THREE Lecherous Squared
Inuyasha didn't even notice the fall of night by the time he realized he had already gone through the forest sniffing and searching for anything suspicious. He had left even before Kagome had made the decision to survey the area once more, he didn't want the others to know. Surely, somehow, whatever Miroku's chant missed out, his ultra-sensitive senses didn't. He was very sure he had smelled something out of the ordinary, so he went alone to investigate. He knew that his comrades were already tired plus the fact that Sango and Miroku have not been in their usual selves lately made him realize he was the only one capable of handling any youkai at this point.
"Stupid fools! They'll just get in my way..." he thought as he straddled further into the depths of the unknown forest surrounding the village. All was quiet inside the forest. Eerie silence swept across the darkened shadows of trees as only the occasional rustle of leaves and the whisper of the nocturnal wind broke the monotony of serenity. Being a half-demon can sometimes be a hassle. Especially now that only silence deafens the ears of a sensitive Inuyasha. He can hear almost any sound, no matter how far or how faint it is. He can hear the June bugs whirring from several yards away, as clear as they are when they buzz around his twitching ears.
He continued wandering carelessly into the dark abyss of the timberland. He was sure he hadn't lost the trail of whatever he was following. Looking around with vigilance, he surveyed the area very carefully, sniffing every bit of woodland smell he can. No luck, he thought. He had been following something for almost half an hour and now its scent had disappeared. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to show itself to Inuyasha just yet. The hanyou forced his right fist against a grey-barked tree, a massive monolith with towering branches and leaves. It made a soft thud that broke the silence once more.
"Darn! I lost it! Damn! If it wasn't only for those God-forsaken shards I wouldn't waste my time here!" he ranted as he gave the big tree another punch in its belly.
He started to walk back towards whence he came from, only to stop dead in his tracks. He looked around, slowly realizing he was lost. But he can't be. He knew he hadn't strayed far from the village. Or had he? All that he saw was darkness in its purest form. Had he walked this far? Hadn't he realized he had been so much focused on finding the youkai or spirit or whatever it was that he didn't notice he had already gone too far inside the forest? No village lights guided his way inside the black conundrum he was in. It was as if any ray of light that tried to get inside the woods was eaten away by the stygian oblivion. He was definitely lost.
"Shoot! That youkai is a pain in the butt! It better have a shard or else I'll go crazy!" he murmured to himself as he trudged forward, unwary of the way back, gliding through a pitch-black ocean. He had walked for the whole day, he had somehow risked his safety by following some unknown being, he had gone too far inside the forest, and now he was lost, and he wasn't about to accept nothing less than a genuine Shikon shard for all his hard work.
"Shard, shard, where the hell can I find a shard?" he groveled as he made his way half-blind in the crepuscular forest. The further he seemed to walk, the more he got lost in the maze of trees now encircling him. He knew he had less chance in the ground than when he was standing atop one of the higher branches jutting out from the forest canopies. He leaped effortlessly onto one of the branches and tried to look around his immediate surroundings.
"Can't see a damn thing" he thought.
He leaped from one tree to another, barely managing to catch each branch as he landed onto them. He had never been lost like this before. Not even the dark can dull his senses. But the forest he was in seemed entirely different. As if some enchantment had been put into it, making escape impossible. Nonsense, he thought. He was desperate; nevertheless he had one thing in mind, finding a shard. His ambition, no desire, to be a full demon has fueled his morale to great extents, that even in the face of danger, or in desperation, like what he's in now, he remains unfazed and resilient.
Finding the shard was one thing, finding the shard inside a dark labyrinth of trees was another. He was going in circles, he thought. It had seemed impossible in the first place, with the youkai he was trailing disappearing like a bubble in the air, and now the emergence of a most unusual darkness that was shrouding whatever the fearful forest might hide, swallowing all ray of light, and hope for the young hanyou who was now beginning to tire. He sat atop a branch of one of the higher trees, mulling over his unfortunate predicament.
"Maybe I'll just wait for the morning to come..." he thought as he gazed at the blackness around him, save for a small shimmering object towards the north, with some considerable distance from him. Wait, was that a sparkling thing he just saw, he thought. He squinted and rubbed his eyes to make sure it was not a mirage. He never seemed to have noticed it before, but he didn't care. He had only thought of one thing that raised his spirits amidst the cold and dark abyss.
"The shard..." he thought, as he quickly leaped from tree to tree, following the mysterious luminance given off by the stray object. Whatever it was, it was a welcome sight for Inuyasha, who had only darkness flooding his eyes. He was still uncertain if it was indeed a fragment of the Shikon no tama, nevertheless he had his fingers crossed...
Kagome was beginning to think that she was the angel of death, knocking at every household, of course getting turned down every time, with the occasional "Get away!" or "Leave us in peace!". She sighed as she counted with her fingers, Kirara and Shippou looking on.
"Ten! That has been the tenth time we have been rejected! We can't find any shard if it keeps on going like this." she said and sighed again. "I hope Sango & Miroku are doing much better than us."
