Tales of an Inugami

An Inuyasha x Okami Crossover Parody

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Okami © Capcom

Summary- In the ancient land of Nippon, the great Inugami, Inuyasha once looked over the land, protecting the innocent from evil, but he was sealed to a tree due to a misunderstanding. Now, 50 years later, he is awakened by the young priestess, Kagome and reluctantly forms a partnership with her in order to regain his lost powers. During the journey, Inuyasha finds himself becoming closer to Kagome in a way he never expected.

~Prologue~

"Kagome? ...Kagome, where are you?"

Atsuko had practically searched the house from top to bottom, and yet, her young daughter had made herself scarce. She didn't understand it. One minute, she was playing outside with her ball, but then, she just up and disappeared.

Atsuko sighed, praying to whatever god or spirit that could hear her that her daughter had not wandered off as she tended to. She supposed that it was only natural. Children tended to be rather curious, especially when they were at the age her daughter was. Even so, however, the forest was no place for a little girl, especially during the night.

Who knows what manner of demons could be out there? Especially the kind that preyed on small children...of course, demons hadn't been around the village for quite some time since...well, she could always think about that later.

"Kagome!" Atsuko called as she headed outside, looking out towards the dense forest that surrounded their home. "Where are you?!"

No answer came, causing her to sigh before she headed toward the forest...praying that she would find her daughter alive within before it got too dark.

XXX

Kagome Higurashi...no older than 6 years, clad in a pink kimono with a pretty cherry blossom pattern as well as a dark red obi around her waist. Her hair was tied back by a cute little red ribbon that her mother put there.

The young girl grunted as she climbed over the roots and stones, pushed her way through shrubs, and carefully stepped over any small holes and twigs so as not to trip. The last thing she needed was to hurt herself in some way.

"Where is it?" she asked as she looked around. "I know I saw it roll here, somewhere."

As soon as she looked up, a smile appeared on her face as she finally spotted what she was looking for: the white Kemari ball that she was playing with outside her house. She accidentally kicked it a little too far and it ended up bouncing away into the woods. She knew that her mother had told her many times not to go into the forest, knowing that there were all sorts of creatures who would jump at the chance to snatch Kagome up as a meal...but she couldn't leave the ball.

It was one of the last few things her father gave to her before he was killed by demons last winter when he went out to get firewood. Since then, Atsuko had to care for Kagome alone.

As Kagome went to go pick up the ball, she suddenly stopped as she noticed something on her pinky finger. It looked like...a red piece of thread, and it was leading deeper into the forest.

At first, she thought that maybe it meant nothing...and yet, her curiosity once again taking over, she felt herself becoming compelled to follow it. The leaves and grass crunched softly beneath her feet as she kept walking, the trees becoming thicker as she ventured further. She glanced over her shoulder every now and then if she heard any sounds like twigs snapping or pebbles moving, but when she saw nothing, she continued on her way.

After what felt like hours of walking...Kagome gasped silently at the sight before her.

It was...a man. A young man with long silvery-white hair and...what looked like dog ears sticking out of the top of his head. He wore what looked like a red short-sleeved gi and red hakama pants, as well as what looked like a long cape made of white fur. His eyes were closed and he had a look of peacefulness on his face...and whatever skin was visible, Kagome saw that it was adorned with red markings. His body was wrapped up in overgrown roots and ivy, pinning him against an old birch tree as he lied limp against it.

As she went to take a closer look at him...she saw that the red string was attached to the end of an arrow, which pierced the strange man in his chest.

"...A doggy man?" Kagome asked, her eyes lighting up brightly as she stared at his sleeping face...and for a moment, she could have sworn that he was...smiling.

"Kagome!"

Kagome gasped as she turned to see her mother, who sighed in relief as she approached her.

"Mommy!" Kagome exclaimed.

"There you are!" Atsuko said as she ran up and hugged her daughter, then gave her a stern look. "How many times have I told you not to come into the forest by yourself?! Especially when it's close to dusk!"

"I'm sorry, Mommy," said Kagome, causing her mother to sigh as she picked her up and carried her back home. Kagome blinked as she looked over her mother's shoulder at the dog-eared man that lay against the tree, the arrow still piercing his chest as he slept.

"Mommy?" Kagome asked. "Who's that doggy man?"

"What?" Atsuko questioned before she glanced back and saw the strange individual her daughter spoke of, causing her eyes to go wide. "...Oh...Inuyasha..."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome repeated, quizzically.

"Yes," Atsuko replied as she turned and walked away, carrying her daughter with her. "In fact, this forest is named after him: Inuyasha's Forest."

"Oh," Kagome muttered. "How come he has doggy ears?"

"Because, Kagome," Atsuko began, "Inuyasha is an Inugami: a dog god."

"...A god...?" Kagome whispered in awe.

"That's right," Atsuko answered. "A long time, Inuyasha once protected our village. He used a magic paintbrush to control nature as he saw fit...he could make the sun rise or the moon come out...wherever he stepped, flowers would grow...powerful gales would flow throughout the land...thunderstorms appeared at his bidding."

"...Wow...!" Kagome gaped. "But...how come he's sleeping against that tree? And why does he have an arrow in his chest?"

Atsuko heaved a small sigh at that.

"Well, Kagome," she said, "according to legend, Inuyasha once did battle with a terrible monster...an eight-headed serpent called Orochi."

"...Orochi..." Kagome whispered, fearfully.

"Orochi was a merciless, sinister creature," Atsuko said. "It was said that he controlled the monsters that once plagued our land. Once, every year, the villagers would present Orochi a beautiful young maiden as a sacrificial offering."

