InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Suffer The Fray ❯ Lying in Wait ( Chapter 21 )

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

Disclaimer: I hold no claim to InuYasha...Rumiko Takahashi does. Bummer.

A/N: So sorry for the wait! I hit a mental speed bump writing the next chapter, so while I've been finishing that I almost forgot to update. I'm really going to try and update regularly, but it'll be a little longer wait because the chapters will be much longer than normal. Hopefully your reviews will help me jumpstart my brain into writing!!

Many, many thanks to my betas- clnv and Dei Dei.

Also, this fic was nominated for Best Action/Adventure for the 3rd Quarter 2007 by the IYFanguild...in case you wanted to know. ^_^

Miroku ran blindly, slashing his Shakujou at random to clear a path ahead of him. He paid attention to nothing but the claws of dread snaring his heart.

It had been an ambush.

His eyes burned as the blood from the nasty gash along his hairline seeped down his face.

It had all been one big trap. The Houshi continued his break neck pace, the sight of his wife plummeting through the air like a limp doll seared into his retinas. I was so careless!

Despite his frantic pace, his mind slid back...

The village looked abandoned with nothing but the wind stirring amongst the hollow huts. As they cautiously made their way through it, every one of them caught the sound of soft humming on the breeze.

Shippo gulped from his perch on Shunsoke's back. "That's really creepy."

Miroku glanced around. "I'd have to agree with you on that one."

"Where do you think it's coming from?" Sango stabbed her Hiraikotsu into the dirt, swiftly removing her kimono and revealing her tight slayer-garb. Opening up the small blue sling from around her shoulders, she strapped on her armor, boots, and wakizashi before straightening up and pulling back her hair. "I think this place is deserted."

Shippo seemed to suddenly freeze, mouth dropping open to show off a neat pair of shiny, white fangs. "I've heard this before!"

The adults whipped around to gaze expectantly at him and ask simultaneously. "Where?"

"When we were coming to your house, we met up with Rin on the trail." He blinked nervously. "She was humming then, too."

Miroku nodded and glanced at his wife. "Let's go."

Together they followed it, leaving Shippo to tend Shunsoke with Kirara. Slowly, but surely, they made their way to what appeared to be the elaborately decorated home of the late village headman. Standing at the bottom of the lacquered steps, the hauntingly alluring sound captured them both at rapt attention.

He should have known it right then. Miroku's chest heaved as the sweat poured down his back in waves. It had been wrong from the start.

They climbed the stairs side by side, hearts beating in sync with the anticipation flooding their blood. Sango, her lithe body strung tight as a bowstring, gave him a tense glance before reaching for the sliding door. He gave her a reassuring nod, moving to stand opposite her, and watched her mouth the words

'One, two, three!'

In a single fluid motion, the two of them threw open the door and charged into the front room.

It seemed so obvious now. The more he remembered, the more sure he became that they had been set up. She had been waiting for them to come like a tiger crouching for the kill. Miroku gritted his teeth as he pushed himself to the limit. They'd been doomed from the start.

The only light filling the room was the sunshine spilling in through the double doors behind them. The blindingly bright light illuminated her pale skin in a pearlescent glow, its milky surface marred by a heavy slathering of blood and filth. Her long ebony locks had lost their luster, hanging down her back in twisted, greasy ropes. Her deplorable condition was made all the more bewitching because she was nude, all remnants of her clothing nonexistent.

His eyes adjusted to the different lighting and it made it easier to discern the numerous cuts and scrapes riddling her arms and legs. She kneeled demurely in the center of the room, making no signs that she even knew they had intruded, and gazed upon the shadowed end of the room as she hummed gently. Her pitiful state made it very easy for him to overlook the sight of her exposed flesh, feeling nothing but sorrow for the girl.

Sango glanced over at him in obvious confusion, brows knitted tightly on her fiercely delicate face. He could only shrug in response. He had no better clue as to what was going on than she did.

Inuyasha had told them that Rin was no longer the sprite-like girl she'd been, but he couldn't bring himself to believe the broken creature before him was that precious child. Moving tentatively, he side-stepped around her in a wide arc in an effort to see her face. He found himself gaping with shock.

Inuyasha had been right. Rin was in the village. He could see her shining out of the subtly rocking woman's blank, un-seeing eyes. He had to admit she had grown up into a stunning woman, but her empty, doll-like expression worried him. Ever so cautiously, he reached out his hand to touch her bare shoulder.

The melodic lullaby ceased. Moving back, he and Sango pulled their weapons tighter in instinctual defense and waited tensely.

Miroku couldn't get enough air into his lungs. Stumbling to a standstill, he clutched at the stubborn cramp in his ribs and bent over gasping for breath.

"It...was then...that I...knew..." Grimacing, he swiped his left wrist across his forehead to dispel the heavy wetness he felt there.

It wasn't until his wide, gray eyes saw the tacky blood that he remembered the throbbing cut on his forehead. It was still oozing blood, unable to clot because of his heart's frantic pace. It was then he registered just how nauseous and dizzy he was. Hacking past the stitch in his side, he resumed his pursuit. "I can't...stop now. Sango needs me."

