I'm updating again!!!
Inuyasha: I swear she's gone crazy during the days she hasn't been able to update.
Kagome: Inuyasha, that's not a nice thing to say!
A1969: Neither is this! Shows Kagome the photo
Kagome: HAHAHA!!!!
Inuyasha: What the-!?
A1969: I don't own the anime or the manga or Inuyasha!!!
Inuyasha: How could you show her the picture!?
SoSoSoSoSoSo
Miroku was looking wistfully at Sango. The young taijiya seemed determined to ignore the houshi at all costs and he kept wondering why.
Sango put down her bowl of soup, stood up and left the hut.
"Um…What is her problem?" Miroku asked Kagome. Kagome rolled her eyes at the monk. "As if you don't know," Kagome said.
"Someone's in trouble," Hakudoshi said in a sing song voice. They still hadn't let him out of the barrier.
"Shut it," Miroku warned. He turned his attention to Inuyasha. "Do you know why Sango is so mad at me?"
Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't know. She was fine before we left."
Kohaku and Shippou were both staring at Miroku, the monk wished they would look away. Sighing, he turned his attention back to the miko hanyou. "Kagome-sama, please!!! I'm sure you know."
"And I'm sure you know too." Kagome couldn't help feeling resentful towards Miroku. Despite seeing the painting, Sango was still upset with the monk.
Kagome walked over to her backpack and took out some Ramen. At the sight of it, Inuyasha's ears perked up the way dogs do when they know that their masters have treats for them.
Kagome added hot water to the Ramen and gave it to Hakudoshi. Kaede had made sure that anyone with spiritual powers could touch the barrier without suffering the pain that came along with it.
Inuyasha looked dismayed that Kagome was giving the Ramen to Hakudoshi, but he felt relieved when he heard the white child say, "I don't want it."
"I'm sure you must be hungry," Kagome coaxed. Hakudoshi stared at the bowl and took it from her, somewhat reluctantly. "Thanks," he muttered. Kagome beamed at him.
Inuyasha glared at the miko. "What?" Kagome asked.
"Keh," Inuyasha said.
Miroku looked around and sighed. "I'm going to go find Sango," he announced and he left the hut and went out into the cool night air.
"Hey, Inuyasha," Kagome said as she watched the hanyou, who was watching Hakudoshi eat the Ramen.
"What?"
"I was wondering…Could you take me to Sesshoumaru tomorrow?"
Inuyasha glared at her. It was the same jealous glare he had given her at the mountain. "Why?" the hanyou asked through clenched teeth.
"Well, I have to return the bow to Mizuki," the miko answered.
Inuyasha looked at her for a moment. He didn't want to go to that place. Not because his brother lived there, but because his brother's mother was there.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice snapped the hanyou out of his thoughts.
"Fine…Just as long as we don't stay too long."
SoSoSoSoSoSo
Rin was sitting in front of a full length mirror happily brushing her hair. Mizuki had insisted that she and Rin stay in one room, which was quite the sensible thing to do. Takara had been pleased that Mizuki and Sesshoumaru had finally come together but Mizuki could sense that there was something Sesshoumaru was hiding from her; that was what made her feel uncomfortable.
"Mizuki-san?" Rin suddenly asked. Mizuki smiled at the little girl and walked over to her.
"Yes?"
Rin hesitated. "I overheard Jaken-sama say that Sesshoumaru-sama intends to make you his mate…What is a mate?"
Mizuki raised her eyebrows. Sesshoumaru intended to make her his? "Well in human terms, a mate would be a husband or a wife."
"Oh." Rin was silent for a moment. "Mizuki-san…If you become just that…Are you going to forget me?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…If you and Sesshoumaru-sama have…children"-Mizuki blushed-"am I going to be forgotten?"
Mizuki knelt down on one knee and wrapped her arms around Rin. "Of course not…You'll still be my little Rin."
Rin gave her a big toothy grin. "Then…Can I…call you Hahaue?"
Mizuki smiled at the little girl and held her closer. "Of course you can and I can call you my daughter."
Rin beamed happily at the moon demoness and hugged her tighter. "Then…Can I call Sesshoumaru-sama Chichiue?" She asked. Mizuki thought for a moment. She wondered if Sesshoumaru would consent to being Rin's father. He may have been caring for her but that was no reason for him to call her his own.
