InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Same Thing, Different Time ❯ In The Buff ( Chapter 21 )

Disclaimer: Same as any other chapter before. I don't own any of them… (Darn it!)… (yet!)

Italicized words: more emphasis on its meaning.

'Bold Italics': One's specific thoughts. Inner Voice.

~*~*~*: Lapses of time or switch of scene

I do hope that you like this chapter. There are a few time lapses to jump to certain scenes instead of drawing it out to lead up to the scene itself. There are some not-so-quite-essential parts for the story line itself, but it just depends on how you want to read it.

Important notes at bottom.

Please excuse typos, it's already 6 a.m. and I haven't even gone to bed yet!

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Same Thing, Different Time

by: aishiteru_inu

Part 21: In The Buff

Previous Chapter:

"Much better," Kagome murmured as she exited from the shower, glad to have the sludge removed from her body and hair. She grabbed one of the towels hanging on the peg next to the shower door and wrapped her hair up, then took the second one down and began to vigorously rub her skin until she was dry and pink. Dropping the drying towel onto the floor, she bent slightly over and undid the towel about her head. She then began giving her hair the same vigorous treatment as she had her body. Straightening, she flipped her hair up and back, and dropped the towel on top of the first.

Raising her hands to her head, Kagome ran her fingers through her hair. She was giving the damp tresses a fluffing shake when the door slammed open, and there was InuYasha standing in the doorway.

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She stood froze, as if all the breath had been sucked out of her, staring at the golden-yellow eyes which blinked, and blinked again, then, gradually, they began to grow in unison with his mouth dropping partially open. There was also the little fact that he wasn't making an attempt to leave either!

The shrill shriek that rose up out of her caused InuYasha's ears to flatten to his head, and she made a mad dash downward, reaching for the towels at her feet.

"SIT!" the command flew out of her mouth, and just as she jerked one of the drying cloths against her, InuYasha went crashing to the floor. A grumbling growl was heard as she wrapped herself properly with the towel before he could lift his head.

"You… Jerk! That's what you get! What are you doing coming in here on me while I'm taking a bath?!"

"FEH! As if!" he shot back. "Like I want to see your ugly body naked!"

"Is that so?" she took a tone of being offended, rising off of the floor.

"I wasn't coming in here to look at you, stupid!"

"You were trying to see if the necklace was laying about, now did you?" Kaede's voice sounded at the doorway. She had rushed to the bathhouse upon hearing the girl scream.

"Feh! You're not as smart as you think, old hag. If you haven't noticed, I'm still covered in all this crap. I was coming to take a shower." 'But if that necklace had been within my grasp…"

"And you did not sense that Kagome was inside?"

He issued a soft growl, laying his chin back down on the floor. He hadn't sensed her in there mainly because he was too wrapped up in his own fuming thoughts to pay attention. That wasn't a good thing. It made him careless, off guard, and that was dangerous.

"It's been long enough. She should have been finished by now."

"You can have it," Kagome still snapped from embarrassment. "I'm finished. I'll just change inside the house."

InuYasha mimicked her beneath his breath, "I'll just change inside the house."

She gathered the clean clothes Kaede had given her to use, and moved toward the door. She grabbed the hem of the towel, drawing it tighter against her legs as she approached the prone hanyou.

"Don't you even try to look up my towel, or I'll sit you…"

No sooner did the word slip from her mouth then InuYasha's head slammed back upon the floor.

"Oops," she winced, her hand flying to her mouth. "Sorry. Didn't really mean to do that one."

Kagome moved quickly passed his sprawled figure on the floor and she and Kaede made a quick retreat back into the house.

Groaning as he lifted his head, he mumbled, "Man, I hate this stupid necklace."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After InuYasha was able to peel himself off the flooring of the bathhouse, he gave the door a decisively hard click shut behind him before moving across the room to the shower stall. He wasn't a stranger to bathing out in a stream or hot springs, which he could find around on his treks, but he hadn't felt like going out in the night to bath this time. Besides, he had used the old woman's bathhouse before and knew how things worked, and after everything that had happened that day, having something as easily accommodating as a shower was something he wasn't going to pass up.

He didn't bother removing his clothes as he stepped into the stall. They were as filthy and smelly as he was and needed to be cleaned just as much. Adjusting the knobs, he stood there letting the spray rush over him, its rhythmic pelting soothing his troubled senses. It was nice just to stand there, letting something warm and gentle caress his battered body. Something he wasn't having to protect himself from.

