If you don't like torture and naked women, skip the part in astrals. Just a warning. This chapter is rated R for torture, nudity, and suggestion of rape.

You Must Be Strong

It was well into the early morning in the giant village. Everyone slept except for the guards watching over the prisoners and the prisoners being punished. A whip crack broke the dark silence. It continued through the night as always. Although the lord took it for granted that justice was being dealt out, the whip was actually touching innocent backs.

"Why won't you scream, bitch?" yelled the general as he whipped Sango. They had removed her clothes and tied her hands to a rafter so her body would be suspended in the air inches above the ground. They continued whipping her, and every time she would keep her silence. This angered the general.

After about a hundred lashes, the general dropped his whip and walked to the front of Sango. By now, her back was sweating with blood. As he approached her, she breathed heavily in his face. She was trying so hard not to show her pain for she knew it would only give them satisfaction. The general rubbed the side of her face as he tried to calm her.

"Such a pity, such a beautiful girl like you must receive such a harsh punishment. If you wish, I'll stop. Just say the word and I'll set you free." She spat in his face. He wiped it of with a towel and smiled. "I guess I really wanted to beat on you a little more anyways. Scourging isn't the only type of punishment." He punched her in the stomach and she screamed. Blood from the Viper wound stained her bandages. The general walked back and picked up his whip. "It's futile to take pain for your man. Just say stop and I'll take you to him." He whipped her again, but this time she screamed. "Just say it. Come on." He continued whipping her and she tried not to scream at each whip.

Sango couldn't stand it anymore. She finally screamed. The general smiled and cut the ropes that suspended her. After she fell to the ground, the general flipped her on her back and held her down. "I am going to enjoy this. I hope I don't make your man jealous." He laughed as he forced himself on her. Every time, he dipped faster and harder. Sango closed her eyes and tried to picture herself somewhere pleasant with her brother and Miroku, but she couldn't do it. After he was finished, he turned to the guards. "Tie her up again. I need to beat her some more." They laughed as they suspended her to the beam. Sango thought to herself. 'Is it worth it? Should I put myself through this for Miroku?' She knew the answer. They would beat on him next. She decided to take the pain. "You are such a stupid bitch!" He continued to whip her through the night.

Miroku was sitting in his cell thinking about what had happen.'Naraku tricked Sango into killing that girl. The villagers would never believe us. The blood was on her weapon. They would have killed her right then and there.' The cell door opened up and a guard came forward. "Hey, you have a visitor. Ha, ha, ha." The guard threw Sango into the cell and locked the door. Miroku ran to Sango's side. Her back was completely stained with blood and her wound from the Viper was slightly bleeding. The only thing covering her body was the bandages from her wound. The guard also threw her clothes and bandages in with them.

"Sango, are you alright?" Miroku held her in his arms. She opened her eyes and smiled.

"Miroku, you're still alive. I'm so happy." Miroku bandaged her wounds and started dressing her. Sango was so weak that it took all her strength to sit up. "Did they hurt you?"

"No, they haven't touched me. It seems my punishment has fallen upon your back. I'm so sorry." He looked into her beautiful eyes.

"Don't be, Miroku. I want you to do something for me. I want you to tell them I killed Kiku. There is no reason for you to die." He finished putting her shirt on.

"Sango, I won't let you die. Naraku set up this trap in order to get rid of you. I could never let you die. I won't allow it. You need to go on, Sango. You must be strong. I don't want you to watch me die. I want you to run away from it. Find Inuyasha and Kagome and continue to look for the jewels." A smile appeared across his face. "At least you won't have to hear 'Will you bear my children?' ever again."

"That's not funny!" Sango got an idea. "I'll help you escape. I'll think of something."

"Sango, you are far too weak to pull of such a stunt. Please, be strong for me. Guards, you can take her away. Please make sure she doesn't hurt herself." The guards opened the prison door and grabbed Sango.

"No, leave me alone!" she cried. She tried to fight them, but she was too weak as Miroku said. They dragged her away as she yelled to Miroku. "Miroku, tell them what really happened. Please, I won't let you die." He ignored her as they pulled her away. "Miroku, I love you. Is that what you wanted to hear? I love you! Please, Miroku. Miroku!"

I hope you liked that chapter. I changed it a little. Please keep reviewing.