That Night At the Inn
Twins
"I have a bad feeling about this, Miroku." Sango spoke cautiously as they walked through the dark forest.
The rumor on Naraku and the female demon led them to another village. There, people say they saw him enter this forest with the woman.
And this evil forest was exactly the kind of place their foe would enjoy. Dank, deep, and full of demons that were all angry at the intrusion by the two humans. Though none had, as yet, taken action against them both of them could still feel the anger and hatred directed towards them the further in they went.
That, however, wasn't the source of the feeling Sango referred to.
This was a feeling, a strange certainty in the pit of her stomach, that this whole situation wasn't right.
"What do you mean?" Miroku asked, looking around cautiously, he kept on hand secure on the beads of his right hand, ready to unleash his wind tunnel at the first sign they were being attacked by the malevolent presence around them.
"I might just be imagining it," Sango hesitated for only a moment, "but it feels like this rumor is just too clean."
Miroku didn't agree with her but he didn't disagree either.
"It just seems like everyone we spoke to had the same story." Sango continued, trying to explain what it was that was bothering her. "It was all too neat and easy. Naraku never leaves things this neat and easy."
"I've been starting to think the same." Miroku agreed as he paused. "Maybe it would be best to leave this forest and re-plan from a safer distance."
"Far too late-"
"-for that, monk."
Miroku and Sango turned, their hands going automatically to their weapons.
Before them stood two women, identical, and beautiful. Demons, obviously by their pointed ears and slitted eyes. Their skin was pale as death, their smiles dark and ominous. They both carried a pair of twin short swords at their waists.
"My name is Chimei." the one on the right said.
"My name is Tekina." the one on the left said.
"Did Naraku send you?" Sango got ready to swing her Hiraikotsu as that uncertain feeling in her belly solidified and she knew her and the monk had just playing into whatever trap Naraku had devised this time.
"Oh, yes." Chimei giggled like a little girl. "He promised us such a treat."
"If we kill you," Tekina mimicked her sister, "we get that pretty little jewel he's been hoarding."
"Why he has such problems with two humans, I'll never know." Chimei shrugged.
"What does it matter? Let's kill them quickly." Tekina clapped her hands like a child being offered a piece of candy.
"Be ready, Sango." Miroku said taking a small step closer to her. "Twins tend to fight in synchrony, our moves will have to be just as coordinated."
"Don't assume, monk." Chimei shook her finger.
"It's quite rude." Tekina nodded.
"Our specialty isn't in fighting together." Chimei drew her swords.
"It's to divide and conquer." Tekina copied her action.
They jumped forward.
Automatically, Sango and Miroku both leapt away to avoid their attack. It was only when they landed that they realized their mistake. They had jumped away from each other, separated.
Chimei charged after Miroku, Tekina advanced on Sango.
XXXXXXXXXX
InuYasha nursed his jaw as he tried to eat what Hakaku and Ginta hadn't scarfed down.
Beside him, Kouga had one hand to his gut, trying to do the same.
"...then you got drunk?" the wolf asked, trying to clarify.
"Right. From the demon sake." InuYasha nodded.
Across the fire, Hakaku and Ginta had been sleeping all day. It seemed that they didn't usually have much time to rest.
"But you both woke up happy?" Kouga asked.
InuYasha nodded, regretted the action when his jaw ached, and replied, "Sort of. I killed the demon and the sake wore off."
"Oh, I see." Kouga nodded, understanding coming to him at last. "Well, I guess if Kagome is happy, I really have no right to complain."
InuYasha tried to smile but it hurt his face.
As if it were some sort of magic, the two men really felt no more animosity towards each other. They had beaten out their anger and frustration on each others bodies and now it was cleared out of their system.
"You always have Ayame." InuYasha tried to cheer him up. "She's pretty. Not a bad fighter either. And she seemed really determined to be your mate."
"True." Kouga tried to sit back but it made the large bruise on his abdomen ache so he decided against it. "She's not bad to look at. I kind of like all that red hair. Kind of fiery, you know?"
InuYasha nodded as if he did. Red hair didn't really mean all that much to him but if it made Kouga happy, who was he to complain?
"Bet my first pup comes out stronger than yours anyway." Kouga sneered.
"You're on, wolf!" InuYasha sneered back. "But, uh, my first pup is a girl. Look, I had this made for her." He reached into his robes and pulled out his precious daughters bracelet.
"I think I hit my hand on this at one point." Kouga said as he took it and looked it over. "It's nice."
"I think so, too." InuYasha sighed, somehow completely relaxed. There's was always a sort of calm after a battle, like a calm after a storm. But this one seemed different somehow, more lasting.
