Authors note: Well things are really getting going now aren't they? Wondering how thing will turn out? So am I. *Evil grin*

Chapter Four

Change Of Heart

Warm golden light arched it's way over the hills of Japan's countryside as if it were gently nudging the rest of the world awake. Not in the frantic panic of all that must be done, but more like the calm realization of the joy of life. The each day was a new beginning. Sadly, not all new beginnings go the way we plan.

Sango's oak brown eyes slowly came open, giving way to the glow outside the tent. The air was fresh, warm, and still full of gentle breezes. She closed her eyes again and inhaled deeply, not yet ready to give up the blissful glow of sleep. Opening her eyes for a second time Sango's gaze crept lazily around the tent, taking in the forms of a certain Miko and a certain Hanyou that seemed a little more than cozy. Sango grinned at their sleeping forms, gently leaning against each other if not at all entwined. 'Looks as though they had a busy night… looks like we all did.' She thought as her eyes came to rest upon Miroku.

"That damned Monk never could relax properly!" she whispered to herself, her smile fading as she examined him from afar. He was leaning against one of the tent's supporting poles without even a blanket to cover him. Sure, he was calm enough during the daylight hours, but during the night… he was just as restless as the rest of them. He hardly ever slept lying down, it was always against something. A tree, a wall, a rock, whatever he could find. It was almost like he didn't consider himself worthy of resting comfortably. Pulling back her sheets and stepping on the tents' inner grass floor she quietly made her way to him.

" Damn you Houshi-sama…" she whispered when she was finally kneeling beside him. His face was pulled together in a tight, pained expression. "Why do you always suffer so much? …..Why do we all suffer so much?…." Unable to answer her own question she leaned in and embraced his face with her palm, wishing there was something she could do to help him; to help ease his pain.

"Sango…" he whispered breathlessly.

This got the demon hunters attention right away. What was he dreaming about?

"Sango… Sango just go…" his voice strained a little… he was yelling at her in his dream. Unwilling to hear the rest, but unable to stop herself, she continued listening. "Sango just get the hell away from me! Leave me alone! Run away and never come back!" The monk shifted uneasily in his sleep, his hands falling from his lap to the ground, and his head faced Sango directly.

*SMACK!*

She'd hit him before, and she thought it was assured she'd hit him again…, but she never meant it before… not like this. This time…she put her whole heart into the slap. It wasn't in any way provoked by Miroku's lecherous ways, this time… this time it was for breaking her heart.

She didn't know where she was running too, she didn't know why she was running, she hardly knew she was moving. The only thing she was sure of was the immense pain shooting through her chest. Her heart felt like it was literarily tearing itself apart. She couldn't even see through the tears anymore, but she didn't stop. Not until the ground that supported her ceased to exist,… and she tumbled head first off a large cliff face and into a river of rapids.

~~~

Miroku hadn't moved in the five minutes that had passed between his dream and the real slap. Already his morning was complicated… He dreamed of his Kazzana again…it was sucking him in… fulfilling the curse… He'd tried to run from the group to save them… but Sango wouldn't leave him. She matched him pace for pace, then overthrew him. Gripping him fiercely. He'd shoved and squirmed to get away, to save her, but she wouldn't move. Not even his decimating shouts of rejection could drive her away. She simple pinned him down, so he couldn't push her away, and clung to him, telling him they would die together if they were going to die… and then… He must have been talking in his sleep… that was the only explanation for it. She must have really been mad. She might not even come back. He sighed emotionless, rose, and made his way past his other two companions who were open mouthed and confused, but knew this was not the time to. With a shared glance there was a silent agreement. He needed to be alone.

~~~

Sango tried but for the love of Kami she couldn't open her eyes. Her whole body felt paralyzed. No…more like pulled down.. Held down… by some invisible energy. Her warrior senses kicked in and she desperately struggled for some way, ant way to fight for her safety. But how could she fight when she couldn't even move? It frightened her that she got the impression of being in a void. Floating like a single leaf in a large body of water. She wracked her mind for something to do. That's when she felt an oddly familiar prickling sensation at the back of her neck.

"Be mine Sango…be mine…" That voice again! What did this all mean! Fighting back her fear Sango tried to control the rapid beating of her heart, but as she mentally calmed her heart only seemed to beat faster and faster. 'Oh Gods!' She thought in a panic. 'Oh gods help me! I don't know what's happening.' The rapid palpitations grew into a large energy. A painful energy…like a spike through her chest… metal through bone like a knife through butter… At last she could hold on no longer… She succumbed to the blackness…

~~~

*SIT!*

Inuyasha became a little too closely acquainted with the ground for the first time that day. "What the hell did you do that for?!" he yelled peeling himself from the ground.

"We shouldn't go after Miroku and Sango right now." She shifted her gaze into the woods were they disappeared that morning. She looked trouble yet knowing at the same time. Kagome wasn't sure but she could guess at what had happened. Tensions had been high between those two for so long…Maybe now they could finally submit to , what in everyone else opinion, was quite obvious. If they were ever going to get through this ordeal they needed to hold onto each other, not let their pain drag them apart. She shook her head a little before continuing.

"I think.. .He and Sango really need to be alone."

"But we'll miss a whole day of searching for the jewel shards if we don't leave soon!" He growled.

Kagome smiled. He was so cute when he was, non violently, moping. She slowly walked over too him and took her hand in his. "Besides.." she added with a smirk, her voice dropping an octave or two. "It would be nice to spend some time alone together."

Inuyasha's ears twitched a little as a blush crept up from under his collar.

