Author's Notes: What? Two chapters in one year? CRAZY. Also, sorry for the hour late post… I got stuck at work. :( But to make up for it… LONG CHAPTER!
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to LadyCash, who was my 300th reviewer for YITM! Thank you so much, LadyCash, and I hope you enjoy this extra long chapter!
Disclaimer: I wrote my first Inuyasha fanfiction thirteen years ago. And still, I own none of the Inuyasha series or its characters. So sad.
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Chapter 23: The Price of Vengeance
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Sango
Sango watched from the edge of the field as Kagome made her way out through the overgrown patches of grass and wildflowers, Inuyasha's mirror tucked under her arm.
She was torn. In just hours, Sango's relationship in regards to her best friend had changed. No longer were they carefree and boy-obsessed. No longer did Sango feel like an equal. Now she felt worried for her friend. In a way one felt about losing a friendship to drugs, so Sango felt she was losing Kagome.
Inuyasha was her drug.
She didn't get it. She just didn't. The youkai was proven to be unstable and dangerous. He'd almost killed Kohaku. He'd almost killed Hojou. He'd almost killed her. So why was Kagome still fighting for him? Sango had tried desperately to keep her away from the mirror. She knew something like this would happen, dammit. She knew once Kagome communicated with Inuyasha she would break again.
She could be telling him their plan right now.
Sango lifted her hand to her neck; touched the bruise the youkai's clawed fingers left on her throat. It was still tender. Raw. She fought to suppress the anger that threatened to wash over her. It was as if Kagome didn't care about any of it. She didn't care about their friendship, and had she not agreed to the plan Hojou had laid out for her, she'd almost think Kagome didn't care about her family, either.
She watched Kagome stop and lay the mirror flat on the ground. What the hell was he making her do? Sango didn't want to say it out loud, but it was hard to trust Kagome at all now. She kept her eyes trained on her target. Just in case. ...Just in case.
"You think Kagome will hold it together?" Hojou asked, stepping up to her right.
Sango shrugged. "If you'd asked me three days ago, I would have said yes, no contest. Now though…." she trailed off, letting her words hang thick in the air.
"She's stubborn. I'll give her that."
When Sango looked up at him, he was smiling. "Hojou, how are you still so damn happy all the time?"
He thought about it for a moment. "I like to see the good in people. Kagome has been through a lot. Her mind isn't in the right place." He paused. His smile wavered a little. "That's why I hope I convinced her enough to keep quiet about what we're doing."
Sango frowned. "I don't like that we're lying to her."
"Me either. But it comes with being youkai hunters. We are what we are because we've been taught better. Youkai, even those with some human in them, are not good creatures. They ruin lives. They destroy people. The only reason they haven't taken control is due to people like you and me, Sango."
She listened. Nodded. Knew he was right.
"His sob story is good, though. He sure knows how to get Kagome to trust him." He added.
Sango agreed. "She's been falling for it since she first met him. I don't know what she sees in him."
"Magic."
She glanced up at him again. Magic. At this point, Kagome had completely changed. It made sense that the only way to explain her behavior was magic, and she hated the thought of her friend being controlled in such a way. She tried to concentrate on something, anything else. "The plan," she finally said, looking back to Kagome. She watched as she backed away from the mirror a few steps and sat down, looking up at the sky. "It's shaky."
"Can you think of anything else? Any other way to get Kagome to cooperate?"
Her stomach flipped. She felt treacherous. Kagome was never going to forgive her after today. Sango had to decide. Explain that she and Hojou were planning on actually turning him over to Kikyou and not taking him back, or keep her mouth shut and risk losing Kagome forever.
But Kagome's family…..
Sango was sure Kagome would forgive her over time. Being away from Inuyasha would clear her head, and having her family around, being surrounded by them… She would realize in time that it was right. That her family and friends are what matters. Not youkai.
