A/N: Gomen minna-san for the long overdue update, my PC crashed and lots of stuff happened to me over summer and the beginning of school. I hope this chapter is worth the wait, Part 4 will be uploaded sooner hopefully. Thank you so much to my reviewers-- love you so much! A longer commentary next time, but I just gotta upload right now, I have classes in an hour. Please review. Tell me what you think.

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"Eat something Miroku," Shippou softly pleaded, his eyes bright with unshed tears. The kitsune cub was holding a bowl of porridge, it has gone cold like all the other meals the houshi refused to touch since Sango was kidnapped. It has been five long days.

Miroku said nothing, merely meditated. Despite being badly injured, he went after Inuyasha every time the inu ventured out and tried to track down their comrade. When he was not out searching with Inuyasha whose attention was also on the wounded miko, Miroku meditated as if trying to find Sango through his soul. His hand fisted as he faintly felt Sango's pain and then suddenly, a faint echo of her voice. It was far away, very far away and the darkness surrounding the taijiya made the monk's spirit twist in agony. Miroku opened his eyes, gasping.

"Bouzo!" exclaimed Inuyasha bursting inside the small cottage they were using as shelter. Inuyahsa growled when he found Miroku at the dirt floor, gasping in pain. His golden feral eyes scanned the perimeter and found a teary-eyed Shippou and Kagome, still asleep. No danger. He relaxed slightly and asked gruffly, "Are your wounds paining you?"

Still catching his breath from the spiritual battle, Miroku managed to say, "Sango's in danger. And—I think she's near us…"

Inuyasha's eyebrows raised. Carefully he said, "Oi Miroku, I know its hard that she's in the hands of our enemy but don't delude yourself by believing--"

"Dammit! It was no illusion! I heard her!" shouted Miroku angrily, "I heard her soul cry out! She is suffering…" His violet eyes glistened with pain and rage. Miroku staggered to his feet, the lacerations on his back pulling violently and he nearly bowed over from the pain. He gritted his teeth, knowing deep inside him that Sango was suffering worse agonies.

Inuyasha made a move to stop the monk but Kagome's weak groan from the single pallet had the hanyou bounding over to the girl instead. Kagome's hand was outreached as if seeking something and Inuyasha quickly caught it and covered it with his clawed hands gently. "Kagome…" Inuyasha said gruffly.

The miko opened her eyes wide at the sound of his voice. Her hand was trembling within his grip. "Evil jaki," she whispered, "I dreamt of darkness, I dreamt of a red moon and blood… a river of blood," finished Kagome as she began to tremble from head to foot. Inuyasha swiftly enfolded her in his arms.

"Sshh, its just a dream Kagome," said Inuyasha as he tried to comfort the girl. Kagome began shaking her head, her vehemence overriding the pain her concussion was giving her.

"Iie! I felt it—I felt the spirits of the land—speaking to me. I don't know how but this much is true."

Inuyasha said nothing for the powers of a miko were a mystery to him. He knew that they had extraordinary spiritual powers and that they were guardians. Perhaps this was a manifestation of Kagome's miko powers. Most of the time it was only evident with her arrows of light, her instinct for finding shikon and for purifying it. He turned to hear Miroku's hoarse confirmation.

"A battle lies ahead. And with it is Sango's whereabouts," Miroku said grimly.

***

Naraku reclined in his throne indolently, his handsome face submerged in the darkness of shadows. But Kagura didn't need to see the unholy satisfaction on her master's face for the villain fairly radiated with malice and evil glee. Kagura suddenly felt sorry for the inu-tachi. Death would only be their escape from the torment Naraku has concocted.

"Where is Kohaku?" Naraku asked idly, his dark eyes fastened on the figure in front of him even as he addressed Kagura.

"He is in the barracks, Naraku-sama," answered Kagura calmly as she flicked her fan open.

"Fetch him," Naraku said silkily as Kagura promptly obeyed. When he was alone with the creature standing in front of him, his dark eyes warmed with what can only be called love. He held out his hand, anticipating the pain her touch would bring. Even he was not impervious to her poison. The sheer danger of this creature was ecstasy and hatred, he felt aroused just gazing upon her. "Yoru, come to me…"

Slim, claw-tipped and bloodless. Her hand was beautiful even as it slid easily into his grip. Naraku sucked in his breath at the rush of poisonous jaki the very touch of her skin evoked but pain blended into pleasure and he gripped her tighter. Light from a faraway candle gave little illumination to her face. But what was seen of it can only be described as beyond perfection. Long, straight, fire-red strands of hair lifted in time to an invisible wind and there was a quick flash of green cat-eyes in the flickering shadows. Her garment was a luminous white robe, matched only the marble-like whiteness of her skin.

