AN: Hi guys. Sorry again for the delayed update, but I wanted to make sure this chapter was as perfect as possible for you guys…because it's a long-awaited one! Hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 11: Surprise Attacks
Between Setsuna's standoffish personality and being a first year, very few people (aside from the teachers) paid attention to Towa at school, and she had come to almost relish that fact. It allowed her more time and energy to focus on her studies and the kendo club.
But when she went back to school the Monday after the documentary airing, it was as if she had shed her invisibility cloak and donned the Miss Popularity crown instead. Suddenly, everyone was curious about her, her family, and her powers.
How high could she jump?
What powers did she have?
Was she a genius because she was half-demon or half-human?
Would her uncle ever come by school to pick her up?
Did she realize her dad was hot in a cold, bad-boy type of way? (Despite the giggling girls assuring her they weren't being creepy, Towa was officially creeped out by that question.)
Of course, not all the pestering was great. She would have assumed the school knew before the documentary that she was a half-demon, but apparently, her family had kept that knowledge "under the radar," as the slang went. (She had had to look up what "radar" was when she kept hearing that.) When she went to her kendo club on Monday, she was met with a few unhappy club mates.
"Isn't it a little unfair to be in kendo club because you're half-demon? You've got so many advantages over us humans," Aya, another first year and rising star in the club, said to her. Towa had figured out over the past few weeks that the girl was basically a spoiled princess used to being the center of attention and getting her way. (Her father was apparently a famous politician, which explained it.)
Towa frowned. "You didn't have a problem with my strength before."
"Because we didn't realize just how much your demon half was supplementing your abilities," Aya continued. "We saw what you could do on that obstacle course in the documentary."
Probably best I don't mention that I've been holding back all this time for their sakes. She was used to wielding metal swords, after all—not wooden ones. Towa looked around. There was a cluster of girls around Aya, but other club mates were attempting to practice elsewhere in the gym, those their gazes strayed over to the argument more than their swords waved. The club president, a third-year that Towa actually respected for her fair teaching methods and abilities, also watched from the sidelines. "Do all of you feel this way?" When no one said anything, she looked at the club president. "President?"
The club president sighed and walked over to the group. "Look girls, we're all on the same team, aren't we? Yes, we duel individually at competitions, but our individual results also reflect upon us as a team and a school. So, shouldn't we want to have someone like Watanabe-chan, who can improve our rankings? Shouldn't Watanabe-chan be an inspiration for us to train harder? And when has an opponent with more strength ever been a deterrent for us? As women, we're already at a disadvantage against our male opponents for that very reason. But we're still here, aren't we?"
Several students murmured in agreement, although Aya just scowled.
"So, are we in agreement that Watanabe-chan can remain in the kendo club?" the president asked. Most of the members sounded off in agreement, some affirmative and other grudging. When the president looked pointedly at Aya, she rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever."
"Good. Now, let's stop dilly-dallying and start practicing! We're not getting any stronger just standing around here," the president announced with a clap.
As Towa put on her kendo outfit, she mused, As far as negative repercussions from the documentary go, that wasn't so bad. Hopefully, that's the worst of it.
But as optimistic as she tried to be, something in her heart told her that not every disagreement would be resolved so peacefully.
Two nights later, the sound of shattering ceramic broke into Towa's dreams, jolting her out of sleep and sending her heart galloping. She shook her head to clear the fogginess of sleep from her brain and strained to hear past the fan she used to mitigate the noises of a busy city that would otherwise keep her awake with her sensitive hearing. (If there was one thing she missed about the North—besides her family and friends—it was the utter peace and quiet of day-to-day life.)
The next crash sounded off like a bomb in her ears. She ran to her window and threw it up, peering below at the storefront. The light over the shop door was out, and the streetlamp down the road was far enough away that only a little of its light reached their building, but with her enhanced vision, Towa clearly saw three people on the sidewalk below: two kicking over the displays of plants lining the sidewalk and one spraying something onto the wall, if the hiss of aerosol was any indication.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" Towa screamed, leaping out of the second-story window and landing on the concrete in her bare feet. She winced as the rough cement dug into her soles, but the pain was worth it to hear the curses from the three vandals as they all turned and fled in the same direction.
Idiots. You never run away together. But she wasn't complaining—they had just made her job easier. In only a couple strides and one jump, she landed on the back of the center criminal and grabbed the other two by their collars, yanking them back and knocking their heads together. After she made sure the three were out cold, she piled two of them onto her shoulder and heaved one up under her arm as she lugged them back to the store.
The front door to their apartment flew open, and Mama and Aunt Kagome came barreling down the stairwell in their nightclothes, the wooden steps creaking as they passed.
"What in the world—? Setsuna! What happened?" Mama asked, shining her phone's flashlight around. Behind her, Aunt Kagome held a broom like a baseball bat.
"These guys were making a mess of the store," Towa answered, throwing them down onto the sidewalk without compassion and planting her foot on top of the pile to make sure they stayed put. (They were all limp anyway, so she needn't have bothered.)
"The store?" Mama echoed, turning around and gasping as her flashlight ran over the full extent of the damage. Some of the ceramic pots on display lay toppled over and cracked or shattered. The plants that grew in plastic containers had been tossed about and crushed. Soil littered the ground like bloody aftermath.
"Those bastards," Aunt Kagome swore, and Towa's eyes widened at the uncharacteristic venom in her voice—though she wholeheartedly agreed with her aunt's sentiment. "Who would do this sort of thing?"
Mama turned her light to the light above the door and found it had been shattered as well, likely to hide their dirty doings. As she did, her light cast over the unfinished streak of graffiti painted over the window: Demon's who—
Towa sucked in a breath and ran to Rin, hugging her. "Mother, I'm so sorry."
Rin stood taut in Towa's arms, but neither her body nor her voice shook. "It's fine, Setsuna. I told you—we've suffered this sort of thing before. Come on. We need to save what plants we can."
"I'll call the police and Inuyasha," Aunt Kagome said.
"Setsuna, will you go get the key to the store? We need to turn on the lights so we can see," Mama said.
"And take photographic evidence!" Aunt Kagome said. "Rin, we really shouldn't touch anything until the police get here."
Rin sighed. "You're right. I just hope they hurry. These plants need to be rescued as quickly as possible."
