Bent Reality

Kikyo's Visitor


It was nice. It was quiet. It was driving Shippo insane. It was too nice, it was too quiet. Shippo wanted to scream.

Petra was lying peacefully on the deck of the hut with her leg dangling over the side. Miroku and Sango had disappeared again and Kikyo rarely showed her face. And that man who had been here in the beginning would keep poking his head out the door, whimper and then vanish back inside the hut. That was annoying Shippo the most. Kirara was playfully chasing butterflies and rolling around in the grass.

Shippo sat near Petra and gazed at the blue sky. He heard a whimper behind him and whirled around, the man quickly snuck back inside. Shippo couldn't help but growl. Petra laughed.

"What's so funny?" Shippo yelled.

"He's so frightened of you…ha." Petra sat up and smiled at Shippo. This calmed him.

"Well there's no need to be scared of me, I'm not going to hurt him."

But Petra was no longer listening to him; she was staring off towards the water with a frightened look on her face.

"What are you looking at Petra?" Shippo asked and turned to see where she was looking, standing at the edge of the water was a man in a baboon skin coat. "Naraku…" Shippo jumped up.

"I'm flattered you remembered me." Naraku started to walk towards the hut. Petra stood and ran inside. Shippo held his ground. "Oh, did I frighten her?" Naraku smirked. "KIKYO!" he yelled.

Shippo turned and looked at the door, expecting Petra to come out and yell at him the way she had Sesshomaru. Only, no one emerged. Kirara was no longer playing in the flowers and had transformed to her large form and was aggressively growling at Naraku's back.

"I will not wait all day Kikyo, do not make me come and get you." Naraku stood just before the deck.

"Calm down Naraku." Kikyo's voice came from the hut. "What is it you wish?" she walked out and stood just in front of the door. Petra and the man peaked from behind her.

"Kikyo…You do know that girl is on her way here."

"Yes, I am well aware." Kikyo was very calm.

"And you will get her soul?" Naraku seemed angry.

"What if I do? What if I don't? What does it matter to you?" Kikyo narrowed her eyes.

"That is not your business."

"Perhaps it is not. But why should I answer you if you do not answer me?" Kikyo nodded and looked at Shippo. "Please my dear boy, enter the hut where it is safer."

Shippo nearly fainted from surprise. "What?"

"Yes." Petra said from behind Kikyo, "Please Shippo…"

Shippo grunted and walked by Kikyo and into the hut. The first room was barren except for a small fire in the center, and there were two doors leading off to other rooms. The man had backed away against the far wall when Shippo entered.

"Don't mind Jim." Petra waved her hand in the air. "He doesn't much like demons."

Shippo nodded and jumped onto Petra's back. She leaned over and stuck her head slightly out the door.

"Naraku you must know by now…I am surprised by your childish behavior." Kikyo shook her head.

Naraku seemed to fume with anger. "How dare you! I will teach you."

"No one is going to teach anyone anything!" Miroku yelled from behind Naraku. Petra and Shippo strained to see.

Sango was standing beside him with her boomerang ready. Naraku scoffed and backed away from Kikyo. "I will return Kikyo, I do not wish to fight now."

"Oh no you don't!" Sango yelled and hurled her boomerang at him, only to hit solid ground. Naraku had once again vanished in a whiff of purple smoke. Sango cursed and trudged over to retrieve her boomerang.

Miroku looked at Kikyo, "What was that about?"

Shippo came bounding out of the house and stopped dead in front of Miroku, "He wanted Kikyo to tell him something."

Miroku looked at Kikyo who said nothing.

"Miroku help!" Sango yelled. Naraku had reappeared and had tied a rope around her body and she was now wiggling on the ground. Naraku bent over and picked Sango up by the end of her hair.

"Put her down!" Miroku took a step towards him.

"Stay back!" Naraku yelled. He took out a knife and held it under Sango's chin. She looked at the knife and glared.

            Miroku stopped walking.

            "I will return soon, but I think I'll take her as my prize." Naraku smirked and picked Sango up and squeezed her to his chest.

            "Let me go! Get off of me!" Sango struggled.

            Naraku bowed his head to Miroku and vanished with Sango in his arms. Miroku ran to the spot they disappeared and looked around like they were still there.

            "Do not waste your time," Kikyo turned her back to Miroku. "You should start mourning her death." Kikyo walked inside the hut and Petra walked out.

            Petra gave Miroku a very sad look, "Sorry."

            Miroku glared at her and ran to Kirara, who was still in her larger form. He jumped onto her back and looked at Shippo. "Stay here." Said Miroku, "I'll be back soon."

            "No!" yelled Shippo. "I want to come too! She's my friend too, you know!"

            Miroku's expression softened and he sighed. She's more than a friend to me, he thought.

