"So you all came here to learn about the spell of disclosure, eh?" said old Monk Moushin rubbing the stubble on his chin. "Hm, the spell of disclosure?" he repeated thoughtfully.
Tensely, Human Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango all leaned forward to hear what the old man had to say about this mysterious spell they were all afflicted with and which had split Inuyasha in two. Their eyes were hopeful, their breath bated.
"The spell of disclosure," said Mushin repeating himself. "About that…"
Desperately the quartet clustered together to glean the monk's valuable knowledge.
"Hm never heard of it," he said.
The sound of four persons hitting the floor could be heard. Music to my ears. Human Inuyasha was the first to rise off the floor.
"What do you mean you've never heard of it!" he said punching old Mushin on the head.
"Now, now, calm down young man," said Mushin gesturing his hand downwards.
"I can see now where Miroku gets that attitude," said Inuyasha mildly.
"Yeah," said Kagome agreeing with him.
"Heh," said Miroku sighing.
Slouching back down to the floor so that he had a comfortable reclining position, Mushin scratched his belly and lifted a jar of sake to his mouth, slurping it down hungrily.
"It won't do you any good yelling at me for what I didn't know," said Mushin rubbing a finger along the side of his liquor-induced red nose (gah! Yuck.) "I told you already I don't know anything about it. Except…"
"What you meant except!" shouted Kagome angrily. Her turn-around time was like five seconds.
"Oops, sorry about that!" said Kagome gesturing wildly. "What I really mean is that I would really, really like is for you to tell us all about it!"
"Yeah, and get to the point already," said three simultaneous voices, the effect of which was very scary.
Sitting back, Mushin straightened up and shook of the fright that his half-crazed companions had given him. He looked up at them with a determination that would have made Kagome's Ji-chan proud. "There's only one thing to do about being able to lie to people, and that is…"
"Yes, yes?" said Kagome.
"Practice!" declared Mushin. Everyone fell over again.
"What do you mean practice?" yelled Kagome looking like she was about to deck Mushin out.
"Jeez Kags, chill," said Human Inuyasha standing beside her. "Though you look hot getting sweaty like that. I would like to lick you with my…."
"Don't finish that!" said Sango gripping her hands over human Inuyasha's mouth.
"Hey! Let him finish it!" shouted Demon Inuyasha who was loitering in a tree somewhere. "Who's the pervert now!" The air suddenly became permeated with cat whistles.
"Ah damn," Kagome groaned. This was getting worse all the time.
"Look, the important thing now," said Sango suddenly breaking in surprising her, "is to get this spell over with. I don't want to go telling everyone things like how I think you're a bitch getting the hot one." Sango immediately clapped a hand over her mouth and tears ran in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry Kagome-chan," she said starting to sob.
"Hey! Don't worry ladies because there's plenty of me to go around now!" called Demon Inuyasha from a tree.
"Yeah, who asked you!" shouted Kagome up at him. She turned her not so sweet eyes on Sango. "And I want you to know that I think you're a bitch stealing all my nice floral shampoos."
"Do you think we should stop them Inuyasha?" said Miroku leaning over them curiously.
"Nah," said Human Inuyasha. "Women get in these sorts of things all the time."
"Who asked you!" shouted Kagome and Sango simultaneously preparing to pounce on him.
"Eeep!" shouted Human Inuyasha preparing to run away.
"Come now ladies!" Miroku called at them. "You and I both know that our dear Inuyasha is a sweet, agreeable man underneath that exterior and would never deserve being beat up by such lovely ladies such as yourself."
"Miroku," said Human Inuyasha clearly. "That was a lie."
"Of course it was!" said Miroku waving his hand dismissively.
"No, what I mean Miroku dammit is that you lied! You were able to do that while the rest of us have been sputtering out our mouths."
"Come to think about it," said Sango flashing back. "Wait a minute, back when you were chorusing about stealing clothes from a bathhouse. You told me, 'it's nothing Sango," didn't you?"
"You're right," said Kagome wonderously. "Maybe that means the spell will wear off after a while or that Miroku is such a good liar he outdid the spell.
"I am guilty of no such deception," said Miroku boastfully. "I have a clean conscious and my morals are pure." He waved out his hand in a Shakespearean way for emphasis.
"Give it a rest Miroku," said Human Inuyasha glaring.
"Right. Heh heh," said Miroku nervously.
"Sheesh," said Human Inuyasha. "Maybe Miroku does it so much he can't even tell the difference between when he's lying and when he's not."
