A/N: I am so, so sorry that it has taken me this long to post again. I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter because I wanted to make it sound as sincere as possible, and I truly ended up rewriting it about six times. This is part one of two epilogues I am writing, one titled sunrise is based on Sango and Miroku, and the other Sunset is based on InuYasha and Kagome. The reason I am doing it this way is because, I believe that each relationship is very special in its own way, and I didn't want to degrade that by lumping both into one epilogue. Instead, I chose to take it in this direction. Currently, I am working on Sunset, and I hope to be done with it in less than two weeks, but please be patient with me if it isn't up before then. As always, I want to thank every one who has reviewed this story so far from the bottom of my heart. Your support and kindness means so much to me, and I am so thankful that you all have taken the time to let me know what you honestly think. I love you all!
Disclaimer: In a dream world, I would own all of the rights to InuYasha and to the characters from the anime/manga, but sadly, this is reality so I own nothing.
Sunrise
It was a cool morning in feudal times just before the brink of dawn. The sun had barely begun its accent into the heavens turning the stormy gray sky a faint coral color as it traveled. As time passed, the pigment grew richer and seemed to spread across the horizon, reflecting upon the clear springs and rivers that flowed with icy water, turning them the color of fire. The landscape was now painted with various shades of pink and crimson, and the normally fluffy white clouds that hovered in the sky above had turned a dusky mauve.
Though the sky was rapidly changing, the orange glow of the sun's rays remained constant and as it rose over the sleeping earth, it seemed to grow in strength until soon it pooled down upon the thick canopy of the forests. It bathed the upturned green leaves with its warmth, and caused the tiny droplets of fresh dew to sparkle like diamonds.
Sango sighed happily and turned her face upwards to greet the sun. It was the beginning of another beautiful day, and she intended to enjoy it thoroughly by grabbing a few minutes of much needed relaxation while Miroku and Shippo slept blissfully unaware of the spectacular show they were yet again missing. Sango usually made it a habit of being up with the birds and today was no exception. She had always found it to be extremely beneficial to train first thing in the morning before a nice hot breakfast, and she looked forward to those rare quiet times alone with much anticipation whenever she went to bed in the evening.
While the sun was out now in full force, the air retained a chill from the previous night's rain and it bellowed through the trees taking leaves and small pieces of bark with it as it traveled. It wrapped itself around Sango's slender frame and she pulled the thin blanket she had spread across her lap tightly around her shoulders in a vain attempt to prevent it from seeping through the thickly woven fibers of her kimono. Her hair danced wildly around her face pulling free from the customary ribbon that held her loose ponytail and she pushed it behind her ears with a hint of annoyance, and then hugged her arms around her chest to keep from shivering.
"It looks like somebody's cold."
Sango jumped and spun around, her heart beating wildly in her chest. However, upon seeing whom it was that had made the intrusion, her muscles visibly relaxed and her face took on the expression of nonchalance. "Miroku, I wasn't anticipating for you to be awake at this time of day. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"
"I had trouble sleeping," Miroku replied with a small sigh as he took a seat next to her.
"Bad dreams again?"
"Gee, how did you know?"
"You seem to be having a lot of bad dreams lately. Sometimes you wake all of us up in the middle of the night screaming and clutching your hand." She shrugged her shoulders. "Anything you feel like talking about?"
"Not particularly." He turned away from her so that she would not see the weariness that had begun to permeate his usually boyishly handsome features. Out of habit, he took the hand containing his wind tunnel and began to trace over the hole through the thin layer of fabric that covered it. He could tell without having to look that it was growing steadily, the pain was enough to give him an inkling of what was taking place.
"I see." Sango mumbled darkly noticing the way he seemed to be playing with his cursed hand. It didn't take a genius to figure out that his dream had something to do with his wind tunnel, and from the way his bangs were plastered to his forehead with sweat, she figured he had experienced quite a nightmare indeed. She knew better than to push him however into talking and flashed him a soft smile. "Well if you do need someone to talk to, please feel free to come to me. You know I'm always here for you."
