InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unforeseen Obstacles ❯ The questions that are plaguing me... ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I don't know Rumiko Takahashi, so I can't say I own any of this. Now the warning: YAOI. That's right, man lovin' man. If you don't like that, you don't have to read another word. If you don't like my pairing, you don't have to read it, but you'll be missing out! I'm constantly reading InuYasha fics with pairings I don't like just because I like the story. But if you don't like my story, please be polite when you tell me. And also, tell me why. Or if you do like it, review and write whatever you want, LOL. If you've noticed the titles to the chapters, a few of you may have had a familiar twinge. Yes, they are little pieces of lyrics and belong to Stabbing Westward (I miss you, SW!). I love using song lyrics as chapter titles. Some even sneak their way into dialogue and thoughts. I'm not saying where, just crediting the song at the end.

 

Notes: Side Quest. Or if you prefer, another unforeseen obstacle to the main pairing. Just as Miroku's finally accepted his fate and everything…

 

Genre: Drama, romance… Whatever I classified this as, I'm sure angst will sneak its stinky butt in here.

Rating: R

Codes: Mir/Sess, Mir/San, Inu/Kag

Feedback: Reviews are something that give me a happy little thrill. They're also making my muse purr and chatter.

 

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Unforeseen Obstacles…Chapter 8

The questions that are plaguing me…

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The trail Zetsumei left was blatantly obvious. Yet, they had not caught up to the death demon. Thankfully, only one village had met him, in the form of a flood, in the many days they had pursued him. Kagome had to take a trip back to her world, so they were without her and Kirara, who carried her, for three days before she came back. InuYasha didn't follow her because he refused to let his brother make any headway on Naraku faster than they did. But when Kagome got back, he didn't leave her side for the entire day. He even slept in the tree above her.

 

Miroku met Sesshomaru in the forest each night, always hoping for more, always being left in a worse state than he started with. He was almost certain he would explode if he didn't get release soon. Why was Sesshomaru toying with him? He had seen the taiyoukai breathing just as heavily. He had heard his heart pounding above his own. But he hadn't been allowed past that damn armor. He went to sleep every night to dreams just as intense as the reality of the forest. The dreams gave him no release, either and he was beginning to contemplate ending the nightly rendezvous. Maybe that would get the bastard's attention.

 

Maybe he would just explode.

 

For the first time since the plagued village, they came across a live town. Miroku froze behind InuYasha. Zetsumei's trail ended here.

 

“Do you think someone else vanquished him?” Miroku asked.

 

“I'm still picking up his stench,” InuYasha dismissed, shaking his head.

 

“Then why is that village intact?” Kagome asked. “Not that I'm complaining…”

 

“Methinks I see an ominous black cloud,” Miroku said, feeling his spirits rise.

 

“I see no such phenomenon,” Sesshomaru said, frowning.

 

“No,” Shippo said, explaining. “There rarely is one, but it still gets us a free meal and board!” Miroku frowned at Shippo.

 

“It's not my fault you can't see it.” Miroku walked forward, heading straight for the tiny demonic aura that he could barely sense.

 

“Aren't you coming with us?” Kagome asked. Miroku glanced behind. They had walked off, leaving Sesshomaru's party behind. Is this where we part? Miroku was torn between disappointment and vast relief.

 

“Rin.”

 

“Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?”

 

“I will be back in the morning.” With that, he began walking away. Rin looked between Sesshomaru and InuYasha's parties, then nodded. She walked over and stood by Kagome. Miroku was struck by how much the two looked alike. Miroku sighed and resumed walking back down to the village. He picked up his pace when he saw the house with the demonic aura looked fairly wealthy. He walked quickly to it and stared, waiting for the owner to return. He didn't have long before a beautiful woman walked up to him.

 

“Is there something wrong with my house, monk?”

 

“Yes, I am sensing a demonic aura,” Miroku said, at his most dramatic. She suddenly paled and he examined her more closely. No, she's not the source of the aura.

 

“You're not welcome here!” she yelled and flung her basket at him, running into the house. Miroku remained with his mouth open, thunderstruck, until InuYasha came running up beside him.

 

“Already asking women to bear your child?” he asked. The rest of their group joined them, but Miroku didn't bother to look at them.

 

“No! I merely mentioned the demonic presence and she attacked me!” Miroku protested. InuYasha sniffed and frowned.

 

“Yeah, there's a demon in there, but it's just a little one. I doubt it could have her possessed,” InuYasha said, frowning. Miroku nodded.

 

“I don't understand it.” Miroku stared at the house.

