InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ In the Flesh ( Chapter 7 )

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

AN: Thanks again for all the complements/constructive criticism/ reviews! They make me happy, and I'm glad you like it enough to review all of the chapters (Livvy)! I'm glad that Shippo and Miroku were puffy last chapter. (my solution: their POV's included more often.) (Tiamath)

Yes, Shippo with a water gun seems strange, I agree. My excuse: He's bored, no one to play with because Souta's gone, and Kagome's busy being miffed with Inuyasha. Shippo can't bother Inuyasha because he's probably floating around up high somewhere. So, that's my explanation. Oh yeah, and you're right (New Salem Witch) I wasn't trying to make Kouga a hillbilly. It seems to me though that living in the mountains makes him far away from everyone else, so there's that. In short: He's not hillbilly by nature, but by location, in a way, and he's not a farmer. I'm sorry that he seems hillbilly-ish! I will try and add some Shippo/Inuyasha fights in this chapter. I feel so…(searches for word) lucky/privileged/special to receive the longest review that you've done!

It took a little longer for me to write this because my room got a little bit of remodeling and my computer's in my room, so I couldn't get at it for a bit. Sorry! And I got a door for my room! Unfortunately it's installed backwards and it's more like a screen, so people can see in worse than before while I can't see out. I'm gonna have to do something about that… (I used to have a lousy curtain… People would stick their heads in without warning.)

You may have noticed that I changed the summary for this story: why? Because I finally have a vague idea of the ending! And the rest. I'm going to try and make it twenty-ish chapters, if I can draw it out that long or whatever…

Disclaimer:

dis·claim·er n

1. A statement refusing to accept responsibility for something, for example, a written warning stating a possible hazard associated with a product or service and denying legal liability for any injury

2. A statement saying that somebody gives up a legal right or claim to something, for example, damages arising from an accident

3. A statement denying knowledge of something

In other words: I am saying that I don't own Inuyasha.

Other Disclaimer: I don't have any hold whatsoever on Microsoft or Encarta World English Dictionary, or Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Anyway…

Haunted

Chapter Seven: In the Flesh

The doors opened with a creaky sigh and the two snuck into the room, Shippo still clinging to Kagome. He refused to let her out of her sight after her disappearance the day before. Yet, he couldn't help but be in awe of the sight that met his eyes. "Whoa…"

The room was huge, with a tall ceiling and exquisite molding. Of course, Shippo was more in awe of the size and all the interesting things in it than the masterful architecture. Kagome's footsteps echoed in the silent room as she walked over to the window. "What's that?" He asked, pointing to a large pile of wood on the other side of the room.

"I was cleaning in here the other day." Kagome explained. "There was wood all over the floor and I moved it all to the side." Shippo smiled in anticipation. What could he do with all that wood…? An image of a large fort came to mind, and Shippo leaped off of Kagome's shoulder in direction of the pile.

"Careful there!" Kagome told his as he picked through the wood. "There's nails and a saw in there!" Shippo was too busy with his wood to respond. With a soft sigh, she sat down, back to the shelf as she'd sat with Inuyasha a few days before. The shelves bit into her back uncomfortably and Kagome turned around to face them. She hadn't really noticed what was in the shelves before. They all seemed to be old scrolls. She pulled one out and put it back hastily. They looked like something that her grandfather would be interested in.

"Ow!" Shippo was sucking on his hand. Kagome looked at him reprovingly and he said defensively, "It was a splinter! I didn't see it!" Kagome beckoned for him to come over to her. Reluctantly, the ginger-haired boy complied.

"Let me see." Shippo extended his hand. Kagome frowned. "But… it was bleeding just a moment ago." She looked at Shippo helplessly. "How did it heal so fast?" Shippo squirmed under her scrutiny. The "Most Important Rule of All", as his parents had called it before they were killed, resounded in his head.

"Can I go play now?" Shippo blurted out and ran away, not even waiting for an answer. Kagome frowned. How was it possible for the cut to heal that fast, before her very eyes? She shuddered. It was strange, frighteningly so. Kagome found herself wondering again about the small boy's past. He'd refused to talk about it, either changing the subject immediately or running off somewhere. Hmm…

It was something to think about. When she thought about it, she realized she didn't know much of anything about anybody. Miroku was Miroku. She didn't even know his last name, or where he worked before he was laid off. Was he even laid off? And Sango. All she knew was that a gang had murdered her entire family. Why? Where was she from? She didn't really know at all. Then there was Inuyasha. Of course, he didn't remember his past. Hell, it'd taken him a while to remember his own name!

Sango and Miroku, though. They were hiding things, or at least Miroku was. With a growing sense of alarm, Kagome realized that she could be living in the same house as a serial killer without knowing it. But Miroku was so polite and kind! …And lecherous… He couldn't be a murderer! …. What about a rapist...? She shook her head. It was unlikely. She felt as if she knew the two of them so well. It just didn't go with his personality. He was too proud, dignified, in a weird way. Despite his blatant hands-on approach to women, Miroku was rather virtuous. He had morals. And Sango was like a sister to her now, even though she'd only known her for about a week. Miroku was like an old family friend, albeit a perverted one. But still, one couldn't help but wonder. What were they hiding?

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(•_•)

_(><)_

Great. He was feeling guilty again. And it wasn't his fault! She was the one who'd came home, casual as you please, draped over that Kouga like a rug! And right after going on a date with that Hojo! He shouldn't be the one feeling guilty. She should be. She was in the wrong, not him.

