Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. But I will one day.
Chapter 23: The Life of a Flea, the Pain of a Monk
Kagome and InuYasha instantly knew something was wrong when they were woken by the sound of Miroku's voice invading their hut.
"Lay him down here." He instructed Kita and Shippou, carrying the human Makoto. Miroku had both pups in his arms with a solemn look on his face.
"Is he going to be okay, Miroku-sama?"
"He should be."
"And what exactly happened back there!" Shippou all but yelled.
"Makoto!" Kagome was leaning against InuYasha in the doorframe of their bedroom. He helped her to Makoto's side and set her down next to him.
"That's what I could like to know. What happened here?" he asked looking at the three others.
"I'm not completely sure, InuYasha, but from what I witnessed I do believe Makoto was purified."
"Purified!" they all replied.
Miroku nodded. "Purified."
InuYasha glared at the ex-monk. "And how was he purified?"
"By Gina."
"By Gina! And how is that possible?"
"Well, InuYasha, when two people, in this case an inu-hanyou and a miko, love each other very much they…"
"Look, letch, you say something perverted and those girls of yours will be calling another man in the village otou-san very soon."
Miroku cleared his throat. "Okay… I'll go straight to the point then, shall I? When you and Kagome…had pups…there was always a chance that a miko would be produced. Kagome is after all, a miko."
"Are you trying to tell me Gina is a miko? I'm not stupid, Miroku. You know as well as I do that Gina is a hanyou. There's no way she can be a hanyou and a miko."
"On the contrary, she may not be a hanyou after all." All eyes fell on the ex-monk. "You would agree with me, InuYasha, when I say little is known of the pups of hanyou, am I correct?" InuYasha nodded. "Not many hanyou, live, long enough to have pups. Who's to say what the pup of a hanyou and miko could produce? Another hanyou? Yes. Makoto and Mehiji are proof of that much. A miko? Maybe. My opinion, our little Gina is neither hanyou nor a miko, but, for the lack of a better word, a hybrid of the two."
"So Gina is the cross between a hanyou and a miko, both youkai and priestess blood?" Kagome asked from her position above Makoto, already tending to his wounds.
Miroku nodded. "That is my opinion. Makoto and Mehiji received youkai blood from InuYasha and human blood from Kagome, making them hanyou. But with Gina, she received both youkai blood and Kagome's more dormant miko blood. Somehow the two bloods have learned to co-exist within her. As it seems her purification power is not a danger to herself, but to InuYasha, Makoto, and Kita it could become very painful. And with Shippou, maybe even deadly."
"A hanyou and a miko, huh?" InuYasha pondered to himself. Where had Miroku gotten all this crap? There's no way his daughter could be some sort of hybrid, could there? She did act a bit strange at times. And during her human nights she just wasn't…human, per say.
"Well my friend," Miroku started as he stood to leave the hut, "it has been an…interesting visit, but Sango and I have our duties to fulfill in a nearby village."
"Another youkai attack?" InuYasha questioned.
"Yes. It seems they are restless. My lady and I have had more than enough jobs lately to last us for awhile."
"Keep your eyes open, Miroku. I don't like any of this one bit."
Miroku nodded. "Neither do I InuYasha. And I have a bad feeling that this is just the beginning."
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"Owww…owwww…..owwwww! Jeeze, Okaa, that hurts you know!"
Kagome scrapped the rest of the burned skin from where Gina had been touching his arms and chest, covering the wounds with healing herbs and bandaging them loosely. "Quiet down, Makoto. It's just a little sting."
"A little sting!" If Makoto had his hanyou ears at that point they would be flattened on his head with an I-don't-think-so glare. "How long do you think I'll be human, anyway?" he continued to whine.
"As soon as the purifying energy wears off would be my guess."
"And you said there were a lot of these boar-youkai?" InuYasha asked as he popped Makoto's shoulder back into place.
Makoto winced. "Yea. Tons of them. Right outside the village, too. You have any idea why there would be so many so close?"
"No idea. But Sango and Miroku have been called off to a nearby village because of youkai attacks. That's the fourth time in three weeks." InuYasha settled down holding the sleeping Gina in his arms.
Makoto rotated his newly fixed arm in its socket. "Yea. They usually wouldn't dare come near the villages around here. They're either getting very brave or very stupid. Either way you look at it, something must be happening to drive them out." He looked toward Kita who was deep in thought. She was bandaged up almost as much as he. Makoto had to admit, she was a pretty good fighter when it came down to it.
"O-ya-ee!" Mehiji crawled across the floor of the hut to InuYasha's arms.
Makoto looked at the two pups and thought back to the attack, a question had been lingering in the back of his mind since then. "Why did Gina purify me? I mean, come on! It's not like she didn't know who I was."
"It wasn't you, Makoto. She felt danger and her miko powers took over. Just like your youkai blood has acted up with you." Kagome paused at his blunt expression. "Yes, I know about your almost transformation, and we'll have to do something about that, too."
