InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wild Blood ❯ Not a normal birthday present... ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Neither of us own Inuyasha. The idea is Sera's, which she gave to SSJ when she was moaning about loosing her ideas notebook just when she got the urge to write. Don't worry, she found it. This was written by SSJ, and revamped by Sera (who had fun… *grins*)

Kagome sighed loudly as she flopped onto her bed, landing on her back with a large WHUMP that displaced the covers and pillows. A second later she was up and yelping, rubbing the poor, abused black tail that was currently cowering between her legs. She lay down again, this time being careful to do so on her stomach. It seemed only moments ago that her life had been completely normal, without the fear of breaking her tail when she sat or lay down. She had been an average teenager with an average life with completely average parents. Her biggest worries were getting to school on time and whether her crush would ask her out. Now her whole world had been turned upside down and her worries… well, let's just say that they were a LOT different now.

A couple of hours ago the whole Higurashi family; consisting of her, her mom, and her dad (sorry Souta fans, if there are any, he's not in this story… yet…); had been sitting down to a nice, relatively normal dinner consisting of Kagome's favorite dish... you guessed it, ODEN! It was Kagome's 18th birthday and as was custom in the family there was no big celebration. Usually her mom or dad would just make her favorite dish (again, ODEN! Come on, people, you have to admit, it's fun to say that word) and maybe they would get her something small. No big deal, really. When Kagome had come bounding down the stairs, singing her little "Oden" song (which went a little something like "Oden, oden, I love oden, it feels so good in my tummy! Oden, oden, I love oden, I eat it cause it's yummy!" … Okay, let's face it, Kagome's not much of a poet…) she had been greeted with the sight of her parents standing on either side of a large box that was sitting on the table wrapped in white paper and red ribbon. The table was covered in the white linen tablecloth they only used for special occasions, and the GOOD china was set out, as well as the fine silverware. Her parents were smiling in a way that gave Kagome chills, and not the nice kind of chills. A feeling of dread washed over the girl… this did not look good…

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Flashback to Dinner

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"Um…what's going on?" Kagome asked while sitting down at her regular seat at the table. It was the seat with the cute little pink bunnies and yellow ducklings that her dad had made for her when she was three, and she was doing her best to get transferred to a new chair. `We never celebrate my birthday…'

"Today is a special day my dear," Ms. Higurashi said beaming at her daughter. "Today is the day you come of age in our eyes."

Kagome blink puzzled, "In you eyes…mom…what are you talking about."

"Kagome I believe it's time we've told you…" her father said still smiling. "We are youkai."

Kagome sat there stunned. `What is this some kind of joke?' "Dad…what…you're joking right?"

Ms. Higurashi frowned, "Oh dear I knew this wasn't going to be easy." Absently she waved her hand around the room. As she did so Kagome felt a slight tingling pass over her body. Closing her eyes she shivered slightly. When she opened them again she was shocked to find her normally normal looking parents sporting wolfish looking tails, elfin ears, and various markings.

"What the?! What's happened to you?" Kagome asked springing up from her chair a note of panic in her voice.

"Don't look so surprised dear." Ms. Higurashi said smiling at her daughters surprised expression. "You have your own you know."

Slowly Kagome reached a hand up to where her ears where and was shocked to find her ear had changed from being rounded to being pointed. Whipping around to face the mirror in the china cabinet she was further shocked to find that she too had a tail and various markings that had defiantly not been there before. Around her left eye was now a pure white starburst that sparked faintly as if she had put it there with make up. From the outer tip of her right eyebrow to the bridge of her nose was a thin red crescent moon that was crossed once by a thin blue line that came around from just below her ear. Her opposite cheek sported the same blue line. She looked down at her hands…instead of their normal human looking shape they looked… different. Stronger, more dangerous somehow. Her nails had transformed into 2 inch long cat-like claws that she later discovered while playing around with them were retractable. Kagome had always been strong for her age and for being female but now that the illusion had been lifted she swore that she felt nearly invincible. Of course, that was because her body wasn't used to this new surge of power. Kagome looked behind her and by now was only mildly surprised to find herself staring at a fluffy dog tail that was coated in soft black fur. It resembled the tail of the German Shepard that lived down the street, the one she always snuck some of her breakfast to while on the way to school.

Kagome turned to her parents. "Why didn't you tell me before?" By this point there just wasn't any point in trying to deny this…all she wanted now where some answers. "Why are you telling me this now?"

Mr. Higurashi smiled. `She's taking it better than I thought…like a true youkai.' "We didn't tell you because it is tradition to keep it hidden from the pup until their eighteenth birthday in this family. That's when the special concealment spell wears off, anyways. From now on, you'll have to use illusions to hide your… extra features. It allowed you, while growing up among other kids, to lead a normal life, up until now."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean up until now? Why can't I still live an at least slightly normal life?"

