OtherWorld 01
Chapter 19: Miroku's Curse
Miroku woke up early one morning two days after Raizen had left. He stared at his right hand, bound tightly in purple cloth and wrapped in prayer beads. It had been wrapped like that for fourteen years now, ever since the day his father died. Bakura said he was making progress on removing the curse, but his hand didn't feel any different. Naraku, the Demon they were still trying to defeat fifty years later, had cursed his grandfather with an air void on his hand.
It was a terrible weapon, drawing anything and everything into its black hole to disappear forever. It would have been a great weapon but for the terrible curse it carried. Every year it had grown a tiny bit larger, until it finally consumed his grandfather. When his grandfather died, the void suddenly appeared on his father's hand; when his father died the same way, it appeared on Miroku's hand. And every year since then, the hole in his hand had grown a tiny bit larger. He was afraid to believe in the power of Bakura and Kaiba -- it would hurt too much to have them fail, especially since he met Sango. Before her, life didn't matter that much -- he asked every pretty girl he met to have his child, but never gotten past the question -- even with those few that had said yes to his strange question. A few weeks after meeting Sango, he never asked anyone again. Sango! He wanted so much to have a future and to share it with her.
With a heavy heart, he got up, dressed, and then climbed the long stairs to Bakura's North Tower to face another try at breaking the curse.
After Raizen's departure, Koenma contacted Yusuke as promised. Yusuke would arrive next week. Tasuki had gone to Suzaku to formalize the alliance with the Northern Lands of Demon World, taking Jin with him as Raizen's representative and as added protection. Tasuki also took with him Bakura's newest creation; a small crystal that Bakura had attuned to a matching crystal that the Princess wore around her neck as a pendant. Since the Princess and her males were already emotionally tied to each other, Bakura was using the crystal to focus the binding clearer and enable a telepathic link between them. Unfortunately, it was only between the Princess and her five males because he was going through her binding power. If it worked, he would create one for each of her males.
The afternoon was warm and lazy, and the Princess had dozens of pillows of various sizes put in the side garden under one of Kurama's cherry trees. She sat there, propped up on pillows, under the cool shade of the tree. Hiei slept contently in her arms, his head resting on her shoulder. Kurama was on her left side, his back pressed against her hip, also drifting to sleep. He had part of Hiei's weight on his own hip so that all of Hiei's weight wouldn't be on the Princess. InuYasha was at her right, also press against her side. Serafin and Sango were also there, lazily propped on the pillows, quietly talking. Tall glasses of cool lemonade were on small tables near them. It was a perfect setting!
Hiten was laying next to Serafin with his head in her lap. She was watching her new mate as he pressed against her tummy, sensing the baby inside. Serafin envied that he could sense the baby like that; she was carrying it inside of her and couldn't feel the baby at all. Bankotsu had arrived late, and was unhappy that there was no room for him. There were still dozens of pillows spread around, but like her other males, but he wanted to be next to the Princess, physically touching her.
Suddenly the still afternoon was shattered by a terrible prolonged scream. As one, they looked up to the mage's towers. Bright white light was streaming from every window in Bakura's tower. Everyone ran to the tower, InuYasha and Hiei the fastest and first to arrive. Sango was very close behind. She knew that Miroku was in that tower. The heavy door was closed, but just as they reached the door, it opened. Bakura stood in the doorway, then without a word, fell to floor unconscious. Inside the room, Miroku also lay senseless on the floor. Sango ran to the monk. "Miroku!" she cried.
Kaiba was against the far wall, his face bruised. He had been hurled across the room into the far wall. He picked himself up and went to Miroku, opening the monk's robes to expose a terrible burn mark across his chest. Kaiba put his hands over it and healed it. Then he turned the monk over, revealing a twin burn mark on his back. He healed that burn also and then asked them to carry Miroku to his room. He would be alright now; he just needed rest.
Then the mage went to Bakura. He struggled to get the mage out of the binding armor that he always wore. Why couldn't Bakura wear robes like other mages!!! Hiei helped him and finally they got all the straps and buckles opened, to reveal a spider web of burn marks which radiated from his solar plexus. Kaiba healed him and asked if they would take him to his sleeping quarters. Kaiba attempted to stand and passed out cold. Hiten caught the exhausted mage as he fell and carried him to his bed. They still had no idea what had happened.
It was after ten that night when Bakura woke. He went to Miroku's room to check on the sleeping monk, followed by InuYasha and Princess Aara. Sango was already there, watching over Miroku. "I am very close to breaking the curse," Bakura explained. "This is the last barrier. If I can just break through it, I can remove the curse without losing the air void on his hand."
"Why are you getting burned?" InuYasha asked.
"Because I need to be touching him to break the barrier. The force of the barrier and the pain of it makes him thrash about, so I must hold him tightly. The barrier's power goes through him to me."
