InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Spirits of the Past ❯ Never Eat Burritos Before Bedtime ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all related characters, locations, plots, etc. belong to Rumiko Takahashi. No money is being made on this little piece of drivel. I promise to return all characters none-the-worse-for-wear upon the story's completion.


Spirits of the Past
by: darke wulf

Chapter Two: Never Eat Burritos Before Bedtime

Kagome slowly and laboriously pulled herself up from the depths of unconsciousness, noting in passing that she was no longer in pain. That thought gave her pause, as she sould not recall what had happened that would make her expect to be in pain upon rejoining the land of the living. Hoping to find a solution to this puzzle, she slowly opened her eyes, blinking twice in an attempt to clear the sleep from them, to see...nothing.

"What the...where am I?" Kagome looked around the inky blackness that surrounded her, stretching as far as she could see. "Ok, what the heck happened? The last thing I remember, I was in Inuyasha's Dad's tomb. Sesshoumaru was about to kill Inuyasha, and I...accidentally pulled Tetsusaiga from its altar. Then...Oh!"

Gray-blue eyes flew down to examine her body, expecting to see rivers of blood and at least some third degree burning. The blue pools widened in shock when she realized that she appeared to be completely unharmed. /That strange light,/ she thought to herself, /it hurt so much. I thought I was going to die./

"Then again, maybe I did," she commented out loud, seeking to fill the overwhelming silence, as she once again surveyed her environment. "Maybe I did die, and this is the afterlife, or limbo, or something..."

"Nothing so drastic, young pup," a deep, masculine voice chuckled from behind her.

Spinning around, Kagome took in the took in the figure before her. Silvery hair flowed down his back, and an elfin face highlighted by two red slashes on each cheek and a dark blue crescent moon on the pale forehead studied her closely. Her fear nearly overwhelmed her; immediately she began to frantically search for some way to escape from the monster in front of her.

"Calm yourself, pup. I mean you no harm." the figure instructed, his voice soothing, with an underlying warmth that hadn't been there when last she had gazed upon this youkai.

Kagome stared at the figure in disbelief. "Sesshoumaru?"

A small, sad smile graced the face of the inu-youkai. "Nay, pup. You confuse me with my son."

Calming slightly at that information, though still remaining wary, Kagome took a closer look, noticing for the first time the differences between Sesshoumaru and this demon who claimed to be his father. Where Sesshoumaru had hair that came well past his knees, his Father's was shorter, reaching only to his hips. Instead of the white and red that Sesshoumaru wore, this figure was clothed in dark blue, with gold highlights that perfectly matched the eyes that were even now shining kindly at her.

The eyes...that was where the true difference lay. Sesshoumaru glared down upon the world with two cold chips of ice, held in a face whose emotionless mask was broken only by contempt and hatred. These eyes now before her, though, they burned brightly with compassion and concern.

/No, this is definitely not Sesshoumaru. But, if he really is his father, than that means.../ "Oh, so you're Inuyasha's father, too!"

The ancient demon's smile now showed definite amusement. "Hai. Inuyasha is also my son. Please, forgive my lack of manners. I am Inutaisho, former Taiyoukai of the Western Lands."

Suddenly thankful to her Mother for forcing her to learn her manners, Kagome gave a deep bow and replied, "Higurashi Kagome. It is an honor to meet you, my Lord."

"Beautiful and well-bred," the inu-youkai chuckled, "my son is indeed fortunate."

"Huh?" Kagome eloquently spoke up. "I'm sorry sir, but neither of your sons are very fond of me."

An obviously pained Inutaisho nodded his head slowly. "Hai, I know. I still keep watch over them, though I beyond being able to aid or protect them. Please, do not judge then too harshly. Both have had difficult lives. I am afraid I have failed them both terribly." This last was quietly murmured, almost as if her were speaking more to himself than to Kagome. "But that is not why you were brought here," he sighed, shaking himself out of his melancholy. "We have much to do, and little time in which to accomplish it."

Kagome looked at the demon as if he had suddenly sprouted a second head. "We do?"

"Hai. It will take time to transfer my knowledge, skill, and power to you, Kagome, but you will need all I can impart to you if you are to become the new Master... or Mistress as the case may be, of the Tetsusaiga."

"Master, Mistress, me?" Kagome squeaked. "But, I thought you had left the Tetsusaiga for Inuyasha, or Sesshoumaru. At least not some random human girl. Besides, I've never even thought of using a sword before. Heck, I've never had any kind of martial arts training or anything. Though, now that I think of it, that might not be a bad idea the next time I go home, but that's beside the point. I can't be the Tetsusaiga's Master...er... Mistress...whatever...I don't have any special powers or anything. I'm just a normal teenage girl. It just doesn't make any..."

"Pup!" Inutaisho appeared next to Kagome suddenly, gently cupping her face with one of his clawed hands. "You are not just some random girl. You are very special. Otherwise you would never have been able to even enter my tomb, much less draw the Tetsusaiga. You do have the potential of being able to wield my fang, if you so choose. And I am afraid that there will be little choice but for you to do so. A terrible evil has been reawakened by the return of the Shikon no Tama to this world. If humanity is to be saved, it is up to you to defeat it, and to do so you will need the Tetsusaiga."