Inuyasha grumbled to himself as he floated in the branches of the tree. Restlessly, he floated through the foliage and drifted over the top, gazing at the house. What was she doing now? Was she still mad at him? As much as he tried, he couldn't stay mad. He tried to summon up all the fury he'd felt upon seeing her hanging onto Kouga, smiling at him. With a start, Inuyasha realized that she hadn't been smiling at him. She'd been smiling at the window, where somebody was probably sitting. And she'd been limping heavily. She could've just been leaning on him for support, as she said. Ugh. He just couldn't stay angry. The brief flash of fury dwindled, leaving him with this empty remorseful feeling in the pit of his spectral stomach.

He needed to get out of that tree. He floated up above the tree and high above the house, as far as he could. The house became a rather small dark rectangle beneath him. A few hundred more yards and he could've touched the clouds. Inuyasha snorted. No, that wasn't true. He couldn't touch anything.

He contented himself with watching the sun set. The shining orange ball sank towards the horizon, leaving the sky a myriad of pastel colors. It was one of those brilliant sunsets where the clouds turn a pinkish-purple with tints of orange sherbet on the edges. Silver lining, indeed. Clouds never had silver linings. They were always some strange color, like pale pink or sherbet orange during a sunset. Sometimes, he reflected, they had bright white around the edges. Silver was more hard, metallic and slightly grey. The blinding white was bright and clean, soft. He preferred the white himself.

The sun sank over the horizon, leaving a green glow behind it. Suddenly, Inuyasha was plunging towards the ground. He was falling. The wind tore at his clothes and tugged his hair as he plummeted towards the house. "Oh, shit." He thought. The speed at which he fell had stolen his breath away. He watched in fascination, as the house grew larger and larger as he neared his destination.

He started wondering if he'd simply sink through the ground until he reached the other side, because at this rate he'd probably reach the other side in a few hours. Maybe he'd disintegrate, he thought with a small stab of apprehension, as he seemed to do every time he went off the property.

The last thing he'd expected was to hit the roof with a resounding smash, crunching through the roof and then the attic to land with another resounding crunch against the floor of the ballroom. He hurt so much. Inuyasha reveled in the pain in an almost masochistic way. It was a strange sensation, indescribable by words. His nerves tingled with it, and he sat up in bewilderment. Then he realized someone was screaming. He turned his head-oh, how it pounded! - and Kagome rushed over.

"Inuyasha!" She leaned over him. He didn't move. "Inuyasha! Say something!" He tried to speak, but nothing happened. His thoughts would project out of his head as they normally did. "Oh, gods, Inuyasha!" Something wet hit his ear. The fuzzy appendage flicked of it's own accord.

"Inuyasha!" She reached out to grasp his shoulder and was shocked when it actually touched him. Inuyasha flinched at the contact. There were tears in her eyes and some on her face. "Oh my God! Are you okay? What happened?" She hadn't realized that she was touching him yet. Tentatively, he reached out and placed his hand on her wrist. Kagome stopped babbling immediately as the realization hit her. "You're… alive?" The grudge that they'd both been holding disappeared in an instant as Kagome gave his a bone-crushing hug. "You're alive!" She moved away and looked at him gleefully, the tears still shimmering in her big brown eyes. "I can't believe it! How'd it happen?"

Inuyasha didn't answer. He could still feel her arms around him, her hand on his shoulder. Human contact. It was alien to him. "Hello?" She tapped him on the shoulder in concern. "Are you okay? Can you walk?" Kagome wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Se indicated the dark patch in the ceiling. "You fell pretty far, it's a miracle that you're not dead." She admitted.

Inuyasha nodded silently, reveling in everything around him. He flinched as Shippo leaped over him and bopped him on the head with a small fist. "Stupid! You put a big hole in the ceiling! If you wanted to come in, you should've used the door!" He cried.

Kagome's hand hovered near his head from where she was sitting in front of him. She blushed then asked, "Can I touch your ears?" He looked at her, startled.

"Huh?" He asked. She seemed to take that as a "yes". His ears twitched as she rubbed them between her fingers. It felt weird.

"They're so soft!" She giggled. He suddenly remembered he could move and he jerked his head away. "Sorry." Clumsily, Inuyasha stood up. Kagome suddenly remembered all the scratches and bruises he had. "Come on!" She scrambled of the debris- strewn floor and grabbed his hand. "Let's get that first aid kit."

He stumbled clumsily as he got used to walking again, Kagome towing him along urgently. "Maybe we should call emergency." She told him. "Does anything hurt really bad? Like, a sharp stabbing pain?" She asked haphazardly as she rushed up the stairs. Inuyasha had difficulty with those.

"None." He replied briefly. He reveled again in the use of his voice. As a poltergeist, he didn't have vocal chords. To talk was to project thoughts so that others could hear them. Kagome looked at him in concern.

"Are you sure?" She pressed. "You fell through the roof! Then you hit the floor about twenty-five feet down! How could you not be, well, dead?" She asked. "You're a bit out of it, too." She reconsidered. "Is that because you're flesh and blood?" She frowned the squeezed his hand in hers. "You are flesh and blood, right?"

"I- I think so," He stammered. His was uncomfortably aware of his hand in hers as they walked down the hallway. The carpet felt soft under his callused feet. "I mean, I'm solid." He looked at the scratches on his arm that had stopped bleeding. "Yeah."

Kagome let go of his hand- Inuyasha let out a breath he didn't know he was holding- and opened up a closet, rummaging through it in search of the kit. "Here we are!" She brandished the large white box triumphantly.

