Cursed

CHAPTER 12


“It’s…it’s just so sad.”

The monk bowed his head. “I agree. He was so young.”

“I warned him, I warned him to be careful!”

Kagome covered her face, fighting back the horror that wanted to engulf her. “I just never thought it would end this way. So much pain, no one should suffer like that.”

Miroku tried to comfort the distraught girl. “I know, Kagome. It is indeed a pity. You shouldn’t blame yourself for bringing Ranma and Akane here. Your intentions were noble. He knew the risks he was taking.”

Shippo looked like he wanted to start crying. “I’ve, I’ve never seen anyone die like that, the screams were so horrible.”

Sango reached over to take Kagome’s other arm. “We can’t just let him lay there. He was our friend. He deserves a proper burial.”

Inuyasha’s eyes opened suddenly. “Bitch,” he growled. “I’m not dead yet! I just WISH I was.”

Ranma snorted and kicked at the hanyou’s prone form. “Next time I tell you not to eat Akane’s cooking, you listen to me. Dumbass.”

Akane wailed. “I didn’t mean to do it, I swear I thought it was mayonnaise!”

*****

“This had better be the right fucking village already!”

Myoga flinched at the tone of Inuyasha’s voice. “I think it is, it’s been many years since I’ve been here, but it does look like the right place.”

“You said the same thing three villages ago.” The hanyou sounded disgusted, ready to fling the flea demon into the deep river. “Admit it, you don’t have the slightest fucking idea where that village is and you’re just sending us up and down this fucking river for the fun of it, hoping you’ll get lucky.”

The flea looked hurt. “I would never so deceive you, Inuyasha-sama. Hatsinji does live in a village on the bank of this river and he does have a boat that can take us north. At least, he used to.”

“What?” Inuyasha shouted angrily. “If I came all this way for nothing I’m going to tear your…”

Kagome threw down her pack and turned around. “Stop it, Inuyasha! Screaming at Myoga isn’t going to help.”

He squeezed the flea meaningfully. “It makes me feel better.” The flea was turning purple between his claws.

A smaller hand slapped his and he glared at Akane. The girl’s eyes were sparkling with irritation. “Let him go, you’re such a damn bully!”

“Thank you, sweet maiden,” Myoga blubbered, jumping onto her shoulder as the disgusted half-demon finally let go. “You are indeed a kind and merciful young lady to have pity on such a poor, misused old flea like myself.”

She blinked at him. “You’re very welcome, flea-jijii. I can’t stand seeing anyone pick on the weak and…” The girl’s eyes went wide as the flea demon drove his sticker into her neck, slurping greedily at the sweet, hot blood. She slapped him and he fluttered helplessly to the ground. Akane glared at him and tossed her hair. “See if I ever help you again, you bloodsucking pervert!”

Miroku chuckled. “He’s not perverted, Akane. I assure you that Myoga is only doing what comes natural. There’s no perversion about it.” She shot him a filthy look, keeping her person well out of the monk’s reach. “I guess you WOULD be the expert on perversions.”

He bowed to her. “Thank you, Akane Tendo. You are most perceptive.” The monk grinned suddenly and Sango let out an outraged shriek. “Hentai fucking bastard!”

Ranma watched as the exterminator proceeded to chase Miroku to beat the hell out of the onc once again. “You know, guys, we really should get down to that village before dark. If it’s not the right place, maybe they have somewhere for us to sleep tonight.”

Kagome sighed. “I’m so tired of sleeping on the ground. My rear end must be black and blue from all the rocks.”

“Want me to look?”

“Stay away from me, Miroku!”

“Would all of you just shut up?” Inuyasha roared. He glared at his traveling companions. Shippo yawned lightly and jumped onto the hanyou’s shoulder. “You’re the loudest one here, why do we have to shut up?”

“Because I said so,” he snapped, flinging the fox away from him. Somewhat disgruntled, and in Miroku’s case, bruised, the party of unhappy companions proceeded to the small fishing village. The tension between them had been steadily increasing over the past couple of days and Akane found herself wishing that they could just go home and everything would be the same again.

She was trying, trying very hard, not to dwell on what had happened between her and Ranma. It seemed like the only thing she could think of these days and she desperately wanted to know what was going through his mind. Funny how a couple of passionate kisses could turn a girl’s knees to rubber when she thought about them. She and Ranma hadn’t exactly had a chance to talk about it either. His fit had absorbed everyone’s attention and they hadn’t been alone together since.

