Streetlights grew few and far between the longer they drove. Deep into the countryside. Forrests sprawled, and the road turned to gravel and then to dirt.
They turned into a small clearing, just big enough to park the car next to one that looked like Sesshomaru's.
"I knew it!" Kagome unclicked her seatbelt, opened the door, and took off.
"Wait!" Ikeda shouted after her, "It's dangerous!"
Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she laughed, "I'm dangerous!" The lush greenery all around her had her feeling alive. Lungs full of fresh air, she walked in a circle beneath the light of the moon.
It was almost like being in the feudal era. The sounds of the city were far gone. She closed her eyes to the thundering of her heartbeat. The song of the wind gently blowing through the bare tree branches.
The force picked up, whipping at her hair.
"Kagome!" Ikeda shouted just as her eyes shot open.
All she could make out was a giant mouth unfurling a massive tongue between gleaming razor sharp teeth.
Hands up. Eyes shut. Something slammed against her, knocking her to the ground.
The crunch of death never came.
One eye peaked at a Stern faced youkai. Pink stripes and a blue crescent accented his narrowed eyes. Why did he always have to look so grumpy?
Silver hair cascaded over his shoulders, tickling her cheek, as he braced her body with his own. Shirtless. She swallowed hard. Blue eyes blinked up at him. Her throat was far too dry to comment out loud on just what his knee was resting against. The heat of his body sunk into her. She clenched her jaw. All her willpower went in to not looking down. She could feel his jeans through her tights, it was her only reassurance he wasn't completely nude. All she could think about was how he could be so warm without a shirt in the middle of winter.
"Miko." His breath skated over her blushing cheek.
Amber eyes pulled her in, catching her blue gaze. She wanted to either run away or laugh, it was the weirdest feeling. She squirmed, looking away.
Pink reiki glittered over his shoulder. A barrier. Her barrier. "You're not burned?"
Sesshomaru smirked.
"This is trust." He barely whispered, "Your power will not harm those you trust."
"Really?" Fingers charged with power brushed his hand, "Nothing?" She tried hard to remember if she'd ever burned Shippo or Kirara by accident.
"Hn..." He gazed at where she ran her reiki over his skin, "It tickles."
She exhaled sharply, not sure why that frustrated her so much. If she stopped trusting him he'd be zapped pretty good. Roasted. Settling him with a frown, she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes, "Are you going to get off me yet? Whatever danger there was is either gone or waiting for death."
He tilted his head, "They aren't for killing, they are for breeding. We eat the eggs from Spring to Fall, but the dragons are off limits."
"Are you telling me, you keep dragons like they are some kind of chicken?" She chuckled, covering her face as she laughed. Sesshomaru. A. Chicken. Farmer.
"I fail to see what is so funny. The business is a lucrative one."
Her sides hurt. Peeking at him between her fingers, he didn't look amused. His scowl only made her laugh more.
"It would have been best to let Ryuki eat you."
"Hey!" Kagome sobered, "It would not have."
He blinked at her, jaw tense. "Perhaps not for you." Sighing and shifting onto his heels, he let her sit up. "Tell me Miko, why is it you are here?"
She winced, "Well, the bow kind of...was...stolen..."
Red tinged the sclera of his eyes, "What do you mean the bow was stolen?"
Her hands went up between them, "Eh, exactly what I said. Someone broke into my house and took it out of the closet...hey you should really calm down."
Bristling, he growled, "Do not tell me to calm down, you are the imbecile who left a sentient weapon in a closet."
Hands balled into fists. She hissed, "Where else do you expect me to keep a weapon of any kind?!"
He scoffed, "On your person."
She glanced down, eyes growing wide and noticing more than just the three swords tied to his waist. His bare chest and markings had her beet red as she snapped her searing gaze back at his face and growled, "That is something only a paranoid person would do!" It's not like they were in the Warring States.
Sesshomaru pressed his lips into a thin line, "Perhaps if you were more wary, your weapon would not have been stolen." His glare made her squirm.
"That's..." Her scowl morphed into a slight frown. She rubbed her shoulder, and looked at the ground. The urge to vomit, at the realization that maybe he was actually right, made her dizzy, "That's fair. I didn't realize anyone would have even been aware of its existence in this world. I was careless." She sighed, tired and defeated. "It's completely my fault."
Nothing she did was right anymore, not lately. The only thing she felt decent at was teaching. Her leave time was almost up, and the idea of going back now felt like the only thing holding her together.
