InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Twins Travel Together ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Twins Travel Together 

 

by Yumemiru Tora 

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha! Sole copyright belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. 

 

Rating: T for "mild" language and innocent scenes of romance (may need to change the rating later though...) 

 

Pairings: Inuyasha/Kagome, Sesshōmaru/Kinuki, Miroku/Sango

 

Summary: The entire series is reimaged with the new inclusion of Kagome's twin, Kinuki. Both girls are more powerful and important than even they know, but all will be revealed in due time. 

 

Email Feedback to: kayzie12@yahoo.com 

 

*****

 

Prologue

 

A soft humming set the two girls smiling as they helped their mother clean up after their combined 15th Birthday. A dark-haired teen could be seen drying the dishes, and then handing them to an almost carbon copy of herself, to be put away.

 

Kagome stood next to the sink, accepting the dishes her mother handed her to dry off, before passing them to her younger twin so that the work was more or less evenly distributed.

 

Once the dishes were done Kagome barely had time to blink before a splatter of soapy water was flicked across her chest.

 

“Kinuki!” Kagome exclaimed, cerulean eyes quickly sparking mischief as a course of revenge took root in the elder sister’s mind.

 

 “Ah! No fair!” The younger sister exclaimed, as she was splashed back by Kagome, her own eyes glittering blue as forget-me-nots sprinkled with dew, laughing without words.

 

Before either of them knew it, the kitchen was a big, bubbly mess, the girls running around in fits of laughter. They quickly went quiet though, when they heard their mother’s meaningful clearing of her throat.

 

Hikari Higurashi’s eyes were dancing with mirth at her daughter’s behaviour, glad that their age hadn’t yet had the chance to rob them of their innocence.

A mother had her responsibilities though.

 

“I hope you two are planning on cleaning this up.”

 

The twin gulps almost had their mother burst out laughing, though she managed to hold it in with a quivering quirk of her lips.

 

“Yes mama.”

Came the mirrored replies.

 

Kagome sparing her sister a quick sideways glance, which she saw was reciprocated, their eyes still smiling. They didn’t regret it.

 

They’d celebrated a day early, wanting to spend their actual birthday with family, since it was the first day of the second semester of high school for the both of them the next day.

 

Their shared room was half-full with presents from friends and extended family members that had come to celebrate that day. Still, the two girls fell into bed with satisfied smiles, falling asleep almost the instant their heads hit the pillows.

 

Kinuki is the first to awaken, it had always been a habit of hers to wake up early.

The fact that she typically ended up being up before the sun didn’t bother her. In fact, she relished the chance to jog through the forest behind their shrine, and enjoy the sunrise from the crest of the little hill, overlooking a small clearing, with the forest stretching all around her.

 

It was one of the few times she felt truly immersed in nature… and she loved it.

Watching the sun dare a peak over the horizon, the sky a spread of oranges, peaches and strawberries, their colour fading as the sun continued to climb.

 

Chancing a glance at her wrist-watch, an antique analogue contraption that she’d been gifted with on her last birthday, Kinuki let out a yelp, and sprinted back toward the house. If she wanted to be home in time to help her mother surprise Kagome she’d have to hurry.

 

Just making it back in time to throw a careless glance at her reflection, Kinuki acknowledges the sleek high ponytail swishing against her back, the neatly pressed and ironed uniform of her and Kagome’s high school, and the slight redness of her complexion, before continuing on her way to the kitchen.

 

“Good Morning.” She chirruped, moving to give her grandfather a kiss on the cheek, before heading to the stove to greet her mother and help with breakfast.

 

The two girls may look alike, and they were often incredibly in sync, but they were as different as pen and paper.

 

While Kinuki took over the omelettes, every family member had to hide a smile as the usual stream of swear-words stumbled down the stairs. It was a wonder Kagome’s alarm clock was still intact after all the abuse it’d gone through. The tell-tale sound of said alarm clock thumping against a wall before going quiet only confirming the former statement.

 

Sounds of Kagome slowly rousing herself only drove the family to fasten their pace of preparations. So, when the young teen came downstairs, freshly showered, tired eyed, wearing her uniform and suppressing a yawn, the table was set and only the youngest member of the family was missing.

 

Her eyes went wide at the sight that greeted her. A small feast had been lain out on the table, grandfather already seated at the table, while Kinuki smiled up at her big sister from her seated position, and their mother rose to greet her eldest.

 

“Happy Birthday Kagome.”

 

Kagome could only grin, tears of joy pricking her eyes, as she enjoyed her mother’s hug.

Before Kagome can thank her mother for her birthday wishes, a sudden string of shouts ring out behind her, caused by the little brother that the twins love so much.

 

“Good morning Sōta”

“Good morning Sōta”

Come the matching greetings from his older sisters.

 

Sōta mumbles out a response from his current position lying in a heap at the bottom of the stairs. Though he’s pretty quick to spring up once the food starts being set on the table.

 

Breakfast is a simple affair. The happy birthday song is sung once through, and Sōta leaves early to feed the cat before having to leave for school.

 

Once breakfast concludes, Kagome and Kinuki exchange a quick look and the elder heads toward the door, while Kinuki stays behind to help her mother with the dishes, knowing she can easily make it to school on time, even after helping her mother with the dishes, if she rides her bike.

 

“Don’t forget your tools Kinuki.” Her mother reminds her, having since thought ahead and placed her daughter’s Swiss army knife and a small can of pepper spray on the counter.

