Kagome walked briskly to the hut next door and rapped twice before pushing aside the straw matt hanging in the doorway and walking into the hut. Her eyes went straight to the monk prone on the floor. She could tell by the cadence of his breathing and his stillness that he was still asleep. She took the four steps to him slowly, aware of her demonic friends entering the hut slowly after her.
Standing by Miroku she looked down at his sunken cheek bones and thin fingers. She couldn't imagine her life or life on Earth period without the monk on it. Though she had never once stopped to see if she could find any of her companions in records from the sengoku era, she had always felt certain that the monk and tiajaya had spawned a whole slew of babies together. Now however she knew that assertion to be false. Sangos' death had ripped a canyon within her soul. She felt the loss of her best friend to the very depths of her and the thought of loosing another friend was too much to bear.
Kagome knelt and slowly lifted Mirokus' hand palm up to her face. She studied the holy beads and the flesh that was sealed shut beneath them. The Wind Tunnel. Her jaw set hard and her lips pursed together. "Wake up monk!" She snapped as she jerked her friend awake.
Pulling his hand instinctively away and sitting up fast, Miroku uttered a small cry before blushing a deep red upon seeing it was merely Kagome. "Kagome-kun, why have you startled me awake in such a manor?" He asked as he looked from Kagome to the others behind her. He could see from their keen stares at Kagome that they too were taken aback at her rough treatment.
Kagomes' eyes slitted slightly. She was going to have to be extremely harsh with the monk. More harsh than she had ever been with a friend as close to her as Miroku was. She hardened her heart and closed off her soul before turning her empty eyes upon her friend.
Miroku blinked and unconsciously flinched back slightly as her aura turned a shade darker and she stared through him.
"We are leaving you here Houshi. Your lack of health has already almost cost you your life. Do not follow us and do not think to go out on your own after Naraku. I know you want your revenge, but from this day forth you'll just have to settle with getting it through us.. Inuyasha and I. From here on out, you have a knew task, a new goal to accomplish." She paused for a second as she straightened her back and clenched a fist. "You are to live. You are to move forward in life and live." She could see him about to protest and shook her head hard. "No! I won't hear what you have to say. You cannot travel with us any further. In your condition you would be nothing more than a burden. If we were to face Naraku tomorrow or even tonight, we would be too intent on saving and protecting you to truly focus on the destruction of Naraku."
She could see Mirokus' sense of worth and pride shattering before her eyes. Could see how he was moving inward into himself and away from her words, away from the truth within them. "But, before Inuyasha and I leave you, I would beg of you one thing." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "Please, Keep Shippo safe with you. If we know that at least a few of us are moving on and fighting for a good life, than perhaps Inuyasha and I can do together what the lot of us has thus far been unable to do.. defeat Naraku."
Kagome turned to Shippo when she heard his sharp intake of breath. "Please Shippo, don't argue. Up until now, you have traveled with us and we have allowed it before because you seek your own revenge for your family, but Shippo, you are a distraction as well." She stood up straight again and faced him full on. Shippo had grown quite a bit over the years and though he was not quite out of his childhood years, it would still be decades until his demonic blood reached adulthood.
"I can't watch out for you on the battle field any further. Naraku has shown us that he is not content to wait for the battle field either. He has started guerrilla warfare with us and if he is going to stick with this tactic than it is only a matter of time before you are taken from me. Stay here. Be safe and watch out for each other." Walking slowly back towards the door she glanced back over her shoulder to see her friend sitting up in his bed. His head was hung but she could see the defeat in the slump of his shoulders. Coming to a stop beside Shippo, she reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Please, swear to me that the two of you will stay and build a life?" Kagome waited in silence as her eyes drifted from Miroku to Shippo and then to Inuyasha who had not said a word. His golden eyes were covered by his long silver bangs but she could see his agreement with her in his lack of argument.
"Swear to me that you will not follow us." She demanded. Her voice rising in tone and sharpness. "Swear it now!"
Shippo raised his head and looked her in the eye. Tears were brimming and threatening to spill forth but he blinked them away. "Fine!" He said through clenched teeth, "I promise. I will not follow you. I swear that I will stay with the Houshi and that together we will build a new home here in Edo. One that you and Inuyasha can return to!"
Kagome nodded to Shippo and then looked hard at the Houshi. He remained silent, but she could see his torso trembling with his emotion. He wanted revenge more than he wanted life. She could see that revenge was the only thing keeping him going. It was the only thing keeping them all going. And that there was the problem. If they lived for revenge and nothing further than their hearts would be consumed with hate. They would become twisted and over time they would not resemble themselves. Kagome could already feel it happening within her...
"I swear to you Kagome, Miko of the Shikon Jewel, that I will stay here and try to build a new life for myself and for Shippo. Know this, however, if I do not hear from you once in a moon cycle I will set forth and continue on my way to vengeance, for I will assume that you have failed in yours."
Kagome turned away from them both and walked through the door while uttering a quiet. "So be it."