Children of Tomorrow

Chapter Two

************************************************************************

Disclaimer: I do not own Ashi, any of the original Inuyasha cast or Hikori. All credits for those people go to their respective owners. (Sharpsnout, Rumiko Takahshi, & MereMew)

************************************************************************

The next time Chiyumi woke up was brief. Miroku was changing her bandages, and she murmured something to him and immediately fell asleep once more. She woke up much later to find herself air borne on the back of the transformed Tanuki heading in what she guessed was a southerly direction.

"Where are you taking me silly raccoon?"

"Oh you're up Mistress. Do you know that you've been asleep for two days now?"

"Really? Seems like a reasonable amount of time given the circumstances. Where are we going?"

"A village south of where we were camping. There's a youkai there causing trouble. Master told me to take you there and to also stop following him."

"He told you to devote your time to me?"

"Hai."

"I see. What did he say about the youkai?"

"Not much. Only that he has worked with Naraku before so he may know something about Hikori."

"Hikori and Naraku are connected?"

"Naraku is in league, or has been, with many youkai therefore he may know something."

"But this isn't Naraku."

"It's still worth a try right?"

"I suppose."

"The kit wanted to come too. The little hanyou boy."

"Oh, Ashi?"

"Hai, the one that ate all of the stew that night. He wanted to help but Miroku-sama wouldn't allow it. He got mad and stormed away."

"Sounds like Ashi."

"So that leaves us here. Alone. Flying toward some unknown youkai," Tanuki shuddered and Chiyumi patted him.

"Poor Tanuki. So nervous for a youkai. Needs a bigger youkai to protect him."

"A bigger hanyou works perfectly Chiyumi-sama."

"Arigato. That's sweet. Which side of you is holding my pack?"

"The left side."

"Arigato Tanuki-kun."

"What are you looking for? Herbs?"

"Hai…I'm running out. I may have to go back for more after this youkai encount—Ouch!!" she hastily withdrew her fingers and found, to her displeasure, a tiny creature attached to them, "What manner of beastie are you?" the animal snarled and bit down harder, "Let go," Chiyumi demanded, reaching around with her other hand to scruff the animal. The thing let go and began trying to bite the hand scruffing it.

"What is it Mistress?"

"Dunno," Chiyumi began twisting it around, trying to see it from all sides, "It looks like a Kitsune but there's too many tails and I don't think they're this color," the animal hissed indignantly.

"It might be a Kamikitsune."

"A Kamikitsune. A divine fox? Are you trying to tell me that a Kamikitsune, a baby Kamikitsune has just dropped into my bag?"

"It's possible."

"But how likely?"

"Ok not very."

"You're going to have to refresh my memory about Kamikits. I'm a little rusty."

"All I know is that they're very rare and don't have human forms."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"God damn it Tanuki-kun even I knew that!!"

"Gomen," the Kamikitsune let out a sound that Chiyumi swore was a laugh.

"You shut up before I throw you over the edge," the Kit's ears perked forward, "That's better. Now, are you content to stay with me?" it let out a sound between a bark and a merow, "I want you to know that the biting isn't going to fly. Next time you bite me I'll bite back, don't think I won't," the kit gently licked Chiyumi's hand, "Arigato. That's better," the tiny kit seemed to be completely taken with Chiyumi and curled up in her lap. Chiyumi smiled, "I like her. She's got spunk."

"That's not what I'd call it," Tanuki commented, "She's a vicious beast."

"Tanuki-kun!"

"Well she is," was the mulish reply, "Tell that thing not to get comfortable, we're there."

"Takara."

"Nani?"

"That's her name. Not 'She' or 'It'. Takara."

"You're keeping it aren't you Chiyumi-Sama?"

"Yep," the raccoon let out a heartfelt sigh.

"Very well. Be prepared, I'm about to land."


Chiyumi found the first victim in the village square. He was draped over the fountain, his face a mixture of terror and pain. Chiyumi knelt down and pressed a hand to the man's forehead. A pink glow, the color of the magic passed down from her mother, wrapped around her hand like a shimmering glove.

"Did I know you could do that?" Tanuki asked her.

