Demon Slayer Sango

Chapter 2

"Kagome! Inuyasha! Shippo!"

"Sango!"

As the huntress approached Kaede's dwelling she delighted to see her friends already waiting at the edge of the village wearing large smiles, waving her in. Sango had agreed to spend a few days catching up and visiting, and also planned to accompany Inuyasha on his regular safety patrols of the area. They worked well as a team-- he with his Tetsusaiga and she with Hiraikotsu were a formidable pair against any marauding oni or youkai, and for once the hanyou had welcomed the offer of help. Sango was a strong fighter, as skilled as any at battling the annoying oni and demons that occasionally plagued the area.

She anxiously drank them in as she got closer. She'd missed them so! The kitsune seemed to have grown an inch or two since she'd last seen him-- he perched on Inuyasha's shoulder but seemed ready to bound away toward her in excitement at any moment. Kagome looked distinctly larger and rounder, her pregnancy obvious. She moved slowly but looked utterly happy, completely content. Sango smiled, overjoyed for her friend.

Inuyasha for the most part seemed unchanged-- same red firerat fir, same messy white mane of hair, still the same loud, boisterous voice. In the back of her mind Sango noted how Inuyasha's gleaming eyes were much like his brother Sesshomaru's in color and shape. The white hair was another similarity, although the elder sibling did a much better job at grooming than did his half-brother. Sango vaguely wondered what else they had in common despite their sharply differing temperaments and mutual, open dislike. Refocusing her attention she clapped her hands together in delight as Kagome bounded to her, a bit awkward in her heavy state of pregnancy.

"Sango!" The friends embraced warmly, smiling and giggling. It had been a long time since the demon slayer last visited Kaede's village. It had taken a leisurely three day's journey with Kirara to reach them. Occasionally the demon slayer and the neko youkai would stop to hear reports from other villages about any troublesome monsters that might be lurking about. It paid to keep on top of any surges in activity, and Sango preferred to know what might be brewing in the area rather than be surprised by a nest of big, angry youkai seeking human victims. As a precaution, she'd brought Hirakotsu-- one could never be too prepared in these forests.

Inuyasha beamed proudly as he walked up and slipped his arm around Kagome. Sango shook her head-- he had been smitten with Kagome for ages before finally declaring his desire to mate her. The silly hanyou had been too proud to admit his feelings during the entire time they had been searching for the Shikon no Tama. Sango knew all along that the girl from the future would accept him as well. It was one of those situations where two people were destined for each other-- a perfect bond.

Sango felt a pang of jealousy. It seemed her fate would be vastly different from that of her friends. She would probably have to go through life on her own without a family, making her way as best she could doing extermination work. Still she was happy for the couple and now gawked at Kagome's protruding belly. She patted it softly, grinning warmly. "Oh my! You've got a big pup in there haven't you Kagome?"

"Damn straight," snorted Inuyasha.

Kagome gave him a glare and turned back to Sango. "This baby is a feisty one...it is already jumping around and behaving like him!" She jabbed a thumb in Inuyasha's direction. He sniffed. "It keeps me awake at night-- I don't mind though." She patted her belly thoughtfully, lovingly. "I have no idea if I'm having a boy or girl...even Kaede says she isn't sure..."

"Keh. It's going to be a boy."

Shippo perked up once the demon slayer's bright smile turned to him. "Sango tell us about your new cottage! Have you been fighting many demons? We miss you around here, Miroku showed up and was asking for you-- he really misses you Sango and--" Silence. Her smile fell at the mention of the monk's name.

"Shut up runt--" snarled Inuyasha, poking the embarrassed fox.

"Hey! That hurts!"

"Miroku?" Sango repeated, barely whispering the name. She looked down at her feet.

"Yes, he's here Sango." Kagome shot another glare at the hanyou and the youkai. "Inuyasha and Shippo let it out that you'd be coming to the village and he insisted on being here. I'm sorry. I tried to explain that it might not be a good idea...I asked him to wait at Kaede's hut until you were ready..."

Sango shook her head. That monk. Hadn't she told him things were over with-- that there were no more chances for the two of them? She sighed. There was no way Miroku would ruin this visit for her. If she had to talk to him to tell him again it was over then so be it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

High on a perch of cliffs Sesshomaru stood gazing out over a vast terrain that spread below him in a great expanse. Satisfactory. Quite satisfactory. The current peaceful and well organized state of his lands testified to the effectiveness of his ability to nearly single handedly maintain order and harmony among those who served him and claimed his protection. Shining golden eyes followed a jagged line of mountains far into the distance and then scanned back to the nearer wide valley.

