InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Methods of the Heart ❯ The Three Kinds of Love ( Chapter 2 )

Hello again, everyone. I was so happy to receive so many glowing reviews, and here I was worried my first chapter sucked. Anyway, seeing that some people had already decided that my fic was something they enjoyed, I spent all my spare time and extra energy on my vacation to hurry up and write the next chapter. YAY! And if any of you are reading these notes I hope you appreciate the pain, toil, and trouble I went through with my PDA to put this fic up!!! It's my hope that if I get enough chapters out now, you'll forgive me when updates slow down due to the evils of school. And I DO promise many, many fun filled chapters ahead. (For example, if this fic is liked enough, it'll become a trilogy.)

Last time I forgot, but this time I won't make the same mistake. I'd like to thank all my beta readers, you know who you are and your suggestions help me make all my stories the best they can be. But more than anything else I want to thank my editor, who I'm betting would rather remain nameless. But without her vast knowledge of grammar, her fearlessness in correcting me, and her mighty use of vocabulary, my first chapter would look like the work of a two-year-old. You're the best, babe! I couldn't write without you!! (NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: No, you really can't, seeing as how I had to edit your thank you to me. :-P)

Disclaimers: I do not own Inu-Yasha. I wish I did, because then I would be making a fortune instead of being a poor college student. Inu-Yasha is the property of Takahashi Rumiko, Viz, and—is it Sunrise or Bandai? I can't remember—and all other parties involved in the glory and wonder that is Inu-Yasha. May it never go off the air. (gets out her rabid fangirl sign.)

 

 

Chapter 2: The Three Kinds of Love

 

 

Sango woke with a gasp. Immediately, she looked around at her unfamiliar setting, not really seeing anything. Her vision was blurry and the room wasn't very well lit.

The first thing she became aware of was the shooting pain in her back. She reached around to feel it and encountered bandages over a very large wound. The reality of what had happened hit her like a slap in the face. Yura had beaten her. So then she must be in a demon camp somewhere just outside of Naraku's fortress.

Forcing her eyes to adjust, she looked around. How long had she been out? She was chained up, that she could and see and feel clearly.

Seiryuu. He'd be coming for her soon.

We'll, he'd just have to be disappointed like all the rest. She had, however, no idea what he looked like. All she really knew was that he was a demon known for appearing human and that he'd paid Naraku for her. Well, there was no way in whatever hell Naraku had concocted that she was sleeping with some demon!

Then she heard footsteps coming towards the tent. The quickest thing she could think to do was pretend to be asleep, so she closed her eyes and put her hands down. While this took away her sight, she didn't want to hint that she was awake in any way.

Miroku walked through the heavy piece of cloth that functioned as a door in this small hut built into the mountain. He sat down next to Sango. Funny, he thought he had sensed her awakening. He shrugged; maybe she just woke for a second and then fell back asleep.

He gently tried to move her over to get a better look at her. This posed some difficulty because he didn't want to roll her onto her back. With tense yet gentle arms, he managed to turn her face into his view. Her hair was dark, but in the light it took on an amber appearance. He still had not seen her eyes but he envisioned them to be a light brown or maybe even green. She had several scars on her body. The poor girl must have been used frequently by sadistic demons.

The gown she wore, if it could be called that, covered only the barest minimum in a fine silk. The dress gave an appearance of elegance, however, by covering the rest of her from neck to ankle in transparent gauze. The chains were still tightly attached to her wrists and ankles; he hadn't gotten them off yet. But it wasn't completely his fault.

After the raid on Naraku, the group led the soldiers still in pursuit of the bandits on a chase across plains and mountain ranges, through forests and rivers, setting traps behind them as they ran, arms full of money, food, and other victory spoils.

Miroku had smiled down at Sango. His spoil. He never once let her slip from his arms. Even when Inu-Yasha was yelling at him for being so slow.

Then, as soon as they got back to their home, a rather large encampment in the mountains, their healer and miko Kagome wasted no time in tending Sango's wounds. The woman had been out cold for the better part of the day and it was close to early evening. The monk was surprised she had slept through everything, but then she had been badly hurt. When he carried her, her blood had spilled fresh on his arms. It was good he had saved her from that demon—the blood loss would have killed her.