"They seemed scared of something Kagome. No one would even show their faces to us." Shippou said.
"But Miroku said there was nothing to worry about. He had sensed no evil aura whatsoever here. What could possibly scare all these people if it wasn't youkai?" Kagome answered back.
The trio continued towards the next house, facing the prospect of an eleventh rejection. Nevertheless, they knocked on the door and as expected, they were shooed away rather harshly. Kagome sighed again.
"This is useless. I'll have a much easier time finding Inuyasha than deal with these pathetic simpletons. By the way, hasn't he come back yet? Kirara, didn't you find him?"
The feline purred. "I guess that's a no. That idiot! Really, he gives me a lot of headaches!" Kagome whined. "Where has he gone to now?"
Shippou and Kirara could do nothing but exchange shrugs in front of Kagome. She looked beyond the black monoliths of the forest, trying to catch a glimpse of her hanyou friend but to no avail. It seemed strange though, she thought, why, she could barely see anything at all. The forest itself was devoid of light, with only shadows lurking beneath the impenetrable cloak of darkness. That made Kagome even more worried.
"Where the hell are you?" she asked to herself, biting her lip. She couldn't wait any longer. There was definitely something wrong. She again remembered the townsfolk who refused to talk or even see them. "They were scared of something, but what?" she thought. She had to find out. The answer had to be deep inside that forest, she pondered. Yes, maybe the forest held the key to the enigma. She was convinced she had to go. Compelled with both finding Inuyasha and the answer to the riddle beset upon the village, she decided to venture inside the forest.
"Shippou, stay here so that you can inform Sango & Miroku about what happened. Kirara, let's go find Inuyasha."
Before Shippou can even complain, Kagome & Kirara had already flown towards the forest.
"Everyone's suddenly so weird..." he retorted while scratching his head
Kirara's fiery tail and feet blazed through the pitch-black sea. That's why Kagome took her with her, who would need a torch when you have a flaming feline at your helm. They were gliding through the trees at unprecedented speeds, while thrusting deeper into the unknown darkness. Their pace suddenly halted when Kirara herself stopped and growled, as if she had sensed something she didn't like within the surroundings. Kagome, wary of the possible danger the cat was sensing, looked around for any signs of imminent attack of a youkai. Instead, her necklace glowed. It was where she strung a dozen shards together to make a rather stylish apparel for her neck. The shards in her neck glowed with such intensity that for the first time she was actually able to see the path in front of them.
"A Shikon shard...nearby..." she thought. If there was a Shikon shard involved, surely there was some demon wielding it. A demon that might be causing all of the strange occurrences in the village, the reason why all of the village people are scared. It was just the answer she needed to have. Following the resonance the stray shard gives off might just lead her to the youkai, heck she might even find Inuyasha already tackling the demon himself.
"Kirara, let's go!" Kagome commanded the cat behemoth, who was obviously still growling at something that neither she nor Kagome can see. With the shards in their possession guiding the rest of the way, Kagome & Kirara took off to find the shard, and hopefully Inuyasha as well, unwary of the rustle of the bushes behind them just after they left...
"As you were saying houshi-sama?" Sango uttered with the tone of sarcasm she always had when talking with the monk.
"Ahehe..." the monk laughed and smiled it off while scratching his cheek with his pointing finger. He had earlier promised Sango with confidence that the first house that they would "exorcise" would be the house they would be sleeping in. Instead, they have been to almost a dozen houses, none even opened their doors or windows. "Well Sango-chan, this village is most unusual. Never before has it occurred to me that people wouldn't actually fall for my trick. There's always the prospect of a first time of failure." Miroku laughed.
Sango could just sigh and wish that he was strangling Miroku to death at the very moment. "Why are monks so cocky?" she asked to herself. "Well, I hope Kagome and the others are doing better than us, houshi-sama."
Miroku looked at Sango, and smiled again, brimming with even more cockiness. "I'm very sure they're having as much difficulty as we are currently experiencing. I mean, a girl in a weird dress with a fox cub demon and a cat demon knocking on your doorstep isn't the most pleasant of views, especially in this secluded place. At least we are both normal human beings just like the rest of the villagers, so there is no problem in relating with them..." his voice cut off by the intense pressure he felt on his left foot. Sango was squishing with all delight his poor toe.
"Ow, ow, what did you do that for?" the seemingly innocent monk asked.
"It's getting a bit windy, so I had to shut you up, houshi-sama." Sango smirked.
Unfazed by the somewhat unruly remark of his companion, Miroku just smiled and resumed where he left off.
"Hehe, well, since you cut off what I was telling a while ago, I hadn't had a chance to continue on saying how we have no problem relating with the rest of the villagers since I happen to have such an alluring companion with me..." Miroku said while maintaining his own composure despite the throbbing left toe.
And as predictable as it will get, Sango was again frozen in her place, caught gazing at Miroku's ever-so radiant smiling face. She just had to blush in front of him. She was cursing herself at the very moment, wishing she hadn't stepped on Miroku's foot.
