(Inuyasha and Co do not belong to me. I just like to write about them. This chapter is a mixture of a lot of things..enjoy!)
Kanashimi no Hate ni - End To Sorrow - Eighteen
The White Youkai/Myoga's Advice
"Look at everything!" Shippo cried out happily.
"Yes, it is indeed festive.." Miroku said as he looked over Sango's way. She, despite the fact that the villagers welcomed them with open arms, was wary. They were sitting on the ground, eating the food that the villagers had offered them. Miroko had found out that they were celebrating their harvest - a tradition they had followed for centuries.
"Eh, Sango..you're not eating.." Shippo downed another bowl of stew. "This is great!"
"I'm not very hungry." Sango's eyes looked sharply at all the villagers who were either sitting and eating or dancing.
"You need to eat, Sango.." Miroku said with a hint of concern to his voice. "Else you will wither away and die."
"The less to grope, right?" Sango spat. Why did Miroku have to stop here? Despite the festive atmosphere, Sango had the feeling that something was coming - an old holdover from the days when she and her family had been youkai exterminators.She had learned to trust her instincts. Kirara too, sensed her edginess, and wound around her, mewing at her. Sango absently petted her, assuring her demon-pet that she was not the cause.
"What's wrong with you, Sango?" Shippo asked. He hated it when people fought.
"Why did we have to stop here, Miroku?" Sango asked, ignoring Shippo's question. She doubted if the little kitsume would understand.
The monk glanced at her, sensing her mood. "Because we must eat and the village was glad to see a monk who would bless the celebration and a famous youkai exterminator who would protect them."
"What?" Sango was annoyed. "You did this for free food? Next they'll offer their women to you!"
"Actually.." Miroku smiled. "I've had a few - offers."
"Take them then! See if I care!" Sango spat out angrily and turned away from Miroku.
"You really pissed off Sango, Miroku."
"Hai." Miroku sighed and put down his bowl. "Sango.."
Sango said nothing. Kirara looked at Miroku as if he could cure her terrible mood.
"What is wrong, Sango?" Miroku placed his hand on her shoulder gently. Sango felt like knocking his hand away but she didn't. She sighed.
"Can't you feel it, houshi-sama?" Sango bit her lip, wishing that the tension would go away.
"Feel what, Sango?" Miroku asked.
"I - I don't know!" Sango turned towards him. "It's this feeling of forboding. I can't explain it!"
Before she could explain further, screams came from the gates of the village and instantly they were up and running. There before the gate was a snow white demon that was taller than the trees surrounding the village.
"A blind youkai?" Shippo exclaimed.
Sango wasted no time. Silently she threw her Hiraikotsu at the thing, hitting it square in the face. Sango was gratified to see it weave about as the village men scrambled for every weapon they could find. They attacked in full force since the youkai appeared to be blind - a rarity in itself, since defective youkai were often killed at birth.
But as the white youkai was hit with the arrows, it did not go down as expected. Sango threw her weapon again, but this time the youkai deflected it and threw it in the their direction.
"Duck!!" Sango screamed as the weapon hurtled towards them. She managed to catch it, but the speed at which the white youkai had thrown threw her back a distance. Sango tumbled in the grass, rolling over and under her Hiraikotsu.
"Sango!" Miroku exclaimed. He should not have let her go forth like that! Damn him! Miroku raced towards the white youkai and as he did, the youkai turned his face towards Miroku.
"Priest..." He grated. "You have the shard.."
Miroku's eyes narrowed. "As do you, beast!" He saw the Shikon shard in his staff glow with it's dark light.
"Miroku!" Sango was running back towards Miroku. Shippo ran after the youkai exterminator determinedly. He certainly wasn't going to be left out!
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!!" Miroku leaped up and attacked the white youkai with his staff as Sango readied her weapon once more. What she would not give for Kagome's arrows or Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga now! But she was a youkai exterminator. She was certainly not going to let this thing live much longer - not if she had her way.
The white youkai seemed unaffected by Miroku's attack as it reached out with it's bony hand. For such a large youkai, it daintily ripped off the covering of fabric and rosary beads from Miroku's afflicted hand. As Miroku crashed down, he was aware of the sucking wind through his hand. The Air Void was slightly bigger now, but not by much. Miroku angrily sprang up, his staff at the ready as the beast deflected Sango's attack. Surely this white youkai was like a bat - able to hear them and not need to see them at all!
"Priest!" The white youkai yelled. "I have a surprise for you - for all of you.."
"Sango, take Shippo and get those people out of here - NOW!" Miroku yelled. Why the villagers were running all about, he wasn't sure. It was as if something were preventing their leaving.
