Hey all! I've decided to restart a couple of stories! I'll be going through and fixing mistakes made in this story, also. So keep an eye out for any changes! Lots of them to come!Enjoy!
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Kaede sat by the edge of a quiet stream. It was early in the morning, the rising sun glinted off of the sheen of her starkly jet black hair. Her eyes were closed, yet she was not sleeping. Her mind was focused, images and thoughts passing through like flashes of lightning. The image of her parents, memories of her past, her childhood, voices and scenes replaying in her mind. Naraku's evil smile, Kikyou's arrows, it was all changing as she saw them. Kaede's eyes scrunched into an annoyed expression, her muscles tensed, her body shivered. The images came faster and faster, it was all quite dizzying.
"Hey," a familiar voice broke Kaede out of the intense trance she was in. She took a quick, deep inhale of air and released it, sweat appearing on her face as though she'd just finished a hard jog.
Kaede looked up to see an intrigued Kagome standing over her.
"You're up, early!" Her mother remarked, sweetly.
Kaede looked to the waters edge and caught her breath a little, "You surprised me," she admitted.
"Sorry," Kagome apologized, "I saw you were gone and got worried."
Kaede's thoughts were scrambled. The images and memories had suddenly disappeared. She looked over the top of the stream as the water playfully trickled by.
"What's wrong?" Kagome asked.
"It's nothing.." Kaede responded.
"Kaede.." Kagome was annoyed at Kaede's attempt to divert away from the subject.
Kaede gave a curt breath of air, "I'm not trying to be divisive, I'm not even sure I can tell you what's wrong because I don't understand it myself."
"But it bothers you, which means it's not just 'nothing', "Kagome added.
"I'm still processing it, myself. There are images and memories that have inundated my mind that I can't seem to decode their meaning, "Kaede loosened herself out of the tension her body was in and exhaled a heavy sigh.
"How so?" Kagome was curious.
"The only way I can explain it is by example. Say I have a memory of you, from when I was a child. The memory is you saying something along the lines of 'Nice job cleaning your room'... But in reality, I don't actually remember you ever saying that to me."
Kagome was unsure what Kaede meant, "So you mean, you're processing memories that never happened?"
"Yes. It's as though I'm looking through the eyes of a different person, but it's not really a different person, "Kaede hoped that she was making some sense to her mother, because she certainly didn't feel as though it made sense to herself.
The two sat in a brief moment of silence as a breezy wind blew through.
Kagome shuddered in the sudden blustery burst of chilly morning air. Kaede saw her shiver, "Inuyasha will be wondering where we've gone off to."
The pair stood up at the streams edge. Kagome took in her daughter for a moment. Kaede was slightly taller than her, probably almost as tall as Inuyasha but not quite as tall as him. Her frame was slightly more muscular than Kagome's, but still about the same build as her. The natural scowl on Kaede's face was definitely the familiar feature of her dog demon father.
"Come on, " Kaede directed as she led them back to an abandoned house they had used to stay in for the night.
"What do you think the memories are?" Kagome asked.
"The only, logical, thought is that everything I'm doing here is changing the future, which in turn is changing my memories," Kaede responded.
"Good memories?" Kagome was hopeful.
Kaede stopped in her tracks.
"What is it?" The young mother asked.
"Not all of them are good or for the better... Which is why I'm not sure I understand them," Kaede's thoughts strayed a moment.
Kagome walked closer to Kaede and, meekly, asked, "I've been wondering... You said we lived up until you were 10... Did you and I do anything fun together? Did... Did we paint our nails do hair together?"
Kaede's eyes closed for just seconds before turning to her mother, "Kagome, I think there's something we should discuss..."
"Mm? What?" Kagome noticed the emotionally pained look on Kaede.
Kaede sighed, "I know that... That you two are my parents. I know that you're both just dying to know everything about me, and us together but... These are things you'll discover when I'm growing up.. Things that I have no doubt you'll figure out. And you'll have ample opportunity to do all of it, especially once we rid the world of Naraku."
Kagome could only stare in anticipation of what her daughter would say next.
"You and Inuyasha, you're going to have to put your questions and your curiosities aside. Because the more you allow yourself to become engrossed in my life, the harder it'll be when you realize who I am today, in front of you, won't be who I am when this is all over, " she continued.
"I don't understand, "Kagome felt unsure of where this was going.
Kaede looked over and saw that Inuyasha had appeared at the doorway of the abandoned house. She sighed and turned back to her mother, "I just think it's best that you understand, when Naraku is defeated, I will most likely disappear. I won't exist, at least not as I am now. Maybe I'll be an entirely different person. My experiences won't have ever mattered, and you can raise me in a better atmosphere. Create your own, new experiences with me."
Kagome gasped slightly, "Disappear? I... I guess I didn't think about that."
