“Please bear my child.”

“Oh you silly tease! Surely a handsome monk such as you has a wife?” the villager giggled.

“Sadly, I do not. I have been looking at you from afar each passing day before summoning the courage to finally utter a word to you. But alas,” he continued, gripping his chest, “you think I am but a tease.”

The woman’s gaze faltered with pity. “You are so genuine! But I’m afraid I am seeing someone already and cannot bear your child.” She lifted his remaining hand off her own and walked back to her hut. He sighed and looked up at the sky.

“Tough luck, eh Miroku?”

Miroku turned around. “Oh, it’s you Shippou. Unfortunately, I am not taken seriously by the beauties of this village.”

Shippou snickered. “You can say that again. I saw that exchange between you and that ‘beauty.’”

“She was quite the package wasn’t she?” His gaze scanned the village. “But not as beautiful as that girl! Wow, look at that body.”

Shippou rolled his eyes. “This outta be good.”

“Kind miss,” Miroku called. “Would you please come here?”

A girl wearing pink and green traditional villager clothes walked up to Miroku and Shippou. “Yes?” Her brown eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Please bear my child.”

*SLAP*

She laughed. “When I’m dead.”

Miroku rubbed his cheek. “Why so harsh, fair maiden? I have been looking at you—“

“Save it,” she interrupted. “Everyone in this village knows you’ve been trying to scam every woman here.”

“Scam?!” Miroku gasped. “Hear me out, beautiful woman. Do you see this?” He motioned to his left hand. “This is a curse passed down from my grandfather given by the evil youkai Naraku. The curse will be lifted when I kill him. If I fail, I need a son to carry out my duty.”

“Naraku?” the girl’s eyes sharpened with interest. “That’s the same youkai that—“ she stopped and snorted. “Why should I tell a lecherous bouzu such as you my personal business?”

Miroku leaped up and grabbed her hands. The sudden movement caused a gasp to escape the girl. “You know of Naraku? That makes you perfect for me!”

“Let go,” the girl wrinkled her nose in disgust. “You know nothing of me! Do not claim me as your own!”

Shippou calmly sat watching the argument. “Miss,” he whispered, “was your father killed by Naraku?”

The girl froze. Her eyes immediately softened with sadness and loss. Her heart tore into two and she nearly collapsed to the ground. She controlled herself and instantly her eyes hardened with hatred. “No!” she snapped. “Mind your own damn business!” With that, she slapped Miroku once again and stomped away angrily. But even she could not deny the sadness and grief tugging her down.

Miroku glanced at Shippou. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

Shippou nodded. “We’ve gotta stay here and find out what happened to her.”

Miroku frowned in disgust. “I’ll pound that Naraku for hurting such a fine woman like her.”

So far, Kagome and her team had found 11 out of the 15 items. Those items were: teddy bear, necklace, gift card, a new outfit, an iPad, a good luck charm, a scrapbook, perfume, shampoo, board games, and a makeup kit.

“Four more things to go,” Ayumi observed, while Aiko wiped her forehead.

Kagome was beaming. All the items had a card attached that said ‘Happy Birthday.’ 15 things for a 15th birthday, Kagome thought, thanks everyone.

“The makeup kit says the next item will be in the well house,” Yuka said. “Let’s go.”

The girls trudged to the well house. “Kagome, why don’t you go in?” Eri suggested.

“Yeah,” the girls agreed.

Kagome was about to agree when she giggled. “Are you guys scared?”

“Pfft, no,” they lied, fidgeting and looking at their feet.

“Girl!” a voice boomed.

Kagome spun around, her eyes darting. “Guys?”

“Hand over the jewel!” it hissed. “I can sense its presence!”

“J-jewel?” she answered with confusion. “Guys, this isn’t funny.”

“Hand over the jewel or I shall take it by force,” the voice answered, a harsh wind gripping the well house.

Kagome hugged herself in fear. “Sho this isn’t funny! Stop pranking me!”

The well burst open. Kagome screamed.

“Kagome?!” came Ayumi’s shocked voice. “Are you okay?!” Kagome heard the door being pulled. “What the--?! Kagome, you binded the door?!”

Kagome ran up the stairs. No, no… “I didn’t touch the door!” she pulled it franticly. “Guys, stop! I’m scared!”

“Stop what?!” Aiko shrieked. “Kagome, you stop!”

She heard running outside. “Is everything okay?” Yoshi asked.

“Kagome’s trapped in the well house!” Emi blurted. “And the doors won’t open!”

Kagome heard a strange slithering sound behind her. She turned and her eyes widened. The strange arms leaped out and grabbed her. Screaming with her eyes shut, she was pulled into the well. The last thing she heard was all her friends shouting:

“KAGOME!!”

Kagome opened her eyes. She gasped and shrieked. “Ew!”

The strange centipede woman hissed at her. “Stop that persistent screaming! Before I devour you and the jewel!”

“What jewel?” Kagome gasped, struggling from the woman’s grip.

