CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
*
"... anyway, I was so tired and it was raining, plus Inuyasha wasn't quite back to normal yet, so we spent the night at Sesshoumaru's little thing up in the mountains, and came here in the morning and... well, that's when we met all of you," Kagome said lamely. "That's about all there is to the story... more or less."
She rested her chin on her knees, not meeting Kaede's eyes.
Inuyasha had been sitting still the whole time, listening. Every now and then he tensed up, as if afraid that Kagome might relate something embarrassing. His shoulders stiffened as Shippo bounced over them, tickling Inuyasha's throat with his tail. The fox shrimp was poking and rubbing him all over, as if he weren't sure this was really Inuyasha.
Let 'im, Inuyasha thought, tilting his head back. Shippo squeaked and grabbed Inuyasha's hair to keep himself up. "Stop pullin'," the half-demon growled.
"I suppose I was wrong," Kagome said quietly.
Miroku and Sango looked at one another, then at Kaede. The old woman's face was expressionless, but her bright eye lingered on them. First on Inuyasha, with the dissipating scent of death on his body and a look of peculiar peace in his golden eyes. Then on Kagome, her face betraying the guilt she felt. As if the motion were unconscious, Inuyasha inched closer to Kagome. A familiar look of belligerence came into his face. "Whatcha staring at, old woman?" he said. Shippo peeked over his shoulder.
"Merely musing over what Kagome has told me, Inuyasha. Do not yip without cause," Kaede said placidly, folding her hands. "Kagome... ye took actions that were unwise. Ye risked more than merely the Tetsusaiga; ye risked your own soul, seemingly without thought for the far-reaching consequences. But if ye ask if ye were truly wrong... that I cannot answer. I think not." She smiled slightly. "Yet if ye ever take it into your head to try such a thing again, speak first and act second."
Kagome sighed. I'm not sure if I could, she thought. And what's more... my biggest question hasn't been answered. She looked over at Inuyasha, taking in the lines of his face and half-dressed body. As Sesshoumaru had said, his reborn body was perfect. Every detail, every inch of skin, every claw, every white hair. He looked as if nothing had ever happened to him, except the loss of his clothing.
"Get OFF the ears, runt!" Inuyasha shouted suddenly, punching Shippo from his head.
"It's really him!" the tiny fox-demon wailed before landing in Sango's lap.
"It certainly seems like him," Miroku said, with a small smile.
"I've been tellin' you all along," Inuyasha said testily. "Who do you think I am, if not me? And Miroku, I want my clothes back NOW."
"Very well," Miroku said, rising. "Come with me, Inuyasha."
Sango stood and walked with them. As they stepped out of Kaede's house, the slayer's voice said quietly, "I'm glad you're back, Inuyasha -- although I can't quite believe it..."
"You think I can?" Inuyasha cracked his claws. "And I've got a new score to settle with Naraku. AFTER I get the Tetsusaiga back... and don't you look at me like that, Shippo. I'm not gonna get killed again after Kagome took all the trouble of bringing me back..."
Their voices faded away. Kaede sat back, watching Kagome's face in the firelight. "What troubles ye, Kagome?" the old woman said gently. "What passed between ye and Inuyasha on the mountain?"
"It's not that," Kagome said hesitantly. "He was really sweet to me. It's not his fault. It's just... I kept thinking about Urasue and how she resurrected Kikyo. I didn't -- actually do the spells to bring back his body and soul. But I made the deal. And I kept wondering -- if I did the same thing she did, sort of, am I any better than she was?"
Kaede smiled. "Ye are too hard on yourself, Kagome. There is one great difference between what Urasue did, and what ye did."
"What's that?"
"Urasue's heart was as black as forge coal, and she resurrected Kikyo merely to augment her own power. But ye drew Inuyasha back, truly alive as Kikyo is not, despite fears that he would hate ye for it. Ye brought him back out of love, not greed." Kaede stoked the fire. "Ye should go with Inuyasha now, Kagome. He may have need of ye soon."
