Disclaimer: I own nothing… except for this idea.

Yes, I know. Short chapter. Get used to it - I'm not doing long chapters for this story.

Ninalee-chan: Wow. Have you actually been -reading- my bio? And yes, I do lack inspiration. TMTR's sequel may be giving me a hard time (make that a "difficult" time), but normally I would still want to work through the challenge. However, I find myself -not- wanting to write it so I can get to the emotional parts… which is just pathetic. I'm not even halfway through Chapter 6. I'm so lazy. Actually, the opening really doesn't have much to do with the plot. By the time you finish reading this chapter, you'll understand the prologue.

Hotpink89: I will update… when I update:sweat drops: Don't worry, I try not to take months because I know how annoying that can be.

YoukaiTajiyaSango: You're not supposed to understand it until the end of Chapter 1. I tried to make it an attention-getter.

TeamRocket Sapphire: I don't think this idea has been attempted before. If it has… well, I haven't found it.

Blusorami: I like to confuse my readers. XD

Sango woke up, breathing heavily. Sweat plastered to her brow and she sat up, shaking her mind to clear it of the vivid images.

The nightmare she had just had was one of many she dreamt over and over again. And it never failed to remind her of what had happened with her family. Kirara was cuddled up just inches from her side, Shippou nestled in her warm fur.

Inuyasha slept above the tree branch. It was more like a light doze since the hanyou rarely managed to get sleep anyway. His hearing was sensitive enough that he could sense the movement of a demon within range of the campsite in all directions. Kagome was on the other side of the deadened fire, her dreams peaceful and without the imaginable horrors that one came to perceive as everyday life in the feudal era. Miroku was sitting at the edge of the campsite, his staff resting against a nearby tree as he kept constant watch on the surrounding area. His robes looked almost pitch black in the dim light of the area.

The taijiya approached him. Normally she would not come within a few feet because of his lecherous tactics that he so often liked to irritate her with, but she decided that, for once, she would let her guard down. She sat down beside him, her shoulder barely brushing his, but before she so much as glanced at him to see his reaction to this unexpected action of vulnerability, he spoke.

"You should be getting some rest."

"So should you," she countered back, looking at the ground. They both knew why the other was avoiding a topic that would sooner or later be discussed, yet they were not persistent about discussing it.

"This is my duty," he replied. After a tense moment of silence, he looked over at her. "You couldn't sleep, could you?" he asked softly, understanding her silence. Instead of saying anything, she just shook her head. He nodded. "I don't usually sleep that well either…" He let the words hang in the air and when Sango glanced down, she noticed how his right hand unconsciously clenched itself.

It was a few moments before Sango spoke again. "I had a nightmare." He looked at her but did not ask her what it was about; he already knew. It troubled her frequently during the day, always reminding her why she had joined the group on the journey to defeat Naraku. "It was about Kohaku, but not… not when he -" She looked away to compose herself, swallowing, and as he placed his hand on her own, she continued, but in a much quieter tone of voice. " - not when Naraku forced him to do those things. It - it was different."

I was running through a forest. I don't know how I knew, but there was something ahead I had to reach. Something I needed to claim. But there was also something behind me, something dark and cruel. I don't know what it was, but I could feel it, and I didn't want to turn around to face it because I knew it would kill me."

"It was like I was consumed by hatred," she said aloud, now sounding more apprehensive than saddened. "In the dream, I was allowing my anger to take control, to keep me going, and although I realized I was being consumed by my own need for vengeance, although I knew the hatred would win, I wanted it to."

By this point Miroku had shifted over so that he was almost behind her, one hand on her shoulder as a means of comfort and the other holding her hand as she talked. Sango was being open and trusting about her pain, and the monk didn't want to waste this opportunity to ease her suffering.

"I kept running. I knew I was coming closer to my goal. Finally I reached it, in a clearing. Naraku was there and… he was holding Kohaku up by the neck, his hand positioned where the shard was. I knew he was using Kohaku as a threat if I tried to do anything, and I hated him for it."

