A/N: I do not own InuYasha. Lyrics used were those from Nemo, by Nightwish, which I do not own either. Please review:3
It was the same as it had been the year before. It was the same as it had been the year before that. In fact, it was the same as it had been the last four years, and Kohaku had finally come to accept that his Birth Day was never going to be a day unlike any other day. There was a bitterness in that decision, though the choice had been his own.
Glancing at Sesshoumaru, who walked a few feet ahead, Kohaku found himself wondering if he should mention it. In the end, he came to the same conclusion as always; there was no reason to celebrate the day, for not only was it the day of his birth, but of his death. Free from Naraku's mind control, Kohaku replayed the scenes from four years ago over and over in his head, wondering what went so terribly wrong.
It had started out like any other day. The sky was blue, the weather was pleasantly warm and he was playing with Kirara around the village. But then news came that a demon was threatening a nearby castle, and that the master of the castle had called for all of the prime demonslayers to destroy it. Sango, his sister, had been the one to tell him... because he had turned twelve that day, Kohaku was an adult, and could come on the mission. He'd had some reserves, but he wanted to prove himself to his family.
What a mistake that turned out to be. It was all a trap, and no sooner had the monstrous spider youkai been destroyed, Kohaku blacked out. When he awoke, arrows jutted painfully from his body, blood covering his hands. Sango was leaning over him, crying, and beyond her Kohaku could see the slaughtered bodies of the other slayers. Then everything went dark...
Naraku had wanted the shards from the village, and the man had succeeded. He'd revived Kohaku, using him as a puppet for nearly a year before the seal on Kohaku's memories had broken. Horrified and angry, Kohaku ran from Naraku and joined with Sesshoumaru, an enemy of the black-haired demon and the pure-blooded youkai brother to InuYasha. Four years had passed since that day, and Naraku had eluded them ever since.
Except...
Looking at the darkening sky, Kohaku recalled a day only a week after he'd thought that he'd escaped Naraku for good. Kohaku had fallen asleep, weary from the summer heat and from the constant travel. Naraku had found him there...and had reminded him that there was no true escape. Even now, Kohaku shivered at the memory, trying to forget the way Naraku's lips had touched his own, the way their bodies had connected... that burning fire...
"Sick, sick, sick," Kohaku muttered out loud, shaking his head.
"Is something the matter?"
Stopping in his tracks, Kohaku looked up at Sesshoumaru's golden eyes. "... No, sir. I just... didn't feel too well."
His gaze unwavering, Sesshoumaru finally nodded, motioning to the dragon named A'un. "We will settle here for tonight," the lord said. Although their surroundings were mostly open field with a few trees, A'un settled down into the long grasses and provided a good place to lean upon for rest.
"Is Kohaku alright?" Rin asked from the dragon's back. The little girl peered over the side.
"Just tired," he replied, snuggling down into the grass. "...Goodnight."
Sesshoumaru leaned against A'un as well, not bothering to question the boy. If he wanted to talk about something, he would do so in his own time. By the time the sun fell below the horizon, all had fallen asleep under the stars. Even Sesshoumaru had slipped into a deep abyss, trusting his senses to wake him if danger approached.
This is me for forever;
One of the lost ones.
Perhaps that is why the inu youkai failed to sense the presence in the shadows, waiting in the tree-line just outside of the grassy field. The dark figure was motionless, save for two crimson eyes that stayed focused on Kohaku, the light of the stars glinting in their dark depths. The glint turned into a soft, ruby glow; a small breeze rustled the grass. The crickets went silent as Naraku smiled, waiting. He was a patient man... He would let the prey come to him.
The one without a name,
Without an honest heart
as compass.
It was to be surprisingly easy.
This is me for forever;
One without a name.
In the realm of sleep, Kohaku stirred. Something... something calling him. Images flickered across his eyelids, filled with fire. And a figure, within the flames... With a gasp, Kohaku sat up, waking instantly. His chest tightened as he tried to steady his breathing, pressing one hand to his forehead. A wave of sickness had come over him; standing, he wandered towards the tree-line in a half-daze. Once he got there, he clutched a tree and leaned over the bushes; he tried to wretch, his stomach heaving though nothing came from it.
These lines, the last endeavor
To find the missing lifeline.
"Tsssk..."
Oh how I wish
For soothing rain;
All I wish is to dream again.
Kohaku barely moved as a cool hand gently brushed away the hair that had matted along his damp forehead. "He...lp...me..."
My loving heart,
Lost in the dark...
For hope I'd give my everything.