Abruptly the white youkai picked up Miroku's staff and yanked both it and the monk up high. Miroku hung on to the staff for dear life, knowing that he could not survive a fall from this height.
"Hang on Miroku!" Shippo wasn't about to let that youkai get Miroku! He changed into the balloon-like youkai and floated up to where Miroku was.
"Miroku! Grab onto me!"
"Shippo! Watch out!" Miroku saw the white youkai's clawed fingers reached for Shippo. The little kitsume squeaked and abruptly lost his shapeshifting power. The youkai held him up painfully by his tail.
"Stupid kitsume.." The white youkai said with little emotion.
"Foxfire!" Shippo intoned and a blaze of fire surrounded the little kitsume.
"Your little tricks won't work - "
"HIRAIKOTSU!" Sango rode on the now transformed Kirara and flung the weapon at close range at the youkai. Kirara flew at breakneck speed towards where Miroku still hung onto his staff - after catching the falling Shippo of course.
"Jump, houshi-sama!" Sango reached out to Miroku with her hand outstretched as she caught the Hiraikotsu with the other.
It was then that the white youkai opened it's eyes...
****
Myoga was thinking - thinking about a midnight snack actually. But then, Kagome-sama was awake and he was too old to be slapped into a flat pancake at this hour. The little flea watched Kagome toss and turn and just knew she was not asleep, even though she tried.
~Hm, perhaps she is sick..~ Myoga thought.
But then she looked perfectly healthy to him. In fact her skin was just looking so very -
Tasty!
"No, no, no.." Myoga paced back and forth near Kagome's bedding. "Myoga, you think too much with your stomach. Why in your youth you were quite the trim and handsome demon-flea.."
"Damn.." He heard Kagome say, "I CAN'T sleep!"
"Kagome-sama!" Myoga decided to let his presence be known, jumping on Kagome's bare shoulder.
"Oh - hi Myoga." Kagome tossed her hair back, noting that in the pale moonlight that shone through, it was still white.
"So sorry to disturb you, Kagome-sama." The little flea bowed.
"Oh, it's okay. I can't sleep anyway. Guess I have too much on my mind."
"Sesshoumaru-sama hasn't hurt you has he?" Myoga asked.
"Hurt me? No!" Kagome shook her head. "He's - well -" She flushed, thinking about that kiss.
~Eh? What's this? She is blushing? Hm...no she is not sick."
Suddenly he blurted out, "Kagome-sama! You're in love!"
"WHAT!" Kagome exclaimed. "With that - that - " She sputtered.
"I have been around enough humans and hanyous for centuries to know. Yes, yes. Myoga knows the signs. Can't sleep, can't eat, skin changes colors.."
"I am NOT!" Kagome abruptly growled.
"Oh and in hanyou and youkai, they get aggressive..hm, yes, yes. Myoga is sure of it!"
Kagome grabbed the flea by her clawed fingertips and smiled - almost evily - or so Myoga thought.
"Kagome-sama. Forgive Myoga! He is old and frail and -
SQUISH!!
"Flat as a pancake.." The flea drifted back down to the floor, his body quite flat.
But the flea was quite resilient, since he was a demon flea after all. He poofed back into his round little shape and jumped back onto Kagome's shoulder. She just smirked at him.
"Kagome-sama, forgive this Myoga!" He bowed profusely.
Kagome sighed. Squishing Myoga WAS fun but then again it was disconcerting to think that she was getting a violent streak like Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru.
"I'm the one that should be sorry, Myoga. I would have never done that - before."
"Kagome, this Myoga has learned that in life everything has a purpose - especially the things we do not understand."
"You sound like my grandfather." Kagome smiled sadly. She wondered just how they were.
"The young should always listen to the words of their elders.." Myoga nodded sagely.
"Hm.." Kagome looked distracted for a moment as she watched the night sky change a little. She knew that in a few hours it would be morning. Would she be her old self again?
"Myoga..this change in me..the hanyou.. will I turn back into myself?" Kagome asked, half-fearing the answer.
"The exchange of blood between a human and a demon is a straightforward thing, Kagome-sama - especially in mating."
Kagome flushed.
"Forgive Myoga's offense, Kagome-sama!" Myoga sensed her distress.
"No, no..Myoga. In my time it is - mating - it's discussed more openly."
"Hm..that explains your tiny kimono that you used to wear." Myoga said.
"Myoga, just continue, huh?" Kagome gave him a look.
"Hai..Kagome-sama. It is a straightforward thing, for youkai blood is very strong. It will take over a human easily. Of course Inuyasha was a hanyou.."
