InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Visiting Sibling ❯ Powerful Best Friends ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

Sōta suddenly stops short of entering the forest, causing Kagome to bump into his back.

“They’re already on their way back, we can wait for them at the hut.” He says, looking up at the sky with a relieved smile.

Kagome proofs his statement by sending out a wave of her energy, only to find that Sōta is right and Inuyasha and Miyuki are headed back towards the village now.

“How did you know that?” She asks, a niggling little assumption already in her mind.

Sōta cocks his head to the side quizzically.

“What do you mean, how? I just felt it. I always know when Miyuki is near me.” He replies with a shrug.

‘Just Miyuki?’ Kagome thinks, wondering if there really isn’t more between the two friends, but she keeps her thoughts to herself, for now.

She had been surprised at the anger and tension she’d felt from her brother when he’d left the hut after feeling that Miyuki was being judged for her species.

Never before had she experienced her brother’s anger.

He had always been a picture of calm and reasonable.

When she’d gone to fetch him from the river she’d felt her breath catch at the sight of him training.

He’d jumped from one rock to another, practising his balance and concentrating fully on getting himself from one riverbank to the other without falling into the water.

He was fast, and his movements almost seemed to blend with the river water itself. It had also worked in calming him down. He’d apologised for before, figuring that Miyuki would have already filled her in on the details, and gone to collect his katana before following Kagome towards the forest to the north of the village.

- - - - - 

Inuyasha and Miyuki arrive back at the hut just as Kagome and Sōta make it back.

Kagome has to steady herself against one of the pillars that support her home when she sees the giant feather flying through the air though.

There was no doubting that the girl was part wind demon, that much was for sure.

Miyuki lands gracefully and Inuyasha hefts three wild boar out of her feather before said feather shrinks back to a normal size and disappears in the quarter demon’s hair.

Inuyasha asks the teens to prepare the meat for an open fire grill, before taking Kagome’s hand and leading her into their hut.

“We need to talk.” He says, sitting down in his usual cross-legged pose and waiting for Kagome to take a seat next to him.

“What about?” She asks, settling herself down next to her husband, just as he’d known she would.

“Miyuki.”

Kagome’s expression clouds with just a hint of worry at Inuyasha’s serious tone of voice.

“Ok, what about her?” She asks, knowing that it must be important, but not really understanding why Inuyasha was so worried.

Her eyes widen when that fact sinks in.

Whatever was going on was enough to genuinely worry Inuyasha.

Things HAD to be serious for something like that to happen.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes when he realised that Kagome really didn’t understand his worry. She could be pretty perceptive about some things, but other times she was really damn clueless.

Growling quietly, Inuyasha decides to try giving his wife a hint.

“You saw Miyuki and me coming back just now, right?”

Kagome nods, wondering where this was going.

“You saw her FLYING back here on a GIANT FEATHER.” He emphasises, and although he can see the cogs turning in her head, Kagome still doesn’t get it.

Finally giving up all pretence of letting her figure it out for herself, Inuyasha speaks up again.

“GODS woman, she can use her youkai powers WITHOUT transforming!” He whisper-yells, giving an exasperated “Keh” when her mouth finally drops open in realisation.

“She can use her powers while in her HUMAN form?” Kagome asks quietly.

“Yep.” Inuyasha answered, pleased to see his wife catching on to the severity of the situation.

“She can transform a feather and FLY, while in her WEAKER state.” She clarifies, a tiny trembling beginning in her hands.

“Yep.”

Inuyasha repeats, knowing that the same thought was now going through their heads.

If she was so powerful in her HUMAN state, what was she like when she transformed? ESCPECIALLY if she had even less control than a half demon, as the two of them suspected.

“How much time do we have?” Kagome asks, a resolute tilt to her jaw.

Inuyasha shrugs.

“Her power’s building up even as well speak, I have no idea how much she usually gathers before transforming, but I’d hazard a guess for ten days, if that.” He answers, letting his own youkai brush against Miyuki’s as he spoke and noting that it had gotten bigger and stronger since morning.

Kagome nods.

“Ok, I’ll talk to her tonight and see if there are any measures she usually takes when she transforms. If nothing else, I should be able to convince her to wear a rosary in case it all goes south.” She says resolutely.

