"Just find a girl." Shippou said to himself as he walked. "Any
girl and it'll be easy." Little did he know that he was being
snickered at. Not accustomed to having long legs, Shippou was
walking in tiny little steps that made it look as if he were
trying to tip-toe on the flat of his feet. Shippou, of course, was
oblivious. "There!" He said as he spotted a tall dark haired girl
hanging out laundry.
Shippou walked over. "Hello miss." The girl turned then put a hand to her cheek to hide a blush. "I am Shi- ah..Miroku. The monk Miroku. Might I help you with your task?"
"Oh.well I couldn't ask you to.." The girl blushed and giggled.
Ha! He'd won already. "Allow me." Shippou bent to lift the basket and hang the rest of the clothes as the girl stood and watched. He was done within a few minutes. "There!" Is there anything else I can do for you?"
The girl blushed and smiled. "Well....I do have some dishes..and the floors..and cooking. Then Miyoru..."
Meanwhile..........
Miroku slicked back the tuft of red hair then sighed. He'd cut Shippou's clothes so they looked like a fair imitation of his own though maybe not in the same color. Miroku looked at his tiny palm. He missed his wind tunnel. And he missed being taller than a ruler. But none the less, even in this shrimpy body he could still get more women to flock to him then Shippou will be able too!
He walked over to you woman carrying a basket over her arm and cleared his throat. "Excuse me." She turned and looked around with a confused expression on her face. Miroku sweat dropped. "Down here."
She looked down then squealed in delight and snatched him up. "Oh! Aren't you kawaii!!" She giggled.
Miroku sighed. "Yes I am that. Now tell me..would you be interested in....bearing my child!?"
She blinked at him then laughed. "Oh that's cute!" She hugged him so tight Miroku could hardly breath. "Riyaki! Come see!" Another girl ran over.
"What is it Tsura? OH!" The other girl broke into a grin and laughed then proceeded to pinch his cheeks. "Oh he's adorable!"
"And he has the cutest little phrase!" Tsura put in then smothered him again. "Go on say it!"
"Would you..ah!.." He let out a muffled squeal as she squeezed him again. "Be interested in..eep!..bearing my child." They were tugging on his tail and ears now.
Both went into a chorus of high pitch awes the hurt Miroku's apparently sensitive ears. "He's adorable!" Riyaki said pinching his cheeks.
"Kawaii!" Tsura agreed nodding knowingly.
Riyaki turned as two more girls passes talking and giggling to each other. "Hey Jitsana! Komiku! Come see!"
Shippou sweat dropped again as the two girls walked over and started up their chorus of 'awes' Maybe...this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She gasped as a heart wrenching; blood-curdling scream pierced the air. Inuyasha! It had to be. She'd know that voice. She moved to get up and leave the chamber but the sound of footfalls stopped her. Kagome crouched back closer to her hiding space as people entered. She heard the sound of struggling, a grunt, then something heavy being flopped on the table in the chamber. There was the sound of swishing cloth then a sharp command and footsteps of someone leaving. Kagome took a chance and peered around the rock and came face to face with...herself!
She, or rather someone who looked exactly like her lay on the table. A huge whole in her twin's stomach had already bled dry and blood stained her chin and one side of her mouth. Was that why Inuyasha screamed? Had Maieku killed that girl infront of Inuyasha having him believe it was her? She was horrified and yet joyful at the same time. The scream she had heard was one of pure agony. If he was that broken over her death he HAD to love her. He had to.
Kagome looked back at the girl on the table, but this time her form shimmered and she no longer looked like Kagome but herself, Kagome supposed, once more. Short black hair was matted to the girl's head with blood. She wore a simple green and white Kimono that was now stained deep, dark crimson. Her skin was as pale as ivory. So Maieku had kidnapped some innocent girl, made her look like Kagome, then slaughtered her. Kagome's gut wrenched and her anger flared. Maieku would pay. She'd make her pay. But first she had to save Inuyasha.
Kagome squeezed out from her hiding place, picked up her sack, then left the chamber checking down the corridor as she did before proceeding forward. She walked in the direction she believed the scream had come from holding her breath with fear. Finally she saw him! Locked inside a cage, his whole body slumped forward against the bars. Kagome ran forward and before she could think shouted,
"Inuyasha!" He looked up and his eyes widened first in fright then in anger.
"IS THIS SOME OTHER TRICK MAIEKU!?" He shouted at her angrily. "IT'S NOT FUNNY! I'LL WASTE YOU!! FOR DESECRATING KAGOME'S MEMORY LIKE THIS I'LL KILL YOU!"