 

Kinuki’s lips form a small smile as she slips the pocket knife into her skirt pocket, leaving the pepper spray on the counter, since she usually kept it in her school bag, and she was still busy drying the dishes her mother handed her.

 

There had been a number of small incidents in the area recently. Assaults on unsuspecting victims and the like. Kinuki had never much liked playing the victim.

 

Meanwhile, Kagome’s attempt at being early was foiled before she even had the chance to exit the house.

 

“What do you mean you don’t know where he is?” Kagome asked in exasperation. Really, she should be used to her brother’s antics, she’d known him all his life after all.

 

“I didn’t say that, it’s just, he seems to be meowing in the old well house.” Sōta defended himself with puffed cheeks and a wavering voice.

 

‘This scaredy cat’s probably more scared than our real scaredy cat.’ Kagome thinks with a little head shake.

 

“Alright then, I’ll go get him.” She answers her brother, leading the way to the old well house and opening the dusty door with a shuddering squeak.

 

“Buyo… Here kitty, kitty, kitty.” Kagome called softly, slowly making her way down the steps into the well house, while Sōta stayed standing just outside the door.

 

“Are you sure he’s in here? I don’t hear anything.” Kagome said, turning to hear her brother’s response.

 

Sōta nodded his head, yes.

 

“I heard him earlier, he must have fallen in the well.”

 

 

Kagome rolled her eyes, just great, because she really needed to come to the first school day with shoes and socks all muddy from the bottom of an ancient well.

 

She stifled a sigh. The toll of being the older sister.

 

Depositing her school bag on the ground, a quick puff of air left her as she hefted her weight upon the lip of the well. Swinging her legs over she had barely made the jump down, when she felt a pair of hands fasten around her, and a sudden glare of colour and light engulfed her as she came face to face with a horrid creature.

 

All of a sudden there was a sharp tug inside of her. The jolt was enough to wake her out of her fear-induced riviere and Kagome lashed out instinctively.

A sudden flash of green light emanating from her hands and causing the creature to release her.

 

A few moments earlier Kinuki had been getting ready to go to school. Her bag was open and she was about to deposit the pepper spray into it, when a cold feeling washed over her, telling her that something was not boding well for Kagome, only seconds before she felt a sudden tug inside of her, and she was sent flying toward the well house…

 

“Sōta, duck!” She screamed, seeing her little brother standing in the doorway of the well house.

 

The boy appeared to have been fixated on something inside of the well house, since Kinuki’s sudden call seemed to shock him a little.

 

She was in quite a state of shock herself. She could see Buyo slinking his way around the back of the well house, the ground rushing past her and whips of wind causing her ponytail to blow about her like some dark, writhing flame. The fact that she was actually FLYING was undeniable, but… HOW?

 

Sōta managed to dive out of the way with a cry, only managing to say one phrase.

 

“You too?!”

 

Kinuki didn’t really have time to analyse what he meant, because by the time she’d actually heard what he’d said, she was already falling into the well, and through a sea of shimmering stars and colours.

 

“… the hell!?” Kinuki yelled, talking to herself as the strange magic surrounding her suddenly dispersed, leaving her to fall to the bottom of the well in a tangle of limbs, and eliciting a cry of irritation and pain from the 15-year-old.

 

“Ow.” Kinuki winced as she drew herself upright at the base of the well. She didn’t appear to have broken anything, but her right ankle was throbbing dully, and she knew she’d have a few bruises to show after that fall.

 

A sudden brightness caused Kinuki to look up, her eyes widening as she realises that there’s a clear sky overhead. Now, this isn’t exactly unusual, but when you’re used to an ancient well being inside of a well house, with a roof, it can certainly seem very perplexing.

 

It had been only a few moments earlier when Kagome had been in the exact same situation as her sister.

 

‘Well, guess I should get out of here first. If I don’t know where I am, I won’t know where I have to go.’ Kinuki thinks, easily able to see her exit via the vines climbing down the inside of the well.

 

It isn’t without pain that Kinuki finally manages to climb out of the well, though the dull throb of her ankle has since turned into a painful stabbing sensation.

 

She takes a moment to rest against the rim of the well, processing the things she sees, hears and smells around her. The well sits atop of a small hill, a meadow of fiery fields rimmed with trees of bare brown bark, their foliage resting on the ground at Kinuki’s feet. Autumn had well and truly set in here… Wherever HERE was.

 

‘Ok, same season, similar setting, a cloudy sky that seems otherwise free of pollution...’

 

Kinuki’s mind slowly started piecing together the puzzle pieces.

 

There were seasons where she was, so she definitely hadn’t left earth like in one of those creepy alien abduction movies.

 

Apart from the missing well house, and ANY other buildings, the well was definitely the same one her family had on the shrine grounds; and a little further into the forests she could just make out the proud form of the Goshinboku, though it appeared somehow, smaller, than it was back home.

 

Then there was the whole air thing. There was no smog, no sounds of traffic, car horns, electricity, yelling people…

Ok, now that she thought about it, there was definitely some yelling coming from the direction of the Goshinboku, and she could feel her Kagome radar going off, but she had a question to answer dammit!

…So, really, there was no sign of modernised civilisation AT ALL.

 

‘Oh boy… It’s not a question of where, it’s when!’ Kinuki realised, the last puzzle piece falling into place as the din of voices dimmed in the distance.

 

‘Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to find some helpful people to ask about my situation.’ The school girl thinks with a humourless mental laugh.

