-The Demon's Heir
By: Sakura the Hanyou
When an exchange student from Canada is transported through the well by a mysterious black fox, Kagome and Inu Yasha want to send her back immediately. But this young girl's blood holds a secret.
Chapter One: Back To The Future (No, not the movie!)
Inu Yasha sat in his tree outside of the small village and watched the sky turn shades of red and gold. Every sound caught his ear, reminding him of Kagome's inability to keep a schedule.
"I'll see you tomorrow, around noon!" She'd told him last night as she'd jumped into the well, returning to her own time. She had a test in school, she'd said, very important. Hmph! What could be more important than finding the shards of the Shikon Jewel?
Inu Yasha frowned as he swatted at a nearbye fly. "Grr... Late again! Can't she ever be on time?"
He hopped off the tree branch and took to the sky, headed for the Bone Eaters Well, deep in the Inu Yahsa forest where he'd been a prisoner until Kagome came and freed him to save her and the villagers from a Centipede demon. After that, it was the crow, then Yura, then his half brother Sesshomaru. Demon after demon trying to get the shards of the Shicon Jewel, (except for Sessomaru, who was after the Tetsusaiga) and Inu Yasha always had to save Kagome from some danger or another! Well okay, she could take care of herself sometimes. Sometimes - just sometimes - she was actually helpful and didn't get in his way.
Everything could have been so much easier if she'd just given him the jewel when he'd asked for it in the first place! If she hadn't listened to Kaede's advice and kept the jewel, then the crow wouldn't have stolen it, Kagome wouldn't have shot it with an arrow, and the jewel wouldn't now be split into who-knows-how-many pieces and scattered all over Nippon! Stupid girl! Who did she think she was coming from the future and shattering the blasted thing?
The prayer bead necklace swung around his neck as he landed outside the forest and stalked inside, headed for the well that was the portal between Kagome's time and his. The stupid beads. No amount of pying or pulling or biting could remove them, and because of them a single word from Kagome's lips left him face down in dirt, unable to stand. They were like a leash on a dog! And that command... "SIT!" He shivered just thinking about it.
Inu Yasha grumbled as he ran through the trees, fists clenched tight, and his teeth grinding. "She treats me like a dog!" Well, that wasn't really true. She didn't pet him, or feed him scraps, or try to make him do tricks. It was just the principle of the thing: A ridiculous human girl who dresses funny shouldn't have that much power over a demon!
As he entered the small clearing where the well was located, his ears twitched, aware of something lurking in the -
"DIE INU YASHA!" Inu Yasha jumped as a large balloon-like animal jumped from a nearby bush and bounced off Inu Yasha's head, stoping in mid air several feet away. "Heh. You flinched."
Golden sparks surrounded the balloon, swirling round and round while the shape inside it shrunk. When the light disappeared, a little boy with pointy ears, a bushy orange tail, small paw-like feet and claws stood before there. It took Inu Yasha half a second to recognize him.
He walked over and picked the little fox boy up by his fluffy tail and held him at eye level.
"Shippo, what are you doing here?" Inu Yasha bared his fangs, growling slightly. All at the same time trying to slow his heart rate, lest the kitsune sense that he had indeed jumped.
Shippo wrinkled his nose at the half demon but didn't try to escape. He'd learned long ago how pointless that was, so he just let himself be dangled. "What are you babbling about, Inu Yasha? I was looking for Kagome! She always comes out of the well, doesn't she? Why is she late? Is she with her boyfriend or something?"
In response, Inu Yasha threw the poor kitsune into a tree, where he barely managed to grab hold of a branch which he clung to while cursing Inu Yasha to every horrible illness he could think of. Fox spirit curses are powerful things, and Inu Yasha was quick to stop him before it went too far, and he wound up with the concequences. "I don't have time for your stupid talk, whelp!" He snarled.
Shippo dropped from his branch to a lower one, then to another one, then slid down the tree trunk to the ground. He brushed himself off while giving Inu Yasha a look that could curdle milk.
He was about to make a snide remark on how Inu Yasha was jealous, but a loud shout ecoed through the clearing, causing Inu Yasha to jump once more.
"I'm sorry Inu Yasha, did I startle you?" A young woman had stepped out of the trees, her long black hair in a ponytail down her back. She gave a small wave, her pink and green kimono fluttering in the light breeze. She had a serious look on her face, and was panting slightly. It was obvious she had run there. "I saw you take off from the village. Is something wrong? You seem stressed."
"I am NOT stressed!" Inu yasha crossed his arms and took a seat on the well's edge, while Shippo ran up to the new arrivals.