He watched as the water flowed to the grate at his feet into the darkness of the drain below it. It was much like his life right now, things that he wanted, dreams that he had. All of it disappearing from his life, like the water, into some obscure oblivion.

It was all that dumb girl's fault… and to top it all off she had slammed him into the floor for something he had not intentionally done… twice! Geez, can't a person make a mistake and not have to pay through the nose for it? He scoffed at himself knowing better; his whole life seemed like one big mistake! And he had made one for the last time where that stupid… ug-ly -- he seemed to force the word into his thought -- …girl was concerned. She'd already caused enough problems in his life. There was no way in hell that the other half still remained. She had shattered his hopes and dreams the moment she had thrown that jewel! It was all her fault!

But a nagging voice in his head was telling him that that wasn't completely true. He could have taken the necklace from her when she offered it. He could have ran after it and caught it before it landed. Hell, he could have really taken the damn thing from her any time he wanted; it was just a matter of not wanting to hurt her for some reason. Some reason… he let his mouth twist in a grimacing, almost contemptible, grin which mocked himself. He wasn't even going to go there.

Dipping his head a bit lower toward his chest, he resigningly concluded that this was his fault too -- he guessed.

Heaving a tired sigh, he reached for the soap and began lathering himself, washing away the outer grime from his shirt and pants; after which he peeled them off to rinse and wring them out. Holding the ragged t-shirt up for his inspection, he mumbled, "Damn. That was the last one I had. Guess I'm going to have to steal another one… " then tossed it to lay across the stall door along with his knee tattered pants. Maybe, IF they wound up looking for the other half, or shards of it, he would start wearing his outfit again. He wouldn't have to worry about having to discard his clothing because of it getting torn to pieces, and besides, would probably need it then anyway for it gave him a whole lot better protection.

He sighed once more. The fact that the other half of the jewel was out there, still remained to be discovered. Grabbing the soap, he began to wash himself.

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Coming out of the shower, InuYasha realized that there wasn't a towel for him to dry off on. Little wench, she had used two of them!

"Thanks for not leaving a towel for me," he shouted with just a bit of annoyance, without the heat of his earlier anger.

He waited until he went outside to shake himself vigorously sending droplets of water flying in all directions. He would go get a towel from the laundry room to have something to wrap around himself. It wasn't like he could strut around naked, especially with the girl around. Usually he would either jump up into the trees or use his sheltered hide-out if he was nearby it, but tonight he had a feeling the old woman would be talking to the girl about things -- including the jewel -- and he wasn't going to miss out on any more then he had already.

After spreading his clothes atop of the bushes next to the house, InuYasha reached for the handle and slid the door of the laundry room open. He froze instantly. There she was. As beautiful as ever, standing in front of the washer.

She turned her head to look straight at him, and it was like an arrow piercing his chest. It shook him to the core seeing her there; not a breath issued past his lips, not a single beat struck against his chest. Yet golden eyes darken as they drank in the sight of her. Gods, how long had it been?

He had a clear image of her in his mind, yet he had truly forgotten just how breathtaking she was. Just to look upon her again… standing there… It was like the years had just been swept away as if he had just woke up from a nightmare, and she was even prettier than before he went to sleep.

But… that's when… in the back of his mind,… something began to register. There was something different. A change… Her dark eyes were rich with life, true innocence and a certain gentleness filled them. There was the subtle curve to her face, and her mouth was more relaxed from the tenseness that it usually held. Even the aura about her was far more calm than he had ever seen her to be before. Had she softened in the time that had passed, for he remembered her to have a bit harder quality about her?

No, she wouldn't have changed. She was too dedicated and serious to bend or relax that much. If anything, the years would have made her sterner, older… Older. Older than Kaede by nearly another decade.

The beautiful vision that he thought had been his lost love of the past, wasn't after all, it was…

"K-Kagome," he breathed out finally after having stared at her transfixed for several seconds.

The girl had turned her head at the opening of the door, and there stood InuYasha looking as to have seen a ghost, and yet seeming to have seen the most wonderful thing in his life. He stood unmoving, his one arm still outstretched upward holding onto the door, as water still dripped from the bangs of his hair to run down his face or bare chest and further still. So captivating was he with his gaze that she didn't realize that he stood there in all his glory without a thought of his nakedness until he spoke her name.