 

Propping herself up against the well, being careful not to put too much pressure on her ankle. She was almost positive that it was sprained.

 

It was in this instance that she felt a sudden shiver of cold, her eyes widened as she realised that she could feel someone watching her.

 

Pulling her Swiss army knife from her pocket and flipping out a blade, she took on a defence stance, scanning her surroundings for the smallest disturbance.

 

…There. A faint rustle of the dry leaves laying on the ground at her feet.

 

Narrowing her eyes, Kinuki manages to pick out the path of her assumed attacker. It couldn’t possibly be human. It was moving so low to the ground, hardly causing a single disturbance despite it’s fast pace.

 

With barely a split seconds warning, a serpent the size of a, well, a giant snake really, shot out of the under bush. The thing had to be at least 8 meters, and judging from the shape of its head, and the pattern of its scales, it was a mamushi. One of the deadliest snakes, and apparently also the largest in this area, just had to decide it wanted a taste of Kinuki for  brunch.

 

Bracing herself for an attack, Kinuki almost feel backward when she heard the giant snake LAUGH.

 

“Do you want to go out with a fight, little human?”

 

It SPOKE.

 

Good gods, if she hadn’t already been supporting herself on the rim of the well, Kinuki may well have fallen over from the shock.

 

She squared her shoulders instead. The steel of resolve hardening her gaze as she thought over what she knew of the Mamushi snake from biology class.

Her resolve seemed to give her foe pause.

 

 

“You are genuinely courageoussss. Tell me your name human, sssso I may remember your death above the countlessss othersss that have died by my fang.”

 

Ok, so it hissed more so than spoke, but she could understand it.

 

A smirk graced Kinuki’s lips as she looked her opponent dead in the eye.

 

“Higurashi is my name, and you needn’t know more than that.” Kinuki said loudly, pleased that she’d remembered the weak spot of the snake.

 

Her insult drove home, for the serpent narrowed its eyes at her before attacking, but it struck nothing but air.

 

Kinuki had ducked beneath it, intent on driving her knife into its softer underbelly. When she tried to though, the knife wouldn’t cut.

 

The snake felt the touch of the metal though.

 

“There you are.” It hissed, manoeuvring its body, it glared down at her with coal black eyes.

 

It was the first time Kinuki felt true fear coursing through her veins. She didn’t even know if it classified as fear anymore. She was terrified, mortified, her entire body shaking.

 

The snake dove down for a second strike, and Kinuki knew that she couldn’t dodge it this time. Her ankle was hurting something fierce and she could feel a scream building in her throat.

 

But, instead of screaming from within the jaws of a snake, as she’d assumed, Kinuki found her resolve strengthening once more, a sudden pulse of energy emanating from her body as she felt something unlock inside of her. It was some sort of a power source, like a still lake where you don’t know how deep it goes until you jump in.

 

And Kinuki jumped.

 

“No!!!”

 

Her scream rang out through the entire forest, causing bird song to still, and the breeze to stir as she was engulfed in a glow of bright yellow, as though sunlight were streaming out of her every pore.

 

The serpent didn’t even have time to comprehend what was going on, before its body disintegrated in the sudden bath of purifying light.

 

Her breathing heavy, Kinuki slowly came to the realisation that she was no longer in danger, and the strange light dispersed around her body.

 

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts Kinuki decided to head in the direction she’d first heard the voices come from. She needed to find her sister, SOON.

 

Lifting a hand to her face, Kinuki inspects the shaking limb as though it doesn’t belong to her. Why was she still shaking? The danger had passed, she had no reason to be afraid anymore.

 

Around this time, Kagome was enjoying a nice cup of tea from the resident miko of a town that everyone simply called Kaede’s village.

 

Despite their rocky start, and the villagers mistaking her for a youkai, which was, apparently, a rather common being with varying demonic heritages depending on their species, they got along pretty well.

 

She’d also affirmed that she had somehow ended up in the past, though the how and why puzzled not only her. All of a sudden, a cold chill has the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. Kinuki was in trouble.

 

Barely a few seconds later and Kagome feels a tremor pass through her very soul, followed shortly after by a blinding yellow light outside of the hut.

 

Kagome put her own reaction aside, in favour of analysing the reaction of the miko kneeling in front of her.

 

Kaede was shaking, her one eye open wide and the pupil and iris so small one might have mistaken her reaction as one of fear. But there were tears in her eye, and an expression of mixed awe and shock was visible on her face. She was not scared, in fact, if she didn’t know any better, Kagome would have thought that the Priestess looked overjoyed.

Why? Because the sun was suddenly shining a little brighter than usual?

Kagome didn’t know. What she did know, was that her little sister no longer appeared to be scared, nor in danger.

 

She breathed a relieved sigh.

 

An action that didn’t go unnoticed by the elder miko.

 

… After a few attempts, Kinuki finally managed to get up from her lying position using a nearby stick that she implemented as a makeshift crutch.

 

Another chill trailed down her spine, but, this time, Kinuki could sense no malice behind the gaze, and so, she decided to ignore it.

 

Unbeknownst to her, there had been a youkai of remarkable calibre watching the scene of her fight unfold with the snake.

 

Lord Sesshōmaru had only been passing by on his search for his father’s tomb, when he’d recognised the irritating jaki of the serpent youkai Uroko.

 

He’d had every intention of ignoring him, but then he’d smelt it.

Fear.

Human fear.

A stench that he was not unaccustomed to, but, for whatever reason, it bothered him this time.

