CHAPTER TWELVE
*
"Kagome!"
Kagome sat up and rubbed her eyes. The hut was filled with sunlight; she'd probably slept well into the late morning. Sango raced inside, with Kaede right behind her. She looked more freaked-out than Kagome had ever seen her before. "Kagome, you need to come quickly."
"What is it?"
"Inuyasha's grave has been robbed."
Kagome barely felt it as the two women dragged her to Inuyasha's gravesite. There was a small crowd of villagers gathered around it, chattering and muttering fearfully.
The grave was gone. Not just Inuyasha's body. It was as if the entire ground over and under him had been scooped away by a giant hand, leaving a smooth pit. Miroku was kneeling beside the grave marker he had made. It had been broken in half and tossed to the side of the pit.
Kagome stared blankly at the pit where Inuyasha's grave had been. He didn't waste any time, she thought. It was only a couple days ago. She held the Tetsusaiga closer, rubbing the hilt with her thumb. At least nobody would suspect Sesshoumaru of stealing his brother's body. They had been such bitter enemies that he was the last person suspected.
"Kagome?" Miroku said, standing up. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Kagome said quietly. "Thanks for asking."
She stared down at the empty spot where Inuyasha had been. There was no turning back now. The thought of who she had made a deal with, and what he was about to do, frightened her more than anything else had in her life. But she had to forge on ahead, despite her doubts...
Still wrapped up in her thoughts, Kagome turned and walked away from the grave.
"Where is she going?" Miroku asked, startled. "Kagome?"
She continued walking, as if she hadn't heard him.
"I don't get it," Shippo said in a small voice. "Who'd wanna steal Inuyasha's body? And why isn't Kagome crying?"
"I do not know," Kaede said. She glanced down at the robbed grave. "I would have thought her more upset." But, she thought, perhaps she has been so filled with grief that for the time being, nothing more can touch her.
"So would I," Miroku said, frowning. "Kagome seemed to have such feelings for Inuyasha, and was shattered when she heard of his death. I wonder why she seems so unmoved now."
"What reason would anyone have for stealing Inuyasha's remains?" Sango asked.
"There can be no good in stealing the dead," Kaede said ominously.
Behind her, Kagome flinched, but kept walking. Her fingers clutched the Tetsusaiga like a drowning man clinging to a piece of driftwood.
Kaede knelt at Inuyasha's graveside. The young half-demon had never been at peace during his life, and seemingly his death would hold no more peace. Kaede wasn't sure why someone would steal his remains from their grave, or what fiend would do so. But after the horrific events that had resurrected her sister Kikyo, she feared what someone might do with Inuyasha's body, especially as he had been such a powerful young half-demon. Surely no pure intentions would wrest the dead from their graves.
The old woman frowned. Kagome could not have... no, it isn't possible, she thought. She would do nothing wrong to Inuyasha's grave.
Back in Kaede's house, Kagome curled up on the sleeping mat she shared with Sango and Shippo. She'd been full of doubts before, but Kaede's words had solidified them. But there was no turning back now. And at least, she thought, whatever happens to me, he'll be back after tomorrow. Assuming that Sesshoumaru keeps his word...
"Tomorrow," she mumbled. "Tomorrow's the day."
*
The next morning was overcast, as if a storm were moving in. Kagome wrapped herself in a blanket as she went out to ready her bike for the ride ahead. Just so long as those stupid wolves leave me alone, she thought. Kaede had offered to send a couple of villagers with her, to make sure she was safe. But Kagome refused. Where she went, nobody else could come.
They'd think I was evil or crazy or both, Kagome thought, testing the gears on her bike.
When she was finally satisfied with the bike, she went back to Kaede's hut. There was something she had to get before she went.
"My robes?" Miroku asked, raising his eyebrows. "Why?"
"I-I-I can't tell you," Kagome stammered. "Please, Miroku, I just need your spare robes for a day or two.
"Who for?"
"I can't tell you that either."
Miroku looked somewhat weirded-out, but he went into the next room and came back with a bundle of dark clothing. "Here you are. Are you sure you can't tell me who they're for?" he asked.
"Thanks," Kagome said, tucking it under her raincoat. "And no, I can't. You'll see why, eventually. I'll get it back to you in a day or so."
"You be careful," Miroku warned her. "Don't do anything unwise."
Too late, Kagome thought. I've made a deal with the devil, and I'm off to pay him back.
Shippo bounced up into her arms as she approached the doorway. Kagome hugged Shippo and Sango, promised that she would be back soon, and vanished into the cloudy morning.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Kagome!"
