Tenshi Houshi
Chapter Two
Haunting Dreams
Morning had passed quickly, or at least it seemed to Sango that it did. She was still too grieved from Miroku's death to eat much, although she knew she needed to eat badly for her own well being. But in her dream... what had he meant? All she understood were his last words, Bara no Kibou. Rose of Hope? What did it mean?
"Kirara, we need to land soon," she whispered to the fire cat. From the lack of food, Sango could barely stay conscious. She laid her head down into the soft yellow fur and closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Kirara's neck as they landed. She felt Kirara keep walking at a gentle pace, being careful not to let Sango slip off.
She heard feet running quickly towards her, although she had no clue who or what might be following her. She felt her body being lifted and thrown gently over a shoulder. A stand of hair tickled her nose causing her eyes to open. The person began walking when she noticed the tail swishing idly on his back.
"Kouga?" she called out in surprise lifted her head.
"Ah, so you aren't dead," he joked. Sango sat up sliding from his grasp. Almost instantly she sank to her knees. Kouga shook his head as Kirara ran over nuzzling Sango's cheek affectionately.
"So where's Inukoro?" he asked as she weakly stood. Sango averted her gaze and leaned against Kirara who began walking alongside Kouga; probably back to his small camp.
"Back at the village," she whispered finally looking at him. She stared at him a moment. He had that look he had when he was around Kagome, only there was more gentleness in it. "Is something the matter?"
Kouga smirked and crossed his arms. It was then Sango noticed the huge gash in his arm that was partly covered in bandages. "No, why do you ask?"
Sango glared at him, knowing he was playing with her. "You look like a love-struck fool."
Kouga chuckled softly and glanced at his arm. "I don't think I'll be bothering Kagome that much any more."
"Why do you say that?"
Kouga sighed, "Because my heart belongs to another now."
Sango's mouth dropped slightly open with surprise. "Who-when-why?"
Kouga smirked again and continued forward. "Ayame, last week, various," he answered in order. Sango regained her posture and continued to hold onto Kirara for support.
"Various?" she questioned loudly, obviously still in surprise. Kouga shook his head laughing.
"It's a long story, but in a nut shell, I ran into Kagura, got beat to a pulp because I was having to defend all my wolves since there were other demons attacking as well, so I was out numbered. She eventually left after leaving my arm horribly broken. Ginta and Hakkaku were barely able to drag me back into the forest. That's when she came. She had scented my blood all the way from the mountains. She said she was too worried to not come, so when she arrived she began to heal me. After being with her those few days, she stole my heart. I'm almost mad at myself..."
"That seemed to be in much more detail than a nut shell would be," Sango accused softly. Kouga laughed again.
"Well too bad, I got carried away. So where are you headed off to? I'd expect you to be with the others."
Sango almost froze, but pushed herself to continue. Kouga glanced at her suspiciously.
"Sango?"
Saying her name felt strange. He'd never really said it actually. He'd never really even taken in her presence while he was around Kagome.
"Where's Kagome? Inu Yasha? That monk?"
Sango slid to her knees. Kirara crouched down letting Sango set her head against her. Kouga knelt onto one knee in front of her with a confused expression.
"Did something... happen to them?"
Sango managed a nod, barely containing her tears. "Do you remember the monk with a Kazaana in his right hand?"
"The one that sucked up all the Gokurakuchou?"
"Hai, the same. His Kazaana took his life."
Kouga's eye twitched as the woman in front of him trembled. So the monk hit the bucket, eh? She seemed grieved by it.
"So why are you traveling on your own?"
When she didn't respond he slowly lifted a hand brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"He's gone!" she choked out. Kouga jumped back as she leapt upon him, grasping his waist and setting her face against his chest. He quickly set his arms to the side, a deep red blush covering his face.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!" he said loudly. His face darted back and forth, afraid of watching eyes. When he sensed none, he started to relax. This was fine-nothing was wrong with this picture! He was simply... simply comforting a grieved woman who was having... having a catharsis about her dead love. Yeah! That's it!
Kouga sighed and gently patted Sango's back. "You... loved him, didn't you?"
