It was no longer a matter of hunting down Naraku. The Shikon Jewel was all but completed. The fragment sustaining Kohaku's life was the only piece that was missing. They all knew that Naraku would come to them in order to retrieve it.
Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku prepared to go into battle. They knew that this was it. This was the fight everything else had been building up to. By the end of this battle either Naraku would be dead, or they would be. Those were the only possible outcomes. There could be no regrets, no turning back.
In spite of the promise he made to his sister, Kohaku knew his own prospects for survival were very low. He couldn't see any future for himself past this battle. He was at peace with that. He would die taking out Naraku the way Hotaru had died taking out Magatsuhi.
The morning before the battle, Kohaku lay awake next to Rin on the floor of the village storehouse. He hadn't slept much since Hotaru's death. He had become accustomed to sleeping with her back pressed up against his, a constant source of warmth and reassurance. Without her, he felt vulnerable and exposed. When he did manage to fall asleep, he could never manage to stay asleep for very long before the nightmares woke him.
That morning, he rose before sunrise and left the storehouse. As he dressed in the pre-dawn gloom, he tucked Hotaru's purple broach into his armor. Then he trekked to the outskirts of the village.
Though her body couldn't reside there, Lady Kaede still thought it was important to give Hotaru a grave. With the help of Rin and Shippo, the old priestess erected a small shrine on the hillside. Kohaku knelt by it as he waited for the others to wake.
"We're going after Naraku." Kohaku said. "I'm going to destroy him. One way or another. I'm going to end him. Please, lend me your strength today."
He waited for a sign, any sign, to show him that she was there, somehow. Something to let him know that she had heard him, that she was still watching over him. The shrine was still and silent.
Selfish! Kohaku scolded himself. She fought her battle already. Let her rest in peace.
"Kohaku…" A small voice spoke behind him. He turned to see Rin. He had never seen her look so timid before. She looked small, pale, scared. She had gone through so much change in the past few days. Lord Sesshomaru hadn't returned since the night Hotaru died. Nobody had any idea where to find him. Kohaku had withdrawn from her, as much as it shamed him to admit. She must be feeling so abandoned. Her eyes were wide and watery. "Do you really have to go?"
Kohaku nodded. "I have to finish this."
"But Naraku wants your Jewel Shard. If he takes it, you'll die, too."
Kohaku wondered how many times people would feel the need to remind him of that fact. As if he had forgotten. Kohaku couldn't begrudge Rin. She must feel like her world was falling apart all over again.
"I have to finish this." He told her. "No matter what the cost."
Rin ran to him and threw her arms around him. She wasn't usually affectionate in this way. Kohaku hugged her back. He let her cry. He didn't tell her it was going to be okay. It probably wouldn't be. He held her until the sun rose over the horizon.
Then he stood up and went to join the others, leaving Rin alone at Hotaru's shrine.
Kohaku found his sister and the others waiting for him.
"Let's head out." Inuyasha said.
"Alright!" Shippo called, excitedly, "It's time to beat Naraku!"
"Shippo, you stay here," said Inuyasha.
"WHAT! What do you mean stay here!"
"Someone has to stay here and protect Rin and Kaede." Inuyasha said. "And if we don't come back, someone is going to have to take our place."
"Me?"
"Of course." Miroku added. "There is no one we trust more to keep the village safe when we're gone."
Shippo puffed up to stand very tall. "I won't let you down!"
They turned and left the village behind them.
"Remember," Sango said to Kohaku, as he rode on Kirara's back with her. "Once we get close to Naraku, stay by Kagome's side. She will keep your Jewel Shard purified."
Kohaku nodded. Kagome's spiritual powers returned upon Magatsuhi's death, so if he stuck close to her, she should be able to keep his Jewel Shard from being corrupted. They would be in the center of the group once the fighting began. Those were the conditions Kohaku had to agree to in order to accompany the others in this battle.
It was easy enough to find Naraku. He was no longer bothering to hide. He was all but inviting Kohaku to come to him. They tracked him only a couple of miles to a cave outside the village.
"This is Onigumo's cave." Miroku stated.
"This is where it all began." said Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, can you sense that as well?" Miroku asked.
"Yeah. His demonic aura is way weaker than normal."
"What do you think it means?" Sango asked.
"I have a theory." Miroku said. "Do you remember when Naraku cornered Kohaku, Hotaru, and Rin in the forest? Hotaru attacked him with a massive amount of power. It is possible that he has not fully recovered from that attack."
"So you're sayin' Naraku is still injured? Ha, this is goin' to be easier than I thought."
"Don't get too cocky." Sango warned, "He wouldn't make it this easy for us to find him unless he had some sort of trick up his sleeve. We have no idea what might lay ahead."
"Unless he's growing desperate." added Kagome. "If he's weakened this much, he's probably eager to complete the Shikon Jewel."
"Well, we ain't gonna defeat him just standin' around here talking about it. Come on!"
Kohaku started forward with Kagome. He could just barely hear a murmured conversation between his sister and Miroku.
"Let's defeat Naraku."
"Yes, and Sango, after this, let's get married."
"Yes."
In spite of everything, Kohaku felt a brief moment of happiness for his sister. She still has a family. Even if I die in this battle, she will still have a family.
He followed Kagome into the cave. Reality warped around them. As they entered the cave, the entrance closed behind them. The cave was illuminated by some sort of eerie glow, as if the walls were made of a luminescent rock, making it feel like they were trapped underwater. Then Kohaku noticed that the cave walls weren't rock at all. They were pulsating flesh. Naraku's body had filled this cavern. Creeping along the cavern walls like moss on a tree.
Lord Sesshomaru was already inside, though it looked as if he had only arrived moments before Kohaku and the others. The dog demon was glaring up at Bakuya, who spoke from one of the crevices towards the roof of the cave.
"Ah, here comes one of your little pets, Lord Sesshomaru. But weren't you up to three now? Where are the other two? Oh, wait, I believe I heard a rumor that you weren't as good at keeping them alive as you thought you were."
Lord Sesshomaru snarled.
"Meido Zangetsuha!"
Bakuya just barely moved out of the way in time to dodge a massive, complete meido from swallowing him up.
"Touchy, touchy." Bakuya tutted. "My, you'd think I was the one who killed the girl. Well, don't let me stop you. Naraku is just down this corridor, but first, I've been instructed to invite you to my realm of dreams."
With a flourish, Bakuya produced a rose from his kimono and blew on the petals. They danced gracefully on the air before landing.
The cave began rumbling. The ground fractured at every place a petal landed. The cave floor lifted up beneath their feet. Kohaku found himself being flung forward. He toppled, head over heel, as the floor sharply rose up. He heard the others scream. Sango shouted his name. Miroku shouted Sango's. Inuyasha and Kagome called out for each other. Before Kohaku even had a chance to get to his feet, walls closed up around him.
Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading this far. And thank you all who have reviewed. It means so much to me, you can't even imagine. I really hope you're still enjoying it. I'll be honest, I'm still not really sure how to write battles, so the next chapter might get interesting. Let me know what you're thinking.