            "Okay, let's go." Miroku said. Shippo hopped on Kirara's head and they were off.

            "So where exactly are they?" Shippo asked.

            "Don't have a clue." Miroku said, determined.

            "Then how are we supposed to find them?" Shippo screamed.

            "Don't know that either."

            "Well are we just going to fly around and hope we run into them?" Shippo asked.

            "That's a better idea than mine." Miroku smiled.

            Shippo rolled his eyes, "And what is your idea?"

            Miroku smiled at Shippo and shook his head.

            "Never mind," Shippo said, "I don't think I want to know."

****

            "Check Mate." Ms. Higurashi said as she moved her knight forward. Inuyasha groaned and knocked over his king. When Ms. Higurashi went to the store earlier she had bought many little toys to keep everyone busy. A nurse had moved a table and another chair into Kagome's room.

            "You always win." Inuyasha titled back in his chair.

            "No, you just suck." Koga looked up from reading a magazine. He was seated at the foot of Kagome's bed with his legs crossed underneath him.

            Inuyasha stuck his tongue out at him, Koga sneered and covered his face with his magazine.

            "Up for another game, Inuyasha?" Ms. Higurashi asked.

            Inuyasha smiled at her. "Not sure Miss, you're mighty good."

            Ms. Higurashi blushed. "Thank you."

            A strange noise came from Koga.

            KNOCK, KNOCK.

            "Come in," Ms. Higurashi looked at the door.

            "Just us!" Rin walked in with Sesshomaru on her tail.

            Sesshomaru mumbled something, then he saw Koga and he started to walk away. Rin grabbed his shirt and held him as he continued to walk in place.

            "Oh Hello there Koga, pleasure." Rin bowed her head slightly and Koga smiled to her, reluctantly.

            "Let him leave," Inuyasha told Rin.

            Rin ignored him. "Oh Chess! I love Chess! Mind if I have a go at it?"

            "Not at all!" Ms. Higurashi motioned towards Inuyasha, "That is of course, if it's okay with Inuyasha."

            Inuyasha stood up and stood near the door. "Go right ahead Rin, I've got to go and see if I can get more days off."

            Rin released Sesshomaru and happily plopped down into the chair; her and Ms. Higurashi started to put the pieces in their rightful places.

            "Rin," Sesshomaru said, "I'm going to wander about…if you need me call me over the intercom."

            Rin smiled and nodded to him, before turning her attention back to the Chessboard.

            Sesshomaru and Inuyasha left the room and shut the door behind them.

            "What are you up to brother?' Sesshomaru asked.

            "Exactly what I said, I'm going to go and see if I can get more day's off."

            Sesshomaru peered at Inuyasha, who held his hands up in defense. "Okay," said Sesshomaru.

            Inuyasha nodded and walked off to the head Doctor's office. Wishing and hoping no one was there.

            Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha walk off till he turned down a corner and he could no longer see him. He then sighed and wandered off towards the cafeteria.

            Inuyasha stopped in front of a brown door labeled, 'Doctor Ryo Izarie'. He knocked on it.

            "Come in."

            Inuyasha groaned and opened the door. Inside was a plain brown desk that was littered with paper and had a computer sitting on it. The walls were lined with shelves, scattered papers rested on them as well. Behind the desk was a man with black hair and a very familiar smile. "Ah, Inuyasha, come in, come in."

            Inuyasha walked in and shut the door behind him. "Hello Ryo." If Inuyasha didn't know better he would have called him Miroku. Because that is exactly whom he looked like, his great, great, very, very, great grandfather, Miroku.

            "Finally coming back to work?" Ryo lifted some paper off his desk and looked at it, he then set it down and began to search the top of his desk.

            "Actually Ryo I was wondering if I could have more time off."

            Ryo stopped his search and frowned at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, you know it was hard for me to give you that week off to begin with. Nurses are quitting left and right, were are very short on staff."

            "Yes I know Ryo, but you know the story!" Inuyasha straightened his hat.

            Ryo sighed and put his hand on his face. "Inuyasha, yes I know." He looked up and Inuyasha gave him a pleading look. "Fine, but you have to work for at least four hours tomorrow, but I can give you five more days off."

            Inuyasha smiled and ran around the desk and hugged Ryo. "Thank you so much Ryo!"

            "Yeah, yeah, just do me a favor…"

            "Anything!"

            "Stop hugging me, I can't breath."

            "Oh yeah, yeah, sure." Inuyasha released him and Ryo straightened his shirt. He smiled at Inuyasha and they both laughed.

            "Well if that's all." Inuyasha started to walk away.

            "Actually Inuyasha!"

            "No."

            "But Inuyasha I gave you time off!" Ryo pouted, "Besides you don't even know what I'm going to ask."

