Brother's Keeper

Chapter 9

"Quagmire"

As Sota tried to fall asleep, a very small teardrop started to well up in his eye. He felt it, and softly wiped it away. Kagome noticed this and felt deep pity for her little brother. After she finished her ramen, she set her bowl down, looked at Sango and Miroku, and said, "I'm gonna go find Inuyasha and have a talk with him. You two keep an eye on him. And keep your hands to yourself, Miroku." Miroku blushed and gave a weak laugh.

Kagome yelled out Inuyasha's name in hopes of finding him. "INUYASHA! INUYASHA! This isn't working. Wait! I know!" She looked to her left and her right, then, she closed her eyes and shouted, "OSUWARI!" Inuyasha's thud came from the right, along with falling tree branches. "Works every time! I don't know how I ever had fun without it," she said with a big grin on her face. She walked in the direction of the "THUD," but it was so dark that she could barely see anything two feet in front of her. "OSUWARI!" She turned her head in the direction of the "THUD" at the last second and saw the light from the rosary beards. Off in the distance, she heard Inuyasha say, "Damn it, Kagome! What the hell is wrong with you? Then again, what's right with her?

"There you are! I thought I'd never find you, Kagome said, followed by a wink.
"You could have just said my name, you know?" Inuyasha yelled
"Yeah, but where's the fun in that? Actually, I'm glad you're here. I need to have a word with you."
Inuyasha had a confused expression on his face as Kagome sat down next to him.
"What's your big problem with Sota? Sure, he can get irritating, but he's still very young. He's just being himself."
"He just makes such a big deal out of every thing that I do. It's not really that special."
"Well, it may not be special to you, but to him, it's all the more reason for him to want to be like you." She paused so it could sink in. "I think that's something to be admired. He sees you as the big brother he never had. He just wishes, and so do I, that you would be proud of the fact that you're a role model to someone, and that you're making an impact."
"That the problem. I don't want to be adored by some damn puny little runt. How would you like if someone came up to you and kept pestering you about how they admire you, and how you're 'my hero'? It's just too exhausting."
"I see your point, but seeing a smile on a child's face makes all the constant bugging worthwhile."
"Your crazy! Besides, I really don't give a damn about this whole 'makes you feel good inside' crap. Save it for someone who gives a damn, and has time to waste."
"OSUWARI!""

Off in the background, Kagome heard Sango and Miroku yelling. Well, Sango was doing all the yelling, and Miroku was trying to defend himself from her. SLAP! Kagome cringed when that sound hit her ears, and then she slapped her hand on her forehead. "Anyway, Inuyasha, at least try to be nicer to Sota," she said as she stood up. Kagome arrived back at camp just in time to see Miroku take a beating from Sango's Hirakotsu. She shook her head, as if to say, 'Miroku, you're a perverted idiot.' She walked over to Sota, lying sound asleep on the grass with nothing than a blanket covering him. Kagome retrieved a pillow from her backpack, and placed it under Sota's head. She sat up against the backpack, and stared quietly at her brother, looking adorable sleeping.

Sango walked over to Kagome and sat beside her. "What's the matter, Kagome?' she asked. "What's on your mind?"
"I don't know. It's all happening so fast, I don't know what to think."
"We've all been there before."
"First, it's the fact that Sota got here in the first place, and now it appears he has sacred bateren powers." How in the world am I going to explain this to Mom?
"Well, what are gonna do about the situation?"
"I've told Sota he's going back home first thing in the morning. After that, though, I don't know what to do."
"I'm sure you'll figure something out."

Kagome still was not reassured by what Sango said. She was still expecting to wake up at any moment and find out this was all a dream. If Kaede wasn't able to give us any answers, how are supposed to know what to do? she thought.

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