Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
Title: Miroku's Wisdom
The sun was falling as Miroku, Songo, Shippo, Kirara, Inuyasha, and Kagome were settling down in a cave for the night, around a roaring fire. Kagome's sleeping bag was already spread out and they were clearing away the remnants of dinner. Kagome (still a dog) sighed and walked up to the fire, wagging a tail. Songo walked over to the fire in response. Shepulled the lid off a boiling pot and stirred the liquid within.
"Yes, I think you're right Kagome," said Songo. "Miroku, come over here." Shippo hopped up on Songo's shoulder to see.
"Is it really gonna work Songo?" asked little Shippo.
"Yes, I think so Shippo," said Songo. "We got this powder from Ayami. She said if we boiled it properly, and drank it, it would help us understand what Kagome and Inuyasha are saying." Miroku came up to stand alongside Songo.
"Although I don't want to think about what's it in. Not to mention the fact that I'll be able to understand what every stray dog is saying from now on."
"Only temporarily," reassured Songo, "this potion only lasts a few hours at best."
"Ah, yes," said Miroku.
Songo handed Miroku a cup. She took one herself and both she and Miroku looked at it dubiously. They both drained their cups dry as fast as possible. Miroku made a face and coughed.
"Not much better than Mioga's potions," complained Miroku. Inuyasha and Kagome (still dogs) both looked up expectantly.
"Well, lecher," complained Inuyasha vocally, "can you hear me yet? Hey, I'm talking to you over here!" Miroku shut his eyes as if pained.
"Yes Inuyasha, I keenly sense just how absent your annoying irritability was until now."
Inuyasha growled at him. "What!"
Miroku shook his hands dismissively. "Nothing, nothing, it's nice to be able to speak to you again too Inuyasha." A false smile covered his face, and Inuyasha didn't quite buy it.
While they were arguing, Kagome had moved to stand by the cave door. She watched the sun complete its setting. Songo sat down beside her like the friend she is.
Songo spoke to her quietly, "What are you doing out here Kagome?"
"I'm just thinking, Sango," said Kagome, "of all the sunrises and sunsets we've seen together. It's been so long since we started chasing after Naraku and the sacred jewel shards. But just the other day it seemed like all of us would never be able to see another sunset together again. It felt so bad. You all have been like another family to me." Songo sat down and wrapped an arm around Kagome. Everyone else watched.
"You know, you're right," said Songo. "This has been like another family to me too. Don't worry, Kagome, we'll destroy that demon and bring you both back. But if we don't we'll still stay with you."
"Thanks Songo. But we wouldn't be any help fighting Naraku like this."
"Then we will stay with you just because we're friends."
"Thanks Songo," said Kagome in a heartfelt way.
Soon, it turned into full night. The camp fire roared to warm up the group and everyone idled by it. Miroku sat beside Inuyasha, clearly wanting to discuss something.
"Inuyasha," said Miroku with a tone of seriousness, "we must talk about something. How is it that those demons ended up targeting you?"
"What do you mean monk?" said Inuyasha.
"I mean Inuyasha, why did the mountain demons immediately mark you as enemies? We had just reached the Northern Mountains when they chose to attack."
"I don't know," said Inuyasha. "Maybe they saw us with wimpy wolf and figured we were here to squash them."
"Are you sure there wasn't anything else?" asked Miroku.
"Well, actually… come to think about it, the leader who cast the spell did seem to know me. He called me hanyou. He knew about Kagome too, since he said she could no longer use her sacred arrows."
"Interesting. Do you think these people could have had a grudge against you that would mark you for their attack?"
"I have no idea." Inuyasha shrugged and looked into the firelight.
"Whoever he was," Inuyasha continued, "he didn't have any jewel shards in him. Kagome couldn't see anything like that. She said she sensed some kind of other power radiating from one point. Moreover, his magical attacks were strong. They weren't of just one type like fire or wind or ice like a natural demon, it was all of them. Perhaps it had something to do with that fake jewel." Miroku became very interested at this point.
"Inuyasha, your Tetsiaga has the ability to absorb the powers of other youkai, does it not?"
"That's not gonna help us since I can't get my hands on it."
"That's not what I'm saying. I'm suggesting that, like the Tetsiaga, some fragment of youkai capable of absorbing power is being employed. Perhaps by implanting this in themselves, the demons have been able to obtain unusual power."
"I suppose it's possible," said Inuyasha.
