Twins of Mercury
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Part One: Reincarnation
Chapter One: Gather 'Round
It was very quiet, Shippou thought to himself as he shifted on the tree branch that overlooked the road. It seemed to have been centuries ago, but he could remember a time when he travelled with Kagome, Myoga, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Kilalah to find the Shikon no Tama shards. It had always been loud, and usually entertaining. That time was only 16 years ago, and though the journey had never been finished, Narako and Kagome had been. Trying to lock himself into the present, he shifted again. The road beneath him was vacant, but there would soon be travellers, and a chance to steal again.
He resettled himself once more, letting thinking himself back to the 'end' of the journey, and the end of Kagome. When they had come across Naruko for a final battle, they had expected to win to the fullest, there was no thought in their heads to an ambush that commenced well into their fight with Naruko, an ambush that targeted the weakest of their group, Kagome. It had been a marvel that Inuyasha hadn't been to get to her, or anyone else for that matter, to save her. So she had died there, on the ground soaked with youkai blood. Narako shortly followed her into death, Inuyasha's rage had seen to that.
Shippou often found himself wondering what would have happened if they had gotten all the Shikon no Tama shards. He knew, for a fact, Inuyasha still hunted them, and that he still lurked around waiting for... for what? He'd asked, but no one would tell the young squirrel kitsune. Not long after Kagome's death, the group had split ways, and contact, if any was established, was not sought for, nor welcomed for long. It was too depressing to be in the same place, talking with someone assosiated with the Final Battle, as Shippou referred to it.
"Kitto OK!" Shippou sat up a little straighter, straining to hear the singing voice that had just butted into his thoughts. It had sounded female, younger female, silently he hoped it was someone with wealth or a good amount of valuables. "Guuzen no deai ga mirai made kaete shimau. Kiseki o shinji na yo umaku iku sa. It's gonna be OK!" Came the voice again, stronger and louder, but definately female. "Shh! They're gonna know we're here if you keep singing so loud!" A hissed whisper followed the singer, definately another female, and not the same one because this voice was more husky, and lower.
"I want them to know where I am. I'm not afraid of any youkai!" Chorused the singer, and Shippou grinned, easy pickings. The singer sounded pretty young, and childish. "What if it's a big snake youkai? Hmm? Or another croc one? I've had enough of youkai today, Kiken." Complained the companion, and the singer, Kiken, responded with, "But they're so fun!" Musical laughter followed from both girls, and Shippou looked down, following their voices as they came down the road. When they came in clear view, he was taken back to see a silent and older Sango and two younger, bubbling girls with black blue hair, one of them having Kilalah on her head.
They were dressed like Sango, in the outfits of youkai slayers, except theirs were blue and black, on the left one, the right leg was exposed, and vice versa for the one on the right. Sango walked between them, her huge boomerang held behind her back with one hand. The girls both carried katanas with black tassels hanging from the handle, the katanas attached to their hips. At first glance, one would almost believe they were mirrored images, but on second glance, one would notice that the right one had darker skin, and a different hairstyle.
He sat there considering whether or not to show himself, when one of the girls stopped laughing and looked up, directly up, and at him. "Sango-san! I smell youkai!" She whispered, and his ears twitched, that had to be the singer one, Kiken. "I can hear breathing... right above us, Sango-san." The other whispered in kind, and Kilalah hissed-roared while Sango swung the boomerang up before Shippou had a chance to react, slicing his branch in half and sending him crashing down to the ground. "Sango~~! Don't kill me!" He hollared, rubbing his bruised rear and scrambling to get up and move behind her as two katanas were drawn.
Sango narrowed her eyes, and then blinked, lifting a hand to stop the girls while putting the boomerang behind her back again, "Hold girls, this is an old friend." Kiken sighed, and slammed her katana back in it's sheath, hers rested on the left, opposite her exposed leg. "Oy, oy, Sango-san, I wanna kill a youkai!" The other one whined, and mirrored Kiken's actions. "You have to learn patience, and this is a good youkai. Shippou... " Sango said slowly, "This is Kiken, and Kaosu." Kiken canted her head in greeting, while the other one, now known to him as Kaosu, only glared, her dark blue eyes mere slits.
