Remembering Who We Used to Be (Shiori)

[Takahashi Aki]

The devastation the Cabal had brought onto Suna was insurmountable. Keystone Prime was destroyed. The Data could be recovered, Sousuke had it in his mind. What couldn't be recovered was family. Sousuke hadn't heard from his parents, but Okibi, Tama, and Aki were safe at deadlines. Yume was out of harm's way. What was missing was his cousin, his favourite cousin Shiori. There was looting, and pillaging. Criminals were at large, but under control. The Steward wasn't at his best, but he still had to find Shiori. After all, Shiori would do the same for him.

At his side was his faithful companion Kitchy. The husky seemed to not want to be out of sight with Sousuke. It was understandable. Well. The first place he would start her search would be her apartment. It was an unholy mess. Sousuke made a mental note to himself to check his cousin's apartment more often... and to clean it for her if necessary. He opened the door with some difficulty. Well some difficulty really being that he had to break his way in. Breaking his way in really mean he had to exert pressure on the knob and then twist it to break a few locking mechanisms. Nothing he couldn't fix. "Shiori?"<i></i> He called out. Sousuke would have changed quite a bit from their last meeting. He would seem slightly more muscle toned, and certainly ... more emotional? Emotions were tiring at best for the Steward. "Shiori, I'm coming in. If you're in trouble call out."<i></i> His voice was less mechanical, and with more feeling. He would push the door open pushing back several clothes, or magazines, or books, whatever it was that was keeping the door barred. The Steward sniffed the air. He was hoping he wouldn't smell blood, or ... anything truly vile. Sour milk was one thing, his cousin dead and rotting? Not acceptable. "I hope she's alright."<i></i> Kitchy let out a small growl of sorts. "I'm going to take that as a yes..."<i></i>

 

[Michi]

The apartment was in chaos, unopened mail was left in a pile on the dining room table of her grubby studio apartment. A pile of dishes were left in the sink unwashed, from the fuzzy layer of possibly moss on them it would seem that she had not eaten here in some time. Laundry unfolded but possibly clean or worn once, the same difference really sat in a pile on a chair. Large sheets of paper and unfurled scrolls made a layer over the floor. They were in ancient runic, the edges has frayed and parts were missing from many as time had made the paper too fragile to survive. Many were legends of Primus, the battle of Godsfall and the reign of the Ancient Courts.

Shiori was home, she had to be or there would be no story to be had this day. She had a new face, a new body. Her scent and her song had changed, even the darkness was lifted. She heard her lock break, the rattle and the snap that fractured the neck of her knob. He would not get far, she was armed... with a frying pan. "Hiyah!" Shiori let out a furious battle-cry. "Die Cabal scum!" Shiori yelled. It was not the greatest catchphrase but it sure beat For Justice.

It was then that the voice clicked. She knew that voice, although she had never seen that face. "Sou-Sou!" Shiori cried as she tried to embrace a possibly slightly injured Steward. "You're ALIVE!" Tears were streaming down her face. She never realized how weird Sousuke's hair was, she laughed at the revelation. "Is that what you call purple?" She wiped her tears away with her hand but they were being replaced by new ones. "I-I thought you were dead," Shiori sniffled. "B-but Mikaboshi said you were fine, but I didn't believe him!" Shiori let out a horrible wail followed by a series of convulsing sobs.

Sousuke was seemingly resurrected from the dead, she had already believed that the fates took him away forever like they had her brothers so long ago. Eternity is a lonesome state, relegated to her and her kin. She had loved Sousuke her entire life, but he was not the first man she had loved nor would he prove to be her last. It was to be her fate to love and to watch death rip away those she held dear. Someday, just not today death would take Sousuke as well. She loved him, she just did not know the words to tell him such.

In this time he was gone so much had happened. So many people died. The village has been under lock-down and the victim of a terrorist attack. She died only to be reborn from her ashes. She remembered what she was and the atrosities she had committed over her very long existence. he terrible curse she placed on the Sunahoshi family as the burden to stifle the storm was to remain on their shoulders generation after generation. Stagnating their power and their potential so that another Primus would never rise from their clan's blood. The storm, their penance. The winds were never something the ancients kept at bay, the unnatural whirlwind of diamond sands were a consequence of humanity's trespass. Suna's non-interference and 'gift' were never meant to last through the centuries, she had intended to resurrect Homura and Fuujin long before an entire clan had died out.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The frying pan. It was a dreadful foe. It was an instrument of cooking that Sousuke was familiar with, but not the master of. The frying pan malfunctioned from time to time. Here it was being used as a weapon. The Steward saw it coming and quickly ducked out of the way. That was the easy part. The next part was much more difficult. The Steward could not evade a bone crushing hug from his cousin. He was still quite sore from his repairs. He gritted his teeth as he could feel his ribs being slightly crushed. Shiori never did know her strength. Her intentions were well received, which was an absolute delight. What gave Sousuke paused was how different his cousin was now. The voice was right, but the body was not. More importantly she could see. He raised an eyebrow. "Well... yes this is purple. Mother and grandmother have the same hair too."</B><i></i> He began, he listened to her speak of Mikaboshi. "Mikaboshi wouldn't lie about my death. It would be complicated for him."<i></i>

He lifted a few strands of her new hair. "Red? It's hard to picture you with red hair now."<i></i> He turned to look at her face. Different features. Strange. Strange indeed. This was Shiori. This was Shiori right? No one else hugged him with this much force, or called him Sou-Sou. <B>"Shiori what happened to you exactly? Your hair was much darker than this, and your ... proportions are different." Her face was more angular, less round. Her arms were smaller, but they still had enough strength to crush his ribs. This was going to take some getting used to. On her end of course there was less getting used to, but more new experiences to be had. Well hopefully Shiori would be more mindful of swinging from book cases and causing them to fall down, especially ontop of him.

Sousuke had been through a lot. A set of broken ribs wasn't that bad, but it could have the potential to be quite irritable and quite uncomfortable. "Do you think you can let go ... I'm pretty sore, and I think you just broke some more of my ribs?"

 

[Michi]

"Well... yes this is purple. Mother and grandmother have the same hair too."

She had no idea what color his parent's hair was. Purple seemed so unnatural. She expected a darker hair color, something like his distant ancestors. Come to think of it, was that purple too? Time makes everything hazy. "You realize when Homura was a young, his hair was a similar hue," Shiori reminisced, her grasp still tight on her beloved cousin as she buried her face into him. Her voice a mumble.

"Mikaboshi wouldn't lie about my death. It would be complicated for him."

She took her face out of the refuge of whatever body part she had buried her face into and took a breath of air. He knew that monster? Did he realize that he ate people... well, he ate their souls at the very least which was the same thing if not worse. A body is fleeting but a soul is eternal. "You realize that he ate people?" Shiori queried in a whisper as if she was letting him in on a big secret. She was not knowledgeable about politics in the least, not was she aware of his station as ANBU Sennin. She did know, however that something that called itself 'Mikaboshi' was housed within his blade. She hugged him tighter, her thin short arms barely reaching her wrists.

"Red? It's hard to picture you with red hair now."

She shook her head and watched a autumn strand fall over her face. Interesting, it was red now. She had not noticed.

"Shiori what happened to you exactly? Your hair was much darker than this, and your ... proportions are different." Sousuke observed.

