The gang has finally arrived at their destination, but there's a slight problem...
"Tsukiko! Did you lead us the right way?" Inuyasha asked,
"Yes I did! I don't know why it's not here!" Tsukiko argued back,
"All that I see is a dead end!" Inuyasha said,
The gang did arrived at their destination, but the opening of the cave is nowhere to be found,
"Tsukiko let me see the map," Miroku said, and Tsukiko hands him the map,
"No, this is right, this is the place," Miroku said,
"I think that all we have to do is find the entrance," Sango said
"Hmmm, maybe we should circle around this hill," Kagome said
"Good idea, Miroku and I will take the right side," Sango said
"Inuyasha and I'll take the left side,"
"Guess Sesshomaru and I will take the top," Tsukiko said
"All right then, if anyone found the exit just shout, okay?" Kagome said, then three groups went their different ways,
"This is stupid, I don't remember going through a lot of trouble to get Tessaiga," Inuyasha said
"Hey! You were tricked by a demon to think that she was your mother, then you got your right eye hurt because Sesshomaru took the black pearl from your eye, and we were almost killed because of him, so you're saying we didn't go through a lot of trouble?" Kagome said
"....fine!"
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Sesshomaru, Jaken, and Tsukiko has made it to the top, and is now searching for an entrance,
"Hmmm, Ohh this is ridiculous where is the entrance?" Jaken said "Hey Tsukiko! Is your father serious about giving your sword to you? Or is he only trying to-!"
"Would you stop that!" Tsukiko said "Before I read his letter, I've always thought that he left me and my mother for no reason, but now I know why....I shouldn't have doubted him,.....so yes, he is serious," Tsukiko said to Jaken, and Sesshomaru just stared at her, deep in thought
Sesshomaru has went through the same thing like her,
The Inu no Taisho gave him the Tenseiga so he could learn about compassion, and help him get stronger, but because of his desire for Tessaiga, he is blinded to see his father's long term plan, to help Sesshomaru surpass him,
In the end he received Bakusaiga, as proof that he has surpass his father in power,
"Sesshomaru...Sesshomaru?" Tsukiko called out to him, which snap him back to reality,
"Milord are you alright?" Jaken asked,
"I'm fine.." Sesshomaru said,
"This is really confusing...where is the entr-Ahhhh!!" Suddenly the ground below Tsukiko cracked and she fell down, but Sesshomaru held her hand in time,
"Fool, watch where you step,"
"Sorry!" Tsukiko apologized, but she can't help that her heart is beating fast, as Sesshomaru held her hand,
Then in one quick motion he pulled her up safe and sound, still holding Tsukiko's hand,
"Hey! We found the entra-what happened?" Kagome and Inuyasha came toward them, but is surprised when they see Sesshomaru held Tsukiko's hand, she quickly pulled her hand away while blushing,
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The others went to the entrance Kagome and Inuyasha found, however it's locked.
"Well we found the entrance, now what?" Miroku said looking at the large door,
"How do we open this door?" Kagome said
"Maybe there's a key?"
"Huh! Let's just get to it!" Inuyasha draws Tessaiga,
"Ahh! Kagome!" Tsukiko said
"Sit boy!"
"Aghh!"
"We can't open the door by force, the inside will probably be destroyed," Tsukiko said "Hmmm, there's gotta be something here," Tsukiko said as she slide her hand on the door, then she found a handprint,
"Hmm, I wonder...." Tsukiko placed her hand on the print, and her body is surrounded by the light, then the door begins to shine
"Whoa! What's happening?" Shippo said
"I think it's opening," Kagome said
Then the door rose up, and inside thousands of crystals lit up the dark cave,
"Wooooow! It's so beautiful!" Sango said
Then they followed the crystals and they went deeper into the cave,
Then they see a light showing the way out, when they reached the light
They're eyes are meet with the beautiful scenery of the cave,
(I was thinking that the inside of the cave has a small lake in the middle just like in the picture and on the sides there are four different trees in a different season, on the north is winter the part is covered in snow, on the right is summer, on the south is spring with a cherry blossom tree, and on the left is autumn)
They entered the cave from the spring-side, and in the middle....
