InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wind's Fickle Heart (A Climatic Ending) ❯ It Only Spells Disaster... ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

"Something is wrong in the wind," Sesshomaru observed, halting on his seemingly aimless journey, both Rin and Jakken stopping behind him.
"The wind?" Rin said, voice lined with child-like curiosity, jumping up as she approached Sesshomaru in order to see his face. She felt that hearing people wasn't quite as interesting as seeing their facial expressions. After previously telling Jakken this after he had inquired as to why she always did study people's faces so, her answer didn't agree with him (as many answers often did as he wasn't much of an agreeable creature) and he claimed that Sesshomaru had very little emotions at all, or at least took to not expressing them. Rin didn't understand how Jakken could say this, she could always tell what Sesshomaru was feeling.
"How do you know of the wind, Lord Sesshomaru? Pardon my saying this, but of your many knowledges I never knew you had much experience about the wind and such?" Jakken squeaked in his highly irritating voice, stepping up closer to Sesshomaru.
"Don't be silly Jakken!" scolded Rin, "Lord Sesshomaru knows everything!" And the girl said it so that she seemed she would bet her life upon the statement. Sesshomaru failed to suppress a small smile and chuckle.
"Lord Sesshomaru," Jakken addressed the demon, ignoring Rin entirely, "how do you have knowledge of the wind?" Sesshomaru was silent, staring at the ground in a manner he had done on a few rare occasions, but Jakken had never noticed particularly anything about these occasions what so ever. Rin had never much seen any of these times in her lord, and found her little, innocent inexperienced mind quite intriuged with how he was acting. Neither one noticed, but Sesshomaru clenched his right fist.
"We will never speak of this again," he said. Jakken took this very strongly and swore silently that he would never utter a word about his master's knowledge of the wind or the wind at all for that matter. Rin, however, was far to interested, and curious to even listen at all, and her ears turned deaf at these words. Sesshomaru continued walking, trying to cast these unwanted thoughts of the topic that had been brung about away, while Jakken stood still in thought and Rin ran after him.
"Lord Sesshomaru! Why don't you want us to talk about this anymore? What's wrong!?" Rin inquired. Sesshomaru stopped, looking quite vexed.
"Did you hear me at all Rin, you aren't to ever speak of this again, ever," Sesshomaru returned bitingly, not even caring to turn and face her.
"But Lord Sesshomaru, why?"
"You are not to speak of this!!" Sesshomaru shouted, turning to her suddenly, his voice echoing through the forest. He soon continued on down the path. Rin was very taken-aback and a bit frightened and stood silent for a while. Sesshomaru had never acted this way. To her or anyone she had ever seen him speak to. She almost cried, but felt as if it was her own fault for disobeying him. Jakken caught up to her, standing still, in sadness, disapointment in herself, fear, and shock.
"You should listen to Lord Sesshomaru! Silly brat!" Jakken preached. Rin said nothing and continued walking after Sesshomaru. Jakken watched her. "That stupid child had better not mention it again."
"Lord Sesshomaru, I am sorry, I didn't mean to disobey you...I couldn't help asking..." Rin appologized softly from behind him. "But...I was wondering..." Sesshomaru cast a frown her way.
"I won't speak of it!" she assured him, "I just wondered why you looked so sad..." Sesshomaru stopped walking, and Jakken knew that could only mean trouble.
'She never quits!' Jakken thought, 'Lord Sesshomaru doesn't become SAD! Of all things ridiculous, this one is by far the most far-fetched thing I have ever heard!'
"Sad?" Sesshomaru laughed disdainfully, "I do not have such weak...human-like emotions..."
"But Lord Sesshomaru...I could see it in your eyes...you were very, very sad." There was a short silence, as Seshomaru looked up to the sky. Rin couldn't help feeling as if maybe she had only made him feel worse.
"You are just a small, insignifigant human girl. Remember your place," Sesshomaru simply replied, coldly, continuing on his way. Rin hung her head low in a crest-fallen manner.
"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru," she returned quietly. Jakken approached her from behind.
"Stop bothering Lord Sesshomaru, why do you do such things?" he inquired, his beady little eyes fixed on her.
"I'm worried Jakken," Rin returned, as if she hadn't heard anything the miniscule green demon had said, "Lord Sesshomaru has seemed uneasy lately. And quick to anger too. Something is wrong. He's right about the wind, it makes me shiver though it's not very cold, Jakken, what is going to happen? And why is Lord Sesshomaru sad?" Rin then looked at him with the most heart-breaking eyes he had ever seen and he didn't say anything for moment at these emotional words, but finally he found a fitting reply.
