This is the final chapter! Enjoy all that ensues. I know the last one was sort of short . . . but whatever. Leave me alone! The title was an idea from Kazaana the Furyou Houshi, however inadvertent that it was. Translated, I do believe it is 'Will you bear my child?'
Day Seven: Watashi-no ko-o unde kudasai
"What are you doing?"
"Kissing you, apparently,"
"Well, I'm aware of that . . ." unfortunately "But why?"
"Because I want to, and because you taste good, and because I really, really want you."
"But you don't love me."
"What?" Raidon sat up. It was dark out, and he and Sango had stopped for the night. Of course, as their first official night together, he wanted to remember it. After all, he had won. And that in itself was worth celebrating.
But, if one's prize was not in 'the mood' then nothing happened. And that was what was happening now. So he turned on the charm.
"Well, iinazuke, I think you're beautiful."
Sango frowned, standing.
"And I think you're sleeping outside, sir. Now get out," she said, pointing to the door of the hut. Raidon gaped.
"Excuse me?"
"You. Sleep. Outside." She said flatly, picking up Hiraikotsu. He frowned.
"You know, we're engaged now, so you're going to have to get used to this."
"To what?" She asked in a low, dangerous voice.
"This! Us! On the same tatami mat!"
Sango brought Hiraikotsu around, and Raidon yelped as he ducked and ran out. Sango sighed and lay back down; ready to get some actual sleep. She wasn't enjoying this idea much. Why had she done this? Was she trying to get back at Miroku?
She shook her head, scolding herself. She wasn't going to think about that houshi. Not at all. But, of course, every time she told herself that, she remembered something that he had said, or done to make her smile, and then she wondered what happened, and got thoroughly depressed. It was then that she told herself not to think of him, and the cycle started once again.
"So what the hell are you doing again?"
"Fixing your problem."
"Are you sure you're not just making it worse?" Privately, Miroku shook himself for that comment. It couldn't get any worse. After all, she was pretty damn pissed off. But then again, the plan that they had cooked up –inspired by an adventure of theirs long ago – was a long shot and could honestly just serve to make it worse. The only upside to this was the chance he had, the hope of getting her back.
Well, that and the knowledge that he'd be scarring Raidon (whom he'd privately started calling that damn sheep-biting jerk off) for life. He'd need plenty of sake to forget the upcoming escapade.
"Well, if it's any consolation, danna – she can't hate you any more than she does already, after this."
Miroku frowned. "I'm trying to find the help in that comment, Hachi."
The tanuki scurried around, collecting the things he needed to implement their (his) plan.
"Danna!" he said, holding up a pudgy 'finger', "You have to be kind to me. After all, I'm sacrificing my dignity for you and your lady."
"Yes, yes. You're sacrificing dignity, reputation, and many, many laws of nature to do this. I assure you, if you can find another way, then we can use it. I'm sorry, Hachi. If there was someone else…"
"There's not someone, but there's something," the tanuki sighed, grabbing a cup of sake. If his alternate plan didn't fly, he was going to want to be very drunk. Miroku looked over at him, cocking his head to the side.
"it doesn't work quite as well as this, and it'll only last oh-so-long, so she'd have to be inspired to go see him. Again, we can work around that."
"What are you talking about, Hachi?"
The tanuki smiled like the cat that caught the canary as he explained his plan to Miroku.
"Well, first, we need to find that little kitsune, Shippo…"
"How about her brother? Koryu or whatever."
Miroku smacked Hachi lightly with his staff.
"His name is Kohaku. And there is no way we are going to play so forcefully upon her emotions. I won't do that to her."
Hachi rubbed his head where Miroku hit him. Shippo was seated beside them, nibbling on a small, hard candy.
"Kagome?" he offered, taking the candy out for only a moment. Miroku shook his head.
"No."
"Inuyasha?"
"No."
"Yourself?"
"NO! That will not help matters at all."
The kitsune smiled at them, standing up.
"I'll take care of it," he said with pride. With that, he walked off, leaving a bemused and befuddled pair of companions behind. He found his way quickly and deftly to the hut where Kirara and Sango slept.
"Hey! Kirara!" he hissed in a low whisper. The cat demon perked her ears up blearily, stumbling over to the window.
"I have a fish for you if you come help!"
Kirara woke up at her favorite word – fish. She leapt out the window, being careful not to wake Sango. Of course, that didn't happen. The taiji-ya woke blearily and looked around, knowing something was wrong but not able to put a finger on it. Disgruntled, she fell back asleep for only a few minutes before she awoke and realized what was missing.
Kirara!
The cat in question was following the kitsune, who crossed his fingers and hoped Miroku hadn't gotten hungry since he left. When they arrived, they found that they were in luck. A single fish lay cooked on its stick, to the side. Kirara pounced, and only once she was finished did she sit back and listen.
"Kirara. Your absence is actually a boon to us. When you go back, stay in the forest awhile, until Hachi or I give you a signal. Then, go find Sango. Take her back to camp," Miroku explained.
The neko nodded, and turned to leave.
"One more thing!" he added. "Do not attack either Raidon or the imposter. You'll understand when you get there."
Kirara left, mewing softly. Whatever this was, it had better be good, and it had better get rid of Mr.-Lighting-Bolt. He smelt terrible.
"Kirara!" Sango called. She was at a loss for where her companion could have gone, particularly at this time of night. She had left a sulking Raidon back at camp, instructing him to stay out of the hut lest she be forced to remove him again, telling him only that she was off for a walk.
"Kirara! Where are you?" she sighed, her hunt leading her deeper and deeper into the forest.
