Author's Notes: I have returned! Chapter nine coming at you! I have to say, it feels pretty damn good to have gotten this far.
Nice to see you all like the Yura/Naraku thing. They will become more prominent in the story from here on, as will Sesshoumaru and Kikyo starting next chapter.
I also saw that Kirara does seem too perfect. Thus I decided to give her her own set of flaws and emotional problems. She is now actually rather similar to one of the characters in one of my serious original works in the making; a guy who is incredibly good at making friends, uunderstanding people, and helping them solve their problems, but almost completely incapable of expressing his own feelings.
Little note to one of my reviewers (specifically PunkGirl): 13 times?! I'm flattered! Wow!
Anyway, on with the story.
Let the Music Be Your Master
Chapter 9: Leaving Behind That Empty Feeling Inside
Sango needed to dig a little deeper. She had to figure Miroku out if she ever hoped to sort out just what their relationship really was. "So, Miroku, I never really understood... Just what is with the whole spooky sorcerer thing you keep showing? Are you one of those wiccans, or something?" Real tactful, Sango. Still, bluntness seemed to work for Kirara. This seemed as good a question to ask as any, besides.
They were out on the front porch now where they could talk without interruption. Hopefully anyway. Sango hoped she had been subtle enough in luring Miroku out here. At least, he didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.
He simply chuckled at Sango's question and shook his head. "Wiccan? Hardly. I'm actually an agnostic."
That was a strange answer. "You mean you don't believe in anything?"
"That's an atheist," Miroku corrected. "An agnostic does not follow any particular religion, but does not deny the possibility that there are divine forces in the universe and that there really might be a religion out there that has the truth."
"Oh," Sango replied simply. "How'd you come to a choice like that?"
Miroku looked thoughtful for a moment. "No one's ever asked me that before," he muttered. He then cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose it started back when I was fourteen. I started experimenting with religion, thinking maybe I could find something to soothe the soul, as cliche as that sounds.
"Over the course of three years, I experimented with Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, Wicca, Hinduism, American Indian animism, even Taoism. Nothing worked for me." Here he broke off and laughed lightly.
"You're going to find this strange, but I actually came to the decision to be an agnostic when I was listening to the song Free Will."
Sango arched a brow. A song gave him a religious expereince? "Never heard it," she said dully.
Miroku just smirked and began singing. "You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. You can choose from phantom fears, and kindness that can kill. I will choose a path that's clear. I will choose free will."
Sango nodded slightly. Now that she thought about, just those few lyrics had a certain logic to them. "You'll have to play that song for me sometime. Who made it?"
"Rush," Miroku replied with a grin. "The greatest band ever, even if Inuyasha insists that title belongs to Led Zeppelin."
"I think I've heard of them," Sango replied. A comfortable silence settled. How did this conversation begin, again? "What other songs has Rush made?"
Miroku smiled softly. "That's quite a question to ask. They made their first album back in '74 and released their newest one in 2002. They're still together and going strong. Some of their hits, though, are Tom Sawyer, Free Will, Fly By Night, The Trees, Limelight, Red Sector A... The list goes on."
Things were just starting to get comfortable. Sango felt at ease with Miroku for the first time ever. He really wasn't such a bad guy after all. Just a little introverted. Then again, she always liked the strong silent types.
Their time together was short-lived, however, when Hiten and Manten stepped outside casting venomous looks in Mirokus' direction.
*****************************
Miroku heaved a sigh. He was a very patient man, but he had little tolerance for fools. "Can you be helped?" he asked flatly, unaffected by the glares that the two brothers sent his way.
Miroku knew these two well. Hiten was a typical popular guy. Meaning he was a jock and a shallow pretty-boy. Manten, with his bulky and ungainly frame and shaved head, was only popular because he was Hiten's brother and because he was the star player on the school football team.
"Not by you," Hiten snorted. "The fuck are you doing here, anyway? Koga should have kicked your asses out the instant he saw you." He folded his arms over his chest indignantly and narrowed one eye questioningly.
"Kagome invited us," Miroku replied levelly. "She's not so blind as you fools."
"And as for Koga," Sango added, "he's laying in a corner of the living room unconscious. That would be my handiwork."
Hiten and Manten had looks on their faces as if they had just seen a ghost. "You can't be serious," Manten denied.
"Oh but we are," Miroku said with a grin. He was truly enjoying this. This set the social order of the school on its head and forced it to drink bleach at the same time. He had to chuckle slightly at that mental image. "Why do you care so much that I'm here, anyway? Jealous of what Inuyasha, Shippo, and I could do to the crowd? Or did we just turn you on, and you're still in denial?"
Miroku regretted that as soon as it was too late. The quickest way to get to a jock is to challenge his heterosexuality, and Hiten and Manten weren't exactly mentally stable to begin with. Miroku knew he could run like hell, but he also knew that those two were faster. Oh well, there was always the chance that Sango would help him... Wasn't there?
*****************************
Naraku stretched out slowly as he stood up. As much as he was enjoying his time with Yura, his legs and back were getting stiff. Along with a few other parts because of all of Yura's cooing and purring. Thank god he chose not to wear his tight pants tonight. He turned around to Yura as she stood up and saw her shiver slightly. He knew that dress was too skimpy. Naraku shrugged off his leather jacket and held it out to her. "Here. Put this on."
Yura seemed a little surprised at first, but took the jacket and slipped it on with a small smile. "You're actually kinda sweet for an anti-social goth." She giggled lightly at that.
Naraku just smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment. You want to go for a walk?" The social classes seemed to have been nullified for tonight because of his friends, so Naraku figured he better take advantage of it now and spend a little time with a cute girl while he had the chance.
'Wait a second,' he thought to himself, 'cute? This is Yura, for Christ's sakes! A popular girl with a really wierd hair fetish! Still... that doesn't necessarilly mean she isn't hot.'
