Disclaimer: Sorry lawyers who want to sue me, I still do not own InuYasha.

Author's Note: Yaaaay! Part 2! Still no sister, but in this chapter you get a smell of her! You'll see what I mean. Anyway, I'm so happy someone liked my story enough/ was bored enough/ hates my story enough that they just want to see what I have for part 2.

InuYasha's Elder Sister

Part II. Still Hope

InuYasha stomped into the hut. He took in the scene around him in a second. Miroku looked much better but his face was still pale. He was sitting up in the makeshift bed made for him. Kagome and Shippo were sitting at his side. Sango was off to her own holding a tiny Kilala in her arms. Her large boomerang of a weapon was leaning against the rotting wood of the hut. They all stared at InuYasha full of surprise.

Miroku had been talking. He was answering what Sango had said but stopped mid-sentence when InuYasha entered. For some reason the world had come to a halt at that moment. InuYasha didn't care he had one thing to say and nothing was going to change his mind about it. His gold eyes firmly held everyone's gaze.

He looked and spoke directly to Miroku, "You're not going to die," he stated stubbornly.

Miroku sighed deeply and even InuYasha could sense the atmosphere shift to a little more relaxed mood. Damn it! Thought InuYasha as he suddenly remembered he was never good with words, the only persuasion he'd practiced was with brute force. But Miroku's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts, "InuYasha please, I thought at least you would understand. It's impossible. Please, as a last wish –"

"Enough with this last wish crap!" He shouted now finally losing patience. "Is this how you really want to die?! To die in a miserable little hut without ever getting back at Naraku for all the terrible things he's done?" Then he stated in a quieter voice, "Miroku, since when do you give up this easily?"

Miroku looked angry now. At least some of the color was coming back to his face. His fists were clenched tightly to the point where his knuckles turned white. Sango and Kagome stared at him like he was out of his mind. Shippo who had been asleep was startled awake. Even Kilala's big demon eyes looked upon him with uncertainty.

Then of all things that could have happened, Miroku stood up. He stood on his shaky legs without any help nor did anyone dare reach out to him. Once he gained his balance he tried to walk across the room. He must have been in worse shape than he let on because by the time he had neared InuYasha he was breathing deeply and cold sweat began to drip down his forehead. He moved slowly. Very weakly he limped over to InuYasha, who stood firmly still. Not once did either of them lower their gaze from the other's determined eyes.

It took Miroku a minute but when he reached InuYasha they stood eye to eye. Both stood rigid, neither one said a word. In fact, everyone was still. Only watching. Miroku gave InuYasha a cold resistant stare then he began to speak.

"I can never forgive Naraku for what he has done to me. He has killed both my father and my grandfather. Now he wants my life. There's nothing more I want in this world than to kill him. After all the lives he's devastated. After all the destruction he's caused I can never forgive him. And this curse, my entire life it has haunted me. The day of my own death looming over my head ever since I was able to know the meaning of it. So you can't stand here and call me weak. Not when you can go on and I can barely stand! Not you and not anybody else! I haven't given up. I'll never give up. Things have only changed. I would much rather stay where I am, with those I care about, than to go searching for the one thing I despise more deeply than anything in this world."

Not a word was spoken between them. Everyone had gone silent. There were no sounds except the serene chirping of insects outside. Minutes ticked by before InuYasha turned away. He laid his hand on the doorframe of the hut and said:

"I understand. But I still can't stand back and do nothing. I was thinking outside when I remembered someone I knew a long time ago. Someone I think may be able to help." Then he walked out leaving Miroku standing in silence.

Sango was the first one to act. She at once jumped up and followed InuYasha outside.

"InuYasha," she hissed, "What was all of that about?"

InuYasha stopped walking. He stood still with his back to her. The campfire was reduced to a small blaze quietly eating away at a few twigs.

"I know someone – up in the mountains – who is skilled with medicines. I think they can help."

"Then I'm coming with you!" she shouted.

"No," InuYasha said firmly.

"For Miroku, I am coming with you!"

InuYasha whirled around his demon eyes looked more demonic than usual in the poor light, "For Miroku, stay here."

Just looking at Sango one could tell she was still too upset to be thinking straight. She shook her head stubbornly and choked back a sob.

"Then I will go with you," softly whispered a voice from behind them. Sango whirled around to see Kagome standing in the doorway. She looked weary from the long day and night.

"You stay here and be with Miroku."

Sango stared bleary eyed at Kagome. Of course, she's right, the more logical part of her mind told her. But she couldn't think of sitting helplessly by Miroku's side. Slowly watching him die. All of her instincts told her to run. Run away from all of this and never stop. As if running would change things, she thought miserably to herself.Sango took a deep breath and closed her eyes trying her best to regain her composure. She felt Kagome's eyes staring at her and InuYasha's on her back. She's right, she told herself again, they're both right. It is better this way, and she could defend Miroku against demons better than Kagome could. For another minute she allowed herself to attempt to regain control of her racing thoughts.

Don't be afraid, she told herself. Don't be afraid. She said it again hoping it would give her back her courage. But it didn't work after a minute she still felt like crying and running. Like a little child. But no one would deny Sango had more people suddenly ripped from her life than any of them. Her family, friends, her village and home were all taken. All that was left of the demon slayer legacy lay within the memories of her and her little brother, Kohaku. And where was Kohaku?

