Warnings for this chapter: threats of death, indirect cannibalism


"So what's the plan?" Inuyasha asked, chomping down on a fish the villagers had left them. "We headed back to your village, Sango?"

"I've been thinking about that," the slayer said slowly, brushing her hand over Hiraikotsu. "We've made quite a sweep of the province already. This mountain range goes almost directly to Kaede's village. My home is completely in the opposite direction, but I can't forgo the repairs. I've been using the Hiraikotsu an awful lot lately."

Inuyasha shrugged. "That's how it's gotta be, I guess. None of our plans ever actually work all the way to the end."

Sango glanced between him and Miroku as Shippo climbed onto her shoulder. Her lips quirked. "It seems like a waste for everyone to go all the way back just to turn around and head for Kaede's again."

Inuyasha stopped chewing and narrowed his eyes. "What're you getting at?"

"I think it might be better for Shippo and me to go on Kirara to my village," Sango said a little hesitantly. "It will be easier on her if she doesn't have to carry all of us, and we can easily meet you at Kaede's village once we're done."

"I dunno…" Inuyasha said slowly. "Bad things always happen when we're apart. Wouldn't it be safer to stick together?"

"It'll just be for a couple of days," Shippo chimed in sagely. "And it doesn't make sense for everyone to go. I asked Sango if I could come just so I could look at some of the different slayer weapons, but it I don't weigh much. It'll take a lot more effort to bring you two on her back as well."

"I guess," Inuyasha sighed, looking over at Kirara, who blinked back at him warmly.

Miroku stayed quiet, watching Sango carefully. When she finally met his gaze, there was a strange expression in her eyes. She glanced significantly at Inuyasha and back at him, and he finally understood. And he was speechless. And unbelievably grateful to have friends who cared so deeply for him and his relationship.

"It does seem to be the most expedient path," he nodded calmly. "We can meet you at Kaede's in, shall we say, five days?"

Sango smiled broadly, not bothering to smother her triumphant look. "That should give me plenty of time to make repairs and meet you back at Kaede's without anything going amiss."

They followed the others outside and watched as Sango and Shippo climbed on Kirara's back. A few of the villagers nearby offered them food for the journey, which Shippo gleefully accepted. As Miroku handed a parcel of dried fruits up to them, he leaned in close to Sango.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes," she said emphatically. "We'll be fine. You just enjoy yourselves and stay out of trouble."

"Alright," he smiled. "You take care of yourselves as well – and if you run into a problem, come back to Kaede's and we'll solve it together."

She grinned. "What do you think the chances are that both of us will end up unscathed?"

"I'm an optimist," he shrugged. "So I'd say it's not entirely impossible."

About half the village gathered to wave them off. They watched Kirara disappear into the sky, and turned back to the hut they'd stayed in for the night. Inuyasha polished off the remaining food in the bowls they'd been given while Miroku chugged another few cups of tea. They told the villagers that they would be leaving as well, and were immediately handed some dried fruits, vegetables, and meats for the road. A few of the women insisted on walking them back to the forest path where they'd first been approached the day before. They described the best path through the mountain pass as they did so, and were insistent that any of their party could stay at the village any time.

"Well then," Miroku said as soon as the women faded from sight.

"We stay at it long enough, we'll have the whole province at our disposal," Inuyasha grinned.

"It's good to know we have allies," Miroku agreed. "Even if it's just a place to go when we're injured or in need of supplies."

"Never thought I'd have this many humans happy to see me," Inuyasha said, a little more subdued. Miroku wrapped his arm around his shoulders and pressed a kiss against his jaw. He smiled and turned his head to grant the monk access to his mouth. When they broke apart for air a few moments later, he smiled. "Feels weird to be on our own again."

"It's certainly a change," Miroku agreed. "And we have five whole days to ourselves before we have to be back at Kaede's."

Inuyasha hummed and recaptured Miroku's mouth, chuckling into the kiss. "Whatever shall we do?"

"So long as we sleep in some form of shelter at night, I'm open to suggestions," Miroku said coyly.

"I can work with that," Inuyasha nodded as they started along the path. He glanced up at the sky, his ears twitching. "I hope the others will be okay."

"Sango will watch out for them all and Kirara will watch out for Sango," Miroku assured. "And if they run into trouble, Kirara can fly them to safety."

"Hey, wait!" Inuyasha said, stopping. "Why the hell didn't we just summon Hachi and have him fly us to Sango's village?"

Miroku burst out laughing and, at Inuyasha's puzzled look, laughed even harder. "They weren't worried about how Kirara would fare on the journey," he explained gently. "I'm guessing it was all they could think of to get us alone together for a few days."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Sango seemed worried about us yesterday, and I believe she, Shippo, and Kirara all decided to give us some time to spend together."

"What?" Inuyasha asked incredulously. "They made that whole thing up just so we could…what? Stare into each other's eyes without interruption?"

"If that's what you feel like doing, then yes," Miroku shrugged.

"Why do they care about whether or not we're alone?" Inuyasha frowned.

"Because they care about us!" Miroku smiled. "They know that we've been through a lot lately and they want us to have a chance to just be together."

