Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to own the characters they all belong to Rumiko Takahashi, not me.
A/N: You guys probably don't wanna read about her, but I can't leave her in a standstill forever! She threatened me with her enormous boomerang if I was to hold her part up any longer! Please bear with this and Sango, as of the others, (are important characters) because this story does not only revolve around Sesshoumaru and Kagome, after all. XD Thanks a bunch if you read this chapter and review:3
A Gap Across Time
XV: Misfortune After Misfortune
"Is everything ready?" Sango looked from villager to villager, making sure that she received a nod from the ones being addressed. "I guess I'm being a little strict, but if we are to organize this and make sure that it works successfully, then I have to be this way."
"Ohohoho, it's not a problem! Isn't that right, guys?" someone said.
Most of the villagers taking part in the extermination project guffawed and cheered. Sango could do little other than to nod and smile as politely as she could. She was very aware of the fact that not everyone was cheering and laughing merrily, in all actuality, she could spot several people leering at her. Likewise, Sango tried her best to ignore them - perhaps they'd be grateful once the demons were destroyed . . .
It didn't take long until Sango and company reached the summit of the so called demon infested hill. At first there was no sign of anything, but everyone was quite tense, not letting the relaxed atmosphere fool them lest they were asking for an early death. Sango eyes narrowed as she stared down at a certain spot in dirt, she could detect something there that did not belong. Unsheathing her gigantic boomerang, she warned, "everyone get back." All obeyed and silently watched. Right when Sango threw her boomerang, did the demon (several still hidden) decide to make itself known to the villagers. Everyone gasped and stared in amazement. "Don't let its appearance fool you! Stand your ground and get ready because more of them will be coming towards us soon!"
Sango easily killed an oncoming demon that tried to bite her head off, but some of the villagers were not as lucky. Many, as sad as it may seem to say, were not opted for combat, despite all the training they had gone through . . . It amounted to nothing when they let fear seize their bodies.
"Aaauuuuhhhhhhh!" a villager screamed his last breath, falling dead even before his body met the earth beneath him.
"Motoki!" another villager cried out.
"Eeeegggghhhhh!" A demon howled in agony as it dissipated into nothingness. Sango jumped back a few steps before retrieving her weapon. "Do not be afraid! Don't you all want to save your village? Your loved ones? Avenge the dead? Don't you all want to?"
"They're too strong! We must pull back!" one villager shouted.
"No! We shall not leave until every last one them is dead!" Anki refuted, brandishing her sword wildly, as she swung at a oncoming demon. "I will make them all pay! Every last one of them will not escape me until I am satisfied!"
Sango was surprised that such a woman like her could exist - Anki was so aggressive and she knew what she exactly wanted. Why couldn't Sango be that way? If she wanted to retrieve Miroku, couldn't she just go out searching for him until the end of her last days here on this earth? Would it be foolish to be attached to such a man whom she's never experienced romantic relations with, not even once in all the time she's come to know him? I mustn't give up and stop trying. He surely must be out there somewhere . . .
By the time their little war has ended, some of the villagers were slain, others fatally wounded, with the probable cause of never fully recovering again. Seeing such said people in the masses made the demon exterminator feel bad, and she now thought that she shouldn't have pushed them so hard. Many, so to say, were not as skilled in battle as she was - she was forgetting that she was not dealing with fellow demon exterminators, but simple folk villagers that harbored angry feelings. Anki, on the other hand, showed great courage during the battle sequence and she killed a great amount of demons before falling back due to exhaustion. However, they managed to succeed and each villager that went out to fight felt both proud and sad. Loved ones were lost, after all.
"You all did good out there," Sango praised, thinking that most of the villagers would cheer.
"It's all your fault that my husband's dead!" a female villager shouted. "We should have pulled back when the demons became too overpowering! It's all your fault that people are dying, suffering agonizingly before leaving us! Is this what you can praise about?"
"I . . ." Revenge clouded my mind and hindered my thoughts. Did Miroku's disappearance drive me on?
Anki stepped forward, glaring at the outspoken woman angrily. "She is not the only one to blame; I was also telling everyone to stand their ground and fight. I was more so of being against retreating." The woman she was addressing grimaced. "You should be honored that he tried his best for this village. Don't dwell on his death and become a bitter old widow - look at you - what would your children think of you?"
