Reliving Old Memories Part 2
The next morning, the group finally arrived on the outskirts of Kasasagi Town. But waiting for them was a scorpion demon that shot streams of energy from its tail. The group unsheathed their armaments.
"Well, well, well. A half-freak and a bunch of pathetic humans dare to defy me?" The scorpion hissed. "I will enjoy using my claws to rip you to shreds and eat them!"
"Like to see you try 'Hook-Ass!'" Michiru scowled.
"Whoa, Michiru!" InuYasha stated and then smirked and tittered, "Language!"
"Like you should talk!" Michiru replied with a laugh. Then he turned to his enemy and said. "Shikiga, unleash the powers of fire and metal! Barbed-Fire!"
Just then, a scalding red-hot wire with spikes on it wrapped itself around the scorpion's body squeezing, burning, and cutting deep in it's exoskeleton. As soon as it set, it unleashed an inferno upon the monster.
"Good work Michiru!" Shippo cried out pulling his shakram back. "Let ME have a shot!" Shippo then threw his shakram at the monster, but the blade didn't make contact with its body but surrounded the scorpion confusing it with its rapid spinning. Shippo then reached into his kimono and pulled out his old weapon. "Distraction Smashing Top!" he declared, then spun his top causing it to grow and smash on top of the scorpion.
"Uhhhhggh!" the scorpion complained but in a last ditch effort shot the top with its tail and struggled to get back up.
"Oh no you don't!" InuYasha yelled. "Wind Scar!" InuYasha struck the ground sending the Wind Scar power to crash into the scorpion thus killing off the rest of its exoskeleton.
"Kirara!" Sango called to her two-tailed cat. "Finish off its weapons!" Then Kirara jumped at the scorpion pinning its pincers under her massive paws breaking them. She then bit down on its tail and ripped it off its back with her jaws.
"Well done Kirara!" Kaname gleefully stated then held up her massive wooden wizard's staff. "Oh, brightly burning light! Give power to Sango's weapon and unleash the Doomerang!"
Sango's boomerang lit up with Kaname's magic and she hurled it at what remained of the scorpion's carcass vaporizing it. The group, realizing they had won, then went to Kasasagi Town and were greeted by a group of people who knew them. A bunch of cute girls approached the team.
"Oh, you were so amazing there!" One of them cooed.
"I'd expect nothing less from such a strong and handsome warrior." another crooned.
Miroku chuckled, "Glad I could have been of service." he bragged. "Now would any of you care to be the mother of my children?"
Just then the three girls turned towards Miroku and then towards each other. "Who does that monk think he is?" One asked disgustedly.
"Loser!" the second shot out.
"Oh, leave us alone!" The last one snapped.
"Huh?" Miroku gasped then saw the girls approaching Michiru.
"Now YOU on the other hand are a real man worthy of fathering my children!" the first girl spoke out tenderly caressing Michiru's perfectly toned chest.
"You said it!" the second spoke out grabbing his broad shoulders. "Hi there big boy!" She purred. "My name's Kitara."
"My name is Mikori." the first girl whispered still massaging his pectorals.
"And my name is Hika." the third fawned rubbing her face against his washboard abs. "What's your name?"
"M-M-M-Michiru..." Michiru answered blushing.
"Michiru? What an adorable name for such an adorable man!" Kitara admired. "Say, can't choose between us? Why not have all three of us?"
Miroku at first was shocked at the girls ignoring him and fawning all over Michiru, but then thought to himself, "Well, it seems that Michiru is quite the ladies man now. Maybe now I can pursue Sango." But when he turned to face Sango he saw her giggling at the sight seeming to enjoy the show. "Sango," Miroku spoke up more than a little confused, "You're acting like this doesn't bother you."
Sango laughed, "It doesn't Miroku. Not in the least. I can't be jealous of this if my husband's gorgeous."
"But I'm attractive too Sango!" Miroku piped up offended. "Why did you always get mad when this happened to me and not to Michiru?"
Sango laughed again, "Two reasons Miroku, first whenever this happened to you YOU instigated it. Michiru on the other had has such amazing good looks and sex-appeal the ladies come to him of their own free will. Secondly, well watch this."
Miroku looked to see Michiru gently push them off and say to them, "I'm sorry girls but my heart belongs to someone else. Someone I love and would never betray by violating another woman."
Sango smiled, "You see Miroku? Even though the girls throw all their lust at him he turns them down gently and mmmph?"
Sango didn't get a chance to finish her statement as Michiru held her tightly in his arms and kissed her deeply. Then they broke and Michiru pulled his wife's ear to his lips.
"Sorry about those girls Sango." Michiru whispered in her ear.
"That's alright my love." Sango murmured. "It wasn't your fault. And I know you love me and only me."