"It's like this honey." Ms. Higurashi's smile faded, to be replaced by a look of anxiety. "Now that you're an adult and full grown…being a youkai and all…you're required to take certain…'test', I should say..."

"What kind of `test'?" Kagome didn't like the way her mom said that. She REALLY did not like the way she said that. "This isn't gonna be one of those tests where you sit down, grab a pencil, and fill in the blanks, is it?"

"I'm afraid not, honey." Mr. Higurashi sighed loudly, his pointed ears (Kagome still hadn't gotten used to that) drooping slightly. "It's a survival test."

"What…" Kagome's spirits fell as the poor youkai groaned… survival test? `I've never even been camping in my entire life… wait, they didn't say camping, though. Maybe this is just their way of saying that they're kicking me out and I need to get a job… Nah, my parents wouldn't do that. But with camping there's bugs and dirt and going in the bushes and all kinds of icky things!'

"It's really not that hard dear." Ms. Higurashi said reassuringly while calmly crossing her fingers behind her back, where her daughter couldn't see. "Why when I was your age I had to do the same thing and I came out of it with barely a scratch." She giggled. "Coincidently it's how I met your father."

Kagome sweat dropped. "Thanks mom, but… is there a particular REASON I have to do this?"

"It's the only way to make sure you're fit to bear pups." Her father said making it sound as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We can't have weak genes floating around in future generations now can we?"

Kagome blinked, "But dad what if I can't do this?"

"Nonsense Kagome…you're a Higurashi…no one from our family has ever failed this test…well with the exception of my great uncle… and my cousin… and my older brother… and your great great great uncle Herman… but they were all idiots, and I'm SURE you'll do better than them!" Mr. Higurashi went over to Kagome and put an arm around his daughter. "I know you'll make us proud and hopefully you'll bring home a nice youkai male with you."

"DAD!" Kagome blushed furiously. Sure she'd gone out with a few boys before but to even think about that deep of a relationship with anyone…well…it was a scary thought…especially coming from her parents.

"Kagome…" her mother stepped up to her holding the box. "We'd also like to give you this…it was a bit of tradition in my family to pass this down to the next female about to take her Survival Test."

"Um…thanks…" Kagome said as she took the box from her mother's hands and slipped one of her claws under the wrapping paper, easily tearing it away. The girl nervously lifted the lid and placed it to the side. Kagome gasped when she saw what was within. Inside the box, nestled in black tissue paper, was a dagger. The handle was engraved with beautiful symbols of dogs running, playing, and hunting, and was pure white, despite the fact that it looked and felt as it if were extremely old. An iron blade, polished to rival the shiniest silver, came down from the handle, curving slightly at the tip. It was by far the most beautiful thing Kagome had ever seen. "Mom…it's beautiful." She said for a lack of words to express her thanks.

"That dagger will be the most important thing you could have with you on your test. You wouldn't believe me if I told you how useful that thing will be." Ms. Higurashi said smiling. "It's spelled to stay clean and to be extra strong. That doesn't mean it won't break, however, so take care of it. Especially since it's the ONLY thing allowed with you besides the clothes you have on your back. Simply put, if you loose this and aren't able to make a somewhat useful replacement, you're screwed."

Kagome smiled in gratitude, though her mom's words were a bit disturbing. Before she thought she would be left with only her wits to fend for herself but with this she at least had a chance… she had read a lot of outdoors books, which helped a bit. With the dagger, she could skin animals, cut wood, carve things… she decided that this dagger would be her best friend while taking her `test'.

"Well I think it's time to eat…" Kagome perked up at the thought of her precious, precious oden. "… you start straight away tomorrow and we won't be seeing you for at least three years. We might as well send you off into the wilds of Japan with a full stomach, I daresay it will be a rare thing for a while." Mr. Higurashi said helping Kagome fill her large bowl with ladlefuls of steaming oden.

`Three years?' Kagome choked on the spoonful she had just placed in her mouth, spraying it all over the table (making her mom sigh and murmur about her poor, abused tablecloth). `I thought it might only be a few months… but… three years… this definitely is NOT going to be easy… with or with out a magic dagger…'

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End Flashback

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And that's how it had started, leaving Kagome completely restless (and with a bruised tail because of the restlessness) and wondering just what the hell was going to happen to her. Unfortunately, she could guess. Hunger, cold hard winters, months without a hot bath (she would do her darndest to find a hot spring, even if it killed her!), famine… Kagome shuddered and whimpered, curling into the fetal position and gently wrapping her tail around herself.

Rolling onto her side Kagome sighed again while closing her eyes…and praying she would live through the next three years of her life. The inu youkai had a feeling that the next three years would either be hell or… hell.

She had NO idea…

To be continued…

Beta'd by Sera