Author's Notes: First I would like to thank those reviewers who told me about the paragraphs on the prologue. I didn't upload it like that, but I forgot to put it into .html and so it squished everything together. So I got that fixed straight away. Okay, on with the series!
Chapter One: Inner DemonsSango, Miroku, and Shippo all waited anxiously back at the campsite.
"I'm worried! They should've been back by now!" Shippo whined.
Sango turned to Miroku. "Houshi-sama, do you think it's okay to assume they've found something?" Leaning forward, Sango opened herself for Miroku's lecherous ways and gasped as his hand conveniently found its way to her butt.
"Sango, if you wanted something, you could've just asked." He replied. A loud smack echoed through the forest, followed by a sigh from Miroku. He couldn't help but smile. "Ah, it was worth it." Of all the woman he touched, Sango's was the best…
"Houshi-sama, can't you take anything seriously for once!" She shouted in anger, yet a deep blush tinted her cheeks.
"Look! Up there!" Shippo shouted, pointing up towards the sky.
Above them, Kagura and Kohaku came down on her white feather and landed before the group.
Sango immediately grabbed Hiraikotsu, thankful she thought to change out of her kimono and into her armor earlier. "Kohaku!" She breathed.
"Kagura, what are you doing here!?" Miroku demanded, taking point. Kirara transformed and was ready for anything.
Kagura, secretly wanting Naraku to be defeated, replied. "You're too close for comfort. Now where's Inuyasha? That miko is with him no doubt?"
"What do you want with Kagome-sama!?" Miroku asked again, his grip tightening on his staff.
Kagura simply laughed and hid her smile behind her fan.
"Miroku! Keep Kohaku busy! She's mine!" If Sango couldn't destroy Naraku himself, one of his detachments would have to do for now…
* * *
They had been jumping and traveling for almost three hours now and although he was part demon, Kagome was still worried about Inuyasha getting tired. "Do you want to stop for a break?"
"Are you tired?" He asked gently.
His tone surprised her because usually he always complained about stopping. "No, not really. But since you've been carrying me for so long, I just thought…"
"Feh, you should know me better than that Kagome."
She rolled her eyes with a smile. "Hai, hai, the Great Inuyasha never gets tired." Her senses finally sparked and picked up something down below. "Over there!" She pointed towards the valley below and Inuyasha nodded.
"Yosh! All right, let's go!" He jumped down the ravine and landed at the base of the canyon.
Kagome kept one fist over her heart and stretched out her senses. She felt Inuyasha next to her, his red aura was brilliant and vibrant, swirling and resonating so gently. She continued searching for the source of the Shikon no Tama. "It's around here somewhere." She began to get frustrated.
Inuyasha got on his hands and knees and began sniffing the ground. "He was here all right." He confirmed. "Naraku!"
It's not coming from any one direction, but from all of them. The fledgling miko thought. Looking down she frowned. It's almost as if we're on top of it… Eyes widening she gasped. That's it!
"What is it, Kagome!?" Inuyasha was by her side in an instant upon hearing her gasp.
Reaching behind her, Kagome pulled out an arrow from her quiver and readied her bow. "Inuyasha, throw me up as high as you can, then move to the side."
Her hanyou companion nodded and reached down, cupping his fingers together in a "stepping" manner. "Ready?"
Kagome put one foot down and nodded.
Inuyasha lifted up and threw Kagome high up into the air. Waiting a moment, Inuyasha jumped to the side and intently watched the miko of his heart fall gracefully from the sky.
This is the beginning of the end for you, Naraku! Kagome thoughts before she let her arrow fly down towards the earth.
It sank into the forest floor and a bright pink light seemed to emanate away from the arrow in all directions. When the light died down, there was a large hole where dirt and rock had just been.
Inuyasha breathed in shock. "It was an illusion." Then he saw Kagome continue to fall and gasped. "Kagome!" Running forward, he jumped over the hole, deftly catching his miko in his arms. "Baka! Where were you planning to land!?" He berated.