It didn't take long for the police to arrive, and Inuyasha was right behind them. He ran out of the car and up to the three women standing on the edge of the crime scene. He took in the trampled plants, destroyed pottery, and scrawled slur on the window and growled. "Where are they? Where are the bastards that did this? They're gonna pay."
"Calm down, Inuyasha," Aunt Kagome said, putting a hand on his arm. "The police already took them down to the station. Thanks to Setsuna, they weren't able to get away."
Uncle Inuyasha looked down at Towa and hastened forward, pulling her into his embrace. Towa gasped as he practically suffocated her. "That was damn dangerous, kid. Shit, what if they'd had guns?"
Towa hadn't even thought of that. She had simply followed the reflex nurtured in her since childhood: bring down your opponents, no matter what. "They were small-fry, Uncle. Nothing I couldn't handle."
"Still," he protested, hugging her tighter. "I'm glad you're okay, kiddo." When they pulled apart, he looked at the scene and swore again. "Dammit, if I had been here—"
"The same thing would have happened," Rin inserted. "We were all asleep. You would have been too. Don't manufacture guilt for yourself, Inuyasha."
Eventually, the police had all the evidence and witness statements they needed, so they left. The family spent the rest of the night rescuing what plants they could and cleaning up the sidewalk—the ceramic in particular so pedestrians wouldn't accidentally step on the sharp fragments.
When they finally finished, the sky was just starting to lighten. Towa looked out the window and yawned. Mama came over and smoothed her hair. "Sweetie, go lay down while you can. You've still got school in a few hours."
Towa shook her head. "I'll be fine, Mother." She looked up into Mama's eyes, and all of the sudden, her vision blurred. "I'm so sorry, Mother—this is all my fault! If I hadn't said everything I did in the interview, then—"
Rin pulled her daughter into her arms and shushed her. "Sweetie, this is not your fault. You're not responsible for the cruel decisions other people make. Besides, we all knew this sort of thing was a possibility. You can't affect change without breaking a few eggs. Or pots, in this case." Rin smiled and cupped Towa's cheeks. Towa knew Mama was trying to get her to laugh and lighten her mood, but she just couldn't drudge up that same indominatable spirit her mother so obviously had.
"B-But you've worked so hard on this shop!" Towa protested, the tears limning her eyes finally dropping. "I just…h-hate seeing all your hard work go to waste."
"Part of the life of an entrepreneur is handling sudden setbacks and crises," Mama countered. She pulled Towa back into her arms and rubbed her back. "It will be fine, Setsuna. We'll get through this. Besides…I still don't consider this the toughest thing I've ever dealt with."
Towa sniffed. "No?"
Rin shook her head. "Not at all. Cleaning up and resuscitating some plants is nothing compared to having to walk away from your father and sister on Closing Day. That short walk was the most arduous journey of my life." Her voice wavered, and she took a deep breath before continuing. "Walking to that military base…I wanted to turn back so many times and demand he take us to the North, even if it meant living in hiding the rest of our days. But I knew your father wanted the best for us, and I didn't want to dishonor his feelings or sacrifice by being so reckless."
The words wrapped around Towa's heart in a vise. When I finally tell her who I am…will she also think what Setsuna and I have done is reckless?
"I would give anything to be able to see them again," Rin continued, unaware of her daughter's internal plight. "Even my shop, if that's what it takes."
Towa clutched onto her mother's pajamas. I'll make sure it won't come to that. I don't know how yet, but…the sooner I figure out how best to reveal myself and get us back to the border, the less time Mama will have to suffer.
"I understand," Towa murmured.
Rin kissed Towa's head. "Good. Now, go and get some rest. Everything will be just fine. You'll see."
Towa nodded. She would make sure of it. Somehow, some way. She just needed to find a way.
Of course, the local news stations learned about the vandalism incident and came to investigate that very day. Towa saw the first news van when she was leaving for school. The reporter tried to stop her for an interview, but Towa declined, citing that she couldn't be late. She didn't have the energy to deal with an interview today.
She got a text from Aunt Kagome near the end of school telling her that news vans had been coming in and out all day and that if she didn't want to face the press, she should stay out for a bit.
Apparently, upon learning that they were one of the half-demon families that had been featured in the recent documentary, the news stations stayed longer, peppering the residents with questions completely unrelated to the incident.
As a result, it didn't take long for the rest of the media to find out where they lived.
Today wasn't one she and Hisui had scheduled for studying, but she called him and asked if he had time to meet her at the library for an impromptu study session. He readily agreed.
It was a relief for Towa to enter the library. The peace and quiet was a welcome change from the insanity that had become her home and school.
She slouched into their usual study room and slumped into a chair at the table, where Hisui was already sitting.
"You okay?" he asked.
Towas shook her head. "Not really. This week's been rough." She sighed, letting her head hit the table.
Hisui set down his book in concern. "Yeah, I heard from my mom about the shop. I'm so sorry about that. Seriously, do these people have nothing better to do than ruin others' lives?"
Towa clenched her hands and took deep breaths as tears prickled at her eyes again. Even though Mama had told her everything would be fine, as soon as Hisui said "ruin others' lives," her face jumped into Towa's mind.
"I…I know I'm the one that started all this. But…it's just so much. First there's school, and everything trying to ask me questions or get me thrown off the kendo team or—"
"What? Throw you off the kendo team?" Hisui barked in surprise.
Towa pulled her head up, but her vision was completely blurred, so she couldn't see his face clearly. "Yeah, but it's fine. They let me stay on in the end. But still, I have to be constantly on at school. And when I do finally get to turn off and relax at home…this happens! Like…no place is sacred anymore!"
Have I really gotten this soft in just a few weeks? Towa wondered. Her father would have berated her for letting her guard down. But could he really blame her? The South wasn't like the North—demons weren't out to destroy their family every minute of the day. (And she did get to relax at the Dog Demon Palace, whether he liked it or not, because it was so well guarded, and only the most idiotic of demons would think of attacking Lord General Sesshoumaru's very home.)
She started sobbing, and Hisui jolted in shock. He quickly shook it off though and knelt beside her, rubbing her back. Towa didn't even flinch away, she was so distraught.
After a few minutes, Towa sniffed and managed to get out, "I-I'm sorry. Y-You shouldn't have to…see me like this. Y-You were nice enough…to come s-study with me…and all I'm doing…is crying!" She dug into Setsuna's backpack for the tissues she knew Setsuna kept in there.
"It's okay, Setsuna. Actually, I'm glad you're letting it all out—you obviously needed it. I know you're one of those that tries to keep everything inside, but…you can't do that, or it's going to all explode one day. Actually, I'm kind of…honored that you called me of all people to relax with and that you're sharing all this with me. I…feel much closer to you because of it." His cheeks reddened.
I'm doing such a bad job of being Setsuna, Towa thought as she blew her nose. I'm surprised more people haven't found out that we switched. But I guess it won't be for much longer…once I figure out how to break the news.
"To be completely honest…I hope you'll lean on me even more in the future, Setsuna. I always want to be there for you—whether it's to share your laughs or your tears," Hisui continued.
Towa finished wiping her nose and eyes and tossed the tissue in the trash. She gave him a watery smile. "Of course, Hisui. You're such a good friend."
Hisui's face screwed up in consternation, as if he were debating with himself. Finally, he took a deep breath and straightened. "That's…not what I meant, Setsuna."
Towa blinked. "Then…what do you mean?"
Hisui grabbed Towa's hands in his. Goosebumps broke out all over Towa's body, and her brain malfunctioned. B-Boy…touching…hands! W-W-What's happening?
All she knew was that if her father were here, Hisui's arms would likely be stubs right about now, the offending limbs lopped off and lying at their feet.
"I like you, Setsuna. I have ever since we were kids. I realize this might seem like a strange time to ask, but I can't keep my feelings hidden anymore. So…w-would you go out with me?"
Towa's eyes bugged out. "G-Go out?"
"Yes. I know our age difference might seem a bit much right now, but it's only four years, and in a few years, that won't matter anymore. Besides, you're, like…the most mature girl I've ever met. You don't act like you're fourteen. You're so smart and cool and collected, and well…." He blushed and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I've just loved all those qualities about you for a long time. But I wasn't ever sure that you ever felt the same way. Lately though…you've been much more open with me, so…that gave me the courage to finally ask."
Towa didn't answer. She couldn't answer.
What do I say, what do I say, what do I say?
I can't say yes. I don't like Hisui like that. I can't play pretend.
A-And who has time for dating anyway?!
But…if I say no, won't I be ruining Setsuna's chances at romance? What if this is her only chance? Her heart is so hard to thaw! I know it firsthand!
The longer the silence went on between them, the more nervous Hisui looked. Finally, he swallowed thickly and said, "I know that probably came out of the blue, so if you need a little time to think about it, you don't have to answ—"
"I can't!" Towa blurted out, yanking her hands out of his.
Hisui's face fell. "I see. Well…thank you for at least hearing me out—"
"I-I mean I can't yet," Towa interrupted. "I'm sorry. It's just…so much has happened this summer, and I have a lot going on right now and…can I get back to you on that in a few weeks?"
A few weeks. That should be enough, right? Setsuna and I will have switched back by then. I mean, I knew we had to switch back soon, but now we really need to. Too much is at stake!
Some of the life returned to Hisui's eyes. "I understand. I can wait."
Towa's heart settled back into a more normalized pace. "T-Thank you."
He nodded and then sat down at the table like he hadn't just poured out his heart to her. "So…did you still want to study tonight, or do you want to call it a day?"
"No…I need to study. I could use the distraction," Towa said, pulling her books out. Though how the heck and I supposed to concentrate on anything after that?
"What, you mean my poorly timed confession wasn't enough of a distraction?" Hisui joked. Towa didn't know how to respond to that, and he must have noticed, because he just winked at her. "I'm kidding. So, are you still having trouble with the present perfect tense?"
Despite his attempts to downplay his confession, as Hisui helped her with her English homework that night, she glanced back at his face, sizing him up as he calmly explained—once again—how to recognize when to use the present perfect tense versus the past tense. He could potentially be her sister's boyfriend, after all. He would have to pass her—and, more importantly, their father's—muster, after all. She could potentially save Hisui's limbs if she was able to give him a good recommendation.
I mean, he is pretty handsome, I guess—for a human. Decently smart, though certainly not the genius Setsuna is. But he really cares about Setsuna. Honestly…that's all that matters, isn't it?
The thought brought a smile to her face, and the weight she had been carrying in her chest all day lessened just a bit more. To think—Setsuna has an admirer. How exciting!
Now, if only Setsuna were here, so Towa could tease her about it in person.
Soon. And I hope she'll be ready.
Setsuna and Rion landed with A-Un at the Dog Demon Palace. Immediately, her hackles rose.
It's quiet. Too quiet.
"Rion, stay here a moment," she commanded, untying her new naginata, the Yukari no Tachikiri, from the saddlebags and sneaking into the stables. The stalls were all empty, and there wasn't a stablehand to be seen.
Where has everybody gone?
She ran back to Rion. "Is something the matter?" the redhead asked.
"There's no one here. Have you seen any guards walking around?"
"No, but I did spy a couple servants walking up to the palace."
Setsuna let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "So someone's still here then. Let's go see." She turned back to A-Un. "Sorry, but do you mind keeping your tack on for a while? I want to be able to bolt out of here if we need to."
A and Un each nuzzled one side of Setsuna's face in affirmation, and then the dragon demon settled himself down right there and started to doze. Setsuna bit back a smile at the sight. A-Un had certainly flown hard and deserved what rest he could, but she knew he would be up immediately if the situation called for it.
Then, she and Rion headed up the flight of steps to the palace. When Setsuna reached the top (the stairs were so much easier to climb now that she had hiked the mountains daily with Master Yawaragi), she stopped so suddenly that Rion bumped into her back.
Her grandmother lounged in her throne as if nothing were amiss. Inukimi looked up lazily. "So, you've finally decided to grace us once more with your presence."
"What are you doing here, Grandmother?"
Inukimi's brows rose. "Is this not my home? Should I not be here?"
"No, but…." Setsuna turned and cast an eye over the palace complex. It was just as empty from up here as it had been from below. Except for a single servant near the bath house, the courtyard was empty. "Where has everyone gone?"
Inukimi looked Setsuna over and, in true fashion, ignored her question entirely. "I see you are no longer disguising yourself."
