"Okay. Ready?"
"Yeah, completely ready. Mm-hm."
"On the count of three. One...two..."
And that was when Shippo jumped out of the bushes, the rabbit scurrying away. Kohaku smacked himself on the forehead. "I said three, Shippo! Go on three, not two!"
"I was...doing a surprise attack!" Shippo defended himself. "It already ~was~ a surprise attack!" said Kohaku exasperatedly. "Yeah, but I surprised you, too! That makes it a ~double~ surprise attack! Twice as good," declared Shippo.
"The rabbit got away."
"Well, that's the downside."
Kohaku sighed. "C'mon, Shippo. Let's just go back." The duo traced their way back through the woods, to the edge where they'd planned to meet Sango, Kagome, and Inuyasha for lunch. Miroku was still mysteriously unavailable, but everyone except Kohaku had a good idea of what, exactly, was keeping him.
Kohaku flopped dejectedly down on to the blanket that their lunch was spread out on, avoiding looking at Kagome. She'd seen that rabbit earlier, and Kohaku heard her fawning over how cute and adorable it was. Kohaku wanted to catch it for her, and had, quite mistakenly, invited Shippo. Kohaku had been under the terribly wrong impression that something so small could be quiet as well as quick.
Two days had passed since he'd found Sota in the forest. And still, everyone refused to tell him who Naraku was and why he and Sango were not at their village. Kagome and Sango were constantly whispering, pointing at Kohaku's back, and so on and so forth. After being greeted by a hug from Sango, Kohaku settled down to eating his rice.
Halfway through eating his rice, Kohaku noticed a flea making itself comfortable on his arm. He glared down at it, then lifted his hand to slap it. Suddenly, it jumped to his shoulder. "Don't be hasty, now," it said with a bow. "I am Myouga, loyal servant to Inuyasha. I am supposing that you are curious as to who this Naraku is that everyone speaks of, and what that little boy has to do with you," Myouga said, gesturing one of his tiny appendages towards Sota.
"Yes, do you know?" Kohaku whispered down to Myouga. "Certainly, and I can tell you - for a price." "What price would that be?" said Kohaku. "Your protection, my good boy," said Myouga. "I am but a humble insect. Sometimes I cannot defend myself, due to no fault of mine. So - would you like to know?"
Kohaku, after some mental debate, announced that he would think about it, and turned the thought over and over in his mind as he finished his rice and Myouga scurried away...
____________________________________________________________________
Later that afternoon, Kohaku walked thoughtfully by Kaede's hut, Kirara on his shoulder. Impetuously, he slowed as he heard soft sounds of crying coming from within.
Kohaku carefully stepped onto the back porch and poke his head through the doorframe. It was Kagome, staring at Sota's body. /That's ~it~!/ thought Kohaku furiously. /This is my fault somehow! I have to talk to Myouga and fix it./ Kohaku, a dark expression on his face, backed off of the porch. When he was some distance away, he called, "Myouga! Myouga, where are you? I decided!"
Suddenly, Kirara's fur parted, and Myouga hopped off of the fire cat's back. "At your service!" "Myouga, I want you to tell me everything you know about me, Sota, and Naraku, and...well...anything else I want to know!"
"Understandable, my boy. Do you recall ~your~ end of the bargain?" Myouga queried. "Of course I do!" said Kohaku impatiently. "Please...just ~tell~ me."
Myouga nodded, and began. The story was long, and it started with Kohaku slaying his teammates at the young lord's castle. Myouga went on with everything from when Kohaku tried to kill himself to when Sango stole Tetsusaiga. After talking out everything that concerned Kohaku and Naraku together, Myouga told about Kagome and Sango's theories of reincarnation.
Kohaku was steel-faced by the end. "And that's...that's everything?" he asked, his small voice threatening to break.
"It is for now," replied Myouga. "Now remember who you're to protect during times of danger!" With that, the cowardly flea hopped away.
Kohaku sat down hard on the ground. /Everything...it's all my fault. But I'll find a way. I'll find away to restore Sota, no matter how much it costs. Because I deserve death, and Sota - deserves life!/
________________________________________________________________________
"Yeah, completely ready. Mm-hm."
