Miroku's Bedtime Stories
Chapter 15
The Black Fox
There would be no traveling until Inuyasha had overcome all the effects of the Tengu's poison, so the five wanderers would be staying in Kaede's village for another few days.
"I'm bored!" whined Shippou, wiggling on Kagome's lap. She reached in her pack and handed him a lollipop, which had the desired effect of silencing him.
"Quit your whining, kitsune," Inuyasha said to him.
"Would YOU like a lollipop?" teased Kagome. "I always used to get one when I was sick."
"Feh!" said Inuyasha, but he grinned faintly at her.
Not that he could blame the fox youkai. He was so bored himself, he wouldn't even mind if Sesshomaru showed up and challenged him to a fight. Well, maybe not that bored.
He exhaled and stared into the fire. "Kaede, old woman," he said, looking at her. "How much longer before I'm fit to travel again?' asked Inuyasha, curling his lip in frustration.
"It depends upon thy ability to heal," Kaede told him, again. "Now, quit whining like a whelp and lie down. The more thee rests, the sooner thee will be on thy way."
"I hate resting," said Inuyasha under his breath.
"Perhaps some entertainment will ease your boredom?" asked Miroku, reaching for his sanshin. "I'm not in the mood for music, houshi," said Inuyasha, ducking his head a little. "In this small space, it makes my ears hurt."
"Another story!" begged Shippou, bouncing up and down on Kagome's lap.
"Too much sugar," Kagome thought, but said, "Oh, yes, I think we'd all like that, Miroku."
"What about you, my Lady Sango?" asked Miroku, looking at her from under his lashes. "What is your pleasure?"
Her face turned a delicious shade of pink. "A story would be welcome, houshi-s-sama" she stammered, turning her head away.
"Then, because my lady Sango requests it, another tale," said Miroku smoothly, winking at her.
He put his fingers together and pursed his lips for a second.
"This tale is one Shippou will enjoy, no doubt. It's called "The Tale of the Black Fox."
"Black Foxes are good luck!" said Shippou happily, crunching the last of his candy.
"Everyone knows that, baka kitsune," said Inuyasha, but he claspsed his hands behind his head, stretched out his not inconsiderable length and relaxed.
"Once, a young woodcutter sat in the forest, lamenting his fate. His wife had just died giving birth to their youngest child. Cursing his luck and his loneliness, he went out to chop wood for the villagers, but he had no heart for his work that day. He sat on a stump and began to wail. The sound attracted a kuroi kitsune, who was sitting in a tree in the forest. The noise distracted the vixen, for she like all kitsune was curious about the ways and affairs of humans.
She crept near him, unseen, and then decided to change into a beautiful woman, for fear that the man would fear her and run away. 'Why do you cry?" asked the kitsune, now disguised. The woodcutter raised his eyes and saw only a beautiful woman with long flowing black hair and ebony eyes.
"Please excuse my weakness," said the handsome young man, "but I thought I was alone. Please go and do not trouble yourself with my foolish tears."
The vixen felt pity for the sad and handsome man, and she reached out to touch the wetness on his cheeks.
"A man's tears are rare and precious, and I will treasure this always," said the kitsune, and she took the tear and made from it a precious white pearl.
"What magic is this?" cried the man, now alarmed.
"Do not fear me, human," said the kitsune, transforming into her youkai form which was also very beautiful.
"A black fox!" cried the woodcutter, falling to his knees in shock. He had heard tales of kitsune who played tricks on folk and was moe than a little afraid.
"I bring you good fortune," said the kitsune. "For the gift of this precious pearl, I give you my blessing of foresight. Within the year, you shall find true love again, and ease the pain within your heart."
"I shall never love another," the man said sadly, shaking his head.
"There are many paths to love, ningen," the kitsune told him. She gently touched his face again.
"You will know the woman because she will take the form I took when I first saw you," said the kitsune.
Laughing, the kitsune disappeared into the forest.
The man shook his head wondering if perhaps it were a dream, but feeling suddenly refreshed, was able to complete his day's work."
"Did it happen just as the kitsune promised?" asked Shippou, eyes bright with curiosity.
"Yes, Shippou," said Miroku, turning to him. "At the Sanja Matsuri, come the spring, the woodcutter saw his true love, in the form of the woman the kitsune had taken."
"So the kuiroi kitsune didn't trick him," said Shippou. "It's white foxes who bring bad luck to humans, most of the time. That's why they're so feared."
Shippou yawned and put his head down on Kagome's lap. "Oyasumi, minna-san," he said, closing his eyes.