There's a small stone and there's Tsukiko's father's sword stuck into it,
"Look there's the sword!" Shippo said
Tsukiko ran toward her father's sword, she stares at the sword for awhile before she placed her hand on the sword, but she was unable to pull it out,
"Ugh!..i-it won't..budge.." Tsukiko said
"C'mon don't tell me Kagome has to pull it out," Inuyasha said
Suddenly, the sword shines brightly blinding everyone, and when the light died out, Tsukiko and the sword is nowhere to be seen,
"Wahhh! Where is she!?" Shippo asked flustered,
"Tsukiko...."
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In a white-misty dimension, Tsukiko is floating facing her father's sword, then a figure appears, it's a woman
The scene changes to autumn as the two of them faced each other,
"Who are you?" The woman asked,
"I-I am Tsukiko...wh-who are you?"
"I am Akira, an Autumn beast also the first beast to inherit the power of light,"
"W-what you mean you're the first generation beast?" Tsukiko asked
"Yes that is correct, and I assume that you are that child, the dog demon told me about,"
"Wait, dog demon? You mean you met my father?"
"I can't believe your mother, a beasts fell in love with your father a demon," Akira said with an angry face,
"Is there a problem with that?" Tsukiko asked a little offended,
"Demons are the reason the darkness broke free, I don't trust demons,"
"Then what about my father? You said it yourself, he's a demon. So why did you trust him?"
"Before he confronted Fuyukotsu he came to me, he told me about you his half-breed daughter who inherited the power of the light.
He asked me a favor, that if he dies I will keep his sword safe in this cave until you come to retrieve it, I tried to stop him saying that it's a foolish act, but your father was a stubborn man....."
"I see..." Then Tsukiko started to cry,
"I don't know why the light chose you as it's new wielder, after all you're born from a demon," Akira said
"Well you can trust me, I'm here to retrieve my father's sword that can help in battle," Tsukiko said with a serious face,
"I see, I didn't believe your father at first but he's very persuasive, so I did what he asked me to do,"
"U-um Ms. Akira.."
"Call me Akira,"
"Y-yes, there's something I would like to ask you....what exactly happened years ago?" Tsukiko asked hesitantly,
".....would you like to know...about how to the two most powerful elements was released?"
Tsukiko nodded,
"It all happened years ago, but I can still remember that day clearly......
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Years ago, when the two powers were not yet released....
The four beasts guarded the two elements, there are two female beasts, the autumn one and the spring one. And there are two male beasts, the winter one and the summer one. Apparently, the winter beast named Yukihiko was in love with another being and that's a demon, this relationship was unknown by the other beasts,
They were very close, they understood each other but one day....
Yukihiko returned in anger, Akira confronted him
"Yukihiko! What on earth are you doing!?" Akira shouted
"Grrr! Leave me be! She's a traitor!" Yukihiko shouted in anger "Demons are foul creatures that can never be trusted! There's no such thing as love, love is for the weak, love is for fools!" Yukihiko begins to throw a number of giant ices,
"Yukihiko are you crazy!"
"Work with me Akira, I'll destroy every demons there is," Yukihiko said with a look of madness, then he starts to walk away,
"No...no this... isn't right...Yukihiko!"
"Do not get in my way!" He threw Akira out of his way and she whined,
At that moment the crystal seal of the darkness starts to crack, and the darkness breaks free and enters Yukihiko, giving him the power of the darkness,
After that, the light breaks free from its crystal seal and enters Akira, giving its power,
Filled with anger and hatred, Yukihiko who's possessed by the darkness went to attack Akira, and they soon battled each other, which in the end Yukihiko lost,
Akira and the light, Yukihiko and the darkness were sealed, and after years and years have passed the darkness chose Fuyukotsu as it's new wielder and the light chose Tsukiko,
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"And that's how everything happened......all because of love,....I wish I could have saved him...he was my friend...,"
"Love is strange...." Tsukiko mumbled,
"What?..."
