I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters in InuYasha. Rated M for later chapters.
It is not true
Pairing: Sesshomaru x Miroku
He never thought he'd see her like this. Never once in the whole time he's known her. Sango was… she.. was… Naraku had killed her. Sango was strong. And she was fearless and she was kind and sweet. And He… He loved her. Here she was dead in his arms. He knows she's dead. Her empty brown eyes just looking… but never focusing on anything or even himself, though he was right in front of her. But that didn't stop him from screaming at her. Screaming at her to wake up. To breathe. To… something as long as she showed him she was alive and not as dead as she looked. Miroku didn't even know he was crying until one of his hot tears fell on Sango. He looked up with his clouded vision that he could hardly see out of to look for the man who was responsible for using her own brother to finally kill her. He could vaguely hear him laughing but he couldn't find the source.
Kagome sat by the monk's side crying for her dead friend. Inuyasha stood defeated beside Miroku, he had shown up too late to save anyone. The Tetsaiga was useless in Inuyasha's hands right now. Kohaku stood like a stone with his back toward the group a few feet in front of them. Suddenly he turned around and Mirkou watched as realization came flooding back into his eyes, a long with the tears he would have shed for his family's death. He killed his family and now he killed his sister. The memories he never wanted were all coming back tenfold. "Sango…" he said though sobs. "What have I done…?" He fell to his knees. Miroku watched in horror as he took his weapon and stabbed himself in the back. He was trying to dig out the Jewel shard!
"Kohaku, no!" Miroku yelled out slightly amazed that he could still use his voice. He knew Sango would not want him to die even though he killed her. She loved him. But… did that matter anymore? Sango was gone. She was never coming back. Miroku hesitated for a minute. Inuyasha was the one who sheathed his sword and ran to the boy. He knocked him out before he could finish what he was doing.
"I'm sorry, Miroku. If… if I had just shown up a bit sooner… if that damned sun had just risen a head of time.." It was obvious Inuyasha was feeling guilt. Miroku wasn't in his right mind enough to console the half-breed. To tell him, no it couldn't possibly be his fault. Sango left on her own. She thought she could save Kohaku. Sango didn't tell anyone where she was going. But it wasn't Sango's fault. It wasn't even Naraku's fault. It was Miroku's. He wasn't there to save her. He was busy sleeping. He was busy guarding Inuyasha on his one weak night. By the time he noticed Sango was gone it was almost too late. The sun had just risen and Miroku and Kagome showed up just in time for the sword to go through their friend. And Miroku… never… he never got to tell her he loved her.
"I never confessed." He managed to say. His throat hurt from all the screaming. "I never told her how much she meant to me… and I was just… a perverted monk to her." He pulled her lifeless body into a hug. He could feel her blood seep though his robes. Kagome said something followed by something Inuyasha said. Miroku wasn't listening. He had things he had to do for Sango now. "Inuyasha. Can you take care of Kohaku for the time being? I've… got to take care of Sango."
Inuyasha turned to look at him. Miroku knew he understood what he was going to do. "Okay. Come to Kaede's village whenever you can. We'll wait." He picked up the limp boy and started off.
"Miroku…" Kagome said as she sniffed her stuffy nose. "Do you want us to come with you to the funeral?"
"I won't stop you from visiting after I've buried her…. But… but this is something I have… to do alone." He wished his throat wouldn't burn every time he used it, but it was necessary to say what he had to say.
"Ah, I understand."
"Kohaku should be there… but maybe seeing her… like… Maybe he'd be better off with you two."
Kagome nodded and stood to follow Inuyasha.
Miroku picked up Sango. He wished that she had been alive when he finally carried her like this. He didn't protect her. He had failed at a job she didn't even know he had. Would she have been happy to know that Miroku loved her? Would she have loved him back? Now he would never know the answers to his questions. What had stopped him from showing his love to her? Was he afraid she would refuse him? He was going to walk the whole way to her village, but Kirara showed up and became her fire cat from in front of Miroku. She had to be upset that she couldn't save Sango as well. Kirara, no matter what was going on, could not attack Sango's brother.
"Are you going to help as well?" Miroku asked with as much as smile as he could muster. He placed Sango on the fire cat and then got on.
Hours Later
Cleaning the body was the worst. He actually had to stop many times. He had to go outside and take a breather. He couldn't cry anymore. He had used up as much tears as his eyes held and then some. He dressed her in her kimono and went outside to dig the grave. It was nighttime by the time he was finished. Kirara came to him and lead him to a nearby lake to wash himself off. He would have cried again… had he the tears. Instead he settled with holding his breath as long as he could underwater.