~~~

Miroku walked down a beautiful forest path in deep thought. The trees formed a long tunnel like canopy over the trail with their branches, allowing little streams of golden light to sparkle in and illuminate the colorful summer foliage… but he saw nothing of it. His eyes moved about, avoiding various obstacles in his path, …but he was walking blind. Images played painful in from of his eyes...killing his from the inside out… Images of his father…learning to deal with his curse…his friends…refusing to be turned away… Sango… Damn it! Why did fate have to dangle the one thing he wanted the most, but could never grasp right in from of his nose? Maybe he was in pain… it was hard to tell.

He lived with the pain so often he'd become hardened, even used to it… But fate would always twist him another way and bring on a whole another level of hellish misery to envelope him. He sighed heavily and collapsed on a nearby rock. It had a few sharp edges that were threatening to draw blood even with his heavy robs but he felt none of them… he was completely numb… both emotionally and physically. He wouldn't be able to follow through with his latest plan of action if he wasn't.

…He was going to leave …everything…behind. Everything, all of it. The group, his friends, … Sango. He just could bear to be their source of pain any longer. It was too late to fend off attachments, but he could spare them other things… like the pain of his inevitable death. Maybe if he left and ran far enough they'd never have to hear about it… He'd work faster at his quest if her were alone anyway. Alone… "I'm always alone…" he said allowed.

"Not always…" said a soft familiar female voice as it's owner sat down beside him.

Miroku gasped and nearly choked. He tried to say her name but only started a coughing fit to clear hit clenched throat.

"Surprised to see me?" she giggled lightly patting him on the back. "Did you really think I could leave you alone all day?"

NANI?!! His mind screamed. The confusion was so mind numbing…it just didn't make sense. His dream…the slap…running…his resolve… it didn't add up to his current situation.

Sango looked away from for a moment with a sad expression. "I'm… I'm sorry… I shouldn't have slapped you…"

"Sango…" he managed at last in a low voice. "Sango, you don't need to apologize… I deserved it."

"No you didn't!" She said her voice cracked a little. "I.. I shouldn't be mad at you for hating me… I never gave you a reason to like me…" Her shoulders shook with the tremendous weight of the tears she wouldn't let fall.

Miroku let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. His numb resolve seemed to scatter to dust under her gentle presence. "Sango…" He strained out, unable to stop himself from wrapping his arms around her comfortingly, holding her back to his chest.

"Miroku?" She questioned, her eyes glancing over her shoulder in bewilderment.

"Sango…I don't hate you… I could never…never…hate you." He whispered into her ear still struggling to speak without wavering his voice. She actually said his name.

"Miroku…" She said again entwining her fingers with his, locking him to her.

No words were said, perhaps none were needed… It was just the two of them… bearing a little piece of their souls…

Sango's tender caress of his hand suddenly turned hard and cold. Miroku stiffened a little about to question her when a spiking pain tore at his flesh. He started to gage with the force of the impact he'd felt. Searching the little pathway for an enemy, he found none. Slowly, with absolute denial he gaze craned towards Sango. She still lay very calm and relaxed, against his chest, gently stroking his cursed hand.

"S-Sango…" he struggled gritting his teeth with agony.

"Shhh… shh. Don't try to move. If you run I'll only have to make your death slower." She said in a soft whisper, dripping with something subtly foreign.

Miroku struggled to pull away. He'd been tricked! This had to be the work of some sort of shape shifter… maybe even Naraku… "Let me go demon!" he roared, pushing her to the forest floor with all his strength. He turned to run back to the village encampment to warn the others, but some dark force made his feet heavy until he could no longer lift them. He glanced angrily over his shoulder at the false Sango. "What are you after?!"

She still lay, sprawled where he had dropped her, put her voice came to his ears calm and strong. "Just your life my dear Miroku… all your lives… I'm tired of your constant annoyance… I've decided to end this…now.

Miroku, his back frozen towards her struggled to turn his head and get a better view. He could just barely see the ghostly way she pulled herself from the ground, found her footing, and turned to face him. She was staring at him so coldly. He searched her gaze to find the truth, but he found it…too late.

She slowly lifted her arm and held her palm out towards him. "Goodbye…" she whispered in a tone that was just barely discernable. And from her hand shot an energy like he had only just heard about before… it was the power of the Shikon Jewel!

Authors Note: My my my, what an interesting development. ^_^ What will happen? That, is a whole different chapter. ^_^ And BTW Thank you so much for your replies! I'm so glad you like my story! ^_^