Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha and co. I don't own any of the songs that I put into the story, except on cd's. But I do own Shiori, Miyu-Guardian-mother to Shiori & Koshin Hakogami-snow youkai from modern Japan-father to Shiori, Kil Kai-another snow demon from feudal times & Aisu-female snow demon from feudal times, they are all mine.

AN: " " is speaking, ' ' is thought

AN: The She that I am referring to in this is the Goddess, I thought that I would put 'she' in italics & capitalize, instead of writing 'Goddess' all the time.

And as always, thanks to those who read & enjoy my story. I had 155 hits on my last chapter, making a grand total of 15638 hits to my story! YAY! I'm glad you still like my story. And I love to here from all those that review. . :-) Hope I keep you all interested in this story. The reviews mean a lot to me, so pretty please drop me a line. Enjoy!

Now on with the show.

Glossary:

youkai-demon

taiyoukai-demon lord

inu-youkai-dog demon

ningen-human

ookami-wolf demon

osuwari-sit

aisu-ice

Chapter 29: Bad Memories Make a Couple

Back at Kaede's Village:

The three had just come out of the woods, when Miroku stopped them. "I see you ladies had a relaxing bath." He then noticed that one was missing. "By the way, where is Lady Kagome?"

"With Inu Yasha," Shiori answered with a smile and casually walked around him with Aisu to Kaede's hut.

He turned to Sango, surprised. "At the spring? Alone?"

Sango smiled and blushed a little. "Yes, they are. . . spending some time together."

He smiled, "About time he came to his senses."

Sango began to head off after Shiori and Aisu, when Miroku caught her hand.

"When would you like to. . . spend some time with me?" he smiled, sweetly.

She blushed a little more and whispered, "When I know you are sincere, houshi, then we'll talk." She squeezed his hand and walked to Kaede's, leaving him a bit dazed.

Miroku could have been knocked over by a feather, he was so pleasantly shocked. 'She likes me,' he thought and let his mind wander over what his life would be like with Sango loving him. And, that's how he walked into the hut, wearing a small, goofy grin.

In the hut:

"Well, I'm glad that he and Kagome are finally together," Kaede said, happy for the young couple. "It's more than about time that he declared his feelings for her."

"That's what I thought, too, especially after watching them together. I think he'll make her very happy," Shiori said.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, then the door flap was pushed to the side and in walked Kil Kai. He gave the group a small smile in greeting, but his gaze fell on Aisu for a few seconds then he looked down at the ground. He was still unhappy with her declaration, though he tried to hide it.

She saw the barely concealed confusion and a hint of pain in his eyes. 'Maybe Shiori was right,' she thought, 'He does care or why else would he hurt?'

Shiori had watched her grandparents and felt sorry for Kil Kai. She knew why he was hurting. 'Poor guy.'

"So, how you feeling, Kil Kai?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you," he answered, hiding behind a small smile. "What are you cooking, Lady Kaede, it smells good," he asked, to change the subject.

Kaede also noticed that change in mood in the young northern lord, but answered anyway, "It's a hearty stew, Lord Kil Kai. You are free to have some if you wish."

"Thank you, Lady Kaede." He became so lost in his own thoughts, that he was surprised to see Aisu sitting next to him with two bowls of stew. He was staring at her smile, ignoring the bowl she held out to him, until she spoke up.

"Here, you should eat something," she said, still wearing a soft smile on her face.

"Thank you," he took the bowl from her and waited for her to leave, but she just started eating and watching her new friends.

"How is you leg, Shiori," Kaede asked, stirring the simmering stew.

"Still a little sore, but the wound is closed and mending. It looks like a bright pink scar. The rest of the healing is being done on the inside and that will hurt some," she answered, setting her bag down in the corner closest to her. "I should be ready to go in the morning."

"That is good to hear. You should tell that to Lord Sesshomaru," Kaede added, with a small knowing smile.

"Why?" sounding suspicious.

"He has been looking a bit sullen since you left."

"I think, he always looks that way, Kaede," she joked.

"True, but not according to Rin," she said, with a small smile.

Just then Rin came bounding through the door and plopped down next to Shiori. "How are you feeling? Better?"

