Deceitful Eyes

The Golden Ostrich

* * *

Kikyo returned to Nurako's castle as the first beams of dawn swept across the dew-covered grass. She smiled victoriously as her soul serpents carried her down to the courtyard where Nurako stood waiting.

"I take it all went well?"

"Quite. They were tired and anxious due to the ancient forest."

"Very good." Nurako smiled and touched his finger to Kikyo's lip. "They cannot escape this time...they will not abandon the ones they love, even if it costs them their own lives."

"Yes," she replied, kissing his fingertip. She gently moved his hand away and moved her face close to his. "And then nothing will stand in your way of becoming a full demon," she whispered and pressed her soft lips against his. He did not respond, instead allowing himself to be swept away in the kiss.

* * *

The same sun that shone on Kikyo and Nurako also poured its light onto InuYasha as he sat staring into the deep blue sky. The forest seemed almost cheerful in pure daylight, despite it being completely dead. The hanyou shifted his gaze from the clouds to Kagome, who was curled up aside him. He had released his death grip on her at some point during the night, leaving her to sleep without fear of suffocation. Now it looked like she had no intentions of ever waking.

Across from him, Miroku was leaning against a tree, still holding Sango on his lap. InuYasha smirked when he thought about the terrible neck ache the monk would awake to...it would serve the hentai right.

His thoughts dissolved as he glanced down at Sango...he knew she was genuinely terrified last night, between the thick gloom and her nightmares about her brother, it was no wonder she had eagerly snuggled into Miroku's lap. He bit his lip, thinking about the previous night. He had indeed felt the black aura that they were all so afraid of, but he was too proud to admit that he had been scared. Someone needed to hold the group together, and someone needed to comfort Kagome. The best way he knew how was to suck up the fear and parade around like a heedless buffoon. It was stupid, he knew, but the night had passed, taking the foreboding cloud with it.

"Ooh..."

InuYasha looked up at Miroku again, confirming his prediction. The monk cracked his neck cautiously, in an attempt to alleviate his pain and still let Sango sleep.

"You actually like her, don't you?" said InuYasha.

"Huh?"

"If you were just after her for the hell of it, you wouldn't be so careful."

"Hmph. I just know how to treat a beautiful girl."

"What do you do with the ugly ones?"

"The ugly ones wouldn't even be on my lap."

InuYasha laughed. "Even so, you're not just after her to have your first-born child..."

Miroku glanced down at Sango and shrugged. "She can have my second and third too if she-OW!"

Sango had apparently woken and belted Miroku across the face. He stared down at her, gingerly touching the red spot that was rising on his cheek.

"Hentai!"

"I was just kidding!"

"Ugh...and to think, I just spent the night on your lap," she said in disgust, but made no effort to move.

"That was a compliment," said Miroku carefully. "You'd make an excellent mother."

Sango looked at him dubiously, almost wanting to accept the compliment, but knowing full well that it was merely a cover-up.

Luckily Miroku's cry of pain had awaken Kagome, giving Sango a new reason to ignore him.

"Why, out of all the guys in the universe, did we end up with these two?"

"Hmmm...I don't have much to complain about," said Kagome.

"See?" InuYasha said proudly. "And you said you know how to treat a girl."

"Except for his ego," Kagome added, stretching in the warm sunlight. She watched out of the corner of her eye as InuYasha deflated totally.

"At least I'm humble."

"Oh yeah? If you're so humble, then why are you gloating about it?" the hanyou snapped.

"Will you two give it a rest already?" said Sango. "I'm starving...let's get out of here and find some food." Miroku nodded and put his hands around her waist, hoisting her up as he stood.

"I wouldn't mind some breakfast," he said.

"Could you take your hands off me now? I can stand, you know," said Sango irritably.

* * *

It was fully noon by the time the travelers stepped out of the ancient woods and onto the grasses of a verdant meadow. A light breeze rippled across the bright landscape, causing a shimmer like foam on the ocean.

"Well this is a refreshing change from the forest," remarked Miroku.

"Yeah, and I think I see some berry bushes up ahead!" exclaimed Kagome. She bolted towards a clump of shrubs before them, with her companions at her heals.

