Sir Jacob's First Quest

Sir Jacob's First Questan original fairytale by Niceguy.
Part 1 of ?



Once upon a time there lived in a peaceful village a brave and courteous young lad named Jacob. When Jacob had come of age, he was granted a knighthood. But even three full months after receiving his knighthood, the brave young knight had still not been granted a single quest. It was a time of peace in the kingdom and thus there was nary a battle to be fought. There were some truly grand quests, but those were all granted to knights of renown - men who were knighted back when the honor still meant something. Nowadays, the younger knights cold only hone their skills in tournaments, but that was not for him. He found them to be a waste of time; a place for posers to show off, and nothing more. About halfway through another night of drowning his boredom in tankards of mead at the knight’s tavern, he saw something that made him question his senses. Or… at least wonder how much he’d drank.

A large reptile, too large for a chameleon and too small for an iguana slowly sauntered in though the tavern door. It was such a strange sight that he was surprised that no one else seemed to notice it - which made him question his senses even more. (Not to mention re-count his tankards.) The lizard slowly crawled across the room, seating himself right next to the young knight. Sir Jacob notice a small scroll of parchment tied to a makeshift collar around the strange creature’s neck. Despite the incredibly odd manner of the message’s delivery, the young knight could feel the touch of destiny as he reached for the scroll. He slowly unrolled it and read:

Brave Sir Knight,

I beseech thee. For I am cursed
by an evil wizard and have been locked away
in a tower, guarded by great monsters.
The tower lies only a few days trek into the dark forest.
I bid thee, please rescue me.

Yours, patiently waiting,
Princess Romana

PS.: Please excuse my choice of messengers.
I’m rather not fond of songbirds or pigeons. (Feathers.)

He brought the note close to his face and inhaled, expecting to find the scent of a maiden’s perfume. To his surprise there was none. Even so, he realized what this meant.

“Well, in spite of that last line… a bit odd that… This is definitely a quest, and I shall undertake it!” But at that moment, the mead seemed to go to his head all at once, and after making his bold and public declaration, he collapsed onto the table, much to the entertainment of the other bored and drunken knights in the tavern.

“…first thing tomorrow.” He said before passing out.

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When he awoke, he had only a hazy memory of what had transpired the night previous. He no longer possessed the note, and the strange lizard seemed to have gone s well. All he could remember was that a princess needed rescuing and that she was in a tower deep in the dark forest. That wasn’t much to go on, but he vowed to undertake the quest all the same. Pulling himself off of the table, and out of a puddle of – he didn’t want to know – he left the tavern and went into town to freshen up and get supplies.

After a much needed bath, he donned his armor (which having never been used, did not need for polishing), sheathed his sword (which also having never been used, did not need for sharpening), tethered his shield to his back and alit his helm. As it also had never been used, it did not need for polishing, but it did lack for flourish.

“This will not do! She will see that my helm is without flourish and know that I am not a knight of renown!” And, having forgotten the odd line at the end of the princess’s note, he went into town, purchased several long and colourful feathers and placed them atop his helm.

“I shall also need to bring favours,” he declared to himself, “For such a fine lady will want for more than mere rescue.” Figuring he should bear three gifts, not including the rescuing, he went from shop to shop but could only find two: A silk handkerchief and a slender bottle of perfume. He thought that flowers made also make a fine gift, but not knowing how long he would be riding feared that they would wilt. “I shall gather some wild blooms, once I approach the tower. The lady will surely know that I am a fine and chivalrous knight upon receiving my fine gifts and her rescue.”

And with that, Sir Jacob was off; driving his horse over hill and dale and to the edge of the dark forest. Although he would have many smaller adventures there within, none are important to this narrative save that he eventually reached an old, rickety bridge spanning a large chasm, across which lay what appeared to be a wizard’s dark tower. Although he could not know for sure, he again felt the touch of destiny, and knew that his princess lay trapped inside. Nearby he found a large stable, half filled with black horses. Knowing he could not bring his any further, he placed him in one of the stalls, marking the place in his mind so that he could later find his steed. Now on foot, he started across the dilapidated bridge.

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He slowly crept along the old, creaky rope bridge. Its boards were just a few feet wide, and several sagged under his weight. When he was but halfway across he heard a deep, gravelly voice call from behind him.



“I am here to free the fair maiden within yonder tower. And you are on the wrong side of the bridge to delay my journey!”

“Didn’t notice me, did you, little boy?” Another deep, gravelly voice called out again from behind him. Now he was trapped in the middle of this crumbling bridge between two enormous trolls. He drew his sword, even as he cursed his predicament. The trolls slowly closed in on him. The wood planks and ropes that made up the bridge creaked and strained under their combined weight. The chasm had to be a hundred feet deep, and he had no idea if he could hold on, should he cut the ropes. (Or if the old wood would hold him, even should he find the strength himself.) As the Trolls drew within striking distance, all three were suddenly distracted by an incredibly loud and high pitched sound that echoed through the forest.

“SHOOOOOOOO!” The scream-like note even seemed to startle a nearby flock of birds into flights.

The sound also caused the trolls to look up and, seizing the moment, Sir Jacob ducked under one and ran to the tower’s side of the bridge, slashing the ropes as he crossed the last plank. Whether it was the age of the ropes, or the untouched condition of his blade, it took only a single swipe to send the bridge and the Trolls falling into the chasm.

“Not bad.” He said to himself. “With the first swing of my blade as a knight I managed to slay two trolls. Of course, now I’m not sure how we are to get back across the chasm, but that shall wait. Let us see what other perils lay betwixt myself and the fair maiden.”

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Sir Jacob quickly closed the distance between the bridge and the tower and approached what appeared to be the main gate and quietly as his armor would let him. Seated in front of the gate, reclined and asleep against the wall was another enormous hulk of a man… like… creature. Sir Jacob estimated that it would be about eight feet tall standing up, and did not appear to be another Troll. From its crude wrappings and foul stench he assumed that it was an Ogre. He could see the keys to the gate hitched on its belt. Although not as fearsome as the Trolls, its weapon looked more like a tree than a club, and the young knight felt that, this time, discretion would be the better part of valor. He had just about slipped the key ring of the Ogre Belt when that same loud, high pitched sound echoed through the wood.

“SHOOOOOOOO!”

Sir Jacob’s blood froze, but the Ogre did not wake. He merely shifted his weight a little, snored a bit and went back into his deep slumber. Keys in hand, Sir Jacob opened the gate.

Going in, he found himself on a landing. A spiral staircase led both up and down. Figuring his quarry to be at the highest point in the tower he started up. He guessed that the Wizard and any other of his foul minions he had would likely have lairs below. After a grueling climb, he found himself on another landing, near what he figured was the top of the tower. He saw before an oaken door, reinforced with iron, closed with a lock, gilded in silver. Looking at the key ring, he found a small, silver key.

Slowly and quietly he turned the silver key in the silver lock. The hinge went slack and he opened the door. As he gazed inside he was struck by the beauty of the maiden he saw, back lit by the afternoon sun as she sat by the window. Her features were among the most delicate and beautiful that he had ever seen. Her eyes were those of an elf; a deep green, as if they could shame the most lush and fertile forest. She had the countenance of the purest faerie, with high, soft looking cheeks and a small slender nose that curved upward like a drawn bow, ending in the tiniest point. Although she seemed surprised to see him, her slender lips drew into a broad smile, revealing teeth so perfect that only a fairy-tale princess could possess them. She rose and started towards him. He fell to one knee and bowed his head taking her hand in his.

“Oh fair lady; I have traveled over hill and dale, though darkness and peril to bring thee to thy freedom. Come, alight with me and we shall be gone from this place. Wilt thou come with me?”

He remained kneeling as he awaited her reply but she said nothing. Then it seemed as though she would have withdrawn her hand, had he not held it so tightly. Surprised and even a little ashamed by this turn of events, he ventured a glance upward without raising his head. As he did, all became apparent.

When he knelt, he did not remove his helm. The very ends of the large plumes which sat atop his helm had just reached the tip of her delicate nose. She would have taken only a single step back, but could not as he held her hand fast. She had not replied because her breath had hitched almost immediately and she waved her free gently in front of her face as if in a effort to ward of n impending sneeze. By the time Sir Jacob had taken this all in, here eyes were already closing.

“ha… haah… haAAAH-SHOOOOOOOOO!”

In his shock, he released her hand. He could not believe that so thunderous a sound had emanated from so delicate a girl.

“P-please, b-brave sir knight. I b-bid th-thee… R-Remove you h-helm… p-please…”

He stepped back before bowing in apology. “I am sorry madam, for you no doubt wish to see the face of your rescuer.” He was, however, somewhat careless as he removed his helm and the feathers brushed across her nose once again.

“N-no… th-the f-feather… m-make… m-me… snee… hah… snee… haaaah… haAAAH-SHOOOOOOOOO! *sniff* sneeze.”

Immediately Sir Jacob stepped back several feet, and placed his helm as the far side of the room. “A thousand pardons I beg thee, my lady. Please, as a token of my sincerest apologies, please accept the wild blooms. I gathered them from the garden outside the tower before I came in.” Dropping again to one knee he raised the bouquet to a level where she would be certain to catch it enchanting scent. Again bowing his head he could not see the fear that now filled her eyes.

“W-wait… n-no… all those… in the garden… m-make m-me… snee… hah… snee… haaaah… haAAAH-SHOOOOOOOOO! *sniff* sneeze as well! *sniff* Please I bid thee… *sniff* away with them!” She held one hand to her nose as she tried to push them away with the other.

He quickly tossed the flowers out onto the landing. So far this rescue was not going as he had foreseen it. Additionally he was getting concerned that this delicate maiden’s window rattling sneezes would soon attract unwanted attention. All the same he was starting to find the whole situation strangely arousing. Although he felt it slightly cruel, he could not believe how unbelievably beautiful this fair maiden was, particularly when she sneezed. He sensed that she did not care for it herself, as she seemed to have fought mightily to prevent it, but in those brief moments she only seemed even more precious to him. Inside his armor, his codpiece began to grow ever more uncomfortable. Against his better judgment, he presented her with the second gift.

“*sniff* Oh my, what is this?” she asked sweetly.

“It is a lovely scent for you my lady.” And with that he removed the stopper and held it high so that she could smell it.

“Wh-what?… N-no… P-Please… I’m… going… to… snee… hah… sneeze… haaah… again… haaaaah… haAAAH-SHOOOOOOOOO! What *sniff* what are you doing brave sir Knight?! haaaaah… haAAAH-SHOOOOOOOOO! Why *sniff*… why did you come here?! *sniff* and wh-what is w-with th-these gi… gi… hah… haAAAH-SHOOOOOOOOO! GIFTS? Were you sent to rescue or to torment me?!”

Now holding the small bottle as far from the princess as he could, Sir Jacob fell back to one knee and apologizing again, held aloft the silk handkerchief. Since his head was down he could not see the tears welling up in the princess’s eyes. (But were they of joy? Or just allergies?)

“Oh brave Sir Knight!” She cried with glee, as she snatched the silken handkerchief from his hand, brought it to her nose, and gave it a mighty blow.

“PLLLLLLLPPPPBT!”

“Fair Lady…”

“PLLLBLPLBLPLPPPPBT!”

“I must again apolo…”

“PLLLLBLLPLLBLLPLLPPPPBBTT!”

“um… it can wait.”

Sir Jacob could now barely suppress his smile as the princess continued to blow heartily, nigh ruining the fine material, but apparently grateful for at least the one gift that did not cause her discomfort. When he looked up, the maiden was blushing. “I’m… I’m sorry brave Sir Knight. I’m sure that hardly behavior befitting a young lady. I do thank you for the lovely handkerchief though. Come sit by my bedside. You must be thirsty. Have some water, and rest a bit before we go.”

“Dear lady, I thank thee. And I do hope you accept my apologies. It was only my intention to bring for thee rescue, not torment.” He drank deeply from the flagon that she handed him.

“Your apology is accepted, brave Sir Knight. It is as much my own fault. I should have been more specific in my letter, but I feared that too much information might scare off a potential rescuer, or give the impression that I am some how sickly. I could not bear the thought of that.”

“Um… My lady… is it wise that we dawdle here? Surely the guards will have heard your snee… I mean our conversation by now?”

“You needn’t worry, brave Sir Knight. I am mostly left alone up here. I am given food and drink, and water for a bath. But aside from that, I never receive company.”

“But… your…” Sir Jacob was almost red in the face to say it. “…sneezing.” He managed in a whisper.

With that the princess let out a pleasant, almost musical laugh. “Oh that? You needn’t worry yourself about that either, brave Sir Knight. The guards are quite used to that by now.”

“How do you mean, my lady?”