Kaede came out into the scene then. "Will you all stop arguing, and the ones with medicinal experience come with me. We need to tend to the wounded immediately, not let them lie there in pain until they die." Several onlookers looked at her and a few of them stepped forward, heads bowed. Kaede had a point and it was only justifiable that they help the injured. "Sango, it's more than enough that you even helped this village. You needn't feel guilty for anything."
Sango wanted to amend by the old priestess's words, but somehow she felt that she wasn't in the right of way to do so. She tried her best to smile and nodded her head. Kirara could sense the distress in her master, so she lightly nuzzled her on the left cheek. "Kaede," the old woman turned to look at her, "let me help treat the wounds of the injured." Kaede nodded. "There really isn't much more that I can do other than that."
"All's well ends well, as some people like to say. We may have some causalities, but losing a few lives for the sake of the villages entire safety should not be such a bad loss."
"I suppose so . . ." But will the other villagers see it the way as you do, Kaede?
-----
Beads of sweat dripped down Sango's face, she didn't know that it could be so tiring to take care of the wounded. As soon as she was done tending to one patient she had to quickly move on to another one. She worked well into the night before Kaede told her to stop, or else she was going to overexert herself.
"We wouldn't want you getting sick," Kaede told Sango.
The exterminator lightly smiled. "No, that wouldn't be a good idea. I'll make sure to get up early the next morning, so I can continue to assist you." The old priestess shook her head. "Hm? Would that not be a good idea?"
"I know you have no intention of staying long here in this village, so it'd be best if you leave tomorrow, lest you want the villagers to become too attached to you. If that were to happen it shall be difficult to persuade the townsfolk to let you go, understand?" Sango was bewildered - such a strange thing Kaede was telling her - very strange, indeed. "As strange as it all may sound I am only saying it out of the best interests for you."
"If you insist so diligently, then I have no choice in the matter, do I?" Sango questioned. She gazed at the fire burning in the center of the room, eyes glowing a beautiful golden brown from the lighting provided. "However, I'd like to say goodbye and thank everyone tomorrow before I leave."
"That can be done," Kaede replied. "Now go to sleep because I am about to put out the fire."
The next morning Sango rose bright and early, feeling a bit refreshed and energized from the previous day's excursions. Kirara was just as ready-to-go-lucky as her Master, and she did not hesitate to transform into her big feline form. Sango patted her gently on the back and walked out of the tent, thinking she should go freshen up. What greeted her outside was not something she quite expected though. A human severed arm was lying several feet away from where she was standing - there was also a trail of blood following behind the arm - it must have been dragged here, so it seems. Kirara growled, fur standing on end; she was sensing a demonic presence close by.
"What is it, Kirara?" Sango asked, eyes looking this way and that. Can it be the remaining demons from yesterday? Did they come here and kill? "Do you sense anything near by?"
"Meeeoooowwww."
"My child! My precious child is no more!" a woman wailed, emerging from her tent with a bloodied bundle of what appeared to be a baby. From what Sango could make of it, the poor thing looked far beyond recognition and what looked like a piece of lung or intestine was hanging from the blanket, dangling helplessly. "Someone came in the dead of night and murdered my child without my noticing it! Who could have done such a thing!"
"Someone help me! I awake from my bed to see that my entire family has been slaughtered! Why was I not taken down with them! Someone help me! Someone tell me why!"
Sango was getting more and more confused as wailings of grief greeted itself to her from left to right. Amid all this chaos there was no sign of Kaede, and it made Sango wonder if this had anything to do with what the old woman told her last night. She wasn't definite in her suspicions, yet if Kaede was not around, then where could she be as of right now?
What's going on? Why have a select few been spared from the gruesome raid, if that's what I could even call it.
"Meeeoooowww!" Kirara leaped into the air and bounded in the direction of Sango's left.
"Kirara, wait!"
Sango made the toughest decision yet. She had to choose whether to stay here with the villagers or chase after Kirara. She chose the latter and ran across the lush green grass after her feline friend. They didn't go very far until they reached the bone eater's well, and saw none other than Kagome and Miroku.
Kagome gasped out of surprise. "Sango!"
Sango was just as equally surprised by what she was seeing. Is Miroku live and well? Is he not standing right where Kagome is right this very minute? "Miroku! Kagome! Are the two of you okay?" Sango made to run forward but Kirara blocked her way as she growled at her owner. Sango frowned, not understanding why Kirara would behave this way. "What's the matter, Kirara?"