Inuyasha shook his head like he couldn't believe it, and Miroku couldn't help but share the sentiment. Then again, they both remembered how vocal Sango had been about them being together. Miroku wrapped his arm around Inuyasha's waist and laid his head on his shoulder. His partner huffed a quiet laugh and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, hugging an arm against his back.

They walked along the forest path unhurriedly for the rest of the morning, stopping often to touch and taste one another. It was remarkably unproductive, and neither of them particularly cared. The day was still cool but warmer than it had been, and they didn't feel the need to rush. The spectre of Menomaru was finally gone, Naraku's threat brushed to the back of their minds. When they found an old storehouse at the edge of the mountain pass in early afternoon, they didn't see a reason not to stay for the night.

Miroku built a hearty fire outside while Inuyasha caught them some fish, and he couldn't help but smile at how the hanyou seemed to have relaxed. He didn't even glance over his shoulder as he walked away, didn't rush back after he caught enough for them both. They ate early and in relative quiet, their sides pressed together. One the fish was gone, they sat at the doorway to the storehouse, gnawing on some dried yams. They watched the sun sink towards the horizon in the cool evening air, warmed by the fire and each other. When the night chill caused Miroku to shiver, Inuyasha drew him inside with hands on his hips and brushing down his jaw.

Sango had left them with two blankets, so they spread one over the floor and draped the other over their shoulders. Inuyasha drew Miroku against his chest, began massaging a hand through his hair while they exchanged lazy kisses. Not to be outdone, Miroku began very softly petting Inuyasha's ears. When the hanyou was practically purring against him, he wriggled out from his partner's grasp and took up position behind them. Inuyasha shot him a quizzical glance over his shoulder, but Miroku just chuckled and gently guided his head back forward. He pulled a comb from his robes and began gently stroking it through the long white hair. Each time he encountered a knot, he'd abandon the comb and work on it with his fingers, humming a soft tune all the while. Inuyasha began to sag against him, slowly melting.

By the time Miroku was freely running his fingers through the long strands, Inuyasha had his eyes closed and his head tipped back, exposing the line of his throat. Miroku guided his head back to rest on his shoulder and pressed a kiss against his throat. Inuyasha made a soft noise of approval and pulled Miroku back up to his mouth.

"I love you," he murmured as they broke apart.

"I love you, too," Miroku smiled, tracing his fingers down the hanyou's cheek and shifting to sit more beside him. "I'm glad we have this time together, darling."

"I gotta admit, they might have had a point," Inuyasha grinned ruefully, nipping at Miroku's lips. "It's so strange how I can be travelling with you all day every day and still need more."

Miroku chuckled. "So not sick of me yet?"

Inuyasha chuckled and dragged him closer. "Not yet, love, but the night's still young."

Miroku wound his arms around the hanyou, pushed them both to the floor so that he was flushed against his chest. "Well, let's see what we can do about that."

xXx

"Damn, we did not make good progress yesterday," Inuyasha said, glaring up at the sun.

Miroku smiled at him and the world in general. "I can't say I'm complaining."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes gently. "Yeah, well now we gotta actually get going today, love."

Miroku lifted his staff and shook it pointedly. "Ready when you are."

As they walked, the mountain slopes grew steeper and rockier, the surrounding vegetation slowly fading away. The villagers had warned them about this part of the pass, of the narrow passages and sheer cliffs which carried on for a significant portion of the range. Inuyasha glanced around warily, keeping on high alert. His ears swivelled as the sounds of bird calls or rocks dropping to the ground echoed eerily around the cliffs. A thick fog was also creeping down the mountain as the temperature dropped, making it more difficult to see.

Miroku could feel that Inuyasha was on edge. He wished that he could say something to reassure his partner, but he couldn't stop the prickling sensation along the back of his neck. Something felt wrong – he just didn't know what. The fog, the same that had surrounded the princess's mansion, was growing thicker the farther they walked. It dampened the air and the sounds around them, and Miroku shivered. Inuyasha shot him a concerned look and moved even closer.

"There's something…" he said, and gestured vaguely. Inuyasha nodded wordlessly.

They followed the quiet babbling of a river up ahead – the village women had said to follow the river along the cliffs to find the best path through the mountain. However, as they approached, the faint ball of unease that had settled in Miroku's gut grew to a steady urgent pressure. Something was very wrong. He grasped his staff tighter and placed a hand over the Jewel shards in his robes, just confirming that they were still there. He crept closer to the river, instinctively quieting his steps, and heard Inuyasha do the same, his bare feet utterly silent on the cold rocks.

At first, the river seemed to hold no secrets, no danger. But then Inuyasha began sniffing the air, a deep frown slashing across his face. He glanced upriver, where a large peach-like fruit was floating down towards them. One side was smooth and unblemished, but as it bobbed along, the waters turned it to reveal the other side, which was wrinkled and twisted and warped to look alarmingly like a human face. The size of the fruit, too, was very similar to a skull. Miroku glanced further upstream, where a few more of the fruit were being swept along by the current. Each of them had a human face – it was more than just mere resemblance. They each had distinctive features.

