The Sacred Wishing Jewel Ch. 15

[mrs-koki.livejournal.com]

Title: The Sacred Wishing Jewel
Author: Mrs_Koki ( me)
Pairing: KoKi Tanaka/ Inu-Kame
Disclaimer: Owning people is illegal...common though, historically
Genre: AU, fantasy, demons, fantasy violence, human and half demon sex
Rating: PG ( NC-17 for later chapters as Koki and Inu-Kame get closer)
Length: Multi-chapter.
Summary: Koki is a 22 year old human guy, living a normal but unsatisfied and restless life, gets pulled into Japan's feudal past by an otherworldly creature, where he crosses paths with a dog like half-demon named Inu-Kame. There he discovers his past and future and that not all legends are the work of the imagination. Can ancient history give Koki the answers he's looking for and settle his restless heart? Will price be too high to pay for such answers and will he be able to bare the cost? 
A/N: Later chapters Koki and only Koki, will start calling "Inu-Kame" just Kame, everyone else will still refer to him as 'Inu-Kame'





“ Uhhh” Miroku wakes up finally.

“ He’s coming around!”

“ Miroku!”

“ Are you alright?”

“ I’m...alive?”

“ Yeah, Lord Mushin healed you.”

“ I...I see.” Miroku says and looks at his hand, “ Oh...!”

“ Eh?! Is something wrong with your hand?” Sango asks, looking at Miroku’s hand. Koki just holds out the empty water bucket, ready for Sango.

“ You’re gonna want this.” Koki says.

“ Why...” then she feels someone’s hand on her bottom.

Annoyed Sango takes the bucket from Koki and hits Miroku upside the head with it. Koki just chuckles and stands up and walks over to InuKame and the old Monk.

“ I didn’t think even you’d stoop to that....” Shippo sighs, shaking his head.

“ I don’t think he’s going to die anytime soon..”

“ At least not by Naraku.”

“ Mm-hm.”

While InuKame and the others head into the woods near the hot spring, the sole surviving wasp makes it back to Naraku and tells him what it found out. Its then that Naraku sends out the only one that InuKame can’t kill....Kohaku, Sango’s deceased baby brother. InuKame and Miroku are sitting by the camp fire, while Koki, Sango and Shippo go to the hot spring. Miroku tried to follow but Sango shut him down.

“ But Koki’s going...and so is Shippo!” Miroku protests.

“ Shippo’s just a child and Koki....” Sango starts...

“ I’m not the one that keeps feeling her up.” Koki finishes, handing Sango her make shift top she used the last time she took a dip in a hot spring and Miroku was around. They leave InuKame and Miroku alone by the fire.

“ Hmph. Naraku probably thought he had me, eh?”

“ Well...he may not have killed you yet, but he succeeded pretty well in shutting down your best weapon.”

“ He’ll probably take this opportunity to set another trap, won’t he?”

“ They’re sure having a serious talk about something.” shippo says at the hot spring.

“ Yeah they are.” Koki agrees, his back is to the hot spring while Sango changes.

After telling Koki that he can turn around, he goes to change into his swim trunks...Shippo changes with him. They slip into the hot water along side Sango.

“ InuKame isn’t a peeping too, is he?” Sango asks Koki.

“ Only at me and when he thinks I’m not looking.” Koki grins and then says, “  The huge scar on your back...did a demon do that to you? I noticed it as you had your back to me earlier and when I changed your bandages for the last time.”

“ This scar...was a gift from my own dearly departed little brother. It was at Naraku’s castle, he was possessed by a demon and it made him kill Father and our other companions....in the end.”

“ Oh..”

“ He was always a timid, gentle child. As he was dying, he became the real Kohaku again...just for a moment.” Sango finishes sadly.

“ I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought something so painful.”

“ Don’t be, Koki. Everyone here has a story..” she hears movement in the bushes next to them, “ In fact some of us...ARE DEAD!” she shouts and throws a big rock into the bushes, just as her top comes untied.

“ Huh...?”

“ A monkey?!” Sango says as InuKame and Miroku come over wondering what all the shouting is about.

