HER HEART'S DESIRES
by
Nana
Chapter V
Sango vs. Sango
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"Houshi-sama!" With that, Sango came fully to her senses. She winced and grasped at her head, confused thoughts swimming, heart beating very fast, as though she had been dreaming and was unceremoniously nudged awake.
A dream! Her eyes widened at the thought. Everything…everything was a dream?!
She heard a faint whistle and was just in time to narrowly dodge a drawn koudachi as it flew straight at her. Drawing uneven breaths, she jerked her head at the source of the weapon, eyes narrowing as she registered the form it had taken. But it was looking at Miroku.
"You damned priest!" it screamed. "I will deal with you later!"
It turned its attention back to Sango.
"You bitch!" It bit out. "You could have died happy by giving yourself up to your dreams! Why did you have to fight against everything you long for?"
"Who are you?" Sango asked, anger and outrage slowly seeping into her voice.
"Who do you think I am, Sango?"
Sango felt as though she were looking into a mirror. The same face looked back, the same voice spoke back. Sango could feel the small hairs on her nape stand on end.
"The worst enemy you can possibly imagine," It said with a smirk. "The only way you can kill me, Sango, is to be able to master that part of yourself that you have no control of. It will be tantamount to killing a part of yourself. Do you really think you can do it?"
"You can't be a part of me!" Sango cried.
"But I am. All your sadness, your loneliness, all your longing--all have coalesced to give me this form," it said, gesturing to the slender lines of its body. "All your hurt, your bitterness, your delicious sorrow. Now, then, Sango, can you honestly say you'll win against yourself?"
Sango made a wordless sound of fury.
A part of herself…! That part of herself that she did not want to face--all her rage, all her failings…but would she not be better off not having that side at all?
She made for her Hiraikotsu and without a second's loss threw the large weapon at the youkai.
The Yumemeijin dodged it easily, twisting its body gracefully in the air in as much the same way the true taijiya would before landing lightly on the ground. Quick as a flash it made for Sango before she could retrieve the boomerang as it came hurtling back.
Sango drew her sword just as the Yumemeijin sent its own crashing down at her, but it was enough; the Hiraikotsu landed with a crash on the ground and skidded off several meters away from the women, near Miroku.
"You cannot win this, Sango," the Yumemeijin said through the locked swords. "Give it up and die!"
Sango gritted her teeth, even as her hands began to tremble under the strain of keeping her sword in place. Her own strength, used against her, had taken her by surprise. She had not known she was this strong. It was frightening.
Without warning, she felt the youkai bring up a leg, kicking her hard on the chest, sending her sprawling. But Sango recovered just in time to send a leg of her own crashing into the youkai's, tripping it.
"You may think you're me, but you don't know me at all!" snarled Sango, slightly bent over, a hand nursing the sore ache on her sternum.
The Yumemeijin let out a harsh laugh. "Oh no?" It said, straightening up. "You may want to take a closer look at yourself. Nobody has had a heart as easy to read as yours."
"Shut up!" Sango yelled as she launched herself at the impostor.
Too late, she realized what the youkai had made her do. In her anger and desperation, she had lost focus. In the final clash of swords, one was thrown aside. Sango's sword landed with its shaft halfway down the earth.
"And you say I don't know you well enough," The creature said, pointing its sword at Sango, "when I am all your weaknesses put together!"
A curious jangling sound came hurtling toward them, and it struck the youkai's sword aside before it could even register what it was.
Houshi-sama's shakujou! Sango thought, diving for the staff before it could even land on the ground. She caught it safely, turned to look at the priest's direction, and was aghast to find the youkai already in midair, right above his head.
Without thinking, she hurled the shakujou at it. The holy staff may not have its power when not in its rightful master's hand, but it was heavy enough to serve the purpose Sango had designed.
It struck the creature on its back, throwing it off course. It gave a scream of pain and rage, twisting in the air before landing on the ground.
"You move pretty fast when it comes to this weakness you have for him," it said, motioning to the priest.
Sango bit back her rage. "He is NOT my weakness!" she said, loudly, the telltale wave of warmth slowly creeping up her cheeks.
Gods! she thought, exasperated. Even now, even now…!
"Tell me, Sango," the youkai said. "Why wouldn't you give in to your dreams? All your dreams had been shaped by your heart's desires. You would have been better off in them!"
"I will never give in," panted Sango, "to something that is not true!"
"Oh, really?" It said, picking up a sword. "Let's see, then!"
Sango's face drained of color as the youkai made for Miroku. She broke into a run, but the creature was still nearer the priest than she was. And with no weapon close to her…
"NO!!!! SANGO!" shouted Miroku as he realized what she was going to do.
Horrified, he watched as Sango dove between him and the charging blade.
"Ah hahahaha!!!!" laughed the Yumemeijin, eyes glinting in triumph. "Not your weakness indeed! And you deny your feelings for this man?! Now you will die!"
