Chapter 5: Useless

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango hollered, throwing her boomerang and just missing the sorceress. Running out, she caught the spinning weapon upon its return and began slashing it in her enemy's direction though failing to make contact as the demon dodged every attack she had to offer.

Mara grinned in utter amusement as she watched the woman before her struggle to make her death a reality. "I expected more from a demon exterminator." She taunted as she lifted her hands, a strong amount of power gathering at her fingertips. Without a seconds delay, she shot it towards the woman.

Reacting just in time Sango raised her boomerang to her chest to block most of the attack. Her feet scraped across the dirt as her whole body was forced backwards. Gritting her teeth, she pushed her head against the back of her weapon and tried to outlast the force. As the sorceress's power began to wear out, she sliced her boomerang through the rest and smirked. "We've only just begun." Raising her weapon over her shoulder she threw it in her enemy's direction, watching it as it spun it's way over in attack.

Miroku grabbed hold of the prayer beads wound around his right arm that sealed his curse and glared at Sesshomaru with rage and disgust burning in his violet eyes. "How is it you've returned here Sesshomaru? How the hell did you find a way to be freed from the void in my hand!" He shouted across to him.

The youkai smirked and shifted his glance over to look at Mara as she battled it out with the demon exterminator. "I had a little help." He said while returning to look back at the monk. "You didn't honestly think I'd stay locked up in there forever did you?"

Frowning in anger and gritting his teeth, Miroku clutched his hand into a tight fist and lifted the closed void out in front of his body. "Well this time I'll make sure you stay in there! Wind Tunnel!" He yelled, beginning to remove the beads and preparing to release the wind he held within his palm.

Sesshomaru scowled and quickly snapped out his poison whip from his fingernails and slashed it across the monk's hand that was removing the seal. "Don't even think about using that pitiful attack on me again." He spat as his weapon returned to him.

Miroku gasped in pain and, after wrapping the beads back around his wrist pulled his injured hand into his chest. "You bastard." He muttered, putting pressure on his burning wound.

Feeling no threat what so ever to the approaching weapon, Mara narrowed her eyes and lifted her hand in front of her, stopping the spiraling weapon in mid-air. "I thought you would have learned the first time. I cannot be killed so easily. At least not in the hands of a mortal!" With a thrust of her hand, the boomerang was sent back to its owner at a fast rate of speed.

Sango gasped as her own weapon was forced back at her and she held her hand out to protect herself. Her boomerang struck her with full force and knocked her hard to the ground. Coughing for a full breath of air, she rolled onto her side and wrapped her arms around her aching abdomen where her weapon had hit.

Hearing Mara's laughter and the sound of Sango's boomerang as it wedged itself into a tree, Miroku spun on his heals and gasped when he saw his companion on the ground. "Sango!" He shouted in fear, leaving his enemy and running to aid her. Kneeling by her side he rolled her onto her back and scanned over her body. He sighed lightly and brushed back her bangs from her eyes. "There's no blood. You all right?"

She slowly nodded and sat herself up, wincing as she did. "Yes I'm fine. Where's my Hiraikotsu?" She asked, searching the ground around her.

"How pathetic." Sesshomaru muttered as he stepped to Mara's side, slipping his hands into his sleeves. He watched both their expressions fill with hate as they looked at him and the monk help the young woman to her feet. "We have no time for this. There are more important things to do." He said, turning his back to them and walking away, Mara following behind.

"No!" Sango shouted, struggling to walk forward but Miroku held her back. "Get back here and finish this!" She stopped and only grew angrier as they ignored her and disappeared into the forest. "Damnit." Curling her fingers into a fist she glared at where they had last stood.

Miroku sighed and released his grasp from around her. Walking to the well he peered down into its pit and frowned with a worried expression. "I wonder if Inuyasha and Kagome are all right." He said as he remembered the last time he saw them when they fell down the well.

Sango retrieved her Hiraikotsu and stood by the other wall opposite to the monk. "I don't know. Who was that demon?" She asked, strapping her boomerang over her shoulder, wincing slightly from the pain that still remained where she had been hit.

He shrugged and shook his head at her question. "I have no idea. She's defiantly not one we've ever faced before. Maybe Inuyasha and Kagome know who she is. We should wait here for them." Watching his partner agree with a single nod of her head, he took a seat on the ledge of the well and waited in silence for them to return.

"Ow…my head." Kagome mumbled, narrowing his eyebrows and rubbing a bump found just at her hairline. She touched a wet liquid with her fingertips and figured without any panic that it must be her blood. Slowly opening her eyes, she stared into darkness and began to lift herself off the man underneath her. "Inuyasha?" She whispered softly. No response came and she looked up to the bright surface above their heads. "Mom." She called, cupping her hands around her mouth. As her arms dropped back to her side, her hand touched something cold and she gasped when she realized it was another's hand. "Inuyasha?" Fear trembled her voice as she whispered to him again and wrapped her hands around his. Squinting in the darkness she leaned over his body and gazed over his face. Covering her mouth to hold in her gasp, she began to shake his body around and call his name over and over again. "Inuyasha wake up!" Tears filled her eyes, as he made no indication of doing so. Feeling his cold cheeks with her fingertips she struggled to hold back her cry and fell into his chest, grabbing a handful of his haori. "Wake up." She looked up from his chest to his face and her mouth dropped open at what she saw. Jumping from his body she whipped the tears from her cheeks and began to climb out of the well. "Mom! Grampa! I need your help! Inuyasha needs our help!"

