Chapter Eleven: Trials
To the delight of the cold and weary travelers, the further up the mountain they got, the warmer it became. Though the warmer temperature was a welcome relief as the full moon peered out from behind a cloud, the further up they got, the more uneasy Inuyasha became. It felt as though some deep and inescapable part of him dreaded what maybe at the top of the mountain. Try as he might he couldn't get the feeling to go away, nor could he pinpoint its source. Even further into the night he swore the lack of sleep was starting to get to him as barely audible whispers filled his ears. From time to time he would stop and look around but they would stop as soon as they came, causing him to shrug them off in his fashion.
"Why have you come here?"
"Inuyasha are you all right?" Kagome finally wondered after she was sure his strange behavior she had noticed wasn't an isolated incident. He shook his head yes but his face seemed concerned.
"What do you seek?"
"I just have this weird feeling is all..." He replied shrugging his shoulders.
"Do you think you're worthy?"
"Could it be danger?" One of the monks wondered frightened. "If it has him spooked..." Inuyasha was about to turn and gripe about not being spooked when the whole landscape changed before his very eyes.
"Do you think you're ready?" The voice which had merely been a whisper in his mind that he chose to ignore, was now clear as the voices of his friends just moments ago.
"What the Hell... KAGOME! MIROKU! SANGO!" He yelled spinning around wildly.
"They can't hear you..." An eerie woman's voice called out from somewhere within the foggy landscape. It was bright, brighter than it had been before this strange event had started. Sudden and fierce winds kicked up around him blowing away all the fog and nearly taking the hanyou with them. As his feet started leaving the ground he dug Tetsusaiga in the dirt and hunkered down against them. "If you're here you must think you're worthy of the power..." She added as he pried his eyes open and looked around.
"Who are you and what have you done to my friends?!" He yelled angrily as he got to his feet and pointed his sword at the ghastly apparition. The image before him was that of young woman of her early twenties with long hair and a ghostly white appearance.
"You have come far Inuyasha of the West... But I fear your heart is not yet worthy of that which you seek..." She replied walking past him and on up the path.
"What do you think I'm after?" He wondered in the defensive voice he usually took when he was unsure of the situation. "And answer my question! Where are my friends?" He seethed baring his fangs and claws as he turned to face her.
"Your friends are safe... I'm a hallucination of sorts. Though with hallucinations it's hard to tell what's real and fake isn't it? As for why you're here... You're after my power..." She replied without stopping, making him jog to catch up, though he kept his distance as he followed her.
"I don't even know what your power is... I'm here to help a friend!" He yelled angrily as what he perceived as a game started to irritate him.
"Remarkable how loosely you use that term now... Is that what you really think of Miyori? Would you die for her like you would for Kagome or Miroku... Sango... Shippou?" She stopped and stared out over the lands the hanyou and his group had just left. She passed her hand through the air and the whole forest was set ablaze. "I can make them disappear for you if you'd like. Make that whole place that makes you angry and confused and happy all at once be nothing but a figment of your memory... Being so conflicted isn't good for you... it makes you weak and indecisive. If they all disappeared you wouldn't have to fight your feelings of anger and abandonment with your feelings of kinship and trust."
"STOP! Even if I wouldn't die for her I still would call her my friend and I don't want her to die! I know what it's like to have a power inside that could destroy you! She helped me conquer mine! It's the least I can do to help her conquer her own inner demon! Just because I wouldn't want to die for her doesn't mean I want her to die for me..." His voice trailed off as the words his Father spoke echoed in his mind. "It isn't fair to expect someone to fight for you though is it?" He went on thinking about his promise. The apparition smiled warmly and color started to pour over her blithe figure and the scenery returned to normal.
"That which grips Miyori's very soul is no demon... but something far more powerful. Only one question remains then Inuyasha... When you finish the Shikon no Tama... What will you do with it?" She wondered turning to face him.
"I decided that a long time ago... If you know so much about me then you should know what I decided on." He smirked and threw his sword on his shoulder.
"You have a human heart like mine... Human hearts are weak... When the time comes listen to your soul not your heart, that is your first test. Before you leave this sacred mountain have the miko give you the item the Blood Priestess gave her. Mix it with the sacred dirt of this mountain and coat your blade in it. Use the attack it will grant you with only the purest intentions or it will kill you. That is your second test. Return to me when these tasks are done." She explained turning to face him as she spoke.