“…Thanks for telling me, my love.” She adds, leaning over to give Inuyasha a kiss on the cheek, before getting up to check on the progress of the meat preparation.

- - - - - 

While the adults had their little chat, Miyuki and Sōta decided to make a competition out of preparing the meat. Sōta took on the younger boar and Miyuki did the same for the gilt.

Locking a competitive gaze, they came to a mutual agreement and started cutting at the same time.

‘I forgot how bloody this process was.’ Sōta thinks, glad to find their odd little telepathy link open.

‘Really? I sort of figured it would be rather messy.’ Miyuki ponders, shooting the thought to Sōta.

The two have a similar epiphany shortly thereafter.

“Wait… YOU’VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE?”

“Wait… YOU’VE DONE THIS BEFORE?”

The two shout at one another.

“Yeah, during that camping trip in our second year of junior high. The teachers did the hunting, but the guys had to skin and gut the meat…”

“and then the girls had to prepare it for dinner, I forgot about that.” Miyuki finishes.

“Yeah… So, how come you haven’t done this before, I thought you said you hunted?” Sōta questions, wondering how she would have made use of her prey.

Miyuki has the grace to blush at his question.

“Oh, well, um, I sort of just ate it raw and whole.” She admits sheepishly.

Sōta raises an eyebrow at her.

“I mean, it was only during the time I was transformed, and mum said it was good to let my instincts take control every once in a while, it was a good way to train how to stay present and human, and, the first few times, that didn’t work. So, I had a few demon-worthy meals, ok.” She explains in a bit of a huff.

Sōta grins at her when she’s done.

“Man, I would have loved to see that. You know I’ve only ever seen you in control when you’re in your form, so at least you know the training worked.” He compliments her, causing her to smile brightly at him.

“Yep.”

‘and I intend to make sure it stays that way.’ She thinks to herself.

It was, admittedly, one of her worst fears.

Not to lose control, no, that could even be considered fun at times, but to hurt someone she cared about while overwhelmed by her youkai powers.

She saw EVERYTHING she did when she was in that “blood zone” as she liked to call it, but she’d never been able to regain control by herself. Her parents had always had to tranquillise her when she lost control and when she’d woken up, she’d been in her right mind again.

She could remember everything though. How the wind had felt when she’d first flown without her feather, the way she’d made her first kill, a young rabbit, and eaten it while its blood was still warm.

It gave her the most peculiar feeling of exhilaration and nausea just thinking about it.

Thankfully, Kagome chose this point in time to exit the hut, giving Miyuki something else to focus on.

- - - - - 

Although they’d stopped their competition, they hadn’t stopped moving their blades, and, when Kagome came outside, she was surprised to see that two of the three boars were already gutted and skinned, lying on their detached skin to prevent the meat from picking up any dirt off the ground.

“Would you like to help me fetch some water from the river, Miyuki?” Kagome asks, thinking about the best way to separate her from her brother without raising suspicion.

Miyuki shrugs.

“Sure.”

She turns to Sōta.

“I guess I’ll leave the last boar to you.” She says and smiles when Sōta nods his reply.

“Great, let’s go.” Miyuki says, taking Kagome by the hand and leading her to the river.

- - - - - 

“So.” Miyuki states, releasing Kagome’s hand and turning around to face her best friend’s older sister.

“Do you want me to pretend that I didn’t hear your conversation so that you can ask me your questions, or should I just answer everything I heard and save us a bit of time?” She finishes.

Her tone was surprisingly neutral, something that Kagome hadn’t expected from the energetic and joyous personality she’d come to associate with Miyuki.

Shaking her head, Kagome steals her nerves and replies.

“I’d be very grateful if you would answer the questions you overheard.” She answered, receiving a small smile and decisive nod in answer.

Miyuki sighs as she thinks back to everything she’d heard, wondering which order would be best for filling Kagome in on everything relevant to her transformation. 

“Well. I can only enjoy my demon form for a specific amount of time and only in a specific timeframe too.”

She chuckled a little before continuing.

“Inuyasha wasn’t that far off the mark with his guess. I always transform on the dusk of the last quarter moon and I take on my human appearance again after the last night of the waning crescent moon. The transformation can last from anywhere between three and seven days, and I SHOULD be transforming in about nine days.” Miyuki explains, deciding to start with the way her transformation works.