~Was..~ Kagome gulped. It was hard to think of him as gone.
"But then too are your abilities as a miko of great power. Those are things that are different - will make you different, Kagome-sama. I think you have been gifted with a great power."
"Which I don't want." Kagome said. "I mean I'm just starting my life now. Going to college, getting a degree, then a career. Maybe one day get married - or not."
Myoga shook his head. "You cannot take it back, Kagome-sama. Your power was in you when you first came - separate from the Shikon no Tama itself. Now with the blood of the youkai within you, it will only grow stronger. The fact that you were able to use the Tetsusaiga and the Tensaiga as you did only proves it."
"I can't go back home - can I?" A tear slipped from Kagome's cheek.
"Youkai and hanyou live for centuries..." Myoga let his words slip, knowing that she needed to hear the truth.
"I'd be a living freak show.." Kagome sighed as she got up. "Maybe - maybe if I tried to go home, the process would reverse itself."
"I do not think so, Kagome-sama, though for your sake I wish it so." Myoga said.
"Why not?" Kagome felt a flair of hope. "It took two years for it to show up - like a disease or something."
"Hai." Myoga nodded. "But then to youkai, two years is but a moment. Humans - they live like the flames of fire - quickly flare to life and too soon extinguished."
"Oh.." Kagome suddenly felt like crying.
"Kagome-sama.." Myoga said, feeling her pain. "Everything is for a reason."
"Even if the reason is unclear.." Kagome nodded. "Arigato, Myoga-jiin."
The flea nodded sagely, hoping that his advice had sunk in. He did not like to see Kagome so sad.
"Maybe a hot bath will help me sleep. It used to back home." Kagome mused. "I need to start looking for the shards tomorrow anyway. Staying holed up in here won't help matter any."
"Hai.." Myoga leaped off of Kagome's shoulder. "Then good night to you Kagome-sama."
"Good night Myoga. See you in the morning." She watched the flea bounce away, probably seeking a placed to sleep.
Kagome exited her room and headed quietly down the silent halls. Already she knew the palace pretty well and in fact was anticipating her bath, since Sesshoumaru's bathhouse was actually a hot spring that part of the palace had been built over. That had been one of the definite perks of staying here.
Yes it would be nice - then hopefully she could finally sleep without all her thoughts crowding in on her...
Kanashimi no Hate ni - End To Sorrow - Eighteen
The White Youkai/Myoga's Advice
"Look at everything!" Shippo cried out happily.
"Yes, it is indeed festive.." Miroku said as he looked over Sango's way. She, despite the fact that the villagers welcomed them with open arms, was wary. They were sitting on the ground, eating the food that the villagers had offered them. Miroko had found out that they were celebrating their harvest - a tradition they had followed for centuries.
"Eh, Sango..you're not eating.." Shippo downed another bowl of stew. "This is great!"
"I'm not very hungry." Sango's eyes looked sharply at all the villagers who were either sitting and eating or dancing.
"You need to eat, Sango.." Miroku said with a hint of concern to his voice. "Else you will wither away and die."
"The less to grope, right?" Sango spat. Why did Miroku have to stop here? Despite the festive atmosphere, Sango had the feeling that something was coming - an old holdover from the days when she and her family had been youkai exterminators.She had learned to trust her instincts. Kirara too, sensed her edginess, and wound around her, mewing at her. Sango absently petted her, assuring her demon-pet that she was not the cause.
"What's wrong with you, Sango?" Shippo asked. He hated it when people fought.
"Why did we have to stop here, Miroku?" Sango asked, ignoring Shippo's question. She doubted if the little kitsume would understand.
The monk glanced at her, sensing her mood. "Because we must eat and the village was glad to see a monk who would bless the celebration and a famous youkai exterminator who would protect them."
"What?" Sango was annoyed. "You did this for free food? Next they'll offer their women to you!"
"Actually.." Miroku smiled. "I've had a few - offers."
"Take them then! See if I care!" Sango spat out angrily and turned away from Miroku.
"You really pissed off Sango, Miroku."
"Hai." Miroku sighed and put down his bowl. "Sango.."
Sango said nothing. Kirara looked at Miroku as if he could cure her terrible mood.
"What is wrong, Sango?" Miroku placed his hand on her shoulder gently. Sango felt like knocking his hand away but she didn't. She sighed.
"Can't you feel it, houshi-sama?" Sango bit her lip, wishing that the tension would go away.
"Feel what, Sango?" Miroku asked.
"I - I don't know!" Sango turned towards him. "It's this feeling of forboding. I can't explain it!"