Miroku had to give her credit, however, for being so strong. If it were he, he would probably have been unable to move for a good two weeks.

He leaned a little closer toward her. She was a truly beautiful girl. He wondered what she did to warrant such terrible treatment to her supple body.

He leaned in closer still, this time glancing around to make sure no one was close by and watching him. Once done he glanced at the sleeping girl. What could it hurt to cop one little feel?

Yawning, Miroku stretched his arm across the mat Sango had been laid on. He let it rest on the opposite side of her body for a long moment. Then, oh so slowly, as though he didn't know he was doing it, he pulled his hand back towards himself—and, of course, across her body in the process. When his hand slipped across her rear he stopped to get a good feel, including a little light rubbing. Ahhh. Now that was nice and soft and-

That depraved thought was interrupted when the girl suddenly sprang to life, clambering to her feet with some difficulty.

The terrible pain in Sango's back make her wince, but she refused to be molested. And obviously this had to be Seiryuu. Who else would enter the room and immediately begin treating her like a piece of meat?

This sudden show of both consciousness and anger was, to say the least, a surprise to Miroku. Apparently she had not been sleeping after all. No, she had in fact been awake for the whole process. The fact that she probably understood that he had believed her to be sleeping wasn't going to help matters either.

Fiery brown eyes narrowed on his form. She spun around, kicking him in the jaw with the strongest roundhouse she could muster. Even though she had been exhausted it was already starting to bruise. Both shocked and confused, Miroku really didn't have time enough to gather his wits and stop her as she ran out the door, until she was gone.

 

 

As soon as she was out the door and away from the vile monster that had tried to assault her, she ran right into a girl trying to walk in at the same time. The girl was about a year younger than she, wearing a white blouse and long green skirt, both peasant style and most likely handmade.

Sango didn't think about that, however; all she saw was the girl hitting the ground with a slight 'oof' and the herbs and medicines she had been carrying scatter around them. She berated herself for not looking and being in too much of a hurry, even in these sorts of circumstances. She reached down to apologize and help the girl up, but Miroku appeared in the doorway before she had time to do either.

"Inu-Yasha! Grab her, quick!" The young monk rubbed the bruise on his face, which was quickly turning an ugly shade of purple. Sango looked to the girl again and saw a half demon standing next to her, with a worried face as he helped her to her feet.

He turned and glared at Sango. She had threatened his love, almost ran her over. He let out a low growl. "I'll do more than that, Miroku!" He got fully to his feet, cracking his knuckles.

Confusion was setting in more and more with every shared word between the two men. Inu-Yasha? Miroku? Who were all these people? What was the deal with the girl with the herbs and bandages? Where on earth was she??? But she didn't really have time to contemplate answers. She just barely managed to duck under the clawed hand aiming at her head.

"Shit! She's faster then she looks!" Inu-Yasha jumped back, this time trying to size her up better. Ever person has a fighting style. She was obviously very quick. He had to take her seriously.

"I could have told you that, Inu-Yasha, if you hadn't tried to take her head off." Miroku frowned. He reached his arms out and grabbed her around her middle, getting a good hold. He was determined to calm her down.

For catching her she rewarded him with a quick elbow to his gut, then broke his arms apart. The adrenaline was starting to take over, giving her a newfound strength and more energy than she had moments ago. She had learned, even before she became a fighter, how to use the rush it gave to become more focused.

But this time, it wasn't a good thing. An increased heart rate meant a greater blood flow. She was willing to guess she'd re-opened her wound as well. Adrenaline or not her whole body was shaking and she was sweating.

Whether out of desperation or a need to voice her questions out loud she wasn't really sure why she chose to speak. "Who are you people? Where am I?" She looked at Miroku, eyes narrowing slightly. "You must be Seiryuu's people. Tell him to forget it!" she snarled. "I'll DIE first!" She then dove at Inu-Yasha, trying her hardest to barrel past him and to her freedom.

