Inuyasha 1. Chapter 1

"Talking"

_Thinking_

**Summery:**

What happens when something dark from Miroku's past comes back and haunts him?

**Disclaimer:** Nothing is mine but two characters and the plot!

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_I hate them._

The sun was setting in hues of color, from pink to red to orange to yellow. It was fading from the sky as darkness covered the light, consuming it at an astounding rate. Crickets were coming out along with the frogs and other vigorous animals to sing their songs.

It seemed peaceful.

Many people and animals alike would come out wanting to listen to their singing. The magic of nature's music and it wonders of the world. Humans were most affected by it as they relaxed to the soothing noises, letting their pains wash away as they listened to the tones of the wild.

One would wonder who wouldn't find such pleasure from such a simple thing. Was it anger in such a person? Or perhaps hatred? Who would know someone who didn't enjoy the free things of life that the world had to offer us?

It was unfortunate there was such a person. No, that wasn't entirely true. This person was not such. This...creature was not human, it was not a person in anyway, one would describe. If not a human, then what was such a creature? If not human, then a demon?

A demon would be evil, a demon would be powerful, a demon would be vigorous in nature, but no, this creature was not a demon. So if not human or demon, then what creature could this possible be? If not human with a heart or a demon that craves blood than what creature could it be?

_I'm not either...I'm not a demon or a human._ _Why can't I be one or the other?_ such a creature thought solemnly.

The full moon was out as the sun was no more and the night peaked out over the horizon. Stars littered the sky and were filled with beauty that no other living thing could hope to accomplish. The round orbs in the sky shined brightly to earth's habits, bathing the ground with its light from above.

Shadows were made and gave a cast of the darkness of the world. One minute the earth is full of light were the next it turns back into darkness once more. The clouds in the sky drifted around blocking the earth from the moon's view. It mattered not, for the moon was stubborn and would shine even through the toughest of things that it faced.

_I'm not either...I'm both._ a single tear fell staining the cheek of the owners face; tonight was its human night.

The wind picked up making long flowing black hair dance to it rhyme. The trees around followed suit as they swayed to their own dace having branches bend to the beat. The grass in the area bent and moved like the ocean in a heavy storm. All at once the wind stopped and as such everything stilled on its own.

It mattered not to the creature.

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"Are you okay, Miroku?" asked Sango.

Miroku didn't respond to her. He was in a daze. His eyes clouded over in deep thought. The area that they were in and the direction they were heading was so familiar to him but he couldn't put his finger onto. Why? It was like he had been here before in his younger days when he first stared out searching for Naraku but he couldn't remember.

"Miroku!" Sango yelled in his ear bring him back to the real world.

"Huh?" his eyes widened, fully on alert now. "Wha-uh…of course I'm okay."

Sango narrowed her eyes at him, not believing him. Kagome walked up to the demon slayer and leaned her head close to Sango's ear.

"Miroku has been acting strange ever since we entered this area, Sango." Kagome whispered in her ear. "Maybe that's why he has been acting so weird lately."

Sango nodded her head.

"Feh, if you ask me. He was probably thinking about some woman he had met here." Inuyasha said stupidly.

"Idiot…" Shippo muttered under his breath.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scowled him. "Sit boy!"

Inuyasha like usual went down and went down hard. Kagome turned to Sango to deny Inuyasha's words but it was heard by deaf ears. As expected Sango sighed dejectedly but what surprised them the most was that Miroku didn't protest. It was unusual of him to say quiet. Usually Miroku would protest and then even tease Sango with it.

"Are you okay Miroku?" this time it was Kagome asking.

Once more Miroku ignored them and kept walking even though because of his strange behavior and Inuyasha's recent sit they had stopped. Miroku kept going like he was in his own little world.

"Oh dear…" Kagome brought her hand over his mouth. This was not good. Miroku was acting weirder than ever and they didn't even know what was wrong with him.

"Miroku-sama!"

"Lord Monk!"

"Over here please!"

The group looked over to the small crowd that was accumulating up a hill that they were going up to. The group was confused as they looked from the crowd cheering Miroku's name to Miroku himself.

"Huh?" the calls of the people in front of them awoke Miroku from his thoughts.

They watched as three men bravely parted from the crowd to greet them and when they meant them the meant Miroku. They circled around him speaking fast as their words grew louder and smashed together to the point where no on could tell what they were saying.

"Now, now!" Miroku cried out over the three men. "Please kind sirs, calm down and repeat slowly so that my companions and I can understand you."

The three men looked over Miroku's shoulder and for the first time they noticed the people that the young monk had talked about. Immediately they glared at the demons of the group.

Kagome felt Inuyasha tense next to her and felt Shippo shake with terror at the glares. Sango narrowed her eyes at the men for giving them such glares as Kirara started to growl and hiss at them. Sango had to pet Kirara to calm her down. It wouldn't do if she started to attack the men even if she thought they deserved it.

"Lord Monk, why would these filthy demon travel with you?" one of the men asked.

"Yes, are they your slaves Miroku-sama?" asked another.

"What did you say?!" Inuyasha yelled angry at being called a slave.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered. "Calm down. They are only humans, remember?"

"They called me a slave Kagome!" Inuyasha retorted.

"So what?" she asked. "You know that you're not. And you know that we know that you're not a slave. Let them think what they want."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest but he couldn't. He knew that Kagome was right. It was who she was. Even when something like this was happening she would always find a way to make him feel calm and not want to kill the humans in front of him, like right now.

"No, no kind sir, they are not my slaves. They merely travel with me." Miroku told them.

Once he said that the men in front of him looked at each other trying to decide something. Miroku knew that they were deciding whether or not to let his demon friends into their village. This wasn't the first village that they had come by that was hesitant around demons.

"But I can assure you," he continued. "That they are under my control. They will not hurt anyone and I will make sure they are in line."

Both Kagome and Sango had to hold both of Inuyasha's arms to stop him from killing Miroku.

"Inuyasha you can't kill him." Kagome protested.

Inuyasha growled ready to get blood on his hands. "Yes I can!"

"No you can't!" Shippo helped out.

"Shippo's right! We need him, remember." Sango grunted out as she held onto Inuyasha.

With one last attempted to get to Miroku, Inuyasha gave up much to the relief of Kagome and Sango.

"Okay." the men finally decided. "They can come but one mishap and it will be their death."

"Thank you, you are so kind." Miroku said with a fake twitching smile on his face. "I will make sure they are well behaved."

The three men went back to their group and left Miroku to his own people.

"What was that about Miroku?" asked Kagome.

Miroku shook his head. "I have no idea, I don't remember them."

"But they certainly know you." Shippo said from Kagome's shoulder.

"Yes, it would seem so." Miroku said softly. He had no idea who these people were but yet they seem so familiar to him that it was scary.

"Do you think we should follow them?" asked Sango.

Inuyasha growled and crossed his arms. "I for one think we should leave. If they don't want demons around then I'll gladly give them their wish."

"Well, I think we should go with them." Kagome said.

"What?!" Inuyasha yelled. "Why?!"

"Because for one, it is going to get dark soon and second…" Kagome paused. "I could use a real bath and a home cooked meal."

Inuyasha had to flatten his ears onto his head to block out the squeal that Kagome gave when thinking about a hot meal and bath.

