ENJOY!

PS: THIS HAS BEEN UPDATED FOR MISTAKES AND MORE DESCRIPTION on Sunday, April 16 (hehe Easter Sunday) 2006


Her hair drifted with the wind as it flew through her locks. Sango collapsed on one knee, if not fell. Her right hand shook in place as she tried to keep it in prayer position while the other clutched her stomach. Even as she guarded her wound, blood poured through the cracks between her fingers, continuing to soak her snow-white yukata. Eyebrows knotted in concentration, Sango continued to mumble her prayer.

Definitely a sight of abnormality.

She had tried to defend herself against the demon that blocked her way to Bankotsu's grave—but without Hiraikotsu, it turned difficult. With the katana alone, she managed to bring the demon to its knees, but the taijiya did not escape unscathed. Three long slashes across her abdomen left her limping the refst of the way to Bankotsu's grave. But it was determination that led her way blindly.

Finishing her prayer, Sango let her right hand also clasp her stomach as she winced in pain. Her other knee made its way to the ground. Now on both knees, Sango sat on her heels, looking at the scenery.

Bankotsu's grave was always a wonder. Of course, if one was just passing by—it was nothing spectacular. But if you were there when he was buried, the vista was unbelievable.

Flowers. There were flowers everywhere. And they were all of different and exotic colors…almost like a rainforest of flowers. Inuyasha and everyone had buried Bankotsu in the middle of a jungle, where an opening as big as a small field resided. Before they had entombed him, it was quite a barren area. Not much foliage—infact there were patches of area where grass didn't even grow.

Kagura had once said that because a soul was sucked out of a living body that the flowers that grew now flourished. She said they might have literally grown from the life his body would temporarily supply from the barren ground. Since the planted, but malnourished, flowers and foliage in the area found something living in its forever-dead ground, they might have found enough life support from his body to suck out and grow into beautiful flowers. Sango knew it was barely possible, but it was something she would like to believe for now.

The day these flowers would wither and die…would that mean Bankotsu is taking his life force back?

Sango laughed at her musings, trying to keep her mind off the pain. It had taken a good day and half a night to get to Bankotsu's grave, when it usually only took a day walking slowly—but the demon had slowed her down.

Beside her were a sack of bread and a few canteens of water—something she usually brought on her weekly visits to Bankotsu.

Kirara was on her master's other side, knowing the duration Sango would stay in this spot, even if she did have a wound. Her mistress would loyally, although most stubbornly, stay rooted to this seat in front of the man's grave. The neko hoped Sango would take the bandages she had taken with her and use them…but Kirara could only hope.

Looking back to her mistress's eyes, she saw an almost hopeless look wash over her face.

Sango closed her eyes and pressed harder into her stomach, the point to stop the blood was forgotten.

"Why am I so drawn to you, Bankotsu? You're dead."

The word dead rung in her mind over and over…echoing off the walls of her conscious, like it always did.

Seven years later and the only thing that changed were the lack of tears at Bankotsu's grave. 'He never did like it when women cried.'

Sometimes she would rest her back on the back of his gravestone. The taijiya told herself it was like old times…sitting back to back like that…

"Oi! Sango…there you are."

She turned her head and looked over her shoulder, seeing her new traveling companion stand behind her.

"C'mon, Kagome made some ramen." Bankotsu grabbed her shoulder, a goofy smile on his hungry face. Unfortunately, she wasn't all that hungry.

"It's all right, I think I'm going to sit here and…think for a while more."

"…Think?" Letting go of her shoulder, he stood straight. Not hungry? She hadn't eaten all day…

Sango nodded and turned back to the field before of her. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, ankles touching. She let her hands hold themselves in her lap while she kindly waited for Bankotsu to leave…if he was leaving. Her eyes roved over the land, watching the grass sway like water and wind.

He too looked, but found nothing. With that, he turned around and walked back towards camp. The mercenary's lack of words surprised the woman a bit, but she let it go. It was what she had hinted at, after all. Maybe she had said it rudely? Did she give off the atmosphere of being alone? The woman wondered.

During their traveling, Sango had noticed Bankotsu's character. He was so different than she had always expected him to be. Besides being the blood thirsty leader of the Band of Seven mercenaries—he was naïve, and childlike at times. He didn't have the best speaking or writing skills, and was a bit slow at times. But he was a good fighter, as well as being light-hearted and carefree. Her mind began to wander to Bankotsu instead of her former thoughts, even though she knew she had to think of the past.

