AN: Sorry again for the late chapter. As usual, my business trips kick my butt (though I had fun!), and I realized that taking the extra time with this chapter really helped make it so much better. I want the best possible work for you guys! Enjoy!
Chapter 14: The Wall Between Life and Death
And though it's always been with me
I must tear down the wall and let it be
All I am
And all that I was ever meant to be
In harmony
Shining true
And smiling back at all who wait to cross
There is no loss.
— Kansas, "The Wall," verse 6
A sharp crack reverberated through the tunnel in the Southern Wall, carrying into the Zone of Neutrality. The dog demon contingent of the Northern delegation stopped its progress towards its own gate.
Towa frowned. "That sounded like…a gun?" She had heard them go off plenty of times on the action shows her uncle liked to watch, but she had never heard one in real life. Maybe she was mistaken?
Just then, her father's head whipped towards the South, and his brows puckered in concern. Even her grandmother turned and regarded the Southern Wall with a wary eye.
"Papa? What's wrong?"
"Sesshoumaru, think this through—" Inukimi started to say before her son cut her off.
"Towa, let's go."
He didn't even give his daughter a chance to reply before he hauled her onto his back and flew towards the Southern gate faster than she had ever seen him move.
"Papa, what are you doing?" Towa asked against the buffeting winds.
"Setsuna called for us."
"S-She did?" Towa hadn't heard her. Though part of her felt ashamed that her hearing was so poor, she was equally thankful that her father's hearing was so superior. Then she gasped as she put the pieces together. "You don't think…?"
Her father put on an extra burst of speed, a silent answer to her question. A metal gate covered the entrance, but her father pulled out Bakusaiga and sent slices of demonic energy towards it, carving a hole for them through its center. He shot so fast into the Southern tunnel, Towa was amazed he didn't leave a sonic boom (something she had learned about in school) behind him.
Suddenly, red lights flashed to life at the end of the tunnel and alarms blared. Towa clamped her hands over her ears as the sirens pierced her skull, and though her father's face grew even more taut, he didn't flinch, though it had to pain him even more. The final gate loomed before them, completely shut. But once more, her father didn't hesitate to slash at it, and the gate fell to pieces as they burst from it like a volcano spewing molten rock.
But the chaos they descended into wasn't aimed at them. Politicians cowered behind vehicles and soldiers ran amok. Indeed, only those stationed near the gate paid them any mind. Their cries of shock and demands to halt went unheeded. Father and daughter searched for their loves ones amid the soldiers running this way and that.
A throat-ripping roar filled the air, drawing Towa's eyes towards a field before a copse of trees.
She could barely comprehend what she was seeing.
Setsuna with reddened eyes and demonic markings on her arms and face, at least three dark patches of blood on her clothes.
Soldiers around them cocking guns at her sister, while several clutches parts of their bodies that dripped blood.
Moroha restraining her cousin from behind, and Miss Shiori in front of them, trying to calm everyone down.
"Stop shooting!" the councilor cried out. "Just stay back! She doesn't mean to hurt anyone, but she's in danger, so her body is reacting on instinct!"
Then, beneath the other scents of blood wafting from the scene, including the familiar, poisonous tang of her sister's, she smelled a familiar metallic sweetness.
That was when she finally noticed what she had failed to see at first, hidden as she was by the surrounding soldiers: Rin lying still on the ground mere footsteps away from Setsuna and Moroha.
"Mama!" Towa shrieked as fear pierced her heart. Her father leapt towards the group.
"T-Towa?!" Moroha cried out. She must have been so surprised, her grip loosened, because Setsuna wrenched out of her grasp, turned around and swiped her claws at her. "Agh!" Moroha cried out as Setsuna ripped through the front of her clothes, drawing blood. She then tossed Moroha straight into Miss Shiori, sending them both sprawling to the ground in a heap.
"Setsuna, stop!" Towa called, jumping off her father's back and sprinting towards her sister. Instead of running away spooked, Setsuna locked eyes on her twin and snarled.
It's the instinct. She senses a powerful challenger and wants to fight, Towa thought.
Setsuna ran forward, her claws raised, and Towa locked hands with her, pushing her back. Setsuna winced—there was at least one bullet in her right arm.
Face-to-face, Towa yelled, "Setsuna, it's me: Towa! You have to calm down! You're hurting innocent people!"
At least, she hoped they were innocent. Someone—or multiple someones—had hurt her sister, but she had no idea of knowing who it was.
Setsuna just bore down harder, and with full-demon blood fueling her strength, Towa's arms shook under the strain. The elder sister gritted her teeth. Fine. If that's how you want to play it….
"Let Big Sis show you…how a real demon manages…her power," Towa grunted.
She took a deep, steadying breath and dug down deep inside herself, tapping into the well of power she had taken years to wrangle and lock away so that it would not escape until she came to it with the key. Her blood burned as her father's poison ignited within it. Her teeth and fingertips ached as her fangs and claws grew. Her short locks brushed her face as they flared out on the wind, crawling down her back until they touched the base of her spine. Her cheeks and forehead tingled, a sign that the demonic markings of her noble heritage had appeared—ones mirroring those on her sister's face, though Setsuna's features were twisted in blind rage.
Of course, as much as Towa had learned to control this power, it still altered not only her body but also her mind. As demonic energy laced her blood, her thought process grew simple: best her opponent.
Her training tacked on one final directive: do not harm or kill family or innocents.
With a roar, Towa shoved back against Setsuna, and her sister stumbled at the sudden shift in strength.
