Disclaimer: I own nothing except for this small, if original, idea.

I apologize for lack of information on the Shikon jewel… I have not seen episode 25 for a very long time, so I cannot remember the story detail by detail. But I'm pretty sure most (if not all) of you have seen the episode, so you should know the background of the jewel anyway. I also had trouble deciding where to cut this chapter off; there were many points I could have left it at, but the problem was that I needed to cut it off at the most appropriate time to be able to connect to the next chapter.

Enjoy!

Morning came quickly for the villagers. The sun peeked over the horizon, casting its rays over the village and the people who were just starting to wake up.

Sango was not awake yet. All the fighting from the day before had worn her out, and the wound, although not infected, had tired her out even more.

Then again, thought Kohaku with a faint smile as he sat up, reflecting on the previous day's events, Ane-ue's always been like this. Always determined, always willing to try and help others no matter what the cost was.

A slightly worried yet anxious expression on his face, he went out to the main room where their father was making breakfast. "Father?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, Kohaku? Keep your voice down," he told his son. "Your sister is still sleeping."

The boy briefly nodded and sat down. "I need to talk to you about something," he said.

His father placed the morning meal in front of him and set down a bowl for himself, sitting down to eat. "Is it about last night?"

"No." Kohaku fidgeted in his seat, stirring the contents of the bowl around. "I… I wanted to talk to you about training to become a taijiya. A true taijiya," he added, feeling that if he was going to put up an argument with his persistent father, then he should choose his words carefully.

"We've already talked about this, Kohaku," his father said sternly, looking disapprovingly at the boy. "Your sudden fear of becoming a fighter is only because of what you saw last night. You'll be stronger in time, Kohaku, so you will never have to worry about feeling defenceless like that again."

"No, Father," Kohaku protested. His attempt at trying to sound firm about his end of the argument was not working. "I don't like fighting… at least, not as much as Ane-ue does. I don't mind it… it's just that the life of a taijiya isn't very appealing to me. I…" He looked down at the table, suddenly finding his breakfast very interesting as an embarrassed flush rose on his neck and face. "I don't want to disappoint you, but I think you already have the best taijiya in the province." He paused, and the feeling of pride he had for Sango increased. "Ane-ue. I don't want to become a fighter exactly like her… I train because you want me to, but I don't think that the life of a taijiya suits me. The techniques you taught me are good for both attack and defence, but I think that Ane-ue has the true spirit of fighting. I just don't like it much, that's all."

His father was silent for a moment, and Kohaku wondered if he was in for a lecture. Surprisingly, though, Kohaku looked up at him and his father's face resembled that he was actually in deep thought about Kohaku's words. Finally, after a long moment of tense silence, he spoke.

"I'll think about it. But Kohaku, listen: you would make a good fighter. Don't let what you've seen alter your decision of who you want to be when you grow up," he said grudgingly.

A faint smile crossed the boy's face, and he started to eat his breakfast with a bit more enthusiasm. Although his father had not openly said his final decision regarding Kohaku's future, what he thought might be best for the boy, Kohaku knew that his father was taking his words into reluctant consideration.

Later that afternoon, the older taijiya went out, saying that she felt like fighting a few demons. The action would release some of the tension in her body and allow her to vent some of her frustrations.

It was a clear sunny day, and Sango almost smiled as she walked through the forest. Memories of her and her brother when they were younger and much more innocent flashed through her mind. She almost found it impossible to believe that she was not simply dreaming. The fear that she would fall asleep, only to wake up in her own grave, suffocating under a mound of dirt while clawing to get to the surface and take a breath of fresh air was still persistent in her dreams. The smile faded off her face. That memory would haunt her, perhaps until the day she would die. It wasn't something to forget so easily.

Kohaku is not dead anymore, she told herself. He's alive. He is a real, flesh and blood person who can walk and smile, just like me.