"Hi Sango!" he yelled hapilly. "He's just angry that Kagome's late aga- hey!" Shippo laughed as a small two-tailed cat pounced playfully on him from Sango's shoulder. "H-hey Kilala!" The two rolled around on the grass as Sango removed a giant boomerang from her back. She set it against a tree as they rolled to a stop at her feet. Shippo cried out as Kilala swiped at his tail, claws out.
"Kilala! Calm down! You okay, Shippo?" Sango bent down and picked Kilala up, stroking her tails. Shippo nodded.
"We were just playing."
"Alright," Sango set Kilala down again, and leaned against a tree. It's rough bark scratched at her kimono, but she didn't care. "I thought something might have been wrong. So what, is she with her boyfriend or something?"
A barely audible grumble came from the grumpy hanyou. "Better not be. We're collecting shards while she's socializing..."
"Well," Sango's smile grew wider. "Looks like somebody's jealous. Besides, we haven't collected any jewel shards for a while. It's her right to go home as she pleases."
Inu Yasha shifted to the other edge so that his back was to the demon slayer.
"Sango, where's Miroku?" Shippo asked, looking behind Sango.
"Oh." Sango crossed her arms and frowned. "Probably off chasing women. The lecher."
It was Sango's turn to jump when she heard a sudden voice behind her. Shippo exploded into a fit of giggles as Miroku stepped into clear view behind her.
"You know Sango," he said, blushing slightly. "That isn't all I do in my spare time." His blue monk's robe brushed against her as he stepped past.
SLAM!
"Ouch! I didn't even..."
"Shit! Are you ever gonna learn? Why the hell do you keep trying? One of these days you're going to get more than just a bruised cheek." Inu Yasha motioned towards Miroku's cheek, which now showed a perfect likeness of Sango's palm.
Miroku stood up and walked towad the well. He was blamed for everyhting. Why couldn't he just settle down with a nice woman? If it wasn't for his damn hand... Miroku looked briefly at his right hand, cursed with a wind tunnel in the palm. Sure it came in handy, but as well as sucking up everything in it's path, it would one day devour him as well.
He stopped at the well's edge, ignoring Inu Yasha's glare as he stated: "Kagome's late."
"That's it!" Inu Yasha roared as he stood up. He turned and made to jump into the well,
but Miroku's staff blocked his way. "Damnit, monk!" Inu Yasha yelled as he raised his fist.
Miroku smiled. "Calm down, Inu Yasha. She'll come in her own good time. How do you
know she isn't in the middle of somethi-"
BAM!
Miroku groaned slightly as his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped to the ground. As a half demon, Inu Yasha had quite a strong punch.
Inu Yasha was was stopped a second time by Shippo grabbing onto the bottom of his pants. "Damn welp!" Inu Yasha gave a mighty kick, but the kitsune sank his small fangs into the fire-rat cloth. Inu Yasha growled, Shippo growled back. "I suppose you think you're coming?"
"Yesh." Shippo said through chenched teeth.
"Well, hold on then." Inu Yasha dove into the well, making sure to hit the fox's head on the edge on the way down.
Inu Yasha jumped out of the hidden well at the Higurashi Shrine, dragging a wailing Shippo behind him.
"Thad waz uncalled for!"
"It was an accident!" Inu Yasha said, rolling his eyes.
"Was not!" Shippo rubbed the large lump on his head, and growled. "Jerk."
"Will you shut up Shippo?" Inu Yasha said, opening the door from the well building. "For all we know, there could be a few demons around. That could be why Kagome was so late." Shippo rolled his eyes at the bigger demon, and followed him out into the main shrine grounds.
He looked around curiously. It looks just like a shrine in our time, thought Shippo. Except for those wierd lights everywhere. What was making them glow like that?
"Welp!" Called Inu Yasha angrilly. "There's voices over here. I can hear Kagome. I guess there's no problem..." Out of curiosity, Inu Yasha put his ear to the door (pointless, as they were talking very loudly).
"Hojo stopped by after school today," Kagome's mother was saying. "He's such a nice boy, Kagome."
Kagome laughed, "Yeah, Hojo can be okay sometimes. It would be a lot better if you guys wouldn't stop making him think I'm on my deathbed or something." She went on to say a few more of Hojo's best traits (And who was this "nice" Hojo boy, anyway?). "He's backed off a bit now, though. He just doesn't understand why I keep missing our dates..."
"It isn't your fault, Kagome." Said a strange female voice.
