The Mysterious Springs

Chapter 2: Love Reborn

The following day was quite hectic both to Miko and Inuyasha. Miko spent it learning to recognize and mix medicinal herbs, meditating (and falling asleep during it) and practicing archery, while Inuyasha had several kinds of exercises and fencing lessons, although he couldn't transform Tessaiga into its true shape yet. Once night came, they could only go to sleep until the next day, in which they would resume their respective trainings. The next morning, both were training with their weapons again...

- "Go!" – Miko screamed as she shot an arrow, but the arrow ended falling down in front of the target she was using to practice. They were in a small plain outside the village and near a forest.

- "Not again!" – she said very disappointed.

- "You have to learn how to grasp and aim your arrows better" – Kaede sighed upon seeing how hard it was for the girl to understand the basics of archery – "Honestly speaking, I wouldn't mind it so much if at least you could make a Purifying Arrow..." -

- "Ok, I'll try it again" – Miko said as she readied another arrow. When she released the string, the arrow covered itself in a shining blue aura, making Miko fall to the ground from the impression and miss the target again.

- "Kaede-obaasan, did you see what I did?" – Miko asked excitedly.

- "Yes, I see you're improving very quickly" – Kaede congratulated her as she helped Miko to stand up again – "Continue like this, and I guarantee you will have it mastered very soon" -

- "Yes, thanks!" – she said as she made a short bow before Kaede. Then, she turned to face the target and readied another arrow – "I'll try one last time" –

She shot the arrow, and to her surprise, it didn't only cover itself on a blue aura, but it also struck the exact center of the target.

- "Yeah! At last I did it!" – Miko screamed as she jumped up and down in happiness.

- "Splendid, child! Splendid!" – Kaede told her smiling as she put her right hand on the child's shoulder – "We've finished for today, so you can go play now" –

- "Yes! Thank you!" – Miko bowed before her and ran off back to the village.

*******

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was training with Totosai inside the forest. Totosai was an old man dressed in a ragged green kosode and hakama with black markings, was almost entirely bald save for a tied up bun of white hair, had pointed ears, white beard and whiskers and large black eyes.

- "Remember, Tessaiga will only transform if it feels that you want to use it to protect someone else" – Totosai told Inuyasha while the small hanyou swung the sword fiercely, but without getting any results.

- "I'm trying to concentrate in that idea, but I can't do it!" – he replied in frustration.

- "Foolish boy. Just try swinging the sword once more, and let's see what you do" – Totosai said in a tired voice.

- "Ok, here it goes" – and he then swung the sword, which changed into its true shape.

- "At last I did it!" – Inuyasha said filled with happiness, but the sword returned to its battered stated an instant later.

- "Argh!" – he roared as he swung the sword enraged. This time, it did transform and stuck on its true shape.

- "I did it!" – Inuyasha said to then begin jumping joyfully. He then began looking at the magnificent sword he had in his hand.

- "Whoa! I didn't expect it to be so large and so light too!" – he said while he held the sword aloft to examine it carefully.

- 'What strength! Even as a kid, he can hold the sword in its true form without any problem!' – Totosai thought scared. He then went to Inuyasha with a smile on his face: