The Haunting: Poison Flower, chapter 4
By Seabreeze
A/N: So excited to be on the fourth chapter, that I am. No clue how much longer I go on with this story, but I really enjoy writing it. Please please PLEASE review, you have no clue how much reviews mean to us authors. Especially those of us who don't get 20 a chapter * glares at more popular authors *
Disclaimer: * sigh * As usual, I don't own anything but the idea for this. * sigh * Monkey monkey monkey.
*~*~*
The next morning, Sango helped Kenji prepare breakfast automatically. She felt somewhat indebted to him, and felt that somehow this helped repay him. He was acting oddly, though, almost nervously. They stood side by side, chopping fruit together, and his hand accidentally brushed hers. Blushing furiously, his knife clattered to the floor. He retrieved it, laughing at himself and burning red. Sango blushed, too.
'What was that about?' she wondered. Miroku entered the room, and if he noticed his host and his friend were both blushing, he said nothing.
Throughout breakfast and the journey to the center of the village, Kenji acted just as oddly towards Sango as he had while they had chopped fruits. Shippo shot him weird looks, then questioning ones at Miroku, but he didn't seem to see any of this. When Sango looked at him out of the corner of her eye to gauge his reactions to Kenji's odd behavior, he seemed deep in thought. She looked away angrily. It had always been this way. She cared for Miroku, and it was obvious, but he rarely showed that he cared or had any interest in her affairs.
Once arriving in the meeting place, Kenji divided the town again for the work. This time, Sango was with Miroku and Kenji working on citizen's houses. Maybe it was her imagination, but Kenji seemed to be watching her and Miroku closely. It made her self-conscious. As the day went on, his "focus" changed from Miroku and herself to only her. He always seemed to want to be near her, or helping her, or watching her discretely.
The work was not hard. The homes were small, and in the particular area they were in, they had been hardly damaged. They had cleaned up 3 easily by midday, and it looked as if they would at least double that by the time Kenji called everyone in for the night. He had a large gong that he would hit, and the sound traveled to another man in another part of the city with a gong, and he would hit that and so on until everyone knew it was time to sleep.
The flashback happened when Kenji removed his outer kimono and a flash of black suit caught her eye. Sango dropped the large tool she had been using and fell heavily to her knees. She wasn't aware that any of this was happening though- she was elsewhere. The flashback had completely enveloped her and all her senses, and she was reliving what had already been.
*~*~*
She heard men behind her yell in pain, and she turned around just in time to see her father get hit- with a demon exterminator's weapon.
'But who. . .?' she wondered. Then Kohaku caught her eye, and the weapon that had just killed her father was in his hand.
"Kohaku!" she said. She saw the tiny thread that had attached itself to her brother's neck, and followed it. At the end was the man who had hired her- she screamed in anger and ran at him.
"Fire, quickly, they've lost their minds!" the man yelled, all the while his eyes laughing at Sango. Suddenly she felt something both sharp and dull at the same time penetrate her back, and she staggered. She turned, and saw that black material- Kohaku. He ripped off his mask and cried,
"Sis!" So the puppeteer had lost control of her brother. Agony tore his face. He began running towards her just as the man called for more shots- and he was hit, several times.
"Kohaku!" she yelled again. He stumbled back, gasping slightly for breath. Sango stumbled blindly towards her brother, all the while being hit with several arrows, before collapsing on top of him.
"Sis," he repeated, with less vigor. Sango's senses were foggy and unclear, but she knew that he was dying, and so was she.
"I'm here," she whispered.
*~*~*
Miroku caught her elbows before she hit the ground, checking her pulse and feeling her forehead. When he was satisfied she was physically ok, he turned her over and laid her head gently in his own lap.
"Kenji!" he called sharply. When the young demon exterminator came, he looked at Sango, swallowed, and then at Miroku. "I need a damp cloth, and some smelling salts if you have them." He said. Kenji nodded and ran quickly off to do as Miroku asked.
When Sango came to, she opened her eyes to two handsome, yet very worried faces. She was lying in Miroku's lap, and he had laid a cool cloth over her forehead and was stroking her hair carefully.
