Sango barely had time to enjoy the job-well-done feeling of having eliminated the last of the youkai in the air before Kirara was swooping down to keep pace with Kagome. Amidst her surprise at the sudden drop, she had to admit she was curious as to why Kagome would leave the relative safety of that bowl-like depression in the ground.
"I've got rid of the youkai up above," she announced in order to draw Kagome's attention. "But what's Inuyasha doing?" He was obviously not faring well against the corrupted monk, but he had shrugged off her attempts to help in the fight against the false water god and now she was unsure if she should step in. With any luck, Kagome would provide her with a cue.
"Sango-chan, he's, uh..." Kagome glanced to her shoulder, where Sango could just make out the shape of Myouga. "He can't kill that man. That's Mushin, the man who raised Miroku. Something's controlling him, and Myouga thinks he knows what it is. If we can find the tsubo pot user..."
Sango did not hear most of the rest of Kagome's explanation; memories of her sorrow and fear at the loss of her own family swept over her, overwhelming her into horrified silence until the flea youkai hopped from Kagome's shoulder onto hers. "Sango! I appreciate your coming," Myouga said cheerfully.
Kagome's pretty face twisted with a grimace. "You mean it's safer over there?" she asked.
"I'll stick with you," Sango promised. "We'll all be fine. Now, where do you think this tsubo pot user is?"
"He'll be somewhere hidden, but where he can still keep an eye on what's going on," Myouga said.
"Do you have any ideas, Sango-chan?"
After a moment's thought, she did. "The temple. It will be hiding somewhere in the temple building. It had to have gotten control of Mushin somehow..."
"Then let's go!" Kagome said, hurrying off up the hill to where the temple building loomed.
Sango followed quickly, dismounting so as to better keep pace with Kagome. She trusted Kirara to follow along and help if she could without being told to do so.
The temple was quiet and seemed at first glance to be empty. It was not as shabby inside as Sango had expected, and there were very few potential hiding places inside. It would have helped tremendously to have advice from someone like Miroku, who knew the temple layout well, but that could not be helped. As she and Kagome carefully began to explore, both keeping their eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary, Sango became aware of a strange rumbling, grunting noise that seemed to be coming from a nearby storeroom.
She slowed, indicating silently for Kagome to pause and wait while she investigated. When she was sure Kagome would not follow, she inched over to the door to the store room. There was definitely something inside, something that was making the unusual sound.
She was not sure what they would find within that room, so it was better to play it safe. From a compartment hidden in her armor she withdrew a few small pellets that would burst when thrown against a hard surface, creating a thick fog. Moving quickly now, so as not to lose the element of surprise, she hooked her fingers around the edge of the door and slid it open. At the same time, she threw the fog-beads with the other hand.
The beads worked like a charm. Perhaps it worked a little too well, because the entire temple began to fill up with smoke.
Before Sango could go into the store room, Kagome had fired an arrow inside. She missed her mark, but only just, and the tsubo pot user knew it. He had been hiding among a group of large pots but now he bolted out the door, slipping past Sango before Kagome could ready another arrow.
"After him!" Sango ordered, already moving in pursuit. "If he gets out of the temple building, it's going to be a lot harder to find him again."
"Right!" Kagome said from somewhere behind her, but with the fog everywhere Sango did not want to risk losing sight of her target long enough to check on Kagome. She heard Kagome's footsteps as the other girl followed her, and tried to trust in her new friends to do their part the way she would have trusted her Taijiya comrades to do the same. Outside, the battle between Inuyasha and the monk raged on, but Sango paid little attention to it until she heard Miroku's tanuki friend cry out, "More are coming!"
More... she knew before she risked a glance out a nearby door that the tanuki meant more youkai, and felt her fragile plan of action shatter into a hundred shards. She couldn't hunt down the tsubo pot user and fend off another batch of youkai for Inuyasha, but she was reluctant to send Kagome after the tsubo pot user alone. If she could have sent Kirara along to protect Kagome, the decision would have been easier, but to take down that many youkai at once she would need to be airborne.
"Damn it," she muttered. She did not want to give up on Miroku's father figure to save all their lives, but recognized that she might have to. And all the while her Taijiya's instinct told her that each moment she was distracted was another opportunity for her target to escape. But she couldn't seem to look away, especially when Miroku pulled the rosary from his arm.
He did it so casually, despite the terrifying potency of the weapon he was about to unleash, that Sango could only stare. She had only seen that weapon in use once before, but she knew to fear its power. And thanks to the tanuki, she knew to fear for Miroku each time he used it, too.
If he used it now, torn as it was, he risked cutting his lifespan short.
Kagome, get the tsubo pot back. Kirara, come with me! The words died unsaid as the kazaana opened and began to pull the youkai in.
"Don't!" Kagome screamed.
"He opened it," Sango murmured in disbelief. He had really done it. He was really attempting to sacrifice himself to save the rest of them, when they were the ones who had come to save him.
And there was nothing she could do to stop it. She was too far away, and could not risk flying when the kazaana was open like that. She and Kirara would simply be sucked in if they tried it.