Rin's head tipped in his direction in an eerie, puppet-esqe motion, a tangle of oily hair sliding over her shoulder and baring her naked breast to his view. Averting his gaze, he focused on the emptiness in her light brown eyes and shivered when a smile spread across her face.

Sango moved up on the girl's right, as he had the left, and watched nervously. "Rin?"

She didn't seem to notice, continuing to drill fear into him with her vacant stare. Miroku swallowed awkwardly and jerked his eyes to his wife's face, needing something to stamp down the chill that had risen in his chest.

In that instant, the all-consuming apprehension vanished at the sight of her panicked expression. It was something he'd never seen swirling in her enchanting violet eyes before, and seeing it helped to clear his head.

This was Sango, the unflappable youkai-taijiya that could always be counted on in a fight- the woman that used her emotions as a weapon and didn't allow them to paralyze her. She was staring at him in bald-faced fear, unnerved by the girl kneeling on the floor and terrified that she was losing him.

Miroku's jaw clenched and he sent her a hard stare. He was a man first, a husband second, and a monk at the very last. Sango may be a strong fighter, but she was still a vulnerable woman- and his wife. He couldn't abandon her now when she needed his support.

Taking a deep breath, he reached out and jerked the grinning doll to her feet. "Rin, can you hear me?"

A severe frown carved into her elegant face, eyes drifting vaguely to the hand clutching her upper arm. Uncaring of her nudity, she wrapped her long fingers around his hand, and with a strength belied by her fragile appearance, peeled away his grip. "You're not Inuyasha."

He realized it too late that they were in more danger than he had first thought. It took the bone-crushing hold on his hand to awaken his dormant- or heavily ignored- spiritual awareness and sense the thick cloud of evil swirling around the naked girl's spirit. Everything had suddenly made sense and he had jerked his widened eyes to Sango, too little too late. She had already made her fateful choice and he was powerless to stop her. Oh, Sango...

Her twin voids narrowed almost imperceptibly and she threw him with an unnatural force into the wall, whirling to catch Sango's wrist mid-swing. "Naughty, naughty girl. Someone needs to teach you manners."

Sango staggered back in shock, pulling at her arm. "Let go!"

Rin giggled girlishly and he watched the blood drain from Sango's face from his huddled position on the floor. His wife's mouth dropped in horror, her body trembling as she buckled to her knees before the possessed and squalid woman.

Her eyelids fluttered frantically, tears pooling in her distraught violet eyes. Rin did nothing more than merely hold her wrist, but it looked as if she was twisting a dagger in Sango's heart. After a few moments, Rin released her and moved to caress her cheek. "There now, that should make you behave."

He'd only been able to gape at them. The Houshi had no idea what the spooky, unclad woman had done to his wife, but seeing her reduced to nothing more than a mewling, traumatized child had spurred him to act.

That turned out to be the worst possible thing I could have done...had I known about what was lurking in the shadows. Miroku's eyes flew around the crowded forest and he released a groaning shout of frustration when he realized he was lost. "San...

...go!" Miroku bolted up off the floor, shutting out the squalls of pain in his back. Raising his Shakujou, he aimed for the unfortunate girl's head.

However, she was faster than he anticipated, pulling Sango's wakizashi from its scabbard and slashing upwards as she spun. The pain was fiery and acute, back-peddling him to his previous location near the wall as his blood cascaded down his face. Wincing, he stared at the weapon pointed skyward and the sight of her with only her thick hair to cover her soft breasts. The latter hardly even penetrated his brain as he watched Sango leap upwards. "No! Sango!"

Rin spun again, cutting down at his wife as she lunged. Sango saw the movement and pulled back quick enough to save herself from disembowelment, but still sustained a significant slash to her midsection. Jerking her Hiraikotsu around her shoulder, she blocked Rin's following swipe with a resounding clack. Sango pressed a hand to her abdomen and glanced angrily at the rusty blood staining her fingers. "That's my blade."

Rin leapt backwards, her eyes finally gleaming with rage as she crouched in the shadows leading to the room she'd been gazing at earlier.

"You will be punished!" She grinned maniacally. "I have something special for a naughty girl like you." Her demented laughter was joined by a hair-raising snarl from the darkness behind her.

Miroku watched with growing dread as something moved in the shadows, advancing slowly until a pair of red-rimmed, blue eyes blazed into view. He knew what was coming, but still wasn't able to shout to Sango before Koga launched himself at her. The slayer gasped in shock and managed to shield her throat from his fangs with her Hiraikotsu. His attack threw her to the ground as he snarled rabidly over her face, strings of hot, slimy salvia drooling onto her skin. Sango grunted as she beat away his hands as they tried to pin her down. "Miroku!"

He rushed to her aid only to receive a savage kick to his ribs. Gagging from the force of Koga's blow, he smashed the sharpened ring of his Shakujou into the wolf's cheek, splitting it open with a splash of crimson and throwing him off his wife.

Before he could catch his breath and inquire to her condition, he was descended upon by an enraged Rin, all signs of her former humanity gone. She slashed at him with perfected strokes, moving seamlessly from one to the other, an inarticulate sound of frustration rising from her throat.

He blocked her easily; years of practice with Sango had made him a near expert with weaponry. Unable to break away, he spied Sango on her feet and battling back against the disturbed ookami-youkai they'd once known as Koga.

