This chapter has been revised. Please see the footnote on chapter 8 of
this story for more information.
Chapter 4 - A Few Years Later
"Hey!! Wait up, Tsumeku!!" a voice called. A girl was running through the forest, followed closely by a boy. Both had strangely pale hair, the girl having a lighter shade. Turning to look at her pursuer, the girl smiled, eyes glinting in the setting sun.
"You'll have to catch me first..." she laughed. A wakizashi flashed at the boy's side, as he drew it. Quickly gaining speed, he slashed at the forest in front of her, trapping her in a ring of fallen trees. She stared at him in shock for a few seconds, then slowly started to smile. Coming within a few inches of him, she sped right past, escaping behind him into the forest. He
turned, and stood there, grasping something in his hand.
"What are you standing there for, Kunouku?" Tsumeku called, turning to look back at the boy. He held up his hand, and she squinted to see what he held within it.
"N-no way! When did you get it? You aren't that fast!" she said, walking towards him. She snatched the object, revealing it to be a chain, which she
clipped around her wrist.
"It doesn't matter how I got it, it only matters that I managed to steal it from you. Come on, okaa will be worried if we were not present at dinner..." he said, looking at the setting sun.
(Back at a large castle......)
"Y-you kids are in soooo much trouble...." a small youkai panted, as he rushed up to them. They had just entered into the castle grounds via the gate, when a greying hiki-youkai confronted them.
"Aww, Jakken-sama, we were just out training.... come on, don't give us any trouble, just because we were keeping in fighting shape..." Kunouku said, walking past Jakken without even a glance.
"I agree, Jakken-sama, Otousan would me most displeased if we were not allowed to keep in top form..." Tsumeku added, following her companion towards the castle.
Jakken sighed, once again reprimanding himself for not thinking up a quick comeback for their sarcastic remarks.
'Age has not done me well...' he thought to himself, following the two ko-youkai up the front walk.
(that is such a kawaiiiiiii word!!!! Ko-youkai, ko-youkai, ko- youkai....thud - a dryer lands nearby, after having hit her on the head owwwww.......itai.....who did that..? weakly mumbling insults hey, who is
typing the actions..?!gets confused hey?!)
Kunouku opened the door to the dinning hall, followed by a more timid Tsumeku. Brazenly, he approached the table, where Sesshoumaru sat at the head. Rin, his mate, sat to his right, and two seats were empty on either side. Kunouku took his seat adjacent to the Tai-youkai, while Tsumeku sat next to Rin.
"Well, you two, I am supposing you had fun out there, making us wait for the meal to be served..." Rin said, smiling at Kunouku. She looked to Tsumeku, who had a slight blush on her face.
"We were only out practicing, mother, as father wishes us to do." Kunouku replied bluntly, glancing at Sesshoumaru out of the corner of his eye. Sesshoumaru glanced back, making both of them smile.
"Well, they are back. So, the objective now is to actually eat. So, let us commence." Sesshoumaru said, addressing everyone seated.
"Okaa?" Tsumeku asked, looking at her mother.
"What is it?" Rin replied, looking at her daughter intently.
(yeah, a lot of things happenin' here....is hit by a kitchen sink - I was wondering... where I put that....blacks out) ............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
.....................
(wakes up again Back to typing... dodges a lawnmower)
"When Kunouku and I are old enough, will we get to go out and patrol the lands as father does?" she said, turning to look at her mother.
"That is for your father to decide, not I." she replied, looking at
Sesshoumaru. "Well, what do you think?" she continued.
"I think they are probably ready now, if only they could return in time for dinner just once..." he said, eyeing Kunouku with a smirk.
"We can discuss it tomorrow, that is when I leave next." he said, standing up.
"Aw, why does she have to go? Tsumeku isn't nearly as adept at fighting in close range as I am, she wouldn't stand a chance!" Kunouku complained, glaring at his twin sister.
"Them why is it that I defeat you when we spar here at the castle?" she replied tartly. A blush rose on his cheeks, but he quickly shooed it away.
"Why don't we just prove that in a match, right now?" he said, standing up in his seat.
"Fine with me, let's go." she said, heading out of the hall.