"I appreciate that." The monk cleared his throat, and then quickly changed the subject. "Well anyway, when I woke I saw that you were not sleeping in your usual place, so I decided to go looking for you. I thought that you might like some company. It is not healthy to wander off by yourself, as you tend to do. Each time, you seem to come back with a pained expression on your face, and I can't stand to think that you may be emotionally in pain with no one around to provide you with some form of comfort."
"I thank you for your concern Miroku, but it really wasn't necessary. I just came out for a bit of fresh air, that's all."
"You don't have to thank me Sango; it's only natural for me to be worried about you being that I care."
"I'd rather it if you didn't."
"What care?"
"No worry about me." She sighed and raked her hand through her bangs. "You have so much to fret about already without having my troubles to burden you as well."
"Sango, believe me, you could never be a burden." Miroku smiled softly and took her hand in his own. It felt cool to the touch. "Your problems are my problems, and I am happy to do all that I can to assist you in rectifying the damage inflicted upon your heart in any way that I can." He brought her hand to his lips and bestowed a soft kiss on her palm, causing her eyes to close and her body to shiver with pleasure. It seemed amazing to her what a mere touch could do to her senses for she felt as if the world were spinning around her and she opened her dark eyes to gaze at her beloved monk with poorly concealed adoration. She could not help but to feel absolutely safe and cared for whenever she was at Miroku's side and she gently brought her free hand to his face to caress the smooth skin of his cheek. Her heart swelled with gratitude.
"Miroku…I-I don't know what to say..." Her cheeks turned an attractive shade of crimson that only served to enhance her youth and natural beauty. For some odd reason, he always seemed to be able to intimidate her until she became the unwilling victim to utter idiocy.
"You don't need to say anything at all my love. Your face is saying much more to me than words could ever express." He grinned, flashing her, what he considered his most charming smile.
Sango rolled her eyes, though inside she was very pleased by his gentle words and she folded her hands in her lap and returned her gaze to the now azure sky watching intently as a flock of geese streaked their way across it in their usual V shaped formation. All around her, she could sense signs of life, birds calling to each other, the happy grunts of smaller forest animals as they foraged through the thick underbrush searching for food, and the small stream that snaked its way through the woods babbling cheerfully over stones on its way to the tributary. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, relishing in the sense of calm that flooded through her body. "Today is the day that InuYasha and Kagome are returning, isn't it?"
"I believe so, why do you ask?" Miroku shrugged his shoulders lazily.
"I'm just anxious to get a move on, that's all." She replied with a shrug of her own. "It's getting pretty boring sitting around doing nothing all day long."
"Sango, how could you possibly say such a thing? It's nice to live a life of leisure for a change. Personally, I wouldn't mind one bit if InuYasha and Kagome stayed away more often." He grinned slyly and wagged his eyebrows. "You know what they say about all work and no play."
"Yeah well, most of the time it seems like you're doing less work and more playing. I mean sure you're very useful in battle, and its true that none of us could ever surpass you in intelligence, however that is only when you aren't busy hounding women or scheming to rob villagers blind by pretending that their homes are possessed. I swear Miroku, for a man of the cloth, you are just about the most unrighteous person I have ever set eyes on, and that's saying a lot."
"I swear my intentions are always most honorable" Miroku pouted with feigned innocence and crossed his arms. "Besides, most of the time I do these things for your benefit my dear. A soft futon in a nice warm home beats sleeping out in the wild any day."
"I agree that sleeping on a futon is infinitely better than sleeping on bare grass, however only when it is obtained honestly by hard work or out of the kindness of someone's heart. It just doesn't feel right sleeping on something that had been given to you only because of trickery."
"You know what you're problem is? You're too serious!"