"Why do I have to be the one that's tested? Kagome is pure and good can't you just trust her?" The hanyou wondered confused by the figure's demands.
"Only someone with from the Lady's bloodline can carry the Demon Soul and not perish from its power." Was all she said as a brilliant flash of light poured out from behind her. Inuyasha blinked against the light and he was back on the dark mountain where he had started.
"INUYASHA!" Kagome screeched shaking him hard.
"I'M FINE! We're leaving!" He yelled annoyed as he gently repelled her.
"What do you mean?" Miroku asked confused as the hanyou turned and started back down the path.
"I have to pass a test before she'll give me the Demon Soul." He answered still annoyed without stopping.
"What do you mean?" Sango was curious as she pushed past the monks to follow him.
"Evidently I'm the only one here that can carry the stupid thing. But she won't give it to mean until I pass two tests and live." He explained finally stopping and kneeling down. "Hey Kagome give me whatever Miyori gave you."
"Umm okay..." The miko dug around in her bag and after a moment pulled out a sizable vial of blood.
"Blood? What kind of priestess are you?!" One of the monks yelled disturbed and far less trusting than he had been previously.
"That blood is from a being blessed with the ability to kill those demons that have invaded these lands." Miroku explained as Inuyasha uncorked it and dumped it on the ground.
"THEN WHY IS HE WASTING IT LIKE THAT?!" The monks gasped in unison as the last drops poured out onto the dirt. The hanyou took the mud and rubbed it on the released Tetsusaiga until it was completely covered.
"Shut up already... I'm just doing what the creepy ghost told me to..." He muttered as he worked.
"THE LADY OF THE MOUNTAIN?!" The monks gasped again in unison. "SPOKE TO A RUDE, CRUDE, INGRATEFUL HALF DEMON LIKE YOU?!" The veins in the aforementioned hanyou's forehead started popping but before he could make a retort the mud on the blade started to harden and change colors. The drier it got, the more it began to crack and break apart. In one dramatic explosion, all the mud shot off violently leaving just a blue crystallized sword.
"The dirt here has power against the Banshees... That's why Miyori said we wouldn't need her blood... They can't come here..." Inuyasha commented as he put the sword back in its sheath. "You should take some with you... Maybe you can use it to set up a perimeter around your temple to protect it." He suggested continuing his walk down the mountain. "Or you could just stay here for awhile..." Kagome and the others followed after him but the miko stopped where a pile of the blue crystallized dirt had laid to rest. She scooped up the fragments on a whim thinking they would make pretty trinkets later.
"Inuyasha... You said you had to be tested in order to get the Demon Soul... Do you know what those tests are?" Miroku wondered jogging to catch up to the hanyou.
"Of course..." The monk looked on expectantly waiting for the half demon to explain the tests but he wouldn't.
"We should find some leads about where the other shards might be... Besides hitching a ride in Kouga's legs." Was all he said instead, not letting on that he was, in fact, partially answering the question.
"I wonder if Miyori knew that Inuyasha would get a new form of Tetsusaiga... She did say that if he used it we wouldn't need her blood." Kagome wondered aloud as they walked.
"I don't think she knew that exactly but I think she had an inkling that something like this might happen." Miroku sighed deep in thought. "Perhaps we should make a camp now then since our rush has been delayed slightly. It would be better to sleep at this elevation where its warmer."
"You're probably right monk..." Inuyasha sighed as he slowed to a stop. "I'd say all of you are pretty wore out." Kagome could tell from the way that her friend was acting that whatever the tests were, they were serious though he wouldn't tell them what they were. Truthfully Inuyasha was worried about the coming new moon and hoped that they could finish their search and his tests before then. He wasn't hopeful that they would be that fortunate though...
Back in the Capital:
"Hiyami! Stop messing with him and give him his shards back!" Miyori called annoyed as she walked past a breathless Kouga and up to the Lieutenant General. She reached out her open palm expectantly waiting for him to give her the shards. He rolled his eyes and reluctantly handed them over slowly.
"If Inuyasha-dono could learn to do it without Tetsusaiga then Kouga can do it without those shards." The Blood Guard called a little annoyed by her intrusion. She looked back and smiled warmly at him indicating she had something planned. The wolf demon was completely unamused by the whole thing and was questioning why he even asked for help to begin with.
