Disclaimer: I hate these. My shrink says they lower self esteem. ^_^
No reviews- to be expected- I just posted the other one two minutes ago. Doi doi doi!
We're back to Inu and company! Smile for the camera!
Glass House
"I have no other choice but to let you see, so…"
Silence by the campfire. Ah, how peaceful, how serene…
… unless of course the silence is brought about by everyone sitting around said fire having an incredible guilt trip without knowing why and without telling anyone else what they did and having the weight of their "mistakes" mean someone's life- being gone. In these situations, it's best to know how to run, (Very. Very. Fast.) and know directions (away. From. Civilization.).
"So, um… it's nice to here the sounds of the forest again- usually all we could hear is arguing." Shippou pointed out, and was this rewarded with three killer death glares.
(Note to self: when everyone is on a guilt trip they are overly hostile and do not care about what you may notice.)
"I was just trying to be happy! You're all so dismal!" he defended himself.
(Defending yourself in a crowd of pissed-off humans (and half humans) when they are twenty-six times your size- not smart.)
"Fine." He snapped when he got more death glares. Silence pervaded again.
"Sango, what's wrong?" Kagome asked, putting her hand on her friend's arm.
"Nothing." Sango snapped back. Inuyasha and Nori watched the exchange with wary eyes.
"Then why are you crying?" Kagome persisted.
"I'm NOT!"
"Then don't be so defensive about it! You're worried about Miroku, aren't you." It was more a statement then a question. Sango visibly stiffened.
"I'm just- I- wonder why- I mean he didn't- he wasn't-" she stopped short and stared down at her hands.
"Sango, are you thinking that maybe Miroku's disappearance is your fault?" Kagome asked.
"I sense a lot of that going around tonight." Nori mumbled.
"Whatdya say?" Inuyasha barked at her in a rather hostile fashion.
"I said that I think Sango's not the only one feeling the blame for Miroku's state of missingness."
"'Missingness' Is that a word?" Kagome laughed uneasily.
"I don't think so, but it comes to the point, doesn't it?" Nori answered. "I think Sango's not th-"
"I'm not feeling guilty!" Sango blurted out. "Ya wanna know what I'm feeling? I am feeling ashamed, jealous, angered, vicious, sad, hurt and dead. I am feeling pain, torment, death and sorrow. But guilty? I think not!"
'That worked well.' Nori thought.
"Sango-" Kagome began, but Sango interrupted.
"Wanna know why? I know you'll be pushing for that any minute. I know that you'll want to know why I feel like I do. I feel ashamed because the other day- Miroku and I- alone in the woods- I tripped- temper short- he grabbed my arm- kept me from falling- and pushed him away and called him a- bastard- and hentai- and said- I hated him- and that if he ever touched me again- I'd kill him- but I knew that not- that'd kill him too- I know how he feels but I was too hard-hearted to care!"
"Sango-" Inuyasha started.
"Shut up and let me finish! I feel angered that I couldn't keep my anger and temper in check! I feel vicious because I want nothing more then to kill that son of a bitch Naraku! I want to annihilate him, make him suffer and die! I want to watch him die! I am sad Miroku is gone- I'm sad I hurt him- like I hurt all of you… I'm hurt that he wouldn't talk to me- but I know he won't because of what I did! I'm afraid I've lost him! I'm dead because he is, and I just want to be with him, to say I'm sorry! I feel pain for him, for every word I said, cause I didn't mean what I said but he thinks I did! I am tormented that he may never know how sorry I am and that I didn't mean it! I already have lost all hope- I just know he's dead and there is no hope for me!" she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably into her lap.
"Sango-" Kagome whispered, wishing she could do something to help her, but there was nothing she could do but sit next to her.
"I know how you feel Sango." Inuyasha whispered. "I kinda chewed him out too, I mean, I was worse then you were."
"I wasn't exactly nice to him either." Kagome said softly. "When I was done yelling at him- I was already irritated with Inuyasha- he ran off into the woods, and didn't say a word, except for that 'Hai' he gave Sango, and then the attack and he was gone."
"So none of us apologized, eh?" Sango whispered, her tears stopping slowly.
"No, and I doubt that him thinking we hate him is going to help in whatever battle he may have to face a prisoner." Kagome whispered.
"You guys just have to keep that inside." Nori spoke.
"What?! I thought you're supposed to talk rather then keep things bottled up inside!" Kagome yelled.
"You told everyone the bare minimum, but there is always more you don't even want yourself to know. Save your sorrows, they give you strength tomorrow- keep your angers- they lead you into battle- remember your grudges and your pain; they bring you to victory. You have to avenge him, be he dead or alive- or you will never be the same and you will never know."
"If that's the only way to get Miroku's soul back, then I'm up for a fight!" Inuyasha proclaimed, the tetsusaiga already ready for battle.