"I don't need it." He told her cockily. Well, he seemed like his old self again, Kagome noted wryly.

"Yes, you do." She replied firmly. "You've got cuts all over your arms, and a few on your face-" She stopped abruptly. The cuts were going away. There were less than when she looked last. Just like Shippo…

"What?" He asked irritably. His ears flicked at her. Kagome just looked at him, puzzled, "What?" He demanded again.

"Your cuts… I could've sworn…" She trialed off and inspected his face. Inuyasha's face colored under her scrutiny.

"What?" He asked yet again. "What about 'em?" Kagome stepped back and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear in bewilderment.

"Well, they're all gone." She grabbed his arm and pulled the curiously thick fabric of his haori away from it. "These too!" She exclaimed, her distress visible.

"Of course." He shrugged. Kagome stared at him, clearly confused. "I'm half demon. I heal faster than humans." His grin was cocky again. "I don't need that." He indicated the box.

"Oh... okay." It was Kagome turn to be speechless. "Well, come on, then." She beckoned for him to follow her. Inuyasha felt something tug on the hem of his pants. Green eyes stared into gold. Gold widened in surprise,

"Why, you're a-" Inuyasha began in surprise. He didn't notice it when he was a poltergeist, but now that his senses were heightened it was quite clear.

But Shippo had other things in mind. "Promise not to tell!" He whispered fiercely. "You can't tell anybody!" He implored.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked, startled. "No one would care."

"I'm not allowed to tell." Shippo said. "My parents always told me that I couldn't show anyone ever."

"Why?" Inuyasha asked again. He seemed to be asking a lot of one-syllable questions lately…

"They said so." Shippo replied stubbornly. He wasn't about to question his parents' last wishes. "So I'm not going to ever!"

"Oh, okay…" Inuyasha was still puzzled. He'd never had to bother about his appearance. No one seemed to care.

"How are you all… alive?" Shippo asked. Inuyasha looked at him blankly and then shrugged. How was he supposed to know? His thoughts were still on Shippo, though.

"Are you coming or not?" Kagome called from the end of the hallway. Inuyasha increased his slow pace and arrived next to Kagome. "Come on!" She was smiling. "Everyone will be so excited!" She rushed down the stairs, calling out names and summons to the living room as she went. Inuyasha followed at a slower pace as he got used to walking again.

"What is it, Kagome?" Inuyasha heard Miroku's voice in the living room as he descended the staircase. "Is something wrong?"

"Everything's just great!" Kagome bubbled. "Hurry up!" She hollered at the stair.

"I'm coming!" Inuyasha retorted sourly. Inside he was a tad apprehensive. How would Miroku react? He wondered.

"Kagome?" Sango slid open the door to outside. "I heard you from through the window," She explained. "What's wrong?"

"Absolutely nothing!" The girl replied cheerfully. "In fact, everything's great!" She laughed.

"Ummm…" Miroku hummed in puzzlement. "Why did you call us all here?" He asked politely.

Instead of replying, Kagome shouted at him again. "How long does it take to go down a staircase?"

"You try it after floating around for five hundred years!" He retorted. "Don't rush me?" He moved down faster as he got the hang of it.

"Tadah!" Kagome shouted and pointed at him as he arrived in the living room with a stumble. "Introducing… Inuyasha!"

Sango and Miroku stared. Inuyasha fidgeted awkwardly as he stood in the doorway, Shippo on his head. "How-" Miroku finally asked.

"What-" Sango said at the same time.

They looked at each other in bewilderment. "Uhh…" Sango sat down heavily on the couch. Miroku ran a hand through his hair. "Inuyasha?" Now, this was different. He'd seen everything now. Inuyasha changing color, Inuyasha disappearing with big bangs of smoke, Inuyasha walking through wall, Inuyasha reappearing with puffs of dusty smoke. And now, Inuyasha was… alive. Miroku noted with a growing sense of excitement that he was still demon, or rather, half demon.

"Is it… permanent?" Sango asked hesitantly. "You being… well…" She gestured at the uncomfortable Inuyasha in a vague manner. Kagome patted the seat next to her, asking the awkward young man to join her on the couch. With tentative steps that grew cautiously bolder, he made his way to the couch and sat stiffly next to Kagome.

For a moment he was silent. He frowned and then spoke hesitatingly. "I … don't know." Talking was going to take some getting used to if it was. He always thought that he'd be overjoyed at being alive again, but he was just bewildered. Walking took a good deal of concentration that he was sure wasn't necessary before. And talking! As far as he recalled, he wasn't much of conversationalist, but talking wasn't as strange before. Overall, it was frustrating so far.

"What happened, anyway?" Kagome asked. I mean, you just fell out of the sky." At Sango and Miroku's questioning looks, Kagome explained. "He fell through the ceiling and made a crater in the floor."

"And you're not injured?" Sango asked incredulously. Miroku was lost in thought, staring at the opposite wall as if it had fascinating things to tell him. "That's amazing."

Inuyasha snorted. "I'm half-demon." He replied shortly, arms crossed over his red-clad chest. Shippo was hopping about in an agitated manner on his shoulder, looking anxiously from one face to another.

"I always thought it was a poltergeist thing," Sango admitted. "But… I've heard legends. My family was supposedly descended from a tribe of demon exterminators." Her eyes held sorrows that her voice would reveal. "And my brother Kohaku and I train- trained, I mean, with my dad in fighting them because of it." With a sigh, she drifted into silence. That life was over now.