"There is no need," Setsuna answered, gripping her naginata tightly. "I have made my own name for myself."
"Is that so? In the north, perhaps, but such word has not yet reached my ear, and my hearing extends far." Inukimi sighed. "I suppose then there is no choice but to test you myself."
Setsuna frowned. She had no time for her grandmother's games. "Where is Father—and everyone else?"
"Where do you think? Almost as soon as you left, he took off as well to fight that silly war you two were so excited about."
Setsuna's heart lurched. She had been so caught up in training these last three weeks—so caught up in her own survival—that she had not even considered her father would have started the war without her. He could be wounded or dead, for all she knew.
"And he left you here alone and undefended?"
Inukimi laughed. "Undefended? Child, I am all the defense this palace needs."
Apparently, arrogance ran in the family. Still, she wouldn't press it. "Have you heard from Father at all?"
"Yes."
When no other answer was forthcoming, Setsuna's scowl deepened. "How is he?"
"Well enough, I suppose. I heard they took over the Serpent Gate, but then, Jokka's forces have never been a match for anyone, given how much infighting her own clan suffers from. Honestly, the only reason they held onto that gate in the first place was because no one had any use for it before now."
"H-Have you heard about my father, Lady Inukimi?" Rion asked.
Inukimi smirked. "He was none too happy to find out our Setsuna absconded with you right from under his nose."
Rion frowned. "She didn't abscond with me. I ran away."
"With her assistance." Rion nodded in acknowledgement. Inukimi sighed and started twirling the pearl necklace around her throat. "He was so enraged, in fact, that he almost went to war with us…."
Rion gasped. "No! I left him a note saying not to do that!"
"Indeed, he mentioned as much. He said it was only his love for you that stayed his hand. But he was still hesitant to join Sesshoumaru's hare-brained scheme to take over The Wall because of it."
Rion's ears drooped. "I feared as much. My father is very stubborn."
"And also predictable. Sesshoumaru had only to remind him that war would bring out the best warriors from the clans and that Kirinmaru might test himself against them. He took the bait."
"Ugh, that's typical," Rion muttered.
"Where are they now?"Setsuna asked.
Inukimi buffed her nails against her fur. "Impress me with your skills, and you'll find out."
Setsuna sighed. "Whom must I fight this time? There are no guards left."
"The both of you will fight me." Inukimi stood up and walked past them, heading down the steps.
It took a couple seconds for Setsuna to overcome her shock before she bounded after her grandmother, Rion quietly on her heels. "You?" Granted, she had only lived with her grandmother for a week, but in all that time, she hadn't seen the demoness lift nary a finger, let alone a sword.
"As you noticed, your father took all our soldiers with him, so drastic times call for drastic measures."
"Grandmother, I don't wish to hurt you," Setsuna countered.
Inukimi's chortle undulated on the wind. "You presume much to think you could harm me seriously, little one, considering you have spent but a single season in training."
"That's not true. Uncle took me out every summer." Not for very long every summer, but her grandmother didn't need to know that.
However, even without saying the words, Inukimi seemed to know, for her golden eyes regarded her granddaughter flatly. "You held your own well enough against that guard when you came home, but you were noticeably agitated. The only reason you won that match is that you took everyone by surprise with the Wind Scar—something Towa had never been taught."
"Master Yawaragi says that surprise can be an even greater asset in battle than sheer strength, if used properly," Setsuna answered.
"Certainly, and you demonstrated that. But unless you're hiding a third sister somewhere, you have used up my quota of surprise for the next several years," Inukimi intoned as they reached the bottom of the steps. "I will concede the duel when you hold me at the point of your weapon and no sooner. Understood?"
"Yes," the girls answered. The two continued towards the training ring but stopped when they realized Inukimi was not following. They turned back around.
"Grandmother?"
Inukimi's eyes flashed red and her face split into a leering grin. A cloud of smoke billowed out from around her, and when it cleared, a regal, silver dog as tall as the palace towered over them. Setsuna craned her neck and stared at her grandmother in awe. She had seen her true form from afar that first day she arrived, but she had never seen it—or even her father's form— since.
And up close, she could finally appreciate all the details of her grandmother: claws as large and sharp as lumber saws, teeth as long as her legs, and bloody eyes that watched her with a mix of smugness and anticipation.
Then Inukimi snarled, and the illusion of nobility broke as she darted down and snapped her jaws at the two girls, as if she intended to devour them whole.
Setsuna and Rion leapt out of the way, each landing on either side of Inukimi's head. Her bulging, red eye was within striking distance, so Setsuna whipped around her naginata and slashed at it. Inukimi dodged easily and then slammed a paw down on Rion. Rion barely managed to get out of the way in time.
Inukimi toyed with them like a cat playing with a mouse. Setsuna and Rion rolled and dodged, their breathing growing harsher and harsher.
Remember your training, Setsuna told herself. Don't expend it all at the beginning of the battle. Who knows how long it might go on!
But Inukimi was so large, what was a mere limb movement for her was a matter of exhausting dodging for the two girls.
"We can't keep this up," Rion gasped, landing next to Setsuna. "She'll wear us out before we even get a scratch on her."
"We need to pin her somehow. Stop her from moving so freely," Setsuna murmured. Inukimi cocked her head at them, and if Setsuna hadn't known any better, she would have thought her grandmother was saying, I'd like to see you try.
Rion grasped her new staff—little more than a walking stick with a polished pommel of amber resting atop it—and nodded. "Leave that to me."
The two girls broke apart just as Inukimi snapped at them again. As Rion ran one way, Setsuna distracted Inukimi's attention and ran up the stone steps. She knew what Rion was going to do, and the girl would need good anchors. "Is that all you can do, Grandmother? Snap your teeth and wave your paws? Sounds to me like you're all bark and no bite!"
Inukimi growled and stepped onto the stairway. She looked around, as if debating something. Just then, Rion brandished her staff like a magic wand from behind the dog demon, and a slew of silky spiderwebs emerged, wrapping over Inukimi and attaching to the stone steps to hold her down. Inukimi tried to bat the webs away with her massive tail, but they held.
"That should do it!" Rion announced. "Go for it, Setsuna!"
Setsuna spun around and whipped her naginata out in an arc. "Scourge of Swallows!" A volley of ten green sparrows flew towards her grandmother.
