Blaaaaaaaah. I give myself a week per chapter, and I can never stick to
it. Life loves getting in the way of schedules. So does college and
summer. But ah well, life goes on, yes?
Anyhow, I actually have two chapters planned for the next update. One of them isn't really a chapter, per se, however. It's going to be more of an aside. Read it if you want, but it isn't pertinent to the story line. But that's just to give you an idea of what I have planned. I was going to put it up this time, but, well…yeah, that whole life thing.
Please enjoy. As always, I'm open to suggestions. And I love to hear what those of you who read this want to see/read. Thank you all for reading.
Where Lost Souls Meet Again
Chapter Five: A Brief Morning Prelude
Shippou napped quietly as Sango made lunch. The others were off foraging while she took care of the little kitsune. He'd been resting for the past two days and his injuries were far better than they had been previously, but she was still worried. He'd been badly burned and beaten and no amount of demon healing was going to put him in tip-top shape in just a couple of days.
Taking a seat near the fox-demon, the hunter took a deep sigh and stretched out on the ground. It had been a while since she'd done so. For the past eight months, ever since Kagome disappeared, Sango and Miroku had wandered the land, looking for the last straggling demons, carrying the Shikon Jewel with them always. Losing Kagome had driven Inuyasha to near insanity; so much so that he could barely function. It was Shippou that suggested the demon hunter and the priest head out with the Jewel and destroy any violent youkai they found.
"What are you thinking about, Sango?"
Her thoughts broken by the kitsune's question, Sango shook her head to clear it and turned to face him. Shippou was sitting up, a wad of blankets in his lap. His eyes were lidded and puffy from sleep and his ears twitched as though he were still caught up in a dream. It was almost painful to look at his body, patched as it was from the terrible burns he'd suffered. Sango scurried to her feet and over to the pot of water she was boiling. Careful not to burn herself, she poured a cup of tea and handed it to her young friend.
Shippou smiled happily and took the cup. "Careful." He nodded but flinched at the heat. Carefully, the boy set it down next to him, then looked up at Sango expectantly.
"Where are they others?"
The demon hunter settled down next to the fox-demon, wrapping her legs in slender arms. She smiled as she replied: "They went looking for some food while I stayed here with you."
"Oh." Shippou's head dipped low and Sango could almost swear she heard him sniffle. Leaning over and grabbing him in her arms, she pulled the kitsune close and hugged him tightly. He sat stiffly in her arms at first, then snuggled up against her. "I'm sorry I cause so much trouble."
"Oh, Shippou, no no, don't you ever think that. You don't cause trouble at all." Holding him close, Sango stroked his head lightly with her fingers and rocked back and forth. "You were very very brave to take on all those fire-darts on your own and you helped Inuyasha a lot these past months. You aren't any trouble at all, little one. Don't ever think you are." She pulled him around and sat him in front of her, where she could see his face. With gentle hands she wiped his eyes. "Besides, they were getting in the way. Those two boys, always underfoot. It was good to get them out and about and doing something useful." The demon hunter winked and smiled; Shippou sniffled, then giggled. Her good mood was just too much to dismiss.
Calm now, the kitsune crawled back over to his drink and took a sip. He smiled. "This is good, Sango."
Said woman thanked him and got up to make herself a cup. "I'm glad you like it, Shippou. I just wish Miroku would say the same. He always gripes about my cooking."
Setting his cup down, Shippou looked up at her, startled. "Why would he say that?"
She shrugged. "To tease me, I would guess. He seems rather fond of seeing me squirm."
Nodding, Shippou sat back down; Sango joined him. They took a sip of tea. "Ah."
The kitsune giggled. "So," he said finally, "what were you thinking about when I woke up?"
Nearby, a deer poked its head out from some underbrush. On silent hooves she made her way out from the bracken and across a small clearing to a miniature pond. Behind her trailed a fawn, his legs gangly and stiff. He stumbled as he hurried after her, tripping over his own hooves more than once. Sango smiled as she watched them, then turned back to Shippou, who was taking another sip of tea. "I was just thinking about the past."
When he made no move to speak, Sango sighed and lay back down again on the soft grass. The sky was a beautiful blue today, with few clouds marring the surface. She almost wished she could lose herself in them. "Do you remember the day Kagome left, Shippou?"
For the longest time he didn't answer and Sango thought that perhaps he'd fallen back asleep. When she turned her head to check, however, it was to see the kitsune staring up at the sky, just like her. His burnt face and body looked so harsh, juxtaposed against the unblemished heavens. His ears twitched briefly and he closed his eyes. "Yeah…I remember. I don't like to, though. I miss Kagome a lot."
Sango could understand. They all missed her a lot. "You've done a great job handling it though, little one. You even grew up to help Inuyasha through it. And yourself, I would suppose. I'm proud of you." He didn't respond, but the hunter knew he was listening. "But you're right, it does hurt to think about. And yet I find myself going back to it a lot. Maybe it's because I've carried the Shikon Jewel with me all this time and so it keeps drawing me back…but I rewind that day a lot in my mind."
A flock of birds drifted by overhead. By the pond, the deer startled and disappeared back into the undergrowth. "Sango…why did you take the Shikon Jewel?"
She shrugged, not that he could see it. "Someone had to and you had your hands full with Inuyasha. I don't know why it was left behind, but it must have been important, because there it was, lying on the ground where Kagome had stood. And if one of us hadn't taken it…well, Sesshoumaru might have found it. And that's the last thing Kagome would ever have wanted."
"I don't understand why we didn't just kill him right then, anyhow." Shippou sat up and looked over at his companion, his eyes furrowed and dark. "He's the reason Kagome went away. We should have just killed him while he lay unconscious on the ground."
Sango shook her head. "None of us could do that, Shippou, you know that."
The kitsune stared at her balefully, then shook his head. "But he deserved to die!" Tears ran down his cheeks, matting the patched fur. "He's the reason Kagome went away, so he deserves to die!"