"It is because I died,"</B><i></i> Shiori admitted. "I had been bleeding sand for some time, then I was attacked when I found a bomb. I died in the Omni Prime Complex the other day." She failed to admit the fact that she stole the life and form of a caregiver. This face had not been seen in at least eighty years, she did not even do it on purpose unlike her assault on Sousuke's uncle that cost him his life two decades ago. She did not regret that desperate action all those years ago, she was an inert fossil existing in a perpetual hell aware but unmoving. She could have denied herself freedom, but that was not an option in her mind. She was a different 'person' then, but she could feel that bitterness returning.

<B>"Do you think you can let go ... I'm pretty sore, and I think you just broke some more of my ribs?"

She did not realize she was even hugging him, nor did she notice that she was crushing him. She released him from her constrictor grasp and felt his thoracic space expand. "So sorry!" Shiori exclaimed as she backed away. She did not want to break him, she had just gotten him back. She was so happy to see him. Elated in fact. "Where have you been? Why were you gone?" A part of her did not want to know, she was just glad to have him back but when she woke up she expected to find him and he was not there. In fact, he was not even in the village according to the rumors. What could have made him forsake his people in the greatest time of need?

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Shiori spoke of Mikaboshi eating people. "Not literally. He has a specific skill set to end the lives of the criminally insane if they prove to be a threat on the high end of the cataclysmic scale. Certain individuals of those two groupings cannot be rehabilitated and will continue to be a threat. I regret not ordering him to slay Magentica. That was something I paid for in a physical sense. There are some threats that must be handled in a specific manner."<i></i> He revealed his bandaged arms beneath his sleeves, and his chest being covered in bandages too. When she spoke of dying, he raised an eyebrow. Bleeding sand? That ... that must have been something she had inserted into the narrative to give it more ... drama. Shiori wasn't one for theatrics or drama though. "Bleeding sand? We should maybe go back to the hospital to get that checked. I've been subjected to overexposure from Diamond Sands a few times. It is a very difficult recovery process. It is also very painful."<i></i>

When he was asked why or where he had been, a certain sadness struck Sousuke. A deep and brooding depression. As this took place, the Steward seemed to grow tired, exhausted. He moved some of Shiori's stuff aside on a couch and took a seat. "It's best we take a seat. This is going to take some time."<i></i> His expression seemed to grow worse, and his eyes seemed to crystallize. He seemed to be on the verge of tears. "My ward Okibi. The child who I am legal guardian over had went missing some time ago, and returned heavily damaged... I had located the organization who had harmed her. This organization also had its hand in Suna with a series of vicious murders..."<i></i> He paused. His expression seemed to grow angered. "I found them in Soon's. I thought to handle this by myself, but Okibi and Tama her boyfriend or mate, decided to ... come too. This was an extremely personal matter. We went into the depths of Soon's and destroyed this organization, not easily. We found a member of the shadow court, and his lackeys. A difficult foe, but one that was bested with ... trials and tribulations."<i></i> He held his head in his hands next. "My ward had a child with this man, not by choice. This child was there too, so we retrieved him. We were broken and devastated. We made our way back to Sungakure. By that time the Cabal had done their work. I was greeted at the gate by one of their members. We were in no place to battle, him, and he claimed if he felled the village would be destroyed. We went to Deadlines to recover."<i></i> Sousuke paused for a moment. He seemed to have difficulty in saying what he wanted to say next. "I was healed by Prime Diamund from the overexposure ... but ..."<i></i> Sousuke looked down at his hands. He was stronger than before. "I too had changed... ... are you with me so far? There is certainly more to be said, but this is why I had been gone for so long. I was locked out on the surface, and broken."<i></i>

 

[Michi]

"Not literally. He has a specific skill set to end the lives of the criminally insane if they prove to be a threat on the high end of the cataclysmic scale. Certain individuals of those two groupings cannot be rehabilitated and will continue to be a threat. I regret not ordering him to slay Magentica. That was something I paid for in a physical sense. There are some threats that must be handled in a specific manner." No, she meant that in the most literal of senses. She heard him eat that man, her eyes do not lie. His essence was removed from him without hesitation or remorse. She did not recognize him as a brother, he was not a member of the great courts and centuries had passed since their last chance interaction if proximity could be considered an interaction.

Sousuke shown his bandaged arms to Shiori. She focused her attention on his limbs, her ears twitched as she listened to the rest of him. The muted beat of his heart, the faint click of his veins. She reached for his collar and yanked if she grabbed hold. "You're hurt?" She announced with an air of inquiry. Her cousin either survives or does not, none of this half-asses cripple state. Damages always prelude death. "WHY ARE YOU HERE IF YOU ARE HURT!" She yelled. It was not the sound of a scolding mother, rather an enraged woman.

"Bleeding sand? We should maybe go back to the hospital to get that checked. I've been subjected to overexposure from Diamond Sands a few times. It is a very difficult recovery process. It is also very painful."

"Don't try to change the subject! When humans DIE they stay DEAD!"</COLOR><i></i> She screamed. "I won't died unless I want to! You don't have that luxury!"<i></i> She had seen his father's father's father die. She watched as the first men faded into obscurity, only their written and genetic legacy continued on. Many great men who died young, even by the standards of man.

"It's best we take a seat. This is going to take some time."

Sousuke tried to find a seat. The room was a mess but he would be able to find himself a perch on top of a mess somewhere. "No, no it won't!" Shiori argued, unwilling to relinquish the hold she had if one on his collar. "You are getting fixed now!" She debated as she tried to pull at him, potentially ripping his collar. "I am not listening to your story, STAY STILL!" She scolded, a harsh snap to her voice. But he would not stop talking... and talking... Meanwhile she attempted to climb on top of him. She was much smaller than she used to be, while still relatively tall for a woman she lacked the proportions she was once blessed with. It was hard getting used to a new human body, they all smell different and none of the parts are universal. Even her hands were different, she liked these ones better despite their diminutive size. It was easier to complete the series of handseals while she tried to straddle him. Successful or not she ran her hands through a series of handseals she knew well from her previous body and tried to reverse Sousuke's damages.

"My ward Okibi. The child who I am legal guardian over had went missing some time ago, and returned heavily damaged... I had located the organization who had harmed her. This organization also had its hand in Suna with a series of vicious murders... I found them in Soon's. I thought to handle this by myself, but Okibi and Tama her boyfriend or mate, decided to ... come too. This was an extremely personal matter. We went into the depths of Soon's and destroyed this organization, not easily. We found a member of the shadow court, and his lackeys. A difficult foe, but one that was bested with ... trials and tribulations... My ward had a child with this man, not by choice. This child was there too, so we retrieved him. We were broken and devastated. We made our way back to Sungakure. By that time the Cabal had done their work. I was greeted at the gate by one of their members. We were in no place to battle, him, and he claimed if he felled the village would be destroyed. We went to Deadlines to recover... I was healed by Prime Diamund from the overexposure ... but ..."<i></i>

She was busy trying to fix him. Surely his mind needed mending as well considering the tribulations he had experienced but a broken mind could be rectified later, a broken body would mean no time for either if allowed to fester. There was a name she did recognize in his epic tale. Prime Diamund. That ape-creature created by Homura. The first much like Primus, that broke away from the routine and the rule of the Ancients. A foolish act of rebellion that would prove to be the Ancient's eventual undoing. She ceased her healing and looked at him.

