InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unforeseen Obstacles ❯ Wishing one of them was dead so this hell could finally end ( Chapter 25 )

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.

 

Notes: Dealing with pain.

 

Genre: Drama, romance…
Rating: R
Codes: Mir/Sess
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 25

Floating high above the bed, wishing one of them were dead, so this hell could finally end…

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Rin had put her hair up in the same style as always, in defiance of the violation she had suffered. She just had to use the hair on the other side of her head. Miroku, on the other hand, had no way to compensate for his loss. He kept running his hand through his hair, backwards, having made a mess of it. He had never been self-conscious about his appearance before, but Sesshomaru always untied his hair and fanned it out when they were together alone. He had even grown it slightly longer because the youkai seemed to prefer it.

 

Walking caused jolts of pain to shoot through his body, so he was riding Ah-un today. Kirara kept walking over to him and licking his hand and he told her that he was okay, but she obviously didn't believe him. She seemed to know that his pain was more than physical. He had killed a being that was begging him for his life. Not only killed him, but laughed as he did it. Miroku's soul ached from the damage it had sustained. He had confessed to Sesshomaru that morning, while breakfast was being served, but the taiyoukai had said nothing. He had stroked Miroku's hair, twisting the chopped off strands at the end and looked pensive. Finally, after Miroku gave up and began walking back to the camp, Sesshomaru had spoken.

 

“Perhaps now, you understand why I did not wish to allow the bear to live,” he had said. It hadn't made Miroku feel better. If anything, the monk felt worse, blaming himself for everything that had followed. He was filled with confusion and self-loathing. On the one hand, he had tried to do what he believed was right, letting the bear go. If he had killed him, the other youkai would never have gone after him and Rin. There, his beliefs had jeopardized his life. But if he had simply maintained his vow of celibacy or waited for Sango, he wouldn't have been imperiled from his relationship with Sesshomaru. There, his beliefs would have saved him. So what was right? Killing a defenseless being? Suffering a vow he wished he had never made?

 

Kirara nuzzled his hand again and he scratched her ears. He wished he could talk to her, she seemed like she might have some good advice. After all, how many times had she known something was wrong before the rest of them? He couldn't talk to InuYasha, because the hanyo would just tell him to quit whining and leave Sesshomaru. He couldn't talk to Kagome, because she would probably look down on him for his hypocrisy. After all, why should she look at him any differently than he looked at himself? Shippo was just a child, he couldn't understand. He couldn't talk to Sango because… he frowned. Why couldn't he talk to Sango? Because she cried when he told her he had chosen Sesshomaru. Because she had obviously loved him. It would be selfish to share his crisis of faith with her when it involved the man he had chosen over her.

 

The smell of blood hit him like a wet cloth and he broke from his thoughts and looked around. Sesshomaru and InuYasha had both stopped and were glaring ahead. Kirara was fluffed up and growling. Ah-un's tail was lashing angrily to and fro, shifting around the saddle Miroku rode in. After everything that had happened with the kitsune, then the youkai, he had forgotten about the scent of blood Sesshomaru and Kirara had responded to the other day.

 

“What is it?” Kagome asked, then her nose wrinkled. Sango covered her nose and mouth and Miroku followed suit. No one needed to answer her. A few steps later, they came to a pile of dead bodies. Small bodies. Miroku looked away, unable to bear the sight. Why had no one buried these children? “There's a village,” Kagome said, her voice quiet. The humid heat was making the bodies rot in the most malodorous way possible. Miroku urged Ah-un on, hoping to find answers in the village beyond. He noticed he wasn't the only one who seemed to have that particular idea, although Sesshomaru, as usual, walked away from the village rather than enter it. Ah-un stopped, obviously reluctant to go near a human habitation, so Miroku climbed down and patted their shoulder, releasing them to leave. Jaken had already followed Sesshomaru.

 

Miroku leaned heavily on his staff as they walked up the path to the nearest home. As they stepped past it, he was shocked by the size of this village. It was hidden under a thick canopy of trees, so it was difficult to estimate how many houses there were, but he could see at least twenty. Some of the houses had actually used the trees as part of their walls. He had never seen anything like it.