Suddenly the roof was shattering down around them as her Hiraikotsu slammed the wolf out of the headman's house. Sango was off and running through the door in hot pursuit before he could shout to stop her.

Momentarily distracted, Rin took advantage of the confusion to jab the wakizashi into the tender flesh of his chest. His reaction was involuntary, bringing the Shakujou up into her taut abdomen and twirling the staff to smack the back of her head when she bent forward to gasp. He felt nothing as he watched her crumple.

What had come next would haunt him forever.

Dashing back outside, Miroku whipped his head back and forth in search of Sango. A familiar, hissing snarl rent through the air and he looked up to see Kirara with Sango aboard. He couldn't see Koga, that was, until the wolf whirled out from the demolished rubble of a hut and shot into the air. Sango gritted her teeth and whipped her boomerang. "Hiraikotsu!"

Koga disappeared in a tornado of wind and rematerialized, springing off the spinning bone and propelling himself at them. Miroku watched in alarm as Kirara saw him too late. "Sango!"

His shout fell on deaf ears as his fist collided with her chin, lifting her off the neko-youkai's back and sending her careening into the woods. Kirara faired no better, catching a vicious heel to the ribs and following her partner into the trees.

Where Koga had disappeared to after that, he didn't know, nor did he particularly care. He vaguely remembered shouting for Shippo to track down Inuyasha as he dashed into the woods after his wife. He registered nothing but the knowledge that he needed to find her and keep her safe.

Miroku looked around wildly, his weakened legs tripping over themselves as he turned and sending him into the dirt. He lay still, desperately trying to ignore the exhaustion compelling him to stay prone. His muscles failed to heed his command, his efforts to gain his footing proving futile.

Jaw clenching, he forced himself back up, relying on his Shakujou to keep his balance. "No, I won't give in until I know she's alright."

Lurching forward, his weakened legs failed to gain any purchase and he flopped back down to the ground in a tangle of robes. Unconsciousness hovered over him, snatches of black dancing past his eyes. Miroku groaned and attempted to pull his arms under him. An intense frown creased his forehead when he wasn't able to push himself up; his arms wouldn't work. His brain was telling them to push his body up so he could get moving again, but they would not respond.

Miroku took a shallow breath and watched it flutter the blades of grass near his mouth. I've lost too much blood.

His eyelids drooped as he murmured. "Help me out, Sango." His body grew heavy, the tension running down his spine easing as he flirted with incapacitation. "Show me...where you are." Miroku's eyes slid shut, succumbing to the haze clutching his brain.

Help me...

The miko trained her eyes on the livid face of the wolf she was restraining. Kagome watched Koga's expression contort with rage, and although he made no move to resist, she could tell that there was nothing he wanted to do more.

The Koga she knew would never in his right mind try to harm her.

He got to him too. She couldn't help a frustrated sneer. The longer she gazed into his ruddy face, the fresh slash in his cheek matching the color of his flashing eyes, the angrier she became. Naraku is taking advantage of him the same way he did on me...through the jewel. Koga never would have attacked her human companions like that unless someone else was calling the shots.

Her eyes drifted down to his legs, folded under him as he kneeled. The nearly black light cast off from his severely tainted shards unfurled the deep knot of her power just by being in their presence. She felt a pang of pity as Koga did not have the aid of purification powers to keep Naraku at bay.

I have to purify his shards.

Kagome was so occupied in her perusal, she had yet to notice the hands twitching at the wolf's sides. Inuyasha felt his vocal chords tighten in a deep growl. He had allowed her the chance to handle the rabid animal and he didn't relish being berated for intruding on 'her battle', but it was quickly becoming apparent that the situation was getting away from her. What is she dawdling for?

He stalked closer to the wolf, catching the demon's attention and pinning him with a deadly stare. "What are you doing, Kagome? Waiting for an invitation?"

She blinked slowly, eyes drifting between Koga and the enormous fang held tightly in his grip, just waiting to strike down the wolf. "Back away, Inuyasha."

Her whispered command had him momentarily pulling his gaze from Koga and looking upon her stern visage with confusion. "Back away?"

Kagome reluctantly flicked her eyes away to glare at him. "Yes. Back away, Inuyasha. I won't tell you again."

"No."

Her empty hand clenched a tight fist. "I don't want you anywhere near shards this evil! I will not allow you to fall under their power!"

"Oh, so it's alright for you to play with fire?" His tawny eyes narrowed menacingly. "Fuck that."

"It's my job to deal with tainted shards, you idiot!" Kagome felt her power billow up as her anger got the better of her. Calm down, girl. Take a breath. She swallowed thickly. "Your demon is too susceptible to a power this intense. I don't want you transforming and becoming possessed like Koga."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Feh, like I'd let something like that happen. How stupid can you be, Kagome?"

"Worrying about your life isn't stupid! Gods, you're an ingrate!" She spoke through clenched teeth. "The only reason you're acting like an ass is because of Koga."

"I'm the ass?! You're the one trying to be sympathetic to a youkai that's still wearing the blood of his victims all over him."

Kagome started to argue, but found herself turning her troubled umber eyes back to Koga. Hadn't she just told herself that? Koga was no better right now than Inuyasha was when he transformed.