Just as her mouth opened, the reverie was broke as different thoughts raced through his head. This just wasn't possible! For him not to know that she was there… again? Not twice. Not in one day. Especially not in much more than an hour.

Kagome gave a short but sharp yelp, followed by, "SIT!"

She was already across the room when he hit the floor, and was bounding up the three steps toward the door through which she had came into the small laundry room, when Kaede slid it open from the other side.

"Kagome, what is wrong?" Then she saw the white head and sprawled out figure of a certain hanyou gracing the floor. "InuYasha." she sighed, shaking her head. Does the boy ever learn? Between the both of them, she was going to have a heart attack before the night was over. "What was it this time for you to be downed?"

"How the hell should I know!" he spat out, his head jerking upward. "I was just coming from…"

"He's naked!" Kagome stressed with a backward jester of her arm and open palm, not daring to look behind her.

The old woman chuckled at the view of InuYasha's backside. "That I can see, child."

"Real funny! Gawk at the naked hanyou! Go ahead, get an eye full, since I can't get up to do anything about… Hey…!" There was a moment of silence, then in a quieter, muffled voice, he added, "That was suppose to cover something a bit lower than my head."

Kagome snuck a fleeting glance over her shoulder, since she had been the one to snatch the towel off the shelf and toss it behind her.

"Oh," she voiced, noticing his predicament.

She could be mature about this. It wasn't as if she had never seen a naked male before. Souta for instance.

Trying to be as nonchalant as possible, she moved toward him.

For dignity sake, both hers and his, she modestly tried not to look, but after removing the towel from his head she had to give a quick glance so as to drop it upon the right part of his anatomy this time. Gingerly she let it fall, covering the well-muscled curve of his backside.

"Sorry." She blushed furiously as she moved away from him, grateful that he couldn't see her face to know of her embarrassment as she kept it turned from him.

Well, it was true that he couldn't see her face, but he didn't need to to know that she was. He was demon after all, a dog one at that, and those fully charged emanations didn't go unnoticed. The scent flowed from her in heated waves.

"Kagome," he said innocently enough to cause her to stop.

"Yes?" she returned, keeping her back to him; not seeing the mischievous grin that started to etched his face. He did admit to putting his foot in him mouth when it came to being around her before, didn't he?

"See anything you like?"

It was a good thing he was still on the floor because the heat that radiated from her would have been like a sonic blast and melted him right away. Her reaction just broaden his toothy grin from one side of his face to the other. Her embarrassment was like sweet revenge.

Kagome felt her face burn like a raging inferno, which made its way up past her forehead and into the roots of her hair. She was caught between frustrated anger of embarrassment and the urge to go running out of the room for the same reason. He was mocking her modesty, enjoying her mortifying discomfort. Well, she could play his game, too… she hoped.

With as much calmness as she could muster, she replied sweetly, "Why, yes, InuYasha, I did see something I like," which had his smile quickly fading. "I like seeing your face plastered to the ground. Sit."

Kaede, a silent bystander of the two, just bowed her head and grievously shook it, as white head of the hanyou slammed back onto the floor. No, the pup did not learn.

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(Approximately 15 minutes later)

There was a light rapping sound, followed by the slight sound of the door being slid back, but it only opened enough for there to be a crack between it and the frame. Just enough to allow her voice to be heard a bit better.

"InuYasha?"

He didn't answer her at first, wondering whether she was hoping to find him there or hoping that he had left.

"InuYasha? Are you in there?"

"What do you want?"

The door slide open a bit more, but then stopped.

"A-Are you… decent?"

"Does the towel count?"

There was a pause, but then the door slid the rest of the way open and Kagome stepped into the room. She found InuYasha sitting on the floor, leaning against the frame of the open door leading outside. He had his legs stretched out in front of him, which displayed a good length of their well toned shape. His chest was still bare, yet he had had arms crossed in front of it. He must have been looking up at the night sky, because she caught him turning his head when she came in.

"Kaede has food ready. Would you like some?"

About then the odor from the kitchen drifted in more abundantly since the inner door was open, and his stomach gave a gurgling growl.

"Guess that's a yes, huh?" she teased smiling, walking down the steps and closer to him. He shifted and got up, staying at the door.