Finally Miroku spoke, his voice low. "Sango, it is understandable that you feel such anger towards Naraku. He destroyed your family and your entire village."

She shook her head slightly. "No, not this type of anger. It… I've never felt this way, so consumed, so blinded by rage. Even when I found out that Naraku had plotted the whole thing, it didn't fill my heart completely. I wanted revenge, but that was because I felt like I had done nothing to prevent any of it from happening. In the dream, I could only feel anger and hatred, and although it should have scared me that I was becoming something that I never wanted to be, it didn't.

"Naraku asked me something, although it sounded more like an accusatory statement than a question."

Miroku looked at her, gently squeezing her hand. "Sango, if it bothers you to -"

She turned around to glance at him, her gaze a mixture of sadness and confusion. "No. I don't want to avoid this, Houshi-sama." After a moment of silence in which he simply stared back at her, she turned so that he could only see the side of her expression. "He asked me if I wanted Kohaku to die." She closed her eyes. "I knew he was taunting me with Kohaku's life, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't watch him do this anymore to my brother, so I attacked him. He took - he took the shard out of - out of my brother, then retreated." Her voice cracked on the last sentence, and he saw a tear run down her cheek. Although it hadn't really happened yet, she still dreaded the inevitable and didn't like to think about what she would do when it did happen. Every time she dreamt about it, it felt like her heart was being ripped apart, even if it wasn't real.

"What did you do after?" he asked her as she wiped the tear away.

If he hadn't practically been leaning against her, he doubted he would have heard her reply.

"I… I committed suicide."

He flinched. Visibly flinched. "You what?" he asked, almost in disbelief.

"I guess I didn't want to face the possibility of moving on," she explained, her tone still very quiet. Her gaze focused on the ground in front of her. "I've always hoped that there would be another way to do this, without having to end Kohaku's life."

He was still too stunned after hearing her say something so unbelievable that he was having trouble focusing on what she was saying now. "Sango -"

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

His reply was more automatic than of actual compassion in regards to what she felt, or what he had just heard. "It's okay."

"No, it's not." She stood up with her back to him. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you that."

"No, it's alright." He corrected himself and stood up just as she turned around, her gaze still on the ground. "Although suicide remains an option, nonetheless a last resort, are you still so desperate to go through with it?"

For a moment, she didn't speak. "I don't know." When he didn't question her reply, she continued, doubt clearly heard in her soft voice. "But perhaps, if we keep going, things will turn out okay."

"Sango."

She looked up at him.

"If there is any way to ease the pain… I will always help you in any way that I can," he told her.

She didn't say anything, but the corners of her mouth curved upwards in the slightest indication of a faint smile. She walked around him, intending to head back, but stopped for a moment and spoke, her voice quiet.

"If there was one thing I wish I could do… it would be to go back in time so I could fix everything." She sighed. "I wish I had the chance to go back and prevent all of it from happening, but I know that's not possible."

There was a moment of silence after she spoke those words. Miroku looked at her, his expression compassionate, almost wistful, then he followed her back to camp. It took them a considerable amount of time to fall asleep, their dreams frequently plagued by the fears they so often thought about during the day.

Not too far away, out of sight and hearing range, among the higher branches of the trees, stood a tall shadowy figure. It watched the taijiya and monk settle down, its voice smooth and mysterious.

"Ah, but it is."

And with that said, the figure disappeared in a glow of yellow light.

Well, by now you might know the basic idea for the plot. It's really not that complicated, and it's not meant to be! The main reason for doing this was to see if it would work out, and the other reason was because I don't believe this idea has ever been attempted before. So… reviews would be appreciated, especially for this! I'm in need of criticism for this particular idea, or warnings, especially if the characters seem to be OOC.

Finished typing - June 24th, 2005

Posted - June 30th, 2005