Hey guys, me again. One question – should I keep doing these shout outs or reply by email? It's really beginning to take up a lot of space! That and some people may find it annoying…well, let me know! Don't want to tick anyone off…but don't stop reviewing! It's the high point of my day to read the reviews! Love you all. For now I'll stick to the usual drill – shout outs here we come!

Mvdiva: I wouldn't want to be Miroku right now either…ouch.

Zero27: Thanks! I was a bit worried about that chapter…

Mattielover: I love him too! Poor kid, he deserves to have something nice happen to him.

Megumi Sagara1: Not necessarily…but anything's possible!

Bikutoria: She'll probably snap out of it eventually. I liked the rosary story too. *Evil chuckle* Angst! Ahhh…. He knows he only hurt her arm, he just can't forget that he even tried, especially since she's being so nice to him.

Vampire-Elf: Bingo! You guessed it. I'm impressed. You liked the boys' conversation? Yay! That bit was soooo tricky.

Akikaze no Uta: There's a reason she's so sinister…picked it up yet? I know it's marginally slow, but I really don't like stories where everything is solved all of a sudden. It's just not realistic…

Murasaki Kitsune: Soon, I promise! And I thought the argument was good fun, too. I'll hurry, really.

A/N: Hold onto your hats, people…this one is going to be fast…

Disclaimer: Nope.

Under Control

Chapter 8: Repeat Performance

"Well, we're here. Now what?"

"Ask around, I guess." The boys looked at each other, shrugged, and started walking down the main road that led through the little village that they had stumbled on. Miroku was beginning to regret his idea of actually looking for shard rumours rather than just going back to camp. For one thing, their friends were still back there, relatively unprotected while in the middle of a forest. And for another thing…he hadn't really hunted for shard rumours before. Usually it was the dog-boy's job. He sighed, wrapping his hand even tighter around his shakujou as he walked.

He was tired beyond belief. Days of walking coupled with very little sleep will do that to you.

Inuyasha glanced around at the houshi's sigh, snorting in annoyance. So, the stupid bouzu was tired, was he? Well, it was his fault that they were in this mess. Of all the days to play 'righteous houshi', did he have to pick this one? They would be far better off back at the campsite, or on the road – looking for Sango. He growled, determined to just do an obligatory search for shard rumours, and then drag the ridiculous man beside him back to camp if necessary. They had better things to do. He turned his attention away from his friend, instead concentrating on the snatches of conversation that he could pick up around him. Nothing had stood out yet, but any information might be helpful.

Miroku couldn't help it. He stared. "Inuyasha, don't take this the wrong way, but your ears are going crazy!" Back and forth, back and forth they twitched, never stopping in one place for more than a few seconds. "I thought we were going to ask people about what they had heard…isn't that what you usually do?" The hanyou muttered something that Miroku couldn't quite catch, then pointed.

"Do you see that? What does that tell you?" He was pointing to the crowd of villagers who were walking around the street. Only…they weren't really paying attention to what they were doing anymore. Rather, they were looking at the two strangers, their gaze resting mainly on the red-robed figure. Their expressions were a combination of fear, anger and mistrust. Groups of them had started whispering behind their hands, gesturing occasionally at the object of their discussion. Inuyasha.

"Do you honestly think they would tell me anything?" He laughed suddenly, a disturbingly bitter sound. "If I were to go up to them, they'd die of fright!" Miroku was truly dismayed at the depth of hostility that the villagers were showing to his companion. A thought struck him.

"But when we've gone to villages in the past, there haven't really been any problems. What's different about this place?" Inuyasha's eyes, if that were possible, seemed even harder.

"I was traveling with humans." Oh. "They accepted my presence as long as the rest of you were there." For a moment Miroku wondered what had happened to Inuyasha in the past when he had been in villages. If his attitude was anything to go by, his experiences with humans had been anything but pleasant. What had they tried to do? Run him out of town, throw stones, put curses on him…? His unhappy musings were cut short by Inuyasha's voice. "I generally just listen for anyone talking about unusual things happening…disappearing people, killings, anything that an attacking youkai would do." That said, he crossed his arms and resumed his task of listening to the people. Miroku knew that this was a clear sign that all conversations were now over. He resigned himself to silence and just kept walking.

