Sesshomaru took his search to the now smoldering forest first and returned to the scene where he originally found Setsuna. Towa's scent was all over it, but he had no idea where she went. It was as if she vanished without a trace. If she had burned to death he would smell it, and if someone had come and taken her away, he would smell that as well. Even if Towa had run away he could follow it to wherever she went. Instead, it was as if she had teleported somewhere else, but even with the rainbow pearl in her eye he knew she didn't have that power.
With Jaken at his side, Sesshomaru searched every square inch of that forest, and then to the lands beyond it. Because he kept moving, he knew Zero and Kirinmaru wouldn't be able to find him. The days stretched into weeks and then months and he had no leads. All the while he asked everyone he knew if they knew of a way to cut the red string of fate and break demon curses but yielded no positive answers.
After three months had passed, Sesshomaru finally made his way back to the sacred tree. Jaken fell off his fur and looked up at his master to see he was most unhappy.
"Lord Sesshomaru, why do you hesitate?" Jaken asked, "I'm sure if you simply walk forward the tree will welcome you inside to see Madam Rin again."
He finally looked up and stepped inside with Jaken right behind him. He hesitated before setting his eyes on Rin. She remained fast asleep, just as the dream butterfly curse promised. He knew the last time he saw her he had promised he'd find Towa, but he was no closer to finding her three months later than he was originally.
"Rin," Sesshomaru said, unable to look at her sleeping face, "I apologize. I cannot find Towa." He finally looked up at her, almost expecting a reaction despite the fact that she was fast asleep. Never before had he felt such shame, and he hated himself for it.
"I know where your other daughter is," a woman's voice came from behind them. Jaken and Sesshomaru turned to see Kikyo now standing before them, "and I can assure you there is way for you to see her again."
"Haven't you died twice over?" Sesshomaru asked, unamused by the woman's presence. He could have sworn he watched Naraku kill her with his very own eyes. He even remembered how much Inuyasha hated him for not doing anything about it, yet here she was once again.
She replied calmly, "I am not the woman you see before you, I am simply using her form because she sealed a half demon with a sacred arrow to my trunk for 50 years. As I was saying, I know where Towa is, or more precisely, when she is."
Jaken demanded, "What on earth are you babbling about? Tell us where Towa is!"
"The rainbow pearl in her eye sent her 500 years into an alternative future through space and time itself," she answered bluntly, "it appears it wished for her to be there."
Running out of paitence, Sesshomaru demanded, "Take me to her."
"It is not so simple," Kikyo explained, "without the presence of the shikon jewel or a rainbow pearl I cannot send your body through time."
Jaken said, "Then we'll find another rainbow pearl! My lord, perhaps we should use Setsuna's golden pearl. That's the easiest one to find because we know exactly where that one is."
Sesshomaru ignored him and said hastily, "I'm not wasting any more time. Why do I get the feeling you haven't told me everything?"
The tree continued, "Because I was not done speaking, interrupting imp." She gave him a side eye strong enough to send him behind Sesshomaru's leg. "Sesshomaru, I can send your soul without your body through time because you're emotionally attached to Towa. As a demon you can withstand being away from your body for some time, but even you will have to return quickly, or else you'll slowly begin to fade away, forgetting everything you are. Then you'll be forced to wander aimlessly in time itself, eventually fading out of existence entirely. Are you willing to risk it all in order to see your first-born daughter again?"
He nodded without hesitation.
Jaken however wasn't so sure. "My lord!" he exclaimed, "I don't want you fading away from existence! You must reconcider!"
"I'll see for myself where Towa is and then I'll return," he said, "that is all."
She finished, "When you're there, no one will be able to see or hear you, not even your own daughter. Are you prepared?" His expression did not change. "Very well. Stand outside the tree and place one hand on my trunk. I'll send your soul directly through 500 years of space and time."
He did as she said. A white light overtook him and his body disappeared inside the sacred tree. The scenery around him changed rapidly. The ground under his feet turned solid and it's color turned gray. When he released his hand from the tree, he observed the his new surroundings.
The tree was now the only one around. The rest had been cleared and revealed a strange large two story house with small outbuildings nearby, along with a tori gate. The distant irritating sounds and overpowering scents were almost overwhelming to his senses, but he decided not to focus on that. He watched as Towa played in the short mowed grass in front of the large house. She wore strange clothing he had never seen before.
"Towa," a grown man who stood in the doorway of the house said, "come inside, lunch is ready."
"Okay!" she replied, standing up and following him in.
