There's Nothing Like Your Memories

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Their battle was fierce, as was their foe; Huge, lumbering, and influenced by the power of two shards of the Shikon no Tama. To any mere group of friends, taking down this demon would have seemed improbable, but then, this wasn't your average, run of the mill group of friends. This was Inu Yasha and his pals. A silver-haired hanyou, a reincarnated priestess, a demon slayer and her cat, a perverted monk with a powerful right hand, and a shape shifting fox kit; they were the ones who made up the six members of the Yasha gang. But as tough as this group may have sounded, they were nothing but comedians striving to collect all the shards of a sacred jewel in order to fulfill their own personal needs and desires.

On and on they fought, attempting to wear down their enemy in an effort to purify the shards in its fist, and add them to their growing collection. Flying holy arrows, a giant boomerang, air voids, and magical toys were clearly not going to stop the demon, but maybe a dog's fang would. Inu Yasha thrust his father's fang at the demon and it recoiled...only to become more enraged and foolish. It charged.

And as the monk looked down to seal off his wind tunnel with his mystical prayer beads, the demon charged, right at him. He ignored the warning cries from his teammates, for he thought them only to be giddy shouts from the exciting battle. The demon swung its swollen fist, clearly aiming for the monk's head; the head that still had refused to look up from his closed off void.

Then, from the full force of the demon's fist—easily sending the power of a bowling ball at the holy man's head—Miroku fell limply to the ground with a thud. He seemed dead.

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He laid there, nearly a month, on a makeshift bed, in a coma. Sometimes they wondered whether or not he would make it, but his weak breathing always gave them a sliver of hope. They took turns staying by his bedside, offering any help in case he would wake..., but he never did.

Not until one early morning before sunrise. This time it was the exterminator and her cat watching over Miroku. The slayer was not doing her job too well, because when the monk opened his eyes for the first time in a month, he found her sleeping against a corner wall. Miroku reached out, touching Sango's fingers in an attempt to wake her. It worked.

Her eyes shot open at the soft touch. She looked down at the hand and followed it to its owner. Sango's brown eyes met with shining violet ones. Miroku smiled weakly at the female, keeping his eyes open with effort.

Sango got to her knees to alert the others of Miroku's return, but seeing how tired he was and the time of day it was, she thought it better to wait until later on. She knew Inu Yasha wouldn't be a pleasant person to be around this early, even if it was on Miroku's behalf.

So, as the sun began to rise, the cocks began their calls, and the friends began to awaken from their slumber, Sango made her way out of the small hut to fetch some water and the others. She made her way across the field, informing her companions of Miroku. They were clearly excited and wanted to see him right away.

But upon reaching the hut, they realized Miroku was fast asleep. He was exhausted, they knew that, but they had been so worried about him. Sango knelt down, shaking the monk's shoulder gently. His sleepy violet eyes crept open. This morning he didn't beam up at them. Instead, his face turned into one of puzzlement.

He struggled to find the words, and finally came out with, "Who are you people?"

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That night Sango stayed again with the amnesic monk. She was sure he had remembered her that early morning when he woke her, but he claimed none of it happened. Miroku wasn't like a normal amnesic person, one who was mostly afraid of it all. No, he almost acted the same as he did through his everyday life...only without his pervertish ways.

"Miroku...." Sango fingered his long robe sleeves, wondering what would happen if Miroku never got his memory back. He was pretty useless not knowing how to activate his wind tunnel.

There had been a very close incident where Miroku had removed the beads from his hand. Sango embraced his arm immediately, struggling to tangle the beads to seal the void. She had successfully wrapped the beads where she didn't know if she'd be able to take them off herself.

When all was calm again and Miroku had finally worn himself out with question asking, he fell into a deep, slightly snoring slumber. Sango, while watching him sleep, ran a hand through his dark locks. He looked so innocent while he was sleeping, and without his memory, he was innocent.

A few silent tears slid down the slayer's face as she remembered Miroku with his memory. For some reason, Sango felt lonely without the old Miroku, even though he was a pervert. True, she had other friends, but with Miroku, it was different somehow.

