Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.
Chapter Fifteen: Sango vs. Inuyasha
Female Villager in Green: I hear there is a village of demon slayers to the east.
Miko Kagome: Where? Can you tell me where?
Female Villager in Green: I hear there is a village of demon slayers to the east.
Miko Kagome: Yeah, great. Thanks.
The villagers paid no attention to her sarcasm. It was, however, the first time anyone had mentioned the demon slayers. Exterminators, like Sango. It took a little restraining to keep Kagome from heading out of the village right then and there. Much as she wanted to hurry and find her remaining friend and teammate, Kagome was finally convinced to go to the shops to stock up on supplies. They even found a new shop where their weapons could be combined and upgraded.
Once the group had food in their bellies, potions in the pack, and stronger weapons in the hands, they left the village and headed to the east.
"Do you think that this much time has really gone by?"
"What do you mean, Kagome?" asked Miroku as they passed the gate leading out of the village.
"I mean, has it really been so many weeks? Or does the game make you THINK it has been so many weeks? Just how exactly does time flow in the game anyhow?"
Inuyasha snorted, "You think too much."
"You don't think enough!" snapped Shippo, who began discussing his theory on how time may flow different for each person and how the brain processes information based on input and the 'feel' of time can differ. His explanations left the other three with blank looks however, and eventually he closed his mouth.
"Smart kid," Inuyasha murmured quietly as he walked past. "No way a LITTLE kid could think up such COMPLEX things."
Shippo's eyes widened at the comment. He glanced over at Kagome who was giving him an odd appraising look and winced.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, looking very embarrassed. "I keep forgetting you aren't really a baby. I guess the game is getting to me. Sorry Shippo. I promise I won't treat you like a little kid anymore." She blushed and set him down on the ground.
Inuyasha hummed happily with a bounce in his step as Shippo cursed at him. He clenched his tiny fists and glared at the dog demon's back. He took a deep breath, relaxed his stance, and turned big green eyes back on Kagome. Miroku chuckled at the sudden change in attitude. Inuyasha wasn't nearly as amused. Kagome was too busy being embarrassed to notice.
"I know I'm not a kid," he began, making sure to sound shy. "But my legs are really short in this body, and it is really difficult to keep up with you guys sometimes. If it wouldn't be too big of an imposition… I mean… if you wouldn't mind…" He looked down and away and kicked a pebble with his foot. "I hate asking…"
Kagome smiled in understanding. "You still want me to carry you?"
His smile was near blinding. "Oh please! I hate being such a bother. But that way I wouldn't slow us down any. And we do want to hurry and find Sango don't we?"
"Of course! It's no bother." She opened her arms and he jumped into them.
Miroku smothered a laugh at the murderous look Inuyasha was giving the fox kit, who was turned around sticking his tongue out at them. He wondered briefly if he should give Kagome a head's up on the kit's tricks. Nah. It was much too much fun to watch to risk having it spoiled.
During the next battle they fought, Miroku also noticed a difference in Shippo's fighting style. Up until this point the fox kit had been content to let Kagome protect him and do a little fighting on a weakened enemy. Now he was actually the one to jump in front of Kagome and tackled a strong boar demon on his own. Unfortunately, because he had not fought in many battles offensively, he did not have high enough stats to beat the demon and was horribly outmatched. In the end he had been reluctantly saved by Inuyasha.
Then next battle was remarkably similar. They even fought another boar demon. This time, however, Shippo had to be saved by Kagome. Miroku was beginning to feel bad for the youngest member of their group.
After the battle, as Kagome and Shippo were scouring the clearing for dropped items and money, Miroku decided he should really probably say something to him about it. If it were up to Inuyasha, the kit could be humiliated from dawn to dusk and it would still prove to be every bit as entertaining. But he had to tread carefully to make sure not to bruise the poor kid's ego more than it already was.
"You're defensive skills are impressive, Kagome." Miroku smiled at her, ignoring the sudden glare from their silver haired companion, though mentally he rolled his eyes. Still so jealous… and I haven't flirted with Kagome in weeks… ok, days… well… hours anyhow. But that's not the point.
The girl blushed, stopping her search through the grass to look up at him. "Thank you."
