Kohaku stared blankly at the wall; his master was nervous.

"They're all gone," growled Naraku, his red eyes jumping back and forth in their sockets. "You're the only one left, Kohaku. Coming to two years of being pursued by Inuyasha and his ragtag band and this is all that is left."

He received no answer.

The hanyou's lip curled into a smirk. "At least I shall enjoy the pleasure of killing you before Sango's eyes, one of the last few I have left. Manipulating you is so easy – like a puppet at the end of my silk threads."

Something clicked behind the young slayer's eyes – silk threads. Like a dam had been removed, memories flooded back into Kohaku's mind. He saw everything and remembered.

Bowing his head so his erstwhile master would not see his tears, Kohaku plotted his vengeance: for his people, his father, his sister, himself. The atrocities he had committed – even when he was not in control of his body – were seared vividly in his mind; the stealing of his innocence complete. Tears wet the boy's cheeks.

"It's over, Naraku, because they're all gone now."

The group was closing in; Naraku had nowhere left to run. His red eyes widened as the realization sank in. He was so accustomed to relying on others to do his legwork: he was certainly not used to getting his own hands dirty.

"It's over, Naraku!" yelled Inuyasha, advancing towards the villain. "You're dead!"

He did not reply, surveying his surroundings. The wolves – led by Kouga – were cutting swathes through the hordes of lower demons he had summoned. Sesshoumaru had appeared at his left, wielding Tokaijin and felling the hordes. Kikyou had fallen by his hand and disappeared, her death not assured of. Even then, it did not seem to faze Inuyasha. One by one, all the wily demon's life lines were being cut.

"Perhaps," murmured the demon, eyeing his opponents casually. His body rippled and shifted as he began to transform.

"Look out!"

With a blast, Naraku exploded, hurling Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru a good distance away. The smoke soon cleared, leaving a gigantic demon spider standing there. Kagewaki's torso remained mounted on the spider's back in a gruesome tangle of limbs, a smirk etched on his face.

Poison spewed from its mouth, drenching the ground with a sickening hiss. Inuyasha dived in, Tetsusaiga held aloft.

"Die, you bastard!"

He cut through one leg, severing it. The beast roared and lashed out, catching the hanyou in his side and flinging him into a tree. Sesshoumaru remained impassive, leaping in to continue his brother's attack.

A blast of energy from Tokaijin slammed into the spider's main body, rocking the massive frame. Instead of attacking him physically like it did Inuyasha, sticky webbing fluid shot out of its mouth. Sesshoumaru tried to cut away the fluid instead of dodging but it clung to his hair and clothes, binding him within its gluey mess.

"Damn!" Inuyasha got to his feet but was quickly subdued by a gob of sticky fluid. The two dog demons incapacitated, Naraku turned his attention to his other enemies.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome notched and fired an arrow at Naraku but it missed, flying over one leg. However, the spiritual power imbued in the shaft burned him as it flew past, eliciting a growl from the transformed hanyou.

"Die, miko!" rumbled the spider, shooting out a stream of poison at the girl. There was no way he could miss from that distance, and her usual protector was unconscious, sprawled at the foot of the tree he had collided with…

"Kagome-chan!"

Sango came swooping out of nowhere on Kirara's back and yanked the girl to safety. The deadly poison sizzled harmlessly on the grass, burning an ugly crater into the soil. Naraku snarled.

"Curse you, Sango!" They were already out of his range and he decided to change targets.

"Naraku!"

The target presented itself to him, right on schedule. A figure in black and purple stood there, his right hand held in front of him.

"Naraku! I've been waiting for this moment!" shouted Miroku, pulling off his prayer beads in one fluid moment and exposing the palm of his hand.

Uncovered, the Kazaana sprang to life with a howling and swirling of black-purple winds. Naraku did not even bother to attack him, summoning a host of saimyoshou instead.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango had returned, minus Kagome, landing at Miroku's side. "Close your Kazaana!"

She did not need to tell him twice. Faced with the massive horde Naraku had summoned, the monk growled and clenched his fist, taking up his shakujou again.

"Where's Kagome-sama?" he asked the demon slayer at his side as they prepared to fight.

