</B><i></i>
"I do have power over him. Taking his image though is something the heart is not accustomed to."
Her assessment was right, his concerns centered only on the difficulties he practically experienced. Shiori gave Sousuke an incredulous look when he chose those words. Nothing of a feigned apology, even simulated regret -- it did not even appear to be a potential notion.
"I do what I must in order to protect the realm. That is my designation. That is my purpose. Kaito was cut down accordingly with the Black Blade. His life essence taken away from him. I cannot argue about the effectiveness of the Black Blade. Doing so is utter insanity. Mikaboshi once tried to possess this vessel. Perhaps the true end result is to become Mikaboshi entirely."
So that was what this was about, it should have been obvious to her from the beginning. Sousuke did not desire a servant of Mikaboshi but rather Sousuke desired to become the shadow in its entirety. A foolhardy want truly, for the perceived boost in power Mikaboshi surely represented he would also suffer the limit of the Deep Court. Ancients are not without restriction, they were not a resource of unbridled and limitless power although they perhaps seemed to be such in the eyes of primitive man.
"You wish to be him,"<i></i> Shiori grumbled
"...you would not want that."<i></i> She eyed him suspiciously as she leaned over him, she studied his features.
He was not Mikaboshi, not in mind or body. "Would you truly be able to live with the blood on yours hands to get such power?" she added as she watched his face to see if his expression would change. It was placid, neutral, mechanical.
"The souls an Ancient consumes to regain that level of power..." she exhaled. The number of souls
she would have to consume to regain her throne strangely burdened her heart. Similar to a law Sousuke would be familiar with, the law of the conservation of mass -- 'it can neither be created nor destroyed, although it may be rearranged in space, or the entities associated with it may be changed in form.' The same could be said of 'power' in terms of an Ancient, they are an anthropomorphism of the natural and elemental world. Mikaboshi was shadow given life and form just as Shiori was the earth itself Homura the fiery depths and Fuujin was the sky. Their element gave them power and the desert was plentiful, her powers were for the most part naturally derived and even still it has taken her
years to regain her strength without causing more pain. The dark and deep housed a civilized society and whilst shadows were still more plentiful there was by far more desert and sky than there could ever be darkness. Mikaboshi hungered for what he had... what he was and he was willing to
eat. Shiori was far from a saint, in her heyday
humanity was food and even to this day
she eats. Her most noted meal being Sousuke's aunt and uncle after she had nearly destroyed herself utterly in an attempt to resurrect Homura and Fuujin, a secret she keeps to this day.
"That technique was lost. There was a purpose for doing so as to someday repair the relationship between Ancients and humans? Why would humanity want to do such a thing? Fuujin and Homura were erased by the power of the Original. The actions of Mother Suna would not lead to such an action being required, the sealing inside of a blade that is. It will not be used again on an Ancient. Humans perhaps as their moral insanity is the greatest concern."
Unbeknownst to Shiori, Sousuke was correct in one regard -- the Sunahoshi, not Takahashi actively betrayed Mikaboshi, but their complicity in the matter would be difficult to deny. The Deep Court Lord remained neutral in the battle between mortal man and Ancient, however in the time that followed, man or rather the Sunahoshi returned to the Deep and sealed with their old magic the Ancient Lord into one of Homura's daggers. Never Journeymen these bloodline kings, Shiori had assumed the Takahashi assistance in this terrible disgrace. Many of the earliest Journeymen came from the Flame Court in fact, many of the Ancient's blades were forged by mortal hands.
"Yes, why would humanity want to repair the rift between themselves and Ancients indeed,"<i></i> Shiori mirrored.
"You say, erased?" Shiori stopped her resentful train of thought.
"They were erased, not killed," Shiori repeated as her face hovered over Sousuke. She was looking into his eyes, seeking a sign of deceit.
"That.Changes.Everything."<i></i> She concluded definitively. She remembered a children's tale she learned during her time as a 'human' about a book that spoke and knew everything that was, is, will and could be. About a powerful sword that could bend reality to its will... but
erase? Yes... NO...
"It failed," she confided. The evidence was in their stories and in their history. If they were erased, then she would not know them. She would not remember them. These humans would not know of them. She would have been the lone queen of the desert but history does not tell such a tale.
"They are simply very... very dead, but that is only a phase,"<i></i> she commented, referring to death as nothing more than the awkward years of a teenage youth. It did not explain why she was not able to resurrect them at Godsfall, why at the cost of her essence and power nothing came.
"Your 'artificial' son was taken in by Toraono Kuro. What transpired in between that time period is an unknown. There is no recollection of what transpired of the missions he had enacted. These missions were not sanctioned by the Sungakure government. Yes, it is true that it is the fault of my own. I will not be a deflector of liability."<i></i>
"My SON was 'taken in' by that demon?" Shiori growled, her weight being supported by her hand which rested on Sousuke's chest. She was heavier than she appeared. Her expression was that of anger and revulsion.
