"Rin," Kiyomi shouted. When they had fallen from the bridge and into the river she had swam to a large boulder but before she could get her faculties in order Rin was already gone. Kiyomi was dripping wet as she searched the forest. Her powers hadn't fully returned but she had some strength and she was grateful but now she had lost Rin.

"Its dark." Kiyomi said to herself. She had to find Rin soon. Kiyomi gasped when she suddenly felt the jewel shard become tainted with an evil aura. Kiyomi frowned and made her way towards it. She didn't like that.

The shard was the same as the man's from the bridge. If Rin was there then she would have to do something quickly. Kiyomi quickly ran towards the aura until a village came into view and she saw a bundle of people by a single hut. Kiyomi's brown eyes surveyed the area and soon fell on Rin, but she wasn't alone. Someone was holding her.

Kiyomi hid behind and peered from a nearby tree. She sighed heavily as she watched the man from the bridge slaughter innocent elderly men. She would not be able to help them. Behind him was the same man who was fighting with Lord Sesshomaru and with him was Rin. She had thought that Lord Sesshomaru would have killed him by now but it appeared not.

Kiyomi frowned at the man holding Rin. She was struggling desperately as the man held her in the air. Kiyomi stared at her hands in frustration. The damn mountain had taken away most of her powers but she could skill use her combat skills. She would have to face the two strong humans by herself.

Kiyomi slowly moved away from the tree and made her way over the men. They were having their own conversation before they had noticed her. She stopped a few feet away from them and said nothing as she stared them down.

"Lady Kiyomi!"

"That's Sesshomaru's wench, right?" The more feminine like man spoke first as he held Rin. Kiyomi took a deep breath.

"Let her go," Kiyomi said to them. Rin turned to her then gave her a look with pleading brown eyes.

The man chuckled and dangled her.

"Sorry we need her to get to Sesshomaru," Kiyomi frowned. They were ruthless. To use a girl as bait was repulsive.

Kiyomi felt the wind blow at her back as she stared them down. She waited for the perfect moment to strike them. She had to use her powers wisely. She if messed up here they would definitely get away with Rin.

Kiyomi closed her eyes slowly and then opened them. When her eyes opened they were a bright red.

"Wh-what the hell?" Kiyomi ran at them in full speed and aimed for the man that had slaughtered the elderly humans.

Kiyomi saw him raise his clawed hand to in attempt to block her upcoming attack. Kiyomi quickly thwarted it and wrapped a hand around his neck, squeezing.

The jewels shards were there and that's where she needed to aim. Kiyomi used a large amount of power in her knee and slammed it into his armored abdomen. Her knee shattered the armor and knocked all senses from him. He gasped breathless and Kiyomi took this moment to use her free hand to grab on to his face and run, pushing him into the ground and dragging him.

She dragged him a few feet until there was a large and loud crater from where she dragged him. He laid on the ground bruised, bloody, and weak from her attack. Kiyomi pulled her hand back and lined up her fingers as her hand glowed a bright red. Her hand aimed straight for his throat. She was ready and willing to take the shard from his throat but she was immediately stopped.

"H-Hey," Kiyomi heard the man behind her shout at her, "did you forget I have this little girl!"

Kiyomi turned toward the man when she heard Rin let out a loud scream. Kiyomi turned to them and frowned. The man was holding his sword up to her throat. Kiyomi grunted in irritation. If she killed this man Rin would die as well.

Suddenly Kiyomi felt her power drain from her body and gasped. She looked at her hand and saw her power fade away. She cursed to herself then she heard a weak chuckle.

"Looks like the barrier effects you too!" Kiyomi gasped when she felt something sharp pierce her side. She looked down and saw his clawed hand had stabbed her in her side, deeply. The man used his free hand to grab her by the front of her shirt and yank her down. As he did that he lifted his head and slammed it against hers. Kiyomi cried out in pain as he retracted his claws and through her to the ground.

She breathed heavily as the man grabbed her by her hair and lifted her to her knees.

"You damn wretch," he sneered, " don't think you can kill me that easily."

"She almost killed you Suikotsu," said the man who held Rin, "you're lucky I saved your ass."

"Save it," Suikotsu said, "Jakotsu." The man named Suikotsu looked down at her and smirked.

"Well," he said calmly, "beautiful and strong. What a woman."

Kiyomi scowled in disgust before she turned back to Rin. She couldn't fight with such a terrible wound and unable to heal herself. She had to leave the barrier to do it.

"Ha ha, looks like we've got two of Sesshomaru's women!" Jakotsu chuckled as he dangled Rin and sheathed his sword. Kiyomi glared at them weakly before she suddenly felt herself being thrown on to the man, Suikotsu's, shoulder.