Miroku rose to his feet.
"Not tired, houshi-sama?" asked Sango.
"No, I'm going to walk down to the hot springs," he said, raising his brows.
"Care to join me?"
He dodged as a sandal flew by his head and hit the door of the hut.
"That's what I thought."
He winked at Sango and quickly went out the door before the other sandal thumped against the wall.
Kagome put her hand over her mouth and smothered a giggle. Sango looked at her reproachfully.
"I'm sorry, it's just that he's so persistent," said Kagome. "It really is sort of funny."
"Not if you're the one always getting leered at!" retorted Sango, but soon, she was smiling and then giggling too. Kagome's laughter was infectious.
"Will you two wenches please be quiet and let me sleep?" grumbled Inuyasha, rolling over and opening one eye to glare at them sleepily. "Sorry, Inuyasha," said Kagome and Sango in unison, and then giggled again.
"I can see there'll be nothing resembling quiet in here tonight," said Inuyasha, standing up and stretching gingerly so as not to disturb his rapidly healing wounds.
"I'm going to go take a bath, too," said Inuyasha.
He usually went after everyone was asleep anyway, so as not to startle the villagers who bathed there. It wasn't everyday a tall hanyou stripped down and bathed in your hot springs, he supposed, picking his way down the well-worn path in the darkness.
He looked up. "Almost the new moon," he thought to himself. "I guess that will be another delay for our shard hunting."
He wouldn't risk his friends while he was in his weaker ningen form for a night, no matter how tempting it was to be on their way.
He came to the edge of the springs and inhaled the steam deeply into his lungs. It had a faint but not unpleasant sulphurous smell.
Miroku sat in the hot water with his head thrown back in repose.
"Houshi," Inuyasha warned him, beginning to divest himself carefully of his clothing.
" I heard you coming," said Miroku, not moving his head. "You're not the only one with excellent hearing."
"I didn't want to startle you."
Inuyasha settled into the water with a sigh. The heat felt wonderful to his aching and healing muscles.
"I should have done this last night," muttered Inuyasha.
"You could barely walk last night," remarked Miroku. "It never fails to amaze me how quickly you heal."
"One of the few advantages to behing half youkai," said Inuyasha, lowering his shoulder tentatively into the water and groaning a little.
"You wouldn't want to give that up, would you, Inuyasha?" asked Miroku, raising his head to look at his friend. "Even for Kagome?"
"I don't know," Inuyasha replied impatiently, dismissing the question from his mind. There was a time when the idea of being human to please Kikyou was all that consumed him, but he rarely dwelt upon it now. All he owed Kikyou was a peaceful return to death.
"I don't think of that too much anymore," he amended, more honestly.
And now that the Tetsusaiga controlled his youkai blood and kept it from destroying him, the idea of becoming fully youkai had less and less appeal, too.
He swallowed dryly thinking of how becoming temporarily a full demon had caused him to go on a rampage of bloodlust.
"And you, houshi, what will become of you when we kill Naraku and take back the shards?" Inuyasha asked him forthrightly. "Will you take Sango to bed and then leave her or will you made an honest woman of her?"
Miroku flashed him an angry look. "Is that truly what you think of me?" he gritted, shifting position to look Inuyasha in the eyes.
"I don't know," said Inuyasha, looking back at him with a level gaze. "You'll have to tell me."
"I would never do that to Sango!" Miroku said, folding his arms and looking disgusted. "I do have some semblance of conscience!"
"That's good to hear," said Inuyasha, suddenly grinning. The tension in the air visibly eased.
"I'd hate to think of what I'd do to someone who hurt Kagome's friend."
Inuyasha grinned at him ferociously, baring his fangs in the moonlight.
Miroku smiled slyly back at him. "And, who will protect Kagome from you, hanyou?"
Inuyasha scowled at him. "Kagome needs no protection from me, lecher," he snarled faintly. "From you, perhaps, like any other woman under the age of 30."
Miroku laughed. "Don't exaggerate, I only ask the pretty ones. Or I used to," he corrected himself, sober all of a sudden.
"I noticed," teased Inuyasha, grinning. "I thought maybe you'd decided to live like a real priest until I saw you all over the demon slayer that night!"
Miroku frowned at him. "I only wish Sango would notice."
"She does, my friend, she does," said Inuyasha, easing himself out of the steaming water and grabbing his clothes.
"Hopefully the silly women will be asleep when we go back," said Inuyasha, quickly pulling on his clothes. "I left them giggling like a couple of loons."
Miroku rose and went to his clothes. "Get used to it," he said dryly.
