Miroku's Bedtime Stories
Chapter 2
The Princess Who Fell in Love with the Wind
"Long ago," began Miroku, "there was a hime* who used to sit by the window of the palace, waiting for her lover, the east wind. " (*princess)
"I thought you said this wasn't going to be stupid," mumbled Shippou.
"Shut up, kitsune," said Inuyasha. "Interrupt again and you'll be wearing my foot."
Miroku cleared his throat.
"As I was saying, this hime was the most beautiful woman one could imagine, but she worried that her lover, Higashikaze, was unfaithful.
He could go anywhere, but she was confined to the palace, to the earth and he was master of the skies. How could she know if she was the only one that had captured his heart? She decided to find a way to determine if he was as faithful as he protested."
Inuyasha rose put more wood on the fire, as it was beginning to dim again.
Kagome shifted Shippou on her lap and he snuggled against her side and yawned.
Miroku continued.
"She consulted a miko who told her that she could always know what Higashikaze was thinking if next time she saw him, she captured the light of the sunrise in the heart of a piece of amber and wore it around her neck. The sunrise is the home of the east wind, and she would always know if his thoughts were of her."
"Kohaku*," whispered Sango. She lowered her eyes from Miroku's face to the embers of the fire. (*amber)
"When she next saw Higashikaze in the rays rising sun, she waited until he had taken form inside her chamber and held up a piece of amber she had polished and set into amulet and took inside of it a piece of his heart."
Kagome sighed. Inuyasha flicked his ears toward the sound and smirked, turning his head.
"But, when the Lord of the East Wind saw her do so, he knew that in her own heart she could not truly love him, because she did not trust that he cared only for her.
'Higashikaze, you are free to go anywhere and do as you will, while I am a creature of the earth,' she cried.
'But, I loved you as you were, so why have you changed and become suspicious?' he asked her. 'Why have you betrayed me with your doubts?' His heart broken, he left, and the east wind blew harshly across the land for many days afterward.
The hime sat in front of window and felt the now cold east wind and mourned the loss of her love because of her own foolish jealousy. But she still had the amulet and when he came to finally love another, she saw the amulet glow with the rays of the rising sun.
'He now loves another, because I can see still into his heart. A heart that will never be mine.' She wore the amulet all her days to remind her that one cannot truly know the heart of another."
Miroku looked up and saw Kagome was holding a now sleeping Shippou, who she put down on her sleeping bag.
"Thank you, Miroku," she said, "that seemed to do the trick. He's sound asleep."
"I don't know if that is a compliment to my storytelling skills or not," he laughed softly.
"It was wonderful," sighed Kagome. "I've never heard that story before."
"Of course not," Miroku shrugged, "It just came to me."
"You made that up?" Sango asked him, raising her brows at him.
He hesitated. "That doesn't mean it's not truthful," he told her earnestly.
Sango laughed suddenly. "Houshi-sama, you are so, so..." she looked at Kagome, searching for the right expression.
"Full of it," Kagome supplied.
"That's it," said Sango, crossing her arms and looking at a slightly crestfallen Miroku.
"It was a beautiful story, though," said Kagome, smiling sadly at him, "and true, as you said. No one can know what lies in the heart of another."
"Feh," said Inuyasha. "I know what most people feel for me, it's written all over their faces. I can smell it on them too. Fear."
"We're not afraid of you, Inuyasha," said Kagome seriously. She hated it when he put himself down. "Well, at least not anymore," she corrected herself.
"I'm going back to sleep," said Inuyasha, not acknowledging her words.
"I was trying to be nice to you," she said to the hanyou in an irritated tone. "The least you could do is say 'Thank you'."
"Thank you," he made a grimace.
"That wasn't very heart-felt," she said to him, looking pointedly at the prayer beads around his neck.
"Best I can do in the blasted middle of the night!" he grumbled. "Lady Kagome, I suggest we all get some sleep," Miroku smoothly interjected. "We're all very tired, that's plain to see."
"You're right, Miroku," she conceded. "I'm being a little cranky. Good night."
"Oyasumi naisai," said Miroku, lying down upon his bedroll.
"Oyasumi naisai, houshi sama, Kagome-chan," said Sango, rolling over and pulling Kirara next to her.
Inuyasha was already snoring lightly, sound asleep.