Inuyasha's right. Koga is nothing but an instinctual killing machine. In her heart she knew this, but it didn't stop her mind from trying to deny what it was seeing.

Koga was a trusted friend and ally. She knew when he found out what he'd done under Naraku's control, he would never be able to forgive himself.

Or me. Kagome knew why she was hesitating- she didn't know whether to save him and deal with his rage and disappointment, or to just give him a humane death. She couldn't ask Inuyasha. She knew what he would say. Kagome wanted to stomp her feet in toddler-like frustration. I don't know what to do!

"Come on, Kagome. Just put the fool out of his misery." Inuyasha's voice softened at the sight of her struggle. He knew exactly what she was thinking because it was written all over her face. She wanted to save him, but wasn't sure Koga would be able to deal with what he had done.

The hanyou watched her despairing eyes start to twinkle and knew without scenting the air that she was trying not to cry. The entire reason Koga had given up attacking mortals was because he met Kagome, and Inuyasha knew she blamed herself for what Koga would inevitably feel if he were saved.

His clawed hand griped Tetsusaiga's ragged hilt. Damn you, Koga. How could you let yourself get caught by that bastard?

He stared into the ookami-youkai's turquoise gaze, rimmed with red, and watched the caged resentment of a trapped animal spiral through it. Something about that look struck a familiar chord within him. Sighing, he shut his eyes to the pitiful sight in front of him. "Kagome, please just kill him. You and I both know that Koga will forgive you for it."

Kagome stared at him aghast. "You don't know that!"

"Yes,' He nodded somberly. "I do. Koga would never blame you for killing him now and saving him the pain of reality."

"No!" She shouted at him irately. How could he sound so rational? How could he just assume what Koga would feel? She shook her head. "No, I can't do it. I can't kill him."

"Why not?!" He was growling again.

Kagome gave up trying to stop her tears of frustration from spilling over and wept openly. "I couldn't live with myself if I did! I couldn't bear the thought of him hating me because I didn't try to save him. His soul would be tortured by resentment and betrayal. I don't want that for Koga!"

"You have to do it."

"I don't have to do anything, but I will. I'll save him and if he wants me to end his life afterward, fine, but I refuse to make that decision for him."

Only one of them was aware of Kagome's loosening hold, the strong fingers slowly losing their grip as her attention became more and more focused on their argument. Lips curling back in a silent snarl, Koga decided it was time to make his move. Quick as lightning, he sank his fangs into the miko's wrist and savored the bloom of blood in his mouth.

Kagome cried out in surprise and instinctually pulled back on her arm, tearing her delicate wrist from his jaws as Inuyasha tackled the wolf. She knew her jerking reaction had succeeded in making the wound worse than it was, and wrapped her left hand around her lacerated right wrist. She just didn't know how bad it was because all she could feel was a distant thud at end of her arm and a thick wetness leeching between her fingers. A nervous sweat broke out over her back as she vacantly watched the snarling men grapple in the dirt.

Don't look at it. Don't look at it. She repeated it over and over and over, but her stomach clenched as her traitorous eyes drifted lower and lower down her arm. She paled and croaked out "Oh, gods..."

Blood oozed out of the cracks between her fingers, staining both of her hands and dripping to spatter the ground. Kagome felt the urge to vomit.

This is bad, very bad. No wonder people cut their wrists...I'm bleeding everywhere! She couldn't actually see the wound itself, but now that her eyes had taken in the sight, her hand could feel the torn flesh under her palm. I need help! She tore her eyes away and looked up. "Inuyasha..."

The hanyou in question was otherwise occupied, stuck on the receiving end of Koga's merciless assault. His nose was bleeding all over his face and there was a sizeable bruise on his cheek. She watched him block and dodge, and suddenly froze with enlightenment; his hands were empty. Head whipping around, she caught a flashing glint of light to her right and saw Tetsusaiga stuck in the trunk of a robust tree.

"Oh, no..." Kagome jerked her eyes back to see Inuyasha stumble back from the force of Koga's kick, clutching his midsection. Both combatants were bleeding from various wounds, but she knew that Inuyasha was feeling them more than Koga was. The tainted shards made the wolf impervious to pain or exhaustion, and she could see the hanyou growing more and more desperate to keep up. If he gets too weak, he'll transform to protect himself!

Suddenly her wounds stopped hurting and ceased to take precedence in her brain, all thoughts turning to subduing Koga before Inuyasha lost control. Releasing the vice-like grip on her injured wrist, she groaned as the air stung the open wounds.

Ignore it! Digging into her quiver, she pulled out the remaining bit of green fabric and swiftly wrapped it around her wrist, knotting it with her teeth. She winced as the cloth tightened and made sure she couldn't feel her fingertips when she was done. Her blood quickly seeped through the green bandage. Kagome disregarded the garish sight and snatched up her discarded bow. Selecting an arrow from her quiver, her numbed fingers fumbled with the weapon as she notched it and pulled back the string as best as her weakened arm would allow.

