Chapter 5 Sickness of the body and mind

Shippo watched in agony as the young boy was engulfed in the destructive energy of the ghost of Kaede. No human could possibly live through something like that, no matter what kind of monkish powers may manifest.

His friend would die without knowing the priestess, or any of his father's friends, or.anything of the adult world at all. The ghost of Kaede faded with her burst of destructive energy and Shippo's gut wrenched as he crawled over to Miroku's fallen figure.

Short brown hair covered his closed eyes, dark hair, darker than his fathers, and almost black in the shade of the tree. He even had faint freckles on his cheeks like Sango's little brother, his uncle, Shippo thought sadly.

"Shippo?" Miroku asked. He was a bit dizzy, but other than that, okay.

"MIROKU!" Shippo answered, yelling with surprise and humility at his mistake. "How the hell did you manage to live through that?!" The little monk sat up and scratched his head, then pointed to the jewel.

"I don't know, but I think- I think that the jewel saved me."

"Hmm," Shippo contemplated. It was actually quite likely that the jewel, still instilled with Kagome's power, would have a warding affect on a thing like the ghost of Kaede. But the fact that Kaede was a ghost at all worried him senseless. If Kaede was still around, then Kikyo might still be around.

"We need to get out of here now Miroku, come on." The demon helped the boy to his feet and warily escorted him all the way to the bottom of the crumbling steps until they were back out in the bright noontime sunlight.

"Shippo did you know that lady? While she was a lady, I mean." Miroku's freckled cheeks were paler than normal but his eyes were bright with adventure and curiosity. Shippo nodded.

"I did. She was a priestess also. It worries me that she still wanders the Earth. If I could lay her to rest, I would." He said.

"I could." Miroku said quietly. Normally Shippo might have knocked him a good one, but now he just listened carefully.

"I could use the jewel to purify and relax her spirit. I saw it when she attacked me, that the jewel was beginning to transform her, she was prettier, but she was scared." He didn't meet Shippo's eyes, but held the jewel tightly in one fist. "I have a feeling she knows where the well is hidden."

"How did you-?" Shippo began, but stopped having to hurry after the young boy as he rushed back up the steps with renewed energy.

"Demon." A soft voice called from behind him. Shippo turned and saw Sasuke standing at the bottom of the steps. How much had she heard?

"I've thought over my actions and decided that I want to go with you, rather than aid my father." She blushed, not meeting his eyes.

"You're lying." Shippo said flatly. He didn't have time for this now. Miroku was in danger. "I'll be back in a minute. If you're still here when I return.we'll see." With that, he turned on his heel and continued to race up the steps.

****

"Lady of this grave, I call you into being." Miroku had his gaze focused on the destroyed shrine that once housed the ashes of some honored priestess, perhaps many from the village that Shippo said had once existed here. There was a glimmer in the air, and a woman appeared in front of him.

"You dare defile my grave?" the woman asked softly. She was young, beautiful, and dressed like a priestess, except a patch covered one of her eyes.

"No, I am a friend, I want to honor your grave." The little boy pulled a flower from his robe that he had plucked on the way up the steps, and carefully set it on the pile of ruined stone that signified the old shrine.

"Will you tell me what I need to know?" he asked. The ghost's face softened from its previous defensive look to one of sadness and longing. The jewel in Miroku's fist glowed pink, tiny rays bursting through his clenched fingers and dusting the ghost in warmth.

"Yes. But you must tell me about you, and what has happened to you. The monk I knew was older, sly, grown-up."

"Father." Miroku whispered. He was almost in a trance when Shippo appeared at the top of the steps and witnessed the scene. The ghost of Kaede, subdued from her earlier anger, was comforting the little monk.

"Kaede." Shippo said. Miroku saw that in his hand was a flower, and that he had also plucked one on the way. If fell to the ground near the pile of stones and caught the attention of Kaede.

"You have grown." The ghost left Miroku and grazed Shippo's cheek with a careful transparent hand.

"Why do you wander here, Kaede." Shippo asked sternly.

"The same reason that you do, little demon. I await rest. Until the things I set out to do are completed, I cannot move on. Neither can you."

"Tell us where the well is." He refused to stray from the set objective.

"The same place it always was. Is your memory that awful? Or did you, like so many of us, block it out. I am surprised you did not block me out as well."

"I tried to." Shippo said, angry. "I did try."

"Lady, if we promise to carry on for you, will you rest?" Miroku asked. He was still crouched by the grave, staring at the flowers.

"No. I guard this resting place." She said sadly.

"From what?" Shippo asked. "It remains but a spot of Earth, no matter the time or the era."

"Ah, from me, and you. Memories, dear boy, memories. Remember and you will know what you will. That is how you will find the well. I cannot help you there, not a bit. Leave me to guard my spot of Earth for eternity, Leave me."

"But-." Miroku began.

"Leave me." She repeated, then, "Memories. Remember and you will know what you will." The jewel glowed brighter still in Miroku's trembling fist, and the ghost of Kaede faded, until both the glow of the jewel and the glow of the spirit were gone, spots dancing in the darkness of the boy's eyes.

"Shippo, that means it is up to you. When we get back, then we can lay her to rest. But we have to find the priestess, and the well." Miroku stood, still staring at the two flowers, turned towards Shippo to begin climbing back down the steps. Shippo hung back, thinking over the things that Kaede had told him.

