Chapter Thirteen: A Hero's Story

Miroku woke up to the sun shining brightly in his face. His sapphire eyes welcomed the light and in response blinked a few times. To the side of him he could feel the warmth of his dear Sango curled up next to him.

"How are you feeling Miroku?" He jumped, startled by the unexpected voice.

It was Samara.

"Sorry I didn't mean to frighten you. Are you in any pain?"

"Yeah…a little." He admitted.

"Well I should wake up Sango so she can change your bandages." She pulled down the covers. Miroku blushed. "They're a mess!" He looked down and noticed almost the whole front side of his bandages were now painted a crimson color.

"Oh don't wake her up please. I'd hate to bother her after I had kept her up most of the night."

"Suite yourself…" She shrugged. She took a tiny knife and tore the bandages down the center to reveal the gruesome wound her master had placed in him not hours before. "It looks okay, but I'm going to clean it just in case alright?"

He nodded and laid his head back down onto the pillow he was provided. She seemed to disappear for a moment, but promptly walked back in with a few select items. Miroku watched carefully as the young demon slayer mixed many ingredients into one concoction. He was reluctant after getting a good whiff of the smell, but figured it was for the best. He grimaced as it made contact, but knew that the worst would soon be over. As he lied there breathing slightly harder than before, he noticed a hand had clung to his own.

"It's okay Miroku." Sango smiled sweetly. He returned the smile and wished her a good morning.

"What should we do today Sango? No more worries or bad guys to chase us…we should all go do something." He seemed excited at the idea.

"I don't know Miroku. You shouldn't be going anywhere." She smirked.

"Sangoooo…" He whined. "Come on…the sky is blue and from what I can tell this is going to be a beautiful day. No need to waste it over a little pain. I want to go out really bad." She couldn't resist his pleas.

"Fine, fine…I'll go get Inuyasha and Kagome and we'll go for a walk alright?" He nodded his head as Samara was finishing re-wrapping his bandages. By now he was sitting up waiting for Sango's return. She came back not five minutes later with a grumbling Inuyasha and a yawning Kagome.

"So you wanna go out do you monk?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome warned.

"Huhhhh…fine. Here…" He leaned down and offered a hand to bed ridden monk. He got up without much trouble, but walking was a different question. Sango luckily had found Miroku's frequently disappearing staff and promptly handed it to him.

"You alright?" She asked as he regained his composure.

"Yeah…I think so." He carefully took a step and much to his surprise it wasn't as hard as he expected. Sure his stomach ached, but it was well worth it.

Samara decided to stay behind and clean up Koto's mess while the group was out for their walk. No one knew where the young man had gone, but figured he'd be gone for good…

To the lake and back was all they decided. Though that was an adventure in itself.

During the walk, Miroku had deserted his staff into Sango's hands and instead walked with a hand holding a stomach.

"Feeling better?" Kagome asked.

"Much…thank you." He smiled.

"So uh Miroku…" Inuyasha spoke up.

"What is it Inuyasha?"

"What was that spell you used on Hatsu? Seemed pretty intense." Miroku was a little surprised at Inuyasha's sudden interest.

"It was uh…yeah. It was a spell I learned a long time ago when I was younger. The story is kind of boring I don't think you all would want to hear me go on about it."

"Oh come on Miroku tell us." Kagome asked.

"As you wish." He cleared his throat and began. "Long after my father had died and I inherited my wind tunnel, my village was wracked by demon invasions and I was called to assist another local monk. It was my first job so naturally I was very excited. Until I heard the job I was assigned."

Sango listened intently to the monk's story.

"All of the demons appeared with human like qualities and had a great deal of strength and a wide range of skill. We soon figured out that all of these humans were possessed with legendary demon spirits and needed to be executed immediately. My job was to remove the demon spirits and my accomplice was to destroy them once they were out. Like I said I was young and if I would have been more experienced I could have done it all on my own. "

"Yeah…?" Inuyasha urged…

"Anyway. I successfully removed the first demon spirit as it approached, but as it turned out it took a great deal of my strength just to do that. My companion said it was because of the demon's desire to keep its body, but he urged me to continue. I reluctantly agreed and removed three more. Then five after that. Then the last two. By that time I was completely wiped out and felt as though I couldn't move. I saw one more coming toward my partner and knew if I didn't do something he would surely be killed. I don't know how I did it, but I removed the demon's soul, but as far as I know I passed out not long after."

