InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Carousel's Shorts ❯ Meditation ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

(Theme: Transportation)

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Kagome wrinkled her nose as the sunshine hit her in the face. She fidgeted slightly, wondering why all the noises seemed so much louder when she was supposed to block them out, especially the distant sounds of the hanyou and the Kistune kit arguing with each other, and the distant swish of Sango practicing throws. The twinge of her leg muscles from the unusual position was the final straw. Sighing, she gave up and opened her eyes.

Miroku sat opposite her in a mirrored pose: his hands resting palm upwards on his thighs, his legs crossed under him in the Lotus, and, she noted slightly sourly, his eyes closed in his calm face.

"Miroku..." She finally broke his aura of serenity "...it's still not working."

The monk opened his eyes and assessed the teenager despondently blowing a strand of errant black hair out of her face. Her shoulders were tense, and her fingers were tapping a frustrated tune on her thigh. He mentally winced as his eyes followed her fingers, and half wished that he'd not got her sitting that way in her ridiculously short skirt, at least, not when he hadn't prepared himself for the view. Still, it was the traditional position, and therefore had to be used. And a man should always test himself. He pulled his eyes up to her face with an effort of will before she noticed.

"Which bit isn't working, Lady Kagome?"

"All of it. Everything. It's just like the last time we practiced. I don't feel the 'transportation to my higher self'. I feel just like me. If anything, it makes me feel the insect bites a lot more, and Inuyasha's even harder to ignore when I'm really trying. I don't know how you do it."

"Ah."

"Ah?"

"The human mind isn't geared up to concentrate on one thing. It's trying to compensate by concentration on anything, and everything else. It's the first hurdle of practicing meditation that everyone has to get over. It's like having your senses honed to your environment; a little like our esteemed hanyou over there."

They both turned to watch a distant Inuyasha enthusiastically shaking a whining Shippo by the tail. The second he felt Kagome's eyes on him, a look of sheer panic crossed his face. He instantly dropped the kit and crossed his arms in front of his face in anticipation of the sit he knew was coming half a second later.

Miroku waited until Kagome's flushed cheeks had calmed, and the now grouchy hanyou had crawled out of his crater.

"You need to be able to overcome all the distractions to experience the transportation to another state of mind. Otherwise you'll be stuck here. Try again. But this time, concentrate on my voice, and I'll guide you."

Obediently, Kagome closed her eyes, flexing her hands on her bare thighs again, to Miroku's slight pain.

"Firstly, slow your breathing to my count. In for five, hold for five seconds, and out for five. In slowly, and hold..." Miroku watched as her shoulders relaxed and her face started to calm. He closed his own eyes, and started to slow his own breathing in time with the words.

"Hell, bitch, what was that for?!"

Kagome jumped as the hanyou suddenly loomed over her. Her eyes snapped open, and her mouth pulled down at the corners.

"You were bullying Shippo again!"

"The runt deserved it."

"Ohhh...!" Kagome made a small popping sound of annoyance and Inuyasha flinched despite himself. "He's only a child! Why can't you just learn some self-control?"

Inuyasha snarled in real annoyance snapping his fangs, but before he managed to open his mouth to reply, and turn the disagreement into a full-blooded row, Miroku spoke.

"Inuyasha, why don't you join us?"

Inuyasha stopped, his mouth hanging open.

"Me? Do... spirit stuff?"

"Meditation is good for the soul, Inuyasha. Including that of a hanyou. And of course, Lady Kagome has been having a little difficulty, so it might be good to have another beginner to work alongside to compare herself to." His voice was as bland as cream.

Kagome went pale. "Miroku, I don't think I could do it at all if Inuyasha was here too, after all, he's such a distraction as it is..."

She suddenly clapped her hand over her mouth and blushed bright red.

Iuyasha's eyes suddenly gleamed with evil amusement. "Yeah. You're on, Monk."

Kagome watched with some trepidation as Inuyasha dropped down gracefully to sit down near her at a ninety degree angle, her stomach dropping. Inuyasha smirked at her, and goaded and already frustrated from her lack of success, she stuck her tongue out back at him.

"Now children." Miroku's unruffled voice made Kagome blush again. "Close your eyes and concentrate... in for five, hold for five, out for..."