 

He wondered what could have killed so many children and infants in such a brutal fashion. There had been some bodies that were days old, others were fresh. Miroku reached out and pulled Rin's sleeve, indicating she should walk close. He didn't want whatever had hurt the village children to come near her. He had failed her once; he didn't intend to do so again. He noticed that Kagome had Shippo on her shoulders and he guessed she was thinking along the same lines. Although he had only seen human children, he didn't blame her for being cautious.

 

A scream split the strange silence of the village and the party exchanged glances with one another. They rushed to the house they heard the cry come from, but it had stopped as abruptly as it had begun, as though the woman had either been killed or had never meant to make a sound. The houses were so close together, Miroku couldn't tell which one had produced the scream. InuYasha's ears twitched, then he turned to Kagome.

 

“Wait here with the kids,” he said, indicating Miroku should come with him. Kagome nodded and Rin walked to stand next to her. Kirara and Kohaku stepped next to Kagome, making clear their intent to guard her. InuYasha walked to a house to the left and Miroku and Sango followed. The hanyo just barged in, not announcing himself and was greeted by a startled yip.

 

“Who are you? Are you the beasts who did this?” She cried. InuYasha looked like he was going to spit out an angry retort, but Miroku quickly cut him off.

 

“No, madam. We heard your cry and came to see if we could render any assistance.” She eyed Miroku warily and frowned.

 

“You are too late. My child is already dead,” she said bitterly, indicating the little boy on the floor in front of her. Miroku knelt by the body, looking for any residual traces of demonic aura, but he found nothing.

 

“How did this happen?” Miroku asked. The woman shook her head unhappily.

 

“No one knows. We go to bed at night and when we awake, another child is dead. They are all…” she choked then, trying to hold back a sob.

 

“What?” InuYasha asked. Miroku glanced up and saw that InuYasha was standing as close to the door as he could get, carefully not looking at the body.

 

“What is it, InuYasha?” Miroku asked. The hanyo shook his head.

 

“It wasn't a youkai that did this,” InuYasha said. “It was a human.”

 

“No!” the woman screamed, standing and swinging her tiny fists at the hanyo. “It can't be! This was the work of a monster!” InuYasha grabbed the woman's wrists, holding her away from his body. She collapsed to the floor, weeping.

 

“It was a monster, alright,” InuYasha agreed. “But it was a human monster.”

 

“Why kill children?” Miroku asked, feeling his anger rising. He tried to stand, but fell back and had to stay on one knee for a moment. Sango put her hand under his elbow and helped him stand. She hadn't said anything this entire time and seemed as confused and angry as Miroku.

 

“That kid wasn't just killed,” InuYasha said softly. The mother wailed in response and InuYasha stepped outside.

 

“What does he mean?” Sango asked Miroku. Miroku looked down at the boy and wondered the same thing.

 

“All the children,” the mother answered. “All the children are… violated… before they are killed.” Sango gasped and Miroku felt her hand tighten on his arm.

 

“Why have they not been buried?” Miroku asked. The woman shook her head.

 

“We are too afraid to leave the living children to bury them. We are afraid to leave the village. And yet, we fear that if we don't, this will continue happening. We built this village three generations ago, thinking to find peace from thieves and murderers. We sought safety here, despite the peril of traveling so far into the mountains. Many died on the pilgrimage. That is why we do not wish to leave,” she explained. “The first parents buried their children here in the village, as did the next. But soon, there were too many children and we went to bury their bodies outside the village. Those that went out did not return,” she said. “And while they were gone, more children were taken. When they returned, they were all…”

 

“I'm so sorry,” Sango said after a moment. Miroku had already stood and was headed back to Rin, frightened for her. Suddenly, Kagome, Kohaku and Kirara didn't seem enough protection. Sango followed him, catching him when he faltered from the pain that rushing caused. He hissed in pain, but forced himself to keep moving. He had to see that she was safe.

 

He let out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding when he saw Rin smiling and playing some game on the ground with Shippo, safely surrounded by their friends. He was severely torn in what he wanted to do. On the one hand, he wanted to leave and never look back, getting Rin as far from this place as possible. On the other, he wanted to find whoever was doing this and bring them back for the villagers to have their revenge.