Inuyasha joined the two as Kaede continued, "It's just best that we leave the feelings about it all off of the table. Because when it's all said and done... I won't be here to celebrate alongside you."
"You don't know that!" Inuyasha scolded, "You don't even know what, exactly will happen to you!"
"So far, any changes made have just been adjustments in my memories to see things that I don't remember happening. But anything major might break the bank, and I can't be sure exactly how it'll all unfold from there. So you're right, I don't know exactly what will come of this. But when Naraku is destroyed, it WILL change the future. So my best guess is that I'll no longer exist as I am."
Kagome couldn't help but feel her heart breaking, "You've already sacrificed so much..."
Kaede looked to her young mother with a softened expression, "But if we can change the future, I won't have sacrificed anything. I could live a normal life. At least as normal a life as a part demon could, anyway."
Kagome tried her best to hide her pain for her child. It was all so surreal. Here she was, in the past, carrying the child of a half demon from the Feudal era, talking to that same child who was, at the present moment, older than her... And she knows that the future for that child is not going to end well..
"You keep complaining about having meddled in the past so much that you might end up changing the future," Miroku threw his thoughts in on the matter, "But isn't that the point of you having visited the past? It's unfair to deny the details of your life to your parents. Sharing those experiences will hardly result in a major change of the future."
"I just don't want to complicate things more than I already have," Kaede responded.
"I know all about changing the past," Kagome smiled softly, "I mean, look at me! I've been changing the past for a little while now. I guess through all of your emotional walls you put up, just like your dad... really, you're just like your mom... A time traveler from the future."
Kaede gave a curt laugh and smirked, "You always did complain that I was more like dad."
The group smiled together.
"Come on," Inuyasha said softly, "We have a mission to carry out and not much time to do it."
The group gathered for a little breakfast and off they went, continuing their adventure.
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The seven travelers walked into the afternoon, where they came upon a crowded village. It was a rather large place, markets of food and fortunes everywhere. It was a busy village, indeed. Horses with carriages and carts stayed to one side of the road while foot traffic stuck to the other side.
"Hey, we could refill some of our food supplies while we're here," Kagome said as she rifled through her backpack.
"Yeah, I'm running low, myself," Kaede shook her deflated bag.
"We've been traveling for quite some time. I think I'll stop and see what the local eateries have to offer," Miroku walked towards a venue serving hot food.
"I think I'll join you!" Sango and Kirara walked alongside him.
Shippo jumped to Kaede's shoulder, "What are you going to get, Kaede?"
"I suppose we'll just have to browse and see!" The, now human, walked over to a line of stands to see what they had on tap.
Kagome browsed a different selection on the other side of the road, all the while Inuyasha was staying near her while also attempting to keep tabs on his daugthter.
"Actually the fruit seems really fresh, here," Kaede happily picked up a pear, Shippo's mouth watered at the sight of it.
As they searched the local stands, a gush of hard wind suddenly struck the village, the sky turning dark grey. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked to the sky.
"W-w-what's going on?" Shippo's voice trembled.
"I don't know, I can't smell to say if it's a demon," Kaede covered her head with one arm to brace the wind while holding the small fox demon with her other arm.
A spiral of blue flames suddenly appeared in the sky. A giant, pink blob of mass proportions appeared from within the spiral, it grew larger and larger, forcing the humans in the town to scatter.
Inuyasha could only seem to pick up a trace amount of scent that it was a demon, but why? He blocked Kagome from the wind. Kaede was losing track of where everyone was, looking around for her mother and father while also doing her best to hold onto Shippo.
"Kaede, look out!" Shippo pointed to a two-horse carriage running at her.
Kaede moved, just slightly, out of the way with her back to the cart in case it might hit her or Shippo. A pair of hands appeared from the carriage and scooped up the human girl, pulling her in, Kaede dropping Shippo from her arms in the debacle.
Shippo hit the ground and looked around, "Kaede?!" he trembled as he looked around the crowded road, "I have to find Inuyasha!" the small child raced off towards the other side of the road.
Kaede hit the bottom of the cart, holding onto Tetsusaiga with one hand and bracing for the impact with the other. She, blindly, unsheathed her useless sword and started to bring it around to whoever it was that had grabbed her. The figure thrust her arms down, Kaede losing grip on her weapon as the sword released from her grasp, sliced the palm of her hand and fell out of the cart through the curtained door.
Tetsusaiga!! Kaede squirmed as best she could.
The figure put all of their weight on top of her, holding her in a tight grasp as they brought her arm around in front of them, wrapping something tight around her upper arm just below her shoulder. Kaede struggled against them but was pinned down by a strength she couldn't force against.
Who is this?? Kaede grimaced as she struggled with her mortal strength against her kidnapper.