"Sango," he said quietly, with the look in his eyes he got when things were serious. Kenji fell to his knees and looked anxiously at her.
"Sango, are you alright? What happened?" he cupped her face in his hand and Sango felt Miroku stiffen.
"Nothing. I'm fine. I just need to-" she sat up, and Kenji grasped her arm as Miroku supported her back.
"Lie down?" Kenji asked. Sango shook her head, and to their surprise, stood shakily.
"-get back to work." She shook her head again as if to shake away what remained of the flashback. Kenji held her arm more firmly and pressed his other arm around her waist.
"Is that the best idea, Lady Sango? Maybe you really should rest for awhile. I suppose you've been over-exerting yourself." He said. Miroku shook his head.
"She will be fine. Let her work." He said. Kenji looked at him oddly, before gingerly pulling away from her. Miroku turned to Sango. "Get back to work- once you've steadied yourself. It would be dangerous and foolish to work if you are not completely alright." He said sensibly. Sango nodded and leaned against a pile of wood. She felt fine right now, but knew that both Miroku and Kenji would throw a fit if she threw herself in the work right away. With one last worried glance, both men went back to work. Kenji inched towards Miroku.
"Are you sure she is able to work so soon after collapsing?" he asked quietly. Miroku nodded.
"Sango did not collapse from physical ailments." He said. Kenji watched him for a moment, then shrugged.
"You know her better,"
Within a few minutes, Sango rejoined Miroku and Kenji in building the home. She worked harder than she had earlier, and it felt good just to throw herself so vigorously into something. It cleared her mind, and that was really all she needed.
*~*~*
Kenji called the time to end sooner than he had the other day, and they all headed for home-or wherever they slept at the time. Sango hadn't even seen Inuyasha and Kagome, and when she asked Kenji he said that they had been restoring the inside of a large building a few homes over. They met briefly and Kagome hugged Sango before parting ways.
Once the three of them had found Shippo and Kirara, they took the long path back to Kenji's home. Kenji kept shooting Sango worried glances, and Kirara and Shippo were oblivious the fact that something was wrong. They trotted ahead, playing and skipping at intervals. Miroku sent her no worried looks, but he did walk closer to her than usual. She got the idea that he wasn't doing this for worry of her physical being.
As they arrived at his home, Kenji turned and faced her formally.
"Lady Sango, I would like to take you for a walk. Would you oblige?" he asked, blsuhing yet serious. Sango stood dumb for a minute.
'So- he means to court me? I. . .' but Kenji was a very kind and attractive young man. And a demon exterminator, in a town with a demon exterminating team. She blushed heavily.
"Of course- if this is not your desire, or if you are not feeling well enough-" he began, flustered. Sango shook her head.
"No, Kenji. . . a walk would be nice." She flushed, and Shippo looked confusedly between her and Miroku.
"Miroku," he whispered as Kenji and Sango headed into the sparse woods. "Kenji wants to court Sango- and she just agreed! Shouldn't you go get her back? Isn't she your woman?" He inquired. Miroku shook his head.
"Sango is not my woman, and we must let her make her own decisions."
"But Miroku! What if. what if Sango decides to stay here instead of leaving with us???" Shippo asked, worried. Miroku looked darkly at their retreating figures.
"That is Sango's choice, Shippo. I cannot truthfully say that it is the right choice for Sango, but it would be her own." He headed into the home without looking back.
"You HAVE to help Sango make the right choice, then, Miroku! Or we may never see her and Kirara again!" Shippo said as he followed the monk inside.
'The kitsune is right,' Miroku thought as he sat down to "pray". 'But it will be difficult making Sango realize that this place, Kenji, this flower, is poison for her.'
*~*~*
A/N: That was a pretty tough chapter to write. Hope it turned out all right. In the next chapter, Sango and Kenji go for a walk! * gasp * and. . . other stuff happens. How will Miroku get Sango back without * actually * admitting he cares about her? Tune in next time (and bring all your Inuyasha buddies!) to find out!