Fortunately, Inuyasha was close enough to act. He bashed Mushin on the head hard enough to send the old monk sprawling unconscious to the ground, leaving Sango wondering why he hadn't simply done that to begin with, and raced toward Miroku just as the monk lost his balance and tumbled back into the depression in the ground. While Miroku was still stunned from the fall, Inuyasha managed to retrieve the binding beads and wrap then back around the monk's arm, sealing off the kazaana before any more damage could be done.
Watching them, hearing Inuyasha threaten to break Miroku's arm should he ever attempt something so stupid again, Sango could finally breathe again. She knew they were far from out of danger, but at least now she and Kirara could go help with the youkai problem. It wouldn't be easy, but at least they could try...
She realized quickly that there would be no need - or time - for that. Inuyasha positioned himself between Miroku and the approaching demons and called out a challenge: "Hey, bastards! You're not coming one step further!"
Sango knew it was a bad idea to bait youkai like that, but she was not surprised to see Inuyasha do it. She adjusted her grip on her Hiraikotsu and prepared to charge into battle to assist him, but she did not get far before he drew his sword and attacked. All it took was one swing of his sword, and then light flashed and the youkai were no more. There had been at least fifty of them, and they were all gone after that single swing of his sword.
Sango and the others could do little but stare in the aftermath as shattered bits of youkai rained down from the heavens. While Sango could take out several youkai at once by using Hiraikotsu, she could not create damage on a scale anything like this. She had seen it with her own eyes, but she could not believe it. "With one slash of the sword," she murmured.
"He used the true power of Tessaiga for the first time!" Kagome observed.
"It's amazing," Sango agreed, though Kagome did not seem to hear her. No one had told her that Inuyasha's sword was supposed to have any sort of special power, but it had certainly come in handy.
While Kagome headed back toward their friends, their objective forgotten now that the immediate threat to their lives had been taken care of, something else caught Sango's attention. Turning, she watch the tsubo pot user make a break for the tree line. In the moment that it abandoned its cover within the temple, Sango knew that the moment to strike was now or never.
Her Hiraikotsu made short work of the creature, slicing it in half while leaving the tsubo pot to fall to the ground unharmed.
"Great shot, Sango-chan!" Kagome cheered. "Let's go get that pot!"
Sango trailed behind while Kagome ran to retrieve the pot, and together they made their way to where Mushin was still lying unconscious in the grass.
"Is he still alive?" Kagome asked, trepidation in her voice as the two of them knelt beside the old man.
"He should just be unconscious from the blow to his head," Sango assured her, though she knew that head injuries could be tricky. She didn't think Inuyasha would have hit him hard enough to cause permanent damage, but it would be impossible to tell until the old man woke up. "Try the tsubo pot."
Kagome aimed the pot toward the old monk, and just as Myouga had said, strange hairlike filaments began to emerge from the old man's mouth. They twisted alarmingly through the air, but as soon as they found the pot they whooshed inside it. But even when the last of the kokochuu was gone, Mushin remained still and silent on the ground.
"He won't wake up?" Kagome asked in despair. "The kokochuu strands all came out..."
Inuyasha walked over to kick the monk's head. "Wake up, old man," he grumbled. Miraculously, his callous approach worked. The old man opened his eyes and began to absent-mindedly scratch his chest.
"Well, it seems like he's okay now," Kagome commented.
"Miroku needs your help," Inuyasha went on, ignoring Kagome's dismay. "The idiot went and opened the kazaana while you were sleeping. Can you fix it?"
Mushin stared up at him with eyes that only slowly focused. "I can try to repair the damage, but I can make no promises."
While Kagome and Inuyasha helped the old man to his feet, Sango asked, "Is there somewhere private where I can change out of my armor?"
"Just use one of the storage rooms," Mushin said. To Inuyasha, he added, "Go. Bring Miroku to the temple. And do it quickly. I'll have to sew up the tear in the kazaana, and I'm going to need to make some more medicine for that. As you can see, I'm in no condition to go hunting for herbs right now..." He turned to look at Kagome. "And see if you can find another jug of sake..."
Sango did not stick around to be assigned some duty or other. She loped up to the temple, Kirara on her heels, and sought out a storage room for a little privacy. She had plenty of time to change back into her regular clothes while Inuyasha and Kagome dealt with Mushin and Miroku, so she did not rush and instead gave herself a little time to breathe - and think. Thankfully, Mushin seemed fully restored to his usual self after everything, even if his usual self was a lazy drunk. At least he knew how to tend to Miroku's injuries.
By the time she returned to where Kagome and the others were waiting on the porch, Mushin had already taken Miroku inside to tend to the wounded kazaana and there was nothing left to do but wait and hope for the best. Sango seated herself to one side of where Kagome and Inuyasha were sitting, and smiled a little as Kirara and Shippou came over to sit with her.
Silence loomed over the group as they waited, and Sango was not about to be the first to speak. Instead, she listened to the sound of the wind rustling the grass, her ears straining for any sound from within the temple. She wondered about that strange, perfectly round depression in the ground with the marker at its center. The marker looked like a gravestone, but it was unlike any grave Sango had ever seen before.