"Aren't you going to eat?" he asked, puzzled that she came into the room and not just turn back around and leave.

"Yes, of course, but I came to get you first," she stopped in front of the washing machine. "and while I'm here I'm going to start the washer so my clothes are clean of that smelly slim. I… uh… kind of didn't get around to starting it before."

"Having too much fun slamming my face into the floor," he mumbled in a passing growl, heading toward the inner part of the house.

She heaved a heavy sigh as she reached for the box of detergent. She didn't want to fight with him anymore, even if it was to defend herself against something that wasn't true. She didn't do it for fun.

"Where are your clothes, InuYasha?"

His feet faltered to a stop just before he put his foot upon the first step, and looked at her from over his shoulder.

"I washed them and they're spread out on the bushes next to the house. Why?"

"Just wondered." she shrugged dumping a scoopful powered detergent into the running water. "Why didn't you put them in the washer?"

"Kaede won't let me use it."

She didn't question as to why, but she twisted slightly to look at him, waving her hand as to shoo him away.

"You should go get something to eat. I'll be there in a minute after I set this."

InuYasha just turned and left the room, oblivious of the eyes that watched him saunter down the hallway. His stomach and nose had more important issues to be concerned with.

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Kagome sat across from InuYasha at the kitchen bar with a smile on her face as she ate. She had her attention upon the bowl in front of her, wiggling from side to side as if she was moving to some inaudible tune.

"What the hell are you so happy about?" he griped.

Kagome stopped moving, the spoon only halfway to her mouth.

"Nothing." she answered and shoved the utensil into her mouth, the smile not disappearing.

He leaned closer across the table, eyeing her with sharp golden eyes.

"What are you up to?"

"What's your problem?" She gave him a flashing glance of her warm chocolate eyes. "I'm not up to anything." Yet the smile just wouldn't leave her face. She returned her attention to the bowl in front of her, digging the spoon back into it. "I'm just sitting here eating. My stomach is happy that there's food in it finally."

He sniffed the air. She wasn't completely telling the truth.

"Liar."

Her mouth was already open for another spoonful of food, when she froze again. Her eyes snapped back up to his revealing her startlement.

"I am not." A slight blush crept into her cheeks, dark lashes sweeping down across her cheeks as she shoved the spoon into her mouth again.

One corner of his mouth curled. "Are too. Your scent's too sweet." His voice was low and smooth as silk. "You're thinking about something and your getting off on it."

The bite that she had just put in her mouth spewed out, and she quickly covered her mouth as she started coughing.

"InuYasha, be minding yourself." the older woman's voice came from the living area only several feet away.

He chuckled to himself as he looked down at his own bowl of food and started shoveling it into his own mouth. He caught a moments glance of her looking at him with an alarmed gaze.

"Oh, you're really hilarious." she finally managed to squeak out, taking her napkin to wipe her chin and places on the table that she spit her food.

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Throughout the time she stood there washing the dishes, Kagome could feel heat upon her back as if she was being stared at. She had the urge to glance over her shoulder, she had even stopped what she was doing a few times, but then she didn't. The only person that would be staring at her would be InuYasha, but why would he be staring at her for? It certainly wouldn't because he had thoughts about seeing her naked -- an embarrassed blush crept onto her cheeks. He had already told her, on a few other occasions too, that he didn't find her pretty, so what could cause him to stare if indeed it was him?

'Probably thinking 101 ways to kill me for breaking that jewel,' she mused, dishearten at the thought of the problems she unwittingly caused.

All the dishes that had been dirtied were now finished, except for InuYasha's. She turned to see if he was finished eating, and caught him staring at her with a seriously intense gaze.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

He was looking straight at her, but when she spoke, it was as if some light came on, and he was actually just now seeing her. Their gazes locked for about five seconds, but he didn't say anything.

InuYasha just shrugged, looking away, then got up and moved into the living room, where he sat at one end of the futon that furnished the room. His gaze did not return back toward the kitchen or to her, focusing instead upon something more off to the side in front of him.

The dark haired girl in the kitchen continued to stare at him, wondering about his solemn expression as she picked up his bowl and utensils.

'What are you thinking about, InuYasha? Are you really still so mad at me?' she wondered, taking the last of the dishes over to the sink to wash.

