Mountain streams were traditional bathing sites for all sorts of peoples in the olden days, before such modern conveniences as indoor plumbing. The water is fresh and clean, often shimmering and filled with cute water life. Thus, when Lady Kaede suggested that Kagome purify herself (ie, bathe) in the nearby clear mountain stream, Kagome eagerly accepted.
Now consider… Kagome was about to swim in a what?
Clear mountain stream.
And how do you get water for a clear mountain stream?
The snow on top of the mountain melts.
Does it really ever get warm?
No.
So, Kagome was about to step into what?
Four degrees Celsius!
"C… C-C-C-COLD!!" squealed Kagome as she lowered herself, naked and shivering, into the crystal-clear, shimmering… and very near freezing water. She was treated to the intriguing sensation of turning into a giant goose-pimple.
"Come on out, Kagome. Don't force yourself," called out Lady Kaede, who was sitting dry and clothed next to a nice warm fire.
"Forget it!" Kagome pushed off for her bitterly cold bath. Her breath was visible as moisture in it condensed into a mini-cloud. "I'm covered in blood 'n' mud 'n' demon guts! I can't stand it any more! 'Sides, I can take it better than you!" As Kagome continued to swim, she thought, Sheesh, how did people survive without hot baths! As she swam, Kagome thought about how she was now the guardian of that stupid Shikon Jewel thing, how it was the new toy every demon wanted for Christmas, and how she had to defend it from that Inuyasha fellow, who was more a wild animal than a person.
She emerged from from the stream, as clean as she could get without soap. Good thing she was watertight even with a sizable hole as well as numerous small abrasions in her pseudoflesh shell (she was self-sealing), or she would've regretted diving in.
"I didn't know you had tattoos on your back, too."
That voice was definitely NOT Kaede's. Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha looking down from an outcrop of rock.
A splash was kicked up as Kagome covered up and lowered herself back into the water. "SIT, BOY!" she barked.
*SPLAT!* "OIF!"
Lady Kaede turned to the flattened form of Inuyasha behind him. "So, see anything good?" she asked almost teasingly. Inuyasha growled in frustration at the prayer beads hanging like an albatross around his neck.
"I knew you were an animal, but this?!" Kagome yelled, poking her head out from a crop of bushes. "And for your information, they're seams, not tattoos!" she added, somewhat quieter.
"Feh. You mortals are a stupid as you are vain," Inuyasha murmured. "I was only—"
"—looking for a chance to steal the Shikon jewel?" asked Kaede, holding up the glowing bead.
Inuyasha sat up. "Hmph! Seems at least you have a brain somewhere inside that withered skull."
"No. You're just too predictable…" sighed Kaede.
Inuyasha gained a crafty look on his face. "Oh? Then you should've predicted this!" he yelled, and lunged at Kaede.
"OSUWARI!" *SPLAT!* "OIF!"
"Oh, and we did," assured Kaede, totally unconcerned.
"I hate you!" growled Inuyasha from his spot on the ground, his voice a bit muffled by the dirt. "And that goes for the stupid wench too!" He lifted himself up to give them another round of venom, when what he saw stole his words.
Kagome was wearing a miko shozoku [a traditional miko's attire]… the same one that Kikyou once wore. "Hey, you!" said the future girl in past attire. "How come you hate me so much?" Inuyasha did not answer, as powerful memories assaulted him. Wearing those clothes, the resemblance to Kikyou was quite uncanny.
Not receiving an answer, Kagome harumphed and sat next to her freshly-scrubbed school uniform, washed without benefits of modern detergents or grease-fighting agents. She snapped out her ruined seifuku blouse, with its tears and leaf-stains. "Fuu… I think this thing's a write-off…" she murmured, contemplating the garment.
"Why such a face, Inuyasha?" asked Kaede. Inuyasha started, growling at the old miko defensively.
Before anything more could be said, a woman with two small children appeared. "Lady Kaede..." she began, as she approached, "My girl..." She whispered into Kaede's ear.
"She's taken ill?" Kaede parroted. The woman nodded. Kaede grunted as she stood slowly up, her old bones creaking in protest. As she shuffled off after the woman, she said, "I am needed back at the village. Try not to fight."
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Tue, 21 Dec 2004 23:54)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.