They entered the castle. Sango's skin prickled with the feeling of intense youki surrounding them. This was going to be one grim fight. The least she could do was fight her best, regardless of the outcome. She stole a peek at Miroku and saw that there was a look of grim determination in his eyes. Hopefully, they would survive this battle like they survived all the others.
Suddenly a whirlwind headed their way, and she saw Inuyasha get run over. The whirlwind stopped in front of Kagome who had an annoyed look on her face.
"Kouga, I already told you—" started Kagome, but Kouga interrupted.
"I know what you're going to say. I'm just here because after the battle with Naraku, you're going to need the Shikon shards in my legs back, right? So let me help dog-turd while I'm here."
"Why you…" started Inuyasha.
"Oh, in that case, thank you, Kouga-kun," Kagome said, moving herself between Inuyasha and Kouga.
"No problem," Kouga said cheerily, but when he turned away from Kagome, Sango saw that he looked slightly sad. She didn't know if he was sad because he had lost Kagome to Inuyasha, or if it was because he truly loved Kagome. Well it didn't matter. Kagome already made her decision. She only wished that Inuyasha would make his.
"Kukuku," a familiar voice laughed. "I see that everyone has arrived. Very well, I shall begin."
"Naraku," Inuyasha and Kouga growled simultaneously. That's right. Naraku killed Kouga's comrades, Sango remembered.
"Kagura," Naraku commanded. A beautiful youkai wearing a fine kimono stepped out. Her fan was open and ready to strike. The expression on her face matched those that she was facing off against. Sango readied Hiraikotsu, but doubted that her boomerang would be able to do much against a wind youkai. Still, she could swing it around if she had to.
She saw Miroku put one hand onto the prayer beads in his right hand. Inuyasha took Tetsusaiga from its sheath, transforming it into a large red blade. Kirara became a larger version of herself, and Kagome notched an arrow into her bow.
"Kanna," Naraku commanded, smiling slightly at the grim expressions on their faces. A young girl with white hair and a mirror appeared as if from nowhere, her face blank and staring at the group.
"I don't have time to play with your spawn, Naraku," Inuyasha yelled, "Prepare yourself!" Whether his statement was directed at his friends or Naraku, Sango couldn't tell. She saw Inuyasha evade both Kanna and Kagura, heading for Naraku.
He's grown stronger, she thought.
Naraku's eyes had widened slightly in surprise, but soon evaded Inuyasha's large blade.
"Kukuku. You'll have to do better than that."
Sango felt anger well up in her again. Naraku was always toying with them. Well, she's show him that he never should have messed with her people.
"Hiraikotsu!" The giant boomerang flew gracefully in the air, heading for Naraku, but Kanna reflected the attack back at Sango. She was prepared for it to happen, and jumped up into the air, kicking Hiraikotsu back towards Naraku. The boomerang bounced off Sango's kick and headed faster than ever to Naraku, who was still evading Inuyasha's attacks.
Suddenly, blades of wind knocked Hiraikotsu out of its path, sending it to crash onto the roof.
"Sango, watch out!" Miroku shouted. She turned around in time to see blades of wind coming at her.
"Fuujin no mai!" Kagura shouted, sending more blades of wind at Sango. Even if she could somehow dodge the first set of wind blades, Kagura had insured that she wouldn't escape the second set.
"Kaza Ana!" Miroku shouted, having gotten in front of Sango and was using his air void to suck the wind up.
The blades of wind disappeared, but Sango heard the dreadful noise of something buzzing.
"Houshi-sama, the Saimyoushou!" she shouted into the wind, hoping that Miroku had heard her. Apparently he did, for a moment later, the air void was resealed, the only sound left were those of Inuyasha trying to hit Naraku with his sword and the buzzing of the poisonous insects.
Naraku jumped onto a far off roof, leaving Inuyasha in the middle the battlefield. Naraku seemed unfazed by Inuyasha's attempts to attack him, while Inuyasha was panting slightly.
"Perhaps I should make the stage more interesting?" Naraku asked in an insufferable voice.
"Shut up and prepare to fuckin' die!" Kouga shouted, charging at Naraku. Naraku simply evaded Kouga's attack, smiling slightly at the wolf's futile efforts.
Suddenly, Sango saw a line of scarlet burst from Kouga's shoulder. Soon she heard the familiar sound of a metal chain returning to its owner.
"K-Kohaku…" Sango gasped. Her brother was still alive, but for how long?
"Kohaku, go kill that pesky exterminator," Naraku said, his eyes glinting with cool humor.
"Naraku, you bastard," Inuyasha growled, readying himself to use the cutting wind. In the midst of Kohaku's entry, Kagura had forgotten to use her fan to prevent Inuyasha from using the cutting wind. Or had she? Sango saw that Kagura's face was relatively emotionless, her reaction speed seeming to be suspiciously slow. This woman…she wishes for Naraku's death. I give you no pity, Naraku.
"Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha shouted, releasing a storm of wind blades that headed for Naraku. Naraku somehow formed a protective shield around himself that barely stood up against Tetsusaiga's attack. It was a close call, but the shield did its job, and Naraku remained unharmed. Sango didn't have any more time to pay attention to Naraku, for Kohaku started attacking her…again.
"Kohaku, please remember!" Sango pleaded, wondering if it did any good at all. What was she going to do if Kohaku actually listened to her, though? Would she have the heart to kill her brother just to retrieve the Shikon shard in him?
"Kohaku! Remember! You're not like this. Please return to the baby brother that I know you are. Please Kohaku," Sango begged, her vision starting to blur with the tears that were coming to her eyes. "Please don't do this." Her eyes, glistening with tears, did not see the attack Kohaku issued before it was too late.
She felt the sharp edge of Kohaku's blade embed itself into her back. This is…this is just like before.
"Kohaku…" She pulled at the chain that connected the blade to Kohaku, causing him to trip and lose hold of his weapon. I won't allow Naraku to use you anymore. If it takes my life to free yours, then I will.
Kohaku immediately stood up again, unsheathing his small dagger, ready to attack her again.
Naraku had said that it is Kohaku who does not wish to remember. Why?
"Kohaku," Sango said, her voice as piercing as the steel blade that was still in her back. Because Chichi-ue and the others died by his hand? "Wake up from this spell that you have cast upon yourself!"
She yanked the blade out of her back with a strong pull at the chain. This had never been her best weapon, but she could use it well enough.
"Kohaku!" Sango shouted, hoping her voice carried loud enough so that Kohaku could hear her among the sound of the others battling. "No one blames you." She swung the blade towards Kohaku, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. The blade swung towards him, but with a yank from Sango, the blade circled Kohaku and headed back to Sango, tying Kohaku up and causing him to be pulled towards Sango.
She caught her brother as he was about to fall from the force of the chain, hugging him tightly so that he could not issue any attacks. But his body was strangely slack, unlike the tense body of an enemy that had fallen into his opponent's hands. Was Kohaku actually listening to her?
"Kohaku, no one blames you," Sango said softly into her brother's hair. "It is because…you didn't do anything that night. You didn't do anything except help us attack that spider youkai. You helped us defeat the youkai, Kohaku. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine." She hugged Kohaku tighter. "I should have realized that the youkai was there… I should have prevented it all from happening. I was more experienced, yet I still let everyone down. Everything is my fault. I-I'm sorry, Kohaku," she said, crying into Kohaku's shoulder. She felt her sobs shake her body.
Kohaku, I'm sorry. I should have been able to protect you, but even in the end, all I did was watch you get shot and die. You died because you ran to me… If I had not been there, perhaps you would still be alive. I wasn't able to protect you, not from the spell, nor the arrows, nor from Naraku's evil plans. Please, please forgive your sister.
"Ane-ue," a small voice whispered. Sango gasped, holding Kohaku far enough so that she could look into his face. Kohaku… You look like yourself again.
She held him close again, sobbing happily. Kohaku. I have Kohaku back again.
"Ane-ue, the chains," he started.
"Sorry, Kohaku," Sango said, immediately removing the chain that was wrapped around him. She accidentally cut her hand when she reached the end of the chain, near the blade.
"Ane-ue, you're hurt!" Kohaku said, his voice full of concern.
"No, Kohaku," Sango said, her face lighting up with happiness, "You've healed me, Kohaku."
"What?" her brother asked, confused.
I will explain it to you after the battle. But for now, I'm going to help Inuyasha defeat Naraku.
"Kohaku, get yourself to a safe place," she said, unsheathing her sword. "I'm going to deal with Naraku."
"Ane-ue, don't!" Kohaku pleaded, trying to drag her away from the battlefield. "That's—"
He was never able to finish the sentence for at that moment, Naraku used a long tentacle to pluck the Shikon shard out of Kohaku.
"Kohaku!" Sango screamed as she watched her brother fall again.
No… No, this can't be happening. Not again, please.
"Kohaku," Sango said, her voice soft with despair at losing her brother again.
"Ane-ue, it's okay. I accept this. I-I should have died with Chichi-ue and the others long ago... Don't-don't be sad." She was silent as she watched what little life that had been resurrected in Kohaku slip away. "Ane-ue…"
His body crumbled into dust, leaving Sango with nothing except his blood-stained blade.
"Your concern for your brother is amusing," Naraku commented, his fight with Inuyasha having stopped when he had taken the Shikon shard from Kohaku.
Sango clutched the ashes of what used to be her brother. No tears fell, not this time. She felt Kohaku's ashes sting the cut on her hand, but she only clenched her fist harder. She felt fury, pure white fury rise through her, pounding her brain, squeezing her heart. She lowered her head, trying to contain her emotion.
"DAMN YOU NARAKU!" she screamed, her cold eyes drilling into Naraku, her voice piercing through all other sounds of the battle. With anger coursing through her veins, she ignored her injuries and used Kohaku's blade to cut the roof where Hiraikotsu was, sending the boomerang to tumble down along with the roof. She then yanked the blade towards Naraku.
She let go of the end of the chain which allowed her to control the direction of the blade. The blade flashed brightly against the dark night, heading to kill the one that had cursed her brother, unrestrained by its chain. She dove towards Hiraikotsu, ignoring the burning pain in her back.
She turned to hear the sound of something shattering. Kanna had tried to use the mirror to deflect the blade's attack, but had failed. Kohaku's weapon had shattered Kanna's mirror, leaving the girl with no weapon.
"Die, Naraku!" She threw Hiraikotsu at Naraku with all her might. He deflected the boomerang with a shield that was similar to the one he had used again Inuyasha's attack. But this time, it was much stronger, due to the power of the Shikon shard.
Sango caught the boomerang and felt the wound in her back opening more with the anger she felt. Suddenly she saw an arrow of light fly through Naraku's barrier, knocking the Shikon shard from his hand by purifying the hand so that the hand had melted away.
In Sango's dazed state, she saw Shippou run quickly to retrieve the Shikon shard. She saw Kanna pick up Kohaku's weapon, looking as if she was about to attack Shippou.
Shippou, look out behind you!
She heard the familiar clang of Miroku's weapon shield Shippou from attack. She turned around, about to tell Kagome to shoot another arrow at Naraku when she saw him blast a ball of energy at her.
Oh, no… Kirara!?
The cat scooped up Kagome quickly, but not fast enough. They were both caught in the force of the blast.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha… I don't think Kagome's…
She saw Inuyasha pick up an unconscious, but otherwise unharmed, Kagome, and a rather beaten up, untransformed, Kirara. Kirara had protected Kagome in the blast. She watched as Inuyasha set Kagome and Kirara down a little ways off from the battlefield. Shippou caught up with Inuyasha, and she saw Inuyasha and Shippou exchange a few words. Then he rushed back to the battlefield, Tetsusaiga out, ready to kill someone.