Kagome patted her friend on the shoulder sympathetically. "Nope." Inuyasha replied casually. "This is how I looked in life. How I look in life." He corrected, hoping that it was permanent.

"Well," Miroku snapped out of his reverie, a satisfied smile on his face. "When was the last time you ate?" He grinned and headed towards the kitchen.

Inuyasha's eyes lit up at the prospect. He could smell food as a poltergeist, and he had something in mind. "Ramen." He called to Miroku in the kitchen.

"What?" Miroku asked incredulously. "Ramen? But there's so much better food than… ramen." Inuyasha struggled off the couch.

"Ramen." He repeated firmly. On how many occasions had he smelled it and wished to eat it? Now he really could. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen rather uneasily. Miroku looked up at him from the kettle he'd just filled with water.

"Something wrong?" he asked. He put the kettle on the stove and turned on the burner. Inuyasha sneezed. The gas was entering his sensitive nose. As a poltergeist, his sense of smell- while still considerably better than a humans- was a poor substitute for his real nose.

"Not really." Inuyasha shrugged and stepped into the room. Shippo- who'd been sitting silently on Inuyasha's head- jumped off, knocking Inuyasha askew and landing on Miroku. Because of his unused reflexes, Inuyasha fell back and hit the wall with a thump. "Ow! Brat!" He seethed. If only he could hit him… A mischievous glint that far surpassed any given off by Shippo's eyes entered Inuyasha's. Shippo gulped.

Seeing what was about occur, Miroku put up his hands in a placating gesture. "Now, Inuyasha. I know you're mad at Shippo, but fighting doesn't solve anything." He quoted a schoolteacher that he'd been "observing". "Use your words." In the other room, Sango snorted.

"Use your words," She repeated with a grin. "That's what my preschool teacher used to tell us." Kagome nodded in agreement as she got off the couch to try and help Miroku. Sango shook her head again. "Use your words…" She was going to remember that one.

"Any last words, Shippo?" Inuyasha cracked his knuckles intimidating. Miroku winced. Shippo was clinging to his shoulder with wide eyes. Inuyasha took a step forward and Shippo bolted like a frightened rabbit.

"Wahh!" Shippo wailed as he leaped onto a cupboard. Inuyasha swiped and missed. He overbalanced and fell, grabbing at the back of Miroku's shirt for help, who then fell against another cupboard. The kettle went off, adding to the noise. Kagome stepped into the room, intending to come to Shippo's aid. Instead, Miroku's back slammed into her, knocking her over with a shriek of surprise. She grabbed at Inuyasha's hair, but to no avail. The three of them fell in a heap on the ground with much cursing from Inuyasha. This was closely followed by an outraged scream from Kagome.

"Hentai!" Which was then followed by a slap and some muttered excuses from Miroku. Shippo was clinging to a ceiling light and laughing. The thing was swaying back and forth, sending flickering shadows all over the kitchen. Sango stood in the doorway, staring at the spectacle. Wordlessly, she stepped over the dog pile and turned off the kettle. Inuyasha sprang up from the ground and grabbed at the still-laughing boy on the light with a growl that promised lots of pain. Kagome rolled away from Miroku and gingerly nursed her head. "Oww…"

Miroku sat up gingerly, a large red mark on his face. Standing slowly, he placed a hand on his back and another on his head and made the same remark as Kagome. "Ow."

Inuyasha was clumsily-but efficiently- chasing Shippo around the room. Without saying anything, Sango shook her head and walked out of the room, a cup of tea in her hand. She sat down in the dining room, calmly sipping her steaming tea. Kagome wandered out of the room moments later, still rubbing her head and looking peeved. Sango smiled serenely at the younger girl, who merely grinned ruefully. No words were needed.

"Brat! Get back here! I'm gonna make you pay for all the hell you've out me through!" Shippo leaped into the dining room, followed closely by Inuyasha, who'd recovered some of his former grace and agility.

"Kagomeeeee!" Shippo wailed. He leaped at her and clutched at her arm with wide beseeching eyes. "Inuyasha's gonna kill me!" Kagome looked at him.

"Stay away from Shippo." She instructed. Inuyasha stopped abruptly and grumbled. He sent Shippo a death glare that promised to get him back later, then tried to leave the room as he normally would've, by disappearing through a wall. Obviously, it didn't work. He whirled around, glaring as the others in the room tried to smother their laughter.

"Inuyasha, you might wanna use the door." Shippo commented solemnly. In an attempt to regain some dignity, the former-poltergeist glared at the three of them, then walked back into the kitchen, reprimanding Miroku for being slow with the ramen.

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(•.•)

_(><)_

"Brat!" Inuyasha made a swipe at Shippo. "And this time, I can get you back!" There was a wicked grin plastered on the half-demon's face. Kagome wasn't there. She'd gone upstairs to brush her teeth. Miroku and Sango were playing Uno in the kitchen after Miroku demanded a rematch.

"Wait!" Shippo hopped about on one foot. "Wait! Wait! I just wanted to talk!" The ginger-haired boy wailed as Inuyasha took his revenge for weeks of helpless anger. Inuyasha dusted off his hands. Shippo put his hands to his head gingerly.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" the former poltergeist asked as if nothing had happened. Shippo glared at him resentfully for a moment before answering.

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Shippo asked anxiously. "I mean, that I'm…" He squirmed in his seat agitatedly. With an exaggerated sigh, Inuyasha sat down next to him.

