Only A Reflection Away
Chapter 6

The demon slayer heaved a tense sigh, nearly overcome with an endless exhaustion. Kirara, who settled down warily beside her in her tiny neko form, purred tiredly. Sango offered her companion a smile fatigued with worry and panic. It seemed that Kagome's disappearance was causing the world to fall apart; Inuyasha hadn't eaten or slept in days, and his anger had spiraled him out of control, placing him on the verge of snapping; Shippo had been unusually silent after a violently worried Inuyasha had returned with the anguished news of Kagome having returned to their world alone. As for Miroku, he had taken to keeping a distance from the rest of them, trying desperately to use his abilities to reach Kagome.

It was impossible to forget the way that Inuyasha had looked as he climbed out of the well, his face set in a tight grimace. His eyes were burning with checked emotion, though his scowl and trembling fists belied his seemingly calm nature. He had told them what he knew about the incident, but she suspected that there was information that the hanyou was refusing to tell them. And she knew Miroku suspected the same, for she met the monk's eyes but for a moment, but from the way that his eyes sharpened signaled that her doubts were correct.

She had wept many silent tears for her friend, who she feared was in danger if she hadn't returned by now. They had always taken Kagome's presence for granted, and the demon slayer had never realized how close they had become. In the midst of their adventures, in between the rare breaks, they had always spent time talking about their lives. Sango had always been Kagome's confidante, and Kagome had been hers.

"You look tired," someone's voice remarked from beside her, causing her to start violently. She swung around instinctively, bumping roughly into the figure, tripping them both, and ending up on the grass entangled in Miroku's arms; his body was pinning hers to the ground.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, blushing furiously as she tried to rise to her feet, which only worsened the situation. Miroku's smug grin was not helping, either. It was really a nightmare come true. Some of her embarrassment transformed into fury, and with a mighty push, she shoved the monk off from on top of her.

A moment later, she was seated back in her previous situation, a sheepishly grinning Miroku sitting comfortably beside her. As she peered up into the sky, she couldn't help but let her mind drift among the lazy ivory clouds, wondering where her friend was at that very moment.

"I'm worried about Inuyasha," Sango commented quietly. "And Shippo, too. He's been too quiet ever since Inuyasha returned."

Miroku's lighthearted expression faded as he nodded grimly. "Indeed. It's only because they're worried about Kagome. I wouldn't blame them."

They both turned their gazes in the direction of Inuyasha, who was balanced stiffly atop the cold well, gazing intensely into the pit of its darkness, as if he hoped that Kagome would appear at any given moment. The golden flare that had undoubtedly drawn Kagome to him had vanished, leaving sunken hollows of despair in its place. It was no wonder, either, for Inuyasha had spent nearly all of his time searching futilely for any trace of her in their time; the hanyou spent the remainder of his evening peering down the well in the exact same position.

But they had noticed that he hadn't actually gone back into the well. No, Sango thought, he probably wouldn't, considering the news he received the last time he had been to Kagome's time. Sango sighed. He was subconsciously afraid to venture back there, unknowingly fearing worse news.

Her eyes widened suddenly as she caught glimpse of Shippou, who was also seated atop the well, beside Inuyasha. The hanyou gave no indication of acknowledging the presence, distracted by his tragic hope that Kagome would appear; but the kitsune didn't seem to care. Without warning, the young fox began sniffling, trying without avail to stifle the noise.

Inuyasha's ears twitched angrily, and for some reason, he grew furiously irritated by the sound of the kitsune's choked sobs.

"Shut up!" he snarled. But this only made things worse, and Shippo's sobs became uncontrollable. He grabbed Shippou with one hand, flexing his claws in a deathly manner with the other. His eyes had melted into a fiery swarm of crimson rage.

"Inuyasha!" Sango began, starting to her feet. But Miroku pulled her back down, his face set in a grim expression. He shook his head. "We can't interfere. They need to work this out for themselves. Their grief is too much. Just watch."