Sango felt the priest put a shielding arm around her. And as for the other hand…
The Yumemeijin screamed as one of Miroku's ofuda came flying as if from nowhere, fastening itself on its chest. It backed off as great spurts of energy came bursting out of its form.
"Sango…!" Miroku cried, pushing her toward her Hiraikotsu. She did not need to be told twice.
A huge lunge and an arm length's distance away, she caught the giant weapon and twisting her body around, she let go of the boomerang. This time, her aim was swift and true. She watched, numbed, as the Hiraikotsu caught the youkai on the chest, slicing through it easily.
A sharp intake of breath, and the Yumemeijin was no more.
***
I can't believe it…can't believe this…
Sango sank slowly to the ground, her legs suddenly feeling like jelly. All around them, the dark youki was quickly melting, dissolving. The moonlit forest was, once more, just as it had been.
Wincing, Miroku slowly got up. "Sango…" he started toward the girl. But he stopped when he saw her suddenly bristle and turn away, refusing to look at him.
"Sango…I…"
"MIROKU!!!!! SANGO!!!!" The familiar shout came loud and clear in the dead silence.
Miroku turned just in time to see Inu Yasha come into view in huge bounds, Kagome following right behind him on her bicycle.
"Miroku-sama, we were so worried," Kagome said, breathless from the pursuit. "What happened? Sango-chan…?!"
"It was so strange," Shippou piped in, Kirara in his arms. "You guys just disappeared like that…"
But Miroku was not listening. He watched as Kagome got off her bicycle and rushed to Sango's huddled form. She did not answer any of Kagome's queries, and Miroku felt a strange tearing sensation cut through him as he saw Sango's shoulders shake as Kagome held her.
Inu Yasha and Shippou fell into uneasy silence when they noticed too.
"Oy, Miroku," Inu Yasha finally said, but very quietly. "What exactly happened here?"
***
"Yumemeijin?" Kagome asked, her eyes wide.
"Hai," said Miroku.
Kagome and Inu Yasha exchanged glances.
"I smelled Naraku," said Inu Yasha. "That much was certain, but when Kagome and I turned to look for you, we couldn't find you. There was no barrier, nothing."
"You and Sango just simply disappeared," said Kagome.
Silence fell around the little group. Miroku stole a look at Sango, but she sat near the blazing fire, her face averted.
They had been able to find a small abandoned hut just outside the forest, and they had decided to settle down there for what remained of the night.
"This Yumemeijin…" ventured Kagome, willing Miroku to continue.
"It's a youkai like no other," said Miroku. "It does not take form until it has selected a prey."
It was true, Miroku thought, his thoughts going back. He had been taken by surprise because the youki had sprang up from Sango. It was the last thing he had expected. From pure reflex, he had shielded himself with his staff, and his houriki had done the rest.
It was all so frustrating. A youkai made of nothing, that can draw its strength and form from human weakness. How were they supposed to fight something like that, when it can simply slip into anyone's heart and dreams and wreak havoc?
But Sango won, and that gave him no end of comfort and reassurance.
Miroku came out of his thoughts to find Kagome, Inu Yasha and Shippou looking at him expectantly. So he continued, "once it has latched onto its prey, it proceeds to destroy the mind systematically either by bringing on nightmares, or making the victim sleep forever in a dream of his or her own devising."
"I don't get it," said Inu Yasha, shaking his head. "You said it attacked Sango--made her sleep--but what has it got to do with you? Why did it have to make you a witness?"
"Inu Yasha…" Kagome tried to shush him for his bluntness, but she had to admit it was a good question.
"I've been thinking it over," said Miroku, slowly. "There are two possibilities--one, because it could not get through my houriki to attack me--"
"It could have just made Sango disappear first--you didn't have to be there," interrupted Inu Yasha, impatiently.
"And, two--" Miroku made as though he didn't hear Inu Yasha, "it tried to get to me by getting to Sango, like taking out two birds with one stone. It was strange, because memories of Kohaku and what happened to him should have been more painful, more difficult to Sango. But it did not tap into that. Instead--"
Miroku stopped when he became aware of the others leaning in even more closely, taking in every word.
Sango had had enough. "How much were you able to take in?" she bit out from where she sat.
All heads whipped around to her, startled. Miroku opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"How much???" Sango turned to him, and Miroku felt a familiar heart-rendering tug as he saw unshed tears gathering in her eyes.
He briefly considered lying, just to appease her, but he knew Sango did not deserve that.
"Sango…" he said softly, apologetically.
It was enough. Sango got to her feet quickly, and without looking at anyone else, went out of the hut.
"Sango-chan!" Kagome cried, getting to her feet as well.
"Don't, Kagome-sama," Miroku said, quietly.
Kagome turned to him, dismayed and confused.
"Let her be."
"What happened?" Inu Yasha asked, turning back to Miroku. "Oy! Miroku!"
But Miroku did not answer. If truth be told, he doubted very much if he could allow Inu Yasha to live after hearing the story.
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