The long awaited chapter 21!! No long author note so you won't kill me!
The next morning everyone woke slowly exhaustion trying to keep them asleep. But the prospect of training motivated them as good as coffee. They stumbled into the dining room for an early lunch and waited anxiously for Sesshomaru to start telling them where he wanted them to go.
"Girls, you are to go with Yoruichi." He said and waited for them to wander out of the room. Kagome gave Inuyasha a kiss and waved to the others before bringing up the end of the group and shutting the door behind them.
"First I would like to say something," Urahara said popping his head up. "I think they are all a bunch of idiots!"
Sesshomaru glared at Urahara who shrank away in fear. "While this man has no tact, a few of you are rather stupid." He turned away from Inuyasha which left the half-demon in shock and glared at the two Sohma's and Ichigo. "Don't make me repeat myself more than once. This is not a game. There are serious consequences here. Stop holding back in training. How can your teammates know your strengths and weaknesses if you don't show what you can truly do?"
Miroku nodded. "I've seen you let loose when it was just you and Kyo, Yuki. There is a lot of power there, but when we were fighting before you seemed to hold yourself back."
Sesshomaru pointed out the door. "We are going down into a large training room, where you will be getting weapons. If you do not give your all for this training, you might as well go home."
Urahara and himself led them to one of the many large underground training areas scattered all over Sesshomaru's lands. "Weapons," Miroku started seeing that he, for once, wasn't in trouble. "Are necessary part of battle."
"I have the weapons that you will be using. Just because Inuyasha, Ichigo, Urahara and myself use swords, doesn't mean all of you will. In fact only Yuki and Kyo will be using a sword."
"What should I use?" Chad asked. "Is my arm a good weapon?"
"It is a good weapon but what if you are low on energy? You should have a back up plan." Urahara said fanning himself slowly. "Right Sesshomaru?'
Sesshomaru nodded. "It never hurts to have another weapon." He opened a chest at his feet and tossed out two swords to Inuyasha. "These are the swords Yuki and Kyo will be using. Inuyasha lead them a ways over there. I'll join you in a moment. Ichigo you might as well go with them." Inuyasha nodded and led the other three out of the range of most attacks to wait for his brother. "Chad this will be your weapon." He lifted a large hand axe and easily tossed it toward Chad. Uryuu cringed but Chad caught it easily. Shippo tugged at his sleeve and took him away in another direction.
Sesshomaru looked at Miroku whose eyes lit up. "Really?" Sesshomaru nodded and Urahara handed Uryuu a staff. "Oh Sesshomaru! If you were a woman I'd love you!"
Sesshomaru glared at Miroku who backed away slowly then headed over to his brother. "Get to work."
Urahara sat down to watch as Miroku turned to Uryuu. "Oh this is going to be so much fun!" He brought his own staff up sharply and struck Uryuu in the shoulder before the boy even noticed he'd moved. "You will need to be much faster."
Uryuu winced and tried to block the next swing. The man was a demon!
Inuyasha adjusted Kyo's grip before allowing him to unsheathe the sword. A red glow started at the tip then flowed down the blade, over the hilt and began to crawl up Kyo's arm. Kyo started to flinch away but Inuyasha stopped him. "Don't fight it. If the demon of the blade accepts you, you can wield it and then we'll begin training you on it."
"If it doesn't?" Yuki asked as his own blades aura began a white glow up his shoulder under Sesshomaru's observant eyes.
Neither of the Inu's responded but Ichigo winced. He'd heard Sesshomaru's explanation to Inuyasha. While Sesshomaru had said that something called 'Kanna's mirror' had showed him Kyo and Yuki with those swords, if the blades didn't accept them, they'd be killed. Both the cousins had closed their eyes as the glow made it to their face and Ichigo felt a wave of empathy, he had to have been that stressed during his first few meetings with Zangetsu.
Yuki felt cold as the glow finished covering his body. The sound of wind in his ears brought his eyes open with a snap. He stood in a snowy field under a starry night sky. "Where am I?"
"I have brought you into my mind." A snow panther said approaching slowly. "Lord Sesshomaru has explained to me that you are to wield me." Yuki said nothing as the cat stalked closer. "A rat to wield me…" Yuki stared up at the panther from his rat form and tried not to shake in fear at the now giant beast. "Are you afraid little rat?"
