This is a sequel to One Month for Romance. It is complete in 27 chapters. It has a few plot twists that will shock you.I'm posting it here with the permission of the author. I found it at http://www.geocities.com/inuyashakarma . Enjoy. Tim Seltzer
Disclaimer: Corisu Li: *huge yawn* Sleepy, sleepy,
sleepy.... *snores*
Kunoichi: *sweatdrop* Sorry about that. She's just worked herself
to the bone on chemistry work, and school's about to start
tomorrow. I hope we'll still be able to update regularly. Ah,
well. You should have the disclaimer memorized by now. If you
don't, I want a 5 page essay on why you didn't do your homework on
my desk by Thursday!
Slowly, she slid from Inuyasha's grasp and landed on the ground, tiptoeing to the window to make sure that everything was all right.
It took every ounce of her willpower not to cry out in surprise and joy.
Sango was lying with Miroku on his futon. Her head was against his chest, and one of his hands was on the small of her back, the other on her hair. Kagome's mouth dropped open as she realized what their position must mean. The monk was awake!
A moment later, she felt Inuyasha's presence behind her. She gave an internal sigh. She could never get up without waking him up too. Without turning around, she said, 'Aren't they just the cutest couple?'
Inuyasha, who was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, groggily replied, 'Who are we talking about?'
Kagome stepped back and pushed him to the window. 'Oh,' was his only response for a few seconds, until his brain seemed to finally click into action. "OH! Hey, Miroku's up!"
Kagome rolled her eyes. 'I had established that already, thanks! And stop talking out loud before you-'
But it was too late. As they watched, Sango sat up, followed by Miroku, who looked like it was quite a chore to lift his upper body. Their location discovered as Sango's gaze shifted to the window, Kagome decided that she might as well enter, shooting daggers at Inuyasha the whole time. He sighed and followed her in.
"Miroku-sama! It's good to see you're well," she offered, sitting on Sango's forgotten futon.
"Thank you, Kagome-san. I also am glad to be well." With these words, he draped an arm across Sango's shoulders and grinned. Sango was blushing furiously, desperately embarrassed at being caught in such a compromising position.
"Um, Houshi-sama? Perhaps you would like something to eat?" Sango tried to change the subject, her eyes firmly locked on the ground.
"Hai, but I would think it would be beneficial for me to get it. I need to get used to moving again, after all." He reached for his staff at his side and used it to pull himself to his feet, leaning on it like a crutch.
It was this moment that Ninsei entered the room, stretching and yawning. He abruptly stopped, his arms above his head, when he saw Miroku standing there. Then he leapt forward and gave the monk a hearty pat on the back, nearly sending him sprawling. "It's great to see you awake, Miroku-sama! I knew you could weather the test!"
Miroku gave a faint smile and was about to respond when Shippou and Kirara, roused by the commotion, happily leapt onto his chest and effectively knocked him back onto the futon. He sighed. "Does no one want me to get up today?" During the laughter that followed, Kunoichi entered and was quite surprised to see Miroku sitting up. Darting shy glances at Ninsei, she congratulated him and offered to take the group out to Nagai's to celebrate.
Sango and Kagome both instinctively looked down at their clothes, and as if reading their minds, Kunoichi said, "This would be a perfect opportunity to wear your new clothes!"
The girls' kimonos were in the room with them, but all of the males' were in Ninsei's room. Therefore, the girls shooed Inuyasha, Ninsei, Miroku, and Shippou out to get dressed. Aware that Miroku hadn't been fitted for clothing, Kunoichi made it a point to tell him that monks were common in the village, and his robes were just fine. With the guys gone, the girls began to put on their kimonos, listening to Inuyasha yelling protests from down the hall. Kagome's was mainly dark blue, but it had silver cuffs and stars that adorned its sleeves and waist. Sango's was purple with pink curls extending from the neck to reach the entire length of the kimono. Kunoichi was pleased.
When everyone was finally dressed (the guys wore plain white gi and hakamas [Shippou's was orange, Ninsei's was dark blue, and Inuyasha's was, of course, red]) Kunoichi began to lead the group in a direction that they hadn't yet explored. The area boasted shops full of expensive goods. Finally reaching the restaurant, the group entered.