"Didn't I tell you that already, Brat?" He asked irritably. Shippo looked at him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. It was kind of hard to tell with someone when they didn't do anything that pointed him in one way or another…

"Promise?" Shippo asked stubbornly. He wasn't going to take chances. Not after what he'd seen…

"Okay, okay." Inuyasha agreed. "I don't get it though." He looked at Shippo curiously. "Why not? No one would care, you know?" No one cared about his appearance.

"My parents." Shippo replied stubbornly. Was he actually having a civilized conversation with Inuyasha? "They were caught, and then they were killed. I don't want to die too." And if he ever found the murderers… Shippo clenched a little fist.

"Huh." Inuyasha snorted. "No one's tried to kill me," he argued. Not recently, anyway. "I don't know why you're so worked up about it."

"Let's talk about something else, okay?" Shippo glanced around the room. Inuyasha shrugged but didn't mention it again. They sat in silence for a moment. Suddenly Shippo asked, "Shouldn't Souta and his mom be back by now?"

Kagome came down the stairs and replied with a frown, "Yeah, they should." She looked at the clock: three in the morning. Man, she was tired. "They should've been back yesterday evening." Oh, great. Now she was all worried about them. And they were probably fine.

"I'm sure they're alright, Kagome," Sango assured from the kitchen. "Hey! Put that card down, cheater!" Miroku was desperate about winning. "Don't think I didn't see that!"

"See what?" Miroku asked innocently. Sango glared pointedly at him. With a defeated sigh, Miroku replaced the card that he'd picked up.

Sango put down several cards. "Skip, reverse, draw two, four." And then came that word, the one word that he didn't want to hear her say.

"Uno." Running a hand through his hair, Miroku placed a card, watching Sango with mounting dread as she smiled slowly and placed her last card down. "Two weeks of clean thoughts!" Sango cheered.

"Rematch!"

From the other room, Kagome grinned at Inuyasha ruefully. "Here we go again…" Inuyasha snorted in response.

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(• .•)

_(><)_

Kagome blinked sleep out of her eyes and gently removed Shippo from where he was sleeping in her lap. She looked at the clock. Sunrise was in about twenty minutes. She leaped off the couch and grabbed Inuyasha's hand. "Let's go see the sun rise!" She grinned at him as she pulled him towards the door, pausing only to open the door and slip on her shoes.

They'd gone about six yards when Kagome suddenly realized that he wasn't wearing any shoes. Noticing her gaze, Inuyasha shrugged. "Don't wear 'em." He explained. Kagome nodded wordlessly and continued at a more moderate pace. She suddenly realized that she was still holding his hand, and let go abruptly, embarrassment coloring her face. Inuyasha glanced at her sideways, his own face slightly pink, but didn't say anything.

The silence that was once a companionable one stretched out between them, the air filling with tension. After a few minutes of walking up a small dirt path that led up to a hill, Kagome finally broke the silence. "So how is it?"

"Hm?"

"I mean, being alive again," Kagome clarified. Inuyasha shrugged slightly and stepped over a fallen branch on the trail.

"Like I remember it." Inuyasha looked at the dirt and avoided Kagome's gaze. "I mean, it's different, but I'm still me." He shrugged again. He was never too good at words.

"Ouch." Kagome winced as she stepped at a weird angle. When Inuyasha looked at her questioningly, she said, "My ankle that I sprained is still really sore." Without a moment's warning, he grabbed her arm and slung her on his back. "Huh?" Kagome asked.

"It's faster." Inuyasha said. Kagome nodded without replying, her face slightly pink despite the practicality of his gesture. She squeaked in surprise when he began to run effortlessly, the trees whipping by as fast as if she were in a car. "Which way?" He asked.

Breathless, Kagome managed to say, "Just follow the trail." Inuyasha nodded and kept going. He dropped gracefully to the ground on the crest of the hill and Kagome dropped off of his back, favoring her left ankle. The view was spectacular, Kagome noted. The hills rolled gently off into the distance, green grass waving gently in the breeze. The sun had not yet crept over the horizon, but a pale green sat on the edge in anticipation. Pale grey clouds outlined chased each other slowly across the cornflower blue sky. The wind rustled gently and the trees gave rustled sighs. The cool breeze toyed with Kagome's hair and she shuddered slightly. She'd forgotten to bring a jacket.

Kagome stared at the view and took it all in. It was beautiful. She snuck a glance at Inuyasha. He was looking across the view unseeingly, lost in thought. Kagome sat down on the dewy grass and stared over the horizon, feeling slightly hurt that he seemed to be refusing to acknowledge her. He proved her incorrect, however when he stiffly sat down next to her. "I didn't know you could run like that," Kagome admitted.

"I'm half demon." He replied with a shrug, still staring at the view. That reply was starting to get on her nerves…

"I wonder what happened to them all…" Kagome mused aloud. Inuyasha turned to her. "I mean, where did all the demons go? If there were a bunch around when you were alive -I mean, when" She struggled for words. "Before when you were cursed. There were a lot of them, right?"

Inuyasha nodded slowly. "Yeah. What of it?" He asked sharply. Kagome shook her head as the wind blew her bangs into her eyes. She shivered and wished fervently that she'd brought a jacket.

"Well, what do you think happened to them all?" She asked. Inuyasha pulled off his haori and handed it to the cold girl. "Thanks…" Kagome murmured, taken aback by the kind gesture. "Are you cold?" She asked.

"I'll be fine." He replied shortly. They watched in silence as the sun slowly neared the horizon, the sky turning peach, then yellow as it came closer.

