Yes, I have been spelling rosary rosemary. Blame the spell check on my computer, which INSISTED that rosary was not a word. It's been. . .dealt with. . .this is my freaking present to the world-or should I say curse? Well, as usual, R&R. . .and any grammatical mistakes have been made due to stress. I want this posted, then Mr. Computer says goodnight.
Oh, yes, I must state: Inuyasha is not mine. I had hopes for Christmas. . .but they fell through. So, he doesn't belong to me. But I'm sure he'd have more fun if he did. The only things I own in this story are any original characters, and the plot. Which I probably stole form somewhere else. Oh, screw it, it's not mine, and if you take it, I will personally hunt you down!
". . .Hey, it's a demon!"
"Where?" Miroku turned, and saw Inuyasha and some girl walking down the street. He frowned slightly. Who's that? And where's Kagome? "That's Inuyasha. The half-demon I was talking about."
"So is that Kagome?"
"No. . .I don't know who that is."
"I thought you said you did!"
Miroku frowned again. "I'm sorry! I just don't recognize that girl. . .she's following Inuyasha willingly, so at least he didn't kidnap her or something. I just hope he didn't kill Kagome. . .she's been acting kinda like a lovesick puppy for the past week."
The girl with Miroku, whose name happened to be Megan, rolled her eyes. "Hn."
Megan had been working as a barmaid. After Sango had-once again-rejected Miroku, she had left. She had last been seen leaving with someone who seemed genuinely interested in her, and not just touching her. Miroku hadn't been able to convey his feelings in any other way; touching her was just his way of timidly expressing emotion. Otherwise, he'd had been done feeling her up months ago.
So, in an inexplicable low mood, Miroku had gone into the bar Megan happened to work in, and had just started asking every girl in the bar to bear his child. He had been rejected every time, yes, but it was interesting to see the looks on their face.
Megan had been different. She had said yes. Miroku had been surprised, and asked if she was serious. She had replied by screaming, "No!" in his face and hitting him over the head. Spurred by the fact she had a reaction to him, he had quickly asked her to come with him on the Shikon hunt. She was surprised to learn he was traveling with Inuyasha, since he had made a name for himself fifty years ago. News of his re-awakening was still traveling around Japan, and she hadn't heard yet. Which was surprising, considering how often they stayed in this town when they weren't on a Shikon hunt. She had agreed to come only because she had nowhere else to go, and it seemed like it might be fun.
So when Inuyasha was returning with some girl who was glaring daggers into everyone who looked at her, they were both intrigued. "He doesn't seem like such a great or fear-inspiring demon."
Miroku chose to ignore the "fear-inspiring" part of her statement. There were still a lot of rumors left over from before Inuyasha had been sealed. Miroku made a note to ask him what exactly he had done. "Like I said, he's only a half demon."
"Well, I'm a quarter."
He looked at her in surprise. "Really?"
She nodded, rolling her eyes. A tail suddenly appeared on her, swishing back and forth. "One fourth cat demon," she said with obvious pride. Miroku chuckled a little.
"That's interesting. Inuyasha's a dog demon." She scowled at that.
"Well, if he starts chasing me, I'll swipe his eyes out."
"He's got claws, too. Don't underestimate him. Besides, the Tetsusaiga is too dangerous too tangle with. I could probably use my hand and suck it in, but it'd be a horrible waste. . ."
She sighed. "Of course. The one weapon you have you won't use. Baka. . ." Miroku chose to ignore that, too.
"Oy, Inuyasha!" The dog demon instantly turned, in a ready-for-whatever-the-hell's-being-thrown-at-me pose. "Over here!" Inuyasha sighed, and jerked his head in Miroku's direction, signaling at the girl. She snapped something back to him, and Inuyasha almost winced at the obviously harsh words.
Inuyasha and Angela walked over to the other two. The girl managed to keep up with his triple pace with fair ease, although she seemed annoyed at his apparent need to walk so fast.
". . .So, I'm assuming this is the leech?" Were the words Angela chose to introduce herself with, while gesturing neutrally at Miroku, keeping a bored look on her face.