"Blackberries!" said Sango happily, eyeing the heavily laden bushes. She and the others tucked in greedily, grabbing handfuls of the plump ripe berries and eating them without a second thought.

"Looks like blood," InuYasha remarked once they had cleared the bushes. He was staring down at his hands stained with dark scarlet juice.

"I can hear water running somewhere...there's probably a stream around that we can wash of in," said Kagome. She titled her head, listening. "It's just north of us a bit."

Finally satiated from their makeshift meal, they followed Kagome's advice and headed of in a northern direction through the meadow...her ears proved correct, as there was a small creek winding through the tufts of grass and wildflowers in the meadow. After a long drink and a thorough wash, they decided to stop for awhile and enjoy their surroundings. InuYasha was convinced that there would be some wild animals around that they could hunt, so perhaps dinner would be more satisfying than usual that night.

* * *

"The potion will not affect InuYasha I'm afraid, since he has demon blood in his veins. As for the others though, they will fully succumb to the power of it," Nurako mused.

"If the potion will have no influence on him, how do you expect to rid yourself of his presence?" Kikyo questioned.

"The other's will take care of that for me. One of them will surely be successful."

"And what will happen to them?"

"After the spell wears off, they will fall into a deep delirious sickness. Within two days, they will be dead."

"You're scout has returned," Kikyo said, motioning towards an insect hovering nearby. "He says they've found the berries and are in the process of devouring them right now."

"Very good. It will only be a matter of time then. We'll let Sango go first..."

* * *

InuYasha's theory proved more successful than anyone would've thought...after two hours of his and Kagome's hunting, three rabbits and a wild pig hung over the fire. Along with that, Miroku and Sango had managed to forage up some wild onions and radishes with which to make a small salad.

"This should be a more enjoyable evening," remarked Sango, glancing up at the darkening sky. Several stars were already peeking through the expanding dusk.

"Well the offer still stands, if you find yourself frightened again," said Miroku.

Sango raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head...there was no use in slinging comments at him, just in case of another nightmare. And, although she would never admit to it, she was actually pleased the monk had comforted her last night...he wasn't so bad, for a hentai. Inside she was flattered by his comments.

"Ooh, I can't believe I actually killed those things!" said Kagome in reference to the rabbits. "They were so cute!"

"Hey, I got one of them," said InuYasha. "And the pig too, don't forget that."

"We do have to eat, Kagome," said Miroku. "These meadows are swarming with rabbits; it might actually do the population some good if we kill some. Otherwise, they run out of food and starve to death. This is a faster, more humane way for them to die."

"Ugh," said Kagome. "What if they had babies?"

InuYasha shrugged. "Who cares? We're hungry."

"You're so insensitive!"

* * *

"Insensitive or not, this is a damn good rabbit." InuYasha ripped a hunk of meat off a bone with his teeth, chewing it thoughtfully.

Night had descended on them once again, bringing with it a crescent moon and a cool breeze that smelled lightly of salt.

"We must be nearing the ocean," Miroku remarked, sniffing at the air.

"Hmm...guess we'll be travelling along the coast soon, huh?" said Kagome.

"Yup."

"Sounds good to me."

"Just so long as we find more jewel shards soon. I can't wait forever," said InuYasha. "And we still have to get rid of Nurako."

"Yeah. Say, what's wrong Sango?" Kagome asked. "You've been awfully quiet this evening."

"What? Oh, just a little headache, that's all," she replied.

"Are you okay?" inquired Miroku.

"I'm fine."

They finished their meal in near silence, listening to the crickets singing and the fire popping and crackling...the sky was an inky black by now, displaying each glimmering star vividly. They sat staring at the heavens for some times, wondering about their fates and what the new sun would bring. Finally, as the fire burned down to lustrous embers, they lay themselves down on the soft grass and awaited sleep.

* * *

"It is time," said Nurako. He poured a single drop of the potion onto a fire.

* * *

Miroku lay awake with his back to the others, restless once again. Sleep would not grace him tonight, as was typical these days. The fate of his father kept coming back to his mind, pushing out all other thoughts and keeping him awake long into the night.

Behind him he could hear Sango stirring...perhaps he would at least have someone to talk to. He rolled over and found her on her knees, hands splayed on the ground before her, panting. Her body had gone completely rigid, her limbs trembling with some unknown force.