Setting her sights on the ookami-youkai, she waited for him to finish slamming his heel into the side of Inuyasha's rib cage to fire. The arrow flared brightly as it flew, a bit more to the right than she wanted, and cut through the fleshy part of Koga's right thigh. The wolf's leg buckled and he howled in pain. The arrow did little damage to slow him down, but her spiritual power paralyzed the muscles. She smoothly set another and shot that one as well, winging his left bicep. Kagome watched grimly as her power did its job, taking away the advantage he held over Inuyasha. A direct shot to his body would kill him, but a through-and-through would simply slow him down. She made sure Koga was immobilized for the moment and dashed over to where Inuyasha stood clutching his side.

Wrapping a supportive arm around his waist, she looked up into his battered face. "Are you alright?"

He nodded, but kept his eyes trained on Koga. "Yeah, but the bastard broke my ribs. It hurts to breathe."

"I'm sorry. I should have just done what you told me." She glanced over to where Tetsusaiga was caught in the tree. "You need Tetsusaiga before your youkai blood surfaces."

Inuyasha shook his head. "My dog won't come. I think it senses the shards." The Inu-youkai had wanted to take over when Koga had busted his nose, but the second he felt the power flood his body, it disappeared. After that, his dog had paced restlessly inside his body and only watched.

Kagome frowned at him. "This is the second time you said something about 'your dog'. What the hell are you talk-"

"Get down!" Inuyasha shoved her away as the wolf lunged, catching the demon's full weight in the chest. He grimaced past the piercing pains in his torso, grasping Koga's shoulders with his claws as he fell back. Digging them into his shoulders, the hanyou pulled his legs up and took Koga's weight on the balls of his feet.

Inuyasha thrust out with both legs when he hit the ground, using the wolf's momentum to propel him up, over him, and into the large tree behind his head. Koga let out a pained yelp and crumbled to the ground. Inuyasha panted through the stabbing sensation in his chest, hoping fervently that he hadn't punctured a lung. Those hurt like fucking hell.

"Inuyasha, hurry!" Kagome darted past him toward the wolf with Tetsusaiga in her hands.

That's the second time she's taken my damn sword! Growling, he rolled over and waited until his vision settled before following her. "What the hell are you doing?"

She knelt beside the unconscious wolf prince. "I need you to restrain him for me."

"Yeah, sure. That won't be hard at all." He snapped at her sarcastically. "In case you haven't noticed- I can barely fucking breathe!"

Kagome watched him flinch and suppress a strong cough. "I know and I'm so sorry to ask this of you, but I only have one shot at doing this right. I need you to hold him in case he wakes up." She clenched the sword tighter when he just stared at her. "I swear I'll make it up to you."

Rolling his annoyed amber eyes, the hanyou stepped closer to the wolf and bent down to slip his arms under Koga's, lacing his fingers together behind the wolf's head. "You better."

Once he had Koga in the tight hold, she forced herself to ignore Inuyasha's ragged wheezing and focused on what she was about to do. Angling the tip of the rusted un-transformed Tetsusaiga, she held it a few inches away from the wolf's right shin. "I'm sorry, Koga, but I have to take them away from you before they kill you."

"Oh...just get on...with it." Inuyasha tightened his biceps to pin the youkai to his chest.

Releasing a tense breath, she stabbed the blade into his flesh just beneath the vile shard. Levering the hilt downward, she cut a shallow slit in his skin and popped the shard loose all in one motion. It fell harmlessly to the grassy floor of the woods. Leaving it be, she repeated her actions on his other leg and watched as Koga's body went completely limp. Bruises that had not blemished him before now rose to the surface and she watched a few of his bloody scratches from Inuyasha's claws deepen to ragged gashes. She frowned as Inuyasha let him down.

"The jewel was holding off most of his wounds." She reached up to feel the bones of his spine where he connected with the tree. "He's lucky nothing's broken."

Inuyasha leaned against said tree and slid to the ground. "It wouldn't really matter." He rolled his head back to rest on the rough bark, eyes pinched shut with discomfort. "He's a full-blooded demon. He'd be able to heal a broken neck." He inhaled shallowly through his nose and whipped his gaze to her. "You're bleeding."

"Huh?" She looked away from Koga to meet his concerned expression. "I'm bleeding?" She glanced down at her wrist. "Oh, that's right. He bit me."

Inuyasha felt a pang of unease at the heavily bloodied fabric binding her wrist. "More like he fucking mauled you." He glared at the incapacitated wolf. "He's a dead man."

Kagome inspected the edges of her makeshift bandage. "He was possessed, Inuyasha. Besides, it stopped bleeding."

"You should still mend the wound though."

She shook her head and turned her attention to the tainted shards. "I don't have time right now. I'll do it after I take care of you and Koga and find Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Shunsoke." Reaching out slowly, she scooped up the twin shards and squeezed them in her hand. She flinched when they burned a little in her grip, but finally relaxed when she felt them run clean. She stood on her knees to stuff the purified shards into her jeans pocket. "There, now they're purified."

Inuyasha knew nothing he could say would change her mind, so he kept his mouth shut and just watched her fawn over the debilitated wolf. Kagome was meticulous, patching up what wounds she could without the supplies from her small satchel which had been strapped to Shunsoke's saddle.

An hour's time passed before she knelt beside him, the sun falling closer to the horizon by the minute, and started her gentle ministrations on him. His hooded eyes watched her nimble fingers as they probed his tender side, her face frowning when he sucked in a painful breath at her touch. She was totally absorbed in her task, letting nothing distract her from making sure each and every scratch and spot of dried blood was cleaned.

