The Cruel Path to Your Arms

The Cruel Path to Your Arms

The sun shone brightly in the blue sky above.  The wind blew gently through the field of pink and white flowers.  A girl, perhaps in her twenties, but still very young, sat quietly in this field, her head raised to the clouds above her.  With her knees gathered close to her bosom by a wrapped arm, she held her head upwards with the aide of her arm which rested on her knee.  It didn’t seem as if she was sad, and it didn’t seem as if she were lonely.  On the contrary, she seemed to bask in her thoughts, whether good or bad.  This was what the young monk standing nearby gathered.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

It had been a year since Sango had last seen her brother, Kohaku.  Every day she had worried fervently for her brother.  What was he up to?  Where was he now?  Is he safe?  All these questions prodded the young exterminator’s mind.  Now gazing up at the peaceful sky in the quiet setting, she was better able to contemplate these questions.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

“KOHAKU!” Sango yelled at the top of her lungs.  “KOHAKU!”

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

The young girl let out a sigh as the wind softly blew through her long, brown hair.   ‘Why didn’t you answer?’ she asked herself.  ‘I knew you were there.  We were so close, and yet…’

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

“Kirara?” Sango gasps when her eyes gaze upon her two-tailed friend.  “Wh-what are you doing here?”

Kirara gave a slight ‘mew’ in response before she pranced off.  “Wait!” Sango called after her.  

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

The girl closes her eyes to hold back the tears.  ‘Why did you see him, and I didn’t?’ she asked herself.  She winced in partial anger.  ‘Why did he show himself to you, yet hide from me?’

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

“Kirara, where are you going?” Sango called out in a frustrated tone.  It seemed Kirara knew something that Sango didn’t, which irritated her slightly.  “Kirara, please.”

Before she knew it, the cat demon stopped and gave her ‘mew.’  Sango’s eyes widened at the sight before her.  “K-Kirara, i-it’s beautiful,” Sango states breathily.  Before her lay a field covered in beautiful, spring flowers.  The green of the grass and the pink and white of the flowers brightened up the field more than the sun did.  Gracefully the strands moved back and forth as the wind blew among them.

Happy with her master’s response, Kirara prances deeper into the meadow.  Sango follows suit.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Another sigh escaped the girl’s lips as she continued to dive deeper into her memory.  She inhaled deeply so she could smell the flowers around her.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

After moving about the field for a few moments, Sango plopped herself down on a small hill surrounded by the beautiful flowers, and also had an excellent view of the whole field.  She brought her knees up to her chest and held them close to her.  Placing her head on her knees, she glanced over at her friend and smiled.  “Thank you, Kirara.”  Kirara moved closer to her master and nuzzled Sango’s side, purring happily.  Unwrapping one of her hands, she softly placed it on Kirara’s head.

“You saw him, didn’t you?” Sango asked, sweetness in her voice.

Kirara slowly nodded her head in reply.

“How was he?”

A gently purr proceeded.

“That’s good,” Sango smiled, relief in her voice.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

The young monk standing a good ways off sighed as he continued to watch the girl.  She had been out there for several hours, which worried him.  Making up his mind, he decided to walk out to her.  Slowly he shifted through the flowers and grass as he strolled toward the girl.  His heart raced in his chest, causing him to have trouble breathing.  What would he say to her?  He knew exactly what was going through her mind, but what could he say to make her feel better?

Finally he came upon her.  He cleared his throat and began.  “Sango?”

Startled, the girl leapt up, picked up a rock close by, and swung it behind her.  

“OUCH!” the young monk exclaimed.

Once the girl was completely around, she held her hands against her mouth as her eyes widened.  “Miroku?  I-I’m so sorry,” she apologized, quickly moving to his side.  She placed her hands near his head to view the damage.

“Good aim,” the monk complimented.  The girl laughed softly.

“I’m sorry, really.  I wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s okay,” the monk smiles as he begins to sit up.  “Ergh,” he grunts as the pain in his head shot forward.  

“Lie back down,” Sango commanded.  She gently helped him down on the ground as she fumbled in her clothes for some ointment.  When she brought out her hand, visibly clasped inside was a small container.  She opened it and gently dabbed her finger in the white liquid.  “This should help with the cut,” she explained.

The monk’s eyes closed as she began to rub her finger on his forehead.  Suddenly he felt a sharp pain on his cheek.

“It seems you’re okay,” Sango stated furiously.

“Heh, sorry.  It just seemed like the perfect time,” the monk explained, rubbing at the red, hand mark on his cheek.

Sango quickly placed the container back under her clothes and turned her back towards the monk.  Why did he always seem to enjoy touching her butt?  “Why are you here anyways?” Sango asked shortly.

“I wanted to see if you were okay.”

“I’m fine, so you can go away.”

“I don’t think you are.”

Sango turned around sharply and stared at the monk.  “How do you know what I’m feeling?!” she yelled.

Miroku sighed and stated, “Because I see that look in your eye.”

Sango’s cheeks began to turn a bright shade of red.  “M-my eye?”

Miroku nodded.

“I’m fine, I swear,” Sango said, straightening up.

“You’re thinking about Kohaku.”

“So what if I am?”

“Talk to me about it.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because there’s nothing to talk about to you,” Sango said shortly.  She stared down at the monk, but suddenly softened her gaze.  The hurt in his eyes was too much for her to bear.  “I’m sorry.”

“If you say so,” the monk said softly, rising to leave.  Suddenly a hand grabbed his.

“Stay,” Sango commanded sweetly, her eyes looking away from him.

“But, my dear, there is nothing for you to talk about to me,” he stated simply.

“Look, I’m sorry for saying that, it’s just…”

“Just what?” Miroku asked, squatting down in front of her.  He grasped her chin and pulled her head towards him.  “Look at me, please.”  With reddened cheeks, Sango complied, turning her sparkling, hazel eyes towards him.  “I don’t pretend to know exactly what you’re going through,” he began sternly.  “All I know is that when someone is hurt, they usually feel better when they talk to someone.”

Tears started streaming down her eyes at his words.  Miroku raised his other hand to her cheeks and wiped them away.  “Do not cry.  I’m here for you.”  

Getting lost in the moment, Sango forced herself upon him.  She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck.  “Oh, Miroku,” she cried.  “I’m afraid.”

“Afraid of what?” he asked, wrapping his arms even tighter around her waist.

“I’m afraid for Kohaku.  I’m afraid for our friends.  I’m afraid for you.”

“Don’t be afraid for me.”

“I can’t not be!  I’m afraid that Naraku will do to you just as he did with Kohaku if you die of that wind tunnel, or some other cause, before we kill him.  I don’t know if I could stand seeing someone else I love not knowing who I am, or not being able to be with me.”

Miroku and Sango slowly pulled away from each other to gaze into each other’s eyes.  Suddenly the world seemed to fade away, along with its worries.  For a brief moment it was just the two of them, gazing safely, longingly, into each other’s eyes.  

“Sango.”

“Miroku.”

They each closed their eyes as their lips came together.   A single tear fluttered from Sango’s eyes.  It was all too perfect.  It was all too much like a dream.  As they broke the kiss and laid down in the soft grass, staring up into the sky, Sango’s head laying on Miroku’s breast, the world seemed not so cruel.  If it hadn’t been for all the trouble and pain in the world, they would not be here for this moment of peace.  They would not be so much in love.

“I love you, Sango.”  

She quickly raised her head and moved up closer to Miroku’s own.  Her eyes searched his face drastically until they stopped once again on those eyes.  It was real.

“I love you too, Miroku.”

Again they came together and rested there in the sun, basking in their own light and joy.