Inukimi growled and opened her jaws, spewing a purple gas that disintegrated them. "Watch out!" Rion screamed. Setsuna leapt away as the spray cut past her swallows, but not quickly enough—her foot got caught in the spray.
"Ah!" she screamed, favoring that leg when she landed. Her bare foot burned red.
"Poison gas," Setsuna remarked. So this is where my venomous blood comes from. She had learned from her training that she not only had poisonous blood but that she was also immune to venom—but not poisonous gas. Master Yawaragi had dumped her in a pond of venomous serpent demons to find out if she had the same weakness as Towa, who could withstand toxic gas but not venom. Setsuna had never been so happy to be the opposite of her sister before that day. She had emerged unscathed…only for Master Yawaragi to throw her into the canyon belonging to Nikosen, a wily old demon that emitted a foul miasma. It was only thanks to the healing spells that Rion learned that they made it out of that canyon alive.
As Inukimi struggled with the spiderwebs, Rion pulled out two talismans, summoning her wind and lightning dogs. She hopped on the back of the wind lion dog and flew over to Setsuna. Setsuna jumped onto the lightning lion dog that followed.
They circled above Inukimi, regrouping as she tried to escape. "You can't walk like that. She's distracted for now. Let me heal it."
But while Rion started to heal Setsuna's foot, Setsuna kept an eye on her grandmother…who had figured a way out of her confines. Inukimi drooled over the silk strands wrapped around her legs, the silk disintegrating. Once her paws were free, she used her talons to slash through the other strands. They collapsed around her.
"That's enough—we have to attack now!" Setsuna cried out.
Rion looked back down in shock. "Not again! What else can we use to hold her down?"
"Something with enough force to keep her pinned. Something big," Setsuna said.
Rion's eyes lit up. "I've got it! Setsuna, keep her distracted with Sparky. I've got to get back to the ground. I'll send Windy back to you when I'm there."
"Got it. Let's go!" Setsuna flew down, heading straight for Inukimi's unprotected back. "Attack!" she cried out, and the lion dog buffeted her with lightning. But when the bolts struck her fur, Inukimi just shook them off like they were static shocks.
"Scourge of Swallows!" Setsuna shouted, aiming for the ruffled base of her grandmother's neck. But to her dismay, Inukimi broke free of the last of her webbed bonds and leapt away. The lion dog also shot off a bolt of lightning, but as Inukimi dodged, it hit a pile of fallen webs instead, igniting it. Setsuna gasped and looked back at her grandmother. Cobwebs absolutely covered her grandmother's legs, trailing along the ground.
That's it!
"Give me some fire, Sparky!" she called out, and the lion dog summoned a plasma ball of lightning into its mouth. Setsuna took her naginata and swiped it against the cracking edges of energy in the beast's mouth, igniting the blade.
She made as it to aim towards her grandmother. "Vermillion Bird Ambush!" she cried out, slashing forward. A giant phoenix sprayed from the flames of her naginata and rushed forward. As Setsuna expected, her grandmother easily dodged, but the strands of cobwebs still stuck to her legs and back trailed behind, and the firebird caught them. Flames raced up the silk, and Inukimi howled as they scorched her fur.
"Great flame ogre, I summon thee!" Rion suddenly cried out, and a giant summoning circle beset by trigrams opened on the ground. From within it arose a red ogre with wild, white hair, and a jaw of fangs protruding in all directions. It stood as tall as Inukimi and lumbered towards her, clawed hands outstretched. Inukimi, still on fire, snapped at the ogre, but it dodged and swiped at her face with its claws, leaving three gashes over her muzzle and the marking under her right eye. Setsuna winced despite herself.
Inukimi yowled and swiped at the ogre with her own impressive claws. The ogre caught her leg in one hand, its own not bothered by the flames scorching it. It yanked her forward, bringing her down to her belly, and then snaked its other arm beneath her neck, putting her in a chokehold.
She's pinned! Now's my chance! Setsuna flew forward on the lion dog, aiming for Inukimi's large eye. She held her naginata in front of her like a lance.
Inukimi rolled her eye towards Setsuna and growled. All of the sudden, her body glowed white, and she shrank back into her human form. The ogre lost its balance, toppling forward, and Inukimi waved her claws, arcs of curved, green energy erupting from their ends. They sliced through the ogre's arms, neck, and belly, and the summoned monster tumbled into dust. Then, she turned those same claws on her granddaughter, and Setsuna leapt off the lion dog, sacrificing it to her grandmother's attack.
Setsuna landed on her feet and kept her naginata pointed at Inukimi. Rion rushed up beside her, pointing her own staff. Inukimi's clothes hung in a scorched mess upon her, and her arms showed through the burned fabric, red and raw. She took slow, deliberate breaths.
"Not bad, little ones. But still not good enough," she called out. Indeed, already her burns appeared less red. Damn demonic healing abilities, Setsuna thought, even though she was always grateful for her own. "Is that your best?"
"Not even close," Rion replied.
Their battle continued for the rest of the day and quickly moved out of the courtyard and into the forest beyond. Inukimi switched back and forth between her forms when it suited her. Each time the girls thought they had her pinned in one form or another, she managed to wriggle free.
At one point in their battle, Setsuna and Rion were hiding in a cave, trying to regroup as Inukimi searched for them. Rion had set up a barrier to hide their smells and demonic energies.
"What do we do now? We need to find her weakness," Rion groaned, laying against the cave wall.
Setsuna grumbled, "Does she even have one?" Over the course of the day, Setsuna finally understood how her father's family had stayed in power for so long—and why Sesshoumaru had felt comfortable leaving the palace in his mother's hands. Fighting her grandmother was nothing like fighting the small fry in the north.
"Perhaps…we simply need to make one. I believe it's time for our last resort," Rion said.
Setsuna frowned. "You don't mean…?"
Rion nodded. "You know I'll be incapacitated afterwards, and I didn't want to use it, because it's your grandmother, but what choice do we have? She's not holding back, and yet…I feel that we are."
Setsuna gritted her teeth. "Is that what it will take? Are we going to have to expend all our energy just to defeat her?"
"Just think, Setsuna. Your grandmother is one of the most powerful demons in the land. If we can defeat her…others on the battlefield will not be nearly as difficult."