Inuyasha noticed a group of ragged looking travelers taking shelter in the shade of a tree, and decided to wander over. From this distance they looked tired, and some of them were obviously wounded. As awful as it sounded, it was a promising sign. Refugees were often full of useful information. As fragments of speech drifted up to meet him, he froze.

"Entire village destroyed…"

"We only just got away!"

"So many dead…"

"Sango…"

'This can't be happening,' was his first thought. Sango was one of the most honourable people he knew, and would never allow this kind of carnage. But…these people were saying that she was the cause. The very idea made him shiver. Beside him, he saw Miroku's face pale as he too picked up on the topic of the conversation. Inuyasha winced at the look that the houshi was giving him – his eyes begging the hanyou to tell him that he had heard wrongly. He forced himself to ignore the look, listening instead to the conversation that had caused such pain. An arm pointed northwards, and he heard the words, "two days".

He spun, taking Miroku's arm and dragging him along. So…the group had come from a village that was about two days' travel from here. The next step was to get to that village – or what was left of it – and work from there. "Miroku, we have to get back. We'll get Kagome and the boy, and start looking again." He frowned when the houshi didn't respond. "Miroku?"

Miroku vaguely heard the hanyou's voice, but he couldn't make out the words. He couldn't focus on anything but the cold knowledge that he carried. Sango had succumbed to Naraku. She was lost to them. He remembered the conversation that he and Inuyasha had had in the forest earlier.

"What will you do when we find Sango?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if she's like Kohaku was? What will you do?"

"I will do what I have to."

He heard Inuyasha speaking as though from a great distance, and simply let himself be pulled along. When the hanyou eventually ran out of patience and slung him onto his back, he gave no reaction.

He was numb.

It shouldn't have been possible, and yet the unthinkable had happened. Sango had fallen, and now it was almost certain that they would have to fight her. If she was attacking innocent villagers, then they had no choice but to stop her. He slowly fingered the beads wrapped around his wrist. 'Whatever the cost.' He didn't know if he could do it, but he knew he would never leave her in such a state. If there were a chance to get her back, he would take it. If not…

He swallowed hard, fighting the stinging tears he could feel pushing behind his eyelids. 'I can't think about that right now. We have to find her first!' He felt Inuyasha move, shifting his arms slightly as he turned to face up at his passenger. "Oi, bouzu, you okay?" Miroku nodded once, then held still. Inuyasha grunted, then took off into the forest, speeding back towards the campsite that they had left. They no longer had the time to sit around waiting.

"Sango. You may stop for the night." Sango silently laid her sword down upon the ground, stepping off to the side of the training grounds. She was satisfied with the day's training that she had put in – at this rate she would be ready to face her master's enemies and defeat them. No harm would be allowed to come to her master.

Naraku watched the zombie-like girl in quiet amusement. She was the perfect weapon now – cold, emotionless, and fiercely loyal to him. After all, he had rid her of those confusing 'nightmares', and she was understandably grateful to him. She called him master, and obeyed his every word. He thought of Kagura, and sighed. 'If only all of my subjects were so biddable.' Naraku stood in that position as the human warrior entered her chamber to rest. Her thoughts were pleasingly blank while she was awake, but for some reason her dreams were troubling to her. He resolved to keep a light link open that night, to make sure that nothing 'untoward' happened that would set his plan back.

Sango shut the heavy door and laid down upon the bedding that her master had given her, blocking out all sound from around her. She had to get her rest, if she was to defend her master effectively in the next few days. As she fell into a deep slumber, the dreaded dreams began.

