Chapter 26: Uzuha Kiona

The next morning, they found their clothes and Kaori was relieved. They weren't robbed while they were busy. Kaori dressed with Sesshomaru. She asked to go wash off a little bit before they left and Sesshomaru allowed her. She was a little grimy from the night before.

She was washing her face when she saw something on her wrist. She raised her sleeve and saw two purple slashes on her wrist. She knew Sesshomaru had them on his wrist, but hers looked darker than his. She touched them, but she experienced nothing.

"Ready to go?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Huh? Yeah," Kaori said, standing up. She followed Sesshomaru until they got to an area they were at once. The day Kaori had washed his hair and he washed hers.

"Why are we here?" Kaori asked.

"I really don't know. I have a feeling something's going to happen," Sesshomaru said. He dipped his hand in the water and the water funnel appeared again. Inside was the water goddess they had run into one day.

"How dare you touch my waters!" The water goddess yelled.

"Water goddess, I have a question for you," Sesshomaru asked.

"Sesshomaru, you've been mated," the goddess said.

"Yes, but I have heard that there is an angel we can see that can reverse the effects," Sesshomaru said.

"Yes, but she only did it for very few. One being your father," the goddess said, crossing her arms. "Do you expect she will allow you to change?"

"This angel changed my father back?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yes. Well, under protest, as always. She is mated but reversed it for herself and doubts it greatly. She lives near the edge of the Demon World, just don't enter. Go along the border and you should find her eventually. If you don't die first," the goddess said. She disappeared and Sesshomaru took Kaori's hand.

"I guess we're returning there," he told her.

Three days passed and it was a long three days for Sesshomaru. When they got to traps, he had to follow Kaori, which he hated. He preferred her following him, but she could see the traps and he couldn't. When they got to the Forest of Illusions, he saw the illusions and thought they were good. He would get lost if it wasn't for Kaori. Kaori had to hold his hand to lead him in the correct path. They got to the border of the Demon World and rested for the night. Kaori rested in his arms, but he fell asleep and she stayed awake for their safety. She never noticed how much responsibility he had when she slept. She saw the red eyes, but remembered he said they wouldn't attack unless they were foolish. They didn't attack that night and disappeared in the morning. Kaori shook Sesshomaru awake around noon and told him they had to keep moving. He was fine with that, but got tired easily later. They rested early in the forest and Kaori protected Sesshomaru again, staying awake.

Three nights went by without being attacked. The red eyes always showed up, but never attacked. They were nearing a sea, from what Kaori could smell, when she saw a barrier. She stopped and watched Sesshomaru walk right through it without any effects. He realized Kaori wasn't with him and turned to look back at her. She just stood there, looking at it.

"What's the matter?" Sesshomaru asked.

"It's a barrier. I think for me," Kaori said.

"A barrier?" Sesshomaru asked and looked forward.

"You already passed it, but I don't know what will happen if I touch it," Kaori said.

"Might as well try," Sesshomaru said.

Kaori placed a palm on the barrier and was thrown backwards and hit the ground with excessive force. She didn't move which worried Sesshomaru. He tried to go to her, but the barrier didn't allow him to leave. He called her name, but she didn't reply.

"Finally, I get to meet this almighty Princess of All, and she's a weak demon," a female said. Sesshomaru turned around. The voice sounded like Kaori.

What he saw shocked him. A complete copy of Kaori, just she wore a blue kimono. Kaori was wearing a blue kimono like that. He turned and looked at Kaori and saw the kimono had changed to red.

"I see she's mated with a pathetic human as well," the woman said.

"Pathetic human?" Sesshomaru asked. She was talking about him.

"Or, did you come to reverse the effect? Guess what, I say NO!" The woman yelled and Sesshomaru was thrown out of the barrier and landed next to Kaori.

Kaori's eyes fluttered open and saw Sesshomaru land next to her.

"Sesshomaru, talk to me," Kaori said.

"Bitch!" Sesshomaru growled, sitting up. He felt a pang of pain in his back and it felt like he had been hit on the head with a boulder. Damn it, humans were weak.

"Are you all right?" Kaori asked, placing a hand on his back.

"Yeah, just fine," he told her.

"Why love a demon?" The woman asked and the barrier opened to allow her to pass. "They love you for power, take it, then leave you."

"That's not true," Kaori said, standing up.

"Really? How many times have you believed he didn't love you?" The woman asked.

"Kiona, your experience has nothing to do with all demons," Kaori said.

"DO NOT SAY MY NAME!" The woman yelled and a water blast hit Kaori off of her feet. She hit the ground with a hard force.

"Kaori!" Sesshomaru yelled and ran to her side.

"I'm just fine," Kaori said. She stood up and got a fireball in her hand. "She wants to play like that, we will."

"Have you leant nothing in school? Water extinguishes fire!" Kiona said as water flew at Kaori. It knocked her off of her feet and she landed farther away.

Sesshomaru couldn't do a thing. The one day he didn't have claws. He looked at Kiona. She didn't seem to have had a good experience with a demon. Perhaps if he showed her he loved Kaori, Kiona would reconsider.

He couldn't do anything. He saw a water blast heading his way.

"Let him die with you!" Kiona yelled.

"No!" Kaori yelled and her angel took over. Fire covered Sesshomaru, protecting him. The angel didn't want to kill Sesshomaru since he was a human, but the demon blood in Kiona angered the Uzuha Kaori Angel. Love burned in Kaori and the angel's hearts to protect at all costs.

"Ah, so your angel acts up as well. Let's see. Whose angel will become victorious?" Kiona asked and a blue burned in her eyes. "And who can control theirs."

Sesshomaru knew instantly what was going to happen. Kaori had no complete control over the angel, but it seemed Kiona did. Perhaps she had killed her husband and that allowed her to have control. Well, the angel attempted to kill him, so didn't that count?

"Kiona, do not do this. I do not want to fight you," Kaori said.

"Too late!" Kiona said and ran full speed towards Kaori.

Sesshomaru's father's words went through his head.

Do you have something to protect? Do you have something to protect?

"I have Kaori to protect!" Sesshomaru said under his breath as he jumped in front of Kaori and swung his arm at Kiona. He didn't think anything would happen, but it turned out Kiona went flying backwards.

"Sesshomaru!" Kaori yelled. "How the hell did you do that?"

Kiona looked at Sesshomaru. His features were returning to him. His crescent moon went from Kaori's forehead to his. His nails extended into claws while hers decreased to human ones. Fangs formed and his two purple stripes showed on his face and wrist. The odd thing was that the stripes remanded on Kaori's wrist.

Sesshomaru took the sheathe from Kaori's waist and held it up. Tenseiga came flying towards it and Sesshomaru caught it with his other hand.

"Looks like we didn't need your help after all," Sesshomaru said, stepping forward with one foot. He swung the Tenseiga and a slash went towards Kiona. She tried to protect herself, but it went right through her with no injury.

"Ha, a sword that doesn't cut. How pathetic!" Kiona laughed. Her breath was caught in her throat as something black was removed from her chest and disappeared. She fell to the ground and Sesshomaru felt behind him that Kaori did the same.