"You know," Kagome said abruptly. "You can always stay with us. Now that you're alive again, I mean. If you're not going to go anywhere else." She didn't want him to go…

"I don't think I'll be going anywhere any time soon." He replied slowly. The first rays of sun touched on the rolling green hill beneath them and the sky lightened to a dusty pale blue. Kagome smiled and looked at the new/old houseguest only to blink in surprise.

There was a poltergeist sitting next to her again.

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(•, •)

_(><)_

"Uno."

Miroku looked at Sango in shock. "I don't believe it." He ran a hand through his black hair. "How do you always…? No matter how many times we play, you always win! What's your secret?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

"Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?" Sango asked with a grin. "You know, you now have to think clean thoughts for two months."

Miroku brushed her remark aside airily. "My thoughts are always clean." He told her solemnly. Sango snorted in disbelief.

"I don't believe a word of it." Sango said flatly. "You are the worst and most frequent liar that I have ever met!" She shook her head.

"But I'm trustworthy," Miroku pointed out. "And I'm polite, and educated, and well-groomed." He frowned. But whatever he did, it was always the unattractive ones that came after him.

"You're full of it." Sango retorted. "You never fulfill promises! How is that trustworthy?" She demanded. Sango shuffled the cards and stacked them neatly. "Another game?" She inquired.

Miroku shook his head. "I know when to back down." How did she do it? He'd always been pretty good at Uno, but she was the best player he'd ever met. "I make those promises to everybody." He informed calmly. "They know that they don't mean anything."

"Are you sure?" Sango asked. "Tell me, how many hearts have you broken?" Miroku shrugged. Sango tapped her fingers on the dining room table impatiently. "Well, how many girls have fallen for you?" Again, Miroku shrugged. "You don't know?" Sango asked incredulously. "That's horrible! You're horrible!" She brandished an accusatory finger at him.

Miroku put his hands up defensively. "I haven't done anything!" He laughed nervously. "Oh, come on, Sango!" She stood up abruptly and walked out of the room, leaving him alone with the Uno cards. Why did she care all of a sudden…?

(\ /)

(• .•)

_(><)_

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked cautiously. "How did you…?" The poltergeist was staring at his hands in bemused shock.

"Huh." He smiled in grim humor. "I get it." The wind blew again and Kagome suddenly noticed that the haori was still wrapped around her. She fingered it curiously.

"What do you mean?" She tugged gently on the haori, as if making sure it was still really there.

"It was just for that night. Sundown to sunrise." Inuyasha said bitterly. He'd never gotten to feel the sun again. "Lemme see that." He reached for the hem of the haori.

"Can you touch it?" she asked. His hand firmly tugged on the hem and it became grey and immaterial like the rest of him. Great. Now she was cold again. "I'm so sorry, Inuyasha." She said heavily to the figure who was now coasting next to her.

"Don't be." He said gruffly as he floated down the slope. He missed the damp earth under his feet and the cool breeze of the sun already… "It had nothing to do with you." He didn't want her pity.

"But…it's not fair!" She protested. "To regain everything for just one night and then getting in snatched away again like that!" She tried vainly to snap her fingers.

"Life's not fair." He replied emotionlessly. He should've seen it. Everything good in his life had been snatched away, after all. His mother, his old home, his life, the life he could've- Inuyasha fiercely broke of that train of thought. Lies. It had all been a lure. A pack of lies. She'd just used him.

"…democracy, and justice- if you've got an impartial court- now, what else? Ooh, and handouts, and donations, and happiness-unless money makes you happy- and love-" Inuyasha's head snapped towards her and he stared. "Oh wait, those are free, not fair. Of course, they say, 'all's fair in love and war', right?" She murmured to herself.

"What?" He asked sharply.

"Well, I was just saying that plenty of things are fair. But then I started listing things that were free instead of fair, by accident." Kagome grinned sheepishly. "What's wrong?" He was looking at her strangely, his expression completely blank, yet a bright molten copper was smoldering beneath his grey eyes.

"Never mind." He replied, drifting ahead. Kagome frowned in confusion, limping as she tried to catch up. He sure was acting weird…

(\ /)

(•. •)

_(><)_

Shippo stirred from sleep. Blinking in the bright light that glared through the window. He rolled over and fell off the couch with a thud. Now fully awake, the young boy scrambled off of the floor and looked around the room frantically. Where was everybody? He could hear Miroku and Sango talking heatedly in the other room. But where was Kagome? Had she gotten lost again? It was a very irrational question and the ginger-haired boy knew it, but he couldn't help worry about her after the traumatizing incident of the other day.

Shippo heard Sango stomp out of the living room and through the kitchen, then storming through the living room furiously. "I can't believe him." She muttered to herself, unaware that Shippo had the capacity to hear every word clearly. "He treats women like trash! No wonder he doesn't have a girlfriend…"

No good asking her anything right now, Shippo decided wisely. He wandered into through the kitchen and into the dining room. "Hey, Miroku," He began. The violet-eyed man looked up from the Uno cards he was holding, then down when he realized it was Shippo who'd spoken.

"Yes?" He asked briskly after a moment's pause. Shippo looked at him in confusion for a moment before responding.

"Where's Kagome?" He asked. Everybody was acting so weird today… And where was Inuyasha?

"She went for a walk with Inuyasha." The familiar sparkle glittered in his eyes but was quickly distinguished. "Damn pride." The words hadn't been meant for Shippo's ears, but he heard nonetheless.

