Kindred Spirits
Chapter 01 : Strange Encounters
Author's Note: This is the result of an author's request from Dragon/Fairy Girl. She asked if I'd write a Kohaku/Kanna pairing. I agreed! Hehe. So here we are. I'm following her guidelines, so the story is set in the present (well… sort of anyway), is indeed going to be a Kohaku/Kanna story, and it focuses mostly on Kohaku. I hope everyone enjoys, since this is entirely a new experience for me. Although I like both Kohaku and Kanna, they are the first characters I've ever tried to focus on in fan fiction that aren't really my favorites. So I'm taking this as a growth opportunity. I'll have to dig into characters that I've never really tried to before. Tee hee.
Warnings: Nothing much as of right now.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
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A grin settled across Kohaku's face as he finished the task of setting up his new room in their new apartment. He and his elder sister Sango traveled a lot because of her work, which she never spoke much about. But Kohaku did not question her. He just accepted it as the way things were since their parent's deaths. And he knew Sango appreciated his acceptance. He had a feeling that what she did, whatever it was, was something she did not wish to speak of at all.
Most kids his age would ask. But he wasn't like most kids. Forced to learn how to survive when you're seven can make one a little different. Besides, Sango took care of them both, even with his survival skills. She handled work while he went to school, since she insisted that he finish school, unlike her.
Speaking of Sango, where was she? Kohaku got to his feet and exited his room. He walked down the hall way into the kitchen and living room. Sango was placing their kitchen utensils into their respective places, humming to the music on her headphones. She was dressed as if she were planning to work out, but that wasn't the case with Sango. He'd never seen her dressed up. She wore no make up, except the eye shadow that their mother had always worn, and her hair was always up in a pony-tail. She said she had no time for being pretty.
Sango looked at him and smiled, clicking stop on her CD player. She removed her headphones and said, "Hey kid. All finished in there?"
"Yeah," Kohaku grinned, "Would you like me to help?"
Sango's drew her eye brows together and considered it, "I'd get done faster… but you've got school tomorrow. Take the rest of the night off and enjoy yourself Kohaku. Why don't you explore the complex? I bet there are some kids your age living here. Maybe you'll meet a new friend."
He rolled his eyes, "I'd rather help you."
"And I'd rather you had a social life." Sango looked at him. He didn't seem convinced. Sango sighed and put the last glass cup into the cupboard, "Kohaku. Get your ass out of this apartment or –"
Kohaku was already grabbing his jacket, "Okay, okay, since you insist." He waved to her as he closed the door. Sango was already pushing play on her CD player, tapping her foot as she moved onto the next box.
Kohaku shook his head and he laughed silently. Not many boys would admit this, but Sango could kick his ass. Kohaku did not feel resentment, since she could probably kick any guy on this block's ass. He had a feeling his sister's work involved the youkai population, and a human had to be tough to deal with them. Like his father and his mother…
He blinked as he came to the elevator. Up or down? He pushed the top level, deciding that he'd check out the roof first. Sango always made comments about him finding friends, but Kohaku was content with just the two of them. He believed that Sango wanted him to have a normal life, because she thought that would be best. Maybe so, but…
Kohaku's thoughts stopped as the doors opened and a man dressed in the habit stepped into the elevator. He smiled at Kohaku pleasantly and pushed a button. Kohaku nodded to him out of respect, and almost fell over as the man began to talk.
"Haven't seen you around here. I'm assuming you just moved in."
"Yes." Kohaku nodded, avoiding the man's kind eyes.
"Which floor?"
"The ninth floor."
"Ah, I'm on the eleventh." He smiled, "My name is Miroku."
"You're a priest?"
"Of the sort." Miroku said and then he looked at Kohaku, "What's your name?"
"Oh, sorry, it's Kohaku."
"Fine name." Miroku commented. The doors of the elevator opened. Kohaku blinked.
"I thought you said you lived on the eleventh floor?"
Miroku winked as he walked out onto the sixteenth floor, "I do. But I've got a friend who lives here."
"Oh…" Kohaku paused. Should he say bye? He frowned and then called out as the doors shut, "Bye." He barely caught sight of Miroku's raised hand before the doors closed completely.
Kohaku stepped out as the elevator came to a stop. His eyes widened as he took in the last level of the complex. It was gorgeous.
"Hey."
Kohaku whirled around as a woman was exiting a room. "What are you doing here kid?"
He stared at her. She was a… she was a youkai. And she was beautiful.
The woman stopped walking and smirked, her eyes traveling over him, "Cat got your tongue? You've got no reason to be frightened kid. I'm not going to hurt you."
Kohaku frowned, "I wasn't scared. I just didn't expect to see…" He trailed off. Would mentioning her race offend her?
She grinned but she didn't look happy, "Didn't you know? Naraku owns this building. He's a youkai."
"Oh. My sister failed to mention that." Kohaku said slowly. Why had Sango not mentioned that?
The woman's red eyes lightened up, "Well, don't worry. He never leaves this floor."
"He lives here?" Kohaku looked around.
"Yes. What are you doing? You're not supposed to even come up here."