"Yes, munchkin, I'm feeling better. I'll be good as new by morning," she answered, giving the girl a hug.

"Good, we were worried,"

"We? You and Ah-Uh?" Shiori teased, tickling the little girl.

While giggling, Rin tried to answer, "No, not Ah-Uh." Then she was giggling again.

"Then, you and Jaken?"

Giggle, "No, me and Sesshomaru-sama," she answered, Shiori letting her wind down, had stopped tickling her.

"Now, why would you two be worried about little ol' me?" she asked, trying to figure out the sexy icicle that called himself Lord of the Western Lands.

"Well, I saw what happened to you and the wound. Did it hurt when you pulled that huge knife out?" Rin asked, curious.

"Oh yeah, but I'm used to it," she said with a shrug, just stating a fact of her life. "It had to come out so I could heal or else my leg would have healed around it," Shiori added.

"You mean," Kaede began, "that the blade would have been stuck in your leg, with the skin healed?"

"Yeah. Or until it was cut out or pulled hard enough to get it free of the healed skin and muscle. It would have hurt to leave it there a lot more than just yanking it out. Trust me."

"That has happened before," Sango asked, astonished.

"Yeah, once and believe me, that's enough," she answered, shaking her head, remembering that painful time.

"And when did this happen?" a smooth, deep voice asked from the door. Even though his voice was still smooth, no hint of emotion, just like his face, he was angered by the fact that she had been in that much pain.

Everyone turned toward the door at the sound of the voice. They were a little surprised because no one had heard him enter the hut. But they were mostly surprised at the fact that he was even inside the hut, there being humans inside and all.

Shiori just blinked and answered, "It was a couple of years back. I was left for dead by the bad guys, after they made me the entertainment of a little get together. I was picked up and healed, end of story."

"I think not, Guardian," he commented coolly, he knew there was more and felt he needed to know what happened.

"It's not something that I wish to talk about, Fluffy, so kindly back off," she gritted out, giving him a this-discussion-is-over look.

"Why?" he asked. 'What am I asking for? I hate to admit, that I feel I need to know how this happened. What had happened,' the thought, but this was stopped as he watched her stand up and walk, no stalk, towards him.

She stood up and took steps toward the door. She stopped in front of him and he saw a shadow of pain the memory caused her. "I don't want to talk about it, nor remember it. And I don't have to explain myself to you. You are not my mate," with that said, she edged around him and left the hut. She turned and jumped up to lay on the roof for some solace.

He really didn't like the veiled pain in her eyes. 'What happened to you, little angel?' he thought, then was stunned when he registered his new pet name for her. 'Little angel! Why would I call that hellion that?'

'Because she is an angel, a bit worn because of life, but one none the less,' he answered his own question. And thinking about her last parting statement, 'I do have a right to know.'

Jaken walked over the Kaede and politely mentioned, "I think tea would be in order." Everyone noticed that he wasn't the loud, squawking imp he used to be. He seemed to have mellowed over the years. He was even being polite to a human.

The old miko nodded her head and gathered up a cast iron kettle to hang over the fire. Miroku added the water from a large, clean bucket. This water was used for cooking and teas.

Sango and Aisu shared a moment of understanding, they could both guess what happened to Shiori. Kil Kai noticed the shared look between the two women and asked, "What are you two thinking?"

"That we have an idea of what kind of ordeal she went through," Aisu answered, quietly.

"Yes, I'm afraid that there are still monsters, even in her time, that like to torture those they deem worthy," Sango answered, angered.

Sesshomaru only growled, deep in thought, wondering if the ones who tortured Shiori are dead yet. 'If not, I could find them and correct that, even if it takes 500 years.'

"Milord, is anything amiss," Jaken asked, a little worried by the growls and the look of anger in his master's eyes.

Sesshomaru glanced at his retainer, turned, silently, and left the hut. He walked to a tree just behind the hut and sat down to try to calm himself.

Jaken just sighed and went to wait for the kettle to boil so he could make tea. 'I think the young Guardian could use the tea,' he thought. He actually liked the young woman. 'I think she would keep milord on his toes,' he thought.

