The Beads

Kagome noticed the difference, even though Inuyasha didn’t want her to see. She knew he didn’t want her to see. But she noticed, because it was Inuyasha that had changed.

Suddenly, he was following Miroku around like her mother had followed Shouta around when he’d first learned to walk. Shifting his position every time Miroku faltered slightly in his steps. Watching him with unusually wary eyes. The change was so bizarre that Kagome was not quite sure whether or not to call him on it.

She glanced over at Sango. The demon slayer had been keeping her eyes open for some bold lesser demons that Miroku had that very morning claimed to see running off with his robes while he was bathing.

Well, actually, it had been Inuyasha to state that in Miroku’s place. The monk, apparently, was still stuck naked in the spring.

As quickly as they could, both women went to the nearest town and purchased a new set of robes for the monk. It was not until they were back on the road that Kagome spotted the difference in Inuyasha.

Miroku was having trouble keeping up with the farce. True, he had been the one to beg Inuyasha to go on as though nothing had changed. He hadn’t wanted Sango to look at him and see the throwaway toy of a demon lord.

But he could not pretend that it hadn’t happened while simultaneously looking over his shoulder, waiting for Sesshoumaru to return. Inuyasha did his best to watch for his brother, but it was impossible to erase the fear that the demon lord had instilled within the monk.

There was stillness for several days. Miroku could not relax, but he took some comfort in Sesshoumaru’s absence.

Nighttimes, he tried to sleep. But most nights these days were spent chatting as casually as possible with Inuyasha. The constant fear of Sesshoumaru’s return kept him awake.

“The girls are getting suspicious, you know.”

Miroku dropped his gaze shamefully. Inuyasha frowned and sighed.

“They don’t know what happened, but I think they can feel that story we gave them was a lie.” Inuyasha paused, hoping Miroku would answer, but he didn’t. “It was the best I could do under the circumstances…but, Miroku…sooner or later they’d need to know…” Pause. More silence.

“There’s always a chance that…that he’ll come back for me in broad daylight…isn’t that right…?” Miroku’s voice trembled and caught in his throat.

Inuyasha thought about that a moment. “Normally…normally I would say no. Sesshoumaru values his pride over anything else. He wouldn’t allow anyone else to see him losing control. But…” Inuyasha turned his eyes to the beads around Miroku’s neck, “…with those things controlling his actions, there’s no way of knowing what he’ll do.”

“I see…”

Inuyasha took a good look at his friend. He had never seen Miroku so dispirited. When he wasn’t putting on a brave face for Sango, he was the same as he had been the night Sesshoumaru raped him. He was scared, he shook at the lightest touch, he flinched at every sound. Every shade of brown in his eyes waited in fear for the demon lord to take him again.

The wind shifted. Inuyasha caught his brother’s scent in the air. He did not expect Miroku to notice the change in the atmosphere, but the monk instantly froze.

“I…Inuyasha…”

“I know. I smell him.” A steady hand at the hilt of his Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha rose and took calculated steps toward the scent, being sure to shield Miroku. “Stay behind me.”

They both waited, tensed, poised, for Sesshoumaru to appear.

When the demon lord emerged through the darkness, his steps were slightly halted. His eyes were the demonic blood-red that signified his lust. But he appeared, only to the most fixated of eyes, to be struggling.

A sudden flash of green alerted Inuyasha to his brother’s twitching claws. He knew at once the reason that Sesshoumaru should struggle. He was using all his pride as a demon lord to not lunge for the monk. But he wanted to.

His voice all snarl and hiss, he bit out, “Get out of the way, Inuyasha.” Miroku shuddered in his spot. His back was to the demon lord, but he could feel his burning gaze.

“You’re not getting near him, Sesshoumaru.” Inuyasha’s own ready claws tightened around Tetsusaiga’s hilt. “Back off, now.”

Sesshoumaru’s claws twitched and crackled again with poison. He was quickly losing his composure to his demonic instincts. “I’m warning you, Inuyasha…get out of the way.” He snarled, but a tinge of gold started to force back into his eyes. “These are not the terms under which I wish to kill you.”

Miroku suddenly felt compelled to look at Sesshoumaru’s face. He turned around, rising to his feet, made out the form of the demon lord in the darkness; and he instantly regretted it. Their eyes met, and the gold in Sesshoumaru’s disappeared.

“Miroku, stay back,” Inuyasha hissed out, as quietly as possible.
Miroku backed up, panicked. Inuyasha raised his sword just as Sesshoumaru lost his control and leapt for the monk, his eyes completely smothered in red.

The events that followed passed by in a blur of franticness and bewilderment. Miroku’s heart beat like a mouse’s, almost too quick to hear, as Inuyasha’s sword just barely missed Sesshoumaru’s head. The demon lord was moving too fast. In mere seconds he would have Miroku beneath him, and no one would be able to do a thing about it…Sango might wake up…

But Sesshoumaru halted, just inches away from his prize, holding his head. Like he was in pain.

Both the hanyou and the monk stared at Sesshoumaru as he struggled with himself. Miroku, still fearful. Inuyasha, just baffled. Just what was going on?

“Why…? Why call to me just to repel me? I…cannot…” His head snapped up. His crimson-stained eyes glared at Miroku. “Cannot…touch him…”

Sesshoumaru lurched forward, and Miroku stumbled back, fearing that the demon had tried to reach for him again. But, both he and Inuyasha noticed as he fell, that a purified arrow had pierced him.

Not far off from the still-struggling Sesshoumaru, there was Kagome, her bow drawn.

“I think you two owe me an explanation.”