Is he avoiding me? she wondered, shooting him a quick glance at him out the corner of her eye. Ranma’s face was composed as he walked along, his braid bouncing merrily across his back and a look of serene contentment on his features. She knew that had to be fake, Ranma never looked serene or content. How much farther would we have gone, Akane thought to herself, a little blush warming her cheeks. She would have gone farther, she knew it and that thought made her blush harder. She would have done whatever he asked, whatever he wanted right then and there. It embarrassed her, she wondered if it embarrassed him. Did he think less of her because she’d wanted to, because she’d kissed him back so hard, not fought him when he put his hand under her clothes and stroked her body? She shivered, remembering the light touch of his claws against her breast.

Ranma didn’t let his feelings show, but his nose told him that Akane was thinking about something. He was getting pretty good at reading her scent and a dull flush crept over his ears. Hell, he wasn’t sorry about what had happened between them, when no one was looking it brought a silly grin to his face that he would be hard pressed to explain away. She loved him, he knew it and the thought made Ranma want to skip around inside. It was himself he was having problems with. Akane was a special, wonderful, amazing girl. For all the times they’d fought and she’d clobbered him, it didn’t change the fact that he’d finally realized what a lucky son of a bitch he really was. The fact that she loved him and he knew he loved her back only complicated their lives at the moment.

How could he trust himself to be alone with her now? He was youkai, he knew the fact as he hadn’t accepted it before. His body was changed and damn it, he didn’t know if it was going to change back. The instincts that had filled him when he’d held Akane scared the living bejeezus out of him. Holding her soft body pressed hard up against that tree, her mouth hungry on his with his blood pounding in his veins. It was scary, thrilling, addictive and he couldn’t trust he’d be able to protect her from himself. He didn’t know how he was ever going to explain that either. Akane was too precious to him, she didn’t deserve to be ravished by a wild demon in the forest, even if she seemed completely willing and eager for it. He had to protect her, didn’t he? Ranma knew that nothing would have stopped him if they’d gone one step farther. It was embarrassing to be grateful to a snake monster for interrupting him before he was able to defile the girl he loved. He wasn’t himself anymore, he was a demon. What a fucking mess.

*****

“Hatsinji?” the young woman asked, looking up at the strange group curiously. “Yes, I know him. Why are you looking for him?”

Miroku smiled at the girl, radiating charm. She was quite cute, after all. “Never fear, dear lady. We only want to hire his services. We understand Hatsinji to have a boat that might take us up river.”

She looked the charming monk up and down, a doubtful expression evident on her young face. “Are you sure you have the right village?”

“We’d better,” Inuyasha said under his breath. Kagome poked him in the back. “Don’t scare her,” she hissed.

The young woman didn’t seem at all perturbed to be addressing a demon or two. “Oh, all right then,” she said at last. “I’ll take you to him, if he owes you money or anything I’m afraid you’re out of luck. He owes everybody money.”

The girl led them through the small fishing village, whistling unconcernedly to herself. Occasionally, one of the women or young people doing work outside the homes would wave and shout a greeting to her and she would casually return their greetings. Kagome found it strange how none of the villagers seemed overly upset at thght ght of them. Usually, the peasants of the area seemed a little more skittish when confronted with two obvious youkai like Ranma and Inuyasha.

At the far end of the village there was a dismal looking little hut. The girl grinned at them. “This is where he lives, I don’t know if he’ll be able to help you. He’s probably crawled into a sake jar and is fast asleep.” She banged on the side of the hut. “Grandfather! Wake up, you have visitors!”

“Hmmmmm,” a voice mumbled at them from the other side of the wall. The girl shook her head, muttering something about damn drunks and left them there. “If he’s not sober enough to talk to you, just throw him in the water for awhile. That usually works best.”

“Charming girl,” Miroku said dryly, smiling faintly to himself. So their prospective transportation was a drunk, huh? No matter, it would be simpler to negotiate the fee. He rapped politely on the side of the building again using his staff. “Hatsinji-san, are you indisposed? We have a business transaction we wish to discuss.”

“I’m coming,” a bleary voice answered. The frayed bamboo curtain suddenly pushed aside and a small, stout figure waddled out of the darkness, clutching a large sake jar in his arm. He had round yellow eyes and gray-green skin, pointed ears and…were those gills? Miroku was taken aback for a moment, he hadn’t been expecting a demon to be their guide.