The inside was magnificent, even larger that Jukodo's. Embroidered tapestries adorned the walls and chains of beautiful stones hung from the doorways of the private rooms. As Kunoichi requested a chamber, the others stood around, settling just to look at the atmosphere of the lovely place. When the greeter showed them to their room and handed them menus, they were pleased to find that Nagai's had an even greater variety than the other restaurant, so everyone could find something that they liked.
The meal was uneventful, but enjoyable. As the group was leaving the building, Ninsei pulled Miroku to the side. "Miroku-sama, even though you have completed your merger, you still need to learn to control your power. We wouldn't want things flying around when you get angry, ne?"
Miroku smiled. "So are you saying that I'll need more lessons then, Ninsei- san?"
When Ninsei nodded, Miroku sighed and asked, "When?"
"I would like to begin now, unless you all have plans for the day."
Miroku glanced at Sango, who was laughing at something Kunoichi had said. Her eyes were sparkling, and he wanted to stay by her side. However, he knew that he had to work to perfect his skills, so he replied, "No, no plans."
The two went over to the group to tell them that they were leaving to train. Everyone reacted with understanding except Inuyasha, who was indifferent, and Sango, who was downcast. She had been looking forward to spending the day with her reawakened houshi.
After everyone was notified of the situation, Miroku and Ninsei set off, left the gates of Senpai, and found a fairly large clearing that was not too far away from the edge of the forest.
"Okay," Ninsei began, sitting cross-legged on the ground. "First, I need you to put your staff down for a second to review what you already know. Call the wind."
Miroku complied, and he could feel the change in his energy level when he nearly blew Ninsei into a tree like a tumbleweed. The youkai didn't look angry, however, but pleased. Very pleased.
"Good!" he exclaimed, pulling himself back into a sitting position and brushing dust from his gi. "Now, try to lift me from the ground."
Miroku took a deep breath. This had been a problem area before. He could lift things that were heavier than Ninsei, but it seemed a little more difficult to lift living things. He focused hard, and the result was that so much air pushed under Ninsei's body that it shoved him up into the air about 20 feet, easily.
Ninsei's eyes widened. Miroku had never lifted anything as heavy as himself that high before, and this was *without* his staff. "Ah, Miroku-sama. Let me down gently, please." It was an odd feeling to be floating in the air, an even odder one to have someone else deciding your rate of descent. Miroku exhibited complete control, however, as he lowered his instructor to the ground, returning him lightly to his feet.
Ninsei blinked a few times. Such improvement to have been lying dormant for so many days! He knew that Miroku's power had increased, but he expected him to have to work to regain this level. He was performing as if he had been doing this all his life. "Any fatigue?" He finally asked.
Miroku flexed the fist of one hand and shook his head. "Nothing that shouldn't be expected."
The youkai then held his staff parallel to the ground, his right hand directly behind the six-pointed star emblem at the tip. "Copy this position."
Miroku reached for his staff, but Ninsei called out to him quickly, "NO! Just do the motion. If you pick up your staff and hold it this way without knowing what to expect, you could injure yourself...or me." So, with these words Miroku, feeling slightly stupid, took up the same position. "This, Miroku-sama, is called the first control stance. You use it when you are performing changes within your element. I'll demonstrate." Ninsei spread his feet slightly apart and a look of concentration took over his face. An instant later, Miroku felt his feet sink a couple of inches as the solid ground under him turned to white sand. Then, without warning, it turned to stone, trapping Miroku's feet within it and sending him sprawling to his butt.
"Wow..." was all the monk could manage as Ninsei shifted the ground back to sand and he shakily stood.
Ninsei looked a tad bit drained, but he still continued the lesson. He held his staff vertically, directly in front of him, with both hands. "The second control stance. Used to manipulate or move your element." He then whipped the sand from under Miroku's feet (sending him down again) and piled it up directly in the middle of the two men. "Those are the main two control stances. There are more, but they cannot be taught. As you learn more of what your powers can do, you will be able to perfect your own individual stances."
Miroku nodded to show that he understood. Ninsei motioned for him to pick up his staff and he did so, eager to try the stances. "Miroku-sama, be warned. The power that you now wield was designed for youkai. Therefore, it will sometimes prove to be hard to control. This is why we must perfect the small things before moving on." Ninsei thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "I've got it! You say that this rival of yours, Naraku, can produce miasma from his very body? Well, I want you to fill that section of the clearing-" -he pointed- "-and fill it with poisonous gas. Be very cautious, and don't let your power get out of control!"
