InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mitsukaitou: Blade of the Angel ❯ Chapter 4

Kagome returned to the feudal era promptly at five o'clock. Inuyasha noticed something strange. Kagome was wearing...a kimono! Not only that, but she didn't have her usual bag, but a new one. Something was definitely wrong. Unless she was just coming to terms with the fact that she stuck out like a slug demon in this time. But, that wasn't likely.

"Hi Inuyasha!" she chirped happily.

"Whaddya want?" he replied gruffly. She sighed. It wasn't possible to miss that!

"Just to say hi, and I'm back."

"I know when you're back." She sighed again.

"Of course you do Inuyasha." She said exasperatedly. Then she called for her friend. "Sango!"

"She's not around. She took off after you left and hasn't come back." came Miroku's voice in response to Kagome's calling.

"Oh, thanks Miroku." Kagome said. With that she started pacing, Shippo mimicking her every move. Then he began to copy her in front of her. "Shippo!" she exclaimed, startled by the kitsune's sudden appearance.

"You forgot about me!" he whined. Kagome scooped him up in her arms.

"No I didn't Shippo! I would never forget you! I just have other things on my mind. I'll play with you right now to make up for it!" This sufficed for the young child, and he kept Kagome busy with self-created games until Sango returned from her old village at seven.

"Kagome! Sorry I'm late, a couple of villagers needed my help."

"That's okay! Shippo and I were having fun anyway. Shippo, I'm sorry, but I'm going to go with Sango now, okay? Make sure those two idiots don't follow us, okay?" Kagome said, looking pointedly at Inuyasha and Miroku. Shippo smiled grandly, proud of having such an important job.

"Kagome, I like your kimono..." Sango dove into conversation as she and Kagome left hearing range of the camp. "Now, the first thing is to saturate the bone so that you can shape it." Said Sango as she pulled a shoulder blade from the pouch on her back. "For that we're going to have to go down to the hot spring, hot water helps to soften it more quickly you see." Just by the way Sango explained every little detail, Kagome could tell that Sango had been teaching others this very thing for the greater part of her life. "Once it's softened, you'll need the proper tools to puncture it. I've got that here," she said, pulling another bone from her pack, only this was long and narrow with a rock tip attached to one end. "And you have to be very careful when you put in the holes. You have to break through to the marrow, but not through it, on both sides. You can't puncture the bone marrow, because that's what filters the air. You see?"

"Yeah, I'd never thought of how it worked, that's pretty smart!" Kagome said, looking appreciatively at Sango. To consider their time, that was pretty advanced, and must have taken a long time to perfect. She felt honored to be part of the very small number of people who carried the knowledge of creating this mask.

"Great! Alright, let's head to the spring, it's nearby." Sango showed Kagome exactly how to shape the bone, and made a few demonstration holes for Kagome. Kagome finished that task. Then they made four holes on the edges and tied to them a ribbon that would hook behind the ears. Kagome admired their handy work.

Not bad...She thought, It'll do the job, at least.

"Now, Kagome, I have to ask, you don't need this because, I mean, you don't plan to go after...you know, by yourself?"

"No Sango, don't worry. I do not plan to use this to battle miasma. But I happen to know that stronger youkai have gasses within their bodies, and the second I penetrate their skin it'll come pouring out at me. I'd rather not die off the bat because I was stupid enough to be unprepared for such a common thing." Sango sighed relief.

"Oh good. I mean, I didn't think you would rush into battle with Naraku, but one can never be sure about these things, you know? Now, what are you doing for a weapon?"

"I have a plan worked out up here," she said, tapping her temple, "and I just have to see if ol' Toutousai will go along with it. He should, seeing as I'm one of the good guys."

"You're going to have, that, that...crazy old man, make you a sword?" Sango asked incredulously.

"Mmmhmm!" she responded. "He may be crazy and he may be old, but you can't deny that he absolutely knows what he's doing."

"No, I guess not..." Sango said dazedly.

"So, I'm going to him directly after I leave here. Then I'll start towards Tsukyo."

"Tsukyo?"

"Yeah, it's this little village that's just riddled with demons. Inuyasha hasn't caught word of it yet, plus there's bound to be a jewel shard wealth there with so many demons."

"I've heard of it. The villagers used to have us there constantly. Are you sure that's where you want to go to start off? I mean, since you haven't had any experience."

