InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Revelation ❯ Chapter 1

This fic is inspired both by recent Inu-Yasha manga chapters not going the way I want to, as well as Spectrum's inspiration to me to write a Kohaku fic. Since I think that, as Kohaku is my bishounen, I should be able to fairly represent him, and I should also be able to write Sango, I will actually attempt this fic and hope I'm in character. Now, to fic!

Uhh... the fic is begun May 28, 2004 and once begun the premise will not be changed. If later events in the manga reflect or discount this fic, uhh, I have no control over that. NOW to fic.

--FIC--

Kohaku sprinted through the forest, taking the short way to a town which he'd heard knew the whereabouts of a youkai famed for making impenetrable barriers. This was, of course, under an order of Naraku's, and for once Kohaku could pretty clearly guess why. Naraku was, after all, still vulnerable to that new attack of Inu-Yasha's, the one that had shattered Naraku while he was in that place between this world and the next. Obviously, Naraku would want to absorb this youkai, to make himself defensible to Inu-Yasha's attacks.

Kohaku was annoyed. Back before he'd regained his memories he'd spent so much time around that baby. If he'd only known, he would have been able to kill it long ago. But now that he wanted to kill the baby, it seemed that Naraku had given him missions that only took him away from the baby. Could Naraku know? Kohaku wondered. No, if he knew, well, he wouldn't have hidden it like this. Sighing, Kohaku continued to run.

"Ahh!" Kagome sighed happily as she sank down onto a futon. After a few days of traveling, the group had finally reached a small village and, thanks to Miroku, had received lodgings for the night. "I'm tired!"

"It's been a long day," Sango agreed, coming to sit by her friend. "So hot... it'll be nice to sleep inside tonight."

Shippou scurried over to the two girls as Inu-Yasha and Miroku re-entered the house. Outside, night was falling. The sunset's rays gently brushed against the tops of trees and the sound of rushing water could be heard from a nearby fountain. "Evidentially, Inu-Yasha was right about there being the sense of youki around here," Miroku told the group, "Apparently there's a youkai who lives in these parts. He keeps to himself and the village doesn't seem bothered by his presence." Shrugging, he came to sit down.

Supper was delicious and the group spent a pleasant evening of conversation. They were about to turn in to bed, satisfied with the day's events and anticipating a refreshing night of sleep when suddenly Kagome jumped up. "Hey..." she began tentatively, "I... sense a shikon no kakera... coming towards this village, from the woods!"

The others jumped up as well. "Are you sure?" Miroku asked, then, "Only one shard?"

"Yes," Kagome confirmed, "One shard."

"Kohaku!" Sango exclaimed, grabbing Hiraikotsu and running out the door. The others, after glancing concernedly at one another, ran after her.

Kohaku, beginning to become tired, had slowed down his pace from a run to a more leisurely walk. The village was nearby; he was almost there. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the bushes. He stopped, wondering what could be causing this sound, when suddenly Sango stepped from behind a tree, dressed in her taiji-ya outfit, Hiraikotsu behind her shoulder. "Kohaku!" she cried.

Kohaku stalled. He knew that he should run, should leave, should pretend he hadn't seen her, should act like he didn't recognize her. But somehow, this time, the pain in her eyes forced him to stay put. He averted his eyes; she gazed at him, her eyes filled with questions. Slowly, he turned to walk away.

Sango, however, was not going to let him escape this time. In a deft movement, she leaped towards him. Picking up speed, Kohaku tried to avoid her, but she grabbed his arm and forced him back against a tree. Caught off-guard, all he could do was stare at her, at her eyes glossy with tears, her face full of pain. He tried to look away. Sango, however, reached up to his chin and turned his face towards hers. "Kohaku," she whispered, "I'm not going to let this happen again. I'm not going to let you go back to Naraku. Even if you don't remember, I'm going to keep you away from him."

Utterly surprised, the word fell from his lips before he could even think. "...Ane-ue."

Sango, taken aback, simply stared at Kohaku, her eyes full of shock and wonder. Shit, Kohaku's mind screamed. He tried to wriggle out of Sango's grasp, but his sister pushed him back against the tree.

"Kohaku," Sango finally whispered, having at last found her voice. "Do you... remember?"

Kohaku, feeling that if his secret was out he'd best tell the truth, nodded. Sango relaxed her grip on him and stepped backwards; Kohaku did not move.

"When did you... when did you first remember?" Sango's voice, still hushed, held wonder and pity. Though she still bore that expression of deep sadness, relief shone in her eyes.

Looking down, Kohaku told her, "At the castle... where I was with Kanna and Naraku's baby. When I... killed the people there. I remembered."

Sango gasped. "But... that was a long time ago! I've seen you since then! I saw you then! Why do you keep running from me?"