"You. Let. That. APE. Touch. You?" She paced her words carefully as she peeled herself away from him, if it was from on top of him or alongside of him. "WHY would you do that?" She sounded exasperated. "You had a Medic WITH you," she was of course referencing Tama. A young man she had never before met but she knew the name, she knew lots of things and even more now that she could read things as simple as a roster. Ryuu Tama was a MiT, more than sufficient to keep Sousuke alive until a proficient medic took over. "I know every human medical jutsu! I can mend every bone, seal even the diremost bleed, even recover the recently deceased!" Shiori ranted, her hand still glowing from her previous ninjutsu. She could have made him whole, brought him back from the cusp of death, but now he owed those monkeys his favor. They were nothing more than beasts in life and their fate as stone creatures was almost fitting. Brother Homura had a cruel yet utilitarian streak, they made great gladiators and pride compelled him to such lengths to win those tournaments. He should have ceased, his love of war molded the paragon of human potential that led to their fall. Tsk-- tsk--

"I too had changed... ... are you with me so far? There is certainly more to be said, but this is why I had been gone for so long. I was locked out on the surface, and broken."

Sousuke suffered through a great and terrible ordeal. The kind that scars and changes a man forever. Much has changed between them,more than either could possibly know. "Sou..."<i></i> Shiori started to say, she stopped yelling and her lower lip quivered. <COLOR color="red">"I am sorry... I will repair you and I will never let you die." What she said could be taken as a simple I will always have you back, but she meant it in a much more literal sense. She had lost much over this past millennium, from her own strength and power to her family and even this false picture of home and hearth she had created for herself when her mind was utterly broken.

WC: 1209

MFT

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke's eyes shifted to the side. Yes. He was hurt. Was this not evidenced when he asked her to let go of him? "I had to check on you. My grandmother is alive. Dad is hurt. Mother is ... conscious but has had several fights with criminal thugs. Family is important... very important. You are part of my family."<i></i> He explained. Shiori helped him see things that were elementary in nature, but not to him. The cooling of the Mk2 when it was overheating. The plasma re-grading. All of these things mattered to him, and she revealed the ways to him, by mistake or by stating something simple. She then shouted at him even more so. Then she would say something very curious to him. "You would think that..."<i></i> He tried to mentally digest what she said about her own mortality. "That doesn't even make sense. Shiori you're just as human as I am, unless something happened while I was trapped on the surface. Did Kuro do something to you?"<i></i> He would inquire accordingly. Kuro had a habit of changing things, for good or for unknown ill.

Shiori seemed to not take well to the fact Prime Diamund healed him. "Tama is an expert in certain fields. Not everything, and secondly the Honoured Matriarch is an ally. Father never had anything ill to say about her, and she has always helped us. She even called the Raikage Ryuuto to help my cause. I do not know though if he was captured while he was in Soon's."<i></i> Sousuke didn't understand her initial hostility. When Shiori spoke of the power of to resurrect, Sousuke merely ... paused once more. Maybe she was unwell? No one had such a power. Even if they did, they wouldn't reveal it. Maybe she was running a fever. He reached up to place his hand on her forehead just to be sure.

"I remained at Deadlines trying to formulate a plan. None of those plans came to be. I acquired weapons and armour to aid me in my coming tasks. In time I simply returned by myself. I knew that this had to be fixed by my hands. I met the Akamichi Toad once more. He had butchered Anbu, and we had a game of wits. I bested him and he granted me entry. As I left to take an alternate entrance into the village I cremated the bodies of those who he slew. It was then I went to the Toraono Dojo to regain entry. I engaged Magentica, a snake Cabal Agent, a canine one, and their leader. Kuro had came back and so did others. We battled with the Cabal Agents. It was not a victory... or a defeat really."<i></i> His recollection of those events were not clear. They were fragmented. Altered perhaps? Not clear. "Nothing is clear to me since then. I found myself waking up at Deadlines again. I have returned though to see what remains."<i></i> He looked up from his hands. "I have a great-ward, and my ward to still care for. My family has expanded, but I am to make sure that they are all well."<i></i> He stared back at his hands. He was unsure of himself. "Something has changed though. I cannot put my finger on it. I do not know."<i></i> He looked exhausted. "I've been more tired as of late. As if something is dragging me down ... in the way of optimal progress. It is frustrating. I feel things that are alien to me."<i></i>

MFT 586

 

[Michi]

"I had to check on you. My grandmother is alive. Dad is hurt. Mother is ... conscious but has had several fights with criminal thugs. Family is important... very important. You are part of my family." </B><i></i>

No she was not a part of their family, not really. She forced her way into their clan and gave herself the surname and the prestige it carried by killing her 'parents.' The transition then was too much for her, she did not even remember the mortal blow until recently nor the fact that she had control of her guardians. Perhaps it was the spite of these spirits that tortured her so or latent guilt she harbored all these years. She frowned at this revelation. She might be family in name but it was a status she was never bestowed, rather it was stolen.

<B>"You would think that... That doesn't even make sense. Shiori you're just as human as I am, unless something happened while I was trapped on the surface. Did Kuro do something to you?"

Kuro did nothing to her understanding, he did blow up the village by setting off a bomb she nearly set off herself but he did not kill her nor did he force her transformation. "He did nothing," Shiori lied. She was referencing the destruction of the maw rather than her curious state. "I have always been this way," Shiori admitted. She might have looked different, but what she was remained unchanged. That old woman martyred herself for no reason, she would have recovered eventually it was just a question of when. She was capable of playing the long-game, decades were meaningless and she had but one life to give. "The body is not mine, I do not know who it belongs to... but I did not steal it," she announced in her own self-defense. "The old woman did it," she laid the blame at the feet of the unknown woman. It might have been cruel considering her sacrifice but it was a favor that was not required and forced onto her. "But it did not alter my mortality."

"Tama is an expert in certain fields. Not everything, and secondly the Honoured Matriarch is an ally. Father never had anything ill to say about her, and she has always helped us. She even called the Raikage Ryuuto to help my cause. I do not know though if he was captured while he was in Soon's."

Sousuke explained. Her brow furrowed as he defended the Kirishii. They were dangerous, it was their legacy was warriors. "The Kirishii came from the Flame Court of Homura, gladiators who fought for the honor of their master. Loss was unforgivable, he twisted his slaves into those monsters. You could say it was forced onto them and not their fault, but it would have been useless for him to augment a docile people. The prime generation of Kirishii were the most brutal and violent among Homura's slaves. Do you believe that her grace would not come at a terrible price?" Shiori snapped. She was not innocent of the crimes and atrocities of the past but history put her in a fond light. The Sunahoshi were not the beneficiaries of her gift but rather the victims of her curse. A hereditary seal that gave them domination over their domain, the greatest gift she bestowed and it made her an avatar of grace and protection because of her non-interference during the great war. Her titles were unearned, she was not a deity worthy of the attentions garnered by humanity. She gave those gifts to stunt the Sunahoshi line. While they spent their days keeping the storms at bay, they would never realize their natural talent and there would never be another Primus. Primus, a paragon of human potential would be the last of her line, something mutually assured with her gift. In time she would recover her brothers and no man would stop them. That was her hope and her mission, but returning life to a sparrow was a far cry from giving life to an Ancient. Her act of hubris cost her most of her power and her eyes.

