AN: Now back to our regularly scheduled Towa.

Chapter 9: A Different Sort of War

Towa yawned as she trudged down the steps to her mother's flower shop. After a week attending school, she felt like she was starting to get a handle on things—but that didn't mean it sucked any less. ("Sucked" was a new slang word she learned at school. She had learned quite a few others too, several of which made her blush—which was something of a feat, considering she had grown up around dog demon warriors.)

School on Saturdays was optional, and she was opting out. Setsuna may have attended, but Towa was sick of staring at the chalkboards and trying to decipher what was going on.

Using the internet at home had helped a little bit, and she did manage to locate Setsuna's old English notebooks, but she was still so far behind that her lack of knowledge had become noticeable in class. Two days ago, her homeroom teacher even asked to speak to her after school.

"I realize this is only the third month of your first year, Setsuna, but I'm concerned," her teacher said. "You came in with such stellar grades, and your performance prior to summer break was astounding. Has something happened?"

Towa didn't know what to say. Something had happened—she wasn't Setsuna. But she couldn't say that.

When Towa stayed silent, the teacher then asked, "I don't mean to pry, but…I've seen the news as well. I heard you found out over the summer you have a sister?"

Towa looked up at him, startled. She could only nod.

"I see. I understand that must have come quite as a shock. And it can't have been easy to part ways, knowing you may never see her again."

Towa nodded miserably.

The teacher sighed. "I know that you can't change your mood just because I tell you too, but you must know…if your current performance keeps up, you may not be able to recover during the rest of the year. You might even have to retake classes next year."

Great, just what I need—more pressure to not ruin Setsuna's life, Towa thought with mounting dread. But all she said was, "I understand, sir."

"Perhaps for the time being you could join a study group or even look into getting a tutor. Having someone else there to support you and hold you accountable can help if you don't think you have the strength to keep up on your own for now."

"Thank you for the advice, sir," Towa replied with a polite bow. "I will keep it in mind."

So Towa had tried to join a group of students in the library yesterday for studying, but when they kept looking to her for the answers (and she kept disappointing them), Towa knew that route wasn't going to work.

I do need a tutor. But Mama and Aunt Kagome will start asking questions if I ask them for too much help, and Uncle Inuyasha's not exactly a scholar. I'd hire someone myself, but I don't have any money, and Setsuna doesn't seem to have more than a few thousand yen lying around. Not that she wanted to waste Setsuna's hard-earned money on her studying problems.

Towa opened the door to the shop and grabbed her apron, ready to help out her mother for half a day, like Setsuna always did on Saturdays, apparently. "Good morning, Ma—Mother."

"Morning, darling!" her mom trilled from the register.

Just then, another head popped into view from behind a giant fern. "Good morning, Setsuna!"

Towa froze. Who's that? "Uh, good morning…." He stepped out from behind the plant, and Towa's demonic eyes zoomed in onto his nametag from across the room. "…Hisui!"

"Hisui's been such a great help to me this summer while you've been gone," Rin explained.

"I appreciate the work, ma'am," Hisui answered. He turned back to face Towa. "I want to move into my own apartment this year. Living with my parents for the first year of college was…challenging, to say the least. But my mom won't let me move out unless I can show responsibility and do it myself."

Rin snickered. "I think Sango learned the hard way with your sisters that college kids like to spend their money drinking and partying a little too much."

Oh, Sango's his mom, Towa realized.

Hisui sighed. "Don't remind me. I remember the days when they'd wake me up in the middle of the night by tapping on my window so I could let them in without Mom finding out they'd been out all night."

Rin laughed, and even Towa found it hard to bite back a smile. "They do seem to take after their father."

"Tell me about it," Hisui groused.

He sounded so put out that Towa wanted to console him. "It's interesting how different siblings can be and how they can take after different parents. I mean, look at me: I'm just like my pa—father." Rin whipped her head around at that, and Towa hastily tacked on, "Uh, according to Towa, at least. She said the resemblance was uncanny."

"Right, your sister. I read about that in the paper," Hisui said. With a cautious glance at Rin, he asked, "What was she like? You're twins, right? Were you pretty similar? Kin'u and Gyokuto have slightly different temperaments, but when you get them together, I swear they share a single brain cell—and it's an evil one at that." He chuckled at his own joke.

"Actually, we couldn't be any more different," Towa said, walking over and grabbing a hose to spray down some plants. "Towa…well, let's just say I think she and Mother would get along really well." She looked over at Mama and smiled.

Rin blinked her glassy eyes and sniffed. "Excuse me a moment. I'll be back before the shop opens," she muttered, walking out of the room. The honk of her blowing her nose echoed all the way from the back shop.

"It must be pretty hard on your mom, knowing you got to meet your sister and she didn't get the same chance," Hisui murmured to Towa.

Towa nodded. "I've showed her every picture and video I have of her and tried to tell her as much about Towa as possible so she doesn't feel left out."

"And how are you feeling?" Hisui asked.

"About?"

"About leaving your sister behind."