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They were all settled into the living area. Kaede sat back in the old rocker that she had been sitting in when they came barging into the house. Kagome lounged upon the same futon that InuYasha sat on, propped up on some pillows with a blanket covering her outstretched legs. InuYasha had not moved at all, still staring at the same spot he had been earlier. Kagome would have sworn he was asleep if his eyes weren't open.

"Even with as much evil that one can arise with the jewel," the woman continued to speak. "there is the possibility of good also. But whatever good that could have come out of it, cannot be with the other half missing. If, in fact, the other half has not been destroyed, it is hard to say how many pieces it could be in, but it would only take one in the wrong hands to bring a great deal of adversity."

There was a slight pause, whereas neither of the two younger persons in the room said anything.

"I must warn you that if, in fact again, the other half has not been destroyed there will most likely be many dangers that you will come across to obtain it. To succeed in recovering the other half, or shards, the two of you will have to work together."

"What?" Kagome gasped.

"You, Kagome, are the keeper of the sacred jewel, and I believe that just as you have been able to sense the whereabouts of your necklace, you will be able to sense the whereabouts of the missing jewel piece. InuYasha will be the strength that would be needed to recover it or them."

The stony appearance of the hanyou broke and a light snort rose up out of him. "As long as we can find the rest of the jewel…" He didn't sound as though he was finished with what he was saying finish, but he did not continue further.

"I believe that it has been a long, eventful day for all of us, and there is work I have to go to tomorrow. All we can do is wait until 'occurrences' begin to appear. For now, I think it is time to get some rest, and I suggest that the two of you get some also. If there is anything you need, Kagome, I will just be in the next room down the hall. InuYasha…"

"Yeah, what?"

She paused for a moment wondering if there was any use saying anything to him.

"Do not cause any trouble." she said as she turned and made her way to the room that she had just spoken of.

The half demon's head turned to watch, along with the girl, as the woman left the room and disappeared. As soon as she had, InuYasha turned his head more and looked at Kagome.

"Where are you sleeping tonight?"

Kagome turned her head to face him, her brows shot upward and her lips parted a bit. Was he serious? She was half stretched out on the futon leaning against a pillow with a blanket covering most of her.

"Where do you think?" She was going to add stupid, but that was his choice of word.

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking. This is my spot." He added emphasis by pointing with his finger down to the futon they were on.

Now her mouth did drop a bit more. This was his spot? And just where did he think…?!

"Do you live here?"

"No."

"Then why do you think that this is your spot!"

"It's where I sleep whenever I am here, that's why, baka!"

"Well, it's not yours tonight. Find somewhere else."

"I don't want too!" his eyes narrowed. "This is my spot!"

"It's not yours tonight, you big baby. Get off!"

"No, you get off!"

"Inconsiderate jerk."

"Jewel breaker!"

"Well, I know of another jewel that can get broke!"

"And I've got something to take care of that itch for you!"

"InuYasha…!"

"I'm not getting off this bed, and you can't make me!"

Kagome snorted, but not the kind that was out of laughter. "All I have to do is say the 's' word and you're flatter than a pancake!"

And it certainly wasn't funny to the hanyou, especially at the mentioning of that.

Folding his arms, InuYasha turned his face away in a huff, determined he wasn't budging. He waited, half expecting her to say the cursed word, but it didn't come.

There was long moments of silence, when his voice suggested gruffly, "We could share."

"I'm not sleeping with you!" she gaped incredulously.

"Why not? Something wrong with me that you can't stand the thought of being next to?"

The words hanyou or half-breed were the first that came to mind in a list of ones that he had heard mentioned toward him over the years of his existence. But the ones that did come out of her mouth really wasn't quite what he would have expected to hear.

"You're naked!"

"I am not! I've got a towel on!"

Kagome rolled her eyes.

"You -- are -- not -- sleeping -- here -- with -- me."

"Well, I'm not moving from this spot!"

"Fine. You stay on that end, and I'll stay on this end."

"You've got more room than I do."

Kagome looked at him and made a growling sound herself from being frustrated, but instead of saying anything she just flopped herself down on the pillow, drawing the covers up around her shoulders. Then she drew her legs up a bit until she had herself contained to half of the makeshift bed.

"There. Happy?"

He didn't say anything. He didn't even turn his head until some moments later when he was sure that she had closed her eyes. He was surprised that she hadn't really forced him to get up and go somewhere else. Kikyo would have. She would have made him leave the house completely.

