The day dawned sunny and bright, and everyone in the village was up early. Miroku was out and about, talking to the people as they started their daily chores. The monk enjoyed spending time at Sango's village. Being raised in a monestary, he grew up with only a few people about, and it was always very sombre. He loved Sango's village, where everyone knew everyone else, everyone seemed to get along, and there was a sort of buzzing harmony to all their movements and daily lives.
For their part, the villagers had taken to the monk right away. A great deal of that was the monk's own charming ways. His easy laughter and smile often made people feel more relaxed, more content with their daily lives. And it had become apparent, after the previous visit when Sango had been forced to fight for her honour and her village, that there seemed to be some sort of unspoken link between the young demon slayer and the monk. It was apparent they seemed very concerned about the other, fond of each other, perhaps more than fond.
The village had watched as Sango grew from a little girl to a strong, capable young woman, and it pleased them to see she seemed to have taken an interest in such a kindly young man. And better still, that that young man returned the interest.
And so people were more than happy to stop and talk to him, greeting him cheerfully, and welcoming him into the daily life of the village.
"..and you say it's tradition to go to this cave and greet an ancestor?"
"Oh yes," one elderly lady said, nodding. Her face was a wreath of wrinkles, that seemed to deepen and stretch when she smiled. Her eyes seemed yonug and bright, though, and twinkled when she talked, "It's been that way for many many years. I can remember when Sango's father was taken there as a babe. I was only a little girl then, but I remember it clearly. His father carried him all the way out there, and returned later in the day."
"Come now, certainly you couldn't possibly have been born back then, you are far too young!"
The old woman burst into joyful laughter, "Get away with you, I'm not that daft! Young men have tongues of silver, so my mother used to say."
"Your mother was probably right," Miroku laughed, "I suppose I'll see just what happens when we go out there today."
"Oh, no, you won't be going."
"Excuse me?"
The old woman shook her head, "It's a private thing. Only the parent of the newborn and the babe itself. If we hadn't lost young Sango's father, he would be the one taking the hanyou out there. But alas, we lost him, so it shall be our Sango. Just him and her."
"I see," Miroku gazed into the center of the village in thought. He had been hoping to see what this ritual consisted of, merely out of curiosity.
Perhaps it's just as well Sango is going with him. Somehow I highly doubt InuYasha would have let her father do this, no matter how badly Sango herself wanted it.
Something surfaced in his mind, and he turned to the old woman again.
"Excuse me, but I can't help but notice you said something in particular that interests me."
"Oh?"
"Yes. You called my friend "the hanyou". What is the general feeling of this adoption that will be going on?"
The old woman smiled, "Oh, we have no issues with it at all. I merely cannot remember his name...I cnnot remember my own name, some days! Sango has spoken much to us about him. If it had not been for him, Sango truly thinks she would not have been able to get revenge for her father. And she has told us that he has saved Kohaku and herself from some horrible fate, although she will not tell us what that fate was."
Her plan. To kill Kohaku, to release him, and then herself. Yes. It was InuYasha who saved them both from that. I think kind words would not have sufficed for her, at that time. She needed someone to be harsh, to shove reality in her face, to inspire that drive to never give up, never give in, in that manner that InuYasha seems to have.
"Well, I should let you be on your way, I don't mean to hold you up," he smiled at her, "I'm certain you have many young suitors awaiting your presence."
The old woman laughed again, delighted, "Crafty one! Nay, just my old husband, waiting me at home for his tea. Poor thing, his tea is the only thing that helps his digestion."
Miroku paused in his act of turning, and looked back at her, "And may I ask how long the two of you have been married?"
She smiled, "66 years now. 66 long, wonderful years, and raised seven children."
The monk smiled gently at her, "You have been blessed, then, with riches far greater than money."
The old woman smiled a strange, secret smile, "Time is wasting, young man. Don't delay too long."
"Er..what? I'm sorry?" Miroku blinked at her, startled, and feeling oddly on the spot.
