Authoress' Notes: Wow you guys are so spoiled!! :-P j/k Anyways, so my muse bit me in the butt and would let me rest until I got this part written...which is a lot sooner than I thought I'd be updating, which the plan was for Friday of this week. Okay so this is the next part. It's a little shorter than the last few parts, but not by much. I think the first part's a little rushed, but when I tried to length it, it just got corny...So anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this!!!
Smiles - T.A.
EDIT - Even after messing with this the end still seems rushed... oh well all mortals are doomed to imperfections.
Family Ties: Part 9
Michi clenched and unclenched her right hand listlessly, more anxious than in fearful. She didn't hate the man nor did she fear him. The most he could do was ruin her body and by the gods he'd nearly completely that task already. The only thing she feared about him was that he could harm Tanaya, but she very much doubted he'd do that with guests in the house. The door swung open and Michi gasped.
" Makoto, you nearly scared the life from me." Michi complained to the farmer. "Tanaya thought you were Ryu."
"He is on his way here, Lady Michi. I saw him up the path a bit." The man bowed respectfully before his eyes glanced up at the gaping hole in the roof. "What happened to your roof, Milady?"
"A demon, Makoto, nothing for you to worry about. And I hardly think my husband needs to be announced in his own house."
"Oh no, Milady, I didn't come for that." The Makoto fidgeted with his hat before speaking again. "I came to tell you of the hawk-demon."
Michi looked up at him with concern. "He isn't attacking again is he?"
"No, Milady, it appears that he may have been slain."
" Makoto, whether or not a demon has been slain, tends to be quite clear."
" Milady, you must understand. We found a great amount of blood and feathers, but no body."
Michi bit her lip and looked thoughtful, "I suppose a bigger demon could have eaten him."
"My lady, do you really think such a thing is possible!?!" The man cried out in alarm.
"No, Makoto, I do not. Calm yourself, I was only teasing." She touched his arm reassuringly. "My cousin has come to visit me and he and his friends most likely took care of this demon for us."
"I should like to meet this cousin of your, Milady."
"You shouldn't bother, he's a bastard of monk, stupid and foolhardy." A voice came from the rear of the house. Ryu stepped out from the darker part of the house and glared at the older man. "Makoto, why don't you show yourself out?"
"Of course. Have a goodnight, my lord, my lady." Makoto bowed and quickly rushed from the house.
Ryu looked up at his roof. He ran a head through his jet-black hair and narrowed his angry brown eyes. "What in the seven Hells have you done to my house now, Wench?!?"
Michi took a deep breath and spoke softly. "My lord, we have guests in our house. Please do not raise..."
Ryu didn't allow Michi to finish her statement; he backhanded her with enough force to send her to the ground. "This is my house! And as for any guests, if it's only your bastard cousin and his worthless friends, why should I care?" He glared down at Michi and looked at her eyes, which flashed defiantly up at him. "You've never respected me."
"My lord, I have always shown you the proper respect." Michi countered.
"How is running around behind my back respecting me?!?" He growled pacing the floor hoping to intimidate her.
"My lord, I have never been unfaithful."
"You don't have to be." He spat, kicking dirt in her direction. " You always thought that you were something special. Well you're not! You're just a trained monkey. Women are not smart enough to do what you do! I tell you not to write or read and you continue to defy me!"
"My lord, my readings do not hurt you in any way. I serve as your wife, with nothing but the best of my abilities." Michi stood back up unable to sit down in the face of the verbal assault.
"You stupid, good for nothing wench; if you were so smart why couldn't you save my son?!? If you are so holy; why did you let him die!?! Was that your revenge! Was that your hatred exacted on me? Killing my son!?!" Ryu threw his arm toward her again, this time he balled his fist and struck her across the cheek.
Michi fell back against this floor, this time striking her head against on one of the beams of the house. She glared up her husband anger flashing in her features. "I would have never taken revenge on you by means of an innocent child. I did everything I could to save him. And as for my hatred, I never hated you. I've never felt anything for you; how could I hate you?" Michi shook her head in confusion, but her voice continued to be calm. "I didn't kill your son. Maybe it was your karma, for breaking you vow of marriage to me."
Ryu kicked her response, knocking the air out her lungs. "I will kill you! You..."
Inuyasha grabbed Ryu by the throat and lift him off the ground. "Leave her alone." He growled angrily.
"My lord!" Nia came running from somewhere in the house and looked at Inuyasha and Ryu in horror.
" Inuyasha, put him down, please." Michi bid the hanyou, as she stood on shaky legs.