"Tonight," She smiled, breathing in the fresh air as a gust flew by while she brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. "I just don't really care…"

Suddenly feeling heat on her back and feel of another surface leaning on her, Sango turned wearily.

"Me neither."

The back of Bankotsu's head and neck were what Sango saw as he sat back to back with her.

"Let's just relax…"

She was handed her bowl of food before he started downing his own in a heap of quick gulps. Sango turned forward once again, holding the bowl of steaming ramen in her delicate hands.

If she concentrated hard enough on Bankotsu, she could feel him breathing as their backs leaned against each other. Once he had surprisingly finished his food so quickly, the young man looked up at the stars, as if he had all the time in the world.

She let her head rest on her knees, trying to almost ignore the extra company. She didn't go back to her thoughts of him, because she felt embarrassed—as if he could hear them. Without warning Sango felt his back follow her as she leaned down, just as though they were connected.

"H-hey…" Bankotsu unexpectedly leapt off her back and twisted his body to face her. She too turned to see what was wrong…

Bankotsu looked into her eyes, only to see a confused look glazed on her eyes. He sighed.

"Obviously, you've never leaned on someone before...have you?"

"…"

Before she could think up an answer, he grabbed her shoulders and made her face forward again.

"When you agree to sit back to back, you cant just lean forward on your own…you have to remember you're supporting someone else too you know." Bankotsu chuckled. His hands guided her to sit straight.

"If you sit straight, you can support the person behind you." His hand then traveled between her shoulder blades, the heat from his hand made her blush slightly.

"But if you only support the person behind you, that's not exactly relaxing." His hand massaged her back subtly, and soon, her shoulders dropped and she didn't feel the tension that made them square up all the time. She felt…relaxed. Her back was slacker now.

"There ya go." The hand on her back disappeared after he gave her a reassuring pat and she almost froze up again, but she felt Bankotsu's back rest on hers.

"And if I do the same…" He rested himself. "Then we can both relax. See?"

Sango felt herself nod.

"If you lean too much towards yourself, I'll just go back with you and lean all my weight on you, and I'll slack off. If you lean too much on me…well, my back will hurt."

She noticed his voice had gotten serious suddenly.

"Don't only support yourself, support me too. I will support you, as well as myself. Got it?"

"…I got it." She replied in a timid voice.

Bankotsu smiled, he felt the humor in his voice come back to him. "Now…let's say you unexpectedly gained 500 pounds…"

Sango laughed as her hand humbly covered her mouth.

Bankotsu also laughed, but not because he thought it funny. "Hey don't laugh, I'm trying to be serious here…" Her laughs were just so enjoyable. Bankotsu liked to secretly think that he was the only one to make her laugh like that.

Stifling her chuckles, she smiled as she motioned for him to continue. "Go on."

"Well, as I was saying, if you had suddenly gained 500 pounds, and I didn't know anything about it, it would suddenly become extremely hard to support you, don't you think? I'd be trying to support a normal weighted woman when I was really supporting an extra 500 pounds. That's insane."

"But maybe…if I knew I was supporting 500 pounds, it'd be a lot easier to support you."

She wondered what he was going with this.

"It's hard to support you if I don't know what's wrong, y'know."

Sango's eyes suddenly looked a bit downcast, understanding.

"So how about it? Tell me. What's got you down?" Her replied over his shoulder.

Sango remembered how his eyes looked that night. They looked…free. Carefree. Slacked. Relaxed. Eased. Much different from what her eyes might have looked like.

She noticed Kirara's alarmed look when Sango collapsed onto Bankotsu's grave. It was the blood, she had lost a lot, even if it was starting to heal.

They said it wasn't respectful to drop blood on a grave of a loved one, but Sango knew she wouldn't be able to help it.

As her eyes fluttered closed, she continued to remember how that night had ended.

Sango took another long breath, concluding her pains and worries. She was silent. Was she awaiting a response? Or was she wishing to not hear one, knowing what he would try to do.

"Boy, Sango, you're a mess." He replied with a rueful chuckle. And that's all he said.

Surprise couldn't even begin to explain what she felt. No words of remorse, and no phrases of comfort she was so used to hearing after explain a bit of her problems.

And ever so suddenly…she felt like…laughing. That's exactly what she wanted to hear. No remorse, no consolation, no tries of changing her thoughts. It was perfect and enlightening to hear.

'Thank you…'

Time passed from then and they continued to sit back to back, either staring or relaxing. Either way it was fun.