“Well, this tends to happened a lot in the spring, when the trees and flowers are all in bloom…”

“I see…”

“And in the summer, when the weeds sprout…”

“Oh dear…”

“And in the autumn, when the leave fall and the hay is made…”

“My dear lady! Are you relieved then only in Winter?”

“Well I would do, except that I have rather a tendency to catch cold as well.”

“Oh my…”

“Plus I cannot abide a dusty old castle. Oh yes… Nor cats, nor dogs, nor horses, nor…”

“I say. That wizard seems to have placed quite a curse on you hasn’t he?”

At first, the princess merely stared at the knight, as if struck by a non sequitor, but then erupted in the same lilting, musical laughter as before. “You think my condition is the result of a curse?” Her smile was even wider than before, but the knight still felt that he had been overly presumptuous and out of turn.

“Forgive me my lady… I…”

“Oh no…” she interrupted, still laughing. “Not at all, brave Sir Knight. No. No. No. The curse I spoke of is an entirely… different nature.”

“And that would be…”

“A private nature.” The smile suddenly left her.

“I am sorry. Again I have spoken out of turn. I bid thee forgive me, my lady.”

“Oh it is no worry, brave Sir Knight. We have only just met, so it is natural that you should have questions. But as I say, my health is not the condition of any curse. I have been this way since I was a little girl.” The smile returned, appearing somewhat mischievous. “You should have seen how quickly I could clear a room, back when the fear of plague still gripped the land…” At that thought, they both laughed and Sir Jacob felt more at ease.

“Well, milady… Perhaps it is time that we leave this place?”

“I am yours for the rescuing, brave Sir Knight. I hope you will not take it a miss if, of your fine gifts, I take only the handkerchief, forsaking the others?”

A broad smile on his face, Sir Jacob answered, “My lady, I will not.”

And with that they started down the stairs...
to be continued?

The Angry Spirits of the Forest - Part 10 (InuYasha)

PART TEN - An InuYasha fan-fiction. Setting and all non-original characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Illustrations by (Kawaii) Kitty Kuchiki (ne Nakamura)

Shippo… No!

‘A few handkerchiefs’ ended up being several scraps of cloth discarded by the village seamstresses; but Kagome was grateful to be able to wipe her nose with something other than her shirt, and blow it more discreetly that by putting a finger on one nostril and exhaling hard out of the other. While InuYasha and Shippo insisted the handkerchiefs weren’t necessary, once they tried them, they had to admit they helped. Most of the trip was otherwise uneventful. The old man told them stories of his adventures as a young monk by firelight, saving the more lecherous episodes for Miroku, after the others had fallen asleep.

After a three day hike, the party stood atop a tree lined precipice overlooking a low clearing. Tree spirits circled the clearing and stood almost still – looking like tall trees blowing in the wind. In the center was what looked like an ancient Banyan tree. If the other tree-sprits resembled giant people, the one in the center resembled a humongous spider or octopus – his many limbs and sprawling trunks took root in dozens of places around the clearing.

“That’s the ancient one!” The Elder whispered in Kagome’s ear, but as she looked at the sprawling banyan, she didn’t need to be told. She could sense the sacred jewel, even at her current distance. She was also confident she could make the shot from here.

She drew an arrow and blew her nose one last time, just to be safe. Notching the arrow she slowly stood up. She was no longer camouflaged by the wood, but none of the tree-sprits seemed to notice. Her nose still itched, but a quick sniff was enough to ward off any sneezes for a few more seconds. She drew her bow and took aim.

“hah…”

“Shippo! Shh!” Miroku cautioned.

“HAAAH….” Shippo’s eyes narrowed as he brought a finger under his nose.

“Shippo! No!” Sango whispered.

“HAAAH-AAAAAHTCHOOOO! *sniff* Sorry!” The little fox demon rubbed his nose with his finger as he apologized.

Shippo’s sneeze drew the attention of the sprits, but Kagome was ready and loosed her arrow just as they turned around. Halfway to the target it erupted in purple light. The arrow plunged into the tangle of limbs that made up the ancient tree and found its mark deep with the writhing mass. With a flash of light, the Jewel Shard was ejected. The change in the Ancient one was immediate. What once roiled with anger now stood calmly, looking like it was at peace. They scampered down the embankment to retrieve the Jewel Shard. The trees surrounding the clearing merely looked on.

Kagome picked up the shard, but noticed something was different. She could detect no trace of the anger that had tainted the shard. It felt purified, as if it had been cleansed in a way that she thought only herself or Kikiyo could have done. She felt a rush of sadness as she realized that it was the life force of the Ancient One that had purified the Shard. As she held this piece of life force in her hands, she felt an immediate connection and a thorough understanding of the immense love and wisdom possessed by the ancient spirit. But when she turned to face him, her fears were realized - the Ancient One was dying.

“No! *sniff* No! No! No!” She ran into a jumble of limbs and branches that seemed to embrace her as she lost herself in them.

She heard a voice that was almost as quiet as the wind. “thhhaaaank yoooouuuu chiiiiild…”

Tears started to fall from her eyes “I’m so sorry! Please… *sniff* don’t die.” To her hands it felt as if the tree was actually growing cold.”

She felt something like a hand on her shoulder. She looked back, and up, and saw the tree-spirit that had helped them before. He seemed to smile at her. His voice was still deep and rumbling, but gentle now and lower in volume out of respect for the Ancient One. “This… was the only way… Do not weep child… You have done… a great thing today.”

Again the voice like the wind spoke. "shhhwshshhhhesssshhh," they assumed that was the name of the sprit who'd helped them, "yooooouuuuu… kneeeew… yooooouuuu alooooone saaawww the eeeevil in the traveler clooooaaaked in whiiiiite… yooouuuu aaare wiiiiiise… guiiiide myyyy childrennnn and… accept the stewardship of the sssssacred foressssst... that I passsss tooooo…. yoooouuuu…"

With that final decree the last bit of life left the ancient tree. Kagome broke down, sobbing openly as she felt the limbs grow stiff and brittle around her. She felt a breeze in her hair as the last bit of life escaped. While just a moment ago she felt surrounded by love and warmth, now, sitting within the dead tree, she had never felt so profoundly alone and empty. The other tree spirits bowed in final respect and began to withdraw into the forest.

InuYasha, unfamiliar with the ways of the sprits, perceived their actions as callous. “*sniff* Aren’t you even going to bury him… or something?”

The sprit that had carried Kagome turned to him to explain. “No… He must remain here…”

“*sniff* So you’re just going to let him rot?”

“Yes.” InuYasha was surprised that it was Kagome who answered. “He will go into the ground here… and… another scared tree will grow in this spot… won’t it?” She looked up at the tree-spirit.

“Yes child… Every sacred tree marks a place where an ancient spirit passed on... A tree will grow here that will house the Kodama… And they in turn will bring more life to the trees in the forest…. We will… shepherd that life until the trees’ voices grow quiet… or our own do... We must leave this place… It is sacred now… you should not return here…”

Kagome shed a final tear for the fallen spirit, but as she joined the Shard to the others she carried she felt comforted knowing that a small part of that spirit would always be with her. The journey back to the village was made faster by the tree-spirit’s offer to transport them. While this shortened a three day journey to only one, for InuYasha, Kagome and Shippo, who could not stop sneezing for even a few minutes, it may as well have been a year. By the time they were back the village elder had re-affirmed both of their commitments to the former treaty, and the spirit even forgave the village of their obligation to plant 100 saplings in payment for felling a sacred tree. (Though the Elder still planned to do that anyway.) At the outskirts of the village, the travelers said their good-byes to tree spirit and waved as it went back into the forest.


[EPILOGUE]

After getting a full night’s rest for the first time in days, the six travelers departed the next morning, fully stocked for the journey ahead. Without another jewel shard to follow northward, they trekked back the way they came. This came as a relief to InuYasha, Shippo and even Kirara, who probably could not have endured an extended trip through the forest. And while Kagome was sad that she would probably never see the tree-spirit again she had to admit, with a chuckle as she wiped here nose with a long since saturated scrap of cloth, that there was at least one part of her that couldn’t get away fast enough.

The Angry Spirits of the Forest - Part 9 (InuYasha)

PART NINE - An InuYasha fan-fiction. Setting and all non-original characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Illustrations by (Kawaii) Kitty Kuchiki (ne Nakamura)

Like what happened to you when I got captured in the first place?

Following the battle that almost was, InuYasha and Kagome argued for some time. It took a great effort to convince InuYasha that the tree-sprits were peaceful by nature, and while he never fully ceded the point, he was intrigued when Kagome mentioned the Sacred Jewel shard. The five travelers met with the Captain and the Elder back at the temple to discuss their next move.

“*sniff* We need to get close enough to the spirit known as the Ancient One. Then I… can… gotta sneeze… ha… HAAATCHoo! *sniff* Then I can use my sacred arrow to remove the shard. *sniff* after that, he should return to normal!”

“*sniff* Assuming you don’t sneeze and miss the mark.” InuYasha teased under his breath.

“Like what happened to you when I got captured in the first place?” Kagome said, feigning sweetness in her tone.

“Yeah… well…” InuYasha took the hint and went back to sheepishly studying some spot on the floor.
At this point Miroku had a question for the Elder. “Do you have anyone who can lead us into their territory? How will we find them?” The look on the Captain's face said that he didn’t know the way, and wouldn’t go within ten miles of the place if he did, having seen how many there actually were.

“Hmmmm… I’ll take you,” the Elder sighed. “I went there quite frequently in my youth. I was there with my Grandfather when he made the Treaty of the Trees with the Ancient One. It has been many years, but I know the paths well. It will be about three days march. Captain?” The Captain snapped to attention. “You’ll need to make preparations for more attacks. Keep trying to drive them back with the fire, and don’t harm any that you don’t absolutely have to. I’m leaving you in charge here.”

“Elder….?” The Captain was both moved by the trust being placed in him, and concerned for the old man’s safety. But he regained his composure and stood at attention once again. “Yes, sir!”

“You there…” The Elder signaled to one of the guards. “Prepare rations and equipment for six people on a six-day march. And get this lot anything else they require.” Although he had been little more than a spiritual counselor for many years, the old man was clearly excited about the prospect of leading a quest.

Miroku, Sango, Shippo and InuYasha all indicated that they didn’t need anything special, beyond a replenishment of food and water. They were used to traveling long distances on foot, and came into the village fairly well equipped. Only Kagome had any requests.

“I’ll need a bow and… some arrows… and… hah… AHH… HATCHoo! Man! *sniiiiiiffffff* …and a hanky or two!” She punctuated her request by wiping her nose on her sleeve for what seemed like the hundredth time.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Angry Spirits of the Forest - Part 8 (InuYasha)

PART EIGHT - An InuYasha fan-fiction. Setting and all non-original characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Illustrations by (Kawaii) Kitty Kuchiki (ne Nakamura)

SIT, BOY!

Kagome and Shippo awoke just as they cleared the edge of the forest. They were a few hundred meters from where the attackers emerged and as Shippo wiped the sleep from his eyes, Kagome sized up the situation. She could see the archers on the walls, and could smell the tar in the field. No big mystery as to what was being planned there. Seeing Miroku on the corner guard tower and InuYasha starting to charge the field, she figured out what they had in mind and knew they had no time lose.

“Quickly… get me to that guard tower!”

The lone tree sprit moved much faster than the attackers, who now numbered almost a hundred and advanced at a much slower more deliberate pace. When they were within shouting distance of the tower, she called out for Miroku.

“MIROKU! STAND DOWN! DON’T USE YOUR WIND TUNNEL! STAND DOWN!”

“Kagome?” Miroku was confused to see her and Shippo, especially as they were being carried by one of the beings they were about to attack, but he signaled his compliance. He hoped she knew what she was doing.

“ARCHERS! FIRE NOW! BEFORE THEY REACH THE TAR! QUICKLY! FIRE! FIRE!”

Seeing Miroku’s compliance with the girl that was shouting to them, the Captain conceded as well and gave the order to fire.

‘What are those idiots doing?!’ InuYasha thought to himself, not aware of what was happening back at the village. A wall of flame now stood between him and his enemy, cutting him off as the trees began to retreat into the wood.

“Oh no you don’t! TESSAIGA!” But just as InuYasha raised the sword that could kill a hundred demons in a single stroke, Kagome came into range behind him.

“SIT BOY!” And with that command, Kaede’s necklace came to life and brought InuYasha down face-first into the ground. He was now helpless to do anything but watch the tree-sprits flee into the safety of the wood.

