When Night Falls
Disclaimer: how many times do I have to tell you people, I don't own Inuyasha!
Finally, I bring you chapter 4! I would expect chapter 5 in a week or so, but in the meantime, enjoy this! These next two chapters will focus largely on the relationship between Miroku and Sango.
JWink: Ah, thank you!
Sangonesan: I know, there are those moments where I write a whole scene, then I'm like, "Crap! I forgot Shippo!"
YamiTai: Was this fast enough? I hope so…
Xxxroxyxxx: Cliffies… eh heh…
Unwired mascot: I like your father already! AS far as the characterization thing goes, yes, Ginta and Hakkaku have a more primitive style of speaking, however they are not stupid. They just kinda seem that way. Other than that, there has not been a great opportunity to reflect those attributes, and, if your basing that off anime, a lot of that is based off of the way they speak, not the words they use. This is, of course, difficult to duplicate in a story format. And yes, Miroku's way of speaking is generally more formal, but it tends to be not so much when he is talking to his companions. His formality is generally used when he is hitting on Sango or some other girl, or when he is attempting to weasel his way into or out of something. I definitely agree on the larger lexicon, I've heard (rather, read) Miroku use words I don't understand. And yes, the English dub anime is rather unreliable. I also agree that there aren't enough Miroku/Sango moments.
Veglma: Who's Hime? Glad you liked it!
Medlii: That's why I write cliffies! Finally! Someone understands! But y'know, it also keeps me interested in writing this too.
Silver Mirror: Thanks!
Ch. 4: A Frightful Night, Pt. 1
By noon of the next day, Inuyasha and Co. had left Kaede's for a more northward goal. Inuyasha and Kagome's reaction to Miroku's less-than-wonderful news had been oddly calm, however. Of course, Shippo had gone into his usual fit of intense fear and rambling, though that had been effectively cured by a swift whack over the head, courtesy of our beloved hanyou. After the fluff-ball that was Shippo had been silenced (and a few "osuwari's" compliment of Kagome), Inuyasha and Kagome had both agreed that the best solution would be to face this thing head-on, as there really weren't any other options to the matter.
So here they were, walking stupidly into immense danger as the skies above them became darker with every step they made. Kagome had reached into her impossibly large book bag and pulled out something she called a "watch", which she said would enable them to tell time in the darkness by pressing a little button on the side which caused the main portion to glow an ominous green. Miroku seemed very wary of everything that surrounded them, his eyes shifting from side to side and his shakujou clutched firmly in his left hand.
"What's wrong, Houshi-sama?" asked Sango, noticing this.
"Nothing, I just have to get used to my sixth sense being this weak," he responded, "I feel very vulnerable this way…"
"Don't worry!" said Kagome from in front of them, "We'll make sure that nothing hurts you so long as we're here!"
"Right," Sango confirmed.
Miroku chuckled. "I wasn't really worried about that," he said, "I'm just not accustomed to this. But, thanks."
Ayame shuffled nervously through the cave that Koga had showed her to. Where was he anyway? She had been looking for him earlier, but had been unable to locate him. She couldn't even catch any hint of his smell. She heard a rustling at the cave entrance and turned to see the dark silhouettes of to wolf demons walking towards her.
"Lady Ayame, have you seen Koga?" The voice was Ginta's. Ayame figured the other must be Hakkaku.
"No," she said, shaking her head, "I was just looking for him, but I couldn't find him anywhere."
"I don't like this…" said Hakkaku, "We can't smell him at all, and Koga wouldn't go too far away without letting someone know."
Ayame nodded, "Something is definitely weird. We should go look for him, he could be in trouble."
"Right," nodded the two wolves as they followed Ayame out of the cave.
It had been a long time since Inuyasha and Co. had left Kaede's. The trip so far had been almost disappointingly uneventful. All of them (except for, perhaps, Inuyasha) were beginning to feel wary from walking. Checking her watch, Kagome discovered it was nearly eight o'clock.
"We should be finding someplace to rest," she said. It wouldn't be long until it was impossible to see anything at all.
