Disclaimer: Yeah, I may not own it now, but there's a star out there…

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Hirari here, reporting for a new story! I'd like to clarify that this idea is based off of a Ranma ½ adventure, with Akane and that doll, then there's that one scene where… ah, never mind, you probably already know what I'm talking about. Although, this story will not be just like that adventure, because I've added some spices of my own. wink, wink

And oh yeah, no Kikyo will be involved in any way, shape or form, because (you know already if you've sneaked into my Bio to see if I'm a InuxKag lover, or have read Dirty Sneakers) to put it honestly, I hate her. I really do. And no, I'm not sorry to say it.

This chapter may be a tiny bit glum, just as it was in the Ranma ½ manga. So it's not a lot. The rest of the chapters are the ones with humor.

Tell me how you like!

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Disposable Soul

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"I can't thank you enough for letting us stay at your shrine, Lord Akatsuki!"

A gloriously uneasy day it was today in Feudal Japan. It had rained nearly all day, and no shelter was found until mid-day, when Miroku spotted the sight of a tall mansion nearby. And InuYasha, being the stubborn airhead he is in most cases, refused to stay in a place where he seemed unwanted the most. Until, that is, Kagome bribed him into reality with an all-you-can-chow serving of Ramen, well, how could he refuse? It was, after all, a damp and muggy place to be hanging around in the middle of what seemed to be an uncharted forest.

Luckily, Sango found the high priest of the shrine. Miroku, of course, could not fool such a higher being of authority, so he stood his grounds away as Kagome talked with the priest about their current situation of being tired, and having a skim supply on food and a place to stay. The priest, being a mysteriously kind figure of nobility, let them stay. Yet after seeing Miroku grope one of his shrine dwellers, you can tell the man was re-thinking the situation.

"Enough jabbering!" InuYasha said, with a snort to his bangs. He clasped onto Kagome's wrist and pulled her away from the preist in mid-conversation. "I'm hungry. Go make me some Ramen like you promised, wench."

"Keep it up with that word, InuYasha, just keep it up." Kagome shook her fist in his face for an added touch that made her look like she was going to go down on his ass with the nearest solid object (her bike) and ram him over the skull with it. InuYasha heard no detection of sarcasm in her voice whatsoever, for if he did he could have stopped on-coming pain.

"Make. Ramen. NOW. WENCH!"

"SIT BOY!"

"Aasdflsdgklasghfg!"

"What was that, InuYasha?" Kagome said while cupping her ear. "That grime wad in your mouth is blocking all means of communication with you for me to understand a word you're saying. Too bad." Kagome walked off in search of the others, with her pink bike in tow, and head held high. Once and a while when you beat a man in a war of wits, it gives you the energy you need to mouth off just about anyone. Now it appeared as if Kagome had enough energy to swim the English Channel.

But you can't say she didn't love the guy. She's been by his side, through the thick and thin, for three years now, and you have to give the girl credit. Kagome did have what it takes to be a lean-mean hybrid lovin' machine. And frankly, at night, she'd call herself just that. But it was strictly between her and her cat, of course. Because heaven forbid Souta overhear her conversations with Buyo and the next morning she finds a mini biography of her personal love life in the Sunday Paper. Publicity is the last thing she needs in her life right now.

"Kagome!" Sango shouted from across the boardwalk Kagome was currently trudging. "Kagome! Come over here! You have to see what Miroku, Shippou and I found!"

Kagome blinked like rapid fire and grew giddy at this new mystery surprise discovery. She just loved a good surprise. A familiar tingling sensation washed over her like the tides, but brushed it off. There was no way. Not here. So she got on her bike, and peddled her way to Sango and followed her as they chatted and walked together to their destination.

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"What's so evil about it? It's just a doll." Shippou reached his little arm out to touch it, but Miroku caught it in motion.

"Ah, young Shippou, that's where you're wrong." Miroku wagged his finger at the fox tot. "There is definitely a devious quality this doll gives off. And when you look into it's eyes…" He paused, and bowed eye level with the figurine.

She had a glass face, short black shair covering a portion of it, a glass body to match. You couldn't tell it was sturdy glass because of the festive kimono made of colors like yellow, burnt orange, green and red. The whole doll itself resembled, oddly enough, a shy human in nature—as if a baby girl stationary in time, limply leaning against the wall, and beady eyes stabbed with a spine-chilling "where's my mommy?" glare.