“ Hey! What’s all the fuss about?” Miroku asks as Shippo tells Sango that her top is down.

Sango freaks and hits Miroku over the head. InuKame’s eyes were diverted else where...Koki’s chest and abs. Sango covers herself and Koki ties the top more securely. Koki glares and wraps his arm protectively around Sango as they get back in the hot spring.

“ And here we were having a serious man-talk the whole time. If this causes me trouble...I’ll strangle you.” InuKame glares at the monk.

“ It doesn’t matter, at least I got see it..”

InuKame just smiles smugly  knowing Koki wants him to look. He still has that smile as Koki, and Shippo come back, Koki’s clad in sleeping shorts and his t-shirt, carrying Sango’s shirt and his trunks he hangs them by the fire to dry. Sango comes back dressed in her regular clothes. They bed down for the night when InuKame and Koki hear Miroku call the half demon a lucky bastard, they smile at that and after handing InuKame the jewel...Koki goes to sleep. InuKame thinks back to his last private encounter with Ren and though Ren said he’d stop trying to kill Koki, the half demon doesn’t completely trust his words. He looks down at Koki and strokes his hair once and thinks ‘ If Ren tries anything with you...let me know.’ He then falls into a light sleep for the night. Ren sees this gentle action by InuKame and walks away.


The next day......


Koki and InuKame are walking little behind Sango and the other two, arguing about the jewel. Shippo roles his eyes and tells Miroku that Koki and InuKame are at again.

“ Oh come on InuKame! The jewel’s life replaying itself all over again, the only difference is that its me, not Midori or Ren and its Naraku...not the demon of demon’s from the legend! How long are you going to keep refusing to believe me! You know as well as I do how its going to play out!” Koki shouts, his temper rising. This isn’t the first time he’s tried to tell the half demon this.

“ I’m telling you, you’re wrong Koki! The outcome this time is going to be different!” InuKame shouts back.

“ How can yo....” Koki starts but Miroku cuts across him.

“ I do so hate to interrupt your guy’s lovers quarrel  but someone’s coming.”

“ Its not a lovers quarrel!” Koki and InuKame shout at the same time.

“ Do they always do that?” Sango asks Shippo.

“ Yeah...they even make up that way.” Shippo says.

Koki gives up on trying to get InuKame to believe him and looks over Miroku’s shoulder. InuKame looks as well, watching as someone staggers closer and then collapses a few feet from them. Koki and InuKame walk over to the body on the ground.

“ He’s not breathing.”  

“ He’s not the only one. This stench of blood...there’s more!” InuKame takes off in the direction of the smell, Koki and the others follow.

They get to a village and that all the inhabitants have been killed. Bodies every where as the their blood soaks into the earth and wood of their houses.

“ They were slaughtered..”

“ How horrible...but these aren’t wounds from any demon.”

“ And all with a single blow, I’d say.” Miroku says.

“ But who could’ve...” Koki says.

“ Done this?” InuKame finishes then sees someone out of the corner of his eye and shouts, “ Why don’t we ask the one that’s hiding over there?!” pulling Tetsusaiga and destroying the stranger’s hiding place. The stranger counters only to be blocked by InuKame.

‘ A chain sickle?!’ Sango thinks.

“ Feh! A child’s toy!” InuKame growls, sending the chain sickle back to its owner.

Its Kohaku...Sango’s little brother.

“ Huh?! A kid?!” InuKame questions.

“ His clothes....they’re the same as the one Sango wears when she exterminates demons!” Koki answers as the kid takes off.

“ Hey! Wait!”  InuKame shouts.

“ Kirara!” Sango shouts and takes off after he brother, on Kirara’s back. ‘ Kohaku! I saw you die!’ Sango thinks as she gives chase.

‘ That boy...there’s a wishing shard embedded in his body.’ Koki thinks as InuKame takes off.

“ You’re saying that brat...slaughtered all those villagers?!” He catches up to Kirara just as her and Sango disappear. InuKame is stopped dead in his tracks, bouncing off an invisible barrier.

