Miroku sat stiffly next the woman in the grass. As he snuck glances at her and tried to think of what to say he was worried. He had never seen her act quite like this. So reckless. So dejected. The sight had put the chill of true fear in his heart.
Miroku wasn't even sure he was ready to come to terms with it. He was caught between his anger and his fear. He wanted to yell at her until she understood how scared he'd been. Cradle her and tell her it was all going to be okay. Be held by her and let his own fears leak out of his tired body. But they only sat in silence.
He couldn't look at her for too long or he'd remember.
He could hear Kagome still crying into Inuyasha's arms. She was still too beside herself to properly thank or speak to the demon slayer. Her words tumbled out in frantic, incoherent sobs. Inuyasha's steady hand was the only thing keeping her from spilling over into the grass like a spilled cup of water. His amber eyes would slip from Kagome occasionally and land on the somber tajiya.
The worry was etched on his features as he stared from a distance but also a deep and humbling gratitude. He owed Sango Kagome's life. He owed her his piece of mind.
Sango's feet pounded the ground ground as fast as they could. She could tell what her demon companions already knew. The pity glazed over Inuyasha's face. Shippo looking around him for approval or what to say. Kirara's restless whines. Kohaku. It was Kohaku.
Another village laid at his feet. Destroyed. Corpses strewn. Huts burned. Sango wished she could say she was searching for survivors. There was not enough of Sango left unscathed to care for strangers. She cared only for her kin. "Kohaku!" She bellowed breathlessly. She dashed from hut to hut, searching for a sign of the child.
Her travelmates could only watch. What could they say or do? Surely they would've done it already. Inuyasha looked away in shame. He was the pack leader. The alpha. He lead. He protected. And yet he could not help or heal Sango or her brother.
She paused as she heard the sharp jingle of his weapon. A sound she would never forget.
He was burning holes through her soul with long vacant eyes. His scythe was in one hand, glinting menacingly in the sun. His other arm was hooked around the neck of a young girl. She looked like Rin but far younger. She was covered in grime and her hair was mussed. Her face was frozen in a frame of fear as she looked to Sango to be rescued.
Sango felt as though hiraikotsu itself had slammed into her ribs and knocked the wind out of her. She staggered forward, hand outstretched. "Kohaku.." She struggled to speak. He backed up, the chain jingled. "D-Don't.." Everyone else was rushing forward. But they were too far behind. Sango was too far behind and she was right there.
She didn't even have time to scream. Kohaku brought his weapon down in a fluid motion as he was always taught. Quick. Clean. Committed.
The blood spray stops right before Sango's boots. She was dead before her little body crumpled to the ground in a heap. Her eyes mirrored Kohaku's. Absent of life. Vacant. Dead.
Sango had gone numb all over. She didn't feel the hilt of her katana in her white knuckle grip. She didn't feel her legs pump forward at Kohaku. Arm raised. Weapon poised to strike. "No more!" She cried out. At some point tears had already started sliding down her cheeks. Into her mouth. Onto Kohaku's freckles.
Dead eyes stared up at her. Begging her. Daring her. The rest of the world was a distant buzz. "I'll set you FREE!" Her arm is shifted at the last second. She misses his chest and only hits his shoulder. He doesn't even flinch. Inuyasha is upon her and restraining her as gently he can. He removed her weapon with haste and throws it out of reach.
"STOP! He can't- He can't- He can't keep KILLING!" She doesn't even hear the hanyou hushing her over the sound of her own hysterics. Kohaku rolled from under them. He disappeared in a plume of smoke as he always did. Sango keeps mourning. Keeps screaming. Keeps shouting. Eventually, Inuyasha let's Miroku take his place at her side. She doesn't notice for a long time.
"Sango." It was a long while before Miroku could even speak her name. He saw her tense a little bit but she didn't acknowledge him otherwise. His eyes traveled to the makeshift sling he had fashioned for her. His stomach dropped again.
