As Kirara carried her through the forest, hot on Kohaku's trail, Sango threw guilt and caution aside. If she paused for even a moment to think about what she had just done, if she acknowledged that she was helping her worst enemy, then she might not have the courage to keep going. If the boy she was chasing really was Kohaku, then she had to keep going. She couldn't risk letting him die because of her own weakness.

If it would save Kohaku, then it couldn't matter that she'd betrayed InuYasha and the others. If any of the other Taijiya had survived the slaughter at the village, she would have done the same thing. For her brother, she would have done anything.

She couldn't hesitate. A moment's delay could mean life or death for her brother. If Naraku knew she had hesitated, if he suspected that any sort of plot were afoot, he might not keep his word.

Deep down she knew he was unlikely to keep his word no matter what she did or did not do, but she had to cling to that last bit of hope. Kohaku was still alive, she was sure of it, and if there was a chance yet that he could be restored to himself, then she was going to seize it.

She hadn't realized just how alone she was until Naraku gave her the chance to not be alone any longer.

I'll save you, Kohaku, she thought, refusing to think of Inuyasha or Kagome or the others. No matter what!

A wall loomed suddenly out of the dense foliage just ahead of them. Kirara banked upward sharply to avoid flying into it. Sango gripped hard with her thighs, fighting a frightening sense of recognition as the castle spread out beneath them. It was impossible, but this building looked just like the one where Father and the others were slain.

It was the same castle, she was almost sure of it. It had to be.

This castle, however, was completely empty of people. Where there had been the noble lord and his servants before, there was now only silence. There was no sign even of Kohaku or the youkai horde that had carried him here, yet Kirara seemed certain that this was the place. After topping the wall, Kirara dropped low so that Sango could dismount.

Sango slid off of her companion's back cautiously, Tessaiga still gripped awkwardly in one hand. The Tessaiga was longer and heavier than her own blade and would be difficult to use in a fight. She had to hope it would not come to that. Or, if it did, that she would have time to strike before her enemy realized what was happening. If she could kill Naraku here and now, perhaps her brother might yet be saved…

She could not think of that. She had always been bad at disguising her thoughts. If Naraku knew she thought of slaying him, all could be lost.

Best to be cautious for now, until she knew that Kohaku was safe.

"Are you here, Naraku?" she called out.

She felt the familiar sense of unease, the same thing she'd felt when Naraku was leading her to the place where he said the demon InuYasha had slain her fellow Taijiya. A moment later, a deep, rumbling laugh made her blood run cold. "Such loyalty," Naraku said. "It brings tears to the eyes."

Sango whirled and spotted Naraku seated upon a nearby verandah. She was certain that the figure, clad as ever in the baboon pelt, had not been there a moment ago. He did not move as he continued to address her. "So you betrayed your friends for your brother, did you?"

Sango's grip on the Tessaiga tightened.

"Are you going to give me the sword, Sango?"

For the space of a single heartbeat, she hesitated. Could she truly give him the sword? She held the Tessaiga out in front of her, as if in offering. "As promised," she said slowly, taking a single step toward him. "The sword is yours."

"Halt," Naraku ordered.

Sango froze in place. Now was not the time to take chances.

"Leave your weapon there."

He was foolish to think that Hiraikotsu, slung across her back as it always was, was her only weapon. Nonetheless, she set the bone boomerang on the ground as requested. "Wary, aren't you?" she commented. As if, having betrayed even her friends, she would not hesitate to betray him as well.

Then again, perhaps he had reason to be cautious.

"Where is Kohaku?" she demanded. "He's here somewhere, isn't he?"

"Don't worry, he's waiting for you," Naraku assured her.

There was no sign of Kohaku. He could have been anywhere within the castle, or nowhere at all. She couldn't even be sure that he was really alive and not just some trick of Naraku's.

"Give me the Tessaiga, and I will give you your brother," Naraku said, his voice dripping with sickening sweetness.

Sango closed the short distance between them and with her left hand offered the sword, hilt-first, to Naraku. This was the moment. She must decide now whether to betray again or simply obey. What do I do?