 

 

“Jaken.”

 

The small toad demon stopped speaking the instant he heard his lord’s voice.

 

“Yes, my lord?” The eager little servant questioned.

 

 

“Wait here.”

 

And without another word, he was gone.

 

As he got closer he saw the nuisance known as Uroko getting ready to strike, and he felt his own muscles tensing to interfere…The action gave him pause. Since when did he EVER let his instincts take over?

 

 

Growling mentally, Sesshōmaru crouched from his post in one of the higher branches of a tree, intent on continuing his quest, when a pulse of power froze him in his tracks.

 

His eyesight was good enough to pick out the fallen form of a human girl. She would have barely made a snack for Uroko. She seemed completely normal, with typical characteristics of a Japanese youth. Long dark hair, pale skin that spoke of a higher status by human standards, and a most peculiar taste in clothes.

However, there was a massive store of power contained in her body, and, even then, that did not encompass the entirety of her abilities.

 

His observation was proven true a mere seconds later, when the girl let out a scream of refusal, her body lighting up like a solar flare. She was a miko, and her power was enough to completely incinerate the likes of Uroko in a second flat. It was only after having this realisation, that it dawned on Sesshōmaru that the purification circle was expanding faster than he could retreat, and yet, when the wave of power washed over him, he felt no pain, only a gentle caress of warmth.

 

‘This is… strange.’ Sesshōmaru thought. Confused and conflicted. Confused because he’d never felt a purifying energy so gentle before, as though it had been called upon solely to destroy a specific danger. Conflicted because this was the exact opposite of ALL of his previous encounters with beings with holy powers. Confused because he had never before felt conflicted about anything in his life!

 

 

This time allowing a small growl to verbalise itself, Sesshōmaru left his post in the tree, headed back to his servant, and used the time it took to get back to refocus his mind on his current goal.

His father’s spirit had merely been looking out for him.

That was all.

 

Back with Kinuki, despite her hobbling, she made remarkably fast progress, reaching the Goshinboku after only a short hop-along.

When she got there, she could hardly believe her eyes.

 

There was a PERSON pinned to the tree by an arrow, and, from the looks of things, he’d been there for a very long time.

 

Thick roots wound their way around his limbs, the arrow itself looking incredibly old and worn. When she got closer though, she realised that the person pinned to the tree, had EARS. Ok, not the most surprising of conclusions to draw, but the fact that they were DOG ears definitely had her doing a double take.

 

Discarding her crutch, Kinuki started to gingerly climb her way up the roots, until she was standing right in front of the… Being, that was pinned to the tree.

 

It took her a moment to realise it, but, he was breathing!

 

‘How is it possible to be alive when your heart is pierced through by an arrow!?’ Kinuki wondered, more than a little surprised.

 

A sudden gust of wind picked up, sending strands of silver and black hair swaying about.

 

‘He has white hair?!’

 

The realisation dawned a little late, but, in her defence, she had been busy deciphering things of more importance than hair colour… Like why one of his ears had just flicked when the wind had blown.

 

 

Seeing the two furry appendages reminded her a little bit of Buyo, and, before she could stop herself, she had one of his ears in her hand, and was giving it a gentle rub. It gave her more than just a LITTLE start, when the boy, unconsciously, moved his head into her hand.

 

Quickly retracting the traitorous appendage, Kinuki shifted her focus to the arrow piercing the boy’s chest.

 

It was strange how it looked so old and worn, as though it could break at any time, and yet it was keeping a boy, who seemed to be of a similar age to her, pinned to a tree.

There was something else about it. Something of a spiritual nature, if she wasn’t mistaken. A faint aura of pale pink seemed to emanate from the arrow, and it set her own, new power flaring in response, though Kinuki certainly blinked a few times before trusting that her eyes were indeed showing her that the arrow was GLOWING.

 

The pool of power that she’d recently discovered seemed calm again, but there was definitely something different. She could not so much see, as feel the aura of everything living that surrounded her.

 

Although the arrow’s pink aura did not seem malicious, it did appear to be chaining the boy’s own aura. The image reminded Kinuki of a prison cell.

 

She shivered in spite of herself, having never been much of a fan of small, enclosed spaces.

 

Carefully moving her hand from the boy’s ear to the arrow in his chest, Kinuki took a deep breath, centred her power on her desire to free the boy, and closed her hand around the shaft of the arrow.

 

The reaction was instantaneous.

 

Sparks of angry pink light flew from the connection Kinuki had with the arrow, and she felt as though her hand held a burning rod of metal, as opposed the arrow she could see.

 

Cutting herself off mid-scream, Kinuki tightened her hold on the arrow, refusing to give up.

 

After a few seconds Kinuki’s hand began to glow, the yellow light a whole lot less intense than the first time she’d seen it, but she didn’t particularly care what it looked like, she was just glad that the burn of her hand was getting better and that the pink aura was slowly dispersing from the arrow.

 

When the aura of the arrow finally vanished completely, a strange pulse vibrated from the boy’s heart, sending a shiver down Kinuki’s spine. Even as the arrow itself disintegrated into dust and ash.

 

‘Well… There’s not much else I can do here.’ Kinuki thinks, making her way back down the roots while doing her best to keep her balance. The boy still being held up by the roots of the tree.

 

Chancing a glance at her hand, Kinuki is rather surprised to find a shiny pink scar in place of the burn she’d gotten from the arrow.

