"Talking"
Thinking
Summery:
What happens when something dark from Miroku's past comes back and haunts him?
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine but two characters and the plot!
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I hate them.
The sun was setting in hues of color, from pink to red to orange to yellow. It was fading from the sky as darkness covered the light, consuming it at an astounding rate. Crickets were coming out along with the frogs and other vigorous animals to sing their songs.
It seemed peaceful.
Many people and animals alike would come out wanting to listen to their singing. The magic of nature's music and it wonders of the world. Humans were most affected by it as they relaxed to the soothing noises, letting their pains wash away as they listened to the tones of the wild.
One would wonder who wouldn't find such pleasure from such a simple thing. Was it anger in such a person? Or perhaps hatred? Who would know someone who didn't enjoy the free things of life that the world had to offer us?
It was unfortunate there was such a person. No, that wasn't entirely true. This person was not such. This...creature was not human, it was not a person in anyway, one would describe. If not a human, then what was such a creature? If not human, then a demon?
A demon would be evil, a demon would be powerful, a demon would be vigorous in nature, but no, this creature was not a demon. So if not human or demon, then what creature could this possible be? If not human with a heart or a demon that craves blood than what creature could it be?
I'm not either...I'm not a demon or a human. Why can't I be one or the other? such a creature thought solemnly.
The full moon was out as the sun was no more and the night peaked out over the horizon. Stars littered the sky and were filled with beauty that no other living thing could hope to accomplish. The round orbs in the sky shined brightly to earth's habits, bathing the ground with its light from above.
Shadows were made and gave a cast of the darkness of the world. One minute the earth is full of light were the next it turns back into darkness once more. The clouds in the sky drifted around blocking the earth from the moon's view. It mattered not, for the moon was stubborn and would shine even through the toughest of things that it faced.
I'm not either...I'm both. a single tear fell staining the cheek of the owners face; tonight was its human night.
The wind picked up making long flowing black hair dance to it rhyme. The trees around followed suit as they swayed to their own dace having branches bend to the beat. The grass in the area bent and moved like the ocean in a heavy storm. All at once the wind stopped and as such everything stilled on its own.
It mattered not to the creature.
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"Are you okay, Miroku?" asked Sango.
Miroku didn't respond to her. He was in a daze. His eyes clouded over in deep thought. The area that they were in and the direction they were heading was so familiar to him but he couldn't put his finger onto. Why? It was like he had been here before in his younger days when he first stared out searching for Naraku but he couldn't remember.
"Miroku!" Sango yelled in his ear bring him back to the real world.
"Huh?" his eyes widened, fully on alert now. "Wha-uh…of course I'm okay."
Sango narrowed her eyes at him, not believing him. Kagome walked up to the demon slayer and leaned her head close to Sango's ear.
"Miroku has been acting strange ever since we entered this area, Sango." Kagome whispered in her ear. "Maybe that's why he has been acting so weird lately."
Sango nodded her head.
"Feh, if you ask me. He was probably thinking about some woman he had met here." Inuyasha said stupidly.
"Idiot…" Shippo muttered under his breath.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome scowled him. "Sit boy!"
Inuyasha like usual went down and went down hard. Kagome turned to Sango to deny Inuyasha's words but it was heard by deaf ears. As expected Sango sighed dejectedly but what surprised them the most was that Miroku didn't protest. It was unusual of him to say quiet. Usually Miroku would protest and then even tease Sango with it.
"Are you okay Miroku?" this time it was Kagome asking.
Once more Miroku ignored them and kept walking even though because of his strange behavior and Inuyasha's recent sit they had stopped. Miroku kept going like he was in his own little world.
"Oh dear…" Kagome brought her hand over his mouth. This was not good. Miroku was acting weirder than ever and they didn't even know what was wrong with him.
"Miroku-sama!"
"Lord Monk!"
"Over here please!"
The group looked over to the small crowd that was accumulating up a hill that they were going up to. The group was confused as they looked from the crowd cheering Miroku's name to Miroku himself.
