Title: Awaken the Inu
Author: DhampyrX2
Genre: Crossover
Rating: PG-13
Timeframe: prologues are btw seasons 3 and 4. The rest starts season seven.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Poverty is my constant friend. Please don't sue. I make no money from this.
Note: Evil plot bunnies have invaded my brain again, and the demons of writer's block are spreading. Instead of Starting with a Buffy or Star Wars sequel, or adding to 'The One Who Sees", I feel compelled to work on this. Sorry. Blame the bunnies. Anya's right, they're EVIL. I also changed this from a season five idea, to a season seven idea. Just because I hate Caleb, and want Xander to have a bigger role in the proceedings.
Summary: Xander's father is not who he thought. His real father has decided to inform him of his heritage, leaving Xander with some tough choices.
*****
"That's the way, Dawn, fry those suckers!", Shippo crowed enthusiastically as he helped the girl learn the ins and outs of a fire-ball burst flamethrower nicknamed by Sesshomaru's army, appropriately enough, the "Super Mario", or the "SM", for short. The small, techno-wizard developed weapon literally shot baseball sized fireballs at a target. It was an ideal weapon for killing regular vampires and Turok-han alike.
Dawn smiled as she holed and fried another cardboard uber-vamp on the firing range. This was her third, and probably last, weapon to review the use and operation of in the last thirty minutes, and she was loving it. She had already met Shippo's standards for use of an MP-5 sub-machine gun, and a modified remote detonation claymore mine that actually fired blessed shrapnel at demons. The youngest Slayerette never considered how modern weapons could be modified to fight demons before, even after meeting the Initiative. Leave it to a group of demons to figure out how to fight other demons more effectively.
Of course she also realized that she really only had time to learn how to fire and reload the SM and the MP-5, and she was nowhere as skilled as anyone else in the range, especially Shippo. The five-hundred+ year old Kitsune used each weapon he demonstrated, minus the claymores, which were more about explaining the remote, and how to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, with a casual ease. Dawn took a moment to look over her eager instructor again, as he took the SM from her, to show her how to change the fuel packs.
He stood about five foot nine, and he weighed a solid 190. He was built lean, like a gymnast, and like every other partially human looking demon here, seemed to radiate almost casual power. He was also a jokester and sweets junky of such amazing proportions that she was sure he could have taught a teenage Xander a thing or two about eating candy. Well, maybe not. Anyway, the young auburn haired fox boy, with his laughing green eyes, and easy going personality, certainly reminded Dawn of Xander. It was hard to believe he was centuries older than either she or her surrogate big brother.
"So, did you get that, Dawnie?", Shippo asked, as he finished his demonstration.
"Huh?", she replied intelligently, as she was pulled out of her musings.
"I think you need to go over it again, brat. She was too preoccupied with your dashing good looks, and gently swishing tail to see what you did.", Kagura interjected with a giggle from where she was sitting behind them.
This caused Dawn to sputter in shock, and stammer about what she had really been considering, which only made her look more guilty. Shippo just blushed crimson.
Kagura favored Dawn with a grin as she said, "I'm just teasing you, Dawn. Relax." She then turned her head to Shippo, and in Japanese said "[I see you getting attached already, fox. Tread lightly, the young Lord thinks of her as family, and I doubt he'd settle for knocking you on the head the way Inuyasha did if things turned sour. You need to think things over carefully. Just think of her as Sango, and think of what Inuyasha would have done to another kitsune that threatened his pack with romantic overtures.]"
"[Relax, Kaggy-chan. It's not like that. I'm not looking to make you into a my mother-in-law.]", the fox boy replied, giving her the red eye, which made Dawn giggle. In English, he added, "You're too uptight too, wind girl. You need to get laid or something. Why don't you go find Xander-san and see to that?"
This made Dawn laugh so hard, she went red faced, which went nicely with the shade of red that Kagura's face had turned in her combination of embarrassment and anger.
"You ill tongued little brat! Someone needs to start tossing you off into the horizon again. You're getting too saucy in your old age.", Kagura screeched as she rose and hit the now wildly laughing kitsune repeatedly in the head with her fan.
After a few minutes, which caused all three to begin laughing, the levity finally dies down enough for Shippo to explain the reload for the SM again, and get Dawn to demonstrate it. They were going to go into the use of side-arms, when they got a call on the intercom from Jaken announcing that the ceremony would be ready shortly.
Shippo smiled easily to Dawn as he said, "Well, that's all we can cover for now. Hopefully we can go over a couple of more while Lord Sesshomaru shown Xander what he can before you have to leave. And you can always join Xan when he visits this summer for a refresher course. I know you'll send the First Baka's army packing."
Dawn smiled at the kitsune as she asked, "Will you be at the ceremony?"
Shippo looked a little sad as he replied, "Nah. I have to go over some casualty reports from the local Kitsune population. With our disguise magics, we're mostly Spec Ops teams, but with the First, we're seeing alot of front line skirmishes. I'll catch you later. If not now, then after you guys bloody intangible lad's nose on the Hellmouth."
"Ok. Thanks again Shippo. I'll see you later.", Dawn replied, before following Kagura out of the basement sub-level firing range, and heading toward an elevator. "So, Kagura. What are we doing, how much time do we have until the ceremony? Are you interested in Xander? What should I wear? And is my make-up still ok.", Dawn asked, trying to sneak an honest answer out of the wind sorceress.
"Well, Dawn, we're going to my chamber to get dressed for the ceremony, which should happen in a few minutes, none of your business, I'll lend you a kimono, and your make-up looks fine, but you should touch up your lipstick a little once you're dressed.", Kagura replied with a grin.
"I'll get the other answer out of you eventually, you know.", Dawn said with a pout.