By Seabreeze
A/N: So excited to be on the fourth chapter, that I am. No clue how much longer I go on with this story, but I really enjoy writing it. Please please PLEASE review, you have no clue how much reviews mean to us authors. Especially those of us who don't get 20 a chapter * glares at more popular authors *
Disclaimer: * sigh * As usual, I don't own anything but the idea for this. * sigh * Monkey monkey monkey.
*~*~*
The next morning, Sango helped Kenji prepare breakfast automatically. She felt somewhat indebted to him, and felt that somehow this helped repay him. He was acting oddly, though, almost nervously. They stood side by side, chopping fruit together, and his hand accidentally brushed hers. Blushing furiously, his knife clattered to the floor. He retrieved it, laughing at himself and burning red. Sango blushed, too.
'What was that about?' she wondered. Miroku entered the room, and if he noticed his host and his friend were both blushing, he said nothing.
Throughout breakfast and the journey to the center of the village, Kenji acted just as oddly towards Sango as he had while they had chopped fruits. Shippo shot him weird looks, then questioning ones at Miroku, but he didn't seem to see any of this. When Sango looked at him out of the corner of her eye to gauge his reactions to Kenji's odd behavior, he seemed deep in thought. She looked away angrily. It had always been this way. She cared for Miroku, and it was obvious, but he rarely showed that he cared or had any interest in her affairs.
Once arriving in the meeting place, Kenji divided the town again for the work. This time, Sango was with Miroku and Kenji working on citizen's houses. Maybe it was her imagination, but Kenji seemed to be watching her and Miroku closely. It made her self-conscious. As the day went on, his "focus" changed from Miroku and herself to only her. He always seemed to want to be near her, or helping her, or watching her discretely.
The work was not hard. The homes were small, and in the particular area they were in, they had been hardly damaged. They had cleaned up 3 easily by midday, and it looked as if they would at least double that by the time Kenji called everyone in for the night. He had a large gong that he would hit, and the sound traveled to another man in another part of the city with a gong, and he would hit that and so on until everyone knew it was time to sleep.
The flashback happened when Kenji removed his outer kimono and a flash of black suit caught her eye. Sango dropped the large tool she had been using and fell heavily to her knees. She wasn't aware that any of this was happening though- she was elsewhere. The flashback had completely enveloped her and all her senses, and she was reliving what had already been.
*~*~*
She heard men behind her yell in pain, and she turned around just in time to see her father get hit- with a demon exterminator's weapon.
'But who. . .?' she wondered. Then Kohaku caught her eye, and the weapon that had just killed her father was in his hand.
"Kohaku!" she said. She saw the tiny thread that had attached itself to her brother's neck, and followed it. At the end was the man who had hired her- she screamed in anger and ran at him.
"Fire, quickly, they've lost their minds!" the man yelled, all the while his eyes laughing at Sango. Suddenly she felt something both sharp and dull at the same time penetrate her back, and she staggered. She turned, and saw that black material- Kohaku. He ripped off his mask and cried,
"Sis!" So the puppeteer had lost control of her brother. Agony tore his face. He began running towards her just as the man called for more shots- and he was hit, several times.
"Kohaku!" she yelled again. He stumbled back, gasping slightly for breath. Sango stumbled blindly towards her brother, all the while being hit with several arrows, before collapsing on top of him.
"Sis," he repeated, with less vigor. Sango's senses were foggy and unclear, but she knew that he was dying, and so was she.
"I'm here," she whispered.
*~*~*
Miroku caught her elbows before she hit the ground, checking her pulse and feeling her forehead. When he was satisfied she was physically ok, he turned her over and laid her head gently in his own lap.
"Kenji!" he called sharply. When the young demon exterminator came, he looked at Sango, swallowed, and then at Miroku. "I need a damp cloth, and some smelling salts if you have them." He said. Kenji nodded and ran quickly off to do as Miroku asked.
When Sango came to, she opened her eyes to two handsome, yet very worried faces. She was lying in Miroku's lap, and he had laid a cool cloth over her forehead and was stroking her hair carefully.