"It wouldn't hurt." Sango put in her input of the whole idea. "Though, we are going to have to be careful. I don't want to have to fight them incase they choose to attack us because of Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kirara."

"Sango's right." Miroku said. "We are going to have to be on guard. We don't know what to expect from this village."

"So it's settled then!" Kagome gave another squeal of joy. As they walked on over to the small crowd of people Inuyasha was behind them sulking.

"I still think we should've just left." he muttered under his breath.

"Cheer up Inuyasha." Kagome tried. "You never know. We might have some fun in this village."

As they reached the group of people all Inuyasha got was glares and whispers of how filthy he and the other demons were.

"Yeah…" Inuyasha whispered darkly. "Fun…"

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In the forest behind a village a lone person stood over them. In the shadows the person hid from the world. The villagers didn't even realize that they were being watched. In the shadows no one would know. Then the wind blew and the branches that concealed the figure changed as light hit the body.

The person in the shadows was a young girl.

She had on a white kimono that stopped at mid thigh with a green vest covering her chest. The sleeves on the kimono were long, much too long for a girl her size for she only looked around thirteen or fourteen. She wore no shoes and had green hair that was pulled into a very short ponytail. Her face was young but her violet eyes held pain, betrayal, and anger.

"So he comes back, does he?" she asked. To anyone else they would think she was crazy but she was a half demon, nothing was crazy about that.

A red and blue butterfly came to her and she in turn lifted up her hand and stretched out a finger. The butterfly, unafraid, landed on her finger.

"He is back." she said.

The butterfly moved on her finger as a silence come over them. To anyone, they would think she was studying the beautiful creature but to her she was getting the answers that she needed.

"I see." she confirmed it as she let the butterfly go.

"After so many years you come back?" she asked herself. He eyes held confusion but soon narrow in a glare.

"I will make sure you pay with your life this time." From once to a young child to a pissed off half demon, she would get her revenge.

Vines around her sprouted and circled around her. She disappeared along with them. The villagers below her didn't have a clue on what she was going to unleash.

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"We are so thankful that you have arrived Lord Monk." a villager said.

"Yes, so very grateful." another joined in.

As the group of people walked back to their village Miroku was surrounded by the villagers leaving the others out of it. They didn't seem to mind much. At least they weren't the ones getting mulled over by many people.

"Well, I'm happy that I could bring such joy to you fellow people." Miroku played along with it but inside he was screaming for help.

"We are so very happy! Now you can finish off the demon."

That caught the groups' attention.

"What demon?" asked Kagome. Some of the villagers turned to her but then back to Miroku completely ignoring her.

"Miroku-sama, a demon as been plaguing our village. You must finish her off like the demon before her." said a villager.

"Before?" Miroku muttered. "Before…" his eyes glazed over in thought.

_So I have been here before and I apparently helped them with a demon problem._ Miroku thought.

"Here we are!" an eagerly villager shouted at the return of home.

Miroku looked up and gasped at the sight. He had been here before. He remembered! Miroku's eyes darkened. He didn't want to be here anymore. He had to leave. This village was nothing but trouble for him and his friends.

When they walked up to the village Miroku was already planning to leave when the crowd parted to make a line to their head leader. Miroku glared at the head villager in hatred.

"Ahhh…welcome back Young Monk." he started out. "I hope the years to you have been kind."

"Yes, they have." Miroku stated coldly.

The head villager didn't catch the tone but his friends did. Suddenly they knew that something was wrong with Miroku.

"Come, come. We have lots to discuss with you." the leader gave a wave to follow him.

"I'm sorry to say but my companions and I are just walking through. We can not stay here." Miroku said firmly. Behind him his friends were whispering about him and his strange behavior.

"Why do you think Miroku is acting like that?" asked Kagome.

Sango shook her head. "I don't know. I've never seen him act like this before."

"Do you think it has something to so with this place?" Shippo questioned.

"Maybe." Kagome stated.

"Oh please…" Inuyasha complained. "For all we know this is the one village where he couldn't get any."

"I don't think that's it, Inuyasha." Kagome said wisely. She had seen how Miroku was acting and this was so alien that Kagome didn't know what to make of it.

"But why not Miroku-sama? We have a demon destroying our village and you will not help us?" said the leader.

Miroku's glare on the man intensified immensely. "The last time I helped you people you tricked me into killing an innocent demon for nothing!"

People gasped from the out burst and Miroku knew that his friends were gapping at him from behind him but he didn't care. He would be damned before he killed another demon for this village.

"Do not say such things Monk for you volunteered for the job."

"I only did so because I thought she was hurting people when in fact she was just protecting you. Why she would protect this village is still a mystery to me." Miroku stated.

"It was a menace to our village and now its bastard child is causing havoc just like its mother use to." the head villager said.

"What?" Miroku whispered, dazed. _She's still alive. Even after all of these years?_

"Fine." Miroku said. "I'll stay." With that said Miroku walked away not even waiting for his friends. He needed to think. He needed time to clear his mind.

"Miroku!" Sango shouted out but Kagome stopped her.

"I think it's best to let him go Sango." Kagome said. "He seems to have a lot going on right now."

Sango nodded. "You're right. But…never mind."

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Miroku walked along a beaten path that the village had, his staff ringing out has he moved. It was dark out but Miroku didn't mind. He was enjoying the darkness of the scenery.

It was pleasurable to stare up at the night sky looking at the stars, thinking. He knew that his friends were confused and didn't know what to make of anything but he didn't have the heart to explain it to them right now. For years he had hid this part of his past.

It was a past he didn't wish to return to.

It had started when he was very young; when he had first started out traveling for Naraku.

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_A very young Miroku was traveling around in a daze. He had been on his journey for only a month now and he didn't think he was able to handle it. It was only a month since he had left and already he was walking around starving._

_It was no use though as the young boy sighed. He put a hand on his stomach at hearing it growling like a demon itself. It had been two days since his last meal. He was hungry and exhausted. If he didn't find a way to find food and fast, Miroku knew he wasn't going to last long._

_"Monk? Young Monk?"_

_Miroku looked up to the person he was calling out to him. Right in front of him he saw a young maiden whose beauty was beyond his imagination._

_"Y-yes, what can I do for you?" Miroku stuttered turning his face red from embarrassment._

_The maiden giggled at the monk's obvious discomfort._

_"I was just wondering if you could help could help me and my village." the maiden gave a shy look at the young man._

_"I-I don't know…" Miroku said unsure._

_The maiden gasped at Miroku's response and wouldn't have it. She ran up to him and grasped his hands, bringing them up between them._

_"Oh but you have to, Young Monk? My village has been plagued by a demon for years with no help. Our village would be so grateful to have you help us. We are willing to give you some food and a place to stay until the demon has been destroyed." she told him._

Food and a place to sleep? How can I not accept? _thought Miroku. Then, as an impulse thought he decided to put on his charm._

_"Now, with that kind of tone, and of course the well being of the village, how could I not deny your request?" Miroku laughed it up and when with it. He had never done this before but from the girl's reaction he was doing a hell of a job._

_"Oh thank you Young Monk." she cooed at him pulling herself closer to him._

_Miroku blushed from the contact but he wasn't complaining. He could get use to this._

_"Please follow me…" she led him to her village._

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Miroku sighed as he thought about that faithful day. That had been the first time he had been asked to exorcise a village before. That was also the day when he had put his charm to use for the first time.

