Good evening everyone and as always, thanks for the reviews. In particular, Wolfluv - your idea was great (not what happens), but it would have been a good way to go. Just wanted to let you know that I liked it and appreciate the thought :-) I'm glad everyone seemed to like the little fluffy bit with Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. Maybe, just maybe, Sesshomaru is starting to get it.

This is a pretty short chapter (sorry) and also probably won't be most people's favorite but it is an important one to the plot of the story. Miroku's search is about to bear fruit - kind of.

Chapter 14 . . .

By Miroku's count, he and Monk Tutoro had been reading through scrolls for going on four days and for better or worse, they were slowly coming to an end of what was available. Discouraged, Miroku reached for yet another dusty piece of parchment, holding out little hope that this one would shed any more light upon the mystery that was Mother Earth.

Seeing that the younger monk looked weary, Tutoro reached across the distance separating them and patted Miroku on the shoulder. "I have never known Buddha to abandon one with as much determination as you, my friend. Do not loose hope."

Offering a small smile of appreciation, Miroku unrolled the crumbling paper before him, the parchment barely holding together as he rolled it out upon the table. Tired eyes skimming, Miroku suddenly tensed, his eyes narrowing in as he pulled his brain into sharper focus. Quickly reading, Miroku scanned the words once before stating, "I may have just found something."

"Hah!" Tutoro shouted. "It is just as I said."

Nodding once, Miroku answered, "This appears to be a first hand account by someone called, Nethelia. I believe she is writing about her father's attempt to contact Mother Earth and from what I can tell, the account is far older than any we have previously found and it appears that Nethelia herself witnessed the event."

Moving in closer, Tutoro brought yet another candle forward, lighting up the faded writing. "What does she say?"

"Nethelia writes that her village was afflicted with drought and many had already starved as they did not have enough water to keep their crops and livestock alive. Evidently, her father was a village elder and could no longer stand by and watch his village being decimated in such a way. This is the reason her father sought Mother Earth's attention. The account is fairly long and a bit broken, and it is woefully short on specifics, but . . . " Finger hovering above the words, Miroku began reading:

I could not stop father. Even the esteemed elder council members that are his friends could not dissuade him. He is determined that if he can only speak to Mother Earth directly that he will be able to convince her to unleash the rains upon our village. But the price . . . if father is able to succeed . . . the price . . . only father knows what he must sacrifice to gain her attention.

Lifting his head, Miroku looked to Tutoro, his eyes scrunched in confusion. "Nethelia's words imply that the price of contacting Mother Earth is not the same for each individual."

"Indeed," Tutoro answered while leaning back. "Perhaps death is not the only way to gain Mother Earth's attention. But even so, it sounds as if the price she was expecting her father to pay would be very high, especially if she tried to stop him from attempting it. A drought of such apparently devastating consequences would be dire and worthy of almost any means to end it."

Staring down at the crumbling bits below him, Miroku frowned before nodding. "I agree, but the information still does not offer what other type of sacrifice Mother Earth would accept beyond that of life itself."

Standing, Tutoro began shuffling toward one of the shelves. "Where exactly did you pull that scroll from?"

Moving to stand himself, Miroku joined the elder monk. "I've been working my way through this section." Pointing, Miroku indicated the area he'd been reading through most recently.

Grabbing up the remaining scrolls, Tutoro brought the lot of them back to the table. "Perhaps our Lady Nethelia wrote more on the subject at a later date."

Thinking it was the best option, Miroku agreed and they each began reading, it was only a few moments later when Tutoro shouted, "Our Lady has not disappointed us!"

Moving closer, Miroku tried reading over Tutoro's shoulder but found the writing too light for his angle. "What does she have to say?"

Eyes narrowed and focused, Tutoro's lips turned down with confusion. "I am uncertain what to make of this. The date on this scroll is not complete, but it is enough so that I can tell for a certainty it was written three months after the one you found. But, it is odd."

"Odd? How so?"

Instead of answering directly, Tutoro began reading:

Thank the gods, the rain has finally come. The seeds that were planted have sprouted and appear healthy, at this rate; we should have a good crop and food to fill our stores for the winter. What animals survived the drought are also fairing well and have begun producing milk again. We are all so thankful but wish we knew what finally convinced the gods of rain and water to bless us with their bounty again.

Pulling back, Miroku scratched his chin. "It is peculiar that she does not credit her father's actions for the end of the drought."

"Very peculiar, but if you think that's odd, then wait until I read the remainder."

