Oh my! Ariana's updating! Magnificent, no? :) Sorry for the wait, have at it!

Chapter 9 - The Rough Past

Kagome struggled to wake up, hearing the familiar sounds of morning. The birds were singing, cats were howling for breakfast, and she had a pillow? Frowning, she sat up, taking in the magnificence of the room she was in. With a smile she remembered the previous day's events.

Then, with a frown, she remembered her neighbor.

She sighed, stretching as she looked around in a daze. Here she was, in this enormous castle with kind, gracious servants, and she was being so lovingly tended to. It was a new experience, and she planned on taking it in slowly and treasuring it.

She jumped out of bed, pulling on the robe that had been kindly draped over a chair for her. She opened the door carefully, peering around before shutting it softly behind her.

Sango met her at the bottom of the stairs, a smile on her face. Kagome wondered briefly if she smiled simply at the sight of her, or at seeing her all in one piece. Nevertheless, Kagome smiled back and strode down the stairs with whatever elegance she could muster.

"Come, Lady Kagome, and we'll get you some breakfast," the young woman said kindly, and took her elbow as she touched the floor of the hall. Kagome gratefully followed, eager for food to calm her rumbling belly.

Miroku's face greeted her in the kitchen when he looked away from the pot he was stirring, and she noticed his eyes light up for a moment when they rested on Sango for the briefest moment.

Kagome smiled to herself as she took a seat at the table, wondering if Sango knew about Miroku's little crush. She glanced over at the pair at the exact moment Sango slapped the man's face.

Guess not.

Kagome shrugged; there was no way she was going to interfere. Another glance at the resigned face Miroku made as he turned away changed her mind. Maybe sometime later she'd tell Sango to lighten up.

All thoughts of matchmaking were forgotten as her breakfast was placed before her, and she ate speedily, missing the slightly shocked looks on the others' faces. They quickly hid their looks though, since they didn't want their guest to feel unwanted.

Far from it.

They, of course, wanted Kagome to feel at home. For, if their plan was to work according to plan, this would be her home.

Not only did they want Inuyasha back to his previous form, they wanted him to be happy. And Kagome, with her kindness and innocence, was sure to be exactly what he needed: someone who could love him for who he was.

After all, if she could love him as a full-demon, maybe (just maybe) she could handle the real Inuyasha.

"Kaede?"

"Yes, child?"

Kagome fidgeted with the obi of her kimono. They'd been so giving, honestly. They'd dressed her in clothes fit for a princess, and she nothing more than a commoner. The clothes were very comfortable too. She'd admired them in her room earlier, loving the way they looked on her without being too tight.

"I was wondering..." She stopped again. How could she ask questions of such lovely people? She had no right to butt into their business, and yet...

"What happened to Inuyasha? I mean..." at the old woman's look of surprise, she tried to tone it down a tad. "I mean, what happened to his parents?"

Kaede sighed, folding her hands neatly in her lap as she knelt on the floor. Silently, Kagome joined her on the floor, kneeling.

Kaede said nothing for a few moments, and Kagome wondered briefly whether or not she should have spoken out at all. If Kaede weren't there, she surely would have hit herself.

As it was, her hands remained in her lap, and her breathing remained slow and steady, not revealing anything.

"My child," Kaede murmured, and Kagome started as though something had jumped out of the walls. "My poor child," Kaede whispered again, and Kagome eagerly went to the woman's side.

"Kaede, what's wrong? I'm fine, honest." Kaede looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.

"Not you, darling." Kaede looked back down at her gnarled hands, looking them over as though utterly fascinated with the sight of them. Kagome said nothing, almost frightened at what was going on.

For a while, Kaede struggled with herself. Would she tell Kagome? Surely, it would be alright to tell her about the family, at least? There would be no harm done at all.

"When I left your mother," she began, "I looked for many different places that needed assistance." Kagome scuttled closer, eager to hear every word about the family she'd be mystified by for years. "Some needed help, others did not." Kaede smiled faintly.