"What on earth are you talking about, Rin? Lord Sesshomaru does NOT become sad, he does not have depressions or fits of rage like his primitive half brother, Inuyasha. Sesshomaru is very level and can cotnrol his emotions, if he even HAS them and nothing is wrong! Why do you feel this way anyhow? I cannot imagine Lord Sesshomaru feeling uneasy, he is quite big headed. Believe me, Rin, he has a swelled up pride if ever I saw one. Also far too much arrogance to show saddness or be nervous about something or another. He most likely became angry because he knew nothing about the wind and was simply trying to seem intellegent."
"Are you quite finished Jakken?" came a voice behind him. Jakken turned and screamed at the site of an angered Sesshomaru. He screamed a bit more, cowaring behind Rin.
"I was simply--j-j-joking--m-my l-l-lord!" Jakken squeaked, his voice quavering. Sesshomaru turned.
"Walk faster. The nonsense you two say...and do, it is causing too many interuptions..." Sesshomaru said, emotionlessly. Both Rin and Jakken blinked vacantly as Sesshoamru continued walking.
"Are we in some sort of hurry, my lord?" Jakken asked tentatively.
"Walk faster."
"Why are we rushing?"
"Shut up, and walk faster." The girl and green creature looked at each other in confusion and began following Sesshomaru in a quicker pace.
'I should be able to get there soon...I only hope it won't be too late... Of course I do not care so much about what is at stake...' Sesshomaru's thoughts were interupted breifly by Rin and Jakken's arguing but he began thinking carefully again, '...I am only curious as to what these strange beings are up to....'

"Isn't this funny, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, reading out of her book of Japanese fairy tales.
"What is it now?" Inuyasha grunted. It had now been a day, and all of them were currently in a village, staying at another wealthy man's house, whom Miroku managed to trick again. Inuyasha had thought he would finally be happy when Kagome was out of her gloom, which she had become immersed in the previous night and throughout the entire day, but now that she was in high spirits, he only found her happiness irritating.
"This fairy tale is all about a man with a wart on his face and how--"
"That's nice."
"Hey!" Kagome said with anger, "it's an interesting story."
"Oh, I want to hear about a man with a wart on his face, how interesting!" Inuyasha returned sarcastically. Kagome frowned at him.
"Can you please stop arguing?" Miroku sighed, playing cards with Sango and Shippo. He had lied again in their game of gold fish, stating he had no nines as he eyed the nine of clubs in his hand. Only it wasn't really a nine of clubs, it was quite a unique set of cards.
"Kagome," Sango said, thinking on the lines of this subject, "why are these cards different from the ones you brought before?"
"Oh well, that's because I found those cards in my attic, grandpa told me about what they stand for and that's what got me interested in the old fairytales of Japan and why I got this book," Kagome explained.
"You mean there's a reason for your stupid fairytale reading?" Inuyasha grumbled.
"Yes, there is," Kagome returned looking bristled, "I showed the cards to grandpa after I found them and I asked him why instead of clubs, hearts, diamonds, and spades, they had little pictures of, flames, ocean waves, leaves, and clouds. He told me that in different old philosophies of Japan wise men would often speak of fire, ocean, earth, and air being the four elements and that's what the cards reperesented. I found that slightly interesting, but the whole philosophy thing pretty boring, but then he said that a lot of times magical creatures or magical items in the fairy tales often fit under the elements, and that got me really inspired to find out more for some reason."
"It is really interesting, I mean, remember with Kaguya? That all had to do with a fairy tale, and elements. I think there's a reason for it all," Sango said. Inuaysha shrugged all this off.
"Whatever, it's just a whole bunch of stories. Eveything the bamboo legend said about Princess Kaguya was way wrong. It's just little kid stuff," Inuyasha put in carelessly.
"You're wrong Inuyasha, the story of the moon princess might have been wrong about her returning home, because the demon we met, the false Princess Kaguya, must have absorbed her before she returned home, but it does mention celestial, 'troops of soldiers in shining armor. There was no sound, no breath of wind, but on they came. The soldiers of the Emperor stood as though turned to stone. '" Kagome told him.
"Yeah? So?" Inuyasha returned.
"It's as if time was frozen, the story was right about the celestial beings' ability to freeze time. When Kaguya got a hold of the celestial robe, she was able to do that, these stories obviously have some truth," Miroku explained.
"Exactly," Kagome agreed.
"But didn't the story also say how all the princes failed to get the magical items for the princess? We know that Inuyasha's fire rat robe is real," Shippo pointed out.
