Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, only my OC :(
Shiori walked away and tried not to feel Inuyasha's sorrow and turmoil. There was no way she could save his friends from death. She knew that. So why did she feel so….guilty? She caught up to Sesshomaru and walked by his side. Much time passed before he spoke to her.
"Did you save them?" he asked.
"Save who?" she asked pretending not to know.
"The humans," he said. "I thought you would've saved them. Isn't that what you wanted to do in the first place?"
"No," she said sharply. "Is that why he called for me to go with him? Because he thought I wanted to save Kagome and the others?"
She looked down. She wasn't actually feeling guilty about leaving them, was she? Impossible!
"Did you find anything while I was gone?" she asked hoping to change the subject.
He glanced at her, "We went up to Mount Hakurei. I traveled as far up the mountain as I could. But there's a barrier at the top restricting further entrance."
"A barrier," she said, "in addition to the air of the sacred mountain?"
"It's no ordinary barrier," he said. "It appears to also be sacred. Anything with demon blood will be purified."
She blinked twice, "If I get too close to the barrier, then I'll be purified."
"Yes," he said flatly. "I thought I just explained that."
"But it's different for me," she explained. "The air here is very similar to that of the tennin lands. It was that same air that purified my shinigami blood and gave me a tennin appearance for centuries."
"You believe Mount Hakurei's barrier will revert you to your tennin form?" he asked.
"Just being this close to Mount Hakurei…makes me feel weak. I'll be purified before I even get to the barrier," she said looking towards the mountain.
After walking for awhile, they approached the basin of Mount Hakurei. Shiori grew weaker as they moved closer. She wobbled around as she stepped forward. Sesshomaru glanced down at her, he was completely unaffected.
"I was able to get closer to the mountain without feeling this bad before. Why is it different now?" she thought. "Is it because of this….heavy feeling I'm carrying?"
Shiori couldn't get the dying images of Kagome, Miroku, and Sango out of her head. The more she tried to fight them, the worse they became. She forced herself to keep walking until she fell over. Sesshomaru casually walked back to her.
"You won't make it at this rate," he commented.
"I realize that, my lord," she said while trying to stand up.
It was no use, she only fell down again. There was no way she could walk anymore.
She started crawling weakly, "I just have to get close enough to be purified by the barrier. Then I'll be able to move freely."
"Yes," he said blandly. "And at that speed you'll get there….by the end of this century."
"Then leave me here," she moaned while closing her eyes. "I'll regroup with you later…."
"This is absolutely ridiculous," he said scooping her up under his arm.
Sesshomaru sped toward mountain with Shiori dangling under his arm. She was so weak, that she didn't even have the energy to lift her head up. She opened her eyes and found the ground moving underneath her.
"I'm…being carried? I told him to leave me, not take me with him."
"Put….me…down," she said. "I can make it…"
He ignored her request, "You're just slowing us down."
"Damn it, I can't break free. I'm too weak…his arm feels like a steel bar against my body…"
He said nothing more to her. Shiori gave up and let herself be carried away…literally. The effects of the barrier became even stronger. Shiori closed her eyes again and cringed with pain. She was slowly being purified. The pair finally came to the rest of their group. Jaken and Rin were standing by Ah-Un when they saw them approaching. Ah-Un was plopped on the ground in a daze. The sacred air was too much for him.
"Lord Sesshomaru, you've returned," said Jaken.
He stared at Shiori's limp body under Sesshomaru's arm. Rin quickly ran over to her.
"Lady Shiori! What happened to you," she asked.
Sesshomaru placed Shiori down in front of Rin. Shiori opened her eyes and gazed at Rin's worried expression.
"I'm fine," she lied.
"Oh no, you aren't," said Jaken. "It's this air isn't? This accursed place is going to kill us!"
"But, I'm okay," said Rin. "And so is Lord Sesshomaru."
"That's because you're human," said Jaken. "It won't harm you. And Lord Sesshomaru is a powerful demon lord. Of course he won't be defeated by some stupid barrier."
"Then how come you're fine and Lady Shiori's not?" she inquired. "She's way more powerful than you are."
"Why you!" he snapped. "Well since Shiori is basically a monster from hell, I would imagine the sacred air would affect her much quicker than me. Her shinigami blood certainly doesn't aid her in this situation."
