~Freak Attraction: Seven-Man Circus~

Chapter Three: From Both Sides

The slap of sandals against packed dirt woke Inuyasha from sleep, and for a moment he wondered where he was. It didn't take long to realize that the slight give of the bed beneath him was not his usual futon on the floor of Kagome's guestroom. Not that he slept on it much, preferring to sit up against the wall… which he was most certainly not doing now. He hardly had a moment to remember why Kagome had been snuggled so securely against him before the footsteps were right outside their tent and he was forced to meet them. Sweeping aside the flap of fabric before the would-be intruder could, Inuyasha was met with a surprising visitor. He had been expecting one of the seven circus performers – instead he found himself facing a half-demon.

Inuyasha stared warily at the man who looked past him with dark, vacant eyes. He remembered – this was the man who became a demon when the sun went down. Inuyasha couldn't recall what Jakotsu had called him, but he wouldn't have used the title even if he knew. "What d'you want?"

"You and your wife are to dress and meet the Seven Gods in the center ring. They will give you your tasks and begin your training."

Ignoring the use of the seven humans' presumptuous title, Inuyasha found himself more interested in the state of the messenger than in the message he was giving. There was something… wrong with him. His words were without intonation or feeling; not that he needed to be showy about it, but something in his stare was unsettling. It had been bothering him since they first saw the show. But he would be patient and wait for the answer, as Kagome had planned. Despite every bone in his body wanting to pound the truth out of their strange hosts, he knew there were more lives than his own at stake, and he didn't yet know what to expect of these circus-men. Waiting-game or no however, their research had to start somewhere.

"What's your name?"

The glassy-eyed half-demon didn't so much as blink at the question, responding in that same monotone as before "I am called Izumo."

There was a frightening sense of detachment with the name, and Inuyasha found himself starting to really worry over the man's predicament. On the surface there was nothing wrong – his completely human appearance showed no signs of illness or fatigue, though… perhaps he seemed a little stiffer than should be normal. As more and more questions filled Inuyasha's mind, the man turned to go, but a hasty "Wait!" from Inuyasha made him pause.

Mouth open as he searched for the words, Inuyasha finally settled on a question that seemed innocuous enough. "Do you know what I am?"

Izumo stared at him without any sort of emotion and said in a voice as dead as his eyes "You're a monster." There was no mockery in his words, no hatred or disgust, just a serenity that left Inuyasha wondering whether Izumo knew what he had even said.

"What do you think, Miroku?"

The former monk's wandering eyes snapped back to the dark haired girl before him, her demon cat curled contently on her lap as their train rolled along. The pinkish ladies with mounds of hair and tightly cinched dresses had been distracting his attention for quite some time, and it took him a moment to remember just where there conversation had been headed.

"I just hope Inuyasha doesn't do anything too rash" he responded with a frown. He caught the eye of a red-haired western lady down the aisle and gave her a wink, setting her giggling as the mustached man beside her bristled. Turning back to the scolding look of his companion, he continued in more serious tones "I believe Kagome staying with him is for the best. She'll keep him from making too much of an uproar. I can only imagine what it was like for him to see such mistreatment of others half-demons… but the situation is delicate."

"I agree" Sango said shortly, glancing out the window at the rushing world of green outside, "Kagome probably has her hands full keeping him in line… I wonder though why she didn't want us trying to meet up!"

Miroku folded his arms in thought, staring absently at the indigo of his borrowed robe as he said "Apparently as a precaution. I doubt Kagome had a real plan in mind. Waiting for them to contact us is risky, especially since we don't know where they'll be."

Sango met his gaze with piqued interest. "So you're saying we should look for them?"

"What I'm saying is that we should gather as much information as we can. Even though we don't know their plan, we'll be of more use to them and those half-demons if we're privy to the situation."

She stared at him for a moment, and then her lip quirked into a knowing smile as she said "So we're visiting the circus?"