"If you had said that earlier I wouldn't have stomped on your foot..." Sango thought, still blushing.
Miroku seem to have found the spot Sango was most vulnerable. His sheer talent in playing with words has yet redeemed him again, like many times before. Even though Sango is aware that he sometimes does it to save himself from being massacred by her fury, she just couldn't help but be in awe at the many wonders the monk's words can do to her. Never before has she been praised so much in her whole life, even if some, not all, are flatteries by the witty houshi.
It was a different story for Miroku. Though sometimes (well, most of the time) he did flatter women, it was instilled in his nature to praise beautiful women, and Sango was no exception, though in her case it was all together unique. He would say words of admiration for other women because he wanted them to bear his child, but his reasons for saying the same things to Sango weren't that. He had taken a liking towards Sango during their journeys, and although it still wasn't clear to him whether he really had deeper sentiments for her, the feeling that a beautiful girl (a taijiya too mind you) would suddenly stop, gaze at you and blush was fulfilling for Miroku. So is touching her rear when she's too busy gazing at him.
"Is there something wrong Miss Sango?" Miroku innocently inquired to Sango, who was still blushing and staring at him.
"Oh God, alluring and then miss? I'm gonna faint if this keeps on going..." Sango thought as she struggled to find words out of the air to reply to the monk. She wanted to tell the truth. That she was truly pleased by what Miroku said. That she was so surprised she was called "alluring" by him. She was just so elated and excited that she didn't know what to say first. She was even thinking of hugging Miroku for a change just because of that remark. She was so much confused; she wanted to do all of those things at once that she didn't even hear the faint voice that seemed to be calling both of them.
"Psst...psst!" the voice getting louder by the second.
Sango had finally decided what to tell Miroku. She bowed her head, looking down the ground, refusing to look at the monk playing with her fingers with each other to ease her nervousness. "W...we...well, d...do...do you...really think...I'm, I'm...alluring?" Sango asked stuttering. She dared not look at Miroku, because if she did, she might just pass out when he answers "Yes Sango, you are truly beautiful..." while appearing rather suave and handsome. It was enough for her to hear "Yes", she wanted to hear "Yes". Heck, she might even just kiss Miroku for saying "Yes". She was waiting for the sweet answer, though it was taking the monk an unusually long time answering. She was getting worried, he was taking too long, she thought.
"Maybe he's just flattering me...maybe I'm not really alluring after all..." she thought as she finally looked at Miroku to find out. "Miroku! I...I was just asking if..." her words trailing off as she stared in this belief at the monk, who was apparently busy with someone else, and it wasn't a male or a youkai.
"Did you just say something Sango? I was wondering who was calling both of us a while ago and here she is right now. Her name's Aya..." Miroku's dialogue changing into a sudden "Ouch!" as Sango slapped him dead center in his left cheek.
"Idiot! And I thought for a second you were serious about what you said to me." Sango thought.
The girl next to Miroku looked more appalled than the monk, who was by this time, used to Sango's stinging slaps. "Um...houshi-sama, is she...your lover? I'm so sorry for interrupting you two then..." she said. Both Miroku and Sango's immediate response was to look at each other and blush.
"W...well Aya, she's not my lover or anything. She's just a companion I'm traveling with." The monk said casually.
"Y...yeah, he's right! I wouldn't dare be his lover! He's just being a total jerk, that's why I slapped him." Sango added. Miroku just laughed
"Oh, I apologize. For a second there I thought you two were lovers. You look good together though." Aya explained while giggling. Sango and Miroku blushed again, trying to avoid each other's eyes. "I was trying to call you a while ago but you seemed so busy with each other, so pardon for my intrusion, houshi-sama."
"No, no Miss Aya, it's all right. By the way, why were you calling us?" Miroku's tone suddenly changing from melancholic to down right serious.
"It's better if we go to my house, I'll explain everything there." Aya replied. Sango could see Miroku's eyes widen in amazement by such an invitation...from a girl. God he was simply annoying, she thought.
"Hmph! I'll stay here!" Sango gloated.
"Come on Sango, let's go. We've been looking for a place to stay for the night, and here's someone who's inviting us in. Let's go." Miroku pleaded.
Sango glared at him intently. "Why don't you just have fun together houshi-sama. I would just interfere you two anyway. "
Miroku extended his arm towards Sango's hand and held it in place with his. "Let's go Miss Sango. And one more thing. Yes, you are very much alluring Sango-sama. So, let's go." Miroku said while pulling Sango behind, who was swept off her own feet. She held one hand over her chest, feeling her heart throbbing faster and faster as each second lingered holding Miroku's hand.
"He did heard what I was asking...oh that good-for-nothing, lecherous...and charming monk..." she thought as she kept on blushing and smiling all the way to Aya's homestead. She was just simply amazed by the monk. His unpredictability and suaveness has caught her off-guard yet again. Oh well, at least she gets to hold Miroku's hand. Oh how she wished they never found Aya's house, she just wished the feel of the monk's smooth hand would stay there, forever...