Kagome knew he was just worried and laughed nervously. "I hadn't really thought that far ahead."
Inuyasha scoffed and put her down. "Well are you ready?"
"Nani? We just found it, now we have to go back and tell the others." Kagome reminded him.
The hanyou shook his head. "We don't know how much strength he's regained or if he has any new detachments. We need more information, we can't just rush in and assume he's still weak." -
By the end of his sentence, Kagome's mouth was wide open in shock. This coming from the most rash and impatient person she knew?
Turning his eyes on her, Inuyasha pouted. "What?"
"Ah…nothing. Let's go."
* * *
Miroku dodged young Kohaku and jumped back, holding his staff in front of him in a defensive manner.
"Hiraikotsu!" Sango threw her boomerang with such force that Kagura's Dance of the Wind was deflected to the side.
The wind user was hit in the shoulder and bent over in pain. I've had enough of this. If Naraku wants them dead, he can do it himself! Kagura thought. She held her injured arm with her right hand and winced.
She looked over at the boy and noticed he and the monk were in a stand off. That faraway look was in his eyes as he stared at the woman that he didn't yet know was his sister and only living relative. I may have been spawned from that hanyou, Naraku, but even this sickens me.
The taijiya caught her boomerang on the rebound and although she was poised for battle against Kagura, the wind mistress could see her gaze shifted to the boy every few seconds. Hmph, Naraku will probably kill him when we return anyways. Better leave him here to die with her than in complete darkness.
Kagura knew she was being watched by Kanna and Naraku so she feigned being hurt worse and fell to one knee. Then she narrowed her eyes at her enemies. "Once Naraku regains his full strength, you all will join your ancestors in hell!" Then she pulled a feather from her hair, transforming it into a larger feather and took off into the sky, leaving the boy to finally face his past.
Miroku suspected Kagura's hidden and ulterior motives, but he kept silent. The best battle is the one that can be avoided, as Mushin used to tell him. Looking back at Kohaku, Miroku had done a good job keeping the boy at bay, but now what?
"Kohaku…" Sango said softly. She held her hiraikotsu in front of her, but her face was as gentle as ever.
The boy turned to her and took an unsure step backwards. This face…I remember nothing except her face. She…she's hurting inside… "Aneue…" He muttered. A pain in his mind exploded and he grabbed his head, falling to his knees right there on the forest floor.
"Kohaku!" Sango rushed to her little brother's side and gently touched his shoulders, unsure if he was still under Naraku's control or not.
* * *
But Naraku was busy with something else…
A presence entered his senses and made his human heart skip a beat. It was pink and resonated with a feeling very similar to the aura Kikyou carried around with her.
But no…there was a second presence.
This one made Naraku hiss with hatred. Inuyasha!
Naraku was not prepared for this and so was, for once, without a plan. But, he did not scheme and take advantage of others without learning a thing or two along the way. It was risky, but it would buy him time. If not to get stronger than at least to escape. Looking deep inside of him, Naraku searched for that being which had been wanting to come out once more…
Now…come forth and seek that which you desire! Out of his chest came forth a being, very humanoid in shape, but for the spider-shaped scar on his back. "Onigumo…" Naraku said, getting his detachment's attention. "She is near. Go and do what you will with her."
Onigumo nodded emotionlessly, but there was plenty of evil swirling behind his stolen eyes. Although the face was his now, it hadn't always been that way.
"And if that hanyou Inuyasha gets in your way…kill him."
* * *
Kagome froze mid step and shuddered. Her senses weren't picking up anything yet, but whatever she felt sent cold shivers down her spine. She and Inuyasha had been winding their way through caves and caverns underground, getting closer to the source of the Shikon no Tama…and Naraku.
Inuyasha, walking just a pace in front of Kagome felt her fear in the air and immediately turned around. "Kagome what is it?"