"Hm. Could be," said Monk Mushin rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Now listen to me! The way for you to break this spell is to repeat after me! Naraku is my girlfriend! He's the most adorable man I've seen in my life!"
"Ew, I am not repeating that!" said Human Inuyasha hanging out his tongue.
"Me neither, seeing I have no need for it," said Miroku holding out his hand in prayer. Ah yes, thank the Buddha indeed!
Kagome and Sango looked at each other.
"I really wanna break this spell," Sango said.
"Me too," said Kagome. "Especially since I might tell Inuyasha what you tattooed on the back of head."
"What the hell?" said both Inuyashas screaming and rummaging around in their hair to find evidence of sabatoge.
The afternoon passed by poorly. It was an anxious day, full of anxious feelings.
Everyone longed for night, yet at the same time they feared it. Despite practicing on lying and tearing Mushin's temple up from top to bottom to find some useful scroll, nothing could be found to solve their problem.
So night came, anxieties unresolved and only building. Everyone snapped at each other, everyone flirted, everyone had eyes filled with uncried tears of sadness. That is except for Demon Inuyasha whom seemed not to have been born with that ability as far as he was concerned.
"Oh come on Inuyasha," said Kagome wagging a finger. "Even dogs have that ability. I've seen vets wash out their eyes before. I know they have tear ducts."
"Keh wench," said Demon Inuyasha rudely. "Did it ever occur to you that dogs express sadness in other ways than tears? Like whimpering or whining? I've been complaining to you all along but you never noticed."
"But why does Shippo cry then? And all those hanyou children we met on the isle? And then…"
"Keh Kagome," said Inuyasha sniffily. "Shippo could be putting on the act mostly. Besides, I'm different from them. I learned not to cry. I couldn't, not when I was only a half-demon. I had to be strong enough to make up for it."
"So you did cry then," said Kagome curiously.
Inuyasha shrugged. "I guess I did cry once or twice. It's just been so long that I've forgotten."
"Inuyasha," said Kagome quietly. "I wish I could cuddle up with you all night."
"Is that a demand mate?" said Demon Inuyasha flashing a toothy grin up at her.
"No it is not," said Miroku suddenly blocking Kagome from view. "We mustn't forget Inuyasha that Kagome is still a pure miko and must remain as such for a little longer. I beg you to be patient."
"I love you Miroku," said Kagome smiling, lowering his arm from her. Her eyes turned into the wrath of the gods. "And hate you infinitely times more."
"You're very welcome Kagome-sama," said Miroku shuffling off laughing that nervous laugh again.
"Er, well goodnight Inuyasha," said Kagome. "Will you be sleeping in the tree again tonight?"
"Yeah," said Demon Inuyasha throatily. "Like the Monk said, I can wait a little longer. After all, I'm immortal so time means little to me. It's the mortal who's impatient. But then again, I understand. I am quite a burden on him."
Kagome nodded. "So you'll be sleeping in that tree? It's the best thing though I wish we weren't so far apart, both of your halves."
"Don't worry about me," Demon Inuyasha said rolling over on his tree branch so that he was resting comfortably.
"Well good night Inuyasha," said Kagome.
Kagome returned to the fireside and sighed.
"Are you okay Kagome," said Human Inuyasha looking over at her. Anxiously, he pushed the locks of her hair out of her face.
"Why Inuyasha," said Kagome happily. "That's so sweet of you."
"Yeah, err, well I suppose it's because I can't stop myself right now. Before I could… always pretend you didn't matter to me at all, but I can't do that anymore."
"Awe!" said Kagome clapping her hands together. "If that isn't the sweetest thing I've ever heard from you!"
"Hum. I don't doubt it," said Human Inuyasha blushing with his hands and feet tucked in his robes as if he could hide all of himself that way.
"Now aren't you adorable," said Miroku leaning over to look at the two. "But don't forget Kagome-sama. The same warning applies to the two of you."
"Damn chaperone," Kagome muttered to herself before walking over to her sleeping bag and getting in.
In dark of the forest, Demon Inuyasha had just managed to get some of the dirt and sticks out of his hair and had selected a tree further away from the fire ring in case of Kagome got it in her head to dish out any more sit commands.
"Damn mate," said Demon Inuyasha wrathfully. "She's a damn bitch and I hate it as much as I love it. We'll see about this when I finally get her right where I want her. What's the matter with her anyway? Doesn't she know that most strong demon males have more than one female? I'm not a freakin' wolf ya know." Demon Inuyasha settled himself back on a tree and tried to sleep.