Chapter 16: Welcome, Newbies
Kiyomi takes a deep breath. She looks at her sisters passed out at the bottom of the well. "This isn't good" she says.
"I thought you didn't want them here" Minoru says sitting at the top of the well.
"You could help me get them out" Kiyomi huff from the bottom of the well. Minoru rolls his eyes and jumps to the bottom. Minoru carefully hoists each girls up swiftly. "I didn't need help, I could have climbed out myself," she says as he places her softly on her feet.
"It was quicker this way" he shrugs. "What happened? How did they get here?" he asks.
Kiyomi looks upon the faces of her sleeping sisters and says "We kinda just slipped"
The wind picks up slightly, blowing the leaves of the trees. Minoru looks to the far end of the clearing sniffing the air. "Something's coming" his voice was low and gritty.
Suddenly a large owl demon comes out from the trees. Bursting through the tree line, cracking branches and toppling trees, his wings creating large gusts of wind around the group.
"I will have my revenge for my brother!" The owl demon yells as he flies toward the group.
"He seems angry" Minoru says furrowing his brows.
Kiyomi looks toward her unconscious sisters. Fear and panic run through her veins. She draws her attention back toward the impending attack. With her voice shakey she says to Minoru speaks to Minoru. "They are sitting ducks"
"Damn" Minoru says with a growl. He lunges toward the beast. The demon knocks him back with a swipe of his wing.
"I'm not so easily defeated like my brother!" he screeches. The beast flies straight at Kiyomi and her sisters. Kiyomi uses her powers to knock the beast to a tree. As she did that, Etsuko begins to wake. She looks up and sees the giant owl.
"What...Is...THAT!" she screams. So terrified, not realizing her surroundings, she gets up and begins to run.
"Etsuko! Don't!" Kiyomi yells after her sister.
"I'll get her" Minoru runs after her. The owl begins to give chase. He swipes his wing again at Etsuko but Minoru leaps and grabs her just in the nick of time. The two roll onto the ground.
"Minoru, you're here?" she questions looking up at him.
"You ok?" he asks. She nods her head. She looks at him curiously reaches her hands up and begins the fondle his ears. "Seriously? This is not the time for this" he says annoyed.
"They are real" she says astounded.
The beast swoops in.
"Look out!" Minoru says darting away just before the demon grabs them. He gently places Etsuko down next to Kiyomi. "Enough of this" he says with a growl.
Heidi wakes. Her eyes widen.
"What is going on?" she says with fear. Etsuko grabs her to keep her from running. The beast flaps his wings and large feathers, shaped like knives, come shooting out hurling toward the girls. Etsuko and Heidi scream and hide their faces in their hands. Kiyomi's panic rises even more, she attempts to create her barrier around them. Her hands sizzle and crackle under her forcing the barrier out.
"This cannot be happening now" Kiyomi covers her sisters with her own body to sheild them from the attack. She pinches her eyes shut as the blades reach them. She begins to hear the crackling of her barrier around them and the knives bounce off. "That was close" Kiyomi stands, feet planted firmly into the soil.
Heidi looks to the greenish glowing orb around them and asks "Kiyomi, are you doing that?" Kiyomi nods her head, keeping her vision on the demon in front of her. "How are you doing that?" Heidi asks with a look of wonder on her face.
"I told you a lot has changed," she said, shrugging her shoulders nonchilantly.
Minoru draws the Tetsusaiga.
"WINDSCAR!" he yells sending out a blast destroying the demon in one swoop. Heidi and Etsuko stare at MInoru with their eyes glazed over. Kiyomi drops the shield and turns back to her sisters who seem to be in some sort of trance. "Everyone ok?" Minoru asks running up to them.
"That...was...so cool" Etsuko says as she falls backward, fainted.
"Suko!" Kiyomi says crouching down next to her sister.
"Too much for her to take I guess" MInoru says sheathing his sword.
"Really cool…" Heidi falls back as well.
"Too much for both of them." Kiyomi says realising a breath.
