The Haunting: Of a Future Lost, chapter 2
By Seabreeze
A/N: The name for this chapter comes from an actual song called "Ghosts of a Future Loss". From the movie "Requiem for a Dream". Quite pretty. I've never seen that movie, but from what I've heard it's. . . interesting. Ahem. Thanks for the reviews I got, I appreciate it! I hope you like the next chapitre.
Disclaimer: Why do we even do these things? Obviously as this is a "fanfiction" site, we're all aware we're not the creators or gaining profit. . . which, by the way, I'm not. I guess I'll just spell it out: I did not create Inuyasha. Damnit.
*~*~*
The village neared second by second, and the loud cries of the villagers and the demon came with it. As they got closer, Inuyasha dropped Kagome off with the small crowd of people, mostly women and children.
"Hey!" she called after him, annoyed. When Kirara ran by her, Miroku grabbed her arm , pulled her on behind him, and jumped off, running behind Inuyasha.
"Hold on," Sango told her friend as Kirara galloped towards the demon, Inuyasha, Miroku, and the demon exterminators. Kagome gasped.
"Sango. . ." She whispered. Sango shook her head.
"Not now, Kagome." She swung Hiraikotsu high over her head (Kagome ducked) and right at the demon's backend. She would've killed it, but Inuyasha seemed to be enjoying torturing it too much. The demon was fast, but Inuyasha was faster. Because of this, he leapt to different places faster than the demon could track him, confusing it. Sango heard Kagome giggled as Inuyasha crowed, and smiled. They were really so cute.
With the demon's injured backend and Inuyasha's confusing it, the demon exterminators were able to kill it easily. Sango almost felt intrusive, but most of her longed to fight with them, to be one of them again. Even if she didn't even know them. The village people cheered and Inuyasha stepped back next to Miroku, who hadn't really needed to do anything. Kirara landed near them and Kagome leapt off, rushing at Inuyasha.
"Why did you make me stay back with the rest of the women and children???" she demanded. Inuyasha glared at her.
"Feh! I hate to remind you Kagome, but you are a woman!"
"That doesn't mean I'm completely defenseless! I have a bow, Inuyasha!"
"Not that we needed your help anyways. . ." the argument continued and Sango got off Kirara, who stayed large for a while. Sango sensed that Miroku was looking at her and turned to him. The look he was giving her wasn't pitying, but searching. She nodded her head very slightly, to tell him this was what had been bothering her, and looked away.
The team of demon exterminators trotted up, weapons sheathed and smiling.
"Thanks for the help," one of them said. He was young, around 20 or so. He nodded at Inuyasha, who did the same (though he was more aloof than the young man), and couldn't help but look at Sango. "So you're a demon exterminator too?" he asked with interest.
'Demon exterminator,' she thought fuzzily. 'One. Solitary.'
"Yes," she answered.
"Ah, from what village, then? Maybe we've heard of you."
"Erm, I'm from up north. I. . ." she stared at the group of them, and then blushed. "I'm sorry, I just never thought I'd see another team of exterminators. . ." the young man smiled.
"We're just as shocked as you are. Uh. . .why are you with these people, and not your team?" he asked. Sango swallowed the massive lump in her throat.
"My village was killed." She deadpanned, not wanting to go further. The man looked down.
"We are sorry for your loss." He said, and she nodded, feeling extremely awkward. As she had been talking to the young leader of the exterminators, Inuyasha and Kagome had retrieved the shikon shard from the dead demon.
"Hope you don't mind that we take this," he told the leader cockily. Kagome rolled her eyes. The leader, and basically the rest of the village, shook their heads.
"Oh, no. Not at all, it's yours. Repayment for helping us slay the demon." he smiled and bowed to Inuyasha, who stood there as Kagome bowed back to him. Sango cleared her throat.
"We will help rebuild the village." She said. She hadn't really known she was going to say it, but when she had, she was glad that it had come out. Miroku and Kagome looked at her, surprised, and Inuyasha was just about to debate when Kagome gave him a look. He shut up, knowing what would come next if he didn't.
"Hm? Are you sure? You've all done enough already. I'm sure we can manage."
"Maybe leaving would be a good idea. . ." Miroku began, watching Sango.
"No, no. We can help. I'll help. You can go," she told them. This time she had shocked them all. Kagome looked hurt.
'She chooses them over us? Even though we're her friends. . .?' she thought. Miroku was utterly taken aback.
"No. . . we will stay, Sango." He said. Sango looked at them, wondering why they stayed when they so clearly didn't want to, but gave it up. After a moment, the leader cleared his throat. He began to speak loudly, addressing the entire village.
