Sigh... alright, that took waaaaaaayyyyyy too long. But anyway here it is! Hope you enjoy!

A note to my reviewers... Thanks!

To Kasatka: Hehehe, I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far! Thanks for your comments!

To cambee: Thanks! I'm glad you like it! The thing that I pride myself on the most with this fic is that it is an original idea. Yay! Thanks again for the review!

To Sukuri 99: OKAY! HERE YOU GO! I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU LIKE IT FROM YOUR REVIEW SO THANKS! Hehe, alright I'm done now...

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha!

Chapter 4: Isolation Kills

Inuyasha flinched backwards into Kagome, but recovered quickly. Letting out a snarl, he took a swing with his sword, smirking in satisfaction as the blade connected with the demon in a solid blow.

But not only did it connect, it ripped straight through him; the pompous expression on his face never wavering.

The half demon's triumph dissolved into confusion as the treelike man's body crumbled and fell away in wake of the sword. He watched in silence as Midori's form collapsed, flaking to the ground like dead, dry leaves in autumn. Inuyasha felt Kagome's hands close around his arm. "What the hell?".

"What's wrong, Inuyasha? Why so confused?" The eerie voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Maybe I should simplify the process by just killing you now and taking the girl."

Inuyasha growled in frustration as he scanned the area for any sign of the demon. He pressed closer to the girl behind him and heard Kagome murmuring to herself in confusion. In an effort to calm her he placed his free hand over the ones on his arm.

"Where are you? You bastard! Stop running away and show yourself!"

"A typical response." Midori laughed, this time the voice seemed to have a stable source.

Before Inuyasha could do anything but gasp he felt something braced against his back, followed by a surprisingly strong shove that tossed both him and Kagome to the ground a few yards away.

Inuyasha groaned as he sat up, but was more concerned about the motionless girl beside him.

"Kagome!" He leaned over her, cradling her face with one hand to gently tip it towards himself; eyes frantically searching for any sign of injury. "Kagome, are you alright?"

One hand came up to cover his own as her eyes flickered open.

"I... I'm okay."

Relief flooded over him. He reached out and eased them both back onto their feet, keeping a hand on her shoulder until she was steady. Stooping to pick up his blade, which had been lost in the last attack, he turned to face Midori again.

"You bastard. You're gonna pay for that."

The full demon made a beckoning motion with his hands.

"We shall see."

In the course of an instant Kagome felt a painful yank on the beads, followed by a sickening sense of weightlessness. She could hear Inuyasha groan in pain as he wrapped his arms firmly around her. Then the severe jolt as the half-demons back connected with the ground. Kagome cried out un anguish as they came to a stop. Inuyasha had taken the full force of the blow with her extra weight on his chest.

"Inuyasha! Are you alright? Say something!" She edged carefully off of his body and slowly sat him up.

He cracked one eye open to look her over again.

"I'm fine. I'm just lucky I didn't break any ribs."

Kagome heaved an enormous sigh of relief.

"Oh thank good- HEY! What's that supposed to mean?" Having forgotten all concern for Inuyasha's condition. She moved as far away as the necklace would allow and shook a fist at him. "You know you're really asking for it!"

Inuyasha said nothing, but his lips curled in the smallest of smiles and his eyes shone with laughter, making her anger fade quickly into a exasperated smile. Getting to his feet with the help of Kagome, they advanced on the quietly chuckling demon.

"That is quite touching. But I have yet to see any sort of retaliation on your part." He crossed his branchlike arms over his chest. "I am still waiting."

While the demon was preoccupied with bashing Inuyasha's already bruised dignity, Sango silently began to creep towards Midori. Raising her boomerang, she sent it flying at his unguarded back. The weapon struck him square between the shoulders, sending him to his knees with an angry grunt.

With an enraged growl, he stood and turned to face his attacker; his expression a mixture of pain and pure hatred. He picked the offending object up from the ground and hurled it backwards over his shoulder into the trees.

Sango, now unarmed, looked on with resolve written through her posture as Midori approached. His first two steps were troubled somewhat by the roots that had settled from the bottom of his feet, showing just to what extent his plantlike features spread. He halted a few yards from the woman, still standing proud and determined as he confronted her.

Midori made a face as if he were smelling something he didn't like.

"What is that?" He sniffed, his expression slipping into grim recognition. "Ah, I see. You must be a demon exterminator. You reek of the blood of demons. You retch. It appears as if I shall not only be dispensing of an insect when I destroy you, but I will be avenging my brethren as well." He moved forward with more purposeful steps, quickly closing the distance between him and his prey. "Die you scum!"

"No!"