Towa's heart panged. It had only been a week, and she and Setsuna had a plan—to come clean in another three weeks, prompting them to get switched back—but after six weeks of constantly spending time with each other, she felt like a part of her soul was missing. "Not great. I really loved getting to know her. I just…finally felt like I found someone else who could understand me, you know? And now I can't even call her, let alone send a letter."

Hisui placed a hand on her shoulder, and Towa stiffened, not expecting the intimate contact from this stranger. But he's not a stranger—not to Setsuna. It sounds like they're family friends. Get it together, Towa. Calm down.

It didn't stop her heart from racing as her skin prickled beneath his touch.

"I'm sorry. I can't even imagine what that must be like. I mean, I know I joke about wanting to throw my sisters over The Wall a lot, but I really do love them, and…I'd miss them if I knew I'd never be able to see them again."

Towa took a deep breath. "Thanks. But you know what? I'm trying to stay positive. Just the fact that we got to meet each other at camp was such a big change in the dynamic between our countries. I'm sure we'll see each other again in our lifetimes. I feel it in my gut."

She turned and smiled at him, and Hisui stared at her like a moth demon engrossed in the sight of flames.

That wasn't a good sign.

"Well, come on—these flowers aren't going to water themselves, you know!" Towa said, slipping her shoulder out from under his grip—finally—and skipping off to another section of the shop.

Her leaving seemed to shake Hisui out of his trance, but even so, he still followed her, spraying down another table of plants within a meter of her. "Still, if there's anything I can do to help take your mind off it, let me know. We could always…hang out at the mall or…go see a movie or…whatever you want," he added, his voice getting smaller and smaller as his cheeks got redder and redder.

Towa sighed. "Thanks, but I don't think I'm going to have any time for fun in the near future. My, uh…mood's affected my schoolwork, and I've really fallen behind," she said, deciding to use her teacher's conclusions as her excuse. It seemed plausible after all.

"I understand—but I have faith you'll get back on your feet soon. You've always been so smart."

Towa gripped the hose tighter, and tears prickled at her eyes. She slowly shook her head. "Thanks, but…it sure doesn't feel like it right now."

"Hey, hey, don't cry," Hisui said, turning off his hose and coming over to hug her. Towa froze, but that didn't seem to deter him.

Setsuna never struck me as one to let other people touch her like this. Are she and Hisui really that close? Still, it didn't feel right to hug him back—Setsuna or not. "Do you need any help?" he asked.

Towa was too stunned to say anything but the truth. "Yes."

He pulled away and looked her in the eye. "Okay then, I'll help you."

Towa sniffed, wiping her eyes. "No…no, I can't ask you to tutor me. I can't pay you."

"Then let's not call it tutoring—let's call it a study session. We'll meet at the library, and I'll bring some work too. If you get stuck, just ask me, and I'll help you out. And, well…maybe you can give me some insight into some projects I'm doing. Or, hey, you can always pay me in baked goods," he added with a grin. "It's always such a treat to eat you and your mom's stuff. My mom hates baking."

Towa's eyes widened. "You mean it? You'd be willing to do that for me?"

"Sure. What are friends for?"

This time, Towa was so overwhelmed with gratitude, she didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him. "Oh, thank you, Hisui! You have no idea what that means to me!"

Now it was Hisui's turn to lock up in her arms. Robotically, his hands came up to hug her back. "Y-You're welcome, Setsuna. Gosh, I wasn't expecting…. I mean, this must be bothering you pretty badly. Glad I can help."

Just then, Rin walked back into the front room and froze in the doorway. Her mouth dropped open. "Oh my. Am I…interrupting?"

At the same time that Hisui shouted "No, ma'am!" and practically shoved Towa off him, Towa replied with a casual, "Interrupting what?"

Rin peered at Hisui, trying to look stern, but her pursed lips were obviously holding back laughter. "Young man, are you flirting with my daughter?"

Flirting?

Towa had never flirted in her life. Was this what flirting was? The only reason she even knew what the word meant was thanks to Moroha, who was always going on about which wolf demons were sniffing around whom. (No one would have dared flirt with Towa at her father's palace. He would have eviscerated anyone who tried.)

"O-Of course not, Miss Rin!" Hisui protested.

Towa breathed a sigh of relief. So they weren't flirting.

"I see. I mean, if you were flirting with her, I just wanted to remind you that you are four years older than her and that I would expect you to be a true gentleman about it."

"C-Certainly, Miss Rin! T-That is…only if we were flirting. Which we're not," Hisui bumbled, quickly ducking down behind a stand to rearrange some potted plants.

Rin just bit her tongue and winked at Towa as if….

As if she were giving her approval.

Towa looked back and forth between Hisui and her mother. She didn't know a lot about love. She hadn't exactly read many romances in her life, and she hadn't seen many develop at the palace either. At most, she heard about love in the ballads the musicians sang, or she saw wolf demons chasing each other in their odd courtship rituals.

