A/N: Enjoy this chapter. I'm terribly sorry for the lateness of this chapter and it is a bit shorter than I'm used to. For some reason, this chapter took a lot of trouble, but the next chapter will be faster. That one is actually almost done.

Inuyasha does not belong to me!

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Chapter Twenty-Four, Suikotsu

'The truth may hurt for a little while, but a lie hurts forever.' —

The pine trees had straight trunks, with needly branches reaching up high above ground. Spiky, broken-off branches littered the floor below. The reddish streaks on the Western horizon signalled the rapid approach of dusk soon and long shadows stretched across the path as the sun sank lower and lower. Chiharu edged around them, looking for firewood. Inuyasha and Miroku were searching for dinner and Kagome was setting up camp together with Shippō. They had followed two Shikon Shards all the way through the Western lands and back to Mount Hakurei again. Legend had it that Monk Hakushin had attempted to reach Nirvana by becoming a living Buddha as he died. Yet, instead of dying and becoming a living Buddha a strong holy shield was erected around the mountain. Chiharu was unsure what the monk had thought to accomplish, but it made for a handy protection. Nor Inuyasha nor Kikyo, who seemed to swerve around the mountain as well, could pass the shield. Even Chiharu, whose holy powers clung to her in protection felt the slight buzz of the holy power when she came too close.

Still, when full-yōkai tried to pass through, the barrier purified them. The closer the yōkai, like Shippō and Kirara got, the more physical pain they felt. Even Miroku, granted he was a lecher, was affected by the barrier, making him feel nauseous. The members of the Shichinintai could move through the barrier. They had only met a few of the resurrected humans, but Chiharu felt confident to say that they were lethal and very unpleasant. When she found her friends and sister they were battling two men, Renkotsu, who apparently had pretended to be a monk and the cross-dressing Jakotsu. The latter had engaged in a very strange form of flirting with Inuyasha and Chiharu liked it immensely to tease the Hanyō with it.

Chiharu smiled to herself and added another branch to her basket. It had been a chilly grey spring day, with dark clouds gathering above their camp. According to Miroku, they would keep it dry until morning. Thereby, it was too far traveling to a village in the dark and with the resurrected humans and their Shikon shards, there were many dangerous creatures in the woods. Chiharu wasn't really worried about the latter. Although, it had taken some adapting, she was reasonable confident in her powers. She had progressed nicely with her archery and Inuyasha and Sango — Miroku had tried, but Miroku couldn't keep his hands to himself — had taught her the basics of swordfighting and hand-to-hand combat. She could defend herself and that meant for Inuyasha one person less to worry about during a fight.

They had little trace to follow since the evil Hanyō had disappeared, barely clinging to life. Lesser demon still stalked them for the shards and with the members of the Shichinintai on the loose life was not peaceful. They might not have been yōkai, yet, their ruthlessness made up for it.

The leaves danced to an unheard beat, whispering a silent song in the wind. The high trees sheltered her from the light of the dying sun and the path opened out just ahead and Chiharu readjusted the straps of her quiver. Her breath hitched in her throat and a thrill of something she couldn't name slipped between the notches of her spine. The scent of blood, met her nostrils and she frowned. She froze, her feet suddenly glued to the deep brown with leaf-skeletons covered forest floor when she recognised the bloody scent of Kōga the Wolf yōkai. What was he doing?

In the distance thin whips of smoke rose to the sky and she squinted. Dropping the basket with dry branches to the muddy ground she inhaled, about to follow the trail. Something was burning, like an explosion had taken place. She jumped up into an gnarled elm tree, leaning crookedly out over the murky stream. It's roots were half-exposed by bank erosion and she inhaled.

She stopped when the scent of death suddenly filled her nostrils. Her hand gripped around the katana, now dutifully at her hip and inhaled deeply again. She was alone and although she did really think she could defend herself that didn't mean it was wise to follow the scent of death and get into trouble. Then again, she couldn't really leave Kōga to his fate. A root jabbed her like an angry finger and she almost slipped down between the roots. The hems of her hakama were soaked and her brows furrowed. The scent of death was closer and although she smelled blood, she could also sense Inuyasha approaching.

The scent of the death was closer and slowly, she adjusted the straps of her quiver and checked her bowstring before following the scent. Her shoulders relaxed when she recognised Kikyō's Shindamashū. The long, serpent-like creatures twisted through the air and pursed her lips. The resurrected Miko seemed to be alone not too far from her.

Chiharu had never been able to keep her curiosity at bay. With a curious frown, she followed Kikyō's scent and tracked into a denser part of the forest. She was sitting atop a rock near the edge of a lazy little creek. The Shindamashū coiled around her, dropping souls which Kikyō merged with. In a way the souls of the death were her only nourishment and Chiharu watched with morbid fascination as the Miko prone form glowed.

"Hello, Chiharu,"

She flinched slightly and wrung her hands together. The older Miko slowly turned her face towards her and Chiharu smiled tightly. This was not a member of the Shichinintai.

"Hello Kikyō-san,"

Chiharu was unsure if the woman welcomed her presence and she really shouldn't linger when her friends were in danger. Kikyō was very difficult to read and Chiharu tightened her hold on her basket. The older woman moved almost languidly. Chiharu wasn't even sure when she had gotten to her feet.

"My Doppelgänger's sister," she whispered, circling around her like a crow. Chiharu was unsure why she was the Doppelgänger's sister. In a way Chiharu thought she was a Doppelgänger to Kikyō as well. Even if her eyes were different.