"But, why me?" Wouldn't Inuyasha, or even Sesshoumaru, be a better choice? I mean, they're you're sons! And they're both really good fighters. And they bother have amazing powers!"

"As do you, young miko. You simply have not yet learned how to access and control them. As for my sons, they would be able to use the Tetsusaiga, at least at this time. I had the sword created to aid in protecting Inuyasha's Mother, my human mate. To wield it, to be able to draw on its powers, one must have a desire to aid humans, a sense of compassion; something, I am afraid, that neither of them possesses."

"But Inuyasha's Mother was human, and he obviously still loves her. Surely he at least..."

"Hai, his Mother was human. And she died while he was still just a young pup, abandoning him, in his eyes, to survive alone in a world that loathed him simply for existing. All his life, he has been ostracized by humans, until the final perceived betrayal by the miko Kikyo. Iie, Inuyasha has even more cause to hate human than does Sesshoumaru."

"Oh," Kagome sighed. "I guess I never really thought about it like that. Poor Inuyasha, that's so terrible that he had to live through that. And so unfair! He can't help who he is!"

"No one ever promised that life would be fair, pup. But again, we stray from the matter of true importance. Suffice it to say that my sons do not have the mentality to be able to utilize the Tetsusaiga. The world currently needs its power, however, as do you if you are to have any hope of reforming the Shikon no Tama. Unlike my sons, you do have the compassion necessary to bring for the ultimate power of the Tetsusaiga. You judge yourself far too harshly when you claim to not be special.

"Your determination to do the right things, to fulfill what you deem to be your responsibilities, your insistence on judging individuals by their actions rather than who or what they are; all these traits make you stand out from 'normal' humans. Your spirit is far stronger than that of most humans, or even most demons. This strength is what makes you the one destined to wield the Tetsusaiga against the current darkness that threatens to overcome the world."

Kagome's eyes were bright with unshed tears. She didn't want to become some murdering warrior, to fight this unknown evil. All she wanted was to go home, and never even think of this place, or the people in it, again. And yet, Inutaisho's words struck a chord deep within her being. He spoke the truth, she could feel it. She had, however inadvertently, brought the Shikon back into this world. It was she who had shattered the jewel. And, apparently. it was she who had awakened this terrible evil. It was her responsibility to somehow fix this mess, and she knew that to do this, she would need the Tetsusaiga."

"I..." Kagome's voice broke on a sob, and she took a deep breath, holding it for several seconds before exhaling it in a large sigh, trying to bring her emotions back under control. "I really don't have any other choice...do I?"

Inutaisho's sad smile returned. "There is always a choice, young one. The question is, are you wiling to accept the consequences of your choice?"

"You know, it's funny," Kagome spoke quietly, a few rebellious tears escaping from her eyes, "just a few weeks ago, I was certain that geometry was the worst evil I would ever face. Now, I'd...I'd give anything...to have that be...my only...worry." Kagome finally broke down completely as strong arms surrounded her. "Hush, child. All is not as bad as it seems. You will not be alone in this battle. Several companions will join you, each for their own reasons. You will be alright."

For several minutes, the only sounds were Kagome's sobs and Inutaisho's quiet words of comfort as he held her, running one hand through her silky hair soothingly. Finally Kagome took one last shuddering breath and raised her head from the taiyoukai's chest. Tear-reddened eyes gazed up at him as she asked, "What will become of me? Will I turn into some kind of bloodthirsty monster?"

Inutaisho gave her a tender, fatherly squeeze, then once again raised a talon to her cheek. "Iie. You will become no monster. That is why it is you who must wield the Tetsusaiga and reassemble and purify the Shikon no Tama. Your loving spirit is so strong; even the combined might of the Tetsusaiga and the Shikon will not tempt you towards darkness. I will not lie to you, there will be times when you will be forced to kill, but you are such that you will never do so unless it is a last resort, nor will you ever come take enjoyment from it."

Taking heart from those words, Kagome inquired, "You mentioned something about granting me your knowledge, skills, and power?"

"Hai. It took me nearly one hundred years to master the Tetsusaiga, time which you do not have. And, as you mentioned, you have no fighting skills. And, as strong as your spirit is, your body is still human, and incapable of safely controlling a force such as the Tetsusaiga. By transferring my knowledge, skills, and youkai strength to you, these problems are solved. You will still need to work, and practice, to strengthen your body and hone your skills to reach you full potential, but you will be far from helpless."

"Youkai strength? You're not going to turn me into a demon, are you?!" Kagome exclaimed, backing out of Inutaisho's loose embrace.

Frowning thoughtfully, the inu-youkai replied, "Yes and no. Just as, when not in use, the Tetsusaiga remains in its unpowered state, so to will you, when not in danger or battle, remain in your human form." Inutaisho held out his right arm slightly from his body, fist closed as if grasping something. Slowly, the Tetsusaiga, in its old, rusty state, appeared in his hand.