"What?" Miroku glared at Inuyasha, who shrugged.
"I just used Sango's favorite word to describe you. Didn't know it would offend you. . .who's she?" He jerked his head at Megan, since his hands were too busy holding up his head to be used for a practical purpose like gesturing normally.
"This is Megan. She's a fourth cat demon, and she'll be helping us look for the Shikon shards. Who's that?"
". . .I get it, since you chased Sango off, you need another girl to grab. Keh." Miroku looked as if he may have been considering injuring the half demon, which seemed oblivious to his glare. "This is Angela, the new Shikon Detector."
She didn't bat an eye at that term, but growled under her breath, "Watch it, Inu-baka." Inuyasha growled at that, but didn't otherwise react. Angela half-smiled at the other two. "Sorry. He doesn't seem to have manners. Kagome. . .went home, if you want to call being thrown down a well going home. And I get the 'honor'," without realizing it, she copied Inuyasha's finger quotes from an hour earlier, "of detecting the stupid glowing jewel. So, if we have to get three more of these," she held up the dull Shikon shard she had, "let's get going." The look she had on her face indicated quite clearly that she didn't think looking for shards was a big deal."
Megan looked at the sky, looking around. "Uh. . .how are we supposed to know which way to go?"
"Usually we wait until we hear a rumor of a demon, and then we get to go kill it."
Angela snorted. "That's a horrible plan. All the demons have to do is make sure everyone who sees it dies. Why don't you just choose a direction and walk? You said you don't know how many of the jewels there are, so why not? It makes sense."
Inuyasha scowled. "Because if we did that, and a monster attacked here, it'd be defenseless. And killing everyone who sees a demon isn't as easy as it sounds."
"What's so special about this place?"
"Kaede lives here. She's Kikyo's younger sister. We need to make sure she's okay," Miroku supplied when Inuyasha didn't answer.
". . .Who's Kikyo?"
Inuyasha didn't answer that. He glared at Ang, turned around, and walked into the town. Angela frowned. "Who does he think he is?" She muttered to herself, in such a tone that made Miroku wonder what she was thinking. "Just because he's a demon doesn't mean he gets cut slack. Oy, Inuyasha!" The last two words she yelled at the retreating red back.
"Huh?" He turned around, scowling to himself. What she did need now? They had gotten on bad terms on the walk to town when she had innocently asked him about himself, and his family. I guess "Shut the fuck up," wasn't what she wanted to hear. I can't help mot wanting to tell her the details of my life. We just met, what, half an hour ago?
"Sit!"
"Ah!" He once again felt the familiar weight pressing in on his back as he was pressed to the ground. "S-shit. . ." He glared at her, but he doubted she could see that from such a distance. This wasn't any better. She was just as bad as Kagome, sitting him in the middle of a town, where everyone could publicly watch his humiliation. Things didn't look any better for him.
The weight was released, and Inuyasha stood up, and glared at her. Their glares met across the town. Angela turned around, brushing her braid over her shoulder in a gesture of contempt for the half demon. It swished down around her knees as she walked away. She didn't even give him a backwards look as she stalked away.
Inuyasha continued to glare at her back. Little bitch. . .she's as bad as Kagome. Maybe able to defend herself against things other than insects, but a bitch the same. And if she ends up using this stupid thins as often as Kagome, so help me, I'll kill her. He finally broke his gaze with her back and started walking. He didn't even pay attention as to where. He just wanted to get away from stupid girls who abused their power over him. Maybe Kagome is better. She at least seemed to have a conscious.
Miroku looked back and forth between the two. They were having a fight within a day of meeting each other. Even he hadn't been able to pull that off with Sango. He'd have asked Inuyasha what had set him off like that, but after seeing his murderous stare, he thought it a better idea if he just let them cool off. The girl's anger had been so totally sudden, without any warning. She had gone from almost peaceful to near fury within seconds. Angela had quickly left town. Miroku and Megan had both agreed it'd be safer if they followed her and made sure that she didn't get her head bitten off by a demon.