"That's human-faced fruit!" Miroku gasped, and Inuyasha could hear the horror in his voice.

"What's that?" the hanyou asked, a hand already reaching for Tessaiga.

"Ninmenka, a demon tree, uses humans as its nourishment and bears fruit that resembles human faces." He watched as more and more fruit floated past. "Each of these fruit bears the likeness of a body the tree consumed."

"A demon tree?" Inuyasha muttered, following Miroku's gaze upstream. He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all.

"Yes," Miroku murmured. "Considering the number of fruit, the tree has to be extremely large. I've never heard of one that produces more than a few fruits at a time."

"Well there's certainly enough bodies piling up with all the battles going on everywhere," Inuyasha grimaced. "That tree's gonna be well fed."

Miroku looked up at the sheer cliffs far above them. "There isn't any fighting this deep in the mountains. No one would bring an army that far up."

Inuyasha's ears flicked. "You're right. You think someone's feeding this tree? Getting it a constant food supply?"

"They must be," Miroku said. "For it to bear so many fruits? Something has to be going on."

Inuyasha scowled and kicked at a rock before sighing heavily. "We'd better go up and check it out, then."

He headed off upriver at a fast pace and Miroku struggled to keep up. He glanced at Inuyasha carefully, wondering why the sudden rush. If he truly wanted to move as quickly as possible, he would usually tell Miroku to hop on his back. No such instructions were forthcoming, and Miroku wasn't about to ask if Inuyasha didn't want to offer. But he kept a close eye on his partner as they walked speedily along the riverbank. The river continued on for far longer than either of them expected, flowing along the edge of the cliffs. They both kept an eye along the plateau above them for any signs of the demon tree, but none was found. Occasionally, another human-faced fruit would float past, and they would continue on.

The sun was dipping slowly towards the horizon when Inuyasha caught the smell of the fruit coming from above them. The sprawling branches of a tree cast a shadow down the edge of the cliff, and Inuyasha could just make out the peach colours amongst the dark green foliage. As they watched, another two fruit bounced down the cliff and into the river with a splash.

"That it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Incredible," Miroku breathed. "I've never seen such a big Ninmenka before, even in paintings. The number of bodies this one must have consumed… And can you feel that aura?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha growled softly. "Fine, here we go."

He held out a hand to swing Miroku onto his back.

"Wait," Miroku said, taking a step back. "What's wrong? You're tense."

"Just wanna get this done quickly," Inuyasha grumbled.

Miroku glanced up at the sky, and it all made sense. It wasn't too long until sunset, and he'd just remembered what night it was. "We should wait," he said. "Find a cave somewhere, come back tomorrow."

Inuyasha shook his head. "If we can get this over with now, then we'll haul ass to some shelter and we won't have to rush to get to Kaede's on time. Or, if it looks like it'll be one of those long-haul things, we can figure out a plan overnight."

"Inuyasha…"

"I'll be tired tomorrow, anyway," Inuyasha continued, quieter. "I won't be able to fight as well then as I can now. Let's just do it."

Miroku nodded and climbed onto the hanyou's back. Inuyasha began leaping up the cliff, and now that he was looking for it, Miroku could feel the strain in his muscles that hadn't been there before. A flock of birds passed overhead and squawked angrily at them before dispersing. They made it halfway up before Inuyasha paused, clinging to the rocky cliff face. His ears twitched and he scowled.

"Sounds like it's gonna be more than just chopping down that damn tree," he grumbled. "Someone's coming."

He crept up the rest of the cliff rock-by-rock until he could peek his head over the top. A large man stood by the trunk of the demon tree, pouring some purple liquid from a gourd onto the roots. The man was a good two heads taller than him and thickly built, with strange green-tinted hair that was usually found only in youkai. But there was no trace of youki from this large man – this human. The man corked the gourd and slipped it back into a leather strap tied to his waist. He leaned heavily against his large wooden staff, looked up at the demon tree and sighed.

"Damn! No Fruit of Longevity yet!" He reached up and picked a human-faced fruit from a branch, inspecting it for a moment before beginning to eat. Inuyasha saw the flash of distinctly sharp teeth. "How I tire of eating these all the damn time!"

Inuyasha hauled himself and Miroku up over the edge of the cliff. The man startled and took a few steps back.

"Are you the one who's been feeding this demon tree?" Inuyasha asked, drawing Tessaiga.

"Who wants to know?" the man shot back, glaring at him.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. The man reeked of dead humans. Miroku tapped on his shoulder and pointed. The man's kimono and the furs draped over it were stretched wide over his belly, and a Jewel shard was visible in his bellybutton, protruding from the skin.

"What do you want with me?" the man demanded, spitting on the ground.

Inuyasha growled. "I ain't gonna waste my time talking to you! But I am gonna chop down that damn tree! Stay back, or else…"

The man's eyes narrowed, and his voice gained a steely edge. "Or else what?"

Inuyasha lifted Tessaiga threateningly. "I'll chop you down as well."

