Love Beyond Life
Book One: The Age of the Warring States—Epilogue
Sango-sama
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, I wouldn't be struggling to pay for college.
Author's Notes: If you love me, you'll review. If you don't...well, you'll review or I really will kill more people off! Kukuku! Seriously? No...not seriously. But I will say that, I do write faster with more reviews. This is absolute truth. I love hearing from new people who have just started reading, as well as some of you "old' friends, who have been reviewing for quite some time. For some odd reason, the anime fandom is nowhere near what many of the other fandoms are about reviews.
To the reviewers, you wonderful people, you!
Thank you to all of you for your kinds words...and recommendations. But I'm afraid that I still have a good number more tricks up my sleeve for this fic, so I'll be continuing this fic for a good while more. Why am I afraid? Working almost solely on this one means I still have about 6-7 fics in the lurch. Also, Peach Blossoms, the Black Widow epilogue, is complete and has a bit of High rating...but can be found on inuyasha.net at: http://www.inuyasha.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Fanfiction&file=index&options=DisplayStory&storyid=1059 I haven't written any farther in that storyline than the end of Peach Blossoms.
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She and Houshi-sama had come running...well, technically, he had been floating... after they heard Kagome's scream. And only after she had hastily thrown her yukata over her shoulders...thankfully averting what would have been an incredibly embarrassing situation with Houshi-sama.
When they had arrived at the scene, Bankotsu was quite literally 'effectively disarmed;' the combination of Tetsusaiga and Inuyasha's rage had ripped the hand holding Banryuu off and flung it backwards so the double blade stood up in the soil.
Inuyasha's eyes flashed a crimson to match the blood on his blade, as he shouted. "You bastard! You won't kill ever again!"
Bankotsu tried to block the sword with his hand that was being thrust into his neck, but he had been too weakened by the loss of blood from his crudely amputated arm to fend off the sword, before it shattered through his vertebrae with a sickening crunch. With one last grotesque choke, his whole body hung limp supported only by the sword and his head hung at an odd angle. His eyes bore the glassy veil of death.
The strength of the blow had forcefully knocked the tainted shards out from the back on his neck and sending the hilt of the sword to press against the skin of Bankotsu's neck. Shards of jewel and flesh clattered to the ground, in a nauseating pool of blood and malicious intent.
Inuyasha stared venomously at now dead blood-thirsty zombie. For the crime of killing Kagome, he had let the jerk get off rather light. He was still recognizable...but not by much. Placing his foot at his shoulder, the still irate hanyou removed the blood-slickened sword from his body.
Grimacing at the macabre sight, Sango and Miroku turned their focus instead on Kagome's still form.
The young kit had remained at her side during the whole of the battle, tear stains riddling his chubby cheeks. His tiny hands were pressing a small bit of cloth from his shirt onto the rather large wound on Kagome's right side. "She won't stop bleeding..."
Miroku turned to Sango. "Then perhaps her heart still beats..."
Without a moment of hesitation, Sango settled herself by Kagome's head. The girl's body was not cold...certainly not as cold the body should be when touched by the icy hand of death Sango put her cheek near Kagome's mouth and felt the faint puffs of breath. "She's breathing..." Her fingers traced down to Kagome's neck. "Inuyasha, her heart is still beating!"
His eyes were confused for a brief moment, before succumbing to a poorly concealed joy. His eyes were back to their usual shade of amber...and now shone brightly. "She's...Kagome's alive?"
******
The wound had gone quite deep, certainly necessitating the best stitching the old Miko's arthritic hands could manage. The wound has stopped its continuous bleeding for the time being, and a generous layer of the salve from Kagome's country was gently applied along the length of the newly repaired flesh.
"It's really a wonder that you managed to get her back here without disturbing this wound." Kaede looked quite somber, running her fingers above the hastily dressed wound. "But with a wound this size, I'm not sure that I can do much more for her."
Sango sat at Kagome's other side, replacing the stiff now-maroon fabric of her school shirt atop the wrappings, wincing slightly. The girl had lost a lot of blood and was still deathly pale.