And Sango watched, furious at Miroku's intervening, and concerned about Shippo. But it turned out that the wise monk was right.

Shippou hiccupped once, and, brushing away his tears angrily, scrubbed any remainder of mourning of his face. Inuyasha released him, his eyes returning to normal as he turned back towards the well. He said nothing. And neither did Shippo, who reclaimed his former position next to the hanyou. As the two sat side by side, sharing their silent tears, no apology was uttered, nor did there seem to be need for one. They had reached some strange level of comprehension, and while it had seemed that Inuyasha's threat had not been an idle one, Sango was now convinced that he would not have truly laid a finger on the kitsune.

Inuyasha was, in his own way, telling Shippo that everyone's grief was great, but that the burden of comfort for each of them was simply too much to bear. So it was better to lock it up. And Shippo had understood the message loud and clear. Sango finally turned back towards Miroku just as Inuyasha placed one clawed hand on Shippo's shoulder in a moment of peace.

The monk continued to watch for a few seconds more, thinking to himself for a moment before turning his attention back to her. "I know that you're worried about Kagome just as much as they are. But everything will be all right. I'll make sure of it."

With everything that had just happened, Sango's emotional level had expanded far beyond what she could handle. The way that his words soothed her, the way that he was watching her with that indiscernible expression, the way that his smile melted the hollows of her aching heart; it was all too much for her to process all at once.

She couldn't stifle the choking sob that escaped her lips, and Sango quickly buried her face into her hands, ashamed at her weakness. It was but a mere second later that she felt his hand on her shoulder, comforting and gentle.

"It's all right, Sango. Don't be afraid to let it all out," Miroku whispered, and it was to her surprise that he drew her closely to him, as if he were afraid to let her go. His arms tightened around her, and he continued to speak softly to her, soothing her with his presence and gentle tone. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks, and Miroku was quick, brushing them away with his fingers. Sango's body shook with silent cries of anguish.

And then she suddenly realized how tired she was, remembering that like Inuyasha, she had suffered sleepless nights ever since hearing the news. Fatigue drowned her in an empty void of a desperate need for rest.

"I'm just...so tired, Miroku...so tired..." she whispered numbly, devastated by Kagome's situation. There was a brief pause, in which she glanced at him discretely from the corner of her eye. His eyes seemed to darken with concern, and it shocked her to see his lips twisted into such a grim line.

And then, he brought his hand to the back of her head, directing it towards his shoulder, stroking her hair. All she wanted to do now was to sleep. Sleep and forget...

"Miroku..." she began, but he cut her off soothingly.

"Shh, Sango..." Miroku soothed. "Just sleep now. Everything will be all right, I promise. Kagome's fine, and we'll find her, wherever she is. You don't have to carry this burden all on your own Sango. It's overcoming you with exhaustion, and I worry."

The demon slayer's eyes began to flicker softly as his voice wrapped around her in a blanket of mesmerizing care. She felt her body involuntarily release all the tension from her muscles, and her head softly fell onto his shoulder.

"I know you think that you need to be strong right now, and that you're all alone in this grief. But you're not. You're never alone, don't you know that, Sango? I'll always be there to protect you. This I swear with my life. I know how much time I've already wasted by not telling you the truth, but..." he paused, brushing a stray wisp of hair from her face, "I don't know how to tell you."

Miroku laughed suddenly, a laugh that she barely comprehended as bitter. "It's funny isn't it, Sango? I can only bring myself to talk to you when you are in such a state as this, and yet, out of all the words that exist, I can't find the right words to say around you."

Sango's eyes fully closed. His voice was so warm and soothing, and she wished that he would never stop speaking, for she liked the way that things were now, though she was barely conscious enough to understand the monk's words. His fingers stroked her hair softly in a rhythmic, hypnotic motion.

"One day I will tell you, Sango. One day you'll know how I really feel."

The beginning of her submergence into unconscious was marked by the colors that swam behind her closed eyelids. His voice sounded as if it were coming from a place far, far away. But the soothing melody of his whispers continued to wash over her in a dreamy aura.

