"Inu…yasha…"

"Ahh…it's just a dream." Inuyasha said to himself. He had been dreaming of Kikyo since the day Kagura appeared. "Kikyo, where are you?" He stared at the sky blindly.

Kagome strolled towards him. She thought, "He must be thinking of Kikyo…what about me?"

"Kagomechan!"

"Sangochan!"

"Do you want to have breakfast with us?"

"With your family?"

"Un. Don't be shy, come on!"

Sango brought Kagome to a house. Inside there were many low tables and the Taijiya were already sitted in their mats. Kagome sat beside Sango who was laughing away. Kagome had never seen her so happy before. Neither would Miroku nor Inuyasha.

"Kagome – Kagomechan." Sango whispered. The happiness of the speaker could be heard clearly through the voice.

"Yes, Sangochan?"

"Enjoy your meal."

"You too."

Kagome looked at Sango. She was laughing away with her father and brother. It seemed too cruel to ask her to leave them and continued the journey. She looked at the family again. They were so happy. She thought of herself. What would be the happiest thing to ever happen to her? It is not hunting for Naraku with the fellow comrades. It was the result of the hunt. What was it? Love with Inuyasha? No. Inuyasha only loved Kikyo. Now and forever. They had been separated but their love still remained. That would be the happiest thing to happen to them. What about her? Clearly in her mind was one thing: It was Kikyo to disappear!

"Why, Kagomechan? You are so quiet today." Sango said plainly.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about something."

"Ohh."

"Sango." Her father spoke seriously.

"Yes, father?"

"Tomorrow I am going to another village to exterminate a toad demon. Are you coming along?"

"Is Kohaku going?"

"I suppose so. He has to grow up one day, right –"

There was a silence before he continued, "Maybe he might not need to."

Sango knew what he was driving at. She whispered as she looked into his eyes, "Father, I will go."

"You don't need –"

"My friends can come along, right? Then you will see how powerful they are, especially Inuyasha. His sword, Tetsusaiga, is superb and the Wind Scar, Backlash wave…"

There was another silence before Sango's father said, "I will like to see it for myself."

Sango smiled and quickly turned her attention to Kagome who was looking down.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha continued his hunt for Kikyo. "Kikyo! Where are you? Kikyo!"

"Inuyasha."

There was a familiarity in the voice. Inuyasha turned around and saw her. It was Kikyo. "Kikyo, finally I found you."

"Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha brought Kikyo closer to his chest. He hugged her tightly. "Kikyo, don't leave me anymore."

"I won't."

The next day, Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Shippo, Kohaku and the Taijiya chief waited by the lake.

"Are you sure you saw him here last night?" Sango questioned.

"Yes. That dog-face, right?" Kohaku replied.

"Maybe we can just go off without him. Anyway, those small demons don't need him." Shippo exclaimed.

Sango turned and looked at Kagome. "Kagomechan, shall we –"

"No need, Sangochan, you all go off. I will wait for him."

"But –"

"Sango, the villagers need us now. We can't spare time waiting for him, right?" the Taijiya chief interrupted.

"I will stay here with Kagome." Miroku said.

"Ok, let's go! Kirara!"

So they set off for the village. The toad demon was devouring some villagers. Sango immediately threw Hiraikotsu towards the mouth of the toad. It hit the toad hard. The toad started towards Sango.

"Kohaku!" The Taijiya chief shouted.

Kohaku nodded and threw the knife towards the toad. The toad dodged and continued towards Sango. Sango took out her sword and swung it at the toad. The toad dodged and grabbed her arm. Sango attempted a struggle away from its grip but she couldn't. Kirara attacked the toad and the toad let off her mistress.

"Thank you, Kirara." Sango said.

Sango attempted again by throwing the boomerang but the toad was too fast.

"It's my turn now." The Taijiya chief said.

He went forward with such speed that the toad couldn't move in time. Then he drew his sword and threw it at the toad. Without any doubt, it hit the toad and killed it in a single shot. He then went to retrieve the sword and placed it back in the sheath. He grinned and looked across at where Sango was but she wasn't there.

Sango ran away with Kirara into a remote forest after watching her father displaying such a great performance. Her hands covered her face. She felt that she was useless. She wanted to prove to her father that she was an ace exterminator but she had failed it. She cried. Kirara stood beside her mistress without a sound.

Meanwhile, Kagome and Miroku were still waiting for Inuyasha. "Kagome, I think we should go back. A storm is approaching."

"Ok."

When they walked into the house, the Taijiya chief asked, "Have you seen Sango?"

"She isn't with you?" Miroku questioned.

"After I exterminate the demon, I didn't see her anymore."

"Let's search for her."

"Okay."

They went all over the place in search of her. The Taijiya chief entered the remote forest and caught sight of Sango. She was kneeling on the forest floor, her hands over her eyes. He shook his head and started towards her.

"Sango, why are you crying?"

Sango continued to cry.

"Didn't I tell you to be strong?"

Sango stopped crying.

"This is an evil world. I know you are a kind girl. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Father, am I useless?" Sango asked.

"No. You are as strong as your mother."

"But I can't even kill a small toad demon."

"You can kill it. You can. But I cannot bear watching you getting hurt without doing anything."

"Father!"

They hugged. For the first time in many years, she felt a very strange warm. This kind of warm had enchanted her. The only wish she had now was to remain in this state forever.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was with Kikyo in a small hut. "I will protect you forever, Kikyo. I promise." Inuyasha said.

"Who needs your protection?"

"You."

"I won't need you. Anyway, who will harm me?"

"Onigumo."

"Again?"

"Onigumo. The bandit who you saved before."

"Ohh, then you don't have to worry. He will not harm me."

"Believe me, Kikyo. He will kill you one day."

"Why? Inuyasha. Why are we talking about him when we should be enjoying ourselves?"

"Okay. Let's knock off this topic. I go and find some wood to burn."

"Ok."

Inuyasha went into the woods and chopped off a tree by his Soul Stealer, Iron Reaver. Just when he was about to return back to the hut, he heard a voice calling him, "Inuyasha. You are here?"

"Miroku?"

"Have you seen Sango?"

"What happened to her?"

"She disappeared after exterminating the demon."

"Really? Let's go and find her."

"This woods…"

"Ohh, we need them to keep warm, right?"

"Un."

"Let's go."

After searching for about 30 minutes, they rested by a tree.

"Maybe she went back on her own." Inuyasha said.

"Perhaps. Let's go – why are you still sitting here?"

"I tell you something. I had found Kikyo."

"Kikyo?"

"Yes. She is still waiting for me in the hut."

Suddenly Miroku grabbed Inuyasha. "Why are you loving a dead woman, Inuyasha?"

"Show her some respect!"

"Kagome had waited for you the whole morning, you know that?"

"What?"

"She thought you will be back but you just disappeared with Kikyo!"

"But I didn't know that!"

"Now that you know it, go back and apologise to her."

"But Kikyo –"

"She is dead already, face up to reality, ok? She had already died 50 years ago."

There was a silence before Inuyasha yelled, "Sango lived in her past as well, right? That's why we are back here. Why can't I live in my own past as well?"

"If that's your argument, I have nothing more to say. But remember this: You and Sango will need to face up to reality one day. You can't escape from it."

Miroku walked off while Inuyasha just sat there thinking about what Miroku had just said. The rain trickled down his cheeks as if it was his tears that had dried up 50 years ago.