I know that it's been longer than I usually take but school started. I'm just glad I just didn't lose interest because school started.

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The Princess and the Pup

Acquaintances

A young man sat under the small waterfall. He seemed to be meditating. Obviously, he was soaked. The man emitted a small noise that by a large enough distance would sound like humming but in reality...he was snoring.

" 'Ey, get up!" An old man screamed at him, not fooled. By his slurring and his face color you could tell he was drunk.

The young man opened his eyes. They were violet like a glove like garmet that was rapped around his hand and kept there by prayer beads. His hair was black and had a small ponytail.

"Drunk already? The sun's barely up!" The boy scolded the drunkard.

"That's irrele...irrele...not the point I'm trying to make!" He slurred trying to pronounce 'irrelevant.' "You are supposed to be training to become a monk, Miroku! Not sleeping!" Miroku tried to respond but the drunkard kept talking. "Do you think your father, Miyatsu, slept while training!"

Miroku closed his mouth and took in what he had said. His father was able to become a great monk, and still found time to flirt around. If his father could...he can! Well, at least not sleep while training.

"Now get up! We're going to collect firewood!" The old man stated. By 'we', of course, he meant Miroku.

Miroku grunted as he stood up. His body ached. "Stupid Muushin, can't get off his lazy......" Miroku continued his sentence and trailed on like that in a similiar style. He saw Muushin go back inside the small home located by the waterfall. Miroku had barely stood straight up before he heard loud snoring. Knowing how his god-father slept he knew he had enough time to go to the near by village. He probably would wake up and forget he ever asked Miroku to get firewood.

Miroku put on his monk's robe once he had changed his underclothing. It just wasn't comfortable wearing those wet clothes all day.

"I have a feeling that today is going to be a long day."

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Miroku just dragged himself toward the village today. He usually tried to make the best of his time while Muushing slept but today he just didn't care. The monk didn't care if Muushin yelled at him all night long it just didn't seem to bother him.

Miroku saw smoke coming from the village. The possibilities ran through his head as to what was happening so he finally quickened his pace. There was a crowd gathered around the house that was producing the smoke.

Miroku eyes were distracted from the building as she saw an attractive woman holding what looked to be a rather large boomerang. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Miroku saw her chocolate brown eyes focused intently on the building. She was obviously a demon-slayer.

Though he knew this he walked over to her. "What is going on here miss?" Trying to sound clueless.

Her eyes kept on the building. "This is a demon in this household. We'r...I am trying to get it out by smoking the house."

Miroku eyes darted back toward the house. He could now he the demon yelping from inhaling the smoke. The noises stopped so both Miroku and the demon-slayer knew it had left the building. The demon-slayer's hand flew to her weapon. Miroku held the staff he held, ready to strike. They saw no demon though it had left. Miroku, now, knew why. He looked down at the ground and saw a small lizard sliding toward the demon-slayer. Miroku quickly smashed the lizard with the bottom of his staff. The demon-slayer turned when she heard him laughing.

"What is it." She said more as a demand then a question.

Miroku showed her the end of his staff. "It was just a small little lizard demon." The demon-slayer slapped her forhead with frustration.

"I stopped on my way to the castle to exterminate this?" She sneered, her teeth gritted. What she said caught his interest.

"Your going to the castle? Why are you going to the castle?" Miroku asked very curiously.

"The King has hired me to exterminate a demon in the castle." She told him.

"Why don't the guards kill the demon?"

"This demon is special, Monk. The Princess has befriended it."

"I see."

"Now that this mess is cleaned, I better be going there."

"Wait." Miroku stopped her. "May I come with you."

"What?" She replied, not sure she heard him right.

"I asked if I may accompany you to the castle?" Miroku repeated slowly. She nearly spoke when he interrupted. "Do you know where the castle is?" The demon-slayer was silent for a moment.

"You may come, Monk. But if you become a burden I will drop you." The demon-slayer agreed and threatened.

"Deal. Besides, what could a monk like me possibly do?"

By now Miroku had already been slapped countless times. The demon-slayer, named Sango, was extremely angered with him but didn't want to admit she didn't know where the castle is.

"So..." Miroku started, trying to get a conversation flowing. "What else to you know about the demon?"

Sango gazed coldly at the monk making sure he wasn't up to his usual self. "Apparently the King has been keeping Kagome, against her will in the castle."

"Tell me something I don't know."

Her expression got colder at his interruption. "Somehow, she was able to get the hold of a key to exit the castle. She has been leaving the castle the past few days and exploring around the village right outside the castle. There she met some demon that had been hiding his identity as a human. Somehow, she became good friends with the demon. If the King's knights were to exterminate the demon it would only anger his daughter more, but..." Miroku knew this is where she came in. "If a demon-slayer had heard of a demon within the kingdom it would be up to get rid of it."

"I didn't know the King was so..." He searched for a word. "Cruel." Sango raised an eyebrow. "Just think about it. First, he didn't allow his daughter out his watch. Then when she was able to get out of the castle and befriend someone, demon though he be, he wants him killed."

Sango was silent for a long moment. "Even so, I was hired to exterminate the demon and I will. I know that it is wrong and it very cruel, I agree, I just have to do it."

Miroku saw the tears in Sango's eyes and decided not to press the subject.

The castle came into view. They were still quite a ways away though. Miroku and Sango still had to go through the forest ahead and the village.

The forest seem to go by quickly until they came into something both of them thought was very odd.

There was a what appeared to be a home right in the middle of the forest.

I am so sorry about the long wait before the update but school just started like I know you know. I had to get this up so that I can do my homework before New Year's Revolution. Till next time.