Chapter 12: Breach The Gate!

The hunter sped through the forest, heedless of the branches that slapped across his face and neck. His bare feet glided over the dewy grass without so much as bending the slick blades as he passed. There was only one thought on his mind; one purpose driving him through the darkness. He had to find her. He had to make sure that his nightmare didn't become reality.

The rest of his party trailed several minutes behind him. They moved swiftly, their eyes never leaving Kilala's fiery tail as she followed the hanyou's scent. The pair riding the two-tail were silent as she sped along, each lost in their own thoughts.

Miroku eyed the slim back of the woman in front of him. Her long ponytail kept swaying back and forth, its movement in rhythm with that of Kilala. Every so often, Kilala would leap over a fallen tree, causing her mistress' hair to swing back and brush against his face.

Miroku found that he didn't mind one bit.

As he turned his head into the soft swish of cinnamon-scented hair, he noticed that he wasn't the only one watching the taijaya. Gishohu, who marched stoically alongside them, kept sneaking glances at Sango as well. After a moment of observing this, Miroku noticed that the woman would tense slightly after each look.

"Sango?"

The sound of her name being spoken jolted her from her thoughts. "Yes, Miroku?"

The monk leaned forward, placing his lips close to her ear. "Something is bothering you. Care to talk about it?"

A slight blush crept to her cheeks as his breath tickled her ear. But the request seemed sincere. After all, even though Miroku was a pervert, he was still her friend first and foremost. "I think that Gishohu might ask me to stay."

The monk remained silent. At that moment, Sango wished that she could see his face. Was he upset at the idea that Gishohu might ask her to stay? Every muscle in her body begged to turn around for just one second. But as quick as the urge came, it was gone again, pushed down by her natural defenses.

"Is that what he asked you before we left?"

The ponytail dipped and rose slightly as she nodded, and she could feel Miroku sigh into her back. They had been down this road before. Sango thought back to the lord that she had met in her youth. He had also asked her to stay, and everyone had expected Miroku to be jealous. But then he had surprised them by only wishing her happiness. That had been some time ago and Sango felt as though things had changed between them. Even so, she wondered what he would say.

"Sango…" once more his lips brushed by her ear, and she gave into the desire to turn around. Sango managed to turn about half way, but all she could see were the darkened trees as they sped by. So she settled for closing her eyes and simply listening.

"…he would have been a fool if he did not ask." He paused, his lean body pressed lightly against her back. After a silent moment, he pulled away.

"Miroku…?" Sango's eyes snapped open at his words, and now she fought the heat that spread across her cheeks like wildfire. What was he saying? She wanted to turn back to him again, but the fact that her face was covered with the tell-tale signs of embarrassment prevented her from moving.

Kilala chose that moment to leap over another log, and suddenly Sango remembered where she was. The current situation came rushing back, and guilt washed over her. How can I think about this when Kagome's out there somewhere? Brown eyes lowered in shame, and she forced her mind away from her petty problems. Even so, the taijaya still found her eyes wandering between the monk and the lord as the small procession pushed forward.

They traveled in silence for some time, and the darkness of night faded into a dim grey. Sango was beginning to wonder if Inuyasha knew where he was going, and was about to call ahead to him when she felt Kilala slow beneath her.

"Kilala, what's wrong?" Kilala had stopped completely by now, and was beginning to growl as she sniffed at the air. The sounds of weapons coming to their owners hands broke the early morning stillness, and Sango was surprised to find her own katana gleaming in the scant light.

"Inu-"

"It's blood," the hanyou was suddenly standing beside Kilala, startling both Sango and Miroku. They hadn't even heard him approach.

"It's Kagome's blood."

Now the pair turned to each other, horror written on their faces. They barely noticed the second growl that issued from Inuyasha's throat as it blended with Kilala's.

Miroku swallowed hard. They had all been afraid of this, but knowing that it was true was much worse. "Where is she?"

"She's close; the castle can't be much farther," Inuyasha crouched low, preparing to run off to the front again. Every muscle in his body screamed for him to hurry, telling him that even the smallest delay would cost Kagome her life.

Miroku watched the hanyou tense, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Wait, Inuyasha. We must finish this together, otherwise the surprise is lost."

"Keh! They're just a bunch of humans! I can take care of 'em on my own!"

"Yes, and while you fight off Yojikin's soldiers, he'll have plenty of time to kill Kagome!"

The words hit Inuyasha like a slap across the face. Instinct took over, and a clawed hand wrapped itself around Miroku's throat. The monk never flinched, keeping his blue eyes locked onto the growling hanyou. Sango motioned for the others to stay back; she knew that Inuyasha would never really hurt Miroku.