"I'll ask him, okay?" Rin seemed saddened by that. A moment later, however, a smile appeared on her face. "At least I have a new Hahaue!"
Mizuki smiled fondly at her. "And as your Hahaue, I say it's time for you to go to bed."
Rin pouted but jumped on the bed anyway. In a matter of minutes the child was sleeping peacefully, a happy smile on her face. Mizuki sat down and stared at Rin. She really did look like a little angel when she was so peaceful.
She kissed the little girl's head and promptly stood up. She stared for a moment out of her window. The moon was now a half moon and within a few days, it would be full again. She sighed. She walked to the door, slid it quietly open and left the room.
She stopped walking and stared out the window in the deserted hallway. Why was she so plagued with the feeling that Sesshoumaru was hiding something from her? She had started getting the feeling only tonight, but it was hard to get rid of. It was as hard to be free of this feeling as it was hard to be free of one's shadow.
She felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist. Sesshoumaru's scent filled her senses as the youkai drew her close to him.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly. He heard her sigh.
"Rin," she answered. She faced him. "Sesshoumaru…how do you see Rin?"
He gave her a puzzled look. He only seemed to show emotion when he was around her. "What are you talking about?"
"Well…Just before I came here…she asked me if she could call me Hahaue I said yes and then she asked me if she could call you Chichiue…I didn't answer her, but do you see her as a daughter?"
He looked at her and didn't answer for a moment. He sighed and drew her closer. "I do not know," he admitted.
Mizuki stared at him. "But you have been with her for a long time…Surely you must see her as a daughter by now."
"Yes and no." She raised an eyebrow at him.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
He hesitated. "I…am not quite ready to take that responsibility."
She raised her eyebrows at him. "Oh? And to think Rin overheard Jaken say that you wanted to take me as your mate."
"Of course."
She gave him a tiny, mischievous smile. "How can you if you are not even ready to take in Rin?"
He stared at her for a moment then sighed. "Then I shall reconsider…Rin truly is like a daughter to me but I am not sure if I am ready to face that kind of responsibility."
"Then I can help you face that kind of responsibility."
He smirked at her. "Is that an invitation?"
She blushed. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that!" He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Of course you didn't," he teased
"Seriously…I…cannot be your mate…yet," she added when she saw the look in his eyes.
"Why not?"
She bit her lip and pulled away from his embrace. She turned her back to him and faced the window. "Because…of Naraku," she said. "It is foolish…if he finds out and if…if I find myself with…with…a child…Naraku could…do more damage." She didn't face him since her face was a fiery shade of red. She felt embarrassed just by talking about it with him.
He stared at her back. Her reasons were good enough and he thought that that was the most sensible thing in the world.
He sighed in a disappointed way. She turned to him and kissed him. She felt his arms encircle her and draw her closer. He pulled away and sighed contentedly. "Then I must find Naraku as quickly as possible and cut off his head."
She smiled at him. "Promise…I'll be yours as soon as Naraku is killed." She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"You are sleepy," he said. Mizuki opened her eyes and stared at him. "True, I had best get back to Rin." He watched her go then he stared out the window. He narrowed his eyes. As he stared on, a dark figure jumped from behind a bush and over the wall that surrounded the palace.
SoSoSoSoSoSo
"Sango?" Sango heard the monk's voice as he approached the edge of the village where she was staring out at the moon.
Sango didn't respond.
"Sango?" Miroku placed a hand on Sango's shoulder and the taijiya shrugged it away. Miroku hesitated. "Sango…have I done…anything to upset you?" He heard Sango sigh in a somewhat angry manner. "What do you want Miroku?" she asked. There was almost no emotion in her voice that Miroku thought for a brief moment that she was Kanna. "I was wondering why you're…upset with me."
Sango suddenly turned to him; her eyes were narrowed in an angry manner and her mouth was set in a thin line. "You want to know what you did?" her voice was low and deadly. Miroku had never heard Sango like this. When she was upset with him, she was usually silent and brooding but now, she seemed cold and distant. "Gee, Miroku…I wonder what you did…Let's see…how about…flirting?"
Miroku stared at her. He had always flirted and Sango usually ended up hitting him to show how annoyed she was. But this was different. She sounded really upset with him.
He thought for a moment…Oh crap. Surely she didn't see-?