"With Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. She's trying to free them both."

The giant spider made a strange sound that could have been a laugh. "Sango and the monk. I will enjoy killing you both."

Miroku appeared unfazed. "Not if we kill you first." He darted underneath the spider's body, out of reach from its dangerous spiked legs and swung his staff at its underbelly. It bit into the torso in a shallow gash, the wound oozing ichor and miasma. The monk staggered back, one sleeve thrown over his face to protect himself from the fumes.

"Hiraikotsu!" Naraku scrambled backwards, narrowly missing the Hiraikotsu as it flew in a low arc where his head had previously been. Sango soared overhead, catching the boomerang as it returned to her hand –

"Sango!"

The spider launched a jet of poison upwards at the slayer and her nekomata partner. Although it missed them, Kirara was startled enough to veer to the side violently. Thrown off balance by her heavy weapon, Sango slipped off her back.

"I'm alright, Houshi-sama!" She hurled the boomerang as she fell, the sharpened edge digging into the spider's back. The angle from which it had been thrown meant that it remained stuck in Naraku's back, rendering it useless. Looking down, the slayer was alarmed to find the ground was farther away than she'd estimated it to be and it was rushing closer at a deadly speed, making it impossible for her to land safely.

Sango braced herself for the impact which never came.

Kirara swooped down, catching her mistress on her broad back. She made an 'oof' sound as she crashed on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

"Thanks, Kirara," said Sango gratefully, caressing her companion's fur. The nekomata growled in response as they gained a good distance from their opponent. Recovering swiftly, she yanked Hiraikotsu out of the wound it had cut in Naraku's back as they went.

Miroku was battling fiercely, his shakujou and the spider's talons clashing again and again. He had seen Sango fall and tried to go to her but was prevented at every opportunity by a massive limb.

The relief on his face was palpable as he saw her on Kirara's back.

"Sango!" The moment of distraction cost him dearly; one scythed leg swept down, knocking the shakujou from his hands and sending the monk sprawling on the ground.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango hurled the Hiraikotsu but was a split-second too late: the deadly leg flew downwards towards Miroku's heart –

– and was severed by a white streak. Inky-black blood sprayed from the stump over Miroku's robes as he recovered and rolled away to safety.

The weapon returned to its owner's hand as Kohaku leapt into the fray. The boy was dressed in his slayer's outfit, a poison mask concealing the lower half of his face.

"Kohaku!"

Sango flew forward and dismounted, running to her brother's side. His armour was splattered dark with blood of the lesser demons he had fought to reach Naraku.

"Ane-ue…"

Naraku smirked. "There you are, Kohaku. I wondered where you'd been. Really, I am quite impressed. I would never have expected betrayal from you, my puppet, not when I hold your mind in my hand."

"Betrayal?" whispered Sango, hardly daring to believe it. "Kohaku, you..."

The young boy's lips twisted into a snarl, the hatred in his eyes making him seem much older than his thirteen years.

"I'm going to kill you today, Naraku," he said quietly. Even then, fear tugged at Naraku's heart. "I'm going to avenge the wrongs you made me do!"

The pitiless red eyes regarded him for a moment. "How disappointing," said the demon at last. "You've regained your memories. And I was hoping you'd kill Sango for me."

"You…" snarled Sango.

"Leave Ane-ue alone," answered Kohaku, in that eerily calm tone. "It's me who's your opponent."

Unnoticed, Miroku snatched up his shakujou and reached into his robes for an ofuda.

The Hiraikotsu and a kusari-gama whistled through the air and hit Kagewaki's chest, blasting open the mass of flesh to reveal the Shikon jewel. An ofuda followed soon after, purifying Naraku's body, widening the hole.

"Sango-chan!"

Kagome had reappeared at Sango and Kohaku's side, bow in hand. Without needing to be told, the younger girl took aim briefly and fired.

The arrow struck the jewel full on, the impact knocking it out of Naraku's body. Kagewaki's eyes widened as the power source of his transformation was cut off from him.

The giant spider form shrunk, giving off vast amounts of poisonous miasma. Kagome and Miroku were able to combine their spiritual powers to form a barrier around themselves, Sango and Kohaku, avoiding the effects of the gas.

