A/N: So another chapter! I love this one so much and I tried really hard in writing it, especially the end! Wow I'm so excited.
Beta: Acolyte of the Blood Moon.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
They were finally back in Japan; it had taken a couple of weeks to get back due to bad weather along the way and the fact the Sesshoumaru was taking his time in flying. He had refused to let Ari use her broom and simply carried her close to him. Ari had eagerly told him the names of the countries they passed through and the languages they spoke, Sesshoumaru had listened attentively just happy to be able to hear her voice again. Silmeranna and Anarya had been grateful for the work out; they had been able to use their own form of magick to cross the oceans and had run on the land below their master.
"Ari!" Kagome shouted as Sesshoumaru released her from his arms when they landed on the ground by the well.
"Hey," Ari said nervously when Kagome ran over to her and tackled her into a hug. She eagerly returned it and smiled brightly at the other members of the group when they entered the clearing. The last person to enter was Rin, teary eyed with her bottom lip trembling as she saw Ari. A pang of guilt coursed through the green eyed girl as she saw Rin, who had gone without both of the adults whom she adored and looked up to for many months. Ari removed herself from Kagome's embrace and taking two steps towards the teary eyed child she opened her arms wide, smiling gently. Rin flung herself forwards into Ari's arms with a loud cry and clung tightly to the older girl.
"Mama," The desperate cry was muffled but Ari heard the girl loud and clear. A stab of icy coldness went through her as she fully realised what she meant to the young girl. Her arms tightened around Rin as she felt Sesshoumaru's arm go around the both of them.
"Hush Rin, I'm back now." Ari murmured as she felt tears of her own fall.
"Where did you go?" Rin asked sniffling.
"I had to go far away for a while to get stronger," Ari replied. "I thought about you every day though."
"What happened whilst we were gone?" Sesshoumaru asked Inuyasha as he moved away from Ari to approach the hanyou.
"Naraku has gotten stronger since Mt Hakurei," Inuyasha muttered unsure with his brother's sudden lack of fight. "He created another incarnation; an infant in which he has hidden his heart. The infant was then split into two, and Hakudoshi was formed. Hakudoshi then created Moryomaru to protect the infant; Naraku also gave the infant the fuyoheki to hide his youki. Hakudoshi is gone now but Moryomaru has absorbed the armour of meioju, making him practically indestructible."
"Don't forget Byakuya another incarnation and Kagura's death. Byakuya creates illusions and has thus far proved very hard to defeat." Sango interjected.
"Kagura was also killed by Naraku for plotting against him. He gave her heart back to her and used hi miasma to kill her. We stumbled upon her as she died; she was happy that she had finally got her freedom." Miroku explained.
"I half expected Naraku to have been defeated by now. It seems you still have yet to master our father's sword Inuyasha. How pathetic," Sesshoumaru sneered before addressing Kagome. "Miko, this one appreciates you looking after Rin in my absence."
"That's a close to a thank you as you're gonna get." Ari stage whispered to Kagome who snorted behind her hand.
"You're welcome Lord Sesshoumaru. Rin was no trouble at all." Kagome said bowing to the Daiyoukai. "Hey, where did the wolves come from?"
"Oh that's right," Ari said sheepishly rubbing her head. "This is Silmeranna and Anarya, they are dire wolves and my familiars. I got them when I went through my elemental training..." She went on to tell them what had happened to her on the isle of Avalon.
Sesshoumaru had waited patiently for Ari to finish her tale, and when it reached its conclusion, he yet again felt an overwhelming feeling of pride and admiration for his witch. He announced that they would be parting ways to the miko and not waiting for Ari, he turned and left the clearing.
"Come on Rin. His majesty doesn't like to be kept waiting after all," Ari said rolling her eyes as she carried Rin. She gave Kagome one last hug and made to head after Sesshoumaru.
"Thank you." Ari turned her head to Inuyasha who had uttered the thanks. "For trying to help Kikyou on Hakurei. You didn't have to help her."
"Look Inuyasha, I may not have the same grudge against her that everyone else in this group has but you need to remember she is dead. She is not the woman you once knew. That woman is just a dream to you now. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. Look at what you have waiting for you right here. Remember that." Ari said, looking strangely stern.
OoO
It had taken a while for Rin to get used to Silmeranna and Anarya. Ari had made sure to keep them away from the girl; the wolves understood and waited for the girl to approach them. It was when they had stopped by a stream that the first real progression in the relationship between them happened. Rin had approached the wolves and given them each a fish that she had caught before hesitatingly reaching out and petting Silmeranna. The wolf had ignored the girl, knowing that any reaction would spook her. After that Rin had become more comfortable around Silmeranna to the point that when they settled down for the evening, two weeks after they had left Kagome by the well, the child had fallen asleep next to the wolf.