Yura giggled and took his hand. "My, my, my. You're pretty forward, aren't you? That's okay. I like guys who don't beat around the bush.
"So, are you really just gonna take me for a walk? Or do you just wanna get me alone so you can have your way with poor, defenseless little me?" She giggled again teasingly. She certainly did a lot of that, didn't she?
Well, Naraku could play that game, too, if that's the way she wanted to do things.
*****************************
Inside, Inuyasha was busy raiding Koga's fridge. "Christ! The Kobes must be a bunch of total lushes. It's like a friggin' Russian brewery in here." Inuyasha had gotten drunk once a year ago to see what it was like. That was a mistake he lived to regret. He still doubted he'd ever look at squirrels the same way ever again. Waking up hungover and naked on the roof of his house the next morning certainly didn't help, either. He just thanked whatever holy beings there were up there that no one else knew.
Shuddering lightly at the memories of his drunken stupor, Inuyasha decided to pass on a beer and continued hunting through the fridge until he happened upon a bag of fresh-sliced pepperonni. "Hot damn! Jackpot!" He snatched the bag out of the fridge and proceeded to stuff one slice after another into his mouth. Much to Kagome's disgust. "What?"
"Inuyasha, I'm sorry, but your table manners leave something to be desired," she said trying to keep from looking at his mouth.
Inuyasha swallowed audibly and beat his chest a moment to force the large lump of cold pepperonni down his throat. "Sorry. Want some?"
"No thanks," Kagome quickly declined.
Inuyasha simply shrugged. "Well, we've done the damage we came here to do. Whenever you want to go, just let me know."
******************************
Kagome thought about Inuyasha's offer for a moment. "Maybe we should go before Koga regains consciousness. I'd rather not see any violence tonight."
To her relief, Inuyasha shrugged. "Suit yourself. Let's go find the others."
The familiar beginning of a familiar song started up from the living room and Kagome saw Inuyasha smirk amusedly. "I think I know where we can find Shippo, and where he is Kirara follows. Come on."
As they stepped into the living room, Kagome saw Shippo standing up on the couch with Kirara and the two of them began singing together.
If God had long hair,
And a goatee,
And if his eyes were pretty glazed,
If he looked spaced out,
Would you buy his story?
Would you believe he had an eye infection?
And yeah, yeah,
God looks baked.
Yeah, yeah,
God smells good.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
What if God smoked Cannabis?
Hit the bong like some of us?
Drove a tie-dye micro-bus,
And he subscribes to Rolling Stone?
When God made this place,
In the beginning,
Did he plant any seeds?
Or did he put them there,
For Adam and Eve,
So they'd be hungry for the apple that the snake,
Was always offering?
And yeah, yeah,
God rolls great.
Yeah, yeah,
God smells good.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Kagome glanced beside her at Inuyasha who was now showing a fanged grin and playing air guitar again. The whole thing was damn funny, and she soon burst out laughing as Shippo and Kirara came to the chorus again.
What if God smoked Cannabis?
Do you suppose he had a bus?
When he made the platypus?
When he created Earth, our home?
Does he like Pearl Jam or the Stones?
And do you think he rolls his own,
Up there in Heaven on the throne?
And when the saints go marching home,
Maybe he sits and smokes a bone.
When Kagome calmed herself down after the song was over, she turned to Inuyasha who was looking very pleased with himself. "Where did you guys find that song?"
"Internet," he said casually. He then turned to Shippo and Kirara. "Yo, guys!" he barked, "let's go! We need to find Miroku and Sango!"
The two freshmen hopped off the couch, hand-in-hand, and strode over to Kagome and Inuyasha. "I think I saw them go out front. And what about Naraku?" Shippo asked.
"I wouldn't worry too much about Naraku," Kagome said with a light laugh. "The last I saw of him, Yura was dragging him away out back to play with his hair." She burst out laughing again at the looks her three companions gave her. "Don't worry, he's in good hands. If Yura likes his hair as much as I think she does, she wouldn't dare do him any harm."
"It's not the possibility of harming him I'm worried about," Inuyasha muttered. "That woman if freakin' scary... Then again, so is Naraku..."
"Wouldn't they make a cute couple?" Kirara giggled. "A couple years down the road, they get married in an abandoned gothic cathedral and have a healthy, 8-pound vampire."
Kagome had to admit, that was a very amusing mental image. "Anyway, let's just go find Sango and Miroku." Kagome strode over to the front door and opened it, only to be greeted by a terrifying sight.
Miroku was sprawled on the ground on his back, using his legs to keep Hiten off of him who was madly thrashing out for his neck. Manten was trying to help his brother while at the same time trying wrestle off Sango who now held him in a very painful guillotine headlock.
Manten managed to throw his body forward and tossed Sango over his back. Before she could recover, he grabbed her by the shoulders and used his great strength to throw her across the yard. Manten then tackled his brother and Miroku. The latter ended up face-down in the dirt as Hiten and Manten proceeded to pummel him.
Kagome bit back a gasp of horror as she saw for the first time just what a real fight was. She had never seen one personally before and this new revelation made her wonder how she could ever just shrug off the stories she had heard about the jocks assaulting the losers.
What happened next took place in about two seconds. Sango had regained her bearings and delivered a hard flying kick to Manten's kidneys, knocking him off Miroku and onto the ground. Meanwhile, Inuyasha shoved past Kagome and thrust a powerful right hook to the side of Hiten's head followed by a snap kick to the ribs. He moved so fast it was like a blur. Hiten was mercifully out cold by the time he hit the ground.
Manten slowly staggered to his feet, but promptly dropped down unconscious when Naraku emerged from the shadows and drove a devastating punch into the burly jock's jaw, bringing forth a sickening crack.