"Calm. Down!" Towa bit out, baring her teeth in an instinctual show of dominance. She shoved harder, and Setsuna cried out in pain, her arms buckling as she twisted away, favoring her right side. The cry shocked some of the instinctive fog out of Towa, and she let go of her sister. "Setsuna, did I hurt you?"
As Setsuna crumpled to the ground and bent her head, Towa finally noticed the giant patch of blood blooming on her back. How many times had she been shot? She had only heard the one. Had the others been drowned out by those sirens?
"Setsuna!" Towa gasped, kneeling down to look. Her sister needed medical attention—immediately.
Suddenly, Setsuna plowed into her, pinning Towa on her back. She slashed at Towa's face, but Towa caught her wrist just before her claws made contact with her eyes.
"Setsuna, stop and…listen to me! You're hurt! You need…help!" Towa growled.
Towa slowly forced Setsuna's hands together, keeping them clasped in one of hers. Then she put her free hand around Setsuna and pulled her down into a hug, squeezing her lower back so that she didn't pain her wound any further and wrapping her legs around Setsuna's to stop her from moving.
"Please, Setsuna," Towa said as her sister struggled to free herself. "Come back. I…I can't lose you and Mama. Not…not when I've just found you."
Setsuna froze as soon as she said the word "Mama."
Towa's heart skipped a beat. Was that the key to undoing the demon's hold on her?
"Mama's hurt too, Setsuna. We have to get help for both of you. Please come back. Fight the demon. Fight it. I know you can. You're my strong, little sister who went up against the Panther Devas! You've got this."
The tension eased out of Setsuna's hands trapped between their chests. "T…Towa?"
Tears prickled in Towa's eyes as her hair shortened and the poison in her blood burned down to a simmer. "Yes, Setsuna. I'm here. Talk to me."
"Towa…it…hurts," Setsuna said with tears in her eyes before slumping onto her sister's body.
"Setsuna!" Towa cried out, trying to push her up. Suddenly, another pair of arms pulled Setsuna away, and Miss Shiori stood above them.
"They shot her," Moroha said, her voice taking on a panicked tone. She sat a couple meters away, clutching her stomach. "They shot her three more times to incapacitate her. She's lost so much blood!"
"Somebody bring a stretcher!" Miss Shiori yelled, and suddenly, soldiers appeared beside them with one in tow. "Towa, let go—they need to stop the bleeding while they get the ambulance."
Setsuna's limp hand slipped out of Towa's as they took her sister away. She turned aside and saw other soldiers trying to approach her mother, but her father's bared teeth and protective stance kept them away as he stood over her.
"Papa, let them through—they want to help her," Towa said, scrambling to her feet.
"They let her be shot," he snarled.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, I know how grave this situation is, but please don't blame them. They couldn't have known—" Miss Shiori began.
"It is precisely because of inferior human senses that my wife lies here now in her own blood," Sesshoumaru bit out. "Never again. My family comes with me, borders be damned."
"My lord, please—"
"Don't blame them, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha suddenly called out. Towa and her father turned to find him coming out of the trees shoving a soldier in front of him. Inuyasha had the man's arms twisted behind his back as they walked. "Blame this bastard. He's the one who shot them."
In a flash, Sesshoumaru left Rin's side and his hand was around the soldier's throat. He shoved his brother away, lifted the soldier off the ground and squeezed. Blood trickled from the points where his talons dug into the human's neck, the wounds beginning to steam. The man screamed as poison invaded his skin.
"Why?" Sesshoumaru growled. But the man only choked on his cries, unable to form words.
"Don't kill him, you idiot! Do you want war to break out again?" Inuyasha snapped.
Sesshoumaru snarled but them dropped the man in a heap on the ground. The soldier's coughs rattled in his chest as he gasped for air, and soldiers ran to restrain him, putting him in cuffs.
"Answer me, vermin," Sesshoumaru hissed, glaring down at the man and cracking his knuckles. "Or the first casualty of a new war shall be you."
The man's coughs turned to wheezing laughs. "I…I knew it. You damn demons…haven't changed at all. No matter what…that one says," he rasped, jerking his chin at Towa. Towa's heart flipped. "I fought…in the war. Saw you all…murder…ruthlessly. You can't change…your nature. Vile…beasts. Stay on…your side. And take your…half-breed brats…with you. They don't belong here."
Sesshoumaru kicked the man in the temple, and he slumped over, unconscious. Towa winced, listening to make sure the man's heart still beat. It did. She breathed a sigh of relief, though she wasn't sure she'd be able to blame her father if he had killed him.
Two green, boxy cars with red crosses on their sides had arrived, and the soldiers were loading all the wounded into them. Some were trying to get Moroha to enter as well, though she resisted.
"I'm fine—stop pulling me!" she said.
Aunt Kagome then pushed through the crowd—Towa couldn't believe she had forgotten all about her—and wrapped her arms around Moroha. "Oh baby, where are you hurt?" She pulled back, saw the wounds on Moroha's stomach, and started crying. "I can't believe this is happening!"
"Mom, I'm fine—I promise. It's only a scratch. This will heal in no time," she said.
"Ma'am, we should check her to be safe," one of the officers said.
Aunt Kagome nodded. "Yes. Sweetie, I'll come with you. We'll go together with your aunt and cousin, alright?" She looked up at the soldier. "Where are you taking them?"
"Central Hospital. And we need to leave stat," the officer said.
"Inuyasha, did you hear that?" Aunt Kagome asked.
"I'll be right behind you!" he called out, starting towards the car.
"Please, take us with you too, Uncle!" Towa cried out, latching onto her uncle's sleeve in one hand and grabbing her father's empty hand in the other, tugging him along.
Inuyasha paused and looked towards one of the gate guards who was with Miss Shiori. The guard shook his head.
