Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 7: Brother Knows Best?

Kaname had no idea of where she was, nor did she really care. All she knew at the moment was that she was alone, sitting on a bench with a streetlight shining a short distance away. And at that moment…she wasn't even sure she knew that much about where she was…or what.

Rivers of tears flowing down her face, her hands cupped over her eyes with her nails gouging into her forehead, Kaname sat hunched forward, lost in a world of fear and confusion. What's happening to me…? Kaname asked herself, the same question she had asked herself many times that evening. A question that didn't even come close to expressing her confusion…and her desperate need for peace, for reassurance. Things that did not seem possible to her.

When she had been held prisoner by the thug before, Kaname been drowning in a sea of terror. Her mind numb with the knowledge that death was mere moments away from her, her life in the hands of a punk that had been as crazed as a cornered animal, just wounded and frightened enough to make truly dangerous. She had seen her own terrified reflection in his knife as it had pressed against her skin. And then…

Gasping as that cruel moment returned to her, Kaname resisted it. She wanted to forget it, to forget everything that had happened that day, to wake up in her bed and have everything back to the way it had been that morning. But no matter how much she wished for it, it didn't happen, and instead, that terrible moment came back to her again. The moment when she had actually felt something changing within her, something that exploded out of her in a burst of flame and rage. And then…

That stuff I said…about flame…burning bright… Kaname thought numbly. What was I even saying? And where'd that – that thing come from? How'd get it inside of me? And why'd it – why did it -? Then another image flashed before her, as vivid and terrible as it had been when it had first happened. Of how the vengeful beast that she had somehow released had transformed into deadly wave of fire, and struck down her attacker.

As his screams echoed in her mind, despite her desperate efforts to blot them out, Kaname again felt that horror return to her. Over and over again, she told herself that she didn't mean for it to happen, that it was an accident, that whatever forces had caused it were forces beyond her control. But none of these changed the fact that her hands had been stained with blood.

But this horror then subsided as she recalled what happened next. In her mind, she again watched as Michiru, her own brother, summoned a beast like the one that had scorched her attacker. But it had been unlike it as well; not only had its form been different, but it had been completely under Michiru's control. It had heeded his command, not once, but three times, allowing him to save her attacker's life.

But this knowledge did nothing to stave off her guilt, and even worse, it made her confusion and terror that much worse. My brother…how does he know about these things…Shikigami…they're supposed to be only a myth! How could he…when did he…brother…! A loud, broken sob sounded as she thought back to before. To the person that she had forced her to run from their attackers, that had struck down the one punk and had stood fearlessly when she had been used as another punk's shield. The person who had made it clear that he would not allow his sister to die or be taken away from him.

Except that person hadn't been the Michiru she had once known. Not the kind, gentle brother who blushed as easily as she did, whom she couldn't remember ever making a fist, let alone getting into a fight. The person who had come to her rescue was a warrior; strong, brave, unswerving. The person who had come for her…was someone she didn't know. Not anymore.

Brother… Kaname cried, her tears forming a small pool at her feet. Who are you...?

Practically choking as a wad of bile formed in her throat, hunched even further over. Begging the universe to let this night of madness end. For her to feel safe again.

The universe soon answered. It told her the madness was just beginning. And it did so in the voice she had once trusted implicitly. "Kaname?" came a voice that harkened back to the past. A voice that was spoken in just the right way, with the right inflictions, the right shyness, the right tenderness. A voice that caused her to turn about, and watch as Michiru came to stand in the streetlight.

"Brother…?" Kaname gasped, hope momentarily rising up in her. But then she noticed that he still had the sword he had been carrying with him. It was hanging in his belt, but still, it served as a reminder of what had happened. Of the person he had been when he had appeared before. And as these memories brought back all the madness from before, the Kururugi girl gasped before jumping to her feet. "Stay back…stay away from me…!"

The person before her reacted exactly as the Michiru she had once known would have. He sucked in a gasp, clearly stricken by her response. "What…?" he got out, his voice so quiet she could barely hear him. "Wait…Kaname, I…don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you…"

"How do I know that?" Kaname demanded, taking a step back from him.

The stranger she thought she knew looked even more like her brother. "How do you…Kaname…it's me," he told her pleadingly. "C'mon…you know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you…"

"How can I, Michiru? I don't know who you are anymore! I don't even know what you are!" Kaname shrilled, the tears flowing even more rapidly as she backed away from him. "Just stay away from me, please! Stay away…!"

"Kaname…" the boy who might once have been Michiru Kururugi murmured mournfully. "Please, I know how hard this must be for you. I know that you're scared, but you have to listen to me!"

"Oh, now you want me to listen to you?" Kaname shrilled, his words mixing with her fears and causing them to boil up into anger. "Why should I, Michiru? You've cut me off! You won't tell me anything!" This burst of anger quickly subsided, and an even deeper sorrow was born. "How can I trust you when I…I don't know who you are anymore…"

The air around them echoed with the sounds of her sobbing. A sound that caused a deep sadness to register on her twin's face. But at the same time, it also caused some of his gentle exterior to peel away, and reveal the tougher, more dangerous person he had become. "Because…I've been where you are right now," he told her, his voice trembling only the slightest bit. "Because, a while ago, I was the one who was alone and afraid. Trying to deal with things I didn't understand. With powers that I…I didn't even knew I had." Michiru lowered his gaze for a moment, and then looked back up and met her own eyes. "You…you remember the Doll Festival of Wishes, right?"

The Doll Festival. These words instantly rang a cord in Kaname. The day her brother had become someone else. As her conscious mind focused on these words, it was able to stop the terrified aspect of herself from moving any further away from Michiru. It forced her to look at him…and listen.

"When I went into the storehouse, I…something happened to me in there. Something I…I'm not even sure I can explain," Michiru told her, clearly struggling with each word he spoke. "But…that's where it all started for me. And it's because of that that I…I nearly died, Kaname." There was no kidding in his expression, nothing to indicate that he was telling anything but the truth. "And the only reason I didn't is because…of something I found inside of me."

Remaining still, Kaname looked at him, her scattered, distraught mind trying desperately to maintain itself, to put everything together. "The…Shikigami…?"

"Yes," Michiru confirmed. "It was the same way for me at first. The power…it came when I needed it, not when I wanted it to. I couldn't control it at all." He paused for a moment, at which Kaname saw a deep, abiding sadness darken his features. "And if I…I hadn't met certain people, then…I never would have gotten control of them. And I never would have been able to survive…what came afterwards."

"Certain people…?" Kaname repeated blankly. "You mean those…friends of yours?" Michiru nodded again. "But…what happened to you? How could you…how could you have changed so much…in one day?"

"I…it was longer than that for me, Kaname," Michiru explained gingerly. "I…do you remember that book we once read? You know? 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'?"

Kaname blinked a few times, her mind struggling to come up with the information required. After an excruciatingly long period of time, the memories began to clear the blockage caused by her terror. It had been when they had been learning to read English at school, and their teacher had told them to select a book and read it as best as they could, and then write a report about it, in order to show how well they had understood what they had read. And the book they had chosen and worked on together had been 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'. As she once again nodded, Michiru smiled wanly at her. "When I went into the storehouse, I…fell someplace else. And it took me a long time before I could find my way back home."

"How…?" Kaname started, only for her throat to clench. Swallowing loudly, she tried again. "How long?"