The man adopted a more threatening stance. Inuyasha heard Miroku shift behind him, but he didn't say anything. He knew that he and his partner had similar thoughts regarding this man – he wasn't entirely human anymore. Inuyasha still wouldn't kill him, if he could avoid it, but he wouldn't feel bad about using the Tessaiga against him. Not when he was using the power of a Jewel shard. Not when the sun was crawling ever closer to the horizon.

As the man took a step forward, Inuyasha leapt at him. He swung Tessaiga at the man's belly, aiming for the Jewel shard. Tessaiga struck deep into the man's gut and then bounced back, the skin unbroken, the man unfazed. Inuyasha stumbled back a few steps and struggled to regain his footing. That cretin! The Tessaiga wouldn't work on him. His hide was impenetrable from a normal cut, and Inuyasha knew that he wouldn't be able to pull his youki into a more powerful strike on his own right now. The only thing left to use was the Wind Scar.

But would he do it? Would he kill the human?

He felt Miroku's hand on his shoulder and glanced at the monk, met his solemn gaze. He didn't have a choice. If they left now, they would be able to escape for the night. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to make it back down the cliff. They would have to stay and fight. And he would need to finish it quickly. The man's hand had settled on the gourd at his hip, was watching them closely. Inuyasha swallowed. He'd have to take the risk. He had to trust that the Wind Scar wouldn't kill him.

He lifted Tessaiga, calling the swirling vortex into his mind's eye. It came so easily now, even without a youki to focus on. The blade glowed amber and he sent forward the wave of power. The man instantly raised his staff, and yellow flowers began emerging from the vine wrapped around it. They swirled around him and spun outwards in a wave of immense spiritual power. The Wind Scar dispelled before it reached the man, and the petals settled along the ground, untouched. What the hell? How was he supposed to fight this guy if Tessaiga didn't even work? He glanced up at the sky. Soon, he wouldn't even have his claws to defend himself. Miroku was moving slowly beside him, one hand reaching for his robes. He didn't know what the monk could do – it wasn't like sutras would work on a human. The man took a step towards them and Inuyasha growled, baring his teeth.

"Hah!" the man laughed. "Demon, are you? And a fool! I don't know what you're after, but did you think you could defeat a sage?"

Inuyasha frowned as Miroku's heartbeat doubled. "A sage?" he echoed, surreptitiously stepping further in front of the monk.

"Correct," the man grinned, pulling the gourd from his waist. "I am the Sage of Togenkyo, Tokajin!"

"If you're really a sage, why'd you stoop to this?" Inuyasha spat. "Eating fruit grown from human bodies? It's disgusting!"

"How dare you!" Tokajin roared. He uncorked the gourd and a strong force immediately began pulling at them both. Miroku immediately tackled Inuyasha to the ground, lifting his staff above their heads to form a protective barrier.

"Hey!" Tokajin shouted angrily, corking the gourd. "You can't do that!"

He thundered towards them and brought both fists cracking down against the barrier. Miroku gasped as the impact rattled his mind – this man possessed more strength than any mortal should. He must be pulling on all the power of the Jewel shard! He caught Inuyasha's worried gaze and tried to send him a reassuring smile. They'd find a way out of there…somehow. But as Tokajin's fists slammed against the barrier again and again, the situation felt a little more dire. It was far from the strongest attack he had ever faced with a barrier, but they had to escape, defeat Tokajin, and get back to the bottom of the cliff before nightfall. Otherwise, he would have to face Tokajin more or less on his own. He didn't know if he would be able to, but he doubted he'd be able to keep up the barrier all night.

He felt Inuyasha's hands tighten on his shoulders, and he nodded. Tokajin's fists pounded down on the barrier one last time, and as he reared up to strike again, Inuyasha picked up Miroku and darted away. Tokajin cried out in frustration and started after them. Inuyasha kept on running with Miroku in his arms, heading towards the cover of some trees, away from the edge of the cliff. They both heard the sound of the cork being pulled from the gourd once more.

"Down!" Miroku instructed as he formed another barrier. They rolled to a stop as the wind picked up around them. He shared a grimace with Inuyasha as the gourd continued to pull at them, its energy crackling along the barrier.

"I'm gonna knock him out," Inuyasha shouted over the whistling winds.

Miroku nodded and dropped the barrier. Inuyasha leapt up over the pull of the gourd, relief sweeping through him as Tokajin moved the gourd to follow his motions, leaving Miroku free to scramble away. He was forced to land farther away from the man than he would have liked, but he rushed forward again, his fist aimed at Tokajin's head. The sage threw a handful of rough salt and sand at him. The mixture stung his eyes, but then Tokajin sent a pulse of spiritual power at him. The mixture came alive, sparks sizzling down his body and on his skin. Inuyasha gasped and dropped to his knees.

Miroku rushed forward, throwing his staff between Tokajin and Inuyasha. As Tokajin lifted a hand to the gourd, Miroku struck at his face with his staff. The sharp edges of the staff's head didn't so much as break the skin, but it certainly drew the man's attention. Miroku struck at him again and again, forcing him back a step, moving too quickly to be avoided. He had approximately no idea how to fight another human with spiritual powers, especially one using the power of a Jewel shard. Inuyasha wouldn't be able to use the Backlash Wave, either – not without his opponent's youki. Their only hope was to somehow remove the Jewel shard from Tokajin's belly and subdue him from there. Miroku glanced once more at the setting sun. They were running out of time. His distraction cost him dearly. He looked back just in time to see Tokajin's staff swinging towards him. He threw himself to the side, but the blow caught his chest and sent him flying.