"I think we should try to figure out what's got the youkai so riled up first." InuYasha's eye twitched. "And I think I know just the flea with the answers." He slapped his neck and pulled back none other than Myouga.
"Augh…do you have to be so hard on this old flea, InuYasha-sama? Really, even your brother has more respect for me then you do."
"Huh? What have you been doing with Sesshomaru?" InuYasha asked with an accusing glare.
"That is what I have come to tell you about, InuYasha-sama. Your brother and the other inu of the Western Lands are under siege. A fierce battle is taking place even as we speak. Your brother's entire kingdom is on the verge of collapse!"
"And I guess you came here to drag me into it too, huh? Keh. Who knew that Sesshomaru would need his hanyou half-brother to fight his wars for him?"
"What could possibly be stupid enough to attack Oji-san in his own lands?"
"That's what makes the situation so unthinkable." Myouga sat in Makoto's palm with a stern look across his face. "The very people Sesshomaru-sama is leading and protecting are starting to turn against him. Over half the inu in the castle have already turned against him, and have declared war against the lord and his remaining faithful followers."
"Keh. This is about the little brat and that youkai getting married, isn't it?"
"Well, my lord, yes and no. The traitors started with a youkai in which you are well acquainted with I believe, by the name of Haru." InuYasha and Kagome flinched. "He and his eldest son, Taru, gathered alliances within the castle. When they tried to persuade the younger brother, Yukio, young Rin's mate, he refused and informed Sesshomaru-sama of the uprising. That's when the beginning of the battles in the Western Lands began." Myouga shifted uncomfortably from the stares.
"Who's Haru?" Makoto asked.
"Keh. An inu from the castle long ago. We met him right before I killed Suoh. Sesshomaru kicked him out of the castle for trying to go against his orders of leaving us alone." InuYasha answered with a loud growl.
"Sesshomaru-sama has kept the battle away from the castle, but that is sure not to last. I suggest that you leave now, before the battle really heats up." Myouga interrupted.
"Keh. What makes you think I want to help Sesshomaru anyway?" he huffed.
"InuYasha-sama," Myouga started with a sigh, "if not for your brother, then for his family and yours!"
"Oi! What does this have to do with MY family!"
"Oyaji, what about Keiji? Quit being such a baka about this!"
"That and Haru seeks his revenge for the humiliation of being cast out because of a human!"
"…Kagome?"
Myouga nodded, InuYasha growled. "Haru was against your father mating your mother, but was unable to do anything about it at the time. He must have thought of Sesshomaru differently until he took on the human girl. When you and Lady Kagome were allowed in the castle as guests, his resolve snapped."
"He was kicked out of the castle. So what? He didn't like it there anyway."
Myouga raised an eyebrow. "That isn't the only thing that happened. A few weeks after your departure, Haru was helped by Taru back into the castle and into the young Rin's room." Myouga paused. "When Sesshomaru-sama found them, he not only cast them out of the castle, but he removed them from his line completely."
"The crescent moon burned on his forehead…" Makoto mused aloud. Even the very mark of the line was removed.
"So you see, InuYasha-sama, Haru and his followers will be coming here, now that they have found you, and seek to kill the pups and Lady Kagome as well as yourself." There was a mutual silence through the hut. Only the sound of Gina and Mehiji's light snore was heard. Kita couldn't look anyone in the eye. It was her fault they were found. Sensing her sudden gloom, Makoto pulled her closer with an arm wrapped around her waist.
"What about Okaa and the pups?" he asked.
InuYasha thought, then let out a defeated sigh. "They're coming with us. Leaving them here with Miroku and Sango would be too risky." He ran a finger gently down the sleeping Gina's cheek.
"I'll go as well." Shippou stated.
InuYasha nodded. "But I have something else I want you to do first. We'll talk later."
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"Now Sango, my sweet, you know I…"
"Save it Miroku. I don't even want to talk to you right now. Let's just get this over with so we can get back home."
The headman of the village bowed, as did Sango and Miroku. "I am very grateful that the two of you have come. Your reputation exceeds you."
"It's really no problem." She glared at Miroku. "I need to vent a bit of frustration and taking the heads of a few youkai just might settle it a bit."
The headman looked confusingly between the two before he figured whatever was going on was none of his business, and handed Sango a small bag of coins. "It is not much, but it is all we can afford. These youkai have been terrorizing the village for weeks on end!"
Sango put the bag back in the man's hand and closed his fist around it. "There's no need for payment. The materials from serpent-youkai are enough of a payment for this job, and it's all we require." The man smiled and said his thanks. "Around what time of day do the youkai attack?"
"Only a few more moments, at dusk. Always dusk, right when the sun goes down. These do not like the light of the sun."
"Don't worry. After tonight, your village will be safe again." Miroku chipped in. Sango sent him a death glare, flipping her head to the side and slapping his face with her high ponytail. The headman gave one last nod before heading back to the village, leaving a very peeved exterminator and very confused monk behind.