"Yes, but my grandfather locked up princess Kagura, making the true items the keys," Miroku said.
"It's so odd that the keys simply lie in the story. Wouldn't that make them easy to obtain?" Sango inquired.
"Not nessesarily," Miroku argued, "the reason those princes failed was because those items were extremely rare or hard to get, he knew for that reason it would be difficult to set her free." There was a short silence as all of them sat in thought.
"I still don't think these dumb stories will help any. That was a once in a life time type deal. It's not like fairy tales are gonna help again," Inuyasha said.
"So does that mean I have to stop reading them?" Kagome replied, crossly.
"I'm just sayin' that it won't help nothin'," Inuyasha responded, grumpily, sitting on the ground and leaning against the wall behind him. "Now, shut up all of you so I can get some sleep." Kagome and the others glared angrily at Inuyasha and his rude mannerisms, when Kagome noticed the others had taken to staring at her.
"What?" She said.
"Nothing!" They cried nervously at once.
"You're staring because of my hair! Aren't you?!" Kagoem shouted.
"I-i-it's just becuase w-we're n-not to it, that's all," Sango stammered. Kagome growled and crossed her arms.
"Well GET used to it, becuase it's not going to grow back for a long time," Kagome returned.
"I told you guys to stuff it," Inuyasha put in.
"How about YOU stuff it!" Kagome cried. "Everybody just keeps giving me a hard time about this hair! I was getting over it and you all just have to remind me!" she continued, sounding rather dis-heartened, almost as if she was about to cry. Inuyasha opened his eyes and came a bit closer to her.
"Can you be quiet all ready? You're hair's just FINE, it's nice, alright?"
"You really think that?" Kagome said, happily.
"Why? W-what if I do?" Inuyasha asked with suspicion and slight fear.
"Thank you, Inuyasha that means a lot to me," Kagome beamed, smiling. Inuyasha's cheeks turned red and he looked away, trying to hide his blushing.
"I thought we went over this already," he responded, not wanting the others witnessing a re-inaction of what happened behind the water fall.
"Huh? What's up with him?" Shippo asked no one in particular.
"I don't know, he seems embarrassed about something," Sango said blankely. Inuyasha growled under his breath.
"You can all shut up now," he hissed, clenching a fist with his right hand.

"Tomorrow night, that is all I have to wait until...just tomorrow..."
"What are you speaking of, sister?"
Kagura nearly jumped out of her skin, and screamed in surprise and alarm. She turned to see Kana, and her heart beat quickened. Could Kana figure it out? Was she now suspicious. Kagura simply stood there, paralyzed with fear, unable to speak.
"Kagura? What is tomorrow night?" Kana inquired, in her usual dull thud of a voice.
"Nothing," sighed Kagura, finaly letting the air out that she had been holding in in her tenseness, "just a chance to relax maybe. Naraku mentioned something about it...I think..." Kana raised an eyebrow in the awkward manner Kagura had just spoken.
"Sister, I know you must be planning something."
"I--"
"Do not fear sister, I have no care at all what becomes of Naraku." And with that Kana quietly walked off. Despite these words, Kagura was still just as afraid of Kana reporting her to Naraku. She followed Kana.
"Kana--I--I'm not planning anyhting, really, I'm not," Kana told her in a panicing manner. Kana simply stared back at her for a few moments as she often did and continued walking shortly after. "Please beleive me, don't tell Naraku anything that isn't true!" Kagura laughed nervously, trying and failing to sound casual, "he wouldn't appreciate false information."
"Stop following me."
Kagura froze and didn't walk after her for some inexplicable reason. If her sister did not care after all, then what was she up to? Kagura couldn't help feeling something was afoot and she didn't like not knowing what it was. Finally, after staring after Kana for some time she decided to forget what Kana would do now, as her plan was so close in being fulfilled, she doubted that Naraku was much of a threat now.
She quietly tiptoed out of the castle, looking around in a quite nervous fashion. She only hoped Kana wouldn't see her. That was her only concern. If Kana was lying, which Kagura thought was quite possible, there was no doubt she would notify Naraku not only of her suspicions but also of Kagura's leaving. After escaping out from the castle, Kagura took flight on her magical feather to the caves where she had discovered, the manner in which she would obtain her power, her freedom, and everything she had desired.
She crept into the cave, it was as quiet as a tomb. More quiet, even, than the first time she had entered it. But this silence was nothing new to Kagura, Naraku's castle was almost always severely soundless. Again, just as the first time she had entered, several days before when she had discovered this place, the voice asked, as it always did, "What is it you wish for most?"