Kagome smiled a little. As she ran out into the sunlight, Kaede looked after her with a mixture of pride and sadness. Ye have more strength than anyone counted on, if ye carried this terrible burden without a word, the old woman thought. Inuyasha has little idea of how lucky he is.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"... anyway, I was so tired and it was raining, plus Inuyasha wasn't quite back to normal yet, so we spent the night at Sesshoumaru's little thing up in the mountains, and came here in the morning and... well, that's when we met all of you," Kagome said lamely. "That's about all there is to the story... more or less."
She rested her chin on her knees, not meeting Kaede's eyes.
Inuyasha had been sitting still the whole time, listening. Every now and then he tensed up, as if afraid that Kagome might relate something embarrassing. His shoulders stiffened as Shippo bounced over them, tickling Inuyasha's throat with his tail. The fox shrimp was poking and rubbing him all over, as if he weren't sure this was really Inuyasha.
Let 'im, Inuyasha thought, tilting his head back. Shippo squeaked and grabbed Inuyasha's hair to keep himself up. "Stop pullin'," the half-demon growled.
"I suppose I was wrong," Kagome said quietly.
Miroku and Sango looked at one another, then at Kaede. The old woman's face was expressionless, but her bright eye lingered on them. First on Inuyasha, with the dissipating scent of death on his body and a look of peculiar peace in his golden eyes. Then on Kagome, her face betraying the guilt she felt. As if the motion were unconscious, Inuyasha inched closer to Kagome. A familiar look of belligerence came into his face. "Whatcha staring at, old woman?" he said. Shippo peeked over his shoulder.
"Merely musing over what Kagome has told me, Inuyasha. Do not yip without cause," Kaede said placidly, folding her hands. "Kagome... ye took actions that were unwise. Ye risked more than merely the Tetsusaiga; ye risked your own soul, seemingly without thought for the far-reaching consequences. But if ye ask if ye were truly wrong... that I cannot answer. I think not." She smiled slightly. "Yet if ye ever take it into your head to try such a thing again, speak first and act second."
Kagome sighed. I'm not sure if I could, she thought. And what's more... my biggest question hasn't been answered. She looked over at Inuyasha, taking in the lines of his face and half-dressed body. As Sesshoumaru had said, his reborn body was perfect. Every detail, every inch of skin, every claw, every white hair. He looked as if nothing had ever happened to him, except the loss of his clothing.
"Get OFF the ears, runt!" Inuyasha shouted suddenly, punching Shippo from his head.
"It's really him!" the tiny fox-demon wailed before landing in Sango's lap.
"It certainly seems like him," Miroku said, with a small smile.
"I've been tellin' you all along," Inuyasha said testily. "Who do you think I am, if not me? And Miroku, I want my clothes back NOW."
"Very well," Miroku said, rising. "Come with me, Inuyasha."
Sango stood and walked with them. As they stepped out of Kaede's house, the slayer's voice said quietly, "I'm glad you're back, Inuyasha -- although I can't quite believe it..."
"You think I can?" Inuyasha cracked his claws. "And I've got a new score to settle with Naraku. AFTER I get the Tetsusaiga back... and don't you look at me like that, Shippo. I'm not gonna get killed again after Kagome took all the trouble of bringing me back..."
Their voices faded away. Kaede sat back, watching Kagome's face in the firelight. "What troubles ye, Kagome?" the old woman said gently. "What passed between ye and Inuyasha on the mountain?"
"It's not that," Kagome said hesitantly. "He was really sweet to me. It's not his fault. It's just... I kept thinking about Urasue and how she resurrected Kikyo. I didn't -- actually do the spells to bring back his body and soul. But I made the deal. And I kept wondering -- if I did the same thing she did, sort of, am I any better than she was?"
Kaede smiled. "Ye are too hard on yourself, Kagome. There is one great difference between what Urasue did, and what ye did."
"What's that?"
"Urasue's heart was as black as forge coal, and she resurrected Kikyo merely to augment her own power. But ye drew Inuyasha back, truly alive as Kikyo is not, despite fears that he would hate ye for it. Ye brought him back out of love, not greed." Kaede stoked the fire. "Ye should go with Inuyasha now, Kagome. He may have need of ye soon."
Kagome smiled a little. As she ran out into the sunlight, Kaede looked after her with a mixture of pride and sadness. Ye have more strength than anyone counted on, if ye carried this terrible burden without a word, the old woman thought. Inuyasha has little idea of how lucky he is.
TO BE CONTINUED