Still not meeting her eyes, Kohaku murmured, "I... I didn't want Naraku to find out. He still controls my life. He'd kill me if he knew."

Sango reached out a comforting hand to his shoulder. She felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach. Kohaku was her little brother, the one she ought to be protecting. He shouldn't have to carry this burden all on his own. But he'd been doing it for so long, she realized. He wasn't the same meek, shy boy she'd known. He'd been tested, steeled. He'd stood on his own through so much. "We've seen each other other times though," she reminded him. "There were several times you could have told me."

Kohaku felt pain rise up in his heart, pain he'd tried to suppress, the loneliness he'd been feeling for so long. For a moment, he wished that he could just go back to the way things were a year ago. Things were so much simpler then, he was so innocent then, surrounded by people he cared for. Now, he'd been denying the truth from the one person he had left in the world. A tear welled up in his eyes. "I have to defeat Naraku," he told her, "I have to kill that baby, the one that's his heart. Now that you know, you'll want me to stay with you. If I can stop him, I want to do it."

Sango nodded. "You want to strike a blow from the inside."

"I have to," Kohaku told her. "I have to keep pretending that I'm loyal to him, until the time is right. Then I can strike my blow, and hopefully then I'll be able to return to you."

Sango nodded once more, then impulsively threw her arms around him. "Oh Kohaku," she whispered, "You've... you've grown so much. I wish you could've told me before, but... I understand why you didn't. Of course I wish you could stay here with me, but I see why you cannot." As Kohaku slowly wrapped his own arms around her shoulders, sinking into the hug, she continued. "You've been through so much. You've grown up so fast. Maybe you'll be the one to defeat Naraku... maybe we'll all do it together. But remember, you're not alone. I care about you."

Suddenly, the tears which had begun to trickle down his cheeks swelled into a veritable flood. He buried his head in her shoulder, his chest heaving with sobs. As if Sango could hear his thoughts she whispered a response to the words he'd felt in his heart. "Yes, I care about you. Yes, we all care about you, all of my friends. You were forced by Naraku to do horrible things, but you're not a bad person for it. You're a very good person, and you're working hard to redeem yourself to the world. And I'm proud of you."

Kohaku looked up to see that her eyes, through the pain, were shining. "Really?" he asked, and for a moment he sounded like the child he'd once been.

Sango smiled at him and stepped away; Kohaku wiped his tears. After a long pause, he told her, "Then, thank you."

Sango nodded. "Kohaku... I'm glad that I've got you back... for now at least. And I know that, in the end, I'll have you back for good."

Kohaku took a deep breath. "I'll kill Naraku, and I'll come back to you," he promised, "I'm not going to give in any more." Changing the subject, he added, "I hope you've been... all right? You're happy with the friends you've met?"

Sango smiled, then. "Yes, they're wonderful. There's Inu-Yasha, the hanyou... and Kagome-chan, the miko, and Shippou-chan, the kitsune... and..." her breath catching in her throat, she paused, then continued on breathlessly, "And... Miroku, houshi-sama, my... my... intended."

"Your intended?" Kohaku exclaimed, surprised, "Ane-ue... you've grown up too."

Inu-Yasha and the others, though they'd set off behind Sango, had followed at a respectful distance, and when Kagome announced that the shikon no kakera was not changing its position, as well as Inu-Yasha's continued assurance that he smelt no blood, they continued at an almost leisurely pace. So, it was several minutes after they'd left the village's grounds when, coming up to a clearing, they could see Sango and Kohaku, standing by a tree, talking, embracing. Amazed, awed, wondering if this could possibly be what it seemed to be, the group stopped and knelt behind a clump of bushes. However, their attempts to be silent were not entirely successful, as Kohaku announced, "Ane-ue, your friends have come."

Sango looked over to the bushes. "Oh, come on out, we were done anyway," she said, "Kohaku... remembers."

Miroku was first to rise, then Kagome, followed by Inu-Yasha and Shippou. Sango formally introduced her friends to Kohaku, the proper courtesies were exchanged. Though all knew that there was much more to do, that it could not possibly be over yet, all felt that a huge step had been made, that there was more hope for the future. After a few minutes, they said their farewells, wishing Kohaku luck in his endeavors, promising that more conversation, as much conversation as they could want, would come as soon as it truly was over. Kohaku made to leave; passing by Sango he repeated his promise. To Inu-Yasha he murmured, "The youkai around here, you might want to warn him about Naraku." Then, at the edge of the clearing, he stopped in front of Miroku.

"Take care of my ane-ue, okay?" Kohaku told him, "Make sure she's happy." Miroku nodded silently, then Kohaku, without looking back, walked on into the forest.

--END--