During this time of year everything shone a bright verdant green-- grasses, trees, flowers bloomed fresh and alive, the land was vital as no other he'd seen before. The demon lord would never speak aloud but he was fiercely proud of the beauty and fertility of his lands and thanked the gods for being generous. Lesser lords had to contend with desolate, fallow territory, rocky places where nothing grew. Not Sesshomaru. There were many villages and settlements under his protection, and most were peaceful. Yes many he'd seen, both youkai and human on tours of the realm with his late father the leader Inutaisho.

The Lord of the Western lands had great respect for the memory of his father-- the greatest dog demon commander who ever lived it was said. Inutaisho had been greatly loved by his people and had commanded unquestioned loyalty from his warriors and attendant feudal lords. He had taken a special interest in his son Sesshomaru by carefully molding him as heir and eventual ruler of the Western lands. In the end the son and father had maintained a somewhat chilly but cordial relationship until the latter's abrupt death, something which had hardened the younger lord considerably.

In his opinion Inutaisho had died in shame recklessly protecting a lowly human woman and her hanyou child (his brother Inuyasha) rather than attending to his duties as leader at a time of turmoil in the land. Sesshomaru himself was just coming into his own as a prince of his people, still somewhat unsteady and tentative as a commander. He'd had to learn very quickly how rule: how to balance the competing interests of various often violent factions in his kingdom, how to soothe the inflated egos of belligerent nobles and vassals, how to use brute force as persuasion when necessary. The young lord had been compelled to lead warriors into battle more than once to maintain order in the violent aftermath of his father's demise. But that had been decades ago.

Sesshomaru continued to ruminate as his keen eyes wandered the countryside.
Most who had known her thought Sesshomaru took strongly after his mother, a commander of a minor territory in her own right from an ancient and noble clan of inuyoukai. Nayame had been widely called the most beautiful demoness in the land before her equally untimely death shortly after his birth. He frowned whenever he thought of her-- would things have been any different in his life had she lived, had he grown up knowing her and been influenced by her thoughts and beliefs? Would he be a different kind of demon lord, more yielding perhaps?

It sometimes alarmed him the way lesser demons and humans often cowered to the point of hysteria at the hint of his presence...they were inferior, yes, and were smart to fear him. He concluded long ago that his unsettling reputation was a useful tool of control, and did not shrink from inspiring such a view of himself in others. He shook his head. No. No one, not his mother had she lived nor anyone else would have changed him. Sesshomaru had always kept a careful hold on his emotions, normally showing only a cold expressionless mask in response to any situation. He had been that way from the days of his childhood-- aloof, calculating, intensely intelligent with a superior and chilly attitude toward everyone around him. For the most part it had served him well, and now that he had come into his full power as a demon he thought it prudent to let no one forget what he was capable of. In a world like this where strength and domination and power meant survival, it was necessary.

A more practical thought now nagged at his brain. Would his mother have helped him to find a mate had she lived? Lately it had been made clear to him by the court in subtle but respectful ways that he was expected to produce an heir, someone to carry on the great taiyoukai bloodline of his father and therefore leadership of the Western lands. Only he and Inuyasha were left of Inutaisho's family, and Sesshomaru would be damned if any progeny of that bastard half-breed would ever have a claim to the throne of the Western lands. Sesshomaru had recently learned of the impending birth of Inuyasha's pup by that bothersome human wench of his, making the issue of his own mating slightly more pressing.

The demon lord had come to the realization that he needed to take care of the situation. Not because the court wished it, not out of tender feelings for any particular female, but because he, the prime decisionmaker for his people, saw that it was necessary. If he died and left no heir the territories would be thrown into chaos-- they had nearly come apart at the death of his father even though Sesshomaru had been in place to inherit. He cursed the cantakerousness of his people, and their frequent inability to get along with each other and the human villages dotting the land. He had to be constantly vigilant to put down dangerous plots and punish traitors. He needed a son of his own blood to train to take over when the time came. Yes, it was time to strengthen the bonds between the people and their lord through the birth of one or more new male taiyoukai.

There was something else. The solitude. Sesshomaru was alone and felt it, though the great and fierce lord would never tell anyone such. He'd never had any significant connection to a female beyond the act of coupling-- there simply had been no time or space in his life for a feminine presence beyond household staff or the occasional bedmate. Inuyoukai culture was strongly masculine; females were considered useful mainly for breeding pups and serving their male counterparts, with significant exceptions.