TO BE CONTINUED

The Angry Spirits of the Forest - Part 7 (InuYasha)

PART SEVEN - An InuYasha fan-fiction. Setting and all non-original characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Illustrations by (Kawaii) Kitty Kuchiki (ne Nakamura)

I had them shaking in fear last time…

It took several hours for InuYasha, Miroku, Sango and Kirara to recover from the earlier battle but, after their respite, they joined the village guard in making preparations for the next attack. The field over which the two previous attacks had taken place was now lined with tar. Archers with flaming arrows were positioned along the northern wall. If the tree spirits tried to cross the field, they would be surrounded by the one thing they were weak against: fire.

While Sango and Kirara scouted the perimeter of the wood, InuYasha and Miroku met with the Guard Captain and the Village Elder with a strategy that would make the defensive plan even deadlier.

“Each attack was merely a hit-and-run. But the second wave was much larger than the first. I think they fled because they didn’t expect to encounter all of you,” the Village Elder counseled the warriors.

“And that’s the one flaw in these preparations,” Miroku observed, “Given the change they will flee before the fire does any damage. But we noticed something before - when I activated my Wind Tunnel: they took root and remained in place. If we waited until they were in the middle of the field to light the fires, I could activate the Wind Tunnel. They would either take root and be consumed in the flame, or try to flee and be sucked in.”

“I saw you on the field before,” started the Guard Captain. “Won’t that send flaming tar hurtling towards the village?”

“If I’m up on rampart, the tar on the ground shouldn’t be affected. And even if it is, whatever doesn’t end up getting stuck to the trees will get sucked into the void as well. I wouldn’t advocate any plan that would risk harming the village.”

“Yeah *sniff* and then I can jump in with Tessaiga and finish them off! I had them shaking in fear last time…”

But InuYasha was interrupted by the elder’s laughter. “Heh-heh… you thought they were shaking in fear? Foolish boy.” InuYasha bristled at that remark. “They weren’t raising their hands in surrender…heh-heh… they were attacking!”

“*sniff* Wha...? How…?”

“What happened when you tried to activate your demonic powers?” The Elder asked, seemingly amused.

InuYasha couldn’t even look the old man in the eye as he muttered his response. “I sneezed and the attack got all fouled up.”

“And do you think that happened by coincidence? By raising their limbs, they caught the wind in their leaves. This increased the amount of pollen released in the area, and that was what disabled your attack. You’ll need to take that into account if you plan to attack them again. *sigh* I just don’t know… I’m concerned that it has come to this… What will happen I wonder…?”

“Elder!” The Captain snapped. “We are prepared this time! With this trap and our new found allies we are sure to be victorious!” It was clear from their posture that InuYasha and Miroku concurred.

“*sniff* And then you gotta help us rescue Kagome!” InuYasha looked at the Captain, who nodded in reply.

“Hmmmm… The impetuousness of youth. I am sure that we can win the battle. It is not even impossible that we could destroy every tree spirit in the forest! But what would that accomplish?”

“We would be safe!” The Captain declared.

“Would we? And who would defend us against the demons from over the mountains without the sacred wood acting as a buffer zone? The Shinrinyahsa have been our shield against them for generations. Before the Treaty of the Trees we fought with the demons constantly. Plus… they manage and keep healthy the very timber that we make our living off of. They even maintain the river to prevent it from flooding. You take for granted all they have done for us… and are ignorant of how tenuous our livelihood will be without them. Victory on the field may be irrelevant in the long run.”

Miroku considered this in silence, but he saw no better options. InuYasha and the Captain were unmoved however and were about to launch a counter-argument when Sango burst in.

“They’re here! Ready the militia!”

TO BE CONTINUED

The Angry Spirits of the Forest - Part 6 (InuYasha)

PART SIX - An InuYasha fan-fiction. Setting and all non-original characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Illustrations by (Kawaii) Kitty Kuchiki (ne Nakamura)

That sound you make! Are you a DEMON?!

As the sun set, Kagome and Shippo were being taken towards the base of the mountain, held firmly but gently by a new captor. As he was only a single tree-spirit, the pollen was not as thick as it had been in the large group, but each ground-shaking stride shook more loose from the enormous tree. For several minutes, all that could be heard were the giant’s thunderous footsteps, followed by Kagome’s high-pitched sneezes.

*BOOM*

“Hashoo!”

*BOOM*

“Hahyaht… shoo!"

*BOOM*

“HAAAAshoo-oo!”

A soon as they were sure they’d have no hope of finding their way back, the behemoth stopped. He raised his quarry to eye level to examine them. He seemed larger than the others, and Kagome and Shippo were now uncomfortably high off the ground. Although his nose itched like mad, Shippo was too scared to sneeze. Kagome, on the other hand, was too busy sneezing to be scared.

Shippo finally broke the uncomfortable silence. “Um… m-mister shinrinyahsa? Uh… what do plan to do with us?”

“DOOOO? HMMMM…” It spoke slowly, with a gravelly voice deeper than any human’s, and more booming than any demon’s. “WELLLL…. NOTHING… IF WHAT YOU MEAN IS... WHAT DO I PLAN TO DO… TO YOU…”

“Phew. *sniff* So… your not on their side then?”

“HMMMMM… I’M NOT SURE WHOSE SIDE I AM ON… BECAUSE… I AM NOT SURE… WHO IS ON MY SIDE. BUT WE ARE PLEDGED TO KEEP THE HUMANS SAFE… SO SAFE IS WHERE I SHALL KEEP YOU.”

“Great! In that case… I… haah… HAAAAH… HAHHTCHOOO!”
With the sneeze, Shippo found himself quickly drawn close to the tree-spirit's suspicious eyes. “THAT SOUND YOU MAKE! ARE… YOU… A… DEMON?!” It eyes almost seemed to catch fire when he spoke that word.

“Please! *sniff* I am a demon but *sniff* I’m a friend of the forest! *sniff* And the humans! I used to live in a wood like this one! *sniff* and my friend here is human! Please don’t hurt me! *sniff* I just want to help!” The tiny Shippo was rightly terrified of the giant tree, holding him with an iron grip and a fiery gaze.

“HMMMMM… HA… HAAAH… HAAAAAHHHHHH!” The tree now seemed to smile a little. “YOU… ARE… A… FOX DEMON… NO? I ALWAYS LIKED FOX DEMONS… WHAT… WONDERFUL MISCHIEF THEY WOULD MAKE… I HAVEN’T SEEN A FOX DEMON IN SO LONG… I’D FORGOTTEN WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE!”

“Oh thank you! I was so frightened! But you really seem very nice!” Shippo was still held fast, but he was so high up that he was grateful for the strong support.

“BUT… WHAT OF YOU FRIEND? SHE’S… NOT LIKE ANY DEMON I’VE EVER SEEN…”

“She’s not! *sniff* She a human!” Shippo managed to free an arm, and wipes his nose on his sleeve.

“BUT… SHE MAKES THE SAME SOUND AS YOU…” He now drew Kagome closer, to examine her. Moving deeper into the leaves did not help her condition any. “ARE YOU ILL… LITTLE HUMAN?”

“No… Hah… HAAAHShoo! I’m *sniff* aller… aller… AAAH-shoo! Allergic… to… you! HAAAT-shoo!” But she got the feeling that the tree-spirit did not understand. “I’m *sniff* human but *sniff* I’m seem to be affected the same… as… the… deeAAHSHoo! demons. *sniff* Worse actually.” She rolled her eyes as she said that. “Hey… *sniff* if you guys are pledged to protect the humans, *sniff* then why’d you… ah… AAAHTChooo! …attack the village?”

“BOOO-RA-RUUUM! I HAD NO PART OF THAT! WE ARE A… PEACEFUL RACE! BUT… THAT… DEMON… CAME. WITH THAT… JEWEL!”

“*sniff* Did he…hah… hatSHOO! Did he were a cloak, *sniff* with a baboon’s head?”

The sprit’s eyes opened wide upon hearing this, and his already uncomfortably tight grip grew tighter still. “YESSS! YESSS! DO YOU… KNOW… THIS… DEMON?”

“Yes. And now I know we’re on the same side too! *sniff* We’re fighting that same demon! His name… is… NarAAACHOOO!”

“NARA-CHOO YOU SAY?”

Shippo couldn’t help but laugh. “No silly! She sneezed again! His name is NARAKU!”

The tree-spirit's eyes narrow in anger as he repeated the name. “NA… RA… KU!”

Kagome still had some questions. “But *sniff* even with the jewel… hang on… hah… HAAAHHTChoo! *sniff* why did the spirits attack? Was it over the sacred tree that was cut down?” As soon as she said it, she’d hoped that he actually knew about it! She couldn’t imagine how angry he’d be if that was enough to justify the attack. Fortunately he reacted as if he not only knew, but was ashamed at how the sprits reacted. His “trunk” almost seemed to slump (or wilt.)

“HOOOOOMMMM… YES… IT WAS A SHAME… BUT... LOSING ONE LIFE… DOES NOT MEAN… YOU TAKE ANOTHER! THE HUMAN’S SHOULD HAVE PLANTED… 100 NEW SAPLINGS TO ATONE… BUT… THEY WERE NEVER GIVEN… THE CHANCE!”

“*sniff* What happened?” Shippo looked as if he was a child hearing a bedtime story.

“THE… JEWEL… IT MADE THE ANCIENT ONE… ANGRY… IT FILLED HIM WITH… RAGE. HIS POLLEN SPREAD… AND MADE THE OTHERS… CONFUSED… AND SOON… THEY FELT AS ANGRY… AND VENGEFUL… AS THE ANCIENT ONE… BUT… THIS IS NOT OUR WAY…” The tree’s voice started to sound sad.

“But how did… oh man… hang on… hah… HAAAHTCHOO!” Kagome rubbed her nose vigorously with her index finger in an attempt to stave off more sneezing. “How did Naraku get so far into the forest? *sniff* Didn’t your pollen bother him too?”

“IF IT DID… I DO NOT KNOW… HE DIDN’T SHOW ANY SIGNS… OF DISTRESS. THAT’S WHY THE ANCIENT ONE… AGREED TO MEET WITH HIM.”

“So… *sniff* he was tricked?”

“YES… HE IS NO LONGER HIMSELF. HE NEVER WOULD HAVE APPROVED… OF ATTACKING… THE VILLAGE.” Although still more booming than any human or demon they’d come across, the tree-spirit’s voice began to grow quieter. His sadness now seemed mingled with shame. A drop of sap below one eye had the look of a tear. Shippo bent and hugged the limb that held him.

“It’s OK. You, me and Kagome will find a way to fix this.”
“Wait… *sniff* Will… *sniff* Will the other’s attack again?”

The sprint seemed to grow taller as it stood up strait once again. Its eyes took on a distant look. “THEY ARE… ALREADY ON THE MOVE…”

“*sniff* Then we… hah… HAT-choo! We must go… hah… b-back! Hat-SHOO!”

“WHY…? WE CANNOT STOP THEM… THE VILLAGERS… MUST WEATHER THIS ATTACK… AT LEAST UNTIL… WE CAN GET MORE… HELP…”

“No! *sniff* You don’t… *sniff* oh man!... ah-AH-tchoo! Understand! HATCHOO! InuYasha and the others will be ready for them this time! *sniff* InuYasha’s really strong and… HAHT-choo! His sword could destroy everyone in one strike if… he… gets… thechanceAAH-CHOO! Quickly! We’ve got to head them off at… the… vil-lage.. HAAAHtchoo! Hurry! Please!”

Although he did not fully understand, the spirit started moving quickly back toward the village. He cradled Kagome and Shippo and advised them to rest while they could as it would be about a hour’s march. Although she still sneezed with nearly every bounding step, Kagome did manage to get a little rest as they made their way back to the village.

The Angry Spirits of the Forest - Part 5 (InuYasha)

PART FIVE- An InuYasha fan-fiction. Setting and all non-original characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Illustrations by (Kawaii) Kitty Kuchiki (ne Nakamura)

I’m really sorry about this, Kagome.

Kagome would have been amazed how fast the tree-sprits moved through the forest. Despite their huge size and ponderous wooden bodies, they moved with impressive speed and grace without disturbing or damaging any of the surrounding flora. All of this, however, was lost on Kagome as she could barely open her eyes, or even breathe for all the sneezing. She was in the middle of a tramp of walking trees and the clouds of pollen that shook loose with every thunderous step filled her every breath. It bothered Shippo as well, but he was now so stuffed up that he’d stopped sneezing. He was getting very concerned about Kagome.

“*sniff* Kagome?”

“Haht-shoo!”
“*sniff* You OK?”
“HAAASH-shooo!”
“What’re *sniff* What’re we gonna do?”

“Haaah-SHOO! Ohhhhh!”