Thankfully her cousin had the worst case of ADD she had ever experienced. He had already started talking again:

"I remained at Deadlines trying to formulate a plan. None of those plans came to be. I acquired weapons and armour to aid me in my coming tasks. In time I simply returned by myself. I knew that this had to be fixed by my hands. I met the Akamichi Toad once more. He had butchered Anbu, and we had a game of wits. I bested him and he granted me entry. As I left to take an alternate entrance into the village I cremated the bodies of those who he slew. It was then I went to the Toraono Dojo to regain entry. I engaged Magentica, a snake Cabal Agent, a canine one, and their leader. Kuro had came back and so did others. We battled with the Cabal Agents. It was not a victory... or a defeat really... Nothing is clear to me since then. I found myself waking up at Deadlines again. I have returned though to see what remains... I have a great-ward, and my ward to still care for. My family has expanded, but I am to make sure that they are all well... Something has changed though. I cannot put my finger on it. I do not know... I've been more tired as of late. As if something is dragging me down ... in the way of optimal progress. It is frustrating. I feel things that are alien to me."

That was some story, there were a lot of anthropomorphic enemies. But the battle was fought and won even if the war was incomplete. "You're fine," Shiori dismissed. Just some broken bones and hematomas. Nothing that would not heal with time and effort this time but there was always next time. His responsibilities had expanded and it would be a great burden, caretaker and Steward. "Justice was done. Your family has expanded, now is a time for celebration." She had begun thinking, the wheels in her head turning. Has the Kirishii done something to him or was his complaints nothing but the psychosomatic result of stress? "Are you still injured? She inquired after a moment's silence. As her strength returned, partly thanks to the old woman's sacrifice her skills would prove unparalleled.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke's eyes widened slightly as he heard the ancient history of the Kirishii. His eyes then proceeded to narrowed. He had not ever heard these things. "How do you come to know this? You never were interested in history. I tried to have you attend a few lectures, but you refused and decided to spend time with me as I did my research."<i></i> Maybe she look a blow to the head? Maybe two? Maybe even three. Surely. Her mental health was not in jeopardy. The more she went on, the more he was inclined to believe this. It still didn't account for her appearance changing. Weirder things have happened in Suna... like being swallowed up by the earth and then being subjected to a vision of madness. "Prime Diamund is powerful yes, but she is benevolent. She has aided us several times in the past."<i></i> He defended his ally. The Honored Matriarch was not a menace.

She asked if he was still injured. Sousuke shook his head. "No. Just tired."<i></i> He finally said. "I've started to dream. Things of the past, and possibilities of the future. It is perplexing and unprecedented. I don't dream, but now I do."<i></i> He shook his head once again. It didn't matter. The visions he had were of people around him reaching levels of power beyond his own, with the exception of the old hero known as Shade. Ironically he had the same name as his sword's spirit, but they were two different people. "I failed my duties as Steward. I could not protect the realm. I could not kill any of the Cabal agents, or Magentica. They turned on each other in the end. Magentica impaled me in the past with a steel beam. This time I drove Skull Splitter into her being. I told them to run, and flee. Cabal agent against Cabal agent. One of them changed sides, but even she turned her blades and poisons upon me. One of them was Yume's uncle. I told him to stop attacking Kuro, and in turn her turned on Magentica when she attacked Yume."<i></i> He explained. Sousuke was sobered with a depression. "This is not a time to celebrate. I have tried so very hard to be superior. I have tried and failed, only to become inferior. I am not worthy of being my father's and mother's son, Okibi's guardian, or even your cousin."<i></i>

 

[Michi]

"How do you come to know this? You never were interested in history. I tried to have you attend a few lectures, but you refused and decided to spend time with me as I did my research."<i></i>

What he spoke was truth and the words she uttered were not those of scholars and lecturers. Memory tends to shade things in a preferable light no matter the recorder, but surely time had not altered what had come to pass too greatly. "I wanted to spend my time with you," Shiori answered honestly. She always wanted to be with him, even when he spent hours in the library, a place of no use to a blindwoman. She had been illiterate until recently, she lived after the invention of the written word. She lived during the time of Runic Terran and early cave drawings, her sight was only gone for a few generations. Some of the books in Sousuke's possession were significantly older. "Because I..." loved you, she wanted to say but she stopped herself short and shook her head. Itwas blindingly obvious how she felt and the only way he would not see is willful ignorance.

"Prime Diamund is powerful yes, but she is benevolent. She has aided us several times in the past."

"Nothing is infalable, not you...or I, or whatever deity you worship. We are all petty... cruel... and make mistakes that take lifetimes to forget or forgive." Shiori countered. She had to live with a great many sins of her own, many were the source of her legend and legacy but she would take them back... take them all back if she had the chance. A part of her would fear that option truly, the chance to undo all the wrongs she had committed, it was her mistakes that gave her the present and what was precious to her now. She would never be able to know this ache in her heart, this sorrow. Despite the pain she would not exchange it for anything in the world.

"No. Just tired... I've started to dream. Things of the past, and possibilities of the future. It is perplexing and unprecedented. I don't dream, but now I do."

She had waking nightmares now that she remembered her sins. She saw the faces of her kin being butchered by what she regarded as ants. At the time she could not perceive their sentience; their potential to dominate; their danger. For the things she turned a blind eye to thatshe should not have. The cruel games of her brothers. The petty vengeance she served the Sunahoshi lineage. Her non-interference in the war. How she looked on through the generations, barely touching and hardly breathing. This was the first time she had lived in so long. "I have heard that dreams are good... that it is a way of seeing what could not be seen when sight gets in the way. The darkness is release, even in your greatest of terrors Cousin. Those terrible scenes need to be lived there as to prevent them from being lived here." She smiled painfully. She hated seeing Sousuke in pain, watching this uncertain side of him. He was always a dreamer by day, foolish in a way. She loved watching the silly man work, toil and play. This defeated, broken husk of a man was not the Sousuke she was enamored with. She let out a lungful of air. "I hate seeing you hurt," Shiori stated woefully.

"I failed my duties as Steward. I could not protect the realm. I could not kill any of the Cabal agents, or Magentica. They turned on each other in the end. Magentica impaled me in the past with a steel beam. This time I drove Skull Splitter into her being. I told them to run, and flee. Cabal agent against Cabal agent. One of them changed sides, but even she turned her blades and poisons upon me. One of them was Yume's uncle. I told him to stop attacking Kuro, and in turn her turned on Magentica when she attacked Yume... This is not a time to celebrate. I have tried so very hard to be superior. I have tried and failed, only to become inferior. I am not worthy of being my father's and mother's son, Okibi's guardian, or even your cousin."

Shiori would try to slap her cousin. "I chose to be a part of your family and I would have it no other way" Shiori snapped. She had changed, grown. Gotten stronger. Smarter. Faster. Sousuke had gotten weaker, but not of body but of mind. "LOOK at you, you asinine bromidic boy!" Her voice had changed, it gained a guttural rasp. "My adulation of you is not based on familial necessity or jejune sentiment. You are your father's son, not without fault or prejudice. Not without failure. When your father was a burgeoning shinobi and faced with his destiny as the Steward, do you think he was without fault. He was a great man and a great leader. It is his blood and your foreordination that you would become the next Steward.What your clan lacked in strength it more than made up for in ingenuity. It made the Ancients tremble. Your family should have been given command over the maelstrom, it was always your station to lead!"It was true, every last word. Sunagakure could not survive without the Takahashi family, Sousuke specifically. He was born to lead Sunagakure to greatness. It was the fate of so many others to return to obscurity.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

*SLAP*​

"Ow."<i></i> There were times that Shiori surprised Sousuke. Few and far in between. Those were the moments of her sheer brilliance that Sousuke could only stare in awe at. This was one of them. Different reasons of course. Over their few moments together her vocabulary had changed. Sou-Sou was still there but all the words around Sou-Sou were words that she wouldn't regularly say. The Steward thought of the time how he spoke of how he didn't want to be me for a day, and in turn she pointed out being a stick of gum probably sucked even more. It took some several extra seconds to digest what she had said to him. Her tone grew sharper, as did her words. It took Sousuke a whole of seven extra seconds to figure out she was insulting him, but complimenting him in a strange way. She could see the darks of his eyes as he sat there stunned. "That is heresy Shiori. That is the original sin we Takahashi will not commit."<i></i> Shiro in his time hated being given power when Kai was too young to rule. Shiro was an old man when he had died, but he was so very thankful that Kai came to age and became ruler and took the power from him as it was rightfully so.

