Hi^.^ I've decided to write the next chapter. I honestly don't have anything better to do with my time. So I'm gonna write chapters! Yep. Anyway, make sure to consider the emailing thing I mentioned in the last chapter, okay?
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Nope, not me.
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*How does it feel to think about fate? Kind of depressing, right? So it's better not to think about it, right? But how can you ignore it when it plays a major part of your life? You can't. It'll always be right there with you, monitoring your every move. But can fate slip up sometimes? Can others be affected by a slip in fate? Is there such a thing, or is it meant to happen? Is the slip up also a part of fate, or is sometimes fate itself unsure of what to do in certain situations? Or maybe this is all part of destiny. Is there a way to tell? Or course not. That's why it's so confusing. That's why none of this makes sense, but we keep trying to understand it. Such is our nature. To know the unknown…is a difficult thing. So many questions, just not enough answers…or just not any answers. So confusing.*
They ran through the forest towards the scent of the youkai. The forest was getting thicker, but the roar of the beast was getting louder. They finally reached the area where the youkai was, and it was huge. It looked slightly like a bear, but it had raptor shaped legs, covered in gray fur. Its arms were long, but also covered in muscles. Its head was like a wolf's, with long, razor sharp teeth in it's large mouth. The eyes were a blood red color. Gray fur covered its whole body. It was reaching out with one of its long arms towards the broken tree. It reached further passed the fallen tree and its clawed hand seemed to grab something. It pulled its arm back and in its hand was Miroku. The group gasped. Blood was dripping from his body and he was unconscious.
"Houshi-sama!" shouted Sango.
"Miroku!" shouted Shippo from his perch on Kagome's shoulder. Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha, who already had his hand on Tetsusaiga. The youkai looked towards them, its fangs bared. Inuyasha drew the Tetsusaiga and pointed it at the youkai.
"Put him down," demanded Inuyasha. The youkai seemed to smile as he tossed Miroku aside and into a tree. He gasped in pain as his back smashed into it. He then fell onto the dirt-covered ground. Kagome, Sango, and Shippo all ran towards the fallen houshi. Inuyasha began his battle with the youkai. Kirara quickly transformed and began to help him, since the demon seemed to block his swings with its huge claws. Meanwhile, Kagome and Sango attempted to lift Miroku, who seemed to be in a great deal of pain. Upon closer inspection, they could see that all of his wounds had reopened, not to mention he now had a few more. There was now a gash on his chest and a new one accompanied the first one on his back. He was loosing blood and fast.
"We have to get him somewhere safe," said Kagome. She looked to Inuyasha, who was still fighting the youkai. "Inuyasha! We have to get Miroku-sama someplace safe."
"I know!" he yelled out of frustration as he swung the Tetsusaiga again. "That's it! Kaze no Kizu!" He gave one mighty swing and sent the shockwave at the demon. It cried in pain as the Kaze no Kizu struck it. After the golden light faded, the demon lay in pieces on the forest floor, along with a few dozen trees. Inuyasha sheathed his sword and then turned to where Miroku was. Kagome and Sango had managed to get him to his feet. His arms were around their shoulders and they held onto him by both his arms and his waist. He seemed to be slightly conscious, but only slightly, as if he was fighting to stay awake.
"We have to take him to the village," said Sango, already knowing what was coming next.
"But they hate him," said Kagome.
"There's nowhere else to go. If we don't go there, Houshi-sama might…"
"We'll convince them," said Inuyasha as he began to head down the forested hill towards the village. Kagome and Sango followed him. Shippo and Kirara, who was now her small size, walked quietly behind them. This would be far from easy. The villagers hated Miroku.
After awhile, they reached the entrance, Inuyasha still in the lead. They walked into the village, which was now quiet. The streets were quite vacant. Only a few people were walking around. The village was mostly for people to stop at along their journeys, so it was incredibly quiet without all the travelers in it. A few men were going around, fixing up the stands on the street. They turned their attention to the group of six as they walked further into the village. Some of the men ran off to get the other villagers. People were standing in their doorways and looking out windows. A few of the men approached them and the group stopped.
"We told you to leave. We don't want him here," said one of the men angrily.
"Please, he needs help," begged Kagome. "We don't have the supplies to treat his wounds. He needs to stay here."
"Let him die. We don't care."
"How can you say that?" asked Sango. There was anger in her voice. "He got hurt protecting this village."
"I don't care. We don't want him here. Now leave."
"Just shut up," said Inuyasha, unable to just stay out of the conversation. Miroku had come to his defense more than once, so now it was Inuyasha's turn to return the favor. "Listen to yourselves. Are you people that ignorant? He just saved your lives and that's all you can say?"
"Inuyasha," whispered Kagome, a smile on her face. He was finally doing something nice.
"I don't know why Miroku even bothered to save your pathetic little village, but he could have died saving you, and you still refuse to let him stay here. It's in the past! Give it up! Miroku didn't mean to destroy your village; he was tricked. He's learned to forget the past, so why can't you? Just forgive him already, or are you people really that stupid?" It was silent for a while, until an older looking man walked up to them.
