Hey all; I'm finally back to deliver some new material! As I'm sure you've guessed, I've been in a slump of a mood with regards to actually wanting to write for the last while, save the gradual editing projects. But, I promise I haven't abandoned my stories altogether! In fact, I've been scribbling some brand new ideas into my fanfic notebook, and there's the possibility a few new plot summaries - ma~ybe even a beginning chapter or two? - may pop up on my profile (stay tuned and find out).

Anyway, moving on, my more avid fans of the anime for this tale will likely have noticed I skipped an episode...Well, I've been doing alot of thinking for this story (among the other ideas running around in my imagination), and have decided to become a little more proactive with regards to the filler pieces. For those who love the Shippō-centric episodes, my apologies. This of course won't be the last time I'll be 'cutting corners' so to speak, so be prepared in advance.

Finally, I'd like to send a shout-out to my PM buddies XxWolfLord95xX, Cyberbee15, Amber Is A Fossil, White Hunter, WolfWitchHuntress1318, drakin6345, and StoneBright for the support, inspiration and friendship I continue to treasure through the good and bad (even when the chat's quiet, I refuse to forget you).

With that, enjoy the latest installment of my adventure, and Happy Halloween!


Chapter 142: Verbal Deception & The Axiom of Experience

The eerie crackle of several torches pierces the darkness of night in a thick forest, leading a small progression of women as they carry a large, something wrapped in a straw mat...They stop atop a boulder overlooking a small marsh and adjoining river, and toss the heavy thing into the water with a splash. Staring with disturbingly blank expressions for a moment, the women then start their trek back to whatever village they reside from...

Unbeknownst to them, an old traveler had witnessed the event from behind some tall reeds, and couldn't help but turn his gaze to the straw-wrapped mystery floating downstream.

What on earth is that?...Could it be the departed? Nay...Such would have been given better treatment...

The aging man would receive his answer as soon as the water withers down the straw weaving, revealing a severely dried-up husk of a human whose face is frozen in an expression of pure horror!

"Gah! Hh-h-Heeeelp!"

Overcome with terror, the old traveler immediately scrambles back onto the main path and attempts to make a break for it. He doesn't get far, however, running into another soul encased in samurai armor...Shaking himself out of his daze, the elder man looks up at the new stranger, only to become frightened once again by the Menpō mask the warrior was wearing. Letting out another cry, the former pivots back the other direction and runs, despite the samurai's hoarse attempt to call them.

"Come, back...!"

Removing his mask, the warrior is confirmed to be a human male, with beige skin and long black hair matching his bushy eyebrows.

"The old man ran away..."

Dropping the Menpō altogether, he turns around and limps away, revealing the arrows pierced into his back...

Hours pass into the next morning, and the old man will have come across our familiar band of traveling warriors as they continue their search for the evil entity Naraku, stopping atop a hill to regale his troubles...

"A village of demon women?"

He nods at Inuyasha,

"It's true! I saw them with my own eyes last night. I went into the forest last night to gather herbs and lost my way...I wandered around for a time and finally ended up near a marsh, and the women were on a cliff above, holding something, before throwing it into the marsh."

Miroku asks,

"What was it? Do you have any idea?"

"I'm certain it was a human body that had been skinned. (Shiver) Humans would never do such a terrible thing. It had to be the work of demon women!"

Thanking the elder traveler for the cautionary information, our group of nine - right down to the small Will O' Wisp - will then continue their way up the hill running along the river, finding themselves discussing the matter.

"Demon women? That's creepy..."

Freeman nods in agreement with the small fox demon on his shoulder, and we notice that today, he's sporting a black leather vest over a simple forest green tee, dark blue jeans and his monochrome high-tops, contrasting his twin brother who chose a light green button-up shirt under a black windbreaker, medium blue jeans and full black sneakers.

"Yeah I mean, there's nothin' wrong with making friends with good women with demonic backgrounds, but these ones the old man described almost sound like Wendigo."

"Wen-di-go? What's that; a demon?"

"Ueh, kind of. It's an evil spirit from Native American folklore that possesses its victims and causes them to become cannibalistic monsters."

"...Yeesh, sorry I asked."

Though morbidly curious of the foreign creature his friend speaks of, Miroku focuses on the present problem, his Prussian blue irises narrowing in thought.

