Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha and co. I don't own any of the songs that I put into the story, except on cd's. But I do own Shiori, Miyu & Koshin Hakogami, Kil Kai-another snow demon from feudal times & Aisu- female snow demon from feudal times, they are all mine.

AN: " " is speaking, ' ' is thought

AN. Just to let you know that I've made spelling/grammer corrections and added a little more detail to the story's chapters. I'm reposting the corrected chapters. But this is still the same story & story line. See if you notice the corrections. And thanks to those that read & review. The reviews mean a lot.

Glossary:

youkai-demon

inu-youkai-dog demon

ningen-human

ookami-wolf demon

osuwari-sit

aisu-ice

CHAPTER 5: Rite of Passage

Everyone followed the Guardian outside. Shiori motioned for Kagome to stand in front of her. She then raised her hands, palms down, to about her waist and closed her eyes. After a heartbeat, snow white candles had appeared, forming an elipical circle that was almost 20 feet in diameter. She, then, opened her eyes and looked at her cousin. "Are you ready?"

Kagome was surprised, but then squared her shoulders and nodded her head. "I'm ready, Guardian." She felt that this was a time to be a little formal and use her cousin's title.

Shiori drew out the still sheathed sword that was to be passed on to Kagome. "This is Guardian's Strength, a sword only a Guardian or a miko can wield. She will keep you safe from demons. You will be able to use your miko powers through her just like you use arrows. I present her to you, Kagome Higerashi, a true born miko. May she serve you well." With that, Shiori turned the still sheathed sword, handle first to Kagome.

Kagome reached for the sword and drew it from its sheath. When her hand closed over the pommel, the candles flamed bright, the flames coming up to their chest in height. Kagome didn't let go of the sword, but pulled it free of its sheath. The sword glowed a warm yellow-orange color in her hand and then quieted down to a soft yellow glow. She then turned her eyes to her cousin, silently asking what happened.

"It looks like Guardian's Strength is yours. Use her well, cousin, mother did. But before you leave, you now have to test the blade against an opponent to get a feel for it," Shiori drew her sword, which glowed bright blue. "You have to fight me." She then went into a fighting stance.

Inu Yasha, who had been watching in amazement with everyone else, became very upset. "What are you talking about? She's never used a sword before. She'll get hurt."

Without taking her eyes off Kagome, Shiori answered, "No, she won't. The sword will help her until she is ready to fight on her own." Then to Kagome, "I will not let you leave the circle until we know for sure that the sword will fight for you. I, also, can not let you go up against anyone else. It would be too dangerous for anyone but me."

"Why?" Miroku asked, intrigued.

"Because, we're family," Kagome answered, softly. "The sword will not try to kill you."

"Oh, it may try, because of the demon blood in my veins, but the Guardian blood will be recognized. It will take a few minutes," Shiori answered, unconcerned.

"Well, then, let's go." Kagome stood as she had seen Inu Yasha stand with his sword, in a defensive stance, with a good grip on the sword.

Shiori struck, with no warning, at Kagome. Before anyone could react, Kagome brought her sword up to block, then turned to strike. Shiori brought up her sword to block and the duel was on. They fought for almost thirty minutes without either of them scoring a hit. Everyone was stunned. They never knew that Kagome could hold her own against anyone like that. They could tell that Shiori was not holding back either. And just as fast as it started, it ended in a draw. Both girls had their swords to the other one's neck.

The candle flames died and the girls stepped back. The Guardian just nodded her head in approval. "Now, the sword is truly yours." She resheathed her sword and closed her eyes. The candles disappeared, almost as if they were never there.

As soon as this was done, then everyone began talking at once. Kaede handed both sweat drenched girls a cup of water. Then asked, "Why is there such a rite in order to pass on the sword?"

Shiori shrugged, "My mother did the same with me, but the sword did not take to me completely. I got hurt. She said this is how it was always done, to make sure that the sword would take to its owner. And if not, it was better to know in a safe environment than in a battle and end up dying." She said this as if it weren't that important. Which means there is more to be said.

"I never knew you were hurt," Kagome said. "How bad? What happened?"

Again, the Guardian shrugged, "It was nothing. I was going against my father and his sword, same as you did. Guardian's Strength was originally supposed to be mine. We met in the training room, same rite, but the sword decided it didn't want me. I went to block and the sword wouldn't let me use it." She paused, then continued, trying to tone down what happened to her. "My father's sword bit deep into my chest. It hurt. He panicked, of course, him and my mother. That was when it was decided that the sword didn't want me. Nothing I could do about it."

"But, why do I have it? What about the other kids?" Kagome asked, saddened by the pain her cousin had to endure with the sword.

She shook her head, "The sword didn't even glow for any of them. My parents thought it would take to me, because when I drew it out, it glowed. I guess not."

Sango looked at Shiori's sword, then asked, "What sword did you use against Kagome?"