Kagome gulped as she clutched at her mother's kimono as Atsuko continued to tell the story, even as they approached their house.

"Then, one night...in fact, it was on the night of a full moon...Inuyasha came to the village and stole a sacred artifact from the shrine: the Shikon Jewel, said to give power to any demons who possess it. The villagers were outraged and sent a priestess to slay the god. She shot him with a sacred arrow that pinned him to a tree...but it was only after that the villagers realized their mistake."

"What happened?"

"...Inuyasha did not take the jewel for himself...he took it in order to trick Orochi into fighting him. Orochi proved to be too powerful, even for a god...so Inuyasha had no choice but to seal the monster away."

"...So...it was a misunderstanding," Kagome mused as Atsuko entered the house.

"Yes...I'm afraid it was," Atsuko replied. "The villagers didn't mean to blame the god who once protected them...to honor him, they placed his magic Celestial Brush in a shrine while he sleeps in the forest."

"...Mommy?" asked Kagome. "Do you think Inuyasha might be a little lonely?"

"What makes you think that, my dear?" Atsuko asked.

"...When I first saw him, he looked sad," Kagome replied, "and when I walked up to him...I think he started smiling."

Atsuko blinked at her daughter before she smiled at her, lovingly.

"I think maybe he was happy he got some company after so many years," she said.

"...What if I kept visiting him?" asked Kagome. "You think maybe he'll be happier?"

"Maybe," Atsuko replied, "but from now on, if you're going into the forest, at least let me go with you...and only go during the day."

"Yes, Mommy," Kagome nodded, obediently.

And so, the days passed. Kagome continued to venture into the forest along with her mother to visit Inuyasha. She would always talk about her day to him, about what she had been doing when she was at home or if she had any new experiences. As Kagome kept talking, Atsuko would notice out of the corner of her eye that Inuyasha's ear seem to flick subtly as if to pick up every word her daughter was saying.

As Kagome turned 11, Atsuko noticed a change in her daughter. Kagome claimed she could see the spirits of those long passed from the mortal coil and she could sense things that no one else could sense. Atsuko was worried, so she turned to the village elder and resident priestess, Kaede, for help.

Imagine her surprise when Kaede revealed that Kagome actually had some innate spiritual powers and they were just starting to awaken. Kaede offered to take her in as an apprentice priestess. At first, Kagome was excited at the idea...until she learned that her lessons meant she couldn't visit Inuyasha in the forest as often. Nonetheless, Kagome continued her training, but still tried to visit Inuyasha in the forest whenever she could.

Then, when Kagome turned 12...tragedy.

Atsuko suddenly fell ill one day. Kaede tried everything she could to help her. Kagome was beside herself with helplessness. She was still learning a few things and she didn't know how she could help her mother feel better. At first, everything seemed like they were going to be fine. Kagome thought that maybe Kaede's medicine would help Atsuko...but nay.

Atsuko died in the middle of fall, leaving Kagome to be raised by Kaede alone.

Kagome was distraught and despondent. She wouldn't speak to anyone...wouldn't look at anybody. She thought to herself that maybe this was all some sort of dream that she would wake up from soon and that her mother would be there to greet her...but the more time passed, the more reality began to set in. Kagome would spend nights, crying herself to sleep...asking...begging the gods to bring her mother back to her.

"As much as ye pine for your mother, Kagome," Kaede told her, "no amount of tears will ever bring her back...I am sorry."

When Kagome turned 13...her tears finally ceased. She had come to accept that her mother was gone...and though it didn't stop her from missing her, Kagome continued on with her training as a priestess. She started to take up archery and began to make basic herbal remedies. The villagers came to love her, and Kagome grew to love them as well. Kaede was especially proud of how much her pupil was growing.

However...Kagome's studies and lessons took her away from the one thing she promised to do.

She barely visited the Inugami who was pinned to the tree. However, Kagome did not forget about him. She often wondered if he was sad that she didn't come to see him anymore.

Perhaps, when she had enough free time...she would go back to the forest, again.

That time was 2 years later, when Kagome was 15. As she quietly stepped through the forest, cherry blossom petals gently fell from the branches. She had no landmarks to guide her...just the little red string around her finger that only she could see.

He was still in the same state he was when she first found him back when she was a little girl: in a state of peaceful, dormant sleep...and the red string was still there, tied to the end of the arrow that had him pinned there.

Kagome smiled as she approached the tree where Inuyasha lay sealed, then she got down on her knees and bowed her head to the Inugami. Afterward, she sat up straight, staring at Inuyasha's face.

"...Hello, Inuyasha," she whispered. "I'm...I'm sorry I haven't been visiting you like I used to...so many things have happened."

Inuyasha didn't speak...not that he could, right now, anyway.

"...I decided to come and see you, today," said Kagome. "I'm a priestess, now...sort of. I've still got some things to learn." She then heaved a sigh. "...It's sad, really...I lost my Father...and my Mother...at least Kaede is here for me. She's kind of like a grandmother to me."

She looked up at him...and yet, she saw no smile on his face, causing her to sigh, again.

"...You're not gonna smile, this time, are you? That's fine...I haven't come to see you in 2 years."

She then stood up on her feet and quietly approached him...then gently placed her hand on his cheek.

"I'm very sorry, Inuyasha," she whispered. "I pray that you forgive me...if not now...then one day."

With that said, Kagome turned and walked away, headed back to the village...but if she had stayed just a bit longer...she would have seen Inuyasha's hand twitch.

And that's just the start of it. ;)

Review, please!