His Last Words
Disclaimer: If I owned even a scrap of InuYasha, I'd be yelling for joy right now. Obviously I'm writing instead. lol
Chapter 3: Renewed Memories
"What do you think happened to him?" Kagome asked worriedly. She kept her voice relatively hushed. Kohaku didn't really seem like he was sleeping, but it was a better reason than speaking lowly because he looked as if he were on his deathbed. The boy was a fearsome pale and his breath was unusually slow and weak. Miroku was better, but his face was slightly cringed in pain.
The two of them were laying side by side on pallets while in the shade of an old abandoned hut. Sango and Kagome sat beside them while InuYasha, Shippou, and Kirara waited patiently in a corner. It had really been a stroke of luck that they had found this hut. Otherwise they would have been forced to stay outside until Kohaku awoke and Miroku healed. Kaede's village was too far for Kirara to fly them all back so they had no choice but to stay here.
"I don't know," Sango whispered. She kept her eyes forcibly away from her unconscious brother as if the sight of him so weak was too painful to bear. Miroku seemed unconscious as well, but more so in the manner of a troubled sleep.
Kagome paused for thought before speaking. "Sango...just before Kohaku fell unconscious, I saw the jewel shard in his back glow brighter. When it did I realized that just before, its aura felt...different somehow. I don't know what it was, but it seemed darker and when it glowed, that feeling left." She wished she could look up to Sango's expression to see her reaction, but the demon exterminator was keeping her face strictly downcast.
"You think that Kohaku has been freed of Naraku's grasp." It was not a question, but a statement. Though her face was stoic, Sango's hands shook slightly. It might have been for worry that her words weren't true or hope that they were, Kagome wasn't sure.
The young miko frowned sadly at Sango and nodded. "What else could it be? Kohaku's eyes turned back to normal just before he went unconscious."
"I doubt Naraku would free Kohaku willingly. Especially in the middle of a battle. Something must have happened that cut the bond," InuYasha said calmly, his eyes intently watching the still Kohaku. "Otherwise Kohaku would be dead. I don't think Naraku would have sent him to kill Sango and then just let him go without killing him first. If he did, then Kohaku would remember everything and could spill any secrets Naraku's holding." It was painfully obvious that Naraku had sent Kohaku to kill Sango. If he had been out to kill InuYasha, then he wouldn't have wasted his time fighting Miroku and Sango. He might have been after Miroku, but the group knew that Naraku's style was to prick the heart of his enemies, therefore sending Kohaku after his blood kin instead.
Kagome didn't know what to say. Part of her wished with all her heart that their guess was right and that Kohaku had been freed, but another part said that Kohaku being free would be more painful than it was when he was a prisoner. After all, Kohaku would be living off a jewel shard and he'd constantly be in danger since Naraku would surely try to come and kill him.
Quietly damping a cloth in a bucket of water, Kagome squeezed the excess out before folding it and placing it over Kohaku's forehead. Perhaps it was kinder to simply hope that Kohaku was free so at least Sango could have her brother back. Though he'd still be a prisoner of the jewel in a way, at least his mind would rest for a while. She stole a glance at Sango and frowned sadly. Her friend's eyes were glazed over with tears as she stared at her brother's face. Her hands were tightly gripping her green mo-bakama though she didn't seem to be aware of it.
'She'll need some time alone to think things through. Kohaku returning to her so suddenly must be a little hard to handle,' Kagome thought as she pulled her eyes away, not wanting Sango to catch her watching. 'I can't do anything about Miroku, but I'll just have to get InuYasha and Shippou to leave.' Pulling her gaze back up, she looked towards InuYasha and Shippou. After a slight sigh and small frown, she picked up the bucket of water and rose to her feet. Sango's face lifted towards her, but Kagome turned to InuYasha and Shippou instead.
Putting on what she hoped was a simple smile, though InuYasha's confused face made her unsure of her success, she cleared her throat. "Shippou, could you come with me to change some of this water?" The kitsune child blinked but nodded and got to his feet. "InuYasha, I think I'll need more firewood to warm the water. Go and cut some up, would you?" The hanyou opened his mouth to argue, but Kagome cut him off with a, "Thanks!" and strode past him out the door. As planned, the hanyou had no choice but to follow, Shippou trailing behind him.
Once outside, InuYasha managed to put a hand on Kagome's shoulder, making her twirl around to face him. "What was that about, Kagome?" he asked gruffly.