But the old woman just laughed, and turned, and started on her way again.
Miroku watched her go, quiet, lost in thought. He sighed softly.
Yes. Time is wasting, I suppose. And who knows what this war may bring? But approaching her is no easy feat.
"Miroku?"
The monk gave a startled shout, spinning in place to see Kagome standing there, watching him. She blinked, moving back a step or two, "Whoa!"
"Ah, Kagome!" Miroku laughed, putting a hand to his chest, "I think you took three years off my life."
Kagome smiled, "Sorry. I was just wondering if you knew what time we were leaving for the cave?"
"Well," Miroku smiled. He startled Kagome by taking her arm and linking it with his, and started walking with her towards the visitor's hut, "It appears you and I shall have to spend our day amusing ourselves somehow."
Kagome, amused, let herself be walked along by her friend, "And what does that mean, exactly?"
"It means, apparently, that only Sango and InuYasha will be going to the cave. It is a private ritual, that only the adoptee and the adopter attend. That means you and I are on our own."
"Aww," Kagome said, "I wanted to see what was going to happen."
"As did I," the monk gave a greatly exaggerated sigh. Then he turned a very handsome, charming smile on her, "But I suppose you and I will have to amuse ourselves some other way. I think that a lovely young woman such as your self can think of something to lift my spirits, hmm?"
Kagome grinned, "Miroku?"
"Hmmm?"
"You want me to cook you breakfast, don't you?"
He made a face, "You do it so much better than I..."
****************************************************
Shortly after breakfast, Sango and InuYasha left to walk to the cave. Kohaku stayed behind, as Sango was the older of the two of them. Oddly enough, Sango asked Kirara to remain behind as well. She said she would prefer walking to the cave, giving her time to think.
They set out together, the demon hunter and the half-demon.
InuYasha was glad it was just going to be him and Sango. The less people there to see him possibly make an idiot out of himself, the better. Especially Miroku.
The monk always seemed to do everything right the first time.
As they left the village behind, Sango and InuYasha walked along together, neither speaking, but it was one of those comfortable silences that only family or close friends could make. InuYasha found himself wondering what part in this ritual he was supposed to do. At least he wouldn't have to make a speech or something. Not with one other person there.
"So..."
Sango turned her attention to him, and smiled, "Yes?"
"Am I...supposed to do anything?"
"What do you mean?"
"In this ritual...thing. Am I supposed to do anything?"
He looked so earnest, Sango laughed, "No, InuYasha, you don't have to do anything. Someone will just carve your initials alongside mine on the family shrine wall, and that will be that. You really don't have to worry about doing something wrong."
He nodded, looking relieved. Sango smiled to herself.
A year ago he would have been blustering all over the place, being cranky and ill-tempered. It's amazing the difference one year can make. And amazing what going through so much with a person can do.
"So," she said, smiling impishly at him, "how are you and Kagome doing?"
He blinked at her, almost tripping over a rock when he turned to look at her, "Huh!?"
Sango laughed, "You and Kagome. Things are going well between you?"
"Yeah...I guess," he said, a faint line of red across his nose and cheeks. He slid his hands up the opposite sleeve, trying to regain his decorum, "I mean, we're not fighting or anything, so that's good."
"Yes," she smiled, "That's good."
They walked on again in silence for a little, and then she spoke again, "I was so glad to see the two of you together again, that night. It made me happy."
InuYasha looked at her, slightly surprised, "It did?"
"Of course," Sango stepped delicately over an exposed root that crossed the road, "You are happiest when you're with her. And she's happiest when she's with you. You're both good for each other."
InuYasha stared at Sango as if she were some great sage, "Really? You think that?"
Sango nodded, her long hair swaying softly as she walked, "Of course. It's very plain to see, InuYasha. She's more content, and you are way more content. You were so upset when she...was...but now that you're together, well..."