Shippo just patted her on the shoulders and tried to comfort her as best he was able. Since Kagome was out of commission, the clever little fox demon looked around and tried to formulate a plan. They were sitting in the high braches of one of the tree-spirits. Not much held them in place, but it would be a rather nasty fall. He figured they couldn’t climb down without being noticed, but if he could inflate his body just enough to slow their fall they might have a few seconds before they were noticed if they jumped. Once he sensed a break in Kagome’s sneezing he told her the plan.

“*sniff* What?!”
“We gotta jump Kagome! I’ll float us down!”

“*sniff* No way Shippo! *sniff* We’ll never make it!” The tree-spirits seemed oblivious to their conversation.

“It’s our only chance! *sniff* Come on!” Shippo grabbed both of Kagome’s hand and tried to jump down, but she resisted and they ended up balanced precariously on their high bough.
Come on Kagome! *sniff* Trust me!”

“No! *sniff* It’s too high!”

But as Shippo hung from Kagome’s hands he knew there was no other way, and he didn’t want to be taken all the way back to their lair. “I’m really sorry about this, Kagome.” Hanging upside down, he hooked his legs over her outstretched arms and wiggled his fluffy tail in front of her nose, shaking loose the pollen that had collected on it.

“N-no… Ship… Shippo… Nah… Nah… NaaAAAH-SHOO!” She lost her balance with the sneeze and they fell towards the ground. Half way down, Shippo finally managed the shape-change, inflating himself and slowing their fall just enough to avoid injury despite still having hard landing. 
At first they assumed they’d have to run for it, but the tree-sprits seemed unaware of the fact that they were free. The troop continued to move in the same direction without so much as a pause. Judging from their momentum, the strongest castle walls couldn’t have slowed their pace. All the two fugitives really had to do was get out of the way and avoid being trampled. They quickly scampered to the side of the path, and hid under a giant tree root. The sprits seemed to avoid trodding on such things. Unfortunately, at the ground level, the pollen cloud was at its thickest. It stung their eyes and set them sneezing almost continuously until the thunderous march finally passed. It took several more minutes before either of their noses calmed down, and when they finally emerged from their hiding place all was quiet and the air had cleared considerably.
“*sniff* Where are we Kagome?”

“I don’t know Shippo. *sniff* I can see the mountain through the trees over there, but we were moving so fast… *sniff* I’m not sure how far we are from the village.” After taking a few minutes to blow their noses and get their bearings, they started back up the wide path they had being taken down. At some point, they thought, it had to lead back to the village.

After walking for over an hour, it still looked like they were in the same place, relative to the mountain. Only the sun had moved, and it now hung very low in the sky. They didn’t like the idea of spending the night in this dense, living wood. They sat and took a break. At first both were too tired to speak, but Shippo was the first to notice the now familiar tickle creeping back into his nose.

“Ka…Kagome? I… hah… HAAAAH… HAAHTCHOOO!”
Before her own breath hitched Kagome leapt to her feet and instinctively reached for an arrow, but the quiver was empty; her arrows a casualty of the rough ride and the sneezing which doubled her over even while hanging from the high branches. They heard something that sound like wood being twisted before they were swept up effortlessly, and carried off of the path, deeper into the forest.
TO BE CONTINUED

The Angry Spirits of the Forest - Part 4 (InuYasha)

PART FOUR - An InuYasha fan-fiction
Setting and all non-original characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Illustrations by (Kawaii) Kitty Kuchiki (ne Nakamura)

IRON REAVER S-SOUL S-T-STEAAACHOOOO!

While Sango and Kirara went on patrol, InuYasha and Miroku helped the villagers bury what remained of their dead. There were almost three dozen loggers killed the day before, and they got a sense of not only what the village had lost but of what they might be up against themselves. Once they finished, Miroku had blessed the gravesites and the two of them went to join Sango on guard duty.

“Sango, have you heard anything?” Miroku asked.

“I’m not sure. There seems to be a lot of movement from within the forest, but every time I get close enough for a look it stops. Do you sense anything?”
“No. But the tree sprits are not really demons, so I wouldn’t be able to. If they were corrupted by the sacred jewel, Kagome should be able to sense it, but she’s still meeting with the village elder. InuYasha, can you smell anything?”
“HaraAAHTCHOO! *sniff* No. *sniff* I’m completely blocked up. I can’t even smell you.”

Miroku started to chuckle at InuYasha’s remark when all three of them were startled by what looked like several giant, anthropomorphic trees crashing through the perimeter of the wood. Each stood over twenty feet tall, and while they caused no damage to the tree line, their footsteps shook the ground and sounded as if the entire forest was being brought down on top of them. As the first wave began their charge, another dozen emerged behind them.
Sango was the first to act. “KIRARA!” she yelled and the nekomata moved to attack the lead tree-spirit. Sango threw her weapon, Hiraikotsu, just as Kirara was thrown off by her target. The giant boomerang severed two of the trees-sprit’s limbs before returning, but the tree spirit had several remaining and was not slowed. As she waited for the weapon to return to her, Sango was struck from behind by what felt like a giant club and fell unconscious. The Hiraikotsu sailed over her body and landed in the woods.

“SANGO!” Miroku yelled in horror as he loosened the binding on his right hand. “WIND TUNNEL!”

As the monk activated the black hole he carried as his curse, what looked like tons of debris flew towards him from the forest only to be swallowed up by the void. He was surprised however that only a single tree-spirit was sucked in. The rest stood perfectly still, appearing to resist its pull by taking root. Miroku cut off the power just as InuYasha jumped in its path to prevent Sango from being sucked in.

“Would you knock that off?! There’s only one way to handle these guys… TESSAIGA!” But as InuYasha drew his sword, he was stunned to see that blade did not transform, instead retaining the dull, rusty appearance it had when inert.

Three of the spirits now focused their attacks on InuYahsa. Rather than lung forward however, the seemed reach toward the sky and quiver. Taking this for vulnerability, InuYasha attempted another attack. He almost failed to notice the nearly maddening burn that flared up in his eyes and nose.

“IRON REAVER S-SOUL S-T-STEAAACHOOOO!” Rather than leaping forward and swiping with his claws, InuYasha stood doubled over by the force of the sneeze. Seeing that he was prone, one of the tree-sprits struck him with a stout limb. InuYasha flew through the air in a wide arc and landed at the foot of another spirit on the other side of the field. Before he could move, InuYasha was crushed under the sprit’s foot. Although not physically harmed, he was pinned as the behemoth took root in the ground, its tendrils tangling themselves around his limbs before tunneling deep into the earth.
Miroku raised his staff in defense. He looked around. Sango and InuYasha were down and Kirara was no longer in sight. He could not outrun the giants and his wind-tunnel proved ineffective. As the spirits closed in on him, he braced for the worst, knowing he was out of options. As he waited for what he assumed would be the final blow, he could hear Kagome and Shippo yelling to him. He looked over his shoulder to see the two changing towards the melee on the back of Kirara.

“NO! KAGOME! GO BACK!” *whack* Miroku was taken out with a single sweep of the tree-sprit’s limb. His unconscious body landed several meters from where he was struck. Two more moved quickly to attack the village’s remaining defenders. In a deftly coordinated move, one snatched Kagome, and Shippo (who was clinging to her shoulders), off of Kirara’s back while another swept its limbs across Kirara’s path, sending the giant demon-cat tumbling through the air, finally hitting the ground, unconscious.

“KAGOME! KAGOME! NO! LET GO OF ME! KAGOME!” InuYasha screamed as he struggled against his captor. As the three-sprits retreated into the woods, the one holding InuYasha began to tighten its grip, cutting off its prisoner’s breath. Once InuYasha fell still, it released him and followed its brethren into the dense forest.


TO BE CONTINUED

The Angry Spirits of the Forest - Part 3 (InuYasha)

PART THREE - An InuYasha fan-fiction
Setting and all non-original characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Illustrations by (Kawaii) Kitty Kuchiki (ne Nakamura)

Traveler? *sniff* What d-did... hat-SHOO! Excuse me. *sniff* What did he look like?

After a satisfying meal, Miroku, Sango and InuYasha helped the villagers bury their dead, before going on guard duty with Kirara. While they strengthened diplomatic ties in the village, Shippo and Kagome were left to converse with the village elder.

“*sniff* So… you were attacked by tree-demons?” Kagome started.
“Heh-heh… Not demons my dear: Spirits. Guardian spirits of the forest. We have lived alongside the Shinrinyahsa for generations. They protect us from the demon tribes to the north by using their pollen to make the woods almost unbearable for them… and if any demon does make it too far into the woods, the tree-spirits are ferocious fighters. In return, we only log the portions of the forest that they deem are ready for harvest. We leave any areas and trees alone that they want preserved.”
“But … hah … HAT-shoo! Excuse me… But why did they attack you?”
“We still don’t know for sure. We have a treaty with them, spelling out our agreement that they will protect us in exchange for us respecting their boundaries. But there was a sacred tree that was accidentally felled recently. Some of the men misread the tree’s marking and thought it was designated for timber.”
Shippo was very interested in the story and jumped into the conversation. “*sniff* Oh boy! No wonder they were angry! Those sacred trees are the homes of other spirits, aren’t they?”
“Oh yes. There live the kodama - spirits who spread health and green growth throughout the forest. The Shinrinyasha rely on them to support their own efforts. When a sacred tree is destroyed, those spirits living within it are lost as well. Their loss saddens the greater spirits, and also has a diminishing effect on the surrounding woods.”
“Wow *sniff* its no wonder they attacked you!”
“But that’s just it, little fox-demon! Our treaty acknowledges that mistakes will be made. The penalty for destroying a sacred tree is to raise one hundred new saplings to maturity. There is no provision for them to attack us.”
“Then why… oh god… HAH-shoo! Excuse me… *sniff* Why do you think they attacked? What made them change?”
“The spirits have been restless for several days now. Ever since that traveler came through. He’s the reason the other villagers were so suspicious of you.”
“Traveler? *sniff* What d-did... hat-SHOO! Excuse me. *sniff* What did he look like?”
“I never really saw him, young lady. He wore a great white cloak. Its cowl was fashioned from a baboon’s head and obscured most of his face.”
Kagome and Shippo looked at each other in shock. “NARAKU!”

TO BE CONTINUED

The Angry Spirits of the Forest - Part 2 (InuYasha)

PART TWO - An InuYasha fan-fiction
Setting and all non-original characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Illustrations by (Kawaii) Kitty Kuchiki (ne Nakamura)

Got any other bright ideas?

“YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”
“What?”
“YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”
The friends were met at the gate of the village by a contingent of guardsman brandishing spears. None of them actually wanted to fight the villagers, but after so much walking, and so much listening to Kagome sneezing every few seconds, InuYasha was short on patience.
“Whadaya mean?! We’ve been walking for days! Why… I… oughta… haaahAAAHTCHOO!” His hand had been moving closer to Tessaiga’s hilt, but the sneeze pulled it away while he covered up. Kagome stepped forward, put a hand on InuYahsa’s shoulder to calm him and tried to allay the villager’s fears.
“We don’t want to fight. *sniff* We’re just looking for a place to *sniff* sleep and to replenish our supplies in… the… m-morn… ing… HASHOO! HASHOO! haAHTSHoo! Oh man!”
“SHE’S A DEMON TOO! NONE SHALL PASS!”
“I’m not a… a… aAHTChoo! Demon! Do I *sniff* look like a… de… mon… HAT-shoo!” She had been resisting the urge to rub her nose, but was now overcome.

The one appearing to be the captain of this rag-tag troop stepped forward. The others fell silent as he spoke. “You smell that fragrant dust in the air? The tree-spirits release that to keep the demons out of the sacred wood. It drives them crazy! Just like your friends there! It don’t bother humans. So what’s your story?”

“I don’t… Ha-ha…AAAAshoo! know… AHTCH-oo! I… ah… I… ah-hah-*long inhale*-HATCHOO!”

The guards all started yelling again. “SICKNESS! ILLNESS! THE PLAGUE! UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN! NONE SHALL PASS!” Now convinced Kagome was bearing some dreaded illness, even the Captain could not restore order to his men. They were starting to thrust their spears more aggressively.
“*sniff* Got any other bright ideas, Kagome?” Inuyasha muttered derisively, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

Miroku stepped forward, trying to ply his trade in exchange for entry to the village. “I sense a dark presence surrounding this place!” he began boldly. “If you let…”

But he was cut of by the cackle of hysterical laughter coming from behind the guards. “HahahahHAAAAH! Oh sonny! Hahaha! Don’t even try that one here! I used to run that scam all the time when I was a young traveling monk! AAAHhahahaHAAA!” An ancient looking man, scarcely four feet tall made his way through the guards, who made way for him deferentially.

“Village elder?” Several of the guards gasped. “But… But they’re demons! And she has the plague!”