 

Thinking about how she’d been sucked into the well, Kinuki decides to see if she can’t get back the way she’s come. Picking up her crutch, she hobbles her way back toward the old well, unaware of the chain reaction she’d just sparked.

 

The instant Inuyasha’s spirit was released from its spiritual chains, Kagome found her own power flaring up in a brilliant glow of green.

Startling both herself and Kaede.

 

But, while one reacted with confusion, the other was in a state of horrified shock.

 

‘I know that aura!’ Kaede thought, fear crystallising in her heart as a guard burst into her hut.

 

“Miko-sama! The Centipede…!”

 

Kaede was out of the hut in an instant, her top priority being to protect the villagers. She didn’t realise that Kagome had followed her out.

 

For her part, Kagome had reacted to the news of the centipede in confusion, but, as soon as she stepped outside, that feeling changed to one of fear, realisation and determination.

 

“I’ll lead it away from the village!” She called, running off in the direction she’d first come from.

 

“Nay child! Ye don’t know how to defeat it!” Kaede called after her, worry clear in her tone.

 

“I just have to follow that light, don’t I!” Kagome called back, making a run for it, even as the creature continued to draw closer.

 

“She is indeed a miko.” Kaede murmured to herself, mounting her steed the instant it was brought to her. No way would she let such young potential perish on her watch!

 

Having finally made it to the clearing, Kagome frantically tries to think of her next plan of action, for the light had ended at the Goshinboku.

 

“Keh. What’s the matter Kikyō, you’re not usually scared of such a lowly Youkai?”

 

Kagome’s head whipped about at the scathing voice coming from the tree.

 

Taking a second to blink, Kagome focuses on the form of the strange dog-boy-thing she’d come across earlier.

 

“You’re awake?!... and the arrow’s gone?” Kagome exclaimed, brows furrowing as she realises that this being had her confused with someone.

 

Snorting uncouthly, the being, Kagome just then remembered Kaede calling him Inuyasha, answered her.

 

“No shit. That’s what happens when you lift a binding spell. How long’s it been anyway, huh, Kikyō?”

 

Kagome felt her tick coming on as her annoyance grew with the youth before her, and she walked toward him to clarify.

 

“Look. You keep saying “Kikyō, Kikyō, Kikyō!”. I’m not KIKYŌ! My name’s Kagome.

KA-GO-ME… And you are?” She tried, hoping her patience wouldn’t wear out on her.

 

Again, he scoffs.

 

“The hell you aren’t! Do you think I’m stupid or something!”

 

Kagome repressed the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose.

 

‘Well, you said it, not me.’ She thinks, not quite brave enough to voice that thought aloud.

 

“Well, you’re sure as hell not acting smart right now!” Kagome snaps back instead, her fuse shortening by the second.

 

“Look, you look like Kikyō, you smell like Kikyō, and the bloody arrow’s gone, so you’re a miko like Kikyō too, meaning, you ARE Kikyō.” Inuyasha says, growling in annoyance, and Kagome almost misses his whispered words.

“I don’t fall for the same trick twice. Two-faced witch.”

 

She tried, she honestly tried to be kind, and to have patience, but, she was at her limit.

 

“Alright, listen up.” Her angry tone, and the fact that she was moving closer still, quieted Inuyasha for a moment.

 

“I don’t like repeating myself, so I’ll say it ONCE MORE. My name is Kagome… KA-GO-ME, got it? And yes, I glowed green, twice now, but I don’t really know why. And as for that arrow. Yes, I did see it, and now I don’t, but I wasn’t the one who removed it!”

 

Even as the young woman before him continued to speak to him, Inuyasha carefully proofed her scent. There. A difference. Kikyō had always smelled of peaches and pollen from the fields. This girl had a mixed scent of peaches and honey. Not to mention that Kikyō had had such caring brown eyes, and this girl’s eyes blazed a passionate, and rather rare, blue.

 

His senses must have been dulled by that stupid arrow.

 

But, if she wasn’t Kikyō, then how were they related, because they HAD to be for there to be so many similarities… How much time had passed since he’d been pinned to that goddamned tree!?

 

As it happened, Inuyasha didn’t have time to go through his thoughts in peace.

 

“It’s coming.”

 

Kagome had been wondering if he was even listening to her, but, she immediately knew what he was referring to when he suddenly spoke up.

 

‘Shoot. I forgot that thing was still after me!’

 

In an instant, the stench of fear was clinging to her again.

 

“Oi. You’re a miko. You burn things like that to a bloody crisp!” Inuyasha snapped at her, not liking that new, acidic scent in his nose at all.

 

“Oh sure, like I can control the weird glowy thing I do or something! I just found out I have these weird powers today!” She snapped at him, her annoyance lessening her fear a little.

 

“You might want to move.” He said darkly.

 

But, even as he spoke, she felt herself being pulled to the side.

 

“Whoa!”

 

and she was off, flying through the forest like some sort of witch without a broom.

 

‘What the HELL is going on?’ Kagome thought, only to see the well come into view.

 

“Oh no you don’t.” She muttered.

 

Manoeuvring herself so that her feet caught the side of the well, and pushing against the odd pull with all her might.

 

Eventually she felt the polarity reverse, and not a moment later, she was tumbling down the little hill atop which the well sat. A tangle of limbs and hair as Kinuki collided with her.

 

 

“Oof!”

“Ow!”

The two twins exclaimed.

 

Their gazes meeting as they quickly got up and embraced.

 

“Kagome!”

“Kinuki!”

 

“Are you ok?”