Sango had noticed he was leaning more on her bit by bit. She didn't want to say anything, even when his head rested on her shoulder as he looked up at the sky, but like he said—her back was starting to hurt.

"Uh…Bankotsu?"

No reply.

"Bankotsu…"

Silence.

She coughed, rather loudly.

Cricket.

Finally turning her head, she found his eyes shut and his mouth slightly ajar—sleeping.

She laughed under her breath; "You've got to be joking." She whispered.

Sighing, the woman let him rest on her back fully as she looked up at the sky. Her knees went back to her chest as her arms hugged them so now her back didn't hurt as she supported him.

"You've always been supporting me, you know, Bankotsu. I think tonight I'd like to support you. Sleep all you want, you can lean and I'll support." She muttered low under her breath to the sleeping Bankotsu. Her own eyes fluttered closed.

"Sounds like a deal, Sango."

Soon, she went unconscious. The sounds of Kirara mewing in the background turned silent. Or maybe it was just her ears becoming deaf.

For her, it would be shameful to collapse her bloody self on his innocent looking grave. Especially since it was the anniversary of his death that day…

7 Years.


Tsubaki sighed as he ruffled his hair. Looking to Ayase, he saw her humbly sewing her brother's shirt.

"So?"

"So what, Tsubaki?"

"Should I go?" He let his hand rest on the cot's arm support. "To pick her up."

Her eyes continued to concentrate on the cloth in her hands. "It's only been 4 days"

"I told her I'd get her in 3. She usually comes back before I even leave the village."

"Are you worried?"

His serious look suddenly turned into a scoffing one. "Che. Yeah, I'm so worried for the most powerful being in this village." 'But she had left Hiraikotsu here…'

Her eyes darted to him briefly. "Then shut up."

Glaring at his friend, Tsubaki huffed.

Ayase was the other friend of Sango who she could trust. Ayase, Tsubaki knew, was a strong woman, though she didn't look it. She had been training under Sango long after the said woman had stopped teaching Tsubaki's group. Ayase always sported clothes much too big for her, and absolutely hated the Demon Slayer suit she was required to wear when slaying. She had adorned short black hair and unusually bright green eyes. Her logic held no bounds, and always had her head focused. Well, unless she was drunk. She was a horrible drunkard. Tsubaki would know…

"Listen," Ayase looked back to her sewing. "Sango has been out of it for a while—"

"She's always out of it."

"More than ever, and I know you've noticed. She's eating less and…she's starting to forget a lot."

Looking towards the floor, Tsubaki nodded. He had definitely noticed…

"The council has another meeting—have you forgotten?" The smaller girl replied, a comical look adorned on her features. By the looks from it, it seemed that Sango has done this many times before.
--
"Ah, Sango…I thought you weren't talking to me anymore…" He noted with a chuckle. Sango noticed it sounded more mocking than relieved...like he should be.

"Buuutt…" Finally looking her in the eye, "I guess—" Out of no where, Sango felt him flick the bridge of her nose. She loathed when he did that. It actually hurt! "You forgot."
--
There were people bustling around the streets here, and she wondered what was going on…it was quite populated. Many women in nice kimonos and men looked excited and happy. Was today special…? Sango couldn't remember.
--
Tsubaki laughed as she slapped away his hand. "What festival?"

Shock.

"…You're saying you totally forgot about the Village-Anniversary festival?"

She continued to look at him questioningly.
--

"Yeah, I've noticed."

"She probably has a lot of stuff on her mind. She'll get back to normal…you know this happens once a year. Around the same time…" Ayase noted, finishing the hem on her brother's clothes.

"Yeah…"

"AYASE-NEE-CHAN!"

"COMING!" She looked to Tsubaki, "Sorry, please excuse me."

He shooed her away as he rolled his eyes at her politeness.

Letting his chin rest on his supporting fist, Tsubaki wondered just what he should do. Ayase hadn't exactly answered his question.

If he did go get her, he knew for a fact that Sango would be pissed off again. If he didn't go and at least check up on her… what if she was dead?

'But then you'd get the village…tehehe—' Tsubaki smacked his own head at the foolish thoughts. Sango would definitely come back as a ghost to make sure he lived a horrible life.

The image of her ghost following him EVERYWHERE began to cloud his mind. She came with him to the store, making funny faces at him, screwing him up on missions…messes up his flawless pick-up lines with the women.

'What if she drives away the ladies…'

Once Ayase walked back in, she realized Tsubaki had a terrified look on his pale face, as well as being completely unmoving and frozen.

