Chapter Ten: Shikon no Tama
"I'm glad that we can enter into an alliance with your tribe once again!" The elder dog demon beamed as he greeted Kouga and his people at the door.
"It's nice to know we have friends in high places..." Kouga stammered as the full size of the hidden city became evident to him. "Sugoi..." Miyori giggled a little and took Ayame's hand.
"Come along Lady Ayame! We have a quarter of the city reserved for you and your tribe! I'm sorry we didn't have time to get to cleaned completely though. Hopefully there's enough room!" The new Matriarch smiled warmly as she led the wolf to the far west side of town. For years it had been used largely as a storage facility or run over housing during time of natural disaster. This was the first time in nearly 500 years it had been used as run over for an unnatural disaster...
"I'm sure it will be perfectly fine!" Ayame replied with a giggle as she aloud herself to be led away.
"I want a race..." Kouga commented randomly as he stared down a new rival in the form of Hiyami.
"Hiyami! Come on the troops are assembled for drill stop messing around!" Mitsugaya called from up the hill a good bit.
"Maybe some other time comrade!" He cheered with a smile and a wave before jogging up the hill to his sister. Curious as to what she meant by "troops" and "drills" Kouga followed idly behind them. "He's following us..."
"I know... Perhaps we can toughen up those pups some and make them useful in the upcoming battle. If you recall not all minions of the Queen of Darkness are Banshees." Mitsugaya was clearly pleased by Kouga's interest. "We need to keep training Miyori too... She's getting stronger with each passing day as the Lady's power takes hold. She's even mostly transformed!"
"And then there's the matter of Sesshoumaru..." Hiyami sighed grudgingly.
"She's our leader now since he won't assume power so we must trust in her wisdom right now. If she thinks he can be trusted he has my basic trust... My very basic trust..." The older sibling sighed as they passed the gates into the training grounds.
"Squadron one! Upper level for weapons training! Squadron two! Lower level for youki attack training! Divide and prepare for training!" The field was crammed full of demons of all ages. And Hiyami commanded then all with a firm voice to make them group up.
"Wow... All of these are trained fighters?" Kouga was wide eyed and no longer cared to try to hide his presence. "No wonder the West as yet to be disputed..." Mitsugaya started laughing and patted Kouga on the shoulder.
"Oh it's been disputed... That's why we keep such a force. Although, if you think this is impressive you should check out the temple. Miyori-sama and the elders are training the Blood Clergy there and potential initiates to the Order." She beamed pointing to the temple visible at the top of the hill.
"Blood Clergy?" Kouga was clearly confused but a young Blood Priest poked his arm and got his attention.
"I'll show you!" He beamed with a friendly smile as he took the wolf by the hand. "I like giving the tours! It's fun!"
"Don't worry he's very good at it!" Mitsugaya replied noticing Kouga's confused look. The little boy led him away and explained how the city worked to him in great detail.
Elsewhere:
"This volcano is huge! It didn't look nearly as big yesterday!" Kagome gasped looking up at the ominous natural structure with awe and respect. "It's funny though... This mountain isn't on my map at all either!" She looked down at her detailed map of Japan then back up at the mountain.
"What do you mean Kagome?" Sango wondered eying the map like a foreign creature ready to attack her at any moment.
"It's like... even in my time... this whole area doesn't exist..." She replied with confusion as she twisted the map around in every direction. "I wonder if it has something to do with the barrier..."
"It's entirely possible for the effects of a barrier that powerful and channeled for so long to linger for a long time if it isn't dispelled." Miroku interjected thoughtfully as he pondered the notion in his mind.
"The barrier is meant to keep the area hidden so it would be hard to dispel what you don't know is there..." Sango added as they started walking on again.
"Could that also mean the dog demon kingdom still exists in your time?" Shippou wondered scratching his head and tilting it slightly.
"It's possible... But if the outcome hasn't been decided yet it's more likely a fragment of this barrier." Inuyasha added with a hint of annoyance.
"Inuyasha's right... The things we do here directly effect my time... If we can't defeat her here the future will change completely." Kagome was worried now and it reflected in her voice as she spoke.
"Ah don't worry we'll think of something... Who knows maybe what we need is around this volcano somewhere..." The hanyou jeered elbowing her gently.