"Sango," he said quietly, with the look in his eyes he got when things were serious. Kenji fell to his knees and looked anxiously at her.
"Sango, are you alright? What happened?" he cupped her face in his hand and Sango felt Miroku stiffen.
"Nothing. I'm fine. I just need to-" she sat up, and Kenji grasped her arm as Miroku supported her back.
"Lie down?" Kenji asked. Sango shook her head, and to their surprise, stood shakily.
"-get back to work." She shook her head again as if to shake away what remained of the flashback. Kenji held her arm more firmly and pressed his other arm around her waist.
"Is that the best idea, Lady Sango? Maybe you really should rest for awhile. I suppose you've been over-exerting yourself." He said. Miroku shook his head.
"She will be fine. Let her work." He said. Kenji looked at him oddly, before gingerly pulling away from her. Miroku turned to Sango. "Get back to work- once you've steadied yourself. It would be dangerous and foolish to work if you are not completely alright." He said sensibly. Sango nodded and leaned against a pile of wood. She felt fine right now, but knew that both Miroku and Kenji would throw a fit if she threw herself in the work right away. With one last worried glance, both men went back to work. Kenji inched towards Miroku.
"Are you sure she is able to work so soon after collapsing?" he asked quietly. Miroku nodded.
"Sango did not collapse from physical ailments." He said. Kenji watched him for a moment, then shrugged.
"You know her better,"
Within a few minutes, Sango rejoined Miroku and Kenji in building the home. She worked harder than she had earlier, and it felt good just to throw herself so vigorously into something. It cleared her mind, and that was really all she needed.
*~*~*
Kenji called the time to end sooner than he had the other day, and they all headed for home-or wherever they slept at the time. Sango hadn't even seen Inuyasha and Kagome, and when she asked Kenji he said that they had been restoring the inside of a large building a few homes over. They met briefly and Kagome hugged Sango before parting ways.
Once the three of them had found Shippo and Kirara, they took the long path back to Kenji's home. Kenji kept shooting Sango worried glances, and Kirara and Shippo were oblivious the fact that something was wrong. They trotted ahead, playing and skipping at intervals. Miroku sent her no worried looks, but he did walk closer to her than usual. She got the idea that he wasn't doing this for worry of her physical being.
As they arrived at his home, Kenji turned and faced her formally.
"Lady Sango, I would like to take you for a walk. Would you oblige?" he asked, blsuhing yet serious. Sango stood dumb for a minute.
'So- he means to court me? I. . .' but Kenji was a very kind and attractive young man. And a demon exterminator, in a town with a demon exterminating team. She blushed heavily.
"Of course- if this is not your desire, or if you are not feeling well enough-" he began, flustered. Sango shook her head.
"No, Kenji. . . a walk would be nice." She flushed, and Shippo looked confusedly between her and Miroku.
"Miroku," he whispered as Kenji and Sango headed into the sparse woods. "Kenji wants to court Sango- and she just agreed! Shouldn't you go get her back? Isn't she your woman?" He inquired. Miroku shook his head.
"Sango is not my woman, and we must let her make her own decisions."
"But Miroku! What if. what if Sango decides to stay here instead of leaving with us???" Shippo asked, worried. Miroku looked darkly at their retreating figures.
"That is Sango's choice, Shippo. I cannot truthfully say that it is the right choice for Sango, but it would be her own." He headed into the home without looking back.
"You HAVE to help Sango make the right choice, then, Miroku! Or we may never see her and Kirara again!" Shippo said as he followed the monk inside.
'The kitsune is right,' Miroku thought as he sat down to "pray". 'But it will be difficult making Sango realize that this place, Kenji, this flower, is poison for her.'
*~*~*
A/N: That was a pretty tough chapter to write. Hope it turned out all right. In the next chapter, Sango and Kenji go for a walk! * gasp * and. . . other stuff happens. How will Miroku get Sango back without * actually * admitting he cares about her? Tune in next time (and bring all your Inuyasha buddies!) to find out!