****

Shippo groaned when he got to the bottom of the steps. His legs were sore, and Sasuke was still waiting for him.

"What were you doing up there?" Sasuke asked innocently. Shippo grunted and walked past her to where Miroku was sitting.

"Excuse me!" She called after him. It was rude to ignore someone. "I've come to make peace with you."

"More like you came to get another stab at robbing us."

"But you saved me so I owe you. My life-word says that I am not an enemy." Sasuke was kind of telling the truth, since her father had ordered her to befriend them then betray them. She only felt a little bit like a filthy thief when she said that. But the boys were ignoring her. Whatever had happened up those steps wasn't something that they wanted to share with her. It might have to do with the priestess and the jewel.

"Let me come with you. I am a good fighter, strong, independent."

"A thief." Shippo looked over his shoulder at her from where he was feeling Miroku's forehead. It was hot, feverish, and his cheeks pale. Sasuke was silent.

"My friend is ill. I have to take him somewhere safe." Shippo said at last. He stood up, hefted the young monk in his arms, and began walking away, back towards the path where they had come and met the flea.

Sasuke followed. They would let her follow, they had to.

"Let me carry him." She offered. Shippo shook his head.

"You just want the jewel." He needed to get somewhere to help Miroku, away from Sasuke. He didn't trust her at all. And then. he had to test his memory, force himself to remember the things he wouldn't. Kaede's words echoed in his head

'Remember and you would know what you will.' The only way to find the well was to remember it, and all the things that happened there.

The path opened up into a dirt road, winding from the bottom of the hill to another soft, rolling one with only one tree atop it and a little stream nearby. There had used to be fields beyond, and a bridge across the stream, but they were both burned down during that last battle. The tree was still there, bright and healthy in that field of green flowers.

Shippo set Miroku down next to the tree, feeling his forehead again and cursing. It was hot. What was one supposed to do for fever? Shippo rarely got sick himself, and was as good a healer as he was a seamstress. Okay for his own simple clothes, but fitting to someone else? Impossible.

"You need a certain herb." Sasuke said from behind him. Shippo didn't even look back. He unwrapped the boy's robe a little to cool him.

"And cool water. You know this place, is the stream any good?"

Shippo continued to tend to Miroku as best he could, but was distracted by the possibility that Sasuke really did want to help them.

"You must like me a little bit," she said. "Since you did kiss me. Perhaps you think I am pretty?" Sasuke pulled her blouse down a little.

"If that's all you want then."

"Stop. All I want is for my friend to get well so we can continue our blasted journey." He was angered that that was all she thought he wanted anyway. Distracted by a pretty face was all, and just for a moment.

"Then let me help you!" the half demon threw her hands up in the air, breeze causing her pale hair to blow in her face. She brushed it aside impatiently.

"I have many younger brothers that I mind, I could make your friend well in an instant!" She stopped, surprised at herself for telling more than was necessary.

Shippo looked at her cautiously. Maybe, just maybe, this girl could be trusted.

"Fine." He sat back, sighed, and let her see the patient. Sasuke knelt beside them, then felt Miroku's head.

"He's warm, but not scathing. That's a good thing. Get a cloth and wet it from the stream, then come back here. I need a fire, some blankets, and a certain herb. Do you have a cup or something I can use to make the potion?"

She shooed the fox demon off to do her bidding. Laying Miroku down so that he was stretched out flat.

"Go to sleep," she said softly, Shippo hurried back with the cloth, torn off of his shirt, and Sasuke pressed it to Miroku's face, then eyes. Shippo started a fire, strange in the daylight, and handed her a cup from his pocket.

"What about a blanket? We need to cover him up so that he can sweat it out." Shippo shrugged off his furry vest and tossed it to her.

"Anything else?" he asked. It was uncomfortable the way she was examining him. She snapped out of it.

"Yes, watch him and I'll find the herb. It's not uncommon."

A few minutes later she was back, brewing the potion with some more stream water and stirring it with a stick from the tree. It was late afternoon, and the sun was almost to the horizon. Miroku was sweating heavily under the vest and near the fire, but Sasuke assured Shippo that that was a good thing.

"Once this passes, he can rest, and in the morning he will be normal. Here's the potion." She handed it to Shippo, and he took a slow sip, testing for poison. Sensing none, he sat the monk up and forced him to drink the rest.

Finally, Miroku was beginning to sleep more soundly and had thrown off the vest and robe. His temperature was normal also.

"Thank you." Shippo said. If this was what it meant to be a parent.he hoped that he was never there. But there was a feeling of satisfaction that Miroku was safe and well again, that Shippo couldn't quite place other than friendly fondness of the boy. Sasuke sat near him, but away a bit, watching Miroku. Her heart wrenched in her chest. It was like taking care of her brothers all over again.

"My father doesn't want the jewel anymore. He wants." she trailed off, not meeting Shippo's fierce green eyed gaze.

"What?" Shippo asked. Sasuke looked up at him, afraid to say. Afraid of both herself, her father, and of Shippo.

"I." she stopped, and they both knew that that was all she would say. There would be no more discussion about that for the night. The sun was still just peeking above the distant hills, lighting everything in a gloomy sort of half twilight, pink and blue.

**** Author: Review please? What do you think so far? Good? Need work? Like? Sorry I took so long with this, I was finishing up one of my LOOOOONG Fushigi Yugi fics, but now it is over! Wow! More time for Shippo!