InuYasha nodded, and glanced at her. When she smiled at him, he gave her a slight, shy smile, very rare for the hanyou, but slowly becoming more and more regular.
They walked on again a little, and InuYasha gazed at his feet as they walked. He found himself in a strange position, of wanting to talk to Sango. Just talk to her, explain things, maybe. He usually only felt that comfortable talking to Kagome, or lately, Izumi. It was strange, and weird, and he wasn't entirely sure what to do with it.
"I...Kikyo's alive, Sango."
Sango, walking along beside him, was just about to say, "Yes, I know," when she caught herself. The last thing she wanted was for InuYasha to discover it had been her that had followed him that night, and had seen the encounter between Kikyo and InuYasha. The one where InuYasha told Kikyo his place was with Kagome.
"She...she is?" she asked weakly.
InuYasha, still gazing at his feet in thought, just nodded, "Yeah. And she wanted me to go with her. Live with her."
Sango turned her attention to him, walking along beside him, watching his face, "Oh?"
InuYasha nodded again, and lifted his head, his gaze ahead on the path they were taking, "I told her no."
Silence.
After a second, he looked at her, that stubbron set to his face, as if he expected a fight, or questions, or just someone doing something he didn't expect.
Sango said nothing, just looked at him in silence for a second, then nodded, and looked ahead again, "Good."
They walked on again, in silence.
"Kagome found out, though," InuYasha said again.
Sango glanced to him, reading his face. It was apparent he had no idea how to even start talking about something this important, not out loud. He started and stopped so awkwardly, not sure how to proceed.
She said nothing, and let him talk in his own time.
"I mean...when I told her what happened, she already knew. How the hell could she already know?"
Sango, suddenly feeling like there was a huge red bullseye painted on her, just shrugged, "Oh, I don't know. I'm sure she has ways."
Silence.
"Does that bother you? That she knew?"
He shrugged, unable to put his thoughts into words, "No, I just...it makes me uneasy, to think there might be someone sneaking around or something. You know...spying. Maybe Kikyo told her? I don't know."
"And...how do you feel about her being alive again?"
Again, the shrug. Again, the pause, and again, the halting speech, unsure.
"I don't know, not really. I mean...I thought about it a while, you know, and...not her being alive, I mean, I didn't know about that, but...when Kagome was so angry at me, and I thought about her, and about Kikyo, and I just starting thinking about things Kikyo did and things Kagome did and I started thinking that maybe..."
He fell silent, and Sango spoke.
"If it's personal, InuYasha, you don't have to talk about it."
He glanced at her, thankful, then set his face. He looked ahead again, stern.
No. He wasn't going to make excuses for Kikyo. Not anymore.
"No, I just realized that Kikyo...didn't care for me...the way I did for her. The way...the way I knew Kagome cared for me. Before I acted so stupid, I mean. And I started thinking how stupid I was because I had what I wanted before, and I threw it away."
Silence.
He grew uneasy, and shrugged, blushing, "Anyway...yeah. So...I was stupid. End of story."
Sango smiled.
They walked along a little more, birds singing overhead, the sun was strong and bright. It was nice, but Sango thought it would be nice to have some more rain. Things were drying out again.
She tipped her head up, looking at the leaves overhead. Some were green, others were still in fall colors. Everything was so mixed up.
"What about you and Miroku?"
Sango, startled, jerked her head back down to look at him. Her sandal caught a small protruding rock in the road, and she tripped, falling over onto her face.
"Hey!" InuYasha knelt, taking her by the shoulder, "Sango?"
Embarassed, Sango pushed herself up off the ground, blushing, pushing her hair out of her face, "I'm ok, I'm fine."
"Oh yeah?" the hanyou asked, grinning, "Invisible demon push you over?"
"Ha ha," she said in reply, accepting his help in standing. She brushed off her skirt, shaking her head, "You just startled me, is all."
"Uh-huh," he grinned, "And the fact I mentioned Miroku had nothing to do with it?"
