Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.

'thoughts and inner voices'

"talking"

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A Shikon shard?

InuYasha lifted his nose into the air.

He smelled him. His brother was coming his way. InuYasha let out a low growl as he grabbed for his Tessaiga, preparing himself for an upcoming battle.

Kouga, too, stood up, his whole being going on full alert. The amount of youki that he felt coming to him in waves was incredible! This could not be some normal youkai. He recognized the youki. He had met this person before.

Kagome tried to ease the hanyou. "InuYasha, it's only Kohaku," she said. Her easing did not work the way she wanted to, but the words did manage to catch Sango's attention.

"Kohaku!?" Sango called out. She whipped her head around and gave Kagome a desperate look. "Don't lie to me, Kagome-chan," she said. "Is it really Kohaku, who is coming?"

"Sango-chan…" Kagome gave Sango a look of sympathy. She felt sorry for Sango, who lost her brother and entire village because of Naraku's doing. "Sango-chan, I… I feel a Shikon shard coming this way, but I am not sure if it's Kohaku."

"It's him alright," InuYasha growled. "I can smell him and Sesshoumaru is with him too."

Kouga blinked. Oh… right. He had met that guy before. Sesshoumaru. Tall, strong and handsome. The ideal man for every girl or boy who did not know his cold personality. The Lord of the Western Lands and InuYasha's older brother. Yeah, he had met the guy before.

Not a moment later a boy jumped out of the shadows, followed by the youkai lord.

"Ko… Kohaku…" Sango shook as she saw her younger brother once again. She had wondered for a long time where Kohaku had been staying after Naraku had weakened. "Kohaku… you're alright…" A tear rolled down Sango's cheek. She was glad her brother was still alive.

Kohaku trembled. His sister was crying for him. "Aneue…" The word left his lips before he even noticed it, leaving his sister in shock. (1)

"You…" Sango whispered. "You remember me?"

Kohaku felt tears trickling down his own cheek. He did remember his sister. Especially his sister. He remembered everything and it was because of her that he remembered everything. He wanted to call her again, but this time the words were stuck in his throat. He opened his mouth, but nothing wanted to come out.

'Aneue!' The words screamed inside his head. 'Aneue, I am sorry! I want to stay with you!'

"Kohaku! Talk to me!" Sango called out. She took a step forward towards her brother, but she stopped when Sesshoumaru's whip venomously slashed before her, missing her by an inch. The grounds before her tore apart.

"Kohaku," he said. "You know what to do."

Kohaku nodded. "Yes Sesshoumaru-sama," he replied as more tears trailed down his cheeks. He pulled out his weapon and slung it towards Kouga.

Kouga's instincts had already alarmed him of the danger, but just when he was going to dodge the attack, InuYasha had jumped and dragged him towards the ground with him.

Kohaku missed.

"What the hell are you doing, mutt!" Kouga cried out indignantly.

"I'm saving your sorry ass, you ungrateful ookami!" InuYasha growled back.

Kouga shoved the hanyou off of him. "I don't need you to save me, idiot!" he yelled back. However, the bickering with InuYasha had caused him to let his awareness slip, which caused him to be unprepared when the second attack landed on him.

"Watch out Kouga!" InuYasha cried out.

Too late. The first shard flew across the sky and Sesshoumaru made a jump. He caught the pink shard in his hand. "That's one," he stated and he turned to look at Kohaku, whose weapon glimmered with red blood. The blood of Kouga.

Kouga grabbed his leg as his face contorted with pain. "Damn it!" he cursed. They were after his shards!

"Sesshoumaru!" InuYasha growled out and he quickly drew his Tessaiga and charged.

"I am not interested in you, InuYasha," Sesshoumaru commented as he easily sidestepped InuYasha's attack.

"You're after the Shikon shards!" InuYasha yelled out furiously as he flung his sword again. "I won't let you have them, bastard!"

"I am not after these worthless shards, hanyou," Sesshoumaru taunted. "I am only doing the dead miko a favor."

InuYasha froze in his attack. Dead miko? That could only be…

"Kikyou!?" Kagome called out. The surprise, hurt and anger that were present in her voice didn't leave her face as she drew her bow. "She's behind this?!" she yelled. She picked up an arrow and aimed for Sesshoumaru.