“I can always use my youkai powers, even in my human form, but, they are more restricted and require more energy and focus for me to use. As for the measures I use to ensure the safety of those who are around me when I transform, I don’t really have any. I, myself, can control my youkai. If, for some reason, something happened to trigger my “blood zone”, my parents used to tranquilise me, but only AFTER my beast had been given a bit of free reign. My transformation, my blood and my spirit are a part of me, and I refuse to lock that part of me away, although I have to admit that I agree with your idea of going to the Western Palace.” She finishes, a cheeky grin spreading over her face when her last line registers in Kagome’s mind.

Kagome’s brow furrows.

“I’m pretty sure I didn’t say that last part out loud.” She says in a questioning tone.

Miyuki chuckles at that, wondering if she’ll come to the answer on her own, or if she should just tell her how she knew.

In the end, Miyuki follows in Inuyasha’s footsteps.

“One of my youkai powers, that isn’t wind-based, is telepathy. So, I heard your thoughts speak, rather than your voice.” She explains, her expression turning concerned when Kagome pales a few shades and starts to tremble slightly, but Miyuki’s change in expression does wonders for Kagome’s worries.

It reminded her that Miyuki was three quarters human, and that she had a very active and genuine conscience.

“We should get some water and head back soon, else the boys will send out search parties for us soon.” Miyuki comments, and Kagome is shocked to see the sun sinking towards the horizon, dyed a darker orange as it slides towards the other side of the earth.

“Knowing them, they may already be on their way here to check on us.”

Kagome adds, and the two girls share a laugh.

On their way back to the Village, Miyuki falls in step half a pace behind Kagome.

“If it DOES come to it, let Sōta subjugate me. I don’t want anyone else holding that type of power over me.”

She says quietly, and Kagome wonders, for the first time, how much of this whole thing, regarding youkai auras and miko powers, Miyuki actually understands, or even knows.

Kagome gives Miyuki a sweet nod.

“I can understand that, but the spell needs to be activated by someone with spiritual powers, so, let’s just hope it DOESN’T come to that.”

She elaborates, taking another step, only to find herself encased in a type of wind cage that lifts her up and turns her around to face Miyuki.

“Do you REALLY not know? Or are you somehow clinging to some weird hope that at least ONE of us is still normal?”

Miyuki asks, and Kagome realises that she’d actually managed to spark Miyuki’s temper with her last remark… and It doesn’t take too long to figure out why.

She sighs in defeat.

“No, I can sense the potential within him, but, since I’m not exactly the right one to train him I want to leave it to his instincts and maybe talk to Miroku about some training possibilities when we get back from the west.”

Kagome replies, feeling Miyuki’s hands brace her forearms as she releases her wind cage.

“THAT, sounds like a brilliant idea.”

Miyuki agrees with a brilliant smile, and the two girls quickly walk the rest of the way back to where the guys are waiting for them.

Shippō had left as soon as he’d finished brunch and said something about helping out Sango and Miroku for the rest of the day, so they weren’t likely to see him again until the next morning.

- - - - - 

They make it back to a roaring fire with the three boars skewered on pikes and roasting away.

The girls immediately notice that the boys are antsy, despite keeping busy with the meat.

“We’re back!” Miyuki calls, running up to the two guys and handing Sōta a basket full of wild mushrooms and herbs.

Kagome blinks at the sight, wondering when she’d thought to collect those.

Either way or, the addition would certainly improve their meal.

“What took you so long?”

Sōta asks, his full attention on Miyuki.

After a longer silence, Kagome suddenly realised that the two of them were communicating telepathically.

‘She can’t just read minds, she can communicate mentally too, that’s rather impressive.’ Kagome acknowledges, blushing a little when her eyes make a brief contact with Miyuki’s and she sees the younger girl shoot her a confident little smirk.

Kagome smiles though.

‘That cheeky little…’

She shakes her head instead of finishing her thought, turning her attention to her husband, who was giving her a rather curious, almost expectant, look.

Kagome chuckles to herself, a little bit of dry humour in her voice since she knew that he wasn’t about to react positively to going to visit Sesshōmaru.