"Returning to the matter at hand, it's rather strange that I don't feel a demonic aura coming from around here..."

Besa suggests,

"Perhaps they're using some sort of enchantment to cloak their presence?"

"Could be..."

Inuyasha then asks his mate,

"Coraline, do you sense any jewel shards?"

Shaking her head, the redhead - currently dressed in a simple robin egg blue v-neck long sleeve, a bright fall red hooded shawl with her family's crest woven on the back using midnight blue thread (a late gift from the wiccan Sonya), dark green jeans and her black combat boots, her hair tied back into a braid - replies with a little suspicion in her tone,

"Not even one...Howev'r, I do sense a strange disquiet in d'is region."

"Whaddo you mean?"

"I can't really explain it...but I've noticed the wildlife along d'is path been quieter than usual, an' to me, that's one of the more basic warning signs tha' something's wrong."

Everyone hums in consideration to this fact, though our nervous fox demon is uncertain in sticking his neck any closer to the possible source of danger.

"Still, if there aren't any jewel shards, m-maybe we shouldn't bother going to such a dangerous place."

Reaching to gently ruffle the young one's ginger hair, Freeman replies with a half-smile,

"'Fraid we can't do that, kiddo."

"Why not?"

"Because based on where we stand now in our fight against that asshat Naraku, it's worth our time to look into anything that's outside the word 'normal'."

Sango nods,

"I agree," and the monk adds,

"It's the only we'll be able to get the rest of the Shikon-no-Tama before Naraku."

Shippō thinks on it with a nervous expression...before nodding reluctantly.

"Yeah, I, guess you guys are right."

With that, the group continues their trek...Meanwhile, in another section of the forest none too far away, we find the injured samurai from the night before struggling to walk along the riverbank, using his sheathed katana as a crutch...He suddenly comes across a young woman dressed in a light salmon pink and cream kimono and light blue skirt wrap, washing some of her clothes in the clear waters. Sensing his presence, she turns around, dropping her bucket in shock upon seeing the man.

"Ngh, woman. You must tell me...is there, a village nearby? A-Ah-nrgh!"

The weight of his wounds overwhelms him, and he drops to one knee with a grimace. Realizing the samurai means her no harm, the young woman murmurs with pity,

"Oh, you poor man. You're injured..."

She helps him to his feet, and together they limp all the way to the village she resides from, the area secluded within oak and maple...The samurai is soon seated in a hut, speaking with a middle-aged woman in a moss green kimono about how his condition came to be.

"I see. So you suffered a defeat in the war."

"Yes, Matsu-san..."

Sparing a glance at the younger female who brought him here - whom he learned along the way is named Wakana - cooking in the background, then at another young lady in pink pouring him sake, the de-armored samurai then confesses,

"I couldn't help but notice...this is a strange village indeed."

"What do you mean by strange?"

"I had a fairly good look around..."

He notices several others looking within the hut from a distance with guarded expressions abound...

"There are only women here."

Matsu explains simply,

"That's correct. There are no men living in this village. They all died in battle."

"Oh, I see. That's a shame."

"Won't you please have some food and drink? I'm sure you must be famished."

"Hm..."

Sipping his sake, the samurai wonders in his own suspicion,

But where are the children and the elderly?

...Mph!

He then winces when his body is overcome with a new wave of pain and exhaustion, and drops his cup as he collapses on his front...

"Wakana. Take this man to the shrine and await my instructions."

Though there's a sliver of hesitation in her eyes, she does as her senior advises.

"Yes, right."

...Jumping ahead to the late evening as the sun begins to sink over the horizon, we zoom in on the cliff wall above a more rapid section of the river, watching a young man dressed in a dark green kumon with a lighter spring green stripe going from sleeve to sleeve, sand brown hakama and wearing a full head of medium-short black hair in a topknot struggle to shimmy along the narrow ledge. He pauses a moment to rest, casting worried brown irises to the water below.

"Hh...Hh...Wakana..."

With a new resolve, he starts to move again, reaching towards a protruding rock to climb up.

"Agh, Wakana...!"

...Unfortunately, the section of the ledge he's currently standing on gives way to the pressure of his weight, and he slips and falls into the river!