 

“Where are you, Sesshomaru?” Miroku asked. A moment later, the youkai stepped from the trees, looking around cautiously. Miroku took Rin's hand and moved quickly to the taiyoukai, pushing her at him. Sesshomaru nodded, seeming to understand. “Keep her safe,” Miroku charged. Sesshomaru glanced down at Rin, who looked confused.

 

“Rin,” he said.

 

“Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?” Rin responded.

 

“We are leaving.”

 

“Yes, Lord Sesshomaru!” Rin smiled and waved at Miroku. Miroku waved back and returned the smile; glad the child never questioned Sesshomaru. He turned back to the village and resolved to explain this mystery as quickly as possible. The first thing he did was to look for clues. The villagers were reluctant to talk and most minded the small fields they had created amongst the trees. It was enough to feed the village, even as large as it was, but Miroku had never seen anything like it. The trees were cut carefully so that their canopy was broken only enough to give sun to the crops. They had no wells and took their water directly from the stream that hugged the village to the south.

 

The heavy forest made it impossible to guess which way the killer (or killers) had come from. It was too easy to sneak into this village, raid and leave unseen. The entire group was very frustrated by the end of the day.

 

“We have to make camp,” Sango finally said, as they were barely able to continue searching. “But I do have an idea.” The group looked at her. Sango was looking at Shippo, who quickly looked around him, obviously hoping he wasn't her plan. When he saw that there was no one hiding behind him, he sighed.

 

“You want to use me as bait, huh?” Shippo bit his lip and gave her a wide-eyed stare of fear.

 

“You'll be completely safe, Shippo,” Sango said. “We'll all be right here, taking shifts sleeping.”

 

“Don't think I didn't hear what happened to those kids before they died!” Shippo said, clenching his fists. “I—”

 

“Feh, as if they'd think you were a human kid once they saw that tail of yours,” InuYasha teased.

 

“What if they don't care if it's a human or a youkai?” Shippo whimpered.

 

“It won't matter,” Sango said. “One of us will always be on guard. They won't get a chance to touch you.”

 

“I'll take the first shift,” Miroku volunteered. “I know I won't be able to sleep anyway.”

 

“Alright,” Shippo said nervously. “I guess I'll have to be brave.”

 

“You'll be fine,” InuYasha said, hopping into a tree and settling down. Kagome, Sango, Kohaku and Kirara settled down under his tree, bedding down for the night. The villagers might not have been very talkative, but they had given them dinner in appreciation for what they were trying to do. Miroku walked away from the camp to the edge of the forest and tucked a small blanket around Shippo, to hide his tail. It was actually Kagome's towel, but it was dry and big enough for the little fox to sleep under. Shippo tucked his ears into his hair and watched Miroku walk away, his eyes wide with fear.

 

Miroku hated leaving the boy that way, but he wanted to draw out the villain quickly. He was also on alert to any sounds in the village that might be another child being taken. Hours passed and he neither heard nor saw anything out of the ordinary. Finally, his shift passed and he went to his friends to wake InuYasha. The hanyo responded to Miroku the moment he whispered his name and nodded his head to an empty spot left for Miroku to sleep in. Miroku nodded and went to lie down. He watched InuYasha disappear onto one of the village roofs and was thinking how he wasn't going to be able to sleep when he started to dream.

 

“Rin!” he called, pushing through the thick foliage. “Rin!” `Where is she?' he thought. He tripped over what he thought was a small brown rock, but it was actually Shippo. He started to apologize when he realized that Shippo was dead. He knelt and touched the small forehead in horror. Shippo's blank eyes rolled up to him, a milky film obscuring the once green irises.

 

“Where were you?” Shippo hissed. “It was your watch…” Miroku stood and backed away, frightened. He spun and began calling for Rin again. He ran through the forest, the grass pulling at his ankles, a violet miasma filling the space between the trees and he covered his mouth, coughing. His throat and lungs burned and he tripped again. This time, he landed in a circle of all his friends, dead. Kohaku was standing over Sango's body, glaring at him. His eyes were as blank as the corpses at their feet, but he was still moving.