"You idiot! Can't you tell that Sango is having some trouble accepting what just happened? Kohaku comes out of nowhere and attacks her, becomes free of Naraku, and falls unconscious! Don't you think she'd be a little confused right now? She needs some time to herself! Sometimes I don't know if you are just being ignorant or if you truly don't have a clue about other people's feelings! You don't have to cut wood if you don't want to, but just keep away from the hut for a little!" she scolded in a low tone as to not let Sango hear. Without waiting for an answer, she whirled around and angrily strode down towards the path carved through the forest that led to the river. Shippou blinked and raced after her, leaving a bewildered InuYasha.
Inside the hut, Sango still gazed towards the door after Kagome and the others had left. She wasn't really confused about why they had gone, she had known that Kagome was trying to give her some time alone, even if she hadn't heard Kagome's attempt to scold InuYasha quietly. Turning her head away, she sighed softly, deciding to accept Kagome's gift and use this time to think.
Despite this decision, Sango found her mind strangely quiet. Instead of thinking over what had happened with her brother, she simply gazed down at him for several minutes. He looked exactly as he had the day her father had told him he was ready to go into his first battle with a demon, except for the fact that he was a lot paler at the moment. His expression was a depressed one as if his mind was dreaming of mournful things, yet there were no tears. Just simple sadness. Instead, a tickling sensation began in her own nose, signalling the coming of tears. Blinking hard, she forced herself not to let them loose. She remembered how once Kohaku's face had been smiling widely, laughing as the two of them played in the pastures near their village. The bright glow in his cheeks was long gone, she was surprised she could even remember how it had looked. It had been long ago, too long.
'I don't know if you truly are free of Naraku, Kohaku, but all I can do is hope. Please live, Kohaku. I can't do anything else for you than pray,' she thought. 'Kagome understands, she's probably the only one. I know that InuYasha and Miroku and Shippou all understand as well, but Kagome...she seems to realize that you being free might not be the best thing. She hasn't said anything, but she doesn't have to. It's obvious that she thinks it would be hard for you having to live depending on a jewel fragment. It would be hard for me too...' Her eyes were closed, but she didn't remember closing them. 'Am I being selfish wanting you to live like this? Would it be more merciful to let you die? I don't know what I would do if you died, but leting you live like this seems just as hard. I can't kill you, that would be even worse. I know that now.' Her minds eyes flashed back to when she had almost killed Kohaku herself and InuYasha had stopped her. Had she truly thanked him properly yet? 'Oh Kohaku, I don't know what to do. I wish father was still alive. I wish Naraku had never been born. I wish someone could tell me the right thing to do.'
"Sango?" whispered a faint voice. Her eyes poped open and only then did she realize that she was still sitting beside Miroku in the little abandoned hut they had found. Dropping her eyes down, she met the gaze of Miroku. He still looked half-asleep and the pain wasn't all gone from his face, but there was no mistaking the worry in his eyes. "Sango, why are you crying?" the houshi whispered.
She suddenly became aware of how damp her cheeks were. Had she really been crying this much? Having no idea how to answer, she drew her eyes away and stared at her clutched hands, sniffing and trying to lessen the tear flow.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Miroku glance the other way and spot Kohaku laying beside him. Turning his head back, he watched her steadily. Surprisingly, a small grin appeared on his face. "I suppose they are tears of joy?" Sango sharply raised her gaze at him and stared in shock. As if reading her thoughts, he continued, "Yes, tears of joy. Kohaku is back with you, isn't he? Unless my guess is incorrect, he's been freed from Naraku. That would mean that his memory will return once he wakes. Surely that is something a sister would be happy about?"
Sango blinked uncertainly, surprised that his simple words had helped her tear flow stop. She half-wished she could pull her eyes away from his own, but found herself unable to. The simple grin on the monk's face never faded as he watched her. A tiny grunt escaped him as he shifted his right hand and placed it over Sango's clutched hands. Though he was very weak at the moment and the pain had not completely vanished from his face, the touch of his hands warmed her own immediately. Her hands weren't the only things that warmed. Her face heated heavily into a deep crimson. Part of it was from the tenderness of Miroku's words, and part was from the recent memory of bandaging the wound on the side of his chest. She was not used to bandaging him and so she had blushed through the whole thing while stubbornly avoiding both Miroku's and Kagome's eyes.
Finally her gaze seem to come free and she pulled her eyes away from Miroku's and set them on the floor beside her. Even then she could see Miroku's smile widen lightly before he withdrew his hand. It was barely a minute later when the two of them suddenly heard a low groan from Kohaku. Both sets of eyes flashing towards him, they held their breaths, waiting to see if he had awoken.
