InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As the Clock Ticks ❯ As the Clock Ticks ( Chapter 1 )

AN: Another one shot… Basically character dissection…. (Ew! Not literally, of course!) Hope you like it!

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of his buddies. I don't own his enemies either. Nope.

 

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As the Clock Ticks

 

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It was different for Miroku.

 

He'd known since he'd been a small child that he was going to die an early death in his prime. At first, he'd fought and struggled with the idea. Death. What was it like? Despite the beliefs of his temple, his own beliefs, he'd wondered. Would it be like sleeping, but for eternity? And then, his father died, was sucked into his hand. The crater was still there, not covered over in grass. He'd struggled with denial and kept the whole idea out of his head, but slowly, in time, his foster father Mushin helped him deal with his father's death, and ultimately, his own.

 

And although a younger Miroku had accepted his fate at long last, he'd still sought the demon whose curse was killing him. Maybe there was a way. Maybe… there was just a faint fluttering of hope that led him away from the temple, that and a lot of stubborn, mulish determination. His wanderings had led him many places and through many different circumstances, but none brought him closer to killing his own murderer, Naraku. If he was going to die, why not take the demon down with him, after all?

 

He'd stumbled across the Shikon Jewel at some point, a curious magical object coveted by humans and demons alike. He knew that Naraku sought the Jewel. Logic dictated that he do the same. If luck was on his side, maybe he'd run into the mysterious villain whose curse would eventually claim his life.

 

But instead of running into Naraku, Miroku found Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippo. And that's when everything got turned upside down. Miroku had always been somewhat of a recluse, a soloist, a lone traveler. Suddenly, he found himself surrounded by fellow travelers with a common goal: defeat Naraku. Things got brighter for him, then. With help, long life seemed that much closer.

 

And then, success! Naraku. So close, yet so far. He knew that the demon that he was searching for was powerful, mysterious. What he didn't realize was that he'd be so hard to hunt down and finally defeat.

 

And all the time, he was aware of the time trickling by…

 

How long did he have to live? Every morning he woke up and the first thing he was aware of was the string of prayer beads weighing heavily on his wrist. It was a question he tried to keep from bothering him. After all, what good did worrying about it do? And yet at the same time, the little knowledge was niggling at the back of his mind, a constant reminder that went with the grim promise left by his father's grave. So what if it was a good weapon? The void in his hand was killing him. Was it worth it?

 

And then he'd remember all the times that the thing had saved his life, or the life of a friend, and he couldn't help but wonder about why Naraku would give him a curse that was at the same time such a blessing. An enigmatic personality, indeed. A cursed blessing. It was almost ironic, really. Miroku often wondered why the strange demon hadn't simply killed his great grandfather once and for all instead of laying down such a powerful curse.

 

And all the time, his life span was shortening, petering out into oblivion and he was always aware of it. But he didn't let it interfere with his plans; if his life was going to be one big rush, what was the point? Better to have fun while he could. And besides, he didn't think that he was wasting his time… Miroku appreciatively observed Sango's rear as she walked ahead of him.

 

"HEY! PERVERT!"

 

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AN: I wrote that because I was trying to understand Miroku 'cause he gave me hell on the last chappie of Haunted. And surprisingly, it helped. Yay!

 

So, whaddaya think? (Second opinions are always, always, appreciated, you wonderful readers! [Is flattery getting me anywhere...?])