"Next time I come back, he's gonna take me to a movie. Well, I'll call and ask him to." Kagome giggled.
And what, exactly, was a "movie"! Inu Yasha's ears flattened and he growled at the thought of Kagome "going to a movie" with Hojo the "nice boy". Hojo would be the "dead boy" if he didn't stay away from Kagome!
"Oh," Kagome added almost shyly, "Maybe he could buy me dinner, too. Just McDonald's, nothing fancy or anything."
Giggles from Kagome's mother, teasing from her little brother about the supposed crush she had on Hojo, and a warning from her grandfather not to let Hojo get too far on the first date, or he'd deal with grampaw!
Inu Yasha trembled with rage: "Deal with Grampaw? Shit, no! He'll deal with me!"
"Heh," Shippo stepped up beside him, smirking. "You like her a lot, don't you?"
That cut it! Inu Yasha threw back the sliding door with a vengeance, almost jerking it off its track and drawing startled looks from Kagome and her family.
"KAGOME!" He yelled angrilly, a small vein pulsing in his forehead.
"Inu Yasha?" Kagome blinked at him stupidly. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm so sorry Kagome! I tried to stop him!"
"It's Inu Yasha!" Yelled Sota, almost spilling his milk all over the floor.
"Hello Inu Yasha, we were just eating! Care to join us?" Kagome's mother gestured to the table, which was covered in strange food. Inu yasha shook his head.
"So much for 'I'll be back by noon'!" Said Inu Yasha, doing his best to imitate Kagome's voice (and failing miserably). "It's almost night out there! You-"
He was about to yell at Kagome about how stupid she was, but just then ten slender fingers began to play with his ears.
"What the... Who the hell are you?" Inu Yasha took a step away from the strange girl who had appeared beside him.
The girl laughed as she brushed some of her hair out of her brown eyes.
She looked to be about Kagome's age, Inu Yasha thought. Her long, dark brown hair was pulled back into a braid down her back, except for the few strands that fell into her eyes. Inu Yasha noticed that she was shorter than he was, but only by a few inches.
"Are you a Youkai?" She asked, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Inu Yasha grinned and bared his fangs. "So what if am? You scar-"
"Of course he's not!" Kagome upset her soda as she bolted up and ran to Inu Yasha's side. "Inu Yasha, this is Shelby, an exchange student from Canada. Shelby, this is my friend, who likes to be called Inu Yasha. He's a COSPLAYer, so don't mind the costume!"
It was Inu Yasha's turn to blink stupidly in Kagome's direction. COSPLAY? Exchange student? Costume? Think, Inu Yasha, she's trying to tell you something... Then it finally hit him.
"Yeah!" He said, playing along. "I worked a long time on it, and wanted to come show Kagome. It's nice to meet you." He bowed slightly. "So you're an exchange student?"
Shelby nodded. "So Inu Yasha," She said, trying her hardest to look serious. "Do you always hang around with fox spirits? Or did this one just follow you home? Or is it a friend of yours in costume? Nice try Higurashi, but I'm not that stupid."
Inu Yasha kicked Shippo in the backside, sending him halfway across the room. "Good going, welp." Shippo jumped into Kagome's arms to avoid any more blows.
"Kagome! That hurt!" He whined, managing a few fake tears.
"Inu Yasha..." She said sternly, giving him an icy glare. Inu Yasha's face turned white as a sheet. He knew what was coming next...
"SIT BOY!"
BAM! Inu Yasha plumeted face-first into the wooden floor. Damnit! Why'd she always have to do that in front of strangers? In fact, why'd she have to do it at all?
"Hey!" Shelby pointed at the Tetsusaiga at Inu Yasha's side. "That katana looks kinda like mine back home! Only mine's not as rusty. Can I see?" She reached for Tetsusaiga's hilt, only to have Inu Yasha swipe her hand away.
"No."
"Hey..." Shippo cleared his throat to gain Shelby's attention. "Do you really have swords in this time too? Are you any good? Oh, and I'm Shippo."
"Nice to meet you, Shippo. Yes, I'm quite good-" Shelby's face suddenly went very pale. "D-did you say 'in this time'?" Shippo shook his head. "You did! I heard you! What time are you from? Oh, man. This is so cool!" Shelby hopped up and down in delight.
"Will you shut up!" Inu Yasha went to take another swipe at Shippo, forgetting that the little fox was in Kagome's arms. He managed to withdraw his fist in time, but Kagome didn't miss the hanyou's motion.
"Sit."
BAM!
