Saving the World One Hanyou at a Time
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Inuyasha fanfic crossover.
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters cause if I did I would've quit my day job ages ago. They belong to Joss Whedon and Rumiko Takahashi.
Summary: The Watchers Council sends Buffy back in time to learn more about The First. She encounters the Inu gang and then Naraku. But something seems familiar, are they fighting the same enemy in different eras?
NOTE: I've rewritten this fic…it needed it! So if it seems familiar then that's why. Thanks!
Pairings: Kagome/Inu, Inu/Kikyo, Buffy/Miroku (just kidding folks) Takes place in the early part of Buffy season seven. Willow has returned.
ONE
Into the Rabbit Hole
A group of figures in dark hooded robes circled a large bonfire. They raised their arms and began chanting in unison. The morning sun beat down on the group only intensifying the heat from the fire.
A blonde girl stood to the side watching. They could be chanting in Latin but she wasn't sure. Languages had never really been her 'thing'.
The leader picked up a sword and lifted it over his head. He gestured towards the girl.
It was time.
Giles held up his glasses to the firelight studying the lenses for any extra smudges. "This is our only hope for the moment. Please Buffy be careful."
He slid his glasses on his nose and blinked. "I'm sorry… I fear I've failed you. But this might help us defeat The First." His concern was etched into his face. He'd aged considerably since his return from England.
Buffy didn't answer him. She was weighing her options one last time. But it was pointless. Her decision had been made for her. She would do whatever it took to win and it looked like winning meant trusting the Council.
'Back through the old rabbit hole then? World needs saving must be Tuesday.'
She closed her eyes and reached back, drawing her hair back into a tight ponytail, pushing all thoughts of herself aside. 'Gotta look at the bigger picture.'
She put a steady hand on his tweed jacket. "No Giles, look at me." She was using her best Buffy is the boss voice. "You've never failed me. Talked me half to death maybe, but you've never let me down."
He stumbled. "Buffy… thank you."
The head chanter stamped his foot trying to catch her attention. The chanting grew louder.
'This is it then. No time to waste.' She hugged Giles, and then turned towards the fire.
She strode to the man with holding the katana with a confidence she didn't feel. The heat of the fire came in waves and brushed her bare face.
She hated doing this alone without her friends but it couldn't be helped. Someone had to stay and watch the home front in case the spell went wrong.
Two of the men leaned aside allowing her to pass into the circle and face their leader.
Buffy placed her hands on her hips. "Okay boss man, what's next?"
"Your hand Miss Summers."
He reached out and snatched her hand before she could offer it. Buffy grumbled, "What no please or thank you?"
He ignored her and began chanting in some dead language.
'Too bad this isn't a happier occasion, bet translating this would make Giles' summer vacation complete!'
The rude man in his tacky robes raised the old katana and ran it's ruined blade across her palms. It's dull blade made for a painful cut.
Buffy winced and watched as he held her bleeding hand over the fire and a shower of sparks filled the air.
She recognized the beginnings of a dark portal and tried not to think of the last time she'd seen such a gateway. 'With luck today I'll get out of this without plunging to my death in a distant scorching dimension...again.'
The headman and his fellow chanters stepped back form the fire. Buffy bit her lip. 'It would have to be an ominous black hole. It's never just a door or an elevator.'
She took a deep breath and asked the obvious question. "So is this my cue?"
He nodded and handed Buffy the sword. She held it under her arm and backed up for a running start. 'It's easier if I just run and don't think about it. God I hope I don't trip and fall on this stupid sword. This is worse than running with very dull scissors.'
The wind rushed past her face as she jumped through the portal. Her eyes snapped shut of their own accord and she felt the universe moving around her at the speed of thick maple syrup dripping from a glass bottle. 'Flying through time and all I can think of are waffles.'
'Ugh, this wasn't the day to skip breakfast, oh well too late for that. Doubt they have fast food where I'm going.'
She landed hard on her feet and her knees bent with the force of the impact. Buffy opened her eyes and found herself in another world.
Her hand found the scabbard of the sword. 'Toto I don't think we're in Sunnydale anymore.'
--
'Hey it's not another world, it's just night here. Where ever here is?'
Buffy looked up and saw a no moon in the dark sky. 'Great! A new moon, this makes it all the easier for the beasties to hide.'
A twig snapped behind he and she spun to face it the source of the nose brandishing the katana. But she found nothing.
'And thank God too, this sword is more of a joke than a real weapon.'