"Big mistake!" The half demon grinned, raising a clawed hand.

"STOP! Don't hurt her!" Miroku reached out for Sango, trying, yet again, to stop her struggling.

"Ya kiddin' me?! Keh." With a slight grumble Inu-Yasha changed the movement of his hand from a slash to a grab. Unlike Miroku, he grabbed her arms at the elbows, making it much harder for her to move.

Miroku managed to grab her shoulders and began using the pressure of his own body to force her shaking, weakened body to its knees. "Please calm down. No one here is going to hurt you. Please let us treat you. You're not where you think you are."

"I don't believe you!!!" she screamed at all of them in turn, still struggling for her liberty. But injured and bleeding as she was there was no way she was going to make it to her feet. She knew that, yet still wouldn't give up. She had too many things to do still.

Kagome, having gotten to her feet sometime during the struggle, peered closer at the strange woman. "Great. She's bleeding again." The healer frowned, nibbling on her lower lip. The wound was indeed reopened, after she'd spent so many careful hours getting it to close. "Inu-Yasha! Miroku! Don't be so rough!" she scolded them both. They should know better than to pick on some injured girl!

"You wanna try, huh?" Inu-Yasha gave Kagome a dirty look. He turned back to his current task of subduing the huntress, muttering under his breath about the thanks he gets for worrying.

"In Inu-Yasha's defense, she IS much stronger then she looks." Miroku let up on the amount of pressure he applied.

Sango turned and gave him the most vicious glare she could muster. "Why? Because I'm a woman??" She finally started to relent. It was plausible that if they knew this little about her, they might have been telling the truth about only wanting to help her. Besides, freedom or not, at the rate she was going she'd just pass out again if she kept struggling.

"All right. Now if I let you go, will you allow Inu-Yasha to bring you back inside so Kagome can treat your injuries?" Miroku hovered over her, preparing to release her slowly, watchful of any tension or signs of trying to run again.

Sango nodded slowly. Rationality set in. She didn't know what was going on and should at least try to learn that before attempting to escape. After she had finally relaxed, Inu-Yasha managed to help Sango back to her feet, with her leaning the majority of her weight against him.

Miroku could only sigh to himself in defeat. It should have been he carrying this young lady back to bed. Alas, he was probably not her favorite person at the moment. Not if she remembered him petting her nice, soft, round, derriere. Taking his time to feet the curve that led to the back of her thighs as he-

"Oi! Miroku! Ya gonna join us or stand in the doorway grinning like a fool all day?"

Kagome and Inu-Yasha were already sitting next to Sango, who was laid out on her stomach on the mat. Kagome had started administering her wounds the moment she was in place, causing the older girl to grimace now and again with pain as the ointments were applied.

Miroku quickly sat in front of her, intentionally setting himself directly in her line of sight. And see she did, glaring every minute she had to look at him. He decided that she had most certainly not forgotten... or forgiven, for that matter.

"Try to stay calm. You're among friends. My name is Miroku. Over there is Inu-Yasha, leader of our crew of fugitives. And the woman treating you is his mate, Kagome." He pointed to each person in turn.

"I'm Sango." She nodded her head to each of them as best she could from her prone position. "What do you mean leader? What crew of fugitives? Where are we?"

"A secret location, safe from Naraku. You have been rescued by the unseen brigadiers." -which was a rather well known group to anyone who served Naraku. They were a constant source of annoyance for the warlord. Knowing that she would understand this made Miroku smile.
Surely this would clear up everything, leaving only a grateful and apologetic girl.

"WHAT!?" Sango exploded, thrashing her head from side to side.

That wasn't quite the reaction Miroku had been expecting. Sango panicked. She couldn't run away from Naraku! He'd kill Kohaku if she did! Whipping around even more, Sango determined that she would crawl away if she had to. Really, she wasn't sure what to do—all she knew was that she could not be here.

"Be still. We haven't finished tending to your wounds." Miroku took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

The display worked enough for her to look up at him with anxiety, clearing some of her frenzy long enough to be sensible. "Please tell me!! Did you also take a young boy from Naraku? He would look a lot like me. His name is Kohaku?"