 

“I was so worried!”

 

“How’d you even GET here?!”

 

“Did you know I can glow?”

 

“You glow too?!”

 

“Ha, I knew it had to be a twin thing!”

 

“Did you see the dog-boy-thing?”

 

“Do you know we’re in the past?”

 

“You have grass in your hair.”

…

 

Kinuki removed said grass from Kagome’s hair. The two girls shared a look, and burst out laughing. Relieved to have something normal in this strange place.

 

“Are you ok, though?” Kinuki asked, worry etching her brow as she recalled the danger she’d sensed.

 

Kagome nodded reassuringly, though her own mien shifted into a frown as she noticed her sister’s footing.

 

“It doesn’t look like you are though… What happened?” Kagome asked, crouching down to bind her sister’s ankle with her handkerchief.

 

“Had a rough landing in the well. Did you know I can fly! Don’t have a clue how though…”

 

Kagome had a fairly good idea how she’d done it.

 

“Did you fly out when Sōta was outside of the well house?” She asked, already half knowing the answer.

 

“Yeah. He said something when I flew by, now that I think about it… Something like “You too?”…” Kinuki trailed off, and Kagome knew she was putting together the puzzle pieces.

 

“I guess it’s a twin TIME thing.” Kinuki finally said, almost completely masking her wince as Kagome tied the last knot in her bandage.

 

“We just can’t be apart, can we?” Kagome said with a smile, an expression that Kinuki was all too happy to mirror.

 

“Guess not.” She replied.

 

Kagome smiled, she really was glad to have Kinuki by her side.

 

“Come on. I met some really nice people before, and I can’t wait for you to meet Kaede. She’s a little bit odd, but I think you’ll like her.” Kagome said, offering Kinuki her shoulder to brace herself on as the two girls made their way back toward the clearing where the Goshinboku was.

 

“Ok. Watch your leg there, that root’s a little higher than the others.” Kagome cautioned, making Kinuki roll her eyes at her sister’s overprotective nature.

 

“Relax Kagome, I have a sprained ankle not brain damage.”

 

Kagome puffed her cheeks at Kinuki’s cheekiness, but, she was used to it.

A few more steps, and Kinuki felt the hair at the back of her neck stand straight up.

 

“Kag…”

 

She didn’t even have time to formulate a warning, when a massive centipede tore Kagome up into the air the with it, making Kinuki stumble forward, a little ways into the clearing, in order to keep her footing under her.

 

“KAGOME!” She called, horrified as the monster tightened its jaws around Kagome’s horizontal form.

 

For his part, Inuyasha was cursing his foul luck.

 

The cursed spell of the arrow was lifted, and only a few seconds after the strange girl’s even stranger exit an old hag for a miko had encircled him in a cage of sutras to keep him contained just next to the Goshinboku.

 

He’d heard the girls approaching long before they’d come into sight.

 

The instant the centipede had noticed them, she’d changed her course of attack to swipe one of the girls into her jaws.

 

The other one’s call had made his ears flick, he’d recognised her name. But what truly puzzled him, was why he recognised the energy signature of the other one.

She was injured, and had the yellow aura of a trusting and happy miko, and, she looked almost exactly like the Kagome-girl he’d met earlier.The only difference was that Kagome’s hair was worn open, and the other girl wore hers in a high ponytail. That, and the fact that he suspected the other one to be slightly smaller than Kagome.

 

His focus shifted completely however, when the sudden scent of blood hit him.

 

“Finally. The Shikon no Tama is mine!” The Centipede exclaimed, eyes fixed on a small pink jewel that had been extracted from Kagome’s body.

 

‘She had the sacred jewel?!’ Inuyasha thought, both shocked and confused. But the information did give his determination a nice boost.

 

Still, Inuyasha wouldn’t be able to get out of the Sutra Cage on his own. He wasn’t a weak human, but he still had to recover from being spiritually chained for so long.

 

Again, he felt his focus shift, as another desperate call rang out.

 

“NO!” Kinuki’s voice had everyone freezing in an instant.

 

Her fear. Her TERROR. The absolute pain that her tone of voice carried, was enough to give everyone present chills. And a split second later a spark of power ignited over the entire clearing.

 

“Oh SHIT.” Inuyasha cussed, preparing himself for the burn of purifying magic, only to feel… nothing.

 

Kinuki used her power to bring Kagome down next to her, the jewel closely following, while she kept the centipede tightly trapped in her power, but even she wasn’t purified.

 

Carefully pocketing the strange jewel she’d seen exit her sister’s body, Kinuki then focused her powers on her sister’s wound, knowing that they should be able to bind a wound, if they could bind things. Reacting to her wish to help, her powers completely healed Kagome’s wound and her own sprain. 

 

 

‘Such power.’ The old miko, Kaede, thought. Her one eye open wide in unabashed shock and awe.

 

The entire clearing was crackling with Kinuki’s yellow power. And her control was astounding. She practically shielded the demons from her own power.

Not wanting to harm anyone.

Only wanting to help.

 

Inuyasha’s thoughts were on a similar path.

‘Why doesn’t she just purify us? She’s clearly strong enough to wipe out both me and the centipede, but she’s only keeping us contained. What kind of a weird miko is she?’

 

Carefully laying Kagome down, Kinuki asked.

“When I release my power, will you leave?” She directed the question at the enraged centipede.

 

However, knowing that threatening the young miko would most likely result in her death, she decided to try being smart.