Everyone was now circled around Miroku as they walked and all seemed to be very absorbed in the story. Miroku smiled at their curiosity and continued to their desire.

"When I came to my partner said I had been out for three days. He said that if I hadn't rid the last body of it's demon spirit, he would have been killed as well as the rest of the village. I was shocked to hear the news and only stared in disbelief as he explained. Apparently the last demon I executed was the one causing and controlling all the problems that were presented to my village. As a reward, my village presented me with the staff you're holding Sango. I venture to say that if I had had it at the time I was fighting Hatsu, he would've surely noticed my plans long before they had happened. Guess everything happens for a reason huh?"

"Wow Miroku…" Kagome said.

"Yeah…pretty impressive monk." Inuyasha blurted out.

"Yay! I have a hero as a fiancée!" Sango squealed.

"It wasn't that great. I could've done it easily if I had the skills I possess today. Like I said I was young."

"Still…it's not like any of us could've done that."

"I guess."

Before they knew it the lake appeared before them and it was time to continue. The sun had now reached above their heads meaning lunchtime was near.

"Maybe we should head back. I'll bet Samara is waiting with lunch no da? (a/n: tee hee no one watch Fushigi Yuugi? Yeah it's what Chichiri says all the time. It means, "you know?")

The group headed back and was very relieved to see that the mess of the long gone Koto was finally cleaned up. Miroku felt bad though that Koto had to continue to live his life in misery without the woman he had loved…still loved.

He walked, hand still absently holding his stomach, and let his thoughts consume him. His deep sapphire eyes had a tinge of a remorse that Sango knew very much about. She had seen it before in situations that weren't suitable for an average conversation. Though luckily for the monk, Sango knew very well what he was thinking as he stood for a moment gazing at the battle field from not so long ago.

He sighed and kneeled, offering his prayers to the slayer. He knew of what it felt like to be alone. He knew it all too well. He stayed for a moment, trying to find the momentum he needed to lift his tired body back up from the position he put himself in. Relief swam through him as Inuyasha pulled him up, easing the weariness from his legs.

"Thank you Inuyasha." He placed a hand on the half-demon's shoulder and smiled. How did it come to be that he would live his life in happiness rather than loneliness?

"It was nothing. Just…let's go inside alright?"

He nodded.

Night finally fell, letting the cool night air wash against his pale skin. He didn't know why the nighttime was so appealing to him, but as long as it was here, he'd enjoy it.

Tiny diamonds littered the sky forming patterns only the gifted could see. Trees formed the most mysterious of shadows and dark silhouettes scattered through the forest. Maybe that was it. Maybe that was why the night seemed so luring. It created a comfortable environment where the mind was left to its dreams and wishes and made its suitor listen to its ideas. Sometimes that was more of a problem than a comfort. For Miroku now it was a problem, for is mind would not let him forget the miserable man that wandered the forest. Perhaps he occupied one of the dark silhouettes throughout the forest.

The silence of the night was broken by a single angelic voice.

"Are you alright?"

Dreams were brought back to reality as his love spoke. He didn't figure the question was for him at first, but her voice alone was enough to bring him out of any trance.

"Me? Yeah I'm fine. My stomach kind of…"

"I don't mean that."

She stared into his eyes.

"What is on your mind?"

He sighed. "A lot of things. Mostly you, but other things too."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's alright Sango you don't have to worry about me I'll be…"

"Would you stop that please?"

"Stop what?"

"Trying to make everybody happy."

"I'm sorry. I guess I don't even realize I'm doing it." He smiled rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't be sorry okay? Just promise me you'll think of yourself sometime alright?"

"Okay Sango. I'll do that for you."

She glared, then embraced him tightly.

A cough emerged from the fragile man, as her mind was lost to what his body had recently gone through.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Miroku! Are you okay? I'm so sorry!"

"Heh. I'm good. But let's go to bed alright?" The day just seemed to fly by as they walked a lot longer then he expected.

She nodded and followed suit as he walked to his bed and carefully laid down. Kagome and Inuyasha too had already gone to sleep. His eyes fluttered shut as his mind took a rest and his dreams happily took over.

Sango kissed his forehead as his breathing evened out.

"Goodnight my hero…"