InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ When the Truth Rings ❯ Severed ( Chapter 5 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

AN: Wow. Not much to say here, besides my apologies again. I hope I can update much more often, but I want to deliver good writing, so we'll see how the spacing comes out. And by the way, I'm sorry for the lack (or more like absence) of page breaks in the last chapter, but I hope it's fixed now. I surely hope that everyone enjoys the chapter below, because I know I was amused in writing it. Review if you can!

Inuyasha didn't sleep all night; he just sat in his tree and watched the sky lighten with the coming dawn. And every now and then, he'd look down at his companions, mostly at the object of his affection, the demon slayer.

'I hope she's not mad at me,' he thought. 'Maybe she realized why I almost pulverized that lecher. It was for her...' He tensed at the sound of one of the females stirring in their sleep, but relaxed again when whichever one stopped. Then he returned to his pondering. 'Why can't I just tell her how I feel? Would it really be so hard?'

"Inuyasha," he heard someone whisper. In his mind, he desperately wanted it to be Sango, hoping he'd have a chance to talk to her alone, but looking down the tree's trunk, he saw Kagome.

"What?"

"Can you take me to the well?" she asked, with the tone of her voice letting on she was already expecting an argument.

However, he said nothing as he joined her on the ground. Then kneeling, he motioned for her to climb onto his back. He waited as she complied, and he could tell from her scent that she was a little confused from his lack of protesting. Smiling to himself, he took off.



"How long will you be gone?" he asked in a normal tone, sitting cross-legged in front of the well.

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. A few days?"

"All right."

Inuyasha's easy agreement finally pushed Kagome's curiousity over the edge. "What is wrong with you?"

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me Inuyasha!" she scolded, fists on hips. "You are being wildly agreeable and I want to know why!"

Already not wanting to argue, Inuyasha snapped back, "Never mind me for not wanting to start an argument by demanding you stay here! You're going to go anyway, so why bother!"

"That's never stopped you before!"

"Are you going or not?"

"Of course I am!"

"Then GO!"

"Fine!" she huffed, turning and throwing her bag down the well, then jumping in herself next.

Closing his eyes, he sighed, nerves officially worn out. At first, the whole arguing with that miko had been funny, but now it was just old. 'She just wants attention,' he concluded with surprising accuracy. 'It's annoying.'

Deciding to return back to camp, he turned around, and started back the way he came.

The cool morning breeze blew playfully through his hair as he leapt from tree to tree. The exercise stretched out his limbs and let him run freely; it exhilarated him. He glanced down at the forest floor below him as he ran, and noticed a few other little demons out and about for a morning run. The feeling of being free to roam about anywhere he wanted to go was liberating to the hanyou. It made him realize why he liked to travel alone in the first place. But if he hadn't begun looking for the shards... he would have never met Sango. Of if he did, one of them wouldn't be alive right now.

His mind drifted to her once again as he descended to the ground and slowed his run to a walk. He was nearing camp again. Then upon hearing her voice, he stopped. She was awake, and she was talking. Moving soundlessly behind a tree close by, yet out of her sight, he listened.



"Miroku, what came over you last night?" Sango asked calmly, absently petting Kirara's silky mane. "You almost got killed, you know."

Looking down at his hands, he fidgeted. "I'm sorry." Then raising his gaze to hold hers, he queried, "are you still mad at me?"

Keeping her voice placid, she answered, "I am beyond mad. See, I've been thinking. Will drinking and acting out be another thing to add to the list of stuff I have to worry about from you? And if Kagome and I hadn't come down there, what would you have done with one of those women? Clearly you weren't in your right mind. If I can't trust you when you're sober..."

"Sango! You know I'd never touch another woman!"

She slowly shook her head. "Yet you keep giving me reasons to think otherwise. I mean, you barely knew it was me last night. You could easily have mistaken someone else for me..."

"Sango," Miroku sighed. "Nothing would have happened if you didn't come down there with Kagome. Why don't you believe me?"

Immediately, she replied, "Because I know you very well, Miroku. I know that you steal away and talk to other women in every village that we come upon. Though you don't do it in my face, I know what you talk about!"

"But --"

"I'm not stupid, Miroku!" Sango declared, voice raising sharply. "Why do you think I'd never let you touch me? There's no telling what you do when you leave and who you do it with!"