That day was the day that had made him into the man he was today. He had learned a great deal from that village, though some Miroku could do without, he knew that it was the changing point in his life.

"Hey monk?!"

Miroku turned startled from the call. He was more surprised when he turned and found Inuyasha coming up to him. Out of all people Inuyasha was the last person Miroku thought was going to approach him.

"Uh, yes Inuyasha? Is there something wrong?" he asked.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. He knew something was up with his monk friend but he didn't know what. It was a matter of time though. Miroku was going to spill whether he was ready or not.

"Yea, something is wrong alright." Inuyasha responded. "You are freakin' out the girls and frankly you have been actin' weird ever since those villagers showed up and brought us to their village."

Miroku sighed. Was he really that obvious? He knew that Kagome or Sango would pick up on his attitude but he didn't think it would cross Inuyasha's mind.

"It's nothing, really, Inuyasha." Miroku tried. He watched Inuyasha glared at him and knew that the half-demon wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Okay, okay." Miroku gave up. He figured they would find out eventually so he mind as well tell them on his own terms.

"Spill it, Miroku." ordered Inuyasha.

"You might not like this." Miroku said. "You may even hate me after this."

Inuyasha instantly dropped his gruff attitude sensing that it was getting serious between them. He stood there waiting patiently for Miroku to start. The air around them was thick with tension and Inuyasha thought he could cut through it if he wanted to. Something was going on with his friend and he didn't know if he could fix it.

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Part 1 of 4


	2. Chapter 2

"Talking"

_Thinking_

**Summery:**

What happens when something dark from Miroku's past comes back and haunts him?

**Disclaimer:** Nothing is mine but two characters and the plot!

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"You know that I had to start out early on my journey to find Naraku, right?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha nodded not knowing where this was going but he had a feeling of what this was going to be about.

"I was young, so very young…" Miroku trailed off as he remembered that fateful day. "I had just started out my journey and I was lost."

Inuyasha watched as Miroku laughed to himself like he had just said an inside joke or something.

"I had just used the last of my money and was starving. I didn't know what to do. I was so lost I wasn't even able to fish or hunt. I was useless." Miroku said with a faint smile on his lips.

Inuyasha remembered back when he was still a kid and had been trying to learn how to hunt and fish on his own. It was at times frustrating and others it was fun. Inuyasha hoped that, that was when Miroku was remembering right now.

"I was hungry and was trying to find a way to find food when a young maiden came across me. She called out in recognizing that I was a monk. She asked, pleaded, for me to come to her village to kill a demon that had been plaguing their village for years." Miroku continued.

"It was this village?" Inuyasha asked though he knew the answer to his question.

Miroku nodded silently.

"It has been some years since I have come back to this village. I wish I had never have come to it to begin with. In this village, I made the biggest mistake of my life, but also the one that changed me into the man that I am today."

"Miroku?" Inuyasha stepped forward. "What happened here?"

"I killed someone." Miroku whispered. It was so soft that without Inuyasha super hearing the half-demon knew he would have missed it.

"Killed?" Inuyasha questioned. "Killed who?"

"A mother," Miroku answered.

"A mother?" Inuyasha shook his head. "You're not making any sense!"

"I killed a demon here Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled out. "I killed the demon here that the villagers told me that she was hurting them, destroying their village…and I believed them."

"Miroku…" Inuyasha tried to say but was unsure of what to do.

"No, Inuyasha." Miroku stopped him. "I killed a demon that was supposedly killed people but it wasn't true."

Miroku didn't have time to continue. A large bang ringed through the air followed by screams littering the night sky.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled out as he ran back to the village.

"Sango!" Miroku followed him.

It wasn't long before they were upon the village. They both gasped at the sight of it. It was alit in flames, terrified people were scattered around screaming in fear. It was a horrid sight but both man kept their cool.

They had to find Kagome and Sango.

"Lord Monk! Lord Monk!" a female villager cried meeting them half way.

"Please, tell us miss, what is going on?" Miroku asked franticly. He couldn't find Sango anywhere and that scared him the most.

"The demon!" she cried. "The demon is back!"

Inuyasha and Miroku watched as she ran away in fright not caring what they were doing anymore. Miroku and Inuyasha looked at each other before nodding and heading off. Inuyasha was slightly ahead of him but Miroku was able to keep the pace he had set.

Inuyasha worried for Kagome and where she was but Miroku's mind was anything but his friends. He knew but yet, he didn't know who the demon was. He had a feeling but he hoped that he was wrong.

"Miroku, look!" Inuyasha shouted as he pointed towards a big hut.

Miroku looked over and saw that the hut was on fire. The flickering flames licked the air as smoke filled the area around them. But what Miroku saw was a figure standing in front of the hut. The lone figure made Miroku lose his breath. He knew it but he didn't think it was true.

"Moriko!" Miroku yelled out.

Inuyasha turned towards him confused but he didn't question it. His main focus was finding Kagome and the others.

"Inuyasha!"

The half-demon turned to the person who called his name. It was a relief that it was Kagome who had yelled it out. He was so happy that she was safe as she ran up to him.

"Inuyasha, what is going on?" she questioned.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't know but Miroku seems to know more than any of us."

Kagome had a confusing look in her eyes as she looked over towards Miroku. Sango soon came over to them too but she remained silent. She could tell something was up and knew that it was time to reveal what the hell was going on.

"What's going on?" Shippo whispered in Sango's ear.

"I don't know." she shushed him as they watched on.

With flames around them, the grouped watched their monk friend stand in front of them facing the lone figure before them.

"Moriko…" the monk whispered with sad eyes. He couldn't believe it. She was here, alive, in front of him.

"It has been a long time hasn't it?" she asked him.

Miroku couldn't look at her as he planted his eyes towards the ground. He couldn't face her no matter how much he had to. He couldn't face her, not after what he had done.

"Yes, it has." he said softly. His heart was pounding in his chest, his knuckles where white from clutching his staff so hard.

"I didn't think you would come back."

Miroku nodded silently.

"You didn't think you would come back either, I see."

Miroku just nodded again. "I didn't want to. I didn't want to remember."

On the side lines the other just watched and listened. They didn't know what was going on but from what they could gather, Miroku knew the demon that the villagers were so scared of.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Kagome brought up.

Sango shrugged her shoulders, watching her loved one struggle with this strange encounter.

"I don't know, but whatever this is, it's not good."

"How have you been?" asked Miroku wincing once the words left his mouth.

Moriko didn't seem to like it either. Miroku could hear growls of anger. Jumping away from the hut, Miroku and the others finally got a good look at the demon people claimed to fear.

Inuyasha gasped at the young girl.

_A half-demon!_

The girl was nothing but a child. To Kagome, she could only guess that the demon in front of them was only about her age maybe even younger.

She looked so different than he had last seen her. She was different in general. She was not human nor demon but a half-demon. Her hair, like most half-demons they have seen, was white. She was slim and small for a person her age; she was even smaller than Kagome.

The most amazing thing about her though was her eyes. Her eyes were just like hers'. Her eyes though big and childlike were hardened well beyond her years from pain and suffering. Of which Miroku knew that he had caused. Her eyes were the brightest green color he had ever since. They were much like her mothers'. It was the color of the forest that many live in.

"How have I been?!" she yelled out in anger.

"Moriko…" Miroku said uncertainly. He didn't know what to do. He had just said the worse possible question he could ask. This wasn't going well and Miroku knew it.

"How could you of all people ask such a question?" she said. "But you should know though, right? Of course you do. It wasn't bad enough that no one liked me to begin with. But you had to take the only friend I have ever had. You are just like all of these filthy humans!" she screams loudly, tears running down her face.

Inuyasha stares in shock at the outburst.

_So, this was what he wanted to tell me. This was his pain. Miroku killed her mother._ Inuyasha realized.

"I was only a child but I knew what you had done. You sucked her into that hole in your right hand! I saw it with my own eyes." tears were pouring down her face now in waves.

Miroku looked down in shame.

"But that wasn't all was it?" she asked glaring through her tears. "You killed my mother; you let the villagers try to kill me. They set my home on fire with me in it. So, now I'm showing them what it was like. To see what I felt when I was trapped in a fiery blaze. They will feel what I felt and I will show them the pain that I had suffered for years." she continued stepping closer to him.

Sadness clouded Miroku's eyes as she explained her story. He didn't know. He didn't know that she was still alive when he left. He didn't know as he went down his shameful path away from the village.

"I didn't know." he tried but she wouldn't have it.

"And now that you're here, I can get back at you too." she stated. "Starting with your friends."

She waved her hand and out shot green vines coming from the ground. Miroku stared in shock as the large vines went passed his body and off to his friends.

Though caught off guard, Inuyasha was ready. He took out his sword feeling it transforming in his hands as he swung the mighty blade towards the enemy approaching them. He cut them down effortless and watched from the corner of his eyes that Sango was holding her own as well with her weapon.

"Ah!" a scream ripped through the air.

The others gasp at the sound knowing who was screaming.

Coming out of his daze, Miroku looked behind him, fear clenching his heart.

"Kagome!" he screamed. In his horror he saw one of his best friends fall from the attack. Her arrows were great but they were useless if she couldn't fire them in time.

Moriko narrowed her eyes at his reaction. _Gotcha!_

Using her will, she commanded her vines to attack the girl Miroku was calling to. She watched as the dog of their group try to protect her but it was useless. She knew her vines well and she knew that he was not going to succeed.

"No!" Inuyasha yelled watching Kagome get caught in the vines' grasp. "Kagome!"

"Inuyasha!" she cried as she was flown over to the girl.

"Moriko, please, stop!" Miroku pleaded.

Moriko glared at the monk with rage filing her being. "Stop! You didn't stop. So, why should I?"

"I'm so sorry!" he said to her falling to his knees. "I didn't mean to!"

Moriko ignored him as she pulled her hostage towards her.

"Hey!" Kagome complained. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

The half-demon didn't. With curious green eyes shining up at Kagome, Moriko studied the strange woman that Miroku had befriended. The woman, Kagome, was a strange one. Kagome were such strange clothing, and the way she spoke, she was not from around here; Moriko knew that for sure.

"You will do nicely." Moriko spoke to herself.

Inuyasha growled frustrated at the situation. He never liked it when Kagome was in danger; ever.

"What are you going to do with Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded.

Moriko smirked. "What do you think dim-wit? I'm going to take her?"

"Not on your life!" Inuyasha growled out. "You're not getting away!"

"Too late." she said. With a flick of her wrist, the vines came to life wrapping around them.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called out. He ran towards them, sword out, but it was too late. He hacked at the plants but Inuyasha wasn't getting anywhere. In an explosion both Moriko and Kagome disappeared.

Inuyasha, in mix horror and fear, stared in the place where Kagome had once stood. His face morphed from fear to anger as he turned to Miroku.

"Miroku, you better tell me what the hell is going on?" Inuyasha ordered.

Sango with Kirara ran up to the monk as well, she didn't know what was going on but she was determined to find out.

"As you can guess Moriko is a half-demon." Miroku started out. "Ten years ago, I had come by this village with a maiden who was despite for a person to kill a demon that was plaguing their village."

"You killed her mother, didn't you?" asked Inuyasha.

Miroku nodded sadly. "Yes, I did."

Sango gasped in shock, not believing that the monk could do such a thing.

"Miroku…" Sango breathed. "How could you?"

Miroku looked over to the love of his life with pained eyes. He realized that no matter what he had to say she was never going to forgive him for this. He would be forever the one who kill a child's mother. He was the monster, not the demon.

That's why he didn't want to come here. This was way he didn't want to listen to the villagers. He knew from experience that they could be deceptive with lies and half truths. It was what he had fallen into eleven years ago.

"I didn't mean to." he tried.

Sango shook her head not believing any of his words. "How can you stand there and tell me such lies, Miroku?"

The monk sighed pitifully not knowing what to do.

"They tricked me Sango. I was young back then. I didn't know any better." Miroku explained though it he thought it was useless. Sango would never look at him the same ever again.

"I understand." she sighed resigning.

Miroku's eyes widened at the sudden declare. "What?"

Sango gathered her courage and looked into his violate eyes that she loved so much. This was the man that she was going to spend the rest of her life with. She was not going to let something like this to break up the best thing she has ever had.

She was a fighter; she wasn't going to give up that easily.

"I said that I understand." she repeated. "I was young too, and though I was smarter than to believe what the villagers tell me, I also had made terrible mistakes that it took my father to stop me before I didn't something I would regret. I had my father to guide me, you didn't."

"Miroku…" Inuyasha called to him.

The monk turned his head over to his half-demon friend and saw the intense look in his friend's golden eyes. He expected hatred, pity, or even disgust to look back at him. He, after all, helped kill a mother of a half-demon.

But no, Miroku didn't see any of those negative feelings towards him. Instead he saw faith, loyalty, friendship, everything a friend would need to let one know that his friends got his back. That they weren't going to turn on him when he needed them.

It was a nice feeling.

"Yes Inuyasha?" Miroku whispered.

"Let's go get Kagome back." Inuyasha told him and Miroku nodded in understanding.

With no words needed, they set out to find Kagome. They just hoped that they were in time to save her.

000000000000000

"Hey!" Kagome complained. "Could you be a little softer?!"

Moriko growled at the wench that was screeching. It was starting to hurt her sensitive ears.

"Hello…" Kagome wiggled around to get Moriko's attention. "Are you listening to me?"

"Shut up!" the half-demon yelled shocking Kagome. "Just shut up! Damn! Don't you ever shut up?! Like I give a fuck if the ride is soft or not. You are my hostage and the last time I check hostages don't talk unless spoken to."

Kagome glared at the girl. "You don't have to be rude about it and scream."

Moriko sighed tiredly. She should've taken the demon slayer or maybe the fox kit. At least he would have been too scared to talk.

It had been like this since she took the wench. Kagome was currently entrapped within the vines that she controlled, moving alone with her. She was jumping the trees and following the hidden path that only she knew.

It was here that she would show them. It was here that she will destroy the monk that had ruined hers'.

_Finally…_ Moriko gave a sigh of relief. She had finally made it to her home. The place that had kept her safe ever since her mother was killed.

