Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.

Note: Well, last chapter sure was heavy! I had to fix several small things, in order to make the story flow right. This chapter was also a tough one. But hey, at least you get to see some shounen-ai fan service!

'thoughts and inner voices'

"talking"

WARNING: shounen-ai, shota, Sesshoumaru x Kohaku

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW.

They landed near the ruins of a village.

Sesshoumaru restrained himself from wrinkling his nose. He could smell the ashes of burned houses and the blood of death. The village couldn't have been attacked too long ago. There were still humans walking around between the ruins of the village. They were probably villagers who were trying to rebuild their homes. The scents were overwhelming his senses, but somehow he managed to detect that one scent he was looking for.

Naraku.

"Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru turned around to see two small girls standing behind him, waiting for him. He recognized them as Kochou and Asuka, Kikyou's two faithful shikigami.

"What does she want?" Sesshoumaru said, referring to Kikyou. He glared at the two girls, but his eyes had no effect on either girl. He should have known. The two girls were shikigami, which meant that their whole existence was controlled by Kikyou.

"Kikyou-sama wishes for the shards," Kochou began.

"They are not yet to be given to Naraku," Asuka continued.

The nerve of that woman. To order this Sesshoumaru around. Who did that miko think she was? Sesshoumaru was about to insult the two girls, when another voice attracted his attention.

"Sesshoumaru-sama…"

Sesshoumaru dropped his gaze and stared at the boy in his arm. "Yes?" he asked.

"Uhm…" Kohaku hesitated for a moment. He felt a little nervous being in the embrace of the stoic lord. A blush dusted his cheeks as he twitched. "Ah well, I thought that… err… maybe you could let me go?"

Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise. He hadn't even noticed he was still holding onto Kohaku. Fighting down the embarrassment he felt inside him, he lowered himself and gently put his companion down.

"Thank you," mumbled Kohaku, as he dropped his eyes and let them bore holes into the forest ground.

Sesshoumaru merely nodded and turned to face the two girls again. "Tell that woman that our alliance is broken. I do not need her anymore."

Nor did she need him any longer. They both had what they wanted. She had her two Shikon shards and he had Kohaku's shard. He wasn't sure why Kikyou needed the two shards for her twisted plans of revenge, but his shard would be the one to lure Naraku out.

Sesshoumaru reached inside his kimono. "Leave," he commanded as he threw the two pink Shikon shards towards the girls. The shards dropped onto the ground and Kochou bent down to pick them up. The two girls arose, their feet lifting from the forest floor, and then they flew away, leaving boy and youkai by themselves.

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze away. "I will have to kill you now, Kohaku," he stated.

"I know," replied Kohaku. He had expected this moment to come.

"Are you not afraid to die?" asked Sesshoumaru. He turned himself around to stare at the boy, silently expressing his wonder, but still keeping a firm cold mask on his face.

Kohaku shook his head, still refusing to meet Sesshoumaru's gaze. "No Sesshoumaru-sama. I am not afraid to die." He bit his bottom lip and trembled as he voiced his next words. "I just hope my death will contribute to Naraku's downfall."

Finally he lifted his head up and looked into Sesshoumaru's piercing eyes. "I killed off my entire village." He shivered as tears blurred his image of the youkai lord. "My father's blood stains on my hands…" He felt his cheeks becoming wet and finally he couldn't take it anymore. He broke down in front of the youkai lord. He dropped onto his knees and started crying his heart out. He cried out the guilt he felt. He cried for his village, his father and his sister. He cried for his victims. He could not stop crying.

A feeling of sympathy overcame Sesshoumaru as he saw his companion shaking and sobbing in front of him. He felt for the boy. That child was too young to suffer. That child needed someone. Someone to hold him.

Sesshoumaru had decided. He slowly strode over towards the boy and then dropped down onto his knees. He stretched out his arm, but hesitated for a moment to touch Kohaku's shivering form. Being the ice lord that he was, he had never comforted someone in his life before. He wasn't sure about what he had to do.

However, he didn't need to know. Kohaku already told him what he wanted, when he jumped into the lord's embrace. He smelled the boy's salty tears as he awkwardly put his arm around Kohaku's waist. He heard the other's breathing; it was fast and laboured. Tears seeped into the fabric of his clothes. He felt Kohaku's heartbeat, supported by the Shikon shard, against his own. He was holding Kohaku.

Kohaku shivered and cried, forgetting for the moment that it was Sesshoumaru, the stoic ice lord, who was holding him. He needed this feeling of being held.

And they stayed there, awaiting the hanyou that would come.

KAEDE'S VILLAGE:

Slowly Miroku opened his eyes. "Am I…"

"You're awake!" Kagome called out and she made a quick dash towards him. "How are you feeling?" She helped him as he tried to sit up. "Does it hurt?" she asked in concern.

"Well yes… it does. Everything is hurting." Slowly Miroku lifted a hand to his chest. "I thought I died."

"You almost did die," Kagome commented. "Sesshoumaru's whip attack was poisonous."

