InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Identity Crisis ❯ Chapter Twelve ( Chapter 12 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: ladygriddlebone 
Sango faces the demon.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 03.22.2009 | Updated On: 03.23.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 565 | Status: Completed
Sango faces the demon.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 03.22.2009 | Updated On: 03.23.2010 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 565 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter Twelve
As soon as they reached the clearing surrounding the enormous tree, Kirara leaped into the air. Miroku hung on for dear life, searching in the dim light for any sign of Sango. There was none.
The clearing looked smaller than he had thought it would. It appeared to be dead and empty, save for the carcass of the tree that rose from its center. But even so, he knew that Kirara would not have brought him here without reason.
Suddenly, he caught sight of something unmistakably familiar lying in the shadows near the base of the tree: Hiraikotsu.
"Kirara, we have to go down there and take a look around. I can't see well enough from up here," he said, speaking loudly to be heard over the wind as they circled the tree yet again.
The suggestion made Kirara angry enough that she twisted her head around to growl at him. He was surprised when she did as he asked, in spite of her obvious objections, and landed beside the tree near where Sango's weapon lay. Even though there was no enemy in sight, he took his cues from Kirara and kept his guard up.
There was no sign of a struggle, or any sort of hint as to what might have happened to Sango aside from the obvious fact that something had taken her. He found himself wishing that Kirara could talk, so she could tell him what she had seen before returning to the campsite to wake him. More than that, he wanted to know why she had abandoned Sango in the first place. Had Sango ordered her to leave? Or had she come of her own accord, hoping to save her mistress?
The wondering made his heart ache with worry and regret. He should have known better, should have realized that she wouldn't give up her plans without a fight like that. He knew she was far too stubborn for her own good. He should have been more watchful... He frowned, and turned a full circle to see if he would notice anything new from ground level.
A rustling sound nearby caught his attention, and as he turned to locate the source he barely had time to leap out of the way before a mass of vines shot out of the ground at his feet. It was Kirara's sudden movement that had alerted him, and he whispered a quick thanks to the cat demon as they both backed up.
The vines were obviously being controlled by something below ground, but they seemed equally aware of things on the surface, for they changed direction and came after him again; he was already reaching for ofuda scrolls, but the things were moving so quickly that he only had time to hit a few of them before realizing that running was his best chance. Kirara growled and took off in the other direction, forcing the demon to split its attack.
Miroku cursed. If she had stayed with him, he might have tried the wind tunnel, but if there was a chance of pulling her in with the demon he was not willing to take the risk.
He skidded to a halt. The vines did not immediately attack, seeming instead to be searching for the best chance at catching him. The tips were shaped like knives, and looked to be just as sharp - not exactly how he had planned on dying.
He dodged the first attack, even managing to land a blow with his staff that sent the first group reeling backward, disintegrating as they retreated. But without Kirara to warn him, he missed the arrival of another attack from underground.
Vines erupted from the earth beneath his feet, swarming, writhing, grabbing, squeezing… He struggled to pull free, but the vines held him tight and even wrapped around his staff to pull it from his grip. He realized with horror that the thing, whatever it was, was pulling him down, into the ground. Was this what had happened to Sango?
Something - thorns, or knifelike vine-tips - bit into his flesh.
He tasted blood.
The last thing he saw was Kirara shrinking to her small form and disappearing amid a stand of dead grass after being tossed aside by the vines. Then all he saw was darkness as the vines pulled him, squeezing and pricking him with dozens of thorns, into the pit.
-----
"Demon slayer!"
Sango turned to see who had spoken. There was no sign of the demon that had been tormenting her, just a mass of vines that seemed to grow from every surface of the tunnel. She was pleased to see just how many she had severed in her fight, though she did not know if the damage would have any effect on the demon. So where had that voice come from? She was certain she had heard something.
"Demon slayer!" The voice was more insistent this time, and louder. Sango looked in the direction it had come from and nearly did a double take.
It was a very small woman, dressed in a fine kimono that was decorated with delicate embroidery. Her hair was green, and looked almost like leaves. For some reason, Sango was able to see the creature clearly in spite of the darkness.
"What… who… are you?"
"I am Midori."
Sango leaned closer to get a better look and winced due to a sudden stab of pain. "You're not a demon," she commented, hoarsely. "I sense no evil from you."
The small woman shrugged. "I bear no evil intent toward you, demon slayer. I am in need of your assistance."
Sango frowned. Skepticism seemed the best path, at least for now. She did not really want to admit to her own weakness; Midori's sudden appearance seemed a bit too fortunate for her tastes. "How do I know you won't end up being worse than the demon I'm trying to kill? Maybe I should squash you right now, while I have the chance."
