I can purify your ass if you try anything. Got it, dog boy?" she said quickly. Inuyasha huffed.

"Yeah, got it, got it. Come on, let's go." Kagome reached out the window and took his hand. His palm was dry and warm, and the tips of his claws tickled against her fingers. Then his hand gripped hers tightly and he pulled her out the window. Next thing she knew they were careening towards the ground. Kagome let out a shriek, but quickly slapped a hand over her mouth when she remembered she was supposed to be sneaking out. Inuyasha landed solidly in the grass below her window.

"A little warning please!" Kagome hissed. Inuyasha laughed, and easily swung her onto his back.

"Hold on, wench," he said. Kagome had barely a moment to lock her arms and legs in place before he took off running towards the wall. He leapt towards the wall, landing about halfway up. His claws dug into the stone, finding any nook and cranny to hold them in place.

"Oh my god," Kagome muttered, closing her eyes and pressing her face into his back. Inuyasha scoffed, and Kagome felt him reach upward. Holding her on his back, he started to easily scale the stone wall. His muscles worked quickly, firm under her terrified grip. In seconds, they were at the top of the wall. Just when Kagome opened her eyes to see, they were off again, onto a rooftop, up a drainage pipe, around an empty ledge and so on. After the first few minutes of fear, Kagome felt herself start to relax into the sensation of rising and falling over the cityscape. As the sky grew darker, the lamps of the city started to glow. Above the streets, she and Inuyasha were easily hidden from ordinary passerby. She got the sense this was something Inuyasha did often. Before long they stopped on a sloped rooftop-the roof of Sesshomaru's mansion. Inuyasha let Kagome slide off his back near one of the chimneys, and she clutched the bricks for support as her legs regained their strength. Carefully she turned, leaned her back against the brick and lowered herself to sit on the sloped roof. She tried not to look towards the ground, but the glimpses she caught made her stomach do flip flops.

"That was crazy," she said, a little breathless. Inuyasha grunted, but it seemed like a pleased sort of sound. He sat down gracefully on the roof, with none of the human hesitation Kagome showed.

"You wanted to talk about something," he said.

"Right. I do," Kagome replied, "Tell me about the Goshinboku." Inuyasha looked at her sharply, one fuzzy ear twitching.

"How the hell do you know about that? Sesshomaru got rid of anyone who knew about that."

"Well, he missed someone," Kagome retorted, "And you're going to tell me about what happened." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, then looked away from her. He didn't say anything. Kagome opened her mouth, then closed it. Perhaps being nice would be more productive in this situation. She spoke again, but softly.

"Listen," she said, "I just want to know because...my dad was researching it. He died before he found the answers he was looking for. I think that he may have died because of what he was looking for. If there's anything you can tell me, please, I need to know."

Inuyasha looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"If your dad died because of this stuff, you should just forget it," he said, "Leave the Sector and stay the hell away." Kagome shook her head emphatically.

"No," she said. Inuyasha looked away from her again. He was quiet for a long moment, and Kagome was about to ask again when he spoke.

"I was a dumbass and got caught by a miko. She pinned me to the tree with a spiritual arrow and I got stuck there until my brother came to get me out. He brought me here, to the Sector, right before it was closed off." Kagome pursed her lips. It seemed like the truth, but certainly not the whole truth.

"Why didn't she kill you?" she asked quietly.

"I dunno," Inuyasha said quickly. Too quickly.

"Are you sure?" Kagome pressed. Inuyasha grumbled something under his breath, then moved suddenly. He turned to face Kagome, anger clear on his face.

"Yes! Look, she could've killed me, but she didn't. I don't know why! You think I don't ask myself all the time why I woke up after that?"

Kagome threw her hands up, palms open.

"Okay! I'm sorry!" she said. Inuyasha glared at her, then looked down.

"You knew her, right?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha clenched his fists and didn't reply. Kagome watched him carefully, not wanting to make him yell again. She remembered her vision, the feeling of betrayal that had flooded her at the sight of Inuyasha in the forest.

"It seems like you knew her. Like, maybe you guys were friends." When Inuyasha didn't reply, Kagome continued to talk.

"And then she got hurt, and she went after you. You could've moved when she shot you, but you didn't. You didn't think she would really do it. But Kikyo-"

Inuyasha's face was suddenly inches away from hers. Kagome squeaked and tried to move away, but found herself backed up against the chimney with nowhere to go.