“Out of my way, you superstitious fools! We’ve just lost one battle, you shouldn’t be so eager to start another!” The feisty old man scolded. He gave each of the travelers an appraising look. “Hmmmm… three demons traveling with a priestess, and monk and demon slayer? I don’t think we’ll have to worry about them. Come in friends. You may stay at the temple. You’ll have to work a bit, but you’ll find plenty of food and rest as well.”

TO BE CONTINUED

The Angry Spirits of the Forest - Part 1 (InuYasha)

PART ONE
An InuYasha fan-fiction
Setting and all non-original characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Illustrations by (Kawaii) Kitty Kuchiki (ne Nakamura)

Whatever that wind is blowing, it’s bothering my… nose… t-too… hat-SHOO!

The six weary travelers had been tracking the Sacred Jewel Shard for days. Kagome, the young girl with the ability to detect the Sacred Shards, had only the faintest impression of where it was. She could detect its general direction, but despite three days of pursuit her sense of the shard’s precise location grew no stronger. The shard was still on the move.

Luckily, InuYasha was able to supplement Kagome sixth sense for the jewel with his own demonically enhanced sense of smell. He could track their quarry, but its smell was either unfamiliar to him, or had been magically altered in an attempt to throw them off. Between the two of them, however, they would not lose the trail.
Finally, after so many days pursuit, the signal Kagome was picking up started to grow in strength. It was still a few days march away – but it was no longer on the move and they were gaining on it. The six weary travelers tried to pick up their pace, but the wind was against them.

As the reached the top of the grassy hill they spied a village is the distance, beyond which lay an immense forest at the foot of a great chain of mountains. Ironically, as Kagome’s ability to sense jewel increased, it seemed InuYasha’s ability to pick up their quarry’s scent was weakening. The young monk, Miroku, was the first to notice this.
“InuYasha, what’s wrong? Has the trail gone cold?”
“Nah. It’s this damn wind! It’s blowing something down from the mountains that bugging… my… n-n-nose… HAAATCHOO! *sniff* Ugh… I’m also picking up the scent of human blood. *sniff* I think that village was attacked recently. *sniff*”
As the two men leading the party conversed, the demon hunter, Sango, noticed that Kagome seemed bothered by something as well. Without wanting to attract attention, she quietly approached her friend. “Kagome? Are you ok?”
Kagome was rubbing her nose with her index finger. “Yeah,” she whispered, “but *sniff* whatever that wind is blowing, it’s *sniff* bothering my… nose… t-too… hat-SHOO! Hah… HaAAHSHOO! HATChoo *sniff* Ohhhh…”

Although their voices were low, Kagome’s sneezes attracted InuYasha’s attention. “Don’t tell me you’re getting sick now!” He yelled at her.
“I’m not s-sick, I… HAT-SHOO! *sniff* something’s j-just m-making me snee… ah… sneeze! aaaAAHHTCHOO! Besides, *sniff* you sound as bad as I do!”

“That’s 'cause I have a heightened sense of smell!” InuYasha reacted defensively, rubbing his nose, as if warding off another sneeze himself.
Miroku put his hand to his chin, pensively. “I wonder… Shippo, how are you feeling?”
The diminutive fox-demon was riding on the back of Kirara. “Well… *sniff* now that you mention it… *sniff*… my nose is all itchy too! Aaah… HAAAAH… HAHHTCHOOO!” The force of the little demon’s sneeze sent him somersaulting backwards, off of Kirara.
“What about you Kirara?”
While Kirara couldn’t talk, she made several pawing gestures which indicated that her nose was bothered as well. She made a sound like a sneeze, but Miroku couldn’t tell if it was that, of if she was just trying to clear her nose.
“What are you thinking?” Sango asked him.
“I’m wondering if that forest up ahead is inhabited by the Shinrinyasha.”

“*sniff* Shin… rin… wha?” Kagome asked in a stuffy sounding voice.
“The Shinrinyahsa are forest spirits. They take the form of giant moving trees. They look almost like a giant person that was carved from a tree, or turned into one - braches and all. I’ve never seen one, but the legends say that their pollen is a natural irritant to demons and anything… unnatural. It could explain why InuYasha, Shippo and Kirara seemed bother by the wind blowing form that direction.”

“*sniff* Then why… hang on… hat-SHOO! *sniff* Why am I sneezing then?” In the back of her mind, Kagome thought she might be allergic to something. Although she never got allergies at home, she had some friends that did. Was this what they felt like? She now felt horrible about every time she ever told one of them that “all they needed was a little fresh air.” ‘This was awful!’ she thought. ‘A week of this would drive me crazy!’ She almost hoped that she was just getting a little sick, not being sure what she could do about allergies back in this time period.
“I don’t know,” Miroku answered. “I’ve never heard of a human being affected.”

The group trekked on. The three demons were only sniffling, but Kagome seemed to sneeze every few seconds. Not patient by nature and already irritated by his own condition, InuYasha’s temper eventually got the better of him.
“Ashoo! … Hahshoo! … HAT-shoo! … HAAAHshoo!”
“ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP DOING THAT?!” InuYasha bellowed at Kagome.

“Thanks for the sympathy you big… jah…jah… JASHOO! JERK! *sniff* I can’t help it! *sniff*… hat-SHOO! *sniff* I wish I could!”

“Yeah, InuYasha! Stop being so me… aaahh… me… AAAAHHH… meAAHHHTCHOO!... mean.” Shippo finished his statement from the ground, his sneeze having knocked him off of Kirara again.

“Besides *sniff*,” Kagome continued her verbal counterattack, “It’s not like *sniff* you’re doing… much… bet… ter… AAAHHshoo!”

“I’m doing just fine.” InuYasha boasted. Kagome eyed him suspiciously. “Yeah. N-no p-problems here… ah…. *sniff*.” Kagome narrowed her eyes, not believing a word of it. “Y-you w-won’t hear… me… snee… ah… snee… AAAAHHHTCHOO!”

“HAH!” Kagome yelled, pointing at him, before she was racked by another sneeze of her own.

Miroku and Sango just shook there heads as Kagome and InuYahsa went on like this almost the entire way to the village while Shippo and Kirara suffered in relative silence.
TO BE CONTINUED

Perfumed Scent of a Woman (I My Me Strawberry Eggs)

An I My Me Strawberry Eggs fanficSetting and all non-original characters property of TNK & Ryoji Akiyma


This double life was killing Hibiki Amawa. He had originally agreed to taken the job, disguised as a woman, because he needed the rent money - his landlord was holding his dog, Kura-ge, as collateral and threatened to eat him if Hibiki didn’t pay up – and to prove to that battle-axe of a principal that a man could be every bit as caring and nurturing a teacher as a woman could be. It seemed like a good idea at the time and, in his anger and desperation, he plunged right into it without really thinking it through. Now he was in way too deep, and couldn’t get out if he’d wanted to; at least not without losing his job and probably getting arrested. He never truly understood what “living a lie” meant until now. The worst part was, he couldn’t talk to anyone about it – he couldn’t vent about it, or laugh about it, or share stories that some would undoubtedly find amusing, or impressive. The only one who knew was his landlord, Ruru Sanjo – the one who’d him gotten into all this. And anyway, “Oba-chan” would just tell him to “suck it up” or some such thing. He was completely alone, and that took its toll mentally.

Physically he was in no great shape either. To get ready for work as a woman required him to wake up almost two hours earlier than he was accustomed to and, since he’d started out a month behind on rent, he had almost none of his salary left for food. So, starving and exhausted, here he was making a late night ramen-noodle run, dragging his feet through the convenience store. There was only one other person in the store at this hour. As he turned the corner from one aisle to the other, he found himself face to face with Reiko Mukogawa, the Vice-Principal from his school and his direct supervisor. She was a hard-nosed employer that rode Hibiki mercilessly and yet he had no choice but to play along, being as nice and respectful as possible.

“Oh! Vice-Pri…” He cut himself off, realizing she wouldn't recognize him. He was not in disguise at the moment.

“Do I know you?” Mukogawa asked, in an annoyed tone.

“Oh… No! Sorry…you…uh… looked like someone I know! A-ahahahaha!”

“Are they a vice principal too?” she followed up, suspiciously.

“Uh… yeah… hahaha!” So she caught that. This was awkward.

“Must have had quite an evening, huh?”

“Huh?” Hibiki turned and caught his reflection in a nearby pair of sunglasses. Apparently he hadn’t managed to remove all of the lipstick from earlier. ‘Well, at least she didn’t recognize me,’ he thought to himself in relief. As Mukogawa brushed past him, he noticed that she was wearing rather a lot of perfume and it was different from what she typically wore to school. The unfamiliar fragrance tickled his sinuses. He unconsciously rubbed his nose and continued shopping.

To his dismay, he found himself in line behind the heavily perfumed Vice-Principal. His mind raced as he tried to make sure that he wouldn’t say or do anything that might seem strangely familiar to her. He tried to avoid eye contact without seeming too suspicious, and tried to ignore the flowery fume pouring off of the woman. Based on how much she put on, she apparently really liked this particular scent. He was not too fond of it himself and the more he smelled it, the more it tickled his nose. After a moment he was overwhelmed.

“Hah… Hah-AAHHHTCHooo! HAAAHTCHooo,” and a few shallow breaths later, “HAAAHTCHooo! *sniff*.” He felt better but took a step back anyway.

“Bless you. Allergy season?” Mukogawa asked disinterestedly.

“N-no. *sniff* P-Perfume… I… think… hah… aah-AAHHHTCHooo!”

“That’s strange. This stuff doesn’t bother anyone, even my sister, who’s usually bothered by everything. Well… I’m off anyway.” She took her change and left, without looking back. Hibiki paid for his food and returned home.

--------------------

Although it was late, the landlord was still up and joined him for dinner. He was grateful, since she had cooked up some rice and brewed tea. She didn’t want any ramen, but offered to share the rice. As they ate he told her about the run-in he’d had with the Vice-Principal.

“Hmmmm….” Oba-chan rubbed her wrinkled chin, deep in thought. “I wonder… I’d be careful if I were you.”

“Oh, don’t worry. She had no idea…”

“It’s not that, you fool!” Oba-chan barked grumpily. “You know that collar I gave you - the one that disguises your voice? Well… I don’t know how well it would do with a sneeze. You said she already suspects you. If she hears the same sneeze again, she might suspect even more…”

“I hadn’t thought about that.”

“Of course you didn’t! Or you would have been more careful!”

“I think you worry too much Oba-chan.”

“Well… You young people don’t worry nearly enough. And stop calling me Oba-chan!”

--------------------

The next day in school, in his guise as the feminine ‘Amawa-sensei,’ Hibiki barely escaped having an early run in with Vice-Principal Mukogawa. They passed each other in the hall and the same scent as the night before washed over Hibiki like the tide. Immediately his sinuses were on fire, he could swear his eyes crossed just trying to keep the impending sneezes in. He really did not want to deal with the Vice Principal first thing in the morning, if he could help it. Once she was a little farther down the hall, he ducked into the ladies room, and let it go.

“hah-aaaatchoo! haaahtchoo! *shallow breaths* HAAATChooo!” He was surprised that the sneeze sounded both foreign and familiar at the same time. It was his same three-sneeze pattern, with the three syllable first, followed by a pair of two syllable sneezes, separated by a pause while he caught his breath. But it was higher pitched, and definitely sounded more like a woman’s sneeze. He wasn’t sure if it would sound familiar to the Vice Principal or not, but the more he thought about it, it probably didn’t matter. What did she say? Nobody gets bothered by this stuff? Not even people who are bothered by everything else? Great – he now had one more thing to worry about. As if that wasn’t enough, he heard the sound of a toilet flush in one of the stalls behind him. Which bathroom was he in anyway? Had he gone into the men’s by mistake? He looked around frantically for urinals and was relieved when he didn’t see any. He hardly thought this was much better though.

“Bless you sensei!” called Fuko Kuzuha as she exited the stall. Fuko was one of the students in his class. She had been a really shy girl when he first arrived, but had started come out of her shell a bit since Hibiki started teaching. Of course standing here in the bathroom with her didn’t strike Hibiki as something that would fall under the “nurturing teacher-student relationship” category. This was just so wrong.

“Uh… Thanks, Kuzuha!”

“Are you coming down with a cold?”

“I think it might be allergies. Hey – you better run along to class. Go on now.”

“Kay. Bye, Sensei!”

--------------------

Several class periods went by and it was time for lunch. As Hibiki made his way back the office, he was distressed at running into Vice Principal Mukogawa again.

“Amawa-sensei… Hello!” She seemed in a better mood than usual. But that perfume… Had she put on even more of it?