"I think sometimes it is easy to forget that defensive skills are just as vital to a team as offensive skills. If we all ran into the thick of a fight like Inuyasha, then we would not last very long at all. Without your barriers and healing skills we would never have lasted as long as we have."
"HEY!" Inuyasha sputtered in rage.
Kagome smiled and stood, wiping her hands on her skirt. "That is very kind of you, Miroku. But we'd never win a fight on defensive skills alone. Without Inuyasha's fighting skills, and yours too of course, we'd never win a battle."
"You illustrate my point perfectly. Our combined skills of offensive and defensive make us an unbeatable team." He stepped towards her and grabbed her hands, only to be ripped away from her by and angry dog demon who growled at him to remind him about the 'no touching Kagome' rule they had discussed earlier. Unfazed, Miroku smiled at her again. "Though it concerns me that you are bearing the burden of supporting the defense by yourself."
She laughed. "I don't do it alone, Miroku. Shippo helps with barriers too and the illusion spells that distract enemies."
"Ah, but Kagome my dear. Have you not noticed that our young companion has decided to join in on the offensive?"
Kagome frowned at Miroku, understanding that the conversation was actually about Shippo. "Well… it IS good to have both offensive and defensive skills, Miroku. Don't try to make him feel bad about trying to strengthen himself in a new way. If you rely on just one, then you won't make a very good warrior." When Inuyasha snickered at Miroku's scolding she gave him a 'be silent or be dead' look.
"Very true, but it is also wise to have one area where you concentrate on the most. It is better to be the best at one thing, than merely average in several."
Eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth to deliver a scathing reply when she felt Shippo's hand on hers. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath. The fighting was beginning to embarrass the fox kit. He was no fool. He was a genius after all. He knew that they were fighting about him.
When she opened her eyes she forced a smile on her lips. "Thank you for the enlightening discussion," she said as she scooped up her bag.
As she passed Inuyasha she muttered a phrase about opinions and… other things… and how everyone has one. Her mood was lightened when she heard Inuyasha and Shippo snicker. Luckily Miroku was only human and his non-demon ears didn't pick up her surly and completely un-ladylike comment.
The group was silent as they walked on. Kagome was still mad at Miroku, and the death glares Miroku kept getting from everyone kept his mouth shut. The two hour long silence was shattered by a woman's war cry, and a toppling tree.
"MURDERER!" a woman's voice shouted, followed quickly by a large object whizzing over their heads.
Curious, the group took the almost invisible side path to follow the angry voice and ended up in a decimated village. The group took up battle stances as the large object flew at the group once again, Inuyasha and Miroku moving towards the front. Kagome dropped her bag and quickly put up a barrier.
A woman appeared before them through a haze of smoke. She was wearing a black form fitting outfit with pink tortoiseshell armor. Her hair was pulled up high and her eyes were ablaze. Blood covered her from almost head to toe.
"Sango?" Kagome dropped the barrier. When the other woman charged at them with a sword, she was too startled to put the barrier back up.
The demon exterminator swung her sword at Inuyasha. He was the only one the young woman could seem to see. "MURDERING DEMON!" Her swings were wild, but they were strong and vicious. If she had not been so wounded, then she might have been impossible to stop.
"Sango! It's us! What are you doing?" Kagome ran towards her.
"STOP!" Inuyasha yelled as he darted in front of her, blocking her path with his body. "She's not herself! Don't go any closer."
"She's our friend!"
Inuyasha snarled, not for an instance taking his eyes off of Sango, "She is also dangerous and is trying to kill us."
"No," Miroku disagreed. "She isn't trying to kill us. She is only trying to kill you."
Kagome took a closer look at Sango's face, and realized what he said was true. Her eyes were only following Inuyasha. She acknowledged no one else. Before she could form a single word, she was swept away and deposited behind Miroku.
"Make a barrier," Inuyasha instructed sternly. "And THIS time KEEP it up."
Although Kagome absolutely hated it when someone told her what to do, in this instance she felt it would be wise to agree. As soon as Inuyasha stepped away from her she put up a barrier around Shippo, Miroku, and herself.
"We have to help!" cried Kagome.
"Help which one?"
Kagome spared a glance at Shippo for his innocent question. Which one were they supposed to be helping? They were both friends. "We have to help them both."
"How do you propose we do that?" asked Miroku as he watched the Inuyasha lead Sango away from them.