"Are you pouting?" Ari asked the Daiyoukai who looked severely unhappy at Rin's abandonment.
"This one is above such petty things." Sesshoumaru replied rather grumpily.
"Ha ha you are so adorable when you're pouting," Ari laughed. "You should be happy that she feels comfortable around them now."
"Humph it is this one's duty to see to the needs of his pack." Sesshoumaru muttered whilst glaring at the black wolf.
'Get over it dog.' Silmeranna interjected causing a sharp growl to erupt from Sesshoumaru.
"Control your wolf before I end it." The Daiyoukai snarled at Ari.
"Hey! Don't get angry at me because Rin wanted to be near Silmeranna." Ari said glaring at him before addressing the dark haired wolf. "Silmeranna stop purposefully antagonising him."
'Males and they're obsessive need to be in charge of everything. The world would be a much better place if females were in charge, none of this aggressive need for dominance. Rin will more than likely be sleeping closer to you tomorrow Sesshoumaru, besides you have Ari to keep you company.' Anarya said as she entered the clearing they were camped in.
'Rin is perfectly safe with me dog. I don't see what you're problem is, you have spent the majority of this evening focusing your attention on me and the child and not where it should be.' Silmeranna said as he closed his eyes to join the human at his side in slumber.
"I want you to get along with him." Ari said as she placed herself into Sesshoumaru's lap. "He is going to be around a long time and I don't want you to argue, Silmeranna is only messing with you because you always fall for it. All he is looking for is a reaction and you give it to him. Rin is only with Silmeranna tonight because she was playing with him before she fell asleep."
"This one will try and get along better with the wolf." Sesshoumaru uttered wrapping his arm around her tightly and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent.
"You're always welcome to keep me warm during the night." Ari whispered and Sesshoumaru immediately caught the suggestive lilt to her voice. He growled lightly and moved to capture her lips but Ari moved her head away, closing her eyes she snuggled into his mokomoko and said a quick "goodnight."
"Minx." Sesshoumaru growled lightly but allowed a smile to fall upon his face as he heard Ari's muffled laughter. He listened to her breath as it evened out and when she was finally in a deep sleep he succumbed to a peaceful slumber.
It was a week later when they found out how formidable an opponent Moryomaru really was. The group had found Moryomaru blocking their path in the road causing both Ari and Sesshoumaru to draw their swords. Ari ordered Silmeranna and Anarya to protect Jaken and Rin who had hidden behind some rocks.
"So you must be Inuyasha's older brother Sesshoumaru," Moryomaru sneered.
"Wow you sure are tall." Ari said as she stared at the youkai. He was taller then Sesshoumaru and was covered in what Ari assumed was the armour Inuyasha had mentioned."
"I have never thought of myself as that half-breeds brother." Sesshoumaru interjected icily.
"Don't be so mean to Inuyasha." Ari angrily ordered.
"Come Sesshoumaru fight me." Moryomaru demanded.
"What am I? Wallpaper?" Ari asked as she was ignored by both of the youkai.
"This one will make you regret uttering Inuyasha's name in my presence." Sesshoumaru growled as he moved forwards.
"You do realise you just said his name right? So did I, come to think of it. Does that mean Inuyasha should be referred to as the-hanyou-who-must-not-be-named?" Ari asked somewhat amused, expecting the lack of response given she just rolled her eyes.
"It's useless." Moryomaru said as Sesshoumaru tried to break the shell of armour surrounding him. Ari was shocked that Tokijin was all but useless against him. Sesshoumaru however seemed to be getting a little bit frustrated as his attacks became filled with anger. "You can't defeat me."
"Shut up you stupid piece of crap!" Ari shouted angrily on Sesshoumaru's behalf.
"Yes, let the little witch defend you," Moryomaru said smirking. "You clearly can't defend yourself so how could you hope to protect her. Why not just give your power to me? You'd make a pathetic mate anyway."
"Silence!" Sesshoumaru sneered and Ari took a step back, the sheer venom that laced his tone and the surge of youki was enough to make her frightened for a brief second.
Ari frowned when she finally noticed Moryomaru's arms looked like a diamond, she knew from her battle with Ambar that it would be tough to stop that. A gasp escaped her when giant shards shot out of the arm and towards Sesshoumaru but it seemed the Daiyoukai was in no mood to play around. A swipe from Tokijin saw the giant shards reduced to tiny pieces that rained down on the fighting duo.
"Kongosoha!" Ari heard a familiar voice shout from above her. She was confused when Inuyasha's attack brought out more diamonds that Moryomaru easily deflected.