"Kouga-san... Do you really think you need these to be strong or do you hide behind them?" The wolf looked at her indignantly as he took the shards from her outstretched hand. His rashness slowed to contemplation as he drew the shards close and looked at them carefully.
"We've lost so much over the years I just wanted to be stronger to protect my people..." He sighed after a few moments.
"I suspected as much... That's why the Shards weren't desecrated by your youki as badly as I would have thought. But you know... We have many means of gaining power easily but despite that we still train our own power to make it grow. You have a great strength you just need to help it grow...But you can't do that by hiding behind the power handed to you easily. That's not how you become powerful... That's not how you protect people." She explained pushing his fingers around the faintly glowing shards, closing his hand.
"Relying on the strength of outside means as your only source of strength will only get you so far. Using that means as a catalyst to gain your own strength..." Kouga muttered flipping his hand over and giving the shards back to Miyori with a smile. He laughed a little as he walked past her and confronted Hiyami. "All those shards ever helped me do was run away faster... Let's go dogface..." He jeered jokingly as he eyed the dog demon with a smirk.
"Dogface? Well that's not very nice..." Hiyami faked being injured by the jeer with his voice but there was a smile on his face.
"Mitsugaya-san... You know what you have to do with these..." Miyori called as the General came to a stop where Kouga had been standing.
"I'll have them purified fully at the temple and guarded until they return." She left with the shards and Miyori looked out through the falling snow toward the volcano.
"Lady Miyori... You called with a task for the initiates?" A young apprentice Blood Guard wondered kneeling before her.
"Yes... I'm going to help you train your physical strength by keeping the main causeway clear of snow... If you think you and your fellows are up to the challenge." She replied perking up some in the face of the youngsters as she started walking over to a collection of brooms. "If the causeway ices up it will be hard to move people and supplies through the town in the event of an attack."
"I understand Lady Miyori... We'll happily accept this task as training if it will help the city!" The young boy called not getting up from his kneeling position. He stood up finally and motioned for the group of twenty or so young initiates to come to him. He was the wasn't the oldest at sixteen or so but commanded that group. They ranged in age from fourteen to seventeen and were mostly boys, although a few tough girls looked on eagerly. This particular group were humans who were yet to make the pact to become Blood Guards. Tribal law dictated that eighteen was the earliest age humans could be tests for the pact to ensure they were at their strongest. For training purposes, the human child and demon children entered into the militia were kept separate until the pact.
"Your enthusiasm brings joy to my weary heart..." The new Matriarch mused passing out the brooms.
"The protection of our home falls on all of us who can rise up to protect it." The leader of the group replied gripping his broom as if it were the most dear thing he'd ever been given.
"I'm sure such inspirational words are why these good soldiers elected you as their group leader." Miyori smiled as she ushered the children out of the training grounds and toward the main part of the city.
"Leadership that is so involved in the maintenance of our home is the real determining factor for our success all this time... Or so I've been told... I think you're doing very well so far Lady Miyori." He added a bit bashful as his cheeks flushed slightly.
"I'll try to live up to those lofty expectations!" She laughed a little as she started sweeping the snow off the steps. "Oh would some of you please clear the market street and square? If you know of any elderly who live along the way please clear a path for them." She added thinking about any other areas that might need to be cleared. "Yes we must clear the road from the old town for our new allies as well."
"Show us the brooms and we can do it ourselves!" Ayame announced proudly as she appeared a few steps below. "We aren't just going to sit around and let you do all the work. We have a little pride you know!"
"I'm sorry Miss Ayame... I was inconsiderate by not including you!" Miyori gasped embarrassed as she bowed to the sassy Wolf. "Let me get some more brooms from the supply shed!" She added running off up the hill quite gracefully until she tripped on her own hakama and fell sideways on the step. "I'm okay!" She yelled feverishly as she got up and continued up the steps before veering off to the right down a side street.
"If I hadn't seen what she did with my own eyes I would seriously be doubting why we're here..." One of Ayame's accomplices sighed shaking his head.
"What did she do?" The yooung man wondered looking at the wolf demon curiously.
"She brought half out tribe back from the brink of death's door... She saved us from that horrible creature..." Ayame replied with a grateful smile.