"No!" Inuyasha shouted as Miroku struck the ground, hard. He threw himself in front of his partner, his youki flaring to burn off the residual spiritual power from the salt mixture. But as hard as he tried to fight it, he could feel his youki fading into dormancy. It was all he could do to keep Tessaiga transformed. Tokajin was walking towards them, and Inuyasha wasn't about to let that monster get anywhere near his monk. He shoved Tessaiga in its sheath, gathered Miroku in his arms, and leapt away. He landed back by the line of trees and hedges, unable to go any further. Miroku made a soft sound of protest, his eyes squeezed shut as he struggled for breath. One of his hands snagged in Inuyasha's robes.

"You're okay," he muttered faintly, glancing back at Tokajin warily. The man was still coming after them but stopped some distance away. His hand dropped to his gourd once more. Inuyasha swore under his breath. His strength was fading. He knew he wouldn't be able to dodge that cursed weapon – not while hauling Miroku around. As Tokajin uncorked the gourd, Inuyasha shoved Miroku away, into the trees, and sprang back to the other side. Once again Tokajin followed him. But this time he wasn't fast enough. He could feel the suction of the gourd pulling at him, drawing him in. With his youki fading, he couldn't fight back in the air.

He was already halfway to the gourd by the time he landed. He unsheathed Tessaiga and dug it deep into the ground and held on tight. Panic ripped along his chest as he was dragged forward, towards the mouth of the gourd which suddenly seemed so much bigger than before. Tokajin, too, seemed to almost have doubled in size. Inuyasha clung to the hilt of Tessaiga, but- What the fuck? Was his sword growing as well? He came to the only logical conclusion – he was shrinking. Was it some kind of illusion? It certainly didn't feel like it. This was real. It must be the same kind of power that allowed monstrous demons to be pulled into the wind tunnel. He cast a frantic glance back at Miroku, but was further horrified to find that he couldn't see the monk. Where was he?!

Tessaiga's hilt became too tall to reach and Inuyasha dug his claws into the earth, one final attempt to get free. But it was no use. He was growing smaller with every beat of his heart, and he no longer had the strength to fight it. He flew into the gourd, his head struck the inside wall, and everything went black.

xXx

Miroku crashed through the branches and tumbled down the stone steps of a hidden staircase. He rolled to a stop on the ground and gasped for breath, waiting for his vision to clear. His body ached from the impact, and he struggled to pull enough air into his lungs. He knew that he needed to get up – get back to Inuyasha – but he couldn't move. He glanced around the room that he found himself in. Numerous empty clay pots of various sizes lined the wall behind him. To his left, a series of different weapons were laid out in a neat row. He was lying against a leg of a tall table, with something resting on top of it. Miroku pressed stiffly to his feet and glanced down at the strange, open-faced box on the tabletop.

To his surprise, inside the four wooden walls of the box was a miniature garden. There were several houses, a flowing river, and a number of trees. What was even more surprising were the people he could see walking around inside the box, all no taller than his thumb. What a strange place! Who the hell had a living box garden inside a hidden mansion? Well, obviously a sage who ate people-fruit. His life was strange. Miroku leaned heavily against the lip of the box, taking a few more breaths until his head stopped spinning. He needed to get back to Inuyasha. But he had the most peculiar feeling as he stared into the box garden, as he felt the energy emanating from it. It was under a powerful spell. And yet, even as he watched, the houses seemed to be growing, the walls of the garden stretching beneath his hands. He could feel something moving against his chest, and pulled out the bag with the Jewel shards. Somehow, the cloth bag had more than doubled in size.

Miroku watched it continue to grow in his hands and came to the conclusion that he had to be shrinking. He shoved himself back from the lip of the box, but it was too late. The bag slipped from his fingers as he was yanked into the garden at full force. The world rushed around him in a blur of colour and motion for a moment until he connected hard with the ground. He gasped, the air driven out of him once more. He groaned and rubbed the back of his head, blinking up at the bright blue sky which suddenly stretched above him. Oh, he had a bad feeling about this.

He looked around him and, sure enough, found himself surrounded by a full-sized village. The landscape seemed to carry on in all directions, even though he knew it was an illusion of the painted sides of the box. Still, there was strong magic here. Something kept the sky blue and the river flowing and the people wandering around. His hand grasped inside his robes as he looked around the ground, but there was no sign of the Jewel shards. They must have fallen outside the box. Damn. His staff was still in his hand, and thankfully the mala beads remained securely around his forearm. It mustn't be the spiritual power, then, but the Jewel's specific energy that had kept it behind as he shrank.

He watched a man walk past him listlessly, his feet dragging on the ground and shoulders hunched. Were the people here under some kind of spell? He watched the man cross a small bridge over the river and continue up a path to the shade of a broad peach tree, where several other men were sitting, apparently meditating. This was no good. He had to find a way out! He had to get back to Inuyasha!