Kagome sat up and rubbed her eyes. The hut was filled with sunlight; she'd probably slept well into the late morning. Sango raced inside, with Kaede right behind her. She looked more freaked-out than Kagome had ever seen her before. "Kagome, you need to come quickly."
"What is it?"
"Inuyasha's grave has been robbed."
Kagome barely felt it as the two women dragged her to Inuyasha's gravesite. There was a small crowd of villagers gathered around it, chattering and muttering fearfully.
The grave was gone. Not just Inuyasha's body. It was as if the entire ground over and under him had been scooped away by a giant hand, leaving a smooth pit. Miroku was kneeling beside the grave marker he had made. It had been broken in half and tossed to the side of the pit.
Kagome stared blankly at the pit where Inuyasha's grave had been. He didn't waste any time, she thought. It was only a couple days ago. She held the Tetsusaiga closer, rubbing the hilt with her thumb. At least nobody would suspect Sesshoumaru of stealing his brother's body. They had been such bitter enemies that he was the last person suspected.
"Kagome?" Miroku said, standing up. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Kagome said quietly. "Thanks for asking."
She stared down at the empty spot where Inuyasha had been. There was no turning back now. The thought of who she had made a deal with, and what he was about to do, frightened her more than anything else had in her life. But she had to forge on ahead, despite her doubts...
Still wrapped up in her thoughts, Kagome turned and walked away from the grave.
"Where is she going?" Miroku asked, startled. "Kagome?"
She continued walking, as if she hadn't heard him.
"I don't get it," Shippo said in a small voice. "Who'd wanna steal Inuyasha's body? And why isn't Kagome crying?"
"I do not know," Kaede said. She glanced down at the robbed grave. "I would have thought her more upset." But, she thought, perhaps she has been so filled with grief that for the time being, nothing more can touch her.
"So would I," Miroku said, frowning. "Kagome seemed to have such feelings for Inuyasha, and was shattered when she heard of his death. I wonder why she seems so unmoved now."
"What reason would anyone have for stealing Inuyasha's remains?" Sango asked.
"There can be no good in stealing the dead," Kaede said ominously.
Behind her, Kagome flinched, but kept walking. Her fingers clutched the Tetsusaiga like a drowning man clinging to a piece of driftwood.
Kaede knelt at Inuyasha's graveside. The young half-demon had never been at peace during his life, and seemingly his death would hold no more peace. Kaede wasn't sure why someone would steal his remains from their grave, or what fiend would do so. But after the horrific events that had resurrected her sister Kikyo, she feared what someone might do with Inuyasha's body, especially as he had been such a powerful young half-demon. Surely no pure intentions would wrest the dead from their graves.
The old woman frowned. Kagome could not have... no, it isn't possible, she thought. She would do nothing wrong to Inuyasha's grave.
Back in Kaede's house, Kagome curled up on the sleeping mat she shared with Sango and Shippo. She'd been full of doubts before, but Kaede's words had solidified them. But there was no turning back now. And at least, she thought, whatever happens to me, he'll be back after tomorrow. Assuming that Sesshoumaru keeps his word...
"Tomorrow," she mumbled. "Tomorrow's the day."
*
The next morning was overcast, as if a storm were moving in. Kagome wrapped herself in a blanket as she went out to ready her bike for the ride ahead. Just so long as those stupid wolves leave me alone, she thought. Kaede had offered to send a couple of villagers with her, to make sure she was safe. But Kagome refused. Where she went, nobody else could come.
They'd think I was evil or crazy or both, Kagome thought, testing the gears on her bike.
When she was finally satisfied with the bike, she went back to Kaede's hut. There was something she had to get before she went.
"My robes?" Miroku asked, raising his eyebrows. "Why?"
"I-I-I can't tell you," Kagome stammered. "Please, Miroku, I just need your spare robes for a day or two.
"Who for?"
"I can't tell you that either."
Miroku looked somewhat weirded-out, but he went into the next room and came back with a bundle of dark clothing. "Here you are. Are you sure you can't tell me who they're for?" he asked.
"Thanks," Kagome said, tucking it under her raincoat. "And no, I can't. You'll see why, eventually. I'll get it back to you in a day or so."
"You be careful," Miroku warned her. "Don't do anything unwise."
Too late, Kagome thought. I've made a deal with the devil, and I'm off to pay him back.
Shippo bounced up into her arms as she approached the doorway. Kagome hugged Shippo and Sango, promised that she would be back soon, and vanished into the cloudy morning.
TO BE CONTINUED