InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hanyou no kokoro no naka de; Within the Heart of the Half-Demon ❯ Teaming Up with A Lecherous Monk ( Chapter 7 )

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

Disclaimer:I have a white dog named Angel. She belongs to me. Sometimes she looks a lot like Inuyasha would if he was a dog. But even so, Inuyasha doesn't belong to me. He's Rumiko Takahashi's puppy. Sometimes I wish I had a puppy like him.

A/N: Thanks to you guys that are reviewing! It's so encouraging to hear that you y'all like it! I will try to finish the next chapter soon….but I'm leaving the country in a couple weeks and in the mean time I have to bother with money and vaccinations and stuff. Then I'll be gone for a week and let me tell you, it's hard to update computer-less in a third world country…

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Chapter 7

Teaming Up With A Lecherous Monk

“He was closer this time,” Sango said solemnly.

“Hm?” Kagome said, turning around to face her friend. Sango sat on the edge of Kagome's bed. Her head hung low and she appeared to be looking at her hands, but on closer inspection it was clear she was staring straight through them to the ground below. She had sat there for a near half hour without a word. Kagome had been waiting on Sangoto elaborate on her hallucination, tidying up her room, moving things around, and although it may have appeared she was making progress, the princess was simply moving random objects from place to place aimlessly, trying to pass the time, andnot to pressure Sango into speaking before she was ready.

Every once in a while, Sango would exhale heavily, and Kagome would glance her way, but when no words followed, Kagome ignored the distraught girl and returned to her “cleaning.”

Any observer may have thought that Kagome's actions were cold and insensitive to her friend in such a depressing situation. The opposite was true, however; Kagome knew how to handle Sango in this state.

It was routine.

Now it seemed Sango was finally ready to talk. Kagome dropped her meaningless organizing, and turned to face her friend.

“Kohaku…he - he was there too. He had…” Sango stopped, biting her lower lip and holding back the tears. “He had killed you, Kagome! You were there - dead! And there were a few others! The baboon said he had killed them!”

Sango wailed again. Kagome let her sob into her shoulder, patting Sango's head gently sighing an occasionally “It's alright…” or “Shh…he gone now. It was just a dream.”

Sango got hold of herself again. She sat up and sniffled a few more times, then looked back down, this time at her open hands. “I hate it,” she said plainly. “I hate everything about it.”

“About…?”

“This damn curse! It's not fair!!! Nothing happened like this before! I swear I'm going insane!! I'm seeing things! I don't know where it came from or who set it on us but…I if ever find out who it was - if I ever meet that despicable idiot…then I'll…I'll…” she clenched her fists and tear filled her eyes again. This time, not of sadness or fear, but of anger and hate. She couldn't even think of what she would do to that evil, twisted person…nothing would be horrible enough of a punishment.

Nothing.

“It's not just me, you know,” Sango said flatly, looking up into Kagome's eyes.

“Huh??” Kagome looked utterly confused. Not just you?? Of course it's not! It's me too! But if I told you how I suffered…“What do you mean, Sango-chan? Who else?”

“Kohaku.”

Kagome was shocked. Oh no! The curse infects Kohaku, too!!

“He hallucinates, too. He's told me about it before.” Sango's tone had gone from intense fear and sadness to a monotone, flat voice, pain and hate seething form every word. “Like I see him and the baboon threatening and coming closer to killing me every time, Kohaku sees himself slaughtering me and our whole family. He sees himself with the baboon. It scares him so much.”

Kagome couldn't bear it. She knew…She knew who's fault Sango's suffering was. She knew whosefault everyone's suffering was. Her, Sango, Kohaku, and whoever else she had yet to find out about.Suddenly Kagome's demeanor was as solemn as Sango's. Every time Sango went through this, Kagome's guilt built higher and higher. It was getting past the point where Kagome could contain it. Her friend's were in pain because of her.

It's hurts so much…

“Sango-chan…” Kagome began weakly.

Sango noticed the despair in the princess's voice, immediately looking up to face her. “What is it, Kagome-chan?”

The kindness in Sango's voice made Kagome's insides churn. She wants to kill the perpetrator…that's me…yet her voice is so kind. Oh Sango - if only you knew how much it kills me to…That was it. Kagome couldn't take it anymore. She looked up and met Sango's gaze.

“Sango…there's something I have to tell you.”

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“You what!?” Inuyasha's voice rang loud over the forest.

The young kitsune stood in front of the sitting hanyou,quivering.“I saw the white baboon.”

“You saw him??? WHERE!?!” Inuyasha was suddenly on his feet, his fist clenched over Shippo and he was scanning the forest.