She relaxed her sword arm and took in her surroundings. The forest was full of huge trees; they might even be centuries old. Other than the chirping crickets there were no noises.
The lack of modern sounds was eerie. Was it possible for silence to be too loud?
Buffy picked her way through the brush and found a footpath. She was careful to keep her movements quiet and felt her way along the path.
It seemed safe but it was never a good idea to let your guard down in a strange place. And this place definitely qualified as strange.
A night bird began it's song and Buffy found it reassuring. 'This place can't be all bad… I mean they do have birds and that has to be a good sign. Right?'
She realized for the first time in months she was completely alone. Dawn was safe back home with Xander probably playing monopoly to take their minds of her latest business trip. If Anya was there then she was probably winning.
Willow was in class, a place she excelled far more in than Buffy could ever hope to. The witch was still coming to terms with last spring.
And Spike… he was elsewhere. Buffy knew he was physically safe in her basement but lately his mind wandered to places she didn't understand and couldn't hope to follow. Honestly she wasn't certain she did want to know what went on in his head.
As much as his constant prying and pushing aggravated her, she regretted leaving him behind. He always had her back. 'Course when he's done watching it, he might stick a knife in it, but hey nobody's perfect.
Buffy smiled grimly as she took stock of her friend's loyalties. 'Been recently evil much?'
She loved her friends but couldn't always trust their decisions; even Xander. 'His number's up and it's only a matter of time before he turns Godzilla or something.'
She smiled as her head filled with the image of a giant Xander terrorizing Sunnydale. He'd probably start with the Bronze where he'd been stood up and rejected by numerous women, or maybe the high school. No one would miss that place, but then he did help build it so maybe he'd pass on stomping it to dust.
Her mood lightened and she muttered aloud, "Xand-zilla."
But the words that left her lips were complete gibberish. 'What the hell? Let's try this again.'
"Hello?"
Buffy heard hello in her head but what came from her lips was nonsensical.
'Great! The Council hit me with a freak language whammy and didn't even bother to tell me. I really gotta have a talk with those pompous jerks!'
She decided to keep moving and investigate the language spell or what ever the hell it was when she felt safer.
Buffy followed the slight path deeper into the woods. She didn't like traveling a strange place at night and began looking for some shelter to hide in until the cleansing light of day took over.
'Perfect'
An abandoned lean-to hut was just up ahead. It's thatched roof reminded her of the Sunnydale Renaissance Faire. She crept around the back of it looking for signs of recent habitation but there were none.
'Looks like I've found my Holiday Inn.'
She entered through the front door and it was deserted. She found a dark corner and sat down facing the door.
Buffy just started to relax when a slim feminine figure slunk into the shelter. The girl swayed her hips as she walked stopping in front of Buffy.
She leaned down and stuck her face in the Slayer's. Buffy wasn't surprised to see her own face grinning back at her.
"Bitch you ran away." It accused in a sing-song voice.
"Yeah sure whatever."
"Thought you could hide here?" It stood, stretched it limbs than ran it's hands down a curvy body Buffy was very familiar with.
Buffy's philosophy was always act braver than you actually are, even if your guts are a quivering mass of Jello. "I've beaten bader than you."
It smirked. "William the fucking Bloody, you beat him, over and over. Now he's a shadow and my very own toy, better than a Playstation.
Buffy bit her bottom lip determined to give the fiend no reaction. 'Spike, what am I going to do with you?'
It grinned showing a mouthful of unnaturally pointed teeth. "I can be everywhere at once. Right now I am in this form with him. He's crying for you."
The thing lifted it's hand and scratched it's face with a long dirty fingernail leaving a bloody line across a cheek that was the mirror image of her own.
Buffy's chest constricted but she fought it. 'He is not a man, he's a demon. He'll make it though this. Dawn, Xander, Willow and Giles are safe. That's what's important. That's what counts. Spike can make it. He'll have to.'
Buffy's double strolled around the hut as though it was in a shoe store. It remarked casually, "You know I was here once too."
"Where," Buffy asked cautiously not wanting to sound too interested.
It swung around to face her; proud of it's past exploits. "In this time. We are in the past, maybe five hundred years or so in Feudal Japan."
It began a jerky dance. It's unnatural movements reminiscent of the Evil Dead movies. Buffy shook her head to rid herself of the image as it writhed like a stiff corpse doll or one of the things that had attended her welcome home party the time she ran away.
"I ruled here and the rivers ran with blood. You'll see. You will learn what I am truly capable of."
