Chapter 2 - A Brothers Past

<center>*** Here's the second chapter! I hope it turned out okay! ***</center>







We last off with the gang just after they witnessed a band of taijiya slay a youkai. Part of that group was a young houshi who the gang suspected to be the “Antari” the villagers talked about. Miroku confronted this houshi after he unleashed what appeared to be a kazzana attack just like Miroku's. Him and the gang were confused at the houshi's answer, but shocked at his next words…….





“Mother was right, you don't know who I am. Houshi-sama Miroku, my name is Antari. I am your little brother.”



“NANI?!?!” yelled the gang as they stared in disbelief at Antari.



Miroku was even more shocked. “But….. But that's impossible! I was an only child!”



Antari smiled as he watched his brothers disbelief. His friends' reactions were also amusing. “This kazzana in my right hand should be proof enough.” He then started examining his friends. One appeared to be a youkai, but he looked to human to be a taiyoukai, so he thought that he was a hanyou. Next to his brother appeared to be an actual taijiya. He had heard that all the taijiya were wiped oput a long time ago, but could this not be one of them? Surveying the rest he came upon a young girl. He gasped as he saw an all too familiar sight. `She has fragments of the shikon no tama!'



“You there!” he yelled, stopping the chatter of confusion coming from the group. He pointed directly at Kagome. “How is it that you have aquired those shards of the shikon no tama?”



Kagome looked at him wondering, `Why does he want to know?'



Inuyasha intrupted before she could answer though. “And why would you like to know?”



Anatri just calmly responded saying “Because my friends and I are searching for an all-powerful youkai named Naraku. He is rumored to have many fragments in his possesion. I had heard that a hanyou named Inuyasha was also searching for the shikon no tama fragments. I belive that is you correct?”



“Huh?” said Inuyasha. “How did you know that I was a hanyou? And what'd mean you were looking for Naraku?!”



“Could it be because of your cursed hand.” Interupted Miroku before Antari could answer.



“Hai. He has cursed my family ever since my granfather faced him down and was struck by this curse.”



“Well that answers the that, now how did you know that I was a hanyou and not a taiyoukai?”



“Because I'm one too.”



The man who said this landed next to Antari. He wore an orange haori and a white yukatta. He had long hair that was tied back in a high ponytail. His eye's were cat-like and so were his ears. In his hand was a long spear that Kagome, Inuyasha, and Shippo strangely recognized.



“Shippo what's the matter?” asked Sango as she looked at the shaking kitsune.



“T-that staff…… it belongs to H-Hiten.” He said, shaking like a leaf.



“Who's that?”



“He's one of the thunder brothers” answered Kagome who looked at the staff. “Inuyasha and I faced off against them a long ago, before we met you you and Miroku. One of them was a powerful youkai named Hiten, and that was his staff.” Kagome pointed directly at the young hanyou.



Inuyahsa narrowed his eyes as he studied him. “Who are you and where did you get thet staff?”



The young hanyou just gave Inuyasha a look and didn't say anything, until Anatri told him to answer. “Alright, I'll say. My name is Jakar. I am a hanyou as you can plainly see. My mother was a powerful Tiger youkai and my father was a military pikesman. This staff I found while I was journeying with my friends one day. It was broken in half, so I brought it home and some of my friends fixed it.”



“So you just found it eh?” said Inuyasha, disbelief in his voice.



“I'm telling the truth!” yelled Jakar, trying to make Inuyasha belive him.



“He's right you know.”



Everybody turned and saw the cloaked man from before walking towards them. “I was there with him. My name is Elric. I am a mage with the power to create and manipulate water.”



Inuyasha and the others just looked at the mage and saw someone else approaching from behind him. It was the man with the black haori.



“And my name's Sacraine. I'm a mage too. I have the power to create and control lightning!”



“Except he draws his power from that amulet he wears on his neck.” Said Jakar looking at Sacraine. He then looked up at the top of his staff. “I draw my power from my thunder staff.”



“As for me, I don't need any magic powers.”



Again, everyone turned and looked at the person who spoke. This time it was the samurai. He walked up to stand on the other side of Antari until he saw Sango. He stopped and looked at Sango's taijiya outfit.



“That armor. You're a taijiya! A real taijya!” He looked up at her face and gasped as he recognized her. “Your Sango! The head leader's daughter!”



Sango was surprised and shocked as he said this. “Do you mean to tell me that you come from my village?”