And even in her confusion the first time she had answered what she did so confidently now (as it was more of a password), "Freedom." And just as the many times she had uttered the single word before, the whole cave echoed with insane cackles and laughter and before her the wall slid aside and revealed the passageway to the cript she had now come to be so familiar with.
"Welcome back, Kagura," said the voice. And it always silenced after that. It made perfect sense that the person behind the voice would become familiar with her by now, as many times she had entered, but the very first time she had come to this place and said that word, freedom, the voice said the very same thing. Kagura hadn't the faintest idea how they could have known her already and how they knew her name.
"Hello again my friends," Kagura said in a loud booming voice which also echoed throughout the cave, "I anticipate tomorrow night." With that she walked down the passage and walked into the room at the very end, which contained a wide opening in its cealing, which moonlight came through like a veil of silk. She came to the stone pedastle at the end of the room, in which was mounted a large sqaure stone insribed with "the crypt". "What I don't understand is...why is called a crypt, this is no temple."
"It is, dear Kagura, unfortunately for us, it is." Kagura frowned with slight confusion and pressed her hand to the stone as she had done many times. The pedastle immediately slid backward rapidly and slammed into the wall behind it. The stone beneath her rumbled, the whole cave did, as half the stone ground in the room was splitting in two and was folding underneath the half Kagura stood on, revealing a familiar stone stair way before her. Kagura began walking down it when she grabbed the torch to her right. "Why does this have to be such a hastle every time?"
"Don't blame us," said the voice. "It was the man's idea, silly man was he." Kagura never understood the riddles the voice always spoke in, and she only disregarded this statement and continued down the steps. Soon, she found herself in the dark room, the floor closing behind her, the crypt. And the refreshing wind came to her, that always did when she entered. In only strange voices, simliar to the one that spoke up above.
Soon.......you will fulfill the plan that was meant to be. We have waited for you, Kagura....for so long......we have waited...your freedom and ours will soon be...
The wind spoke to her, as it always did in this room. Always speaking of how it would all come to be. This strange crypt was her guide. She hadn't begun to imagine at all what the power behind this strange room could be...

Miroku walked out under the stars. He was finding it difficult to sleep and it was even more frustrating when everyone else around him had gone to dreamland while he had been just laying there, wide awake. "You really did badly this time," he said to himself, "jipping a man with only two bedrooms?! What is wrong with me lately?" Miroku sighed aggravatedly, brushing his hand through his hair in a stressed manner when he noticed a figure in the distance.
Now he could scarcely see it, and at first slight unease came to him at the thought of it being a demon. He squinted through the moonlight, whatever it was, was coming closer. He finally realized there was no need to be alarmed. It was a maiden. A pretty maiden. A hot maiden. A smirk came to his face. "Hey," he said in an interested tone to himself, happy something good was finally happening. He approached her quickly, but trying to seem cool at the same time, managing quite well (it wasn't as if this was a first). "Hello, beautiful night isn't it?" he greeted her flirtatiously, "almost as beautiful as you."
"Isn't that line a little wasted?" came the girl's voice, now she only had her back to him. "You used it when you met me." She turned and Miroku gasped.
"Minoke?" he whispered in horror. She vanished. He rubbed his eyes.
"I REALLY must be tired..." he muttered, blinking repetively in an attempt to wake himself. "I haven't seen HER since...''
"Finally, after you went around with every girl you saw, NOW you're tired? Well, there's a first for everything." Turning to the source of the voice, Miroku stared in awe, disbelief, and great anxiety.
"Kinishi?! What is this?!" Miroku cried in confusion, this girl disapearing as well. He turned again, staring in space, looking traumatized and bewildered only to see another familiar face, and managed to mutter the named hoarsely, feeling ill, "Akano?" To his relief she was soon gone but he was at dispair, what was wrong with him? "Why am I seeing some of the women I've been with?" he wondered aloud, "Father, grandfather, have you ever been plagued by such things? I never had thought this would happen...now I'm recieving my payment for my womanizing ways...."
"Miroku," came a voice. He went slightly pale as he turned, seeing Sango through the slight fog.
'Her too? But I never slept with her...' he thought.
"What are you doing out here in the cold?" she inquired, approaching him slowly. An expression of worry came to her face, Miroku was staring confused and haunted at her face, wondering whether he was hallucinating, or if she was really there. "Miroku? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
"I have," Miroku returned, "several of them." Sango looked at him perplexedly.
"You did? I didn't see anything...or hear anything...were there really spirits?" Sango inquired.
"They were just ghosts of my past...I don't think anyone else would be able to see them--it's late and cold, you should go back inside, Sango," Miroku said, finishing quickly hoping Sango wouldn't question him any longer.