"Those two will never finish a meal without fighting, will they?" Rin said, eyes twinkling.
"Do you ever expect them to?" Sesshoumaru replied, following the two down the hall, listening to them argue the whole way.
(In the sparring room)
"You think you can defeat me this time, little brother?" Tsumeku said, eyeing the wakizashi at her brother's side carefully.
"Yes, and I am only younger by ten minutes...." he mumbled, drawing the sword his sister watched.
They lunged at each other, as their father entered the room. He watched them parry, dodging around the room. Chuckling, he watched Kunouku as he was slashed by his elder sister's claws, again and again. Her speed was superior, enabling her to back off when he retaliated.
Finally, Tsumeku stopped moving. Kunouku kneeled on the floor, panting, his wounds already healed.
"Well, I think I would trust your sister more to assist me on a patrol..." Sesshoumaru said, walking up to the twins.
"Man.... how come she gets to be the one who always wins..." he muttered, glaring at Tsumeku.
Overhearing, she laughed at him. "It is because I have speed as well as attacking skill, whereas you only have strength... you need both, to be a good warrior.... maybe you should exercise those scrawny legs of your more..." she said, walking out of the room.
Sighing, he got up, and followed her out.
"She's right, you know..." Sesshoumaru said, giving him a glance as he walked past.
As he walked into his room, Kunouku grumpily threw his wakizashi at the wall.
"How come I cannot have a powerful sword, like my father? I'll bet that if I had an enchanted sword, I could beat Tsumeku easily..." he complained,
flopping down on his futon.
"If I were the only child, I would be the center of father's attention, and I would probably have a powerful sword... not the dumb ningen wakizashi I have..." he muttered, falling asleep as he spoke.
A light flittered near him, as he spoke those last words. Without a
sound, it went through the walls, coming upon Tsumeku. With a cry, she turned, disappearing in a burst of light.
"Huh?!" Kunouku said, sitting up in his futon. It was pitch dark, he noticed, and he calmed down. Covered in sweat, he put his hands into his face, breathing heavily.
"Kunouku? What is the matter?" Rin said, coming into his room.
"N-nothing.... just a bad dream..." he stuttered, laying back down.
"Okay, then... try to get some sleep, Sesshoumaru leaves early in the morning for patrol... you will need to get up early, to be ready." She said, closing the door.
"What happened?" he whispered, in the darkness. He remembered the dream, as he relaxed. Tsumeku had been playing in the forest, and he had come up to her, telling her that he wished her gone. She had cried out, surrounded in a strange light, and vanished.
"But that is just a dream, she is fine.." he reassured himself, rolling over to go back to sleep.
What he did not realize, is that he hadn't had a dream. He had received his twin sister's last moments, as all memories of her vanished from the world.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(in a village, far away)
"Hey, look!" a man called, coming up to a nearby river.
"Is that a person?" a second answered, coming to see what was going on.
"It's a youkai....is it dead?" a third said, prodding it with a stick. It moaned, sending them all away screaming.
"Who... am I...?" she said, standing up. She looked down at herself, pale hair falling in front of her face. Rags adorned her scrawny figure, and cuts and bruises covered her arms and legs. She was cold and wet, from floating in the river.
"I must be... a servant... judging by my attire...." she sighed, gathering up her strength. She took in the air, and noticed the scent of a human village, not too far away.
"Maybe... they can tell me who... I am..." she said, slowly trudging through the brush.
Little did she know, that this was the same village that the three men had fled to, and they were informing the inhabitants of a blood-thirsty youkai near the river, who had almost killed them. This village, by chance, was a village of taijiya, youkai exterminators.
This new colony had formed shortly after the fabled Shikon no Tama was completed, and was rumored to have been started by a taijiya and a houshi, who has assisted in the completion of the jewel. More than a decade had since past, though, and the first people of the village had mysteriously disappeared, rumored to have fled into the future with a girl from the future, and a hanyou. But, such myths were not generally well taken in those times, and were not widely believed. Only the eldest of villagers believed the now, and they were slowly dying out, while younger generations scoffed at their elder's tales.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note - this story has been revised
ja...
Riinuka, signing off.
Anata wa hyouron shimashou ne? ((everyone will review, right?))