Chapter 15
The Black Fox
There would be no traveling until Inuyasha had overcome all the effects of the Tengu's poison, so the five wanderers would be staying in Kaede's village for another few days.
"I'm bored!" whined Shippou, wiggling on Kagome's lap. She reached in her pack and handed him a lollipop, which had the desired effect of silencing him.
"Quit your whining, kitsune," Inuyasha said to him.
"Would YOU like a lollipop?" teased Kagome. "I always used to get one when I was sick."
"Feh!" said Inuyasha, but he grinned faintly at her.
Not that he could blame the fox youkai. He was so bored himself, he wouldn't even mind if Sesshomaru showed up and challenged him to a fight. Well, maybe not that bored.
He exhaled and stared into the fire. "Kaede, old woman," he said, looking at her. "How much longer before I'm fit to travel again?' asked Inuyasha, curling his lip in frustration.
"It depends upon thy ability to heal," Kaede told him, again. "Now, quit whining like a whelp and lie down. The more thee rests, the sooner thee will be on thy way."
"I hate resting," said Inuyasha under his breath.
"Perhaps some entertainment will ease your boredom?" asked Miroku, reaching for his sanshin. "I'm not in the mood for music, houshi," said Inuyasha, ducking his head a little. "In this small space, it makes my ears hurt."
"Another story!" begged Shippou, bouncing up and down on Kagome's lap.
"Too much sugar," Kagome thought, but said, "Oh, yes, I think we'd all like that, Miroku."
"What about you, my Lady Sango?" asked Miroku, looking at her from under his lashes. "What is your pleasure?"
Her face turned a delicious shade of pink. "A story would be welcome, houshi-s-sama" she stammered, turning her head away.
"Then, because my lady Sango requests it, another tale," said Miroku smoothly, winking at her.
He put his fingers together and pursed his lips for a second.
"This tale is one Shippou will enjoy, no doubt. It's called "The Tale of the Black Fox."
"Black Foxes are good luck!" said Shippou happily, crunching the last of his candy.
"Everyone knows that, baka kitsune," said Inuyasha, but he claspsed his hands behind his head, stretched out his not inconsiderable length and relaxed.
"Once, a young woodcutter sat in the forest, lamenting his fate. His wife had just died giving birth to their youngest child. Cursing his luck and his loneliness, he went out to chop wood for the villagers, but he had no heart for his work that day. He sat on a stump and began to wail. The sound attracted a kuroi kitsune, who was sitting in a tree in the forest. The noise distracted the vixen, for she like all kitsune was curious about the ways and affairs of humans.
She crept near him, unseen, and then decided to change into a beautiful woman, for fear that the man would fear her and run away. 'Why do you cry?" asked the kitsune, now disguised. The woodcutter raised his eyes and saw only a beautiful woman with long flowing black hair and ebony eyes.
"Please excuse my weakness," said the handsome young man, "but I thought I was alone. Please go and do not trouble yourself with my foolish tears."
The vixen felt pity for the sad and handsome man, and she reached out to touch the wetness on his cheeks.
"A man's tears are rare and precious, and I will treasure this always," said the kitsune, and she took the tear and made from it a precious white pearl.
"What magic is this?" cried the man, now alarmed.
"Do not fear me, human," said the kitsune, transforming into her youkai form which was also very beautiful.
"A black fox!" cried the woodcutter, falling to his knees in shock. He had heard tales of kitsune who played tricks on folk and was moe than a little afraid.
"I bring you good fortune," said the kitsune. "For the gift of this precious pearl, I give you my blessing of foresight. Within the year, you shall find true love again, and ease the pain within your heart."
"I shall never love another," the man said sadly, shaking his head.
"There are many paths to love, ningen," the kitsune told him. She gently touched his face again.
"You will know the woman because she will take the form I took when I first saw you," said the kitsune.
Laughing, the kitsune disappeared into the forest.
The man shook his head wondering if perhaps it were a dream, but feeling suddenly refreshed, was able to complete his day's work."
"Did it happen just as the kitsune promised?" asked Shippou, eyes bright with curiosity.
"Yes, Shippou," said Miroku, turning to him. "At the Sanja Matsuri, come the spring, the woodcutter saw his true love, in the form of the woman the kitsune had taken."
"So the kuiroi kitsune didn't trick him," said Shippou. "It's white foxes who bring bad luck to humans, most of the time. That's why they're so feared."
Shippou yawned and put his head down on Kagome's lap. "Oyasumi, minna-san," he said, closing his eyes.
Miroku rose to his feet.
