No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, even though I should.

Chapter OneWhy Can't this Last Forever?

That night, there were fireworks in the village. A new invention, and a welcome one. They burst in the sky, magnificent and dazzling. Every villager was out tonight, celebrating the completion of the Shikon no Tama.

Only two sat inside. Kaede sat beside a smoldering fire, and Miroku was across from her. He had politely refused to celebrate with the others in order to take the time to remember those the Shikon no Tama had caused grief to.

Kaede gazed out the window at the beautiful fireworks. "It's a beautiful night." She commented.

Miroku nodded and took a sip of tea.

"The fireworks are wonderful." He agreed.

Kaede gave him a slightly wicked smile. "I wasn't speaking of the fireworks." She jerked her head toward the window.

From the small opening was the perfect view of a hillside lit up by the colorful flares. Sitting there was a girl, her dark brown hair tied loosely on her back, her oversized boomerang lying forgotten beside her. Kirara, in kitten form, frolicked about and nipped her hands, but the girl didn't notice.

Miroku smiled softly and faced Kaede again, closing his eyes. "I never thought I'd fall in love." He said. "I always thought I'd be wandering forever, never acquiring an heir."

He chuckled, lightly rubbing his hand. "I hardly need one now."

A sound on the roof disturbed the two. "What was that?" Miroku asked, looking as though interrupted from a pleasant dream.

"Inuyasha is being shy." Kaede murmured to herself, smiling.

"Inuyasha, if ye are afraid to come down, ye have no reason to be! Join us!" She called. There was no response from above. Kaede turned her attention once again on Miroku.

"Lord monk, there is no reason to stay inside. Go, enjoy this night." She insisted.

Miroku shook his head. "I'm afraid I must decline. It would be disrespectful of those who died in connection with the Shikon no Tama. I must respect them tonight."

"Ye have respected them enough by completing the jewel! Go! I command ye to leave my house immediately!"

Miroku stood. "Very well." He said, moving for the door. He stopped at the flap. "Thank you, Lady Kaede." He said, and then left.

Kaede watched out the window as the girl on the hill was joined by Miroku. He sat beside her. It was perhaps too close than Sango would normally have liked, but this night was different. This night was special.

Kaede sat in the silence, feeling anything but lonely. For tonight, all her thoughts were on someone else. "Kikyo." She whispered, testing the word on her lips. It had been so long that she had said her sister's name with love.

In truth, Kaede was sad for her sister. When the others were around, she hid her thoughts. She knew their opinions of her were conflicted enough already.

But Kikyo had been her older sister, and Kaede had been devastated when she died. Kikyo had taught Kaede all she knew about being a priestess. Not only that, but she had given Kaede advice when she found out the boy she liked didn't like her back.

Looking back on that conversation, Kaede wondered if Kikyo had been thinking about Inuyasha.

Kaede was lost in thought when she heard the flap open quickly and someone walk in.

"Kaede?"

The old woman looked up to see a beautiful miko standing before her, her long black hair tied back and her brown eyes shining in the light of the fire.

"K-Kikyo…" Kaede breathed. Then she took a closer look. "No, Kagome. I'm sorry."

Kagome shook her head and smiled sympathetically. "No, it's alright. I feel like I've been complimented." She added a good-natured laugh to the last part.

Kaede knew Kagome was covering up what she really felt. Kagome had never known what to feel about Kikyo. She didn't know whether to hate her for being in love with Inuyasha, or to love her for being almost a part of herself.

Overcome, Kaede stood and wrapped her arms around Kagome. "Ye are too kind for me." She said. Kagome warmly returned the hug. Eventually, Kaede drew back.

"Now, my child, what can I do for you? After all, this is your night." She said.

"Oh, I'm just looking for Inuyasha." Kagome said. "Do you know where he is?"

"On the roof, I believe." Kaede answered. Kagome looked out the window at the fireworks.

"It's amazing, you know?" She said, more to herself than to Kaede. "We've been searching for the jewel shards for such a long time that it feels like my entire life. And now…"

Kaede watched her eyes start to well up with tears.

"We'll still be together." She said, trying to comfort Kagome. "Nothing will change."

