The Family Secret

By. Tate Icasa

Chapter Twenty-One

Revealed

A/N: I'm not particularly proud of this story. It was written so long ago, and I've moved on, and gotten better. And second gen fic just BUGS me these days. But I found a few chapters of this tucked in a drawer, and my vaguely OCD muses won't let me recycle them without finishing what I started. I have NOT edited this as I've typed it out, and believe me I've been sorely tempted.

She looks like I did before my youkai blood came out.

"Miyanu?" I ask.

"Hai, Taori Higurashi. It is I."

"Why did you suddenly decide to reveal yourself now?"

Miyanu smiles. "I trust you, Taori. And... I suppose I owe you."

I nod. "So, who are you really?"

"Let me tell you a story," Miyanu says gently. She sits. "Come, sit by me."

I do.

"Good girl." She smiles. "Once, a hanyou and a human had a child. In fact, they had twins. Both were born weak, and barely alive. The youkai blood between them only enough to keep one alive. So they drained the blood of one into the other, and the drained one fell into a deep sleep. The child didn't wake for three days, so the parents put it in the river, assuming it was dead."

"Is that the end of the story?" I ask.

"No. Because the child wasn't dead."

"You?" I ask.

"Yeah. I was found by Kikyo."

"Her again," I say dully.

Miyanu rolls her eyes. "Auntie Kikyo raised me. But... she couldn't give me what I wanted." She sighs.

"Which is?"

"My youkai blood."

"Lemme make a guess here. Miyanu... Higurashi?"

She nods. "Originally I planned to take back my blood from you. But I don't want to... and if Seiko will give me hers..."

"I see," I say.

"I hope you do," Miyanu says. She stands and the barrier parts. "When I leave, the barrier will fall."

When Taori barely acknowledges them, the others turn to follow her.

"Now she is possessed," Eiji says.

"Taori!"

"She is fine," Taori's voice says. "I merely wish to return to my own body."

"Who are you?"

Miyanu doesn't reply. She kneels next to her body.

I'm looking down at Miyanu.

"Taori!" My mother grabs me by the shoulder.

"Okaa-san," I say, nodding.

"You're okay, Taori?" Amiya asks.

"I'm more concerned about Miyanus," I say, purposely not answering her question. If you want the truth, I don't know quite how I am. I nudge Miyanu.

"Where is she?" Seiko says, sounding shoves past everyone, knocking me down, and picks the barely conscious Miyanu up by the collar, snarling. "You little bitch..."

"Neechan!" I snap. "Leave her alone! She's not even awake yet!"

"Yeah, I am," Miyanu says blearily, rbbing her eyes and blinking. "Why are you holding me by the neck?" she askes Sieko, tilting her head.

"I was wondering the same thing," I say suspiciously.

Seiko glares angrily at Miyanu and shakes her, hard. "You... tell me exactly what you did!"

"When" Miyanu asks seriously.

"While we were in her head!" Seiko says, pointing at me. "You put a line on my neck, and I want to know what is is and what it's for!"

"I never put a line on you."

"Taori, who is she?" Mom whispers to me.

"Shh, I wanna hear this."

"Liar!" Seiko snarls. "It's still there. What is it?"

"I don't know," Miyanu says calmly. "But I'd be willing to find out. If you'll just put me down?"

"Like hell I will. Stop toying with me, wench!" Seiko slams Miyanu against the wall.

"Neechan!" I gasp. I'm not sure which one I'm talking to.

"Stay out of the way, Taori!" Miyanu says. "I think she's been bewitched.

I stay back.

"Miyanu, be careful," I say.

"I will," she says. "Seiko, if you will?"

"No!" She swings Miyanu around.

"You're gonna kill her!" I exclaim, latching onto Seiko's arm.

"I'm not," she prtoests.

"I didn't put any line on you, Seiko. When I showed up, you were both unconscious."

"What if it's a side effect of giving away your youkai blood?" Amiya suggests.

"Unlikely."

"No, it's not," Miyanu says. "It's very likely."

Seiko snarls again and drops Miyanu.

I kneel next to her.

"You okay?" I whisper.

"Yeah." She sits up.

Before we can say more there's a loud thud. Miyanu and I look over to see Mom and Sango dragging Seiko away from the wall.

I jump up.

I can feel a sudden pressure in my head.

I can feel myself tipping.

"Seiko!" I shriek. "What aer you doing?"

Whether what she says next is unintelligible or whether I am too far gone to hear properly I don't know.

I snap out something just about as intelligent.

"Taori!" Who says that? I can't tell. I turn and snarl before taking off.

Seiko pulls away from her captors and follows me.

I can hear her behind me.

She can't keep up. I'm father than she is, I have more youkai blood in me.

I can hear more of us in the castle, slower than Seiko. That must be the Children.

I wonder where we're going, and why. And why we're the ones going.