“Hai. I lived in your village, but never became an actual taijiya. They said I was too overconfident and that I didn't think things things through. I never got a chance to argue though because the day after you and the other lead taijiya left the village we were attacked by a plague of youkai.” His anger at this memory was appearing evident as he balled his hands into fists. “I tried to help, but they were too strong. They slaughtered everyone. Some of the taijiya gave me a unifrom and told me to flee.They also gave me this sword…” He grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled it out. “I took what they gave me and ran. I didn't know how long a kept running `till I passed out. Then, some villagers found me and I met Antari. I've lived in his village eversince”



“So, you don't know if anyone else survived?” asked Sango, sadness in her voice.



“No. I thought I was the only one.”



“Well, at least I know now that someone else survived.” Sango just turned her gaze to the ground, sadnesss apearent on her face. Kilala walked up to her and mewed. Sango smiled slightly as she watched Kilala.



A small silence came around the group wich was interupted by Antari. “We should head back to the village, it will be night-time soon.”



Kagome looked around and noticed that the sun was starting to set. “Hai, come on Inuyasha.”



Inuyasha gave a final glance at the group of “taijiya” and followed Kagome and the others. Miroku however stayed.



“Mirkou, aren't you coming?” asked Sango. He shook his head. “No, I think I will stay and talk with Antari.”



Sango nodded her head and went to catch up with the others. Miroku turned and faced Antari. “I belive we have some cathing up to do, little brother”.



Antari smiled and told his comrades to return to the village to rest. Then he and Miroku walked to the edge of the forest and rested under a tree.



“How is it that you are related to me?”



Antari, thought back and remembered what he was told. “Well, from what I remember, I was born two years after you were. Mother kept me a secret, because she did not approve of Father's lifestyle.”



“What was wrong with Father?”



“He was a womanizer. Mother admited that she did fall in love with his charm, but soon after you were born, she left him. They met again about a year later and, well….” He smiled, “You could say it's how I came to be.” Antari, chuckled after that last comment, but his joy was short as new memories came to him. “Is it true? What I've heard, is father really gone?”



Miroku frowned as he rembered his childhood. “Hai. His kazzana overpowered him, and eventually consumed him.” He lowered his head and gazed at the ground. “I witnessed the whole event with my own two eyes.”



Antari appeared shocked at this news, but then returned to his sunken expression. “I see…”



Miroku tried to change the subject to make them forget about there past miseries. “So, what happened to you? Why did I never see you?”



“Well, mother took me, and travled far away to village she was born at. There, I was taught the duties of being a houshi.” Antari's gaze ventured towards the montains as he thought back once more. “I've lived there ever since. Mother passed away when I was 15. I enjoyed the village, I had many friends.”



“What about those people who were with you, were they from your village too?”



“Hai. After I became a houshi, I was entrusted with protecting the village. I was to make sure no youkai entered the village; although, most of my friends are hanyous. My village had few of them, but I had befriended them all.”



A sudden smile appeared on his face as a new memory came to him. “In fact, it was a hanyou that I fell in love with.”



“A hanyou?” Miroku looked puzzeled at his younger brother's words. “What was her name?”



“Ekrin. She is a powerful wolf hanyou. She was once a member of a wolf youkai tribe, but was, <i>discarded</i>, once their leader found out that she had mated with a human.”



“Mated?!” Miroku looked at Antari in disbelief. `did he actually…'



Antari laughed as he saw his brothers shocked expression. “What troubles you brother? Hai, Ekrin and I are mates, but I see no problem in that.”



Miroku's expression softened as he saw his brothers bright expression. “Oh, nothing. It's just, I see that you've found a suitable woman to bear your children.”



“Nani?” asked Antari. He then remembred what his mother had told him about his Father's <i>training</i>. “Oh, I see, you think that I just mated with her to have a child, correct?”



“Hai. Besides love, what reason would you have?”



“Mirkou, I do not follow the same customs as you. Mother has taught me to respect women. I don't simply go up to a lady a find nice and ask her to bear my children, I am not like that.”



Miroku frowned at his little brother. “I see, you never received Father's lectures.”



“Iie, but from what I have heard, you have.”



Miroku, nodded and the two gazed as the sun's last rays peeked over the mountains.



Suddenly, both felt a pressence behind them. “Do you feel that brother?” asked Antari.



“Hai, I sense a youkai appraoching.”



The two stood up and sacanned the trees. They were ready for anything that laid in wait for them. Their confidence was greater than ever. The two brothers were ready to face the unseen threat, together.





<center><i>-To Be Continued….</i></center>







<center>*** Hehe… A cliff hanger. Well I'm working on chapter three. I can tell you now that it's going to be pretty funny! Oh, and to those who don't know, “iie” means “no” in Japanese. ***</center>

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