Kagewaki stood alone, Onigumo's twisted soul still imprisoned in its prison of flesh, when the purple fumes had dissipated. The lord's handsome features were twisted in loathing, giving him a hideous appearance. The infamous spider scar stood out in vivid red on his naked back, slowly pulsating with every beat of his heart.

"This is the end, Naraku!" shouted Kagome, arrow aimed at their enemy's heart. Sango, Miroku and Kohaku stood at the ready, arrayed around her, their weapons pointed at him.

Naraku gave them a chilling smirk again, sending shivers down their spines.

"Yes."

Without warning, he dashed forward at Kohaku, sending his kusari-gama clattering to the ground. Kagome loosened her arrow; it hit Naraku in the shoulder, blowing his arm off. Ignoring his injury, the hanyou seized the boy's face with his remaining hand.

"Let him go!" snarled Sango, holding Hiraikotsu above her head threateningly.

"Certainly."

Blue light shimmered around Kohaku's face and he fell backward with a cry. Sango snapped, lashing out with her boomerang. Naraku dodged the wild blow and retreated to a safe distance, letting a horde of saimyosho regenerate his missing limb and form a deadly curved blade protruding from the forearm.

"Kohaku!" Sango dropped her weapon, falling to her knees next to her unconscious brother, putting her arms around him.

"What did you do to him?!" shouted Miroku, pointing his shakujou at Naraku.

"I merely granted Kohaku his dearest wish, monk, as his reward for two years of devoted service," sneered the baboon-suited man, angling the tip of his blade down. "I destroyed all of his memories – a little parting gift." The smirk stretched into a hideous grimace. "To remember me by."

Sango paled. "Bastard – !" growled Miroku, raising his staff, smashing it into the earth where Naraku had previously been.

Kagome knelt down beside Sango and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sango-chan…" The slayer's face was lowered, making it impossible to see her face.

"Kagome-chan… take care of Kohaku."

She rose to her feet slowly and drawing her wakizashi, joined the battle.

The harsh sounds of metal on metal echoed as Sango and Miroku alternately attacked Naraku. He seemed to be unaccustomed to his human form, falling back with every strike from them.

"Sango-chan! Miroku-sama! It's a trick!" Kagome called over to them. "He's trying to get the Shikon jewel!"

"No he won't."

Inuyasha stood there, bits of webbing clinging to his clothes, looking as pissed as hell. Sesshoumaru was with him, in a similar condition.

Miroku anticipated what was coming next and grabbing Sango by the waist, ran from their nemesis.

"Bakuryuuha!"

"Souryuuha!"

The combined attacks of both brothers hit Naraku square in the chest in a swirl and crackle of intersecting energy. There was a blinding flash of light and when it was gone, all that was left of what was once the most feared demon in Japan was a pile of ashes.

Silence hung in the air for a full minute.

It was broken when Inuyasha whooped with joy, rushing to Kagome just as she was running to him.

"We did it, Naraku's dead!" He swung her up, spinning around in circles as she laughed.

The miko felt giddy with relief. It was over, he was dead. They were free. They had managed it and everyone was still in one piece…

"Wait."

They quieted down, glancing at the still form of Kohaku on the ground.

"I destroyed all of his memories."

Sango felt a hand tighten around her shoulders. "Sango?"

"What Naraku said…"

Miroku's mouth was a grim slash.

As though struck by a sudden thought, Sango turned to him. "Houshi-sama, your Kazaana…"

He blinked: with his worry over Sango, he had completely forgotten. Tentatively – for fear he might be bitterly disappointed – Miroku began unwrapping his right hand. In the centre of his palm sat a dwindling black circle, small gusts of wind ruffling his bangs. As they both watched, it slowly faded away into nothing, leaving behind smooth unblemished flesh.

They sat there in shocked silence. Sango gazed up at him with brimming eyes. "Houshi-sama…" Happiness shone there, reflected in his own violet ones.

His breath catching in his throat, Miroku gently placed his right hand – his whole hand – against Sango's cheek, the warmth of her skin a new sensation on his. The slayer leaned into his palm, covering his hand with her own.

"Sango."

