Everyone stared open-mouthed at Kotori. Finally, Kagome spoke, "You're kidding right? All Shigure wants to do is protect you. Right Shigure?" She looked at him, but he did not meet her glance.
"What Kotori says is true. I have deeply wronged her, and for that I am truly sorry." said Shigure softly.
"But that doesn't make sense." said Kagome.
"Yes it does," said Inuyasha, "Why else would he be so eager to protect her?"
"To prevent the past from repeating itself." said Miroku softly.
"But why would you do such a thing, Shigure?" asked Shippo.
"It was before I had invented the antidote to my curse. I was still developing it, so I was very vulnerable. I had managed to successfully keep the men away, physically hurting them if I had to. Yet there was only one person I couldn't bear to hurt." said Kotori, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Her best friend, Shigure." finished Kita.
"How do you know about something like this Kita?" asked Inuyasha.
"Because I was there when it happened. I had to scratch and bite Shigure until he stopped. It was a terrible sight." she answered, her voice was grave.
Miroku looked angrily at Shigure, "So you raped her! You didn't even bother to completely take her virginity, did you?"
"What are you talking about Miroku?" asked Kagome.
"Kotori and I made love a few nights ago, and I discovered that her barrier had been broken, but not all the way through. I can't imagine how painful that must have been." said Miroku, anger and hatred burned in his eyes, "If it's the last thing I do, Shigure, I will make you pay for what you have done!"
He reached for his staff, but he felt a soft hand on his, "Please don't hurt him. It wasn't his fault."
He looked down at Kotori and saw the pity in her eyes. "You've seen how he protects me. He didn't want to hurt me then. It was because of the curse."
"Every day of my life I regret what I did. After it happened, I tried to drown myself, but Kotori saved me. Ever since that day, I have vowed to prevent something like that to happen again. I guess I failed." said Shigure, head hung low.
Miroku stood up, Kotori in his arms. "I will never forgive you for what you have done, Shigure, but for Kotori's sake, I will not kill you." With that said, Miroku made his way back to the camp, never looking back once.
Inuyasha looked at Shigure with pity, but he too returned to the camp, hand-in-hand with Kagome. Shippo jumped on Kagome's shoulder, but Kita stayed behind with Shigure.
"That wasn't you who did that. I know that you would never do anything to intentionally hurt Kotori. What's in the past is history. You have to make your life better than it was in the past. I know Kotori has forgiven you, and so have I." said Kita as she put a comforting hand on Shigure's shoulder.
He looked at her and smiled weakly, "Thank you, Kita." He stood up and they walked together back to the camp.
"What Kotori says is true. I have deeply wronged her, and for that I am truly sorry." said Shigure softly.
"But that doesn't make sense." said Kagome.
"Yes it does," said Inuyasha, "Why else would he be so eager to protect her?"
"To prevent the past from repeating itself." said Miroku softly.
"But why would you do such a thing, Shigure?" asked Shippo.
"It was before I had invented the antidote to my curse. I was still developing it, so I was very vulnerable. I had managed to successfully keep the men away, physically hurting them if I had to. Yet there was only one person I couldn't bear to hurt." said Kotori, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Her best friend, Shigure." finished Kita.
"How do you know about something like this Kita?" asked Inuyasha.
"Because I was there when it happened. I had to scratch and bite Shigure until he stopped. It was a terrible sight." she answered, her voice was grave.
Miroku looked angrily at Shigure, "So you raped her! You didn't even bother to completely take her virginity, did you?"
"What are you talking about Miroku?" asked Kagome.
"Kotori and I made love a few nights ago, and I discovered that her barrier had been broken, but not all the way through. I can't imagine how painful that must have been." said Miroku, anger and hatred burned in his eyes, "If it's the last thing I do, Shigure, I will make you pay for what you have done!"
He reached for his staff, but he felt a soft hand on his, "Please don't hurt him. It wasn't his fault."
He looked down at Kotori and saw the pity in her eyes. "You've seen how he protects me. He didn't want to hurt me then. It was because of the curse."
"Every day of my life I regret what I did. After it happened, I tried to drown myself, but Kotori saved me. Ever since that day, I have vowed to prevent something like that to happen again. I guess I failed." said Shigure, head hung low.
Miroku stood up, Kotori in his arms. "I will never forgive you for what you have done, Shigure, but for Kotori's sake, I will not kill you." With that said, Miroku made his way back to the camp, never looking back once.
Inuyasha looked at Shigure with pity, but he too returned to the camp, hand-in-hand with Kagome. Shippo jumped on Kagome's shoulder, but Kita stayed behind with Shigure.
"That wasn't you who did that. I know that you would never do anything to intentionally hurt Kotori. What's in the past is history. You have to make your life better than it was in the past. I know Kotori has forgiven you, and so have I." said Kita as she put a comforting hand on Shigure's shoulder.
He looked at her and smiled weakly, "Thank you, Kita." He stood up and they walked together back to the camp.