19

Making their way towards what felt like a less dense aura from the barrier, Satomi was still bothered by what Jiro had said. He wanted to kill her so badly, and yet she was being spared just for the public execution of it all. Twisted didn't even begin to describe that evil demon. What did he mean by 'I am now'? That part bothered her equally but for different reasons. She had heard of humans turning into demons, but they were usually lesser demons that were no longer of their past selves. His words truly had her puzzled.

Sighing heavily, Kagome and the others looked at her in the silence that ensued. Everyone noted that she was acting different. She had never been that good at hiding her emotions, and it showed even more now than ever.

"You know, sighing doesn't solve it," Inu-Yasha spoke up in an annoyed voice. "I swear if I have to hear one more I think I may lose it."

Just like a switch she spun around, and it was as if an aura of purity washed over him. But it was an angry purity, and suddenly Inu-Yaha's hair was black and his dog ears gone. Everyone looked at her with wide eyes. Her own eyes widened as she realized what had happened. She purified his demon nature, without even a thought.

Sesshomaru felt an odd sensation on his arm as he realized he wasn't in the path of her gaze but some of her aura had brushed up against him. She had burned a part of his arm that was already healing. If Inu-Yasha had been all demon, he would have been mortally wounded. In this case, his human nature saved him from a whim of anger. Go figure he lucked out once again.

"I'm sorry," Satomi said softly breaking the silence.

"Nah, pretty sure he deserved it," Kagome said as Inu-Yasha looked at her for help. "Don't be so rude, obviously the barrier is taking its toll and you had to go open your big mouth."

"The hell…," Inu-Yasha said with a grunt. "Fine I'm sorry, now turn me back."

"Uh… I don't even know how I turned you human, let alone take it back," she admitted with a little shallow laugh. Scratching the side of her face, she thought as he started walking towards her. Sesshomaru walked inbetween and narrowed his eyes at Inu-Yasha.

"Her aura is still permeating the area. We need to move, not indulge in this foolishness," Sesshomaru said as a final say as he turned and walked further away. His own demonic energy was being manipulated. She would be worse than the mountain at this rate, but then perhaps that would make the path that much easier if he could get used to her purifying aura.

Following him, Satomi felt horrible, but she didn't find it in herself to apologize a second time. This place was making her feel sick, as if everything was slowing down. The anger that was following her was choking her, making her legs heavy, and her mind cloudy. It wasn't Jiro, but something wanted her attention. Her aura was becoming harder to control and her emotions with it.

Looking back at Inu-Yasha, she could see his silver hair returned and they were talking, but she couldn't hear them. Looking to Sesshomaru, she reached forward but her hand went through him. He glanced back but seemed to notice nothing.

'Tsukuyomi,' she called out in her mind, but there was nothing. What was happening? She stopped, but her body continued on in her sad expression. Running to catch up, she suddenly felt heavy. Collapsing on the ground, she watched them all leave her soul behind. Hearing rustling behind her, she could feel a presence.

"You're the same as me," the voice belonged to a young woman. Probably her age, but she couldn't turn her head to be sure. "They didn't even notice the change let alone how you're now trapped here. So sad, little girl."

Little girl? She couldn't ask to confirm, but what was going on? Pain shot up through her body as the others disappeared into the distance. The voice had disappeared, and it was now too quiet. Something was very wrong with this place, but she didn't have time to be here. It was obvious that if she was going to escape, she'd have to do it herself.

Concentrating, she moved her hand just enough to try and push herself up. Struggling to get that far, she had a sheen of sweat covering her forehead. Breathing heavy, she felt ridiculous until she looked down at her body. She looked a lot shorter than she remembered. Within the barrier, it gave off a mirror like reflection, although imperfect. Now she knew why the voice called her 'little girl', she truly was a little girl.

From her memory, she would have been about ten years old or so, just a few years younger than Rin now. Her eyes wide, she didn't have time to think of how or why. She had to keep moving. Standing was out of the question as her body buckled under her. Crawling was a struggle but it had to be done. Would no one notice her gone for so long? Surely her body was being weird? Either way, she didn't have time to think of it, her body took everything just to move. And it looked like her goddess powers would be useless now.

"Stupid goddess powers, stupid demons, stupid stupid stupid," she said with the anger that piled up inside of her.