Everyone was certainly acting strange. "What do you mean?" The ginger-haired boy asked in puzzlement. Miroku looked at him, perplexed. "When you said 'damn pride'?" Miroku pursed his lips for a moment.

"How did you hear me, Shippo?" A different sort of gleam entered his purple eyes, one that Shippo couldn't identify. Quite frankly, it was making him nervous.

"I'm gonna go wait for Kagome and Inuyasha now bye!" Shippo ran out of the room, leaving Miroku alone with the Uno cards and his confused thoughts for the second time that day.

A small uncharacteristic smile played on Miroku's lips. "So, I might be right after all…" He murmured. "Those fools. I was right all along." A smirk very much alike one Inuyasha wore half the time graced his lips. All he had to do now was get catch Shippo by surprise to prove him right…

If Miroku had been one to do so, he would've cackled evilly.

_|__|_

(•.•)

--( • )—

(____)

"Kagura…" The voice invaded her thoughts like a cold slimy malignant hand. "You have succeeded?" The question echoed in her mind, yet the wind sorceress answered aloud.

"Of course." She replied calmly, with just a touch of spite in her tone. "I'm sure you were aware of my every move." She indicated her elder sister Kanna who sat as close to the darker urn as the scrolls would allow.

"I was," The same consciousness replied in her head. "And you missed one." There was a threat underneath the reply. "You're getting sloppy, Kagura."

Kagura opened her fan with a snap and a sigh. "Where?" She asked in perpetual boredom. The consciousness gave her instructions. "I'll take care of it right away." She walked down the passage- she hadn't even entered the chamber, the purifying energy was too strong for her but not her elder sister whom the scrolls recognized as nothing- and leaped out of the top entrance gracefully, pulling a feather out of her hair in midair to go swooping away.

"Oh, Kagura." The voice was faint, the farther she got away, the more it would disappear. "You might want to pay our friend Kouga a visit while you're at it…" A malignant chuckle echoed in her thoughts.

"As you wish," Kagura said coldly. "Naraku."

The wind witch floated away on her feather and towards the rising sun, giving some thought to as what would most enrage Kouga.

(\ /)

(•. •)

_(><)_

Feeling slightly dejected, Kagome walked into the house with a sigh. It was so sad, to gain it all back for just one night. And he'd spent the whole time eating ramen and chasing Shippo! She shook her head.

Miroku watched Kagome slide open the door and remove her shoes wearily. "Something the matter, Miss Kagome?" He asked. Trouble with Inuyasha, he guessed.

"Yeah," She sat down on the couch next to him. "Inuyasha…" He'd guessed right. "He's a poltergeist again." She shrugged helplessly. "And now he's all mopey. Of course, he has every right to be." She added hastily.

"How did that happen?" Miroku asked with a frown.

"He said that it only lasted for one night, sundown to sunup." Kagome explained. "But I don't understand how that explains anything."

"I think I understand." Miroku said slowly. "The curse must've been at it's weakest, and failed for one night." At Kagome's startled look, Miroku explained. "I took theology and legends at college."

The dark-haired girl nodded. "But why would it be weak? He said it's never happened before…" She frowned in thought.

"Yes," Miroku agreed. "But before. He wasn't as alive, was he? He is regaining his humanity…" And his demonity. Possibly.

"Oh, okay." That seemed to make sense. "So is it a one-time thing, then? Or is it a once a week, or once a month thing? Once a year?" She mused.

"I believe these sorts of things go by the lunar calendar." Miroku recalled. "So, about once a month, I'd guess." Kagome nodded enthusiastically. "You can tell by the moon."

"I didn't notice the moon last night." Kagome admitted sheepishly. It was good news, though; He could be alive again, once a month.

"I did." Miroku had suspected that something of the sort would happen. He'd taken note of more than just the moon. "It was a perfect half."

Kagome smiled at him. "Thanks!" She got up off the couch and went to the door again. "Oops!" She turned around and rushed up the stairs, remarking as she went, "I need a jacket." Miroku shook his head.

A few minutes later, Kagome hurried back down the stairs, a sweater half-on as she struggled with the other sleeve. She ran through the living room and paused at the door to put on her shoes, hopping around to gain her balance. Her backside was to him… Miroku clamped down on that train of thought, remembering the multiple games of Uno he'd played with Sango. Speaking of which… Where was she? It was a mystery. And what was with that outburst? He'd eventually put down Sango's strange behavior to PMSing, but it didn't fit Sango's personality at all. So, there was another mystery….

Kagome slid the door shut after her and ran across the much-overgrown yard. Nobody seemed to be eager to garden and the hard work that Mrs. Higurashi had put into it was starting to regress back into an earlier stage of development. Mrs. Higurashi… well, there was another mystery. Miroku frowned in thought. She and Souta should've been back two days ago. He felt a stab of worry for the kind, generous woman and her son.

The phone rang a few minutes later and Miroku lazily stretched out an arm to grab it. "Higurashi residence." He answered smartly.

"Oh, hello." A familiar feminine voice buzzed over the phone. "Is that you, Miroku?"

Well, speak of the devil. It was Mrs. Higurashi. "Yes, it's Miroku." He responded. "Is something wrong? We've been a bit worried when you didn't come back yesterday."

"I'm sorry about that." The older woman apologized. "It just so happens that Souta's friend Satoru woke up from a six-month coma yesterday."

