Chapter 7: Scheme
Kagome stood staring confusingly at the box in her hands. Weighing it, she noticed it was sort of heavy.
"Oh my god," she whispered skeptically, finding it impossible to believe what had just happened. Inuyasha had—he had—
Well. Hell had definitely frozen over.
Kagome tilted the box up and down and peered at it. Finding nothing at fault, she set it on one of the occasional tables of the courtyard and sighed, glancing around.
"Kagome!"
Finding none other than Sango approaching, she greeted, "What's up?"
"Nuttin," was Sango's reply. "But lunch is over though. Better get back to work, ya know."
Kagome gathered the box Inuyasha had given her and started off in the direction of the washing stream with Sango. They were working together that day. "Yeah, I know."
Noticing the box in Kagome's hand, Sango took it and shook it. "What's this?"
Kagome, in return, shrugged. "I dunno no. That hanyou just all of a sudden shoved it at me."
Sango eyed the box with distrust. "You said it was from Inuyasha?"
Kagome nodded. Arriving at the stream, she saw two baskets of dirty clothes waiting for them. She and Sango were the only ones around.
"Well then," Sango concluded, hurling the box into the stream, "it can't be trusted!"
"Hey!" Kagome pulled Sango's arms back in hopes of saving the box, but it was too late. All she could do was watch as it flowed peacefully with the current. "SANgo!"
The said girl betrayed no emotions as she brushed her hands clear of invisible dirt. "Kagome, it's a good thing you didn't open that thing. That dangerous, dangerous thing. It's either leeches, worms, snails or something that surpasses all of them."
"Huh?" Kagome looked at Sango as if she were crazy. "What in God's world are you talking about?"
Sango did not answer the question. Rather, she pointed to the box—which had not completely disappeared—and demanded, "Go see and tell me if I'm right."
"You're probably right."
"NO, go and SEEit."
Kagome sighed. "Okay okay. Fine. Be that way." In the distance, she smiled as she heard Sango reply traditionally, "I am and forever shall be."
Though the box had disappeared, the lid was still there, blocked from the flow by a boulder. Sure enough, as Kagome inspected, were a few black, slimy, squiggly, oddly rod pink and juicy worms. Kagome's stomach lurched and she involuntarily trembled.
"What is it!" Sango yelled over.
"It's worms! Juicy pink ones!" Kagome called back. "And they're disgusting! Horrendous!"
"What did I tell you, huh? Huh?" Sango asked when Kagome had returned.
Kagome hugged her friend. "Sango, I love you."
Sango pushed the girl away, returning, "I figured."
Kagome only laughed as she settled herself by the stream with her share of clothes. "But I DO wonder, Sango. How DID you know?"
"Well………"
Flashback
"Yo Sango!"
"Eh?" Turning, the maid watched in surprise as Inuyasha approached. "Inuyasha? What are you doing here?"
"Exactly what I was wondering," Miroku, who was there, butt in as Sango sweat-dropped.
"And what are YOU doing here?" Inuyasha directed at Miroku.
"Uh………I'm doing what you told me to. Hanging your wet, newly washed clothes." Miroku waved the mentioned garments before Inuyasha's face. "See?"
"Um, yeah," Inuyasha answered. "But I never told you to do that. There are such beings called maids and servants, Miroku."
"Oh yeah?" Miroku asked, offended. "And just what are you implying by that?"
"Nothing!"
"They were dirty, OK! I wanted to do something, OK!"
"Ok! Ok!" Inuyasha held his hands up in defense. "I get what you're saying!"
Miroku turned smugly back to his work. "That's what I thought."
"ANYWAYS," Inuyasha continued, turning back to Sango, who was pointing to Miroku and leading that same finger in circles around her ear. Inuyasha nodded in agreement. "Anyways, I just wanted to ask if it's ok if I torment your haggish friend."
'What a stupid question,' Miroku thought. 'God, how dim are you! You don't ask her best friend if you can torment her! You just don't! And besides, you'd still do it even if she said no.' He shook his head in disapproval.