"It'll be hard, but perfect. There weak youkai all along the outside, then middle class guards, -"

"And every sort of demon you can imagine roaming within the guards' boundaries." Sango finished.

"Exactly! I can work my way up!"

"Decent logic, unless any of those offending demons are out of place. Had you considered that?"

"Yeah, but don't worry Sango! I'll be fine. I've learned a lot, even just watching you guys. I can always back out, if things get too harsh."

"Yeah, I guess so. Maybe we should go back to camp now, it's pretty dark." Sango replied distantly. She wouldn't sleep the slightest bit until she knew Kagome was safely out of the cursed village of Tsukyo. There were thousands of demons there; Kagome would have to learn to sleep with one eye open. She was probably right about the jewel shards. But where there were jewel shards, there was certainly competition, strong competition. The words, "In over her head" repeated themselves all the way back to camp.

That's an understatement for most beginners such as her. But maybe, maybe Kagome is different. Maybe she can just handle it...Sango thought under the cries of, "In over her head" and, "Well, you can say goodbye to your friend here and now."

"Where were you two?" Inuyasha growled angrily as the two.

"Yes, just where could you spend so long?" asked Miroku accusingly.

"Hot springs" Sango and Kagome said in unison.

"SURE you were." Said Inuyasha and Miroku, who promptly glared at the other for stealing their words. The girls laughed and went to the places where they would sleep. Sango looked at Kagome briefly before closing her eyes. This would be the last night they would spend together. A single tear slipped out of her eye before she fell into a dark pool of sleep.

Inuyasha was sitting in his tree, watching over the camp. There was definitely something up with Kagome. Maybe he'd ask her about it tomorrow. Maybe not, she might be touchy and never talk to him again. Or sit him. Or be mad. Maybe he would just drop it. That would be wise. He nodded and dropped his guard enough to sink into sleep.

Kagome woke with the sun. She grumbled. Sure, she wasn't tired, but that was beyond the point.

NO ONE, and I repeat, NO ONE should have to wake up at sunrise! She thought angrily as she went off to the hot springs. Ahh, the best part of Kaede's village; can't beat a hot bath, even in the summertime! After an hour, Sango joined her.

"Hi Kagome! I thought you might be here!"

"Where else?" they both giggled, though were serious within, this light comment having a deeper underlying meaning. Kagome sighed, allowing herself to fully sink under the water.

The day passed slowly and uneventfully. Inuyasha had followed Kagome around like a puppy, and noticed that it didn't bother her. She was very clingy with Shippo, and she and Sango kept throwing these looks at each other that held some heavy secret.

Miroku seemed just as clueless as Inuyasha, which cheered the hanyou a bit. At least he wasn't the only one out on the secret as usual. It REALLY bugged him when they did that. They'd all be laughing at some joke, which was probably on him, and he'd have to spend the rest of the day trying to figure it out. By the time he usually did, they'd be laughing at something else. If he ever ran out of reasons to hate humans, he could fuel himself on those stupid inside jokes.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, who was right behind her. She'd noticed that he'd been particularly close to her that day. Did he know something was up? A million concerns filled her mind. Until, of course, he noticed her looking at him, "feh'd," and leapt away to god knew where. She sighed. It was almost time to sleep, anyway, so she curled down into her sleeping bag and dropped off into sleep, mentally coaching herself on how soon to wake up. Seeing Kagome go to sleep, everyone else decided it would be a good time to do the same. Sango looked at Kagome, sighing. She would be gone in the morning. Her ever-present cheerfulness would be gone. Shippo's mother figure. Miroku's savior. Inuyasha's 'chill pill.' Her very own best friend. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Something big. Something Kagome couldn't be able to handle on her own.

Kagome's body woke her up around three in the morning. She listened to Inuyasha's breathing and heartbeat. Both were smooth and calm, symbols of sleep. She silently crept to the bottom of his tree and looked up at him. He seemed so childlike when he was sleeping.

"Kagome, don't go." He murmured. Her breath caught. He was awake! "Ow. Stupid wench. Go then, see if I care..." Thank god. He was dreaming about her going down the well. She went over to Shippo. Her little baby. He'd be so miserable without her. She pulled a piece of paper and pen from her bag.

