Gone

Blood. The crimson substance soils her fingertips as tears cascade down her ashen cheeks. The body in her arms was limp, not breathing…dead…Her thoughts morphed from coherent to blank nothingness in the flip of a switch. She couldn’t move; she couldn’t breathe.

Her soul was crying out, her heart bleeding, and the only reaction she could give was to sob uncontrollably as she caressed the dead body of her brother.

Death by Naraku; it was an unforgivable act, and one that caused Sango’s thirst for revenge to grow. She could see him out of the corner of her eye, at the mercy of Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagome as they attempted to allow her a moment to mourn. She knew the moment would be brief, however; it would only be a matter of time before she would be forced to rejoin the battle. But she couldn’t bring herself to leave him; not yet.Kohaku, the boy who was the kindest, gentlest little brother she could ever ask for. He had played Naraku’s game involuntarily, and now he was paying the price for it. And she hated it.

Naraku had removed the jewel shard sustaining his life to torment her; now, she knew the true meaning of pain. She knew Inuyasha’s feelings when his mother died; she knew Miroku’s anguish when his father was sucked in by his wind tunnel; she relived the sentiments she felt when her family and friends had been slaughtered, and still felt the tender agony. It hurt worse this time, knowing that she was alone.

 No family left to support her…No father to question her choices on a fiancée…No mother to smile yet cry as she allowed her daughter to marry off and start her own life…No little brother to hug her and give her courage when she needed it most…

Dead. Gone. Never coming back.

And that caused Sango to cry even more.

“Sango?”

She glanced up at the voice that questioned her, tears leaking from her eyes. She wasn’t surprised to find the same droplets of water sparking in Kagome’s eyes, too, as the future miko’s eyes swept over her position. Sango knew Kagome felt the same pain she did; the girl felt remorse, too, at Kohaku’s unfortunate death, even though she had only known him for a short-lived period of time.

“Sango, I’m so sorry,” Kagome choked as she kneeled beside the distraught demon slayer. “This wasn’t meant to happen…”

Sango nodded, her eyes glued to the pale face of her little brother. Her grip on him tightened as the resonance of Naraku’s dark chuckles reached her ears. She wouldn’t let the sinful hanyou touch him again, even though he was dead; she would die before Naraku inflicted more pain on anyone. She stood her ground with Kagome sobbing quietly at her side, Miroku giving her an anguished glance, and Inuyasha growling threats at the threatening demon.

Dead. Gone. Never coming back.

She wouldn’t allow Kohaku’s sacrifice to go to waste.

..::OO::..

Sango’s eyes flashed open from her night terror, her breaths coming out in rushed gasps. Beside her she heard shuffling, and turned to find Miroku at her side, gazing down at her anxiously. His hand caught hers and brought it to his cheek, their skin making contact. Sango visibly relaxed at the sensation; she was glad that Miroku was here to comfort her, even though he had no notion as to what was going on inside her subconscious.

“Are you all right, Sango?” he asked softly, eyes portraying his worry.She nodded her answer.“You must be tired; you’ve been dozing on and off all day. Looks like the twins took it out of you, ne?”

At his words, she turned her head to glance at the two small bodies cuddled against her side. Her expression softened, and Miroku added, “They’ve been sleeping as much as you have; you all must be exhausted.”

“Is everything going to be okay?” she inquired of him, her voice hoarse.

He dropped her hand for a moment to bring a cup to her lips. She drank it heartily, completely parched, in a way that any drunk would’ve been proud of. She barely tasted the liquid on her dry tongue, but it seemed to satisfy her raw throat. She was disappointed when it was lifted out of her reach.

“Everything is going to be fine,” Miroku answered in response to her previous question. He grasped her hand in his once again, giving it a gentle kiss. Noticing the fear that still lingered in her eyes, his brow furrowed. “Sango? Are you sure you’re okay? Please, don’t lie to me.”

She turned her head to avoid his eyes. “I…I had a dream about Kohaku’s death.”