Before she could explain further, screams came from the gates of the village and instantly they were up and running. There before the gate was a snow white demon that was taller than the trees surrounding the village.
"A blind youkai?" Shippo exclaimed.
Sango wasted no time. Silently she threw her Hiraikotsu at the thing, hitting it square in the face. Sango was gratified to see it weave about as the village men scrambled for every weapon they could find. They attacked in full force since the youkai appeared to be blind - a rarity in itself, since defective youkai were often killed at birth.
But as the white youkai was hit with the arrows, it did not go down as expected. Sango threw her weapon again, but this time the youkai deflected it and threw it in the their direction.
"Duck!!" Sango screamed as the weapon hurtled towards them. She managed to catch it, but the speed at which the white youkai had thrown threw her back a distance. Sango tumbled in the grass, rolling over and under her Hiraikotsu.
"Sango!" Miroku exclaimed. He should not have let her go forth like that! Damn him! Miroku raced towards the white youkai and as he did, the youkai turned his face towards Miroku.
"Priest..." He grated. "You have the shard.."
Miroku's eyes narrowed. "As do you, beast!" He saw the Shikon shard in his staff glow with it's dark light.
"Miroku!" Sango was running back towards Miroku. Shippo ran after the youkai exterminator determinedly. He certainly wasn't going to be left out!
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!!" Miroku leaped up and attacked the white youkai with his staff as Sango readied her weapon once more. What she would not give for Kagome's arrows or Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga now! But she was a youkai exterminator. She was certainly not going to let this thing live much longer - not if she had her way.
The white youkai seemed unaffected by Miroku's attack as it reached out with it's bony hand. For such a large youkai, it daintily ripped off the covering of fabric and rosary beads from Miroku's afflicted hand. As Miroku crashed down, he was aware of the sucking wind through his hand. The Air Void was slightly bigger now, but not by much. Miroku angrily sprang up, his staff at the ready as the beast deflected Sango's attack. Surely this white youkai was like a bat - able to hear them and not need to see them at all!
"Priest!" The white youkai yelled. "I have a surprise for you - for all of you.."
"Sango, take Shippo and get those people out of here - NOW!" Miroku yelled. Why the villagers were running all about, he wasn't sure. It was as if something were preventing their leaving.
Abruptly the white youkai picked up Miroku's staff and yanked both it and the monk up high. Miroku hung on to the staff for dear life, knowing that he could not survive a fall from this height.
"Hang on Miroku!" Shippo wasn't about to let that youkai get Miroku! He changed into the balloon-like youkai and floated up to where Miroku was.
"Miroku! Grab onto me!"
"Shippo! Watch out!" Miroku saw the white youkai's clawed fingers reached for Shippo. The little kitsume squeaked and abruptly lost his shapeshifting power. The youkai held him up painfully by his tail.
"Stupid kitsume.." The white youkai said with little emotion.
"Foxfire!" Shippo intoned and a blaze of fire surrounded the little kitsume.
"Your little tricks won't work - "
"HIRAIKOTSU!" Sango rode on the now transformed Kirara and flung the weapon at close range at the youkai. Kirara flew at breakneck speed towards where Miroku still hung onto his staff - after catching the falling Shippo of course.
"Jump, houshi-sama!" Sango reached out to Miroku with her hand outstretched as she caught the Hiraikotsu with the other.
It was then that the white youkai opened it's eyes...
****
Myoga was thinking - thinking about a midnight snack actually. But then, Kagome-sama was awake and he was too old to be slapped into a flat pancake at this hour. The little flea watched Kagome toss and turn and just knew she was not asleep, even though she tried.
~Hm, perhaps she is sick..~ Myoga thought.
But then she looked perfectly healthy to him. In fact her skin was just looking so very -
Tasty!
"No, no, no.." Myoga paced back and forth near Kagome's bedding. "Myoga, you think too much with your stomach. Why in your youth you were quite the trim and handsome demon-flea.."
"Damn.." He heard Kagome say, "I CAN'T sleep!"
"Kagome-sama!" Myoga decided to let his presence be known, jumping on Kagome's bare shoulder.
"Oh - hi Myoga." Kagome tossed her hair back, noting that in the pale moonlight that shone through, it was still white.
"So sorry to disturb you, Kagome-sama." The little flea bowed.
"Oh, it's okay. I can't sleep anyway. Guess I have too much on my mind."
"Sesshoumaru-sama hasn't hurt you has he?" Myoga asked.
"Hurt me? No!" Kagome shook her head. "He's - well -" She flushed, thinking about that kiss.
