Author's Notes: Hey hi! This is my first fan fiction I have ever written. I will gladly accept constructive criticism, but please don't flame me. This fanfic takes place mostly in Sango's memory and from her point of view, which is why her memories are not in italics like they would usually be. I would also like to dedicate my first fan fiction to my friend BabyKaoru-sama; she pushed me to write this and here it is. Thank you and enjoy! .

Italics: Present Time

Regular: Memory

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from InuYasha, but this story is my own.

'We finally found it. I can finally bring this nightmare to an end,' I thought as I stared down at the scene below me. 'How had this happened? It had started off as a simple overnight protection, but it had gone wrong…so very wrong…'

The girl was special and we were to look after her. Why? Because she had a great power that they wanted and were determined to do anything to get it. We were only to watch her for that night; she would be transferred to a much safer place the next morning and it would all be over. Lady Kaede had suggested that we watch over her in that house, hidden in the forest not too far from her village. In fact, it was within a few minutes walk, but it was impossible to find unless you already knew it existed.


We thought that the people looking for her would surely search in the village, so InuYasha, Kagome, Shippou, and even Kiara were elected to protect it from the possible invasion. That left Miroku and I to watch over her until the danger had passed, something I had not been too happy about. At least the girl would be with us, so he would not try anything, or so I hoped. We decided to wait the night out in that house, but we weren't to concerned about the girls' safety. We were quite capable of handling those looking for her, and no one else knew of the house. Or so we thought…

My grip on Hiraikotsu tightened as the memories of how this had come to be, flashed before my eyes, forcing me to relive the past, as his screams of pain echo in my ears…

-------Flashback-------

We had been inside the house with the girl that night. We were trying to keep her spirits light and to keep ourselves awake by joking around. Although, his jokes were not appropriate for her age and I was constantly arguing with him about what he said. They even earned him a few death glares, which the two of them thought funny. This had been going on for a while, until Miroku and I heard a noise coming from a room in the front of the house and we quickly became alarmed. I could sense the danger that was sure to follow if they found us. So I quickly and silently walked to the window, motioning for the two of them to follow. We climbed out the window and hid in the bushes holding our breaths. We could not let them spot the girl, no matter what; so it was best to escape without confrontation.

We could hear them inside the room we had just left, cursing. Their shadows were constantly moving about; shown by the candles we had left burning. There had been no reason not to burn them; no one was supposed to be able to see the house much less know it even existed!

It was not safe to stay there anymore, so we hastily moved from our hiding spot, and ran alongside the side of the house towards the wooden fence that had been erected as an extra precaution. It was well hidden from the front, and should have made our escape go unnoticed, but fate had other plans. How was I to know that it would soon haunt my nightmares with nothing but pain?

I had been the first to reach the fence and all was clear on the opposite side. I was just beginning to climb down the other side when they found us. He turned to face them as he yelled at me to take the girl and go. I refused to leave him alone to fight them by himself, but he looked back at me and begged me with his eyes to cooperate this time. Reluctantly I dropped down onto the other side and urged the girl to follow. She had climbed the fence and was straddling it when I heard the clash of weapons. They had begun to fight, but he could not keep them all back and a few managed to get beyond his grasp and run toward the fence.

They made a grab for her leg that was still on the other side, but I grabbed her arms and hauled her over the rest of the way, falling to the ground in the process. We hastily got up and started to run down the hidden pathway through the trees. We raced toward the village, hoping to get there as soon as we could, to get help. My thoughts kept racing through my head, 'How did they know? How did they find us? What was going on? Should I have left him? If anything happens to him….' I chanced a look back over my shoulder and found that I could not see the house anymore. I knew we were almost there. That's when I heard it.

His screams. He was screaming in agony. It was so full of pain that I immediately stopped and slammed my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block it out. All the same my chest constricted and my breathing became shallow. My heart twisted and felt like it was being wrenched out of my chest. I became terrified and sick with worry. I knew he must have been overwhelmed and that now they were hurting him, badly, but I couldn't move. I had dropped to my knees, paralyzed. I couldn't move no matter how desperately I wanted to turn around and go back to him, and that's how they got her.

Two of them had spotted us escaping and had given chase, but we had been given too much of a head start, until now. Out of nowhere, it seemed, they grabbed the girl and ran back toward the house. I watched them go in shock, until I was able to regain my senses and tried to get up. However, fresh new screams filled the otherwise-silent air and my bodies instinct to protect itself by blocking out the pain, took over. This time I fought it with everything I had in me and I shakily got up and ran back toward the house. By the time I reached the house, they had fled and had taken the girl with them, leaving not a trace of behind.

I stopped a little bit of a distance from the house, trying to catch my breath, and observed the scene before me. People from the village were there, as well as Lady Kaede, Kagome and Shippou. They had all heard the screams and immediately rushed to our aid, but they had arrived moments to late. The wind blew about me as I saw InuYasha run out of the house and yell for Lady Kaede to follow him inside; they both entered. I didn't know what to do next. I just felt …numb.