Hisui was behaving like a shy wolf demon nosing around a girl he was interested in wooing but holding back under the girl's watchful parents.

Oh no, Towa realized. Hisui likes Setsuna. But does Setsuna like him back?

Setsuna had never mentioned him. But Mama seemed to be egging her on.

Dread filled Towa's heart. Does Mama know? Or is Setsuna carrying on a secret romance? No, she would have warned me before we switched if that were the case. Right?

Maybe Setsuna was just as clueless about love as she was. Maybe she had no idea Hisui liked her.

But try as she might to convince herself, Towa could feel trouble brewing in this area. And only Southern slang could describe her predicament.

I'm screwed. I can't mess up Setsuna's love life too!

Setsuna's love life, however, soon became the least of her concerns.

A few days later, Towa came home from the library feeling lighter than she had since she started school. She had just had her first study session with Hisui, and it had gone surprisingly well. If he wondered why she didn't seem to know the basics of English and Algebra that her teacher and classmates figured she should know, he was too kind to ask. And he was such a patient teacher—as well as a very proper one. Aside from throwing an offhand "I love you" at her when, as thanks for helping her, she set a tin of freshly baked banana chocolate chip cookies in front of him that he immediately dove into, he never made any sort of declaration or move towards "Setsuna" that she might read as affectionate—and for that she was grateful. Studying was hard enough without navigating the minefield called love.

"I'm home," Towa called out as she walked in. She wasn't used to announcing herself, given that her father and grandmother always knew when she came back (nor did they deign to announce themselves upon their returns), but while watching anime and dramas in her spare time, she noticed that it was a traditional greeting humans in the South used around the house.

"Welcome back," her mother called out over the noise of the television. Towa peeked into the kitchen but didn't see anyone at the stove. Odd. Usually her mom or her aunt would be making dinner right about now. Towa followed the noise to the living room, where her mom and uncle were situated on the couch, watching TV.

Her uncle's glance flitted over to her. "Hey, kiddo."

"Hey," Towa answered. The last few days had been a little tense between them. Uncle Inuyasha and Moroha were like two peas in a pod, so she was just waiting for him to screw up and call her Towa. Luckily, he hadn't yet, and she wondered if wearing Setsuna's guise all the time was the reason. Easier to call her by Setsuna's name if she looked and smelled like her, she figured.

Then again, he had stopped addressing her as Setsuna altogether. "Kiddo" was now her de facto name. In fact, he hardly spoke to her anymore, if she was being honest with herself. Was he trying to lessen the risk of outing her, or was he still mad at her for the switch? She really needed to buckle down and talk to him one-on-one again. She wanted her old uncle back.

"How was your study session?" Rin asked.

"Really good!" Towa answered honestly.

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Where's Aunt Kagome?"

"She went to get us some take-out. Neither of us felt like cooking tonight. …Can you sit here for a minute? I need to talk to you about something," Rin said.

Her serious tone and the fact that her uncle muted the TV put Towa on high alert. She tried meeting his eyes, but he was still focused on watching the silent TV. Wait…he didn't blab to Mama, did he? Did they send Aunt Kagome out so they could confront me?

Her heart thudded against her ribs as she dropped her backpack and sat down on the couch. "What is it, Mother?"

"So, I got a call from Miss Shiori today…."

Towa held her breath. No way. Why would Miss Shiori call? Did she get wind of our switch somehow? Did Uncle tell her? Did she tell Mama? Or is it news from the North? Are Papa and Setsuna alright?

"Do you remember that morning show we watched when we found out about the camp?"

Her mind was whirling through different scenarios so fast that it took Towa a moment to understand what her mother had just said. "Uh, yeah, sure," she lied. Uncle Inuyasha's ears twitched, and he glanced over at her.

"They contacted Miss Shiori again to get a follow-up interview on how the camp went."

Towa let out the breath she was holding. "Oh, that's great news! I'm sure she's so happy to know that people are interested."

"Right," her mother answered in a subdued voice. "But they only contacted her first…because they didn't know how else to contact you."

"Me?" Towa echoed.

Her mother nodded. "That newspaper article has really blown up online. People want to know more about you and your story, so the show wants to interview you. Now, Miss Shiori says you don't have to feel pressured into anything—you are free to refuse. But if you decided to go along with it, Miss Shiori said that she'd want you both to do a joint interview, so she can be there to support you. She doesn't think the show would turn down that sort of offer."

"That's…really nice of her," Towa said. Rin nodded.

Towa didn't know what to do. On the one hand, this seemed like just the sort of opportunity she needed to spread awareness about the issues The Wall created and how they needed to be changed. But at the same time, she had only ever done one interview, and that was going to be edited. From what she had gathered about these morning shows, they were "live," meaning if you made a mistake, it got aired to an audience of thousands.

Am I ready to do something like that?

"What do you think I should do?" she asked, looking between her mother and uncle.

"It's your decision, sweetheart, and I will support whatever you decide," Rin answered.

"What would you do, if you were in my shoes?"