"Good… now give me that anger," the voice reappeared in front of her. The feet were bare and looked to be pristinely clean despite being in the forest. Looking up was a struggle, but the white kimono and red obi stood out against the forest green behind her. Long black hair tied up in a red ribbon and eyes as cold as ice and black as coal adorned her face. Her skin was almost deathly white. "Give in to your anger."

"I'm trying to get angry so I can go back to my body. Now move," she said in a voice she hardly recognized. Her child voice was so different from her memory. However, she had to remain strong. Moving forward, she hardly cared she went right through the young woman.

"Why do you persist?" Suddenly a jolting pain went through her as she fell back to the ground. As if a thousand lightning bolts ran through her body and left her motionless. Stabs of pain continued to flow through her body like knives as she couldn't find the energy to move. She was helpless and the voice was gone yet again.

"Because… I have no choice…," she finally said as the darkness took her. Just a little rest, that would be all she needed. She had to make it back, she had to.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

While the other's walked, Sesshomaru made a glance backwards. Something seemed to want his attention, and this forest was continually giving off a strange aura. Not to mention Satomi was oddly quiet and solemn. Narrowing his eyes, he brought up his sword and nearly swung her head off. Looking to him with an emotionless face, everyone gasped. Time was quiet for a moment, then suddenly there was life to her eyes again.

"Well, this is troublesome," it was her voice, but Sesshomaru knew it wasn't her using it. "I suppose we should have a sit down in the village, eh? This forest is dangerous."

"Where is Satomi?" Sesshomaru demanded not moving his sword.

"She isn't here. Her soul is lost to me. As for me, I am her god host Tsukuyomi. I've been trying to find her, but she is beyond my reach for whatever the reason. I stopped hearing her just moments after she nearly purified the half demon. I just thought she was out of sorts because she felt rather bad…"

Looking to the ground, Sesshomaru lowered his sword. He swore to protect her, and now her soul just up and vanishes. With a determined look, he set out the way they came. He would find her come hell or high water. As for how, he would figure it out.

Tsukuyomi followed close behind along with the others. "Why do you follow?" Sesshomaru demanded.

"Well, you may need the help, and with her soul on the escape route, you may need the body nearby just in case," Tsukuyomi said with a shrug. Sesshomaru didn't like the idea of this god taking the commands of her body, but if it kept her alive then he would take it for now.

"Well, you do need her alive yet it seems. Willing to kill her for the cause, but I already promised her I would protect her," Sesshomaru said determined to show this god who was the demon lord around here.

"Your father said the same thing to his goddess," Tsukuyomi said before being put into the air by the throat. Sesshomaru was not in the mood, and everyone was urging behind him to let her body go. While the god was there, it was still her body.

"Sesshomaru, don't be rash. We need him now," Kagome said as Sesshomaru's muscles relaxed and let the body down.

"Did you ever wonder about his past? I could tell you many things since I am even older than he was. It is my job to watch over the lunar creatures, demons included I suppose. At least to keep tabs on them," Tsukuyomi said with a smirk.

Inu-Yasha's ear perked up but he knew it could be a trick. Time of was the essence, and everyone knew that. Sesshomaru just continued walking and Tsukuyomi shrugged again. To be a god amongst demons, how the mighty have fallen, he thought humored by the idea. Her soul was close by, it was screaming, but he dared not tell a demon that. The pain was starting to jolt through her body, but there was no blood. If she were to take back her body without giving her soul time to heal… stopping her body, he watched the others eye him with suspicion.

"I can go no further…," he admitted as worry clouded his face. "Her soul can not return to this body yet. Bringing a hand in front of her chest, there was a bright light and then a crystal. She needs to return to that first."

"Why?" Kagome asked never hearing of a body that shouldn't return to its body as soon as possible.

"Her soul," he started before shaking her head. The priestess needed to know because she would be the one to jump start the healing. "It's being tortured. If it returns, the wounds will show on the body and she will die. I will not even be able to save her then."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened as he approached her body with anger. "Where is she?"

Handing the crystal to him, Tsukuyomi pointed towards the barrier. The torture was severe, the screaming was nearly deafening to him. She was trying to get to Sesshomaru but even then she couldn't see him. To be so torn apart, what demented demon would do this? And yet, there wasn't a demonic presence. Simply an angry spirit. However, there was nothing simple about this spirit. The anger was nearly blinding with the need to torture. Killing felt like a bonus.