Getting up herself, Sango crawled over and once again took the little kitsune into her arms. She shushed him for a long time before whispering: "No one there was strong enough to kill him, though, Shippou. You know we couldn't have done it. And you know that killing someone who is defenseless—even Sesshoumaru—well…Kagome would never want that. None of us could do it."
Shippou sniffled. "But he took Kagome away…"
"I know, little one. I know." Poor Shippou…he may act adult and look older, but he's just as hurt as the rest of us. And he's still a child, even if he acts like he isn't anymore. Poor child…poor little child…
Just then the undergrowth parted and two whooping figures came running through. On their shoulders they carried the largest pig Sango had ever seen, along with a little girl who was giggling and whooping along with them. Sango and Shippou were forced to scurry out of the way lest they be crushed as the boys dropped their kill to the ground.
Miroku grinned and put a foot triumphantly on the kill. "Dear, we bring dinner—and many subsequent dinners—home! Cook away, dear woman, cook away!"
Inuyasha, also with a foot positioned on the carcass, seconded the cheer. "Cook us some food, Sango, we're hungry and willing to eat!"
Even Shoukaki jumped up on the pig and took a pose. In her higher, childish voice she said: "Cook it yourselves, silly boys!" And proceeded to beat them on the head. Miroku and Inuyasha shielded themselves fearfully from her pitiful blows and ran around in mock terror. Sango rolled around, laughing. She'd not seen Inuyasha act like this before. The girl brought out a side of him that even Kagome couldn't.
After a while, the group calmed down enough to get to work cooking their catch. Inuyasha grudgingly agreed to help skin the beast, but refused any other form of work. Not that Sango expected much else out of him. So the half demon sat with Shippou just slightly out of the way while Miroku, Shoukaki and Sango cut the meat up and prepared it. They didn't have any salt, so everything had to be cooked that night. But it would last a few days, at least, and between the four—five, if Shoukaki could in fact eat during the day—they could easily finish that off.
The smell of roasting pig wafted through the air to where Shippou and Inuyasha sat, lounging sleepily beneath a tree. Shippou was wrapped up in several blankets to keep warm, while Inuyasha draped his overcoat across the both of them. The sky was already darkening into dusk and a couple of stars were blinking their way into existence. Inuyasha stared up at them, lost in thought, while the kitsune slowly drifted off to sleep.
I wonder…is Kagome somewhere up there…? She used to love looking at the stars on nights like this. Was she looking for someone? Next to him, Shippou stirred, then scrunched up close to Inuyasha's leg. The dog-demon rolled his eyes as the kitsune whimpered and twitched in his sleep.
Over by the fire, Miroku was laughing and dancing around. Shoukaki sat on his shoulders, giggling loudly and holding onto the priest's hair so that she didn't fall. Sango just shook her head and finished slicing up the slab of meat she'd set aside for dinner. The rest roasted slowly over a small fire.
The demon hunter wiped her hands on Miroku's robes, then waved for Inuyasha to come over and get his food. Careful not to wake Shippou, the half-demon walked over to where the others assembled around the fire and plopped down on the ground. The smell was wonderful and he couldn't help but show interest.
Sango grinned and spread her hands wide. "Have fun, boys."
Both Miroku and Inuyasha sprang for the food immediately, only to have Sango smack them in the head for their trouble. "Oops, sorry, I forgot to grab Shippou's portion first." Ignoring the two boys' protesting looks, the woman sliced off a fairly large piece of roast and wrapped it in a handkerchief. She stepped back. "Okay, now you may stuff yourselves."
In unison, the monk and the half-demon sprang on the food. Sango turned away from them and headed over toward where Shippou lay sleeping under the tree. Behind her she could hear her friends arguing over who got what piece and in general making loud, raucous noise. Shoukaki was laughing.
Shippou had wrapped himself up in the several layers of blanket that the others had given him and was snoring loudly for such a small body. Taking a seat beside him, Sango opened her kerchief and carefully sliced off a small piece of meat. This she held out under the kitsune's nose.
For a while nothing happened. Then Shippou's nose began to twitch. After a few more moments of nothing, the kitsune suddenly opened his mouth and grabbed the offered piece of meat. He never opened his eyes. When he was done chewing, he peeked a look at Sango and grinned. He opened his mouth. "More please."
She laughed and cut him another piece. The boy ate this one slower and with a little more care. Sango cut herself a piece as well and chewed thoughtfully. When Shippou was finished, he opened his mouth again and asked: "More, please?"
So it went for a while, Sango feeding her wounded demon companion and sneaking bites herself when she could. After about the third bite, Shippou wriggled his way out of the blankets and sat up next to his friend. Together they watched Miroku and Inuyasha goof off by the fire and listened to Shoukaki laugh at everything they did. Right now the two were fighting over the last scrap of meat.
"It's mine, priest! I'm the one that does most of the fighting, so I should get the bigger share. Besides, I was injured." Inuyasha made a face and acted like he was hurt, then made a swipe for the food. Miroku bopped him on the head with his staff.
"That's foolishness, my friend. I am a humble monk who fights against the evil power of the demons that curse this land. I am in need of this food, so that I may continue my holy task." And he promptly grabbed for the meat. Just a quickly Inuyasha kicked him in the shin.
"The food is mine!"
"No, it is mine!"
"Mine!"
"Mine!"
The two glared at one another over the quietly sitting piece of pig while Shoukaki rolled on the ground in hysterics. Sango smiled as she watched them, then leaned over and whispered to Shippou: "Are you still hungry, little one?"
Nodding eagerly, the kitsune grinned and winked at Sango. She smiled back, then waited. Over by the fire, Shoukaki was slowly calming down. The phantom girl rubbed her eyes to clear away the tears and looked over to where Sango and Shippou sat. Sango waved the girl over. Curious, the child skipped over to where the other two sat; when she reached them she plopped herself down on the ground, blinking.
Sango and Shippou gave each other innocent looks, then leaned in close and began whispering in Shoukaki's ear. The little girl grinned then fell backward laughing.
