Scenario III-Clues

Chapter I-Friends

After parting ways with Kaede and the others, Miroku has long wandered alone, where he reunites with Alphonse.

Hoping to reunite with their friends, they have arrived in the Soul Society…

Miroku sighed, brushing back his hair, as he stared across the Soul Society, searching, as Alphonse's empty eyes in the helmet scanned the horizon.

"Everything looks the same here. I'm lost." Miroku sighed again. "Where'd everybody go?... Ah, or was I separated from the others?"

"Don't worry. We'll find brother and the others." Alphonse assured him.

With a third sigh, Miroku and Alphonse marched through the buildings. "We're making steady progress. It's a little concerning… We'll reach Sanctuary in no time at this rate! But we'll should probably help the others if we find them." Miroku said. Alphonse nodded in agreement. He stopped suddenly.

"What's this?" he said, picking up a hairpin. A crunch of gravel made him turn.

"In a place like this? It was probably put there. Could be some kind of trap." Inuyasha scowled. Ichigo eyed the hairpin.

"Then it's a pretty clever one. Look, it's perfectly safe." Miroku said, taking it from Alphonse's hand..

Ichigo stepped forward. "H-hey, Miroku, do you mind if I take it?" he said slowly.

Miroku stared down at it. "Well, it's not like a need it, but what do you want with it?"

"Well…"

"Well. It's yours!" Miroku smiled, pushing it into Ichigo's hands. "Don't drop it now!" he said, as Ichigo walked away, tucking the hairpin in his robes. "He's pretty interesting."

"Interesting?" Inuyasha said, bewildered.

"All of them are." Alphonse said.

"Don't you think so? These guys are like characters from a fairy tale. They've got skills and garments like I've never seen. One of them can even summon demons." Miroku said. "At least, they look like demons. Lucy calls them 'celestial spirits'. Think about it, we'd never've met these people if all this hadn't happened. Gotta take the chance to get to know 'em, Inuyasha. Expand our horizons. You choose to sit off, Inuyasha. How do you expect to make any friends?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "This is a battlefield. Why do I need to 'make friends'? Why get to know each other when we're all headed back to our own worlds anyway?"

Miroku sighed. "Oh please, you can't be serious? For a grown man, that's kind of naïve. If it's not forever, there's no point getting close to anyone." Miroku said in a deep imitation of Inuyasha.

"That's not what I meant…" Inuyasha muttered.

"Listen: even if we lived in the same world, there'd come a time when life would pull us apart. It's not a reason to avoid people." Alphonse explained.

"Even if it's someone you love more than life itself, that time will come. There's no guarantee you'll even get to say goodbye. But before that happens, you get to be together, right? You can't just waste all that potential for a rewarding relationship. Do you see what I'm saying? You gotta forget about the stuff you can't change and enjoy the now! I guess what I mean is, let's try to get along." Miroku said. Inuyasha watched as Miroku and Alphonse walked off.

"This guy's got serious problems…" he muttered, and walked away.

Chapter II-Homunculi

Miroku and Alphonse stared around the State Alchemy City, as the sun set, casting the city in darkness. "Well now… Is this my first time through here, or my second?" Miroku wondered.

"The only thing we can tell you…" spoke a woman's voice.

"is that it is your last." spoke another voice.

Miroku and Alphonse turned, ready to fight. 7 figures stepped out of the shadows. The woman who had spoken had curly, waist length black hair, and wore a very revealing black suit, with elbow length black gloves, and high heeled black boots. She had blackish-red eyes, with vertical, cat-like pupils, and wore red lipstick. The tattoo of a snake wrapped around a cross sat just beneath her collarbone.

"A warrior of Cosmos, are we? Come with foolish thoughts of slaying us, monk?" Lust said. Beside her, a large, rotund figure with beady eyes, wearing a loose black shirt with the same tattoo as Lust, stared hungrily at them.

"Lust, can I eat them?" he said, licking his lips. "Not now, Gluttony." Lust said, placing a hand on his head, and Gluttony fell silent, staring at Miroku and Alphonse.

Miroku backed away. "Hey, uh…no need to get upset. No offense meant, I'll be on my way!" he said, and turned, fleeing. Suddenly, one of the figures dashed forward, blocking their way. He was a massive figure, with bulky muscles, the same tattoo as Lust and Gluttony on his shoulders, long, lanky hair, and a overall pants stood before them.

"Too…tiring…to…stop you… But…must… Pride's…orders…" Sloth said slowly. Miroku turned slowly, staring fearfully at the homunculi, as he and Alphonse stood back to back.