"N-no it's nothing, it's just what my mother used to say to me, she said that a person who's in love will do anything for the person he or she is in love with. I just thought that
sometimes we could be blinded by love, we'll be unable to see the truth...."
"You're a strange girl.....very well then....our talk will have to stop here, your friends are worried about you," Akira said,
"Yes..."
"But before you go...." Suddenly Akira vanished
"Akira? Akira?" Tsukiko looked everywhere but she's nowhere to be found, but suddenly someone appeared behind her,
It's her father!
"F-father....Father!" Tsukiko ran to her father and he embraced her,
"Tsukiko....look how you've grown," Her father's stroke her head gently and lovingly, she cried in her father's embrace,
"Father, I'm sorry I doubted you! Please forgive me!"
"Tsukiko....no matter what happens I will always love you and your mother....you are my life, and I will always be with you....I will assist you through this sword, use it the Kinkouga," Her father stroke her head once again before disappearing again,
"Father....." She held her father's sword, the Kinkouga tightly in her hands, then Akira shows up again,
"Say Tsukiko....I was just wondering, what's with your memory?"
"What...do you mean?"
"Something seems a bit off, there seems to be something that was replaced or missing,"
"I-I don't understand,"
"Then tell me, how did your mother die?"
"She died of old age, I saw her death with my own eyes,"
"...is that true?....she didn't kill herself?" Akira said that and suddenly Tsukiko felt a sharp pain in her head,
"W-what!?...." Tsukiko held her head in pain,
"Someone messed with your memories, someone wanted you to forget something terrible, you have to find out who it is!" After Akira said that Tsukiko is blinded by a light....
'I've added something to your sword that might help you..' Akira said before disappearing
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Back at the cave....
The others were waiting for Tsukiko to return, but they were getting impatient,
"Grrr! Darn it! We have to go find her, she's been gone for too long!" Inuyasha said
"Inuyasha calm down, I'm sure she'll be back soon," Miroku said
Sesshomaru is staring at the lake where Tsukiko disappeared along with the sword, he was also worried about her but it's not shown on his face,
'What's taking her so long?..' He thought
Kagome who's sitting a little bit far from him saw him looking at the lake,
'Sesshomaru...could he be worried about Tsukiko?....No, that can't be it, yeah! There's no way that the aloof and indifferent Sesshomaru would be worried, right? Hehehe, what am I thinking? Of course he's changed a bit, but there's no way, right?' Kagome thought,
"Hey Kagome! What're spacing out on about?" Inuyasha asked,
"N-no, n-nothing in particular hehe," Kagome said flustered while waving her hand,
Suddenly the center of the lake started to shine, and from it Tsukiko emerged from it,
"Tsukiko! You're back!" Shippo jumped onto her shoulder,
"Sorry, I must've made you all worried," Tsukiko apologized
"Well the important thing is that you are safe, and you got the sword," Sango said
"So what happened? What took you so long?" Inuyasha asked
And so Tsukiko told them everything that happened while she was with Akira,
"I see, so you met the first beast that inherited the power of light," Miroku said
"So she had the same power as you huh," Inuyasha said,
"And the beast who received the power of the darkness was also a winter beast,"
"Well now we got the sword, so I suppose we should go back to Totosai, after all he said we should visit him again when we got the sword," Kagome said
"Yeah....let's get going,"
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Before they left, Tsukiko closed the entrance to the cave so that no stranger could enter it, and so they head toward Totosai once again....
"What took you so long?" Sesshomaru asked Tsukiko in a quite voice, they were both in the back of the group, the others were talking with each other,
"Well....I met my father..." Tsukiko said while holding the Kinkouga,
"....I see," Sesshomaru said to her as he looked down on her,
Kagome who's in front of them along with Inuyasha looks back, and she saw Sesshomaru looking at Tsukiko, her head is filled with more questions and she feels more curious about Sesshomaru and Tsukiko,
Note : The name of Tsukiko's sword is the Kinkouga, Kinkou means 'balance' I looked into it from the internet http://www.angelfire.com/pro/sonkei/words.html.