I am hopeful that there will be enough food that even my family will be allowed a greater amount. Sometimes I wonder if our family will ever be forgiven for my father's actions. The man disappeared before I was even born and I do not remember him and yet we are made to suffer for his cowardly actions. Many times I have wondered if it would not be better if we left for another village and . . .

"The text becomes difficult to read after this," Tutoro finished.

Blinking, Miroku desperately tried moistening his overused eyes. "And you are sure it was written by the same lady?"

Delicately lifting the fragile paper, Tutoro moved the writing closer to Miroku as the younger monk slid the earlier parchment up next to it, both monks comparing the handwriting and signatures. Satisfied but still confused, Miroku leaned back while rubbing the back of his neck. "It makes no sense. The scroll dated but three months earlier speaks of Nethelia's father in respectful tones, more than implying the man to be a pillar of the community and yet within three months, it is as if her father were considered a pariah."

"And that says nothing of the fact that the second scroll speaks of the fact that Nethalia does not even remember a father that she so fondly spoke of on the first."

Sucking in a deep breath, Miroku's eyes widened enough to show the whites surrounding his dark pupils. "Monk Tutoro, do you think – "

"Do I think that Nethelia's memories of her father, along with the memories of the other villagers was the price Mother Earth exacted?" Shaking his head, Tutoro looked back down at the fading scroll, his eyebrows drawn tight with both confusion and sadness. "I am unsure and more to the point, I am uncertain how to interpret its meaning if this is the case." Gaze drifting back towards Miroku, Tutoro ran a hand through his short strands of hair. "Did he truly give his life or not?"

Miroku took another look at the writing before answering. "In one form or another, I believe the answer to be, yes. But perhaps Nethelia's father did not give up his life in the traditional sense of the word. Perhaps what he truly sacrificed was the life he'd lived, the memories he'd created and the man he was known to be."

Even more confused than before, Tutoro shook his head. "Then I do not understand why she would exact that price and not simply a death sacrifice."

Staring, Miroku's eyes locked upon the flickering flame of a nearby candle, his mind wracking through what he'd just found and trying to make sense of it. Beside him, he felt Kirara's soft fur as she rubbed up against his hand, his thoughts automatically going to his lovely Sango and her generosity in allowing the firecat to accompany him. In his heart, he knew what the deceptively innocent looking youkai beside him meant to his fiancé.

Collecting the small ball of fur within his arms, Miroku set Kirara in his lap, whispering into one of her ears, "I know, I miss her too." The soft mew he garnered for his actions put a sad smile upon Miroku's face as he once more considered how painful it must be for Sango to be away from Kirara.

And just like that, Miroku's head shot up, his eyes wide and mouth open in surprise. "I've been such a fool."

"Huh? What was that, Monk Miroku?

Slapping his face with his free hand, Miroku looked down at Kirara's large, kitten-like eyes before turning his attention back to Tutoro. "I've been looking at this all wrong."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

Reaching into his lap, Miroku grabbed Kirara, holding the firecat up in front of him as he answered, "Sacrifice. All of us make sacrifices every single day, some more important and traumatic than others. For my fiancé, Sango, allowing her precious friend to accompany me on a journey none of us are certain we shall return from, was a deep sacrifice. Sango not only risked losing me, but Kirara as well. For someone else, such a decision would not have cut so deeply as I know it did with her."

Eyes widening, Tutoro thought he was beginning to understand. "So, for each of us – "

"The ultimate sacrifice is different. Fear of death and what lay beyond is perhaps what prompts most of us to believe that to be the epitome of sacrifice, but not all are afraid of what death brings. And even for those that fear death, there is always the chance that they hold deeper, more painful fears." Reaching over, Miroku tapped his finger upon the scroll laid upon the table. "Nethelia's father loved her and their village and was willing to do whatever it took to save them all. For a man such as that, giving up his life for those he loved would have seemed a small price to pay, too small a price for Mother Earth to have taken note of."

Sucking in a deep breath, the sound whistled through Tutoro's barely parted lips. "Nethelia's father . . . he sacrificed more than his physical life, but his very memory. Mother Earth's payment was that those he loved the most, those that he sought to save, would never know it was him that had done such a deed. And worse yet, the memories they have of him are false and paint a noble man of noble deeds in a completely opposite light."

"In the end, Nethelia's father gave up all that he was to save all that he held dear," Miroku whispered, his voice hollow with the potential truth of the situation.

Finally feeling the fatigue that had been assailing his new friend, Tutoro leaned back; his head hung low as he gently shook it from side to side. "I am not certain this information is any more welcome than what you previously knew."

