InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hourglass ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: InuYasha and affiliated characters and settings are the creative property of Rumiko Takahashi and all conglomerates holding the license to its distribution. Used without permission at no profit to this poor, humble authoress who likes to tor—err, write about the series.

 

Pieces of the dialogue in this chapter have been directly lifted from Kuro-sama's translation of the manga (chapters 448-450), which is posted her website, ear-tweak(dot)com. I take no credit for the creation or translation of those portions of the dialogue.

 

Warnings: Major manga spoilers (turn back now if you don't want to find out what's been going on lately in the manga!), über-angst, lots of… uh… not fun-ness.

 

Chapter 1

 

“Houshi-sama, are you absolutely sure you feel well enough to be traveling? Your hands are shaking.”

 

Miroku blinked stupidly for a moment as Sango craned her neck to the side to peer at him from in front, a concerned frown marring her perfect brow with a crease just in the middle. He found the expression rather endearing, except for the fact that he knew she was worrying… for his sake. That didn't settle well with him at all.

 

“Houshi-sama…? Are you alright?”

 

When her frown deepened, he realized that she was expecting an answer. Damn, he must not be feeling too well if he let himself get distracted so easily. Well, he had nearly slept the previous day away, and he felt like his body weighed about three times the amount it should even after that. He probably was traveling too soon after the incident, as he was now calling it in his mind, but he couldn't slow the group down.

 

Answer. Right. “I'm sorry, Sango,” he said with a somber face. “It's so like me that about this time…” He leaned in closer to her back, taking advantage of his position behind her on the cat demon Kirara's back, and offered her bottom a reassuring rub as he continued, “I'm still not at my best.”

 

She stiffened and whipped her head back around, a rather peevish look marring her features. “Right,” she growled.

 

Mission accomplished, Miroku told himself with a smug grin.

 

“That's good,” he heard Shippou note from a few feet to the side. The kitsune-youkai was riding atop the wolf-youkai Kouga's shoulder as they traveled together, hunting for Naraku. “It looks like he's feeling better.”

 

“… Is that okay?” Kouga asked skeptically, frowning at the houshi.

 

Miroku held back the smirk; the wolf clearly didn't travel with them often enough - or for long enough, due to his rivalry with InuYasha - for him to pick up on Miroku's antics. But before the thought could entertain him much longer, Miroku's thoughts were interrupted as InuYasha suddenly reported loudly from ahead.

 

“The scent is getting stronger!” the hanyou exclaimed. “It's close!”

 

InuYasha had deposited Kagome on the ground beside him - she had been riding on his back to expedite their race after the weakened Naraku - and stood before the outskirts of a forest, staring suspiciously into the green of the tree cluster. Suddenly, two bright lights streaked out of the trees, and headed straight for the pair. Kagome ducked behind InuYasha reflexively as he drew his sword, the Tessaiga, which immediately enlarged into its battle form. With a roar, InuYasha cut down the attacking lights; at a closer glance, they looked almost like spines from a porcupine, but with faces and minds of their own. The spine-beasts fell in pieces, their torn bodies emitting rather noxious jyaki as they slowly dissipated.

 

Sango approached with a scowl. “These are…”

 

“Do you know what they are, Sango-chan?” Kagome asked, looking over her shoulder at the taijiya with interest.

 

“This isn't the actual body,” Sango said. “These are quills.”

 

“Quills?” InuYasha turned this time, with a surprised look.

 

Before Sango could explain, the ground suddenly began shaking beneath them, the trees in the forest trembling with the sheer force of whatever was approaching them. Miroku had a strong suspicion that whatever was headed in their direction was big, and it was responsible for these quills that Sango had mentioned. It didn't sound like a creature he particularly wanted to battle against, and was grateful that InuYasha was in the frontline on this battle. From the forest, a large, spine-covered beast emerged, a horn-like appendage protruding from its forehead much like a unicorn's horn. It didn't look too happy, from what Miroku could tell of its menacingly glowing eyes and deep-throated growl.

 

“Wha…?” Kagome took a step back, startled by the beast.

 

InuYasha mirrored her step, but in the opposite direction. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “It's got a Kongousouha spear in its head…”

 

So that was the horn - but how did it manage to get one of the diamonds from InuYasha's attacks? Everyone seemed uneasy about this beast, and it seemed to sense their unrest at its appearance as it approached cautiously.