Somwhere in a forest
A pulse at Lord Sesshomaru's hip woke him. Quickly he checked on Rin. She was sleeping soundly on Ah-Unh. He didn't bother to look at Jaken. Maybe he was just imagining things, but another pulse proved otherwise. Tenseiga wouldn't let him sleep now that it wanted to be used again. "Alright." He said to the sword in his monotone voice as he got up. Even if Jaken was useless Ah-Unh would look after Rin for him. Quietly he followed the pulsing sword's directions.
He was surprised to find himself at the demon slayer's village. His eyes scanned the area. It still looked lifeless as it did the last time he had stumbled upon this place. His eyes stopped a recent change to the land… a newly dug grave. Was whoever he needed to revive in there? He took a step toward the grave but Tensegia showed him that he should head elsewhere. Was it telling him to walk towards that hut? He pulled the cloth door open and walked in. It was dark, but being the demon he was it didn't matter. He could see the lifeless body of a woman as if it were daylight. "The Demon Slayer?" He questioned the sword, but Tensegia was suddenly silent. He stared at her for a while. What had finally killed off one of his half-brother's friend? Sesshomaru never liked anyone who associated their self with his half-brother, but he knew a well-fought warrior when he saw one. Whoever had killed the slayer must have had talent. The Demon Lord of the Western lands was about to leave when a familiar sent came to him. That monk was about to walk in here. It was too late to go anywhere and he was sure the monk knew his presence was in the room with Sango.
"Sesshomaru? What are you doing here?" The monk's voice sounded… hoarse. Had he been yelling over the slayer's death? Sesshomaru noticed the monk's hair was wet. Sesshomaru didn't answer the monk. He didn't seem to care about Sesshomaru's answer however, he walked to the dead Slayer. "Naraku used Kohaku to kill her." Oh. So that was how the Slayer died. She was too weak to kill her own brother before he killed her, but why was the monk sharing this information with Sesshomaru? Shouldn't he be leaving now? Tensegia just wanted to play games with him. Stupid sword. It was useless, as always. "Why am I telling you this? You don't care." The monk smiled a sad smile and shook his head. He touched Sango's hand that lay on her stomach. "I don't even know why you're here. Inuyasha isn't here."
Was it the tone in the monk's sad voice that made Sesshomaru say something? Or was it the fact that he was frustrated that Tensegia showed him here for no reason? "I'm sure you did all that you could." The words didn't sound right coming from Sesshomaru. They felt false in his own mouth... but how did they sound to the monk? And why did Sesshomaru care what the monk thought…?
"You should leave. Not to be rude… but I have no idea why you are here and what you mean by mocking me." The monk said more but Sesshomaru missed it. 'I can see the keepers of the dead.' He thought as he saw the little demons and chains on Sango's body. Tensegia pulsed hard. "So this is what you want." Sesshomaru unsheathed the sword. Sesshomaru was vaguely aware of the suddenly confused and frightened face of the monk before he swung the sword.
In the hut as Miroku
'So he's going to put me out of my misery.' Miroku thought as he saw the sword rise. He wasn't sure why he felt fear… he was going to be with Sango after all. He closed his eyes just as Sesshomaru swung the sword. To his surprise he didn't feel pain… he didn't feel anything. He heard a gasp behind him. Sango… Sango was alive?! He turned around to see her open her eyes and move to sit up. "Sango… Are you?"
"Alive. Yes. She is." Sesshomaru said in his unemotional monotone voice. He sheathed his sword as he watched Miroku hug Sango.
"Oh, Sango! I'm so glad you're alive!"
"Uh… Me too." Sango was currently confused. Didn't Kohaku stab her with her own sword? Her free hand felt where the wound should be, but there was nothing.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I didn't save you and I'm sorry I never told you I loved you." Miroku kissed Sango. He wouldn't have confessed this way had he not been so happy she was alive. He thought he would never get to see her again, yet here she was. Alive… and all thanks to Sesshomaru?
Sesshomaru just watched. Why didn't he leave yet? Was there something keeping him here?
Sango pushed him away. "Uh. Miroku… I appreciate all you've done for me… Really. But there is something I should tell you."
Miroku was even more confused than before. "What?" He just confessed his lover for her. She couldn't be rejecting him, could she?!
"I'm in love with someone else." Sango looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry."
Okay. So. This is how the first chapter ends. I'm currently writing the next one. So I'm not sure when that will be out… This is my first fan-fic ever. So, there might be a little (hopefully not a lot) of out of character-ness. I hope to get better with practice! Thanks for reading!
3 Maddening Shroud.