"If I play my cards right, it won't exactly be a secret for you to question. You'll know, one way, or another.", Kagura replied with a smirk.
Dawn just 'Hmmphed' in indignation at that.
*****
Sesshomaru and Xander were enjoying their tea, and their time to get reacquainted, when Jaken came in to announce that all was ready, and escort them to the chambers Sesshomaru had arranged for Xander, where the already waiting servants could help him dress in his ceremonial kimono.
"This Sesshomaru will see you soon my son. Jaken will alert Kagura and the girl, and have them meet us there. Until we see each other again", his father said, his voice emotionless again.
Xander nodded his acquiescence, before subjecting himself to the tittering female servants, a kitsune girl, two lesser inu youkai women, and a human, who helped prepare him according to ancient traditions. They all nattered on about how exciting this must be for him, and how happy they were to see the heir to the throne return to his position of power. Xander just endured it with as much dignity a man being dressed by four young women can. They were obviously not warriors, and did not understand the sacrifices he, and the others in this war, made to stay alive, and keep the world safe.
When they had finished preparing him, he was dressed in a kimono like his father's, only his was white with royal purple trim. On the back of the kimono was the crest of the Tai Inu youkai of the Western Lands. As Xander was lead to the room where the Awakening was to take place, he kept his eyes to the floor, simply following the servants to where he needed to be.
When they stopped in front of an ornate oak door, eh did as well. "We can escort you no further, milord. Good luck.", the kitsune girl, clearly the most senior of the servants in status said, with a bow, before escorting herself and the other away.
Xander took a deep, steadying breath outside the door. "Take it easy, cyclops. It's only you're whole life that's about to change. You do stuff this important on practically a yearly basis. At least this family isn't full of drunks.", he whispered to himself, psyching himself up.
With a final, deep breath, he opened the door and entered, his head help high, and his whole bearing as regal as he could make it. On the far end of the room stood his father, holding the Tetsusaiga, his stoic face unchanging. Next to Sesshomaru, on his right, stood Jaken, the Staff of Souls in his hand. On his father's left stood Kagura, dressed in her formal kimono, as she was when he first met her. Dawn was dressed similarly in a noble woman's kimono, her hair up in an intricate bun.
At the center of the room was a ritual circle, surrounded by five robed priest carrying incense stick, and chanting in ancient Japanese.
"Alexander Harris, you have entered the court of the Tai Inu-Youkai of the Western Lands, your honored father Lord Sesshomaru, son of Inutaisho, brother to the legendary hanyou warrior Inu Yasha to claim your birthright and release your true self. Do you come freely, and of your own true will?", Jaken asked, stepping forward as he spoke, before returning to Sesshomaru's side.
"I do. This Son of Sesshomaru comes to reclaim his true power. To awaken the blood in my veins.", Xander replied with a nod.
Kagura then stepped forward and said, "Then enter the ritual circle, and become yourself one more.", before returning to her place.
Xander did so, stepping into the circle, which caused the priests to chant louder, as he waited for the next step.
That step came when Sesshomaru stepped forward, entering the circle and facing his son. He held out his right hand, and Xander put his own right hand in it face up. Sesshomaru held the hand at the wrist, as a priest handed him an ornate dagger. Their eyes stares emotionlessly into each other as the Lord of the West cut a deep gash into his son's hand, then released him and cut one into his own, before clasping their two hands together. "Alexander, first son the Inu youkai throne, blood of my blood. Stand now and claim your birthright.", he said, before releasing Xander, and returning to his place to get the Tetsusaiga. He returned to the circle, where Xander had not moved, placing the Tetsusaiga on the floor in front of him. He then exited for the final time and returned to the others. Once there, he said, "Now say your name and release your true self. This Sesshomaru allows. So let it be done."
Xander showed no fear or hesitation as he said, "I am Alexander child of Lord Sesshomaru, and Lady Rin, known as Xander Lavelle Harris. I am the Prince of the Western Lands. I am hanyou."
Once the words were uttered, an unnatural wind picked up, as red lightning began to arc over Xander's body, as if it were chains holding him. As the winds picked up, the lightning flickered more and more violently, and it was clear it was taking all of Xander's strength to stay standing. Finally, with an unearthly how, the red lightning chains broke and dissipated, and Xander fell to his hands an knees still breathing wildly. Dawn tried to run to him then, but was restrained with a gentle grab and nod to the negative from Kagura.
As Xander knelt there, heaving his breaths, a change began to overtake him. His ears seemed to recede into his head first, followed by his hair growing slightly longer and thicker. As his hair seemed to grow, it turned a silver white, matching his father's. Eventually, two dog like ears poked out of the top of his head. His nails turned to iron hard claws on his hands next, and his canines grew into fangs. Finally, his eye turned from a chocolate brown, to as deep amber. Once the change was done, Xander remained there heaving, proud he hadn't screamed at the pain it had caused.
"Now, my son. Take your grandfather's fang, the sword of your uncle, and claim it. Take it, and with it your birthright.", Sesshomaru commanded.
Xander nodded tiredly, as he grabbed the sword with his right hand. There was a flash of light as white lightning seemed to arc over him, as if inspecting him, before disappearing in another flash. He was found worthy. Tetsusaiga had a new bearer. Once he had taken the sword properly, Xander struggled to his feet. Looking over the assembled court before him. "I am whole.", he said, staggering out of the circle to them. "I am finally whole.", he repeated in a whisper, as he collapsed again at their feet.
This time, the whole group rushed to him. Dawn and Kagura checked him from the sides, as Jaken muttered useless encouragements. Sesshomaru, for his part, just knelt in front of his son, and stroked his now white hair. "Indeed you are, Alexander. And I am proud of you.", the Lord said with a gentle smile.
*****
END CHAPTER 4