"This'll be interesting."

Kiyomi struggled weakly in the arms of the clawed hand man. He had a tight grip on her waist and he wasn't letting go. He had her bent over his shoulder as he walked through Mt. Hakurei, draining her energy as he did so. Rin was in his other arm as he walked and she was getting weaker as they got deeper and deeper into the mountain.

Kiyomi slammed her hand into the back of the armored man. She kicked and struggled against him the entire time they walked up the mountain.

"Let go of me!" Kiyomi shouted as his shoulder dug painfully into her injured stomach. She hated being picked up in such a manner.

"Well, you certainly are a hand full." Kiyomi ignored his complaints as she tried to break free.

"He's not following," Jakotsu said, "I guess the barrier is too strong for even Sesshomaru."

"Heh, I wouldn't say so." In the midst of the fog Lord Sesshomaru slowly appeared. He stood on a small cliff above them, gazing down at them.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you've come," Rin shouted happily.

"He cut us off," Suikotsu said. Kiyomi liked how irritated he sounded. That meant Lord Sesshomaru was beginning to get to him.

"Damn it wretch," Jakotsu spat, "you're a demon yet the barrier isn't effecting you."

Kiyomi continued to struggle in the man's grasp. If only she had some of her powers left.

"Then maybe this will!" Kiyomi became startled when Jakotsu suddenly swung his sword, attacking her Lord. Kiyomi heard Jakotsu's sword thrash about before she heard Rin say something that had her worried.

"My Lord," Rin shouted, "you're wounded!"

"Ha," Jakotsu chuckled, "I knew it, the barrier has dulled your skills."

Kiyomi gasped at this and tried to pull herself up from his shoulder. Suikotsu swore and shouted at her to stop her protest but she didn't. She had to help in any way possible.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Kiyomi scowled when she heard Rin shouting at him and struggling in his arms as well.

"Be quiet," he shouted at her. Kiyomi frowned and pushed at his shoulder consistently. Suddenly she felt herself being thrown from him and on to the ground. Kiyomi landed on her back a few feet away from them and he chuckled.

"You annoying woman," he said, "all I need to do is kill one person!"

Suddenly Toukijin was thrown and pierced the shoulder of Suikotsu. He fell to his knees in shock and Rin took this moment to try to get away. However, the man was not dead. She wasn't surprised. Her attack on him earlier would have killed a normal man but it hadn't killed him.

He had pinned her to the ground and hovered over her. He slowly pulled the sword from his chest and chuckled weakly.

"What do you think," Suikotsu said, "I've wait long enough. I'm going to kill her now."

Kiyomi stood her feet weakly and panted. She would never let that happen.

"That idiot doctor," he said, "he's too scared to come out because of my injury.

Suikotsu chuckled as a small twinkle in his eye appeared. Kiyomi didn't like it.

"It's incredible," he chuckled, "the urge to kill is overwhelming." Suddenly he raised his bladed hand, ready to strike.

"Now die!" Before Rin could let out a cry of terror Kiyomi was on top of her in seconds. Her body shielded the little child from any blow that would land. Kiyomi felt as time had stopped as she waited for the blow to land but nothing happened. Kiyomi peered above her shoulder to look at the man and gasped.

The man had an arrow in his throat and his eyes were wide with disbelief. Kiyomi heard him groan in pain as he slowly fell to the ground. Kiyomi took this moment to grab Rin and run towards where Lord Sesshomaru was standing.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin shouted. Kiyomi hid the girl behind her as they stared at the fallen man. Slowly a young priestess walked over to him. She appeared weak. Kiyomi watched the two converse and Kiyomi winced. She placed her hand over her bleeding wound. If only she could heal her wound.

Kiyomi watched the priestess reach for the man's neck before suddenly a bright light slice open Suikotsu's neck and pulled the jewel shard with it as it retracted. Kiyomi turned to where it landed and saw Jakotsu holding it with a smirk.

"I'll keep this as a memento," he said as he ran. Kiyomi scowled in disgust. She knew people were evil spirits but she hadn't fathomed how evil they were. To be able to kill a companion and have a smile on your face as you did it was repulsive.

Suddenly a golden dust flew past them and disappeared. Kiyomi turned to where Suikotsu lay and saw nothing but bone and armor. He had died.

The poor man was possessed by two beings. One that killed and one that saved. To be haunted by such a thing must have been painful. Maybe now he could rest in peace.

"We must leave." Kiyomi turned to Lord Sesshomaru who was suddenly walking away from them. Rin and Kiyomi followed him abruptly without a single question. They walked down the valley way slowly and silently.