 

“It's a yama-arashi youkai,” Sango reported suddenly. “It sends off those quills on its back to attack.”

 

I think we've figured that out now, Miroku noted as he looked down at the first quills that InuYasha had cut down before. Let's hope that this thing isn't going to cause us too much trouble for now…

 

Suddenly, InuYasha retreated a step with a shocked expression. He clearly wasn't pleased by whatever he'd just discovered.

 

“The Kongousouha spear that Naraku struck it with killed it,” he announced warily. “Damn thing is being controlled by Naraku's shouki.”

 

Kagome quietly squeaked in surprise; she too was troubled by the discovery. But at least that meant they weren't too far from Naraku, Miroku hoped.

 

“Each quill on its back is independent,” Sango noted, her frown deepening as she spoke. “It's likely these things are spreading shouki.”

 

As if in response to Sango's statement, the quills on the yama-arashi's back began to pulse, the purple, gaseous shouki swirling about the long shafts serenely just before they launched from the youkai's back and charged after the onlookers.

 

Shippou moaned nervously from Kouga's shoulder, gripping his perch tighter as he tried to inch his way behind the youkai's head. “A… a huge group of them!” he stuttered nervously.

 

Kouga simply wrinkled his nose at the approaching beasts, ignoring Shippou. “So much jyaki,” he said lowly, clearly displeased as he readied himself to fight.

 

InuYasha pushed Kagome further behind him, placing himself between the schoolgirl and the attacking spines. “Get back, Kagome! If humans got soaked in that, they'd be helpless!” he exclaimed over his shoulder with a concerned scowl.

 

Whirling to face the youkai and its spines, he raised the Tessaiga high over his head and brought it down with a confident roar of “Kaze no Kizu!” The bright streaks of light easily shredded their enemies into pieces, and the beast burst into a bright display of purple shouki and blue glittering dust.

 

“He did it!” Shippou cried with wide eyes.

 

However, the danger was far from gone; as everyone looked up, there were at least several dozen more of the quills floating about in the air, regarding the group with seemingly hostile stares. Apparently, the yami-arashi that InuYasha had killed wasn't the only one nearby. From the looks of it, Miroku determined there were a lot more. InuYasha wouldn't be able to handle them all by himself.

 

“Dammit, more of them spilled out,” InuYasha growled, seeming to come to the same conclusion with an annoyed glare.

 

“Let's split up and go after them!” Miroku proposed, but didn't bother to wait for InuYasha's consent before he turned on his heels to head the other direction. “Let's go, Sango!”

 

“Ah… right!” she nodded; she agreed with his course of action, also understanding that they would be more effective taking the large number of yama-arashi down on multiple fronts.

 

“Hey, Miroku!” InuYasha yelled at the monk's back. “Don't push yourself too hard!”

 

Miroku stopped for a moment with a startled expression. Does he…? “Right…” he agreed after a moment with a curt nod, not taking time to ponder if the hanyou truly knew.

 

He had plenty of time to think of it while he rejoined Sango on Kirara's back, and rode across the forest line looking for signs of more yama-arashi that might be hanging around. They had been so close to killing Naraku this time; after the battle between Mouryoumaru - the armored being that had become a residence for the baby, Naraku's heart - and Naraku, the hanyou had craftily won over both his other selves. After a brief scuffle between InuYasha, Kouga, and Naraku that left the evil hanyou vulnerable, Miroku knew he had his chance - he would destroy Naraku with the kazaana while he was weakened. With a whirl of beads and a warning shout to his friends, Miroku had opened the kazaana and aimed it in Naraku's - and the baby's - direction.

 

Naraku had simply smirked just before shouki poured from his body, following him into the void of the kazaana in Miroku's hand. Gritting his teeth and bearing the inevitable pain that the shouki poisoning would cause, Miroku held his position, knowing quite well that he would die. But as long as Naraku died with him, he determined that he was willing to make the sacrifice.