The three girls looked at their champion and sighed, "Lucky her. She's got a really hot boyfriend." Mikori complained.
Sango then turned her head towards the three, "You're mistaken there little girl!" she snapped. "Michiru's not my boyfriend, he's my husband!"
Hearing this the three girls turned white with fear as Sango continued, "Now I understand a girl wanting a strong man in her life and as such I'll let you go this once. After all I can't blame you for being attracted to Michiru. But keep in mind; if you touch my husband again, that scorpion's death will seem merciful by the time I'M done with you!"
The girls then high-tailed it out of there, leaving the others to laugh at the sight. Just then the headman came to greet the group and set them lodgings in his house. Along with decent food and a little money for yet again defeating a demon that was threatening them for so long. The group then asked around about Naraku but no one knew of his return. As night fell the group made their way back to the headman's house and gathered around the fireplace.
"Hey this reminds me," Shippo piped up. "When are you going to tell me about the Beads?"
InuYasha grumbled hoping everyone forgot about that so he wouldn't have to relive it.
"Oh yeah," Kagome smiled and said, "Well why don't we tell it right now Kaname?"
"Right!" Kaname agreed.
The two went on about during their journeys, Kaname had found a red crystal that supposedly had the power to grant a wish made about someone she cared about. She then spoke that once in the present she and Kagome were changing in a locker room after sharing a bath together. All of a sudden they noticed a small hole in the wall that separated the women's locker room from the men's.
"I turned to Kaname and grumbled, 'I wonder what pervert made that?'" Kagome grumbled.
"'Yeah well at least it isn't Miroku.' I grumbled." Kaname replied.
But then the girls spoke of seeing a yellow-slitted eye on the other side of the wall. Kagome, still naked, realized who it belonged to, shrieked, and cried out, "InuYasha you pervert! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT!"
InuYasha was then slammed to the ground five times. He glared at Kagome, "Once is enough! If you have to humiliate me, don't be so articulate about the situation!" he snapped.
Kaname then spoke telling how she was wearing the stone around her neck and told InuYasha, "Ugh! I used to think that Kagome was being mean with those things. Now I see they serve a great purpose. I wish I could use them as well." As sson as she said this the stone glowed and after awhile stopped and a voice spoke out, "Your wish has been granted." When the girls were told this, they waited outside the bath and when InuYasha got out, Kaname said "the word" and sent InuYasha crashing to the concrete.
"And ever since we both have been able to use the Beads of Subjugation." Kagome smirked.
"Yeah and ever since my life has gone from a nightmare to a living hell!" InuYasha sneered.
Everyone ignored InuYasha and laughed, just then the headman approached the group.
"Hey Michiru, the town's children want you to tell the story of Shikiga." the headman informed him.
"Again?" Michiru asked then he smiled, "With pleasure." he then picked up his sword and went to the village square. He told the story of how it began with an argument between him and Kagome about how she believed he was getting too cocky. The argument then went into Kagome stating out, "Geez you'd think you were Sesshomaru or something." Which put an idea in Michiru's head.
"Hey InuYasha, the next time we see your brother, I challenge him to a duel!" Michiru declared.
InuYasha stood in shock, "Challenge Sesshomaru? Are you crazy Michiru?"
But unbeknownst to the team Sesshomaru was in proximity and heard the declaration and accepted. The group, which included Totosai at the time made their way to a clearing and the two combatants engaged. Much to everyone's surprise however, Michiru was doing well against Sesshomaru. Until Sesshomaru unleashed his Dragon Strike, but Michiru countered with his own Shikigami dragon-attack causing the two dragons to collide for a minute but eventually Sesshomaru's dragon prevailed and Michiru was defeated. But Sesshomaru didn't kill Michiru, instead he told him that he was impressed with Michiru's growing skill. Which was unusual considering that Sesshomaru didn't get impressed easily. Then Sesshomaru told Totosai to construct a sword for Michiru that responded to his Shikigami. But he wanted it to be in the same class as Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga. It was then that Totosai pulled out a vial of red liquid and claimed it was the blood of InuYasha and Sesshomaru's father.
Totosai then got to work on the sword, he carved the Japanese words for the ten elements into the blade, and built the hilt similar to Tenseiga but the circle emblem at the base of the hilt had the image of a Shikigami pentagram. He then carved the name of the sword into its sheath, "Shikiga: The Blade of Nature's Champion." Later when the sworn was complete, Totosai told everyone Shikiga was constructed with InuTaisho's blood forged into the blade. He told the group that when InuTaisho was alive he told Totosai that he had a dream once where he saw a great evil opposed by some light that took the form of a human and that light defeated it. He then saw his son Sesshomaru talking to that same light and went to Totosai and told him to construct a sword in the same class as his own and InuYasha's. Then he saw Totosai pull out a vial with red liquid in it and a small version of InuTaisho in it. He then told Totosai that he saw this as a prophesy and gave Totosai his blood and told him to use it if such a situation presented itself.