"Oh well, let's get them to my sister's" he says lifting Heidi up. He helps Kiyomi put Etsuko on her back and they head off to Amaya's house.
ooOOoo
"Kiyomi!!!" Hana and Taura yell as they run toward her and Minoru walking up over the hill.
"Bringing home more stray cats I see" Amaya says with a smile
"You consider me a cat?" Kiyomi asks. Etsuko begins to stir.
"Where am I?" she asks warily. Kiyomi puts her down. Etsuko's eyes widen as she looks upon the large farm in disbelief. "Seriously, where am I?" she turns to look at her sister.
"Well…" Kiyomi begins to say as Heidi wakes up. She looks up at Minoru with a strange look. She reaches out her hands and fondles his ears.
"Seriously, this again?" he says with a frown.
"So fuzzy…" Heidi says. Minoru drops her to the ground.
"Ow really?" she says rubbing her behind.
"He doesn't like his ears touched" Amaya says walking up to the group. "Let's get you guys inside."
ooOOoo
Etsuko and Heidi sit at the table with looks of disbelief on their faces. "It was all real?" Etsuko says looking down. Kiyomi nods.
"I know it's a shock but all the things gramps told us were true" she explains "I've seen a lot of pretty unbelievable stuff and it's real. Amaya and Minoru are Sota's niece and nephew."
"Shouldn't they be older?" Heidi asks.
"We are part demon because of our father so we age slower than humans" Amaya says.
"She looks just like Kagome's pictures, minus the black hair" Etsuko says.
"I do take after her, my dear brother takes after our father" Amaya says placing a hand on Minoru's shoulders. Minoru turns his head and gruffs a bit.
"And you have powers too?" Heidi asks her older sister.
"I'm still learning to use them, but yea I do"
"Do we have powers?" Etsuko asks excitedly. Kiyomi looks at Minoru and Amaya.
"I don't sense anything but that doesn't mean it isn't lying dormant within you" Amaya says shaking her head. "You are sisters and normally if one has the power the others do as well. Oh Kiyomi I almost forgot" she says walking over to a cabinet in the corner she opens the door and pulls out Kiyomi's sword "You forgot this here" handing it to her.
"Oh thanks. I left it only because I won't need it too much back home" responding with a chuckle. Heidi and Suko look at each other knowingly. Heidi rolls her eyes and Suko chuckles a bit. "It's getting late. Let's continue this in the morning" Kiyomi says.
"I'll show you girls where you can sleep" Amaya says motioning them to follow. The girls follow her into a room at the end of the hallway. Heidi looks back at her sister sitting at the table, Kiyomi smiles and waves her off. Minoru then walks outside; Kiyomi watches as he exits. Sitting alone there she is left with her thoughts. Looking down at her sword she recalls the battle she used it in.
The day of the battle she remembers how she felt. Scared, nervous, with a little bit of excitement. She did it all to help and rid the lord's lands of that terrible demon.
She rests her head on her propped up arm.
That was also the first day her and MInoru kissed. The memory making her blush slightly. She thinks back to the other day in her kitchen. Trying to figure it out was giving her a headache. What was that? Why did she feel she had no control over her body? His touch felt like fire on her skin. She blushes even more. She wonders what all that meant to him?
Lifting her head she turns to look out the window seeing Minoru perched up in his tree. She rises from her spot and takes a few steps outside.
The moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the earth around her. Looking up to Minoru perched in his tree, he seemed to have an ethereal glow about him. She stands there for a few seconds and takes in his handsome features.
Finally she finds words to speak. "Hey, where is Shippo and Kirara?"
"He went to go train, Kirara went with him," he replies.
"When are they coming back?"
"I dunno, not much going on here anyways" Jumping down from the branch. He strolls over toward her leisurely.
"Well, if anything did come up, you have this to keep me safe" she says pointing at the sword. Minoru takes hold of it and draws it from its sheath. The sword transforms into the large fang. He looks at the sword with curious eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
"I heard it took my dad a while to learn all the techniques of this sword. It will probably take me longer" her says.
"You will get it" she playfully says. She steps forward to look at the moon overhead.
"Maybe…"
"You will" she says turning around to face him. "I have faith in you"
"Thanks Kiyomi…"