Midori's eyes widened sadly and sparkled faintly with what might have been tears. "I'm asking you for help because I have no way to defend myself! If you kill me now, then you're no better than that thing up there!"
"Okay, fine. But I don't understand… Who are you? What are you doing in a place like this?" She paused, no longer sure of what to say or how much information to divulge. She did not think that Midori was dangerous, but then again, she had made more mistakes than usual over the past few days.
"I am the spirit of the tree," came the reply, as cryptic as any of her other comments. Sango frowned again; in other words, a tree demon, though one that was arguably non-malevolent. "That demon vine has been growing here some time now, growing slowly stronger and feeding off of my energy as well as that of any humans that stray too close." Her expression darkened. "I have no way to free myself, and so I seek your aid."
Sango nearly flinched at the words. She was not at all certain that she would survive this encounter, and did not need yet another obligation. She did not even know for sure if this creature was real. It, she, whatever it was, seemed impossibly small and to have appeared just in the nick of time to speak to her or save her, whatever its intentions were. It seemed too good to be true. It might have been no more than a figment of her imagination, some hallucination as she lay dying, or yet another trap.
Still… She didn't feel delirious. In fact, despite the physical aches, her mind felt clearer than it had in a long time. And, she had to admit, she really did not get the impression that this creature was a threat.
She was a demon slayer, for better or for worse. And as such, she could not deny aid to one in need, even if that one was perhaps not entirely human, even if that one might not actually exist. And besides, hadn't she just made a decision to fight, no matter her chances of coming out alive? What harm could there be in attempting to help this creature at the same time? After all, they apparently shared the same goal…
She forcibly tempered her urge to help first and ask questions later, knowing that at this point she could not afford to take unnecessary risks. "Midori… If it has been here so long and feeds on your energy… why did you not destroy it sooner?"
"I'm afraid I was lonely." When Sango made no response, aside from a confused blink of the eyes, she went on, "I have spent my entire life in this same spot. I really had no one to talk to… And so when this strange vine sprouted at the base of my tree, I allowed it to remain in the hopes of someday having… a friend."
"But your plan backfired."
"Yes. It grew more quickly than I expected, and very recently it became much stronger than I - and needless to say it had no interest in being my friend. Now it keeps me imprisoned here below ground, while my body withers away above. My roots are still strong, but I will not last much longer."
"I will help you if I can, Midori," Sango promised. She did not think that Midori was lying to her; the whole situation was simply too strange for that. She paused, uncertain of what to say next. Finally, she admitted, "But I don't quite understand what's going on. Where did it go? It was here… the vines…"
"I am not sure where our 'friend' has gone," Midori murmured thoughtfully, tilting her head and pressing a finger absentmindedly against her cheek. "My best guess is that something has attracted its attention and drawn it away. An intruder, perhaps."
An intruder? Sango's heart dropped. Miroku!
"I can temporarily create a barrier to keep the vines at bay," Midori continued, seemingly oblivious of Sango's turmoil. "That is why its vines are unable to harm you, even in its absence. But I will be unable to maintain the barrier for much longer."
Conscious of the fact that her reprieve would soon end, Sango forced herself upright. Her body ached from the abuse she had endured in the fight, but the pain was bearable, and even fading a bit. She gingerly pressed the blades along her arms back into place before retrieving her sword, doing her best to hide the wince as she bent to pick it up, and sheathing the weapon carefully. She took a deep breath, and tried to mentally prepare herself to return to battle.
"Midori," she asked, turning back to the tree spirit - or demon, whichever it was. "Does this thing have any weaknesses?"
"If I knew what that thing's weaknesses were," Midori replied sadly, "I would have found someone to exploit them long ago."
Sango forgot what she had intended to say next, as the creature faded in and out of view for a few seconds before returning to her former appearance.
"Y- you're not real," she managed, her voice little more than a hoarse whisper. It felt almost as if her heart had stopped; she felt oddly and vaguely betrayed. She had been so certain that this was not just another dream or illusion… Had she been wrong to trust Midori, and promise aid to the creature? If it was little more than another illusion, then it could very well be another trap.
"I am the spirit of the tree," Midori said. "This body, however, is a projection. An illusion, if you will. Without it I would be unable to communicate with you, Slayer."
She may have had a point, but Sango found it unnerving. Looking more closely, she realized that the figure was slightly transparent, a fact she might have noticed sooner had she not been so distracted by her own inner turmoil. "I'll do my best to help you," Sango said, struggling to reinforce the promise in her head. Saying it aloud again helped, but not by much. There was more at stake in this than just her own life; she found herself praying that she was wrong and that the demon had backed off for reasons of its own and not because Kirara had returned with Miroku. "But this thing is strong. I don't know if I can beat it."
