Goodbye

Sango and Yasuo approached Sesshoumaru's by dusk; she smiled and put her hand to her stomach as they walked through the gate. Yasuo tightened his grip on her hand a little as he knocked on the front gate. Kohaku and been in Sesshoumaru's service for 2 and half years now, she couldn't believe her little brother was almost 17, and that the little girl Rin was 16. She was very suspicious of their relationship, which had matured, as they got older. On their last visit she caught the handholding and blushing, they reminded her very much of Kagome and Inu Yasha, minus the fighting.

"YASUO" Rin squealed happily as she opened the door. Yasuo ruffled Rin's hair and grinned at her. She laughed and then turned and hugged Sango.

"I had no idea you were coming, your not supposed to be here for …" Rin paused to count on her fingers quickly "One more moon"

"Promise not to tell Kohaku" Sango whispered. Rin grinned and nodded her head.

"I'm pregnant"

Rin's eyes widened and she smiled even wider and grabbed Sango for another hug.

"Where is Kohaku anyway?" Sango asked when Rin finally let go of her.

"Um, Sesshoumaru-Sama requested to speak to him about something, they've been in there all morning" Rin responded quietly. Yasuo noticed one of his elders and quickly excused himself to tell them the news. Rin took the opportunity and dragged Sango outside to her favorite part of the garden; no one else was ever there.

"Rin…do you know what Sesshoumaru wanted to talk to Kohaku about?"

"Me" Rin said quickly, her cheeks flushing pink as she tried not to look at Sango.

"What about you?"

"His intentions" Rin responded meekly. Sango tried not to react, knowing Sesshoumaru could easily lose his temper regarding his "ward".

"Can you tell me anything else?"

Rin's blush deepened and suddenly found her feet very interesting.

"Rin?"

"Well, Sesshoumaru-Sama saw me and Kohaku-kun in the garden, he got really angry and told Kohaku-kun he wanted to speak with him"

"What were you doing in the garden?" Sango asked

"Sango-Chan!"

"It can't be that bad?"

"Um"

"RIN!"

"…Well…we…um…"

"Rin"

"We were kissing and…well"

"Sesshoumaru saw you doing that," Sango gasped.

"We weren't doing that!"

"Then what?"

"We were just fooling around a little" Rin mumbled. Sango nodded but glanced over at the castle nervously. She was feeling a little apprehensive over Kohaku being alone with Sesshoumaru after Sesshoumaru catching them "fooling around".

"So they've been in there all morning"

"Yep"

Screaming, that was all she remembered, the horrible screaming. She had been sitting quietly in the garden with Rin when it happened. It was as if the entire world exploded, she remembered jumping in front of Rin and falling to the ground as debris rocketed towards them. A wave if fire scorched the ground, melting the cloth of her kimono. Rin cried from beneath her scared and confused. Sango stayed calm and continued to hold Rin to the ground as she struggled to get lose to her Lord. Sango desperately wanted to run back there, to find out what happened, Yasuo and Kohaku were in there. There were youkai clamoring about screaming about an attack. Sango's eyes burned from the smoke and her back hurt from the burnt cloth sticking to it as she stood. She looked towards the castle, or what was left of it, everything was burning and pieces of stone were crumbling to the ground. Rin finally managed to stand and gasped at the sight of her home, the sound of Rin's body collapsing to the floor barley registered in Sango's mind. No one could have survived that…Kohaku had been inside, Yasuo, last time she saw him, had been inside. Sango's entire body trembled as she took a step towards the rubble. Without consciously realizing, she grabbed the arm of a youkai as he ran past her, the creature looked at her ready to kill, she didn't care.

"What has happened, why…"

"It was bound to happen eventually ningen" the creature spat, he tugged on his arm toget free but Sango tightened her hold.

"What happened?" Sango repeated, her voice cold and distant

"Kanna, she lost her sanity when her lord Naraku died, all she had left was Kohaku and Kagura's lifeless bodies, when she found that Sesshoumaru had found their remains and revived them, and then the two fled with Sesshoumaru, something else snapped, she has finally found them, this is the result" the creature finally explained, also finally being able to detect Yasuo's scent on her past the smell of burning flesh and cloth. Sango released her hold and continued her path towards what remained of the castle. She heard the creature tending to Rin and moved faster. She would kill Kanna, had Naraku not done enough to her, he stole her family, her innocence, tortured her brother and then left him for dead. Now, now she had everything back, he was gone, and his stupid detachment was here now, trying to take it all away again. Tears burned her eyes as they slipped out, fogging her vision. Sango stumbled on some rubble and fell to her knees. The tears splashing onto the ground beneath her, she couldn't go mindlessly into battle and die for them, not anymore. If she went into battle and died, she would be killing her child, Yasuo's child. More tears poured from her eyes, her body shook as she struggled to stand. She stared at the rubble again to see youkai climbing their way out, bloody and broken, but alive.