Yuki crossed his arms. "I might be. But I am not the one cheating."
"Cheating?" The panther asked lifting a large paw.
"Yes. When I wield you, I won't be in this form. If you want to challenge me, let me do it in the form I'll wield you in. Stop using the curse as a crutch." Yuki snapped.
Suddenly the cats paw was on Yuki pressing him down roughly into the cold snow. "You think the enemy won't cheat? Won't take advantage? I need no weak rat to wield me. The Great Dog only barely has my respect. What will you do to earn it boy?"
Kyo sat on the top of a tree his tail twitching wildly as the bird flew around lighting everything on fire and laughing joyously. "So what is this challenge?" Kyo finally asked as the whole forest burned slowly.
"There is a gem in the forest. If you can find it you can wield me. If you can't you will die. You have three hours before you burn up." The bird laughed again and sat on the branch beside Kyo. "You can ask one question an hour to discover where it is. Begin."
"Is it in the fire?" Kyo asked immediately.
"Yes." The bird said and pushed off leaving Kyo to begin his search.
Chad blocked Shippo's sword with the side of the axe and slid it up the smooth steel toward his opponents hand. Shippo dodged at the last second grinning. "Very good! You're even starting to let your power tip the blade edges. You might e ready to fight Inuyasha."
Chad nodded and accepted the bottle of water being handed to him. He took a long drink then noticed it was Tohru, who'd handed him the bottle. "Tohru?"
She gave him a smile. "Kageom said I had to practice healing so she sent me to you all." She glanced down the way towards the two glowing boys then looked up at Chad. "You are the only one done with part of their training. Please let me heal you."
Chad nodded and sat as Tohru placed her hands on his right arm just above a particularly nasty cut from a failed block. A soft white glow began to trickle out of her hands and began to close the wound. It was slow and Tohru began to sweat heavily but she succeeded. She sat back smiling and looked up as Inuyasha joined them.
"You look like you're working hard." Inuyasha said squatting before them. For a moment they thought he was being sarcastic about Chad sitting down but they realized he was talking to Tohru when he handed her a towel. "Take it slow though. Kagome will hurt me if you work yourself to death." When she gave him a smile he nodded and looked at Chad. "I'm not the top of the battle chain here. Sesshomaru is. If I deem you good enough you'll spar him. You don't have to beat me. Just give me a good fight."
"Inuyasha? Why is Sesshomaru the top?" Tohru asked.
Inuyasha grinned as an explosion came from behind them as Shippo ran away from a crater. "He is the only person that I can't kill."
Shippo darted away from Sesshomaru's whip trying not to laugh. He'd disguised himself as Yoruichi and pressed himself against Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru always knew it was Shippo and he did not like Shippo using him as a way to alleviate boredom. He let Shippo dodge a few more times before snagging his ankle and sending him crashing though the ceiling. "Idiot fox." He continued his vigil over Kyo and Yuki until it was time for him to join Yoruichi.
Uyruu snapped the staff to the side sending Miroku's staff flying off in another direction.
"Finally!" Miroku said barely out of breath while Uryuu was gasping for air after over an hour of continual fighting.
Uryuu grimaced and watched Ichigo talk with Rukia before she headed over to him with a box of bandages. "Sit." She commanded. He sat. "How are you the only one with so many wounds?" She asked pulling out various wraps.
"I'm the only one whose never fought before. The only weapon I used to use was the bow." Uryuu responded. "Give me a break this man isn't human."
Miroku knelt beside the two at those words. "Actually, I am human. If you think I'm bad you can spar with Sango, or Akina instead. Demon's aren't bad and you should get over the fear. I can feel your fear when you look at the demons. THEY can smell if. I'm sure it is highly offensive when they haven't done anything to you."
Rukia blushed. "I'm trying not to be afraid. I just keep remembering horror stories from my childhood."
"Why don't you ask Akina who killed her mother, or Sesshomaru his father. It was humans. Demons aren't all that different."
"You're right." Rukia murmured remembering the murders in the Rukongai and on Earth and they had been committed by humans. She glared as he moved away realizing he had smooth talked her into admitting she was afraid. "He is smooth."
"Very." Uyruu responded feeling guilty. "Thanks for the help." He said smiling at Rukia.
She smiled back and brushed a hand over his shoulder. "It is almost lunch time."