The forest had been quieter than it would've ever been. Fortunately for Inuyasha, the unwavering glow of the shard steadfastly remained to guide him across the treacherous darkened forest. He was very impatient in a lot of things, and this was no exception. A shard standing innocently, lost in the vague recesses of the stygian woodlands, surely it has been one of the easiest catches he has ever had in quite a while. This time, he didn't have to unsheathe his Tetsusaiga to get what he wanted. It was where he wanted it to be, his for the taking.
"Hmph! I'm gonna show Kagome I don't need her help to get one..." he thought as he neared his goal, the shard seemingly a few leaps away. He didn't care about the demon he smelled earlier. To hell with it, he thought. As long as he had the shard, everything has been fulfilled. Including another self-proclaimed victory over Kagome and her non-stop whining. Yeah, this would show her how I can have a shard without her help, he thought again. His hanyou pride had once again swallowed his ego. He didn't care; he'll just do something about it after he had gotten the shard, which was literally in front of him. The gleaming jewel fragment glowed an intense luminous pink as Inuyasha approached it. It was definitely the real thing, he thought. He reached out for the shard, only to retract his hand back as a stream of purple light flashed towards his direction. It barely hit him, and if it weren't for his hanyou agility, he would've been a kebab. He jolted back as Kagome's head popped out from a nearby bush.
"Idiot! You could've killed me back there!" Inuyasha yelled.
"Sorry, I was just making sure. I thought you were another demon trying to get the shard. Kirara was growling all the way here, so I thought a youkai was prowling nearby." Kagome explained as a cute version of Kirara, growling, materialized beside Kagome.
"Sheesh! Do I smell like an evil demon?" Inuyasha retorted as he stared at Kirara, as if trying to get a response from the feline, who was completely ignoring him. "Anyway, I found the shard, so there isn't anymore problem here. And I found it without your help." the hanyou added.
Kagome could only curse and glare at him as he paraded arrogantly the shard in his hand. "What are you two waiting for? Let's go! I'm tired, and surely the monk has found us some place to sleep. Let's go!" Inuyasha grumbled as he walked ahead of the trio. But there was something that made Kagome stand still and think. It was all too easy, she thought. Surely, it couldn't have been lying here all alone. On a normal scenario, some youkai must've picked it up and used it. Instead, the shard lay harmlessly on the ground. Something was amiss, and Kagome had realized that already.
"Inuyasha, don't you think it's strange? I mean it's all too easy. We should be fighting a voracious demon right about now. There is something...weird here..." she said, her voice quite quavering, a chill obviously running inside her.
"Feh! The only thing that's strange around here is your over-imaginative head! Obviously, I'm the only demon in these parts. Can't you see? I have the shard right now, so don't worry, be happy! Sheesh!" Inuyasha retorted.
The trio started making their way back to the village, Kagome still unconvinced with the petty remarks made by the hanyou. She could only bite her lip and tighten her grip on her bow as they trudged the darkness surrounding them, with only Kirara's flames and the luminance of their newly acquire shard guiding them towards redemption from the unforgiving hinterland...
Sango had to sigh when they arrived at Aya's house. The monk had let her hand go as they entered the humble abode. She couldn't have asked for more. The house was on the outskirts of the village, and it took a considerable amount of time for them to get there, and also a considerable amount of time holding Miroku's hand. She was still blushing when she was offered a tea by their host. Miroku looked around the house as he awaited Aya to serve him.
"Hey, Miss Aya, do you live here alone?" he inquisitively asked.
Aya handed the monk his tea and sat down in front of him. Her deep blue eyes sparkled as she began telling her tale. Sango was as usual eyeing on Miroku, who was seemingly entranced by Aya's long black hair and innocent smile.
"I used to have a companion living with me. His name was Kenji. We were best of friends and he even built this house himself. Now, I don't know where he is..." Aya tried to hold back her tears as she continued on with the story. "Our village wasn't like this at all. It was a bustling trading encampment for traveling merchants across this side of the northern expanse of the lowlands. It was always busy here. But then, all started to change about a month ago. There was this certain caravan that passed through the village late in the afternoon and it was the strangest caravan I've ever laid my eyes upon on."
"What did it look like?" Sango asked
"Well, if I wasn't mistaken, it was a band of monks, just like you houshi-sama. It had been strange enough for me to have seen monks, because they seldom pass through these parts, but what caught my eye was that they carried...a in white cloth...and riddled with paper strips..." Aya continued.
"Talismans. But, what was in the carriage Miss Aya?" Miroku asked, still glued to her velvety eyes.
"I didn't have the chance to see it. They passed...like they weren't paying attention to any of us. Either they were chanting some sort of rituals or they looked straight ahead, but never did they stop to ask or get anything from the village. All of them were...focused on something."
"Then, what has it got to do with why your village seems deserted...just like now?" Sango questioned.
