Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, this wouldn't be a fan fiction story, it would be an actual episode by now ^^;;
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"Oite iku kurai narakoko de issho ni shinu!"
* * *
"I won't leave you here! We'll die here together!"
-Sango (Episode 118)
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Irony – Chapter 9…
…Memories…
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"Miroku-sama?"
Silence.
Koharu reached out, poking him lightly in the shoulder, startling him.
"What is it?" he turned slightly to face her.
The girl held out a small bowl to him, edging it towards him. The ramen was still hot and the steam was visible.
"You haven't eaten anything all day, please take it" she pleaded.
"No thank you" he replied, turning back to his former position on the hill.
She sighed, carefully placing the bowl beside him on the ground.
Miroku was completely unaware of her presence at the moment, being too caught up with his thoughts and worries to notice. He still hadn't moved from where he was hours ago, atop the hill at the end of the village. He let out a heavy sigh, his eyes drifting over to the forest ahead. The forest into which Sango's fading form had disappeared into earlier. He couldn't save her after all…
Inuyasha had told Miroku what had happened before. About how Kagome got hurt, how Sango attacked them…
About the shikon shard in Sango's body…
Koharu watched the houshi carefully, gazing at him with her soft eyes.
'I think he… really loves this girl…' she smiled slightly, though her heart ached. The houshi was her very first love, after all.
She had to know.
"Miroku-sama?"
"Hmm?" he responded quietly. He didn't turn to face her this time.
"The taijiya…" she paused for a second, "Sango-san…"
He flinched uncomfortably as he heard her name, shifting slightly on the grass.
"Do you love her?"
The houshi froze.
Why was she asking him this?!
"I…" he cut off, speech suddenly leaving him.
He sighed. No point in denying it anymore…
"Yes…" he whispered, the whistles of the heavy wind drowning out his voice slightly.
She heard him though, tears welled up in her eyes but she wouldn't let them fall. She would be happy for him…
Koharu could tell how miserable the houshi was at the moment; having such an anguished look on his face it almost made her feel guilty.
"Miroku-sama, if you love her... I know you will get her back" the girl finished confidently, before promptly turning around and heading back inside the hut. It would be dark soon; the sun was disappearing slowly behind the horizon, plastering the sky with a beautiful pink and orange color.
Miroku's gazed at the sunset, taking in Koharu's words.
"If you love her… I know you will get her back"
He did love her…
He would get her back.
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Sango knelt on her knees again, her head bowed towards the ground. The room was dark and the silence was eerie.
"What the hell are you doing?!" she rasped out as he placed his cold hand on her head. She had found her voice.
He chuckled, choosing to ignore her question as she miserably tried to squirm, trying hopelessly to recover control over her body.
"You couldn't kill them" she heard his low whisper, her vision starting to blur again.
"I'm making sure that you will not hesitate again…when your friends find you…"
She bit her lower lip, closing her eyes as a familiar dizziness started to overcome her.
"It will be either them or you. In the end, someone has to die…" his voice drowned out as she lost consciousness…
Everything was dark…
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An entire week had passed since the group's encounter with Sango. Since then, they had continued traveling, leaving Koharu's village behind.
They had been camping out, they fought a few youkai, but it was basically nothing out of the ordinary.
Miroku had barely spoken since then, barely eaten. He wouldn't stop for anything, he barely slept.
"Miroku-sama, we are stopping for the night" Kagome called from behind him, her injured arm was still healing.
"Let's keep going" he kept walking, never slowing his pace.
Shippou clung from Inuyasha's shoulder, half asleep.
He yawned, "Why is Miroku acting so weird? He's like a zombie or something" he added dryly, letting out another yawn.
"Oi, bouzo!"
Miroku turned to see an angry hanyou, face-to-face with him.
"Kagome is tired; we are stopping for the night. You won't be able to save Sango if die beforehand" he pointed out.
Miroku winced when he mentioned her name, he stopped walking.
The houshi sighed. Inuyasha was right…
"Alright, but tomorrow morning we'll wake at dawn and continue. Will that be alright Kagome-sama?"
Inuyasha growled, eyeing Kagome, waiting for her response.
The miko smiled, setting her sleeping bag on the ground, "Yes, it's fine"
Miroku settled against a tree, clutching his staff. He leaned his head back, closing his eyes. Slumber found him quickly, dreams and memories flashing through his head…
"Sango's what the matter?" he sat beside her on the grassy slope.
"You… would have been fine without me right?"
"That's not true. The one who defeated the youkai was you."
She shifted uncomfortably on the grass, her eyes locked with the ground.
"You helped me" she countered.
"I borrowed your power, because I believe in your skills"
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Sango… you came… because you were worried about me, right?" she looked shocked at the question, not knowing what to say.
"Well that's because…" she stuttered nervously "…of course I would worry! You lose your head when it comes to women and your lecherous mind always takes over"
He looked away.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't leave a woman who might have been in trouble."
She turned to face him.
"Well, I'm not jealous or anything--" she blushed a deep shade of red as he placed his hand atop hers, smiling at her.
"More than any girl… having you worry about me makes me the happiest"
He remembered waking up, finding her hovering over him with her saddened eyes after another encounter with Kohaku…
"I'm sorry houshi-sama. You drew in the poison because of me…"
Her distraught eyes broke his heart as he tried reassuring her, even in his weakened state.
"San…go…" he rasped out weakly, she leaned over him.
"What?"
"Don't make such a sad face… there is hope for Kohaku as well…"
She smiled through the tears she was holding back.
"Houshi-sama…"
"So smile", she did…
Her crying for him at Hakureizan…
He could feel the moisture of her tear on his cheek as he opened his eyes weakly, the poison from Naraku's insects was spreading…
"I think I… overdid it a bit…" he explained, tears pooling in her eyes and cascading down her face.
"Please survive this for me…" he pleaded. She shook her head.
"No!" he felt her weigh collapse onto his chest as she clung to his robes. He closed his eyes.
"I won't leave you here! We'll die here together!"
Miroku's eyes shot open, his forehead dotted with a cold sweat. He looked around, seeing his sleeping companions.
It was a dream…
He remembered her words…
"We'll die here together!"
Then, he decided. He'd never leave her….
'If I can't save her… I won't let her die alone' He closed his eyes again, leaning his head back against the tree.
"Sango…"
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A/N: I just had to write in some flashbacks! I love all of those episodes, plus it makes the ending I have planned so much sadder and more dramatic Flashbacks are from episode 56, 51, and then 118! ^_^ BWA HA HA HA!!! lol I started writing another Miroku/Sango fic lately, though it isn't A/U. Let's say I got Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippou… even Kirara out of the picture, so they are elsewhere, searching for the Shikon Shards… except lots of M/S fluff, ^_^ Miroku and Sango go off to help a village, being attacked by a youkai- which feeds only on single women. Miroku isn't willing to take the risk of something happening to Sango, so they pose to be married. But then the truth is discovered… What will happen to Sango… hmm…^^;; It's better than it sounds hehe. Lots of fluff ^__^ Fluff=Fun. This fic will NOT be lemon, I don't do lemons ^_^;;;; I gotta think of a name for it tho… hmm… Anything that sounds catchy… any suggestions? ^-^
Ja ne! ~Sango_to_Miroku~
…11-13-03… ¬.¬;;
