Sango was led dazedly offstage to change into her new costume as the ballet dancers rushed on, all frantically trying to get into position as the music started up.
She was almost to the changing room she was given when there was a terrible scream from onstage...
Suddenly, Sango found herself racing back to the arena. The ballet girls clung to each other in a mass of fright. Kagome mouthed quickly to Sango, 'look up'. Sango shook her head, unable to read Kagome's lips, for they were moving at a rapid pace.
Finally, Kagome pointed a shaking forefinger upwards towards the ceiling. She bit hard on her lip as a way to keep from crying out in horror.
Sango slowly lifted her head and stumbled backwards in a mixture of both panic and fright. She held her hand out in back of her in order to break her fall. Sango opened her mouth to scream, but found that only silence came out.
There, hanging down from the catwalk, was Naraku. His neck was sufficiently dislocated. His head drooped in a sickening position that hung past his shoulder. Naraku was dangling in midair, held by a noose that was secured tightly around his neck. Then Naraku dropped to the stage in a loud 'thud' and lay motionless, as he would forever.
Sango recoiled from the body and glanced back to Kagome. If it was possible, Kagome got even paler. The audience that had been enjoying themselves just moments before was leaping over one another and making for the exit. Their yelps of terror echoed throughout the opera.
Then, Sango felt a hand grab her arm.
She stiffened. Sango held her breath and sat there, having no desire to turn around.
"Sango, it's me, Kurnonosuke." said the voice from behind her. Sango faced him and cried out for joy as she swung her arms around his neck. She was so relieved!
"Oh, Kuronosuke! I'm so happy it's you! I thought it might be…" but she quickly caught herself. Kuronosuke buried his face in her hair and gladly accepted her embrace. Then, he got up on one knee and offered a hand to Sango for assistance.
She accepted it without delay. "I'm frightened, Kuronosuke. Never in my wildest dreams had I expected this…" And suddenly, a cruel realization hit her, and it hit her hard. Sango looked up to Kuronosuke with worry showing clearly in her wide, hazel eyes. She twined her fingers with his and dragged him away from the stage and up the stairwell to the roof of the opera house.
"Sango, what are you doing?" Kuronosuke stopped her, taking hold of her arms.
"We can't go back there!" Sango pleaded, trying to break free of his grasp. "He'll kill you!" Sango trembled underneath Kurnonosuke.
He slowly took his hand off of her and cupped her cheek. "Who will kill me—?
Sango's eyes widened at his affection, quickly reaching for his free hand and pushing open the door to the roof. "No one will find us here…" But Sango severely doubted it as she looked around frantically in all directions. She circled most of the statues of angels and peeked behind herself every few seconds. Kuronosuke walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Sango, what's going on?" He whispered softly in her ear. "You have been worrying me a lot these past few days. Please," he stressed, "tell me what's going on."
Sango slumped further into him, but some part of her mind felt it was wrong. "Kuronosuke," she murmured, "my Angel—"
"Sango! Do you think this is really the time to talk about that?" His voice was flavored with jealously and annoyance.
Sango shook her head at him. "No, Kuronosuke, you don't understand. The Angel I was telling you about," Sango felt her eyes and nose start to burn, as a single tear dripped down the side of her left cheek, "he's not an Angel at all!"
Kuronosuke blinked and went to stand in front of her. "Sango?"
Sango obscured her face in her hands, unable to look at him, "He's not an Angel! He's the Phantom of the Opera. I've been seeing Miroku!" And she fell to her knees.
Kuronosuke bent down beside her. "You've been seeing him?" he asked is hurt disbelief.
Sango sobbed and looked down at the snow-covered ground, "He's only my tutor, Kuro-chan. Don't take it the wrong way…" Sango, for the first time, wasn't aware of what she had just said.
Kuronosuke drew her to him and sat her in his lap. "Sango, don't be afraid."
Sango broke down in hysterics, "He hunts to kill!And his anger! Oh, his anger!" Suddenly, everything Miroku and her had worked for seemed to be unraveling with the realization that Miroku was a murderer, and a darn swift one at that.
"Sango, Sango…" Kuronosuke chanted helplessly. He couldn't bear to see Sango in such a state.