"We will begin to repair and rebuild the village tomorrow morning. If your home was not damaged or hardly damaged, share it tonight with those who were less fortunate." He turned to Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kagome and lowered his voice to a normal speaking tone.
"My home was not touched, as it is outside the village. I can offer sleeping space for two or so." He said. The five exchanged looks.
"I like sleeping outside better, anyways." Inuyasha slung Kagome's bag over his shoulder and turned to her. "You coming?"
"Mm-hmm." Kagome trotted and caught up with him.
"Where should I go?" asked Shippo. Sango smiled.
"Surely there will be room for you with us," she said. Shippo nodded. The leader turned to the three of them and smiled.
"I am Kenji. I am the leader of this village's demon exterminators." He said, heading the opposite way of the way in which they had come in.
"I am Miroku," Miroku replied. "Sango is the demon exterminator, and Shippo is the kitsune. The cat demon is Kirara."
"Ah. And the others?"
"Inuyasha and Kagome."
The rest of the way to Kenji's home they spoke of the demon and the village they were in. When they reached his house, he showed them to a small room where they could sleep, and offered them a meal when they had finished settling in for the night. After they had eaten and Kenji had excused himself to his room, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo had gone the small room they were to share. Within minutes, Shippo and Kirara were asleep curled around each other.
Miroku began to undress, so Sango went out and sat on the porch. The night was cool and the sun was almost all the way set. There was a soft breeze, and Sango let it tug her into the past gently- into memories of training with her father and the others, memories of her training and giving tips to Kohaku. There were so many memories, and all of them so staggeringly realistic, that it was almost as if she was reliving them. She laughed softly as Kohaku tripped and landed awkwardly, and then felt pride as he got something down perfectly. She remembered watching her father watching the two of them and having those same feelings of pride, only times two.
She had become so wrapped up in her memories that she hadn't even noticed Miroku was out with her, calling her name.
"Sango." She snapped out of it and stared at him.
"Hmm? Sorry, Houshi-sama."
"Those demon exterminators bring back a lot of old memories, don't they?" he asked quietly, staring out as she was. She looked at him. "Old memories and feelings." He mused. He looked at her, and his eyes told her that he knew what she wouldn't let herself know.
"I have to get some sleep." She said nervously. Miroku sighed, and stayed outside until she came out and told him he could come in.
*~*~*
A/N: Erp. . . that was really long. how did it get that long?
By Seabreeze
A/N: The name for this chapter comes from an actual song called "Ghosts of a Future Loss". From the movie "Requiem for a Dream". Quite pretty. I've never seen that movie, but from what I've heard it's. . . interesting. Ahem. Thanks for the reviews I got, I appreciate it! I hope you like the next chapitre.
Disclaimer: Why do we even do these things? Obviously as this is a "fanfiction" site, we're all aware we're not the creators or gaining profit. . . which, by the way, I'm not. I guess I'll just spell it out: I did not create Inuyasha. Damnit.
*~*~*
The village neared second by second, and the loud cries of the villagers and the demon came with it. As they got closer, Inuyasha dropped Kagome off with the small crowd of people, mostly women and children.
"Hey!" she called after him, annoyed. When Kirara ran by her, Miroku grabbed her arm , pulled her on behind him, and jumped off, running behind Inuyasha.
"Hold on," Sango told her friend as Kirara galloped towards the demon, Inuyasha, Miroku, and the demon exterminators. Kagome gasped.
"Sango. . ." She whispered. Sango shook her head.
"Not now, Kagome." She swung Hiraikotsu high over her head (Kagome ducked) and right at the demon's backend. She would've killed it, but Inuyasha seemed to be enjoying torturing it too much. The demon was fast, but Inuyasha was faster. Because of this, he leapt to different places faster than the demon could track him, confusing it. Sango heard Kagome giggled as Inuyasha crowed, and smiled. They were really so cute.
With the demon's injured backend and Inuyasha's confusing it, the demon exterminators were able to kill it easily. Sango almost felt intrusive, but most of her longed to fight with them, to be one of them again. Even if she didn't even know them. The village people cheered and Inuyasha stepped back next to Miroku, who hadn't really needed to do anything. Kirara landed near them and Kagome leapt off, rushing at Inuyasha.
"Why did you make me stay back with the rest of the women and children???" she demanded. Inuyasha glared at her.
"Feh! I hate to remind you Kagome, but you are a woman!"
"That doesn't mean I'm completely defenseless! I have a bow, Inuyasha!"
"Not that we needed your help anyways. . ." the argument continued and Sango got off Kirara, who stayed large for a while. Sango sensed that Miroku was looking at her and turned to him. The look he was giving her wasn't pitying, but searching. She nodded her head very slightly, to tell him this was what had been bothering her, and looked away.
