The Pain I feel…

Sango's POV

One-shot

The crew stopped for the night after a particularly hard fight with Naraku and his detachments. Miroku was limping from a nasty bruise on his leg, something I was particularly worried about. Kagome sported various small cuts from Kagura's air attack. InuYasha only had a small cut on his cheek even though he was the one mainly fighting. Shippou and Kirara were both perfectly fine however because they hadn't intervened in the brawl.

"Are you coming Sango?," questioned Kagome.

I nodded and followed stiffly. I wasn't exactly wounded, at least not physically. At the battle Naraku sent Kohaku to fight me. It hurt me so badly to see him there, attacking me of all people.

I slipped out of my clothes and into the warm water. Kagome didn't say a word, something I silently thanked her for.

Fighting Kohaku was truly hard. You can't just try to kill somebody you've lived with the entirety of their lives. You can't just hate your brother. I couldn't kill him when we had fought together against the same bastard that possessed him now.

I lightly scrubbed shampoo into my hair and took in the pleasant smell. It reminded me of the flowers Kohaku had once given me for my birthday… His eyes had been full of life, vibrant, full of joy, and his laughter lit up our home… Now our home was non-existent and Kohaku's eyes are dull…. Empty… Lifeless… Now he doesn't laugh, feel joy, feel pain, anything…

"Sango it's late. The guys will get worried and Miroku will come take a look."

I nodded and got out. Slipping into my clothes and pulling my hair into a loose ponytail.

...:::....

Dinner was uneventful and sleep came fast to all of my companions… My family… Troubled sleep claimed me as I stared off into the night sky…

...:::....Dream Sequence...:::....

I ran, my lungs taking a sure beating. Kohaku was running next to me. Father would be proud to hear of our latest achievement. Up ahead I saw him waiting for us. I smiled as I slowed down and Kohaku sped up.

"Papa! Papa!"

I slowed down to a stop before my father whom was hearing Kohaku's retelling of our battle.

"You've both done well."

I felt proud at my father's praise. I walked up to him, bowed, and gave him the money we'd earned. I went inside to find Kirara. She hadn't gone with us, much to her anger, because Father had asked for her help in a construction project in the town square.

"Kirara!"

I found her moping inside of my room near a window looking outside.

"Oh don't mope Kirara. All's been said and done. I'm back now and I'd like for you to not be angry with me. I did apologize after all."

She peered at me and seemed to think it over. She turned and jumped into my arms. I giggled as she contentedly purred as I pet her. I could see she had missed me also.

A sudden explosion threw me off my feet and Kirara landed on my futon. I ran trying to find my brother Kohaku, my first priority.

"Kohaku! Kohaku, where are you?!"

I felt the panic rise in me and the adrenaline rush through my veins. I opened doors frantically calling out his name. Something told me my younger brother was in peril that maybe I wouldn't be able to stop.

"S-Sister! Big sister!"

I heard his panicked cries and ran outside. There was Naraku, holding my brother by his hair. I felt around my back for my boomerang and noticed it was gone. I had left it in my room and now there was no time to go back and get it.

"Naraku! You bastard! Let my brother go! Let him go!," I screamed repeatedly.

Tears were in my eyes and blurred my vision, as well as my brother's eyes. I wiped them away angrily. I glared at Naraku as hatefully as I could and he smiled malignantly in return. He slid a knife across my brother's cheek. My brother didn't cry, he demanded that Naraku let him go. I felt proud of my brother's maturity but at the same time I was worried. For some reason none of our people were around helping us. It was me against Naraku and he had my brother as hostage!

"Give me the Shikon No Tama," he hissed at me.

"I don't have it!," I screamed.

He smiled at me and gripped his knife with his pale fingers.

"I don't believe you," he said.

"SANGO!"

I saw him slide his knife across my struggling brother's throat, the blade leaving a trail of crimson blood.

"BASTARD!"

I lunged at him and he chuckled as he easily dodged my blind attacks. I dropped to my knees next to my brother. I lifted him onto my lap.

"S-Sango…."

I felt the various tears making their ways down my cheeks. Sobs were shaking my body softly as my brother coughed softly.

"Beautiful scene," taunted Naraku behind me.

"Kohaku…."

"Sango… Revenge… No… Live… I-I… Love…"

I saw his eyes roll back and he fell silent. The line across his throat was still bleeding profusely. My brother's skin was slowly loosing its color and was a deep contrast from my own.

"Kohaku? Kohaku. Kohaku!"

No matter how much I shook him he didn't move on his own. Naraku's laugh behind me was driving me insane.

"Shut up… Shut up!!!"

...:::....Dream Ends...:::....

"Sango? Sango wake up or InuYasha will have his revenge on all of us. Nobody wants that. We'd like to live. I would love to see a decent bed sometime soon also. Sango?"

I opened my eyes and my vision settled on Miroku. He was trying to wake me up while Kagome packed everything into her back pack.

"You okay?," he questioned me softly.

"Yes, I'm fine."

In a few minutes we were on our way again. I didn't tell anybody about my dream… About the pain I feel when my brother fights me… His big sister.

...:::....I own not InuYasha and I know not much of angst....:::....