Kagome's heart lurched. With love, hope, and fear at the same time. She had to convince him. Or he'd bring Maieku before she could free him. "Inuyasha it IS me. Kagome. That girl who was killed..it..it wasn't me. It was a spell."
"Do you think I'm stupid Maieku!? To fall for something like that!!! What are you going to do, convince me then say your running of with someone!? I'LL KILL YOU."
Kagome bit her lip. How to convince him? She took a hesitant step forward. "Inuyasha..." he watched her with raging hate in his eyes. That look scared her and she shut her own eyes. "sit boy."
Inuyasha hit the ground of the cell with an audible omf then popped back up at the spell wore of. "YOU LITTLE- ..Kagome." He stared at her in shock.
Tears welled in Kagome's eyes. "Inuyasha!" She ran to him reaching through the bars of the cell for his hand. He let her take it, still staring in shock. "Inuyasha I was so scared!"
Inuyasha shook his head. "I saw you die. She killed you."
"I know. I'm sorry. I saw my, her body. It wasn't me. It was some innocent girl she made to look like me."
Inuyasha growled. "Damn you Maieku! Wait. Kagome how do you know about all this."
Kagome gulped in air. She'd wondered how long before he asked her that. "You see, Maieku has a sister whose a Keeper and...." She rattled of regaling him with her story. As she finished she sighed. "But we have to get you out now. We can't waste anymore time."
"I can't get out! Don't you think I tried already!?"
Kagome didn't bother retorting, just stepped back and selected the second bell from her belt. "To break." She lifted it and took a breath then swung the bell gently in wide-open arcs while focusing on the gate. To Kagome's eye she saw the turquoise string of deep ancient music swirl around the gates choking them till finally they started to bend then crack. Inuyasha stared in shock then looked up watching her with new eyes.
Kagome continued to swing the bell and finally half the bars cracked with a loud sound and fell to the ground, disappearing into smoke as they hit the floor. Inuyasha came flying out and pulled her to him in a warm embrace her head pressed against his neck. Though there was no time Kagome snuggled forward and let tears come. Inuyasha was hugging her!
"I was so scared Kagome." Inuyasha's voice was deep and soft. "You shouldn't be here. She'll kill you this time. And this time it will be the real you."
Kagome smiled. "She won't kill me. She doesn't seem like the type to repeat an act. And she won't catch us."
"Wrong on the first and last count, but you are correct on the second child." Maieku's voice sent a chill up both Inuyasha and Kagome's spine and they turned.
Shippou walked over. "Hello miss." The girl turned then put a hand to her cheek to hide a blush. "I am Shi- ah..Miroku. The monk Miroku. Might I help you with your task?"
"Oh.well I couldn't ask you to.." The girl blushed and giggled.
Ha! He'd won already. "Allow me." Shippou bent to lift the basket and hang the rest of the clothes as the girl stood and watched. He was done within a few minutes. "There!" Is there anything else I can do for you?"
The girl blushed and smiled. "Well....I do have some dishes..and the floors..and cooking. Then Miyoru..."
Meanwhile..........
Miroku slicked back the tuft of red hair then sighed. He'd cut Shippou's clothes so they looked like a fair imitation of his own though maybe not in the same color. Miroku looked at his tiny palm. He missed his wind tunnel. And he missed being taller than a ruler. But none the less, even in this shrimpy body he could still get more women to flock to him then Shippou will be able too!
He walked over to you woman carrying a basket over her arm and cleared his throat. "Excuse me." She turned and looked around with a confused expression on her face. Miroku sweat dropped. "Down here."
She looked down then squealed in delight and snatched him up. "Oh! Aren't you kawaii!!" She giggled.
Miroku sighed. "Yes I am that. Now tell me..would you be interested in....bearing my child!?"
She blinked at him then laughed. "Oh that's cute!" She hugged him so tight Miroku could hardly breath. "Riyaki! Come see!" Another girl ran over.
"What is it Tsura? OH!" The other girl broke into a grin and laughed then proceeded to pinch his cheeks. "Oh he's adorable!"
"And he has the cutest little phrase!" Tsura put in then smothered him again. "Go on say it!"
"Would you..ah!.." He let out a muffled squeal as she squeezed him again. "Be interested in..eep!..bearing my child." They were tugging on his tail and ears now.
Both went into a chorus of high pitch awes the hurt Miroku's apparently sensitive ears. "He's adorable!" Riyaki said pinching his cheeks.
"Kawaii!" Tsura agreed nodding knowingly.
Riyaki turned as two more girls passes talking and giggling to each other. "Hey Jitsana! Komiku! Come see!"
