Title: The End
Author: Priestess Skye
Rating: G
Genre: Drama
Pairing: Inu/Sango
Word Count: 1,331
Canon/AU: Canon
Prompt: Endings

The rift between her and Kagome was now permanent, just as the bond between she and Inuyasha had solidified beyond what she had ever imagined. Sango was torn, wishing that she could have the best of both worlds. It seemed she could have neither. The relationship between her and Inuyasha was unwanted, though neither could not deny what they felt any longer. Instinct demanded that he stand by her side and protect her. Her own heart was at war with itself, understanding the hanyou better now than she had ever before. She wanted to be with him, though she still mourned the loss of Miroku.

Kagome refused to talk to either of them, focused solely on the task of defeating Naraku instead, so she could return to her own time. The girl had the saddest aura around her, though she tried to keep her spirits high. But not one word was spoken to Sango.

“She doesn’t hate you,” Miroku had explained one night, before crossing the fire pit to her old best friend. “She just hates the circumstances.”

“I broke her heart,” she murmured, staring after him.

“We did,” Inuyasha confirmed as he sat down next to her. His hand fell upon her knee for a moment before reaching to grab the cup of ramen that was left for him. Kagome may be upset with the two of them, but being Kagome, she didn’t truly abandon them. Not in the most real sense anyway.

Dinner was held in silence, she and Inuyasha watching after their friends as they ate across the way. Kagome and Miroku spent the time murmuring to each other. She was sure Inuyasha could hear what they were saying, but she didn’t dare ask him to repeat it.

“My father once told me that when I fall in love, it would be a happy time, a joyous moment. He told me I’d feel like there’s a whole festival going on inside my body, as if it were full of sunlight that wanted to burst free. How come I don’t feel like that?”

He didn’t answer her; she knew he couldn’t for the same reason she didn’t want to answer it herself. Saying the words would make it real.

“You remind me of him, you know.”

“Doubtful,” the hanyou murmured, though he moved closer.

“No, it’s true. You both have the same qualities. He was loyal to his village, just as you’re loyal to your pack. When he fought he gave all. And he knew the difference between right and wrong. He never accepted a job he didn’t feel right about.”

“Keh, and I’m dragging you guys around Japan and back for a jewel.”

“Yeah, but the alternative is so much worse. Letting Naraku have the shikon jewel? That would be hell on Earth. We’d all either die or be enslaved. I’d sooner die than work for him. At least with you, we know you’re not going to use the jewel for your own selfish means.” His hand gripped tighter on her knee as she spoke, causing her to wince slightly. From the moment he handed her his fang he had been more in tune with her emotions, and no sooner had she winced than he eased up. She didn’t care though. Hers was a warrior’s body, meant to be used abused in battle. One small bruise would never bother her.

But she could see that it bothered him as he stared at the spot where his hand covered, as he carefully began to rub it, it ease the pain away. He could have very easily shattered a bone, but she trusted him. She knew that even in anger, he would never go that far. Once upon a time she had thought he would, and she feared finding Kagome half dead on the forest floor when they went their separate ways due to their volatile tempers.

She knew better now.

“You’re much happier that I’d use to the jewel to turn into a full demon?”

“No,” she breathed, resting her hand upon hers, both in understanding and support. They didn’t dare touch each other further in front of the others, though she desperately wanted nothing more than to lean against him, use his strength as she was still tired from her injuries. “I think you’re happy as you are. Turning yourself into a full demon would mean changing the essence of who you are. I don’t think you have the same desire to do that as you once did. You know there are people who don’t care if you’re hanyou or not.”

He remained silent as he thought over her words. “She’s going to be all right.”

“Who?”

He gestured to Kagome sitting across the way, her back to them. Miroku’s arm was wrapped tightly around her shoulders, in what she assumed was support. She figured he needed it as much as she did. She had hurt him too and despite his outward acceptance of the situation, she knew that he was not taking it as well as it appeared. “They’re laughing. It’s over stupid little things, but it’s nice to hear her laugh.”

“Miroku knows how to do that.”

“She may not end up going home.”

Sango turned to look at Inuyasha, puzzled. Part of her was happy to hear that, as it would give them the time needed to repair their friendship, yet instinctively she also looked upon Kagome as competition. Inuyasha could not easily forget this miko as he did the previous. “She wants to stay here?”

“She wants to be wherever she’s happiest. Her perspective is already changing. Despite the hurt, she’s already seeing Miroku in a new light. Right now he’s a friend who’s going through the same shit she is right now. Who knows, that may change as they become closer. It changed for Kagome and I, and it changed for you and I.”

Settling in closer to him, allowing her shoulder to touch his, Sango smiled when Inuyasha returned the gesture. This was so out of character for him, yet he wasn’t shying away as he would have in the past. Was he accepting the bond they shared too? He had to be. Why else wasn’t he chasing after Kagome right now?

“One day at a time,” she murmured, suddenly feeling drowsy.

“For what?”

“We’ll hunt Naraku down, we’ll win because we have something worth fighting for, then we’ll get to know each other. Miroku and Kagome can get to know each other. We’ll all just take it one day at a time. Maybe one day then, this chaos and confusion will come to end.”

“Keh.”

She laughed. Her Inuyasha, the forever pessimist when it came to relationships. Kagome accepted it, she refused to the same. One day, she would have him agreeing with her. One day, when Naraku was defeated, they would walk side by side, looking for their next adventure, his Tetsusaiga in his hand, her hiraikotsu in hers. Theirs would never be a life of peace, neither could handle it for very long. But she knew it would be a long one filled with companionship.

Both were too stubborn to accept otherwise.

END

And that’s it. I can’t foresee a happy ending all around as too many people would be hurt. My challenge was to try to write a canon-based Sango/Inu story with Miroku and Kagome still in the picture. It’s not the happiest of endings, but then it’s not the happiest of stories. What we do have is acceptance, and that’s what I foresee in the end, not head over heels in love. I do have another Sango/Inu story in my files that I was working on, and it was different than this, far happier in tone. I may work on it eventually again.

I hope you enjoyed this. I had a great time writing it.

Skye