Sango nodded and quickly pulled away. "A-anno..."
"It's alright," Kouga smiled sweetly and helped her up. "Why don't you come to my camp? I can cook some of our catch for you. You need to eat to keep up your strength, you know."
Sango nodded and slowly climbed onto Kirara who followed Kouga into the thick forest.
*~*~*
Sango reluctantly took a bite from the boar Kouga had roasted over the fire. It's savory flavor flared in her mouth. Fire erupted in her throat sending a whole feeling of warmth down her body. Wanting to relish the taste again, she continued. After what seemed about half an hour, she stopped eating from the limb and gasped for air.
"I take it you were hungry?" Sango heard the voice followed by soft ripples of laughter. She looked up at the three wolf demons eyeing her.
"S-sorry... I haven't eaten in a few days. In my hunger, I guess I forgot my manners."
Kouga snorted loudly throwing his head back a bit and rolling his eyes. "That was nothing. I had to keep these two morons from eating in front of you."
"Why?" she asked raising a brow. She looked at Ginta and Hakkaku who were listening quietly.
"Well, we eat differently..." Kouga answered.
"Yes!" Ginta voice shot up as he joined the conversation. "We eat the food much faster!"
"So that other demons can't steal it!" Hakkaku joined. Kouga slapped his forehead.
"We tear it apart and..." their voices continued but Sango looked to Kouga for some sort of help. Kouga smirked and looked at her pleading and confused eyes.
"Raw," he mouthed. Sango crinkled her nose at the thought of eating an uncooked animal and lied against Kirara's still transformed state.
"You don't mind if I rest, do you?" she asked.
"Not at all!" Kouga replied as he reached for something. Sango watched as he pulled out a large fur and set it over her. The cold left her quickly.
"What is this?" she asked touching the brittle, yet soft fur.
"Bear," he answered walking back to the others. Sango nodded and snuggled against Kirara while holding the fur to her body. A peaceful sleep eluded her as she slipped into darkness.
*~*~*
How did she end back up at the inn? Maybe she never met Kouga in the woods... but maybe she was just dreaming again. But, she could smell, feel, even taste the air around her. It had to be real...
"Sango."
No, she thought. She knelt grasping her forehead. Not again...
"Go away... leave me alone!" she shouted. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Sango, it's alright..."
She could hear him! She started to get up when his hand gently pressed her hip back down. He was kneeling near her with a serene look on his face. As she turned over he pulled her head into his lap. Sango smiled up at him as she reached up to hold onto his neck.
"Houshi-sama..." she whispered happily. Even if this was a dream... it was an escape from reality. His face stayed the same but his eyes seemed to tremble in sadness as he reached down her caress her cheek.
"Shinju no Sachi," he whispered quietly. Sango gasped as his image began to disappear.
"No, don't go!" she shouted leaping up for him.
*~*~*
"Sango, Sango wake up!"
Sango screamed making everyone in the vacinity cringe. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself staring into two golden eyes.
"Sango-chan?"
She turned to look at Kagome, with Shippo on her shoulder. She looked like she'd been crying. Kouga was laying against a tree with his eyes half closed, obviously exhausted. Ginta and Hakkaku lay cuddled together against a tree, using each other's shoulders and head as a pillow. They looked so innocent that way.
"Are you okay?" Inu Yasha asked. Sango stared at him a moment.
"What are you doing here?" she asked instead. Inu Yasha smirked.
"You didn't think we'd let you try to take on Naraku yourself, did you?"
Sango covered her face feeling tears well up. "A-Arigato... Inu Yasha, Kagome-chan... arigato." She wiped her eyes and lifted her head from Kirara's side. "Arigato, Kouga."
"Think nothin' of it..." Kouga muttered blinking his eyes sheepishly. Sango smiled at him an shook her head.
"You're just bored because Ayame isn't here, aren't you?"
"Yep..."
"Ayame?" Kagome whispered, confused. "Isn't she the wolf that wanted you to be her mate?"
"Yep... the love of my life..." Kouga sighed happily.
"Ignore him," Sango joked, "he's just a love-struck fool."
Kouga sighed again closing his eyes.