"Huh?" the calls of the people in front of them awoke Miroku from his thoughts.
They watched as three men bravely parted from the crowd to greet them and when they meant them the meant Miroku. They circled around him speaking fast as their words grew louder and smashed together to the point where no on could tell what they were saying.
"Now, now!" Miroku cried out over the three men. "Please kind sirs, calm down and repeat slowly so that my companions and I can understand you."
The three men looked over Miroku's shoulder and for the first time they noticed the people that the young monk had talked about. Immediately they glared at the demons of the group.
Kagome felt Inuyasha tense next to her and felt Shippo shake with terror at the glares. Sango narrowed her eyes at the men for giving them such glares as Kirara started to growl and hiss at them. Sango had to pet Kirara to calm her down. It wouldn't do if she started to attack the men even if she thought they deserved it.
"Lord Monk, why would these filthy demon travel with you?" one of the men asked.
"Yes, are they your slaves Miroku-sama?" asked another.
"What did you say?!" Inuyasha yelled angry at being called a slave.
"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered. "Calm down. They are only humans, remember?"
"They called me a slave Kagome!" Inuyasha retorted.
"So what?" she asked. "You know that you're not. And you know that we know that you're not a slave. Let them think what they want."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest but he couldn't. He knew that Kagome was right. It was who she was. Even when something like this was happening she would always find a way to make him feel calm and not want to kill the humans in front of him, like right now.
"No, no kind sir, they are not my slaves. They merely travel with me." Miroku told them.
Once he said that the men in front of him looked at each other trying to decide something. Miroku knew that they were deciding whether or not to let his demon friends into their village. This wasn't the first village that they had come by that was hesitant around demons.
"But I can assure you," he continued. "That they are under my control. They will not hurt anyone and I will make sure they are in line."
Both Kagome and Sango had to hold both of Inuyasha's arms to stop him from killing Miroku.
"Inuyasha you can't kill him." Kagome protested.
Inuyasha growled ready to get blood on his hands. "Yes I can!"
"No you can't!" Shippo helped out.
"Shippo's right! We need him, remember." Sango grunted out as she held onto Inuyasha.
With one last attempted to get to Miroku, Inuyasha gave up much to the relief of Kagome and Sango.
"Okay." the men finally decided. "They can come but one mishap and it will be their death."
"Thank you, you are so kind." Miroku said with a fake twitching smile on his face. "I will make sure they are well behaved."
The three men went back to their group and left Miroku to his own people.
"What was that about Miroku?" asked Kagome.
Miroku shook his head. "I have no idea, I don't remember them."
"But they certainly know you." Shippo said from Kagome's shoulder.
"Yes, it would seem so." Miroku said softly. He had no idea who these people were but yet they seem so familiar to him that it was scary.
"Do you think we should follow them?" asked Sango.
Inuyasha growled and crossed his arms. "I for one think we should leave. If they don't want demons around then I'll gladly give them their wish."
"Well, I think we should go with them." Kagome said.
"What?!" Inuyasha yelled. "Why?!"
"Because for one, it is going to get dark soon and second…" Kagome paused. "I could use a real bath and a home cooked meal."
Inuyasha had to flatten his ears onto his head to block out the squeal that Kagome gave when thinking about a hot meal and bath.
"It wouldn't hurt." Sango put in her input of the whole idea. "Though, we are going to have to be careful. I don't want to have to fight them incase they choose to attack us because of Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kirara."
"Sango's right." Miroku said. "We are going to have to be on guard. We don't know what to expect from this village."
"So it's settled then!" Kagome gave another squeal of joy. As they walked on over to the small crowd of people Inuyasha was behind them sulking.
"I still think we should've just left." he muttered under his breath.
"Cheer up Inuyasha." Kagome tried. "You never know. We might have some fun in this village."
As they reached the group of people all Inuyasha got was glares and whispers of how filthy he and the other demons were.
"Yeah…" Inuyasha whispered darkly. "Fun…"
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In the forest behind a village a lone person stood over them. In the shadows the person hid from the world. The villagers didn't even realize that they were being watched. In the shadows no one would know. Then the wind blew and the branches that concealed the figure changed as light hit the body.