But Kagome had no answers. All she could do was watch her two friends fight. Well, to be more accurate, Sango was fighting, Inuyasha was dodging. Then she felt the familiar tingle. There was a jewel shard nearby. The fighting had distracted her from feeling it before. Closing her eyes she concentrated on the feeling, trying to locate the shard. But it was dancing all over the place.
"Oh no…" Kagome dropped the barrier and ran towards Inuyasha. "She has a jewel shard in her back! Inuyasha! She has a jewel shard!"
Before she could get far she was tackled to the ground.
"Get OFF me, Miroku! I have to tell him about the jewel shard. It must be what is making her act so funny."
"You will get killed if you get in the middle of the battle. Sango may not be at full strength, but she is still strong enough to seriously injure you, accidental or not. And I don't feel like having our demon friend there murdering me for letting you get hurt. So put the barrier back up."
Silence startled the miko and the monk. They looked up to see Sango kneeling on the ground, gripping her bone boomerang for support. Inuyasha was watching her warily from his crouched position.
"You killed my family." Sango stood up shakily. "You MONSTER! You killed my FAMILY!" Once more she attacked.
Kagome looked up at Miroku, who was still sitting on her. "Did she just say that Inuyasha killed her family?"
"She did."
"That's impossible."
"I know."
Inuyasha finally shook himself out of silence. "Are you insane, Sango? I haven't killed anyone!"
"You lie, demon," she growled as she threw the boomerang. "I know it was you who murdered them in cold blood! You can not trick me with your lies."
Easily the dog demon knocked the weapon away like a bothersome gnat. The girl had barely enough strength to stand, much less get too much power behind her throw. Frankly, Inuyasha didn't know how she managed to even lift the thing. From the look in her eyes, however, he knew that she was planning on fighting him to the death, either his or hers.
"Sango, it's me. It's Inuyasha. We're friends."
"I am friend to no demon. I am a slayer of demons. And I will be your death."
Sango drew her sword and advanced on her enemy. She held the same glazed look in her eyes that Koga had. The look that told them that they had been too totally absorbed in the game. That the game was now their reality.
"It's a game, Sango. Just remember that this is just a game."
She spat at him as she swung again, missing his head by only inches. "Vile creature. The deaths of my loved ones may have been a game to you, but now you must deal with me. And you will not win."
Inuyasha turned pleading eyes towards Kagome, hoping she would have a better suggestion on how to get Sango to listen. But what he saw made his blood boil. Why in the… he cursed viciously is Miroku on Kagome? Sango all but forgotten, he was in front of the two humans in one powerful leap. He towered over Miroku and folded his arms in front of his chest, looking more menacing than the group had ever seen him.
"What. Are. You. Doing?"
Suddenly Miroku's life began flashing before his eyes as he realized just what it looked like he was doing. "Uh… heh… um… the barrier… she was running… I tackled her…" The next words couldn't be understood since he was being dangled a foot off the ground by his throat.
Quickly Kagome jumped to her feet and started pulling on Inuyasha's arms to get him to drop their friend. His golden glare continued to burn into the monk as Kagome tried to explain the situation and began prying the claws away from his throat. She apologized for running, declared Miroku practically a hero for keeping her out of the middle of the fight, and she told him about the jewel shard in Sango's back.
"Speaking of Sango," pipes Shippo, "Shouldn't you be getting back to the fight?"
Inuyasha and Kagome looked back to see Sango gingerly retrieving her bone boomerang. Miroku was busy trying to get air back into his lungs.
Glowering, Inuyasha said, "I can't kill her. But I can't let her kill me either. She won't listen to anything I say."
"And we can't leave her," added Kagome.
"She looks like Koga did." Kagome, Miroku, and Shippo all turned confused eyes towards their silver haired friend. Inuyasha sighed. "In the eyes, you idiots. She has that same brainwashed look in her eyes."
"He had shards too," Kagome reminded them, keeping an eye on their friend's progress in their direction.
"She might turn back to normal if we take out the shard."
"That might work, Shippo." Miroku nodded in agreement. "It could certainly not hurt." He looked at Inuyasha. "Find a way to restrain her, and I will pull out the shard. GENTLY, if you please."
"Keh!"