"You know," said Megan as they walked through the town, "she's actually being pretty stuck-up if you think about it."
Miroku looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, I'm sure. She's just been plunged deeply into the past, has no idea who any of us are, and is being told to collect pieces of a shattered jewel she's never heard of. Plus, didn't Kagome say were aren't demons in her time?"
Megan shrugged. "I never met her. But she gave Inuyasha and us the cold shoulder, and. . .I just don't think she seems very nice."
Miroku frowned. "It's interesting, though. She doesn't seem afraid of Inuyasha, even though I'm sure she knows how strong he is. I wouldn't say she's holding him in contempt, but. . .well, it's definitely not respect."
". . .If there aren't demons where she's from, shouldn't she be afraid?"
He nodded, a grim look on his face. "Yes." Inuyasha said Kagome was afraid of some of the demons she met. . .I hope this doesn't turn out like that.
They followed her in silence for a while. Then, Megan gulped a little, trying to hide it from Miroku. He picked it up easily. "What?"
"The wood she's heading into. It's. . .said to be haunted by a killer."
"A flesh or spiritual killer?"
Megan seemed confused. "What do you mean?"
"A living one or a killer from beyond the grave?"
"He's a ghost. I've never actually seen it, so I'm not sure if I believe it. But no one ever goes there. Those who do. . .well, I've never seen anyone come back. We shouldn't let her go in."
"Too late."
"Huh!?" Megan had turned from watching Ang to watching Miroku. She turned back, and saw her entering the glade that did, indeed, have an ominous look to it. "Come on. We can probably pull her out before the ghost finds her."
Miroku nodded again. They ran towards her, and soon found themselves at the end of the glade. Miroku stopped suddenly. He could feel an evil spirit surrounding the woods. Nothing as evil as Onigumo, but evil still. "Yes. . .there is definitely something in there that's not mortal."
Megan smirked, unable to help herself. "Told ya."
He smiled wanly. "I didn't say you were lying."
"You implied it."
"Come on. We have to get her out of this."
She nodded wordlessly, and they walked into the woods. It became almost instantly dark, and they had to rely on sheer touch and feel. Abruptly, they came upon a clearing, and found an interesting sight.
Angela was sitting on the ground, her eyes closed, facing them. A whirlwind was surrounding her. The swirls of black, blue, and the occasional purple nearly obscured her body. She was chanting something under her breath, non-stop.
She opened her eyes suddenly, and saw Miroku and Megan staring at her. Her eyes showed no emotion, but she lifted her hand. The winds gathered around her hand, and began to shrink to fit it. She continued to chant, not stopping whatever she was saying.
Without warning, the currents of air seemed to disappear, becoming nothing but dust motes around her hand. The dark atmosphere surrounding the woods evaporated, leaving it feeling normal.
Miroku lifted his staff into a defensive position, keeping an eye on Megan. "What exactly are you?"
She stood up, not yet taking her eyes off them. She raised her hand even to Miroku, and quietly said, "Do you want him sealed also, Shi?"
~*~
TIME FOR. . .Oh my GOD, what IS THAT?
Inuyasha: What?
Angela: *breaths heavily*
Inuyasha: *turns to look at her* What is it? *pokes her*
Angela: Hey! I like my thermal visor!
Inuyasha, Megan, and Miroku: . . .Thermal visor. . .huuuhhhh?
Angela: *sighs* It's from the future! It makes heat turn orange or yellow or red, and cold stuff blue and colors like that. I can see your body heat! And according to my visor. . . adjusts it a little Inuyasha is the hottest! *realizes how that sounded* Hey! Who made me say that?!
Everyone: The author.
*a deep laughter is heard*
Inuyasha: That's not your voice!
Author: Shut up! Unless you want to suddenly be a chicken. . .
*images of an Inuyasha chicken dance above his head*
Inuyasha: . . .That's horrible.
Yes, I have been playing Metroid Prime FAR too long today. Anyway, as usual, if you review me, as long as I know who you are, and you have a story, I will review you too. It's a common courtesy. And besides, it's just nice!