She would not lie to herself. The night before she had had a nightmare in which her brother stepped inside her room. She sat up, only to meet the blade of the scythe that had been hurled in her direction. Only by quickly stumbling off of her bed had she been able to avoid being cut across the throat, but it was a close miss.

The boy's blank eyes met hers, and he attacked her again. Not having a weapon to defend herself with, she had been forced to back away, crashing into some shelves. The blade struck her clothing, ripping through the material with ease and cutting her skin, sending blood everywhere.

"Kohaku!" she had cried out, running to her father's room. She had to tell him. But as she entered, the sight of his mangled body caught her attention, the blood streaming from his throat and staining the tatami mat. Horror and fear froze her completely.

Thankfully, at that moment, Sango woke up, sweat covering her forehead, her eyes darting across the room to make sure that the image from her dream had not come true; that Kohaku was not standing in her room, his hand gripping the scythe, preparing to target her. His eyes were not blank, vacant from any emotion, and there was no intent in his gaze to murder his own sister. But as Sango relieved the nightmare, she found that her entire body was shaking.

It had seemed too real.

And Naraku was still out there, somewhere. Most likely in a rage due to the unsuccessful attack on the village, but he was still out there, planning some other horrible trap.

Some other malicious event to kill her family and destroy her village in another way. Just for the shards. Another way to make her suffer - and to take pleasure in her pain and agony of it all, of being helpless to do anything about it.

She stopped, taking a breath to calm herself.

You saved the village.

Kohaku and Father are not dead. You gave them another chance at life.

Naraku did not succeed in destroying everything this time.

"Ane-ue!" a younger voice shouted, and she turned around to see Kohaku running in her direction.

"Kohaku," she said, her voice sounding shaky.

He came to a stop, his breaths coming a bit faster from running, but he looked up at her, concern in his eyes. "Ane-ue," he said softly. "Ane-ue, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I - I -" she stammered, unable to think up a response. She raised her hand to her face, only to feel moisture on her cheeks. "I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"What's going on?" he asked her. "Father said you went to take a walk, and I thought you'd want some company, even if you are going to slay some demons. Plus," he added, a more serious look in his eyes, "I want to talk to you about something."

She went over and sat down on a nearby log, Kohaku joining her. For a moment, she was quiet, wiping the tearstains off her face, then she turned to him. "What did you want to talk to me about, Kohaku?"

He was staring at the ground in front of him, but the way his eyes were slightly unfocused showed her that he was deep in thought. "Ane-ue, do you really think I have potential to become one of the best demon slayers?"

She hesitated before answering. "Kohaku… you are already a very good demon exterminator… but what I've been trying to tell you is that if you don't enjoy what you do, if you don't have the heart to continue doing it, then your potential skills will never be enough. You should enjoy what you do, not force yourself to do something just because it pleases the rest of us. And by the way," she added, catching his attention. He looked back up at her, as if he were afraid she was about to reprimand him for not telling her about his dislike of fighting sooner. "Whatever you choose to be when you grow up doesn't matter to me, Kohaku. Because…" Tears stung her eyes and her throat became slightly constricted. "… because you'll always be my little brother."

His eyes widened slightly. "Ane-ue…"

What's wrong? Why won't you tell me?

She shook her head. "I mean it, Kohaku. Don't force yourself to become something you're not. If you don't want to fight, then don't. I'll speak to Father about it when we get back, I -"

"Ane-ue," he said softly. "I already spoke to Father. He said it was okay if I didn't want to continue training."

"I'm proud of you."

He flushed slightly and looked down. "I don't hate fighting, I just don't enjoy it the way you do. I want to make Father proud."

Silence stretched between them. Sango kept glancing at her brother, then reflecting back on all that had happened before she had been sent back in time. He was alive, sitting right beside her. Unharmed.

With all of his memories.

But even though she knew she should be grateful to have been offered such a chance, to do something that was normally impossible such as this, doubt flickered at the back of her mind.

