Authoress' Notes: I take some major liberties with Miroku's past here. If out there, somewhere is an official story to his past, I'm sorry for straying from it. But I this is my interpretation and I'm actually happy with how this turned out...pretty rare for me. Thank you so much for the reviews. I appreciate it so much, it's very encouraging to know that people are enjoying this.
EDIT: Yes and I am aware of the inconsistency about Miroku's wind tunnel, but it was something I just had to keep, even in the edit.
Family Ties: Part 4
Kagome couldn't believe how nice the bathhouse was. She noticed that the actual bath was a natural hot spring that had been diverted and covered by a building. The candles that lit the bath smelled of jasmine and lavender. Michi had provided robes for them and security in the form of threatening Miroku's the ear off. Sango was leaning against one of the rocks with her eyes closed. Kagome climbed under the water and sighed in contentment.
"Is your head still bothering you?" Kagome inquired.
Sango shook her head. "Now its my back."
" What's wrong with your back?" Michi questioned closing the door behind her.
"It's just sore." Sango arched her back and tried to shift out the crick.
"I can fix it for you if you'd like." Michi offered.
Sango nodded and reached for a towel to cover her front. "I'd really appreciate it."
"No trouble." Michi ran her finger down Sango's spine, as if testing for something. "Are you ticklish?" She questioned running her finger back up. When Sango jumped and tensed up, Michi laughed. " I'll take that as yes." Michi ran her fingers gently up, down and across Sango's back always ending near the middle. "Don't worry I won't tell my cousin about you being ticklish. But should he find out. I'll give you a little information on him. He's very ticklish on his knees."
" We'll have to remember that." Kagome smirked. " Nothing like turning the tables."
"That should do it." Michi snapped the spot her fingers kept finishing at and Sango jumped. "Relax your shoulders."
Sango sighed and let her shoulders sag surprised at how loose she felt. " That's amazing."
" Miroku does it better than I do. You learn all kinds of little tricks training to be a monk or in my case being practice. He also learned acupuncture, but I'd rather go through childbirth then let him try that out on me again." Michi dropped her robe on the floor and sank up to her shoulders in the water.
Sango's eyes had flicked to the Michi and she hadn't missed the stripe-like scars that covered most of the woman's torso. "He's that bad at it?"
"Let me tell you this... He got me in the shoulder so incorrectly, that for four days I couldn't feel my right arm and it took a four-day trip to an acupuncturist to fix me. He's just always been better working with his hands." She groaned and rolled her eyes as she spoke. "Gee I wonder why." Her fingers unconsciously scratched one of the scars on her right shoulder.
" Where'd you get those scars?" Sango asked.
"Oh those," Michi shrugged her shoulders and flippantly remarked, "I wasn't quite faster than the demon trying to kill me." She laughed. "I sure picked up speed after he latched into me though."
'So the whole family lies when they don't want talk about something painful.' Kagome observed Michi had the same defense mechanism that Miroku had; of course, he'd probably learned it from her. Kagome suddenly got a bright idea and devilish smile to go with it. "What was he like when he was little?"
Sango smirked, thinking that these stories might come in handy.
Michi smiled and let out a small giggle. "A flirt."
Sango snorted. "That's not surprising."
"No, nothing bad. He was sweet; so eager to please. I remember when my uncle brought him to my home the first time; I held Miroku in my arms and he batted his eyelashes at me and smiled. I was in love him at first sight, just like an older sister or mother."
"Good baby or bad?" Kagome wondered.
" Good; he was easily placated, and always happy. Though he got sick a lot, I had to carry him around a lot to keep him warm. Not that I ever minded." Michi sighed before snapping her fingers. "I have a good story for you."
" Let's hear it." Kagome grinned and winked at Sango.
"Let see, Miroku would have been about three summers or so, just a little boy. Anyway, we had this custom in our village, where the women would gather water in these very large, heavy jugs and the men in order to impress the women and make good with the fathers would carry the jugs for the women back to town. Miroku adored attention, so he watched this scenario play out and decided that he was going to participate."
Kagome was covering her mouth to suppress her laugh and Sango was chuckling under her breath.
"So the most beautiful woman of our town, Shino was down at the river filling her jug and she caught Miroku's attention. He bowed very respectfully and asked if he could help her. Now Shino, like everyone, else was enamored with Miroku. He was just adorable back then, so, she agrees. Miroku begins to drag the jar, with all his might not that it really moved all that much, but he was so determined that he made halfway back before Taro took it away from him. Miroku was crushed by his father's invasion, but he got the reward. Shino wasn't fond of my uncle and thanked him quite coldly, then knelt down and kissed Miroku's cheek and told him what a kind, sweet boy he was."
" Awe." Kagome squealed.
"What happened?" Sango grumbled.
"He turned thirteen. But as I was saying, Miroku came rushing to see me after this. He struts up to me; with his chest all puffed up and all the pride of three year old. Then he tells me that Shino said that he was a kind, sweet little boy. He was a peacock for days." Michi shook her head and smiled at the memory.