"Nope, it's alright with me," Sango replied. "Just as long as you don't kill her, it's ok."
Miroku's jaw dropped. 'My god! By far the worst friend! What kind of comrade would say such a thing!' He shook his head harder.
"Well then, can I ask what scares her? Makes her shriek in fear?"
Miroku scoffed, his back to them. 'Yeah right, like she's gonna tell you. You idiot. Sango's her best friend!'
"Oh. Worms, leeches, snails. Those kinda things. And mice—but don't use that. She'll notice right away."
Miroku's eyes popped out. 'Evil………Pure evil………'
"Those kinda things? But they're harmless!"
Sango sighed. "Unfortunately. But ya know, she aint scared looking at them. It's when they get to close and touch her or something. Then you'll really wonder if she's the top screamer in the world."
'Oh, Kagome………I feel for you………' Miroku shook his head yet again.
End Flashback
"OH MY GOD YOU TRAITOR!" Kagome splashed cold water into the other girl's face. "My own friend!"
"Hey hey! I just saved you back there!" Sango reminded, returning the splash.
"I wouldn't need it if hadn't been for you!"
"Well………OH WELL!"
"Sango! How could you! Does friendship mean nothing to you? All these years? What if he puts leeches under my pillow? More worms in my shoes? It's all you're fault!"
"Um………um………it was just the heat of the moment! The heat of the moment!"
Kagome crossed her arms and refused to meet Sango's gaze. "You suck! I'm not going to talk to you anymore, traitor!"
"Fine then!" Sango decided. "Be that way, for all I care!"
"Thank you very much, I am!"
Both girls looked away from each other and began to work silently, scrubbing the clothes. It was quiet, neither of them speaking a word to the other, acting as if the other wasn't there. They went on like this for awhile until Sango felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, to see Kagome's inquiring face.
"Sango, do you think he'd really put leeches under my pillow?"
"Um………I dunno. It's likely."
Kagome sighed dreadfully, dropping her head onto Sango's shoulder. "I'm doomed."
Sango could do nothing more comforting than pat Kagome's back. "There there."
"Oh hello, Kagome!" Miroku greeted cheerfully the next morning. "Good day, huh?"
"Yep yep," Kagome answered. "Where ya headed off to?"
Miroku shrugged. "The market. Mind if I come with you, since you're on your way?"
"Sure."
The two made their way to the enormous palace gate, where Kagome showed the guards her pass. After letting Miroku and Kagome through, they shut the gate tightly and once again stood on guard.
"What do you need to buy?" Kagome asked Miroku.
"Hm?" Miroku, who had been looking around, looked down into her face.
"I asked what you needed to buy," Kagome repeated.
"Oh. Yeah. Well………I dunno."
Kagome smiled. "Just scouting, perhaps? For something to catch your eye?"
"Yeah."
"And for something to………catch Sango's heart?"
"Eh………" Kagome watched as Miroku's cheeks tinted a little. "Well, you could say that. You got any suggestions?"
Kagome nodded. "I do, lots, in fact. But I gotta go get some mushrooms, so wait up."
Miroku nodded and watched as Kagome raced to a vegetable stand. He turned his gaze away. 'I wonder if Sango notices I'm not here with her now,' he mused. 'I bet she misses me. Drastically.'
"Yo! I'm back!" Kagome straightened her uniform and they began walking again in the direction of the fish market. "Anyways, as I was saying, it's not too hard to please Sango. Just buy her a big beautiful house and ask the king if you can buy her. Then let her live happily ever after in that big beautiful house."
Miroku scoffed. "That woman makes me ache in a new place every single day. She hates me. Why would I waste my money on her? On second thought—never mind," he cut off, as he realized he WOULD. "Anyways, that's impossible. All of my money is left in Tama."
"Well, I can't help you there," Kagome told him.
Miroku sighed. "Sango," he called dramatically. "Alas, I am too poor."
"Damn right!" Kagome agreed. "You need a job! No money, no honey!"