"Lead the way." Uryuu responded struggling to his feet and following Rukia upstairs.
Kagome touched Inuyasha on the shoulder and smiled at Ichigo. "Go eat boys. I'll stand guard." She motioned to her bow and gave them a reassuring smile. "Nothing will happen down here. Sesshomaru wouldn't let anything get in here. Now go."
Ichigo nodded and Inuyasha reluctantly left leaving Kagome alone with the two unconscious boys.
"Time for the second question." The panther said following the rat around the maze. He'd shrunk so the rat was in a more reasonable sized maze but refused to change Yuki from a rat.
After a moment Yuki looked up. "Is it easy to see?" Yuki asked.
"Nothing important is ever easy to see." The panther answered.
Yuki rolled his eyes at the cryptic message. The cat was worse than Shigure with his stupid hints. When he'd been told to find a gem he'd immediately wondered what use the gem had other than to be lost but he'd asked where it was instead. 'It is where you'll find it' had been the answer. Wall after wall disappeared behind him as his cubby body ran down icy hallways searching for something he didn't know anything about.
Sliding to a stop Yuki looked up at the cat. "Can I ask a question now and not have the third later?"
The panther thought for a moment. "At the sacrifice of the half an hour left over in the second hour."
"Alright." Yuki agreed. "Why am I searching for this gem?"
"Ahh a good question. The gem is the source of my power. If you can find it, it will be linked to you giving you the ability to use my power and wield me. Unlike Zangetsu, the sword of that Ichigo boy, my power is within ME, not in who wields me."
Yuki sat on the ground considering the answer for a long time this finally looked up to the cat balanced on the edge of the maze. "I think you are the gem."
"I am the gem?" The bird asked from under Kyo's paws. "But remember the gem is in the fire."
"You are the fire, so you are in it." Kyo responded, he was very sure of his choice.
"But it can't be seen." The bird again pointed out.
"I'm not seeing it; I'm seeing what it's pretending to be." Kyo said still determined in his answer.
"Well you're wrong." The bird replied. "Want to ask your third question?"
Kyo blinked. "Is it your heart?" He finally asked exasperated.
"There you go!" The bird said softly then disappeared. The burning forest disappeared as well only to be replaced with a dojo. Kyo was human again and kneeling across from a young blond woman with red eyes. "My name is Ren. I am the swords demon. Well…that is not entirely true. The sword is what is left of me, once my physical body was destroyed, I decided to stay with my sword."
"How'd Sesshomaru end up with you?" Kyo asked studying the demon before him. She reminded him of Kagome, very calm and joyful. Not like he would expect of a demon of fire.
"We'd been friends, or at least I considered him a friend, it is hard to know what he thinks of you. When I died I had myself and the sword taken to him." Ren replied. "Now I'll teach you to wield me."
"Close but no." The panther said jumping down beside Yuki.
"Then it is in you." Yuki frowned. He knew he was right!
"Why?" The cat asked. "Why do you know you are right?"
"You don't share your powers you said therefore you are the power." Yuki reasoned recrossing his arms.
"Not quite the answer I was looking for but good enough for now. You think well on your feet rat."
"My name is Yuki. Use it."
The panther laughed as the maze melted to become a balcony on a snowy mountainside. "I like your strength but I'll call you 'Yuki' when I deem you worthy rat. Right now the only reason I'll work with you is because I'm bored and you barely passed the challenge." The panther was no longer a panther but a man with long black hair.
"Fair enough. I don't respect you either." Yuki couldn't help the smile from his lips as the demon laughed evilly.
"My name is Mizu and now I'll attempt to teach you to use me." Mizu grinned crossing his arms.
Kagome smiled as the glow began to settle into the boys skins and she knew that they'd been able to pass the test. She hugged Kanna's mirror close to her chest feeling a bit of grief for the girl who she'd failed to save. Thank you Kanna…Sesshomaru told me how you've been watching over us all and how it was you who found these two blades. I hope you're much happier where you are.
The hair began to rise on the back of her neck as she felt eyes on her and stood slowly. Someone was watching her.
Okay I know it was a pretty nasty cliffy but I am tired so please wait a bit. The next chapter shouldn't take so long.
Please read and review this as well as Bleed another Inuyasha fanfiction I have been working on.
Thanks please give me love! I swear if you do I'll update before the 15th...