A/N: Ack, I feel bad about how long it took to update this. -_- ;; But I've had writer's block on this story for a while, and right in the middle of it, my poor Airport Base Station had to be put to rest. Thusly, the writing process didn't go so well.





"Hanyou's Burden"





"Gods, why NOW?" Inu-Yasha demanded.

The heavens chose not to reply, and the sulky hanyou was left to glare at his hands as the last traces of his claws disappeared. It was the new moon- no doubt to Kagome and Shippou's private relief. Well, this would at least give Miroku and Sango time to catch up (what WERE those nitwits doing, anyway?), and there didn't seem to be any hostiles in the area, so it could've been worse.

And speak of the devil; Sango and Miroku suddenly strolled into camp, holding hands, giggling at each other, and- of course- glowing. Shit.

Scratch that- it was BEYOND worse.

"I really hope it was good, you two, because I'm about ready to rip your marrow out," Inu-Yasha growled, cracking his knuckles. Kirara mewled in amusement.

Miroku blinked at him in surprise. "Eh? Who- ?"

"Inu-Yasha, is that you?!" Sango exclaimed. "Gods, I completely forgot about the new moon!"

"So did we," Kagome said regretfully. "Inu-Yasha was right out in the open when he started changing- if we're luckier than we deserve to be, no one saw."

"Ah, yes; I'd not even thought of it," Miroku murmured. "That time of the month . . . I half-wonder if it's a good idea for you to be out at all when you're like this."

"Keh!" Inu-Yasha snorted. "It's not like I can't fight at all, bozou! And we sure as hell can't abandon the Shikon shard!"

"Did I say we would?" Miroku looked irritated. "I just meant, perhaps you should wait behind while the rest of us go on and then catch up in the morning. You aren't much use like this- you can barely fight at all."

"Miroku-sama!" Kagome protested. "He beat the Peach Man when he was 'like this,' didn't he?"

"Barely," Miroku retorted. "And he never would've without the hermit and you."

"Well, so what?!" Inu-Yasha yelled. "You and Sango are human, and you've made it this far, haven't you?"

There was a strangely ironic twist to Miroku's smile as he replied, "I suppose you could say that."

"We have trained since childhood to become what we are, Inu- Yasha," Sango said harshly. "And we'd be just as out of our league in a youkai's form as you are in a human's." Again, Miroku's smile seemed slightly ironic, but he nodded his assent.

"Either way, I'm not staying behind," Inu-Yasha growled.

Meanwhile, Kagome was looking around the clearing thoughtfully, and most especially at a few broken trees near the edge of it. "This may seem strange, but . . . " she hesitated slightly. "Um, have we been here before?"

"This is where we fought that kitsune," Inu-Yasha replied dismissively. She had been asking that same question the entire way there.

"Yes, it is," Kagome agreed quietly. "So that means that we've been retracing our steps from the get-go."

Silence fell over the group for a long moment; then Inu-Yasha growled. "That hime bitch- she's MOCKING us!" he snarled. "Toying with us just like that bastard Naraku!"

"Either that, or she's headed for the village," Sango realized with dread, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"She's just been taunting us the whole time!" Inu-Yasha yelled. "Even when she spoke to Shippou in the market and used Sango's name with the soldiers!"

"Soldiers?!" Sango stared at him in disbelief. "What did we MISS?"

"Long story, Sango-chan; we'll talk as we walk," Kagome said quickly, putting a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "We can't lose any more time- Kaede may be in danger."

"Like that was hard to figure out!" Inu-Yasha snapped.

For the first time, Shippou spoke. "But . . . the hime just isn't BAD," he said earnestly, looking up at the others with worried eyes. "I don't know why she stole that shard, but wouldn't she have taken all three if it was really for something bad?"

"You're judging her by her face and not her actions, Shippou," Miroku countered. "Just because she is beautiful, she isn't necessarily a good person."

"You're one to talk," Inu-Yasha grumbled.

"But her scent . . . " The kitsune looked truly pained. "Her scent was so reassuring," he finished softly, lowering his head. Then he frowned in confusion and looked up again. "Hey, how did you know that the hime was beautiful, Miroku?"

Was Inu-Yasha imagining that flash of alarm in Miroku's eyes?

"You told us so earlier, remember?" the monk said carefully.

"Oh . . . " Shippou frowned slightly. "Yes. I'd . . . I'd forgotten," he mumbled. "I'm sorry, it's just . . . I've felt very strange lately. Like something's not right."

"Everything is alright," Sango said with a soft smile, picking the kitsune up and embracing him lightly. "You shouldn't worry, Shippou."

Inu-Yasha snorted in disgust. "Don't coddle him, Sango," he snapped. "He let the hime get away with a Shikon shard! Between Shippou and the bozou, we're lucky we didn't lose every one we have!"

"Don't pick on them, Inu-Yasha!" Kagome protested.

"I'll damn well pick on whomever I want to!" he yelled.

Miroku whapped him with his staff. "Rude little boy," he muttered sourly. "You think I'd have let that hime bitch escape if I could help it?"

" 'Little boy'?" Inu-Yasha twitched and cracked his knuckles. "I'm a hell of a lot older than you, monk!"

"Judging by your actions, one would never think so," Miroku retorted primly, smoothing his hair back. He suddenly blinked in surprise and withdrew a leaf from his ponytail.

"Oh- where did that come from?" Kagome asked curiously, plucking it from his hand. "Did you fall off Kirara, Miroku-sama?"

Miroku, unaccountably, blushed.





* tbc . . . *





. : review or shippou will think you don't love him! : .