Inuyasha folded back his ears, but dropped Ryu to the ground letting him hit with a hard thud.
Nia raced over to help Ryu to his feet. "My lord, are you alright?"
Ryu spit on the ground near Michi's feet. "Yes, I'm fine. Help me walk to town. I have no desire to be here, since my own house seems to be overrun by my own wife and her demons."
The two walked out of the house without another word and Michi and Inuyasha looked at one another.
"They smell like each other." Inuyasha said, cringing, expecting some loud, female response to the news.
"I know. I delivered their child one year past. A still born." Michi's eyes were vacant and cold. "I wouldn't risk my karma over him. I would have never let a baby die to punish him."
Inuyasha glanced at the woman, startled. "They had a child together? Don't you care?"
Michi looked up at Inuyasha, her eyes full of sorrow. "I wish I did, but it doesn't bother me. I'm glad for her, it keeps Ryu away from me."
"What the hell did he do to you? You're acting weird." Inuyasha sniffed the air near her.
A single tear slid down Michi's face and she wiped it away unconsciously. "He threatened to kill me, the night his son died. It was the only time he ever meant it. Ryu, was always cruel, but he liked to prolong suffering." Michi moved the shoulder of her kimono off, just enough to show Inuyasha the top of her scars. "They run all over my body, from shoulders to hips."
" How?"
"A whip. Truth be told, I'm surprised he didn't just have me killed." She shrugged and turned her head as she fixed her clothes.
" Mother." Tanaya came running from her room. "Is Father gone already?"
Michi picked up her daughter, "Yes, Inuyasha, scared him away for a bit. Now let's get you tucked into bed."
Tanaya looked over Michi's shoulder at Inuyasha, "Thank you."
Inuyasha grunted an affirmative and looked at the hole in the ceiling.
" Mother, is Miko awake yet?" Tanaya asked.
"No, little angel, I'm afraid he's still sleeping." Michi told her as they continued down the hallway.
"Can I try to wake him?"
"I suppose it couldn't hurt."
:Begin Flashback:
He turned fast and struck the target with enough force to shatter the top of it, sending it flying across the yard of temple.
"That's very violent for a monk." Came the dry response of the older man on the temple's porch.
Miroku's angry blue eyes glared at the teacher, as he wiped the sweat from his face. "How many bottles is that today?"
Moushin snorted and choose to ignore the impertinent response. "I take it your trip to Michi's wasn't a pleasant one."
"It was fine." Miroku took another swing at the target.
"You aren't supposed to be violent, it not the way we..."
"It's not the way you do things. I'm not you, Moushin." Miroku took a deep breath than sighed heavily. " Besides, what I am I supposed to do when I face Naraku? I would like to stand some sort of chance against him."
"Your Grandfather never used such violent tactics. He always attacked with spiritual power and sutras."
"A lot of good it did him to, he got his whole line cursed." Miroku punched the target with his right fist. He hissed in pain and cradled his hand.
"You need to learn patience. If you run off like this, you'll be killed before you've been gone a year." Moushin was humorless in his warning as he started to rise from his feet.
Miroku looked at the high monk and held up his hand, "Whatever it is, let me get it."
"Oh, so you're going to get me another bottle?" Moushin questioned.
Miroku shook his hand and nodded. "Sure, I could use a drink."
Miroku grabbed an older bottle of sake and brought it back to his teacher. After pouring two glasses he offered one to Moushin and kept the other for himself.
"I'll only get the bottle later." Moushin informed.
"It'll kill you, you know." Miroku responded darkly looking into the glass he was holding.
"Don't worry about me."
"I have to."
Moushin looked at Miroku for a long moment. "Are you getting sentimental on me?"
"No." Miroku shook his head and glared at Moushin. "You, unfortunately, are the only one who can fix the wind tunnel. If it gets damaged, I'll need you alive."
"I thought I taught you respect." Moushin complained.
"A student learns by what his teacher does, not by what his teacher says."
"Damn that Michi. I know she taught you that. I should have drown her, when I had the chance." Moushin's ranted, before sighing and looking over the forest. His eyes closed as if he were listening to something far away, than he looked back at Miroku. "So how is she handling marriage?"
"She's doing alright." Miroku folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against one of the beams. "The baby was a girl, Tanaya"
"Another female for that line." Moushin snorted, before noticing Miroku's peaceful expression. "And you're already asleep."
One blue eye opened, "Just resting my eyes."
"Of course."
A white light flashed brightly, illuminating the whole area, when it died down, the area had changed; in fact it was an entirely different place, at a different time.