"That's twice now you've illegally entered the South, miss," he said. "And technically, your father stepping here is grounds for war."
"We came to help our family!" Towa cried out, tears dripping down her cheeks. "How can that be grounds for war?"
The ambulances started up. Inuyasha cursed. "Dammit, we've got to go. They need to get to surgery ASAP, or else—"
He didn't say the words, but he didn't have to.
Her mother and sister had been shot. They could die.
That gave her an idea.
"Please, let us go with!" she begged again. "If my mother or sister dies…it will be on your hands, because my father can save them if it comes to that!"
The soldier reeled back in shock. "You can't be serious."
"You better believe she is," Inuyasha said. He nodded towards the swords at his brother's hip. "I've seen that sword resurrect the dead before."
The guard's expression shuttered. "Out of the question. You cannot bring weapons across the border."
He already did though, Towa wanted to shout. Instead, she pulled Tenseiga from its sheath, held out her arm, pulled back the sleeve, and sliced across it. The guard reached for her on instinct as if to stop her, but then he froze when he saw no blood.
"See? Tenseiga isn't a weapon. It can't even cut!" she said.
"May I?" the guard asked. Towa looked to her father, who nodded once. She handed the sword over to the guard, who examined it, even going so far as to slice his own fingers along the blade. "Extraordinary. And you say this sword can…bring back the dead?"
"Only in my father's hands," Towa answered.
The guard sighed, handing Tenseiga back to Sesshoumaru. "I see. …We can grant Towa a tourist visa, because she is a half-demon."
Towa gasped in relief and smiled at her father.
"But the general cannot stay," the guard added.
Towa's heart dropped. "No! You can't do that! I just told you: he's…he's the one who can save them if—"
"I'm sorry. By law, demons are not allowed in this country. The best we can do is allow you to be with your family, in case the worst should happen."
"No…Papa!" Towa cried, whirling around and sobbing into her father's chest. "What do we do?"
"Towa," he answered in a calm but steely voice. She knew that tone. It was one that brokered no argument: she needed to heed his next words.
She sucked down her sobs and pulled away, wiping her eyes. "Yes, sir?"
Sesshoumaru untied Tenseiga from his armor and held it out to her.
"It's your choice, Towa."
Towa stared at the sacred sword of the heavens. She had held it before—a curious child handling her father's weapons. But she had never dared to actually use it. She was well aware of the immense demonic energy it required—demonic energy she wasn't sure she possessed. Even her father tired after using it multiple times in a row.
The South had miraculous forms of medicine. If her mother and sister had a chance of surviving anywhere, it was here.
But she knew even the South could not save everyone.
And for her family, she would do anything.
She held out her hands, and he gently placed them sword into them.
"Go," he told her.
Tears swam in her eyes. "Thank you, Papa." Thank you for your faith in me. For that was truly the greatest gift he could give her.
"Come on, kid—let's go," her uncle murmured, guiding her towards the family car.
"Inuyasha, I'm going to send some of my guards with you, just in case," Miss Shiori said. "I'll start work on the media narrative on the way back. This…could get messy really fast if we don't handle it properly."
"Thanks, Shiori."
As they pulled down the road after the flashing ambulances, Towa stared back at her father's figure. He stood like a guard dog, watching them as they drove away, and her heart broke seeing the frustration and worry in his stance and eyes.
I won't let you down, Papa. I'll protect them in your stead. I promise.
When they reached the hospital, they were informed that Rin and Setsuna were already being wheeled into surgery. Moroha had been taken to an examination room to have her injuries looked at, and Aunt Kagome was with her.
"Please—you have to let me know immediately if…if the worst happens," Towa begged the receptionist. "I can save my mother and sister, but only within the hour of death!"
The receptionist looked at her and her sword with wide eyes full of questions—and perhaps even awe, if she recognized Towa from TV—but she only said, "Family is often asked to give blood in these circumstances. Is that something you'd like to do?"
Towa didn't understand. "What do you mean, 'give blood?'"
"Yes," her uncle answered. "But my niece doesn't know her blood type. Can she get tested first?"
"Of course. I'll send someone to lead you there."
"Uncle, what's happening?" Towa asked as they sat down to wait for the nurse. The guards Miss Shiori had lent them stood a discreet distance away, keeping an eye on the lobby.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's a part of Southern medicine, Towa. You know you need blood to function, right?" She nodded. "Of course you do. Part of saving people is making sure they have enough blood to survive after they lose a lot—like in gunshot wounds. Doctors can put other people's blood inside you."
Towa's eyes widened. "Really? That's amazing!"
"Yeah…but it's also tricky. You can't give or receive blood from just anyone. It depends on your blood type. Humans have four different types of blood. Demons have an additional two types—at least, as far as Southern scientists have been able to tell. It makes giving blood to half-demons really complicated. Sometimes, the human parent's blood isn't enough for them."
Towa's heart seized. "But…I should be able to give to Setsuna, right? I mean…I'm her twin!"
"We'll find out, kiddo. You're completely different people. You might not even have the same blood type. Actually, your mom was afraid of this when The Wall first went up. Things were so chaotic back then…anything could have happened. She wanted to make sure Setsuna would be able to receive blood if anything happened to her, so she had us all tested for compatibility. Turns out she and I have one of those rare human-demon hybrid blood types, so I'm able to give to her. She wouldn't be able to give to me though. The doctors discovered poison in her blood—which wasn't a big shocker, considering who her old man is."
Towa squeezed his arm. "Then…I can't give to her either, can I?"
"What, you got poison in you too?" Towa nodded. "Figures. But given how that's something both of you share, then—"
Towa cut him off. "But Setsuna is immune to venom, and I'm immune to poison gas. Do you think that would be a problem?"
