Chapter 13

Sango awakened very abruptly. She was breathing very heavily and looked around the cave as if to find answers. ' How can this be, I was dead. I am sure of it.' Suddenly something glowing in the corner of the cave caught her eye. It was Tensegia . It had stopped pulsating, but was now hovering in a corner in the cave. Sango was about to speak , but it suddenly shot out of the cave and out of sight. She knew exactly what it was. 'That was Sesshomaru's sword the, Tensegia.' It must have revived me. But where is Sesshomaru? That bastard, he actually killed me, and yet I am alive. Could it be that he sent the sword to revive me?'

Sango thought for a moment longer on her last thought, but deduced that that could not be true. 'The sword had to have acted on it's own accord, but why. I've never recall it doing that before, and I bet neither has Sesshomaru. I suppose I better stay clear of him from now on. Since he thinks that I am dead, he will not chase me anymore. My life can finally be back to normal. And that demon- humph, serves him right. Self-righteous bastard!' I hope he gets exactly what's coming to him, but Rin. Oh how could I leave her with him? I knew I should have taken her away when I had the chance. But I suppose I can't really go back for her, for Sesshomaru would kill be for sure, and I'm sure an encore of revitalization is highly unlikely. I suppose all I can do is just pray that she will be alright.'

With that thought, Sango slowly ducked under the water to get to the other side of the water fall where her clothes were. After she quickly realized that the sun was soon coming up. She jogged back. Upon arriving she wondered if Raymi was awake. She hoped she wasn't for she didn't feel like explaining herself to her. However, Raymi was awake. She was standing over a big boiling pot that smelled wonderful to Sango. Raymi suddenly turned around and saw Sango coming in the hut.

"Thank goodness child, you are alright. I was so worried. What happened to you last night."

Sango had already thought of what to say to Raymi on her whereabouts to ease the old woman's mind.

"Oh. It is silly really. I accidentally fell asleep in the cave that was behind the water fall. I'm sorry to have worried you so much."

"Oh, you are forgiven child, no harm came of you, so all is well."

"Speaking of well, how is Kohaku?"

" He is fine by the look of him." I believe he should make a full recovery in no time thanks to your altruistic motives yesterday."

Sango blushed at this.

"What are you doing up so early anyway. The sun is hardly up."

"Oh child, I always get up this early and start breakfast,t even when I was your age."

Sango had a nagging feeling that Raymi reminded her of someone, and then it hit her. It was Kaede. Sango missed the old woman dearly, but having Raymi around helped considerably when it came to a grandmother figure.

"Say child, what are you thinking about over there."

"Oh nothing really, just about how you remind me of someone I knew a while ago."

"Oh I do, do I?"

"Yes, she was just as wise and kind as you are."

Now this made Raymi blush a bit.

"Enough with this flatter child, would you go a fetch me some wood for the fire from the back of the hut.. It seems to be dying down a bit."

"Sure Raymi!"

In all honesty, Sango was very tired. She amazed herself by acting so refreshed in front of Raymi. Once Sango reached the pile of wood she bent over to pick it up but lost her balance and hit her head on it. When Sango finally came to, she saw that she was inside Raymi's hut again lying next to Kohaku. She tried to sit up, but her head ached immensely. Raymi then came in.

"Child you shouldn't try to sit up. You took a nasty bump to the head. Besides, it is almost dinner time. You've been asleep all day."

Sango started moaning at the pain, but tried to speak through the throbbing sensation.

"Did you say all day?"

"Yes, all day."

"Goodness!"

"But don't worry child, you'll feel better after you eat something and get another day's rest."

"Thank you Raymi, you are too kind."

"Don't mention it."

Just as Raymi predicted Sango was back on her feet after another day's rest. The bump on her head was hardly visible. Plus to Sango's delight, Kohaku was even beginning to wake up. Sango was right by his side when it happened. He had awakened slowly. The first thing he asked for was a drink of water. Raymi quickly fetched a cup of water and Sango helped Kohaku drink it. Sango knew that Kohaku was getting better, but she also knew he had a long way to go to fully recover, for the poison was in his body so long. After he drank the water, Kohaku began to speak.

"Sister, you are here."

"Yes Kohaku, I am, but save your strength, you shouldn't talk."

"No sister I must, for I had the strangest encounter with mother and father while I was sick. We were together in a place that I am certain was the afterlife. Oh, Sango it was wonderful. We reminisced about the past and the future. Then, they told me that my time was limited there, for I still had a life to live whence I came."

Kohaku began to cough.

"Kohaku you must save your strength."

"No Sango, I must say this."

Sango saw how determined he was to speak about the strange encounter with their parents so she let him continue.

"When it was time for me to come back and mother, father and I were saying our goodbyes, I could have sworn I saw you. You were walking aimlessly through the fog up ahead, and then suddenly, you were gone."

Sango's gasped inwardly and began to dwell on what Kohaku said. ' He must have seen my spirit where he was. Come to think of it. I do remember there being a thick fog where I was, but then the next thing I remember I was gasping for air in the cave again.'

"That is enough Kohaku, rest yourself." That recollection is very intriguing, and it is wonderful that you saw mother and father again."

"Yes, Sango, it was wonderful. I just wish they were here with us," he said weakly.