Sesshomaru headed for the door. His hand went straight through the handle. Instead of attempting to open it, he walked through the solid door and entered a room full of soft furniture. On the walls were strange paintings of Kagome. So this is where that woman originally came from, he thought. He had heard rumors she had transended time, but he never believed it.
Towa quickly turned around and faced him, as if she knew he was there. Her eyes lit up, the silver rainbow pearl inside her eye glistened. "Father!" she shouted, pointing directly at him. The rainbow pearl in her eye lets her see me, he thought, I suppose that tree doesn't know everything.
"What are you saying?" Sota asked, looking around but never placing his eyes on Sesshomaru's spirit, "Towa, no one is there."
Towa stomped her foot and shouted, "Father's right here! He's here!" She ran up and surprisingly managed to hug his legs.
Kagome's mother stepped out of the kitchen and asked, "What's all the yelling about?" She paused to see Towa hugging the thin air. "What is she doing?"
"Mom, she claims her father is here but why can't we see him?" Sota asked.
Towa said, "He's here! Father's right here in front of me! Can't you see him?" She turned to Sota, and then back to Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru said, "The rainbow pearl in your eye is the reason you can see me and they cannot." He pointed to it, but she gave him a blank look.
"I can't hear you," she said sadly. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Kagome's mom stepped in and said, "Oh I'm sorry, Towa. Maybe if you try listen harder, you'll be able to hear him."
Towa began sobbing uncontrollably. After months of searching for her sister and parents and wondering where the forest she knew so well had disappeared to, she could finally see her father again, only to not be able to hear his voice. Sesshomaru bent down and wiped the tears from her face.
"Whoa," Sota said, "Mom, did you see that?"
"Someone wiped away her tears," Kagome's mom said, "he must be standing right in front of her like she says. I wonder why we can't see him."
Towa looked up at her father and whimpered. "Where's Setsuna?" she asked, "Where's Mother?" He wanted to answer her, but there was no point if she couldn't hear him.
"They're safe," he answered anyway. She still gave him a blank look.
"What are you saying?" she asked, still sniffling.
He pointed to her eye, but Towa had no idea what he was trying to tell her. It was no use. Sesshomaru didn't want to prolong her suffering so he told her he was leaving, giving a gently wave goodbye. She seemed to at least understand that through her tears. He knew he would return soon. At least for now he knew she was safe. The new problem he now faced was figuring out how to bring her back to the proper era.
10 Years Later
Towa was now 14. Most of the kids she got to know while growing up considered her to be a freak. Her white hair, golden eyes, and the strange way she would always wear a ribbon in her hair or a hat on her head to secretly cover her dog ears didn't help. When she was little all she spoke about were her sister and her parents-people the other children soon noticed never came around. Whenever she drew pictures, it was almost always of her father to try and show everyone what he looked like. Eventually she learned to keep her mouth shut about her biological family over time, simply claiming Sota and his wife Moe were her aunt and uncle.
Instead of the loose fitting kosode and bare feet she was accustomed to in the Sengoku era, she now wore a regular school uniform-usually the boy's version instead of the skimpy skirted girl's-and kept her hair short, but in pigtails.
One day, she came home from school, bored as ever just like any other day. She had no idea what awaited her.
"Towa," Sota said, "I have something for you." He gave her a special wooden box.
"I've seen this kind of box before," she said, "it's a writing set." There were times when her father was in the forest with the rest of her family and sometimes he taught her and Setsuna how to read and write.
"It's been a long time coming," Sota explained calmly, "it's taken me all this time to put it together for you. There are some shops here in Tokyo and all the way in Kyoto that still specialize in making traditional writing utensils, from how the brushes are made, to the ink, and the paper-or parchment as they used to call it." He smiled down at her.
Towa opened it up and saw how it was aligned almost perfectly with how everything was made 500 years ago. "Thank you, Uncle Sota," she said, "but why did you got through so much trouble to give me this?" Although modern materials were mass produced and had no soul, she knew that were easier to obtain and maintain than this.
He explained, "You're the only thing your father can touch when he comes to visit. I've been wondering all these years if maybe we had more items from that time period, maybe he would be able to touch those things too. I'm hoping the next time he visits he could possibly write you a message with these tools. It's worth a shot. Even if nothing happens, Towa, you can still keep them." Now she was curious too.
Sesshomaru passed over that evening like he had many times before. Over the years he learned he could spend nearly 9 hours at a time in this strange world alongside his daughter before needing to head back to his body and time. While he was there he knew he was off of Kirinmaru and Zero's radar so he didn't mind stopping by every few weeks.