Inuyasha grimaced. "Might be. We'll have to let the doctors decide that. Don't worry, kid. Even if you can't donate, they can suck me dry if they need to."
"Don't say that! I don't want to lose you either," Towa said, clutching onto him.
He froze, perhaps shocked by the contact, but then patted her back. "I'm not going anywhere, kiddo. I promise. I'll be right here with ya."
The nurse finally showed up and brought them to the blood donation room, looking quizzically at the guards that followed but not saying anything when they took up their stances outside the room. Inside, they found Kagome already hooked up.
"There you are!" Inuyasha said, rushing over to his wife and kissing her head. "How's Moroha?"
"She's fine. They had to give her some stitches on some of the deeper scratches, but she's doing okay." Aunt Kagome giggled. "Honestly, she's not even bothered by it all. She's more interested in all the 'Southern' things around her. She kept asking the doctors what everything in the room was. I'm surprised they didn't put her under just to keep her quiet."
Uncle Inuyasha smirked. "That's my girl." He nodded to the blood bag beside her. "Are you doing this for her?"
She shook her head. "The doctors said she didn't need any. She's healing quicker than the average human. I'm doing this for Rin. I know we're the same blood type, after all."
"Thank you, Aunt Kagome," Towa said, kissing her cheek.
"Of course, sweetie. You know I'd do anything for you guys."
"Is Moroha being released, or do we need to go see her?" her uncle continued.
"They've finished bandaging her up, so they're letting her rest for a bit before they release her. We can go visit her when we're done."
With that, Inuyasha filled out some forms and got hooked up. Meanwhile, Towa got her blood tested. They explained the poison situation to the nurse there, who wrote everything down and said the doctors would let Towa know whether or not she could give once all the tests had been run.
After giving blood, they went to fetch Moroha out of her room. She had fallen asleep while waiting, so Uncle Inuyasha carried her back to the lobby, where the four of them camped out, waiting for news on Rin and Setsuna.
The wait was unbearable. Towa started fidgeting so much, Tenseiga rattled on her knee as it bounced, and her uncle finally reached out and took the sword away, putting it on the ground. Before she could protest, he pulled her head down onto his shoulder and started rubbing it.
"Calm down. There's nothing we can do for now except wait." Her aunt came and sat next to her, grabbing her hand and rubbing it soothingly. Tears sprang to Towa's eyes. Before coming to the South, she had never received such outright affection from her family. Her father showed it to her in small ways, of course, and she loved every subtle gesture. But there was just something about the way her aunt and uncle held her that made her heart grow full and warm in her chest.
I'm so lucky to have them. Thank the gods they're here with me. I wouldn't know what to do otherwise.
It felt like hours before a doctor finally came out of surgery. "The Watanabe family?" he asked the room.
"That's us!" Aunt Kagome called out, standing up. Moroha jerked awake at the shout, but her father kept her cradled in his arms as they all rushed to the doctor to hear the news. He led them into a quiet room just off the lobby.
"I'm pleased to say that the surgeries on both patients were successful," he said, and Towa breathed a sigh of relief, slumping against her aunt. "Rin Watanabe is in stable condition; however, Setsuna Watanabe is in a more conditional state."
"W-What does that mean?" Towa asked.
"To be honest, it's rare for a victim of so many gunshot wounds to survive. I credit that to her demonic heritage. I also heard that upon receiving the initial gunshot wound, she entered into a demonic state, correct?" The family nodded. "I understand that state is meant to help her survive. While it did appear to speed up the healing process, given how active the patient was, she lost a lot of blood and aggravated her wounds. In addition, her demonic state initiated such rapid healing that the wounds were already closing over the bullets when we went in to operate. We had to cut them back out of her. On that note, Mr. Higurashi, you blood donation was of great use to your niece. Luckily, she does appear to be healing faster than a normal human, so we're cautiously optimistic that she'll pull through. However, we're going to keep her under close observation tonight regardless."
"Does she need more blood? Did you ever find out if I can donate to her?" Towa asked.
"Ah, yes, you're her twin sister, correct?" Towa nodded. "The lab did run tests on both your blood and your sister's, given the concerns about poison. While it seems you do share the same blood type, the poisons found in your blood had different chemical makeups. We are still running tests to see if those poisons have an adverse effect on each other, so for now, we cannot accept you giving blood to her. I'm sorry."
Towa deflated. She knew she shouldn't feel ashamed for not being able to help her sister because of something she couldn't control, but her heart still felt leaden with uselessness.
"Can we see them, Doctor?" Aunt Kagome asked. He nodded, leading them to the room in the ICU where the two were being kept.
Rin lay in the bed closest to the door while Setsuna lay in the one near the window. Both were hooked up to IVs and breathing tubes.
Towa stood between their beds, grabbing her mother's hand in one of hers and Setsuna's in the other. "Mama, Setsuna…thank goodness you're alright. Uncle, Aunt, Moroha and I are here, and we're going to stay right beside you as you fight this, okay?"
The family sat in the room the rest of the day, waiting for any sign of the two to wake up. Kagome, who had given blood, and Moroha, who was overcoming her injuries, ended up nodding off and falling asleep against each other, leaving Towa and Inuyasha awake. Towa's eyes burned with exhaustion as she stared at her mother and sister. Every beep on their monitors was both reassuring and yet nerve-wracking. Her uncle told her that the monitors kept track of their heartbeats. The steadier, the better. If it slowed and flat-lined, that would be the worst possible outcome. She hoped she never had to see that.