Kohaku noticed Satomi's breath grow ragged. "Miss, do you need to sit on Kilala?" Simply nodding, her body moved towards the demon cat. Leaning her body against it, Tsukuyomi felt his control slipping. The soul wanted to be reunited, but it simply couldn't happen yet. Jiro had to be behind this, no doubt the monster knew this angry spirit resided here.

Sesshomaru approached the place where Tsukuyomi said next to the barrier, and he could feel the pain. What was happening, he had no idea. The crystal was shaped like a flower, a budding rose he supposed and he held it out before him. It glowed with a white light as he could see her battered soul enter. There was no image of her body, but he could feel the angry spirit flee quickly.

Handing off the crystal to Kagome, he chased after the spirit. It would be destroyed for that. Swinging his sword, he aimed it at the barrier where he sensed the soul enter through. Nothing. Not even a give to the barrier's power. Growling with anger, he sheathed his sword and walked back to them. They were going towards the village again. This time faster as he could feel Kagome's healing powers working its way to Satomi's soul.

Seeing the group, they were at the outskirts of the village. He took his time needing to relax before he killed the impudent god for not finding her faster. He could see why they had been stopped here by Jiro, this place was cursed. The heaviness didn't affect him, but he could imagine for a divine being it would. He wondered if perhaps that was why the god's senses weakened so it didn't even know her soul left the body.

The barrier here was not able to be destroyed by his own sword. A sword that was supposed to destroy all it touched and what the aftermath touched thereafter. Similar to what they had gone through with Rin all those months ago. Only this time he didn't know what this barrier was linked to. The soul that tormented Satomi? It was possible.

He remained outside of the village perimeter for a little while longer, thinking of what Jiro's motivations could be. With most motivations it was power, but Jiro just seemed to want to create chaos. At first the chaos was directed at himself being the demon lord of the west. Now, with Satomi being the goddess of the moon, his actions had changed. Either way, Rin seemed to be part of the equation. It was too dangerous to keep including her, as he remembered years ago how that turned out from his reckless pride. However, it was risky to leave her as well. Kagome and Inu-Yasha would be the only ones he could trust with the task. However, he noticed a shift in Kagome's scent. Another change in the development. Did his father have to deal with such frustrations? He had to wonder.

Feeling drops of rain fall from the sky, he turned to the village and followed the scent of Satomi. It was intoxicating and radiated a sense of peace. Yet, this time it was different. There was pain, he could feel it extending out to him as if she was right there reaching out to him. His pace quickened as he walked inside and saw the orb resting on Kagome's palms delicately. Satomi's body was still possessed by the god as it sat next to her.

"We were just talking about her condition," Kagome said looking up as everyone else watched her. "There's a lot of damage though and it will take time to heal. Time he don't really have." Looking around, Kohaku nodded.

"My Lord, there is a way to heal her faster, but it will require your assistance," Kohaku said as everyone hushed in the room.

"Well," Sesshomaru said impatiently as Satomi stood up. Her face was solemn as she looked to the ground. The expression made his heart clench, a sensation he knew little of.

"As a demon lord, you have much power," Tsukuyomi started as a deep breath was taken in and let out. "You and her are linked through the power she borrowed from you in the beginning. To quicken the process it would basically require you to take on the damage and allow her to heal on the same level you do. If I were to reunite this body with the soul without the exchange, it would be lethal even with the powers of a god. She is strong, but I fear not strong enough with the condition she is in. The soul that tormented her was not an ordinary angry soul, it was brutal to cut away pieces of her the way it did."

Holding out her arm, it brought upon a vision of a body torn limb from limb. Bloody and battered. It took him a moment to realize it was her. That was the condition of her soul. The sight made his eyes gleam red with anger as his true demon form wanted to emerge and destroy what did this to her. Calming himself, he glared at her and then looked to the orb again.

"What needs to be done?" Sesshomaru asked looking determined. He promised to keep her safe and already this was looking unpromising. He had his honor to uphold and his promise.

"First you need to lie down," Satomi said as he glared at her brutally obeying the words. As the group cleared space, Satomi laid down next to him. "Now Kagome, I need you to put the orb in my hand when I say. I will resist the soul wanting to connect, however this will only be for a short time. Being this close is already hard enough. After that, Sesshomaru I need you to connect with her soul. Just quiet your mind and concentrate on what you need to do to help her. Your goal should be to find her first. Understood?"