“Heh-Hello, V-Vice P-Principal!” He tried to sound cheery, but his voice came out wavy and uncertain sounding. At least the collar was still working. His nose was screaming in agony though, and it was all he could do to keep from having a fit.

“Are you OK Amawa-sensei?” The question dripped with fake sounding concern. Mukogawa almost looked like she was studying Hibiki, or testing him.

“Y-yeah *sniff* I’m fah… fine…” Take it easy now, he thought. Slow breaths… don’t give in…

“Greeeaaaat!”

Man, that woman had an evil grin, Hibiki thought.

“Hey, I’ve got something here for you! It’s a present of sorts. I’ve been giving one to all the teachers! Here you go!” Hibiki was horrified when Mukogawa produced a small vial of perfume. He though he would die as she raised it to his neck. “Here, try some! Let me know what you think…” Her voice was thick with fake sounding over-enthusiasm. Not once in the entire time he’d worked here had the Vice-Principal said two nice words to Hibiki. She was about to push the button on top of the vial.

“Aahhh… *sniff* V-Very… n-nice.. *sniff*” Hibiki braced himself. His eyes were watering. Would his mascara run? His nose was already on fire. Don’t sneeze… Don’t sneeze… don’t give in… you can do it….

Just as Mukogawa was about to administer the dreaded spray, one of Hibiki’s students came running from around the corner. It was Kyosuke Aoki, a male student with average grades and an enormous crush on the cross-dressing teacher whom he believed to be a woman.

“Hibiki-chan! I heard from Kuzuha that you weren’t feeling well! Please accept these! I hope you’ll feel better!” Hibiki couldn’t believe his luck – Kyosuke was presenting him with a bouquet of wildflowers! He let his control go.

“hah… ahh… hah-aaaatchoo! Oh… Aoki-san…haaahtchoo! I’m aller… aller… haaatchoo! I’m allergic to…” He didn’t have to fake the sneeze, just the protest. He was off the hook now.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING AOKI-SAN?! Get rid of those immediately!” the Vice Principal screamed at him.

Aoki apologized and then walked away, apparently really embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, Amawa-sensei.” Mukogawa mumble as she stomped off apparently really disappointed.

Curiously, she did not give Hibiki the bottle that was meant to be his ‘gift.’ It struck him as odd, but then he never figured the Vice-Principal was really giving him a gift anyway. In a way he was grateful not to have to deal with the stuff.

--------------------

Thankfully, Hibiki didn’t see the Vice Principal for the rest of the day. After the last belled sounded, he packed up his things and left the office. He had almost gotten out of the building when he saw Mukogawa’s silhouette in the doorway. She was blocking the exit.

“Amawa-sensei!” She had the same fake sounding sing-song tone as before.

“V-Vice *sniff* Principal!” Did this woman realize how much perfume she had on? It went well beyond the boundary of good taste and was now approaching ‘brothel-girl’ levels. If he’d lit a match, he was sure she’d combust.

“I never got a chance to give you this! Let me know what you think!” Wasting no time, Mukogawa sprayed him. She looked like she was aiming for his neck, but half of it hit his chin and upper lip. He would have felt better snorting wasabi.

“*snnxrt*!” That was attractive sounding, Hibiki thought of his half snort as his respiratory system nearly gagged on the noxious fume. “Oh… m-my *sniff* th-that’s *sniff* love… *sniff* …ly. I… r-really *sniff* gotta… *sniff* go now!” But Mukogawa was still blocking the door, studying Hibiki intently.

“Are you OK, Amawa-sensei?”

“J-just… *sniff* f-fine. N-no pro… *sniff* problem… here!” What was he doing? He couldn’t believe he was fooling anyone. His nose was running, his voice was sniffly, he could barely speak. He sounded like nothing other that a person trying desperately to hold back a sneeze. “Th-that’s *sniff* r-really n-nice! *sniff* Wh-Where d-did *sniff* you g-g-get it?”

Mukogawa looked at him a moment longer, then the faux smile disappeared from her face. Whatever she was hoping for, apparently she didn’t see it. “At the store. Here.” She said in a disappointed tone. She shoved the bottle into Hibiki’s hands and stomped off again.

Hardly able to believe his luck, Hibiki walked quickly out the door. He still struggled to hold back his impending sneezing fit until he was farther away. He walked as quick as he could, without breaking into a run. Once he’d reached the gates, he sidestepped, putting the outer wall between himself and the school and let it go.

“Hah-aaaahcthoo! Hatchoo! *shallow breaths* Haaahtchoo!”

“Are you ok, sensei?”

He looked up into Kuzuha’s concerned eyes and shook his head, not even able to talk though the sneezes.

“Hatchoo! Hatchoo! Haaaaaahtchooo!”

“I saw what the Vice Principal did. That was really mean. You should tell someone about…”

“N-No… Ahh…Hah…aaaahcthoo! No Kuzuha… Hatchoo! *sniff* I want you *sniff* I want you to promise me something.”

“Anything sensei!”

“P-Promise me *sniff* that you won’t… hang on… Haaaht-choo! Promise me you won’t tell anyone about this! *sniff* Hat-choo!”

“But, why Sensei? I mean…”

“Haaaaaahtchoo! *sniff* Promise me, Kuzuha!”

“OK. I promise. Will you get in trouble or something?”

“Yeah *sniff* something like that. *sniff* Haaaaaahtchooo! Oh man! *sniff* I really need to go wash this off! *sniff* Just promise me - *sniff* NO ONE.”

“I promise, I promise! Not even the other students!”

“Thanks Ku… zu… ha-haaaahtchoo! I’ve gotta go!”

--------------------

Oba-chan watched over him as he washed up, still sneezing occasionally.

“So the collar worked, huh? That’s a relief.”

“But Oba-chan, I can’t keep this up! I was able to hold out today, and got a few lucky breaks, but…”

“Oh don’t be such a worry-wort!”

‘Who was the worry-wort this morning?’ he thought to himself.

“I gotcha through that physical exam, didn’t I? I’m watchin’ out for ya!” Oba-chan cackled, sounding almost strangely maternal. “Here, take this…” she held up a small bottle that looked like nasal spray. “It’ll give you a few minutes of protection from even the worst exposure. I’m sure in a few more days that little witch will probably forget all about it.”

“Gee Oba-chan, Thanks!” He reached for it, but she held it back.

“I told you not to call me Oba-chan! Besides… we still have to test it.” An evil looking grin spread across her weathered face as she brought her other hand out. It was holding a vial of the dreaded perfume.

“N-No... w-wait Oba-chan… N-no… Hah-aaaahcthoo! Hatchoo! *shallow breaths* Haaahtchoo!”

(Fade out – cue music)

Hellsing Drabble

Hellsing Drabble
Setting and all non-original characters are property Kouta Hirano






"Sir Integra? It's time to wake up." Shortly after the mellow voice of her butler, Walter, floated into her consciousness, Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing was thrust into a state of full wakefulness as the curtains were drawn and intense sunlight flooded into her room. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sudden, blinding light.

"Walter, what time is it?" she asked in a weary tone.

"7:00 Ma'am. Later than usual, so I took the liberty of poking my head in the door. I hope you don't mind."

"No. Thank you. I would have overslept." She sat of the edge of the bed with a look that, from Walter's point of view, suggested she was concentrating on some tiny spot on the floor.

"I laid out your suit in the dressing room, so if you don't need anything else, I'll…"

"HAAAHHHShoo-oo!" Integra bent over, almost parallel the floor. Her golden white hair was thrown over her head and now hung in hear face. Both hands were pressed firmly against her nose. She remained in that position for a moment, reminiscent of someone who might be trying to staunch a wound. "Ooooh! *sniff*."

"Bless you, ma'am. Are you…"

"I'm fine, Walter. Give me a few minutes, I'll join you presently."

She felt a little better after a quick shower and, once prepared for the day ahead, nothing about her immaculate appearance betrayed the symptoms she was feeling aside from the slightest tinge of pink around the edges of her nose.

"Can't be helped." She sighed, putting on a pair of white gloves. Finally she put on her glasses. The pads applied pressure to her irritated nose in the worst possible place, and she had no time to remove them before another harsh sneeze overtook her.

"HAAAAAHHHTCH! *sniff* Ohhhhh…" She hated this. Her sneeze had a sound of near desperation, in complete contrast with her normally unflappable demeanor. It bothered her to no end that while she had the will to keep a 300 year old vampire and one of the most powerful beings on earth in check, there were times when she could not control her own respiration. 'Maybe the gloves are a bad idea today,' she thought, leaving them behind opting for the handkerchief instead.

She met Walter in the hallway and he briefed her on the day's agenda as they made their way to her office. Thankfully the schedule was light, and she would be able to address the backlog of paperwork that accumulated after their last case. As they descended the spiral staircase down to the administration level, she stopped him, putting a hand on his chest and turn slightly away. Even so, Walter could see the look of intense concentration as her eyes narrowed. He could see her nostrils flare as she took a long, sharp breath.

"HAAAHYEEEESHHoo!" Again she bent over, holding her thumb firmly against her nose, is if to prevent another from coming. Her hair which had been perfect to a strand again hung haphazardly over her face. After half a minute in that position, she rose and gently pushed her fair locks back behind her shoulder.

"If you're not feeling well today ma'am, perhaps you should…"

"Walter, we go through this every year." Integra interrupted him in a frustrated tone. "*sniff* You know perfectly well there's not a bloody thing wrong with me aside… from…" the last word raised a level in pitch as she tried to keep from taking that sharp inhale, but there was no preventing it. "HAAAAAAHYEEEEEShoo!" The wet, desperate sound echoed through the corridor. She was breathing from her mouth in slow, heavy breaths, her nose pressed in the crook of her hand between her thumb and forefinger. She remained bent over a moment longer, eyes closed, trying to will away any future occurrences. "…aside from all the pollen from that blasted weed." She finished, picking up where she'd left off. "In a week or so this will pass, as it always does, and no amount of rest will hasten that!"

"Still, I could make a trip to the phar…"

"Forget it, Walter. *sniff* You know the only thing that helps would put me out for the day and I have far too much work to do. The only effect of anything else would be to dull my wits down to the level of all the men I'm surrounded by." Walter did not take her barb personally - he knew full well that she had nothing but respect for all members of the Hellsing organization – but he did take the hint that she was in no mood to discuss it further. He went on with the briefing until they reached the door to her office. With her hand on the door knob she began to ask him a final question, but her voice was ovewhelmed by her hitching breath.

"Haaaah… HAAAYEEETshoo! Damn!" She swore under her breath, still bent over, one hand remaining on the door knob, while the other pinched her irritated nose. She had hoped to have taken her leave of Walter before using the handkerchief, but it couldn't be put off any longer. "Excuse me, Walter." She turned and blew, making as little noise as her wet, runny nose would allow.

"Sir Integra, really, if you do not feel…"

"WALTER! IF YOU SAY ONE MORE WORD ON THE MATTER I'M GOING TO CUT YOUR HEAD OFF, SCOOP OUT THE INSIDES AND SEND IT TO YOUR MOTHER AS A VASE! *sniff*." Her icy expression communicated utter finality.

"Of course ma'am."

She opened the door, but froze in the doorway as she turned. In the middle of her desk was a stout crystal vase filled with a bouquet of small purple blooms. He eyes started to tear up just looking at it. "What the hell are those?" she asked in a clearly annoyed tone.

"Well… Ah… I believe that they are…"

"*sniff* I know what they bloody well are! *sniff* What the devil are they doing on my desk?!"

"Ah… let's see…" The butler pushed past her and examined the offending package. "There's a note... apparently they're from Alucard… 'Hope you're feeling bet…'"

"Remove them immediately." She interrupted him firmly. She held her breath for a moment as Walter brought them through the doorway. As she sat down she swore she could still detect the slightest hint of their scent, lingering. She blew her nose again, the handkerchief now soaked through. "Damn." She swore again, quietly.

"*sniff* That wasn't very bloody funny you know!" She said aloud, certain she was not talking to herself.

"I thought women enjoyed getting flow…"

She turned to cut him off, but was cut off herself by a sharp intake of breath "HEEEEYAAAAATchoo!" Every muscle in her body felt fatigued as they tensed, bending her over. Her breathing got noticeably heavier and, breathing through her mouth, she sounded winded. Her clear blue eyes, now red with irritation, each shed a single tear. She rubbed her itchy nose vigorously with her finger before sitting up again.

Alucard emerged from the shadows and stood staring at his human master. As far as he knew, this woman sitting before him may as well have been made of iron. Her will was at least as strong as his, and she ruled both him and the Hellsing organization with discipline and unwavering control. He had more respect for her than he thought he could possess for any human, and yet some small, petty part of him still harbored the slightest bitterness at his position. Some small part of him was subtly amused by seeing this otherwise indomitable woman grapple with something so maddeningly just beyond her control.

