Miroku Shifted uncomfortably. Nothing be could say could convey the urgency of the situation, as well as being sensitive of the feelings of his young friend. It would be unfair of him to expect that she would drop everything and come help them, but he found himself hoping, even relying on her doing so.

"What has you so worked up?" she asked. Truly he didn't know how long he had tired to word what he was asking for before she cut his thoughts. Normally he was good with words, but he found himself at a loss, and fearing he might have only one chance to convince her.

"The situation is dire," he began. "Lady Sango has been cursed by some means unknown to me, although Lady Kaede has kept notes on the matter. Notes that I don't fully understand, but I hope you will," he said. "Kaede herself . . . I perhaps should have begun with this, but Kaede herself his dead."

Kagome's reaction was visceral. Clearly she'd expected the usual horrors, and had steeled herself for them. She didn't bat an eyelash at Sango being cursed, but this news was sincerely devastating. Her hands, trembling, covered her mouth as she recoiled. She looked as if she tried to dodge the words, thus making them unreal, from some distant reality. Miroku swallowed painfully as he dredged up the will to continue over her coughing and grief.

"It appears that Sango and InuYasha both have disappeared, which no doubt is related to the curse in some manner, although matters of the mystical are not my expertise."

Kagome took a step back. Then another, and another until she turned to face away from him, willing it to be untrue. Miroku's heart went out to her, even though he had to fight down his impatience, and his worry. He needed to find Sango and reverse whatever atrocity she was forced to be a part of immediately. He needed to move, to act, and instead he was forced to wait on Kagome to process the news. He didn't know how long she would need to take before she could even think about agreeing.

As if mirroring his thought, he heard Kagome take a deep, steadying breath, and straighten her back. She turned to face him, her expression a picture of marble.

"What can I do to help?" she asked, squaring her gaze on his. He could see this for the front of bravery that it was, but he did nothing to try and break it. It would be wise to let her take her time to grieve, but it would have to wait for later, as there were important things to do now.

"It will be required that we have some form of protection against bewitchment. With how InuYasha and Sango have fled, it would be easy to think that they are not themselves," he said, carefully omitting that he believed it was Sango's hand that the killing blow. It would be cruel to force her to help the woman who had not only stolen InuYasha's heart away, but also killed her tutor. Even Sango never intended either of these offenses. "Also," he continued. "I have sorted through Kaede's journals and notes as I could, finding anything she wrote on Sango's ailment. That will need to be cured, unless we would count ourselves collaborators in the birth of a demon."

"Sounds like we have to hurry," said Kagome. It was admirable how well she kept the quaver from her tone, although it was still audible. Miroku did his best to appear not to have heard it. Let her keep all the pride she can, and let her be the hero. There would be time later, if all went well, to break down. "Help me collect a few things," she said. She started muttering about what she would need to bring as she led him to the house.

…

Sango bent over the pot of soup to taste a spoonful. Akihiro had come by the last several days to bring them unused essentials, and he'd done his best to make them feel welcomed by the village. Most were still widely distrustful of the newcomers, which wasn't unexpected. But there were a few who had been willing to contribute. Clearly the romantic fantasy of eloping was uncommonly accepted there. At least by the younger generation. Akihiro had brought them enough food to get settled for a week or so, as his family's crops were doing unusually well that year. He'd told them that it must have been the gods preparation for their arrival. Who was Sango to deny the gods generosity? She'd decided then and there that she'd need to repay the kindness she was shown somehow.

InuYasha had been out hunting, and she felt strangely emptied when he wasn't with her, like a part of her spirit was gone. But she was going to make sure that he had food to come home to, and they had enough to give some to Akihiro's family as well. When Sango wasn't consumed with cooking, she took it upon herself to clean and fix the house a little, if they were to be staying there long at all. Which, with the baby on the way as it was, they were sure to do. She smiled to herself as she fulfilled her role as bride. She promised she would make a good bride for InuYasha, as he'd made a good husband for her. Her parents may not have seen it, but they were meant for each other.

A strange sensation came over her, making her feel sick, lost, fearful. She sat down against the wall, as surging of helplessness welling up inside her. Was something wrong with the baby, she wondered? She wished InuYasha was there to tell her things would be all right as he always did. She gripped the sides of her kimono to steady her grip on reality.

Then there was peace.

Then euphoria.

She tested herself, trying to remember her past - her true past, on the fiction she was living out a moment ago. She remembered her childhood, in the demon hunter village. She remembered her father and mother, not the ones who had forced a marriage on her, but the father who had respected her prowess enough to personally vouch for her performance. She remembered her brother, sad, dead, Kohaku, ripped from life far too soon, and the likewise from death.

Her whole body shuddered as she even contemplated acting against the wishes of whatever force was controlling her. But she knew she had to, if she could. She couldn't allow herself the luxury of siding with her captor, it would be worse in the long run. Reminding herself of that was surprisingly difficult.

In the end, though, she managed to speak the words she knew would offend, even if it was no more than a whisper.

