Okay, I was going to look this part over and change some of it, but then I wouldn't be able to update. If I have time later, I'll fix it. For now, I'll just post, and y'all will get the gist of what's going on.

&&

True to his word, Felix warned their neighbors about the body, and the men insisted on searching every inch of the forest for others. Jenna was very put out when Garet made her stay home, but she grudgingly did because he reminded her that the children wouldn't have anyone to look after them, plus she was expecting again, but he didn't mention that. He knew better.

Kagome convinced Ivan to tell the Valean mayor about the new menace while she helped Sheba watch the children. As far as she knew, no one outside of the five families was aware of the moving bodies crisis, and while someone had to tell the Valeans about it, she didn't want to be the one to do so. She wasn't particularly surprised when he came flying back to his home after a few hours. "Ivan, what's wrong?" Sheba asked, getting to her feet and moving toward him. "You look like you ran all the way from Vale."

"I did," he panted, doubled over to catch his breath. "He decided to announce the news before I left town, and Lina happened to see me after they knew of the danger. Well, I decided that if the expression on her face was any indication of what was going to happen to me if she caught me, then I'd better start running. I think I lost her somewhere before the forest started. She's expecting again, so she can't run very fast."

"I didn't know she was going to have another one," Kagome mused.

"She did say that she wanted a big family," said Sheba as she helped Ivan get upright again. "Aside from Kaede, there's two others. They're both boys."

"They never said anything about that." Why didn't Kikyo or Kaede tell me? Why didn't Jeremy tell me? I know Lina isn't fond of us, but I would have thought Jeremy would have had us bring his children into this world, like Kikyo.

"Well, from the looks of things, she doesn't want them to associate with us any more than they have to. She knows that Jeremy is only related to us by his first marriage to Kikyo, so she doesn't see the need to have us included in her family. It's too late for Kaede because Kikyo took care of that, but we probably won't see the boys unless Jeremy brings them."

"And that's not likely to happen, either," Kagome murmured. "Well, thank you for telling them for me," she addressed Ivan. "I don't know if she would have given up the chase if it had been me in that village. She's probably worried sick about Kaede. She is only five years old, so it's understandable." Looking at the children playing not far away, she called, "Kikyo, Kaede, it's time to go. We still have to clean the house."

They mumbled and complained, but they obeyed. Kikyo stayed by Kagome's side, and the two of them watched Kaede frolic up ahead, but not too far. She had taken to wearing clothes like her older sister, who wore her mother's old miko clothes while she was in the forest. Watching her, Kagome was reminded of the Feudal Era, and Kaede was a small village girl leading them to her village so they could eradicate the demon terrorizing it. Why have all these memories surfaced again? Over the past few years, I've been having flashbacks of the Feudal Era, and I don't know why. This didn't happen while everyone was gone.

"Aunt Kagome?"

She glanced over at Kikyo, who was watching her younger sister with wary eyes, alert for danger. "Do you want us to go back to Vale? It's dangerous to be in the forest, and Dad might try to come here for us. I know Lina's worried about Kaede."

"If you want to go back, then we'll take you. I just want you to be safe."

"I want to stay here, but I'm worried about her." Her eyes kept track of Kaede, even though she spoke to Kagome.

"And not your brothers?"

"My brothers? Lina takes care of them. How did you find out about them?"

"Two little birds named Ivan and Sheba told me. Is there some reason you didn't?"

"It never came up, that's all."

"I see. Kaede, don't wander so far ahead."

Her niece obediently came back into view, then darted ahead again. "She wants to run," Kikyo commented. "She doesn't like being constricted like this. Neither do I."

"But you know why we have to do this."

"Yes, but I don't like it."

Kaede continued to frolic around the house as Kagome and Kikyo cleaned. "When is Uncle Felix coming home?" Kaede asked in her child-like voice.

"I don't know," Kagome answered, blowing a stray lock of hair out of her face. "Sometime soon, I hope. He's helping Uncle Piers build a wagon so he can transport more firewood and save time. Come to think of it, I don't see why I haven't gotten one yet. Maybe I should ask if he'll build one for me."

"Okay." Kaede continued to bounce around the room, splashing the bucket of soapy water across the floor.

Both Kikyo and Kagome groaned. "Kaede, you need to be more careful," Kikyo scolded her while Kagome put the now empty bucket under the faucet and filled it again. "Aunt Kagome, I am terribly sorry. In order to save you from cleaning anything else like this, I think it would be best if we went home."

Kagome saw that Kikyo, while she didn't want to leave, was more worried about her father than she let on, and was using this excuse to stop him from worrying about her. She's becoming more and more like her mother. "I see. When we're finished, I'll take you home, then. We'll have to wait for Uncle Felix to come back because he'll want to say good-bye, too." She knelt by Kikyo as they started scrubbing the floor. "You did the right thing," she whispered.