The fight was over as quickly as it had begun.
***************************
Yura was actually enjoying herself. Naraku seemed to be the only one who wasn't freaked out by her little games. All her life, people wanted to be her friend, but nothing more, so she had never had a boyfriend before. It was refreshing and strange at the same time then when Naraku seemed to enjoy her company so much.
"Have my way with you? Don't tempt me," he growled seductively. Finally, a guy who wasn't afraid to have a little fun. Wasn't he supposed to be one of the losers, though? Oh well, like anyone was going to know. They never saw each other at school except in detention. Besides, they were alone right now, weren't they?
"You dirty little rapist," Yura teased. She leaned her head on his strong shoulder and squeezed his hand. His nails were unusually long for a guy, almost like claws, and his hand felt like warm steel wrapped up in skin.
"Well you're not exactly trying to discourage me," Naraku replied. "Pressing up against me in that sexy little outfit of yours." She could tell he was definately enjoying this.
Suddenly, there came some odd sounds followed by shouting and Yura felt Naraku tense up. "Up front," he said curtly. "Wait here." With that, he released her hand and took off.
"Wait here?" Yura repeated. "Fuck that!" She dashed off in the direction she saw Naraku bolt in and arrived in the front yard just in time to see him sucker punch Manten and join Inuyasha and Shippo in helping up a fallen Miroku.
He left her to go pick a fight? Of all the rude, insensitive...! Yura felt rage boiling up inside of her.
"What happened?" Naraku asked.
"Bastards jumped me," Miroku spat. "They were the ones that threw the first punch, as always."
Yura stood by in the shadows as the boys hleped Miroku to the porch. She gasped in surprise when Sango helped the beaten boy out of his duster coat and began checking the bruises that were beginning to form on his ribs. Kagome was there, too. "Why are they taking those three's side?" Yura thought aloud.
***************************
"It's okay, Miroku," Kirara said comfortingly. "They got theirs. Why don't we just get you home and cleaned up?" The best thing Miroku needed now was an aspirin and some rest. In just a few seconds of fighting, he had taken some nasty blows.
"Why don't we stop at my house first," Sango suggested. "It's only a few minutes away and I've got some medicine he can use." The girl was obviously taking Kirara's advice to heart, at last.
Kirara turned to Inuyasha and nodded. The two of them gave Miroku a hand up and support.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Naraku said somewhat nervously. "I kind of left something unfinished." Before we anyone could question anything, he took off.
"What happened to his jacket?" Kirara thought aloud. Of course, she figured the answer was pretty obvious.
The trip was fairly uneventful. Unless you counted Inuyasha showing his true nature as a speed demon. He had apparently been nice enough to keep the daredevil driving toned down coming to the party, but now that he was pissed off and worried about his friend, all bets were off.
"WE'RE GONNA DIE!!" Shippo screamed as Inuyasha barrelled down a one-way street in the wrong direction.
"Eat me!" Inuyasha shouted back. He tried to shrug Kagome, who was now clinging to him like a lifeline, off with little success. He growled in frustration as a car came straight for them. "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!" He swerved at the last second and narrowly avoided side-swiping the other car.
Miroku, fortunately, seemed accustomed to Inuyasha's break-neck style of driving and placed an arm around Sango's shoulders for moral support, considering she was looking pretty pale herself.
For her part, Kirara was trying her hardest to stay composed. She had no problem admitting, however, that she was beginning to feel sick every time Inuyasha made a sharp turn without slowing down.
"Inuyasha," Miroku said calmly, "could you put on Fly By Night? It's the last track on the CD currently stuck in the player."
Inuyasha mutely complied. Kirara liked this song, but it really didn't help take the edge off her screaming self-preservation instincts that were torn between curling into Shippo for moral support, or risking the injuries of jumping out of the car rather than facing a crash.
"Well Sango," Miroku said, looking down at the frightened girl beside him, "I told you I'd have to play some Rush for you. This seems like as good a time as any."
Why try? I know why.
This feeling inside me says it's time I was gone.
Clear head, new life ahead.
It's time I was king, and not just one more pawn.
Fly by night away from here.
Change my life again.
Fly by night, good bye my dear.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
Moonrise, thoughtful eyes,
Staring back at me from the window beside.
No fright, or hindsight.
Leaving behind that empty feeling inside.
Fly by night away from here.
Change my life again.
Fly by night, good bye my dear.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend. Wow!
At this point the song broke into a bridge with some upbeat guitarwork, and Inuyasha and Miroku began swaying and bobbing their heads to it. Inuyasha even began moving his lips as if sounding out the guitar part. Kirara would have found it very funny and probably would have joined them if she wasn't still fearing for her life. Could Inuyasha drive and get into his music at the same time? Safely?
Fly by night away from here.
Change my life again.
Fly by night, good bye my dear.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
Start a new chapter,
Find what I'm after.
It's changing every day.
Change of a season,
Is enough of a reason,
To want to get away.
Quiet and pensive,
My thoughts apprehensive,
The hours drift away.
Leaving my homeland,
Playing a lone hand,
My life begins today!
Fly by night away from here.
Change my life again.
Fly by night, good bye my dear.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
Fly by night away from here.
Change my life again.
Fly by night, good bye my dear.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't prete-ee-e-ee-end!
The song ended just as Inuyasha pulled the car to a screeching halt in front of Sango's home. She had managed to give him directions before they drove off, fortunately.
Kirara took this opportunity to relax for a few minutes with her head on Shippo's shoulder as Sango leaped out of the car, looking very happy to escape for a couple minutes, and slipped into her house.
"Kagome," Kirara heard Inuyasha say from the front of the car, "are you okay? There's like, no color left in your face. And could you let you go of me? My arm is going numb."
