"What will you do if Kagome doesn't come back?"
Miroku didn't answer right away. It wasn't as if the question had never entered his mind before. Inuyasha and Kagome frequently squabbled, after all. Inuyasha had once even attempted to trap Kagome in her own world by jamming a tree into the well to block the passage.
Still, Kagome had always come back before. He had no reason to think this time would be different. But he could see why the question worried Sango.
It worried him too, just a little.
He unclenched his right hand and told Sango, "Time is against me. I suppose eventually I would have no choice but to carry on in my quest, with or without Kagome."
Sango didn't respond right away.
It was quiet here, outside Kaede's hut at the end of the day. With Inuyasha off sulking somewhere and Shippou and Kaede preparing for bed, or perhaps already asleep, and only the sounds of the forest and the village in the distance. Insects sang their nightly song, and Kirara purred as she rubbed against Sango's ankles.
The descending darkness brought with it a calm that Miroku had seldom felt. Were it not for his curse and the time limit it imposed on his life, he would've liked to spend more nights this way.
While there was still enough light to see, he glanced toward Sango. She seemed too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice. What, he wondered, had her looking so pensive? She was obviously concerned about the delay Kagome's departure had caused. He couldn't really blame her. She had never been through one of Kagome and Inuyasha's fights before, and this must seem to her to be an enormous waste of time. Her brother was still out there, after all, and still under Naraku's sway.
Was she thinking of setting out on her own? He could probably persuade her to wait another day or two. More than that, he wasn't so sure.
If Sango was right, and Kagome didn't return…
Eventually he would have to leave, with or without his hard-won companions. The curse of the kazaana made staying here impossible. That thought was more than enough to sour his mood in spite of the peaceful night.
It occurred to him to wonder: had Sango asked what he would do because she really wanted to know, or as an oblique invitation to join her if it should come to leaving without their friends? She knew as well as he did what was at stake here.
"Be patient with them, Sango," he said at last. "Inuyasha and Kagome aren't very good at trusting each other as lovers yet, but they have always patched things up before. I don't think this time will be any different." It didn't show in his voice, but Sango's fears had raised some unpleasant thoughts in his mind.
"I'll give them a few more days," she decided aloud. "But my brother…" For a moment he was afraid she might cry—which was only a problem because any attempt at comfort on his part was likely to be misinterpreted and violently rebuffed—but she managed to pull herself together. "I can't wait forever."
"Neither can I," he murmured, and wondered if he had just committed himself to leaving with Sango. It might not be that bad, traveling with just the two of them. Sure, it wouldn't be as easy to track down pieces of the jewel without Kagome's ability to sense them from a distance, but he had been moderately successful at collecting jewel shards back before he teamed up with Kagome and Inuyasha. He could do it again, if he had to. And if he had Sango to help with the fighting and to keep him company, so much the better.
Beside him, oblivious to his daydreaming, Sango roused herself. "I'm going inside," she told him. She paused at the threshold to add, "You should get some rest, too, you know."
Miroku nodded noncommittally, but remained where he was, pondering possibilities, even when Sango went inside to bed.
When Inuyasha returned the next morning with Kagome at his side, it took everything Miroku had to keep from prying. He very much wanted to know how—or if—the two had reconciled after what happened, especially if there were any particularly sordid (or erotic) details. But in the interest of not getting a pounding from Inuyasha, he kept his mouth shut and feigned utter serenity.
Sango and Shippou were much more enthusiastic in their welcome, greeting Kagome with cheerful exclamations. Even Miroku couldn't help smiling a bit at the sight of her. When she was in good spirits, Kagome was effervescent and her good cheer and determination were all but contagious. Even Miroku's quest seemed a little less hopeless with Kagome on his side.
"What are we waiting for?" she asked sweetly. "We've got jewel shards to find!"
Whatever the truth of her homeland, it seemed her visit had rejuvenated her and restored her sense of purpose. Even Inuyasha seemed just a bit less surly as they gathered their things, said their farewells to Kaede, and prepared to hit the road once again.
Inuyasha led the way out of town, with Kagome at his side. Sango trailed behind, carrying Kirara in her arms, and Miroku and Shippou brought up the rear.
Balance was restored, at least for now.