"Miyori is developing her abilities as the Matriarch nicely..." The tribe elder mused with a smile. "Perhaps in time they will fully awaken and she'll finish her ascension before the Queen of Darkness makes her move."
"If she doesn't?" Ayame wondered amazed by the thought that Miyori could get any stronger.
"Then I'm afraid our fate rests in the hand of Sesshoumaru and Tenesaiga. If he can prove stronger than his father he may be able to defeat her with the sword where his father failed." The elder was a sly and cunning old demon. He knew Sesshoumaru was lurking and what his ambitions had been from even a young age. His words were carefully chosen to give not only an answer to the youngsters but a thorn in the side of Sesshoumaru. "I don't think he's capable of such a feat though." The icing on the cake... The Daiyoukai turned and walked away down an alley towards the old side of the town. He was leaving through his old escape route for reasons only he needed to know. Though it was clear to the elder he would be back since he was leaving without his attachments.
"I'll prove that this Sesshoumaru is not a weakling like my Father. If truly mastering this sword will do that... mastering this sword is what I'll do..." He thought to himself as he passed through the old town to the very bottom of the hill. The city was designed to slope down hill and off to both sides. All of the drainage int the city fed to a giant basin and eventually to a lake several miles away on another side of the mountain. Massive grates covered passages into the sewers including small accesses outside of the city the lined the pipe leading to the lake. As a child Sesshoumaru often used these routes as a means of leaving the city unnoticed, since the drain work prevented a heavy watch tower from being built nearby. The passage wasn't as large as he remembered it seeing as he had grown considerably since last using it. Despite this, he still passed through it easily and out the closest access point. He had sensed movements in the forest and decided this was a fine opportunity to test the sword.
As the Daiyoukai look out at the surroundings he spotted the volcano and wondered why it seemed so out of place. The smoke gently emanating up from it seemed foreign... He shrugged that off and let his mind continue on to another thought. Why would his Father claim a city so close to an active volcano as his base of operations? He decided after a brief moment that the inner workings of the mind of his Father weren't worth his time. He was out here to fight and to make his mastery of this blasted sword so utterly complete the he could use it against the Banshee Queen and slay her. Nothing else would come between him and that singular purpose from now on. Or so he thought until a blond demoness appeared on a tree looming in front of him.
"You always were strange with your notions of training..." She called hopping out of the tree.
"You always were strange with your notions of how a girl... much less one of rank should dress and behave." He scowled in response as he started walking away. She followed him at a comfortable distance to talk casually.
"I had a poor example of what it meant to be a lady... You adore that about her though didn't you? That she set herself apart in every possible way?" The demoness wondered as she continued her leisurely pursuit.
"You are not my Mother... Your foolish endeavors to compare yourself to her are not only presumptuous and fool-hearty they are the mechanism of your own weakness. Just because you inherited her power doesn't make you strong nor a good leader." The demon hissed angrily as he stopped but wouldn't look at her.
"I know that's why I need your help... I can't become stronger myself without understanding the power your Mother possessed and building from it. If you can help me understand that... I'll help you understand and master Tenesaiga." Her voice had changed, it seemed regretful and sad now. The demon sighed long and took a deep breath.
"Despite my best efforts to be rid of you I seem to be stuck with you for longer than I would like..." He grumbled massaging one of his temples. He didn't want to admit it but she was right, he could master the sword faster under the counsel of someone who understood its true power.
"I'm sorry... I know that there's nothing else you'd like more than to just walk away and never think of this place or me ever again. I promise you if you help me with this I'll defeat that wretch beast and you'll be free to go about your merry way." Miyori sighed letting a snowflake fall into her outstretched hand. She watched it melt slowly and disappear as more reached her fingertips.
"First lesson... Stop apologizing... Your lack of self-confidence is sickening and the first major difference between you and her. Never doubt your own power or judgment... EVER..." Sesshoumaru scolded as he turned to face her.
"First lesson... Tenesaiga is not just a weapon... It is a living extension of your body. Respect it like you respect any other part of your body. Only when you learn to accept it will you be able to utilize it fully." Miyori replied tipping her hand and letting the water pour out of it. "Where should we go from there?"
"You came to me for help... You figure it out." He turned away and continued his pursuit for the pack of Banshees in the area.