"Oh no!" cried Rin. "Poor Lady Shiori…."
"Jaken," said a weakened, yet irritated Shiori. "Eventually, I will get my strength back. Remember that."
"Lord Sesshomaru, we should get her away from her," said Rin. "She'll die."
"No," said Shiori crawling closer to mount Hakurei.
"What are you doing?" demanded Jaken.
"What does it look like," she said weakly.
"Crawling to your doom," Jaken deadpanned.
"I have to let myself be purified," she said. "Once I'm purified I'll be fine."
"I'll help you," offered Rin.
"No!" snapped Shiori. "Don't touch me!"
Shiori was glad Rin obey her. If Rin had touched her, there was no way Shiori could shake her off—she didn't have the energy! She crawled as far as she could before finally collapsing on her face. Rin tried to run to her, but Sesshomaru restrained her.
"Her body can take no more," he thought while watching her lay on the ground.
Shiori cried in pain as she went through her transformation. Her body was suddenly engulfed in a lilac light. Sesshomaru and Rin took a step back as he watched the scene. Once the light disappeared, Shiori began to breath easily again and sat up. She stared at them all through her lilac eyes. Sesshomaru vaguely glared at her.
"It's been quite awhile since I've felt like this," she said while standing up. "I feel different, but much better."
"Lady Shiori," chimed Rin. "You look like your sister!"
"So this is your true form?" asked Sesshomaru.
"No, I'm only a purified version of myself," she answered while staring at the mountain. "This sacred barrier….it's purified my shinigami blood and given me this appearance. This is the accursed form I was born with."
"Well I still think you're really pretty," said Rin. "You look like an angel!"
"Yes, well looks can be quite deceiving," Jaken jeered.
He stared at Shiori and waited for her to retaliate. She wasn't even looking in his direction. Shiori was still facing the mountain. Jaken was feeling slightly uneasy.
"What," he thought. "She usually would've hit me….or had something to say. She didn't even glare at me! What's going on here?"
"Lord Sesshomaru," said Rin. "I forgot to tell you I went exploring further up the mountain."
"Yes," said Jaken. "While you were gone, she went through the barrier!"
"Were you with Kohaku?" he asked.
Rin froze with fear. She didn't want to tell him the truth.
"Answer Lord Sesshomaru," said Jaken. "And don't lie. He has very good sense of smell. I'm sure he picked up Kohaku's scent on you."
Jaken turned to Shiori again. She was now facing them and quietly listening. Jaken again felt uneasy and restless.
"What's wrong with her? Normally, she would've made a sarcastic remark to that like 'yes as a dog should.' Then I would have responded with 'don't talk about my lord like that!' She's messing up the formula!"
"I did see him," said Rin. "But please don't kill him. Kohaku helped me escape. There were lots of demons in the cave."
"Demons in the cave?" Sesshomaru pondered. "How are they able to get passed the barrier? I, myself, don't think I can go any further. Naraku is definitely inside Mount Hakurei and he's using this barrier to keep us away. But how did he create it…."
"I see," he said. "Let's go…before some other absurdity happens."
Sesshomaru pressed on anyway. Rin and Jaken followed after him. Shiori stood next to Ah-Un.
Rin turned around, "Aren't you coming Lady Shiori?"
"In a second," she said. "I'm taking Ah-Un out of here. He can't take the purified air."
"There she goes again," said Jaken. "Always coming and going! Make up your mind!"
Shiori knelt down beside Ah-Un and gently pulled on his reigns. He weakly rose to his feet and walked away with her.
"What?" said Jaken hopping up and down. "Now she's completely ignoring me! She didn't even have anything witty or sarcastic to say! Lord Sesshomaru, I fear something's wrong with the girl!"
"Leave her alone," said Sesshomaru over his shoulder.
Shiori led Ah-Un away from the mountain. After a short while, he was back to his happy usual self.
"You're strength has returned quickly," she said pleased.
She climbed on his back and flew away from Mount Hakurei. Eventually, Shiori escaped the purified air and changed back to normal. She could once again sense the life forces around her. While in tennin form, Shiori's senses aren't as strong. She soared through the sky and made a bee line for a nearby forest. Slowly, she took Ah-Un down and they landed by a stream.