"I only ask that you try. This may be my last chance." Midori gave a pained look, and vanished as the tunnel suddenly went dark. Sango realized that the barrier against the vines must have provided the light that enabled her to see Midori in the first place. Her voice came out of the darkness, somewhere, to say, "I am sorry… You must go now. I cannot hold it back any longer…"
Fully aware of every creaking, slithering sound as the vines began to move in the darkness, Sango turned and fled toward the opening. This time, protruding roots formed a ladder leading up and out of the hole; Sango fairly flew up and out, whispering a thanks to Midori for the assistance.
She only had time to look for Hiraikotsu and make a run for it before the vines came shooting up out of the hole after her. She grabbed the weapon on the run, and turned and made an expert throw in spite of the protests from her pained muscles. Her heart soared to see her weapon fly true, slicing through the vines effortlessly, and return to her hand. For the first time in many days, she felt real hope spring up in her heart, without the constant fear of failure. I can do this.
She caught hold of the weapon and swung it back into a ready stance with practiced ease. It felt right to be fighting; if only she had realized sooner how wrong it felt to run away.
The vines stopped coming for her, and after a moment coalesced into the form of a woman. "Demon slayer," the woman snarled, her voice harsh, but easily recognized.
Sango had to fight to keep her anger from overwhelming her at the sight of her adversary.
The demon continued before she had a chance to say anything. "So you've escaped while I had my back turned..." Her expression shifted from what might have been anger to what Sango recognized as pure smugness. "You seem more dangerous now that you've retrieved your weapon... Luckily my little expedition was not without its rewards."
With each word, Sango felt her fear returning - not fear that the demon could beat her, for she knew that fully armed and armored she would be a difficult opponent to defeat, but because she was now almost certain that Miroku and Kirara had fallen into a trap of some sort. And with bluster she did not feel, she responded, "I'm here to destroy you, demon. I won't let you distract me anymore!"
The demon grinned, radiating smug satisfaction. "Then you'll let your companion die?"
Sango frowned. She did not know what to think. She had sent Kirara to bring Miroku, but it did not seem like enough time had passed for Kirara to have made it back to their campsite and returned... But her memory was a bit hazy, and she had no idea how long she had been unconscious after the demon captured her. Maybe it had been long enough...
Shaking her head to clear it, she said, "I don't believe for a moment that you've managed to capture Miroku and Kirara, and I certainly don't believe that you'd let them go if I gave myself up."
"Suit yourself," the demon replied, shrugging.
Furious, Sango charged forward, intending to use momentum to strengthen her throw, when the ground suddenly fell away in front of her. Another pit... she realized with horror that the area must be filled with such holes, all cleverly camouflaged and unnoticeable. But what rose out of it only increased her horror.
An obscene mass of vines rose up, though unlike the rushing vines that had pursued her earlier, these rose and writhed together, surrounding some object that they slowly lifted into view.
It looked like… Miroku. Battered and bleeding and tangled up in so many vines that she couldn't count them all. Sango shuddered, with hatred and fear and fury all at the same time, and very nearly dropped Hiraikotsu.
It couldn't be him. She simply could not believe it. It did not seem possible.
How long had it been since the demon stopped squeezing the life from her and she'd spoken with Midori? For that matter, how long had she been unconscious in the first place? She'd lost all sense of time, somehow, and felt more than a little bit lost.
If it really was Miroku, and not an illusion, then where was Kirara? There was no sign of the cat demon.
"Do you believe now, Slayer?" the demon hissed.
"I…" she began, aware of the fact that she was trembling now. "I don't believe you." When she said she did not believe, she meant she could not believe, even though the proof of the demon's threat was right in front of her. She had to keep reminding herself that the demon had used illusions to trick her before, and was probably doing so again... still, she was shaken by the sight of Miroku wound up in the thorny vines, and shuddered at the thought that he might actually be so injured. "You've tricked me too many times. I'm sure you're lying to me again… But I can't take that chance." She hurled Hiraikotsu before she had even finished speaking, her heart pounding hard in her chest.
The weapon sliced through some of the vines, but not enough to free Miroku – if it was really him at all.
By the time she felt the vine wrapping around her ankle it was too late to escape; her frantic grab for Hiraikotsu missed the mark, and she hit the ground hard as the vine yanked her feet out from under her. A crash in the distance told her that Hiraikotsu had landed amidst a stand of thick brush, and she had little chance of recovering the weapon with any amount of speed.
She settled for drawing her sword and hacking her way free from the entangling vines.
By the time she made it back to her feet, she was breathing heavily and the pain from earlier was beginning to return.