Hatsinji peered woozily at the monk. “Whatcha want, young feller?”

Before the monk could open his mouth to reply, Myoga bounced excitedly onto his shoulder. “Hatsinji! You old fish, you haven’t changed a bit!”

“Myoga the flea?” Hatsinji looked surprised. “You’re still alive, I thought you’d died a long time ago. Where have you been?”

The flea chuckled happily. “You shouldn’t assume such things, I’ve been very busy. Hatsinji, old friend, we have come to you with a dilemma. These young folks need to reach the Western mountains and don’t want to have to cross over open land. I think this river will take them as close as possible to their destination, can you help?”

The river youkai scratched his head, giving off a decidedly unpleasant aroma of stale liquor and rotten fish. “North, you say? Myoga, I’m too old to take a journey like that.”


“Nonsense. You’re fit as ever, I can tell. It won’t take long and we’re not asking you to wait for us.”

Hatsinji’s eyes narrowed. “You want an old fart like me to paddle your sorry ass up river, through inuyoukai territory, while all the clans are at each other’s throats? I may be old, but I’m not stupid. What kind of payment do you think I’d accept for that?”

Myoga coughed delicately into his fist. “Actually, I was thinking you’re going to do it for free.”

Miroku raised his eyebrows and shot a look back at their companions and shook his head. This was a new development, apparently the flea had been planning on bargaining for their passage for some time and not felt the necessity of cluing them in on his plan.

The old fish suddenly looked a lot less drunk and a lot more dangerous. His sharp teeth glinted in the twilight. “Free? Myoga, you wretch, I’ve never in my life done anything for free.”

“Think of it as the repayment of an old debt.”

Hatsinji glared at them, fastening his yellow moon eyes on the flea. “I don’t owe you anything and you know it!”

Myoga sighed, he’d hoped to not have to resort to this. “Recollect, Hatsinji. Over a hundred years ago, you were gambling with some strange youkai and you lost. You lost rather badly and couldn’t pay up. Your companions were not amused and decided that you were going to pay them by providing a delicious dinner…and you got to be the dinner.”

The old fish frowned. “I had almost forgotten all about that night. Strange fellows they were, bad tempered too. Weren’t even going to be decent demons and kill me before they grilled me. I thought I was done for sure then one of them relented and bullied the others into letting me go. Laughed he did, and said I’d owe him a favor.” He glared at the flea. “Where did you hear that story?”

Myoga puffed himself up importantly. “From the man who spared your life, of course. See that white-haired fellow standing behind me? He’s his son. You are honor bound to fulfill your debt to his father.”

“Think its true?” Ranma muttered for Inuyasha’s ears only.

The hanyou shrugged. “You ge.” e.” Hatsinji put down his sake jar and wandered up to him, staring into his face. Inuyasha scowled.

“Yep, you’re his kid all right. You look just like him.” Hatsinji sighed, it looked like this was going to be an unpleasant adventure. “Come on in, make yourselves comfortable. We’ll leave as soon as it’s full dark out. I think we’ll have a better chance if we make this journey at night.”

Myoga looked suspicious. “Are you sure about that?” Hatsinji shot him a black look and picked up his jar to take a long, healthy swallow. “I suppose. Why wait? Tonight’s as good a time as any.”

Inuyasha grabbed Myoga before the flea could hop off into Hatsinji’s hut. “Did it really happen like that? Doesn’t sound like any of the stories I’ve heard about the old man.”

“It happened something like that,” Myoga said mildly. “Actually, I didn’t hear the story from your father, I heard it from one of his bodyguards. The lord Inutaisho was blind drunk that night and apparently that had much to do with his merciful moment. Seems he was so sick off drinking too much rice whisky that the very smell of a smoldering river demon would have made him lose whatever self control he still possessed. Hatsinji had the sense to run for it when the lord freed him, otherwise I’m sure he would have been breakfast the next day.”

*****

The sound of water slapping against tide ide of the boat was making him sleepy. Ranma rolled over and tried to relax as the gently swaying craft rocked him. He was almost asleep when the sound of a thump and the crack of a hand on bare flesh.

“Damn it, Sango! It wasn’t me!”