Rin pursed her lips in thought. "Well, you know I don't like to be in the limelight. It was hard enough for you to convince me to get social media for my shop, after all," she chuckled. "But I also think it's a great opportunity to help further Miss Shiori's cause, and the fact that she would be with you onstage reassures me more than if you were doing this alone."

"Yeah, 'cause we've all seen what happens when those hosts get ahold of juicy news. They're brutal with their questions. And you know they're just dyin' to know how the heck Sesshoumaru ended up with half-demon kids," Inuyasha remarked.

Towa's eyes widened, and she turned back to her mother. She murmured sadly in realization, "So your privacy would be invaded as well."

Rin grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Honey, don't worry about me. If you think this is what it will take to get some change going—for us to get to see your father and sister again one day—then I can put up with a little attention and questions."

"Are you sure? But what if…it affects your business?" Towa asked.

Her mother smiled gently and shrugged it off. "I know you were a little too young to remember it, but we fought off discrimination when we started this business, and we'll do it again if we have to. If that's the price we have to pay for going after our happiness, I am glad to pay it."

Still, Towa wasn't so sure. While Setsuna had always known who her father was, their mother did not speak of him much outside of the family—even to close family friends, like Sango and Miroku. While people knew at least one half-demon lived here (her uncle's demonic features were a lot more unnatural than Setsuna's, which could be written off as dyed hair and colored lenses to strangers), they still patronized the shop, because her mother was known for being kind and having wonderful customer service—as well as the best flowers around.

But their perception of her would undoubtedly change when they learned that her child's father wasn't just any demon but the feared General Sesshoumaru.

Only a little over a week in the South and using the internet to help with her studies had shown Towa just how cruel people online could be. They could tear down someone's reputation in a matter of days.

I can't be the cause of Mama losing her livelihood. Not when she worked so hard to build it.

Even though instinct told her she should take this path and do the interview, Towa forced out, "No…I don't want you to risk the shop, Mama. It's okay. Please thank Miss Shiori for relaying the opportunity, but I'll decline."

Inuyasha sighed and finally turned off the TV, sitting forward. "Look at me, kid." Towa did, surprised by the steel in his voice. "These sorts of opportunities don't come knockin' every day, you hear? You'd be hard pressed to find a bigger platform, especially since you're not exactly social media savvy."

Rin frowned. "Inuyasha, that's a little harsh. Setsuna's done some lovely posts for the shop that get some very nice engagement."

But her uncle just pinned her with a stare, and Towa knew he was talking to her: the girl who didn't know how to use social media. "Not to the influencer level, which is what this sort of thing would need."

"I know, but…." But I didn't realize back then how serious the consequences of utilizing the press could be. Setsuna was right at camp. We have to be careful with this. "I'm not confident I can wrest control of the narrative from them."

"It's just another form of battle, kiddo."

Towa looked up at that. "What do you mean?"

"Right now, it's a battle of numbers, right? We, the pro-half-demon camp, are the smaller army. So, what do you do when the numbers aren't on your side?"

"You pick your battles—and you pick where they happen, so you can use your surroundings to your advantage."

"Right. You also recruit local allies, yeah?" Towa nodded. "Now, Shiori's a damn good ally to have. She knows this terrain. But you've got the leverage here. Have you read the comments about that article?"

"A few," she confessed. She tried not to get too bogged down in them, because as many as there were interested in their family's plight, there were just as many expressing their disgust about the existence of half-demons in general.

"They're all about you and your sister. Yeah, some people care about half-demons and the camp, okay. But you are the interesting story. Shiori knows this. She needs you to get her brand moving forward. And if you pull this off for her…she's not gonna forget it. In fact, she'll owe you a favor, right?"

His golden eyes stared hard at her with a look that was just like her father's: conveying words that could not be said aloud. He means when it comes time for our deportation—perhaps she can help us.

Towa nodded slowly. "I see what you're saying, Uncle. But still…." She looked at her mom.

Inuyasha huffed. "If you were a general like your old man, you'd put thousands of soldiers' lives on the line every time you went to war, wouldn't you? Well it's the same thing now—you're putting your mom's livelihood on the line. Your job is to keep the casualties to a minimum."

Laughter bubbled out of Towa, and she shook her head in disbelief as she chuckled. One week in the South, and I've forgotten the most basic lessons I've learned since I was a child. She looked up then. "Thank you, Uncle. You've reminded me of who I am." She turned to Rin then. "Mother, I'll do it."

"Are you sure?"

This time, Towa did not hesitate. "Absolutely."

Towa felt like she was back in school, waiting for a test she wasn't prepared for. Yes, Miss Shiori's PR team had worked with the show on some appropriate questions, and she had even had a practice session with Miss Shiori earlier this week to prepare her for the interview—but that knowledge didn't stop her hands from being so clammy (and the chilly backstage air didn't help things any).

