(October, 30, 2000.)

Sister, Sister

Chapter 2

The filthy, charred remains, which once represented the village scented the air around them like day old musk freshly torn from a deer. Smoke still drifted in wafts from several on going fires and their fierce orange eyes showed no signs of being put out any time soon. The entire region looked battle born and weary. It no longer represented a place where children had once run and laughed; where villagers had talked and gossiped freely; or where people had once called it home. It reeked of death and decay and the heediness of that smell would take an extremely long time to purge... if at all.

"This village will be hard pressed this fall," Sango noted sadly, her eyes looking around the place with a pang of remorse. "If only…"

"Sango, don't blame yourself…" Miroku's deep voice was full of weariness, but there was a soft tone that warned her that she was not alone in this mess. "The village will be hard press, a lot of food stores have been lost, but Kaede's been taking care of this village for a long time… she's a very resourceful woman. She'll find a way." He made a significant glance towards a spot, several feet away, where a group of villagers had surrounded Kaede in discussion about rebuilding the village before adding, "Let her worry about the village. Our concerns lie with this new youkai… this village isn't safe, if that demon returns…"

Sango swallowed deeply, her tone stunned at the truthfulness of his words, "Miroku… you're right."

Kagome, who'd been bandaging up Sango's arm, lifted her head up in alarm. "You think this Necoa, will return soon, then?" With fingers turning numb, the bandage roll slid out of her fingers and rolled, red carpet-like, a meandering path away from her.

"Feh," InuYasha stated dismissively as he dropped down beside the two girls and scooped up the bandage. "If she's working for Naraku she'll be back." The venom in his tone dripped slowly like honey from a bee's nest as he threw the bandage back to Kagome angrily. "And when she comes… I'll tear her in half."

"And what will you do if she uses her special fire attack?" Miroku asked, his voice sliding between InuYasha's words like a sharp sword, "Well?"

InuYasha, not liking to be reminded about the overpowering stink of Necoa's fire, glared at Miroku as if he'd tried to use his Kaza Ana on him instead. "Look I-"

"Kagome!!!" Shippo's relieved voice and happy cries instantly reverted through the mess around them as he half ran, half skipped towards Kagome's arms. Kirara who ran behind him leapt into Sango's outstretched fingers eagerly. "You're alright!"

"Shippo, are you okay?" Kagome asked worriedly as she noted the singed fur and burnt marks along the kitsune's flesh, hair, and clothing. "You look-"

"I'm fine now…"

"I protected them," Myoga's chest, while siting on Kirara's head, heaved proudly as he stated those words boldly. Everyone, including InuYasha, wore that look of "Oh really, how?"

"Thank you for your help," Kaede, weak voice worn thin with weariness and smoke, took a moment to interrupted them before InuYasha could preceded to "question" the hell out of Myoga with his fist.

"Feh, what did we do, anyway?" InuYasha sulked, his dark glare falling on Myoga and the horizon where Necoa had disappeared to.

Miroku nodded in agreement. "That's right, and I'm sorry Kaede, but we were all going to get killed. If it wasn't due to a wandering Miko, called Yashira… Necoa would have even killed all the villagers by now… including us."

"What did you say?" There was a sudden chilliness to Kaede's voice that tasted of frost on an old grave.

"I said-"

"No, the name, you gave?"

Miroku gave Kaede a quizzical look. "Her name was Yashira. Is there something wrong?"

The wind blew, cold and biting tasting nothing from the warmth of the recent blaze, as it ruffled their hair and clothing. "The maiden who walks the lone path—"

Looks of shock and surprise. Kagome was the first to speak. "You know about her? Lone path?"

"The lone maiden… I thought she died long ago…" Kaede looked incredibly sad that moment. "I remember her with Kikyo, good friends… after my older-sister died… she wandered the lands sorrowful, alone, and inconsolable… she disappeared after a time… she never made any friends after that…"

"Yashira must be very lonely then," Kagome murmured softly as InuYasha let out another scowl.

"They're not the same! This woman was young, maybe a year or so older than Kagome… If this Yashira you knew, this "maiden who walks the lone path" was friends with Kikyo, that was more than 50 years ago."

"I hate to agree with Inuyasha," Miroku replied with a heavy sigh, "but this girl is beautiful. The hand of time has not touched her face or… her body…" For that deliberate pause, Sango smacked Miroku flatly across the head. She knew when he was thinking to ask a woman to bear his child.

"I didn't really get a look at her," Sango replied, "but maybe the Yashira you and Kikyo knew had a child… It is not uncommon to name a child after yourself… or name a grandchild either… Kaede?"

Kaede made a uneasy nod which was both reluctant and hesitant. "Perhaps, but I knew Yashira too… I knew her too…"

v v v

"Are you ready?" Naraku asked, his voice serious and full of warning. "You will be ready, to take action?"

"Yes."

"Good, then everything will proceed as is… You are ready to go to the village?" Naraku's eyes watched the bowed form of the woman and couldn't resist a quirk of the lips as he waited for her answer.

"Yes."

"Then do not fail me again."

End of Chapter 2