"Huh?" Kagome was stared at the clearing confused. She looked around and saw that it was a small clearing that had a little garden at the far left corner and a tiny hut that was in the center. What got Kagome though was the big gravestone that was in front of the hut.

Kagome watched as Moriko flicked her wrist and she felt her body jerked with the movement of the vines. The moved and curled as they slithered along the ground. They settled in front of the gravestone and that was when Kagome knew who this graved belonged to.

Moriko ignored the miko and went to her mother's grave. Kneeling in front of the stone Moriko put her hands together in a prayer. She gave her silent apology for not helping her and not being able to save her. She also sought forgiveness for what she was doing to the village that her mother once protected and also for what she was about to do now. She prayed to any god to look over her mother and help her find her path to the afterlife.

Moriko continued to pray as Kagome looked at the head stone with sadness like no other. She thought about Inuyasha and how hard it was for him to even talk about his mother and what she was like when she was alive.

As she stared at the girl, no older than herself, she couldn't think about how much pain the half-demon was going through. To think, Kagome thought back, Miroku was the cause of this.

Kagome didn't know how the girl's mother dead but Kagome had a feeling she knew. It was an awful thought and then Kagome thought of her own mother and how would she feel if she had lost her mother to another person at such a young age.

It was in that moment that she felt bad of the young girl. Not even old enough to take care of herself and she loses her mother. It was something that she didn't wish anyone to go through.

"Moriko…" Kagome called out softly. She didn't want to anger the half-demon farther.

"What?" she answered annoyed.

Kagome smiled to herself. At least she got an answer. That was more than she was hoping for. In a way, Kagome realized, she was more like Inuyasha than she thought. It was in their way to protect themselves.

"I was wondering," Kagome started. "What happened to your mom?"

Moriko growled angrily. "That monk that you travel with is what happened!"

Kagome flinched at the rage flowing from the girl.

"You have no idea, what a monster you're traveling with, do you?" she asked.

Kagome shook her head.

"How do you not know?" Moriko questioned. "You travel with a half-demon and two other demons. I'm surprise that he hasn't killed them yet."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "Now, wait just a minute! Miroku would never do something like that to them! They are our friends!"

Moriko laughed thinking it was some kind of joke. "You? Friends?'

Kagome nodded stubbornly. "Of course!"

Moriko just laughed harder infuriating Kagome. This half-demon was insulting her friends and no one was allowed to do that, no body."

"How could humans like you be friends with demons? It's sick. Humans and demons weren't meant to be. We are from two different plains. We should never be together ever."

"How can you say that?" asked Kagome, not understanding. "You're a half-demon right? So in order for you to be born your father and mother had to be a human and demon right?"

"And I despise them for it!" she shouted.

Kagome cringed and closed her eyes. Never had she seen a child hate their parents so much.

"I hate them!" she yelled. "I hate everyone!"

Kagome opened her eyes and was surprise to see the little girl that hid herself from the world. Moriko had her fists curled towards her chest with her head down and Kagome knew that she was close to crying.

"Why?" Kagome spoke to her. "Why hate them? Why everyone?"

Moriko looked at the strange woman with tears filling her eyes. This wasn't supposed to happen. The miko was breaking her down and instead of being angry, she was relieved. In all of her years along she had never talked to someone about her pain and suffering. It was soothing to talk about it. It seemed the more she talked the more her pain stopped.

"I hate them." she said quietly. "I hate them because they made me and then left me. I had no one, I still have no one. They shouldn't have been together. Now because of their mistake I have to pay for it."

"You're wrong." Kagome told her. "What they had was love. They loved each other and they loved you."

"No!" she said loudly. "You're wrong. They might have loved me, but they left! They cared about that stupid village more than me!"

"The village?"

Moriko nodded. "The both dead for the village and left me behind. My father, he was human, men from another village came to destroy ours. Though the people in the village scorned us, shunned us, he fought of them, he dead for them. And then mother…"

Kagome could see the pain that Moriko had. It was painful to even watch let alone live through it.

"Miroku, he killed your mother?" Kagome finished for her.

Moriko nodded through her tears. "Yes."

"What happened?"

Moriko snapped her head up. Kagome thought she did something wrong but it wasn't that. Moriko turned her head towards the direction they had entered the clearing.

It was blurry but Kagome could see her friends nearing the place that Moriko was holding her captive on.

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Part 2 of 4

Moriko- child of the forest


	3. Chapter 3

"Moriko!" Miroku called out to her. "Please stop this madness!"

"Who cares?" Inuyasha growled, taking out his mighty sword. "Take this! Windscar!"

Kagome gasped when she saw Tetsaiga's windscar. "No Inuyasha, don't!"

Too late.

Kagome instinctively tensed as the windscar traveled towards them; towards Moriko.

Moriko smirked and held up her hand. The group watched in amazement when the forest around them came to life as trees, roots, and vines came together and formed a barrier in front on the attack. Many of the plant life was ripped and torn away but it was effective in stopping the windscar.

Inuyasha growled at his failed attack and held his blade up defensively. He narrowed his eyes to try and find the half-demon but he could see her. It was aggravating and what was worse was that he had Kagome to protect.

Failure was not a possibility.

"Is that all you got mutt?" Moriko taunted as the area cleared and all was visible once more.

"Mutt!" Inuyasha snarled. "How dare you call me a mutt?!"

"That is what you are, is it not? A half-demon, not human or demon, but only half. Not being one or the other but both."

Inuyasha seemed confused but this wasn't the first time statements like that have crossed his mind or that of others. Moriko was a half-demon like him; she understood more than even the others could. She had lived through what he had lived.

There was one difference though.

He had friends now, she didn't.

She didn't understand what he had made for himself. What he had gotten and what she couldn't have. It was something like out of a fairy tale. Though it wasn't all hearts and roses, Inuyasha loved what he had no matter how little.

He couldn't say the same for Moriko.

She had nothing; she was alone.

Relaxing but not letting his guard down, he lowered the Tetsaiga slightly. He posed a threat to her and that was something he didn't want to do. He understood her feelings and her want to take action like these but he couldn't let her hurt Kagome. If he has to, he will use force if necessary to take her down.

"I maybe a half-demon but I know that what you're doing isn't right." Inuyasha stated.

Moriko was displeased by this. She didn't understand. How could a half-demon find these humans as pleasant company?

"Why?" she demanded. "Why be with them? Why take their side? They are nothing but hateful creatures."

Taking back from the questions he lowered his sword completely. Inuyasha took a second to take in the questions and the uncertainly look that Moriko was giving him. He looked over to Kagome and stared at her, then looked over to Miroku and then behind him Sango, Shippo, and Kirara.

"They are my friends." Inuyasha finally said looking at Moriko. "I, am on their side because they are my friends."

"Why?" she whispered. "What makes them your friends? What makes them different from everyone else?"

Inuyasha looked down. He knew where she was coming from. What she wanted from all of these questions. She was like him in many ways like what he was before…before he met Kagome.

She was confused as she stood there.

He was a half-demon.

She was a half-demon.

He had friends.

She was alone.

He had everything.

She had nothing.

Why?

"They are always there." Inuyasha told her. From half-demon to half-demon, Inuyasha tried to tell her.