            "Yes, yes I do." Inuyasha turned around and scrunched his eyebrows together, "And the answer is no."

            "Please!" Ryo walked out from behind his desk and got down on his hands and knees.

            Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Which one." He groaned.

            "Yeah!" Ryo jumped up and shook Inuyasha's hand. "I think her friends called her Eri, she's Kagome's friend right?"

            "Yeah." Inuyasha pulled his hand away from Ryo.

            "Tomorrow?"

            "Fine."

            "Oh I can't wait to meet her!" Ryo ran back behind his desk and sat in his chair, which made an odd crunching sound. Inuyasha was not surprised that there could have been paper there as well.

            "You better be nice to her. Nothing perverted." Inuyasha pointed his finger at him.

            Ryo smiled, "Oh no, of course not."

            The smile he had made Inuyasha think of Miroku even more. "You are just like your very greatest grandfather."

            "Thank you," Ryo bowed his head. "I have heard he was a real ladies man, ten children. Hope I've got his charm."

            "Oh you've got it all right, more than you know."

            Ryo smiled and picked a sheet of paper off his desk and began to read it. "Bye then Inuyasha, remember four hours tomorrow."

            "Yeah, whatever." Inuyasha walked from the room and closed the door just as it dawned on him. Ryo had been looking at a picture, a very inappropriate picture. Inuyasha laughed. "He is so much like Miroku, it scares me."

****

            "Those sticks are to small, these are better!" Inuyasha held up several sticks.

            "No way, those won't burn, they're too big!" Koga argued.

            "The bigger the better."

            "Smaller ones are easier to light!"

            Kagome sat on the cold ground with her head resting in her hands watching Koga and Inuyasha disagree on everything under the sun, and moon.

            "You can't light it like that, move let me show you."

            "Get away from me Dog breath, you're just trying to impress Kagome."

            Inuyasha looked at Kagome who had picked up a piece of grass and was slowly ripping it in half. "Oh yeah, she looks really impressed." Said Inuyasha. Kagome looked up and smiled at Inuyasha before returning to her blade of grass. Inuyasha sighed and walked away from Koga. "Fine, you do it."

            "I will!" It took Koga more than ten minutes to get a decent fire started.

            "Inuyasha?" Kagome was sitting near the fire with her knees against her chest.

            "Hmm?" Inuyasha was staring at Koga trying to poke the fire to make it burn bigger. The stick was on fire, Koga waved it around violently until he finally threw it down and blew on his finger.

            "What is it like to be a demon?" Kagome closed her eyes.

            Inuyasha looked at her, "I don't understand."

            Kagome opened her eyes and looked at him, the confusion shown all over his face. "You're human sometimes…I was just wondering…why do you hate being human so much? I mean, why is being a demon better…I know the power, but there has to be more."

            Koga was now listening to her question and he was very glad she had not asked him.

            Inuyasha sighed and looked away from Kagome. He seemed to be in deep thought. "There isn't."

            Kagome's eyes widened.

            "The power is the only difference between demon's and humans, and some demons are not as powerful as humans." The flames danced around Inuyasha's face making his expression seem harsher than it really was.

            Kagome's eyes started to water. She scooted closer to Inuyasha continuing to stare at his face. "That's…that's so sad."

            "Not really," Inuyasha shrugged, and then he realized Kagome was closer to him. "Uh…"

            Kagome covered her face with her hands and started to cry into them. She wasn't sure why she was crying…she was just so sad.

            Inuyasha didn't know what to do…not that he ever did when she cried. "Ka…Kagome?"

            Koga knew what to do…he knew exactly what needed to be done…but something stopped him from getting up. Something stopped him from walking over to Kagome and soothing her. It was the fact that she had asked Inuyasha that question and not him. The fact that she had been glad to see Inuyasha earlier and not him, the fact that she was now crying near Inuyasha…and not him.

            Something clicked inside Koga's mind. He stood up and turned his back to Inuyasha and Kagome.

            Inuyasha looked up at Koga.

            "I'm leaving dog breath."

            "What?!" Inuyasha said.

            Koga turned his head slightly, but not enough so you could see his eyes, "Sooth your woman…" and with that he ran off, leaving the crying Kagome and the confused Inuyasha alone.

            Kagome let out a very loud sob and Inuyasha put his hand on her shoulder. Kagome lowered her body to the ground till her head rested in Inuyasha's lap. Her hands were still covering her face and she was shaking violently. Inuyasha put his hand on her head and was clueless as what else to do.

            'Sooth your woman…' Koga's words rang though Inuyasha's head. Inuyasha looked down at Kagome and started to stroke her hair…her crying started to lessen but her body was still shaking.

