InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shards of Foxfire ❯ Chapter 7

Hi everyone! It's me again! I like the idea of the longer chapters, so here's a long one that I hope you'll like! I can't wait until Thanksgiving Break when I can write all day!

To my reviewers:

Koni - I'm really glad you like it! I thought it was sweet, too!

Robin5791 - Sorry that you're sick, here's a chapter to make you feel better

Cricket-chan - I'm so glad you like my story! Thanks for reviewing!

Tsume Yamagata - You're welcome for the review!

It felt like it had only been a few minutes before Naanaami had shaken Inuyasha and Kagome awake. Inuyasha wanted to go back to sleep, but Naanaami showed him that nobody else was awake. He gratefully got up, getting Kagome awake. For being Koga's sister, she wasn't a bad kid. She then woke up Miroku and Sango, the latter blushing bright red as she tried to get out from Miroku's arms, but he had a tight grip. Naanaami awoke everyone else in quick succession, and they packed everything together silently, ready to get on the road.

The weather was just perfect for travelling long distances, nice and sunny with a cool breeze. Miroku had insisted on carrying Sango on his back, saying that, "My dear Sango hasn't gotten over illness yet, and I don't want her to hurt herself." (A/N: Kinda OOC, but who cares?) Sango, with meaningful looks from everyone except Koga and Inuyasha, reluctantly climbed on his back and let herself be carried, hating just about everyone coming with her. Inuyasha and Koga each had one of Amari's twin five-year olds on their shoulders, and they used them as an excuse to race each other. Everyone else was walking together and talking, trying to ignore Sango's dark looks as she tried to kill Miroku, but he walked on, ignoring everything she did to him.

That morning was pretty uneventful, save for the time when Miroku decided to teach Sango a lesson and dump her into a nearby creek. She ignored him and walked by him, dripping wet. He then grabbed her by her waist and slung her over his shoulder. "LET ME DOWN NOW, MIROKU!" She was kicking and screaming until he let her down. Koga and Inuyasha had run way ahead, having a long-distance race. They ran back, very worried. "There are demons approaching, fast. Get ready." Inuyasha said as he and Koga let the twins down and they ran to their mother. She took them, Sakura, and Rin behind the nearest rock. Shippo followed to protect them from any attacks. Everyone else got into a formation, and waited for the enemy to arrive.

The demons didn't take long to arrive. They looked almost like Inuyasha, except they had tails and ears like a cat. Their eyes were catlike, and they had small demons like Kirara perched on their shoulders. "Well well well, a dog AND a wolf. I think that this'll be a good day." The leader, a female tiger, said. Inuyasha tightened his grip on the Tetsusaiga. "Maybe you should leave, because we're trying to get somewhere and we are in a hurry." Inuyasha growled as he tried not to kill them. The tiger laughed. "Oh, I'm so sorry if I got in your way, but at the moment, you're in our territory, so you have to defeat us before you can pass. Finish them off." A leopard girl stepped forward, a double-edged katana in her hands. "Prepare to die." She whispered as she began to attack.

The leopard attacked with stunning ferocity, her cat demon snarling and clawing whenever it got close to Inuyasha. She tried to slash him in half with her katana, but the Tetsusaiga was already out, blocking her and forcing her back. She suddenly twirled out of the large sword's way, and flipped over her katana, at the other side of the clearing. The katana began to glow golden, and send off sparks. Inuyasha didn't know how to react, growling with his Tetsusaiga in front of him. A golden beam shot out from the sword, and hit Inuyasha in the chest. He staggered, cursing. "You really didn't have to do that, you know. You really annoy me." The dog demon said as he charged up his sword. "TETSUSAIGA!!!"

There was a flash of light, and the girl was on her back, not moving. Her cat demon licked her face before disappearing; proving that Inuyasha had killed her. "You killed her!" The tiger demon shrieked, her eyes filled with murderous intent. "And I'll kill you, too, if you don't get out of my way." Inuyasha said, putting his sword back into its sheath. The cat demons began to back away, but then the leader saw Sango petting Kirara. "How dare you steal a cat demon's familiar!" The tiger said to a very confused Sango. "I'll kill you for that!" The tribe of cat demons left quickly, and the group relaxed, happy that the encounter was over. "Sango, watch out!" Miroku yelled as a poison dart headed straight for Sango's heart. Miroku jumped in front of Sango, causing it to hit himself, before falling on the ground, completely paralyzed.

