December 15, 2002

(Yajuu is a character originally created by Leloi, while Yashira is a character created by me.)

By Yashira

Chapter 12

"Late? Sister?" To say Inuyasha was stunned was to say that a mosquito hit repeatedly with a bat was lightly grazed. The amount of shock covering Inuyasha's face could have repainted a house the height of the Goshinboku 50x over. "Look, what kind of trick are you up to now, Sesshomaru? She's not… our sister?"

Vicious growling rebounded from Yashira's throat as she bared half open lips, showing razor-sharp fangs, in the direction where Sesshomaru stood. "I'm no one sister," she bit back as her honey-amber eyes went livid with rage over such an insinuation. "And I remember you from before… This time I'm going to seal and purify so you don't come back again!"

Sesshomaru was smiling though his amber gaze was harsh, and yet there was no mistaking the aloofness held tight along the quirk of his lips. "I would not think so... my `late` sister. You may be older than Inuyasha, but you are centuries beneath me. I will finish off the job that witless Miko did not. I am also going to remove you at the same time, Inuyasha! There will no longer be another insult on my father's line!" Throwing out long pale fingers from his right hand a bright green burst of light appeared. "Taste my Poison Flower Claw!!"

Dog ears twitched in unison as both Yashira and Inuyasha drew back instinctively. "USE Your DAMN attack which you're always too happy to use on me!!!" Inuyasha screamed at her as he dove to the left while she split off to the right. He slid to stop a good distant away as gold eyes narrowed on her.

"Give me my necklace first," she shouted back as she watched the grass and plants dissolve into ugly piles of goo which sent off repulsive smelling steam. In this form, her nose was just as sensitive as Inuyasha's and that meant she was prone to the same weakness he had. "I can't attack like that in this form! It's too dangerous for me as a hanyou…" Sweat drops danced along her face and throat, glistening against her milk white skin as if she had done a 10 mile lap in 5 minutes. This was the first time that she had abandoned her usual aloof and high and mighty attitude for one more humble and down to earth.

"Why?" But the answer came to him before he could stop the question leaving his lips. All her attacks, all her power, came when she was in her human form. Without this object, this simple looking acorn on a string, she couldn't hold onto her Miko form long enough to cast such a spell. It was her focus and that meant it must have intensified and acted as a center point for her latent Miko power. Briefly, he felt a new wave of awe creep into him. She really had to be strong in order to use so much power and not shift back. "Fine, then get out of my way.." There was a tell-tale ringing sound as he drew Tessusaiga out. "We'll deal with this sister mess later, right now I'm going to teach Sesshomaru a lesson!!"

Sesshomaru only smiled and drew his hand back, forming the ivy green whip which he effortlessly flung in Inuyasha's direction, "Big words, but you always spout big words."

"SHUT UP!" Leaping to attack his brother, Tessusaiga raised clearly in the air, Inuyasha flew towards him as he managed to miss most of the direct frontal attacks from Sesshomaru.

"Don't make me laugh... I can't believe you're still attacking me with this petty attack." Dancing nimbly away from Inuyasha with amazing speed, Sesshomaru dashed around his half-brother and raced towards his intended target. Yashira.

White hair flew out behind him as he caught her brutally by the throat and slammed her into none other than the Goshinboku. Pieces of wood splintered off as she let out a sharp cry of pain when his claws dug into her throat drawing blood. "Even in this form you look too much like your mother…" There was a raspy quality to his voice as if, even now, there was something else he hadn't come to terms with. "No one else should ever have her form."

Yashira stared back at him, gold eyes looking into her half-brother's obsessed one with a sort of deceiving calmness in her features. It was almost like that time Inuyasha had knocked her down and she had felt the call of her more wild-side echoing through as if trying to take over. It was like that now. It was as if her heart was about to twitch and allow a new unwelcome stirring to take over. To go completely wild would extend beyond her own control….

…if she went completely wild she would lose herself and then no force under God's Earth could stop her.

"Whaaat?" Inuyasha blinked, stunned that he'd been so slow to react to Sesshomaru's otherwise quick movements. How could… and then he looked down at his hands that still gripped Yashira's necklace. Long fine demon nails had shrunk to normal looking human ones and the silver strands of his hair were melting from white to black. No! That necklace was changing him to human! He threw it to the ground, but it was too late. He was too slow as he started to run to her. "No, you son of a bitch, leave her alone!! God, help you if you harm her!"