It seemed like eternity crawled past them as they watched and waited. Sango had half-risen as if waiting for a sign from her brother to allow her to spring up and dash to his side. Miroku was just as still. Soon another groan escaped Kohaku's pale lips and his face darkened in a grimace. Slowly his eyelids parted to reveal warm brown. They had the same human light in them that had appeared only for a brief moment before he had collapsed. Widening his eyes, Kohaku blinked for a moment as if struggling to remember where he was. Finally realizing he was not alone, he turned his head towards the houshi and taijiya. He barely spared a glance at Miroku and as soon as seeing Sango, his eyes locked onto her. Sango felt herself stiffen. A moment before she had been ready to spring to his side, but now she wasn't sure if her knees would hold out.
"Sango..." Kohaku whispered hoarsely.
The word acted as a trigger and her strength returned. She wanted to jumped over Miroku and grab her brother in her arms and cry until she died, but instead she forced herself to slowly rise to her feet. Circling around Miroku, she kneeled beside her brother, their eyes never parting. "K-Kohaku?" Sango stuttered, surprised her voice had even managed to come out.
"Sango...I..." He trailed off for a moment to take a deep breath. Tears began forming in his eyes. "I remember."
Blinking away tears she didn't remember coming, she reached down to embrace her brother the same time he sat up a little to do the same. They clung to eachother soundlessly, but cheeks already damp with tears. At first Kohaku's face was a bewildered calm, but slowly it grew clenched with a furious sadness as the memories strengthened. Unconsciously his fingers began to dig into Sango's back in fury at himself, at the memories, at Naraku. Sango completely ignored it, her face a pitiful sadness for her brother.
Kohaku opened his mouth as if to say something, but as if sensing what he was about to say, Sango cut him off. "Hush, little brother," she whispered soothingly, "It's okay. Everything will be all right. I promise..." Kohaku's lips closed once more and the two of them fell into silence.
Their eyes and ears closed to anything except each other, they didn't notice the kitsune child poke his head into the hut and dart back out. A moment later he, InuYasha, and Kagome returned inside and quietly sat watching. The day grew darker and the shadows lengthened. Light from the moon began to illuminate their little hut and stars glittered, but the two siblings inside knew only each other.
The following morning...
"Do you think he knows?" Kagome's voice sounded a little stressed.
"How the Hell should I know? It's not like there's any reason Naraku would have told him," InuYasha answered gruffly.
The morning was as bright as the day before, though a little mocking considering the heavy atmosphere among the group. The hanyou was sprawled out on the branch of an oak just outside the hut. His hands here folded behind his head and one leg hung leisurely off the side. Kagome sat at the base of the tree, hands fiddling with her skirt. Shippou sat beside her, sucking on a little cherry lollipop Kagome had treated him to.
"Well we'll find out sooner or later, won't we? I mean, Sango will have to talk to him about what he remembers," Shippou commented. "Kohaku has a right to know that he's only alive because of a jewel shard and Sango understands that. Most likely she'll tell him, no problem."
Still, Kagome found herself frowning at her skirt. She sighed heavily and climbed to her feet. "Where are Sango and Kohaku now anyway?"
"I think Miroku said Sango took him for a walk to the river. She said it would be best for him to try walking a little, since cutting him away from Naraku made him weaker," Shippou answered. "Kirara went with them to make sure they stay safe."
Kagome glanced to the right where the thin path leading from the hut cut through the forest and wound towards the river. Her frown still on her face, she sighed and turned away. She knew she should be happy that Kohaku was back with Sango once more, but something about this whole event made her uneasy, yet she couldn't pinpoint the reason.
Away from the group, Kohaku limped along the riverbank with one arm over Sango's shoulders. He wore a determined face, but sorrow and anger dwelled just out of sight. His foot stumbled a bit, but before he barely began to fall, Sango grabbed him tighter and hoisted him back upright. His forehead was cloaked with sweat for effort, but Sango looked at ease, though a little worried.
"Do you want to rest a little?" Sango asked carefully.
"No, let's keep going," Kohaku answered stubbornly.
Sango frowned a little sadly. "Don't push yourself too hard. You have plenty of time to recover."
At first she thought Kohaku was going to refuse again, but found him relaxing his muscles. Taking this as an answer, Sango slowly lowered him to the ground into a sitting position. Kirara bounded up to his side and into his lap as if trying to cheer him up. Sango took a seat beside him as well. A few minutes past while Sango waited for her brother to rest. Finally she opened her mouth to ask if he was ready for another try when he spoke.
"Sango...did...did father say anything before I..." he trailed off, unable to say the words. Sango understood.
