Disclaimer: I do not own the right to these characters. All rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter Five: The Barrier Falls
Night had cloaked the village in dark shadows, which Inuyasha used to conceal himself from prying eyes. All was quiet, sans the owl, whose haunting cry floated in the evening air. Inuyasha moved with harried rapidity, it was his self appointed task to preserve the well being of Miroku. The hanyou pushed onward, he moved beneath the foliage of the woods near Nakimoto, while he did all he could to remain silent. The only sound to be heard was the occasional snap of a twig under his bare feet. He grew closer to the home of the village healer and was making great time. That was until he happened upon an unwanted hindrance, sheriff Bankotsu. Inuyasha came to a sudden halt, he tried to come up with a distraction, as the sheriff paced the path he needed to take. He mentally berated himself for not allowing Miroku to work with him longer on the art of strategy. It was too late for regrets now, it wasn't as though he could go back and remedy his little problem of the moment. He took in a long slow breath, set his jaw, and opened his eyes which were filled with determination.
Inuyasha's amber eyes surveyed his surroundings, his thoughts raced for a clever plan, so in the end he was forced to follow his instincts. Impulsively, he grabbed a large nearby stone and with all the might he could muster, he threw it in the opposite direction he needed to go in. It landed several yards away from the hidden hanyo. In the journey to its new home, the stone broke many branches and had earned the suspicious attention of the brutish sheriff. In a flash, Inuyasha left behind the corrupt law man and he hastily made his way to Kaede's old hut. He pounded on the door with a tightly held fist and he did not stop until he roused the lone occupant of the home. In the dead of night the door swung open and in its frame stood an old woman, who was still haggard by an interrupted sleep. She spoke quietly in a groggy voice, "Blood Hound? What brings ye out here at such a late hour?" Inuyasha was still breathless from his unplanned but necessary journey from the mountain, but he had not a moment to spare for rest.
"We must hurry, please Keade. It's Robin. He needs help and there's not a second to lose." He need not say more, for in an instant the pair made their way into the stillness of the night to save a life. For Keade she was desperate to save the villager's last symbol of hope, but Inuyasha merely desired to keep his dearest friend from the fate of death.
The minutes had stretched into an hour and Miroku struggled to cling to wakefulness. As his vision grew even more blurry he began to plead with the old man. "Monk Mushin, please tell me when they have arrived. I must conserve my energy and put up my barrier after Inuyasha returns with Kaede." The monk's concern only grew with every passing second, but he nodded and spoke with conviction.
"Of course, make yourself at ease. I will help you protect your identity." Violet eyes became a bit glazed as the fatigue continued to embrace the thief in its soothing arms. With some resistance his eyes closed as he desperately fought the sleep that threatened to over take him. Mushin peered out the nearby window and yet the temple's gardens remained eerily vacant of life. "Rest for a while, my boy, I shall wake you upon their arrival."
Miroku was soon awoken by Mushin's gentle coaxing. Inuyasha had returned and brought with him a familiar face, Kaede. He breathed in deeply, in an attempt, to prepare himself to raise his barrier. The hanyo rushed into the room with the elder healer trying in vain to keep up with the younger man. In his haste, Inuyasha nearly addressed the thief with his given name. "Mir…", he paused before he pushed on, "Robin, I've returned and I have brought Kaede with me. All will be well now, it is only a matter of time." Instead of a response Miroku gave Inuyasha a worried and unsure look. It was far more difficult to hold up the barrier than he had anticipated. The poison was definitely more potent than he had first thought it to be. Kaede went to work the moment she entered the room. She examined the wound with keen eyes and was aware of the venom used to afflict him. Quietly, she went to work on the antidote, while Miroku only continued to grow paler. His breathing was rapid, but strong and consistent, while he still struggled to keep awake. Miroku spoke for the first time since they arrived, but anxiety laced his voice with frustration.
"Will this take long? I hate to rush you, but I desire privacy." Kaede merely chuckled warmly, entirely unmoved by Robin's desperate pleas.