Miroku, Hachi, and Shippo stood around a small pile consisting of two changing leaves and an ofuda with 'Sango' written on it.
"Do you have something of hers, Miroku?" Shippo asked. Miroku nodded, digging into his robes. Tied with what looked suspiciously like a piece of Sango's apron string was a lock of dark hair. He dropped it into the pile.
"There," he said with a note of finality. Shippo gave him an odd look.
"How long have you had that?" he asked. Miroku shrugged.
"I don't know, perhaps eight of nine months. Why?"
"Nothing." Shippo cast Miroku an odd glance before dropping the items, not including the hair, in an incense dish. A little cry of 'kitsunebi!' had the pieces burning brightly. Miroku chanted as Hachi used the fire to light a stick of incense and put it into a different dish, placing the hair in the bottom.
A sharp pop filled the air, and the three stepped back. There stood Sango, who blinked. Or, a replica of taiji-ya, anyhow.
"Seduce Raidon," Miroku said in a clear voice, and Sango nodded, walking out of the room. Miroku's eyes were bright with unshed tears of laughter. Oh, to see the look on the sheep-biting jerk-off's face . . .
"Raidon," Sango said quietly from the edge of the forest, her eyes dull. He looked up and sighed.
"Back are you? Well, enjoy your damn nap," he growled, turning away. She shook her head, kneeling down to face him.
"Come . . . with me," she whispered, walking toward the hut. A puzzled but pleased Raidon followed her into the hut. Once there, she pushed her lips timidly up against his. He smiled to himself, thinking she had come to her senses. He nipped at her lip and she opened for him.
Raidon wrapped strong arms around his prize, pressing her against the wall. He had finally won.
"Kirara!" A furtive voice hissed to the neko, who sat washing herself. "It's time."
"Mew," she agreed, and trotted off to find Sango. She didn't have to go far before she found the taiji-ya. With a firm 'mew', she caught her mistress' attention. Sango bent and picked her up, smiling.
"There you are, Kirara. I was beginning to wonder where you had gotten to."
The two of them headed to camp, unknown third and fourth parties following.
"Ah!" Sango hissed, feeling a gentle nip at her collarbone. Raidon smiled, wondering why he was so damn lucky. This was wonderful. Here was the one woman who had ever turned them down, and now she was at his mercy. His hand slid over her hip to her waist, and he heard a startled gasp.
Sango stood at the doorway, Kirara in her arms.
A cry ripped through the air, and Miroku knew that she had entered the hut. He came close enough to listen, but didn't enter, not yet.
"What are you doing? Who is that?"
"Well, I thought it was you."
"Then you're more of an idiot than I thought. Get out of here and take whatever that is with you! I don't know what's going on."
Inside, Sango's eyes met the floor. She was confused. It was such a shock to see herself there, and it hurt. She didn't know why, but more than anything it hurt. A voice came from the doorway, acerbic and hard.
"Is this what you want?" Miroku asked, turning his eyes onto the true Sango.
The replica had dissolved the moment Hachi snuffed the incense. He, too, was outside, with Shippo. Someone watched from the forest, a long way off.
Sango turned to see him leaning in the doorway, arms crossed.
"What do you mean?" she asked, not meeting his gaze. Why was he here?
"Do you want the life you just saw? He'll wed you, bed you and that'll be it. After that, you couldn't begin to count the number of women he'll take to his bed. You'll be the quiet wife, raising the children and standing by his side at celebrations. I can't see you living that life, Sango, can you?"
A long moment passed before she shook her head.
"No," she whispered. "I . . . I won't live like that," she said in a stronger voice, looking at Raidon, and tossing away the ring he had given her.
"I won't stand here and do this, Raidon."
"There's more to it than that," Miroku told her. "He has a few things to tell you. Little details, about my so-called infidelity."
"What?"
"Oh, yes. He didn't ever tell you about the 'woman' I met."
"Be quiet!" the man snarled, throwing himself at Miroku. He was thrown back by the houshi.
"Tell her."
Raidon glared, angry.
"There's nothing to tell!"
"What about the fact that you saw nothing, if not a hug? And it was a platonic hug at that. But that's not the point. Tell her what she wore."
"A weird kimono! What the hell is so important about that?" Raidon was standing again, looking confused and angry. Sango blinked. An odd . . . kimono . . .
"Kagome-chan?"
Miroku smiled and nodded. "Hai. An innocent hug. She and I were celebrating . . ." he explained.
With those words, Sango's heart filled with hope. Hope for her, and for them. Maybe, if he hadn't met anyone, could they . . . ? His words, however, triggered a curiosity.
"Celebrating what?"
At this, Miroku grinned sheepishly.
"Well, you see, Kagome has, well, been coaching me, to help me . . . win you."
Sango smiled, walking over to wrap her arms around his chest and hug him.
"You won me a long time ago, Miroku," she said. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.
"For the record, however," she continued, "You will be punished for not telling me outright, and putting me through a very confusing week."
"Of course, koi, but right now . . . can we just enjoy this?"
Sango leaned up to kiss him, forgetting about Raidon, who had crawled out the window only moments ago. The two of them stayed like that for a long while, before moving inside to sleep.
Outside, Kagome sat in the woods, smiling at her friends from her spot in the tree.
"Checkmate," she sighed, leaning into Inuyasha to sleep.
Well, that's the end. It's rather sad, but I like it. The joke behind Mr.-Lighting-Bolt is the fact that Raidon's name means something like thunder god or lighting god or whatever. So . . . yea. I hope you enjoyed it. Individual review responses should be sent off within the week, so if you review anonymously, leave your e-mail please.
Until next story!