"I'll never figure out why you put up with it."

Choosing not to stand on protocol on Alucard's behalf, she blew her nose again into the small, already saturated handkerchief. She looked up, through stray strands of misplaced hair, with piercing blue eyes now rimmed with redness. "*sniff* Why are you here?"

He just and continued to stare. The smallest grin graced his countenance.

"*sniff* Isn't there a werewolf somewhere that needs kill.. ing…?" She had not been able to finish before her voice lost its authority. Her breath hitched again, and she inhaled sharply. "HAAAHYEEETchoo." Her hair obscured her face again. Her nose had grown quite red, and her eyes almost hurt to open. As annoying as her condition was, she was infinitely more annoyed by Alucard's smug, satisfied grin.

"Can't afford to show any weakness, can you?" He taunted, as if reading her mind.

"If you're enjoying this so much, why not just drink some of my blood. Maybe then you'll have the same reaction. *sniff*"

"The offer is always open for you to drink some of mine. Then you would never feel like this again."

The gaze she fixed on him made him feel exposed, as if she were shining a light into the very depths of his dark soul. She was the only human who could do that. He had known thousands of them over hundreds of years of un-life and, for all his experiences, he could still not read that expression. He still could not read what she was thinking; what her eyes were telling him. Then he saw those same steely blue eyes start to slowly narrow. He knew what this look meant. He waited, grinning, for her to succumb to the incontrollable intake of breath.

"HEEEEYAAAATCHshoo."

"Bless you." He said smiling, as he sunk back into the shadows from whence he came.

"*sniff* Ugh. This is going to be a long week." Integra said to herself, still bent over and holding her nose firmly against the back of her hand.

Ah! We Really Screwed Up! (Ah! My Goddess!)

An Ah! My Goddess! fanfic
Setting and all non-original characters are property of Kosuke Fujishima
Part 2 of 3: This is a continuation of Ah! I'm Going to Sneeze!



"I'm sorry you didn't have such a good time tonight…" Yuichi started.

"No! I should apologize! I'm the one who ruined everything!" Sora interrupted, sounding almost on the verge of tears.

Yuichi laughed for almost a minute strait. "Are you kidding? I had a great time! Actually I…" He stopped abruptly, still smiling, but whatever else he was going to say he kept to himself. He looked directly into her eyes. His gaze was intense. Sora had never seen anyone look at her like that before. He put his hand to her cheek.

"What…" but she couldn't finish her question. He leaned forward and their lips met. Her eyes closed and, as if on auto-pilot, her hands found their way to his back. For a moment she could feel nothing else in the entire world except for the warmth that was filling up inside of her. Then she became aware of something else. Her eyes shot open.

"Wait…" she whispered.

"Why?" He asked.

"I have… to… snee… HAAAAT-SHOOO! (*squeak*)"

--------------------

Sora opened her eyes. Her face was cradled in Yuichi's gentle hand. Her hands, which she had intended to cover up with, were pressed against the outside of his. The realization of what she'd done horrified her - 'I. just. Sneezed. Into. His. Hand.' The thought made her wish she could vanish into thin air on the spot. She waited and braced herself for his disgust… his rejection. In a few seconds she knew she would start to cry. But that disgust never came.

Yuichi gently raised her face up, so she was looking into his kind and loving eyes. She was lost for a moment in those eyes. They grew bigger, as he leaned forward and their lips met again. Inside her it felt like that sad, frightened girl was now only a distant memory. She was filled body and soul by a warmth that felt as foreign to her as confidence. Her hand found its way to the back of his head. She had no idea how. She was holding him so tightly she was almost afraid she'd crush him. Then she held him even tighter as she fumbled for the doorknob with her other hand.

Of course the door was locked and they had to stop kissing so the she could fish the key out of her purse and unlock the door. Neither said a word, each looking at the other with shy smiles and nervous laughter. She took him by the hand and led him inside.

Once they were inside, her nervousness returned. She felt so good just seconds ago, what had happened? She didn't know what to say, or how to get back to where they just were; where she so much wanted to return to. She turned to say something… What? She didn't know. Offer him a cup of coffee, maybe? Did she even have any? It didn't matter. As she turned, he was right there and she was in his arms. He kissed her again, and the nervousness vanished. In her entire life she had never felt this happy. She had never felt this loved.

Somehow she found herself sitting on the sofa. Their lips pressed against one another. She could feel his hands, one on the back of her head, the other on her side. She could feel its warmth against her ribcage. Her heart was pounding. His hand moved ever so slightly. His thumb and index finger pressed against her, just beneath one of her small breasts. Voices of insecurity tried to speak, but only in whispers now. She wasn't even aware of where her hands were. She wanted him to touch her. She wanted him to take her. But she was brought back to awkward reality as a now familiar tickle crept into her nose.

"Wait…" She whispered. He was still kissing her.

"huh…?" He stopped, looking into her eyes through the glasses that magnified them.

"Hafta… sn… eeze… hup-*chew*!" She hated that high-pitched squeak. But when she looked back he was smiling, almost laughing, so she did the same. "I'm sorry. Must still be some cat hair or something from the party."

"It's OK," he whispered back. "You look so cute that way. I… I think you're really beautiful."

She could feel her face getting flushed. "You must say th-that a… lot… th-then… hup-*chew*!" She had turned away in time and when she faced him again, he dabbed the sides of her nose with a tissue.

"Now, now," he continued in a whisper. "I don't say that a lot and I do mean it. I don't know what you think about yourself, but I think you are beautiful."

"Even wh-when… hang on…" her eyes narrowed and she turned to the side again taking in a long sharp breath. "hup-*chew*! Even when I can't stop sneezing, and my nose is running like a faucet? Thanks, by the way." She nodded at the tissue in his hand.

"Especially when…" He cut himself off in mid sentence and remained silent for a moment longer. "Hasegawa… I really want to tell you something, but I don't know how you'll take it."

"*sniff* What is it?" She whispered, concerned that he was about to tell her something dreadful. Did he already have a girlfriend? Was he just not interested in her that way? The whispers of insecurity were screaming now. She sat up, and looked at him intently.

"I… ah… Oh boy, this is awkward." Cleary something was really bothering him.

Sora was as much surprised that she could even make such a great guy feel awkward as she was nervous about what he was about to tell her. She felt cold. She could no longer feel any trace of the warmth that had filled her just moments ago. She braced herself for the worst, leaned forward and whispered "You can tell me. It's OK."

He took a deep breath. "When I said 'especially' just now… Well… you see, I really meant that. When I said you were beautiful I really meant that and… when I said you were cute when you sneezed… well… I meant that too. In particular… I really like the way you look, and sound… when you… sneeze."

She sat bolt upright and stared at him, clearly confused. "Wait… What are you talking about? What do you mean? Like you have some kind of a sneezing fetish or something?" She wasn't sure where this voice was coming from. Was she angry? She wasn't sure. Didn't she really like him? Didn't he make her happy? Does what he just said really change anything?

"Well… yeah." He wasn't looking at her anymore.

She didn't feel so good now. Her old voice was back, filled with rejection and disappointment. If she had been flying before, she was clearly on the ground now. "So… that's the reason you came home with me? That's really why you're here, isn't it?" She sounded ashamed.

"No! No, that's not it at all! I really like you, I…" But he could tell she didn't believe him.

She wanted to believe him, but how could she? She didn't believe in herself. She had been bothered by a single thought all night, the only imperfection aside from these mysterious allergies that kept bothering her: Why? Why did he pick me? How could he like someone like me? How could he possibly find someone like me attractive? And now she thought she had her answer. It wasn't her at all; just her sneezing. "I think you should go now." She said in a sad whisper, fighting back the inevitable tears.

Now his heart raced. He wasn't sure how she would take it, but he hadn't expected it to go nearly this badly. "Hasegawa… I…" But he really had no idea what to say.

"Just *sniff* go." She could feel the tickle creeping up her nose again, and was determined not to sneeze in front of him again - ever, if she could manage it. In her long, pathetic life, she had never felt this humiliated.

"OK… I'm going… I'm… I'm so sorry." He walked out, with his head hung low.

Sora felt like crying, but the tears wouldn't come. She had just thrown the only guy that ever liked her out of her apartment. But, she thought, he didn't like her. Not really. She'd tried to remember if she'd been sneezing when they first met. She must have been, she thought. That's the only reason he asked me to go to that party. She walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water before going to bed. She'd forgotten about the roses on the table.

"hup-*chew*! AAAAAAAH!" She was furious now. At him. At herself. She threw the roses in the trash, sunk to the floor beside the trash can and the tears finally came. She sobbed openly for a long while. She couldn't even remember getting into bed.

--------------------

Sora woke up the next day feeling completely miserable. Her eyes were puffy from crying the night before and her nose had still not stopped running. Her clock-radio turned on at eight O'clock and she only heard the newsman say "…POLLEN COUNT…" before her hand hitting the snooze button.

"*sniiiiifff* Ugh. I don't even want to know." It was Saturday and, while she didn't have any classes, the auto club was still meeting. There was a big race coming up and they needed to draw up a work schedule for what they had left to do on the car. She got dressed and dragged her feet to the door. As soon as she'd opened it, she knew she'd forgotten something.

"hup-*chew*! *sniiiiiif* Ugh. Tissues. Need tissues."

She sneezed several times waiting for the bus. She looked a wreck and was vaguely aware of the other people trying not to get too close to her. The bus ride was uneventful, but the walk across campus was too much. She'd sneezed so many times that the single pocket pack of tissues was almost gone by the time she reached the club room. Thankfully, the air conditioning was working. She sat and put her head down on the table.

"Hey, Hasegawa," A deep booming voice called from above her. "You look terrible!"

Well at least some men can be honest, she thought. She looked up into Tamiya's hulking silhouette. "*sniiiif* ugh. I have bad allergies today."

"Oh. I thought you were sick or something. It looks like Asakawa-san's sick anyway – he didn't show! You heard from him?"

Thank god for small favors, she thought. "I have… hang on… haaaahp-*chew*! …no idea where he is."

"Well… if you want to, you should go get some rest. You look like you really need it."

So the big lug did care, she thought to herself. Of course she was only being noticed for looking particularly awful this morning, but at least he noticed. "Yeah, I might." On the way out the door, she bumped into Megumi, her friend Keichi's younger sister.

"Hasegawa – you look…"

"Terrible, I know. I… hang on… hup-*chew*! I'm having bad allergies today."

"Wow. You must have it really bad! Do you need any more tissues? I have a spare pack in my purse."

"*sniiif* Thanks, Megumi. Hey… can I… talk to you for a minute… in private?" She'd never confided in Megumi before, but if she was anything like Keichi, Sora knew she'd understand. Plus, being a girl, she would be easier to talk to about something like this.

Sora told her everything that had happened, leaving out the bit about Yuichi's fetish. As angry as she was, she didn't think it would be right to share what he obviously considered a secret. She just said he told her something that made her feel a bit used, but refused to tell Megumi anymore.

"Wow." Megumi sat quiet for a moment while she absorbed what had happened. "Well… first off you two really need to talk. Guys can say dumb things sometimes (just look at Keichi) and you may have just taken it wrong. Besides – he did say you were pretty, didn't he?"

"No – beautiful." She answered, sarcastically. "So… I mean, come on… how…"

"Hasegawa," Megumi took her hand up in both of her own. "You are a cute girl. You…" But she could see Sora wasn't with her.

"*sniff* Do I looked attractive to you at all right now?"

"OK. No. Not right now. Right now you look a wreck!" Megumi laughed a little, and Hasegawa cracked a smiled, before blowing her nose. "You know what? You might be surprised to learn this, but guys don't all go for the same thing, you know! Those guys that are always hanging off of Sayoko? Or the ones chasing the new freshman girl? What's her name… Asako? Would you even want any of them? I mean they obviously have no taste!" Now Hasegawa was laughing a little, feeling glad that she decided to open up to Megumi. "Look at me? Do you think I'm ugly? Well all those guys aren't chasing me around either, but do I care? No way. I know there's a guy or two out there who can't take his eyes off me, and Sora – there's a few out there for you too. You really are cute. Just not in the same was as all those girls you think are so hot are! Talk it out with him. I bet this is just a misunderstanding. The way you said he looked at you at the club meeting yesterday... there was something there. If you weren't so down on yourself all the time you'd have realized that." Seeing that Sora was still down on herself, Megumi had one other idea. "All right, I'll tell you what… If you don't want to take my advice, why don't you talk to Belldandy? I won't be offended. And you know she's not going to lie to you. But if she says the same thing I did, promise me you'll take our advice."

