The dying forest basked in the crimson glow of the sunset. Dashes of orange and red lay vanquished on the tranquil floor, leaves crumpling beneath her sluggish step. Skeletal maple served refuge to the black crows that squawked at the lone figure below. Her tainted boomerang thudded into the soil again as she dragged her wounded leg along, blood slowly draining away, her vision slowly blurring. She knew she didn't have that much longer and yet she continued onward, her breathing heavy. A crow suddenly beat its wings as it took off into the darkening sky. 'It'll soon be over…' she thought despairingly. How ironic it would be to die now, after all that she had been through! How insulting it would be to the memories of the people she had cherished the most! She desperately blinked back the tears as she pictured the monk she loved once more, his bizarre lecherous behaviour and irresistible charm. What she would do to have him caress her body one more time. 'Oh Miroku, I won't be able to make it. Please forgive me…' She stared down at the burgeoning bump, the remaining cause for her existence. Without it, she would have no will left to fight on. To have been dispossessed of all that she loved was devastating. If she could not keep this unborn trace of her love alive, there would be no more need to live. Life played too many cruel games on her. She was only seventeen.
She stopped. Her heavyset hiraikotsu was all that kept her standing. 'I'm sorry Miroku…I can't go on,' she thought as she resigned herself. She had no more fight left. She was just too tired of it all. She closed her eyes and pictured the monk's face one final time. "Miroku…" she whispered, vainly reaching out. A rustle came from above as a familiar figure leapt into view. His silver mane shimmered in the dying sunlight, red suikan flowing freely with the wind. She opened her eyes. 'Inuyasha…?'
She collapsed.
Four months had passed since they first parted ways. Naraku had been slain, Miroku lost his life and Kagome was cast back to her own time. Yet without the compassion of Kagome and the reason of Miroku, the remaining pair lacked the will and the dynamic to continue together. Every night, Inuyasha would wander off, gazing at the stars, longing for Kagome. Sango was no different, often staring at the campfire, deep in thought. The few times they conversed usually ended with an altercation; the friction only building until one day, Inuyasha just disappeared. At first, it suited her just fine. 'Who needs that selfish hanyou anyway?' But as time passed and the loneliness increased, the anger subsided and the regret only grew as she desperately wished for her final link to the past to return.
The small fire crackled inside the hut, casting shadows that danced like a troupe of marionettes. 'Tsch, what was I thinking?' He could still smell it, the lingering scent of Miroku entwined with Sango's sweet fragrance. He sniffed the air. 'This smell…just like Kagome…' Inuyasha thought. The bottle filled with the strange nectar that she brought from her world simply made her intoxicating. What was it called? 'Shampoo…? Sango must still have hers then…' He sighed. To think that the once great taiji-ya was on the brink of death was sobering. He should have known that even someone as strong as Sango should not have travelled alone while she was fertile. Within a space of a few months, she couldn't even wield the hiraikotsu without fear of killing the unborn child. 'Not that it matters now,' Inuyasha thought sadly.
He stared at her face fascinated, her troubled expression a rare sight. The few times he had seen her like this had always involved Kohaku. The confidence she otherwise exuded was enough to assure even him. She was truly remarkable for a human and yet, here she was, vulnerable as she lay on the thin futon. Beads of sweat perspired from her skin, her fever still high. After that traumatic amount of blood loss, what did he expect? She was in a severely weakened state, prone to various infections and despite the herbs and remedies Kaede provided, the fever refused to drop. 'The only thing we can do now is wait. She's fighting hard. Don't abandon her again, Inuyasha.' Kaede's stern words echoed in his mind. 'Keh! Like I'd leave now!' he sulked. But he wasn't convinced she was fighting as hard as she could. The still figure shivered again beneath the blanket. A bead of sweat ran down her forehead. "Miroku…" she blindly murmured. Kirara mewled, concerned. It was going to be a long night.
Mornings came and went, a carousel of sunrises and sunsets. Sango still lay incapacitated, chills running constantly through her body. 'Sango…' Inuyasha thought. 'I don't know whether it would be better for you to live or for you to die.' Naturally, he would have done everything he could to save her. She was his comrade and though they may have parted ways, their ties ran deep. It was her that he was concerned about. He did not want to imagine how desolate she would feel when she realised the child in her womb no longer existed; it would crush her. 'Sango is a grown woman, Inuyasha,' Kaede had lectured him. 'She can decide what she wants to do. Your only job is to support her.'