"Inuyasha is right Moriko." Kagome said.

Moriko turned her glazed towards the kidnapped girl.

"I wasn't talking to you." she snapped at Kagome then brought her attention back to Inuyasha. "You tell me you all are friends?"

Inuyasha nodded.

"Of course we're friends!" Shippo cheered.

Moriko glared at the little fox. Shippo cringed and shrunk behind Sango's shoulder.

"You are friends with this beast?!" she yelled pointing towards Miroku.

"Don't talk to him like that!" Sango scowled at her stepping up.

Moriko growled at the demon slayer, narrowing her eyes at her.

"You don't defend him. He killed me mother. I won't forgive him for that!" she said raising her voice.

"Moriko, I don't know how to say how sorry I am for doing that to you." Miroku tried to soothe.

"Saying sorry won't bring her back." she said pitifully staring at her mother's grave. "I don't even have anything to remember her by, I have nothing."

Miroku stared at the ground and brought he cursed hand in his sights. He did it. He sucked Moriko's mother into his wind tunnel. It was a void place where hell resides. He didn't know, he didn't know.

"I'm sorry." he whispered.

A tear slid down Moriko's cheek. "That's not good enough."

She lifted up her arm and the plants that were holding Kagome tightened around her, Kagome screamed as her legs and arms were being constricted.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha jumped to get to her.

"Moriko, please stop this!" cried Miroku.

She looked him straight in the eye. Miroku flinched from the dead look her eyes held.

"No." she opened her hand and squeezed it into a fist.

The vines circled around Kagome and Miroku knew that she was planning on killing Kagome.

"No!" they yelled for their friend.

A white light exploded around them, blinding them.

_"I found him! I found him!" the village maiden cheered._

_Many villagers stopped what they were doing and looked up to see what all of the excitement was about._

_"I found a Monk that could help us!" the maiden yelled out._

_The villagers muttered to themselves and to each other looking at the young monk before them. Many were excite to hear such news while others were unsure of what to think of a monk so young. It wasn't until the head elder of the village coming up to Miroku sis the villagers quiet down._

_"You, Young Monk? Why you are so young but yet have accepted such a challenge." the head elder stated._

_Miroku, not wanting to get into trouble, nodded. He just wanted to have food and shelter. If such a demon would come to pass he would try his hardest to destroy it but it wasn't his main reason for being here._

_The elder smiled and the villagers in the background cheered grateful of the monk's braveness. For without him their village would be nothing, they were saved._

_For the rest of the day Miroku eat until his heart was content and took a long nap. After words though, women of many ages and beauty surround him. They trapped him in their little circle but he didn't mind. It was nice and he could get use to this. He had to do this more offend, he noted to himself._

_"Young Monk! Young Monk!" a man cried scaring the women around him._

_Miroku was shocked and surprised at what was happening. He could hear many screams outside and was concern of what was going on._

_"Yes, kind sir." he said. "What is happening?"_

_The man's body shook with fear and Miroku knew that the demon they had spoken about was back and scaring the villagers._

_"The demon…" the villager breathed._

_Miroku nodded understandingly._

_"Oh, Young Monk!" one of the women cried clinging to him._

_Gently as he could he pushed the woman away. "Fear not ladies, I shall defeat the demon and came back safe and sound."_

_The woman cheered and giggled at the monk's little speech, wooed by his words._

_With his final words he set out to find the demon. Around the village was like a ghost town as people coward in their huts. He searched the village and found nothing so he went out into the forest._

_He search but found nothing. He was about to give up when he found a little beat up old hut. Confused he decided to check it out. That was his mistake._

_"Stay away!" a demon voice shouted._

_Miroku tensed at the voice and prepared himself for an attack. He jammed his staff down into the ground making sure it stayed there. He put his left hand on the enchanted beads that were tied over his right._

_"I'm here to kill you demon. You have pledged the village for the last time." Miroku said trying to be brave even though his entire being was trembling from the fear that was coursing through his veins._

_"That is a laugh." the demon said chuckling. "I have not harmed that village. I merely guard it."_

_Miroku felt sweat beading down his neck. He didn't know who to believe. The first thought was to believe the villagers but then he didn't want to kill an innocent demon for no reason._

_"I'm sorry but I have no choice." Miroku told the voice. "You leave the village and the villagers alone and I won't harm you."_

_"I don't harm them. They are merely scare about something they don't understand."_

_Miroku was confused. This demon was intelligent and seemed that it was not the blood thirsty demon that the villagers seemed to make it out to be. Why would the villagers fear this demon?_

_"You lying bitch!" a villager jumped out of nowhere and screamed._

_Miroku jumped from the sudden shout._

_"Yeah, go back to where you came from and take that bastard of a child with you!" another said._

_Miroku stood there paradox. _A child?_ Miroku thought._

_Many of the men came out with torches and ran over to the beaten hut. A piercing scream was heard and the men in action were slay were they stood. People screamed in horror but they continued to stay._

_They didn't run._

_They tried again and again they were slain. This time though a torch made it to the hut and within second it was a blaze it fire. Another scream ripped through the air and the people around Miroku were getting killed._

_Miroku looked left, right, up, and down. He couldn't find anything. He couldn't see the demon. When more than half of the men were killed the slaughtering stopped. Miroku, not knowing what to do, stared and to his surprise a figure was standing in front of the hut that was on fire._

_Miroku stood there amazed looking at the demon. The demon was in fact a woman. She was staring mournfully at the hut. The woman had long green hair turning a mix brown from the blood and the fire light that was reflecting off of her. He clothing was in layers and in armor. Her top was red armor and her bottom was white and blue kimono that flowed to the ground. A sword was at her hip and from what Miroku could see a blue bracelet that wrapped around her wrist._

_"Why?" she asked him._

_Miroku jumped at her voice. It wasn't the voice he had heard from before. This tone was soft, gentle, and sad sounding. It was like she had had lost something very close to her._

_"What?" Miroku said stupidly._

_With a growl she turned around and Miroku saw her face. It was womanly like any beautiful female demon. Her lips were full and painted red giving a shine to them. Her eyes though were what brought Miroku to his attention. They were the greenest eyes he had ever seen. They had many shade of color to them just like the forest around them_

_"Why?!" she yelled. "Why didn't you stop them? Why did you help them?"_

_Miroku didn't know what to say. He looked at her and was shock to see tears falling from her eyes._

_"Why did you help them kill her?" she asked pitifully._

_"Kill who?"_

_"Moriko…" she whispered. "My daughter."_

_Miroku gasped in horror as he stared at her and then the hut behind her. The child must have been in there._

_"How dare you?!" she yelled. "I'll kill you all!"_

_Miroku felt guilty as she charged at them blinded by rage. He looked at the human behind him and saw them on their knees praying. He felt that they deserved it but as he looked ahead facing the enraged mother. He couldn't help but feel that he didn't want to die. He still had a mission. He had to kill the monster Naraku who had cursed his grandfather with the wind tunnel._

I'm sorry_… he apologized as he unwrapped the beads on his right hand. He closed his eyes and thrusted his arm up unleashing his ultimate weapon._

_"Wind Tunnel!" he gave his battle cry and felt the pull of the hole in his hand._