 

“Monk! Have you come to rid us of the demon that plagues our village?” An old man came walking around the corner of the house, followed by several other villagers. One of them yelled and pointed at InuYasha, who merely rolled his eyes.

 

“No, he's brought another demon with him!” the pointing man yelled.

 

“Please,” InuYasha grumbled. “Do I look like I'm here to ravage your village?”

 

“Perhaps just our women,” said the young woman from inside the house, as she stepped outside.

 

“Huh?” InuYasha's mouth dropped open. “Can't say I've been accused of that before. You've gotta worry more about him for that!” InuYasha protested, thumbing Miroku, who sighed. Then the monk noticed that she had a small bundle in her arms. That's where the demonic aura is coming from, Miroku thought. Is that a baby? He glanced at the villagers, but they weren't cowering from her, they were all staring at the mountain next to their village.

 

“Are you a half-demon?” she asked InuYasha.

 

“What of it?” InuYasha snapped.

 

“Please, may I speak with you?”

 

“What about?”

 

“Please, come inside. But just you.” InuYasha looked suspicious, but he followed her in. The others watched him go, wondering what was going on. Miroku decided to get down to business.

 

“What is this demon that afflicts your village?” Miroku asked. The old man turned back, along with most of the village.

 

“It lives there,” he said, pointing. “It comes down and steals our women and children about once a moon. Please, will you defeat it?” Miroku nodded. So much for a relaxing evening.

 

“We must wait for our companion, though. He aids us against powerful demons,” Miroku explained.

 

“You may be waiting a while,” one of the villagers said, laughing. “If he's gone into that whore's house.”

 

“Excuse me?” Kagome asked, but the man just laughed, turned and walked away. The other villagers snickered and followed him.

 

“When you kill it, come back and we will reward you however we can,” the old man said before following the other men off.

 

“What now?” Shippo asked.

 

“I guess we wait,” Sango answered. Kagome was staring at the house, suspiciously. Miroku sat down on the steps and watched as Shippo and Rin sat down and began playing with some of his toys. He had the feeling that the combining of the teams was good for both children. He doubted Rin had many opportunities to play as a child should with Sesshomaru. But he had learned that the demon lord had actually saved her. The details were fuzzy, but from what he understood, she had found him injured in the woods and tried to help him. She had been beaten by local villagers and had no family left to protect her. Then Sesshomaru had saved her from a wolf attack, although she was rather vague on that, as well. After that, she had traveled with him and he had given her new clothes and a safer life than she had before.

 

Miroku remembered the brief show of affection Sesshomaru had bestowed upon Rin when they left the hole and he wondered if Sesshomaru truly cared for her. Certainly, he didn't ever touch Jakken except to beat the toad. He had even seen her playing with his hair as she walked behind him without being reprimanded, even when she tripped and pulled some out. Miroku wondered why Sesshomaru was so tolerant of her when he had expressed his hatred of humans and refusal to care for them on so many previous occasions. Certainly, he and the youkai had not had many deep conversations in the woods. They seldom spoke any words at all. He wondered if Sesshomaru would answer him if he asked. Probably not.

 

“Thank you, InuYasha.”

 

“You're welcome,” he said, walking out of the house. She waved and he nodded back.

 

“What was that about?” Kagome asked when the woman disappeared into her house.

 

“Not here,” InuYasha said.

 

“Then shall we go after the demon?” Miroku asked.

 

“What demon?” InuYasha asked. Sango filled him in. “Yeah, let's go.” They headed out towards the mountains. InuYasha didn't explain what the woman talked to him about and Kagome seemed to forget to ask him. It only took them until the sun was at the highest point in the sky to find the demon. It was a boar demon that stood about twice as high as InuYasha. The battle didn't take very long, but halfway through, the demon almost stomped on Rin. Miroku had to grab her at the last second. He spent the rest of the battle protecting her. Not that anyone but InuYasha was doing much else. The Wind Scar took care of it at last and they headed back down the mountain. “You okay kid?”

 

“Yes,” Rin answered InuYasha. “Lord Sesshomaru never takes me into battle with him. I'm not scared, but I don't know what to do,” she admitted.

 

“Not much you could do, a kid as small as you,” InuYasha said. Rin frowned at him.

 

“InuYasha treats me like that, too, don't worry about it. He's just a jerk,” Shippo said, patting Rin on the arm. InuYasha clobbered him and Shippo yelled for Kagome, who yelled at the hanyo. The usual cycle. Nothing else happened on the way back to the village and Miroku was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief as they sat down to dinner.

…

 

To be continued…

 

Pesky side quests; getting in the way. Remember to review!