Disclaimer: This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied.

Shell

"Stop moping about, Inuyasha! Go gather some rumors of the Shikon jewel or something."

Inuyasha's groaning and whining over his back and Kagome's meanness had descended to the level of a childish tantrum a long time ago, Kaede thought as she pulverized herbs in her mortar, and she was heartily tired of it. He hadn't said one word when he had shown up in her hut with a thoroughly blood-soaked kimono after the fight with the hair-demon, Yura, and had in fact, truculently denied that anything was wrong, while gobbling up three-fourths of the stew in the pot. But, today, was a completely different story, and she wasn't sure why.

"My back is still killing me," he retorted. "After those eight 'sits' in a row! Stupid Kagome, breaking the jewel, and we got only three shards, and she has to go back for her 'exams', whatever 'exams' are, as if anything's more important than the shards, and you better come back, soon, Kagome, you just better…" His mumbling descended in volume and became indecipherable.

Kaede sighed and set aside the bowl. Shoving herself to her feet, she walked over to a small set of shelves set against the front wall. Selecting a sealed, clay jar, she carried it to the other side of the fire pit. "If your back is hurting that much, then perhaps some of this will help," she said, wrestling the lid off. "It's one of my—"

"Ugh!" Inuyasha was scrabbling away from her, one hand clamping his nose shut. "Get that away from me! It stinks!"

"Are you sure you don't want it?" Kaede asked, suppressing a grin. She made as if to dip her fingers in the semi-solid, redolent mixture. "I can assure you, that it is quite effective."

"Take it away!" he yelped, cringing away. "I'm fine!"

"As you wish." Kaede worked the lid back into the jar, and then returned it to its proper spot. Going back to her mortar, she said, "And since you are so much better, Inuyasha, why don't you go find something to do, on such a nice day?"

"Feh!"

He resumed his sprawl on the floor, but this time on his side, with his back to her.

She sighed again, disappointed at having failed to get the hanyo out of her hut, and concentrated on the current concoction she was making.

The silence lasted for perhaps two-dozen strokes of the pestle.

"What was that stuff, anyway?" asked Inuyasha. "Smells more like stuff used in the stables, than on humans."

Kaede raised an eyebrow, surprised that he recognized the smell. "Liniment for the horses and cattle," she said, continuing to grind.

"I ain't no animal!"

"No, you're not," Kaede agreed. "But, you've been acting like a sulky brat."

"I'm not-"

"A whiny, sulky brat," she stated repressively.

A small growl came from the hanyo, and then silence. Kaede examined the mixture critically, and then reached for another bowl of leaves. Adding some to the bowl, she resumed grinding. Her thoughts drifted, back to that time fifty years ago. Had Inuyasha been as childish then as he was now? She didn't remember his being that way, but then, she had been a child herself at the time.

But, being childish was one thing. The real question, unanswered all these years, was why had Inuyasha attacked the village, and Kikyo? It had never, ever made sense to Kaede, no matter how much the rest of the village had accepted the facts. Before that dreadful day, she would have sworn that such an action on the hanyo's part was impossible. He was rude, stubborn, temperamental; but a rampaging, laughing murderer?

Her best conclusion had finally been that the Shikon no Tama had somehow twisted his mind, to make him capable of such deeds.

Which was a worrisome thought? He was certainly, for the most part, displaying the same level of rudeness and temper he had fifty years before. But, his unsealing had coincided with the return of the Shikon no Tama. What if he came into physical possession of a shard? She was certain that Kagome could control the situation, if that occurred, between the use of the rosary and her own purification powers. But, what if Kagome where not present? What would happen, then?

"What are you making, baba?"

Kaede started a little, snapping up her head, to find Inuyasha squatting at her workbench, his nose twitching, his ears pitched forward, and an odd expression on his face.

"Why do you want to know, Inuyasha?"

His forehead wrinkled a little, his eyes distant. "Kikyo…"

The next moment, he started himself, and then looked flustered, red rising up his cheeks. "Mama-I mean, Mama's women used to make something that smelled like this."

He was lying. "It will be a lotion for open wounds," she said, not ceasing her work. "Kikyo used to make it: we both learned from old Amaya who was an herbalist in the village. I don't think you ever met her."

"Feh," he muttered, turning his back on her.

He didn't want to talk about Kikyo, clearly.

She couldn't blame him. She wasn't ready to ask Inuyasha what he remembered about that day that had ended up with him pinned and sealed to the sacred tree, and Kikyo dead and burned. She wasn't sure she wanted the answers, to what had turned the relationship she had seen growing between the two into tragedy and death. But, if only she could get a better read on his real feelings, without bringing up that day.

Kaede's grinding slowed as something occurred to her. Flicking a glance at Inuyasha, she saw that he still had his back to her, head down and shoulders hunched. Staring at the half-finished potion, Kaede thought about it for a while, and then made up her mind.

It took her a little while to find the item, held in the small chest that held a number of items that were private to her. Finding it at last, she took the time to straightened the items in the chest, and close the lid, before standing up. Turning around, she saw that Inuyasha hadn't moved, though one ear was twitching.

"Inuyasha."

"What, old woman?"

Rude as ever. "I have a … present, for you."

He swung around, looking startled, and then wary. "What sort of present?"

She made a slight smile. "I suppose I could say … I'm returning a present." Walking over to him, she held out her hand, and then opened it. "You gave this to Kikyo. I thought I'd return it, since she said it originally belonged to your mother."

Inuyasha's face went pale, and his eyes widened. He stared at the small shell in her hand for long moments, before he plucked it from her palm. Cradling it in both of his hands, he stared at the shell, unspeaking.

"Inuyasha?"

He snapped his head up, stared at her for one long moment, and then scrambled to his feet. "I-uh, I just remembered something. Gotta go."

Inuyasha fled, leaving Kaede alone. She stared at the place he had vacated for a long moment, and then shook her head, and returned her attention to the medicine she was making. At least, now, she was certain of one thing.

He did still care about her sister, despite his rude sneers the first day.

She was positive that she had seen the glint of tears in his eyes.

Author's Note: This was written for a holiday challenge, for the LiveJournal community "Inuyasha's Unsung Heroes." This piece takes place early in the canon story, in Scroll Five of Volume 3 in the manga. (12/25/2011)