"Inuyasha, the jewel shard is in his right shoulder right where the armour is more heavily concentrated," Kagome shouted the hanyou as she stepped up to Ari's side. "We need to get to it."
"So what brings you here?" Ari asked sarcastically as the males battled in front of her.
"I heard there were sparkling diamonds surrounding the place here and you know what they say. Diamonds are a girl's best friend." Kagome grinned. "How come you're not fighting as actively as you usually do?"
"I want my new powers to remain a secret for as long as possible." Ari said and it was true she wouldn't actively attack with her full power. She would only defend. "What's the deal with this guy anyway?"
"Well he protects Naraku's heart. That armour is impenetrable not to mention the fact that he stole Inuyasha's technique. He also has a jewel shard in him." Kagome huffed in response.
Ari turned back to the fight, comtemplating what to do next. Should she join in? Reveal her powers to the world. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were unable to defeat Moryomaru she noticed with increasing panic and frustration. She could see that Inuyasha's fighting style was getting increasingly sloppy as he became angry.
Ari could see Sesshoumaru's form was quivering in anger as he rushed forward and struck the armoured youkai with Tokijin. Growling he pulled away and watched with slight amusement as Inuyasha moved in front of him, it was almost as if the hanyou was trying to keep him safe. Golden eyes watched as the red clad figure moved forwards, Tessaiga's blade reminiscent of a dragon scales. It seemed his little brother had acquired a new technique. Raising Tokijin he used his dragon strike attack and watched as Inuyasha barely managed to move out of the way. Sesshoumaru had to once again deflect the Kongosouha shot from Moryomaru. It appeared they were at a standstill with each of their attacks being cancelled out.
Ari almost groaned in irritation when a bolt of pink light past by her. How stupid could her cousin be? Did she really think she was going to pierce the armour with her sacred arrow? Great, now she had drawn attention to them. She tensed when Moryomaru glared at them and shot of some diamond spears at them, Kagome screamed as Ari was aware of a movement of red in her peripheral vision. She moved her left leg behind her slightly and sheathed her sword, putting her weight on her right leg she thrust her arms outwards. The ground beneath her began to vibrate before opening and a wall of crystallised diamonds shot out of the ground surrounding both her and Kagome.
Sesshoumaru seethed as he watched Moryomaru attack his witch, briefly he flashed back to what Moryomaru had said earlier about him not being able to protect her. He wouldn't always be there to protect her but he knew, as he watched his mate defend the attack, that she could protect herself and the pups they will have. Swinging Tokijin in an arc before him he unleashed his own anger filled youki towards the creature before him. Satisfaction filled him as watches half of Moryomaru's face melts away, taking advantage of the surprise attack Sesshoumaru rushed forwards and plunged Tokijin into Moryomaru's shoulder.
The Daiyoukai ignored his brother's shouts for him to pull his blade out and continued to bear down on the youkai, who had dared to harm his koishi. He growled when the scent of his blade reached him, it was burning, the two clashing youki began to take its toll. He almost predicted what would happen next as the blade shattered beneath his hand. He quickly flew into the air but was unable to dodge the Kongosoha attack and grunted in pain as a shard pierced his stomach. He distantly heard Ari call out to him as he was enshrouded by Moryomaru's tentacles.
Breathlessly Ari was forced to watch as Sesshoumaru disappeared from her vision, her hands clenched by her side as tears welled up in her eyes. She drew Excalibur which pulsed in response to its master's anger, the blade changed. Fire began to seep its way down the blade, hot and white it seared with deadly intent. She moved away from the shield she had created and advanced towards the pathetic scum that sought to absorb the one she loved.
"Stay behind the shield." She ordered to Kagome, who nodded mutely in response. The miko was shocked at her cousin's abrupt change, Ari had become very powerful. Very powerful. Kagome felt a shiver of fear course through her body as she tried to fight the instinct to run. She was very afraid of this girl in front of her and briefly she felt sorry for Moryomaru who was on the receiving end of such fiery wrath.
"Does the little witch wish to join her lover in death?" Moryomaru asked as he noticed the approaching girl.
"Witch? I am no witch!" Ari sneered and allowed the flames of her sword to spread out onto the ground, surrounding her in a typhoon of white flames. Her appearance slowly began to change, her outfit – green khakis and hoodie- became a long flowing amber dress, her hair bled to a brilliant red. Her eyes that were once green become a fiery pit of interchanging red, yellow, white and orange. Finally around her head was a bronze crown fitted with garnets and rubies, she sneered once again before speaking in a low angry tone that was very unlike her own soft voice,
"I am a queen."
