Miroku's Bedtime Stories
Chapter 9
A Tale of Unrequited Love
Twilight came slowly in the summer months, and it was many hours by the time darkness came.
Miroku stared into the firelight, as the two young women began their preparations for sleep. Kagome unrolled her sleeping bag, and Sango her bed roll, next to each other.
Inuyasha sat with his hands pulled into his sleeves. He was watchful, as always. He didn't seem to need as much sleep as humans.
"You promised me another story tonight, Miroku," said Shippou, settling into his usual spot, next to Kagome.
"I remember," said the houshi, softly.
"If you don't want to, I understand," said Shippou.
"I know one, but it's rather a sad story," said Miroku.
"Okay," said Shippou. "If I get too sad, Kagome is here."
Kagome smiled and tousled the kit's silky red hair.
"Long ago in the province of Musashi, there lived a beautiful girl," Miroku began.
"Hm, so this story has a beautiful girl in it," said Inuyasha, grinning.
"Hentai!" said Kagome, throwing one of her shoes at him.
"I assure you, ladies, it's not 'that' kind of story!" protested Miroku although he winked at Inuyasha. "There is a child here, after all."
"That 'child' is far older than you are, houshi," grinned Inuyasha, retrieving Kagome's shoe and throwing it back at her.
"Hey, I'm just a kid," said Shippou. "I won't be grown up for at least fifty more years!"
Kagome hugged him. "Of course, you're just a little boy," she said, kissing his cheek. He blushed.
Miroku resumed his tale in a sonorous voice:
"A bachelor named Yaichiro fell in love with her and sent many missives of love to her, but she rejected him over and over again. She sent back his offers with no reply except that he was unworthy of her. He refused to eat or sleep, pining over her stone-heartedness, although his mother begged him to find another to love. Finally, he took ill and although his mother cared for him tenderly, he died of sorrow."
"That is sad," said Shippou, sniffling and wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his kimono.
Kagome patted his back and offered him a handkerchief. She had tears in her eyes, too.
"Yachiro's mother soon heard that the maiden had married another, a rich nobleman who was taken with her beauty. She cursed the girl, because she valued wealth over the true love of her son.
The next morning a cry arose in the town. The bride's mother had entered the newly married couple's room the next morning and they were both dead. A snake had entwined itself around the bride's neck, and the wealthy bridegroom was dead, both bitten by the snake."
Inuyasha nodded. "Everyone knows that the snake is the avenging spirit of one who has been wronged in life. Served them right!" he snorted.
"Yes, the villagers believed that the snake was none other than the heartbroken Yachiro," said Miroku somberly.
"One should never play with the affections of another," said Sango, "the more a person was wronged, the more vengeful their spirit will be upon death."
"My Jiya says that all the time," said Kagome, pulling up her sleeping bag with a little shiver.
Everyone was very quiet, the only sounds were those of the nearby forest and of the crackling fire.
"Oyasumi naisai, minna-san," said Miroku, stretching out on his bedroll.
The others politely bade him the same.
But, sleep did not claim him.
Kagome and Shippou slept, although a bit fitfully. Inuyasha had retired to the branches of a nearby tree. Miroku could see his outline against the moonlit night sky, and he knew there would be no sleep for the vigilant hanyou.
Sighing, he arose from his bedroll and walked to the stream to splash the cold water upon his face.
"Houshi-sama?"
He jumped a little at Sango's low voice behind him. He hadn't heard her approach.
"Sango."
"Are you ill?" she asked in a concerned tone, putting her hand on his face.
"No," he replied, placing his hand over hers to hold it there. "At least not with any illness of the body."
"You are sad, then?" she asked, looking up into his face.
"I am...filled with regret," he said quietly, taking her hand and pulling her down to sit next to him on the bank of the stream. "What is it that makes you feel so?" asked Sango. She looked puzzled.
"I fear I have misled someone I care about very much," he said, looking directly into her fawn colored eyes.
"Misled?" she was still puzzled.
"Yes, Sango, I allowed myself to kiss you and yet, I have no future to offer you. You deserve more than to share my curse." He turned his face away.
"I remember asking you to kiss me, Miroku," she said firmly, taking his face into her hands and turning it around to look into his eyes.
"I was not 'misled'. Do you think I am so foolish that I have forgotten your fate if Naraku's curse is not broken?"
"I asked you to kiss me and I'm going to ask you to kiss me again, because I want you to," she whispered fiercely.
"But..." he protested weakly, as she captured his lips.
"Sango..." he tried again, but she put her hand against his open mouth.
"Don't say anything."
She knelt and wrapped her arms tightly about him.
"I don't want you to be sad on my account."
She stroked his hair as he buried his face into her soft shoulder.
They held each other that way for many minutes, and finally, reluctantly, Miroku pushed her away.
"Come, I'll walk with you back to camp," he said, rising to his feet and helping her up.
Above them, unseen, Inuyasha's golden eyes glowed in the darkness.
