autumnleaf16

Author’s Note: I suddenly had the idea of putting up chapter titles by using a random Japanese word (although my knowledge of Japanese is pretty bad as I only know some random words). But anyway, that actually help me to get some inspiration.
So this chapter title is Kaze, which means wind.

Even though the new kimono fitted her perfectly, Sango found herself unable to throw her tattered clothing away, because they were a reminder of what was real.
Whenever she walked under the night sky and its watcher the moon, with her hair decorated by Rin’s flowers, she felt as if she had slipped into a fantastical life by having transformed into a princess.
These princesses whom Miroku found so beautiful…she couldn’t help but to wonder at what Miroku would say if he saw her attired like this. In fact, she almost wanted to find him just to parade in front of him in this elaborate kimono. Would he then lavishly devote his attention to her as he always would to these princesses?
She felt beautiful due to this kimono- something she was never certain of before. Like many girls, she would stare hard at her reflection when she bathed, and tried to work out whether it was pleasing or not.
She never reached a conclusion by herself, or from other’s compliments, because it was usually her skills that were praised, as everyone knew that she regarded her skills as the more important thing.
Thoughts of Miroku no longer hurt so much, he seemed too distant from her. Strange as it was, she felt safe here, nothing seemed to be able to invade this place. Rationally she should be sacred or at least be weary of Sesshomaru, but she was certain that he would not harm her in anyway.
It almost seemed that she was living in a fairy world, isolated from the harshness and cruelty of reality.
But the truth was that there was no such a place.

Rin was fond of walking with her, but Sango seemed to be by herself on this night, as the young girl had decided to sleep. She did not mind, as she welcomed a time of being alone with her thoughts.
As she was only a human, despite her great skills as a yokai exterminator, the hidden person was certain that she would not suffer any disillusionment about the true state of her privacy.
Sesshomaru had watched over her ever since she first began these midnight walks. He was reluctant to change the prejudices he had lived with for centuries, but he couldn’t help but to feel admiration whenever he looked at her.
Dressed in a kimono worthy of a princess, she now looked so gentle and soft, but he only needed to shift his gaze to her dark eyes to see the determination and strength that could not be concealed just by being wrapped in the fineries usually used to restrain females.
That was what made her beautiful in his eyes.
It was the gentleness that existed with her strength- two characteristics that were usually separate, instead of being side by side.
Unlike the fragile princess his father ended up loving, or the miko his half brother was involved with, this human woman would not normally need protectors. In fact, he felt that the man whom she would allow to protect her, must be the one she loved the most.
As she would love him enough to exist alongside him, instead of dominating over him completely.
He was so lost in his reveries that he did not notice the stench of Naraku until it was right in front of them.

The user of wind brought her memories of her dead brother, because there were times when Kohaku had been beside Kagura, while the creator of Kagura was also the one who caused so many pains.
She wanted to give up everything to go back to these simple days when she had a home to return too. As she stared into the blades formed from wind, she seemed to see many faces.
Her stern but loving father; the slightly distant image of her mother who died many years ago; her brother whispering his fear of not being able to please their father or be as strong as her; the kind aunt like women who had kept her company when her mother was gone; as well as many of her childhood friends whom she could barely recall.
Each one of these people was dead due to Naraku.
Were Kagura’s blades the path towards them?
If the wind user had intend to fight for the sake of killing, then she would have finally die, even though Sesshomaru was running to her- his hand stretched out to pull her away.
But the blades were slower then usual, allowing Sango to step away when she suddenly realized that she no longer wished to die.
A hand grasped her by the wrist and hurled her away, much to her immediate displeasure, as she had never been fully happy whenever someone fought for her, instead of fighting with her. But her expression quickly changed to one of shock when she saw the one who intended to protect her.
The attacks stopped, as Kagura was able to make her exist with the excuse of having to flee due to Tokijin’s aura. Throwing her feather down, she quickly left the strange couple, although she was rather tempted to find out why the yokai who loathed humans so much would want to protect a human who was also a yokai exterminator.

“You saved me.” Sango said softly, her hands slightly shaking under the kimono’s trailing sleeves due to her nervousness.
He nodded, and even spoke: “I told you I would make sure that you stay alive.” Fearing that this might be mistaken for compassion, he quickly added: “Although I do not see why, as you seem so eager to die.”
At his reference to how she had remained immobile until the last moment, she smiled rather sadly.
“You will call me pathetic if you know my story- what cause me to act the way I do.” She whispered. “Most people would probably call me weak as well. But these sufferings are deep for me for the simple reason that they are my pains.”
She expected no reply from her companion…if he could be called that, so she began to walk back to the cave. A light wind tossed her hair into the wind to reveal her lonely and bitter eyes, showing her sorrowful expression.
Upon arriving in what became her home since the last few days, she gently picked up the fallen blanket and replaced it over Rin’s sleeping form, as well as covering the little girl with her own blanket because this night was extremely cold. Then she sat down, wrapping Sesshomaru’s pelt around her. He never asked her about it, so she continued wearing it.
“Maybe you are weak.” He stated bluntly, standing at the entrance of the cave, but his voice was not harsh as it usually was, although it still lacked emotion. “But you are at least strong, as you understand what few could.”
Watching him leaving once again, she pulled the pelt around her tighter. What was happening to her? Why was it that his opinion suddenly seemed to matter so much? The last time she had been so moved by someone’s words was when Miroku proposed to her.
How could she even explain that it was the thought of him that allowed her to find the strength of stepping away from Kagura’s attack?
By thinking of him, she had wanted to continue living, although she could not understand why. His amber eyes were still hard and distant, but yet she had wanted to be in his company a bit longer.
At least she didn’t want to leave it yet by dying.

Author’s Note: Yeah, another chapter done, although I was expecting that this chapter would be the beginning of them being together, guess not yet. Maybe the next chapter? It’s just that it is quite hard to write this fan fiction as I want to make every one rather in character. So hope that this chapter is alright, and Sango is focused more in this chapter, which is really good, as that is what I intended, although some were shown by Sesshomaru. I hope I did not get out of character. As to what I said about Sango, what I mean is that because she is such a strong woman that she would probably dominate her husband without intending to as she would not need to rely on him, so if she let someone protect him it is a sign of love, as she probably wouldn’t need to. I hope that make sense…