Miroku's Hand of Fate Pt.8

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome said.

"What are you doin' 'ere?" Inuyasha wondered, his voice angry. But whenever he saw his elder brother, his anger flared. He never had a soft-spot for his brother in his heart and treated his appearance here with somewhat detest. He turned the Tetsusaiga towards Sesshomaru.

"Hold fast, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said. "I'm here to help."

"I don't believe you."

"I did not come to fight with you, Inuyasha, if that is your fear?"

"I fear nothin'!"

"There is still time to save Miroku, if you would do away with this animalistic foolishness. Do you want him to die?"

"There's nothing that can be done for him."

Sesshomaru shook his head. "If you believe this, why do you position yourself to defend him? I can save his life. But if you have chosen to allow him to die, be it on your head and condemn Miroku to a void of endless suffering conjoined with Naraku." He started to turn away.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome called out. He turned his head. "Can you really help Miroku?"

Sesshomaru turned and faced her, and said, "I can."

"What can you do?" Sango said, knelling on the ground, holding Miroku in her arms, his head leaning in her lap. The pain had been so excruciating that Miroku had lost consciousness and he lay there motionless.

Sesshomaru drew the Tenseiga, and Inuyasha reacted in defense. Sesshomaru however stood unafraid of Inuyasha's actions. "Your fear is unwarranted, Inuyasha. I will not kill him." He then looked at the others. "Quickly, find his arm. I will reattach it."

"And how are you goin' to do that?" Inuyasha said.

"The power of the Tenseiga is must greater than I originally realized, Inuyasha. It is a sword of life, unlike your sword, the Tetsusaiga. I will reattach Miroku's arm and restore his life. It is unfortunate that I learned the secret of the sword after my own limb was discarded." Shippo had found Miroku's arm and brought it to Sesshomaru. "Now join it with his arm."

"Wait!" Inuyasha said, getting in between Miroku and Sesshomaru. "If you restore his arm he'll once again be cursed by Naraku."

"Do you wish him to live, Inuyasha, or die?" Sesshomaru asked him bluntly.

Inuyasha thought for a moment, but ultimately favored in saving his friend. "Do it!" he said. "But no tricks."

Shippo positioned Miroku's lower arm to touch with the upper arm.

"I assure you, Inuyasha, I do not fool around when it comes to life," Sesshomaru said, and with one swift strike of the Tenseiga, and a blinding light, Miroku's arm was reattached to his body and there was no visible scar or marking that it had ever been cut off. Sesshomaru sheathed the sword. Everyone was beyond words amazed and speechless at this miracle feat. "He is in shock, but he'll soon regain consciousness."

And as if on cue, Miroku moaned and slowly opened his eyes. His first sight was that of Sango looking down at him. He felt his head laying on a soft cushion-like pillow and realized it was her lap. "Am I dead?"

Sango smiled at him. "No," she said, with a tear in her eye. "You're alive." All of a suddenly she froze as a hand touched her ass.

Her face tightened up with anger and she instinctively slapped him. "Ow!" Miroku cried out, his face stung with pain. Sango pushed him off her lap and got to her feet.

"He's fine," she said, relieved but angry at the same time. The gull of him touching her ass after he almost died like that. But then she realized if he had the mentality to do it he was back to normal.

Miroku got to his feet and then noticed Sesshomaru standing next to Inuyasha. He then saw his hand had been reattached to his body. He opened and closed the palm. "Do I have you to thank for this, Sesshomaru?" he said, looking at him.

Sesshomaru nodded. "I have also taken Naraku's control away. He can no longer control you as he did. The healing power of the Tenseiga prevents it. I only wish I could have lifted the curse."

Miroku bowed out of thanks. "Thank you," he said. "Though I am grateful to you for saving my life and restoring my arm, this means Naraku's curse still has a presence in my hand, and I'm afraid it will eventually suck me into the void like my father and grandfather."

"Not unless we defeat Naraku first," Kagome said with a smile. Miroku smiled. He had a sense of optimism when she said that. She then turned to Sesshomaru. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. We owe you a debt of gratitude."

Sesshomaru didn't smile. He said, "Perhaps one day that debt will be paid. In the meantime, I must continue on my way."

He turned to leave, but them Inuyasha said, "Hold on, I have a question. What brought you here in the first place?"

"I smelled Naraku's scent in the area and came to settle a score."

"We have a score to settle, how about settling ours?"

"Inuyasha. . ." he looked at Kagome. "Sit boy!"

And he slammed into the ground face first.

Kagome said, "Pay no mind to Inuyasha, he thanks you too."

Sesshomaru looked down at Inuyasha, his face pressed to the ground as if he was glued to it. He was aware of the sacred beads that resided around Inuyasha's neck acting like a seal and felt shame for his brother to allow such a thing to happen.

Inuyasha muttered something. "Yeah, what she said. . .I guess," he said, his voice partially masked and drowned out by speaking into dirt.

Sesshomaru turned and left the same way he came, and his party followed him.

Miroku looked at his hand and suddenly felt a deep sadness. "What's wrong, Miroku?" Shippo asked.

Miroku looked at him. "Nothing," he said and smiled. "Do I smell like Naraku anymore, Inuyasha?"

But Inuyasha was snoring, fast asleep laying where he fell in the dirt.

"Guess not," Miroku said, smirking thin.

And everyone settled in for a good night's rest underneath the clear, star lit sky.

END