Okay. I'm gonna say this here and now. This chapter is dedicated to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, because EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU is important and appreciated and loved beyond belief. NO MORE BELLYACHING!!! I'm sorry that I haven't mentioned you all by name, but I DO appreciate the fact that most of you review every chapter. Don't feel unimportant. Someone mentioned something about why do I always mention Moogle. Why? Okay, here's why: she leaves reviews that I can actually get something out of, and can actually REPLY to. I'm not saying the rest of you don't, but I mean, really, how am I supposed to reply to "Kool great chap" or "Ooh scary. Update"? Especially when that's what's written for every chapter! Look, I appreciate ALL feedback, but I can't mention everything and everyone all the time!!
Sanji: ::Patpat:: S'ok, Tailzy. Breathe.
Tailz: And another thing. Hello, Marty. Thanks for reviewing. I really didn't appreciate your comment much. YES, I have spell check, but, if you read my author's notes I ALSO have only an hour a day to work on this and an astounding amount of homework and responsibilities (not to mention a few issues at home) to deal with. That leaves little room for proofreading more than once. I know there are errors, but as a general rule, my grammar's pretty good. You can read it, can't you? You can understand it, right? THEN NO COMPLAINING!!!
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Miroku had never known such pain in his life. The windtunnel was burning like a forest fire, and it was all he could do to clutch it desperately with his other, uncursed, hand. His arm, his fingers, his entire body shook in pure agony as he shouted prayers to Kami every time he could catch his breath. He screamed to the others to move back; if his eyes hadn't been blurred with agony and sweat, he would've been able to see Sango's worried, determined expression as she edged closer, refusing to run. The others stood by, hesitantly, blanching every time he ordered them to leave. Inuyasha held Kagome tightly in both of his arms, holding her back, keeping her away and watching in dismay; Shippo wailed into the schoolgirl's shirt and cried to Miroku, pleading for him not to leave.
But the time had come. They all knew it. Miroku's palm felt ready to split—his whole body seemed ready to tear, right down the middle, as he dug his feet deeper, if that was possible, into the grassy forest floor they were standing on. Trees, bushes, and even small animals flew relentlessly into the dark void on Miroku's hand; try as he might, it wouldn't close, it wouldn't seal. The prayer beads that had stayed around his wrist had long since been sucked in, right as the kazaana had burst open. There was no hope for him, but for the others...
"GO!" he shouted to Sango, and his voice cracked from exhaustion from all the yelling his raw throat had done. "GO, SANGO! TAKE THE OTHERS!" 'Don't let Shippo see,' he thought desperately. 'Make Kagome-sama look away...she shouldn't watch this either...' Sango gave him a look; she was so close now that he could see her tearstained face as she shook her head.
"I won't leave, Houshi-sama!" she shouted over the howling breeze that shrieked like a million angry banshees. "Let me—help—you—" She moved from tree to tree, clutching each one for dear life, and came ever closer, fighting the pull of the tunnel as it furiously tried to consume her. Miroku tried with all of his strength to point his cursed hand away from her, but found that he couldn't move at all; his body had stiffened, as if preparing itself for the eternity of neither life nor death... he watched, helplessly horrified, as Shippo struggled free of Kagome's hold and ran forward too, to join Sango—but was too light to keep his hold on the ground and rose, disappearing into the blackness of the void forever.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Kagome's struggling became more pronounced, and Inuyasha knelt, pressing her more tightly into the collar of his haori to prevent her getting loose, muffling her voice. Even so, her cries for Shippo were too loud to miss. Miroku closed his eyes in shame. 'I'm sorry, Shippo,' he thought grimly, 'but I will follow you, all too soon. You won't be alone in limbo.' And with that, he dislodged his feet from the ground, pushing away Sango's hands as she tried to catch and steady him. The last sounds he heard were Kagome's unwavering yelps, Inuyasha's pained soothing, and Sango's wail of his name as he disappeared from her side forever...
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How had it come to this? Against the crimson setting sun against the horizon, Sango raised Hiraikotsu with a battle cry and loosed her weapon, knocking the dagger from her adversary's hand for what seemed the hundredth time. "I don't want to do this. Stop!" Yet another weapon was raised in the hand that seemed much too small to be wielding a scythe of demon bone; yet it was a hand of a demon-exterminator, however young and innocent he might be.
"No! KOHAKU! Stop!" The boy threw her a steely, expressionless glare, and raised the bone sickle above his head. The weapon already dripped with blood—with her friends' blood, with innocent villagers' blood. Even with Miroku's blood. Sango choked on the stale breath she hadn't realized she was holding and backed up a bit, tightening her hold on the Testusaia and sobbing at the reality of what she must do. Inuyasha...even Inuyasha was gone, trying to protect the others. Had Kohaku killed him too? It was hard to remember... so much had happened... so much... And now, the only way to stop him... the only way that had ever existed... was to...to...
'Kohaku... how can I slaughter my own brother?' Angry, hot tears flowed down her face in a million rivulets, and she cursed the foul name of the one half-demon responsible for everything. Naraku had caused all of her pain and suffering...without him, she might still be normal and happy, back at home with father and Kohaku and the villagers... it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that they had gotten dragged into this. Kohaku was still so young...