"Everything will change!" Kagome said, her voice catching in her throat. "Miroku told me he wanted to live in the old demon-slayers village with Sango. That's two of us, just gone." She swallowed, watching the pair out the window. "And Shippo might join them." She added.

"Nonsense, Kagome. Shippo loves you very much. He wouldn't abandon you." Kaede insisted. Kagome started to wipe her eyes.

"I suppose." She said, but sounded doubtful.

"I'm sorry, Lady Kaede. I'll go see Inuyasha now." She awkwardly started toward the door. Kaede couldn't help but think how much she looked like Kikyo. It made her feel odd.

Suddenly, Kagome turned around again. "Kaede, there's something I have to tell you." Kaede leaned in closer. "What is it, Kagome?" She asked, seeing the desperation in the child's face.

Kagome hesitated, then quickly sat down across from the old priestess. "I've made up my mind." She said. "I'm leaving the Feudal Era for good."

Kaede didn't understand for a moment. "I'm going to live in my own time forever and never come back here." Kagome clarified.

Kaede sat in shock for a moment. She had never expected this. "But, Kagome…you'll always be allowed to come through the well." She said, thinking Kagome didn't understand something. But Kagome shook her head, and Kaede's heart sank.

Kagome searched the old woman's face for something, anything, that would tell her what she thought. But she was expressionless. Then she broke into a sad smile.

"You will be greatly missed." She said finally. Kagome felt her eyes grow hot, but didn't let the tears fall. Instead, she hugged Kaede and stood. "I'll still be here a few days." She said.

Kaede looked down. A single tear escaped her eye.

Meanwhile, Kagome was outside. "Inuyasha!" She called upwards, towards the roof of Kaede's hut. There was a shuffling noise, then his face appeared. "Wha…" Inuyasha began his sentence in a rude tone, but trailed off once he saw Kagome.

Kagome gave him a sympathetic half-grimace. She knew who he had thought she was at first. "I'm coming up!" She called. Inuyasha snorted and disappeared from view.

Kagome made her way up the wall, a bit clumsily but surely. When she reached the top, Inuyasha was facing away from her, staring at the fireworks.

"Well…?" Kagome said, kneeling on the straw of the roof. "Well what?" Inuyasha rudely said, still not looking at her. "We've been collecting the pieces of the sacred jewel for over a year and all you can say is 'well what'?" Kagome said, in mock anger.

Inuyasha turned around sharply. "Well, it's not my fault if—" Kagome started laughing and Inuyasha realized she hadn't been mad at all.

"I just wanted to see your face." She explained, smiling. Inuyasha grunted, looking a little awkward and turned back to the fireworks.

"Hey!" Kagome shouted, pulling him toward her by his hair. "We've been through a lot together, you're not about to ignore me on this night!" To Inuyasha's surprise, tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"What? What did I say?" He asked, puzzled. "Never mind." Kagome said, wiping away her tears. "Jeez, you're such a crybaby." Inuyasha said.

Suddenly, Kagome threw her arms around him and pressed her face against his chest. "Wha…?" Inuyasha said, thrown off. "Just let me do this." Kagome said. "Please. We may never be like this again."

Inuyasha, still confused, slowly warmed up to her and put his arms gently around her. "What are you talking about?" He said. "We'll always be like this."

"Maybe." Kagome mumbled into his chest, but he didn't hear. She felt her heart beating hard against her chest. Inuyasha suddenly pulled her away from him.

"Kagome, something is up. I'll find out somehow, so just tell me." He said. Kagome shook her head. "It's nothing." She said. "I just can't believe it's all over…"

She turned her head to the fireworks and leaned against Inuyasha. "I'm sorry for being a nuisance." She said. "You're not!" Inuyasha insisted nervously, hoping she wouldn't start crying again, but she didn't. She just sat there, against him, her heart in her throat, for what seemed like forever. Inuyasha didn't know that in just a couple of days, he would wish it really had gone on forever.

A/N: So, hi. Phew, done with the first chapter. It was really easy to write, so that was nice. Yeah, I know there's some fluff but I try to keep it to a minimum. At this point, I don't really know where this story is going. o I know that sounds scary, but I'll get to figuring it out. I do know what happens in the next few chapters though. Heehee. Kagome will be going through a lot of angst. And Inuyasha is changing, too, hint, hint. See ya next chapter!