Lessons Learned

Author: Shortey 83

Chapter 2: No turning back

Disclaimer: I do NOT own InuYasha or Skyrim! I only borrow ideas because trying to drill them out of my head with power tools doesn't work! ^.^

Story Start:

Takara sat in the hut that belonged to the woman, Kagome, and the man, InuYasha listening as they attempted to explain what had transpired in their previous adventures and what the well really was. She learned the most from Kagome but that was probably because her husband was trying to figure out Kaos. Kagome took the time to explain how she had chosen to stay here with InuYasha after their group defeated the evil half-demon, Naraku. In that time, Takara also discovered that InuYasha's father had been a great dog demon and his mother a human, making InuYasha a half-demon.

Well that explains why he is having such a good time with Kaos She thought, making herself giggle as Kaos, nose to nose with InuYasha, suddenly licked the half-demon's face. "You might want to watch out for him, InuYasha." She giggled as he wiped his face on his sleeve. "Kaos is kind of a kisser."

"Now she tells me…" he grumbled sitting back up and rejoining the conversation.

"What I don't understand," Takara began "Is why I wasn't let back through the well when I climbed back down to get Kaos. Shouldn't it have taken us back?" Kagome shrugged her shoulders, "I honestly don't know. I was separated from InuYasha for three years because of my feelings. I was scared and sad that I had upset my family and the well finally opened up when I set my heart on staying with InuYasha." She leaned over and gave her husband's hand a squeeze and a tender look. "I decided to stay with him, and now I'm here. I don't know why the well wouldn't let you back through."

"I was scared to go back down" Takara admitted "I've got problems with claustrophobia. I was dreading reaching the bottom." Kagome nodded and she seemed to think about that for a few minutes. "Perhaps that may have something to do with it, but we still have to figure out why the well let you through in the first place. What were you doing before at the shrine?"

It was Takara's turn to do some explaining as the couple listened to the much shorter tale that she had to tell.

"So perhaps this has something to do with the bow." InuYasha suggested "We should probably take a look at it." Takara nodded and opened the pouch were the arrows sat in their quiver and set them aside before she unzipped the bag and took the large bow. It was still light as a feather, but as soon as she handed it to InuYasha, it became heavier, cashing through the floor boards along with the half demon's hand. Takara and Kagome both jumped back in shock while InuYasha let out a howl of pain, releasing the bow. "What the hell?" He asked, bending over to pick up the bow, but he couldn't lift it. "Let me try" Takara bent down and lifted the bow as if it was nothing.

All three of them stood in silence, looking at the bow. It was a dull shade of white (it was made from bones after all), not in the shape of traditional Japanese bows, but instead it dipped in the middle, more in the shape of a modern day bow. The bow itself was hard, with a few spikes that looked like teeth adorning the face of the bow. The metal grip of the bow appeared to be made of some dark metal with strange runes etched onto its surface. The top and bottom limb of the bow looked more like joints with a tooth on the very top of the upper limb and the very bottom of the lower limb. As far as the bowstring went, it didn't look or feel like anything Takara had ever known.

"I don't like this one bit" InuYasha got out. He may have been embarrassed that he didn't have the strength to hold the bow where Takara did, but she didn't blame him.

"I agree the thing gives me the creeps. I think that's why my father wanted to get rid of it so bad." She shivered wondering if that was why her father had paled on the sight of her holding it. It seemed not everyone was able to lift it.

Before any more talks of the bow could be done, an elderly lady walked in accompanied by a little girl. "Hello Kaede" Kagome greeted the old woman "I think we have a bit of a mystery on our hands." With that she motioned to Takara. "I see" the woman stated, the one eye not covered by a patch widening slightly. "Perhaps there is some purpose for you in this age as well"

And so the rest of the day was spent by the group showing Takara around the village. It seemed that she would be staying with the old priestess Kaede until they figured out what her purpose in this age was. The little girl who had been with Kaede at the hut had introduced herself as Rin. She was such a sweet child, so carefree and fun loving that it was contagious. At first, Rin had been a bit frightened by Kaos, thinking that he was a wolf, but once Takara had introduced Rin to Kaos' favorite toy that was packed in her backpack she had worn Rin pretty much fell in love. While they waited for two more people to introduce to her, Miroku and Sango were their names, Rin and Takara took Kaos to the open field near the village to play.

"Alright Rin, here's what you do" Takara began, holding out the stick that was used to throw his ball. She showed it to Rin as Kaos jumped up and down excitedly, waiting for her to throw the ball. "Now watch me." With that she flung the ball as far as she could for Kaos to chase. Rin giggled as the dog dove for the ball and hurriedly ran it back for it to be thrown again.