"What about you? Are you just going to stay out here?"
"I suppose I will..." he then sighed, "...I don't think I'll be able to sleep...go inside Sango, I don't want you catching a cold because of me," Miroku told her, trying to bring her back to the door of the house, but she stopped, and took note of Miroku's hands quivering on her shoulders.
"Miroku what did you--" but she stopped in her sentence, seeing Miroku's head hung low and his shoulder's shifting upward and downward, as if he was laughing, but it didn't take long for her to realize that he was doing the opposite. She gasped in awe, staring at him with worried eyes, "Miroku, are you cry--" but she was interuppted again, when Miroku quickly turned his back to her.
"Sango, you should go back inside...don't worry about me..." Sango was unsure if he had been crying, but if he was it would be more surprising than when Inuyasha did. He wasn't the person at all who would cry, always acting so very tough and strong, but Miroku seemeed even less likely. He never let things bother him, the most collected, calm person she had ever met. She studied him in a concerned manner for a time, but decided Miroku was most likely not willing to speak of what was bothering him, so she decided to talk about her own plight, which she hoped might bring his problems to light.
"I came out here because...I guess I was haunted by ghosts of my own past..." Sango murmured with some sadness. Miroku looked at Sango, who was now gazing out into the starry night. "I try to run away, I try to fight it and run away from it, try to push it away, try to talk it away..." Sango then whispered, "..whisper it away late at night when it comes to me, like the ghost of a long lost friend that I've wronged...who is too heart breaking to stand to be around...my past just keeps fighting back, trying to...to make me grieve...but I won't let it..."
"You should Sango, you can't keep running away from your emotions, you have to get through your grief..." Miroku returned softly.
"I can't," she returned, nails digging in to her palms, struggling not to let herself cry, "I have to be strong...I can let myself hurt for other things...but what happened...to my family...and...I just...I just can't let that pain, that inexplicably horrible pain get to me...I can't let myself feel it, because I don't think I'll get through it..."
"I know you can," Miroku said hoarsely, "you've always been so strong, there is no doubt in my mind Sango that you will get through it, I just know..." There was a short pause as Sango was thinking about these words and wondering what had been plagueing Miroku.
"Everyone involved with the Chikon Jewel is supposed to feel misery and pain ,when does it end, Miroku? We all seem to have some curse or another...Kohaku is never out of my thoughts, the woman Inuyasha once loved isn't alive nor living and wishes to bring him to Hell, you are cursed by the wind tunnel, and Kagome has had this giant mission laid on her lap, just like that, surrounded in it all, I can see how she hurts at the mention of Kikyo's name...poor girl...I just don't know if everything will ever be alright..." Sango said.
"Yes, and Shippo is orphaned, he's lucky he has us...the jewel hasn't really effected him though...but I suppose being parentless should be enough, no child should have to go through that." Miroku sat on the green grass, the stars up above shining in his eyes, Sango sat too, next to him. "I remember when I saw Father die..."
"What about your mother?" Sango inquired with intriuge.
"She died a long time ago..."
"Do you remember her?" Sango asked softly. Miroku's eyes brightened slightly at this question.
"Yes, she was the beautiful person in the world...I understand why Father loved her so much, but I still wonder how he stopped in his habits, he was as bad as I am with my womanizing ways." Miroku said this last thing with depression, which Sango would have never expected, she had only seen him mention "his ways" in a joking manner. There was a short pause as Sango surveyed him through the dark, trying to see if there were dried tears on his face, and how upset he was. "It seems impossible to get out of..."
"Your father just found the right person...that was all, he found his destined love," Sango replied, looking slightly dreamy.
"Destined love? You mean like "the one" and all of that?" Miroku asked, sounding doubtful.
"Yes!" Sango cried in surprise, "You don't believe in it, do you?" Miroku turned again to look into the sky.
"I always thought it was too good to be true, more of a fairy tale for children..."
"It's not! I know in my heart the perfect man for me is somewhere out there, and I'll find him some day..."
"Somewhere...some day...all so vague...I'm just not buying it..." Sango stared at him long and hard and finally she looked away, day dreaming.
"I guess you won't understand until you feel strongly for someone...I didn't fully understand before either...but I did dream about someone special for me might come one day when I was younger...you just have a bad perception of love right now." Miroku sighed with sadness. Sango smiled at him. "But even perverted monks fall in love...didn't your father prove that?"