But she and Miyuki both agreed that it was the best and safest option for the quarter demon… Though explaining her scent to a grandfather who hasn’t even sired the daughter that would later become Miyuki’s mother yet was bound to be an interesting occurrence.

Kagome finds herself drawn out of her thoughts when Inuyasha places a gentle hand on her shoulder, an imploring and slightly worried look in his eyes.

“Are you ok?” He asks, and Kagome finds herself relaxing into his grip.

“Yeah, it’s just been a really action-packed day.” She admits, leaning into his hand as he draws her to his chest to better support her weary frame.

“Oh, Miyuki talked to me earlier.”

“You don’t say.” Inuyasha interjects with a quiet snort, and Kagome turns her head to send him a half-hearted glare.

“ANYWAY, she told me that she’ll be transforming in nine days, and that her transformation usually lasts from anywhere between three to seven days.”

She feels the slight prick of Inuyasha’s claws on her shoulder as he tightens his grip on his wife at that news.

- - - - - 

Had Kagome looked over her shoulder, she would have seen the perplexed expression her husband was now wearing.

Something just wasn’t adding up.

Yes, a part demon always had access to an alternating amount of youkai, depending on how close to their transformation time they were.

The night on which they were born always became their strongest period, where their demon blood was closest to the surface at the same time every lunar cycle.

That much was normal.

So, why was it, that a normal quarter demon had constant access to her youkai abilities, while he, as a half-demon, who had been born from a Daiyoukai, had to deal with a 12 hour respite every month?

Was Miyuki simply not telling them when she was fully human?

Somehow, he doubted that.

Either way or, the bottom line was, that Miyuki would be stronger than him soon, he could feel her youkai expanding still, and that fact didn’t sit well with him.

- - - - - 

As Kagome continued to fill Inuyasha in on her conversation with Miyuki down by the river, said quarter-demon was having a mental conversation with Sōta.

‘What do you mean?’ Miyuki answers Sōta’s question telepathically, aiming to get a rise out of her best friend.

‘I mean, that there’s no way the two of you just went off to get some water, so spill.’ Sōta grinds out, trying not to get upset with Miyuki.

It wasn’t usually like him to be so worried and over-protective. Sure, he was always concerned and protective, but he’d had a very strange feeling inside of him ever since he woke up that morning, and it was seriously putting him on edge.

Miyuki knew it too, but she wanted to rile him up for the very purpose of getting a rise out of him, so that he could expel some of the tension he was starting to build up.

‘Kagome and I just went down to the river to get some water, and we got to talking while we collected it, so we lost track of time for a bit.’ Miyuki answers honestly, though she keeps her answer as vague a possible.

Something that Sōta isn’t entirely unaware of, since his eyes narrow at her reply.

‘and WHAT was it the two of you talked about, exactly?’ He asks, pinching the bridge of his nose as he does so.

Miyuki’s gaze softens as she sees the action, knowing that he was stressed, but still trying to be patient with her.

The action also makes her realise that it’s unlikely that Sōta will lose his cool having a spoken argument with her.

So, she decides to switch tactics.

‘I just explained my transformation to your sister, since she’s likely the one who will have to… restrain me, if I lose control while in my demon form.’ Miyuki admits, placing a certain emphasis on the word “restrain”.

Sōta glares at her for that remark, his hands fisting at his sides.

‘What do mean by restrain? You never lose control in your demon form! You won’t have to BE restrained!’

The quarter-demon feels her eyes widen at the unstable flare in Sōta’s aura as he shouts in her mind. It surprised her how that one remark had made him so much tenser.

‘Sure I do. Just never when I came to visit you. I mean, I haven’t had a forced transformation in a few years, but it’s always better to have a back-up plan in case something happens… and it’s not like they have tranq-darts here, so we’re going to need a different method to subdue me without hurting anyone.’ She explains, not expecting such a strong reaction from her one little hint.

If she’d wanted to calm her best friend down though, she probably shouldn’t have mentioned her usual method of subjugation.

Miyuki only realised what she’d said when she saw Sōta’s entire body start to tremble.