Miroku sighed again. "Well, can't help it. Hey Kagome, I just remembered I gotta go get something for that guy that you hate so much. Here, hold this for me while I go, okay?" He handed Kagome a small brown sack of coins. "Just do all your shopping, okay? I'll meet up with you later."
Kagome took the bag. "Okay."
Miroku flashed her a smile and turned to run in the opposite direction. "Seeyas, ne?"
After Kagome had bought everything on her invisible memory-powered shopping list (she no longer needed Ayame's help), she made her way over to the shrine. There, as she did every morning, she paid her respects to the Buddha and prayed.
When she had finished, she turned to leave. Just near the entrance of the shrine was a vendor selling all sorts of charms. As Kagome stepped pass him, the vendor caught her attention by calling out to her.
"Yes?" Kagome answered.
"Have you been troubled lately, Miss?" His voice was low, grave.
"What do you mean?" Kagome came closer, to catch what he was saying.
"Has someone been troubling you? Irritated you? Irked you to no end?"
Bingo. The damned jerk.
Kagome found herself nodding incessantly. But how did this man know? How could he have known? Stopping her nodding, Kagome asked him.
"Every breath you breathe, every step you take; surrounded by anger. Your expression, your countenance; full of resentment. No doubt, there is someone behind it, no?"
"You're absolutely right," Kagome confided. "There's this one guy who I really hate and would give anything to see him step on dung. I hate him so much! He played a nasty, NASTY, prank on me the day before!"
"Ah." The vendor nodded knowingly. "As I suspected."
"Do you know—do you have any suggestions on what I can do to really smite him? Do him in good?"
The thought of it awhile, then finally nodded. "There is a way." He took out a yellow piece of paper that was cut into the shape of a human, with arms and legs and a head. "That is," continued the man, "voodoo."
Kagome's eyes suddenly brightened. "You're right! Why didn't I think of it before? Stupid me!"
"What is the name of this person that has caused you restlessness?" the man asked, now a brush in hand. (member in ancient times, they don't have pens n stuff. Jus saying………hehe………)
"Inuyasha," Kagome supplied over willingly.
The man did not write but sat staring at her, as if he was waiting for her. Kagome didn't know what to say, didn't know if she was to say anything at all. So she remained silent.
"Well?" the vendor pursued. "Inuyasha what?"
"What do you mean, Inuyasha what?"
"What's his last name? You gotta have his full name to do this. How am I supposed to know which Inuyasha to curse?"
"There's more than one Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, confused. She'd always thought there was only ONE Inuyasha………
"How am I supposed to know?" the man returned. "There could be one, there could be millions of people with that name! That's why you need the full name, to completely track down that person."
Aw shit. She didn't know his full name. She told the man so.
"Well then, it's still ok. There's another way."
"What?"
"If you don't have his full name written on here, it's ok, though it 'd be preferred. So now you gotta get something belonging to him to access this. Like some strands of hair or a piece of clothing. That kind of stuff."
"So it'll still work?" Kagome asked.
"Yep. Though it's more complicated 'cause you gotta gather stuff, it's more effective. So Miss, will you take this?" The vendor held up the cutout figure before Kagome.
"Definitely," Kagome answered surely.
"Well then, that'll be five silver."
Kagome reached into her pouch, but stopped when she remembered. She had no money. Gramps had always given her enough money to buy the things he wanted, and that was all. No more, no less. 'Ah, dammit,' she thought. She had finally found the perfect solution, but she had no money.
Suddenly, Kagome grinned. Miroku had handed a sack of money to her for safekeeping, hadn't he? Five silver, eh? So revenge wasn't all that impossible.
Kagome heaved a happy sigh as she left the shrine, the yellow cutout sealing Inuyasha's fate secretly hidden in the shrouds of her uniform. Just thinking of it made Kagome happy, ready to forgive the jerk everything and any wrongs he had done her. 'You're in it now,' was all Kagome could think as she made her way back to the palace.
Suddenly, she caught sight of a boy standing confused in the distance. Squinting, she made out that it was—was it? Kagome prayed to god her eyes weren't fooling her. It was that brat who had stolen her money and had gotten her into so much trouble! Without warning, she leaped into a run, hoping that he'd remain still as she traveled her gap to him.
