A/N: This chapter is dedicated to a very special friend of mine, who taught me that grieving gets you nowhere and you have to break through the large cloud of darkness that we call depression, and move on with life. I cried when she moved, and I miss her dearly, and I think about her everyday, with nothing more than a pendant to remind me of her. Thank you, Chihiro.
Tenshi Houshi
Chapter Seven
Even in Death
Night had fallen; silence had come over the occupants of the hut. Sesshomaru sat cross-legged by the entrance of the door, resting. He'd taken Rin into the hut, letting her stay with the warmth.
"I'm getting too soft..." he mumbled quietly.
"It's a good thing..."
"What?" he turned to the taijiya, scenting her tears returning.
"Being soft, you open up... the child loves you like a father, Sesshomaru."
Their conversation was interrupted by loud gasping at the door entrance. Sango shot up, clutching Hiraikotsu tightly.
"Show yourself!" she shouted. The mangled figured slowly appeared through the doorway. Sango's breathe caught in her throat, a loud cry escaping it as she tried to force the single word from her mouth. Her raw throat dried, unabling her to speak. Tears slowly began flooding down her cheeks.
"Ko... Kohaku..."
The young boy collapsed forward, blood still spilling from his back.
"Kohaku!!!" she shrieked, dropping the boomerang and kneeling to him. "Kohaku, Kohaku!"
"Aneue..." the boy whispered, slowly lifting his head. Sango's hands shook in mid-air, afraid to move at all. Afraid to touch. Afraid to love. Afraid at the faintest feel, the fragile boy might break.
"You're alive," she rasped, tears still pouring. The boy smiled, reaching out slowly to touch his older sister's fingers. Sango almost pulled away, but let the boy slowly reach up to grasp her hand into his.
"Aneue," he whispered again, "don't be afraid... of death..."
Sango let out a loud sob, her body beginning to tremble. "Kohaku, don't leave me now, you can live through this! You can survive!"
"Aneue, don't be afraid..."
"But I am afraid, Kohaku!!" she cried, small droplets of tears dripping from her chin onto the boy's hand. "I've lost the one I love, I almost lost my friend, and we can't get Houshi-sama back! He's dead, Kohaku! Please don't leave me; I have nothing to live for!! Kohaku! Please!"
Her loud screaming had awoken the hanyou, who held the miko closely, keeping her asleep. Sesshomaru had pulled the little human girl into his lap, shielding her now wide awake eyes with his tail. Ayame was still lying against Kouga's pale, dead body, tears still in her eyes, and her tired eyes still wide from the shock of his death, but she watched the woman and her brother as they grieved over the inevitable death that awaited the young boy. There was nothing they could do, he would die. His soul was never in the body, his soul had long left. It was a body of memories and trauma. There was nothing left for him, but to join his soul in the other world. He didn't belong here, with his sister.
"You didn't deserve to die!" Sango suddenly screamed. "Naraku possessed you! He made you attack; it's not your fault, Kohaku! Father forgave you, I forgive you! We know it wasn't your fault!! You don't have to die because of your faults, because it WASN'T your fault!! Please don't leave me for the sake of Naraku! He's dead; you have your life now! You can live! Please, Kohaku, don't leave me now!"
The boy had a smile on his face, the wolf princess noted. It was dead, emotionless. There was no soul in him. He did not belong here. Why was he here?
"Aneue," he called out again, "I can't stay. I'm dead."
"No you're not!! You're right here and you're alive, in front of me!"
"Sango-chan," Kagome's awakening voice whispered, it cracked at the end, as tears welled up. Seeing her friend in such pain made her hurt as well.
Kohaku ever so slowly sat up, his body shaking as it refused to listen to him.
"I-I can't stay long, Aneue. This body may be mine, it may have my memories, but my spirit, my soul is gone."
"NO!!" Sango screeched, reaching forward and pulling the boy into her arms. She crushed his head into her chest, gently stroking his topknot hair with a trembling hand. She moved the other hand behind the boy, lifting him into her lap. "Please don't go, not yet," she whispered, beginning to rock back and forth. "Don't go... don't go... please don't go... Kohaku, don't go... don't go..."
"Aneue," his voice was cracking, from either his weakness or from sadness, she didn't know. She didn't care. She just wanted him. She wanted her little brother. She wanted him close to her. She wanted to hold him, to assure herself he was real.
"You can't leave," she whispered, stroking his cheek gently. "I love you too much, Kohaku please don't go."
He finally broke. He weakly wrapped his arms around his sister, crying against her chest as the tears leaked out into her pink kimono. "Aneue!" he cried out.
The siblings embraced tightly, both shaking with the horrible reality of death at their feet. The shard was no longer in the young boy's back, taking out his suply of life. He would die.
"Aneue," he choked out.
"H-hai?" she replied.
"Will you sing? Please?"
Sango nodded, closing her eyes. She gently stroked the boys back as the words slowly formed from her lips.
"Give me a reason to believe that you're gone... I see your shadow, so I know they're all wrong..."