"You can stay here," he said to Inuyasha. He looked over at all of them. "It's time for this foolishness to end. You can stay at my house." The man turned and began to walk down the street. The group followed him down the streets until they reached a huge house. He led them inside and into a huge room. It was dimly lit and had a few mats set out. The walls were all the same, deep, mahogany color.
"Please wait here. I'll go get some herbs for his injuries." The man left the room and headed down the hall, leaving them there. Kagome and Sango set Miroku down gently on one of the mats. He had lost consciousness a while ago. He was still bleeding as well. Inuyasha walked over to the corner and sat down. Kagome smiled and walked over to him. He watched her approach and noticed the smile on her face.
"Why are you so happy?" he asked as he noticed the overly admiring look she was giving him. She shook her head.
"Nandemo, it's just that you really surprised me."
"Nani?"
"You stood up for Miroku and thanks to you, we were allowed to stay here."
"Yeah, well, don't get used to it. I only did it because those people were ticking me off."
"Of course, Inuyasha." The man came back into the room with different medical supplies and a lot of bandages.
"Here are the supplies. I hope this will help."
"Arigatou," said Sango as she took the supplies from his arms. Kagome walked over to Sango and they began to sort out the items. After doing so, they began to undo Miroku's robes and pulled them down to his waist, exposing his chest. The gashes were deep.
"Is Miroku going to be okay?" asked Shippo, tears welling up in his eyes at the sight of his friend.
"Of course," answered Kagome, although she was having her doubts. 'This may take a while.' And with that thought, her and Sango got to work.
******
It was getting late now as the sun began its journey behind the horizon. They had spent the whole day at the man's house. They found out he was the headman of the village. He gave them food and provided them with everything they needed. Kagome and Sango had patched up Miroku, who was resting peacefully on the mat. None of them wanted to move him in fear of reopening his wounds. He would more or less be all right for now.
"Arigatou," said Kagome. The headman just shook his head.
"It's quite alright. I'm happy to help."
"Are the people here all right with this?" asked Sango.
"I'm not sure, but they will get over it. I can see that this man is not our enemy. If I can accept him, then they can as well."
"Do you live here all alone?" asked Kagome.
"There was a time when my son, his wife, and their daughter lived her, but that was a long time ago. Now I'm alone."
"Did…did they…"
"Yes. They died here three years ago." The man looked over at Miroku. "But I've learned to accept that. It's not his fault." He turned his attention back to the three people sitting with him. Shippo had gone over to a corner and had fallen asleep next to Kirara. The day had been too eventful for him. "Please tell me about him…about that hole in his hand."
"It's a Kazaana. It sucks up everything in sight, so Miroku-sama wears prayer beads to seal it. It's a curse passed down from generations. It was given to his grandfather by a demon named Naraku." Kagome glanced over at Miroku, who was still sleeping peacefully. "If we don't hurry and get rid of Naraku, the Kazaana will devour him. Every year it gets bigger, but Miroku-sama already shortened his life by using it when it was injured. We don't know how much time he has left."
"It must be hard for him. There's such uncertainty in his life. How sad. To be so young and to already have his death laid out of him."
"He once said that he was prepared to accept it if it was truly his fate, but I don't believe that. Miroku-sama is trying so hard to be happy, but I bet he's worried, in fact, I know he is. He doesn't want to die yet."
"It's not just that," added Sango. "He's also afraid of taking us all with him. His Kazaana might devour us as well, since he doesn't know when it will happen."
"Exactly what is he to all of you?"
"He's our companion," said Kagome. "But moreover, he's our friend."
"I understand. He really is lucky to have friends like you. He's probably just glad to wake up each morning, knowing he has all of you to rely on. It must make his life a little easier."
"Yeah." Kagome smiled. Inuyasha didn't feel like saying anything. This wasn't his type of conversation.
"I should let you all get some rest. It has gotten late." The headman stood up and left the room.
"Goodnight," he said.
"Goodnight," said Kagome and Sango.
******
Miroku stood alone in the center of what looked like a village. The sky was dark and there was no moon, no stars, just darkness. There were also bodies. Tons of bodies were around him, covered in blood. The houses were broken and most had collapsed. Miroku felt strange. There was complete silence, and it gave him an eerie feeling. Something wasn't right.
"What's going on?" he asked the darkness, hoping for an answer. He then looked at himself, at his hands. There was blood everywhere, but none of it was his. He looked around and finally found his staff, lying a few feet away. It was covered in blood as well. Miroku didn't know what was going on. He then heard the sound of someone laughing. A girl. He looked around and soon found the source of the laughing. It was a young girl, around the same age as Sango, or maybe Kagome. She stood a few yards away from him, a toothy grin plastered on her face.
"Who are you?" he asked the girl.
