Earth-349: Inu-Yasha
By Anton Psychopoulos, Ph.D.
Disclaimer 1: This story is inspired by a story in Superman #349, but is not limited by that story or any other.
Disclaimer 2: This story makes use of copyrighted characters created by Rumiko Takahashi and licensed in the U.S. by Viz LLC. It is written for entertainment only, and is not intended to deny or disparage any copyright.
Disclaimer 3: This story is not recommended for persons under 18, or those who are uncomfortable with themes such as transgender and demonic matings.
Inu-Yasha the half-demon pushed the last shard of the sacred Shikon Jewel into place with a clawed forefinger, and watched with satisfaction as the cracks magically healed themselves, rendering the jewel a perfect sphere once more.
This was the moment he had been working towards for two years – or fifty-odd years, depending on how you wanted to count it. Gathering shards of the shattered jewel from the innumerable petty villains who used them to gain extra powers. Competing for shards with major menaces like the demon Neraku and Inu-Yasha’s full-demon brother Sesshomaru. It had been a long, hard quest.
But now, with the jewel whole and in his possession, he could use its power to become a full demon like his father. And he needed to act fast, before his comrades could try to talk him out of it one last time.
The luminous jewel began to glow even brighter, and grew too hot to hold. Inu-Yasha placed it on the ground and stood before it, feeling the four-souled gem’s power radiating into him.
“Oh, no! We’re too late!”
Inu-Yasha looked over his shoulder and saw his comrades approaching: Kagome, the girl from some strange future era. Neroku, the lecherous Buddhist priest. Shippo, the adorably obnoxious little fox-goblin boy.
Inu-Yasha turned away from them, unwilling to face their horrified expressions.
“Lord Inu-Yasha,” said a familiar little voice in his ear.
The half-demon’s canine ear twitched, and he slapped at it. The tiny, flattened form of Miyoga the flea drifted towards the ground, then was miraculously restored to normal.
“Before the Shikon Jewel irrevocably translates you into demonic form,” the flea continued, hardly even fazed by his squashing, “I would urge Your Lordship to ask it to show you the form which you are about to assume.”
“Huh? Well, no harm in that, I suppose.”
With no more command than that, Inu-Yasha saw a shape forming within the glare of light coming from the sacred jewel. Within a few heartbeats, it had resolved itself into a largish white dog with red eyes and small flames licking from its nostrils. As demons went, the image was hardly very impressive, especially when it sat down, lifted one leg high in the air, and began licking its scrotum.
Kagome gave a nervous giggle. Neroku looked thoughtful, and envious. Shippo looked at them both, wondering what they were making such a fuss for. Inu-Yasha responded with a slow, disbelieving, “What . . . the . . . ?
“This is the form your father had in his youth,” the flea explained. “He was what is known as a barghest, or hell-hound, occupying approximately the same position, ecologically and socially, as a dog does in this world.”
Inu-Yasha looked down at his hands, flexing his clawed fingers.
“No hands . . .?”
“Your father, over his fifty thousand years of life, managed to acquire magical artifacts and powers which improved his standing in Hell. Literally improved his standing, seeing as how he became able to go on two legs.”
Miyoga paused for laughter from his audience. Disappointed in this expectation, he continued.
“Unfortunately, my lord, Hell is a very different place from what it was in those days. A strict social hierarchy now rules there now, and the opportunities for advancement in infernal society are far fewer than they were in your father’s day. I would say it’s very unlikely that you will ever rise higher than a member of some lordling’s estate guard.”
The half-demon rolled his slit-pupilled eyes and ran a hand through his splendid white hair.
“Are there any other little tidbits you’d like to share about my probable life as a demon, Miyoga?”
The little flea cleared his throat and looked up nervously at Inu-Yasha.
“I suppose I also ought to tell you, my lord, that in addition to other innovations of recent centuries, the aristocracy of Hell have also adopted the practice of neutering.”
Inu-Yasha sighed.
“I had to ask.
“Well, clearly I’ll have to cancel my wish, and see if I can use the jewel’s power some other way.”
He raised his hand over the jewel, unable to bring it very close because of the fierce heat coming from it, and tried to halt its action.
“Unfortunately, my lord, you have already set the jewel into action, and the separation of your human and demonic halves can no longer be forestalled. Remaining a half-demon is no longer an option. You must choose between being fully a demon – a barghest – and being fully human.”