"You are a wonderful source of energy, Slayer," the demon said, smiling. "So much anguish, so much torment, burning together inside of you. You bury your lust and your love and even your happiness, deep inside, like no other that I have seen. Give me that and I'll give you what you want."
Sango almost choked. It sounded almost lustful. She shuddered at the thought.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when something brushed against her leg and let out a soft mewling noise. "Kirara!"
Her pathetic hopes died at the sound, only to be replaced by cold desperation. "Kirara, can you fight?"
"Make up your mind, Slayer."
Kirara mewed again, then transformed into her larger form. "Good," Sango said, deliberately ignoring the demon.
"If you do not surrender than I shall use my thorns to poison him, and he will die even if you destroy me," it taunted, its voice strangely reasonable-sounding. "But if you give yourself up and let me devour you, then I will allow him to live."
Its constant prattling was starting to irritate her. Couldn't that thing take a hint? Did it think she was stupid? She knew there was no way it would let Miroku and Kirara go, even if she gave herself up. And this time, she had her armor, her weapons, her closest companions, and a reason to fight; if she was going to die, she was going to go down fighting.
Demon slayers don't die on their knees… It was something Father had said to her once, something she seldom remembered, but his voice was strong in her heart now, a steady reminder that she could do this. For her friends, and for her own honor...
"I'll just have to fight fire with fire," Sango growled. Until this point she'd been reluctant to break into her supplies of poison, but she no longer felt the need to show any mercy. Not if the thing was seriously trying to kill Miroku. She could not let it do that. Without Miroku, she would be utterly lost.
She ran a hand through the thick fur along Kirara's back. "Kirara, can you distract it for me?"
The cat demon gave an assenting snarl and took off toward where the vine demon stood. Sango heard the sounds of a fierce struggle, but could not afford to glance in that direction; she knew Kirara was probably injured, and hoped that her friend would be all right, but at the same time she knew that she needed to get her sword back if she was going to have a chance at winning this battle.
Even on the run, Sango dug her hand into the storage compartment of her armor, feeling for the correct poison. She heard Kirara yelp, and pushed herself to move faster. She had long ago learned to identify each of the tiny containers by feel alone, and knew when she had the correct vial. She found it just in time, and had only a scant second to grab for her sword before the demon vines were on her again.
She turned quickly and dodged, rolling out of the way. She almost lost her grip on the sword, but managed to hang on and roll to her feet.
With one hand she popped the catch on the vial. The poison's pungent stench was enough to make her wish she'd brought her gas mask, though she knew it was not an airborne poison. Glowering at the demon, as if daring it to attack her, she poured the thick liquid over the blade of her sword, rubbing it in with one hand.
"Is this your idea of 'fighting fire with fire,' Slayer?"
Sango, her hands slick and burning with poison paste, snarled, "Die, demon!" and plunged the blade through the nearest vine and deep into the soil.
She had made sure to use the most potent poison in her arsenal, and the demon recoiled almost immediately. Sango smiled, knowing that the poison would spread outward from the wound she'd inflicted, as well as through the earth itself. She hoped Midori, if the tree creature really existed, had roots deep and widespread enough to avoid the worst of the poison.
"What the fuck have you done to me?" the vine demon demanded. It sounded horrified. Looking up, Sango realized that it was already beginning to disintegrate under the onslaught of poison.
She forced herself to her feet, despite her shaking, and stumbled over to where it stood. It seemed very thin and fragile now, hardly the intimidating figure it had cut before. "Die," she repeated, and slammed her sword into its neck. With her slippery fingers and battered blade, it was difficult, but she kept slicing into the thing until the head finally came off.
She knew that the 'head' was simply part of the shape it had chosen to take, and did not particularly care. She felt much better having decapitated the thing. With one last burst of fury, she jammed the sword into the creature's chest, where its heart would have been had it been a mortal creature rather than a demon. She left the sword there as the now lifeless body toppled over and finally hit the ground, and wiped her hands clean against her armor. A deep breath served to quell the worst of her shaking.
Somewhere behind her, Kirara made a soft chirping sound. She knew she had to look, but couldn't bear to do so immediately.
She took a few breaths to steady herself, and turned. She had been praying that this was not Miroku, after all, but seeing him in a bloody, crumpled heap on the ground was more than she could bear. She was at his side in an instant, her own injuries and fatigue forgotten. She could not even remember running to get there, nor flinging herself to the ground beside him.
The wounds looked superficial, but he seemed to be unconscious and his breathing was shallow. Had the demon poisoned him after all? And if so, was there an antidote? He moaned and stirred slightly, but did not wake; Sango felt her panic mounting by the second.