Shippou sweat dropped again as the two girls walked over and started up their chorus of 'awes' Maybe...this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She gasped as a heart wrenching; blood-curdling scream pierced the air. Inuyasha! It had to be. She'd know that voice. She moved to get up and leave the chamber but the sound of footfalls stopped her. Kagome crouched back closer to her hiding space as people entered. She heard the sound of struggling, a grunt, then something heavy being flopped on the table in the chamber. There was the sound of swishing cloth then a sharp command and footsteps of someone leaving. Kagome took a chance and peered around the rock and came face to face with...herself!
She, or rather someone who looked exactly like her lay on the table. A huge whole in her twin's stomach had already bled dry and blood stained her chin and one side of her mouth. Was that why Inuyasha screamed? Had Maieku killed that girl infront of Inuyasha having him believe it was her? She was horrified and yet joyful at the same time. The scream she had heard was one of pure agony. If he was that broken over her death he HAD to love her. He had to.
Kagome looked back at the girl on the table, but this time her form shimmered and she no longer looked like Kagome but herself, Kagome supposed, once more. Short black hair was matted to the girl's head with blood. She wore a simple green and white Kimono that was now stained deep, dark crimson. Her skin was as pale as ivory. So Maieku had kidnapped some innocent girl, made her look like Kagome, then slaughtered her. Kagome's gut wrenched and her anger flared. Maieku would pay. She'd make her pay. But first she had to save Inuyasha.
Kagome squeezed out from her hiding place, picked up her sack, then left the chamber checking down the corridor as she did before proceeding forward. She walked in the direction she believed the scream had come from holding her breath with fear. Finally she saw him! Locked inside a cage, his whole body slumped forward against the bars. Kagome ran forward and before she could think shouted,
"Inuyasha!" He looked up and his eyes widened first in fright then in anger.
"IS THIS SOME OTHER TRICK MAIEKU!?" He shouted at her angrily. "IT'S NOT FUNNY! I'LL WASTE YOU!! FOR DESECRATING KAGOME'S MEMORY LIKE THIS I'LL KILL YOU!"
Kagome's heart lurched. With love, hope, and fear at the same time. She had to convince him. Or he'd bring Maieku before she could free him. "Inuyasha it IS me. Kagome. That girl who was killed..it..it wasn't me. It was a spell."
"Do you think I'm stupid Maieku!? To fall for something like that!!! What are you going to do, convince me then say your running of with someone!? I'LL KILL YOU."
Kagome bit her lip. How to convince him? She took a hesitant step forward. "Inuyasha..." he watched her with raging hate in his eyes. That look scared her and she shut her own eyes. "sit boy."
Inuyasha hit the ground of the cell with an audible omf then popped back up at the spell wore of. "YOU LITTLE- ..Kagome." He stared at her in shock.
Tears welled in Kagome's eyes. "Inuyasha!" She ran to him reaching through the bars of the cell for his hand. He let her take it, still staring in shock. "Inuyasha I was so scared!"
Inuyasha shook his head. "I saw you die. She killed you."
"I know. I'm sorry. I saw my, her body. It wasn't me. It was some innocent girl she made to look like me."
Inuyasha growled. "Damn you Maieku! Wait. Kagome how do you know about all this."
Kagome gulped in air. She'd wondered how long before he asked her that. "You see, Maieku has a sister whose a Keeper and...." She rattled of regaling him with her story. As she finished she sighed. "But we have to get you out now. We can't waste anymore time."
"I can't get out! Don't you think I tried already!?"
Kagome didn't bother retorting, just stepped back and selected the second bell from her belt. "To break." She lifted it and took a breath then swung the bell gently in wide-open arcs while focusing on the gate. To Kagome's eye she saw the turquoise string of deep ancient music swirl around the gates choking them till finally they started to bend then crack. Inuyasha stared in shock then looked up watching her with new eyes.
Kagome continued to swing the bell and finally half the bars cracked with a loud sound and fell to the ground, disappearing into smoke as they hit the floor. Inuyasha came flying out and pulled her to him in a warm embrace her head pressed against his neck. Though there was no time Kagome snuggled forward and let tears come. Inuyasha was hugging her!
"I was so scared Kagome." Inuyasha's voice was deep and soft. "You shouldn't be here. She'll kill you this time. And this time it will be the real you."
Kagome smiled. "She won't kill me. She doesn't seem like the type to repeat an act. And she won't catch us."
"Wrong on the first and last count, but you are correct on the second child." Maieku's voice sent a chill up both Inuyasha and Kagome's spine and they turned.