"That sounds like Miroku." Sango laughed, "Taro, that's Miroku's father?"
" Yes."
"Did you name your daughter after him?" Kagome wondered.
"No." Michi's expression darkened. "I wasn't very fond of my uncle and he knew it. I didn't name Tanaya, Miroku did. Her name means 'child of mine.' Miroku was present when Tanaya was born, just in case we needed sacred beads to seal a wind tunnel. He said that my possessive expression demanded she be named that."
"What was wrong with your uncle?" Kagome dared to ask. "Miroku remembers him well."
" There are things that Miroku doesn't remember about his father, because of how young he was when his father died. And being a lecher was the least of his faults. I hated that man; never spared him a prayer." Michi narrowed her eyebrows.
"May I ask what makes you hate him so?" Sango was curious about what crime would cause this much anger from their amiable hostess.
"He was coward. I heard it whispered a lot, but I never took it in, until I saw it with my own eyes. You see we never knew Miroku's mother...one night my uncle bid me good night and the next morning he had a son, Miroku. I have guesses, but they'll keep. What made me hate him came three or four days after Miroku was given to my uncle....
:Begin Flashback:
Michi swung her legs over the side of the well as she looked down into its depths, wondering if any creeping things were in there that she could use against her older sisters. She leaned forward a little too far and almost fell in but she caught herself at the last moment. After sighing in great relief she looked around to make sure no one had seen her error, than she jumped off the well and picked up her doll.
" Hello there." The deep voice caused Michi to jump, but when she saw it was a human in white baboon skin she relaxed instantly. Michi wasn't afraid of any humans.
" Hi." She greeted the man unaware of who he was or the danger he represented.
" Are you Michi?" He questioned tipping the skin back and exposing his face.
" Uh-huh." Michi nodded and smiled politely before bowing.
" Good. I'm looking your Uncle Taro, Michi. Do you know where he is?" The man knelt down in front of her.
" He's at the temple. He's purifying my cousin Miroku."
" I see. Your Uncle sent for me, Michi. He said he had something to give me. Do you know what that might be?"
" No, but I can take you to Moushin's temple, that's where he is." Michi swayed in place slightly.
" That won't be necessary. Where does he live?"
Michi pointed out two homes near the edge of the town. "He lives in the closer one. I live in the other, but Miroku switches sometimes, cause he's only a baby."
The man smiled at Michi and patted her head. "You're a very good girl, Michi. Now run along and play."
:Pause Flashback:
" Naraku?" Kagome gasped.
" Yes." Michi whispered as she shuddered from the memory.
"What happened then?" Sango prodded.
"I went and played. Nothing came of it until much later that night..."
:Resume Flashback:
Late that night, Michi slipped out her covers, crept quietly out of her room and snuck out of her home. Her little feet, scarcely made a sound as she slipped through the forest near her home. The full moon illuminated the path as she made her way towards her uncle's house. When she reached the clearing, she knelt down in the bushes and watched the man from earlier come out of the forest.
" Taro, I have come. Where are you?" The man called out towards the house.
Michi cocked her head to the side trying to figure out what was going on. She saw her uncle come out of his home, carrying Miroku in his arms. Michi strained her ears to hear what was being said, but all she could pick up was the sound of her uncle's tears. In fact, she could hear him weeping. The only time she'd ever heard a man weep was when his child died. Miroku! What if he was hurt or worse? Michi stood up to see, when she heard Miroku whimper. She quickly ducked back into the bushes to avoid being seen by the two men.
" What is this? Why have you called me here?" The man in the animal skin demanded.
Taro fell onto his knees in front of the man, sobbing. "Please, I can no longer bear this curse. I cannot live in the mouth of death day in and day out. Please, take this wind tunnel from me. Please Lord Naraku, I will give you my son. If you free me from this curse I will give him to you. You can do whatever you want with him." Taro reached his arms up and continued to cry out for mercy.
Michi was frozen in fear near the end of the clearing. Naraku? He was the demon that cursed her grandfather all those many years ago. Her knees were shacking as she listened to her uncle plead. Miroku? Uncle Taro was giving up Miroku to the demon. No! She couldn't let it happen. She ran out from her hiding place and threw herself over the crying Miroku.
" Please great Lord Naraku, don't take my cousin, he's only a baby. What use would you have for a baby? Please, don't take him. Great Lord, take me instead." Michi started out yelling, tears pouring down her face, but she ended in a trembling whimper.
Naraku regarded both humans in front of him. He lifted the chin of the child and looked into her fear filled eyes. "What use do I have for children?" He looked up at Taro, "Bear your curse you trembling coward. I wouldn't save sniveling ass if you could bring me the Shikon jewel itself."
:End Flashback :
Michi wiped her eyes and drew in a shaky breath. "After that Naraku vanished. I grabbed Miroku and ran back to my room. I stayed awake all night; terrified my uncle would come for him. The next morning the crops starting dying and so did the animals. Our water supply had been poisoned; we had to travel everyday to find safe water. Naraku's vengeance I suppose."