"So soon? We've not had a guest in some time." spoke Wrath, who looked like a middle-aged man with short black hair, a thick black moustache, wearing a military uniform and eye patch. One of the homunculi stepped forward. He looked like a 5 year old child, dressed in a fancy tan suit. Miroku noticed the others gave him a commanding berth. The homunculus's eyes glanced around at Miroku and Alphonse, then to his companions.

"Lust, Envy, Greed, Gluttony. Play with them." Pride said in a terrifying, whispering voice, and Pride, Wrath and Sloth vanished, leaving Lust and Gluttony, accompanied by Greed, a buffed up, mildly muscle figure wearing a sleeveless black jacket, black pants and shoes, with cropped black hair, and black sunglasses, the same tattoo on his left hand. Behind him stood Envy, who bore the appearance of an androgynous and beautiful teenage boy, with long spiky green hair that fell over his face, wearing a black headband, black gloves, a sleeveless tank top, black shorts, and black cloth wrapped around his feet.

"At least allow us to bid you a proper farewell. I will drown you in the darkness." Lust laughed, as her fingernails extended into blades again.

"'Fraid we're gonna hafta pass on that." Miroku said, gripping his staff tightly, as he pulled a scroll from his robes. Greed laughed insanely, and lunged through the air.

"Miroku, get down!" Alphonse shouted, and Miroku ducked as Alphonse swung a fist, which connected with the side of Greed's face, sending him flying.

"Gluttony, why don't you play with the armored one." Envy offered. Gluttony laughed excitedly, and ran forward, his mouth open wide.

Lust dashed forward, her claws trailing behind her, leaving five gouges in the buildings, accompanied by Envy.

"Damn kid!" Greed spat, tossing off his shattered sunglasses, and charged towards Alphonse, who held back Gluttony. Miroku opened the scroll, and began chanting. Lust's eyes widened and she leaped back as an orb of white light soared towards her. Then, Miroku pulled a string of sacred beads from his robe, and through them into the air, chanting again. The beads soared down, and Lust scowled as they wrapped around her.

"Now, I shall purge your soul!" Miroku shouted, and raised up two fingers, as the beads gleamed. Suddenly, he leaped back as Envy brought a kick down. "Come, monk, let's play." Envy said, and his appearance shifted into that of a beautiful young woman with long black hair, wearing black and red armor, and carrying a massive boomerang. Miroku's eyes widened.

"S-Sango?" Meanwhile, Lust smirked and flexed her fingers. Her elongated fingernails sliced through the beads as though they were cheese. Miroku stared with wide eyes at Envy. Suddenly, Envy threw the boomerang, and Miroku threw himself to the ground. Lust leaped forward suddenly, and her claws lashed out.

"Miroku!" Alphonse kicked aside Greed and Gluttony, then clapped his hands together, and placed them on the ground. The earth rose into a shield, covering Miroku, and Lust's claws embedded in it. Envy scowled, reverting to his original appearance.

"Stay out of this! You have your own problems." Envy said, and grinned suddenly. With a burst of speed, Gluttony charged forward, and his mouth closed on Alphonse's shoulder.

Envy's eyes widened then. "Say…you're Hohenheim of Light's kid, aren't you?" he said.

"What of it?" Alphonse shouted, throwing off Gluttony. Envy charged forward, and unleashed a powerful kick that sent Alphonse crashing through a building.

"Take me to Hohenheim!" Envy shouted, morphing into a golem, which slammed a fist into Alphonse, knocking him aside. "To that bastard!" Envy turned into a rhinoceros, and gored Alphonse's armor, then through him through the air. Suddenly, a massive shadow passed over them, as Envy turned into a giant green dragon with fin-like structures. "TO OUR FATHER!" Envy shouted, and lunged forward. Alphonse reached out, and grabbed Envy's mouth. With a yell, Alphonse jerked his hands apart, snapping Envy's jaws. The dragon howled in rage and pain, blood seeping from its mouth. Suddenly, rubble was pushed aside, and Greed stepped forward, as his right hand turned into steel.
"I'll show you a real punch, kid." he said, and drew back the fist, and punched Alphonse. The suit of armor shattered.

"Alphonse!" Miroku shouted, blocking Lust and Envy's attacks.

"He's fine. Remember, he no longer has a body. His soul is all that's left. Destroying that armor won't harm him." Lust smirked.

Scowling, Miroku jumped back, and set his staff down. "Seems I have no choice." he muttered, and removed the beads around his right hand. Then he grabbed the cloth covering his palm.

