Disclaimer: I own nothing, but this idea is still mine.

Well, this story wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but it's still quite fun to write. I was hoping to keep the chapter lengths consistent, but considering the events that need to take place, there is no guarantee they will remain that way. Kohaku's character is so much fun to write.

Stripe: Don't worry. I have planned the events very carefully. You do have a good point, but I thought about that way back around Chapter 2. I'm planning a few chapters ahead so I can avoid any plot holes.

Moonyme: I don't always review right away either… :looks around nervously:

Blusorami: I still have a few things planned.

Ninalee-chan: Any widowed parent would feel that they have to "toughen up" in order to raise their kids properly. It seems to convince them that their 'strictness' would be a good substitute for lack of the other parent. XD I hope that made sense! And as for Kohaku… his character, as you correctly analysed in the last chapter, will be explained more accurately in this chapter. (Thanks for your beta-ing, Ninalee. You actually make me sound educated in the world of writing!)

She didn't remember coming back to the building her family shared.

All she felt was the frustration building up inside of her as she stood in front of the porch. And she knew she needed to calm down. Her anxiety would not help matters.

Maybe if she hadn't been so damned enthusiastic about her brother's first mission, her father would not be so persistent about this.

I couldn't do it. Kohaku is coming with us. The lord will take control of him and use him to kill the others. Then I'll be killed. Wait - if I die now, will things return to the way they used to be? Will I wake up and discover it really was just a dream? I can't tell if any of this is real or not. Everything is exactly the way it used to be, and if I didn't remember what happened with Naraku…

Her fists clenched, the old feelings of pain and rage returning. Damn him.

I wouldn't be doing this. I wouldn't know.

Maybe this wouldn't hurt so much, then. I have this chance to save everyone. I should be happy. So why I am hurting?

She stopped walking. The tears were still silently trailing down her cheeks. Her voice came out as a soft whisper, audible to no one but herself. "Because I know what's going to happen, and I can't prevent it.

"I know that while they head out for their 'task', Naraku's demons will show up and destroy the place. I can't explain that to Father and Kohaku, because it hasn't happened yet."

She looked down at the ground, her bangs obscuring her eyes. The tears splattered on the ground, making darker spots appear among the dust. Just as she was debating on making the others let her go and do the mission on her own, just so she could ensure that they would not be harmed, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Ane-ue?"

"Kohaku." She wiped her eyes, quickly regaining composure over her conflicting emotions, and turned to face him, managing a faint smile. He looked serious.

"Ane-ue, I need to talk to you," he said, taking her hand and leading her onto the steps. He sat down, his hands on his knees and she sat down beside him, observing his quiet figure. A warm breeze drifted past, ruffling his hair. He reached behind himself to take the scythe that was attached, and started to examine it.

"I really don't want to go on this mission," he admitted, running his fingers up and down the handle. Before his sister could say anything, he continued. "I noticed that you seemed to be bothered when Father insisted that I should go, so I figured it would be better if I just stayed here. You were right, Ane-ue, when you said that there was still time for training before I become a true taijiya, and I… I don't like fighting that much. It's okay, it's just… it bothers me a bit. I've never been as good as you, and I doubt I will ever be."

Sango could only stare at him. She hadn't realized it nagged at him this much, but why hadn't he told their father any of this? He was the only who didn't seem to realize Kohaku's feelings regarding the subject. Almost cautiously, she placed a hand on her brother's shoulder, feeling the material underneath her fingers.

"Kohaku…"

"I'm sorry, Ane-ue. I didn't mean to cause trouble between you and Father. I just didn't want to disappoint him."

"It's alright." Before he could say anything further, she had wrapped her arms around him and pulled him against her. "I'll tell Father -"

"No, don't!" A pink flush started to appear on his cheeks and his voice sounded slightly panicky. "I don't want him to -"

"Kohaku. Relax. He won't be angry, just disappointed." She tightened her grip on his shoulders as if to make sure that he wouldn't suddenly disappear from her and fall back into Naraku's clutches. Even in this time, if Naraku himself hadn't appeared yet, he was still out there somewhere, waiting for night to fall so he could come and wreak havoc in their lives and delight in their suffering while he claimed the jewel shards.

