Title: Only Two II
Category: Drabble
Author: Winter Ashby (rosweldrmr)
Disclaimer: InuYasha © Rumiko Takahashi-sama & Challenge © MonkandMiko at LiveJournal
Rating: T
Challenge: Worldly
Word Count: 500 - exactly!
Author's Note: Ummm... I'm a little late for this challenge, but I'm slowly getting around to all of the ones I missed. And I FORGOT about Shippou, so just over look that, m'kay? This is the second part of this challenge, I'm thinking about extending it more... but I'm not sure if I want to.

Miroku held her battered body as she lay flaccid in his arms. He'd seen the look on her face as her knees hit the dirt and she practically crawled to his Kazaana. But he could also see just over her crumpled form, Naraku stumble back as he screamed in pain and clutched his chest.

Somehow, Kagome managed to burn through his skin, past his layers of demon defenses he stole, and cinder his heart to ash. So as the last vestige of Onigumo burned, just like his body had done over 50 years before. Naraku was vanquished by the untrained miko who didn't understand the power she possessed.

His hand sealed and he fell to the ground at her feet. She saved them all, and yet, she didn't know. Because she asked for death, and greeted the partition between this world and the next with utter longing for death.

So he lifted her in his whole arms and carried her on his sore feet through the blood-stained forest. Buy only after he'd retrieved the jewel from Naraku's body. It was only missing one shard now, and Miroku knew it wouldn't be long before he found Kohaku and Kagome could complete it.

Sango's body lay in a clearing, bloodied, and accompanied by her faithful Kirara. Miroku wept again, and prepared a fire to keep his last remaining companion warm. As she slept, the mysterious blue aura that surrounded her body shown through the dark night in an eerie, otherworldly way.

InuYasha's human hair and nails were a stark contrast to the powerful hanyou Miroku fondly recalled. But Naraku discovered his weakness and prayed on them when they were defenseless. After losing Kikyou, InuYasha was hell-bent on revenge, and not even his blunt, rusted Tetsusaiga could protect him from Naraku's pilfered diamond spears.

Miroku buried the bodies of his companions that day, and carried Kagome far from their graves and the battle that took them from this world. He'd pull her close at night, in the cold of coming autumn and prayed that she would wake soon. Her aura permeated the chill and warmed his soul. He cried into her hair.

He carefully dressed her wounds, and spread an herbal remedy on her back. He carried her farther each day, from the place where their loved-ones rested eternally. But Kirara remained, to grieve, and to find Kohaku. He was sure, they'd meet again.

Two weeks after she defeated Naraku, her eyes flutter just outside a small village, and his heart caught in his throat. He held her close, and wept into her stained blouse and thanked Buddha for bringing her back to him.

She cried in his arms, because she felt life in her limbs, and death in her memory. She let the silent, strong tears mar her face, because she lost what she held dear, and clung to his robes because he was all she had left.

And so began the lonely journey of two companions, searching for death and life.