Authors Note: YES! My big exams are finally over! Now I can update more often! ^_^ Okay now back to the story. Things get complicated…

Chapter Two

Dreaming Teardrops

Miroku slowly drew himself up from the depths of sleep into the wakening world. He felt the first rays of the sun on his eyelids before he pealed them open, squinting regardless of the warning. It took a moment for his dazed mind to sort itself out. He nearly chuckled at that thought. He was accustom to wakening up fully alert and ready to go. The only time he ever took his time about coming to was when he'd truly slept like the dead.

Must have been because of Sango… he just know she would find a way to hold this over his head one day. Oddly he didn't mind that much. That was just the way Sango was and he, very wrongly in his opinion, loved her for it. He was musing over the usual list of reasons why he couldn't act on his feelings (specifically why he had to act oppositely of his feelings) when he realized something was very wrong…

He opened his eyes completely then, glancing around everything seemed quiet. He looked down at his chest to see Sango's sleeping face. A lecherous grin spread itself across his lips when he thought of the involuntary (Or at least unconscious) lecherous actions that must have put her in this position. She must have really been out of it not to smack him and huff back to her futon.

Very gently, in an almost sweetly painful gesture, he moved his cursed hand upwards and brushed a few stray bangs from her eyes. She seemed so content nestled there against him. Quickly banishing that train of thought from his mind he gently tightened his grip on her waist, cradled her neck with his other hand, and shifted so he could lay her upon the futon and get up without disturbing her sleep. He made sure to cover her well, so she wouldn't be cold and with one final squeeze of her hand he moved away from the campsite into the woods.

He didn't look over his shoulder, he'd never accomplish his objective if he did. During his life's travels he'd become acquainted with a great deal of Japan's landscape. This particular mountain range he knew very well. It was full of priest/esses and other such people similar to him. How ironic that he should come to it again at such a time.

Pressing forward through a think line of brush he emerged in a small circular clearing. Domed by the branches of nearby trees and adorned with a small waterfall. It was exactly as he remembered it.

"Ah!" he grimaced quietly as he could. The consuming pain that had been running through his arm all morning had just intensified a few degrees. It wouldn't be long now, and for mercy's sake, there was no reason in the world to drag it out. With nimble fingers he loosened, and then removed, the prayer beads on his arm; half-heartedly tossing them aside. With a small sigh he unclenched his hand and let the fabric fall apart.

~~~

Sango's eyes snapped apart as a resounding bang cracked trough the forest. "What was that?" she thought aloud as she pushed herself up from the ground and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Miroku are you up yet?! We should go investigate!" she called out a bit louder assuming the Monk had not gone far from camp. "Probably after breakfast or something…" she muttered to herself.

She got up and decided to check it out by herself if the Monk was foolish enough to wander out of earshot. Trekking her way along the forest she was fully concentrated on looking for the source of the noise. It was her whole objective at that time. She was not distracted by, in her opinion absurd, daydreams and she was definitely not blushing when she thought of the way she'd slept last night. (Do I sense denial? … Maybe just a little ^_-)

With a sigh she though aloud, "Why are all these leaves and branches scattered…" she never got to finish that thought. Before she ever had the chance a deadly unimaginable one took it's place. One she couldn't accept, and couldn't deny. "NO!" she choked out nearly falling over herself in her struggle past what might have been the thickest foliage in the forest. Just as she pried her self out of the last of it she did tumble a bit; landing, unscathed, at the edge of a large crater. It was a ten foot half-sphere taking up nearly all the land of the clearing, with the exception of a tiny waterfall in the west. Minus the crater it was a stunning scene, but the crater was all she was focused on.

She stared at the clearing dust in numb disbelief for the longest time. Every fiber of her wishing it away. Sadly, as if fate was mocking her with it's cruelty, a small current of air blew a small gathering of beads her way. A very familiar gathering. Hardly moving, she reached down and clutched them hard. It went unnoticed until then that she was shaking. As a demon huntress she'd dealt with many things that would send others far into shock…but something like this leveled the playing field…she just couldn't take it. She'd just barely clutched the beads to her chest before the void of dreamless sleep welcomed her into it's emptiness.

Authors Note: Here would be a really good place to end it for some people, but I'm going to keep going for a bit to peek the interest of the reader. ^_^

~~~

Two finely bread Japanese horses, gifts from a European noble, trod along a path they had not seen in three years. Upon their backs rode a highborn priestess and her body guard; both in long black cloaks. They'd been riding all morning, circling their destination until they heard the signal. They were the only living beings within ten miles that had not been shocked by the explosive start of the day. They'd simply continued on as though nothing was ever wrong with the world. A comfortable silence hung in the air. Both skilled people had planned for this day for years, they were well prepared; needing little speech between them.

The horses stopped midst ride and shook their heads as if to indicate an invisible disturbance.

"This is the place then?" came the bodyguards deep voice from under his cloak. His companion's only reply was a solemn nod. Without another word they slipped from their saddles and seemed to glide over the forest floor. The thick foliage they encountered seemed to make way for them as the passed by it towards the western waterfall. As soon as the last bit of cloak had passed through the bushes they seemed to close up again, protecting the area from all other trespassers.

The young priestess stepped forward first, kneeling by the unconscious girl. Her heart cried out with sympathy, but now of all times was not one to forget herself or her mission.

"Yume… we can still go home… we don't have to get involved in this," came her bodyguards voice for a second time.

"You forget Kento…" Yume spoke at last, shaking her head. "This is our destiny. It can not be changed, nor do I wish it to be… The girl is alive… You may proceed."

Kento nodded a little gruffly, and pulled Sango up to his chest. "Home then?" Yume simply nodded as they strode back to their horses.

As they mounted it seemed the journey home would be as silent as the one that had brought them there, but Yume spoke up one last time before leaving the land of the western waterfall. "I'm so glad we found her… I just wish…"

"I know Yume," Kento offered his condolences, "I know…" faint smiles upon their lips they continued on in the same comfortable silence. This ground was just to hallowed for words…

Authors Note: Ah… the plot thickens… ^_^