"Three months," Michiru told her earnestly. "I was gone three months, Kaname. And when I came back…only a few seconds had gone by here."

Gasping, Kaname took an involuntary step back, and was beset by several forces. One of them was a girl who was beset by terror, the one who told her that her brother was lying, that she should run away from him, and never look back. Another was the person that desperately needed someone to hold her, to reassure her, to tell her that everything was going to be alright, to make her fears go away.

And then there was another voice, one of rational thought, which was picking up on every word her brother told her, and putting the pieces together. And this voice told her that he was telling at least part of the truth. She had known right from the beginning that he had changed after going into the storehouse, and more importantly, his story explained how he had changed so much in so little time. As this part of her mind told her this, the fearful part of her said that it was impossible, that there was no way anything so incredible could happen. To which the voice that urged her to trust her brother asked if magical spirits appearing from nowhere was any better.

Her mind overloading from this sudden conflict, Kaname frowned and cocked her head to the side. "But…why didn't you tell me any of this before?" she asked, her voice weak and drained. "Why didn't you trust me?"

"I do trust you, Kaname," Michiru assured. Heaving a deep sigh, he shrugged and shook his head. "But…I never could figure out how to tell you…any of this. It all seemed so…incredible to me, and I was living it!" He held up his hands helplessly, before letting them fall back to his sides. "My powers, my friends…everything that's happened to me…I didn't know how to tell you about…any of it."

Continuing to watch her brother intently, Kaname sighed as much of the fear and confusion he had inspired in her finally subsided. The things he told her all fit so perfectly, made so much sense, and they all carried with them a ring of truth that she couldn't ignore. "I…" she tried to speak, but she was unable to say anything. Everything that had happened to her that evening had taken their toll on her, and much of the energy she still had left had been provided by a mix of fear and adrenaline. Now these were fading, leaving her to stagger back to the bench and flop down on it. "Brother, I…I didn't…"

Rushing up to his sister's side, Michiru was soon seated next to her. "It's okay, Kaname," he told her, wrapping his arms about her shoulders. He then held her up and held her so that her head was resting on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. I…I should have told you. I…should have found some way to…" A ragged sniffle cutting him off, he looked down and tightened his grip on her. "Oh, Kaname, I'm so sorry…"

Returning her brother's embrace, Kaname sat there as all of her unspent tears came to the fore, and ran down her cheeks. And it wasn't just because of the fears and guilt that still clung to her; she was crying out of relief as well. After all this time, all the excuses and evasions, Michiru had opened up to her. He was her brother again.

"I understand…" Kaname murmured, joy struggling to emerge from the emotional quagmire. "I…I don't know how I'm going to explain…any of this to Mom and Dad." Sniffing loudly, she pulled her brother closer. "How am I going to tell them that… that I'm a…a killer…?"

"No, no, no, no! Kaname, you didn't kill anyone!" Michiru told her gingerly. Pushing her back just enough so as to be able to look her in the eyes, he smiled tenderly at her. "Remember? I was able to heal him? And I sent for an ambulance, so he…he's going to be just fine."

Unsure whether it because she knew he was telling the truth, or if she was simply so desperate to believe that she was free of the taint of blood, Kaname found herself looking hopefully at Michiru. "R-really? You're sure?" Kaname asked. When he nodded his certainty, she managed a weak smile of her. "Thank you." But a moment later, an ugly possibility occurred to her. "But…what if he tells the police…or someone else about us? What if…?"

"Don't you worry about that, Kaname. I'll take care of everything," Michiru told her, his voice completely resolute. "Right now, let's just get back home. We can talk more about this tomorrow." Then he shot her an encouraging smile, and added, "And when you feel up to it, I'll tell you everything that happened to me after I went into the storehouse that day."

If it were possible, Kaname would have squeezed her brother even more tightly. She was finally going to learn the truth about what had happened to him. She would finally understand how he had come to be the person that had fought in her defense. The wall of secrets between them would at last come down. "Brother…"

"Oh, and I almost forgot." Looking up in surprise, Kaname saw a mischievous smile playing about her brother's face. He then reached over the side of the bench, and picked up the bags of clothes she'd bought that day. "I remembered to pick these up after the battle. Thought you might want them back."

Gasping in surprise and delight, Kaname reached out and gladly accepted the bags. "Thanks…bro," she murmured, sniffling loudly and wiping her eyes.

"You ready to get going?" Michiru asked.

Nodding dumbly, Kaname frowned as something else occurred to her. "But…what are we going to tell Mom and Dad?" she wondered, Michiru's own concerns becoming increasingly clear. "We can't tell them about this, or about what I…I…"

"I know, I know," Michiru nodded as helped her to her feet. "We'll tell them about the attack, but we'll leave out the Shikigami. At least, for now." Shooting him a distressed look, she watched as he responded with one of sad necessity. "I'm sorry, but right now…I don't think we should tell them about this."

Blinking a couple times, Kaname then nodded. "Yeah…I guess you're right," she finally admitted. "I…this is some pretty scary stuff, isn't it?"

"It can be at times," Michiru admitted. "C'mon. Let's go home." Without further protest, the Kururugi twins started forward. Tired, battered, emotionally drained…but together.

As Kagome donned her pajamas, she looked down at her bed, and gave it a thoughtful smile. I better enjoy it while I can, she thought ruefully. Starting tomorrow, it'll be back to sleeping on the ground. Shaking her head at this, the modern priestess gave a long yawn, and prepared to go to sleep. While she had long since gotten used to sleeping out in the open in the Feudal Era, safe in the knowledge that InuYasha would be watching over her and her friends, there was something to be said for modern conveniences and creature comforts. Oh, well. At least I don't have to worry about anything going crazy for now…

A few minutes later, Kagome would be kicking herself for saying such a thing. She would be yelling at herself, saying that she should know better than to tempt fate like that. For no sooner had this casual thought been completed, she heard her mother calling out to her. "Kagome! InuYasha. Michiru's on the phone."

"Huh?" Kagome got out, unsure if her weary mind had processed her mother's words correctly.

"Michiru's calling?" InuYasha was heard responding some distance away. "What about?"

"I don't know," Kagome's mother replied. "He just said that it was very important, and that he had to talk to you."

"Well, then give me the phone already!" InuYasha growled. A few seconds later, the half-demon was talking in a somewhat gentler manner. "Hey, Michiru! What is it? Is something…whoa, what's that? What did you say?"

Upon hearing the change in InuYasha's voice, Kagome groaned heavily. Oh, great, she grumbled inwardly, massaging her now-throbbing head. What's happened this time? If it's another monster like Ryokage, I swear…! Rolling her eyes, she realized that her night's rest would have to wait, and so she got up and started downstairs. Whatever it is, it better be important…!

Taking a moment to think of the things she would do to Michiru if this was anything less than an emergency, and making a mental note to ask Kaede to show her how to make more Beads of Subjugation, just in case, Kagome arrived downstairs and glowered in the direction of the phone, where the half-demon was still talking. "Well, is she alright?" InuYasha demanded, a look of genuine concern on his face. Unable to hear Michiru's response, Kagome simply watched and waited as InuYasha growled unhappily. "Aw, damn…! I swear, those punks better hope that I never run into them, or I swear that I'll…okay, okay. I get the idea! We'll be right there! Just hang on!" Without another word, he slammed the phone down so hard that it seemed impossible that it didn't shatter from the impact before turning around. "It's about time, Kagome! Let's go!"