"If only the right thing didn't hurt so much," she whispered back. Kagome just smiled and continued washing the dirt off her floor.

By the time they were done, Felix had returned. Kagome explained Kikyo's decision, and he was just as sorry to see them leave as Kikyo. He really did love children; he would have made a great father. That was one of Kagome's regrets, but she pushed it behind her. As long as she had Kikyo and her children and then their children, it didn't matter. The four of them set out for Vale; Felix was still wary about more bodies showing up, and he didn't want to be ambushed by them. Even though he knew Kagome could take care of them, he felt that it was his duty to oversee their safety, and Kagome didn't mind letting him come along.

They stopped at Vale's gate. "I don't want Lina to cause a scene," Kikyo said. "We'll be fine from here. Thank you for putting us up for so long."

"Anytime," Kagome assured her. "We love it when you come to visit us, and it doesn't matter how long. You're always welcome." She watched them disappear into the crowd of other villagers, then turned her back on Vale. "It's so hard letting them go," she sighed.

"I know," Felix said as they walked back. "They mean so much to you."

"Their names are a part of my past. I never Kikyo while she was alive, but Kaede was kind and looked out for me in every way she could. I can see them in those two, and it makes me both sad and happy."

When they were about halfway through the forest, Felix stopped. "Something's not right," he murmured, his eyes unfocused.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. It's coming from somewhere over that way." His feet carried him off the path, and Kagome, worried about him, followed. He walked towards the mountains and entered one of the caves riddling the rocky surface. "It's coming from here."

"Felix, I don't think it's safe to go in there," Kagome said, eyeing the cave from the outside. "I really don't think it's a good idea." She watched him go in deeper. "He's not even listening to me. That's just great." Sighing, she followed him inside.

The light from the outside couldn't reach very far into the cave, and soon Kagome had to stop and light a small torch in order to see. Whatever had Felix under its control had relinquished its hold on him, so he was waiting for her when she finished lighting her torch. "I still don't think this is a good idea," she said again.

"Well, we're already this far, so we should just keep going," he smiled. "It'll give us something to do."

It grew damper the farther in they walked, and much colder. Before too long, Kagome was shivering. We should turn back. Neither of us is dressed for this cold. The soil on the ground, walls, and ceiling was dark almost to the point of being black. Kagome could smell the richness of it, but she was more worried about remembering how to get back out. Felix was once more in whatever thrall had led him here, but that was probably because of the nourishments in the soil. He got like that, especially in the spring when everything was growing. Up ahead, Kagome could hear something dragging along the floor. What could live in this except fungi and parasites?

Felix stopped. "Kagome, there's something not alive up ahead. I think it's more bodies."

A cold hand clenched over her heart. "Let's go back," she pleaded. "Please?"

"It's too late. They know we're here, and now we're surrounded."

Glancing back, she still couldn't see anything, but she could hear sounds coming from behind him, too. Faintly, she could hear a rasping sound in addition to a heavy object dragging across the dirt. "How do we get rid of them?"

"Fire. Use the torch and burn them. That's the only effective method I've found."

"The torch? Don't you think it's a bit small?" The rasping sounds were coming closer.

"We don't have anything else, do we?"

"Um, yeah. I can summon fire."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Christmas. He forgot that part, but I guess he doesn't know about that. So many things have been lost through the years. She looked out past her ring of light and summoned her fire to a spot not far from the edge. She caught a quick glimpse of rotting humanoid shapes before they caught on fire. Their screeches sounded human, making her want to cover her ears with her hands. Behind her, she heard Felix take out the Sol Blade and slash at something. A second later, two loud thumps reached her ears, and more slashings and thumps followed. Mindful of what Felix said, she turned around and set fire to the body parts littering the floor. The parts with mouths screamed like the whole ones. I can't take this. Kagome fell to her knees, retching as the stench of burning flesh reached her nose and permeated the surrounding air.

Her mind, horrified by what surrounded her, shut down, and when it stopped working, so did her body. Even if she was able to think and be capable of wanting to move, she couldn't have. After what seemed like eternity, she became vaguely aware of something still moving. It picked her up and carried her away from the stinking carcasses. Oh, it must be Felix. How can he stand this stench? It's overpowering. I can barely think through it. Oh, please don't let me get sick again.

The sunlight hurt her eyes when the two of them finally hit the outside again. Felix took two steps, then his arms went limp, and Kagome found herself on the ground again. She lay on the grass, breathing in the sweet scent of greenery and life, trying to erase the scorched scent. Her husband soon joined her on the grass, inhaling the fresh scents of life. "Why did you have to go in there?" she panted, glaring at him.

Looking at her, he gave her the typical child answer. "I don't know."

"That's just great. Did we get all of them?"

"I think so, but now we'll have to be extra careful. No one knew they were in there, so now we'll have to search the other areas, too." He frowned. "Looks like we have some interesting times ahead of us."