1550 AD
Near Goshinboku
Edo, Japan
"This way! Come on Minako-nee!" I ran, holding a satchel of food clamped in my pale hands, using my yosei wings to propel me forward. The demon-slayers that we traded with had implied that we were responsible for the rash of local attacks. Those damned yokai taijiya! Why can't they leave us be? We are allies, and yet they consistantly blame us for every single yokai attack!
Minako jumped down, holding a bag of a different sort, filled with weapons she had promised to fix and then I would purify. Minako was a six-tailed kitsune, with yoki that could easily draw out the terrible miasma left from demonic battles.
I skidded to a stop as we made it to the cave past the Goshinboku and Minako passed through the erected Kekkai. We were safe at home. "Onee-sama? I'm gonna go pay respects to Izayoi-mama. And maybe I can get a good auric print of Inuyasha from the gravestone. We still have to keep our promise and pass on Izayoi's message, but that damn dog is so hard to find!"
Minako chuckled and headed to the hollowed out kitchen. Being from the 30th Century, when our powers finally blossomed, Minako and I used them to give our home modern amenities. We ate and slept well. We lived well.
I packed up with wards just in case and stepped out of the barrier. "I'm off!"
I ran toward the clearing and knelt at Izayoi's grave, laying a flower. "Gomen. I haven't been in awhile. I promise I'll find Inuyasha and protect him for you."
There was a soft breeze, and I felt the auric print that clung to the grave stir toward the Goshinboku. I stood, walking to the great tree, and was surprised to find-Inuyasha. I could never forget that face. "Oh…"
I stepped closer, catching my breath. There was a a seal on him. Damn it...I sense a miko's work on this! Why seal a half-demon! There is NO threat in a half-demon!
I closed my eyes. My fingers touched the seal. And then…"Usagi! You idiot! You can't do that! The yokai taijiya will declare all-out war on us!"
My eyes narrowed angrily. At that moment I resolved to break the seal. But…it wouldn't budge. A tear fell down my cheek and I put a hand on his wound.
"He isn't bad nee-san!" I yelled at her. "And we promised!"
Why am I crying? I wondered. I said I wouldn't get close, not even to family, but...this is Inuyasha...!
We were interrupted by demon slayers coming over the hill. They readied their weapons toward us. My wings tensed, growing another inch as if provoked.
I used my body as a shield against the sealed boy, glaring defiantly at them.
Shako, the leader, stepped out angrily. "What are you two doing disturbing that seal? He was after the very thing that you protect!"
Eyes drifted to Minako. The day we had awakened, she had finally cried for Silver Millennium. One of those tears had become the kinzuisho, Golden Crystal. It was given a different name by those of this era, for some reason: Shikon no Tama.
"Inuyasha?" I asked softly. "HEY! He never so much as touched the Shikon no Tama!"
Shako looked surprised. "We are trying to protect the Shikon no Tama. He was after it!"
"I don't care what you think!" I replied, my wings tensing in anger. "I demand that he be released!"
"The spell on him is eternal," replied Shako. "It was cast on him by the miko Kikyo!"
"Imouto-chan," Minako said gently. "You need to stop meddling."
"I will NOT!" I yelled childishly, refusing to come down.
"Imouto…" Minako warned.
And of course a demon had to attack us then. It rose out of the ground, a giant centipede woman.
"Give me the Shikon no Tama!" It yelled at us.
Without warning, it grabbed my sister and pinned her to Inuyasha's tree. And Minako screamed. Why, you might ask? Because, she had just transformed on instinct, and she really didn't like her senshi form. Or fighting.
I gripped the pendant I kept from the palace. Minako's was holding the Shikon no Tama, while mine was empty. But I could transform just fine!
I did so and gripped the tiara that marked me as a hime. Hands down this was getting to sparkly for my taste so I changed the tiara into a simple crescent and threw it at the demon. "Crescent Cutting!"
"Not the Yosei fighting!" the demon slayers left the area instantly, terrified.
"Cowards!" I screamed at them. "If she dies I'll kill you all! Damn it! Why is no one helping?"
I sensed a ripple of consciousness from the tree, but I didn't stop cutting. I couldn't cut through, and suddenly the creature had ripped the pendant from my sister. Her henshin failed, and she fainted onto the ground.
"Finally!" It laughed, and swallowed the Shikon no Tama.
I felt a shiver of dread and threw my crescent again and again. "Crescent Cutting!"
"Stupid! That won't do anything now! Release me or it will kill you and everyone else!" Inuyasha yelled at my sister and I.
"Thats it...!" I yelled, and picked up my sister. "What I cant do alone, we will do together! I wanna protect my family...I want to keep my promise! Break this seal!"
There was a blinding flash and a snapping sound. Inuyasha jumped down. In seconds, the centipede was in pieces and the pendant was around Minako's neck. Her body warmed and her breathing and heartrate calmed.
Then Inuyasha turned on me. "Hey. Give me the jewel."
"Why?" I asked.
He flinched visibly in anger. "Give it to me or I'll rip you both apart."
"I just saved you!" I snapped. "Don't be a dumbass, puppy breath!"
He flinched again. I had hit a nerve. Then he jumped forward, slashing at me. He wasn't going to listen, fine, I had a solution.
I grabbed a beaded ward and fastened it round his neck. He wasn't going to cause trouble for me or Minako. I couldnt let him take something that was her life force.
He jumped forward, and just in time I remembered to seal off the ward with a chosen binding word.
"Osuwari!"
I smiled as Inuyasha plunged to the dirt. "Come on now, Inu-chi. We're going home."
I lifted Minako into my arms and gestured for Inuyasha to follow.