He forced himself to take a breath and collect his thoughts. The other people were in here for a reason. Unless their minds had been clouded by some spell, then there was something else that had prevented them from escaping. He would need to find out all that he could so that he didn't waste his time attempting something they all had already tried. He followed the first man's path to the tree, his unease growing when none of the men acknowledged him as he approached.

"Excuse me," he said. "Could you explain what you're all doing here?" No response. None of the men even opened their eyes. He tried again. "This world isn't real. Do you realize that?" Still nothing. "Hello?"

"Please stop disturbing us," the man in front of him said quietly but firmly. "We're in the midst of training."

"Training?" Miroku echoed, looking over all of them suspiciously.

"We are in the process of training here to become sages," the man beside the fist said. "When we become as strong as sage, we'll be freed from this place and Master Tokajin will bestow us the Fruit of Longevity."

Miroku swallowed. "Is he the one who trapped you here?"

"He didn't trap us," the first man snapped, finally opening his eyes. "Master Tokajin is our saviour. He rescued us from hunger and war and brought us here to Togenkyo. Do not speak ill of him!"

"I don't know what his plan is, but I can assure you that he has no intention of giving you all eternal life," Miroku said. "How many of you has he taken from here?"

The man glared at his for a moment longer before pointedly closing his eyes. Miroku frowned. This was getting him nowhere, and he couldn't afford to linger. He set off along the field, intent on walking until he hit a wall that he could break through. Several more men passed him, some walking as though in a daze, others running in formation and sweating profusely. None of them acknowledged him. He wondered how many lived in this strange place. He wondered how many had already been turned into fertilizer for Ninmenka. Tokajin had said that he was a sage. There had been a great deal of spiritual power in his spells, but not to a sagely level. The men around him had nothing. He knew only a little about sagehood – a remnant of a hopeless dream long ago – but he knew that reaching the enlightenment of a sage required far more than physical strength and meditation. They needed spiritual power, and without that crucial element, they didn't have a chance. It was possible that with extensive training, they could cultivate some. He didn't know if it would ever be enough.

A rumbling broke his concentration as the ground shook. Several thundering booms echoed across the box garden. Miroku glanced up at the sky, but there was no change to the flat blue expanse of the sky. The source of the sound seemed to move from one side of the box to the other, and Miroku realized that this must be someone walking outside of the box garden. A moment later, Tokajin's voice echoed through the air.

"No matter how I look at it, it's just a rust, old sword!" There was a loud thud and a clatter. "How did he get it to transform?"

Tessaiga! Miroku swallowed. Inuyasha wouldn't willingly give up his sword. He prayed that the hanyou would be alright. He reached out with his mind and found the nenju beads, giving them a gentle tug. He had no idea whether Inuyasha would be able to find him – if he was in any condition even to walk – but he had to try. He listened intently for any other sounds from Tokajin, any clue to Inuyasha's whereabouts. There was a long pause, then a sigh, and the sound of footsteps leaving out the other side of the room. And then they stopped. And then they returned. Miroku listened intently for a moment, but no more words came. Just a startled, wordless cry. And then the unmistakable power of the Jewel. Tokajin must have found the Jewel shards he dropped! Oh, not good!

"There goes the great master," a sarcastic voice grumbled from Miroku's right as the footsteps faded away. He glanced over to where a man dressed in the armour of a samurai leant against a large boulder. His indigo clothing was dirty and worn, and though a bo staff was propped against his shoulder, the sheath of his sword was empty.

"You don't believe he's the saviour?" Miroku asked, coming to a stop beside the samurai.

The man snorted. "Not likely. I may not know a lot about sages, but I know that ain't it. He's not saving anyone."

"How did you come to be here?" Miroku asked.

"Just another vanquished soldier escaping into the valley," the samurai shrugged. "I found the temple here and thought I'd find shelter. I'd heard a little about this place from the local villagers some months earlier. Supposedly, Tokajin's master was a sōhei all the way from Mount Hiei."

Miroku swallowed. "If that's the case, does Tokajin truly have the teachings of a sage?"

"If he does, he ain't using it," the man growled. "The only thing he's using is wicked sorcery."

"You mean Ninmenka?" Miroku asked. "The tree with the human-faced fruit?"

The samurai looked away and swallowed hard. "I saw him with my own eyes. He was talking to that damn tree, asking it about the Fruit of Longevity. And the tree…it talked back. Said it needed more souls, more sages. Tokajin was pissed and took this pink sliver of a gem that had been stuck in the trunk of the tree. I think that kept it from speaking again." The man shook his head sharply. "He found me shortly after that. Threw me in here and told me to train up."

"Is that what he's trying to do here?" Miroku breathed. "Create sages for Ninmenka?"

"One you master even a tiny bit of spiritual power, you become tree-fodder," the samurai sighed. "None of the others will listen to me. They actually believe that he saved them from fighting in the war, that they're his apprentices now. You should hear them droning on about the benefits of hunger and exposure – like those aren't the very things he supposedly saved them from."

