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Chapter 19: Rescue
Kagome was bored. Not only was she bored, she was beginning to wonder if Inuyasha and the others were coming for her. It had been almost five days. Of course, how would she know if Inuyasha and the others were making a rescue effort? She was locked up in a solitary confinement cell in Naraku's castle, god knows how far from the village? Did Inuyasha really think of her as nothing but a jewel detector? He said he had loved her, but there was always a chance he had been lying. Why she had no idea, but Inuyasha wasn't really the type to think before acting. She knew Miroku, Sango and even little Shippo would make an effort to track her down, but it would take considerably longer. As mortal humans, they didn't have any of the animalistic traits Inuyasha possessed, like instinct or his precise senses.
Kohaku was a constant puzzlement to her. He had remained her guard, ever vigilant at his post for the whole time. The shard kept him alive, but did it eliminate what truly living people had to do to survive, like eating, drinking, sleeping and breathing? Kagome wondered if it was possible to resurface some of Kohaku's memory. If she could, maybe she could get out of here! "Hey." Kagome said to Kohaku. "Why do you serve Naraku Kohaku?"
Kohaku turned to Kagome, his emotionless eyes boring holes into her. "It is my duty to serve Lord Naraku."
"Naraku is evil! He is deceiving you! Don't you remember what he did to you Kohaku? You can't have forgotten everything!" Kagome continued.
"Lord Naraku told me he saved me." Kohaku replied.
"Saved you? What from?" Kagome asked.
"He says he saved me from myself." Kohaku answered.
Kagome couldn't deny that there was some truth to that, but she had to make some effort to get out of here, since it seemed no help was forthcoming. "Do you remember your father? Or maybe your sister?"
"I have no father or sister." Kohaku said in a monotone.
"You do Kohaku. I know somewhere in you, you remember. Is there an image or vision that you can't forget?" Kagome persisted.
"Yes." Kohaku admitted. "I see a face. A woman's face. It won't disappear."
"That is your sister Kohaku. Her name is Sango. She is after Naraku for taking control of you. I am her friend, she and I travel together." Kagome explained. "If you're willing to help me, we can escape together! You won't need to serve Naraku anymore, and we can punish him for what he did to you and your family."
"I have no family, and I will not disobey Lord Naraku." Kohaku answered, shooting down Kagome's plan.
"Naraku is the reason you have no family!" Kagome cried. "He possessed you and made you kill them, your father and your friends. He tried to make you kill Sango too, but she survived! You need to remember Kohaku!" Before Kohaku was given a chance to respond, a loud crash was heard outside. "Could that be Inuyasha and Miroku?" Kagome wondered.
Kanna appeared out from the shadows. "Kohaku, Naraku summons you." He followed Kanna to the main chambers.
"My Lord Naraku summons me?" Kohaku asked his master.
"Yes Kohaku. It seems that Inuyasha and his crew have discovered my castle. Kagura and the demons are stalling them right now. However, unfortunately they may be incapable of stopping the team completely." Naraku explained the situation. "Bring me the girl. If we use her as a bartering tool we might be able to defeat them."
"As my lord commands." Kohaku complied, bowing too Naraku.
Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango had indeed discovered the castle and were giving hell to the demons Naraku had set on them. Samiyosho hovered about, thus disabling Miroku's wind tunnel. Inuyasha and Sango however, were using the Wind Scar and Hiraikotsu to their full potentials. "Miroku!" Sango shouted over the sounds of battle, "Inuyasha and I will take care of this rabble! You go in after Naraku!" Miroku nodded in response and made for the main structure. Any demon that made the folly of getting in his way was savagely cut down. Miroku was game to slaughter any creature that came between him and Kagome.
"Naraku!" Miroku sternly commanded that the despicable half-demon show himself.
"No need to shout monk. I'm right here." Naraku spoke in a voice that could freeze fire, as he made a sudden appearance from the darkness. "I was hoping I would be able to kill Inuyasha, but I suppose killing you is just as good."