The deafening volume of Inuyasha's voice made Shippo shrink down even further into a ball. His voice was shaky. “I don't know…I was playing with Kirara and we saw him in a tree. I wasn't sure at first, but then when I turned around, he was gone. I'm sorry, Inuyasha!!!” he wailed.

Kirara meowed.

“That monkey!” Inuyasha growled. “I'll find him. Don't worry, Shippo. He won't live through tonightif I can help it!!”

Shippo looked up at him slowly. “So you're not angry at me?”

“Of course not, Shippo. But we gotta catch that monkey this time! He won't escape. Get on my back, guys. Let's go.”

Shippo and Kirara each hopped onto one of Inuyasha's shoulders.

“Now which way did you see him, Shippo?”

Shippo pointed out the direction and Inuyasha was gone in a flash.

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“Tell me?” Sango inquired. “What, Kagome-chan?”

Kagome gulped. “I…It's…he…I…”

Sango waited anxiously for more words, but got none. “Come on, Kagome! Nan de?!?”

Kagome stopped. Sango could tell by her expression that a light bulb had just come on. The princess grabbed Sango's arm.

“Come with me.”

She dragged Sango out the door.

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They two girls walked down the large hallway, headed back to the princess's room since breakfast was long over and until lunch, there was nothing to do. Kagome led the way, an impatiently following Sango close behind her.

“Now would you please tell me where it is you are taking me?”

“It's nothing. I just have an idea, that's all. We're almost there,” Kagome assured her, rounding a corner. Ahead was a pair of tall wooden doors. They were strangely out of place in the marble and gold plated castle.

“I've never been here before, Kagome-chan.”

“Not many people ever come up here. But I have an idea! Just trust me.”

Kagome walked ahead to the doors. She pulled on one door handle. It was stiff and took another jerk before it popped open. It creaked something terrible. She looked inside the room beyond the door, stepping inside. Sango waited in the hall. Kagome looked back and motioned with a hand signal for her friend to follow her. Sango ran to the door, looking back only once, and then shutting the door behind them.

“Oh Kami-sama!” Sango exclaimed, looking up into the vastness of the room. The ceiling, around seven stories above them, came to a point. The circular room was covered floor to ceiling with bookshelves, all filled with thousands upon thousands of books. Both girls looked around, still awe-stricken.

“Kagome-chan! This is amazing! I had no clue there was a library this large inside the castle!”

“Yeah. I didn't either until not long ago. I snuck up here one time because I had heard about the strange wooden doors. I wanted to know what was behind them. Lots of people say it's haunted and ghosts live in here. The doors are so old because no one wants to fix them because they're all too scared. But I was curious and this is what I found. Some other people know about it and come here on occasions, but most of the time it's empty.”

“So…why are we here again?”

“There are books here…”

“Yes, there are,” Sango said sardonically.

“Shut up. Some of these books are centuries old, many of them written by people who lived in this very castle. They are filled with the history of the kingdom and so many other things.”

“What does that have to do with us?”

“Just listen…So I think that if we can find the right books and research some stuff, we might be able to learn a lot about this curse.”

“The Curse?” she paused, a sudden look of fear on her face. She gasped, and whispered “Ourcurse?”

“Hai,” Kagome replied. She looked around and leaned in toward Sango. “The ones behind it…”

Kagome's voice suddenly froze. Sango waited anxiously for her to finish her sentence. “Kagome-chan, what is it? Who's behind it!? What are you saying!?!”

“I…I don't know. Sumimasen, Sango-chan. What I'm trying to say is: If we can research some thing about the people behind the curse and the whole history of it, we might could figure out what we can do to end the curse. It's a long shot, but it's worth it. Don't you think?”

Sango thought for a moment. “But Kagome…” she looked up at the enormous library. “It's impossible to find just what we're looking for in a place like this! And how do we even know where to start!”

Kagome grabbed Sango's arm, dragging her to a nearby table. They sat down.

“Sango…” she paused, looking down at the table. Should I tell her? What will happen if I do?Kagome took a deep breath. “I know…I know who is behind us getting the curse.”

Sango covered her mouth and gasped silently. She looked at Kagome in disbelief for a second. “How…how do you know?” was all she could get out.

Kagome nodded. “I…I want to tell you, but…”

Suddenly, the two girls head the wooden door creak open. They jumped, leaping out of their seats, and grasping onto each other for dear life. He's come after me!Kagome yelled in her head. Naraku heard everything I said! He's coming!! We're goners! They trembled as they saw a shadow come around the corner of a book shelf, and the door shut behind their new guest. The shadow approached the edge of the shelf.

“Hm…okay, let's see here…” came the voice from a man, looking at some books no more than ten yards from where Kagome and Sango stood trembling. The man wore dark purple and carried a staff.

Maybe he doesn't see us…Kagome thought.