"Miroku's not himself," Kagome supplied, "or at least this might not even be Miroku 's body at all."
"What do you mean?" Sango asked.
"How meddlesome." The figure that supposedly looked like Miroku scoffed, ornately irritated that he was interrupted from killing. "Do you want to die along with her?"
"What are you talking about, Miroku? What's the matter with you?" The demon exterminator looked from Kagome to Miroku, and then back again. Is what Kagome is saying true? Is he really not Miroku? It pained the dark-haired woman to think that the person was the monk she knew and loved . . . "Where's the real Miroku?"
Sango only hoped that he was not dead.
"He's sleeping," the Miroku imposter pointed to his chest, "in here. I've made it that he'll never wake up again unless you kill me. However, if you kill me while I am occupying his body, then you will lose this precious monk of yours as well." Sango snarled, feeling angry that she was being toyed around with like this. Was there not another way to destroy the demon and save Miroku's life? "Now be good little girls and stay still while I slit your throats."
Kirara was about to lunge forward but Sango barked, "no, Kirara! You mustn't hurt Miroku's body!"
"Meeooowww . . ."
Kagome knew that as long as she was within the demon's range of accessible reach, there was nothing Sango could do if her life was threatened along with Miroku's. The only thing she could think of doing was running forward, head butting the demon and dashing to Sango's side as fast as she could before the demon could recover from such a dazing blow. As she executed her plan everything worked perfectly, except for the fact that she tripped on a uprooted tree branch, and this was where she wasn't so sure how things were going to turn out.
Crap! I was so close, too! Kagome was thinking at any second that the demon was going to slay her but that wasn't the case. Before the demon could even reach her Kirara had bit the nape of her shirt collar and hauled her into the air. "Thanks, Kirara!" Kagome was filling quite relieved.
Sango, who was riding on Kirara's back said, "what's happened to Miroku?"
"I'm not sure," Kagome replied. "At first he tried to act like the monk we know, but then I sensed that something was not quite right about him. He had a different aura surrounding him, and right when he was about to kill me, you and Kirara came through the thicket of trees."
"I'm glad that we came at the time that we did."
"More than being concerned about me, how did Miroku end up being possessed?"
"He was captured a while back when he and I were camping out in a clearing." Sango didn't really want to recall the incident, but she wanted to tell Kagome what exactly happened. "He and I were ambushed by this snake demon . . . I think he overheard what Miroku and I were talking about. And at the time," Sango could feel tears welling up in her eyes, "I couldn't even do anything to save him. I felt so helpless."
"What occurred then wasn't your fault; I think Miroku would say the same thing if he was himself right now," Kagome said.
"Meeowwww."
"Kirara's right, this is not the time to be chatting. We've got to save Miroku!"
The Miroku imposter was looking at them from the ground, and he was getting more and more annoyed when the trio did not look like they were coming down anytime soon. "Are you all cowards? Are you all afraid to face the almighty Darekai, snake demon lord of the vipers?"
"Give us back Miroku!" Sango called from the air.
"Come! Take him from me if you can!"
-----
What is taking that woman so long? Sesshoumaru was not known as one with little patience, but he had little patience when it came to going home (especially when he was not in the right timeframe). Should it become a whole day's task just to check that god forsaken thing? Humans are so slow. Sesshoumaru sat up in bed slowly, while at the same time he was staring at the bedroom door. He was expecting Kagome to turn the knob, come inside, and report back to him at any moment, but as he waited and waited, she did not show herself to him.
Back downstairs Mrs. Higurashi was starting to get worried. "Souta, have you seen your sister anywhere?"
"Nope. Try asking grandpa, because he might know."
"I would but he's gone out for the rest of the day."
"Didn't Kagome go with him, then?" Mrs. Higurashi shrugged at her son's question. "Although the last time I saw her, she was going upstairs. Probably to check up on Sesshoumaru."
"Shouldn't we go up there and check?" Mrs. Higurashi and her son said in unison - they exchanged glances.