Chapter 9
A Tale of Unrequited Love
Twilight came slowly in the summer months, and it was many hours by the time darkness came.
Miroku stared into the firelight, as the two young women began their preparations for sleep. Kagome unrolled her sleeping bag, and Sango her bed roll, next to each other.
Inuyasha sat with his hands pulled into his sleeves. He was watchful, as always. He didn't seem to need as much sleep as humans.
"You promised me another story tonight, Miroku," said Shippou, settling into his usual spot, next to Kagome.
"I remember," said the houshi, softly.
"If you don't want to, I understand," said Shippou.
"I know one, but it's rather a sad story," said Miroku.
"Okay," said Shippou. "If I get too sad, Kagome is here."
Kagome smiled and tousled the kit's silky red hair.
"Long ago in the province of Musashi, there lived a beautiful girl," Miroku began.
"Hm, so this story has a beautiful girl in it," said Inuyasha, grinning.
"Hentai!" said Kagome, throwing one of her shoes at him.
"I assure you, ladies, it's not 'that' kind of story!" protested Miroku although he winked at Inuyasha. "There is a child here, after all."
"That 'child' is far older than you are, houshi," grinned Inuyasha, retrieving Kagome's shoe and throwing it back at her.
"Hey, I'm just a kid," said Shippou. "I won't be grown up for at least fifty more years!"
Kagome hugged him. "Of course, you're just a little boy," she said, kissing his cheek. He blushed.
Miroku resumed his tale in a sonorous voice:
"A bachelor named Yaichiro fell in love with her and sent many missives of love to her, but she rejected him over and over again. She sent back his offers with no reply except that he was unworthy of her. He refused to eat or sleep, pining over her stone-heartedness, although his mother begged him to find another to love. Finally, he took ill and although his mother cared for him tenderly, he died of sorrow."
"That is sad," said Shippou, sniffling and wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his kimono.
Kagome patted his back and offered him a handkerchief. She had tears in her eyes, too.
"Yachiro's mother soon heard that the maiden had married another, a rich nobleman who was taken with her beauty. She cursed the girl, because she valued wealth over the true love of her son.
The next morning a cry arose in the town. The bride's mother had entered the newly married couple's room the next morning and they were both dead. A snake had entwined itself around the bride's neck, and the wealthy bridegroom was dead, both bitten by the snake."
Inuyasha nodded. "Everyone knows that the snake is the avenging spirit of one who has been wronged in life. Served them right!" he snorted.
"Yes, the villagers believed that the snake was none other than the heartbroken Yachiro," said Miroku somberly.
"One should never play with the affections of another," said Sango, "the more a person was wronged, the more vengeful their spirit will be upon death."
"My Jiya says that all the time," said Kagome, pulling up her sleeping bag with a little shiver.
Everyone was very quiet, the only sounds were those of the nearby forest and of the crackling fire.
"Oyasumi naisai, minna-san," said Miroku, stretching out on his bedroll.
The others politely bade him the same.
But, sleep did not claim him.
Kagome and Shippou slept, although a bit fitfully. Inuyasha had retired to the branches of a nearby tree. Miroku could see his outline against the moonlit night sky, and he knew there would be no sleep for the vigilant hanyou.
Sighing, he arose from his bedroll and walked to the stream to splash the cold water upon his face.
"Houshi-sama?"
He jumped a little at Sango's low voice behind him. He hadn't heard her approach.
"Sango."
"Are you ill?" she asked in a concerned tone, putting her hand on his face.
"No," he replied, placing his hand over hers to hold it there. "At least not with any illness of the body."
"You are sad, then?" she asked, looking up into his face.
"I am...filled with regret," he said quietly, taking her hand and pulling her down to sit next to him on the bank of the stream. "What is it that makes you feel so?" asked Sango. She looked puzzled.
"I fear I have misled someone I care about very much," he said, looking directly into her fawn colored eyes.
"Misled?" she was still puzzled.
"Yes, Sango, I allowed myself to kiss you and yet, I have no future to offer you. You deserve more than to share my curse." He turned his face away.
"I remember asking you to kiss me, Miroku," she said firmly, taking his face into her hands and turning it around to look into his eyes.
"I was not 'misled'. Do you think I am so foolish that I have forgotten your fate if Naraku's curse is not broken?"
"I asked you to kiss me and I'm going to ask you to kiss me again, because I want you to," she whispered fiercely.
"But..." he protested weakly, as she captured his lips.
"Sango..." he tried again, but she put her hand against his open mouth.
"Don't say anything."
She knelt and wrapped her arms tightly about him.
"I don't want you to be sad on my account."
She stroked his hair as he buried his face into her soft shoulder.
They held each other that way for many minutes, and finally, reluctantly, Miroku pushed her away.
"Come, I'll walk with you back to camp," he said, rising to his feet and helping her up.
Above them, unseen, Inuyasha's golden eyes glowed in the darkness.