"That very night, we heard screams from the forest not far from the village. The only way to the nearest town was through the forest path, and surely, we realized those were the screams of the monks, because they were the last to pass the village that same day. The village patrol quickly went inside the forest, including Kenji, to investigate. The forest ate all of them. No one returned, not a single one...not even...Kenji...." Aya broke into tears as she covered her face with her hands. Miroku acted quickly and came to the damsel's rescue, offering his shoulder for Aya to lean on as she wept.
"We're...sorry...Miss Aya..." was all that Miroku was able to muster to comfort the grief-stricken lass. Sango came to her side and patted her shoulders. "Don't worry Aya, we'll find him. I'm sure he's still out there."
"It's been already a month...I doubt...that...he's...still alive..." Aya murmured, still sobbing. "Whatever was in that forest that very night, it killed all of them. And ever since, we hid ourselves in our own homes, fearing a reprisal from whatever it was that made the rest of the villagers disappear. Every night, we would shut the doors and block them with whatever we have. We are always living in fear nowadays...and we couldn't do a single thing...that's why...when I saw you two, I...I suddenly had high hopes that you would help us out..."
Sango glanced at Miroku, surprised by the stern mask he was displaying. She wasn't used to him being serious. She had always like him best when he was smiling, and she had to admit, his smile after he had been slapped by her is truly one of the faces she had wanted to see right now.
Miroku was in the middle of a deep thought, as he put his fingers onto his chin. Then, as if reemerging back to reality, he took Aya's hands, Sango obviously enraged by this although she kept quiet, and then asked her.
"Miss Aya, what was those paper strips look like? Was there any particular character written onto them?"
Aya looked at him back, wiping off her tears with her hands, her plush eyes still sparkling from crying. "I...I did remember, vaguely though...but I still can imagine what they looked like. A circle drawn on the center of the paper strip, with a character inscribed in it...I think it's read as 'eye'."
"Talismans used to constrict a demon of its sight. Maybe that's why they covered it up with white cloth and then riddled it with talismans of the eye. But, what youkai could it possibly be?" Miroku explained.
The door slammed open, revealing an elderly figure of a woman carrying a walking stick. She confidently barged in the house like she was the mistress of it, not even minding the surprised looks on the faces of Aya, Miroku and Sango. "Monks are so unreliable these days..." the woman commented, shaking his head.
"Pardon me ma'am, but...who are you?" Miroku politely asked.
"Sh..she's the village priestess houshi-sama. But why are you here?" Aya questioned.
The elderly woman looked at Aya with stern eyes. Her grey hair and bent figure were merely illusions to the eye. The way and the manner she spoke revealed her true persona, a youthful person with nerves of steel. "And you, Aya, you're still hoping to end the curse that has befallen upon our village by trying to find travelers who can end it for you. How pathetic..."
"I..I'm sorry priestess, but I just can't bear it anymore. They might help us, you see he's a monk and she's a..."
"Enough! I do not care whoever these strangers are; they'll just die like the others who had tried to stop it!"
"What 'it'?" Sango asked the old lady.
The woman eagerly sat down in front of all of them, coughed a bit and then glanced at Sango, eyeing her from head to toe. "You must be a youkai taijiya. Your huge weapon reveals everything about you. Even I'm a bit glad to see one of your kind in these parts, taijiyas are very rare. Specially a woman. Why do you want to know so badly what is it that has befallen this pitiful village? Do you want to end your life soon?" the woman asked with firmness in her tone.
Sango didn't even blink as she looked straight into the woman's glaring eyes. "Yes, I'm a taijiya all right. And it is my duty to kill demons that pester innocent lives. I have the right to know whatever it is that has ravaged your village."
The woman could only laugh at her bold statement. "Young lady, I believe you have fought many demons before, but this is no ordinary youkai." She looked at Aya, and then resumed her speech. "You young lady, you're not a keen observer. There were talismans of the eye, yes, but you didn't seem to have noticed another kind of talisman stuck in between the talismans of the eye."
"Another talisman?" Miroku reacted.
"Yes young monk, there were two talismans used by the monks to seal the demon they carried. The other talisman was the talisman of the mind."
"Talisman used to seal the thoughts and minds of demons. But how come they used two? Is it such a powerful demon for them to need to seal the eye and the mind?" Miroku answered.
"I know only of one demon that is sealed by the talismans of the eye and the mind at the same time. The doppelganger. A demon that imitates whatever it sees, whatever it senses. Such a dangerous creature. It feeds on fear of others, when it senses fear, it becomes stronger. People in this village have become so much traumatized during the past month just thinking of the disappearances of the monks and the other villagers. They imagine a lot of fearful things, vicious youkais, spirits. A doppelganger can imitate all of those. That's why it has to be sealed by the talisman of the eye, to prevent it from sensing or seeing fear from others."
"Now we know what we're up against. Inuyasha and the others are in grave danger. We must go houshi-sama!" Sango said, making their haste an excuse to hold Miroku's hand and pull the monk towards the door. The monk didn't budge from his seat. He wasn't listening to the old woman either, he was holding Aya's hands again.
"If ever we do not find Kenji, will you bear my child Miss Aya?"
