Disclaimer : I don't own Inuyasha, alright! Stop rubbing it in!
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A/N:
You know how I said I wasn't going to post my R/K (Rin/Kohaku) fanfic until my other story was finished? Well, I've never exactly been what you'd call patient, so... yeah. It's up. Don't worry, there is going to be M/S and possibly other couplings. Since I don't have time to tell you all the little minor couplings, let's just say I will not betray any canon couplings. Basically, there won't be any APs unless I'm coupling together two characters with no traditional love interest. I did say it would be out sometime in October, though. So there, it was only a half-lie... or a half-truth... depending on whether you're an optimist or pessimist. Anyway, my writing style in DQ is a lot different then my writing style here. I have to re-edit DQ's first chapter... I read over it and found two mistakes. That's probably a record, though... just two!
This chapter gets really fluffy in parts... Yay for fluffiness! And that fact that they're chibis just makes it all the cuter...
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Reviews:
lodz: I'm bad at choosing chapter titles. So sue me... -is now surrounded by lawyers- It's just an expression!
Aamalie: Yes, well, it's a two way street, because I can also harass you over AIM. -poke- After all, you said you'd try to upload OA soon. As for the chibi-Miroku, yes. -nods- After all, what could be funner than that! -blink, blink- Is 'funner' a word? More fun? Funner... er? More funner? -sigh- Whatever... Oh, and you'd better move your lazy mouse, hit the button, and review! If not, I'll bug you on AIM until your screen explodes and you have to write and upload all of your fanfics at school.
SITboyShippou: Don't worry, writer's block happens to the best of us. )
Iggy04: Wow... I feel so loved. -sniff- I usually update at least one of my fics each week, so this one will be updated every two-three weeks, since I currently have three fanfics in the work.
YoukaiTajaiyaSango: It's pretty popular, but I have to admit Thirteen isn't my best work. AT the moment, I'm convinced be best is Dancing Queen. DQ is a Rin/Kohaku, though, so I don't know if you're interested.
Xichiathik: Right. Of course he'll be fine. Well, ya know, after he's over the shock of having been turned into a nine-year-old. But yeah. He'll be okay.
AutumnAngel: Don't worry, it will get better. I'm debating on which way I want them to be restored to their normal ages. I have two or three ways in mind...
anime09: Yeah... the flood was pretty bad. I'm glad you weren't really affected, though.
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Chapter 5: Comforting Arms
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He wasn't sure exactly what had happened, or how. All he could remember was the he had been on his way to the hot springs when a vile stench overtook him and caused him to black out.
Mushrooms. They had lined the pathway, but he had thought nothing of them. Ironically, they had disappeared when he had woken up. They had to have had something to do with his current state.
He had passed out, and the next thing he knew, his ear was being clawed at. He opened one ear, glaring at the cat youkai which was raising its paw to in aggravation, ready scratch at him again.
"I'm up, Kirara..." he grumbled, waving her away. She mewed in response, dashing in her mistress's direction and pawing at the girl's kimono. She turned in her pet's direction, noticing something out of the corner of her eye: he was moving.
"Houshi-sama, you're awake!" she exclaimed joyously, starting to run towards him. She stopped, realizing something. How was she going to explain to him that he'd been set back about ten years? 'Kami, help me... I'm going to need it.' "Houshi-sama... this may seem a bit strange, but you should probably take a look at your reflection." He gave her a lopsided stare as if he was assured that she had lost her mind, but seeing the anxiety and concern in the young girl's eyes told him that she was serious.
She watched in anguish as he neared to hot springs. As he walked, he hadn't seem to notice that his shakujou had seemed to double in size, nor that she was significantly closer to his height, or even that his robes were about ten sizes to big. The instant he got a glimpse of himself, though, he stumbled back, eyes wide as saucers. "How the hell...?" was all he could manage to get out. Houko winced, biting down fiercely on her lip. She was more or less obliged to tell him now, but it would probably be better to wait until he had overcome the shock.
'There won't be any easy way to tell him...' she reminded herself bitterly. She plopped down next to him, wrapping her arms around her knees, studying him.