"This isn't real," she choked. Emboldened by her success, feeling giddy with her newfound freedom, she continued in a much stronger tone. "I'm Sango, I am not married to or eloping with InuYasha. We're both prisoners. Prisoners in our own minds. This wasn't real!" she said, adrenaline making her shoot to her feet. She breathed haltingly, and kept her mind focused like a point in case whatever was causing this wore off.

"You too?" she heard from outside the house. She nearly jumped and screamed when the second voice made its presence known. "What happened?" the voice asked. The voice turned out to belong to a bewildered InuYasha, who came in with several hares in one hand. Sango's heart drummed with tremendous relief as she processed what he said.

"Oh gods!" she exclaimed, running to him and embracing him before she could stop herself. "I feel like I haven't spoken to you in days!" she cried. She could feel tears running down her cheeks, and the trembling in InuYasha's hands told the same tale for him. He dropped the carcases and hugged her back, relief and joy overpowering him.

"What happened?" he asked again, his voice rough with disbelief. He didn't so much as loosen his grip on her.

"I don't know," she said. "Whatever it is, we need to act on it. We need to go back," she said. "Now."

"You're in no shape to travel," he said. Sango forced herself away from his hold.

"That's not a good enough reason," she said. She felt strangely elated every time she said something she couldn't say for the past several days. She felt high. "This creature, whatever it is, had so much control, such an absolute grip, that it could fool us into forgetting our lives. What could it do when it matures?" she demanded. "I don't matter in this equation, only getting rid of this thing does. We need to go back!" she said. The adrenaline that had run through her earlier quickly soured, and turned into a severe panic. "You need to - I need to - We need to do something!" she cried. Her head felt huge, as if it couldn't possibly fit out the door. She felt so trapped, she needed to run. But her feet were unresponsive, to slow and slippery. More like meaty stumps on her legs than anything else. Her vision began to blacken. Then she felt strong hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, calm down!" she heard. "Breathe!" She was shaken after a moment, and her vision cleared enough to see InuYasha staring her down. "You need to keep focused. We'll go, right now, but don't do that ever again!" he said. She was about to ask what she had done when she realized she was laying on the floor. She'd managed to hyperventilate enough to black out. The pain in her head from hitting the ground made its presence known in great abundance.

"I'll try to stay calm," she said, knowing she couldn't promise more than that.

InuYasha pulled her to her feet and led her outside into the night air. She felt her swollen feet gripe, and she felt her legs wobble under her. She knew InuYasha was right, she would never be able to make the several day journey in her condition. She didn't know what else to do, though. Even just a few yards of walking was proving too tiring after her panic.

"Here, climb onto my back," said InuYasha. Sango smiled gratefully. She worried that she might be too heavy for him to maintain balance, but he seemed fine. After a moment of acceleration, they were going blindingly fast. She was used to this speed of travel on Kirara's back, but this close to the ground she found her eyes water fiercely as debris hit them, or threatened to. The stride of InuYasha's steps - or perhaps the term "leaps" was more accurate - was regular, but jolting. The sudden turns to evade obstacles was nauseating, but she tensed her jaw and bore it as best she could. She had no idea how Kagome could stand traveling this way frequently. She'd have to make an effort to be more impressed by it in future. If they had a future.

They were traveling at nearly three times the speed they had traveled before, and at that speed, they could be home in only two days, instead of the six they had spent traveling to get there. Not to mention the three days of playing house on the outskirts of a village. Sango was glad that they'd found such means of wasting time on the way, it made getting home seem all the faster.

Until gravity conspired against her horribly. There was a terrible cry from InuYasha, like the cry of a hound getting caught in his master's own trap. Along with that cry, he tumbled to the ground, leaving Sango with all the momentum, but none of the support. The collision with the ground was brutal, and she heart a terrible snap as she hit a tree. She felt numb with adrenaline, though, so she couldn't be sure it was her instead of a twig.

"InuYasha!" she cried after her breath returned to her. She looked to him, and saw him struggling to stand with an arrow in his shin. He looked meaningfully at her for a split second, then searched for his attacker. Sango did the same, though she saw no one. She had to rely on InuYasha's vision, which was more adapted to the dark than her own. She crawled to the relative safety of the trunk of a tree so that the same archer wouldn't hit her, at the very least.

"InuYasha! Sango! Surrender yourselves!" Sango saw InuYasha visibly relax. He shot her a goofy grin.

"Gladly!" he said enthusiastically, taking his hand of his sword. Sango stared at him confused. He smiled, genuine hope on his features. "Either I've finally snapped, or Kagome's here to help," he said, offering her a hand. Tears threatened to overwhelm her. She laughed with relief, and took his hand. They waited in quiet laughter - and tears on Sango's part - and Kagome and Miroku approached them.

Finally, they'd get to go home. And they actually had a chance of stopping this before it caused real problems. There was hope.

End chapter thirteen

This is the biggest deviation yet. I really did mean to just revamp the old story instead of changing it completely, but this is so much better of a plot line that I don't care. The original story was so poorly thought out on my part, and this one it more solid, if a lot more vague. I'd love to hear your input to know how well I did in portraying the brainwashing that was going on. If you got too confused, or if you got it right away, then great! That's stuff an author likes to year about.

And hey, look! This chapter is on time, and everything!

-M.