"Yep."
Chapter Two
Haunting Dreams
Morning had passed quickly, or at least it seemed to Sango that it did. She was still too grieved from Miroku's death to eat much, although she knew she needed to eat badly for her own well being. But in her dream... what had he meant? All she understood were his last words, Bara no Kibou. Rose of Hope? What did it mean?
"Kirara, we need to land soon," she whispered to the fire cat. From the lack of food, Sango could barely stay conscious. She laid her head down into the soft yellow fur and closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Kirara's neck as they landed. She felt Kirara keep walking at a gentle pace, being careful not to let Sango slip off.
She heard feet running quickly towards her, although she had no clue who or what might be following her. She felt her body being lifted and thrown gently over a shoulder. A stand of hair tickled her nose causing her eyes to open. The person began walking when she noticed the tail swishing idly on his back.
"Kouga?" she called out in surprise lifted her head.
"Ah, so you aren't dead," he joked. Sango sat up sliding from his grasp. Almost instantly she sank to her knees. Kouga shook his head as Kirara ran over nuzzling Sango's cheek affectionately.
"So where's Inukoro?" he asked as she weakly stood. Sango averted her gaze and leaned against Kirara who began walking alongside Kouga; probably back to his small camp.
"Back at the village," she whispered finally looking at him. She stared at him a moment. He had that look he had when he was around Kagome, only there was more gentleness in it. "Is something the matter?"
Kouga smirked and crossed his arms. It was then Sango noticed the huge gash in his arm that was partly covered in bandages. "No, why do you ask?"
Sango glared at him, knowing he was playing with her. "You look like a love-struck fool."
Kouga chuckled softly and glanced at his arm. "I don't think I'll be bothering Kagome that much any more."
"Why do you say that?"
Kouga sighed, "Because my heart belongs to another now."
Sango's mouth dropped slightly open with surprise. "Who-when-why?"
Kouga smirked again and continued forward. "Ayame, last week, various," he answered in order. Sango regained her posture and continued to hold onto Kirara for support.
"Various?" she questioned loudly, obviously still in surprise. Kouga shook his head laughing.
"It's a long story, but in a nut shell, I ran into Kagura, got beat to a pulp because I was having to defend all my wolves since there were other demons attacking as well, so I was out numbered. She eventually left after leaving my arm horribly broken. Ginta and Hakkaku were barely able to drag me back into the forest. That's when she came. She had scented my blood all the way from the mountains. She said she was too worried to not come, so when she arrived she began to heal me. After being with her those few days, she stole my heart. I'm almost mad at myself..."
"That seemed to be in much more detail than a nut shell would be," Sango accused softly. Kouga laughed again.
"Well too bad, I got carried away. So where are you headed off to? I'd expect you to be with the others."
Sango almost froze, but pushed herself to continue. Kouga glanced at her suspiciously.
"Sango?"
Saying her name felt strange. He'd never really said it actually. He'd never really even taken in her presence while he was around Kagome.
"Where's Kagome? Inu Yasha? That monk?"
Sango slid to her knees. Kirara crouched down letting Sango set her head against her. Kouga knelt onto one knee in front of her with a confused expression.
"Did something... happen to them?"
Sango managed a nod, barely containing her tears. "Do you remember the monk with a Kazaana in his right hand?"
"The one that sucked up all the Gokurakuchou?"
"Hai, the same. His Kazaana took his life."
Kouga's eye twitched as the woman in front of him trembled. So the monk hit the bucket, eh? She seemed grieved by it.
"So why are you traveling on your own?"
When she didn't respond he slowly lifted a hand brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"He's gone!" she choked out. Kouga jumped back as she leapt upon him, grasping his waist and setting her face against his chest. He quickly set his arms to the side, a deep red blush covering his face.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!" he said loudly. His face darted back and forth, afraid of watching eyes. When he sensed none, he started to relax. This was fine-nothing was wrong with this picture! He was simply... simply comforting a grieved woman who was having... having a catharsis about her dead love. Yeah! That's it!
Kouga sighed and gently patted Sango's back. "You... loved him, didn't you?"
