Sango felt lighter somehow as she left the hut where Miroku was resting. She didn't particularly appreciate his methods, but she could not seem to sink so deeply into her grief now that she was also annoyed with him… and glad that he seemed to be on the mend. He had been in such bad shape when they got here that she hadn't been sure he would survive at all, but if he felt well enough to get into mischief, that was a good sign. Even if it was a bit irritating.
Having dealt with the monk, she went in search of Inuyasha and Kagome now. They hadn't gone far, just down the path a little ways to sit beside the creek that wound its way past this place.
Shippou came bounding out of the hut to join her. She let him hop up on her shoulder; not for the first time she was grateful for his loyalty and his youthful exuberance. His presence was a reminder that there was still good in the world, even when it seemed like everything around her was going wrong.
She owed him and the others so much for helping her get through all of this. She wasn't even sure how to start, but she knew she had to try.
To her surprise, Inuyasha and Kagome were embracing when she found them. They looked so happy and peaceful that she abruptly changed her mind about interrupting them. She hesitated, intending to turn back, but with Inuyasha's sensitive hearing, being overheard was inevitable.
He and Kagome all but leaped apart when they realized they were being watched.
"Sorry," Sango said, feeling perhaps more contrite than necessary, "I just wanted to thank you both for everything."
"Thanks for what?" Kagome asked, and Sango couldn't help but want to smile in spite of everything that had happened.
They had all come together as if it were the most natural thing in the world. They'd risked so much and tried so hard, and in the end that meant her brother was still alive. She would have other chances, later, to try to free him again, and it was all thanks to them.
"Thank you."