A few months after Totosai constructed Shikiga and gave it to Michiru, Sesshomaru and Michiru had a rematch that ended in a draw. Eventually surprisingly Michiru with his Shikiga destroyed Sesshomaru's primary sword. Sesshomaru claimed he wasn't defeated yet and pulled out Tenseiga and fought with it But then something amazing happened during the fight, Tenseiga and Shikiga clashed together and for some reason, Shikiga responded to Tenseiga's power, copied it, and gave Shikiga the same ability to restore 100 lives as Tenseiga had. Knowing that he had been more-or-less defeated, Sesshomaru supposedly retired from battle and was never seen again.
"And that's the story of The Origins of Shikiga." Michiru proudly proclaimed.
"Which also led to the formation of my staff." Kaname proclaimed. "You see before my brother was trusted with InuTaisho's hidden legacy that became Shikiga, he fought with a wooden sword as did I. But when my brother recieved Shikiga, he abandoned his old sword. I thought it a waste and using my Wood Shikigami, I combined my wooden sword and my brother's into a wizard's staff to give me a more powerful weapon." She then glared at Miroku. "But the downside was that unfortunately led to weeks of melee staff combat training with Miroku." she groaned.
The childern applauded then returned to their homes for the night. But one small boy piped up, "Mr. Kururugi?" he asked.
Michiru giggled and said, "Please! 'Mr. Kururugi' is my father. Call me Michiru."
The boy blushed and said, "Um, okay. Um, Michiru, um, I have a question about Shikiga."
"Yes?" Michiru asked.
"You said that Shikiga copied the ability of Tenseiga," the boy began. "I was wondering, did it also do the same thing with Tetsusaiga?"
Michiru turned towards InuYasha and replied, "We never found out. I mean while having two swords that could take 100 lives would be useful, I didn't want to steal my best friend's thunder."
InuYasha smiled at that but then Michiru smugly continued, "Besides, he already has a hard enough time keeping up with me."
"Alright that's it!" InuYasha shouted after having to deal with this on more than one occasion he reached for Tetsusaiga but Kaname saw him.
"Hold it right there InuYasha and sit!" she declared. InuYasha then fell to the ground.
"But why did Shikiga replicate the ability of Tenseiga in the first place?" the boy asked.
"We don't know." Michiru admitted. "We all do have our theories though. You see I forgot to mention that Totosai claimed that InuTaisho also put a piece of his soul into the vial of blood. So when Shikiga and Tenseiga clashed, I think that tiny piece of him recognized the familiar power of his old blade and wanted to wield it once more. So InuTaisho's soul fragment copied its power and put it into Shikiga."
"I tend to think differently." InuYasha sniffed thinking of his brother. "I think that our father knew all along that my brother never used the great gift our father gave him. So when Shikiga and Tenseiga clashed, my father decided to give the inheretence of Tenseiga to one more worthy of possessing it and would use it the way our father wanted it to be used."
"Well I think that it's you and Michiru's brotherly bond that allowed the power of Tenseiga to also become the power of Shikiga." Kagome spoke. "I think InuTaisho wanted the powers of both Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga to be used side-by-side in the hands of his two sons. But considering Sesshomaru is a lone wolf so-to-speak, that dream of InuTaisho would never come true on its own. But when Michiru came and he and InuYasha developed a brotherly love for each other, the soul fragment of InuTaisho saw that as a second chance for his dream to come true and gave Shikiga the power of Tenseiga so that it could be used as a unit with Tetsusaiga. Or it could very well be a combination of all these theories."
InuYasha cringed when Kagome spoke this. For while it was true that InuYasha genuinely loved Michiru like a brother, he still wasn't comfortable being reminded of it.
The group then returned to the headman's house and readied for bed. As soon as everyone else settled in, Michiru and Sango cuddled each other under the covers. Sango looked at her loving husband.
"You have a way with children dear." She smiled. "I couldn't have asked for a better father for ours."
"Especially in Miroku's case." Michiru agreed.
"I heard that!" Miroku grumbled.
"Speaking of which Miroku, why don't you have any children?" InuYasha piped up.
Miroku cringed but knew he had to answer knowing the curse a witch placed on his left hand a year ago that forbade him from lying. For if he did a certain diseased spot on his hand would spread, and if it reached his heart area he would die. And unlike the Wind Tunnel this curse didn't go away once he killed the witch. It could only be broken if he told nothing but the truth for a whole year. So he answered the question.
"Well I'm afraid InuYasha that I am what you might call...infertile..."
A moment in silence passed, then everyone except Miroku burst out laughing. Miroku sighed knowing that as embarassing as this was to admit, it was easy to see that the others could find the irony of this so amusing.