"I wish I could disagree. What we have just learned is intriguing, but still confusing. Although my postulation makes sense, I am not sure it is correct, or at least, I am uncertain it is wholly correct."

"How so?"

Miroku sighed. "Well, for starters, did Nethelia's father know what he was willing to give up when he went to Mother Earth? Could he have sacrificed something else? From the small amount of information we have, it appears to me as if her father loved her and that she was precious to him. Would not sacrificing Nethelia have worked as well? Or in truth, better? Surely the loss of a child would be considered even more of a sacrifice for one whom loved their offspring?"

"I see," Tutoro nodded. "Perhaps then, it must be a sacrifice made of ones self."

"Would not the loss of a child be such a sacrifice?"

"Not entirely," Tutoro answered. "Perhaps Mother Earth is more greatly moved when the sacrifice offered is directly effective upon the being making the offer."

Shifting Kirara within his lap, Miroku felt his shoulders sag. "I am unsure this new information is truly helpful. Even if I understood its full implications, I do not believe I am any closer to finding a solution that is helpful to my friend. As I've stated before, the one I am seeking to aid has already lost so much in life, sacrificed much of what he is to simply survive . . . to ask him to go further . . . at this point. I do not even know what it is that Inuyasha would have left to personally offer."

Thinking of Inuyasha, Miroku closed his eyes; at least a little thankful that the option of sacrificing the pup his friend was currently carrying was most likely not even an option. Still, the possibilities left to them did not seem all that appealing.

Shifting, Tutoro looked to Miroku, his face a little paler in the dim light. "Would it have to be your friend that made the sacrifice?"

Fingers raking through Kirara's fur, Miroku thought on Tutoro's question and could only feel sad. "In truth, I do not believe so. Although it is certainly in Inuyasha's best interest that Mother Earth be contacted, all of us involved in this scenario desire the same thing and would make the same request of her should Mother Earth respond." Head lifting, Miroku allowed the weariness pounding against his soul to show through his tired orbs. "But I am afraid you do not know my friend. It is interesting; Inuyasha is a half-breed, half human and half InuYoukai. Traditionally, both humans and youkai have treated him with malice, and yet he is the most noble of creatures I have ever met. Inuyasha would never allow another, let alone one of his friends, to do something that he was capable of doing. Even if I sought to do such a thing in secret, the fact that I had done so would haunt him in ways that I do not wish to be responsible for."

Sitting up a little straighter, Tutoro gave Miroku a quizzical look. "You said that you would not wish to be responsible for it, not that you would not."

Quirking the side of his lip up into a half smile, Miroku nodded. "Perhaps, Monk Tutoro, you are too perceptive. Should we be able to find no other way, I will do what is necessary so that I can save Inuyasha. I can only pray to Buddha that in time, he would come to accept my reasons and forgive me for such an action." Setting Kirara back on the table, Miroku smiled widely, his eyes crinkling with the motion. "Well, let us hope that it does not come to such a point as all that."

"On that, I believe we can both agree," Tutoro replied as he began re-rolling the scroll before reaching for another. "On such a note, let us look further and see if we can't find some more encouraging and useful information."

"A wise decision, but perhaps a little tea and refreshments might be had before we delve back into it?"

Giving a hearty laugh, Tutoro stood and began making his way to the entrance of the cave. "Truly Buddha must have blessed you for I have never seen one able to eat as much as you and still remain so hail and hearty in shape."

When Naraku had been alive and his hand cursed with the Wind Tunnel, Miroku had hardly felt blessed by Buddha, but as with many things in life, his curse had been a double edged sword. True, the Wind Tunnel had threatened his life, but it had also led him to the woman he loved and to friendships he'd never thought possible. Miroku would never go so far as to say he was thankful for Naraku's vile evilness, but it was also impossible to not understand the role that twisted hanyou had had on his life.

It was well into the next day, with very few scrolls left to read that Miroku felt his blood run cold, his fingers shaking as he disbelievingly stared down at the words scrawled out before him.

Standing to replace a group of scrolls he was done perusing, Tutoro happened to glance over at Miroku and could not easily mistake the fear he saw gripping the young monk. "Miroku, have you found something else?"

Continuing to stare, Miroku looked lost and Tutoro began to worry. Walking closer, the elder monk placed a hand on Miroku's shoulder, only to have him jump in response. Quickly pulling away his hand, Tutoro apologized. "Forgive me, but you looked so concerned and were unresponsive when I said you name." At the continued blank stare, Tutoro asked, "Did you find something more regarding Mother Earth?"

