Goodnight Kisses
By Mya Karnin
Hunkered down against the howling night, Inuyasha, Miroku, Kagome, Sango and Shippo tried to escape into a dreamland that would erase the cold images in their minds. Earlier, Shippo had been overcome with the need to empty his stomach at the grotesque sight of the army of bloody corpses. Controlled by drops of blood from a Shikon no Tama enhanced youkai, the group had battled the zombies that never seemed to die (as they were already dead, duh!) but simply gathered up their hacked off limbs and feel back into the fray. Only Miroku's kazanna sucking in the scattered remains and Sango's timely hiraikotsu slicing open the controlling youkai had prevented any greater injury to the group. Now they curled up and tried to forget one of the many towns with a full cemetery and empty huts that lay behind them.
Kirara sighed. Humans. So weak that they constantly needed a watchful eye hovering nearby. Making another wide circle around the camp, she effortlessly dispatched a slithering something that was heading in an unmistakable path directly towards the fireside and its occupants. Finally satisfied, she returned to the fire, transforming to her cute little self as she did.
Well, maybe not all humans were weak, she said to herself, as she tickled her cold nose against Sango's slumbering face. Her human was a real warrior to be contended with, she thought with pride. Hesitating for a moment, Kirara moved on to the human sleeping next to Sango, Kagome. Here Kirara had to shake her head in wonder. How could such a physically useless girl have such pure, spiritual powers? Although having not nearly the same measure of power as her human, Kirara did have to admire Kagome's ability to contain the evil that threatened to pour out of the jewel each day.
Giving Kagome her nightly nuzzle, she moved on to Shippo, smiling at the sight of him bundled up next to his surrogate mother. Her heart tugging, she purred gently as she nosed face. She could practically feel her heart going out to her young friend. Having lost her first much-loved human to the Shikon Jewel, she had deep empathy for the kit. But she had Sango and for a time Sango's family for so long in the village of the taiji-ya that she had begun to feel part of a family again. To have no family at all.she squeaked with emotion. But looking up, she realized why he had a trace of a smile on his face. They were his new family now.
Tickling his nose with her tails, she turned to Inuyasha. With a look that would have frightened Sesshoumaru, she "hmfed" at the slumbering hanyou. When would that dog ever grow up? Just today he had thrown himself into the slaughter of the zombified humans, trying to reach the controlling youkai, not even realizing that Kagome was in danger until her call had pierced the air. But he had been so bent to the destruction of the maniacally laughing demon that he hadn't realized until too late. Or, it was too late because her human and herself had flown in to snag Kagome from the rush of corpses that threatened to overwhelm her. It was then that Sango had finished off the youkai with a shout of "Hiraikotsu!" But the boy Inuyasha still had much to learn about working with the rest of the group. With a mother's sigh, Kirara rubbed her fluffy body up against Inuyasha's face for his goodnight hug.
Finally she turned to Miroku. Tsking in her squeaky manner, she played out a lecture in her head that she would have given the monk if he had been intelligent enough to understand her. She wished she could clearly express to him her motherly concerns for her human. While she could see how much the two meant to each other, Kirara was afraid that Sango would end up hurting over the loss of another. Her wounds from her destroyed family and village had barely scabbed over; another death of one so close to her would only reawaken the scars. If only she could convince him to hold off on deepening their relationship before his future was more secure. Sighing with unexpressed concerns, she hopped up to his shoulder lightly and gave him a rough but affectionate lick.
Stirring from his light sleep by the sandpaper tongue, Miroku opened his eyes and found Kirara perched on his shoulder regarding him with wide eyes. Watching as she flicked her eyes from his face, to Sango's sleeping form, and to his right hand, Miroku smiled sadly.
"Don't worry, Kirara. She means too much to me to hurt her like that." And with a twitch of his shoulder that sent Kirara hopping for a more sturdy position, he curled back up and went to sleep. Having been dislodged, Kirara returned to her post in Sango's blankets. Purring at the warmth that greeted her, she smiled, if a cute youkai that can transform into a massive firecat can smile. He really did understand her, and him being a human and all. With a yawn, Kirara curled up and went to sleep.