Kagome sat in silence at the side of her bed where Inuyasha lay still. She held tight to a cup of hot soup, a blanket over her shoulders and a bandage across her wound and she watched him intently for any sudden movements. 'How did this happen to you? Did Mara do this?' She touched his cold forehead with her heated hand and brushed away the strands of hair that lay across his face. Running her fingers down the side of his face she looked out her window outside to the night's darkness. "How come you're human?" She whispered quietly to herself as she spotted the bright crescent moon in the black sky. Looking back at the pale hanyou she began to worry about their current situation. Mara must have done something but figuring out what proved to be nearly impossible. Tucking her hair behind her ear she put the cup down onto the table beside her bed and lifted the blanket from her shoulders. How was she to know without going back there and confronting Mara for answers? Neatly placing the blanket over his covered body she sighed and walked quietly to the door. 'If he doesn't wake up soon…I'll have to go back by myself.' Closing the door behind her, she headed down the stairs to gather some supplies in case of danger.

'My body…I feel so weak.' He could feel every muscle trembling with the mixture of pain and fear. Something just didn't feel normal at all. Like he was another people. The last thing he could remember before being shrouded into darkness was Mara's demonic orb sinking into his heart, her lips touching his and Kagome's screams. 'What did she do to me?' He lifted a shaky hand over his eyebrows and slowly opened his eyes to a dimly lighted room. 'And where am I?' Rubbing his face, he slowly sat up and observed his surroundings. "Kagome's room?" He mumbled to himself, cocking an eyebrow at the quick realization. The door at the end of the bed where he sat suddenly opened and in stepped Kagome, a wet cloth in her hand. "Hey." He said softly.

Kagome smiled and closed the door behind her. "I'm glad to see you awake. How do you feel?" She asked, taking a seat and handing him the cloth.

He shrugged and took it from her hand. What he was supposed to do with it though was beyond him and so he just held onto it. "Good I guess. I feel a lot weaker than I normally do though." Looking out the window he stared at the darkness and was in shock by how long he must have had been out.

"You're taking your state a lot lighter than I thought you would." She said in almost a laugh, taking the cloth from his hands and placing it across his forehead. Smiling at his confused expression to what she had said, she sat back down and handed him the cup of hot soup.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyebrows and glared at her. "What do you mean?" As he turned to her, the wet cloth fell from his face and dark bangs covered his eyes. His eyes went wide and he held out his hands in front of him. 'I…I'm human! It doesn't make any sense! The new moon doesn't appear for at least another two nights.' Jumping from the bed he sprang to the window and glared at the white moon overhead. "Tell me Kagome. What did Mara do?"

Kagome shook her head and watched his angry self over her shoulder. "I've been trying to figure that out for myself." She sighed, standing up beside him and tugged on his arm. "Inuyasha you shouldn't be up and moving around yet. You need to calm down and relax for a while."

Punching his fist into the wall, he took his arm from Kagome and began pacing the room in thought. "No damnit. Kagome it had to have been Mara. It only makes sense considering why she did what she did!" He said while returning to sit on the edge of the bed. "I hate this." He growled.

"You're probably right." Kagome agreed and held her hands around her waist. If Mara were capable of doing such a thing then their deed to dispose of Sesshomaru again would be very difficult. They now knew of two strengths she possessed but were there more dangerous ones that had yet to be unleashed?

Inuyasha frowned heavily and rose once again. "There's only one way to find out. You coming?" He asked as he picked up the Tetseiga from her floor and strapped it at his side. He was almost positive that she was the demon who had turned him into the one form he despised being the most. And if Mara really possessed his demonic power there was no telling what she would do with it.

Kagome gasped and ran to his side. "You're not going back are you?" She nearly shouted in panic when she saw how determined he was to leave. "Inuyasha no. I won't let you. You'll get killed!" Stepping in front of the doorway she held her arms across it to block his escape.

Scowling at her attempt to stop him, Inuyasha stepped in front of her body and looked down at her. "I'm guessing you're not coming with me then. Move it Kagome. I'm going back with or without you." He said very strictly and observed her as she didn't budge from her spot and glared right back at him. "Kagome!" He shouted in frustration. Grabbing onto her arms he forced them down to her sides. "You don't understand! I have to go back!" Pushing her out of the way, he roughly swung open the door and ran down the stairs.

Kagome's face fell as she fell onto her bed after failing to hold him back. She would have gone if they had planned their moves out first instead of rushing blindly into something that could prove to be very dangerous for everyone. Crawling across her bed and slipping over the side she stared out her window and watched him run into the well house. 'Should I go with him?' After he disappeared into the small hut she sat back down on her bed and stared at her floor in total silence, trying to figure out if she should or shouldn't go. Sighing lightly she slumped her shoulders and gazed back out the window.

Inuyasha marched inside the well house, trying to contain his anger that was aimed at Kagome's ignorance and Mara's demonic abilities. Resting his foot atop the old well he looked back towards Kagome's house and had second thoughts about leaving against her will. She was after all, just trying to protect him the best she could. He shook his head and removed all ideas of changing his mind and looked down into the dark pit of the well. He needed to protect her as well though. And the only way of doing that was to have his demonic power returned to him. Having his mind made up he stepped up on the edge and dropped himself down into the well. 'I don't need her help.' Disappearing from her era, he passed through the transfer of time and waited to return to his home.