'Good!' Kagome thought as she grabbed the boy by the collar and raised him up. "Gotcha!"
"Huh?" Spinning around and seeing the girl he had stolen from not too long ago, the red-haired boy screamed in surprise. "Aaaaaaaaaaah! Monster!"
Her? A monster? How could anyone see that in her? "I think not!" Kagome yelled. "If you wanna see a real monster, look at yourself!" Wasting no time, she launched again, "Where's my money?"
"Ok ok! I'll give it back!" the fox-boy proclaimed, struggling to free himself. How was it that he always got himself in these situations? "Just put me down, and I'll give it back to you!"
Kagome scoffed. "Uhuh. Are you talking me for a fool? You're gonna run if I do that! What kind of loser would listen to you?"
"Come on! I swear I won't! Honest to god, I swear! Cross my heart and hope to die, a thousand needles in my eye! I don't have the money on me, I hid it somewhere! You gotta let me down so I can get it for you!"
"Sure you did," Kagome said sarcastically. With her other free hand, she searched him.
"Hey! That tickles!"
"Like I care. Now where is it?" Finding nothing but a top, she glared at him.
The boy crossed his arms. "I told you it's not on me. I hid it somewhere. Now if you'll just put me down, I'll lead you to it. Give me a chance, will you?"
Kagome pondered over this. Should she? But what if he ran away again? How could she trust him after last time?
Deciding she should at least give him a chance, she placed him on the ground and hunched down so that she was level with him—never once letting go of him. "Ok, now lead me."
The boy just smirked and raised his hand to his forehead, saluting her. "Yes, ma'am. Right this way." He took a few cautious steps, and Kagome followed. They went on like this for awhile, and Kagome followed.
Just when she least expected it, the boy turned course and rammed into her, pushing her in the process. "Aah!" Falling back, Kagome released him to support herself.
"Haha! Gotcha!" the boy jeered as he once again escaped. "Loser!"
Kagome balled up her hands, anger resurfacing. But she did not blame him, she blamed herself. She, once again, had played the fool. She should have known something like this would happen. She should have known never to trust him. A fool.
Feeling eyes of onlookers, Kagome cast her gaze to the ground as she rose and dusted herself. Shame. That was what she felt. A girl like her can't even take on a kid.
"Are you alright?"
Kagome felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see the lady—the one whom she had seen at the shrine on her first mission to the market—staring back at her. The lady, apparently, was just as surprised to see her. "Ah, thank you," Kagome returned politely, bowing.
"That's good," the lady responded, withdrawing her hand. She smiled warmly at Kagome, giving the girl a strange yet comfortable feeling, just like before.
"I………thank you," Kagome said again, not knowing what to say.
"Ah." The lady nodded in approval. "We've met once before, have we not? At that shrine a little ways away."
"Yes, we have," Kagome confirmed, surprised that the lady had remembered.
"What a coincidence that we see each other again," the lady continued. "Almost as if we were destined to meet."
Kagome nodded, having felt somewhat the same. A strange, inexplicable feeling of warmness and familiarity with this woman whom she had only seen once in her life………How was it so?
"Would you care to have some tea with me?" The lady suddenly asked, startling Kagome.
"I………I can't. I'm sorry, but I'm very late," Kagome courteously refused. She'd better hurry up and get back, as she had already wasted time buying Miroku's charm and her revenge. Maaya-san would surely scold her if she found out.
"It's alright," the lady explained. "No charges will be against you if you are late. I can assure you. I shall speak to the head maid of the palace and the cook. I will explain to them, so your being late will not effect you. Surely, you can accompany me?" The lady gazed at her expectantly.
"I………I don't know………" Kagome answered unsurely, surprised that this lady knew so much, that she was from the palace. But then again, she was wearing the palace uniform, making it easy to tell. But commoners were not allowed in the palace. If so, how could this lady converse with Maaya-san and Gramps? "I don't think I can come," Kagome concluded, though for some strange reason she found it hard to refuse the woman.
