Yin Yang Souls
Written by: Zephyr Minamino
Chapter 12: Lover
Kagome busily prepared her room for outside human contact. She'd been so busy this week studying, she hadn't cleaned nor done any of her normal chores. So now she was suffering the horrible consequences. It was ten till eight and she just knew that Zephyr would show up early just to spite her. She was halfway down the stairs with a basket full of laundry when she heard the doorbell ring.
"Coming!" she called. 'Yep, I knew it…'
She set the basket down in the foyer and slid the door open. Outside was Zephyr, of course, and she had dragged along Kouga as well. The wolf was looking none too happy about being at the shrine.
"Come in Zeph, Kouga. We're gonna be in my room, but don't blame me if it's messy. It's your own damn fault you came early," Kagome pointed the two upstairs before hefting her laundry to the washer and dryer. "Might as well start a load," Kagome moaned.
The doorbell ran again as she shut the washer's lid. Glancing at the clock she noticed that it was exactly eight and Kikiyo and Sango were here. Kikiyo had an issue with being exactly on time wherever she went. The slayer couldn't see her late anywhere. She slid the door open and greeted them happily. Sango cheerfully waved and brought forward her basket of munchies while Kikiyo softly smiled and lifted two bottles of soda.
"We're here!" Sango cheered.
"Zephyr and Kouga are upstairs already…" Kagome led the way back upstairs. "Do you think we should start now or wait for everyone else?"
"Well… we could finish cleaning while we wait," Sango offered.
"Okay them… wait a minute. How'd you…"
"Kagome… I know you too well," Sango grinned.
The three made a quick trip to the kitchen and grabbed a large bowl and some glasses before heading towards the staircase. The doorbell chimed again as they went past.
"That'd be InuYasha and the rest…," Kikiyo said softly.
Kagome slid the door open and sure enough there was InuYasha outside the door along with Sesshomaru and Miroku. Not a few seconds after the door had opened, the slayer found herself knocked to the ground by a big ball of orange fluff.
"Kagomeee!" it cried.
'It' turned out to be the nearly forgotten fox kit, Shippou. Where he had been since Kagome and Sesshomaru's ice cream 'date' was beyond any of them besides Zephyr.
"Shippou? Where've you been?"
"At Caroline's café…" Shippou chirped.
Sesshomaru extended a hand to Kagome and helped her up from the floor. Shippou jumped off her and raced upstairs. The slayer led the rest of the group after the little kit. It was once again messy. Books were strewn across the floor. Paper lay to the side with random pencils.
"And I just cleaned it…" Kagome whined. "Well anyway, let's see… tomorrow I have a chemical biology final followed by geometry and language arts 10." Kagome flipped through her planner.
"How about…"
Outside
A woman sat in the Gobinshinko tree, staring at the lit window and teenagers buzzing around the room behind it. She sighed impatiently as she waited for her signal. Gemini were supposed to blast some sort of signal.
"Tonight is the night. I'll grab me those amulets and present the to the master. He'll be sooo thrilled. Plus I'll be able to get rid of a few pests. Two birds with one stone…" she pledged to herself.
Almost reluctantly, two beams of light rose up in the air and crossed. The woman grinned and disappeared.
Inside
"What the? How the hell did you get four as the answer? I did this problem nearly twenty times and got the same answer! Fifty-one!" InuYasha yelled in frustration.
"InuYasha… how do you get fifty-one out of a simple inequality?" Kagome asked.
"InuYasha's brain doesn't have enough brain cells to hold that important of information. He's a lost cause…" Sesshomaru inserted from in between turning pages. His first hour final was in English Literature over the book Catcher in the Rye.
"Oi! Oi! You stupid bastard! That was an insult wasn't it?"
"You see…"
Kagome sighed exhaustedly. This was turning out to be more of a headache than a 'learning opportunity'. She reached over into a nearby M&M bag and grabbed a handful. God only knew she needed the sugar. She was just about to return to the futile attempt to educate InuYasha in math when a large explosion shook the ground and bits of wood and debree flew past the window.