She gasped sharply, drying her eyes as she tried to keep her voice from cracking, completely oblivious to the others around her.
"Moonlight on the soft brown earth, it leads me to where you lay."
Kohaku closed his eyes, clutching his sister as he listened to her singing. It calmed him, made him forget about his approaching death, but at the same time, it reminded him that he would have to go soon.
"They took you away from me, but now I'm taking you home," her voice went a little higher as her tone vibrated with the strength and emotion she carried with her.
"I will stay forever here, with you, my love. The softly spoken words you gave me. Even in death our love goes on."
She gasped again as tears began to leak out. Kohaku reached up, wiping them away as he urged his sister on. He wanted to remember her, remember her voice, and remember her touch.
"Some say I'm crazy for my love, oh, my love... but no bonds can hold me from your side, oh, my love... they don't know you can't leave me, they don't hear you singing to me."
He listened intently to her words, tears leaking from his own eyes as soft sobs began to erupt.
"I will stay forever here, with you, my love. The softly spoken words you gave me. Even in death our love goes on."
The two broke out again into soft cries, clutching to one another as their catharsis carried on through the night.
"And I can't love you, anymore than I do..." she whispered, feeling more heartbroken than ever. Kohaku lifted his head, wiping the tears away from his eyes as he did so.
"Aneue," he whispered as his hand dropped. He felt his strength leaving. Sango clutched him tightly, but didn't cry or scream out.
"Yes," she whispered back as she rested his head against her arm, so she could see his face and he hers. "What is it?"
Kohaku smiled, grasping his sister's hand tightly. "Don't be afraid."
"I'm not."
"Listen," he rasped, gasping for air as it suddenly started to leave him. "The m-mountains."
"Mountains?"
"Mountains, yes... th-the rose and p-pearl... th-they can..."
Sango ducked her head, hearing his exhale of breathe. He was gone. She was alone. Houshi-sama was dead, Kohaku was dead. She was alone.
"I will die... but real love is forever..."
Her head snapped up, her brows furrowed and tears still falling. She gently set the boy down, staring deeply into his face. "I'll be back," she whispered.
She stood quickly, keeping her face straight. She reached into her skirt's pocket, pulling out a ribbon. She reached up and tightly pulled her hair up. She yanked on the obi around her waist, letting the green skirt fall off her non-self consciously. She shrugged the pink kimono off. She spun around, reaching for her black, skin tight armor that she usually kept on. She slipped into it easily, pulling Hiraikotsu onto her shoulder.
"I'll be back," she whispered again, loud enough for the other to hear. With that she started out the door.
"Kirara, let's go!"
The cat demon transformed, roaring deeply as she hurried out, following her master.
Tenshi Houshi
Chapter Seven
Even in Death
Night had fallen; silence had come over the occupants of the hut. Sesshomaru sat cross-legged by the entrance of the door, resting. He'd taken Rin into the hut, letting her stay with the warmth.
"I'm getting too soft..." he mumbled quietly.
"It's a good thing..."
"What?" he turned to the taijiya, scenting her tears returning.
"Being soft, you open up... the child loves you like a father, Sesshomaru."
Their conversation was interrupted by loud gasping at the door entrance. Sango shot up, clutching Hiraikotsu tightly.
"Show yourself!" she shouted. The mangled figured slowly appeared through the doorway. Sango's breathe caught in her throat, a loud cry escaping it as she tried to force the single word from her mouth. Her raw throat dried, unabling her to speak. Tears slowly began flooding down her cheeks.
"Ko... Kohaku..."
The young boy collapsed forward, blood still spilling from his back.
"Kohaku!!!" she shrieked, dropping the boomerang and kneeling to him. "Kohaku, Kohaku!"
"Aneue..." the boy whispered, slowly lifting his head. Sango's hands shook in mid-air, afraid to move at all. Afraid to touch. Afraid to love. Afraid at the faintest feel, the fragile boy might break.
"You're alive," she rasped, tears still pouring. The boy smiled, reaching out slowly to touch his older sister's fingers. Sango almost pulled away, but let the boy slowly reach up to grasp her hand into his.
"Aneue," he whispered again, "don't be afraid... of death..."
Sango let out a loud sob, her body beginning to tremble. "Kohaku, don't leave me now, you can live through this! You can survive!"
"Aneue, don't be afraid..."
"But I am afraid, Kohaku!!" she cried, small droplets of tears dripping from her chin onto the boy's hand. "I've lost the one I love, I almost lost my friend, and we can't get Houshi-sama back! He's dead, Kohaku! Please don't leave me; I have nothing to live for!! Kohaku! Please!"
Her loud screaming had awoken the hanyou, who held the miko closely, keeping her asleep. Sesshomaru had pulled the little human girl into his lap, shielding her now wide awake eyes with his tail. Ayame was still lying against Kouga's pale, dead body, tears still in her eyes, and her tired eyes still wide from the shock of his death, but she watched the woman and her brother as they grieved over the inevitable death that awaited the young boy. There was nothing they could do, he would die. His soul was never in the body, his soul had long left. It was a body of memories and trauma. There was nothing left for him, but to join his soul in the other world. He didn't belong here, with his sister.
