"So, what did you want to see us for?" Inuyasha said.
The priest was silent for a moment then sighed heavily. "Please, before I tell you, will you answer some questions for me?" he asked.
The hanyou moved to protest but his sister laid a hand on his arm, silencing him. "Of course. We'll do our best to answer them. Go ahead and ask," she said.
The old man smiled, "I can tell that your companion has a great respect for you, young lady. Is he your lover by any chance?"
They shook their heads in unison. "No, she's my imooto," Inuyasha replied verbally.
++ 'imooto' means little sister.
"Your sister? Hmm, well then. That makes things a little bit clearer. Now, then." the priest was silent for a moment as he thought.
"What precisely are you looking for here in this village?" he said. His tone was serious, deadly serious. Inuyasha was curious about it.
Hikaru nervously answered, "We're here looking for something that we were told would be here."
"Yes, yes. You told me that earlier this evening. What exactly is it?" he interrupted.
******
The sprite sighed with relief and excitement. It had finally reached the lake. It sensed the youki buried underneath the bottom. Without wasting a moment, it dived into the waters. It was glad to be in its true element. All of the clumsiness it had experienced on the cruel, solid land was now gone. The sprite moved with liquid grace through the water. It spent a few minutes glorifying in the fluidness and warmth the lake provided. After the reveling, it focused again on its chosen mission. To free the master.
It swam down to the murky depths, looking intently for the markers. The sprite had been told to find the seal and, using the contents of the jar it carried, destroy it! Not long afterward, it found the seal. The seal had been found more by sensing the power emanating from the words engraved in the stone than by anything else. It hovered over the site for a few moments before settling down nearby and started to work.
******
"I'll ask you again. What exactly are you here looking for?" the priest said. His voice had a tint of warning to it. He had repeated his question a second time when the hanyou didn't answer at first.
They were quiet because they weren't quite sure what to say to him. Should they tell him the truth? Or should they invent something up?
Inuyasha finally decided that the truth was the best choice right now. "We're looking for a sword called Tennega. We were told that our father hid it here over fifty years ago," he said.
The priest thought for a moment, "Hmm, and if this sword that you seek was here, why would I just hand it over to you? You could just be making it all up so that you could gain the sword."
"Because it's true! Please, believe us," Hikaru said.
The priest was going to reply when they heard someone running towards them frantically. At the same time, the hanyou sensed a great youki emerging and a great laugh cackled through the night sky.
The doors to the shrine were flown open and an acolyte burst in gasping. He managed to stumble to the group before falling to his knees.
"Houshi-sama, something terrible has happened," he said.
The priest looked worried. "What is it?" he asked. Even as he spoke, he realized that it could only be one thing.
"It's the water youkai, sir. He has somehow broken free from the seal. What should we do?"
With the aid of his staff, the priest stood. "Sound the alarm. Get everyone in the village into the temple compound. And have every able- bodied man armed with something and have him follow me out to the lake," he ordered. Then he went past the hanyou saying, "We'll have to conclude this discussion at a later time I'm afraid."
Inuyasha and Hikaru stood with him and followed him out of the shrine and into the courtyard. They could both hear and sense several small youkai running around loose beyond the walls outside.
"What's going on? Who broke free?" Inuyasha demanded.
The priest kept his stride as he talked, "Many years ago, back when I was only a small child, a great water youkai terrorized this village and the surrounding area. The people here tried to defeat them several times, but no one was successful.
"Then one day, a youkai came to the temple. He was respectful to the priests, unusual for his kind. He said that he had heard of the trouble here and wanted to help. In exchange all he asked was for a favor.
"The lead priest at the time was shocked at the proposition but had little choice but to accept the terms. Everyone was desperate to be rid of the water youkai. So with the help of the youkai, the monster was sealed at the bottom of the lake just outside.
"And now, after all these years, he has broken free of the seal. We must stop him."
"Let us help you!" Inuyasha cried.
The priest stopped long enough to look at them both. By this time, Juanyu had caught up with them bringing Hikaru's bow and arrows. Inuyasha drew out his sword, which transformed before everyone's eyes.
"Very well. If you wish to help, it would be greatly appreciated. Any and all help is useful right now," he said, hitching up the hem of his robe and starting to run as the volume of screams outside increased.