Fear. He was unaccustomed to it. Looking at the girl's transformation he felt himself quiver in fear. He could full well believe that she was a queen; no one below that title could contain that much power. It licked at him with savage destruction, promising his slow painful death. He had to get out of there. Wings slowly unfurled from his back as he prepared to take flight.
"The fires of hell burn brightly."
Before he could even blink he was surrounded by a fiery inferno. It tore at his body. Unforgiving and merciless. As if hell itself had come to Earth to devour all living things. He needed air. To breath. The pain. It hurt. He was dying. He never imagined a human could be so strong. His arm became black as the flames started to gobble hungrily at his bones, sucking every drop from him. He never even felt Sesshoumaru escaping from his clutches. He let lose a stream of miasma that barely pushed the flames away but it was enough to wrap around him as he fled.
An estranged laugh befell her as she unleashed her wrath. Burn. They must burn. For too long it had been kept away. Locked into the darkest hole. It had its freedom and it was hell bent on covering the world with its flames. Die. They all must die. The girl. Oh its sweet little mistress. All it took was to see her little love get captured and it was free. Another laugh escaped her as it consumed. She never noticed Sesshoumaru was free but it did. It was damned sure that it wasn't going to let her see him. No. It wanted to play more. It flared angrily as its prey escaped. No matter there was more lovely little prey for it to consume.
"Yo wench you can stop with the flames now. That bastards gone."
She turned slowly to appraise the hanyou. It wanted to devour him. To destroy. To shroud to world in brightly lit flames. Her hand rose towards him and fire shot out. The scream he voiced was beautiful. It had been so long since it had heard the screams. It heard saw the hanyou's friends rush over to help him. It wouldn't work. Nothing escaped it. It would taste them all. It would watch their skin burn until it slowly began to peel of the bone. A crazed laugh left the girl. The flames spread from the hanyou and gained on the remaining victim.
Her hand shot up to catch the arrow that had been shot at her as she turned her head to gaze at the archer. It was angry. That dead miko had tried to kill its mistress. The flames rose higher in indignation and with a roar that matched that of a dragon shot towards Kikyou. It wondered if the dead one could feel pain but decided it didn't care. No one harmed it's mistress.
"Enough."
There standing in front of the dead miko was Sesshoumaru. It paused briefly before shooting forwards in unrestrained fury. How dare the Daiyoukai defend the one who tried to harm it's mistress? How dare he choose her? The flames wrapped around him slowly, almost caressing him. He grunted in pain. It was going to make him suffer. Make him burn.
'Child you must desist.'
Ari jerked that voice sounded familiar. No. It would not be distracted. She focused back on the figure embraced in the flames.
'Arianna, you need to stop.'
Brigid that voice was Brigid. Ari faltered the flames became thinner in response. It became less focused as his mistress' anger was brought down.
'That's right. Focus on my voice; you need to control the flames. You are harming your beloved.'
"Beloved," Ari whispered her head tilting to the side as her eyes began to regain their green colour. "Sesshoumaru?"
'Yes child Sesshoumaru, you are harming him.'
"Sesshoumaru!" Ari shouted as she returned to normal, she vanquished the flames and rushed towards him. She fell to her knees before him sobbing. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
"Ari," he murmured pulling the upset girl closer to him. "You're flames didn't harm me."
"But you're in pain," Ari whimpered.
"Yes but not from you," Sesshoumaru gently tilted her head upwards and brushed his lips softly against hers as he wiped her tears away. "You could never harm me."
"But I don't understand." Ari whispered confused.
'Love, child. Your love for him protected him.'
Ari smiled then and reached up to embrace the Daiyoukai in a tight hug. She released him and apologised yet again, before looking around her. She immediately spotted Kagome's group surrounding someone who had fallen to the ground. Gasping she shakily stood up when she realised it was Inuyasha. Tears fell from her eyes as she slowly made her way over to them. They tensed at her arrival, hands going towards their weapons. She couldn't help the flinch that overtook her but she understood, she would be the same way. Instead she ploughed on and moved to bend near Inuyasha. He wasn't dead thankfully but he was badly burned. She could heal him but it would take her last ounce of energy. Reaching out her hand she gathered the element of Water to her and stretched it out to cover the whole of the hanyou's body. She watched guiltily as the burns slowly disappeared, when Inuyasha let out a pained groan and his eyes fluttered open Ari finally succumbed to darkness.
A/N: Wow so that was...yeah...intense...I'm so proud of it.
What did you think of Ari's transformation (my beta suggests listening to Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's - Soukyuu, Tsuranuite when the transformation happens)?
Are as happy with this chapter as I am?
Please review.