Sora blew her nose again and though itchy eyes looked back at Megumi's encouraging smile. "Thanks Megumi. OK. I don't know what I'd say… But maybe I will try to talk it out with him. I don't know. Maybe talking to Belldandy first would still be a good idea… But, thanks. You really we're a big help"

Just clean yourself up a little and take a pill before you go talk to him, Megumi thought to herself, waving to Sora as she left.

--------------------

Sora made the trip over to the temple where Keichi and Belldandy lived in relative misery. The bus was running behind, and waiting at the bus stop she was helpless to suppress her sneezing or do anything about her runny nose. By the time the bus came she was glad for the extra pack of tissues Megumi gave her. Her's were all gone and the air conditioning on the bus was broken, so all the windows were open. About the only saving grace, Sora thought to herself, was that, as much as she was sneezing and sniffling, no one wanted to sit near her so she had most of the bench to herself. The closest bus stop was only two blocks from the temple, but for Sora it was a long trek anyway. She never noticed how much landscaping the residents and businesses in this part of town had done, but her nose was painfully aware it as every fragrant hedge she passed seemed to set her off in force. At last she reached the temple, and knocked on the door. She was met by Keichi.

"Hasegawa, you look terrible!"

It was the third time she'd been told that that day, but she barely noticed. She said that to herself almost every day, so why should today be any different? "Kei! How come you're not down at the club house?"

"Uh… yeah… my bike's acting up today, so I'm running behind. I'd take the bus but at this point I'm pretty sure I'd miss the meeting anyway. But hey! Please, come on in! Sit down. Can I get you some tea, or something? Maybe… some… tissues?"

"That would be great, thanks. Listen, I'm sorry to come over out of the blue like this but… hang on…hup-*CHEW*! Oooh… My nose! Anyway, is Belldandy around? I really need to talk to her."

"Sure, I'll get her… Are you… OK?"

"N-no…" She started, but her breath suddenly stopped cooperating. "hup-*CHEW*! *sniff* No, not really. I talked to Megumi earlier, and she thought Belldandy might be able to give me some advice." Sora tried wait for Keichi to leave before blowing her nose but, of course, he poked his head in to ask how she wanted her tea just as she was in mid-blow. "Just plain, please."

Belldandy came in shortly, bringing a couple of cups of tea with her. "Oh Hasegawa, you poor thing! Is there anything I can do for you?"

At least she didn't feel the need to comment on my horrid appearance, Sora thought. She told Belldandy what had happened the night before, again stopping short of revealing Asakawa's secret, just as she had with Megumi. She had hoped that Belldandy would know exactly what to tell her, but instead she just looked Confused.

"Well… I'm not really sure what to say. It sounded like you were having such a wonderful time, until whatever it was that he said to you. But, if it was something really awful… Are you sure you can't tell me?"

"It wasn't awful. Not really. I just couldn't figure out why he was interested in me, and then… well… what he said kind of explained it and… I felt like he didn't really like me at all… hang on… excuse me… hup-*CHEW*!"

"I still can't imagine what he could have told you…" Belldandy fell silent for a moment, then continued. "Hasegawa, do you really want me to help you?"

"*sniff* Yes, but…"

"Well, I won't make you tell me something you shouldn't, but… would you close your eyes?"

"*sniff* OK."

Belldandy gazed deeply into Sora's thoughts, replaying the memories of the night before. When Sora felt happy, it filled Belldandy with happiness but soon she heard what it was that Yuichi told her and Sora's own sadness filled her with a cold empty feeling like none she had ever experienced. Making this feeling worse was Belldandy's realization of what she had done to contribute to the situation. She held Sora firmly by the arms and stared directly into her eyes.

"Hasegawa… When did you start getting these allergies? Do you remember?" her tone suggested that this was a point of utmost importance.

"*sniff* Right… *sniff* right after I met you and Kei for lunch, why?"

Belldandy embraced her. Hasegawa felt the slightest bit awkward about this, but Belldandy sounded like she was on the verge of tears, so she hugged her back. "Oh Hasegawa, I am so sorry!" Sora had no idea why her story had such an effect of Belldandy.

"Hasegawa, can you stay for dinner?"

"Uh… Well, no… not… *sniff* not really, I…"

"OK, then!" Belldandy stood up quickly and brought Sora to her feet as well. "In that case I want you to go strait home. Right away! Get some rest, and I promise I will sort this out! Everything will be fine, just go… home… right away. OK?" Belldandy was practically pushing her down the hallway, and seemed desperate that Sora leave immediately. Before she knew it, Sora was standing on the front step, the temple doors closed behind her.

'That was weird.' She thought, just as another sneeze overtook her. She blew her nose and started to make her way home.

--------------------

"Mister Keichi! Mister Keichi!" Belldandy sounded frantic.

"What is it Belldandy?"

"Oh, Mister Keichi! I think I've done something really horrible!"

"Come on Belldandy. You couldn't have done anything that bad… Uh… did you just throw Hasegawa out of the house?"

"Keichi, I think I'm the one who's made Hasegawa so sick! And that's why her heart is breaking!"

"Whoa, whoa… Just… slow down a second. Who's breaking what now? Why don't you start form the beginning?"

But Belldandy already knew that he wouldn't understand unless she revealed to him what Yuichi and Sora both wanted kept secret. "Mister Keichi… can you keep a secret?"

"Sure Bell…"

"I mean really keep it. If you tell anyone you won't just be betraying me, but you will make Hasegawa look like a liar as well. You have to promise me… you have to give me your word you won't ever tell another soul!"

"Uh… OK. I promise."

Belldandy told Keichi the entire story, and while he was a bit surprised when she got to the part about Yuichi's admission, he still didn't seem to understand Belldandy's part. "Don't you remember what I said when we met Hasegawa for lunch? The incantation?"

"Well… you said you wanted Hasegawa to have traits that Asakawa… would… find…" Realization hit Keichi like a brick. "Wow. Ha-ha. Yeah, I guess things did go little wrong there…" He had been afraid of something going awry at the time, but when nothing immediately happened, he let it slip from his mind. "Wait… Did Hasegawa tell you all that?" He was now eyeing her a bit suspiciously.

"I'm so sorry Mister Keichi. No. She didn't. In order to try and help I looked into her thoughts."

"Aaaaah. That explains a lot…"

"She really thinks that the only reason he wanted to go out with her was because he was enjoying her sneezing so much! But, even as hurt as she was, she really likes him! And I don't know how he feels about her! I mean… I could reverse the spell in no time at all but…"

"But you're not sure how that might change things."

"Yes."

"And you don't want to make things worse for her. To leave her wondering if it would have mattered, before they even have a chance to work things out for themselves."

"Oh Mister Keichi, you understand perfectly!"

"Oh boy. I don't really know what to do either. You're sure that Hasegawa really likes him?"

"Oh, yes. That's why it hurt her so much. She didn't know why he was interested in her, and so she grabbed on to the first explanation that made sense to her. Oh, poor Hasegawa."

"And poor Asakawa, if he really likes her. I think I'll try and have a talk with him.

"Oh no, but you mustn't! You can't say anything about…" Belldandy trusted Keichi, but feared that this path was far too risky.

"Don't worry, Belldandy. I won't say anything about… you know. I just want to find out how he really feels. Who knows? Maybe he'll tell me about it himself."

"OK. Just please be careful what you say. He'll think it was Hasegawa who told…"

"Don't worry. I'll be careful."

--------------------

With a little help from Skuld, Keichi got his motorcycle running again, and went to the auto club room to find Asakawa. He was surprised to run into him on the edge of campus instead.

"Asakawa-san?" Keichi called out.

"Morisato-senpai? How are you? Sorry about skipping the club meeting… I didn't know if I should go… I thought it might upset…"

"Hasegawa? Yeah, I know. She came by our place earlier. I didn't get a chance to talk to her, but she was really torn up about something."

"It's all my fault." Yuichi said in a subdued voice with his head hung low. "Everything was going great, and I said something I guess I shouldn't have and screwed everything up."

"Well… what did you tell her?" Keichi didn't really think it would be that easy.

"Uh… ha-ha. I'd rather not say, but let's just say it gave her the totally wrong idea about why I asked her to go out with me."

"Well… if you don't mind me asking… why did you ask her?"

"You too, huh? I know she's really down on herself, and that she's not really popular with the guys, but I can't for the life of me understand why. From the moment I first caught a glimpse of her I was crazy about her. And every word of every conversation we had last night reinforced that feeling. She's so smart, and so interesting, and so… deep. I don't know… I guess that sounds pretty silly. But she's this amazing girl and it's like she just has no idea. I guess that's why she took what I said so badly. She just couldn't understand what I really saw in her. But I… I really care about her."

Keichi looked at the man in front of him and saw a lot of himself, as he was a few years ago, before he met Belldandy. "Look, I can't really tell you how this will all turn out, but if you really like her, you need to tell her. Go to her. Be patient, but don't just let her go. If she wants to reject you that's her business, but it should be for the right reasons and not some misunderstanding. Just go to her."

"Really? I don't know… she was pretty upset…"

"But how else can you make things right? Staying away will only reinforce what she's feeling now. She'll accept that she was rejected, and keep believing that she's no good; that nobody could ever like her."

"You've got a point…"

"So go! Apologize… or whatever. Bring her some flow…" They both started laughing at the same time. "OK… maybe not. But if you really care about her, she needs to know it!"

"Thanks Senpai! I'll give it another try!" With that he was off and Keichi raced back to the temple to tell Belldandy to lift the spell.

--------------------

Evening was falling when Yuichi finally knocked on Sora's door. He heard the knob rattle, but a second after the light in the peep-hole went dark he heard the low thump of what sounded like someone putting their head against the door. "Go away." came the quiet voice from the other side.

"No Hasegawa-senpai. I'm not going anywhere. I want you to know that whatever you think happened last night, I never lied to you. I never misled you. From the first moment we met I was crazy about you. Maybe I just let my head get away from me last night, I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't have told you that when I did. But I can't let you go on thinking that that was the reason I asked you out. I… I care about you too much to let you think that. You're a great girl, Hasegawa-senpai. You're cute, and intelligent and interesting... You like cars as much as I do (not many girls you can say that about!) But don't you see? There are a thousand things I like about you! I don't know why you are so hard on yourself, and I'm sure I don't see the same thing as you when I look at you… When I look at you all I see is this painfully cute girl that gets me all tongue-tied and nervous. I don't care… if you want me to go away I will. I'll even quit the club if that will make you happy. I just… need you to know… how I feel."

She cracked the door open. "But why? How? There's nothing special about me. If I hadn't sneezed around you the first time we met, how do I know you still would have…" He started laughing. "Hey! What's so funny now?! I thought you were coming here to apologize or something!"

"Ha-ha. I'm sorry Hasegawa… Ha… it's just that you didn't sneeze the first time we met. Don't you remember? You didn't… until I asked you out, after lunch, in the afternoon. I remember because… well I remember that being the first time I saw you… you know… But we met in the morning? Remember?"

Suddenly Sore felt as if she'd been splashed with cold water. She opened the door the rest of the way. "Oh my God… You're right! Oh my God! Asakawa-san, I'm so sorry! Oh man! Now I'm the one who messed everything up! I'm so stu…"

"Hey… hey… It's OK." He reached up and brushed a tear off of her cheek with his thumb. He could not believe how beautiful she was. "You… uh… seem to be feeling better, by the way."

Now it was Sora's turn to laugh a little. "Yeah. Ha-ha. Well… whatever came over me yesterday seems to have left as mysteriously as it came. So yeah… all… all cleared up now. Do you… still want… to…"

"Hasegawa, I told you before that had nothing to do with it! Of course I still want to go out with you!" He wanted to kiss her but stopped short as he was struck by an unfamiliar glint in her eye.

Sora had no idea where her confidence was coming from and was positive the sly voice she was hearing her couldn't be her own. "You know…I might be feeling better but… if you wanted to… we could still… maybe… experiment a little…?" Asakawa saw that she was rolling a small vial of white powder between her fingers. He didn't recognize it at first, but was hit with a wave of profound embarrassment once it registered what she was holding.

"Where… uh… where did you get that?" He asked, smiling nervously.

"Oh… I found it between the cushions of the couch. I assume it fell out of your jacket pocket last night. Is this… what I… think it is?"

"Ha-ha… yeah… uh… it is, but… well… you see… uh… someone gave me that a long time ago…. I mean I didn't even know I still… please don't think…."

"Shhhhhhh…." She put her index finger on his mouth as took him by the hand and slowly led him inside, eager to pick up where they'd left off the night before.



TO BE CONCLUDED: Part Three - Ah! I Finally Understand! COMING SOON!