"I'll return momentarily," she said to Ah-Un before patting both his heads and leaving.
She hastily walked through the green thickets. Shiori finally came to a large open meadow. It was then that she saw him—Inuyasha. He sat in the grass with Kagome's unconscious body in his arms. Miroku and Sango were laid beside him. Shippo and Kirara watched in silence. Their sadness swelled in Shiori's heart. She stepped out and gradually walked towards. Inuyasha tilted his head up in surprise. Why was she here now?
"What do you want?" he snapped at her.
He looked back at Kagome….it wouldn't be long before he lost her. It wouldn't be long before he lost all of them. They were still suffering from the effects of Mukotsu's poison. The evil vapor was now deep within their bloodstreams. Inuyasha blamed himself for leaving them all behind. Shippo couldn't stop himself from crying. He didn't want his beloved companions to die.
Shiori knelt down in front of Inuyasha and stared at Kagome's lifeless face. She definitely got more poison than the others. Shiori would only have one shot. Inuyasha watched intently as Shiori placed her palms on Kagome's chest. She closed her eyes and began purifying her.
"I pray this works," She said.
"Y-you're….helping them after all?" choked Inuyasha
Shiori felt the poison in Kagome's body slowly erode as she purified it. Kagome's body was glowing with Shiori's spiritual power. After awhile, Kagome started stirring in Inuyasha's arms. The girl opened her eyes in shock. She was alive! Kagome sat up.
"Where am I?" she asked. "What happened to the temple?"
Inuyasha hugged her, "I'm glad you're okay."
"Yeah, I'm fine now. I feel a lot better," she said. "Shiori, you came back?"
Shiori nodded, "that's all I can do, but you should be fine now. It's best you don't try to get up too fast."
Kagome smiled, "thanks for saving my life, Shiori."
"I can't believe it really did it. Emi would have done a much better job I'm sure, but at least I managed to keep her alive."
She stood up to take care of Sango. Sango's bloodstream wasn't as clouded with poison as Kagome's. After awhile, Sango also woke up from her coma. She too was slightly confused, but responded well to the purification. Shiori then turned her attention to Miroku. Both Kagome and Inuyasha silently watched her work.
"Inuyasha," said Kagome. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
"I'm the one who should be apologizing….I" he quickly turned away. "I'm just glad everyone's alright."
"Inuyasha," said Kagome softly. "Are you crying?"
When he didn't respond, Shippo walked in front of him and grabbed hold of his face.
"Hey, he is crying!" shouted Shippo.
Inuyasha knocked him off his face and bonked him on the head. Shippo screeched with pain.
"Ow! You jerk!" Shippo yelped.
Shiori was just about finished purifying Miroku. She removed her hands when she sensed that most of the poison was gone from his body. Unlike the girls, Miroku didn't wake up all the way.
"What's that?" he said in his sleep with a grin, "you'll bear my children? How wonderful!"
Miroku finally woke up and frowned.
"Aw, it was only a dream?" he sighed in disappointment.
When he noticed Shiori hovering over him, and he sprang up. Miroku grabbed Shiori's hands and stared deeply at her. Naturally, Shiori was startled by this. His piercing gaze made her very uncomfortable.
"Shiori, nice to see you've returned. Care to make my dream come true? Will you bear my children?"
She timidly looked at him, "Uh….maybe I didn't do it right that time. It seems he's become even more corrupted."
"Oh he's fine, trust me," said Kagome with a pause. "Or at least, he was."
Sango glared at Miroku from behind Shiori. Her murderous glare was so menacing, it even sent a chill down Shiori's spine. She hit him over the head and Miroku toppled to the ground.
"I take it they're lovers?" said Shiori.
"Something like that," Inuyasha answered.
Shiori rose to her feet and prepared to depart again. Sesshomaru and the others were probably wondering what was taking her so long.
"Wait," Miroku after regaining his composure. "Thank-you for all you've done."
"Yes," nodded Sango. "We really appreciate it."
"I can't thank you enough," said Kagome. "Really…"
She nodded, "Just don't get yourselves poisoned again."
"Shiori," said Inuyasha. "Thank-you….for coming back."
She turned away from him, "I told you I'd repay the favor someday. You saved my life and I saved theirs. We're even."