Miroku and Inuyasha were still at it by the time Shoukaki finally made her way back over to the fire. The two boys were leaning over the fire pit where the meat was sitting, cooling in the rapidly approaching night air. While they glared at one another, shooting daggers with their eyes, the phantom girl crawled between their legs and snatched the last of the meat up. Nonchalantly, she crawled back out from underneath them and skipped off into the shadows, leaving the priest and the dog-demon to glare over nothing.
Sango and Shippou lost themselves in laughter and couldn't eat for another ten minutes. By then, the boys had realized their food was gone but there was little they could do about it. So they simply pouted by the fire and glared daggers at their friends as the sun finally set and the last of the stars peeked out from beneath the velvety night blanket.
Morning dawned lazily over the sleeping companions. Miroku was already awake and busily stoking a fire to greet the others when they awoke. Inuyasha grunted noisily and made shooing motions with his hands in the general direction of the sun, then went back to sleep, nestled comfortably in the crook of his tree. Sango buried her face into the blankets she shared with Shippou and made no move to get up. The kitsune snored on, oblivious to the break of day.
Nearby, Shoukaki was humming quietly, playing in a patch of flowers near the edge of the small clearing they'd set up camp in. The song she hummed was very pretty and Miroku walked over to her to listen a little better. The girl kept on, unaware of his nearness, until the priest had to sneeze and broke the moment.
Startled, the ghost-girl spun around. Miroku grinned at her sheepishly, then took a seat beside his friend. She smiled, then went back to humming and playing with the flowers. She was tying them together in long strands, the stems intricately knotted. She'd even woven in some tiny, shiny stones.
Miroku listened silently and watched the little girl work. A cricket played along for a little while, then went silent. Some rustling in the undergrowth grabbed his attention momentarily; Shoukaki didn't even register it. She hummed on, completely independent of the rest of the world around her, focusing on the small, delicate flowers she cupped gracefully in her hands. The priest marveled at her concentration and smiled warmly. She was a sweet child.
She's also a ghost, he reminded himself, albeit with some sadness. The poor creature, trapped between planes. Somehow…she reminds me of Kikyou. She doesn't belong here but she can't move on. I'm just glad this tiny child isn't as sad as the priestess. Shoukaki's tragedy is more than enough—I don't think she needs to be a vengeful spirit, as well.
As though she could sense him thinking about her, the phantom stopped her twining and looked up at the monk who sat beside her. She tilted her head off to the side in wonder. "What are you thinking about, Big Brother?"
A little startled, the priest sighed, then shrugged. "Just some things, little one. May I ask what you're making?"
Shoukaki nodded enthusiastically and held up the string of flowers she'd woven. Now that he could see it better, Miroku realized that his friend hadn't been simply tying a long strand; there were loops and smaller circular designs knitted in, too. It was quite beautiful. Shoukaki smiled in pleasure. "Do you like it?"
Miroku nodded. "What is it, exactly?"
The girl blinked, then looked at her work. It was obvious, wasn't it? She bit her lip and looked at it really closely. She thought it was fairly obvious… "It's an ornament for Big Sister to wear…"
Feeling foolish, Miroku took Shoukaki's hands in his and squeezed them. "Forgive me, little one. I should have known immediately from looking at it. It is very beautifully made and I am sure that Big Sister will love it dearly. Is there any particular reason you made it for her?"
Encouraged by his praise, the ghost-girl nodded again. "Because Big Sister is very pretty and I wanted to give her something that will make her even prettier, because she doesn't really have any jewelry. My Mommy was a very pretty woman and she said that flowers made her look prettiest, so I made this for Big Sister to put in her hair, since flowers will make her look prettiest, just like Mommy told me." She grinned triumphantly. "I want Big Sister to look prettiest of all, because I love her and want her to be as pretty as my Mommy."
Miroku smiled. "I am sure that she will look prettiest of all when she wears the flowers you have made for her, little one." With a polite nod and an almost childish gesture, the monk reached for the flower strand. Shoukaki placed it gently in his open palms, then sat back and watched as he examined it. It really was a wonderfully crafted piece. Handing it back to its owner, the monk sighed. "Yes, Big Sister will look prettiest of all when she wears the flowers you made her."
For his words the priest got a hug and kiss from his "little sister." Then the girl sat back and looked at him quizzically. Miroku looked right back at her, a little curious as to why she was staring at him. She fingered the flower chain between her tiny fingers, twisting it and molding it to her palm, then stretching it back out again. Finally, after a long time of just staring at him and playing with her creation, she blinked and asked: "Does Big Sister have any pretty things?"
The priest blinked. "Pretty…things….?"
Shoukaki nodded. "Pretty things, like jewelry or beads, ribbons. Flowers, like these?" She held up her creation for him to admire, then set it back down in her lap again. "She's so pretty, I was just wondering. All the pretty ladies from my village had something they wore. Does Big Sister?"
Finally understanding, Miroku shook his head no. "She's a demon hunter and so she doesn't care so much for jewelry or pretty things. At least not to wear around with her all the time. I guess she feels she has more important things to do with her time. Why do you ask?"
The phantom child shrugged and studied her flower strand. "I just wanted to know. I wanted to make sure that I could give her something special." The child sighed, then looked at the monk again. He leaned forward inquizzitively. "The jewel that she carries around with her…is that also hers? Because my flowers…I don't think she'd like them as much when compared to that…It reminds me of the pretty jewel that Inuyasha was holding in his heart…"
"Inuyasha has a Jewel?"
Shoukaki stared at him like he was stupid. "No," she finally got out, "he doesn't have one. It was in his heart." Miroku nodded, but he didn't really understand. His friend laughed at him and tried to explain. "Since I'm a ghost, I can…see…things that others can't. That includes inside people. I can see inside their heart. I went into Inuyasha's once. He was really little and he had a jewel that he kept close to him. It was really pretty and it reminded me of Big Sister's jewel. That's why I mentioned it."