His responding grin was deceptively casual as Miroku answered "It's really the only way to know what's going on for sure."

"Not slacking off again, are you Miroku?"

"Now whatever gave you that idea!"

Kagome stumbled slightly as she crept around a stack of crates, crying out quietly as the contents of the heavy pot she carried nearly sloshed over the edge. Pausing for a moment while the warm stew settled again, she blew a sigh of relief and continued on toward the cages lined up against a high wooden fence. The occupants of the cages were still and silent, and seemingly asleep. Her heart fell a little to think she would have to interrupt what little peace they had, but she couldn't let them starve. She was sure they'd understand.

The first cage was of the lavender-haired girl; her black robe was wrapped tightly around her slim frame, the soft glow of the red crystal she carried illuminating her dark face beneath the folds of fabric. Kagome stood for a moment, simply observing her, feeling her heart constrict. Aside from the strange crystal and unusual shade of her hair, there was nothing 'monstrous' about her. She was a lovely young girl, and looked as though she might have been happy once; but even in sleep she was tense, and her fingers clutching the red orb were white-knuckled from her grip.

Clearing her throat with a cough, Kagome said hesitantly, in a soft voice still loud enough to be heard "Excuse me… miss! I've brought food."

A violent gasp tore from her throat as the young girl's eyes shot open. There was no emotion as she slowly turned to face Kagome, her eyes clouded over as they had been on stage the night before. Choosing to ignore the odd behavior, Kagome put on her kindest smile and lifted the pot of stew a little higher for the girl to see. "I've brought lunch! I'm afraid it's cooled down on the trip, but it should still be good!" When there was no reaction from the half-demon girl, Kagome's smile fell.

"She won't answer you."

Kagome jumped at the unexpected and unfamiliar voice, frantically looking about to find its owner. It was a moment or so before she realized that another pair of eyes was focused on her: big and blue and unnaturally round. It was the giant half-demon, the one Jakotsu had called an 'ogre'. His cage was the last in line, and even though it towered over the others, he sat tightly hunched inside it.

He looked away sharply when her eyes lingered on his, but before he could clam up entirely she asked "What do you mean? Why won't she answer?"

The half-demon looked startled that she had replied, and he didn't respond right away. Glancing back and forth from her to the ground, he shifted in his enclosure and said in a deep but gentle voice "It's a trance she's under. They're all under it. They won't answer unless directed to by the gods."

His words were so matter-of-fact that Kagome almost let it be - until she realized just who he was talking about. "They're not 'gods' you know." Her voice was laced with irritation, and her brows pinched as she set down her pot of food and walked up to the large cage and its occupant. The half-demon cowered as she approached, and Kagome stopped dead in her tracks to realize that the larger-than-life demon was afraid of her.

"What's your name?"

Her gently uttered question had the desired effect; the tension left his shoulders and he turned wide eyes back to her expectant face. "J-Jinenji" he said softly, and her smile grew.

"Nice to meet you, Jinenj! I'm Kagome!" She bent sharply in a quick bow, but when she rose to face her new friend, he had turned his back on her. Frowning in confusion, she opened her mouth to say something when his deep voice cracked through the air "You shouldn't do that." Blue eyes peaked over his shoulder at her as he continued "I don't deserve your kindness. You should fear me! I'm a monster."

Kagome would have scoffed if she hadn't thought it might further upset the sensitive half-demon. "You're not a monster – how could you say such a thing?"

Jinenji turned fully to face her again, and with quiet conviction said "I am a monster. All you have to do is look at me to know the truth."

"You're a half-demon" Kagome countered, her tone firm and eyes full of fire. "You have demon blood in your veins, as well as human. You may have demonic traits, but you're carrying on a conversation with me, just like any human would, aren't you?"

His large, horse-like mouth hung open in shock, and stammering he said "Y-you know about half-demons?"

