Manipulated – Part Three:  Unnoticed Narrow Escape

Corisu Li: Squaaa! Reviews ROCK! *huggles them* Now, keep ‘em coming!

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"AAAHHH!" The kitsune burst into the hut and huddled behind Kaede, shivering.

Sango raised her head from the scroll that she was examining, adopted an amused expression, and asked, "Why do you continue to provoke him, Shippou?"

Shippou managed to look proud as he crossed his arms and huffed. "It’s not me... he just overreacts!"

Kaede turned so that she could see the kit. "Maybe ye should not tease him so often, ne?"

Shippou opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment, the reed door was shoved aside as a very irritated hanyou entered. "Where is he?" he asked simply, his ears twitching angrily.

A whimper came from the pile of scrolls at Sango’s feet.

"AHA!" Inuyasha pounced, attempting to yank Shippou from his hiding place, but the kitsune burst out before the hanyou could reach him. Screaming bloody murder, he scampered out of the hut.

Inuyasha cursed and gave chase; the two vanished into the forest.

Kaede and Sango sweatdropped. A scroll dangled across Sango’s head, partially obscuring her face. The other scrolls had been scattered all over the room in the scuffle.

Kaede sighed and stood. "It will take us hours to search through all of these scrolls now." She looked around at the mess that the twosome had left in their wake.

When there was no reply from Sango, the old miko turned to look at her.

The taijiya’s eyes were wide, and she appeared to be reading the scroll that dangled in front of her eyes. "This is it!" she gasped suddenly, snatching it from its resting place and smoothing it out on the floor of the hut.

Kaede stepped over to her, kneeling beside Sango to read the document for herself.

The first part of the scroll was filled with information that the two had already discerned... and a little that it hadn’t.

Sango’s eyes widened as she read. ‘Drinks blood... targets virgin maidens... Kami-sama, this thing is vile!’

Her eyes continued to slide down the page. It was stuffed with information about the phoenix, but there was absolutely no information on how to defeat it. She read the last line with a dejected sigh. "Nothing!" She let the air out of her lungs with one long exhalation.

Sango released the scroll and it sprang back into a coil. She was preparing to grab another that was nearby when Kaede reached out a hand to stop her. "Do that again..." the old miko muttered.

Sango was taken aback, but she complied. She uncoiled the scroll once more, and released it with a snap. This time, she caught it. There was writing on the back of the scroll... very miniscule characters.

She flipped the scroll over, hope rekindled. There seemed to be three lines of writing, but where the lines stretched into the sun, they vanished.

"Interesting..." Kaede murmured. She reached forward to touch the paper. In so doing, she cast her shadow over the remainder of the scroll that was not already obscured by Sango. The wrtiting was revealed.

Sango blinked. ‘A haiku?’

"To destroy the dark

Show him the one thing that he

Can not understand."

Kaede read the words aloud, then puzzled over them. "Interesting."

Sango tilted her head back and closed her eyes, thinking. A ray of sunlight shone across her face and struck the scroll, causing the first line to vanish. ‘Show him the one thing that he can not understand... What does that mean?’

"I fear that we are no further along than we were at the beginning," Kaede mused, standing. The back of the scroll now appeared blank in the full light.

Sango released the scroll once more and sighed. "Maybe. But at least we have some sort of clue. A vague one, but it is a clue nonetheless."

Kaede sighed and lifted another parchment from the floor. "We should continue our search."

The taijiya nodded. She placed the informative scroll beside her cushion and reached for another, still puzzling over the riddle.

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I wish to see her squirm. Make her scream for me... bleed for me.

Miroku halted suddenly, and Kagome turned back, puzzled. "Miroku-sama? Is something wrong?"

"Did you hear something?"

Kagome looked puzzled and inclined her head a bit. When she heard nothing, she said so.

The monk shrugged and resumed walking; Kagome did the same. Her thoughts were on nothing more than going back home, having a nice long soak in the tub, and stocking up on warmer clothing.

Miroku was just beginning to forget about the throaty voice when it made itself known once more.

Veins that hold much precious blood pulse beneath the surface.