"Ah, I see." Miroku sat back and took a moment to stare at the clear morning sky. It was very very beautiful and calming to gaze at. Looking helped him ignore the fact that they were searching for a demon—the worst demon of all. Naraku was dead, but Sesshoumaru was still alive. Between the two, Miroku felt more fear toward Inuyasha's brother than toward his ancient nemesis. Naraku was hated, that was all.
We're fighting such cruel creatures and yet we bring a child with us. Even though I know she's dead, looking at her, speaking with her…being able to touch her makes me cringe when I think about what we must be putting her through. Does she even know the whole story? Does she want to? Miroku dropped his gaze and glanced at Shoukaki from the corner of his eye. She had gone back to adding more flowers to the strand she'd already made, increasing the loops and whirls among the stems. Just because she's dead does not mean she's not innocent. Does she want to see the horrors that we're sure to face?
The girl must have heard his thoughts, because she stopped what she was doing and turned her attention on him. "What are you thinking, Big Brother?"
Startled from his thoughts, the priest shook himself. Solemnly, he turned his full gaze on his small companion. She blinked at his expression, but said nothing. After a short pause, he finally asked: "Little one, do you really want to travel with us? We are fighting frightening demons, we could all die, or be hurt. Do you really want to travel with us?"
The only look he received was confusion. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I know that you've seen a lot of terrible acts in your life and that you're burdened with sadness from the past…do you want to possibly add to that? Inuyasha and Shippou are your friends; do you want to possibly see them hurt?"
Silence. Then: "I love Inuyasha and the little kitsune. And I also love Big Brother and Big Sister. If I didn't follow and travel with you, I'd be sad because I lost the family that I love. That would make me saddest of all, if I lost my family that I love so very very much. So I'm going to go along and protect you as best I can, because I love you all." She paused, then laughed quietly. "And who better to protect you than one that can't die, right?"
Miroku's gaze softened and he leaned forward to enfold the child in his arms. She hugged him tight, the flower garland clutched tightly in her hands. It was like this that the two were found by a stretching, yawning Sango.
"G'morning, you two."
Shoukaki heard the demon hunter first and jumped up to greet her. With a squeal she wrapped her small arms around her friend's slim waist. Startled, Sango took a step back, then smiled warmly and let her arms drape loosely over the little phantom. Cooing happily, Shoukaki just held on to her big sister tight, grinning broadly.
After the longest time in that embrace (for which Miroku, though he loved the little girl dearly, was becoming sorely jealous), Shoukaki stepped back and proudly offered up her flower garland. Sango looked at it momentarily, then with a big "Aww, for me?" she accepted the proffered piece of jewelry and set it on her head gently. Giggling like a child, the hunter twirled around, showing off her new adornment for all who were there—all being the one who made it and the one whom loved the woman that wore it.
Clapping and giggling along, Shoukaki turned to Miroku. "You're right, Big Brother. Big Sister did like it best!"
Miroku nodded his acquiescence as the two girls danced in the morning sun for a little bit longer.
When they'd finally exhausted themselves, the two ladies sat back down; Sango was breathing heavily but glowed with a rich, warm light. Miroku had rarely seen her so happy and was incredibly grateful to his small ghost friend for making the love of his life so happy. Being the ghost that she was, little Shoukaki showed no signs of exertion at all. Instead she was a bundle of energy, laughing and smiling and having a wonderful time.
Still wearing her flowers, Sango pulled the phantom closer to her for another hug. She held the girl close as she asked: "You made such a beautiful thing, just for me, little one?" Shoukaki nodded. "Whatever for?"
Giddy with the pleasure of seeing her gift bring happiness, Shoukaki tripped over her words as she rattled them off. "Well, I love Big Sister a lot and I wanted her to look prettiest, just like my mommy, and Mommy said that she looked prettiest of all when she wore flowers so since you're pretty like my mommy I wanted to give you flowers to make you prettiest of all!" She took a deep breath. "I never see you wearing any pretty things, like the girls in my village did, so I wanted to give you one. All you have is that Jewel but Big Brother said that you don't have that to look pretty. Why do you carry around that Jewel, Big Sister?"
For a moment, Sango sat thinking. Then she replied: "I carry it because Inuyasha couldn't. But I have to give it back to him soon, because it really is his. For whatever reason, it didn't disappear with Kagome like it should have. So I think it was left behind for him.
"When Kagome disappeared, Inuyasha was really destroyed. He didn't talk for two weeks; he didn't eat for even longer. For three days he didn't move from the spot where Kagome had disappeared from—he didn't even shift his weight. He just held the jewel and stared off into space. He didn't even try to kill his brother, who lay unconscious on the ground for a day and a half. He just…sat.
"So when the time came for us to part ways, I told Shippou that I would take the Jewel and safeguard it with Miroku, while the kitsune helped Inuyasha heal. And I've been carrying the Jewel ever since, waiting for the day that Inuyasha recovered from his loss and could protect it like he always has. It is his, after all."
There was a rustling in the nearby brush. With lightning quickness, both Miroku and Sango were on their feet, weapons drawn. From where he was sleeping, Inuyasha suddenly sat up, his eyes lidded and a growl escaping his lips. Slowly, purposefully, he drew Tetsusaiga from its sheath and stood. The sword glinted in the morning light with a red pallor. He readied it as the brush parted.
Tetsusaiga slipped from his stiff fingers as the morning sun glided across the parting undergrowth and the pale, frightened face of Kagome.
"Inuyasha…"
Without a word, the dog-demon lunged toward his love, the months of loneliness draining away with each step. He opened his arms to embrace her.
There was a sickening thud and Inuyasha fell to the ground, an arrow embedded in his side. Kagome screamed and reached out for him, only to have Sessshoumaru grab her arm and hold her back. He turned his golden eyes on Sango and Miroku as his brother hit the dew-sodden earth.
"I've come to reclaim what's mine. Give me the Shikon Jewel."
