Disclaimer:I do not own inuyasha or any of it's characters.

Chapter 4

The Gifts of the Future

When InuYasha and Kagome went through the well they found Tori sitting on the edge with her eyes closed. Opening them she smiled at them, "This place is great, I don't know how you tear yourself away Kagome. " Kagome smiled a bit then shifted her weight uncomfortably, "Tori, no one but me and InuYasha have ever been able to get through the well. We think others can get through with a shard, but…" Tori nodded in understanding, "But you didn't give me a shard…well I don't think I have one, it would have to be in something I had with me…I have this necklace." Tori removed a necklace from underneath her shirt and handed it to Kagome. It was on a long chain and in the shape of a Anthurium, the stem that stood in front was almost black. Kagome gasped when she saw it, "Tori, this is a shard alright but I don't understand how you could have had it and not been affected or how I didn't notice." Tori shook her head, "It's a shard, I had it with me when they found me." Kagome frowned and touched the shard, which immediately turned pink. "Tori, would it be alright if we kept the shard?" InuYasha lost it, "What the hell are you asking for, those shards belong to us!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him, "Sit." There was a loud thud and Kagome held up the necklace, "You idiot, this might be important to Tori." Tori wore an angry look on her face, "I hate that necklace, have since I found its meaning…I only kept it to remind me why my real family was those who loved me, not those who birthed me." Kagome nodded, "What does it mean?" Tori clenched her right hand into a fist, "Forsaken. Don't you dare pity me Kagome." Kagome looked a bit stung by Tori's comment and Tori then turned to InuYasha, "Sympathy? InuYasha, I accept that I was forsaken and I know where I belonged." InuYasha looked irritated, "Would you cut it out with that creepy feeling thing, What if it's no one's damn business." Tori looked down, "Sorry…it gets harder to control when I am upset…Let's go and see your friends."

Kagome gave a small smile, "InuYasha, could you go and get those boxes." InuYasha grumbled, "Yea, yea." He jumped down the well and came out a minute later with the boxes from Totosai. From there they all headed to Keade's hut, Tori stopped in front of the door taking a deep breath as Kagome entered. Kagome smiled, looking around the room, Miroku was on one side of the hut listening to Shippo tell him about his latest drawing. Sango was on the other side looking over her Hiraikotsu. "Hey everyone, how are things going?" Everyone smiled at seeing their friend and Shippo jumped to greet her, "Hey Kagome, did you bring me anything? What's InuYasha carrying? Who's she?" Kagome grinned, "Slow down Shippo." Miroku and Sango stood up, eyeing Tori carefully. Miroku stepped forward taking Tori's hand, "Hello my lady, I am Miroku, will you do me the honor of baring my child?" Tori squinted at Miroku for a second before answering, "Let go of my hand before I hit you so hard whatever children you do have will feel it." Tori winked with a slightly scary smile as he stepped back a bit frightened. Kagome smirked, "This is Tori, she moved in with my family and well, we had to tell her. We ran into Totosai in the future and he wanted us to bring back the stuff InuYasha is carrying."

InuYasha was now sitting next to a pile of boxes leaning against the wall and Sango glanced at the boxes, "So Totosai lived for 500 more years, not surprising, no one really knows how long a demon can live…" InuYasha scoffed but otherwise remained silent, so Sango simply continued, "So what's in the boxes?" Tori walked over to said boxes, "Good question let's find out." Tori picked up the biggest box, "This one says Miroku, so I will guess it's for you." Handing the box over to Miroku she grinned, "Sorry bout earlier, wasn't sure how to react to your…question." Miroku gave a sly smile, "No problem Lady Tori." Sighing, Tori picked up the next box, "This one says Sango." Tori smiled, "I hear you are an excellent fighter, do you want to help me teach Kagome?" Sango raised an eyebrow, "Kagome never said anything about wanting to learn to fight…I'd love to help." With that she sat down with her box. Tori picked up the next one.

"Let's see, this one's yours Kagome." Handing Kagome her box to Kagome she added, "Just like Christmas." Kagome rolled her eyes and sat down with her box. Tori glanced down to see two more boxes; setting hers aside she read the name on the last box. "Who's Sesshomaru?"

X~X~X

InuYasha immediately jumped up, "I knew the old man was senile, No way are we giving anything to that bastard, probably end up trying to kill me with it!" Tori still looked confused, "Um…that doesn't explain who Sesshomaru is?" InuYasha growled again and Kagome answered, "He's InuYasha's Bro- Half Brother." Another growl was heard from InuYasha as Tori continued, "What's the problem with giving him a box? Couldn't we just tell him he has something from Totosai." InuYasha snapped at her, "Oh yea and I can ask him for a big hug too." Tori made a face, "Okay, I get it, Sesshomaru bad, no need to get snippy."

InuYasha simply crossed his arms over his chest, "Feh." Tori rolled her eyes and decided to sit down and open her box. Inside was a beautiful sword in a sheath, it was a simple design, black with an aquamarine inlay that wove from the hilt all the way down the sheath in a spiral. When she tried to pull the sword from its sheath however, it didn't budge. Tori decided to study it more later and see what else had been gifted to her. There were also a pair of black armored arm braces, they were very plain but at the same time beautiful. Underneath those were clothing of some kind and two notes. One was simply lying there and the other was in an envelope. Tori read the note, which was from Totosai, and thought about what it had said. Her thoughts were interrupted by Kagome asking, "Hey Tori, want to come to the hot springs with me and Sango?" Tori glanced at the boxes in their arms and smiled. Piling the stuff back in her box, Tori stood up, "I'd love to." Miroku moved to stand and all three girls turned to him, saying in the same murderous tone, "No. You stay here." He gulped as they left and sat back down.