"Sango, darling, wha…"
"Save it, Miroku. Here they come."
Sure enough, right below the horizon, beings with greenish-blue scales slowly appeared. Sango shifted Hiraikotsu's weight off her shoulder and readied her fighting stance. Miroku sighed and did the same, bringing his staff in front of him with one hand and holding ofuda in the other. Soon the battle had begun. The youkai they faced were no more than dumb snake youkai, but the number of them seemed to grow with each that fell.
Sango jumped on Kirara's back, chunking Hiraikotsu down at the beasts and killing a few in the process. Kirara growled, touching back down on the ground and claws taking out even more of the beasts. One of the snakes managed to wrap itself around the leg of the fire-cat, sinking it's poison fangs into the furry flesh. Kirara roared and bit down on the youkai, effectively slinging the thing to pieces. Sango took a moment to make sure the poison did not effect Kirara before ordering her to take to the skies once more. There was only a small piece of the moon shinning through the clouded skies, with the sun going down it was hard for Sango to see anything, so she had to trust in Kirara's eyes and senses to guide her.
Miroku was busy with his own battles. He whacked one of the youkai over the head with his staff and threw an ofuda at another. The youkai instantly dispersed into ash. Miroku looked at Sango to make sure she was faring well. From what he could see, she was doing much better than he himself. Kirara was a great asset to have around, especially in night battles. The fire burning from the cat's tail gave out just enough light on the ground so Miroku could follow along and take out some of the youkai himself. Miroku glanced back as Sango and Kirara made another sweep across the ground and smiled. He would never have to worry about her in a battle, but that never stopped him from worrying anyway.
With the last of the youkai extinguished, Miroku walked toward Sango with a grin on his face with every intention of showing her how great of a 'job' she had done with the youkai, showing her in his own way of course. The cold glare stopped him in his tracks. "Sango, my sweet, please don't tell me you're still mad abo.." He was stopped short, ducking from Hiraikotsu. "SANGO! All I said was that your slayer uniform fits you a bit more snug than it use to! I don.."
"SNUG! I know what you are implying, Miroku, AND I DON'T APPRECIATE IT!"
"I wasn't implying anything, I swear! I like the way it fits you. It shows off your curves very well, I might say." He gave her the lecherous grin he was so famous for.
"MIROKU!"
Miroku flinched as Sango raised her fist to him. "Sango, please, just excuse my ignorance and stupidity… darling? S-sango!" :WACK: The ex-monk went down with a fresh handprint across his cheek. He groaned his agony into the dirt and waited awhile before peeling himself back to his feet. Sango had already left his side, taking a few bundles from where she had previously laid them on the ground and started walking the battlefield. Miroku continued to watch her from a safe distance.
Sango knelt down beside a few of the fallen youkai, inspecting it with little to no enthusiasm. She pulled out a small dagger and set to work. The first thing she took, of course, was the small gem located on the forehead or the tail of the snake youkai. The gem didn't mean anything to her, but Kagome could use the gem to make antidotes for various poisons. The next to go where the larger green-blue scales on the upper portion of the youkai. The scales there where thick and would make great armor. Finishing up with a few more of the youkai, and taking anything she deemed of value, Sango walked past her husband, hopping on Kirara and heading back to the village.
Miroku sighed as he watched his wife take off without him. He took to his task of praying to eliminate any chances of the youkai's auras escaping, but his mind was anywhere but on task. What had he done that was so wrong, anyway? The slayer's suit did fit Sango a bit more snuggly, but Miroku was, dare I say, 'turned on', by the new way it allowed her body to express itself. She had gained a bit of weight, sure, but that did not bother Miroku in the least. After all the battles, nearly constant fighting, the deal with Naraku, and giving birth to four children, he was surprised she hadn't looked worse for wear, not that he wouldn't have loved her any less if she did.
Finishing up, Miroku picked up his staff and made his way back to the small inn where they were staying. Many of the villagers were standing around Sango and the fire-cat, congratulating and thanking her, no doubt. He just stood there for a few moments, until the headman finally shooed away the crowd and Sango walked into the inn. He waited until he knew she had had enough time to take a bath in the bathhouse and get changed before he walked quietly in. Sango was on the other side of the small room, unrolling her futon with Kirara curled up at her side.
"Sango?" he whispered softly. Her reaction was the last thing Miroku expected. Slap him? Sure, he probably deserved it for his earlier offhanded comments. Slug him? Why not, she was a bit more moody than usual. What she did do instead, she turned around and all but glomped him. The stunned Miroku gently wrapped his arms around her waist as hers clung around his neck. Nothing else was said. There was no need. They were both entering a new phase in their lives, and this was just part of it.
A/N:
Yes, I had to put a bit more Miroku/Sango into the story. Dare I say I 'missed' his perverted ways?
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