"Though perhaps that is the lesson. Fighting so many lesser demons will still be akin to fighting one greater demon all day," Setsuna answered.
Rion nodded. "Even if we must use our last resort, I am ready. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take. Even armies stop to rest each day."
Setsuna sighed. She still wasn't happy about it, but it really was their only path left. "Very well."
"And don't worry about your grandmother. I'm not as powerful as my father is, but even so, I'm sure you can use the Zanseiken afterwards to reverse the attack's effects."
Setsuna grunted in acknowledgment. Just because the Zanseiken wasn't hers didn't mean she hadn't trained with it. While Totosai had been crafting her Yukari no Tachikiri, the lapis lazuli crystals he used had attracted all manner of demons from the fiery realm around the blacksmith's volcano. She and Rion had fought them off for three days, defending Totsosai as he worked. Setsuna had used the Zanseiken during that time, and she had bonded well with the sword—though of course, not as closely as she had come to bond with her naginata.
Just then, the ground rumbled beneath them: the steps of her gargantuan grandmother shaking the forest. A paw appeared at the mouth of the cave. The girls didn't even dare to breathe.
Inukimi lowered her head and sniffed the grass. She turned towards the forest and then turned back towards the cave. She sniffed at the opening. The girls didn't move.
But when Inukimi pulled back, she stared hard at the cave opening.
Then she opened her mouth and shot a blast of poison straight into it.
"Rion!" Setsuna cried out, leaping over to her side and whipping up the Zanseiken's sheath. The sword erected an energy barrier around them that repelled the poison mist. As soon as it dissipated, the girls broke out of the cave, splitting around Inukimi's muzzle.
Setsuna sent another wave of sparrows at her, and Inukimi batted them away with her tail.
But she was only the distraction.
Behind Inukimi, Rion held up her staff. Though each was only about as large as her head, dozens of balls of cosmic, purple energy formed above the staff's tip. She grunted as it zapped the energy from her, and Inukimi turned around to see what was happening.
Rion let loose the meteor shower of energy balls, and though Inukimi jumped to dodge them, several pelted her. Bands of violet lightning sparked around her body, and she writhed in the air for a moment before falling to the forest floor. She glowed white, shrinking into her human form. Rion fell to her knees, sweat glimmering across her face and taking deep breaths. She swayed on her knees, obviously struggling to stay awake.
Inukimi groaned and pushed herself to her elbows, but the cloud of energy haze hanging around her from Rion's attack zapped her, and she could not seem to get higher. Setsuna knew that Rion's ultimate attack leeched the energy from its victim. They had never found out of it would eventually kill the victim, as her father's attack would, but it was still draining.
Inukimi chuckled weakly. "Well done, little girl. I did not think a half-demon would be able to even attempt replicating the sort of attacks your family specializes in."
"I'm just…full of surprises," Rion huffed.
Then, Setsuna stepped forward and held the blade of her naginata under her grandmother's throat. Inukimi looked down at it in distaste. "Do you yield?"
After several seconds, Inukimi finally admitted, "I yield."
As if those were the words she had been waiting to hear, Rion collapsed.
Setsuna nodded and then removed her naginata from Inukimi's throat before pulling out Zanseiken. She held the blade up to her grandmother. During their training with Master Yawaragi, Rion had given her another artifact she was tasked with looking over: the Kyuyokon root. It allowed the user to absorb untold amounts of demon energy.
"Attach it to the Zanseiken," Rion had told her. "Together, they will be able to absorb demonic energy attacks." It had come in useful the day they fought off hordes of demons at Totosai's. When Setsuna made to give it back once she had her naginata, Rion told her to keep it on the sword as a gift for Towa. "For lending us her sword during our training," she said.
Setsuna gripped the sword and concentrated on absorbing Rion's attack. She grunted as she felt the energy of Rion's attack leeching her own, which was already running low.
Luckily, there wasn't much, and soon, her grandmother was free of its effects. Setsuna, however, fell to her knees, her eyes drooping.
She collapsed, but instead of hitting the hard ground, a pair of arms caught her. She did not have the strength to open her eyes, and she was so far gone, she later wondered if she'd dreamed the words she heard.
"You have indeed made a name for yourself, Setsuna."
As the news stories started coming out, Towa noticed that more and more segments and articles about half-demons and demons in general started appearing. Some didn't even have anything to do with the documentary. The news cycle was feeding off the interest of the day. Even the History Channel was playing a lot of wartime documentaries.
So, it didn't surprise Towa when they received a call a couple days later from Miss Shiori.
"Shingo Murakami from The Late Night Show wants to interview us. I'm not sure if you know, but he has the most popular late night show in the country," Miss Shiori said over Rin's speakerphone to the family. Towa had been thankful for the explanation, since the name meant nothing to her. "This is big, Setsuna-chan. We've already gotten a lot of great publicity for the documentary, but a spot on his show would do wonders for us. If we're going to make a big impact, this is our chance."
Towa looked around at her family members. They were still dealing with the fallout from the vandalism the other day.
Mama smiled at her and patted her shoulder. "Go for it, sweetie. Remember what your uncle said when this all started: you might not get another chance. Take every opportunity you can."
"If you're sure…" Towa answered, looking around. Her aunt and uncle both nodded in encouragement. "Alright. I'll do it, Miss Shiori."
"Great. Now, since this is such a big-profile show, I'd like for you to come down to my office again for another prep talk, Setsuna-chan."
So that was how she ended up back in Miss Shiori's office a few days later.
"Good to see you again. Thank you for coming," Miss Shiori said as Towa closed the door to the councilor's office.
"Of course. And congratulations on the success of the documentary, Miss Shiori!" Towa greeted, taking a seat in front of the councilor's desk.
"Thank you—but I don't think it would have been nearly as successful without your help in promoting it, so I'd like to offer congratulations to you as well." Then Miss Shiori's expression sobered. "Your mother told me about what happened at the shop."
Towa nodded glumly. "I feel so responsible for it. I know she said she'd accept whatever consequences came her way when we talked about promoting the documentary, but…nothing had happened up to that point, so I guess I got complacent."
Miss Shiori reached across her desk for Towa's hand. "My dear, I need you to understand something: it's not your fault. The fault lies solely with the sad souls that have nothing better to do than vent their anger on a shopowner who—let's face it—has probably suffered and overcome more in her life than they have. Rather than hate them, pity them for their weak hearts and minds."