That evening Towa took him up to her bedroom on the second floor, Kagome's old bedroom, and laid out the writing supplies on her desk. Over the years he could answer yes and no questions by moving his head. The only thing Towa really understood about her prediciment was that her mother and sister were safe. All this time her father couldn't tell her where they were or what happened to them after the fire. She had always wondered why Setsuna and her mother never came over to visit.
Sesshomaru glanced down at the brush, ink set, and parchment set up before him. He didn't wait for Towa to explain what her plan was, he already figured it out and wondered the same thing. Could he touch the utensils and write her a message?
Surprisingly, instead of his hand going through the calligraphy brush he could actually hold onto it. He only needed some water for the ink stick and that was that. Towa stared in amazement as he wrote on the piece of parchment.
The rainbow pearl in your eye lets you see me.
Towa motioned to her face and asked, "A rainbow pearl? What is that?"
He shook his head, knowing it would be to complicated to write everything down for her. Instead he wrote, Your mother and sister are separated. Setsuna does not remember you.
Towa gasped and nearly fell over from shock. She didn't want her father's words to be real. "Setsuna doesn't remember me!? Why?! How did that happen?"
The dream butterfly took her memories. Your mother has two curses on her. One makes her ill, and the other keeps her asleep to stop the illness from killing her.
Towa couldn't believe what she was reading. "What?" was all she could muster. This was worse than she thought. All these years she's been safe and sound among humans while her family needed her. "She's been like that the whole time I've been here?"
Sesshomaru nodded.
"Setsuna doesn't remember me..." she whimpered.
Setsuna was all she could talk about growing up. She made sure Sota and his family knew she was a fraternal twin and how Setsuna always told her to be more careful and to stay near their mother. When the fire started that night she made sure Setsuna ran with her away from the flames as fast as she could, but her sister couldn't keep up and their hands broke apart. A huge tree fell and the next thing Towa knew she was being spirited away to a whole new era 500 years in a strange future.
Sesshomaru wrote down, Your mother holds her memories for now.
"She does?" she asked, "So she can remember me someday, right?" She watched him nod. Without hesitation she added, "I have to go back," she paused, "but I don't know how."
Tell the sacred tree.
"But I did!" she said, "I tried that 10 years ago, and nothing ever happened!" She couldn't help but pout. Why would the tree listen to her now after all this time?
Try again.
Sesshomaru almost couldn't believe it. Did his own daughter ask the tree for help one time and then give up? There was no way she could have inherited that trait from him. Perseverance was his nature, as was it his father's and mother's. Although he silently decided Towa inherited this trait from Rin's side of the family.
"You really think that stupid tree will listen to me now?" she asked, "Years ago Uncle Sota's grandpa told me I should try talking to the tree and I did all the time, but nothing ever happened...well...not until you showed up out of nowhere after three months. What took you so long anyway?"
I did not know where you were until the tree told me and sent me here. He was running out of parchment.
"Okay," Towa said, a look was in her eye stating she meant business, "I'll ask that dumb tree one more time to send me back."
She opened the window and jumped out to the courtyard below right then and there. It was really the only time she could ever act like the half demon she was, whenever she jumped from her window instead of using the stairs like a human. She ran up to the tree's trunk like she had so many years before.
"Sacred tree," she said, touching the trunk as she saw her father do so many times before, "can you send me back to my original time period?"
To her surprise a woman's voice came from the tree and said, "Now that 10 years has passed you may return whenever you are ready."
"10 years?" she asked, wondering what that number had to do with anything, then froze up again once she realized the tree spoke to her, "Have you been able to talk all along?"
"In a way all of nature has a way to speak," Kikyo replied.
What's an annoying vague thing only some ancient being would say, Towa thought angrily. "So I can go home whenever I want?" she asked.
"Whenever you are ready," she answered.
Part of Towa wanted to answer she was ready right then and there. But she knew that wasn't true. For the past decade she had grown emotionally attached to Sota, his wife Moe, Sota's mom, and Sota's grandpa. She called them aunt, uncle, grandma, and grandpa respectively now. Although school wasn't that great, she knew she learned so much more in this era than in her original one. Besides, she had finals coming up soon. How would it look if she didn't show up for those?
Towa told her father first, and Sesshomaru left to wait for her on the other side of the portal. Then she made the painful announcement to everyone in the family. "I'm leaving," she said sadly, "I'm going back to the feudal era and I don't know if I'll ever come back here again." She tried to keep herself from crying.
Sota stepped forward calmly and said, "I knew this day would come, Towa."