 

However, when Miroku had begun to bleed badly from the heavy shouki poisoning, his friends had called out in alarm. Naraku snarled, finally realizing what the monk was aiming for - the exposed baby - and only increased the amount of shouki he released. He fully intended to kill Miroku before he was pulled into the curse of his own making. When Miroku faltered and began to collapse, InuYasha had been the one to catch him, pulling the rosary beads back around the kazaana to cut off its flow. Naraku sneered, mocking InuYasha as he reminded the group that they had missed perhaps the closest chance they'd had at destroying him. He disappeared soon after, leaving the group to surround the badly bleeding monk propped up against InuYasha.

 

The shouki had not only poisoned Miroku, they soon realized with horror; it had inflicted severe wounds that began at the kazaana in his hand, and trailed all the way to his chest, ending very near his heart. Fortunately, Kikyou had been there to help purify the shouki and heal the wounds, but it had taken her three days to do so while the monk lay in a comatose state.

 

And unbeknownst to everyone else, Kikyou hadn't been able to heal the internal wounds. Only Miroku knew; upon waking, Kikyou had explained the situation to him, and he had begged the miko not to tell anyone else about the wounds that remained. He didn't want his friends to see him as a burden, nor did he want Sango to worry so much over him. Kikyou had agreed, but warned him to avoid using the kazaana, as it would only cause the internal wounds to deepen and reach his heart, and would ultimately kill him.

 

Miroku knew his days were numbered, but he wanted to make sure that his death wouldn't be in vain. He would use the remaining strength of the kazaana to help defeat Naraku in any way possible. Clutching his hand tightly, he determined that if necessary, he would even use it in their current battle, if it meant that he could protect those he held dear.

 

“Houshi-sama, that's…!” Sango suddenly exclaimed, bringing Miroku's thoughts back to the present. Looking ahead, Miroku saw what the taijiya referred to; a large cluster of quills were bursting out of a clump of trees in front of them, swirling about the air.

 

“What's that swarm of…”

 

“There's something other than that yama-arashi!” Sango interrupted.

 

The quills seemed to notice the pair as they came closer. Sango pulled her anti-poison mask over her nose and lips as she prepared for battle.

 

“Hold on tight, Houshi-sama,” she instructed as she hefted the heavy boomerang from her shoulder and threw it with ease at the swarm. “Hiraikotsu!”

 

Though her aim was accurate, she could only kill so many of the quills with one throw of the weapon. Determined not to be useless in the battle, Miroku pulled out a number of wards and threw them, channeling his spiritual energy into the inked papers as they struck and obliterated the quills, shattering them into thousands of sparkling pieces. There seemed to be no end to the spines, and after battling them for several moments longer, Sango growled in aggravation.

 

“There has to be something else behind all these quills!” she muttered angrily.

 

Miroku grunted an affirmative as his eyes scanned for something more, but all they could see were more spines. They truly were endless; whatever was sending this batch out had to be enormous, or insanely powerful, he realized with dread. While Sango cleared another path through the spines with the Hiraikotsu, Miroku followed with another round of charms, the resulting explosion of youkai bodies creating a large, sparkling dust cloud over the trees. In the haze of the settling dust, both taijiya and houshi caught sight of the outline of a rather large beast… or rather, two beasts, they realized as the dust cleared further. Yama-arashi.

 

“There actually were more of them!” Miroku noted, confirming their earlier suspicions.

 

Bringing the Hiraikotsu into a ready position, Sango pulled herself up in front of the monk and shouted, “I'll take care of these two!”

 

With a single toss, Sango felled both yama-arashi. However, several dozen streaks of light shot into the air, fleeing from the dissolving bodies of the youkai they had been attached to.

 

“The quills are getting away!” Sango cried.

 

Miroku swore lightly under his breath. If the spines got away, they would interfere with their companions' battles, which could prove fatal for them. He didn't have a choice; he reached for the beads surrounding his right wrist.

 

“Houshi-sama?”

 

He knew she was worried, and Kikyou's warning briefly flitted to the forefront of his mind. Gritting his teeth, he decided that he would take the risk; these quills probably wouldn't be as harmful to his wounds as the yama-arashi most certainly were. Opening the kazaana, he grunted as the spines were sucked into the void, sending painful ripples along his nerves.

 

It hurts a bit… but I'm alright! he realized after a moment.

 

“Houshi-sama!” Sango called worriedly. “You still can't overdo it!”

