The St'aler. Ancient spheres of power able to control the weather, fallen into enemy hands. Only a fully completed Shikon jewel can save Inuyasha's world, and only he and Kagome can complete it, if they can stay away from the enemies' traps and maneuvers…
Author's Note:
§ Alright guys, here's the plan. I am in the midst of a massive revival of this story, as I have wanted for many years now to finish it. This story is my baby, and I would like this written version to reflect the one in my head and heart in the most accurate way possible. Therefore, my plan is to review each chapter and repost a slightly revised version, from which I hope to improve my writing and description. As well, I noticed over time formatting has messed with some of my divisions and I will clear these errors up. Note – I am not changing the story lines, as these have been planned for a very long time and will remain that way. As I revise each chapter I will place an "R" in the title name to avoid confusion.
Any suggestions or constructive comments are greatly appreciated and will be taken seriously!
So, enjoy the updated version, and look forward to brand new chapters in the near future!!!
-Hanyou
P.S. By the way, this is an Inu/Kag, Mir/San.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.
§ An Unexpected Alliance, and the Fateful Decision §
The colossal storm brewed over the wilds of the western lands. Trees swayed and buckled under the unrelenting winds from the west, tangling branches cracking and great trunks snapping, falling dangerously close to a lone stone building guarded by a tiny village. Freezing rain picked at the worn tiles of the roofs sheltering the town. Lightning streaked, illuminating a long-forgotten garden nestled in the centre of a courtyard. The stone building appeared defenseless against the might power of the storm. Yet, by some feat of magic, no harm would come to the occupants within.
Barriers prevented the ferocious storm from destroying the flimsy home, just as they protected the men and demon inside from their mortal enemies in the world. One man eyed the impending storm through a closed window, smiling as the outbursts of wind wreaked havoc on the village and outside forests. Satisfied with the work and the results, the man waved his hand over a black orb sitting on a stand near him. The storm instantly quieted, spreading an eerie silence over the manor. Gently picking up the sphere, he handed it to a nearby companion.
"Must be careful with that my lord," the man grunted, placing it as if it were a baby in the other demon's arms. "You drop it, and the entire world will be destroyed." He tilted his head, finding some inner amusement. "And not even you will survive."
The other lifted the sphere high in his hands, examining the smooth, inky surface. "I am impressed, friend. This is beyond what I had requested of you."
The man snorted, and knelt back to the floor. "I am glad to be of service my lord. Not many know of the existence of the St'aler. Fewer still know its secrets."
The lord demon gently passed the sphere to one hand, and closing his eyes waved the other above the top. He glanced to the windows as if expecting some result.
"Unfortunately, it's not so easy my lord," the man said. "The demonstration drained the orb of power leftover from its last… collection. It must now be recharged. As well, there are other requirements the user must meet to use a St'aler."
The demon cast a cool stare at his companion. "Such as..."
"First, the magic the sphere creates will only work if it is within five miles of a major body of water. It needs the water to manipulate a rainstorm." The demon looked warily at his companion. "That should be easy enough from here my lord, as the lake will provide all the materials you require.
"Second, the St'aler needs a power source, and such an old and unique artifact as this requires the most powerful source available. My lord, a living soul is required, and not one that has already been separated from its body." The man patted a small sheath at his belt. "I will shortly remake the weapon that can perform such a task. As well, the more powerful the original soul, the more power the St'aler may wield; however the soul itself may be only from a human."
"None of those requirements are then a problem for me."
"But the third requirement makes it one. The one who collects the soul must be pure of heart, their hands clean of innocent blood. This is also required of the one who is ultimately able to control the St'aler."
The stand toppled to the floor as the man scrambled to get back in fright, away from the energy flame the other had abruptly created in one hand. The figure brightened the flame, rotating it visibly in his palm.
"That is a problem, and makes the situation much more complicated. I do not wish to bring anyone else into this game," whispered the demon, watching the flame dance about his hand. "Should you steal the soul I need to complete my task, that would violate the third requirement, and you would not be able to control the St'aler for me."
"What about you, my lord? Is it possible that I could teach you to work the St'aler?"
"Hn. Come now, my friend. We both know that I would have infracted on that requirement years ago. My hands are stained with that kind of blood."
The demon flicked his hand, and the sphere of energy howled past the man's face, hitting a stack of papers behind. They burst into a fiery flame, and the man was thrown to the other's feet.
"Problem, indeed," whispered the demon. "I wish not for others to know of this. Should my enemies learn, my task will have failed utterly." He turned to the cowering man. "Find a way. That is an order. Should you fail, your life is at my mercy."
"My lord… I… I may yet have an idea. There is a loophole in the requirements of the St'aler that I may be able to exploit that would give you access to a most powerful soul and ultimate control over the orb for a great length of time. I already have a worthy candidate in mind my lord, as well as the means by which to retrieve him."