What if Naraku attempts to destroy the village again? What if he sends another horde of demons? If he did, we wouldn't stand much of a chance against him. Some of our comrades are still wounded from yesterday, and we haven't had much time to rebuild the huts that were damaged. We don't have a good defence.

She shook her head, reprimanding herself for dwelling on such dangerous thoughts.

Damn it, Sango! Why can't you be happy with what you have now? It will take a while for Naraku to form another plan, and in the meantime, at least your comrades aren't dead! You do have defences in the villages!

But I can't help thinking that something else is going to happen, that another tragedy will strike without warning, and it will be the same as last time. Even though I know Kohaku and Father aren't dead and that Kohaku hasn't been brought back to use against me as a pawn, I can't forget what happened the first time. I can't forget how I failed the first time.

That still happened, even if it didn't exist in this time. I can still remember it. The pain still exists in my heart and soul. Having to witness their deaths, and the one person actually murdering them was under control… he couldn't have done it by his own will… he was forced…

I remember watching him come back to life… his lifeless eyes and emotionless voice haunting my dreams… I felt so helpless whenever I confronted him. The pain is still strong inside of me…

And… I find myself unable to let go of it, even though I prevented it from happening this time. I don't know if I can ever truly move on.

I keep thinking that somehow, Naraku will find a way to ensure he gets the jewel shards.

I still feel helpless.

"Ane-ue?" Her brother's voice brought her out of her self-condemning thoughts. She looked back at him, sadness in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Kohaku."

He frowned, not willing to let the topic slide so easily. "Ane-ue, you've been so emotional these past few days. What is making you seem so unhappy lately?"

For a moment, she contemplated on whether or not to tell him the truth. But even if he did believe her, he would never know such pain again. He would never understand what she had already gone through.

Like their father, he would have no memories, no trace of that horrifying recollection at all. It just wasn't the same.

"Kohaku," she began, then paused, deciding on how best to tell him. "I'm sorry. It's not… it's not something you can help me with. I'm just - I'm just reflecting on some things." She hated having to shut him out like this, especially when she knew how close they used to be as siblings, but she knew he wouldn't understand.

"Oh," he said, looking a bit crestfallen at her reply. "I'm sorry I can't help."

"It's okay." She gave him a tentative smile and stood up. "I think I'm going to head back."

He stood up. "Are you sure?" She nodded, and he finally returned the smile. "I'll come with you. Maybe I should try and catch some fish for dinner."

"That sounds good."

"I've gotten pretty good at catching the smaller fish. I'll see what Father thinks about it, he may have something else planned out," he said as they walked back.

All she did was smile at him.

As soon as they got back, their father mentioned something about a group of travelers, one wearing a rather odd outfit. This caught Sango's attention as Kohaku ran off. "A group of travelers?" she asked, unable to hide the slightl desperation and curiosity in her voice. "Where - where did they head off to?"

"To Midoriko's cave," her father said,

"I'm going to - " Here she paused, unable to think up a reasonable excuse, while knowing that, at any time, they would continue on their journey to defeat Naraku. She wanted a chance to talk to them, even if they wouldn't know who she was. After all, during their travels, Inuyasha, Kagome-chan, Shippou and Miroku had become like family to her. As much as she was happy to have the chance to be with Kohaku and Father again, she wanted to see her friends. " - I'm going to head out for a bit… I'm heading - I'm heading to the cave."

She went off.

Her father stood there, staring at her back as she left.

Why has she been acting so strange all of a sudden?

It didn't take her long. She didn't waste any time, knowing that the group, if they were still there, would leave soon. They hadn't stayed very long in her village the first time, only coming to hear about the jewel and…

Putting the dead at rest.

Sango nearly faltered during her brief walk, but she didn't. She would not allow the events of the previous time to control her emotions any longer. It was now that counted, not a year ago when Kohaku had been possessed and her village destroyed. In this time, Kohaku was safe and alive, and her family was back at the village, busying doing another day's work.