With a bit of humor in her voice, she replied wryly "Jinenji, I was trapped in a demon circus for almost a month – I'm well aware that demons exist. And besides…" she felt her cheeks warm a bit, but plowed on in as convincing a tone as she could "Besides, my… my husband is a half-demon."

Jinenji didn't seem to notice her blush through his shock. "Y-you're serious? You actually married a half-demon?"

She was stunned by the awe in his voice, and she stopped for a moment to think on what she'd told him, and what it must have meant. "I did" she said thickly, "I love him." Kagome boldly held Jinenjis' watery blue gaze, desperately eager for him to believe her story. Not the cover story they had created, but the truth behind it: that half-demons were worthy of love, and that there were people willing to bestow it. More than anything, in this place she needed someone to believe that with her.

Eventually the intensity fell from his gaze, and Kagome saw the smallest of smiles lift his large mouth. "I'm very happy to meet you… Kagome."

As a smile of her own lit her face, Kagome turned back to fetch the forgotten pot of soup, and returned to ladle some into Jinenji's proffered bowl. "I'm sorry, it's probably cooled down by now…" she crinkled her nose at the tang of sour vegetables and continued "I hope it tastes better than it smells."

"That would be a first" Jinenji said softly, gratefully accepting a full bowl all the same. He set it down in a nook of space beside him and said hesitantly "Kagome? Will you… will you be taking care of us from now on?"

"That's right" she answered distractedly, reaching into the cage beside him for the dirty bowl belonging to the still-sleeping boy with ram's horns. "Who was taking care of you before? One of the performers?"

"No," Jinenji answered, watching as she brushed old bits of food from the bowl before refilling it, "the gods don't really bother with us when we're not on stage. It was Izumo – he's the half-demon who transforms at night. They control him to do their bidding, and since he's a human during the day, he can run errands for them in town. They don't usually leave the compound."

Kagome hummed absently, taking every piece of information she could and tucking it away to discuss later with Inuyasha. There had to be a hint somewhere as to how they could take down those 'gods'. Reaching the next cage, she paused to find the little mermaid-girl not in a tank, but behind bars like all the others. She was curled on her side, tiny hands placed under her cheek while she dozed. The scales of her tail looked dull and dingy, and Kagome noticed that the 'skin' didn't quite fit – it creased and folded and sagged, and she was appalled to realize that it was a costume. Real scales covering normal, human-like legs. She burned to free the little girl from the charade, and ached to know that she couldn't – yet.

"It's wrong, what they're doing to you" Kagome muttered, cleaning the little girl's bowl and filling it to the brim, "I can't believe no one's noticed yet."

Jinenji didn't respond, and Kagome was fine with that; she needed time to let her anger simmer. Finished filling the bowls, Kagome turned to see Jinenji still watching her, and meeting his eyes with a smile she said lightly "Well, I guess I'll see you again at dinner-time."

Shaking his head, the half-demon replied "No, you won't see us until after the show. That's when the next meal is."

Indignation flared in her, but Kagome kept her temper down. "Then I'll just have to stop by for a visit." Hefting the now lighter pot by its handle, Kagome began to walk back to the food vendors, but was stopped by Jinenji's timid appeal.

"Miss Kagome… you're not… going to leave us, are you?"

She stopped and turned back to him, seeing the budding hope in his eyes. It was the same sort of look Inuyasha had worn that first night they'd met in Naraku's circus. Her determination steeled even more.

"Don't worry Jinenji. We won't be leaving without any of you."

Inuyasha grunted under the weight of the barbells in his hands, his muscles starting to protest holding up the heavy weights for so long. The sharp clack of sticks told him that test was over, and he gratefully dropped the solid weights to the hard dirt beneath his feet. His eyes narrowed in annoyance as Jakotsu's enthusiastic clapping broke through the air. "Excellent, excellent! You'd make a better strong-man than Bankotsu, if you weren't a freak." The 'god of beauty' crossed the empty patch of dirt to stand beside Inuyasha, who reflexively moved away. "We won't have you do any tricks as of yet" Jakotsu said with a grin, his eyes lighting up with amusement as Inuyasha flinched away, "We'll let the crowds get used to you first, and build you a reputation. Then we'll really wow them!"