"You did?"
"It was where you originally came from," he explained sadly, "and something is so magnetic about it that Kagome choose to live back then too. I've been putting some things together for you for when this day finally came."
There was a time Sota wondered if he'd ever be able to go to the feudal era as well. Although he never did, he still put together some facts and figures from the era for her over the years to help her return. He included some of Inuyasha's favorite snacks and foods, wondering if she'll ever see him. He put it inside the massive yellow backpack just like Kagome used to take with her.
After a long a tearful goodbye, Towa faced the sacred tree and demanded it open the portal to the past. Her eye tingled, the one that had the rainbow pearl in it. A white portal appeared at the tree's trunk, the same one that opened out of nowhere when she was 4-years-old in the middle of the forest fire. It forced her in.
Colors whirled around her as she spun through the portal. She remembered this feeling well. She grew dizzier and dizzier as it twisted her around over and over. The backpack fell off her back and flew through faster than her own body. She couldn't help but scream.
Meanwhile, as Sesshomaru waited for her outside of the sacred tree, he first heard her distance screams growing ever closer. He peered around the trunk and didn't find the portal until he looked up and saw it was wide open directly above him. First a yellow bag fell through and landed beside him.
Towa's screams grew louder until she fell through the portal. Sesshomaru outstretched his arms and caught her in the nick of time. She gasped and looked up at his unchanging expression. "Father!" she shouted, hugging him tight.
"Towa, welcome back," he replied.
"It's so good to hear your voice again!" she proclaimed, still hugging him, "I've wanted to hear it for so long, I was afraid I'd forget what you sounded like." She took a deep breath and inhaled his scent. He smells exactly the same as he did back then, she thought happily, even his fluff feels the same. She wanted to be held forever, just because it had been so long. But she knew they couldn't. There was too much to do.
Towa finally let go of Sesshomaru and he gently placed her on the ground. She looked around expectantly, wondering where her mother currently was, but she wasn't there. "Where's Mother and Setsuna?"
Sesshomaru stepped inside the tree of ages with ease. Towa's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. She hesitated before walking in behind him. Inside was a massive spiritual dark blue space of emptiness with a big spiritual tree in the center. Her mother hovered inside, fast asleep.
"She's been inside the sacred tree all this time!?" Towa asked, "Does that mean I could have visited her whenever I wanted while living in the other world?"
Jaken ran up to her and said, "Towa! You've made it back to your parents' side!"
She gasped. "Master Jaken!" She bent over and picked him up and squeezed him tight. "I've missed you so much!"
"Unhand me!" he demanded, unable to push away, "I am a demon, not a toy! Let me go! Lord Sesshomaru, help! Help!"
"Set him down, Towa," Sesshomaru said calmly.
She turned to him to see he was serious. She finally let Jaken go. He bounced along the ground before recovering himself. She looked up and examined her mother. "I don't understand," she said, "she looks exactly the same as she did 10 years ago." It wasn't as though she expected her mother to turn into an old woman in a short amount of time, but shouldn't she had aged at least somewhat over the years?
Jaken explained, "Staying within the tree of ages in combination with the dream butterfly spell has kept her in suspended animation, frozen in time, ever since the night of the forest fire."
"She's been stuck like this for 10 years?" she asked, "Isn't there anything we can do to save her and wake her up?"
Sesshomaru walked up to Rin's sleeping body and said, "If we wake her up the silver scale curse will spread across her entire body, and she will die."
Things are that dire? Towa thought, And they have been for a decade now? She still remembered the words her father wrote to her just hours earlier. How Setsuna did not remember her. At first she couldn't understand how, but now she knew it might be for the best. If her mother was in suspended animation for 10 years how could Setsuna cope with that growing up? Towa realized it seems less hopeless moments ago when she didn't know the truth.
"How can I save her?" she asked, looking at him.
"First you must sever the red string of fate that ties her to a demon named Zero," Sesshomaru answered, "and then find a way to break the other curse Zero put on her, the silver scale curse." He motioned to Rin's neck, where the single scale remained.
"A demon named Zero," Towa repeated, looking up at her mother once again. "Mother, we'll break your curse and free you for good." She turned back to Sesshomaru. "Where is Setsuna?"
Jaken answered, "Your sister currently lives in the demon slayer village. A and Un can take you directly to her and wherever else you wish to go. He's grazing outside waiting for you outside now, Towa."
Towa hesitated. "Waiting just for me? You aren't coming with me?" she asked.