Immediately, Inuyasha was over there, trying to figure out what had happened. Within a few seconds, he had the answer. "He was poisoned with a lethal venom, and he'll die soon if you don't get help. Go back to the cave where we were, and he should be fine. We'll head to Kuranosuke's palace without you, and tell them where you are. Go, now!" Sango was about to protest, but Kirara was already transformed, Miroku leaning on her neck. The demon slayer got onto her cat, holding onto Miroku as tightly as she could as Kirara rose in the air, about to go faster than ever.

Kirara's large from became just a blur as they flew across the sky. Sango found that Miroku was getting worse, shaking and sweating. "Can't you go any faster?" Sango asked her cat, which responded with an annoyed growl, as if to say that she was going as fast as she could. The cave came into view a few minutes later, though it had taken over five hours to get where they had been. Kirara landed at the cave's entrance, and decided to stand guard, in case something attacked. Sango slung Miroku over her shoulder, staggering under his weight. He must have weighed more than twice as much as the Hiraikotsu. She let him down in the first large cavern, putting his head in her lap.

Sango looked at Miroku's face. It was covered in sweat, and he was shivering. She took off her outer skirt and wrapped it around him, wiping the sweat off of his face. Miroku was still unconscious, and still looked as sick as ever, and getting worse. Sango silently prayed "Please don't let Miroku die." She repeated this over and over, hoping that someone would hear her up there, and grant her wish. Looking at Miroku's face, she remembered all of the times they'd shared together.

** It would be nice if we could put away and throw out

Everything except what really mattered, but

Reality is just cruel.**

Images of Miroku working with her to defeat Naraku flashed in her head, teaming up on him and eventually defeating him. Kohaku's face, devoid of emotion, was ingrained in her mind as well. Miroku saving him had been the best time of her life.

**In such times,

I see you laughing

Whenever I close my eyes.

Until the day I reach eternal sleep,

That smiling face will

Have to stay with me without fail**

Miroku's smiling face often made Sango happy, even if he had just acted like his lecherous self. She always did forgive him, no matter what he did or how he acted. Memories of him were treasured in her mind.

**People are all sad, so

They go and forget, but--

For that which I should love,

For that which gives me love, I will do what I can.**

It was practically impossible not to laugh at Miroku when someone got angry because of his perverted ways. Nobody was ever depressed very long in their group, because it was hard to be depressed when Inuyasha was slamming Miroku's head into the ground.

**Back then, when we met,

It was all awkward.

We went the long way, didn't we?

We got hurt, didn't we?**

Sango remembered all of those roadblocks in their relationship, like his lecherous habits, her distrustful nature, Kohaku, Koharu, Kuranosuke, (A/N: AKA: The KKK of Sango and Miroku's relationship) and Naraku. They had been through a lot together, more than either of them had ever known.

** Until the day I reach eternal sleep,

That smiling face will

Have to stay with me without fail

Back then, when we met,

It was all awkward.

We went the long way, didn't we?

We got there in the end.**

*~*~*~*~*FLASHBACK SEQUENCE*~*~*~*~*

Naraku was defeated, a steaming pile of dead demons, clothing, and metal armor. Kagura and Kanna had fled the scene much earlier, and Kohaku had just come back to life, and was sitting by Inuyasha and Kagome. Sango had tears streaming down her face. "Thank you so much, Miroku, for saving my brother!" Sango said as she hugged him. Miroku hugged her back, and said, "That was the first time you've ever called me by my name, instead of Houshi-sama." Sango nodded, and he lifted her face up to his, whispering, "We finally defeated Naraku." Then, in front of everyone, he kissed her for the first time. Inuyasha and Koga were shocked, Ayame and Kagome thought that it was cute, Kikyo didn't notice, Sesshoumaru was smirking, and Rin was staring, her eyes as big and round as the Shikon Jewel. Sango kissed him back, and then walked off, blushing furiously.

*~*~*~*~*END FLASHBACK SEQUENCE*~*~*~*~*

"You have a beautiful voice." Miroku said as he looked up at her tearstained face. Sango looked down at him, and broke into a smile. "Miroku! I was so worried about you! How are you? Are you okay?" Miroku sat up, and turned around to look at her. "I'm perfectly fine, Sango, but I thought I was a goner. Inuyasha isn't as stupid as he looks, so he told you to take me here, where there is a holy barrier. You remember at Mount Hakurei, when the Saimyousho poisoned me? It worked the same way." Sango had stopped listening, and was now hugging him as tightly as she could without suffocating him. Miroku hugged her back, and then stood up. "Well, let's get to Kuranosuke's palace before they miss us too much." Sango agreed with Miroku, and they got onto Kirara, happy to be able to sleep in a palace for the night.

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