The hanyou spoke up from his seat against the wall. "You sure, that's all you can do for her, baa-baa?"
Kaede considered his words, as she replaced the damp cloth on Kagome's forehead. "Well, for now, all that can be done is to watch over her. Her fever is still high, and the color has yet to return to her cheeks. I have a given her a remedy for the pain, but if she awakens, she is still sure to feel some of it. And I fear she may have lost too much blood..."
"Oi, Sango." Inuyasha was suddenly serious, his amber eyes taking on a rare and startling intensity. "I need you to help me carry her back to her world."
Her eyes widened and froze. 'But that would mean...'
Shippou whined loudly. "Why can't I go?"
The hanyou scowled and suppressed the urge to bap the kit on the head. "Cause you couldn't get through before...and you held the jewel." Inuyasha turned back to Sango. "I need you to help me protect her in her world. There ain't any other able warriors there...and I may need back up if someone comes after the shards."
"I-I..." Her mind fumbled to order the jumbled thoughts. Helping Kagome would mean leaving this country behind, the only place she'd ever known. It wasn't exactly where she was born and raised, but she would probably never recover that. But Kagome's country seemed so different...
"If she's gonna die...which she ain't," he growled, "she's gonna at least see her family first." Inuyasha grew quiet as his bangs hid his eyes. "I promised her mother..."
Sango frowned. There was no doubt in her mind that she would have wanted to see her friends in the village one last time, given the opportunity...
"But her place is still dangerous. We found one shard there already...we may be able to find more. The healers in her time have more powers; they may do more."
How would she even be able to get there? Aside from the unconscious girl, only Inuyasha seemed to know the path that led to her country, which, for some odd reason, depended on traveling down a well. Did Kagome live in some wonder-filled country that existed underground? Or did Kagome's travels tap her Miko powers or Inuyasha's youki? And if that were the case, how could she possibly travel through? She did possess an aptitude for demon sight, but her battle prowess focused more on knowledge and athleticism, not mystic powers. And even if she did make it to this other land, would she be able to return to this world? She had lost too many people who were close to her... But at the same time, it would not be bearable to lose Kagome, who was the very heart of their little makeshift family.
Sango sighed resiginedly. "Alright..."
********
"Yes, we're taking Kagome back to her country..."
A pregnant pause followed. From his place by Kagome's other shoulder, Inuyasha looked at her curiously; he was the one who told her about taking Kagome to her home. She wasn't talking to him, was she?
"I'm...not sure when we'll be back. You're sure you can't travel with us?"
"I'm afraid so. But I...will miss you, Sango." He tilted his head to regard her carefully. "Will you be alright in Kagome-sama's country?"
She set her jaw and nodded, pretending to be far more confident than she felt. "I believe so."
Inuyasha was giving her odd little glares, but she didn't mind. There was no telling when she'd get to see Houshi-sama again.
"Then...Goodbye, Sango." His form had moved out of her line of sight, but the sad smile was tangible in his voice. She shared the sentiment...she had not really been separated from him since she had joined the group. It was plain to see that she would miss him, maybe even his lecherous ways. She felt a sudden wave of cold touch the back of her bare neck, and it sent a thrilling shiver down her back. That touch...the warmth of a blush consumed her cheeks. It was too big to be a finger... and too small to be his hand. Could that have been...his lips? The blush only grew stronger.
"I won't be seeing you again...."
"Wha--?" Sango halted abruptly and peered over her shoulder. Had she heard him right? Why wouldn't she be able to see him again? She had every intention of returning. But Houshi-sama...her Housh--...her friend...had already begun to fade from view, disappearing against the startlingly blue sky. His lips were smiling, but his eyes...his expressive, violet eyes were miserable. She felt like she had when she found that he had died the first time.
Sniffing softly, she turned to her attentions to Kagome, tightening her grip around her shoulders as she and Inuyasha gently maneuvered her form up to the lip of the well.
It was all she could do to keep from crying.
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To Be Continued....