Looking around, there wasn't anywhere else much to go in the sparse room, and even though he was use to not having a 'bed' more times than so, he didn't feel like being on the floor. There were chairs, but they weren't that comfortable to fall asleep in either.

His memory flashed back to the incident with a rocking chair in which the old woman still didn't forgive him for. He had fallen asleep in the old wicker chair, having rocked himself to sleep with a gentle push of one foot. The next morning when he went to stretch, it had toppled over backwards on him. The old woman was pretty upset that the pile of kindling wood next to the fireplace had been her favorite chair! If anything, he bet the one that sat across from him had a seal on the bottom of it, perhaps a very mild one, but enough to be a warning should he forget.

With a despondent breath, he turned his gaze back to the girl realizing that she had been watching him.

"What is it, InuYasha?" her voice asked quietly, as his lips pulled into a slight frown.

"Nothing." He looked away, then added, "Just the lights are on."

He felt an immediate shifting of the mattress, and from the corners of his eyes he could see that she had sat up. Her hand was on the edge of the blanket, which had started to lift when, of a sudden, she stopped. She glance back at him with a sardonic expression.

"Nice try."

"Can't blame me for giving it a shot." he mumbled, getting up as she sank back down. Seconds later he was back on the futon where he had been sitting, faintly surprised that she hadn't stuck her legs out to prevent him from sitting back down.

He felt the mattress shifting once again, and when he glanced over, he saw that the girl was sitting up, facing him.

"Here," she said as she pushed a pillow into his lap. "I figure that would be the next thing you'd whine about."

"Ha, you're so wrong," he smirched.

"Oh?"

"I was going to say something about the blanket."

"You know…" She was just about ready to shake a finger at him of all things. "You're impossible."

"What… the light bulb just suddenly flash in your head about that one?"

She shook her head, dropping her face in her hands. He was worse than her little brother!

What was she to do with him, she thought as she lifted her head, sliding her hands down a bit to uncovered her eyes as that she was able to look at him again. It was a good thing that her hands still remained over the lower part of her face because it stifled the sharp intake of air she took.

Looking at InuYasha now, the moon's glow reflected like bright silver off the normally warm golden eyes. It gave a sharpness to the white of his tousled mane of hair and ears, along with a silvery glow against the smooth perfect ness of his skin. It gave him a truly eerie, demonish look.

Oookay… sooo… maybe he didn't look like just a street punk ruffian.

Dropping her hands upon her lap, she asked softly, "InuYasha?"

"What?"

"Will you let me look at your ear?"

"It's fine."

"Please?"

He was silent for a few moments, then he leaned back against the futon, almost as if he was going to ignore her. He even turned his face away from her to look once again at the spot he had before for so long.

"Why?"

"I just want to make sure it's alright. It would make me feel better especially knowing I was the one the hurt you and there being so much blood…"

"You don't need to worry yourself about me, Kagome."

"How can I not? You did after all save me a few times today."

He returned his gaze to her. Then, without a word, InuYasha quirked his head a bit and tilted it forward.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* END Of Part 21 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Was that mean or what to leave it like that for now?

Also, yes, I know that this chapter ran up and down with emotions. Hope that it didn't make it too choppy.

Before anyone makes a comment on Kaede talking about the "…even with as much evil that one can arise with the jewel, there is the possibility of good also." I want to say that is my take on it. Usually the jewel or shards bring out the 'evil' side of anything (which usually have an evil intent anyway), but Koga's has them in his legs and he's not bad -- I don't believe -- and Kikyo was giving the jewel to InuYasha to turn him human -- still not a bad thing, considering.

Also, the "…whatever good that could have come out of it, cannot be with the other half missing" I made up too, but I think that's a given thing in the original story as the jewel has to be whole for its full potential. (But those little pieces don't mind wreaking havoc do they?)

Hope it reads with a good enough flow.

I want to thank ALL the people that have read my story, and especially those of you that have made reviews. I have greatly appreciated every one of them, and they have made what was just a mere fantasy of jotted writings into a more meaningful desire to write.

I don't know what else to say. I know there are times that I don't thank a person personally by note, but I do consider what's been written in review very important.

I also wanted to say that after this chapter I may take a break. I'm not quitting the story, but things will depend on what happens at the end of this week. I'm not sure just when the next post will be made if things aren't good. Just please don't lose me from you thoughts.

Aishiteru_inu