"There you are sleeping again, my boy."
Miroku looked up his teacher and complained. " Can't I ever, rest? Just for moment?"
"You don't watch it and you'll sleep your whole life away." Moushin warned.
"I'm not that lazy."
"I don't think you're lazy, you get in too much trouble for that." Moushin tapped Miroku's forehead with his staff. "You just don't know how much you sleep."
"Believe me, I'm perfectly aware how little sleep I get."
"Are you?"
"What are you talking about?" The sky grew dark as the clouds rolled over the sun and the wind whipped through the trees. "What's going on?"
"You tell me."
:End Flashback:
His hand clenched and unclenched in pain the fresh burn on his hand continued to throb, but the pain was slowly ebbing away. Demon healing powers were very useful at times such as these. He let his mind wander over the new developments of the last day. He's lost one abyssal crow, thanks to the exterminator girl's demon-cat, and they weren't easy to catch. His hope had been for the crow to hold the girl long enough for him to return, but apparently it had gotten impatient. He had only himself to blame for the folly, he knew better than to trust lower creatures.
Think along the lines of lower creatures; the battle returned to his mind. That white energy that had burned his hand; where had it come from? Where had the monk gained that type of power? Why hadn't he used it before? Could he still use it? He knew he couldn't directly attack Inuyasha and the others until he had properly tested the monk from a safe distance. He was wasting his time here. He had wasted a great deal of time here for nothing. Rage burned in him as he thought about this.
His ears detected the sounds of laughter and he raised his head to see the two humans that were stumbling towards his position. He growled, disgust taking over him for a moment. "Kohaku, kill."
"Yes, Master Naraku."
Original Reviewer Responses:
Review Responses:
Nuklear Firefly: Thanks for the review. I hope you liked this chapter too!!
I will call him mini-Miroku!!! LOL! So cute. Yeah, poor Sango, if her son started acting like Miroku, but...it could be be their daughter.
Coherentidiot: Please, continue to be patient, fluffy scene come to those who wait. I know he's still asleep...oops... Thank you so much for the review. I'm so glad you like Michi!! I'm also glad that me updating this makes ya happy! I know Ryu kinda got off the hook, but he'll get his eventually. Thank you again for taking the time to review and as always, your very kind comments. Thank you.
Hikari: So glad I could cheer you up!! hugs back Your review cheered me up the same way Yeah, um so he's still sleeping....I promise all will be made clear...I think
That raw power conversation...GAH!! It took forever to write and edit...I'm so glad you like it and mentioned it in your review!!! Oh and the "Trying something" line I loved too!! Thanks for mentioning it, I was worried nobody would find it amusing!!
Thanks so much for reviewing!! I so appreciate the time to take to write to tell what you think!!
P.S. Take all the time you need for the pics...I don't want to rush genius and your welcome, although I think I'm as happy to get them as you are to draw them!!
Jaid SkywalkerThanks so much for the review. And mentioning which scene you like... the bell!! Again thanks for taking the time. Hope you enjoy the rest!
Blades of Ice: Grabs her brother's Chinese broad sword and holds it ready; poised to attack Okay bring it on!! I saw this thing work on cabbage, I'm sure it'll work on sporks!!!
Okay now seriously, Thanks so much for reviewing the fic!! Um...yeah...sorry he's still sleeping...um...He'll wake up, promise! Thank you so much for taking the time to write me. Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy this!!!
warriorGL: Wow this: "i'd like to report thast your awsome writting skills have only made my day better (yup, reading another chapter of this is about the equal to getting a 110 on a test you'd thought you'd fail" So made my day!! I almost cried (good way) when I read it! Thank you so much for being so encouraging and inspirational.
The flashback...wait for it...look at the last flashback...oo do you see the connection???? Hypnotic voice Trust the authoress, all will become clear.
Okay enough of that. Thank you so much for the specific review, again. I adore these from you! You really let me know what you think!! Thank you for being so honest. I hope you continue to enjoy this story as it goes!!
WildfireDreams: Thanks for the review! I hope you continue to enjoy my tale!
Sangotaijiya: Thanks for bringing up what you liked in the story. I appreciate when people do that. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Thanks for taking the time to review!!
Hershey: I hope you're doing okay...I mean took me almost a week to update. I hope you didn't pass out or anything.
Naraku, huh? Interesting theory, but Michi would kill me if I had done that to her....but...hm...interesting idea...maybe...never mind.
Anyways, thank you so much for taking time to review my story. I'm so glad you like it, I hope you continue to do so. Thanks for the compliments!!!