"Er, Tsubaki? There are outsiders at the gate. They need your approval to let them in…"

He shook his head before standing up. "Sorry. Let's go."

She continued to glaze at him with an interested look. 'What was that about?'


Once at the gate, Tsubaki and Ayase opened it together. After it was opened, Tsubaki saw who had come to visit.

"My, my, what unfortunate timing." Tsubaki smirked.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" Inuyasha stated roughly. He was obviously in a bad mood.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome berated under her breath. Before she could apologize, Ayase spoke up.

"Sango has left to the grave."

"Who's?" Shippou piped up.

"She hasn't told—"

"Isn't it obvious?" Inuyasha cut Ayase off, answering Shippou's question.

Kagura's grave was in Kaede's village, and Sango wouldn't have to go far for Kohaku and her kin's grave. It was her wish for Bankotsu to be buried so far.

"Oh." He noted a bit solemnly.

Taro stepped up towards Tsubaki and Ayase with a smile, "Hey!"

Both adult's faces brightened.

"Hey Taro!" Ayase ruffled his hair.

"Yo, Taro! Where've ya been?" Tsubaki asked, raising the boy to sit on his shoulders.

"Okaasan dropped me off with Kagome and Inuyasha."

"And it's been a while since he came to us, so we were starting to get worried." Kagome finished, an apologetic smile adorned her features.

Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippou had stayed a while in the beginning of the village. They had even helped out with some of the training. Once Sango's village started to flourish steadily, they left. But Tsubaki and Ayase, who had befriended them a while back, look forward to their rare visits almost as much as Sango does.

"I see." Ayase answered. "Well you guys can stay here as you wait with us, if you like."

"Keh, no thanks."

"What? Our village too fancy for you?" Tsubaki smirked evilly at the half-demon.

Like always, Inuyasha quarreled with the guys the Inu-gumi always met up. Kagome sighed, again, thinking of all the times Inuyasha had 'fought' with Miroku, Kouga, and even Bankotsu. Of course, Kagome had figured out it was his way of making friends, and unlike girls—guys don't get to do all those 'close' things girls do to make them closer to each other. After a while, Kagome realized that Inuyasha always made friends with guys just as dangerous as he was. Miroku, with his Wind Tunnel. Kouga and his demonic wolf traits. Bankotsu as an assassin-mercenary. And now Tsubaki—the best demon slayer in the village, beside Sango and Taro, of course.

Kagome's eyes went north from Tsubaki's face to look at Taro sitting on his shoulders. He was small and young…but he did pack a good fight, Kagome had found out in the time he stayed with her and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha matched his smirk, "Like I'd want to breathe the same air as you, Tsu-BAKA!"

Both young women and younger boys sighed at the older men's antics.

"Hey Shippou? How about you and Taro stay with Ayase and Tsubaki while me and Inuyasha go find Sango." Kagome knew waiting was out of the question for both Inuyasha and herself.

"Alright."

Inuyasha seemed relaxed then. "I don't have to carry two extra brats…how nice."

Shippou and Taro just stuck their tongue out at the half demon.

"You guys are leaving now?"

"Yeah." Kagome answered, adjusting the bow on her back. "Hopefully we won't be long."

"Alright, good luck." Ayase stated before Kagome got on Inuyasha's back.

Tsubaki watched from slightly narrowed eyes. He…sort of wanted to go. "Bring her back quickly."

Inuyasha smirked. "Don't look so serious, Tsubaka. She's fine, just late." That was the last thing he said before he ran off.


"Will she be okay, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was now returning to the Demon Slayer Village, hoping to make it in time for Sango to survive.

How long had she been lying there?

What had cut her?

Why had she even got hurt in the first place? She had improved her fighting so much…

After Inuyasha had outright ignored her, Kagome silenced. Sango was now in Inuyasha's arms, for she would surely fall off if she sat on his back. Kirara graciously let Kagome ride her, but Kagome noticed Kirara continuing her long looks at Sango's limp form.

Inuyasha's mind went back to the sight he had met when he and Kagome first found Sango. He knew the image was burned into his mind—for it was fairly unusual.

Imagine…a woman laying face downward in a piercing white kimono, blood soaked all around her middle. Her long russet hair was splashed around her inert body. In front of her laid a gravestone, flowers all around. But the weirdest thing was, that the flowers that used to be growing wildly around the grave were…dead. Not all of them, only a perfect circle, as if someone had personally killed each flower, around the grave and Sango were dead. Everything else outside of the circle was still living and flourishing.

