InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Firefly Wishes ❯ Chapter 3 - Is Miroku Dead? ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any part or characters of Inu-yasha with the exception of this fanfiction.

Firefly Wishes

By DBZ Vegeta

Chapter 3 - Is Miroku Dead?

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Other than the blinding headaches and a nagging blankness in my mind, I was feeling better. Kagome had made me stay down for three whole days, and even then I think she put something in my water, as I seemed to be asleep more than awake. Since that first night after I had awoken, I had made Kagome sleep also. I couldn't let her get sick, just because she was taking care of me. She had readily agreed to rest more during the day when I was awake.

On the other hand, Sango looked horrible. Since I couldn't seem to remember what had happen to Miroku and I, she had drifted into a nearly catatonic state. Sitting on the other side of the room across from me, desperately clutching the staff that I had brought back from the desert. I didn't want to tell her the bits and pieces that I did remember, especially about the dead man. I still had not figured out who it was. Was it Miroku? I was just unsure, something about the whole thing smelled bad. Why had the man and I been left in the desert in the first place and who had injured me and killed him? My head just hurt trying to think about it.

"Inuyasha." came her voice. I turned and looked down at Kagome where she had been lying next to me, napping.

"You shouldn't try to force your memories to return. They will return when they are needed." she said as she slid up into a sitting position, concern written across her face.

"They're needed now." I said softly, as I turned my eyes away from her to focus on the grieving Sango.

She looked over at Sango, a sad smile creeping across her face. "She doesn't want to believe that he may be dead. She never got to tell him how she felt." Kagome bit back a small sob, turning back and leaning her head against my chest. I reached up and gently cradled her as she cried.

"Neither do I, I just wish I could remember what happen and who that man was." I said, trying to comfort her, stroking her hair gently back from her wet face.

"What man?" she said bolting upright in my arms. She stared up into my eyes searching for the answer to the bit of information that I had let slip accidentally. "You remember something, don't you. Was it about Miroku?"

At the sound of his name, Sango's head listlessly came up and faced theirs, her eyes showing some sign of life. "Mi . . .ro . . . ku?" she said her voice rusty from disuse. I tried to look away from them both, unable, unwilling to divulge the memory that was still half-formed in my mind.

"Inuyasha." Kagome said, gently shaking my shoulder, trying to get my attention. When that didn't work she tried to force my face back around to hers, unsuccessfully.

"Inuyasha, look at me, please. What man?"

I wasn't going to look at her. I knew that if I looked into her eyes I would have to tell her what I knew, and I was still unsure about it. I heard a rustling noise and then the next thing I knew I was laying flat on the ground with Sango landing hard on my chest, her eyes fierce, fire dancing in the dark depths. It was the most movement I had seen from her in three days.

"What man?" she growled, moving her face closer down to mine, baring her teeth, fury sounding in each word dripping from her lips.

"I . . . I. . . ."

"TELL ME!" she screamed bringing her fist down hard against the floor next to my head. Tears were beginning to roll down her face, dripping onto my chest. "Tell me" she said again in a nearly defeated whisper, her head coming down to rest upon my chest, her cries building into great racking sobs.

I sat up carefully, cradling the weeping Sango in my arms. I want to tell her that everything was all right and that Miroku was alive. But I was unsure. Looking up over her head I met Kagome's eyes as she slide closer to us and wrapped her arms about Sango and me, adding her support to the weeping Sango.

"I . . . Uh . . .There was a man, in the desert, next to me when I woke up." I said quietly, scared that I would hurt them more with what I was about to tell them. I felt Sango's weeping slow, as she heard what I said. She didn't move from her position against my chest. But I could tell that she was listening to what I was saying.

"Umm, a dead man. He was dress in monk's robes. I found the staff next to him." I could feel Sango tensing at my words, the pain already beginning to build. I hurried on quickly, "But, I don't think it was Miroku. At least, I don't think it was him, I didn't recognize the man." I didn't add that I still couldn't remember much about my past, as it was.

I began to tense as I felt her moving back away from my chest. I looked away as she tried to search my eyes, to see it I had told her the truth. Grasping my chin in her firm grip, I let her drag my face back around and I reluctantly looked down into her eyes.

"Are you sure that you don't think that it was Miroku?" she asked. I could see the hope that was kindled deep in her eyes.

Sighing heavily, I looked down away from her hopeful gaze, "As sure as I can remember. But my memory is still jagged. I can only see flashes of events, like a shattered cup, trying to piece itself back together." Turning back to her I released her and shifted away from them both. Silence penetrated the room hanging like an ominous cloud looming on the horizon.

Suddenly a shuffling and a jingling noise echoed through the still air. "All right then, we'll go there." Sango said firmly. I whipped my head upward to see Sango dressed in her youkai exterminator outfit and her weapon swung over her back. In her right hand was the staff that I had taken from the dead man in the desert.

"But Sango, it has been a week since we found Inuyasha. What guarantees do we have of finding the body and then even identifying it after being exposed for so long." Kagome asked, her face slightly sickens at the thought of finding Miroku's decaying body.

"I don't care. I will know if it is him, no matter what we find." Sango said resolutely. "If you won't come with me, I will go by myself."

"We'll go, right Inuyasha." Kagome said as she turned back towards me. "At least we sent Shippo back with Kirara to Kaede, and we don't have to worry about him." turning away from me as she bent to gather her supplies and stuff them into her overlarge backpack.

I looked at both women, afraid that what we would find would destroy one and seriously sadden the other. But I knew that I could not let them go alone. We all had to face this trial together and determine if this man was our friend or someone else. And why someone would want us dead.

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Author's Notes: Oh, man…am I sorry for the cliff hanger, but it was the best place to stop. What will Inuyasha and the others' find in the desert? Will they find Miroku, and will they find out who is trying to kill Inuyasha? Only fate and time will tell. Your inputs and reviews are welcome. Burn me baby, if you want, I don't mind….