 

“Very well.” The demoness answered, legs flexing in preparation to take advantage of her soon-to-be freedom.

 

With a nod, Kinuki worked on releasing her power.

However, she encountered yet another barrier where the dog-eared youth was sitting.

Sighing, Kinuki kept her barrier up a moment longer, and moved to the location of the half-demon.

 

“I’ve had to free you twice too many times today.” Kinuki muttered to herself, kneeling where the sutras were placed.

 

And only then, did Kaede step in.

 

“Stop!” The call stilled Kinuki’s hand, as she’d been about to remove one of the sutras from the ground, and she turned toward the voice that had stopped her. Thus, missing the shocked look on Inuyasha’s face.

 

‘She was about to set me free? Why? What does she want from me?’

His eyes soon narrowed in suspicion.

 

People were never kind to him. Not unless they wanted something in return.

 

“Am I correct in assuming that you are the miko, Kaede?” Kinuki asked, and only then, did Kaede see the difference in the two girl’s auras.

 

She nodded.

 

“My name is Kinuki. I believe you’ve met my older twin, Kagome.” Kinuki raised a questioning brow as she introduced herself, and saw the realisation dawn on

the elder miko’s face.

 

“Indeed, young miko. But I must ask that ye don’t remove the sutras that keep that half-breed imprisoned.”

 

Kinuki’s expression darkens at the use of the term imprisoned, but she also notes the stiffened form of the being behind her at being called a half breed.

 

“Why not?”

 

The question has more than a few head turning her way, all of them are shocked at her simple question. Even Kaede seems thrown off.

 

The miko couldn’t help but chuckle at the child before her. She was so pure, so simple minded and so strong in both her beliefs and her powers.

 

“Why not indeed…” The miko answered, mirth in her eyes as she observed the child’s perplexed reaction.

 

“Kagome was right. You’re a little odd… But I don’t hate that.” Kinuki said, smiling.

 

Kaede’s expression softens.

 

“By the way…”

Kinuki continues, turning her body around to look at the being trapped in the sutra cage.

“… What’s your name?”

 

Kaede’s expression turned serious. She knew that Inuyasha was more than capable of breaking out of such a hastily made sutra cage, if by sustaining a few injuries, but so far, he hadn’t even tried to.

 

For his part, Inuyasha was trying to piece together the odd puzzle that the girl in front of him presented him with.

 

She wanted to set him free. Why? What was she thinking? What was her reasoning?

She’d said she’d set him free twice. Meaning she’d done it once before. When? How? She was SO DAMN CONFUSING!

 

“…Inuyasha.” He finally answered her gruffly.

 

Kinuki nodded, smiling. The name suited him.

 

“Well Inuyasha, My name’s Kinuki. It’s nice to meet you.” She said, still smiling. And then she turned back to the priestess.

 

“Did you know his name?” She then asked Kaede.

 

The miko was confused at the sudden change of topic, but knew she’d find out the girl’s reasoning soon enough.

 

“I’ve known this one’s name for a long time, child.” She replied, surprised at the anger in Kinuki’s expression.

 

“Then why call him something he doesn’t like?”

 

Again, the child managed to shock everyone within hearing distance of the conversation.

 

“I’m afraid the statement ye have made confuses me.” Kaede admits, wondering what Kinuki was referring to.

 

Kinuki, for her part, was usually one of the more patient of her family members, but jeez these people sure were dense!

 

“He stiffed when you said what I assume to be his species. So, he obviously doesn’t like it, and when someone doesn’t like something, it’s usually common curtesy to steer clear of it. And considering that you know his name, I don’t understand why you insist on calling him something he doesn’t like. We don’t call every person we meet “human” after all.” She explained clearly.

 

“Now, you were telling me why I shouldn’t release him?”

 

Kaede could only blink at the girl in shock.

 

She was flippant as the wind, but serious as a storm when she wanted to be.

Still, she had a lot to learn about this world, especially considering her bond to her older sister.

 

“Take a look at Inuyasha for me, child.” Kaede said, coming to sit next to the young miko, and complying with her request to please her.

 

Kinuki did as she was told.

 

“Tell me what you see?” Kaede implored.

 

“Long white hair that gleams silver in the light, tanned features from being outdoors, clawed hands and feet used to fight, defend and hunt and really pretty golden eyes.” Kinuki said, noting each thing as she saw it, and causing Inuyasha to have to fight down a blush.

 

“Oi! I’m not some display for you to stare at!” He burst out, voice brusque and annoyed.

Both Kaede and Kinuki ignored him.

 

“Ok, now try looking with your powers. What do you see this time?”

 

Again, Kinuki focused on Inuyasha’s form. Applying a sort of filter lens to her eyes, as though looking through glasses made of her powers.

 

“There’s a kind of vortex of power behind him. It swirls and sparkles. And It’s gold and silver and red.”

 

Kaede nodded thoughtfully.

 

“Red is a colour of power, it usually stems from anger or another passionate emotion. Gold is royalty, which is to be expected, since his father was an incredibly powerful lord. And Silver…”

 

Kaede’s brow furrowed, she saw the colours too, of course, but he hadn’t had that colour 50 years ago.

 

“… Silver is for defence.”

 

Inuyasha snarled as they so openly talked about him in front of him.

 

Kinuki nodded.

 

“He’s not a good person.” Kaede emphasised, but both she and Inuyasha got to see Kinuki shake her head at that strange conclusion.