"Kiken, Kaosu, this is Shippou, remember him from the tales I've told you of the journey I had?" Sango said, while Shippou nervously waved hello. Kilalah jumped from Kaosu's head to land neatly on Shippou's, where she promptly curled up, purring.
"We're travelling on towards the next village, we hear word of Inuyasha being there." Sango explained, and Kaosu brightened, "We hope to start collecting Shikon no Tama shards! More youkai to kill!" Shippou stood up slowly to his new height of 5'11", frowning at Kaosu's words. "Where did you pick these girls up, Sango...?" He whispered to her, and she lifted an eyebrow, "I picked them up off my doorstep when they were babies." "Sango-san raised us!" Kiken chirped, backflipping four times down the road, "C'mon Sango-san, I want to meet Inuyasha, the famous Hanyou!"
"Do you wish to accompany us?" Sango asked of him, and he looked down, and off to the side. This matter needed thought, much thought indeed. He had just been thinking no one of the old group wished to have contact with anyone else, but here was Sango and Kilalah, off to find Inuyasha and offering to let him come with! "Sure!" He finally said, jumping into the air while his tail twitched. Kaosu tightly held a golden medallion that hung around her neck on a black ribbon, which Shippou hadn't noticed earlier, but now did. Too bad he couldn't steal from these students of Sango, it wouldn't be right.
"Let's go already." Sango called over her shoulder as she started after Kiken, who was busy cartwheeling down the road. Kaosu stared at Shippou for a few long hard minutes before turning and walking, and he frowned in a puzzled manner before following along after her. "Why don't you like me?" He questioned her, only to get another one of those dark glances. "Come on, tell me, why?" "You're a youkai..." She uttered finally, her midnight sky eyes darkening to pitch black. Her answer frustrated him, and he glared at her, while she just coldly glared back.
Hurrying his pace, he caught up with Sango, and growled to get her attention, low enough to show he was frustrated. Sango, amazingly, knew just what the problem was, and smiled briefly. "Kaosu is still young, like me, she is a youkai slayer. She takes it much too seriously, however... don't worry, Shippou, she'll get used to you in time."
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Kiken paused in her cartwheels and backflips to set her hands on her hips and stare straight ahead, her palm itching, sweating. It was one of those times she wanted to grab for her katana, quickly. Sango had nursed the natural instinct to hunt and kill evil within her soul, and it had grown fast, not as fast as Kaosu's, but fast nonetheless. The two sisters had no rivals in the youkai slaying business, Sango assured them, because their talents surpassed her own.
Before her lay the town, as she stood on a hill, she could see almost all of it. But the scent of youkai was strong here, and the itching feeling kept getting worse. She considered herself a better slayer than Kaosu, as she could surpress that feeling longer than Kaosu. "Kiken, what do you see?" Sango asked her as she came trekking up the hill behind her, and Kiken was momentarily silent. She could feel the heat of Sango and Shippou's bodies right behind her, and her senses began to prick at her, prodding for the weakness. "Youkai." She whispered very softly, schooling her features over into a cool, emotionless expression. Kaosu stepped up next to her companion, and stared at the village.
The scent of youkai was strong enough to hit at Kaosu's sense of smell, which wasn't as good as Kiken's, and she hissed. "Youkai." Sango placed a restraining hand on Kaosu's shoulder, gripping the cloth covered flesh, and warningly reminded them, "Inuyasha is here, it might be him." The two girls straightened, and Shippou stared over Kiken's shoulder, Kilalah sitting up and canting her head. This time, it was Sango who led them down into the village, her students following her with Shippou and Kilalah trailing behind. "Could Inuyasha really be here?" Shippou asked up to Kilalah, who only let out a soft 'Mrow'.