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!"

Wakana!

(...Splash...)

He wouldn't be the only one meeting with peril. Returning to the samurai, we find him laying on the floor of a shrine house, just as he starts to rouse from unconsciousness.

"...Mm-hrm...Hm?"

He sits up and looks to see the evening sun's glow from the higher window.

"I must've fallen asleep...Where am I?"

Getting a look around at his new surroundings, he concludes,

"This looks like a shrine..."

His eyes then fixate upon the small and simple altar in the back, which had been placed in front of a hanging scroll depicting an image of the Goddess of Mercy, sometimes called Kannon or Kwannon. Curiousity getting the better of him, the samurai gets up and wanders over for a closer inspection.

"A painting...Why is it glowing like this?"

He reaches out to touch...and upon doing so, that section of the paper and ink melts and sticks to his fingers, just as a cruel laugh is emitted from seemingly nowhere!

(...Ba-bump)

"Auh!"

A throb of power ripples through the man, and the melted substance shifts colour to reflect a marshy blue...the same colour as the face which bursts from the head of the goddess! Letting out a yell of horror, the samurai whirls around and attempts to flee the shrine, only to find the doors locked. Before he could change his fate, the man is dragged backwards with a final cry, before the air permeates with the sounds of bones being crushed and blood spattering every surface it could...

All that would be left of the samurai, is a dried husk of a body.

"...Hm!"

This event wouldn't go completely unnoticed by Miroku, who lets out a sharp breath and whirls around to face another direction of the dirt path, much to the confusion of the demon slayer.

"Something the matter, Miroku?"

"I think I sensed a demonic aura just now!"

Letting out their own silent gasps, everyone else takes action with the monk, Kilala transforming into her full form so Sango and Shippō could ride her while the twins and Inuyasha ran with Miroku, Coraline having been pulled onto her lover's back.

"You positive?"

"Yes! It was only for an instant, but I definitely felt it!"

This would be confirmed by the little orb of light named Lumos, who's currently flying between Freeman and Besa while emitting white blue and red flashes.

"We believe you, man,"

"And Lumos is sensing something off too."

They eventually stop at the small lake near the boulder where that first corpse had been dumped...

"Remember that marsh that the old man mentioned with the demon women?"

"Yes. This must be the place..."

...Shippō then spots something in the water, and jumps into Freeman's arms in a burst of nerves.

"Look over there: something's floating downstream!"

"...Aye, an' they're a human!"

Eyes turn to Coraline who mutters in concern as her eyes dim back to normal,

"Their aura is terribly weak, though; he must'av fallen in from elsewhere."

"I'm on it!"

Besa hurries into the water and wades over to grasp the person under their arms and drag them to shore, revealed as the young man in green from before...

"Is he dead?"

Laying him down on the ground, the boy with cornrow hair mutters to the fox demon,

"No, but he will be unless we hurry. Hrr-gh!"

He then proceeds to pump his hands against the other man's chest several times...and after one particularly hard shove, the latter's eyes snap open while he emits a gargled and loud cough, spewing out the water that was previously trapped in his lungs!

"Aa-ch-KOFF! Cah-kuh-koff! Kh! Kuh-hh...Uuuh..."

"Oh thank god. I wasn't sure if I pumped enough times...Are you alright, sir? Can you sit up?"

Once he got enough air circulated, the stranger would allow Besa and company to lead him to a drier spot on the riverbank and set up a campfire to warm up and hear his story...

"I go by the name Shinosuke."

Smiling slightly, the girl with long dark auburn red hair introduces herself.

"I'm Coraline, (gestures to everyone) and this is Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippō, Kilala, and my brothers, Freeman and Besa."

Her Will O' Wisp companion comes floating by to hover by her head, and she emits a short giggle before adding,

"An' this is my partner, Lumos."

Shinosuke stares at her and the orb with awe, before turning attention to Besa as he holds out a cup of ramen.

"Here, drink and eat this. You still look a little clammy from before."

"Oh. Thank you so much...and, not just for this, but also for saving my life."

"Of course."

As he slowly eats his fill of the instant noodles, Inuyasha mutters from his stand behind Coraline's sitting form,

"He's gotta be the gloomiest guy I've ever met."