At that moment Kohaku attacked her.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango called out. She jumped in between them in an attempt to save Kagome, which caused her to be the one receiving Kohaku's blow. Her blood splattered onto the ground as she dropped down to her knees in pain. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the pain that resided in her heart.

The arrow that Kagome had released missed Sesshoumaru by an inch.

"Kohaku…" Sango whispered as her vision started to blur. Kohaku could not be this heartless. She could not believe it. She would not believe it, because this was her brother. Her sweet brother. "Kohaku…" she tried again. And then her consciousness left her and she fell down on the ground.

'But… he remembered me. Why?'

"Sango-san!" Miroku cried out as he ran over to her. "Hold on, Sango-san!"

Kagome cradled her friend into her arms. "Sango-chan!" she screamed as tears fell from her eyes. "Sango-chan, wake up!"

Both Shippou and Kirara ran over to Sango. They cried and screamed out her name. She could not die like this! They would not believe it! Sango would not die! Not like this.

Kohaku turned around as more tears trickled down his face. "Aneue…" he uttered in a trembled whisper. 'I'm sorry, aneue.'

Sesshoumaru dealt InuYasha a heavy blow. "You should not be distracted, hanyou. It will be your death!"

InuYasha fell into the narrow stream of the Ancient Forest. As water poured into his lungs he saw Kikyou's face before him. Her smile, her gentle words.

InuYasha… are you willing to weave a new thread of fate with me?

'Kikyou, I finally trusted you. I don't care that you plot with Sesshoumaru. I don't care that you are stealing the Shikon shards. I still trust you. No matter what pain you bring me.'

Not a moment later both Hakkaku and Ginta fell down unconscious.

Kouga backed away, slightly limping as Sesshoumaru advanced on him. The pain of the wound singed through his entire leg. "You…" he hissed. A low growl formed in his throat as he took another step back. From the corner of his eyes he saw Miroku reach for the prayer beads on his hand, as Kagome jumped into the water of the river stream in order to save InuYasha. Kirara grabbed Shippou and flew away with him, bringing the small kitsune into safety.

"Kazaana!" Miroku called out.

But before he could unwrap the hell hole in his hand from the restricting prayer beads around it, Sesshoumaru had pulled out his whip and attacked him. Miroku fell down on his knees as the pain seared through his body. He vaguely heard Kouga's cry of pain as unconsciousness grabbed hold of him.

'Well, at least I've had the opportunity to know everyone…InuYasha, Kagome, Shippou, Kirara… Sango… Sango-san…'

Sesshoumaru jumped into the air and caught the last shard. "Well done, Kohaku," he commented. He turned and stared at the unconscious Prince of Wolf. The slices Kohaku had carved into his back and legs ran deep and the blood seeping out of them painted the ground dark red. Sesshoumaru hadn't even fought the Wolf Prince.

"Let us go, Kohaku," he said, but the boy did not move from his place. He turned around and saw Kohaku silently crying as he stood rooted to the spot. He decided to ease Kohaku's pain. Keeping the cold tone in his voice so as to not lose face, he spoke to the boy. "Your sister is still alive. I can smell it."

Kohaku froze, his breath stuck in his throat. What did Sesshoumaru-sama just say? Alive?

It took a moment before the words sunk into him. But then realization hit him. His sister was still alive! "Aneue!" Kohaku cried out as he ran over to his sister's unconscious form. He dropped onto his knees and gently touched her face with his fingertips. "Aneue…" he whispered and Sesshoumaru could hear all Kohaku's emotions poured into that one single word.

"Let's leave before Kagome surfaces from the river," Sesshoumaru urged. He was done here and he did not wish to stay any longer.

Kohaku nodded. "Yes Sesshoumaru-sama," he said and he got up. He walked over to Sesshoumaru, who picked him up and carried him in his one arm as he flew away.

The cries of a girl reached their ears. But they were far away.

(1) I couldn't bear translating Aneue. Kohaku said it with such fear and sadness that time after he had struck Sango with his weapon and came out of Naraku's control. The word is just too intense to translate; I much rather have it staying this way.

THANK YOU FOR READING. PLEASE STAY TUNED…

Dictionary: Aneue (older sister); Kazaana (Wind Tunnel, an attack from Miroku)