Freedom

InuYasha jolts awake. He is in Kagome's arms, he can hear the sound of Katsumi's laugh and footsteps, lots of them. He looks up to see Sango and Mirku running in. "Wait, stop!" he yells.

It's too late. Katsumi holds out her hand to call the staff to her. The staff responded, moving on its own, taking Sango with it. Miroku grabs her. "Don't let her have it," Yoshito yells as he fights his way to the front of the crowd. The staff drags Sango and Miroku before leaving Sango's grasp completely. It stops in the air and starts to spin, "Run," InuYasha yells to Miroku and Sango as he grabs Kagome. He puts some space between them and the cage. There is a loud crack and the cage bursts open. Inuyasha shields Kagome with his body as pieces of metal fly round them.

He calls out "Miroku…Sango!". InuYasha looks up to see Sango's Hiraikotsu move with both Miroku, Shippo and Sango behind it."We're alright!" Sango calls back. Some of the Monks that followed them weren't as lucky. More dead bodies shredded and impaled.

InuYasha looks back at where the cage once stood, now twisted broken metal and Katsumi stood in the middle taking in the scene with a look of pride on her face. She stepped out of her prison. She examined what was left of the crowd, taking her staff into her hand. "Yoshito, stand before me. It's time you finally pay for your actions," She called.

In return an frail elderly man came out from the huddle. A shadow of the proud looking man he was before. "You look quite awful!" she laughs, "Now that you're not siphoning off my power," she says now practically snarling. She taps her staff to the ground and it floats once again the pieces holding the orb at the top fall back. The orb separates itself from the staff, which is now taking the form of a sword. Looking defeated Yoshito lowers his head "Do as you must," he says.

"What a pathetic pig. Fine let me end you," She spits as take her new sword from the air and steps toward him. At that InuYasha runs to put himself between Katsumi and Yoshito. "That's enough Katsumi, killing an old man is just pathetic. Now back off or I'll cut you down," InuYasha yells as he draws Tessaiga trying to, ignoring the burning pain in his arm. Whatever Katsumi infected him with is now working its way up his forearm.

"How kind of you little puppy, but you should really be worried about yourself," Katsumi says slyly then she is on him in an instant, barely giving him enough time to block. InuYasha is able to hold her off, their swords crossed. She glances down his arm and giggles at her handy work. InuYasha growls at her in response, pushing her backward.

"How the hell did I just do that!" InuYasha thought in disbelief.

Katsumi lands gracefully. Looking intrigued, "You crave power InuYasha, you'll be my creature soon. Then you can bring me Yoshito's heart yourself," she says purring. "I'll be damn, if I roll over for the likes of you!" InuYasha shouts, running at her.

"I just need to take her out before this infection takes hold of me!"

Their blades clashed, Katsumi taking delight in InuYasha's anger.

Sango, Kagome, Miroku and Shippo watch on anxiously. Sango turns to the others , "We need to help InuYasha along with this," she says.

They disperse, Miroku calls out to InuYasha, InuYasha falls back for Miroku to attack Katsumi with sutras scrolls. Followed by a sacred arrow from Kagome, both blocked by Katsumi who has put up a barrier.

The orb from her staff glowed again sending out two beans of light. One forming a tall male demon and a small girl. "Arata, Suzu deal with humans. I'm a little busy," Katsumi tells them.

"Yes mother!" the small white haired girl chirps. Then zippes over to Miroku claws beard and he manages to swat her away with his staff. The man looks at Kagome and Sango "Hello," he says with a smile. Then attempts to slash them with his claws but Sango's blocks with

Hiraikotsu, shielding herself, Kagome and Shippo. Sango counters with a swing of Hiraikotsu making him back off, giving her a chance to throw Hiraikotsu. She takes it and misses.

"Oh we're feisty huh," he says the smile disappears from his face, and he grabs the Hiraikotsu out of the air that he has coming towards his head. He takes it and swings down, slamming it into the ground. Kagome and Sango dodge it at the last second separating the two. Arata turned his attenion toward Sango, who now has her sword drawn.

Kagome catches sight of Katsumi who has thrown InuYasha to the ground. InuYasha struggles to get to his feet, as Katsumi approaches him.

Oh no you don't! Kagome nocks an arrow quickly. Shoots, the arrow comes close to its mark, but Katsumi holds up her and the arrow bursts into flames. Katsumi locks eye's with Kagome. In a fraction of a second she has Kagome by the hair.

"Let her go!" InuYasha yells. "No, I don't think I will," Katsumi responds. "Now what you will do, little puppy is bring me Yoshito's heart and you'll get your little woman back. We'll be waiting at my castle,"

In an instant Katsumi, Kagome, Arata and Suzu disappear into a ball of light.

Author's note: Reviews are welcome! I'm mostly posting as soon as I feel like I've reached a stopping point. So some input for the story is very much welcome. Also some feedback on chapter length would be nice as well. I might keep the chapters shorter than the last story I did but I'm still not sure.