The team of demon exterminators trotted up, weapons sheathed and smiling.
"Thanks for the help," one of them said. He was young, around 20 or so. He nodded at Inuyasha, who did the same (though he was more aloof than the young man), and couldn't help but look at Sango. "So you're a demon exterminator too?" he asked with interest.
'Demon exterminator,' she thought fuzzily. 'One. Solitary.'
"Yes," she answered.
"Ah, from what village, then? Maybe we've heard of you."
"Erm, I'm from up north. I. . ." she stared at the group of them, and then blushed. "I'm sorry, I just never thought I'd see another team of exterminators. . ." the young man smiled.
"We're just as shocked as you are. Uh. . .why are you with these people, and not your team?" he asked. Sango swallowed the massive lump in her throat.
"My village was killed." She deadpanned, not wanting to go further. The man looked down.
"We are sorry for your loss." He said, and she nodded, feeling extremely awkward. As she had been talking to the young leader of the exterminators, Inuyasha and Kagome had retrieved the shikon shard from the dead demon.
"Hope you don't mind that we take this," he told the leader cockily. Kagome rolled her eyes. The leader, and basically the rest of the village, shook their heads.
"Oh, no. Not at all, it's yours. Repayment for helping us slay the demon." he smiled and bowed to Inuyasha, who stood there as Kagome bowed back to him. Sango cleared her throat.
"We will help rebuild the village." She said. She hadn't really known she was going to say it, but when she had, she was glad that it had come out. Miroku and Kagome looked at her, surprised, and Inuyasha was just about to debate when Kagome gave him a look. He shut up, knowing what would come next if he didn't.
"Hm? Are you sure? You've all done enough already. I'm sure we can manage."
"Maybe leaving would be a good idea. . ." Miroku began, watching Sango.
"No, no. We can help. I'll help. You can go," she told them. This time she had shocked them all. Kagome looked hurt.
'She chooses them over us? Even though we're her friends. . .?' she thought. Miroku was utterly taken aback.
"No. . . we will stay, Sango." He said. Sango looked at them, wondering why they stayed when they so clearly didn't want to, but gave it up. After a moment, the leader cleared his throat. He began to speak loudly, addressing the entire village.
"We will begin to repair and rebuild the village tomorrow morning. If your home was not damaged or hardly damaged, share it tonight with those who were less fortunate." He turned to Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kagome and lowered his voice to a normal speaking tone.
"My home was not touched, as it is outside the village. I can offer sleeping space for two or so." He said. The five exchanged looks.
"I like sleeping outside better, anyways." Inuyasha slung Kagome's bag over his shoulder and turned to her. "You coming?"
"Mm-hmm." Kagome trotted and caught up with him.
"Where should I go?" asked Shippo. Sango smiled.
"Surely there will be room for you with us," she said. Shippo nodded. The leader turned to the three of them and smiled.
"I am Kenji. I am the leader of this village's demon exterminators." He said, heading the opposite way of the way in which they had come in.
"I am Miroku," Miroku replied. "Sango is the demon exterminator, and Shippo is the kitsune. The cat demon is Kirara."
"Ah. And the others?"
"Inuyasha and Kagome."
The rest of the way to Kenji's home they spoke of the demon and the village they were in. When they reached his house, he showed them to a small room where they could sleep, and offered them a meal when they had finished settling in for the night. After they had eaten and Kenji had excused himself to his room, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo had gone the small room they were to share. Within minutes, Shippo and Kirara were asleep curled around each other.
Miroku began to undress, so Sango went out and sat on the porch. The night was cool and the sun was almost all the way set. There was a soft breeze, and Sango let it tug her into the past gently- into memories of training with her father and the others, memories of her training and giving tips to Kohaku. There were so many memories, and all of them so staggeringly realistic, that it was almost as if she was reliving them. She laughed softly as Kohaku tripped and landed awkwardly, and then felt pride as he got something down perfectly. She remembered watching her father watching the two of them and having those same feelings of pride, only times two.
She had become so wrapped up in her memories that she hadn't even noticed Miroku was out with her, calling her name.
"Sango." She snapped out of it and stared at him.
"Hmm? Sorry, Houshi-sama."
"Those demon exterminators bring back a lot of old memories, don't they?" he asked quietly, staring out as she was. She looked at him. "Old memories and feelings." He mused. He looked at her, and his eyes told her that he knew what she wouldn't let herself know.
"I have to get some sleep." She said nervously. Miroku sighed, and stayed outside until she came out and told him he could come in.
*~*~*
A/N: Erp. . . that was really long. how did it get that long?