Miroku and Sango nodded, both visibly tired. Inuyasha did not answer, perhaps for fear of what came out of his mouth would result in him eating more dirt than he liked to consume on a daily basis. Either way, they stopped at the next town that they came across.
"Let's try to find an Inn," said Kagome.
Walking through the village, they noticed something was not quite right. It was empty. It appeared that humans were now fleeing southward also. They came across an inn and, just like the rest of the town, it was abandoned.
"I guess we get to sleep for free tonight," remarked Sango.
"You think we should take separate rooms for once?" asked Kagome.
"No," Miroku spoke up. His answer received a glare from Sango. "Let me explain!" he gave a nervous laugh and held his hands up defensively. "We'd be best to use one room, because if anything happens the others will know about it. It's safer that way."
Sango's glare faded from her face and she consented. Inuyasha found a large room which they all entered, throwing their supplies carelessly into the corner.
"So tired…" groaned Kagome as she flopped down on one of the four futons in the room. Shippo bounded onto the bed and snuggled up to the schoolgirl, who wrapped her arms around the kitsune. (a/n: Who here would like to hug Shippo? I would! And I'm a guy, that's just how cute he is.)
Sango and Miroku also each took their own futon, but Inuyasha refused to sleep in one, and instead propped himself up against a wall.
"G'night," said Kagome.
"'Night," yawned Miroku, Shippo, and Sango's voices in response.
And with that, they all drifted quietly off into peaceful slumber.
But, alas, as is the ways of life (and of this author) the peaceful moments are always cut short. For the second night in a row, Inuyasha and Co. were awakened from sleep, but this time it was not Sango's screaming, but by a steady shaking of the very earth that they slept on.
"Ugh, what was that?" moaned a sleepy Kagome.
"Just an earthquake," grunted Inuyasha.
As he said that, however, the ground shook once more, this time shaking the Houshi and the Taijiya from their dreams.
Sango groaned, "An earthquake?"
"Felt like it," Miroku answered. He looked around the room. It was so dark; he could just barely see the glow of Kagome's watch as she checked it, but nothing else. Staggering to his feet he searched blindly for a lamp of candle.
"That was the second one," said Kagome to Sango.
"Was it just the aftershock?"
"No, it was just as big as the first."
"That's odd,"
Just then light flooded the room and they turned to see Miroku standing over an oil lamp, a box of Kagome's matches clutched in his hand.
"Figured we could use some light," he said.
Unfortunately, it didn't help much that another earthquake shook, knocking the lamp to the floor. The oil spread over the dirt surface, and went up in a great flame before dying down into nothingness.
"Okay…" mumbled Miroku, just glad he hadn't been caught in the flames.
"These earthquakes are really beginning to worry me…" said Sango.
Kagome was busy fumbling blindly through her book bag. She finally found what she was looking for and pulled out two flashlights. She lit one and the others turned to the source of light.
"What is that?" asked Miroku.
"It's a flashlight. You push this little button and light comes out, it works kinda like my watch," Kagome explained.
At that moment Inuyasha suddenly shot up from his seat against the wall, just as another earthquake shook the earth.
"What is it, Inuyasha?" asked Kagome.
"I smell a demon," he growled, "and it's coming, fast."
As if some alarm went off Kagome retrieved her arrows, Miroku his shakujou, and Sango stripped off her outer robes to reveal her Taijiya outfit, before slinging Hiraikotsu over her shoulder. Kirara readied herself by her master's feet, and Shippo took his usual perch on Kagome's shoulder.
"How close is it?" asked Kagome in little more then a whisper.
"Really close," Inuyasha drew his Tetsusaiga.
The ground under their feet began to steadily shake. Trees outside the window toppled under some unknown force.
"It's here," Inuyasha hissed.
And then the rumbling stopped. Everyone looked around confusedly.
Damn, Miroku thought, I wish I could sense this thing...
"Where'd it go?" asked Shippo curiously.
As if on cue, the ground at their feet erupted. Kagome screamed and the flashlight flew out of her hand. Inuyasha dashed protectively in front of her. And yet, whatever it had been was no longer in the room.
"Where is it?" squeeked Kagome.
"Close," muttered Inuyasha, "I can smell it. But it ain't here."
"Will it come back…?"
"I dunno."