At this point, Miroku stayed quiet. He knew she had to exhaust some of her anger before he would be allowed to talk. When he was sure she finished her tirade, he finally spoke in a solemn voice, hoping she'd understand. "Listen, Sango. I love you. I truly do. But it hurts me everytime you say you don't trust me. I don't bed any of the girls I talk to. It's just being friendly. Do you think I would betray you in such a way? I would never forgive myself. And about last night... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you so embarrassed... it's just that I was enjoying myself way too much. I have to find ways to occupy my time since you never let me near you... and I guess --"

Rising to her feet, Sango said nothing. The look she gave him said everything. Calm and somber mixed with regret and acceptance. It spoke volumes.

Taking to his feet as well, Miroku held out his arms, only wanting to embrace her. Afraid of what she'll say next. "Sango, I'm sorry."

Blinking, her expression didn't change. Calm, somber, regret, acceptance. "All this time..."

"Please, Sango."

"Only when you think you've gone too far, do you apologize..."

"Don't do this."

"...Only when you think I am going to leave..."

"I'm begging you, Sango. Don't do this."

"You make all these promises to me that you'll change. But you never do."

Dropping to his knees, he held out his hands to her once more. "Sango, just listen. This time I mean it. I promise on my life that I'll change. Trust me!"

Turning away from the pleading monk, she shook her head again. "I can't do this anymore. I won't. Goodbye, Miroku."

She didn't have to turn and look to know what his face showed.

Shock. Pain. Disbelief.

Undoubtedly, she was right. He lowered his violet irises to the ground, still trying to understand what she had just said.

'Goodbye, Miroku.'

The two words he had never wanted to hear. He always thought a man who made his woman leave him didn't deserve her to begin with. He never wanted to belong to that group. Now, he was about to get initiated. He felt horrible. A few moments passed, then his throat finally willed him a voice. "Are... you leaving me?" The question came out hushed and shaken. He wanted to cry.

Stooping to pick up her Hiraikotsu, she replied, "tell Inuyasha that I'm sorry I have to depart so soon. Maybe we'll meet up again somewhere."


From his spot in the safety of the thick trees, Inuyasha was also stunned by her decision. 'I didn't see that coming... but finally, she wisened up,' he smiled to himself. 'But she doesn't have to go off by herself. I won't allow that, no matter how bad the monk messed everything up!'

He tried to stay silent as Sango and Kirara left the camp, passing almost right by the tree he was hiding behind. Once he was sure they were a distance away, he stepped from behind the tree and entered the campsite. He found Miroku sitting on a rock, face buried in his hands. He was crying, tears streaming between his fingers.

"What happened to you?" Inuyasha asked, playing dumb.

"She... left me," Miroku murmured, voice muffled by his hands. "She's gone."

"What do you mean she's gone?!" the hanyou growled, trying to his best to sound convincing. Wow, forcing anger out was hard work.

Removing his hands, Miroku revealed a tear-stained face. "She said she's not staying with us anymore... with me anymore..."

Suppressing the will to laugh and celebrate, Inuyasha asked in mock-confusion, "you mean that she broke up with you and left the group?"

A nod.

"And she's not coming back?"

Another nod and a sniffle.

Pausing, Inuyasha shook his head. "That means I have to go find her. Especially since she's done listening to you."

Miroku only placed his face in his hands again, and went back to wallowing in his sorrow. Leaving the monk to pull himself together, Inuyasha almost skipped away into the trees, overjoyed at his turn of luck. True, Miroku was miserable, but he's always been one to bounce back. Just wait till they hit the next town.

Not in a hurry to find the demon slayer, he began to think about what he'll say to her once he does catch up with her. Should he be 'sad' with her, or should he come out and tell her to get over Miroku and start something with him? He had no idea; he was never good at this kind of thing, especially since it didn't happen very often. Maybe he should just be genuine and honest... it'll work out. Maybe.



Sango didn't feel like walking, but she had to get away from Miroku. He was surely the last person she wanted to be near at the moment. She continued on, walking idly until she heard a sound. Frozen in her tracks, she gripped the strap to her Hiraikotsu and listened closely.

Running water.

Sighing in relief, she eased her hold on her weapon and followed her ears until she reached the source. The stream wasn't very wide, but it looked deep. The clear, blue surface revealed the tiny fish that swam in its depths, and immediately, it alleviated Sango's tension.

Plopping onto the grass next to the stream's edge, she quickly removed her footwear and dipped her toes into the water. Once her end digits were used to the cool water, she slipped her feet in. She closed her eyes and let out a breath, relieved that she finally had a moment to herself. Reaching out for Kirara, she realized the neko wasn't there. Snapping her eyes open, she saw why.