To Sango she wrote, "One more favor, make Shippo feel loved. Tell him I'll be back soon. I will." Miroku's note said, "Grope any girl other than Sango, and you'll have a permanent slap mark from yours truly." A note to Shippo, which Sango or Miroku would for him, simply claimed, "I will always love you. Don't worry about me." She tucked them under the pillows of their intended readers. Her final note was to Inuyasha. She paused. "Inuyasha- Trust me. I'll never betray you. Don't worry. I'll be seeing you." In a moment of bitterness, she stuck it to the tree's scar, the place where Inuyasha had been held captive for so long, with a dagger, which she'd brought just for that purpose.

"Farewell." She whispered as she left the warmth of camp. Her sensitive hearing picked up Inuyasha's sleep-filled words-

"Don't go Kagome..." A stab of pain ran through her heart as she took off towards the river, where her scent would be lost.

Kagome soon found herself wading in thigh deep water. The best thing about traveling at night? You could hitch your kimono up to your waist and no one would ever know about it. She smiled. Not even the best nose would be able to find her this way. Not only that, but the wind was at her back, so that even when she felt it safe to travel on land, her scent would be blown away from Inuyasha and Shippo. Toutousai kept quarters not far from here. She already knew the old man would be able to finish the sword in less than an hour. She'd be more than securely distanced from Inuyasha. But then, she'd seen him run after her before. She suddenly felt a stab of guilt for Sango. Inuyasha would KNOW that she knew something; he'd probably have her pinned against a tree, or on the ground with his heel to her throat, if not his katana. He'd go positively insane! Too bad she'd have to miss Miroku bashing Inuyasha on the head with his staff to save his Sango...

She felt the wind shift ever so slightly, and that was when she realized the way it had moved was indicating the path to Toutousai's mountainside workplace. It seemed that the conditions were aiding her flight, to a point beyond that where she could be thankful. Some things were just frightening, and having the fates with you on your personal Mission Impossible trek was one of them. Kagome passed the silent trees making all the noise that they did. Smoke rose from a chimney, and hushed red silk flames caressed a pile of wood through the window. Toutousai sat in a chair near the fire. Kagome rapped on the door. The old man jumped, and went to answer the door. Recognition flashed in his eyes.

"Kagome! How are you? What brings you hear at this hour?"

"I'd love to say I'm just catching up on the latest gossip, but I need a favor."

"Yes?" he asked.

"A sword."

"A sword?"

"Yes. I would appreciate if you could make a sword for me."

"Why do you want me to forge a sword for you?" He asked as he ushered her in. She gave him a vague view of what had happened.

"So you see, I need to be on my own, but I can't do it defenseless, and I know that you're the best."

"Indeed. How much time do you have?"

"Oh, Inuyasha wakes up in about an hour, I'd say three hours tops." He looked at her, the fire reflecting in his eyes.

"Alright. I could make you a sword. I could make a sword that's every bit as good as Inuyasha's and better, if you could spare one of your fangs."

"First of all, I don't ready NEED a sword like Inuyasha's, and second, wouldn't the fang have to be of a full youkai to be large enough?"

"I want someone to put that pup in his place. And a incisor is a tooth is a fang. There's no blood. Removed from the body's blood, it can be anything."

"Alright. If that's what you want to do."

"I'm getting older, Kagome. The issue at hand is no longer what I want to do, but leaving a few more signature pieces. This sword could be the best. True, any tooth can be anything, but yours has the influence of miko energy AND youkai power. It has great potential..." The man rambled on as he led Kagome to his workplace where he proceeded to remove one of her sharper canines (which was quickly replaced) and create of it a blade.

It was obvious to Kagome that Toutousai's intent was indeed to create memorable works, as there were about five magnificent handles hanging on a wall. He lifted one of them. It was solid gold, shaped like a dragon with jade eyes and silver accents. He shook his head. The next was a simple jade oval, which would fit perfectly into one's hand. Golden teardrops held a clear path around the top and bottom of the jade hilt. He nodded, and set his mind on uniting the blade with its hilt. Kagome would have protested something so glamorous, but she didn't dare disturb Toutousai or disrespect his wishes. He held the now metal blade beneath a jet of cool water. An undulation of steam signified the blade's undisputed completion. Before he gave it to her, however, he took a slender, white-hot rod, and wrote into the blade, "Mitsukaitou." With that, he offered her the hilt. She took it without prompting. The jade was cool and smooth in her hand, the slightly raised golden studs giving the exact position of her fingers. She looked at the gleaming blade; the tri-faceted surface winking back three perfect flames at her.