Sango watched her friend as she gazed up at the sky. After a few minutes Kagome stood and dusted away the dried grass clinging to her clothes. She picked up the mirror and made her way back. Sango felt her herself stiffen as she approached. Inuyasha was still in the mirror, which was a good sign. She hopped Kagome had kept her mouth shut.
Kagome reached them, her eyes red and wet. She kept her gaze down.
"Alright?" Hojou asked, extending a hand for her to take.
She smiled politely. It was not the normal, happy smile Sango had come to know over the years. "Yes." She said. She didn't take his hand.
Hojou reached over and took her hand in his, his smile genuine, ignoring her lack of accepting his gesture. Sango caught the barest hint of a falter in Kagome's smile. Just barely.
"Let's go," he said. Sango shifted her hiraikotsu, trying to get used to the heaviness of the massive bone on her back, and allowed him to take the lead, Kagome a few feet behind him. She stood back for a few seconds as they made their way down the street.
This was it. Now or never. She'd be damned if she let Inuyasha come back with them. He was either staying trapped in that mirror, out of Kagome's life forever, or he was dying today.
There would be no other option for the youkai.
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The abandoned house rose above them, tall and sharp, the high noon sun beating down on the roof. Sango gripped on to her weapons, making sure they were ready to go at a moment's notice. She felt the familiar thrum of energy fill her veins as she prepared herself for what was coming.
"It's different," Kagome said.
A different house, she meant. Different from the one Kikyo's minion had whisked her away to the night before. It made sense to Sango that the priestess would not stay in the same abandoned building to do her dirty work. She was a smart lady, no matter how evil Kagome described her to be. "Everyone ready?" Sango asked. There was no use waiting around any longer. They would have to be inside quickly in order to make it in time to get Kagome's family back.
"Ready," said Kagome. Her voice shook.
"Stay behind Hojou," Sango ordered, stepping forward to lead the way. They moved to the side of the house, pushing past overgrown bush and peeking in through windows as they went. Nothing moved inside. It seemed truly deserted. They moved around the back of the house, stepping gingerly onto the porch. Hojou touched her arm as they reached the back door.
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
She was thinking a million different things, it was hard to separate her thoughts into something coherent. They could be walking right to their death, worse case scenario. They couldn't be sure Kagome's family was still alive. She was scared. Scared for herself, scared to leave her brother without a sister, scared for her parents, whom she'd just learned was out fighting youkai themselves. She felt like a mess, barely holding it together. And she was a little surprised Hojou or Kagome hadn't realized how messed up she really was on the inside.
"...Could be a trap," was all she allowed herself to say.
"Does it matter?" Kagome asked. "We're here to get my family, right?"
Sango caught her friend's gaze. Don't let her see how angry you are. Don't let her know how terrified you are. She nodded. "You're right. We either go in or go home. As I see it there's only one option." She watched Kagome breathe a visible sigh of relief and fought the urge to grab her by the shoulders and shake her and say: This isn't only about you, there are other people's lives that are now a complete mess. What about my family? What about me?
Instead, she released the bonds that tied her hiraikotsu to her back and propped it up against the porch wall. It was too big to wield indoors anyway. Swallowing the words that threatened to break free from her lips, she reached out to check the doorknob.
It turned; clicked; opened.
She stepped inside.
The kitchen was more brown than white, although Sango guessed white had once been its' intended color. It was clear of any normal kitchenware, ones that implied the space was well-used. Only a few scattered items remained. A broken blender, chipped on the side, unplugged and grimy; a bent whisk on the stove, still splattered with grease. Sango scanned the room, watching for anything that could possibly be out of place. Nothing set her off, just a general sense of unease. And even that wasn't strange, as empty houses tended to creep her out anyway. Seeing nothing out of place, she waved her hand at Hojou. He slowly followed her in, hand still holding Kagome's, pulling her along, the mirror still tucked under her arm.
