InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Woodin Cylinders And Red Herrings ❯ Revealed, Again ( Epilogue )

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Epilogue: Revealed, Again

"There's one thing I don't understand." It was the next morning and Kagome was sitting on the porch of Tora's bungalow with Dusty and Sango. Dusty had finished explaining what the "curse" did, but had yet to tell her who owned the spell. InuYasha was crouched nervously a good six feet from the girls, with Miroku and Shippo near by.

"Why would anyone want to prevent me from SI - subduing InuYasha?" Kagome looked the picture of confusion, "Why would they want me to be embarrassed?"

"Um, you might understand after I tell you who ordered the spells." Dusty grimaced slightly; she was looking forward to InuYasha's punishment, but not Kagome's reaction to this bit of news. "First I have to tell you about what we thought was the Ogre's spell… It turns out that it was meant for you all along."

"What?" Kagome was more confused then ever.

Dusty cleared her throat. "Tora was given a lot of room for interpretation by- by the client. Like the mark? She was told to humiliate you with it, but not how to do it or what to make it say or anything. So, while the client apparently said nothing about "perfecting" you, Tora believed that it was within the spirit of the contract to do so."

"But how is that revenge? I'm stronger, faster, all of my senses are improved…"

"It isn't…" Dusty gave Sango a pained look, "Tora, she's an equalizer now. The client wanted things to be more equal between the two of you."

"More equal? But who would want…" Kagome's eyes narrowed as the pieces began to fall into place, specifically the word spell, the prevention of subduing. But why the humiliation? The fear? The perfection? He wouldn't… would he? And if he did, why not get rid of the subduing spell completely?

"Dusty? Who is the client?" Kagome asked looking towards the boys.

"Um…" Dusty shifted uncomfortably, "Promise not to over react?"

"He did have reasons Kagome." Sango looked nervously at her friend, "And he did it while unconscious, remember that."

"Who was it?" Kagome turned her narrow eyes on Dusty.

"InuYasha." Dusty said in a small voice.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome yelled as she stood up, "SSSS-"

InuYasha jumped up and prepared to run when she shouted his name and hissed. But then she crumpled back on the porch crying.

It was just too much for her, the curse had been hard on her, and it turned out to be all InuYasha's fault. She couldn't stop from crying just a bit.

InuYasha took a few steps toward Kagome then crouched cautiously, "Why are you crying?" he asked in a small voice. This wasn't the reaction he had prepared for.

"Take it off," She sobbed, "just take it off."

"The power to remove the spell is in your hands Kagome." Dusty said reassuringly.

"What?" Kagome turned to Dusty and stopped crying.

"The spells are linked to InuYasha's rosary," She explained, "when you remove that, it will lose its power and the remaining spells on you, including the mark, will leave too. Well, not the perfection thing, that's permanent."

"Oh…" Kagome was confused again.

InuYasha on the other hand knew exactly what to say, "So just take off the rosary and everything will be great."

Kagome was no longer confused, she was angry. She stood up and stomped over to InuYasha, "I'm not taking it off you stupid jerk! I can't believe you did this to me. I'm going home!"

"Kagome, wait!" InuYasha jumped up and started after her, as Kagome started to stomp away, "let me explain!"

"InuYasha SSSS- AAAAAHHHH" she screeched in frustration.

"Don't run away this time Kagome." InuYasha yelled after her, "That's what started this whole thing, you always runaway without answering me!"

Kagome stopped her fit, "That's why you did this? You wanted me to … of course "speak". But what about everything else?"

"Tora said it's a lot of things." InuYasha growled.

"What? InuYasha, tell me what made you think that this would be a good idea?" Kagome put her hands on her hips momentarily, then shook her head, "No, first I need to go home."

"Kagome-" InuYasha started.

"InuYasha it's been almost a month since I was home last." Kagome interrupted, "I need to let them know I'm still alive. And catch up in school."

InuYasha scowled, "Fine, I'll take you home."

"Whatever." Kagome went into Tora's bungalow to retrieve her almost empty bag.

"Well she took that better then I thought." Miroku said as the rest of the group walked up to InuYasha.

"Yeah, you got lucky InuYasha." Shippo said from Miroku's shoulder.

"I don't think this is the end of it." Sango said, "Kagome is only distracted by the need to return to her home. It's a long way back, InuYasha, Kagome may wish to discuss this while you are traveling."

"Keh." InuYasha crossed his arms, he was planing on that. He knew Kagome would drag it all out of him eventually and he didn't want the others around when she did. It was bad enough that they were there when Tora explained it to him.

Kagome returned with her bag over her shoulder. She turned to Dusty and said, "Thanks for everything! And thank Tora for her hospitality."

"Sure." Dusty smiled widely, "Ok, everyone here's where we part. Could you please tell me where I should be right now?"

"Um…" Kagome looked around at the others, "we found you in a village south and west of here. With Kallum… the guy with the headless flowers?"

"Oh!" Dusty's face shown with enlightenment, "Thank you very much. Now all you have to do is take off the crystals and put them anywhere, some one will pick them up."

Everyone bid Dusty goodbye before taking off their crystal passes and placing them on the ground. The farther the crystals were from their bodies the less distinct the resort village was and the less jumpy the natural world they lived in became.

Soon Kagome could hear birds not only singing but also jumping along a branch and preening. She could see every leaf on every tree and into the dark shadows of the forest past the beach. She could smell the sea, the sand, and the sun. Everything was … Technicolor. She couldn't help but laugh and bounce, just a little.

"Hey Kagome!" InuYasha called to her, "Come on, the sooner we get you home the sooner we can get back to shard hunting."

Kagome stopped bouncing, "I'm not going to let you ruin this for me InuYasha. I will enjoy my improved body in spite of you."

"Whatever," InuYasha grumbled, "just get on."

Kagome reluctantly hopped on InuYasha's back. He grabbed her legs and prepared to head off on the several day jog back to Keade's village.

"So," Miroku's grinning voice stopped him, "are you… comfortable, InuYasha?"

Kagome's eyes widened in horror and InuYasha blushed hotly.

Sango hit Miroku on the back of the head, "We'll see you later Kagome, InuYasha, just go."

InuYasha did just that, taking off as fast as he could forcing Kagome to hold onto him tightly and preventing her from talking.

"Ow, Sango that was-" Miroku's complaint was cut short by another well-placed blow by the woman he was addressing.

"Idiot." Sango, now sporting Shippo on her shoulder, walked south along the beach, leaving Miroku to recover and catch up on his own.

THE END

*

A/N: So Kagome is still human, just stronger, faster, ect. And the mark will stay on her, as is, for as long as InuYasha wears his enchanted rosary.

InuYasha didn't exactly wish for her body to become perfect, er optimized, he wanted to "get even" with Kagome. Tora's the one that thought Kagome needed a physical tune up to truly even things out between them, sense they are so physically mismatched. It also gave her an easy way of scaring and disabling Kagome during the catch up. Don't be confused, Kagome is not up there with InuYasha, she's still human, she's just as strong, as fast, ect as any human female has ever been, or will ever be, including those thought of as freaks for their strength, speed, ect.

The questions that Kagome asked herself near the beginning of the epilogue were mostly answered last chapter.

Any more questions? As usual you have two weeks from the posting of this chapter to ask.