The demon laid a hand over the man's head, patting it gently. "And that is why I trusted you and you alone with my plans, my loyal servant. For your cunning and your training. I trust you to act in the best interests of this plan. Go with my blessing."
Sliding the door closed, the man stepped into the garden. Only massive puddles surrounding the long-dead beds of flowers signaled there had ever been a storm. He whispered softly to the lightening sky.
"Just wait, Inuyasha. I'll turn you to my will yet."
"SIT!"
The near trademark sound of Inuyasha's face connecting with the earth beneath him resounded throughout the forest, as well as the growl that came soon after.
"What the hell did you do that for!" Struggling against the spell, Inuyasha tried to rise before Kagome could stalk off. He succeeded only in getting another mouthful of dirt as the beads resisted his futile attempts to rise to his feet.
Kagome's face was red with rage. "Why do you think I did it! Here I am, going through all this trouble to make you, Miroku, Sango and Shippo decent meal before I leave for summer finals, and you have to go and ruin everything by digging through my backpack, looking for of all things, the commercially-made RAMEN!! Of course, why should I expect any better? You always manage to ruin my home-cooked food!"
True, the scene was a strange one. Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippo, seated neatly and carefully along the edges of an old quilt laid out with piles of hot, modern food. Inuyasha, on the other hand, had finally managed to pull himself out of the hole his impact had dug, the front of his red-haroi jacket covered in crushed dry noodles and dust.
"Well, I was hungry, and it was the only thing that actually has any taste!" the hanyou yelled back, angrily brushing off his clothes.
Kagome's eyes glowed pure hate, and Inuyasha instantly knew he had struck a dangerous chord. Kagome had seemed quite stressed of late, spending late hours into the night pouring over papers and books, and mumbling strange phrases in her sleep. Little annoyances that in the past didn't seem to phase her now caused a major shouting match, with the hanyou usually dead in the middle. This latest row had now apparently pushed Kagome's fragile calm over the edge. Picking up her bulging yellow backpack, she exchanged quiet good-byes with Sango and Miroku, and endured a giant hug from Shippo.
"Hey! Kagome, I..." started the half-demon, reaching out to stop her.
"SIT! I don't want to hear it. My exam finals finish in one week. Don't follow me Inuyasha. I don't want you breaking my concentration."
Kagome turned tail and stalked off, leaving a fuming Inuyasha behind.
"Aren't you going after her to apologize?" Miroku knelt closer to the hanyou who was once again laboring to raise his head above the ground.
"Why the hell should I? It's not like I did anything to apologize over!" Inuyasha rose to his feet. He too turned away, and stalked off in the opposite direction Kagome had taken.
Sango picked up Kirara, motioning in the two directions their companions had gone. "How many times have we seen those two argue over this?"
Miroku looked at his hands, grunting in disgust. "I doubt all the people and demons in all the world have that many fingers combined. There's nothing at the moment we can do for them at the moment though. Lady Kagome has been under a great deal of stress from her exams in the modern era, and Inuyasha is too stubborn to admit his inconsideration for all of Lady Kagome's hard work in preparing us this meal." He beckoned towards the young kitsune, and the group reseated themselves along the borders of the quilt. "Come Shippo, we must finish this feast. Kagome's modern food is a rare delicacy." His hand reached for a fried rice ball.
"Is all you think about is good food, Miroku?"
"And pretty women."
A surprised shriek came from Sango. Instead of going for the rice ball, Miroku's hand had instead diverted on its journey to reach behind the demon slayer's back. Her gloved hand spun out, knocking the monk clean onto his back.
"Pervert! I'd thought you'd learned!"
Shippo erupted into a fit of giggles as he and Sango proceeded finish the meal. Miroku sat off to the side massaging his cheek, a contented smile on his lips.
"Is it ready?"
"Yes, my lord. The weapon is made. I completed it just this morning."
"Let me see."
The man ventured forth, and placed a small stiletto in the demon's hand. The slim silver blade looked no wider than the finger on the demon's hand.
"This? Is this not to small for my purposes?"
"Wait, my lord. It is not meant to kill. Remember that we need the soul from a living body. The edge is fine enough as to not seriously harm the victim." A small, sad smile touched his lips. "You kill the victim, you lose the soul. This blade is instead meant to gather the spirit and drain it from the body. The St'aler alone cannot do this; it needs the assistance of this item. After the soul is harvested, I will place the stiletto on top of the orb, and the St'aler will drain its power from there."
The demon handled the blade, twirling the hilt in his palm. "Once again, excellent work, my friend. Have you come up with a solution for our earlier problem?"
The man nodded his head. "I have just recently been able to locate our target. My plan is in place, my lord. However, one of the participants managed to evade my men through a strange portal. I have set up a watch, and as soon as she returns, I will set everything in motion."