1Miroku wandered through the woods along the gentle, winding path until he came across a village that looked friendly. He wandered up to the largest place there and demanded to speak to the head of the house.

"I sense a demon aura coming from your household." He'd proclaim.

"Oh dear, kind monk can you make the spirit leave?" the owner would ask.. The monk would grin and reply.

"Why certainly, if you have some sake to exchange." and so a deal would be struck and a few sutras later the "spirit" would be "gone".

The house owner would bow and thank him, they were always completely satisfied, probably because there never was a "demon" to begin with. Then Miroku would be on his way again through the woods back towards the camp site. He picked out a tree about a hundred yards away from the rest of the group and down the sake like it was nothing. He sat down and leaned up against the tree and just let loose. His emotions flew in every direction possible. He cried, he cried really hard into his hands. He put his arms over his head and sobbed into his robe. The pain and turmoil within came out with every tear. He felt weak so he took out the second bottle of sake and drank that one too. He had never drank two bottles in one night, but then again he never thought he could feel this bad. He blacked out...

Kagome's POV

Kagome decided she was going to go bathe in the spring after she had finished eating.

"What out the lech is still out there somewhere, Kagome." Sango said with spite in her voice. Kagome skipped down the trail but she stopped dead in her tracks when she heard something strange coming from over by a large tree. She couldn't quite make out what it was at first but then she realized it was a moan...not of pleasure, but wrought of pain. Kagome was a little weary of exploring it at first but she was determined to help out whatever it was over by that tree. She cautiously stepped closer, twigs snapping beneath her feet.

"Hello?" she said softly as she stepped around to see what was on the other side of the tree. When she saw who it was she immediately gasped.

"Miroku...oh my gosh are you ok?" He smiled a little bit. And tried to sit up a little straighter.

"Hi, pretty lady...what's your name?" Kagome looked at him like he was stupid...

"Miroku, it's me Kagome." At first he still looked puzzles and then the realization set in on who it was and it brought him back to pseudo-reality.

"Kagome...what have done? I'm so sorry, I never meant for you to see this." He started sobbing again. Kagome put her arms around her sad friend and asked him what was bothering him. He told her about how Sango beat him and the words she said, and that he couldn't love her anymore, she causes him too much pain. He told her that he'd been drinking for a while and that he felt it was the only way to forget about her. When he was done he looked up at her, his eyes still filled with sorrow, glistened in the moonlight. Kagome didn't know what came over her but she leaned down and kissed him. A wave of heat hit Miroku like a bag of bricks, 'Kagome is kissing ME?' Is what soared through his mind. 'She's never even kissed Inuyasha!' Not 2 seconds after that thought crossed his mind did he get ripped away from Kagome and hit in the face, HARD. Sango had grabbed Kagome and tossed her aside and then back handed Miroku in the face. The next words said came hard.

"I HATE you!" followed by boot to his face... "and I hope you DIE!" She picked up his staff and hit him in the side of the face with it. She turned to Kagome, "You can have him." Then walked off fuming back towards the camp site. Kagome crawled back over to Miroku who had his head in his hands again, Kagome noticed the blood running down his arms.

"Miroku, look at me." He slowly lifted his head and she saw the deep wound on his cheek and the gash in his head. The blood was soaking his black hair, he was bleeding profusely.

"I'm so sorry this is all my fault Miroku, I'm going to go get my medicine bag, I'll be right back." He nodded, his vision was blurry he watched Kagome trot off through the woods before he saw a dark shadow step in front of her and then grab her by her fragile, pale throat and lift her off the ground.

"Noooooooo! Kagome!" He screamed as he lost consciousness.