"Indeed." He caught the underside of her chin with a knuckle, forcing her to look up at his calm expression, "I will help you recover your weapon."
Relief made her blue eyes glow as she smiled at him, "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama." At least they would get the bow back.
"Hey! A little help here!" Ikeda yelled from his busted windshield. Two massive dragons bit into the metal, trying to get at the yummy human filling.
With a crack of his whip the dragons flew off. "Stay close," Sesshomaru helped her off the snowy ground, "You should have enough of my scent on you for them to leave you be, however they are particularly feisty this time of year."
Kagome sniffed her sweater, noticing a sakura hint mixed with the smell of her citrus laundry detergent.
He flicked her arm, "You only wish you could smell my scent."
"I definitely do not." She frowned right back at his scowl. As soon as he stepped away, she sniffed her sweater some more, breathing deep. Sesshomaru smelled somewhat like flowers. She giggled, skipping as she followed his long stride to Ikeda.
The guy looked worse for wear. Ragged. His Santa suit needed more mending than likely possible. Little strips of red cloth fringed his hairy legs. "Hey, you okay?"
Ikeda scowled, "Yep." He kicked at a scrap of metal that had once been the car's roof. "I just made the last payment yesterday." Suddenly his brown eyes were glossy, "Grandpa, do you think you could maybe..."
Sesshomaru took a deep breath and grunted, "I will take care of it."
"Oh, thank you Gramps!" Ikeda moved to fling his arms around Sesshomaru, but was stopped by a clawed hand to his face.
"Enough dramatics, Matsu."
Ikeda offered a sheepish grin, peeling his Grandfather's fingers from his face. "Can I get a brand new one?"
Sesshomaru shrugged, "It's of little consequence."
"Wow," Kagome grinned, "Who knew an egg farmer could be wealthy." She nudged Ikeda, "Looks like you're getting a new car out of this mess."
Sesshomaru scowled, "Dragon breeding is merely a hobby, Miko," ready to go back to his solitude.
Flames blasted through the forest. The stench of singed hair blossomed. Kagome barely jumped out of the way in time. Sesshomaru had Ikeda by the back of his shirt, dangling midair.
"What the hell was that?!" He gasped, brown eyes as wide as soccer balls as he stared at the remaining roaring fire.
Sesshomaru outstretched a hand. She looked at his open palm reluctantly. As soon as she took his help, a cloud of youki built up beneath her feet.
Both she and Ikeda hovered to Sesshomaru's side. The wind picked up, and they took off.
His shoulders tensed, eyes on something she couldn't see.
Should she be concerned? "Sesshomaru-sama, was that unusual? You did say they are feisty this time of year." The urge to grab on to the tie binding his swords to his waist had her inching closer, but the warmth emanating from his naked upper half stopped her fingers short and her eyes looking away.
She watched the fire balls blasting through the trees. Crackling and snapping sounds of burning tree trunks and the roaring of dragons rang in her ears. Smoke rose up. Surrounded them. Kagome erected a barrier to keep the black clouds away.
Ikeda leaned down and whispered. "I think it's safe to say that this is not normal dragon behaviour."
"Something precious has been stolen." Sesshomaru's deep voice gave way to a massive dragon. Two heads came whipping around, catching two sides of the cloud with furious lime green glares. Their necks joined at one large body. Deep green scales shimmered as they moved as one, manes of black glossy hair billowed around them.
Somehow they felt familiar, but she couldn't place why. Her reiki barrier dropped so she could get a better look. She took a step toward one massive head. It's angry eyes narrowed. Hot breath chuffed from it's nostrils, making her clothes plaster against her skin and her hair billow behind her. Teeth glistened with saliva as it's lips curled.
A growl and an arm turned her into chiseled heat. Sesshomaru snarled at the dragon, his eyes an alarming shade of red. He held her tight as his youki flared outward.
Wide blue eyes blinked at the smooth skin right in front of her face, not daring to look anywhere but straight ahead. There were stripes lower, she could see them in her memory slicing across his hip bones. Her thoughts drifted to dread as she realized how uncomfortable she felt. He probably knew it too. Mortified, she clenched her eyes shut, regrettably inhaling a lung full of sakura and a rich new scent she had no memory of in the past. Why did this have to happen to her?
It was enough to make her wish for the dragon to swallow her whole.
Just as quickly as he'd pulled her against him he let her go. The cloud rushed forward, knocking her on her butt. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Danger she could deal with just fine, whatever feelings were swarming her insides were far more terrifying. "I'm not equipped for this." She muttered, helping herself up.
