Miroku Meets an Old Friend

Chapter Two

By Demonwind_wing

Miroku was to slow to look behind him. But for some reason he was not hit by what Kogome was shouting about. He look around himself to found he was out of harms way. "What happen?" he asked to himself. Inu- yasha and Sango was still fighting the demon a little bit away from where he now stand.

Kogome, with Shippo behind her, came running to him. She stop a foot away and asked in a voice with panted breath, "Miroku are you okay?"

"Yeah, but what happen to me?"

"One second you were about to get hit in to back by that demon's spike tail. Then the next second you were gone!" Shippo quip in. "What happen?"

"I can explain everything," said a soft voice from behind them. Miroku froze at the sound of that voice, it sounded so familiar. Someone came out of the trees behind them. To Kogome and Shippo the young lady was new to them. They look at Miroku to only find him starring at the newcomer. "Miroku will you stop starring at me. It's not like the first time you seen me come up out of no where."

Kogome then hit Miroku on the head to get him to speak. "Natsume, you're here! What are you doing here?!" Was all Miroku could say. As he had finish saying that Sango and Inu- yasha came up.

"Man, Miroku what are you doing. We were in the middle of a fight and you just left, was is with you!" Inu- yasha yelled in Miroku's ear.

"Can you yell any louder Inu- yasha?" Sango asked, "anyway we have a newcomer."

"Huh, what? Who…," His voice trail off. "Wow, what a cute girl." (That was a mistake!)

"SIT!!!!!!!!" Kogome yelled, and then down Inu- yasha went. (ouch!) "Why you, you, dog!" Kogome is now really angry! (Can you blame her. I would be too**.) Can you believe that Inu- yasha?

"Hey look, if you want an explanation, my place is not far," Natsume said before Kogome could cry from anger.

"Sure, let's go before it rains," Sango said as everyone looks to the sky to see dark clouds gathering. They all follow Natsume.

As they walk through the forest Sango and Kogome asked Miroku as Inu- yasha pretends not to listen, "how do you know her?"

"We meet as kids just after my father had died. I remember all the fun we had by to river that was close by. Fishing and finding herb. She was also a very good cook at such a young age. We were the best of friends." Inu- yasha look back just in time to see Miroku gaze. It was the same gaze as the night before, when he went out to think.

Inu- yasha turn his eyes forward to find that Natsume had stop and her face was up close to his. He jump back with fright. "What are you doing girl?! You almost made my heart stop!"

All she did was smile and said, "it's not polite to eavesdrop." Everyone stop in front of a two room hut with a small garden and well. "You like? I bought it from an old women that went to live with her grandchildren."

"Wow, it's so nice!" Shippo said with joy with Kirara yip of approval.

"Well are you all looking for an invite or are you coming in?" Natsume asked.

They all went in, "what do you use all this space for?" Sango asked with the air of suspecting.

"I use to other room for my ink art and pots I made. I sell them in the village not far from here. And I don't believe that I had introduce myself to your friends Miroku" she answer. "My name is Natsume, it a honor to meet you all."

"Growl-."

"Huh? What was that?" Natsume asked with a frown.

"Our stomachs, that's what," Shippo replied as he sank to the floor with another growl from his stomach

Natsume put a hand over her mouth, "(giggles) I'll get lunch ready, okay?"

As she began to leave to get lunch Miroku said, "let me help you."

Natsume turn around and said with a warm smile, "that's okay Miroku, you don't have to help me. Why don't all you friends make yourselves at home and rest." With that she left to get lunch ready. The rest all turn to look at Miroku to find that he was blushing.

"Ah… Miroku are you blushing?" Inu- yasha asked with surprise. The rest all just stare, they have never seen Miroku blush before.

"Miroku… do you like her?" Sango asked with a slight giggle herself .

"What me blushing!? Why would I blush, and why would I like her? She's like a sister to me!" (which was a lie) Miroku said in astonishment. He tried to sit down somewhere on the floor only to find himself falling on his back.

"I take that as a yes," Sango laugh as she help Miroku up. Now Miroku was blushing even more furiously. They all settle down while the girls asked Miroku about this Natsume. He answer as many answer as he could without reveling any of her sad past.

Very soon after Natsume came back with trays full of food.

"Wow, it smells so good," Shippo said as he jumps up a down for a better view of the trays. Natsume past out all of the trays.

"Well then if you are all hungry let's eat." Natsume said after pasting out the trays.

Talk began to fill the are, mostly about Natsume and Miroku. Then Inu- yasha made the mistake of saying, "Hey Natsume why did you leave the temple you and Miroku lived at?"

