A/N: This is my first Koga and Kagome fanfic (I usually stick with SessKag), so cut me some slack. This is one of those stories that hit you in the head with a hammer until you post them. And, I don't know if the story will be continued, it only will be if I end up loving it, or you do. Please leave me a Review To Tell Me!
"Should it hurt to love you?
Should I feel like I do?
Should I lock the last open door
My ghosts are gaining on me..."
-Evanescence; All That I'm Living For
Kohaku had gotten used to their arguing by now, just had his sister and the monk, and now he wasn't even paying attention to the words. He just sat next to his sister on the dirt, chin cupped in his hand, staring off into space. Ever since Naraku had severed his hold on him... everything seemed easier to remember. Even though he only remember things one at a time, in fragments, his sister would help him piece them together with him, help him reclaim his memories. And he was finding himself having more fun now, like a regular boy his age would, if he was playing with Shippo or talking to Kagome, he was finding himself enjoying his second life for once. He was glad he wasn't killing or mindlessly following orders. He was glad he wasn't an enemy.
Breaking him from his line of thought, was InuYasha, sporting his "damn-it-she-won" look. Finally, peace would reach his ears, and not the high pitched scream of Kagome and the yells of InuYasha.
"So, what was that one about InuYasha? I personally lost interest." Miroku asked, gazing at the hanyo with intent eyes.
Silence.
He was giving them the cold shoulder... again.
"I'm gonna go talk to Kagome," Shippo announced, scampering off to his mother-like friend.
Kagome was a nice girl, and Kohaku wasn't sure why she even loved InuYasha if this was what they always did. From what he remembered, and from what Sango had told him, his parent rarely fought. Love... love wasn't like this. Or at least it wasn't supposed to be. So, the young boy lost himself in thought once more, watching the day turn into night. But what happened the moment the sun set... unnerved him.
Sweat was dripping down his forehead in the dark of the night, when everyone was asleep, even when InuYasha was in a light enough sleep to only notice the bigger dangers of the forest. His back was pulsing, or rather, the jewel shard was pulsing under his skin, and pain was racking his body uncontrollably. He heard fevered voices in his head, screaming and whispering, driving him slowly insane, moment by moment. But loudest of all was the one voice he didn't want to hear - this voice wasn't part of him anymore!
His world began to fog, his vision blurred. He saw many colors in one moment, the moment that seemed like hours, and when his vision steadied and focused, he couldn't control his body. He was moving involuntarily, he was forgetting things quicker than he could remember, and then suddenly, he found he was no longer Kohaku. He found he no longer had a sister, he found he no longer had a life.
When the clatter of weapons and the sound of feet awoke the hanyo, he quickly came down from his spot on the tree branch and yelled for everyone to get up, their reactions no slower than his own. But when he did a head count, and one was missing, he let out a heavy sigh. He had actually thought they had won for once... and the scent confirmed their "loss."
"Sango, it's your brother. He's covered in someone else's blood. He's not himself." InuYasha announced in a soft tone, not looking at the demon slayer behind him.
And sure enough, from the darkness her brother emerged, the blood from his weapons and body gleaming in the moon light. His eyes were clouded and his face blank of expression, blood splattered down his torso and spotting his cheeks and legs. His weapons were held loose in his hands, but the gang kept their weapons high, quite used to Kohaku's sudden and unexpected attacks when under Naraku's control. But their caution went to nothing as the boy fell to his knees, the color returning to his eyes, and collapsing onto his torso, unconscious. That was when Sango would abandon her weapons and run to him, cradling his limp body in her arms and sobbing silent tears. There the two would fall asleep, sister and brother, until InuYasha took them in his arms gently and brought them over to the fire to warm. Now leaning against the bark of a tree, Miroku would come to put his arm around Sango in a comforting way, far from his perverted ways. This was the woman he would marry, and now was her time of need.
And from there the night would drag on, Kagome falling into an restless sleep eventually, InuYasha keeping alert for any who would want revenge on Kohaku's actions, and Miroku dozing next to Sango and Kohaku. They had at least seven days until anything would happen, before anyone would come after them, but because of how unstable the situation was, they could be found much, much sooner. If they had to camp out for a couple days it would be at least two days of rest, if they left now, in this moment, maybe they would get away. Yet if they traveled the way Kohaku came, they were screwed. Their options were endless. But all paths led them to unavoidable truths and roadblocks, diffuclt decisions and life changing actions. But it all depended on one person in the group. Well... everything always depended on her anyways. The space time continuum depended on her actions, the future did, as well as lives, the completion of the jewel, InuYasha's fate, and her own sanity. Kagome was about to come to the stopping point of a life that actually made sense... or at least a little sense. At least a week from now she would face the turning point in her life, whether it be for good or for bad.
They had left the following morning under the direction of InuYasha when he felt the that they were being watched, Kohaku slug across his back. Sango took Kagome's place next to InuYasha today so she could be next to her brother, and Kagome took Sango's place next to Miroku and untransformed Kirara, having no problem with the switch at all. The conversations took different turns than they usually did this day, solely because of the change in pairs. Shippo hadn't changed, of course, he still perched upon either Kagome's, InuYasha's, or Miroku's shoulder, and he switched off and on as he always had, pissing off InuYasha was absent this day though.
"Do you think that... Sango and Kohaku will be OK?" Kagome asked quietly, fully aware that InuYasha would hear and Sango would not.
"I'm not sure Kagome. I'm really not. All I do know is that Kohaku is not as "healed" as we thought..." Miroku answered thoughtfully, staring off into space, "She will heal over time I suppose, once Naraku is no longer an obstacle, but then again..."
"Kohaku's shikon shard." Kagome finished, beginning to stare off into space as well.
They needed that shard to complete the jewel, and if they took that shard, Kohaku would die. There was no other alternative besides Tenseiga, and she highly doubted the "great and mighty" Sesshomaru would swallow his damn pride and save a mortal from death. He was just to proud for that. And, if he even was willing to do that, he be helping InuYasha, which was definitely impossible for him. Damn rivalries.
Suddenly the group came to a stop. InuYasha was letting Kohaku down on the ground, laying him gently on the brown earth. The boy was stirring as his sister knelt next to him with hopeful eyes, watching her brother and ignoring the world around her. Miroku and Kagome quickly got over to the scence, looking over InuYasha's shoulder to give Sango room. And, slowly but surely, the boy's eyes fluttered open to gaze upon the blinding sun and his sister, blinking violently and rapidly.
"Sister...?" he asked in confusion, "Why are we not at camp...? What happened...?"
InuYasha sighed. He had expected this. Kohaku didn't remember a thing about attacking anyone, he had thought he was asleep the whole time. Win lose situation for them. They didn't know whom he had attacked, obviously on the will of Naraku, but at least he would never know he did it. Or, at least, he wouldn't know for a long while.
"Oh, Kohaku," Sango said, closing her eyes in relief, "You just overslept, don't... don't worry."
Days would pass by slowly without knowledge of what was coming or any obstacles in their way, and soon the lingering feeling that they would be attacked in the name of revenge melted away into nothingness. It had been six days since the incident, Kagome had made a trip home and come back with more supplies, everything seemed fine. Day seven came with that same false security. And then, it punched them right in the face when their guard was down to its lowest point.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, the group was sitting down for a rest, having walked through a day and night after a earlier run in with Naraku's demons. That was when InuYasha began to growl, stopping the conversation he was having with the group.
"What is it, InuYasha?" Kagome asked, leaning towards him from across the circle.
But he didn't answer, he just stood up as his growling ceased, drawing Tetsusaiga.
"InuYasha..." Kagome began again, standing up as well.
"It's Koga. But he's not quite happy. He's bloodthirsty." InuYasha snapped, not looking back at her.
Bloodthirsty. Koga is... bloodthirsty?? she thought, confused. Koga wasn't the type to be bloodthirsty for anything but Naraku. What was going on?
And soon she found out, watching in confusion as Koga came running into the her vision. Once he was closer she noticed it was like he didn't notice her or InuYasha, he was staring behind them. Both miko's and hanyo's minds clicked at once. Kohaku. InuYasha lunged forward then, running straight at the angry wolf demon with Tetsusaiga ready to slice, and Kagome warned the others, making sure that he bow was in reach if she needed it. The yelling started off in the distance. InuYasha had apparently met him halfway, and both of them were already at it.
A large crash echoed through the clearing, and the sound of rushing wind rang in everyone's ears. And if Kagome hadn't been paying attention, she wouldn't have been able to stop him.
When she realized what had happened when she heard Koga coming, she had turned on her heels and ran straight at him, smacking into his rock hard chest. He had caught her before she had bounced back and fallen, and the little distraction had stopped him completely, the anger gleaming in his eyes. InuYasha was there by now, his anger matching the wolf in front of him, obviously not happy about his battle being blown off.
"I'll kill you if you don't back off." InuYasha warned, standing a couple feet away from Koga and Kagome.
The wolf's arms slid off Kagome's waist as he walked up to InuYasha, the rest of the group behind the hanyo, "You're the one who should be backing off, mutt."
"I won't, not until you leave. Kohaku hasn't done anything to you."
Kagome shivered at the foreign, cold laugh that left Koga's mouth, "He's only killed a quarter of my pack."
"You mean Naraku's only killed a quarter of your pack."
"If you say Naraku has done this, then why are you protecting his puppet, hanyo?"
"I'm protecting Kohaku," InuYasha said, emphasizing Kohaku's name, "because he has done nothing. Naraku has used his body to kill your pack. The boy doesn't even remember it, he's thought nothing had happened and he had overslept."
"Well, I'm still killing him, controlled by Naraku or not--"
"Koga," Kagome interrupted, "Please..."
"No, Kagome, I can't listen to you this time." Koga snapped back, using unintentional force behind his words, "He's killed my comrades, and I will not let him get away with it."
"Naraku did this, Koga. Please... don't--"
"No." And he charged InuYasha, which was met with Tetsusaiga.
The battle raged on for a while, until InuYasha was thrown to the side from a misjudgement in Koga's tactics, and Koga ran at Sango and Kohaku. This is the time for Kagome to make that choice, the choice that would turn her life around and upside down. She somehow got in between Koga and the ready to attack demons slayers, halting his charge.
"Kagome..."
"I'll take his place."