It was true that Takahashi ingenuity was exemplary. The first Takahashi was a pacifist who made Primus's armour. He died doing so. Takahashi men and women made the King's sword. It was all true, but it was the Sunahoshi's place to lead. It was Primus who tore history asunder and thrust them unto where they were now.

Sousuke blinked, not once, not twice, but thrice. "For the record ... your guardianship was signed for legally."<i></i> Maybe she had a choice? He wasn't sure. Children when they got older could often choose to leave the home space. Surprisingly Okibi hadn't left him. Then again perhaps it spoke to how good of a ward he was? Even with their arguments. Maybe Shiori had a few loose screws. Maybe him not being home really did do harmful things to her mind. He would have her checked out. Between this higher IQ and the bleeding sand ... it was hard not to be concerned for her. Then again she also had this new body...

"R-right."<i></i> Maybe it would be best to have a topic change. "My armours still fail in the desert. Takahashi fire-forged steel still cannot survive these storm. I have invented a new long term breather... "<i></i> He spoke out loud. Even with his problems, he was still bouncing ideas off in his mind. "I also ... found a way to better create Zephyr Steel."<i></i> Dwelling upon his own errors and mistakes would lead to him getting slapped again. He certainly didn't want that to happen again. He also didn't want to anger Shiori again. This new Shiori was certainly ... quite scary when angered.

The Steward blinked then again three times as he realized Shiori's positioning him, being that she straddled him. She had been straddling him for a few moments. The Steward's eyes shifted to the left. He coughed. "This is quite awkward. This positioning."<i></i>

 

[Michi]

"Ow."

Shiori shocked herself when she heard the sound. She had never intentionally raised a hand to her cousin before. Surely she had caused him injury on multiple occasions, but they were never intentional. Her mouth agape, she realized her trespass.

"That is heresy Shiori. That is the original sin we Takahashi will not commit."

There was no doctrine giving the Sunahoshi divine right. Tradition dictated leadership, not the will of an omnipotent being. "No, the Sunahoshi is a clan of men, their skills have no relevance to their capacity as a leader," Shiori replied defiantly. "The Sunahoshi family was not given power over the maelstrom to solidify their role as a lader, it was to limit the time to train their natural skills." The Sunahoshi, at their truest root were not ninjutsuists, rather they were brawlers. They were the most powerful when they fought with their bodies or wielded weapons made of steel, not when stifling a storm.

Though Primus was the original first man that learned how to manipulate their chakra, being powerful enough to take control is not enough to give birth to a leader... only a general. The Ancients during their time, were powerful in their own right and they subjugated humanity cruelly. While history painted her as a benevolent queen, she was not without fault or regret from that dark era. Humanity was able to break away once they were armed with the dangerous knowledge of ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu. While Ancients were gifted with long but hardly eternal lives along with the edification and raw power that only time can furnish, she felt her life was lacking in comparison. Humans with their mayfly existences accomplished so much. Humans had a limitless potential, were adaptable, keen and dedicated to their cause. An Ancient was far from a god, they felt the same pain and uncertainity, knew pride and justice and felt the sins of wrath. "The Ancients are not gods, they cannot hear your prayers, Sou. Primus was just a man, his power in battle does not dictate his progeny's status in society. His efforts earned only HIS and HE never ruled Sunagakure." Primus' title was given to him posthumously, an honor for his bravery and his sacrifice at Godsfall. It was his kin that she found and 'gifted' with the 'power over the diamond sands.'

"For the record ... your guardianship was signed for legally."

No it wasn't. Shiori told herself. She killed them and forced her will on them. It was a reflex so primal that she lacked sentience of the act. What she did to them was unforgiveable and the suffering she endured at their hands as a 'youth' was well-earned. She had the power to stop them, but she was unaware of their condition until only a few days ago. Was she trying to punish herself? A subconscious desire to compensate those she had wronged with her martyrdom. Were her parents cognizant and their deeds that of vengeance? "Wish it was,</COLOR><i></i> Shiori muttered.

<COLOR color="orange">"R-right. My armours still fail in the desert. Takahashi fire-forged steel still cannot survive these storm. I have invented a new long term breather... "

There,that was an example of Takahashi ingenuity. An armored suit was sufficient for one (jim)temporarily, but the maelstrom was a persistent threat. The diamond sands were like razors, but even in the absence of these rough crystalline shards, the biting winds would rip at them. She smiled, it was nice to hear his 'plans' even if they were too small. "Think bigger... Shiori recommended. his family legacy and his future were intimately intertwined, something she could not see before. He was meant to change the world, not by might but by cerebral fortitude. He could do better than arm a single man with a legendary blade or armor. Sunagakure was destined to change radically during his reign.

"I also ... found a way to better create Zephyr Steel."

"Have you considered finding a way for everyone to brave the storm?"

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke had to block out some of the ... very harshly worded items coming out of his cousin. The Sunahoshi was always the leading family. "Shiori ... we're all members of the human race."<i></i> There were female Sunahoshi too. Usually people referred to the human race as man kind. It was a sexist thing. One that openly annoyed Sousuke as he was for equal opportunities. Shiori spoke of how and why the Sunahoshi were given their power to control the sands. "You don't know that ... they were given their power so as to make the desert hospitable because things were a mess after the war. It was Primus and his ancestors at the fore-front, we Takahashi were supporters."<i></i> He inserted. There were many reasons as to why power was given. This was the one Sousuke was raised with.

There it was. The nickname. Half of it. Still from his awkward position of being underneath Shiori, he was happier to hear some old part of Shiori still in there. She was still straddling him. She wasn't heavy or anything. This was just incredibly awkward. Sousuke's tanned skin would turn a slight tone of red. "Primus is a man. That much was always agreed. He was a very powerful man, and like most people he died either due to time, sickness, or injuries. In this case it was his injuries. Yes, he did not rule Sunagakure either mainly because ... well, by the time Sungakure came to be he was dead. His first-born was the first Kazekage because Primus he willed it so. Equally the Takahashi were appointed as the Stewards to rule alongside the Sunahoshi, but those two lines are never to marry each other. I think it's because of the close kinship, maybe it was more like family? I'm not entirely sure why, but it was never questioned. "<i></i> Shiori muttered something, but Sousuke couldn't understand. It was probably left best in the territory of the unknown.

Then Shiori asked the single most aggravating question. It had stumped his father, which led to Sungakure being put below. "Well. Aside from having everyone use a set of armour ... not really no. Diamond sands chips at the structural integrity once every twenty-two procession cycles. Due to this it leads to grand fragment crack, which then causes the entire design to be at risk due to a grand fragment crack."<i></i> He paused for a moment. His eyes shifted to a light in Shiori's room or rather the glass that surrounded the light bulb which was like a shield of sorts. Light poured out of it at the sides, but the glass was tinted which caused the light being sent directly to the glass being a different colour. Sousuke stared at this for some time. The wheels were turning in his head. "Wind carries the sand because it is always storming. If the wind stops then the sand merely stays on the ground unless you kick it."<i></i> He ruled. His dark eyes narrowed. "You can't kill the wind, but two storms can run into each other..."<i></i> He thought harder. When Ken flapped his wings, he had to do so with strict instructions. Ken's wing beats could cause their own storm. "I mean ... you could have two storms fight each other. They'd have to be of equal strength. Two unstoppable objects aimed at each other ... no one would get anywhere."<i></i> He tapped his fingers together. "If you're on the other side then you're not being subjected to anything because it's already happened."<i></i> His eyes snapped open. "A storm wall...? It doesn't have to be a storm, it could just project enough force back to prevent the storm from going forward."<i></i>

 

[Michi]

"You don't know that ... they were given their power so as to make the desert hospitable because things were a mess after the war. It was Primus and his ancestors at the fore-front, we Takahashi were supporters."

"I know why I did what I did!" Shiori snapped. Her eyes widened as the words escaped her mouth. It would have been easier to give him the win, it would have been believable considering the last two decades where she was basically a high-functioning cripple. Her face reddened. "Nevermind," Shiori huffed. He would never believe her anyways. Just give him the win.

"Primus is a man. That much was always agreed. He was a very powerful man, and like most people he died either due to time, sickness, or injuries. In this case it was his injuries. Yes, he did not rule Sunagakure either mainly because ... well, by the time Sungakure came to be he was dead. His first-born was the first Kazekage because Primus he willed it so. Equally the Takahashi were appointed as the Stewards to rule alongside the Sunahoshi, but those two lines are never to marry each other. I think it's because of the close kinship, maybe it was more like family? I'm not entirely sure why, but it was never questioned. "

"From his injuries," Shiori verified with a nod. "But there is no way he willed anyone to be the kazekage, that fate was unknown to him at the time of his death. The time immediately following the defeat of the ancients was a time of anarchy because they had no leadership. It was not until I-mother Suna gave them control that they treated him like some chosen one." She complained. It was an anticipated outcome, all of the drama of giving a gift and the showmanship that came with the power was more than sufficient to keep a heathen society in awe. "What was done to the Sunahoshi line my me-other Suna was a travesty Sou."

"Well. Aside from having everyone use a set of armour ... not really no. Diamond sands chips at the structural integrity once every twenty-two procession cycles. Due to this it leads to grand fragment crack, which then causes the entire design to be at risk due to a grand fragment crack."

Shiori let Sousuke think out this one. He needed to come to a conclusion himself. She sifted her weight, he was not the most comfortable thing to sit on.

"Wind carries the sand because it is always storming. If the wind stops then the sand merely stays on the ground unless you kick it."</B><i></i>

"YES," Shiori replied, a hint of excitement in her voice. The Sunahoshi were NOT Sunaku's, unlike the assumed legacy many scholars would portray. Suna was the queen of the Earth Court but it was not the gift of sandshe gave, it was the gift of the maelstrom. The MAELSTROM took place on top of the dunes, if it consisted of the sand and earth then holing themselves in this subterranean village would not save them.

"You can't kill the wind, but two storms can run into each other..."

"YES!" She was getting excited as she bounced in response. He was figuring it out. It was a counter-wind that stifled the storm for the unskilled and a command to cease for the masters. The technique was counterproductive but that was her intent when she gave the Sunahoshi family this skillset. It worked for only as long as you did it, it was a constant drain on their energies, something that they had an unnatural store of. They could not reach their intended potential as long as they had a duty to the desert. She was able to ensure Primus stayed dead this way, she feared that Primus' legacy would be renewed by his progeny one day.

<B>"I mean ... you could have two storms fight each other. They'd have to be of equal strength. Two unstoppable objects aimed at each other ... no one would get anywhere... If you're on the other side then you're not being subjected to anything because it's already happened."

<i></i>Her face dropped, she did not like where this was going. It would either result in what the Sunahoshi had, a bandaid truly or create an Impact Event. "No... that would cause an Impact Event." Shiori replied dashing is hopeful plan or so she thought but she did not let him finish. "The energy released from an Imp--" She stopped herself short and let her cousin finish.

"A storm wall...? It doesn't have to be a storm, it could just project enough force back to prevent the storm from going forward."

So close... That would be just like old Sunagakure. When the storms first came, in that brief time before the Sunahoshi had power over the storm the first Sunanites took refuge in a great crevasse. The natural walls staved the storm. After the storms ceased she assumed that the first men of that era spread out throughout Wind Country. She did not consider the possibility of homesteaders, but she knew that Sunagakure thrived even before her intervention. She was just the "easy way" out. "Try again,"<i></i> she demanded. It was his duty to save Suna, he just had to determine how. in the last few minutes he all but realized the secret that has stumped a generation of learners attempting to replicate how the Sunahoshi controlled the storm. He will get this one too.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke raised an eyebrow as Shiori started referring to herself as Mother Suna. "Referring to yourself as Mother Suna is giving new perspective to this, but ... do be mum on that matter. You might offend some people."<i></i> Shiori had been acting real strange. This was getting worse by the moment. Surely this wouldn't spill over into the public. "Even if you were Mother Suna ... I mean ... you're ... far too young, and you're not the Tanuki which is what I always thought Mother Suna when mother and father read me stories when I was little. Secondly ... Mother Suna would be way too busy to be listening to me. She has her followers, some who are more devout than I am to take care of. I always wondered what godly entities did with their time..."<i></i>

As he spoke his ideas, Shiori erupted in a series of multiple 'yes'. Then there was the reference to the Impact Event. Impact Events were terrible events that one best not to create. The Steward was told to start over."East Watch is a small base. It always needs repairs."<i></i> There were some minor forts out for Anbu units to keep an eye on in the desert. Most of them were built out of stone and fire forged steel. "It needs repairs every three months due to the storm."<i></i> East Watch was also built upon old grounds. A battle had occured their in the War of the Ancients. Was it holy ground? Possible. Sousuke had a certain belief structure. "The storm wall could simply be a layer of the wall. You could have Sunaku raise a wall of sand, and then raise a flame wall behind it. You'd create a glass wall of sorts. It'd be stronger if they're using the diamond sand. They simply have to raise it, not stop it from moving. They would need the wind wall to simply give them time to raise a diamond sand wall. Raise the fire wall next, and then you meld the two."<i></i> Sousuke ruled out loud. "The Sunaku always seemed to have something interfering with them from Dad's reports when he asked Harupia's father to wield. He wrote that something was fighting him... the wind maybe? He wasn't at odds with the earth."<i></i> Sousuke's mind expanded further. "Well. You could also have multiple elements. If you have multiple people using wall or creation jutsus you would then form Elementium, old scholars such as Sage Khan called it Elementium ... or known as elemental titanium because titanium is amongst the highest tier of metals. The concept is that you're using elementals to form not a new material, but one mixed from all. It borrows strength from all. The problem is that you have to use all elementals because the ones you don't use will cause a weakness in the elementium you've created."<i></i> He scratched his head. "I know jutsus of fire, shadow, earth, metal, lightning, and plasma. That's a core set, but I'd need Sunaku sands, and other elements to. It'd have to be a massive wall, and thus I'd need help to form this wall. It would have to be a tall and ... remarkably thick wall. It would need repairs of course, but because it's would be an Elementium wall repairs would occur less often. Certain elements would seal each other even ... like seal injuries."<i></i>

 

[Michi]

"Referring to yourself as Mother Suna is giving new perspective to this, but ... do be mum on that matter. You might offend some people."<i></i>

She let out a long slow breath. Sousuke had a new-found talent: pissing her off. Perhaps he always had this skill and she was far too simple to to feel enraged. She glowered and let him prattle on, there was no use in trying to stop him. Somehow this reunion turned sour. Neither were the same as they were when they last met. Her tolerances has changed, and his ego was crushed. "I knew you would not believe me." She mumbled. She was going to have to let it go for their sanity. Sousuke prattled on, Shiori gave him verbal encouragement and nods. He was moving in the right direction. Out from beneath the sands and back under the sun.

