(January 21, 2001.)

(author's note: The date is correct, I wrote this way way ago, but finally got around to editting this chapter in order to put up. Bad Yashira, I need to learn to post them when I write them.)

Sister, Sister

By Yashira

Chapter 4

Instinctively Yashira rolled to the side, sliding barely out of the way, as Inuyasha's extracted claws came down for her. She, with Shippo held protectively in her grasp, whirled around with a hard look in her blue eyes as death eluded them by mere inches. "I should have known," her voice was sour, dripping with disgust, as she roughly threw the little kitsune from her. Spinning wildly out of control, Shippo rolled helplessly into the nearby roots of a tree. He hit his head with a vicious knock against a particular nasty looking root and laid sprawled with spinning stars over his head. "Stay put little youkai." If she had meant her words to be a warning they came out sounding more like a venomous snakebite than anything else. Leaping forward, her midnight hair spilling free of her braid as she jumped, she hissed fiercely, "Heaven Ascension blast!"

Inuyasha felt the hairs on the back of his stand on end as Yashira's blue-white attack came bearing down on him, "Kuso," he cursed whirling away just inches from the blasts as several strands of his hair started to burn. "You bitch!" He tore through the air, his claws searching for her blood. "Stay put you-"

"I would say the same of you, YOUKAI!" Snarling and spinning away from him, her moves quite agile for a human, Yashira ducked away at the last minute. Whirling around behind him, her eyes deadly serious, her face drawn and pale, she lifted her hands for another heaven blast.

Inuyasha twisted about, his body moving so quick that he was almost a blur, "Damn bitch, she's moving too fast." He scowled angrily bringing Tetsusaiga free with a vicious jerk. The blade rang free in the air, the metal screeching forward as if anticipating the taste of blood, as Inuyasha faced Yashira.

Her powerful attack came quickly again, bearing down on him with a brilliance that could easily equals Kikyo's purifying arrow attack. It hit his sword with a tremendous jolt that sent vibrations chiming away loudly in the ether around them. Then, almost as if it was a slow dance of fire and ice, the blade broke free of his grasp and flew behind him as if discarded. "SHIT," He cursed, but didn't stop moving. To stop would mean getting hit with that Heaven blast, and he wasn't about to let that happen. Inuyasha skidded forward, hands swordless, as he wordlessly drove his fist forward.

Yashira's blue eyes went wide, her breath rushing away from her chest, as he appeared beside her with his fist hitting her hard into her stomach. She was sent cartwheeling backwards, over the unforgiving ground, in vicious rolls. Her breath came to her in ragged gulps, her chest pounding so hard that she thought her head would explode from all the heavy drum beats. Staring at Inuyasha as he came towards her, his claws gleaming and extended, she was suddenly faced with the fact that she had lost and would… would...

There was a sudden flash of a heartbeat quickening as the world around her seemed to go dark. Her black hair blew ominously across her face, veiling her eyes with their long strands. It was coming… She would not let him kill her… she would stop him at all costs. Her heart thudded hard in her ears and…

"OSUWARI!!!" Kagome's voice, shrill and high pitch, as she arrived on the scene was staring in the shock at seeing Inuyasha about to lay his claws into the woman in front of him. … the very miko who had helped them earlier that day with Necoa!

Falling down in a harsh thud with the matching curses to follow, Inuyasha's face met the earth in a not so friendly pose. "Kagome, you damn bitch! How dare you interfere. Huh? What the fuck are you trying to help her for?"

Kagome dropped to her knees in front of Yashira and reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, "I'm soooo sorry, he gets like that when-"

Yashira jerked her shoulder from Kagome, the move more instinctive and reflective than one of disgust. "I'm fine," she said flatly her curt and bitter tone, much like Inuyasha's, seemed to hide a swollen pride. Getting roughly to her feet she spared the half dog youkai a fleeting glance. A cold shiver shook her fragile nerves and hungrily seemed to steal the strength from her limbs as she felt herself fall back down.

A pair of strong warm hands gripped hold of her without warning and Yashira whipped her head up to see the houshi she'd met before. "Let me help you up… it's obvious you've been through much with," and Miroku fixed Inuyasha with a cold look, "him."

Inuyasha's gold eyes glared with incredible disbelief as he watched his friends fawn over the woman that had attacked Shippo. "That damn bitch had Shippo. Don't believe me… ask the damp runt."

Shippo tottered forward, his hand grabbing his temple, as he sputtered, "She saved me from Sesshomaru, but she was almost as scary as he was!! I'm so glad you're here Kagome!!!" Shippo took the last few steps in leaps and bounds to get into the safety of her arms. "I was soooo scared!!"

"Sesshomaru? Here?" Kagome seemed completely surprised, "Why would he come this way?"

Inuyasha sniffed the air and sure enough the taint of his older brother wafted into his nostrils. He spat out angrily, "My older half-brother was here…"

***

Kaede was standing outside of a hastily erected shelter when the group of them returned. Inuyasha was sulking behind Kagome and Shippo as Miroku staggered forward with Yashira at his side. "All is safe…" Kaede stopped in mid speech, her gaze falling sharply on… "Ya..shi..ra?"

Yashira, leaning against Miroku who wasn't in the least bit unhappy about having a pretty girl on his arm, glanced at Kaede quizzically. The look on the houshi's face was reflected on Yashira's face, but she said nothing as he led her inside the hut.

End of Chapter 4.