DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters. The story and art is property of the great Rumiko Takahashi. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only, and in no way will be used for my betterment. I wrote this because I admire the owner's work and wish to daydream about the characters.

Longer chapters you say? Well I'll try. I kinda like the short little chapters and a ton of them. That way you can read more in less time. Also I'm kinda not a prolific writer. Well sometimes. I'll try to make this one a long one. AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WONDERFULLY KIND REVIEWS! nreep

YOU MAKE ME BREATH

Chapter 5: Temptation

"Sango? Sango?" Miroku whispered, hoping that she could hear him. He couldn't talk much louder without pain, and he didn't feel too secure moving about in his current condition. The two of them had been lucky to escape with their lives. Miroku thought it would be best not to press that luck anymore then needed.

She continued to stare at the terrifying gash in the calm reflective surface of the pool of water. The longer she gazed at the tranquil, glossy, smooth liquid, the more distant Sango's body felt from her. She drifted farther and farther away until all that remained were her eyes, heavy and tired. Then they too vanished.

A brief feeling of unaided flight and the image of greenery whizzing past her as she was flung backwards. The sudden interruption of that shocking, yet undeniably invigorating, sensation with a coldness that stung.

Sango could feel the water rushing up her nose and into her open mouth, trying to take her down, fill her lungs. Quickly she clamped her lips tightly together. Her hands clutched wildly at nothing as her body was dragged along. She was now a rag doll in the mighty current being mercilessly tossed into the rocks.

But she refused to die. Arms continued their toil, legs pumping her towards the surface. Her head was swimming, lights flashed in her brain, everything was dancing. Time stopped. Her lungs had expanded as far as they could. Above her the sky shivered as it glowed an eerie shade of blue.

At last she managed to break through to the surface and only had a second to gasp for air before white foam crashed against her bobbing figure sending her back down. Her arm shot up as she began to sink again, holding onto...

A sharp ringing snapped Sango back to the cave. She shook her head wondering what had just happened. She'd been so close to remembering something. Like a young child she looked about. Her body, though still week feeling, was slightly refreshed. Had she dozed off?

Finally she turned towards Miroku to see that he held his staff slightly above the ground, the golden hoops on it sliding back into their normal resting place.

"Don't do that again!" Miroku scolded her with as much ferocity as he could muster. He actually looked angry at her. But whatever reason he had for that was beyond Sango. It was odd. Normally it was the other way around.

"Do what Houshi-sama?" Sango asked returning to him. He took the scrap of his robe he'd ripped off and began to tie it tightly around her head.

"Fall asleep. You've suffered a nasty head injury, and sometimes when someone has one as severe as yours..."

"Continue,"

"Sango...if you fall asleep again you might not wake up. You could die." Miroku finished, his voice dropping in his register. He couldn't look her in the eyes.

She heard Miroku, but the words...they just didn't make sense. Sango knew that she would die eventually. Everyone did. And with her profession it wasn't uncommon. But to die from something so natural as sleep? That just wasn't the way that she planned on going.

A huge weight was added to her shoulders, a burden she could hardly stand. The urge to cry rose up again. It just wasn't fair at all. She was worn, tired, drained of her strength. She needed to sleep. It just was not conceivable to keep going without at least a little nap.

"But I'm exhausted. And if we're to get out of where ever we are one of us is going to have to be strong." Sango said listening to the repetitive tone of the water cascading down. The sound was so pleasant to her ears. Her body swayed.

Another sharp ringing from Miroku's staff.

"Sango!"

She rubbed her face quickly to get rid of the sleepiness. Apologizing, she looked at him. Again his face looked angry, but this time his eyes were almost sad.

"I know this isn't..." Miroku started before he had to stop and take shallow breaths again, "Isn't the easiest place to stay awake in, but you have to try." He let go of his staff to take her hand. Blush settled across her face. "Promise me that."

"I'm going to need some help."

Miroku dropped her hand, reluctantly on his part. He nodded his head. Start off small, he thought.

"Then let's focus on surviving the night. We'll take this step," shallow breath, "by step."

It was a long time before either one spoke again. But without fail, every time Sango's feet started to stray to the realm of unconsciousness, Miroku's staff would ring out, or a sharp raspy intake of breath would snap her back. It was fascinating how every movement they made echoed in the cavern.

"Houshi-sama?" Sango asked. He opened one eye. Miroku had been meditating. He made a small affirmative noise. "How did we get here?"

Miroku knitted his brows in profound contemplation as if he was searching for the answer. "We were fighting near a river and we fell in."

Something didn't quite ring true with his statement to Sango. But she brushed it off, assuming that if it was something serious she'd remember it soon enough. She nodded her head anyways.

"That would explain why my arms and legs are so tired, from fighting the current..."

"Must be.."

More silence prevailed. That was until a little rumbling announced the fact that both were hungry. They smiled at each other.

"Got anything to eat?" they asked at the same time.

Then again,

"No, you?"

Miroku and Sango laughed. But after a few chuckles the monk broke into another fit of coughing. He waved it off though as nothing, hiding the fact that he was scrabbling to get enough oxygen into his lungs. Dizziness fell upon him like the night had. Almost not soon enough he was back to normal.

"I'm fine. I'm fine."