 

“You should have waited for her. Now you've killed them all,” Kohaku growled. A green glow burst forth through his chest and he melted away. Sesshomaru stood there, his eyes blood red and glowing through the purple haze, flashing his fangs at Miroku.

 

“You bastard. You were supposed to protect her,” Sesshomaru raged. Miroku took a step back from the angry youkai. Sesshomaru turned and lifted a body from the ground, where he had dropped it before dissolving Kohaku. It was Rin. Miroku screamed and turned to run. Sesshomaru was on him in a heartbeat, his claws buried in Miroku's throat. He spun the monk around, shoving his back hard against the forest floor. Miroku choked and tried to suck air, but he didn't fight. They were right; it was entirely his fault. And soon it wouldn't matter, as the miasma was swirling into a tunnel into his hand. His kazaana had been ripped open. The bodies of his friends shifted and began flying to him. He coughed and choked and heard them screaming. Soon, the entire forest was screaming, the trees writhing away from his wind tunnel as it erupted, only Sesshomaru, who was squeezing the life out of him, remaining unaffected.

 

“Miroku!” Sango screamed as she was sucked in. “Miroku!” she screamed again… and the dream broke apart. Miroku sat up, coughing. Fire… there was a fire in the house nearest their camp and it was the smoke that was choking him. He glanced down at his right hand, but it was as normal as it ever was. InuYasha was fighting with someone dressed entirely in black. A ninja, Miroku realized. Kagome was covering a small form with her body, keeping another black-clad man from taking the child. Sango was facing a third ninja, the largest of the three, using the ever-present, but oft-ignored sword at her hip. Hiraikotsu was trapped in a tree a few meters away.

 

Kohaku was waking villagers to gather water to stop the flames and Shippo and Kirara were nowhere to be seen. Miroku watched Sango fight for a moment, having never seen her in a swordfight before. He ran towards the fight, but stopped when he saw the fourth man, dressed as a commoner, examining Shippo with a look in his eyes that Miroku didn't like. He changed direction quickly, swinging his staff at the man without warning. He dropped Shippo and leapt back, yelling. He drew a rather wicked looking dagger and lunged at Miroku. Miroku didn't get a chance to block, though, because the man was suddenly ripped off his feet and flung several meters by an enraged Kirara. There was blood running down her fur from a slice in her shoulder and she roared angrily at the man she had likely just killed before leaning down and licking Shippo's arm.

 

Miroku walked to the little fox, who was crying, and picked him up. Shippo's arm was sliced open rather badly and one of his legs was twisted at a bad angle. Miroku guessed it was most likely broken. He carried him as carefully as possible, trying not to jar the injuries too much. The ninjas had obviously seen the attack on the man, for they had all stopped fighting and were kneeling in front of their opponents.

 

“What the fuck do you think you've been doing?” InuYasha yelled. “How could you do that… to children?” he had a hold on the ninja in front of him and was shaking him.

 

“We merely captured the children,” he said, indicating himself and the ninja in front of Kagome. Kagome had a little girl clinging to her legs.

 

“I killed them,” said the ninja in front of Sango. “It was money.”

 

“You knew what that bastard was doing to them,” Miroku accused, furious.

 

“We have no knowledge of what happened to the children we delivered until they were killed,” said the man in front of Kagome.

 

“It was not important,” agreed Sango's opponent.

 

“And it does not matter now. You have slain our employer. We have no more need to be here.”

 

“Yes, let that monster he was feeding find new minions,” said the man in front of InuYasha. With that, he tossed a smoke bomb and they all three disappeared.

 

“Damnit!” InuYasha yelled. “What monster? Come back here and answer me!” The villagers had come out of their homes for more than just the fire. They had listened to the ninjas' story as well. A group of men had dragged back the body of the man who had employed them.

 

“It's too bad you killed him,” one of the men said. “I think many here would have liked to have had that honor.”

 

“Don't think we're not grateful,” another man piped up. “In fact, we thank you very much of ridding our village of this monster.”