InuKame, Miroku, Koki and shippo track down Sango and Kirara, with Myoga for company. They’re walking through the woods when InuKame asks....

“ That brat is Sango’s little brother?! Is that true, old man?!”

“ There’s no mistake. That was the lad Kohaku, indeed.” Myoga answers.

“ Be careful, InuKame, I smell Naraku’s stench behind this.” Koki says.

“ How so?” Shippo asks.

“ Because...Sango told me that her little brother was killed at Naraku’s castle...but he still lives.” Koki answers instead. They keep searching.

Sango finds Kohaku waiting for her on the other side of the barrier. She stops and gets off of Kirara and confronts her brother.

“ Your face...show it to me!” she demands, the child removes his mask, “ Kohaku!” tears form in the corners of her eyes.

“ Are you happy that your little brother is alive, Sango?” A familiar voice asks, appearing on a boulder behind the child.

“ Naraku!”

“ Yes. I’ve been waiting for you to come...” Naraku says.

“ Naraku...”

“ Heh heh heh..Be grateful Sango..”

“ For what?!”

“ For my gift of your little brother’s life?”

“ What are you playing at? That day...Kohaku’s life should’ve come to an end.”

“ But thanks to me...” Naraku pulls out a jewel shard.

“ You’re saying you brought Kohaku back to life..?!”

“ Heh heh heh...indeed. But if the shard I placed within him is removed, he will die in an instant. Do you understand Sango? Kohaku’s life is in my...well, actually..in your hands. If you want to save your little brother..you will steal InuKame’s sword and bring it to me.” Naraku explains.

“ What?! I...am...no...thief!” she shouts throwing her boomerang, only for it to be blocked by Kohaku...who is now standing in front of Naraku.

“ Kohaku! Why do you protect him?!” Sango shouts.

“ He’s forgotten...about you, about everything that occurred before he reawakened. Your little brother is now my devoted lapdog.”

“ What?!”

Then Naraku releases a cloud of poisonous vapors separating him and Kohaku from Sango.

“ I’ll be waiting, Sango. You will bring me that blade...” Naraku disappears taking Kohaku and the barrier with him.

“ A wishing shard?” InuKame says.

“ Yes, I saw it embedded in his body.” Koki answers, “ The barrier...”

“ Its lifting.” Miroku finishes.

They see Sango walking heading in their direction, she seemed lost in her own thoughts. Koki runs over to her.

“ Sango that child.....?” He’s cut off by Myoga, who jumped from InuKame’s shoulder to his.

“ It WAS Kohaku, wasn’t it?!” Myoga asks, Koki looks down and wonders ‘ When did he get there?’

“ That...THING...was NOT my brother!” Sango shouts at the old flea.

“ Sango..” Koki says quietly.

“ Lord Monk, a minute of your time. If you could please say a prayer for the souls of these slaughtered villagers.” She requests as they attend to the task of burying the dead. Sango works by herself with only Kirara to help her. ‘ That was not Kohaku..he could never could have committed such a vile deed...’ she thinks.

“ Miroku...what do you think?” Koki asks as he helps the Monk.

“ About?”

“ Do you think something happened...inside that barrier?” he asks.

“ I do. But let’s let her be for now, she’ll talk when she’s ready.” Koki agrees.

“ What are you two fools spouting?!”

“ InuKame.”

“ There’s a wishing shard embedded in that brat’s body, and I’ll lay good odds that Koki’s right and Naraku’s involved somehow...” InuKame starts walking towards Sango, “ She’ll tell us how--or I’ll throttle her!”

“ InuKame SIT!” Koki shouts, InuKame hits the ground. Koki kneels beside the half demon, “ Your absolute insensitivity never fails to amaze me.”

“ Indeed..there’s no need for action. If we wait..Naraku will come scheming again on his own.” Miroku says and they work through out the day.


Its nightfall by the time they finish burying the dead, and rebuilding a semi-demolished store room that that was big enough that they could all camp out in for the night. InuKame and Miroku sleep sitting up, while Koki sleeps on a pile of hay next to the half demon. Sango sleeps on a mat near the far wall. There’s a small fire in the center to keep them warm. Sango tries to sleep but Naraku’s words keep ringing in her head, making sleep impossible. She knows its wrong but she wants to win her little brother back at the same time. She opens her eyes and turns to look at InuKame who was asleep by the door, or so it seemed.

