Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters in the series.
If I did, then Kikyou would stay dead. I mean really, she's taking the
whole comeback thing a little too far in my opinion.
A/N: This chapter focuses a lot more on Miroku and Sango than the other chapters do. We will see a bit more of them in at least the next chapter as well. However, I might not get the next chapter up for a while because I am in the process of moving and will be separated from my computer for most of this week.
A Glimpse Ahead
Chapter 9
Miroku and Shippo had been wandering around in the "forest" for a while when they heard a twig snap off to their left. Thinking that it might be Kagome, there turned to check it out. What they found was a very exasperated looking Sango.
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, "You were supposed to keep walking as straight in your direction as possible."
"But we have been going straight the whole time," Shippo said.
Miroku gave Sango a sly grin, "Perhaps my magnetic charm has driven you off of your course."
Sango smacked Miroku upside the head, "Now that's not very likely. Okay. I'm going to go this way. You guys go in that direction."
Miroku and Shippo nodded and took off in the direction Sango had told them to go while she walked off at a 90-degree angle from them. Walking along, Sango sighed to herself. It didn't seem that Miroku could take anything seriously. If he could stay serious for more than two minutes at a time, her might actually stand a chance of getting a girl. She would even be willing to give it a chance herself.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the object in front of her until she ran into it. Jumping back, she shook her head to clear it. Then she opened her eyes and a blush tinted her cheeks as she realized what she had run into. Looking back at her, over his shoulder was none other than Miroku.
"Ah! See now," he said with a smile, "you really are drawn to me."
"B-but, I don't understand. I stayed on my path perfectly, I'm sure of it," she stammered in response, her face turning a brighter shade of red at his comment.
"I cannot say that I understand either. But since we keep running into one another anyway, what do you say we continue to search for Kagome-sama together?"
Sango eyed the monk suspiciously for a moment before agreeing to team up with him on the search. At least Shippo was there too. She wouldn't be left completely alone with the hentai houshi. Moving together now, the three took off with Miroku smiling to himself and Sango wearily watching him from the corner of her eye. After a while she had to admit that she was really enjoying Miroku's company. He wasn't such a bad guy when he kept his hands to himself. And she had to admit that, despite her earlier thoughts, he really was taking the search for Kagome seriously.
Once again caught up in her thoughts, Sango failed to notice that Miroku had stopped rather suddenly. And for the second time that day, she walked directly into his back.
"Houshi-sama! Why did you stop?" she asked, trying to sound angry to cover up the fact that she was again blushing furiously.
He put a finger up to his lips as a signal for her to be quiet. He then pointed in front of himself. There, sitting by the edge of a small stream, was Kagome, in her school uniform. She appeared to be crying.
MEANWHILE
Inuyasha and Ritsuko had just come across each other for the third time.
"What the hell is going on here?" Inuyasha growled.
"I'm not sure," Ritsuko replied, "But I suppose the terrain of a person's mind doesn't have to follow normal logic. Maybe this is Mother's way of telling us that we should stick together. Or maybe it's just some weird coincidence. I don't know. But I have a feeling that we're supposed to team up. Call it women's intuition."
Inuyasha blushed when Ritsuko called Kagome "Mother" but when she finished talking he snorted and continued walking. He hadn't gotten more than fifty feet when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"What is it?" Ritsuko asked.
"Be quiet!" Inuyasha replied, "Listen carefully."
Ritsuko listened intently, "It sounds like sniffling. Coming from that direction." (To their right)
Inuyasha nodded, "It's Kagome." Then he took off running in that direction, leaving Ritsuko to try to follow him.
Ritsuko caught up to Inuyasha just as they reached a small clearing. In the middle of that clearing sat Kagome, still dressed in the red kimono that Naraku had put her in. She had been sitting with her head buried in her knees, which were pulled up to her chest, but looked up when she heard Inuyasha and Ritsuko enter the clearing. When she met Inuyasha' s eyes, he did not like what he saw.
She had tear trails running down her cheeks. But what really bothered him was what he saw in her eyes. Along with recognition and surprise he saw sadness. Sadness and fear. She was terrified. And it was him that she was afraid of.