 

“Apparently, there's another out there,” InuYasha said, glaring into the forest. He walked over to the fallen man and sniffed him. “I can't smell anything but his stink,” InuYasha growled. “And he's definitely the one who violated that little boy.”

 

“You mean, someone else might start stealing the children?” asked one of the women, hugging the girl Kagome had been protecting.

 

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” InuYasha said, hopping into the tree that had trapped hiraikotsu. He dislodged it and tossed it to Sango, who strapped it to her back.

 

“It will almost certainly take it a while to find new men to take the children. You probably have enough time to bury your dead,” Sango said.

 

“Yes, and I promise we will return to tell you when we have defeated this monster,” Miroku said.

 

“Shippo!” Kagome exclaimed upon seeing the kit in Miroku's arms. Shippo was unconscious and didn't respond. Miroku handed the boy to Kagome and one of the men from the village stepped forward.

 

“I am a doctor,” he said. “Let me tend your friend. It is the least we can do for you.” The group followed him to his house and everyone but Kagome waited outside while Shippo was being tended to. Miroku dozed off, as did Sango and Kohaku, until the morning when Kagome came back out with Shippo. The fox had a splint on his left leg and a bandage on his arm. He was awake now and sucking on a candy Kagome had given him. She always kept a few back just for him. Miroku knew she must need to go home, but there hadn't been an opportune time in the past month. She had commented about it being summer break, so Miroku assumed that meant she didn't need to study, but despite it being rare these days, she did study, complaining that high school was much harder than junior high. The only thing Miroku had really noticed was a change in her uniform. The skirt was grey tartan instead of the solid green he had been used to and the shirt's ribbon was navy blue.

 

But today she was wearing a light blue t-shirt and a short, dark blue skirt, both of which showed the bloodstains from tending to Shippo. Kagome didn't seem to notice as she settled him into a sling on her back. “This would be easier if we hadn't needed to leave my bike at that big cliff,” she said. InuYasha was carrying her backpack now so she could carry Shippo. Miroku mounted Kirara, still not ready for any long-distance traveling on his own feet. He was glad he hadn't been forced into a fight, as he wasn't sure he would have been much use, especially hand-to-hand. Breathing still caused him pain, whenever his ribs moved at all. Holding his staff had been almost impossible, but he wasn't going to let the man run off with Shippo. He looked at the blood leaking from the wound on his hand that had broken open. He wiped it on the black part of his robes.

 

They met with Sesshomaru, Jaken, Ah-un and Rin after they had completely left the village behind. Miroku quietly explained to Sesshomaru what was going on. Sesshomaru's face filled with disgust when Miroku explained what had happened to the children. He had no knowledge as to what creature the human could have been feeding or even what he was feeding the mysterious monster they were tracking.

 

“Possibly the souls of the children, that would be my only guess.”

 

“The souls of violated children?” Miroku suggested. “What kind of youkai would feed on that?”

 

“Perhaps it is a mononoke, not youkai,” Sesshomaru said.

 

“Like the vengeful spirit of wronged children?” InuYasha asked, joining the conversation. Kagome had slowed down with him.

 

“Wouldn't that feed on child molesters?” Kagome asked. “It's more likely the malicious spirit of a pedophile.”

 

“Why don't you ask it?” Sango said, readying hiraikotsu. InuYasha pulled tetsusaiga and Sesshomaru drew toukijin. Before them stood the visage of a beautiful, genderless child, its hands covered in blood. Its eyes were red and without expression. Other than that, it was completely white. Miroku pulled out several slips of ofuda and threw them forward, not caring to ask what it was. Kagome pulled an arrow and pointed, aiming at the child. Miroku expected it to fight, to scream and threaten, but it just turned sad eyes to them, taking a step back in pain from the paper.

 

“Don't you have anything to say?” InuYasha asked it. It turned mournful eyes to them.

 

“Kill me,” it said. “Set us free,” a chorus of children's voices sounded from its mouth. Kagome fired, her arrow glowing and imbedding itself in the mononoke's heart. Miroku climbed down from Kirara and took the child at its word, stepping up and laying down a sacred paper on its head. It didn't try to stop him, although when he touched it, unbearable pain filled his heart and he staggered back. The mononoke smiled and the red faded from its form as it dissipated.

