Shippo found her the next morning, sitting there dry-eyed. Once Sango and
Miroku arrived, they worked to bury the body of their companion. Kagome
took the time to take the prayer beads from around his neck; now that Inu-
Yasha's spirit was gone, the beads slid away without a trace of resistance.
They made their way back to Kaede's village. Shippo spent his time trying to cheer Kagome up, while Miroku and Sango exchanged worried glances and held quiet discussions. Kagome hardly noticed.
Within the village, she spent most of her time working in the village and on purifying the jewel. Sango and Miroku both stayed on to fight the demons that came to take the jewel, and little distracted Kagome. She became more light-hearted, and spent time with the villagers and, occasionally heading home to work on her studies. The aura around the jewel lessened eventually, and finally, Kaede judged that the jewel was pure once again.
"Again?" Sango queried, peering at the jewel. "When was it ever pure to begin with?"
There was a bit of discomfort at that, but no one had an answer.
"What happens if the jewel becomes tainted again?" Kagome asked, the little group gathered in one of the temple's rooms. The jewel had been restrung onto Inu-Yasha's prayer beads, and was at the center of the room.
"Only a powerful demon could corrupt it now," Kaede said, picking up the jewel. "Weaker demons will be negatively affected by the positive energy. We must keep the jewel safe from powerful demons."
Kagome, Sango, and Miroku exchanged a three-way glance. "And how do we propose to do that?" Kagome ventured to ask.
Kaede paused. "That's not for me to decide. Only those whose fates have been directly changed by the jewel have that power to decide." She stood, giving the three adventurers a glance. "You three will decide the fate of this jewel."
"That's easy for her to say," Kagome grumbled, a week later. "Means she has no responsibilities to it now."
"That's not why Kaede decided that," Sango objected.
"I know, I know," the teenager sighed, grumpily staring into the village. "But it doesn't make things any easier."
"Any luck?" Miroku asked, from behind.
Kagome and Sango gave him annoyed looks. "If you had been here, perhaps we could have made a decision," Sango told him testily.
"We haven't been able to for the past week," he reminded her, as he sat down by her. He absentmindedly fingered the prayer beads around his hand and arm, twisting a few on their chain.
Kagome noticed from the other side of Sango, and stared. "Miroku. How's your hand?"
The monk blinked, and glanced at her. "The same as always. Kagome, are you all right?" Sango turned her attention to the teen, too.
Kagome was staring at the beads still. "What did he say. The purified jewel. The purified jewel will heal Miroku, though Naraku's death didn't. That was it!" she said excitedly, jumping up.
"Who said?" Miroku asked blankly.
"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome told him impatiently. "Before he died. He said the purified jewel would heal Miroku's hand, and that." She trailed off, her eyes wandering back to the forest.
"And what?" Sango prompted.
She kept her eyes focused on the forest. "He said not to use the jewel on him, because it was still tainted. He tried to say something else, but couldn't finish." She lifted a hand to her mouth, her brow furrowing. "If the jewel could heal Miroku, why didn't he want it used on him?"
Miroku and Sango exchanged glances. "Because it was still tainted," Sango said gently.
Kagome whirled on her. "What difference would that make?" They were startled to see the tears in her eyes; how often had she choked them back in front of them? "He would've lived then.
"But it wouldn't have been the same," Miroku said quietly. He stood, placing a hand gently on Kagome's arm. "Once, I asked Inu-Yasha if he still wanted to jewel to become a full demon. When he said yes, I asked him how he'd view you, then. Would his soul still be his after the evil of the jewel had taken him? Perhaps he finally realized that his soul was human, not demonic. He'd lose an important part of himself to become a full demon."
Kagome said nothing, but swallowed hard. After a long moment, she looked up at her friend. "He said he wanted me to be safe. He said to take the jewel to the future."
Miroku very carefully hugged her, being cautious to make none of the moves he might've normally made towards a girl. "That may be the best course of action." He released her, and Sango squeezed her hand sympathetically.
Kagome slowly walked towards the forest, and Sango gave Miroku a worried look. "Should we follow?"
He shook his head. "She needs to be alone." He stood silently, watching her leave. "I can see why he liked her."
Sango raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she asked archly.
He grinned at her. "You know what I mean."
Sango was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Yeah, I do. I'll be sorry to see her go."
"You think she ought to go back, too, then?"
Sango nodded. Miroku sat beside her again, and took her hand. "Go ahead. Cry, Sango. You can't be strong all the time."
She shook her head, but rested against his side. "I'll cry when she's gone."
Kagome fingered the jewel around her neck once more. "I'll miss you guys," she said finally, biting her lip. "I can't believe I won't see you anymore."
"Hey, we'll drag you back if we get into any scrapes," Sango objected, smiling warmly at the girl. She hugged her friend tightly and quickly, before stepping back. "Remember us."
"I will." She rubbed away Shippo's tears, and hugged the little kitsune. "Hey, Shippo-chan. You still have Miroku, Sango, and Kaede."
"But I'll miss you, Kagome," he objected.
"I'll miss you, too." She swallowed back a sob, and firmly set Shippo aside. "I need to go, or I'll never be able to do it." She smiled apologetically, and felt a few tears slide down her cheeks. "Sayonara, minna-san."
The group watched as she turned and jumped down the well, disappearing as she'd done so many times before. A few long moments passed, and they only heard the sounds of birds chirping. Kaede and Miroku bowed their heads, as Shippo's tears slowed, and Sango's started. "We'll see her again," Kaede said consolingly, and the group turned towards the village.
