"Oh, this is terrible." Kagome's mother frowned as she set a piece of paper down on the counter, then hurried over to the door. Kagome and Sesshomaru watched as she put her shoes on and grabbed a flashlight.
"Kagome, I'll be back a little later- I have to go help Mr. Tousan with something!" As she rushed out, Kagome and Sesshomaru looked at each other. Kagome could see the question in his eyes; he'd been here for nearly two weeks now, and she had quickly learned that he communicated non-verbally most of the time.
"Kaname Tousan is a family friend- he's blind, so mom helps him with things like shopping sometimes." She frowned, and continued, "But normally that's on Tuesdays..." They looked at each other again, and then both sets of eyes turned to the counter where the paper had been laid down. Walking over, they both looked at the page, which turned out to be a flier for a lost dog.
Sesshomaru scowled, then glanced at Kagome, who had concern written all over her small face. "What does a dog have to do with this Mr. Tousan?" Lips puckering, Kagome explained, "Blind people usually have pets that help them find their way around- they are trained special so that they can help and protect the person that needs them."
Looking from Sesshomaru back to the page, Kagome ran her fingers gently over the picture, "This dog keeps Mr. Tousan from being lost."
Something about the way she spoke sparked something inside of the young demon. Eyes narrowing in determination, he grabbed her hand.
"Let's find him."
–
After grabbing a flashlight and putting shoes on, Kagome and Sesshomaru followed the sidewalk down the street to the Tousan residence. The lights were out, and Kagome heard her mother at the end of the street calling the dogs name. Moving quickly, they moved closer to the house and Sesshomaru took a delicate sniff of the area, trying to catch the scent of the dog. Growling in frustration when he couldn't pick anything up, he looked at the small girl with him.
"I need to be in my true form to do this- my sense of smell is stronger than in this form." Before she could ask what he meant, Kagome was pushed back by a small burst of energy and a flash of light. As she blinked sun spots out of her eyes, she looked to where Sesshomaru had been standing and found herself staring into the crimson gaze of a white puppy. A large puppy at that- standing up, Kagome found that he still stood to her chest.
"Woah..." she breathed, her hands reaching to touch his thick fur. The sound of her mother's voice coming closer snapped her back to the matter at hand. Grabbing her flashlight, she looked at Sesshomaru resolutely.
Woofing softly, Sesshomaru quickly picked u the dog's scent. Moving so that Kagome's hand was on the scruff of his neck, Sesshomaru was grateful for Kagome's ability to know what he wanted her to do when she grabbed firmly onto his fur. Moving quickly, he began following the scent of the lost dog into the woods behind the house. As the dark canopy above blocked off the small light offered by the moon, Kagome turned her flashlight on.
They had been at it for nearly half an hour when they came across the dog, his collar caught on brambles that kept him from moving. As Kagome moved forward to free the animal, Sesshomaru reverted to his human form. Bending over, he help Kagome free the dog, then lifted it in his arms. Smiling up at him, Kagome rose and they walked back to the house.
When they arrived, Kagome's mom was sitting with Mr. Tousen in the kitchen. Hearing a dog bark, she looked up to see her disheveled daughter, Sesshomaru and Einstein, Mr. Tousan's seeing eye dog. Moving to open the door, Kagome stated happily, "Sesshomaru found him, Mama!"
After nodding to Kagome's mother, Sesshomaru set Einstein down, and watched as he rushed happily over with wagging tail and started licking Mr. Tousan's hand.
"Now you won't get lost." Mr. Tousen's head turned towards the sound of the child's firm voice. He nodded, a slight quirk to his lips but his voice serious.
"Indeed. And I shall do my best to return the favor. Thank you, for finding my friend." Kagome's mom watched as a beaming Kagome stepped up to the small demon's side and put her hand in his while she checked to make sure there was nothing else Kaname would need. Saying their goodbyes, the three made their way home.
–o–
Walking into her room after her bath, Kagome noticed that Sesshomaru wasn't there yet. Leaving her towel on her head, Kagome followed her gut and found him standing in front of Goshinboku. Slipping on her shoes, Kagome went out to stand beside him.
"Are you okay, Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru's glanced at her, then back at the tree, and he moved forward, placing a clawed hand against the bark.
"I know how that dog felt. When I first came through the well, I was lost." Moonlit eyes turned to her, taking in the way her towel was draped over still wet hair.
"But you found me." His quite confession touched Kagome, and they stood in silence for some time before Sesshomaru spoke again.
"This tree is in my time as well. I think that, should I ever go home, I will never be lost again, as long as I can find this tree. Because I know it will lead me to you, Kagome." A blush stole across the girl's cheeks as Sesshomaru's words rang through the shrine yard. Neither one of them moved for a moment, but then Sesshomaru moved forward and grabbed Kagome's hand, pulling her back towards the house.
"Sesshomaru-"
"I promise I'll always find you, Kagome." His voice interrupted her, but he didn't stop or look back.
"I won't let you get lost."
A smile spread across Kagome's face and her eyes sparkled with warmth. Squeezing his hand tightly, she sped up to walk beside him.
"Okay."
...in which the lost are found, and a vow is made.