~Eh? What's this? She is blushing? Hm...no she is not sick."
Suddenly he blurted out, "Kagome-sama! You're in love!"
"WHAT!" Kagome exclaimed. "With that - that - " She sputtered.
"I have been around enough humans and hanyous for centuries to know. Yes, yes. Myoga knows the signs. Can't sleep, can't eat, skin changes colors.."
"I am NOT!" Kagome abruptly growled.
"Oh and in hanyou and youkai, they get aggressive..hm, yes, yes. Myoga is sure of it!"
Kagome grabbed the flea by her clawed fingertips and smiled - almost evily - or so Myoga thought.
"Kagome-sama. Forgive Myoga! He is old and frail and -
SQUISH!!
"Flat as a pancake.." The flea drifted back down to the floor, his body quite flat.
But the flea was quite resilient, since he was a demon flea after all. He poofed back into his round little shape and jumped back onto Kagome's shoulder. She just smirked at him.
"Kagome-sama, forgive this Myoga!" He bowed profusely.
Kagome sighed. Squishing Myoga WAS fun but then again it was disconcerting to think that she was getting a violent streak like Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru.
"I'm the one that should be sorry, Myoga. I would have never done that - before."
"Kagome, this Myoga has learned that in life everything has a purpose - especially the things we do not understand."
"You sound like my grandfather." Kagome smiled sadly. She wondered just how they were.
"The young should always listen to the words of their elders.." Myoga nodded sagely.
"Hm.." Kagome looked distracted for a moment as she watched the night sky change a little. She knew that in a few hours it would be morning. Would she be her old self again?
"Myoga..this change in me..the hanyou.. will I turn back into myself?" Kagome asked, half-fearing the answer.
"The exchange of blood between a human and a demon is a straightforward thing, Kagome-sama - especially in mating."
Kagome flushed.
"Forgive Myoga's offense, Kagome-sama!" Myoga sensed her distress.
"No, no..Myoga. In my time it is - mating - it's discussed more openly."
"Hm..that explains your tiny kimono that you used to wear." Myoga said.
"Myoga, just continue, huh?" Kagome gave him a look.
"Hai..Kagome-sama. It is a straightforward thing, for youkai blood is very strong. It will take over a human easily. Of course Inuyasha was a hanyou.."
~Was..~ Kagome gulped. It was hard to think of him as gone.
"But then too are your abilities as a miko of great power. Those are things that are different - will make you different, Kagome-sama. I think you have been gifted with a great power."
"Which I don't want." Kagome said. "I mean I'm just starting my life now. Going to college, getting a degree, then a career. Maybe one day get married - or not."
Myoga shook his head. "You cannot take it back, Kagome-sama. Your power was in you when you first came - separate from the Shikon no Tama itself. Now with the blood of the youkai within you, it will only grow stronger. The fact that you were able to use the Tetsusaiga and the Tensaiga as you did only proves it."
"I can't go back home - can I?" A tear slipped from Kagome's cheek.
"Youkai and hanyou live for centuries..." Myoga let his words slip, knowing that she needed to hear the truth.
"I'd be a living freak show.." Kagome sighed as she got up. "Maybe - maybe if I tried to go home, the process would reverse itself."
"I do not think so, Kagome-sama, though for your sake I wish it so." Myoga said.
"Why not?" Kagome felt a flair of hope. "It took two years for it to show up - like a disease or something."
"Hai." Myoga nodded. "But then to youkai, two years is but a moment. Humans - they live like the flames of fire - quickly flare to life and too soon extinguished."
"Oh.." Kagome suddenly felt like crying.
"Kagome-sama.." Myoga said, feeling her pain. "Everything is for a reason."
"Even if the reason is unclear.." Kagome nodded. "Arigato, Myoga-jiin."
The flea nodded sagely, hoping that his advice had sunk in. He did not like to see Kagome so sad.
"Maybe a hot bath will help me sleep. It used to back home." Kagome mused. "I need to start looking for the shards tomorrow anyway. Staying holed up in here won't help matter any."
"Hai.." Myoga leaped off of Kagome's shoulder. "Then good night to you Kagome-sama."
"Good night Myoga. See you in the morning." She watched the flea bounce away, probably seeking a placed to sleep.
Kagome exited her room and headed quietly down the silent halls. Already she knew the palace pretty well and in fact was anticipating her bath, since Sesshoumaru's bathhouse was actually a hot spring that part of the palace had been built over. That had been one of the definite perks of staying here.
Yes it would be nice - then hopefully she could finally sleep without all her thoughts crowding in on her...