She sees her chance to take the sword, but she only moves a fraction of an inch before InuKame opens his eyes.

“ Don’t tell me you still don’t feel like talking?” InuKame asks.

“ InuKame..” Sango starts but he cuts across her.

“ So you chased after your little brother and couldn’t catch him? I don’t think so. You’re way too good for that. What in the hell are you hiding?! What did you find when you chased after your brother?!” InuKame demands.

“ I found..nothing. Besides, I thought I told you. The Kohaku I knew could have never committed an act so vile. Whoever slaughtered those people...or whatever..is no longer my littel brother.” she says.

“ Its not that simple, is it? No matter how he’s changed..he’s still your little brother. Isn’t he? You can’t..just..walk away from love!” InuKame’s eyes dim a bit.

‘ Kame...he’s remembering Ren.’ Koki thinks as he opens his eyes.

“ And what do you know about that?!” Sango asks angrily, InuKame says nothing.

“ InuKame..be on guard. They’ve come for us.” The monk says.

Miroku and InuKame step outside with Koki right behind them. They see Kohaku leading a demon horde. The child stands there as the demons attack.

“ Stay out of this, hellborn scum!!” InuKame shouts killing a batch of demons to his right.

Kohaku uses the chain on his scythe to wrap around InuKame’s sword, bringing the blade part down to connect.

“ HA! Do you really think....you’ve got power enough to challenge?!”  He asks, grabbing the chain and throwing Kohaku off.

“ InuKame...don’t kill him!” Koki shouts as Kohaku lands ten feet away.

“ I won’t! I’m gonna catch him--and wake him up!” InuKame answers.

Then Kohaku surprises them all by stabbing himself with his own weapon...right where the shard is embedded in his back.

“ What?!”

“ Kohaku?!”

“ H-he stabbed himself! On purpose!” Shippo says as Kohaku sticks his finger in the hole he made in his own flesh.

“ What the...he’s trying to cut the shard from his own body!” Koki says.

Remembering Naraku’s words, Sango uses her boomerang against InuKame as he charges Kohaku. She stops the sword and as it comes back to her, the sword changes back...sticking in the ground in front of her.

“ Sango?!”

“ What are you doing?!”

Kohaku jumps on the back of the nearest demon, looking at Sango. He knows she’ll follow.

" Sango...you..” InuKame says.

“ Kirara!” she shouts, grabbing the sword. She jumps on Kirara and takes off after her brother...InuKame’s blade in hand. She leaves a surprised half demon in her wake.

“ She took the Tetsusaiga!” Koki says surprised.

“ SANGO!! What do you think you’re doing?!” InuKame shouts.

Sango heads to Naraku’s castle...following Kohaku. He leads her to the very place she remembers but that he forgot.

“ Naraku!! Are you here?!” she calls out as Kirara lands.

“ How touching...betraying your companions for the sake of your little brother. Now then, give me the enchanted blade that you stole with your own two hands..”

Sango stands before Naraku...InuKame’s blade in hand, While InuKame, Koki, Miroku and Shippo run to catch up to Sango before its too late.

“ Sango! Curse her damned soul!” InuKame shouts as he gives chase.

“ Calm down, Kame.” Koki whispers before saying “ She must’ve had a good reason!” a little louder.

“ She betrayed us!” He reminds Koki.

“ I expect Naraku threatened her. No doubt he threatened her little brother’s life, unless she stole InuKame’s blade. Its the sort of scheme he’d come up with.” the monk says.

“ I know that!” InuKame shouts, annoyed.

Back at the castle Sango confronts Naraku...

“ Stop right there and put down the boomerang bone.” Naraku says.

“ Not very trusting, are you? Show me Kohaku. He ran here, didn’t he?”

“ Fear not. He’s right here.” Kohaku appears behind the blinds in the room behind Naraku’s back.

“ Kohaku...”

