Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or all related characters and elements

(AN: Sorry it took such an unbelievably long time to update I just got really busy then very distracted. Do you know how easy it is for someone who is extremely easily amused to get distracted? Well anyways back to the story.)

Persevering

Chapter 2

Sango stared out into the night, it would be dawn soon, at any moment the sun would creep up on the horizon and she would have to face the day.

She had stayed awake through the night because she wasn't sure where Inuyasha was or when he would be returning, so she kept watch. Not that she minded, it gave her a reason not to sleep and if she didn't sleep she wouldn't dream and she wouldn't have to face her memories.

She could avoid thinking about things easily enough while she was awake by focusing on keeping everyone else protected but as soon as she closed her eyes all she saw was death.

She had lost her family, her entire village and now her best friend who had become like a sister to her all at the hands of Naraku. 'Naraku that son of a bitch how much pain does he intend to cause, dammit I swear I will kill him, I want his blood on my hands.' Sango thought while clutching her hand into a fist. She felt Shippou stir on her lap and she immediately forced her body to relax, she didn't want Shippou to wake up.

Every night since Kagome's death it would take hour to calm him down enough to sleep.

As much as she despised Naraku, she had to admit he was smart. He had hit them where it really hurt, Kagome was the one that held them together, by taking out one person he was successfully dividing them. Miroku was planning to leave to go see Mushin in the morning, Inuyasha was god knows where, and even her and Kirara were going back to her village for awhile leaving Shippou behind with Kaede.

Would Naraku try to conquer them while they were divided among themselves?

'What kind of a question was that? Of coarse he would.' Sango thought angrily. Naraku was always trying to pull off the the divide and conquer method on them.

But even knowing this everyone was going their separate ways.

She saw the shy brighten as the sun began to rise. Carefully as she could, she lifted Shippou from her lap and placed him on her futon. After waiting to make sure that he wasn't going to wake up, she rose to her feet and exited Kaede's hut as quietly as possible.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched the sun rise but she wouldn't let them fall, she had promised herself she wouldn't cry today. There had been two day of tending to the injured and four days of traveling. It had been six days since Kagome's death, six days of mourning, six days of crying and she was tired of crying and surprised she even had any tears left.

Sango was soon accompanied by her fire neko. Kirara jumped up onto Sango's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek but it offered little comfort.

She could easily leave now and avoid the goodbyes and it would be easier that way, but no, she would wait. She was already being a coward by leaving, even if it was just temporary. She would wait and say goodbye to her friends, they deserved that much, then she would leave.

She was not sure how long she would be away from the group or even if there would be a group to return to, but she would come back all the same because Kagome would have wanted them to stick together, that much she was sure of.

As Sango slowly reentered the hut she heard Shippou quietly whisper Kagome's name in his sleep and it torn at her heart like salt lightly sprinkled on a open wound.

That one barely audible whisper seemed to make every thing more real, reminding her of the kitsune's loss as well as her own. Shippou had lost a lot in his short life, first his parent then Kagome, who treated him like a son.

She then glanced over to Miroku, he looked so peaceful as he slept. Miroku ...even with all his faults she loved the hentai, but since the tragedy they had become quite distant. They hadn't spoke since Kagome's death other than what was necessary and the silence was driving a wedge between them.

Miroku hadn't groped her once in the last six and although she would never openly admit it, she was beginning to miss it.

Sometimes she would open her mouth to say something, try to offer some comfort of at least break the silence but nothing would come out and she would find herself shutting it again and once again she would walk on in silence. She had caught Miroku a few times in the same situation, nobody seemed to know what to say for how do you comfort others when you are the one in need of comfort.

Silence had completely consumed the group, they cried and mourned in silence except when Shippou would cry out for Kagome at night and weep for her in the morning.

Sango often just wanted to scream, cry out, do something, but she wouldn't, she was a warrior, a fighter as was everyone else, she would not her grief show.