Sango nodded and quickly pulled away. "A-anno..."
"It's alright," Kouga smiled sweetly and helped her up. "Why don't you come to my camp? I can cook some of our catch for you. You need to eat to keep up your strength, you know."
Sango nodded and slowly climbed onto Kirara who followed Kouga into the thick forest.
*~*~*
Sango reluctantly took a bite from the boar Kouga had roasted over the fire. It's savory flavor flared in her mouth. Fire erupted in her throat sending a whole feeling of warmth down her body. Wanting to relish the taste again, she continued. After what seemed about half an hour, she stopped eating from the limb and gasped for air.
"I take it you were hungry?" Sango heard the voice followed by soft ripples of laughter. She looked up at the three wolf demons eyeing her.
"S-sorry... I haven't eaten in a few days. In my hunger, I guess I forgot my manners."
Kouga snorted loudly throwing his head back a bit and rolling his eyes. "That was nothing. I had to keep these two morons from eating in front of you."
"Why?" she asked raising a brow. She looked at Ginta and Hakkaku who were listening quietly.
"Well, we eat differently..." Kouga answered.
"Yes!" Ginta voice shot up as he joined the conversation. "We eat the food much faster!"
"So that other demons can't steal it!" Hakkaku joined. Kouga slapped his forehead.
"We tear it apart and..." their voices continued but Sango looked to Kouga for some sort of help. Kouga smirked and looked at her pleading and confused eyes.
"Raw," he mouthed. Sango crinkled her nose at the thought of eating an uncooked animal and lied against Kirara's still transformed state.
"You don't mind if I rest, do you?" she asked.
"Not at all!" Kouga replied as he reached for something. Sango watched as he pulled out a large fur and set it over her. The cold left her quickly.
"What is this?" she asked touching the brittle, yet soft fur.
"Bear," he answered walking back to the others. Sango nodded and snuggled against Kirara while holding the fur to her body. A peaceful sleep eluded her as she slipped into darkness.
*~*~*
How did she end back up at the inn? Maybe she never met Kouga in the woods... but maybe she was just dreaming again. But, she could smell, feel, even taste the air around her. It had to be real...
"Sango."
No, she thought. She knelt grasping her forehead. Not again...
"Go away... leave me alone!" she shouted. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Sango, it's alright..."
She could hear him! She started to get up when his hand gently pressed her hip back down. He was kneeling near her with a serene look on his face. As she turned over he pulled her head into his lap. Sango smiled up at him as she reached up to hold onto his neck.
"Houshi-sama..." she whispered happily. Even if this was a dream... it was an escape from reality. His face stayed the same but his eyes seemed to tremble in sadness as he reached down her caress her cheek.
"Shinju no Sachi," he whispered quietly. Sango gasped as his image began to disappear.
"No, don't go!" she shouted leaping up for him.
*~*~*
"Sango, Sango wake up!"
Sango screamed making everyone in the vacinity cringe. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself staring into two golden eyes.
"Sango-chan?"
She turned to look at Kagome, with Shippo on her shoulder. She looked like she'd been crying. Kouga was laying against a tree with his eyes half closed, obviously exhausted. Ginta and Hakkaku lay cuddled together against a tree, using each other's shoulders and head as a pillow. They looked so innocent that way.
"Are you okay?" Inu Yasha asked. Sango stared at him a moment.
"What are you doing here?" she asked instead. Inu Yasha smirked.
"You didn't think we'd let you try to take on Naraku yourself, did you?"
Sango covered her face feeling tears well up. "A-Arigato... Inu Yasha, Kagome-chan... arigato." She wiped her eyes and lifted her head from Kirara's side. "Arigato, Kouga."
"Think nothin' of it..." Kouga muttered blinking his eyes sheepishly. Sango smiled at him an shook her head.
"You're just bored because Ayame isn't here, aren't you?"
"Yep..."
"Ayame?" Kagome whispered, confused. "Isn't she the wolf that wanted you to be her mate?"
"Yep... the love of my life..." Kouga sighed happily.
"Ignore him," Sango joked, "he's just a love-struck fool."
Kouga sighed again closing his eyes.
"Yep."