 

“That was easy,” Kagome said, not noticing Miroku, who had turned away from everyone so they wouldn't see him crying. He couldn't stop himself; it was as though every child had cried out to him, touching him from hand to heart, and he had felt every violation they had suffered. He had apologized to them and that's when they had been set free. InuYasha had been right, it had been the spirit of wronged children, who had been abused to death by men. It grew with each atrocity committed against a child in its presence. That man they had killed had been feeding and violating the mononoke itself. Miroku finally couldn't take anymore and threw up.

 

“Miroku?” Sango asked, leaning down to touch him. He jerked away, the memories of the children not yet faded from his mind. He didn't want to be comforted yet; he wanted to kill that man again. And again, and again. He settled for burying his face against his knees and stifling his sobs. He hadn't cried like this since he was a child and he didn't want anyone seeing him, but he didn't trust himself to walk to get away.

 

“Leave,” Sesshomaru's voice broke through his thoughts. Miroku spared a glance behind himself, wondering if he was being spoken to, but his friends were all walking away. Sesshomaru didn't stay, either; he left and gave Miroku the privacy he so desired. As soon as they were gone, Miroku let go and cried for those children, so horribly brutalized.

…

 

Sesshomaru could hear Miroku weeping and he pushed the group to move further away. The monk deserved his privacy. He wasn't certain what had happened, but he had seen the child merge with Miroku for a moment before disappearing. He knew that exorcists sometimes took on the demons they were banishing and he had searched Miroku's aura for any signs of possession, but what was there was fading fast. So he drove their pack away, staying close enough to ensure his safety, but allowing him the privacy to battle this final element of the enemy.

 

He trusted in the strength of Miroku's mind and abilities to survive. It was an unusual feeling to him, trusting a ningen, but he did—wholeheartedly. After surviving the youkai attack, he trusted that Miroku was strong enough to overcome anything spiritual. He knew that he was having a crisis of faith, but he couldn't help him. He wasn't Buddhist and he didn't believe that all life was sacred. He believed in survival, growth, conquest and doing what was necessary to achieve those things. He also believed in honor and he had understood that Miroku didn't want to fight the bear when it was unable to fight back, but he was also practical and knew the bear wouldn't remain helpless.

 

He stared up at the sky, the weak morning light barely filtering down through the trees. He wondered where Naraku could be and if they would find him soon. He didn't know what to do once he found him now, though. He had heard all these mortal's stories and knew his to be the weakest. In all fairness, Kohaku deserved the killing blow against Naraku. Next would be Sango, then Miroku or InuYasha. He had known Naraku was a menace, but he had no idea the havoc the creature had caused. He didn't understand the sadistic plotting and scheming. So much work for such little gratification; it just didn't seem worth it. He also recognized the threat Naraku posed to youkai as well as ningen if he ever achieved his goals. So he had to be stopped, but Sesshomaru knew he had little claim to the kill itself.

 

That didn't mean he wouldn't take it without hesitation, but he also knew now that he had no right to interfere with his brother in the final fight. He would have to work with these people. They were his army in battle to come. Then he would never have to see them again and that was fine with him. Still… he admitted that he would not mind if his brother entered his territory in the future. Their conflict was ended and he had made peace with his father in his heart. It was strange how much his life had changed in the past year, but he felt more at peace with himself and others than he had in a long time. He could certainly live with that.

…

 

To be concluded…

 

No, Miroku won't be permanently scarred by this experience. His pain was simply the end of the exorcism. The worst ones always have their price. Well, peace is being made, ends are being tied and the road is coming to an end. Please remember to review me, I read every review I get and they're the reason this story was so long and that I wrote so many others. This was just supposed to be an exercise to get InuYasha fanfic out of my system and ended up doing the exact opposite. Oh, I also went back and uploading the missing chunk to chapter 11. I don't know why, but Miroku and Sesshomaru's first morning after was missing. It just jumped ahead and left out a minor plot point. It's fixed now.