Tsuki no Ai

By Youkai Huntress

Marebito

The taijiya was walking all alone through the forest, the first rough point of her mission was how she would find Naraku, even when she was with the others it seemed impossible; now that she was by herself it'd probably be more difficult.

She knew it was dangerous to walk through the forest during the night but if she didn't take the risk, the others would be able to find her so easily, and right now she didn't feel like being a part of a team. She needed to do this by herself.

Well, not completely by herself because Kirara would be there to help her. She bent down to pick the kitten up.  Kirara had always been there to help her and to ease her fears, ever since her mother departed from this world. When she was a girl she used to think her mother had sent the fire cat to be her friend, it made her felt better to believe her mother was looking after her. In her first fights, part of her security came from that belief.  The other part came from her self-trust. She believed in her abilities and her strength.

But there had passed so many long months since she stopped having faith on that childish conviction that involved her mother, she lost that fraction of her innocence the day her family was taken from her so violently. And if that wasn't worse enough, her self-trust was crumbling.

When her faith leaded her to meet her newfound friends, she forced herself to believe in the power they had when they were together. Before the kazaana she had already got to the point where she would put her life on the hands of her friends, and that her friends would rely on her. Not only that, she trusted in herself as she has never done it; and when she dare to doubt, the houshi was there to make her believe.

But it had turned out exactly the same. She had lost a beloved person and with him, the faith in destiny, in her friends, and most of all, in herself.

That her emotions were chaos was Naraku's fault, but if she defeated him, things would be OK again.  Or at least she wanted to believe so.

"Are you lost, little one?"

Sango turned as fast as she could to face the owner of the creepy voice, her hand had already grasped her Hiraikotsu. But when she face the source of the sound, her surprise couldn't be hidden, she was in front of an old woman.

Sango (An old woman in a forest like this one, there must be something really wrong with her. The best would be to be alert in case she tries anything)

"Did I scare you? I'm so sorry"

The taijiya just looked at the stranger, her eyes told the exterminator that there was nothing abnormal with the other female. The long white hair was loose, her face kept the grace of her former years, but the way she smirked sent shivers through Sango's spine making her look at other things.  The elderly lady was dressed in a not very luxurious kimono though, its pattern really caught Sango's eyes, as if the one who had sewed to the rope had made an exactly copy of the genuine sky. She thought that in any minute the stars and the moon in the kimono would start glowing as the real ones.

"It's a beautiful kimono, isn't it? Although I'm sure it'd look more lovely in someone like you, Sango"

"How can you know my name? Who are you?"

"Poor Sango, poor scared little girl. Such a strong spirit, yet so full of fear.  I can see through your eyes, your heart is willing to close itself from life. But it has its reasons, isn't it?. It started closing since the day your family was murdered in front of your eyes.  Am I wrong? We both know, I'm not.

How unfair! One of the greatest exterminators doomed to live a cursed destiny marked by loss and pain. As if everything you feel love for,  were predestined to be taken from you. Don't you agree?.  If you don't we can always ask the ghosts of your village.

Why to show any love? Even better, why to dare to love? It'll be less painful to ignore the feeling, to force it to be silent. You really believed that, right? So afraid of living, of feeling, of losing. But it didn't work. Even if you didn't show what you felt for the houshi, he was taken from you.

Your fate claims for the sacrifice of all you love."

Sango's breathing fastened as she heard what the old lady said. She wondered if it was truth, it made logic when she thought it but she couldn't accept it. That would mean that any chance of happiness would be out of reach. But what disturbed her the most, was that it may have been her love what killed them. 

Soon all her confusion was replaced by anger, anger against the one who dare to speak aloud the words she had never wanted to hear. Words that made the exterminator feel afraid and hurt. She had to silent the woman or youkai, she no longer care what the female was.  

The speed of Hiraikotsu was incredible, it'd probably cut any being in two halves. Only a few people could have avoided and unfortunately for Sango, the lady in front of her was one of them.

She grabbed the hiraikotsu with her right hand then she threw it behind her with a strength rarely seen. Sango knew that to recover her weapon she would have to pass the woman, and her intuition told her that would be suicide. She needed time to think in a strategy, very likely the woman's speed would be as just as great as her strength, but for the exterminator the fact that her combatant seemed to know her very well was far more dangerous than her physical attributes.

"We're getting a little bit irritated, don't we? You shouldn't be angry with me. I just voiced your greatest fear, I never say I believe it's truth. Besides I'm here to give you a present. You, my lucky girl should be thankful"

"Thankful? About what? Who are you? Are you a Naraku's servant?"

"Me? The servant of a madman with a crazy obsession for baboon pelts. I'm truly offended, I feel tented to give my present to another person. Then again you really need it" 

To resort to her katana would be just as risky as trying to kick the woman, Sango told herself. Her only way out was using her poison powder, in order to be successful she'd have to surprise the female, that wouldn't be easy, she required something or someone to distract her opponent. The exterminator looked at the ground and saw Kirara, she had to keep her cool and not show the sudden wave of relief. The kitten could offer the distraction she needed.

"I'd not use the poison if I were you, the only one likely to be affected it'd be you. Where you're going, you won't need Kirara. Don't worry I'll look after her until you get back"

And with this the old woman went down on her knees and extended her right hand as ordering the kitten to come to her. Sango couldn't hide the surprise when she saw the fire cat making for the other female. She yelled the cat's name to not result. Well, if this was the night she would die, she would die as a fighter and not as coward.

She jumped and thrown one of her poison bombs at the same time she put her mask on. Then she drew her katana ready to slice her enemy. Through the cloud the poison formed she saw the figure of the old woman. She started running full speed, it was her only option though it would probably be a suicidal attack.

But  when she was getting near her adversary, she felt as if all of her strength left her body, she fell on her knees no longer being able to stand.

Sango (This cannot be the poison's effect, it couldn't have affected me so soon because I've been wearing my mask. This is her doing)

"You're right, my dear child now don't fight back and go to sleep"

Her last thought read by her enemy, the woman wouldn't even give her privacy in her last moment. But Sango didn't hear that, her world had turned into shadows already.    

What happened to Sango? Keep on reading to find out.

Please sent your opinions and suggestions.

And thanks to all the persons who had read it, I really appreciate your kind words and your advices.

By the way marebito means: Sore wa himitsu desu/That's a secret. (Keep on reading and you'll find out what it means)