Okay so now that I'm sure to have internet once a week i'll try to update a chapter everytime! Phew!

Chapter 9

Affection and Dreams

Another day gone. Twilight settled over our small band of travelers before Koga and Inuyasha allowed us to stop. I am grateful to Kagome for using her… not meaning to be rude to her but well… her immodest tactics, if I could put it kindly.

"I said we ain't stopping!" Inuyasha huffed walking a few steps behind Koga and Kagome. Sango and I walked a few steps behind him.

"But Inuyasha I'm tired!" Kagome whined.

"We should keep moving," Koga sniffed, "but if you want I could always carry you Kagome." He gave Kagome a rather suggestive smile.

"You've been hanging around the perverted monk haven't you?" Inuyasha growled slipping in between Koga and Kagome.

"Inuyasha, are you jealous?" came Sango's question.

"NO!" He shouted back, his voice rising an octave or so.

"Are you sure?" she pressed.

"Don't poke the dog Sango," I mumble.

The sun was tinting the sky various shades of pink and purple before they started up again.

"We're stopping." Kagome ordered. Neither canine demon made a move to do so. Kagome let out a sigh. "If we stop now," she cooed. Sango looked rather disgusted. "Both of you are in for a surprise." She batted her long eyelashes. Both boys gulped and blushed.

No one knew what the surprise was and those two really wanted to find out. So we finally stopped. Then Kagome dragged the boys into the forest by the scruffs of their necks. "We'll be back with dinner soon." She shouted. I don't think I want to know exactly what she had in mind but it sounded dirty.

"Where'd they go?" Sango wondered aloud after a moment.

"I'm not sure," I sigh, flopping down on my back.

"Are you tired?" I nodded, my eyes closing of their own accord. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"For what Sango?" I crack open one eye. She seems sad again. The emotion plastered across her face wretches at my heart; I can't stand to see her like this.

"I'm a burden to all of you." She said pausing.

"No you're not." I sit back up.

She nods mutely. "I am too. I'm like a child. I can't stand on my own. I don't even remember half of my childhood. Why did this happen to me?" she shouts, tears streaming down her face.

"I don't know."

"You don't know anything!" she wailed, turning her back to me. Her words cut through me worse than even the Tetsaiga could.

"I know that you're not a burden. I'll always do everything within my power to help you. Not because you are a child that can't stand on its own but because I care for you. Remember that."

"How can you say you care about me so easily? Earlier you said you loved me. How come I can't remember you at all? What makes you think that you love me anyways? What so special about me?"

Before she could continue her tirade of impossible to answer questions Inuyasha burst through the shrubbery. Kagome followed close behind, her face was flustered and her hair was a frightful mess.

"Found another one," her growled chucking the shard at Sango. The process of fainting and seizing was repeated. "Apparently wolf boy found it and slipped it into Kagome's pocket."

Koga came from the bushes sporting a large bump on his head and red lip marks all over his face.

"Totally worth it," he sighed slumping against a tree.

"Affection?" I asked. Koga nodded a giant grin plastered across his face, it would probably be permanent.

I wonder how Sango will react… We waited.

Sango's eyes didn't flutter open as they usually did. When she finally woke up she bolted upright, crashing her forehead into mine with a head splitting crack.

She groaned but shook off the pain quickly.

"Feeling okay Sango?" Kagome asked eyeing the demon slayer carefully less.

"Kagome!" Sango cried jumping up and hugging Kagome. "I'm great! How are you my friend?"

"Fine I guess." Kagome said an eyebrow arched precariously.

"That's weird." Inuyasha mumbled.

"Inuyasha!" Sango cried giving Inuyasha a hug as well.

"W-what the?" he spluttered.

Koga began to laugh hysterically. Whether he was laughing at Inuyasha's reaction, Sango's, or mine I'm not sure.

"Koga! We're really not very good friends but whatever!" with that she glomped Koga as well, who immediately stopped his giddy behavior. My resolve not to kill something, or someone, nearly exploded. I could feel my eye twitch.

"I'm glad you're feeling better Sango." Shippo piped in.

"I sure am cutie!" Sango smiled clutching the kitsune close to her.

Kirara mewed and received a hug of her own. Everyone got a hug from the affectionate Sango… except me. She must not remember me. Everyone looked from Sango to me and back to Sango expectantly.

"What?" she asked. The others shrugged and tried to look as if the typical camping out scenery was very interesting.

"Who's hungry?" I interjected.

"Oh… I guess I forgot you… I'm sorry Lord Miroku." She shyly wrapped her arms around my neck. I could hear Kagome attempt to suppress a squeal as I returned Sango's affections. My arms began around her waist but quickly slid lower. Sango flushed brick red and backed away.

"Wow, she didn't slap him…" Inuyasha said blankly.

"She still doesn't remember him." Sighed Kagome.

I cast them all a glare. Nothing more was said that night as we all drifted off into dreamland.

I dreamed I was walking through the typical forest when I happened upon a small meadow of iris in every color. Sango stood on the other side, the wind blowing through her unbound hair. She looked positively beautiful. She waved at me, ushering me to her side. I gladly go to her side, pausing to pluck a perfectly red iris from the field. I hand it to her with a bow. She laughs as she takes it and presses her face to the petals.

The iris began to bleed, beating slowly like the rhythm of a heart. With a flash it evaporated into Sango's chest as her heart shards did. When I could see again she lay on the now desolate ground. Shadows, two of them but neither of them belonging to me or Sango, laughed and lifted Sango into their dark arms. She looked as if she were floating. A man stepped toward the creatures from behind me. I couldn't see his face but I knew he wanted to hurt Sango.

"Who are you? Why have you done this to her?" I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. He just chuckled for an instant.

"I didn't do this to her, you did. I must thank you monk. Without your assistance I would never had been able to break her heart." He laughed. It wasn't a normal laugh, it was high pitched and slightly crazed. It was the laugh of an evil madman. "As for your first question, I am the King of Hearts. That's all you need to know." With that he took Sango in his arms. The shadows held me back as he took her up over the trees. With one last laugh he let her fall.

"SANGO!" I jolt awake covered in cold sweat. Everybody had woken as well and were staring at me.

"What about me?" Sango asked cautiously.

"You… King… hearts… fell… shadows… ugh," I finally gasp, knowing full well that I just made absolutely no sense.

"Okay… calm down and tell us what happened." Kagome looked rather tired as she tried to sedate my nerves.

"Sango, do you know anyone who calls themselves the King of Hearts?" I breathed.

"…No," she said after a moment of contemplation. I visibly deflate.

"Miroku, what did you dream about?" Shippo cut in, his face contorted with worry.

"There were these shadows, they moved on their own, I suppose they were demons of some kind though none I've ever seen before. And this man came up and called himself the King of Hearts… and he flew up to the sky and… dropped you." I can only whisper the last part. Sango's eyes were downcast when I looked up again.

"You're just being paranoid." Inuyasha scoffed. He resumed his usual position in his tree and began dozing lightly. The others followed his example and returned to the land of sleep.

I didn't even close my eyes again that night. This dream meant something, I just know it. But no matter how hard I thought I could come to no conclusion by the time the sun rose over the trees.