She watched as the young boy ran towards the grove of trees, knowing that she had to follow. As she moved away, someone caught a hold of her arm. "You mustn't go, Sango. You have to stay." A slight, blue-eyed girl gripped her hand with surprising strength for one so small. As she looked into those eyes, she felt her body lose all sensation – she couldn't move a muscle. The blue eyes gleamed maliciously, reveling in victory. As Sango stood immobilized, the first screams drifted over to her from the grove. Her family.

A silver-haired hanyou strode into view, blood dripping from his claws. Behind him, on the ground, she could see what was left of her father. The young miko beside her laughed – and then she heard the clinking of rosary beads. A gust of air ripped by her head, her hair blowing wildly in the current. She could only watch as the cursed houshi destroyed her mother and siblings, devouring them with the hole in his hand. The look on his face was cold, uncaring… When he was finished, he walked over to where Sango stood. She closed her eyes, waiting for her own demise. The clinking of beads sounded like bones rattling, making her suck in her breath in horror. But the gust of wind never came. Instead, a soft hand cradled her cheek – she could feel the beads pressed against her skin. Bewildered, she opened her eyes. The houshi was looking at her in concern, almost in…friendship? "Sango, you have to stay. Don't follow the boy. You have to stay." She looked at him, uncomprehending. 'Stay?' As she looked directly into his eyes, pain lashed through her head, forcing her to the ground. She dimly heard him kneel beside her, taking her hands in his own. "Please, Sango, you have to stay." Her head spun.

Evil houshi…kind houshi…enemy…friend…evil…kind…no!

The scream echoed throughout the deserted castle. Before it had even died out, Naraku was at her door, ready to perform some damage control. He had felt the disturbing trend that her dream had started taking, and he wasn't pleased in the slightest. She was stronger in the mind than he had given her credit for. Well, that would stop as of right now. "Sango. Wake up." Obediently she opened her eyes, heedless of the salty tears that had spilled over her face. "Come here." She rolled to her feet and walked over to him. He could see her fighting the urge to grip her head in pain. "They are trying to harm you again. We underestimated them. This time, they will not get to you." As he laid his cold hand on her head, he could see the gratitude in her otherwise dull eyes. He let his power flow through her, ripping down the defenses that her heart had raised against him. He smirked as every stray memory was erased, every trace of the past eliminated. He moved back as she fell to the floor.

'That was too close,' he thought as he walked back to his own chamber. The control that he had over the human was more direct without the shikon shard, but it was not as constant. He had had his suspicions on this topic, but he hadn't been sure until tonight. Without the concrete presence of the jewel, her true memories were fighting their way back into her mind. However, as long as he was vigilant, his plan would come to pass. He allowed himself a quick grin at the thought. That idiotic houshi would be helpless against her – he might think that he could fight her, but he wouldn't have it in him to kill her. And he would finally die with the knowledge that his weakness had condemned both of them. Condemned him to death at the hands of his love, and condemned her to a life of knowing what she had done. Delicious.

Back in the sleeping chamber, Sango was no longer plagued by dreams. Her mind was as blank during sleep as it was during wakefulness. Her master had finally rid her of those painful mind invasions…and she could concentrate on defending him. No harm would be allowed to come to him.

"…and I stuck a statue on his hands and ran away! He was so mad – "

Kohaku was practically rolling on the ground with laughter at the stories his new friends had been telling him. Shippo particularly had him in stitches – that squeaky little voice just made everything sound so hilarious! He was still gasping for breath when Kagome suddenly sat up very straight, her merry eyes abruptly turning serious. "Youkai."

Kohaku stopped laughing, all business. "Where, Kagome-sama?" She shook her head in frustration.