'Keh, her blood is on your hands you old hag!' Still, he knew she was right. It wasn't his place to choose whether she should live or die. She would determine her own fate. His thoughts drifted back to when Sango was only moments away from killing her only brother. 'Don't worry Kohaku, I'll kill myself after I kill you. It's the only way to take you back from Naraku!' her words echoed. No, he will have to intervene until she was at least calm again. He would let her choose after she stopped being hysterical. 'Women are too fragile, too emotional…such bothersome creatures…'
His head jerked up, startled, and he realised he had drifted off. She was murmuring Miroku's name again. 'Sango…' Inuyasha thought. 'If only I didn't abandon you…' He replaced the wet towel that had fallen off her forehead. Her hand reached out to something he couldn't see. The tormented look on her face pained him as he realised what it is she was dreaming. "Ssshh, it's ok Sango," he murmured absent-mindedly, taking her hand gently. He knew all too well what she was seeing. The mere memory still haunted him to this day. He had to restrain her to prevent her from following Miroku to his doom. He still remembered the fear he felt, watching as the kazaana had spiralled out of control and the vortex had begun to consume him. "Miroku!" Sango had screamed, her shrill cry causing his ears to throb. The sight of Miroku's uncertain smile was perhaps the cruellest thing of all, a last gift he could give to Sango. There was no fear, no anguish on his part, just regret that he had managed to find one woman that he could love, regret that he could not stay with her longer. The anguish was felt by Sango. To be left behind yet again.
"Miroku!" Sango gasped, tears flooding her eyes as she jumped awake. 'Where am I?' she thought. A fire crackled nearby and a blanket enshrouded her. Wooden planks stood afront in unison. A familiar voice gasped beside her. Her mind flashed back to a forest where she was wounded, dragging herself along a clearing between the trees. A figure had leapt into view. 'Red suikan…silver hair…Inuyasha…?' She drifted off again.
Morning came and she awoke to find two ponderous red eyes staring back at her. "Mew" Kirara mewled gleefully. Her fever was gone.
"Kirara!" Sango smiled. "Where am I?" She sat up slowly. She was still feeling lethargic. It wasn't surprising after five days of illness. A silhouette in the corner grabbed her attention; his typical upright posture as he slept gave him away instantly. "Inuyasha?" Sango wondered aloud. He stirred. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean to wake you…" her voice dropped, dread filling inside her. What happened? What was this feeling? Something was wrong, something was missing…why did she feel so…barren?
"Sango..." Inuyasha growled. She recoiled in fear. She didn't want to hear it. "…we need to talk."
Wisps of steam rose from the hot spring. 'At last,' she thought spiritlessly as she slowly removed her kosode. It had been too long since she last had a bath. It had been even longer since she had last bathed with Kagome and Shippo. It was strange how easily she was willing to give up, how little care she took for herself, that she was willing to let go. A week had finally passed since Inuyasha forced her to confront the ugly truth; the truth that her unborn child no longer existed, that any physical ties to Miroku had completely vanished. And for the first six days she was utterly inconsolable. Not even Kirara could provide solace. She dearly missed Kagome for she could always find warmth and comfort from her in ways no demon could ever provide.
She slowly stepped into the hot spring giving her body time to acclimatize. The water's heat seemed to breathe life into her cold shell. A twig snapped behind a bush. "Inuyasha?" she said aloud as she quickly ducked under the waterline. She winced. A sulking half-demon stepped out of the shadows.
"It's not like I was peeking or anything," he spat, looking away. The blush on his face seemed to say otherwise.
"What do you want, Inuyasha?" she turned away, blushing slightly. It was unlike Inuyasha to behave like her monk.
"I just…wanted to be sure it was ok for you to be moving around again," his eyes still averted, his face still scowling.
"Huh, is that all…" She was well-aware of his caring nature. The fact that he always refused to admit it provided quite a few comical moments throughout their journey. After all, tough guys are supposed to hide their emotions, their concerns and present a cold demeanour. Yet Inuyasha was particularly hopeless and could never decide which façade to present. Still, she felt relief that even after all that they've been through, he wasn't afraid to trust her.
He promptly turned and leaned against a stone, facing back towards the forest. After a few minutes of silence, Inuyasha lost patience. "So?" he snapped.
"Huh?"
"I'm asking if you are alright!" he spat again, clearly agitated. The familiar scowl reappeared. He hated such conversations. They were for girls. It was Kagome's job to ensure Sango's emotional well being just as it was Inuyasha's job to ensure her safety. He wanted to avoid showing any concern if he could. But he couldn't leave without finding out. It would be too irresponsible, too heartless.