"Then... I know who I must find." She concluded.
"The heart is taking time to process this data. The mind is fully aware of what is being discussed. Let us continue. Why is Mikaboshi so interested in you? What did he do to you?"<i></i>
"Nothing,"<i></i> she replied simply.
"In fact, he has done nothing but come to my aid,"<i></i> she admitted. Their interactions have been few, amounting to only...
three this life. First, where she same upon him and inadvertently facilitated his release. She would have done the same, albeit sooner if she knew and acted in an intentional manner. Second, in Sousuke's household where he only made known the fact that he recognized her and did nothing more than remind her that she was humiliating herself maintaining this charade. Third and most recent, when he assisted in her rescue.
"That is what family does after all, they help."<i></i> Surely Sousuke understood, after all she had called Mikaboshi brother in his presence at least once and she had already revealed her identity to him now twice.
"The Kirishii would not have allowed a complete terminal failure. Your abilities are vastly overestimated, but my demise is entirely possible. Ego is to be kept in check, not allowed to be rampant... doing so will -- "<i></i>
"And you overestimate the power of your allies and subjects,"<i></i> Shiori countered matter of factly. Sousuke would not have been needed in the places he was if they could handle themselves. They were no more capable of preventing a 'terminal failure' in Sousuke than they would be in themselves.
"If you died at their feet, do you think they could save you. Not would but could. If they needed your assistance then their tribulations were already too great... If you were defeated, how can they stop a force that could utterly destroy something stronger than they?"<i></i> What she said was common sense, the reason he existed and the reason the shinobi populous existed as a whole was to fill a power-gap. It was to maintain balance and prevent villains from running a-muck, although the shinobi were not much better than those they defeated.
She sighed as she backed away from him.
"You know that I... care about you,"<i></i> she frowned.
"And I know that you are incapable of computing or whatever cold... mechanical... term you prefer to designate, but still care for you in the same way I do."<i></i> He had made that fact apparent multiple times before, clearly reminding her that it would be
never regardless of the variables present.
"But I won't change my sentiments,"<i></i> she added. She phrased it as if she had a choice, silly... silly Shiori.
"I am sorry I have kept you,"<i></i> she nodded
"you need your rest."<i></i> She reached for the door, she would call one of the Medics in. Probably one of the young ones, they were always cute and full of vigor but innocent enough to not try anything funny whilst Sousuke was incapacitated. It was always the cougars you had to look out for.
"Blonde?" She sighed, defining his future company by hair-color as a predominate physical feature much like someone identifying a kitten by their primary fur color.
<B>"No, purple... you have always been partial to the color,"<i></i> she spoke to herself and not to Sousuke as she deliberated out loud.
"Shiori. Who are, truly?"
He called after her, not that she had departed the room just yet.
"You already know and that is why I cannot stay,"<i></i> she reminded him.
"And I regret the nature of our differences in the days to come, I will try to make sure you do not die."<i></i> An ominous but strangely lofty goal considering it was her most coveted desire to bring back the two most powerful Ancients history has ever known. The Black Blade had no reason to maintain her secrets and she had already revealed herself to him twice for her true nature. A truth she thought they could both contend with until she saw his domination over her brother. Until she considered Sousuke as a potential entity to be feared, a mistake she could only make once... she knew from Primus' uprising that mankind had limitless potential and in her diminished state one would not require such a paragon of human potential to defeat her. Mikaboshi was an ongoing testament to this.
"But if you wish to feign ignorance, I will not stop you... but I will not foolishly believe that you would never do the same to me as you have to my brother if given the opportunity... after all, you must in order to protect the realm." Her voice changed, mimicking the Steward's.
Hush little Kage, don't say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
In your closet, in your head
She could hear the bed creak and the leather straps groan before they
*snapped*. The bed-springs chirr as the Steward sat upright in the bed.
"Dammit,"<i></i> she had waited too long. The battered and worn Kazekage had the time to heal further with his near inhuman healing and strain against his restraints while she wasted time 'chatting' like a fool.
"Bleeding... red ... sand...? It makes no sense."<i></i>
The Journeyman heir repeated the events long past, still denying the truths before him? That event where she demonstrated the truth was not isolated, her blood covered Sousuke's torture-space was covered in hers as well as her unfortunate cellmate. She had told him twice the truth.
"You are not a fool, stop playing the part of one now,"<i></i> Shiori demanded, her critical tone acrid.
"Indiscretion such as this is an affront to me,"<i></i> Shiori argued as she prepared herself for his assault.
"No need to feign fatuity so that you can break free... I refuse to fight with a handicap against a human, but I enter this altercation with a heavy heart."<i></i>