"I'm not sure, Kohaku-kun, but there is one nearby. Maybe two of them….I don't know." Shippo squealed in fear, burrowing into Kagome's lap for comfort. He really didn't like fighting – and Inuyasha and Miroku were missing! What a time for both of their protectors to disappear…

"I need my bow and arrows! Come on, let's go." Kagome hugged the kitsune to her tightly and jumped to her feet, dashing away towards the campsite. Kohaku ran beside her, one hand resting on his sword hilt. Even so, they were completely unprepared for what came next. A white blur of movement swooped down towards Kagome, scooping her up off of the ground and carrying her back into the air. Kohaku, on the other hand, found himself confronted by the ugliest little youkai he had ever had the displeasure of seeing. "Where is the hanyou? Speak up, filthy human, or I will kill you!" The thing was shaking a staff at him, looking absurdly like a toddler with a stick that was way too big for him. Kohaku had to stifle the insane urge to laugh as he dodged out of the way. He stretched out one leg in passing, knocking the annoying being to the ground, his eyes swirling. Kohaku raced in the direction that Kagome had unwillingly gone in –and narrowly avoided tripping over Shippo, who had fallen from Kagome's hold when she was snatched away. He bent down to pick up the cub, and continued running. "Shippo? Who is that?"

Shippo couldn't believe the awesomely bad luck they were having. Of all the days for the boys to be gone… "The toad is Jaken, and that – " he pointed at the white-clothed youkai that had landed more or less at the campsite – "is Sesshoumaru." Kohaku's eyes widened in disbelief. If he was remembering his youkai-history correctly, then… "That is the Lord of the Western Lands?" Shippo nodded, hastening to add some important information.

"Inuyasha's brother. Well, half-brother. They…don't like each other very much." Understatement of the year. Kohaku gulped. His first hunt had been a disaster, as they all knew…and this wasn't a very good start to his second. A youkai Lord. "Why is he here?" Before Shippo could reply, Sesshoumaru's voice rang out across the clearing.

"Where is the Tetsusaiga?"

"You expect me to know?" Kagome yelled, struggling to get out of Sesshoumaru's one-armed grip. He glanced down at her, raising one eyebrow at her arrogantly. "So you don't know." It was more of a statement than a question. "Well, then, I'm sure Inuyasha will come for his favourite little human eventually." In the meantime, Jaken had recovered from his run-in with Kohaku's foot and had returned to his master's side, staff in tow. "We are leaving. The hanyou will find us in good time. Come, Jaken." He turned and made as if to leave – and found his way blocked in a most unusual manner.

Shippo saw the youkai turn as though he were leaving, and panicked. "We can't let him take Kagome – Inuyasha will kill us!" He tugged on Kohaku's hair urgently, getting the boy to stop. "Oi, how far can you throw?" The boy looked down at the youkai cub in his arms in confusion. "How far can I…throw?"

"Yeah! How far?"

"Pretty far."

"Okay. Throw me at him."

"WHAT?!"

"Oh, come on! We've gotta catch him somehow!" Shippo swallowed – where was dog-boy? He should be the one doing this stuff. Kohaku was still looking at him like he was crazy. He sighed. "Remember…you made me do it." And he bit Kohaku on the hand.

"Argh!" Kohaku reflexively lashed out, freeing his hand from those sharp little teeth – and watched in horror as the kitsune went sailing straight towards the inuyoukai. Sesshoumaru had time for just one startled look before the flying ball of fur landed right in his face, creating a very effective distraction. Kohaku suddenly realized that the demon lord only had one arm – and to get rid of Shippo, he would have to release his captive for a moment. He launched himself into a run. "Kagome-sama!" He watched as the girl fell to the ground, shaking her head dizzily. By the time he had reached her side, Sesshoumaru had reached up and flung Shippo to the ground in annoyance – coincidentally aiming him right at Jaken, knocking him once more to the ground. Kohaku drew his sword and prepared to defend his new friend with his life.

Inuyasha stopped in his headlong rush abruptly, jarring Miroku from his somewhat precarious perch on Inuyasha's back. The stunned houshi tumbled to the ground, unnoticed by the now unnerved hanyou. He sniffed the air suspiciously, then growled. "Sesshoumaru…" Miroku was understandably confused.

"What?"

