Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than...well...nothing...
A/N: And yet another one-shot! This time, it is just a sisterly thing I made up after thinking up strange Omake and things that would never be aired on the TV series of Inu Yasha...like Sesshoumaru getting drunk or something... 3 The strange thing is, I wrote this after imagining an OOC Kanna hugging Kagura in a sisterly way in front of the Inu-tachi. And Kagura has this spiffy look on her face cuz she just got complimented by Sesshoumaru.
Ok, enough time wasted! On with the show!
What Sisters Are For
It was raining.
More than that- it was pouring.
Every street was exposed to puddles of rain and cars speeding by only soaked the passing folks who tried desperately to keep dry by dashing about with an umbrella in hand. The only sounds were that of the vehicles on the pavements. The city was lit with blurred lights, but everybody was headed into their warm, cozy houses or comfy shops. In a certain neighborhood, there was not one person still outside. Other than a young teenage girl as she frantically ran through the puddles in search of someone, that is.
Her breathing was heavy from the long distance she had been running. Stopping suddenly as she approached dark alleys, she panted and looked about her. The trash cans that were left outside were all soaked and made slight clinking sounds whenever the raindrops dropped onto the rubber surface.
Thunder boomed from overhead, lightening following it almost immediately. The true storm was close, she could tell, as she counted that there were simply 7 seconds between each thunder and lightening strike. Blinking away raindrops from her eyes, she bounded off in search for someone yet again.
She past by many small shops and stores, their curtains had been pulled to block out the blinding lightening strikes. Soon, she approached an area where plenty of people were crossing the street and/or going home immediately. It would be easier to blend in here, she thought. With that, she slipped in between groups of people and continued on her way.
I have to find her. I have to.
There was no doubt how determined she was. With her ruby red eyes gleaming dimly in the midst of torrents of rain, she scanned the area carefully. Still no luck.
There had to be something she could do!
Sighing, she brushed away her dripping bangs, but they slipped back in front of her eyes as soon as she removed her hand. Her clumsily prepared ponytail on the back of her head dripped heavily and she wrung out some of the water with her hands. Doing such was really no use, for the moment her hand was removed from its feeble attempt to prevent any more water to come in contact to her black locks, the rain sprinkled upon her head endlessly.
Oh, how I hate the rain!
Furiously rubbing her eyes to brush off the droplets on her lashes, the teenager dashed towards more alleyways.
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No one cared about her, the little girl was sure.
No one ever thinks about little ole me.
Clutching her form, the small youngster brought her knees up to her chin and let out a slow, heartbreaking sigh. Her unnaturally white hair stuck to her skin like glue and her round, dark eyes were only ever so unsuccessfully protected by her long lashes.
She sat alone in an especially dark and dank alleyway, partly protected from the rain because of the apartment roof that stuck out to the side slightly. Her cheeks and nose were red from the cold and her breaths came out in puffs. She did not let herself cry, though inside she wished with all her soul that she could be able to do that right then.
Maybe it is here that I am meant to die.
Thunder rumbled overhead and the girl closed her eyes so as not to witness the lightening in case it was visible from where she sat amidst the trashcans and puddles. Her hands were covered in gashes and blood seeped through minor cuts. She had gotten these from repeated stumbles and falls on her way to the devastatingly empty alley she had came upon.
A memory played itself in her head.
Beginning of Flashback
The little girl sat in a chair beside the futon that her sister lay in. Occasionally, she would flip the cool cloth from the forehead of her sibling or she would take it and dip it into the bucket of icy cold water, wring it out, then place it back onto her forehead. This sibling of hers was rather ill, though only a fever and cough was present at the moment.
Opening her eyes from her rough sleep, the older girl smiled halfheartedly at her sister. She opened her cracked lips to speak, but was soon stopped by a fit of coughing. As she attempted to get herself back together after the fit, the younger girl stroked her hair gingerly.
Finally, she managed to speak. It was but one word: "Why?"
With no emotion in her tone, or upon her face, the young girl replied, "Because we are sisters- connected by the blood in our bodies. It is my unwritten duty."
The elder lady sighed and turned her head away from the other.