“Somebody just brushed up against me, don’t tell me it wasn’t you.”

“I’m way the hell over here, I don’t have ten foot long arms!”

Ranma sighed, a grin pulling on his mouth. He heard a distinctly kitsune sounding chuckle from somewhere around his ankles and sat up to grab the bushy tail. “That wasn’t very nice, Shippo.”

The fox wriggled free of his grasp, making for the other side of the boat where Kagome was already fast asleep. “What’s nice got to do with it?”

Ranma yawned, tired as he was, he doubted if he’d get any sleep. He felt just a little nervous for some reason, restless. At the bow of the boat he could see Inuyasha still sitting up. As it looked like the hanyou was the only one of their group that was going to refuse sleep, he thought he might as well make conversation.

Inuyasha ignored Ranma when he sat down beside him, turning instead to glower at their pilot. “Can’t this fucking thing move any faster?”

Hatsinji sighed as it was at least the fourth time the half-demon had asked him that. “Not if you want to keep afloat, young dog-demon. Just enjoy the ride, you’ll be there soon enough.”

“Whatever.”

Hatsinji snorted and looked to the flea that was riding on his shoulder. “Sour feller, isn’t he? At least his father had a sense of humor. I still remember the jokes he was telling that night. I tell you, it was enough to make a demon blush.”

Myoga yawned. It had been a long and tiring day, even for a flea that was accustomed to riding on the bodies of his companions. “Lord Inutaisho was quite famous for that sense of humor. A trait that seems to have not passed to either of his sons.”

“Feh,” was the hanyou’s only comment. Ranma glanced over at him, wondering what had set Inuyasha in such a foul temper. Inuyasha glared back at him. “What are you staring at, punk?”

“A bitchy half-demon,” Ranma snapped.

Inuyasha blinked at him. “You should watch who you’re calling a bitch, I’m not the freak here.”

“Oh get over it, don’t tell me that’s the first time you ever saw a pair of tits.”

Inuyasha snorted and leaned back on his elbows. “Maybe that old hag we’re going to see can cure you of that one too. You could guckyucky, she might be having some kind of special on curses.”

Ranma scratched his head. “Thanks for the idea. As long as we’re there, maybe she can do something about your personality.”

To his surprise, Inuyasha let out a sharp bark of laughter. “Hey, can’t hurt to ask. Don’t get your hopes up though.” The hanyou looked over at him, golden eyes shining in the dark. “What are you going to do if the old woman can’t help you?”

Ranma looked away, his gaze falling on the dark water. “I don’t know, I guess I’m going to have to stay awaom hom home. I have to be able to control this youki inside of me or I don’t dare go back. I don’t want to hurt my family.”

“At least you have one. You’ve met what I got stuck with for a brother.”

The young youkai shook his head. “I guess I can’t complain then. Why does your brother hate you so much?”

Inuyasha spat at the water. “Because he’s a prick. Didn’t like my mother being human. I guess I just offended him by staying alive.” He looked thoughtfully at Ranma. “You know, you were yelling something about a brother when you had that fit a couples ags ago.”

Ranma glared at him. “I told you I don’t remember anything about it and I don’t have a brother.”

“Bullshit. You got to remember something. I understand if you don’t want to talk about it in front of Akane and the others but if you’re planning on freaking out like that again, I’m going to drop you in the river.”

Ranma scowled at him. “I don’t remember what happened. I justembeember a couple names but they don’t mean anything to me. Something about someone named Naota and some mean old bastard that liked to beat up on his kids. Does that make any sense to you?”

“No, but I’m used to you not making any sense.”

He grinned. “I’m used to it myself. Sango says this old lady taught her village everything they knew about demon magic and youki. I wonder if she’s even still alive. This could be a wild goose chase.”

Inuyasha frowned. “Huh?”

The youkai looked at him for a moment and shrugged. “Just an expression that means a waste of our time.”

“Since we’re going all the way through inuyoukai territory and risking our asses, it had better not be a waste of time. In case you forgot, we’ve got more important things to do than look for old mountain witches. Naraku is still out there and I’m going to find him and tear his fucking head off.”

A small creature hiding on the edge of the boat was listening intently to the conversation between the two young demons. A light splash of water that came over the edge of the craft was a suitable distraction and cover for the buzzing of small wings. The insect had collected enough information and felt its master calling it back.

END CHAPTER 12