"Well so what if I am? It's better than being a thief. At least I can go to bed at night with a clear con…." The fervent pressure of Miroku's soft lips, against her own, cut off the rest of her words and automatically her eyes closed and she kissed him back without hesitation, savoring the delicious feeling of his mouth on hers. After a minute or so, she reluctantly pulled away from him, biting her lower lip nervously, her cheeks were glowing a magnificent hue of pink. Her breathing was labored and it took a moment for the words in her throat to materialize into audible sound. "Miroku…I…wasn't expecting that."
"And I wasn't intending on doing it, but while you were speaking I couldn't help but to stare at your luscious red lips, and all of a sudden I was overcome with a desire to take them." He shrugged his shoulders and flashed an adorable lopsided smile that caused her heart to leap out of her chest. "As you know my dear I am a man with many desires, especially when it comes to you whose beauty I place above all others." He paused watching her reaction with mild amusement. "And once we are man and wife I will be happy to say that all those desires can finally be satisfied. Remember my dear, I want a large family."
"You're a cad!"
"And you love me for it!" Miroku teased back giving her side a little pinch that caused her to squeal. The mood had lifted considerably and just being with Sango made him feel as if all of his troubles were instantly gone. It was just the two of them, alone and in love. His face light up and he quickly dodged the demon slayer's counterattack, bellowing with mirth as she landed face down on the ground where he had sat just moments before. "What's the matter Sango? Am I too fast for you?" He taunted playfully.
"You wish!" She retorted with a wide smile and in an instant she was back on her feet chasing after him. She took great care as to where she placed her steps for the long grass beneath her feet was still slick with dew. Her hair trailed out behind her like a long sateen cape and her cheeks grew rosier by the second. She couldn't help but giggle like a little girl playing tag with her best friend and she squinted her eyes with determination as Miroku quickened his pace. She hated to lose.
"Why don't you give up now while you still have a chance? Face it Sango, you're never going to catch up to me!" Miroku called over his shoulder as he sprinted.
"Never!"
"Well fine then be that way! I was just trying to save you from the humiliation of losing to me."
"The only person who is going to be humiliated is you Miroku, because I'm going to make you eat my dust!"
"We'll just see about that!" Miroku called back laughing, confident in his win. He pushed himself even harder causing his feet to fly over the grass rapidly, then without warning, the thin sole of his sandals met a few particularly saturated blades of grass. He didn't even have time to cry out as his feet went flying out from under him and he found himself sliding headfirst on his belly down a steep hill.
"Miroku!" Sango cried seeing the whole thing, and she forced her legs to move faster. A worried frown creased her otherwise calm face and she huffed and puffed as she ran, the cool air burning her lungs with every breath she took. "Miroku!" When she finally reached the hill, she uttered a little cry, trying to slow her pace so that she could descend safely, but it was too late. With a sickening lurch, she felt her body lunge forward, and she closed her eyes and stiffened her muscles as they made contact with the hard earth. She landed beside her monk with a thud and lay there for a moment in shock as the air rushed from her lungs.
"Nice to see that you could drop in Sango," Miroku chuckled softly as he slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. He could tell already that he was going to have one hell of a lump and he cursed silently knowing that the pain in his head would soon increase, as the lump grew larger. "But you really didn't have to come all the way down here just to be with me, though it is nice to know that you would willingly follow any where I go. I must congratulate you for the way you fell was almost a thing of beauty. I didn't know that you possessed so much grace. You really have a talent there." He teased.
"S-Shut up!" She managed to pant out between deep breaths. "Like I meant to do that."
"Really, well you could have fooled me. You certainly didn't show any signs of stopping yourself. You just charged ahead and tackled that hill head first!"
"I said shut up!" She cringed as she propped herself up on one elbow and used her other hand to examine her swollen ribs. As far as she could tell, nothing seemed broken, just bruised and she sighed with relief causing her chest to ache. "This is all your fault you know. If you would have been just a little more careful, you wouldn't have slipped and fallen."
"I admit it is my own fault that I took a little spill, but pray tell why it is my fault that you fell as well? As I see it, you should have learned from my mistake."
"If you would have watched where you are going, you wouldn't have fallen; therefore I wouldn't have had to rush after you because I was concerned for your safety." She huffed.
