Tenshi Houshi
Chapter Three
Strength
Sango eyed the area cautiously, uncertain whether she should go there or not. It would be different... now that he was gone.
"Sango-chan!" Kagome called out from the hot spring. "Why don't you come in?"
Sango sighed sadly and stepped into the warm water. Without a sound she dipped down below the water. She closed her eyes and let the water relax her tired muscles. Kagome began talking, but she didn't seem to hear her. Her eyes glazed over as she sank further into the water, letting its warmth cover her mouth and stop just at her nose. Ripples formed from her slow breathing.
Her vision flared white a moment, and she heard crackling. Fire?
Just as quickly as the image had come, it was gone. She stood abruptly from the spring and left to dress back into her taijiya attire. Afterwards, she headed back to the small camp where the others were. Maybe Inu Yasha was right, maybe she couldn't take Naraku on herself. Then again, where there's a will... there's a way, right?
She stopped along the trail noticing Kouga leaning against a tree. One leg was straight, while the other was set backwards propped against the trunk of the tree. His arms were crossed and his head was bowed to where his bangs covered his eyes.
"Doshda?" she asked quietly. For a second, she could have sworn she saw his ears twitch. He lifted his head with his eyes as wide as a child in a candy store's. She watched as he quickly took a few steps back and opened his arms as if about to hug something.
She jumped hearing a loud squeal and a blur of white. Kouga easily caught the falling figure and spun around earning more squeals of surprise and delight.
"Ayame!" Kouga yelled happily, continuing to spin.
"Put me down!"
Kouga gave it one last spin before finally setting the young wolf princess down.
"But I was lonely," he said innocently, desperately trying not to laugh. "How would you have acted?"
Ayame opened her mouth to answer, but found no words to support her. Kouga bit his lip as a blast of air went through his nose, letting out a sound remarkably close to a snort. High-pitched and short laughs began erupting from his tightly closed throat until he couldn't contain it. Ayame laughed lightly as he started to calm back down.
"You seem awfully strange today..." she mused out loud as she gently grabbed his arm to examine it.
"Yeah, I guess," Kouga agreed with a strange smile, "I've felt this way since Kagome gave me that stuff earlier. I think she called it chocolate. That small kitsune pup seemed to have a liking to it, but it's making me feel so... so..."
"Energetic?"
Kouga and Ayame turned to Sango who was smiling, obviously trying not to laugh at the hyper active wolf prince. She couldn't resist the small giggle as Kouga grabbed Ayame lifting her into the air and pulling her close. They looked so... happy...
A sudden dread filled her. She remembered Miroku. A monk, a lech, a player, there were many names she and her companions had made for him, but she missed him so much...
She suddenly found herself taking in huge gulps of air to find relief from the tight feeling in her chest. Her eyes burned with a desire to shed tears. No, she thought, I won't spend my life grieving over him! Her body burned with anxiety and began to tremble. What was wrong with her? She'd gotten upset at times, but never this badly...
Right before Kouga could ask if she was alright, she spun around and ran.
She shut her eyes tightly ignoring the need to stop running. Why was he haunting her? Why wouldn't he leave her alone in peace? She reached up grabbing Hiraikotsu as she passed the camp where the sleeping Inu Yasha and Shippo were. She ran past them not caring if they awoke. She had to get away. It hurt to much to be around them. She was of no use. She would have to defeat Naraku on her own... after all.
"Why?!" she screamed thrusting Hiraikotsu outward, sending it further than she ever remembered. Trees flew up high in favor of her anger and frustration, only to fall back down. Sango screamed the phrase again catching the boomerang in mid-air.
"Why did you leave me?! Answer me, damnit!"
Sango rammed her fist into a tree, making a small dent in it. Blood trickled down her fist in a small stream. She ignored the pain and continued her massacre on the forest. Her cries went for miles, although it was mostly ignored.
After what seemed hours to her, she planted the edge of Hiraikotsu into the dirt and leaned against it. Slowly, her body slid down to the ground, beads of perspiration forming on her face. She sobbed softly as she brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. Why wouldn't the pain go away? Her only comfort was sleep... when he came to visit her...
She regretfully closed her eyes, hoping to have a comforting dream.
*~*~*
Her head shot up hearing a scream. Her eyes widened as she glanced around. A fire? How?
She stood from her spot against a tree and grabbed Hiraikotsu.
"Kagome-chan, Ayame-chan?! Kouga! Inu Yasha, Shippo! Where are you?"
She called their names out running through the small flames in the trees. Her heart was pounding in her ears, literally choking her. Why in the seven hells had she dozed off? Now her friends were in danger, all because of her!
"Sango!!"
Sango spun around hearing the cry. It wasn't them, but she needed to help anyway. She backtracked to where she'd heard the voice. She froze. She was dreaming again, wasn't she?
