Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, only my OC :(

The wind whipped through Shiori's hair as she sailed through the sky on Ah-Un's back. She was they were relatively low to the ground. She scanned each passing area for energy sources. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to locate anything.

"Have you found him yet?" asked Jaken, who was sitting behind her.

"I will tell you when I've found him," she said slightly aggravated.

They'd been searching for Sesshomaru for the past few days now. Ever since he was taken away by tenseiga during tessaiga's blast, they couldn't find him anywhere. Shiori couldn't even pick up a signal from Sesshomaru's aura. It was as if he disappeared off the face of the Earth. Toutousai said he was still alive, but now she was beginning to wonder. Was it really true?

"Oh, we must find him! He was even more injured than the last time! What if he really is dead?" cried Jaken.

"Please, stop your whining. It's very annoying. Besides, he's not dead. That hellhound's way too stubborn to die," she responded.

That's what she'd tell herself. He wasn't really dead.

"So why can't I sense him anywhere? Is his energy level really that low?"

"Don't you disrespect my lord! We must find him. What will I do without Lord Sesshomaru?" moaned Jaken.

"Be killed by the first demon to cross your path?" Shiori bluntly answered.

"Wha….what are you saying? That I'm a weakling?" he screeched.

"No, but it was strongly implied so," she said laughing.

Jaken crossed his arms, "I do hope we find him soon! I can't stand to be stuck with the likes of you for another minute."

"Oh really?" said Shiori slyly.

She pulled on Ah-Un's reigns and he instantly flew in a loopy-loop. Jaken fell off the saddle and began tumbling toward the ground. Shiori smirked as she sped up on Ah-Un.

"You wench!" Jaken screamed as he fell towards the Earth.

"Now, to continue looking for Lord Sesshomaru," she said.

Just when she was about to turn around and look elsewhere, She sensed his aura. She was headed in the right direction. They raced own to find Sesshomaru.

"His energy is much lower than it was the last time. It makes since, he was much closer to death this time. Even though it's been a few days. Should I even go to him?"

She began having doubts about finding Sesshomaru in the state he was in. She wasn't sure how he'd react to seeing her. When she last found him, he seemed calm and collected, yet still angry on the inside. He wasn't hostile towards her, and he almost seemed glad that she sought him out. But this time was different. He was just defeated by his brother's windscar and nearly killed, or so he thought.

"Toutousai said Inuyasha couldn't bring himself to kill Sesshomaru and didn't strike with full force. But I'm not so sure about that. I still think it was the poison in Inuyasha's eyes that kept him from using full force. Of course that's got to be it. How can you care about someone who hates your very existence?"

Shiori thought about Emi's tearful attacks on her. She didn't understand why Emi seemed to care about her. They weren't actually sisters by blood. Shiori never did anything for Emi and constantly got her in trouble. She even lashed out at her before leaving the sacred lands. Even so, after all these years, Emi still cared for Shiori. It was something Shiori would never understand. She'd since figured out that those tennin soldiers Emi brought were low ranks in disguise. That explained why they were so easy for her to defeat. She was no low rank.

"Emi has what would be described as a…kind heart. Toutousai accepted Inuyasha as the swords master for having that very same thing. Something Lord Sesshomaru lacks….something I lack as well."

Shiori and Ah-Un had since landed and were now walking up a path. Shiori still sat on his back as they passed by a raging waterfall. She was so lost in thought, she didn't even notice that some of the water splashed in her hair.

"Of course the Great Dog Demon would't leave tessaiga to Lord Sesshomaru. He's so ruthless and cruel. He would've slain half the world's population by now. So it was left to Inuyasha. But why was tenseiga left to Lord Sesshomaru instead? It's a sword for healing and saving lives, not killing. Why would give him such a sword? Shouldn't the wielder of this sword also be kindhearted? He'll never be able to use it."

She recalled what Toutousai said about the sword.

"It's chose him as its true owner…..what happens now with tenseiga, is totally up to Sesshomaru's heart."