"Let's go where?" Kagome demanded crossly. "What's going on, anyway? And what did Michiru want?"

"Michiru said that he and his sister were attacked by some punks on their way home," InuYasha reported, causing Kagome to gasp as her anger switched to concern.

"Oh, no…!" she gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth. "A-are they alright?"

"Eh, he says that they're fine, but there's something else. Remember how Sota was asking if maybe Michiru's sister had the same powers he has?" Kagome gave a confused nod, to which InuYasha snorted. "Guess what? There ain't no 'maybes' about it!"

It took Kagome a few moments to realize what InuYasha was saying, and when she did, her face fell in shock. "What? Y-you mean…she has the Shikigami as well?"

"That's right. Whatever happened, it scared her so bad that she summoned her Shikigami without even realizing what she was doing!" InuYasha snarled, his hands tightening into fists. "He didn't say much, but from what I could tell, she's really freaking out about it."

"Whew. Can't say I blame her," Kagome muttered, knowing full well how badly such things could hit someone. Sighing wearily, her immediate desire for sleep forgotten, she nodded before starting back upstairs. "Okay, just give me a minute to get dressed, okay? I'll be right back down!"

"Whatever! Just don't take too long!" InuYasha growled crossly.

As quickly as she could, Kagome raced up to her room and shucked her pajamas. Then she basically threw on some fresh clothes, and then darted back downstairs. "Okay, I'm ready!" she told them. "Let's get going!"

"Okay, then," Mrs. Higurashi spoke, holding up a map. "Here. I marked Michiru's address down on this map."

"Thanks, Mom," Kagome beamed as she took the map, truly appreciative of her mother's preparations.

"Aw, what do we need a map for?" InuYasha demanded. "We already know where the Kururugi Shrine is! We've been there before! Right, Kagome?"

Pausing just long enough to wonder why InuYasha had to be so lacking in common sense, Kagome countered, "Uh, yeah, in the Feudal Era! But that doesn't mean that we can find it so easily in this time!" The only response she got to this was a derisive snort, which suited her just fine. "Anyway, thanks again, Mom. We'll be back as soon as we can."

"Okay," Mrs. Higurashi acknowledged. "I just hope that Michiru and his sister are alright."

"They better be," InuYasha growled as he followed Kagome out into the night. "Or there's going to be hell to pay!"

Despite the fact that InuYasha moved as fast as he could, carrying Kagome to the Kururugi Shrine, he still couldn't get there fast enough. It had nothing to do with the weight of his human friend, or the fact that Kagome had right about them needing the map to navigate their way to the modern day Kururugi Shrine. The fact of the matter was that one of the few friends he had was in trouble, had been attacked while InuYasha had not been present to stop it. And in the face of that knowledge, he could never have gotten there fast enough.

As InuYasha bounded along the rooftops, doing his best to stay out of sight, his frustration made itself known as he growled, "How much further until we get to the Shrine?"

"Hmm…let's see…" Kagome muttered, frowning as she tried to study the map as it was blown about by the wind. "We should be getting pretty close now. The Kururugi Shrine is just a couple blocks down this road."

"Right," InuYasha growled as he leapt forward, frowning as he followed Kagome's instructions. While he wasn't overly surprised that a great deal would change in the five hundred years between his time and this modern one, the strange layout of this city still made it somewhat difficult to navigate at times. Especially with none of the familiar scent trails that he knew so well to help him navigate.

Grumbling internally over this inconvenience, as well as his own impatience, InuYasha kept moving forward. Looking at the various houses and other buildings that littered the landscape, searching with all his senses for something familiar. Anything that would mark one of the houses as his destination. Instead, he was forced to listen to Kagome as she said, "We're getting closer. And according to the map, Michiru's place should be on the right side of the street."

Stifling the temptation to make a snide remark about the map's continued existence being dependant on its accuracy, InuYasha focused his attention on the right side. And it was then that something tickled his nose. "Huh?" the half-demon got out, instinctively taking a deeper sniff of the strange scent. A scent that was very familiar. "Ha! There we are!"

"What is it?" Kagome wondered.

"The Shrine! I can smell it!" InuYasha returned, already tracking the source of the scent.

A series of incomprehensible noises echoed in Kagome's throat before she could speak again. "Wait a minute. You can smell the Shrine?"

"Yeah. It's got that same strange smell as before!" InuYasha declared, remembering how they had first found Kururugi Village. The strange smell that was mixed with the forest smell that had led them there. "It's coming from…over there!" Coming down from his latest leap, he took a moment to orient himself with the scent before turning enough to follow it. Disregarding the roads and the other houses, the half-demon bounded about, almost completely ignoring Kagome's startled cries as he shot forward.

After what seemed like an eternity, they reached a good-sized house and shrine compound, both of which were a good deal larger than the one where Kagome lived. Also, unlike the Higurashi Shrine, it was much closer to the streets and businesses. And most importantly, from InuYasha's perspective, it was also marked with a sign that said 'Kururugi Shrine'. Snorting in triumph, the half-demon landed to the Shrine itself, where he knelt down and allowed Kagome to disembark.

"Wow. Michiru was right," Kagome marveled as she looked about their surroundings. "The Shrine hasn't changed a bit from the way it is in the Feudal Era. And the atmosphere here…it's just like it was in Kururugi Village."

"Hmph. Nice to know that some things don't change," InuYasha declared before getting down to business. "Alright. Go up and knock and see if you can get Michiru out here."

"Okay. Just make sure you stay out of sight," Kagome cautioned him. Before InuYasha could let her know that he didn't need to be reminded of something so basic, the modern girl was darting off towards the house. Leaving InuYasha to do one of the things he despised most; wait.

Growling beneath his breath, InuYasha positioned himself at the corner of the Shrine, getting into the best possible position to be able to see what was going on without being spotted from the house. And thus he was able to see everything as Kagome made her way up to the front door, and gave it a polite knock. Several seconds passed before the door opened, revealing a person that looked much like an older, bearded version of Michiru himself. "Who's there?"

"Um, hi…!" Kagome squeaked in response, taken aback by the stern, forbidding voice she had been greeted with. "Um…I'm Kagome Higurashi. One of Michiru's friends…"

The person who could only have been Michiru's father relaxed a bit at this introduction. "Oh, yes. You're the one Michiru spent the night with last week." Frowning somewhat, he considered his visitor for a time before saying, "Ms. Higurashi, please forgive my bluntness, but this is not the best time for visitors."

"No, no, I understand!" Kagome replied, smiling like an idiot as she took a step back. "I didn't mean to intrude but…I just got a call from your son, and I just wanted to check on him, that's all."

There was another pause as the Kururugi patriarch considered Kagome's words. "I see," he muttered, visibly considering the matter. After a short time, he turned back to the house and called, "Michiru! Michiru, you have a visitor!"

"What? A visitor?" Michiru cried out in response. A short time later, he appeared alongside his father, his face falling in surprise. "Kagome, what the – what are you doing here?"

