Sango took her time making her way back to Kaede's place. The village children were enthralled by Kirara, and their enthusiasm had brightened her day considerably. She had not expected to find such easy acceptance here, especially since she brought a youkai and a tale of sorrow with her, but she had been pleasantly surprised today.

The last few battles had left her feeling exhausted and drained, demoralized and grieving anew. Coming back here, seeing the smiling faces of the children and hearing their laughter as they played with Kirara… it was a balm on her aching heart. She had needed that reminder: that there were still places where people were happy, where Naraku's evil had not managed to penetrate. Places worth protecting.

Her father and her old friends from the village would have liked this place, she thought. They would have been happy that she had found her way here, if she could not find her way home.

"Oh, Kirara," she murmured, leaning her head to the side so she could nuzzle her face against Kirara, who was perched on her shoulder. "I miss them so much."

Kirara chirped and rubbed her face against Sango's cheek.

"I know, you miss them, too," Sango told her. "One day, we'll avenge them."

Kirara sat back and blinked her big red eyes. Sango reached over to rub her head, earning a hearty purr. Or at least as hearty a purr as Kirara could manage in her smaller form.

The sound, warm and rumbly, brought a rueful smile to Sango's face. She wondered, and allowed herself to wonder, what would happen if she somehow did avenge her father and the others. What would her life be like then, after Naraku's death?

There was no village of the slayers to return to, not really. That place was empty and haunted now. She could not live there alone.

But someplace like this…

She could find a way to be happy here, or in another village like it.

That thought left her feeling strangely uncomfortable. It seemed wrong, or maybe just premature, to think about a happy life in a far-off future that might not even happen.

With her friends at her side, she could try to avenge her family and her village, and put an end to the villain who had killed them. But they had no leads on their enemy's location and every time they encountered him, they found he had become more powerful. She did not see a way that they could possibly win. What was she doing, thinking of things that most likely would never be?

Feeling somewhat ruthless, she put those thoughts away. Later, there would be another time for those. Just like there would be another time for grief and sadness. For loneliness and despair.

Kirara's tails suddenly flicked into her face, distracting her.

"Kirara!" she chided, but the nekomata showed no remorse, as usual. Being a cat, Kirara always did precisely what she wanted, with no regret whatsoever. Unlike Sango, she didn't get caught up in what might be, much less in what she feared might come to pass.

Sango took this as a reminder that she ought to pay attention to Kirara a little more often. Her nekomata friend could provide a useful shift in perspective, when she wanted to.

"Let's go back to Kaede's," Sango said. "Kagome should be back by now."

With a happy chirp from Kirara, they set off. It wouldn't be long now before they were on their way again, and that much closer to avenging everyone.