"Wow..." she managed.

"Wow is right. This is my best work yet, I think!" he said proudly. "Knowing your personality, I'd say your first attack will probably be Tenrai Uindo."

"What?"

"Well you didn't think I'd make a divine weapon such as this without giving it a multitude of attacks!"

"Well, uh, what are my attacks?" Toutousai hesitated, but decided to tell her anyway.

"You have a total of six attacks."

"That many?"

"Don't interrupt me. Now, with the miko properties to fool around with, these are what could be most to your advantage. There's Tenrai Mizu, Tenrai Kasai, Tenrai Uindo, Junsei Aisu Yaiba, Junsei Kasai Yaiba, and Junsei Uindo Yaiba. You'll have to find out what they do for yourself. You'd better get along now, it's nearly sunrise."

"I don't know how to thank you Toutousai." She said, bowing.

"A 'Domo Arigatou' would be well placed." She smiled.

"Domo Arigatou, Toutousai." She said before running out the door, demonic speeds carrying her beyond the wind. Low and behold, when she looked into the sky, it was dyed crimson, indigo, and ginger. The sky was beautiful and frightening at the same time. She was free, on her own; but she was unprotected by Inuyasha, unsure of how to use her own sword, and very much taken in by her own sudden power.

"Mitsukaitou, huh? I wonder how you'll fare against this Tsukyo." She pondered quietly. It was not the blade she questioned, but her own abilities. She ran as quickly as she could, putting behind her as much land as she could. She stopped in a grassy clearing, panting. She wanted to drop to the lush and inviting looking grass, but instead made sure to stretch her muscles. She stood, leaning against a thick sakura tree. She looked to her side. A sleekly polished black sheath was there. She unfastened it from its place on her obi and looked at it. Toutousai did nothing halfway. Two perfect and refined jade wings were outlined with precise gold paint. Running about the very top of the scabbard was a dark green silk cord, which trailed down to two faultless tassels near the middle of the sheath's length. She sighed contentedly and pulled out the sword, very slowly, in a way that caught the fresh leaves and crisp light.

"Am I an angel?" she pondered, looking at the words the old sword smith had inscribed. The characters were deliberate and sharp, yet graceful. She sheathed Mitsukaitou and sat for a while, a strange emotion welling up inside of her. Anticipation? She stood and drew the sword again, willing it to become the full size of her youkai's full demon form. Instantly the sword responded. She looked at it, admiration in her eyes. A silver-pink aura framed the inner blue one. She knew that it was channeling her miko energy; she could feel it within every part of her body. It set her senses wild.

Now, she thought, Tenrai Uindo, I imagine you must use wind in some way...

Kagome closed her eyes. When they opened, the pupils were blue, her irises a pink tinted silver, exactly like Mitsukaitou's aura. In her mind she had held wind. The wind within her spirit, she forced through her arms and hands, past the hilt, into the sword's very blade. She focused. Along the outmost edge of Mitsukaitou's powerful, she could feel a second razor-sharp blade of wind, waiting for her guidance.

Control...she thought, forcing the wind into a thin breeze. She experimentally flicked the blade towards the ground. The wind obeyed the sword and shot into the earth.

"I see." She said, and continued to work on the Tenrai Uindo until she'd perfected it; concentrated it to any level, pushed it any distance. She attempted another, Tenrai Mizu, but was unsuccessful.

More work. She thought determinedly, returning the fang to its narrow metal structure, a formidable weapon in itself. She returned it once again to its sheath and ran at inhuman speeds to the east, where she would find the city of Tsukyo. All fear was gone; there was no room for it. A steady mental mantra fell into time with her footfalls.

Vigilance and practice. Vigilance and practice. Vigilance and practice…

I've got GOODIES for you! TRANSLATIONS!

Mitsukaitou-Angel blade (I guess you figgered that out when you read the title)

Mitsukai-Angel (Who'd 'a guessed?)

Tou- blade (Well dur)

Tenrai Mizu-Divine Water

Tenrai Kasai-Divine Fire

Tenrai Uindo- Divine Wind

Junsei Aisu Yaiba- Perfect Ice Blade

Junsei Kasai Yaiba- Perfect Fire Blade

Junsei Uindo Yaiba- Perfect Wind Blade