Half Breed's Song

The hunter had followed her ever since he heard her signing in Kasuta village. For a month he had repeatedly caught and lost her trail all the way to this little house nestled deep in the woods. He was going to kill the little signer, kill her and steal her jewel shards. He needed those shards. With her eighteen he could safely return to his favorite pastime, carnage. He sniffed the air and smiled a carnivore's smile. The time was ripe for killing.

He strode easily towards the house. Outside was a half-breed boy setting up a hammock, muttering curses to himself.

"Little boy," golden eyes looked suspiciously into his own, "Who lives here?"

"What's it to ya?" the very large demon grasped the boy by the throat and lifted Ashi off the ground.

"Does that girl live here? The one with the pretty face?" Ashi didn't answer, only struggled harder to get free, "You must have seen her. Perhaps you snuck into her room once or twice to glimpse her naked body…"

"Shut up! Why would I want to see that?"

"But surly you know of whom I speak? Black hair, tied into a side ponytail, bangs with the two long pieces hanging down her well-formed breasts. Sings like something not quite human? Truly you do know of what I speak."

"You leave her alone!" he growled through his partially crushed windpipe, "What do you want with Hoshi anyway?"

"Her jewel shards of course. Perhaps her body before I kill her, but predominantly her jewel shards. Where's the girl?"

"I'll never tell you, you bastard," the demon slammed him down and drew a broadsword.

"You'll talk or you'll scream, but I will get a noise out of you, you little shit."

"Go to hell," the demon smiled menacingly.

"Oh I hoped you would say that, half-breed."

*~*~*~*

Hoshi emerged from her room wearing the priestess outfit Kaede once gave Kagome. She liked how it looked and it really suited her features well.

"Lady Hoshi those clothes…. you look…" Miroku could barely complete a coherent thought as he circled the woman, tugging on the skirt, then the shirt, then the shirt opening. Hoshi's shriek of indignation nearly shattered windows. Kagome ran in, followed by Inuyasha and the two Kitsunes.

"What happened?"

"Ask him."

"Miroku you have no morals!"

"Besides, aren't you a monk?" Hoshi demanded.

"Yes, but more than that I'm a man and—"

"If you say that men have needs you're sleeping outside with Ashi, and it gets really cold at night."

"Is there anything so wrong with appreciating the female bod— what? Why are you suddenly so pale?" Hoshi pointed a shaking finger towards the window just behind the group. They turned just in time to see a bloodied Ashi slam into a near by cedar tree.

"Ashi!" without stopping to think, Hoshi broke through the window and tumbled into her clearing, "Ashi!" the boy winced at the sound of her cry and again when she touched his arm, "What in the world are you doing?" Ashi grinned recklessly at her then coughed up blood.

"Didn't want him to find you. You're so helpless, there's no way you'd be able to defend yourself," Hoshi hugged him, "Sentimental pain in my ass."

"Shut up Ashi," she hugged him tighter, resisting the urge to cry and Ashi suddenly realized what he must have meant to her. Even though she said that he was a pain to have around, and that he ate enough for an army, he suddenly got why she let him stay with her, "You're only a little kid! What were you thinking?!?"

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded of the demon, Hoshi looked up at him. He held a rusty old sword. What does he think he's going to do with that?

"Just a shard hunter," the demon replied, "I'm here for the girl and nothing more."

"Huh, really, what if I said you couldn't have her?"

"Then I'd have to kill you and all your little friends," suddenly the sword transformed from decrepit into a huge blade.

"I don't think so," Inuyasha replied charging. The demon blocked the Tetsusaiga but barely.

"He can't win," Hoshi whispered after several moments.

"What was that, Lady Hoshi?" Miroku asked as he bound Ashi's arm.

"The other demon is stronger and faster. Inuyasha-san can't win, the other demon will kill him."

"How do you know?" Kagome asked.

"I…I…I don't know," Hoshi moaned and slammed her face into her palms. She dug her lengthening nails into her scalp, ignoring the blood that began to trickle down her face, "Everything slides in an out of focus, I grab snatches of memory then I lose it just as quickly. I hate it!" she suddenly jumped up.

"Inuyasha-sama look out! The tree root!" Hoshi looked over in the direction of the fight. Inuyasha's foot was caught in a particularly large tree root.

"My destiny lies with that half breed. Everything counts on him," she said ardently, slamming a fist into her palm. She looked up; the moon was almost done ascending. If he could just hold on…something happened every full moon…. what was it…can't remember…something about the prayer beads…spinning…dizzy…seasick. Hoshi shook her head to clear it, then, moved to intervene, Ashi grabbed her arm.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"He needs my help," Ashi snorted.

"You? You'll die."