"Must be tough not having your bow," Ikeda sighed, running his fingers through short brown hair. He'd thrown the fake beard and hat away, leaving a fresh boyish face.
"Yep." Kagome bit her lip, dusting off her skirt, "Any idea what's going on?"
He shrugged.
"Ah-Un's egg has been stolen." Edged with fury, Sesshomaru's words had bite to them.
"Ah-Un is still alive?"
He flicked his hair over his shoulder to give her a look that told her exactly how dumb she sounded, "You just saw them."
"No way that was Ah-Un, I remember Ah-Un and that dragon was way bigger and way meaner." She looked back behind them at the thick clouds of smoke, no longer able to see the two headed beast, "Ah-Un was kind of cute even..."
Sesshomaru took them lower, using his own barrier to keep the ash and embers away, "You remember Ah-Un as a fledgeling. Beasts grow up, and are not so cuddly."
Her bubble popped. Ah-Un turned into a giant human burning and eating dragon. She looked over at Ikeda, "She didn't want to eat you did she?" Those eyes.
He shook his head, grinning, "Nope, not at all."
"Fine. So that was Ah-Un... and she's still alive..." Who else is alive? She wanted to ask, but danger needed handled first, "Where are we going?"
"The heart of the fire."
"Why?" Both Ikeda and Kagome asked at the same time.
Sesshomaru paused, turning to them both. His eyes were dark with anger, "The dragons live here in this forest, they would not burn down their home."
She looked through the thick haze at the piles of burning ash that had once been enormous trees so thick she wouldn't have been able to wrap her arms around the trunks. "You're thinking the Egg thief is still here?"
Amber gleamed. "Precisely."
Ikeda's forehead creased, "I don't understand, why are we going toward the danger."
It was Kagome that laughed, flashing him an apologetic smile, "Sorry, it's just, where else would we be going?"
Sesshomaru smirked, "Indeed. Don't worry Matsu, the Miko will keep you safe."
"Sure she will, she just said she's not equipped for this."
Kagome's eyebrows rose as her cheeks tinged pink.
"Here." Sesshomaru pushed tenseiga into her hands.
"Tenseiga? But..." Kagome looked from the humming sword in her hands to Sesshomaru's solemn face.
"It will listen to you if need be." With that, he took off straight into the woods, ready to confront who dared disrupt his dragon's nest.
How would she defend his grandson with a sword that couldn't cut? Unless... "There better not be a need!" She shouted after him. The sword felt heavy in her hands. "Stay close, Ikeda."
He nodded, keeping up with her jog.
The lush greenery had burned hot and fast, the remains only piles of orange glowing ash. She could feel Sesshomaru far ahead of them. Something other had her reiki on edge, the energy building up in her veins with each step closer.
It would have been thrilling if not for the responsibility of Ikeda. He couldn't hold his own against a youkai or dragon. Even Shippo would have been able to protect himself in this situation, but the young man beside her had no ability. All she had was a sword that couldn't offer any form of offense. Glancing over at him, she snapped, "I'm serious. You need to be very careful. We are going into an unknown situation."
Something snapped behind them.
"Kuso!" Ikeda yelled, full out running.
A dragon. Large ice blue eyes sparkled at them, in the haze. The same color as the smoke that filled the clearing, she could barely make out its slender frame. It's red tongue slithered out, tasting the air.
With a sharp intake of breath, Kagome threw a barrier behind them. Her boot crunched into a huge trunk. The barrier flickered. Splinters of blackened wood ripped into her tights.
The dragon raced toward them. Its eyes were on Ikeda.
Panicked, she ripped her leg free, leaving her shoe behind while grabbing the remaining one up into her reiki charged hands. They were lesser youkai, she could feel the power emanating off the dragon, so close it burned her senses.
She threw her boot like a football. It sung through the air, hitting the dragon right between the eyes. Gnashing teeth and a sharp yelp, the huge lizard ran into the opposite direction.
"Nice shot!" Ikeda ran back for her.
"Thanks." She grabbed his sleeve, pulling him back in Sesshomaru's direction, "No time to celebrate, it might decide to come back!"
"But your shoes!" He tried to pull back, but she tugged harder.
"Leave em! I can run faster barefoot anyway!"
The ground felt hot on her soles, even through her thick tights. It only made her run harder, faster.
