Author's Note:

Oh my goooooodness….I am so forking sorry for not getting back to this story as quickly as I'd like. School killed me and took all my time when it resumed. Luckily I've got a short break here and I can get some work in…

Part 3

Sango was lying on the ground, barely managing to hold her strength. Miroku seemed evenly matched at his point, but the thought that he could easily kill her tugged at the back of her mind. Her elbows were now being pushed to the ground, and the glowing staff forced itself to her racing heart. The enslaved monk growled and finally drew back and flipped the sword from her hands, thus causing the blade to land several yards away. Sango was horrified, and terribly frightened. Her limbs trembled as her eyes frantically searched for any sign of the old monk that she once knew, and deeply cared for. Miroku rose slowly to a standing position.

Inuyasha's lips parted and a low growl escaped. "I'm sick of this trickery…" He spat. He flicked the Tessaiga once more and leapt towards the monk, only to be countered. Miroku managed to block the forceful blade using merely his staff and hardly any strength. The half demon received the impact of his own strike, and was shoved backwards, causing him to land on his back. The monk smiled vilely, and drew his brow tighter. He turned back to the demon slayer, who was now defenseless and trembling. Although something seemed to stop him. The enslaved Miroku stared into Sango's eyes…

"Please…" She whimpered pathetically, "I couldn't bear to loose another loved one…" Tears slipped away from her delicate eyes and slid down her smooth skin. She still was lying slightly on her back, propped up on her elbows. Something about this girl's emotions seemed to revive the monk's sanity.

At first all he could do was merely growl and hardly move his neck and facial features. He then tested his own strength, and broke through the barrier that Naraku had cast over him. Yet this had drained his strength, and he fell over Sango. Lucky for Sango, he braced himself by extending his arms and slamming his palms onto the ground just above Sango's shoulders. "I'm sorry Sango…" He whispered as a tear fell upon Sango's already dampened cheek.

"Enough…" Naraku snarled. 'How could he have broken through my spell? It's simply impossible…' He chuckled. "Never the less he'll have to die!" He shouted as he drew his blade. His eyes narrowed menacingly and he grinned with vile pleasure. He leapt towards Miroku, and towered over his shoulders. "My only wish…" He breathed, gripping the sword and raising it above his head, "was for her death…"

Sango's eyes widened. "Miroku!" She screamed as she caught a glance of the blade rising above the monk's back.

Miroku squeezed his eyes shut… And then drew in a sharp breath.

Naraku smiled evilly yet again, and turned. "Surely you'd of made the right choice if you knew this - was to be your fate," He spat. The demon then walked calmly back to his castle, and hid himself beneath the hideous aura of death.

--

Blood. His own blood…spilling from his body. It was the first thing he could feel. He trembled, and attempted to speak…nothing came from his throat except a whimper. He simply stared at her lifelessly.

Sango's heart stopped. She stared at the image before her. Time seemed to freeze as she tried to make sense of what just happened. Miroku was above her, holding himself up with only his arms. She felt warmth spreading over her ribs. She managed to tear her eyes away from Miroku's clearly pained eyes to see what Naraku had done. Her breath failed her yet again. The sword that the vile man had bore was now lodged into Miroku's body. About five inches of the shimmering blade had penetrated his lower chest, and blood trickled down the edges slowly. Above, at least a foot of the blade was revealed, meaning that it had been shoved into his back and through him.

"Sango…" He gasped.

The demon slayer growled and pulled herself from under the monk. She then looked at the castle before her, and angrily gripped the hilt of the blade in her friend's back. She felt an immediate pain tear through the blade to her hand, and a dark wisp of fog curled around her hand. The tighter she gripped the sword, the more intense the pain became. She cried out, and nearly released the blade as she began to pull it from Miroku's weakened body. A dark cloud seeped from the blade somehow, and swirled up her arm as she did so. 'I can't… He…won't…d..die…on my…watch….' She growled to herself as she withdrew the blade. She screamed as it actually began to come out of him, and finally he was free. She held the sword for a few seconds, and then collapsed when the fog-like blackness swirled around her throat. The black cloud seemed to close around her throat so tightly it would choke her, but instead it formed a black collar around her neck, and then sank into her skin. She coughed horribly for a few moments, and winced as she attempted to sit herself up again. Her eyes were drawn tight as she reached for the demon's sword again, this time the black smoke didn't rise. Therefore she threw the blade towards the door with the remainder of her strength, causing it to be wedged shut. She then smiled weakly as Kirara leapt into her demonic form and pulled Miroku and Sango upon her back. Sango called to Kagome, "We'll meet with you later!" and then rested while Kirara flew through the blackened night skies.

Author's Note again:

-laughs evilly- What is this black collar that dissolved into Sango's skin? Will Miroku live? Hmm?

Thanks for being patient everyone! I love the reviews…I'm glad you like my story/stories. Please stay tuned and I hope you enjoy reading this! I plan on this having either four or five chapters, so it's near the end (all good things must end one day). Anyways…please continue to review to let me know what you think…. This part was short…no?

Currently it's 4:14 AM and I've been up all night, having drank two diet cokes and a Pepsi today…I am wired on caffeine and haven't slept for about 22 hours!!