Many a noble demoness had been attracted to the handsome and powerful lord-- to his fine appearance and trademark mysterious reticence. Sesshomaru indulged himself on occasion with these high-born inuyoukai females though he rebuffed many more than he slept with. He used the same chilly emotional distance to keep his bedmates at arm's length as he did with everyone else but still had no lack of attention from the noble women of his court. Many longed to be Lady of the Western lands, however none so far had succeeded in breaking the icy shell their lord so steadfastly maintained.

They knew it not, but Sesshomaru believed much of the inuyoukai court to be frivolous at best, especially the females, and as a result he trusted only a few close advisors and confidants. The rest he considered to be mostly lapdogs and chatterers who thought nothing about starting intrigue for its own sake, something he had no patience for. He sighed inwardly. Still they were his people, he was their lord, and he meant to fulfill his duty by taking a mate sooner rather than later. It would be difficult to wait until he found someone suitable, 'perhaps even someone who can put up with me.' A rare wry smile crept over his face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Eat girl-- look at Kagome. She's already on her third bowl!" The elderly Kaede urged Sango on after she'd set down her partially consumed serving of rice and fish. Sango was silently worried about the old miko-- she seemed even weaker and more unsteady than the last time she'd been to visit. Still the meal Kaede had prepared was passable, and Sango finished it off with a smile. She and Kagome exchanged looks-- yes, the younger woman would have to take over soon for the old priestess.

"Kagome has a reason to eat a lot-- her baby is hungry inside her!" quipped the kitsune as he dove into his bowl.

"Yes, she does Shippo. But I've had plenty. Thank you, Kaede-san. Inuyasha-- should we get going on patrol?"

"Huh? Yeah I guess so... Hey don't you need to talk to Miroku?" asked Inuyasha between swallows of food.

Sango replied in a clear, definitive voice. "He can wait." With that she got up to change into her armor and get Hiraikotsu.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Rin. You belong at your studies. Hisako will come get you." Sesshomaru looked up from the parchment he'd been studying to quietly acknowledge the presence of his ward. Hisako, a senior noblewoman and honored member of the household had special charge of Rin's education whenever the girl was at the palace. No doubt Rin was a refugee from her studies this very instant.

The little girl had learned to creep almost silently into his library whether the demon lord was present or not. It gave him a slight moment of amusement. She had to know he could detect her presence regardless of how quietly she crept about. The staff had learned to give the human girl a wide berth knowing she was the direct responsibility of their leader and Hisako and therefore did not make a fuss when she'd come exploring the corridors of Sesshomaru's work area.

"My lord, I want to learn to fish." Rin folded her hands and placed them behind her back. She spoke meekly but clearly.

"What?" He responded quietly and cooly while his eyes eyes returned to scan the parchment. He thought he'd heard her mumble something about fishing.

"I want to learn to fish. Sango said she'd teach me. Hisako can take me, or Jaken..."

"Sango? That human woman?" The youkai fixed the girl with a sharp stare. Rin nodded. It had been several days since she'd been retrieved from the demon slayer's home and Sesshomaru had hoped she'd simply forget about the incident. In fact the opposite happened-- Rin had managed to mention the huntress to her guardian every day in one way or another since then, and made it clear she wanted to see her again. Sesshomaru wasn't the type of demon to concern himself with every detail of his ward's life, but he was struck by the fact that Rin seemed to have formed some kind of genuine attachment to the young woman. It was rare for her to warm to anyone besides himself, and even rarer to want to be separated from his presence for any significant amount of time. Still he hesitated. He had no interest in having anything more to do with humans. It was just so distasteful.

"Rin, you must realize that your place is here. You have to learn your characters and learn to be useful at court. You can't simply go running about the territory on a whim." He spoke softly and cooly without scolding.

"Please, Sesshomaru-sama? No one here knows how to do the things Sango does! I want to make a pretty flower wreath and learn how to cook. No one here ever has time for me or is ever kind to me the way she was..."

He looked up but his voice remained controlled, his expression blank. "Someone has offended you? Who is it and I will see to the matter. They will pay attention to you if I order it." Rin shook her head. Her lord was difficult to ask things of. She knew what 'seeing to the matter' and 'I order it' would mean in spite of her youth, and was beginning to realize that Sesshomaru would usually use a bonfire where a spark would do in any given situation. Normally she did not like to bother him and rarely asked her lord for anything, but on this she had her heart set.