"Of course not," she replied, trying to appear non-plussed. She finger-combed her hair back in place, and started on again.
InuYasha fell into step beside her, saying nothing, just grinning that grin, that made Sango want to yank on his ears.
She said a quiet prayer of thanks when the entrance to the cave appeared, and they turned off the path.
The cave entrance was a small opening in a large cliffside, and they almost had to turn sideways to enter. InuYasha's nose picked up the scent of dark, dry, almost stale air. He had been expecting a dampness, as most caves had water in them, and the shadows were often damp.
There was also another scent underlying that, of old, dry linen and something leathery.
Sango paused just inside the cavern entrance to pick up a torch from a small pile of them, and some flint and steel. It only took her a second to start a small fire, which she used to light her torch. Then she led the way inside.
It was only a few steps in before the dias came into view, with what appeared to be a skeleton dressed in leathers, sitting cross-legged upon it. It was slightly reclining onto it's back - probably the only thing that kept it from falling over.
InuYasha's nose told him it had been there a very, very long time, and had completely dried out.
"Well...there he is," Sango said softly, "My great-great-great-great-grandfather."
InuYasha gazed on the skeleton, quiet.
He was suddenly struck with the thought that maybe he was supposed to say something.
What was he supposed to say? "Hello"? That sounded crazy. He didn't even know the guy, how was he supposed to-
"Honourable Ancestor," Sango said, her voice soft in the cavern, and she bowed.
InuYasha, startled and caught off-guard, snapped forward into a bow so hard he almost lost his footing. He thought it was stupid, talking to a dead person, but he knew it meant a lot to Sango, so if she bowed, he'd bow.
They stood up again, and Sango spoke again.
"We usually bring you an infant, or at least a very young child," Sango said, speaking to the dessicated ancestor before her as if it were nothing unusual, "But this adoption is different. I am adopting InuYasha, here, into my family. He is not a child, obviously, but I still wish to adopt him.
He has..." she fell silent for a second, and InuYasha glanced at her, unsure. But she seemed to be only arranging what she wanted to say, and spoke again.
"He has proved himself to be my brother, in thought and action, Ancestor. He has been just about everything an older brother should be, to me, and to my younger brother, Kohaku. But he has no family of his own. He has no place to call his. He has no refuge from the world. And so I am giving mine to him, so that he can know rest, and peace and safety if he needs it."
InuYasha stared at Sango, unable to speak, unable to move.
Sango raised the torch a little higher, "I am adopting him into our family because I love him, and I want to show to everyone that he is loved, and he has family, and will no longer ever be alone, no matter what happens."
InuYasha was utterly silent, eyes wide in the low light. He didn't think he could speak even if he wanted to, not now. He looked forward at the ancestor, riveting his gaze on the ancestor, as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing, make sense of what he was feeling.
Sango was silent, there was only the crackling of the torch in her hand, the low light of the fire casting flickering shadows over the floor and walls.
"Well," she spoke softly, "I suppose that's all that's needed. I can't exactly remember when Father brought me here, and I wasn't allowed when he brought Kohaku, so I can only go on what Father told me."
"Yeah...I...yeah."
Sango lowered the torch, and started to turn, when a strange gust of air seemed to rise up from the floor, causing their clothing to dance and ripple. It smelled dank and almost mouldy, and to the hanyou, it smelled very bad.
Sango turned, startled, her torch fire wavering wildly in the breeze, causing the shadows to leap up and flare about.
"What..."
They both sensed it at the same time; the demon slayer's senses, and the hanyou's nose. They each looked at the other, and nodded.
Demon.
Sango turned, raising her torch again, moving a few steps to the side, revealing another entrance in the cavern, this one leading downwards, the entrance looking wet and slick.
Sango frowned, and handed the torch to him, "Hold this."
InuYasha took the torch, and gazed down towards the entrance, his nose twitching, as Sango slipped out of her clothing to reveal her armor underneath, "I'm guessing the demon in the chambers below us isn't supposed to be there?"