"Why me…" the swallow-wielding slayer whined.
She dashed down the stairs and slammed the door open. Someone had blown up the wellhouse. The remains were still lit with fire and the well had nearly caved in.
"What happened out here…" Zephyr stopped short of Kagome and stared at the burning remains.
A shrill laugh rang behind the two. Kagome sighed and slowly turned around to face the woman. Zephyr followed.
"Hello there, m'dears. I do hope I haven't upset you with my little gift." She purred.
Kagome fakely smiled. She looked towards the house, wondering when Sango and Kikiyo planned on helping out. She looked over to Zephyr. The youkai looked thoughrally pissed off; her eyes slitted, her nails extended. Red threatened to seep into the blue depths.
"Do you have a death wish, whore?" Zephyr growled with a slightly cynical edge to her voice.
"Watch what you say about me you. I am Dahlia, Virgo's warrior," the woman hissed, "I'm not some whore, you stupid filthy cat."
"Kagome, do you mind if I rip her apart? I know she blew up the well… but my reasons are family matters…" Zephyr growled.
"Ha! You think you can take me? That's funny, little one. Maybe you better go fetch mummy or daddy to protect you…"
"I'm surprised you don't recognize me. Have I changed all that much? I see that gaping hole has miraculously healed from you chest. I coulda swore it'd scar forever. What a slut… I can't believe you went to him for healing blood."
Virgo's hand subconsciously drifted to her chest, right where her Zodiac sign was tattooed. "How would you know of that. Only two souls know about that and both are dead. Are you her daughter? Did I forget to someone?"
"Better check your facts again. Me… dead! Hell no!" Zephyr laughed," I'm here… and back for revenge…"
Inside
Sesshomaru looked up from the book. "What's taking them so long?"
"Who knows… maybe they went for more drinks?" Kouga offered.
"Well… Kagome doesn't really rush out for no reason…" Sango walked over the window and peered out. "Well, that's weird. What happened to the wellhouse?"
"Nani?" Inuyasha rushed to the window.
While half the teens congregated around the window, Sesshomaru and Kikiyo stood and headed to the door.
Meanwhile
"Mou… I remember you now. You're that man's sister. I could've swore I killed you with the rest of those mutts…"
"You thought wrong. I'm still alive. It was a mistake for you to leave us without making sure if you finished us off," Zephyr snapped.
The neko youkai charged at the woman, claws bared straight to the woman's shoulder joint. Her intent to kill was intense. Blue-streaked black hair whipped behind her as she sprinted. Virgo sidestepped out of the way as the youkai closed in. Zephyr sharply turned and skidded to a stop. Kagome stiffened when Zephyr lifted her face and blood red eyes appeared from behind a curtain of hair.
"Hah," Virgo scoffed, "she's lost her being in her subconsciousness. She's nothing more than a rabid kitten. She can't expect to win like that."
Kagome looked back to the teen, currently prowling a circle around the woman. 'I know I promised, but I just can't let her get thrown around like this.' She thought. Hesitantly, she stepped forward. Zephyr's ears perked up and she whipped her head around and growled at the slayer. The neko charged again and Kagome watched miserably as she was knocked back against a tree. Virgo had finally shown her choice weapon; a whip.
Leaves in the bushes behind Kagome rustled, drawing the slayer's curiosity away from the fight. Small voices drifted from the bushes. The slayer pushed aside the branches to reveal two small girls. They were identical twins. One had short cut black hair and emerald green eyes while the other had slightly longer hair tied up in pigtails. She had red eyes. The mark of Gemini shone upon both their foreheads. Kagome, at first glance of the twins, reached for her swallow preparing to shove the blade through both their ugly hearts. But as she watched the two, saw the fear and sadness in both their eyes, she lowered her arm and smiled softly at the two. Glancing over her shoulder at Virgo and Zephyr, she noticed that Zephyr had received her second wind and now had sunken her teeth deep within the flesh of Virgo's forearm. The slayer grabbed a hold of the twin's small hands and rushed them inside the house.
