InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Priest Charming ❯ Honestly! ( Chapter 6 )

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha is not under my ownership…

A/N: WOW. I've been trying not to become one of those authors. You know the type. Don't update for two whole months! Well, I barely beat that two-month mark…and I apologize heavily for it. I've been preoccupied with not only 3 other fics, but senior year and the millions of things I have to get done. It took me a while to really develop what I wanted to say in this chapter, but I finally got through it. Once again, sorry for the wait, and I hope this chapter makes up for it!

"My Priest Charming"

Chapter 6: Honestly!

Miroku shaded his eyes from the sharp rays of the sun above them. The harsh light shot down the mountain like a waterfall, blinding them as they tried to climb.

He sighed quietly to himself, digging his golden staff into the rocky earth in front of him. "I still have a bad feeling about this situation…" He glanced furtively over his shoulder, noticing that the village chief was watching them move up the mountain, from the outskirts of the village. It really was so strange the way he was acting…nervous, confusing…

Miroku's only choice had been to follow Sango to the demon's lair. She insisted that they move as quickly as possible. It was obvious she wanted to save the village girl as quickly as possible, so that she could be with Kohaku again. She had stated that, if the chief was a liar and a cheat, it was better they find out sooner than later…then they could deal with it.

He exhaled wryly. At least he had a good view. Wasted effort and possible danger were always beat by Sango's firm, round-

"HOUSHI-SAMA!" Miroku looked up sharply, his eyes widened in innocence. "What do you think you're doing?"

He grinned widely, noticing that his hand was just centimeters away from Sango's bottom….Oops.

"It's reflex, I swear, Sango! I didn't even mean to…." Puppy dog eyes would work this time…hopefully.

She slapped his hand away with simmering features, as she turned back to face the slope of the mountain. "Please control yourself. We need to get rid of this demon as fast we can. Now, focus! Do you feel the same energy coming from that cave that I do?" She balanced by leaning against the ridge, pointing towards the open cave mouth at the very tip of the cliff.

Miroku nodded, slowly, resisting the urge to support her hips to prevent her from falling. He very wisely snatched his hands back instead. "It's faint, but I can feel it…"

Sango's eyes narrowed in determination. "Good. Kirara can take us the rest of the way up." She began to check the straps and pouches on her body, preparing for a fight.

Miroku looked down at the ground again, abnormal apprehension playing in his thoughts. "Sango….do you mind if we think this out just a little bit, before we rush headlong into a fight? I'm not really a stickler for saving evil demons, but there's something weird in this situation…"

Sango sighed loudly. "What is it now?" She was turned away from him again, studying the cliff above.

"Well….the village chief….he's gone."

"…Gone?"

"Well, just a moment ago, he was standing there watching us. And, then he disappeared." Miroku surveyed the ground again, wondering if the man had just changed position. He was nowhere to be seen.

Sango was already sitting upright on Kirara's back, and gestured for him to hop on the demon cat's back. "I'm sure he didn't just vanish. Neither one of us sensed any dangerous energy coming from him last night. He's not a demon or a ghost. There's probably just something pressing he had to attend to in the village." Her brain nagged at her, that maybe she should give Miroku's words some thought. After all, he was as experienced as her in dealing with demons, and his observations tended to be on the mark.

But, not quite up to the task of swallowing her pride, she waited stonily for the monk to sit behind her. They would just have to slay the demon, and find the consequences afterwards. It was most important now that she be at home with Kohaku and with the village that needed her…it was also important that she get some quiet time away from Miroku, so she could sort out her thoughts.

Kirara floated gracefully onto the breeze, swooping up over the cliffs towards the gaping cave at the top. As they neared the top, the energy of the demon began to feel very distinct. A shiver ran up Sango's spine. It was distinct in the way that she felt like turning around. It spiked up the back of her neck in little prickles, and suggested that discontent and rage dwelled inside the cave. She felt Miroku buckle just a little behind her, his knuckles becoming white on the curve of his golden staff. He had felt it too. Now, the dilemma of the village chief was far behind them, as they measured what they were up against.

They slid of the back of the two-tailed cat with ease, their feet making soft thuds on the hard ground as they landed, already poised for fight. Who knew what was waiting for them inside the cave. Sango immediately tied on her mask to prevent harm from any noxious gases, and hefted her boomerang over her shoulder.

"Let's go," she intoned softly, not even turning to look at Miroku.

He sighed wearily for a moment, watching her head towards the cave. What was the reason he had come along with her again? He couldn't remember desiring to be eaten alive by a mountain demon. His eyes followed the curves of her body as she moved. Oh yes, now he remembered….

Lifting his staff to be held horizontally as his makeshift weapon, Miroku moved too into the depths of the shadowy cave. As he entered, another shiver shot through him. It was shockingly cold in the dark space, the smell of death and the cool sting of moss and brackish water hanging between the slate walls. Sango was just a few feet ahead of him, taking careful steps as they entered the unknown. Even he, normally so calm in such situations, was feeling apprehension for both him and his lady companion. After all it was important she be home as soon as possible. He would have to make sure she was in shape to get there after this task.

"Did you hear that?" Sango's whisper drifted to his ears.

Miroku focused hard, his ears trained to hear whatever noise she was referring to. Suddenly, from the pitch-black bowels of the cave, he heard a wail of a human woman. "It's the chief's daughter!" He spoke, feeling they were on the right track. Now, if only they could have seen further than a few feet ahead.