They all rushed out of the temple gates and headed out into the fray. As they rushed out, villagers rushed in to the temple's relative safety. Emerging from the lake were several small water youkai with claws and fangs. In the middle of the lake was their master. He rose out of the surface and sat on an aquatic platform about five feet up. He looked human, which meant that he was just that more dangerous. He was dressed as a nobleman with fins for ears. He held no weapons that anyone could see, but the waters moved as he willed with the wave of his hand.
"Freedom! Great, sweet freedom!!" he shouted into the night sky. Seeing the priests coming out of the temple, he cackled. "You, you miserable, puny pests!! You thought that you could keep me imprisoned for all eternity! But now, now I have gotten loose. And now, I will regain what I have lost then more will be added to my territories," he cried and streams of water into the people.
They were knocked to the ground; several of them were unconscious as they fell. That made it easier for the water imps to get to them and begin beating them senseless. Inuyasha used his sword to get the imps off of the people while Hikaru shot her arrows. Juanyu transformed and hunted the imps down like small game.
Everyone was surprised to see the elder priest fight. He used the walking staff as a bo to knock the imps away from the people long enough for them to reach the temple's walls.
It was uncertain who was winning the fight or not. It seemed to be a stalemate between the two sides. Even though the water youkai was freed and was manipulating the waters of the lake, he was still weak from his imprisonment; he hadn't regained his strength back. But the humans were outnumbered and had been caught off guard.
The priest was swinging his staff with all the expertise that he possessed. He and the others were doing their best, but it didn't seem enough. If there was someone to wield the sword.
Then it struck him that the hanyou's arrival and the release of this monster was too much of a coincidence. There had to have been a reason why this was happening. He looked around and saw that the girl was close by him. If what she and her brother was the truth, then the sword could be awakened.
"Girl! Listen to me," he shouted over the din.
Hikaru released an arrow and looked at him. "What is it?"
"It is here, behind the shrine in the main room," he said.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"The sword. The sword that you and your brother have come here for. A youkai entrusted it to us in exchange for helping us with sealing the water youkai. He said that the sword was to remain with us until his daughter was old enough to wield it and came for it. It has been hidden in the shrine since then. I think that it is time for it to come out. Hurry now! There may not be enough time left," he said.
She heard his words and understood. After she shot off her last arrow and headed for the temple. Inuyasha saw her run and went after her to cover her back. She had enough to do as it was dodging the bastards that tried to tackle her from the front. Inuyasha made sure that none of them got her from behind.
They reach the temple and raced towards the shrine. The lesser priests and acolytes were trying to establish order from the chaos that was the villagers surging in from the fight.
"Hikaru, what are we doing here?" Inuyasha asked as they burst into the empty shrine room.
"He said that it was in here," she murmured.
"What's in here?"
She hurried down the room and to the shrine. Before he could say or do anything, she took the shrine in her hands and knocked it to the floor. Her brother thought that it was lucky that the crash had been drowned out by the sounds of screams and fighting outside. Otherwise, they would have been in huge trouble. Well, actually, they still were. But the consequences would occur later, if there was a later.
"Hikaru! What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.
But she was already at the wall behind the shrine tapping at the boards. "The old priest said that my sword was hidden in the wall behind the shrine. I think that we're in agreement that it's needed now," she replied.
He nodded and rushed forward to help her look. The hanyou tapped along the wall until he heard something hollow.
"Hikaru, I think that I've found it," he said. He found the edges of the board and managed to pry it loose from the others. Surprisingly, it came loose with greater ease than he would have thought.
Inside, there was a sword sheathed in its scabbard. To Inuyasha, the scabbard looked to be made of the same material as his own. With a smile, he reached in and grabbed it, and pulled it out of its hole. When she came to his side, he tossed the sword to her and she caught it easily.
"There you go, imooto. That's your Tennega."
She smiled and tied the sword to her belt. The weight felt odd at her side, but familiar at the same time. She pulled out the blade and tested the weight in her hand. It looked like an ordinary two-edged sword. But maybe it needed to wake up first. Inuyasha had told her about the first time that he had used his sword. And other times it did look like a rusty katana.