Sango worded her feelings towards Miroku's sleeping form. It was all right, if no one heard.

He eventually stopped snoring, and seemed to be dreaming something happy because he was smiling. Sango reached out and touched his soft lips with one long, slender finger. Those lips...and her lips.

Without realizing what she was doing, the exterminator leaned forward and softly kissed the lips of the amnesic monk.

She had been the last one he had asked to bear his son, and she had rudely declined. But now...now she would with hardly a moment's hesitation. Everything about him she loved. He was so kind and sweet, when he wasn't being a pervert, of course.

"Miroku," she repeated a little louder than she had expected.

This caused him to wake up.

"Houshi-sama...how are you feeling?"

Miroku covered his face with his hand. "I don't know." He sounded afraid. "I don't know."

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//She walks over to him and she says: "Do you remember me?"//

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Sango put a comforting hand on the monk's shoulder. "What can you remember from before you woke up from your coma?"

"I don't....I can't remember anything before that."

"Nothing? Are you sure?"

"No..., I mean yes."

"Did you know who Sango was when you first woke up?" Kagome chimed.

"I d-don't know. Maybe."

Sango's heart fell; Miroku didn't remember who she was. Her breathing came in small gasps as she held back sobs.

There was a point where Sango could no longer stand being near the amnesic monk as he tried to regain his memory. His not being able to remember who she was was a terrible feeling. She ran out of the hut, tears flowing down her flushed cheeks.

Miroku, of course, couldn't understand why Sango acted this way. In a way he felt guilty. But was his getting his memory back more important than patching things up with the girl?

That night he would ponder it.

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The silver-haired hanyou was watching over the monk this night. It was strange because he never seemed to sleep, but he rarely looked tired. Demons were another thing Miroku would need to understand.

Miroku slowly opened his eyes, adjusting them to the darkened room. He had pretended to be sleeping long enough; now was the time to get some answers.

"Inu Yasha. Psst, Inu Yasha."

"Hm?"

"I want to know what happened to me. Why can't I remember?"

Without looking down from a window that showed the clear night sky, Inu Yasha began retelling the story about the Shikon no Tama, the demon, and how it had caused the monk to go into a coma.

Miroku nodded. He was starting to vaguely remember what happened. Then, without realizing it, the question that had been on his mind since mid- afternoon, found its way outside Miroku's lips.

"And who is Sango?"

For the first time that night, Inu Yasha looked down from the stars. He looked surprised, but quickly regained his composure.

"Why was she sad when I couldn't remember her?" Miroku asked his questions with the innocence of a child.

"You two...well, you loved her, Miroku."

Miroku's eyes widened and his mouth was agape. "I l-loved her?"

"You fooled around with a lot of girls, but you liked Sango most of all. At least...that's what you told me."

"I see." Miroku looked out the window into the night sky. He stood up, his mind made up. "I'm going for a walk. Not to worry Inu Yasha, I'll be back shortly," he added, seeing the hanyou's concerned face. The only reason the group was taking turns in watching the monk, was because he was useless in battle without knowing how to use his air void.

Miroku paced back and forth in front of the girls' hut. When he could stand it no longer, he stood on his toes and peered inside. The hut was occupied by Kagome, old woman Kaede, Shippo, the small demon cat Kirara, and...Sango.

Sighing, the monk made his way back to Inu Yasha. Something about Sango was there, in his mind, something special, but he couldn't bring himself to remember it.

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//I think we might have met somewhere before Southern Carolina is the place that comes to mind//

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That night, Miroku hadn't gotten much sleep; he kept insisting that Inu Yasha tell him everything he knew about the monk, none of which was about Sango.

The morning was bright and beautiful, so Miroku found himself a nice hillside where he could lay and bask in the sun and all its glory.

Kagome; she was a reincarnated priestess from Kikyo, who was Inu Yasha's past lover. Inuyasha was a half demon, with an older brother (full demon), and had thought he'd been betrayed by Kikyo. Shippo, the energetic fox child, who used magic in times of need. Kirara was Sango's loyal demon pet. And he was a lecherous monk with a cursed hole in his hand from Naraku's doing to his grandfather.