She finally left and disappeared into the woods where she came from. Inuyasha and the rest looked after her.
"We're more than even," he thought.
…..
"There's no need for me to hide what happened to Lord Sesshomaru," Shiori thought while riding on Ah-Un's back. "He'll smell Inuyasha's scent on me and instantly know what I did."
She and Ah-Un had been walking back towards Mount Hakurei. She wasn't exactly in a hurry to get back there. She'd only be purified again.
"I thought that if I was purified, then all the emotions I was feeling would go away. I thought I would escape the dark feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I was wrong. During my time in purification I wasn't attacked by anyone's emotions but my own ….but that was plenty enough to scare me. I was…more aware of how I was feeling. Even though my body was strong enough to continue with Lord Sesshomaru, I just couldn't go…."
Shiori was slightly weakened by the purification treatments. She used up quite a deal of energy on Kagome, Miroku and Sango. She definitely needed to rest for a little bit. But there were just too many threats in the area. Naraku resurrected the Band of Seven to kill his enemies….and she was on that hit list. Sesshomaru believed they were meant to serve as a distraction for Naraku.
"Lord Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and I dealt serious damage to Naraku when we battled. He hasn't been seen since them. That's what this is all about. He's buying himself time as he reconstructs his body. But he's been hiding for so long…..he must be making it even stronger than before. What kind of power will he posses?"
…..
"Lord Sesshomaru," said Rin. "Lady Shiori never came back yesterday. She said she was coming right back but she never did. I hope nothing bad happened to her."
The trio had been walking around the basin of the mountain. Sesshomaru had been trying to figure out a way to get inside the barrier. Jaken trailed behind Sesshomaru and Rin. He couldn't take the disastrous effects of Mount Hakurei's air. Sesshomaru still showed no signs of being affected. He casually walked as he normally did.
"I'll bet she's trying to stay away from the mountain," Jaken panted. "You saw what it did to her? It turned her into a pasty haired tennin!"
"But she was fine after that," said Rin. "She could stand up and everything."
"Yes," he using his staff as a crutch, "But she wasn't quite herself. Didn't you notice? She didn't sass me once! I feel a bit insulted!"
"Shiori was purified just by Mount Hakurei's air." thought Sesshomaru. "What will happen if she tries to enter Mount Hakurei's barrier? I wonder if the barrier is strong enough to purify even her tennin blood. If that's the case, then she'll die."
The grouped stopped at a long bridge over a deep cavern. Rin stared over the edge—it looked endless! Sesshomaru turned away and faced the top of a cliff. He caught a scent in the wind.
"They're coming," he said flatly.
"Huh?" said Jaken. "Who's coming?"
Down from the cliff, came Jakostu's lightning sword. Sesshomaru quickly unleashed his own sword and blocked the retractable blades.
"Wha…?" said Rin. "A sword?"
"One of Naraku's agents," he said. "Like that poison user, you also smell of bones and graveyard soil."
Jakostu stepped down from the cliff, "Oh, you're quite good with that nose of yours. Just what I'd expect from Inuyasha's older brother."
He swung his retractable blade at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru knocked the blades out of his way and zipped up to Jakostu.
"Eeep!" he screeched, as Sesshomaru just miss striking him with his poison claw.
Jakostu fell to the grown and looked to the spot he was standing at. It was completely melted with humans.
"That was close," he said.
"Ha! What a stupid human!" Jaken taunted from the sidelines. "Give up and die already!"
His teasing came to a stop when he realized the blades were now coming for him. He quickly jumped out of the way and fell beside Rin.
"Did you say something?" asked Jakostu staring at him.
"Why you!" shouted Jaken.
Sesshomaru rushed up behind Jakostu and jumped over his head. He blocked his 2 companions from the zombie's pursuits.
"Jaken…"
"Yes my lord," he answered while getting up. "We're leaving now!"
"Eh?" said Rin.
"You heard me!" said Jaken running toward the bridge, "Let's go Rin!"
"Oh," said lured Jakostu. "You sure don't want that girl to get hurt. How kind of you."
"Hmph," Sesshomaru scoffed. "You sure talk a lot for a corpse."
Jakotsu swung at Sesshomaru again. "Maybe now you will fight freely!"