Sango suddenly let go of Kagome.

“Huh? Sango?”

She walked toward the man. “Houshi-sama?”

The man looked up. “Sango?”

“What are you doing here, houshi-sama?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

Kagome walked up to her friend. “Sango-chan, do you know him?”

“Hai!” she piped. “Kagome, this is Miroku-sama. Houshi-sama, this is Kagome-hime.”

Miroku stepped up to Kagome, taking her hand and bowing. “Nice to see you again, princess.”

Kagome pulled her hand back. “Yes, monk.”

“So what are you ladies doing up in a place like this? Not many people know about this room. It's a little creepy, anyway.”

“We were just…” Sango began

“That is we were…” Kagome tried to think of something to say.

“Researching…”

“The migration patterns of…”

“The North Atlantic Mongoose.”

Miroku looked quite confused. “Mongoose?”

Sango nodded.

“Yes. Mongoose.”

Miroku looked at them suspiciously. “Mongooses don't migrate.”

Sango and Kagome stood frozen for a second.

“Feeding habits,” Kagome blurted out.

“Feeding habits?” Sango asked.

“Feeding habits,” Kagome affirmed. “Feeding habits of the North Atlantic Mongoose.”

Miroku looked slowly away. “Uh-hu.”

“Idiot,” Sango whispered to Kagome.

“Shut up…” Kagome whispered back.

“So, do you ladies need any help?” Miroku asked, walking over to the opposite wall, pulling a book from a shelf, walking back,and sitting at the table. The book was small, but its title was Facts about Mongooses.

Kagome dropped her head into her hands in disbelief of the idiocy of the situation.

“Well, my dear ladies it seems there is no such thing as the North Atlantic Mongoose. But what is it that you would like to know about the mongoose? Feeding habits?” Miroku flipped some pages. “Ah!” he exclaimed in discovery, “lookie here:Mongooses are fierce, active hunters, feeding on a variety of ground-living animals, as well as eggs, and, in some species, fruits.” Miroku read calmly. He glanced up at the girls, trying not to laugh at the expressions on their faces. He continued,“They live in a variety of habitats and occupy rock crevices or holes, or dig burrows. Unlike civets, they lack scent glands. Typical mongooses, species of the genus Herpestes,are weasel-like in appearance, with long, slender bodies, pointed faces, and bushy tails. Their hair is coarse and shaggy. They range in length from…”

“OKAY!!” Kagome shouted. “You win! We're not researching about mongooses!!!”

Miroku closed the book in satisfaction. “That's what I thought.”

Sango and Kagome sat at the table with the monk. An awkward silence then proceeded.

“So, how can I help you ladies?” Miroku asked finally.

Kagome had spent the last few moments inspecting the outward appearance of the monk. She was used to seeing them around, they had a monkery in their basement after all, but somehow this monk stood out to her. The cloth and the prayer beads that were wrapped around his right hand especially caught her attention. No other monk wore attire like that.

“Your prayer beads…” Kagome began without much thought involved, “Why are they around your hand like that?”

“These?” Miroku asked, holding his right hand up off the table. Sango had just begun to notice them as well. “It's nothing. Just something I wear.”

“It's a very different style then most monks,” Kagome commented, “I like it. It's kind of cool. Can I see them?” she asked, innocently, holding her hand out.

“Ano…” Miroku stuttered, “No. Sorry.” He dropped his right hand into his lap.

“Aw come on!” Kagome begged, getting especially curious over his refusal and obvious desire to avoid the subject.

Miroku shook his head insistently. “I can't let you see them.”

“Can't…or won't?” Sango nagged.

“It's nothing, alright!” he said, raising his voice just a bit. Kagome backed down. “Just drop it.”

Kagome and Sango sat quietly. They had had a purpose in coming to the library, but with the monk, they couldn't research what it was they were looking for. They couldn't discuss the curse in the presence of someone that was not involved.

“So, why was it you girls came up here? Don't let me hinder you! Go on, ignore me!”

Both of them were uncomfortably silent. Suddenly, a random thought hit Kagome.

“Hey, Miroku-sama?”

“Yes?”

“I know this is weird, but how did you know where that mongoose book was? You found it so quickly and effortlessly.”

Miroku half chuckled. “Yeah. It's pretty sad. I spend so much time up here in this dusty old library I'm beginning to know where just about anything is. I really need a new hobby.”

Kagome's mind registered what he had just said for nearly 30 seconds before it clicked.

“Just about anything??” Kagome asked, a grin spreading across both her and Sango's faces.

Miroku's smile faded. Looks like I'm stuck! Oh well…Princess and hot demon-slayer?? No complaints here!

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A/N: Ta da! Shouldn't be but a day or two till chapter 8!! Jaa!