"Oh, come! Won't you? I promise I will talk to Maaya-san," the lady prodded further.
At the name of the elder maid, Kagome was startled. She looked up at the lady—the lady with her eyes, and asked, "How—how do you know the chief maid?"
The lady smiled mysteriously. "I know a lot of things. Just trust me. Now, won't you come?"
Kagome reserved some time to think. This woman was a strange, weird woman. But strangest of all, Kagome found herself believing her. Call her dumb, but there was a feeling within her that told her this lady would not harm her. "I suppose so," Kagome found herself saying a moment later.
"Ah!" the woman exclaimed, happiness evident in her eyes and proved in her voice, "then let's go!"
And so the two went to the teahouse that Kagome and Sango had visited their first day at the Capital. Oblivious to Kagome was the fact that it had been the first time in seventeen years that the woman had truly smiled with her eyes and laughed with her heart.
"Ah, so you're one of the new maids," the woman—queen—repeated, sipping her tea. She stared at the girl opposing her with much interest. "What are you called?"
"Kagome, ma'am," the girl supplied.
The young queen froze in her spot. "Ka—Kagome?" But………It couldn't be. It was just a coincidence their names were the same. Her daughter had died. Surely, had died, seventeen years ago. There was no explanation. 'It is a coincidence,' the queen told herself. 'My daughter is dead.' But even as she believed so, the queen could not explain the warm and comfortable feelings she had whenever she saw the girl.
"Is something wrong?" Kagome asked, after the queen had not said a word for several moments.
The queen shook her head no and raised her eyes to Kagome's, having replaced her shock with appeal. "No, nothing at all. But do tell me about yourself."
"About myself?" the girl asked. "What about myself?"
"Tell me the story of your life, your childhood. How you came to work at the palace. I'd like to know, if it doesn't bother you."
The girl shook her head. "It doesn't bother me," Kagome told her as she began telling about her life.
The queen sat attentively, listening to all that the girl confided in her. She learned the girl was raised in Goshinboku—a province not too far away—and brought up by an ex-merchant known as Kaede. As the girl said, this Kaede—her grandmother, had recently passed away, leaving the girl with nothing and forcing her to move to the Capital. But when she had arrived, her purse was unfortunately stolen and she had no choice but to become a palace maid.
"Tragic, but interesting," the queen commented when Kagome had finished her story.
The girl nodded sheepishly. "I've been working at the palace for about a month now. Which reminds me, I've very late!" the girl exclaimed, as she suddenly remembered. She stood up from her seat and bowed. "Thank you for inviting me today," she said modestly. "If it is not too much, I would like to know your name, to thank you better."
The queen met her eyes and a comfortable feeling washed through her. "You shouldn't mind yourself with such trivial matters. My name is not important, for I'm sure we will meet again." She smiled, her sign of dismissal. The queen watched as the girl timidly bowed and thanked her again, then gathered her baskets and left.
"It's peculiar, you know, how much you remind me of her………"
"Hey!" Miroku called over the crowd. "Kagome!" He waved his hand in the air so she could catch view of him better. "Wait up!"
"Hurry up, I'm late!" Kagome yelled. She stood watching impatiently as Miroku fumbled through the crowd. A few moments later, he was able to make his way over to her. Kagome noticed that a small cat was huddled safely in his arms.
"What is THAT?" she asked, pointing to the cat. It was small and yellowish, with two tails.
"A cat," he answered simply, looking down on it. "Isn't it cute?"
"I KNOW it's a cat. I meant, what are you doing with it?"
"Well, it was a stray cat. While I was running my errand, I saw it being bullied by this oh-so-mean-terrifyingly ugly dog. I felt my heart wrench and I had to do something to save it. So I KO'd the dog."
Kagome's mouth hung open. "You KO'd a DOG?"
Miroku nodded as Kagome shook her head disapprovingly.
"ANYWAYS," Kagome returned to the subject. "I'm late! Here's your money you told me to carry. Oh yeah, I borrowed five silver for personal uses, if that's okay with you," she confessed.