"Thank you," was all she said before returning to her slumbers.
End of Flashback
Back then, nothing could break their strong bond. Back then, they were sisters who truly meant what they said to each other. But...back then the elder girl had not met the love of her life. She had not fallen in love with any man yet. Back then, they were young and oblivious of the dramatic change that would so rapidly occur.
And with that last memory replaying itself over and over in her mind, the little girl leaned partially against the wall and tried to fall asleep.
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She had to be there. That was no doubt in her mind that her sister was there, probably rolled up in fetal position as she rocked herself to sleep. And that made her want to get there all the sooner.
Running through the puddles and ignoring the pounding rain, she tore past random people who were in her way and headed for the one alleyway where she could always find her mulling over the emotions that she kept within herself. She had to be there again. After all, that was the place they first made that promise...
Skidding to a halt and cringing at the booming thunder and lightening, the teenager sighed in relief as her search finally came to an end.
Sitting with her knees to her face as she sunk her head into the gap between her body and her thighs was her darling little sister. She had been the one to tend to her when she was ill. She had been the one to comfort her when all seemed lost. And most of all, she was there to show that even though her face did not show it, she cared.
Her footsteps that slowly and surely approached the young girl were loud enough to rouse her gently from her moment's rest. She blinked a few times to adjust to the dimness and looked up to see a soaking lady in front of her. Before either could utter a word, she collapsed to her knees and leaned forward, embracing the youngster tightly.
"Kanna," she whispered as she continued hugging the young girl with an amazingly strong grip.
Kanna looked straight ahead with eyes that betrayed not her emotions. She slowly wrapped her own thin arms around her sister and closed her eyes in contentment.
After a while of just embracing, the older girl wiped her eyes from the droplets that still clung to her lashes. She spotted the hands of her sister and gasped.
"What happened?" she asked in worry as she grasped the injured hands that belonged to Kanna. The question was rhetorical, so instead of awaiting a reply, she gripped the edge of her sleeve and pulled the thin (and weak) cloth rather roughly so that a long strip tore. She used the strip to wrap around the cuts on her hands and she carefully tied the ends of them into a tight knot. "There."
She turned around and signaled for the girl to climb up onto her back. She reluctantly got on and allowed herself to be picked up easily by her sibling.
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The two of them walked through the less crowded streets (more like Kanna was riding on her back as she walked). The rain had stopped a while back when they were still walking, but it was still dark and damp. Kanna clutched gently onto her sister's shoulders as she rested her head against the nape of her neck.
"Kagura," she murmured.
"Hmm?"
Kanna thought for a moment just what she wanted to say. She had quite a few things to say, but, after a moment pondering over which was best, she simply asked, "How?"
It didn't take long for Kagura to understand. With a smirk, Kagura replied, "Like you said before. We're sisters- connected by our very blood. I guess it was just sisterly instinct that led me to you."
Content with that answer, Kanna moved her arms so that they linked in front of Kagura's neck and lay limply against her chest. Her head raised ever so slightly as she gazed out at the faint rainbow that was starting to form as the sun peeped from behind the heavy clouds. A rainbow...
"Kagura...do you remember? The last rainbow we saw together."
"Yeah, I remember. We were real young then. You had slipped from high in the tree once the rain started. I had been there to carry you back into the little play house we had set up outside. When there, I pulled out the emergency aid kit and bandaged your wounds after disinfecting them. We played dolls for a while until finally we decided to go back to the house when the rain finally stopped."
"The rainbow had appeared almost the instant we exited the play house."
Kagura nodded. "You were really surprised, it had been the first time you got to be outside and see a rainbow."
Kanna leaned closer onto the back of her sister. How comforting it was to be in Kagura's presence once again. She had to admit, even though she had ran away from her just moments ago, she never felt more safe than when she was with her sister.
"Thank you," Kanna whispered before she fell into a deep slumber.
There was silence as Kagura trudged onwards. There was no need for her to say 'You're welcome'. Kanna knew that she was saying that in her heart already. So, she walked towards their house with a small smirk plastered upon her face.
That's what sisters are for, she thought.
That's why I'm here.