A soft eep from the front seat and a mumbled apology later, and Sango came back with a small grocery bag in one hand. "Let's go. And this time, not so fast!"
Sango's pleas fell on deaf ears as Inuyasha raced his way through the streets with out a word to show that he heard anything.
'Why me?' Kirara thought. 'Maybe I can convice Inuyasha to drop me off with Shippo. Maybe if I plead with my dad he'll let me stay the night. Better than risking more of Inuyasha's driving.'
**********************
Miroku couldn't understand why everyone was always so panicked about Inuyasha's driving. True, it was dangerous like all get out, but the boy had superior reflexes and knew how to handle the car. Miroku trusted him, in other words.
He had to help Sango out after they finally pulled up to his house. The girl looked a little green around the gills. Where the hell did an expression like that come from, anyway? Oh well, like it mattered at this time?
The two young people supported each other as they came through the front door and Miroku looked around briefly. "Mom!? I'm home!"
A feminine voice floated out from the den. "Really? So early? I expected you to be out later than that!"
"Plans change!" Miroku called back. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought a friend over."
"That's fine by me, dear! There's some leftover turkey in the fridge if you're hungry, and I'm sorry I can't come out to see you, but they're supposed to show news of your father in a minute and I want to know what's happening!"
Miroku's father was one of the men sent to Iraq to fight in the war. The family didn't like it, but they didn't have a choice. "I understand!" With that he motioned for Sango to follow his lead and they slipped upstairs to his room.
Miroku could tell that Sango was still a little apprehensive around him, though he couldn't blame her. The reputation he had built these last few years wasn't exactly encouraging. He decided to simply keep his mouth shut, not wanting to risk saying something unbelievably stupid right now.
Miroku's room looked like a warzone. Clutter and magazines covered the floor, the desk was littered with garbage, and the wall wasn't even visible anymore because it had been covered in posters and photo collages. "Sorry the place is such a mess. I wasn't exactly expecting company," he apologized.
Sango sat him down the bed and helped him out of his coat. "Don't worry about it. My brother's room is just as bad. Now lay down on your back, put your hands over your head and relax."
Miroku did as he was told and watched Sango remove a few bottles of medicine from her bag. They looked like wierd herbal remedies. He couldn't help but feel a small tinge of pride and hope when he saw Sango's face heat up as she inspected his bruises and cuts. Back in his freshman year, he remembered overhearing her talking to Kagome and saying how she thought guys built like Olympic swimmers were really sexy, with long, lean limbs and toned without being too bulky. He had been cultivating that look ever since.
He tried to keep a smile off his face, not wanting to emberass her further. "So, what are we using?" he asked conversationally.
Sango looked up into his eyes for a moment before returning to her work. "Just a little bruise linament and some tiger balm." She opened up a small bottle filled with some dark liquid and began dabbing it on his bruises. The strong scent of herbs and alcohol filled the room as she rubbed it into Miroku's skin. "Tell me if this hurts, okay?"
Miroku merely nodded. Even if Sango was just doing this to make sure he was okay, there was no reason he shouldn't enjoy it while he could. "Nope. Nothing. You've got a healer's touch." For once his compliment seemed well-recieved when he saw her smile slightly with a faint blush on her cheeks.
The two spent a few minutes in a comfortable silence as Sango finished tending Miroku's injuries. The tiger balm smelled even stronger than the dark liquid and burned slightly, but it passed quickly.
Sango stood up and looked around the room a moment. "So this is what goes on in your head?" she asked softly.
Miroku chuckled softly. "Sort of. It doesn't show the true depths of my dementia, but then again, what does?" Surprisingly, Sango actually seemed to be unwinding the more they talked. It was as if she was beginning to see through him after all these years.
He had to stay calm, though, when Sango saw his bass leaning in the corner. He really didn't want his secret out yet, especially since Inuyasha had now revealed that he could play guitar. "I didn't know you played," she remarked curiously.
"It gives me something to do," Miroku shrugged. "I mostly just play basslines by Rush. Geddy Lee is an incredible bassist. That and his voice are probably nature's way of compensating him for the fact that he looks like the Wicked Witch of the West."
Sango giggled slightly. "Could you play me something?" she asked, handing him his bass.
Miroku saw no reason not to accept and plugged in is amp. He debated for a moment what to play as he tuned his instrument and simply decided to play the bassline to Time Stand Still.
It wasn't exactly a spectacular performance, but the bass wasn't designed to be flamboyant and bold like a guitar. It was subtle, creating rhythms and beats with its deep, rich sounds that pulled you into the song. This suited Miroku well, for subtlety was one of his most prominent features. Sango seemed to agree, at least. She simply sat on the bed beside him and listened with a soft smile.
Things were starting to take a turn for the better. All of these changes in a little over a week. Even Sango was starting to come around. "What song was that from?" she asked when he had finished.
"Time Stand Still," Miroku replied, though secretly he said it aloud in puerile fantasy that maybe it would. Naturally it wouldn't work, but what life is complete without fantasies, after all?
*********************
Author's Notes: I can't believe I'm actually finishing this before I leave the country. Anyway, mid-April you'll see the next chapter and hopefully things will speed up slightly during Spring Break. Unless my new job gets in the way. That's the problem with money: you need it, but getting it is hard.
Ha! Miroku an agnostic. Bet you didn't see that one coming! I did it just to be different. I keep seeing people make some kind of connection to Miroku's character on the series by making him Buddhist or nicknaming his 'Priest' or something like that, so I figured I'd do things differently just to get a reaction.
There will be some mindless fluff (for real this time) in the next chapter. And we'll finally establish a main antagonist, though you can probably guess who that is.
I'm disappointed, also. No one even tried to guess my name or the show where I got the surnames from. Don't you people listen to me? Or do you breeze over all my little notes, not interested in the least in what I have to say?