Sango moved with purpose. Every step she took was a careful test of pressure - her foot against wooden surface. Her eyes took everything in. Every detail, every broken frame, every hole in the wall. She took in Hojou's breathing, calm and deep, and Kagome's at rapid fire. Nothing else breathed. Nothing else moved.
Hallway clear. Family room clear. Front door locked. Slowly they made their way to the base of the stairs. Sango strained to see the top step, covered in darkness. She looked back at Hojou. "See anything?" She mouthed.
He gazed past her, took in the walls and banister. Shook his head. "Looks clear to me." He mouthed back. "Want me to lead?"
Yes. Yes, she wanted him to lead. She wanted to not be here altogether. She wanted to be back at home, watching cartoons or picking on Kohaku. But she was nothing if not stubborn. And for all the wrong choices Kagome was making, she was Sango's best friend. She loved her, and she loved her family. Were the situation flipped and it was Sango's family on the line, she liked to think Kagome would do the same for her.
The thought of her family needing Kagome's help made her smile, she couldn't help it. Especially knowing her family's true history.
Recharged, Sango moved forward, slowly taking one step at a time. A few creaked. Those she stepped over, the others taking her cues behind her. The upstairs hallway was dark, but light poured out in sharp lines through cracked doorways, three in total, with a fourth shut completely at the end of the hall. Excruciatingly slowly, she moved forward towards the first door. She slipped close to the wall, pressing her back against peeling paint and pulling out her wakizashi, the short-range sword feeling comfortable in her hands. She took a step. Another one. Used the tip of her foot to nudge the door open. Slowly…. Slowly….
They swept towards her face, too fast to see, black and terrifying. Sango gasped and shoved herself back towards the far wall, heard Kagome let out a shriek, sharp and short. She gripped her wakizashi, raising it to slash at her attacker.
The bats circled over their heads, narrowly missing the walls, their wings beating a loud thump, thump, thump in the air. Sango took a deep breath, tried to calm the adrenaline her body released. Fuck. She was so stupid. She glanced at Kagome. Her friend's eyes were wide, her pupils dilated. Hojou stood behind her, his arm wrapped around hers and his hand clamped over her mouth. He leaned down to whisper something into Kagome's ear. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Nodded. Hojou slowly released her. His eyes darted to Sango.
You okay? his pointed look asked, brows raised.
Sango fought the blush making its way up her neck. Fuck, fuck fuck. How embarrassing to be scared silly of some stupid bats. She nodded in reply. Hojou raised his hand and slowly pushed it down, a sign that meant to take it careful and calm down before they continued. Sango took his advice.
There was a very good chance she'd just given them away. Not that it mattered. If this priestess was as powerful as the youkai said she was, she probably already knew they'd arrived.
Seconds later she was ready for round two. Hojou checked the first room again, signed that it was clear. He asked to take the lead, but Sango shook her head. She wouldn't embarrass herself again. Acting like she was dying over some bats. Fucking ridiculous.
She moved forward. Bathroom and second bedroom clear. No more creatures popped out at her. The last door loomed in front of them.
So cliche, Sango thought, of course they'd be behind the last door. With one last glance at her friends, Sango stepped up and gripped the handle.
The door slowly, slowly creaked open.
Sango's eyes widened.
The priestess stood in the center of the master bedroom, her bare feet lightly touching hardwood floor. The room was darkened by years of dust and grime caked onto the windows, but she was clearly visible; her skin all but glowing. Deep, black hair, fell to her ankles, perfectly straight and heavy, her eyes dark and piercing. There was a curve to her lips. Confidence.
The hair on Sango's neck stood on end. The priestess looked like a very well-put-together Kagome, but the warmth that her best friend always possessed was not there. This woman, this… thing, was cold and calculating. And she already scared the shit out of Sango.
"You've made a wise decision." She said, in a voice that was Kagome but not. She smiled with a mouth that was Kagome's but wasn't. She raised a hand, her manicured nails long and softly pointed. "Do you have what I've come for?"