"Sango, help!"
"It's just a dream..." she whispered lowering Hiraikotsu. The flames flared up higher, one extremely close to her leg. When it touched her she yelled jumping back in surprise. Was it real after all? She looked back at the lump on the ground. Was he...?
She gasped softly as his eyes closed and his body stopped shifting for air.
"Houshi-sama!" she shrieked trying to run to him. The flames flared up blocking her way. Her heart ached badly, but she wouldn't let it stop her. She pulled Hiraikotsu into the way and pulled it back before throwing it forward with such a strong force that it pushed her back. Hiraikotsu spun in a circle around the vicinity. Suddenly, the flames seemed to be blown out by its force. Sango didn't attempt to catch it as she ran to the figure lying in the grass instead.
"Houshi-sama! Houshi-sama! Wake up!" she shook his body but got no reaction. She bent down laying her face into his robes, unable to contain her tears.
"Sango..."
Her head shot up. She looked down at him. His eyes were cracked open. She bent back down lying her head against his chest.
"Don't go this time... please..."
"Sango, sumune."
"No!" she shouted jumping up. "Please, don't go!"
Miroku sat up next to her. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but couldn't. A fresh layer of tears broke out.
"Kiri Yama."
Sango curled up into a tight ball whispering for it all to go away.
*~*~*
Sango opened her eyes. To her astonishment, her face was dry, indicating no crying. She didn't understand it, each time she slept, she heard a new phrase. Now there were three.
Bara no Kibou. Rose of Hope.
Shinju no Sachi. Pearl of Happiness.
And Kiri Yama. Mist Mountain.
What did it all mean? This dream was different than the others...
Instead of Miroku comforting her, she had to rescue him.
"Sango!" she heard Kouga's voice.
"Sango!!" he yelled louder. Sango stood and grabbed Hiraikotsu. The golden staff in it jingled a moment making her stop.
"...Houshi...sama?"
The staff jingled again in the breeze. Sango smiled faintly and turned to run back to the forgotten camp.
"Kouga, what is it?" she asked upon arriving back. The group looked relieved to see her, and Inu Yasha noticed the dried blood on her fist, but wouldn't ask.
"We've got a lead on Naraku's ware bouts. You up for a little search and find?"
Sango smirked and turned around to wake the slumbering Kirara.
"You bet."
Chapter Three
Strength
Sango eyed the area cautiously, uncertain whether she should go there or not. It would be different... now that he was gone.
"Sango-chan!" Kagome called out from the hot spring. "Why don't you come in?"
Sango sighed sadly and stepped into the warm water. Without a sound she dipped down below the water. She closed her eyes and let the water relax her tired muscles. Kagome began talking, but she didn't seem to hear her. Her eyes glazed over as she sank further into the water, letting its warmth cover her mouth and stop just at her nose. Ripples formed from her slow breathing.
Her vision flared white a moment, and she heard crackling. Fire?
Just as quickly as the image had come, it was gone. She stood abruptly from the spring and left to dress back into her taijiya attire. Afterwards, she headed back to the small camp where the others were. Maybe Inu Yasha was right, maybe she couldn't take Naraku on herself. Then again, where there's a will... there's a way, right?
She stopped along the trail noticing Kouga leaning against a tree. One leg was straight, while the other was set backwards propped against the trunk of the tree. His arms were crossed and his head was bowed to where his bangs covered his eyes.
"Doshda?" she asked quietly. For a second, she could have sworn she saw his ears twitch. He lifted his head with his eyes as wide as a child in a candy store's. She watched as he quickly took a few steps back and opened his arms as if about to hug something.
She jumped hearing a loud squeal and a blur of white. Kouga easily caught the falling figure and spun around earning more squeals of surprise and delight.
"Ayame!" Kouga yelled happily, continuing to spin.
"Put me down!"
Kouga gave it one last spin before finally setting the young wolf princess down.
"But I was lonely," he said innocently, desperately trying not to laugh. "How would you have acted?"
Ayame opened her mouth to answer, but found no words to support her. Kouga bit his lip as a blast of air went through his nose, letting out a sound remarkably close to a snort. High-pitched and short laughs began erupting from his tightly closed throat until he couldn't contain it. Ayame laughed lightly as he started to calm back down.
"You seem awfully strange today..." she mused out loud as she gently grabbed his arm to examine it.
"Yeah, I guess," Kouga agreed with a strange smile, "I've felt this way since Kagome gave me that stuff earlier. I think she called it chocolate. That small kitsune pup seemed to have a liking to it, but it's making me feel so... so..."
"Energetic?"
