AN: And everyone seems to have totally forgotten about Shippou… You'll notice he isn't mentioned. I don't think Sango has any memories concerning him at the moment… But, he'll hopefully pop up. One last note: The building they're in is next to the shrine with the peach tree in between. Just so you have a frame of reference for where everything is.
Sango glanced at Miroku, who was looking completely composed again. She didn't know how, but she knew that he had just put a mask up for their benefit. "Where are the children, Miko-sama?"
"There are none. It's none of your concern, taiji-ya-san."
The two travelers exchanged a look. "As you wish, Miko-sama," Miroku responded smoothly, covering the gap in conversation. Even with her memory gone, the two were better at non-verbal communication than most. "Is there an inn where we might rest for the night?"
The old woman gave them a hard look. "Follow me."
*~*
Miroku's hands were itching to do something, but he restrained himself from either indulging in his favorite behavior or flirting with the town's women. Of course, the second was made quite a bit easier seeing as the only women in the town were either married, over twenty-five, both, or Sango. He had silently vowed in camp that night that he wouldn't alienate Sango this time. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Sango, who was cleaning her sword absentmindedly, and slowly stood.
"Sango?" She looked up at him. Something about his tone of voice made her think something was wrong. "I'm going to take a walk around the village. Perhaps see if we can leave before the curse takes effect."
She nodded. "How do you know if there actually is a curse, houshi-sama?"
Kirara glanced between the two humans lazily before curling up in a little ball in the dwindling sunlight.
". . . A feeling. Besides, look at this village. They have no reason to lie about a curse and then give us a free meal," Miroku said, staring out the window to the peach tree.
"It bothers me still, though," Sango replied. "How there are no children in sight," she clarified.
"If only we could get a message to Kagome and Inuyasha. . ." Miroku mused.
"The hanyou and the odd girl?" Sango asked. Miroku nodded absentmindedly. "If they come, according to the curse, they'll die too. Would you wish that upon your traveling companions?"
"There's always the possibility they'll die anyway, seeing as they're already my companions, though they aren't here. Wouldn't it be more desirable to have larger numbers here trying to figure out how to break the curse rather than be separated?" Miroku asked.
"It's a calculable risk," Sango shot back at the houshi leaning against the door frame. "And the odds aren't in favor that two more people possibly could make a large enough difference that it would be worth it. It would be like handing them a death sentence. And I've seen enough people die!"
Miroku stared at her. He couldn't decide if she realized what she had said, or if it was a slip, or if it was figurative.
She met his gaze squarely. "I remember enough fuzzy images from what must be my past that I know I've lost those near me. I may not remember details, but I remember that people have died at my hands."
Miroku closed his eyes slowly. Of all the things for her to have remembered, it had to be her sense of guilt over her village. "I'll go look at the village now." He turned and walked slowly out the door, attempting to slip up that mask. It had gotten so much harder to do lately. He wondered why.
*~*
"TAIJI-YA-SAMA!"
Sango's head whipped up, meeting the frightened gaze of one of the villagers. "Yes?"
"Your companion, he's collapsed. Outside the shrine. It's gotten him. . ." the villager whispered the last part.
"Take me to him," Sango ordered, rising swiftly and grabbing her sword and running out the door.
Sango skidded to a stop next to Miroku and knelt down, feeling for a heartbeat.
When she touched him, his lips started moving. She leaned forward, hair brushing his forehead as she attempted to hear what he was whispering over the milling people in the background.
"… mine … never… I will possess what belongs to me… you can't have me… forever… for never…"
Sango sat back on her heels, regarding her attractive companion with a small degree of mostly hidden horror.
One of the larger men of the village helped her carry Miroku back to the room they had been loaned. He beat a hasty retreat once Miroku was on the ground, framed by the sunset shining around the tree.
She moved him to a more comfortable position. "Kirara," she said, speaking to the cat for the first time. "I don't know how much of me you understand, or even why you like me, but I need you to do me a favor. Don't let anyone near houshi-sama until I get back. There's something I need to do."
She rose, stalking out of the small building to the front of the village.
She stood on one side of the boundary marking, and as the sun dipped below the mountains, she walked forward.
She bounced off what felt to be a rock wall. She drew her sword, and took a step back, prodding the area that the wall should have been. Her sword passed straight through, yet her hand met resistance just as solid as before.
"Obviously, we can't just leave. . ." she muttered to herself. 'I don't like this situation. Nothing feels right...'
Sango turned at a sound. She saw a young boy, about eleven, bouncing a white ball on the dirt path and regarding her levelly.
"Who are you?" she asked.
He just smiled.
"What are you doing here?"
That same mysterious smile.
"Where are the other children?" she asked, taking a step forward.
He smiled a little wider before turning to stare back toward the shrine.
"What's going on?" she asked desperately, reaching a hand out to him.
His smile faltered and he shrank away from her hand, dropping the ball, which rolled through Sango's foot.
Sango's eyes followed the ball, and when she looked back up, the boy was gone.
AN: *insert dramatic music* And so ends Day 1 of the curse. ^_\
Many thanks to reviewers (I read 'em all and love everyone who reviews):
sailorpsychosis ~ ending the chapters like that is fun, though. ^_~
Shadow Heart ~ See? I do update, and I'm glad you remembered to come back to this. ^^*
Kaylana ~ new chappie is up now! aren't we all happy? especially since I'm going to be working on the next one while this is being new on ff.net.
DarkRoseAngelScarlet ~ I know, I know, another forever and a day since I updated, but I was buried the past couple of days since remembering this. darn AP euro history…
And to those who read but didn't review, thanks for reading anyway. *waves* Tata. I'm off to work on Day II.