"The Daiyōkai's mate," she continued and Chiharu felt her cheeks warm.

"I'm not his mate,"

"You're not?"

Kikyō didn't look as if she believed that and Chiharu felt the muscles in her cheeks tense. Another serpent-like creature passed by, a cold almost snake like tail rubbed over the back of her hand and Chiharu almost flinched.

"How is Inuyasha?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" She asked slowly. She truly did not understand exactly in what kind of relationship they were now.

"I roam the land of the living on borrowed time," she answered curtly, "Inuyasha does not have my limitations."

"You don't want to drag him to hell?"

She smiled tightly and then shook her head. Kagome would probably be pleased she didn't really have to worry about the competition the other Miko presented anymore. That said, Chiharu was unsure if that meant Inuyasha would ever stop loving his ex-girlfriend. He was rather fond of her and Chiharu thought she felt bad. Despite the circumstances both had been in the prime of their lives when tragedy had struck and while Inuyasha was frozen in time, Kikyō had died.

"You might want to come," she whispered suddenly and Chiharu frowned.

"To where?"

Kikyō didn't answer.

As they travelled through the forest, Chiharu reluctantly following behind Kikyō, she sensed the two Shikon shards, even though she felt the first signs of Mount Hakurei's kekkai pressing down on her. Her youki swirled and her reiki surged. Kikyō's breathing was becoming more and more laboured yet, she quickened her pace. The trees grew spare and Chiharu tried to catch up to the deceased wife. The sky was quickly starting to darken and she tried to push herself faster. The mount's kekkai was starting to make her feel nauseous.

Before long they stepped out of the short scrubby grass and onto the stone she'd seen so often on and around the hills. Perhaps, it might The mountain rose into the dark of the night, a craggy grey mountain steeping higher than Chiharu had ever seen. The wind blew harshly, tousling her hair and as Kikyō staggered, she quickened her pace and grabbed the other girl around her upper arm.

"You shouldn't," she whispered urgently. And moreover, she shouldn't either.

"I have to—" Kikyō wheezed and Chiharu stared off in the distance. The Shikon shards were winking at her from the distance and the wind suddenly turned, bent off on the high rocks and her eyes widened.

"Sesshōmaru,"

"Yes," Kikyō nodded, "Inuyasha's elder brother is here."

Chiharu felt a flash of uneasy fear stab through her when she smelled the scent of his blood. Arcs of light shot up in the air and Chiharu watched in stunned awe when the appeared Daiyōkai in the sky as an avenging angel of death. Although, his moves seemed less fast, he still fought with an almost ethereal light under the washing moon. His white kimono was pristine, and wherever the blood had come from he seemed unharmed. As usual, Chiharu was entranced by his fighting style. Like always he was perfectly in control and showed no signs of tiring, continuing to fight in his elegant way.

Chiharu couldn't understand how he could stand it. Even with her reiki, which poignantly surged through her veins, she felt woozy. Kikyō, by now leaning heavily on her hard-wooden bow, exhaled and started to move again. She was unsure why Sesshōmaru was waisting all of this time fighting a human. She'd thought he would think they were beneath him.

"Pest," Sesshōmaru snarled and with a draw of Tokijin a wave of energy narrowly missed one of the reanimated corpses. Chiharu had met him once before. Crossdresser Jakotsu needed a moment to gather his bearings and Chiharu found her fingers curl around one of her arrows, drawing the string of bow tout and aiming for the Shikon shard in Jakotsu's neck. The movement froze when suddenly she noticed the second man, crouched on the rocky floor.

Disgust and horror sapped the blood from her face. Rin was pinned to the rocky ground and the man, obviously a member of the Shichinintai held weird bone claws, extending from his knuckles to the back of her neck. She recognised Sesshōmaru's Tokijin protruding from the man's chest and Sesshōmaru right hand was deeply lodged in Jakotsu's chest. His snake-sword arched around Sesshōmaru's person.

Rin's small body struggled against the hold the other man, she'd never seen before, had on her and the small child cried out.

"Rin-chan!"

"Yes," Kikyō whispered.

Chiharu was normally very fast, but her speed seemed to have disappeared. The kekkai had stopped affecting her and in turn her youki had faded as well. Kikyō was faster. Chiharu had never seen a human draw back a bow so fast and suddenly she was aiming an arrow and releasing it, just as the man in the purple armour brought his claws down. The arrow whistled through the air and precisely lodged itself in the man's neck. The dark glow of the Shikon shard purified immediately. Chiharu herself did not have such an aim and a new-found respect settled over her.

"Suikotsu," she started and Chiharu deducted that that was the man's name, "your Shikon fragment's light was polluted black. You can no longer be permitted to live."

Chiharu watched with wide eyes as the older Miko crouched down beside the man and Rin stumbled on hands and knees before staggering towards her. Small hands fisted in the hem of her haori and she pressed her cheek against Chiharu's hip. The young Miko gripped the child's shoulders tightly, crouching down and picked her up.

"You're okay now," Chiharu whispered, rocking the seven-year-old as if she was a small child.

"I was so scared," the child whispered.

"I've got you,"

Kikyō stared stoically at the man laying beside her, yet, when the man requested for her to yank the arrow loose from his neck. Chiharu didn't understand. Why did she still hesitate? Sesshōmaru appeared behind her, his chest pressed lightly against her back and she stiffened. She could feel his strong heartbeat and a warm flush spread out over her cheeks.

"Miko,"

"Hello, Sesshōmaru," she greeted softly and Rin's arms tightened around her neck, "it's lovely seeing you again."

To be continued…