Walking along a cliff line Koga let out a sigh as he thought about a female that has long since passed on to the next world. Kagome had been dead now for over a hundred years and he was still beside himself on what he should do with himself. He knew Kagome would not want him to pine over her, yet at the same time he didn't know how to move on from her.
He had tried a courtship with Ayame. But that didn't go anywhere. He couldn't even get close to her because of his memories of Kagome. He tried other females that were interested in him as well from different packs. But not one of them were able to make him forget about Kagome in the least. "I wonder if I will ever get over her and be able to move on with my life."
"It's a demon! Everyone run! Get Shiori!"
Blinking Koga turned and looked down at a small village with the villagers scrambling. He had thought about going on, but he heard Kagome say more than once that there was a half bat demon that she met named Shiori and she wondered what ever became of her. "Could it be the same Shiori? Only one way to find out." He turned and jumped down the side of the cliff and headed for the village.
As he entered the village though he saw a woman standing there with white hair that fell down to her knees that blew in the wind. He slowly made his way to her and looked around seeing all the villagers watching. Turning back to her he sighed. "So you are the Shiori that they were yelling about?"
Trying to hold back the tears Shiori kept her eyes on the ground. But in the slightest of a whisper she had one question. "Will you take me away from here? Keep your voice low."
In a whisper as well he arched his eyebrow at her. "Don't wanna stay with them?"
"My father was murdered by my grandfather a long time ago. He was killed by Inuyasha. My mother died a few years later from a fever. Now I serve as a bargaining piece for this village and demons that come through. They either offer me to them for the safety of the village, or have me kill them."
"I see. You are like their guard dog."
"I just want to be free."
"What does me taking you away from them get you? Do you know how to survive on your own as a hanyoukai?"
Looking up at him with tears spilling from her eyes, she gave him a pleading look. "Please. I would rather die free than to serve them for one more thing."
Koga starred down at her. Inuyasha killed her grandfather, yep this was the same Shiori that Kagome had talked about. He was sure that she wouldn't just leave her there, Kagome was way to caring a person for that. She would have had Inuyasha whisk her away. "Fine."
Then without a word he threw her over his shoulder and raced off with all his speed. Laughing at the angry shouts to bring her back from the village behind them. Once they were far away from the village he stopped at sat her down. "You are free. I guess I might see ya around."
Turning to him again Shiori reached out and grabbed his arm. "Do you anything of the hanyoukai Inuyasha? If you do can you tell me where to find him? He would be the only one still alive of his group and the only one I know outside of the village that I remember. There was kit but I don't remember his name and I don't know if he would remember me."
Turning to look down at her with a haunting look in his eyes as he saw Kagome's smiling face flash before his eyes. "I know Inuyasha. The kit was Shippo. Kagome, Sango, Miroku all of them. I was in love with Kagome, but she wasn't with me."
Her eyes bright now Shiori smiled. "Could you take me to Inuyasha? Or at least point me in the right direction?"
"I can't. After Naraku was killed Kagome used the whole jewel and purified Inuyasha and Kikyo into the form that their love could be truest. It turned them both human. The only one who would be alive is Shippo and I have no clue where he is."
Her eyes now downcast with a dull look in them. "I see. I had hoped that Inuyasha and Kagome would have had children. If they were hanyoukai like him then I might have been able to meet up with them." She sighed then whipped her eyes and smiled up at him. "Thank you for taking me from them. I will not be a burden to you any longer. May I know your name? Then I will be on my way. And do you what way Shippo lives?"
"I am Koga. That way."
"It is nice to meet you Koga. I am Shiori. I hope that we get to see each other again one day." Then she turned and started to walk off in the direction that Koga pointed out for her.
Koga starred after her for a moment. The innocence that shinned in her pink eyes reminded him of Kagome's eyes. Then without a second thought he turned and walked off again.
X
Shiori smiled as she walked along a path through the woods. She didn't have the blood crystal anymore, but with her mother's help she was able to learn how to do barriers around herself for protection from demons and humans that would kill her just because of what she was.
Her thoughts drifted back to the face of the wolf as he told her about Inuyasha becoming human to be with Kikyo. "I wonder who Kagome married then? It seemed like the slayer and monk would have ended up together the last time they were here. If I ever see him I shall have to ask him." Then just as the words slipped over her lips she shook her head. "No. That would not be a good idea. He seemed really hurt when he talked about Kagome."
Looking up just as dawn approached she noticed a cliff that looked like it nearly reached the clouds. With a giggle she called on her speed as a half demon and raced up the cliff and stopped on the very edge of it and smiled as the wind blew her hair straight out behind her. "So this is what it is like to be free from that village."
A hint of sadness came over her as she looked down. "I am sorry Mama. I know I promised that I would do all that I could to make sure that the village always stayed safe. But they treated me so badly. I couldn't stay there any longer. And finally a demon has come through that granted me my request!" Koga flashing through her eyes. "And the best part of it is that he knew who Kagome and Inuyasha were mama. I guess I should try and get in gear and look for Shippo. He was a kid like me but he might remember me."
She looked up to the sky one last time as a gust of wind blew her hair straight back again. Her eyes opened in a gasp as for just a second she thought that she felt the feather soft touch of her mother's hand on her face. And her father's hand rest on her head then run the length of her hair. "Thank you mama. Papa."
X
Ginta and Hakaku looked up just as Koga walked back into camp. Ginta sighed with relief. "I am glad you are back Koga. You been gone for a few days. I was starting to get worried."
"Humph." Koga moved to sit on a rock near the fire with a sigh. "I would have been back sooner but I took a detour."
"Detour?"
"Yeah. Remember whenever we would go visit with Kagome and Bankotsu? She would talk about that bat hanyoukai that she met traveling with mutt face?"
"Yep."
"Well she aint so little anymore. I came across her village and she met me. Said she didn't want to stay there but didn't have the backbone I guess to leave on her own. So I took her from the village and then we parted ways."
"Really? Shippo described her to us one day. Does she really have pink eyes like a full bad demon?"
"Only difference was her smell. She looked just like a bat demon. Well no, I guess her hair was longer than most bat demons. It hung to her knees."
The rest of the evening was spent in silence as Ginta and Hakaku both drifted off to sleep. Koga leaned against a tree looking up at the sky. It was a full moon. "Kagome." But then he gasped when flashes of white hair and pink eyes flashed through Kagome's image. "What the? Why did she come through like that?"