Author: Shira
Genre: Romance ^^
Summary: Your typical one-shot, angsty, fluffy Miroku/Sango fic for your reading enjoyment.
Disclaimer: I own ALL of Inuyasha!! MWAHAHA!! I do! Well, most of it... I have up to episode 119 on CD....
Special Thanks To: Rurouni Star!!! She's the genius who got me hooked on Inuyasha in the first place AND supplied me with 119 episodes, two movies, and a music video!! Without her, I wouldn't be the person I am today... *sniffle* *tears*
It was just another day in the life of Inuyasha and his friends, Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, and Sango. They were walking along a nondescript dirt road, heading towards who knew where, searching for any rumors of Naraku or Shikon shards.
Kagome smiled ahead at Inuyasha and Shippo, who were in yet another argument. Just when it was getting a little violent, and she was about to say "sit," she felt it. It was that burning in her chest that she felt whenever they were near a Shikon shard. She slowed to a stop, and looked around as if she expected to see it somewhere.
"What is it, Kagome?" Shippo asked, hopping onto Inuyasha's shoulder to look back at her. As soon as he said that, the others all looked at her as well.
"I sense a Shikon shard," she said slowly. She looked meaningfully at Sango as she said, "There's only one."
Sango's eyes widened as she grasped what Kagome was implying. "You don't think... Kohaku...?" she asked carefully. Without waiting for an answer, she handed Kirara over to Shippo, and started running along the road. "I'll go on by myself!" she called out to the others.
Miroku, Kagome, and Shippo watched her disappear from view, but Inuyasha just turned away with his usual attitude. "Keh," he scoffed. "I don't see what good it'll do. Just yelling at him to wake up never accomplishes anything."
"Inuyasha..." Kagome said threateningly. She knew how important Kohaku was to Sango.
Inuyasha's eye twitched. She was going to say it...
"Excuse me," a voice said before Kagome could speak. Everyone looked and saw two village farmers approach them, their tools leaning against their shoulders. The first man asked them in a cautious voice, "Do you think it wise to let that young lady go ahead on her own?"
"Why wouldn't it be wise?" Miroku asked, stepping forward.
The second villager looked down the road Sango had just taken. "They say there's a youkai up there," he said, his voice edged with fear.
"Feh. Is that all?" Inuyasha asked derisively, crossing his arms and turning away. "Sango's got nothing to worry about. She can handle some youkai."
"Not this one," the first villager said. "This youkai is deceptive. He takes the form of the person you would trust indefinitely, and lures you to his palace, where he devours all the sorrow and pain in your heart just before he kills you, still disguised as your friend." He shuddered at the horror of it all.
Everyone was staring openly at the villagers. Kagome bit her lip, and looked off down the road. "That youkai has a Shikon shard, too," she reminded the others.
"If that youkai takes the form of Kohaku," Miroku thought aloud. "Sango will be in trouble." His eyes took on a determined look, and he said to the others, "I'll go ahead and catch up to her. You wait here." He didn't wait for an answer, just took off following Sango's path.
Sango, now dressed in her taijya uniform, bolted down the road as fast as her legs would carry her. On second thought, she should have brought Kirara with her so she could cover more distance faster. Sango's eyes glimmered with unshed tears at the thought of her little brother. "Kohaku..." she said around a tight throat.
She wasn't sure what her going would accomplish, but she needed to see him again, to see that he was okay. And there was always the chance that there would be something she could do to save him and release him from Naraku's spell.
As she ran, trees started appearing closer and closer together. She was entering a thick forest. With all the trees around, she wouldn't be able to use Hiraikotsu effectively if she ran into trouble. This thought just spurred Sango to go faster.
A quiet sound of footsteps and the soft ring of metal on metal cause Sango to slow down significantly and look around her. "Kohaku... Is that you, Kohaku?" she called out.
The footsteps got closer to her. Sango tightened her grip on Hiraikotsu. Even with the trees all around, she could still use it in close combat. The person finally stepped into view from the trees ahead of her. Sango's tenseness was instantly gone, and her hold on Hiraikotsu lessened considerably.