She had been desperately trying to delude herself… That Kirara had not gone after him, and that this was just another illusion from the demon, and that she would stumble back to the camp site and he would be there, and he would be angry with her for going off to fight and leaving him behind and -
And -
"Miroku! Please wake up... Miroku!"
Chapter Twelve
As soon as they reached the clearing surrounding the enormous tree, Kirara leaped into the air. Miroku hung on for dear life, searching in the dim light for any sign of Sango. There was none.
The clearing looked smaller than he had thought it would. It appeared to be dead and empty, save for the carcass of the tree that rose from its center. But even so, he knew that Kirara would not have brought him here without reason.
Suddenly, he caught sight of something unmistakably familiar lying in the shadows near the base of the tree: Hiraikotsu.
"Kirara, we have to go down there and take a look around. I can't see well enough from up here," he said, speaking loudly to be heard over the wind as they circled the tree yet again.
The suggestion made Kirara angry enough that she twisted her head around to growl at him. He was surprised when she did as he asked, in spite of her obvious objections, and landed beside the tree near where Sango's weapon lay. Even though there was no enemy in sight, he took his cues from Kirara and kept his guard up.
There was no sign of a struggle, or any sort of hint as to what might have happened to Sango aside from the obvious fact that something had taken her. He found himself wishing that Kirara could talk, so she could tell him what she had seen before returning to the campsite to wake him. More than that, he wanted to know why she had abandoned Sango in the first place. Had Sango ordered her to leave? Or had she come of her own accord, hoping to save her mistress?
The wondering made his heart ache with worry and regret. He should have known better, should have realized that she wouldn't give up her plans without a fight like that. He knew she was far too stubborn for her own good. He should have been more watchful... He frowned, and turned a full circle to see if he would notice anything new from ground level.
A rustling sound nearby caught his attention, and as he turned to locate the source he barely had time to leap out of the way before a mass of vines shot out of the ground at his feet. It was Kirara's sudden movement that had alerted him, and he whispered a quick thanks to the cat demon as they both backed up.
The vines were obviously being controlled by something below ground, but they seemed equally aware of things on the surface, for they changed direction and came after him again; he was already reaching for ofuda scrolls, but the things were moving so quickly that he only had time to hit a few of them before realizing that running was his best chance. Kirara growled and took off in the other direction, forcing the demon to split its attack.
Miroku cursed. If she had stayed with him, he might have tried the wind tunnel, but if there was a chance of pulling her in with the demon he was not willing to take the risk.
He skidded to a halt. The vines did not immediately attack, seeming instead to be searching for the best chance at catching him. The tips were shaped like knives, and looked to be just as sharp - not exactly how he had planned on dying.
He dodged the first attack, even managing to land a blow with his staff that sent the first group reeling backward, disintegrating as they retreated. But without Kirara to warn him, he missed the arrival of another attack from underground.
Vines erupted from the earth beneath his feet, swarming, writhing, grabbing, squeezing… He struggled to pull free, but the vines held him tight and even wrapped around his staff to pull it from his grip. He realized with horror that the thing, whatever it was, was pulling him down, into the ground. Was this what had happened to Sango?
Something - thorns, or knifelike vine-tips - bit into his flesh.
He tasted blood.
The last thing he saw was Kirara shrinking to her small form and disappearing amid a stand of dead grass after being tossed aside by the vines. Then all he saw was darkness as the vines pulled him, squeezing and pricking him with dozens of thorns, into the pit.
-----
"Demon slayer!"
Sango turned to see who had spoken. There was no sign of the demon that had been tormenting her, just a mass of vines that seemed to grow from every surface of the tunnel. She was pleased to see just how many she had severed in her fight, though she did not know if the damage would have any effect on the demon. So where had that voice come from? She was certain she had heard something.
"Demon slayer!" The voice was more insistent this time, and louder. Sango looked in the direction it had come from and nearly did a double take.
It was a very small woman, dressed in a fine kimono that was decorated with delicate embroidery. Her hair was green, and looked almost like leaves. For some reason, Sango was able to see the creature clearly in spite of the darkness.
"What… who… are you?"
"I am Midori."
Sango leaned closer to get a better look and winced due to a sudden stab of pain. "You're not a demon," she commented, hoarsely. "I sense no evil from you."
The small woman shrugged. "I bear no evil intent toward you, demon slayer. I am in need of your assistance."
Sango frowned. Skepticism seemed the best path, at least for now. She did not really want to admit to her own weakness; Midori's sudden appearance seemed a bit too fortunate for her tastes. "How do I know you won't end up being worse than the demon I'm trying to kill? Maybe I should squash you right now, while I have the chance."
Midori's eyes widened sadly and sparkled faintly with what might have been tears. "I'm asking you for help because I have no way to defend myself! If you kill me now, then you're no better than that thing up there!"