"Zero is still after my life," her father answered, "and Kirinmaru lurks everywhere I go. It's best if we remain separated." Who knows what other foul things they'll come up with against her and Setsuna if they travel with me, he thought.
Although Towa had been stuck in the future, she hadn't realized how badly Zero had torn her family apart until that very moment. They coudn't be a normal family until the curse on their mother was broken and both Zero and Kirinmaru were dealt with. Until then they remained apart. Now she was more determined than ever to bring her family back together.
"Before you leave," Sesshomaru said, grabbing the end of his fur. Towa watched as he used his energy and cut through the end of his own fluff. The blood dripped from the end for a moment and Towa could tell her father felt pain as he cut through his own flesh.
"What are you doing?!" she asked anxiously.
He took the back of her collar and pushed the few inches of fluff down below her neck. She could feel the warmth engulfing her back and feeling of easiness and protection flowing through her veins.
Sesshomaru said, "This will give you protection." It hurt for him to cut off a piece of his own body, but he knew she needed it.
"How is this supposed to protect me?" she asked, petting it.
"It's your choice."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You mean you don't know how this is supposed to help me either, do you?"
He answered, "No, Towa, it is up to you on how you want to use it."
"Oh," she said awkwardly. She turned around to head outside of the tree. "I guess this is a goodbye then...for now..." she added, glancing back to see her father's unchanging expression.
Sesshomaru didn't say anything back. He merely nodded in his signature sour look.
Right, Towa thought to herself, I guess I forgot he didn't really talk much before I couldn't hear his voice.
She left the tree quickly.
"Do you think she stands a chance, Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken asked.
Without answering, Sesshomaru called out, "Sacred tree."
"What is it?" Kikyo asked, manifesting before them, "It appears you have a question for me."
"You appear to transcend time itself," Sesshomaru said, "meaning you're currently experiencing every moment of time all at once."
She replied, "You're correct. That is how I experience the world."
Sesshomaru said, "Tell me, how does Kirinmaru die?"
Jaken gasped while Kikyo paused in consideration. "I cannot divulge the entirety of what occurs," she explained, "but I will say the prophecy Kirinmaru has on him is true. However, you're not the one who fulfils it. Actually, I'd consider it to be a joint effort."
"Lord Sesshomaru is not the one who kills Kirinmaru!" Jaken shouted in shock.
"A joint effort," Sesshomaru said, "between who?"
"You're there and do your part well," she said, "and two others make their marks at the time same. One of them isn't your father's descendent, but the other is." She smiled. "That's all I'll tell you."
Sesshomaru didn't need to hear more. He felt as though he already knew how it call came together just from her words alone.
Meanwhile, outside of the sacred tree, Towa found A-Un waiting paitently for her. She couldn't believe she had almost forgotten about him after all those years apart. Just as the sun hit her, she realized she was still wearing the hair ribbon around her dog ears. It had been so long since she didn't have it on practically 24/7. Even while inside the Higarashi home she got more paranoid as she got older that someone would peak through the window and see her dog ears and wonder what was up with that.
She took off the hair ribbon and let her ears breathe for the first time in years. The wind made loud noises directly into them and the brusling of the branches nearby made them twitch. She could even hear the wings of birds flapping overhead. Even without constant noise pollution from cars and trains it was too much for her to take all at once. She quickly tied it back on jumped on the back of A-Un. For now, she decided she'd still cover her ears. Then hopped on the back of A-Un to see what other adventures awaited her.
"A demon approaches!" A man in the middle of the village shouted, "Prepare yourself!" He pointed at the sky as several people took up their weapons to attack.
"Wait," Kohaku stopped him, "That's A-Un, Lord Sesshomaru's beast of burden! Stand down!" He paused as he saw who was riding on the back of the two headed dragon demon, a young girl with short white hair in pigtails donning strange clothes he had never seen before.
Setsuna walked up beside him and asked, "What's going on?" Now 14-years-old herself, she donned blue demon slayer clothing and her long white hair in a high ponytail at the back of her head. The fluff her father gave her years ago was still around her hips, but now it nearly reached the back of her knees and had two tails in length. Her bangs revealed just enough of the crescent moon mark on her forehead alongside her dog ears showed her half demon heritage. She stood behind Kohaku and stared up at the white haired girl on the back of the two headed dragon. "Who is that?"
"Setsuna!" Towa shouted as she came in range, "It's me, your older twin sister Towa!" She landed A-Un in the middle of the village as everyone stopped and stared at the two of them.
Setsuna on the other hand was not amused. "How do you know my name?!" she demanded. She wished she had her naginata in her hands to aim it at this girl.