"Ane-ue…" he said softly, craning his neck to look up at her. She was staring ahead, a distant look that he recognized as a sort of longing in her eyes. She did seem happy to be holding him, that he could tell, but there was only a flicker of sadness hidden behind her smile. There was tension in her body. "What's the matter?"

She bit her lip. Even if she did tell him, he wouldn't believe her. She was just scared, so scared of losing him again.

The sound of blood splattering caught her attention. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw a blade cut through the throat of her father.

The blade completed its arc and returned to the hand of its owner. Fear and confusion ran through Sango's mind when she realized who it was.

"Kohaku… why did you kill Father and the others?"

"I can't…" she whispered, letting go of him to bury her head in her hands.

I can't let that happen again. I have to try again. I can't let everyone suffer like that again, not if I can find a way to stop it.

"You can't what?" the boy asked, confused. He had never seen his sister look so distressed before. "Ane-ue, what are you talking about?"

"Kohaku." She took a deep breath, rubbed her eyes and turned to look at him, placing a hand on his shoulder again. "It's alright. Everything is going to be okay. I just need to talk it over with Father again."

"But what if -"

"It'll work out. I will make sure it does," she said, more to reassure herself than to reassure him, and stood up.

"Ane-ue."

She turned to look at him. For the first time, a real smile brightened her features. "It'll be okay. I promise."

She may have promised him that things would be okay, but she didn't realize the strength she would need to ensure that.

In the end of a long disagreement, their father finally relented and told Sango that her brother didn't have to come. Her anxiety had been starting to irritate him, even if he couldn't help but feel a little concerned about her sudden 'desperate' behaviour and requests.

"Then you'll have to take him out on a separate training mission and make him work twice as hard," had been his final words. Sango agreed, though not happily. One battle had been won today, but there would be one more challenge to work through before everything was okay.

Losing wasn't an option. If she lost, she not only lost her chance, but her family would die again. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle it.

Failing is not a possibility, Sango, she told herself as she sharpened her katana and changed into her battle outfit. Her gaze swept over Hiraikotsu, balanced against the wall, all clean and ready for use.

I don't care what happens, as long as I can get through this.

Later that evening, shortly after dinner, Sango and her other comrades headed out. Just before leaving, she had given Kohaku a tight hug and whispered, "I love you." The worry and confusion filling his adolescent expression tore at her heart as she began to walk away.

I know you don't understand. But as long as I can save you this time, it doesn't matter.

"Ane-ue?" he asked. She stopped walking, although she didn't turn around to look at him. "Be careful, okay?"

She didn't answer.

Sometimes being careful just isn't enough. I learned that the hard way.

It didn't take long for them to reach the area in which they were to show off their 'extermination' skills. Her father knelt down in front of the lord, currently telling him about the fact that his village had the most skilled group of taijiyas in the area.

The lord's gaze swept over the demon exterminators and halted at Sango.

"Yet you brought a young woman to fight?" Although the man meant to sound a bit more polite, the taunt in his voice could not be mistaken. Sango felt a surge of hot anger rush through her body, and her fists clenched among the ground, although she did not break eye contact.

You were the one to take control of my brother! Damn you to hell!

"She is my daughter, and happens to be one of the best demon slayers in the province," her father was telling him. "You can witness her skill alongside the others shortly."

It didn't take long until the demon appeared. Sango stayed a bit far back from all the commotion, while her other comrades raced to exterminate the ugly creature. She glanced at the lord, who seemed to be smirking in her direction.

"Is there a problem, taijiya-san?" he said mildly. "Why aren't you with the others?"

I don't want to turn my back on you.

She responded rather coolly. "I'm waiting for them to restrain the demon."

Slowly she made her way over to the others, making sure that she could keep track of where he was or what he was doing. A shout caught her attention, and she glanced away from the lord for a moment.

"We've got it!"

She detached Hiraikotsu from her back and jumped into the air, hurling it along the demon's scaly skin so that the giant boomerang cut it in half. Her comrades could finish the rest of the job.

As she landed, she felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck. Turning around, she saw something like a neon pink thread shooting at her.

That's how he controlled Kohaku before! Using a spider's thread! I have to destroy him.

She drew her katana from its sheathe and leaping out of its path, swiftly cut off the thread, just inches from her body. She whirled around to look at the leader, the one who had sent the thread in her direction.

He's the one!