"Have you thought of a name yet?" Kouga asked, turning the jewelry in his hands. He didn't question that InuYasha knew his child would be a girl, he just accepted it.
"I was thinking...Kanari." InuYasha said.
"Pretty." Kouga thought about it. "That means pretty."
InuYasha nodded. "I bet she'll look like her mother and be the most beautiful girl in the entire world."
"As long as she doesn't look like you, mutt face." Kouga laughed, tossing the bracelet back to InuYasha who caught it deftly in the air.
"She'll look better than your kid, flea bag." InuYasha smirked at him.
The insults were the same but, somehow, the meaning behind them had changed.
"I should probably go." InuYasha stood, stretched, then winced as it hurt his bruised body. "Kagome will be worried that I'm so late."
Kouga stood as well, "I'll go with you. Just in case Naraku decides to show his ugly head again."
InuYasha smiled his thanks, then turned to the sleeping duo. "What about them? Want to wake them up?"
"Don't bother." Kouga shrugged carelessly. "They can't keep up and they can follow our scent when they do wake up."
InuYasha nodded in agreement and, together, the two men turned east and began running back towards the well.
InuYasha hadn't noticed that, in all the excitement, Myouga had disappeared.
XXXXXXXXXX
Miroku didn't know where Sango had disappeared to. He had long lost track of his partner.
Chimei was fast, deadly, and, unfortunately, giggled like a little girl.
The entire thing was incredible creepy.
It was all Miroku could do to duck, dodge, and flee from the woman.
Miroku didn't dare unveil his wind tunnel. With Naraku involved he could guarantee that there were poisonous insects just laying in wait. He couldn't see them now but he knew that should he try to suck the woman up, they would rear their ugly heads.
"Come here, pretty monk." Chimei beckoned.
From his left, he barely blocked a sword strike with his staff.
"Naraku even said I could eat your lovely heart." she mocked him as she chased him through the woods. "Handsome young men have the loveliest hearts."
Miroku wasn't listening to her words.
He was listening to the sound of her footfalls on the leafy floor, the rush of wind as she passed, and where her voice was coming from.
She kept jumping around, never staying on one side of him, trying to remain unpredictable.
And it was working.
Miroku was having trouble keeping up with her.
A part of him worried for Sango who was out there, dealing with the other one. But he didn't give it more than a passing thoughts. Sango was the better fighter of the two of them. If anything, she had a better chance than he did of winning.
Although, his chances weren't all that high.
He got distracted for a moment with the thought of Sango. Chimei took that opportunity to jump in and take a slice at him.
A large wound was opened on his side, it immediately started gushing hot blood, and Miroku clenched his teeth against the pain.
The problem was, he couldn't fight in the confined area of a forest, he had to get to a clearing, even a small one.
XXXXXXXXXX
"My sister is going to tear that monk into pieces." Tekina taunted Sango.
Sango had managed to escape the forest and found herself on an old travelers road.
They had both turned to each other and already made several advances on the other. It hadn't become an all out battle yet. They were testing each other, trying to find a weak point.
Behind Sango, Kirara had already transformed and was baring her fangs at the demon woman.
"Are you going to keep talking or are we going to fight?" Sango asked without patience as she lifted her Hiraikotsu, preparing to throw it.
"Naraku told me all about you, demon slayer." Tekina tried a different tactic. "That terrible story of your family." Even as she spoke, the evil smile on her face grew. "Did your brother really kill your entire family?"
Sango threw the giant boomerang in anger, wanting just to keep her from talking.
Tekina let out a laugh of victory. Instead of ducking the weapon, she reached up and snagged it out of the air and placed it on her own back.
Cursing at herself for playing into the woman's hands, Sango drew her own short sword. She was trained in it, but she was in no way as proficient in its use as the boomerang.
"You're so easy." Tekina laughed as she lifted her double swords and faced her. "Weak people always are."
Before Sango could attack again, Kirara interfered.
It had only happened once before. Sango had been in a battle against three demons she was too angry to realize she couldn't defeat on her own, back before she even met InuYasha and her other friends.
Kirara had judged the situation too dangerous, jumped in, and snatched Sango out of it before she got killed.
Sango had been about to run forward, already lifting her sword in preparation, when she felt a pair of fangs at her back.
Kirara grabbed Sango by her outfit and jumped into the air, carrying her away.
"Kirara!" Sango tried to struggle. "Let me go!"
The giant cat didn't listen as she ran on air, trying to escape the demon woman.
"Not so fast!" the woman screeched.
Sango looked behind her and saw the sister jump into the air and run on it in almost exactly the same way Kirara did.
She could fly too!
Kirara tossed Sango into the air, caught her on her back, and flew away, chased by the demon woman.