Miroku in Grave Danger

It was the day for Michiru and Kaname to return to Kagome's house so that they could go back to the Feudal Era. But before they left, Mr. Kururugi summoned his son to his room.

Michiru entered the room and saw his father holding something long covered in a cloth in his hands. He spoke.

"Ah, there you are son! I've been expecting you." He stated.

"What did you want to see me about father?" Michiru asked.

"Son, I think it's time I gave this to you." Mr. Kururugi replied handing Michiru the bundle. Michiru opened it and gasped recognizing what it was.

"Grandfather's machete." Michiru spoke trying to hand it back. "I-I-I can't take this, it's yours."

Mr. Kururugi then placed both his hands on his son's shoulders and said, "He gave that to me when I became a strong warrior like you when he felt I was ready. Just as his own father, my grandfather, gave it to him long ago before I was even born. It is an heirloom blade that has been passed from Kururugi to Kururugi for decades. It is yours now Michiru, and one day it will be your heir's."

Tears falling from his eyes, Michiru then spoke, "I have a blade already father, why not give this to Kaname?"

"Kaname is not a blade-master like you are my son." Mr. Kururugi answered. "She fights with a staff, you fight with a sword. She wouldn't be comfortable using that machete as you are."

Nodding at this valid point, Michiru nodded and wrapped his arms around his father's shoulders.

"Thank you father, you don't know how much this means to me. Not just the machete, but with you putting up with my family until I return." Michiru whispered.

"Think nothing of it son." Mr. Kururugi answered. "You're my son, and I love you. I love Sango as a daughter and I welcome her brother, Kanna, and your birth-children into my family."

Meanwhile in the living room, Mrs. Kururugi was gently bouncing Michigo on her leg smiling at the laughter this brought on from her beloved granddaughter. Just then Kanna came in.

"Bounce me now grandmamma?" Kanna asked getting the attention of Mrs. Kururugi.

"After Sanru's had a turn, I'll bounce you for awhile I promise." She answered.

"But grandma!" Kanna pouted.

"Here Kanna, why don't you sit on my lap for awhile?" Sango spoke from the other side of the room.

"Mommy!" Kanna cried joyously as she ran into Sango's open arms. Smiling at her stepdaughter, Sango placed her on her lap and began bouncing her up and down.

"Yay! Whee!" Kanna giggled.

Just then, the door to Mr. Kururugi's study opened up and Michiru and his father stepped out. It was then that Mrs. Kururugi set the baby she was bouncing in her crib and Sango lifted Kanna to the ground. They knew that it was now time for Michiru and Kaname to go back. Michiru then took hold of his wife and held her tightly as tears spilled from both their eyes.

"I'll miss you while you're gone Michiru." Sango spoke softly.

"Take care of yourself and the family Sango." Michiru murmured.

"I will." Sango nodded. "You take care of Kirara for me."

"I will." Michiru nodded.

"Daddy..." Kanna spoke gently. "Fly me for a little while before you go daddy."

Nodding, Michiru placed his hands on Kanna's waist and lifted her up spinning her round. After a minute of this, he set her back down and turned to his twins. He placed his lips on one of their heads and whispered, "Goodbye Michigo." He then kissed the other and whispered, "Goodbye Sanru."

Then he turned to Kohaku who had just entered and said to him, "Kohaku, look after your sister in my absence. Can I count on you?"

Still feeling somewhat guilty about Naraku taking Michigo and Sanru away, Kohaku nodded and said, "Yes. I will look after her."

"Good." Michiru stated turning to see Kaname enter from the kitchen after calling Kagome's place telling them that they were on their way. She grabbed her magic staff and asked, "Got Shikiga bro?"

Nodding, Michiru put the hilt of his favorite weapon around his waist and put the shoulder strap of Sango's Hiraikotsu around his shoulder. Then with one final embrace to Sango, he gave her a long deep kiss.

"C'mon Kirara." Michiru called out to their two-tailed companion, "Even though Sango's staying behind, you are still need with us in out hunt of Naraku.

Mewing sadly at being separated from her mistress, Kirara nodded knowing her master Michiru was right. She then jumped on Sango's shoulder and gave her an affectionate rub to her cheek with a quiet purr. After Sango gave Kirara a rub between the ears, Kirara reluctantly leapt off her Sango's shoulder and ran to Michiru's side following the two siblings to the trolley stop to wait for the trolley to take them to the Higurashi Shrine where InuYasha and Kagome were waiting for them.

As soon as the trolley stopped, Michiru and Kaname paid their tokens and stepped inside waiting for the trip to end. A pang of nervousness shot through Michiru asn ne realized that he was going to battle against Naraku without Sango at his side as he liked. Even though he knew what had to be done, had to be done, it was still a bit hard for him to accept this. Then he felt Sango's Hiraikotsu on his back and smiled slightly knowing a piece of her was still with him.