"Yes, that might be true, but if all women think like you do, they're out there looking for the perfect man, they don't want someone like me," Miroku returned, tone quite meloncholy. After studying him for a short while, she again turned to the sky above her, wearing a mysterious smile on her face.
"Oh...I don't know, I'm sure SOME stupid girl will fall in love with you...I bet one already has..." Miroku stared at her for a moment, for a split second thinking maybe Sango was talking about herself...but then he figured she must know someone who was in love with him?
"You know something I don't, Sango?" Sango's face was bright red, she put her hands on her burning cheeks.
"Um...I...what do you mean?" Miroku smirked.
"That someone is in love with me?" Sango's face was so red, she just hope he couldn't see her extreme blushing.
"I--I--I...I....."
"Who is it? I guess it could be Koharu..." For some reason Sango became angry, she wasn't sure why, maybe it was because Miroku couldn't guess the obvious and maybe she couldn't tell him how she felt, but she expected him to guess, and how she did get extremely jealous so easily...
"Koharu!" Sango shouted, before she could stop herself, standing up.
"Not her, huh? Is it someone I know at least?" Miroku asked blankly. Sango forgot her anger and blushed again and sat down.
"It doesn't matter...you'd never guess..."
"Well, even if I never even find out who loves me...and I never get married or anything...I'm just glad that I knew that you were nice to me sometimes...you have to admit that you like me..." Sango glared at him, face red with anger and embarrassment.
"Whatever!"
"I know you get jealous when I flirt with other women!" Miroku teased, smiling. Sango's face became even more crimson.
"I don't have any interest in you!"
"Then what about that one time? Remember, after we defeated that demon that captured those men and made them old? You obviously liked me then."
"You obviosuly have something wrong with your head."
"Well, even if you do think I'm hot..." Sango blushed uncontrollably, "...I suppose no girl would ever love me...you only said that to make me feel better...I mean, maybe one or two did, but I always ruined it..." Sango studied him in the silence, realizing something suddenly.
"When you said ghosts of your past...were you talking about the women...that you left, Miroku?" Sango asked slowly and quietly. Miroku didn't say anything for a moment.
"Yes...I..don't know why exactly..."
"Well, you're human, so you'd feel bad when you do these things...it makes sense..." Sango said, trying to hide her upset. She never liked to think of that aspect of Miroku's life.
"Maybe...but I haven't done anything like that in a long time, why it suddenly bothered me now if strange, I keep...keep thinking I have all these habits and everything, but really I've found I either can't or won't make the past mistakes I've made..." Sango felt suddenly quite happier at these words, and try to hide the smile on her face. "...I'm not really sure what it is, at first I thought maybe it was the distraction of the adventure collecting the jewel shards...but I don't really have a desire to return to that life. What I saw made that even more clear." Bliss. That's what Sango felt. "Maybe someone to love wouldn't hurt." Sango felt her eyes getting a little watery.
Before she could stop herself she flung her arms around Miroku crying, "I'm so happy for you Miroku!" He was too surprised to do anything at first, but he eventually said something.
"I knew you liked me..." Sango immediately let him go, she was simply stunned his hand hadn't wandered to her rear.
"I said I was happy for you, I just thought it was good that you were changing your ways, that is all."
"Well, being the saint that you are, you'd be happy, you just want to save the whole world," sighed Miroku.
"You say it as if it's a bad thing," Sango returned blankly. Miroku laughed.
"I don't know...maybe its a tiny bothersome that you're totally pure..."
"I am not pure! No one is, Miroku," Sango replied.
"Maybe not, but you still want to save the entire world, the ENTIRE world..."
"I can...maybe..."
"You can't put all that weight on your shoulders..." he put his hand on her shoulder, "no matter how tough you are..." Sango looked ot the ground, blushing a bit.
"Maybe not the WHOLE world...just...help it out...you know...is that so bad?" Sango asked quietly.
"You're not bad Sango, you're perfect."
"I'm not perfect!" Sango cried, as if this was a horrible insult.
"It's alright to never do anything wrong...I wish I was more like you Sango...thinking of others before yourself constantly...but you know what they say, you have to keep things in balance, its not good to have too much of something..." Mirku told her.
"I thought they always said you can't have too much of a good thing?" Sango responded.
"Well, I think that its time you did something wrong...maybe...in the bedroom..."
"I thought you were done with your old ways?" Sango growled, glaring at him.
"Oh, I know, but don't you see, Sango? You're the only one for me," Miroku laughed with a mischievious grin.
"I'm sure," Sango replied sarcastically, "a hug is the closest to thing you'll ever get to your gutterball wishes."