She also had to keep reminding herself not to touch her face, so she wouldn't smear the light makeup her aunt had helped her put on. The most makeup Towa had ever worn was some lip rouge her grandmother had given her for special occasions. Otherwise, her father disdained the way some women covered their faces in powder—and he hated the smell. So Towa never wore it. It made sense now why her mother also rarely wore makeup, but Aunt Kagome still liked to put a little on here and there.

As if that weren't enough discomfort, Towa was also wearing a cute, knee-length sapphire dress. Most of her life, she had worn hakama, and the few times she wore a kimono, the multiple layers so engulfed her that she felt weighed down and sweaty rather than almost naked and freezing.

Honestly, she just couldn't see Setsuna wearing this, and yet…she hadn't been able to help spinning around in front of the mirror after putting it on and watching the fabric twirl around her legs. Setsuna looked adorable in it!

To top it all off, Mama insisted she wear her hair down, prominently displaying the red streaks in it. Towa's neck itched, and all the hair hanging there trapped the heat, making strands stick to her sweat. If there was one thing she wouldn't miss when the two of them switched back, it would be all of Setsuna's gosh-darn hair. (Though she still envied its fine, silky texture, so like Papa's.)

Miss Shiori put a hand on her shoulder, pulling Towa out of her thoughts. "Are you feeling well, Setsuna?"

Towa just nodded. She couldn't speak. That was a problem. She was going to have to find a way to make her voice box work in just a few moments.

"You'll be fine. Just remember what we talked about earlier."

Right. That had been an interesting conversation.

During their practice interview at Miss Shiori's downtown office this week, the councilor had gone over everything from proper interview etiquette and dressing tips to what to say and not say.

When Towa sat down prim and proper (like the noble she had been raised as) across from Miss Shiori, the half-bat-demon's first words had been, "I know you don't always like to express yourself with strangers, Setsuna, but I'm going to need to you smile and open up your posture to be more…inviting. If we're going to win the viewers over to our side and get them to watch the documentary, they need to be interested not just in your story but in you as well. You have to get them to like you."

Miss Shiori was beating around the bush about it, but Towa got the message: "Setsuna" couldn't act like herself, and her "resting bitch face" had to go. (There was Southern slang for everything, Towa was finding out.)

Good thing she wasn't Setsuna.

Towa relaxed immediately and let her natural smile rest on her lips. Miss Shiori smiled in turn and continued with the interview.

She had been quite pleased with "Setsuna" during their practice run, but it was one thing to hold an imaginary interview with her camp counselor and quite another to do it with a stranger in front of a live audience.

The female host called Miss Shiori out on stage first, and Towa listened as they chatted about her recent political endeavors. Finally, the host brought up Camp Half-Demon.

"Would you say Camp Half-Demon was a success?"

"Absolutely," Miss Shiori replied. "I was astounded by the turnout. We had 104 campers over the summer and eleven counselors—all half-demons. It's a bigger response than we could have ever hoped for in our first run, and we hope to only grow it from this point."

"So you think you'll be able to host the camp again?" the host asked.

"We're certainly going to try. It became clear to us that with half-demons spread so far and wide, this sort of companionship was much needed and long overdue."

Towa's heart lifted at those words. Worst-case scenario, even if she and Setsuna weren't able to get their family back together after their switch, they could potentially meet whenever the next iteration of camp took place.

Assuming we're not banned from going to camp because we used it as a means to switch places. Come to think of it…when word gets out about that, it may create a roadblock for Miss Shiori.

Guilt crawled up her throat like a spider. The camp had been a place that was special not just to her and Setsuna but to all the half-demons that attended it. Could they really jeopardize that opportunity for others just for their own sakes?

"So, you mentioned having 104 campers this year," the host continued. "I understand that a few of those came from the North." Miss Shiori nodded. "Frankly, Councilor…that's a groundbreaking achievement. This marks the first time the regular citizens of our divided nation have met and spoken with each other in the last fourteen years—isn't that right?"

"Yes. We had six campers join us from the North, and considering the fact that the North does not have the information relay resources that we do, we were overjoyed that those six were able to find out about our program and join us. It presented a wonderful opportunity for both Southerners and Northerners alike to learn more about each other and our cultures."

"I imagine the Northerners had a bit of a culture shock when they came to camp," the host remarked.

Miss Shiori nodded. "We split them up so that each one was housed with only Southerners, so that the other campers could teach them the basics of such things as using a shower or how electricity works. There was certainly a learning curve, but these half-demons were all relatively young and adapted to this 'new' technology very quickly."

"I wonder if they missed it when they went home," the host mused with a wry smile. "I know I certainly would have!"

Miss Shiori gave a gentle shrug. "Certainly, they expressed how some technologies made life easier, but they were also only exposed to them in a small, controlled setting. I have a feeling if they were dropped into the middle of our capital here and left to fend for themselves, it may have been truly overwhelming."

Towa's heart thudded in acknowledgement. Oh, how she longed to go out there and speak as herself to tell her experience as a Northern half-demon in the South! I'm sure the audience would love that. …But that's not why we're here.

"And what did the Southern campers learn from the Northerners?" the host asked.