"But, in times of peril you, like the Tetsusaiga, will transform into something more." On cue, the Tetsusaiga transformed with a burst of light, changing into a mighty fang, nearly as long as the former Western Lord was tall. Its blade glowed in the surrounding darkness, and Kagome felt a strange pulsing resonate deep within her heart, as if some piece of her was calling out to the sword, or vise versa.

"I'm not going to turn into some grotesque freak, am I?" "Iie, Kagome," Inutaisho laughed, "no child of mine will ever be anything less than beautiful, be that child of blood or spirit. Actually, you will notice very few differences in your outer appearance. Your ears will become pointed," he told her, running one finger over her currently rounded ears, "and your fingers will elongate. Your nails will become claws worthy of an inu-youkai," he added, taking her delicate right hand in his left, running his index finger along hers.

"Will I have markings like Sesshoumaru does?"

"Nay, child. His markings are unique, and declare him to be the Lord of the Western Lands. The only change to your skin will be a slight lightening; Inuyoukai tend to have very pale skin."

"And my hair?"

"That should remain unchanged. I will warn you, however, you will grow a tail, though yours should not be nearly so long as Sesshoumaru's."

"A tail?!" Kagome shouted. "You've got to be kidding me!" Seeing Inutaisho shake his head, Kagome sighed in defeat. "I guess the fastest way to answer all my questions is to just get this over with, huh?"

"Only if you are ready, Kagome. This is not something you should enter into overly rushed.

Kagome nodded firmly, her face set. I'm sure. I've got to put right what I made wrong, and this is the only way to do it. Let's go ahead and do this."

"Very well." Inutaisho closed his eyes in concentration. Slowly a silvery glow began to emanate from his hands, and he stretched his arms out to Kagome.

Kagome forced herself not to back away as the inu-youkai raised his hands up until the were on either side of her face. "Um...is this going to hurt?"

"I am afraid that your first transformation will be painful, though only for a little bit of time. While the external changes will be small, internally much will be altered. Your bones and muscles must be strengthened, and their structure must be altered to accommodate your youkai attributes. Your mind, too, will be expanded and changed slightly for you to grasp the knowledge and instincts I will be imparting to you."

"Will it hurt every time I transform?" Kagome's eyes were wide with horror.

"No. Once you and the Tetsusaiga are properly bound, its magic will shield you from the pain of your transformation. Unfortunately, for the bonding to occur, you must be in your youkai form, meaning that your first transformation must take place without that protection."

Heaving a great sigh, Kagome nodded again. "Right, let's get this over with, then."

"I'm very proud of you, young pup," Inutaisho smiled. "Now, prepare yourself." So saying, he placed one glowing hand on either side of Kagome's head. "When you awaken, you will no longer be in this between but back in the world of the living, and your bond to Tetsusaiga will be complete. All the knowledge and skill I have to give to you will be yours, it will just be a matter of accessing them. At first, try to simply follow your instincts. They will almost never lead you wrong."

"Hai."

Then the glow around Inutaisho's hands intensified, and pain even greater than that which she had felt in the tomb assaulted Kagome. She could feel her bones lengthening, shifting, and becoming more dense; her muscles increasing; her canines elongating. Soon it all became too much, and she thankfully descended into unconsciousness.

Inutaisho's voice followed her, a quiet murmur of, "Good luck."

*******

This time when Kagome woke she heard the voices of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru arguing in the background. /Guess I'm back. But did it work? I really hope it did. I would hate to think I went through all that pain for nothing./ Shifting her prone body, Kagome realised that she now held the Tetsusaiga, now in its transformed state. She could still feel its pulsing, a match to her own heartbeat.

"...deal with your bitch in a moment. Now I am going to correct our Father's greatest mistake. Die, Inuyasha."

Sesshoumaru's words were enough to break Kagome out of her reverie/Argh, my head! Don't they ever stop? And who does he think he's calling a bitch?/She muttered to herself as she pulled herself to her feet using the Tetsusaiga, noticing as she did so that the pains in her body were slowly fading. All except the one in her head, which a certain two brothers were aggravating. Finally not able to stand the way their shouts were echoing within her pounding head any more, Kagome groaned, "Will you two stop that, already? I've got an awful headache, and neither of you are helping one bit."

She noticed Inuyasha glancing over to her briefly before turning back to continue glaring at Sesshoumaru, "Oy, wench," he started, "mind your own damn business." Then what his eyes had seen seemed to register with his brain, as he did a quick double take back to Kagome. "What the hell?! You're...you're a..."

Really, this was just getting to be too much. Placing her free hand on her hip, irritation leaking from every pore, she narrowed her eyes at the hanyou. "I'm a what Inuyasha?"

"I believe what my brother is so elegantly trying to say, wench," a cold voice answered her, "is that you appear, at least, to be a youkai."

*******

I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed the first two parts to this little story. Rather than risk forgetting someone, or leaving out the anonymous reviewers, I'm not going to list you all individually. Please be assured, however, that I truly appreciate all your kind words, and all suggestions made. It really makes it so much easier to write when you are able to delude yourself into thinking people actually enjoy your work.

So, thanks again to everybody!!

Oh, and you'll finally get to 'see' what Kagome looks like in the next chapter, I promise!!