The Illusion

"Ha ha ha!" Naraku laughed evilly. "You're dead demon slayer."

Hundreds of demons flew at an already injured Sango prepared to kill her. Her Hiraikotsu had been tossed across Naraku's lair and she had nothing to defend herself. She was afraid but she stood her ground.

Suddenly Miroku jumped in front of her.

"Houshi-sama…"

"Don't worry Sango, I'll protect you. Wind tunnel!" He opened his wind tunnel and the demons started to be sucked into it. He would never allow Naraku to kill his woman that easily. There were saimyosho mixed in with the demons but he didn't care. He would endure the poison. They also severely affected the miasma wound that had been slowly spreading to his heart. It hurt very badly but he wouldn't stop until all the demons were gone. He would much rather die himself than live with knowing he couldn't save Sango.

He could feel the poison going through his body and his hand started to burn. He nearly crumbled in pain but wouldn't stop until all of the demons were gone.

"Miroku stop!" Sango exclaimed. He'd already taken in about a hundred of Naraku's insects and his miasma was strong. If he didn't stop he would die.

"Don't worry about me," Miroku said. He was starting to get dizzy. Luckily the demons were already gone. But then something else happened. His wind tunnel had expanded too much. It had already been at its limit, he had just pushed it too far. His heart started beating fast and he was shaking with fear as he watched it start to consume his entire hand. "No, not now."

Naraku laughed again. "Now you'll die the same way your stupid grandfather and father died."

"Houshi-sama!" Sango shouted.

"Sango get out of here!" he exclaimed. If she stood near him she would be sucked in too. He wanted her to at least live. The wind tunnel had taken half of his arm. He was so afraid. He hadn't thought his death would come so soon. There was so much he had wanted to do, mainly marry Sango and spent his life with her, but he was dying. He noticed she was still there. "Sango go! Now!"

Sango reluctantly backed away from him and her eyes welled up with tears watching her love be consumed by his cursed hand. With one last scream of terror Miroku was gone and only his staff was left. "Miroku…" she said softly as the tears poured down her face. She desperately hoped that this wasn't real. She hoped Miroku would re-appear but he didn't. He was gone. "MIROKU!"

She dropped to her knees and cried. She cried harder than she'd ever cried in her life. She had feared this day from the moment he had told her about Naraku's curse. It shouldn't have come so soon. Miroku didn't deserve to die this way. She loved Miroku, they were engaged, they were going to be married and spend their lives together and raise children, but he was gone and she'd never see him again. Her sobs turned to near screams of pain and sadness.

Suddenly she felt Naraku's presence behind her. "You're next taijiya."

Then she screamed as she felt the blade of a sword stab through her back.

"Damn it, wake up!"

Miroku and Sango fell to the ground and were shaken out of their sleep. Miroku looked at his hand and the wind tunnel was still its regular size. "I'm alive."

"Of course you're alive," Kagome said helping them up.

Inuyasha crossed his arms. "You wouldn't be alive if I hadn't saved your ass."

"You wouldn't have known what to do if it weren't for me and Kagome," Shippo said.

Inuyasha punched him. "Shut up!"

Sango and Miroku looked at each other then he pulled her into a tight embrace. Sango tried to hold back her tears so glad that it wasn't real.

"What's your problem?" Inuyasha said.

"What happened to us?" Miroku asked.

"Naraku had you tied up and unconscious. He was going to kill you," Kagome explained.

"So it wasn't real," Sango said relieved.

"What wasn't real?" Shippo asked.

"Naraku must have been giving us visions," Miroku said.

"What kind of visions?"

"That Miroku was killed by his wind tunnel and Naraku stabbed me," Sango said.

"Come on, let's find Naraku before he gets away," Inuyasha said. Kagome hopped on his back and he took off.

Sango and Miroku glanced at each other and gave each other a quick kiss before getting on Kirara's back and following them.