A/N: This is definitely one of those situations where I should be focusing on the other two WIP's I have going for this fandom, but this idea has been in my head for over a year now, and if something sticks with you for that long, it's a surefire sign to write it and post it.
This is an AU divergence fic, and takes place after the Mountain Hakurei shenanigans, but before the Mirsan proposal. Expect lots of Mirsan, some InuKag, and all the other characters we know and love. Thanks for taking the time to read, and I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, I'm sure that's a given. And in the name of full transparency, this fic is based around a prompt that was put forth for Mirosanta 2015, so I technically don't have any rights over the main premise of this story either. (I did get permission to turn it into a long fic though, I promise.)
prologue
"Hiraikotsu!" Sango bellowed, senses taking over in the thick of battle, whipping her giant weapon over her head and sending it whizzing through the air where it struck the giant caterpillar demon at the neck, evenly severing head from body. The head fell to the ground with a large thump that shook the ground.
"Nice work, Sango!" Miroku called to her, and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips, but she would not allow herself to be distracted. Sometimes, when slaughtering a demon was too easy, it became suspiciously easy. Living in the warring era was certainly not an easy task, but, seeing as she had been trained to fight for humanity from childhood; it was something she was used to.
InuYasha landed down beside her in a crouch, and Kagome hopped off his back, smiling at Sango. "I think that was the quickest I've ever seen your hiraikotsu move, you still continue to improve, Sango!"
Sango flushed modestly at the praise, waving it off with one hand. "Don't let down your guards just yet, there may still be an encore, and I don't want anyone getting hurt."
InuYasha scratched behind his ear, wrinkling his nose as he took in the scents around them. "Feh, it's dead alright. Let's go back to the village and tell them that we caught their phantom demon." He crouched down again so that Kagome could hop back up onto his back, and she shot another smile at Sango before doing so.
"You're more than welcome to hop onto my back anytime you desire, Lady Sango", Miroku grinned mischievously, moving closer to Sango so that she took a step back, and she scowled at him, thankful her cheeks were already pink from Kagome's compliments and the exertion it had taken to take the demon down.
That damned Monk. Just when she thought he was behaving himself and she let her guard down, he had to try to make her squirm. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate his attentions, she just didn't consider them genuine, not when he gave the same attentions to every other woman they came across.
Over the months of traveling together, he had become so much more than just her traveling companion.
As much as she tried to squash such thoughts, in the very back and dark recesses of her mind, she could not help but feel stung, and even rejected. She had tried so hard to stop it, but she was falling in love with him. He was not the type of man she expected to end up with, if she chose to take a husband at all, and she knew his feelings towards her were only that of camaraderie, of close friendship. He saw her as a skilled fighting partner, someone whom he could trust in battle. However, he was a perceptive man, possibly even better at reading her emotions than she was herself – she knew he could not be blind to the way she felt about him. And yet, he still managed to ask other women to bear his children everywhere they went. It was humiliating to have her feelings constantly thrown in her face in such a way, so she swallowed them down.
She would not allow herself such thoughts of happiness and marriage, she would not allow the luxury of thinking of Miroku as anything but a traveling companion and demon slaying partner. Not with her clan dead, her brother the puppet of a cruel villain and the issue of the Shikon jewel shards so up in the air.
There was no happy ending for her.
Sango had come to terms with that long ago. But if there was hope for anyone else to have even the smallest glimmer of happiness, she would die fighting to make that happen.
"I'm just worried that was too easy. The demon barely put up a fight."
Miroku regarded her for a moment; his eyes scanning over her in such a way that she knew he was aware there was more than she was letting on. But he let it go, as he always did, and moved his penetrative gaze to the demon carcass. Moving over to it swiftly, he pulled out two ofudas, and put one on the body, and one of the severed head.
"That should keep it at bay, should it choose to reanimate itself."
Sango nodded, and between the ofudas and InuYasha not sensing enough danger to move past his indifference, she slung her giant weapon over her back, and nodded to Miroku.
"We should head back to the village too. I imagine InuYasha will be anxious to hit the road."
A smile tugged at the corner of Miroku's lips. "I'm sure he will be, but I imagine Lady Kagome will be able to persuade him to impose one more night on the village headmen's hospitality."
That was probably true, sleeping out in the woods did not bother InuYasha, and truthfully it did not bother Sango, she was rather resigned to it, but it was always a comfort to have a space indoors every so often.
The pair walked back to the village in comfortable silence, the kind of silence that neither of them felt as though they needed to fill with meaningless chatter.
It certainly felt pressing, even smothering – as smothering as being buried alive – the desire to collect the Shikon jewel shards before Naraku could, but it felt as though they were nowhere near to having all the answers, or collecting all the shards.
But if they could take out as many demons as they could, and save as many people as possible along the way, even if they died in the process, Sango was okay with it. It felt like she had purpose, and she knew that when she no longer had such a purpose, that would be the day when reality truly sunk in, and succeeded in smothering her.
If she survived, and her brother didn't, she would never be able to pull herself out of the darkness.
