Without You

Towa was accustomed to a life full of close call's. First a raging forest fire consumed her home – the forest within the barrier. She was separated from Setsuna but both survived. More close call's followed during their journey to return Setsuna's dreams to her from the dream butterfly. Then, most notably of all, she narrowly escaped mourning her sister permanently after a fight that set the cosmos abuzz with word of two great energies battling tooth and nail over a fictitious prophecy – a despicable byproduct of a malevolent jewel that had since been destroyed; courtesy of Moroha's parents, her aunt Kagome and Uncle Inuyasha.

Saving his twin daughters again, Sesshomaru showed up six seconds to midnight just in time to bestow his broken Tenseiga to Towa. Blinking her tears away she scoffed looking at him as if to say 'This is the best you can offer? A Broken old sword?' But Sesshomaru looked at her knock off Kikujūmonji and lifted an eloquent eye brow. Following his gaze she looked down at the handle of her own blade, tucked away in its sheath. This too was a broken sword that she managed to use to manifest her own demonic energy blade. Slowly, she put two and two together. Rising quickly she accepted the sword from her father and focused her demonic energy into Tenseiga… and nothing.

Eyes pleading, she looked towards her father who remained stoic. Desperately she asked, "I don't understand! I just think about the need to protect when I manifest my own blade. I can't make this broken sword do anything like that."

Sesshomaru spoke, his voice smooth and calm, "Then you must find another way."

Using her free hand to grab erratically at her hair she paced back and forth. "I can't think of another way! I can't think of anything aside from failing her, I'm her big sister, I couldn't protect her! How could I possibly believe that I could bring her back from the dead?"

In a blink, Sesshomaru had ahold of Towa by the scruff of her neck, his forhead pressed up against hers; she thought she maybe imagined a hint of anxiety flash across his eyes… but if it was there, it was long gone. "You must focus your desire to protect."

Taking some shaky, deep, calming breaths, Towa blew a puff of air out and upward blowing her bangs out of her face. "Ok. I can. I can do this."

She backed away from her father, focusing on Setsuna; her father's sword lifeless in her hand. Pushing away the doubt, the despair, and the feeling of helplessness she began to think of the extreme desire to protect her sister. Keeping her focus, she felt her hand holding the sword warm and then her demonic light burst forth. Upon closer inspection of Setsuna's body, the pal bearers of death appeared before her, wrapping chains around her lifeless sister.

"Vanquish them." Her father looked upon her and there was no mistaking the emotion she heard as he spoke. Pride. Towa's chest swelled as she brought Tenseiga down to slay the death collectors in one powerful sweep. Setsuna was still. Towa looked at her sister with wild eyes as she had yet to move.

"Father," it sounded more of a plea than a call, "Nothing is happening… Something should have happened? Why isn't she back…" Sesshomaru cut her rambling off when he cupped his daughters cheek.

"Listen," was all he said to her. She closed her eyes. She could hear many sounds of nature. Her own heart thrumming in her ears. She focused. She heard her fathers heart beat and then… Softer, much quieter heart sound coming from her sister. Towa's eyes opened and met her fathers, who now looked impassive yet again but did not relinquish his hold on his daughters cheek. It reminded Towa of the times Papa Sōta's would touch her cheek and give her a pep talk before starting a new school year. Mostly this comforted him than her. Maybe the enigma that was Sesshomaru felt emotions after all.

Setsuna sat up quickly and gasped out a breath of new life, coughing and sputtering out stale, depleted old air from her lungs. Towa dropped out of her fathers grasp and immediately attended her baby sister, who had no recollection of anything after her final blow from Kirinmaru. In the middle of Towa's explanation to her sister of the events preceding her death, she motioned to where Sesshomaru stood but was answered with a confused look from Setsuna. Sesshomaru had vanished.

"I swear sis, he was right there!" She looked around but a blur of red caught her eye from her peripheral vision.

"Moroha!" The twins shouted in unison as she pulled herself up off the ground. She approached and plopped down flat on her back throwing one arm over her eyes.

"I don't know how you did it, and I'm sure it's an exciting story, but welcome back Setsuna!" And then nothing but loud snores.

