Akida- I have returned to continue on with this, semi-evilly dark saga that I am.....trying....to....make....less.....evil.....and......dark.......Really, not one good thing has happened to Miroku so far, isn't that sad? ::is suddenly throttled by an angry monk::
Miroku: Yes that is sad!! Why hasn't anything uplifting happened to me yet huh?! I haven't seen one "Oh Miroku your going to live," or a "Miroku I really do want to bear your child!" Do you have some sick desire to put me through mental and physical pain, is that what it is?!
Akida- Well....we wouldn't have a great story if I didn't torment you.....::receives glare of death::...eh....ookay....author has said too much. I think I'll start the next chapter before I get mauled.....::runs for cover::
-:-Disclaimer-:- Well my plan to abduct Miroku hasn't worked well, so Inuyasha and its characters rightfully belong to Rumiko-sama.
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Blinking once for the first time he had been there, he looked about as if seeing his smoggy surroundings for the first time with an impassive air. Closing his eyes he inhaled deeply and with the release of breath, came a soft mist lighter in hue to the inky dark smoke surrounding them. Mildly smoothing a wisp of raven hair from his face and dragging his fingers along his neck to rest on a shoulder, he tilted his head with its same detached expression and spoke as loudly as water flows in a forest stream.
"So, this is what it means 'to be'."
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Inuyasha felt his head spin. The person before him looked like Miroku in every aspect imaginable, but the voice...it was his, yet it sounded as if another voice in the background was speaking along with him. In short, it sounded as if two people were speaking through him at the same time; Miroku's voice and another voice both beautiful and feral.
There was something obviously eerie about the whole situation, and his instincts were telling him that this person needed to be removed before things got ugly. But could he really bring himself to fight against one of his comrades? It was possible that this could be another of Naraku's fabrications, or somehow the monk had been possessed, but could he really do anything to harm this look alike?
He narrowed his eyes and kept vigil on him, as their possible threat took a few steps forward surveying his surroundings. A knot formed in his stomach as the tension grew, and the calmed, detached air of the monk was grating at his patience. And with his last strand of patience he gripped Tetsusaiga's handle, stepped forward and barked out menacingly to the figure with his companions form.
"Who are you?! Tell me now!"
Miroku gradually turned to face him. Inuyasha stared deep into his eyes, the deep hazel eyes that threatened to probe into his soul. Threatened to flood his mind with a flurry of emotions that he would rather keep buried under mountains of stone. He could scarcely hear him reply as light-headedness clouded his senses.
"Who am I?.......how odd you should ask.......I don't know who I am anymore.......no identity.....no purpose......I just exist, if this is what it means 'to be'."
"Wha-?"
The dog demon was now thoroughly confused.
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Kagome could only stare at the man before her. As with Inuyasha's sentiments she couldn't help but feel this wasn't the same lecherous monk they knew, and if this did escalate into a battle it would be difficult to convince herself that this wasn't Miroku. She felt the thick miasma weaken considerably and snatches of the lush greenery of the outside world, could be glimpsed between small gaps in the mist.
The look-like turned his head slightly at the change in the haze, never breaking gazes with the confused hanyou, and sighed thoughtfully.
"It seems that my time has not yet come.....but I can be patient.......yes, my patience will reward me with what I desire," he said, a grin hovering over his lips as he watched the agitated faces of the group. "Until we meet again, I bide you farewell."
And with that a thick smoke enveloped his body, and soon hide the grin that still lay on his face. The miasma surrounding them also dissipated to be swept off into the wind, and the nauseating aura went with it.
Looking around her, Kagome found that they were back on the beaten path they had been traveling. Everything around them appeared untouched by the presence of the miasma, and the forest life went about its usual buzz as if the miasma had never descended.
"Wha-? How did?"
Glancing around her she saw a dark figure sprawled on the dusty path ahead, which lay where their enemy had stood only moments ago. As she approached it cautiously a knot formed in her throat as she drew closer to the body on the ground, that was adorned with the all too familiar black and purple robe.
"Miroku!" She cried dashing forward and fell at his side, inspecting his unconscious pale face wondering if he had, in fact, been possessed. The quickened foot falls of her companions drew near, and soon they were at her side in attentive silence.
Sango took her left side closest to Miroku's head and shook him gently, worry beginning to etch into her features as he refused to show signs of wakefulness. She turned to Kagome with a pleading expression, but Kagome, in turn, could only look to Inuyasha who loomed over them both. Rolling his eyes he knelt down next to them and inspected the fallen monk.
"Relax already," he said at last. "He's just unconscious."
"But even so," Sango replied in a shaky voice. "How did.....how did this happen? What happened to him-?"