All this, Miroku began to remember, but everything about Sango made his mind go blank. Sango; he met her after her demon's death..., no. It was after her brother's death—the raiding of her village!

"Sango set out to kill Inu Yasha because she thought he was the one who attacked her village! ...Sango was already badly injured, so someone—Naraku—put a shard of the Jewel into her body. Naraku figured she would kill Inu Yasha since she was being aided by a jewel shard, but we found out about his plan...and Naraku stole back the shard that was in Sango's body...."

"That's right."

Miroku looked up.

"Sango!"

Sango had been watching the monk, as he lay spread-eagle in the grass, recalling everything he could on his own. She walked over, sitting beside him in the grass. He beamed up at her.

"I remember," he said coolly. "I remember you."

"That's wonderful, Miroku." Tears of joy were forming at the brim of the exterminator's eyes.

There was a moment's silence, before Miroku said,

"Inu Yasha told me something last night." He waited for Sango to look him straight in the eyes, and then he continued. "He said I...he said I loved you, Sango."

Sango's eyes widened, and she turned away very embarrassed. "Miroku, you--"

"Shh," he said putting his index finger to his lips, when she turned to look at him. "I'm not finished."

The slayer girl looked around her and then back to the holy man before her. The reflection of the sun made his violet eyes sparkle. She felt her face getting hot.

"And once I thought about, and remembered it, I came to realize that I do love you."

"Y-You do?" Sango was blushing furiously. Miroku nodded, grinning. "Miroku, I don't know what to say..."

The houshi's smile faded. Sango obviously didn't feel the same way towards him. And now she was going to tell him; he felt foolish.

"The truth is, Miroku...I feel the same way towards you."

Miroku had been so caught up in what he thought she would say that he missed when she said the total opposite.

"What'd you say?"

Sango repeated her statement.

Miroku fell into a glorious bliss. Sango felt the same way he did about her. Now, they would get married and live a peaceful life together....Or maybe the houshi was jumping to conclusions.

He wasn't quite sure what made him do it, but at that exact moment, Miroku reached out and groped the slayer's bottom. Her eyes went wide, and she stretched her arm, slapping the monk across his face.

Sango was more embarrassed than ever; Miroku put a hand to the tingling, red imprint of the girl's hand.

"Sorry," Miroku said. But actually, the truth was, he wasn't sorry one bit. That feeling of paradise, which he had missed so. And the impact of Sango's slap, well, it caused Miroku to regain almost full use of his memory again.

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//But hey, I guess you never really can be sure//

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Something had obviously been stirred among the two as they spent their time alone; now they were lying all over each (not like that, you sick-minded creeps), their hands intertwined.

"Why not? Sango, please...?"

For the past fifteen minutes, Miroku had been pleading with his love for a single kiss. Sango finally gave in; she had still refused to bear him a son, and she figured that a little kiss would be all right.

Miroku almost jumped for joy. The woman of his dreams—he was going to get a kiss from her. They leaned forward, their lips meeting in the center.

After a moment or two, when Miroku could no longer stand it, he let his tongue slip pass his own lips, pushing up against Sango's, begging for her permission to be let it. When she complied, their tongues shook as they introduced themselves.

They could have gone on forever, had they not been humans who needed to breathe. Besides, this single kiss could lead to other things....Things that neither the monk nor the exterminator was quite yet ready for.

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//Oh, there's nothing like a true love... Then an old familiar feeling Wraps its arms around the moment... Oh yeah, there's nothing like a true love.//

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A/N This fic was greatly inspired by Thunk's A Miroku and Sango Oneshotter; the best M/S fic I've ever read! It's so sweet. But anyways, the stuff you see in //...// was from the song "You Don't Love Me Anymore" by Tim McGraw. I know, wonderful song to pick for a romance-type fic, huh? ;) Gimme some feedback if y'all don't mind, flames appreciated....I have no self- confidence, whatsoever.