Dodge left, right, jump, it didn't matter which way InuYasha went, Kagura had an attack prepared for all directions.
"Fujin." She laughed, making the wind a puppet to her will. Sango didn't know what to do. Even when she'd had her courage She'd been useless against Kagura. Her heart was pounding. This must be what it felt like to be Kagome; so often useless, but fearing each time for InuYasha's life.
"Ryu no Mae." Said Kagura softly. A blade came rushing to InuYasha's abdomen, and had he not thrown himself out of the way he would have been split in half. However Kagura was a planner, as was her sire. Where InuYasha had dodged came a wind blade, rushing through easily to slice InuYasha just above the hip. It was a deep gash, even by InuYasha's standards. He fell to one knee, gripping the wound with one hand, and Tetsusaiga with the other.
"Chikusou…!" He spat, gasping. Sango's fear ignited.
"So, InuYasha, have you admitted defeat while you're still alive? Something you've never done before. Every time I simply threaten Kagome, which I assure you I can kill her right now, you seem to get more than all your strength back." The witch smirked. "But now you're playing on our turf, my dear InuYasha. Perhaps you know better?"
"Sankon Tesuo!" Screamed InuYasha. Kagura sighed, and dodged easily.
"No, perhaps that was just wishful thinking." She said, drawing her fan up for another attack.
"Hiraikotsu!" Yelled Sango. Kagura only barely managed to dodge the sloppily thrown weapon.
"Is that all you can do, demon sl--" As Hiraikotsu made its return pass there was a sound that can only be written down as 'Wshmak!' And 'Crrrrak!' As Kagura was hit, and her arm broken. She stared at it as if it was some new mineral, and worthy of study.
"I see." She said indignantly, snatching her feather out of her hair and flying back to the tree house.
"Yeek!" Yelled Sango as Hirakotsu was coming back. She dodged it and it imbedded its self into a tree behind her. Miroku was dealing with InuYasha, who by this time had passed out due to blood loss. She dashed up to them.
"Is he…will he be all right?" Sango asked.
"Sango, do you remember the time he fought Jorumaru?" Sango nodded. "He had a large hole through his stomach. In comparison this is little more than a small, infected cut." He said, the smile staying in place. Sango smiled too.
Overhead an insect buzzed, watching the exchange, but not understanding it, or understanding why. It simply hovered there, not knowing what was controlling it, but something was. It flew away once this something had decided it had seen enough. On its way back, though, it started doing zigzags, because this something had lost its short attention span.
Deeper in the caverns of the tree fort lay Kagome. There she had her eyes closed, resisting whatever it was Naraku was doing to her. She could feel her mind drowning.
"So Kagome," Said Naraku's babyish voice. "What will you do?" Kagome shut her eyes tighter, trying desperately to block him, and everything else out. There was a sound that was in between a pop and a sizzle. Kagome lost her focus. Her mind drowned. Her spirit was lost, other than the Miko powers.
Sango smiled at the accomplishment of throwing her boomerang right, even if it didn't feel that way. InuYasha was there, watching her. He smiled too. Miroku walked up.
"Congratulations, Lady Sango." He said. "You've overcome yourself, and done what few could ever hope to do." Sango smiled. Rarely had she truly gotten praise. InuYasha gave her a hug.
"I'm so proud of you." He said. She felt wonderful, and happy. InuYasha turned to Miroku and… And hugged him too! Sango stood there, shocked. Then…
Their lips met, and they kissed passionately.
In the same night the fast healing Hanyou regained consciousness to the smell of Miroku's cooking. Which was terrible. Sango was asleep, but she woke up in an instant.
"Oh, Jesus!" He said, coming out of her dream. She seemed to calm down a bit, then look around. InuYasha was sitting up, looking at her quizzically.
"Bad dream?" He asked.
"Um, I think so… You two haven't… Um… You haven't been…" Her cheeks faded to a dark crimson. "You haven't been… Kissing each other, have you…?" She stammered. InuYasha stared at Miroku with a disgusted expression, but Miroku's expression was more manic, and happy.
"So girls have that kind of dream too!" He said, giggling like a grade school girl. For that comment InuYasha gave Miroku a smack on the head with Tetsusaiga's sheath.
"No." He said. "Even if I were a girl, and I was in some kind of imprisonment I couldn't escape any other way, I wouldn't. Kiss. Miroku." He said, lying back down.
"I am willing to bet he would, given the circumstances I am thinking of." Snickered Kikyo. Sango giggled.
Kirara growled, her fur standing on end. Sango looked where Kirara was looking at gripped her sword hilt, even though she knew she couldn't fight with it.
"Who's there!" She yelled to the shape that was approaching. Miroku stood, but put his staff on InuYasha to keep him from doing so as well.
"It's me." Said the figure. She realized the figure was running.
"Kagome-Chan?"
"Yeah!" She said, coming into view, panting.
"Lady Kagome, what happened?" Asked Miroku.
"Naraku captured me, and tried to take over my body, or something, I dunno, and he was about to do it, but I freed myself just in time. I would have finished that demon off if I could have found a bow…" She said miserably.
"It's okay, Kagome-Chan. You don't have to do everything yourself." Said Sango, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"How did InuYasha get injured?" She asked, only now noticing. She checked the bandage, and InuYasha looked at Sango as if he felt guilty.
Kikyo narrowed her eyes. She whispered something to Sango. Sango's eyes widened.
"Oh, no…" She said quietly, as she saw another ghostly figure come.
End Chapter Twenty
WOW! I did it! I made it to twenty, and I haven't lost idea quite yet! I don't know how I'm going to be able to continue with one after about two more chapters without making up a new badguy. Think I should? Tell me, and I might do that, otherwise this story's coming to an end rather soonish…