Without waiting to see if the sword reacted to Hikaru's hand, Inuyasha rushed back outside and into the fray. It seemed that the tide had turned while he and Hikaru had been inside. The water imps were getting bolder and their master apparently was getting his strength back rather quickly. Unless he was defeated soon, Inuyasha worried about whether he and Hikaru could handle him.
He yelled and charged on in, Tetsusaiga powered up and slicing the imps left and right. He was so focused on the fight in front of him that he never noticed what was coming from behind him. That is until a large tendril of water wrapped itself around his waist, pinning his arms to his sides. Tetsusaiga changed back into a katana and fell to the ground. Its master was lifted off the ground and into the air where he noticed that he wasn't the only one being held captive in this manner. There was Juanyu, the old priest, and several others in the same predicament. It might explain why the humans were losing the fight.
"Well, you thought that you could stand up against my forces. And now I have proved you wrong. In just punishment, feel the true might of my element!" the water youkai shouted and laugh. As he laughed like a maniac, the water that bound the prisoners wavered and then covered their entire bodies, blocking off their supply of air.
Oh shit, Inuyasha thought as he struggled to hold his breath.
******
Hikaru rushed outside as she heard the annoying laugh of the water youkai. She leapt atop the wall closest to the lake to get a good look. What she saw terrified her.
"Ani! Juanyu!" she cried. They and several others were trapped in orbs of water and drowning quickly. If something didn't happen to get them out they would certainly die. Without thinking, the hanyou ran down the shore towards the trapped men.
This didn't go without some notice.
"Ha! Try all you might, bitch, but you'll never get them free. Not until their hearts and lungs burst from the lack of air," the youkai said, his tone mocking her concern and laughing at her abilities.
At first she was filled with fear and concern for her brother and her friend. But what the youkai said filled her with anger at him and herself. Anger that he was doing this and that she couldn't get the damn sword to work; not even to save the lives of the people she cared for!
At that thought, the sword glowed in her hand. She looked down and right above the hilt; strange symbols glowed in different colors. As the miko looked at them individually a different sensation filled her. It was then she knew. She knew what she could do and how to do it. Grasping the hilt in both hands she focused on the tendrils holding each of the captives. The blade of the sword was wrapped in tendrils of blue and silver.
"Freeze!" she yelled and swung. The energy from the sword froze the tendrils and the orbs in place.
++ Give me a break, I couldn't think of anything better for her to say.
All the fighting stopped as the combatants stared at what she had just done. The water youkai stopped laughing and glared at her angrily.
"Bitch! What have you done?"
"I never said that I was finished," she whispered.
She dashed forward and using the blade wrapped in fire, destroyed the tendrils sending the orbs crashing to the ground. As the orbs hit the ground, they were destroyed on impact, freeing everyone. Inuyasha, Juanyu, and the others spent a few moments gasping for breath. The water youkai was speechless.
Hikaru stopped a ways down the shoreline and faced the youkai. The flames on the blade were still there but it seemed to crackle with a different tone. "I highly recommend that everyone get down flat on the ground," she stated firmly.
She walked forward, closer to the shore and raised her sword high. From the sky above, thunder could be heard. Suddenly a bolt of lightning shot out of the sky and struck the sword. Amazingly, Hikaru didn't seem effected by it.
"Lightning Strike!" she cried and swung the sword downward, releasing the energy.
The lightning hit the water youkai squarely on the chest and he howled with pain and rage. His body frozen in place with his head tilted towards the heavens. All around the water imps looked on in fear and many decided to run for their lives. Hikaru knelt on the ground, exhausted form the energy use. She thought that the battle was over.
What she didn't notice was that the youkai seemed to have enough strength and power left for one final attack.
"If I die, bitch, you'll come with me," he whispered. He opened his mouth and a ball of energy formed in there.
Inuyasha saw what was going to happen. "Shit," he said.
He grabbed his sword and hurried to protect his sister. He managed to get there in time as the energy was released. The hanyou stood there with transformed Tetsusaiga in his hands, waiting for the right moment. "Like hell, I'll let you hurt her," he murmured.
"Bakuryuuha!" he cried and swung.
The energy went back to its surprised caster and proceeded to burn and tear him to shreds. After he was gone, the water returned to the lake and what was left of the water imps vanished. The humans began clapping and cheering in celebration as the hanyou were taken back to the temple, by order of the old priest.
If anyone had noticed, they would have seen the tears in his eyes.