Miroku stood on the trail in front of her, looking at her intently. The sound of metal on metal had been his staff's movement as he walked.
"Houshi-sama," Sango said in slight surprise. "What are you doing up here? How did you get here before me?"
Instead of answering, Miroku just walked towards her steadily, his eyes never leaving hers. It was strange enough to Sango that he didn't answer, but that his eyes weren't roaming caused her much confusion. "Houshi-sama?" she asked.
When Miroku reached her, he offered her a little smile. He took hold of her hand, holding it comfortably in his own warm hand. Sango felt a blush color her cheeks, and she looked from his hand holding hers up to his smiling face. "H-Houshi-sama...?"
"Come with me, Sango," Miroku said warmly. Not letting go of Sango's hand, he led her through the thick woods along a path that apparently only he could see.
Miroku ran through the suddenly thick forest, looking all around for Sango. How fast had she been running? He hadn't caught up to her yet? Abruptly, the path he'd been following ended, and his run turned into a slow walk as he looked around him. Which way did Sango go? He had to catch up to her before she ran into that youkai. If it took the form of Kohaku, there was no way she could fight back against it.
"Calm down," he told himself. "Look around..." He took a careful look around again, and noticed a few small branches snapped off a bush, like someone had broken them while walking past. Getting on his knees, Miroku checked that place more thoroughly. There was a definite footprint in the soft ground.
"She went this way," he said to himself, looking up from the ground. Now that he knew where to look, he could see a faint path ahead. He wouldn't have been able to notice it if he hadn't known what he was looking for. Without wasting another moment, he took off down the trail.
Unfortunately, the path was very cleverly disguised, and Miroku had to stop more than once to double check that he was still following the faint trail. When he finally broke free of the thick forest of trees, he took a much-needed breather before looking ahead.
Ahead of him, in a large clearing surrounded by an unbroken ring of trees, was a small palace. There were no people walking about, and the air was very still. The whole place felt almost dead.
"A palace..." Miroku said slowly. Suddenly, it hit him. "The youkai's palace! Then... Sango has already...!" He couldn't even finish the sentence. He ran up to the palace and threw open the front door. "Sango!" he called out. He looked around the room quickly. There were three other doors leading off the room, but lying on the floor in the middle of the room was...
"Sango!" he said as he hurried over to her. He turned her onto her back and held her up. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't moving. "Sango, wake up," he said urgently. He tapped her face to try to get her to wake up. "Sango!"
Just when Miroku's heart tightened, and he feared he was too late, Sango grimaced, and her eyes fluttered open slowly. He let out a sigh of relief as she looked up at him. "Houshi-sama..." she said slowly.
"Sango, are you all right?" Miroku asked her. She didn't look wounded, but there was no telling what had happened to her already.
"I'm fine," she said, smiling up at Miroku. "Now that you're here."
Miroku's eyebrows went up a hair, but he figured that Sango was still mostly out of it, and didn't know what she was saying. "We've got to get you out of here, Sango," he told her.
"What's the hurry?" Sango asked, a look in her eyes Miroku had never seen before. Her hand reached up behind his neck, sending shivers down Miroku's back when her hand touched the bare skin. She brought his head down closer to her, and started kissing him.
Miroku froze. He was too shocked to take advantage of the situation. Sango was...
When Sango backed away again, she had a triumphant, and slightly malicious, look on her face. She pushed Miroku backwards, and he landed roughly on the floor. He tried to get up, but... He couldn't move! Miroku tried to ask Sango what had just happened, but though his mouth moved, no sound came out.
Sango stood up easily, brushing her ponytail back over her shoulder. She had a grin on her face like Miroku had never seen on her. "You humans," she said scathingly. "You're all the same. Too trusting of one another."
Too late, Miroku realized he'd been tricked. That wasn't Sango, that was the youkai! That kiss was a spell to make it so he couldn't move or speak! How could he have been to stupid as to fall for something like that?