Miroku took the bag. "It's alright." Hugging the cat close to him, he and Kagome ran all the way back to the palace.
Sango was washing clothes again by the small stream by herself. Luckily, she didn't have as much to wash this time. As she was scrubbing and minding her work, she felt something soft and furry rub against her left feet. Looking down, she saw the cutest yellow two-tailed cat.
"Meow."
Sango dropped the piece of clothing she was washing and picked up the cat, smiling. "Awwwww. How cute! And where did you come from?" She touched the cat's nose to hers and laughed.
"Where are you?" a voice—Miroku's—called. A moment later, he appeared around some bushes. His face expressed worry and his gaze wavered to the left and right on the ground, as if he was searching for something.
Sango looked him over. "Oh, it's you again."
"Huh?" Miroku turned to her and to his relief and surprise, he saw Sango holding the cat. He approached the two and smiled broadly. "Ah, so the cat found you, huh, Sango?"
"Apparently," Sango returned, smiling to the cat and stroking its fur. "It's so cute! Is it yours?"
Miroku took this as a chance and seated himself next to her. "Well, you could say that."
"What's her name?"
Miroku scratched his head. "I haven't really decided on a name yet. Do you have any ideas?"
Sango continued stroking the small animal as she contemplated. After a while, she suggested, "How about Kirara?"
Miroku snapped his fingers and gazed at Sango ever so proudly. "What a great idea! Sango, you are truly a genius! You never cease to amaze me!"
Sango sweat-dropped. "It's only a name." She rolled the cat over and tickled its stomach with her fingers. "Kirara, Kirara. What a cute cat! I had always wanted one, but my brother in Goshinboku was allergic to cats, so I could never own one," she confided to Miroku. "And it looks like I'll never be able to get one, since maids aren't permitted to keep any animals."
Miroku smiled to himself. Yet another chance had approached. Man, what a lucky day! Sango was actually talking to him! It had been five minutes and she hadn't even busted out an insult! Ah, the lord above was just too kind, too kind! Putting on his manly charm, Miroku stated with a calm and appealing face, "Well, it doesn't seem impossible. You seem to like this cat a lot. I can give it to you, if you want it. I know—I know—maids aren't allowed to keep pets. But since I'm a guest here, I can. So the cat can be secretly yours and I'll keep her for you, if it's okay with you."
"Really?" Sango's face brightened hopefully. "You'd do that for me, Miroku?"
Miroku was desperately trying to calm himself, but it was just too hard. It was the first time she had called him by his name and not "bastard" or "lech" or "perv". He was just so happy, he wanted to squeeze her in an ultra-tight hug and scream to the world, "I'd do ANYTHING FOR YOU, SANGO!" But instead, he once again covered his face with a charming smile and nodded in that gentleman-ish way. "Of course, Sango," he said. "Anything for you." And he winked his eye seductively.
Sango laughed, raising the cat up before her face. "Yeah! Kirara, I get to keep you after all! Isn't this the greatest!"
Miroku smiled too as he watched her happy expression. Oh, how this woman pained him physically and emotionally yet was still so lovable. "So, I guess we're on better terms now?"
Sango nodded and smiled up at the cat. "Definitely."
His heart fluttered.
"But if you try anything lecherous, it's back to base one."
"Don't you trust me? I haven't touched you since THAT."
"Well, being with you, it's always better to take precaution."
Miroku sighed as Sango handed him the cat. "Hold her for me while I finish up the washing?"
She asked this time, rather than demanding as she had always did when she wanted him to do something. Miroku nodded happily and took Kirara. Ah, Kami was certainly being kind today.
"Yo, Miroku, can you do me a favor?" Kagome asked him when the two were washing dishes in the royal kitchen. "By the way, where's Sango?"
"Oh, she went to the restroom," Miroku replied. "I know, but this is one of those times when it is forbidden to stalk her."
Kagome slapped his arm. "You lech!"
"Well, EXCUSE ME for being a GUY! ANYWAYS, the maids are staring at us," he quickly whispered. "So, what was it you wanted again? That favor?"
