DEPTHS OF THE DAMNED

...Discovering Her Secret...

Disclaimer: I don't and never will own InuYasha.

"Sango—you sure you're okay?" repeated a very worried Ayame.

"I already told you—I'm fine! Don't worry so much! Remember the last time when you did? You nearly had a nervous breakdown!" Sango convinced her friend as she held Ayame on the shoulders, who tried to pace back and forth across the floor.

"I know, I know..."

"I just need to talk to Miroku, that's all. And I will be fine. You'll see,"


A very perturbed Sango slammed down the phone into its cradle and stormed into the kitchen nook, where Ayame awaited. Sango sat herself at the kitchen counter in one of the cushioned seats and pounded her fists onto the counter-top.

"I don't need psychiatry! ARG! Miroku just doesn't understand! I'll—"

"—Sango? Not to bother you, or anything, but my mom needs me home now to help her get ready for a wedding she's attending. Can you drive me home right now?" Ayame interrupted.

"Yeah, okay," Sango huffed.


"Bye, Sango! Thanks, again!" Ayame waved as she hurried into her home. Sango backed up her car too quickly and made tire marks on the asphalt. She sped off home.


"Miroku—I—don't—need—psychiatry—so—let—me—GO!" Sango was kicking frantically as Miroku forced her into a chair at the psychiatrist's office.

"I'm not doing this because you're crazy, Sango, I just want to see what your nightmare's meaning is," Miroku assured her as he finally got her sitting straight in the chair.

"You just say that to be nice and so I'll shut up..." Sango muttered to herself.


"See?" A very happy Miroku asked as he dragged an aloof Sango, who was attached to a leach, the handle in Miroku's hand. "It wasn't all bad,"

"That psychiatrist can go to hell..." Sango growled.

"Umm..." Miroku mumbled awkwardly.


The next day, which was a Monday, Sango decided to skip school... After the bus left the bus stop, Sango crept from her house, wearing black jeans with little rebel chains dangling from the belt loops and a black shirt with a pink kitten on the front and a loose jacket over top.

Sango, obviously, was in a bad mood this morning (which was why she wanted to skip school) and was wearing clothes to fit her mood. As she rounded the bend on the avenue, she looked around before entering a shabby shop. She pushed the door as she entered and walked up to the counter.

"What'll it be?" A dark-skinned man with dark sandy blonde hair at the counter asked Sango as she leaned against it.

"You know it, Fez..." Sango murmured as she looked around.

Fez nodded and slid the door on his side of the counter open and pulled out a small white box. He placed it on the counter and pushed it toward Sango. She took it and placed it in the front pocket of the jacket.

"I'll pay later, I'm broke." Sango sighed.

"Okay, babe," Fez replied.

"Later,"

Sango left the shop and hurried down the bend from where she came. (A.N.: Now everyone must be wondering what's going on, right? Well, Sango is doing "business" that Miroku doesn't know of. And if any of you were wondering, no, Sango is not cheating on Miroku)


Sango opened the door to her house and shut it behind her. She took the white box from the jacket's pocket and tossed her jacket on the rack and slowly made her way up the staircase. The steps creaked as she stepped on them and she finally reached the top landing. She went down the hallway to her bedroom and went through. She closed the door behind her.

Sango sat on her bedroom and opened the white box. She pulled out a small white stick from it and pulled out her lighter. She held the cigarette to the flame and closed the flask before putting it away. She puffed out a small cloud of smoke as she opened a window. Just as doing so, the bedroom door opened, and in stepped Miroku.

Sango stood frozen in her spot as Miroku gaped at her, a surprised look as his eyes widened.

"Sango...you—" Miroku stuttered. Without finishing his sentence, he lunged forward and grabbed the box and threw it out the window, luckily landing amongst the dumpster. He crossed his arms and looked down upon Sango.

"No! I'm still paying for that!" Sango cried.

"Sango, how could you? I can't believe it... You..you smoke?" Miroku whispered.

"No," Sango lied.

"You're lying. Don't do this to me. You have to stop!"

"...It's the only way to keep my mind off Kagome!" Sango burst as tears spilled down her cheeks.

Miroku stared sadly as a long pause of silence washed over them, before he sat down and wrapped her in his arms. She sat there unmoving. Miroku inched his face close to her ear and whispered,

"Sango, I'm going to help you. Cigarettes can give you cancer. I will help you...because I love you,"

"But—I—Kagome..."