The monk took up the first control stance and immediately felt warmth flow into his hands from the staff. He closed his eyes for an instant, preparing to concentrate- but it seemed as if the staff had read his mind and seen what he was going to do. Before he could open his eyes and focus on the other half of the clearing, the entire area was flooded with toxic smoke.
"T..turn it back!" Ninsei choked, his sensitive nose burning and his eyes watering.
Miroku tried to concentrate once more, ignoring (with some difficulty) the fumes that pervaded his senses. And then, in the blink of an eye, the air was clear once more. Ninsei was kneeling on the ground, coughing violently. Miroku's senses weren't as sharp, so it didn't affect him as much, but he suddenly felt tired, and it took everything he had not to slump onto the ground right beside Ninsei.
In a few minutes, when the toxin's effects had faded from Ninsei, the youkai stood and looked calmly at Miroku, as if he had been expecting that the whole time. "Miroku-sama, you let the staff control your actions, instead of you controlling its power. You allowed it to take over instead of rationing the energy that it provided you with. Believe me, you wouldn't have needed that much energy just to fill a small section of this clearing with gas." After another cough, Ninsei said, "I think we'll leave that stance alone for now." Taking up the first stance himself, Ninsei reconfigured the huge mound of sand in the middle of the two into a large boulder. "Try to lift it without the power of the staff. Lift it as high as you can."
Miroku raised his hand in the familiar position and raised the heavy boulder to a level just above their heads, then lowered it, giving a relived gasp as the weight was released.
"Now, using the staff, try to raise it to twice that distance. Remember, second control stance. And for Kami's sake, be careful!"
Miroku held the staff with both of his hands, directly in front of and parallel to his body. He felt the familiar warmth from the staff and focused once more on the boulder. It shuddered and began to lift slowly... and then his control faltered once more and the huge rock shot into the air like one of Kagome's arrows, quickly leaving Miroku's line of sight.
Ninsei sighed, then immediately took up the first position as he realized that Miroku's concentration had wavered once the boulder could no longer be seen. Quickly changing the boulder back to sand, he gave Miroku an exasperated look as the small granules rained onto both of them, coating them thoroughly.
"Miroku-sama, just because you can't see something doesn't mean that your power won't affect it. If I had let that boulder fall, you would have crushed one of us, most likely." Ninsei brushed sand from his shoulders and began to try to shake it from his hair, giving up when he realized that it was futile.
Miroku hung his head. "I apologize, Ninsei-san. I was not thinking. I just don't think I'm ready for such tasks already."
"You are more than ready. You still have to learn and master the two control stances, not to mention the two control motions! I have total faith in you, Miroku-sama. Tonight, I wish for you to meditate while in each position. Feel the way the power reacts to your presence. Don't attempt anything, just get a feel for the power. We will pick up tomorrow."
"Hai, Ninsei-san." Miroku turned and went in the direction that would lead him back to Senpai, absently brushing sand from his clothing and craving a bath.
Back in the clearing, Ninsei slumped to a sitting position and put his head in his hands. "I'm too old for this."
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Miroku had seen a bit of the village while walking to Nagai's, so he could easily find the Uchida once more. Listening intently at the door, he could tell that the others had returned to the inn, probably to wait for him and Ninsei before doing anything. He pushed open the door and entered, plopping down onto his futon.
Sango, Kunoichi and Kagome had been talking, and looked up when he entered. Inuyasha, who was pissed at being left alone with the women and the brat (He was currently yelling at Shippou for no good reason to blow off some steam) glanced in his direction as well.
Sango was the first to speak. "Ah, Houshi-sama, what happened to you?"
"Nan desu ka?"
Sango could no longer contain her giggles and exploded into laughter, leading everyone else to follow suit. Kirara just stared at the group with her head cocked to the side. "H...have you...seen your...your FACE?!?!"
"His face?" Kagome managed through laughs, "H...How about the..the rest of- " Here, she could no longer get out whole words, so she surrendered to the giggle fit.
Miroku couldn't take it anymore, and walked to the water basin in the corner to examine himself. He began to laugh too when he saw how he looked. His black hair was nearly white with sand, despite his efforts to brush it off. Looking down, he saw that sand clung to nearly every inch of his clothing. He looked like he had just gone swimming in the stuff.