"The real taijya is in here," the youkai said, still disguised as Sango. She pushed open one of the doors, revealing a closet-sized space. Sango's arms were bound with rope behind her back, and was held up from the ceiling by the rope. Her eyes opened blearily, and tried to focus on what was going on around her.
Miroku watched as the youkai switched from using Sango's form, to using his own! He struggled to say something or to be able to move even a little, to warn Sango that it wasn't him, but it was no use. The spell kept him from moving a muscle.
Sango blinked a few times. "Houshi-sama...?" she asked slowly, looking at the priest standing in front of her. "What happened?" she asked. "Quick, untie me." She looked up at Miroku when he didn't do anything. "Houshi-sama, what's going on? Hurry and untie me!"
Miroku's expression changed slightly from calm indifference to an expectant grin.
Sango knew what he was thinking. "You're thinking perverted thoughts again," she accused him flatly. "Don't even think about touching me that way."
For a moment, Sango wondered if Miroku had even heard her. His hand reached forward, towards her hip... and grabbed the hilt of her sword? Sango watched, confused, as Miroku drew the sword from her sheath. "Houshi-sama?"
Miroku watched, his eyes wide in horror, as the youkai drew Sango's sword. He could only look on as the youkai brought the sword back, aimed directly at Sango's chest.
"H-Houshi-sama!" Sango cried out in fear. "Houshi-sama, what are you doing? Houshi-sama!!"
Miroku's chest tightened in fear. The youkai was going to kill Sango! And all he could do was lie there and watch! He had to warn her! He had to distract the youkai! He had to do something, or Sango would die! Sango! Sango!!
"Sango!!" he called out forcefully, shattering the spell that bound his body and voice.
It was enough! The youkai looked over his shoulder, just as surprised as Miroku that he'd broken the spell.
Sango gasped, and looked over Miroku's shoulder, her eyes wide with fear. What she saw was... Miroku? There were two Mirokus?
She didn't quite understand the situation, but she knew she had to get out of there and figure out which Miroku was the right one. While the Miroku in front of her was distracted by the other Miroku, she kicked at his hand, sending her sword flying into the air. It sliced through the rope that hung her from the ceiling, and she landed heavily on the ground.
The second Miroku called out to the other, "Leave Sango alone!"
The first Miroku grinned, and ran out the front door. The other Miroku was right behind him, chasing after him.
Sango watched them leave, completely confused. "What's going on?" she asked herself. Quickly, she reached her sword, and managed to cut the ropes loose that tied her hands together. She massaged her wrists quickly, sheathed her sword, and ran out of the closet-like space. She spotted Hiraikotsu along one wall, and grabbed it as she ran out the door after the two Mirokus.
She ran around to the back of the palace, and found the two Mirokus facing each other on the edge of the clearing, just before the trees. She caught up to them, and held Hiraikotsu ready to attack.
"Sango!" both Mirokus called out at once. Then they both turned to glare at each other, giving the other an identical look.
"Which of you is the real Houshi-sama?" Sango demanded.
"I am!" one Miroku said quickly. "The other is a youkai just pretending to be me!"
"Don't listen to him," the other Miroku interjected. "Sango, I'm Miroku!"
Sango staggered back a step. They were exactly alike. How was she supposed to tell which one was really Miroku?
"Sango, listen to me--"
"No, he's lying! He's trying to trick you--"
"Who's trying to trick her--"
The first Miroku took one of his scrolls from his robes, and threw it at the other Miroku. "Houriki!" he shouted at he threw it.
At almost the same instant, the other Miroku threw an identical scroll right back, with a call of, "Houriki!" as he threw it. The two scrolls met in midair, and disappeared with a small flash.
Sango shook her head and furrowed her eyebrows as she watched the two Mirokus. There was absolutely no telling them apart. She couldn't attack, for fear of hitting the wrong Miroku. There had to be a way of telling them apart...! "Houshi-sama!" she shouted upon sudden inspiration. "Over there!" she pointed off into the trees. "A beautiful young woman!"