"Or indeed likely," said a voice.
Inuyasha and Miroku whipped around to see Sesshomaru standing in the door to the cave, eyes glowing.
"What the hell are you doing here?" said Inuyasha roughly.
"What are doing in the shape of an ordinary dog?" said Sesshomaru regally.
"You can understand him, Sesshomaru?" asked Miroku.
"Of course the Lord of the Western Dog Clan would speak dog. So tell me Inuyasha, you were foolish enough to let your guard down and be tricked by someone who was unworthy enough to stay in the dog clan?"
Inuyasha growled. "Shut up Sesshomaru! I was…"
"Stupid, I know," said Sesshomaru. "I will tell you this, little brother, if you ever hope to regain the slightest of vistage of honor, you will have to slay the demon who has so easily fooled you."
Miroku addressed Sesshomaru. "Sesshomaru-sama, who is this person to whom you are referring?"
"What business is it of yours, human?" said Sesshomaru, as if reminding Miroku of his place.
Miroku paused before replying. "I am the traveling companion of your brother. I would serve him in any way I can."
"Bah!" broke out Inuyasha. "Traveling companion my ass! Don't demean yourself Miroku just because of him. You aren't my servant and I ain't about to hold you to being one!" Sesshomaru smirked.
"Very well human. The demon who cast this spell on Inuyasha is called (Make it up yourselves folks, or maybe send suggestions). He was once at the very bottom of the Youkai dog clan, even below Inuyasha, before being sent into exile. Even now it seems he is anxious for power he isn't capable of attaining."
Kagome spoke next. "Sesshomaru-sama, does that mean you are here to defeat him?"
"I am here to investigate the rumors that something has happened to my incompetent brother, and that someone from the dog clan is causing trouble in the hills. That is all. For now, what largely happens depends on you and the antics of those wolf-demons." It became strangely quiet.
"Sesshomaru-sama," asked Kagome, "would you like to sit down for something to eat?"
"I don't eat human food." Was Sesshomaru's only reply. Miroku finally broke the silence by coughing, and Sesshomaru got up and moved to the door.
"If there is nothing else," said Sesshomaru, "my presence is not required. However, I will return in one hour, so be prepared. Inuyasha, I expect you to kill him this time." Sesshomaru disappeared to who knows where.
After he had gone, Miroku asked wonderingly, "Does that mean that he is going to lead us to that demon?" Inuyasha shook his head unknowingly.
"Inuyasha," said Kagome suddenly remembering something, "that reminds me, there is something I want to ask you about."
"Then what is it?" asked Inuyasha already in a bad temper.
"It's about earlier," said Kagome.
"Bah, don't ask about it then."
Kagome became angry. "Seriously Inuyasha! Why do you think your being a hanyou matters! What effect does that have on anything!"
"Shut up! I'm not going to talk about things like that to you!"
"Fine! Do whatever you want! Come on Shippo, I'm going to get some firewood."
"Good, that will give you some time to cool off that temper of yours."
Kagome spoke wrathfully, "Same to you! Humph!"
Kagome the dog stood up and Shippo slide off her to scurry around her feet. Kagome padded off angrily. Everyone watched her go. Sighs came from most everyone. The night deepened and Inuyasha's group continued to talk, absent Kagome.
"On a side note Inuyasha," said Miroku, "I'm glad you defended my presence to Sesshomaru like you did."
"Of course I would, you idiot. You're not my servant, you never were. We fight together, that's what I know. To me, it doesn't matter if you're human or demon, it's if you pull though that counts."
Miroku smiled. "Yes." After a bit of reflection, he spoke again.
"Inuyasha," said Miroku, "remember when I first met you and Kagome?
"Sure I do. You were just a sleazy robber."
"And you were just an evil demon who coveted the jewel."
"Hah! Who coveted what! I seem to recall you going immediately for Kagome, so typical for you."
"Well, I soon learned that you and Kagome would prefer it if I stayed out of your way. Your jealousy was overflowing even in the early days of your relationship."
"Tah. What relationship?" said Inuyasha in denial.
"Well, what amazes me most is how we all got along."
Songo sat down to join the conversation. "Yes, I seem to recall when I joined getting into quite a few crosswords with Inuyasha. But soon, I came to understand that he wasn't a bad demon. In fact, you have many strengths I look up to."
Miroku nodded. "I felt the same way. You have a terrible temper, but you have a courage which I find encouraging."