The priest was silent for a moment then sighed heavily. "Please, before I tell you, will you answer some questions for me?" he asked.
The hanyou moved to protest but his sister laid a hand on his arm, silencing him. "Of course. We'll do our best to answer them. Go ahead and ask," she said.
The old man smiled, "I can tell that your companion has a great respect for you, young lady. Is he your lover by any chance?"
They shook their heads in unison. "No, she's my imooto," Inuyasha replied verbally.
++ 'imooto' means little sister.
"Your sister? Hmm, well then. That makes things a little bit clearer. Now, then." the priest was silent for a moment as he thought.
"What precisely are you looking for here in this village?" he said. His tone was serious, deadly serious. Inuyasha was curious about it.
Hikaru nervously answered, "We're here looking for something that we were told would be here."
"Yes, yes. You told me that earlier this evening. What exactly is it?" he interrupted.
******
The sprite sighed with relief and excitement. It had finally reached the lake. It sensed the youki buried underneath the bottom. Without wasting a moment, it dived into the waters. It was glad to be in its true element. All of the clumsiness it had experienced on the cruel, solid land was now gone. The sprite moved with liquid grace through the water. It spent a few minutes glorifying in the fluidness and warmth the lake provided. After the reveling, it focused again on its chosen mission. To free the master.
It swam down to the murky depths, looking intently for the markers. The sprite had been told to find the seal and, using the contents of the jar it carried, destroy it! Not long afterward, it found the seal. The seal had been found more by sensing the power emanating from the words engraved in the stone than by anything else. It hovered over the site for a few moments before settling down nearby and started to work.
******
"I'll ask you again. What exactly are you here looking for?" the priest said. His voice had a tint of warning to it. He had repeated his question a second time when the hanyou didn't answer at first.
They were quiet because they weren't quite sure what to say to him. Should they tell him the truth? Or should they invent something up?
Inuyasha finally decided that the truth was the best choice right now. "We're looking for a sword called Tennega. We were told that our father hid it here over fifty years ago," he said.
The priest thought for a moment, "Hmm, and if this sword that you seek was here, why would I just hand it over to you? You could just be making it all up so that you could gain the sword."
"Because it's true! Please, believe us," Hikaru said.
The priest was going to reply when they heard someone running towards them frantically. At the same time, the hanyou sensed a great youki emerging and a great laugh cackled through the night sky.
The doors to the shrine were flown open and an acolyte burst in gasping. He managed to stumble to the group before falling to his knees.
"Houshi-sama, something terrible has happened," he said.
The priest looked worried. "What is it?" he asked. Even as he spoke, he realized that it could only be one thing.
"It's the water youkai, sir. He has somehow broken free from the seal. What should we do?"
With the aid of his staff, the priest stood. "Sound the alarm. Get everyone in the village into the temple compound. And have every able- bodied man armed with something and have him follow me out to the lake," he ordered. Then he went past the hanyou saying, "We'll have to conclude this discussion at a later time I'm afraid."
Inuyasha and Hikaru stood with him and followed him out of the shrine and into the courtyard. They could both hear and sense several small youkai running around loose beyond the walls outside.
"What's going on? Who broke free?" Inuyasha demanded.
The priest kept his stride as he talked, "Many years ago, back when I was only a small child, a great water youkai terrorized this village and the surrounding area. The people here tried to defeat them several times, but no one was successful.
"Then one day, a youkai came to the temple. He was respectful to the priests, unusual for his kind. He said that he had heard of the trouble here and wanted to help. In exchange all he asked was for a favor.
"The lead priest at the time was shocked at the proposition but had little choice but to accept the terms. Everyone was desperate to be rid of the water youkai. So with the help of the youkai, the monster was sealed at the bottom of the lake just outside.
"And now, after all these years, he has broken free of the seal. We must stop him."
"Let us help you!" Inuyasha cried.
The priest stopped long enough to look at them both. By this time, Juanyu had caught up with them bringing Hikaru's bow and arrows. Inuyasha drew out his sword, which transformed before everyone's eyes.
"Very well. If you wish to help, it would be greatly appreciated. Any and all help is useful right now," he said, hitching up the hem of his robe and starting to run as the volume of screams outside increased.