Rin looked back at the scene as she and Jaken ran over the bridge. She watched as Sesshomaru narrowly avoided the retractable blades.
"Will Lord Sesshomaru be okay?" she asked.
"Of course he will," huffed Jaken. "Lord Sesshomaru will not fall to the measly attacks of a human!"
She blinked, "you might though, Master Jaken."
His face fell, "You watch your tongue little girl!"
The bridge suddenly started creaking. Someone was coming towards them on the bridge. They stopped walking and peered out into the mist. The figure of a man slowly came towards them. He had spiky black hair and evil narrowed eyes. He had green warrior markings all over his devilish face. On his knuckles, were long spiky hand claws.
"This human has the appearance of a demon," thought Jaken.
"Where do you think you're going?" said the man flashing his hand claws.
"If something happens to Rin, Lord Sesshomaru will kill me for sure!"
"Staff of 2 heads!" he called as he blasted at the zombie.
The man disappeared in the sea of flames. Jaken stopped once he no longer saw the evil threat. He had accidently destroyed a huge portion of the bridge in the process. Now there was nowhere to go but back. The remains of the bridge were now crumbling.
"Eck!" cried Rin. "The bridge is falling!"
"I know that!" said Jaken as they scampered to get away.
Suddenly, blades shot up from one of the boards of the bridge. Jaken looked over the side and saw that the zombie was still alive. He was hanging off the bottom of the bridge.
"You think you can get away from me that easily?" he strained.
The bridge finally fell apart and all 3 of them fell. Sesshomaru turned his attention away from his fight and over to his falling comrades. Without question, he rushed over to save them.
"Huh?" thought Jakostu. "We planned on kidnapping the girl in order to restrict his movements, but I never thought he'd exposed his back to me!"
He swung his blades at the fleeting Sesshomaru, hoping to kill him. The blades surrounded Sesshomaru and Jakostu watched with pleasure. At the very last moment, Sesshomaru deflected them with Tokijin. They came charging back at Jakostu.
"Oh no! He reflected my attack!" he cried
It happened so fast, he didn't even get the chance to avoid it. The retractable blades recoiled backward and sliced the ground right in front of him. He was missed by a hair. Jakotsu fell back in fear.
"That was close," thought Sesshomaru looking over his shoulder. "But not close enough."
"He…..he almost killed me that time," stammered Jakostu. "That snobbish jerk!
Sesshomaru reached the bottom of the cavern where Jaken and Rin fell. He found Jaken's unconscious body, but was unable to find Rin. He looked to the coursing river that ran straight through the cavern's bottom.
"Her scent was washed away with the river," he said casually.
Jaken peeped open his eyes, but shut them when he saw Sesshomaru coming back.
"Jaken," said Sesshomaru, "are you pretending to be dead?"
Jaken shot up, "Oh please forgive me my lord! I shall find Rin with my life my lord I—"
Sesshomaru had already started leaving. Jaken quickly raced after him.
…
Shiori left Ah-Un a safe distance away from Mount Hakurei. Somehow, the barrier had become even stronger than before. So she left him far away from the base of the mountain. She was making another attempt to get as close to the barrier as possible. But it was incredibly painful for her to make it close enough to be purified. It was much more painful than before. Shiori could barely move forward. It was as if she were trying to pass through the barrier itself, rather than just the sacred air.
"Should I wait for them here?" she wondered as she knelt down in pain.
She stayed away from the mountain all day yesterday because she wasn't strong enough to approach it. Purifying Kagome and her friends was more difficult on her body than she thought. Every time she tried to approach Mount Hakurei, she ended up turning back. She was making no progress whatsoever. It was as though the mountain itself was taunting her.
"Perhaps I should stay here. It's not as though I'll offer much aid to Lord Sesshomaru in my tennin form."
As Reika pointed out during their encounter, Shiori wasn't the best tennin. Because she was only half, she lacked much of their power. Shiori wasn't nearly as strong as Emi while in her purified form. She couldn't fly, perform the traditional tennin triangular beam….she was deficient in so many areas. When she finally left home and discovered her true from, she was overwhelmed. She didn't know what to do with all the power she obtained. In fact, she was still learning how to utilize it. In her true form, she was much more powerful than the average tennin warrior. But in her purified form, she wasn't much stronger than the average human…..because half of her power was suppressed.