One Miroku's gaze stayed steady on the other, the only sign of movement being a small twitch in his eye. The other Miroku turned quickly in the direction Sango was pointing. "Beautiful woman, you say?" he asked, looking off into the woods.
Sango nearly tripped at Miroku's reaction, but at least she now knew which one was which. The Miroku who hadn't looked away reached into his robe for another scroll while the other Miroku was distracted. Sango lifted Hiraikotsu up on her shoulder, and launched it into the air at the first Miroku. "Hiraikotsu!"
The first Miroku turned at the sound of her calling that, and his eyes widened in fear as he realized the giant boomerang was aimed at him! He didn't have the time to dodge it before it hit him in the chest, forcing the air out of him. Something definitely cracked, and he knew he must have broken at least two ribs. The strength of Hiraikotsu's hit knocked him back into a tree before he crashed to the ground, not moving.
Sango ran over to the Miroku who was still standing. "Houshi-sama!" she called out to him. "Are you all right?" Miroku turned to her, but the look in his eyes and the grin on his face made her stop dead in her tracks. "H-Houshi-sa...ma...?"
Miroku started laughing, but it was no laugh she'd ever heard before. It sounded... evil. "This was a most perfect twist," he said to Sango, his voice laced with amusement. "Your 'Houshi-sama' comes to save you from a youkai--" his grin got wider "--and in return, you kill him."
Sango gasped as she realized what he was saying. She covered her mouth with her hands, and looked over at where the other Miroku-- the real Miroku --was lying. "Houshi-sama!" she yelled out to him, tears coming to her eyes. "HOUSHI-SAMA!!" She ran over to him, kneeling on the ground beside him. She shoved Hiraikotsu out of the way, and shook Miroku desperately. "Houshi-sama!" she cried, the tears coursing down her cheeks. "Houshi-sama!! Wake up!!"
"What's wrong, anee-ue?" a familiar voice asked.
She knew that voice. There was no denying it. She turned around quickly, and found herself looking at the innocent face of Kohaku. "Kohaku..." she whispered.
"Anee-ue," Kohaku said, staring at her in horror. "You... You killed him."
Sango fell back, her hands quickly keeping her sitting up. "No, I... I didn't... Kohaku..."
"Are you... Are you going to kill me too, anee-ue?" Kohaku asked, backing up a few steps, his voice fearful of her.
"Kohaku!" Sango cried out. Suddenly, something inside her woke up. That wasn't Kohaku. That was the youkai just taking Kohaku's form. It was trying to trick her, just like it had with Miroku. "It won't work this time!" she said defiantly. She stood up, drawing her sword as she did so.
Kohaku's eyes widened and filled with tears. "A-Anee-ue..." he stammered, backing away from her.
Sango closed her eyes tightly, and tightened her grip on her sword. She had to do it. Now matter how much that youkai looked, sounded, or acted like Kohaku, it wasn't Kohaku. "You're not Kohaku!!" she shouted as she slashed at the youkai.
Just as her sword cut through the youkai, he changed forms again, this time back to Miroku. "Sango..." he said slowly, his voice tight from pain. "Why... did you... kill me?"
Sango shook her head and closed her eyes tightly. "NO!" she sobbed, ignoring the tears on her face.
The youkai disguised as Miroku fell to the ground, one hand reaching hopelessly towards Sango. When he hit the ground, the youkai finally turned into dust. In the center of the pile of ashes was a tiny shard of the Shikon no Tama.
Sango dropped to the ground, her shoulders shaking, her vision blurred from her tears. She turned and hugged Miroku tightly, crying into his robes. She killed him... She killed Miroku... "It was my fault..." she cried quietly. "It was all my fault.... Houshi-sama....!"
"Sango..." Miroku's pained voice said. Sango gasped, and felt Miroku's hand on her back. She looked up, and saw Miroku looking back at her.
"H-Houshi-sama..." she whispered mostly to herself. Then, as if finally realizing he was still alive, she hugged him even tighter, and cried, "Houshi-sama!!"
