I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!


Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

'The'Thoughts


PLEASE READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!

AN: All right, now I want to give a little info here. I don't own the original six volumes of the series, though I've read really tattered copies years ago that were once available at the library. It's rare to even be able to find them nowadays anyway, especially after the American branch of TokyoPop shut down. But, I do have the two Omni-volumes released by Dark Horse, where the six volumes of the original manga were stuffed into two large volumes (one for Rayearth I and one for Rayearth II, though it was the second that took the longest time to find…) including coloured illustrations. Some that were done over in greytone in the original manga and some that weren't included at all.

I've also read online scanlations of the series on a few different sites and they all have more or less the same translations save for a few quotes. But anyway, I'll be referencing and using quotes from my Omni-volume of Rayearth II since it's readily availble, so if some of it sounds a bit off, it could be because of that. I will most likely doing the same with later chapters and referencing quotes from the first omni-volume along with the second… Ah, but I remembered some of the quotes from the original smaller volumes released and I did notice they were a bit different than what I have in my Omni-volume. So this is just a tiny warning just in case of any questions or confusion.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!


~A Match of Two Souls~

oO-A Wonderful Family-Oo

Kagome and the Shidou brothers watched as Hikaru sat in the middle of the dojo. She was in uniform and her shinai was laid out on the floor beside her. Her eyes were closed and her hands were closed into tight fists as they rested on her knees.

"Hikaru hasn't been herself lately," Masaru whispered, peeking around the shoji door.

"Yeah," Kakeru nodded, "She's been like this since that trip to Tokyo Tower…"

"What could've happened to her?"

"Y-You don't think it could've been a 'who'?!"

"What if she was shoved aside by some rowdy tourists!"

"Or if some shady creeps tried making a move on her?"

"She hasn't said anything to you?" Satoru muttered to Kagome. He ignored the overprotective, paranoid ramblings of his two younger brothers.

"Nothing," the Miko shook her head. "I think the only ones who were able to get more than a few words out of her were her friends, Fuu-chan and Umi-chan."

"When I find out who did this," Kakeru jumped to his feet determinedly, "I'll give 'em a beating they won't ever forget! No one messes with our little Hikaru and gets away with it!"

Masaru nodded in agreement. "That's right!" He pumped his fist into the air with his younger brother.

Kagome looked on exasperatedly at the younger Shidou brothers. "You two…"

It was then she noticed the eldest Shidou walking over to the scarlet-haired girl. Glancing at Masaru and Kakeru who were still off in their own world, she giggled a bit before walking in after Satoru.

"Satoru-niisama…Neechan…" they heard Hikaru whisper hoarsely.

The eldest Shidou sat in a seiza before Hikaru while Kagome sat beside the younger girl. "You haven't told your Neechan anything, I've heard. You won't tell even your Niisama why you're sad?" he asked quietly.

Ruby eyes looked down at the floor morosely and nodded.

The russet-haired man looked at his sister for a moment and turned his eyes onto the raven-haired teen.

'Don't push her,' minty eyes told him, 'She'll tell us when she's ready.'

'I won't,' his own responded.

"I understand," Satoru placed a gentle hand over the head of fiery locks. "I won't ask you anymore, no one will."

"Just know that we're here for you, Hikaru," Kagome hugged the younger girl from behind.

"I'm sorry…Niisama, Neechan," Hikaru apologized, fists clenched.

"A person has to make their own decisions in this world," chocolate eyes looked kindly down at the youngest Shidou. "You've made up your mind, so stick with it."

"But remember," Kagome spoke up, "if you're ever in any doubt, listen to your heart. Matters of the head and matters of the heart are often two different things. But in times when your will wavers, trust in your heart and you'll never be led astray."

(AN: Did that quote sound right at all? It sounded way simpler in my head before I wrote it out…)

"I will!" the fiery-haired girl said determinedly.

"Kagome…" a voice growled from behind her. "Leggo!"

The raven-haired girl blinked as she found her arms empty and looked around for her cousin. She giggled when she found the younger girl dangling in the arms of the middle Shidou brother. "No fair! I'm worried about Hikaru, too…"

"Hold it!" Hikaru squawked when she was suddenly grabbed into another embrace from Masaru's arms. "You don't think I'm worried, too?" Kakeru pouted. He turned to Hikaru, large rivers of tears streaming over his cheeks. "Cry on my shoulder if ever need to!"

"N-No worries, Kakeru-niisan…" Hikaru laughed nervously. She looked around at her small family and gave the most sincere smile the brothers and Kagome had seen from her in months. "I'm so glad to have such a wonderful family!"


Adieu,

TsukiyoTenshi