Even so, she decided to press on anyway. She inched closer and closer down the path. She cringed with every movement she made. This time, she wouldn't turn back no matter what. She had to keep going. When she could no longer crawl, she dragged her body along with her elbows. Shiori was absolutely determined to make it.
"Just a little further….a little further ….I can do this," she encouraged herself.
With her last bit of energy, she pushed herself the remaining inch. She collapsed as her body was finally purified. She closed her eyes and hoped the transformation would soon be completed soon. When it was over, she felt at ease. She freely continued her journey.
"The pain was so much worse that time….why has the barrier become stronger? What's going on now?"
As Shiori was walking, she sensed a presence. Luckily, sensing others was one of the abilities she still kept as a tennin. However, her senses weren't nearly as strong now. She couldn't tell who it was that was ahead of her. Friend or Foe? Shiori decided to take the risk and check anyway. When she approached the strange presence, she discovered that it was none other than Kikyo. The priestess was sitting down, leaning up against a tree. Her bow was nested in her lap.
"Kikyo?" said Shiori with surprise.
"Shiori? Is that really you?" asked Kikyo.
She shrugged, "More or less…."
"It seems Mount Hakurei has effected you as well…"
Shiori nodded, "What are you doing in a place like this?"
"During my travels," Kikyo began to explain. "I came across an old thief on his deathbed. He committed many crimes in his life. He asked that I bring a lock of his hair to Mount Hakurei so that it may be purified and allow his soul to be freed."
"I see," said Shiori. "And this is the closest you've come?"
Kikyo shook her head, "I went as far as the base, but had to be carried away after being attacked. The souls of the dead left my body, and my soul reapers couldn't get any closer to where I was without being purified."
"Attacked?" said Shiori with alarm. "Who attacked you?"
"The ones known as the Band of Seven," Kikyo answered.
"Them again, huh," said Shiori. "I suppose that makes sense. They have been ordered to kill all of Naraku's enemies."
"It wasn't me they wanted," she explained. "They were after a man named Suikotsu. He's another member of the Band of Seven, but he's different. He's a very kind man, but he has a hidden alter ego as ruthless killer."
"How bizarre," Shiori commented, "2 completely different personalities in one body?"
Kikyo suddenly looked to the path ahead of them. She weakly stood to her feet.
"Is something wrong?" asked Shiori.
"I sense a shikon jewel fragment coming from the direction of the village," she answered stumbling up the path. "A tainted one…..it's Suikotsu."
"I thought only Kagome could sense jewel fragments, but it would make more sense that Kikyo would have that power. She was, after all, the keeper of the jewel," thought Shiori. "Come to think of it, the 2 do look alike…."
"You'll never make back alone," said Shiori following after her.
She put Kikyo's right arm over her shoulder and grabbed hold of it. Then she wrapped her arm around Kikyo's waist, together they continued towards the village.
"Of course, it makes sense now. Kikyo and Kagome are one in the same. Or at least, they were at some point. 50 years ago, Kikyo was killed and attempted to bring the jewel with her to the next world. It was then that Father came for her soul and the jewel. But instead of claiming her, he sent her and the jewel to be reincarnated. Kagome is that reincarnation…At some point, Kikyo must have been resurrected with the aid of Kagome's soul….their soul is the same….Father you've played quite a role in all of this.."
"Your father is very proud of you," said Kikyo suddenly.
"What?" said Shiori. "How did she know I was thinking of him? It's as if she heard my thoughts…..oh no, I hope I haven't accidently transferred my thoughts again!"
"Yes, he's extremely proud of you," she said.
"I haven't done anything to make him proud," Shiori flatly dismissed.
"Of course you have," said Kikyo. "Though, you haven't realized it yet."
"How do you know?" she asked. "Have you spoken to him recently?"
She shook her head, "Not recently. I just remember what he said to me."
"What did he say?"
Kikyo weakly smiled, "I'm not to tell you."
"Why am I not surprised by this?"
"But you're on the right track," Kikyo informed her. "Just remember what he told you, Shiori. He's always cared about you and always will."
"And I remember something else he told me," she said as they neared the edge of the village. "to believe the truth. And I just don't believe that to be true."