"Ouch!"

The pile of wet leaves on Kagome's head were sliding down her back, into the back of her clothes and into her lap. Angrily she pulled the twigs from her hair, and rounded on the innocent looking hanyou.

"Inuyasha!"

"It was the runt! See, he's disappeared because it was him!"

"It was not! He was never here! He ran off after you dropped him!"

"Was him! And it served you right, bitch!"

"Arrrg!"

Miroku looked pained, and pressed the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb.

"Excuse me!" His sharp almost bark pulled the bickering pair up short. "Inuyasha, Lady Kagome. If you would prefer the lesson to end now, we can start on dinner...?"

"I'm sorry, Miroku." Kagome was instantly contrite. "Please continue."

"Wish I could get the wench to shut up like that." Inuyasha muttered under his breath, and flinched from the glare Kagome gave him before she shut her eyes, searching for her higher self.

There was silence in the glade for several minutes. By this point Kagome had found in the recesses of her brain her mother's favourite recipe for oden, the plot of a bad television series she'd watched at the age of 10 and the name of Eri's current crush, but inner peace had remained elusive. She sighed and opened her eyes again. This time both Miroku and... and... Inuyasha were her mirror images with closed eyes and serene expressions. Her jaw dropped at his perfect countenance.

I will not be beaten in meditation by Inuyasha!

Kagome closed her eyes again, determined to try and at least appear to be the perfect student even if her mind was all over the place.

As her breathing slowed deliberately, Inuyasha opened one eye cautiously, having closed them quickly when she sighed. She was so easy to read. He'd even heard her small gasp of annoyance when she'd seen him. Plus, she'd now be so determined to win against him she'd be here for hours whilst he went off to smack the runt scott-free for stealing the last ramen. He smirked at the victory.

He stood up silently. Curious about whether or not Miroku really had managed the 'transportation to a higher state' or whatever, he padded over and waved his hand vigorously in front of the monk's face. There was no reaction. He blew on the monk's ear, and apart from a vague shiver, Miroku didn't respond. Inuyasha shrugged, impressed despite himself and turned around to go. As he did, Kagome flashed in his field of vision. With 'flashed' being the appropriate word.

Why you dirty... Inuyasha was caught between amusement and thumping the monk. It certainly explained why he'd chosen to sit exactly opposite Kagome.

He opened his mouth to make a loud comment to get the monk in trouble, and as an added bonus, humiliate Kagome for that earlier sit, but something stopped him. Possibly it was the pinched, desperate frown on her face, or the insecure biting of her lower lip as she failed yet again at something Kikyo had excelled at. She obviously wasn't in the same trance state as Miroku; in fact it was alarmingly similar to when she was panicking over her maths homework. He could hear her over-fast heart rate thumping from across the clearing.

He snorted at himself in disgust for getting soft, but walked silently over to the miserable teen. The next thing was a muted, feminine squeak as a heavy, warm weight smelling of forests and a certain inu-hanyou landed on her head. Kagome struggled out of the swathes of red fabric. She looked bemused to see Inuyasha standing in his white undershirt and hakama trousers.

"Why?" She mouthed at him, after finally realising she was half-buried in his haori.

He opened his mouth as if to answer, then shook his head, snorted, and leapt off through the trees. Kagome stared blankly at the treetops where he'd vanished for several minutes. Finally, she wrapped the haori around herself, feeling sorry enough for herself to obey the silent command. It was huge, and completely covered her so not even her knees stuck out, and closed her eyes again.

This time, it was different. She felt warm and comforted. The haori wrapped itself around her, and supported by a sense of safety, she slowly for the first time managed to blank her mind.

Half an hour later, Miroku opened his eyes. Kagome was sitting still with Inuyasha's huge bright red haori wrapped around her. All he could see was her serene and peaceful face peeking out of the top, faintly shimmering with a pink light. The monk smiled briefly to himself. The method used to get to the meditative state was more important than the destination itself. That was the intrinsic lesson needing to be learned, and the one he had purposely not explained to Kagome, knowing that if she know that was the aim, it would have made it even more difficult for her to resolve.

He should have realised what her method of transportation would be: after all, she did spend most of her life being carried by him.

He just wasn't sure if he was relieved or regretted the change in the view.