"YASUO" All the world froze at her broken cry, she distinctly remembered hearing her voice before she felt her body hit the ground. Her eyes refused to open, but she could still hear the sounds around her. Feet were scrambling to safety, Rin was crying for Kohaku and Sesshoumaru, there was someone trying to console her, knowing Rin, she was struggling like the gates of hell were beneath her to go into the burning rubble for her Lord.

Sesshoumaru pushed himself from the ground, rock and dust falling from him as he stood. The twerp that loved Rin, he had just told the twerp he could ask Rin to marry him when the girl came in. The twerp had said her name, the girl had grinned sadistically at them. Twisting her mirror, that twerp had sent his weapon flying into the mirror, only to have it hurled back at him, it missed, but not enough that the boy wasn't knocked to the ground. Sesshoumaru growled at the intrusion, drawing toukijin, the boy had yelled for him not to. Sesshoumaru powered up for an attack to end the girls life quickly, the next thing he knew, the small powerful attack did something to the mirror and the girl, everything was silent, a strange glowing line cracked across the girl and her mirror, then everything went black. His home was in ruins, and where was the twerp! Finally he saw a moving pile of rubble and immediately pulled the boy from the ground. The boy coughed when Sesshoumaru shook him and a cloud of dust surrounded him. Sesshoumaru proceeded to drop the boy back on the floor.

"You'll live, get up, and follow me" Sesshoumaru growled. Kohaku immediately stood and followed Sesshoumaru to look for more survivors. Somehow, at the end of their search, the majority of those inside at the time, were minimally injured. Sesshoumaru didn't take long to figure it all out, by his unconscious will tensaiga protected all living creatures in his castle, however, he never intended to explain it, to anyone. 'Kagura…. where is that damned woman'

"Kohaku, go find Rin" Sesshoumaru demanded. As soon as the boy was gone, Sesshoumaru went to find Kagura, her scent was faint, but he could still find her, he had to dig through a good twenty feet of rubble, but she he found her clinging to life. He gently lifted her and dusted the soot from her face, she was badly injured, and all he could smell was her blood. He jumped from the rubble and set to find Kohaku and Rin.

She felt her body leave the ground, she wasn't dead, but she felt like she was floating. Someone was saying something, urgently begging her to wake up, she liked that voice, and she wanted to be near it. It hurt to open her eyes, but when she did, there was a very handsome man holding her. She couldn't understand it, but there was something about his face.

"Sango, are you ok, where you hurt?" the man asked.

"I don't know about Sango, but my head hurts a bit"

The mans face paled and he looked as if someone had punched him in the gut.

"You are Sango," the man said.

"I am?"

"Yes, and I'm your mate, Yasuo" the man said.

"I'm youkai, I feel human…"

"You are human, I am youkai, don't you remember anything?" Yasuo asked. Sango closed her eyes and tried to focus on anything in her mind, but everything was jumbled.

"I remember the earth shaking, and screaming, horrible screaming" Sango finally answered. Yasuo sighed. Sesshoumaru came out with Kagura in his arms and declared for everyone to just leave. Those who had once called the castle home were told to relocate. No personal belongings could have survived the blast, that any living creature had been enough. He then gathered Rin, the brat, and the brat's sister and mate and they left for Inu Yasha's village.

Kohaku looked over at his sister, finally understanding the pain she must have felt while he was under Naraku's control, he wouldn't believe that she couldn't remember him. She had no recognition in her eyes, not even towards Yasuo. Kohaku cringed at the thought of Sango realizing she's pregnant, all the things she'd have to remember again. She would have to remember losing Miroku to time, and how he killed their family, and even worse, what Naraku did to her… Anger welled in him so heavy that he could barley breath, his heart constricted in agony at the look on her face he would receive when she remembered. Yasuo refused to let her walk, he had yet to tell her anything besides her name, and that he was her mate and she was human. She didn't fight him, reminding Kohaku even more, this woman did not remember who she was, his sister would not let some demon carry and hold her if she did not remember him, even if he made such claims as Yasuo did. It didn't take long to reach the village. They had received warm welcome despite their appearance; the villagers did not fear even the taiyoukai. It was the first time that Kohaku could remember being in the village, and he knew he had never been in a village where youkai were seen as equals and not feared. It did not take long for Kagome and Inu Yasha to come to them. They were about to head up the shrine steps when Kagome and Inu Yasha jumped down in front of them.