Chapter 2
The Princess Who Fell in Love with the Wind
"Long ago," began Miroku, "there was a hime* who used to sit by the window of the palace, waiting for her lover, the east wind. " (*princess)
"I thought you said this wasn't going to be stupid," mumbled Shippou.
"Shut up, kitsune," said Inuyasha. "Interrupt again and you'll be wearing my foot."
Miroku cleared his throat.
"As I was saying, this hime was the most beautiful woman one could imagine, but she worried that her lover, Higashikaze, was unfaithful.
He could go anywhere, but she was confined to the palace, to the earth and he was master of the skies. How could she know if she was the only one that had captured his heart? She decided to find a way to determine if he was as faithful as he protested."
Inuyasha rose put more wood on the fire, as it was beginning to dim again.
Kagome shifted Shippou on her lap and he snuggled against her side and yawned.
Miroku continued.
"She consulted a miko who told her that she could always know what Higashikaze was thinking if next time she saw him, she captured the light of the sunrise in the heart of a piece of amber and wore it around her neck. The sunrise is the home of the east wind, and she would always know if his thoughts were of her."
"Kohaku*," whispered Sango. She lowered her eyes from Miroku's face to the embers of the fire. (*amber)
"When she next saw Higashikaze in the rays rising sun, she waited until he had taken form inside her chamber and held up a piece of amber she had polished and set into amulet and took inside of it a piece of his heart."
Kagome sighed. Inuyasha flicked his ears toward the sound and smirked, turning his head.
"But, when the Lord of the East Wind saw her do so, he knew that in her own heart she could not truly love him, because she did not trust that he cared only for her.
'Higashikaze, you are free to go anywhere and do as you will, while I am a creature of the earth,' she cried.
'But, I loved you as you were, so why have you changed and become suspicious?' he asked her. 'Why have you betrayed me with your doubts?' His heart broken, he left, and the east wind blew harshly across the land for many days afterward.
The hime sat in front of window and felt the now cold east wind and mourned the loss of her love because of her own foolish jealousy. But she still had the amulet and when he came to finally love another, she saw the amulet glow with the rays of the rising sun.
'He now loves another, because I can see still into his heart. A heart that will never be mine.' She wore the amulet all her days to remind her that one cannot truly know the heart of another."
Miroku looked up and saw Kagome was holding a now sleeping Shippou, who she put down on her sleeping bag.
"Thank you, Miroku," she said, "that seemed to do the trick. He's sound asleep."
"I don't know if that is a compliment to my storytelling skills or not," he laughed softly.
"It was wonderful," sighed Kagome. "I've never heard that story before."
"Of course not," Miroku shrugged, "It just came to me."
"You made that up?" Sango asked him, raising her brows at him.
He hesitated. "That doesn't mean it's not truthful," he told her earnestly.
Sango laughed suddenly. "Houshi-sama, you are so, so..." she looked at Kagome, searching for the right expression.
"Full of it," Kagome supplied.
"That's it," said Sango, crossing her arms and looking at a slightly crestfallen Miroku.
"It was a beautiful story, though," said Kagome, smiling sadly at him, "and true, as you said. No one can know what lies in the heart of another."
"Feh," said Inuyasha. "I know what most people feel for me, it's written all over their faces. I can smell it on them too. Fear."
"We're not afraid of you, Inuyasha," said Kagome seriously. She hated it when he put himself down. "Well, at least not anymore," she corrected herself.
"I'm going back to sleep," said Inuyasha, not acknowledging her words.
"I was trying to be nice to you," she said to the hanyou in an irritated tone. "The least you could do is say 'Thank you'."
"Thank you," he made a grimace.
"That wasn't very heart-felt," she said to him, looking pointedly at the prayer beads around his neck.
"Best I can do in the blasted middle of the night!" he grumbled. "Lady Kagome, I suggest we all get some sleep," Miroku smoothly interjected. "We're all very tired, that's plain to see."
"You're right, Miroku," she conceded. "I'm being a little cranky. Good night."
"Oyasumi naisai," said Miroku, lying down upon his bedroll.
"Oyasumi naisai, houshi sama, Kagome-chan," said Sango, rolling over and pulling Kirara next to her.
Inuyasha was already snoring lightly, sound asleep.