Towa nodded. "You sound like my mother. Unfortunately, I'm just having a harder time forgiving that sort of senseless violence than she is."
Miss Shiori smiled tightly. "I understand…but I know you, and I know you have your mother's heart."
Odd, Towa thought. Most people who know Setsuna say she and Mother are nothing alike. It's almost as if she's speaking to me. But that's silly. She doesn't know.
"Of course, all this said, if there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to let me know," Miss Shiori added. Towa nodded, and then the councilor got up to lower the blinds on her office windows. Towa watched in confusion as she blocked out the bright sunlight, casting the room into darkness. Oh, wait—maybe this is a bat thing. Maybe she can't handle too much sun. Though she didn't seem to have a problem during camp….
But why else would she turn down the blinds?
"I wanted you to come here today so we could discuss the upcoming interview with Shingo Murakami. This is an opportunity we could not possibly pass up…and, for that matter, one we cannot mess up," Miss Shiori said, resuming her seat and turning on her desk lamp.
"I understand this is a big deal," Towa answered.
"Good." Then Miss Shiori lowered her voice. "And if anyone asks, the following conversation never happened. Do you understand?"
Towa frowned in confusion. "Why?"
Miss Shiori held her stare. "I had no prior knowledge of what you were going to do on stage. I never found out that you're not who you claim to be—not until you showed everyone, myself included."
It took a couple seconds for Miss Shiori's words to register. Towa's eyes shot wide open, and she gasped. "Miss Shiori, how did you—?"
The councilor cut her off. "I found it strange that you would call a man you've never met 'Papa.' I could have assumed it rubbed off from Towa, but…I've known Setsuna-chan for a long time, so I had my doubts. As a result, I did a little undercover work."
Towa was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that she had been found out again. So it took her several seconds to put together what Miss Shiori was saying. "That's why that colony of bats suddenly moved in!" Undercover work? More like surveillance…under the cover of darkness.
Miss Shiori bit back a smile. "I assume you and your sister made some plans about when you might next see each other?" The way Miss Shiori was keeping everything vaguely worded put Towa on alert. Are we being recorded? Are there other half-demons nearby that can hear us? Is that why she's being so paranoid—closing the blinds and lowering her voice and everything? She just nodded, figuring that was the safest way to convey herself. "I see. And when was that?"
"Honestly…I should have gotten the ball rolling around now. I just…wasn't sure how to go about that process."
Miss Shiori sighed. "I'm not going to ask what you sought to accomplish by doing this, because I can very well guess. I also assume your uncle berated you about the risks, as he seems aware of the situation." Towa bit her lip in guilt. "I assume he found out afterwards, given that he has a difficult time keeping secrets. Now, what do you expect your sister to be doing to…move things along?"
"I honestly don't know. I think she was going to try to get our father to help."
Miss Shiori nodded. "Then we'll contact him after the interview…because this conversation never happened," she stressed again. Towa nodded, understanding now. She can't risk the public finding out that she knew I illegally crossed the border and didn't turn me in. "And because this conversation never happened, you will not tell your uncle what you plan to do at the interview."
"What I plan to do?" Towa echoed, trying to recall what Miss Shiori had already said, most of which had been wiped from her mind due to shock.
'Not until you showed everyone…..'
Her eyes widened again. That's…one way to get attention. "I understand the need for that audience…but am I just going to be putting my family in harm's way again? What if the people become afraid and there's backlash? I would hate for my family to get hurt just so I could send a message…."
Miss Shiori glanced over some papers on her desk and said offhand, "You are not the only ones to have received heightened scrutiny and backlash from the documentary. As such, I will be escorted by a larger security detail than usual to the studio. So large, in fact, that we will have to take separate cars." She glanced up and looked pointedly at Towa, who nodded in understanding.
Guards and security details—this much she understood. Miss Shiori was planning to give them some protection for after the interview—a group that could conveniently peel off in a separate car from the one that drove her.
"I suggest when the interview is over you all go straight home and you do not leave until told otherwise. Is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am," Towa answered like she was back in military training.
"Do you have any other questions for me?" Miss Shiori asked.
"No, ma'am."
"Excellent. Now, you should be well-practiced with the questions my team forwarded to you already, but I wouldn't focus too much on having answers for them, as I don't think they'll be very pertinent. Can you handle some impromptu questioning?"
Towa grinned. "Nothing makes me happier than sharing my true feelings, Miss Shiori."
"That's what I'm counting on."
Towa's nerves buzzed backstage as she waited to be called out onto Shingo Murakami's stage. Right now, Miss Shiori was already out there, going through a variation of answers Towa had already heard a dozen times. Even knowing their progress didn't help her. A thin film of perspiration covered her body, but the cold studio air just made her even more uncomfortable as it tightened her skin.
"You'll be fine, sweetheart. You've done a few of these already, so it's going to be no sweat, alright?" Rin said, rubbing her daughter's shoulders. She had a backstage pass but had a front-row seat in the audience next to Inuyasha and Kagome waiting for her when Towa finally went on.
Towa nodded mechanically. "I know, but…this feels different. Bigger." Of course it does. What you're planning to do…you can't take it back.
The stage manager turned to her just then. "Get ready to go on."
"Good luck, baby girl," Mama said, kissing her cheek. "You'll knock 'em dead."
Oooh, I seriously hope not. That's the last headline I need: 'Northerner kills late show audience.'
"Now, let's welcome Setsuna Watanabe to the stage!" the host called out. Towa took a deep breath and strode out, waving to the crowd. It was much larger than those she had done for other shows—some of them hadn't even had audiences. She took a seat in the chair next to Miss Shiori. The councilor gave her an encouraging smile.
"Watanabe-san, thank you so much for joining us this evening," Shingo Murakami said as they shook hands.
"Of course, thank you for having me."
"So, that documentary was something else, wasn't it? I can't say I normally watch that sort of thing, but I think I was as curious as the rest of the nation to learn about your family's unique story."
Towa smiled. "I agree—it was very well presented. Of course, I knew what I said in my interview, but I had no idea what everyone had talked about. And seeing all those photos and documents was such a treat! To be honest, I hadn't even seen that letter from my father to Councilor Shiori."