"My name is Siria," she responded. She walked into the little bit of light there was and Miroku could see everything now. She wore a tight battle suit made up of the colors brown, black, and a bluish gray. The pants she wore were brown, as was her chest plate piece. The sleeves and boots were black and the leggings she wore over it were bluish gray, along with the piece that covered her midriff. On her stomach was a dark gray, diamond shaped stone. Her dark outfit clashed with her soft, peach colored skin. She was very beautiful. Normally, Miroku would have asked a girl like this his normal question in a heartbeat, but there was something about her that he hated. Her hair was shoulder length and hung down half of her face. The color was crimson, a blood red. And the eye he could see on her…it was gray. He was suddenly overwhelmed with hatred.
"You're the girl who made me destroy that village!" he yelled at her. She just laughed.
"That may be, but what does it matter? My hands aren't the ones covered in blood. You killed them. You killed all of these people." Miroku's eyes went wide as he glanced around.
"I…did this?"
"That's right. You killed them all, and now…" She reached to her side where a scabbard hung. She grabbed the hilt of the sword at her side and drew it. The silver metal gleamed, even in the darkness around them. The blade was a sickle shape and it was definitely sharp. "…You'll join them." She brought the sword to her side and ran towards him, ready to strike. Miroku closed his eyes, awaiting his death.
******
Sango was lying awake in her futon. Kagome and her were in a nicely prepared room. They had all left to their rooms, leaving Miroku where he was. Sango wasn't sure why she couldn't sleep, but she knew one thing. Something about this didn't feel right. Sango got up and walked out of the room quietly. She didn't want to wake Kagome. She headed down the hall and came to the room Miroku was in. There was no harm in just checking up on him. She slid open the door and walked in quietly. She walked over to his still form and kneeled next to him. It took her eyes a little while to adjust to the darkness, since the halls were still lit, and when they did, she noticed Miroku's pained expression. His eyes were tightly closed and he quivered slightly. His breathing was hard and beads of sweat were forming on his temples. He was in pain and Sango knew it. He moaned slightly and took in an incredibly large breath and held it. After releasing it, he began to breath hard again. Sango decided that she had to wake him. He cried out in pain, but it wasn't loud enough to really wake anyone. Sango touched his shoulder, and in that instant, something happened. In her mind, she could see Miroku standing in a destroyed village, along with another person, a girl. She stood in front of him, almost touching him. In her hand she held a sword that was curved. The scene was dark. Suddenly, a streak of lightning lit the scene, and that's when Sango noticed it. The sword was covered in blood, and it was sticking out of Miroku's back. His face was a mixture of pain and fear. He suddenly closed his eyes, and his body went limp.
Sango pulled her hand away from Miroku and just stared at him as he was lying there, in pain. She reached out again and shook him, no images coming to her mind.
"Houshi-sama!" she yelled at him, but not loud enough to wake anyone. "Wake up. Houshi-sama!" Miroku's eyes suddenly shot open and he sat up quickly, but instantly regretted it. His hand shot up to cover the wound on his chest, which he stretched too far. He fell back against the floor with a thud. His eyes were still wide and his breathing was still hard.
"Houshi-sama."
He turned his head and looked at Sango. Her eyes showed great concern for him. His breathing soon slowed. He realized he was in a dark room somewhere.
"Just…a dream," he said quietly.
"Houshi-sama, daijoubu ka?" Eventually Miroku calmed down enough to talk in sentences.
"I'm fine, Sango. It was just a dream. Really." He forced a smile, which he hoped was convincing enough. Sango nodded and then sighed. Miroku looked around the room. "Where are we?"
"In the house belonging to the chief of this village."
"Nani?"
"He let us stay here. He's forgiven you." Miroku smiled slightly. The thought of being forgiven comforted him a little. It was silent for a while, neither one having anything to really say. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, Sango. There's no need to worry. How about we leave here tomorrow?"
"Nani? Demo, Houshi-sama…"
"I'll be better by tomorrow. Besides, I'm sure Inuyasha doesn't want to spend too much time in this town. I don't really mind."
"You sure? We don't have to leave right away."
"I'm sure. You know, it's late. You should go to sleep."
"Hai. Goodnight Houshi-sama."
"Goodnight." Sango stood up and walked out of the room, making sure to be quiet as she walked down the halls. 'Houshi-sama, you're lying to me.' She elaborated a little more on that subject. 'Was what I saw…part of his dream? When I touched him, those images…they were so real…so painful. He died in his dream. How horrible. Poor Houshi-sama.' She arrived back at the room and opened the door quietly. She slipped in and got back under the blankets of her futon. She soon closed her eyes and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
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I know, not much action. Well, in the next chapter, the plot thickens. And there will be more action. I promise! Don't hurt me. There will be more torture in the next chapter too^.^ To both Miroku and Inuyasha…I'm so mean^.^
Daijoubu ka –Are you okay?
Kazaana –Air void (Miroku's wind tunnel)
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go think up some form of revenge to get back at my biology teacher.
Audi^.^