Chapter 4 - A Few Years Later
"Hey!! Wait up, Tsumeku!!" a voice called. A girl was running through the forest, followed closely by a boy. Both had strangely pale hair, the girl having a lighter shade. Turning to look at her pursuer, the girl smiled, eyes glinting in the setting sun.
"You'll have to catch me first..." she laughed. A wakizashi flashed at the boy's side, as he drew it. Quickly gaining speed, he slashed at the forest in front of her, trapping her in a ring of fallen trees. She stared at him in shock for a few seconds, then slowly started to smile. Coming within a few inches of him, she sped right past, escaping behind him into the forest. He
turned, and stood there, grasping something in his hand.
"What are you standing there for, Kunouku?" Tsumeku called, turning to look back at the boy. He held up his hand, and she squinted to see what he held within it.
"N-no way! When did you get it? You aren't that fast!" she said, walking towards him. She snatched the object, revealing it to be a chain, which she
clipped around her wrist.
"It doesn't matter how I got it, it only matters that I managed to steal it from you. Come on, okaa will be worried if we were not present at dinner..." he said, looking at the setting sun.
(Back at a large castle......)
"Y-you kids are in soooo much trouble...." a small youkai panted, as he rushed up to them. They had just entered into the castle grounds via the gate, when a greying hiki-youkai confronted them.
"Aww, Jakken-sama, we were just out training.... come on, don't give us any trouble, just because we were keeping in fighting shape..." Kunouku said, walking past Jakken without even a glance.
"I agree, Jakken-sama, Otousan would me most displeased if we were not allowed to keep in top form..." Tsumeku added, following her companion towards the castle.
Jakken sighed, once again reprimanding himself for not thinking up a quick comeback for their sarcastic remarks.
'Age has not done me well...' he thought to himself, following the two ko-youkai up the front walk.
(that is such a kawaiiiiiii word!!!! Ko-youkai, ko-youkai, ko- youkai....thud - a dryer lands nearby, after having hit her on the head owwwww.......itai.....who did that..? weakly mumbling insults hey, who is
typing the actions..?!gets confused hey?!)
Kunouku opened the door to the dinning hall, followed by a more timid Tsumeku. Brazenly, he approached the table, where Sesshoumaru sat at the head. Rin, his mate, sat to his right, and two seats were empty on either side. Kunouku took his seat adjacent to the Tai-youkai, while Tsumeku sat next to Rin.
"Well, you two, I am supposing you had fun out there, making us wait for the meal to be served..." Rin said, smiling at Kunouku. She looked to Tsumeku, who had a slight blush on her face.
"We were only out practicing, mother, as father wishes us to do." Kunouku replied bluntly, glancing at Sesshoumaru out of the corner of his eye. Sesshoumaru glanced back, making both of them smile.
"Well, they are back. So, the objective now is to actually eat. So, let us commence." Sesshoumaru said, addressing everyone seated.
"Okaa?" Tsumeku asked, looking at her mother.
"What is it?" Rin replied, looking at her daughter intently.
(yeah, a lot of things happenin' here....is hit by a kitchen sink - I was wondering... where I put that....blacks out) ............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
............................................................................
.....................
(wakes up again Back to typing... dodges a lawnmower)
"When Kunouku and I are old enough, will we get to go out and patrol the lands as father does?" she said, turning to look at her mother.
"That is for your father to decide, not I." she replied, looking at
Sesshoumaru. "Well, what do you think?" she continued.
"I think they are probably ready now, if only they could return in time for dinner just once..." he said, eyeing Kunouku with a smirk.
"We can discuss it tomorrow, that is when I leave next." he said, standing up.
"Aw, why does she have to go? Tsumeku isn't nearly as adept at fighting in close range as I am, she wouldn't stand a chance!" Kunouku complained, glaring at his twin sister.
"Them why is it that I defeat you when we spar here at the castle?" she replied tartly. A blush rose on his cheeks, but he quickly shooed it away.
"Why don't we just prove that in a match, right now?" he said, standing up in his seat.
"Fine with me, let's go." she said, heading out of the hall.
"Those two will never finish a meal without fighting, will they?" Rin said, eyes twinkling.