She waited for him to finish, there were some things she could not let go. Her knees dug into either side of the couch they shared, she had never left his lap from the healing frenzy she initiated upon their first meeting. She was so excited when he came home, she thought he was dead. She would have been lost without him. He was her anchor to this world and society even if he did not fully realize it. Without him, she never would have become human. Not human in the sense that she was physically or even genetically the same, but rather the fact that she developed empathy and interest in human affairs. She was far from oblivious of human trifles in the past, edification was always advantageous but she had no angle to play here. Not any more.

"Sou... you need to listen to me," she warned. She hovered over him, the air thick. "I have never lied to you," she added, but she did not account for the fact that her sanity was also in question. "When you disappeared, I did not know what to do... I wanted to die and I almost got my wish." Shiori explained, attempting to keep it simple. "I did die... someone brought me back and it cost them their life. Shiori pulled out a knife and attempted to run it down her forearm. If successful, she would bleed crimson sand. "I... am... NOT... human." She announced slowly. She wanted him to grasp this concept, she was going to make him understand. If he tried to rip the knife away, he would succeed but she would not let him push her off of him. *counters up to a B rank level of effort* "Humans do not do this. I am not malfunctioning. I am not broken." The sand was escaping in an torrent, not that she cared spilling down her sides and onto her couch. At least it did not stain.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"You have never lied to me. Well except that one time you lied to mother about borrowing Kitchy to go surface travelling ... but that was to Mother."<i></i> Sousuke corrected his older cousin. He listened to her again describe her death. Sousuke's expression changed, it saddened. "Shiori..."<i></i> Enough people died while he was away. Far too much happened. "We have a limited time on this earth Shiori. If the worst were to occur, I would want you to live a very full life. I want to see you live a happy life."<i></i>

Shiori then drew a knife. The Steward wondered what she was going to do next. She announced she wasn't human. Surely this was a jest. The truth would reveal itself as Shiori cut herself upon, and red sand began to fall out of her. Sousuke went into a state of shock. No. This was not happening. This was a dream. Sousuke felt the texture of the sand. No. This was real. "Shiori stop this."<i></i> He demanded. Sousuke never made demands. He knocked the knife out of her hand and into the wall. He preformed seals and conjured his sickly blue chakra. It seeped into her wounds and began knitting back the flesh. Sousuke took a deep breath and picked up a pinch of this red sand. "This."<i></i> He couldn't close his mouth. His mouth just simply remained opened. He was still in shock. "No. Humans do not bleed red sand. T-t-this."<i></i> The hand he held the sand in trembled slightly. This was not right. Members of the Sunaku clan did not do this. "This."<i></i> He said a third time. His mind was refusing to comprehend this. This was madness. This was against human biology. Part of his mind screamed at him overexposure to diamond sands, but where was the liquid? THERE WAS NONE. THERE WAS ONLY GRAINS OF SAND.

"How can you be so calm about this? You've changed Shiori."<i></i> Sousuke asked with concern in his voice. In times past he would have been calmer too, but ever since his own metamorphosis, he had become more and more emotional. This had to be fixed. Now. Shiori would need to be submitted to the emergency room. Had some run afoul of some forbidden technique? Had the desperation pushed her this far? Remain calm. Do what was normal. NO. THIS WAS NOT NORMAL. NOTHING ABOUT THIS WAS NORMAL. WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN? WHY SHIORI? WHY OF ALL PEOPLE DID THIS HAPPEN TO SHIORI? "Which Cabal agent did this to you?"<i></i> He asked. Urufuu? Nagasani? Kaito? Shouki? It wasn't enough that vile forces had already damaged his family. First Okibi. Now Shiori? Sousuke swallowed hard. "We'll get you through this. This is not going to plague you for the rest of your life."<i></i>

Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. No. Surely not. Shiori couldn't be Mother Suna. No. Sousuke's hands reached up and covered his face. THINK DAMNIT. THERE WAS SOMETHING AMISS. SOME SIMPLE LITTLE FACT. PEOPLE DO NOT BLEED RED SAND. Sousuke removed his hands from his face. He rubbed his temples. "I'm not seeing things. The grainy feel of the sand proved this already."<i></i> Once you eliminate the impossible. "The Cabal had objects of great powers, and manipulated them. Those were corrupted summoning rings... but nothing of true exceptional world breaking potential."<i></i> Whatever remains. "Red Sand."<i></i> No matter how improbable. "Not a Sunaku."<i></i> Must be the truth. "Have I finally lost it? Insanity. Moral insanity. This is what I fear the most, aside from not being my parent's son."<i></i> Possible, but no. "Kuro. We should go see Kuro. He'll have a way to fix this. This. This. This is something I cannot quantify. This. I cannot explain. Of all people this shouldn't be happening to YOU."<i></i>

 

[Michi]

"We have a limited time on this earth Shiori. If the worst were to occur, I would want you to live a very full life. I want to see you live a happy life."

"I won't die... It might not even be possible," she replied. She had lived out full lives in human form dozens of times and she did not know if there was a terminal point or if this would be an endless cycle. She always assumed that it was the magic, the power or the metal behind Primus' blade that fell her brothers. "Humans are easy to resurrect if I have their shell while fresh, it has always been the resurrection of a fellow Ancient that has eluded me." She sounded like a madwoman, perhaps a witch. She was being honest, about everything from what she was to her desire to bring back her 'brothers,' the greatest of all ancients and the first oppressors of humanity. Despite the passage of time, she retained a sentiment for kinship. She saw the look on Sousuke face, this mixture of sadness, confusion and concern and it tore at her. He truly thought she was ill.

She pulled her knife from her boot and dug the blade into her arm. The edge so sharp it tickled before it burned. As her flesh parted, red sands escaped. Who could blame him for thinking she was mad, if blood poured from her in place of crimson grit she would have been bound to a gurney and placed in a ward for her own safety.

"Shiori stop this."

There was a bite to his voice that she had never heard before. Her eyes widened as he knocked the blade from her hand with a flick of his wrist and it pierced the far wall. "You wouldn't believe..." she was cut short as Sousuke grasped a pinch of her blood between his fingers. She did not recognize these expressions that painted his face. Was this a look of disgust? Her heart was in her throat and she lost all color but it was not from blood-loss but rather fear. What was this diremost trepidation she felt in the pit of her soul, a pain she did not feel even on the brink of death or madness or depths of remorse for her lost kin.

"This."

He hated her didn't he? "Sou, I-I can explain," Shiori pleaded.

"No. Humans do not bleed red sand. T-t-this."

