A/N: Now after that beautiful chapter, we have to get back into some angsty stuff…BTW, don't kill me for this chapter, this is my prediction on what I think is going to happen if they ever finish Inuyasha. (BTW, when Kohaku says Ane-ue, it means sister.)

Chapter 17: Kohaku's Life

Inuyasha lost his thoughts. He couldn't think anymore. He was forced to sit down on the ground. I'm…I'm in love with Kagome…I love Kagome…

Thinking that made him shocked, but it also made him want to run and shout in from the tallest mountaintop. This revelation, which was nearly impossible to believe, yet he knew it was true, made him feel happier than he was in years.

He smiled. "Heh…just like the monk said…it was a matter of time…" But… Since when…how? When did I start feeling this way?

Somehow, the knowledge that he loved her seemed to have been there for as long as he could remember. It was like he had always felt this way about her, but never took the time to notice until now.

He reached under his shirt and grasped the small locked he kept with him all this time. Baka! You should have known when you didn't throw this away…After all, it was a locket. Keeping it might make him seem soft, yet it felt as if he was always connected to her this way.

The hanyou sighed, putting the locket back under his shirt and leaning his head in his hands. But now I feel terrible. I don't even have the right to be thinking about her this way…after all, it is Kagome…And she's…she's way out of my league…

He looked up at the stars. "I guess I should just give up…"

"Give up on what?"

Inuyasha turned as fast as he could. Kagome was standing there, dressed in her blue pajamas. Her hair was wrapped up in a towel, and it appeared that she had just gotten out of the hot spring. Just looking at her made his heart speed up again, it made him feel happy inside. He could smell her strawberry shampoo, that combined with her scent intoxicated his hanyou senses. She smells…so good… he thought.

"Inuyasha?" she asked, coming closer. "Give up on what?"

It was hard being around her as it was, but now that he had realized that he loved her, it was ten times harder. He would have liked to grab her and kiss her, but he knew that he would only end up getting sat and her never speaking to him again. It was amazing how much looking at her could affect him. I can't…he thought. I can't give up on her when she does THIS to me…

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

He blinked and quickly looked away, hoping that he wasn't blushing. "Like…like what?" Must not look at Kagome…Must not look at Kagome…

She didn't answer. "Inuyasha, what did you say you wanted to give up on?"

Why does she have to be asking me this when I can't even look at her and she smell so good? Damn, I've got it bad… "Nothing." he replied. "Nevermind. I was talking crazy."

She stared. "Whatever. Are you going to come back to the camp?"

That lech will probably say something… "No. I've got a few more things to think about."

"Then I'll just stay out here with you." she replied.

No no no no no no no! If she stays out here…it'll get worse… "No." he said. "You go on back. These are things I have to think about myself."

Kagome looked a little sad. "Are you…sure?"

"Yeah…"

"Okay, then. Goodnight, Inuyasha." and she left.

He sighed. Man, I do have it bad…It's even worse then when it was Kikyou…Except, I don't deserve Kagome. I didn't deserve Kikyou either. I don't deserve anyone. I'm hanyou, and no one loves a hanyou. I can't ever forget that…

The next day, they were heading back towards the village. Since Sesshoumaru had told them Mouryoumaru was gone, there was no point in trying to find him anymore. It was now more important to find Kohaku or Kouga, to warn them that Naraku might have gotten Mouryoumaru already.

Kagome wasn't paying attention as they journeyed back. She was thinking about Inuyasha's strange behavior. That morning, when they started traveling he seemed a bit resistant to carry her, but he did it nonetheless. Last night, when she had asked him a simple question, he started blushing. But had perplexed her the most is when he had looked at her in that weird way.

It wasn't the way he usually looks at me, she thought. It was different…This time, there was something in his eyes…it was…It was the look of…love?

She shut her eyes. No…I can't believe it…he wouldn't…Inuyasha wouldn't…

Kohaku ran through the woods. He was coming. He knew it. He had originally planned on killing him, but now…he knew that he couldn't do what he had planned on before. Naraku was coming for him, to get his shikon shard.

He heard a crash and the sound of someone jumping as Naraku gained. Kohaku ran for his life. He gripped his sickle firmly as he ran.

"Kohaku…" Naraku said, coming closer. "It is time for you to serve me…"

He reached out with a tentacle, which Kohaku barely dodged. I'm going to have to fight… He turned around and held his weapon at the ready.

Naraku stopped and laughed. "Are you going to fight me, Kohaku? Your master which you have served well for a long time?"

Kohaku shook with anger. "You are not my master. You made me kill my family. You made me kill so many others. You made me hurt Ane-ue!" He threw the sickle at Naraku, but Naraku caught it in thin air.

"You wish to fight me. Revenge, I suppose? Yes, Kagura wanted revenge, and look where that got her…But you are more use to me than that foolish Kagura. Unfortunately, I don't have time to fight you. I'm here to take back what is mine."

Kohaku tried to run, but tentacles wrapped around his legs and dragged him back to Naraku. A dagger popped up from his wrist, and he used it to cut the tentacles binding his legs. He grabbed the chain and yanked his weapon back, and he threw it once again at Naraku, where it embedded itself in his chest.