"No, it's not," she agreed, and stood up, holding her sword, "Shall we go clear it out?"
InuYasha glanced back at her, and spoke, "You don't have your Hiraikotsu."
"I probably wouldn't be able to swing it around in here anyway."
InuYasha nodded, and holding the torch above him, led the way.
************************************************************
Izumi arose the next morning, and limped slightly out onto the porch. She held up a hand to shade her eyes from the sun.
Lady Kaede walked around the side of the house, carrying a basket of freshly picked herbs, and nodded, "And hwo do ye feel this morning, Lady Izumi?"
"Just Izumi, please, Kaede," Izumi smiled, "If you insist on being called Kaede, then I insist on being Izumi. And I am much better, thanks to you. Your healing skills are amazing. I'm sore, and stiff, but feeling rather well."
"I kept the kettle brewing, if ye are interested in tea."
"I would love some, thank you."
The two ladies sat on the porch, and Kaede made tea for Izumi. She brought it out to her, then sat beside her.
"Are ye not hungry, Izumi?"
"Oh, no, thank you. I'm still full of the soup you gave me last night. This tea is enough."
Kaede settled her old frame onto the porch more comfortably, "The man who brought ye here last night was terribly afraid for ye."
Izumi smiled, "Poor farmer. Yes, he came upon me on the path here after selling some of his produce. He was kind enough to help me back, but he was convinced that whatever attacked me was going to show up again and kill us both."
Kaede shook her head, "Ye are most lucky Sesshomaru was there."
"Yes, I know," Izumi nodded, sipping at her tea, "But I am worried about him."
"About Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Yes. His father, InuTashio, wouldn't tell me much about Kenpeki and his ways in battle. All I can remember is that he told me once that if he took his true form, that of a giant canine, Kenpeki somehow became stronger than him. And that it was difficult, once he was truly angry, not to assume his true form."
"And his son, Sesshomaru, has that same temper."
"Moreso, I believe. I'm afraid the next time they clash, Sesshomaru may not be able to stop himself."
"Ye told me how ye distracted Kenpeki so that the Demon Lord was able to get his breath back. And how ye warned him against assuming his true form. It seems to me that Lord Sesshomaru was lucky that you were there, for him, as well."
Izumi put the tea cup down, looking into the dark liquid, "Well, I don't know about that. After all, if I hadn't gone out looking for him in the first place, Lord Sesshomaru might not have even bothered to show up."
"So," Kaede spoke quietly, "It is your belief that Lord Sesshomaru was protecting ye?"
Izumi fell silent for a second, then spoke, "I...I honestly don't know, Kaede. It's strange. Our last words to each other were in anger, and rather insulting. And considering the Demon Lord's ego, I'm surprised he bothered at all. And yet..."
"And yet?"
Izumi fell silent, thinking back on words spoken during the battle.
"Know that I will not allow any harm to come to her, for reasons of my own."..."Her place is where she wishes it to be!!"
She swirled the cup around, thinking.
The look on his face, when he could not understand what drove her, when he finally had to admit defeat in that her actions were alien to him..."You are the single most foolish woman I have ever met."
Not anger. Not insulting. Just...almost depairing at her actions.
She suddenly thought of other things he had said to her, over time. Putting emphasis on "my" in "My Lady"...in a possessive tone. Miroku, saying what he and the others thought and noticed.
Would Sesshomaru come to her aid?
The only thing that she could see moving the Demon Lord in that manner would be someone acting to injure or damage something he owned.
Did he somehow think he owned her? Somehow possessed her, because she and his father had been so close?
She raised a hand, rubbing lightly at her forhead, "I honestly don't know, Kaede. I do not have a single clue as to Sesshomaru's thoughts or actions."
"Well..." the old woman smiled, "Demon or not, he is still a man, and who knows a man's mind?"
Izumi blinked at Kaede, and burst out laughing.