AN: New Inuyasha fic. I'll continue if I get reviews for it. It's an AU,
set in modern day Tokyo. Japanese translations are at the end of the
story.
"Onii-chan! Tadaima!"
Her cheerful cry was answered only by a male's tired groan of protest. As Shina put the groceries down on the table, she smiled knowingly at her brother's sleeping form. In their two room apartment, he couldn't get away from the noise even if he tried. Of course, he had every right to be tired. He'd been out working since 3:00 that morning, first at the fish market, and then at the sumo stable down the street. All for the yen that the two of them survived on.
"I'm making chicken," she told him as she worked. "It was the cheapest meat they had today, and I could even roast it if you want. Should I?" She always kept up the running commentary, knowing it was the easiest way for him to wake up. "You probably haven't looked at the clock, but it's only 5:00, so before you yell at me for skipping out on juku, it got out early today! Takana-sensei is having a baby, isn't that great? Oh, and Ayame-chan's going to eat with us. I told her she could; I hope that's all right." As she slid the prepared chicken into the oven, she realized she had forgotten to take off her human appearance. With a sigh of relief, she let the spell slide.
Shina flashed a fanged grin at her reflection in the oven door. As a human girl, her hair was a boring black and fell a bit past her shoulders, and her eyes were a dark blue. But now that the spell was gone, everything that was dulled down had come back to life. Her hair was longer and so dark it seemed almost azure, and her eyes glittered with a hint of violet. Her ears pointed slightly, and a black tail dusted her knees. The spell was necessary, of course, simply because humans were so generic and simpleminded, they couldn't possibly comprehend the beauty that a youkai represented. Beauty and pure, raw power. Especially that of a wolf youkai, like herself.
As soon as the chicken entered the oven, she sensed that her elder brother had finally woken up fully, and she walked over to his futon, jabbing at the lump in the blanket with a finger. Yawning, Kotaishi sat up and regarded her with a black-eyed stare. "Chicken, huh? I don't want Ayame eating all of it, so you tell her that."
Shina simply laughed. "Yes sir! Mind the oven, okay? I'm going to go change out of my school uniform and take a shower. If Ayame comes, tell her to set the table."
Without waiting for an answer, she ducked into the bathroom and began to strip. She heard the front door open, and assumed by the clanging of plates that Ayame had arrived, and as the warm water ran over her body, she finally allowed her mind to wander.
The only time Shina ever had to herself was in the shower. In her senior year at Tokugawa, exams seemed to take place almost every day, and after school she had dance practice and cram school, not to mention preparing dinner and doing her homework. Plus three days a week she worked as a waitress at Shounen-Tabe, a rich man's restaurant where she had to wear a short skirted uniform and pour drinks for well paying customers, all while making small talk and looking as if she actually enjoyed what she was doing. She was exhausted. Realizing the water would soon run cold; she flipped it off and dressed quickly. Dinner would be ready about now.
As she walked into the main room where her brother and friend waited, she caught a bit of their conversation.
"I'm telling you, it's absolutely scary! She looks just like Kikyo. It's as if Kikyo was back from the dead."
Shina stopped in her tracks, her mind reeling. Kikyo. It had been almost a year, but the memories were still painful. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and sat down beside Ayame.
The young red-head smiled at her friend. "Hey, I was just telling Kotaishi about this new girl in my class. Her name is Higurashi Kagome. Did you hear about her yet?"
Shina shook her head, and Ayame gasped, delighted that she would be the one to tell her. "Well, she transferred from another high school. Apparently some guy, Hojo, was annoying her or something. Anyway, get this! She walked into the room, and I thought she was Kikyo! They look so much alike. Kikyo didn't have a twin, did she? It's so weird!"
"She can't look that much like Kikyo," Kotaishi interjected, and Shina flashed her brother a grateful look. Sometimes Ayame got so wrapped up in the latest gossip, she conveniently forgot about a person's feelings.
Ayame was going to argue again, so Shina excused herself and got up, heading for the balcony. Once there, she took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding. Touching her cheek confirmed that tears were falling, but she ignored them. Instead, she leaned against the railing, staring out at the Tokyo skyline.
She had met Kikyo in the third grade. Both girls wore bright pink peel-off nail polish and loved to dance, so instantly they were best friends. Of course, after getting to know each other better over the years, it seemed that nail polish and dancing were their only common interests, and even those died down after awhile. But as they say, opposites attract. Kikyo was quiet and elegant like the bellflower she was named after, whereas Shina was bright and vibrant, never afraid to speak her mind. Kikyo was captain of the archery club and was always at the top of her class. Shina was captain of the dance team, and while she was smart, she could never seem to stop talking during class.
Still, the two were inseparable. When Kikyo discovered her powerful miko abilities; despite Shina's instinctive fear, she helped the other girl to develop them. When Kikyo was given the task of guarding the Shikon no Tama, Shina offered to help cover for her. And when Kikyo fell in love with the half youkai Inuyasha, Shina supported her best friend as much as she could.