For what seemed forever, no one spoke. Sango opened her mouth. Closed it. What could she say that would help their situation? She wracked her brain to think of something, anything that could help. And came up empty.
So colored her surprised when Kagome stepped forward.
Sango watched her friend move in front of her, Inuyasha's mirror tucked under her arm, her knuckles white with her grip. "We have him." She said, her voice strong. Stronger than Sango would have thought. It hid the small trembles that started at her friend's knees and radiated down her legs.
"Give him to me." The priestess demanded.
Sango's grip tightened around her wakizashi. "Kagome's family first."
The priestess's eyes shifted, her gaze piercing, pinning her in place. "Watch yourself, yokai hunter. This is no business of yours."
"Kagome's business is my business."
Her lips pulled back into a chilling smile. She took a step forward, focused on Sango. "Do not be a fool, little girl. You and I fight on the same side."
"I'm on Kagome's side." Sango insisted. She kept her breathing even, like her father had taught her for so many years. Don't let them see your fear. Stay calm.
"And yet my doppelganger is involved with youkai." She glanced Kagome's way and wrinkled her nose. "She's starting to smell of him. She's become too close to him. So close that she's willing to risk her family's life in order to protect him. The very creatures that you and yours fight against. The very creatures that would kill you without a second thought."
Sango held her ground. Though she couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of her head that yes, Kagome was making a lot of unsafe choices, and yes, she did not trust the youkai her friend fought to protect. Hojou was right. Give Inuyasha to the priestess, let the bastard rot in her creepy hands.
"Enough," Kagome demanded. She placed the edge of the mirror on the floor, holding it out at arm's length, the reflective surface facing the priestess as if offering a sacrifice.
Little does she know… Sango thought.
"We've held our end of the bargain," she continued. "Now give me my family back."
The priestess tilted her chin up, as if looking down at a group of petulant children. She raised her hand. Her thin, petite wrist twisted elegantly in the air before she snapped her fingers.
He appeared suddenly, out of nowhere, just as he had when Sango witnessed him snatch up Kagome in her room. Robes dark and rich purple, hair pulled back, bangs brushing along his brow; His skin was smooth and youthful, the corners of his mouth turned down slightly. He did not look at the priestess, his attention instead drawn to the others in the room. He surveyed the group, his eyes a deep, dark purple to match his clothing, framed by dark, full lashes. They fell on Sango.
She forgot to breathe.
Her mouth went dry. She couldn't help the quiver that ran through her, deep in her belly. His eyes locked her in place. They were old. Older than they should have been. And sad. Sango recognized a sorrow in his eyes she'd never quite seen before. And just as quick as he looked her way, the connection was ripped apart. His focus now on Kagome.
"Your wish?" he asked, his voice like velvet.
"I want her to beg, Miroku," the priestess said.
The monk stepped forward, eyes locked onto Kagome. "Beg, doppelganger."
Sango watched Kagome open her mouth, eyes wide. She shut it. Opened it again. "I…" was all that came out.
"Do not make me ask you again. Beg Kikyou for your family's life, or I will have to extinguish your soul. Do you understand?" His voice was calm, Sango noted, but his words, vicious.
"I…" Kagome said again. "I don't-"
"Enough," the monk answered. He lifted his hand, turned it palm out. It was covered, wrapped tight in an extension of his robe and connected to a gold ring, intricately engraved and snug on his middle finger. Prayer beads hung from the back of his hand. Slowly he lifted the beads.
Wind out of nowhere, kicking up aged dust and thrusting it into the air. Impossibly strong. Sango's hair ripped from her ponytail and whipped into her face. The wind surged stronger, twisting into a funnel and pulling Sango towards the monk. She pushed her feet into the ground and the soles of her shoes tore across the splintering wood. Panic surged up inside her. She brought her hands up to push her hair back from her face to look for something, anything to grab onto to keep her in place.