Her own realization from the time before, the time she had failed, rang clearly through her mind.

I have to kill him. Or least knock him unconscious… but how can I get past his archers in time?

A plan clicked in her head and she sheathed her katana, instead grabbing Hiraikotsu, preparing to throw it. She started to run at him.

"The taijiya has gone mad. Kill her!" he ordered. Obeying their leader's command, the archers lined up in front of him, raising their bows.

She threw the boomerang, slowing down her pace and watched it fly at him. The lord's eyes went wide in fear as he realized what her intentions had been all along, but he did not have enough to move out of the way. Hiraikotsu sent him sprawling, and he fell unconscious. The boomerang completed its arc, making some rather big dents in the wooden floorboards before heading back to Sango.

Unfortunately, the archers took this attack as an offence towards themselves, and they still fired. Sango had caught Hiraikotsu by this point, so most of the arrows bounced back off the boomerang. However, one of the arrows had still pierced her lower leg, and the sudden fiery pain that shot up her leg made her drop her weapon as she fell back onto the ground, unable to stand. The boomerang clattered to the ground, a few inches out of reach.

Seeing that Sango had fallen, her fellow comrades attacked the archers, knocking them out as well, staying out of the path of the arrows as they came. Her father rushed over to support her, berating her at the same time for doing something so seemingly foolish.

"Sango! What did you think you were doing!" he demanded, helping her sit up. Blood trickled from the wound and part of her battle outfit was torn at the lower leg.

"I…" Sango struggled to catch her breath, her face pale with pain. "Father, I had to!"

"No, you didn't!" he shouted. "What were you doing? Attacking the leader like that, no wonder he thought you went crazy! What the hell were you trying to prove! You're lucky they didn't strike you down for that!"

"Father, you don't understand!" she tried again. "I had to! I -"

"Then explain it to me, because I would like to understand!" he retorted, his expression a mixture of utmost fury. His gaze went to the bloody wound on her leg. "That was your fault, for doing something so stupid! I can't believe you attacked him! What were you thinking?"

"I… I can't," she said, breathing hard. "I'm sorry."

"Sango -"

She got up, her leg slightly shaky, biting her lip to suppress the pain. "Give me Hiraikotsu," she said through clenched teeth.

"Sango, you can't expect to carry that thing and walk at the same -"

She interrupted him, still breathing hard, her jaw quickly starting to become sore from clenching her teeth so tightly. Pain shot up her leg whenever she put the majority of the weight on it, and the blood was starting to remind her about the accurate little details from that horrible day - the smell of it was enough make nausea build back up in her throat.

"I can handle it," she said, motioning for him to give it to her. "Please, Father. I need to attach it back on."

"Are you sure you can walk, Sango?" he asked her, the first hint of concern becoming audible in his voice. "Hold on, before I re-attach Hiraikotsu, I'll take that arrow out."

The process of taking out the arrow caused a few tears of pain, and a muffled scream was heard coming from her throat; she had bitten her lip in an attempt not to scream. As a result, her lip now bled. After a few more minutes, her determination was resolved, and she got up, stumbling slightly, wiping the blood from her lip. Blood still trickled from the wound down her leg. However, she could still walk.

"I'm fine," she said, knowing that as soon as she got back to her village she would want nothing but rest for a few hours.

Wait - her village.

Her eyes widened in horror and realization and her heart started to pound in fear for what she'd done earlier.

"I don't think Kohaku should go."

In her haste to make sure that the lord would not attempt, once again, to control him, she'd left him at the village!

That night, while we went out to exterminate a demon, Naraku's horde came in and annihilated the village!

"Kohaku," she whispered unconsciously, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her leg as she stood.

"What did you say?" her father asked, putting an arm around her waist to support her. Sango wasn't aware of his confusion. Angry tears stung at her eyes as she stumbled out of the battle area in the direction of their home. Her voice shook ever so slightly.

"Father, we need to head back," she said. "Kohaku is back at the village."

"Sango -"

"He's in trouble."

Finished typing - July 14th, 2005

Posted - July 22nd, 2005

Sango wants to fix everything, but unfortunately, things don't always go as planned. Even though she was able to prevent her father and comrades from being killed, as a result of her not thinking ahead, she has not completely saved Kohaku yet.

Comments/criticisms?