Disclaimer: This idea remains my own. The characters and original story do not, nor will they ever.

I really have to plan my plots more carefully. I originally had a lot more things planned for this chapter, but I don't want the chapter lengths to be uneven. Plus, certain events need to be written together to keep the story going. I know it's been a while since I last updated, but I took my time writing this chapter, and to be honest, I think it was worth the wait.

Moonyme: Thank you for the compliments! They made my day!

YoukaiTaijiyaSango and Ryokochan: Thank you.

hEaRtS: Why did you find it confusing? Thanks. I don't want the chapters becoming too lengthy, they're already 6 pages as it is.

Bonzo the Fifth: You know, I doubted you were going to review it, simply because you review Chapter 1 of one of my stories, then I don't hear from you until Chapter 5. Naraku is still out there. He may not be near her, but he could still very well take control of Kohaku and destroy her village. That's what I thought: Sango can save her brother, but at the cost of sacrificing her village again. She really has very few options for these circumstances! As for her meeting up with the Inu-tachi… you'll find out more about that later.

Kitsune-MiMIK: Sango would be beyond devastated if she realized that she caused her brother to die alone, even if it was unintentional. Naraku cannot take control of living people. Sango was able to prevent the lord (who was being controlled by Naraku) from possessing her brother for a second time, but that still doesn't make everything perfect again.

Blusorami: Things just don't turn out the way we sometimes think they will.

Ninalee-chan: I knew what the results would be if Sango were to leave him behind, but you have to remember: this is what Sango would do to protect him. Just because I have planned this out doesn't mean I didn't think about the possibilities that would occur from Sango's choices. I knew Kohaku would still be in danger, but in her haste, Sango fails to realize that. They did put up a fight. I think. Maybe I should go back and fix that. :weak laughter: Ah, the views of a parental figure aren't always clear in a teenager's eyes. Plus, I recall receiving help from you for the previous conversations between Sango and her father.

Yes, yes I know Kohaku is in trouble. But like I told Ninalee-chan here, this is about Sango's decisions, not what the narrator has planned.

How could she have been so stupid as to leave her little brother there?

There was no doubt that he'd been training ever since he was a young child, but Kohaku just didn't seem to have fighting instincts like the others. He was excellent with the scythe when he focused hard, but he'd never enjoyed fighting as much as his older sister. In fact, if it was up to him, he probably wouldn't have spent half as much time as he did learning the different techniques if their father hadn't raised him to be a fighter.

But the problem was that Kohaku wasn't a fighter.

He could aim fairly well, and he could react pretty quickly to an unexpected tactic from an opponent. But he wasn't a fighter at heart.

Knowing that fact tore at Sango's heart as she ran back to her home village, her comrades following closely behind. She didn't have to get within close range of the entrance to know that the annihilation had already started. Only a few huts were on fire, and the horde had obviously just arrived minutes ago. But there was no time to take relief about that fact.

"Kohaku!" she called, urging her legs to go faster. She wasn't usually this slow running even after a fight. Then again, she hadn't usually just gotten an arrow imbedded in her lower leg, causing a jolt of pain every time she put too much weight on it. But that didn't matter. She needed to find Kohaku, and she needed to find him fast.

The others were quickly slaying the other demons, protecting the rest of the innocent villagers who had not been taught to even hold a sword in the proper way, let alone fight with one. Knowing they were handling the demons, that left her to seek out her brother in hope that he was alright.

Parts of a building that had been attacked by some demons fell down, partially blocking her path and starting a fire in the process after she entered. She felt more tears stinging at her eyes. If she'd just been a bit faster…

Damn it! This isn't how it's supposed to be!

Holding back a sob of panic in her throat, she scanned the area, somewhat aware of the bigger demons coming in her direction.

Kohaku!

Where would he have hidden? Suddenly her gaze connected with the weaponry hut. It hadn't been set on fire yet, and knowing Kohaku, he would want to be armed in case the demons decided to choose a more interesting target while destroying the other buildings and huts.

Kohaku!

She leaped over some of the wreckage from the fallen building and ran over to the weaponry hut. Her throat felt dry as she realized that he had locked it. "Kohaku! Let me in!" she called, banging her fist on the door.

After a moment, she could hear the lock inside being removed. The door opened, revealing a pale, nervous-looking boy. He did have his scythe with him, but it didn't look like he had thought of using it, as it was still on his back. "Ane-ue!"

