Still wandering about blindly in the dark, Miroku finally came into a clearing where the nearly full moon shined brightly. A figure lay crumpled and bleeding in the center, this figure with velvety brown hair, and her face turned away. She held many wounds from battle, one of which being her shoulder, which was no longer in the shape of a spider.

Miroku rushed forward. "Sango, Sango? Say something to me, please! Don't leave me!" he took the form of his love in his arms. "Please Sango, there's so much I still need to tell you!" He held her close, and rocked gently, resting his head on her brow. "I promised I would protect you… I failed. I Failed Sango, you know how bad that feels?" Her blood was soaking into his robes. The wounds were fresh. "Don't leave me… Sango, I love you, Sango!"

"Oh how touching. The demon slayer and the monk, together at last." A low voice murmured from the shadows. Miroku froze. 'Naraku.' The puppet stepped out from among the trees, and Miroku carefully placed Sango down on the ground. He noted, as he stood, that the ground was hard, and he should make her a more comfortable bed.

"Naraku, What have you done to Sango!" Pure hatred rang in his voice, as he stood to protect the fallen woman.

"I myself did nothing. But my wonderful daughter Kanna helped wondrously. And as for her wounds, a few stray demons happened by just as she began to wake. She fought most of them off before she fell again." Miroku looked about and noticed her herikotsu lying not far away, and the remains of a few slain demons.

"You'll pay for what you've done, Naraku!" Miroku yelled. He knew the wind tunnel would be of no use in this battle, for it was Naraku. The Sanyosho had to be somewhere nearby. He knelt down next to Sango and took her sword from its scabbard, and whispered 'may I borrow this?' He spun about and ran at Naraku. But the Baboon clad demon wasn't so easily destroyed.

"Your tired, monk. Why didn't you rest when Inuyasha said you should? It is nearly dawn and you haven't slept a bit. Fool." Sango's sword flashed as it came around for another swing, but it missed. 'I'm not very good at this;' Miroku thought feverishly. Naraku burst many tendrils of darkness out from him, and many of them hit Miroku causing him to fall. The baboon stood above him, eyes gleaming. "die." Unexpectedly, the herikotsu flew over his head and sliced Naraku in halves, and it vanished to be replaced with a small wooden doll. Miroku spun about to see Sango standing there, her bangs in her face, and her body rigid. The heraikotsu flew back to her, but she didn't bother to catch it.

"Miroku," she said in pained gasps. "your not allowed to die." He was too worried to chuckle. He stood up, ignoring his own pains, and ran to her side. He pushed her bangs from her face to see not a grimace of pain, but a calm look of submission.

"Sango, no-" she looked up. Her eyes warm and kind, rather that harsh and full of ridicule. "Come, lets get going back to Inuyasha and Kagome…"

"Oh Miroku, how do you always stay so hopeful?" she sighed, leaning into his shoulder. A few rays of light began to streak the morning sky. "I've lost everything, Miroku. My family, my brother, all I have left is my life. And well, Look at me." She gestured to all her wounds. "I admire your optimism."

"Come on Sango. Don't talk like that. Besides, you have me." He pulled her into a gentle hug, careful to watch her wounds and balance. "When I found you lying in the clearing a bit ago, all I could think of was how I had sworn to protect you, and how I haven't told you yet that I…" he held her close to him, as though if he were to let go all the world would end.
Sango was surprised at being hugged, and now she leaned into his strong embrace. "That I love you, Sango." Her heart seemed to stop beating. This moment lasted forever, and yet it all went to fast. "I've loved you for so long, but hadn't the gut to tell you. I swore I would protect you, even though you don't need it, but I will. I need you to live for me."

"Miroku… I..." Sango stammered. "I love you… too…" She clutched at his robe and her knees buckled. Miroku swept her off her feet and held her in his arms.

"Now we won't have any of that. It's not that far back to Inuyasha, and he's bound to be angry with me when I left him alone in the middle of the night." He leaned in to her face and nuzzled her nose. Her cheeks tuned crimson, and she looked away. But then she wrapped her arms about his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you. For everything. I love you so much…" She said to herself. Miroku walked over to the Heraikotsu and knelt down to pick it up. "Isn't that a lot to carry?" she asked, worried. "I can probably walk-"

"No, I wouldn't allow it my dear." He said. And with that, he began to walk back to camp.

THE END