Making a sound of indignation, the redhead jabs her elbow against one of his legs and hisses,

"At least try t' show a little concern, would yeu please?"

He just grunts at his mate, while Miroku rolls his eyes slightly in amusement over their bickering, shifting to a more serious expression as he addresses the traveler.

"Shinosuke, you mentioned earlier that you were looking for your missing fiancée. What exactly did you mean by that?"

The addressed male's face contorts with sadness as he laments,

"Well, just three days before our wedding ceremony, I was called into battle. I was seriously injured. A full two years passed before I was able to return home. Not long ago, I had been able to return to my hometown, only to find my village had been burned to the ground...and my fiancée, Wakana, was nowhere to be found."

Freeman murmurs with sympathy,

"How awful..."

"I searched for her, not knowing if she was dead or alive...That's when I heard of a village inhabited solely by women."

That stirs up Miroku's interest considerably...though not necessarily for fully pure reasons.

"Oh? A village of only women?"

"I heard that the village was made up of women who lost their husbands and children to war, and live together to support eachother through their time of need...When I heard...I thought perhaps Wakana had given up on my return and joined them..."

Humming in thought, Freeman and Sango decide to converse to eachother about a possible connection with regards to the earlier warnings.

"Think this could be the demon women the old man told us about?"

"It's possible. This feels too strange to be a mere coincidence..."

"I've heard enough."

"Hm?"

They look over to see Miroku rise to his feet, a new determination sparking in his eyes.

"We will accompany you to this village."

...Sighing under his breath at his friend's obvious motives, Besa offers a kind smile to Shinosuke and chides,

"It sounds like you could use a hand in your search, and I'd feel a little better knowing you'll make it to your destination without getting hurt again."

Smiling the slightest, the young man in green and sand replies,

"I thank you for your concern and the gesture of friendship, Besa...but how would we find it?"

"Oh we won't haft'e."

Everyone focuses on Coraline, who had a glare fixated upward the hill that matched her mate, he nodding,

"They've come looking for us, so that solves part of the problem."

Zooming up that way, we see two of the women from the secluded village looking down at the group, before turning to walk back home...Following the nameless pair, Inuyasha and company would then arrive in the area, quickly seeking an audience with the head-woman Matsu and inquiring the possible whereabouts of Wakana...

"Yes, this is indeed a village for women who lost their loved ones...Together, we've managed to make our living here. Unfortunately, this Wakana you search for is not among us. Look for yourself."

Shinosuke does as the middle-aged woman says...and looks down at his lap in disappointment when none of the younger females bared a spark of familiarity.

"Yes, I see..."

Coraline and Sango frown sympathetically.

"She's not here."

"How sad for him..."

Shinosuke quietly thanks Matsu despite the lack of information, and leaves the hut, preparing to set out again...

"What will you do now?"

He replies simply to the young monk,

"I'll keep searching for her...I can't let myself give up. I love Wakana...She's the only woman for me."

Freeman smiles at the commitment, and lightly claps a hand on Shinosuke's shoulder while chiding,

"I admire your dedication. Your fiancée is incredibly lucky to have a man like you pining for her."

"Thank you..."

"And believe me, most of us understand in our own way what it's like to feel helpless yet determined to find our special someones."

I'd certainly go through hell and back for Ginta, just as Inuyasha would for my sister...

Miroku could be included...but...

The young man with espresso skin and natural-cut coarse hair watches the monk gaze at Shinosuke's clenched hand, before turning away with an unreadable expression...Well, unreadable to everyone but Freeman, who frowns and finishes his thoughts.

He needs to stop pussyfooting around and actually commit properly with Sango.

Inuyasha then comes around from the hut, and walks over to his own special someone to ask,

"Whaddo you think?"

"Hm?"

"You feel anything off about this place? (Sniff, sniff) I can only pick up the scent of the water. Nothing suspicious, except..."

"Except what?"

"It's like what you said earlier: this place is too quiet."

Humming in agreement, the young Croft adds,

"Aye, and Lumos may've stopped his warning glows, bu' he's still a bi' tense...Also, the auras of the women seem rather lackluster."

"And that's bad how?"

Before she could answer, Coraline found herself groaning slightly when she sees a certain monk trying to work his sentimental charm on another nameless young lady.