Kagome was between her and the monk. She had fallen onto her side, one arm wrapped possessively around the mirror, the other reaching out, hand groping at the wood. Dashes of blood stretched across the floor in the wake of her fingers, like a stylized Van Gogh painting. She looked up at Sango. Their eyes met.
Fear, unlike Sango had ever seen on her friend's face. They didn't know what the wind tunnel led to, but everything in Sango's body screamed it was death. And Kagome knew it too.
Then it was gone. Sango reared back, forceful wind no longer present to keep her standing. The back of her head smacked onto wood, hard enough for lights to flash behind her eyes. Groaning, her head throbbing, she picked herself up onto her knees.
The monk stood his ground, his face stoic. The beads were wrapped around his hand again. "Do not make me say it again." He said.
Sango heard silence. Then, weakly: "P-please."
Kagome… No…. she called out inside her head. She rolled onto her side, wincing at the throbbing pain that slammed inside her skull.
"P-please," Kagome continued. "My family. Please."
Sango tried to reach out, but the pain stunted her movements. A concussion. It had to be. She watched, her teeth grit together, trying to will herself past the pain. Kagome was still on her side, one arm wrapped around the mirror, the other still stretched out, fingertips raw, clutching at the ground.
"Give me my mirror," the priestess said.
Sango watched as Kagome's shaky hand released the mirror and pushed it towards the monk's feet. She sat up to push it forward again and, her knees bent under, bowed. Her forehead touched the floor,
her hair falling forward to cover her face. "Please," she whispered, "my family."
Oh hell no. Begging was one thing, but no way would Sango allow Kagome to go through such humiliation alone. She sat up, ignoring her head, and inched slowly towards her friend. She could see out of the corner of her eye that Hojou was doing the same.
Good.
If they could get to her, keep her between them… If they worked together they might be able to escape.
She reached out to Kagome, her hand resting on her friend's back. She felt the muscles under her clothes tense, then relax. She knew.
Sango gripped onto what she could of Kagome's clothes, ready to pull her back at a moment's notice.
The priestess bent down and retrieved the mirror. She held it up at arm's length, gazing deep into it. "Won't you show yourself, Inuyasha?"
Sango felt Kagome move under her grip. She gripped tighter. Hell no. Hojou reached them then, moving to Kagome's other side. His jaw clenched tight, Sango could see the muscle in his jaw twitch. He was in pain too. He bent down and whispered something to Kagome. She nodded her head.
"It's fine. You can pout if you want, hanyou. I can feel you in there." Silence from the other side. The corner of Kikyou's mouth turned up, cold and collected. "I'm so glad you're home." She continued, placing the mirror gently against the wall. "But before we take our leave, enjoy the show."
Sango readied herself to spring at any second as the priestess faced them again.
"Doppelganger, I've returned your family as they were. They are in their beds, peacefully asleep and unaware." She paused, and Sango glanced up to see a steely gaze, cool and emotionless. "I am no human-killer. I do not destroy my own. Since you have kept your part of the deal, I have kept mine." The smile that spread across her face was calculating. "I will not be erasing your memories, as it does not seem to work. However, let this gift of remembrance be a warning to you."
She took a step forward, towering over them. "Look at me, doppelganger," she demanded.
Kagome moved. Lifted her head. Her cheeks streaked wet, eyes wide and terrified.
"If you dare come for Inuyasha again, I will kill your family, and I will kill you. Do not make me into what I despise the most. Get out."
Now. Sango shoved Kagome at Hojou, who wrapped her up in his arms and jumped back, putting distance between them and the priestess. Sango followed suit, pulling out her wakizashi and keeping Kagome out of Kikyou's line of sight. She backed up slowly, watching the monk out of the corner of her eye. If they could just get out of the room... If they could get down the stairs and out onto the street they might make it. Every movement mattered. Slow and steady. Eyes on the monk.