 

“No. Maybe he wasn’t a good person. But he’s not bad. He’s confused, and angry, and untrusting, but that’s just because his trust has been broken before. He’s strong, but I don’t think he would harm or kill needlessly. He’s kind, but he’s been taken advantage of before, and so, he hides it.” Kinuki explained, and, with those words, she took a sutra in each hand, and removed it from the circle keeping Inuyasha contained.

Letting the rest of her power disperse as she did so.

 

In an instant Inuyasha was in front of her, his claws dripping blood, and the corpse of the centipede lying in front of him.

 

Kinuki could only blink. Shock and sadness registering in her eyes as she puts together what must’ve happen in the time it took her to blink.

A few blood splatters now visible on the one side of her shirt.

 

“Keh. She obviously didn’t value her life. Stupid hag.” Inuyasha said from in front of her.

 

“Thank you.” Kinuki said anyway. Getting Inuyasha to turn toward her, eyes open in confusion. Though his fangs gleamed in a thoughtful smirk.

 

“You know, if you really wanted to thank me, you could give me that jewel in your pocket.” Flexing his claws for emphasis.

 

Kaede’s eyes widened when she heard that.

Not only had he saved the young girl’s life, he’d ASKED for the jewel, and hadn’t tried to kill her to take it… yet.

 

Kinuki however, shook her head.

 

“I’m sorry. It seems to be very powerful, and I don’t even know what it is.”

 

With a startled yelp, Kinuki suddenly found herself flying across the field.

 

Kagome had long since woken up on her side of the clearing, and, seeing the dog-eared thing looking ready to strike her sister down had immediately spiked her fear levels. In fact, they’d heightened considerable, when she’d seen the blood on his claws, and on Kinuki.

Wanting to have her sister close by, in order to better protect her, her power had flared green, and Kinuki came flying at her.

 

“Oh!”

“Ow!”

The two girls groaned.

 

“Jeez ‘gome, can’t you warn me?” Kinuki moaned, rubbing her bruising arm.

 

“Oh, right, no, please, don’t THANK me for SAVING YOUR LIFE!”

 

Kinuki just rolled her eyes at her sister’s temper.

 

“Thank you for saving my life from a non-threatening conversation.” She said, a sarcastic edge rather clear in her tone.

 

“Non-threate… He was about ready to slice and dice you with his claws!” Kagome shot back, almost at a loss for words.

 

“Right, of course, and THAT’S why he saved my life from that giant centipede thing…” Kinuki snapped her fingers in a swishing motion of mock enlightenment.

 

“I don’t know why I didn’t realise it sooner.” Her expression deadpanned.  

 

“Would you calm down Kags? I’m fine. He HELPED me, and…”

Kinuki was cut off by a warning shout from Kaede.

 

“Bind him!”

 

The two girls turned, as though synchronised, seeing a very annoyed Inuyasha leaping toward them, claws glowing yellow with the power he’d inherited from his father.

 

“Give me that blasted Jewel!” Inuyasha yelled. More than a little annoyed.

 

Even as he spoke, purple glowing beads were flying to form a string around his neck.

 

Kinuki completely blanked.

 

She was almost 100% positive Inuyasha wouldn’t actually attack them, but his feint was VERY convincing. 

Meanwhile, Kagome was wracking her brain for a way to bind the being currently trying to attack them.

Her gaze fell on his ears, she’d given them a quick rub when he’d still been bound to the Goshinboku. He’d reminded her a lot of a dog…

 

“SIT!”

 

The call vibrated all throughout the clearing, and the beads around Inuyasha’s neck suddenly glowed white, and he was forced to meet the ground in a painful looking face-plant.

 

“WHAT THE HELL!” Inuyasha’s shout was loud, despite being muffled by dirt.

 

Kinuki winced, trying to figure out how that had worked.

Kagome merely stared at the fallen form of the hanyou.

She couldn’t believe that that HAD worked.

 

“Why did you say sit?” Kinuki asked, both girls jumping a little as another thud echoed around the clearing.

 

‘The spell was bound to Kagome’s power… Why did it react to Kinuki’s voice?’ Kaede thought, equally baffled as to why Inuyasha again had his body, though, more specifically, his soul, firmly bound to the ground.

 

“Sorry.” Kinuki squeaked apologetically.

 

Inuyasha merely grumbled unintelligible words into the earth.

Both girls found themselves thinking that they were actually glad that they couldn’t clearly hear what he was saying.

 

“Um… It was the first thing that came to mind, what with his, uh, ears.”

 

Said ears flattened at hearing Kagome’s reasoning, but Kinuki found herself agreeing with her sister completely.

 

Kinuki nodded her agreement.

 

“I probably would’ve said the same.” The younger twin admitted.

 

“No. You DID say the same.” Inuyasha emphasised, finally managing to rip himself off of the ground.

But while Kagome tensed in fear and fright, Kinuki smiled sheepishly, and remained otherwise completely relaxed.

 

‘She’s not afraid of me at all, is she?’ Inuyasha thought to himself. Not at all used to having someone be so open around him.

 

Still, he gripped the irksome beads around his neck, pulling with all his might to try and get them off of him.

 

“Ye struggle in vain, Inuyasha. Only a miko can remove those beads from yer neck.” Kaede spoke up, having since moved to the two girls.

 

“I believe we have some things to discuss.” She said, addressing the twins.

 

Her responses were two nods and easy smiles.

 

“Oi! Get these blasted things off of me!” Inuyasha shouted angrily, scowling when he realised that he was being ignored.