“Don’t act dumb. You have the shikon no tama that youkai have been searching for decades to find. And I have found it,” she grinned wickedly. “If you struggle, you will not go unharmed.”

Kagome pushed against the centipede lady and was surprised when she heard a shriek of pain. Where her hands touched was burnt skin.

“You’ll pay for that, wench!” the centipede growled tightening her grip on Kagome. Kagome’s breathing became ragged and quick.

Kagome held her breath as her and the centipede shot out from the well. They landed on the grass. “Let go!” Kagome yelled. “I’ll give you the jewel, just let go!”
The centipede woman slowly unraveled her arms. “You know what will happen if you attempt to trick me, girl,” she warned.

“You!” she heard a gasp. She turned.

“Dog boy!”

They stood staring at each other. Everything was forgotten until Kagome felt a sharp pain in her side. “Ugh!” she whimpered, falling to the ground. “My ribs!”

InuYasha gaped at her, unsure what to do. “Oi, wench!”

Kagome looked up in pain. “Wench?” she said, her voice slurred. “Name’s ‘Gome…”

InuYasha barely could understand what she said. He didn’t want to, but he knew he had to help. “If you wanna live wench, you gotta take this arrow out!”

“Arrow?” Kagome echoed. She crawled over to InuYasha. “This tiny thing?” she asked, reaching forward. The centipede knocked her over.

“Oh no you don’t girl,” she laughed wickedly. “Not until I get my hands on that precious jewel of yours!”

Kagome snapped back to attention realizing her life was in danger. She scurried over to InuYasha. “Listen, dog boy. I’ll pull out the arrow if you stop calling me wench.”

“And I’ll save your sorry ass if you stop calling me dog boy,” he retorted.

“Deal,” Kagome smiled, pulling out the arrow. InuYasha winced for a moment before feeling strength flow through his veins once again. With a mighty leap, he broke away from the vines holding him back.

“Prepare to meet your Maker!”

Shippou snored softly in his position on Miroku’s chest. Once again they’d managed to find the best room at the best inn in the village. With his cute looks and Miroku’s fake exorcisms, they could get anything they wanted. He rolled over onto the floor and yawned loudly. Miroku popped an eye open.

“Awake already, Shippou?” Miroku rubbed his eyes while sitting up. “We’ve got an interesting day ahead of us.”
“Indeed we do,” Shippou agreed, his eyes chasing a butterfly that had managed to get inside. “That girl has something to do with Naraku and I’m itching to find out what connection she has.”

Miroku ruffled Shippou’s hair. “Is that all your interested in?” he waggled his eyebrows.

“Look lech, I’m only interested in girls in my age group. Women are good for cuddling, not dating. Too much drama,” Shippou snorted.

Miroku chuckled. He rose to his feet. “Let’s go freshen up and then we can hunt for that beautiful villager.”

Shippou nodded and the duo brushed their teeth and brushed their hair. They took brief baths and headed out of the inn. Shippou spotted a few girls playing over by the garden. “Hey, Miroku, how about you look for that lady while I play with those girls over there?”

Miroku sighed. “What’s the point of being near girls if you never make a move?”

“Shut up,” Shippou blushed, running to go play.

Miroku asked around for a girl wearing pink and green clothes and most pointed out to the barren clearing in the middle of the forest. With a polite thank you, he made his way to where he was directed.

“Hiraikotsu!” he heard someone yell. He walked over and hid behind a tree. His eyes flashed with amazement.

The girl from yesterday was practicing with a huge neko-youkai.

The neko-youkai growled and sprang. The girl was ready with a might swing of her boomerang. The neko-youkai fell on its back. It was instantly up again and pounced. The girl did not look ready this time and before it could catch himself, Miroku yelled,

“NO!”

The giant cat froze in mid-leap and lightly landed on the grass. It stepped in front of the girl and snarled. The girl looked slightly annoyed.

“Who’s watching this time?” she asked with a sigh.

Miroku’s first instinct was to flee but he held his ground. He made no sound.

“You might as well show yourself,” she said, her irritation clear. “You’re not in trouble.”

Miroku hestitantly stepped out in the open. The woman’s eyes widened.

“You!” she groaned, lowering her boomerang. “I thought I told you and your friend to mind your own—“

“Forgive me!” Miroku got down on his knees and bowed. “Forgive my disobedience, fair maiden. But something of you has interested me and I intend to pry deeper into the situation.”

The girl blushed. “A-and what might that be?”

“Your connection with Naraku!”

The girl’s blush instantly disappeared. “Would you lay off?! I’m not revealing anything to the likes of you so stop trying!”

“Please!” Miroku pleaded. “At least can I be honored with the knowledge of your name?”

The girl hesitated. Then with a frown she protested, “Absolutely not! I am not going to see you ever again! Go home!”

“I have no home! I travel but never stay permanently. And I want you to travel with me! Have you ever heard me ask that to the other girls?!”

The girl’s eyes widened. “How did you…?” They stared at each other for a long time. She lowered her head. When she looked up her eyes were hardened with determination.

“My name is Sango. And I will tell you everything about me.”