"Our Northern friends were able to help them learn to harness their demonic powers more."

"I see. Isn't that dangerous though? Even you, Councilor, must admit that half-demon attacks often end up in the news."

Towa sucked in a breath and tried to peek into the audience to gauge the people's reaction. Several were murmuring to each other or nodding along with what the host said.

"I have read about those same attacks, certainly," Miss Shiori answered calmly. "But what's important is to read not just the initial rush of news about the attack itself but the follow-up reports on the investigations into them. You see, when half-demons' lives are in danger, their demonic instincts take over, causing them to lash out to try to save themselves. In the case of most of these incidents, the half-demon in question was brutally attacked simply for being a half-demon."

"So you're saying these are hate crimes against half-demons and not senseless acts of violence against humans?" the host pressed.

"Most often."

"But many half-demons testify that they don't have clear memories of the incidents. So, are they lying, or are they truly losing such control that they can't remember what happens?"

Towa's hands fisted at her sides. Miss Shiori had warned her that she was going to be talking about some heavy subjects in addition to the camp, but Towa was aghast at how the host was trying to work every angle to get Miss Shiori to admit to half-demons being in the wrong.

Humans just don't understand, she thought. It's so hard to control that rush of demonic power. Her father had told her time and again how her uncle would lose himself on the battlefield to his demonic self.

"My father believed in repressing Inuyasha's demonic side with the Tessaiga. Therefore, he did not learn to control himself whenever he did lose his sword. That will not happen to you," he said.

As a result, Sesshoumaru had Yawaragi put her through a training regimen that caused her to fall into that demonic state so many times, Towa couldn't keep track of how often she lost herself. However, with both Papa's and Yawaragi's help, she had learned to control the demon within her, taking the wild rage and focusing it into a conscious anger that allowed her to keep her sanity.

She hoped Setsuna never had to experience that state, for it was terrifying to lose herself and later find out she attacked both friend and foe alike.

Miss Shiori spoke up again. "They are not lying. I mentioned it earlier: half-demons lash out when their lives are in danger. It is a unique self-defense mechanism that results from their demonic blood rushing in to aid the weaker human blood. The influx of demonic energy is overwhelming and causes something of a berserker state. I understand humans can also fall into bloodlust on the battlefield, and such civilizations as the Vikings' prized it."

There were more whispers in the audience, and though the microphones did not pick them up, Towa's ears did.

"I never thought of it that way."

"You can't compare human and demon bloodlusts. Totally difference scales."

"If it's a biological self-defense mechanism, then by law, they wouldn't be committing a crime, right?"

"So they're still just walking weapons, huh?"

Towa's heart ached. The reactions are so mixed. How is it possible to change someone's view when it seems so set in stone?

Towa looked back at Miss Shiori's calm, poised self. She didn't seem worried, and she could probably hear the audience's reactions just as well as Towa could.

In fact…Miss Shiori was smiling. And it wasn't the plastered-on smile of a politician. She was genuinely happy with what she was hearing.

Why? So many people still have the wrong perceptions, even though she's trying to make them understand.

Wait.

It was then Towa realized something. It didn't necessarily matter if people still had contrary viewpoints—they were at least talking about them. You can't just talk at people—you have to get them talking. Sometimes, it's through controversy. And sometimes, it's showing them that they're wrong.

Because even Miss Shiori's demeanor was a way to illustrate to the audience that half-demons were just as capable of being rational, calm beings like humans were—and not the wild beasts these people read about in the sensationalist news.

No wonder she wants me to smile and be likeable. It's all about image. I have to win over the audience.

Miss Shiori continued, "Of course, no one—not even half-demons—wants to fall into such a state. And here in the South, we don't have many opportunities to use our demonic abilities and hone them, so many half-demons lack the ability to control themselves in states of distress or dire injury. Now, at Camp Half Demon, we wanted to help campers hone their abilities so that they can control their demonic powers better. Not only could this help them escape situations in which their lives might be put at risk, but in the case that they cannot, they would exert more control and retain a better sense of self than if left undeveloped. And I think we can all agree that less violence is what everyone, human and half-demon alike, seeks."

Towa's eyes widened in amazement. She even managed to bring the conversation back around to the camp! Miss Shiori's absolutely amazing. She could see why the councilor was Setsuna's role model.

"Well, we have another guest with us here today that can give us some personal insight into how this camp affected her. Please welcome Setsuna Watanabe onstage!"

The stage manager gestured at Towa, and she walked out, making sure to look at the crowd, smile, and wave as Miss Shiori had taught her. Her eyes found her mother sitting in the front row with her hands clasped together.

Towa shook the host's hand and then took a seat next to Miss Shiori, crossing her ankles as she had been told to do when wearing a dress. "Hello, Miss Watanabe. Thank you for joining us today. I understand you're even missing the start of school to be here with us."

Towa didn't miss a beat. "Well, considering it's history class and I'm here to speak with you about history-in-the-making, I don't think my teacher will mind."