‘You mean to tell me, that your own parents DRUGGED you when you underwent a full transformation!?’ He asks quietly, but the softness of his thoughts couldn’t hide the absolute fury currently radiating off of his body.

‘Well, only when I entered my blood zone, but I suppose that’s another way of saying it.’ Miyuki thinks, only to realise, too late, that she’d projected that thought to Sōta as well.

- - - - - 

‘Oh SHIT!’ Miyuki thinks, seeing the trembling of Sōta’s body intensify, and an unnatural, cool violet hue start to emanate from his body.

Forgoing all sense of pretences, Miyuki quickly establishes a new telepathic link with Kagome and Inuyasha.

‘Throw up a barrier dome, NOW.’

She says urgently, severing the link as quickly as she’d created it and focusing on trying to draw Sōta out of his own thoughts and back into a conversation with her.

The weight and onslaught of his thoughts as she struggled to find his conscience was staggering though.

‘She was drugged whenever she lost control.

As if the bullying hadn’t been enough at school, her own PARENTS treat her like some wild beast that needs to be put to sleep if it ever loses its temper!

What the hell is WRONG with people?!’

It was amazing how much Sōta worried and cared for her, but he was practically downing himself in his thoughts.

Soon enough he was recalling all sorts of memories that hurt or ostracised Miyuki.

He was remembering Kagome’s question during brunch. 

‘You knew about this? – of COURSE I knew, Miyuki even said she’d stop being my friend if her being a quarter-demon made some sort of a difference to me. HA, why would her species matter? She’s an AWESOME friend.’

The same held true for Mama Higurashi’s warning after she’d learned that Miyuki wasn’t all human.

‘Make sure you’re back before sun down! – Why did you say that while looking at me Mama? You should be worried about MIYUKI getting home on time, not her being with me on the night of her transformation! Just because she’s part demon, doesn’t mean we should suddenly stop treating her like a human being!’

And again, when one of Miyuki’s Junior High bullies had tried to get a rise out of Sōta.

‘Why do you keep hanging out with that freak? She’s a real monster, you know. – Really? Because, judging by the sacred knife in your hand and the slight redness of your knuckles, I’d say you’re one of the guys who tries to beat that rubbish into her head after school every day. That smug look on your face sickens me. If you ask me, I’d say a guy who gets his friends to help him beat up a girl who’s smaller and kinder and better than he will ever be, is far more deserving of a title such as Monster. You bastards don’t know anything about her!’

needless to say that he'd succeeded in getting that rise, he just hadn't been prepared to deal with the concequences of angering Sōta. 

Still Miyuki dove deeper into Sōta’s mind, but, even as she tried to reach him, she knew that it was too late.

Sighing, she withdrew back into herself.

She kept the telepathic link open, knowing that, even if he couldn’t hear her now, he would remember her voice once he regained his senses.

‘Looks like you’ve unlocked your own holy powers now. That’s pretty cool. Don’t blame yourself when you wake up though, ok? I was trying to get a rise out of you anyway. You seemed tense and I was hoping to remedy that. Heh, next time I think I’ll just suggest a sparring session. I should heal up pretty quick though, since my demon is on the rise at the moment anyway.’

She kept talking into his head, even as her skin started to burn and the purple glow exploded around Sōta, tearing a gut-wrenching scream from Miyuki’s lips.

- - - - - 

Kagome had almost fallen over when Miyuki’s voice had suddenly appeared in her mind. She’d gone as quickly as she’d come, but the message she’d left had been crystal clear.

‘Throw up a dome barrier, NOW.’

Her tone had brooked no argument, so Kagome had simply done as she asked.

She was momentarily surprised when the sudden barrier that she erected around Inuyasha and herself didn’t seem to surprise her husband.

“Any idea why she’s suddenly ordering you around?” Inuyasha asks from behind her, and she realises that Miyuki must have created a telepathic link with him as well.

Kagome shrugs in response.

“No idea, but I get the feeling it won’t take long to find out.” She tacks on verbally.

Even as she speaks, Kagome feels her eyes widen at the distinctive purple aura enveloping her brother’s body.

“That doesn’t look very controlled.” Inuyasha points out, his voice and eyes hard as he picks up on the rapidly spiking aura surrounding Sōta.

Kagome shakes her head.