He nodded looking towards the ceiling. Being this close to her and yet so far away. He felt vulnerable, something he would never admit aloud. He had never looked for a soul before. He brought back Rin's once, but that wasn't finding it. The way Tsukuyomi made it sound, it was going to be difficult. Even if the instructions were easy.

Sesshomaru heard Kagome approach with the orb, he closed his eyes and at first it felt like nothing was happening. However, when he opened his eyes, everything was dark. Sesshomaru was now standing in nothingness. No sound, no ground or sky… just darkness. His breath echoed around him as he tried to understand where he was. A cry broke the silence. It was almost inaudible; however, he knew it was her. Rushing in the direction, he could still only see darkness.

Looking around again, in another direction he saw a light. Dim yet there. Flying quicker than he ever had, he stopped before the small orb of light before reaching out for it. The cries were coming from this small place. Touching it, he saw flashes of the malice done to her soul. The pain carved out blood under his clothes. He was taking on her damage now. He found her, but the light was so dim yet. Taking in another breath, he took on more damage as blood flowed in small streams down his body. Refusing to go to his knees, he held the orb as his arms and legs felt like they were being torn although they remained attached.

The light shined brighter as time passed on. It was impossible to know how much time had passed by now. Every cut felt drawn out slowly and deliberately. Suddenly, he felt her hand on his hand. His senses had dropped as he was now surrounded by his own blood. Was he losing his mind, he didn't think so, but he could see her glowing silhouette before him.

"That's enough," she begged as she stood before him. He was not aware of when he did drop to one knee, but apparently long enough to have her go to her own knees in front of him to be able to see his face. Taking his hand between her own, she kissed his knuckles as tears rolled down her face. "You shouldn't have done this."

He shook his head in response. "I made a promise. I keep my promises on my honor."

"Damn your honor, foolish demon," she said through the tears as she reached her hand out to touch his face. Her hand felt like silk against his skin. She was the most beautiful person he ever encountered. Her purity was too much for him and yet he wanted to consume it all. All for himself. Selfish yes, but he didn't care enough to change it. She was his, and he was hers. What he was willing to do for her proved that.

Standing slowly, he felt himself reach for her shoulder for balance. She stood with him and held his hand there. He could see her look into him for an answer he didn't even know there was a question for. Looking at her, she pulled herself into an embrace against his bloodied body. She would still love him with all this blood. Most would run in fear.

"I was afraid you forgot about me then," she said as a memory flashed at the beginning of her torture. He brought his arms around her and pulled her tighter against him. "You were all that kept me going in the end. I wanted to yell at you for forgetting me."

"Foolish woman." His voice was raspy as he spoke. Slowly, he could smell her scent and feel her embrace even more so. His body felt light somehow. His fingers raked through her hair slowly as his strength returned gradually as hers did as well. Closing his eyes, he felt at peace for probably the first time in his life.

Suddenly there was a light. A strong light that was harsh before his eyelids. As he opened his eyes, he could hear chatter. His body felt heavy now as he reached forward and saw Inu-Yasha, Kagome, and Kilala gathered. His upper body was unclothed and bandaged. His hakamas covered in blood. Looking beside him, he didn't see her. However, when he looked forward, she was there. Leaning over him with a smile that melted his beast of a cold heart.

"You're back," she said as she pressed her forehead to his grabbing his hand. "We've been waiting."

Rin emerged from the outside door with tears in her eyes. "Lord Sesshomaru! You were covered in blood and then Satomi woke up yesterday but you weren't waking up. We were so worried. Kagome and Satomi bandaged you over and over. I was so scared you were going to die."

"It was my fault, I was careless," Satomi said as she brought Rin into an embrace. "We can rest easy now with this. We have other problems to take care of tomorrow."

"No, we have already wasted enough time," Sesshomaru said trying to get up. His wounds had been severe, but they were healing. The god was right, she wouldn't have been able to survive this. Even Sesshomaru felt he wouldn't have if it had been a direct attack.

"You did this for me, so let me say this to you. Rest," Satomi said putting a hand to his forehead and again he felt his body light. She had done something to him, curses. He had to hand it to her, it was hard to refuse when she just did what she wanted regardless. All he could do was protect her along the way. Even through his dreams, he couldn't hide a small smirk that emerged upon his face.