"And how did it feel to see your sister again? I imagine that brought up memories of camp?"
"It did. I won't lie—my mother and I cried whenever she appeared on-screen. I loved rewatching our moments together from camp, but I also loved hearing her personal feelings about our meeting."
"It's a shame you both had to be split up. If things were different, we would have loved to get her here on stage with you."
Towa's heart lurched, and she glanced at Miss Shiori, who gave her the barest of nods. This is it. This is the moment. Towa cleared her throat, giving herself an extra few seconds to draw from her well of courage. "And…what would you ask her if she could be here today?"
The host looked a little surprised to have the tables turned with her asking him a question, but he just looked out at the crowd for encouragement. "Well, we heard a bit in the documentary, but I think we'd all be curious to hear more about her experience in the North."
"How about her experience in the South?"
The host stared at her for a second, quite puzzled, but then he laughed off his confusion. "Ah, you mean south of the Wall. Of course she wasn't truly in the South."
Towa took a deep breath. "Actually, sir, she is."
Now Shingo Murakami looked truly confused, and even Miss Shiori put a crease in her brows. "I beg your pardon?" he asked.
Towa stood up then. "The truth is…I'm not Setsuna Watanabe." Not a breath could be heard in the entire studio as Towa reached up and plucked the pearl from her eye. As her hair shortened and lightened, the audience gasped, and when she opened her eyes, she finally saw her familiar, pale skin again, and that troublesome long hair was off her back. "I am her sister, Towa."
Shingo Murakami's mouth fell comically open, and Miss Shiori brought a hand to her mouth. The host was so shocked, he couldn't speak, but one noise did pierce the studio: Rin's cry of surprise.
Towa turned to face her family. Uncle Inuyasha's eyes were wide, but he grinned at her and nodded in understanding. Aunt Kagome's face mirrored the host's. And as for her mother…Rin was standing, halfway to the stage, her hands covering her mouth. She looked ready to run right up there and hug her.
Towa smiled at her. "Hi, Mama. I'm so happy to finally meet you—as me."
Shingo Murakami seemed to regain his senses, and he started pointing at Rin. A spotlight appeared on her as he said, "Someone help Watanabe-san onstage. Come on, come on."
A stagehand walked out and led Rin onto the stage, and as soon as she was there, she ran for Towa. Towa held out her arms, and her mother barreled into them, crushing her in a hug. Rin sobbed, and the audience erupted into applause.
"I can't believe it. Are you really my baby? My little Towa?" Rin asked, pulling back and cupping Towa's face in her hands. She blinked away her tears, as if trying to get a clearer view of her daughter's features.
Towa's own eyes were wet with unshed tears. "It's me, Mama. I'm so sorry I kept it a secret. I've been dying to tell you for weeks now."
"Oh, look how you've grown," Rin cooed, her voice cracking. "You're so beautiful, sweetheart." She stroked Towa's hair and looked her up and down. Then, with a cry of delight, Rin pulled her into her arms again. Mother and daughter rocked each other and cried, and as they did, the audience stood up to continue its applause.
When the cheering died down, Shingo Murakami looked at the camera and said, "I don't know about you guys, but I think I need to sit down after that." The audience laughed, as he was already clearly sitting down, but then he offered both Towa and her mother to sit. Rin didn't need to be told twice. She pulled her chair closer to Towa's and kept hold of her daughter's hand, alternating between stroking and kissing it.
"Well, congratulations Towa Watanabe—you've done something very few people in the world can claim: you've rendered me speechless. This is me speechless, by the way," the host continued, earning more chuckles from the audience. "Would you care to explain what's going on Watanabe-san? Or do you prefer Towa?"
"Towa's fine. Demons don't have surnames," Towa explained. "And it's great to hear my own name directed at me after all this time."
"So, have you been posing as your sister since you came back from camp? How is that possible?"
Towa held up the silver pearl and winked. "Call it a little bit of demon magic. Our friend, Rion, helped us find a way to switch places. You see, we each wanted to meet our other parent, so while I came here, Setsuna went to the North."
Rin's grip tightened on Towa's, and the worry was evident in her voice. "Then she's with your father?"
Towa nodded. "Well, I assume so, of course. We can't exactly exchange emails or anything."
"But what do you plan to do now? Were you planning to stay in the South forever?" Shingo Murakami asked. "Because last time I checked, you can't just flash your passport and walk through The Wall."
Towa hesitated, unsure of how to answer this. She knew it would be unwise to say she expected to be deported—it would only highlight the fact that she came here illegally. But beyond that, she and Setsuna didn't really have a concrete plan. They only had a dream.
Ah, that should suffice.
"Well sir, the truth is…I don't know what's going to happen in the future. But do you want to know the real reason we made this switch? Of course we wanted to see our parents, but it's more than that: we want to find a way to bring our family back together. You saw the documentary. Our family was not the only one unjustly torn apart that night. We've been deprived of being together for fourteen years because mixed families were hardly considered when the Wall went up.
"I understand that many in the South fear those in the North—but I can vouch for many demons and say they are not all vicious. Honestly, I've experienced a decent amount of cruelty from humans too. Just last week, some people vandalized my mother's shop, just because of her association with demons. She didn't deserve it—she's never done anything wrong. But just like how I know all demons aren't bad, I know the same can be said for humans. Right after the documentary aired, we received an outpouring of love and support from our friends, neighbors, and customers. I know there are people out there who want to strive for more understanding and peace. We just need to find a way—or a place—for people such as us to live together in harmony. After all, why should our families be punished for being the few who have found a way to look past the differences of our species and love each other?"
Miss Shiori smiled. "Well said, Towa."
It was obvious afterwards that Shingo Murakami was asking unscripted questions, often stumbling to put his thoughts together, since, as he put it, "I have so many questions, they're all trying to get out at once." He even asked Rin some questions about her husband and her thoughts upon having daughter back with her.
"I feel like I'm in a dream," Rin said. "I've dreamed of all the different ways I might meet her again, but never did it happen like this. And dear gods, if this is a dream…please don't let me wake up."
Towa beamed and side-hugged her mother. "Don't worry, Mama. It's not a dream. But I promise you this: we're bringing the nightmare to an end."
AN: I hope this mother/daughter reunion was everything the latest Yashahime episode wasn't.