Shippo stuck his toung out at the grounded hanyou, and turned to Shelby once again. "I dunno exactly what time we're from... Kagome?" Kagome mumbled a math problem under her breath before responding. "Sometime around the Warring States Era, I think..."
"With Oda Nobunaga? Have you met him?"
"We met a man named Nobunaga, but he wasn't from the Oda clan." Said Inu Yasha as he tugged on Buyo's (Kagome's cat) tail. "YAH! Goddamn cat!"
"Well stop teasing him!"
"I just don't get why he keeps scratching me!"
Kagome sighed as she set Shippo down. Shelby squeeled and took the opportunity to scoop Shippo into her arms and play with his tail. Shippo was used to this, so he made himself comfy and closed his eyes. "Kagome, why don't you tell Shelby about our time?"
Kagome's mother finished cleaning up the spilled soda and smiled. "I'd like that, too. You
hardly ever tell us about your trips in the past."
Sota jumped up and nearly upset his milk again. "I'll make popcorn!"
And so a few more hours passed, filled with tales of all types of villans, human and demon alike. Filled with romance and brutal fights. Toads and miasma. Hair and an un-dead Miko. Oh, and the Shicon Jewel shards, too.
When the tales had been told, and all the popcorn devoured, the time came for Kagome, Inu Yasha, and the kitsune Shippo to depart for the past.
Kagome held Shippo tightly as she jumped into the well after their brief goodbyes. Inu Yasha reluctantly gave a small bow, and jumped into the well after them. As he fell downward, the last thing he heard from the top was a quiet wisper of "I wish I could do that..." from Shelby.
Trust me, Thought Inu Yasha with a grin. You wouldn't last a day.
Chapter Two: Fox Tails
Kagome's Grandfather left the well building with Kagome's Mother, and they headed back to the main shrine.
Sota made to follow, but paused for a minute when he realised Shelby hadn't moved since Inu Yasha had disappeared."You okay?" He asked quietly, he wasn't a demon, or a reincarnated miko like his sister, but he could sense something was wrong with her.
Ever since she'd gotten off the plane she'd been talking a lot. Why was she so quiet now?
"What's wrong? You okay?"
Shelby swung her legs over the well, preparing to jump in.
"It won't work. The most that will happen is that you'll sprain something." Sota shuddered thinking about the time with the Noh Mask. He'd sprained his ankle when he'd jumped into the well. Although, he'd had so much adrenelin in his system that he hadn't noticed untill after the incedint.
What am I doing? Shelby thought to herself for a second. It was as though something was pulling her, forcing her into the well against her will. But why?
Sota started to run down the stairs toward Shelby. Could it be another demon? Like the one that had dragged his sister into the well? No. Not a demon, he thought as he reached her side. There was no sign of anything unusual.
'That's right.' Said a girl's voice in his head. 'No problems at all.'
Wait a second, why was there a voice in his head?
'It's okay, everythin's fine. maybe you should take a nap?'
A nap did sound awfully good. Sota took a seat on the floor, his eyes growing heavy.
'That's right. Sleep...'
Maybe just for a bit. Shelby would be fine...
'Yep. Shelby will be safe with me. Just close your eyes.'
Sota fell sideways just as Shelby dropped into the well. He didn't realize she'd passed
through it's bottom in a flash of light, and he didn't see the teenage girl who jumped from the rafters.
"Sorry Sota. Sleep well." The girl said as she dragged a large bag from under the stairs. "You'll dream sweet dreams, I promise." And with a flick of her bushy black tail, she hopped into the well, dragging the bag behind her.
"Ugh..." Shelby's head felt like someone had detonated a few sticks of TNT inside. She stood up, using the well's solid wall for support.
"Wait a sec... THE WELL?" A shocked Shelby scrambled up the well, and what she saw when she climbed over the edge was enough to make her fall back in. But with amazing speed, she managed to push off from a dent in the wall and jump up and over the rim to avoid falling to the bottom.
"Wha... How did I do that?" Shelby stared at the scene before her.
There was a girl with a black tail dodging an attack from Inu Yasha, and mocking him. She wore a black sweatshirt and blue jeans. Not exactly feudal era clothing.
The girl laughed and Inu Yasha clapped his hands over his ears.
"Bitch! Stay out of my head!" He roared as he fell to his knees. Kagome appeared from the bushes, arrow drawn. She was going to kill that girl!
"WAIT!" Shelby yelled as she ran towards the scene. Inu Yasha's hands fell away at the
sound, and kagome lowered her bow, staring at shelby with shock. The girl with the black tail stared as well, but with an expression of extreme joy.