Miroku and Sango rode on to their destination in silence, both of their minds racing, thinking of what they might possibly be getting into and how best to handle it. Furthermore, it soon became apparent there were other issues they had to consider, most notably the whether, which was getting considerably worse. The falling snow was starting to increase, and was now swirling around them at a considerable pace. Whatever threat lay ahead of them would have to be handled fast.

As they closed in on their target, Sango was surprised to realize their path was leading them to one of the main dirt roads near town. This certainly didn't help explain things though. "Who on earth could be traveling down this road in such horrible weather at this hour?" She thought to herself. "There's nothing anywhere near this road that could provide any shelter for many miles. Nothing except...our home." Such thoughts did not allay her concerns one bit. There didn't seem to be any legitimate reason for anyone coming there at this time, let alone under such adverse conditions.

As soon as they got close, they dismounted and secured the horse to a tree. Then headed out to observe the scene using a clump of trees near the road as cover. What they observed caused their blood to chill. Even more so then the freezing weather around them. What they saw on the road was a caravan of three horse-drawn wagons, or at least what was left of them. All were broken and smashed, and two were on fire, a blaze so intense that the falling snow didn't hinder it one bit. And all around it was a scene of death. Dead horses and dead riders littered the scene. There was only one sign of life amid the wreckage. 8 of them to be exact. But this was not human or animal life, but an entirely different species altogether. One that immediately went into the minds of Sango and Miroku.

"Oni"

8 of the huge, lumbering troll-like demon monstrosities were shifting about amid the wreckage. One look at them was all the explanation they needed for the scene of destruction that lay before them. Though humanoid in body type, no one would mistake these monstrosities for humans, not with their bright red skin and sharp visible fangs. None were smaller then 10 feet tall, and they bore weapons far larger then anything a human could wield, large enough to make Sango's Hiraikotsu appear to be a child's toy by comparison. It was clear no mere human caravan stood the slightest chance against them, though Miroku was surprised to notice a few Oni corpses amid the human ones. "The team manning these wagons must have included at least some formidable warriors," he thought to himself. "Taking down an Oni with conventional weaponry is no small feat."

"Oni?" Sango whispered to Miroku as loud as she dared. For once the terrible weather conditions were giving them an advantage. The swirling winds and snow ensured the nearby demons had no chance of sensing them. Not even Inuyasha could have picked up their scent under these conditions. "What on earth are they doing here? We purged this area of all demon threats long ago. How could they have a lair here without our knowledge?"

Miroku was just as perplexed. "How indeed? And that's not the only mystery before us. Why were these wagons traveling down this road at such an ungodly hour, and in such frigid conditions? I can't see any reason they would be coming to our village, and even if they were, why not come during the day?"

Sango shook her head and started to pull the Hiraikotsu off her back. "I don't know, none of this makes sense. But we can worry about that later. Now that we know what we're up against, it's time to put an end to them. None of these demon scum are going to leave here alive!"

Miroku put a hand on his wife's shoulder in a gesture of caution. "Slow down Sango, we're doing no such thing."

"What? You can't be serious," replied Sango in a surprised tone. "Look what they did to these poor people!"

"I know. I hate to sound callous here, but it's not our problem or our fight. They're all gone now. There's nothing we can do for them. We're not going to risk our necks just for the sake of corpses."

This didn't seem to reassure Sango at all. "But you said it yourself, they're too close to our home to be ignored."

"Indeed they are," Miroku explained. "If they make even slightest movement in that direction, we're taking them on without a second thought. But if they don't, if they go off somewhere else, we're going to let them. There's just two of us, Sango, and 8 of them. And they can handle the adverse weather better than we can. Regardless of our skill, I'm not liking those numbers."

"So we should just let them go and hope they never come back?"

"Of course not. Well track them down to their lair first thing in the morning. With Inuyasha. And Kagome. And maybe a few dozen town militiamen just to be safe. And hopefully the weather will let up a bit by then also. Don't you see? There may not be any need to fight them at such an unfavorable position. All we're going to do for now is observe them and hope for the best."

Sango nodded her head and relaxed her grip on the Hiraikotsu. "You're right...I'm sorry Miroku. I let the moment get the better of me."

Miroku found himself smiling as he responded. "You say that as if your firey spirit isn't the reason i love you. But we're not going to risk taking those terrors by ourselves on without a damn good reason. Avenging unfortunate travelers isn't it. Just rest assured, if they make even the slightest turn toward the village, we're not letting them get any further.