"I will not be leaving ye until the poison is entirely out of your system." Inuyasha recognized the panic as it washed over the thief's exhausted face. It drained him of what little color that had tinted his cheeks just seconds prior. In his alarm, Miroku once again pushed for the old medicine woman to leave as soon as she had finished administering the antidote to him.
"I implore you to leave. You have done all you are able and I assure you that all is fine. I only wish to acquire some privacy." Yet Kaede remained as she was while she finished the preparations for the medicine. It was then that she carefully helped Miroku sit up and drink the contents from the small cup and though it was awfully bitter stuff it was swallowed without as much as a fuss.
"I will leave as soon as ye get some rest. Once ye have made it through the night, I will gladly give ye the privacy ye so desire. Now sleep." Miroku exhaled shakily, the fight quickly faded from his tired spirit, but he was still fully capable of giving the priestess a rather serious look.
"Then you must swear yourself to secrecy, for you will become one of the very few that know my true face." The confusion was clearly etched on her wise and aged face.
"But Robin, I have seen your face many times, it shall be nothing new, for I know it quite well."
He smiled ruefully at the name his activities had earned him and replied in a soft voice, "You only see the face you expected to see, otherwise I know that you would call me by name. By my given name." The hush that consumed the small party lingered uncomfortably. Miroku began to shake from the strain of retaining his barrier. He seemed to sway beneath its weight, crushed by the secret it concealed and as his strength waned he muttered weakly. "Okay. I can hold it no longer. My secret is in your hands and if you see it fit, yours to give away." The shield which had kept him disguised from all around him fell away and the ruggedly aged face began to blur before Kaede's very eyes. The gray that had colored the thief's temples grew as dark as night and his deep brown eyes became the color of amethyst gemstones. The gasp had passed her lips before she had a moment to silence it. Robin was not the aged archer she thought him to be. No, Robin was but Miroku, the mischievous troublemaker that she had watched grow and eventually leave the village altogether.
"Oh Miroku, the trouble ye have gotten yourself into this time. Ye are not stealing bread from the baker anymore, but ye have gone and stolen from the likes of Prince Naraku. Do ye realise the danger ye have put ye self in?" Miroku closed his eyes, not because he wished to ignore the woman, but because he could keep them open no longer.
"I see. So you openly praise Robin Hood for his heroics, but chastise me for my foolish actions? I am fully aware of the dangers to my actions, but…" He paused midway through his thoughts and when it appeared that he had no intentions of continuing the priestess pressed him further.
"I praised Robin because I had no idea he was ye. I would rather not see ye get hurt. I know ye, I watched ye grow up, Robin was but a stranger to me. I cared not for the well being of a stranger, but ye are different." Miroku eyed her skeptically, she had been rather convincing, and he almost believed she wasn't disappointed. Almost.
"I must admit that you came up with that reason impressively fast. You have no reason to worry about me though. I've only been hurt once and it was just by a bit of dumb luck. Nothing like this shall ever happen again. I promise." The promise was made even when all parties involved knew it could not be easily kept. Kaede placed her hand upon Miroku's cheek and in her eyes he became that young and precocious little boy of nine again.
"Why are ye doing this, Miroku? What have you to prove?" The question came as quite a shock, no one had ever thought to ask him for his reasons, not even Inuyasha had considered pushing him on the subject. Silence fell heavily upon the room once again as anticipation for his reply was great.
In a voice that trembled he finally answered, "Because I know what it is like to live without. To need help and not have it given. And for once in my life, I am not just a trouble making thief. I matter. I am finally needed. Now, please, leave me to rest. I am tired and wish to be alone." Inuyasha wanted to protest, to tell him that he was nearly his only friend, and to remind him that had it not been for him, he would still be living behind the false mask of a nobleman. Yet he spoke not, for Miroku had turned away from them, and appeared as though he wanted to hear no more. He no longer had any desire to actively participate in the conversation. Kaede quietly shooed them from the room, she had no intentions of parting from her patient. She had her determined mind set on watching over the ailing thief until the morning sun dawned the new day.
