Sleepwalker

"Who's there?" called out the demon slayer to the figure in the darkness approaching her.

The blanket of clouds in the night sky parted just enough for a ray of moonlight to escape and illuminate the monk's face.

"Oh, it's you…" said Sango. She smiled as Miroku continued to walk towards her.

"You couldn't sleep either?"

Miroku was now only a few metres away from the spot where she was sitting.

"I went for a walk and ended up here. I was looking at the stars, but suddenly it got cloudy. Then you showed up and…" Sango stopped mid-sentence to look up and see Miroku standing right in front of her. She hadn't noticed how close he had gotten while she was explaining her absence from where the rest of the group was sleeping. Sango hoped it was too dark for Miroku to see that she was blushing. She looked to the ground just in case. "Hey, why are you walking around outside barefoot?" she asked. Sango blushed even harder realizing that her question probably just ruined the mood.

"Um, Miroku are you alright? You haven't said a word." asked Sango. He just stood there.

Sango stopped talking. She got up and looked into Miroku's eyes nervously. Everything went quiet until the rustling of beads broke the silence.

"Miroku?" Sango whispered.

The prayer beads dropped to the ground as he pulled back the glove to expose his hand.

She was too shocked to try to escape the void. She didn't even scream.

--------------------------

"NO!" Miroku yelled jumping from the spot on the ground where he had been sleeping. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.

Miroku looked around at his surroundings. Surprisingly he hadn't woken anyone not even Inuyasha. He took a deep breath of the early morning air. "Calm down it was just a dream." he said out loud to reassure himself.

Miroku sat up in a cross-legged position and debated whether or not to go back to sleep. Then he noticed something peculiar, "How did my feet get so dirty?"

Miroku shrugged and then decided he was awake so he might as well prepare something to eat. He stood up, but paused to extend the arm of his cursed hand. He looked at it and thought of all the demons that the wind tunnel had devoured. Its power could easily destroy his enemies, but the Wind Tunnel did not discriminate and it could just as easily take in someone he cares for…even someone he loves.

"It was just a dream." Miroku said as he lowered his hand and looked to the empty spot where Sango was supposed to be sleeping.