"Oh yeah?" Sango then felt Miroku's hand grab her butt and her face flushed immediately. BAM!! She smacked the lecherous monk and gave him an extra pound on the head, causing him to fall to the ground.
"There!" Sango hissed, "Now all you'll feel is pain." And with that she marched off.
"It was worth it..." Miroku murmured, smiling dreamily. It was then a piece of her armor hit him in the head that Sango had thrown.
"ALL YOU FEEL IS PAIN!" She screamed insistantly, stepping back out of the house and giving him a dirty look, then returning inside. Miroku sat up, rubbing his sore head, smiling after her.
'Yes...this may be so...but maybe you'll eventually love me as much as I love you, Sango...' he thought. 'Wouldn't that be a twist of fate? The saint girl with the shady monk who steals, cheats, swindles, lies, and always has some dirty thought or another...' He almost was certain her heard the voice, faint, of one of those women with eyes filled with hatred and upset, and his eyes became quite moist ,as he stared into the grass trying to push his sadness and regret away. "I just wish I hadn't done so many things I want to erase..." he brought his right palm up and gazed at the prayer bead covers cloth over it, where his wind tunnel lye under it.
"Do I deserve this curse or is it simply another curse along with the burden of my mistakes..." He felt a tear falling down his face. 'And all this time I held them in...' He put his face in his hands, wondering if he should continue becoming numb and ignoring the pain and the mistakes or if he should just let go, and let himself suffer for it all.
Sango peered from inside, through the small crack of the slightly opened door. "Miroku..." she whispered to herself with worried eyes. "...whatever your past was like...I don't care..." She shut the door slowly, considering going back outside, with him, she stood still thinking this over. "I wish I could show you more than anger...and this slight concern on the surface, but right now my own suffering keeps me in this stand still, and I can't figure through this muddle of everything that has happened, what to do..." She gently slid her fingers downward against the bamboo woven door. "But maybe now I can say something right."
She began to slide the door open when, "Sango? What are you doing up?" came a voice. Sango gasped, freezing on the spot, and after a few moments, quickly shut the door as she spun around to face Kagome.
"N-nothing, K-kagome..." Sango sputtered nervously. Kagome yawned rubbing her eyes.
"Alright...but...I didn't see Miroku anywhere, you know where he is?" Kagome muttered drowsily.
"I'm sure he's just going to the bathroom..." Sango approached her. "I'll...just...go to bed now..." Kagome nodded absent mindedly and walked with Sango back to the bedroom.

Kagome woke up, icy sweat covering her now pale, pale skin, and her sheets, she sat up quickly, shallow breathes, eyes widened. Something about the dream she had had was extremely unnerving and as she touched her head which throbbed with pain she forgot it almost entirely. But her uneasiness did not wane. She sat as still as a statue, staring vacantly, not able to have many thoughts whatsoever. Something was horribly wrong.
"Kagome," came a voice. Kagome slowly looked up. It was Miroku, he held up his arm. It was covered in strange markings of silver, lined with the blackest black Kagome had ever seen, that curved and twined upward and under the cloth over his hand. She jolted to her feet in suprirse in alarm and rushed over, looking at it.
"What is this? What happened?" Kagome asked anxiously.
"I woke up with this...I'm not sure what it is..." Miroku said softly.
"Come on! We have to tell the others! We have to get help!" Kagome cried in a panic, trying to pull Miroku with her, out of the room. Miroku didn't move.
"It's fine," he told her quietly, "whatever it means, bad most likely, I deserve." Kagome stopped her frantic attempt to bring Miroku out of the room and stared at him.
"What the HECK do you mean?!" she exclaimed. It was then Inuyasha dashed into the room, looking more panicked than he mostly ever consented to show.
"Something's wrong with Shippo!" Inuyasha exclaimed. Kagome and Miroku looked at one and other in alarm. They followed Inuyasha into the main room where Shippo was lying on the ground, looking quite pained and flushed. Kagome knelt down, etched on her face, extreme worry.
"Shippo, what's wrong?" she asked softly, storking his hair. Shippo seemed half asleep and was only muttering things, his eyes were closed, and he was writhing in his sweaty sheets. Kagome felt his forehead. "He has a horrible fever..." She picked him up and gently laid him in a futon.
"What the hell's going on?!" Inuyasha exclaimed with great anxiety.
"He must be sick...I have medicine for fevers...he might have the flu or something..." Kagome said.
"The flu?" Miroku asked in confusion.
"Wait...you don't have that in this time do you?" Kagome's eyes widened in fear. 'Could have brought it with me from my time?!' "It's a sickness..."
"Demons don't get sick," Inuyasha told her. Kagome looked worriedly at Shippo.