He took it out, but Kohaku saw as a small trickle of blood came from the wound. Blood! Does that mean he has his heart back? But he had no time to ponder this. A tentacle came and imbedded itself in his back, closer to where the shard lay.

He screamed in pain as he felt his life being drained from him. Father…Ane-ue…please forgive me…

Sesshoumaru instantly felt Naraku's presence. He stopped.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken asked. "What is wrong?"

He sniffed the air. And another scent…that boy's! And…blood? He instantly ran in that direction, leaving Jaken and Rin to yell "Sesshoumaru-sama!"

If he is still there…Sesshoumaru thought. I will fight him. He saw Kagura in his mind. For her.

It was far off, but at the speed he was running it didn't take him long. When he arrived at the clearing, the scent of blood filled his nostrils. He looked down and Saw Kohaku lying in a pool of blood.

He bent over Kohaku. This boy…he had a shikon shard in his back…It's gone…that is why Naraku fled…

He once again remembered Kagura. She…she died because she saved this boy…she didn't want him to die so easily…

A gust of wind blew threw the clearing, encouraging him on. Sesshoumaru sighed. He unsheathed Tensegia. Very well. For her…

With it unsheathed, he saw the pall-bearers of the dead. In an instant he slew them. He sheathed the sword and turned away just as Kohaku opened his eyes.

He blinked a couple of times, and then looked at Sesshoumaru. He stared. "You…?"

"I did not do this for you." he replied. "I did it because someone I once knew would have wanted it…"

Kohaku looked away at the woods. "But…I can live without the shikon fragment?"

Sesshoumaru didn't look back at him. "Since you were practically dead when that was given to you, no. Tensegia is only able to bring you back for a little while." And he left, looking intently for Naraku's trail.

Kohaku picked up his sickle. I'm still going to die…But at least I can…see Ane-ue…

He sighed, and walked away into the woods.

They were near the village of the youkai slayers when Inuyasha stopped. "That scent…"

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"It's Kohaku!"

"Kohaku…?" Sango gasped. "He…he must have wanted to go back home!" She immediately steered Kirara in that direction.

"Wait…" Kagome said, "I don't sense a shikon shard." How can Kohak-kun live without a shikon shard?

Inuyasha paused. He didn't know what this meant. "Come on!" and they took off in that direction.

Once there, Sango dismounted and ran into the village. The rest silently followed. They went through the gate, and stared at what they saw. Kohaku was sitting there, by the graves honoring them.

"Kohaku!" Sango ran up to him. Kagome, Inuyasha, Shippou and Miroku walked to them, looking worried.

"Ane-ue…" Kohaku replied. "I'm sorry…" he said.

"Sorry?" she asked. "Sorry for what?"

I have to tell her… "Sango-chan…" Kagome said. "Kohaku-kun doesn't have his shikon shard…"

He lowered his head. "He took it from me. I tried to stop him but…"

Sango hugged him. "Kohaku, are you worried about that? I'm just glad that you're alive! I don't care if Naraku got it."

A tear came from his face. "Ane-ue…" he whimpered.

"Kohaku?" She asked. "What is it?"

"I don't have much time left. He said that I didn't have much time left…"

"Who said that?" Sango asked. "Naraku?"

Kohaku shook his head. "No…The one who saved me…He had long white hair…and he knew about Kagura…"

Everyone gasped. Sesshoumaru? Kagome thought. Why did Sesshoumaru save Kohaku-kun?

"He…he said that I wouldn't be around much longer, even after he did save me…so I came to say goodbye."

Sango started crying. "Kohaku…"

"Ane-ue?" he asked. "Can you forgive me?"

"What?"

"For…everything I've done. I killed so many…without meaning to…can you…forgive me?"

"Of course I forgive you, Kohaku!" she said. "How could I not forgive you?"

"I wasn't able to kill Naraku but…I tried to get revenge…" he remembered when he fought Naraku. "And…I think he got his heart back."

"What?" Inuyasha asked. "What do you mean?"

"He…he…" Kohaku felt everything going black. He knew he was dying. But knowing that Sango forgave him was enough to give him peace. He whispered. "Goodbye…Ane…ue…" and slowly fell to the ground.

Sango yelled "Kohaku!" and erupted in a fit of tears. She hugged the body of her brother as she cried. Kirara, now in her small form, came up to her and nudged her.

"Sango-chan…" Kagome said, a small tear running down her face. She sniffed, "We had better leave her alone, but…Miroku-sama," She didn't need to tell him, he was already at her side.

"What should we do now?" Shippou asked.

Inuyasha also looked sad. "Come on. Like Kagome said, leave them be."

They went to prepare dinner, leaving a crying Sango to be comforted by Miroku. But I wonder… Kagome thought. How many more will die before we kill Naraku?

A/N: Sad chapter. It was sad writing it. But at least Kohaku died in peace. After all, the shikon no tama can't be completed without him dying, so it probably will happen if Inuyasha ever ends…anyway, there was a bit of fluff here to appease fluff lovers, but now its time for the angst part of this fic. Sighhhh…I feel like throwing blunt objects at myself for this…