"No… NO!" Kagome cried.
Shit. Kagome knew. She'd figured what she and Hojou were doing.
Sango could hear the struggle behind her, and she focused all her efforts on keeping her eyes in front, keeping her sight on her enemies. "Kagome, stop it. Stay still!" Hojou's voice echoed in the room, desperation threading his words. "No, Kagome, STOP."
Slow motion. Sango heard the footsteps, light and fast. Kagome's heavy, sobbing breath as she ran past, her disheveled, wind-blown hair whipping behind her. Hojou's arm reached out, Sango could see it stretch across and grasp thin air.
"Miroku," Kikyou uttered.
She was ready. No fucking way, you bastard. Sango lunged forward, throwing herself at Kagome. Her shoulder dug into her friend's ribs and she used her momentum to shove her out of the way.
The monk appeared where Kagome once stood, and Sango spun around, grabbing the base of his ponytail in her hand. She gripped hard, pushed off the ground, flipped over him and caught the barest glimpse of his eyes, wide with surprise as she took him with her. The satisfaction ran deep. Got you, you fucker. She thought, landing on her knees and throwing him onto the ground.
She heard the crack of his body hitting wood before she spun, eyes locked on the priestess. One asshole down, one bitch to go.
Sango could see that Hojou had caught up with Kagome. He struggled to keep her at bay without harming her. But he had her, and that was going to have to work. If Sango acted quickly enough she might be able to rid the earth of all three monsters. The monk, the priestess and the youkai.
She ran, sword raised, ready to strike.
"ENOUGH."
Sango stopped. Frozen. Her body paralyzed. She dare not move. The grip on her wakizashi faltered, and she felt it slip from her fingers. It clattered to the ground.
"Ko...ha...ku…" The words slipped from her mouth, barely a whisper.
Her brother had appeared out of thin hair beside the priestess, dressed in his battle gear. He gazed straight ahead, not looking at anything, eyes dull and emotionless. And the priestess's hand, her vile, putrid, unearthly-pale hand lay gently on his shoulder.
"Kohaku!" Sango cried, taking a step towards him. The monk moved in front of her brother, raising his wrapped hand again, his threat clear. She hadn't even heard him get up.
"Please stay where you are." He said, his voice deep but polite, despite the throttling she'd just given him. Sango grit her teeth. The thought of him opening that hand again made her stomach drop. It would be over for them all if he decided to unwrap it completely.
"Leave my brother out of this!" She shouted at the priestess, visions of cutting her in two flashing behind her eyes. Her fist gripped thin air where her weapon had once been in her hand.
Kikyou smiled and wrapped an arm lazily around Kohaku's neck. "This is a consequence of your decision to protect Inuyasha, slayer." She said.
"I'm not protecting that asshole!" Her brother, he was innocent. And again, she'd gotten him caught up in this mess. What would she do without him? What would her parents do? They would never forgive her. She would never forgive herself. "Give him back to me, he's completely innocent!"
"He is not innocent by way of your actions." The priestess hissed.
"Kohaku, get away from her!" Sango cried, desperate for her words to reach him. She called out to him again. Again.
Nothing. Like a puppet he stood, face relaxed, gazing forward.
"I'm out of patience. You rogue youkai hunters have been nothing but a hindrance, traitors to your species. Miroku, kill them all and be done with it."
Sango didn't have a chance to react. The monk raised his staff and swung.
The training. The many, many years of training is what kept her movements quick and kept her on her feet. She ducked, moved back, only to have the staff hurling towards her again. Weave, duck, step back, back, back. He moved towards her, pushing her into a constant retreat. She moved again, turned to sprint around him. And she was falling, her feet in the air as his staff swept under her, knocking her down.
She heard Hojou behind her, and then he was on the Monk, a solid fist connecting to his jaw. They tumbled over Sango into a heap of sharp, jerking movements, each landing punches on the other.
