My Fair Hanyou
Disclaimer: I do not own, or make any money from, the stories of Inuyasha.
All Inuyasha characters are the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi, Sunrise and Viz
All original characters belong to me.
Chapter Two
Miroku
Miroku tread carefully through the forest, his eyes trying to focus to the darkness. The towering trees seem to close in on him. His mind compared it to what he believed the Meidou Zangetsuha must be like - a black hole of emptiness. He stopped and listened. He heard leaves rustling and other nerve-wracking sounds. What he couldn't hear was Sango's sobs. He figured she must have traveled further into the words.
Lightning flashed above him and thunder rolled across the sky like herds of horses running off to battle. He said a prayer that the storm would hold off until he found Sango. That was not his fate as the clouds opened up and rain poured down in buckets, drenching him to the very bone. He shivered at the chill and tried to speed up, hoping he could find her in such a torrential storm.
He didn't know how long he had traveled when he finally reached the old swinging bridge. The ground had turned to a quicksand-like substance and his every move was hindered. He was cold, wet, and crying. He had to find Sango - or die trying.
He knew she could have gone in any direction in the forest or she could have found someplace to ride out the storm. Being a trained taijya, she knew how to live off the land. Still, his heart told him to push forward, so, he crossed the bridge carefully.
Crossing the swinging bridge in a torrential downpour is not an easy task. The howling wind caused the bridge to swing wildly from side-to-side and the rain made every step slick. Only the bright flashes of lightning helped him see his way across. Reaching the other side, Miroku sent up a silent prayer of thanks to Buddha, as he rested against a pine tree.
Breathing heavily, Miroku started his search anew. He called out her name, knowing full well it was futile over the pounding rain. He stopped for a moment, why, he did not know. The huge lightning bolt that hit a tree, not 7 feet in front of him, answered his question. He gulped hard as he rubbed his arms to ride himself of the feeling of electricity that had run up and down his body. He was positive that, if his hair wasn't drenched, it would be standing up on end.
The lightning bolt had also revealed something else. After Miroku recovered from the shock, he remembered hearing a shocked scream mere moments after the strike. The next flash revealed the owner of the scream. His eyes focused on Sango's drenched figure.
He ran up to where he had seen her, climbing over the downed tree, still smoking from its violent death. He ran up to his wife and grabbed her, holding her in an embrace tightly, like he would die if he let her go. She sobbed into his chest. Sobs of fear, sadness, regret, loss. He ran his hand over her black hair, whispering in her ear,
"Don't apologize. I understand. Shhh. Sango. Really. I love you. I will never stop loving you. I don't want anymore children. I just want you with me forever. Please, I beg of you. I can't live without you."
Sango's body was racked with sobs and her body shook from them, along with the coldness and wetness that had penetrated her. Miroku rubbed her back up and down, trying his best to comfort her. He finally felt her body stop shaking and her sobs quiet down,
"Are you positive, Miroku?", she asked.
He cupped her pretty face in his hands, "I've never been more sure about anything else in my life. Other than wanting you to marry me."
He kissed her and his heart jumped with joy when she responded. He proceeded to place kisses all over her face. They laughed at the gesture and at their pitiful looking selves,
"Let's go home, Sango."
She nodded, "Yes, let's."
--
Kagome stared at the wall, watching the lightning dance across it. She shivered at the rain pounding on the roof. It had been too long, far too long, since Miroku had left them. Her mind raced with fear,
"They're probably waiting out the storm.", she heard Inuyasha say.
She turned her head to look at him. He was on his right side, his arm under his head,
"You're awake?"
He turned over onto his left side,
"You think I could sleep with you up worrying?"
She smiled at his attempt to hide his concern for Miroku and Sango,
"I'm sorry for keeping you awake, Inuyasha."
"Pfft. Don't worry 'bout me. I don't need the sleep. It's you I'm concerned about."
He pulled her into his arms and she turned to her left side. He laid his head gently on hers as his hand rubbed her right arm. She so much wanted to close her eyes and sleep but, she was afraid. Very afraid.
Inuyasha understood her feelings. He had been worrying about their friends, too. It took every ounce of willpower he could muster to remain in bed beside Kagome and not run out and hunt for them. He wanted to find them and return them to the safety of the village, knowing full well his hanyou strength was far superior to any human. He also was well aware of another fact. With absolutely no idea which direction either of them had gone, the heavy rain would have washed their scents away and he would be just as helpless as the next human. He tightened his grip around Kagome.
