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Chapter 23:

Lift Her Soul

"I don't care!"

"Well good! Cause I don't care if you care!"

"Well Fine!"

"Fine!"

The group stopped in the middle of the street staring at a couple in the middle of a screaming match. They both looked human and no older than 20. The girl was visibly pregnant. The man glared at the woman. "Shut up and do as I say!"

The girl spat at him. "Never! Leave now!" The man backhanded her. She almost fell to the ground but Inuyasha grabbed her. "What the fuck!? She's a pregnant girl? What kind of man are you?" He growled.

Kagome and Sango ran over to the man. "Not a very big one." Kagome spat as Sango nodded. "How bout you fight one of us?" Sango glared.

The man who was much larger that both the girls glared down at them. "Mind your own business. This is between me and my whore." Kagome growled and kicked him hard, square in the nuts. Sango then took out her Hiraikotsu and hit him in the head, knocking him out.

The girls turned around to see the men tending to the woman. They blinked. "There's a switch." Sango stated and Kagome nodded. They girl whimpered as Inuyasha and Miroku helped her up. "Thank you."

"It's no problem," Sango smiled. "Who is that man?" The girl began to cry. "He's my old boyfriend. I left him a year ago because he cheated on me. I fell in love with another man, but...he...he was killed 4 months ago. And now I am carrying his baby. This man, Itoeso (E-toe-sue), has come back to my village and demanded that I marry him and that, upon birth he slays my child. I told him never." Kagome hugged the crying girl. She had brown hair that hit her shoulders and brown eyes. She was about as tall as Kagome, and at least 7 months pregnant.

"Shh...don't cry, you don't want to upset the baby." Kagome whispered. The girl nodded. "It's not just him though, several of the villagers are angry as well. Saying the baby is an abomination." Sango raised a brow. "Why would they say that?"

The girl choked back a sob. "Because...the man I love...he was a...demon." The group gave each other knowing stares. Inuyasha's eyes softened. "It's okay." Kagome smiled. The girl nodded. "My father is a high priest at our village. Usually the villagers will listen to him. But I'm just scared for my baby."

"What's your name?" Miroku asked. "Chike (Chi-key). Would you all like to come back to my village. I would love to offer you a meal and a place of rest for saving me." Kagome looked over at Inuyasha. "Sure." He grunted.

Chike lead the group through the village and to the palace. She walked inside and an old man walked up to her. He looked to be 50 or so. He wore priest garments with colors of blacks and blues. He head long grey hair and dark brown eyes.

"Chike!" He stated, as though relieved. "Father!" She cried and hugged the man. The old man looked at his daughter. "My word, did Itoeso do this to your face?" Chike looked away. "Hai, but this group saved me! I wanted to offer them food and rest." The old man nodded. "Go freshen up Chike. I'll show your visitors around." Chike nodded and walked off.

"I must thank you for saving my daughter. Itoeso has been nothing but trouble since he hit manhood. He's been after my daughter for years. I never thought that he would lay a hand on her though."

Kagome nodded. "Yes, he wasn't the most pleasant man." The old man looked at Kagome and his eyes widened for a second. The he regained his composer, Inuyasha and Miroku saw it though.

"Forgive my rudeness, I am Chaoitzu (Chai-oat-zoo), high priest here. And you might be?" Kagome smiled and spoke up. "I am Kagome, this here is Inuyasha, Sango, Shippo, and Miroku." The priest nodded. "Well nice to meet you, now come along and I'll show you to a room to rest."

The group follow Chaoitzu to a wide room. He turned around and smiled. "I'll be back shortly with food, make yourself comfortable."

The group sat do in a circle in silence for a moment. Then Miroku spoke up. "Kagome," He started. "Yes?" "That Priest, he looked at you oddly, you have never met him have you?" Kagome thought for a moment. "Not that I can recall...."

"Not even when you were with Naraku." Kagome shook her head quickly. "Naraku never had me terrorize villages. I just trained a lot before I saw you. Kagura was always training me." She said. She tried not to think to much about what happened at Naraku's castle. She hadn't told the group everything that Naraku had done, and she thought it should stay that way.

Miroku thought for a moment. His thoughts were interrupted by the priest and Chike coming in with some servants, carrying lots of food. Once everything was seated, the servants left, including Chike, but the priest stayed. He looked down at Kagome.