"Teh," said Inuyasha. "Stop going on about it monk."
"Still," said Miroku, "I suppose it's that way for all of us. Kagome brings to us a certain kind of light, a happiness if you will."
"I'm sure she'd be glad to hear that."
Songo asked modestly, "What do I bring?"
"You, my dear Songo," said Miroku, "bring a certain wisdom, and a generous heart."
Songo became suddenly tense. "And if you bring those hands any nearer to me, I'll also bring a certain thump."
"Now, now, Songo!" said Miroku. "I wasn't thinking of doing anything that would merit being struck by you!"
"Spare me," sighed Songo. "It seems we bring certain faults as well."
"Well put, Songo," said Miroku. "Fortunately, I believe our weaknesses are diminished by the presence of others."
"Keh," said Inuyasha. "What are you saying, Miroku?"
Miroku smiled. "I'm just saying, Inuyasha, that each and every one of us brings balance."
"Like you and Songo are the wise ones, while Kagome and I are the hot-headed ones?"
"Exactly. Like you are the very opposite of me. I, on the one hand, am completely unable to resist all women. It is a curse, I know, but my fingers yearn for the touch of a delicate woman's…"
"Don't think about it Houshi-sama. I see you sliding your hand back there."
"Whatever, do you mean, my dear Songo."
Songo spoke stiffly. "Don't play innocent with me." She gave Miroku a disciplining thunk.
"Yes my dear Songo. As I was saying Inuyasha, you're the complete opposite of me."
"What do mean by that, monk."
"I mean that you're resistant to becoming involved."
"That's none of your business monk!" said a shocked Inuyasha.
"I'm just saying," said Miroku, "that if I was in your position, I would have taken advantage of Kagome's fondness by now."
"What the hell does this have to do with me monk!" raged Inuyasha. "And don't talk about Kagome that way!"
"Calm down, Inuyasha," spoke Miroku, "I was only wondering why you stopped on the riverbank that day. Why you didn't bite Kagome." Inuyasha stopped for a while then answered.
"You don't know what it is like being me, Miroku! As much as I love Kagome and want to make her my own, it just wouldn't work!"
"But she clearly loves you," said Miroku.
"That doesn't matter monk! The truth is, I'm a half-demon! Do you even understand the implications of what that means? I will continue to live on for hundreds of years, hardly aging, while Kagome will up and die in just a few years! I don't even know what would happen to our children! I don't like thinking about it, that's part of the reason I'm so reckless in battle. Because I really don't want to think about living all those years without all of you! If I could keep even one, it would be Kagome, and Shippo, because she loves the brat so."
Inuyasha dropped off the conversation, and suddenly no one wanted to look at him. When Miroku spoke again, his voice was trembling with heart felt emotion.
"Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I guess that's another difference between us, you are so much wiser in these things than I am."
The fire was going, but suddenly it was too cold for everyone. They blinked with tension and relief as Kagome came back with Shippo. Shippo was riding on Kagome with a bundle of wood in his arms, and Kagome was carrying a bundle tied with rope in her mouth.
"Hi everyone," said Kagome. "Sorry it took so long. Why is everyone so quiet?"
Sesshomaru came out from out of nowhere and broke the unnerving silence.
"I have no idea what your problem is Inuyasha. That is unless you are completely ignorant of the youkai mating bite.
"What!" said a shocked Inuyasha.
"If you truly understood the custom, you would know that there are no age boundaries between you and Kagome," said Sesshomaru.
"What do you mean?" asked Inuyasha tensely.
"I find it degrading to have to tell you," said Sesshomaru, "but the bite in our Youkai Dog Clan has an unusual amount of permanence." Inuyasha stared at him.
"In our clan," said Sesshomaru, "the bite is more than a mere scar. It is a tattoo which marks us as irrevocably bound. As such, a tiny piece of soul exchanges, tying the life of the female with that of the male."
"Meaning…" said Inuyasha.
"The female will live as long as the youkai partner, as long as that partner lives. Your mother would have lived long enough to raise you, had our father not have died."
"But what about the other way around? What if Kagome should die?"
"Then you would continue to live, miserable, alone, unless you took a second woman like our father did." Inuyasha stared in confusion.
"Mull about this some other time, hanyou," said Sesshomaru. "It is time for you to fulfill the barest of duties to your clan."
"Bah, you're going to lead us to the demon?"
"Exactly, little brother, and if you fail to slay him, I will kill you myself."
To be continued.
