Love Transcends
Chapter Four: Partings of Due Time
Miroku looked up. His hands were folded in a praying position, facing a statue of Buddha that a local villager had in their home. He gazed at the large man, his stomach over his garments. He continued to study the statue, his staff leaning upon his shoulder as an unused tool. He heard someone calling his name, but did not answer; now a day he had been thinking a lot. His right hand was still bandaged, for he couldn't bring himself to unveil the Kazaana, if it were still there. He sighed heavily, finishing his silent prayer to his God. He stood, as the sliding wooden door opened. He recognized the long standing shadow of Sango, her boomerang upon her back. He didn't turn to her. "Yes, Sango?"
"Houshi-sama." Sango said softly, still not referring Miroku by his name. She came up to him, standing before the great statue of Buddha. She felt as if the gold idol could look into her, seeing everything she felt. She gulped silently, feeling Miroku looking at her. There was a long silence, and Sango felt surprised. Miroku normally would have tried to touch her by now, so why wasn't he? She turned her head looking at him. "Houshi-sama, I have a question."
"Be free to ask it, Sango. I will try to give you the best answer I possibly can." Miroku nodded.
Sango looked back at Buddha, trying to hide her embracement, never before she had asked this houshi such a heart wrenching question. Miroku never changed his gaze from her. "Houshi-sama….Naruku has been destroyed…" she gulped. "And now, what will happen?"
"You want to know about Kohaku." Miroku said softly. He placed his hand gently on Sango's shoulder, in a comforting reassuring way. "I'm not sure if he remains alive, Sango. The jewel shard was removed from his back…." Sango lowered her head sadly, looking at the ground. Miroku removed his hand and looked away, knowing that his words did not help the youkai exterminator. He turned, having the intention to leave.
Sango looked up at Miroku. She grabbed his hand. "Wait, Houshi-sama!" Miroku turned his head towards the now eighteen year woman. She had grown much in the last two years; through her sorrow she had become even stronger, and beautiful. Sango came closer to him. "What about your arm, Houshi-sama? Why do you wear your bearing on you hand? Is the Kazaana still there?"
"I don't know for certain, Sango." Miroku admitted, glancing down at the purple satin fabric the brushed up against his skin. "I….I must admit, I am afraid to look. If I remove it, then it might suck in everything…including you." He felt Sango's surprise, though he looked away, turning a light scarlet. "Yet, I suppose with Naruku gone, I shouldn't worry. My offspring, when I have them will not be cursed anymore." He pulled his arm gently away from her hold. "Yet, there is no hurry to have an offspring now, I suppose." He walked out of the small hut, on to the dirt road. His eyes looked over to the undead miko, Kikyou, as she walked around with the small children. He was somewhat surprised that the small part of Kagome's soul had not returned to Kagome.
Sango joined him by his side. She glanced at Kikyou, then looking at Miroku. She sighed and looked down. "What will you do now, Houshi-sama? Our quest has finished, there is nothing left to do."
"I guess I shall continue to go around as a missionary." Miroku sighed. He looked at her, her long black hair blowing in the wind. He didn't want to leave her side. Through all the years of flirting with other girls, he found that he was most attracted to Sango; partly for her skill and beauty, then wanting to make her feel better for her sorrow that she carried. "What about you, Sango?"
"I don't know." Sango admitted. "My town is destroyed, I have no home…I will most likely continue on to be a youkai exterminator." She sighed again, looking up at the sky.
"Perhaps Keade-sama will offer you a home in this town." Miroku said. "The people here love you, and admire you. You could teach them how to destroy youkai to protect them better, until this era is over. They will need you, Sango. You can start your mission to protect and teach people here in this town, if you wish too." Sango looked at him, speechless. He looked at the sky. "I will probably leave soon, there is much more to do in the world that I have left to accomplish…." He glanced at her. "Unless, that is, you'd like to join me?"
"Ai! Pervert!" Sango yelled, smacking him on the back of the head. Miroku winced and looked at her seriously. Sango blinked. "Y-you mean it, don't you Houshi-sama? You…you'd want me to join you on your pilgrimage?"
"Well, we have a same road." Miroku said. "After all, you have a pilgrimage to continue your youkai teachings, while I must continue the Buddhism teachings. I only offer you this in friendship, and I will accept it….if, if you'd rather not." He added softly. Sango was surprised by his seriousness and soft tone. He almost wasn't the same Miroku she had journeyed with…then again, it had been two years. Sango looked down.
"Perhaps, Houshi-sama. I will wait until Inuyasha and Kagome return to give you my answer." Sango said. Miroku nodded and kissed her on the cheek, heading down the street towards Keade's home. Sango looked up, placing a hand on her now flushed cheeks. She caught Kikyou looking at her with no emotion, before returning to the children. Sango brought down her hand to look at it. Miroku had kissed her.
She smiled.