In the instant before he would have set his hand upon the sword, she knew what she would do. His hand closed upon empty air as she hurled the Tessaiga away. With her right hand, she released the trigger on the blade that always rested against her forearm. The mechanism engaged and the blade sprang free, locking into place.

She lunged forward, slashing. "Prepare to die!"

Naraku evaded easily; all she managed to do was slice through the baboon pelt as he vaulted over her and into the courtyard. The baboon mask fell away with a chunk of long, dark hair. "A hidden weapon, huh," he commented, as if it were not the least bit threatening.

Sango realized too late that he'd landed practically atop the Tessaiga. She couldn't tear her gaze away from his face. That face. The face of the young lord Kagewaki who had helped her recover after the rest of the Taijiya were slain. He'd been Naraku all along?

"You're not a woman to be careless with, I see," he said, smiling as he took hold of the Tessaiga.

"You…" Sango managed.

"So you remember, do you?"

"You're Naraku," she snarled. "You were Naraku all along."

"That's right," he said. He sounded inordinately pleased with himself.

Sango tensed for another attack. Could she reach him with her arm-blade before he could bring Tessaiga around to stop her? Maybe.

Something coiled tightly around her wrists and yanked sharply toward the ground. Taken by surprise, Sango fell to her knees and found that she could not rise. The bits of hair that she had severed in her initial attack had tangled around her, and now some power of Naraku's was immobilizing her with that same hair. "Damn it," she bit out. She really should have known better.

"Foolish woman," Naraku went on, kneeling before her. "Did you really think to slay me all by yourself?"

Not by myself, Sango thought. Naraku had been focusing entirely on Sango and had ignored Kirara. Now, Kirara was in position behind him.

The cat demon pounced.

"Kirara, kill him!" Sango shouted, an instant too late. Naraku began to turn, but Kirara was already upon him. He did not have time to turn fully, much less dodge, before the enormous fangs plunged into his shoulder.

For a moment Sango thought they had won.

Kirara reared back, jerking her head away from Naraku. Thick poison foamed in Kirara's mouth, sizzling powerfully.

"Kirara!" Sango could not even move to go to her. Kirara fell to the ground, shrinking in weak puffs of flame until she was kitten-sized and trembling. "Kirara!"

"Don't be so surprised," Naraku chided. "This body of mine is made of poison, you see."

He stood, examining the sword. Sango wondered if he could even use it, or if he only wanted it to weaken InuYasha.

"Your work here is done, Sango," Naraku told her. With the blade in his hand, he seemed ready to be her executioner.

This was it, then. Sango braced herself for death.

But Naraku did not strike. Instead, he smiled slightly. "As a reward for your service, I'll let your brother be the one to send you to the next world."

My brother… She was suddenly aware of a shadow behind her. She managed to turn her head enough to see that it was indeed Kohaku. "Kohaku!" she cried, knowing it was hopeless.

His chain-scythe slashed, tearing a deep rent just below her shoulder. Blood soaked her kosode, dripped down her arm.

Again and again the scythe leaped toward her, piercing her flesh in a dozen places. The hair that had bound her wafted away on the breeze, leaving her free to fight back.

Sango fought past the pain and refused to attack her brother. "Kohaku, wake up."

Naraku laughed coldly. "You can't reach him."

The chain-scythe lashed forward again. Sango reacted on pure instinct, raising her own blade to block what she knew would have been the final blow. Her blade deflected the scythe, but Kohaku retrieved it effortlessly.

"Snap out of it, Kohaku!"

"Kill her, Kohaku."

Kohaku did not hesitate. He ran forward, raised the scythe –

– and when he would have brought it down to slash her throat, Sango dove for him. She did not slash with her blade, but threw her arms around him, using her greater weight in an attempt to pull him bodily to the ground. But she was too weak, or he was too strong. He stood firm under her weight; she sagged against him.

"Kohaku, remember me," she pleaded.

But Kohaku did not hear.