As she reached the sliding doors, they opened to reveal a slightly miffed Sesshomaru and an expressionless, but armed, Kikiyo.
"Kikiyo? Sesshomaru? What're you doing here? I though you were upstairs?" Kagome asked.
"We were until half the well flew past your window. Being the only one's sensible to notice what was probably going on, we were heading outside to help." Kikiyo explained, "who are they?"
"I found them in the bushes frightened nearly to death. So I'm was gonna take them upstairs to Sango."
"Where's Zephyr?" Sesshomaru asked.
Kagome hesitated briefly before answering. "She's around the corner in the courtyard. But I wouldn't go back there right now…"
Sesshomaru stared into Kagome's eyes for a minute before turning and heading towards the fight. Kikiyo placed a hand on her fellow slayer's shoulder then followed the youkai man.
"C'mon you two. Let's go upstairs." Kagome led the way up the stairs and to her room. Everyone stared at the three as the door opened.
"Kagome?" Sango stood up and walked over to her friend.
"I found these two outside in the bushes. Would you watch them while I'm downstairs?" Kagome didn't want to even mention the fight. Kouga and InuYasha were sure to barrel their way downstairs. Kouga for Zephyr's sake and InuYasha for the sake of a fight. She turned to the twins. "Now, what're your names? Or should we just call you Gemini?"
The green-eyed twin was the one to speak. "My name's Hikari and my sister is Yami."
"Light and Dark… how appropriate," InuYasha scoffed.
"I'm going back downstairs. Watch over them, please?"
Kagome left the room and went back outside. When she reached the courtyard, at the very least she was very surprised. Zephyr still hung from Virgo's forearm. Sesshomaru stood five feet away from her with a look of shock on his face. Kikiyo had strung her bow and an arrow pointed at Virgo's head. Cautiously she stepped up beside the youkai and had a better look at him. His face was void of most emotion, but his eyes showed shock and betrayal. She touched his hand lightly before grasping it between both hers and leaned into his side. Virgo seemed not to notice the stinging pain in her arm. Zephyr's eyes followed her line of view and stopped on her brother's shocked face. She blinked a few times, the red retreating from her irises. She released her grip on Virgo and tore away to her brother.
"Onii-sama?" She stopped short of him and whispered.
Sesshomaru looked to his younger sister briefly before stepping in front of her. Zephyr dropped her head and took a place beside Kagome. Kagome looked questionably at the neko. Zephyr took a deep breath and faced Kagome.
"You're probably wondering what this is all about, aren't you?"
"It would clear things up." Kagome shrugged.
Zephyr stared at Kagome for a few minutes. She nodded. "Okay. It happened ten years ago…"
- London 1995 -
In the busy streets of London, it was pouring. Couples huddled under umbrellas and canopy tops over nearby stores. A small figure covered by a cloak hurried down the street. The person turned down Crimson Avenue and stopped in front of a pair of big black gates to a large manor. A small, clawed hand reached out from the folds and pressed the call button. Not a few minutes later the burly black gates creaked open and the figure dashed through.
A stoic young man stared up at the clock on the wall. Its hands moved ever so slowly towards one o'clock. He blinked as the front door opened and closed. Stepping into the hallway was the figure. The man watched as she rested her dripping cloak on a hook and shook the excess water from her body.
"Ah, Onii-sama! I've just returned from the hub; InuYasha was supposed to tell you. But anyway, so far nothing is happening. Myouga-jiji hasn't heard anything about new attacks either. It's only a matter of time though. Is Anya-san coming over today?" the woman chirped.
The man stared blankly at the doors. 'Nothing? This is highly unusual. They never stay inactive this long. But Myouga, or even Ayame, would've heard something if anything did happen.' He mused. "Sessho-nii? Are you okay?" The girl touched her brother's shoulder lightly.