'Alright? How can I be?' she thought.
Silence.
"Thanks…for looking out for me," she finally responded.
"Keh! Whatever you say, woman." He stormed off. She sighed. It had been too long since she had a proper companion, too long since she had travelled with other people. Seeing Inuyasha's childish denial brought back memories and helped ease the dark cloud off her mind just a little. And for the first time in a week, she allowed herself to smile.
The long dragging weeks of November finally came to an end as the winter slowly began to set in. The bleak white and grey hues cloaked the landscape that surrounded them. The red and orange leaves that had once rained like confetti were long buried beneath the snow that saturated the earth. Winter had come early this year. In the middle of a clearing, a lone, injured figure stood poised, her hiraikotsu in the ready position. Two, tiny, red eyes glowed from beneath the capitulated snow. The youkai made its move, half buried by the earth and snow, the demon snaking its way to the seemingly finished taiji-ya. Her eyes narrowed. "Hiraikotsu!" she yelled, casting the mighty boomerang with all her might. The odd-shaped weapon sliced through the air with surgical precision, its whirling blades like a saw. The demon gave a shrill cry as one end of the hiraikotsu dug deep in its forehead and continued through the length of its abdomen. Demonic blood splurged out of the gaping wound, painting the surrounding snow a shade of scarlet. The heavyset weapon came to a halt. 'It's over…' she thought, dropping to her knees, her own blood dripping from her own wounds. Snowflakes began to fall again. 'It's so cold…' the taiji-ya thought, her vision blurring once again. 'Forgive me Miroku…I've done all that I can.'
Night had begun to fall. The first of the stars began to twinkle from the heavens above. A sulking human sat by the makeshift fire. 'Tsch, what the hell is that woman thinking? Spouting crap like she'll avenge her child or whatever. It'd be easier if she just let me handle it.' He looked up at the night sky. 'If only it wasn't the night of the new moon…' He wrapped the blanket tighter around his body. He hated being exposed as a human. Everyone treated him differently, as though suddenly he was no longer even capable of fighting for himself. Despite knowing full well that it was mostly true, it didn't mean he had to admit it. "Sango sure is taking a long time isn't she, Kirara?" Kirara mewled her agreement. Perhaps Sango wanted to ensure the demon's final moments were of excruciating pain. He pictured her raking her sword through the pinned youkai, delivering its retribution. But it wasn't likely. He didn't like what he felt. But there wasn't much that he could do either. 'Stay!' Sango's words echoed again in his mind. She treated him as though he were nothing more than a common mutt. The nerve she had! But she was absolutely adamant about it, and no amount of protesting would persuade her to change her mind. He should have understood though, for she too had her own honour to protect, her own pride to uphold. She wasn't ready to give up her taiji-ya ways yet and without being burdened with a growth in the womb, she had no need to. Not even Kirara had been invited along. Despite being her most trustworthy companion, she too had been left out. 'You have to protect Inuyasha since it's the night of the new moon,' she said. Kirara had mewled in protest but begrudgingly obliged.
'Keh! Nobody is being fooled by that! As if I even need protection!' Inuyasha thought. 'So long as I have the Testsusaiga with me…' A familiar itch grew on his neck. 'Why you sneaky, old bastard…!' he slammed his palm against his neck. A slightly deflated flea dropped off into his palm. "Myoga! You sure have a lot of nerve showing up on a night like this!"
The flea recovered and stood up in his palm. "Inuyasha! You're human tonight! No wonder your blood didn't taste as good…" he sighed.
"Never mind that, you little bastard," Inuyasha growled, grinding Myoga between his fingers. "So what is it that you came for?"
"I have good news, Inuyasha! The portal through the Bone-Eater's Well! It's open again!"
Inuyasha froze. 'It's…open…?' The portal through the Bone-Eater's Well was the only gateway that linked Kagome's time to his era. After Naraku had been slain, the portal had closed and Kagome had been unable to return. With the portal reopened, he would be able to see Kagome again. But would she want to see him? Six months had already passed; it was by far the greatest length of time that they have ever been separated. Despite their constant bickering, Inuyasha had always felt happy when she was there. His pride and inept social ability frequently the cause of their arguments, forced Kagome to go back and cool off regularly. It never lasted long though, as even a mere three day absence was enough to agitate the excitable hanyou. But six months of separation…it was the first time he had ever experienced it.
