Bffimagine: Hi everyone! I've become slower in my writing… (if that's possible :P) because I've taken up…fanart!
Miroku: Which, by the way, you're really bad at.
Bffimagine: HEY!
Inuyasha: Feh. I could do better than you with a blindfold and two hands tied behind my back.
Miroku: Then what would you use to draw with?
Inuyasha: I'll uh… think about that later…
The Angel of Love held Miroku's heart firmly in her hand, and allowed a single tear to drip onto the still flesh. It crystallized as soon as the diamond water droplet touched it, and became like crimson quartz.
A quiet shattering noise resounded through the woods, just barely reaching Inuyasha's ears. He turned his head, looking for the 'demon', but saw no sight of her.
"Sugoi! Look! It's just like how the Shikon no Tama broke!" Kagome shook herself and pointed toward the sky as shards of crimson crystal shot through the air.
'Inuyasha loves Miroku. I'm happy for them.' Kagome took a deep breath as she accepted this, and turned her full attention back to the red jewel.
Single shards shot out everywhere, and Inuyasha saw through his tears small reflections of himself in the tiny pieces of gem.
'That's no jewel! It's—it's Miroku's heart!'
One of the shards shot into Inuyasha's hands, but instead of piercing through him, slowed and stopped as soon as it touched his skin.
'It's… pulsing? That means—if I'm right—that means Miroku's alive!'
The shard was warm in his hands, and he turned it over incredulously.
"If I gather all the shards and assemble them, I can bring him back!"
Sango peered at Inuyasha curiously.
"What are you talking about, Inuyasha?" she asked softly.
Inuyasha gently set Miroku down.
"This," he explained, holding the shard in front of his face, "Is a piece of Miroku's heart. If we can get all the pieces back together, then we can bring him back!"
"How would you know that, Inuyasha?"
"I know because I can feel it," Inuyasha insisted.
"Wait. Inuyasha, you said that shard was a piece of Miroku's heart?" Kagome asked, eyes wide open.
"Yes. It HAS to be."
"But… that shard is from the Shikon Jewel! I can't be Miroku's heart!"
Inuyasha stared at her.
"Take a look. Remember how that demon said Miroku's heart showed what he held most dear to him? Well, I'm going to stand behind Sango, so there's no chance of a reflection of me, and take a look into that shard." Inuyasha took a few steps then sidled behind Sango and ducked his head.
Kagome and Sango gasped. Staring back at them from the shard was Inuyasha, and Kagome could not even see Inuyasha from behind Sango.
"What did I tell you?"
"B-but this shard has stronger powers than the sacred Shikon no Tama! How can that be?" Kagome turned the shard over in her hands.
Light caught the faces of the shard, giving it an iridescent sheen. Breathing deeply, she handed the jewel to Sango.
"Cut Miroku's hand with that," she instructed. Sango hesistated, and began to pick up Miroku's good hand.
"No, cut his Kazaana hand with it. Nick the hole a little bit, but be careful."
Sango nodded and carefully pulled away the juzu. A strong wind greeted her but she shifted to the lee of the wind and held the shard tightly. Grasping the shard with a deathly grip, she slit the edge of the Kazaana and jumped away.
To all of their amazement, the slit healed instantaneously and the Kazaana disappeared. The strong pulling wind dissipated and the void closed altogether.
"The Kazaana's gone! But that means one little shard from Miroku's heart is stronger than Naraku!" a confused hope shone in Inuyasha's eyes.
"We could kill Naraku!" Sango continued excitedly.
"But what will happen to Miroku once we get the shards back together and inside him? Will he become you-kai? Or will he be normal? Will he change?"
Inuyasha and Sango averted their gazes to Miroku's seemingly sleeping face.
'One human. How could this one human have a heart so powerful? How could this one human… make me love him so much?' Inuyasha sighed and gently stroked Miroku's face.
Sango brushed some loose strands of her hair behind her ears and let out a deep breath.
"What should we do?" she interrogated no one in particular.
"We get all of the shards of Miroku's heart before someone else does, especially if the someone else is Naraku." Kagome had finality in her voice that granted the other three confidence.
"Kagome! Ye are back!" Kaede greeted the inu-gumi pleasantly, and Shippo jumped into Kagome's arms.
"I hope you helped Kaede with her broken ankle," Kagome giggled, bringing up the reason Shippo had not been with them.
"Of course! And now she can walk again and everything!"
"Where is the houshi?" Kaede inquired thoughtfully. Silence followed as Inuyasha, who was formerly a red dot in the distance, caught up with the others.
"I stopped by the river to see if I could get Miroku to drink something," he lied subtly. In reality, he had been able to somehow get the shard of Miroku's heart back into his body.
"But… Miroku's…" Sango started but was cut off quickly.
"Sleeping," Kagome lied as well.
"What ails him?" Kaede asked good-naturedly.
"He's just recovering from… an encounter," Sango partially fibbed, gesturing to the gaping, still-bleeding wound in Miroku's chest. But now, with a tiny piece of his heart, blood was slowly filtering back into his veins.
"That looks serious," Kaede commented, eyes suddenly hard with an almost protective glint, "Why didn't ye all come back sooner?"
"We couldn't," Kagome finished simply.
That night Inuyasha sat by Miroku's side from the beginning until long after all feeling was lost in his legs. Sango peered into the room from time to time, almost as if checking to make sure nothing happened.
Nothing did happen. Miroku was lying in his comatose state, fever high and he was delirious. He moaned in his sleep, occasionally gripping the sheets in pain.