A soft piece of cloth dabbed away the sweat away from Kohaku's face. "Of course," came the soothing voice. "Shh..."
Falling into semi-lucid consciousness, Kohaku submit to the gentle ministrations. He knew not who it was... his eyelids were too heavy to open, but in his sudden fever-struck mind, they seemed to be a guardian angel. "Bless you..."
Those were the last words Naraku heard as Kohaku passed out into his arms. "A blessing?" the man murmured. "... We'll see."
Naraku flicked his eyes towards where Sesshoumaru slept. The silver-haired youkai had yet to stir...And when he did, it would likely be too late. With a satisfied smile, Naraku summoned a silent tornado of shouki, disappearing into the violet haze as it rose into the sky.
The moon shone through the castle window, casting a shower of silver light onto two sweat-slicked figures, both moving to their own primal rhythms. Their breaths came is short, shallow gasps, and had anyone else been listening, they surely would have blushed as the growled words that penetrated the quietness of the night.
My flower, withered between
The pages 2 and 3.
Kohaku arched his body over Naraku, sliding his hands upwards along the man's toned chest. Naraku smirked, his eyes dancing with triumph and fire, the torches around the room still flickering dimly. Just as Kohaku's hands began to slip down Naraku's arms, the demon twisted, grabbing Kohaku's wrists, flipping the boy onto his back and pinning his arms to the floor.
"Mmm..." Naraku hummed, straddling Kohaku's abdomen. He leaned over, gradually kissing up the younger man's chest and towards the neck, his movements slow and deliberate.
The once and forever bloom,
gone with my sins.
A soft, low sound of pleasure escaped Kohaku's lips. "Naraku," he whimpered, the whispered name a strained prayer for mercy.
Walk the dark path,
Sleep with angels...
Call the past for help.
He would get none. Naraku's mouth caressed Kohaku's throat, his sharp fangs grazing along the flesh. His powerful body shifted and pressed against the younger male, their heat mingling until the room felt as it was an inferno. Kohaku writhed, fingernails digging into Naraku's back as tears of an unknown emotion welled in his eyes, causing the flames of the torches to meld into a solid wall of dancing red and gold.
It was then that Naraku slid back, hip to hip with his prey. "Do you want me?" he asked, his voice laced with a coolness that a serpent would have envied.
Kohaku felt his heart slam in his chest so hard that he could barely breathe. He hated Naraku... hated him for easing the pain.. Hated him for making it all feel so good. He was scrambling to find that core of fury inside... but it was gone. All that was left was the bitter, cold truth...
"... Yes."
Touch me with your love,
And reveal to me my true name..
A soft smile, laced with dark intentions, crossed Naraku's face as he released Kohaku's arms and drew the boy close to him. "In that case..." he purred into Kohaku's ear. "Come and get me."
Kohaku sat up straight with a gasp, sweat rolling down his forehead and neck. His eyes swept back and forth, taking in the forest and field, then darting towards the direction of Sesshoumaru and the others. It had been just a dream...? Everything seemed the same as it had been...
Except the burning. Kohaku pulled his knees to his chest, clenching his hands into fists until his fingernails punched bleeding wounds into his palms. Hot tears slid down his face as he grit his teeth, trying not to scream. What game was Naraku playing? Why did he continue the mental torture?
Why, Kohaku thought faintly, does he keep leaving me?
That was the thought Kohaku hated the most, but it couldn't be denied. The tears that flowed down his face not only contained rage, but disappointment. For a bare thread in time, Kohaku's dreams had delivered a sweet taste of what dwelled beyond hatred. For a fleeting moment, the pain that had been held inside him had felt almost... bearable.
A low buzzing noise made Kohaku look up, drying his eyes on his sleeve. Through his somewhat misty vision, he could see a large insect perched on a tree branch only feet away... a Saimyosho. Its pure red eyes were locked onto him... Kohaku slowly stood up, walking within inches of the wasp. The creature didn't fly away, though it rose into the air at eye level, staring at Kohaku. It didn't have to speak... he already knew the question, and the answer.
Naraku was giving him a choice.
Kohaku glanced over his shoulder, gazing in Sesshoumaru's direction one last time. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to the Saimyosho, giving it a brief nod. The creature flitted into the woods at a rapid pace, and Kohaku sprinted to catch up. If Naraku wanted a chase, then Naraku would get a chase...
The hunt was on.
Oh how I wish
For soothing rain,
All I wish is to dream again.
My loving heart,
Lost in the dark...
For hope I'd give my everything.