"Good bye little sister…" Sesshomaru's hands tighten drastically, intending to not only choke her, but to crush her windpipe at the same time as Yashira's eyes shut for the intended stroke.

Goshinboku curved inwardly almost as if the blow from Sesshomaru, when he had slammed Yashira against the tree, had been like an axe to a thin blade of paper. Yashira was tugged and jerked from the dog demon's grip and thrown to safety where Inuyasha stood watching with wide disbelieving eyes. Even Sesshomaru wore a coloured look of disbelief as he watched his prey move out of sight. The tree had literally ripped her away from his hands and had thrown her away. That was… impossible. Since when could trees move?! "What matter of…"

A pair of green eyes flashed at Sesshomaru as a face emerged and began to take on form outside of the Goshinboku. Although the furious face now wore a venomous and violent look there was no mistaking who it was. Inuyasha, sword tightly clutched in hand, as he helped Yashira to her feet, stared at the body which slid so effortlessly out of the tree like a woman slipping free of an untied kimono. "Yajuumaru?"

"Harming her, means you harm me…" Yajuumaru snarled, fangs glistening sharp in the silver starlight as he stepped forward allowing his body to form completely, including loin cloth, outside of the tree.

Sesshomaru's honey-amber gaze glared at the Treelord as he spoke with words drown in disgust, "I can deal with you later, but I have a mistake to erase first…"

"No," and Yajuumaru tanned hand caught held Sesshomaru's pale one with nearly no effort at all. The movement itself had been a swift blur that none of the watchers had seen it in action.

"Holy shit!" Inuyasha was gaping as Yashira stood awkwardly beside him, her hands holding her pendant carefully, as she watched with wary eyes.

"You will not touch her," Yajuumaru intoned again, his voice darkening as his eyes narrowed to pin-pricks. "She is under MY protection."

"You do not scare me, tree demon," Sesshomaru's hands conjured up the poison flower attack, determined to melt Yajuu's hand or to, at the very least, drive him back, but Yajuumaru did not draw back. He stubbornly held his ground. "Either you don't feel the pain or you are very stupid to court death… either way… Die!" Perhaps Yajummaru would have yet came out on top or perhaps Sesshomaru would have ended up destroying the Treelord's grip, including his hand, but that answer was not with them today.

A furious blue white light shone and shot forth as Yashira's voice rang clear in the air, "Heaven Ascension Blast!!!" The two youkai leapt apart, one going forward, the other back, as the bright dazzling light sped between them, narrowing missing.

Sesshomaru turned accusing eyes to where Yashira stood, but she outstared him with a gaze that was both rigid and hard. She had gotten back her Miko composure so that her blue eyes were as hard as ice, and her hair as black as night and all the while her hands prepared for another Heaven blast. Directly beside her Inuyasha, with Tessusaiga raised, was growling and glaring at him with the same sort of rage he usually held for Sesshomaru. It was almost something to laugh over, watching his two hanyou siblings staring at him like that. They could almost form one person each, the two of them. One human and one Demon… almost.

Then he heard the movement from the last demon, the Treelord, as he stalked nearby and that settled Sesshomaru's mind. "I see I have overstayed my time. I will deal with you all next time…" Drawing back swiftly, his movement were fluent like flowing spring water, that it hardly looked as if Sesshomaru were running away. "Especially you Yashira… I won't forget about you." Disappearing between the trees, Sesshomaru let his chuckle drift in the air so that he was gone way before his laugher ended.

"There will not be a next time," Yajuumaru growled, his fist clenching tightly, as he watched the white haired demon go, "You touch my mate and I will kill you next time."

* * *

As his hair drifted back to white, Inuyasha stared at Yajuumaru with not so quite hanyou eyes at the moment. Between a blend of brown and gold, his eyes traced the treelord's movements and projected trajectory easily. He was headed towards Yashira. "Are you alright, Sesshomaru packs a nasty poison?"