Now it was Kagome's turn to look surprised. "Why…I'm checking up on you, of course!" she told him, almost laughing as she spoke. When Michiru failed to laugh or say anything in response, she tried again. "We…when you called before, you said that…you'd run into trouble on the way home, and…!"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, but Kagome, I – I didn't mean for you to -!" Michiru started, only to cut himself off. "Umm…would it be easier to talk about…whatever it is you wanted to talk about…outside?"

"Hmm…yeah, I think you can safely say that," Kagome told him.

A drop of sweat rolling down Michiru's forward, something InuYasha didn't understand at all, the Kururugi boy then turned to his father. "Um…Dad? Would you mind if Kagome and I talked in private?"

"I…suppose it would be alright," Mr. Kururugi replied after a moment's thought. "But try and keep it brief, alright? It's late, and I don't want you two disturbing Kaname. She's been through enough as it is."

"Right. Thanks, Dad!" Michiru returned before exiting the house. Pausing just to let Kagome take the lead, he then followed her over to the Shrine.

As soon as the Kururugi boy rounded the corner of the Shrine, InuYasha stepped forward. "Hey, Michiru!" he began as his friend ground to a halt before him. "We got here as fast as we could!

His entire body jolted with surprise, Michiru looked hard at his friend. "InuYasha, what are you doing here?" he gasped out, looking from him to Kagome in astonished horror.

Of all the things that InuYasha would have expected his friend to say, this had not even come close to being one of them. "Why…because we were worried about you, that's why!" he retorted aggressively. "When you called on the phone, you said that you and your sister had been attacked by some thugs! That she was going nuts about her having your powers, and -!"

"I know, I know!" Michiru groaned despondently. "But…InuYasha, when I called you, I didn't mean for you to come by tonight!"

"Huh?" The world seemed to list on its side as InuYasha's brain rocked from the impact of what Michiru had just said. Time seemed to stand still as he struggled to recover, and when it did, his astonishment promptly changed to anger. "What do you mean, you didn't mean for us to come by tonight! I thought you were worried about your sister and her powers waking up and all that!"

"I am, InuYasha! Believe me, I am!" Michiru assured them. Then he cast a glance back at his house, apparently wanting to make certain that no one came out and spotted them. "But…Kaname's been having a real rough time with this. With a lot of things, really, and…she's having a hard time coping with what happened as it is. I don't want her to have to deal with more than one shock at a time, and meeting an actual half-demon…than might be more than she can take right now."

"That makes sense. I remember how hard a time I had dealing with everything when I first landed in the Feudal Era." But even Kagome conceded this point, she frowned at her friend. "But…what do you mean that she's been having a rough time lately? What, are your parents fighting or something."

Michiru gave a slow shake of his head before heaving a deep, weary sigh. "No, it's nothing like that, Kagome." He then went on to explain that Kaname had noticed that something was different with Michiru after he'd returned from the Feudal Era. "I didn't even realize how…noticeable it was," he admitted with a helpless shrug. "But…Kaname noticed, and when I didn't tell her about what was going on with me…"

"I see," Kagome nodded. "Then you haven't told her…?"

"I was about to. You know…when those creeps started coming after us," Michiru replied somewhat defensively. "And I've already told her some of the stuff that happened to me after I fell back in time, but not a lot of it. I don't want to hit her with this stuff all at once." Again, Kagome nodded, and then frowned when the Shikigami User let his gaze fall to the ground. "Also…when I was fighting those creeps...they were planning on cutting off one of her fingers, and beating her up and even worse! And when I saw that…"

"They were what?" InuYasha snarled. Growling deep in his throat, he shook his head wrathfully. "Bunch of cowards…I sure hope you gave them what they had coming!"

"Uh…I don't think you need to worry about that, InuYasha. I had to use my Shikigami in order to stop them," Michiru informed him. "But Kaname…I really took her by surprise. And that, combined with her own Shikigami coming out…"

"Yeah. That's not the kind of thing a person can handle very easily," Kagome agreed sadly.

Nodding, Michiru looked back and forth between his friends. "Look…don't get me wrong, I really do appreciate you both coming out here. I really do. But…when I called you and asked if you could come by, what I meant was I going to see how Kaname was doing in the morning. And if she felt up to meeting you two, then would it have been okay if you stopped over before heading back to the Feudal Era." Frowning heavily, he wore his guilt like a shroud of mourning. "I don't want to keep these things secret from her anymore, but at the same time, I don't want to push her into anything before she's ready."

"Of course you don't," Kagome murmured, placing her hand on Michiru's shoulder. "She's your sister. It's only natural that you want to take care of her. Right, InuYasha?"

The half-demon didn't respond at first, simply because his own problematic history when it came to family. But then he looked at his friend, and remembered that his was a different situation. "Yeah, sure," InuYasha finally agreed. "And…yeah, we can stop by tomorrow morning, if you think she's up for it. And if not…" Taking a moment to study his friend, he gave him a wry grin. "Hey, it's not like there's anything stopping us from stopping back in this crazy world a little later, right?"

"Huh?" Michiru gaped, with Kagome echoing this sound a moment later.

"After all, Naraku's dead, right? All that's really left to do is track down the Sacred Jewel Shards, and with the compass, that's turning into a real easy job!" InuYasha grinned clapping Michiru on the back. "So I figure we could come back here in a couple weeks, and you can introduce us all then! How's that sound?"

Michiru spent a few minutes blinking at his friend before finally smiling. "Thanks, InuYasha. I really do appreciate it."

"Eh, it's no big deal!" InuYasha returned, all too happy to see his friend smiling once again. Then he turned his attention to another, less pleasant subject. "So…I guess you won't be able to stop by Kagome's place tomorrow then, huh?"

His smile immediately fading, Michiru shook his head. "No. Sorry about that, but…until Kaname's Shikigami are fully awakened and under her control, they're still dangerous. So I want to get to work on waking them up and teaching her how to use them as soon as possible." Letting loose a derisive snort, he added, "Besides, I need to spend some time with her. Make up for lost time."

"I know how that feels," Kagome told him. "Okay. Call us tomorrow if you think Kaname can handle visitors. If not…well, I guess we'll see you in a couple weeks, then."

"Yeah," Michiru nodded. "Oh, uh…can you do me a favor and tell everyone back in the Feudal Era about Kaname and her powers? And that I'm sorry I didn't have time to record another message for them?"

"Sure! No problem!" InuYasha assured him.

Kagome nodded her agreement, but then looked back at their friend's house. "Anyway, you better get inside before your parents start wondering what's keeping you," she told him. "We'll head back home. Be sure to let us know tomorrow whether or not Kaname's up for meeting us."

"I will," Michiru promised them. Before turning to leave, he added, "Thanks, you two. I really appreciate it."

The both of them stood there and watched as Michiru retreated back into his home, waiting until he was out of sight before speaking again. "We better get going, InuYasha," Kagome murmured wearily. "I need to get some sleep, and I get the feeling tomorrow's going to be a long day."

This was a feeling that InuYasha had as well. "Tell me about it," he muttered gruffly, looking up at the Kururugi residence. Several of the windows were lit up, but only two of them showed any activity going on beyond them. One was on the first floor, and the other was on the second. And judging by the sound of voices speaking indistinctively, the second floor room was where the majority of Michiru's family was. Which made it very likely that that room was where Michiru's twin sister was.