Still eyeing the circus performer cautiously, Inuyasha muttered a gruff "Whatever" before stepping decidedly aside to grab his discarded shirt from off a nearby crate. "Are we done then?" he asked, trying to keep his ire in check; he'd nearly blown it several times that morning after some off-putting remarks from his trainer.

Heaving a dramatic sigh, Jakotsu said in melancholy tones "I suppose so. You might as well eat something – you'll be needed back here once the sun starts its descent, for your cage-fitting."

Scoffing, Inuyasha made to pull his leather shirt back on before Jakotsu spoke up "Oh, and Inuyasha?" He paused and turned to see a very unpleasant smile creeping onto the man's face as he continued "We'll work out costume details later, but for tonight, you'll only be needing those hakama. We can't have our "Dog-man" looking too dressed up, now can we?" With one final smirk he turned and wandered round the back of the empty stage, the voices of the other gods rising up to greet him at his approach. Inuyasha sneered at his departing figure, slipping the leather over his frame and tucking it into his hakama before heading off. Sniffing the air intently, he searched under the sea-salt for the familiar scent of Kagome, eager to see her and more than ready for a break from the seven performers.

The circus grounds were quiet and empty aside from a few workers bustling about the front on business, and it wasn't long before Inuyasha picked up on the sweet scent of his favorite person as he neared the food vendor's plaza. He saw her from a distance as she sat at one of the long tables, and her head perked up as she undoubtedly sensed his aura. A grin spread across his face as suddenly she stood and began to run to him, the white of her blouse and the billowy blue skirt she had borrowed from the circus stores giving her an almost ethereal look as she raced across the dirt to him. He didn't realize he was rushing to meet her until she was already in his arms, held tightly as she gripped his waist. "I wasn't gone for that long" he teased, but his teasing mood fell as he realized she was shaking.

"It's awful" she said quietly; her voice was steady, her eyes devoid of tears, but Inuyasha could feel the anger rolling off her in waves. "I wish we could get them all out, right now, but… in their condition…." She broke off with a huff, and Inuyasha pulled away slightly to look down at her and ask "What do you mean? What condition?"

"When I found you, back in Naraku's circus… I don't know, you were still you. You were strong." She shook her head, pausing to gather her thoughts, and continued "You still had a fighting spirit. That's how we were able to escape. I didn't get you out on my own. But these half-demons… their spirits are broken. Most of them can't even think for themselves anymore." Her arms squeezed tighter around him and she laid her head back on his chest, saying in a sad little voice "Even if we did get them out of here, they probably wouldn't even notice the difference."

Her words left him cold, because he understood – he'd seen it in Izumo just that morning. How could you save someone who didn't realize they needed saving? Nudging her shoulder slightly, Inuyasha got Kagome to meet his gaze as he said "It ain't like you to sound so down. How about some chow?"

She smiled slightly, chiding "Always hungry, aren't you?" but he let it slide; he was just happy to have gotten her to smile again.

"There must be a million things to try here" he responded lightly, taking her by the hand and leading her to the stalls, "Anything catch your eye while you were waiting?"

"I wasn't feeling all that hungry," she said with a sigh, "not after talking to the half-demons." There was a pause as Kagome's gaze drifted down to the dirt beneath her feet, and she spoke up "Inuyasha? I want to go visit the half-demons later… with you."

"Of course." His firm reply was just what she needed, and she leaned against him as they walked back to the table she'd been seated at. Seeing the troubled state his girl was in, and knowing it would only get worse as the days went on, Inuyasha decided to take a page out of Kagome's own book, and create a pocket of happiness in their bleak new world. "I tell ya what" he started jovially, and his light-hearted tone caught Kagome off guard as she raised wide eyes to look at him, "there are too many different types of foods here, and it'd take us forever to decide which one to eat. So how about each day we pick a different one? We'll meet here after training, and just go from stand to stand each day until we've sampled a little bit of everything! It'll be like we're world travelers!"