"I've heard that renouncing the world and becoming a hermit is the only path to reaching the enlightenment of a sage," Miroku said quietly. "Even if he's lying, he is basing his falsehoods on enough truth that he must have at least some basic training. Do you have any idea what happened to his master?"

"Boy, I don't know anything about this place," the samurai snapped. "All I do know is there's no way out. I've tried."

"I don't believe that," Miroku argued. "Listen to me. I have spiritual powers, and a demonic curse at my disposal. I can find a way to escape, but I could use your help."

The man snorted. "Have at it. I'm not getting involved." He eyed Miroku dismissively. "It's good you have your weapon, though. Most of the time he takes them away before throwing you in here. They shrink with you if you have 'em on you."

"Tokajin didn't put me in here," Miroku said. "The spell drew me in on its own."

The samurai's brows shot up. "You managed to get sucked in here on your own and you expect to be able to find a way out?" He snorted. "Yeah, that's gonna happen."

xXx

Inuyasha woke with a start. He was in pitch darkness, the sounds around him muffled, but the smell was overwhelming. It was acidic and sharp, with a strong metallic tang and the unmistakable smell of death. Even with his sense of smell slowly fading, it was more than enough to make him gag, and his head spun. He could hear the liquid sloshing at his feet, and he tried to scrambled away but his back hit some kind of a wall. The gourd, his mind supplied. He was shrunk down and inside that human's gourd. The liquid must be what he'd seen Tokajin pouring on Ninmenka before. Based on the smell, it was mostly made up of acid and dissolved human bodies. Shit. He had to get out of there. He had to get Miroku, and get out of this hellhole before the sun set! He had no idea how much time had passed, but the sunset had to be nearing. He could feel his strength steadily draining. He reached for Tessaiga so he could break out of this stupid gourd. Instead his hand met nothing but air. Shit. He'd forgotten. He had no idea where Tessaiga even was! That bastard might have taken it, or else the sword was still lying on the plateau near the demon tree.

The world shifted a bit and the liquid sloshed onto the ledge where Inuyasha sat. He cried out in pain as it burned his feet. Panic was starting to rise in his chest, and he shoved it down. His youki grumbled a little but there was no rush of power. His youki was almost dormant. His robes were drenched and as he ran his hands along them, he could feel the fur fraying. The damn poison was eating through his robes! He glanced around at the complete darkness. Somehow, the liquid seemed to be higher than before. Unless his mind was playing tricks on him, it must be regenerating somehow. He was running out of time in a dozen different ways. But he was still trapped, and he had no idea how to get out! He forced himself to take a breath. If he didn't have Tessaiga, it would have to be his claws. He spun around to face the wall of the gourd and began attacking again and again and again. He poured his youki into each strike, but when he eventually paused and ran his fingers along the wall, he'd barely made a dent. It was no good. His power was almost gone. Damn!

He curled his fingers in his hair, his breathing coming in short gasps. He didn't know what to do! He had no idea where Miroku was, or if he was okay. He didn't know if he'd be able to find him as a mortal – even if he got out, somehow! Fuck! The world was spinning around him at a dizzying pace, the darkness becoming oppressive. Everything was too much and he couldn't think! And then he felt it. The sun had set. He could feel his claws receding back into blunt human nails. His ears had lowered down to the sides of his head. His fangs were gone. He shouted and slammed his fist into the wall.

There was a slight tug at his necklace, and his heart clenched. Miroku. He grabbed the beads with one hand and braced himself against the wall with the other. "I'm coming, love," he whispered. "Just hang on until I get there."

He listened to the sloshing of the liquid, the rumble of footsteps outside the gourd. The acid was rising, too. It was creeping over the lip of the ledge, began burning at his feet. He growled quietly to himself. No way he was dying here! No way he was going to sit in some cannibal's acidic soup until he melted and leave Miroku to face him alone! He pulled Tessaiga's sheath from his hip and began digging the pointed end against the wall again and again. It connected with a hollow thud each time. He could feel the impact ring through the sheath with each strike. On the fourth or fifth hit, he could hear a faint crack. And he didn't think it was the gourd. Damn! What was he going to do?

He ran his hands along his robes, feeling for anything that might help. The poisons from Sango wouldn't do anything against the gourd –if the acid hadn't eaten through the walls already, he doubted the powders would. But then his hand brushed against his dagger. Yes! He knew he wouldn't be able to make a hole big enough to escape – not before the acid got him. But… His mind was churning. Tokajin had seen him drop Tessaiga. He probably didn't expect him to have other weapons. For all he knew, Inuyasha was just another guy at the mercy of the acidic liquid.

Inuyasha knelt down at the bottom of the ledge and jammed the dagger into the wall of the gourd as hard as he could. He drew it back and struck it down again and again. Light burst through the tiny hole he'd created. He blinked a few times, his eyes readjusting, and saw just how screwed he was. He was right near the top of the gourd, and the liquid was swaying back and forth with each step Tokajin took. Each time it came his way, it spilled over the top of the ledge. He stepped onto a lump just above the liquid's reach and watched some of it drain away through the hole. As soon as it sloshed away to the other side of the gourd, he leapt back to the hole and slammed his dagger down a few more times, widening it a little. A lot more of the liquid escaped this time, which was good, because now he could see the stuff flowing down the walls of the inside of the gourd, the regeneration in full force.