Towa rubbed her eyes. Her head was starting to hurt from the emotional and physical exhaustion. Uncle Inuyasha suddenly pulled her head onto his shoulder. "Go ahead and get some rest, kiddo. I'll wake you if anything happens."
"But—"
"No buts. It looks like we're past the worst of it, but…you never know with these things. There could be infections or…. Well, anyway, you need to be at you best strength to handle it, just in case, right?"
Towa nodded morosely and nuzzled against his shoulder. It was bony and not very comfortable, but she was so weary that her body succumbed to sleep in minutes.
She awoke to the words, "Aw, shit," hissed near her ear.
Towa groaned and rubbed her eyes. "Uncle, what's wrong?" When she looked up and blinked away the blur from her eyes, she gasped.
Her uncle had black hair.
Towa put a hand against her own head, feeling the tell-tale long strands against her shoulders instead of cropped at the neck. She got up and ran to the window, peeking out of it. It didn't matter whether they were on the right side of the hospital to see the moon or not; she knew she wouldn't see one.
She turned to Setsuna then, finding her sister's hair spilling over the edges of the bed now and trailing onto the floor; otherwise, she appeared unchanged.
"Uncle…is she going to be okay?" The doctor had said it was only thanks to her half-demon blood that she had survived. Had she recovered enough in her normal body that her human form could handle the task for a night?
"She'll be fine," he said, though it sounded like he was trying to convince the both of them. "I'm sure she did most of her healing earlier."
I hope you're right.
When the doctor came to check on the patients a little later, he seemed stunned by three's changes in appearance. When Inuyasha explained what happened, he said, "Oh dear—three states in one day? I'm no expert on half-demons, but that seems like it would take a toll on the body. We'll keep her under especially close watch tonight to make sure she's safe."
They were only able to stay about two more hours after that before visiting hours ended.
"Please call us immediately if something happens. It doesn't matter what time it is," Aunt Kagome said as they departed. The hospital staff agreed, and with nervous hearts, the family walked out of the hospital—only to find the media gathered outside.
However, no one paid any attention to them, even with the guards in suits beside them.
It confused Towa at first, but as the guards quietly guided them away towards the parking garage, she realized it was likely due to her and her uncle's changed appearances that the media didn't even notice them. Still, they must have gotten wind of the assassination attempt. Had Miss Shiori already put out a statement, or had someone else spilled the beans? She hadn't even thought to look at the news while sitting in the hospital.
Her aunt started looking it up on the car ride home. "There's not much out there right now," she informed them. "Just a couple articles indicating that there was an assassination attempt at the border and that Rin and Setsuna were shot. The writers call it a hate crime against half-demons and those who associate with them."
"There's nothing about Setsuna fighting back?" Towa asked.
"Not yet. They're all short, developing stories. Hopefully, Shiori will be able to control that part of the narrative."
Towa should have been overjoyed to see the house again, but the pall hanging over the family dampened most of her joy. The only bright spot to the night was watching Moroha explore her new home.
Thanks to her time at camp, Moroha was at least passingly familiar with many of the appliances and devices for daily use. She took more time examining the photos on the wall and the knick-knacks scattered here and there, getting a sense for who her parents, aunt, and cousin were.
However, when they got to Setsuna's room, she paused, her face growing downcast. "I think I'll snoop through her things once she's back. It's no fun if she's not here to tell me off," Moroha mumbled, turning away and retreating down the hall towards the kitchen, where she proceeded to stuff her face with some snacks her mother had brought out. Towa's heart clenched. Moroha had a habit of eating her feelings.
Eventually, Aunt Kagome announced it was time for bed.
"I don't think I can sleep," Towa retorted. "Maybe I'll just…stay up and watch TV or something."
"Kid, you're human tonight," her uncle interjected. "You need more sleep now than usual. Come on. You can sleep in Moroha's room with her tonight so she's more comfortable in a new setting."
Towa smiled. Leave it to her uncle to use Moroha as an excuse so that Towa didn't have to sleep alone on the second floor in her sister's bed, surrounded by everything that would make Towa think of her twin.
Her aunt and uncle had put together the spare room upstairs for Moroha. They had bought her a few pairs of clothes to get her started, but Aunt Kagome promised to go shopping with her daughter as soon as possible, so she could pick out what she liked. Towa was happy for Moroha that she too would get to experience the mother-daughter bonding time she had had with her own mother…but more sadness weighed her down as she realized that time would likely come when she was back in the North again, unable to see her family for the next two years.
Towa grabbed some of Setsuna's pajamas though. She didn't have her usual sense of smell, but she still felt closer to her sister wearing them as she and Moroha lay in bed together.
Towa had her back to her cousin, trying to fall asleep, but tears rolled down her nose as she thought of the two most horrible possibilities that could happen.
What is her mother and/or sister died…and she couldn't save them?
Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder. "Hey, don't cry, Towa. They're going to be okay."
Towa hiccupped. "You don't know that."
"No…but Setsuna's survived some pretty amazing odds already. Some mere bullet wounds can't take her out! You should have seen her when she was training under Master. I was amazed at how quickly she adapted to the naginata. And I hear she was something else at the Battle for the Panther Gate. Damn, I am still so upset I missed out on that! Did you know? She and Rion freakin' left the Northern Mountains while I was still sleeping."
Towa giggled and turned over, facing her cousin. "That's harsh. They could have at least woken you."
Moroha's eyes went shifty. "Well, uh…according to them, they tried. For like…ten straight minutes. And I didn't wake up. So they left a message with Ma and went. Pops was already down at the warfront, you know. But of course, she got tied up in clan business, so I went looking for the two all over the place until I finally ran into her and she told me they went back to Uncle's palace. So of course I hitched a ride on Takechiyo, but the little pipsqueak gets tired way faster than A-Un, so by the time I made it there, Granny informed me that they were already headed to the warfront! And then by the time I got there, the battle was already over! Can you believe that? Man, I was so pissed. I was just itchin' to carve up some cats!"
