A Slayers Death
Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha.
One-Shot
Her heart beat wildly; pounding so fierce one would think it'd jump right out her chest. Her feet were nothing more than soft thuds against the wet earth, barely even touching the ground. She ran swift and light through thick brush of the forest, amazing considering her condition. Sango sported numerous cuts on both her arms and legs, courtesy of one Kagura, wind-manipulating she-devil that she was. However, her focus was on more important things, family things.
Through the mist an eerie blue glow could be seen up ahead surrounding the
clearing. She ran through anyway and when there was no resistance Sango realized she wouldn't be able to get out.
A trap.
The deeper she went into the forest she could see more and more of the vegetation dieing but why what could it be? Soon she was halted by a mountainous hill, from either side it stretched as far as the eye could see. With no choice but to climb she steadily made her way up. Sango found the slope of this hill to be quite steep, each muscle in her leg strained with the effort. The lithe sinew beneath her skin could be seen flexing as she worked her way up the sharp incline. But every flex, every move, every effort only served to aggravate the wounds, with every step, blood would leak from her injuries in crimson rivulets, seeping ever steadily from the torn tissue of her skin.
Now she was almost to the top and the hill became even steeper, Sango was at the point where she had to dig her fingers into the earth just to keep from falling. Which wasn't easy given how loose the soil was, she nearly fell not once but twice and at the altitude Sango was at it would've been an unkind end for our demon slayer. But finally, she reached the top.
At the peak Sango was welcomed by a horridly putrid stench so strong she found her eyes beginning to tear. Lying just below was a valley or more appropriately a crater the mountain surrounded on all sides. This place was completely devoid of vegetation and life only a vast area of scorched earth, dead trees and dusty old bones. This place was nothing more then an oversized graveyard. Without warning the soil beneath Sango's feet began to loosen and she quickly lost her footing, pitching forward harshly on her already weak legs. By the time she was able to correct herself she had fallen over halfway down the hill. Mud smeared on her face from the plunge, the previous rainfall had turned this place into a mudslide. It was now that she noticed a lake that lie at the bottom of the hill, a very disgusting looking lake.
The water was murky and deep undoubtedly unfit for drinking or any other use for that matter. An despite its depth she could still see the many bodies that resided in it. Though it didn't take long for her to figure out that the bodies in question were nothing more than the festering carcasses of slain demons. Clearly, the source of rank stench that had been flittering throughout the entire valley: overpowering and foul. Inuyasha, with his overly sensitive nose would've no doubt been unconscious by now.
But Sango didn't come here to sightsee, not that she'd come here for that anyway she had to find her little brother no matter what.
"Kohaku"
"Kohaku where are you?" Sango's voice echoed loudly carrying throughout the entire valley, if he was here he should've heard her. Through the corner of her eye she could see a small round object jutting out of the ground. Sango wasn't at all shocked to find that it was a piece of armor and she knew exactly whom it belonged to, her brother was close by. Picking it up she examined it, the armor was cracked badly and might as well have been broken altogether. On one piece she noticed some dried blood not a lot but enough to make her worry. For the first time a feeling of unease washed over her, fear and doubt settling in the pit of her stomach.
Anxiousness, unrest all this turmoil she was now beginning feel, had to be put aside it would only keep her from saving her brother. The sun was beginning to set and dusk was almost upon the valley as the sun faded past the horizon. Sango's irises shrunk to the size of a dot as she was momentarily blinded. Turning her head away and blinking fiercely to regain her vision, Sango briefly became statuesque when her eyes caught the sight of a very familiar chain. The fear and unease that had surrounded Sango now seized her with an impervious iron grip.
Entirely shaken with fear, she began to suspect the worst, and despite all these feelings she still refused to be a victim of hesitation. Sango yanked the chain up quite hurriedly I'll add pulling till she could no longer feel the slack from the other end. Her eyes followed the chain for what seemed like long minutes till she caught the glimmer of a sickle in the now rising moonlight.
A pale hand grasped around the weapon firmly.
As her fear was realized in that one moment, one could barely blink before Sango had removed the Hiraikotsu from her back and lunged at her brother's fallen form, pulling him into her lap. Gently cradling him to her chest as a mother would, she closed her eyes in admittance to her failure. Not since the day the Demon Slayer's village had been destroyed, had she truly been able to protect her little brother. Cause of death was more than apparent; from head to toe he was covered in cuts, very deep ones at the leg the stomach and the chest.