"Okay, fine. But I don't understand… Who are you? What are you doing in a place like this?" She paused, no longer sure of what to say or how much information to divulge. She did not think that Midori was dangerous, but then again, she had made more mistakes than usual over the past few days.
"I am the spirit of the tree," came the reply, as cryptic as any of her other comments. Sango frowned again; in other words, a tree demon, though one that was arguably non-malevolent. "That demon vine has been growing here some time now, growing slowly stronger and feeding off of my energy as well as that of any humans that stray too close." Her expression darkened. "I have no way to free myself, and so I seek your aid."
Sango nearly flinched at the words. She was not at all certain that she would survive this encounter, and did not need yet another obligation. She did not even know for sure if this creature was real. It, she, whatever it was, seemed impossibly small and to have appeared just in the nick of time to speak to her or save her, whatever its intentions were. It seemed too good to be true. It might have been no more than a figment of her imagination, some hallucination as she lay dying, or yet another trap.
Still… She didn't feel delirious. In fact, despite the physical aches, her mind felt clearer than it had in a long time. And, she had to admit, she really did not get the impression that this creature was a threat.
She was a demon slayer, for better or for worse. And as such, she could not deny aid to one in need, even if that one was perhaps not entirely human, even if that one might not actually exist. And besides, hadn't she just made a decision to fight, no matter her chances of coming out alive? What harm could there be in attempting to help this creature at the same time? After all, they apparently shared the same goal…
She forcibly tempered her urge to help first and ask questions later, knowing that at this point she could not afford to take unnecessary risks. "Midori… If it has been here so long and feeds on your energy… why did you not destroy it sooner?"
"I'm afraid I was lonely." When Sango made no response, aside from a confused blink of the eyes, she went on, "I have spent my entire life in this same spot. I really had no one to talk to… And so when this strange vine sprouted at the base of my tree, I allowed it to remain in the hopes of someday having… a friend."
"But your plan backfired."
"Yes. It grew more quickly than I expected, and very recently it became much stronger than I - and needless to say it had no interest in being my friend. Now it keeps me imprisoned here below ground, while my body withers away above. My roots are still strong, but I will not last much longer."
"I will help you if I can, Midori," Sango promised. She did not think that Midori was lying to her; the whole situation was simply too strange for that. She paused, uncertain of what to say next. Finally, she admitted, "But I don't quite understand what's going on. Where did it go? It was here… the vines…"
"I am not sure where our 'friend' has gone," Midori murmured thoughtfully, tilting her head and pressing a finger absentmindedly against her cheek. "My best guess is that something has attracted its attention and drawn it away. An intruder, perhaps."
An intruder? Sango's heart dropped. Miroku!
"I can temporarily create a barrier to keep the vines at bay," Midori continued, seemingly oblivious of Sango's turmoil. "That is why its vines are unable to harm you, even in its absence. But I will be unable to maintain the barrier for much longer."
Conscious of the fact that her reprieve would soon end, Sango forced herself upright. Her body ached from the abuse she had endured in the fight, but the pain was bearable, and even fading a bit. She gingerly pressed the blades along her arms back into place before retrieving her sword, doing her best to hide the wince as she bent to pick it up, and sheathing the weapon carefully. She took a deep breath, and tried to mentally prepare herself to return to battle.
"Midori," she asked, turning back to the tree spirit - or demon, whichever it was. "Does this thing have any weaknesses?"
"If I knew what that thing's weaknesses were," Midori replied sadly, "I would have found someone to exploit them long ago."
Sango forgot what she had intended to say next, as the creature faded in and out of view for a few seconds before returning to her former appearance.
"Y- you're not real," she managed, her voice little more than a hoarse whisper. It felt almost as if her heart had stopped; she felt oddly and vaguely betrayed. She had been so certain that this was not just another dream or illusion… Had she been wrong to trust Midori, and promise aid to the creature? If it was little more than another illusion, then it could very well be another trap.
"I am the spirit of the tree," Midori said. "This body, however, is a projection. An illusion, if you will. Without it I would be unable to communicate with you, Slayer."
She may have had a point, but Sango found it unnerving. Looking more closely, she realized that the figure was slightly transparent, a fact she might have noticed sooner had she not been so distracted by her own inner turmoil. "I'll do my best to help you," Sango said, struggling to reinforce the promise in her head. Saying it aloud again helped, but not by much. There was more at stake in this than just her own life; she found herself praying that she was wrong and that the demon had backed off for reasons of its own and not because Kirara had returned with Miroku. "But this thing is strong. I don't know if I can beat it."