She reached over and pulled Miroku's head and shoulders to rest against her arms, and stared at the forest around them as if searching for some hidden answer to her questions. Kagome frowned assessing the situation; She knew that there was indeed something after his life, but now she felt that there must be more to it than that, there always was. Thinking back to their battle with the loathsome demon, she couldn't understand why it was targeting Miroku, despite the fact that all of them had fought and slain it.
Shaking off her thoughts she sighed deeply and looking to Inuyasha again, seeing the words he was to speak form behind his eyes as he turned towards her with an unreadable expression.
"We can't worry about this now, we'll have to bring it up later. Right now we need to get Miroku to that Healer what's-his-name, and find a way to nullify the poison--"
That's right! Kagome gasped. He still has the demons poison running through his body, with all the moving around he's done his condition could have gotten worse!"
"--In any case we need to get there as soon as possible, the last thing I want is for him dying on us before we kill Naraku. He'd probably come back to haunt us," he muttered rubbing at his ear.
"So how far away is this village?" Shippo chimed in emerging from an unknown hiding spot, and perched on Inuyasha's shoulder.
"Well, Kaede said it was in the mountains not too far away." Kagome answered standing up to dust herself off.
"Huh, well we shouldn't be too far away then the mountains are just over in that direction. " He said motioning towards the craggy green peeks to the north.
Nodding slightly Kagome turned to Sango, still crouched on the ground with Miroku, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Looking into her face as she turned, she felt a pang of empathy for her friends forlorn expression, and squeezed a smile on her features trying to enliven her downcast companion.
"Don't worry Sango, everything will be alright as soon as we get to Shizen. If that healer really is as good as he's cut out to be, then I'm he'll definitely find some way to change Miroku's fate." She said, courage in her voice, and felt less agitated as she returned a smile.
"Thank you Kagome I'm fine now, I'm just more concerned about the strange encounter we had. It was a little......unsettling."
Kagome watched Inuyasha circle around them, and hoist Miroku's 'rag doll' body onto his back as if he weighed no more than a feather. He was obviously surprised by his light load, and gave Kagome a side long glance or concern. She, Sango and Shippo piled onto the now transformed Kirara, and followed after Inuyasha's speedy pace.
Inuyasha....he knows were stretched on time, but how much time do we have left? I know I said those things to cheer Sango up but.... but can we even do anything to help him?...Ack! No no no! Bad Kagome! Don't think like that, we can save him from this I just know we can.
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Inuyasha was fairly used to lugging around extra weight. He'd had to because of the lagging snails pace the humans traveled at what they considered running. Heh, he could walk faster than that. Thus, due to his demonic speed and strength, he usually ended up the one everyone piled onto. Although, he wouldn't have minded this routine if he could actually feel the load he was carrying.
He had borne Kagome countless times throughout their quest, and paid no heed to her burden. However, Miroku was a different case. He felt even lighter than Kagome, too much lighter, and he wondered if the lose of one's weight was another side effect of the poison.
Ah damn it, I can barely tell I'm carrying him. And he's so hot! (::No you kinky people! Not like that hot!::) He must have a fever or something, and if that's the case then we're more pressed on time than I had originally thought! Crap, don't you die on me monk!!
Picking up the break neck pace he had already set, he strained his senses towards the ever looming mountain region that seemed to expand by the minute as they drew nearer. He searched over the rugged gray boulders, searching for anything that even remotely resembled a civilization planted within the craggy peaks. Inuyasha tore through the first ravine he could lay eyes on, the rough stony walls rising up around them, engulfing the company in a grey inanimate grasp. He suddenly felt a pang of claustrophobia as his eyes roved over the narrow passage, and odd sensation that he was being watched by eyes in some invisible crevice.
The passage stretched for what could have been an eternity, and the eerie silence was overpowering. Not a thing could be heard besides the heavy footfalls of the dog demon, and the equally heavy steps of Kirara as she carried her load. Nothing breathed in this place, nothing moved save themselves, and no one uttered a sound....not even a whisper.
Why is it so friggin quiet? This place is giving me the creeps-.
A large flurry of movement just ahead of them interrupted his uneasy contemplations and he cursed mentally. With a fever stricken Miroku hanging limply from his back, he couldn't reach for his sword lest he drop him, and the last thing he needed was some demon attacking them now.
Grumbling irritably about something concerning 'pain in the ass battle clichés', he scuffled to an ungraceful halt and observed the spot where he had seen the figure ahead. Vaguely sensing his companions stop behind him and make their way towards him, he kept his concentration on that one spot as if it would vanish if he didn't.
"Inuyasha..?" Kagome whispered.
"Something just ran by ahead of us a few seconds ago," he replied slowly narrowing an eye. "It didn't have a demon's scent but either way, we cant afford to have anything slowing us down."
As he said this he carefully dislodged the monk, draping his arm over his shoulder to support his frame, and turned to Kagome with an expression that read 'No arguments this time'.