"No, not really. There wasn't a lot of time for anything," she answered cautiously, though knowing where this was going long before it started.
Kohaku lowered his gaze so his bangs concealed his eyes. "It's my fault isn't it? I k-killed him..." He turned his head away from her as if Sango was living proof of his crime. "If I hadn't been so weak...so afraid...then Naraku wouldn't have been able to take control of me."
"Don't be silly. It could have happened to anyone."
Kohaku suddenly flashed his gaze back at her in a strange fury that Sango didn't recognize in her brother. "But it didn't! It happened to me! Naraku chose to control me because he knew I was the weakest of the demon slayers!"
Sango blinked, but couldn't manage to keep the sad frown from her face. Ashamed, she looked away from her brother. In the corner of her eye, she saw Kohaku frown at himself from yelling at her and look away as well.
"Kohaku, it was not your fault. If you say it is one more time I'll..." Her voice held none of the anger her voice implied. Infact, it sounded more like a calm plea. "Kohaku, blaming yourself will not change anything. Father and everyone from our village are all dead and there's nothing we can do that will change that. Saying it was your fault will only make yourself weaker, which is exactly what Naraku wants. Don't let him win again...I don't want to lose you again..."
Kohaku had turned his face back towards her, though his sister had not. 'Win again? Does that mean Naraku will come after me? But why?' he thought. "Sango, you're keeping something from me. I know it. What is it?"
Suppressing a wince, Sango looked back up at him. She couldn't avoid it now. She would have to tell him. "Kohaku, I doubt Naraku ever told you but..." She trailed off, searching for the right words. "Kohaku, if it wasn't for Naraku, you'd be dead."
Kohaku's eyes widened unbelievably wide. "W-what?"
"He...he put a fragment of the Shikon No Tama in your back. It's the only thing keeping you alive. Now that you are free from his grasp and have your memory back, he'll probably come after you for it." She was surprised her voice wasn't shaky.
Turning his gaze away, he stared at the rumbling waters of the river. He should be screaming, he should be running. Anything but sitting here and staring. His insides felt numb as if all the blood in his body had frozen. "Is that how he was controlling me? W-with the jewel shard?"
She dropped her gaze as well. "I don't know," she answered sadly.
Suddenly a hazed image flashed in his mind. A scrap of memory he hadn't remembered fully yet. Naraku sat in the middle of a room as he knelt in front of him. A tiny jewel shard glittered just before Kohaku's hand as if he placed it there. Kagura was standing behind him. He knew Naraku had said something in that memory that would answer his question, but he could not remember any of the dialogue. Still, something nagged at him that told him his suspicion was true. Naraku had controlled him using the jewel shard.
Kohaku opened his mouth to say so to Sango, but something stopped him. 'Wait...if Naraku controlled me using the jewel shard and the jewel shard is what he wants back, does that mean he will try to reach me through it?' Naraku would try to regain his control over Kohaku. Somehow, Kohaku knew it. 'But that means that Sango is in danger. Every minute I'm beside her like this is a minute that Naraku might come for me. I can't let that happen. Not now that I remember Sango is my sister. I can't...' Sango looked so worried and sorrowful, though her eyes were locked upon the hands she cupped in her lap. 'I'll have to escape from her. From all of them. It's the only way for Sango to be safe...' Looking down at his own lap he saw Kirara sleeping soundly in his nap. 'But how can I escape if I am so weak? I could barely take two steps without Sango.' A faint sigh escaped his lips and he glanced back up at his sister. 'I'll have to wait a little longer. Until I'm strong enough. At least for now, I'll try to enjoy my time with Sango.'
"Sango?" he said quietly. He would have to say his goodbye now. Just to be on the safe side.
"What is it?" she asked, looking back up at him.
He let another sigh loose. "Sango, if...if anything ever happens to me...I just want you to know that I love you and that I'm very thankful for everything you've done for me. Even when I was under Naraku's spell, you had faith in me that I would come free some day. I remember that now." A small smile appeared on his face.
"Don't speak of such nonsense," she said sternly. Why was he saying this? She knew Naraku would try something to get the jewel back, but why say goodbye now? She refused to listen to this. It hurt too much. Even the smallest thought that she would lose her brother again, especially after so short a time in reunion stabbed her heart like a dagger. Yet what if it was true? What if something happened, maybe even today, that would tear her brother away from her? She knew there was a possibility, but still her soul revolted against it.
"I promise nothing will happen to you, Kohaku. I'll take care of you," she said softly, circling her arm around her brother's shoulders and placing her head lightly against his.
All done! A little longer than my first two chapters, but hopefully that's a good thing. lol Please review!