 

Miroku winced as he closed the kazaana, remembering that she was still watching him. He hadn't meant to get carried away, though the spines did appear to no longer be a threat. Sango shot him a warning glare as she joined him, to which he simply offered a sheepish smile in reply. The pair approached the remains of the yama-arashi cautiously, making sure they weren't going to rise from their current deathbeds to attack them again. As they inspected the corpses from a safe distance, a thought occurred to Miroku as he recalled the recent battle between first Mouryoumaru, then Naraku and InuYasha.

 

“These yama-arashi… there might be a group of them,” he said quietly.

 

“A group?”

 

“If you consider that in battle, there were Kongousouha spears thrown about, and a band of yama-arashi on the ground below got showered with them,” Miroku explained. “It would explain the number of them.”

 

The taijiya looked slightly troubled at the news. “Meaning… there might be even more of them…?” she asked, concern evident in her tone.

 

“Yes,” Miroku affirmed, glancing about for signs of more of the yama-arashi. “We should go look for them.”

 

“Houshi-sama,” Sango suddenly said in a voice that Miroku couldn't decide was hesitant, or very upset. “Promise me! Promise that you won't use the kazaana!”

 

He blanched. Did she know? How did she find out? … Was he that transparent? Quickly trying to regain his composure, he cautiously asked, “… Why not?”

 

She bit her lip and blushed lightly before she replied, “Well, you just healed, you know. You're still not fully recovered, right?”

 

The monk breathed a sigh of relief. So she didn't know. “Yes,” he confirmed.

 

Soon, they were again riding on Kirara's strong back, wind whipping at their hair and faces once more as they searched about for signs of more quills. It didn't take long to find more; they were practically everywhere, after all. With a determined frown, Miroku prepared to unleash the kazaana, deciding that the yama-arashi quills didn't have enough youki to disturb the kazaana. Briefly, he looked down at his hand as he grasped the beads between two fingers, but as he began to unhook the beads from his wrist, he froze, and stared back down at his hand, thick bile finding its way back up his throat.

 

There, beneath the cloth guard that covered the gaping maw of the kazaana, were the sickly-looking wounds, extending from the center of his palm. This time he felt the color drain from his face.

 

Sango, however, hadn't noticed his sudden hesitation. “There!” she exclaimed, looking off to the side at a cliff face. Another clump of spines floated just off the rocky outcropping of the cliff, where Sango had indicated with her sharp gaze.

 

Kirara charged after the quills along the face of the cliff, her master readying the Hiraikotsu for another quick extermination. However, as the boomerang cut through the fleeing youkai, the cliff next to them seemed to explode, raining rocks on the pair. The dust cleared to reveal yet another yama-arashi… a really large one, this time, Miroku noted worriedly. The falling rocks knocked Hiraikotsu's return off its designated path, distracting Kirara enough that she too was caught in the rock avalanche. Sango and Miroku fell with the cat-youkai, and the two found themselves buried in a shallow blanket of rock debris from the cliff.

 

Coughing to clear dust from his lungs, Miroku stood, relieved to find rocks rolling off his back easily and allowing him to surface from the mountain of boulders. Testing his limbs, he found that he'd only sustained a few bruises, but otherwise was fine. But when he didn't immediately spot Sango, he began to panic, until she too emerged from the rock pile, coughing.

 

“Sango, are you okay?” he nearly shouted, rushing over to her side.

 

“Yeah, I am…” she began, and then he noticed that she was holding a small bundle close to her chest. “But Kirara is…”

 

She trailed off when they both saw the two enormous yama-arashi approaching from opposite sides. Miroku wanted to scream; their exit routes had been cut off, Sango was weaponless, and Kirara was injured and had reverted back to her smaller form.

 

“We're surrounded,” he said lamely, moving back-to-back with Sango.

 

She grunted, gripping the hilt of the sword at her belt. “Looks like we don't have a choice,” she sighed as she drew the weapon from its sheath.

 

The giant yama-arashi shot the quills at the pair, and it took much of their energy to fend off so many with just a sword and Miroku's limited supply of charms. The monk knew they had to do something quickly, or he would run out of wards and Sango's katana would become inefficient against so many quills. Sango, apparently, was thinking the same thing, for she suddenly began eyeing her fallen Hiraikotsu…

 

…which sat behind the mountain of a yama-arashi blocking the path to it.

