Sango's eyes opened slowly. She felt odd, and heavy. She heard hushed arguing voices.
"Look, I'm telling you, it was the chicken!" Said InuYasha.
"No, InuYasha, it was the egg."
"Chicken, chicken, chicken!" Sango made an odd squeaking noise in the back of her throat. Both men turned, but Kagome was there first.
"Hey, Sango, how are you?" She asked. Sango smiled at the face hovering above her.
"I think I'm okay." She said, though not entirely truthfully. She felt hollow. Kagome helped her sit up.
"I'll go get you something to eat." Said InuYasha, disappearing from view. Miroku mumbled something that sounded like 'your turn' to Kagome, who went over to a familiar looking board.
"Check mate." Said Kagome. Miroku inspected the board, as if in disbelief. InuYasha came back with a steaming bowl of white rice that made Sango realize how hungry she was. She was handed the bowl.
"Thank you. Itadakimasu." She said. When she reached for the chopsticks she felt… clumsy. She couldn't seem to hold them the way she usually did, and she couldn't remember what the usual way was. She fumbled with the chopsticks for a little while before Kagome took them from her and fed her. She could hear the distinct sound of Miroku retracing his moves to see where he went wrong in the game. Sango felt good knowing that none of her friends were trying to kill each other, or her. She was happy knowing everyone was happy, like her. She smiled as she ate. Life was good. Then she let herself think the words that were a curse. What could possibly go wrong?
…
That afternoon Sango was walking along with Miroku, talking about the reason he lost to everyone. Miroku was trying to justify it. Sango heard hoof beats. It wasn't uncommon for horse riders to come through here, so she didn't think much of it, till she could see them.
Speed, noise, power, danger, fear
Once the horses her past Sango realized she'd grappled the Monk, and she was sweating. Miroku looked down at her with a look of worry.
"I… I'm sorry, I don't know what happened…" She said, slowly and shakily letting go to stand on her own. Miroku put a hand on her back.
"I think we should go to see Lady Kaede." He said. Sango nodded unsteadily.
…
"You did what to her?" Barked InuYasha. Sango hadn't gotten there yet, but Kaede wanted to talk to InuYasha about it too, so he would be aware. "That's almost as bad as killing her!" Kaede sighed. She'd expected something about like this.
"InuYasha," She said, trying to say it again. "Sango was going to die, merits and flaws alike, I managed to save her life, but the only thing I could trade for it was her courage. Now Sango's…"
"…A coward?" InuYasha yelled.
"Well, I suppose the tactless could put it like that, yes."
"How the hell are we going to beat Naraku without Sango backing us?"
"You're the one who should have thought about th--"
"How the hell are we going to do it?" He said, ignoring her and walking out of the hut. Kaede sighed. At least there was one, very, very small consolation for her… Sango wouldn't be able to get all that angry at her, since anger and courage are closely entwined.
…
Sango saw InuYasha punching at the walls of Kaede's hut. He was doing it to release rage, normally, but he was careful not to do anything he'd have to pay for later. When he saw Miroku and Sango coming he stopped and dashed down to them. Sango kept walking, but Miroku stopped; He knew what would happen next. InuYasha grabbed Sango – Right out in public! – And ran his clawed hands – carefully – through her hair. Sango was a little, only a little confused. He returned the hug and borrowed her face into his shoulder. They didn't know it, but Miroku was smiling as he walked away. InuYasha and Sango ignored the odd looks they got from many of the villagers, and simply stood there for a little while.
"Kaede wants to talk to you." Said InuYasha without letting go. By this time Sango had her eyes closed.
"I need to talk to her, too." She said.
"You're not gonna like this…" He said. Sango nodded, and they went inside.
…
Naraku had found his last body.
How careless, and foolish. They should have destroyed it entirely. But that's their loss… He thought. In all honesty, the body was no longer usable. Oh well, he had this one, now he just had to grow it. He knew what he was looking for… The Hearts. Aha, there they were. He squeezed one gingerly.
Waiting.
After an hour there was a whistle of wind, and a giant feather fell out of the air, atop it a pale skinned, black haired woman sat. She waived her hand and the feather shrank. She landed easily, snatching the feather and putting it in her hair with another one. The two stared at each other.
"Naraku?" She asked.
"Yes, it's Wanna potty! Wanna potty! Me." He said. Kagura had to really work to keep from laughing. "Go Bikkit! Bikkit! Wanna bikkit! Fetch Kanna, and we can claim a new 'base'. I'll need time to Potty, potty, potty! Wanna potty! Recuperate." Kagura nodded, knowing that if she opened her mouth giggles would come out.
…
Sango stared at the floor just below Kaede's knees.
"Oh…" Was all she could manage. InuYasha was sitting next to her, looking solemn. "I see." She said eventually, cause no one else was speaking. Kaede nodded.
"I need to go to the neighboring village to exchange some herbs. You two can stay here tonight." Sango wasn't on top of her game, else she'd have caught the implications there. InuYasha blushed and leaned away from Sango.
"You don't expect us to--?"
"By no means!" Said Kaede. "But I'm sure you want to be away from the prying ears of the Monk so you two can talk, or something."
…
Now we must gather the last of the jewel… Thought Naraku.
End Chapter Fifteen
Just to tell you, SanMirLover, this was ALWAYS a Inu/San!