"Sango…"
Sango's head jerked up, "What was that?" she whispered. Kuronosuke watched the color drain from her pretty face.
He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Perhaps you and I can stay with each other tonight; would that give you a sense of comfort?"
Sango went silent. She was so confused. How come being with Kuronosuke felt so…sinful?
"I…I can't…" Sango finally said, squeezing his hand.
"Sango! Your so called 'teacher' is not safe to be around!"
Sango sighed deeply, "I can't explain why but his voice makes me feel things…things I've never thought I could feel. And for those moments, when he sings…I almost forget about his darkness…about his face…"
Kuronosuke was gradually becoming irritated with Sango. One moment, she was deathly afraid of this man, the next— she seemed longing to return to him. This was not emotion that a student gives to her teacher…this was love of the most powerful kind.
"No more talk of darkness, forget these wide eyed fears…" Kuronosuke started singing to her. Sango seemed to calm down by the romantic vows in his song, letting her thoughts of Miroku slip away with Kuronosuke's words.
After all, Miroku and her just weren't meant to be… tonight clearly proved that.
A light snow began to fall, gently landing in the couple's hair. Sango shivered with tiny bumps of gooseflesh. Kuronosuke gave her a small smile and pulled her to his chest protectively. Sango inhaled the masculine scent of his body and blushed into his warmth.
"Say you want me with you, now and always…" Sango said softly, grabbing onto his shirt. "Say you love me…"
"You know I do…" He smiled, taking a strand of her hair and letting it gently slip through his fingers.
Sango felt awfully flushed.
"Love me, that's all I ask of you…" Kuronosuke took Sango's chin between his thumb and forefinger and boldly went down to kiss her. Sango was only shocked for a second, but then found herself responding. She draped her arms lovingly around his neck and drew Kuronosuke into her. It was an innocent yet memorable kiss.
After awhile, their lips parted and Sango brightened. "So that's what I've been missing!" She laughed, watching Kuronosuke smirk.
"Yes well, I have kissed a lot of woman…"
"Oh, shut up!"She giggled, playfully slapping him on the shoulder. "Let's get away from all this commotion, Kuronosuke. Order your fine horses, be with them at the door—"
"And soon, you'll be beside me…" He gleefully took her hands and led her towards the stairwell.
"You'll guard me and you'll guide me…"
The door clicked shut and they were gone
Kirara pranced out from under the statue of Apollo and scratched herself behind her ear. Then she gazed up curiously and purred, "Mew?"
Miroku stepped out of the place of which had had been lingering and returned Kirara's gaze. Seeing that his eyes held great sadness, Kirara got up onto all fours, and rubbed her back against Miroku's legs. She then proceeded to hop up onto his shoulder, where Kirara remained there until Miroku absent-mindedly stroked the feline's head.
Miroku walked over to the edge of the roof and stared out onto the Parisian streets. There he watched a happy pair go walking in the night. They had a sort of glow around them. It almost looked like heaven's light…
(A/N: I couldn't resist! Quasimodo…)
But Miroku—with such a hideous face as the one he possessed—was not meant for heaven's light. He was a demon, and Hell was where he belonged.
But then, an Angel smiled at him. Sure, Sango had thought the opposite, but that wasn't the case. He had showed her what love could feel like, and then, at the worst possible moment, she ripped it away!
How cruel was she?
"I gave you my music, made your song take wing…and now, how you repay me, deny me and betray me?" Miroku whispered under his breath. He continued to look at the couple, wretchedly, as they shared a lover's kiss.
"He was bound to love you…when he heard you sing…" Miroku decided to let the tears fall freely, "Sango…! Sango…!" He cried. Kirara whined in pity, brushing her face against his mask.
However, Miroku soon found his tears turning cold, not because of the temperature, but because of his rising hate. He clutched his fist to his sides in a wash of fury, and screamed out, so that all of Paris could hear, "You will curse the day you did not do…all that the Phantom asked of…you!"
Then, with a final swish of his cape, Miroku withdrew into the darkness.
A/N: I hated writing this chapter, just so you all know. And for all of you who wanted me to type out 'All I Ask of You,' I'm sorry; I just picked out some parts. I would have loved that song…if it was shared between the right couple! I'm sorry this chapter wasn't as long as some of the others…but please— review!