Miroku nodded, understanding her pain. “He is in a better place now, Sango; there is no pain where he is. His sins are not his own, but Naraku’s, and I highly doubt he will contradicted for it.” He paused to distinguish her guarded expression. “It’s okay to be sad, Sango; you have suffered through a great loss, and you need time to mourn.”

She shook her head. “No. I should be happy. If it’s not for me, then it has to be for Mara and Kara.” She turned her eyes to her sleeping children. Reaching down, her face aglow, she scooped them into her arms, kissing both of their foreheads. She gasped when they cuddled closer to her warmth, clutching her sleeping robe with small fingers.  A small smile reached her lips. “They’re my life now,” she whispered.

Miroku smiled and hugged her to him, relishing in the warmth of his new family.

“Inuyasha and Kagome should share in this moment,” Sango said after a moment. “They’re part of our family, too. Can you go to their hut and ask them if they want to come over to our hut for supper?”

His frown faded. “Kagome is home alone, actually; Inuyasha had to depart unexpectedly to go to the Western Palace. While you were asleep, he came by to make sure we kept an eye out for Kagome. I will get Kagome, if you want; I’m sure she’s tired of making her own suppers, especially now that she’s pregnant. Plus, if we’re supposed to keep an eye out for her, it might not be a good idea to let her dine alone.”

“Poor Kagome…Is she ever going to be left alone with Inuyasha without the prying eyes of others? I feel so bad for her…”

“I will collect her, then; she must be lonely.”

Miroku left the safety of the hut, the image of his wife and children fading into the background with each step he took. The sky overhead was bare of clouds, the sun warming the surrounding landscape and grasping the ambiance of peace. The day was perfect; Miroku felt as if Naraku had never existed in the first place, and that this peace had never died in the first place.

But this peace was short lived when he entered the find the hut naked of inhabitants.

It was midafternoon; Kagome should’ve been inside the house right now, like she always was; she only went to Kaede’s grave early in the morning or at night. Alarm coursed through Miroku, and sweat beaded on his brow. Pleading for a mishap, he rushed towards Kaede’s gravesite, holding on to the strand of hope that weaved itself around him. When he broke through the trees and found only the Sacred Tree and the grave beneath it, his spirits sank.

Kagome was gone.

..::OO::..

She was exhausted.They had been traveling for three days in some unknown direction, and had been on the road since dawn broke over the hills. Kagome didn’t know how much further she had to walk; she didn’t the destination in which she was forced to go. Her feet ached with each step she took, yet she silenced her complaints and kept her eyes forward; she didn’t want to cause trouble.

She had woken up after her faint to find herself slung over a man’s back. Once he had realized she was awake, he barked out her status to the others and set her down roughly, tying her hands behind her back with a piece of rope. Then he sharply commanded her to walk. She obeyed without question, not willing to risk the safety of her child.

“Hurry up, you stupid girl!” a man snarled at her slowing pace, roughly pushing her forward.

She bit back the protests that rose to her lips.Inuyasha…Where are you? she thought. I hope you’re safe.

The traveling procession carried on without a word.

..::OO::..

“What do you mean, ‘Kagome’s gone?’” Sango asked incredulously at Miroku’s news, eyes wide with genuine surprise.

“I mean that when I went to her hut, she was gone. She isn’t by Kaede’s grave, either!” Miroku’s scowl deepened at the reality of his words. “Inuyasha is going to kill us.”

“Do you think she was…kidnapped?”

“The thought has crossed my mind before.”

Sango bit her lip, suddenly worried for her friend. “Miroku, I’m scared. Perhaps we should send a messenger to Inuyasha; this could be a serious situation, and one that we should not be involved in.”

“I agree.” His eyes drifted to their still sleeping children, suddenly worried. “What if we are next, Sango? I fear they’ll take you along with Kagome. Perhaps they are angry at the people who killed Naraku, and want revenge? The possibilities are endless. I will send a messenger immediately; the sooner, the better.”