And yet it was as if he wasn't there for Yajuumaru passed by the concerned hanyou to stop directly in front of Yashira who was massaging her bruised throat. Green eyes were filled with concern as they settled on the face of girl whose black hair was pooling around her shoulders in raven waves. "Are you alright, Yashira?" With the threat gone, Yajuumaru resembled a baby kitten with needy luminous eyes seeking attention and devotion from the one he adored.

For the very first time since she had met him, Yashira was embarrassed to look him in the eye. She had been nothing, but aloof and cold with him, going so far as to insult him and his heritage, and yet knowing what she did about the portal he must have used to get to her… it made her quiet… almost meek. Softly she murmured, "Yeah… I guess."

Inuyasha shoved his sword into his sheath before looking at her carefully. In her Miko form, or human one, she looked different, but the similarities they shared in hanyou form were too pronounced not to be coincidental. "My … onesama eh? Looking at you now, if I run traces of my, our, mother over you… I can see it….although it's still hard to…" He shook his head as if he couldn't still believe it. "Are you okay? Don't take it too personally he wants me dead too." Glancing at Yajuu he added in a thoughtful tone, "I thought you weren't coming."

Finally acknowledging the hanyou, Yajuu gave Inuyasha such a look that he blinked in surprise. "I couldn't live without her."

Yashira took a deep breath that suggested she had just made up her mind over something. "I don't need you, go away…" Her tone was harsh and yet her eyes refused to look at Yajuumaru, shaded as they were by a rim of black bangs.

"Yashira, Yajuumaru saved your life…" It was the first time that Inuyasha actually was reprimanding someone and not being reprimanded instead.

"Life?" There was such a tone of disgust in her voice that it made those standing near flinch. "You call this a life…" She jerked off the pendant, allowing it to drop to the ground, as her transformation flashed again. Black hair to shimmering white, blue pupils to cat slits of amber as sharp fangs peeked out between her lips. She flexed claws at them. "This is not a life… you should know that most of all." Her amber eyes were flashing something furious as her fists shook with pent up raged.

"It's what I have," Inuyasha replied softly as he fixed her with such a serious look that made her flushed and draw back with a start. "But I've accepted that… you haven't it seems…"

"What is that suppose to mean?" But as she stared at him, looking at his determined gaze, she realized he didn't have to answer her. Inuyasha didn't mind what he was. Sure it must have bothered him from time to time, but on the whole he didn't mind. The revelation shocked her.

"It means what it's suppose to mean," he drew back from Yashira as he glanced over at ever patience Yajuumaru. "Your feelings must really be that strong. Good luck with her then, you'll need it. Now if you'll excuse me. I'm going back to check up on Miroku and Kagome…"

As Inuyasha moved quickly out of earshot, Yashira stood there watching him leave with a grim expression pursued on her lips. Too much to process… too much to deal with… A brother… or brothers she did not know and a Treelord who, still knowing what she was like, had followed after her anyway. And to top it off, that brother who had tried to kill her, Sesshomaru, had spoken of a Miko who should have killed her? Had he spoken of Mikada then? Perhaps it was time to pay a final visit to Mikada and discover the real truth about her heritage. Scooping up her amulet so that the change drew over her once more, she started forward.

Pausing only once, she said softly, without glancing back at him, "Don't follow me."

"I am not." He replied innocently although as soon as Yashira had taken another step or so, he trailed after her again.

"You are so…" This time she turned and glared back at him, blue eyes fixing on his green ones.

"I am not," he replied again, this time adding a taste of sincerely which was marred by the fact that he continued on in her direction.

Yashira stopped, turned and jabbed a finger at him, "Damn it, you are too!!!" They sounded like little kids, although they played a much grown up version of the game.

He shrugged and raised his hands up. "Can I help it if you're travelling in the same direction I am?"

"Same direction, eh?" She turned to move the opposite way, but he adjusted his course to follow her and that drew an angry growl from her. him. "Arrgh!! Stop following me or I'll blast you!"

"Look," he replied with a gesture of his hand placed over his heart, "whatever your destination is… that will be mine too. I can't help that. I came over to be with you…"

Running a hand through her loose raven hair Yashira let out an exasperated breath, "You just can't do that!"

"What's wrong with that?" Confused green eyes stared back at her, demanding an answer.

"You want a list?"