Her jaw quivered as she started to pull away. She had not even told him her crimes again him, his family and against history. How her wrath and greed were misinterpreted as the benevolent acts of a hero. How all that he came to celebrate about her, about Suna. How all of it was a lie. This was only the lack of her humanity that she was letting him come to terms with.

"This."

"Everything will be fine. I will be fine," she soothed as she tried to rest her not bleeding hand on his shoulder and pressed her bloody one against herself to stave further losses.

"How can you be so calm about this? You've changed Shiori."

No, she hadn't. That was the problem. This is what she always was. The happy fool he always knew was nothing more than an illusion. A fallacy. A thing that would never return. She overexerted herself when she tried once again to bring back her kin, their essence buried deep below Godsfall as the shifting dunes devoured them. She was not an orphaned child left in the depths of a cavern to never be missed. It was a lie. A poorly formulated lie she allowed to perpetuate. She did not know then, she did not even remember. It was instinct that latched herself onto her 'parents,' she did not understand why or how only that it happened. "Sou-- listen... I..."

"Which Cabal agent did this to you?"

"None, this is... me? I..." Shiori protested. It was a useless battle to try and fight. He would never seen her for what she actually was. Her shoulders slumped, a sign of defeat. "Shouki" She lied. This being the first lie she had ever knowingly uttered to the Steward. She knew no other Cabal member, otherwise she would have given him another name. Made him a prettier lie. Something that if she said it enough time, even she would come to believe it. This had to stop. It was a terrible mistake. Her eyes were rimmed with tears, she was not crying because of some terrible memory recalled but rather the fact that she could not be the person she once was. She was the happy fool. She was happy. She had not been happy in hundreds of years, if ever.

"We'll get you through this. This is not going to plague you for the rest of your life."

"Calm down," she begged.

"I'm not seeing things. The grainy feel of the sand proved this already."

He was losing himself. "I-it-'s OK," she stammered.

"The Cabal had objects of great powers, and manipulated them. Those were corrupted summoning rings... but nothing of true exceptional world breaking potential."

She reached into her shirt with her bloodied hand, a trail of scarlet earth in her wake. She pulled her her boosum a vial, small, amber, near-colorless but thick. She sucked down the vial but did not swallow. It is true, this concoction is normally like blue pixie dust than a colorless syrup.

</COLOR></FONTFACE>

"Red Sand."

"Not a Sunaku."​

<i></i><FONTFACE fontface="helvetica">

Shiori leaned forward again, a single upright finger over her mouth signaling silence. She leaned her head to the side.

"Have I finally lost it? Insanity. Moral insanity. This is what I fear the most, aside from not being my parent's son."<i></i>

He was losing it, she could see it with his frenzied thoughts. It was too much for him.

<COLOR color="orange">"Kuro. We should go see Kuro. He'll have a way to fix this. This. This. This is something I cannot quantify. This. I cannot explain. Of all people this shouldn't be happening to YOU."

Still on top of the crazed man, she reached for the back of his head with her injured hand. Her left pressed against is shoulders. He was not getting away. As her face met his, she hesitated for a second. She couldn't do it. Not to Sousuke. This was not what their first kiss should have been like. If he did not resist with his Kage-ly might and toss her aside, something he was more than capable of she would force her poison inside of him. It would not take long, but the effects were not immediate. Sou-Sou... I am so sorry.

Poison Link

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Shouki. "I will have Shouki removed from existence. Like Hyakuhei and Kyouzou, Shouki will be reduced to a state of nothingness. Not even his history will remain."<i></i> Sousuke spoke with a coldness. This was the calm collectedness Shiori knew well. "He's already killed enough Suna nin. I burned their bodies so they would be free."<i></i> Sousuke's eyes crystalized. When and where does the Cabal end? Was he a fool for sparing them? Yes. All of them were a threat to the realm. They needed to be hanged from the highest ceiling, and eradicated. Even Urufuu who he spared. The Steward's mind turned bloody and violent. A scientific execution.

Sousuke's eyes crystallized. Like Shiori, he too began to cry. "I failed. I failed to protect the realm. I failed to protect Okibi. I failed to protect you. What worth am I?"<i></i> It was rare for the Steward to cry. He only did so when he was most upset. Shiori was still bleeding. He tried healing her, but he couldn't even do that. Failures upon failures. Shiori grasped him and pulled him face to face. He gritted his teeth.

What happened next he did not foresee. She was kissing him. Why? She was hurt. She needed to be healed and he was not capable of even doing that. They were wasting time. Why was she kissing him? On the lips of all things? Why he tried to mouth out. It came out as a muffle of sorts. Confusion was in his eyes. Confusion. Not fear. Not hate. Simple confusion. What had Shiori become? What had--

No. What was this? His vision blurred slightly. Another set of tears coming down his face. He was beginning to feel heavy. Was it his failures finally coming down upon him and crushing him? No. This was ... ... something chemical. Even more confusion emerged upon the Steward's face. He pushed back away. He was breathing deeply."Why? Shiori. Go. Look after yourself-- you have to stop the bleeding. I can't seem --"<i></i> It was then he blacked out.

A darker presence would enter the room, as Shade made himself appear at will. Whether not Shiori could see him these days didn't matter. What mattered was Sousuke. The great black spectre stood there in the corner of the room. It was as if he had always been there. Shade appeared at will, but he was always there. Shiori's presence was familiar. Then again she had met with Mikaboshi and had freed him. Sousuke wasn't dead. Poisioned. Nothing ... truly dangerous but this was concerning though.

 

[Michi]

Her second lie...

When the kiss broke, the poison was administered. Saccharine, like honeysuckle but also salty like tears. He tried to say something, what she could not tell. "I love you, something I can but will never tell you. It is a good thing this was nothing more than a dream..."</COLOR><i></i> Shiori whispered, her voice melodic, the way it used to be when she had nothing more despite the pain she felt in her heart. She was lying, and she would keep on lying. This emptiness and regret pervaded her body, she felt hollow despite her appearance of vitality. As if she lost a chunk of humanity as she committed this trespass. If there were gods, there were almost demons. She feared she was the later, while man ascribed her a title of divinity she was as fallible if not more so than her peers.

<COLOR color="orange">"Why? Shiori. Go. Look after yourself-- you have to stop the bleeding. I can't seem --"

The poison worked faster than she expected, but she was feeling weak in the knees as well. Unlike her cousin, she was capable of overcoming such toxins. Her gut felt hot as her metabolism revved up. Lullabye was no more.

She did not have much time, that she knew. He would wake soon, exactly when was a mystery that depended on his metabolism. Calmly she rested her healed hand over her would and sealed the incision she had recklessly made. The breech was sealed and all that remained was a fine wite line that could have easily been over a decade in age. "Sou-Sou, I am so sorry." She mused as she heaved him over her shoulder and laid him on the floor. Quickly she brushed away the blood she had spilled before releasing a gust of wind to cover her cousin in 'ruble.' Meaning specifically the varied crates and boxes she had collected near ceiling high. She was a terrible housekeeper and it would be the best alibi she could reliably create in such a short time. He entered the apartment, something witnesses could support and... then who knows his fate but what she claims. He entered her apartment and her piles of very important-what-evers tipped over and he must have struck his head. She did not have time to rip the knife from the wall before he aroused.

"Avatar of Mikaboshi, you are a false image... Speak of this and the consequences will be grim," Shiori warned as she waited for Sousuke to wake.