"My beautiful Yoru," breathed Naraku, sounding very much like a man in love. He released her hand reluctantly, cutting the painful flow of poison from her body to his hand. His hand shriveled up and he gave a low laugh as he regenerated himself. He smiled in satisfaction, knowing that Yoru was close at hand.

At the same moment, Kagura entered with the boy Kohaku at her heels. Kagura tried to conceal her fear of the creature standing beside Naraku. She was dangerous and Kagura's skin fairly crawled with fear at the jaki Yoru was emitting. She could destroy me, thought Kagura. Kohaku paused and bent down on his knee in front of Naraku.

Naraku observed both his minions, his gaze going back and forth speculatively. Like a ghost, Yoru drifted forward to stand in front of the pair. Her red hair seethed like fire while the rest of her looked like death. "Drain a quarter of the boy's blood and return to my side," instructed Naraku, watching the play of emotions on Kagura's face.

Yoru moved without acknowledging his orders and like a puppet, Kohaku moved towards the creature. Yoru didn't draw her arms around him nor did she lift the child. Instead, with the sinuous grace of a crane, she bent forward, her face angling slightly as fangs lengthened from her mouth. Her teeth sank deeply into the boy's tender neck as she began to suck his blood, the utter monstrosity of her perfection wavering, as if becoming more human as each tang of blood touched her lips. Kohaku's arms began to jerk wildly in reflex as if his body was protesting the slow death that was overtaking him.

"Enough Yoru," ordered Naraku. Naraku frowned when the demon refused to obey. With a growl of anger, his vine-like arm snaked forward and captured the feasting creature. Kohaku collapsed, two pinpricks in his neck swollen from the feeding. But the boy was still alive—just barely.

Naraku merely gritted his teeth. The presence of the evil jaki lessened after Yoru has fed, only minimally though but it was enough to give him the opening to Yoru's infinitesimal humanity. The faintest color in Yoru's lips made desire rise within Naraku and he quickly jerked the creature against him and licked her lips, his tongue going inside the softly parted mouth to invade and plunder. Darkness exploded inside his brain as he tore his mouth away.

So this was what its like to taste death. Darkness with a hint of blood.

My masterpiece. "Yoru, my Angel of Darkness, be free," instructed Naraku, laughing as the creature began to rise. In a heartbeat, Yoru disappeared. She has teleported herself outside of Naraku's castle.

Naraku turned to Kagura. "Awaken Kohaku. He has yet to prove why I had to spare his life."

***

Upon Kagome's insistence that she was fine and Miroku's stubborn determination to set out and find Sango, even if it meant going himself was Inuyasha reluctant agreement to lave their shelter. They were now trekking through a well-traveled path, weary and battle worn. It was dusk and they moved to the forests to make camp.

It was oddly quite and the fox cub was the first to remark so. Kirara let out a mournful purr and Inuyasha's ears prickled. His golden eyes narrowed as he took in the scent of the air. Kagome stirred from her spot against Inuyasha's back. The familiar call of a shikon shard was close by.

"Inuyasha… shikon no tama!" exclaimed Kagome as the aura grew more distinct.

"Blood," said Inuyasha succinctly, wanting to head off to battle by himself.

Miroku lifted his hand and pointed upwards. "There's smoke rising ahead," he said grittily.

Screams rose from a distance, coming from a village at the edge of a valley. The cries were growing fainter by the second.

"It's almost over! Naraku must be there!" shouted Inuyasha as he charged onwards, leaping from tree to tree. Miroku jumped on Kirara's back as she transformed and flew towards the battle scene.

Seeing the smoke rising and the sudden, dreaded silence, Miroku cried out, unable to stop himself.

"SANGO!"

***

Inuyasha stood grimly at the edge of the village, not wanting to go inside. It was now a cemetery of mutilated and half-burned bodies. The wounds of most of the victims indicated as if a claw ripped through them mercilessly, severing an arm, a head or a spine. It was massacre. Kagome buried her whitened face in Inuyasha's kimono.

Miroku stood stock still, his heart beating fast. He could have sworn he heard Sango's voice answering his call. She had to be here! But who could be alive in this devastation? He felt his heart turn over in pain. The wound in his back began to ache and he felt the sting of tears as he clenched his hand in despair.

Kirara's head reared up the same time Inuyasha caught a familiar scent. The cat youkai, with Miroku and Shippou on her back began bounding over the littered bodies, her fur almost standing on end. Miroku almost fell down from Kirara's frenzied movements.

An attack? Is the culprit still here?

A small body disentangled itself from the corpses littered around it. Miroku vaguely heard Kagome's muffled scream as the body slowly shuffled towards them. Kirara paused, absently shaking the monk and Shippou off her back. Her feline eyes were intent as it watched the unknown person moving towards them.