When she started scrubbing away the dried blood from his busted nose, she scooted closer to him between his stretched out legs. Her brows were furrowed with concentration and he felt his blood stir when she leaned up to inspect his ears. He had to quell the urge to caress the softness of her breast or the tautness of her belly when it was so close to his face. His nostrils flared as he forced himself to ignore her nearness.

Pain ignited anew through his torso in his attempts to control himself. He had always harbored an intense possessiveness for her since the day they met, but the need to consume her body and leave his mark on her was entirely new. He wanted to push her back into the grass and take her right there. Inuyasha groaned as he felt himself growing hard at the thought. No, not now...

"Does that hurt?"

He blinked up into her down turned face. "What?"

Kagome touched the ugly snippet missing from his left ear. "Your ear. Koga took a chunk out of it."

Inuyasha barely noticed. "Uh, yeah. A little." He breathed a painful sigh of relief when she sat back on her heels and stopped making him dizzy with her scent. "I didn't really notice."

"Your ribs are hurting that bad?" She frowned and reached for his belt.

He snatched up her hand. "What are you doing?"

"I can't get a good feel of them through your clothes. I need to know how many are broken." A playful smirk crossed her face. "It's only your shirt, Inuyasha. I'm not asking you to get naked."

His eyes darted to hers and his entire body tightened. Oh, great. That's just what I need to be hearing from you.

Clearing his throat, he shoved back her hands. "I'll do it myself." Glad to finally be able to distract himself, he shrugged out of his haori and glanced at her with only his kosode on. She shook her head and made a rolling gesture with her injured hand meaning 'that too'. Inuyasha sighed dejectedly and pulled that off as well. This isn't going to pleasant. "Make it quick."

Kagome watched him closely, noting his odd agitation, and turned her gaze to his side. She nearly gasped at the size of the marbled bruise blanketing the right side of his chest. The color was still an angry red, but where the muscles of his chest tapered off towards his obliques, the mottled purple appeared. That was where the ribs were most likely broken.

He must be in so much pain... She glanced at his face and caught only the strong profile of his jaw as he stared off into the distance before reaching out to gingerly press against his ribs. She swallowed anxiously when his defined abdominals clenched tighter and pulled her hands away after noting three separate breaks, all between the seventh and twelfth ribs. "There's three of them."

"That's what I figured." He released a shallow pant, his stiffened spine relaxing. Without looking at her, he started to slide his kosode back on when he felt a feathering touch on his stomach. Turning his head around, he watched her run her fingers over his already feverish flesh.

"Kagome," He groaned softly. "Don't."

She looked up at him innocently and the look on his face made her heart flip-flop with enlightenment. Yanking her hand away, she started to fiddle with her bandage.

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't...I didn't realize." Kagome blushed and wrung her hands, wincing when she pulled at her wound. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Inuyasha shook his head and pulled his haori tight around him, pressing himself into the nook between the enormous tree roots. "I'll live." He wished he could take just one deep breath. "Just don't touch me."

"Alright." Kagome felt like slapping herself. "I really am sorry."

He growled quietly. "Stop saying that. It's me, not you, so shut up already."

She let out a resigned sigh and allowed her gaze to wander. How was she supposed to know he would react that way? It wasn't like he had ever done it before. Kagome's rich brown eyes landed on the Tetsusaiga resting in the grass with Koga's blood on the tip.

Hell, I wasn't even sure he felt that way about me. Pushing to her feet, she walked over and picked up the rickety blade. She had always known he'd had a strong attachment- I still don't know if I should call it 'love'- but knowing he wanted her body sent a tingling thrill through her body. Kagome smiled to herself.

Turning the sword in her hands, she pivoted on her heel to look at both of them. Kagome debated whether or not to drag Koga over to where Inuyasha was resting, but the thought of the wolf waking up next to his supposed 'rival' didn't make for a good idea.

I'll leave him right where he is. Grabbing her quiver and bow, she crouched before Inuyasha and held out his blade. "Here."

He cracked open his eyes and took back his weapon. "Thanks." His perceptive gaze caught her bow in her hand. "Where are you going?"

"I have to find the others and make sure they're alright." She straightened up and stepped back like he'd asked. "Will you be okay here with him?"

The hanyou just snorted and shut his eyes.

Typical. Rolling her head around her shoulders, she strapped her quiver across her chest and started off. "I'll be back as soon as I find them, I promise." She jogged back toward the trail.

"Kagome?"

She stopped and glanced over her shoulder at him, braid swinging along her back. "Yes?"

"Be careful."

Kagome sent him a loving smile. "Always."

Inuyasha watched her until she disappeared from view and turned his troubled amber eyes to the sky. "Please, stay safe."

Sango watched the sun creep lower in the sky and wished for a moment that she hadn't lost her cool. Now she was stranded in the middle of a dense forest with nothing to protect herself, having sent Kirara off to find Miroku. Her eyes burned at the thought of her husband.

All that blood...

She pressed her eyes shut and cursed her own stupidity. It was only a shallow head wound. Head wounds were notorious for appearing worse than they actually were, but she had gone berserk anyway.