"Agreed. But we need to be ready to fight them if it comes to that. You take position on that hill to the east," said Sango, pointing in the distance. "It should give you full view of the area and it will be a good spot to engage. I'm going to sneak in for a closer look."

Miroku shook his head. "Whoa hold on a second, Sango. I thought we agreed on no unnecessary risks. We can observe them just fine from back here."

"Don't worry," Sango assured him. "I won't let myself get detected. I've done close range observation of far more crafty and nimble demons before. I can handle these lumbering brutes. This could be important. If I can get close enough to hear their conversations, it might give us a clue of what they are doing out here, where they are going next, or maybe even where their lair is. That could save us a lot of trouble. If nothing else, I might at least be able to find out how long they are going to stay out here. Certainly you've noticed how bad the whether is getting. What if they are planning to stay out here for a long time? We can't just sit here watching them all night. The frigid winds could force us to leave before they do, and if we leave without learning any of those things, it would put us at a serious disadvantage."

Miroku cursed himself inwardly. As much as he hated the idea of Sango sneaking up the Oni hoard by herself, he could find no flaws in her logic. Her plan and reasoning were perfectly sound. "Alright...Sango, you know I'll always trust you, just be careful out there. If there is even the slightest risk of being sighted before you get into earshot, just forget the whole thing and come back. We have other options, and they are a lot more preferable to taking on so many formidable opponents by ourselves."

"I understand," Said Sango. "But we need to be ready all the same. Just take your position and if we need to engage them, let me make the first move."

"Why you?"

"Because my weapon is almost completely silent," Sango pointed out. "That firestick of yours makes enough noise to wake the dead. The moment you use it they will know where to find you. Better to start with the quiet attack first. The best way to overcome their numbers is by sowing as much panic and confusion as possible. So it's best for you to hold back until I've already torn into them. Let them be the ones to experience fear this time. They will be as potent a weapon as anything else we have."

Miroku nodded. "Fine, but let's try not to let it come to that. Just get as close as you need to get, find what you want to hear, and come back here. Immediately. There's a warm fire and three children back home waiting for us, and it's starting to get more appealing every second."

"It's no less appealing to me, I assure you. Now get in position, it's time to get this done."

With that, they went their separate ways, with Sango closing in on the Oni group while Miroku rushed into position on the nearby hill. As soon as he arrived, he could tell Sango's choice of positioning was quite wise. The trees provided excellent cover, while the hill itself provided a perfect view of the entire scene. "Good choice Sango," Miroku thought to himself. "If it wasn't for the reloads, I could probably pick off every one of them from here."

Finding the spot on the hill that offered the best amount of cover and available view, Miroku primed his pistols for immediate use. Then he planted his staff in the ground, unslung his snaphance and placed the firearm through the center loop on top, using it stable firing port. Now ready to fire if necessary, he relaxed his grip slightly and waited for Sango move in.

"Alright you Oni scum, you did your bloody deed." Thought Miroku silently. "Just do whatever you still need to do and leave us in peace."

Suddenly another thought popped into his mind. One he realized he probably should have pondered earlier. "Say...I wonder how those two wagons ended up on fire..."

Weaving deftly around various positions of cover as she closed in on her target, Sango felt her blood pulsing, so much that it was nearly enough to make her forget about the freezing snow and howling winds. In her younger years, she would have enjoyed this work. The danger, the stakes, the ability to put years of training into practice. But that was another time. Heck, it was practically a lifetime ago. Now things were different, and so much more was at stake then her own life and her fellow slayers. This was not what she had planned on when she had agreed to follow her husband out at night into the unknown, and certainly not what she had prepared for. She had neither the optimal clothing nor equipment for close range observation of such numerous and deadly foes. But she had no regrets about her insistence on getting in close. This had to be done. For the sake of her village...her home.

She was getting closer now. Close enough to pick up the voices of the demons in her midst. Sango paused for a moment to strap on her gas mask and smiled as she saw the Oni clumsily lumbering about in front of her. They had no idea she was there. They weren't even taking any precautions against the possibility of an attack.

"Of course they wouldn't. Who would be crazy enough to take on these monstrosities under such horrid conditions? Who else but us?"

Finally she noticed an idea spot for concealed observation. A large rock formation very close to the road. Stealthily weaving her way from one obstacle to the next in her path in order to avoid being spotted, Sango made her way there and crouched low behind the boulders, hoping this would be enough to make out their dialogue, as it was clear there way to be no way to get any closer then this position.