“ Now hand over the blade..”

“ Naraku...prepare to die!!” Sango shouts.

she uses her concealed blade to attack Naraku. He moves out of the way and she only manages to cut off some of his long hair.  He faces her and pulls the animal hide from his head, showing her his face.

“ You’re as finely trained a warrior as I remember.” he compliments.

‘ That face..this castle’s young master..’ she remembers as she looks at Naraku.

“ You remember, eh?” he asks.

“ So..you’re Naraku!” She says, then she’s pulled down to her knees by Naraku’s hair.

“ You are no longer able to move. You're pitiful. You thought you would defeat Naraku all by yourself, didn’t you?” He says kneeling down to talk to her.

“ Curse you!” she responds then sees Kirara silently coming up behind Naraku. “ Kill him, Kirara!” she orders.

Kirara bites Naraku’s shoulder but soon releases him as if she was burned. She’s thrown on the ground near Sango’s feet.

“ No...Kirara!”

“ You shouldn’t be so surprised. This body, you see, is but a mass of venom and noxious vapors. Sango, your work is done. The least reward I can grant you is to go to the next life at the hands of your own brother...”

“ What?!” Sango looks back and sees Kohaku behind her, he attacks his own sister....

“ The Saimyosho?!” Miroku says.

“ A trap.”

“ Of course! Our friend Naraku...is finally planning to kill us all.”

“ This moment...while I cannot use the hellhole in my hand.”

“ And I’m unarmed, with the Tetsusaiga stolen. Thanks to Sango..who we were depending on..” InuKame says as they get closer to Naraku’s castle.

Sango’s bleeding profusely from the wounds her little brother gifted her, at Naraku’s orders. She tries to get through to Kohaku but its no use.

“ Kohaku...wake up!” She shouts desperately.

“ Its no use. Your voice can not reach him.” Kohaku swings his chain scythe again.

“ Kohaku...kill her.” Naraku orders.

“ Kohaku!!” Sango shouts and lunges at her brother wrapping her arms around his upper body.

“ Kohaku...please...remember..” she says in his ear. Kohaku looks back at Naraku as if he’s unsure what to do.

“ Why hesitate...she’ll just kill you in the end.” Naraku tells Kohaku.

“ SANGO!” InuKame shouts.

She looks back and as InuKame’s name passes her lips, Kohaku strikes her down and she falls at his feet in a bloody heap.

“ That’s just an evil!” Koki says.

“ Using her little brother against her..” Miroku comments.

“ Naraku...you monster...” InuKame calls him.

“ Heh heh heh...what a foolish merry bunch you are. You knew it was a trap and you willingly walk right into it.

InuKame charges Naraku, just as Naraku sends out his hair to attack InuKame. He misses Naraku and hits the wooden planks Naraku was just sitting on, which just annoys InuKame.

“ You won’t escape forever!” InuKame promises.

“ Who said I wanted to escape. I want to be right here, to kill you.” Naraku says from his new hiding spot.

The black hair-like tendrils attack InuKame. He uses his claws to destroy the one’s closest to him, it vanishes like smoke on the wind. He looks at his arm and sees something akin to burn marks just below his wrist.

“ Poison vapors!”  He says looking at the marks on his arm. Koki and Shippo look after Sango.

“ The more you fight, the more poisonous the air will become. You will die, strangled by my foul vapors.” Naraku points out, InuKame curses.

“ Dear InuKame...there is nowhere for you to hide anymore.” he taunts from a location nearby.

Bastard! Show yourself!” the half demon orders. In response more poisonous vapor tendrils attack InuKame. He cuts them down with his claws but gets burned in return. “ Argh!!”

“ InuKame..you can’t last much longer if you keep exposing yourself to those vapors!” The monk reminds him.

“ I noticed that, thanks!” InuKame says sarcastically.

“ Nnnh...I’m so..sorry..” she says, her breathing was shallow.

“ Sango...we understand. Don’t talk.” Koki says gently.

“ Well...at least Sango lives.”

“ Tch. I’m not letting her out of this THAT easily!” InuKame retorts.