Shiori looked down at the sword at her side. "It's my father's, Winter's Kiss, a demon blade." She looked up at eveyone. "After it stabbed me, it called to me. Father found me in the training room using it. He told me, he watched me and knew that this sword was meant for me. Now, it's mine. Simple as that."

Kaede's eye widened at the name of the blade. "Did you say Winter's Kiss, child?"

Shiori looked at the old miko. "Yes, it's old, very old and very powerful, from what Father told me."

"But, that can only be wielded by a snow demon and only by the members of one family. They bare a large black rose with twining vines on their back. Child, do you bare such a mark?" the old miko asked.

Without a single word, the young Guardian let her long-sleeved button shirt slide off her shoulders, showing a black tank top underneath. She then, turned around and moved her hair. In between her shoulder blades was a large, black rose starting at the base of her neck, going down her back with twining vines continueing further down her back, under her shirt.

When she turned around, Kaede was nodding her head. "I thought as much. Do you know anything about your clan?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. Father doesn't like to talk about them. He said, it's because his elders did some terrible things in the past and he does not like to remember them," Shiori answered. She was looking off into the distance when she became fully alert. "We have company coming."

"What kind," Sango asked.

Kagome turned in the direction that her cousin was looking. "I can sense jewel shards and they're coming very fast."

Inu Yasha raised his face and sniffed. Then with a large frown said, "It's wolf. It's Kouga, great. That's all we don't need." Then he began to growl softly, clearly irritated.

Before Shiori could ask who this Kouga was, a small tornado came down the center of the village, towards the group. And just as it got close, a wolf youkai stepped out of it.

"Kagome, my love, I'm glad to see you have come back to me," Kouga greeted, as he took Kagome's hands. "Did you miss me?"

"Uh. . . hi, Kouga. How are things going?" Kagome asked, a bit nervous.

"Oh, they're going fine," he shrugged. "So, when are you going to leave mutt-face and come be with me? You know I'm much better for you than he is."

"Why you wimpy wolf!! No one asked you to be here. Why don't you beat it before I beat your ass!" Inu Yasha yelled, moving towards the wolf youkai.

"Oh yeah? Bring it on, mutt-face! You're nothing. I could tear you apart, but I don't because Kagome seems to want you around," Kouga was yelling back, almost standing toe to toe with the ticked off hanyou.

Shiori was just standing there trying not to laugh. She made a choking sound, and Kagome turned to look at her. The look on her face, one of embarrassment and frustration was too much for the young Guardian to bear. She burst out laughing. Everyone turned to watch the Guardian double over, she was laughing so hard.

"Shiori, this is soo not funny!" Kagome said, hiding her face.

"Oh. . .giggles. . . it is. . . I mean. . . giggles. . . you. . . would be. . . laughing if. . . this was. . . giggles happening. . . to me," she tried to get out. She had to take a deep breath to compose herself. By this time, the 'men' in her cousin's life had stopped arguing and had been staring at her as if she had gone bonkers.

When she was able to stop laughing, Shiori said, "Actually, I did owe you. I mean, how often did you laugh at me when I had guy trouble in junior high? You would laugh yourself silly. Now, this is good, so who is this youkai?"

"Oh, Shiori this is Kouga, leader of the Eastern Wolf Demon Tribe. Kouga, this is my cousin, Shiori. Be careful, she has a strange sense of humor." Kagome shot an irritated look at the Guardian in question. This caused Shiori to just grin, showing that she now had fangs.

Kouga looked from Kagome to Shiori. He then walked over to the latter girl and sniffed the air around her. "What are you? You don't smell human, but you don't smell full youkai. Are you like mutt-face? A half-breed?"

Shiori leaned back a little bit, not really comfortable with a strange, male youkai getting that close to her. "And what do I smell like, wolf?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kouga sniffed again, this time almost getting right to the skin. "I'm not sure, but your eyes are an interesting color, for a human." He said, leaning in closer, looking right into her eyes.

Shiori was getting ticked, "Do you have to get right up in my face? Why do most males feel they have to get right in your grill when they find something interesting? Do you know how rude that is?" She was trying hard not to yell in the wolf youkai's face. It wouldn't have helped anyway.

Before Kouga could say anything, Kagome had walked up to the two, getting almost shoulder to shoulder with Kouga. She let out a small gasp as she looked into Shiori's eyes. "Shiori, they're ice blue. You're going to change tonight, aren't you?"

AN: Well, hope you guys like this chapter. I'm sorry it's so short but I thought that I would let Naraku's little plot have its own chapter. And again, I'm so sorry that I have been slacking on updating. I admit that is was because of a bit of writer's block and because I got so caught up in reading the other wonderful stories on this website. How do you guys like it so far? Please read & review. Or I won't write any more!!! just kidding, please review.

I would like to thank my wonderful editor, ninjawarrior4life, my bro. glad you like it.

And thanks to everyone who has been reading this story from the beginning when I first started posting it. And to those who read and like it.

THX to all my readers.