 

Miroku caught the movement out of the corner of his vision. “Sango?” he exclaimed as he saw what she was preparing to do. “Don't—!”

 

But she was already running straight at the yama-arashi, and it wasn't about to let her pass it so easily.

 

“Sango!”

 

With a swipe of its head, the yama-arashi caught Sango with the Kongousouha spear protruding from its forehead, effortlessly tossing her into the cliff face. With a sharp cry at the impact against the cliff, Sango crumpled to the pile of rock debris on the ground and didn't move from there.

 

“Sango!” Miroku shouted again, instinctively grabbing for the beads on his wrist. Kikyou's voice spoke in his mind once more, warning him that if he used the kazaana again, he would surely— “Shut up!” he yelled aloud, yanking the string of beads from his wrist with a determined snarl etched into his features. “Kazaana!”

 

The first yama-arashi screeched as it was pulled into the void, its impact sending a harsh jolt through Miroku's already-sore arm. He grimaced, bracing himself to pull the second one in. However, the second beast was a little more stubborn - it hunched low and tried to avoid the vacuum of the kazaana. As it began to draw closer to Miroku, it too began to screech despairingly, struggling and tearing up the ground around it. Even the rocks that flew into the kazaana caused the monk pain, he realized with growing dread.

 

“Houshi-sama, no!” he heard a loud scream from the cliff. He turned his head to the side and saw Sango struggling to stand, stark horror shining in her wide eyes. With a wince, he moved to wrap the beads around the kazaana.

 

Too late - the grip that the yama-arashi held on the ground had finally given in, and it screamed furiously as it was dragged into the hungry mouth of the kazaana. The resulting backlash of shouki from the yama-arashi stabbed through the wind tunnel, forcing an agonized cry from the monk. The world whirled on its ends, and he tasted blood on his lips and in his throat as he felt himself lose to gravity.

 

“Houshi-sama!” he heard Sango shriek from a very long distance.

 

Strong arms caught him, and everything turned black.

 

“Damn it, Miroku! You promised!”

 

I… I'm so sorry…Then he knew no more.

 

--

 

“I thought Kikyou said she'd healed him! She said he was fine!”

 

The conversation that had been hazy in his mind, suddenly became clearer as reality slowly trickled back. Actually, it was hard not to hear the hanyou on one of his rather noisy rants. While Miroku became more aware, he noted that he was lying on a mat, and his head was propped up on a stiff makura. As he realized he could feel his body, he was relieved to find that he was still alive… only to regret that fact immediately as the intense pain sank in. Crackling warmth heated his face; there was a fire nearby, and from the sound of the popping timber, he determined that they had to be in a hut. Which only led him to one troubling question… how long had he been unconscious?

 

“Kikyou did tell him to take it easy,” Kagome's soft voice commented, “and he certainly overdid it by using the kazaana so soon after…”

 

“Please, don't say it,” Sango's anguished voice cut her off. She sounded so shaken that Miroku felt a pang of guilt at her deep concern.

 

“He should have been resting, not fighting,” Kagome continued. “We shouldn't have pushed him to his feet so quickly.”

 

“It's my fault,” Sango whispered. “If I hadn't lost the Hiraikotsu…”

 

By that point, Miroku had had just enough. “S-Sango,” he managed to croak out. “Don't.”

 

“Houshi-sama!” she exclaimed, and suddenly he felt four familiar presences hovering over him. He wanted to open his eyes, but he hurt too much to do so. In fact, even just breathing was painful, and he had a horrible taste in his mouth that was making him feel ill.

 

“By damn, he lives!” exclaimed an equally obnoxious voice. Kouga still was around, Miroku determined wryly, trying to distract himself from the agony that tore at his insides.

 

“Shut up, stupid wolf,” InuYasha growled. “You're hurting his ears.”

 

“You're just as loud as I am, dog-shit,” Kouga retorted haughtily.

 

“Why you—!”

 

“You two, cut it out!” Kagome admonished angrily. “Now isn't the time to be petty!”

 

Miroku tried to offer a grin, but it turned into a grimace as he realized that he hurt far more than he should. His stomach roiled, and the bile climbing up his throat wasn't helping that fact at all. No, that wasn't bile… it had too coppery a taste for it to be that, he realized with grim horror.

