Mated Circle

10/28/'04

Chapter Two: Kagome's Transformation Revealed

Kagome quickly made her way from the river's edge where she had been bathing before she had been distracted by the sounds of a creature in distress back to Kaede's village, where the group of Shard-Hunters were currently in residence between hunts. She scurried along through the village, ignoring the gasps of the villagers who saw her transformed state, heading for the old miko's home, where she knew her friends were likely to be hanging out. Well, Kaede, Shippo and Sango were probably there; Miroku as well, but it was also possible that the hentai houshi was off somewhere meditating- or flirting with the village girls, most of whom knew better than to take him seriously by this time. Inuyasha might be there, but it was equally likely that he was off somewhere pondering the life of a hanyou.

She came up on the kindly old lady's hut faster than she thought she would, and approached her home-away-from-home with no small amount of trepidation. Would her friends recognize her? Would they accept her changes? Would they be pleased?

Finally, she stood outside the miko's hut and took a deep breath to fortify herself. Then, she pushed aside the curtain-door and stepped inside, looking around to see if anyone was there. "Kaede? Hello? Is anybody home?" she called out, noticing as she did so that her voice had changed slightly, becoming smoother and more melodic than it had been, as well as slightly deeper. "Helloooo? It's me, Kagome! I'm back!"

A moment later she was rewarded by the voice of her mentor, calling from the herb-storage room at the back of the hut. "Kagome, child, is that ye? Ye sound strange...."

"It's me, Kaede. Something's happened, and I've changed, but I'm still Kagome," the younger miko assured her old friend. "I think you'd better come out and see for yourself...."

"Well, alright," Kaede replied, "but I don't see why-" As the older woman stepped out into the main room of the hut and saw her transformed protégé, she stopped speaking in shock. "Kagome? Is it truly ye, my child?"

"It's me, Kaede," Kagome assured her with a toothy, sheepish smile. "There was this fairy, and it was stuck, and I helped it, and it said it would grant my wish, and so I wished to be a youkai like Inuyasha and Shippo and Kouga, and so here I am!" She spread her arms wide as if to show off her new body. "What do you think?"

The older miko gaped at the mixed-breed demoness. "Kagome! You are- you have- this is just...." Her voice faded out and she leaned heavily against the wall, the shock apparently taxing her tired old heart.

"Kaede, maybe you should sit down," Kagome suggested, eying the grandmotherly woman nervously. "You don't look so well."

"And ye, my child, ye look like... a youkai," Kaede retorted, nevertheless taking the younger woman's advice and lowering herself to sit by the fire pit in the center of the room. "Do ye still have your miko abilities?"

"I think so," Kagome replied, unsurely. "I'm not positive, but I think I can still feel them- actually, I think they're stronger than they were before." She frowned, focusing on the sacred powers lying, eager to be called forth, in her soul. She looked down at her hands, feeling that power, and attempted to focus it within her hands. Within moments, she had called forth a brilliant blue-white light that outlined her hands like an aura. She looked up and met her teacher's eyes, smiling proudly. "Look! I've never been able to do this before!"

But before Kaede could reply, the two mikos were interrupted by the sudden arrival of Shippo, Sango, and Miroku, who came rushing into Kaede's hut, all talking at once about the strange presence they had sensed. All three froze, silenced by their shock, as they noticed the strange youkai with glowing hands standing across the room. Shippo, emerald eyes wider than Kagome had ever seen them, was the first to break the tense silence. "Ka- Kagome-chan? Is- is that y-you?" he stuttered fearfully.

"Yes, Shippo-chan, it's me," Kagome reassured the small kitsune. She was slightly distracted, however, by the influx of scents that had entered at the same time as her friends. One of them in particular had caught her attention. She sniffed lightly, trying to catch more of the fascinating scent.

"Kagome-chan?" repeated Sango, stunned. "Kagome, how- what-" The taijiya sputtered to a halt, her eyes bugging out in bewilderment.

"Hmmm," Kagome replied, distractedly. That scent was tantalizing her, calling her to search it out.

"Kagome helped a fairy, and in turn was granted a wish," Kaede supplied helpfully.

"A fairy?" Miroku repeated, frowning with concentration.

"Kimiko of the Fuujiro Yousei tribe," Kagome offered, turning her head slightly from side to side in an attempt to track that scent that was taunting her, almost singing to her to be found and savored. "I wished to be a youkai like Inuyasha and Shippo and Kouga," she added absently.

"L-like me?" squeaked the tiny kit.

"Huh," Kagome mumbled, her entire being suddenly focused on Shippo. She dropped artlessly to her knees, and then approached the young fox-demon on all fours, following that wonderful scent that she had so quickly become obsessed with. The others were shocked silent by her fluid, almost feral grace; but she paid them no mind, being completely lost in the instincts demanding she track that scent to its source.

Kagome halted with her face only inches from her surrogate son's. She sniffed at him, scenting all over his face and upper body, drawing his unique personal scent deep into her nasal cavities and into her brain. Something deep inside her blossomed and unfurled into a powerful, demanding feeling, nearly overwhelming in its intensity.

Finally the mixed-breed demoness stopped and stared into the kit's huge emerald-green eyes for a long, silent moment. Then she smiled, and nuzzled the side of her face against his, letting out a low 'woof' sound that made Shippo's tail floof out like a balloon. He yipped in reply, his tone high and questioning. His eyes began to fill with tears, and his chin wobbled.

Kagome responded by sitting up on her haunches and taking him into her arms, drawing him close, and cuddling him against her so that his head was tucked neatly under her chin. One hand held him gently in place, while the other stroked tenderly over his hair, back, and tail. She let out a sharp, commanding bark, and then looked up and met the eyes of the three humans who had watched the whole strange event in bewildered silence. "My kit," she said clearly, and then bared her fangs in a blatant threat to any who dared to challenge her claim. "My son."

"Of course," Miroku was the first to respond. His calm acceptance seemed to mollify Kagome, and she gave him a toothy smile before her attention was once more completely diverted to her kit. The houshi met the eyes of his taijiya companion, and nodded once. The young lady exterminator smiled slightly and nodded in reply, her eyes drawn back to the touching scene of mother and child.

Kaede spoke up next. "Congratulations, my child," she said kindly, offering a smile with her words. Kagome spared her a quick smile in reply, before her eyes were drawn once more to her child. The old miko shook her head, chuckling under her breath.

Moments later the touching tableau was disrupted by the sudden and abrupt entrance of the half-dog-demon Inuyasha, his blade Tetsusaiga drawn and ready. He came bursting into the hut, sword held high ready for battle. "Oi, babaa! I smelled a strange demon- what the f'ck is goin' on in here?!" His golden eyes went wide with disbelief when they fell on the strange demoness cuddling the youngest member of his oddball pack, while the remainder looked on without acting. Then he took a second, longer look at her, and his next words shocked most everyone present. "Ka-go-me...?" he said slowly, his voice portraying his surprise and confusion perfectly. "Ka-go-me...." he repeated, his voice becoming slightly raspy. The Tetsusaiga dropped from his nerveless fingers, making a loud 'clang!' when it hit the wooden floor. "Whatin'ell happened to you?" he finally managed to say.

"Well, there was this fairy...."