Sesshomaru had just settled down, when he heard two people approaching the old miko's hut. His nose told him it was his half brother and his miko. But his nose also told him that Inu Yasha had taken the miko as his mate. 'Pathetic,' he thought. He heard them stop and waited for them to enter, but they did not. He heard Kagome speak to Inu Yasha.

"I need to get to the roof," she said, looking up at the edge. She had sensed her cousin's distress and was concerned. She turned her worried eyes to her mate.

Without saying a word, Inu Yasha just picked her up and landed on the roof. He saw Shiori laying back, one arm behind her head and the other folded across her stomach. He, too, noticed the haunted look in her eyes. He put Kagome down and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll be inside." With that said, he leapt down and entered the hut, giving the girls some privacy or at least the illusion of privacy.

"What happened? You looked spooked," Kagome asked, sitting beside her cousin.

Shiori answered, softly, keeping her eyes on the stars above. "Bad memories, very bad memories. Some I don't want to burden you with."

"Hey," Kagome called softly, and waited till Shiori met her eyes, "That's what family is for. What happened?"

Shiori closed her eyes and sighed. She opened them when she felt her cousin's hand on her shoulder. "It was a couple of years ago," she began, no evidence of emotion in her voice, "I was with a small group on an island between Scotland and Ireland. We got a report of a very powerful fey had gone rogue and was trying to establish his rule. This wasn't unheard of, but he was doing it with innocent blood. The rest of the fey didn't want this creature, to live. But they had a hard time getting to him. So, they sent out the word for some help."

She paused to draw in a deep breath, Kagome waiting silently by her side, doing the only thing she could, listen. "A team was assembled. We were a small team and it was one of my first missions. I was ready or so I thought. I was soon to learn we were not ready for the monster we met. He knew we were coming. It could have been a spy in the main court, we never found out. The Goddess never said and I didn't ask. She told me that monster and his minions had been handled."

"What happened," Kagome asked, gently when her cousin seem lost in the memory.

"We got in, disguised, but it was easy to get in. I didn't like, but we decided to use the opportunity and just be extra cautious. It didn't help. It was a trap and he didn't care who it was, we were just toys to him." She let out a shaky breath. "He killed about half in the first few minutes of our capture. He never asked us for anything, just got rid of the 'trash,' as he put it. He then told us that we were kept alive because he felt we were worthy enough to entertain him. He was a sick bastard, a dark fey."

Kagome shuddered, she knew how the dark fey could be. They weren't all evil, but they had a greater penchant for leaning towards evil. The thought of being at the mercy of one was terrifying. It rated right up there with being at Naraku's 'mercy.'

"He toyed with us, just trying to scare us. There were only three of us. We were young, and according to him, held great potential. He said that we could save ourselves if we just joined with him." She shuddered, worrying Kagome. "I remember his eyes when he turned them to me. I don't scare easily, but I was scared. He seemed to guess at what I was and he was happy. He wanted me and my abilities. When I refused, it got bad. I was at his mercy for about a week. That was way too long."

"I'm so sorry, Shiori," Kagome was in tears because of what happened to her. "How can you be so strong?"

Shiori sat and turned to Kagome. "I have no choice or at least I see it that way. If I were to break down and run scared, I'd never stop. There is so much that I have to do, that I can't run away. My destiny will always catch up with me."

"But, to have to go through torture at the hands of a dark fey, that is beyond hellish."

"It was and I wish I had been the one to end his life. But I didn't. I didn't even get to thank the one who did."

This caught Kagome by surprise. "You mean you don't know who kill him?"

Shiori shook her head. "I don't really remember what he looked like, but he saved my ass and that I will always remember."

"Then I owe him much," Kagome said. She answered the unasked question in Shiori's eyes. "He saved my cousin. That is very important to me."

Shiori smiled then, it was small, but geniune. Just then, they heard Jaken come out of the hut.

"Lady Shiori, I have tea for you, if you desire it."

Shiori leaned over the edge and looked down on him, "Thanks, Jaken, I'd like a cup."

He nodded his head and went back inside. Aisu was the one to bring it up. She landed gracefully and sat down. "I heard what happened, Shiori, and I'm sorry."

