A/N-Here is the next chapter guys. Sorry I didn't do review responses last time. I just didn't feel like it but I'm doing them this time at the bottom.

Disclaimer-I do not own the Inuyasha characters.

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When Did Things Get Complicated?

Chapter XVII

Kagome looked up at the sky. It was about an hour until sunset, she guessed. Kagome shifted in the saddle. She was sore from riding all day. She'd regret that the next day, she knew. She jumped as her horse came to a stop. She looked around, trying to see what had caused her horse to halt. Kagome stared in wide-eyed shock as she took in the scene before her. It was obviously a battlefield. There were bodies of dead men lying everywhere. Some had claw marks all along the lengths of their bodies, others had spears and arrows sticking out of their chests and backs. Kagome closed her eyes and breathed slowly, trying to keep from retching. She slowly opened her eyes and spotted a man with an arrow in his forehead. Her lunch suddenly wasn't sitting too well in her stomach. The field reeked of blood and rotting corpses. She couldn't believe no one had even come to bury the dead! Kagome spotted some white haired men and knew that some of the demons had died as well. Kagome regretted that she didn't have time to bury at least some of them so she gathered as many flowers as she could find and placed a small bouquet on the bodies, even the bodies of the demon warriors. They deserved to rest in peace just as much as humans did since they were just doing as they were told, just as the human soldiers were doing as they were told. Kagome took one last look at the field and vowed that she would try to stop the war. She never wanted to have to see so many corpses in one place again. Whatever they gained through war wasn't worth what was lost, Kagome decided.

Kagome reached Kaede's village as the sun was setting and a reddish-orange tinge lit up the horizon. Most of the villagers were inside, probably eating dinner, though some children were still outside playing and a few people were still working in the fields. Kagome rode towards her aunt's hut. Reaching it, she dismounted and walked inside.

"Aunt Kaede?" Kagome called.

"Kagome?" her aunt asked, coming out from one of the back rooms to see Kagome in the doorway. "Child, what are you doing here? Surely not visiting so late at night?"

"No, I have something to ask you Aunt Kaede," Kagome admitted.

Kaede motioned for Kagome to come into the kitchen. "Well, eat something first. You look exhausted. What have you been up to all day?"

"I stopped at a village that was…burned to give them some blankets and food. I also helped them begin to rebuild some huts," Kagome explained. She didn't feel like explaining that her brother had been the one to burn it down.

"How's that nephew of mine?" Kaede asked, setting a bowl of stew in front of Kagome.

Insane, Kagome thought to herself, but aloud, she answered, "He's doing very well."

"That's good to hear. Wouldn't want to hear that he's been going around burning villages," Kaede said, sitting across the table from Kagome.

Kagome glanced up at her.

"Yes I know child," Kaede told her.

"Hmph," Kagome muttered, glaring into her stew. "He's an idiot. I don't know what's wrong with him. He never used to be like that."

"Well, you didn't come here to talk about your brother did you?"

"No, I didn't," Kagome agreed. "I wanted to ask you about the Shikon no Tama. I figured that you would know about it."

"Oh, that's right. Did it get passed down to you after your mother died?" Kaede asked.

Kagome frowned. "Well, no…"

"It didn't?" Kaede asked, surprised. "Well, where is it then?" she asked, almost panicky.

"Oh, I have it, but not because it was passed down to me," Kagome assured her. "Was it supposed to be given to me when mother died?"

"Yes. It's always passed down in the family to the eldest female child. So, where was it after your mother died?" Kaede asked.

"I'm not sure about that part. I think Shidosha had it after she died, but the demons may have had it at one point as well," Kagome said. She really wasn't sure where it had gone after her mother died because Kagome was pretty sure that the demons had had the jewel for a time and they had had it before Inu-Yasha took it.

"Shidosha?" Kaede gasped. "Well…That would explain some of it then…Tell me everything child."

So Kagome told her aunt everything she knew and everything she suspected. She told her about Naraku and her mother dying and her father dying, and she told her about how Inu-Yasha was the reason she had the jewel now.

"Child, you mustn't let that jewel fall into anyone else's hands again. It is very dangerous for someone to have it," Kaede told her.

"Then why isn't it dangerous for me to have it?" Kagome asked.

"Have you ever heard of Midoriko?" Kaede asked. When Kagome shook her head, she continued, "She was a priestess who fought demons to protect people when evil demons roamed the world. In her last battle, a great demon tried to swallow her. Before he could do that, she took this jewel from herself, and her soul and the powerful demon's soul were trapped inside. Inside this jewel, a battle between Good and Evil still wages. Our family is descended from the priestess and only the eldest female child can purify the jewel. Kikyo could purify the jewel, which is why it was in her possession. Now, you must purify it."