As he thought these things, an idea began to form in InuYasha's mind. And idea that immediately received fire from one part of his mind, which quickly reminded him that Michiru had said his sister was not in any condition to handle additional shocks. It also chimed in that what he was considering seemed like an excellent way to wind up on the receiving end of one of Kagome's 'sit' commands. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel concerned. His friend was very clearly upset about what happened to her, which meant that whatever happened was probably a lot worse than he let on. The fact that he was unable to do anything to help still didn't sit well with him, and he wanted to see with his own eyes what had happened.

Finally, telling himself that he wouldn't be seen, and that while he wasn't fond of Kagome's sits, this might well be worth one, InuYasha started, "Then again…wait here, Kagome." A noise of confusion her only answer, the half-demon leapt past her, and darted over to the Kururugi house, making certain to stay away from any of the rooms that he could hear people in.

"InuYasha! What are you doing?" he heard Kagome cry out, her voice muted somewhat as she tried to avoid being heard by anyone but him. "Get back already! Don't do something stupid!"

InuYasha ignored that. He had spent many of his childhood years dodging full demons that sought to devour him or slaughter him simply for existing, and while he wasn't especially fond of the subtle approach, he knew full well how to employ stealth when it suited his purposes. Which was he was able to leap up on a section of roof that divided the first and second floors softly enough so that the sound of his landing was barely audible even to his keen ears. Besides, there's no way Kagome can sit me right now! Not unless she wants to put a hole in the roof! Glancing down towards Kikyo's reincarnation, the half-demon could easily tell that such thoughts were burning through her mind. Her fist was clenched and her eyes were narrowed with frustration. Of course…she might decide to do it later…

Grumbling inwardly at this and taking a moment to picture all the things he'd like to be able to do if he ever got free of the accursed necklace that sat on his neck, InuYasha crept along the roof, the voices he heard becoming clearer. "Kaname, are you sure you don't need anything else?" came the voice of a kindly, mature woman, not unlike Kagome's mother.

"I'll be…alright, Mom," answered another female voice, this one a good deal younger. "I…I just need some rest, that's all."

That must be Kaname, InuYasha thought. A snarl slowly twisted his lips as he realized how heavy and broken her voice sounded. Dammit…she sounds like she went through hell tonight!

A heavy sigh was heard even as InuYasha thought these things. "Alright, then, but if you need anything, anything at all, then please, let me know. Okay?" Kaname didn't say anything to this, but it was possible she nodded. Especially given that her mother then said, "And Michiru, thanks for staying with Kaname tonight."

"It's no problem, Mom," Michiru assured her. "It's the least I can do, after everything that happened."

"I know, but…" The Kururugi matriarch trailed off, but then told her children, "Well, I'm going downstairs for now. But I'll be back to check on you both in a little bit."

"Okay. Thanks, Mom," Kaname replied, a sentiment that was quickly echoed by her brother. This was then followed by sounds of people embracing and kissing each other, and then a door being pulled open.

"I love you two so much," Michiru and Kaname's mother told them, her words borne of both deep sadness, and deep love. "Good night." The twins said good night as well, and the then door closed, and footsteps were heard moving away from their room.

As InuYasha hovered next to the bedroom window, he found himself momentarily drifting back to times long past. When he had been the subject of such sentiments, when he had known a mother's love, caring…and tears. Things that had all been cruelly stolen away from him a long time ago. Wincing as these memories, at the same time tender and painful, came to the fore, the half-demon gave a quick shake of his head before focusing on the present. Michiru and Kaname were alone in this room, and most likely focused on each other. He was never going to get a better chance to look in on them then he was now.

All hesitation forgotten, InuYasha crept up to the window, slowly angling himself so that he could see and not be seen. As he did so, Michiru asked, "So…how are you really doing, sis?"

"I…I'll be okay. I think," Kaname returned, her voice sounding even more strained. Whatever air of good cheer she had forced into place gone. "But…when you told Mom and Dad what happened…"

"I know, I know. I figured it would freak them out," Michiru admitted solemnly. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

InuYasha had gotten close enough to be able to see Michiru, as well as a good portion of Kaname's room. In terms of décor, it reminded him of Kagome's, but the feel of it, as well as the scent, were quite different. Different…but warm, gentle, and inviting, nonetheless. "Yeah, I know," Kaname replied. "I guess I understand why you didn't want to tell them about…well, you know. If they got that upset about us getting mugged, then…"

"Yeah. Imagine how they'd react to finding out that I spent three months in another world, fighting monsters and all that," Michiru commented ruefully. Studying his friend's position, InuYasha noted that he wasn't looking anywhere near the window. And thus, he could move in closer without risk of being seen. And so, he adjusted his position, and was able to get his first look at Kaname.

Michiru's twin was lying in bed, a strained smile on her face as she and her brother looked at each other. The first thing InuYasha noticed as he looked at her was her undeniable resemblance to her twin. They had the same hair color, the same eyes, and many of the same physical characteristics. Their respective scents blended together so much as to be virtually indistinguishable. But at the same time, Kaname was unmistakably female, with a full figure hidden beneath her pajamas and bed, and her hair was done differently, in a manner reminiscent of Utsugi's. But what really caught InuYasha's attention was the haunted, tormented look she wore.

Something horrible had happened to her, InuYasha realized. Something far worse than a simple encounter with modern bandits, worse than the shock he had seen on Michiru's face when he first discovered his own powers.

InuYasha remained at the window for a short time longer, just long enough to listen to the twins talking and comforting each other. But soon, he left their window, and again exercising caution, he darted back over to the Shrine. As soon as he got there, he was confronted with an angry glower from Kagome, whose eyes were narrowed and her hands were at her hips. "InuYasha, what do you think you were doing?" the modern priestess demanded. "Are you crazy? Were you trying to be spotted, is that it?"

"Aw, gimme a break, Kagome!" InuYasha growled, immediately annoyed. "I just worried, okay? All I wanted was to make sure Michiru's sister was okay! What, is there something wrong with that?"

Growling in her throat, Kagome leaned forward and glowered irritably at him. "No, there's nothing wrong with that. What's wrong is that you were practically begging to be spotted, when Michiru told us that he did not want Kaname or their parents to see you! Besides, Michiru already told us how she was doing, so why -?"

"No, he didn't, Kagome. He didn't tell us everything," InuYasha broke in somberly.

"What?" Kagome got out, frowning as her anger shifted to confusion. "Wait a minute…you're not saying that…you don't think Michiru was lying to us, do you?"

"Hey, I never said that!" InuYasha growled, sharply annoyed by this implication. Then his anger faded, and he looked back up at bedroom window where the twins still conversed. "I just…I think more went on then Michiru told us. Like…I don't know. Like something happened that he didn't want to talk about."

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but then frowned in consideration. "I guess it's possible," she reluctantly decided. "It's not like it'd be the first time he downplayed something because he didn't want to bother us about it."

"Exactly," InuYasha grumbled, thinking of his own secrets and how much he wanted to keep them a secret. Knowing from experience that there were many people with their own hidden pain. Things that they kept away from even their best friends, simply because those wounds hurt too much for them to allow to be exposed. "Anyway, I wouldn't bet on him wanting us by here tomorrow. I get the feeling he's going to have his hands full for a while." Gritting his teeth, the half-demon drove his fist into his hand. "Dammit it to hell! If only I'd been there! I could have gone with Michiru to meet his sister, and -!"