--
Sango stared at the swing bridge,
"It wasn't swinging that badly when I crossed it the first time.", she said, her voice filled with fear.
"Don't worry. I'll be right beside you. I won't let you go.", he whispered to her.
They began crossing the bridge together. Miroku noticed the wind had gotten stronger. He silently wondered if they were on the fringes of a cyclone. They held onto the ropes and each other and slowly made their way across. The bridge began to sway harder, knocking them off balance, and forcing them to hold onto the walkway. Working against the wind and rain, they managed to get up on their feet again. They were determined to make it across. Together.
The other side was in their sights. Miroku sighed happily,
'We're gonna make it.', he thought.
The sky lit up with another flash of lightning and the thunder boomed overhead. They never heard it.
CRACK!
The wood plank underneath them gave way. Sango had made it to the next plank, but, Miroku's feet fell through. He dangled from the bridge, his hands holding onto the plank holding Sango,
"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!", he screamed.
"MIROKU! NOOOO!", Sango screamed, falling to her knees.
She grabbed his wrists,
"Grab my wrists!", she screamed out, unsure whether he heard her.
On sheer instinct, when Sango grabbed his wrists, he grabbed hers. His life lay in her hands. He swung underneath the bridge, the wind forcing his wildly changing movements. Sango attempted to pull him up, employing all her strength. Miroku tried not to look up to avoid the rain stinging his eyes. He tried to swing his legs up to get a foothold. He failed. He wanted to scream up to Sango to let him grab the wood plank, but, he knew she wouldn't hear him.
His body felt something. He couldn't register in his mind what it was. He looked up, blinking fiercely at the rain. Then he heard it. Very slight, but, still, he heard it. He knew now what it was. He swallowed, wondering why Buddha chose now to keep the thunder quiet. He screamed up at Sango,
"SANGO! RELEASE ME!"
"ARE YOU CRAZY? NO!"
"SANGO! THE PLANK YOU'RE ON ... IT'S BREAKING! LET ME GO! YOU MUST!"
Sango realized her predicament. If she stayed, they both would fall and surely die, leaving eight orphans at the village. She started crying again. How could she just release him and send her husband to his death?
Miroku answered that question for her. Realizing she wasn't releasing him, he released her wrists,
"MIROKU! NO! PLEASE!", she cried out to him.
"I LOVE YOU, SANGO. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT. AND TELL THE KIDS I LOVE THEM. TELL THEM ..."
He never got to finish. Sango lost her grip on him in the rain and she watched him fall,
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! MIROKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!", she screamed out his name.
Miroku closed his eyes,
'Sango. Never forget me. It's better this way. Buddha. I entrust my life to you, now. Father. I will see you soon.'
Sango stared into the depths in disbelief. Her sobs racked her body. She crawled to the safety of the cliff,
"DAMN YOU, MIROKU! HOW COULD YOU! HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME ALL ALONE?"
She wrapped her arms around herself and rocked against a tree. Her mind began chastizing her,
'If you hadn't run away tonight, he would still be alive. It's all your fault that he's dead!'
She felt helpless. Her gaze went skyward, raindrops rinsing her face of the tears. She saw a small, white demon flying through the sky,
"Of course! Inuyasha! He can find Miroku!", she remembered.
She stood up and raced, as fast as she could in the mud, back to the village.
--
Inuyasha paced in the main room of the house. After a particularly loud thunderclap, Kagome had jumped out of bed, frightened. Now, she sat on the floor, legs crossed, face in her hands. He smelled her fear and could taste the saltiness of her tears. He wouldn't admit it, but, he, too, felt dread.
He looked out into the rain. The sky was lightening up, signaling the approach of dawn. Rainclouds, however, still filled the sky with their blackness.
His eyes gazed through the village. He gasped and ran outside. Kagome heard him and scrambled to get up, following him. She, too, gasped at the sight that came into the village. Sango walked in, soaked and filthy with mud. As Kagome reached her, she could tell she was crying,
"Where's Miroku?", Inuyasha asked.
Sango managed to sob out,
"He ...f-f-fell ... off ... rope b-b-ridge..."
Sango fell into Kagome's grasp, sobbing and heaving. Kagome felt tears falling down her own face as she hugged her friend tightly. Inuyasha looked at Kagome and their eyes met. No words needed to be spoken as Inuyasha raced off into the trees.