Inu-Yasha glared at the suspiciously well-informed flea.
“This whole thing feels like a setup to me. But okay, given the options, I guess I have to pick human.”
The image generated by the jewel suddenly changed, becoming briefly Inu-Yasha as he was at the moment (although naked), then becoming a naked figure that was recognizably still Inu-Yasha, but undeniably all human.
And undeniably all girl.
Inu-Yasha stared, his jaw dropping.
“What . . . the . . . ?”
“Is that what you really look like naked?” Kagome asked, “with that, you know, pouch thingy?”
“Why the flying flaming . . . why am I supposed to turn into a girl?”
“I didn’t think you’d be, well, that much of a dog, is all.”
“I’d never have called her a dog,” Neroku said. “Oh, you mean in his half-demon form.”
“Cut the comedy, you guys! Something’s screwy here. You’ve all seen me turn into a mortal every new moon, and I was never a girl then!”
“Well, you see, Lord Inu-Yasha, on those occasions, your demonic side was merely suppressed, not totally removed. I’m afraid that in order to become entirely human, you must renounce everything your father gave you, including your Y chromosome.”
Inu-Yasha snorted.
“I’ve heard it called all sorts of things – the old man, the third leg -- but that’s a new one on me.
“Well, this really feels like I’m being set up, but I guess being a girl is better than being a, well, you know.”
“Thanks a lot, Inu-Yasha!”
The half-demon noticed that his hand had strayed protectively to the crotch of his red pajamas. He gave a last fond squeeze and then said, “I’m sure gonna miss it.”
“I’m going to miss it, too. I mean him, I mean –“
Neroku glanced at Kagome speculatively.
“I didn’t think you’d ever had him. Or it.”
“All the more reason to – God, why am I talking to you like this?”
The jewel’s light flared up, reaching out to embrace Inu-Yasha.
“Well, guys, here –“
The radiance strobed, erasing all sight, then vanished.
“—goes?”
From one word to another, Inu-Yasha’s voice had risen from tenor to soprano, white hair had turned to black, and the red pajamas hung rather differently.
“Well, you’re human, all right,” Kagome observed.
“And anatomically correct, I trust?” Neroku asked, looking down at Inu-Yasha’s hand, which was once again clutching her crotch. She took her hand away rapidly, then stared at it, marveling at the sight of five flat, human nails. She turned her head slowly to face Neroku.
“None of your damn business!”
She smiled at Kagome.
“Hey, that felt real good! Kinda . . . powerful.”
Kagome chuckled.
“You can’t punch through a stone wall anymore, so I guess you’d better take power where you can find it!”
Neroku stepped up to the singed patch of turf where the restored jewel still lay. He picked it up and rolled it between his fingers thoughtfully.
“Speaking of power, we still have to figure out what to do with the sacred Shikon Jewel. What can we do with it to prevent its power from being misused?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Kagome said, snatching the jewel from the unreliable monk’s palm.
“I think the best thing to do with it is for me to take it back to my own time and place it in the shrine. My grandfather will make a reliable guard, and there’s a lot fewer spirits and demons running around in that era. We can replace the imitation jewel that sits in the shrine with the real thing, and just not tell anyone about it.”
All agreed that this was an arrangement worth trying, and since Kagome was due back home soon anyway, she packed up her things and together they headed for the well which served as the portal between her time and theirs.
As they came in sight of the well, Inu-Yasha moved close to Kagome, clutching her bindle.
“Kagome, I want to go with you.”
Kagome looked at her transformed friend, eyes narrowing at her tone.
“You don’t mean just for a visit, do you?”
The former demon shook her head.
“Way I figure it, if I have to be a girl, I’m sure not going to be one in the warring states era! Besides, if I stick around here, Neroku might start getting ideas, or worse yet, my brother Sesshomaru might.
“I’ll learn how to wear those weird clothes of yours, and how to read and drive a computer, and I’ll even date boys if I have to, although I hope that’s optional.”
“Well, it is, but – oh, this is all so complicated! Are you sure you really want to live in my era?”
The girl smiled, and in spite of her human dentition, Kagome saw something of the old Inu-Yasha’s feral grin in it.
“Sure! If I can’t be a demon lord, I’m gonna be an astronaut!”