Kagome let out a pained sound.
"Does he know?" Sango questioned.
"No, and he must never know. He remembers his father well I want to keep it that way." Michi rubbed her own shoulders and shook her head. " Now you know, why I feel more like a mother, than anything else to Miroku."
"I can't believe he'd give up his own son. The man sounds like a coward." Sango glared at the thought. "Did he die the way Miroku remembers?"
"Yes and no." Michi flexed her right hand listlessly. "His father was destroyed by the wind tunnel, but he would have lasted longer if he hadn't been trying to save his own neck. I should explain that when Miroku was born with the wind tunnel it wasn't nearly as strong. In fact," Michi chuckled at the memory, "we used to play this game when Miroku was tiny. His wind tunnel didn't have enough power to pull anything in, so we would tap on his hand, where the pinprick was, and see how far we could get the tips of our fingers in before they'd get sucked off."
" Eep!" Kagome squealed. "You did this for fun?!?"
"We were bored. Miroku got a kick out of it; he was the center of attention. Anyway, when his father, decided he couldn't take it anymore; he tried passing the curse on, by cutting off his own arm. It didn't work and the wind tunnel killed him, but the real tragedy came from Miroku inheriting the full curse." Michi stood up and wrapped her body in a towel. She strode over to the door and caught the little girl in mid-stride. "Hello Tanaya, I heard you thumping up the steps. Are you ready for your bath?"
" Uh-huh." She grinned and let Michi undress her. After they both climbed back into the bath, Michi started scrubbing her daughter clean.
"So when did you wake up?" Michi poured water over Tanaya's head.
"When I heard Miko talking to Nia."
Michi smirked and the other two girls groaned. Michi continued cleaning her daughter as she asked. "What was he talking about with her?"
"I can't say." Tanaya bit her bottom lip, like she was trying to keep a secret inside her.
"Why not?" Michi gently prodded.
"Miko said it was a secret."
"But we don't keep secrets." Michi tickled her daughter. "Now what was that Miko of yours up to?"
Tanaya grinned and started giggling. "He said he wanted a baby."
Michi jumped and blinked in shock and confusion. While the Sango and Kagome groaned again.
"Oh, he did?" Michi rubbed the bridge of Tanaya's nose. "I'll have to talk to him about that, when we get finished."
Tanaya laughed again.
"Now what is it secret-keeper?"
Tanaya dropped her voice to a louder whisper. "He's peeking over there, by the hole in the wall."
"I see." Michi narrowed her eyes and held up her hand to Sango, who was trying to stand up. "Now then, let's get you dry." Michi climbed out and lifted Tanaya out of the water. After wrapping her own robes around herself she covered her daughter in a towel and held a finger to her lips.
Kagome and Sango both cocked their heads and watched Michi storm out of the bathhouse. They both stood up and covered themselves as they heard the telltale thump followed by stern and annoyed chiding.
" Outside my own bathhouse? Don't you have any respect for me anymore?" Michi complained giving her cousin another thump on the head.
" Michi, I have no idea, what you're talking about. I'm very confused; where am I?"
"Oh I'm so sure." Michi looped her little finger through his earrings kicked him in the rear. "Come back to the house you hopeless pervert."
" Ouch, Michi, that's my ear," Miroku complained, leaning his head down to avoid his ear being ripped. "And I'm rather attached to it."
" That's. Why. It's. Such. A good. Handle." Michi kicked him with every word as she dragged him towards the house."
Sango and Kagome both laughed out loud at the sight before them.
"I like that idea, it works rather well." Sango smiled, folding her arms over her chest.
"But if we tried it, we'd be in grabbing distance. She's the only who's safe doing that." Kagome complained.
" True."
"Ya know if I could find a genealogy chart I might be able to prove I'm his great, great, great, great, etc granddaughter, than I could keep his hands off me."
"You are assuming something there."
" What?"
"That he'll actually have descendants." Sango smirked mischievously.
Original Reviewer responses:
Special thanks to:
xX Iron-Reaver Xx (Naguriau-Chan): Thank you for complimenting Michi. She's one character that I've created that I really enjoy and worked hard not to make her perfect and worked very to make her believable. Thank you so much for noticing her similarities to Miroku, that took time to hammer out. As for you're air-void question...I'm still working that out in my own head...if I make up my mind I'll let you know. Thanks again for the review, hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!
Hikari: Thank you so much for the review....ya know that scholar's tongue thing just popped into my head, while I was writing (must remember to buy my muse a candy bar).... Thank you for complimenting Michi I worked really hard on hammering out her personality to get her real and have some similarities to Miroku, so the relation could be believable. Also I'm so glad you feel that Miroku is in character that it one of the things I strive for. Thank you again!
Jaid Skywalker: Thank you so much for e-mailing me. You have no idea how touched I was. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. Thank you for the compliments on Michi and Miroku...I tried so hard to make them make sense. Thanks again.
Nuklear Firefly: Glad I've got ya hooked, I hope it stays that way