Tremendous relief swept over her so quickly that for a second, she felt almost dizzy. She moved past him and quickly shut the door. "Kohaku." She threw her arms around him and held him tightly, tears in her eyes.

I'm right here with you.

"Ane-ue," he said, tentatively hugging her back. He recognized the same desperate tone in her voice as the one she had used while pleading with their father earlier this afternoon, and his expression turned into a slightly more concerned one. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered, closing her eyes. After another minute, she pulled away, smiling faintly. "I'm just glad you're with me."

He frowned, but didn't get a chance to ask her about her 'behaviour'. "Ane-ue, those demons…they started to wreck the smaller huts in the village." She tensed and her gaze hardened.

"I know."

She took him by the arm and led him to the back of the weaponry hut. "Where is your gas mask?" She started to shift through the piles of armour and weapons.

"I… I don't have it," he stammered. "I - I think it's back in our building," he added nervously, watching as she searched through the shelves. She sighed and turned to face him.

"Kohaku, you should have it with you at all times during… during situations like these," she began to reprimand him. "Here, I'll give you -"

She reached over for one of the smaller masks, but before her fingers had even so much as touched it, a crash surrounded them and the walls behind to cave in, ripping and sending various war items flying everywhere. Before she could react fast enough, a snake-like demon coiled around her, raising her and crushing her body.

Kohaku unconsciously reached for his scythe, panic filling his eyes. "Ane-ue! Ane-ue!" he yelled, backing away.

"Kohaku!" she shouted, trying to squirm free, but her attempt was in vain as the demon tightened its grasp. "No, don't -"

Too late.

A spider-like demon was right behind him, and it sent him flying with one of its tentacles. The boy flew onto the ground, scraping various parts of his body on rocks and gravel. It didn't help that he had landed just beyond a flaming wall, smoke starting to obscure his vision and making it harder for him to breathe.

"Kohaku!" she screamed, twisting her wrist and cutting into the snake demon that held her. A hiss of pain escaped its mouth, but it didn't loosen its grip in the slightest, and Sango, despite her situation, cast a frantic glance around her village to see where the others were.

Some of the taijiya were still fighting, successfully exterminating quite a few of the demons. However, a lot more had yet to be destroyed, and already some of her comrades had been knocked unconscious from their own fights against multiple demons. The main building in which the shards were kept was still standing, and it was obvious from the destructed path that the demons were aiming for the shards.

Her gaze went back over to the area where her brother had landed. She couldn't see too clearly through the smoke, and her panic rose.

"Kohaku!" she screamed again, hoping he was going to be alright.

Kohaku, you have to get up. Please…

"Ane-ue!" He had stood up, struggling to squint through the thickening smoke. "I'm okay!"

"I'll help you!" she shouted, all too aware that she was in the least likely position to be helping anyone at the moment. Desperate to break free, she stretched her reflexive abilities as much as possible, moving her hand down to unsheathe her katana. "Just give me a minute," she muttered, yanking it out and impaling the demon's skin with it. This time, the demon let out a bigger hiss and loosened its grip slightly.

Meanwhile, the spider demon was advancing on the boy, waving its tentacles menacingly. Kohaku didn't back away; instead a nervous, yet determined look came into his eyes, and his grip tightened on the weapon, moving his arm back and preparing to throw it as soon as he could aim at a clear target.

"Kohaku!" she shouted again, a mixture of fear and anger building up in her. Finally, after repeated stabs and slashes across its skin, the demon dropped her. Unfortunately, the demon had raised her to a considerably high point in the air, and it was a good thing she landed on the grass; however, pain still shot through her damaged leg as she landed, and she fell onto the ground, needing to rest for a moment.

Damn it.

One of the spider's tentacles lashed out at him, evidently aiming to impale him straight through his stomach. He threw the weapon at the tentacle, jumping out of the way as he did so. The blade sliced through it, and Kohaku leapt over the wall, weaving his way through the rest of the tentacles, hacking and slashing as he went. Slight sweat from his hand started to cover the handle of the scythe, but the determined expression never faded from his face.

I need to get to Ane-ue.

He'd seen her fall, fear rising inside his chest and threatening to erupt in a scream. He had just been able to make out the injury on her lower leg through the smoke, the material wet with blood from the wound. And of course, when she had finally broken free from the unrelenting grasp of the demon, she had fallen onto the ground. He couldn't see exactly where she was, but he knew she must have been in some sort of pain.