Kagome didn't answer at first. She simply wrapped her arms around herself and turned her gaze towards the ground. "Something…evil is coming towards us." She didn't like what it was she was feeling and it was only getting stronger with each breath she took.
Inuyasha spun around on alert, long ago learning to trust the miko's hunches. If anything was coming, he wasn't gonna let it hurt his Kagome. He sniffed the air and definitely picked up something, but he wasn't sure what. It smelled human, but a sense of Naraku was also there. One of his detachments?
"You're here…" A deep voice announced.
Inuyasha jumped in front of Kagome, fangs and claws exposed, while Kagome got out her bow. "Who's there!?" She called out.
"I would think you would remember me after all we've been through, Kagome." The man came into the light of the small torches aligning the tunnel wall, placed there by its previous inhabitants, and smirked.
"Naraku! Iie, Onigumo!" Inuyasha said with disgust. The human behind the monster. "If you're here, that means we're close!" Inuyasha grabbed the hilt of Tetsusaiga and had to stop himself because he noticed there wouldn't be enough room to swing it, let alone not cause a cave in.
So instead, he cracked his knuckles and planned to take down Onigumo the old-fashioned way. "So, Onigumo, what brings you our way?" He asked rhetorically. He totally believed he had a full grasp on the situation. Where could Onigumo go anyway? Kagome was safely behind him and the demon-parasite in front of him was just as constricted as he was!
"Kagome…" He said slowly, almost hypnotically. "Ever since I met you, I couldn't stop thinking about you."
Kagome gasped and took a step back. "N-nani!?"
"You took care of me in that cave, stayed by me and tried to nurse me back to health. You're scent…" He took a deep breath in and closed his eyes. The mere memory seemed to have a euphoric effect on him. "I must have more."
"T-That was Kikyou! Not me!" Kagome tried to explain.
"No…the scent…and the aura, they are the same…" Onigumo took one step forward and reach out his hand towards her. "I want you…"
Inuyasha growled and slashed the back of Onigumo's hand. The effect was immediate and the demon gingerly pulled back his bloody hand in confusion. "Don't you take another step! You won't be going anywhere with Kagome!" The dog demon said defiantly. He didn't even like it when someone like Kouga touched Kagome let alone what was probably going through this demon's mind. "I'll rip you to shreds for even thinking that way about her!"
Lunging forward, Inuyasha raises his claws, "Sankon Tes-ack!" In mid strike, Onigumo grabbed Inuyasha by the throat and held him in a death grip.
"Do you really think such weak attacks will keep me from the woman I've been searching for for so long?" He smirked and squeezed tighter.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome pulled back her string and attacked with a purity arrow.
"Oh?" Onigumo raised his other hand and a small barrier enveloped him and Inuyasha. The arrow was unable to pierce through. "That wasn't very nice now, was it?"
Inuyasha's eyes widened. He can create a barrier just like Naraku! It takes Tetsusaiga's special power just to break through it! "Ka…go…me…Run…away!" He tried to loosen Onigumo's grip on him, but it was no use and with the lack of oxygen, Inuyasha's vision was going blurry. "Hu…rry." Then everything around him went black. The last thought running through his mind was of the raven-haired girl now in serious trouble. Kagome…
"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed.
Onigumo dropped Inuyasha's dead weight on the stone floor and stepped over his unconscious body. "Come here…" He said soothingly.
But his voice only sent shivers down Kagome's spine. She didn't want to leave Inuyasha behind with Naraku so close, but if Onigumo was after her and not the hanyou, then at least she could keep him safe and lead Onigumo away from Inuyasha. She hesitated a moment too much because as soon as she turned around and tried to dash down the cavernous passageway, Onigumo's hand turned into a branch-like vine that flew forward and wrapped tightly around Kagome's body, pinning her arms down. "Let me go!"
"Now that I have you, I can make you my own…" Onigumo pulled her close and sniffed her neck.