"No, you couldn't. Not without drawing attention," Kagome countered, her voice firm and gentle at the same time. "Besides, you can't blame yourself for this. There was no way you could have known something like this would happen."

Growling heavily, InuYasha considered these words. He knew that Kagome was right, but that didn't change how he felt. It didn't stop him from picturing himself coming to the Kururugi's defense, if only he had been there. And it didn't erase the sad faces worn by Michiru and his sister that he had just witnessed, or the guilt that was currently gnawing at him. "Maybe," he finally conceded. "Anyway, let's get going. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

"Right," Kagome concurred as InuYasha looked back at the Kururugi Shrine, at the lit window where the twins were. The picture of their saddened faces still with him as he knelt down to let Kagome get on his back.

I swear, if I ever catch up with whoever did this to them, the bastards won't live long enough to regret it! InuYasha vowed as he carried Kagome back home. The sound of a bird flapping its wings echoing in his ears as he made his way back across Tokyo.

When the morning sun crept through his window the next morning, it found Michiru lying in his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. His eyes were bloodshot, and dark bags hung beneath them, a testimony to a night where sleep had completely eluded him. Not that he had pursued it with any real effort to begin with.

Wincing as the sun hit him in the face and feeling as he was being massaged with sandpaper, Michiru groaned wearily before rolling about in his bed. It's morning already…? he thought blearily, wishing he couldn't believe it. But the truth was that he had felt every hour of night creep by with agonizing slowness. The first few hours had been spent in his bedside vigil with Kaname, waiting and watching until she either fell asleep or was able to fake it well enough to convince his parents to send him to his own room. After that, he spent a lot of time in his room busying himself, everything from watching a few late night shows on his television to reading through books that he already knew by heart. He double-checked various spells and techniques from the Kururugi Shrine, and did some simple sketches and doodles. Anything to try and tire himself out, to get himself weary enough to fall asleep.

Unfortunately, Michiru had only been partially successful. For while he had been to physically exhaust himself, he had completely failed to settle his mind enough to allow him to sleep. Thoughts of the battle with the thugs, the horrible moment in which Kaname's powers had been unleashed, and his sister running away from him like he had been spawned from a nightmare all came back to torment him. And each time these things turned and stewed within his thoughts, the burden of guilt he bore increased that much more. Guilt that told him that he should never have that battle come out the way it had. That he should have done something to stop it. That he could have.

In his mind, Michiru kept replaying the moment in which he had come to Kaname's defense. It pictured him using Blue Sky Slumber to knock out his enemies, or Great River Torrent to blast the goon that had holding Kaname down without risk of hurting his sister. Instead, he had focused on the closer target, the one with the knife, and had ultimately put the other creep on the spot. He had forced him to take Kaname hostage. He had forced his own sister into that horrible position in which her powers had been forced to manifest.

Consciously, Michiru knew that these alternate plans had had their share of problems. But his conscience refused to listen to logic, and had thus kept sleep at bay as it had continued to berate him.

Groaning miserably as the sun continued to fill his room ever more, Michiru threw aside his blankets and forced himself into a seated position. There was no point in even trying to sleep now; the sun was up, and he knew that there was a great deal that he had to do. And until his responsibilities had been fulfilled, he knew he would never be able to sleep easily.

Getting to his feet, Michiru looked down at himself, at the rumpled school uniform he had worn to bed that night. Not even wanting to think about his appearance, he quickly smoothed it out and ran his hand through his hair, figuring that this should make him presentable enough to roam about the house. At least until he was able to spend some quality time in a nice hot bath. In the meantime, he exited his room and headed downstairs, fully intent on slapping a large amount of caffeine into his system.

As soon as the Kururugi boy arrived in the kitchen, he was jolted into a slightly greater state of wakefulness when he saw Kaname there, her entire body shaking from lack of sleep and leftover adrenaline as she spread some butter on a piece of toast. Lurching to the side, Michiru bumped into the wall, causing his sister to jump slightly as she turned to look at him. "Oh…Michiru…" she muttered haggardly. "Didn't see ya, bro…"

"Uh…yeah," Michiru replied dumbly. "Sorry about that, sis."

Waving his concerns aside, Kaname looked at him with eyes that were every bit as bloodshot as his own were. "Guess I'm not the only one who had a rough night," she muttered, forcing a wan smile to hang limply from her lips. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

"No," Michiru admitted candidly. "You?"

Kaname immediately shook her head. "Every time I closed my eyes, I…I was back there. And it…it was all happening all over again." Her silence filling in her minor omissions, the Kururugi girl glanced over at the dining room. "I'm just glad Mom and Dad aren't up yet. I don't think I can deal with them right now."

"Yeah. I know how that feels," Michiru admitted sadly. "Listen, Kaname…later today, I'm going to have to talk to you about…you know."

It took a few moments for Kaname's sleep-addled brain to process this statement, but when it finally did, her fake smile completely collapsed as she nodded. "Okay." As soon as this was said, footsteps were heard on the second floor, jolting both the twins. As one, they looked up, and then at each other. And as one, they realized that they couldn't continue their discussion then and there. Issuing sounds of resignation, the two of them prepared for themselves a minimal breakfast before proceeding to the dining room.

The twins were basically nibbling their food when their parents came downstairs and spotted them. "Oh, there you two are!" their mother cooed gently, darting into the dining room. "I was so worried about you!" Taking Kaname in her arms, she pressed her cheek against her daughter's before pulling back to look at her. "How are you doing this morning? Are you feeling any better?"

Heaving a weary sigh, Kaname answered, "I'm okay, Mom. Really."

As their father came into the room and looked them over, he gave Kaname a frown that told them both what he thought of that statement. "Are you sure? Because you like you haven't slept in over a week," he gently stated as he swung his eyes towards his son. "And neither do you, for that matter."

"Dad, I…" Michiru began, his exhausted mind giving out before he could think of something else to say.

"Oh, c'mon, dear! Don't be so rough on them!" their mother scolded their father. "They've had a bad enough time as it is without you making it more difficult!"

"I know, I know. It's not that easy to get over something like this." The Kururugi patriarch looked at his children, his eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm just glad you got back here in one piece, that's all."

"Trust me, so am I," Michiru returned with as much energy as he could. Which wasn't very much.

"That's right. That's what really matters here," Mrs. Kururugi told them as she released her death grip on Kaname. Then she frowned at the food sitting on the table. "Oh, don't tell me that's all you're having for breakfast!"

"Mom…" Kaname groaned wearily. "It's okay. I'm…not very hungry, anyway. I…I just…"

"No, you need something more filling than just some tea and toast!" Mrs. Kururugi insisted before heading towards the kitchen. "Here! I'll get some soup and rice going right now. And…let's see…I'm sure I have some fish here someplace…"

"Mom!" Kaname protested.

"Now, now, do me a favor and humor your mother," Mr. Kururugi told her. "And do something to humor me while you're at it, and try and take it easy today. Okay or not, I can tell when my children need some sleep! And trust me, this is one of those times!" The shrine priest then sat himself down at the table, and looked at his children. "Honey, do me a favor and get a fresh pot of coffee going for us? I think I'm going to need it."

"I've already got one going," Mrs. Kururugi responded. To which the twins looked at each other…and groaned in defeat.