"I only ask that you try. This may be my last chance." Midori gave a pained look, and vanished as the tunnel suddenly went dark. Sango realized that the barrier against the vines must have provided the light that enabled her to see Midori in the first place. Her voice came out of the darkness, somewhere, to say, "I am sorry… You must go now. I cannot hold it back any longer…"
Fully aware of every creaking, slithering sound as the vines began to move in the darkness, Sango turned and fled toward the opening. This time, protruding roots formed a ladder leading up and out of the hole; Sango fairly flew up and out, whispering a thanks to Midori for the assistance.
She only had time to look for Hiraikotsu and make a run for it before the vines came shooting up out of the hole after her. She grabbed the weapon on the run, and turned and made an expert throw in spite of the protests from her pained muscles. Her heart soared to see her weapon fly true, slicing through the vines effortlessly, and return to her hand. For the first time in many days, she felt real hope spring up in her heart, without the constant fear of failure. I can do this.
She caught hold of the weapon and swung it back into a ready stance with practiced ease. It felt right to be fighting; if only she had realized sooner how wrong it felt to run away.
The vines stopped coming for her, and after a moment coalesced into the form of a woman. "Demon slayer," the woman snarled, her voice harsh, but easily recognized.
Sango had to fight to keep her anger from overwhelming her at the sight of her adversary.
The demon continued before she had a chance to say anything. "So you've escaped while I had my back turned..." Her expression shifted from what might have been anger to what Sango recognized as pure smugness. "You seem more dangerous now that you've retrieved your weapon... Luckily my little expedition was not without its rewards."
With each word, Sango felt her fear returning - not fear that the demon could beat her, for she knew that fully armed and armored she would be a difficult opponent to defeat, but because she was now almost certain that Miroku and Kirara had fallen into a trap of some sort. And with bluster she did not feel, she responded, "I'm here to destroy you, demon. I won't let you distract me anymore!"
The demon grinned, radiating smug satisfaction. "Then you'll let your companion die?"
Sango frowned. She did not know what to think. She had sent Kirara to bring Miroku, but it did not seem like enough time had passed for Kirara to have made it back to their campsite and returned... But her memory was a bit hazy, and she had no idea how long she had been unconscious after the demon captured her. Maybe it had been long enough...
Shaking her head to clear it, she said, "I don't believe for a moment that you've managed to capture Miroku and Kirara, and I certainly don't believe that you'd let them go if I gave myself up."
"Suit yourself," the demon replied, shrugging.
Furious, Sango charged forward, intending to use momentum to strengthen her throw, when the ground suddenly fell away in front of her. Another pit... she realized with horror that the area must be filled with such holes, all cleverly camouflaged and unnoticeable. But what rose out of it only increased her horror.
An obscene mass of vines rose up, though unlike the rushing vines that had pursued her earlier, these rose and writhed together, surrounding some object that they slowly lifted into view.
It looked like… Miroku. Battered and bleeding and tangled up in so many vines that she couldn't count them all. Sango shuddered, with hatred and fear and fury all at the same time, and very nearly dropped Hiraikotsu.
It couldn't be him. She simply could not believe it. It did not seem possible.
How long had it been since the demon stopped squeezing the life from her and she'd spoken with Midori? For that matter, how long had she been unconscious in the first place? She'd lost all sense of time, somehow, and felt more than a little bit lost.
If it really was Miroku, and not an illusion, then where was Kirara? There was no sign of the cat demon.
"Do you believe now, Slayer?" the demon hissed.
"I…" she began, aware of the fact that she was trembling now. "I don't believe you." When she said she did not believe, she meant she could not believe, even though the proof of the demon's threat was right in front of her. She had to keep reminding herself that the demon had used illusions to trick her before, and was probably doing so again... still, she was shaken by the sight of Miroku wound up in the thorny vines, and shuddered at the thought that he might actually be so injured. "You've tricked me too many times. I'm sure you're lying to me again… But I can't take that chance." She hurled Hiraikotsu before she had even finished speaking, her heart pounding hard in her chest.
The weapon sliced through some of the vines, but not enough to free Miroku – if it was really him at all.
By the time she felt the vine wrapping around her ankle it was too late to escape; her frantic grab for Hiraikotsu missed the mark, and she hit the ground hard as the vine yanked her feet out from under her. A crash in the distance told her that Hiraikotsu had landed amidst a stand of thick brush, and she had little chance of recovering the weapon with any amount of speed.
She settled for drawing her sword and hacking her way free from the entangling vines.
By the time she made it back to her feet, she was breathing heavily and the pain from earlier was beginning to return.
"You are a wonderful source of energy, Slayer," the demon said, smiling. "So much anguish, so much torment, burning together inside of you. You bury your lust and your love and even your happiness, deep inside, like no other that I have seen. Give me that and I'll give you what you want."