After several moments of silence, he finally spoke up. "The same thing happened to you, didn't it?"
'Oh, joy...' she growled inwardly, 'I get to watch him try to cheat on me with myself... won't this will be interesting...' "It did," she stated plainly. He nodded, smirking.
"I thought so," he admitted. He glanced at her out of the corner or his eye. "Sango." The girl twitched slightly - the same way Inuyasha would twitch whenever he was guilty of chasing after Kikyou. "Am I correct in my assumption?"
"You are," she confessed solemnly.
"I knew it would have had to be you. After all..." he paused, draping an arm around her shoulder, "your personality is unmistakable." She eyed him cautiously, then eyed the hand on her shoulder.
"Houshi-sama, how do I know I can trust you, now that you know who I am and all?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head.
"You won't have to worry about that for about three years," he laughed. She rolled her eyes at him, clearly annoyed.
"Alright, Houshi-sama," she sighed, leaning onto his shoulder. It was getting cold, anyway, and it might help her warm up. "Just don't get too accustomed to this." He smiled contently, leaning back against the tree behind them. It was probably sometime in the evening, judging by the sun. He was beginning to realize his hunger.
"Do you think it's safe to let Inuyasha and Kagome know about this?" he questioned, stroking his companion's cat as she neared him.
"If I thought that, I wouldn't have deceived you all," Sango replied bluntly, digging in the dirt with the heel of her sandal.
"Well, it's not as if they won't find it suspicious if they end up with an extra kid following them around the moment they loose another acquaintance," he pointed out. She held her foot still, nodding in irritation. She hated to admit it, but he was right. "We can tell Kaede and stay with her, since I'm sure she would understand that she isn't supposed to tell anyone. We'd have to wait for Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippou to all leave, though... or..." he stopped for a moment, as if he wasn't sure about his next idea.
"Or what?" Sango asked, turning to him.
"There's always Mushin," he mumbled hesitantly. "Most times he'd probably be to drunk to know what's going on around him, much less care. It's probably not a wise choice, though... We could try and seek out an antidote, but that's about as risky as telling Inuyasha or Kagome. Our only other alternative would be to try and make it on our own."
She sunk her teeth viciously into her bottom lip, burying her head in his chest. "Houshi-sama... what are we supposed to do? Any choice we make could end up badly, and-"
"Let's not worry about that now," he whispered soothingly, cradling her in comforting arms. It seemed so much easier now that they'd been shrunken - the three-year age gap was much more significant now.
She flushed beet-red as he pulled her into his lap, the oversized sleeves of his robes covering her completely. Once she thought about it, she realized his robes were probably so loose on his now that both of them would be able to fit inside of them with room to spare. At the thought of it Sango reddened even deeper, if it were possible.
After a few minutes of peaceful silence, Miroku began to speak, his signature perverted smirk taking over his face. "Tell me, Sango," he questioned softly, "did you follow me to the hot springs?"
"I haven't been hanging around you that long," she grunted. "I just thought something might be wrong when Inuyasha said he couldn't find you." A smirk played on her lips as Kirara jumped up into Sango's lap, settling herself against Miroku's robes.
"I guess she was feeling left out," Miroku observed, laughing softly at her. Sango blushed lightly, glancing at him over her shoulder.
"Houshi-sama, just out of curiosity..." she began hesitantly, "we aren't going to be sleeping like this, are we?"
"That all depends. Do you want us to sleep like this?" She sighed, watching as the sky darkened. The sun was now completely down.
"It doesn't matter..." she breathed, closing her eyes and relaxing in his arms. Miroku claimed she could trust him not to grope her - for the moment, anyway - and besides, she couldn't fight adequately in her current condition. Sleeping next to one another might be safer, at least.
"We'll find something to eat tomorrow," he assured her.
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Yeah, yeah, it was short. At least it was fluffy though, right? RIGHT?! -points to the little button at the bottom- Review! And that means all of you. Anyway, since this chapter was short, I'll probably update faster, since it didn't drain quite as much of my muse.