That night, a year ago, Kikyo hadn't wanted to go to Sango's party, but Shina had begged until Kikyo had finally given in. Once there, the girls had drifted apart; Shina to talk with some of her friends in the family room, and Kikyo to be alone in the front yard with her boyfriend. Once she had gotten bored, Shina went to the balcony to check on Kikyo and ask if she wanted to go home, but Kikyo seemed to be in a heated argument with Inuyasha. Shina watched Inuyasha stalk inside, but Kikyo didn't follow. Instead, she crossed the street, apparently trying to go home by herself.
Shina herself didn't notice the car until it was too late. It sped by so fast it seemed almost a blur, but the moment it hit Kikyo seemed slow motion. She had looked so beautiful that night, with her long black hair floating down her back. She had been wearing a sheer white dress, and by the time Shina got to her it was soaked in blood. White and red, the colors of the miko.
"Kikyo!"
Kikyo had smiled slightly, opening her hand to reveal the jewel. "Take it to Kaede," she said softly. "Tell her I failed."
Shina had tried to tell her best friend that she hadn't failed, that it wasn't her fault, but the miko lay dead in her arms and neither words nor tears would come. She had never noticed the police cars or the people surrounding her. Instead, she had taken the Shikon no Tama and ran.
By the time she made it to the jinja Kikyo's family owned, Shina had been a sobbing, bloody mess. Old Kaede seemed even older as she took hold of the jewel once again, and Shina remembered her words quite clearly, as upset as she was.
"So, it seems we must wait."
"Wait for what?"
"For the one who won't fail," Kaede had smiled wanly. "For the one who will rid us of this cursed jewel forever."
A hand on her shoulder jerked her out of her memories, and Shina would have screamed if her wolf senses hadn't told her it was only her brother. She relaxed, and almost smiled as she felt him drape a blanket around her.
"You've been out here awhile," he said quietly. "Ayame's gone home, and I cleaned up dinner, but there's a bit left if you want it. You're probably thinking about Kikyo, so I'll leave you alone." He turned to go back inside, but blinked in surprise as his sister threw herself into his arms, crying.
"No one can take Kikyo's place! No one!"
Kotaishi smiled sadly, staring up at the night sky as he hugged her tightly. It would be a year tomorrow. "I know, Shina. I know."
-----------------------------
Onii-chan- Big brother
Tadaima- I'm home
Yen- Japanese money
Juku- cram school
-sensei- teacher
-chan- used for a good friend or someone significantly younger than you
Youkai- spirit, usually malevolent. Translated by English dubs as 'demon'.
Shikon no Tama- Jewel of Four Souls
Miko- priestess, shrine maiden
Jinja- shrine
"Onii-chan! Tadaima!"
Her cheerful cry was answered only by a male's tired groan of protest. As Shina put the groceries down on the table, she smiled knowingly at her brother's sleeping form. In their two room apartment, he couldn't get away from the noise even if he tried. Of course, he had every right to be tired. He'd been out working since 3:00 that morning, first at the fish market, and then at the sumo stable down the street. All for the yen that the two of them survived on.
"I'm making chicken," she told him as she worked. "It was the cheapest meat they had today, and I could even roast it if you want. Should I?" She always kept up the running commentary, knowing it was the easiest way for him to wake up. "You probably haven't looked at the clock, but it's only 5:00, so before you yell at me for skipping out on juku, it got out early today! Takana-sensei is having a baby, isn't that great? Oh, and Ayame-chan's going to eat with us. I told her she could; I hope that's all right." As she slid the prepared chicken into the oven, she realized she had forgotten to take off her human appearance. With a sigh of relief, she let the spell slide.
Shina flashed a fanged grin at her reflection in the oven door. As a human girl, her hair was a boring black and fell a bit past her shoulders, and her eyes were a dark blue. But now that the spell was gone, everything that was dulled down had come back to life. Her hair was longer and so dark it seemed almost azure, and her eyes glittered with a hint of violet. Her ears pointed slightly, and a black tail dusted her knees. The spell was necessary, of course, simply because humans were so generic and simpleminded, they couldn't possibly comprehend the beauty that a youkai represented. Beauty and pure, raw power. Especially that of a wolf youkai, like herself.
As soon as the chicken entered the oven, she sensed that her elder brother had finally woken up fully, and she walked over to his futon, jabbing at the lump in the blanket with a finger. Yawning, Kotaishi sat up and regarded her with a black-eyed stare. "Chicken, huh? I don't want Ayame eating all of it, so you tell her that."
Shina simply laughed. "Yes sir! Mind the oven, okay? I'm going to go change out of my school uniform and take a shower. If Ayame comes, tell her to set the table."
Without waiting for an answer, she ducked into the bathroom and began to strip. She heard the front door open, and assumed by the clanging of plates that Ayame had arrived, and as the warm water ran over her body, she finally allowed her mind to wander.
