The body had been washed and dressed, in Kaede’s former home of all places. A distressing coincidence, but not one to be remarked upon. Going through the motions, Kagome felt worn-out and jaded beyond belief. All this gruesome ceremony struck her as so utterly pointless, when the funeral pyre was just going to burn everything to ash, anyway. But then, she supposed everything was pointless, where the dead were concerned.

“It’s the best I can do,” Rin said tiredly, stepping back to stand beside her.

In silence, they regarded Kanako’s pale puffy corpse. Those big grey eyes were shut, of course. It was wrong to think it, Kagome knew, but Kanako looked almost a healthy weight now. In life she had always been so skeletally thin. And rarely this still.

“I never liked her much,” Rin said quietly, “but I’m sad now that she’s gone.”

Kagome’s mouth was a grim set line, as she reached out and pulled the shroud over Kanako’s would-be sleeping form. Surely her restless spirit would haunt Kagome all her days.

So be it, the miko accepted. Haunt me if you like, Kanako-chan.

A sudden sharp hissing sound made both women flinch. They were jittery from lack of proper rest. Wired for unease, with all that had happened of late.

But it was just the tea kettle whistling. Taking it off the flames, Kagome poured two cups—and at Rin’s behest, a third. After handing one to her apprentice, Kagome went outside with the rest.

“Uetsugi-dono,” she greeted, offering a cup to the burly soldier-captain, who leaned hollow-eyed against the railing of the porch steps.

Accepting it, Uetsugi bowed his head in thanks. Kagome sat down just above him. For a while, they sipped their tea in shared commiseration. When her cup was empty, Kagome set it aside with a snap.

“Kanako-chan’s body is ready, Uetsugi-dono. After Rin-chan says the prayers to ease her spirit in its passing,” Kagome continued, with difficulty, “we’ll hold the funeral. If you’d like to go in and see her once more—”

“No,” Uetsugi bit out, then grimaced. “Forgive me, Kagome-sama…but I cannot—l-l-look at her, l-like th-th…” His throat worked fitfully as he tried to bring his stuttering under control. “Like that,” he said tightly, breathing out. “Not again.”

“I understand,” Kagome said, touching a hand to his broad shoulder. “Uetsugi-dono, did you…were you the one who found her?”

The captain’s square jaw clenched as he stared down at the dregs of his tea. “After I heard she’d been banished, I went looking for her. Oft times she would go to the river, when she was feeling out of sorts. Said it reminded her of home.” The cup creaked in his squeezing hold. “I knew she would take it badly, you turning her out, but I didn’t think she would go so far as to…”

Kagome’s eyes stung. “…I’m sorry.”

“What did she do,” Uetsugi asked, his gaze straying bleakly to her, “to wrong you so?”

There was no accusation in the question, but Kagome felt it all the same. Frowning, she looked away.

“It’s not good to speak ill of the dead.”

Uetsugi accepted this with a nod. As his grip slackened, Kagome took the cup from him before it fell.

“I know that she was wayward,” he murmured, “but I cared for her. I’d hoped to set her on a better path. We were to be married, after Ren-heichou and Rin-sama were wed.” From his dark haori, Uetsugi withdrew a little token of wispy braided hair. “We were in love, Kagome-sama, Kanako-chan and I.”

Oh, Uetsugi… Kagome thought, suppressing a pitying sigh for this poor earnest man. Remembering how she’d seen Kanako slinking around the barracks in Kohaku’s camp, she deliberated whether it would be better or worse to tell him Kanako’d been ‘in love’ with more than just him.

But, remembering her own words just now, Kagome held her peace.

“Uetsugi-dono,” she said, mustering a gentle smile for him instead, “Kanako-chan would’ve been very lucky to be your wife.”

Gratefully, Uetsugi glanced to her, before pocketing the braid once again. In perfect seriousness, Kagome studied him. With his heavy dark brow, his deep-set eyes, and scowling blocky features, he was one of the scariest-looking men Kagome had ever seen. And strangely enough, one of the kindest. He was strong, thoughtful, loyal—his men respected him, the common folk who’d once balked at him now trusted him as well.

Rin, too, thought fondly of him it seemed. And Kagome wondered—

He didn’t look the part, but what did that matter?

“Uetsugi-dono,” she said, in a clear and even voice, “Ren is gone, and you should take his place. Grow your army. Lead the people. Marry Rin-chan and rebuild the city. Be Lord of Edo, and rule as you see fit. You have my blessing; I won’t stand in your way.”

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi