At long last - the next chapter.
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Kohaku landed softly on something strange and smushy-feeling. He opened his eyes and looked up to see the river passing by above him. The blue water swirled in small eddies in some places where he could see the bottoms of rocks. Slowly, Kohaku got to his feet. The river flowed on over this long, dank stretch. Kohaku knew legends of the river-bottoms. The souls lived here that had thrown themselves into the river, and could pass on to Heaven or Hell when the river flooded. Dotting the soft moss here and there were small golden, glowing balls. Souls. Kohaku took a step towards one and hear a soft cracking under his foot. He lifted his sandal to see that one of them had been crushed his heel. Gold, shining liquid poured out of it and formed little pools about the fragments.
"Oh, no," Kohaku whispered, bending over to attempt to repair it.
"Oh, my, Kohaku. What -have- you done? Doomed another soul to an eternity of nothingness?" came a soft voice behind him. Kohaku whirled around, nearly breaking another small soul-egg. Kanna stood a few yards away, cradling her mirror. Beside her...was it really? Sota? The boy looked torn between being nervous and angry, but Kanna had spoken the words.
"Sota! You're all right!" cried Kohaku. "Your sister has been so worried!"
Sota glared at him. "Kohaku, I want to return to my body."
"Of course you do. Kanna...how can we leave?" Kohaku looked up at the river, then slowly poked his index finger into the flow, then removed it. Suddenly, water began spurting in through the hole.
"Agh!" Kohaku frantically put his hand over the hole, and stepped back to brace himself. Unfortunately, he stepped into the soul-puddles, and slipped to the ground. His fingers slid across the hole, and for one moment, Kohaku was terrified as he looked up. Water had stopped streaming in, now there were indentations where he'd placed his fingers that did little more than slightly alter the flow of water there.
Kohaku took a few deep breaths to calm himself down while Sota looked on. When the young demon slayer had finally calmed himself, Kanna spoke. "Kohaku, I'm sure you've realized that the shard in your back is the cause of this. You should try to take it out...to free Sota. To allow him fair passage to his body."
"The shard..." Kohaku looked obliviously into space for a moment before recalling Myoga's tale. "Right. Then I will...wait. Myoga...Myoga said I'll die if it comes out!"
"Whose life do you value more?" challenged Kanna. "Kohaku, the demon slayer. He killed his own father. He did his best to slaughter his sister. He turned his own body over to a demon lord, simply so he would not have to face his own memories. Kohaku...is a coward."
Kohaku swallowed hard, looking down at the ground. "I know...I...know." Decision suddenly came to his face. "I'll do it, Sota - I will. I promise."
A brief thought flitted through Kohaku's mind...he wondered why Sota would not speak.
"I am sorry for the suffering of you and your sister," Kohaku said dutifully. He reached back into his belt for his kusarikama. And for the second time in his life, he stabbed himself in the back. The blade was sharp, his hand was swift...It didn't hurt much physically.
Kohaku reached for the shard...thought of his life. It had been...happy...to a certain point. The area around him grew cold. His hand grew warm as he reached to the shard. Then, the young boy paused. What of Sango? Would she miss her wicked little brother, the one who had made numerous attempts on her life? Could she?
Kohaku's eyes shone with unshed tears. His dear, dear sister...he could not simply abandon her without a proper goodbye. He had to see her again...he could never pass on without facing Sango, facing what he had to make up to her. Only a...'coward'...would do so.
Kohaku's hand fell. "Kanna, Sota," he said softly. "I have affairs to put in order first."
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Kohaku landed softly on something strange and smushy-feeling. He opened his eyes and looked up to see the river passing by above him. The blue water swirled in small eddies in some places where he could see the bottoms of rocks. Slowly, Kohaku got to his feet. The river flowed on over this long, dank stretch. Kohaku knew legends of the river-bottoms. The souls lived here that had thrown themselves into the river, and could pass on to Heaven or Hell when the river flooded. Dotting the soft moss here and there were small golden, glowing balls. Souls. Kohaku took a step towards one and hear a soft cracking under his foot. He lifted his sandal to see that one of them had been crushed his heel. Gold, shining liquid poured out of it and formed little pools about the fragments.
"Oh, no," Kohaku whispered, bending over to attempt to repair it.
"Oh, my, Kohaku. What -have- you done? Doomed another soul to an eternity of nothingness?" came a soft voice behind him. Kohaku whirled around, nearly breaking another small soul-egg. Kanna stood a few yards away, cradling her mirror. Beside her...was it really? Sota? The boy looked torn between being nervous and angry, but Kanna had spoken the words.
"Sota! You're all right!" cried Kohaku. "Your sister has been so worried!"
Sota glared at him. "Kohaku, I want to return to my body."
"Of course you do. Kanna...how can we leave?" Kohaku looked up at the river, then slowly poked his index finger into the flow, then removed it. Suddenly, water began spurting in through the hole.
"Agh!" Kohaku frantically put his hand over the hole, and stepped back to brace himself. Unfortunately, he stepped into the soul-puddles, and slipped to the ground. His fingers slid across the hole, and for one moment, Kohaku was terrified as he looked up. Water had stopped streaming in, now there were indentations where he'd placed his fingers that did little more than slightly alter the flow of water there.
Kohaku took a few deep breaths to calm himself down while Sota looked on. When the young demon slayer had finally calmed himself, Kanna spoke. "Kohaku, I'm sure you've realized that the shard in your back is the cause of this. You should try to take it out...to free Sota. To allow him fair passage to his body."
"The shard..." Kohaku looked obliviously into space for a moment before recalling Myoga's tale. "Right. Then I will...wait. Myoga...Myoga said I'll die if it comes out!"
"Whose life do you value more?" challenged Kanna. "Kohaku, the demon slayer. He killed his own father. He did his best to slaughter his sister. He turned his own body over to a demon lord, simply so he would not have to face his own memories. Kohaku...is a coward."
Kohaku swallowed hard, looking down at the ground. "I know...I...know." Decision suddenly came to his face. "I'll do it, Sota - I will. I promise."
A brief thought flitted through Kohaku's mind...he wondered why Sota would not speak.
"I am sorry for the suffering of you and your sister," Kohaku said dutifully. He reached back into his belt for his kusarikama. And for the second time in his life, he stabbed himself in the back. The blade was sharp, his hand was swift...It didn't hurt much physically.
Kohaku reached for the shard...thought of his life. It had been...happy...to a certain point. The area around him grew cold. His hand grew warm as he reached to the shard. Then, the young boy paused. What of Sango? Would she miss her wicked little brother, the one who had made numerous attempts on her life? Could she?
Kohaku's eyes shone with unshed tears. His dear, dear sister...he could not simply abandon her without a proper goodbye. He had to see her again...he could never pass on without facing Sango, facing what he had to make up to her. Only a...'coward'...would do so.
Kohaku's hand fell. "Kanna, Sota," he said softly. "I have affairs to put in order first."