Miroku gave a minute twitch and halted momentarily. The pair had finally reached the clearing; the well was in plain sight. Kagome didn’t notice Miroku’s pause this time and continued walking toward the well.

Veins so near the surface... One cut in the right place would end it swiftly...

Miroku put a hand to his forehead and felt cold sweat there, as if he had just awakened from a horrible nightmare. His fingers were trembling slightly, like they were withstanding an amazing amount of pressure.

The warmth of her blood... The smell of it... The taste of it...

The monk was only vaguely aware that his pace had quickened. His body seemed to be responding to an unconscious desire to reach the young miko before she climbed into the well. His feverishly darting eyes spotted a broken arrowhead off to his right and he seized it quickly, not breaking stride. The rough edges of the piece of stone bit into his hand, but he didn’t slow. Kagome’s figure was getting gradually nearer.

Catch her... Spill her blood...

Miroku was now completely unaware, as was the girl in front of him. She had hoisted herself onto the top of the well and was preparing to slide into it. With a nearly inaudible snarl, he broke into a impulsive trot. His fingers twitched around the arrowhead and his own blood seeped between his fingers, but he didn’t feel a thing. She came closer. Closer.

So near... so near...

His hand darted out - her head was mere inches away from his fingers when a shout from the woods caused him to falter. Kagome slid into the well, oblivious of what she’d just escaped.

"KAGOMEEEEEEEE!!!" The second shout consisted of one warbling word. Miroku blinked. Then, quite suddenly, something collided with his back.

Caught off guard, Miroku crashed to the ground. His hand opened and the sharp stone flew free. The jolt brought him back to himself, wondering vaguely why his hand ached. He then became aware of a kitsune attatched to his back.

"Miroku! You have to help me! Inuyasha’s going to kill me!" he sobbed into Miroku’s robes.

The monk reached backward and lifted the kit from his back, setting him on the ground. Still trying to clear his mind, he asked, "What did you do, Shippou?"

Shippou sniffed. "Nothing! Well, I might have bit his ears a little, but he’s being a jerk about it!"

Just then, an enraged shout echoed through the trees. "Get BACK here you little BRAT!"

Shippou let out a squeak and hid behind Miroku once more. "Is Kagome gone?" he queried.

Miroku looked at the well that the two were so close to. ‘I don’t remember seeing Kagome-sama enter the well...’ he thought. He judged, however, that she had, because she was nowhere in the clearing. "Hai."

"I’m gonna DIEEEEEEEEE..." Shippou moaned, just as Inuyasha burst into sight.

"Where is he? Where that little runt? I’ll-"

Miroku reached behind him once more and drew Shippou from his shelter. "Here he is," he stated innocently.

A glint shone in Inuyasha’s eyes as he began to stalk forward - and he quickly made acquaintance with Miroku’s staff. The monk released Shippou, who immediately disappeared into the trees.

Miroku sighed. "Inuyasha, I don’t think Kagome-sama would be very pleased with you if she returned to find a dead Shippou."

Inuyasha crossed his arms, a gesture of agreement to those that knew him well. "Feh."

"Now," Miroku switched his staff to his injured hand, trying not to wince, and clapped the other hand onto Inuyasha’s shoulder. "Let’s go."

Inuyasha conceded and began to follow the monk back to the village, but Miroku’s jovial manner hadn’t fooled him in the slightest. He had smelled the monk’s blood as soon as he entered the clearing, but he chose to say nothing. Still, he kept a close watch on the monk during the fairly short journey.

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Corisu Li: Whee! ^_^ That was fun!

Kunoichi: You’re sadistic. *is currently balanced on one toe on the back of a chair*

Corisu Li: Yah. So? *pokes the insane alter-ego*

Kunoichi: *falls and catches self in a one-armed headstand* ^^;; Nevermind.

Corisu Li: Now it gets fun! Of course, you already know what’s going on due to the summary, but I feel the need to proloooong the action. Why, you ask?

Kunoichi: ‘Cuz you’re sadistic!

Corisu Li: *nods happily* Review, or I won’t update until May! *ominous music*

Kunoichi: *shoves about seven Tootsie Rolls into her mouth* I’gd beweeve huhr, tuu!