The village was busy, seeing as it was a weekend and a marketday, so people milled about from each of the stalls set up in the streets. All business seemed to quiet down, however, when the five travellers walked through the crowds, people sliding out of the way. Sango gave them slight pause when she came to a stall selling dried strips of meat. An angry customer was standing infront of the stall, yellow gold eyes narrowed in his moment of fury while he held one clenched fist infront of the stall owner's face, the other resting on the hilt of a sword. Silver hair drifted down his back, dog ears up above on his head. The loose fitting robes were crimson red, made of fire rat skin, and the sleeves were slightly disconnected from the shoulders, showing white material beneath it. More eyecatching was the 'collar' he wore, and the necklace beneath it. Upon the necklace was the collected Shikon no Tama shards, something they all were after, in one manner or another.
Sango shook her head, and sighed while Kiken and Kaosu looked on in slight fear and anticipation. Shippou merely looked up at Kilalah and at the same time, they nodded. The was no doubt, here was Inuyasha. The squabble between seller and buyer ended, and Inuyasha was begin to haughtily march off with his prize, ten large strips of dried meat, when Sango cleared her throat, "Having problems with the vendors, hanyou?"
"Look, I paid for this, fair and square." He growled, turning around to stare at them, "Shippou, Sango? Why in hell are you guys here?" After a moment, he noticed the younger youkai slayers flanking Sango, one face full of awe and admiration, the other full of doubt and hatred. "And who are they?" Sango laughed lightly under her breath, "Girls, here is your idol, Inuyasha the hanyou, collector of Shikon no Tama shards, and killer of youkai." Kiken leaned forward, her eyes sparkling as she offered a hand, "Watashi wa Kiken!" He ignored her hand and looked straight at Sango, "They're children."
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Tenji: *Sighs.* There. All fixed. I'm kinda running around lost at the moment, my computer had to be reformated, and none of my stuff was on my back up disks. So, all the new chapters and new stories are now gone. ...
Talin: The author is a moron.
Tenji: -____-;; I don't see why the reformating didn't get me totally new muses!!!
Aura: Hush up, you love us.
Tenji: Oh hell, just review people, please?
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Part One: Reincarnation
Chapter One: Gather 'Round
It was very quiet, Shippou thought to himself as he shifted on the tree branch that overlooked the road. It seemed to have been centuries ago, but he could remember a time when he travelled with Kagome, Myoga, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Kilalah to find the Shikon no Tama shards. It had always been loud, and usually entertaining. That time was only 16 years ago, and though the journey had never been finished, Narako and Kagome had been. Trying to lock himself into the present, he shifted again. The road beneath him was vacant, but there would soon be travellers, and a chance to steal again.
He resettled himself once more, letting thinking himself back to the 'end' of the journey, and the end of Kagome. When they had come across Naruko for a final battle, they had expected to win to the fullest, there was no thought in their heads to an ambush that commenced well into their fight with Naruko, an ambush that targeted the weakest of their group, Kagome. It had been a marvel that Inuyasha hadn't been to get to her, or anyone else for that matter, to save her. So she had died there, on the ground soaked with youkai blood. Narako shortly followed her into death, Inuyasha's rage had seen to that.
Shippou often found himself wondering what would have happened if they had gotten all the Shikon no Tama shards. He knew, for a fact, Inuyasha still hunted them, and that he still lurked around waiting for... for what? He'd asked, but no one would tell the young squirrel kitsune. Not long after Kagome's death, the group had split ways, and contact, if any was established, was not sought for, nor welcomed for long. It was too depressing to be in the same place, talking with someone assosiated with the Final Battle, as Shippou referred to it.
"Kitto OK!" Shippou sat up a little straighter, straining to hear the singing voice that had just butted into his thoughts. It had sounded female, younger female, silently he hoped it was someone with wealth or a good amount of valuables. "Guuzen no deai ga mirai made kaete shimau. Kiseki o shinji na yo umaku iku sa. It's gonna be OK!" Came the voice again, stronger and louder, but definately female. "Shh! They're gonna know we're here if you keep singing so loud!" A hissed whisper followed the singer, definately another female, and not the same one because this voice was more husky, and lower.