"You must be so lonely surrounded by only women..."

"Yes, (leans onto his chest) it is lonely..."

Slapping a hand against her face in exasperation, the redhead would then stiffen when she picks up a spike of anger within the aura of a certain demon slayer, she glaring sternly at Miroku.

Oh boy, here we go again...

"What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing, except if we don' get going, we may have a dead monk to bury."

Making a sound of confusion, Inuyasha then glances back and forth between the yet-to-be-official couple, before letting out a growl of frustration at the antics of his stubborn friends.

Dammit, I'm getting real close to lockin' these two in an abandoned hut until they work it out. This is getting stupid...

"Miroku, isn't it time we left? It doesn't sound like this is the village of demon women we're looking for, does it?"

Snapping to an expression of nerves, the monk turns around to face Sango and stutters,

"U-U-Uhm, yes, of course..."

"...May I have a word with you travelers?"

Everyone turns to see Matsu walking over with two other young women.

"The paths are dangerous at night. We have little to offer you, but please..."

One of her escorts chimes,

"Stay the night and start out fresh in the morning."

Miroku steps up and thanks Matsu with a gesture of prayer common among monks and priests.

"Thank you. We would be much obliged."

Obviously, Sango would have a reason to protest.

"Pardon me, monk?!"

Acting as if she's mute, the nameless woman then says,

"Good. The ladies can follow me to their quarters," and Matsu adds,

"Gentlemen. That way, please."

Our group forms matching expressions of surprise, and the teens from the modern era mutter,

"Separate rooms?"

...

Though slightly confused by the sleeping arrangements, our group follows the village protocols nonetheless, not wanting to be impolite...Of course, in the boy's hut, Miroku would discreetly make his discontent clear.

"Inuyasha...perhaps we should continue our journey tonight."

A grunt of annoyance sounds from behind the half-demon's closed lips, before they curve into an irritated but knowing smirk, knowing precisely why the monk was suddenly changing his mind.

"What're you saying? You were the one eager to stay here in the first place."

"I've, reconsidered."

Freeman wraps a brotherly arm over Miroku's shoulders and jokes,

"Aw come on, what's wrong with being with your bros for one night? At least this way, you get a break from Sango giving you the look of death."

Besa elbows his twin:

"Dude!"

"Don't dude me; you know it's true."

All the poor man of subject could do is sigh, knowing that his companion - despite the humour in his tone - was correct...

Sango's POV

Well this certainly different from other times we've boarded for the night...

But then again, considering the community, I, think I may know why Coraline and I are sleeping separately from the boys...

Two of the resident girls would seeing us to our hut, before explaining the reason for persuading our group to stay.

"You see, we're a lonely little village of women, so we're happy to have a guest once in a while."

"Ah. I understand...Thank yeu for the hospitality."

They take their leave, and Coraline turns to me after pulling out a change of clothes and her hairbrush out of her large rucksack.

"It was rather generous of d'is community to let us stay...despite the, odd room arrangements."

Smiling slightly, I say to her,

"These women have lived here without the company of men for quite some time, so it's possible they're just a little wary."

"Hm, I suppose...It jus' feels strange to be sleeping this far from the guys..."

"...One man in particular?"

A blush appears on my friend's cheeks, and she murmurs while breaking eye contact,

"Uhm, y-yes."

A giggle almost escapes my lips at how bashful she's being.

She's quite easy to fluster when it comes to Inuyasha...

"I suppose in contrast, you feel glad t' have a break from watchin' Miroku make a fool of himself?"

I dart my eyes back on her, seeing that she has a sympathetic smile on her lips...
It would be my turn to turn away, and I try to focus on polishing Hiraikotsu.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh please, don' be coy...I know bein' here bothers you, an' not just because of the demon women case."

...Damn her perceptive nature.

Sighing, I mutter,

"Alright, fine. It does bother me...You'd think after what happened on Mount Hakurei, he'd be inclined to be more honest with me."

"So things did ge' a little intense up there when you both went ahead...Le' me guess: it was Life or Death, an' you both said things that weren't said previously...because you had more to worry abou' than the simple fear of rejection."

"...Yes..."

Pausing my work on my weapon, I look up at the other woman with me with astonishment lightly tracing my features.