The following morning was dull and overcast, lightning flashed in the distance, and thunder rolled in with clouds of grey. The old priestess had departed after breakfast, while Miroku still slept off the poison he had been dosed with the evening prior. Inuyasha sat in the dimly lit room and impatiently waited for his friend to rejoin the world of the living. He sat in relative silence, only broken by the soft clinking of the wind chimes and the gentle pitter-patter of rain that had just begun to fall. When Miroku had finally started to stir, Inuyasha sardonically stated, "Good to see that you have awoken. How are you feeling, Mister that old sheriff can't best me?" Though Miroku had caught the blatant sarcasm he was far too unwell to address it.
"I feel as though I am hungover after a night of binging sake. So could you please not talk so loudly?" Although the hanyo was concerned, he could only hope that the whole ordeal had taught the cocky thief to be more careful and to not underestimate the bumbling sheriff.
"I'll do my best to keep my voice at a reasonable volume, but I probably should inform you that due to a recent theft, Prince Naraku has collected taxes a week early. He is bitterly displeased with our interference." With the pounding in his head beating like a drum the crafty crook rose from his bed on unsteady legs. He forced himself to prepare for another day. The room spun around him and he had no choice but to take a deep breath to abate the nausea that turned his stomach violently. Unwell or not he had a job to do, Robin Hood could not afford to take sick days. He donned his black attire before he put his hood in place, and then he offered Inuyasha a confident smile.
"I say we continue to inconvenience the phony King of Nakimoto. I certainly hope I can count on your unwavering support." The hanyo had known that Miroku would give up the much needed rest once he was told of Naraku's activities, but the villagers did count on them to set things right. They had no time for rest, so without so much as a second thought, he assured his partner instantly.
"You know that we are a team, you will never have to make a move without me." The hanyo's dark hair turned silver and his signature white ears were atop his head. His grin was cocky, not because they were going to face off against the prince, but because of the promise he had made to himself. The one where he swore to himself that he would never allow harm to befall Miroku again. The rain had since ceased, but left behind muddy roads and dampened spirits. Prince Naraku had personally accompanied the sheriff and in his anger he taxed his people double for the actions of the Robbing Hood. The villagers were dejected and outraged by the outright greed of the so-called prince. How he believed he deserved the title of King was beyond them. Yet they could not deny his demands for fear that they would be thrown in jail for treason against the King. Naraku smuggly believed that Robin would not dare steal from him, his gold when he was present, not twice, especially when he had been so close to catching him during his last little escapade. The greedy prince carried the burlap sack of gold in a tightly clasped fist. He and the sheriff had collected from the last house not long ago and had yet to have any unwanted interruptions. The villagers held bated breaths with the hope that the heroic thief would soon show himself.
Sango had once again taken her station at the food cart. The oppression had begun to weigh heavily on her, this was one of those moments that caused her to hate her uncle even more. King Hitomi needed to hasten his return and liberate his people from his unfit younger brother. She watched him head toward his newly built litter with his newly acquired bag of gold as her anger increased steadily. Naraku held his proud chin up, his steps sure and poised, but his departure was suddenly stopped by a well fired arrow. It struck the ground at his feet which halted his movements instantly and his face reddened with rage. Angrily he shouted, "I see you have decided to grace me with your sorely unwanted presence, Robin Hood." In response another arrow was fired, this one struck the royal crown that was atop his dark head. The arrow clanged against the golden crown, breaking the hushed wonder of the villagers, and sent it toppling into a nearby puddle.
"You have no right to wear that crown. How you even have the gall to esteem yourself to be as worthy enough for the title King is beyond my comprehension. You are no King Hitomi. All hail the phony King of Nakimoto. The reigning court jester. The joke." Naraku's rage became more visible with every passing second. The Robbing Hood had become a festering thorn in his side, one that he desired to be rid of immediately.
In his fury, Naraku demanded firmly, "Stop hiding from me and show yourself. Do you fear my power, Robin Hood?" The prince said the name as though he had to spit it out like a bad taste which only caused Miroku to smile in spite of the malice the prince clearly felt for him.
