Sango is getting married. There's no doubt about that. I mean, who could ever withstand the charms of Lord Takeda? He's handsome, rich, a good person, and a stable influence. Somehow, next to him, I feel like nothing. Kagome did a pretty good job of pointing that out.
And fliriting with the nice young servant girl doesn't feel as it usually does. Even Sango's slap doesn't hurt that much.
I had wished...hoped that maybe she'd return my feelings. I know exactly what I feel for her. I'm falling in love with her.
There's no doubt about that.
But now...there's no way she'll refuse his offer. And I'm not pressing my case. I had my chance earlier, but my pride and my fears made me hold back, and now it's too late. I won't have her know...I can't have her know what I feel. I know she'll be happier with Lord Takeda. He can provide stability for her, something I cannot offer. He can offer her a good life, which I cannot afford.
He can make her happy, because he loves her, and is not afraid to express it. I've seen the way he acts around her. He doesn't hold back his feelings. And I will do everything in my power to make sure Sango is happy. She deserves it, after all she's gone through.
Kagome tries to convince me otherwise, and if she wasn't so serious about getting me to approach Sango I'd laugh. But she is.
Ah...she has so much to learn. I tell her. I tell her Sango deserves a good life. I tell her that if Sango can find happiness
here, who am I to deny her that, for my selfish reasons?
She's walking with the Lord across the gardens, and I catch hints of their conversation. It's enough for me. "I'm flattered by your offer," I hear her say, and I don't need to hear anything else. She's made her choice. So, I turn around and leave quietly. I hold back my emotions. This hurts, but it was expected. After all, what could she see in me? A poor, seemingly perverted, travelling monk who has an ever-enlargening wind tunnel in his hand?
It's deep in the night. I hadn't expected anyone to be out at this time of the night, but there she is. Seeing her as she looks at me hurts...she looks so beautiful, even in that simple kimono of hers. Of course, I never told her that. I catch a hint of a tear in her eyes, and I can think of why she would come out here.
I smile at her, and for a moment I drop my mask. I walk past her, still smiling, even though it's tearing me up inside.
"I wish you happiness," I whisper to her. I keep walking, never turning back. Then, I hear the call. "The demon's coming!"
I stand with Inu-Yasha and the rest as we watch Sango trash the demon. There's no other word for it. I've never seen her this vicious, this aggressive before. She fights with an innate grace I don't think she knows she has. She always looked best when she fought, the way her hair drifts around in that ponytail, the subtle way she moves her body when she wields her giant boomerang...
Then my eyes widen as I realize the demon isn't dead yet. It's not even a real demon, I realize, but a spirit. And it can't be slain with her weapons. It's getting back up and she has her back to it. There's no time. She turns around to stare at it in shock, and I make my choice.
There's no choice, really. I leap forward and gather her in my arms, suppressing a cry of pain as I feel the spirit's claws
dig deep into my arm. I set her on the ground and see her eyes open, and for a moment I loose myself in those deep brown eyes.
I excorcise the demon without any trouble.
We are back on our way. I enjoy the rain as it streaks down my face. Suddenly, it stops. Sango is walking beside me, holding an umbrella. She smiles shyly, and I return it. "I'm glad," I tell her. And I am. Because this means that I still have a chance. It means she is happy with us. "It seems we will be continuing our journey together," I continue. The time is not right to tell her yet. But soon. For now...
Her outraged shriek and the slap across my face feels good. It feels good to have her back.