Sango looked down at Kohaku as he closed his eyes again and fell asleep. She walked outside for some fresh air; however, she found herself at the hot springs again. She had tried to forget every thing that happened that night along with the months prior to that dealing with Sesshomaru. But how could she. Those happenings had such an effect on her person. She wondered what she would do now that everything was back to normal. ' Normal' she thought. 'It almost seems as if that was a foreign concept until now. 'My life was so complicated, but now everything has seemingly come together for me. Kohaku is getting better, and Sesshomaru is out of my life, for he thinks I'm dead. So I don't have to worry about him. All I have to do is make sure we never cross paths again.' Right after Sango said it, she realized how hard that might be for she was a demon slayer, and her journeys took her everywhere. But she couldn't worry about that. She was a demon slayer and a courageous one at that. He would not run her life. She would live it to the fullest whether he found out she was alive or not. She would succeed in the thing he tried to disallow her- her life and the right to live it.

A week later….

Sesshomaru was back at his fortress signing papers when there was a knock at the door.

"Enter"

It was business as usual when Sesshomaru reached the fortress again.

-- flashback--

When he fell asleep on the branch outside of that village he felt rejuvenated when he awakened. Though, he did notice that Tensegia was glowing rather dimly. He'd wondered why, but concluded it was because it was trying to get him to go and revive the slayer. He jumped from the tree and gave the sword one more consideration before he continued his journey toward the west. He felt better in the notion that his troubles with the slayer were over, and now, he could get back to some normalcy. He wondered if Rin would ever find out what he did.

If she did, he knew she'd never forgive him, and then he would lose her. This notion upset him a great deal. Then, as if seeing lightening strike, he stopped dead in his tracks, as the slayer's words echoed in his head. 'And if I am not mistaken, you have Rin do you not – a human. Did you forget that? You protect her, you provide for her, and most of all, you love her, and you hate yourself for it. Yes, for I am right, am I not?"' He just couldn't get those accusations out of his mind. The demon slayer figured him out when it came to Rin, even before he had. What a perceptive creature she was.

'The slayer,' he thought 'she was right. I do love Rin. How could I have been so mislead in my preconceived notion. I've been a fool to think that I could keep this concept that is known as love abate. Rin has brought it to the surface whether I wanted it or not.' He contemplated all the times he risked his life to save hers. The times were so numerable that he rammed his fist in a near by tree just thinking about it. The internal battle had begun. Why had this not dunned on him before? Why had his anger erupted that night towards the slayer when she was only speaking the truth, which lead to her early demise? Was he that narrow-minded and self-righteous like the demon slayer said? He deduced he was.

Was is that he couldn't handle the truth? Was he afraid to yield to the concept of love, but most of al, falling in love with her? That was it. He had been so busy trying to belittle others for succumbing to love that he didn't recognize that he needed it just like them.' After all these unforeseen notions flabbergasted him, he gave a long huff, for he knew what this ensued.

"I have become weak," he declared out loud to no one in particular. I have become like father without even knowing it, and have been like him for a few years now because of Rin."

He slumped down by the tree and looked up at the skies for more mental analysis of the situation.

'Rin was the one that found the unguarded crevice in this Sesshomaru's blackened heart. But it is different with Rin. She is of no consequence to me. She is but an innocent child. She can not ruin me like that slayer can. That slayer could have had my child and created all kinds of mayhem. Yes, I did the right thing in killing her even if she did help me realize something that was obvious, right?" Sesshomaru's brow crinkled in uncertainty at his conclusion. He even started to turn around and head back to the village, but too much time had passed. The adversaries from the netherworld had claimed her. He was sure of it. He closed his eyes and let a deep sigh escape his lips.

"That is in the past now, I shall not dwell on it. What is done is done. This will not affect this Sesshomaru any further. I have no time for love and intimate companions. I will not yield."

--End flashback--

Before he said 'enter' he knew who was at the door. It was Rin. He could tell by the look in her eyes and the quickening of her heartbeat that she had something important to say.

"Yes Rin, what is it?"

"I had a horrible dream last night. It was about lady Sango. I dreamt that …she died. Oh Sesshomaru-sama, it was awful."

Sesshomaru felt some of his blood drain from his face when Rin divulged this.

"Rin it was just a nightmare, I'm sure the slayer is fine."

He hated lying to her, but he wasn't about to tell the child her dream was a reality.

He could see that Rin was really shaken up by this. Therefore, he ordered one of his servants to bring her some warm tea and for her to spend the day outside in the fresh air, hoping that she would forget about the dream. Once this was done, he felt a headache faintly beginning to emerge from his occipital lobe. 'Not again he thought. That was the fourth headache he had since he'd been back. He thought they would have subsided by now; it had been a week since he'd been at the fortress. He then wondered if it had anything to do with the slayer. 'Nonsense,' he reassured himself. He was perfectly fine, he just needed some fresh air like Rin. Thus, he went to the gardens near the section that was filled with cherry blossoms. He knew the scent, like always, would abate the pressure on his occipital lobe; however he was in for a rude awakening. Once he neared the pond, Sesshomaru sat underneath a cherry blossom tree and let his right arm rest on his outstretched right leg. He inhaled deeply as the clouds slowly rolled by above. He looked up to admire Mother Nature at her best. He closed his eyes only to see Sango's brown eyes staring at him. He opened his eyes quickly and sighed in a defeated manner.

'So, it has come to this,' he thought. 'That slayer has placed a great encumbrance upon me. Even in death, she manages to captivate this Sesshomaru. She has no merits for me to truly give her consideration, and yet she has she effected me so. I must admit to myself, that if I had to do it once again, I would not have killed her, especially if I'd known she'd have such an effect upon my person dead. This Sesshomaru has blood on his hands that he meant not to spill. Humph… is this what guilt feels like. I abhor it. Now, I must live with it.'

Sesshomaru took another deep breath a looked at falling cherry blossom that effortlessly landed in the pond nearby.

'If only I could have contained my anger. She truly has done what no other female has done to me, and yet I refuse to give her merits for doing so. I suppose I am a bit tenacious, or do I presume?"