Miroku and Sango only readied their weapons as they prepared for battle.
Anyhow, I actually have two chapters planned for the next update. One of them isn't really a chapter, per se, however. It's going to be more of an aside. Read it if you want, but it isn't pertinent to the story line. But that's just to give you an idea of what I have planned. I was going to put it up this time, but, well…yeah, that whole life thing.
Please enjoy. As always, I'm open to suggestions. And I love to hear what those of you who read this want to see/read. Thank you all for reading.
Where Lost Souls Meet Again
Chapter Five: A Brief Morning Prelude
Shippou napped quietly as Sango made lunch. The others were off foraging while she took care of the little kitsune. He'd been resting for the past two days and his injuries were far better than they had been previously, but she was still worried. He'd been badly burned and beaten and no amount of demon healing was going to put him in tip-top shape in just a couple of days.
Taking a seat near the fox-demon, the hunter took a deep sigh and stretched out on the ground. It had been a while since she'd done so. For the past eight months, ever since Kagome disappeared, Sango and Miroku had wandered the land, looking for the last straggling demons, carrying the Shikon Jewel with them always. Losing Kagome had driven Inuyasha to near insanity; so much so that he could barely function. It was Shippou that suggested the demon hunter and the priest head out with the Jewel and destroy any violent youkai they found.
"What are you thinking about, Sango?"
Her thoughts broken by the kitsune's question, Sango shook her head to clear it and turned to face him. Shippou was sitting up, a wad of blankets in his lap. His eyes were lidded and puffy from sleep and his ears twitched as though he were still caught up in a dream. It was almost painful to look at his body, patched as it was from the terrible burns he'd suffered. Sango scurried to her feet and over to the pot of water she was boiling. Careful not to burn herself, she poured a cup of tea and handed it to her young friend.
Shippou smiled happily and took the cup. "Careful." He nodded but flinched at the heat. Carefully, the boy set it down next to him, then looked up at Sango expectantly.
"Where are they others?"
The demon hunter settled down next to the fox-demon, wrapping her legs in slender arms. She smiled as she replied: "They went looking for some food while I stayed here with you."
"Oh." Shippou's head dipped low and Sango could almost swear she heard him sniffle. Leaning over and grabbing him in her arms, she pulled the kitsune close and hugged him tightly. He sat stiffly in her arms at first, then snuggled up against her. "I'm sorry I cause so much trouble."
"Oh, Shippou, no no, don't you ever think that. You don't cause trouble at all." Holding him close, Sango stroked his head lightly with her fingers and rocked back and forth. "You were very very brave to take on all those fire-darts on your own and you helped Inuyasha a lot these past months. You aren't any trouble at all, little one. Don't ever think you are." She pulled him around and sat him in front of her, where she could see his face. With gentle hands she wiped his eyes. "Besides, they were getting in the way. Those two boys, always underfoot. It was good to get them out and about and doing something useful." The demon hunter winked and smiled; Shippou sniffled, then giggled. Her good mood was just too much to dismiss.
Calm now, the kitsune crawled back over to his drink and took a sip. He smiled. "This is good, Sango."
Said woman thanked him and got up to make herself a cup. "I'm glad you like it, Shippou. I just wish Miroku would say the same. He always gripes about my cooking."
Setting his cup down, Shippou looked up at her, startled. "Why would he say that?"
She shrugged. "To tease me, I would guess. He seems rather fond of seeing me squirm."
Nodding, Shippou sat back down; Sango joined him. They took a sip of tea. "Ah."
The kitsune giggled. "So," he said finally, "what were you thinking about when I woke up?"
Nearby, a deer poked its head out from some underbrush. On silent hooves she made her way out from the bracken and across a small clearing to a miniature pond. Behind her trailed a fawn, his legs gangly and stiff. He stumbled as he hurried after her, tripping over his own hooves more than once. Sango smiled as she watched them, then turned back to Shippou, who was taking another sip of tea. "I was just thinking about the past."
When he made no move to speak, Sango sighed and lay back down again on the soft grass. The sky was a beautiful blue today, with few clouds marring the surface. She almost wished she could lose herself in them. "Do you remember the day Kagome left, Shippou?"
For the longest time he didn't answer and Sango thought that perhaps he'd fallen back asleep. When she turned her head to check, however, it was to see the kitsune staring up at the sky, just like her. His burnt face and body looked so harsh, juxtaposed against the unblemished heavens. His ears twitched briefly and he closed his eyes. "Yeah…I remember. I don't like to, though. I miss Kagome a lot."
Sango could understand. They all missed her a lot. "You've done a great job handling it though, little one. You even grew up to help Inuyasha through it. And yourself, I would suppose. I'm proud of you." He didn't respond, but the hunter knew he was listening. "But you're right, it does hurt to think about. And yet I find myself going back to it a lot. Maybe it's because I've carried the Shikon Jewel with me all this time and so it keeps drawing me back…but I rewind that day a lot in my mind."
A flock of birds drifted by overhead. By the pond, the deer startled and disappeared back into the undergrowth. "Sango…why did you take the Shikon Jewel?"
She shrugged, not that he could see it. "Someone had to and you had your hands full with Inuyasha. I don't know why it was left behind, but it must have been important, because there it was, lying on the ground where Kagome had stood. And if one of us hadn't taken it…well, Sesshoumaru might have found it. And that's the last thing Kagome would ever have wanted."
"I don't understand why we didn't just kill him right then, anyhow." Shippou sat up and looked over at his companion, his eyes furrowed and dark. "He's the reason Kagome went away. We should have just killed him while he lay unconscious on the ground."
Sango shook her head. "None of us could do that, Shippou, you know that."
The kitsune stared at her balefully, then shook his head. "But he deserved to die!" Tears ran down his cheeks, matting the patched fur. "He's the reason Kagome went away, so he deserves to die!"