"Kagome, watch him for me while I go on ahead and find out who our uninvited guest is. This may be some kind of mediocre demon but I'm not going risk it. Sango I want you to leave with them and find that village Shizen, and dig up that healer guy...Sai or whatever his name is once you get there."
He raised a firm hand that silenced them as they began to protest, and stifled Shippo's voice with his usual glare. "Don't argue with me, if we don't get that letch to the village its possible he could die. Like I said, if we let him die before he got to see Naraku's demise, he'd haunt us all."
Despite her sentiments, Kagome nodded and liberated Miroku from Inuyasha's grasp, and supported him as best she could with Sango's assistance. She looked to him and he could tell that she wanted to say something more, but the questions died behind her eyes and she gave him a weak smile instead.
"Please be careful Inuyasha," she said at last and he 'fehed' at her remark.
"You should worry more about yourself wench, if something comes after you--...ah forget it I hate doing farewell speech's," he said hurriedly before dashing off towards the end of the passage.
He hated the idea of leaving those four behind without any notion if they would make it Shizen safely, but he had considered the monks declining condition and the thought of that gave him the drive he needed. Soon, the thin sliver of light ahead of him, had grown rapidly with his approach as well as the significant sounds of a large band of raiders.
"Aye, don't let that shrimp get away now! At least cut 'is legs offa 'im first!"
"Aw come on now we aint gonna hurt ya or nothing, heh heh, but I can't keep that promise after we strip that box off ya!."
"Come on ya filthy laggards! Catch the bastard already he aint that fast! Cut 'is legs off like Garn says, then we can carve 'im up nice and slow for not 'andin that thing over like 'e shoulda!"
Wonderful, Inuyasha groaned. I could have skipped playing the hero if I had just gone with them, but noooo I just had to go on ahead! And what's more I'm not getting a Jewel Shard out of it, not one measly little piece. Ugh, why do I always end up in stuff like this?
Along with that final grudge induced thought, he burst through the end of the passage into the hazy grey ceiling of the sky, and a small lush meadow of green underfoot. The scene before him seemed strangely out of place in the tranquil surroundings, and Inuyasha stood gapping confusingly at the spectacle before him.
Have you ever seen the cartoons where a huge throng of loud thugs are chasing after a lone person, who happens to have a fifteen yard head start, and all of which is done in rapid fast motion that defies the laws of physics. Yes, that's exactly what Inuyasha saw as he turned his head this way and that following the odd sight, and scratched his ear trying to decide if this was some kind of weird joke.
The thugs frantically chasing after a young man dressed in a red robe two sizes too large which tied in a blue sash who's hangings kept tripping him, would have appeared more threatening if they didn't trip over each other only to get back up again and fall to the ground.
".........*sweat drops*....now this is kind of........bizarre."
Crossing his arms within the folds of his crimson sleeves, Inuyasha made his way over and watched the man and the thugs stumble in a small ditch, and resume their strange track of frantic running. He raised an eyebrow as the odd group simultaneously crashed into a large dead tree, and continue running and screaming as if the collision had never taken place.
Obviously, he wanted an explanation as to what was going on, but at the same time wasn't sure if he should even ask this crazed band of people. Eventually curiosity won him over, and he launched himself at them and fell in place with the young man's zigzag pattern.
"Eh.....I know this may be a bad time to ask but.......what the hell are doing?"
"What?....*huff, huff* cant you tell?" he began between gasps. "I'm--WUAH!!"
The man tripped on the blue sash for what could have been the umpteenth time, and the dog demon noted the numerous scuff marks on his face as he regained his balance and quickly caught up with him spitting out dirt.
"Ack, plah, *cough* sorry about that!" he replied continuing to spit out grit. "Um.....what were you saying?"
"Eh...well I was asking you what your doing."
"Huh? Well isn't it obvious? I'm running."
"And were chasing!!!" Came the returning call from the thugs behind them.
"See," he grinned as if he wasn't literally running for his life. "What they said!"
Inuyasha gave him a stare somewhere along the lines of 'Is-everything-all-right-upstairs?' and 'Wow-your-insane!' He was proceeding to ask him another question, and groaned as the man fell again and was soon back at his side.
"Well that's nice and all," he started. "But why are you being chased?"
"Oh that! Well its because I have this---*trip* *thud*---box that they---*trip* *thud*---are trying to---*trip* *thud*---steal from me!!" He finished finally producing the item from his long sleeves to show Inuyasha.
"The box! It is the box! You have the box! Give us the box!" Chanted the thugs in unison.
"Never!! I will never relinquish the item in my possession which you want for your greedy little selves! I'll protect this box with my life--Waaaaah!"