"Sango, I-" He searched for the words. She sat unmoving beside him, eyes stuck to the ground. He tried again. "Sango. Why did you do it? I'm trying to understand but for the life of me... I can't." He felt her cast him a side long glance. She shifted a little before her voice rattled out of her. "Would you not do anything to save Kagome-chan?" He blinked.
"I would do anything to save you." Was his first reply, voice firm. "I would do almost anything to save Kagome-chan, or Inuyasha, or Shippo. "I'm not concerned that you would protect your dear friend. I am concerned that you weren't trying to save yourself." The silence hung thick in the air around them.
Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kirara had all managed to be ensnared by Naraku's treacherous tentacles. Struggle as they may, for the time being the battle would be decided by Sango and to a lesser extent, Kagome. Both men's worst nightmare.
Inuyasha struggled. He snarled. He pulled with all his might but it seemed that Naraku had no intentions of setting him free. With some luck, Miroku had managed to free his afflicted hand. In that time Naraku's Saimyosho chose to appear, hovering near the mass of writhing tentacles. Cursing, Miroku clutched his hand tightly.
"HIRAIKOTSU!" Sango lobbed the giant bone weapon and many of Naraku's tentacles. Many were halved but it would seem more would appear. Her body aching, she wiped the sweat from her brow. She was tired of suffering at the hands of this particular hanyou. She would fight until she dropped dead.
Kagome watched from afar. Without Inuyasha or Miroku to fight with the demon slayer there was little to no hope of winning such a battle. Her stomach flipping, Kagome reached back for an arrow. 'Oh no! I've only got an arrow left... I have to make it count!'
This time a tentacle chose to deflect Sango's mighty weapon. She caught it and the brunt of the impact on her left shoulder. She grunted under the strain as the force pushed her back, heels digging into soil. She shoved the weapon into the ground and leaned her weight on it, strategizing. "Tired, Sango? If I knew you would get so tuckered out I would've paraded Kohaku around. You're always much more fun to fight when he's involved."
The demon slayer wrenched her weapon free from the soil, her stare promising death.
She was surprised to see Kagome stalking forward, arrow drawn. "Kagome!" She barked. She had never taken a harsher tone with the younger girl as she watched her fearlessly approach Naraku. "Oh no! Kagome's going to try to purify him!" Miroku uttered aloud. Inuyasha began scrambling desperate. "Don't do it, Kagome! Get out of the way!" He shouted desperately.
Kagome swallowed and tried not to tremble. "Naraku, I won't stand by while you hurt me friends! Hit the mark!" The glowing arrow spiraled towards him. It dug itself into the base of his 'torso' and began decimating him. "Sh- She did it!" Shippo piped from behind Miroku.
Naraku scowled. "Imputent wench. Time to DIE!" A tentacle burst forth and was streaming right toward her. Unarmed and unprepared Kagome could only watch. "KAGOME! KAGOME!"
Kagome was surprised when she felt no pain. Only a gentle thud as she tumbled backwards. She could feel the warm blood before she could see it. As she looked up she saw Sango had taken her place, the tentacle going straight through her shoulder. "SANGO!"
Sango ignored the searing, dizzing pain. She didn't care how much she bled. How much she hurt. Even if she died. Kagome was pure. Kagome was precious. And she couldn't die. Sango shoved her sword deep into the mass of writhing tentacles, sienna eyes boring through Naraku with hatred. He smiled, another tentacle piercing her beside the other.
Kagome had epitomized everything Sango wished she was for a long time. Free of guilt. Free of scars. Free of real pain. At only 16 Sango had let go of all of that long ago. She was covered in blood and scars and her existence filled with suffering was worth sacrificing for Kagome, a beacon of purity in such a dark situation.
She cried out but pushed deeper, convinced she could drag Naraku to hell with her.
"Sango! Don't do it Sango, stop please!" She could hear Kagome begging beside her. Pulling on the tentacles to no avail. "Fool." Naraku smacked Kagome away with ease. "SANGO!" Before unconsciousness could claim her she felt her body being braced by another. She turned to see Miroku holding her up, pulling desperately to free her from Naraku.