Kohaku stood between them and said, "Did you just say your name is Towa?" Was it really her, after all this time? It couldn't be. But she had the same cresent moon on her forehead as Sesshomaru, and she shared the name of Setsuna's twin sister. It had to be her.
"Towa?" Sango asked, hearing all the commotion from inside, "Is that really you? Where have you been all this time?" She ran outside to see everyone in awe.
Towa stared at the ordinary mortal woman who appeared to be in her 30's. "I'm Towa," she said, "but who you are?"
"I'm Sango," she explained, "I know your mother, Rin. I helped deliever you when you were born, alongside Setsuna."
Setsuna demanded, "What are you talking about!? I don't have a sister, and I especially don't have a twin!" She sniffed the air around Towa and paused. She did smell familiar, almost like as mixture of herself and her father. But how could she have a sister? And if she did have one, why did she show up out of nowhere after now? And why was she wearing such strange clothes?
Towa frowned, "Father said you didn't remember me." Even though she knew what he said, it still hurt to experience it right before her eyes.
"You've spoken with Lord Sesshomaru?" Kohaku asked.
She asked awkwardly, "Yes, why?"
"Nobody's really seen or heard from him in the last 14 years," Sango answered, she paused as she saw everyone in the village staring at them. "Why don't we go inside and sit down so we can talk about this further?"
To Setsuna's reluctance, they all went inside Sango's hut, except for A-Un who stayed and ate grass. Everyone sat in a circle inside Sango's home.
Sango explained, "14 years ago I helped Rin deliver fraternal twins, Towa and Setsuna. Not long after your births, Sesshomaru came into the hut looking more serious than I'd ever seen him before. He asked your mother if she could stand, and she did so without any hesitation. No questions asked. Kagome, Kaede, and I tried to stop him from taking the three of you, but Rin insisted she would be alright. No one has seen or heard from her since."
"Then 10 years ago Setsuna showed up out of nowhere when she was just 4-years-old," Kohaku said, "she was all alone and didn't remember anything."
"I have very few memories of my parents," she confessed, "I know what my father looks like, and I remember my mother holding me at times. I know we were in a forest, but that's it." She looked at Towa, "You weren't there."
Kohaku said, "Every once in a while, Lord Sesshomaru brings her gifts and helps us out, but he never sticks around. I have seen him a few times, and Setsuna here talks with him every once in a while. I don't understand his intentions. I know he's never been a talkative or friendly demon, but I've never known him to be so reclusive."
Towa couldn't believe what she was hearing. Setsuna had been living in this world the entire time, but their father wasn't raising her and hardly checked in on her at all? Yet Towa herself spent all that time in the future, and he stopped by every few weeks to watch over her? "You didn't think it was strange when Setsuna showed up alone?" she asked, looking at Sango and Kohaku, "You never wondered where I was?"
"We thought something must have happened to you," Sango said, "and that's why Setsuna didn't remember anything. We assumed it was too painful for her."
Setsuna demanded to Kohaku, "And why didn't you ever tell me I'm a twin?"
"There was once a time I didn't remember who I was," Kohaku said solomly, "I couldn't remember what happened to me, or what I had done. I didn't even remember my own sister." Sango bowed her head sadly. "The memories of the past were so painful I didn't mind forgetting. I thought something similar happened with you, Setsuna, so I never forced the issue."
"Kohaku," Sango said sadly.
Towa said, "I know this is so much information to get all at once, Setsuna, but I want you to know I remember everything! We were raised in a forest with Mother and Father and Master Jaken. A-Un was there too. There was a river nearby we'd catch fish out of and Mother always knew where the best herbs and plants to eat were. Our father was always going off with Master Jaken and A-Un sometimes too. One night the forest caught on fire, and we got separated from Mother. A huge tree fell between us and I tried to go after you but the rainbow pearl in my eye sent me 500 years into the future."
Sango gasped and said, "You mean to Kagome's world? No wonder you have on such strange clothes."
"Yeah I lived with her family," she explained, "with her brother and her mother and grandfather. Her brother's married now, and is about to have a daughter of his own. I was there for a few months before Father showed up, but it was only his spirit. I couldn't hear his voice. Not too long ago Kagome's brother gifted me a set of brushes, parchment, and ink made like how we make it in this time period, and Father was finally able to write me a message."
Kohaku asked, "What did he tell you?"
"Our mother has two curses on her," she answered, "and that you don't remember me." She looked at Setsuna who turned away.
"Rin is still alive?" Sango asked, "Where is she!?"