Kagome scooped Shippo up in her arms and took off towards the sidelines to watch as Inuyasha and Miroku went to meet Sango. Predictably, she attacked Inuyasha. Instead of dodging her, this time he jumped over her. Before she had a chance to turn around he grabbed her and pinned her arms to her sides.
"Hurry!" he shouted to Miroku as Sango dropped her head forward, then slammed it back into Inuyasha's nose. He felt it break, and he felt the blood beginning to flow, but he did not let go of his friend.
Quickly Miroku reached towards her back, but the shard would not let him touch it. His fingers were burned when they came too close.
"I can't touch the shard. We need Kagome."
"Try again!"
Miroku glared at the dog demon. "I can't touch it. Get Kagome!"
Thanks to Shippo's keen hearing and the relay of information, Kagome was soon at Miroku's side. The monk held on to Sango's head so she would not bash in Inuyasha's nose again. He yelped when she bit him, drawing blood.
"Hurry!"
Kagome reached towards Sango's back, and the shard fell into her hand.
"I got it!"
Unfortunately, with the power of the shard gone, Sango began to suffer drastically from the loss of blood an immediately fainted. Her heartbeat slowed and her lungs wheezed as she struggled for breath. The sick, wet sound of her breathing made Inuyasha and Shippo look at each other sadly. The demon slayer would not live.
"Will the phoenix feather bring her back to life?" asked Shippo.
"I don't know. We've never tried it."
"What if it doesn't work outside of battle, Inuyasha?"
Miroku looked up at them sharply from his place at Sango's side. "I can hear you. And she is NOT going to die." He looked back at Kagome. "Heal her."
Kagome ran to fetch her bag and took out the strongest potion she had, tossing another to Inuyasha to fix his nose. Miroku lifted Sango into his lap and opened her mouth gently for Kagome to pour the liquid in. But nothing happened. So they tried another bottle. When that didn't work, she tried pouring the liquid directly onto the wounds.
"It's not working…" Tears were streaming down Kagome's face.
"Heal her."
Kagome began crying. "I can't, Miroku. The potions aren't working. I don't know what else to do."
"HEAL HER NOW!"
"DON'T YELL AT HER!" Inuyasha yelled at the monk. "She's trying her best!" He put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Look… Miroku… we…"
Miroku shrugged the clawed hand off of his shoulder. "Kagome, you can heal her. I know you can. In the game you always had powers to heal. You have to have them now. Do it now. Please."
"Miroku, that wasn't this game. She's never had healing powers in this game." Shippo spoke quietly.
"Please, Kagome… please…" Sango's breathing stopped and Miroku began to sob, rocking her back and forth in his arms. "Please… save her…"
Inuyasha hated the pressure that Miroku was putting on Kagome. Yes, it was painful losing Sango. She was their friend. But it wasn't fair of him to be doing this to Kagome. If he knew her, and he felt he did, she would be blaming herself for the rest of her life that she hadn't done enough to save Sango. It made him sad. And it made him angry. He wasn't sure which emotion was going to win out when he opened his mouth next (though it would be a safe bet to guess anger). Only the words didn't come.
Kagome was sitting next to Sango. Her eyes were closed. Slowly she put one hand on the other girl's side and one on her face. To everyone's surprise, she began to glow, her hair lifted and floated about her in an invisible breeze. True that the group had seen her glow before while shooting her arrows in battle, but never outside of battle, and never without a weapon. It was amazing.
The males were silent as the watched the cuts and bruises on Sango's skin slowly begin to heal as her skin began to take on the pink glow as well. Slowly the slayer's eyes fluttered open as she began to breathe again. She too watched in silence as Kagome continued to radiate a pink healing glow.
"Enough," Inuyasha said. "Kagome, that's enough!"
But she continued to keep her eyes closed with her hands on Sango. But the glow began to fade. It wasn't until Inuyasha physically pulled her hands off of their now awake and completely healed friend did her eyes open.
"Inuyasha?"
He smiled at her. "You did good."
"I'm glad." Then she slept.
"That girl just used a level fifteen healing spell on the demon slayer," Kagura exclaimed as she slammed her clipboard loudly on the desk. "That just isn't possible. She's only at level ten! She should not even be able learn that spell for ten more levels! I don't understand. And she used it out of battle? Is that even possible? That is not the way the game is programmed!"
Naraku smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Interesting."