By the time she could feel Sesshomaru's youki rippling against her skin, her lungs felt like they would burst.
Ikeda gasped, "I need... to get... to the gym... more often!" He doubled over, bracing one hand on his knee while the other held his aching side.
She kept half her attention on Ikeda, and the other on trying to pinpoint Sesshomaru. The clash of metal rang in her ears. Fast paced movements had her nauseous. She could feel him and another entity jumping from one point to another. Suddenly they took off into the sky.
"I can't feel him anymore." Kagome covered her mouth, looking up into thick clouds. "I can't feel him." Where did they go?
Ikeda draped an arm around her shoulders, still wheezing, "It'll be...alright. He'll...come...back."
"I know that." She bit her lip, eyes burning from the smoke. Tenseiga felt like a million kilos in her hands, weighing her down. With a huff, she leaned into Ikeda as he leaned into her. Ground bound, there was no way to know what was happening.
The crunch of crispy wood caught their attention.
Huge Icy blue eyes blinked at them.
Immediately her barrier flew up, she shoved Ikeda behind her, "Don't get in the way."
"What are you going to do?" Ikeda trembled, staring down the dragon as it slowly crept closer, "You don't even have any shoes left to wack it with."
"I have this!" She waved the sword in front of his face, "It may not cut when Sesshomaru uses it, but my energy works a bit differently and I'm willing to try it out if that thing gets too close." Tenseiga, scabbard and all, ignited in a glorious pink flame.
"Wow!"
Unimpressed, the dragon slithered toward them. Two clawed arms dug trenches into the charred earth as it drove forward. Jaws snapped. Lips curled.
Kagome stood her ground. Her feet shifted into the position Sesshomaru taught her in Meido. Weight balanced. Calming her breath, she held the hilt with both hands. Heartbeat slowed.
The stench of the beast's breath filled her nose. A claw came up off the ground, ready to slash. In an instant, her barrier shattered and she sliced through the air. The sheath bounced off the dragon's hide, but left a singed stripe across his scales. It was something.
It snarled, coiling it's body and jutting forward. Saliva flung from its muzzle as it snapped at them. Tenseiga clanged against its nose.
With a yelp it moved to the other side.
"Time to kick it up a notch," She sucked in a deep breath, pushing more reiki into the sword, "I can do this..."
"You totally got this, Miss!" Ikeda cheered her on, cowering behind her back.
With a right angled turn, the dragon launched, huge claws coming right for her head. She stood her ground. Weapon raised, "Just a little closer..." Everything seemed to slow as she cut forward, aiming true as she drove the sword encased within its sheath and pink flames through its huge hand. Claws flopped onto the ground. The ground shook with the sound of it's cries.
Ikeda held his ears. "Kill it!" He screamed through the horrible screeching.
Raising the blade, Kagome swallowed a lump of guilt. She took a breath, and exhaled. With one great flap of massive wings, the dragon fled.
"Oh!" She cried through the gust of ashy wind, "I'm so glad it left!" Her heart hammered in her chest. Adrenaline flooded her veins. She lowered Tenseiga, still grinning.
Behind her, Ikeda shook his head, "You should have killed it! It came back once, it will come back again!"
She shook her head, scowling at him, "I don't kill unnecessarily."
Another crack, and she spun, expecting to see the dragon again. "Sesshomaru-sama!" She breathed a sigh of relief, "What happened?!"
His eyes were red. A line of dried blood ran parallel with the pink stripe on his right cheek. He stalked forward, glancing down at the withered talons on the ground, before catching her gaze. "The thief escaped."
"How?"
"Hn." He changed the subject, "You're injured."
She pressed her lips together, "It's nothing really, a few scrapes."
"Where are your shoes?" His brows rose as he looked at her feet.
"It was awesome!" Ikeda gushed over their dragon battles. How she threw her boot at the dragon's skull and sliced off his claws when he came back for more.
She grimaced, "Reiki is useful to have. Sorry about the dragon."
"Hn." Sesshomaru's jaw tensed as he examined her leg, "You did well."
Her proud grin was cut short by a wince as he cut away the foot of her tights. "It just needs a bandaid."
"This," He growled, pointing to the back of her lower leg, "Will require stitches."
Following his line of sight, she hadn't felt the chunk of wood jutting from her calf until he pointed it out. "Um..." Would you look at that. She grimaced, "Yeah, that probably needs stitches."
"Kuso!" Ikeda gasped, looking a little pale, "That's a lot of blood..."