Miroku shoved Sango out of the way just as Midori reached them, grasping him firmly around the neck. The monk choked and gasped, clawing at the gnarled fingers that denied him air.

The demon let out a hiss as he realized the person dangling from his grip was not the young woman, but a heavily robed young man.

"So, you wish to rush to your death as well, do you? Well fine!" He sent Miroku crashing into a nearby tree and watched with satisfaction as the monk slumped unconscious to the ground. The demon exterminator screamed and ran to aid her fallen comrade. He then turned and began to stalk towards his initial prey. "I want that girl!"

Inuyasha tucked Kagome close behind him. Brandishing his sword again, he tensed as the demon stopped cold as he had before. He felt Kagome press closer to him in alarm.

"It looks like he's left his body." Kagome whispered, her voice wavering. "He's lifeless... like a statue."

Up until now Kirara had been poised beside Kaede, watching the battle intently but following the orders her master had given her; leaving the older woman and the little fox demon in her care. Upon seeing Sango attending to an unmoving Miroku, she too jumped into the fray and charged at the now still form of the demon.

Inuyasha, distracted by Kirara's sudden entrance, watched with a sense of foreboding as the catlike creature struck out at what he now believed to be only a husk. Sure enough, the shell fell apart, sheaves of leaf-like tissue scattering to the wind as Kirara growled in confusion.

"What a nuisance." The haunting sound returned again, echoing through the surrounding trees. "You belittle yourself by serving weaklings such as these, but so be it. You will perish along with them." The voice became steady once again as thick roots shot from the ground to lash around Kirara.

Sango cried out desperately, caught between caring for the monk or aiding Kirara. She watched her precious companion struggle against the vines that bound her, but as hard as she fought, the roots wound tighter and tighter until they had rendered her immobile; her body going slack as the cords constricted, forcing the air from her body.

Inuyasha growled, knowing that Midori had appeared once again but unable to locate him. In another show of his devious nature, Inuyasha and Kagome sensed nothing before they were violently attacked from behind, both forced painfully to the unyielding ground..

Midori grinned maliciously as he pressed his foot harder into Inuyasha's throat, causing the half-demon to choke; sinking his claws into his ankle as he tried to free himself. What looked like green tree sap leaked down his wrists, staining his skin an unhealthy olive color.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked. She flung herself at Midori's leg, trying in vain to lift him off the hanyou. "Let him go! It's me you want! Get off of him, you jerk!" The strength of the emotion coursing through her caused her eyes to burn, tears streaking the dirt on her face.

Midori ignored her pleas, but reached down, grabbing her by the arms and hauling her up until the band prevented further movement..

"I'll be taking my prize no- what is this?" He set her down again and lifted the beads with two fingers. He examined the strange stones closely, noting that they bound the nuisance to the girl. "No matter. I'll just remove them." He leaned down further and took a span of the beads in two fists, and began to pull them apart. However, almost immediately he was engulfed in what looked like violet flames. He reeled backwards and shouted in pain and anger, inadvertently releasing Inuyasha. "Damn it!" The fire wound its way up his body, apparently causing serious pain but leaving no physical evidence that it had passed.

Kagome sat Inuyasha up as soon as he was free, patting his back in an attempt to coax the oxygen back into his lungs. She felt his chest expand with a gasping breath beneath her hands. Relieved, she ceased slapping his back and settled for clinging tightly to his upper arm.

Inuyasha coughed and rasped, but looked no worse for wear as he quickly jumped to his feet.

"You bastard." He hissed through clenched teeth, his free hand rubbing his sore throat. He shrugged off the hands on his shoulder and glared back at Kagome. "I'm fine."

Midori, recovering from the shock of the strange attack, was moving again as soon as his legs steadied beneath him. He dodged sideways as Inuyasha moved to attack, body going stiff mid stride. When his left foot connected with the ground in what would have been his next step, the impact jarred his remaining skeleton.

As Inuyasha watched his body shatter and slough away, he noticed something in the background that both amazed and horrified him.

Kagome clamped her hands over her mouth to stifle her frantic cry. "Inuyasha!" She exclaimed, her voice uncertain. "Tell me that's not who I think it is..."

Inuyasha could only growl in reply, caught up in dark fascination at the scene before him.

A good distance behind where Midori had last stood, something was stirring, rising in a twisted motion from the soil. What appeared to be two separate vines climbed higher, growing in thickness and length until they met, tangling together. The plant fought its way against gravity as more roots emerged, winding and twisting quickly upwards to strengthen the bowing frame. More limbs split from the first, weaving and pulling against one another until they lurched in opposite directions for a short moment. The mass surged skyward one last time, branches still turning in on themselves, before they tightened and set, some darkening into an aged brown color.

