DISCLAIMER: I don't own em…..sniffle *sob*
Inuyasha turned around, an evil glint in his eye. He raised his claws, planting his feet in a firm stance.
"You must be possessed."
Miroku said nothing.
"I wasn't gonna use my claws on ya, but maybe they are the only way to clear your mind!"
Inuyasha crouched low, preparing to spring.
***
Kagome rolled over and groaned, then sat bolt upright. The sound of angry voices from outside drifted in through the open doorway. ~ That's definitely Inuyasha…..someone must have snuck in while we were asleep.~ She crawled quietly over to the doorway and peeked out. The moon was full and cast its silvery light down, illuminating everything as if it were day. Kagome's eyes flicked back and forth quickly, looking for the cause of the noise. They fell on two figures, both tense and ready, anticipating the other's move. She breathed in sharply. ~That's Miroku! What are they doing?!~
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes until they were only slits.
"I'll rip your arms off if I have to, monk."
Miroku smiled and ignored the remark.
"You're welcome to come try me, Inuyasha, but you'll find I'm not as weak as you say I am."
"Stop it both of you!"
Both jumped and turned around. Kagome was racing towards them, her nightshirt billowing around her. She ran in between them and held her arms straight out.
"What's gotten in to you two! You aren't supposed to fight!"
Miroku let his staff drop to his side, but Inuyasha kept his claws raised.
"The monk thought he would run off and die playing the hero."
Kagome glanced at him with a strange expression. ~ That doesn't sound like Miroku…what's gotten into him.~
"Miroku….are you feeling alright?"
Miroku closed his eyes and nodded slightly.
"I'm fine. Please……forgive me Inuyasha…I wasn't thinking clearly."
"Feh, ya got that right, monk."
Miroku brushed past them and headed toward the hut. Kagome lowered her hands and watched him.
"Whew, glad that's over. What was that about, anyway."
Inuyasha shot her a sideways glance.
"I already told you. He wanted to go off and find Naraku by himself."
"That doesn't sound like Miroku."
Kagome turned and began walking back to the hut.
"Thank you for not hurting him, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha blinked in surprise and embarrassment.
" You're just lucky you got there in time or I would have ripped him to pieces!"
He jumped lightly back into his tree and curled up in a fork in the branches. Kagome smiled to herself.
"He's such a jerk sometimes, but he does have a good heart."
She reached the hut and tiptoed back to her pallet. She lay down and stared up at the ceiling. ~How am I going to get back to sleep!~ She was snoring in five minutes.
Miroku leaned against the back to the hut, listening to the sounds of the contented snoring. Suddenly overwhelmed with fatigue, he fell into a deep slumber as shadows moved silently across his face.
Inuyasha stayed awake and alert throughout the night, watching for any more disturbances.
Late the next morning, Kagome stirred. She stretched and yawned tremendously.
"Whoo!! I wonder what time it is."
She got up and almost tripped over Sango's empty bed. ~Oh no! Sango's gone again!~ Kagome raced outside.
"Sango is missing!!"
Inuyasha jumped down in front of her. He wiggled a clawed finger in his ear and winced.
"Do you have to scream about everything?! Sango and Miroku went off to the river. He said something about showing her things to get her memory back."
"Oh."
"And you aren't going with them, either," Inuyasha added with a sly smile. "You are going to help me go around the villages and ask if anyone has seen any sign of the shards."
Kagome threw a longing look in the direction of the river and sighed.
"Ok, let me get dressed and find Shippo and we can go.."
She trudged back inside.
***
Down by the river, Miroku led Sango over to a huge, ancient oak tree. He helped her sit down, then began rummaging through a pile of odds and ends. She stared dully at the moving water. "Ah ha!" Miroku said triumphantly, lifting her boomerang from under the pile.
"Remember this? You were one of the most ferocious demon slayers. You used this to destroy them and you were almost always successful."
She fixed him with her dead look. He shivered slightly and placed the weapon in her lap. Taking her hand, he ran it lightly along the boomerang's smooth surface.
"Boo…..mer….ang.."
Miroku jumped up, startled by the sound of her voice. His eyes danced.
"So you remember?!"
She stared at her hand.
"Boo….mer…ang."
Miroku sighed. "Oh well, I didn't expect this to work immediately…" "Although…I had hoped it would.." he murmured, quietly.
The afternoon sunlight danced through the leaves, casting green patterns on the two under the tree. He lifted up the last of his treasures.
"And this is your armor, you wear it everywhere you go, Sango."
The blank stare continued. Miroku let his hands fall and sighed.
"Why don't we just watch the water instead."
They had been watching the swirling water about five minutes when a mewing sound caught Miroku's attention.
"What was that?"
He stared across the river. Out of the dense trees, a small, yellow catlike creature emerged. She mewed again.
"Kirara? Is that you?"
The cat mewed happily and bounded across the river toward them. She landed in Sango's lap and purred excitedly. Sango watched her without any sign of emotion. Kirara stopped purring and fixed her with a hurt look. Miroku gently lifted her out of Sango's lap.
"Something's happened to her memory, Kirara, she doesn't recognize anyone or anything. Would you like to stay and help me try to get her memory back?"
The cat stared at him with her large eyes for a moment, then wriggled out of his grip and trotted a short distance away, where she sat watching them.
"Kih…rah..rah."
Miroku turned. Sango stared at him and began stroking his head.
"No, I'm not Kirara, I'm Miroku," he said, grabbing her hand.
"Mih…roh…koo"
A light flickered in Sango's eyes for a brief moment. Miroku noticed and his heart leaped.
"You remember me? Miroku?"
He looked into her eyes hopefully. She glanced at him a second longer, then turned back to the river.
"Mih…roku…"