In the Dark…

Nightmares become Reality

The attack came before anyone really anticipated it. They should have expected it—everyone had been tense since the attack on Kagome, since they had been steadily getting closer to Naraku’s newest hideout, getting closer to the end. The one that attacked though, was not unexpected. The knowing of who it could be, though, did not lessen the hurt for the ones that were involved.

Kohaku—the younger brother of Sango—had been released as a target. Perhaps Naraku was counting on the ties of blood once more. Trusting that Sango, nor any other part of her group—would be able to strike the young boy down. Killing a child was hard for ones that were good at heart. Manipulating them were done by the ones that had hearts and souls of evil. Like him. But not even the most gullible or the softest of hearts fell for the same tricks over and over again. Not when those tricks tore their hearts in half and left them sobbing in the ground.

They learned their lessons—and were ready. Not for the attack itself—but the implications of it, and what to do. There would be no sympathy this time. There would be no trying to save the life of one that was already dead and under the control of another. The best thing would be peace. And Sango would be the one to have that right. If she was strong enough.

**

“Watch out!” Inuyasha’s voice cut through the night, jolting everyone out of her their sleep and alerting them to the danger that was at their throats. He was already standing protectively in front of Kagome, not willing to risk her life to danger again. It was bad enough that he couldn’t send her home and keep her there, away from the danger, but now that she was here, he wasn’t going to have the same mistake happen twice.

The main target didn’t seem to be Kagome, however. It was Miroku—and their attacker was Kohaku. Kagome gave a muffled gasp behind Inuyasha, hand going to her mouth as the young boy swung at Miroku with a single minded determination. His moves were disturbingly accurate, and the precision with which he moved showed his training at the hand of the Taijiya which was his family—he didn’t need any extra training from Naraku. The deadly weapon moved closer and closer to the monk, slashing at his robes, drawing blood occasionally. Each time his weapon hit the mark, a cold smile would spread across his face.

Sango whimpered, eyes closing for half a second before she moved toward her brother, determination in her eyes. The one that had been her brother was that no longer. He was changed… the body of the boy she once knew was now occupied by a stranger. And that stranger was hurting the one she cared about—the one that protected her and cared for her. Cheering her on and distracting her. Keeping her fears at bay—comforting her when she would most need it. She would not let him be hurt anymore.

**

Naraku watched the fight with interest, a cold smirk on his face. He was enjoying how the fight was going. Sango watching her precious little brother trying to kill the man she loved. She wouldn’t step in—she would try and save her brother again. She would fight her companions that tried to help the monk. Everything would fall apart for the group—he would be in power. There would be no stopping him after this moment. Weakness had to be exploited.

He was so intent on his future plans that it took him a moment to realize that the girl… the reincarnation—was aiming an arrow directly at his puppet’s back. And Sango wasn’t stopping her! In fact… she was … watching. Her sword was in her hands, faintly shaking with the force of her emotions, but she wasn’t striking her brother or that bitch! She was…waiting. Still with that pain on her face, but not stopping the reincarnation at all.

“What is going on here?!” He demanded. “What did I miss… how did I miss something so vitally important that this could happen?” He turned to his ‘children’, eyes cold and hard as Kanna held the mirror up silently, eyes not revealing any of her emotions. Kagura shrugged and almost looked amused at the situation.

He wasn’t amused at all. Nothing was going according to plan. Their emotions were not the same anymore. His pawn was worthless. He watched with anger boiling below the surface as Kohaku fell to the ground, body weakened by the power in the spiritual arrow. The shard fell to the ground with a clink—a single shard they had now. One shard out of the almost full jewel that he held. He didn’t see Sango moving in.

Let them try and fight him with that shard and their measly powers. He would prove them wrong… he would show them who was the stronger one. And make them pay for upsetting his plans. Today did not go as he wanted—and it set him back. He would make sure they would die, though. Every last one of them.