Miroku awoke to find Sango staring at him. She looked completely impassive, except for the eyes. Her beautiful brown eyes were filled with grief and sorrow, and he wanted to say something to her, something to offer some comfort but the words didn't come.

It wasn't very often that he had absolutely nothing to say, he was normally good at saying the right things at the right time when he needed to, but not this time, this time he remained silent.

He lethargically got up and moved over to where Sango was sitting and dropped down beside her. Sango turned away looking down at the ground as if if it had suddenly become more interesting.

Miroku slowly moved his fingers over to her hand, resting his hand on hers, holding it and giving it a light squeeze.

Surprised, she looked up into his eyes and they stayed like that for a few moments just staring into each others eyes until finally he spoke "The pain of Kagome's passing will one day slip away but the beauty of her life will remain."

The words were spoken softly and reassuringly and although they weren't much they were enough.

Sango then jumped into his arms, tears flowing down her face, and he held her, neither of them were sure how long they stayed like that. It could have been seconds, minutes, of even hours but however long it was, it was they had so desperately needed from each other.

So when the sobbing died down and the silence once again set in, it wasn't awkward or filled with loss, instead it was filled with comfort and understanding.

"Let's go for a walk." Miroku eventually whispered in Sango's ear after that they both got up and walked outside.

She opened her eyes, only a little bit, just enough to see. It was still dark, looking around the room she found she was alone.

There was nothing in the room but her and the futon on which she lay. To her right was a window, she had to take a look try and figure out where she was.

She sat up quickly but regretted it as she fell back down on her back her head pounding. 'Note to self: sudden movement are not a good idea.' she thought while bringing her hand to her throbbing head. Once again she sat up but this time slowly and carefully and it was then that she noticed she was naked with just a thin blanket covering her. As she stood up, she wrapped the blanket around her as someone would a towel.

She then passively made her way to the window, staggering a bit along the way when she finally made her way there she immediately leaned against the wall for support then put both arms on the window ledge to hold herself up while she looked out.

Outside she saw dark purple clouds swirling in the sky. "Miasma." she said in a hushed whisper, she wasn't quite sure how she knew that but something about it seemed familiar. But it didn't make sense if it really was miasma than how was she still alive, everything else in the vicinity seemed to be dead and she was breathing fine.

She allowed herself to drop down to the floor and sit leaning against the wall her eyes closed. She felt completely exhausted but the reasons escaped her.

"Kagome."

Her eyes jerked open, she hadn't heard anybody come in. She looked up to see a man with long wavy black hair and inhuman red eyes, she took a quick glance around the room.

"Are you talking to me?" she asked giving him a questioning look.

"Yes, my little miko" he said walking in and kneeling down in front of her. She didn't like the look he was giving her, it made her feel a little nervous.

"Who are you" she asked.

He stared at her for a moment as if trying to figure something out then smirked."You don't even know who you are, do you?" he said slightly amused.

She opened her mouth ready to tell him off then realizing he was right, she closed it again and sighed in frustration. She hadn't really thought about since she had woken up and it annoyed her.

He chuckled.

"You are really enjoying this aren't you?" she said in a frustrated growl.

"Ah Kagome temper temper."

"I'm guessing since you keep calling my Kagome, that it is my name." she stated.

"Indeed" he responded.

As the realization set in, Kagome looked down, examining herself looking for some clue, one shred of evidence to tell who she was. She found huge gashes in her body, and they were healing rapidly, at this rate she would be perfectly fine in a few days.

It didn't seem normal to heal that fast, not completely out of the ordinary, as though she had seen it before, but not normal for her, but of coarse she wasn't sure what normal was at the moment.

"You can call me Lord Naraku" he said answering the long forgotten question, he got up to leave "I will send in Kagura with some clothes" he said on his way out.

Kagome then curled up into a ball, the realization that she didn't know who she was made her feel so lost, she just wanted to go home but she wasn't sure where home was, suddenly she had nothing and no one. She began to cry as a feeling of emptiness came over her.

(AN: so that was chapter 2, tell me what you think, good or bad I would love to hear it, in other words review please)