"How is it that you've become so good at this, reading my moods and the moods of others?"

"Heha, alot of time and patience f'r starters...an' really, this subject is one I learned quite well from me own fath'r."

"Your father?"

"Aye. When I was young, he spoke of moments where he was so close ta revealin' his growing feelings for mother...Bu' more often than not, he'd chicken ou' at the last minute, out of fear she wouldn' accept him for all tha' he is...Eventually, thanks to some encouragement from friends, he swallowed his nerves and told mother straight up tha' he loved 'er. Heh, and rather than reject, she said and I quote 'Abou' time yeu maned up' and kissed him."

We both laugh at the notion, and she goes on to say with a sheepish smile,

"Thinkin' about it now, I likely inherited tha' irrational fear from father with regards to Inuyasha. I grew to love him, bu' wanted to avoid muckin' up the friendship we worked hard ta build. That's why I'm glad I w's able to punch those fears aside and confess when I did...which is somethin' I think you an' Miroku need to do."

"Huh?!"

I form an expression of disbelief, and she forms a half-smirk before adding,

"And i' better be sooner than lat'a, because I've been overhearin' my mate and Freeman discussin' plans to lock yeu both in the next abandoned hut we pass an' not let you out until 'something' happens."

Oh good lord...!

"Please tell me you're joking!"

"I wish I was...Hm?"

That's when our attention turns to Kilala, watching something outside through one of the holes in the rice paper doors. Curious, we walk over to see what she sees.

"What is it, Kilala?"

...Huh?

In a twist of fate, rather than seeing that lecher speaking with one of the village girls...it was Besa!

I dunno if I should feel confused or glad...

"I see. You lost your husband in battle...My condolences."

"Thank you, kind foreigner."

"If I'm not overstepping any boundaries, I can be a comforting ear and shoulder for the evening."

"I appreciate the offer."

We watch the girl lean onto his chest, and Besa hugs back in an, awkward but meaningful fashion...

"Heh, my broth'r Besa, always the gentleman...I guess one of the girls mus' be overwhelmed with sorrow t'night."

"Hm, so it would seem...and yet, (light glare) I suspect he may have stopped a certain monk from playing the role."

You're just barely dodging the tip of the knife, Miroku...

Letting out a sigh, I wander back to sit down and prepare for an unsettling night of sleep...

"Deep breaths, Sango."

I glance over to see Coraline giving me a patient smile.

"A' least we know someone in the boy's hut is tryin' to ground Miroku."

"Hmph, (slight smile) yeah, maybe."

Freeman's POV

Man, way to take one for the team, bro.

One of the girls had come around to our hut, and it looked like Miroku was about to take advantage of his bachelor title, again. Luckily, Besa stopped him and went to speak with the girl himself, knowing like the rest of us that there would be repercussions if the monk went, somehow.

Sango always knows when Miroku's overstepping his boundaries...

"Should we be worried about Besa?"

I smile down at Shippō and reply,

"Nah, he'll be fine. He's more of a confidant than a ladies man...I'm still shocked he doesn't have a girlfriend yet, though."

"Hm, (nod) yeah. Any girl would be lucky to have your brother, (glance) unlike somebody who needs to stick with his crush and be done with it."

Miroku stiffens up at the little dude's deduction, and I gently clap a hand on the latter's back while chiding,

"Easy there, kid...but I agree, Miroku. It would help all of us if you'd quit pussyfooting around and seal the deal with Sango."

"Wh-What're you talking about?! I'm not-"

Inuyasha interrupts from his spot, he too becoming tired of the back and forth.

"You are, and it's gotten really annoying watching you flirt one second before buttering Sango up with apologies and sweet words the next. You obviously like her, so what's with the hold up?"

...Silence fills the room, and all Miroku does is look away from us with a conflicted expression, making the rest of us sigh.

Must he be so indecisive?

"As half-interesting as this conversation is, I think I'll be going to sleep."

We turn to see Shinosuke settling himself on his futon, informing us,

"I shall be leaving at first morning light to continue my search for Wakana. I'll be making every use of daylight I can grasp."

We all understandingly at him, Inuyasha replying,

"Sure. Do whatever you want," and I offer some positivity.