The host laughed. "Indeed. And would you say Camp Half-Demon marked a turning point in our nation's history?"

This wasn't one of the prepared questions, but Towa felt comfortable enough answering it. She spoke from the heart. "Absolutely. It's like poking a hole in a dam: once you do, it's hard to cover it back up and keep the water from leaking out. Now that the groundwork has been laid for communication with the North, I feel confident that there's more to come. Of course, I also say that with great hope, since Camp Half-Demon marked a turning point not just for the nation but for me personally."

"Yes, you learned you were a twin sister, isn't that right?" Towa nodded. They had moved back on script, but that didn't make it any easier: she had to always keep in mind that she was answering from Setsuna's perspective and not her own. "How did you feel when you met her for the first time? They say twins share a bond. Did you just know?"

Towa laughed. "Actually, it was the complete opposite! We're so different that I would never have known Towa was my sister, even if I had known about her existence. But I will say that after meeting her…I did feel that bond. It's like it was always there and it had just…reawakened after we met again."

"Complete opposites, you say? Do you think that has to do with how you grew up and her situation in the North?"

Another off-the-cuff question—and one obviously fishing for insight into how "demonic" the North actually was.

Towa pursed her lips in thought and nodded her head from side to side. "That certainly may be part of it. I mean, she grew up in a feudal palace, studying military strategy from the time she could read, whereas I grew up in a three-story walk-up and went to school like any other normal Southern girl. We've led very different lives."

"Military strategy? Has your sister been preparing for war, by chance?"

Towa fought back a wince. Oops. I walked right into that. She glanced at Miss Shiori to see if she was in trouble, but the councilor just smiled encouragingly at her.

She has faith I can turn this around. Of course she does. I'm supposed to be Setsuna, right? And Setsuna always has the answer.

Towa ran back through all of the answers she and Miss Shiori had carefully prepared. Could she steer the conversation back to one of them? The point of this interview was to show half-demons in a good light. Focusing on the militaristic North wasn't the way to do it.

Miss Shiori's words rang in her head: You have to get them to like you.

That's it!

"Well…my father is a military man, so even having a daughter, he believed it was important she knew how to defend herself from people who might harm her." Her ears twitched as she picked up murmurs of assent in the audience. That was something any woman could relate to and admire. She rushed to add, "Of course, I say she got a military education, and that probably gives you this expectation that she grew up cold and ruthless, right? But she's not like that at all.

"When I met Towa…it was like seeing my mother again. She was always so kind—even when we were competing! I remember the first time we did a ropes course, she stopped to ask if I was stuck when I was climbing down a rope. I was shocked, because she didn't seem to care so much about the competition so much as helping the other half demons through it—even if she still finished the course with the best time. I admit: of the two of us, I'm the one with the competitive streak, and I was just a little sore about losing," Towa chuckled, holding her thumb and forefinger up close together. Her cheeks burned from talking about herself this way, but she had to bear with the embarrassment for the sake of fixing her mistake.

She continued, "What I'm trying to say is that it comes down to the classic nature versus nurture question, right? Well, I believe that both nature and nurture have an impact on a child—human, demon, or half-demon, it doesn't matter. Yes, demonic culture emphasizes the need for strength, which they gain from battling, but not everyone is a warmonger. Demons have blacksmiths and painters and musicians too. So, just because a half-demon has a demonic parent doesn't mean that child is going to be warlike. Yes, my sister Towa was raised learning how to fight, but we teach martial arts in our schools here too, don't we? And though I've never met him to verify it myself, Towa told me I'm a lot like our father, in terms of personality."

"Your father, as in General Sesshoumaru, correct?" the host asked. Towa nodded. "I think I speak for the entire nation when I say I was shocked to read he had not just one but two half-demon children. He always had a reputation for being, shall I say…prejudiced against humans. Of course, that's never prevented the perpetuation of war babies—"

"My sister and I aren't war babies," Towa cut in, an ember of irritation flaring in her heart. When the host didn't rejoin, she added, "He and my mother are legally married. It was a love match."

That got the whispers going in the audience. Towa glanced out of the corner of her eye to look at her mother. Rin was biting her lip as if holding her breath, waiting for the interview to be over, but luckily no one seemed to be bothering her. After all, neither her name nor her image had been published.

Yet.

"I see. So your sister says you're like your father. Are you curious to find out for yourself if that's true? Say, if The Wall didn't prevent you, would you want to meet him one day?"

Towa nodded, pleased that they had come back to a prepared question. "I've always wanted to meet him. My mother never hid who he was from me. She was always proud to call him my father. I confess I've created a scrapbook over the years, looking for whatever mentions of him in the news that I could. I figured if I couldn't meet him, I'd like to get to know him that way at least."

"But then, what do you think your father's intentions were as one of the signers of the armistice that created The Wall? He knowingly divided your family and, it seems, took with him the child who outwardly resembled a demon more. Do you think he's really changed his view on humans?"