She nodded. "She's inside the tree of ages with a dream butterfly curse on her so she'll sleep and not allow the silver scale curse to kill her."
"She's inside the tree of ages?" Setsuna repeated, shocked, "Right now at this very moment!?" That wasn't far from the demon slaying village, maybe only a day's trip if she hurried on foot. She could have been visiting her all this time, but her father never told her.
Sango asked, "She's been in there for 10 years?"
"At least now we know where Setsuna's dream butterfly curse came from," Kohaku said, "we've been wondering."
Setsuna stood up and said, "I've heard enough!" She stormed away.
"Setsuna!" Towa called. She jumped to her feet.
"Don't follow me!" she shouted as she left.
It's probably a lot to take in, Towa thought sadly. She knew it would be difficult to convince her sister who didn't remember her that they were in fact twin sisters, but she didn't expect a reaction this volitile.
Outside, Setsuna sat on a small hill facing away from the village. She glanced up at the cloudless sky and wondered if Sesshomaru would fly over that moment. That's what she always called him in her head, by his name, and no honorifics. It didn't take long for Towa's footsteps to appear behind her.
"What do you want!?" Setsuna demanded without looking at her.
Towa didn't answer, only sitting beside her in a moment of silence. She finally said, "I'm sorry. When our father told me you didn't remember me, or anything that happened, I knew when I showed up here it would be..." she struggled to find a suitable word, "hard."
"You hide your dog ears," Setsuna said, still without looking at her, "why? Would you rather be fully human?"
She touched her the ribbon wrapped around her head. "In the other world demons aren't common," she answered, "so people don't know about half demons like us. It was better for me to cover my ears and I'm just so used to it now. If I had a choice I'd rather be a full demon like our father." She paused, realizing she was getting off track. "Setsuna, what exactly do you remember from when you were little?"
"My mother mostly," she answered, refusing to look at Towa, "how she held me, and how she was always there. Sesshomaru was there too sometimes, I guess. I don't remember much about him. I don't think he's ever held me."
"You're wrong," Towa said. Setsuna narrowed her eyes at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude. But I know Father has held you. He usually held us at the same time, and sometimes Mother would cuddle up to him too. We all used to fall asleep on his fluff together."
Setsuna confessed, "I don't remember any of that. I don't remember there ever being a fire. My first real memory, the one that's the clearest, is me sitting right outside Kohaku's hut. Sesshomaru flew up towards the sky, leaving me all along. Then Kohaku came along he asked for my name. When I told him, and he seemed to know exactly who I was." She paused to reflect on the memory. "I barely see Sesshomaru and hardly consider him to be my father. Kohaku is the man who raised me."
"I wish we never got separated," Towa said, "I should have been here for you as your older sister, but I wasn't."
Setsuna replied coldly, "You can wish whatever you want, it won't make it true."
Towa frowned at her. She said, "Setsuna, I need your help. The beast king of the east, Kirinmaru, has an older sister named Zero. She wants to make our father suffer for some reason, and for the last 14 years she's been succeeding! Together the two of us might be able to stop her from causing more problems for our father."
"Why should I help him?"
"You'll be helping our mother too."
"Mother?" she asked, remembering when she was held by her when she was little, "How are we supposed to help her?"
Towa explained, "If we can find a way to break the curse she's on, and cut through fate itself, we'll be able to separate her from Zero and get rid of Zero and Kirinmaru once and for all. They're the reason we all got separated, and why our father is always away. If we kill them we'll finally get to be a normal family."
"A normal family?" Setsuna asked, "A demon, a mortal, and half demon children can never be a normal family."
"You know what I mean," she insisted, "we shouldn't all be separated like this." She paused. "What do you say? Want to help me save our family?"
"I'm back!" a cheerful voice shouted from above. A girl with black hair, a red bow, and donned in red clothing and cape flew down from the sky on the back of a giant demon cat.
Towa stood up to attention, "Whoa, is that a demon cat?! Look how cute it is!"
The girl landed beside them and announced, "Setsu, did you miss me?" She paused and sniffed Towa, "Who's this? Why does she smell like Sesshomaru?"
"Kirara," Setsuna said, petting the demon cat as she shrunk in size.
Just when I was about to get Setsuna to agree to go with me this girl shows up, Towa thought angrily, who is she, anyway? She smells a bit like a dog demon, but moreso human than half demon like me and Setsuna. "I'm Towa," she answered, "Setsuna's twin sister."
The girl gasped. "Whoa, Setsu has a twin? No way! I'm Moroha! If you're Setsuna's sister then we're cousins! More family members, I don't believe it!" She paused her excitement, "But where have you been?"