After a few minutes, she reached the entrance of the cave. Briefly she recalled the words she had spoken to the group, giving them the explanation as how to enter.

"Feeling sympathetic emotion for all those who have died is what will allow you through. She will understand and let you through."

She took a deep breath, trying very hard to ignore the memories seeping into her mind. The tragic circumstances of her family and village had happened over a year ago, but it was something that she doubted she would ever be able to forget. It was just… too close. The memories were too familiar.

Her footsteps echoed lightly off of the cave walls as she passed through Midoriko's barrier. She could faintly hear the combined voices of the others as they admired the statue of the miko. Then Kiyomi's voice spoke, soft and slightly high in pitch, but still somewhat pleasant.

"Once a long time ago, there was a powerful warrior and miko, known as Midoriko. She became engaged in a battle with several demons. For several years she battled on, never resting. Finally, the day came when a particular demon was strong enough to overcome her, and she sealed it along with her spirit to continue the war." Kiyomi was explaining just as Sango stepped around the corner. They didn't notice her right away, and she had a few seconds to observe all of them once more.

Inuyasha, gruff and extremely insensitive at times, caught her attention first. He stood there, arms crossed over his chest, an unusually patient expression on his face, his ears rapt for any specific details regarding the jewel's purity. Sango switched her gaze to the ground for the briefest of moments, spotting the young, energetic kitsune kneeling on the ground and eagerly following the story of the Shikon jewel, before glancing over at her friend.

Kagome was watching, paying attention to the story of the jewel like the others, her fingers reaching for the jewel that hung from her neck. The pink, innocent-looking object sparkled in the dim light of the cave, and Sango was a bit startled, but not at all surprised when Kagome asked the question, "So there's a miko and a demon battling inside of this jewel?"

Kiyomi nodded. Her dark blue eyes and dark hair were shadowed by the dim light of the cave. "Even to this day, her soul continues to fight, never tiring, never giving up."

Finally the taijiya's gaze observed the houshi. He stood beside Kagome, starting to give a speech about the four elements that were a part of the jewel. "This jewel is called the 'jewel of four souls' because of the elements that were combined to make it." His violet-grey eyes were observing the statue of Midoriko, a silent curiosity in their depths.

"The four elements are sakimitama -" he started to explain, but his sentence was cut off as the hanyou turned and looked in her direction, his eyes narrowing.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha demanded. "You've been hiding behind us for the past few minutes."

She stared at him for a minute, too startled to think of a reply. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.

Kami-sama… what do I say? They're my friends… and yet, I'm… I'm a stranger to them.

Kiyomi spoke up, saving the other taijiya the effort of thinking up a response. "Her name is Sango. She's one of my neighbours from the village," she answered, trying not to notice Sango's reaction to the group.

"I… I heard of some travellers passing - passing by… and…" She hesitated, her gaze withdrawing from Inuyasha's to meet the violet eyes of the houshi, who was staring intently at her. There was something in his gaze that was starting to unnerve her, making her feel like she was being examined in some sort of way. She fought to remember what she had been about to say. "… and I - I wanted to… I wanted to see who they were. I mean… to explain the story of Midoriko-sama… but obviously you're here, so… there's - there's no need for me to be here, r - right?"

She was aware that she was babbling like a fool, and that the rest of them probably thought she was an annoying idiot. Somewhere in the back in her mind, a tiny part of her was hoping that they would recognize her, would smile at her and say something, but at the same time, she knew that would never happen.

This was a different time, and she hadn't met the group.

She was a stranger to them all.

Kiyomi stared at her, frowning slightly. "Sango-chan, are you alright?" she asked softly.

Sango looked back at her, aware that her entire body was trembling, but whether it was from the shock of seeing her friends again so soon or if it was from the fact that they didn't know her, she couldn't tell. Maybe it was both.