"No," Chiyumi murmured, "It is magic only humans can use so it isn't that strong, I'm too demon minded sometimes to use it properly, but it is useful in times like these. This man died quickly from wounds caused by a whip."

"You can tell?" Chiyumi sat back on her haunches and Takara crawled into her lap.

"My mother liked to help people. Her magic included healing. I didn't get that part of the magic, too much a killer I suppose, but I can tell what is wrong with my patients. You see, when I was trapped as a human, I was a healer. When something happened in the village I would be there. Well not me but Hoshi. Not little Hoshi but Hoshi was the name Ashi gave me and…ooo…I confused myself. Gomen. Anyway the point is I was the village healer, what made me so good was this little talent," she grinned, "I dragged Ashi along sometimes. He hated it because the sick person usually thought he was an underworld dweller coming to take them," she sighed and cupped her hands above the man's face, "This is the other part of my magic," in her hands appeared a shimmering pink lily made of pure ki. Chiyumi released the flower which landed softly on the man's face. His body shimmered and rippled as if made of water and slowly disappeared, "I can send them to a peaceful afterlife," her eyes teared up, "Tanuki I know who killed this man."

"The demon?" Chiyumi nodded, unable to speak. Suddenly her ear twitched, there was someone behind her. Her nose brought the scent of a demon, the one who had killed the man, and her hands went to her Shukusens, "Don't come any closer," she said clearly, "I can smell you, aniki."

"With your back to me, your hair down and being downwind I wasn't sure if it was you or your worthless brother," Chiyumi stood up and turned around. Her eldest brother stared back at her with a tiny smile on his lips, "Are you going to attack me imouto?"

"I should," she replied bitterly, "I could you know. I have over ten shards, I could take you out for good. Hell even without the shards I could do some damage," she caught sight of his absent arm, "Although I see Inuyasha already has done so," Sesshoumaru's smirk widened.

"Are you upset with me imouto? Do you want to know why? You and your twin always were annoyingly curious."

"No. I won't ask why. I've done that already remember? I haven't had the heart to since," Sesshoumaru tilted his head.

"You travel with forest creatures now?" he gestured to the shaking Tanuki and the glaring Takara.

"Yeah. I do," she snapped.

"Where have you been lately?"

"Trapped. As a human."

"Stupid of you. How?"

"Prayer beads."

"That human monk did this? How could allow that to happen?"

"I was in love," he snorted disdainfully.

"Love."

"You should try it sometime. Or if you feel that you simply can't love then try one of her sisters: compassion, sympathy or kindness," pain from her wound made her snappish.

"What is the matter with you?"

"I was stabbed by a spelled sword. Now every time I fell any measure of happiness the damn thing rips itself open. I assure you that it's very painful. Now I have been forced to separate myself from my friends and loved ones to go on a wild hunt for a demoness that I know nothing about besides her name. So Excuse me for being a little testy and Takara do not bite him!" she gripped her Shukusens in order to get her anger under control.

"I may be able to take you to her," Chiyumi looked up at him in shock, "Oh don't look at me like that."

"'The eldest often looks after the youngest'," Chiyumi quoted, "I didn't think it applied here. Arigato demo ite. Just tell me where she is I can get there on my own steam."

"Or at least my steam," Tanuki murmured.

"Tanuki-kun…forget it. Tell me where aniki," Sesshoumaru chucked her chin.

"Demon minded completely Chiyumi. A village north of here is ruled by a young lord. The lord is Naraku in disguise. He has a dark haired woman as his advisor. She is his sister, she may be the one you seek."

"How far away is this town?"

"If you're slow and walking it's about three months distance. If you hurry, or find some way to fly there it will take but a month," Chiyumi threw some calculations around in her head.

"I wouldn't ask Tanuki-kun to fly me places for a month straight, if I walk most of the way and fly only when I'm absolutely tired it should take me a month and a half. Ok! Come on guys we have to get going while there's still daylight," she started to leave, paused and turned to face her brother, "Try not to kill large groups of people aniki, karma tends to be a bitch."