The person in the shadows was a young girl.
She had on a white kimono that stopped at mid thigh with a green vest covering her chest. The sleeves on the kimono were long, much too long for a girl her size for she only looked around thirteen or fourteen. She wore no shoes and had green hair that was pulled into a very short ponytail. Her face was young but her violet eyes held pain, betrayal, and anger.
"So he comes back, does he?" she asked. To anyone else they would think she was crazy but she was a half demon, nothing was crazy about that.
A red and blue butterfly came to her and she in turn lifted up her hand and stretched out a finger. The butterfly, unafraid, landed on her finger.
"He is back." she said.
The butterfly moved on her finger as a silence come over them. To anyone, they would think she was studying the beautiful creature but to her she was getting the answers that she needed.
"I see." she confirmed it as she let the butterfly go.
"After so many years you come back?" she asked herself. He eyes held confusion but soon narrow in a glare.
"I will make sure you pay with your life this time." From once to a young child to a pissed off half demon, she would get her revenge.
Vines around her sprouted and circled around her. She disappeared along with them. The villagers below her didn't have a clue on what she was going to unleash.
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"We are so thankful that you have arrived Lord Monk." a villager said.
"Yes, so very grateful." another joined in.
As the group of people walked back to their village Miroku was surrounded by the villagers leaving the others out of it. They didn't seem to mind much. At least they weren't the ones getting mulled over by many people.
"Well, I'm happy that I could bring such joy to you fellow people." Miroku played along with it but inside he was screaming for help.
"We are so very happy! Now you can finish off the demon."
That caught the groups' attention.
"What demon?" asked Kagome. Some of the villagers turned to her but then back to Miroku completely ignoring her.
"Miroku-sama, a demon as been plaguing our village. You must finish her off like the demon before her." said a villager.
"Before?" Miroku muttered. "Before…" his eyes glazed over in thought.
So I have been here before and I apparently helped them with a demon problem. Miroku thought.
"Here we are!" an eagerly villager shouted at the return of home.
Miroku looked up and gasped at the sight. He had been here before. He remembered! Miroku's eyes darkened. He didn't want to be here anymore. He had to leave. This village was nothing but trouble for him and his friends.
When they walked up to the village Miroku was already planning to leave when the crowd parted to make a line to their head leader. Miroku glared at the head villager in hatred.
"Ahhh…welcome back Young Monk." he started out. "I hope the years to you have been kind."
"Yes, they have." Miroku stated coldly.
The head villager didn't catch the tone but his friends did. Suddenly they knew that something was wrong with Miroku.
"Come, come. We have lots to discuss with you." the leader gave a wave to follow him.
"I'm sorry to say but my companions and I are just walking through. We can not stay here." Miroku said firmly. Behind him his friends were whispering about him and his strange behavior.
"Why do you think Miroku is acting like that?" asked Kagome.
Sango shook her head. "I don't know. I've never seen him act like this before."
"Do you think it has something to so with this place?" Shippo questioned.
"Maybe." Kagome stated.
"Oh please…" Inuyasha complained. "For all we know this is the one village where he couldn't get any."
"I don't think that's it, Inuyasha." Kagome said wisely. She had seen how Miroku was acting and this was so alien that Kagome didn't know what to make of it.
"But why not Miroku-sama? We have a demon destroying our village and you will not help us?" said the leader.
Miroku's glare on the man intensified immensely. "The last time I helped you people you tricked me into killing an innocent demon for nothing!"
People gasped from the out burst and Miroku knew that his friends were gapping at him from behind him but he didn't care. He would be damned before he killed another demon for this village.
"Do not say such things Monk for you volunteered for the job."
"I only did so because I thought she was hurting people when in fact she was just protecting you. Why she would protect this village is still a mystery to me." Miroku stated.
"It was a menace to our village and now its bastard child is causing havoc just like its mother use to." the head villager said.
"What?" Miroku whispered, dazed. She's still alive. Even after all of these years?