Nice to see you all like the Yura/Naraku thing. They will become more prominent in the story from here on, as will Sesshoumaru and Kikyo starting next chapter.
I also saw that Kirara does seem too perfect. Thus I decided to give her her own set of flaws and emotional problems. She is now actually rather similar to one of the characters in one of my serious original works in the making; a guy who is incredibly good at making friends, uunderstanding people, and helping them solve their problems, but almost completely incapable of expressing his own feelings.
Little note to one of my reviewers (specifically PunkGirl): 13 times?! I'm flattered! Wow!
Anyway, on with the story.
Let the Music Be Your Master
Chapter 9: Leaving Behind That Empty Feeling Inside
Sango needed to dig a little deeper. She had to figure Miroku out if she ever hoped to sort out just what their relationship really was. "So, Miroku, I never really understood... Just what is with the whole spooky sorcerer thing you keep showing? Are you one of those wiccans, or something?" Real tactful, Sango. Still, bluntness seemed to work for Kirara. This seemed as good a question to ask as any, besides.
They were out on the front porch now where they could talk without interruption. Hopefully anyway. Sango hoped she had been subtle enough in luring Miroku out here. At least, he didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.
He simply chuckled at Sango's question and shook his head. "Wiccan? Hardly. I'm actually an agnostic."
That was a strange answer. "You mean you don't believe in anything?"
"That's an atheist," Miroku corrected. "An agnostic does not follow any particular religion, but does not deny the possibility that there are divine forces in the universe and that there really might be a religion out there that has the truth."
"Oh," Sango replied simply. "How'd you come to a choice like that?"
Miroku looked thoughtful for a moment. "No one's ever asked me that before," he muttered. He then cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose it started back when I was fourteen. I started experimenting with religion, thinking maybe I could find something to soothe the soul, as cliche as that sounds.
"Over the course of three years, I experimented with Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, Wicca, Hinduism, American Indian animism, even Taoism. Nothing worked for me." Here he broke off and laughed lightly.
"You're going to find this strange, but I actually came to the decision to be an agnostic when I was listening to the song Free Will."
Sango arched a brow. A song gave him a religious expereince? "Never heard it," she said dully.
Miroku just smirked and began singing. "You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. You can choose from phantom fears, and kindness that can kill. I will choose a path that's clear. I will choose free will."
Sango nodded slightly. Now that she thought about, just those few lyrics had a certain logic to them. "You'll have to play that song for me sometime. Who made it?"
"Rush," Miroku replied with a grin. "The greatest band ever, even if Inuyasha insists that title belongs to Led Zeppelin."
"I think I've heard of them," Sango replied. A comfortable silence settled. How did this conversation begin, again? "What other songs has Rush made?"
Miroku smiled softly. "That's quite a question to ask. They made their first album back in '74 and released their newest one in 2002. They're still together and going strong. Some of their hits, though, are Tom Sawyer, Free Will, Fly By Night, The Trees, Limelight, Red Sector A... The list goes on."
Things were just starting to get comfortable. Sango felt at ease with Miroku for the first time ever. He really wasn't such a bad guy after all. Just a little introverted. Then again, she always liked the strong silent types.
Their time together was short-lived, however, when Hiten and Manten stepped outside casting venomous looks in Mirokus' direction.
*****************************
Miroku heaved a sigh. He was a very patient man, but he had little tolerance for fools. "Can you be helped?" he asked flatly, unaffected by the glares that the two brothers sent his way.
Miroku knew these two well. Hiten was a typical popular guy. Meaning he was a jock and a shallow pretty-boy. Manten, with his bulky and ungainly frame and shaved head, was only popular because he was Hiten's brother and because he was the star player on the school football team.
"Not by you," Hiten snorted. "The fuck are you doing here, anyway? Koga should have kicked your asses out the instant he saw you." He folded his arms over his chest indignantly and narrowed one eye questioningly.
"Kagome invited us," Miroku replied levelly. "She's not so blind as you fools."
"And as for Koga," Sango added, "he's laying in a corner of the living room unconscious. That would be my handiwork."
Hiten and Manten had looks on their faces as if they had just seen a ghost. "You can't be serious," Manten denied.
"Oh but we are," Miroku said with a grin. He was truly enjoying this. This set the social order of the school on its head and forced it to drink bleach at the same time. He had to chuckle slightly at that mental image. "Why do you care so much that I'm here, anyway? Jealous of what Inuyasha, Shippo, and I could do to the crowd? Or did we just turn you on, and you're still in denial?"
Miroku regretted that as soon as it was too late. The quickest way to get to a jock is to challenge his heterosexuality, and Hiten and Manten weren't exactly mentally stable to begin with. Miroku knew he could run like hell, but he also knew that those two were faster. Oh well, there was always the chance that Sango would help him... Wasn't there?
*****************************
Naraku stretched out slowly as he stood up. As much as he was enjoying his time with Yura, his legs and back were getting stiff. Along with a few other parts because of all of Yura's cooing and purring. Thank god he chose not to wear his tight pants tonight. He turned around to Yura as she stood up and saw her shiver slightly. He knew that dress was too skimpy. Naraku shrugged off his leather jacket and held it out to her. "Here. Put this on."
Yura seemed a little surprised at first, but took the jacket and slipped it on with a small smile. "You're actually kinda sweet for an anti-social goth." She giggled lightly at that.
Naraku just smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment. You want to go for a walk?" The social classes seemed to have been nullified for tonight because of his friends, so Naraku figured he better take advantage of it now and spend a little time with a cute girl while he had the chance.
'Wait a second,' he thought to himself, 'cute? This is Yura, for Christ's sakes! A popular girl with a really wierd hair fetish! Still... that doesn't necessarilly mean she isn't hot.'