Getting up herself, Sango crawled over and once again took the little kitsune into her arms. She shushed him for a long time before whispering: "No one there was strong enough to kill him, though, Shippou. You know we couldn't have done it. And you know that killing someone who is defenseless—even Sesshoumaru—well…Kagome would never want that. None of us could do it."
Shippou sniffled. "But he took Kagome away…"
"I know, little one. I know." Poor Shippou…he may act adult and look older, but he's just as hurt as the rest of us. And he's still a child, even if he acts like he isn't anymore. Poor child…poor little child…
Just then the undergrowth parted and two whooping figures came running through. On their shoulders they carried the largest pig Sango had ever seen, along with a little girl who was giggling and whooping along with them. Sango and Shippou were forced to scurry out of the way lest they be crushed as the boys dropped their kill to the ground.
Miroku grinned and put a foot triumphantly on the kill. "Dear, we bring dinner—and many subsequent dinners—home! Cook away, dear woman, cook away!"
Inuyasha, also with a foot positioned on the carcass, seconded the cheer. "Cook us some food, Sango, we're hungry and willing to eat!"
Even Shoukaki jumped up on the pig and took a pose. In her higher, childish voice she said: "Cook it yourselves, silly boys!" And proceeded to beat them on the head. Miroku and Inuyasha shielded themselves fearfully from her pitiful blows and ran around in mock terror. Sango rolled around, laughing. She'd not seen Inuyasha act like this before. The girl brought out a side of him that even Kagome couldn't.
After a while, the group calmed down enough to get to work cooking their catch. Inuyasha grudgingly agreed to help skin the beast, but refused any other form of work. Not that Sango expected much else out of him. So the half demon sat with Shippou just slightly out of the way while Miroku, Shoukaki and Sango cut the meat up and prepared it. They didn't have any salt, so everything had to be cooked that night. But it would last a few days, at least, and between the four—five, if Shoukaki could in fact eat during the day—they could easily finish that off.
The smell of roasting pig wafted through the air to where Shippou and Inuyasha sat, lounging sleepily beneath a tree. Shippou was wrapped up in several blankets to keep warm, while Inuyasha draped his overcoat across the both of them. The sky was already darkening into dusk and a couple of stars were blinking their way into existence. Inuyasha stared up at them, lost in thought, while the kitsune slowly drifted off to sleep.
I wonder…is Kagome somewhere up there…? She used to love looking at the stars on nights like this. Was she looking for someone? Next to him, Shippou stirred, then scrunched up close to Inuyasha's leg. The dog-demon rolled his eyes as the kitsune whimpered and twitched in his sleep.
Over by the fire, Miroku was laughing and dancing around. Shoukaki sat on his shoulders, giggling loudly and holding onto the priest's hair so that she didn't fall. Sango just shook her head and finished slicing up the slab of meat she'd set aside for dinner. The rest roasted slowly over a small fire.
The demon hunter wiped her hands on Miroku's robes, then waved for Inuyasha to come over and get his food. Careful not to wake Shippou, the half-demon walked over to where the others assembled around the fire and plopped down on the ground. The smell was wonderful and he couldn't help but show interest.
Sango grinned and spread her hands wide. "Have fun, boys."
Both Miroku and Inuyasha sprang for the food immediately, only to have Sango smack them in the head for their trouble. "Oops, sorry, I forgot to grab Shippou's portion first." Ignoring the two boys' protesting looks, the woman sliced off a fairly large piece of roast and wrapped it in a handkerchief. She stepped back. "Okay, now you may stuff yourselves."
In unison, the monk and the half-demon sprang on the food. Sango turned away from them and headed over toward where Shippou lay sleeping under the tree. Behind her she could hear her friends arguing over who got what piece and in general making loud, raucous noise. Shoukaki was laughing.
Shippou had wrapped himself up in the several layers of blanket that the others had given him and was snoring loudly for such a small body. Taking a seat beside him, Sango opened her kerchief and carefully sliced off a small piece of meat. This she held out under the kitsune's nose.
For a while nothing happened. Then Shippou's nose began to twitch. After a few more moments of nothing, the kitsune suddenly opened his mouth and grabbed the offered piece of meat. He never opened his eyes. When he was done chewing, he peeked a look at Sango and grinned. He opened his mouth. "More please."
She laughed and cut him another piece. The boy ate this one slower and with a little more care. Sango cut herself a piece as well and chewed thoughtfully. When Shippou was finished, he opened his mouth again and asked: "More, please?"
So it went for a while, Sango feeding her wounded demon companion and sneaking bites herself when she could. After about the third bite, Shippou wriggled his way out of the blankets and sat up next to his friend. Together they watched Miroku and Inuyasha goof off by the fire and listened to Shoukaki laugh at everything they did. Right now the two were fighting over the last scrap of meat.
"It's mine, priest! I'm the one that does most of the fighting, so I should get the bigger share. Besides, I was injured." Inuyasha made a face and acted like he was hurt, then made a swipe for the food. Miroku bopped him on the head with his staff.
"That's foolishness, my friend. I am a humble monk who fights against the evil power of the demons that curse this land. I am in need of this food, so that I may continue my holy task." And he promptly grabbed for the meat. Just a quickly Inuyasha kicked him in the shin.
"The food is mine!"
"No, it is mine!"
"Mine!"
"Mine!"
The two glared at one another over the quietly sitting piece of pig while Shoukaki rolled on the ground in hysterics. Sango smiled as she watched them, then leaned over and whispered to Shippou: "Are you still hungry, little one?"
Nodding eagerly, the kitsune grinned and winked at Sango. She smiled back, then waited. Over by the fire, Shoukaki was slowly calming down. The phantom girl rubbed her eyes to clear away the tears and looked over to where Sango and Shippou sat. Sango waved the girl over. Curious, the child skipped over to where the other two sat; when she reached them she plopped herself down on the ground, blinking.
Sango and Shippou gave each other innocent looks, then leaned in close and began whispering in Shoukaki's ear. The little girl grinned then fell backward laughing.