Grumbling irritably for the second time that day, he snatched the box from the guy before it flew from his hands as he fell again. Looking up he spotted a fair sized boulder and as they neared it he leapt up onto it, and sat down sighing as they began a circuit around the boulder he sat on. Even now that he knew this band of brutes was after him, he still couldn't call the situation threatening at all. After about ten or so laps around the boulder he perched on, the man in red looked up at Inuyasha and spoke to him through gasps, and numerous amounts of tripping.
"Um......hey.......you have my box don't you."
"Yeah, glad you finally noticed." He replied sarcastically.
"Well.....its kind of important so.......could you please give it back to me?"
"Well, if those guys are chasing you because they want this box," he started leaning against his free hand. "And you don't have the box, but I now have the box....why the hell are you still running around in circles?"
At this presentation of logic the assembly grinded to a halt, and starred dumbly at each other as if they had forgotten why they were there. All eyes turned to lock with the hanyou's who waved the box teasingly in front of them, and the thugs attention turned to the new possessor of the item they had recklessly sought after.
"YOU now have the box! The box! The box! Give us the box or else you!!--"
"Shaddup about the box already!!!"
With that last thread of patience gone thanks to this bizarre group of nuts, Inuyasha was among them before they could draw their swords and shout another chant. They crumpled easily to the ground as he laid out punch's and knocked heads together, using the box as bait to lure them into grabbing it only to be reduced to a whimpering, twitching figure upon the earth. Straightening up after the leader of their maddened pack had made on over dramatic descent to the ground, he surveyed his handy work and laughed slightly putting a hand behind his head.
"Eheh....guess I went a little over board.....but they were getting on my nerves with all that incessant chanting....now then--" He trailed off looking over to the young man in red, who was shaking like a dried leaf, clinging to the boulder like a mussel his pupils dilated by fear. Upon walking towards him, he scrambled on top of the boulder, stayed there for about a second, tripped over his sash and disappeared behind it with a loud crash.
"The agility of a maimed cow....no actually.....I think the cow would do better than him." Inuyasha grumbled as he rounded the protruding rock, and inspected the heap of red and blue lying at its base.
"Have you ever thought about staying upright for a change?"
"Uwah!! Don't come near me demon!! I didn't do anything, I swear I'm innocent! Please don't kill me!!" He shrieked as he made a pitiful attempt at righting himself in the tangle of robes, trying to distance himself from Inuyasha.
"I'm not going to kill you I just want to ask you something--"
"Please I'm begging you don't take my life!! I have a family, although I think my Ma and Pa probably think I'm dead already, but please I'll do anything to live!! I'll grovel! I'll call you 'My Lord and Master!'--"
"I told you already!! I'm not going to kill you, I just want to ask you where--"
"Oh whoa is me! How could you be so cruel and unfeeling!--"
"I'm not going to kill you, you idiot! Now will you just listen to me--"
"How could you do this to me you vile beast!! I'm too young to die!! I've too much to live for!! I haven't even had se-"
"Will you shut up and stop interrupting me!!?" Inuyasha snapped angrily grabbing his shoulders and shaking him until he fell silent, bottom lip quivering.
"Now that I have your attention," he began after taking a breath. "Will you please tell me where the village Shizen is?"
"Why?" The man in red replied in a mouse like voice. "Are you going on a raid and pillage fest?"
"No," he replied keeping his temper in check. "I have a friend who's been poisoned and now I'm afraid his condition has taken a turn for the worst. I need to go there to find some healer who's supposed to have a vast amount of experience.....or something like that."
"Well Shizen is called the Healers Village. Everyone there specializes in countless forms of medicines and remedies. Err...well which one are you looking for? I know plenty of people there." He asked cheerfully forgetting that he was still in the death grip of a demon.
"I'm looking for a guy named....uh what was it....Sai, he's supposed to be some really famous healer or something."
The man looked into his eyes for the longest time, as if searching for some lie behind the dog demons eyes. He kept staring at him so long and intensely, that Inuyasha could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, and a sickening feeling wedged its way into his stomach as he wondered if this was how lovers stared at each other before they ate each others faces off in a passionate game of tonsil hockey. He was about to shake him again and tell him to stop freaking him out, when the man shook his head as if coming out of a daze and replied gleefully.
"Oh your looking for Sai? Well how lucky for you! I'm the Healer Sai!"
Inuyasha paled and suppressed the urge to faint.
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Akida- Alright I've finished Chapter 9!! ::does a happy dance:: Funny thing too, nothing good happened to Miroku again this time around either, could've seen that coming a mile away huh?-- ::receives angry glare from figure looming behind her:: Eh.......heh heh.....would it make you feel any better if I put more effort in to the "good things happen to Miroku" part of the story?
Miroku: Yes I'd appreciate that ::grins sardonically::
Akida- Ok.....::nervous laugh:: well until I get started on the next chapter, which will hopefully be a more "Uplifting One!", how about you tell me how I did with this chapter. Come on, Miroku might maul me but the 'Go' button won't bite!