"I'm willing to fight for Miroku!" Kagome cried.
"Miroku!" Shippou cried from where he had sat silently listening to his friends.
"I will fight for Miroku- but Inuyasha- let me fight Naraku with you. I want to kill that bastard, but your grudge runs deeper then mine, so I just want to torture him." Sango said, slowly and coldly. "I want to avenge for Miroku."
"I-" Inuyasha began.
'She wants to torture Naraku too? Oh well, I suppose it always could be worse… At least she understands how deep my grudge is… Chikuso! I hate decisions like this….'
"I guess, sure-" Inuyasha started.
"Arigato, Inuyasha." Sango's reply was just as cold as her previous statement had been.
"Well- the first step would be to fine where the monk is." Nori started, eyes darting from one person to the others.
"Ano…" Kagome started. "We know he lives in a castle, I mean wouldn't that make sense?"
"Feh- it's not that simple!" Inuyasha snapped. "If it were, he'd be dead and Miroku would be sittin' next to Sango right now doing kami-sama knows what…"
"Nani?!" Sango cried, blushing a deep shade of red.
"Maybe Kagome can try to find the jewels…" Shippou suggested.
"Iie, cause the jewels are to far away for her to sense." Nori pointed out. "But maybe Zen, Kei, and Kami can search for the shouki of Naraku- you never know- they are powerful and the aura is powerful Dark magic, so…"
"That might work!" Shippou squealed.
"Demo-" Inuyasha started, but Kagome not-so-discreetly cracked him over the head. "Itai! What's that for?!?!" he yelped.
"For not cooperating!" Kagome yelled back. "I'm in a bad mood- can'tcya tell- so DON'T GET ON MY BAD SIDE!!"
"Um, Shippou- is she always in such a bad mood?" Mori whispered to Shippou.
"No." Shippou said, nonchalantly.
"Praise kami-sama for that!" she replied.
Zen, Kei and Kami appeared beside her, and she quickly filled them in on what they had to do. When she was done, she had a soft conversation with the little fox-child, and the demons watched the odd party with wide eyes.
"Wow, that dog-eared hanyou is sure getting a beating from the miko." Zen said softly to the others.
"I don't think she's a miko, Zen." Kei said. "She doesn't have the aura of one, at least not a known miko."
"Maybe she's the daughter of one and inherited some of her mother's powers, cause I definitely sense some power in her." Zen responded.
"No, I really don't think so, though you may be right." Kei said. "Now, we better start searching for this demon they want."
"Hai." Zen answered. The three demons closed their eyes and searched for the demon's presence.
"Wow- that took them long enough." Nori noted, pointing at the three.
"Who are they, or were they- I mean they don't look like the demons we usually fight."
"Have you ever met a good demon?" Shippou shook his head. "Well, these demons aren't really demons, but it's easier to call them that. Unlike other demons, these have kept their human qualities. This is because I revived them- a great raid came unto a small village, and to protect the souls of the powerful people there, I brought them back and gave them bodies again, and gave them the qualities of the Dead. They serve me because I revived them."
"Oh, so they aren't really demons?" Shippou asked.
"Yeah, something like that." Nori answered. "Get it?"
"Yep!" Shippou answered cheerfully.
'I'm lying to a girl with demons at her beck and call who could kill me in any moment very convincingly so if it ever came to depend on me as the only one who knows sides her and them I wouldn't know at all- she'd find out and kill me. Um…oops?'
TBC…
My endings suck!!!
Okay, here's a Japanese/English dictionary of words I've used up to this point:
Daijoubu- Are you okay? -or- I'm fine (depending on how it's asked)
Houshi- Monk
Iie- No
Oswari- Sit, dog style (go figure)
Hanyou- half demon
Gomen- I'm sorry
Katana- Japanese samurai styled sword
Hentai- pervert
Kunoichi- female ninja(!) ((go Dai!))
Kazaana- Wind tunnel (air rip) in Miroku's right hand. If you don't know this one…
Chikuso- Dammit
-sama- very high respect
Shikon no Tama- the Jewel of Four Souls (the Shikon jewel for the Americans ^_^)
Jigoku- hell
Baka- idiot/stupid/moron (if you don't know this one you're definitely a baka)
-san- polite and formal, used for someone at the same position as you or higher.
Kitsune- fox
Taijiya- demon exterminator/ hunter (Sango)
Youkai- demon (really 'bewitching apparition')
Ursai- shut up
Yamero- Stop it
Shin-e- die
Yarou- bastard
Zettai- never
Hai- yes
Arigato- thank you
Ano- well
Demo- But
Itai- Owch
Kami- God or high deity
Nani- what
Shouki- aura given off by a demon
Miko- priestess