"Sango, what's wrong?" Miroku asked, moving over to her. He tipped her bowed head to see her face, and saw that her eyes were squinted shut and her teeth tightly clenched.

"What the...?"

Her eyes snapped open, glowing in a dusky mulberry colour and Miroku fell backwards.

"Sango! What's the matter?" Her body had lost its tenseness and she stood swiftly, grabbing her weapon and hurling the end at the monk. He rolled backward over his head and stood, leaving the tip to break into the ground rather than his chest.

"What are you doing? Sango, wake up!" he yelled, convinced that she must be sleepwalking. His shout woke InuYasha and Kagome.

"What the hell are you yelling about, monk?" InuYasha said irritably. Sango swung her weapon at Miroku again, her eyes gleaming brighter in the darkness.

"Stop it!" yelled Miroku, blocking her blow with his staff. "You're not still tweaked about the mother comment, are you?" She lashed out again and he ducked.

"Sango, don't hurt him! He might be a jerk, but there's no need to kill him!" said Kagome.

"Have you been coming on to her again, or do I need to be worried about this?" asked InuYasha doubtfully.

"Ahhh!" Miroku cried out in pain as the edge of her weapon clipped his arm.

"Dammit Sango, what's gotten into you?" asked InuYasha, drawing the Tetsusaiga.

"Don't hurt her, InuYasha!" said Miroku, dodging another swipe.

"Just let me get that damn thing away from her!" said the hanyou angrily. His muscles tensed as he watched her swing again, knocking the staff from Miroku's hand.

"Sango!" yelled Kagome. "Sango, stop it already!"

Miroku dropped to his knees, narrowly avoiding her blow. She raised the weapon high over her head and glared down at him.

"Sango, please," said Miroku, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Don't." Her arms swung down and suddenly arced, sending the weapon spinning through the night.

"Oh my God, what did I do to you?" she asked, her eyes fading back to their usual colour. "Oh no, Miroku." Her eyes fell on his wounded arm and she collapsed sobbing in front of him.

"Sango, calm down," said Miroku, drawing her into an embrace. "It's not your fault."

"What the hell were you thinking?" bellowed InuYasha, ducking as her weapon flew back and buried itself in the ground.

"InuYasha," said Kagome, touching his arm. "This wasn't Sango's fault...she couldn't have done that, no matter how much Miroku annoys her."

InuYasha growled but held his tongue. He watched Sango trembling in Miroku's arms while the tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Then what happened?" he said. "Can you sense a jewel shard in her?"

"No," said Kagome, shaking her head. "There aren't any nearby, but I'll bet this has something to do with Nurako."

"What else is new," grumbled InuYasha.

"Her forehead feels feverish...she must be ill," Miroku said over his shoulder. "She probably didn't realize she was attacking me."

"This is great...you've got a wounded arm and she's sick," InuYasha muttered.

"Oh, what should we do?" said Kagome. She hurried over and placed a hand on Sango's shaking shoulder.

"Just let her rest for the night...I'll keep watch in case she attacks again," said Miroku. "We should leave first thing tomorrow morning though, to find some help."

Kagome nodded and patter Sango on the shoulder. "You'll be just fine, Sango."

"Yeah, we'll get you some help," InuYasha grumbled. "Just wake me if she does anything weird again, okay monk?"

"Right," said Miroku.

"And let me bandage that arm for you before we go back to sleep," Kagome said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a roll of bandages. Miroku nodded.

* * *

"It seems the first attack was mostly unsuccessful," said Kikyo, nodding at the insect that served as Nurako's scout. "Miroku was the only one wounded, and it was very minor...the potion wore off before she was able to kill him."

"Hmmm...he's next anyway and she'll be dead in two days time."

Kikyo nodded. "What is that anyway?"

"It's called a 'notishi' potion...the only cure can be made from the crushed leaves of a certain plant that grows sand dunes."

Kikyo nodded again and closed her eyes.

* * *

Author's Note: well that was rather long-winded...what do you think? Please review; I need somre feedback! I'll be writing the next chapter as soon as I rustle up some dinner. *grin*