It was strange…

Kagura's words came back to haunt him. Her little story about the flowers living off of Bankotsu's living body echoed in his mind. He shook his head. Impossible.

Looking down at the body of his friend, Inuyasha noticed how restless she looked. Her eyebrows were knotted in frustration and there was still sweat clinging to her. Glancing at the open wound, Inuyasha remembered how Kagome had tried to clean it. But because Sango was facing down, dirt invading the wound was inevitable. Her blood had probably soaked through the ground…

"I hope she will, Kagome."

Startled, for Kagome thought he wasn't even paying attention, she nodded. "Me too…"


There was hysterical laughing...it echoed off of everywhere.

Blood…

It was dark, and the flames only made it more frightening. But the fright had only stayed for a little while when he had first arrived.

The cold brisk of the fire reminded him. His consequence…

Killing, over and over. No death.

Walking away as he continued to laugh, he pulsed.

He ignored it…but it just came back. He pulsed again.

Looking down to his torn and ragged form, he watched it start to glow…

Others around him stared before shielding their eyes.

Widened eyes and groping at the head, he watched his body start to disappear—feet first.

What was happening?

A masculine scream later, he was gone…


Sango snapped out of her state, sitting up.

"Okaasan!"

She heard people start rushing to her in a heap of colors from the corner of her eye…but all she could see was her dream start evaporating.

"…Bankotsu…"


Holding his breath, his hand shot up once more in a desperate climb. What surprised him was that the hand felt…cold all of a sudden. And wet. What was this feeling…?

The hand groped around before grasping onto the rather slippery Earth. Soon, the other hand was also clinging and before he knew it—he could breathe again.

With his masculine arms, he pushed out of the ground until his torso was free. There, he slouched down with his elbows holding him up so he didn't face-plant into the ground, opening his eyes. His vision was met with wet-looking ground, and he felt his exposed back being pelted by something cold. Or was it wet as well? It was too freezing to recognize the difference.

In deep labored breaths, he continued to pull himself fully out until he was lying on a patch of withered flowers. On his stomach, he felt the soggy ground below him for the first time in years…

Turning over, the man gazed at the dark sky, seeing water fall and pelt his face. Even so, he reached his hand upward, as if trying to grab the water.

What was this?

Falling water…from the sky?

"…Rain." It's been a while since he's even heard the word.

He sat up, wondering where he was, what was he doing there, and what everything else was.

His azure eyes shifted to something protruding form the ground, due to the rain. Crawling over to it, the man pulled it out fully from the ground. It was a sort of package, wrapped in the same sack he had to crawl out of. He opened it, finding an interesting outfit. There was cloth, like regular clothing—but there was also armor. He rather liked the mix of grey, dark blue and white…

Remembering that he had felt something else in the ground when was digging, the man let his hands search the muddied ground once again. He felt the same rough material over something very angular and long.

It had taken a while to pull out, but he finally did, and when he did it surprised him.

"A...halberd?"

Something seemed very familiar. Stealing another glance at the clothing and the large sword, flashes of a memory came back to him.

His eyes flickered wide when he realized where he had come from…and what he was doing here, now.

Trying to grab the halberd by the blade, he felt a sudden pain shoot through his hand. He reflexively dropped the sword onto the ground and heard it splash. But what got more of his attention was the red substance flowing from his finger…

"Blood." That was something he'd never forget.

Watching it drip down his hand and mix with the rain, the man started feeling…strange. There was a sudden urge…to see more blood.

Dismissing it with a shake of his head, he bit down on the cut as it continued to bleed—for it wasn't exactly shallow. The coppery taste of blood in his mouth…

He crashed to his knees, gripping his head. What was this sudden urge for blood he was feeling?

It took a while longer to calm down from the shock, but the man continued to drift back to the red substance on his forefinger.

Grabbing the sword by the hilt and dragging it along as the package of clothes was tucked under his arm; the man went into the trees to find a shelter from the rain for the night.


(gives surprised look!)

Sorry for lateness. Again. (cries) And mistakes (Wails)

Did you guys hear 'Come' the ending song of Inuyasha now-a-days? Looovee it! (Come -- Namio Amuro)

To Crimson Kaoru: Thanks for the review—I appreciate that you told me what you thought needed fixed in a nice way. Thank you! I tried to fix my summary—if you DO read this chapter, please tell me if it's improved or not. Plus I also fixed the domo-dono thing. Hehe thank you!

And thank EVERYONE ELSE who reviewed—you guys seriously make me cry with your nice reviews. (Tear)