_He kept his eyes closed. He heard shocking cried from the villagers and the one he dreaded most from the female demon he was attacking. He tried to ignore it but he heard everything. He heard her cries as she tried to get away. He heard her cry her dead daughter's name on her lips. He heard the whooshing sound and felt when she was sucked into the hell that was his engraved into his right hand._

_He heard the happy cheers as he closed his wind tunnel. He didn't feel the victory that the others were feeling. He felt ashamed of himself. He felt the guilt that was nestled inside of him. He knew he would never forgive himself for this._

_"The demon's finally gone."_

_"Yeah, and don't forget the bastard child she had."_

_"What a whore._

_"Thank Kami, that half-breed was no good."_

_"I know, it's bad luck to have such a cursed thing to our village."_

_"That's have a big celebration in honor of the Young Monk Miroku!"_

_More cheers littered the air but Miroku didn't hear any of them._

_In all of the emotions hanging in the air they didn't notice the young little half-demon that was hiding in the bush close to the burning hut with a tear stricken face._

_"Mother…" she sobbed. _

_Then she stared at the man who had caused her mother's death. She commented his face to memory. She would never forget him. She narrowed her eyes through the tears. She would never forgive him, she won't forget. She now had a purpose. She was going to kill the man who had killed her mother. _

Moriko stopped her attack as she came back to reality. She blinked and looked at the others. They were in the same state she was and knew that they had all saw what she had saw.

Kagome looked over to Moriko and then to Miroku. Was that what happened? But even if it was. Why now? Why all of them?

**_Moriko…_** a voice called to her.

Moriko looked around to find the caller. She knew that voice but she couldn't place it. She knew that she had heard it before but it was so faint and distance now that she wasn't sure.

**_Forgive him…_** it said.

Moriko was at a lost like the others. They too were looking for the voice but not Miroku. He knew who the voice belonged to. He had heard a long time ago but he would never forget it.

"What?" Moriko asked.

**_Forgive him Moriko. It was not his fault_**.

Suddenly Moriko knew who was talking to her. Tears sprung in her eyes and silently she cried.

"M-Mother!" she yelled out looked all over the place. This was her mother. She had to see her, she had to.

To see her mother once more.

**_My child. My daughter. You will not find me for I am one of the dead. _**

"That is because he put you there!" she defended pointing at Miroku. "He's the reason you're dead! And I'm…I'm alone."

**_You must forgive! Killing him will bring no good to you my daughter, only death. Killing him will not solve anything; it will not bring me back no matter how much you wish it._**

Then her mother was gone and she was along once more. Through tears and grief Moriko looked at Kagome was still within her hold and then at the others. She closed her eyes and then took a deep breath before releasing Kagome.

Inuyasha seeing the new change immediately went for Kagome. As he reached her he checked for any wounds that she could have gotten. He saw that her wrists were red and had bruising on them. He had no doubt that her ankles were the same way but she was okay.

When he turned back to see Moriko, she was gone. Eyes widened, no one saw her leave. Miroku stood there numb. He had seen her leave. She looked devastated. Her only goal in life was gone and she had no one.

Miroku looked at his right hand. The curse that had done all of this and him, for being a coward.

"Miroku?" he heard his name. Miroku looked up and saw Sango next to him with a sad look in her eyes.

"Yes, Sango?"

"I'm sorry."

Miroku looked at Sango, they were so many things to be sorry about but the worry meant nothing compared to what he did.

"I am too Sango, I am too."

0000000000

Part 3 of 4

Moriko- child of the forest


	4. Chapter 4

"So do you think Moriko will be okay?" asked Kagome.

It was the next day and they were heading away from the village that they had encountered the broken half-demon.

"I don't know Kagome. But she's strong, she'll make it." Inuyasha commented.

"I hope so." Kagome said.

Miroku was quiet through the entire time. He didn't want to speak; he had to sort out his thoughts. He was just glad that they were getting away from the retched village.

"Hold on." Inuyasha halted them.

They stopped confused at Inuyasha's reaction.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"I smell blood, human blood, and lots of it."

Soon screams started to feel the air. Realization sunk in as they turned around in the direction of the village. Quickly they started to run back hoping to help the villagers.

"Do you think it's Moriko?" asked Shippo

"I don't know but I smell her blood." answered Inuyasha.

_Is it really you, Moriko? Are you destroying the village? _Miroku questioned.

It didn't matter they still had to go back to the village. If it was indeed Moriko they would have no choice but to stop her one way or another.

Miroku didn't want it to come to that. He didn't think he could handle it if they had to.

It didn't take long for them to reach the frantic village. They saw villagers running for lives. They saw low class demons killing them with no mercy. Women screamed in terror, children cried for their mothers, men tried to defend their village but it was useless. Their weapons didn't have any effect on the tough armor that was their skin.

They didn't hesitate, they took action. Inuyasha went fist as always and rushed in with the windscar. Kagome used her sacred arrow and Sango used her weapon as will on Kirara.

_Moriko…_ Miroku thought as he looked around. He didn't care much for the villagers' lives, only Moriko's.

"Moriko! Moriko!" he shouted calling out her name. He looked there to the right, to the left, he couldn't find her.

"Hey, Miroku!" Inuyasha got his attention. "Stop lookin' and start helpin'!"

"But Inuyasha…" he tried to reason but Inuyasha glared at him shutting him up.

"You can help Moriko later. Right now we have to kill these demons."

"Inuyasha's right Miroku." Sango told him while killing demon after demon.

Miroku hesitated not knowing what to do. He wanted to help Moriko but Inuyasha and Sango were right. His friends came first. Giving a silent prayer that Moriko was alright he helped his friends defeat the demons.

It was a long battle, they killed many and still demon seemingly came from on where. It was like they were fighting Naraku's demons. Though Miroku decided to help his friends it didn't keep him from looking out for Moriko.

With a battle cry Miroku slammed down his staff on a demon turning it into ash. A yelp caught his attention causing him to stop his attacks. Looking around he saw a horrified sight. He found Moriko but she was hurt and bleeding.

That's not what angered him though. It was the fact that not only was she tied down preventing her from both escaping and defending herself but there were men actually beating her up while she was down.

A growl that he thought his human throat couldn't possess came forth in rage. His vision blinded by red he charged forth and hit each man hard twice, knocking them out.

Once the men were all down Miroku went over to Moriko. He ripped the rope holding her down and knelt by her side. She was bleeding and had bruises forming on her body but other than that Miroku didn't find anything else wrong with her.

She was panting hard from taking the pain of the beating. She knew it was a bad idea to come to the village in it's' need. She was the guardian of the forest and everything that resides in it; including the village.

She had came to help. She had tried to help but this was what she got from them. Despite of the attacks that the demons were doing, the men seemed to have time to tie her up and beat her. She only tried to help. It was the least she could do.

Her mother, her father, they both died protecting this village. It was the best she could do; to die the same fate. If anything, at least, she could see her parents again. It was all she could do. She had nothing now. No family, no goal, no reason to live anymore.

She felt them, all the attacks they placed on her body. She felt every one of them and she didn't wish for them to stop. Stopping meant pain and she didn't want it, only death. Death was what she was aiming for, and nothing else.