Sango, finally muffling her laughter, stood and gingerly took him by the arm, being careful not to get any sand on her kimono. "Ano...I think SOMEONE needs a bath. Come on, I'll show you where the hot springs are." She pushed him to the door, calling over her shoulder for Inuyasha to get one of Ninsei's outfits for Miroku to wear since his robes needed washing and none of the girls knew exactly where Ninsei's room was.
"Feh. Do it yourself!"
Sango turned around, fire in her eyes, and Inuyasha jumped back. "Do it!" she snapped, and Inuyasha merely nodded and left the room ahead of the two, bound for Ninsei's room. He gathered up a gi and hakama set and brought them to the spring room, dumping them into Sango's arms with a snort, leaving again, mumbling about incompetent girls and lazy monks.
Miroku was stunned (as they all had been) by the first-rate room. To bring him back to his senses, Sango ruffled his hair, sending a shower of sand down his face, some catching in his eyelashes. This gave him a grand idea...
Clapping a hand to his right eye, he yelped, "Ow! Darn sand!"
Sango immediately apologized and pried his hand from his face, leaning close to peer into his eye to find the culprit granule. Miroku quickly took his chance and swept her into a tender kiss. After a few moments of initial shock, Sango relaxed and began to return the kiss, pulling back only when she realized that he was still coated in dirt.
"Grr, Houshi-sama! My kimono!" She began to brush her front, trying to clean it. As she stood there, looking beautiful, agitated, and oh-so-very lovable at the same time. Miroku's heart nearly melted. He decided that now was as good a time as ever to voice something that had been on his mind for almost two months now.
"Er, Sango-san?"
The girl looked up and smiled. "Nani?"
"I have a question to ask you."
Sango's look suddenly darkened. "Houshi-sama, don't you get sick of using that same line on every girl that you meet? Don't you think you'd have a little more success if-"
"Sango-san, I need you to listen to me! When was the last time that you heard me ask that question of anyone? Have I even asked YOU?"
"Well, you haven't been awake long enough to ask Kunoichi..." Miroku sweatdropped. "And it's true that you haven't asked me...why not?"
"I haven't asked you, Sango-san, because I was saving a much more important question for you. Lately, I have been trying to tame my *ahem* tendencies, and I think I can give up all my questionable habits... for you."
Sango looked confused for a second, but comprehension dawned on her face as Miroku dropped to one knee and took her hand in his. "Sango-san, if we survive the mess with Naraku and my curse is lifted, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"
Sango's mouth dropped open. Miroku, the lecherous monk, offering to give himself fully to her? She opened her mouth to respond, tears rolling slowly down her face. "Hai, I will."
Miroku's face lit up with relief, and he rose to his feet, beaming. He leaned in for a kiss, but Sango leaned back slightly. "I still want to hear the other question. I feel deprived." She poked his ribs playfully and he laughed.
"Of course!" He gave an exaggerated bow. "Pretty Sango-san, would you bear my child?" His tone was perfect: It was the exact same way that he asked...oh, about every girl that he'd ever met. The only difference was a slight undertone that didn't exist in those situations. An undertone that suggested deep feeling and longing.
Gently hooking her arms around Miroku's neck, she whispered, "Dozens, Houshi-sama, dozens."
"Miroku, please." was his only statement as he began to close the distance between them.
"Miroku..." she murmured, and they were once more locked into a kiss, this one full of passion and love. They stayed that way for quite a while, until Sango remembered that he was coated in dirt...
She jumped back and cuffed Miroku on the shoulder. "Dammit, Miroku-san, my KIMONO!!!" Miroku's laughter followed her as she trotted from the room, leaving him to his bath.
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"I wonder what's taking her so long..." Kagome speculated. 'Don't go there, Inuyasha!' she added mentally, seeing him start to open his mouth, presumably to say something suggestive.
"Yeah. And where's Ninsei?" Kunoichi said, then mentally hit herself as she realized how that must have sounded. "Ah, I mean to say...uh...he's not here. And Sango's not here. So I just mentioned him because they're both not here! They're not here together! Well, not together, but they're gone at the same time!" She punctuated her embarrassing ramble with a few unconvincing laughs. Inuyasha and Kagome raised an eyebrow at her, but luckily, Sango entered the room at that moment, saving her from a potentially mortifying situation.
Taking this as a gift from above, Kunoichi excused herself. 'I need to go for a walk,' she firmly decided. 'That'll clear my mind!'