"What if someone else held him while you tried to break the barrier?" asked the Dog Demon, adding, "I've gotten a lot of very bad wounds and heal quickly. I can hold Miroku while you break the barrier."
"No!" exclaimed the Princess, "This is not a simple wound. This is magic. You might not survive this!"
"And Miroku will not have a chance if the curse isn't broken!" His look said that he would not be dissuaded. She nodded unhappily and tears began to run down her cheeks. InuYasha took her in his arms, holding her tight. To see his beloved Princess cry hurt, but Miroku was his friend and ally.
"Meet me at noon tomorrow in my tower. Bring Miroku with you." Bakura said quietly. Then he left for his tower to prepare everything and also to get some much needed rest.
After InuYasha and the Princess left for his room, Sango sat there silently, her heart aching. She watched the man she loved for a few minutes more, and stood up decisively. She went directly to Kurama's room. She knocked on his door and went inside when he opened it. "Kurama, you have senses like Kouga and InuYasha, don't you?"
"Depends on what you need. My senses are different in my human body," the redhead replied.
"Can you tell me if I am fertile right now?"
Kurama looked at her intently, knowing what she was planning to do. "Are you sure you want to do this, Sango?" he asked.
"There is good chance that Miroku won't live through tomorrow. I want to make sure that a part of him continues. He wants a child so much; he asks everyone he meets except me. I want to try to give him that child." She looked directly into Kurama's eyes and he could see the resolve in them. He nodded and then suddenly changed to his Fox Demon form. The energy of his Youkai filled the room and for a moment she felt like she was drowning in his power.
The tall Demon then knelt before her and put his hands on her stomach. He stayed that way for a few minutes, then he stood up and simply nodded, no emotion showing is his gold Demon eyes. Sango thanked him and left.
Kurama changed back to his human form, concern immediately filling his green human eyes
Sango went to her room and undressed, putting on a loose robe, and then went back to Miroku's room. She sat at his side waiting for the monk to wake up. It was a little after midnight when his eyes finally opened. The first thing he saw was Sango sitting next to him.
"Sango?" he said, then he noticed what she was wearing. "What … what are you doing?"
"I'm going to give you what you always ask for." she said and then stood and dropped her robe and slipped under the covers with him. "I love you, Miroku."
He looked into her eyes and saw the determination and the love there, and took her in his arms, whispering "I never wanted this for you. I wanted you to have a happy future. Not this."
"Even it is only this one night, it will be enough." she replied as she kissed him.
A little before noon the next day, InuYasha went to get Miroku's. He was ready. Miroku took Sango in his arms, "I love you, Sango. I think I loved you from the moment I met you." Then he kissed her goodbye.
The Princess stood outside in the garden, staring up at the tower windows. Kurama and Bankotsu stood next to her. Hiei and Hiten stood outside the mage's tower door so they could go in fast if they were needed. Sango joined them, needing to be as close to Miroku as possible.
Suddenly the air grew heavy and flashes of rippling light streamed from the windows of the tower. Then scream after scream pierced the Castle's walls. Hiei and Hiten didn't know what to do. They had been ordered not to enter the room unless they were asked to, but those screams! Sango was terrified of what was happening inside the tower. The Princess cried out and fell to her knees. She could feel InuYasha's agony through the binding. Kurama wrapped his arms around her, knowing that it would not help, but needing to do something. It seemed like hours, but it was only a few minutes and then both the screams and the light stopped. There was only silence. Hiei would wait no longer. He slammed himself into the door and tore it off its hinges.
Kaiba was near the door in a heap. He had obviously been trying to reach it. Bakura was sprawled on the floor face down, dark blood coming from his nose and mouth. InuYasha was still wrapped around Miroku, but both were unconscious and wisps of smoke were coming from them. Sango knelt next to Miroku, tears running down her face. Hiten gently pried the monk from InuYasha's arms. He was barely alive. Hiei checked out InuYasha and there was a strong heartbeat. Then he went to Bakura and found a faint one.
Kaiba had been caught in the backlash of the barrier and was unconscious so there was no one to heal the other three. Bakura continued to bleed, and more than likely had internal injuries. With Sango following closely behind, Hiten carried Miroku to his bed and lowered the top of his robe. The burn mark was there again but it was deeper and wider. Wisps of smoke still rose from the center of the burn area, right over his heart.
Kurama carried InuYasha to his bed and peeled off his clothes. InuYasha's chest had the same burn mark as Miroku's but his hands and forearms had third-degree burns. Kurama pulled off the burnt and loose skin, leaving them raw. Then he pulled a seed from his hair and grew it to a mature plant. Sap dripped from a strange looking bud. He applied the sap to the burns and then bandaged him up. The plant would do little to heal those terrible burns; but it would prevent infection. He then added a second plant near the bed -- this one gently lulled InuYasha into a pain-free sleep.