Towa laughed, wiping her tears away. Somehow, Moroha never failed to cheer her up.
Her cousin kept up with it for the next hour, telling her more about the trio's adventures in the Northern Mountains—some that had already been recounted earlier that week and some Towa hadn't heard.
Eventually, with her heart feeling lighter and Moroha yawning more and more, the two fell asleep.
Towa awoke immediately to a hand on her shoulder. She sucked in a breath and jolted up, her hand automatically reaching for a blade that wasn't there. In fact, the nearest blade—Tenseiga—lay propped against the wall by the door.
"Shh, Towa, it's just me," Aunt Kagome said from her bedside.
Towa blinked and breathed a little easier at that. But then she noted the darkness of the room and the clock that read 3:32. Her heart kicked back into overdrive.
Waking up this early couldn't mean anything good.
"Aunty, what is it?" she asked, though part of her already feared she knew.
Kagome swallowed thickly. "The hospital called. Setsuna's…she's taken a turn for the worse in the last few hours. The doctors aren't sure she's going to make it. They said…we should come and say goodbye, just in case."
Towa's heart thudded to a stop. No. No!
She shot out of bed, grabbing her clothes and shucking them on in the dark. Only when she couldn't see the right way to put on her shirt did she remember to flick on the light, which had an instant awakening effect on Moroha.
"Gah! What's going on?" her cousin asked, covering her eyes.
"We're going to the hospital," Towa answered.
Moroha sat up instantly, wincing and putting a hand to her stomach. Then she peered at the clock, and her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh." Without another word, she got up and got dressed. Towa grabbed Tenseiga on their way out.
Inuyasha raced on the near-empty city streets to the hospital. When they got inside, the receptionist stopped them, but upon finding out who they were, she let them go ahead and paged the doctor.
The doctor met them at Rin's and Setsuna's room. Towa scanned her mother, glad to see her breathing and heartbeat, at least, appeared even.
But Setsuna…how could one person change in so few hours?
Her skin was as pale as Towa's, to the point that she thought her sister was already a corpse. The monitors beeped slowly—far slower that her mother's did.
"Doctor, what's happened?" Aunt Kagome asked.
"It appears the wounds were still in worse condition than we thought. As a half-demon, her body was apparently able to handle them, but it appears the human body is too weak."
"What if she turns half-demon again? Would she make it?" Towa asked.
"It's possible, but it would have to be sooner rather than later. Her pulse is slowing drastically."
Uncle Inuyasha whipped out his phone. "Damn. Sunrise isn't until 5:30. That's still an hour and a half away."
"Setsuna, please—stay strong!" Towa begged, kneeling on the hard floor at her sister's bedside and grasping her hand. Her twin's chest was barely moving at this point, only a faint bit of condensation masking the breathing tube. Tears pulsed out of Towa's eyes again. "Setsuna, you can't leave me!" She rubbed the cold appendage, trying to give it life.
Moroha got on Setsuna's other side and grabbed her other hand. "Hang in there, cuz. You can pull through this. Hell, if you can survive an avalanche, you can conquer this easy-peasy. I mean, you punched a friggin' bird of paradise in the teeth. Remember that?"
"Sweetheart, we're right here with you," Aunt Kagome said, rubbing Setsuna's leg. "Don't be frightened, okay? We're here."
"You've got this, Setsuna, alright? You're such a strong kid. Just…just like your dad," Uncle Inuyasha said, his words choking off. Towa looked up to find her uncle with his face averted. "He wouldn't give up. Neither can you."
The four of them stayed there with their hands on Setsuna's body, pleading with her. Towa didn't know if Setsuna could hear or feel them, but she wanted to believe she could.
"Don't leave me," she whispered, keeping Setsuna's hand against her forehead. "I don't want to live as an only-child again. We still have to finish what we set off to do, yeah? We're so close, Setsuna. Our family is almost back together again. Just hang in there. Please."
Towa squeezed her sister's hand.
And as if the gods were laughing at her, the monitor flatlined.
"NO!" Towa screamed.
Her uncle pulled her away as doctors rushed in and tried to resuscitate her. But after a few minutes, even they stepped back.
"Time of death, 4:47 a.m., October 11, 20XX," Setsuna's doctor said, looking at the monitor. Aunt Kagome burst into tears, and Moroha buried her face in her mother's shoulder while clutching her shirt. Towa took one shuddering sob, staring at her sister's still body. Her mind felt dazed. Only brief thoughts filtered through the fog.
My twin.
My little sister.
She's dead.
I can't save her.
Something inside her broke.
Towa burst into sobs, and her uncle pulled her into his arms.
The doctors started unhooking Setsuna from the monitors.
"Hey, hold it! Don't move her just yet," her uncle snapped.
The medical staff all looked at each other. "We can give you a moment, but we should take her to the morgue."
"No, she still has a chance. You said she…died at 4:47, right? Was that the actual moment her heart stopped beating or when you stopped trying to bring her back?"
"According to the EKG, that was the moment she flatlined," the doctor said.
"Alright. Good. Then there's still a chance."
Towa blinked the tears out of her eyes. 4:47? She glanced at the clock. It was already 4:57 now. Still, it took several seconds for the significance of the time to pierce through the haze of grief.
Of course!
"Uncle, is sunrise at exactly 5:30?" she asked.
He checked his phone and set an alarm. "5:32."