Somehow I ended up trying to run into the house following after the two of them, but everyone held me back. It was then that my worst fear was confirmed. I knew they all knew it was bad. I had a sudden vision of blood and pain and my heart twisted with fear and a pain of it's own. Tears fell and I struggled to get in as they all held me back. I don't really remember much of the rest of that night…

The next morning I walked out of Lady Kaede's home in a daze. I don't remember falling asleep, but I must have eventually. The breeze played with my hair, brushing it against my face, but I hardly noticed. I didn't feel anything; I was still numb from the night before. I couldn't believe all those events had happened the night before; it felt like years. I was astounded that the sun could be shining that day.

Walking aimlessly, my feet lead me towards the sounds of InuYasha and Kagome arguing outside of the hut in which Miroku was recovering. I stopped and stood there, watching, but not really seeing or hearing. I vaguely recalled everyone telling me that I should not venture inside the hut because " it would be too much for me to handle right now." They were all being so careful around me, like they thought I was glass. So they hadn't told me what exactly had happened to him, or what his exact condition was now. All I received was an assurance that he was going to be fine. I sighed and closed my eyes.

The sound caused both of them to stop their arguing and take notice of me for the first time. When I opened my eyes again, Kagome was walking towards me. She gently took my arm and steered me back toward Lady Kaede's home, telling me that I needed to rest. She led me inside; I didn't put up a struggle. She sat me down and then moved to leave, but I grasped her hand, and began to beg her to tell me what really happened to him. I couldn't bear it any longer. Unnoticed to me, the tears had begun to fall again. At first Kagome was shocked at my desperation; then her eyes became gentle, but laced with pain and grief. After a moments' consideration, she slowly nodded her head in consent. She kneeled down next to me and proceeded to tell me what she knew.

Miroku had managed to fend most of them off, but they had overwhelmed him as he grew tired and their numbers continually increased. For reasons unknown to us he couldn't use his Kazaana. After they finally got their hold on him, they tortured him to find out where I had taken the girl. They only stopped when they had the girl in their possession. They left him for dead.

Kagome continued to talk, but I couldn't hear the rest of what she was saying. My imagination had taken over once again and I began to have visions of weapons and methods used during the torturing. Then I had the same one of blood and pain from the night before, and saw a new one of his cursed hand lying in a pool of blood, unmoving. Scenes like this continued to flash before my eyes, until I squeezed them shut, trying to block them out. I started shaking my head back and forth, trying to make them disappear. All I kept thinking was how it was how it had been all my fault. That I should have stayed to help him. Kagome tried her best to comfort me, but I couldn't escape my thoughts, not matter what she said to try and convince me otherwise.

After I had calmed down, she left me to rest, informing me that she was off to find InuYasha and to call on her if I needed anything. Once she was gone, however, I walked toward that hut again. This time there was no one around to keep me out. I stopped just outside the door and looked down at the floor, suddenly a bit apprehensive of what I would find inside. I took a deep breath, pulled the mat aside, and entered. With my eyes still on the floor, I walked forward in the dim hut, until I reached the mat he lay upon; the smell of blood was overpowering. I gathered my determination and looked upon his slumbering form, only to collapse to my knees a moment later.

Everything around me was spinning and I was vaguely aware of voices outside calling my name, searching for me. Blood had already begun to seep through the fresh bandages. I saw the lines of pain on his face, and how much he was suffering still. The sound of my collapse had caused him to stir, and he slowly, painfully, opened his eyes and turned his head toward the sound. For a moment his eyes were dull, interlaced with the pain he had suffered both physically and mentally. The torturing hadn't lasted long, only a few minutes, but it had done more than enough damage.

Once his eyes regained their focus and he began to see me, his eyes brightened tremendously as he saw me unharmed and moderately well. His eyes began to show their usual spark, with a mixture of relief and something else mixed in. Slow tears began to fall down my cheeks again as he smiled at me, and I all but threw my arms around him. I gently laid a kiss on his lips and held him close. After a moment, I reluctantly released him.

I blushed as I asked how he was feeling and he had replied that he was feeling much better now. A smile graced my face, as I came to realize that with time and care, he would be back to his old self. I sat back on my knees and wiped the remaining streaks of tears from my face as the mat hanging over the door was flung aside and our friends burst inside. Miroku and I exchanged a glance and smiled, as looks of confusion filled our friends faces.

After a moment, Lady Kaede suggested that Miroku rest some more. I helped to make him more comfortable, then stood up and walked toward the door. I pushed the mat aside and then stopped. I continued to face outside as I told Miroku that the girl had been taken, but I would do everything I could to get her back. My fists clenched and started to shake with anger as my thoughts continued, '…and I will make them pay for what they did to you…"

I could feel his gentle smile on my back as he replied softly, "I know," and I walked outside.

------- End Flashback -------

My memories cleared and I'm brought back to the present. Miroku continues to steadily improve day by day. In fact, Lady Kaede is astonished at how fast he is recovering, both physically and mentally. She claims that it is more from my unwavering care, than the herbs and medicine used to heal him, but I'm not sure about that. Although, he has become more like the lecherous monk that he is since this incident started, and received a slap or two for his actions. I smile softly at the thought.

"Are you ready for this Sango?" asks Kagome from my left. "Yes," I reply with determination. I swore that I would get the girl back and to get revenge for what they did. No matter what it takes. With these last thoughts I harden my heart as I prepare to attack.