"Aww Sango, you were worried about me?"
"Hrmph, you know I was! For all I knew you could have fallen and broken your neck, then what would we have done? An injury like that would cost us days, no weeks in lost time! Remember, for each second we lose, the better the chances are that Naraku will elude us once more." She grumbled then rolled her eyes. "And I was worried for your safety as well of course."
"Gee, you make it sound like an afterthought."
"You just don't understand Miroku, I'm thinking of the big picture. Of course, I love you, but you know as well as I do that defeating Naraku always comes first. Think about it, as long as Naraku still lives, we can not really be together the way we long to be; as husband and wife." She sighed heavily and rested her face in her hands. "It all seems so complicated."
"Well, you just said it yourself, my love. As soon as we kill Naraku, we will have the rest of our lives to spend together." He inched closer to where she sat and gently slung a comforting arm around her sunken shoulders and massaged her bicep soothingly. "My advice for is to stop thinking about it so much, and just try to enjoy what we already do have. Remember Sango, I love you with all of my soul just as you are now. It makes no difference to me if we wed or not, because nothing could ever change my feelings. In my heart, you are already my wife. We just have yet to make it official." With his other hand, he tenderly traced the line of her slender face, brushing away a few stray strands of hair out of her eyes, then tenderly brought his lips to her cheek.
"Do you really mean that?" Sango asked hesitantly almost afraid to hear his answer. She knew very well of Miroku's reputation for being a smooth talker and though she knew that the love he had for her was real, she hoped that he wasn't just saying such beautiful words to ease her mind.
"Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't have said it." Miroku chuckled softly at her skepticism, and hugged her close. He trailed a line of soft kisses down the side of her neck, gently nibbling at the tender area where her collarbone began. His hands slid down her sides and clasped around her slender waist, and he closed his eyes as Sango began to return the favor kissing cheeks almost shyly. He could very well understand her timidity; after all, he could only assume that he was the first man she had ever been remotely intimate with and he ran his fingers through her thick mane encouragingly. Suddenly she pulled back to gaze deeply into his violet eyes, her own chocolate brown orbs reflecting the same tenderness and passion he knew could be found in his own, and their lips met, at first softly, then again with more fervor.
Sango closed his eyes as she felt warmth flood her entire body, and a single tear found its way down her cheek. 'Is this what it means to be truly happy? It has been so long since I've felt this way.' She hugged her lover tightly to her, almost afraid that if she loosened her grip, he would disappear into thin air. With a surge of unexpected boldness, she opened her mouth and allowed the tip of her tongue to run against his lips as if begging for entrance. She was admitted almost as soon as the request had been made and her heart almost skipped a beat as she felt Miroku's tongue gently probing her own. She tangled her hands in his hair and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss as if she were claiming him as her own. The monk seemed to have no objection to her actions and with a soft moan of pleasure; he began to massage her back, kneading the muscles beneath the thin fabric of her kimono until they became putty in his hands. He felt her hands slide down his chest and linger there for a moment and wondered if she could feel the wild pounding of his heart beneath his robes.
"Mmm…Miroku." She muttered huskily as they parted for a moment gasping for breath.
"Sango…" He whispered as he drew her near again, already missing the feel of her body against his. Slowly his hands slid down her lower back until they rested upon her firm buttocks. He gave each cheek a gentle squeeze as his tongue once more darted into her mouth, but instead of returning his kiss whole heartedly, her muscles seemed to tense and before he knew what was happening, he felt his body flying backwards through the air. He landed on the ground a few feet away from where he had previously sat. "Hey!"
"Serves you right you…you pervert!"
"Wait a minute Sango, you're mad at me?"
"Damn straight I'm mad at you!" She huffed inching further away from where he now lay her face now beet red. "Can't anything be sweet and innocent with you, or is it always purely sexual?"
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"You know damn well what I'm talking about," She grumbled pointing to her offended backside. "One moment we were kissing and the next you...you…argh!" She threw her hands in the air out of pure frustration and glared daggers at Miroku who still wore an expression of innocence. "You are truly unbelievable!"