Sango's daughters, Suki and Cho, witnessed the scene from the porch of Inuyasha's hut. Cho started crying and ran back inside to her brothers and sisters. Suki ran to her uncle's new hut,
"Uncle Kohaku! Uncle Kohaku! Wake up! Come quick!", she called, banging on the wall.
Kohaku opened the door, "Suki. What's wrong?"
Suki, sobbing, pointed to her mother in Kagome's arms. Kohaku raced over,
"Sister. What happened?", he plopped down beside Kagome in the mud.
Kagome relayed to him about the couples' fight last night and how Sango had run off and Miroku went after her,
"And then, when she returned, she said Miroku fell off the rope bridge.", she told him.
"The one on the other side of the forest?", he quizzed.
Sango nodded fiercely, "Y-y-yes."
Kohaku stood up, "KIRARA!"
The two-tailed ran up to him and transformed, knowing what was happening. Kohaku jumped on and she flew off over the forest.
Kagome stood up slowly, allowing Sango to rise with her,
"Let's go inside and get warm. I'll make you some hot tea and ..."
"N-n-n-no", Sango spoke "It's my fault what happened. How do I face my children, knowing I killed their father?", she sobbed.
"WHAT? Sango! Don't even think that! It is NOT your fault. It was an ..."
"Yes it is! If I hadn't run off last night this wouldn't have happened ..."
"You must not think that way. The children will NOT blame you and you mustn't blame yourself. Miroku was a highly religious man..."
"He made me let go of him. I had his wrists and he had mine. He wanted me to let go because the planks on the bridge were breaking ... and ...", she managed to get out.
"Sango, then it's definately not your fault. Miroku was a selfless man. He sacrificed his life so you could live and raise his children. Please, Sango. You have to stop blaming yourself. Your children need you. Now, more than ever."
Sango sniffed deeply and leaned on her friend. Kagome took that as a sign to proceed and walked into the hut with her.
--
Inuyasha started at the rope bridge and headed to the bottom of the cavern. He stared at the river. He wasn't sure if a human could survive such a fall, but, he had to go on the assumption that they would. He raced downriver, hopping from one side to the other. As the river branched out, he followed, first one branch and then the other. He backtracked and searched everywhere he could think of searching. He stopped on a rock and looked around,
"Lord Inuyasha!", he heard his name called,
"Kohaku!"
Kirara landed on the rock beside him and Kohaku jumped off,
"Any success, my lord?"
"None. I haven't found him on any of the river banks. I'm afraid he may be under the water. I'm glad for your help, Kohaku. You take Kirara and search the northern tributaries. I'll search the southern ones."
"Right.", Kohaku agreed, re-mounting Kirara and flying off.
Inuyasha headed down the opposite direction.
--
Kagome walked out of her hut. The sun hung low in the sky. Nara had come over and collected her nieces and nephews and taken them back to their own home. Villagers, saddened by the news, brought food and condolences to the monk's hut. Kagome looked inside the hut. After Sango had gotten cleaned up and changed, Kagome had made her some food and tea. She knew she was being sneaky, but, she added some ground sage to Sango's food and brewed her a strong chamomile tea. Shinta unrolled a futon in the back room, lit some lavender incense and darkened the room. It wasn't long until Sango was relaxed and sleeping.
She turned her head back towards the forest,
'Inuyasha. Kohaku. Where are you?'
A flash of red was seen through the trees and Kirara came over the treetops. Kagome anxiously went over to them but, stopped in her tracks when she realized they were empty handed. Her hands covered her mouth and she shook her head in disbelief. She started sobbing. Inuyasha pulled her into an embrace,
"I'm sorry, Kagome. We found no sign or him."
Kohaku looked over at Inuyasha,
"Lady Kagome, where's my sister?"
"She's sleeping. In our back room. I have her drugged up pretty good. Nara has the children."
Kohaku nodded and headed off to his sister's house. Word soon spread throught the village of the monk's loss. Inuyasha refused to say he was dead,
"But, dad, you said before a normal human can't survive falls from a height like that.", Shinta mentioned at dinner.
"I did.", Inuyasha agreed, "But, Miroku isn't a normal human. I learned that years ago."
"You think, maybe ...?",Kagome trailed off.
