Chapter 3

"Little girl, should you be out here alone?" Inu-Yasha asked kindly. They were now into a virtually deserted area of the town and here was this young girl all alone. "Where's your mother?"

"At work." the child replied confidently.

"Don't you have someone to take care of you?"

"I can take care of myself." the girl replied unabashed. "I'm five and a half."

"Inu-Yasha?" Miroku cut in. "The Shikon Jewel. It's..." Miroku pointed.

Inu-Yasha looked down the jewel and it was straining in his hand toward the young girl. "What's your name?" he inquired.

"Kaede. That's my nick name anyway."

Miroku thought for a second then it came to him. "Inu-Yasha let her hold the jewel." He turned to the child. "Kaede do you like ice cream? If you hold that jewel and repeat after me we'll take you out to get any type of ice cream you like."

"Really! Ok." her face lit up and she held up an eager hand.

When the girl held the jewel Miroku began. "I your owner call to you, Jewel of Split Souls."

"I, your owner call to you, Jewel of Split Souls." she looked at him expectantly.

"With the Power I command come forth,"

"With the Power I command come forth."

"The Shikon Jewel calls you forth."

"The Shikon Jewel calls you forth." Kaede beamed at Miroku, and he winked back.

"Come to me now."

"Come to me now." She finished the verse and gave him another expectant look.

"What were you doing Miroku?" Inu-Yasha asked.

"It was a long shot, I hoped we could use the Shikon Jewel to call forth the gem. Let's go get that ice-cream now." Miroku turned back to Kaede.

"I never heard of ice-cream." a dry voice came from behind them.

Both people spun behind them stood Kaede. Little Kaede, and Big Kaede. "I'd really like to know how, and why you pulled me out of my other life." Big Kaede lifted an expectant eyebrow.

"We were trying to pull the Jewel of Split Souls from your reincarnated body." Miroku tried to explain.

"I want ice cream." Little Kaede wailed.

Miroku picked her up and motioned for the other's to follow.

Ten minutes later they were in a small ice cream restaurant each eating their respective ice creams. Kaede finally began.

"What made you so sure that the Jewel of Split Souls was in my body?"

"Well, Kagome... and...I" Miroku gave up and shrugged.

"I don't have it. That's probably why you pulled me out instead of the Jewel. Why did you need the Jewel any way?"

"It's Kagome. She's..." Inu-Yasha didn't, couldn't finish.

"She's hurt." Miroku looked away. "She got attacked by a gang and we couldn't stop them in time."

Kaede analyzed the situation quickly. "The Jewel will be found most easily in the feudal ages. You must go back there and I will stay here with Kagome. I think that with the help of Little K, I of course will coach her, we can keep Kagome alive long enough, if she's as bad off as you say I will need the jewel to cure her. You must be careful though. Kagome of the past must not know your purpose. She cannot be allowed to change the future. If she tries then instead of changing this Kagome's future she will instead split the realities into this Kagome's world and past Kagome's world. That could be disastrous."

"We understand. How will you keep Little K with you? Won't your/her parents miss her?" Inu-Yasha asked.

"No. We're orphan's and she's disappeared for day's at a time before." Big Kaede explained.

"Ok come on." Inu-Yasha picked up the little girl, who instantly snuggled him.

At the house Kaede examined Kagome. "It's as bad as you thought at least. Go and return with haste, and bring the Shikon Jewel with you."

Miroku and Inu-Yasha nodded and turned to leave. At the door however were Shippo and Sango watching them.

"Were coming too." Shippo stated. Inu-Yasha just nodded and brushed past him.

For the first time in so long they would all be going back, back to where this first began. It was going to be hard for Inu-Yasha everyone to accept something they had all buried long ago. None of them ever expected to have to risk the feudal ages again. Yet when they entered the well and returned to the forest where it all began, it felt like home. Inu-Yahsa and all the other's felt an air of happiness come over them. They were home, and it felt so right.



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