 

“Houshi-sama?” Sango asked hesitantly. “Are you alright?”

 

Of course he wasn't alright, but he managed to force a smile anyway. Anything for her.

 

“I… Just give me a few days… and I'll be fine,” he managed. His gut twisted viciously at the attempt to speak.

 

“Uh… I think he's turning green…” Shippou squeaked uncertainly from above his head.

 

“Shit!” both the wolf and hanyou exclaimed at the same time.

 

Strong hands quickly helped Miroku roll to his side, and as the lip of a container was pressed against his cheek, he retched, grimacing as the uncomfortable sensation clenched at his gut. When the convulsions subsided and his stomach decided to calm down some, he realized that the room was far too silent. Forcing his eyes open, he blearily could make out several figures in the dim lighting, but none of them were moving.

 

“Damn it, bouzu,” the hanyou breathed. “That's… that's a lot of blood.”

 

Miroku shifted uncomfortably as he felt several sets of eyes on him. “I—I think… the yama-arashi had more shouki… than I thought they would,” he said quietly, forcing a wry grin.

 

The tension seemed to lift, at least for the moment. Inwardly, Miroku felt relieved. He really didn't intend to have everyone else worry about him so much.

 

“You're going back to Kaede's,” InuYasha stated suddenly.

 

Miroku's attention snapped to the blurred image of the silver-haired boy, eyes wide with shock.

 

“He's not in any condition to travel right now, InuYasha!” Kagome exclaimed in a high voice.

 

“Well, then we'll wait a few days until he can make the trip, then he's going back to the old hag's village,” the hanyou corrected. “But at any rate, he won't be in any condition to fight.”

 

“Just… give me a few days, and—” Miroku began, but Sango interrupted him.

 

“InuYasha is right. We need to get him back where it's safe; keeping him in danger like this is only going to get him killed.”

 

Miroku started to protest, but he realized that everyone seemed to agree with Sango and InuYasha, so he sighed in resignation.

 

“Looks like I don't have much of a say in the matter, do I?” he asked good-naturedly.

 

“You don't, really,” Kagome replied, keeping up the game with her own light tone. More seriously, she added, “But you really should get more rest, Miroku-sama. You've lost an awful lot of blood.”

 

“Yes, ma'am,” he murmured. He'd already been feeling the exhaustion creeping up on him in just the short amount of time he was awake, so he allowed his eyes to close, trying to ignore the ache with every breath he drew.

 

A gentle hand brushed sweat-matted bangs from his forehead. “Sleep, Houshi-sama,” Sango whispered. And he did.

 

--

 

Miroku slept for two days straight, in fact. When he finally awoke, he knew he'd needed the rest badly; the ache had lessened, and he no longer felt the need to retch at every small movement he made. It wasn't long before he was being fed a thin broth and tea, and not much longer after that when the hanyou insisted that they be on their way. Sango had initially protested, but InuYasha had stood by his decision, saying that he'd “carry the damn monk himself.”

 

And so now Miroku found himself in the most awkward position of riding piggy-back with InuYasha, wind rushing across his face and into his hair as the hanyou gracefully ran back towards the village where the elderly miko Kaede lived, followed closely by Sango and Kagome riding on the now-healed Kirara's back, and Shippou hitching a ride with Kouga. The hanyou had been especially quiet through most of the journey, though Miroku hadn't minded too much, as he was in no great mood to be chatty, either. It didn't mean that InuYasha wasn't brooding, though; and Miroku knew for a fact that his friend was. When InuYasha finally did speak, it only confirmed his suspicions. InuYasha knew, or had figured it out.

 

“Oi, bouzu,” InuYasha started, but then hesitated before he asked, “There's something you and Kikyou are hiding from us, isn't there?”

 

Miroku grunted. “You're perceptive, InuYasha.”

 

“No, Kikyou just isn't always the best liar,” InuYasha replied easily. “I could see in her eyes and the way she paused when she talked to me that she was hiding something.”

 

“I see…”

 

“Those wounds… she couldn't heal them completely, could she?”

 

This time, Miroku sighed. There wasn't any point in keeping it from InuYasha, now that he knew something was up. “No, she couldn't, not without the risk of being drawn into the kazaana.”