"I want them to know where I am. I'm not afraid of any youkai!" Chorused the singer, and Shippou grinned, easy pickings. The singer sounded pretty young, and childish. "What if it's a big snake youkai? Hmm? Or another croc one? I've had enough of youkai today, Kiken." Complained the companion, and the singer, Kiken, responded with, "But they're so fun!" Musical laughter followed from both girls, and Shippou looked down, following their voices as they came down the road. When they came in clear view, he was taken back to see a silent and older Sango and two younger, bubbling girls with black blue hair, one of them having Kilalah on her head.
They were dressed like Sango, in the outfits of youkai slayers, except theirs were blue and black, on the left one, the right leg was exposed, and vice versa for the one on the right. Sango walked between them, her huge boomerang held behind her back with one hand. The girls both carried katanas with black tassels hanging from the handle, the katanas attached to their hips. At first glance, one would almost believe they were mirrored images, but on second glance, one would notice that the right one had darker skin, and a different hairstyle.
He sat there considering whether or not to show himself, when one of the girls stopped laughing and looked up, directly up, and at him. "Sango-san! I smell youkai!" She whispered, and his ears twitched, that had to be the singer one, Kiken. "I can hear breathing... right above us, Sango-san." The other whispered in kind, and Kilalah hissed-roared while Sango swung the boomerang up before Shippou had a chance to react, slicing his branch in half and sending him crashing down to the ground. "Sango~~! Don't kill me!" He hollared, rubbing his bruised rear and scrambling to get up and move behind her as two katanas were drawn.
Sango narrowed her eyes, and then blinked, lifting a hand to stop the girls while putting the boomerang behind her back again, "Hold girls, this is an old friend." Kiken sighed, and slammed her katana back in it's sheath, hers rested on the left, opposite her exposed leg. "Oy, oy, Sango-san, I wanna kill a youkai!" The other one whined, and mirrored Kiken's actions. "You have to learn patience, and this is a good youkai. Shippou... " Sango said slowly, "This is Kiken, and Kaosu." Kiken canted her head in greeting, while the other one, now known to him as Kaosu, only glared, her dark blue eyes mere slits.
"Kiken, Kaosu, this is Shippou, remember him from the tales I've told you of the journey I had?" Sango said, while Shippou nervously waved hello. Kilalah jumped from Kaosu's head to land neatly on Shippou's, where she promptly curled up, purring.
"We're travelling on towards the next village, we hear word of Inuyasha being there." Sango explained, and Kaosu brightened, "We hope to start collecting Shikon no Tama shards! More youkai to kill!" Shippou stood up slowly to his new height of 5'11", frowning at Kaosu's words. "Where did you pick these girls up, Sango...?" He whispered to her, and she lifted an eyebrow, "I picked them up off my doorstep when they were babies." "Sango-san raised us!" Kiken chirped, backflipping four times down the road, "C'mon Sango-san, I want to meet Inuyasha, the famous Hanyou!"
"Do you wish to accompany us?" Sango asked of him, and he looked down, and off to the side. This matter needed thought, much thought indeed. He had just been thinking no one of the old group wished to have contact with anyone else, but here was Sango and Kilalah, off to find Inuyasha and offering to let him come with! "Sure!" He finally said, jumping into the air while his tail twitched. Kaosu tightly held a golden medallion that hung around her neck on a black ribbon, which Shippou hadn't noticed earlier, but now did. Too bad he couldn't steal from these students of Sango, it wouldn't be right.
"Let's go already." Sango called over her shoulder as she started after Kiken, who was busy cartwheeling down the road. Kaosu stared at Shippou for a few long hard minutes before turning and walking, and he frowned in a puzzled manner before following along after her. "Why don't you like me?" He questioned her, only to get another one of those dark glances. "Come on, tell me, why?" "You're a youkai..." She uttered finally, her midnight sky eyes darkening to pitch black. Her answer frustrated him, and he glared at her, while she just coldly glared back.