Towa clutched her head. So close. They were going to be cutting it so close.
But there was still a chance.
Tenseiga could only revive a person within the hour of death. She would have exactly fifteen minutes to make Tenseiga do her will.
The next half hour was the longest of Towa's life. She paced the room, trying not to look at Setsuna's corpse, staring instead at the blade in her hands. Right now, as a mortal, it felt just like any other blade: a heavy, metal blade in a wooden sheath. Nothing special.
But when her powers returned…what would it feel like then?
She tried to remember all the times her father had used it. He had told her before that the denizens of the netherworld came to take souls away and they were the foes he cut down with the blade.
Would she be able to see them?
Jaken always seemed unnerved by that fact. He had told her those "denizens" were actually imps, whom he was fairly certain were kin. "But," he would proclaim, "having sworn my life and eternal service to Lord Sesshoumaru, I have turned my back on my family, and so what my lord does to them is of no more concern to me!"
When the tang of antiseptic and the sickly-sweet scent of death suddenly flared within her nose, she jerked up and spun around. Her uncle's hair had turned white again, and already her neck felt cooler. She unsheathed Tenseiga and held it out over Setsuna's body. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Moroha huddled together a few steps away, watching.
Nothing happened. No messengers of the underworld appeared.
She gripped Tenseiga tighter. "Come on, Tenseiga…please. Help me save her!"
Still nothing.
She let out a groan of frustration. How come she could break through this wall between life and death? Why was it always a wall—physical or insubstantial—keeping her from reuniting her family?
"Towa, you need to relax. Don't force the sword to work for you. Work with the sword," her uncle said.
"How do I do that?"
"Concentrate. Listen to it. These swords speak, you know."
They did? Towa closed her eyes, feeling the sword in her hand.
Tenseiga, please. Help me save Setsuna.
The sword pulsed. Suddenly, it felt ten times heavier in her hands. Towa grunted, struggling to hold it aloft, and opened her eyes.
Three imps crawled over Setsuna.
"G-Get away from her!" Towa cried out, trying to lift Tenseiga to cut through them. But her arms shook so hard from holding the weighty sword, they wouldn't move.
Tears formed in her eyes. "U-Uncle…I can see them. They're right there…but I can't lift the sword!"
"You can lift it, Towa. Tenseiga has already acknowledged you…but you need to put all your strength into it. Raising the dead is no simple thing."
"P-Papa makes it look…so easy," she gasped, readjusting her sweaty grip.
"Tch, yeah, well, these sorts of things come easier to full-fledged demons. They're demon swords, after all. They require demonic energy to wield."
Towa's eyes widened. Demonic energy? Is that what you need, Tenseiga?
Once more, it pulsed in her hands.
Then take it. Take all the demonic energy I have.
The sword pulsed once more, and a foreign thought entered the back of her mind: Show me it is worth taking.
Towa gritted her teeth. "Of course it's worth taking," she hissed. "I am Towa…daughter of Sesshoumaru of the Dog Demon Clan…the strongest demon in the North. My demonic energy…is unlike any other!"
She summoned all her energy reserves, concentrating on the sword and trying to lift it. Slowly, it became lighter in her hands.
Moroha gasped. "Dad, look!"
"Inuyasha, what's happening to her?" Aunt Kagome asked.
What was happening to her? All she felt was immense strain. But she would push through it for Setsuna.
Her uncle frowned. "That sword's taking every scrap of demonic energy she's got. That's why her hair's turning black."
It is?
"That goes to show just how tough Tenseiga is to wield," her uncle continued.
"Why don't you help her?" Aunt Kagome asked.
He frowned. "Give her a chance to do this on her own."
Towa wasn't paying attention to them anymore. After all, there was only one person who mattered at this moment.
Setsuna, Towa thought. I need to save Setsuna. Just a little more…and I can save Setsuna.
Each tick of the clock on the wall rang in her ears like a gong, drumming out the notes of Setsuna's impending, true demise.
"Setsuna!" Towa gasped as the sword blazed blue. The imps suddenly looked at Towa with very real fear in their eyes.
"Setsuna!"
The imps scrambled, digging their claws into Setsuna and peeling off her soul, running away with it.
"No, Setsuna!" Towa screamed, and with one final surge of energy and a burning sensation on her forehead, like a crescent brand, Towa roared and swung Tenseiga at the imps.
Her uncle's alarm went off.
The blast of energy sliced through the imps, and Setsuna's soul disappeared.
Towa heaved, staring at her sister's body, waiting for any sign that she had revived. A breath. A flutter of her eyes. A groan. Anything.
But then her vision blurred, and her knees buckled.
"Towa!" Moroha cried out as her uncle sprang towards her.
Everything went black.
When Setsuna came to, she was standing in darkness. The ground under her feet was solid enough, and as her eyes adjusted, she realized she was on a narrow, rocky path that seemed to be suspending in an abyss. It led only one way: towards a door of light.
A warmth radiated from that door, beckoning to her, as well as a familiar sort of demonic energy—one she swore she had felt before but could not place. She was curious…but still wary.
"Setsuna." A deep voice carried on the still air of the darkness.
The voice triggered a memory—no, a memory of a vision. She knew the owner of this voice, for she had heard and seen him when cut the red thread of fate binding the Panther King to the red pearl.
"Grandfather," she said, her lips breaking into a smile. She started walking towards the door of light. She was finally going to meet her grandfather! Wait until she told—
She froze.
Towa. Moroha.
Setsuna stopped and looked around. More often than not lately, one or both of them was with her. Hadn't they just been together not too long ago? When was that?
A sharp pain pierced her hand, and she put a hand to it. What the—? Why can't I remember?