"But no one needed my help as much as she did."

"Who, Kaede?"

"The lad's mother, Kagome. So lovely a woman I never did see... other than your mother of course." Kagome smiled. "But she was sad, too. Her mate, the boy's father, had died in a horrible battle that was tearing their land apart. A war, it was."

Kaede brushed her hand across the top of Kagome's head. "You were little more than an infant then too. Try as she might, the lady could not continue without her mate, and it tore her apart to see her son so sad and lonely." The old woman sniffed sadly, remembering.

"She was a strong lass, though. She stayed here, nigh 5 years, living without her mate. It wasn't pretty, mind you. I'd take care of the young master most of the day... feisty he was." A smile lingered at the corners of Kaede's mouth. "He'd see her often, though. She'd play with him for as long as she could. But I saw it in her eyes."

Kagome's frown became deeper and deeper. This was horrible! She almost forgave Inuyasha for being so loud the night before... almost.

"When she looked at him, she saw the lad's father. She'd shoo us away before she cried outright. There were a few times when she couldn't stop herself, and she'd pull the young master to her as though he were her only anchor in life. Which... I suppose he was."

With a great moan, Kaede tried to stand up, and the young miko hurriedly got up and assisted her. Kaede walked along the hall, nodding quietly to any servant who happened to pass by.

"She killed herself, eventually. I was with Inuyasha... he was 9 years old, then. Still very much a child in many ways, and yet..." Kaede's face hardened and a servant in passing shied away in a frightened manner. "Suitors came to the castle, with many friends. Those who were frightened of the lady's mate now were emboldened by his absence. They shunned the boy, hating him for being hanyou."

Kagome delicately put her hand to her mouth, her eyes glittering with sorrow. She'd never heard a more distressing tale in all her life. Inuyasha had grown up in such horrible conditions, emotionally at least. How could a child grow in an environment full of hate?

Kagome slipped her hand into Kaede's gently, seeing the pain in the woman's eyes. A look of determination came over her face. She was going to fix this. She didn't know how, but she was going to restore the happiness in this dark and drafty castle.

"The young master was heart-broken. She left him a note saying how much she loved him, and how terribly sorry she was that it had come to the end that it had... From then on, he showed hardly any emotion. He convinced himself that he hated humans, and that he'd never love another..." The old woman sighed. "Once in awhile though, he'd come into my room crying, and he'd cry himself to sleep in my arms..."

Kagome swallowed heavily as they reached the grand hall, and Kaede turned to Kagome, taking both the girls' hands in her own old, gnarled ones.

"Kagome, dear child, I asked you to heal not only my master's body, but his soul as well. It's withering slowly away, and no one can do a thing to help." Kaede smiled, tears forming in the corner of her eyes, and raised her hand to Kagome's cheek, holding it gently. "Please child, save my master."

Kagome choked back her own tears as she nodded slowly, embracing the old woman with fervor. When they broke apart, both wept openly, yet silently. They bowed solemnly to each other, promising without words that they would aright what had collapsed in Inuyasha's life.

But Kagome had no idea just what that would entail.

Hey everyone! I'm sorry this took so long to get out. This is a boring chapter, but it had to get out. Some stuff is being repeated, and a lot is from the manga/anime, so none of this should be too hard to grasp right? ;) If anyone has any other questions, please ask! I'd be happy to integrate little things in that someone doesn't understand. And I'm not sure how I want to handle the length of this fic. It took a long time to finish SMFP, so I don't think I want it to be THAT long... but long enough.

Thanks so much for all your reviews! And I know that you guys want a sequel for SMFP, but I'm almost SMFP'd out at this point. Honestly, there's probably a more complicated plot in the sequel than in the original. Sigh... I won't forget about it, don't worry. But I think I've neglected my other stories long enough! :) Thanks again everyone, I love every single one of you for being so supportive. If I could, I'd give ya'll huggles and kissies. :) -Ariana