Setsuna and Towa looked at the sleeping Moroha and then at each other. Their eyes met and they both burst out laughing. They laughed, holding each other, and then they cried. Once everyone was loaded back up on Takechiyo they never mentioned the tears again. Afterall, they were the Princess Half Demons and to cry was to show weakness and weakness was not a trait that would keep you alive for long in this era.

"Happy birthday!" the demon slayers sat around a fire passing around a variety box of Uirō* that one of the boys had picked up from a near by village. Setsuna and Towa sat side by side enjoying the variety of flavors in the box. Towa couldn't focus on the conversation that Setsuna was so consumed in, she gazed down at the sweet treats that her friends had so graciously surprised them with. It was a delectable treat in this era, but she couldn't help but recall the beautiful birthday cakes Papa Sōta's and Moe had bought for this special day during her time in the modern era.

No one noticed as she wandered off into the woods with no particular destination, following only the calling of the forest. It had been not just months this time, but years since she had seen her father. After reviving her sister, Towa set out to find Sesshomaru. He was a great demon, certainly he would be able to train her to one day defeat every enemy that stood in her way in bringing her family back together. Moroha had also set off in search of her parents. Towa had a sneaking suspicion though that her father was the key to everything; but he proved to be elusive.

Now, at seventeen, Towa felt the weight of this task on her shoulders heavier than ever. The Tree of Ages had since also cut off her access to its secrets, the woman she suspected to be her birth mother locked away inside, with no hint how to get her out. Thinking of Moe, a woman who loved her unconditionally even though she wasn't her own blood, her thoughts wavered to her birth mother. Certainly it wouldn't be of her own choosing to abandon her children. Towa had designated her the benefit of the doubt. She would rescue her birth mom, ask her all of her questions, and maybe have some kind of relationship – though she couldn't yet imagine what that would look like.

Her legs bumped into something hard. Looking down, she found herself at the well in Inuyasha's forest. The clearing was lit up in the moonlight, the well grown over with vines and foilage. The tales of her Aunt Kagome were legendary now. The girl who would mysteriously disappear for extended periods of time into Inuyasha's forest and return, wearing strange clothes and bringing strange objects in her pack. Towa had suspected for some time she was either traveling through the tree of ages or another structure, when Kaede had confirmed after many questions regarding their missing parents.

So it was the old well she traveled through. Kaede wasn't much help beyond this tidbit of information. She was as baffled by Sesshomaru's mysterious behavior as everyone else. She only knew a little more than the twins had about the events that led to their illusion of abandonment.

With a deep breath, she looked around the clearing. She sensed nothing and saw no one. With one swift hop, she jumped over the ledge of the old well, tearing through plants on her way down. Her feet made contact with the bottom. Blinking, she looked around and was immediately disappointed. As someone who had time traveled before, she knew this was not anything like her previous experience. No bright light, no rainbow corridor, no strange feeling. With a sigh, she hopped up out of the well and sat at its edge. Whatever mysterious power this well once held was long since extinguished.

"It took your father much longer to piece this one together." Towa's hair stood up on the back of her neck upon hearing Kirinmaru's voice. Along with her father, he became untraceable, hidden away. Immediately Towa jumped into a defensive stance in the direction she heard his voice from, but was met with the empty meadow and a dilapidated old well. She turned quickly, looking around, her heart rate increasing making the most distracting pounding sound in her ears.

"Show yourself, you coward! If it's round two that you want, I'm ready. I've trained for two years for this moment. Get out here!" She continued to spin around, looking for the disembodied laugh that seemed to lay over her like a blanket, inescapable and frustrating.

"You'll never find me acting so erratic, pup." The audacity. Towa went from afraid to angry quickly.

"First of all, I'm no pup! Secondly, I am not erratic. If you would come out I'd…" But she was cut off. In an instant, Kirinmaru was behind her, one strong arm holding both of hers against her body, the other hand holding her chin as he whispered in her ear, "I know you have pursued me. You did get close a few times and could you have really put your demon senses to use, you would have found me. You have much to learn."

"Get your hands off me!" Towa growled out as she tried with all of her might to dislodge his arms from around her to no avail. She was pissed. She was a little afraid. And she was a new feeling that was very confusing and unfamiliar. She tried to focus her mind to think of a way out of this situation but all she could do was smell him. Feel him. Hear his breath, which to the human ears would appear normal, but Towa was able to hear the slight hitch every time she struggled against him.