The hut filled with the creature's maniacal laughter and it faded in on it's self then burst into a ball of light and faded away.
Buffy hoped it was gone and pulled her knees to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees.
'It's time to be rational, it wanted to scare me. It wanted to upset me big time. That has got to mean the Council was right. There is something here'
'I hate this so much'. She sighed and rubbed her temples with the pads of her fingers. 'I will find out how to beat this. There has to be a way.'
---
"I thought I sensed jewel shards." Kagome studied the small shelter. "But there's nothing here." The wind stirred her short skirt and she had to keep pulling it down.
Miroku stepped out the front of the group and frowned. "This place was violated."
He pulled out a sutra and slapped it against the side of the lean-to. "This should help purify the aura."
"Naraku?" came a voice from behind Sango.
She swung around and hissed, "Stay behind us until we find out what this is!"
Kagome sighed and chimed in, "Please listen unless you want every creature in the world to know your greatest weakness."
"Fucking hell! I'll do whatever it takes."
Inuyasha pushed his way free from the group and stood in front of the lean-to. His black hair hung loose down his back and his hand hovered over the hilt of his sword. He cursed his human affliction. 'Fucking sense of smell is still gone. Damn it!'
Kagome bit her lip and Miroku reassured her behind his raised hand in a low whisper, "I think the evil has moved on. It's still close but he's safe for the moment."
Inuyasha was quick with his rebuke. "I'm human but I can still HEAR you letch."
Kagome crossed her arms, "Whatever Inuyasha, do what you want because you will anyway."
"Feh." He answered before entering the hut. As if he even cared what she thought.
Sango moved to follow him but Miroku stopped her. "Let him go. If he needs help we'll know. After all we're just right outside."
She raised a brow at the monk's suggestion but stood back. After all they were just feet from the door and the area was jewel shard free. What could happen?
---
Buffy watched the man slip inside the shelter. 'He has long hair, if he's the First, than it's got a new trick because I don't recognize him.'
She sat motionless allowing him to come to her. 'This is definitely Japan, check out that red haori and hakama.' Just the fact that she even knew the proper names for his attire was disturbing.
He spotted her and stepped in front of her crossed legs. She was only a small girl or young woman. 'She doesn't look like a yokai. Maybe she's in some kind of trouble and Kagome will want me to help her. That yellow hair ain't natural…
Buffy didn't appreciate the way he sauntered up to her and was now studying her like she belonged in a zoo. Green eyes met and held black eyes.
His hand reached for her shoulder and she reacted instinctively and leapt to her feet.
Inuyasha jumped back. He gave a low growl.
'That bitch just did a vertical jump from a sitting position. Ain't as innocent as you look are you?'
Buffy was caught off guard. 'He just growled at me? That was… different.' She'd been growled at before, just not by humans. 'Better stay on my toes, just in case he's more than human.'
Inuyasha decided to hedge his bets and lunged for her.
Buff watched him coming at her. 'That's enough.'
She jumped aside, put a hand on his arm and felt the satisfying contact of solid flesh. She grinned and tossed him over her shoulder.
'Hey you are corporeal. My kind of enemy and so not The First, unless you're a toady.'
Inuyasha's feet left the ground and he sailed through the air landing hard on his ass.
He lunged to his feet and caught his fist on her hip when he was aiming for her gut.
She slammed both hands onto his chest and threw him back against the wall. He hit with an audible thud and slid down the wall.
---
Miroku stood in the door watching the tiny girl toss Inuyasha about like he was a bag of rice. He called back to the others "He's getting his butt kicked by a tiny, mortal girl! But he's okay. It's almost dawn and he made it clear he didn't want our help."
Sango punched his arm. "I resent that girl crap remark."
He rubbed his bicep, "My apologies dearest Sango."
---
Inuyasha's head reeled back and he slumped against the wall. Buffy wanted to examine him but held back. 'I hate fighting humans and having to pull my punches.'
He surprised her by wearily lifting his head. 'Good I didn't seem to leave any permanent damage.'
She straightened her spine and stared him down. 'Oh please don't make me kill someone's great, great, great grandfather and botch up history.'
The knot holes in the walls filled with the soft light of dawn. Buffy shook her head. 'I'm gonna have some killer jetlag. Tonight I will sleep like the dead.'
The man struggled to his feet using the walls to pull himself up. The air sizzled with electricity and buzzed in her ears. Buffy noticed a disconcerting glow around her opponent.
'Oh shit. Our man here is glowing and no good ever comes from that.'