Yura giggled and took his hand. "My, my, my. You're pretty forward, aren't you? That's okay. I like guys who don't beat around the bush.
"So, are you really just gonna take me for a walk? Or do you just wanna get me alone so you can have your way with poor, defenseless little me?" She giggled again teasingly. She certainly did a lot of that, didn't she?
Well, Naraku could play that game, too, if that's the way she wanted to do things.
*****************************
Inside, Inuyasha was busy raiding Koga's fridge. "Christ! The Kobes must be a bunch of total lushes. It's like a friggin' Russian brewery in here." Inuyasha had gotten drunk once a year ago to see what it was like. That was a mistake he lived to regret. He still doubted he'd ever look at squirrels the same way ever again. Waking up hungover and naked on the roof of his house the next morning certainly didn't help, either. He just thanked whatever holy beings there were up there that no one else knew.
Shuddering lightly at the memories of his drunken stupor, Inuyasha decided to pass on a beer and continued hunting through the fridge until he happened upon a bag of fresh-sliced pepperonni. "Hot damn! Jackpot!" He snatched the bag out of the fridge and proceeded to stuff one slice after another into his mouth. Much to Kagome's disgust. "What?"
"Inuyasha, I'm sorry, but your table manners leave something to be desired," she said trying to keep from looking at his mouth.
Inuyasha swallowed audibly and beat his chest a moment to force the large lump of cold pepperonni down his throat. "Sorry. Want some?"
"No thanks," Kagome quickly declined.
Inuyasha simply shrugged. "Well, we've done the damage we came here to do. Whenever you want to go, just let me know."
******************************
Kagome thought about Inuyasha's offer for a moment. "Maybe we should go before Koga regains consciousness. I'd rather not see any violence tonight."
To her relief, Inuyasha shrugged. "Suit yourself. Let's go find the others."
The familiar beginning of a familiar song started up from the living room and Kagome saw Inuyasha smirk amusedly. "I think I know where we can find Shippo, and where he is Kirara follows. Come on."
As they stepped into the living room, Kagome saw Shippo standing up on the couch with Kirara and the two of them began singing together.
If God had long hair,
And a goatee,
And if his eyes were pretty glazed,
If he looked spaced out,
Would you buy his story?
Would you believe he had an eye infection?
And yeah, yeah,
God looks baked.
Yeah, yeah,
God smells good.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
What if God smoked Cannabis?
Hit the bong like some of us?
Drove a tie-dye micro-bus,
And he subscribes to Rolling Stone?
When God made this place,
In the beginning,
Did he plant any seeds?
Or did he put them there,
For Adam and Eve,
So they'd be hungry for the apple that the snake,
Was always offering?
And yeah, yeah,
God rolls great.
Yeah, yeah,
God smells good.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Kagome glanced beside her at Inuyasha who was now showing a fanged grin and playing air guitar again. The whole thing was damn funny, and she soon burst out laughing as Shippo and Kirara came to the chorus again.
What if God smoked Cannabis?
Do you suppose he had a bus?
When he made the platypus?
When he created Earth, our home?
Does he like Pearl Jam or the Stones?
And do you think he rolls his own,
Up there in Heaven on the throne?
And when the saints go marching home,
Maybe he sits and smokes a bone.
When Kagome calmed herself down after the song was over, she turned to Inuyasha who was looking very pleased with himself. "Where did you guys find that song?"
"Internet," he said casually. He then turned to Shippo and Kirara. "Yo, guys!" he barked, "let's go! We need to find Miroku and Sango!"
The two freshmen hopped off the couch, hand-in-hand, and strode over to Kagome and Inuyasha. "I think I saw them go out front. And what about Naraku?" Shippo asked.
"I wouldn't worry too much about Naraku," Kagome said with a light laugh. "The last I saw of him, Yura was dragging him away out back to play with his hair." She burst out laughing again at the looks her three companions gave her. "Don't worry, he's in good hands. If Yura likes his hair as much as I think she does, she wouldn't dare do him any harm."
"It's not the possibility of harming him I'm worried about," Inuyasha muttered. "That woman if freakin' scary... Then again, so is Naraku..."
"Wouldn't they make a cute couple?" Kirara giggled. "A couple years down the road, they get married in an abandoned gothic cathedral and have a healthy, 8-pound vampire."
Kagome had to admit, that was a very amusing mental image. "Anyway, let's just go find Sango and Miroku." Kagome strode over to the front door and opened it, only to be greeted by a terrifying sight.
Miroku was sprawled on the ground on his back, using his legs to keep Hiten off of him who was madly thrashing out for his neck. Manten was trying to help his brother while at the same time trying wrestle off Sango who now held him in a very painful guillotine headlock.
Manten managed to throw his body forward and tossed Sango over his back. Before she could recover, he grabbed her by the shoulders and used his great strength to throw her across the yard. Manten then tackled his brother and Miroku. The latter ended up face-down in the dirt as Hiten and Manten proceeded to pummel him.
Kagome bit back a gasp of horror as she saw for the first time just what a real fight was. She had never seen one personally before and this new revelation made her wonder how she could ever just shrug off the stories she had heard about the jocks assaulting the losers.
What happened next took place in about two seconds. Sango had regained her bearings and delivered a hard flying kick to Manten's kidneys, knocking him off Miroku and onto the ground. Meanwhile, Inuyasha shoved past Kagome and thrust a powerful right hook to the side of Hiten's head followed by a snap kick to the ribs. He moved so fast it was like a blur. Hiten was mercifully out cold by the time he hit the ground.
Manten slowly staggered to his feet, but promptly dropped down unconscious when Naraku emerged from the shadows and drove a devastating punch into the burly jock's jaw, bringing forth a sickening crack.
The fight was over as quickly as it had begun.