The hanyou frowned as what he now knew to be Midori's head formed, the overconfident expression already in place. His robes slipped and unfolded from his own body like petals on a flower, wilting into their previous golden hue.

An amused laugh spouted from the newly formed demon. "You should see your faces, you pathetic creatures." His amusement subdued into a quiet, satisfied smirk as he finally pulled his legs free of the ground.

"What the hell are you?" Inuyasha questioned loudly, preparing himself for another encounter as his opponent lowered himself into an offensive position.

But instead of moving to attack, he was bracing himself. He began moving his arms slowly, as if he were beckoning something below the ground to rise. Focusing his attention completely on the half demon his elaborate wrist and hand movements ended with an upward slashing motion; the demon's mouth lifting in a sadistic grin.

Inuyasha let out a startled shout as the ground before him split open, lancelike roots shooting from beneath the surface. Dodging just quickly enough to avoid a lethal blow, he still sustained a large enough wound to slow him considerably. Pain surged from his chest and he cried out, falling to his knees with an almost hysterical Kagome hovering over him. "Damn it." He spat viciously. That stupid walking bush had attacked him from underground! He placed a hand on his throbbing chest. Getting up into an unsteady standing position, he growled, and then flung the same hand towards his enemy. "Blades of Blood!"

Midori roared as he was hit head on with the force of the attack. The red blades of the attack carved across his chest and arms, leaving gaping wounds behind. Gathering what was left of his strength, he staggered towards them, commanding another round of stalks to prevent their retreat..

"Enough!" He roared again. He seized the crippled Inuyasha by the neck and dragged both him and Kagome across the ground; halting on the edge of the cliff. He held the hanyou out over the abyss, causing the girl to scream as she teetered dangerously on the ridge. "What say you now, you worthless half demon?"

Inuyasha choked as the grip tightened painfully, but managed a small smirk.

"You drop me... and your 'prize' is done for."

Midori's sneer faded. Realizing his predicament, he decided that a temporary retreat was in order.

"Right you are. I have no other option. But rest assured, I will be back." He lowered Inuyasha slightly. "But until then, I will leave you this to keep you occupied. And he was gone again, his weakened husk crumbling under the weight of the half demon..

Kagome cried out as she was flattened to the ground; an unbearable pain around the back of her neck.

Inuyasha hung suspended by nothing but the beads caught beneath his chin.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome gasped. "I... can't... breath..." Her throat was pressed flat against the edge of the cliff, cutting off her airway. She tried desperately to lift herself, but she couldn't move with the weight around her neck. Her arms trembled from the exertion, but she did not have the strength.

Inuyasha suddenly realized their situation. Kagome was being suffocated, and there was no way to get them up if the situation remained as it was. Sango was trying to help a still dazed Miroku, Shippou was to small, Kirara trapped, and Kaede was to old. But wait...

"Kaede!" Inuyasha called. "Kaede, I need you to release us! For Kagome's sake!" He could hear the older woman quickly approach, and saw the concern in her aged face as she dropped to her knees over Kagome. Being desperate, he even said a word he hadn't spoken for as long as he could remember.

"Please."

"No!" Kagome forced out. "It's to... far. We don't... know if you can survive..." She gave a strained whimper. "No... Inuyasha..."

"But you remember how I was fine after I fell off the last cliff." He explained quickly. He felt wrong bringing that memory back into the light, but he'd give anything to reassure her.

"But this cliff is deeper... We can't even... see... the bottom..." The girls voice was weakening, and her fearful sobs hampered her ability to breathe even further.

"We have to do this Kagome. There's no way I'm going to let you get hurt."

Kagome kept silent, knowing he was right. She shut her eyes tightly, tears falling silently down her cheeks.

"Do it Kaede." Inuyasha called.

Kaede placed her hands upon Kagome's heaving shoulders and quickly uttered the counter spell to the one that had made the beads unbreakable.

Inuyasha twisted on his end of the beads.

Golden eyes met blue.

He smiled.

"It's alright."

The band snapped.

And Inuyasha plummeted into the darkness of the gorge.

Kagome hands shot out to snatch the last of the beads as they fell, and she felt her chest swell with emotion.

"INUYASHA!"

(looks innocent) No, of course I didn't just drop Inuyasha off a cliff!...

Alright, so maybe I did! Mwahahahahaha! Now you must all review to decide Inuyasha's fate! Will he land safely on some conveniently placed soft thing? Or will he plummet into something cruelly hard and pointy? You decide!

Umm... yeah...

Anyway! I hope you enjoyed this installment! Please leave a review! More reviews means I update faster!