Kagome couldn't help smiling at the infectiously excited tone of his voice. Of course he was eager to try everything, what with a bottomless stomach like his, but she could also tell he was trying to cheer her up, and that meant the world to her. "Alright," she conceded, glancing about the ring of food stalls, "So where do we start?"

"With whatever's closest!" A clawed finger pointed off to their right, where an old woman in a simple Chinese dress sat on a stool, stirring the steaming contents of a large pot. With an imploring smile, Kagome approached the stall and explained their situation, and although the woman never spoke, she seemed to understand as she handed the young girl a large bowl filled to the brim with broth and noodles. Kagome took it with a bow and met Inuyasha at the table, his nose twitching eagerly to catch the aroma of their first experiment with foreign cuisine. His hand shot across the table to grab for the single set of chopsticks she'd brought, but Kagome had anticipated him. The wooden sticks were snatched up before his claws could close around them, a look of triumph branded over Kagome's features.

"Oh no you don't" she chided playfully, wagging a finger at his scowl, "You wanted to share, and that's just what we're going to do." Dipping the sticks into the foggy broth, Kagome swirled them about to catch a clump of thin noodles. Inuyasha's eyes followed every move greedily, his tongue peeking out to wet his lips as Kagome held the dripping noodles over the bowl. It surprised him when, instead of bringing the tasty looking treat to her own mouth, she extended the food out to him. His puzzled gaze peered at her over the mound of food, and with a smile she explained "Since we're married and all…."

He held back his blush, squashing down anything but a neutrally happy response as his insides danced. Sharing food wasn't all that special; feeding each other, in public, was decidedly showy. Even if they actually were married, Inuyasha doubted he'd ever be comfortable enough to be so openly affectionate. But if they didn't play their part well, their bosses might get wise, and their chance of rescuing the half-demons would disappear. So, leaning forward and awkwardly opening his mouth, Inuyasha took the first bite.

There was a brief moment of contemplation before the flavor resonated in his mouth; rich and bright and so nicely salty, he soaked in the taste coating the perfectly cooked noodles, his eyes closing in bliss, his whole body melting with the heavenly experience. He heard Kagome giggle, and opened his eyes to see her smiling behind her hand. "So, are they any good?" She laughed again as his expression turned stern, his eyes bright with mirth as he said briskly "Keep it comin', woman!" She passed another heap of noodles to him before tasting it herself. She hummed appreciatively, saying as she helped him to another serving "At this rate we might not make it to the other food stands!" He scoffed through a mouthful of noodles, swallowing and licking his lips as he said "Who needs anything else? This stuff is amazing!" It was through sheer strength of will that he managed to allow Kagome to share the near-perfect meal; but once the noodles were gone, he wasted no time in bringing the bowl to his lips, slurping up the soup as his 'wife' tried to hide her laughter.

Miroku watched as the last half-demon was wheeled off the stage, the tiny mermaid girl floating listlessly in her tank as water nearly splashed onto the stage. His grip on Sango's hand tightened, Kirara's faint growls still rising up from where the demon cat hid beneath her human's hair. Neither questioned why Inuyasha and Kagome had chosen to stay; this was inexcusable. "It's like feeding night all over again" Sango mumbled beside him, and he turned to her as Benzaiten made his way back on stage, "we're just as helpless as we were then. Just as powerless."

"But that was before we had Inuyasha and Kagome on our side" Miroku said with a smile, catching Sango's eye, "and so long as we keep a low profile, we'll be able to help them, whatever their plan might be."

Sango nodded, glancing around furtively before saying "I wonder where they are, anyways. They weren't at the train station, or in the market – and Kirara hasn't sensed them in the crowd. You don't think something's happened to them, do you?"