"It's nothing, Zephyr," he replied, "Anyanka is supposed to arrive around four. Where is out… dear brother, InuYasha, hiding?"
"He's upstairs, I think." Sesshomaru shrugged and returned to the kitchen. Zephyr followed, but went to prepare a pot of tea.
Around four-fifteen the doors opened and a woman stepped inside the foyer. She stripped out of her wet cloak and hung it next to Zephyr's. Seeing the vacant kitchen, she headed straight to the living room where Sesshomaru had migrated around three. She noticed his younger half-sister was napping on his lap.
"Hey," she whispered. She kneeled behind him and wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Ze-chan fell asleep?"
"Mmm, she's waiting for Kouga and Ayame to arrive."
Carefully, to not wake the slumbering kitten, he raised his free hand behind him and latched it around the woman's neck. Zephyr's ear twitched and the girl sluggishly crawled off her brother. The door opened the exact moment her feet touched the floor.
"Ah, speak of the devil," Sesshomaru murmured. Kouga appeared in the doorway and Zephyr sleepily leaned into his chest.
"Aww, kitten-chan is sleepy. Must be the rain. C'mon, let's head to her room. Play safe Sesshomaru, Anyanka." Ayame pulled her brother and the sleepy teen into the hallway and around the corner.
Anyanka sat down next to the elder man, leaning into him. Sesshomaru brushed her bangs from her face and pressed his lips lightly to hers.
Several days passed uneventfully. Everyone at the manor was uptight and stressed. Even the calm and collected Sesshomaru snapped at anyone who got within ten feet of him. Zephyr spent most of her time at taverns and pubs, accompanied by either Kouga or Ayame, to try and listen in on any conversation they could hear and might help him. Even Myouga hadn't heard anything. Finally on a stormy night, something came up. Zephyr and Ayame, dressed in shabby black cloaks, overheard a group of men and a single woman talking about a master plan concerning a certain manor on Crimson Avenue. Zephyr looked to Ayame. Wordlessly the two of them went up the bar, ordered a quick drink not to seem suspicious, and left.
"It's about time the started moving," Zephyr muttered.
"The peace was nice though… too bad it couldn't last," Ayame sighed. The wolf pulled off the hood down and wiped her brow.
"Ayame… you know we can't walk around uncovered. We stick out too much," Zephyr hissed, though her voice was strung with sadness.
"Correction, you stand out. The only reason people would turn a head at me is my bright red hair. I don't have ears like yours. Or blue streaked hair." Ayame grinned at the pouting kitten.
"You're aiming a little below the belt there. Well… you have a tail!"
"So do you…"
"Not another word, we need to get back to the manor anyway. We need to warn onii-sama about this." Zephyr pulled her cloak tighter and started down the sidewalk at a brisk pace. Ayame pulled up her hood and followed.
Meanwhile
Sesshomaru and Anyanka were curled up together on the couch. Anyanka was barely awake while Sesshomaru was staring intently outside at a random tree. He was still nervous and jumped at almost every sound he heard. Around five clouds moved in and the sky darkened quickly. The wind picked up and rain pelted the earth below it. Sesshomaru looked towards the door anxiously for the perky kitten to come waltzing through safe and sound. Lightning crashed in the sky and thunder boomed. Anyanka scooted closer to her love.
"I wish Zephyr would get back soon. I'm getting a bit worried…" she whispered.
"Mmmm," Sesshomaru agreed.
Suddenly the room went black as the power went out. Sesshomaru looked around for anything suspicious. Slowly, he got up and walked towards the basement where the breaker was located. When he arrived, he flipped open the door and switched the main power off and then on. Nothing happened. Sighing dejectedly, he started back upstairs. Hearing nothing, not even Anyanka's even breathing, he stopped on the stairs.
"Anyanka?" Sesshomaru called.