Miroku winced when Sango hugged him-- getting hit by Hiraikotsu definitely hurt --but decided not to say anything that would make her move. Instead, he let her be, rubbing her back gently, trying to comfort her. Almost against his will, his hand moved a little lower... A little lower...
Sango's crying stopped abruptly as she felt Miroku's hand on her butt. She sat up and gave him a good smack on the face. "You and that hand!" she grumbled, crossing her arms and turning away from him.
Miroku glared at his hand as though it had betrayed him, his cheek sporting a bright red mark.
Sango stood up, picking up the Shikon shard on her way. "Let's go, Houshi-sama," she said. "Kagome-chan and the others are probably worrying." She helped Miroku to his feet, and, since Miroku could barely stand on his own, she slung his arm around her shoulder, her other hand around his waist, to help him walk. She grabbed Hiraikotsu, put that over her shoulder, and managed to make their way back through the forest, to where the others were waiting.
They made quite a spectacle, coming down the road, Miroku barely able to walk, with a red bruise on his cheek, and Sango supporting him and managing to carry Hiraikotsu.
Kagome, Shippo, and Inuyasha had been playing Go Fish while they were waiting. Shippo was the first to notice Sango and Miroku approaching. He threw down his cards and jumped up on Inuyasha's head, shouting, "Look! It's Sango and Miroku!"
"Sango-chan! Miroku-sama!" Kagome called out, standing up and waving at them. As the two of them got closer, the others got very confused very fast.
"What happened to you?" Inuyasha asked when they finally reached them.
Sango started to say something, but Miroku interrupted. "We ran into the youkai up there. I got injured during battle, and we killed the youkai."
For a moment, Sango stared up at Miroku. Then she smiled gratefully. Holding Miroku up with one hand, Sango held out the Shikon shard to Kagome. "Here."
Kagome took it, but barely looked at it. "Is Miroku-sama okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine," Miroku said with a smile. "A little rest, and I'll be back on my own feet in no time."
"Why is your cheek red, Miroku?" Shippo asked curiously. "Did you get that from fighting the youkai too?"
"Keh, I bet he was feeling Sango up again," Inuyasha told Shippo.
Miroku laughed nervously as Kagome frowned at him. "Miroku-sama!"
That night, they all had to camp out, since they hadn't reached another village before nightfall. Kagome, Shippo, and Inuyasha were already asleep, but Sango was reapplying the herbal medication to Miroku's injuries.
Miroku was quite enjoying it, to be truthful. Except for the fact that whenever Sango touched the large bruise that spread across most of his chest, it felt like a dull knife in his chest.
"I'm sorry," Sango said abruptly, breaking the silence of the night.
"It doesn't hurt that much," Miroku lied. "Your hands are quite gentle."
Sango looked away, and folded her hands in her lap. "That not what I..." She sighed, and put the medicine down, sitting down beside Miroku. Miroku slipped his robes back up over his shoulders, and looked over at Sango. "I'm sorry for putting you in danger like that," she said after a moment. "And for injuring you."
"Is that all?" Miroku asked with a smile.
Sango turned to look up at him, a little surprised. "You aren't mad?" she asked him.
"Sango," Miroku said. "None of that was your fault. It was the manipulation of the youkai. Don't go thinking that any of this is your fault."
"Houshi-sama..." Sango said slowly. Then she smiled a little, and nodded her agreement. Tentatively, she leaned her head against Miroku's shoulder. When he didn't tense or move away, she relaxed a little, blushing brightly.
Miroku put a comforting arm around Sango's shoulders, and smiled down at her. There was no way he could be mad at her. It was impossible to stay mad at someone like Sango. After giving her enough time to make sure she was asleep, Miroku gently kissed Sango's forehead.
Things were peaceful and quiet, and back to normal. Though they were no closer to finding Naraku, they had acquired another Shikon shard, and gotten rid of a youkai that did harm to a village. Things were good, for the moment.
The comfortable silence of the night was shattered by a loud smack, and a certain houshi muttering, "Ow..."