Sango panted, a smile of joy covering her face. They had done it, by some miracle they had finally killed Naraku. The whole fight was hazy, her mind clouded with rage and determination. The only clear memory was Naraku's last scream as it split the air.

They had finally succeeded. They had rid the Earth of him. When she turned to face her teammates however her happiness changed to confusion. Instead of the exhiliration that she had been expecting they all looked upset.

"What's wrong you guys? We finally killed Naraku!"

Kagome and Miroku kept their faces averted as Inuyasha looked straight into Sango's eyes.

"I'm sorry Sango but I need it."

"Need what?"

The confusion on Sango's face turned to horror as she realized what they were about to do. Sango found herself unable to move, disbelief clouding her face.

"You can't be serious? You can't do this to me! You know how much I wanted him back!"

Her friends were surrounding her little brother, who was crouched on the ground crying from the return of his memories. Inuyasha grabbed him by his forearm and roughly pulled him up. Kohaku's eyes lifted and took in the scene around him: his sister screaming at her friends as they were gathered around him. What was about to happen dawned on him and he looked at Sango.

"It's alright Ane-ue. I can't go back...not anymore."

He looked up tiredly at Inuyasha.

"Please...set me free."

As Inuyasha started to reach his other hand around Kohaku's back Sango ran towards them. The sheer shock of the situation had worn off and she ran.

"Stop. Don't do it!"

However she wasn't fast enough and just as she reached out to grab Kohaku's other arm Inuyasha pulled the jewel shard out of his back and he fell limp. Inuyasha turned and handed the jewel shard to Kagome who purified it. Sango dropped to her knees and pulled her brother's limp body into her arms.

"Kohaku? It's okay Kohaku, we finally killed Naraku. Kohaku?"

Her body trembled as tears ran down her face. The others looked on as she continued to babble to her dead brother that it wasn't his fault, that he doesn't need to die. Finally Kagome stepped forward and placed her hand on Sango's shoulder.

"Sango, he's already gone. This is for the best, he wouldn't have been able to live with what he did."

Sango stiffened. Slowly she turned to face her friends with her bangs covering her eyes.

"Why? Why did you do this?"

The three looked at each other and Miroku stepped forward.

"You have to understand Sango, he wasn't your little brother anymore. Do you think he could have lived happily remembering everything that he had done? I understand that you are upset-"

"Upset?"

Sango's head snapped up and her eyes glowed with hatred. A harsh laugh fell from her lips.

"You people understand nothing! You keep making it sound like you knew Kohaku. You knew nothing about him! You weren't there when he was born, when he lost his first tooth, when he started training. You know nothing about my little brother!"

Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagome took a step back and moved closer to each other. Sango slowly stood, lowering her brother's body back to the ground. She kept her eyes on the people in front of her as her tear-stained face broke out in a vicious smile.

"Don't make it sound like you did it for his sake. You did it for yourselves, for that damn jewel! You knew I'd never get him back but you encouraged the hope that I had anyway because you needed me to defeat Naraku."

Slowly Sango walked forward towards them. Kagome finally had to break the chilling silence.

"You know that Inuyasha had to complete the jewel. He needs it Sango."

"Kinda like how I needed my brother?"

Sango came to a stop right in front of Kagome. She stared at the girl that came from the future, the one that had lost nothing.

"You don't understand Sango, Inuyasha is dying. We decided to use the jewel so that he would be able to live."

Sango looked at Kagome, who was in tears, in disbelief. The two males stood on either side of the futuristic girl, not wanting to be involved in this particular fight.

"What about my brother? What about his life?"

She couldn't take it anymore, she grabbed the jewel from Kagome's hands. It was all for this stupid jewel. So many people died because this stupid thing exists. As if in slow motion she saw three sets of hands reaching towards her. Before they could touch her she screamed her wish to the sky.

"I wish the Shikon no Tama was in a place that it could never be found!"