"You didn't deserve to die!" Sango suddenly screamed. "Naraku possessed you! He made you attack; it's not your fault, Kohaku! Father forgave you, I forgive you! We know it wasn't your fault!! You don't have to die because of your faults, because it WASN'T your fault!! Please don't leave me for the sake of Naraku! He's dead; you have your life now! You can live! Please, Kohaku, don't leave me now!"
The boy had a smile on his face, the wolf princess noted. It was dead, emotionless. There was no soul in him. He did not belong here. Why was he here?
"Aneue," he called out again, "I can't stay. I'm dead."
"No you're not!! You're right here and you're alive, in front of me!"
"Sango-chan," Kagome's awakening voice whispered, it cracked at the end, as tears welled up. Seeing her friend in such pain made her hurt as well.
Kohaku ever so slowly sat up, his body shaking as it refused to listen to him.
"I-I can't stay long, Aneue. This body may be mine, it may have my memories, but my spirit, my soul is gone."
"NO!!" Sango screeched, reaching forward and pulling the boy into her arms. She crushed his head into her chest, gently stroking his topknot hair with a trembling hand. She moved the other hand behind the boy, lifting him into her lap. "Please don't go, not yet," she whispered, beginning to rock back and forth. "Don't go... don't go... please don't go... Kohaku, don't go... don't go..."
"Aneue," his voice was cracking, from either his weakness or from sadness, she didn't know. She didn't care. She just wanted him. She wanted her little brother. She wanted him close to her. She wanted to hold him, to assure herself he was real.
"You can't leave," she whispered, stroking his cheek gently. "I love you too much, Kohaku please don't go."
He finally broke. He weakly wrapped his arms around his sister, crying against her chest as the tears leaked out into her pink kimono. "Aneue!" he cried out.
The siblings embraced tightly, both shaking with the horrible reality of death at their feet. The shard was no longer in the young boy's back, taking out his suply of life. He would die.
"Aneue," he choked out.
"H-hai?" she replied.
"Will you sing? Please?"
Sango nodded, closing her eyes. She gently stroked the boys back as the words slowly formed from her lips.
"Give me a reason to believe that you're gone... I see your shadow, so I know they're all wrong..."
She gasped sharply, drying her eyes as she tried to keep her voice from cracking, completely oblivious to the others around her.
"Moonlight on the soft brown earth, it leads me to where you lay."
Kohaku closed his eyes, clutching his sister as he listened to her singing. It calmed him, made him forget about his approaching death, but at the same time, it reminded him that he would have to go soon.
"They took you away from me, but now I'm taking you home," her voice went a little higher as her tone vibrated with the strength and emotion she carried with her.
"I will stay forever here, with you, my love. The softly spoken words you gave me. Even in death our love goes on."
She gasped again as tears began to leak out. Kohaku reached up, wiping them away as he urged his sister on. He wanted to remember her, remember her voice, and remember her touch.
"Some say I'm crazy for my love, oh, my love... but no bonds can hold me from your side, oh, my love... they don't know you can't leave me, they don't hear you singing to me."
He listened intently to her words, tears leaking from his own eyes as soft sobs began to erupt.
"I will stay forever here, with you, my love. The softly spoken words you gave me. Even in death our love goes on."
The two broke out again into soft cries, clutching to one another as their catharsis carried on through the night.
"And I can't love you, anymore than I do..." she whispered, feeling more heartbroken than ever. Kohaku lifted his head, wiping the tears away from his eyes as he did so.
"Aneue," he whispered as his hand dropped. He felt his strength leaving. Sango clutched him tightly, but didn't cry or scream out.
"Yes," she whispered back as she rested his head against her arm, so she could see his face and he hers. "What is it?"
Kohaku smiled, grasping his sister's hand tightly. "Don't be afraid."
"I'm not."
"Listen," he rasped, gasping for air as it suddenly started to leave him. "The m-mountains."
"Mountains?"
"Mountains, yes... th-the rose and p-pearl... th-they can..."
Sango ducked her head, hearing his exhale of breathe. He was gone. She was alone. Houshi-sama was dead, Kohaku was dead. She was alone.
"I will die... but real love is forever..."
Her head snapped up, her brows furrowed and tears still falling. She gently set the boy down, staring deeply into his face. "I'll be back," she whispered.
She stood quickly, keeping her face straight. She reached into her skirt's pocket, pulling out a ribbon. She reached up and tightly pulled her hair up. She yanked on the obi around her waist, letting the green skirt fall off her non-self consciously. She shrugged the pink kimono off. She spun around, reaching for her black, skin tight armor that she usually kept on. She slipped into it easily, pulling Hiraikotsu onto her shoulder.
"I'll be back," she whispered again, loud enough for the other to hear. With that she started out the door.
"Kirara, let's go!"
The cat demon transformed, roaring deeply as she hurried out, following her master.