Sango had just enough of Miroku's antics. A swift boomerang strike pounded the monk's lecherous head. "Hmph! I guess I'll just leave you two there!" Sango muttered as she went ahead towards the forest. Miroku was still caressing his newly acquired lump in the head. Aya was blushing and giggling at the same time. The old woman was serious however.
"Your taijiya friend is impulsive. It'll be the death of her someday."
"Ah, yes...I've gotten used to her...impulses." Miroku laughed off.
"Listen young man, all of your friends are in danger. Remember what I told you about doppelgangers. They are sealed by talismans of the eye. What the monks were carrying was sealed with the eye and the mind. It's not an ordinary doppelganger young monk. It's a higher classed doppelganger."
"Higher...classed...doppelganger?" asked a baffled Miroku.
"It still imitates others, but this one is very unique. It had to be sealed with a talisman of the mind, because it imitates...whatever the person thinks. If your friends are thinking of something horrible or dangerous, then they're as good as dead."
"But...how can we stop this youkai if it imitates whatever we think? We can't even stop thinking." Miroku blurted out.
The old woman let out another cough. "Confuse it. Think of something...ridiculous...happy thoughts...anything that'll make it easy to kill. I've tried to warn the rest of the villagers to think like that, but they were already enveloped in so much fear, they wouldn't listen. It all lies to you young man. You're a houshi right? I'm very sure you have the presence of mind to defeat this special youkai."
"Count on me ma'am...and Aya! I shall put and end to all of these suffering and bring back the village into its normal state." Miroku stated in confidence. He approached Aya and held her hands again. "And then maybe you can bear my child."
Aya can only blush and tremble as Miroku let go of her hands and walk towards the door. The old woman though was shaking her head. "A lecherous man with a lecherous mind. I hope he can contend with a lecherous doppelganger..."
Sango was running as fast as she could. She didn't care if the forest was too dark. She didn't care if Miroku was holding Aya's hands. She had to find the others. They were in danger. A doppelganger was loose. Of course, Sango wouldn't be herself if she didn't keep on thinking about Miroku. She still couldn't get over him touching Aya's hands just like that.
"He never does that to me...that darn monk..." she thought with a hint of jealousy.
It was becoming more obvious. She was beginning to like the monk, but she wouldn't admit it to herself. To her, the lechery of the monk overcame his being nice and gentle and charming...and cute. She still wouldn't concede into liking the monk...well, at least not now. Not yet. She had to save her friends first...Miroku later. But, she just can't shake him off her head....
Kagome and Inuyasha were still fighting over the fact that the shard was much too easy to have gotten than usual. Kagome had said the's' word a countless number of times, letting the hanyou pay for his insolence. She had the shard in her hands, examining it carefully. She didn't even notice the gnarled root jutting out from the soil in front of her. She tripped and landed flat onto the ground, letting go of the shard in the process.
"Ouch, that hurt!" Kagome complained.
"Ha, ha! Serves you right! You made me fall to the ground for like ten times already just because of a stupid shard that's relatively easy to get. Sheesh!"
Kagome glared at Inuyasha. "Sit!" The thud that followed was almost instant. The hanyou was lying on the ground, head first. "Just shut up for a moment, okay?" Kagome retorted. "By the way, where has that shard gone off to? I was holding it a while ago, before I tripped..."
"What!!!! You lost the shard?!?" Inuyasha growled. "Fool! I had the shard in my hands and you had to lose it!"
"Sit!" was Kagome's instant response and reprieve to the yelling hanyou. Another thud shook the forest floor. He knew when he was beaten, so Inuyasha kept his tone as nice as possible, lest he wants to be buried another inch in the soft, muddy forest soil. "Let's just look for it shall we?" The two scrambled to and fro, looking for the lost shard, aided by Kirara's blazing tails and feet. It was hard enough to find it in broad daylight, and the dark wasn't helping at all. Even the shard necklace of Kagome stopped glowing, as if the shard had magically disappeared. Kagome was scuffling some nearby bushes when she heard the huge bush behind her rustle. Her hairs stood up as she quickly ran off towards Inuyasha.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" the hanyou babbled. Kagome pointed out towards the bushes. Inuyasha saw them rustling and moving. He clutched his Tetsusaiga, ready to slash whatever it was that was making the fuzz. Kagome clinged tight to Inuyasha's fire rat cloak, shaking in fear.
"Come on; don't be out..." Inuyasha thought, ready to unsheathe his deadly sword.
He would've cut Sango in half if he went through with his sword. Kagome sighed relief at the sight of the taijiya emerging from the bushes.
"Whew! I finally found you two. Good thing I saw Kirara's fire from afar."
"We thought you were some youkai. Inuyasha was getting ready to slash you, so to speak." Kagome replied.
"Feh! Kagome would all be the death of us someday!" Inuyasha grumbled. Another "Sit!", and another crash to the ground. Inuyasha could only mumble curses as he fell to the ground again.
"What brings you here? Have you two found a place to stay in? Kagome asked.