            "Shush now…" Inuyasha whispered, his hand gently running through her silky hair. "Quiet…"

****

            The wind wiped through his hair and the darkness of the night was starting to befall across the land. Kirara flew through the air. Shippo sniffed tying to find any signs of either Sango or Naraku.

            He perked up and pointed. "Miroku! Miroku! That way! Over there! Turn to the left Kirara!" Kirara did as she was asked.

            "You smell them?" Miroku asked.

            "I do! We're coming Sango!" Shippo smiled and Miroku relaxed considerably. "Hey…"

            "Yeah?" Miroku said.

            "Where do you and Sango keep running off to?" Shippo raised an eyebrow.

            "Perhaps I will tell you one day, man to man." Miroku winked.

            Shippo pouted and turned away from Miroku. "I never get to know anything."

            Miroku smiled at stared at the stars…the events of earlier that day playing through his mind…

            Sango laughed as she ran through the field of wild flowers clear on the other side of the lake. Miroku chased after her, trying as hard as he could to catch her. Damn, was she fast…

            Sango stopped running and ducked behind a tree waiting for Miroku to run by. Miroku continued at a full run sure she had ran right past the tree, so it came as a good surprise when her boomerang came out from nowhere and nailed him in the head. Miroku fell over and pretended to be knocked out cold.

            "Ha!" Sango said and stood next to Miroku's head. Her boomerang lay just beyond it.

            Miroku grabbed her ankle and pulled her to the ground. He climbed on top of her and pined her to the ground. He grabbed her hands and held them just above her head. He sat on her mid section so when she kicked her legs nothing would happen.

            "Miroku!" Sango grunted. "Let me go!"

            Miroku smiled. "Not until you give me a kiss!"

            Sango stopped struggling and glared at him. "Never!"

            "Aw come on! Not even a peck on the cheek?"

            "No! Now get off! When I do kiss you I don't want it to be like this." Sango shut her mouth quickly, but it was too late. The words had already been said and the damage had already been done.

            Miroku releases her hands but remained sitting on her. "When? When you kiss me?"

            Sango blushed and punched him as hard as she could in the jaw. Miroku saw stars and then blackness.

            "Miroku?" he heard Sango call and he opened his eyes. She was leaning over him with a worried expression on her face.

            "Sango?" Miroku rubbed his head but did not sit up. "What…happened?"

            "Sorry Miroku! I hit you too hard!" Sango covered her mouth with her hands. "Actually I'm not sorry!" she said.

            Miroku smiled at her and slowly sat up. The ground around him spun and he found himself staring up at the sky again. "Wow you got some right hook."

            "Miroku!" Sango looked more distressed than ever. "Oh goodness! Will you be okay?"

            Miroku looked at her like she was an idiot. "I'm sure I'll be fine." Even though he highly doubted he would.

            Sango caught the look and the tint of pain in his voice. "Stay right here, I'm going to go and get something that should work." Miroku saw her leave, though he couldn't see where she ran off to, the effort of moving his head to the side, proved to painful.

            "Doesn't look like I have much of a choice."

            Not more than five minutes later, but an eternity to Miroku, Sango returned. "Here." She knelt down and put something cold and wet on his forehead. Immediately Miroku felt better.

            "Wow," He said sitting up. He reached up and held the wet cloth in place. "What is it?" He looked at Sango. "I feel much better."

            "Just a little remedy my father taught me."

            "Sorry." Miroku looked away from her.

            "For what?"

            "Making you think of you father."

            "Oh I don't need someone to mention him for me to think of him." Sango smiled and took the damp cloth from Miroku, which forced him to look at her again. "I remember him as often as I can, I think the dead should be remembered."

            Miroku's heart twitched at her words…his parents…his family, they were dead too. "Yeah…"

            Sango stood up and offered her hand to Miroku to help him up as well. He took it and let go of it as soon as he was standing. "All better then?" Sango asked. She retrieved her boomerang from the ground.

            Miroku just stared at her; his heart was beating faster and faster. "Yeah…"

            Sango nodded and started to walk away, "We better get going, and I'm sure Shippo's starving by now."

            "Yeah…" was all Miroku could say as he trailed after her.

            "Miroku!" Shippo's yell brought Miroku back to reality.

            "What?"

            "I've been yelling your name for the past five minutes!"

            "WHAT?!"

            Shippo pointed to a large mansion up ahead, "That's where Sango is."

            Miroku's expression quickly turned to rage. "Let's go get Sango back…"

            Kirara started to descend.

            'I'm coming Sango…' Miroku thought.

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

            (The author's jaw drops in amazement at the amount of reviews she got for the last chapter.)

            Wow. I hope you like this chapter as much.

            Ryo is pronounced Re-O

            Please review, and keep reading cause there is more to come.