I Could Use a Sister

I do not own InuYasha.

I felt myself wrench in unbearable pain as a cool cloth was placed lightly on my sweating brow. The pain had been going on for hours, a product of another tiresome act of betrayal to Naraku on my part. My heart was in his hands, and he never let me forget it, which never seemed to do any good to me anyways.

Moaning, I twisted my body to the side and panted, sweat coursing down my face. My hair had become messy and matted down, the magical feathers weaved in were gone, floating somewhere in the wind. Even through the haze of pain, I could see the wavering white form of Kanna as she stroked back my hair and sat in a stoic vigil by the side of my bed. She had never once left it in my hours of torture.

"Why are you still here, Kanna?" My voice sounded foreign and weak to my ears as I gasped for the breath it took to speak.

But before she could answer, and I felt even then that it would have taken a while anyways, I gave one last wrenching cry of pain before bucking up and falling over to my side, my eyes closed in still torturous unconsciousness.

Having been three days, just about, since my act of repayment to my sin of betraying my master, I grinned in grim satisfaction as I brushed my hands free of the blood and guts belonging to my latest victims.

Naraku had decided to tighten the reins he held over me, only allowing a few bouts of freedom, the rest of the time spent with one of his worthless demons, whom I usually killed, or Kanna.

And since all the worthless demons he had used at my extent ended up dead from some means or another, I was stuck with Kanna. Lying, cheating traitor.

"Let's get going, Kanna. I've nothing left to do here." I had just flipped out one of my feathers to carry us away when Kanna spoke for the first time in three days.

"Because we're sisters."

"What?" My brow furrowed curiously. "What in the hell are you talking about, Kanna?" I tapped my foot with impatience and sighed. She could be such a troublesome thing, for all her power.

"That night when you were paining, and you asked me why I was with you. Because we're sisters."

I couldn't help myself, I began to laugh. Sisters, ha! More like slaves bonded together through the flesh of Naraku!

"And who gave you such a stupid idea?" I was still chortling softly as I whipped out my feather, hopping aboard and leaning over to carry Kanna up.

Kanna remained silent for most of the trip before, "I saw it in my mirror last night. The village we slaughtered today, it had two young girls. One was writhing in pain and the other whispering to her and helping her. She called her 'sister'."

"Huh," I turned around to face the direction we were going in, my back to Kanna's. Leaning forward quickly, she clasped her tiny, childish hands around my waist and squeezed; a small and awkward hug over as soon as it began.

I was stunned into silence. Never in my memory of Kanna did she ever show such affection to anyone, be it animal or beast. That mirror of hers was the closest thing I've ever seen her hold in a slightly coddling and loving way.

Turning back around to see Kanna holding her mirror and looking down, I sighed.

"I could use a sister."