“ Sango! You and I have some business when this is all done! Don’t you dare die!” InuKame orders.

“ Do you really think you’re going to leave here alive? Sango chose to save her little brother..even at the cost of your lives. You’re all going to die here and you may thank Sango for that. If you wish to place blame..then blame Sango’s pettiness” Naraku laughs.

‘ If I could just clear one path...’ InuKame takes off the top part of his cloak and tosses over Koki, Shippo and Sango’s heads. Koki wraps them in it.

“ Keep covered! This should keep you protected for a few minutes!” he tells the trio on the ground before...“ Exorcising claws of steel!” and cuts the vapors. They rain down and burn InuKame.

“ InuKame!” Koki shouts afraid for the half demon’s life.

“ This is useless! There’s no end to it!” Miroku shouts holding his nose.  Its then that he decides to go against what his foster father told him and his common sense, he decides to open up the wind tunnel in his hand.

“ Miroku...Don’t! Shippo..stop him!” Koki orders as Miroku pulls at the beads around his wrist.

“ No...if you open the hellhole now, you’ll die!” Shippo pleads and latches on his arm, preventing the monk from opening his hand.

“ Stand down, Shippo!” the monk orders but Shippo ignores him.

“ Don’t die a useless death, Miroku!” InuKame says, seeing what Miroku was about to do.

“ Don’t worry! I’ll make certain that its useful!” Miroku says not getting what InuKame was talking about.

Angry at the monk and wanting to keep him alive, InuKame rushes Miroku...punching him right in the solar plexus, knocking him unconscious. Even Koki was taken aback by InuKame’s actions.

“ Stubborn fool..!” he says, Knowing he had to stop Miroku one way or another.

“ Heh heh heh...Your sentiment will be your death, InuKame. You did not see how I prepared Sango to betray you...and now you close off your one escape route in order to save the monk. Is it not perfect though?  You care about one another, you help one another and so...you will die together!” Naraku taunts only to keep pissing Koki off. Not even InuKame’s feelings for Ren or Ren’s still consistent attempts to kill him...can piss Koki off to the point that Naraku just did.

Koki lifts his head from the cloak, looks down at Sango and Miroku, then starts searching for the glint of the jewel shards he knows Naraku has. ‘ I know you’re here...somewhere...’ Koki thinks as he scans the buildings to his right and left, before seeing the clue he was searching for.

‘ That’s it! A wishing shard!’ Koki thinks as he loads his bow, “ Over there!” he shouts to InuKame.

InuKame cuts a path through the vapors...only to collapse on the ground in pain and anger. This amuses Naraku greatly, InuKame’s plight does.

“ So painful, is it not? Bringing a painful death on yourself and your friends...just what a corrupted half-breed like you deserves!” Naraku laughs.

InuKame growls and moves to stand, when he sees a blinding white light come from the wall directly in front of him.

Naraku’s surprised as well.

“ What?!” InuKame asks.

“ Wh-what? Who?” Naraku asks as his body is torn to shreds by Koki’s passing arrow.

“ Naraku! You are FINISHED!!” Koki shouts, his eyes alight with anger. His body radiates power.

‘ This guy...what..what is this guy’s power?!’ Naraku thinks as his body starts to dissipate.

“ The vapors...they’re dissipating!” Shippo says.

“ Is this...Master Koki’s doing?” Miroku asks astounded.

“ Koki...?” InuKame was surprised as well.

“ I won’t let you get away!” Koki shouts, loading another arrow in Naraku’s direction. “ Don’t even think about moving!”

“ You..What are you..?” Naraku asks then says, “ Long ago there was another who possessed the same power that you do...”

‘ He must mean Ren..’ InuKame thinks.

“ Yeah and you trapped and killed him too!!!” Koki says pulling the arrow string taught.

“ Are you his..reincarnation?!” Naraku asks.

“ Shut it asshole! I don’t owe you any answers!” Koki sends the arrow flying at Naraku...hitting the demon point blank in the chest. Naraku’s head falls to the ground.

“ Look out! More poisonous vapors!” InuKame shouts grabbing Koki and shielding him with his body.