"Sesshoumaru is at the camp." Inuyasha took just a moment to cuff Miroku up the side of the head, then took off running once more. "Stupid bouzu! You left them alone!"

"So did you…" muttered Miroku sourly.

"I heard that!" Miroku sighed, then started running along behind his friend. After a few minutes they burst into the clearing that they had left behind them that morning – and stopped dead at the sight that met them.

Shippo lying a short distance away from Jaken, seemingly unconscious.

Kagome crouched on the ground at Sesshoumaru's feet.

Kohaku, sword drawn, standing over the girl with a grim look upon his young face.

Inuyasha lunged forward desperately, drawing Tetsusaiga as he ran. But before he even had the chance to swing, Kohaku made the first move. The boy stepped forward with all the grace of a professional swordsman, arcing his weapon towards his intended target. Sesshoumaru was forced, to his great annoyance, to leap backwards in a slightly undignified retreat from the lethal blade. He still hadn't quite recovered from getting a very angry kitsune flung in his face earlier. He frowned when Kohaku declined to push home his advantage, opting instead to stay by the girl he was protecting. 'Foolish human.'

Miroku watched in something akin to awe as Kohaku fought the youkai lord. He held himself like a trained samurai, his sword in a guarding position, eyes on the alert for any sudden moves that his opponent might make. He displayed obvious signs of the training that Inuyasha lacked. But then, the houshi mused, whatever the hanyou missed in finesse, he made up for with brute strength. In any case, this kid had undeniable style. And he was using every last trick in the book to keep Kagome safe.

Kohaku was determined that this youkai lord, Sesshoumaru or whatever his name was, was not going to harm the girl who had taken him in as a friend. He tracked his opponent's path with his eyes, shifting his feet every so often to keep from being disoriented. He didn't quite notice when the girl rose to her feet, or when she took the opportunity of edging away from the battle. However, he did notice when a red and silver flash zoomed in front of him just as he was about to swing his sword…

Forgetting his previous shyness around these people, he yelled, "What do you think you're doing?!" He arrested his forward motion with as much speed as he could, narrowly avoiding giving the hanyou an impromptu haircut. "Watch it!" Inuyasha barely acknowledged him, all his attention on his half-brother.

"Get Kagome out of here; I'll deal with this bastard!" Inuyasha roared angrily. Kohaku took that as his cue to get out of there. He backed away, keeping an eye on the girl who had suddenly stopped retreating. "Inuyasha!" Ignoring her cry, he pushed at her to get her to move. They had to get to safety – he had the feeling this battle was about to get ugly, and the hanyou didn't want the young miko in the way when that happened.

Inuyasha watched the hasty retreat out of the corner of his eye, smirking in satisfaction when he thought they were far enough away. He glared at Sesshoumaru, anger practically sparking off of him. "Just what were you doing with Kagome, hn?!" He leaped into the air, bringing Tetsusaiga around in a massive sweep. Sesshoumaru dodged the intended blow effortlessly and drew his own blade, Toukijin. "Your fighting is as predictable as ever, Inuyasha. I would have thought you might have actually tried to improve since last time." The dueling brothers circled each other, taking turns to test the other's defenses. But eventually, the inevitable happened. Inuyasha ran out of patience.

Kagome watched in horror from behind Kohaku's back as Inuyasha charged his brother recklessly, yelling a wordless challenge in his all-consuming fury. 'He's left himself wide open…' She knew Sesshoumaru would have no hesitation in killing her friend; he had to be stopped. But how?… Her frantic gaze fell on Jaken, still lying prone on the grassy floor. An idea struck her, but she needed a little help for this. A distraction…

"Shippo!!" The kitsune raised his head groggily as he heard his mother call out his name. The tone in her voice told him that she really needed him to come to her – right now! He shook himself to wake himself up a bit more, then dashed over to where she was standing. "What is it?"