Blinking once, Miroku tried to calm his racing heart as he answered a shaky, "N-no . . . not on that, but . . . " eyes shifting back down to the paper spread before him, Miroku pointed at the symbols written on it. "Is this truly what I think it is?"

Leaning over Miroku's shoulder, Tutoro's eyes pinched as he read what had so shaken Miroku, his own breath catching. "Yes. I am curious as to how you know what you are looking at. Not many of our Order have any knowledge of the ancient sealing's."

"I . . . a few months ago, I would not have." Taking in the intricate designs, Miroku simply couldn't stop the shaking of his hands. "As with most current monks, I thought tales of fury youkai to be little more than fables spoken to frighten young children. I wish my thoughts on the subject were the same as they were then."

Silent, Tutoro moved a little further away, his eyes sharply contemplating the young monk sitting before him. Having spent the better part of these last few days in no other's company but Miroku's, Tutoro did not think he'd been wrong in the young monk's intentions, but knowing that Miroku knew of fury youkai made him rethink all that he'd recently learned. "What do you know of fury youkai?"

"More than I'd like," was Miroku's quick answer before a different type of panic set in. Quickly shifting, Miroku turned so that he could look directly at Tutoro. "If this is what I think it is, are there other records of the exact sealing's used?"

"And if there are?" Truly, Tutoro was becoming increasingly concerned by Miroku's interest.

"You can never let another see them. I have never been one to advocate destroying knowledge, but in this case . . . this information should never have been recorded." Staring back down at the scroll, Miroku's eyes hardened. "This knowledge is far too dangerous."

Moving a little closer, Tutoro allowed the concern he'd had slowly ease from his body, his mind once more curious. "I'll not argue the point. I'm sure you have not forgotten my earlier deception."

Gaze shifting back to the elder monk, Miroku nodded. "You mean when you pretended to be little more than a common, drunken monk instead of the intelligent leader of this Order?"

"Aye," Tutoro answered while easing his body back down, his substantial girth making the movement less than graceful. Turning a quizzical eye in Miroku's direction, Tutoro gave a heavy sigh. "Before I say more, I must ask how it is you know of fury youkai."

Miroku shifted, unsure of exactly how much to relay. He'd already said more regarding Inuyasha than he'd planned, but looking down on the symbols written across the page, Miroku knew that his friend would understand that he'd needed to do all he could to prevent another fury youkai from escaping its confines.

Decision made, Miroku kept his eyes on the ancient writing. "I am assuming you have heard of Lord Sesshomaru?"

Eyes instantly going wide, Tutoro leaned forward, his interest more than piqued. "Of course. Sesshomaru is the current Lord of the West, son of the late Inu no Taisho."

"That he is," Miroku answered. "Please understand that I am uncomfortable relating the whole story as it is not mine to tell, but to be brief, several months ago, Lord Sesshomaru encountered a fury youkai."

Ignoring Tutoro's deep intake of breath, Miroku continued, "He defeated the vile thing, but in the process came into contact with the beast's blood and became contaminated, the consequences were . . . painful. It is mine and my companions' wish that no more fury youkai be released." Head shaking, Miroku continued staring at the complicated symbols. "We were confused as to how the one Lord Sesshomaru fought might have been released. All of us had hoped the knowledge of their sealing, and thus means of release, had long ago been lost to the world."

Understanding, at least to a degree, what had frightened Miroku so much; Tutoro ran a thick hand through his disheveled hair. "I had feared as much."

Head snapping up, Miroku opened his mouth several times before finally stating, "I do not understand."

"No, you would have no reason to," Tutoro answered, his lips pulled up into a sad smile. "I suppose it is now time for me to explain some things to you." Pulling in a deep breath, Tutoro took a sip of tea before continuing. "Earlier this spring, word came to us that there was a monk, traveling much as you have recently been doing, whom claimed to be on a personal spiritual mission to discover the old ways. To that end, this monk was traveling to different Orders requesting access to some of their oldest and most treasured scrolls. Of course, the monks thought nothing of this and gave free access to one of their brethren."

Miroku felt his weary muscles tighten with concern. "I take it this monk was not simply interested in knowledge for knowledge's sake."

"Sadly, no. This monk never came to our particular Order, but he did visit a small, mostly unknown group that lives deep within the southern mountains. This particular Order is one of our oldest and most secluded, or, at least, it was."

"Was?" Miroku's concern quickly flashed to worry.

