A/N: Haha, I noticed a discrepancy in the last two chapters. There was supposed to be a note in chapter 15 about how they put clothes on her while she was asleep. Butttt it got cut when I did some editing. Next thing there was she was jumping in Kouga's lap…with no clothes on? I dunno. I'll have to fix that.
Anyways, hope I don't lose you in this chapter. I kept rewriting it…but I think this is the easiest version. And it's short and sweet. Drop me a line if you didn't get it!
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Kagome was sure her blood left her brain and pooled in her cheeks. Kouga and her had separated and sat up, twitching anxiously as Kaede took her time setting up. She started tea and sat cross-legged before them.
Fatigue tugged weakly at Kagome but she forced herself to stay up and held a blanket firmly around her.
"So what old woman? What'd you find out?" Kouga asked abruptly when he couldn't wait anymore.
Kaede shot him a silencing look and the wolf prince blanched. She instead focused on the boiling pot near her. It hissed and crackled in the corner until she pulled it aside, pouring it into a cup with shaky hands. She finally spoke to him.
"Be patient, young one. Time will not adversely affect us in this matter."
The wolf prince frowned.
"What did you find Kaede?" Kagome spoke up before Kouga could again.
"We must wait for the others. I don't wish to repeat myself."
A flash of panic shot through Kagome when she thought Inuyasha would come, but it died away when she kept studying the miko's expression.
Kaede seemed too deep in thought about the issue at hand to be distracted by what she witnessed earlier. And Kagome wasn't even entirely sure Kaede would care or be stupid enough to be the one to tell Inuyasha.
Kagome looked down towards her hands, lost in thought. Miroku and Shippou arrived fairly quickly. Sango arrived last, dragging herself through the door with a dark expression shadowing her.
She dropped her boomerang, seemingly unconcerned when it crashed to the ground, and dropped to a seat next to Miroku.
Kagome opened her mouth to question her friend but stopped herself.
Kaede stole back their attention. She settled herself, stirring the tea in front of her.
"Tell me child, can ye see the jewel shards anymore?"
Kagome's heart skipped a beat. Brow furrowing, she snapped her head over to stare at the wolf prince.
Her breath left her and she sounded out the rest of the room. Even Kouga stared back at her with fright and confusion written over his face.
She let her eyes fall to his forearm, to his legs. And even where she knew the jewel shards must be there was no characteristic glow that emanated. Kagome blinked and squinted, staring harder. Still, nothing showed itself.
She let out a squeak of frustration and looked back at her hands.
"No." She admitted.
"What's this mean if she can't see the jewel shards, Kaede?" Sango instantly voiced the room's thoughts.
Kagome could feel everyone shift uncomfortably, but forced herself to look back up to the old miko.
Kaede didn't seem overly concerned.
"It's not quite that simple. I believe this to be only a temporary concern. Kagome-sama uses her spiritual powers much like anyone would his physical strength. But that does not mean if one are unable to fight after already being exhausted from battle that it is a permeate effect. No, I find this more to be a waiting game." Everyone listened intently. "Kagome-sama's aura is almost non-existent. It's very much a miracle that the demon didn't kill her when it died itself. "
Kouga couldn't help but let a growl out, his hackles on edge.
But still, Kagome let a wash of relief wash over her. While she'd never considered her gift as a gift, she knew it was at the center of the shard hunt. The thought of really losing it chilled her.
"So what does this mean?" Sango pressed, letting her mind click carefully over every word.
Kaede took a deep breath.
"She has to rebuilt her aura—more painstakingly than any mortal wound I'm afraid. I'm not too familiar with the process, ye see so rare is it that a person can actually harvest or spindle the energy to compel it into a palpable form."
"I understand." Miroku nodded as she finished. "The aura is the source of all of our spiritual powers. Kagome's purifying power and her ability to see shards should be no different."
Kaede agreed, but refocused the attention.
"This is where I believe things get tricky though. Ye know, Miroku, there are ways to repair an aura faster."
If Miroku knew, he didn't say anything but leaned forward closer.
"There is a way, others tell me, though difficult is an ability to share one's aura with another. To rebuilt its strength." Kaede let out a breath and tried to reword it. "Have ye ever found ye heal faster when loved ones surround ye?"
"With their loves come parts of their aura. Their strength." Miroku almost whispered, utterly transfixed at the thought. "Yes, yes I've heard of this before."
"It is ancient in theory. But this may allow us to rebuild Kagome-sama's aura rapidly, if we so donate."
Kouga's head tilted.
"How?" He demanded over the others and called attention back to him. "How can we do this?"
Kaede looked at him.
"There is no way to truly wield it in a palpable form. But it should seem that supportive physical contact would. In fact it may be that Kagome knows this already."
A shock straightened out Kagome's spine and she looked alarmingly at the old miko. Kissing Kouga had been to take part of his aura. She couldn't stop the horror and scandal from playing across her face. She did think it was odd that through fatigue, the urge to kiss Kouga had sprung upon her. But that could have just been from him being there for her. Right?
Kagome couldn't convince herself. And even as Miroku, Sango, and Kaede continued to discuss how they could help, she couldn't wrap her mind around it.
Sucking energy off others people's auras seemed…disgusting. She refused to be a leach off of her friends to get her strength back. And the more she repeated the thought in her head, she couldn't tolerate it.
"No."
Her voice brought all attention in the room back to her.
"I'm not going to take part of anyone's aura. It's wrong. And evil."