"Can you do one of your transformations for me?" He nodded. Not wanting to give away the plan by yelling over the sounds of the fierce battle going on, she bent down and spoke into his furry ear. Kohaku was rather surprised when the cub gave a small giggle, then ran over to where the ugly toad-thing was lying. He watched with wide eyes as Shippo snatched up the staff that it had shaken at him, then jumped on the toad with apparent satisfaction. The youkai, who had been beginning to wake up, promptly fell back to the ground, senseless. Shippo glanced over to check that Sesshoumaru was sufficiently preoccupied, then put the plan into action.

A few blows later, Inuyasha found himself flying off to the side, landing uncomfortably in some bushes nearby. He tried to get up again, and was mortified to find that he couldn't rise. The fight had taken too much out of him. He looked up in time to see Jaken sneak around to stand beside his master, who had stopped moving when Inuyasha was forced down. But…there was something weird about this Jaken…he smelt wrong…and his eyes – they were too big. Wait a minute!

"Kitsune-bi!" Jaken screeched, reaching out to touch Sesshoumaru's robes. Blue flames engulfed the hem of the garment, making the youkai look down in surprise. His astonishment grew when he saw, not his loyal servant, but a grinning fox youkai. "What?!"

That was it…the distraction she needed. Kagome forced herself to relax, summoning her still-unfamiliar miko powers to her. The energy flowed through her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. In the instant that Shippo ran away from Sesshoumaru, she loosed the power building up behind her fingertips. 'This has to work…' A broad column of miko energy lanced out from her form, racing across the clearing to slam into the youkai lord and his retainer. The glow intensified for a moment, then vanished. The two intruders were nowhere to be seen.

Miroku shook himself out of his daze as Kagome fell to the ground, her eyes closed. "Kagome-sama!" All of a sudden he had an image of their group losing not just one, but two of their most precious members. He shuddered at the thought, and pushed such negative thoughts into the back of his mind. He reached out for her at the same time as Kohaku did. Miroku was startled to see tears in the boy's eyes – the sight of Kagome lying so still seemed to have shattered that apathy that he had been showing before. Not trusting himself to speak, he made sure that the miko was as comfortable as possible. Then he turned to find out where Inuyasha had ended up. The turn stopped abruptly when a battered-looking hanyou pushed past him, his amber eyes wide with worry. Miroku staggered for a moment, trying to catch his balance once more. That done, he watched the touching little scene unfolding before him.

Inuyasha lurched to an unsteady halt beside his fallen companion, falling to his knees as he grabbed for her hand. Her skin was warm, and he could hear her heartbeat pulsing strongly. Satisfied that she wasn't dead, just exhausted, he gathered her up into his arms, cradling her against him tightly. He rested his chin on her head, still unable to quite believe what he had seen. Kagome, standing in a whirl of light, blasting his brother and that sniveling little wretch clear out of the area. 'I wonder where they ended up…?'

Sesshoumaru was not pleased. Not at all. How did that ridiculous little human do that? And to add insult to injury, he had landed in a most…embarrassing situation. He snarled a little, twisting his body roughly to try and free himself from the tree he had gotten tangled in. 'These robes are more trouble than they are worth…' "Jaken!"

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken asked, crawling to his feet. When he was upright, he looked around…and gasped. His master… A branch had hooked on the collar of his master's robes, leaving him dangling in a most undignified manner in mid-air! 'Oh, my…'

"Get me down."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama."

When Kagome had still not awoken from her sleep after a few hours, Miroku could no longer force himself to wait around. Any plans for immediate searching, however, hit a snag when Inuyasha stubbornly refused to move Kagome from that spot. Well, it was fair enough, really – she needed to recover first. It turned out that Kohaku was as eager to find his sister as he was, so the two of them set off to discover her whereabouts. As it happened, Inuyasha (loudly) claimed that Shippo would be too much of a nuisance to have around while Kagome was unconscious, so the little youkai was forced to tag along as well. When the houshi had realized that this would leave the couple alone at the old campsite, a hint of the old lecher had shone through his grim façade. He had wagged his finger at the red-faced Inuyasha, saying, "Now, don't do anything I wouldn't do!" That had been followed by a somewhat rushed departure, with the hanyou yelling threats at the escaping houshi. It had almost felt like old times…