Because she didn't get back up like she usually did after a fight.

Ane-ue… hold on!

He started to run, his frantic gaze searching the grounds all around him for any sign of her. "Ane-ue!" he called, coughing from the smoke. Unfortunately, he didn't get far. The spider demon had recovered enough by this point to shoot a tentacle towards him. On instinct alone, Kohaku whirled around and hurled his scythe at it, leaping out of the way just in case he missed. He hit his target directly, but wasn't prepared for the remaining tentacles to wrap around him, effectively trapping his arms at his sides.

Sango had gotten up, breathing hard and struggling to focus through the thick, almost blackish smoke. "K - Kohaku…" she whispered. Even though she had been in many youkai battles before, she had never felt so tired before. It didn't help that the injury kept sending pain up her leg. "Kohaku!" she called out again, her voice not sounding as strong as it normally did.

Finally she spotted him. Fury coursed through her body at the sight of the demon holding him captive, and she snatched Hiraikotsu off her back and ran at the demon, throwing it at such an angle that it ripped all the tentacles from one side of the demon and on its return slashed through the demon's body, tearing it in half and releasing the boy.

She caught the weapon, but too tired to stand any longer, she fell to her knees on the ground, using the boomerang for support as she leaned on it. "Kohaku…"

"Ane-ue!" he shouted, running over to her. "Ane-ue, your leg -"

"I'm fine," she said, her voice quiet. "Are there any other demons still around?"

Her brother looked around, analysing the area. "Yeah. There are still quite a few heading for where the shards are," he told her.

"Damn it," she hissed, standing up, forcing herself to ignore the pain. She didn't get too far, perhaps a few steps, before she knelt back down on the ground.

"Ane-ue, you need a rest. I'll go handle them," he said, but with none of the determination in his voice that a regular taijiya would have. In fact, he looked slightly nervous and a bit scared, but there was no other choice.

"No. Stay with me."

"You can't fight like that, Ane-ue."

She clenched her fist against the ground, and the hand that was holding onto Hiraikotsu tightened. "It's just a leg injury, Kohaku. I don't want -" She stopped and swallowed hard, staring resolutely at the ground, for a moment not wanting to gaze into the face that had haunted her nightmares for the past year. "I don't want you to be by yourself."

"Just a leg injury?" he repeated in disbelief. "I may not be an expert, but I've seen you come back home enough times to judge how serious injuries can be."

It took her a minute to compose herself, reminding herself that Kohaku didn't know what had happened, even if it hadn't happened yet. She could still remember that, and it was just as painful to remember as it had been when the group had confronted him during their travels.

"Kohaku, please listen to me," she heard herself plead, and she felt his hand on her shoulder. A tear ran down her cheek. "I want you to stay behind me when I go to fight those demons. If I can't keep fighting, I want you to run and join up with the other taijiya. I don't care how injured I am, I want you to keep yourself as safe as possible until all this is over."

For a moment, there was only silence. Then he agreed, sounding extremely reluctant. "But how will you defeat them all?"

She finally looked up and tried to give him a genuine smile, although her heart wasn't quite in it. "You'd be surprised at what you can do when you're desperate."

"Ane-ue?" he questioned, looking confused. Her gaze switched from him as the youkai started to get within range of attacking the building. Slowly, rather painfully, she stood up, momentarily hoisting Hiraikotsu onto her back.

"It's okay. Don't worry about me," she said, standing up again, her resolution firmly in place. "Just stay behind me."

"Ane-ue -"

"Don't argue with me!"

She hadn't meant to snap at him, but her temper and fatigue were rising at the lack of success she'd had so far. Making her way over to the building she wearily, almost painfully, walked over to an area in front of the porch so that she could guard the building without wrecking it with her weapon if the Hiraikotsu somehow managed to alter its return courses. The demons seemed to find this rather inconveniencing, and she became their next target.

However, she was ready. With Kohaku behind her, she knew the demons would have to go through her to get to him and the building. And she wouldn't let that happen, not if she could help it.

She had been given the chance to go back in time.

So far she hadn't had much luck in setting things the way that they were supposed to be. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be this way.

Maybe there was a reason things had happened the way they had.

But was it worth so much destruction?

Was it worth so much loss and despair?

Finished typing - July 21st, 2005

Posted - August 8th, 2005

Well, this happens to be the first time I enjoyed writing action. Writing Kohaku's character is so much fun! Believe it or not, I think this chapter is one of the better ones. What do you think?