"Did his father give him the sword in order to make him…..kinder? The Great Dog Demon himself was a kind leader, but his son was a rather different case," She laughed to herself."I have more of a heart than Lord Sesshomaru…..though not by much."

Shiori came to the edge of a human village. She could have easily travelled around it, but she didn't feel particularly cautious that day. She climbed down from Ah-Un's settle and led him into the trees.

"Stay here, I'll be back," she said to him. He roared in acknowledgement.

She came from behind the trees and entered the village. It was probably one of the poorest human villages she'd ever seen. Yet, she didn't feel much despair from the villages…..only stares. Shiori casually walked down the middle of the village, and everyone noticed her. Just who was this stranger? No one in the village knew her.

"You think she's a samurai? Look at that sword." asked one of the village men.

"No," said another shaking his head, "She's just a young girl."

"She could be a demon slayer," said the first man.

"There aren't any more slayers. Haven't you heard? They were all killed," said the second man. "Whoever she is, she's just passing by like the wind. Let's not bother her."

Shiori went straight through the village and could feel Sesshomaru's aura even stronger on the other side. She was very close to him.

"He's just beyond this path…"

She continued on into the woods behind the village, when she sensed a presence coming her way. It felt human. From the distance, she saw a little girl emerging from the forest. She was happily bouncing on 1 foot and humming to herself. She was in good spirits, despite appearing badly beaten. She had bruises all over her face and arms. Her left eye was even swollen shut. The girl stopped hopping when she saw Shiori. They stared at each other with curiosity.

"What's a child doing out here all alone. And where did she get such injuries?"

The girl stayed still, while Shiori moved closer. Shiori wasn't able to detect any fear from the young girl.

"Hello there," Shiori greeted her.

The girl said nothing; she only bowed her head to her. Before Shiori could say anything else, the young girl ran off towards the village. A puzzled Shiori looked after her.

"What an odd child."

She could strongly feel Sesshomaru's demonic aura. She traced it back into the woods. She realized it was coming from the same direction the little girl came in.

"Shiori," someone called out. It was Sesshomaru's voice.

He could smell her scent drawing nearer. Shiori followed his voice to the very spot he was sitting at. He was sitting down with his back against the tree.

"Lord Sesshomaru," She said as she stepped out of the shadows. She finally found him. She didn't approach him any closer.

"She came in search of me again?" He thought to himself.

Sesshomaru didn't appear to be as damaged as Shiori thought he'd be. He must've already healed before she found him. He was, after all, missing for 2 days. That was plenty of time for a demon lord to heal.

"Your body seemed to disappear in tessaiga's blast," she said quietly, "But it appears you're well."

"Did I worry you?" he suddenly asked.

A stunned Shiori couldn't help but stare at him. How could he suggest such a thing? In fact, why was everyone always asking her if she was worried about something? It was starting to annoy her.

"I've never worried about anything in my entire life," she finally said. "Why should I start now?"

He glanced at her with his liquid amber eyes. He knew she was lying.

"Besides, Toutousai said your life was saved by tenseiga. Right when you were about to perish, tenseiga acted on its own and whisked you away," she explained.

"Tenseiga, you say?" he looked down at the sword by his hip. "This useless thing?"

"Yes, they say it has now chosen you as its master."

He stood to his feet and began walking away from her, "Let's go."

"He's ready to leave already? Was he waiting here to see if I'd come for him?"

They walked side by side in complete silence. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts. But both were pondering the same thing, just what power did tenseiga really have?

"Save lives….can it be that it's the souls tenseiga saves?" pondered Shiori.

"There you are!" called Jaken from the sky. He was hovering over them on Ah-Un. He fell off the saddle and tumbled before them. Jaken got up and straightened his kimono. "My lord! I'm so happy you're still alive! I thought you were long dead!"

Sesshomaru responded by clunking Jaken over the head. Jaken sunk to the ground as his eyes spiraled. Shiori casually looked at the battered imp.