"We'd best go and search for it," Miroku spoke up, "If not, this thing could cause us some trouble.
"Yes, we'd don't know when it could come back," Sango agreed. Miroku noticed she didn't look up. She kept her eyes glued to the floor.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"K-Kirara's gone…" she mumbled.
"What?"
"Whatever the hell that thing was, it took Kirara."
Miroku looked concernedly at the young Taijiya.
"Well, we have to find her," said Kagome.
"Agreed," Miroku nodded, "Don't worry Sango, Kirara's tough, we'll find her."
Sango just nodded.
"Allright," said Kagome as she picked up the fumbled flashlights, "We should go in pairs, for safety. Here," she approached, handing Miroku and Sango each a flashlight, "Take these." Kagome didn't even have to ask to know that Miroku and Sango would pair up.
"But what about you?" asked Miroku, eyeing his flashlight suspiciously.
"We have Shippo," she answered, smiling at the kitsune on her shoulder, "his fox fire will light the way."
"You got it Kagome!" chirped the fox youkai. With a snap of his fingers he created a small bluish-green flame that burned brightly.
"Let's go already," Inuyasha said.
"Allright," said Kagome, and the two groups went their separate ways.
Miroku swung his flashlight over the southern side of the inn.
"How could something like that just disappear?" he wondered.
"I don't know," Sango answered, "but I don't like it."
"Me neither. Damn, I wish I could sense it!"
"Miroku, I don't think there's a need to."
"What do you mean?"
His eyes went to the point where Sango's flashlight was pointed. There was something large and gray hidden amongst the bushes, its eyes reflecting the light menacingly. Suddenly, the beast charged from the bushes, directly at Sango. She was only saved when Miroku rammed his shoulder into her and they fell out of its path. It skidded to a halt about twenty feet away from them. Lifting his flashlight, Miroku got a good look at the demon. It looked somewhat canine, though its head was somewhat serpent like. Sprouting from its shoulder blades were four, long tentacle-like appendages.
He and Sango clumsily rose to their feet. Sango readied to throw the Hiraikotsu.
"Don't kill it," whispered Miroku.
"Why not?" Sango hissed.
"If you do, we'll never find out what it did with Kirara."
Sango paused, and reluctantly tossed the Hiraikotsu aside. At this sudden motion, the beast let out a roar and charged again. Miroku plucked an ofuda from his robe and threw it, but it fluttered harmlessly to the ground.
"Oh fuck," he muttered. Damn powers! "Sango, run!"
Sango nodded and swept up the Hiraikotsu as they darted out of the demon's way.
"Where do we go?" she asked.
"Inside! It won't be able to charge so well in a confined space!"
The dashed into the inn and Miroku shut the door behind them.
"Why the hell are you shutting doors? We want it to find us!"
"When it rips the paper we'll hear it coming and won't be completely unprepared!"
They ran into one of the smaller rooms and Miroku shut that door also.
"Now we wait."
Miroku closed his eyes and listened carefully. It was quiet, but he heard the first door of paper rip as the demon went through it. It was then that he noticed Sango was clutching tightly onto the fabric of his robes.
"Scared, eh?" he chuckled.
"What? No!" exclaimed Sango, promptly realizing the position of her hands and removing them.
A long time passed and they didn't hear another sound.
"Damn, where is it!" whispered Miroku.
"Maybe it left…"
Then, as it had earlier, the ground on the other side of the room erupted. Miroku felt a long, slender object wrap around his leg, and with a yank he was being pulled towards the hole in the ground from the eruption.
"Gah! Sango!" he yelled. The flashlight tumbled from his hand and spun until it was facing the hole, illuminating the tentacle that held Miroku.
Jumping forward, Sango grasped his hand. "Houshi-sama!" She couldn't hold on much longer. His fingers began to slip from hers.
"Sango…"
"Dammit, don't let go Houshi-sama!"
But it was too late. With a great tug, Miroku was yanked from Sango's grasp. He clawed desperately at the ground, but to no avail. In the blink of an eye he was gone.
"HOUSHI-SAMA!"
End Chapter 4.
Oh no! What's going to happen to Miroku?
Review and find out!