Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Spirited Away

Bunny ~ Glad you're still enjoying. Why do I write Yasha? reread the end of chapter 4 =P Second, (assuming you're referring to the prayer beads) Kagome got them from the water god, who of course is much stronger than Kikyou. Since this is a/u Kagome isn't gonna be a miko, she's just a poor widdle human who got spirited away *cringes at bad pun*

Everyone else ~ is Bunny the only person who reads this? a couple more reviews would be nice. even if its just to say you like it. I'd like to know there are a couple more ppl out there enjoying this. arigato

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Kagome, Sango and Miroku stood at the edge of the dock and the road, looking up towards Kaede's cabin. Kirara perched on Sango's shoulder and Kagome held Shippou. They took deep breaths and headed up the road.

After a short walk up the narrow road, the group found themselves standing awkwardly at the door of a small cabin. Kagome looked nervously at her companions and raised a hand to knock. "Come in" called a voice disturbingly like Kikyou's.

Kagome opened the door and the group stepped in. They found themselves in a large room. A table set with 4 places sat in the middle of the room. There were a couple doors leading to other rooms as well as a stairway in the back of the room. Standing on one side was Kaede, looking exactly like Kikyou from the back. She was standing at a counter cooking, piles of herbs waiting to be crushed sat next to her. She turned around to look at her guests. She was identical to Kikyou in every way, except she wore an eye patch.

"Well, well. Kikyou's new girl, her taiji-ya, and a monk. What brings you here?" she asked. Kagome stepped forward and held out the Shikon no Tama. "Yasha stole this from you. But I'm giving it back. Please forgive him and save him. He's dying." she said, trying to keep a steady voice. Kaede took the jewel and looked at it in surprise. "It's still pure. You must have a good heart indeed to carry this. I thank you for returning it." Kaede said, slipping the jewel into a pocket.

"But what IS it? Nobody seems to be able to tell me." Kagome asked. Kaede moved to the table and sat down. "Please, sit. I think it is time you learned the story of the Shikon no Tama." The 3 sat down around the table. Kirara sat on Sango's lap and Shippou sat on Kagome's. Kaede cleared her throat and began:

"This is the spirit realm. We exist here with the gods, demons, and all the creatures of human legends. Some move freely between our world and yours, others prefer to stay here and others, like vengeful spirits stay in the human world causing trouble. Aside from the fact we are very different from humans, our world exists much in the same manner. We have restaurants, shops, jobs, and our own vengeful spirits. My family has owned the bathhouse for centuries, far longer than human recorded history.

"Keeping an eye on things in the human world and moving back and forth is tiring. The gods needed a place to stay. And so our bathhouse was established. Many gods like to use wells to travel and so we established ourselves near a particularly powerful one."

"But if this is the sprit world, how come I got here?" Kagome asked. Kaede nodded. "A good question. You see, its difficult to travel between worlds. The easiest time to do that is at sunset or sunrise. And so many spirits go to the human world during the day and return here at night. Because so many gods come to the bathhouse it exists in both worlds and the entire place moves from the human world to the spirit world at sunset.

"You were too close to the bathhouse when the sun set, and so you were caught in the shift and were pulled into our world. It happens rather often I'm afraid."

"But what about the Shikon no Tama?" Kagome pressed. "Just getting to that." Kaede said. "As I said, the bathhouse has been in my family for quite some time. The founder, my ancestor Midoriko, also possessed the Shikon no Tama. It is a powerful jewel. It can do amazing things in this world, like turning people into wolves.

"It has always been passed down to the first daughter. And everyone who holds it keeps it balanced between good and evil. If it were totally evil then the evil gods would rule our world. But if it were totally good the balance of the world would tip and our world cannot exist without some chaos. And so it was passed down in my family, until Kikyou and I were born. We were both bound to hold it, and so it was split in half.

"I was given the pure half and so I have kept it here with me. Kikyou shattered hers and uses the shards to control people. Your brother and mother were both given a shard which turned them into wolves. Because you are not of this world, you too have a shard. You would disappear without it. But you are a very pure person and so Kikyou cannot use it to change you into a wolf. That, I believe is why she gave you a job." Kaede paused, Sango looked perplexed but Kagome seemed to understand and Miroku was ~

"What are you DOING?" Kaede yelled, smacking Miroku. He removed his hand from her butt. "Sorry, Kaede-sama. I was just wondering if you would bare my child." Sango snapped out of her daze and smacked Miroku. Kagome smiled, glad for the interruption.

"Do you understand child?" Kaede asked. Kagome nodded. "I think so. Oh, what about these 2?" she asked, gesturing to Shippou and Kirara. "Will you change them back?" Kaede laughed. "The spell broke a long time ago. You can change yourselves back now." she said kindly. "Now, lets eat, you must all be hungry."

Kagome shook her head. "What about Yasha? He could die while I'm sitting here!" she cried. Kaede smiled. "Don't fear for him. You seem to care about him a lot." she commented. Kagome blushed. "I don't know why. I've never felt like this about anyone. Kaede-sama, I feel like I knew him once, but that isn't possible is it?" she asked. "Events in your life may not be remembered, but they are never truly forgotten." Kaede said cryptically.

Kagome sighed. *He was so hurt, what if he dies while I'm just sitting here? Although that necklace did break, hey what was that anyway?* "Kaede- sama? Yasha had a strange beaded necklace on him. I replaced it with one the suijin gave me and the old one broke and disappeared. What does that mean?" she asked. Kaede started laughing. "Really? My sister used that necklace to control him. Ah, here's our guest now. Mei, go open the door."

Kagome nodded and headed to the door. She opened it and gasped. Standing in the twilight was a boy with long white hair and 2 dog ears. "Yasha!" Kagome gasped. She leapt out the door and threw her arms around him. He put his arms around her and held her close. "You saved my life Kagome, thank you." He breathed in her ear. Kaede stepped out, followed by the others.

"I realize that you were not from our world originally, and so you did not know the importance of the Shikon no Tama. I forgive you for taking it. You are welcome here any time." she said, bowing to Yasha. He bowed quickly back. "Thanks Kaede-baba. Come on Kagome, we gotta get Shippou back to Kikyou before she goes crazy. Oh hi Miroku, nice to see ya."

Yasha turned his back and Kagome hopped up on it, holding Shippou and Kirara. Yasha began to run down the road at an impressive speed, leaping every few yards and going higher with each leap.

"Sango, Miroku. How would you like to stay here with me?" Kaede asked. "I could use some help keeping demons away. And Sango can help with my herbs and Miroku, you can improve my wards." The two nodded. "We'd love to stay." Miroku said, taking Sango's hand. "Just don't expect me to bare your child." Kaede muttered, heading back inside. Miroku and Sango watched Yasha and Kagome disappear into the darkness and leaned in and shared a small kiss.

"Hang on!" Yasha called, as he leapt high into the air. As Kagome clung to his shoulders he began to stretch and grow. Soon she found herself on the back of a giant dog. It all seemed familiar somehow. Kagome frowned, why would she know the feeling of flying on a giant dog?