"That's nice to hear." Miroku said politely. "Most people never wake up." No one he'd known had ever woken up…

"Yes," Mrs. Higurashi agreed. "It's quite a mystery. The doctors don't know anything about it. It is funny, though." She admitted. "He was in a coma exactly six months, no more, no less." She sighed, then said cheerfully, "Well, not everything in life has an explanation. We're just glad he's okay."

"Yes," Miroku replied eloquently, at a loss for words. What else could he say? That he was jealous of the poor kid because he'd woken up and his father hadn't? It was ridiculous.

"Anyway," The older woman continued, "Say hi to everyone else for me! We'll be back in another few days."

"I'll be sure to tell them that you called." Miroku informed her, twirling the phone's cord around his finger.

"How is everything?" She asked anxiously. The phone cackled slightly. "…okay?"

"What? I didn't catch that last part."

"Is everything okay?" She repeated. "Any new arrivals?" To someone on the other end she said, "Just a moment, Souta." The young boy grumbled unintelligibly. "Hush." To Miroku, she said, "Sorry about that. Souta wants to talk to Shippo."

"Ah, I see. Everything's good. And as a matter of fact, we do have a new arrival. Her name's Miyagi Sango." He didn't care to enlighten her on the circumstances of her arrival. That was her story to tell, not his.

"Well, tell her I hello and that I look forward to meeting her." Miroku could hear the smile in her voice. "Oh, okay, Souta. Miroku, could you please get Shippo?" She asked.

Time to test out his theory. "Shippo…" Miroku called softly. "Souta wants to talk to you." He knew that Shippo wasn't anywhere near by. He was probably a few rooms away. He was sure that he heard though. "Shippo, Souta wants to talk to you. He's on the phone right now." He said in the same quiet tone.

In the other room, Shippo stopped coloring his picture and put down his crayons hesitantly. Despite his young age, he was no fool. He was pretty sure what Miroku was trying to pull. It explained the strange gleam in his eyes and the way he seemed to look at him calculatingly. It all fit. Shippo shivered in spite of himself. He had no evidence… But he really wanted to talk to Souta. Maybe if he chased his ball down the hallway towards Miroku and said he'd heard him from there. It was safest to wait, though. Miroku would realize that it was hopeless and then he'd give up. "Shippo," The devious purple-eyed man called softly. "Souta's calling." His voice held some tone of eager expectancy, hopeful. Instinct told him to stay away. He trusted that instinct. Not that he thought that Miroku was going to do anything terrible to him. He grinned slightly. He was going to play with him, trick the unexpectant adult, as was the nature of his kind.

After a moment's pause, Miroku's voice rang out louder, into a human's hearing capacity. "Shippo! It's Souta!" Shippo came running, as he normally would've.

"Souta!" He skittered into the room and leaped for the phone. "HI!" He literally shouted into the earpiece. With a frown, he set it upright and tried again. "HI!"

"HI!" Souta yelled back on the other end. Shippo winced at the volume of Souta's enthusiasm. "Anything interesting happen while we've been away?"

"You have no idea! Ever the gossiper, Shippo bounced on the couch eagerly. As he began to retell the details of Kagome's adventure, Miroku watched the ginger-haired boy carefully, feeling slightly disappointed. Maybe he'd been wrong. He doubted it. How else could Shippo have heard Sango sniffling in the street with him washing dishes and the sidewalk being so far from the kitchen? Shippo was clever. He wouldn't get caught that easily. He'd have to catch him by surprise. He had a few tricks up his proverbial sleeves, after all.

Shippo watched Miroku out of the corner of his eye. As he suspected, he was watching him very closely, carefully with a thoughtful look on his face. This was going to be interesting…

(\ /)

(•. •)

(><)

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called, rubbing her arms for warmth. She wasn't cold, exactly. Just chilly. "Inuyasha! I need to tell you something!" She stepped back with a startled squeak as the poltergeist-once-more puffed into existence in front of her, by the old tree.

"Yes?" He asked evenly. He didn't look like he was in a very good mood. When Kagome paused, he sighed impatiently. "What?"

"Well," She hesitated. "I have some good news!" She blurted. Inuyasha blinked at her, taken aback.

"The Squirt and you mom are back?" He ventured. Kagome frowned, reminded of the missing relatives, then shook her head.

"Miroku said that you turned human because the curse was weakest then, so it failed to keep you a poltergeist." She explained. Inuyasha watched her expressionlessly. "And it'll probably happen about once a month, because the curse is lunar, or something like that." She tried to remember what Miroku had said. "And… and so you'll turn alive every half moon from sundown to sunrise, but only once a month." She waited for him to show some sign of… well, anything. His eyes merely flickered, a trace of molten gold brewing in their depths a moment before he turned away.

"I figured as much…" He said softly. It was ironic, really. He turned human on the new moon, his demon blood pounded on the full moon, and now he was alive again on the half. He smiled bitterly. Kagome sighed in disappointment. "What?" he asked her/

"I thought you'd be glad…" She admitted. "I thought that I might cheer you up." Her grin turned slightly self-sardonic. "I was hoping to help in some way."

"You already have…" he murmured quietly, back still to her. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise at the remark and inquire as to which comment he'd been referring to, but before she could respond, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

(\ /)

(• .•)

(><)

AN: Okay, I'm sorry for anyone who's confused about the Shippo thing! It will be explained, but if I give it away now, it will ruin the surprise, so please don't be too mad about being left in the dark!

Oh yeah… is it confusing? Too confusing to be an attention-grabbing thing? Tell me if it is, and I'll see if I can fix it without killing it!