Posted: 1-1-05

Consequences

AN: I just got braces. I am not happy. That's when I decided to do this fic. It's an idea that's been running around in my mind for a long time now, I just never got around to putting it all together storyline wise. Also, I mentioned it to Candyland and she said I should do it. So, yeah. I'm not in a good mood so angst very yes. And I don't own Inuyasha. What other torture must I go through?! And this may contain spoilers since I read the manga online. Or, I just invented a future for the characters. You decide.


Chapter 1

The young boy made his way into the dark room of the castle. There wasn't much else he could do. He was completely compelled to follow the will of the one who called for him. He knelt down in front of him, keeping his eyes to the ground.

"I see you've finally come, Kohaku," the man said very quietly, and yet it was slightly menacing.

"Yes, Naraku," he replied, keeping his eyes to the ground. Frankly, Kohaku didn't know what to expect from him. He had regained his memory and his sister and her companions knew that, but he still wasn't sure if Naraku knew it. Besides, his recent drive to destroy the one who stood before him made him worry that he was going to take away the only thing that kept him alive. He had all ready gotten rid of his more rebellious incarnations, after all.

"You're probably wondering why I called you here," the half demon continued, smiling rather evilly at the boy, although he didn't see it. "I haven't heard from you in a while and I was beginning to wonder what you have been doing recently. I've tried to call for you many times, but you didn't come until now."

"I'm sorry, Naraku," Kohaku replied, feeling his heartbeat rising. "I... I was delayed."

"Yes," he answered, seeming to be thinking. "Kohaku, I can tell what you want. You want to be free from me. You don't care how, but you want your freedom."

He swallowed hard. "So, does that mean he knows everything that I've done?" he thought, hoping his fear wasn't too obvious. "W-what if I end up like Kagura?"

"I have... a proposition for you, Kohaku," he continued, seeming oblivious to the boy's reaction. "If you complete this simple task, I will give you your life back."

Kohaku gasped. Was that even possible? The only reason he lived now was because of the jewel shard in his back. Did Naraku intend to take it from him and just want him to run an errand for him?

"Don't worry, Kohaku, I can restore it. You can live without ever being bothered by me again. Will you do this?"

He swallowed hard. Would this mean that once Naraku was destroyed, he and Sango could live together in peace back in their village? Or was he trying to trick him? Kohaku couldn't deny to himself that although he was fairly certain that he would not live past the death of this monster, part of him still wanted to go back to the village with his sister and start up the taijiya tradition again. It probably wouldn't be too hard to find recruits, and he was certain that they could both teach people and lead the village. Together. He and his sister could be together again.

"Kohaku?"

He snapped out of his daydream and remember that he now sat in front of the very force that had torn them apart and still kept it that way. He didn't know if this was a trick, but what did he have to loose in the end? This might be his only chance to live again, and he knew that both he and his sister wanted it.

"All right," he answered, exhaling heavily. "What do I need to do?"

"I just need you to kill one person," Naraku answered, his malicious grin growing bigger. "That's all. Then you're free to go. However, if you cannot complete this mission, I can't guarantee your safety."

"I understand," Kohaku answered, feeling as though this was his only chance for he and his only relative to be happy again. "Where is this person?"

"This person shouldn't be too hard to find," Naraku replied. "In fact, it's a companion of Inuyasha."

Kohaku thought for a moment. There was no way that he could mean Sango, so there were really only three other people that he could mean. The strange girl, the small kitsune, and...

"I need you to kill the monk, Miroku," Naraku said.

Kohaku thought for a moment. It shouldn't be too hard to take him down. And he knew that Sango's friends probably wouldn't want to hurt her brother. He probably didn't have any major impact on them or their fight against Naraku anyway. It would probably be easy.

"Okay," he answered, still keeping his head down. "Should I go now?"

"The sooner you leave, the sooner you're free," Naraku answered.

Kohaku stood up and, still keeping his face away from the hanyou, left from the castle.

Naraku found himself chuckling evilly. "That foolish boy," he thought, still staring at the empty hallway. "He doesn't realize that even if he gets rid of that houshi, there's no way his sister will ever be able to be with him again. She'd never forgive him for it, and if he doesn't kill him, she won't have her brother. No matter what, that girl will loose one of the most important men in her life."


AN: I'm being so mean, aren't I? And this is just the first chapter! The next ones will probably be slightly longer, or maybe a lot more, who can say? I have the story outlined, but how long it takes me to get things written remains to be seen. Yeah, I know I have four fics to update now, but I'll get them done. Sometime. (falls over dead)ead Gr. It's like 1:30 AM as I'm writing this and I still need to spend the next seven years brushing my teeth... I hate braces. Hate hate hate.