By Mya Karnin
Hunkered down against the howling night, Inuyasha, Miroku, Kagome, Sango and Shippo tried to escape into a dreamland that would erase the cold images in their minds. Earlier, Shippo had been overcome with the need to empty his stomach at the grotesque sight of the army of bloody corpses. Controlled by drops of blood from a Shikon no Tama enhanced youkai, the group had battled the zombies that never seemed to die (as they were already dead, duh!) but simply gathered up their hacked off limbs and feel back into the fray. Only Miroku's kazanna sucking in the scattered remains and Sango's timely hiraikotsu slicing open the controlling youkai had prevented any greater injury to the group. Now they curled up and tried to forget one of the many towns with a full cemetery and empty huts that lay behind them.
Kirara sighed. Humans. So weak that they constantly needed a watchful eye hovering nearby. Making another wide circle around the camp, she effortlessly dispatched a slithering something that was heading in an unmistakable path directly towards the fireside and its occupants. Finally satisfied, she returned to the fire, transforming to her cute little self as she did.
Well, maybe not all humans were weak, she said to herself, as she tickled her cold nose against Sango's slumbering face. Her human was a real warrior to be contended with, she thought with pride. Hesitating for a moment, Kirara moved on to the human sleeping next to Sango, Kagome. Here Kirara had to shake her head in wonder. How could such a physically useless girl have such pure, spiritual powers? Although having not nearly the same measure of power as her human, Kirara did have to admire Kagome's ability to contain the evil that threatened to pour out of the jewel each day.
Giving Kagome her nightly nuzzle, she moved on to Shippo, smiling at the sight of him bundled up next to his surrogate mother. Her heart tugging, she purred gently as she nosed face. She could practically feel her heart going out to her young friend. Having lost her first much-loved human to the Shikon Jewel, she had deep empathy for the kit. But she had Sango and for a time Sango's family for so long in the village of the taiji-ya that she had begun to feel part of a family again. To have no family at all.she squeaked with emotion. But looking up, she realized why he had a trace of a smile on his face. They were his new family now.
Tickling his nose with her tails, she turned to Inuyasha. With a look that would have frightened Sesshoumaru, she "hmfed" at the slumbering hanyou. When would that dog ever grow up? Just today he had thrown himself into the slaughter of the zombified humans, trying to reach the controlling youkai, not even realizing that Kagome was in danger until her call had pierced the air. But he had been so bent to the destruction of the maniacally laughing demon that he hadn't realized until too late. Or, it was too late because her human and herself had flown in to snag Kagome from the rush of corpses that threatened to overwhelm her. It was then that Sango had finished off the youkai with a shout of "Hiraikotsu!" But the boy Inuyasha still had much to learn about working with the rest of the group. With a mother's sigh, Kirara rubbed her fluffy body up against Inuyasha's face for his goodnight hug.
Finally she turned to Miroku. Tsking in her squeaky manner, she played out a lecture in her head that she would have given the monk if he had been intelligent enough to understand her. She wished she could clearly express to him her motherly concerns for her human. While she could see how much the two meant to each other, Kirara was afraid that Sango would end up hurting over the loss of another. Her wounds from her destroyed family and village had barely scabbed over; another death of one so close to her would only reawaken the scars. If only she could convince him to hold off on deepening their relationship before his future was more secure. Sighing with unexpressed concerns, she hopped up to his shoulder lightly and gave him a rough but affectionate lick.
Stirring from his light sleep by the sandpaper tongue, Miroku opened his eyes and found Kirara perched on his shoulder regarding him with wide eyes. Watching as she flicked her eyes from his face, to Sango's sleeping form, and to his right hand, Miroku smiled sadly.
"Don't worry, Kirara. She means too much to me to hurt her like that." And with a twitch of his shoulder that sent Kirara hopping for a more sturdy position, he curled back up and went to sleep. Having been dislodged, Kirara returned to her post in Sango's blankets. Purring at the warmth that greeted her, she smiled, if a cute youkai that can transform into a massive firecat can smile. He really did understand her, and him being a human and all. With a yawn, Kirara curled up and went to sleep.