"But…How can I keep it from them? If they find out I have it, they'll take it. I wouldn't put it past Shidosha to even kill me for it. Why do they want it?" Kagome asked.

"That jewel can give you anything you desire. It is how you use those desires that determines whether or not it is evil in the bearer's hands. If their desires do no harm to anyone, or is for the good of people, the jewel will not be tipped towards evil. If their desires are greedy or full of hate, the jewel will grow dangerous and evil. From what you've explained, Shidosha must have used the jewel to seek revenge upon the demons for killing his father, and so the jewel became tainted with hate and became evil. After that, the evil must have slowly consumed him as he used it to wage war against the demons. That explains his change. The jewel's evil was slowly taking over his soul. But now you have it. I only hope that it's not too late for the evil to ebb from his soul. If his soul is too consumed by hate and evil, he won't ever return to the way he was. If the evil is not purged from his body, the evil will slowly eat at him until he is no more. Now, this Inu-Yasha fellow…"

Kagome blushed and Kaede caught it but just continued as if she hadn't. "You say he said that his brother had it and he took it from his brother and gave it to you?"

Kagome nodded.

"So it must be true. Naraku must be passing the jewel between the two kingdoms without either king's knowledge. This Naraku character is dangerous and tricky. You must watch out for him. Now that you have the jewel, he shouldn't be able to cause as much trouble anymore. You must still watch this lord carefully. I fear he still holds power over your brother," Kaede warned her.

"What happens? When someone makes a wish I mean?" Kagome asked.

"The jewel will be absorbed into the person's body. There's probably no safer place for the jewel if the wish will do no harm to anyone. Now, you must be exhausted. Get some rest now and you can ride home in the morning," Kaede said briskly, setting up a sleeping mat for Kagome. (A/N-Alright, the jewel thing. I'm really not sure what happens to the jewel after someone wishes on it or whatever but I figured that was probably close to what happened. I'm not sure though, so don't come at me with pointy objects if that's not true. ^_^) 

"Thank you Aunt Kaede," Kagome said.

"You're welcome child," Kaede said, going into her room.

Kagome pulled the jewel out of her pocket and stayed awake late that night, thinking while holding the jewel in front of her. Finally, she wrapped her fingers tightly around it, rolled over and fell asleep.

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A/N-That chapter was pretty boring since it was a bunch of stuff about the jewel that everyone knows about already. Naraku=Evil! *Hiss Hiss!* Don't ask what that was because I have no idea…

Review responses that I was too lazy to do last time:

youkai chick supreme-Yes! I got a death threat! Awesome! My life is now complete and I can die happy! Woo hoo! I'm so excited I got a death threat! I have no idea why…

AoiTsuki-Wow, I'm so sorry. I will find a way to add in more fluff! I will! This happens all the time. I often get so caught up in making the plot complicated and twisted and interesting that I totally forget all the romance ^_^;; I will try to fit in more though.

Slycat-Yes, he is very bad. Very very bad.

Minako-chan-Don't worry, you'll see what I'm going to do with this story soon enough ^_^

reynamannga-Yes, the plot is getting as thick as clam chowder and molasses. *Thinks about it for a moment* Eww…Oh, this story's gonna be uhhh…*Counts on fingers* I think it will be a little bit less than thirty chapters…I think. But I dunno. It is nearing the end though! *Sniff* It'll be so sad! Oh well, I can work on my other ones then. And I'm getting a little off-topic now.

youkai chick supreme (again)-Oh, 'hime' means 'princess.' Two months ago, I knew not a word of Japanese. Since then I've learned a bunch but not even near enough. Wow, can I borrow Inuyasha? Or even Shippo? Kikyo does suck! She sucks!!! *Looks around to see rabid Kikyo running at her with pointy objects* Oops, did I say that aloud? ^_^;;;

DragonGlare-Thanks ^_^

eee-Really? Wow, what a compliment. I don't think I can handle one so big. It might make my head too big see.

Tamababymiko-chan-Nope, I just didn't feel like answering reviews last chapter. I'm doing them again though, see? Yes, I don't like Kagome's brother either. I should really kill him off and I've been seriously considering that but I think I've changed my mind. Not too sure though…I might feel evil sometime while I'm writing and then just BAM! Shidosha is dead on the ground! Wahaha! Uhh…Nevermind…