"No. But all of us here are in grave danger. There's a doppelganger in the loose somewhere in this very forest. It imitates whatever it sees, that's why we have to be careful. We mustn't be deceived!" Sango replied.
"A doppelganger? So there was a demon all along. But we have to find the shard. I lost it somewhere here. By the way, where's Miroku?"
Sango could only blush and think of the monk again. How he smiled. How he spoke wonderful words to her. She just wished Miroku was also there, at her side, at that very moment. Kagome had Inuyasha. So why can't she have Miroku?
"Um...he made sure of the house. He said he'll just wait there." Sango lied. She knew he was enjoying the moment with Aya. "Ooh! When I see that monk, I'm gonna, I'm gonna..." her words cut off as she felt someone from behind touch her shoulder. She glanced back just to see the monk's charming face in front of hers, and his soft hands on her shoulders. "...hug him..."
All of them were surprised to see the monk there. Especially Sango, who thought he had stayed behind with Aya.
"Wh...wh...why are you here, houshi-sama?" Sango nervously asked.
"Well, I just thought you might lose your way in the forest, so I followed you. I guess you didn't need me after all. I can see Kagome and Inuyasha are here. So is Kirara as well." The monk smiled, which made Sango melt on the spot.
"Anyway, since all of us are here, let's just find the shard and get some rest after." Kagome said as she and Inuyasha foraged the area for the fragment. Miroku and Sango however had planned other things to do. Sango was glued to Miroku's tantalizing eyes. She didn't care a damn thing about the lost shard. There were others to collect, and they had all the time in the world. Staring at Miroku while he was staring back at her was a chance Sango only had once in a blue moon. The dark didn't seem to have impended the two from exchanging somewhat... romantic glances. She had wanted to stare at him forever, and she desired for Miroku's eyes to remain on her for eternity. It was the chance Sango had been waiting for. It was dark, Inuyasha and the others were out of sight, she had wanted to tell everything to the monk, who kept on gazing at her. If only Miroku could see how red she was as she continued to blush. Unfortunately, the only source of light, Kirara, was getting farther and farther as she accompanied Kagome in finding the shard. Another minute passed before the two were finally enveloped in complete darkness. And silence.
"Sango-chan..." Miroku called out, employing his suave and smooth voice.
"Y...y...yes, houshi-sama?" Sango blurted out.
She could somewhat still see the outline of the monk in front of her. Even without any light, she only had her imagination to visualize the charming face of Miroku as he called out her name. It was just as she had desired. This quiet setting, the two of them alone, together. The only thing left missing was the hug. She had always daydreamt of the monk hugging him. Somehow, she had wanted to feel what it was like to be hugged...by someone...other than her parents, or Kagome.
Miroku slowly approached her, with each step he took, Sango felt her heart skipping. Her whole body was trembling, and she can't even tell whether it was from nervousness, or it was from excitement.
"My God, what is he going to do?" Sango nervously thought as Miroku went another step closer to her. Finally, Miroku was able to close the gap between them. He gazed once more at the trembling and blushing Sango. He looked serious, and this made Sango even more nervous. His eyes weren't the usual mischievous and jolly eyes he always had when he looked at Sango. Those were deep blue eyes, expressing unfathomable emotions, depression, guilt Sango had never seen before.
"Sango-chan..." Miroku blurted out once more before he stretched his arms open and enveloping the shocked taijiya with warmth of his embrace. She had always thought about this very moment. But she didn't think it would actually happen. Mixed emotions, delight and shock, engulfed Sango's essence at the instant. She didn't know whether to be happy, or to be shocked. Miroku had never been that straight to her. She didn't know what to do. To make matters worse, there were others sharing the moment with them. Even with the faint fire of Kirara, Sango could see the appalled faces of Kagome and Inuyasha. She was blushing and the hanyou raised an eyebrow.
"Sheesh! You can't leave these two for a minute without them doing something!"
"O...oh, sorry we disturbed you two...Sango-chan, Miroku-sama..." Kagome added, obviously flushed.
Sango could only stare in disbelief. They had seen them, hugging each other. The embarrassment she was getting was too much. And as if things weren't complicated enough, another figure emerged from the shadows. It was Miroku. All of them now stared in complete disbelief. There were apparently two Mirokus. One was hugging Sango, and the other one was pretty much shocked to see another 'him'.
"What the fuck is going on here?!" Inuyasha grumbled.
Sango looked at the Miroku that had just arrived, and the Miroku that was hugging her. They looked alike. But which was which? Kagome was just as puzzled as everyone, repeatedly looking at the two monks.
"How can this be?" Kagome asked.
"It's simple. He's the doppelganger!" Miroku declared, pointing to the other Miroku hugging Sango. "Sango, stay away from him,, he's a fake!" Sango wanted to stay where she was, the embrace was just overwhelming. Unfortunately, Miroku had already thrown a talisman towards the other Miroku, which made him finally shove Sango away. The taijiya was still puzzled. "How can the doppelganger have copied you, Miroku? You weren't here for it to copy you. Maybe you're the fake! You saw Miroku with us and then copied him and you suddenly appeared." Sango replied.