Sango took her chance. Ignoring her bruised body, she pulled herself off the floor and ran straight for her brother. Her sword lay feet away from where he stood and she leapt for it, hand outreached, fingers desperate.
The monk was in front of her again, cutting off her access to her brother and weapon. She whipped her head up, the hatred for him seething inside her.
His eyes held fast onto hers. She couldn't look away. Dammit, why wouldn't she move?.
Her breath hitched.
Beautiful.
And he was. The only thing that ruined it was his obvious, ongoing intent to kill her.
"Fuck!" She said, jumping back as he reached out for her, shaking free from the daze in her head. She landed safely a few feet away, eyes locked on him. He was fast. Too fast. She didn't dare look away. Where were the others? Where was Kagome? If they could just get to her brother. Just get him to safety… "Hojou!" She called, keeping her eyes on the monk.
He smiled.
Fuck him and his killer good looks.
"I'm here, I'll get him!" She heard Hojou call back, then nothing.
"Hojou!" Sango called again. No answer.
Then Kagome screamed. Something had gone horribly wrong. Where was Hojou?
It was only an instant. One microsecond of time. Sango couldn't stop it. Her eyes shifted to look for Kagome.
The monk was on her, wrapping his arms around her. He was strong, crushing her arms to her sides, her face to his chest. "Shhhh," He said, his voice a deep rumble. "Quiet now. Just let it flow through you. It will be over soon."
"Screw… you…" Sango said, her words mumbled together, she tried to struggle against him, but he had her, and she was losing strength. Her eyelids drooped. She fought to keep them open. What the hell was he doing to her? How-?
A sharp, burning pain in her back. A strange, foreign sensation of something pushing through her. She gasped. Turned her head. Her eyes widened.
He stood behind her, a few feet away. His hand wrapped around the heavy metal chain. No emotion on his face.
"Ko- Koha... ku….?" Sango's eyes followed the chain, It emerged from her brother's grip. Across the floor it lay, twisting in wide curves, closer and closer and closer until….
"Shit," the monk spoke softly, almost too low to hear over the rushing in her ears. The curse sounded strange, coming from his pretty, sculpted lips "Looks like the decision was made for me."
Sango's mind slowed to a crawl. Her thoughts became choppy, she couldn't make sense of them. What decision? Why…? Her brother…?
She coughed. Felt warm liquid covering her lips, her tongue. She choked on it.
Somewhere in the encroaching darkness, Kagome screamed again.
"Such a waste." She couldn't see the monk anymore, but his voice echoed in her ears. "To die so young."
Sango opened her eyes.
She was on her stomach, her head resting on the ground. It was wet and sticky. Her hair stuck to her face. She choked again. Coughed. Saw deep red liquid spray out around her.
And Hojou...
He lay in front of her, out cold; his head gashed open. She could see the bone of his skull through a thin layer of flesh. Blood dripped steadily over his brow, covering his eye and pooling around his cheek. She tried to move her arms to push herself up. Couldn't. She turned her neck, trying to see what was rendering her useless. She lifted her chin as high as she could, eyes straining.
"Kusarigama…" She breathed, tears pooling in her eyes. Her brother's demon bone kama rose from her back, her dark blood splattered against the stark white carved bone. Her jaw slackened as the realization hit her.
How could he?
How could he?
Movement to her right. It was Kagome, clothes torn, hair a mess, eyes wild, but alive. She moved fast, throwing herself across the room and onto the mirror. The priestess lunged, arms reaching out, wrapping around her throat. Kagome opened her mouth. Screamed.
A bright, white light exploded from where Kagome stood just moments before.
"No..." Sango whispered, before the bright light washed over her.
Then nothing but darkness.
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I was not expecting this chapter to be so long. SURPRISE.
Hope you all enjoyed! Please let me know what you think! Your comments help me to keep writing, and to keep getting better as I go.
~SugarRos