On Rin, of all people! She had wanted to kill the unfortunate girl in that moment for attacking Miroku. That cold, numbed feeling of emptiness petrified her. I didn't feel anything but the need to end her life!

The slayer croaked out a broken sound and covered her face with her hand, racking sobs seizing her chest. I would have done it! I would have just cut her down!

She rolled onto her right side and curled tighter in the grass, her left arm hanging limp against her stomach. She was innocent! She was possessed! Choking past the lump in her throat, Sango fought to take a deep breath.

What's happening to me?! She had never in her entire life wanted to kill someone the way she wanted to kill Rin...except for Naraku.

Her tortured eyes snapped open and blinked rapidly, pounding her fist into the ground with frustration.

That's how she knew! Her tears sliding over the bridge of her nose, Sango trembled at the visions Rin had shoved unbidden into her brain as punishment. Pulling her legs up against her chest, she mewled incoherently as she recalled the horrifying sights. The girl had known just what to show her to make her yield.

She saw barren field littered with slaughtered bodies, and her brother standing among the dead, jerking his kusari-gama from the throat of one of his victims. Examining the sharpness of the blade, he turned to look in her direction as if he could actually see her, and a bright smile crossed his blood-spattered face. The image blurred to another...

Kohaku pinned on his belly beneath Naraku's booted foot, desperately reaching out to her with panicked brown eyes and trying to crawl away. A vine-like arm tunneled into his back as he screamed out her name.

The vision changed again, this time to Kohaku's shrunken corpse and the crow peeking away at his dead eyes...

"No!"

Sango let out an uncharacteristic wail and sat up. She hiccupped, tears and snot streaking down her face, and felt her stomach roll. Pitching forward, she braced herself and vomited into the grass. She coughed and spit until her mouth was semi-clean, crawling away from contents of her stomach and propping against a tree stump. Using her able hand, she tried to clean her face.

"Kohaku isn't dead." Her chest hitched and she gulped a deep breath. "I won't let you kill him, Naraku."

Clenching a fist, she glared up at the darkening sky. "Do you hear me, Naraku?! I won't let you!"

Her voice breaking, she dropped her head and stared at the ground. Sango wasn't sure how long she sat like that, totally limp and exhausted, but by the time Kirara returned, night had fallen. She didn't look up when the nekomata yowled at her from the other side of the glade, feeling too defeated to even greet her companion.

Her ears heard the cat's heavy footfalls as she approached and finally glanced at the large black paws when they entered her line of sight. Eyes heavy from crying, she watched Kirara shrink and scratched the youkai's ears with trembling fingers. Kirara purred and nudged her hand, turning and looking away. Sango blinked and followed the feline's gaze. "What are you- Miroku!"

Sango pulled her uncooperative limbs together and scrambled over to her husband as he lay face down in the grass. "Miroku!" She grabbed his shoulder and squeezed softly, waiting anxiously for a response. "Miroku?"

He groaned quietly and rolled over, smiling up at her. "Hello, my love."

The relief she felt was overwhelming and the eyes she thought had dried up, sprung to life. "I was so worried about you." She sniffed and brushed his bangs away from his clotted gash. "When Kirara found me, I sent her off to find you. I needed to know you were alive."

"You must have heard me ask for help then, because I had no idea where you were." The Houshi pushed himself into a sitting position and faced her. "The next thing I knew, Kirara was grabbing the back of my robe and toting me here."

Sango slipped her hand under the feline's belly and lifted her against her chest. "Thank you, Kirara."

Miroku looked her over as she nuzzled the cat, noting her wounded stomach and various scratches, and lingered on the awkward angle of her arm. "Sango, what's wrong with your arm? Is it broken?"

"No," She shook her head. "After Koga nearly broke my jaw, I landed in a tree and tumbled down through the branches until I hit the ground." She put down Kirara and held her shoulder grimly. "It's dislocated."

"I'll have to pop it back into place," He swallowed thickly. "And it's going to be extremely painful since it's been this way awhile."

Sango nodded and shifted closer to him. "I know. The muscles have had time to set."

"Okay, let me see..." He ran his hands over the malformed joint, feeling the top of her humerus sitting just in front of her shoulder blade. "I'm going to pull your arm out and back, but since the muscles are so tight, I'll need to brace against you."

"Alright, I'll lie down and you can brace your feet against my side."

She did as she said and he took hold of her upper arm after setting his heel against her ribcage. He could see her trembling, sweat sliding down her face, and took a calming breath. "Relax, Sango. I'll do it as fast as I can."

Her head bobbed up and down in agreement as she pinched her eyes shut. "Okay."

Miroku felt his own nervous sweat slide down his back and started to count. "One, two..." He took a white-knuckled grip on her arm. "Three!" Pushing off her side, he flexed his arms and pulled with all his meager strength. He felt a knife of panic when the bone wouldn't budge, but gritting his teeth, he felt it shift outward as Sango kicked her legs out in agony. Ignoring her thrashing, the monk twisted the arm up and back. Sango screamed when the bone popped back into place and he immediately dropped her arm, bending down to gather her shuddering frame in his arms. "I'm sorry, my love. It's over."