"I - I'm fine," she said, trying to regain her casual demeanour. "I just… wanted to stop by… and…"

Kiyomi stood up. "Do you want to finish the story?"

Before Sango had a chance to respond, Kagome spoke up. "So, you're Sango-san?" she questioned.

Inwardly Sango winced at the choice of suffix, but she tried not to let it show. "Yes, I am. I live in the village that's not far off," she explained, her voice shaking slightly.

Finally Inuyasha spoke up, his usual gruff tone colouring his words. "We were told that there are jewel shards in your village. We need to collect them and keep them safe in case a demon called Naraku shows up and takes them all. I'm sure you know how much disaster would occur if the shards were to end up in the hands of the wrong person, so you should hand them over to us."

True to her reprimanding nature, Kagome spoke up in a scolding tone. "Inuyasha! We may need the shards, but you don't need to demand them from Kiyomi-san and Sango-san!" She offered both taijiyas a polite smile, but it quickly faded away at Inuyasha's ignorance.

"Oh yeah? And how do you suggest we do that? Break into the village and steal them!" he shot back.

Kagome looked as though she were trying to keep control of her temper. Shippou sat down on the ground shaking his head, and the houshi just watched the oncoming argument, evidently bored by the argument.

"No. We go to the village and ask nicely. I really should teach you some manners, Inuyasha," she sighed, tucking the partially completed jewel back into her outfit.

"Feh! Manners!" he said, shrugging off the word.

"Actually, to answer your question, we do know the possibility of danger is increasing now that the jewel has been broken. So we are keeping them safe in the main building," Kiyomi told him patiently.

"The jewel was created in our village, so I don't think Father would appreciate you guys taking the remaining shards," Sango said to the others, surprised that her voice was so firm, when on the inside, she had never felt less confident about what she was saying.

Inuyasha growled, and Kagome touched his shoulder. "Inuyasha…"

"Look, they'll be safer with us. We've already got half of the jewel anyway, so we should collect the remaining shards you have." His voice had a hint of understanding. "Kagome is trustworthy. We can't promise you that a demon won't get it, but I can promise you that we'll try our hardest to piece it back together as one solid gem. Then… I'll return it," he added, although the reluctance about that last statement was all too clear in his gaze.

Kiyomi nodded. "I'll go talk to the Chief about it," she said, heading out of the cave and leaving Sango with the group.

Sango had never felt so strangely alone in her life.

She was with people she knew, friends that she had travelled with for about a year, but they didn't know her. The name Sango-san was enough to communicate that to her shocked mind, even though deep down she knew they would never recognize her in this time.

Of course, when Kohaku had previously been possessed, it was extremely difficult for her to face him. Even though Kohaku refused to remember her because of the pain he knew it would cause, she knew that somewhere, in the back of his mind and the depth of his soul, was that little boy who would laugh and smile and greet her saying, Ane-ue.

At least she had known that he still had his memories, and that there was a chance she would get him back. Even if that chance was the closest thing to impossible without being so, at least it was a chance. That had been enough to keep her going at most times when things seemed to be on the edge of despair.

This was different. Simply stated, she was not a friend to them.

And that hurt. Because even if she had her flesh-and-blood family back, she wanted them as well.

They had become family to her through friendship and forgiveness.

She didn't attempt awkward conversation. She simply stood there, staring at all of them, then when she could bear the odd silence no longer, she turned to leave. But a voice stopped her. It was Miroku.

"Sango-sama…" He came over to her, standing in front of her and taking her hands in his. His violet eyes stared into hers, as if he knew her, as if he understood who she was, even though that couldn't be possible. "Could you possibly find it in your heart to bear my child?"

Naturally, Sango wouldn't have thought twice about giving the monk a well-deserved slap across the face. Previously when she had met him, he hadn't asked her to bear his child due to the fact that she was still recuperating, and the other fact that he had more respect for her as an injured woman than anyone else.