Setsuna stood up and said, "She's not my sister."
"But she smells so much like you," Moroha said, walking around Towa and sniffing her like a dog.
"I am her sister," Towa replied, "but how are we cousins?"
"I'm Inuyasha's daughter," she answered, pointing at herself and smiling. "You must have heard of him."
Towa had heard of him, but not from anyone in this world. She knew he would visit Kagome sometimes and take her back to the past, but that was all. "I've heard of him from Auntie Kagome's family in the other world, but how would that make us related?"
Moroha and Setsuna gave her a blank look. Setsuna said, "Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are half brothers. You didn't know?" Towa shook her head. It appeared Sota had no idea either, because he never mentioned anything about it. So Auntie Kagome really was her Auntie Kagome.
"I had no idea," said Towa. She thought back about how often Sota would compare her to Inuyasha and now it made sense, they were uncle and niece.
Kohaku walked up behind them and said, "Sesshomaru has never thought highly of Inuyasha. He likely never spoke of him."
"Why wouldn't he think highly of his own brother?" Setsuna asked.
Kohaku hesitated, wondering if he should tell two half demons to their face that their own father once hated their very existence. He answered, "Because Inuyasha inherited the tetseiga, your grandfather's sword, and Sesshomaru wanted it to be his. He was bitter about it for quite a while." He didn't lie, which was good enough for him.
Towa said, "Kohaku, I came all this way to try and free my mother from her curses. I know I can't do it alone. Would it be alright if Setsuna came with me?"
"No!" Setsuna shouted, "I'm not going anywhere with you!"
"Setsuna," Kohaku said, "I've watched you torment yourself for not remembering your own childhood, and wondering who you truly are. I know it's shocking and uncomfortable for you to be near a girl you just met claiming to be your twin. I'm also sure leaving with her now to save your parents will be good for you."
What does he mean by tormented? Towa wondered. For years she asked her father if Setsuna was okay, and tried to ask what was going on with her, and of course he never really answered. He simply gave her a head nod that she was okay and that was it.
Setsuna said, "I'll only go with her if we stop at the sacred tree to see my mother first."
Moroha asked, "Can I go too, Uncle Kohaku?" He nodded and Towa didn't have a problem with it. Apparently they were relatives so why not get to know each other?
Setsuna and Moroha made heartfelt goodbyes to everyone in the village before setting out with Towa on A-Un. Towa took them all the way back to the sacred tree outside of Kaede's village.
As they landed, Moroha remarked, "It smells like Sesshomaru and that little green imp dude that's always with him."
Towa ran directly into the tree. "Wait!" Setsuna called out, shocked as she disappeared inside. Setsuna took causion, sniffed the tree first, and then carefully walked in. She didn't know what to expect when she stepped inside, but she hoped Sesshomaru was there waiting for her.
Instead she came face to face with her mother for the first time in years. She was held in suspended animation and floating inside the spiritual version of the tree of ages. Setsuna walked up to her and put her face next to her legs. "Mother," she whispered.
"Darn," Moroha said, "I was hoping Sesshomaru would still be here."
"Why?" Towa asked. Although she too was surprised he had already vanished.
She explained, "He was there when my parents disappeared. I think he did something to them. When I was 4-years-old Zero came by and attacked. Sesshomaru was there too. My dad blew apart our home and I was so caught up in everything I didn't notice them disappear. But Sesshomaru left and then came back before giving me this rainbow pearl." She revealed her grandmother's rouge. "Then I was all alone before Auntie Sango and Uncle Miroku showed up. No one has seen my parents since."
Towa asked, "Do you think my father did something bad to them?"
Moroha shrugged. "I have no idea."
"We should ask him the next time we see him," Towa insisted.
"How?" Moroha asked, "He's not here." She gestured to the vast emptiness inside the tree.
Setsuna finally turned to them and said, "I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him for a while. That seems to be the only thing he's good for." She frowned.
Towa explained, "He's not avoiding us because he hates us. He's avoiding us because Zero and Kirinmaru are after him and we'd get caught up in their fighting. Look at our mother! Zero's the one who cursed her."
The three girls gazed up at Rin as she continued to sleep.
"Then we'll deal with Zero ourselves," Setsuna said, "whenever we get the chance."
"If she really is after Sesshomaru," Moroha said, "if we catch up to him somehow, she'll probably show up eventually, and then I'll get to learn about my parents too! It's a win/win for all of us!"
It was decided then and there, that would be their path.