"How do you know that name?" Inuyasha growled. Kagome's vision blurred as she tried to focus on his face, and she stuttered out an answer.

"I-there was-I heard it! In a dream!" she managed to get out. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, but didn't back off.

"Explain." Kagome began to babble.

"After the archery practice Sesshomaru said I needed to get control of my powers, so I went to see this monk, and then I had this dream. You were there, and I didn't have control over my body, except it wasn't my body, it was hers. I saw you get stuck to the tree and then-" Inuyasha leaned back.

"Okay, okay, geez," he said, trying to stop the rapid flood of words. Kagome bit her lip.

"I didn't mean to upset you," she said, "It's just what I saw. You hurt her in the field, then she sealed you to the tree." Inuyasha frowned.

"Hurt her-I didn't hurt her! I would never…" he trailed off, looking into space, confused.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"Whatever you saw, it was wrong. She was gonna-look, we had a deal and she went back on it. So I went to take what she owed me, and then she just showed up all bloody and crazy. I never touched her." Come to think of it, Kagome didn't actually see Inuyasha in the field in her vision. He didn't show up until the forest. But she knew-she knew, beyond any doubt-that it had been him who'd clawed her. She, or Kikyo, she supposed, was absolutely certain. And the feeling of hurt, of anger and betrayal was so strong towards him. Inuyasha waved a hand in front of her face.

"Hey!" he said. Kagome swatted his hand away.

"If you didn't hurt her, who did?" Kagome asked. A million questions were going through her head, because none of this made sense. Inuyasha shrugged.

"She didn't exactly give me the chance to ask," he said. They sat silently, both considering the new information they'd been given.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said slowly, "The monk...well...he told me he thinks I'm the, uh, reincarnation of Kikyo." She looked up at the half demon, and was confused when he didn't look very surprised.

"I thought so," he said. Kagome frowned.

"You thought so?" she asked, her voice getting a little louder, "Could you have thought to tell me?"

"Oh, gee, like you would've believed me! And I wasn't sure, anyway. You look like her, but you and Kikyo smell nothing alike," Inuyasha snapped.

"Yeah," Kagome replied, "Maybe because Kikyo lived in a time before deodorant and showers." Inuyasha straightened up, offended.

"Shut up!" he said "You don't know anything about Kikyo."

"I know she was supposed to guard the Shikon Jewel, and now that's apparently my job," Kagome retorted. The second after she said it, she realized she'd revealed too much. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.

"What did you say?" he asked, leaning in. Kagome stared at him with wide eyes.

"N-nothing!"

"Do you have the jewel?"

"No!"

"You're lying, I can tell," Inuyasha growled. Kagome reached up, closing a hand over the leather pouch around her neck. Inuyasha's eyes followed her movement. They sat in tense silence for a moment, then he reached out and made a grab for the pouch. Kagome squeaked and kicked out, knocking him off balance. He slid a few feet down the roof before he could recover, but it was enough time for Kagome to call on her powers. The energy pooled into her hands and started to glow brightly in the night. Inuyasha watched her carefully, weighing his options. He could grab the pouch, but not without getting zapped. Kagome didn't want to give him that option.

"Truce!" she said, "I call truce." Inuyasha hesitated, but nodded. Kagome lowered her hands, but the spiritual energy didn't dissipate completely. She wasn't stupid.

"You have the Shikon Jewel in there?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome nodded.

"Most of it," she said, "There's a piece missing. I can't take it out, the pouch keeps demons from being able to sense it." Inuyasha grunted.

"Smart," he acknowledged, "Not a good idea to be flaunting that thing around in here."

"Look, I think we can help each other," Kagome said. Inuyasha didn't reply, just waited for her to continue.

"I want to find out why my dad died. You want this jewel. Help me figure out who killed him and why, and I'll give it to you," she said. Inuyasha watched her suspiciously.

"Come on!" Kagome said, "I know the last deal you made with a priestess didn't go so well, but I give you my word I won't do the same thing. All I'm asking for is peace of mind over my dad's death."

"I'll do you one better," Inuyasha said, "We find who caused your dad's death, I'll kill him myself. Then you give me the jewel and get the hell out of here. Understood?" Kagome nodded.

"Deal," she said.