"Now now, no thinking like that" Miroku said, squeezing her hand briefly, "I'm sure they're handling things in their own way. We'll look again once the show's over, but for now let's try to learn all that we can about this circus."

Releasing a shaky breath, the former demon-tamer turned back to the show, her expression resolute, and Miroku smiled to know that for the moment at least, he'd been able to calm her fears. His own were still running rampant. He had noticed that these performers were human and nothing more, but their abilities far exceeded that of any normal human, even one with spiritual powers. He felt something off about them, as though a strange aura surrounded them, but he couldn't quite figure it out. Miroku's attention turned back to the stage to see the gods had all come out this time, gearing up for their final acts.

Benzaiten led off, once again transforming his decorative snake into a lethal chain-sword. The sword slashed over the heads of the audience, eliciting shrieks and awed applause as it narrowly missed their top hats; Benzaiten grinned broadly at their reactions. The god of beauty twirled the blades around himself, dancing through their coils, gracefully avoiding even the slightest nick until with a flourish the snake was back, curling around his body and snapping it's wide jaw at the stunned crowd.

The smiling Hotei wheeled forward on the stage, raising a flat wooden board on the platform above his head. Miroku gasped as the 'vampire' girl climbed atop it, expressionless and still clutching her red orb. Daikokuten stepped onto the stage, small knives clutched between his fingers as he eyed his target. With a roar he flung his hand, four knives whistling through the air to embed themselves in the wood behind the girl, perfectly framing her body with hardly an inch of room. His smile was blood-thirsty as his second hand released and the dull thunk of metal piercing wood made way for thunderous applause. He couldn't be sure, but Miroku had thought he saw the broken red orb glow, albeit faintly, just before the knives had struck.

As the previous act cleared the stage, Ebisu's thunderous steps quieted the crowd as Fukurokuju followed cackling, his arms full of bones. No explanation or fanfare was given as the short, squat man deposited the bones on the floor, pulling a small pot from his white robes and nearly dancing with excitement. The crowd waited with bated breath; even Miroku remembered the god's spontaneous revival of small bones into a living, clucking chicken, and he was almost eager to see the miracle performed again. Fukurokuju's weathered hand reached into the pot, scattering a cloud of colored dust over the bones. Shocks of electricity leapt through the cloud, light glancing from particle to particle as the shadow of the bones seemed to get bulkier. The sound of hissing and popping rose through the dust, a sick bubbling sound like boiling oil filling the otherwise silent stage. As the dust finally settled, a mass of fur lifted itself from the floor, standing shakily on four legs, and the crowd gasped as a blue-eyed wolf lifted its muzzle to the sky and let out a mournful howl. Before the pitiful creature could stagger away, Ebisu was upon it, grabbing the living wolf around its scrawny middle before bringing it to his mouth and in one sickening move, swallowing it whole.

The repulsed and mystified crowd was distracted again as Juroujin took center-stage, spitting fire and juggling torches much as he'd done before. A large, black metal canon was wheeled up beside him, and with a few acrobatic, flaming twists, he pointed the canon to the sky, lit it , and stepped back as it boomed and rolled, sending a fizzling projectile into the night which exploded in bursts of vibrant color. The oohs and aahs of the audience created the perfect entrance for Bishamonten, the explosions in the sky dousing him in robes of color as the audience cheered. His enormous metal barbells reflected the explosions across the stage, creating a spectacular light show as the god of war spun the weights above his head, throwing it from hand to hand and tossing it in the air to deftly catch it again as though it were a baton. As his show came to a close, the 'ogre' ambled on behind him, taking the barbells with a grunt as the strongman tossed it to the half-demon more than twice his size.

Fireworks continued to fill the sky as the gods all came on to take a bow, somehow managing to look arrogant even as they thanked their guests. The men and women in the crowd, all in varying states of shock and awe, began turning to leave, their chatter filling the air, when suddenly Benzaiten's voice sounded above the clatter.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! We have one more surprise for you tonight!"