"Inuyasha! You must understand that this portal will not remain open forever! It will only remain like this for another day at the most before it finally will close!" He said the last word with such emphasis that Inuyasha recoiled. Suddenly, the clock was ticking.
"I have until tomorrow to get back!? What are you kidding me? There's no way I can make it back now!"
"You don't have a choice, Inuyasha. You can either go through the well before the portal closes and see Kagome again, or you can stay here and live without her."
'Tsch! That's not an option! But where's Sango? She should be back by now!' Inuyasha growled. Suddenly, Kirara flared up, snarling.
"What's wrong, Kirara?" Myoga asked.
'She's staring at where the wind is coming from…' Inuyasha thought. 'Shit! That's where Sango went!' It wasn't hard to conclude something had gone very wrong. He had such a premonition for the past few hours. He got up, discarding the thin blanket before stopping. 'Kagome…' he thought sadly. He may never have this chance again. Yet at the same time, he knew he could not sacrifice Sango either. He had left her before. He could not leave her again. Kagome would never forgive him. Kirara looked back at Inuyasha impatiently, desperate to save her mistress. 'Damn it all!' he cursed in his mind. He jumped up, Tetsusaiga in hand. "Come on Kirara! Let's go!" Kirara growled again as Inuyasha jumped on her back.
"Inuyasha! The Bone Eater's Well!" Myoga called out, too late. He was already in the woods.
'Damn it Sango! I told you not to go alone! Of all the nights you chose, why this one?' But it should have been obvious that she intentionally chose the night of the new moon so that there was no way he could stop her. As a hanyou, Inuyasha could easily overpower her, even while she used a Shikon jewel fragment. Had the battle not turned her way, she would not be able to prevent Inuyasha's intervention, she would not be able to carry out the youkai's death sentence. But as a human, they were on equal grounds. It was his determination, his experience and timing that often pulled him through on their journey but her strength, ability to use ranged weapons and quick thinking would easily be able to counter him. 'If only I still had my demon powers…I could have realised sooner!'
"Faster, Kirara!"
The racing wind ceased, signalling that they had approached a clearing. Inuyasha scanned his surroundings, but the weak eye-sight of a human did not allow him to see far. "Kirara! Do you see anything?" She flared again and he saw the faint outline of what looked like Sango's hiraikotsu. "Over there!" He jumped off her back and ran towards the bone monument. With the snowfall becoming heavier by the minute, he wouldn't have much time left to find her. A chilly gust of wind buffeted against his suikan. 'Damn humans…can't see anything!' He raised his arm to guard his mouth against the snowfall. "Oi! Sango! Where are you?" There was no response. He heard a demon howl from the darkness. 'I've got to hurry!'
"Hey, Kirara! Can you fly up and give me some light? I can't see anything in this form." She nodded and took off. She had barely risen a metre when he saw Sango's body sprawled across the ground, half buried in the snow. "S..Sango!" he choked as he dashed over towards her. "Hey Sango! Wake up!" he screamed as he pulled her out, her outfit rank with blood. "Kirara!" he called. She growled, her fur now rustling. He looked up. Other demons had made their presence and were charging towards them. The light blizzard had barely managed to cloak their scent but the flames borne by Kirara's paws now behaved as a beacon. "Kirara!" he called again. "We've got to go!" She crouched, her fangs bared, allowing Inuyasha to place Sango on her back. "Let's go!" he screamed, slashing his rusty sword at a demon that had come too close. She didn't need any more persuasion. Within seconds, they were cruising through the cold night air again, safe from the reach of the blood lusting demons.
'Tsch, I left the hiraikotsu behind,' Inuyasha thought. 'Oh well, there'll be time for that tomorrow…' The clouds gradually thinned out as they left the storm. Stars dotted the night sky once again. He gazed at her face, a slight curvature of the lips barely visible. 'Is that…a smile…?' he thought. He looked out towards the horizon where the Bone-Eater's well lay. He knew now that he would not be going back.
'Good-bye, Kagome.'
Daylight stung her eyes as she regained consciousness. Clear blue sky stretched endlessly beyond the reach of the trees. 'I'm still alive…' she thought. He had saved her again. Time and time again the hanyou had denied her the fate she so desperately seemed to be looking for. Kirara mewled, licking her face. She got up.
"Hah, so you're not dead yet huh?" a cocky voice rang beside her. She turned her head to see where it came from. A bamboo canister was thrust into her face. "Drink it." She accepted the bottle but did not sip from immediately.