"I didn't know." Kohaku told her, "I was just looking for a way to the roof…"
She pointed to a door behind him, beside the elevator, "There you go. You can do that."
"Thanks." Kohaku smiled, "Do you live here too?"
She paused. "Yes."
"Which level?"
"The one just below this one." She said, "I've got a little sister. She's your age I think. What are you, thirteen?"
"Fourteen." Kohaku said and began heading towards the door, "Thanks again," He called before walking up the steps. He stopped and peered to catch another look at the woman as she made her way through another door. Kohaku breathed out then. He had been scared. He'd never spoken so many words with a youkai before. And he'd never seen one who was so pretty. Kohaku smiled as he made his way up the steps and then onto the roof.
He walked to the edge and stared out at the city lights. In the distance was the mountains. He sighed wistfully. He'd grown up in a small village, surrounded by wilderness and wildlife. He missed it.
He stayed like that for a long time, staring out, thinking of his past. He and Sango had both been trained in the martial arts, had learned to use their spiritual powers, and their father had started to teach them how to… to kill a youkai before…
Kohaku shook his head. Sometimes he thought Sango was in that business as well. But it wasn't the same. His father and mother had been taijiya, humans who killed youkai for profit. But work had come to them, they hadn't looked for it. And they had only killed the youkai with low intelligence, the ones who resembled animals more than people.
No. His parents had never killed a youkai like the lady he had met. She was of the more powerful class, those who resembled humans but with magic and super natural powers. They were also the most deadliest. But killing one of them was against the law.
Kohaku jumped when he heard the door open and then close. He turned around to apologize to whoever was behind him, but paused as he saw a girl.
She was a youkai as well.
But she was much different than the lady from before. The lady from before had been beautiful, had presence. This girl was child-like and frail looking, and deathly pale. Her white hair was pulled back in a braid, and she stared at him. Kohaku noticed her eyes then. They were completely black. He felt as if he were staring into a void, and there was nothing there. Nothing there at all.
"Hello."
Her voice was just like her. Soft and without much to it. Almost as if she would blow away if the wind got any stronger. He stared at her.
She walked toward him then and stood beside him, staring over the edge much like he had been just before. She did not seem bothered that he had not replied to her greeting.
"Uh… hello." Kohaku said after a few minutes, and he felt foolish for taking so long.
She looked at him. "You're name is Kohaku."
"H-how did you know?" He blinked at her.
"I learn all the names of the tenants." She said and shrugged. "I am called Kanna."
"Kanna." He repeated it and then blushed, "I like it."
"I don't."
"Oh." He frowned, "Sorry."
She looked at him again, "You've met my sister."
"That was your sister?" Kohaku asked, unable to hide his surprise. They did not resemble each other at all.
"Yes." She breathed out, her voice fading away as she did so. "Kagura."
"I have an older sister too-"
"Sango." Kanna said and then she looked back at the view before them, "I have met your sister already."
"Really?" Kohaku blinked.
"Yes. You see, my father owns this building and I met her when she came to look at the apartment."
"Oh."
"Yes."
Kohaku then recalled the way Kagura had referred to her father. She had used his name, which seemed odd to Kohaku, but then, maybe youkai customs were a bit different than his own. He did not ask Kanna. They stood there in silence. Kohaku did not feel uncomfortable though, because Kanna's company was almost like there was no one there. It was strange, but he was not bothered by it. He kinda liked it. It made him feel like he could say anything. But he knew he couldn't do that.
Kanna turned then and began walking back to the stairs, "Farewell Kohaku."
He blinked and turned to face her back, "You're leaving already?"
"Its been an hour." She informed him without turning around.
He began to walk quickly to catch up with her, "I didn't even realize."
She smiled at him, for the first time, "I didn't either."
She looked different with a smile on her face, but Kohaku wasn't quite sure what it was, "So you live here then." Kohaku didn't show it, but he felt a little silly asking that, since it was quite obvious.
"Yes." Kanna replied.
"I live on the ninth floor." He told her. He wanted to see her again.
"I will see you around," Kanna said as they made their way down the stairs, "Your sister has been employed under my father."
Another thing he had not been told, "Really."
"You didn't know?"
"Uh, no, no I did." He said quickly and laughed, covering up the lie with, "All the tenants I've met have been friendly."
"You've met Miroku and Kagura, right?"
Kohaku nodded, though he didn't remember mentioning the priest, but he must have.
Kanna waved to him then, "Thank you for your company Kohaku. I rarely find anyone on the roof."
Kohaku grinned, "Well, you can expect to see more of me. I liked it up there."
"I like it too." Kanna smiled again, "Good night."
"Night," Kohaku said as Kanna walked down the hall way. He noticed again then, how small she was. And then he entered the elevator and pushed the button for his floor. He had to tell Sango about the strange people he had encountered.
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Well. That is all for the first chapter.
Please, tell me what you think! Especially you, Dragon/Fairy Girl! This is for you! I really, really hope you've enjoyed it.
And I know, the idea of the Inuyasha characters living in the same complex has been used before. Well, its true for this story too. Tee hee.
Later!