"You should have just stayed down," she said.

"You!" he said as he got back up. "How dare you drop me from the sky like that! If Ah-Un hadn't come looking for me, I might never have found you!"

She frowned, "Ah-Un I told you to stay put. What have I told you about picking up rubbish?"

"Such insolence!" Jaken growled.

She suddenly stopped teasing Jaken and looked towards the village. She could smell the scent of death lingering in the air. Sesshomaru was also turned towards the village. He picked up on the scent of human blood and wolves. As well as another familiar scent.

"That scent….it's that human girl," he thought.

They made their way towards the village; pass the tree where Shiori found Sesshomaru. A confused Jaken trotted along after them. He had no idea why both of them just started walking the opposite direction.

"What's with them?" he thought. "Is there something in the air?"

They finally got back to the path leading into the village—it was there that they saw her. The corpse of the young girl Shiori ran into was lying in the middle of the path. She had teeth marks all over her body, and was drenched in blood. Her brown eyes were completely glazed over.

"That girl," said Shiori. "I saw her earlier when I was looking for you. Did you know her?"

Sesshomaru peered down at the lifeless corpse. He had, in fact, known her. While he was injured, that child attempted to help him. Every day she visited him and brought him food. Even though he rejected her kindness, she still came to see him.

"Wow, look at those teeth marks. She must've been attacked by wolves. Poor thing," said Jaken. "Did either of you want something with this human?"

"No," said Sesshomaru as he turned to go, he stopped in his tracks. He remembered the little girl's smile. He then faced the corpse again.

Shiori knelt down beside the corpse. She could already see the soul pallbearers coming to claim her. She prepared to pray.

Suddenly, tenseiga began to pulsate. Sesshomaru looked to his sword then back to the body. He saw tiny brown demons on her body. They were the demons Shiori talked about called the soul pallbearers.

"I can see them," he said. "The soul pallbearers from the netherworld."

Shiori stared in shock, "you can? How?"

He slowly pulled out his tenseiga, "I shall do a test. Stand back."

She got up and moved out of his way. She curiously watched as he swung the tenseiga. With his one swing, he slashed all the soul pallbearers. They're bodies instantly disappeared. He then scooped up the girl with his arm and checked her. Her eyes suddenly began to flutter, and all 3 of them watched in surprise. The little girl stared at Sesshomaru and stood up.

"They've been slain? I understand now, tenseiga is a sword that saves souls. It must be the complete opposite of tessaiga. Tessaiga is a sword of destruction, while tenseiga is a sword of salvation," thought Shiori.

"Amazing! The girl has come back to life!" said Jaken.

Sesshomaru and Shiori began to leave, and the little girl hobbled after them. Jaken ran after them too. Shiori glanced over her shoulder at the young child.

"Why is she still following us?" she thought. "I suppose she can't go back to her village. It was destroyed…..but still!"

Jaken too was annoyed by the young girl. "Lord Sesshomaru! This little pest is trying to come with us. Tell her to go away."

Shiori waited for Sesshomaru to dismiss the child as well, but he ignored Jaken. Jaken complained over and over again until he was answered by a bunk on the head from Sesshomaru.

"She may do as she pleases," he calmly stated.

"Lord Sesshomaru," said Shiori stepping on Jaken. "You can't really be serious. She's a child. And on top of that a human. Yet, you'd allow her to follow you?"

Sesshomaru ignored her and walked in silence.

"Something odd is definitely happening here. Testing his tenseiga on a human was strange enough, but allowing that human to follow us really takes it. Why is he acting so strange? Wait, back then before he brought her back to light, tenseiga was glowing…"

"What happens now with tenseiga is totally up to Sesshomaru's heart….."

Toutousai's words fluttered through her memory like a warm spring breeze. She looked to the setting sun as she walked beside Sesshomaru. She knew nothing would ever be the same between them. Nothing would ever be the same for any of them. Sesshomaru's heart was….changing slowly. And although she was trying to fight it, her heart was changing as well.