"Was," Tutoro nodded. "The last communication any had with the Order was a conversational missive stating they were currently hosting this peculiar monk. Weeks went by without a word from them and some of our elders decided send a party to investigate. What they found . . . " Tutoro's face paled, his hands clammy with memory of the first reports. "What they found was little more than rotting corpses, all slain and left where they fell. At first, we could find no reason for such a heinous crime, but upon closer inspection, we found their elder butchered within a room filled with ancient scrolls. The room itself looked tossed, the fragile pieces of parchment torn and lain haphazardly across the floor."

Swallowing past the dry lump in his throat, Miroku took in the new, disturbing information before asking, "And how did you know this had anything to do with fury youkai?"

"Their elder died a most gruesome death, but before he passed completely, he used his own blood to write one word, fury, upon the floor. Although unknown to almost all monks, the elders, including myself, were well aware that information regarding fury youkai and the part our ancestral monks' played in sealing them was located within this particular Order. We could see little other way to interpret his dying effort and now, unfortunately, what you have just told me only convinces me further of this."

"Sweet Buddha," Miroku whispered while shaking his head in disbelief.

"Indeed, it tasks one's faith in Buddha when such things happen."

Quietly contemplative, Miroku sat, Kirara back on his lap as his hand absently rubbed through her soft fur. "Even with the knowledge of the monk's sealing's, the perpetrator still would have had to gain knowledge from the priestesses and an ancient youkai involved."

"Again, your knowledge on such a subject is troubling, Monk Miroku," Tutoro answered.

"And again, I wish I was still ignorant of such knowledge, but that is no longer a luxury I can claim."

Studying the younger monk, Tutoro finally asked, "Does this have anything to do with why you are so desperate to contact Mother Earth?"

Smiling, Miroku looked anything but happy. "Unfortunately, yes." Standing, Miroku continued holding Kirara within his arms as he watched Tutoro struggle to do the same. "Monk Tutoro, I am forever grateful for you help. Please know that it is not only my goal, but also that of my friends and Lord Sesshomaru that the one responsible be stopped and we shall do all that is in our power to do so. Until that time comes, however, I would entreat you to continue being vigilant with whom you allow access to such delicate and potentially harmful information

"I have often thought a mere monk incapable of actually releasing one of the fury youkai and from what little I have learned from you, I am even more convinced the one ultimately responsible for its release was not a simple monk."

"You are correct, but the one that is to blame has the ability to influence not only human minds, but those of lesser youkai as well."

Hands clenching, Tutoro blew out a breath. "With such an ability, how can we ever hope to guard ourselves?"

"I am uncertain, but . . . I believe it is only those of weak mind and spirit that are able to be fully influenced. Beyond that, I can not say."

"Well then," Tutoro sighed, "I suppose we can only do what Buddha wills and trust that all will be well." Giving a wry smile, Tutoro added, "Of course, giving a little helping hand to Buddha is never frowned upon." Smile still firmly planted upon his face, Tutoro reached down, lifting the scroll in question and touching the tip of its corner to a nearby flame. Within a matter of seconds, the paper was little more than ash.

With relief flooding his body, Miroku hugged Kirara a little closer to his chest, a heartfelt, "Thank you," dropping from his lips.

"I hardly think there is any need for thanks, but if it would please you to hear it, you are most welcome."

Staring down at the smoking remnants of paper, Miroku thought back on all he'd learned and knew it was time to leave. "I believe it is time to return to my friends and relay the knowledge I have gained."

Shuffling forward, Tutoro slapped a hand on Miroku's back as he bagan guiding the younger monk toward the opening of the cave. "Before you go, we shall provide some provisions for your journey. Know that you shall be in my prayers and should you succeed in your task, I would very much enjoy the company of both you and these friends that you speak of, including the InuHanyou you speak so highly of. Know that you are always welcome here and should you require any aid, I shall be more than happy to provide what I can."

Now at the mouth of the cave, Miroku breathed in the clean air before bowing and offering up another grateful, "Thank, you."

Waving a hand in dismissal, Tutoro began walking toward the heart of their Order. "Now, let us see what food is available to send with you, my friend."

Sooooo . . . sorry nothing between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, but Miroku just learned a whole bunch of information and thankfully will be taking it back to his friends. Now we just have to see how they use it. Also good to allay everyone's fears that their pup might somehow need to be involved - thankfully that would be a "no".

Next chapter should be longer and up on Tuesday. Thanks to all that are still sticking with this story. I'm glad to have you with me on this journey.

lunamist

(Oh, for those of you reading the Perfection story . . . I might try and get a chapter on that uploaded tonight also. Hopefully within an hour or so of this one - just an extra treat for everyone :)