"Oh…" Miroku let out a soft sad sigh.

"What's the matter, Miroku-sama?" Kagome asked as she put a hand on his arm to comfort him.

"Sango-san…" mumbled Miroku.

"What about me, Houshi-sama?"

Squealing rather girly Miroku jumped up in surprise. He turned to look behind him, where the voice had come from. "Sango-san, you're alive!" He looked at her in wonder and couldn't help but smile. "Sango-san…"

Sango raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I'm still alive. What about it?"

"Ehh… well, I…" Scratching his head Miroku tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to his mind. He sighed inwardly and decided to show some of his old habit. At least they would know he was alright then. Stepping towards Sango he reached out and held both her hands. "Sango-san, will you bear my child?"

A loud slap could be heard throughout the area.

Kagome shook her head. "You deserved that, Miroku-sama."

"Ah well…" Miroku grinned as a red handprint formed itself on his cheek. 'Sango-san… thank goodness you're still alive.' The grin on his face left him, the moment he noticed Sango's sadness.

"Kohaku… he did this to us. He remembers himself and yet he… I don't understand." Sango inhaled deeply, trying to prevent the tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes from falling.

"Sango-chan…" Kagome walked over to her friend and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Your brother was after my shards, not after our lives." The group turned around to look at Kouga, who made an attempt to sit. Seeing his pack members, Hakkaku and Ginta, snoring beside him, made him roll his eyes in annoyance.

"Kouga-kun, you're awake!" Kagome exclaimed.

Kouga nodded as he gave up on trying to sit and plopped back onto his back. "Yeah," he said and he rolled his eyes one more time. "Unfortunately I'm not the only one awake."

"What's that supposed to mean, you damn ookami!" barked InuYasha and he jumped up. He growled and showed his teeth to Kouga, who completely ignored him, making him fume more. It surprised Kagome that InuYasha was in a less bad shape than Kouga, but she quickly understood. InuYasha was just too brainless to notice his own pain.

Miroku turned his attention back to the future-miko. "Kagome-sama," he asked. "Can you tell us what happened after we all fainted?"

"Well, I don't know what happened to Kohaku, Sesshoumaru or the Shikon shards…" Kagome started. "But when I pulled InuYasha out of the river I saw everyone laying on the ground. I thought you all had died, but then Shippou-chan and Kirara came back. Shippou-chan told me that you were all still alive, so we brought you back here."

Shippou stood up proudly and placed his hands on his hips. "Yeah, it was thanks to my keen senses that you guys survived," he boasted. "Even InuYasha's life depended on me!" Not a moment later InuYasha bonked his head, making him wail for Kagome.

"Sit InuYasha," Kagome grunted and she let out a heavy sigh. Some things would never change. 'But thank heaven, no one died. We only lost the Shikon shards.'

NEAR KOIMIZU'S VILLAGE:

"Sesshoumaru-sama…" Kohaku mumbled as he buried his face deeper into the fabric of the youkai lord's clothes. "I'm glad that you are the one to take my life away."

Sesshoumaru stayed quiet and stared at the mass of dark hair on top of his companion's head. There was nothing to say. He was going to kill Kohaku.

"Can you tell my sister that I love her?"

Sesshoumaru wanted to nod, but he realised that Kohaku would not see it, so he decided to break his silence. "If that is what you wish." He felt sorry for the boy. He was barely older than Rin. He was way too young to die.

"You know that I cannot revive you, Kohaku," Sesshoumaru stated. "Not even Tenseiga can save you." They both knew the powers of his father's sword. It could only revive a soul once. Technically, Kohaku had already been revived with the Shikon shard in his back. If Kohaku died now, then he would never be revived again.

"Is there anything you want before you die?"

Kohaku looked up into the metallic eyes of the youkai lord. 'There is nothing for me to lose anymore,' he thought and a smile formed on his lips. "Yes," he said and he leaned up connecting his lips to those of Sesshoumaru.

The kiss was short, but gentle. The feather light touch lingered on Sesshoumaru's lips, even after Kohaku pulled back from him. A look of surprise broke through Sesshoumaru's mask, but he decided not to ask about his companion's motive behind the kiss. Instead he closed his eyes and leaned down to capture the boy's lips for a second and deeper kiss. To Sesshoumaru, it seemed like a fitting goodbye and a last wish to be fulfilled. To Kohaku, it was a taste of life, before death would overtake him.

Sesshoumaru shifted his hand and placed it onto Kohaku's back, as he felt Kohaku's tongue slip past his lips. They played gently with each other as if in a sensual dance. Kohaku's last dance ended when Sesshoumaru's claws broke through the skin of his back and retrieved the Shikon shard.

"Until we meet again, Kohaku."

Kohaku perished into dust and his remains were swept away by the cool wind of the night.

THANK YOU FOR READING. PLEASE STAY TUNED…

Dictionary: Shikigami (spirit that serves the one who summoned it); Tenseiga (Sesshoumaru's sword that can revive the dead and is made from his father's fang.)