The rest of the morning went by on a kind of automatic of pilot. The twins spent breakfast trying to force themselves to eat the filling meal their mother prepared while doing their best to dodge the questions fielded at them by bother their parents. Already exhausted, their morning repast soon left them completely drained in body and spirit. It was none too soon that they finally ate enough to satisfy their worried mother that they could finally be excused.

"Now, I want you two to go right to your rooms!" Mrs. Kururugi instructed them. "I want the two of you to take it easy today! Now, I'll be up to check up on you both a little later. If you want anything more to eat later, then please, just let me know, okay?"

"Okay, Mom," Michiru returned, forced to struggle to keep his voice at least moderately pleasant as he left the dining room. Knowing full well that there would be no chance of beginning Kaname's training until later that evening, and only if they could find the chance to slip out of the house unnoticed.

While Michiru was frowning at this unwanted reality, Kaname shot him a glance. "So…is this what it's been like for you these past few months?"

"Pretty much, yeah…" Michiru agreed, rolling his eyes just for the heck of it. Then something in the back of his mind slowly sparked something. It was true that he couldn't start working with Kaname now, but he did have the chance to start bringing down more of the walls of secrecy that still stood between them. "Hey, sis…before you go to your room, there's a couple things I'd like to talk to you about."

Kaname blinked at him a few times before she managed to respond. "Oh? Well…okay." The two of them then made their way inside Michiru's room. Closing the door behind him, he made certain that the door was locked before sitting down at his desk.

Waiting until Kaname was seated at his bed, Michiru looked hard at her. She was exhausted, physically and emotionally, and was clearly in no shape to meet InuYasha and Kagome in person. But at the same time, he could still see the guilt that she so clearly carried with her. "First of all…Kaname, there's something you need to know," he began, picking his words as carefully as he could. "If we're going to keep what happened last from…happening again, then…I'm going to have to train you how to control your powers."

"What?" Kaname started, sitting up straighter at this. "Train me…?"

"That's right," Michiru confirmed. "It's the only to put your Shikigami under your control. And…I'm going to have to warn you right now that…I'm not sure how good a teacher I'm going to be. Don't get me wrong, I'll do my best, but…"

As Michiru trailed off, his sister frowned in consideration. "I…okay, but…" she muttered uncertainly. "Didn't you say that...you met someone who trained you? Can't we just ask them to…?"

"That's impossible, I'm afraid," Michiru informed her, recalling Kakuju's last moments as he knelt by her side, holding her hand. This memory causing a lump to form in his throat, he decided against mentioning this for the time being. "And even if it…it weren't…the portal that sent me back is gone. So right now, there's only one way to or from the Feudal Era, and…it doesn't work for anyone but Kagome…and InuYasha."

"InuYasha?" Kaname repeated blankly before her eyes lit up with comprehension. "Oh, right. You…you mentioned him last night. He's…he's from the Feudal Era, right?"

Pausing just long enough to listen and make sure that there was no one listening outside their room, Michiru nodded. "That's right. Now…I've been working on a way to use that portal, but…I haven't had a chance to test it. And things the way they are…I think it'd be best to for me to at least…teach you a few basics before we try and go there."

"Huh? But…why would we want to go there, anyway?" Kaname wondered nervously.

"Because…well, for one thing, there are some spells that are…kind of dangerous. Not exactly the kind of thing you…can use indoors," Michiru explained, wincing at the memory of the abandoned shop he'd been using for training until he'd blown it up. "And…well, the thing is…I've got other friends in the Feudal Era as well. People I'd…I'd like to see again."

This clearly took Kaname by surprise. "Really?" she murmured, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Wh-what are they like?"

"Well…maybe it'd be easier for me to show you what they're like." A muted squeak of surprise was heard as Michiru stood and began fussing with his TV. "A little while ago, Kagome made a video of a quick trip through to the Feudal Era, and she got everyone on camera. And…if you'd like, I could show it to you."

"Really?" Kaname murmured, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Then…okay. Sure!" Leaning forward on the bed, she watched intently as Michiru set up the video and began playing. Once the video started, he made his way over to the bed and sat next to Kaname, explaining everything that was happening, such as the passage through the Bone-Eater's Well, and the trip to Kaede's Village. A trip in which InuYasha came into view, and looked right at the camera.

"C'mon, Kagome! Let's go!" InuYasha grumbled impatiently. "The sooner we get this taken care, the better I like it!"

Glancing over at his sister, Michiru watched as her eyes bulged right out of their sockets. "Wh-what? D-dog ears?" Kaname sputtered out. Wincing in realization, he watched as his sister brought her hands to her mouth. "Oh, my…he's – he's -!"

Not human, Michiru concluded in his head, and getting ready to say something to that effect as well.

"Absolutely gorgeous!" Kaname gasped. Now it was Michiru's eyes that were bugging out of their sockets. Just barely avoiding falling out of bed, he jumped up and stared in amazement at his sister. Kaname's cheeks were burning, a tiny fangirl smile on her face as InuYasha turned about and started forward again. "Omigosh…those ears are so adorable…!"

"Uh…if you…say so…" Michiru got out, taken completely by surprise by his sister's enthusiastic response. "Um…anyway, you'll be seeing the others soon enough." Doing his best to regain his composure, he began pointing out some of the sights as Kagome and InuYasha made their way through the village and finally arrived at Kaede's house. "Now, you see the old lady with the eyepatch? That's Priestess Kaede, and…well, I guess you could pretty well say that she's in charge of the village. And that over there is…"

"Oh, would you look at that cute little guy over there?" Kaname smiled, pointing at one of the people there.

"Uh, yeah. That's Shippo," Michiru nodded. "He's a fox-demon."

Jumping at this, Kaname looked in shock at her brother. "A demon?" she repeated incredulously. "You're kidding me! That cute little thing? A demon?"

"That's right. And InuYasha, he's a half-demon," Michiru explained. Smiling fondly, he thought back to a time shortly after he'd arrived in Kaede's Village. "Actually, that's something that took me by surprise, too. I'd always thought that all demons were scary. I never imagined that I'd actually be traveling with them and making friends with them, too." Looking back to Kaname, he smiled as he thought back to his own journeys. "One of the first things I learned was that demons came in all kinds of different shapes and sizes. There are dog-demons, fox-demons, wolf-demons, bat-demons, that sort of thing. And some of them can be scary, while others…well, they can look almost like normal people. Like girls or boys or…"

"Wow," Kaname murmured as her brother trailed off. "I…I never imagined that…"

"Heh. Me neither," Michiru admitted before returning his attention to the video. He pointed out Miroku and Sango, feeling his cheeks burn once again as he lost himself in the Demon Slayer's lovely visage. Then he pointed out Kirara, and listened as Kaname cooed at the two-tailed cat, who was in her tinier, more adorable form.

When the video finally came to an end, Michiru sighed in longing. "Anyway, Kaname…those people, they're my friends. And all that time I was in the Feudal Era? I was fighting alongside of them until I finally came back," he explained. "And…they're one of the reasons why I've been so busy. Because…I want to be able to go see them again."

For a time, Kaname considered this, before at last nodding. "Thanks, bro."

"For what?" Michiru wondered.

"For telling me the truth," Kaname returned. Lying back on his bed, she gave him a sleepy look. "So…when do we start training?"