***************************
Yura was actually enjoying herself. Naraku seemed to be the only one who wasn't freaked out by her little games. All her life, people wanted to be her friend, but nothing more, so she had never had a boyfriend before. It was refreshing and strange at the same time then when Naraku seemed to enjoy her company so much.
"Have my way with you? Don't tempt me," he growled seductively. Finally, a guy who wasn't afraid to have a little fun. Wasn't he supposed to be one of the losers, though? Oh well, like anyone was going to know. They never saw each other at school except in detention. Besides, they were alone right now, weren't they?
"You dirty little rapist," Yura teased. She leaned her head on his strong shoulder and squeezed his hand. His nails were unusually long for a guy, almost like claws, and his hand felt like warm steel wrapped up in skin.
"Well you're not exactly trying to discourage me," Naraku replied. "Pressing up against me in that sexy little outfit of yours." She could tell he was definately enjoying this.
Suddenly, there came some odd sounds followed by shouting and Yura felt Naraku tense up. "Up front," he said curtly. "Wait here." With that, he released her hand and took off.
"Wait here?" Yura repeated. "Fuck that!" She dashed off in the direction she saw Naraku bolt in and arrived in the front yard just in time to see him sucker punch Manten and join Inuyasha and Shippo in helping up a fallen Miroku.
He left her to go pick a fight? Of all the rude, insensitive...! Yura felt rage boiling up inside of her.
"What happened?" Naraku asked.
"Bastards jumped me," Miroku spat. "They were the ones that threw the first punch, as always."
Yura stood by in the shadows as the boys hleped Miroku to the porch. She gasped in surprise when Sango helped the beaten boy out of his duster coat and began checking the bruises that were beginning to form on his ribs. Kagome was there, too. "Why are they taking those three's side?" Yura thought aloud.
***************************
"It's okay, Miroku," Kirara said comfortingly. "They got theirs. Why don't we just get you home and cleaned up?" The best thing Miroku needed now was an aspirin and some rest. In just a few seconds of fighting, he had taken some nasty blows.
"Why don't we stop at my house first," Sango suggested. "It's only a few minutes away and I've got some medicine he can use." The girl was obviously taking Kirara's advice to heart, at last.
Kirara turned to Inuyasha and nodded. The two of them gave Miroku a hand up and support.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Naraku said somewhat nervously. "I kind of left something unfinished." Before we anyone could question anything, he took off.
"What happened to his jacket?" Kirara thought aloud. Of course, she figured the answer was pretty obvious.
The trip was fairly uneventful. Unless you counted Inuyasha showing his true nature as a speed demon. He had apparently been nice enough to keep the daredevil driving toned down coming to the party, but now that he was pissed off and worried about his friend, all bets were off.
"WE'RE GONNA DIE!!" Shippo screamed as Inuyasha barrelled down a one-way street in the wrong direction.
"Eat me!" Inuyasha shouted back. He tried to shrug Kagome, who was now clinging to him like a lifeline, off with little success. He growled in frustration as a car came straight for them. "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!" He swerved at the last second and narrowly avoided side-swiping the other car.
Miroku, fortunately, seemed accustomed to Inuyasha's break-neck style of driving and placed an arm around Sango's shoulders for moral support, considering she was looking pretty pale herself.
For her part, Kirara was trying her hardest to stay composed. She had no problem admitting, however, that she was beginning to feel sick every time Inuyasha made a sharp turn without slowing down.
"Inuyasha," Miroku said calmly, "could you put on Fly By Night? It's the last track on the CD currently stuck in the player."
Inuyasha mutely complied. Kirara liked this song, but it really didn't help take the edge off her screaming self-preservation instincts that were torn between curling into Shippo for moral support, or risking the injuries of jumping out of the car rather than facing a crash.
"Well Sango," Miroku said, looking down at the frightened girl beside him, "I told you I'd have to play some Rush for you. This seems like as good a time as any."
Why try? I know why.
This feeling inside me says it's time I was gone.
Clear head, new life ahead.
It's time I was king, and not just one more pawn.
Fly by night away from here.
Change my life again.
Fly by night, good bye my dear.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
Moonrise, thoughtful eyes,
Staring back at me from the window beside.
No fright, or hindsight.
Leaving behind that empty feeling inside.
Fly by night away from here.
Change my life again.
Fly by night, good bye my dear.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend. Wow!
At this point the song broke into a bridge with some upbeat guitarwork, and Inuyasha and Miroku began swaying and bobbing their heads to it. Inuyasha even began moving his lips as if sounding out the guitar part. Kirara would have found it very funny and probably would have joined them if she wasn't still fearing for her life. Could Inuyasha drive and get into his music at the same time? Safely?
Fly by night away from here.
Change my life again.
Fly by night, good bye my dear.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
Start a new chapter,
Find what I'm after.
It's changing every day.
Change of a season,
Is enough of a reason,
To want to get away.
Quiet and pensive,
My thoughts apprehensive,
The hours drift away.
Leaving my homeland,
Playing a lone hand,
My life begins today!
Fly by night away from here.
Change my life again.
Fly by night, good bye my dear.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
Fly by night away from here.
Change my life again.
Fly by night, good bye my dear.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend.
My ship isn't coming and I just can't prete-ee-e-ee-end!
The song ended just as Inuyasha pulled the car to a screeching halt in front of Sango's home. She had managed to give him directions before they drove off, fortunately.
Kirara took this opportunity to relax for a few minutes with her head on Shippo's shoulder as Sango leaped out of the car, looking very happy to escape for a couple minutes, and slipped into her house.
"Kagome," Kirara heard Inuyasha say from the front of the car, "are you okay? There's like, no color left in your face. And could you let you go of me? My arm is going numb."