"What is it?" she queried. She noticed a snakeskin tail poking out from behind a rock. She grimaced, remembering the time she had nearly succumbed to Mukotsu's poison, realising the potion she held in her hand.
"It's my special potion!" Myoga proclaimed proudly, jumping into view. "You lost a lot of blood after your last battle. Drink that and it'll help your body replenish it!"
"Keh! There's no need to remind her!" Inuyasha swatted his hand at Myoga. "It would have been better to let her just drink the damn thing and let her realise what it is!"
She stared at the bamboo canister, already feeling queasy. Aside from the strong bitter taste, she clearly recalled Myoga regurgitating the crimson liquid the last time she faced the vile medicine. She never would have dreamed that in her lifetime she would have to drink what was essentially vomit, all over again. 'Here goes…' she thought, closing her eyes, trying to ignore the fact that it was a potent mixture of blood, herbs and Myoga saliva. She felt herself choke as her body threatened to expel the liquid.
"Finished!" she gasped as she cast away the container. Sweet relief at last. There had to be something she could eat to get rid of the terrible after taste. 'Yes! I think I still have some of Kagome's candy in my furoshiki!' She glanced around, searching for the blue cloth and paused, noticing a pair of eyes locked on her. 'Hang on, why is Inuyasha grinning at me?' She felt the dread again. In his hand was another bamboo canister.
"Drink up!" he cackled.
Night had fallen again. The wind enfolded her naked body as she slowly entered the water. She winced as it lapped around her still tender wounds. 'So many scars…there's no man in the world who would desire me.' She sighed. The last of the blood and sweat had finally come off; she hated its sticky feeling. Steam arose from the surface of the hot spring, the one that she had shared with Kagome so many times. It had been their favourite, and they always convinced the boys to stop and camp there for the night. Miroku naturally agreed for 'it was his duty as a monk to visit the local shrine maidens'. Which maidens he was referring to was always too obvious; there weren't any other women who were guaranteed to disrobe that night. The spring didn't feel quite as comfortable without Kagome and Shippo however. Without the pair, it felt so foreign, so distant, so…lonely. 'Kagome, what are you doing now?' she wondered.
Her ears perked as she heard footsteps come closer. She ducked a little lower ensuring her breasts were below the waterline. "Inuyasha?" she called. She wasn't particularly sure whether she could look him in the eye again. She felt herself blush deeply earlier as she removed the blood stained gauzes. It had only struck her then that Inuyasha could have been the only one who had set them. The awkward albeit firm wrapping indicated the embarrassment he felt while applying the bandage. Kagome had shown them how to use it once. Inuyasha had complained about how learning such 'useless skills' were a 'waste of time' and that only 'weak humans needed bandages'. Unsurprisingly though, even Inuyasha had come to depend on their use throughout their travels. Still, it was always Kagome that tended to the wounds of others so Sango had taken it for granted that the bandaging was Kagome's work. 'I'm still out of it,' she thought.
"Is that you, Inuyasha?" she called again.
"Yeah yeah, you don't need to worry, I've got my eyes shut," he complained. "I brought you another hadajuban from the village…you can wash yours tomorrow." He placed it down on the nearest rock. "Oh, and I also brought the last of your bandage things so you can re-set them when you're done." He turned around and began to head off.
"Wait, Inuyasha!" she called before she could stop herself.
"What?" he whined.
"This will sound strange but…" she paused, staring into the water. She felt her cheeks heat up. "…do you mind…joining me?"
He froze, partly due to shock, partly due to embarrassment. "W..wh…what are you talking about?" he stammered blindly.
"It's ok if you don't want to," she quickly withdrew. "It's just…quiet without them here."
Silence.
"I'm sorry for asking something so peculiar. You can go now." she finally spluttered. She should have known it would have been impossible for him. He no doubt still harboured feelings for Kagome, it would've been too difficult for him to do something remotely similar to this, even if there were no intentions behind it.
She heard footsteps again. She looked up. "Don't look, stupid!" he barked, desperately trying to cover himself. She flushed deeply, staring down into the misty veil. 'Why didn't you say something!' she thought. She didn't know he had already disrobed. He rigidly stepped into the water. There was an awkward silence.
"You know, Kagome never sat so far away," she said, breaking the silence.
"Mm," Inuyasha nodded forcefully, moving slightly closer. It's not like he had never seen a woman's body before. He had just never been in such close proximity with permission before. The osuwari command still haunted him, long imprinting itself into his psyche. Anything that annoyed Kagome was now deeply associated with his nenju.