Sango stared into his guilt etched eyes and narrowed her own eyes at him. "Now you know," the taijiya said softly. She turned on her heel and stalked out of the village. Miroku stared at her retreating back. He wanted to stop her. He really wanted to. But somehow…he couldn't. Sighing, he turned to walk back to Kaede's hut.
Do you truly hate me, Sango?
Sango, meanwhile, had stalked out of the village. She knew that it was dangerous to do so. But she had Hiraikotsu with her…So let those demons come. The taijiya wanted to vent her anger and rage on the next demon she saw. Sango stopped at the edge of Inuyasha's Forest. She suddenly realized that hot tears were streaming down her face. She angrily wiped it away.
"I hate you, Miroku," she suddenly said in a deadly voice. "I've had enough of you. You can flirt with as many girls as you-"
Sango stopped in midsentence. She heard a scream in the distance…a human scream. Holding Hiraikotsu, she dashed to the source of the source of the scream. She stopped as she reached a clearing. A young man was lying on the ground, injured; a group of oni were standing around him, chuckling evilly, their mouths watering.
"Hiraikotsu!" Sango's boomerang sliced through the unsuspecting oni, they fell to the ground, dead.
Sango immediately rushed to the man's aide. She turned him over on his back and her eyes widened.
"Long time no see, Sango," he whispered hoarsely.
"Hoshiro!"
SoSoSoSoSoSo
"She gave you the silent treatment?" Kagome asked Miroku just as the monk entered the hut.
Miroku sighed heavily. "You think?"
"Ha!" Hakudoshi said. "You seem miserable enough to die."
Miroku sighed as he sat down next to Inuyasha. "You think that? Somebody please kill me."
"It's because you're such a flirt," Kagome said.
Kaede nodded her gray head in agreement. "Perhaps Sango needs to mingle with young men so Miroku shall know how it feels."
Miroku stared wide-eyed at the woman. "Don't say that!"
Inuyasha chuckled. "We should let Sango flirt and see how Miroku would react!"
Everyone-even Hakudoshi-chuckled at the look on Miroku's face. "Hey!" Shippou suddenly piped up. "How about-"
"Kaede-obachan, I need your help!" Sango suddenly burst in through the mat; she was supporting a young man, who was bleeding rather badly.
"Put him here," Kaede instructed. Sango carefully placed the man near the fire and Kagome immediately took out her first aid kit.
"S-sango," the young man said weakly.
"Don't try to talk, Hoshiro," the taijiya said softly. Everyone-even Miroku-stared at Sango. Did she know this man? Jealousy was etched on Miroku's face.
Kagome and Kaede carefully tended to the man's wounds and soon enough, he was lying asleep on the floor.
"Sanog…who is this?" Miroku asked. But before Sango could open her mouth, Kohaku suddenly said, "It's Hoshiro!" The boy wasn't able to recognize him at once because of the blood that covered him. With the blood gone, Kohaku could see him clearly. Hoshiro had brown hair that reached down to his nape and he had an angular face.
"Who?" Kagome asked.
Sango stared at Kagome as though determined to avoid Miroku's stare. "His name is Hoshiro," she began. "He…he was…"
"Aneue's childhood sweetheart!" Kohaku said. Sango blushed while Miroku looked scandalized.
"So he's from the exterminator's village?" Kagome asked.
Sango shook her head. "He came from another village…"
Miroku stared at the man then at Sango who was staring caringly at the man.
He had a strange feeling that he had competition.
SoSoSoSoSoSo
Miroku was jealous. Morning had come and he watched as Sango tended to Hoshiro's wounds with a tender expression on her face. She had never looked like that when it concerned him.
"So, Hoshiro, how did you end up here?" Kagome asked.
"Yes, please tell us," Miroku said in a voice that reminded Kagome of Naraku.
"Well," Hoshiro began as soon as Sango finished tending his wounds. "My journey began a long time ago…When I heard what happened to the Exterminator's Village, I was devastated"-Miroku rolled his eyes-"but some time later, I heard rumors of an exterminator who still lived…It took me a great deal to find out who that exterminator was…But in the end I found out that it was Sango…" He gave Sango a smile and Miroku cleared his throat loudly. "After that, I began looking for more clues as to where she might have been. Finally an old man told me that two exterminators were living here…I was puzzled at first…Two? I thought only Sango had lived, but then I remembered Kohaku…"
Hoshiro smiled at Sango and the young taijiya smiled back. Miroku had a look on his face that made Inuyasha and Hakudoshi snigger. Kagome, however, looked thoughtfully at the monk.