Miroku and Inuyasha were still at it by the time Shoukaki finally made her way back over to the fire. The two boys were leaning over the fire pit where the meat was sitting, cooling in the rapidly approaching night air. While they glared at one another, shooting daggers with their eyes, the phantom girl crawled between their legs and snatched the last of the meat up. Nonchalantly, she crawled back out from underneath them and skipped off into the shadows, leaving the priest and the dog-demon to glare over nothing.
Sango and Shippou lost themselves in laughter and couldn't eat for another ten minutes. By then, the boys had realized their food was gone but there was little they could do about it. So they simply pouted by the fire and glared daggers at their friends as the sun finally set and the last of the stars peeked out from beneath the velvety night blanket.
Morning dawned lazily over the sleeping companions. Miroku was already awake and busily stoking a fire to greet the others when they awoke. Inuyasha grunted noisily and made shooing motions with his hands in the general direction of the sun, then went back to sleep, nestled comfortably in the crook of his tree. Sango buried her face into the blankets she shared with Shippou and made no move to get up. The kitsune snored on, oblivious to the break of day.
Nearby, Shoukaki was humming quietly, playing in a patch of flowers near the edge of the small clearing they'd set up camp in. The song she hummed was very pretty and Miroku walked over to her to listen a little better. The girl kept on, unaware of his nearness, until the priest had to sneeze and broke the moment.
Startled, the ghost-girl spun around. Miroku grinned at her sheepishly, then took a seat beside his friend. She smiled, then went back to humming and playing with the flowers. She was tying them together in long strands, the stems intricately knotted. She'd even woven in some tiny, shiny stones.
Miroku listened silently and watched the little girl work. A cricket played along for a little while, then went silent. Some rustling in the undergrowth grabbed his attention momentarily; Shoukaki didn't even register it. She hummed on, completely independent of the rest of the world around her, focusing on the small, delicate flowers she cupped gracefully in her hands. The priest marveled at her concentration and smiled warmly. She was a sweet child.
She's also a ghost, he reminded himself, albeit with some sadness. The poor creature, trapped between planes. Somehow…she reminds me of Kikyou. She doesn't belong here but she can't move on. I'm just glad this tiny child isn't as sad as the priestess. Shoukaki's tragedy is more than enough—I don't think she needs to be a vengeful spirit, as well.
As though she could sense him thinking about her, the phantom stopped her twining and looked up at the monk who sat beside her. She tilted her head off to the side in wonder. "What are you thinking about, Big Brother?"
A little startled, the priest sighed, then shrugged. "Just some things, little one. May I ask what you're making?"
Shoukaki nodded enthusiastically and held up the string of flowers she'd woven. Now that he could see it better, Miroku realized that his friend hadn't been simply tying a long strand; there were loops and smaller circular designs knitted in, too. It was quite beautiful. Shoukaki smiled in pleasure. "Do you like it?"
Miroku nodded. "What is it, exactly?"
The girl blinked, then looked at her work. It was obvious, wasn't it? She bit her lip and looked at it really closely. She thought it was fairly obvious… "It's an ornament for Big Sister to wear…"
Feeling foolish, Miroku took Shoukaki's hands in his and squeezed them. "Forgive me, little one. I should have known immediately from looking at it. It is very beautifully made and I am sure that Big Sister will love it dearly. Is there any particular reason you made it for her?"
Encouraged by his praise, the ghost-girl nodded again. "Because Big Sister is very pretty and I wanted to give her something that will make her even prettier, because she doesn't really have any jewelry. My Mommy was a very pretty woman and she said that flowers made her look prettiest, so I made this for Big Sister to put in her hair, since flowers will make her look prettiest, just like Mommy told me." She grinned triumphantly. "I want Big Sister to look prettiest of all, because I love her and want her to be as pretty as my Mommy."
Miroku smiled. "I am sure that she will look prettiest of all when she wears the flowers you have made for her, little one." With a polite nod and an almost childish gesture, the monk reached for the flower strand. Shoukaki placed it gently in his open palms, then sat back and watched as he examined it. It really was a wonderfully crafted piece. Handing it back to its owner, the monk sighed. "Yes, Big Sister will look prettiest of all when she wears the flowers you made her."
For his words the priest got a hug and kiss from his "little sister." Then the girl sat back and looked at him quizzically. Miroku looked right back at her, a little curious as to why she was staring at him. She fingered the flower chain between her tiny fingers, twisting it and molding it to her palm, then stretching it back out again. Finally, after a long time of just staring at him and playing with her creation, she blinked and asked: "Does Big Sister have any pretty things?"
The priest blinked. "Pretty…things….?"
Shoukaki nodded. "Pretty things, like jewelry or beads, ribbons. Flowers, like these?" She held up her creation for him to admire, then set it back down in her lap again. "She's so pretty, I was just wondering. All the pretty ladies from my village had something they wore. Does Big Sister?"
Finally understanding, Miroku shook his head no. "She's a demon hunter and so she doesn't care so much for jewelry or pretty things. At least not to wear around with her all the time. I guess she feels she has more important things to do with her time. Why do you ask?"
The phantom child shrugged and studied her flower strand. "I just wanted to know. I wanted to make sure that I could give her something special." The child sighed, then looked at the monk again. He leaned forward inquizzitively. "The jewel that she carries around with her…is that also hers? Because my flowers…I don't think she'd like them as much when compared to that…It reminds me of the pretty jewel that Inuyasha was holding in his heart…"
"Inuyasha has a Jewel?"
Shoukaki stared at him like he was stupid. "No," she finally got out, "he doesn't have one. It was in his heart." Miroku nodded, but he didn't really understand. His friend laughed at him and tried to explain. "Since I'm a ghost, I can…see…things that others can't. That includes inside people. I can see inside their heart. I went into Inuyasha's once. He was really little and he had a jewel that he kept close to him. It was really pretty and it reminded me of Big Sister's jewel. That's why I mentioned it."