"So?" the grip tightened, forming a bruise and five puncture wounds where Ashi's nails were.

"Don't throw your life away. Not for him."

"How can you say that?"

"He's half demon. He isn't worth it."

"I'd do the same for you Ashi."

"I'm not worth it—"

"Let me go Ashi."

"—Don't die, not for someone like him—"

"Let go Ashi!"

"—Don't do it! Please!" Hoshi bit his arm, hard. Ashi yelped and let her go. She ran between Inuyasha and the demon just as the demon thrust his sword forward. The broadsword ripped through the cloth of her shirt, ripped through skin and muscle, ripped through the back of her shirt and tore a hole in the front of Inuyasha's shirt. Small rivers of blood quickly became torrents when the demon yanked his sword back. Hoshi fell to her knees, then backwards into Inuyasha's lap. Up above them all, the moon had reached its peak.

"You idiot," Inuyasha growled, finally yanking his foot, and most of the root, free. He picked her up, "Are all humans as stupid as you?"

"I'm sorry Inuyasha-kun, really. I just couldn't think of anything else to do at the moment," she was nearly dropped.

"What did you just call me?" Hoshi smiled and closed her eyes. Inuyasha jumped back, then back again as the demon lunged at him. Finally an over zealous swing got the weapon stuck in an exceptionally thick oak.

Inuyasha landed near the others who came quickly over. The half-breed shook Hoshi violently; the girl's body outlined itself with pure energy that radiated outward with every thump of her heart. Her black hair was fading, turning lighter and her human ears were beginning to disappear.

"Hoshi. Hoshi! Wake up you idiot!" the girl opened her eyes, they too had changed. Once a deep brown they were now gold.

"Who are you calling an idiot?"

"Chi…Chiyumi? What the hell?!?" Inuyasha's twin smiled peacefully.

"You found me. Now you hide," she chuckled weakly as Inuyasha opened and closed his mouth, though nothing came out, "I really wished I could have told you but poor Hoshi knows nothing," she spat up blood and continued, "I figured you would've had it figured out when she bust into song."

"I sorta did," Chiyumi giggled.

"Good, I was worried that fifty years pinned to a tree would've made you stupid," she closed her eyes and coughed up more blood, "Oh Inuyasha-kun I'm so sorry."

"Yeah? And what the hell did you break now? Was it mother's vase again?" Chiyumi giggled a second time then shook her head.

"I promised that we'd dance again. With the petals remember? I didn't mean to lie. Do you forgive me?"

"Yeah. Of course," she snuggled closer and buried her face in Inuyasha's neck. The half demon hugged her tightly for a moment then thrust her at Miroku, "Do something for her."

"Um, like what?"

"I don't care! Anything!" he left, shouting swears and threats at the demon, which had waited patiently for him to come back.

Chiyumi moved her face into Miroku's neck and sniffed delicately, paused, then sniffed again.

"Takeru…no…not Takeru. Similar but not him."

"My name is Miroku."

"Ah, the monk that tried to fondle poor Hoshi," Miroku blushed, "Why do you smell of my Takeru?"

"I don't know. I…I had a grandfather with that name, could that be the reason?"

"Was he too a amorous monk?"

"His weakness was beautiful women," Chiyumi chuckled.

"Yes that sounds like my Takeru. Tell me, do you too have the curse?"

"Yes," Chiyumi's eyes snapped opened and she struggled to sit up," Please save your strength!"

"You...you can help me!" she exclaimed, ignoreing his advice completely, "You can remove my curse!"

"Your curse?"

"The beads," she lifted them slightly, "Only you can remove them. You or one with the cursed hand and Takeru's blood. Please, won't you release me?"

"Me? What, what do they do?"

"They sealed my memory away. Unless the full moon is out I am trapped in a waking dream. I see all as Hoshi but she knows nothing. Please, help me."

"I..I maybe I shouldn't," Chiyumi gasped.

"You would save my body but not my sanity? Please."

"Don't do it. She should stay human."

"I'll die. Hoshi cannot recover from such wounds."

"She's happy!"

"What do you know?!" she shouted at Ashi, then turned back to Miroku.

"I…"

"Why do you hesitate? Oh...I see. You're scared. Just as fear drove Takeru to place them on me, fear drives you to keep them there. Fine then," she reached behind her and pulled out a short sword, "I would rather die then continue to live this way. Only half awake, never able to tell what I truly am," she looked at Shi-Chan, "I'm sorry Hoshi-Chan, truly, we would've had fun playing together," she raised the sword up and stabbed it deep within the already existing wound.

"No wait! I'll remove them!" Miroku yanked the beads from Chiyumi's neck, "See they're gone! Milady please…" Chiyumi didn't respond and Miroku rocked back on his heels, "Oh my God what have I done?"

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