She gave her ancestor a half smile. "I guess everyone with inhuman hearing could hear me. Well, I'm still one tough cookie and I intend to stay that way." She took a sip of the hot tea and closed her eyes to enjoy it.

"Amen to that," Kagome cheered. "Now, why don't we try to get some sleep? We leave early in the morning."

"I'll hang out here for a while longer. I don't feel like sleeping."

"Do you want anything," Kagome asked.

With a cocky smile, Shiori answered, "Yeah, a sexy hunk, nude with optional bow."

Kagome gasped, the laughed, "You are terrible! Where am I going to get a bow at this time of night."

The three women on the roof burst into laughter and everything felt a little better.

"Good night, Shiori, hope you have pleasant dreams," Aisu said, then waited on Kagome.

"Yeah, good night, trouble."

"You, too." Shiori then got comfortable and drank her tea.

Behind the hut, sitting under a tree, Sesshomaru had heard the everything. He found himself wanting to destroy any that had harmed the Guardian and then was a littled shocked at her parting request. 'Nude with an optional bow,' he thought, then he heard a voice.

Inside the hut:

Everyone had heard what was said on the roof and everyone was sad for their newest pack member. Inu Yasha hugged Kagome as soon as she sat down next to him and he felt her pain for her cousin. Kaede was the one to break the silence.

"Let's all try to get some sleep. You have a long journey ahead," she got up and began head to the back of the hut. Sango got out the extra sleeping mats and everyone got settled in. Inu Yasha and Kagome shared her sleeping bag, with him holding her close. Sango and Miroku were close but not too close. Sango didn't want to get groped in the middle of the night and Miroku didn't want to get clubbed. Aisu and Kil Kai slept close on the opposite side of the fire. Kil Kai was glad to be close to her, even if he didn't say a word. The children and Jaken were close to the back wall, near Kaede's room. It was warmer there.

A couple hours later, Shiori crept into the hut to sleep. She unrolled her sleeping bag and placed it close to the door. She fell into a fitful sleep, one with nightmares of her time with the dark fey. She was whimpering in her sleep, tears falling from her eyes.

Her whimpers drew a shadowed figure to her. It crept into the hut silently and stood over her. It could smell the terror and pain coming off her. The shadow could almost feel it. It didn't like it. So the shadow decided to do something. As silently as it entered, it laid down next to her. It then curled up behind her and wrapped her in its arms.

She began to struggle, though still sluggish with sleep. She quieted down after hearing a soothing growl coming from behind her and a gentle squeeze. A nuzzling just behind her ear quieted her whimpers and she seemed to fall into a more restful sleep.

Inu Yasha had been woken by a strong youkai aura and was shocked at what he saw. His stoic, battle hardened half brother was offering comfort to Shiori. He blinked his eyes just to be sure he was seeing things. 'Well, I'll be damned,' he thought. He watched as Sesshomaru cradled the young woman as if she would break. And he heard the growl, not to scare, but to sooth. 'Maybe he has a heart after all. Scary,' he thought and the he drifted back to sleep.

Sesshomaru inhaled Shiori's calmer scented and felt relieved. 'You give your youkai heretage great credit, little angel, to bear such a burden alone.' He then laid his head down on her pillow and decided that he would stay awake, just in case. Besides, he liked the feel on her in his arms and wanted to enjoy it for as long as he could.

Sorry for the delay, folks. My two little ones are figuring out if they work together, they can drive momma even crazier. lol I'm beginning to thaw out Sesshomaru by degrees and that is the hardest part. I don't want him to just jumped up and declare his feelings. I want to build up to it. This is a big step for him and will help set the stage for more. That was why I added the bit about a dark time for Shiori. He needs to see that she's tough, but she can bleed and feel. That she does need some help. But I won't make her be a damsel in distress, don't like those too much. lol I have had some of you ask why I chose the name 'Shiori?' Well I just like the name. It's not the character from the manga, though she does have wings. Shiori is more bird, raptor, than pterydon. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I am working hard on updating sooner. It depends on if my little terrors give me the energy and opportunity. lol Ja ne

I would like to thank my wonderful editor, ninjawarrior4life, my bro. glad you like it.

And thanks to everyone who has been reading this story from the beginning when I first started posting it. And to those who read and like it.

THX to all my readers.