Sorry for the short chapter, folks. I've got work in fifteen minutes, and I need to eat something before then, so wont you Forgive me. This was a fun chapter to write. Anywho, there's a little more Inu/Kag fluff coming soon, so please be patient.
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Deep in the heart of the desert, Sango, Miroku, Kitty, and Atma all sat in a very uneasy circle. Atma seemed the only one at ease, sitting patiently, and humming a tune to herself.
Kitty was eyeing her nervously, Petrified because of being in the presence of such a great dragon.
Miroku, on the other hand, was very silent, lost deep in thought.
Sango, however, was definitely faring to worst. She was still a little sore, very annoyed at waking up to find that she was half blind, and now thoroughly confused. She had just spent almost an hour alone with Atma, after all.
Miroku, and the odd youkai known as "Kitty" had taken their precious time getting water. If it wasn't for the heavy, red slap marks on Miroku's face, Sango would have been suspicious.
After they had gotten back, Atma had demanded that they sit and wait until "The rest of the group" got there. Briefly, Sango wondered who the rest of the group was. Maybe some more dragons? Her Eyes narrowed reflexively, and she starred at the odd dragon. She acted like a little kid, and even when she was acting normally, she still made no sense! But it didn't fool Sango. She had seen how the dragon had acted that night when she had attacked. She had suddenly turned serious, and almost sinister. And yet, she had healed Sango easily, and seemed to be acting like a friend. What was she playing at?
Miroku seemed to be thinking about these things as well, for no sooner were the thoughts out of her head, did the monk look up at Atma. "Why are you here?" He asked clearly.
"Hmm?" Atma looked up at him. "How do you mean?"
"You're obviously playing games with us, and Kagome might I add. I want to know why you attacked us, and why you are helping us now." Miroku's tone left little question to weather he would be deterred.
Atma seemed to look at him in amusement for a while, then a smile appeared on her face. "Houshi." She said, her voice getting slightly richer. "I keep on forgetting that you are smarter than most. Tell me, what do you suspect of what I'm playing."
Miroku nodded. "Very well." He stood up. "For starters, I think that whoever this 'Vadise' is, she is you're ally."
Atma nodded. "Point one for the monk."
"Now, you obviously didn't mean to kill Kagome." Miroku continued. "Otherwise, she would be dead."
Atma grinned at him wolfishly, and nodded.
Miroku thought for a moment, considering his thoughts. "So, I would say that you want something from us."
Atma's grin widened. "Congratulations." She said. "You win a cookie!"
Miroku nodded. "But!" He interrupted whatever Atma was about to say. "It's too extravagant." Atma looked at him appraisingly.
"Keep going." She encouraged.
"The entire quest." Miroku mused. "It's all too well planned. It would have been easier to simply kidnap Kagome, and hold her hostage, or hurt her, and offer to heal her there on the spot. She wasn't as bad as Sango, and you healed her without much effort."
Atma nodded. "Very good. You get two cookies." She held up her hand, and two small, round, cookies fell into it. She smiled sweetly as she handed them to Miroku. "Now, there is one more, can you get it?"
Miroku shook his head. "That's as far as I got." He confessed with a shrug, and turned to Sango. "That's what I think is going on. Do think anything else."
For the first time since she woke up, Sango's mind started whiling. All her gears clicked in from her funk, and she started thinking again. She nodded slightly, as her brain processed everything that Miroku said. It all made sense. Yes… but something was missing. Something was poking her brain, into action. It was something that Khellendros had said that had got her angry. IT was something about fun… he was just having fun… It was just fun.
Sango's eyes snapped open, and she glared up at Atma angrily. "It's just a game!" She declared. "It's just a game to you, isn't it!"
Atma smiled broadly at her, and she held up two fingers, a cookie resting firmly between them. "Yes?" She said.
Sango stood up. "You're just doing this for amusement!" She stormed, anger building like a storm cloud. "All the questing, everything! It's just for you're fun, isn't it." She stalked over to where she was standing to glare into Atma's face. "'Oh, I'm bored, lets go play with some humans.' Is that it?"
Atma thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No." She said.
Sango scowled at her. "What then?"
Atma seemed to think. "Well, you've got the amusement part down, but it's not like we've been moving you around on a game board or anything. I just attacked. You guys took it from there."
Sango's eyes flashed, and her scowl became a snarl of rage. "So you're just laughing at us up on some mountain?"
Atma shook her head. "No, I'm in a desert right now."
Sango quivered in rage, and grabbed the dragon by the throat. "You little bitch!" She seethed through clenched teeth. "You took Kohaku, Wounded Kagome, and now you even have the gall to watch us for your own fun?"
Atma still smiled.
Sango didn't really know what happened, but the next moment, her hand was wrapped around her own neck, and Atma was sitting peacefully on the ground. She looked up at Sango and smiled. "You would be surprised what you do for fun once you have lived as long as I have, kid." She hissed. "Don't you dare judge me."
With that she turned around, and smiled at the rest of the group. "Well, I'm glad that clears that up. Any more questions?"
Miroku thought for a moment, then looked up, a quirky little grin on his face. He walked up to Atma, and simply in an effort to lighten the mood, kneeled down to one knee, and grasped her hand.
"Atma?" He asked dramatically. "Will you bear my child?"
Both Sango and Kitty's hands were mere inches away from his face before Atma gave her answer. "Sure!" She said cheerfully. "Why not?" With that she leaned strait forward and planted a ferocious kiss strait on Miroku's lips, pressing his face into hers with on hand.
Sango and Kitty looked at the kiss with horror, Sango staring at Miroku, her good eye twitching with anger, and Kitty, starring with aghast horror at Atma. Miroku's eyes widened, and crossed slightly, trying to focus on the woman kissing him.
Atma broke the kiss after almost half a minute, and grinned wolfishly at the poor monk. He fell backwards, and scrabbled away desperately, gasping for air. He stood up, rather shaken, and composed himself quickly.
Atma grinned at him, and suddenly appeared behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. His face paled visibly. "What's the matter houshi?" She asked. "I can make a nice dune for us to go behind, if you want."
Miroku snapped. He yelled in panic, and scrabbled madly away, running as fast as his legs would possibly take him.
Atma stood up proudly, and smiled at his rapidly receding form.
Sango, all her anger gone, looked up at the dragon with newfound respect. "How did you do that?" She asked in wonder.