"And that spot over there was Miroku's favourite hiding spot," she continued, pointing behind a rock. He moved closer to see.
'Tsch, that damn monk,' he thought. 'He always managed to spin a convincing yarn to fool me into allowing him to leave the camp. And this is what he always did!'
"This was the only spot where Kagome and I could sit comfortably together, so it was always risky getting out. Miroku could easily see us from there."
"Going out? What about going in?"
"Neither of those would have been an issue had you not let him out of your sight," she said bluntly.
"Oh…" he grinned sheepishly. More silence ensued.
She broke the silence again. "Inuyasha, come sit here."
He twitched uncomfortably. 'What the hell is this woman thinking?' He could already reach out and touch her if he wanted to. How much closer did she want to get?
"Inuyasha…please…" she begged.
Sango, begging? It conflicted far too severely with her persona. "K…keh! Whatever you say, woman!" He began to shift over. She gave a slight smile. Didn't he say the exact same thing so many nights ago? If he was trying to portray the tough guy again, he wasn't doing particularly well. The blush on his face and the all too familiar sulk told her that he was uncomfortable. He continued facing the other way.
'Sorry Inuyasha, if I make you feel more uncomfortable this one night…'
Her hands wrapped around his muscular torso, as she laid her cheek on his shoulder. "What are you doing, Sango!?" Inuyasha yelped. He could feel her breast pushing up against his right arm. His face flushed a brighter red. 'Sango! This isn't right! Please…stop…!' A drop of moisture landed on his exposed skin. 'Huh? Rain?' He looked up. The night sky was as clear as ever, there wasn't a cloud in sight. A soft sob emanated from the figure beside him. 'She's…crying?' He paused. 'Damn it, what do I do?' he thought frantically. If it were Kikyo or Kagome, he would have embraced them without hesitation. 'But it's different with Sango! She…she loved Miroku!' He paused. After a moment, he gingerly lifted his lower arm, desperately trying to avoid contact with her breasts. His claws ran up the side of her face, gently stroking her soft skin. He felt her tense up slightly, before trembling. And at that moment, he finally understood how truly lonely she had been. The people she had loved had all been taken away from her in the cruellest of circumstances. Kagome, Miroku, Kohaku. For months she had tried to stand strong, she had endured the pain by herself, she continued to live in order to honour the memory of those she lost. But it all gave way. It was too much for her. He was all she had left.
And he had not been there for her. He had betrayed her. He had resumed his selfish way of life, the way he lived before he met Kagome, before he met Kikyo. The nonchalant, self-centred way that he ignored those around him. But it was with Kagome that he had finally understood the meaning of friendship, that he finally began to trust with all his heart again. Was it not an insult to her that he could not support her best friend? Was it not an insult to Miroku that he could not protect the woman he had loved? Had their journey together been for naught? A tear ran down his face. "Sango…" She looked up at his glistening eyes. She had never seen such a pained look before. "…I'm sorry."
She continued to gaze straight up at his eyes, smiling as she felt the loneliness alleviate. "No, don't be, Inuyasha." She wiped away the tear. "Thank you for being here for me…"
He didn't know what it was. Perhaps it was the way she had stroked him, perhaps it was the way she forgave him so readily. Perhaps it was the regret that he felt for abandoning her. But for the first time in so many years, he gave up trying to hold back his tears, he gave up his cool façade, he stopped worrying. He grabbed her and held her close like he had once done with Kikyo, silent tears running down from his eyes. She pulled back and looked up into his eyes again. He stared back unwaveringly, confident of his purpose now.
And under the moonlit sky, they kissed.
It was autumn again. A year ago she had carried the young of a man she had once loved with all her heart. Now her womb bears the child of another, a hanyou that she would happily die for. Her heart still occasionally yearns for the monk that had left her behind, but she has moved on and now fiercely loves the hanyou that has returned. The swelling in her womb has forced her to temporarily retire her taiji-ya ways as the red cloaked hanyou continues to protect her. She will pick up the hiraikotsu again in time, perhaps she will teach their child the art of demon slaying. 'Was she happy?' the hanyou had once asked. 'She was' she had responded. Happier than when she was with the monk? She did not know. Perhaps a kind of contentment had overcome her. But it no longer mattered. It was the hanyou that she was with now, the hanyou who was her oasis. It was the hanyou who she would spend the rest of her life with, the hanyou that she loved.
And that was all that mattered, really.
-FIN-