Thank you all for the reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying my story.
Sunstar-1217, vixen, Toki Mirage, The Smartest Idiot (great name, by the way!), The Unnamed Demon, Suki, samatsua: Thank you all for the kind words! With reviews like those, how can I not hurry up and update? Hope you all enjoy the next chapter.
Deamon Kitsune: I still have yet to decide on the pairing. How about all of you tell me what you would prefer? We shall see about the powers and training, I don't want to give away the whole story! ^_^
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Kagome's mind was spinning with the sudden onslaught of emotions Chikara's words had brought. She just couldn't figure out why a youkai would try to trick her like this, when all she had to do was return to her mother to find the truth. Unless he wasn't tricking her at all, and was actually telling her the truth. Kagome cast desperately in her mind, trying to recall some information about her mother that would prove Chikara was lying.
She couldn't think of anything. For all she knew, he was telling the truth. But then, wait a minute...
"Why don't I have youkai powers then? Inuyasha is a hanyou, and he has far more power, agility, and senses than any human. How can you be my father when I'm just a normal girl?," Kagome demanded, relieved to have found the flaw in his statements.
Chikara smiled slightly. "You are by no means an ordinary girl, Kagome. I have heard about you from all over Japan. You possess the reincarnated soul of a miko, and have miko powers of your own. I hear you can even shoot a purifying arrow," he replied.
Kagome frowned. "What does that have to do with my not having hanyou powers?," she asked, confused.
"Your pure miko soul has sealed away the demon powers. Much in the same way the arrow of Kikyou sealed away your friend Inuyasha, I suspect. Yes, I have done my research," Chikara said when Inuyasha started at the mention of Kikyou.
Chikara then frowned, and the effect was enough to put Kagome on edge as she contemplated his words.
"I have heard about you and Kikyou, Inuyasha. I can see in your eyes you have feelings for Kagome, and yet you cling to the former life you had with the dead priestess. You are hurting Kagome by doing this. Do you realize it?"
Inuyasha thought his heart would explode. His face began to glow a bright red. "Why, why would I... I don't... You don't know what you're talking about!" he exploded. "And why should you care, anyway? You can't be her father! She had one in her own time. You're just trying to get close to her so you can steal the shards. You'll have to get through me first!" With that, Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and the mighty blade transformed. He ran toward the tiger youkai, a deep scowl upon his face. He brought his sword up into the air and leaped, wondering why the other did not try to defend himself.
Then realized why when he hit thin air and went tumbling headfirst into grass and rocks.
"Where did he go?" Sango said, amazed. Chikara had disappeared completely. He had not dodged, or run away. He had disappeared.
"I... think I want to go home," a very pale Kagome murmured. She then promptly passed out.
Miroku was the closest and barely caught her before she went the way of Inuyasha into the ground. "Kagome...," he said worriedly. Shippou jumped onto Miroku's shoulder and peered down at her, his tail puffed out in his anxiety. "Kagome?" Shippou echoed Miroku's voiced concern. She did not wake.
"Inuyasha, I think you should take Kagome home. His words must have put a severe shock into her," Miroku advised.
Inuyasha growled as he rose from the spot he had fallen, then saw the state Kagome was in. He hurried over to her.
"Hey, Kagome! Wake up!," he yelled at her. Miroku and Sango flinched. Shippou scowled.
Kagome moaned slightly then muttered a single word. None of them could make it out, but they still knew what it was. Inuyasha picked himself back up for a second time, this round courtesy of Kaede's prayer beads.
In even more of a huff, Inuyasha took Kagome from Miroku and went back to the well.
"Take good care of her Inuyasha, or I'll bite you!" Shippou yelled from Miroku's shoulder. Inuyasha ignored him and hopped into the well, returning with the unconscious Kagome to her time.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kagome awoke with a start. It took her a moment to realize she was in her own bed, in her own time. It had only been a dream! She sat up and let out a huge sigh of relief.
"You're finally awake." Inuyasha poked his head into her bedroom window.
Kagome blinked. "What happened?" she asked.
"After your 'father' disappeared, you fainted, just like a stupid woman," Inuyasha said with a snort.
Everything clicked into place. It had not, indeed, been a dream. Kagome moaned and flopped back down onto her bed. She felt an enormous headache coming on.
"Hey, you're not doing it again are you?" Inuyasha demanded, coming in for a closer look. Kagome waved him away.
"Leave me alone, Inuyasha. I have a big enough problem without you here acting like a jerk," she muttered.
"Fine then," Inuyasha said with a scowl, and jumped out the window.
"Good riddance," Kagome said irritably, and climbed out of bed. She wondered at the fact that she had passed out. She couldn't remember fainting like that, for no real reason. Of course she was shocked by what Chikara had said, but that was no reason for fainting like a "stupid woman", as Inuyasha had so eloquently phrased it.
Kagome's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on her door.
"Come in," she replied. The door opened, and Kagome's mother entered.
They looked at each other for a long moment.
"Inuyasha told me what happened," Mama said quietly.
Kagome nodded, then waited.