So now, he's experiencing the same feelings Sango gets whenever he flirts, Kagome thought in an amused way.
She looked out the mat and suddenly stood up. "Inuyasha! We have to go!"
Inuyasha looked up at her. "Do we have to?" he groaned. Kagome fixed him with a glare that made him quickly stand on his feet.
"Kohaku, could you please hand me that bow and quiver?" Kagome asked. Kohaku stood up and handed Kagome the two items; she and Inuyasha then left the hut.
"Does anyone know where they're going?" Hakudoshi asked.
SoSoSoSoSoSo
"Wake up, Hahaue," Rin's voice slowly woke Mizuki from her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Rin smiling down at her. "Good morning!" the little girl greeted. Mizuki smiled fondly at her; she sat up and rumpled Rin's hair.
"Same to you," Mizuki said.
"By the way," Rin said. "Sesshoumaru-sama said that after you have woken up and prepared for breakfast, look in the drawer!" With that, Rin ran down to breakfast. Mizuki stood up and changed from the loose kimono she wore to her usual clothes. After combing her hair, she opened the drawer Rin had indicated to.
She smiled as she picked up a beautiful red rose tied with a red ribbon in the middle. She smelled it's sweet scent.
An Everlasting Rose? Where did he get it, I wonder? She thought as she looked closely at it. Everlasting Roses were her favorite because they never wilted, but lived on if the love of two people remained. She gently laid the rose on the dresser and left the room.
She found Rin happily annoying Jaken by trying to stuff a banana down the poor toad's throat. Jaken spat it out and it landed right at Mizuki's feet.
"You missed," she said.
"Sit next to me, Mizuki-san!" Rin dragged Mizuki so that she could sit down next to her and across Sesshoumaru. He smiled at her and Jaken gaped. His lord was smiling! Had the apocalypse come? Jaken wondered for a moment if one of them was about to die.
Mizuki smiled at Sesshoumaru. "Where is Takara-sama?" she asked as soon as she noticed that the inu youkai was nowhere to be seen.
"Knowing her, she's in her favorite part of the palace," Sesshoumaru answered.
"Touga-sama's study?" Mizuki asked. Sesshoumaru gave her a slight nod. "Thank you, by the way," Mizuki said. "Where on earth did you get something so rare?"
"Hahaue has a few of them in her garden," Sesshoumaru answered. "I am quite sure that she won't find one missing."
Mizuki gave him a wide-eyed look. "You took it without asking permission?!"
"I was only joking, she permitted me to take it," Sesshoumaru chuckled as soon as he saw the expression that appeared on her face.
"My lord?" A servant entered the room and bowed low.
"What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked his tone devoid of emotion.
"My lord…Your brother is at the gates…with a human woman. The woman says that she wishes to speak to Lady Mizuki."
"Kagome and Inuyasha?" Mizuki said.
"Tell my brother that Mizuki and I will wait for them in my father's study." Mizuki looked at him. Wasn't his mother there? She wondered what Takara's reaction would be when she saw the son of her rival.
As soon as the servant left, Mizuki gave Sesshoumaru a lingering look. "What are you playing at?" she asked, a little irked at his behavior.
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her. "I, Sesshoumaru, play? I only want to see Hahaue's reaction, nothing more."
She sighed as they finished breakfast.
SoSoSoSoSoSo
Inuyasha grumbled as the servant led him and Kagome into a room full of books. He grumbled even more when the servant informed him that his brother would be with him in a while.
"Stop grumbling!" Kagome said. Inuyasha pouted and began looking around. He suddenly tensed there was another scent in the room coupled with a powerful aura. He placed a hand in front of Kagome to stop her from going anywhere, not that the miko intended on roaming throughout the vast study.
"What?" she asked.
"There's another youkai in this room and I have a feeling that it's-"
"Aren't you Inuyasha?" Kagome and Inuyasha turned just in time to see a woman emerging from behind a row of books. Kagome gaped. The woman looked like Sesshoumaru, except she was much more feminine than the demon lord.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her.
Damn you, Sesshoumaru, he thought.
SoSoSoSoSoSo
Well? Was it good? Please review!
Inuyasha: You said you weren't going to show Kagome that picture! Look at her! She's still laughing!
A1969: So sue me.