Kouga and Ayame turned to Sango who was smiling, obviously trying not to laugh at the hyper active wolf prince. She couldn't resist the small giggle as Kouga grabbed Ayame lifting her into the air and pulling her close. They looked so... happy...
A sudden dread filled her. She remembered Miroku. A monk, a lech, a player, there were many names she and her companions had made for him, but she missed him so much...
She suddenly found herself taking in huge gulps of air to find relief from the tight feeling in her chest. Her eyes burned with a desire to shed tears. No, she thought, I won't spend my life grieving over him! Her body burned with anxiety and began to tremble. What was wrong with her? She'd gotten upset at times, but never this badly...
Right before Kouga could ask if she was alright, she spun around and ran.
She shut her eyes tightly ignoring the need to stop running. Why was he haunting her? Why wouldn't he leave her alone in peace? She reached up grabbing Hiraikotsu as she passed the camp where the sleeping Inu Yasha and Shippo were. She ran past them not caring if they awoke. She had to get away. It hurt to much to be around them. She was of no use. She would have to defeat Naraku on her own... after all.
"Why?!" she screamed thrusting Hiraikotsu outward, sending it further than she ever remembered. Trees flew up high in favor of her anger and frustration, only to fall back down. Sango screamed the phrase again catching the boomerang in mid-air.
"Why did you leave me?! Answer me, damnit!"
Sango rammed her fist into a tree, making a small dent in it. Blood trickled down her fist in a small stream. She ignored the pain and continued her massacre on the forest. Her cries went for miles, although it was mostly ignored.
After what seemed hours to her, she planted the edge of Hiraikotsu into the dirt and leaned against it. Slowly, her body slid down to the ground, beads of perspiration forming on her face. She sobbed softly as she brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. Why wouldn't the pain go away? Her only comfort was sleep... when he came to visit her...
She regretfully closed her eyes, hoping to have a comforting dream.
*~*~*
Her head shot up hearing a scream. Her eyes widened as she glanced around. A fire? How?
She stood from her spot against a tree and grabbed Hiraikotsu.
"Kagome-chan, Ayame-chan?! Kouga! Inu Yasha, Shippo! Where are you?"
She called their names out running through the small flames in the trees. Her heart was pounding in her ears, literally choking her. Why in the seven hells had she dozed off? Now her friends were in danger, all because of her!
"Sango!!"
Sango spun around hearing the cry. It wasn't them, but she needed to help anyway. She backtracked to where she'd heard the voice. She froze. She was dreaming again, wasn't she?
"Sango, help!"
"It's just a dream..." she whispered lowering Hiraikotsu. The flames flared up higher, one extremely close to her leg. When it touched her she yelled jumping back in surprise. Was it real after all? She looked back at the lump on the ground. Was he...?
She gasped softly as his eyes closed and his body stopped shifting for air.
"Houshi-sama!" she shrieked trying to run to him. The flames flared up blocking her way. Her heart ached badly, but she wouldn't let it stop her. She pulled Hiraikotsu into the way and pulled it back before throwing it forward with such a strong force that it pushed her back. Hiraikotsu spun in a circle around the vicinity. Suddenly, the flames seemed to be blown out by its force. Sango didn't attempt to catch it as she ran to the figure lying in the grass instead.
"Houshi-sama! Houshi-sama! Wake up!" she shook his body but got no reaction. She bent down laying her face into his robes, unable to contain her tears.
"Sango..."
Her head shot up. She looked down at him. His eyes were cracked open. She bent back down lying her head against his chest.
"Don't go this time... please..."
"Sango, sumune."
"No!" she shouted jumping up. "Please, don't go!"
Miroku sat up next to her. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but couldn't. A fresh layer of tears broke out.
"Kiri Yama."
Sango curled up into a tight ball whispering for it all to go away.
*~*~*
Sango opened her eyes. To her astonishment, her face was dry, indicating no crying. She didn't understand it, each time she slept, she heard a new phrase. Now there were three.
Bara no Kibou. Rose of Hope.
Shinju no Sachi. Pearl of Happiness.
And Kiri Yama. Mist Mountain.
What did it all mean? This dream was different than the others...
Instead of Miroku comforting her, she had to rescue him.
"Sango!" she heard Kouga's voice.
"Sango!!" he yelled louder. Sango stood and grabbed Hiraikotsu. The golden staff in it jingled a moment making her stop.
"...Houshi...sama?"
The staff jingled again in the breeze. Sango smiled faintly and turned to run back to the forgotten camp.
"Kouga, what is it?" she asked upon arriving back. The group looked relieved to see her, and Inu Yasha noticed the dried blood on her fist, but wouldn't ask.
"We've got a lead on Naraku's ware bouts. You up for a little search and find?"
Sango smirked and turned around to wake the slumbering Kirara.
"You bet."