"We should probably set up camp for the night." Sango commented as she gazed up at some rather ominous looking clouds. "They're coming this way fast." The group quickly set up their camp and a steady fire just in time for a cold drizzle of slush. It was almost dark when a set of glowing eyes appeared ominously in the haze that covered the path they had been following. Inuyasha and Miroku got on guard as they eyes slowly approached, swaying back and forth like a drunkard owned them.
"I sense a Shikon shard... No several..." Kagome gasped in a whisper as she sprang to her feet and watched the figure intensely. A rather harmless looking demon stumbled up and stopped a good distance away from the wary group.
"I was told by villagers far away from here that there was a priestess collecting the broken Shikon no Tama... I sincerely hope I found her..." His voice was weak and haggard as he dropped to his knees and looked at the group with pleading eyes.
"We are seeking to restore the jewel..." Kagome called stepping forward and looking at the demon warily.
"Then I can die now in peace knowing the shards are in good hands..." He smiled and planted face first in the dirt.
"What the hell?" Inuyasha wondered resting his sword on his shoulder and scratching his head.
"That was rather..." Miroku started trying to think of a word to sum up the situation.
"Anti-climatic?" Kagome interjected as she ran over to the demon. She reached down to touch his neck where the two shards were glowing when a low growl stopped her.
"You have to cut them out..." The demon whispered weakly.
"What do you mean?" The miko wondered confused as she backed away slightly.
"I'm a Banshee... If you touch me I'll absorb your energy and possibly kill you..." He muttered rolling over to better expose the shards.
"Why are you bringing us the shards?" Sango wondered suspiciously as she grabbed Kagome and pulled her back to a safe distance. "Doesn't your Queen want them?"
"Hai..." Was all the response they got, after a few long moments of silence he continued. "The shards were pure when I found them and since I had no will of my own they remained that way. They allowed me to reclaim my soul from the Queen but because they are pure they're killing my tainted body. I knew before hand there were people looking for the shattered jewel and once I had my senses returned I came to give them to you. You must keep her from gaining control of the jewel!" His voice broke from time to time but the genuine compassion and desperation shone through with each word. With resolution and clenched fists Kagome run over and plucked the shards from the side of the demon's neck as fast as she could. He screamed in pain and writhed on the ground knocking Kagome away during the fit. As the pain subsided he looked at the miko bewildered. "Crazy miko... Why didn't you just kill me?"
"If you wanted the jewel you could have taken it long before now. But you told us exactly what you were and even surrendered to us..." Kagome smiled as she clutched the two shards in one hand and pushed herself up off the ground with the other. It was then he noticed the dirty hand print on her arm from where he pushed her off.
"I didn't... absorb anything from you..." He stammered setting his confused gaze towards the darkening sky as the storm's intensity increased. He squinted against the thickening falling snow but wouldn't say a word as Kagome inched towards him.
"You should get over here by the fire... If you're so weak you shouldn't lay out here in the cold." She urged kneeling down next to him. He just nodded slowly and rolled over on his stomach to get up.
"It is very odd that you were able to touch her and not absorb her energy..." Miroku pondered as they sat under a canopy around the fire. "Perhaps the shards have something to do with that... Or the fact that you regained your soul allows you to control your abilities better." He added looking up at the soggy demon across from him.
"I think that is probably the case..." Sango chimed in nodding as she ate her cup soup.
"I don't really want to risk it just being chance... So please try not to touch me..." The Banshee was still very pensive and confused looking as he slowly siphoned energy from the fire to heal. Inuyasha had an epiphany moment and dashed off into the woods. Everyone looked after him strangely but a few minutes later he reappeared with a very frightened but alive rabbit.
"Here's the way we're going to find out..." He beamed holding the rabbit out by its hind legs towards the Banshee. With shaky hands the demon reached out and took the rabbit carefully and gently. To his surprise he felt no charge of energy enter his body from the tiny creature.
"I can't believe this..." He smiled and gently petted the creature as it started to calm down. "The Shikon jewel in amazing!"
"Well this certainly is a startling turn of events..." Myoga's voice interjected randomly scaring everyone present. "I don't think it would be frugal to try to use the Shikon no Tama as a means of converting the Banshees though..."
"What about Tenesaiga?" Shippou commented excitedly.
"What do you mean Shippou?" Kagome asked looking at him oddly.