Sango began moving faster, and Miroku began jogging to keep up with her quick steps. There was a bend in the corridor ahead of them- he could see a faint greenish light shimmering along the wall in front of them. Here was where the girl would be kept. A little part of him was looking forward to this moment. If she was beautiful, and he saved her…well, he could think of the possibilities.

They very soon reached the bend- like an open doorway with light shining from the room behind it.

Miroku grinned devilishly in his mind, as he viewed the scene ahead of him. She was just as beautiful as he had hoped. The chief's daughter, a bundle of dark hair and sweet features was bound up with rope in the corner of the room. All around her were pockets of the greenish light, obviously the magic of the mountain demon that had captured her. A smile glinting in his eyes, Miroku automatically began crossing to her.

"Fair lady! It is fortunate for you that we have come to save you from ill fate?" His arms opened wide in greeting.

Sango hung back, and a mixture of emotions flew through her at the sight in front of her. Miroku, the lecher he was, had already lost his wits in the face of a beautiful girl, and was already finding an excuse to place his hands on a strange woman's body…rope was a fantastic alibi, wasn't it? He also seemed to have forgotten his reluctance in entering the cave. She fumed for a moment, until her senses began sharpening to the room around them. If this was the demon's lair, and they had felt its energy throughout the cave, where was it hiding now? Why hadn't it already come out to attack them?

Her eyes began to dart around the cavern, trying to find her clue.

"Now, don't worry….I'll get these ropes untied in no time…" A very worrisome smile spread across Miroku's boyish face.

Then within seconds, Sango saw it. "Miroku- get away from her!"

He looked slightly miffed, an innocent-looking expression on his features. "But…I didn't do anything, Sango…."

"Get away from her- she's not who you think she is!"

Alarmed by her urgent tone, Miroku sprang back, swinging his staff in front of him. Then, he too saw what Sango had. In between the layers of ropes on the girl, a strange light was forming. It was the same sickly green that radiated from the patched along the walls and the floor. The girl was no human- this was the demon they had been searching for all along.

The dark energy in the room suddenly spiked dramatically, as her true form was revealed. Miroku's face now had morphed from pure flirtation to stone seriousness, and Sango marveled silently about the quick change. "What have you done with the chief's daughter?" He demanded firmly, the rings of his staff now pointed menacingly at the woman who was now growing horns and grotesquely clawed fingers.

Sango's heart beat fast as she saw the exchange. Thinking quickly, and seeing no real weapons upon the body of the demon, she began lifting her bone boomerang to subdue the horrific-looking thing. Before she or Miroku had the chance to attack, though, they found themselves thrown together in a heap, the ropes that had been previously wrapped around the girl, now binding them tight together, back-to-back. Sango gasped as the air was shoved out of her lungs, and they stumbled back into the hard floor.

She saw how the ropes had been actual extensions of the demon's body, and now were wiry tentacles pressing the two together in a tight bond. Miroku struggled up to a sitting position behind her, and she heard a rather annoyed-sounding sniff issue from his nose.

"Ahh…." The demon purred, her voice husky and rather sensuous. The pretty human face was now green like the rest of her body, the eyes as red as hot coals as she surveyed her prisoners. "The taiji-ya, and of course…the lustful monk." Her eyes ran over Miroku.

Sango grunted quietly. "I see your reputation precedes you, Houshi-sama!" She shot over her shoulder, still annoyed at his conduct….well, every time he was around other women.

She could imagine the pleading look in his face as he responded. "I've never met her, honestly!"

Sango rolled her eyes. "I know that!" she shot back, although she swore to herself she wouldn't have been in the least bit surprised if Miroku had laid his hands on this particular demon. She nudged his side a little with her elbow. If they were thinking in the same direction, he would see how the situation was less demanding than it had first appeared. As seconds passed, she began noticing how the bonds around them weren't very tight. This demon wasn't as strong as she acted. Returning her glare to the demon in front of them, Sango began moving one of her hands beneath the bonds, struggling with the pouch around her thigh….it was there somewhere….

"Why have you captured us like this?" Miroku sensed Sango needed the time for stalling, and brought up the question that was most prevalent in their minds. "And I ask again- where have you put the girl?"

The demon-woman looked at him for a long moment, her dark eyes glittering with an evil kind of mirth. And then, she began to laugh. First, a small chuckle, and then a deep, frightening chortle that seemed to shake the room around them. "Girl? I would be surprised that the clever taiji-ya would not be able to figure something so simple as my ploy. There never was a girl!" She giggled menacingly, her brows lowered deviously.

Sango's eyes shot wide open in surprise. "Never…was?" her hand paused at her hip, confusion settling over her.

"I told you there was something weird going on…" Miroku whispered almost inaudibly, and Sango's face flushed a little. Now there really was the question of where the village's loyalty lay. Had they just walked straight into a trap? The demon woman had just what she wanted!

"Now, all we must do to finish this lovely ceremony is to wait for the rest of your taiji-ya to arrive."

"….The rest of the taiji-ya…?"

Or maybe not.

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A/N: OK that was kinda short. But, now that I finished setting up for the following events, I can write the next update a lot faster. There will be plenty of humor, romance and action to satisfy everyone. I assume there will be about two more chapters in this story, unless there's something else I need to explore. So, thank you for sticking with me and not pelting me with angry emails. See you soon!