It was fairly easy for Sango to stay still and quiet while they waited; she had a lot of experience waiting for companions to receive medical treatment after tough missions. It was less easy for Shippou. Sango remained calm and still, but the young kitsune began to fidget impatiently almost immediately. She could tell he was trying his best not to be annoying or ask questions, so she left him alone. He reminded her very much of her brother Kohaku, when he had been young...
Thinking of Kohaku made her think of Father and all the other lost Taijiya, and she was glad all over again that they had been able to save Miroku without sacrificing Mushin. Miroku had already lost his true father. She could not imagine the pain he would feel at losing a second father figure. No wonder Naraku had tried to separate Miroku from the group like this...
He had been trying to kill Miroku or, failing that, do to him what he had done to Sango. Doing her best to hide her dark and angry thoughts from her companions, she was glad to have been able to thwart Naraku this time. If only the coward had showed his face, and given them a chance to defeat him once and for all...
Finally, Shippou could take it no longer. "What's taking so long?" he asked.
"Well, Mushin said he would have to sew the wound shut," Kagome explained, gentle and infinitely patient with the kitsune, "so it's going to take some time."
Shippou pouted.
As if in response to his disappointment, the door to the temple opened a few minutes later to admit Mushin. "Sheesh, he's so reckless," the old man muttered.
Kagome was on her feet in an instant, Shippou leaping to cling to her shoulder as she did. "How is Miroku-sama?"
"He's sleeping," Mushin said. He turned to Inuyasha then. "You're Inuyasha, aren't you? Come with me. I need to talk with you."
As Sango watched them go, she couldn't help but frown. "What do you think is going on?"
"I don't know," Kagome answered. "It seemed like everything was going to be okay with Miroku-sama... Maybe we should go see how he's doing."
Sango hesitated. "But the old man said he was sleeping."
"Weren't you worried about Miroku-sama, Sango-chan?"
"Well, yes," she admitted. She was not entirely sure how she felt about Miroku. Until now she had mostly been thinking of how Naraku must not be allowed to destroy another family. It had just been a coincidence that the "family" in question had been Miroku's. And of course she had been worried when she found out the kazaana was tied to Miroku's very life...
But doubts lingered. His behavior was one contradiction after another. She was never sure if it was safe to trust him, because at any moment he might shift from trustworthy to lecherous again, and she did not wish to be taken advantage of.
"Come on," Kagome said, unable to stand the waiting any longer. "Mushin-sama left the door open. Let's just check in on Miroku-sama and see how he's doing."
Sango followed rather stiffly as Kagome seated herself beside the monk. He looked almost vulnerable, dressed in a white robe and sleeping off the last of whatever medicine Mushin had given him. But he was alive, and she supposed that was what counted.
"Miroku-sama," Kagome began quietly. "Sango-chan and I are here to see you."
Miroku did not stir, so Sango judged it safe enough to sit beside him with Kagome. She watched him quietly for a few moments, letting her thoughts wander. When he gave no sign of waking up any time soon, she murmured, "Houshi-sama... He's very strong, isn't he?"
Seeing Kagome's slightly confused glance, she went on, "He always seemed so carefree and cheerful, no matter what was happening." No matter that he must have known the curse in his hand might kill him. No matter that he knew an injury could be fatal. And he had kept it a secret from them, acting as if everything was normal... and she and Kagome had been cold to him, even when he might have been dying, and he'd simply shrugged it off. Or pretended to.
Silence fell over them as Kagome doubtlessly contemplated the same things that Sango was thinking of.
Sango was wondering if she ought to make a point of apologizing to the monk later - she had wronged him, yes, but he had also made a point of not letting her know anything was wrong - when suddenly Miroku opened his eyes.
"Ah," she said, to make sure Kagome and Shippou noticed. "He's awake."
"Miroku!" Shippou was quick to rush to the monk's side.
"Miroku-sama!" There were tears in Kagome's eyes as she spoke. Sango did not want to admit it, but there might have been a tear or two in her eyes, too.
"I'm still alive, huh," Miroku commented. He sounded quite groggy and out of sorts, not that Sango could blame him after what he had been through.
"You're going to be fine," Kagome assured him. "Mushin-sama treated your wounds while you were sleeping."
"I see." With some effort, Miroku raised his arm so he could inspect the hand in question. He examined it for a long moment, then gave a startled shout.
Unthinking, Sango followed Kagome's example and rose onto her knees and leaned forward to get a better look at what had upset him so much. It seemed like the closer she tried to get, the farther away Miroku moved his hand... until he finally let her get a look and and she found herself immediately rewarded by the feeling of a hand rubbing her bottom.
Her heart suddenly raced in alarm even though she knew, without even having to think about it, who the culprit was. She seized the nearest object, which happened to be a bucket, and brained the damned monk with it. Not hard enough to seriously harm him, but enough to effectively tell him "hands off."
He sighed almost happily, as if it had been worth the injury to grope her like that, but she couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed. It seemed like every time she let herself care about him or allowed herself to trust him, even just a little bit, he couldn't help but let her down.
At least, she thought sourly, this was a good sign that their monk was well on his way back to being his usual self.