"Well if we could fuse the Shikon and Tenesaiga like Inuyasha fused some of the shards with Tetsusaiga... Wouldn't that make it more powerful? And make it purify the Banshees instead of killing them?" He added enthusiastically.
"As I understand it... Tenesaiga is in the hands of a demon... The demonic power used to create Tenesaiga's abilities would likely corrupt the jewel and possibly warp the effectiveness of the sword. I wouldn't risk it..." The Banshee responded causing the others to nod.
"If a pure heart could wield Tenesaiga that could be an option though." Sango added thoughtfully as she shifted in her seat.
"Ha! That would mean convincing Sesshoumaru to let Miyori use it!" Inuyasha laughed as he resumed his seat around the fire.
"I don't think that will happen..." Miroku sighed resting his head in his hands. "We should get some rest so we can continue on tomorrow though..."
"Say! You never did tell us your name!" Shippou pouted eying the Banshee.
"Yukari... Yukari Kumitsero..." He replied with a weary smile. "Thanks for asking..." Shippou donned his broad childish smile before snuggling up next to Kilala. Inuyasha eyed the other demon cautiously, obviously not putting his full trust in the Banshee just yet. The look did little to shake the Banshee, he was still very weak and tired. He posed no threat and perceived Inuyasha as the same in the presence of the holy miko. The little rabbit scampered away as he released it and laid down on his side.
The next morning was quite cold and a good amount of snow had covered the ground from where they had reached a higher elevation. The fire had been fed and roared briskly as Kagome and the others pried themselves up and shivered against the cold. "Where'd Inuyasha and Yukari go?" Kagome wondered looking around a bit worried. "I hope Inuyasha didn't start something..." She growled as a vein in her forehead popped slightly.
"Quite the opposite... He was very helpful in gathering wood to keep the fire going... I was worried it might get too cold for all of you." Yukari chimed appearing from the woods behind their camp holding a pile of fish in his hands. "I hope everyone is hungry!" Inuyasha appeared a few seconds later carrying more wood for the fire.
"I'm glad Miyori stocked us up well before letting us leave!" Sango cheered snuggling the thick blanket she had been given.
"She is as thoughtful as she is wise..." Myoga interjected before sneezing and hopping down closer to the fire.
"This Miyori you speak of... She's the ward of the Daiyoukai... He trained her... She's discovered her full powers then I'd hope if she's leading the Tribe now." Yukari seemed sad by the thought of Miyori running the tribe. "Luckily The Queen thinks the Matriarch is alive still... That's good for us..."
"How do you know about her?" Inuyasha was suspicious now.
"I'm one of the sole survivors of the first war between our tribes... I used to spy on your tribe and work with the infiltrator we had amongst your people. Once he died I had to gather information by myself... For some reason I couldn't bring myself to tell her everything once she reawakened... She had to find out on her own about the Daiyoukai being dead... She thinks Miyori is dead as well but she doesn't know about the Matriarch..." Yukari explained with sadness in his voice as if he regretted all these things had come to pass... "All of her plans lie around capturing the Matriarch and using her blood to create an enchantment of invulnerability." He added arranging the fish to roast over the fire. After his task was done he started walking away down the road in the direction he had came the night before.
"Where are you going Yukari!" Kagome called running after him.
"She wants you to find the Jewel and fix it... I'm going to throw her off your trail... I'm going to tell her it was broken into two pieces in a struggle and I couldn't track them both... I'll lead her far away after the pieces you don't have. Please finish the Jewel and find a way to destroy it... or something." He replied not bothering to stop.
"If she finds out you're lying..." Shippou called running up next to Kagome.
"She'll destroy me... But trust me... I'd rather die than serve her a second time... This is what I must do to atone for what I've done. Good luck!" He waved as he continued walking down the road.
"Do you really think we can just let him go?" Inuyasha growled gripping Tetsusaiga's hilt.
"Yes..." Kagome sighed pulling the shard he had once possessed from the vial she kept them in. "They are now as they were when I pulled them out of him... I haven't had a chance to purify them you know..." Inuyasha eyed the shards and sighed as he let go of the sword.
"Let's hurry up and get to the stupid volcano..."
"So how many more shards do you think we have left to collect?" Shippou wondered as he and Kagome eyed the shards in the sparkling light reflecting off the fallen snow.