Chiyumi was correct in her calculations, it did in fact take them a month and a half to get to that village. The journey was fairly uneventful, the only exciting things that happened were three demons and a lingering illness that caused Chiyumi to throw up whatever she ate for breakfast. Tanuki figured it was the things she was eating, Chiyumi said nerves. It was true that the hanyou was filled with nervous energy as they drew closer to the village. Takara proved to be very useful when it came to those demons. Despite her diminutive size she had incredible powers. She ran at incredible speeds and her bite, when she wished it, was lethal. Chiyumi could never figure out how Takara could kill huge demons with a tiny nip, but when she routinely gnawed on Tanuki he was fine. Then again Chiyumi was thankful for Takara's teeth had saved her twice already.

They reached the village at nightfall, and after careful consideration Chiyumi decided not to enter the village as she was. She figured that the people, seeing a demon would panic and ruin her element of surprise. Since she needed that element she sent Takara in to steal her some clothes.

"A skirt and apron, a shirt and a head cloth if you can get it. Can you remember that Takara?" the kit made that strange bark/merow noise and took off.

"Is that a good idea Chiyumi-Sama?"

"She won't be seen. She's an amazing critter."

"Your critter, as you so amusingly call her, is a holy terror," Chiyumi cuffed him.

"Takara is not a holy terror. She's extremely useful and you know it."

"She is not-Ow!" Takara had returned, dragging the clothes behind her. She dropped them only long enough to bite Tanuki hard on the foot. Chiyumi picked up the clothes and held them to her body.

"These should fit fine. Good job Takara-chan. Now, please turn around Tanuki-kun."

"Nani?! This is ridiculous, haven't I been around you long enough to-"

"I'm a modest girl. Turn please."

"Modest girl with the things she wears," Tanuki muttered as he peevishly obeyed. Takara, not liking his tone, growled a warning.

"Ok I'm finished," Tanuki turned around and found himself facing a village woman. Well, a village woman with bright, slightly glowing yellow eyes, "Nothing I can do about the eyes, I'm afraid," she said ruefully, "Tanuki-kun, I need a favor."

"Anything Chiyumi-sama, you know that."

"Attack me," there was a long moment of silence, then.

"Nani?"

"Attack me. You do have some sort of attack don't you?"

"Well, hai, obviously. But I don't understand."

"I need to look like the sole survivor of a horrible battle. There is of course the other way to do it, but I'd prefer not to go that way."

"But...but...I can't do that. Please, Chiyumi-sama, anything but that," Chiyumi knelt down to his level and hugged him.

"You are a good friend Tanuki-kun. I hope to see you again after the inevitable battle that is about to happen. If I don't return. Please, take care of Takara... and also...take care of Miroku-kun and Ashi-kun. Ashi-kun especially. I worry about him."

"You'll come back Chiyumi-sama, you're too stubborn to die. Just like your brother."

"But if."

"I promise."

"And tell them what happened so they can get my body. I want to scattered over the river near my childhood home."

"Chiyumi-sama don't say things like that!!!" Chiyumi released him and stood up.

"Takara I want you to listen to Tanuki-kun and no biting. Ok? If I don't return he'll need your help finding the others," Takara leaped up to her shoulder and rubbed her face against Chiyumi's cheek. Chiyumi set her into Tanuki's arms then raised her Shukusens. Tanuki turned away and closed his ears to Chiyumi's gasps of pain as she slashed herself again and again.

The two guards outside the Manor doorway were almost completely asleep when Chiyumi staggered over to them, leaving a gush of blood in her wake. On the seemingly endless walk to the manor she had wondered if she hadn't don't too good a job of making herself look like a war victim. At this rate the wounds might not heal in time and then she'd be in trouble.

"Help me," she croaked, sending the guards into full alert, "Please. Help me. I need to see the Lady Hikori right away," one of the guard rushed to her side and allowed her to rest her weight on him.

"What happened?"

"My village was attacked. My Lady...er....Takara sent to find the Lady Hikori and deliver a massage. Takara-sama said to deliver it to no one but Hikori-sama."

"Why Hikori-sama? Why not Kagewaki-sama?"

"I wasn't about to question my Lady," Hurry up and let me in, Chiyumi thought desperately, the wounds are beginning to mend.

"Let her in," the guard who held her said, "She's no danger to the Lady like this," the other guard nodded after a moment and the first one gently picked Chiyumi up and carried her inside.