Kagome was frozen in fear. She couldn't believe what was happening and refused to accept the fact that she was helpless to stop it. Her protector was down and she was out of luck.
* * *
Kohaku hadn't stopped crying out as the images he had been so afraid of tried to surface in his mind.
Sango was besides him, eyes brimming with tears at seeing how much pain her little brother was going through. "I know it hurts! I know it's hard, but you're going to have to remember everything! If you don't, Naraku will always have you under his control! You have to break free!" She begged.
Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara were all there, but there was little they could do. It was up to Kohaku now.
Sango rocked Kohaku back and forth, trying to comfort him anyway she could. "I'm right here with you. I'm not leaving you ever again. We'll get through this together."
The pain subsided, but Kohaku was still shaking with fear. He didn't want to remember. Something terrible had happened to him, something he felt responsible for, but what?
"You know, you were always so gentle even when it came to practicing with your weapon. Do you remember? You were afraid when Father told you that you were going to join us. I'm sorry. I promised I'd protect you and I couldn't." Sango started.
Kohaku could hear the woman's voice crack as she spoke. She was in pain. Thinking back, he began to remember. "There…was a castle."
"Yes there was!" Sango smiled slightly. "You, me, and Father were in front along with twenty of our comrades. We were supposed to exterminate a demon there."
"Demon…it was a giant spider demon. But, I was scared." Kohaku remembered being frozen in his place, unable to think where to move to or attack.
"We all were, but we were able to defeat it together." Sango continued.
It was after these images the pain came back again. "There was a pain in my neck, but I didn't notice it because the people there started firing arrows at us."
Sango nodded. "The three of us hid behind hiraikotsu until it was all over."
"That's when it happened…" Kohaku paused, his own eyes starting to tear up. It all hit him at once, but it was fuzzy, like he was seeing it through somebody else's eyes. "My blade flew and hit Father's back."
"I called out to you, but you couldn't hear me." Sango was beginning to relive it herself.
"I could hear you, Aneue, but I couldn't stop myself. My body wasn't my own." He was now crying abundantly. "I attacked you, but you still wouldn't fight back."
"How could I!? You're my brother! I could never hurt you!"
"But I hurt you. The one person I loved the most and I almost killed you!" Kohaku's pain-filled cry rang through the air as the past memory came to his mind.
The memory of his death.
The villagers firing arrows at him, the piercing pain, and then his vision clearing as his sister's pained face struggled to get to him.
"I'm here, Kohaku! I'll always be here!" Sango held on tightly to her little brother.
Miroku gasped as he saw the Shikon shard detach itself from Kohaku's body and fall to the ground.
Kohaku's eyes regained their gentle color, but with them, the little boy also felt pain in his chest. It wasn't the same pain from his memories, it was a slow growing pain that spread throughout his entire body.
Sango gasped as she saw the same arrow wounds from before begin to reopen themselves, as if he had just been shot. Fresh blood oozed onto his armor and then down under Sango's arms and lap. He was dying all over again…
But this time, there was no coming back.
Sango couldn't help by close her eyes and cry harder. She didn't want Kohaku to think he was hurting her, but she didn't want to lose her baby brother. Not for a second time!
"Aneue…" Kohaku said weakly. "It's okay."
Sango opened her eyes and started deeply into his.
"I can join Father and we can both watch you from above. I can protect you, just like you always protected me…"
"But I didn't protect you! Naraku still got control of you and…and…just look what he did to you!" She shouted.
"W-what happened…has happened and the p-past can't…be recreated. Don't…carry any…regret…Aneue…" Kohaku was going fast.
Sango knew this day would come, but it seemed to come to soon, she wasn't ready for it! "K-Kohaku!"
"Thank you…now I can…remember…Aneue…forever…" His eyes closed and then he was gone. His inner demon had quieted allowing him to pass on peacefully into the other world. But he would never again forget the face of his older sister.