"And until that day, all I can do is hide the truth from you. I must continue to watch you from afar, longing to speak these words. Looking into your beautiful eyes, I find myself lost, burdened with this lie. But that will all change one day. And on that day, I'll finally be able to tell you, Sango. I'll be able to tell you the depth of my love for you. Of how it will last longer than time itself. Of how it is deeper than the sea itself, how it stretches far beyond the horizon, how it was last longer than eternity..."

Sango barely felt the pressure on her brow as he pressed his lips to her serene face.

"Someday, my love. Someday you will be mine. And someday, I will finally be yours. That day will be the happiest day of my life. It will be the end to all the tormented anguish in my heart. But I will wait for you, Sango."

There was a soft pause. "Until then, sweet dreams."

And then, all was lost as she slipped under the covers of sleep, entering a time of pleasant dreaming.

By the time the disoriented exterminator awoke, the sun had already set, and the veil of night had darkened across the empty horizon. She yawned, an odd warmth clinging to her body. Distressed at having to distance herself from this source of warmth as she gradually awoken, Sango rubbed her eyes sleepily, waiting for the coldness of reality to settle. But it was to her bewilderment that the warmth desisted to leave her, and at this, her eyes naturally flew open, fearing that she was still asleep.

Lifting her head upwards, she locked gazes with Miroku, who was watching her intensely. And then she realized that his arms were unabashedly wrapped around her body, and the fact that he refused to let go of her even after she realized this made things even more awkward.

Blushing, she tried futilely to slip out of his grip without it being too obvious. "I can't believe I fell asleep at a time like this," she sighed. He stared at her quietly, a content smile stretching over his lips as his arms finally released her.

"You'd have had to sleep eventually, Sango."

"I know." She sighed, then glanced at him. "Thank you for letting me sleep, Miroku. I didn't realize how tired I've been."

He only smiled knowingly, then yawned. "Well, I suppose that I should get some rest too. With all this worrying, lack of sleep is only going to send us to our graves faster."

Sango suddenly lifted her gaze, turning towards Inuyasha. She couldn't help the relieved smile that passed her lips momentarily at the sight that befell her. Inuyasha had finally succumbed to his exhaustion, and was now propped up on the grass by the well, and Shippou was sleeping beside him.

When she turned back, Miroku had shifted position, half his body laying on top of the ground next to her. He was watching her softly. "Sango, would you mind if I..." And she wasn't sure, but she thought that his cheeks looked a bit pink…

"...Used your lap as a pillow?" he finished. Sango felt herself blushing at the question, but for some reason, she knew that he hadn't meant it as a hentai question. His eyes had darkened as he watched her reaction carefully.

"I'd understand if you felt uncomfortable. It's just that...I'd feel a lot safer knowing that you were with me, watching over me," Miroku added quietly.

And speechless, she had nodded. As she gazed down upon his sleeping face, her fingers tenderly brushed away the locks of hair that had fallen across his eyes, and she felt a shiver suddenly.

But she brushed it off, inhaling softly as the sky deepened further into midnight. Tomorrow would be a better day, she hoped, as she shut her eyes peacefully. It had been a tough week for all of them, but thanks to Miroku, she felt better about the obstacles to come.

As rested her hand next to Miroku's cutely innocent face, her heart surged with adoration. It was as if something had passed between the two of them after she had awoken, some unspoken communication.

She began drifting off once more.

There was a whisper in the night.

"Someday, my love... Until then, sweet dreams."

With the nod of her head, she entered the realm of dreams.

The stars twinkled.

(A.N. More to come! Please review and/or e-mail me with suggestions/questions! By the way, I noticed that since I didn't actually delete the story before I started rewriting and posting up the chapters again, all of the old reviewers can't review for the chapter, because the server claims that you already did review for it. So that means that until I post up Chapter 9, you old fans won't be able to comment on But you guys can still e-mail me! Please do- I'd love to know what you guys think of the rewrites. Better? Worse? Let me know! Thanks for all the support!)