The thief replied coolly, "I fear no man. If I fear no man, then why should I fear the shadow of one?" The bold words were spoken as Miroku stepped out from the cover of the trees and his sword was drawn. Naraku sneered, he too drew his sword, he was determined to destroy the one man that gave the petulant villagers their last ray of hope. If he could only put an end to the life of Robin Hood the people would finally be entirely at the mercy of his power.
Naraku sneered, "You underestimate me, vermin. I will put an end to your wretched little life and put a stop to your law breaking." The prince charged the man in black and with all the strength he could muster crossed swords with him. Miroku expertly blocked the blow, but staggered back uncharacteristically. The ground seemed to rock beneath his feet, like a sailboat on rough seas. Miroku swallowed down the nausea and blinked a few times to bring the world back into focus. Steal slashed through the air violently and with instinct alone, Miroku was able to parry the attacks with flawless defense. Inuyasha watched from his point of lookout and, to him, it was instantly obvious who was the superior swordsman of the two. Miroku had been expertly trained and the skill was honed to near perfection. In order to keep up with his opponent, the prince was forced to release the bag of gold. It fell to the grassy turf with a metallic clink. This was Inuyasha's cue to make his move.
With a determined haste, the hanyo jumped into action. In a blur of red and white, he closed the distance between himself and the treasure. Just as he was able to clasp the burlap sack in his clawed fingers, he came face to face with the crooked sheriff. The uniformed man locked eyes with the hanyo and a warped smile twisted his features harshly. "Not so fast, Hound. Hand it over and I just may find it in me to spare you." A fanged grin slowly spread across Inuyasha's handsome face. He had wanted no more than to teach the man a lesson ever since he had nearly put an end to Miroku.
"No can do, sheriff. You see this gold doesn't belong to you or Naraku. So like it or not, we will be taking it off your hands very shortly." Inuyasha made a motion to draw his sword, but was stopped when he caught sight of Miroku stumbling after having leapt back from a rather nasty swing. It was easy to forget that though he fought in fine form, he had not time enough to fully recover from his recent brush with death. Inuyasha audibly cracked his knuckles and although he wanted to play with the sheriff for a while, he thought better of it. The villagers watched on in giddy delight, wholly unaware of Robin's weakened state and they held back cheers when Blood Hound caught the sheriff with a hard right hook. Bankotsu was left incapacitated, just as Miroku was able to disarm the prince of his sword. Naraku stood, he trembled with rage, and was unable to speak a word. All he could manage was to watch on, as did the people as Robin with Blood Hound and his gold vanished amidst the trees of the woods.
Once at a safe distance, Miroku parted ways with Inuyasha, he needed a moment to be alone with his thoughts. His only request was that the hanyo prepare the gold to be redistributed to the villagers. He needed to clear his head, after all, he was still not quite himself. If he could just have some time by the river unaccompanied he was sure it would do him a world of good. Inuyasha, though reluctant, agreed with Miroku's request. He returned to the temple, with the task of separating the gold into much smaller bags, with the intention of returning it to the impoverished people of Nakimoto. In his departure, the thief was left alone for the moment. He was able to ponder on his own words from the night before. Twilight deepened the blue sky to violet and pink, night had begun to fall quickly upon the forest and he would have to return to the temple soon. He looked towards the setting sun and dropped his means of disguise. For just the moment he could be himself. He waited for the relief to flood him, yet it was disappointment that twisted in his gut. Being Miroku was not enough and the thought was like a stab to the chest. He was much better as Robin Hood. People needed him. Wanted him. Looked to him for help. Robin was the hero, Miroku was a nobody. He compared himself to Robin with bitterness and yet they were one in the same. Weren't they? While those doubts rolled in and clouded his mind, a shadow slinked beneath the trees and drew closer to the unsuspecting thief.
(A/N Thank you to anyone who patiently has waited for me to update on my story. I just purchased a new laptop on Monday and was unable to write until I had a day off from work. I plan on updating one or two stories every week, but can't make any promises. I will try to do better when it comes to updating, but with the holidays coming up I may become a bit too busy. I hope you will stick with me. Please leave a review, even a short one, I love hearing your thoughts and it makes my whole day when someone enjoys my work.)