"I think I have some explaining to do. I've been lying to you for many years, Kagome. Chikara really is your father," she said.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A little shorter, I know, but that's just how it worked out. Review, and don't forget to tell me what pairing you want. I have to be one of the most indecisive people in the world. So help me out. ^_^
Sunstar-1217, vixen, Toki Mirage, The Smartest Idiot (great name, by the way!), The Unnamed Demon, Suki, samatsua: Thank you all for the kind words! With reviews like those, how can I not hurry up and update? Hope you all enjoy the next chapter.
Deamon Kitsune: I still have yet to decide on the pairing. How about all of you tell me what you would prefer? We shall see about the powers and training, I don't want to give away the whole story! ^_^
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kagome's mind was spinning with the sudden onslaught of emotions Chikara's words had brought. She just couldn't figure out why a youkai would try to trick her like this, when all she had to do was return to her mother to find the truth. Unless he wasn't tricking her at all, and was actually telling her the truth. Kagome cast desperately in her mind, trying to recall some information about her mother that would prove Chikara was lying.
She couldn't think of anything. For all she knew, he was telling the truth. But then, wait a minute...
"Why don't I have youkai powers then? Inuyasha is a hanyou, and he has far more power, agility, and senses than any human. How can you be my father when I'm just a normal girl?," Kagome demanded, relieved to have found the flaw in his statements.
Chikara smiled slightly. "You are by no means an ordinary girl, Kagome. I have heard about you from all over Japan. You possess the reincarnated soul of a miko, and have miko powers of your own. I hear you can even shoot a purifying arrow," he replied.
Kagome frowned. "What does that have to do with my not having hanyou powers?," she asked, confused.
"Your pure miko soul has sealed away the demon powers. Much in the same way the arrow of Kikyou sealed away your friend Inuyasha, I suspect. Yes, I have done my research," Chikara said when Inuyasha started at the mention of Kikyou.
Chikara then frowned, and the effect was enough to put Kagome on edge as she contemplated his words.
"I have heard about you and Kikyou, Inuyasha. I can see in your eyes you have feelings for Kagome, and yet you cling to the former life you had with the dead priestess. You are hurting Kagome by doing this. Do you realize it?"
Inuyasha thought his heart would explode. His face began to glow a bright red. "Why, why would I... I don't... You don't know what you're talking about!" he exploded. "And why should you care, anyway? You can't be her father! She had one in her own time. You're just trying to get close to her so you can steal the shards. You'll have to get through me first!" With that, Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and the mighty blade transformed. He ran toward the tiger youkai, a deep scowl upon his face. He brought his sword up into the air and leaped, wondering why the other did not try to defend himself.
Then realized why when he hit thin air and went tumbling headfirst into grass and rocks.
"Where did he go?" Sango said, amazed. Chikara had disappeared completely. He had not dodged, or run away. He had disappeared.
"I... think I want to go home," a very pale Kagome murmured. She then promptly passed out.
Miroku was the closest and barely caught her before she went the way of Inuyasha into the ground. "Kagome...," he said worriedly. Shippou jumped onto Miroku's shoulder and peered down at her, his tail puffed out in his anxiety. "Kagome?" Shippou echoed Miroku's voiced concern. She did not wake.
"Inuyasha, I think you should take Kagome home. His words must have put a severe shock into her," Miroku advised.
Inuyasha growled as he rose from the spot he had fallen, then saw the state Kagome was in. He hurried over to her.
"Hey, Kagome! Wake up!," he yelled at her. Miroku and Sango flinched. Shippou scowled.
Kagome moaned slightly then muttered a single word. None of them could make it out, but they still knew what it was. Inuyasha picked himself back up for a second time, this round courtesy of Kaede's prayer beads.
In even more of a huff, Inuyasha took Kagome from Miroku and went back to the well.
"Take good care of her Inuyasha, or I'll bite you!" Shippou yelled from Miroku's shoulder. Inuyasha ignored him and hopped into the well, returning with the unconscious Kagome to her time.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kagome awoke with a start. It took her a moment to realize she was in her own bed, in her own time. It had only been a dream! She sat up and let out a huge sigh of relief.
"You're finally awake." Inuyasha poked his head into her bedroom window.
Kagome blinked. "What happened?" she asked.
"After your 'father' disappeared, you fainted, just like a stupid woman," Inuyasha said with a snort.
Everything clicked into place. It had not, indeed, been a dream. Kagome moaned and flopped back down onto her bed. She felt an enormous headache coming on.
"Hey, you're not doing it again are you?" Inuyasha demanded, coming in for a closer look. Kagome waved him away.
"Leave me alone, Inuyasha. I have a big enough problem without you here acting like a jerk," she muttered.
"Fine then," Inuyasha said with a scowl, and jumped out the window.
"Good riddance," Kagome said irritably, and climbed out of bed. She wondered at the fact that she had passed out. She couldn't remember fainting like that, for no real reason. Of course she was shocked by what Chikara had said, but that was no reason for fainting like a "stupid woman", as Inuyasha had so eloquently phrased it.
Kagome's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on her door.
"Come in," she replied. The door opened, and Kagome's mother entered.
They looked at each other for a long moment.
"Inuyasha told me what happened," Mama said quietly.
Kagome nodded, then waited.
"I think I have some explaining to do. I've been lying to you for many years, Kagome. Chikara really is your father," she said.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A little shorter, I know, but that's just how it worked out. Review, and don't forget to tell me what pairing you want. I have to be one of the most indecisive people in the world. So help me out. ^_^