"Don't worry... This is for the best..."

Miroku moved in quietly and placed a chaste peck on the girl's lips. She returned it silently.

"I love you, too, Miroku..."


After that, Miroku kept his eye on Sango and devoted his time to help her. He took her back to the psychiatrist's office, which helped her a lot. Slowly, as time gradually passed, Sango finally improved.

"Oh, Miroku! I—I feel great! Like I'm a brand-new person, starting a brand- new life!" Sango exclaimed one day.

"Aren't you feeling much better now?" Miroku asked happily.

"Yep, definitely! C'mon, race you to my house!" — "Haha, I beat ya! Now...don't I get my prize...?" Sango chirped.

"Yes, and here you go..."

Sango kissed Miroku and then ran into her house, pulling him by the arm.

"Are you hungry?—because I definitely am."

"Ramen always hits the spot!" Sango sighed as she picked up several long noodles with her chopsticks.

Miroku could only nod before he swallowed,

"My friend—InuYasha—is obsessed with this stuff!—He never had it until Kagome gave him her bowl."

"InuYasha...you know, I never really had a chance to meet him." Sango finally mentioned.

"Well, he was at Kagome's house..."

"I know, but I never really got to meet him. I got a bad impression from him after he kept interrupting me..."

"Well, he's a good guy, shy, and a little inconsiderate, but once you get to know him, he's great."

"Oh." Sango mumbled through her ramen.


The week after next, everyone was back to school (the week before was no school; confusing, huh?). Sango scanned the crowds, just curious, because she was bored. One girl amazed her though. She had the same face as Kagome's! They looked exactly the same, but this girl's face was harsher and paler; Kagome was happier. You would've sworn Kagome was her reincarnation or something!

Sango walked up to the girl and tapped her shoulder.

"Um, not being rude or nosey, but I—just...noticed...that you look exactly like my friend Kagome. Are you cousins or...what?"

The girl stared at Sango, who shifted uncomfortably.

"No, I'm not. I'm Kikyou...not Kagome..." she mumbled softly as she gazed at Sango through her half-way lidded gray orbs.

Somehow, Sango felt she just had to befriend Kikyou. She didn't know if it was because she really liked this girl, or, if it was just because of the close resemblance between Kagome and Kikyou...

After that day, Sango got to know Kikyou pretty well...like she got to know Kagome when she was still around...

One thing was, she definitely was different from Sango's Kagome. She wasn't as sweet as her, maybe a bit of a jerk, sometimes, but Sango didn't care.

As Kikyou and Sango kept talking and eating their lunch, Ayame sat herself down next to Sango.

"Hey, Sango. Um, I haven't met your friend yet... I'm Ayame. And you...?" the red-headed girl chirped.

"Kikyou," the Kagome look-alike responded.

"Kikyou is seventeen, only five months older than me," Sango commented, biting into the tuna and mayonnaise sandwich, which was her favorite, in fact. Sometimes, Sango felt she was a cat for liking tuna so much...

"Yecch! What is this junk??" Sango choked, spitting out the rancid condiments.

"Tuna and mayonnaise," Ayame said stupidly, laughing at herself afterwards.

"It tastes like a week old!!" Sango reproved.

"Ewwwww! Gross! Get it away from me!" Ayame shrilled, tossing the sandwich that Sango held in front of her to the floor. "Oops..."

Ayame's eyes wondered to the floor. Somebody's foot stood there, which was now covered with Sango's sandwich... Her bright green orbs wondered up the leg and at the face of a sneering boy who stood there, looking at the trio coldly.

"What do you want, Naraku...?" Sango barked as she glared at the dark-long- haired boy with black eyes.

Kikyou narrowed her eyes in the boy's direction.

"Hello, Sango dear. New friend to replace your dead one?" Naraku laughed, a tinge of evil in it.

Sango felt like she was about to burst, and spilled every inappropriate word at him, on the verge to punch him straight in the mouth.

"SHUT UP!" Sango shouted, pushing him to the ground. By now, a group of sophomores gathered to watch.

"Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight!" the crowd roared.

The furious sixteen year-old knew better not to attack Naraku, knowing one: he was three years older than her; two: several teachers were hurrying over. Sango hurried and left the cafeteria with Ayame and Kikyou before the teachers knew she was gone.

Naraku stared after Sango and muttered to himself,

"I'll get you back, Sango, and I'll make sure of it that you can follow your little friend Kagome into the next world..."