He gave an imposing nod. "Yes."

"You're a youkai." That much was clearly obvious with the long slender and elf-like ears, the huge bushy black tail and the sharpness that made up the colour of his emerald green eyes. Claw and fangs were secondary.

He rolled his eyes as if that were nothing, "So are you.."

"I am not."

"Yes you are," he pointed to her necklace she still held in her arms, "What to prove you aren't?"

"Grr, fine. You're half naked." Yashira counted as she gestured to his rugged muscular body whose lower half was covered by the bare minimum of a loin cloth.

Yajuumaru drew his lips together thoughtfully. "Well, I can fix that." He shut his eyes a moment as he murmured in a low voice. It was with a flash of surprise that Yashira watched a man's kimono of gold form over his body, covering his legs, thighs, chest and arms with extravagant looking folds of fabric. Burgundy highlights trailed over his clothing in twisting patterns and with such an intricate design, she wondered how he had managed it. He turned to her and waited a moment, gesturing a moment later for her opinion when she still hadn't provided it.

Blinking with disbelief, Yashira stumbled over something to say, "Your tail."

"My tail…" He looked thoughtful, glancing over at the long bushy wolf tail that wagged behind him before nodding his head in acquiescence. "Done." Like the clothing a moment before had come into existence, so too did the tail fade out of it. "Okay, how's that?"

Yashira blinked at him and stared with what was quite obviously disbelief. Not only had he followed after her, but he could alter his form too. He looked almost human… and actually quite handsome. "Could you do something about your ears." Her tone sounded less distant this time as if a little bit by little bit, his attention drew her out of her shell.

As she asked, Yajuumaru shortened them for her until his ears looked human. "Anything else?" He was met with a blue eyed stare. Unused to having her so quiet and regarding him with an almost pleased expression than the hating disgusting eyes, he was unsure how to continue. "Well?"

That seemed to snap her attention and Yashira said one last thing "I make all the decisions." She said the last though with a half hearted attempt to turn away his attention… How did she get into this kind of situation? Well, a small voice told her, he followed you… you were doomed from that point on.

"Okay! Is that it," he beamed at her and would have wagged his tail, had he still been with his tail, when she eventually nodded. "So now where are we going?" He winced a little when he gestured with his sore hand, as Yashira replied softly;

"To an old friend."

"Old friend?" He looked confused, but there was an even more startled look on his face when she took his hand and trailed soft fingers over the burnt mark. "Yashira?"

"Let me treat it," she replied softly, her voice actually soft and gentle, as she lead him in the direction that would take them to a river, "I can do a little healing."

Not being one to say no, especially to the one he adored, Yajuumaru nodded. He would do anything she asked him, didn't she realize that. Anything…

Because he loved her.

* * *

Naraku chuckled softly as his cold eyes trailed over Necoa trembling form. "Do you like failing me?"

She looked worried as she stood before his dark haired form. Her crisp red hair curling around her throat, much the ways her fingers nervously rubbed against each other, Necoa looked and felt frightened. Like the proverbial cat with 9 lives, she felt she only had one left. "No, Naraku…"

"I wish I could believe that… I set the trap, but you keep failing to spring it properly for me." He seemed bored, even wearied as he paced by Kanna who sat there emotionless with the mirror draped over her lap.

"It was that dreaded monk, he took in the hell wasps…" She dropped to her knees and bowed her head as the mood in the room seemed to take on a nasty air. All her nerves were screaming to run away, but like Kagura, her older sister, it would be impossible to do so.

"And yet he hasn't died… don't you find that odd?"

"How can you know that…" And then she paused as she stared over at Kanna and the realization hit.

"Ah, I see you understand me now." He smiled at her, aloof and cold as if he were made of glacier ice.

"What are you going to do with me?" She could already feel the entangle vines of previous youkai slip out from Naraku's body to snaked out and wrapped themselves over her hands and legs.

"What I should have done before…" Now the smile turned into a wry grin as Naraku flashed teeth at her.

"No! Please don't!" She struggled against him as he drew her towards him, "Don't take me in like you did Musou, please!!"

"Sorry my dear… your usefulness is at an end it seems. All I can rely on is Yashira… she owes me… after all I saved her life."