Inuyasha took her hand, "Kohaku and I are going to continue to look for him. Once the area dries up, I should be able to track his scent, no problem."
Sango walked out from the back room, looking drowsy. Kagome stood up and took her into another room. Sango's anguished sobs echoed throught the hut. Kagome walked a crying Sango out of the hut and over to her own hut to be with her children. She returned and gathered some herbs and went back to Sango's hut. Nara greeted her as she entered,
"We appreciate everything you're doing for us, Lady Kagome."
"No need to thank me, Nara. Listen to me. Sango is going to need these herbs. I'll explain everything you need to do, ok?"
Nara nodded as Kagome gave her the instructions.
--
The next two weeks passed slowly. The loss of Miroku upset many in the village. After Kaede's death, he had become their most trust religious leader and now, he was gone. Kagome started easing off the sage and chamomile, allowing Sango proper time to grieve. Her own children tried to keep Miroku and Sango's kids entertained or, at the very least, provide a shoulder for comfort.
Inuyasha, Kohaku and Kirara never gave up. Starting at sunup, they headed out, returning near dusk. Other villagers helped with the men's lands, making sure crops were planted on time for the summer harvest.
On what would be there last day of the search, Kohaku said to Inuyasha,
"It's time to put Miroku to rest, Lord Inuyasha. My sister and the children need closure."
Inuyasha stared straight ahead, "I don't believe he's dead."
Kohaku shook his head, "It doesn't matter what you think. It's what Sango wants. And what his kids want. It's what Kirara wants. Not to mention the villagers."
Inuyasha knew when he was defeated, "Fine. I'll build a funeral pyre tomorrow. He deserves a warrior's funeral. It's symbolic, but, it's better than nothing."
"Thank you.", Kohaku said, softly.
--
After dinner, Inuyasha took Kagome for a walk. He told her Kohaku's wish and she agreed,
"There comes a time when you have to move on. Sango, Kohaku, Nara and the children need that. It's better this way, Inuyasha."
"I don't like it, Kagome. He survived Naraku and his wind tunnel. He survived Nishimura 6 years ago. And, he dies from a simple fall?"
"I wouldn't call it simple, Inuyasha."
"Compared to the wind tunnel?"
Kagome sighed, "Ok, I'll give you that one."
"I still refuse to believe he's dead, Kagome. My gut tells me otherwise."
She hugged him, "There's nothing wrong with that, Inuyasha. Especially, without a body. But, don't let it destroy your life. Please."
Inuyasha grunted and sighed. Kagome took his hand,
"After the funeral, why don't we go to my mother's? We all need to get away."
"What about Sango and the brats?"
"Kohaku, Nara and the villagers are still here."
Inuyasha looked at her and nodded. She smiled at him and they walked back to the hut.
--
Two days later, the villagers surrounded the empty funeral pyre. Sobs could be heard thoughout the crowd. Hachi and Mushin arrived on Kirara's back for the service. Hachi stared at the ground, never wanting to look at the pyre, even though it was empty. Even Shippou made it back to the village with Kirara's help, cutting short his reunion, in the northern mountains, with his father's newly discovered kin. In the back, Sesshoumaru and Jaken had come with Rin. Kagome wondered if he came on his own or if Rin had shamed him into it ... something only she could do to the daiyoukai.
Mushin was surprisingly sober and obviously torn apart. He delivered a tearful eulogy, committing the soul of his apprentice to Buddha's care. Kohaku spoke next, reminding everyone of the good that Miroku had done. Inuyasha stood up and lit the torch. He stared at the pyre, his mind remembering Kaede's funeral. He had hated that funeral. Hated the smell of burning flesh. He was glad the pyre was empty for a couple of reasons. The first, obviously, being his distaste for burning human flesh. The second, because, he truly believed Miroku lived.
He placed the torch amongst the kindling,
'I'll find you someday, my friend.', he promised to the air.
--
On a riverbank, deep into the western lands, a group of men were hauling their fishing boat out of the water. As one man stood up and clapped the dirt off his hands, he noticed something shortly upstream,
"Men!", he called, "What is that?", he pointed.
The men stared and then walked over to what he had pointed too,
"It's a man.", said one.
"Is he alive?", said another.
Another checked the water logged person, "He's badly hurt but, he's alive. Let's get him back to the village. Akihito, get a tarp. We don't need to be carrying a naked stranger into our village."