All eyes turned back to the now empty stage, the cacophony of light and noise in the sky now gone except for lingering clouds of smoke. Benzaiten stepped out from the shadows, torchlight highlighting the stripes across his cheeks as they lifted in a smile. "We've got a brand new act, recently acquired! Before he can perform, our new monster must first be broken" he chuckled to himself in some private joke, then continued with excitement "but tonight we show to you a special preview of our newest marvel!"

The crowd was tripping over themselves to get back to the stage, and Miroku felt his feet move forward of their own accord. Suspicion and dread were gnawing at him, and he unknowingly grasped Sango's hand tighter, drawing her closer to his side.

"From these very shores, a monster of Japanese myth and legend; a phantom known to every villager, whispered about when death or disaster strikes." A faint sound, like an animal scratching on wood, drifted through the silent air. "Those willing to pay the price evoke this spirit when trouble finds them. He can bring fortune or disaster, fulfil wishes or revenge. The master only has so much control of the beast, and when this spirit grows tired of obeying, it knows no friend or foe." Growling joined the clamorous scratching, and the clinking sound of chains startled the onlookers. Miroku shared a panic-filled glance with the woman beside him; these sounds were only too familiar.

"Honorable guests, I present to you: The InuGami!"

Bursting forth from the black curtain was Inuyasha, a chain around his neck, straining against his bonds, snarling and growling. But Miroku noticed immediately: his eyes were not red. No stripes marred his face. In fact his golden eyes were alert, aware, and nervously scanning the crowd. Despite his vicious performance, his eyes were normal. The monk noticed no undue stress, no clues to say that this was anything but a voluntary performance. It made no sense.

"Miroku, what on earth is he doing?" Sango's bewildered tone matched his own thoughts, and he shrugged, having no other response to give her. "And where's Kagome?"

"Right here."

Both the monk and demon-tamer jumped at the soft whisper behind them, but Kagome promptly shushed them as their startled eyes met hers. With a faint shooing motion they turned back to the stage to see Benzaiten theatrically baiting the dog-spirit to attack, Inuyasha pretending to strain against the bond he could easily break. "You don't know me" Kagome whispered behind them in urgent tones, "and you don't know Inuyasha either. You musn't let them know you even recognize us!"

"But Kagome" Sango hissed back, trying to hide her fear and burning curiosity in a whisper, "what's going on?"

"We're working here, for now" the girl responded, nudging Miroku when his gawking became too apparent, "Inuyasha's joined the freak show, and I'm taking care of the half-demons during the day. We're doing our best to figure out the Shichifukujin's weaknesses, but this is only our second day here."

Miroku's expression hardened with resolution, understanding his friends' reasoning, even if he didn't like the risks. "What do you need from us?"

"Time" Kagome said quickly, "Time and back-up should it come to a fight. I'm sorry to have to ask this of both of you, but you'll have to stick around for a while until we figure something out."

"Of course" Sango responded, her eyes never breaking from the stage where Inuyasha sat obediently, while Benzaiten drank in the praise of the audience for having 'tamed' the monster, "We wouldn't dream of leaving you two here."

Kagome's sigh of relief brought a smile to Miroku; he knew that despite her strong façade, she had to have been worried sick. He wondered briefly if her position behind them was not only to hide their conversation from the gods, but also to hide the view of the stage and her beloved being so publicly humiliated. His heart ached for both of them. "How shall we meet to exchange information?"

There was silence behind them as Kagome thought, and her quiet voice spoke up hesitantly "I'm… not sure. They've told us not to leave the grounds, but… no one really bothers us at night. You see… they think we're… married."

At the choking laughter from her friends, Kagome responded shrilly "It's not funny! It was the only way they'd let me stay with him!"