Liquid splattered onto his lifeless cheeks again and again.
Not rain.
But the tears of a demon slayer.
Tears of an older sister who'd lost their little brother.
And tears of a girl who'd had her heart torn just one too many times.
On a cliff not too far away a spectator observed the scene detachedly. His form bathed in moonlight as he watched it all with a cold amusement, the white fur that adorned him blowing softly in the night air. It was horridly pathetic, one of the reasons that made him glad to be a demon. He had no such time or need for that matter to have such silly attachments. "Humans" he spat distastefully, that word left a sour taste in his mouth. They were so weak, so easily corrupted, why just look at the boy, taken over completely by one tainted shard of the Shikon no Tama. As for that girl, the female demon slayer; she'd die, her pain and suffering would not end with the death of her brother; it'd continue. The demons of this world were not finished with her. And oddly enough, though he should not care he was compelled to stay and watch it play out.
Silent tears continued to stream down her cheeks and onto his face.
"S..Sango," a frail voice whispered.
"Huh?" She blinked in confusion.
It couldn't have been.
She gazed at the "lifeless" form of her brother, his eyes opened drowsily.
S..sango I'm s..so sorry Kohaku shallowly breathed out. Weakly trying to place his free hand on his sisters arms; still holding him.
"Sorry for what" she cried frantically. "I should be the one apologizing I let you down Kohaku I wasn't able to help free you from Naraku's control an now it's too late."
"No, no you're wrong it's my fault." Kohaku coughed up blood
"You shouldn't be speaking now," wiping the blood from his mouth Sango's bottom lip quivered another wave of tears beginning to fall.
"No Sango it's my fault because I was too weak, I let Naraku control me, I didn't want to relive that horrible night at the castle. So I allowed him to erase my memory and in turn he used me as his puppet. I know it really wasn't me that had slain father and the others or even put my weapon in your back. But it was still by my hands and I couldn't live with myself, I wasn't strong enough and you suffered because of it, so please don't blame yourself." And she had suffered, he remembered the times when they had confronted each other, every time he saw her she was always sad and heartbroken. It had driven her to her limit, at one time she was so desperate to save him she was prepared to take his life and hers. "But Sango I never once forgot you, even when all I could remember was your face I never forgot about my big sister."
Sango's only response was to hug him tighter.
Out of nowhere the wind began to howl and blow fiercely. "I'm surprised. Is he actually still alive?" Sango turned around to see Kagura standing on one of the cliffs with a superior smirk settled on her face. Sango stood up in anger her weapon back in her hand, ready to strike.
"You did this to Kohaku didn't you!!" Sango yelled accusingly her grip tightening on the Hiraikotsu.
Kagura just smirked wickedly pulling out her fan. "Well actually no, I was not the one who put your brother down. Though I am the one responsible for the deep gashes on his chest leg and stomach not to mention the severing of your brother's head.
"But you didn't do that" Sango yelled slightly puzzled.
"Humph" Kagura smirked again "I'm about to."
"Dance of Blades."
Kagura threw the attack but Sango stood her ground and blocked all the blades with her weapon. "Nice but it won't last long, you're tired and your energies almost spent." "Even if you weren't injured you're no match for me, you'll die this night. Kagura said her face solemn and serious as though she knew Sango was destined to die and nothing would change that.
"Well see. I've had about enough of you wind sorceress." She seethed.
"Hiraikotsu"
Sango's weapon was dead on as it flew threw the air, however that didn't seem to matter to Kagura seeing as she began laughing like a depraved lunatic the minute Sango launched her attack. Kagura leapt into the air her demeanor changing quickly to one of furious rage. "Idiot! Didn't you learn the first time, you would dare use such a weapon against me, I who control the wind imprudent girl."
"Dance of the Dragon"
The only thing that could be heard over the sound of the four cyclones was Sango's scream as she was struck with her weapon and sent flying all the way down the rest of the mountain. Haphazardly lying at the bottom looking like nothing more than a broken doll.