As she flew past Sango, Kagome and Inuyasha got a good look at Sango and took in the sand all down her front. Inuyasha smirked. 'See? I told you.'
Kagome flushed, then shouted, "OSUWARI!"
Sango flinched as Inuyasha hit the ground, Shippou hopping happily on his head. "What was that about?" she asked, prodding him with the tip of one toe.
"Nothing, nothing!"
Sango made a disbelieving face, but sat on a futon and began to think about what had just transpired between her and Miroku. She smiled. It would just be their little secret...at least until Naraku was dead.
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Kunoichi walked up to the gate, cast a glance around to be sure that no one that was close to her grandfather (or her grandfather himself) was watching, and unhooked the gate, slipping out and closing it behind her. Her grandfather really didn't like her leaving the village, but he was okay with it as long as someone was with her. He'd really be angry if he could see her now!
She began to wander into the forest, keeping her bearings and making sure that she could find her way back to Senpai. Humming softly to herself, she began to pick wildflowers, thinking about Ninsei. Why was she so attracted to him? She supposed it was because he had an air of mystery about him, making him the proverbial tall, dark stranger. She sighed as she wished she could solve that mystery...
Entering a clearing, she gasped and dropped her bouquet as she saw the object of her speculation sitting there, apparently absorbed in thought as well.
"Ninsei-san?" she called tentatively.
His head snapped up and he looked around, his eyes finally settling on her. "Oh. Kunoichi-sama. What are you doing out here? Surely you did not come alone?"
"Actually, I did. I like to walk when I have things to think about. And I WAS picking flowers until I was startled to find you here and dropped them." She indicated the fallen bouquet.
Ninsei chuckled. "I'm sorry I startled you. Please, join me. Maybe we can discuss whatever you were thinking about."
Kunoichi blushed furiously, but sat beside him just the same. "I don't think you'd be interested in talking about that."
"Try me."
Kunoichi took a deep breath. She was going to have to do this carefully. "Okay. There's this guy. I'm not sure what it is about him, but he fascinates me. I want to know more, but at the same time I don't want to know. It's hard to explain."
Ninsei looked thoughtful. She liked someone then, huh? She was just confused about her feelings. The girl continued.
"At the same time, I'm not sure if he likes me. But when he talks, I feel butterflies. And as long as he believes in me, I feel like I can do anything."
Ninsei nodded. 'It can't be that Hiroji boy,' he thought. 'She was desperate to get rid of him, even if it meant pretending to be my fiancee. I didn't mind much, though.'
He pulled himself from his thoughts to say, "Well, I think you should confide in this person. If they're not someone worth your time, then forget them."
Kunoichi smiled. "I feel like I'm talking to Kagome!"
Ninsei sweatdropped and she laughed. "I just mean that you're such a good person, Ninsei-san. You're always there to protect me or to lend an ear..."
"Well, as long as you need to be protected or need to be listened to, I'll be here."
"That's great to know. So, umm..." she looked down at her hands. "I wanted to apologize again for using you that way. You know, the Hiroji situation and all. I just wanted him off my back for a while."
Ninsei waved a hand in the air. "It was no problem at all, Kunoichi-san. As a matter of fact, I was flattered. A lovely woman such as yourself, full of pride, dignity, and inner strength, claiming to by my fiancee? I rather enjoyed it!"
Kunoichi chuckled. "I did too. Does this mean that you'll keep up the facade around him, you know, for appearances?"
Ninsei nodded. "Sure."
Kunoichi quite abruptly stood. "I'd better head back. The others will wonder where I went." She walked over to her fallen bouquet and picked up a few intact blossoms. "Good bye, Ninsei-san," she called over her shoulder. "Maybe later, we'll discuss your mysteries."
As she disappeared, the significance of what she had just said occurred to Ninsei. "She was talking about ME?"
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Corisu Li: *sigh* Holy crap. Here it is, Monday night (I started this Sunday) and I just got back from my first day of school. I tired. I sweepy. I want bed. I'm going to have a heavy workload this year, guys, but I'll work on regular updating. I probably still won't be able to update too often, but for now, I'll try for Saturday nights. If I crank out an early chapter, though, I'll post it. For now, it's bedtime. *snore*
Kunoichi: *steps up and prepares to post the chapter* Forgive her. She's an idiot. And always remember that more reviews help inspire her to write more! So R&R you crazy peoples!
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