"Oh." Kagome settled herself and smiled at him pleasantly. "I just have this one request. You know, Miroku, you know who is just so VERY bothersome, I wish he was DEAD."
"The you know who that I know who?" Miroku asked curiously.
"Yes," Kagome confirmed, nodding her head. "The you know who that everyone knows who when I talk about that person you know who."
"I see." Miroku rubbed his chin, a few soapsuds stuck on his face. "And you wish he was dead? Not dead, but DEAD? Hmm………"
"Yes," Kagome confessed. "But however, I know that is impossible because as you know, there are many maids and soldiers in this palace. It is rather a freaky thought. But then, there is always revenge! REVENGE!"
"I see………"
Kagome abruptly turned to Miroku and grabbed his shoulders. She shook him hard. "Miroku! That is why I, Kagome, have chosen you to be my partner in crime! You have to help me get my revenge!"
"I s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-seeee!"
"It's really easy, Miroku. I'm not asking you pull out all of his head-full of hair. Just get me the brush that he uses to brush it."
"But he doesn't brush his hair."
"WHAAAAAA?"
"I know, it's a miracle as to why it's so beautiful and straight although he never grooms it."
"Then Miroku, please pull me a single strand of his beautiful silver hair—though I must admit, I hate the guy, I DO admire his hair." Kagome shook her head shamefully.
Miroku shook his head sorrowfully. "I know, Kagome, that you have something totally devastating schemed out, but alas, I would help you if it meant I wouldn't be devastated myself. I am ever so sorry."
"What?" Kagome exclaimed. "But you have to help me! Just go up to him and pull out a strand of hair! It's really easy!"
Miroku looked at her pleadingly. "Kagome, I don't think you understand. Inuyasha has more than five thousand soldiers in his command. He basically has a mini-army with the top generals and commanders only second to his brother Sesshoumaru's! How am I, a one-man army, go up against him once he finds out that I'm involved with your scheme to devastate him? Kagome, spare me! I still have a life to live, Sango and my children to bear!"
Kagome scoffed. "Miroku, you suck!"
"I'm sorry, Kagome! Rethink this whole scheme! He has an army, an ARMY!"
"Fine! I'll just do it all myself then! I need this revenge! I can't let him walk away after putting worms in a box and shoving it at me in hopes that I'll scream!"
"So he chose worms, eh?" Miroku whispered to himself. "So he didn't use leeches or mice………Hmmmm………."
"MIROKU!"
"Oh, right. Yeah, good luck on your revenge."
Kagome sighed and looked away as Sango returned.
"Back!" Sango yelled. "What's up?"
Kagome stared at him—at his hair, really, her eyes transfixed. She had been waiting for him to come by. Everyday, at this time, he would pass this place.
Inuyasha eyed her from the corner of his eyes. She was acting weird today. He expected her to scream at him or something, or insult him; especially since after that incident yesterday. She stood with a broom in her hand, staring at him as if she was mesmerized by him. He rather liked that idea. But he felt uneasy as her gaze clung to him—it hadn't lifted since he came into her view. As he passed her, he glanced once at her, to find her staring at him in awe.
"Yo," he called to her. "I know I'm admirable, but would you not make it so tangible? It's so embarrassing."
"Who the hell is looking at you?" Kagome retaliated. "I'm lookin' at your hair, jerk."
Inuyasha scoffed. "Excuse me, but are you implying that—"
"Yes."
Inuyasha scoffed again. "Anyway, I don't have time to deal with you. Since you like my hair so much, should I grace you with a strand?" He ruffled his silvery hair with his fingers and found a strand. He plucked it out and held it before her. "Catch." He released it and let it flutter to the ground.
Kagome caught the little ray of his stupidity as he walked away arrogantly. Kagome carefully stuffed the single strand into her uniform and smiled an astonishingly mysterious and scary smile at his retreating back. It had been easier than she had thought, acquiring this thing that would lead to his destruction. "Thank you for your grace. NOW DIE."