Inuyasha stepped back, took a deep breath, and started screaming. He poured all his anger and fear and pain into the sound, and just kept going. He heard Tokajin laugh outside. Inuyasha smiled with grim satisfaction. He screamed a few more times just for effect, and then added some vague gurgling sounds. Miroku would be proud. The swaying suddenly stopped. Inuyasha shoved the dagger back in his robes and crouched down. He could hear Tokajin mumbling, though he couldn't make out the words. Then the unmistakable sound of the cork moving at the top of the gourd. It pulled out with a pop and Inuyasha leapt. He barely made it to the lip of the gourd, caught hold desperately with one hand. Tokajin cried out in surprise. Inuyasha saw him lift the cork, about to slam it back into the mouth of the gourd. That wasn't gonna happen.

Inuyasha hauled himself over the lip of the gourd and threw himself out. He immediately felt himself growing as he fell. He hit the ground hard and groaned. He gasped for just a moment, shuddering from the impact and the bite of the acid on his robes, so much worse now that he was mortal. He spared a moment to glare at Tokajin as well, who didn't look happy.

"How the hell did you get out of there?" he was shouting.

"I knew you'd be stupid enough to look," Inuyasha growled, climbing to his feet. "Now, I hope you're prepared to die!"

He launched himself forward and his fist connected solidly with Tokajin's cheek. The man gasped and stumbled back, his eyes growing wide and a frightening anger spreading across his face.

"How. Dare. You," Tokajin breathed, apparently unfazed by the blow.

Inuyasha glanced down and saw not one, but three Jewel shards. His stomach sank. Miroku.

"Where the hell did you get those shards?" Inuyasha shouted. "What did you do to him?"

Tokajin grumbled and his hand dropped to the gourd. Inuyasha growled. That was not happening again. Before Tokajin could move, he darted forward and tore the gourd from his grasp before jumping back. Tokajin cried out and reached for it, but Inuyasha threw it down hard on the ground and stomped on it for good measure. It broke in two with a satisfying crack.

"Grimy kid," Tokajin grumbled dangerously, his eyes flashing up to Inuyasha's face. "You're gonna pay for that."

There was a pulse of power from the Jewel shards, and Tokajin's skin thickened and hardened until it resembled rock. And then he leapt into the air, both fists raised high above his head. Inuyasha tried to scramble away, but the floor was slippery with the spilled acid. All he could do was watch as Tokajin's fists slammed down onto him, and the world went black once more.

xXx

Miroku slammed his staff against the wall of the box garden once more with a shout. Nothing. He was getting nowhere with this! He took a step back, surveyed his prison. The walls continued around the entire garden, unbroken. There were no trees near the edges that he could climb, and while there was a rocky hill to his left which rose a good distance up the wall, it wasn't far enough that he would be able to climb out. He stalked back to the wall and tore the mala from his hand, shoving his palm against the painted wood of the box. And he waited. The wind tunnel grew, the air screeching as it was pulled between his hand and the wood. The wall began to shake from the force, and after another few moments, a long crack split lengthwise along the wall. Miroku braced himself and waited. Nothing else happened. Even as his arm began to ache and the hollowness began to spread along his chest, the wall refused to break. He pulled back with a growl and shoved the mala back onto his hand. The power of the wind tunnel must be reduced proportionally to his size. He wouldn't be able to get out that way. He stared up the tall edge, wondering if he might be able to scale it somehow, using the suction created by the wind tunnel to stick to the wall. He very much doubted it, but he was running out of options.

"Stop wasting your time, kid," the samurai called from under the shade of a nearby tree. "It's useless – I told you, there's no way out. In here, you either get fed to the tree of the human-faced fruit, or you stay here and die. Those are the only two choices."

Miroku shook his head. "I refuse to believe that. I'm not going to stop trying until I find a way out, whether you help me or not."

The samurai sighed. "I wish I was wrong, kid, but there's no escaping this hell. I'm sorry."

Miroku heard him rise and walk away. He closed his eyes and pressed his brow against the cool wood of the wall. There had to be something. There was always something. He'd been in enough seemingly-hopeless situations to know that there was always some weakness to exploit, some trick he hadn't tried yet. He just had to find it. Miroku glanced up at the sky. The sun had to have set by now, regardless of what the false canopy of the box garden proclaimed. Inuyasha was human for the night. He hadn't come to the call of the nenju beads. And Tokajin had Tessaiga. Miroku desperately hoped that Inuyasha had simply found some place to hide until morning – but, knowing his partner, that was just about the unlikeliest option out there. Miroku sighed and pressed his head back against the walls. He'd find a way out. He would. He had to.


So I'm looking at a picture of the box garden in the show, and there's this rocky mountain that goes straight up to the top of the walls. Therefore, my scientific conclusion is that the samurai, Kagome, Miroku, and Shippo are all idiots