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Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku were all entangled in a battle with the giant blob, the wind was still ravaging the village. Shippo fought through the crowds of scared humans and managed to find Kagome behind a stand, attempting to gather an arrow to load up in her bow.
"Kagome!" the small child bounced into her arms.
"Shippo!" Kagome let him settle onto her shoulder as he cried, "Someone kidnapped Kaede!"
Kagome gasped and looked around to see if she could find her daughter anywhere in sight, "Oh no! How are we going to find her?"
Every strike made against the blob bounced off of it. Inuyasha made every attempt to slash at the demon while Sango flew atop Kirara making failed attempts to hit the creature with her boomerang.
Miroku gave up using his staff and unwound the prayer beads from his right hand, "Get BACK!" He shouted as he prepared to unleash his wind tunnel.
Inuyasha and Sango held fast, stepping away so as not to get caught up in the whirlwind of Miroku's power. Just before he could stop, the creature suddenly disappeared in a 'pop'. The sky went back to normal and the wind came to an immediate halt. The group looked around in confusion.
"What just happened?" Inuyasha asked
"Was this a mere illusion?" Sango asked.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome ran over with Shippo in her arms, "Shippo says someone took Kaede!"
"What?" Inuyasha looked around, trying to catch a scent to follow, "Damn!" he sheathed his Tetsusaiga and ran to Kagome, "What happened?!"
"Kaede was grabbed by someone in a carriage!" Shippo cried.
The group looked around but there were carriages on every road leading in and out of the village.
"Can you pick up her scent, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.
The half demon lifted his nose and growled with anger.
"This way!" Inuyasha loaded Kagome onto his back and the group followed him.
They ran for just moments before coming upon a familiar sword in the middle of the road.
"Look! It's Kaede's Tetsusaiga!" Kagome pointed out.
They stopped, Inuyasha picking the worn and torn blade up. A few drops of blood fell to the ground.
"It's Kaede's blood..." Inuyasha was reaching a boiling point, "It's not in its sheath! She tried to draw it and was somehow cut!"
"Someone must have overpowered her since she's at human strength!" Sango realized.
Kagome worried they were too far ahead to catch up, "We've got to find her!"
"Where to?" Miroku asked. They were at a fork in the road.
"That's just it," Inuyasha growled, "Her scent... It ends here!"
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"There!" Kaede suddenly felt the weight of her kidnapper come off of her. She made an immediate turn, on what she now saw as a robed individual.
Before the stranger could pull his hood down, Kaede wasted no time. She punched him in the head, he fell to the floor of the carriage and Kaede preceeded to continually pound her fist in his head.
"OW OW OW OW KAEDE!!" Kaede stopped her attack and realized the voice behind the robe was all too familiar.
"S... Shippo?" Kaede pulled the face of her friend up to see if it was true.
The adult Shippo had a dazed look upon his face, as well as many goose-eggs upon his crown.
"What the hell are YOU doing here?!" Kaede growled.
"Uuugh," Shippo sat up, "How could you, Kaede?! I only ever liked you!"
Kaede's eyes widened, "That was YOUR illusion magic, wasn't it?"
Shippo shook himself out of his daze and smiled, "Pretty amazing, huh?"
"You DO realize Inuyasha is going to be on my trail, right?" Kaede asked, annoyed.
Shippo pointed to the armband he placed on her arm, "Nope! I got Sota to make me a couple of these! As far as Inuyasha is concerned, he's far from knowing where you're at!" he said, proudly.
"Oh Shippo," Kaede sighed, shaking her head, "What are you even doing here?"
"I needed a diversion so I could talk to you without the others seeing me. I had a conversation that I thought you needed to hear," Kaede noticed a change in Shippo's demeanor.
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Sango and Miroku had just finished an observation from the skies as they landed back to the fork in the road they had left the others at. Inuyasha was furiously sniffing the ground, hoping that there would be something he could recognize as Kaede.
"This area is very busy. There are carriages going every direction. They could've gotten miles from here, by now," Sango slid off of her demon cat companion.
"I'm gonna find her scent!" Inuyasha was sure of it, "And then I'm gonna slaughter whoever took her!"
"I'm wondering who might've taken her. That illusion magic was far too simplistic to be Naraku," Miroku theorized.
"Yes, if it were Naraku, I would think a lot more people would have died. He likes to make a show out of his dirty tricks," Sango agreed.
"It did have a different feel to it. But then how did Kaede get cut on the Tetsusaiga?" Kagome wondered.
"Maybe it was Kagura, again. If she'd taken Kaede on her feather from here, it would be no wonder that Inuyasha can't make out her scent," Shippo thought aloud.
"Let's hope that's not the case, "Miroku noted.
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Before Shippo began his story, he noticed Kaede's bleeding hand, "Your hand!"