Peeking out behind her cover, Sango got her first good look at the demons before her. Even for someone like Sango, a hardened veteran who had dealt with nearly every type of demon imaginable, they were enough to make her heart skip a beat. With their massively muscled bodies, firey red skin, and gargantuan weapons, they presented a terrifying prospect for any potential foe. The only comfort she could find was that they wore no armor, indeed one would be hard pressed to find a blacksmith who could make it in their size, but this was small consolation, as even with mere bare skin, the Oni could easily withstand injuries that would down even mightiest warriors.

Fortunately Sango found she had no problem making out their voices from her current location. After all, Oni were infamous for many things, but one of them wasn't being quiet.

"You damn fool!" She heard one of them shout. "We were just supposed to wipe out the crew, not the wagons along with them! You burned up the majority of the spoils!"

"Couldn't be helped", she heard another voice reply. "These supposedly meek humans put up one hell of a fight. No one told us this caravan would be so well defended."

"Is that what you are going to tell him? That these lowly humans with their blades and bows forced our hand? I don't think he will find this satisfactory."

"Let him complain to the high heavens for all I care. I'm not afraid of him. If he wants better results he can come out here himself. The lord's become a petty tyrant ever since we joined up. Sending us out here in this wretched weather after a few measely wagons. This is totally unworthy of our stature!"

Sango was baffled by what she was hearing. Who was this person, and why had he sent them here, after a few traveling wagons late at night? It seemed a surprisingly large amount of effort for an act of a common brigand gang. So far all she was learning only provided her with even more questions. Desperate to know more, Sango peeked out a bit further from the rocks, now getting a full view of the Oni, the wrecked wagons, and the overall scene before her.

"Oh enough of your drivel. Hopefully he'll be satisfied the deed is...", suddenly the Oni was cut off by a shout from one his companions.

"Hey look at this! We're not alone out here. Got ourselves some live ones!"

The statement hit Sango like a title wave. Had they spotted her? How? She had taken every possible precaution. Perhaps her long absence from demon slaying had degraded her skills after all. Either way it made no difference. She immediately pulled the Hiraikotsu off her back and readied it for a throw when suddenly a different Oni spoke up, with a mixture of both annoyance and sarcasm.

"What are babbling about, you worthless wretch? Has our little tussle out here got you seeing ghosts in the trees?"

"It's the humans. I see movement among the ruins. It seems a few of them still have the spark of life."

"Fucking parasites! They can't even die properly! We'll certainly take care of that. Gather round boys. It's time to finish this job. If you see any sign of life, snuff it out immediately."

"With pleasure", a different Oni replied. "After what they did to our comrades, this is going to be extremely satisfying."

Sango watched in stunned silence as all the Oni started clustering around the wrecked wagons. Her initial relief upon discovering she hadn't been spotted was quickly replaced with utter horror as she realized what was about to happen.

"Survivors from the wagons? I can't let them die."

Once again Sango readied the Hiraikotsu for a throw. Fortunately for her, this new development had left the Oni completely open to attack. With their attention diverted and their bodies illuminated by the blazing fire, they made perfect targets. She was just about to let the massive boomerang fly when suddenly she hesitated, recalling what Miroku had told her.

"Good lord what the hell am I doing? This isn't our fight. I'm dragging myself and my family into a conflict I know nothing about. Am I really willing to go through with this?"

Then she thought of Miroku, up high on his perch on the hill. What would he think of her starting a battle now, after she had given him her word that she had only moved in to observe the Oni? She could easily imagine his reaction of shock and rage. Of course he didn't know about the survivors amid ruins. Maybe knowing the circumstances he would understand. But he didn't, and there was no way to inform him. The decision was now hers and hers alone, and she found herself completely overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all. However strategically sound her plan had been, it had put her in an extremely unenviable position.

"Those are human lives out there. And they're the only ones who can tell us what we're dealing with! Can I really sit do nothing and leave them to their fate?

The Oni were now clustered together amid the wreckage, and starting to raise their weapons, clearly intending to complete their bloody deed. Sango sighed deeply and readied herself for what lay ahead. The situation she found herself in was so sudden and overwhelming. Like the weight of the world had been dropped on her. But there was no more time to curse the terrible weather, the cruel fate, or the sadistic choice that had landed at her feet. A decision had to be made, and it had to be made now.