Inuyasha glared. "Old man you got a staring problem or what?" the priest jumped and looked at Inuyasha. "Forgive me. I just thought I sensed something." Miroku looked at him. "Sensed what?" The priest cleared his throat and looked at Kagome. "Young priestess, are you dead?" The group gasped. Kagome's heart missed a beat. She looked up at him. "I was. I'm not exactly that way now." She mumbled.

The old man nodded. "I can sense the jewel shards in your stomach. They're so dark, full of hate. Priestess this is no way to live. You must let your soul find eternal rest."

Inuyasha stood up and blocked Kagome. "Back off, Kagome ain't going no where." The priest sighed. "Such a said sight for what feels like a strong priestess. You're holding on to this world, praying not to leave. But you must. Or you will become a lost soul."

"Lost soul?" Miroku stated. "Hai. You are holding on with the power of the jewel shards. But they're tainted. Soon, your heart and soul will become just like those shards. Black and evil. You don't want that do you? Is your eternal peace really worth having more time here?"

Kagome bit her lip. "I'll just purify them!" She tried and winced. "Ow...that hurt." "You can not. For they are being used for a selfish cause. Only another priestess can purify those shards."

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha. Her eyes looked lost and scared. "Kagome only needs the jewels for a little longer! And then I will taken them out of her, complete the jewel and wish her back to life."

The group looked wide eyed and Inuyasha's idea. "What about...being a full.." Inuyasha gave her a look that said zip it. "Now old man, since you ain't sending any souls away today, I think we'll be leaving." Chaoitzu shook his head. "No no. Please, stay. I owe you for my daughter. I will not bother you anymore." And with that he walked out of the room.

Inuyasha sat down and huffed. "Stupid old man, doesn't know what's what." Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "He's right though. Kaede had mentioned that to me before we left. Soon my powers won't even work, because I'm using tainted shards." Inuyasha looked at her.

"Kagome just hang on a little longer, when we complete the jewel, we'll bring you back!" Kagome looked at Inuyasha, he looked so hopeful. She smiled sadly. 'I can't tell him that that might just taint the jewel. At least, not now.'

The group continued to eat and decided that they would take Chike up on her offer to rest here for the night.

Kagome couldn't sleep she continued to look up at the dark roof. She sighed. "Problem?" Kagome squeaked and jumped when she heard Inuyasha's voice. She sat up and looked at him. "Can't sleep." She whispered and crawled over to him. She sat in front him and looked into his violet eyes. He was human tonight. Kagome smiled, Inuyasha always hated his human side. She liked it. He was way more open as his human self. Of course, she'd never want him to become human permanently. She loved him as a half demon.

Inuyasha looked at her. "What's on your mind? That priest scare you?" Kagome smiled sadly. "Scare? No, I'm not afraid to go. I've been through it once. The dying process was painful. But once you just, let go, you feel nothing." Inuyasha nodded. "What happened. Once you died?" He felt bad asking, but he just wanted to know. Kagome thought for a moment. "I woke up and saw Naraku and Kagura. I honestly don't remember anything between that. I don't remember lights, or angels, or singing, or even hell. Maybe I wasn't dead long enough." She shrugged. She bit her lip and looked at Inuyasha. "When you found me...what...what did you do?" Inuyasha flinched, remembering the site. "I...I cried." He confessed. "I don't remember a time I cried so hard, or so long." Kagome's eyes watered over. She felt bad for making him cry, but also, it warmed her heart to know that he cried for her.

"So why can't you sleep?" He asked again. "Well, I was asleep, but I started having a bad dream, somehow I managed to wake myself up. So I decided it would be best to stay awake." Inuyasha nodded. "You think Maygosu had something to do with it." Kagome shrugged. "Possibly. I don't know. Inuyasha, do you think it's a good idea to use the jewel to keep me alive."

Inuyasha raised a brow. "Of course I do, why wouldn't it be?" Kagome sighed. "I don't know. The jewels in me are tainted, and they're keeping me alive. I don't want the jewel to become tainted for me. I want it to be pure." Inuyasha sighed and brought Kagome to him. She rested on his shoulder. "Kagome, your shards are tainted because of Maygosu and Naraku. Not because of you. Trust me ok."

Kagome smiled. "Always." And with that she drifted off to sleep.

R&R