Author's Note: I wanted to make up for the last chapter, since I know that it was kind of boring. I guess that you could call this about the middle (?) of the story. So, this chapter is a special one! It's extra long, and more exciting. I didn't get a lot of reviews for last chapter, but I won't stop writing yet. Just make sure that you review a whole lot for this chapter to make up for it! Remember, you stop reviewing; I stop writing.
Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha. I thought that my bird did when I got her, but it turns out she doesn't. Oh well.
Wretched
Chapter 6: Unforgotten Memories
Kagome felt the sun as it slowly made its way up the sky, and winced when it finally moved across her closed eyelids. Forcing them to flutter open, she gazed across the room. The girl sat up, perplexed, when her eyes fell on a sight that she wouldn't have expected to see.
There, curled up in a corner, was Miroku and Sango in each other's arms. Well, Kagome checked, it was more like the exterminator was in the monk's arms. Miroku had his arms tightly around her, and Sango was simply curled up against his chest in the embrace.
Thinking that the monk was being a pervert again, Kagome stormed over. She went behind the two, grabbed the monk fiercely by the shoulders, and pulled him away from Sango. He awoke as he fell back to the floor with a smack.
"What the…!" Miroku yelled as he jumped up and spun around towards his 'attacker.' The moment he saw Kagome, he sighed and let out a short chuckle. He rubbed the back of his head, since it had hit the floor of the hut harshly.
"What do you think you're doing, Miroku?" She yelled at him. Gods, he was such a pervert. And to be doing that in Sango's state! "Can't you keep your hands to yourself for one moment?! Goodness, she's…" Kagome stopped in mid sentence and closed her mouth shut. Shit, she had forgotten that Miroku didn't know.
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Miroku eyed Kagome with a feigned puzzled look on his face. How interesting it was to catch the look on her face now that she had almost let it all out. Her eyes were wide as she simply stared at him, and her mouth was set in a grim line. It wasn't hard for him to keep the fake look of bewilderment as he spoke.
"What was that, Kagome? You stopped talking. Did you step on a sliver?" He bent his knees slightly and pretended to look at her bare feet. She crossed one foot over the other in order to show him that he was wrong. He allowed himself to look up at her face again, and saw that she had her arms crossed angrily.
"That isn't the point. Now what were you doing?" She spoke irritably. Miroku saw in her eyes that she wasn't playing around anymore. He sighed and gave in.
"I know. Of course I know. Do you think that all of you could keep it from me? Shippo perhaps would never have had a second thought about the strange activities. But don't you think that I would?" He glared at her as if trying to pry the answer out of her soul. Ah, and she couldn't look him in the eyes. She felt bad. It wasn't a good feeling when you made Kagome feel bad, but it had happened. Perhaps he had wanted it that way.
"I… She…She didn't w…want me to tell you," Kagome stuttered, keeping her eyes down cast. Miroku felt his mind soften towards her a bit, so he moved to force her to look at him.
"It's okay, Kagome. It isn't your entire fault. And I was…" He paused a moment. He hated it when he couldn't think of something to say and had to stop his words. It always gave away that he was lying. Kagome looked up at him. He could practically read her eyes like a book.
'Hmm… Going to lie are we now? Well, go on. Let's hear it.'
So he came up with the best lie he could, "You see, I felt a strange presence in the forest outside, and was about to go out and attend to it, when I overheard Sango waking up. She was only half asleep, and she was crying for her mother. So, I walked over and became her mother for the night." He kept his face still, so as not to give anything away. It wasn't a total lie, after all.
Kagome looked thoughtful for a moment, glancing towards the sleeping Sango and Miroku in front of her. It was strange that Sango hadn't woken up yet. Perhaps she had trouble falling asleep like the monk said? It seemed right…
She shrugged her shoulders, "Okay, I suppose that's possible." Then she took a step closer to him and pointed her finger at him; poking him in the chest as she glared, "Don't think that I won't be watching you though."
And with that, she left the hut.
Miroku sighed in relief. He walked over to Sango and crouched down beside her. Poor thing. She was fast asleep. Her eyelids fluttered as he watched. She was having a dream. Hopefully it was a good dream. The monk walked over, grabbed Kagome's sleeping bag, and gently placed it over Sango's body.
He walked out, taking in a deep breath of the fresh morning air. He was thankful that Kagome hadn't asked for the truth, even though he was sure that she didn't completely believe his story. He didn't think that Sango wanted him to tell the others yet. But they would find out sooner or later, just as he had.
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"Help! Help me! Someone help me!" Sango screamed as she ran through the forest. She sped up her pace when she heard the footfalls coming closer. Then she tripped over the stump and fell, sprawled over the leaf-covered ground.
Now he was upon her, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders and pushing and pulling her until she was on her back facing him. Her eyes were filled with tears that blurred her sight, and it was dark, making it impossible to see her attacker.
He grabbed something, a rock it seemed. He was sitting atop her, with his other hand on her shoulder, keeping her down on the ground. She scratched and pinched with her nails, but the man was wearing robes that covered his arms. He didn't feel a thing.
She could just make out the rock as it came hurtling at her face.
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Sango sat up quickly, her eyes wide opened. She was covered in sweat, and her hair was in a greasy tousle on top of her head. She sighed, realizing that it was simply another of the same dream that had been haunting her.
It forced her to remember what she wanted to forget.
Slowly, she got up on unsteady legs and walked out. She remembered that there was a stream in the woods not far off. No one was around at the moment. They must be after a shard-carrying demon, without her of course. She looked down at her stomach.
Wretched thing.
She eased out of her garments, and slipped into the cold water. Shivering, she waded over to a rock and sat atop it, as she smoothed her hands over the soap that Kagome had given her a while ago. She looked down at her thighs and winced with the pain of the memory.
If only she hadn't decided to go outside for a walk without Kirara or her boomerang. If only she hadn't tripped over that stump. Perhaps if Miroku hadn't dared InuYasha to have that third glass of sake with him. And perhaps if Shippo and Kirara hadn't fallen asleep so deeply. If only Kagome hadn't told the two demons that story in order to get them to sleep, and fallen asleep herself.
She sighed. No one could change any of those things. They were just an unlucky set of events. But there was still the fact that she had lied. The exterminator had woken up even later that night, and found herself only half clothed. She had stumbled up, and felt a strong surge of pain in every part of her body. Then she had gone back quietly, slipped into the hut, and gone to sleep without anyone noticing. In the morning she told them that she had fought off a cow-like demon and it had kicked her in the face with one of its large hooves.
They had believed it, and apologized for not being able to help her. Then everything had gone back to normal.
"Normal," she said out loud with a longing in her voice. Nothing would be normal again.
"Normal? What're ya mumblin' to yerself 'bout, human? Heh heh heh… But does it matter since you'll be dead soon?" Sango stopped washing and looked up to see a giant wolf demon. There was foam flowing from his mouth, and his teeth were a dull yellow as he sneered at her.
Extra Author's Note: Hope that you guys liked it! Don't worry, The father must still be reveled. Miroku/Sango fluff will come in time (if she survives....) Don't let this story die! Go review!