A soft eep from the front seat and a mumbled apology later, and Sango came back with a small grocery bag in one hand. "Let's go. And this time, not so fast!"
Sango's pleas fell on deaf ears as Inuyasha raced his way through the streets with out a word to show that he heard anything.
'Why me?' Kirara thought. 'Maybe I can convice Inuyasha to drop me off with Shippo. Maybe if I plead with my dad he'll let me stay the night. Better than risking more of Inuyasha's driving.'
**********************
Miroku couldn't understand why everyone was always so panicked about Inuyasha's driving. True, it was dangerous like all get out, but the boy had superior reflexes and knew how to handle the car. Miroku trusted him, in other words.
He had to help Sango out after they finally pulled up to his house. The girl looked a little green around the gills. Where the hell did an expression like that come from, anyway? Oh well, like it mattered at this time?
The two young people supported each other as they came through the front door and Miroku looked around briefly. "Mom!? I'm home!"
A feminine voice floated out from the den. "Really? So early? I expected you to be out later than that!"
"Plans change!" Miroku called back. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought a friend over."
"That's fine by me, dear! There's some leftover turkey in the fridge if you're hungry, and I'm sorry I can't come out to see you, but they're supposed to show news of your father in a minute and I want to know what's happening!"
Miroku's father was one of the men sent to Iraq to fight in the war. The family didn't like it, but they didn't have a choice. "I understand!" With that he motioned for Sango to follow his lead and they slipped upstairs to his room.
Miroku could tell that Sango was still a little apprehensive around him, though he couldn't blame her. The reputation he had built these last few years wasn't exactly encouraging. He decided to simply keep his mouth shut, not wanting to risk saying something unbelievably stupid right now.
Miroku's room looked like a warzone. Clutter and magazines covered the floor, the desk was littered with garbage, and the wall wasn't even visible anymore because it had been covered in posters and photo collages. "Sorry the place is such a mess. I wasn't exactly expecting company," he apologized.
Sango sat him down the bed and helped him out of his coat. "Don't worry about it. My brother's room is just as bad. Now lay down on your back, put your hands over your head and relax."
Miroku did as he was told and watched Sango remove a few bottles of medicine from her bag. They looked like wierd herbal remedies. He couldn't help but feel a small tinge of pride and hope when he saw Sango's face heat up as she inspected his bruises and cuts. Back in his freshman year, he remembered overhearing her talking to Kagome and saying how she thought guys built like Olympic swimmers were really sexy, with long, lean limbs and toned without being too bulky. He had been cultivating that look ever since.
He tried to keep a smile off his face, not wanting to emberass her further. "So, what are we using?" he asked conversationally.
Sango looked up into his eyes for a moment before returning to her work. "Just a little bruise linament and some tiger balm." She opened up a small bottle filled with some dark liquid and began dabbing it on his bruises. The strong scent of herbs and alcohol filled the room as she rubbed it into Miroku's skin. "Tell me if this hurts, okay?"
Miroku merely nodded. Even if Sango was just doing this to make sure he was okay, there was no reason he shouldn't enjoy it while he could. "Nope. Nothing. You've got a healer's touch." For once his compliment seemed well-recieved when he saw her smile slightly with a faint blush on her cheeks.
The two spent a few minutes in a comfortable silence as Sango finished tending Miroku's injuries. The tiger balm smelled even stronger than the dark liquid and burned slightly, but it passed quickly.
Sango stood up and looked around the room a moment. "So this is what goes on in your head?" she asked softly.
Miroku chuckled softly. "Sort of. It doesn't show the true depths of my dementia, but then again, what does?" Surprisingly, Sango actually seemed to be unwinding the more they talked. It was as if she was beginning to see through him after all these years.
He had to stay calm, though, when Sango saw his bass leaning in the corner. He really didn't want his secret out yet, especially since Inuyasha had now revealed that he could play guitar. "I didn't know you played," she remarked curiously.
"It gives me something to do," Miroku shrugged. "I mostly just play basslines by Rush. Geddy Lee is an incredible bassist. That and his voice are probably nature's way of compensating him for the fact that he looks like the Wicked Witch of the West."
Sango giggled slightly. "Could you play me something?" she asked, handing him his bass.
Miroku saw no reason not to accept and plugged in is amp. He debated for a moment what to play as he tuned his instrument and simply decided to play the bassline to Time Stand Still.
It wasn't exactly a spectacular performance, but the bass wasn't designed to be flamboyant and bold like a guitar. It was subtle, creating rhythms and beats with its deep, rich sounds that pulled you into the song. This suited Miroku well, for subtlety was one of his most prominent features. Sango seemed to agree, at least. She simply sat on the bed beside him and listened with a soft smile.
Things were starting to take a turn for the better. All of these changes in a little over a week. Even Sango was starting to come around. "What song was that from?" she asked when he had finished.
"Time Stand Still," Miroku replied, though secretly he said it aloud in puerile fantasy that maybe it would. Naturally it wouldn't work, but what life is complete without fantasies, after all?
*********************
Author's Notes: I can't believe I'm actually finishing this before I leave the country. Anyway, mid-April you'll see the next chapter and hopefully things will speed up slightly during Spring Break. Unless my new job gets in the way. That's the problem with money: you need it, but getting it is hard.
Ha! Miroku an agnostic. Bet you didn't see that one coming! I did it just to be different. I keep seeing people make some kind of connection to Miroku's character on the series by making him Buddhist or nicknaming his 'Priest' or something like that, so I figured I'd do things differently just to get a reaction.
There will be some mindless fluff (for real this time) in the next chapter. And we'll finally establish a main antagonist, though you can probably guess who that is.
I'm disappointed, also. No one even tried to guess my name or the show where I got the surnames from. Don't you people listen to me? Or do you breeze over all my little notes, not interested in the least in what I have to say?