"Humans," she sighed in disgust, deciding to admire her handiwork just a little while longer. Preparing to attack she hesitated becoming locked in a mental battle with herself trying to decide the best way to kill them. The girl was still alive and the boy, well he was hanging on by a mere thread, so neither of them was going anywhere. 'Perfect she thought this will kill them in one shot'
"Dance of the Dra-." Kagura stopped her attack at sound of his voice. She turned her head finding Naraku directly behind her. "Naraku?"
"Kagura return to the castle I shall deal with the rest," Naraku told her dismissively.
"Yes Naraku, however the boy remains alive though we removed the shard from his back. What holds him to this world? Is it his sister?" She mused more to herself than to Naraku
"His sister," he said eyes calculating an cruel. "Then I'll make sure not to disappoint him." Naraku whispered maliciously while lazily stroking the shard that had once been embedded in the boy's back. "Now go," repeating his orders for Kagura to leave.
"Gladly," she said throwing her feather into the air, riding back to the castle.
Appearing beside Kohaku, Naraku stood above him gazing down at his puppet with what one who didn't know Naraku would perceive as pity, it was more like malice. "So Kohaku you'll not pass from this world without your sister." It was more of a statement than a question.
"Fine." A jewel shard shot from his fingers like a bullet piercing Kohaku in his neck. "Now, rise and slay the last of your kin."
Sango's mind was completely aware it was only that her body refused to listen. From the neck down she couldn't move, maybe Kagura was right in her assumption that she'd die tonight no longer could she protect herself or Kohaku. It'd be a wonderful time for Inuyasha and the gang to show up; but no. The barrier would keep them out and there was no telling if Kagome could break through this barrier with her sacred arrows it would no doubt be stronger than the last. Huh that's odd Kagura's leaving, she wouldn't leave because of nothing, did another demon scare her off or were here friends able to get through the barrier. She could only hope.
It wasn't long before she began to hear footsteps and they were heading straight for her.
"Kohaku how are you?" Sango eyes were locked on his face, she recognized that blank stare he was being controlled again. How ironic that the thing she fears most would be the thing that kills her. Once again her brother is out of her reach but now he was poised and ready to strike her down. It was unlike her to go down without a fight; however, unless she was planning on catching the sickle with her teeth, which only would've been a convenient way to get her mouth sliced open. There were no options left to her.
In what seemed to be her last moments the reality of what was happening hit her full force and silent tears, unbidden rolled down her cheeks. She lifted her head till she was staring straight into those blank eyes. "I love you little brother," were the last words uttered from her lips when she closed her eyes and his hand fell.
But the awaited blow was never received. She opened her eyes to find Kohaku struggling with himself, he was fighting it. "So Kohaku once again you choose to disobey me," Naraku appeared into Sango's line of vision annoyance written across his face "Well then I'll give you one last chance Kohaku or I'll send you both to hell together. Again his weapon rose high in the air this time he placed it against his own neck where the jewel shard resided. "So you'd rather take your own life than your sisters. Kohaku, you'd make your sister watch as you kill yourself?" Naraku asked.
This is where Kohaku hesitated right before deciding to attack Naraku with his weapon instead. "This is for everyone that was hurt because of me," were the last words he shouted. For he was quick, but Naraku was quicker and none could blink before Naraku had disabled his attack and brought down Kohaku and Sango: killing them both instantly.
The jewel shard could no longer help Kohaku; Naraku had broken his neck to retrieve it. He held the jewel shard now in his hand admiring it's taint. He mused briefly that humans were more willful than he first imagined, well that was an experiment for another day. As he prepared to leave he was shot with an arrow destroying him instantaneously, but no it wasn't the real Naraku, only another demon puppet.
A cold chill swept through the valley, the dead tree's swayed in the night breeze, the moon had risen high and the silhouette of a young female could be seen. Soft footsteps crushed the earth and a slender female hand picked up the tainted jewel shard purifying it under her touch.
Now at the Demon Slayers village, are two new graves where five friends: a monk, two youkai, a hanyou and a young girl pay their respects.
Never will these two be forgotten living on in their friend's hearts and minds.
Author's Note: I don't usually kill characters in my fics especially character's I liked. Oh well this one called for it. Please r/r and there will be an alternate "happier" ending so if you like this one look out for chapter two.