"Your turn" She handed both the stick and the ball covered in dog drool to Rin. "Eww" she made a face but put the ball into the stick like she had been shown. Takara got behind her and helped her fling the ball. Again she squealed as Kaos ran for the ball, giggling as he tripped over his own feet to get it before bringing it back to Rin. This time she didn't even flinch at picking up the dirty, sticky, drool coated ball.

It wasn't too long later that Sango and Miroku arrived with their three children in tow. The twins giggled in excitement as they watched Rin play with the dog, while the youngest slept soundly in Sango's arms. "I'm surprised the well let you through" Miroku stated, taking his son from Sango. "After what happened with Kagome, we thought it sealed for sure." Takara nodded in agreement. It did seem strange to her as well.

InuYasha and Kagome then explained what had happened with the bow becoming too heavy for InuYasha to hold, and the group all grew quiet in wondering. Each of them running different possibilities through their heads. "Well I know this," Kaede began "An empty stomach will mean an empty head. Perhaps we should share a meal and allow our minds to wander afterwards." The group nodded and Takara called in the children and Kaos as they all strolled towards Kaede's hut. Sango and Miroku took their children to another couples home for them to watch before heading back to Kaede's hut. A good meal of rice and vegetables was served with a little meat to go with it. Takara gave her meat to Kaos and settled with the rice and veggies. She was worried about feeding him, but everyone gave up a few scraps for him to have until he laid his black furry body against her side and fell asleep.

Rin made her way over too after she had eaten and snuggled up to the sleeping dog and laid her head on his side, falling asleep not too long after laying down. Takara reached down and unconsciously stroked the girls head as she listen to the group discuss the possibilities of finding out why she was here. They focused first on ways to discover her purpose, hopefully one that could be fulfilled soon to allow her to go home.

In order to do that, they all agreed on one thing. They needed to pay a visit to Totosai and hope that he could offer up a few clues about the weapon.

"Who is Totosai?" Takara questioned finally.

"He's the sword smith that forged Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga" Kagome explained motioning to InuYasha "InuYasha's sword is Tetsusaiga and InuYasha's brother Sesshomaru has the Tenseiga. They are both powerful swords given to them by their father." Takara nodded and listened as Kagome explained the capabilities of each sword in fascination. While it seemed like magic and impossible, what had it been when her bow became too heavy for InuYasha? That had happened. What was to say that these swords couldn't do what she claimed for them to? Takara wasn't the type of person who needed too much convincing. She analyzed. She looked at the situations around her, looked at what was happening in detail and accepted what she couldn't explain. It was that simple.

What point was there in denying what she had witnessed with her own eyes? To say she was difficult to get along with would have been a lie. She was a very soft spoken, gentle, and kind person and was in no way violent, mean spirited, or rough. It took a lot to make her angry, a fact that she prided herself in as well as her ability to keep a cool head. Takara hated fighting and violence and avoided it all costs. However, she wasn't naïve enough to believe that she would never have to take measures to defend herself or another person. Her father had made sure she understood that. The youngest of nine children and the only girl, her older brothers had schooled her in self-defense although with eight big older brothers, they were the only ones she had to worry about defending herself against.

Even though her mother had passed away when she was only two, her father made sure that she was "his little princess". She had her rough patches, how could she not being raised by all men. If she had questions about girl issues, then she would go and visit her grandmother, her mother's mother. Other than that she was left to deal with her brothers.

They had feared for her at first, although she was so young, she had taken her mother's death hard so her father and brothers scarred of losing her made sure that to ensure that she felt loved and cherished as a daughter and a sister.

Some saw her gentle nature as a weakness, while others saw it as her strength. She remembered one day she had come home from school, her dress ripped, dirty from being pushed over, and her hair a mess from being pulled in tears because the boys had been mean to her. Her father had asked if she wanted her brothers to get the boys back for her but it had only made her cry more. "I don't want them hurt," she had cried "I just don't want them to be mean anymore." She had cried herself to sleep that night, afraid her brothers would go back for revenge, but the next day at school, the boys who had bullied her were being bullied themselves. An older kid was stealing their lunch money. It made her mad and she walked up to the bigger kid and tapped his shoulder. As soon as he turned around, she did as her dad showed her and punched the kid right in his chest as hard as she could knocking the wind out of him. He dropped the kids' lunch money, and Takara grabbed it up and ran, yelling at the other boys to follow her, which they did.

Takara smiled at that memory, perhaps she hadn't needed to punch the older bully, but she just reacted. After she defended them, the three boys who had bullied her and Takara had become best friends. Jun, Kai, and Ken had become some of the nicest guys in school, but some of the toughest. She had rubbed off on them somewhere along the way. It hurt her to think that she would never see them again. As far as her family went that hurt even worse, but she didn't want these strangers to see her cry. She blamed her father. He should have told her what he was thinking, or at least what he had gotten himself into. It may have made things easier to be separated from them. With a determined nod, she agreed that tomorrow they would seek out this Totosai.