Hurrying his pace, he caught up with Sango, and growled to get her attention, low enough to show he was frustrated. Sango, amazingly, knew just what the problem was, and smiled briefly. "Kaosu is still young, like me, she is a youkai slayer. She takes it much too seriously, however... don't worry, Shippou, she'll get used to you in time."
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Kiken paused in her cartwheels and backflips to set her hands on her hips and stare straight ahead, her palm itching, sweating. It was one of those times she wanted to grab for her katana, quickly. Sango had nursed the natural instinct to hunt and kill evil within her soul, and it had grown fast, not as fast as Kaosu's, but fast nonetheless. The two sisters had no rivals in the youkai slaying business, Sango assured them, because their talents surpassed her own.
Before her lay the town, as she stood on a hill, she could see almost all of it. But the scent of youkai was strong here, and the itching feeling kept getting worse. She considered herself a better slayer than Kaosu, as she could surpress that feeling longer than Kaosu. "Kiken, what do you see?" Sango asked her as she came trekking up the hill behind her, and Kiken was momentarily silent. She could feel the heat of Sango and Shippou's bodies right behind her, and her senses began to prick at her, prodding for the weakness. "Youkai." She whispered very softly, schooling her features over into a cool, emotionless expression. Kaosu stepped up next to her companion, and stared at the village.
The scent of youkai was strong enough to hit at Kaosu's sense of smell, which wasn't as good as Kiken's, and she hissed. "Youkai." Sango placed a restraining hand on Kaosu's shoulder, gripping the cloth covered flesh, and warningly reminded them, "Inuyasha is here, it might be him." The two girls straightened, and Shippou stared over Kiken's shoulder, Kilalah sitting up and canting her head. This time, it was Sango who led them down into the village, her students following her with Shippou and Kilalah trailing behind. "Could Inuyasha really be here?" Shippou asked up to Kilalah, who only let out a soft 'Mrow'.
The village was busy, seeing as it was a weekend and a marketday, so people milled about from each of the stalls set up in the streets. All business seemed to quiet down, however, when the five travellers walked through the crowds, people sliding out of the way. Sango gave them slight pause when she came to a stall selling dried strips of meat. An angry customer was standing infront of the stall, yellow gold eyes narrowed in his moment of fury while he held one clenched fist infront of the stall owner's face, the other resting on the hilt of a sword. Silver hair drifted down his back, dog ears up above on his head. The loose fitting robes were crimson red, made of fire rat skin, and the sleeves were slightly disconnected from the shoulders, showing white material beneath it. More eyecatching was the 'collar' he wore, and the necklace beneath it. Upon the necklace was the collected Shikon no Tama shards, something they all were after, in one manner or another.
Sango shook her head, and sighed while Kiken and Kaosu looked on in slight fear and anticipation. Shippou merely looked up at Kilalah and at the same time, they nodded. The was no doubt, here was Inuyasha. The squabble between seller and buyer ended, and Inuyasha was begin to haughtily march off with his prize, ten large strips of dried meat, when Sango cleared her throat, "Having problems with the vendors, hanyou?"
"Look, I paid for this, fair and square." He growled, turning around to stare at them, "Shippou, Sango? Why in hell are you guys here?" After a moment, he noticed the younger youkai slayers flanking Sango, one face full of awe and admiration, the other full of doubt and hatred. "And who are they?" Sango laughed lightly under her breath, "Girls, here is your idol, Inuyasha the hanyou, collector of Shikon no Tama shards, and killer of youkai." Kiken leaned forward, her eyes sparkling as she offered a hand, "Watashi wa Kiken!" He ignored her hand and looked straight at Sango, "They're children."
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Tenji: *Sighs.* There. All fixed. I'm kinda running around lost at the moment, my computer had to be reformated, and none of my stuff was on my back up disks. So, all the new chapters and new stories are now gone. ...
Talin: The author is a moron.
Tenji: -____-;; I don't see why the reformating didn't get me totally new muses!!!
Aura: Hush up, you love us.
Tenji: Oh hell, just review people, please?