Sango almost choked. It sounded almost lustful. She shuddered at the thought.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when something brushed against her leg and let out a soft mewling noise. "Kirara!"
Her pathetic hopes died at the sound, only to be replaced by cold desperation. "Kirara, can you fight?"
"Make up your mind, Slayer."
Kirara mewed again, then transformed into her larger form. "Good," Sango said, deliberately ignoring the demon.
"If you do not surrender than I shall use my thorns to poison him, and he will die even if you destroy me," it taunted, its voice strangely reasonable-sounding. "But if you give yourself up and let me devour you, then I will allow him to live."
Its constant prattling was starting to irritate her. Couldn't that thing take a hint? Did it think she was stupid? She knew there was no way it would let Miroku and Kirara go, even if she gave herself up. And this time, she had her armor, her weapons, her closest companions, and a reason to fight; if she was going to die, she was going to go down fighting.
Demon slayers don't die on their knees… It was something Father had said to her once, something she seldom remembered, but his voice was strong in her heart now, a steady reminder that she could do this. For her friends, and for her own honor...
"I'll just have to fight fire with fire," Sango growled. Until this point she'd been reluctant to break into her supplies of poison, but she no longer felt the need to show any mercy. Not if the thing was seriously trying to kill Miroku. She could not let it do that. Without Miroku, she would be utterly lost.
She ran a hand through the thick fur along Kirara's back. "Kirara, can you distract it for me?"
The cat demon gave an assenting snarl and took off toward where the vine demon stood. Sango heard the sounds of a fierce struggle, but could not afford to glance in that direction; she knew Kirara was probably injured, and hoped that her friend would be all right, but at the same time she knew that she needed to get her sword back if she was going to have a chance at winning this battle.
Even on the run, Sango dug her hand into the storage compartment of her armor, feeling for the correct poison. She heard Kirara yelp, and pushed herself to move faster. She had long ago learned to identify each of the tiny containers by feel alone, and knew when she had the correct vial. She found it just in time, and had only a scant second to grab for her sword before the demon vines were on her again.
She turned quickly and dodged, rolling out of the way. She almost lost her grip on the sword, but managed to hang on and roll to her feet.
With one hand she popped the catch on the vial. The poison's pungent stench was enough to make her wish she'd brought her gas mask, though she knew it was not an airborne poison. Glowering at the demon, as if daring it to attack her, she poured the thick liquid over the blade of her sword, rubbing it in with one hand.
"Is this your idea of 'fighting fire with fire,' Slayer?"
Sango, her hands slick and burning with poison paste, snarled, "Die, demon!" and plunged the blade through the nearest vine and deep into the soil.
She had made sure to use the most potent poison in her arsenal, and the demon recoiled almost immediately. Sango smiled, knowing that the poison would spread outward from the wound she'd inflicted, as well as through the earth itself. She hoped Midori, if the tree creature really existed, had roots deep and widespread enough to avoid the worst of the poison.
"What the fuck have you done to me?" the vine demon demanded. It sounded horrified. Looking up, Sango realized that it was already beginning to disintegrate under the onslaught of poison.
She forced herself to her feet, despite her shaking, and stumbled over to where it stood. It seemed very thin and fragile now, hardly the intimidating figure it had cut before. "Die," she repeated, and slammed her sword into its neck. With her slippery fingers and battered blade, it was difficult, but she kept slicing into the thing until the head finally came off.
She knew that the 'head' was simply part of the shape it had chosen to take, and did not particularly care. She felt much better having decapitated the thing. With one last burst of fury, she jammed the sword into the creature's chest, where its heart would have been had it been a mortal creature rather than a demon. She left the sword there as the now lifeless body toppled over and finally hit the ground, and wiped her hands clean against her armor. A deep breath served to quell the worst of her shaking.
Somewhere behind her, Kirara made a soft chirping sound. She knew she had to look, but couldn't bear to do so immediately.
She took a few breaths to steady herself, and turned. She had been praying that this was not Miroku, after all, but seeing him in a bloody, crumpled heap on the ground was more than she could bear. She was at his side in an instant, her own injuries and fatigue forgotten. She could not even remember running to get there, nor flinging herself to the ground beside him.
The wounds looked superficial, but he seemed to be unconscious and his breathing was shallow. Had the demon poisoned him after all? And if so, was there an antidote? He moaned and stirred slightly, but did not wake; Sango felt her panic mounting by the second.
She had been desperately trying to delude herself… That Kirara had not gone after him, and that this was just another illusion from the demon, and that she would stumble back to the camp site and he would be there, and he would be angry with her for going off to fight and leaving him behind and -
And -
"Miroku! Please wake up... Miroku!"