"And hey, keep your faith high, Shinosuke. If Wakana's not here, maybe that's a sign she's expecting your return elsewhere."

He smiles at my encouragement, before we all settle down for the night...And yet, for the next hour, I found myself awake still, my brother protection alarms telling me something's wrong.

...Besa should've been back by now...Something feels off.

Really, the women of this place have been giving us all these looks, like, we shouldn't be here.

...Or maybe, they don't want us here...but something else does.

I decide to get up and go find my brother, feeling convinced that he shouldn't be alone with a stranger tonight...Just as I slip my vest back on, that's when I see it: all of the women including the older Matsu wandering out past here with torches, heading in the direction of the marsh.

"What, the..."

What're they all up to?

"Something wrong, my friend?"

I turn around to see Miroku just as awake as me, and I reply,

"I dunno, but Besa's not back yet and the other women are actin' weird. Look outside."

He does so by peering through a rip in the rice paper windows, widen his eyes slightly before narrowing them in suspicion.

"Hm, now I see...Perhaps we did find the right village after all..."

"You mean, the one with demon women?"

"That would explain the scent I picked up."

We turn to see Inuyasha's awake too, he frowning as he explains,

"It was only for a second, but, I smelled something strange in the water near here, like, a being made of it."

"A water being?"

"Or maybe a water demon?"

We all get up, convinced that we need to investigate.
Our collective movement stirs Shippō and Shinosuke awake.

"Mm? What's the matter, you guys?"

"M-huh?"

I reply honestly as we prepare to exit the hut,

"Trouble, but we can't put a name to it. Not yet."

That was all they needed to hear, and we all head outside just as Coraline, Sango, Kilala and Lumos come out from theirs, meeting us halfway in the middle of the village.

"Huh? You guys are up to?"

"Yeah...Did you see something weird just now?"

Sis replies seriously,

"If ye mean the women suddenly leaving, then yes...Where's Besa?"

"I dunno, and that's what really worries me."

Sango suggests,

"Maybe we should split up so we can figure out what's going on."

Inuyasha agrees:

"Right. Freeman, see if you and Miroku can find your brother, while the rest of us follow after the women."

"Alright. (Turn) Hey, Shinosuke, mind giving us a-huh?"

But upon turning around, we see that the traveling soldier was gone...

"Where'd he go?"

"Oh great, now we've got two missing people to find..."

Miroku then says,

"Let's continue with the plan we have...I have this feeling that we'll find Shinosuke wherever Besa is."

Though we're all a little confused by his intuition, now wasn't the time to question it. So while he and I stick close to this area, the others head off to tail the group of women...

"Besa!...Besa, where are you?!"

"...Freeman. Look there."

"Hm?"

I turn my head to the path Miroku was pointing at...and in the distance is my brother, along with that woman from before.

There he is...

We silently make our way up the path, and then duck behind a few trees to watch them stop in front of a creepy-looking shrine house (well, I think it looks kind-a creepy).

"Uhm, where are we exactly, miss?"

"The shrine of the Goddess of Mercy...Please..."

She opens the doors and gestures Besa inside, and as they enter, I feel a pulse from my crystal shard. Looking down, I notice it's changed colour to reflect pond water scum.

Hm...

"What is it?"

I turn to Miroku and show him my crystal.

"I think there's something hiding inside that shrine."

"Hm...Inuyasha did say something about a scent involving a being of water...Uh!"

That's when a similar glow emits from the shrine house...and I hear my brother cry out in alarm!

Besa!

Coraline's POV

We follow the path the women took, and end up as we suspected: the same marsh we found Shinosuke at earlier this evening...

"That's, odd. Where did they go?"

We all spread out a bit to try and figure out where they could've disappeared to, with Lumos and I walking along one side of the bank while Inuyasha and Shippō went the other way. Meanwhile, Sango and Kilala went for the rocks heading into the water...

"Their scents definitely stopped here...and that other smell from earlier's getting stronger."

Nodding at Inuyasha's call, I think to myself,

We mus' be close to whatev'a entity's responsible...

(Splash)

"Aa-hh!"

Suddenly, some of the supposedly missing girls burst from the water, and grab Sango to drag into the water!

"Sango!"

(...Splash)

"Gah!"

