Her first mission. Sango was thrilled. Her fingers shook as she buttoned up her armor, doing up the clasps and securing the pads. It was the same black bodysuit as the other taijiya, with the hidden wrist blades, daggers in the boots, and armor that concealed even more deadly weapons. Her armor was specially made for her, as it was for all taijiya, with a color that no other living taijiya wore. Hers was pink, and she was proud to claim the color for her own.
They were going on a mission to a village nearby. A snake demon had been ravaging the countryside, and the taijiya had heard about it a few days ago. Preparations had been made, and the group was ready to start out now.
Sango finished changing into her armor and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, then shouldered her boomerang bone. At eleven years old, she was barely tall enough to lift it, but she knew she would eventually be able to carry it with ease. She patted over her armor one last time, making sure every strap was tightened properly, then lifted the flap and went outside.
Her aunt was hanging the washing outside, and as Sango came towards her, she turned and looked at her niece.
"Oh…." A smile spread over the woman's face as she abandoned her wash and came over to Sango, pulling her into a tight hug. "Your mother would be so proud to see you now," she whispered into Sango's hair.
Rustling behind them made her aunt start, and she turned around, pulling Sango in front of her. "Just look at your little girl, Hirokatsu!" she said tearily as her brother came out of the hut, dropping the mat back down to cover the entrance.
Sango's father stared at her for a long while. Sango couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking, but she hoped it was good. Finally, he came over to her and put a hand on either shoulder. "I'm very proud of you, Sango," he said quietly. "If only your mother could see you now."
A loud sniff came from her aunt as she hurried back inside her house. A minute later, Kohaku appeared, apprehensively peeking outside. When he saw Sango, his eyes went wide and he ran over to her.
"Wow sis, you look great!" he said enthusiastically. Sango laughed and ruffled his hair, a favorite pastime of hers.
"Thanks!" she said. He threw his arms around her waist, and she hugged him back, feeling his tiny warm weight securely against her own.
He drew back and looked her very seriously in the eye. "Be safe, okay?"
"Don't worry, son," their father said, and both of them looked up at him. "We'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" Kohaku asked, giving Sango the smallest extra squeeze. She put a hand on his back and rubbed in gently.
"Yes," their father said. "Remember, the only demons we need fear-"
"-are the ones that wear a human form," Sango and Kohaku chorused. Kohaku giggled while Sango said, "You say that all the time, Father."
"I say it," he paused, looking them both square in the eyes, "because it's true. No harm will come to you on this mission, or any other. I promise you that."
Kohaku nodded slowly, still staring at their father. "Now, what are we waiting for?" their father said, clapping his hands together, "Kohaku, you'd better get in that house and help your aunt with dinner! And Sango and I have some slaying to do."
Kohaku nodded again, gave them each a quick hug, then dashed inside. Their father clapped a hand on Sango's shoulder. "We'd best get going."
"Yes, sir," Sango said, and she followed her father to the front gate, where the other men were waiting.
AN: I actually had another idea for a chapter before this one, but it's half-finished, I was unsure about how much I liked it, and I wanted to keep going with this story. If I finish it I might post it, but for now I'll just put this up. Hope you enjoyed!
AN Update: Yeah, so if you read the author notes on the previous chapter you know what's up. I still can't believe it, but I'm gonna stop talking about it now because if I don't I will never stop ranting about my stupidity. Enjoy!