About a half hour later, Kaiba regained consciousness. When he tried to sit up, waves of dizziness immobilized him, so he asked Bankotsu to take him to Miroku. Sitting next to the unconscious monk, with Bankotsu supporting him, Kaiba pressed his hands into the center of the burn and called forth his healing power. Slowly the burn mark disappeared. Sango turned Miroku over so that Kaiba could heal his back. Again the burn vanished under his touch. Bankotsu felt the mage go limp in his arms. He nodded to Sango and carried the mage back to his room. Kaiba had no strength left to heal either Bakura or InuYasha.
Kurama feared that Bakura was dying. There was nothing that he could do for the bleeding mage. The Princess used the crystal and contacted Tasuki. The crystal worked as Bakura had hoped, but unfortunately, shattered immediately after that one use. Aara's crystal was fine, but Tasuki's was gone. She asked Jin to go to the floating island of Ice World for Yukina, Hiei's twin sister. She also had the power to heal, although on a much lower level than Kaiba. Since Jin had the power to fly, he could get to there in a day, then allowing two days to return with Yukina, it would be three days at the earliest before Yukina could reach the Castle. They could only hope that Bakura had the strength to hold out that long.
The next day, Kaiba again woke up. He asked after the other three and was told about Bakura and InuYasha. Since Bakura was the most critical, he asked to be taken to his fellow mage's side. Bankotsu again carried him and Kaiba touched him gently. He did not have the energy to heal the Demon mage's injuries, but he gave him what strength he could. Kaiba slipped back into unconsciousness and Bankotsu returned him to his bed.
InuYasha alternated between painful wakefulness and peaceful sleep. When he did wake, it was agony for the Dog Demon. Usually he woke when Kurama changed his bandages, trying hard not to whimper from the pain. The Princess was always at his side when he woke and her presence helped him more than anything.
On the third day, Jin arrived with Yukina. The tiny ice maiden went quickly to Bakura's side and touched him gently. Her face was downcast. "I do not have the power to heal him." she said sadly. "Please take me to Kaiba instead." She touched the sleeping mage and a smile came over her face. She could heal him! Then he would have the power to heal the others. It took her over two hours to fully heal Kaiba, but when she was done, the mage was able to heal Bakura and InuYasha. Finally, everyone was on the road to recovery, sleeping to regain their strength.
After two full days of deep healing sleep, Bakura awoke. And he had wonderful news for them. He had succeeded in breaking the curse. InuYasha's help by taking the brunt of the backlash had freed Bakura's power to break the curse. It had not been easy and the mage had nearly died, but it was done. Miroku was free at last. The air void would probably end with him. Miroku had kept the powerful weapon but it would no longer grow larger and larger until it devoured him.
There was much celebration and joy in the castle. Miroku now had a future to offer Sango and they were pronounced mated by all. Kaiba also told her that her gamble had paid off and she was pregnant. In a very few months, Otherworld would have some very special children.
In Kaede's Village, two houses were going to be built, one for Miroku and Sango, and the other for Hiten and Serafin. They would also go to live in Kaede's Village. Serafin was very lonely at the Castle and it was felt that she be happier in the village with Kagome, Kaoru and now Sango around her. Since Hiten could fly, he could commute between the Castle and the Village easily.
Once everything was back to normal, the Princess called a meeting of Protectors, mages, and her males. There had to be something done so this would not happen in the future. Bakura needed an apprentice and another healer was needed. Princess Aara asked Hiei if he thought Yukina would be willing to stay. She was not as powerful as Kaiba, but at least she could heal him. Hiei had already suggested it to her and, although she was worried about the climate being too warm for her, she was willing to give it a try. The Princess suggested giving her an entire wing which she could keep as cold as she liked. Kurama recommended that they ask Toya to live in the Castle. Toya was a friend of Jin's whom they had met at the Dark Tournament.
Toya was also an Ice Demon who lived in a dark and desolate part of Demon World, and more than anything he wanted to live in the light. Kurama was sure that he would accept an offer of becoming a Protector for Otherworld and his presence would also keep Yukina from feeling totally isolated. Hiei was very agreeable to that. Perhaps Yukina would forget about that human friend of Yusuke's, Kuwabara, and fall for Toya instead.
Hiei would be much more agreeable to that pairing. Kurama also put forth Suzuki's name as an apprentice mage. He was the Demon that gave him the seed that changed him back to Youko Kurama and had also supplied his team with their magical weapons. It was agreed that Jin would contact the two of them and ask them to the Castle. Finally, everything was going smoothly.
Read the companion piece: "The Vigil" [coming soon]