The demon slayer clutched his robes and buried her head into the crook of his neck, riding the waves of pain. Her chest heaved and she felt a surge of nausea. Pulling back, she tried to turn away. "Miroku, let me go." His hold loosened and she spun around to retch.

He held her until her dry heaves subsided, brushing her hair out of her face, and rubbing soothing circles on her back. Standing up, he lifted her up by her armpits- careful of her throbbing shoulder- and steered her towards the stump she'd been sitting against before.

"Sit down." She sagged onto the wooden chair and he swiftly removed his outer robe, tearing of an already hanging piece and handing it to her. "For you mouth." He rummaged around in the heavy folds of his robe and produced one of the 'water bottles' that Kagome had given him earlier. "Take this too."

"Thanks." Unscrewing the cap, she used the water to swish out her mouth until the horrible taste of bile was gone. She wiped her mouth, grateful for his awareness. Sango watched him curiously, knowing her heart couldn't possibly love him more than it did right now, and spotted a blotch of blood on his clothing. She pointed weakly. "Are you hurt, Miroku?"

He glanced up from his task. "This?" He smiled and waved it off. "It's nothing."

She watched him fashion her a makeshift sling with his robes and chuckled at the reversal of their roles. "This is strange. I'm usually the one patching you up."

He knelt in front of her and the look on his face was anything but humorous. "I thought you were going to get yourself killed."

"Miroku..." Her throat seized as her heart pounded against her breastbone. "She showed me things, about Ko...Kohaku, and I...I lost it. All I could think about was killing her, and then Koga because he interfered." Tears spilled down her cheeks as she cupped his cheek. "I was...out of control, and I...I left you to fight alone. I was completely reckless and I put you in even greater danger." Sango wilted. "I broke my promise. Please, forgive me."

"You don't need my forgiveness."

Holding the back of her head, he pulled her down to kiss her fiercely. Sango whimpered into his mouth, matching his desperate fervor with her own. His lips moved roughly against hers and it drove her to respond just as aggressively, sliding to her knees to press her soft curves to his angled planes as if she wanted to crawl inside his body.

She wanted him to know that she was alive and well, albeit a bit damaged, trying frantically to express just how much she truly needed him. Sucking hard on his lower lip, she took the initiative to thrust her tongue into his newly opened mouth.

Miroku snared her tongue with his own and drank the sweet taste of her like a balm for his soul. He explored the deepest recesses of her mouth just like it was the first time, savoring the feel of her body flush against his. Softly massaging the tender spot behind her ear- a known hot spot for her- he sighed contently as she devoured him.

Feeling her tears on his face and the comforting warmth of her pliant form, he finally felt the anxiety gripping him leave. He ran his curse-free hand down her back and around her side, running his thumb along the underside of her breast as he slid his tongue along the inner-side of her lips. He leaned away slightly and whispered against her swollen lips. "Sango..."

She tipped her head back and pulled away, sucking in a much-needed breath as she folded herself into his embrace. "I love you so much, it hurts."

He grinned and caressed the nape of her neck. "I wouldn't want to cause you any unnecessary discomfort, Sango."

"Ugh," She bumped her forehead against his shoulder. "You're insufferable."

"Yes, I am." He nodded and pushed her back. "I also need to take care of your shoulder." He picked up the sling he had made. "Now, just let me wrap this around...no, it needs to sit higher...that's better." Miroku got her arm situated where he wanted and tied the ends tightly around her neck. "There."

Sango marveled at his ingenuity and glanced at the nekomata walking toward the edge of the glade. "Kirara?"

The twin-tailed cat looked back her, then again the woods, cooing melodically before bounding away.

"Kirara!" The youkai-taijiya started after her, but was held back by Miroku. She turned her concerned violet eyes to her husband's gray ones. "Where is she running off to?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

She sighed heavily and waited. It was only a few minutes before Kirara emerged from the underbrush with an overjoyed Kagome sitting astride Shunsoke, Shippo perched on the horse's withers. The miko dismounted in a flash and ran over to them. "I'm so glad Kirara found me! I thought I'd be searching for you guys forever!"

Miroku looked around her. "Where's Inuyasha?"

"I left him to with Koga."

"Koga?!" The couple shouted in unison.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. They're both pretty beat up. Inuyasha has some broken ribs, so I left him to watch over Koga's unconscious body while I went to find you. I ran into Shippo and Shunsoke almost immediately and spent the last few hours getting lost." She frowned at their obvious wounds. "Koga did that, didn't he?"

"Actually, I got mine from Rin when she stole Sango's wakizashi."

Her brown eyes grew huge. "Rin?!"

Sango nodded. "Yes. She was possessed by something, just like Koga."

"It was probably Naraku. Koga's shards were horribly tainted." She pulled at her bandaged wrist. "He probably fell under his command the same way Naraku tried to do to me."

Miroku frowned. "What are you talking about?"

The miko shook her head. "I'll tell you once we get back to Inuyasha." She smirked. "I don't want to leave those two alone for too long."

A/N: A wakizashi is a short sword that is easily wielded with one hand. It is usually a secondary weapon. 'Nekomata' is a name for a cat older than ten years with magical powers and two tails in Japanese folklore. I came across it while looking up Japanese mythology.

I could really use some feedback...I hate having writer's block. Comments from the peanut gallery will definitely help!! XD.