"No Sango. He's a different kind of doppelganger. He's a unique one." Miroku explained.
She refused to understand. She refused to think that the one hugging her was the fake one. She had to prove somehow that the second Miroku was wrong. The first Miroku was now side by side with the second Miroku. Sango went to both of them and gave her hardest slap yet to both. Both shouted "Ouch!" in unison. Kagome and Inuyasha could only watch in amazement, as the two identical monks did exactly what each other did. Sango remained unfazed.
"Hmm...Which one of you is the real one?" Sango asked.
"I am!" both shouted. Somehow, she realized that all of these were pointless. No one would admit that he was the fake. Even the second Miroku rejected the idea of the taijiya questioning them both. "Sango, you see, the doppelganger can't only copy what it sees, this unique kind of doppelganger can copy what one thinks of. It didn't need to see me to copy me. Someone just had to think of me for me to be copied by the youkai."
"Don't believe him Sango! He's just making excuses! He is the doppelganger!" the first Miroku blurted out.
Sango was getting dizzy judging between the two. She looked at the first one, then the second. Both were exactly alike, in voice, in face, in attire, in everything. She was getting to the point that she was giving up. The second Miroku though had other plans. "I'm gonna prove to you once and for all that I'm the real Miroku!" He approached Sango slowly. "Sango-chan, I hate to this but I have no choice." He reached for Sango butt and grasped it. The instant outrage was repaid with an instant slap on the cheek of the second Miroku.
"You think you can prove you're Miroku by doing that?" Sango asked, obviously angered by such actions.
"Hehe, do you think the other me can do the same?" the second Miroku asked back.
She was stumped. He had a point. The first Miroku hugged her, had all the time to grab her behind and yet he didn't do it. She hated to admit it, but the second Miroku was correct. She didn't believe she had to resort to such measures to find out the true Miroku. If what he said about the doppelganger imitating her thoughts were indeed true, then the doppelganger must've imitated a Miroku, one who is a gentleman, the Miroku she had always wanted him to be. The second Miroku wasn't the one she thought. Piece by piece, the jigsaw puzzle slowly began to take form. She clutched for her Hirakotsu, then gazed at both Mirokus. Apparently, both were nervous about the idea. The first Miroku was sweating like crazy, the second one just as scared as the first. Sango closed her eyes, pausing to think for a moment.
"Please, let me be right in my judgement..." she thought as she immediately threw her boomerang towards the first Miroku, the one who had hugged her. All of them closed their eyes for a split second as the boomerang hit the first monk with force. Apparently, she hit the fake Miroku. Once a Miroku, now there laid a black figureless body, cut in two. It was still struggling, jerking wildly to the ground, constantly changing from one form to another. It changed into a shard, then back into a Miroku, then to its real form before finally disintegrating to nothingness. Inuyasha and Kagome couldn't believe what they had seen.
"It was a fake shard after all. See, I told you it was too easy!" Kagome blurted out to Inuyasha.
"Feh! Who would've thought it was a doppelganger?" Inuyasha yelled back.
Miroku laughed at the fighthing couple. "Apparently, both of you were thinking about the shard, that's why the doppelganger changed into one."
Sango still stared at the place where the fake Miroku had once stood. She couldn't believe it. The one that gave her that romantic embrace. That overwhelming feeling. He was gone. It was gone. It was just a doppelganger after all. She had been fooled. All along she thought Miroku had finally hugged her at long last. It was too good to be true anyway, she thought.
All the commotion was just plain nerve-wrecking that the group didn't notice the first faint rays of the sun rising from the horizon. The dark forest had been vanquished. The group could here Shippou's childish voice calling them.
"Come one guys, let's go back to the village. It's been a long night for all of us." Kagome said.
All of them were weary, and they longed for sleep. A long night in the forest, and amidst the darkness they braved and the confusion they went through, not a single Shikon shard was to be found. Inuyasha could only curse their fate for not finding any shard. Kagome was all too tired to reprimand the ranting hanyou. Sango was still staring at the emptiness of space and Miroku was somehow the only one among them smiling.
"You scared me back there." Miroku said to a tired and confused Sango.
"Huh? What? Where?" Sango replied in confusion.
"Well, when you were about to throw your hiraikotsu. I thought you would throw it at me. You know, for being such a lecherous guy, touching your butt and all."
Sango gave a faint laughter. "I know the real you so well houshi-sama. Only you would be bold enough to do that. Even an imitation can't be as lecherous as you." she said with sarcasm.
Miroku kept on smiling his usual smile while gazing upon her, which made Sango beet red.
"Why...are you...looking at me...like that?" the baffled taijiya asked.
"So...Miss Sango...you were...thinking...of me then?" Miroku asked boldly, still smiling.
The sound of Sango's hand making a forceful contact with Miroku's cheek followed by the resounding yell of "Ouch!" filled the forest which had began just began recovering from the darkness. It was another day for all of them.