Miroku uses the cloak to protect himself, Sango and Shippo as the vapors hit them. Eventually, the air clears and the castle disappears into thin air. Kohaku takes Naraku’s head and makes a fast getaway.

“ Hurry, Kohaku...we must reach the castle quickly.”

“ Yes, Lord Naraku.”

‘ That guy Koki...is one to fear. The arrows he shoots exorcise and purify even the poison vapors and the venom. I must separate him from InuKame...or it might mean my life.’ he thinks as they make their way back to the real castle.

“ The castle...vanished.” Shippo says to the monk.

“ An illusion, it would seem..” Miroku says to the little fox.

Koki sees something sticking out of the ground a few feet way...its InuKame’s sword.

“ Hey InuKame...look!” he points to the blade. InuKame picks his sword up.

“ You’re saying Naraku escaped?” Miroku asks.

“ Yeah. If we killed him then he should’ve left what jewel shards he had behind, but there’s none here. I’m sorry, InuKame...I couldn’t kill him.” Koki says quietly.

“ But you saved all our lives Master Koki. You may not have killed him but Naraku is hopefully out of commission for the day.” Miroku says.

“Koki...that power..I didn’t think you were capable of something that strong.” InuKame says.

“ He was making such an idiot out of you and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to shut him up!” Koki admits still angry at Naraku, InuKame blushes.

“ You mean all that rage...over just that?!” InuKame asks incredulously, refusing to look at Koki.

“ OI! What do you mean ‘just that’?!” Koki asks outraged, 'he knows I couldn’t just sit there and let Naraku take him from me.'

‘There they go again.’ Miroku thinks.

“ No, Sango...you mustn’t try to move yet.” Shippo tells her as she gets to her feet. Miroku, InuKame and Koki look over.

“ Just where do you think you’re going?” the monk asks.

“ I’m sorry..I can’t stay with you any longer.” she tells them.

“ Sango...we all understand that Naraku was using you, threatening your brother..”

“ That’s why!” She shouts, cutting across Miroku, “ As long as Kohaku is in Naraku’s hands..I’ll just betray you again!”

Miroku goes to stop her but Koki says...

“ She wants to leave and take on Naraku alone, let her go. She can’t save her brother’s corpse and we need the shard in his back. So she wants to leave...then by all means leave, Sango, you’ll only die attempting such a feat alone and what good is that to anyone.”

“ What do you know....I’m not like you! Unlike you, Master Koki, I will save my brother...at least I won’t be seen as a failure and murderer!” Sango retorts.

InuKame looks at Koki and sees the pain in his eyes that Sango just inflicted over the truth Koki told her, even if his body doesn’t.

“ Please Sango, Naraku is not an enemy one faces alone.” Miroku reasons.

Koki walks over to her and gently holds her, even though his energy is pulsating with anger. He kneels down with her and says, “ At least let’s get your injuries healed first.”

“ You...but why...?” tears well up in her eyes.

“ Oh, bury the sentimentality! You’re useful! You can fight, that’s all!” InuKame shouts.

“ InuKame..”

“ If even InuKame can over look the theft of his sword, then this must be right. Can we assume this argument is ended?” Miroku says.

“ And what is ‘even InuKame’ supposed to mean?”

“ It means you’re the most generous of us all.”

“ Are you with us, Sango?” Shippo asks.

Sango just sits in Koki’s arms thinking, ‘ It’s because of me that we’re all in this mess, and I can not promise it won’t happen again and yet..they don’t need to know how afraid I was..’ then she asks, “ Do you really want me with you?” her tears start to fall. Apart of her knows what Koki says is true.

“ Sango...” Koki says softly.

“ Do I have to say it again?!” InuKame shouts as Sango cries.

“ What’s she crying about?!” InuKame asks Miroku.

“ Just smile and nod.” Miroku answers.

“ Its alright now.” Koki says and thinks, ‘ Poor Sango...I know it was hard for you and how helpless you feel...We'll be standing by you..supporting you.’ though he’s still hurting over what Sango said to him, he knows he was sorta in the wrong for one statement he made...but still her words hurt none the less.