"Given the average size of the shards so far... If you don't count the ones Kouga got back then just a few more... Maybe three or four." She replied pondering the thought as they walked. "It doesn't seem like we should be so close given how long it took us to get them all to begin with. I'm kinda glad it turned out this way though..." She added with a smile.
"Yes if everything works out with destroying the Banshee Queen you'll be able to return to you normal life Kagome." Miroku commented catching a stray snowflake as it fell.
"What is normal exactly?" The miko wondered to herself as a forlorn look washed over her features.
"Did I say something wrong?" The monk questioned noticing her expression. His remark was met by a swift smack from Sango as a vein popped in her forehead.
"You really are clueless sometimes aren't you?" She fumed patting Kagome on the back.
"You just have to decide what's going to be best for you Kagome... What's going to make you happy." The older woman soothed and the miko perked up a bit, her mind was still swimming.
"I had been putting the thought off because of our search but what will I do when this is all over? Can I really go back and stay in my time without Inuyasha and the others? Could I really be so selfish as to ask him to come with me? But would staying here and not being near my family be any better?" She thought to herself as she walked. Her half hearted attempt at walking drove her stright into a rut that made her trip and fall. Inuyasha caught her and held her up by an arm gently.
"Geez Kagome stop spacing out! We need to be on guard! We don't know what could be waiting for us up there!" He groaned setting her up right and walking on.
"Sorry..." She muttered regaining her focus and following on.
"Heh... Looks like I've finally got you trained not to talk back..." The hanyou gloated and a smug smile.
"Sit..." The hanyou fell face first into the dirt and grumble something incoherent as he munched dirt.
"Totally clueless..." Sango commented as they walked over him.
"Always..." Kagome added shaking her head. Shippou on the other hand looked utterly lost.
By the end of the day they had reached the foot of the volcano and the weather had cleared up significantly. It appeared as thought tomorrow would be a good day for a climb to the top. It also seemed as though they wouldn't be alone... A group of monks happened upon them as they were setting up camp for the night.
"Hail travelers! Are you going to pay respects to the Lady of the Mountain?" One of the monks wondered as he waved to the group. His jubilation quickly faded as he spotted the half demon Inuyasha. The presence of the hanyou put all the monks on guard. "You're sympathizers of that demon tribe in this area! You'll find we offer a most harsh punishment to those of your kind!"
"Sympathizers? I thought the dog demon tribe stayed out of the affairs of those outside of their domain..." Miroku soothed taking a step forward.
"The demons who rule over this area certainly dogs of a sort but what kind of demon they are we can not be certain." Another monk chimed in with malice in his voice.
"I assure you we have had nothing to do with any malicious beings in this area. We simply investigate strange happenings and these demons you speak of are the reason we're here." Miroku soothed again in a very humble tone. Though his words weren't entirely true they seemed to have some effect on the other monks. "We were told the Lady of the Mountain might bless us with the knowledge of how to combat them."
"That's why we've come here..." The first young monk spoke again in a less harsh tone. "We have found their carcasses littering the forests of that mountain..." He pointed in the direction of the Capitol they had just left. "So surely there's a way..."
"Bodies of dead Banshees?" Kagome gasped looking at Sango and the others with the same worried expression she was met with in their faces. "We should keep going..." She said resolutely as she spun around and started packing things up.
"Do you think it's a wise decision to try hiking up the mountain in the dark?" Sango wondered stopping the miko.
"We promised them we would do this! If they're under attack already then we don't have time to sit around!" Kagome was as passionate as she was beautiful and by now they had grow used to not stopping her in a mood like this.
"Let's go then..." Inuyasha replied stepping out of the shadows so he could be viewed fully in the torch light.
"Those ears... You're one of them!" Another monk gasped backing away from Inuyasha slowly. "The Oracle told us about a demon with white hair and ears like a dog... You're going to save us from a terrible disaster!" Inuyasha blinked a few times then started walking again.
"I have no idea what you're blabbing about... All i'm interested in saving is Shikon no Tama so I can become a full demon..." He remarked rather unphased by the monk's words.
"Well at least they don't want to kill him anymore..." Kagome sighed slinging her huge pack on her bike and following after the hanyou.
"Inuyasha-sama... There's something strange about this mountain... I think there is definitely something here but I can't discern its nature... I hope that this Lady of the Moutain can help us..."