Miroku sat outside the village headman's house; legs crossed over one another, staff in one hand, and surveyed the villagers as they went about their days.
There was a bustle of activity, the residents are chattering away excitedly as they went about their daily toils, excited that the strange group of outsiders was able to cleanse their village of the demon that had been haunting them.
Even Kagome and Sango were helping, Kagome insisted that they make themselves a little useful if they were going to seek refuge there for the night. InuYasha was following her around like an angry goose, complaining about how they already slayed the demon and they shouldn't be expected to do anything more.
He only fell silent after Kagome pointed out that Sango had slain the demon, and she still chose to help.
Miroku was impatient, though he would never show it outwardly. He had this nagging feeling that the sooner they got back on the road, the better. But after watching InuYasha get rebuked, he decided to keep his thoughts to himself.
Although …
His eyes wandered to a young and pretty village girl. She had nothing on Sango, of course, who was more beautiful in Miroku's eyes than the sun, but he was a man whose days were numbered, and Sango deserved the world and more. She deserved much more than a lecherous monk who was close to his deathbed could have given her. He wasn't sure when his feelings towards her turned more romantic in their nature, but they were feelings he continuously chose to not acknowledge.
It was clear that Sango returned his feelings, and that worried him.
He couldn't think of any other way to turn her away than to keep up his debauchery and hope that she realized that he wasn't worth her affection.
Besides, they were on a more important mission. Perhaps, should they both survive this, and should Miroku's curse be lifted, then they could consider something more than friendship. But for now, happiness seemed quite out of his grasp.
So, he would settle for simple pleasures and the instant gratification that came with them.
Like flirting with pretty girls.
"My, I have never in my life laid my eyes upon such a beautiful woman", Miroku stood up, stepping towards the pretty village girl.
The sound of someone dropping logs on one another startled him from behind, and he turned around to see not only Sango, but Kagome and InuYasha. Sango looked heartbroken, Kagome looked distraught, and InuYasha looked annoyed.
Shaking her head, and muttering something that Miroku assumed was insulting under her breath, Sango took off and started running in the opposite direction.
Kagome shot him a look that bordered on pity, but also could have been disgust, and ran off after her.
"Hey! Sango, wait!"
Even InuYasha took the time to give a disgusted grunt in Miroku's direction, to which the irony was not lost on Miroku. He did not feel as if InuYasha were in any position to be lecturing anyone in the area of tact, but he let it slide.
"You idiot, now it's going to take even longer to round the girls up and get out of this stinkin' town."
Miles away and in the deep recesses of the forest, a beautiful young woman with long flowing dark hair, ruby red lips, and the darkest of black eyes leaned up against a tree with an arrogant ease, despite the forests being dangerous, particularly for women. Demons and bandits alike ran rampant through the forests, yet she had a cool indifference to her, as if none of it affected her in the slightest.
To the untrained eye, she looked completely human, but she was, in fact, a fire demon, with extremely capable shape shifting powers.
Be wary of the demons that resemble humans the most, for those are often the strongest.
It would be very unlucky for any demon or bandit to run into such a demon, though she merely smirked when she felt the presence of another.
"You're late", the words rolled crisply off her tongue, and another human-looking demon moved into sight.
"Maika", the man had equally long and flowing black hair, though when he smiled at her, his eyes glowed red. He bowed his head in what could only be described as a mocking gesture, and Maika made no movement away from her tree.
"So, this is the infamous Naraku. Not exactly what I had expected, I'll admit. Why did you call on me?"
Naraku smirked, "I want to make a deal. I've heard stories of your power and strength. I think we both have something we could offer the other. A mutually beneficial relationship, if you will."
Maika folded her arms across her chest and moved away from her tree, stepping into Naraku's space, eyeing him. "And how do you propose to benefit me?"
Pulling a shard of the Shikon jewel from inside his robes, Naraku held the shining jewel up in front of Maika's nose. "You lend me your power, and this Shikon jewel shard will be yours."
Maika trilled angrily, "You insult me, Naraku. You really believe that I'll do your dirty work for a mere fragment of the Shikon jewel?"
"What if I were to say the dirty work was taking out the filthy half-demon whom I'm sure you've heard of."
Maika perked a brow, fractionally more intrigued. Death and destruction was what she lived for, she needn't be bribed in order to murder in cold blood. "I'm listening."
"InuYasha. "
Of course she had heard of him – who hadn't. The half dog-demon who traveled around with a lesser fire demon, a fox demon, and three humans, and who caused more trouble for demons than any demon slayer tribe had been able to do for centuries.
She would be an honored hero if she were to eliminate that motley crew.
"Fine. But I get the Shikon shard now."
"That can be arranged. But may I warn you – there is no hurry. Do not make haste, if you will, you will surely die."
Maika rolled her eyes, as if a mere half-demon would be able to kill her. "Dually noted. Anything else?"
"The slayer. Bring her to me, but make sure to keep her alive."
With that, Naraku handed the fire-demon the glowing jewel fragment, and as she smirked, her eyes danced between fire orange and liquid red.
"My pleasure."