But so lost in thought was he, that when he looked up, he realized that they were almost there. Getting up to leave upon arrival, the twins left the trolley and walked the flight of stairs leading to Kagome's house. Once there, they were greeted by pair.

"Hello Kaname." Kagome spoke nervously knowing that InuYasha had broken up with her and even though she accepted it, she knew it hurt all the same.

"Hello Kagome." Kaname replied as a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Have you two been having fun together the past few nights?"

"Kaname!" Michiru gasped in shock of the audacity of his sister's question.

"What? There's nothing wrong with what I suggest. You of all people should know that considering how you and Sango spent the night last night." Kaname teased.

Sighing at Kaname's mischievousness, the others looked over their supplies and headed for the Well. One by one they jumped in until Michiru was the last to jump. Before doing so however, he looked in the direction of his home and whispered, "Soon I will be back Sango, wait for me..."

At the same time, at the Kururugi residence on the other side of town, Sango sat by the window stroking her preganant stomach whispered out to herself, "I'll be waiting Michiru. I pray you come back by the time I give birth again."

Back at the Well, Michiru let a tear fall from his eye, he took a deep breath, and jumped in as the magic of the Well enveloped him and took him back to Kaede's Village. Once there, he climbed to the top and felt InuYasha's clawed hand pick him out. Once he got out, he spoke, "Alright guys, let's get back to Kaede's house and reunite with Miroku and Ship..." But he was then cut off as he looked at his friends stare off into the distance and saw what they were staring at.

"Mother of God..." Michiru gasped.

All the trees of the forest had been cut down, with the exception of the Tree of Ages. And the village that the people were trying to be repair had been reduced to rubble again. Slowly walking towards the village, they found it was a dark and spooky deserted ghost town. They then came across Kaede's house. For some reason it still stood. They decided to investigate inside.

Once inside, they heard an all-too-familiar voice shuddering out, "My cursed hands...my...my...cursed hands all at the thresholds of death..."

They followed the sounds to see a battered Kaede and Shippo trying to console a scared, shuddering, and terrified Miroku.

"Guys, what happened here?" InuYasha demanded getting the attention of everyone.

"InuYasha, Kagome, Michiru, and Kaname." Kaede acknowledged. "Ye are back. Thank goodness you're all alright. But where is Sango?"

"Still at my parent's home." Michiru explained. "She's preganant again and she can't go to battle."

"I see." Kaede nodded. "It's just as well, even though she's married to you Michiru, I don't think she'd want to see Miroku like this."

"Nor do I." Michiru nodded knowing that despite everything, Miroku was still important to Sango. "Again, what happened here? Naraku?"

"Yes." Kaede nodded. "He invaded the village looking for you all. When he couldn't find you, he destroyed the village and took the residents as slaves. He ordered them to tear down the forest and carry the heavy trees by foot all the way to his castle. He left the Tree of Ages behind so that you could return so that he could take his revenge on you all. He left us here to tell you this."

"But before he left, he took his rage out on Miroku and channeled his magic into Miroku's Wind Tunnel making it grow to a size to where if he so much as uses it once, it will suck him in." Shippo spoke up. "He also showed us that he had taken that witch that place the other curse on Miroku and used his powers to take over her mind and enslave her. He ordered her to tap into the curse she placed on his left arm and made her make that vein grow until it nearly reached his heart. He even made her take away that thing where He would be free of the curse if Miroku confessed his sins to all he's sinned against."

"So now according to Naraku, if Miroku uses the Wind Tunnel, it will kill him. And if Miroku tells one more lie in under a year's time, that vein will reach his heart and kill him."

"Oh, dear." Kaname gasped. "What will we do? We're already down Sango, we can't afford to lose Miroku. How can we keep him from dying?"

"There's only one thing to do." Michiru replied turning to Miroku. "Miroku, I know you can refrain form using the Wind Tunnel, but we all know that every time you speak, you run the risk of telling a lie. So I suggest that for an entire year, you take a vow of silence."

"What do you mean?" Miroku asked as he recovered from his shock.

"I mean until a full year since this was done to you goes by, you should refrain from talking." Michiru explained. "If you don't talk, you can't lie verbally. As for all the dishonest things you do, maybe you should stay close to us all during our travels in search of Naraku."

"That's actually a good idea Michiru." Kaede nodded turning to Miroku. "Well, Miroku? Can you refrain from speaking until a year goes by and this curse it out of your system?"

Looking from the faces of one concerned friend to another, Miroku sighed and nodded. Returning the nod with a look of concern, Michiru then spoke and said, "Alright. Let's get Kaede, back to Akebi Village and have her stay there for awhile. Afterwards we will continue our hunt of Naraku!"

"Yeah, let's kill him for this!" InuYasha cried.

As soon as they all got up, they headed west for Akebi Village hatred towards Naraku fueling their every step.