"Kohaku-kun!" Kagome cried out as the rest of the group stared in shock at the blood-splattered, pale young boy staggering towards them. Miroku ran forward and caught the boy just as he collapsed. Kohaku briefly opened dazed eyes.

"Aneue…" he whispered, his hand pointing to where he came from. His eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness.

Miroku left the boy with Inuyasha and Kagome. He raced towards the direction Kohaku has given, unmindful of the fact that it could be a trap. "Sango!" he called out, his eyes frantically scanning the multitude of bodies. She had to be alive! Miroku didn't even hear Inuyasha's curses, Kagome's cries for caution.

Kami-sama, I would give the heart from my body just to see her again…

Miroku cried out when he saw her. Sango was so still and pale against the embers of what was a villager's house. A horrible thought seized him, is she dead? His knees buckled. He barely made it to her side. He clasped her cold hand and pressed it against his cheek.

"Sango…" he whispered in anguish.

But then she moved, her chest softly rising with breath. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as if acknowledging his presence even while unconscious. Miroku's relief was so great he almost cried. He quickly gathered the taijiya in his arms, heedless of the blood that covered her thin white kimono. She was alive! He can feel the warm that was slowly returning to her body. Somehow, his Sango and Kohaku has escaped Naraku.

Miroku held Sango tightly, feeling her breath warm his neck. He closed his eyes in gratitude. "Arigato Kami-sama," Miroku said as he looked heavenward. The night was clear and beautiful despite the devastation around him.

"Oi Bouzo!" Inuyasha called as he carried Kohaku's prone body. "They were left for dead by that bastard Naraku. These two probably escaped and he went after them. He obliterated everyone. He must've thought he got them too," Inuyasha said grimly.

"Kisama," growled Miroku, his grip around Sango tightening.

"We have to get out of here. He might come back, we're not strong enough to take them on right now," Kagome said worriedly. She walked over to Sango, her hand smoothing the fall of hair on her friend's face. She frowned a little. There was something different about Sango—it's not evil but—there is a sense of darkness. A shadow hanging over her friend. It must be the torture she has suffered under Naraku's hands. Kagome's hands fisted in anger at the thought of Naraku hurting Sango.

Inuyasha snorted. "Feh! I can take care of them!"

Kagome's temper flared. "Don't be foolish! We have two people wounded with us and that doesn't include me and Miroku-sama! You'd risk a battle with so much at stake?"

"Onore! Woman, you--," began Inuyasha, looking angry.

"Kagome-sama is right. There's too much at stake. Let's hide for now," Miroku said as he turned and began to walk away from the village.

There's no time to mourn, there's no time for heroics. What little time they had, they used to survive.

***

By morning, Inuyasha and the others have reached a village. Kirara had guided them, the feline youkai clearly energetic at having recovered her Mistress and the young master. All through the night they traveled, seeking to put as much distance as they could between them and the destroyed village.

Kagome stumbled and Inuyasha steadied her by standing in front of her. His hands were full as he held the still unconscious boy. Kagome leaned against him gratefully as she looked around their surroundings. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Sango-chan's village!" she exclaimed.

Sango stirred, her eyes opening slightly, wincing in pain as the sun's light fell across her eyelids. So many nights of darkness and to finally see the sun…

"Sango!" Miroku said as he fiercely embraced the conscious girl.

Sango's eyes widened in alarm. Her heart was glad at being back with Miroku, in fact, tears began to course down her soot-stained cheeks. But the way his arms held her—it awakened unpleasant memories, she began to struggle weakly, trying to get away from the monk's confining presence. She couldn't understand herself!

In his surprise, Miroku released the squirming girl. Sango fell and rolled away from Miroku. She stood up shakily. "Miroku!" she cried out softly but made no move to touch him. Conflicting emotions rose within her. She wanted to stay forever in his arms but felt too defiled to even touch his feet. She couldn't bear physical contact as well. She felt raw, physically and emotionally.

Sango cried at the look of hurt and surprise in Miroku's eyes. Unable to explain, she sank down to her knees. "Please… don't touch me…" she cried.

Miroku moved to comfort her but he stopped cold at the look of fear on Sango's face when his hand neared her. He felt cold to the depths of his soul. The thinness of her kimono in the morning light revealed sickening wounds that marked her skin. But the pain in her eyes hurt him more than anything else.

Sango was shivering, her thick hair sliding forward to shield her from the group.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered in agony as she hugged herself.

"I'm so filthy..."

But Miroku heard and was equally devastated.

Tsuzuku

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Night Storm

An Inuyasha Fanfiction by Jo-chan

Part 3- Darkness