Home. She was home to stay. Kagome's heart lay heavy in her chest as she viewed the temple, her home. Was she always going to be caught between two worlds, wanting to be in neither, and in both? Kagome blinked away tears, and went to greet her family.
They made their way back to Kaede's village. Shippo spent his time trying to cheer Kagome up, while Miroku and Sango exchanged worried glances and held quiet discussions. Kagome hardly noticed.
Within the village, she spent most of her time working in the village and on purifying the jewel. Sango and Miroku both stayed on to fight the demons that came to take the jewel, and little distracted Kagome. She became more light-hearted, and spent time with the villagers and, occasionally heading home to work on her studies. The aura around the jewel lessened eventually, and finally, Kaede judged that the jewel was pure once again.
"Again?" Sango queried, peering at the jewel. "When was it ever pure to begin with?"
There was a bit of discomfort at that, but no one had an answer.
"What happens if the jewel becomes tainted again?" Kagome asked, the little group gathered in one of the temple's rooms. The jewel had been restrung onto Inu-Yasha's prayer beads, and was at the center of the room.
"Only a powerful demon could corrupt it now," Kaede said, picking up the jewel. "Weaker demons will be negatively affected by the positive energy. We must keep the jewel safe from powerful demons."
Kagome, Sango, and Miroku exchanged a three-way glance. "And how do we propose to do that?" Kagome ventured to ask.
Kaede paused. "That's not for me to decide. Only those whose fates have been directly changed by the jewel have that power to decide." She stood, giving the three adventurers a glance. "You three will decide the fate of this jewel."
"That's easy for her to say," Kagome grumbled, a week later. "Means she has no responsibilities to it now."
"That's not why Kaede decided that," Sango objected.
"I know, I know," the teenager sighed, grumpily staring into the village. "But it doesn't make things any easier."
"Any luck?" Miroku asked, from behind.
Kagome and Sango gave him annoyed looks. "If you had been here, perhaps we could have made a decision," Sango told him testily.
"We haven't been able to for the past week," he reminded her, as he sat down by her. He absentmindedly fingered the prayer beads around his hand and arm, twisting a few on their chain.
Kagome noticed from the other side of Sango, and stared. "Miroku. How's your hand?"
The monk blinked, and glanced at her. "The same as always. Kagome, are you all right?" Sango turned her attention to the teen, too.
Kagome was staring at the beads still. "What did he say. The purified jewel. The purified jewel will heal Miroku, though Naraku's death didn't. That was it!" she said excitedly, jumping up.
"Who said?" Miroku asked blankly.
"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome told him impatiently. "Before he died. He said the purified jewel would heal Miroku's hand, and that." She trailed off, her eyes wandering back to the forest.
"And what?" Sango prompted.
She kept her eyes focused on the forest. "He said not to use the jewel on him, because it was still tainted. He tried to say something else, but couldn't finish." She lifted a hand to her mouth, her brow furrowing. "If the jewel could heal Miroku, why didn't he want it used on him?"
Miroku and Sango exchanged glances. "Because it was still tainted," Sango said gently.
Kagome whirled on her. "What difference would that make?" They were startled to see the tears in her eyes; how often had she choked them back in front of them? "He would've lived then.
"But it wouldn't have been the same," Miroku said quietly. He stood, placing a hand gently on Kagome's arm. "Once, I asked Inu-Yasha if he still wanted to jewel to become a full demon. When he said yes, I asked him how he'd view you, then. Would his soul still be his after the evil of the jewel had taken him? Perhaps he finally realized that his soul was human, not demonic. He'd lose an important part of himself to become a full demon."
Kagome said nothing, but swallowed hard. After a long moment, she looked up at her friend. "He said he wanted me to be safe. He said to take the jewel to the future."
Miroku very carefully hugged her, being cautious to make none of the moves he might've normally made towards a girl. "That may be the best course of action." He released her, and Sango squeezed her hand sympathetically.
Kagome slowly walked towards the forest, and Sango gave Miroku a worried look. "Should we follow?"
He shook his head. "She needs to be alone." He stood silently, watching her leave. "I can see why he liked her."
Sango raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she asked archly.
He grinned at her. "You know what I mean."
Sango was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Yeah, I do. I'll be sorry to see her go."
"You think she ought to go back, too, then?"
Sango nodded. Miroku sat beside her again, and took her hand. "Go ahead. Cry, Sango. You can't be strong all the time."
She shook her head, but rested against his side. "I'll cry when she's gone."
Kagome fingered the jewel around her neck once more. "I'll miss you guys," she said finally, biting her lip. "I can't believe I won't see you anymore."
"Hey, we'll drag you back if we get into any scrapes," Sango objected, smiling warmly at the girl. She hugged her friend tightly and quickly, before stepping back. "Remember us."
"I will." She rubbed away Shippo's tears, and hugged the little kitsune. "Hey, Shippo-chan. You still have Miroku, Sango, and Kaede."
"But I'll miss you, Kagome," he objected.
"I'll miss you, too." She swallowed back a sob, and firmly set Shippo aside. "I need to go, or I'll never be able to do it." She smiled apologetically, and felt a few tears slide down her cheeks. "Sayonara, minna-san."
The group watched as she turned and jumped down the well, disappearing as she'd done so many times before. A few long moments passed, and they only heard the sounds of birds chirping. Kaede and Miroku bowed their heads, as Shippo's tears slowed, and Sango's started. "We'll see her again," Kaede said consolingly, and the group turned towards the village.
Home. She was home to stay. Kagome's heart lay heavy in her chest as she viewed the temple, her home. Was she always going to be caught between two worlds, wanting to be in neither, and in both? Kagome blinked away tears, and went to greet her family.