They all rushed out of the temple gates and headed out into the fray. As they rushed out, villagers rushed in to the temple's relative safety. Emerging from the lake were several small water youkai with claws and fangs. In the middle of the lake was their master. He rose out of the surface and sat on an aquatic platform about five feet up. He looked human, which meant that he was just that more dangerous. He was dressed as a nobleman with fins for ears. He held no weapons that anyone could see, but the waters moved as he willed with the wave of his hand.
"Freedom! Great, sweet freedom!!" he shouted into the night sky. Seeing the priests coming out of the temple, he cackled. "You, you miserable, puny pests!! You thought that you could keep me imprisoned for all eternity! But now, now I have gotten loose. And now, I will regain what I have lost then more will be added to my territories," he cried and streams of water into the people.
They were knocked to the ground; several of them were unconscious as they fell. That made it easier for the water imps to get to them and begin beating them senseless. Inuyasha used his sword to get the imps off of the people while Hikaru shot her arrows. Juanyu transformed and hunted the imps down like small game.
Everyone was surprised to see the elder priest fight. He used the walking staff as a bo to knock the imps away from the people long enough for them to reach the temple's walls.
It was uncertain who was winning the fight or not. It seemed to be a stalemate between the two sides. Even though the water youkai was freed and was manipulating the waters of the lake, he was still weak from his imprisonment; he hadn't regained his strength back. But the humans were outnumbered and had been caught off guard.
The priest was swinging his staff with all the expertise that he possessed. He and the others were doing their best, but it didn't seem enough. If there was someone to wield the sword.
Then it struck him that the hanyou's arrival and the release of this monster was too much of a coincidence. There had to have been a reason why this was happening. He looked around and saw that the girl was close by him. If what she and her brother was the truth, then the sword could be awakened.
"Girl! Listen to me," he shouted over the din.
Hikaru released an arrow and looked at him. "What is it?"
"It is here, behind the shrine in the main room," he said.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"The sword. The sword that you and your brother have come here for. A youkai entrusted it to us in exchange for helping us with sealing the water youkai. He said that the sword was to remain with us until his daughter was old enough to wield it and came for it. It has been hidden in the shrine since then. I think that it is time for it to come out. Hurry now! There may not be enough time left," he said.
She heard his words and understood. After she shot off her last arrow and headed for the temple. Inuyasha saw her run and went after her to cover her back. She had enough to do as it was dodging the bastards that tried to tackle her from the front. Inuyasha made sure that none of them got her from behind.
They reach the temple and raced towards the shrine. The lesser priests and acolytes were trying to establish order from the chaos that was the villagers surging in from the fight.
"Hikaru, what are we doing here?" Inuyasha asked as they burst into the empty shrine room.
"He said that it was in here," she murmured.
"What's in here?"
She hurried down the room and to the shrine. Before he could say or do anything, she took the shrine in her hands and knocked it to the floor. Her brother thought that it was lucky that the crash had been drowned out by the sounds of screams and fighting outside. Otherwise, they would have been in huge trouble. Well, actually, they still were. But the consequences would occur later, if there was a later.
"Hikaru! What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.
But she was already at the wall behind the shrine tapping at the boards. "The old priest said that my sword was hidden in the wall behind the shrine. I think that we're in agreement that it's needed now," she replied.
He nodded and rushed forward to help her look. The hanyou tapped along the wall until he heard something hollow.
"Hikaru, I think that I've found it," he said. He found the edges of the board and managed to pry it loose from the others. Surprisingly, it came loose with greater ease than he would have thought.
Inside, there was a sword sheathed in its scabbard. To Inuyasha, the scabbard looked to be made of the same material as his own. With a smile, he reached in and grabbed it, and pulled it out of its hole. When she came to his side, he tossed the sword to her and she caught it easily.
"There you go, imooto. That's your Tennega."
She smiled and tied the sword to her belt. The weight felt odd at her side, but familiar at the same time. She pulled out the blade and tested the weight in her hand. It looked like an ordinary two-edged sword. But maybe it needed to wake up first. Inuyasha had told her about the first time that he had used his sword. And other times it did look like a rusty katana.
Without waiting to see if the sword reacted to Hikaru's hand, Inuyasha rushed back outside and into the fray. It seemed that the tide had turned while he and Hikaru had been inside. The water imps were getting bolder and their master apparently was getting his strength back rather quickly. Unless he was defeated soon, Inuyasha worried about whether he and Hikaru could handle him.