**

Kagome let Sango be alone with Miroku as they buried Kohaku. He would not move from the ground this time—his spirit was truly free now, no longer having to obey the commands of Naraku. He would be with his family—

All except Sango. She was only there to make sure he safely made it to rest, that no more evil could harm him. I’ll have to thank Kagome later. It couldn’t have been easy for her—but she knew… she knew that it would free his soul. Sango choked back a sob, kneeling in front of the fresh turned dirt of Kohaku’s grave. Kagome had fired the shot that disabled Kohaku, removed the shard from his body. He wasn’t able to move anymore, the pain of what had happened to him in life too great—the pain held him immobile while Sango knelt next to her baby brother, the last of her family—and let him join the ones that fell before him.

She was the one that put the knife in his heart—the heart that was controlled by Naraku, the one that had deceived her for so long. Never again would he walk on this earth with the face she knew so well. Perhaps in years she would sense his spirit again, hear familiar laughter echo across some village square, but for now his voice was silenced. She dimly heard Miroku praying over the graves—face solemn and emotionless as he said the words he had so many times before. The prayers for the dead, for the soul to be free.

A hand dropped on her shoulder, tears blurring her vision as Miroku looked down at her, a hint of emotion leaking past. He looked as if he was in pain, helpless almost. He started to speak, but shook his head, leaving her by the graves to say her last words alone.

It was dark now, the stars just starting to come out—Kohaku’s favorite time. Sango smiled weakly as she adjusted the incense on his grave and spoke her words to him, hoping his spirit was nearby to hear them, to hold them to him as he traveled to the world beyond. She didn’t move, listening others set up camp—the crackle of the fire seemed very far away, the hushed voices even further. Her eyes closed and she bowed her head.

**

When she returned back to camp, her face was calmer, eyes filled with peace. She had finally laid her brother to rest. Now she only had to wait until her turn came, until she joined the rest of her family—as she should have done almost a year ago now. She had to make sure that Naraku was dead first. She had to make sure that he paid for everything he had done, for the crimes he had committed against everyone that he had come across. Peace filled eyes flashed fire for a moment, and then shifted into determination.

Kagome was the first to speak, leaning against the solid weight of her carrying bag. “Sango-chan… are you.. do you need anything?” Her voice was unsteady as she looked up at Sango, not sure of what to say or how to say it. It was clear that she had been bothered by what she had done—she hadn’t gotten Sango’s approval beforehand—but the Taijiya hadn’t stopped her, either.

“I’m fine, Kagome-chan.” Sango smiled and fed some wood to the fire, watching it crackle and the flames leap up higher. “I wanted to thank you for what you did today. If you hadn’t acted… then Kohaku wouldn’t be free.” Her voice showed that she wasn’t mad at Kagome—that Kohaku’s death still hurt her—but he was free and that was the important part. The most important of all.

Kagome still looked unsure, but Inuyasha nodded at her. “She’s right, Kagome.” He snorted and rested against the tree—most likely his sleeping spot for the night. “You freed Kohaku’s soul—and that was what he wanted in the very beginning. You did the right thing.” He patted her shoulder awkwardly, but his eyes understood what Kagome was going through.

It was one thing to end the lives of youkai, the ones that terrorized villages, to get the shards before Naraku fueled his own power more than he had—but twice now Kagome had ended the lives—even if it had been indirectly—of her companions hearts. Kikyou… Kohaku. Who next?

Inuyasha fingered their newly acquired shard. “And we now have this—it’s not a lot…” His smile was rueful. “But it can be used to break Naraku’s barrier and kill the bastard.” He gave Kagome a pointed glare. “Don’t get all depressed and shit over this, Kagome. You knew what you had to do—don’t let his death be a waste.”

Like Kikyou’s… It wasn’t said, but Kagome read the implications. She had never talked to Inuyasha about that—too many things had happened, one right after another that prevented her from doing so. She needed to clear it off of her soul before that was used against her as well. As she would be damned before Naraku got his hooks in her.

There would be nothing there for him to work on. She would make sure of it. Nodding slowly, she smiled weakly at Sango. “I’ll honor his memory, Sango. I’m just sorry… that you had to lose him. But… I’m glad that I had a part in helping him.”

Sango smiled back, a little wobbly, but sincere as she accepted some meat from Miroku, taking part in their normal camp routine. Things would get better for her—there was still hope. And she realized that she didn’t have to die to achieve that. With this group… her eyes slid over everyone in turn… they would do it. But most of all because of Kagome.

**