"Don't let that angel-face fool you, she's more wearisome than she looks." From the silhouettes came a fairly attractive elderly woman wearing a long gray kimono and had her sandy white hair held back in a clip made of seashell.

"I am afraid I am to ask you to leave this room, if you please, follow me this way and I will show you to your rooms." The elderly warden strictly avoided looking at the doll on the small table, like her life depended on it, or as if she did not see it there.

Miroku gave a small bow, and in suspicion, noted that the women had her back to them as she walked on without their consent. Shippou just shrugged. He doesn't know what goes through women's minds.

"Ask her about the doll." Shippou suggested.

"Excuse me, miss…?" Miroku drawled, catching the old lady's attention and stopping her in her tracks.

"Follow me, please." She urged. If not for the two men in the room, she would not even be near this portion of the shrine.

"Hmm." Miroku raised a brow, stamping his staff into the floor and staying his ground. The jingle let the lady know he would not be moving until all his needs were satisfied. Well, the non-sexual ones, that is. "I was wondering if you could tell me the history of this doll."

The women did not move. Finally, she slouched in defeat, but did not turn around. "They say that doll is disturbed."

"Disturbed?" Shippou crinkled his forehead in confusion, and skepticism. "That's insane! It's just a toy!"

"Shippou, please." Miroku whispered.

The young kit sighed. "Sorry."

"It is okay, my dear." The warden said, not budging an inch. "As I have said, that doll over there is bad news. It is a toy, but a cursed one, indeed. Our village found out the hard way. The maker, just before he passed away, laid a hex upon her. See, he was no fair man who'd watch children play, or work in the fields during the harvest, no. This man was thoroughly wicked. A sadist, as some put it, he loved to see women suffer, and took part in enchantments and spirit switching. Often he would claim he was a supernatural being, and that his one love and creation, that doll, was his very own soul cake. A one of a kind creation."

A little shaken to the core, Miroku regained composure and coughed. "What happened to him?"

The old women didn't reply. Miroku took a step forward, about to egg her on about the story when she whispered like a ghoul through the gust of a chilly night. "That doll took possession of a young girl about a half a century ago… The girl was a pretty young lady, a bright one. Everyone loved her. But one day… one day is all it took to ruin what she had so strongly tried to achieve in her life so far. That… wicked monster had somehow switched her soul with the young girl's body. At the time we didn't know of the doll, but of the man we knew too much. She began to become the opposite of what that girl was known to be. Beguiled and terrified, they killed her. And just as she died… her soul poured through her mouth, and that very same doll had singled handedly walked over to the girl and dropped to the floor. Hasn't moved an inch since… But now we know what happened, how, and why. Now everyone knows."

"How did the doll's spirit transfer to the girl in the first place?" Miroku asked.

"She just… looked into her eyes."

"And this has no effect on males at all?" Shippo asked as he leaped down from Miroku's uncomfortable shoulder.

"Oh, no… not in the least bit wavering. Considering you have done as such, and you are fine, the male is not affected, you see. The creator did not plan to harm men, just women."

"Oh no!" Shippou's eyes widened in sheer horror, tugging on Miroku's robes. "We have to find Kagome and Sango before they get here! Sango went to look for Kagome to bring her here to take a good look at the doll! Let's go!" Before Miroku could slow him down and tell him they could wait here until they come, Shippou was already out of the entryway.

Turning to the spot where the old lady was nearly covered in shadows as they spoke, he was in mid-way of questioning about a village she spoke of before discovering the lady was no longer in the room.

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"Hey, Sango?" Kagome turned to look at Sango through the ominous gathering fog, but didn't miss how deeply buried in confusion her friend was. "Sango?"

"Hu-yes?" Sango said. Preoccupied, and mystified. She could've sworn this was the way she came from. It wasn't as if the shed sprouted legs and moved.

"We don't have to look at whatever you wanted to show me today." Kagome reassured her friend. "We always have tomorrow to go exploring. Besides, I'm sure Shippou nagged Miroku into getting themselves some grub by now, so why don't we go back to the board walk we passed by a minute ago that leads us to the residence? I've got to make InuYasha his Ramen I promised earlier, anyways. Whadd'ya say?"

On queue, Sango's stomach began to growl. She blushed as Kagome began to giggle. "See what I mean?" Kagome giggled more as Sango playfully slapped her on the forearm. "All right, all right! You win! Let's go eat."

"Yay!"

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The next chapter is where the fun begins.

Review!