The tension mounted, and Sango's faith began to waver. Then, suddenly, the standoff ended with a snort. Inuyasha released Miroku, his golden eyes focused on the ground. "Whatever. If you wanna come with me, you'd better move. I'm not going to wait for you."

Inuyasha lowered himself back into a crouch and pushed off. Sango and Miroku motioned for the others to follow, then leapt onto Kilala's back and took off after the half demon.

They sped down the trail, splitting the group in half as they went. Inuyasha was moving too fast for the villagers to keep up, and so Sango held Kilala back slightly, keeping in sight of Gishohu. She let the two-tail follow Inuyasha's scent, much as she had before.

The minutes dragged by slowly, until finally the red of Inuyasha's haori came in sight. He was stopped at a bend in the trail, his small triangular ears scanning the forest for noise.

"It's just up ahead," he whispered. "There are guards posted at the front gate, but that's it."

Gishohu turned to tell the small ranks of the news, but was stopped at the hanyou's next words. "Whatever barrier he had is gone."

The lord smiled, unbelieving of their luck. He spread the words through the line, and the villagers shared in his smile. Maybe this was going to be possible, after all.

Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku did not share in their optimism. They knew that the lack of a barrier meant that Yojikin's men would be more alert, making their surprise attack that much harder. Inuyasha shook his head, clearing away the negative thoughts. He was going to get in there and save her, and no one was going to stop him.

Gishohu motioned to his men, and the group moved forward silently. In moments, they caught their first sight of the castle's walls.

The castle sat amidst a clearing, surrounded by a tall wooden wall. The villagers glanced at each other in wonder; they had searched this area before, but instead of a clearing there had only been a lake. Gishohu silenced the whispers with a sharp motion, pointing to the top of the castle wall. Four guards stood watch over the surrounding forest, each one dressed in the armor worn by all of Yojikin's men.

Another gesture from Gishohu sent four of the village men into the pre-dawn darkness. Each man carried a bow, and when the sharp call of a morning bird pierced the stillness, four arrows shot from the now hidden bowmen. The guards toppled from their perches, three falling forward to land in the soft grass that surrounded the castle wall. All eyes watched as the final man swayed, managing to find his balance for a moment before death claimed him and he toppled backwards.

"Shit," Inuyasha unsheathed his sword and bolted for the gate.

Before anyone could stop him, he was drawing back his weapon. The door shattered in a brilliant spray of wooden splinters as the hanyou blasted through it, leaving the others in stunned silence as they watched him disappear inside.

Sango and Miroku were the first to act. They leapt onto Kilala's back and flew after the hanyou before the dust even had time to settle. Though it wasn't the surprise that they were hoping for, the pair doubted that anyone inside would be able to act for a least a few moments.

And those precious seconds might be all they needed to get Kagome back.

Yojikin motioned for his men to quiet down. Now that he had their attention, the real fun could begin. He quickly called over two of his personal guard, instructing them to untie the prisoner. They went about the task silently, ignoring the anxious eyes of their comrades as they cut the ropes. The lord motioned for the guards to lift the girl, and they hoisted her limp form between them. Yojikin stepped forward, pulling a dagger from the sheath at his waist.

Kagome came to as the guards lifted her. The rough motion jolted her awake, tearing her from the quiet oblivion she had given herself over to. The sound of voices cheering filled her ears, and for a moment she could not remember where she was.

Reality came crashing back all too quickly as the sound of Yojikin's voice cut through the din. She flinched as he called out to the crowd; even though his words were just a jumble to her ears, they still struck fear into her heart.

"Kagome?"

Another voice called out, cutting through the rest with startling clarity. Kagome recognized it immediately and forced her tired eyes open. The images around her were dark and blurred, and she could not find the pale image of the speaker anywhere.

"Kagome, I am right here."

"Aniko?"

"Ye have become too weak to see me, child, and so I shall speak to ye like this. Ye must be strong, Kagome! Do not let him win!"

"Please, Aniko, I can't…"

"Listen to me, Kagome! The gate is being breached! Help is here; ye need only to hang on for a little while more. Have faith!"

In the short time that Kagome had known Aniko, she had never heard the woman speak so forcefully. The specter's conviction lent the miko strength. Was help really on the way? That must mean…

Kagome was ripped from her thoughts as a burst of silver caught her eye. She forced her head up, hoping against hope that Inuyasha had finally arrived. But as her eyes locked onto the object, they widened in horror. It was not the silver of Inuyasha's hair that she had seen.

It was the flash of a knife as it sped toward her heart.

A/N: I'm back! Sorry about the delay! My beta is on break right now, so I was trying to wait until she felt better to post. But I figure that you have all waited a while to see this, so I'm going to post what I have for the next few chapters for you. Besides this, I have two more chapters ready to post, so you'll be seeing them soon! Thanks for reading and sticking with me, everyone! (happy dance)