"On the count of three. One...two..."
And that was when Shippo jumped out of the bushes, the rabbit scurrying away. Kohaku smacked himself on the forehead. "I said three, Shippo! Go on three, not two!"
"I was...doing a surprise attack!" Shippo defended himself. "It already ~was~ a surprise attack!" said Kohaku exasperatedly. "Yeah, but I surprised you, too! That makes it a ~double~ surprise attack! Twice as good," declared Shippo.
"The rabbit got away."
"Well, that's the downside."
Kohaku sighed. "C'mon, Shippo. Let's just go back." The duo traced their way back through the woods, to the edge where they'd planned to meet Sango, Kagome, and Inuyasha for lunch. Miroku was still mysteriously unavailable, but everyone except Kohaku had a good idea of what, exactly, was keeping him.
Kohaku flopped dejectedly down on to the blanket that their lunch was spread out on, avoiding looking at Kagome. She'd seen that rabbit earlier, and Kohaku heard her fawning over how cute and adorable it was. Kohaku wanted to catch it for her, and had, quite mistakenly, invited Shippo. Kohaku had been under the terribly wrong impression that something so small could be quiet as well as quick.
Two days had passed since he'd found Sota in the forest. And still, everyone refused to tell him who Naraku was and why he and Sango were not at their village. Kagome and Sango were constantly whispering, pointing at Kohaku's back, and so on and so forth. After being greeted by a hug from Sango, Kohaku settled down to eating his rice.
Halfway through eating his rice, Kohaku noticed a flea making itself comfortable on his arm. He glared down at it, then lifted his hand to slap it. Suddenly, it jumped to his shoulder. "Don't be hasty, now," it said with a bow. "I am Myouga, loyal servant to Inuyasha. I am supposing that you are curious as to who this Naraku is that everyone speaks of, and what that little boy has to do with you," Myouga said, gesturing one of his tiny appendages towards Sota.
"Yes, do you know?" Kohaku whispered down to Myouga. "Certainly, and I can tell you - for a price." "What price would that be?" said Kohaku. "Your protection, my good boy," said Myouga. "I am but a humble insect. Sometimes I cannot defend myself, due to no fault of mine. So - would you like to know?"
Kohaku, after some mental debate, announced that he would think about it, and turned the thought over and over in his mind as he finished his rice and Myouga scurried away...
____________________________________________________________________
Later that afternoon, Kohaku walked thoughtfully by Kaede's hut, Kirara on his shoulder. Impetuously, he slowed as he heard soft sounds of crying coming from within.
Kohaku carefully stepped onto the back porch and poke his head through the doorframe. It was Kagome, staring at Sota's body. /That's ~it~!/ thought Kohaku furiously. /This is my fault somehow! I have to talk to Myouga and fix it./ Kohaku, a dark expression on his face, backed off of the porch. When he was some distance away, he called, "Myouga! Myouga, where are you? I decided!"
Suddenly, Kirara's fur parted, and Myouga hopped off of the fire cat's back. "At your service!" "Myouga, I want you to tell me everything you know about me, Sota, and Naraku, and...well...anything else I want to know!"
"Understandable, my boy. Do you recall ~your~ end of the bargain?" Myouga queried. "Of course I do!" said Kohaku impatiently. "Please...just ~tell~ me."
Myouga nodded, and began. The story was long, and it started with Kohaku slaying his teammates at the young lord's castle. Myouga went on with everything from when Kohaku tried to kill himself to when Sango stole Tetsusaiga. After talking out everything that concerned Kohaku and Naraku together, Myouga told about Kagome and Sango's theories of reincarnation.
Kohaku was steel-faced by the end. "And that's...that's everything?" he asked, his small voice threatening to break.
"It is for now," replied Myouga. "Now remember who you're to protect during times of danger!" With that, the cowardly flea hopped away.
Kohaku sat down hard on the ground. /Everything...it's all my fault. But I'll find a way. I'll find away to restore Sota, no matter how much it costs. Because I deserve death, and Sota - deserves life!/
________________________________________________________________________