"Enough small talk. Where is Kagome you son of a bitch!" Miroku demanded.
"She is unharmed…as of yet." Naraku assured him.
"Answer my question!" Miroku yelled.
"Right here." Naraku showed Miroku, holding Kagome by the collar of her shirt. She appeared to be unconscious. "You want her? Come and take her." Naraku dared, setting the girl on the floor. "If you think you can."
Miroku grasped the prayer beads around his right wrist, but luckily thought twice before releasing the wind tunnel, realizing he would most likely pull Kagome into the abyss unintentionally. Miroku reached into his robes pulling out several exorcism sutras and hurled them at Naraku, and charging in their wake. Naraku carelessly swatted away the seals of exorcism and parried Miroku's staff with a tentacle. "You seem angry monk." Naraku commented nonchalantly. Miroku's expression was indeed one of fury. "Do I make you angry?"
"You. Make. Me. Retch." Miroku replied annunciating each word.
"You better cope with it. It's best not to fight when you can't think clearly." Naraku shot out several tentacles in an attempt to impale Miroku, but Miroku severed them all with the blade of his staff.
"Kiss my ass." Miroku knew there wasn't much he could do against Naraku if his wind tunnel was nullified. He had to get Kagome behind him so he could use the wind tunnel without running the risk of sucking Kagome into the void. He tossed another sutra Naraku's way and this time it hit. Miroku struck the sutra with his staff causing both Naraku's baboon pelt and human form to fall away, revealing his true form. Soon Miroku began to tire. Sango and Inuyasha were still dealing with Naraku's grunt demons, and he seemed to have plenty more in reserve, so Miroku was in this fight alone. Naraku still blocked his pathway to Kagome as well, so using the wind tunnel was still too risky. Suddenly, and idea sparked in Miroku's mind. Maybe the wind tunnel was how to get Kagome behind him. Miroku ripped the rosary seal from his right forearm and as expected Naraku moved out of the vortex's pathway causing Kagome to begin to be pulled into the hellhole. Before Kagome reached the portal however, Miroku closed his wind tunnel and sidestepped, and Kagome fell to the floor behind him. With Kagome out of danger Miroku grinned wickedly and opened the void once again. Naraku released the venomous wasps, but Miroku didn't care. Naraku had kidnapped his Kagome, and that was unforgivable. Besides, how many times would Miroku get a chance like this? Naraku tried to resist the wind tunnel's pull but he only held out for so long until he was devoured by the curse.
Miroku quickly attended to Kagome. He checked her pulse, which was still steady to his great relief. He could also tell she was still breathing; her chest was rising and falling rhythmically. At that moment, Inuyasha and Sango rushed in, looking ready to join Miroku's battle, only to find Miroku gingerly lifting Kagome into his arms. Inuyasha shot Miroku a quizzical look. "Hey! Where's Naraku?" Miroku gave him a toothy smile and showed him his now whole right palm. "You got him?" Inuyasha asked in disbelief. "By yourself!"
"Yep. Ironic how the curse he originally made to destroy me was the cause of his own demise." Miroku gave a grimace and sunk to his knees. The poison was beginning to circulate.
Inuyasha took Kagome and Sango slung one of Miroku's arms around her shoulder. "You took in the poison didn't you? You can ride back on Kirara. It was reckless of you to take in the venom of Naraku's wasps."
Miroku just gave her a rueful smile. He was satisfied knowing his Kagome was back in safe hands.
A/N: I know this chapter wasn't so great, but I'm not too good at battle scenes and I was tired when I wrote a majority of this. I would try to improve it, but I think I've put off this update long enough. Important notice! If I do not receive at least three reviews from three different people I will discontinue this story! My review count has constantly gone down to one on my last chapter. Would it really kill you to take thirty seconds out of your day and write two sentences? I thank you in advance.