Another group then ambushes me from the shore, grasping me by my front to forcibly lead me to the water!

"H-Hey! Get off!"

I hear Inuyasha cry out for me at the same time Kilala growls for her partner, and I immediately thrash as these girls and I reach neck-deep.

"Nn-nh, no!"

Gotta do, somethin'!...Wait. I got it!

"A-Aura, Shield!"

(Ba-bump...pow)

Using my aura, I create a barrier that erupts from my body with enough force to send these kidnappers flying back into the marsh! I myself would trip backwards to the safety of solid ground, panting a little in exertion.

"Hah, hah...damn, that was too close..."

"Coraline!"

Inuyasha leaps over to my side, concern oozing from his being as he helps me up.

"Are you okay?"

"Hh, yeah, barely...Uh! Sango! Is she okay?"

Shippō replies as he runs over with Kilala,

"Hah, hah, she got pulled under by some of the other women! Kilala tried to help, but, something threw out a sickle and slashed at her..."

The cat demon rumbles with regret, and we all turn glaring eyes on the women remaining as they rise back up...and I mean way up, floating midair with weapons I don't remember seeing earlier. What disturbs me greatly is how expressionless their eyes were.

...Maybe we're no' dealin' with demon women, but something demonic controllin' women.

"Hey! What'd you all do with Sango?! (Knuckle crack) If you hid her somewhere, you better answer!"

"...I don' think they'll be able to tell us even if they want'd to."

Inuyasha turns to me in confusion, and I alliterate,

"I can see it now: some sort'a vapor of dark energy in d'eir mouths...I think we may be dealing with a creature similar to the demon w'rm charmer."

Shippō asks to clarify,

"You mean like the thing that took over Miroku's mentor?"

"Aye, which means we'll need t' be careful. These women don' deserve t' be treated too bluntly."

We all jump out of the way of a women coming at us with a bō staff, and Inuyasha concludes,

"So we're in the right village after all...which means the others could be in just as hot water right about now."

Uh! That's right: Miroku and my brothers...

I hope you guys are doin' better than we are.

Besa's POV

"Please, comfort me, foreigner. It's been so long..."

I didn't know how to answer this desperate girl's request. I mean, here we are inside a shrine house for a goddess, and she's basically asking for...I shake my head, reminding myself of my morals.

I'm not the kind who can do stuff like this.

"Listen, miss, I'm not sure what you were expecting from me, but please understand I could never-huh?"

That's when I notice her eyes were glossy, like, she was in a trance...I then feel a pulse from my crystal, and glance over to see it glowing like florescent pond scum.

What's going-...There's something wrong with this woman, (looks around) and this shrine.

"What's the matter?"

"...There's something controlling you, isn't there?"

She looks at me with the slightest feign of confusion, and I turn around to glare at the scroll painting near the back.

"And I'll bet you're the source, right?...Come out and face me!"

...Heeding my call, the image of the goddess glows, and a large face made of water comes bursting out from it! Letting out a cry of alarm, I jump back to dodge, my back hitting the double doors.

"Hah, hah!...Who or what are you?!"

"Hehahahaha, I want your flesh; give me your flesh!"

My, flesh?...What does it mean?

Sango's POV

"...Hh...H-nh..."

It feels like hours before I awake again, only instead of being in the marsh, I find myself chained to a wall inside a cave...The chill of the water soaking my body reminds me of what happened before.

That's right...I was dragged in the marsh by the women...

But why?

"So, you're conscious."

I look up, and my vision clears to see Matsu standing before me with a torch...Growling, I struggle to kneel upward properly, despite my restraints.

"Where am I?"

"And now, we shall make you one of us."

She wanders over to a pool of water, and pulls out a line of...eggs...

"Wh-What is that?...It looks like an egg..."

Wait...Could that be the source of the demons?

"Here. Swallow it."

I recoil in disgust, already having an idea what would happen if I did such. Unfortunately, Matsu grasps my chin and forces me to look her way again, expressionless all the while.

"You must swallow it without biting. Very soon, the egg will hatch inside your stomach, and you too shall become one of us."

That's when I saw it: a demonic vapor emitting from her mouth.

...No way. You're not gonna make me swallow that thing!

M...Miro-ku, help, me!