"Why are you here" Inu Yasha growled "and why are u all bloody and… why do u have her"

"Calm your self little brother, my home has been destroyed, I will stay here"

"THE HELL YOU WILL" Inu Yasha raged, his fingers twitching over the hilt of tessaiga.

"I do not seek a fight hanyou, but if you request one, I will gladly give your mate your head back" Sesshoumaru sighed as he brusquely walked past Inu Yasha towards the shrine.

"Who the fuck does he think he is" Inu Yasha spat as Sesshoumaru walked away.

"What's wrong with Sango, is the baby ok?" Kagome asked, noticing that Yasuo was holding her.

"She has lost her memory from the explosion, or perhaps something after, from what Rin says, she was not actually hit in the head at all, but knocked them down and saved Rin and herself from being burned to death, they both walked off with nothing but a few burns. However, Rin collapsed shortly after, when she came to, she was trying to get to Kohaku and Sesshoumaru when she heard Sango scream and fall to the ground, shortly after I found her halfway conscious on the ground, when she woke, she didn't know me, or her own name, not even her brother" Yasuo explained grimly.

"Um, excuse me, miko, but what do you mean, baby?" Sango asked.

"Please, call me Kagome, we are after all very good friends, and I will leave that information to Yasuo.

"…Kagome… I'm sorry mi-Kagome, but I don't seem to remember you, but you seem pleasant, and I would very much like to remember you" Sango replied. Kagome smiled and reached her hand out to Sango, Sango went to shake it, when she finally realized that Kagome had ears and claws.

"How do you wear the garb of a miko, but yet are hanyou, what game are you playing" Sango asked irritated.

"I am both, I was born a miko, reincarnated from a very powerful miko, I mated with an inu-hanyou, and to prevent the dilution of the blood line, when a hanyou mates a human, the human becomes hanyou, so I am a miko-hanyou. It's a very powerful combination, except when I accidentally tried to purify myself a few times," Kagome laughed. Sango smiled and relaxed slightly. She was still very scared, but at least she trusted what Kagome had said. Sango looked over to Inu Yasha and then back at Kagome,

"He is your mate, isn't he?"

"Yes he is, we have three beautiful children together, and you helped me birth them"

"I did?"

"I would not have been able to have them without you"

"It must have been an honor"

"We were grateful" Inu Yasha butted in. Sango blushed and looked at her feet.

"I wish I could remember all of this, it sounds like we were all very close, I feel something when I'm with all of you, I just cant place it with any memories, but I will try to remember"

"Even if you cannot remember, we will make new memories together" Kagome said warmly. "But that doesn't mean we won't try our hardest to help you remember"

"Um Kagome, I hate to interrupt, but Lady Kagura is badly injured, and Sesshoumaru wishes to not have to find out if tensaiga will revive her a second time" Rin mentioned. Kagome quickly jumped off after Sesshoumaru. Inu Yasha looked down at Rin,

"She's his mate, isn't she" Inu Yasha asked.

"Yes, at first they couldn't even be in the same room when I forced him to revive them, but after awhile, things changed"

"Yasuo, what happened at the castle?" Inu Yasha questioned. Between Kohaku, Rin, and Yasuo, the puzzle was put together. Sango just looked at the three trying to fit the pieces together in her mind, unsuccessfully.

Kagome nodded as Sesshoumaru told her everything that occurred, she continued to work on healing Kagura while she listened. She was down to mending her broken ribs when Kagura coughed and opened her eyes. Kagome smiled as she finished,

"Glad to see you awake" Kagome said. Kagura's eyes widened and would have panicked but she felt Sesshoumaru's hand on her shoulder and just sat up and looked very confused.

"Sesshoumaru, what happened?" she asked.

"Kanna, found us, our home, has been destroyed, we are in Inu Yasha's village, and Kagome saved your life"

"I'll leave you two alone." Kagome said as she left to speak to the others.

"You saved me from the explosion, I felt it" Kagura whispered as she tried to cover her body with what little was left of her kimono. Sesshoumaru noticed and took off his pelt and wrapped it around her.

"You are my mate, it was tensaiga's will to save everyone, but it was only you I spent the time to retrieve from the ruins"

Kagura allowed herself to lean against him, despite Kagome's healing, she was still exhausted. Sesshoumaru held her against him when she tried to sit back up.

"You need rest" he demanded and forced her to stay put by lifting her into his lap.

Kagome walked very slowly to Sango's hut, trying to figure out if she could heal her friend's memory. From everything she had heard, she had chosen to forget, it was not from head injury, she didn't want to remember. Kagome froze mid step; it was smell that she caught before anything else….

"Oh kami, not now" Kagome whispered as she suddenly ran back towards the shrine.