He smelled of the ocean and fresh air with a hint of something musky she couldn't quite put her finger on. He felt rock hard behind her. She struggled between wanting to conquer him and remain in his grasp. The second of these options seemed dangerous and her sense of self preservation won out when she stepped back hard on his foot. It certainly caught him off guard just enough to loosen his grip so that Towa could slip out of his arms and attempt the same hold on him.

Popping up behind him, it took both of her arms to hold his down to his sides. He started to raise his arms so Towa jumped up to wrap both of her legs around him as well, in an attempt to hold him in place. She felt a rumble from his chest, which she realized was a laugh before an electrifying burst of demonic energy sent her flying toward a large tree at a high speed and she could only just brace for impact as she approached. When she expected contact though, there was none, but instead she found herself in the same position as before, arms secured at her side.

She pushed her demonic energy out with all of her might but was unable to disengage him like he was able to do to her. She thought back to their last battle, she was so driven to protect Setsuna that she called forth the energy of her grandfather, the great dog demon of the west and was able to go blow to blow with him. Now, there was no one to protect aside from herself and she kicked her psyche for not valuing her own sense of self preservation as much as she did those around her.

He laughed a deep, hearty laugh. "You must draw your energy at will, not with stimulation. Relying on the threat to those around you to call forth your energy is a fast way to lose to your opponent."

Towa's growl was audible. She was not a growler. She was unsure where this came from within her but she deemed it appropriate for the situation. "If you're going to kill me then, just get it over with. I'm bored of this game. I spent two years looking for any sign of you, Sesshomaru, my aunt and uncle, and even my mother… but nothing. Now you show up as I try to figure out the missing piece to this puzzle just to slow me down."

"Ha." He laughs out. "If every answer you seek was handed to you and not earned, you would not gain anything from it. Without an adversary, you will not improve. You have no worthy opponent. There is no one else but me to stand in your way."

Towa was confused. She mulled this over when the idea hit her. Flee.

She pushed her foot backwards behind Kirinmaru's legs, bringing it back behind his ankle to kick his leg out from under him. She felt him go back, feeling victorious, when suddenly he brought her backwards with him, flipping her under him flat on her back, hands secured above her head as he laid his much larger frame over her.

Her breath caught in her throat as they were nearly nose to nose. With every breath she inhaled his scent, each lung full clouding her mind. His warmth gave a false sense of security, like kindling burning in a fire during a chilly night. Warm. Inviting. Ready to burn you if you get too close. Towa couldn't help but glance down at the space between them, his legs straddling hers keeping them tightly in place, his chest meeting hers where her now full breasts lay heaving between them.

More laughing brought her attention back to him. "You are young and inexperienced. Influenceable. You are overwhelmed by my aura."

Towa's face reddened at the realization of getting busted, checking out her assailant. She relaxed backwards, instinctively tilting her head to the side offering her neck. Kirinmaru was not of the dog demon tribe, but in his years of experience immediately identified the act of submission. Towa felt a hardness form against her legs where Kirinmaru straddled her. Relating back to the birds and the bee's talk with Moe, a tight feeling formed deep – deep within her. She tightened her thighs together as her brain fogged over. If she should die here and now, maybe this feeling wouldn't be a bad one to have on the way out. And then… nothing.

A cool breeze blew across her, indicating the warmth that blanketed her was gone. She sat up Indian style and closed her eyes, focusing her yokai. For a moment, she felt a small tendril of what she identified as Kirinmaru's energy… but as soon as she found it, it was gone. Focusing for some odd amount of hours, there was nothing and she abandoned the endeavor and headed for the springs to wash off the scent of him and her own confusing new smell she produced during the encounter. There was no need to worry Setsuna with this information, as a now missing Kirinmaru wasn't much of a lead anyway.

Ok ya'll, I don't know why, but I'm suddenly obsessed about the idea of shipping an older Towa with Kirinmaru. I don't know (or frankly care) how this will be received by the fan community, but why the hell not am I right? Logically I know this is probably one ship we will never see come to life, but it's fun in the mean time! Enjoy.