"That's it, Kohaku," she told him soberly. "I-I have t-to stop you. You h-hurt all those people, and I—I—" She choked, then continued, "I c-can't watch you s-suffering at Naraku's hands. I...I'm going to stop it, right now." She edged forward, and Kohaku didn't move, as if he sensed her decision. "I'm sorry, little brother," Sango whimpered, taking him by the shoulder and pushing his weapon away. "I l-love you, Kohaku, but it ends here—" She raised the trembling blade, planning to end it for both of them—the Tetsusaiga came down in a steady arch, ready even though the hand that held it was not—
And suddenly, he was no longer there. Sango froze, every muscle in her body tensing, as she looked down. Kohaku was gone. Inuyasha's sword was gone. Even the bodies of her dead friends were gone. 'What...what's...?' She turned around, suddenly plagued with the feeling that someone was watching, and found herself face-to-face with Miroku. Nothing happened for a heartbeat. Then two.
"Sango," Miroku said seriously. "None of this is real. You know where we are, don't you?"
"Y-yes," Sango answered shakily. "We're dead, aren't we? From the battle?" It had to be a dream. There was no way Kohaku could've just disappeared otherwise. It was some form of a game her mind was playing unconsciously. That, in itself, was a small shred of comfort. At least the others were all right, and her brother hadn't murdered them.
"I don't think so," Miroku said thoughtfully. "I believe that we're just in a provoked slumber. Right before we hit the tree, I felt a prick."
"So did I." The light came into Sango's eyes. "A poisonous dart, do you think? Naraku poisoned us? But why?"
"I don't know, but I have a feeling he had more in mind than a couple of our nightmares." The pair remained silent, staring alternately at the crusted dirt of Sango's twisted dream and at each other. The same question fluttered through both of their minds: how to get out? How could you force yourself out of a dream when your body was unable to wake? "Perhaps there is some way we could relay the message to Inuyasha that he must try to rouse us," Miroku suggested finally, "since we obviously can't return until our bodies wake."
"But how?" Sango thought for a moment, in unison with the monk. "I know of a villager who heard from her daughter in a dream once, when she was in trouble," she offered. "If he is sleeping, it might be easier to reach him than otherwise."
"I guess...we just start by trying to call out." They both exchanged a quick nod and cupped their hands to their mouths, shouting at the tops of their voices.
"Inuyasha!"
"Kagome-chan! Can you hear me? It's Sango!"
"Shippo! Shippo! You have to—" The cry died in the monk's throat. He and Sango stared, wide-eyed, at the small, red, curled up form of Shippo, who was crouching at their feet. He was looking at them with an equally incredulous gaping mouth, and inquired, almost as if he wasn't sure he wasn't hallucinating, "Sango? Miroku?"
"Shippo?" The others asked in unison, and Sango bent down and scooped him up into her arms. "Shippo! It worked."
"What worked?" the kitsune asked. "Were you calling me a second ago? I heard something..." he trailed off thoughtfully. "I was having a dream about mother, and then I heard your voices...it was strange... like you were in my dream, but you weren't..." Shippo peered up at them. "Are you in my dream?"
"I don't know," Sango answered truthfully. "Maybe you're in mine. Or we're in Miroku's. What I do know is, you're here, and you've got to tell Inuyasha something important right away." Shippo nodded his understanding and listened, carefully, as Sango explained their predicament. "And you've got to tell Inuyasha and Kagome to wake us up," she finished, "or we might not again."
"You think Naraku did this?" The demon-exterminator and the houshi nodded, and Shippo squinted. "But...why? What could he get out of this? Unless...." His emerald eyes flickered.
"Unless...what, Shippo?"
"Unless Naraku's trying to make us stay in the clearing!" Shippo suddenly looked frightened, and his gaze, upon the others, was intense, desperate. At their curious looks, he explained, "Inuyasha told me a few days ago that we couldn't leave the clearing until you guys woke up, 'cause he promised Kagome. But Kagome's sick again... Inuyasha's worried that if we don't go back to Kaede, it might get worse!" he said all of this very fast, and his hands moved emphatically with every other word.
"Well, we can't stay then," Sango said decisively. "Look. Tell Inuyasha to try to wake us up. And if he can't, then tell him to leave us. "It's the only way," she insisted when he opened his mouth to argue. "It doesn't matter what Kagome says. She's not thinking straight anyway. We are not going to be responsible for letting her get sick again. Inuyasha wouldn't live through it." She paused before quietly adding, "And neither would you, Shippo."
"Go on then," Miroku urged. "You must force yourself to wake, Shippo, and tell Inuyasha everything we've said. There's not any time to spare." The kitsune hesitated, then nodded, uncertainly, and fixed them with a small, wavering stare.
"But...what if we can't wake you up?"
"Then, we will simply have to go from there." Shippo disappeared as suddenly as he had come, and Miroku and Sango exchanged weary glances. What if they could never return to the land of the living? What if it was already too late for them? Miroku leaned over and hesitantly put his arm around Sango, patting her lightly on the shoulder. "It will be all right," he assured quietly. "We...we will think of something."
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Tailz: ....... ::Glares at Sanji as he tries to get her to smile::
Sanji: Eh, don't worry...she'll be fine by next chapter, presuming no one else makes a smart comment.... lord help me if they do.... ::Winces as Tailz pulls out the thumbscrews:: Ah, Tailzy, sweetie... didn't we talk about how hurting yourself is bad?
Tailz: ::Walks out of the room with the screws::
Sanji: Eep... ::Follows:: Tailz, bring those back here....!