"Setsuna."
She looked up, for that was a voice she recognized immediately.
"Grandmother?" she asked, looking around. Unlike her grandfather's voice, which had echoed like an ethereal ghost, her grandmother's cut clear through the fog of darkness as if she were standing right there. "Grandmother, where are you?"
"Listen to me, Setsuna. Stay where you are. Go no further."
Had Setsuna not lived with her grandmother for the last few weeks, she might not have picked up on the urgent undertone to her voice. She sounded almost…panicked.
Setsuna thought her heart would pound with the realization, but her chest remained calm. Empty, even. For some reason that seemed wrong, and yet…why was that?
"Grandmother, where are you? Where am I?"
"What is the last thing you remember, Setsuna?"
Setsuna tried to think. "We were all…together, weren't we?"
"In the Zone of Neutrality, yes. And after that?"
"After…?" Setsuna closed her eyes, thinking hard. Had there been an after? All she could remember was finally being together with her entire family and feeling happy. She had known they were going to have to separate soon, but—
Separate. Pain lanced through her mind again, and an image of her hugging Towa flashed before her eyes. Had they already parted? Then why couldn't she remember?
"Did we…say goodbye?"
"Yes, child. But after that."
Setsuna shook her head. "I don't remember. It hurts." Her voice wheedled out the last couple words, and they sounded hauntingly familiar. Why did she sound so much like a child?
"Where does it hurt?"
Setsuna reached up. "My he—" She froze as a new pain pierced her back. Then three more hit both her legs and her left arm. She hugged herself, suddenly feeling cold except for the four points blazing like a burst of fire beneath her skin. "My back. My legs. My arm. Grandmother, what's going on?"
"…Your father says you need to stay put and wait for Towa."
"Towa's coming?"
"Yes. She will get you out."
Setsuna smiled. But then something occurred to her. "Grandmother, if you're talking to me, why can't you get me out?"
A note of regret laced Inukimi's words. "I am not near you, child. The only reason I can speak to you thus is because of the Meido necklace that I wear, connecting me to…the plane where you are. I cannot do any more than this."
Setsuna recalled the gaudy necklace her grandmother never took off. She had just thought it was her favorite piece of jewelry—perhaps a token from her grandfather that Inukimi had never been able to part with. Setsuna hadn't realized it held such power. Though the question remained: where was she? Her grandmother was being unsurprisingly cryptic, and yet Setsuna knew she could be blunt when she wished to be. Perhaps it was best to try another avenue, since her grandmother was unwilling to answer her.
"Can I speak to Father?"
Inukimi hesitated. "Very well."
Hardly a second passed before her father's voice filled the air. "Setsuna."
Her body blossomed with relief, although she didn't understand why. The darkness hadn't seemed all that intimidating before, but now that she was aware of her family and that they were separated, she became wary again of its empty promises. "Father, what's happening?"
"Be brave, Setsuna."
Setsuna frowned. "I'm not afraid, Father." Rather, his hoarse voice appeared to bely his fear.
Suddenly, something tugged on her hand, and she looked down, finding a little green imp in a loincloth latched onto her. He looked not unlike Jaken. "What? Who are you?"
Another one appeared, tugging on her other arm. And then another on her right leg and still another on her left leg. They started tugging her towards the door of light.
"F-Father, it looks like I have to go. Jaken's relatives have come for me."
"Setsuna, stay where you are." His voice cracked halfway through the command.
"Father, I can't—they're pulling so hard! Help me!"
"Fight them, Setsuna."
Setsuna started to cry, feeling again like a child but unable to help it. "I…I don't want to go with them! I want to stay with you! Fa…Papa, help me!"
There was no answer.
"Papa? Papa! Papa, please!" Setsuna begged as the imps dragged her towards the light.
"Setsuna," her grandfather called out again, and when she turned towards the door, she swore she saw him standing there, reaching out to her. "Come, my dear—you won't be lonely. Stay with me until the others arrive."
She stopped resisting the imps then as they pulled her towards him. She had never met her grandfather before, and yet he radiated the same warmth as Uncle Inuyasha as well as the power her father possessed. He would care for her. He would protect her. She knew it.
"SETSUNA!" Towa's scream lanced through the air and her heart.
Setsuna spun around. "Towa?"
"SETSUNA!"
Setsuna pulled back against the grip of the imps. "Towa! Towa, I'm here! Help me!"
"NO, SETSUNA!" A light opened back the way she had come, pouring warmth into this cold land, and Towa's voice rang from it.
Setsuna yanked her hand free and reached towards the light, straining to grasp at least even one ray. That was the light she wanted—not the one where her grandfather stood. "I'm here, Towa! Help me!"
An arc of blue light flew through the opening, passing through Setsuna but obliterating the imps around her. Setsuna stumbled forward, free of their grip. But she picked herself up and ran as fast as she could towards the light, keeping her hand outstretched.
It was so bright she could barely see, but a dark shape reached for her, and as Setsuna came closer, she could just barely make out the shimmering form of her sister, her pale hand outstretched. Yet…this person was both Towa and not Towa. Her hair was still short but black, and a crescent moon blazed on her forehead like a beacon guiding Setsuna home.
Then the light started fading, closing in around her sister.
"No! Towa, don't leave me!"
Setsuna grasped her sister's fingers, and the world went white.
AN: It should be no surprise to you at this point that when I say, "Only one more chapter!" it ends up being a lie because I write too much.
So yes. You are getting an epilogue, which will be the REAL ending to this. I tried to tack it onto the end of this chapter, but I liked where this ended, and I'm still trying to figure out how to tackle the epilogue itself. So rejoice(?)! One more update to go, haha.