"Do you ever expect them to?" Sesshoumaru replied, following the two down the hall, listening to them argue the whole way.
(In the sparring room)
"You think you can defeat me this time, little brother?" Tsumeku said, eyeing the wakizashi at her brother's side carefully.
"Yes, and I am only younger by ten minutes...." he mumbled, drawing the sword his sister watched.
They lunged at each other, as their father entered the room. He watched them parry, dodging around the room. Chuckling, he watched Kunouku as he was slashed by his elder sister's claws, again and again. Her speed was superior, enabling her to back off when he retaliated.
Finally, Tsumeku stopped moving. Kunouku kneeled on the floor, panting, his wounds already healed.
"Well, I think I would trust your sister more to assist me on a patrol..." Sesshoumaru said, walking up to the twins.
"Man.... how come she gets to be the one who always wins..." he muttered, glaring at Tsumeku.
Overhearing, she laughed at him. "It is because I have speed as well as attacking skill, whereas you only have strength... you need both, to be a good warrior.... maybe you should exercise those scrawny legs of your more..." she said, walking out of the room.
Sighing, he got up, and followed her out.
"She's right, you know..." Sesshoumaru said, giving him a glance as he walked past.
As he walked into his room, Kunouku grumpily threw his wakizashi at the wall.
"How come I cannot have a powerful sword, like my father? I'll bet that if I had an enchanted sword, I could beat Tsumeku easily..." he complained,
flopping down on his futon.
"If I were the only child, I would be the center of father's attention, and I would probably have a powerful sword... not the dumb ningen wakizashi I have..." he muttered, falling asleep as he spoke.
A light flittered near him, as he spoke those last words. Without a
sound, it went through the walls, coming upon Tsumeku. With a cry, she turned, disappearing in a burst of light.
"Huh?!" Kunouku said, sitting up in his futon. It was pitch dark, he noticed, and he calmed down. Covered in sweat, he put his hands into his face, breathing heavily.
"Kunouku? What is the matter?" Rin said, coming into his room.
"N-nothing.... just a bad dream..." he stuttered, laying back down.
"Okay, then... try to get some sleep, Sesshoumaru leaves early in the morning for patrol... you will need to get up early, to be ready." She said, closing the door.
"What happened?" he whispered, in the darkness. He remembered the dream, as he relaxed. Tsumeku had been playing in the forest, and he had come up to her, telling her that he wished her gone. She had cried out, surrounded in a strange light, and vanished.
"But that is just a dream, she is fine.." he reassured himself, rolling over to go back to sleep.
What he did not realize, is that he hadn't had a dream. He had received his twin sister's last moments, as all memories of her vanished from the world.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(in a village, far away)
"Hey, look!" a man called, coming up to a nearby river.
"Is that a person?" a second answered, coming to see what was going on.
"It's a youkai....is it dead?" a third said, prodding it with a stick. It moaned, sending them all away screaming.
"Who... am I...?" she said, standing up. She looked down at herself, pale hair falling in front of her face. Rags adorned her scrawny figure, and cuts and bruises covered her arms and legs. She was cold and wet, from floating in the river.
"I must be... a servant... judging by my attire...." she sighed, gathering up her strength. She took in the air, and noticed the scent of a human village, not too far away.
"Maybe... they can tell me who... I am..." she said, slowly trudging through the brush.
Little did she know, that this was the same village that the three men had fled to, and they were informing the inhabitants of a blood-thirsty youkai near the river, who had almost killed them. This village, by chance, was a village of taijiya, youkai exterminators.
This new colony had formed shortly after the fabled Shikon no Tama was completed, and was rumored to have been started by a taijiya and a houshi, who has assisted in the completion of the jewel. More than a decade had since past, though, and the first people of the village had mysteriously disappeared, rumored to have fled into the future with a girl from the future, and a hanyou. But, such myths were not generally well taken in those times, and were not widely believed. Only the eldest of villagers believed the now, and they were slowly dying out, while younger generations scoffed at their elder's tales.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note - this story has been revised
ja...
Riinuka, signing off.
Anata wa hyouron shimashou ne? ((everyone will review, right?))