The air was warm and sticky with humidity and the atmosphere buzzed with the sound of summer insects. A lone figure, surrounded by tall grasses and trees, wandering the clearing aimlessly, haunted eyes seeing nothing as he paced in circles. His sense of time had vanished with his pack and his heritage. In the deepest recesses of his mind, he pondered all that had just occurred.
His first observation upon waking in the unfamiliar landscape was that he couldn't smell or sense anything around him, even though he could faintly hear creatures moving around him. He had given a frustrated growl, only to panic, when an unfamiliar voice released from his throat. He had glanced down to his claws, only to find short human fingers and pathetically blunt nails. The place on his arms where he once had beautiful stripes, a mark of his lineage and his place as a noble demon, he now possessed a vast expanse of milky and unblemished pale skin. He grit his teeth and found to his disgust, that he no longer possessed fangs. Spying a shallow pool of water a few paces from where he currently sat against a large tree, he rose to get a better look at the face he now suspected was no longer his own. He stared down at the reflective surface in revulsion as the truth was clear. His majestic golden eyes were now a duller and clearly more human amber-brown and his luxurious silver hair was a shade closer to platinum blonde. There was no moon on his brow and no stripes graced his still perfect cheekbones. What he thought was merely a bad dream had become a living nightmare. He pinched his face, begging to any deity that would listen to let him wake from this reality, but instead, he heard the whispers of a voice in his rounded human ears.
"Once great demon lord, do not mourn for that which you believe is lost. You have been gifted with a new life free from the suffering of your past. The worries you held, caused by the great evil that was defeated, have been resolved. We have done all we can to allow you to begin healing from the wounds of your mind, but you must do the rest. When you are ready to let go of your prejudice, you shall have unreserved joy and happiness for the rest of your days. Farewell, honorable prince. May you learn the worth of love without conditions."
"This Sesshoumaru tires of your games. Your riddles mean nothing. You will immediately tell this one what you have done with his pack and fix the harm you have wrought upon my person. If you comply adequately, you will be allowed the privilege of a quick and painless death." He reached for his swords, but his eyes widened in disbelief as he grasped air. Had they stolen his swords as well? This would not stand. Someone was definitely going to die for this grave offense.
"Foolish child, you believe you can kill a god? No, this opportunity is a gift from the guardian herself. Her unselfish desires have earned this honor for you and for those she holds dear. If you choose to remain stubborn and deny your fate, the punishment is your own. Learn to adapt to your new situation, or live in a torment of your own making. This is your choice. Choose wisely."
He felt the absence of the presence immediately and cursed, punching the surface of the small puddle in front of him and scrambling the adulterated image of 'his' face. Roaring from his now human throat, he poured his rage into the sky. Birds took flight and the chirping sounds of the insects ceased as the atmosphere grew cold. Not knowing what else to do, he stood and began to walk, fighting to calm his inner confusion and turmoil. If the gods would not fix this injustice, he'd just have to find a way to do it on his own. Gods or no gods, he would find his pack and return things the way they were supposed to be.
He walked to the edge of the clearing and entered the treeline only to be thrown back to the middle of the clearing. Had he still been an immortal being, he would have brushed himself off and made a new attempt, but in this new mortal body, the blow had done damage. Already he could feel the bruise on the back of his head and his vision was swimming, greens and blues running together as he gazed up at the sky. His ears were ringing as he heard the final message from the invisible entity.
"Do you understand now, stubborn dog? Make your peace here in this bower or you shall never leave!"