-----
Sango leapt down from Kirara's back and stood before the possessed monk, contemplating whether she should attack him or not. If he does come back around to being himself, he should be able to handle some pain . . . Well, I don't see any other way in stopping him, so . . . "Forgive me, Miroku, but you'll thank me once you are yourself again!" Sango swung her boomerang forward, making as if she was going to throw it, but she didn't. A large gust of dirt and debris flew into the air, blinding her opponent. This was the chance she needed, and she ran forward, boomerang poised above her head as she brought it down on Miroku's right shoulder, clearly knocking him onto the ground. He cried out in pain and anguish. "Kagome, I think I'm going to need your help!"
"All-all right!" Kirara flew down to the ground and let Kagome off. "What would you like me to do?"
"You have the powers of a priestess," Sango held Miroku down when he tried to get up, "and I think that you might be able to expel this demon outside of Miroku's body."
Unsure of how she was going to do this all Kagome did was place a palm to the monk's chest. A sudden surge of demonic aura engulfed her hand, but she did not retreat and continued to leave her hand there. Sango watched on with worried tension, hands balling into fists. After several more seconds Kagome could feel that the evil aura was gone, having evaporated into the sky. She sighed and pulled again, falling back onto the heels of her shoes.
"I think the demon's gone because I don't sense a evil presence anymore."
"Miroku?" Sango went closer towards the monk and stared down at his face.
Miroku's expression made him look like he was in deep pain, but that all went past him when he slowly opened his eyes, looking quite bewildered at best. The first person he saw was Sango, and then his gaze went to that of Kagome and Kirara. "What's going on? Didn't--"
"Hush, Miroku." Miroku's expression went from surprise to confusion when the demon exterminator hugged him, making him gag for breath (momentarily). Kagome wasn't really sure what was exactly going on, so she opted to stand there and watch. "I'm just so glad that you're alive and safe. On the day that you were captured I was looking for you." Miroku could feel hot tears dripping onto his neck. He looked at Kagome, as if wanting her to clear something up for him. He had no recollection of what happened, and thus, was having a hell of a time understanding what Sango was telling him. "You aren't hurt too badly, are you?"
"Hurt?" Now that Sango mentioned it, Miroku could feel a sharp jabbing sensation on his right shoulder and he grimaced from the pain. "My shoulder hurts . . ."
"Meeeoowwww." Kirara de-transformed and walked up to her Master. "Meoooww."
"Well . . ." Kagome hated to interrupt, but she has her own concerns and needs, too. ". . . I don't really know what's happening either, but I seriously need to go back to my time."
Sango drew away, finally noticing that she was embracing Miroku (a little to intimately for the shy girl) and prompted herself to standing up straight - Kirara looked up at her, wanting to be picked up. She complied and placed Kirara onto one of her shoulders. "I need to go back to the village."
"What village?" Miroku asked.
"Kaede's village!" Realization dawned on the dark-haired woman. "There are injured people there! The demons might've returned by now!"
Kagome and Miroku had no choice but to follow the gutsy woman as she ran down the length of the grass, and into the forested area. It took them several minutes before they came out into a clearing, right where the dirt pathway presented itself to them. From where they were standing they could see the peak of houses and greenery that the villagers grew from atop a hillside not too far from where they were residing. Upon entering the village both Kagome and Miroku were horrified with what greeted their eyes. Many were injured, some dead, while the remaining villagers wept.
"It's all your fault! As soon as you left a swarm of demons came and killed what remaining people we had that were not injured! Why did you not return when we cried out for you! Why!" a woman cried. It was the woman with the dead baby; Sango recognized her face from before, and she was now pointing a finger accusingly at her. "You are siding with the demons! Why else would they attack us right when you left! You evil monster! Go die!"
"I would never side with demons," Sango reasoned. "It's mere coincidence that his has happened, and I grieve for your village's loss. I'm sorry I was not here to aide you all when you needed me the most."
"You said this was Kaede's village, so where is she?" Miroku looked around, hoping to see the old priestess bowed amongst the many injured and dead.
"She's yonder there," the angry woman from before replied, pointing a small mound of bodies. "Lying there breathing her last breaths."
"Kaede!" Sango made her way to the indicated spot. Sure enough the old woman was lying there, bathed in her own blood from waist down. "Kaede! What's happened!"
"Demons . . . An entire army's worth came through here, pillaging what they could take and killing what they did not consider of any worth . . . I've failed my people . . ." Kaede sputtered on the last part, blood flying from her gaping mouth. ". . . Help the ones that are alive . . . Leave me here; I'll be fine."
Sango wanted to say something but no words would form for her. ". . . . . ."
To Be Continued!