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Seiko and Sumi sat outside Kaede's hut, Sumi's black Jaguar tail twitching every so often. After a while, when Kaede and Miroku walked back out of the hut, the kids running around them energetically, they explained that their discussion had boiled down to two things:
1. There was nothing Kaede could do to fix the mess.
2. Kaede didn't particularly WANT to fix the mess.

"WHAT?!" Seiko yelled as she jumped to her feet. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T WANT TO FIX IT?!"

Kaede calmly explained. "I'm young again. Why would I want to go back to being an old hag that no one likes?"

"Oh... I see your point..."

Sumi sat there in silence, watching lazily as the kids chased each other around. She smiled as Kagome walked past her, looking up at the other adults as they argued about what to do. Sumi finally sighed and stood up. "Listen, Kaede, why don't you work on a cure for THEM, and we'll take care of them for now. That way THEY get cured, but YOU get to stay young."

Seiko turned to her friend. "Wow, Sumi. That's the first intelligent thing you've said in a while..."

"Oh, shut up Miss-the-Sun-is-the-Center-of-the-Universe."

So, following Sumi's idea, they all walked back to the forest with the kids, slightly more under control now that there was another adult in the picture. Kaede went back into her hut, muttering about demons and their stupidity.

~~~~~~

That night, after the kids had been put to bed and were curled up with Kirara, the adults were sitting around the campfire talking.

"So," Miroku said to Seiko, "earlier, when you said you were doing this out of charity... you said you could leave whenever. Why don't you?"

"Cute kids," she said. "They're a handful but they're cute."

"They're not the only ones you think are cute..." Sumi muttered under her breath.

"Shut the hell up!"

"Tsk, tsk, m'lady," Jaken said. "We'll have to make you wash your mouth out with soap, too, if you're not careful."

"Sowwy, Uncle Jaken. It won't happen again, I pwomise..." Seiko said, mimicking a small child's voice, sending Sumi into a fit of giggles. Seiko started to say something else, but was cut off as she felt a tugging at her sleeve. InuYasha was standing there.

"Auntie Seiko," he said, "I had another accident..."

"Aw, Damn."

~~~~~~

After getting InuYasha cleaned up for the second time, Seiko sat back down and grimaced as the others made her put a bar of soap in her mouth. She pulled it out to comment about it being cruel and unusual punishment, but it was immediately shoved back in by Miroku, who was struggling not to laugh.

She shot him a death glare and sulked, trying not to taste the soap. A few minutes later, Miroku pulled the bar of soap out. "Have you learned your lesson?" he asked.

"Yes, Uncle Miwoku," she said.

He patted her on the head. "That's a good girl. But you still have to go to bed without supper."

"...but I already ate."

"I'm kidding!"

"...I knew that..."