A/N: This chapter focuses a lot more on Miroku and Sango than the other chapters do. We will see a bit more of them in at least the next chapter as well. However, I might not get the next chapter up for a while because I am in the process of moving and will be separated from my computer for most of this week.
A Glimpse Ahead
Chapter 9
Miroku and Shippo had been wandering around in the "forest" for a while when they heard a twig snap off to their left. Thinking that it might be Kagome, there turned to check it out. What they found was a very exasperated looking Sango.
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, "You were supposed to keep walking as straight in your direction as possible."
"But we have been going straight the whole time," Shippo said.
Miroku gave Sango a sly grin, "Perhaps my magnetic charm has driven you off of your course."
Sango smacked Miroku upside the head, "Now that's not very likely. Okay. I'm going to go this way. You guys go in that direction."
Miroku and Shippo nodded and took off in the direction Sango had told them to go while she walked off at a 90-degree angle from them. Walking along, Sango sighed to herself. It didn't seem that Miroku could take anything seriously. If he could stay serious for more than two minutes at a time, her might actually stand a chance of getting a girl. She would even be willing to give it a chance herself.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the object in front of her until she ran into it. Jumping back, she shook her head to clear it. Then she opened her eyes and a blush tinted her cheeks as she realized what she had run into. Looking back at her, over his shoulder was none other than Miroku.
"Ah! See now," he said with a smile, "you really are drawn to me."
"B-but, I don't understand. I stayed on my path perfectly, I'm sure of it," she stammered in response, her face turning a brighter shade of red at his comment.
"I cannot say that I understand either. But since we keep running into one another anyway, what do you say we continue to search for Kagome-sama together?"
Sango eyed the monk suspiciously for a moment before agreeing to team up with him on the search. At least Shippo was there too. She wouldn't be left completely alone with the hentai houshi. Moving together now, the three took off with Miroku smiling to himself and Sango wearily watching him from the corner of her eye. After a while she had to admit that she was really enjoying Miroku's company. He wasn't such a bad guy when he kept his hands to himself. And she had to admit that, despite her earlier thoughts, he really was taking the search for Kagome seriously.
Once again caught up in her thoughts, Sango failed to notice that Miroku had stopped rather suddenly. And for the second time that day, she walked directly into his back.
"Houshi-sama! Why did you stop?" she asked, trying to sound angry to cover up the fact that she was again blushing furiously.
He put a finger up to his lips as a signal for her to be quiet. He then pointed in front of himself. There, sitting by the edge of a small stream, was Kagome, in her school uniform. She appeared to be crying.
MEANWHILE
Inuyasha and Ritsuko had just come across each other for the third time.
"What the hell is going on here?" Inuyasha growled.
"I'm not sure," Ritsuko replied, "But I suppose the terrain of a person's mind doesn't have to follow normal logic. Maybe this is Mother's way of telling us that we should stick together. Or maybe it's just some weird coincidence. I don't know. But I have a feeling that we're supposed to team up. Call it women's intuition."
Inuyasha blushed when Ritsuko called Kagome "Mother" but when she finished talking he snorted and continued walking. He hadn't gotten more than fifty feet when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"What is it?" Ritsuko asked.
"Be quiet!" Inuyasha replied, "Listen carefully."
Ritsuko listened intently, "It sounds like sniffling. Coming from that direction." (To their right)
Inuyasha nodded, "It's Kagome." Then he took off running in that direction, leaving Ritsuko to try to follow him.
Ritsuko caught up to Inuyasha just as they reached a small clearing. In the middle of that clearing sat Kagome, still dressed in the red kimono that Naraku had put her in. She had been sitting with her head buried in her knees, which were pulled up to her chest, but looked up when she heard Inuyasha and Ritsuko enter the clearing. When she met Inuyasha' s eyes, he did not like what he saw.
She had tear trails running down her cheeks. But what really bothered him was what he saw in her eyes. Along with recognition and surprise he saw sadness. Sadness and fear. She was terrified. And it was him that she was afraid of.