"Not tired, houshi-sama?" asked Sango.
"No, I'm going to walk down to the hot springs," he said, raising his brows.
"Care to join me?"
He dodged as a sandal flew by his head and hit the door of the hut.
"That's what I thought."
He winked at Sango and quickly went out the door before the other sandal thumped against the wall.
Kagome put her hand over her mouth and smothered a giggle. Sango looked at her reproachfully.
"I'm sorry, it's just that he's so persistent," said Kagome. "It really is sort of funny."
"Not if you're the one always getting leered at!" retorted Sango, but soon, she was smiling and then giggling too. Kagome's laughter was infectious.
"Will you two wenches please be quiet and let me sleep?" grumbled Inuyasha, rolling over and opening one eye to glare at them sleepily. "Sorry, Inuyasha," said Kagome and Sango in unison, and then giggled again.
"I can see there'll be nothing resembling quiet in here tonight," said Inuyasha, standing up and stretching gingerly so as not to disturb his rapidly healing wounds.
"I'm going to go take a bath, too," said Inuyasha.
He usually went after everyone was asleep anyway, so as not to startle the villagers who bathed there. It wasn't everyday a tall hanyou stripped down and bathed in your hot springs, he supposed, picking his way down the well-worn path in the darkness.
He looked up. "Almost the new moon," he thought to himself. "I guess that will be another delay for our shard hunting."
He wouldn't risk his friends while he was in his weaker ningen form for a night, no matter how tempting it was to be on their way.
He came to the edge of the springs and inhaled the steam deeply into his lungs. It had a faint but not unpleasant sulphurous smell.
Miroku sat in the hot water with his head thrown back in repose.
"Houshi," Inuyasha warned him, beginning to divest himself carefully of his clothing.
" I heard you coming," said Miroku, not moving his head. "You're not the only one with excellent hearing."
"I didn't want to startle you."
Inuyasha settled into the water with a sigh. The heat felt wonderful to his aching and healing muscles.
"I should have done this last night," muttered Inuyasha.
"You could barely walk last night," remarked Miroku. "It never fails to amaze me how quickly you heal."
"One of the few advantages to behing half youkai," said Inuyasha, lowering his shoulder tentatively into the water and groaning a little.
"You wouldn't want to give that up, would you, Inuyasha?" asked Miroku, raising his head to look at his friend. "Even for Kagome?"
"I don't know," Inuyasha replied impatiently, dismissing the question from his mind. There was a time when the idea of being human to please Kikyou was all that consumed him, but he rarely dwelt upon it now. All he owed Kikyou was a peaceful return to death.
"I don't think of that too much anymore," he amended, more honestly.
And now that the Tetsusaiga controlled his youkai blood and kept it from destroying him, the idea of becoming fully youkai had less and less appeal, too.
He swallowed dryly thinking of how becoming temporarily a full demon had caused him to go on a rampage of bloodlust.
"And you, houshi, what will become of you when we kill Naraku and take back the shards?" Inuyasha asked him forthrightly. "Will you take Sango to bed and then leave her or will you made an honest woman of her?"
Miroku flashed him an angry look. "Is that truly what you think of me?" he gritted, shifting position to look Inuyasha in the eyes.
"I don't know," said Inuyasha, looking back at him with a level gaze. "You'll have to tell me."
"I would never do that to Sango!" Miroku said, folding his arms and looking disgusted. "I do have some semblance of conscience!"
"That's good to hear," said Inuyasha, suddenly grinning. The tension in the air visibly eased.
"I'd hate to think of what I'd do to someone who hurt Kagome's friend."
Inuyasha grinned at him ferociously, baring his fangs in the moonlight.
Miroku smiled slyly back at him. "And, who will protect Kagome from you, hanyou?"
Inuyasha scowled at him. "Kagome needs no protection from me, lecher," he snarled faintly. "From you, perhaps, like any other woman under the age of 30."
Miroku laughed. "Don't exaggerate, I only ask the pretty ones. Or I used to," he corrected himself, sober all of a sudden.
"I noticed," teased Inuyasha, grinning. "I thought maybe you'd decided to live like a real priest until I saw you all over the demon slayer that night!"
Miroku frowned at him. "I only wish Sango would notice."
"She does, my friend, she does," said Inuyasha, easing himself out of the steaming water and grabbing his clothes.
"Hopefully the silly women will be asleep when we go back," said Inuyasha, quickly pulling on his clothes. "I left them giggling like a couple of loons."
Miroku rose and went to his clothes. "Get used to it," he said dryly.