Miroku was shaking his head behind Natsume vision as Natsume spear one of her radish out of the her soup and frown. "That is none of your business, and a suggest that you don't asked again." She answer with cold eyes full of sadness. Inu- yasha felt like being push back by that sadness in her eyes. He felt like a bully for asking but he didn't know why. And was that a demon like force pushing him back? She doesn't have the scent of a demon.

"Why don't we change the subject?" Miroku interjected before she could raised all chaos with her demon half. The silent that follow was only broken by the soft patter of the rain that will soon roar. The tension in the room disperse and the happy look in Natsume eyes return. While Inu- yasha remained quiet the others began to talk once more.

The hours went by as the girls talk and the so called men do all the work. (May I add that Miroku volunteer them).

"Miroku how did you get us into this?" Inu- yasha grumble.

Miroku gave him an innocent look, "why whatever do you mean." It seem to Inu- yasha that Miroku likes to help Natsume.

The day turn into night and they all had supper. They were all sleepy soon after supper and everyone went to sleep. During the night Natsume woke as the rain began to clear. She got up and went outside to smell the after rain night time air. Miroku heard her leave and got up as quietly as possible and followed.

"What are you doing out here Miroku?" Natsume asked him as he came out without looking in his direction. Miroku was sure that he didn't make a sound, so how did she know he was here?

"You got me red handed, but how did you know it was me?"

"When one part of the body is immobile to others become stronger in place of that one. In other words I had my eyes close so my hearing becomes better." She turn around and open her eyes. Her smile again appear with warmth that melted his heart.

Then out of now where she said as her eyes became cold, "who ever you are, come out now."

Without warning something like a sleep dart flew past barely missing Natsume by near millimeters. "Natsume are you okay?" Miroku asked with worry in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm okay, but whoever that was is getting away! Hurry up or we'll lose him!" As that was said Miroku and Natsume gave chase. Dodging trees, bushes and water puddles they ran presciently on. Natsume was not about to give up so easily when someone was going to put her lights out, and Miroku was not about to let her go off alone.

When they had stop they where by a small lake Miroku almost fell down for lack of air. "Wh- where a- are w- we?" Miroku asked as he sat down on a nearby rock.

"Your guess is as good as my." She said flatly with no sign of exhaustion, "though this place seems familiar to me." She turn around to look at Miroku and asked, "are you okay? All that running isn't to much for you, was it?"

Miroku look up in surprise, "huh! Oh, oh I'm o-"

"Miroku move!" Natsume said without warning. She grab Miroku by the are and pull him towards her a quickly as she could. Miroku landed right on top of her in an way that you do not want other to see you in. Right where Miroku was sitting was a melted rock.

'Acid,' Miroku thought.

"Miroku are you alright! That could have be you! Maybe you shouldn't have come. You should go back to the others." Natsume asked as worry as Miroku was before. Miroku got off of Natsume and help her up. As Natsume was getting her footing she was pull away be something as Miroku try to grab her hand.

But before he could do anything a demon came out of the woods behind him and bit his arm that he was trying to reach Natsume with. Venom sank in to his arm with painful agony. He past out for all the pain. The last words he heard was Natsume saying, "MIROKU, NO MIROKU, WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP MIROKU!" Then all went blank

***************************************************

Natsume shook Miroku with all she had to wake he up as the demon retreated to the forest. As Miroku fell into deep sleep from all the venom a man came out from the forest behind her.

"Oh, he won't wake up unless you give him the give hive a fusion of these." The man said holding up some plants.

"Okay, what do you want from me? I'll do anything, just let no harm come to him. Please!" Natsume plead. Miroku was the only one ,besides her uncle Sanjuro, that meant everything to her. If he died she could not live with herself.

The man smile with an evil look in his eyes, "if I'm not mistaken, you are the last of a royal demon family line, true that your demon blood has mingle with human blood. But nether-the-less you are the hime( princess) Natsume. Now if you come along to the castle he'll live."

Natsume's eyes widen, "you- you…"

"Now, now if you don't choose soon he'll died rather quickly." His smile turn into grin.

"Fine. What do I do." She said looking away from the man to Miroku. Natsume carefully move hair strands of hair from Miroku's face.

"Just drink this," he held out a bowl of some red liquid for her to drink. She took it and dump the bowl's substance into her mouth. Everything began to grow dark as she fell into a deep sleep.

"Hmm, that was to easy," he then look at Miroku, "there might still be a use to him, pick them up and bring them to the castle." He told the demon that bit Miroku earlier as it came out of the forest again. It did so, then off they went.

***************************************************

"Where in the world are they" Inu- yasha asked himself as he follow Natsume and Miroku scent.

Warning chapter three may contain content that adult may not find suitable for young children. Teens are okay!