"Sango, my dear please be reasonable." Miroku sighed with a shrug of his shoulders. "It was in a moment of passion…I…couldn't resist!"
"No, you never can seem to resist, can you?" She fumed.
"Not if I can help it." He teased, the corner of his mouth turning upward in what appeared to be an amused smirk.
Sango's brows furrowed menacingly and she raised her right hand to deliver a firm slap on the Monk's cheek. Oh, how she longed to wipe that smug little smile off his face, but with sheer willpower she allowed her arm to slightly droop, then fall into her lap. She sighed ruefully and gave her head a little shake. No matter how much it annoyed her, she knew that Miroku would always be Miroku and there was nothing she could do short of brainwashing him to change the way he acted. Even if she could brainwash him, she knew deep in her heart it would be out of the question for she loved Miroku for exactly who he was, quirks and all.
Miroku watched Sango's face intently, somewhat surprised that she hadn't followed through with her original intentions. It wasn't as if anything had ever stopped her from slapping him before and for a moment fear clenched at his gut. What if…just what if Sango were really angry at him this time? "Err…Sango, is something wrong?"
"What?" Sango jumped, startled by the sound of his voice. Instantly her train of thought had been broken, and all she could do was to stare at him blankly.
"Are you okay?" Miroku mumbled quickly, unsure if he really wanted to hear her answer. "It's just that you were about to smack me something fierce, but at the last minute decided not to."
"Do you want to be slapped?" She feigned innocence, her brows furrowed with confusion, and she scratched at the back of her head.
"No, it's not that!" He shook his head fiercely. "I was just wondering if something was wrong, because it isn't like you to begin to slap me, then not follow through."
She smiled softly. "It sounds like you're complaining. You know, if you want me to slap you, all you have to do is say so. I wasn't aware that you enjoyed it so much." Sango teased, batting her eyes innocently.
"Well you know I enjoy anything you are willing to give me." He leered, watching with amusement as Sango's face went from docile to threatening. "You know, you are truly the most beautiful when you're angry my dear."
"Don't push your luck." She warned. "Just because I didn't slap you the first time doesn't mean I'm willing to hold back a second time."
Miroku just laughed louder at her words and scooted nearer. Tenderly he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck, chuckling even more when she furiously tried to wiggle out of his grasp.
"Let go of me you lecher!" She pounded her fists against his back. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
"Merely holding you." His eyes glistened with mirth, and he tightened his arms around her, giving her a little squeeze that caused her to jump. "You can relax Sango, I'm not about to do anything perverted. I enjoy the feel of you in my arms."
"You swear to keep your hands above my waist?" Sango asked a tad suspiciously, as she rested her head against his shoulder.
"If I don't, then may Buddha strike me down where I stand."
"And if he doesn't then believe me, I will." She agreed.
"Fair enough." He chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head.
Together they sat like that for what seemed like hours, relishing in the feeling of each other's nearness. Miroku was surprisingly true to his word for his hands never once traveled below his love's waist. Instead, he preferred to gently trace lazy circles on her back with the pads of his fingers, every so often pausing only to run his fingers through her soft hair or to whisper words of love. For he loved her more than any woman he had ever known, and he needed her far more than he had ever dreamed. She made him feel alive, though he knew that every waking moment could possibly be his last, and he cherished those few moments with her for to him they were more precious than all the riches in the world.
Sango closed her eyes and held her monk close to her bosom, not daring to let him go for even a second in fear that if she did, the deliciously warm feeling in her chest she was feeling would suddenly vanish and she would be left to her own thoughts. No, now wasn't the time to think, now was the time to feel, and what she was feeling seemed to surpass mere words. That is often how it is when you find true love, words do not seem necessary for all you need to do is be. Though everything in her life seemed topsey turvy, somehow it didn't seem to matter when Miroku was around for he had a special way of erasing all the pain and emptiness in her heart. Once again, she was whole.