"Fine." Miroku said. "I'll stay." With that said Miroku walked away not even waiting for his friends. He needed to think. He needed time to clear his mind.
"Miroku!" Sango shouted out but Kagome stopped her.
"I think it's best to let him go Sango." Kagome said. "He seems to have a lot going on right now."
Sango nodded. "You're right. But…never mind."
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Miroku walked along a beaten path that the village had, his staff ringing out has he moved. It was dark out but Miroku didn't mind. He was enjoying the darkness of the scenery.
It was pleasurable to stare up at the night sky looking at the stars, thinking. He knew that his friends were confused and didn't know what to make of anything but he didn't have the heart to explain it to them right now. For years he had hid this part of his past.
It was a past he didn't wish to return to.
It had started when he was very young; when he had first started out traveling for Naraku.
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A very young Miroku was traveling around in a daze. He had been on his journey for only a month now and he didn't think he was able to handle it. It was only a month since he had left and already he was walking around starving.
It was no use though as the young boy sighed. He put a hand on his stomach at hearing it growling like a demon itself. It had been two days since his last meal. He was hungry and exhausted. If he didn't find a way to find food and fast, Miroku knew he wasn't going to last long.
"Monk? Young Monk?"
Miroku looked up to the person he was calling out to him. Right in front of him he saw a young maiden whose beauty was beyond his imagination.
"Y-yes, what can I do for you?" Miroku stuttered turning his face red from embarrassment.
The maiden giggled at the monk's obvious discomfort.
"I was just wondering if you could help could help me and my village." the maiden gave a shy look at the young man.
"I-I don't know…" Miroku said unsure.
The maiden gasped at Miroku's response and wouldn't have it. She ran up to him and grasped his hands, bringing them up between them.
"Oh but you have to, Young Monk? My village has been plagued by a demon for years with no help. Our village would be so grateful to have you help us. We are willing to give you some food and a place to stay until the demon has been destroyed." she told him.
Food and a place to sleep? How can I not accept? thought Miroku. Then, as an impulse thought he decided to put on his charm.
"Now, with that kind of tone, and of course the well being of the village, how could I not deny your request?" Miroku laughed it up and when with it. He had never done this before but from the girl's reaction he was doing a hell of a job.
"Oh thank you Young Monk." she cooed at him pulling herself closer to him.
Miroku blushed from the contact but he wasn't complaining. He could get use to this.
"Please follow me…" she led him to her village.
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Miroku sighed as he thought about that faithful day. That had been the first time he had been asked to exorcise a village before. That was also the day when he had put his charm to use for the first time.
That day was the day that had made him into the man he was today. He had learned a great deal from that village, though some Miroku could do without, he knew that it was the changing point in his life.
"Hey monk?!"
Miroku turned startled from the call. He was more surprised when he turned and found Inuyasha coming up to him. Out of all people Inuyasha was the last person Miroku thought was going to approach him.
"Uh, yes Inuyasha? Is there something wrong?" he asked.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. He knew something was up with his monk friend but he didn't know what. It was a matter of time though. Miroku was going to spill whether he was ready or not.
"Yea, something is wrong alright." Inuyasha responded. "You are freakin' out the girls and frankly you have been actin' weird ever since those villagers showed up and brought us to their village."
Miroku sighed. Was he really that obvious? He knew that Kagome or Sango would pick up on his attitude but he didn't think it would cross Inuyasha's mind.
"It's nothing, really, Inuyasha." Miroku tried. He watched Inuyasha glared at him and knew that the half-demon wasn't going to give up that easily.
"Okay, okay." Miroku gave up. He figured they would find out eventually so he mind as well tell them on his own terms.
"Spill it, Miroku." ordered Inuyasha.
"You might not like this." Miroku said. "You may even hate me after this."
Inuyasha instantly dropped his gruff attitude sensing that it was getting serious between them. He stood there waiting patiently for Miroku to start. The air around them was thick with tension and Inuyasha thought he could cut through it if he wanted to. Something was going on with his friend and he didn't know if he could fix it.
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Part 1 of 4