He yelled and charged on in, Tetsusaiga powered up and slicing the imps left and right. He was so focused on the fight in front of him that he never noticed what was coming from behind him. That is until a large tendril of water wrapped itself around his waist, pinning his arms to his sides. Tetsusaiga changed back into a katana and fell to the ground. Its master was lifted off the ground and into the air where he noticed that he wasn't the only one being held captive in this manner. There was Juanyu, the old priest, and several others in the same predicament. It might explain why the humans were losing the fight.
"Well, you thought that you could stand up against my forces. And now I have proved you wrong. In just punishment, feel the true might of my element!" the water youkai shouted and laugh. As he laughed like a maniac, the water that bound the prisoners wavered and then covered their entire bodies, blocking off their supply of air.
Oh shit, Inuyasha thought as he struggled to hold his breath.
******
Hikaru rushed outside as she heard the annoying laugh of the water youkai. She leapt atop the wall closest to the lake to get a good look. What she saw terrified her.
"Ani! Juanyu!" she cried. They and several others were trapped in orbs of water and drowning quickly. If something didn't happen to get them out they would certainly die. Without thinking, the hanyou ran down the shore towards the trapped men.
This didn't go without some notice.
"Ha! Try all you might, bitch, but you'll never get them free. Not until their hearts and lungs burst from the lack of air," the youkai said, his tone mocking her concern and laughing at her abilities.
At first she was filled with fear and concern for her brother and her friend. But what the youkai said filled her with anger at him and herself. Anger that he was doing this and that she couldn't get the damn sword to work; not even to save the lives of the people she cared for!
At that thought, the sword glowed in her hand. She looked down and right above the hilt; strange symbols glowed in different colors. As the miko looked at them individually a different sensation filled her. It was then she knew. She knew what she could do and how to do it. Grasping the hilt in both hands she focused on the tendrils holding each of the captives. The blade of the sword was wrapped in tendrils of blue and silver.
"Freeze!" she yelled and swung. The energy from the sword froze the tendrils and the orbs in place.
++ Give me a break, I couldn't think of anything better for her to say.
All the fighting stopped as the combatants stared at what she had just done. The water youkai stopped laughing and glared at her angrily.
"Bitch! What have you done?"
"I never said that I was finished," she whispered.
She dashed forward and using the blade wrapped in fire, destroyed the tendrils sending the orbs crashing to the ground. As the orbs hit the ground, they were destroyed on impact, freeing everyone. Inuyasha, Juanyu, and the others spent a few moments gasping for breath. The water youkai was speechless.
Hikaru stopped a ways down the shoreline and faced the youkai. The flames on the blade were still there but it seemed to crackle with a different tone. "I highly recommend that everyone get down flat on the ground," she stated firmly.
She walked forward, closer to the shore and raised her sword high. From the sky above, thunder could be heard. Suddenly a bolt of lightning shot out of the sky and struck the sword. Amazingly, Hikaru didn't seem effected by it.
"Lightning Strike!" she cried and swung the sword downward, releasing the energy.
The lightning hit the water youkai squarely on the chest and he howled with pain and rage. His body frozen in place with his head tilted towards the heavens. All around the water imps looked on in fear and many decided to run for their lives. Hikaru knelt on the ground, exhausted form the energy use. She thought that the battle was over.
What she didn't notice was that the youkai seemed to have enough strength and power left for one final attack.
"If I die, bitch, you'll come with me," he whispered. He opened his mouth and a ball of energy formed in there.
Inuyasha saw what was going to happen. "Shit," he said.
He grabbed his sword and hurried to protect his sister. He managed to get there in time as the energy was released. The hanyou stood there with transformed Tetsusaiga in his hands, waiting for the right moment. "Like hell, I'll let you hurt her," he murmured.
"Bakuryuuha!" he cried and swung.
The energy went back to its surprised caster and proceeded to burn and tear him to shreds. After he was gone, the water returned to the lake and what was left of the water imps vanished. The humans began clapping and cheering in celebration as the hanyou were taken back to the temple, by order of the old priest.
If anyone had noticed, they would have seen the tears in his eyes.