“It’s a primary flare. Miyuki somehow got Sōta to unlock his spiritual powers. They won’t have any effect on the villagers, but…”

She didn’t have to finish her sentence, Inuyasha knew what, or more specifically who, holy powers targeted.

Demons.

Suddenly the barrier made a hell of a lot of sense.

“Anyway, I give her full permission to order me around if it means I can protect you for a change.” Kagome says, smiling at Inuyasha, though her relief soon turns to confusion when Inuyasha’s eyes move to look outside of the barrier again, their expression one of obvious distress.

“I’m just don’t get why she didn’t ask you to put the barrier up around her too.” He says, causing the blood to drain from Kagome’s face VERY quickly.

Miyuki was a quarter-demon.

Spiritual powers, ESCPECIALLY in the form of a primary flare, attacked EVERYTHING demonic that came within its range… A range that could easily reach a few hundred meters in diameter, and Miyuki was standing barely ONE meter away from Sōta!

Kagome and Inuyasha share a look, coming to the same realisation.

But, even as Kagome tries to think of a way to create a second barrier around Miyuki’s prone form, the glowing purple aura around her little brother suddenly flares outward in a rapidly growing circle and the little quarter demon lets out a scream that makes every hair on Kagome’s body stand on end and her heart clench painfully.

For a few seconds Kagome watches her brother’s purple powers swirl and billow harmlessly around her barrier, a beautiful vapor of sparkling and gleaming purple. The initial outburst creates such a powerful wind blast, that the fire for their dinner is blown out as though it were a mere candle though, attesting to the fact that her barrier really was protecting her and Inuyasha from a deceivingly powerful storm. Then, without warning, the power recedes back into Sōta’s body.

Kagome was willing to bet that his primary flare had easily hit a one-kilometre diameter... Though that was hardly an important issue at the moment.

Sōta was coming back to himself, his eyes were wide and fearful as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

Kagome watched her brother with bated breath, lowering her barrier to move closer to the skittish boy.

Coming around the smoking remains of their fire, Kagome’s eyes widen, and she starts trembling as she fights to keep back her tears at what she sees.

Miyuki lies in the same spot where she’d been standing mere moments before, but, her legs and forearms are covered in glassy red burns, parts of her skin cracked to look like a porcelain doll that accidentally fell on the floor.

Some of the cracks even running up her neck and over her cheeks.

Kagome also sees that there are silent tears sliding over her cheekbones and temple. What makes the whole scene that much worse though, is the fact that there is an incredibly gentle smile on her face.

“Mi-yuki?”

Kagome feels her heart break for her brother when she hears his soft and broken voice and sees him practically collapse on his knees next to Miyuki.

She can remember what it felt like to see Inuyasha, beaten blue and bloody on his human night, and that feeling of utter helplessness, because, not only was she unable to help him in any way, but also, IF she tried to help, she would only make things worse for him.

Taking another cautious step forward, Kagome freezes when her brother looks up to meet her gaze.

His eyes are broken but angry, so very angry.

Kagome is just glad that they aren’t empty.

“Stay there.” Sōta says clearly, causing a crease of confusion to mar Kagome’s brow.

“Sōta…” She tries, but he cuts her off.

“Don’t come any closer.” He rephrases it, but it’s clearly a warning now.

She decides to try again.

“But I can…”

This time his eyes flash angrily, and Kagome realises that her little brother is holding back tears.

“I SAID STAY AWAY!” He yells, erecting an instinctual barrier around himself and Miyuki.

- - - - - 

Safe in the knowledge that no one can come near the two of them now, Sōta allows his head to fall forward and rest on Miyuki’s chest.

His tears flow freely when he hears the steady beat of her heart in his ear. His hands clenching the loose fabric of her shirt just to assure himself that she’s still THERE.

He hadn’t accidentally purified his best friend into nothing.

He HAD purified her, partly, but she was still alive, and right now, that was the only thing he cared about.

- - - - - 

Author's Note 

Good Evening lovely readers! 

I'm cutting it a bit close today, but I still have 6 minutes until it's officially tomorrow, so I've still posted this fourth chapter on day number four. 

Remember to check in again for the next chapter tomorrow and let me know what you think of this story so far! 

Tora