"Ah, I see." Miroku sat back and took a moment to stare at the clear morning sky. It was very very beautiful and calming to gaze at. Looking helped him ignore the fact that they were searching for a demon—the worst demon of all. Naraku was dead, but Sesshoumaru was still alive. Between the two, Miroku felt more fear toward Inuyasha's brother than toward his ancient nemesis. Naraku was hated, that was all.
We're fighting such cruel creatures and yet we bring a child with us. Even though I know she's dead, looking at her, speaking with her…being able to touch her makes me cringe when I think about what we must be putting her through. Does she even know the whole story? Does she want to? Miroku dropped his gaze and glanced at Shoukaki from the corner of his eye. She had gone back to adding more flowers to the strand she'd already made, increasing the loops and whirls among the stems. Just because she's dead does not mean she's not innocent. Does she want to see the horrors that we're sure to face?
The girl must have heard his thoughts, because she stopped what she was doing and turned her attention on him. "What are you thinking, Big Brother?"
Startled from his thoughts, the priest shook himself. Solemnly, he turned his full gaze on his small companion. She blinked at his expression, but said nothing. After a short pause, he finally asked: "Little one, do you really want to travel with us? We are fighting frightening demons, we could all die, or be hurt. Do you really want to travel with us?"
The only look he received was confusion. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I know that you've seen a lot of terrible acts in your life and that you're burdened with sadness from the past…do you want to possibly add to that? Inuyasha and Shippou are your friends; do you want to possibly see them hurt?"
Silence. Then: "I love Inuyasha and the little kitsune. And I also love Big Brother and Big Sister. If I didn't follow and travel with you, I'd be sad because I lost the family that I love. That would make me saddest of all, if I lost my family that I love so very very much. So I'm going to go along and protect you as best I can, because I love you all." She paused, then laughed quietly. "And who better to protect you than one that can't die, right?"
Miroku's gaze softened and he leaned forward to enfold the child in his arms. She hugged him tight, the flower garland clutched tightly in her hands. It was like this that the two were found by a stretching, yawning Sango.
"G'morning, you two."
Shoukaki heard the demon hunter first and jumped up to greet her. With a squeal she wrapped her small arms around her friend's slim waist. Startled, Sango took a step back, then smiled warmly and let her arms drape loosely over the little phantom. Cooing happily, Shoukaki just held on to her big sister tight, grinning broadly.
After the longest time in that embrace (for which Miroku, though he loved the little girl dearly, was becoming sorely jealous), Shoukaki stepped back and proudly offered up her flower garland. Sango looked at it momentarily, then with a big "Aww, for me?" she accepted the proffered piece of jewelry and set it on her head gently. Giggling like a child, the hunter twirled around, showing off her new adornment for all who were there—all being the one who made it and the one whom loved the woman that wore it.
Clapping and giggling along, Shoukaki turned to Miroku. "You're right, Big Brother. Big Sister did like it best!"
Miroku nodded his acquiescence as the two girls danced in the morning sun for a little bit longer.
When they'd finally exhausted themselves, the two ladies sat back down; Sango was breathing heavily but glowed with a rich, warm light. Miroku had rarely seen her so happy and was incredibly grateful to his small ghost friend for making the love of his life so happy. Being the ghost that she was, little Shoukaki showed no signs of exertion at all. Instead she was a bundle of energy, laughing and smiling and having a wonderful time.
Still wearing her flowers, Sango pulled the phantom closer to her for another hug. She held the girl close as she asked: "You made such a beautiful thing, just for me, little one?" Shoukaki nodded. "Whatever for?"
Giddy with the pleasure of seeing her gift bring happiness, Shoukaki tripped over her words as she rattled them off. "Well, I love Big Sister a lot and I wanted her to look prettiest, just like my mommy, and Mommy said that she looked prettiest of all when she wore flowers so since you're pretty like my mommy I wanted to give you flowers to make you prettiest of all!" She took a deep breath. "I never see you wearing any pretty things, like the girls in my village did, so I wanted to give you one. All you have is that Jewel but Big Brother said that you don't have that to look pretty. Why do you carry around that Jewel, Big Sister?"
For a moment, Sango sat thinking. Then she replied: "I carry it because Inuyasha couldn't. But I have to give it back to him soon, because it really is his. For whatever reason, it didn't disappear with Kagome like it should have. So I think it was left behind for him.
"When Kagome disappeared, Inuyasha was really destroyed. He didn't talk for two weeks; he didn't eat for even longer. For three days he didn't move from the spot where Kagome had disappeared from—he didn't even shift his weight. He just held the jewel and stared off into space. He didn't even try to kill his brother, who lay unconscious on the ground for a day and a half. He just…sat.
"So when the time came for us to part ways, I told Shippou that I would take the Jewel and safeguard it with Miroku, while the kitsune helped Inuyasha heal. And I've been carrying the Jewel ever since, waiting for the day that Inuyasha recovered from his loss and could protect it like he always has. It is his, after all."
There was a rustling in the nearby brush. With lightning quickness, both Miroku and Sango were on their feet, weapons drawn. From where he was sleeping, Inuyasha suddenly sat up, his eyes lidded and a growl escaping his lips. Slowly, purposefully, he drew Tetsusaiga from its sheath and stood. The sword glinted in the morning light with a red pallor. He readied it as the brush parted.
Tetsusaiga slipped from his stiff fingers as the morning sun glided across the parting undergrowth and the pale, frightened face of Kagome.
"Inuyasha…"
Without a word, the dog-demon lunged toward his love, the months of loneliness draining away with each step. He opened his arms to embrace her.
There was a sickening thud and Inuyasha fell to the ground, an arrow embedded in his side. Kagome screamed and reached out for him, only to have Sessshoumaru grab her arm and hold her back. He turned his golden eyes on Sango and Miroku as his brother hit the dew-sodden earth.
"I've come to reclaim what's mine. Give me the Shikon Jewel."
Miroku and Sango only readied their weapons as they prepared for battle.