Now, a day later, Shippo suddenly stiffened and jumped down from his spot on Miroku's shoulder, sniffing the air vigorously. "Hey, guys, I smell something burning. It's coming from over there!" He pointed in roughly the right direction, his eyes wide. 'It's big, whatever it is…'

Miroku scooped him up once more, setting off at a run. He was pleased to find Kohaku hard on his heels, determination written across his young face. The houshi had finally accepted that the boy would be a powerful ally to have on their side, regardless of his past. The battle with Sesshoumaru had taught him that the lad was trustworthy – much to his chagrin. He sincerely regretted his treatment of the boy.

A town came into view, causing them to screech to a halt. The scene was one of utter devastation. Houses were burning, the flames roaring into the sky. Fallen people lay on the streets, their blood staining the ground dark red. Kohaku, to his credit, looked slightly sickened by the sight. 'Proof, if I needed it, that he isn't what he used to be…' A choked cry caught his attention.

"S-Sango!"

His heart racing, Miroku sped towards the sound. He rounded a corner just in time to see a black-clad figure fling something that looked terrifyingly like Hiraikotsu at a fleeing villager. Kohaku tore around the same corner in hot pursuit, knocking into the houshi in his haste. "Oof!" He noticed Miroku's horrified gaze and followed his eyes to the object of his scrutiny. As the warrior launched yet another attack at the helpless villagers, his eyes narrowed. The way that woman was moving…

"Houshi-sama, that's not Ane-ue!" Miroku looked down at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean?"

"We trained together for years, I know the way she fights! And that's not her." Kohaku's voice left little room for doubt. Throwing caution aside, Miroku dashed out to meet the attacking woman, his hand clasping the protective rosary – just in case. As he got closer, the woman turned.

She had red eyes.

"Kagura!" Naraku's minion spun around, her mouth forming a silent curse as she took in what was happening behind her. She analyzed the situation, and did the only sensible thing under the circumstances. She produced a feather and made her getaway, heading towards the mountain ridge that was clearly visible from the town. Naraku was not going to be happy…but at least she didn't have to wear this humiliating outfit anymore! She didn't understand how someone in their right mind would wear this as a uniform…

Miroku and Kohaku watched their erstwhile quarry leave, tracking her visually until she descended into the mountains nearby. The houshi sighed. 'Well, at least we know where she is, now.' And on the lighter side…Kagura had looked damn funny in Sango's demon exterminator suit. That memory would last a long, long time…

A tugging on his arm interrupted his thoughts. Kohaku was looking up at him. "What do we do now? That woman belongs to Naraku, so it must be a trap of some sort. That's the only reason he would go to so much trouble." He grimaced in remembrance. "He loves traps."

Miroku had to agree, but there was little choice left to them. "We've handled his traps before," he said, with slightly more confidence than he felt, "but we must find Sango! I don't care if he is waiting for us, it's no different than if we were finding him to get his jewel shards." He knelt down before the boy, looking into his eyes seriously. "I will do anything to find your sister, Kohaku. I don't care if it's a trap, we have to go. Ready?" Kohaku nodded, and the houshi stood once more, gripping Shippo tightly in his arms.

"We have to hurry. The more time he has to get ready, the less chance we have. Let's go." Without another word the trio headed into the forest once more – towards the looming mountain range ahead of them. Where a feared foe was almost certain to be waiting…

Oof! Long one. I wait in breathless anticipation for your reviews! Once more, kudos to Vampire-Elf on guessing who the 'warrior' was. Nice one! So, Inuyasha and Kagome are alone – ah ha! – at the campsite, and the boys are heading for trouble. Next chapter should be very, very interesting…so stay tuned!

Next Chapter: Friendly Fire