The only time Shina ever had to herself was in the shower. In her senior year at Tokugawa, exams seemed to take place almost every day, and after school she had dance practice and cram school, not to mention preparing dinner and doing her homework. Plus three days a week she worked as a waitress at Shounen-Tabe, a rich man's restaurant where she had to wear a short skirted uniform and pour drinks for well paying customers, all while making small talk and looking as if she actually enjoyed what she was doing. She was exhausted. Realizing the water would soon run cold; she flipped it off and dressed quickly. Dinner would be ready about now.
As she walked into the main room where her brother and friend waited, she caught a bit of their conversation.
"I'm telling you, it's absolutely scary! She looks just like Kikyo. It's as if Kikyo was back from the dead."
Shina stopped in her tracks, her mind reeling. Kikyo. It had been almost a year, but the memories were still painful. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and sat down beside Ayame.
The young red-head smiled at her friend. "Hey, I was just telling Kotaishi about this new girl in my class. Her name is Higurashi Kagome. Did you hear about her yet?"
Shina shook her head, and Ayame gasped, delighted that she would be the one to tell her. "Well, she transferred from another high school. Apparently some guy, Hojo, was annoying her or something. Anyway, get this! She walked into the room, and I thought she was Kikyo! They look so much alike. Kikyo didn't have a twin, did she? It's so weird!"
"She can't look that much like Kikyo," Kotaishi interjected, and Shina flashed her brother a grateful look. Sometimes Ayame got so wrapped up in the latest gossip, she conveniently forgot about a person's feelings.
Ayame was going to argue again, so Shina excused herself and got up, heading for the balcony. Once there, she took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding. Touching her cheek confirmed that tears were falling, but she ignored them. Instead, she leaned against the railing, staring out at the Tokyo skyline.
She had met Kikyo in the third grade. Both girls wore bright pink peel-off nail polish and loved to dance, so instantly they were best friends. Of course, after getting to know each other better over the years, it seemed that nail polish and dancing were their only common interests, and even those died down after awhile. But as they say, opposites attract. Kikyo was quiet and elegant like the bellflower she was named after, whereas Shina was bright and vibrant, never afraid to speak her mind. Kikyo was captain of the archery club and was always at the top of her class. Shina was captain of the dance team, and while she was smart, she could never seem to stop talking during class.
Still, the two were inseparable. When Kikyo discovered her powerful miko abilities; despite Shina's instinctive fear, she helped the other girl to develop them. When Kikyo was given the task of guarding the Shikon no Tama, Shina offered to help cover for her. And when Kikyo fell in love with the half youkai Inuyasha, Shina supported her best friend as much as she could.
That night, a year ago, Kikyo hadn't wanted to go to Sango's party, but Shina had begged until Kikyo had finally given in. Once there, the girls had drifted apart; Shina to talk with some of her friends in the family room, and Kikyo to be alone in the front yard with her boyfriend. Once she had gotten bored, Shina went to the balcony to check on Kikyo and ask if she wanted to go home, but Kikyo seemed to be in a heated argument with Inuyasha. Shina watched Inuyasha stalk inside, but Kikyo didn't follow. Instead, she crossed the street, apparently trying to go home by herself.
Shina herself didn't notice the car until it was too late. It sped by so fast it seemed almost a blur, but the moment it hit Kikyo seemed slow motion. She had looked so beautiful that night, with her long black hair floating down her back. She had been wearing a sheer white dress, and by the time Shina got to her it was soaked in blood. White and red, the colors of the miko.
"Kikyo!"
Kikyo had smiled slightly, opening her hand to reveal the jewel. "Take it to Kaede," she said softly. "Tell her I failed."
Shina had tried to tell her best friend that she hadn't failed, that it wasn't her fault, but the miko lay dead in her arms and neither words nor tears would come. She had never noticed the police cars or the people surrounding her. Instead, she had taken the Shikon no Tama and ran.
By the time she made it to the jinja Kikyo's family owned, Shina had been a sobbing, bloody mess. Old Kaede seemed even older as she took hold of the jewel once again, and Shina remembered her words quite clearly, as upset as she was.
"So, it seems we must wait."
"Wait for what?"
"For the one who won't fail," Kaede had smiled wanly. "For the one who will rid us of this cursed jewel forever."
A hand on her shoulder jerked her out of her memories, and Shina would have screamed if her wolf senses hadn't told her it was only her brother. She relaxed, and almost smiled as she felt him drape a blanket around her.
"You've been out here awhile," he said quietly. "Ayame's gone home, and I cleaned up dinner, but there's a bit left if you want it. You're probably thinking about Kikyo, so I'll leave you alone." He turned to go back inside, but blinked in surprise as his sister threw herself into his arms, crying.
"No one can take Kikyo's place! No one!"
Kotaishi smiled sadly, staring up at the night sky as he hugged her tightly. It would be a year tomorrow. "I know, Shina. I know."
-----------------------------
Onii-chan- Big brother
Tadaima- I'm home
Yen- Japanese money
Juku- cram school
-sensei- teacher
-chan- used for a good friend or someone significantly younger than you
Youkai- spirit, usually malevolent. Translated by English dubs as 'demon'.
Shikon no Tama- Jewel of Four Souls
Miko- priestess, shrine maiden
Jinja- shrine