Inuyasha was holding her.

"How did you find me?"

"It wasn't hard," he said, letting Kirara jump from his hands. "Why aren't you at camp?"

"I can't continue to travel with you anymore," she replied, shifting her eyes to the water once again, watching the fish dance around her protruding feet. Her vague reply told the hanyou that he'd have to keep prodding her to get anywhere.

"Care to elaborate?"

"I think I should go on by myself."

Taking a moment to sit next to her, Inuyasha didn't say anything. He wasn't sure how to approach what he wanted her to know. So instead, he decided to savor a silent moment between them to gather his thoughts. As it occured to him, he made it obvious that he didn't want her to leave; otherwise he would not have come looking for her. But did she know that, or did she assume he would come for her for the sake of everyone else? Coming to a conclusion, he knew what had to happen.

"I don't think you should be out here alone."

"I wouldn't be alone," Sango told him, shaking her head. Her eyes never left the water. "It'll be me and Kirara. We'll be fine, don't worry. How do you think we survived before we met all of you.?"

"Things are different now. More dangerous--"

Finally looking into his face to emphasize her point, she shook her head again. "We'll be fine."

"Sango... I know what happened. You don't have to let that idiot keep you from getting what you've worked so hard for. Do you think you'll gather all the shards yourself?

Mind blank for a reply, she simply looked at him. She knew he was right. "I can't stand to be around him anymore. I want to move on."

'Make a move!' the hanyou's brain screamed.

"...you don't even have to talk to the monk of you don't want to. I mean, you can hang around me if you want... I just can't have my battle partner getting killed if she tries to face Naraku alone." He looked away.

Another moment passed between the two. Inuyasha knew she was thinking about what he had just said. What he didn't know was that she was blushing madly at his attempt at keeping her around.

The longer she went without speaking only worried Inuyasha that she'd decide against his reasoning, but he had no idea of the inner turmoil Sango was facing.

She didn't want to go, and whether she admitted it or not, she belonged to this group. She had a special spot in the hearts of everyone she traveled with; a bond of deep friendship, love, and respect. Would she give that up, something she's never had, for a man who she no longer loved? True, she'd have to face Miroku again if she did stay, but would it really be that hard if Inuyasha was there to face him with her? And above all, the search for the shards would continue as it was before. And maybe... she'd get to save her brother.

Her voice started Inuyasha as the sound broke the heavy-set silence. "All right, I'll stay. But only because I made a promise, and I just can't abandon the only people I have in my life."

Wanting to sweep her into his arms and hug her close, Inuyasha had to hold back with all his might to restrain himself. "Good! That's the Sango I know; never a quitter."

"...yeah..."

"Now, can we head back to camp? I'm starving!"

Sango was going to declare that she wasn't as hungry as the male with the bottomless pit for a stomach that sat next to her, but her own stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. With a deep red blush, she merely agreed. "Let's go."

Standing and helping Sango to her feet, Inuyasha resolved to allow her to accompany him in the one thing he preferred to do alone: hunt. "We need to find some meat, because I'm too hungry for those vegetables Kagome makes us eat all the time," he told her, sniffing for anything close.

"I'm with you on that one," Sango agreed, pulling her short sword from its sheath. Eyes scanning the ground, she suddenly tensed when her gaze found a pile of leaves. Then, with such grace and skill, she leapt from sight.

"What did she see?" Inuyasha said aloud, mostly asking himself. Wanting to find out, he leapt into the closest tree and set out to follow her. Sniffing out her scent, he managed to locate her and was surprised in noticing how much ground she covered in such a short time. Finally he saw her, squatting on the edge of a clearing. She was hunched over something, short sword in hand. Upon standing, he could see splotches of blood splattered on her face, and when she stepped away, he saw she had just caught their morning meat.

Dropping to the ground across the clearing from her, he watched her wipe the blood from her sword and tuck it away.

Without looking up, but knowing he was there, she said, "come and carry this. It's the least you can do after not helping me kill it." She looked up at him and flashed a smile. Through the blood and light coating of fur.

Beautiful.


AN: Did y'all like it? Was it okay? I will post Chapter 6 in the coming days because I have a long weekend coming up! How exciting. Actually, I'm already into Chapter 6 right now. Thank you all for being patient and reviewing. And for that, I will post faster, even if it means writing daily! Now I'm off to a football game, so review if you can!