After awhile Sango nodded and her eyes opened wide. In her strongest voice she said, "Take Kilala with you. She will get you where you need to go faster. Then come back and make Miroku better."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

InuYasha and Kagome left with Kilala the minute the sun rose. It took little time to gather their things. Kagome had emptied her bright yellow bag of anything from the 21st century, leaving bandages and ointments with Sango, and grabbed her bow and quiver that was filled with newly made stone tipped arrows. She also did a quick search for herbs that would heal if anything were to happen. Miroku strongly was against them leaving from the start. He threatened that by the time they returned he wouldn't be waiting. But under the circumstances he probably would have been powerless to fend off little Shippo let alone InuYasha. But Miroku was right; they had no way to know when the wind tunnel would react. Time was one thing they didn't have.

Kagome leaned into InuYasha and dozed sleepily. His white hair mixed with her own black and danced together in her face as Kilala zoomed through the sky. The sun had taken it's noon positioning high over head and Kilala was keeping an extremely quick pace. In the short hours they had been traveling the small group had covered a massive distance and passed through several mountains yet not one seemed to be the one InuYasha was looking for.

Kagome idly wondered what everyone was doing back at the hut and who is this person that can help Miroku? InuYasha had said nothing about them.

"InuYasha," she whispered unable to contain her curiosity a moment longer.

"Yeah?" he was staring persistently ahead. His gaze was unreadable and impenetrable. She half heartily wondered why. Kilala did not need to be directed. She knew the skies well.

"Who is this person you say can help Miroku? You didn't say anything about them."

There was no answer from InuYasha. She opened her eyes and looked up at his stern face. Kilala gave a slow growl in agreement like she too was wondering the same thing. Time passed but still no one said a word. Kilala's powerful long legs ran through the air as lavish hills and fields passed below them.

Finally InuYasha spoke up, "It's been at least fifty years," he muttered sheepishly. The fact suddenly dawned on her. It was true, six or seven months ago InuYasha had been sealed to the thousand year old tree, anyone who knew him before then wasn't likely to still be around let alone the same place he last knew them.

"So you're saying…" Kagome was unable to finish her sentence. Lots of things can change in fifty years.

"I was hoping no one would notice, I wasn't going to say anything. It's a slim chance, I know, but it's all we have to go on. It's possible she won't be around when we get there either if she's dead or just gone."

Kagome silently made a quick note. 'She?' she wondered. If she's a human it's very unlikely she is still alive. But if she's a demon… Kagome shook her head of all the negative thoughts. They couldn't lose hope so early in the journey. Miroku was counting on them!

"Okay, never mind that. Nothing's definite. Tell me who… she is then."

InuYasha's ears flinched. A sort of tension hung in the air as they waited for InuYasha to tell the story he had kept secret. After a moment he gulped and began his tale: "Uhhh…"

Kagome gave him a worried glance, "Is… she a doctor?" Kagome asked hopefully. InuYasha began to laugh but stopped when he realized how ill humored it was, "Sort of," he mumbled weakly. Kagome's heart sank; this was going nowhere fast.

A couple minutes later Kagome, despite herself, was wondering if this was a bad decision after all. She thought of what Sango would do if she was here. Probably split InuYasha's scull open, she smiled weakly at the image of Sango splitting InuYasha's head open with her Hiraikosu. Then her thoughts turned to Miroku and her heart suddenly became very heavy. Miroku who was so greatly depending on them. And who they had assured he would see them again. And who they promised would have his life back. Had they failed him?

But then InuYasha's voice rose, "I wouldn't be out here if I didn't think there was a chance."

Kagome looked up at him. His sharp features were stressed into a stubborn look and his long white hair blew in the breeze. Suddenly his golden eyes looked down at her in a questioning glance. She smiled softly when she looked into them, "I know," she whispered.

InuYasha returned his gaze back to the sky. Kagome watched him a moment and then smiled when she saw the confident look back on his face.

They flew far north. Farther north than any place Kagome had yet to travel with InuYasha too. When she asked him, InuYasha only said they were destined for a tiny mining village in a mountain at Japan's northernmost edge. So on the tiny group flew scarcely stopping for rest. Until they came to a soft green mountain peak with a majestic undisturbed forest that covered its sloping sides. And on the opposite side of the mountain, in a valley-like dip of land, lay a small town. In the afternoon lighting it had a peaceful beauty the group rarely saw in the warring times.

For a second Kagome leaned forward on Kilala's back to look at the small village more. She quickly glanced back at InuYasha and he too looked at the village in awe. Almost unaware, he nodded to himself. Kilala must have sensed the motion because she gave a happy purr when she realized that was the place of their destination and took a soft dive.

"Wait!" InuYasha hissed suddenly. Kilala came to a rapid halt and Kagome looked back at him surprised.

InuYasha shook his head nervously, "Kilala can you skip the village and land on the far side?" He pointed to a region of thick trees, "Around where those strange trees are?"

After a moment Kilala gave a disappointed growl from deep in her throat and began to move in the direction InuYasha had instructed.

Kagome gave a quick look at the peaceful town, "InuYasha what's wrong with the town?" she protested, "Isn't that person living there?"

"No, she doesn't live in the town."

Again Kagome turned around and looked at InuYasha behind her. She noticed he was sniffing the air. After a second or two InuYasha gave a relieved grin.

"That's her scent alright. Good ol' Setsuna, still around after all this time."