Shunkan Sentimental

Down the Rabbit Hole and Back Again

     The river runs peacefully through the forest and down a short slope, creating a beautiful little waterfall. The light of day shines down the center of the trees, giving sunlight to the riverbank below. Standing naked in the steady river, Kagome and Kaori begin to bathe. From nearby, Kaede and Inuyasha watch in silence.

     "I don't believe this!" Kagome suddenly exclaims in disbelief. Her adopted sister glances at her in curiosity. "How can they not know what a bath is?!"

     "These are different times, Kagome," Kaori states. "They dig up holes to use the bathroom; it really shouldn't come as a surprise to you."

     Kagome, now shivering from the cold water, makes a disgusted face, recalling the fact. "You just had to remind me of that, didn't you?" She squats into the river, her head, shoulders, and half of her chest still remaining on the surface. "Cold!"

     Kaori remains standing for the moment. "No shit." She's shivering as well, but has no complaints; like she said, things are different in this time period. She can't really be mad; annoyed, maybe, or irritated, but not mad.

     Kaede, on the rocky riverbank, has built a fire for warmth. "Come, you'll take sick if ye don't get out."

     Kagome quickly turns her head to look at Kaede. "We can't! We're covered with blood and dirt!" Violently shivering for a moment, she touches her hair; she looks horrified by how it feels. "And I feel like my hair hasn't been washed in a week!"

     "Would you stop yelling?" Kaori asks. "There's no reason to be so angry."

     "I'm not angry!" Kagome protests. Kaori gives her a look. "I'm not! Yelling just gets the point across faster is all!"

     Kaori doesn't believe her. "Uh huh."

     Kagome takes a deep breath, gathering herself, and plunges beneath the water's surface. Kaori hears Kaede sigh. She holds back a sigh of her own. She looks towards the elder woman and gazes up at the cliff overlooking the riverbank; Inuyasha is resting on a tree branch, spitefully side-eyeing them.

     Kaori glances away, rolling her eyes. "Annoying mutt." Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath and holds her nose. She falls backwards, submerging into the river. She stays under briefly, catching sight of Kagome swimming. "I understand her frustration but this is our life now. Might as well accept it." She resurfaces, squatting in the water. She thinks about her true nature. "Which means... I'll have to accept that I'm a demon..." She sighs lowly. "This sucks," she whispers. "I wonder what Kagome is thinking about."

     Kagome thinks about the previous night.

~~~~~

     Kaede, Kagome, Kaori, and Inuyasha are sitting inside Kaede's home, by the fire. Kagome holds up the fragment of the Sacred Jewel, looking at it intently. Kaede appears calm, despite the alarming situation that has fallen upon them. Kaori is silently existing, unsure what to do or say. Inuyasha is grumpy, as per usual, except maybe more than he has been.

     "What did you do to it?" he demands.

     "Stop barking, Inuyasha," Kaede commands, exasperated. Kaori snorts; ha, barking.

     Inuyasha keeps complaining anyway. "Leave it to her to wind up breaking it!"

     "Well, if you'd been a better team player, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place," Kaori butts in. He growls at her; she hisses at him.

     "Technically, it wasn't Kagome who broke it, but the crow's foot she attached to her arrow that actually caused it," Kaede informs. "As ye saw, the jewel has now been shattered into many different pieces. One-hundred, one-thousand, who knows? Yet, however many shards there may be, all it will take is one in the wrong hands to bring disaster."