 

That answer didn't please InuYasha; he'd clearly caught the entire meaning behind Miroku's statement as his back stiffened a bit. “Damn it, you stupid monk,” he chided, though the insult didn't have much of an edge. “I wish you would have at least said something. You were never in any condition to go into that fight with the yama-arashi, and yet you did it anyway. Do you really understand what it would do to Sango if you were killed?”

 

The question was like a slap to his face, and he flinched. “Yes, I have thought of it…” he said hesitantly. “But I couldn't stand by and let her be killed by that beast, either. I'm sure you can understand that, InuYasha.”

 

When he heard a series of disgruntled grumbles, he knew he'd struck a chord with his friend. He allowed himself a small grin.

 

“Can you promise me one thing?” Miroku asked after a moment.

 

InuYasha snorted. “Sure, but it better not be dirty.”

 

Miroku couldn't help it; he laughed outright at the answer. “No, it's not dirty,” he said, sobering. “Could you please not tell Sango about this?”

 

“That isn't fair to her.”

 

“Please, InuYasha. I don't… I've already chosen my fate, and I don't want her to be… I don't want her to worry about me,” he pleaded.

 

The hanyou half-sighed, half-growled. “Fine, but you know she's going to worry about you anyway.”

 

Miroku half-smiled. “I know.”

 

And after that, they continued on in silence. Miroku wasn't feeling too well anyway, but he knew they weren't too far now from the village. By the time Kaede's hut was in sight, though, he was more than ready to rest. Even though he hadn't physically done anything, he felt horribly exhausted and sore. InuYasha seemed to pick up on his sentiment, and picked up speed.

 

Kaede quickly ushered everyone inside, preparing a pallet for Miroku as quickly as her old body would allow. InuYasha gently lowered the monk to the mat, frowning as he saw sweat beading on Miroku's forehead. The elderly miko was immediately giving instructions, preparing to care for the light fever that Miroku had had since he'd collapsed after drawing in the yama-arashi. She looked down at the wrappings covering the kazaana on the young man's right hand, and even as she began to frown about it, she caught Miroku's intense gaze.

 

No, he mouthed, shaking his head lightly.

 

Kaede simply raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask about it at that moment. Miroku knew she would be waiting for the others to be away before she said anything, for which he was grateful, but he knew - the guilt beast in his mind jeered - he would have to tell her the whole story. He wasn't looking forward to it, but it was necessary.

 

However, he couldn't control the fact that Kaede already had figured out what was going on. She could tell by the worried manner in which the small band regarded their ill friend, the wounds near the monk's kazaana, the dead, resigned look in the monk's eyes…

 

Miroku was dying.

 

--

.end chapter 1.

--

 

Bouzu - a degrading term for a low-level monk (what InuYasha calls Miroku in the Japanese version)

Hanyou - half-youkai

Houshi - a low-level monk (another common title for Miroku in the Japanese)

Makura - a bean- or straw-filled traditional Japanese pillow

Miko - a shrine maiden, or a priestess

Taijiya - youkai exterminator (Sango's title in the Japanese)

Youkai - a demon/ogre/beast/monster… take your pick

 

--

 

Ahaha, I feel so melodramatic after writing this chapter. XD;

 

I'm sure this chapter is full of mistakes, and is horribly written. I haven't written a chapter this long so quickly in who-knows-how-long. Please bear with me, and do feel free to point out glaring errors (plot or otherwise).

 

I have to apologize. The first three quarters of this is really a retelling of the three most recent manga chapters. I reaaaaally hadn't wanted to do that, but I realized (after reading through the reviews) that most of you guys haven't read the most recent chapters. I wanted to make sure the setting for this story was clear before I kept going with it. (And it's the main reason why I really am not pleased with this chapter, either.)

 

If you're up to current chapters on the manga, I apologize if this chapter was mostly boring for you. If you haven't been reading the manga, and you're wondering what's going on, hopefully this chapter had a few answers for you. It was manga-recap up until Miroku yells at Sango when she runs to retrieve her Hiraikotsu. A lot of the dialogue is from the manga up to that point, too. -hangs head in shame-

 

Sorry for the ramble. Comments are much appreciated, as always. :3