Towa froze, and the ember of anger in her heart blazed into a flame. It was only the result of years of discipline as the unflappable Sesshoumaru's daughter that kept her from snapping back in anger. And yet, before she could entirely think her answer through, she replied, "Papa hates The Wall. He wants nothing more than to bring our family back together. He couldn't even speak my mother's name for years because of the pain it caused him." Miss Shiori's head pivoted towards her.

The host's eyes widened. "Your sister told you that?"

Towa blinked, taken aback by the question. Then she realized what she had said and inwardly cursed. "Y-Yes, that's right. Towa told me that. She…wanted me to know how much he misses us."

"You said he hates The Wall. Would he try to bring it down? Does he have that sort of power?"

Towa's heart pounded in her chest. What do I say? If I say yes, the people will panic, thinking the war might start again. But if I say no, does that make Papa look cold and unloving?

She didn't want him to have that image. He was already hated on this side of The Wall. She was trying to change that perception.

Miss Shiori smoothly cut in. "If General Sesshoumaru had that sort of power and desire, I'm sure The Wall would have fallen long before now. He obviously made a great sacrifice when he signed the armistice. Demons are thought to be selfish creatures, yet the general chose to sacrifice his own happiness to bring a détente to our nations. And now he has helped me organize the first Camp Half-Demon, perhaps in the hopes of bridging the gap—or the wall, so to speak—that the armistice created while still keeping the semblance of peace between us. I think that speaks volumes about his character and a demon's capacity to change."

Towa looked over at Miss Shiori, eyes wide and shining with gratitude. She could not have worded that more perfectly. Miss Shiori really is amazing.

Then Miss Shiori looked at the camera and smiled. "In fact, you'll be able to learn more about General Sesshoumaru and the circumstances surrounding Miss Watanabe's torn family—as well as those of many other half-demons, including myself—on the documentary that will be airing on Nihon News on Aug. 31st. "

"Yes, and we have a special teaser trailer to share with you. Let's roll it," the host added.

A screen overhead let the audience watch a snippet of the documentary, which showed clips of the Northern demons arriving, the campers engaging in activities, and brief segments of various campers' interviews, finally ending with Setsuna. The voice of the off-screen interviewer rang out across the stage, "How did it feel to realize you had a sister? A twin at that?" Then Setsuna answered, "I didn't feel so alone anymore."

The audience was silent as the teaser ended, and Towa looked out to see tears glistening in her mother's eyes.

"Well, I know I'll be watching to learn more about the camp and the Northerners as well as Councilor Shiori's and Miss Watanabe's stories. Once again, that documentary will air on Nihon News on Aug. 31st. Be sure to tune in. Councilor, Miss Watanabe, thank you so much for joining us today." The host then turned to face the camera and said, "Now, stay tuned for our Morning Munchies corner after these messages."

"Cut!" the producer said, and Towa let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

It was done.

She and Miss Shiori shook hands again with the host and then proceeded offstage. Her mother left the audience at the same time and joined them after flashing a backstage pass.

Rin came over and hugged her. "Oh, baby, you did so well! I'm so proud of you." She pulled back and stroked the red streak of hair at Towa's left temple. "I haven't seen you so animated in years. You're really excited about this, aren't you?"

Towa nodded. "I really am, Mother. We're sparking a conversation."

Rin smiled and kissed the crown of her head. "I think so too."

Miss Shiori patted Towa on the shoulder. "You did very well for your first interview."

Towa bowed to her then. "I apologize for the slip-ups I made. Thank you for helping me at the end there. I just…didn't know how to respond."

"I understand." Miss Shiori's brows furrowed ever so slightly, and she lowered her voice to the point where Towa didn't even know if Mama could hear it. "The host was a little more aggressive this time than I thought she'd be. It's understandable that you would get…flustered when your father was being maligned."

"Are you sure I did alright? I really hope I didn't make things worse."

"As far as General Sesshoumaru is concerned, I don't think his reputation in the South could be any worse than it is. You were genuine today when you spoke about him, and the audience will take note of that. They'll know those were not just talking points for my agenda." The councilor smiled and rubbed Towa's shoulder. "Relax. This is only the beginning."

"It is?" Towa asked.

Miss Shiori nodded, meeting her gaze with those piercing lilac eyes of hers. If Towa didn't know any better, she'd have thought Shiori could see past her disguise and straight into her soul. "I imagine we'll be asked to at least a couple more interviews after this. And once the documentary airs? I have a feeling that's when things will get interesting."

AN: I know Towa's part isn't as action-packed as Setsuna's, but I hope this chapter was still enjoyable. She's definitely fighting a different sort of war.

Anyway, this is the last update of The Wall for 2021. I know—I've probably caught you off guard with that, since there's still a couple weeks left! But next week, I will be uploading a special Christmas one-shot (stay tuned to my Facebook for teasers!), and I'll be taking off the week after for the holidays. So, look for the next update of The Wall on Jan. 10, 2022. I know, it's almost a month away, but I hope you'll check out the Christmas fic in the meantime. On that note, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!