Kaede held her hand up, droplets of fresh blood fell to the bottom of the carriage.
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Inuyasha perked up. He caught a faint scent to the left of the fork.
"Inuyasha? Did you find something?" Kagome asked, hopeful.
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"So... Myoga thinks I could, inevitably, become either a maniac demon or a pure priestess?" Kaede looked to her feet as she thought to herself.
Shippo nodded, "If you're not careful, there could be a time when your fate might end up being at the hands of those who care about you."
Kaede was concerned. She had wondered, these last two transformations, if or when, it might get out of hand. Reality was setting in for her, where she wondered if even Kagome's "Heel" would bring her back.
"So just make sure you keep Tetsusaiga with you," Shippo noticed the sword was missing from its sheath," Where is it??"
Kaede's eyes jumped up and met Shippo's, "Uhhh, yeah, about that."
"What?" Shippo asked.
"In the tussle we had, the sword slit my hand and fell out of the carriage. Even with Uncle Sota's armband I'd be surprised if dad wasn't already picking up the scent of my fresh blood."
Shippo checked out the curtain door of the carriage and looked around, seeing a hill that led down to a stream. He turned to Kaede and said, "Get on my back, we'll catch a ride off this thing."
Kaede wasn't sure how far she wanted to take this crazy train, but she complied, getting on his back. Shippo jumped from the runaway carriage, landing next to the road and speeding down the hill to the stream.
Letting Kaede down, he turned to her and said, "Sota tweaked these armbands to be a little bit stronger, but Inuyasha has too great of senses to take the chance. I'm going to make a quick escape, but I'll be around you guys to make sure nothing happens."
"I suppose I can't talk you into going back to protect my Uncle?" Kaede joked.
"Sorry, you're stuck with me," Shippo put a leaf on his head and smiled, "Don't forget to take that band off and hide it after I leave."
Kaede nodded and watched as Shippo transformed into a small fish, bouncing on the ground until finally moving over to the water and plopping into the stream, disappearing out of sight.
Kaede turned the armband off, slipping it off of her arm and tucking it away into her kimono top. Keade only had a moment of quiet solace to herself before she heard, "THERE!"
Kaede turned and looked up the hill to see a flash of a familiar red kimono and the figure of Kirara float down from the sky onto the streams edge.
"Kaede!" Kagome was the first to attack her with hugs, "We were so worried!"
Inuyasha approached the two, "Who took you?!"
Kaede shrugged, "I guess some humans thought they had the best of me. They got a little more than they bargained for," Kaede grinned.
Kagome remembered that Kaede was bleeding, "Where are you hurt?"
"Oh," Kaede brought her bleeding hand up, "I tried to draw Tetsusaiga and I lost my grip."
"We found Tetsusaiga on the ground, "Inuyasha handed Kaede her sword. She took it and sheathed it, her father surprising her with a tug, pulling her into a strong hug.
They separated, Kaede feigning ignorance and asking, "So what was that crazy demon back in the village?"
"We're at a loss as to what that was, "Kagome replied.
"We thought it might have been ruse to turn our attention away to you being kidnapped, "Miroku added.
"It ended up being some illusion magic. Maybe a fox or badger demon, "Sango thought aloud.
"I doubt those humans were involved, but I suppose they could have paid off some demon to create a stir, "Kaede shrugged.
"I'm just glad it's over... Let's get back to the village and continue on our way, "Kagome concluded.
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The group had gone on until dusk. They were lucky enough to find a place that Miroku could "suddenly" detect an "ominous cloud", which the owners of were grateful to accept his purifying services, offering the group a room in exchange for his services.
Kaede had been sleeping quite well. She awoke in the middle of the night to find Inuyasha staring into space.
"You're awake, "he whispered.
Kaede sat up and rubbed her eyes, "What's wrong?" thinking he might be detecting a problem.
"... I've just been thinking, "Inuyasha said softly.
Kaede could see her father had serious thoughts in his head, "Yeah?"
"Maybe you should go to Kagome's era with her and stay there.." His eyes were fixated on the floor.
Kaede was shocked, "And why would we do that?"
"An illusion distracted me long enough to allow you to be stolen right out from underneath me..." he looked to the sleeping Kagome, "What if that happens to her? Then you'll both be gone... and I'll have lost every important woman in my life."
Kaede wanted to tell him that she was hardly in any danger. She wanted to tell him it was only Shippo. She curbed her words instead.
"Don't be stupid.." Kaede gave a gruff response, "I'm not having this argument with you, "she laid back down facing the wall, "The answer is NO. Emphatically. Besides the fact that I was only caught off guard before I took care of those pathetic bandits, myself."
"Was that before or after Shippo helped you?" Inuyasha asked, firmly.
Kaede's eyes shot back open He knows!