That was why it unnerved her that the attacks stopped. It was her luck though. She figured that the demons attacking killed them. It was okay though as she saw it, then the demons would kill her. It was fine; she was going to die tonight one way or another.

"Moriko?"

_No! That voice!_ Tears stung her eyes. _Why him?_

She didn't want to look up. She didn't want to see him. She hated him but her mother's last words was for her to forgive him and she was trying but just his voice and knowing that he would never face such pain just broke her a little more inside.

"Go away." she winced. Her voice wasn't all that commanding, showing her weakness.

"Moriko, you have to get up. The demons are still here. If they get to you, you'll die." Miroku said trying to pick her up.

Moriko with all of her strength push Miroku away. "I don't care! I have nothing left! I want to die! Why didn't you let me die?"

Miroku stood there startled at her accusations.

"You can't die." he told her. "There are so many things you haven't seen yet. You're still so young yet."

"What's the point?" she asked pathetically. "I have no one to share it with. I have no one. There's no point in living if you have no one."

"You'll find someone." he said strongly. "Just look at my friend Inuyasha. He is so much older than you and Kagome, the one you kidnapped, she was his first friend before us and he's only known her for a couple of years."

Moriko didn't know what to say to that. She just stood there.

"Moriko! Watch out!" Miroku warned as he jumped into action.

Moriko gasped startled. Without her knowing a demon crept up on her and was about to attack her. Miroku saw the occurrence happening behind her. He wasn't going to let this happening again, not again.

Miroku acted before thinking. His body on autopilot, he grabbed Moriko taking the attack himself. He felt the claws slashing into his arm, and felt the drain of his blood leaking out of the wound.

With a battle cry Miroku killed the demon with his staff before the demon could finish him off.

Moriko didn't know what to think. After finishing off the demon Miroku gasped for air slouching. He used his body as a shield for Moriko as he caught his breath. It was hard. His whole right arm was on fire and he was losing his vision.

All Moriko could do was stare at her human shield. She couldn't believe what he had done for her.

"Why?" she asked, tears coming in her eyes. "Why save me?"

Miroku gasped when a shot of pain went up his arm but he tried his best to smile at her. He saw her tears and with his clean hand wiped them off.

"I wouldn't," he took a breath. "Be able to live…with myself…if I let you die."

"Even after everything I've done."

Miroku smiled using the last energy he had. Darkness was the all he saw as he fainted over her. Moriko let a few more tears fall before she wiped them away. She was not going to let him die. She effortlessly pushed him up and gently settled him down on the ground.

She looked around her and saw the death and carnage that the demons left and were still making. Miroku's fiends were still fighting the remaining demons but they were wearying. Wiping her teary eyes once last time, her eyes hardened.

Spreading out her hands, she tensed her arms for her attack. Her body shook from the intense concretion.

Inuyasha was about to release another windscar when the ground started to shake violently. He didn't know what was happening but he searched around none the less. He searched with his eyes and saw Moriko preparing something.

Moriko felt her power build; she knew that her time was close.

_Just a little more._

The demons around her didn't seem so kind to let her release her attack. Some of them charged at her ready to kill her on the spot.

Moriko's eyes widened. She wasn't ready and if she moved now all the power she had collected would be gone.

_Oh no!_ she thought as she closed her eyes expecting to the pain.

It was when she didn't feel anything was when she opened her eyes. She saw the demons around her. They were in pieces. Confused she looked to see Inuyasha hovering over her smirking.

"I'll hold them off. You just finish what you're doing." he told her.

Moriko smiled at the other half-demon surprise but happy that he trusted her. She nodded and gathered the remaining energy she had to get.

When she felt she had enough she took a deep breath and held it. She thrusted her hands up and with it living green plants rose from the ground. They twisted and turned, attack anything that wasn't human or friendly.

Closing her eyes she saw them. She was seeing everything around her. She saw the life that lived within the earth, the plants, the animals, and people around her, even the insects had a signature that was visible to her.

Moving her arms around and spinning her body she danced to a song that only she seemed to be able to hear. As she danced the vines followed with her killing all of the demons that opposed harm to her and the people around her.

Inuyasha and the others were gaping at her in amazement as they watched her perform; even the villager, who have hated her, shunned her, were in amazement at her performance.

She didn't stop until she saw every last evil demon dead. When she did she swiftly threw her hands in the air making the vines follow her. They too went into the air following her. In the end they stopped. Moriko released her breath and looked at her work.

The demons were all dead, the people were safe, and everyone was looking into the sky. She looked too and saw the biggest and the most beauties tree that have ever seen. That was Moriko's pride and joy there. Tears entered her eyes. She just hoped that this would make her mother proud of her.

Moriko looked at the monk who had killed her mother than back to the tree. Her mother told her to forgive and despite what she had done Miroku had saved her life when even she didn't think it was worth saving.

Her mother asked her to forgive and looking at Miroku, she knew that she could do just that.

00000000000

It was the next day. It seemed so different than what the night they had been through. The day was so peaceful with animals scurrying around. It was like last night didn't even happen.

"Are you sure we should just leave like that? I mean what about Moriko?" asked Kagome.

The group had decided to leave the village the next morning not wanting to stay longer. They wanted to talk to Moriko more about what had happen but before they could get the chance to she was gone once again.

"I think she'd going to be okay Kagome." Sango commented.

"Yeah, she seemed different before we left." Shippo chirped on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Keh, don't worry, she'll be fine. With power like that, there's nothing to worry about." Inuyasha praised in his own way.

Miroku walked as he thought about that. In his thinking he slowed down as the others passed him but he didn't notice. A sound of leaves and twigs snapping brought him out of his deep thought.

Looking up he saw nothing but the tree next to him was moving. Curious but caution he glazed over the tree waiting for something to happen. To his surprise a section of branch moved and revealed the enemy.

It was Moriko.

Miroku looked over to his friends than to Moriko, she was gone. He smiled and then dug into his robe. He pulled out something he thought he would always burden his being and placed it down onto and nearby rock and left.

Moriko saw what he had done and went over to the item on the rock. She gasped as she picked it up. It was a bracelet that her mother had. She turned quickly and watched the monk who had killed her mother walk away and she wasn't regretting a thing.

000000000

_The cheers around him didn't reach him. He was numb on the inside. He felt nothing, could think of nothing, and right now, he felt like nothing. He had helped kill two innocent lives who had done nothing wrong but to try to live._

_He saw them kill a child but didn't nothing to stop them or to help her. He had watched a mother get revenge of those very same people. He felt her grief and heard her pain. He screams would forever haunt his memories._

_He killed a mother. He killed a grieving mother who had just lost her child. He saved the people who had killed her child. What world was he living in? What world was this that people would cheer for the deaths of a child and a mother?_

_He couldn't say here. He had to leave. He couldn't stay in a place like this._

_Miroku moved to leave when his foot hit something stopping him. He looked down at the earth under him and stared._

_Next to his foot was the same bracelet that the girl's mother had. One of them must have fallen off before she was sucked into his wind tunnel. _

Moriko…_Miroku would never forget her name and what had happened here._

_She will be remembered if only in his memory. _

Miroku smiled as he walked down the trail. He felt good. It felt like he was finally released from a burden and in truth he had.

00000000000

The end


End file.

Inuyasha, Angst, Hurt-Comfort