Miroku looked to Inu-Yasha, who shrugged and shook his head. "I'm sorry. There's no one here by that name. Why-"

"NO!!!" Rejection of even the idea that her brother was beyond her ability to save made her frantic again. She tried to push herself up again and perhaps to her feet. Instantly, all three grabbed her and pushed her back down. "No! No! No! You have to let me go! He'll kill him!!!!"

Despite the weight of three people pressing her to the ground and her severe lacerations she managed to push herself to her elbows. She couldn't feel the pain at that moment. All she could do was see. And all she could feel, all she could see was her brother.

"SHIT! She's strong! Miroku, you really can pick 'em." With a slight frown of his own as well as two very angry glares from both his mate and his best friend directed right at him, Inu-Yasha pressed his hand into Sango's back.

Sango whimpered, but refused to utter another sound. She fell back onto her stomach.

"Please be still and explain this to us. Who will kill whom?"

"Naraku! He'll kill my little brother Kohaku if I run away." Sango was suddenly dizzy. The room felt like it was being spun around.

"Then there ain't no problem. Ya didn't run away. You were taken by this stupid hoshi here." Inu-Yasha crossed his arms and smiled. He had solved a problem yet again as only he could.

Sango's eyes drooped. "Doesn't madder. It's all same to Naraku." She shook her head. Sleep was fogging her mind, making it difficult to think. She wondered what was in the medicines she had been given.

"Shhhhhh. Rest now. We'll talk about this later." Miroku held her hand until she fell asleep. "There. She should be unconscious for the next couple of hours." Kagome washed her hands in a nearby water basin. "We might want to have someone sit with her, so when she wakes up we don't have to go through this again."

"Agreed. I volunteer." Miroku leered down at her sleeping form.

Kagome scowled at him, storing the last of her herbs. "I thought the idea was to avoid repeating a fight."

Miroku put his hand on his chest, a wounded look crossing his face. "Kagome! Are you implying that I am less than honest?"

"Miroku. I've known you my whole live. Do you really want an answer to that question?" Kagome crossed her arms.

Miroku sighed, face fallen in defeat. "I had to give it my best try," he muttered.

"Now that that's settled, I'll stay too. That way she'll really be safe." Kagome smiled, patting Miroku on the shoulder.

Miroku shook his head. Such little faith in him they had. Deciding to put it behind him for the moment instead, he changed the topic. "So who do you suppose she is that Naraku would threaten her so much to the point where she would want to go back to him?" He examined her closely.

"Feh. Maybe she just didn't enjoy the company here," Inu-Yasha scoffed.

Miroku was crestfallen. Everyone was picking on him, it seemed. "I hardly think it fair that you all assume I did something."

"Ya saying you didn't?"

The monk cleared his throat. "I simply mean that-"

"She said her name was Sango, right?" Two pairs of eyes turned to face Kagome.

"Yes, I believe so. Do you know her, Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"No, but I've heard of her. She's the woman who fights like a demon in the slave pits. She battles for her brother who's locked in Naraku's dungeon far below away from sunlight and warmth." The miko shrugged. "At least that's what I've heard from some of the refugees."

"So she must hate Naraku as much as the rest of us." Inu-Yasha slammed his fist into his palm. "Great. A strong fighter to help out around here. 'Bout time we got another warrior to defend you weaklings."

Kagome glared at her lover, telling him they'd figure out exactly who was weak later on.

"Be that as it may, you're assuming she'll want to join us. She seems much more concerned with her little brother than our cause." The look Miroku gave the resting, injured woman was one of pity. "When she wakes again, she'll need consolation. I'd be happy to-"

"Don't even think about it, Miroku. I'll take care of her." Kagome smiled sadly at Sango.
This time Miroku was just a tad put out. His offer had actually been sincere. Apparently one grope—a grope that they had no proof of—had caused them to stop trusting him altogether.

Kagome patted his shoulder, realizing they were all being a little unfair. "It'll give me a chance to look at her bandages."

Miroku nodded, settling in. They had a few hours' wait ahead.