"Alphonse, can you get back?" shouted, as the suit of armor stood up.
"Yes!" Alphonse said, picking up his helmet.

"Then keep behind me!" Miroku ordered.

"Like we'll let you escape!" Envy shouted.

"WIND TUNNEL!" Miroku shouted, and removed the cloth, revealing a hole in the palm of his hand. At once, there was a roar of wind. Lust gasped, and dug her hands and feet into the ground as a massive gust of wind appeared from nowhere like a vacuum, sucking into the hole in Miroku's hand. Gluttony whimpered, and sank his teeth into a building, holding on tight, as Greed slammed his feet and hands into the earth, and Envy morphed into a snake, which wrapped around a pole, holding on tightly. There was a shattering as buildings crumbled from the wind, and were pulled into the vortex. Lust scowled, and dug still deeper into the ground as she and the others were slowly pulled forward. Miroku, meanwhile, began to wince in pain, as the hole opened wider, slowly and slowly devouring him. Lust gasped suddenly as she was torn from the ground. "Damn this!" Greed snarled as he was pulled out of the ground. Gluttony yelled in fear as his became unlodged, and Envy hissed furiously, still a snake, as he spiraled through the air towards the hole in Miroku's hand. With a pained yell, however, Miroku covered his hand.

At once, the wind died, and the debris crashed to the ground. The four homunculi fell down, eyes wide. "To make me fear…for my own life…" Lust panted. The snake writhed on the floor, as Envy reverted to his original appearance. Greed sat up, scowling, as he pushed debris off of him. Gluttony, sat, whimpering fearfully. Lust slowly staggered to her feet, as Miroku knelt on the ground, clutching his hand.

"Miroku!" Alphonse shouted, hurrying over.

"I'm all right…" Miroku breathed heavily.

"It's time to put an end to this game." Lust said, as her fingernails elongated.

Miroku looked up.

"What's wrong? Frozen by fear's icy grip?" Lust said.

"O-of course not. No…not at all. Just, I, um…" Suddenly, Miroku's face went red, and a foolish grin appeared. "I was just admiring your appearance is all."

He fell back, cowering, as one of Lust's fingernails appeared, inches from impaling him in the head. Lust scowled.

"Unbelievable. Cosmos must rest well with brave defenders of your like." Envy sneered.

"Hey, don't look at me. I couldn't believe it either. Somebody oughta tell her how to pick 'em better, you know." Miroku said.

Greed smirked slightly, her eyes narrowed. "So, you disrespect even the goddess whom you sir. I would pity her, did I not oppose her."

"I don't exactly 'serve' anyone." Miroku said. "I'm just working with her, that's it. If the world comes to an end, that's bad news, right? So the only choice left is to try and protect it. Then again, you know, it could be a little tough the way things are. What with these—what are they? Munchkins?"

"Manikins." Lust corrected.

"Can I eat them?" Gluttony asked.

"No." Envy said.

Miroku nodded. "Yeah, them. That's what I meant. Those things are getting' real old, real fast. It's ridiculous! Where do they all come from? Anyway, I plan on finding a way to get back home, munchkin infestation or not. I'm just doing what I've got to do to make that happen. I'm not 'serving' anyone, or anything like that. Sure, I might not be a god, but I figure I have some hope. That's all a soldier like me's really got."

Lust smirked even wider. "Manikins have no place in this world. They are a foreign presence that unbalances a most delicate equilibrium." she explained. Miroku looked confused. "Know this, human. Manikins are cursed mockeries of life that crawled forth from the Rift, and now befoul this realm. Their masters do no more than pull the puppets' strings."

"So, you aren't making them, then?" Miroku asked.

"There exists a portal which connects this plane to theirs. Seal that door, and no more of the puppets will be able to emerge." Envy stated.

"Meaning they won't keep multiplying?" Miroku said.

"A great deal of taint has already spilt forth from the gate and into this realm. If you desire to stem its flow, follow the trail and seek out the source." Greed offered.

"Closing a door sounds easy enough." Miroku muttered. Then his eyes narrowed. "But if that's really all it takes, why would you tell me."

Lust laughed. "Did you not listen? These beings surge through the portal, even as we speak. Should you choose to seek it out, all you will find is endless battle, and certain doom." Lust stepped back, as the others melted into the shadows. "As for me…I am curious to see what manner of death you select for yourself." Lust said, and laughed once more as she vanished.

Miroku stood up, picking up his staff, and glanced at Alphonse. "Better let everyone know what's up." he said.