Inuyasha's sword came down heavy and sliced the tentacles away from Naraku's body. He turned to Miroku, clearly upset. "Get her away from here!" Miroku didn't need to be told anything. He was shuffling Sango away to a clear patch of grass and examining her.
Sango felt so tired. She had felt a lot of blood leave her as she fought with Naraku and more would now as he removed the tentacles. Miroku peered into her pale face, alarmed. "Sango? Sango! Stay awake!" he snapped at her as he shook her. It would be so much easier to go this way. To leave with the feat of saving Kagome rather than live after failing Kohaku. She blinked, and watched as the monk doubled and became blurry and disappeared into the darkness...
Sango didn't deny the monk's accusation. She stayed silent, fiddling with blades of grass. Miroku's brow furrowed as he watched. "Sango, I know how you fight. I've never seen you act so recklessly and in total disregard of yourself. Do you think if-" Miroku's words caught in his throat.
"Do you can disguise your death in battle and we wouldn't know?" He gripped the hand on her uninjured arm tightly. "Sango-" "Kagome-chan is precious." Miroku squinted his eyes and tried to comprehend the meaning of the statement.
She turned to him, her eyes painfully vacant. "Kagome is precious. She is full of positive energy. She is pure. She-" Sango fought a sob as she began to tremble. "She lives without blood on her hands. She does not deserve to be injured." Miroku stared at Sango.
Sango looked down with a grimace. "I knew I had to protect her... But I also knew I had to atone for my sins. Kohaku is alive because of me. How many lives do you think he's taken? Ruined? I can't stand that thought anymore. When he killed that little girl..." Miroku grabbed tightly onto Sango's hand. "Sango... You cannot bare that burden-" "Yes I can! My hands are sullied to the point of return. Dozens of me are worth one Kagome, it would be an honor to die protecting her. Besides, without me you guys would be so much better-"
Miroku whipped Sango around and forced her to face him. "Fool." he said darkly, his violet eyes shining with emotion. "You should never say such things! Especially about yourself. You are as precious as Kagome in different ways. Even-" He shuddered as he leaned in closer. "Even more to some. Sango, nobody blames you for Kohaku. We understand how hard it is and why you fight for him. The trail of blood Naraku leaves is not on you." Sango heaved a sigh, her head dipping.
"You only say that. If it weren't for me, Inuyasha wouldn't have to worry about the last shard and completing the jewel. He's almost killed Kagome and you on numerous occasions! Sometimes I think I really should've walked away after that night in Naraku's castle... I would've spared you all so much..."
"What're you fuckin' yapping about, Sango?" Both the monk and the demon slayer turned to see Inuyasha and a teary eyed Kagome standing over them. "I normally wouldn't intervene but I couldn't help but hear the nonsense you were spewing. Sango, I'm surprised. I thought you were smarter than that." His voice was rough but he was staring down in deep concern for the girl. Kagome wiped her eyes and with little thought dropped to her knees and swung her hands around the woman.
Sango was surprised to feel Kagome enveloping her in an embrace. Shippo emerged from her hair and was clutching to her tightly, tears springing to his eyes. "We were so worried!" he wailed, wiping wet eyes on her kimono. "Sango, I was so worried when Naraku attacked you! Y-You were so pale I thought you were a goner!" Kagome squeezed tighter.
It reminded Sango of the first time she wept in front of everyone, buried in Kagome's arms. She never thought the roles would be reversed. Shocked, Sango's hand slowly began stroking the younger girl's soft hair. "Sango, I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt because of me. Please, don't do that again." Sango looked helplessly between the monk and the hanyou.
"See, you don't get to speak for us. Better of without you? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You're one of the only people I trust to fight along side me and look after Kagome. So take it for what it's worth." His arms were crossed but his expression soft. Miroku leaned forward with a small smile. "You need not punish yourself, Sango. When the burden gets too heavy..." He took her hand in his. "Just let us know. We're your family. We're going to start a family. We need you." Sango smiled a little as Kagome broke apart from the older girl with a shaky smile.
'My family...'