"No Sesshomaru-sama. I just miss her. And I like her. I wonder what it is like for other girls, human girls. I never get to be with others like me. May I go to her my lord? Just for a short time..." She fidgeted and stared at the demon with large, watery eyes. His expression did not change-- such appeals to emotion were alien to his cold analytical mind. However something did begin to dawn on him. It was natural for like animals to seek the company of one another. Dogs sought dogs, wolves other wolves. Humans congregated together. Perhaps the child did need interaction with beings of her own kind. Although Sesshomaru had little regard for human emotions he desired that his ward not experience undue stress. In this place overrun with dog demons Rin had no access to her own people.

Demons, even young ones tended to be harsh and highly competitive even when at leisure. Sesshomaru had forbid any of the children at the palace from playing with Rin out of concern for her safety. Poor weak human child. He made his decision and responded as cooly and evenly as ever. "She will come here Rin. No one from this court will go calling after some human wench. Certainly I won't. Nor will Hisako." With that he returned to his reading, dismissing the now ecstatic girl who skipped away to rejoice in her good fortune.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sickening stench of belligerent spider demon caused Sango's stomach to clench as Inuyasha readied Tetsusaiga. The awful monster screamed and lurched at them, seeking a quick meal. Sango stepped forward, her Hiraikotsu at the ready. They hadn't expected to encounter any demons on that night's patrol of the area around Kaede's village, but here it was.

With a blinding flash of speed first one and then two more legs of the ugly demon were sliced off by the exterminator. Sango had been trained from girlhood to hunt and kill all types of demons and monsters which often murdered and even ate their victims. She fought fiercely, every battle with a demon her attempt to push away the pain associated with memories of her village and family's destruction at the hands of Naraku. For she still fought the ghosts of that evil, unable to let them rest. Sango was reluctant to admit it but it was a large part of the reason why she remained a demon slayer.

"Ouch!!!" Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her left thigh. She gasped in horror to see one of the unharmed legs of the wretched demon digging into her flesh. Inuyasha howled and struck with Tetsusaiga, cleaving the demon's ugly head in two before it could hurt Sango any further.

"Stupid, stupid!" Sango cursed herself as she disengaged the foul appendage from her leg. How could she have let her attention falter? The wretched demon wasn't even that formidable. Making sure the creature was dead, Inuyasha ran to her and examined the wound briefly.

"Well wench it looks like that one got you pretty good. Nice going, Sango. Come on, Kagome will be able to patch it right back up." He helped his friend by carrying her on his back to the village. Sango remembered with a smile how he used to carry Kagome this way-- she had to admit it was easier than walking on her lame leg.

~~~~~

"Sango is hurt!!! I must see her!" Miroku got up and headed for the door. Inuyasha stopped him before he could walk out.

"Wait you stupid monk. You'll just upset her if you go running in there now. Kagome is bandaging her up. She'd probably beat you just for walking in on her half-dressed." Inuyasha tried to calm his friend, the normally easygoing monk Miroku. They waited in Kaede's hut while the rest were assembled in Kagome and Inuyasha's little cottage near the edge of the village. The priestess had assembled the appopriate herbs and supplies to treat Sango's wound and now Kagome wrapped bandages around the gash in her leg.

"She has to let me see her!" He began pacing up and down while Inuyasha looked on. "I was a fool before. I love Sango. I've got to make her see that."

"You think she's going to buy that now? After what you did...wait, are you actually trying to say you've changed your ways, Miroku? Your skirt chasing? I don't believe it for a second," sneered Inuyasha. When they were traveling together the hanyou had spent much time with the monk listening to endless tales of encounters with females. It was difficult to believe the hentai houshi would just give it all up.

"Its none of your business Inuyasha, but yes I believe I have changed." Inuyasha slapped his knee and let out a loud guffaw. The day Miroku gave up chasing women was the day his brother Sesshomaru welcomed him at the Inuyoukai Palace with open arms.

"Don't get your hopes up Miroku. I think she's probably moved on."

"She has a lover? Tell me she doesn't." His heart sank.

"What? No! At least I don't think she does. I didn't pick up anything or get the impression she has anybody. I mean, she's tired of crying over you you stupid bastard and decided to move on with her life!" Miroku sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He realized he'd made a terrible mistake with Sango. How could he have ever expected her to accept his behavior? He longed to prove to her that he was changed...he wanted her back.

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