He reentered the foyer and looked in the living room. Anyanka had moved somewhere else. Slowly he walked into the kitchen. It was deathly silent in the tiled room. Footsteps creaked above his head signifying life upstairs. His mind flew to InuYasha immediately. He really didn't want to see his younger… brother, but it seemed like the most sensible thing to do. He walked upstairs and to InuYasha's room. The door was cracked open. It was pitch dark inside except for the occasional flash of lightning lighting up the room. A figure lay fallen on the ground. Sesshomaru stepped lightly up beside the figure. He smelt blood, InuYasha's blood. He only hoped he was wrong about his feeling. Lightning lit up the room just enough for Sesshomaru to recognize his brother laying face down on the floor in a small pool of his own blood. He froze at the sight of his own blood suffering on the carpeted floor. His nose was filled with the scent of blood, it was so distracting that he didn't notice the woman in the doorway. He didn't notice her walk up behind him. Didn't notice until she had already kneeled down and bit into his neck, draining his blood quickly. Her hand clamped over his mouth to attempt in keeping him from struggling. Instead, the man clamped down on her hand. Blood filled his mouth. He choked on the blood and swallowed to free his airway.
"That's strange… the lights are off. Sesshomaru never leaves the lights off," Zephyr mused. The rain was beating down relentlessly on the two demons. The kitten opened the gates and dashed to the front door. After stripping out of the cloak she looked around.
"Onii-sama?" she whispered.
Ayame walked through the kitchen and living room. Both were bare, but she could hear something going on upstairs. She motioned towards the stairwell and slowly walked upstairs. A weak cough came from the closet nearest to the stairs. Ayame cracked the door open and peeked inside. Something was hanging from the ceiling and the something was gasping weakly for breath. A liquid was dripping from the object hanging and Ayame's nose told her it was blood. Unfortunately the scent was muddled up with a foreign scent so Ayame couldn't identify who's blood it was.
"Sessho-nii?" Zephyr opened the doors one by one, peeking in each one carefully.
Finally she opened InuYasha's door and stopped cold in her tracks. InuYasha was sitting up, but swaying back and forth weakly. Sesshomaru was standing in a corner staring at a something. The kitten stepped up to her brother and grasped his bloody hand.
"Sessho-nii?" she whined, "What happened?"
"I'm not entirely sure what happened here. But… this witch here has something to do with it."
"This has something to do with those people we overheard at the tavern… They were planning to do something here, we just didn't know what."
Ayame stood in the doorway with a weirded out look on her face. "I think you should take a look in the closet…"
Sesshomaru looked over at the girl in the corner and growled. Zephyr looked over her body in surprise. It was Anyanka… or at least Anyanka's body. The three of them exited the room and went back to the closet. The closet lit up as lightning flashed again. Zephyr couldn't help but scream and Sesshomaru had a look of shock and a slight disgust on his face.
Present
"Anyanka had been drained of all blood and her murderer strung her up in the closet. At first we thought that Anyanka was the one targeting our family. Even if she was supposedly in love with my brother. But then when we reexamined the woman in the corner, we found it wasn't Anyanka who was had done it, it was that woman, Delia. Delia had deceived us and ruined our family. It was her who almost killed InuYasha and attempted to kill Sesshomaru. Although Sesshomaru's change was purely an accident. InuYasha was dying and Sesshomaru regretfully changed him. He wasn't happy about it either. When we went back to get rid of Delia, we found she was still alive. Enranged I drove my hand through the right side of her chest. Unfortunately it didn't kill her. She disappeared and we all thought her to be dead."
Zephyr turned her attention back to Delia and snarled at her. Sesshomaru caught her by the collar of her shirt as she tried to charge the woman again. "Zephyr, leave her. This is my fight."
Zephyr looked up to her brother. She didn't know what to think but nodded and stepped back a few steps.
Zephyr Notes: Well, This chapter's finished. Don't worry… Anyanka won't be coming back … ever. This is a Sesshomaru/Kagome fiction. Eight pages, and it only took me about… a month to write. We're doing finals right now so I've been studying all week and trying to keep my grades around an A-B average. It might be a while before I do get the next chapter up though. Hopefully I'll get it started during vacation though.