'The shards have to be found quickly,' Sango said inwardly as she shuffled down the corridor to the room holding Miroku, 'Otherwise Miroku will die.'
'Kaede told me about Miroku's condition, and it's not very favorable for him. His wounds are worsening; his muscles are beginning to contract in harsh spasms, and even though we can't see it his bones are breaking under the pressure. These broken bones are cutting up his insides, and within a few days black spots will appear all over him. Eventually the muscles in his back will snap his spine, or the bones will cut right through his skin. Maybe both.'
'BANG'.
Kagome and Sango collided head on, and Sango's thoughts flew right out of her head.
"I'm sorry Kagome!" Sango quickly apologized, leaping up and helping her friend.
"It's alright," Kagome replied, rubbing her head.
"It's just… I've been thinking a lot about…" Sango began to flush bright pink.
"Miroku and Inuyasha?" Kagome prodded.
"Well, yes that too. But more about Miroku's conditions. If we don't get those shards he'll die—if he isn't killed first—within maybe two or three weeks."
"But Inuyasha's there for him. We'll be able to get those shards before he dies. I'm sure of it."
"Are you upset?"
"About what?"
"You loved Inuyasha, didn't you? And now he's with Miroku…"
"Well, I was at first, but then I realize that they loved each other so deeply I wouldn't have been able to interfere anyhow. And Inuyasha didn't love me, nor Kikyo. He was more of a close friend to us than anything else. Besides, I love someone else too, I just didn't realize it until now."
"Who do you love now, Kagome?"
"My family. They mean more to me than anything in the world."
Sango fell silent.
"I'm sorry Sango," Kagome hastily added, noting the tears in the taijiya's eyes.
"It's alright. Inuyasha and Miroku will be happy together. And once I can bring Kohaku back, so can we."
A placid quiet settled over the two friends.
Rustling snapped both girls out of their thoughts. Inuyasha emerged from behind the rice-paper sliding doors, and his face was set with a determined look.
"What is it, Inuyasha?" Sango asked anxiously. Had something gone wrong?
"I'm going to get those shards," Inuyasha answered sharply, "You two look after Miroku."
"No. We'll come with you," Kagome insisted.
Inuyasha hesitated. Miroku's health was rapidly deteriorating and he was beginning to cough up blood. Black and purple splotches were appearing and his breath was shallow and rugged. His life was slowly dissipating like the morning mist.
"Fine," he almost snapped, the worry making his temper become frayed.
He bounded across the hall and scooped Kilala into his arms then rushed into Miroku's room. Slinging Miroku across his back he beckoned the girls and hopped onto Kilala.
Kagome pedaled furiously with Sango sitting behind her. Inuyasha was sitting on Kilala, with Miroku in front of him resting against his chest.
"We can switch whenever you become tired," Sango offered to Kagome. Kagome nodded and continued pedaling.
'Miroku is… glowing?' Inuyasha ran his hands gently over Miroku's pale skin. Miroku's natural skin was so pale when it was flushed it was barely phased. But this unnatural pulsing crimson glow was something to be worried about.
"I sense a shard nearby," Kagome huffed, breath coming in gasps, "It can't be the Shikon no Tama; it's much stronger. It has to be Miroku's heart."
"That must be why he's glowing," Inuyasha murmured, and both Sango and Kagome turned to look.
The glow had indeed strengthened, and Inuyasha felt invigorating heat emit from Miroku's body.
Inuyasha soon realized the heat was both Miroku's glowing flesh—and the blood that was dripping all over his hands.
"We have to hurry and get that Heart Shard," Inuyasha shouted. Kilala sped up and Kagome switched places with Sango.
Sango pedaled with full speed following Kagome's directions. Inuyasha desperately tried to stop Miroku's bleeding.
"There's the you-kai!" Kagome yelled, pointing at the huge tori (bird) you-kai. It looked like a gigantic blue heron.
"The shard is in it's back! Just above the wings!"
Kilala landed a good three leagues away from the you-kai. She gently laid down so Miroku was still supported on her back.
Inuyasha rushed to say: "Arigato, Kilala!" and then bounded off. He banked in midair, aiming straight for the you-kai's back.
In a gush of blood, the shining shard burst from the bird's flesh. It sparkled as it fell into Inuyasha's hand.
The tori you-kai fell to the ground, immobilized. It shrank to just a simple-looking blue jay that was unnaturally demon-like and lay twitching for a few seconds before it died.
"It was just a harmless little tori you-kai," Sango analyzed, examining the little bird.
"And a shard from Miroku's heart did all that?" Kagome asked incredulously.
"There is a great evil coming from that particular shard," Inuyasha whispered. He took it between his claws and dropped it by Kilala. Within the instant of coming within a meter of Miroku, it became pure crimson crystal once again.
"Amazing!" Kagome gasped, "Miroku is so pure he was able to purify that shard from so far away! That you-kai was right! He IS amazing!"
"Miroku? Pure? Why is that hard to believe?" Sango rolled her eyes sarcastically, but an undertone of sheer awe shone through the cracks in her voice.
Gently, Inuyasha picked up the shard and placed it over the left side of Miroku's chest, and as before it melded into his flesh and began to pulse.
"Now he has two shards of his heart," Inuyasha breathed softly. He kissed Miroku's lips very gently.
bffimagine: Two shards, 198 left to go.
Miroku: Why 200 shards in all?
Inuyasha: Why not just 2?
Bffimagine: Because I'm the author and I said so.