His black hair took on a silver sheen. One moment she was facing a mere mortal, the next he head perky Siberian husky dog ears complimented by silver white hair. Buffy's first thought was; 'He's kinda cute… A dog demon?'
Her face lit up with a dark grin. 'Dog demon huh, now we're talking! And I've always wanted a puppy.'
She took a defensive posture giving him a chance to avoid the fight. He had to know she'd been holding back and maybe after that transformation he wasn't in a fighting mood. 'Not my lucky day is it?'
He narrowed his golden eyes and she saw his pupils were black slits. There was no mistaking the vulpine smile that crossed his lips. 'So it's good old fashion revenge he's after now. Okay dog-boy. Bring it on!'
Inuyasha studied the straw haired girl. She smelled human, but how was that possible? With that hair and her strength it just didn't add up. 'Unless…she is from Kagome's era.'
He scented the air and realized she was covered in the smells of shampoo, soap and lotions. He smirked. 'Yeah she REEKS of it. And I've seen woman with hair like that in pictures at Kagome's.' Still, she was different. She'd watched him change and liked it. He shrugged off his doubts and laughed.
Buffy was indignant, 'Dog boy just laughed at me! What the hell?' The thought was never completed.
He leapt at her with his claws out; arms extended reaching for her throat.
---
Miroku was keeping tabs and relaying the action back to Kagome and Sango. "He's transformed and man is he pissed!"
---
Buffy easily dodged Inuyasha and landed a solid kick on his back. He howled in rage, landed on his toes and spun to face her. 'Damn he is so fast.'
She took a deep breath to center herself. She'd have to rely on her reflexes.
Inuyasha glared back at the yellow haired bitch. He was stronger than her, he was certain of it. But she was clever. 'She's even stronger than Sango, but not ME.'
He bared his claws for the second time and howled, "SOUL SHATTERING IRON CLAW!"
He flew at Buffy with all the force of a small tornado. She simply side stepped the attack and watched him plow into the wall. The whole building shook under the impact and she wondered how much more damage it could withstand.
'Puppy boy would've had me if he hadn't announced his attack first. He's all strength and no strategy.'
She smiled her Buffy brightest. "Are we done now? I could do this all day but I've prior commitments."
He growled. "Bitch what are you?"
Buffy gave a superficial frown. "I'm nobody special." Her hands went to her hips. "Oh and that's Mistress Bitch to you."
Okay that wasn't very mature but it was fun. She watched him seethe with anger and realized that pissing him off was her best strategy.
He surprised her by unsheathing a katana sword that was identical to the one she'd hidden in the corner. The sword came to life, lit up and grew to half the size of a Harley Davidson. 'Now what the hell is he doing? Has anyone told him that sword looks like a really big…?'
He swung it at her and she made a clean jump over the blade. She felt the heat of the sword through her jeans and decided to avoid touching it.
He advanced on her in an attempt to corner her. She kept dodging, ducking and dancing around the sword. His agitation became evident and he jabbed at her blindly.
'Wow. If he ever learned how to use that thing, he'd be dangerous.'
He stopped, raised the sword and began to yell something unintelligible.
'Oh now what?'
A woman's voice broke through the confusion.
"Osuwari"!
He plummeted to the floor face first, broke through the floor boards and groaned clearly in pain.
Buffy blinked. 'Poor puppy, I almost feel bad for you.'
She swung around to confront whatever had felled her opponent and saw a thin Japanese school girl standing in the doorway. She wore a modern school uniform complete with the micro skirt. 'Perverts of the world unite! Girl did your mom see what you were wearing when you left this morning?'
Buffy threw up a hand in warning and shouted "Stop!"
The girl froze.
"Good. Now who are you and what do you have against dog boy here?" She gestured towards the demon who sat in the hole in the floor rubbing his back and glaring at the girl.
The girl laughed. "That's Inuyasha, we're…friends. He was going to use the Tetsusaiga and that would have been a bit over the top."
Buffy paused and fought a smile. 'The sword has a name? Now it really does remind me of a giant dick.'
---
Notes:
In season seven Giles comes back with some of the potentials. Here I've changed things around a bit and had him come back with Willow. Please forgive me.
Yes this is a rewrite of a previously posted story. I re-read the original and it sucked so much I just had to go back and fix it. Don't despair all the good stuff's still here it's just better!
If you are waiting for an update of a new chapter, I do believe I left Koga in the shower, that will come in two weeks or less once the rest of the story is corrected.
I apologize for doing this but I really owed it to the story to fix it. Thank you.