Miroku didn't need to look to know that Kagome's face was most likely a brilliant red. Once this was all over, and everyone was safe, he'd have the time of his life teasing his two friends. But such things could wait. "We'll be waiting outside the circus compound tomorrow night, on the west side bordering the forest. If you don't show, we'll leave at sun-up. We'll keep coming until either of you are able to slip away; we'll go from there."

"Thank you Miroku, thank you Sango."

"Take care Kagome" and then she was gone, slipped back into the crowd as the audience finally dispersed with the end of the show. Miroku and Sango left with them, blending effortlessly in with the tired guests despite their tumultuous thoughts.

They didn't stop until the bustling market street stretched out before them, foreigners enjoying the night life as they drank and dined well into the morning. Sparing a little pocket change for skewers of fried eel, the two travelers sat on an empty bench, absently eating as they tried to process the night's events. Sharing a bite of eel with Kirara, Sango sighed heavily and turned to her companion, saying quietly "Where to now, Miroku?"

"I'm not sure" he responded, staring down at his scant meal, appetite forgotten. "I'm sure there are plenty of inns, what with all the foreign traffic. But we're low on pocket change. I wish I'd thought to bring more."

"We'll get by" Sango said sternly, "Even if we have to camp out in the woods. Inuyasha and Kagome need us."

"I suppose we should follow their fine example" Miroku said, the beginnings of a smile on his face, "and find work here, somewhere. We'll need a cover story of course."

Sango glanced over at him behind accusing eyes, but her tone was light with amusement as she teased "I'm not pretending to be your wife, monk."

Miroku couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up in his throat, and soon Sango joined him, the horrors of the night washing away in a rare and precious moment of companionship.

The loud crash of bottles breaking and angry shouts tore their light mood, and both turned just as a round old man was pushed through the open door of a nearby bar, the shopkeeper barring the door as the wobbly man found his footing. "This is the last time, Mushin! I wouldn't sell you another bottle if you brought me a mountain of gold!"

Sango crinkled her nose at the sickly-sweet smell of alcohol wafting from the staggering man as he righted his brown robes and tried to stand proudly. Miroku stood staring, gaping for only a brief moment before hurrying to the drunkard with a cry of "Master Mushin!"

He caught the old man just as his knees gave way, propping his weight up against him with all the gentleness he could muster. It had been so long….

"Miroku," Sango breathed beside him, watching as he helped the inebriated man to stand, "do you know him?"

"Master Mushin… he trained me to be a monk." His blue eyes met Sango's, a war of painful memories waging in their depths, and finding his voice again, he said softly "This man raised me after Father died. I… I thought he'd died too."

Bleary eyes turned to face Miroku, the old man smacking his whiskered lips as he garbled "M-Miroku? Z'at you, m'boy? 'Bout time you came t'see your master. Not an ounce o' discipline in you, boy. You'll need retrainin'… may as well turn in your monks robes for western slacks."

Miroku smiled at the old monk's babbling, motioning for Sango to support his other side as he said "We'll get you home Mushin, just tell us the way."

"Is that really such a good idea, Miroku?" Sango asked nervously, "I mean he's a little… drunk."

"Don't worry about Master Mushin, my dear Sango!" Miroku said, feeling as though a weight had lifted off him, a weight he'd forgotten he carried; "he's always drunk."

And with Mushin's slurred and confusing directions, they meandered through the alleys lit by gas-lamps, a little bit of luck finally smiling upon them.

*Author's Note:

So... it's been like three months. I am SO. SORRY.

I have NOT abandoned this story, I've just been on summer vacation and have had absolutely ZERO motivation or inspiration. It was quite the crappy summer, tbh. Anyways, now that classes have started up again and my mind is going a mile a minute, it seems I've finally got my writing groove back on. So wish me luck on continuing and eventually finishing this and all my other multi-chapter aus! (*crying*)

Anyways, thank you so much for all the continued support! It means the world to me! (and keeps me going when it's midnight and I'm ripping my hair out over all my stories)