~The Hot Springs~

The girls all settled in the relaxing water, Tori sighed, "Kagome, how on earth do you make yourself go home?" Kagome grinned, "The hot springs make it hard." Sango leaned forward, "Tori, how come you live in Kagome's home now?" Tori leaned back and closed her eyes, "It was my parent's last wish that I live on that shrine." Sango nodded, "I am sorry for your loss." Tori smiled sadly, "It's okay…I'm okay, they wouldn't want me to waste my life feeling sad when there is so much happiness to be found." Sango smiled a bit and Kagome looked nervous again. Tori looked at her out of the corner of her eye, "Good grief Kagome, what on earth are you nervous about now?" Sango gave Tori an odd look, "How did you know she was nervous?" Tori shrugged, "I can sense others emotions, always could…Kagome you still have a question to answer." Kagome was kind of hoping that Tori had forgotten, taking a deep breath she turned to Sango. "Sango, it's about the armor I received from Totosai, I felt that I should ask you if I could wear it." Sango gave a confused look, "Kagome, why would you need to ask me?" Tori didn't like the feelings she was getting from Kagome, worry, apprehension, fear, guilt, so she simply stayed quiet. Kagome went over to her box, and held up the armor she had received.

Sango stared wide eyed at it, Kagome was holding the armor of a slayer, it was just like her own only a deep purple. Tori looked between the two girls, Sango was feeling just about every feeling in the book and Tori began to cry from the sheer volume of it. Kagome hesitantly began to talk, "Sango, I understand if you don't want me to wear it." Sango's face softened, "Kagome, you are like a sister to me, I would be honored if you would wear it." Tori wiped her eyes as the feelings of sadness left, "Well as much as I hate to interrupt this love fest, I have a few questions." Kagome and Sango smiled and nodded to Tori, who continued, "Well, what did you guys get and how are we going to train Kagome?"

Kagome smiled, "You already saw my armor, I also got a sword but it won't come out of the sheath." Tori nodded and glanced at Sango who had a similar look, "I think we all have that problem." Kagome smiled and continued, "I got a bow too, but I think I need Keade's help to use it." Sango tilted her head to the side, "You are already great with a bow." Kagome blushed a little, "Thanks…this bow uses energy. I need to get better control over my powers." Tori decided to jump in then, "Maybe Keade's help too, so what did you get Sango?" Sango smiled, "Pretty much the armor I have now only new and I also have a sword that won't budge." Tori started giggling, "Well we all got the brunt of Totosai's odd sense of humor. I got some armored arm braces, I take it you each got an envelope that won't open as well." All the girls nodded and they decided to try on their armor. Sango looked almost exactly the same except she now wore two swords on her hip. Kagome looked very different; she wore the purple slayer's outfit, a sword on her hip and her new bow on her back. The biggest difference was that her hair was now in a pony tail, it was strange how big of a difference such a small thing could make. Tori wore Knee high combat boots, skin tight pants, and a blue shoulder less shirt with elbow length sleeves. She of course had her sword and arm braces, "I will say one thing, Totosai knows what I like." They all giggled a bit, Kagome sighed, "Well let's go see what the guys are up to."

~With the Boys~

The girls left as a very frighten Miroku sank to the ground, "I just don't get why they don't even let me finish a sentence." InuYasha gave him a rather dirty look, "Gee Miroku, could it be all the lechery." Miroku took on an offended look, "InuYasha, I am but a simple monk…" InuYasha glared at him, "Cram it monk." Shippo bounced on top of InuYasha's head, "So Miroku…What's in the box?" Miroku smiled, "Glad you asked Shippo, Totosai was generous enough to give me new robes with properties similar to InuYasha's as well as a new staff." InuYasha growled, "You got your answer runt, now get off my head." Knocking Shippo off, InuYasha stood up and Miroku grinned, "Off to glimpse the ladies, sly dog." He was promptly hit on the head, "I am not a lecher like you, I am going to get dinner." Miroku rubbed his head glancing at Shippo, "Is it me or does InuYasha seem distracted?" Shippo shrugged, "He didn't hit as hard as he usually does….who knows."

InuYasha came back with a large rabbit and threw it at Miroku. They cooked the meat in silence until the girls walked in. Miroku wasn't surprised at Sango, but Kagome looked very different. Kagome blushed deeply when she realized everyone was staring at her, Shippo ran up to her, "Wow, you look beautiful ma-" Shippo stopped looking embarrassed and slightly afraid. He ran out the door as fast as he could, leaving a stunned group of people. Tori placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder, "He's afraid of rejection, he'll run until we find him." Miroku didn't fully understand how Tori could know that, but knew it wasn't important now. So they all went to search for Shippo.

Tori decided to go in a different direction than the rest of the group. "Shippo!" Looking around she frowned, with any luck Kagome would be the one to find Shippo. "Shippo, Where are you?" She was about to yell again when she heard a quiet voice, "Have you lost something?"