"As soon as possible. Ideally, I'd like to get started tonight," Michiru explained. "If you're feeling up to it, we could sneak out after Mom and Dad go to bed."

"Okay." Pressing her lips together, Kaname gave Michiru a nervous look. "Anyway I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep soundly until these…Shikigami of mine are under control." Nodding his understanding, Michiru wrapped his arm about his sister's shoulder. "But…"

"But what?" Michiru wondered.

Drawing closer to her brother, Kaname asked, "Later on…could you tell me more about what you did in the Feudal Era? About all your adventures and everything?"

Smiling as he looked in to Kaname's eyes, Michiru answered, "Of course I will. I'll tell you everything that happened to us back there. I'll tell you stories that my friends told me, as many as I know." Relief and delight shown in his sister's face as the two of them held each other. They remained that way until they at last fell asleep, finally feeling a bit more at peace with themselves.

The twins slept most of the day away, only waking up when their parents called them for meals or when they wanted to check up on them. They did their best to assure their mother and father that they were both alright, and make sure that they did not come to suspect that anything was amiss. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the day came to a close and their parents finally went to bed. Freeing Michiru and Kaname to surreptitiously make their way out of the house and make their way over to the storehouse.

"Are you sure no one will see us out here, bro?" Kaname muttered gingerly as they crept past the former gateway to the past and into the wooded area just beyond it. "I mean, this doesn't seem like a very good hiding spot to me."

"I know, Kaname, but we don't want to get too far away. If Mom or Dad decide to check our rooms and see that we're not there…well, at least this way we can say that we couldn't sleep and went out for a walk," Michiru explained, leading the way with a flashlight in hand. As they made their way into the wooded area, he turned the beam this way and that, making absolutely sure that there was no way anyone could see them. "Besides, we're not going to be doing any real training. All I'm going to do tonight is wake up your Shikigami. Later on, we can find someplace to train where nobody will notice us." Turning about, he then used the cord at the end of the flashlight to hand it up from the end of a convenient branch before muttering, "And where nobody cares what happens to the building…"

Once satisfied that the flashlight gave them suitable light, Michiru turned and looked at his sister. "Okay, Kaname, before I start, I think I should try to explain what exactly the Shikigami are." When Kaname nodded to this, he cleared his throat and gathered himself to speak. "Basically, they're manifestations of different aspects of ourselves, spirits whose power links the wielder to the forces of nature. It's a spiritual power that exists in all creatures."

"Wow. Sounds pretty awesome," Kaname admitted. "But…what can you do with them? I mean…other than…?"

"Well, the Shikigami can be used for a lot more than fighting," Michiru told her. Then he took the wooden sword he'd claimed from the gang and drew it from his belt. "For example, it can be used to manipulate material objects, and shape them any way you want."

"Really?" Kaname gaped, looking intently at her brother. Clearly wondering what he was about to do.

"Yeah. Like this." Holding up the bokuto, Michiru concentrated on summoning his Wood Shikigami. ""Oh, towering green wood, spawn the implements of magic! Green Wood Shaper!" With this invocation, the snake that was his Wood Shikigami appeared in the air above him. Kaname gasped in surprise, but didn't run away from him. Instead, she stood her ground and watched as the Shikigami wrapped itself about the sword, sinking into it. As the wooden blade lit up with magical light, pentagrams etched themselves into the sides of the hilt, and mystical engravings appeared along the blade. The blade itself became sharper and larger, and the material of the sword itself became harder and more enduring.

When the blade's transformation was complete, Kaname gaped in surprise. "Wow…"

"Yeah, and that's just the beginning," Michiru smiled as he looked down at the transformed sword. "Now, one thing that you have to remember is that, before you can affect a particular aspect of nature, you have to have awakened the Shikigami that relates to that aspect. For example, I wasn't able to affect anything made of wood until my Wood Shikigami had awoken." Sliding the transmuted weapon back into his belt, Michiru came up to his sister. "Now…are you ready for me to wake up your Shikigami?"

"Uh…yeah, I think I am," Kaname responded, her excitement subsiding. "Um…this isn't going to hurt, now is it?"

"No, no! Of course not!" Michiru told her, smiling broadly as he approached. "You'll feel a slight tingle, but that's about it."

Still uncertain, Kaname looked warily at her brother. "Okay, then…so what do I do?"

"Just take hold of my hands," Michiru instructed her. After a moment's hesitation, his sister reached out and gently took his hands in her own. "Good. Now close your eyes, and stay very still. I'll take care of the rest." Still nervous, Kaname gave a single, shaky nod of her head before clamping her eyes shut. Recalling how he had once felt such nervousness himself, Michiru furrowed his brows in concentration, and began summoning forth his own power. At once, a pentagram spun into being at their feet as he channeled his own Shikigami power into his sister. As his own power found and mingled with those possessed by Kaname, he could feeling the magical power within her stirring. Power that rose up to the surface, causing her whole body to light up.

Before the light even began to subside, Kaname's eyes shot wide open as she let out a gasp of astonishment. "Oh, wow…" she moaned, taking a step back and shaking her head in amazement. "I…I never imagined that it would feel so amazing…!"

"Yeah. It took me by surprise, too," Michiru thought, thinking back to that moment of awakening. "It was like I'd…only been half-awake before then, and..."

"Exactly!" Kaname grinned, placing her hand over her heart. "It…it makes me feel like…like…what the -?" Jolted by his sister's outcry, Michiru whipped his head about, trying to find out what had startled her. Then he spotted a deep glow out of the corner of his eye, and looked about to see another pentagram appearing at Kaname's feet, a brilliant red glow rising up from it.

"What the -?" Michiru gasped as the Fire Shikigami took form and let out a mighty roar. Her shock growing that much more when a wave of blue light appeared and rose up, her Water Shikigami taking shape. "Umm…bro…is this supposed to happen…?"

"No, I…I don't understand!" Michiru gaped, watching in shock as the Wind Shikigami rose up and joined its fellows. Looking at this latest manifestation of Kaname's power, the Fire Shikigami roared furiously before shooting for into the air. As if this was a signal, the other two Shikigami began moving of their own accord even as the Wood Shikigami began to manifest as well. "This shouldn't be –!"

It was only then that, watching as the Shikigami began moving about more chaotically, that Michiru realized what had gone wrong. He had channeled too much of his own spirit familiars' power into Kaname, and not only was it waking up multiple Shikigami all at once, but the excess power was sending them into action without direction from Kaname.

"Aw, damn! Kaname, hang on!" Michiru cried out, leaping forward and taking his sister into his arms as her Thunder Shikigami rose up and howled fiercely. The golden wolf rose up to join its fellows, all of which were flying about chaotically, completely out of control. All the while Kaname clung tightly to her brother, her momentary euphoria forgotten in the face of renewed terror.

Wincing as the lion of flame shot past them, roaring its fury, Michiru groaned inwardly. I don't believe this! I haven't even started training her, and I'm already messing up! Wincing at the bird's screeching as it flapped its wings to avoid the Wood Shikigami, the Kururugi boy shook his head in dismay. Hoping against hope that this wasn't a sign of troubles to come.

Author's Notes: Well, I hope these new scenes with InuYasha's first sighting of Kaname, as well as Michiru's early problems with Kaname's training satisfy. Please, read and review! And maybe check out my other stories?

(Disclaimer: I do not own The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.)