But this time she hesitated. Tears stung her eyes and she found herself unable to look away. She opened her mouth to respond, wanting to give him some sort of insulting comeback for asking her such a thing, but she couldn't. She just couldn't. "H - Houshi-sama…" she managed to say, her voice nearly a whisper and trembling with emotion.

She wanted him to say her name. Not the Sango-sama he had used during their travels when he was being overly polite to her to make her calm down from his efforts of trying to touch her rear, but the way he used to say it, his tone low and understanding whenever he was trying to comfort her or sympathize with her with her emotions bordered on tearful frustration.

He frowned, and she saw something like remorse flash in his eyes. He dropped her hands and stood back up. There was something in his gaze… something that she couldn't quite interpret. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Forgive me for asking… such a thing."

She could only nod, her gaze not once breaking off with his. The silence stretched between them. Her mouth had turned dry, and she found it difficult to swallow. How could she tell him - and them - what she'd been through?

They didn't even know her anymore. Inuyasha was looking bored, and impatiently tapping his foot against the ground, a scowl on his face. Kagome looked curious, but something in her eyes told Sango that she understood the older girl was enduring something that none of them could understand.

Miroku gave Sango a faint smile, which she struggled to return despite the well of emotion building up in her stomach, and before either of them could say anything, Kiyomi returned.

"I'm sorry to say that the Chief does not agree with your wish of taking the jewel." All five of them turned to face her. "He says it would be too dangerous, especially with the fact that you already have other shards that demons will be wanting as you continue your travels, and we do have very strong warriors here who are more than willing to guard the shards that we have found."

Inuyasha started to growl, and a few well-chosen swear words started to stream from his mouth as a result of his anger and the last of his patience, but Kagome silenced him, her eyes pleading.

"It's okay, Inuyasha. We can come back later once we've finished the jewel. It'll be safer that way," she said, trying to calm him.

Sango took one last glance at the group, and turned and ran out of the cave, tears blinding her vision.

It just wasn't the same anymore. She didn't belong.

Later that night, after she had calmed down a bit, she went to her room. It was getting dark; the sun had sunk beyond the horizon, making the sky a mixture of dark purple and blue. A few candles had been placed in their holders along the walls of the room, creating dull shadows.

She stopped and knelt down beside her bed, crossing her arms above the covers and burying her head in them. She was so confused about earlier events; having her father and Kohaku constantly ask her if she was alright when it looked like she was spacing out but just in deep thought only irritated her.

I should be happy. I have my original life back. I saved almost everyone. Kohaku and the others are safe.

But I'm not happy.

Why? Why do I keep feeling that something is off, that something is not the way it should be? I was given this chance for a reason, but even though I fixed things… I have this feeling that there is something missing. I don't understand.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she had the distinct feeling that someone was watching her. Slowly she turned around, automatically tensing her body in defence and preparing for a fight. Just in case.

But the figure in the room was a safe distance from her, across the room, standing in a darkened corner. It wore a pale teal cloak with a hood, and was almost the same height, except that the figure was just a few inches taller. The room was dark enough to conceal the majority of the person's face, encasing whatever expression they were wearing in shadow. The only thing that was obvious were the pale blue eyes watching her reaction.

Sango quickly stood up, narrowing her eyes at this apparent stranger. She didn't have any weapons on her, but she instinctively knew that this person, whoever they were, had no intent to hurt her. The silence in the room deepened, and just as Sango opened her mouth to ask a question of significant importance, the figure beat her to it.

"What is your decision?"

The question was asked in a quiet tone, but was still audible over the heavy silence. It was asked in a rather pleasant, smooth tone, yet gave Sango the impression that this person was not here for a long discussion. Such a simple thing, but such a confusing question, considering the fact that the taijiya had no idea what the figure was talking about.

She also had no idea who - or what, for that matter - this person was.

To be continued…

This chapter took me a long time; I did have writer's block at certain points.

Finished - October. 14th, 2005

Posted - October. 18th, 2005