He was not calling her, nor trying to get her attention. He merely let slip the name past his lips, filled with naked love and wonder. She had always loved the sound of her name falling from that honeyed tongue of his. Miroku's voice was filled with a longing which Sango ached to fill. Now that they were both free, all her dreams of a happy future which she had secreted away rushed back to her mind.

After being raised to the highest heavens, Sango crashed down again to reality as she remembered.

Kohaku lay still in front of her, his eyes closed, his face pale as death. Only the slow rise and fall of his chest indicated he was still alive.

Sango broke her eye contact with the monk, turning her attention back to her brother. If there was disappointment in his eyes, Miroku hid it well, dropping his hand from her face and moving it to the young boy's shoulder.

"We should move him inside," he said quietly. "Get him out of those blood-stained clothes."

She nodded dumbly, her gaze fixed on the unconscious Kohaku. She wanted to apologize but somehow she knew he would understand. He always did.

Together, they carried him inside, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome to retrieve the Shikon jewel and handle the aftermath of the battle. No words were exchanged as the couples reached a silent understanding, departing to fulfill their own tasks.

Kaede's face had darkened, seeing Sango and Miroku's return bearing their bundle. Wordlessly, she motioned towards a nearby hut, abandoned by its owners two seasons before.

They made him comfortable the best they could, with old kimonos and bedding. Sango knelt by her brother's shoulder, cleaning his face with a wet cloth when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Get some rest, Sango. I'll take care of him." Miroku eased the cloth from suddenly limp fingers and dabbed the boy's forehead. Numbly, Sango rose and went to change out of her filthy slayer's outfit.

Her fingers moved mechanically over the individual pieces of her garb, untying and removing the armour and stowing each part in her carrying cloth. As she worked, Sango stared fixedly ahead, fear and uncertainty battling with elation and relief for dominance over her heart.

Naraku was dead. The evil creature which had blighted their lives, who they had spent the past two years in pursuit of was finally gone. Her people were avenged.

But Kohaku…

Her brother was back at her side again but Naraku had one final twist left for her. There was no telling what he had done to Kohaku until he woke up – if he ever woke up.

Belatedly, Sango realized she had been wringing her obi into a crumpled mess. Smoothening it out hastily, she retied it into its customary knot and walked out, her carrying cloth slung loosely over her shoulders.

Instinct made her hesitate outside the entrance to the hut. Approaching cautiously, she picked up low tones.

Miroku was seated cross-legged where she had left him, conferring with Kaede. Now and then they stole glances at the sleeping boy. They were unaware of her presence, as evidenced by the snatches of conversation she picked up here and there.

"Sango doesn't – "

"Kohaku – "

" – Naraku would have done – "

" – probably exhaustion – "

Having heard enough, Sango walked through the doorway with little fuss. Both Kaede and Miroku fell silent, the latter turning to her with a strained smile.

"Sango. We didn't hear you come in."

"I'm sorry, Houshi-sama, Kaede-sama." She laid down her bundle in one corner of the hut, resuming her position at her brother's shoulder. "How is he?"

Kaede shook her head solemnly. "Houshi-dono and I detect nothing from him, no lingering trace of Naraku's evil. But for some reason – "

" – he will not wake up."

The elderly miko watched Sango warily with her one good eye. "I am sorry, Sango."

"No. Don't be, Kaede-sama. You have been a good friend. I understand."

Miroku read her body language and responded.

"Come, Kaede-sama," he said, getting to his feet, the rings of his shakujou jingling softly as he moved. "The others will need medical aid. The battle was long and bloody."

Once Kaede had left the hut, he leaned forward and clasped her small hand in his. It was as cold as ice. Miroku hesitated, before rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Sango?"

"I'm fine, Houshi-sama. Go. They need you."

Hurt flashed across his face for an instant before it was replaced by an infinite patience and acceptance.

"As you wish."

The sound of his footsteps echoed away and was gone. Sango gave way to tears, her face buried in Kohaku's neck.

It was not fair. After all that they – she had done – Kohaku was still not free of Naraku. He was as removed from her as he had been when he served the evil demon.

Could the kamis be as cruel as to deprive her of having both her brother and her fiancé?