"Unless he's been poisoned," Miroku informed her, looking very somber.
"I'll get medicine for poison and fever...just hope its not some sort of curse..." Kagome said, quickly hurrying out of the room. For a time Inuyasha looked worriedly at Shippo but he then jumped in surprise upon looking at Miroku.
"What the--" Inuyasha exclaimed, staring at Miroku's arm. Miroku brought it to him, covering the markings.
"Its nothing," he cut in. Inuyasha stared at him for a moment, when Sango came in.
"Did you tell Kagome? Does she have medicine? Will Shippo be alright?" she interrogated, speaking three words a second.
"We told Kagome, she's getting the medicine now," Inuyasha answered, studying Shippo still with concern. Sango gaze fell upon Miroku.
"Miroku, I didn't see you this morning..." Miroku looked away from her. An expression of confusion came to her face and she ntoiced Miroku was holdng his arm as if it was injured, "What's wrong with your arm, Miroku?" Miroku passed a nervous glance Inuyasha's way, which said, "Don't say anything about what you saw," and Inuyasha recognized this, looking to the ground, keeping his silence. Miroku put his arm down at his side, and pulled the sleeve over it as much as possible.
"Nothing is wrong with it, I assure you," he lied, trying to look in Sango's eyes to emphasize that what he was saying was true, but failing. Sango surveyed him with suspicion and confusion when Kagome walked in.
"I have the medicines,"Kagome announced, rushing to Shippo. "How is your arm doing, Miroku?" Kagome asked. Miroku looked at her with anger and pleading.
"What?" Kagome said, "Why can't Sango know?" Sango frowned at him.
"What is wrong with your arm?" Sango asked again with fimrness, reaching for it. Miroku put is behind his back.
"Its just a scratch or two from when I fell...last night..." Miroku fibbed. Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged glances.
"Miroku what--"
"Kagome, don't make a big deal out of nothing," Miroku cut in loudly, begging her with his eyes to remain quiet about it. Kagome closed her mouth and she and Inuyasha again looked at one and other with worry and nervousness. Kagome returned her attention to Shippo. "It seems as if everyone has some sort of problem.." she said, giving Shippo the medicine, "except you and Sango...Inuyasha...I have to take care of them...if we didn't have you we'd be pretty vulnerable right now..."
"No, tonight's the new moon," Inuyasha returned quietly.
"Oh no, I'd forgotten!" Kagome gasped.
"What do you mean 'them'?" Miroku inquired, "All I have are a few scratches, nothing more." Kagome stood up and walked up to him, glaring at him.
"Even so, I think you should rest," Kagome replied firmly.
"Please don't magnify my small problem," Miroku said.
"I agree with Kagome," Inuyasha put in, also frowning ar Miroku. Miroku looked from Kagome's face to Inuyasha's and sighed defeatedly and he walked over and lay on one of the futons.
"But...isn't it only a couple of scratches?" Sango asked, looking bewildered and concerned. Kagome managed a sunny smile.
"Of course, but better safe than sorry, we wouldn't want it to get infected in battle," she told her with false cheer. Sango seemed assured, for the most part and after being motioned to do so by Kagome, left the room slightly befuddled and weary, but feeling a lot less uneasy. Kagome's false smile was gone in an instant and she looked at Inuyasha with great anxiety.
"What are we going to do? Its almost as if this was set up, we're an easy target, Inuyasha, we're sitting ducks. Something strange is going on with Miroku, Shippo is extremely sick, tonight's a new moon, and I have the worst feeling...it seems like something will happen to Sango too, I bet..." Kagome murmued with worry.
"What do you mean set up?" Inuyasha asked, "we'll be fine, so Shippo is sick and you'll be a bit distratced with him and Miroku...and I'll go human...that doesn't mean we have no defense..."
"What else do we have?" Kagome asked, looking up at Inuyasha in upset and fear. "Besides the fact you and Miroku have issues that'll be hard to deal with...and even I can barely help either...I know nothing good is going to come of this. I have the worst feeling..." Inuyasha stared at her with alarm, but he sighed, calming himself and only became vexed, grasping Kagome's shoulders and shaking her.
"What the hell are you trying to do? Scare the shit out of me?! Come on Kagome! We always pull through, how is this time any different?!"
"I don't know...it just...feels so...forboding...." Inuyasha slowly let her go and silently thought maybe, just maybe, this time was different. But did that mean he might lose them all? That they could lose to Naraku? Or some other enemy that was somehow even more formidable? He didn't want to believe it. But there was something odd about how everything seemed to be going wrong.