Two weeks.
It had been two weeks since that night Kagome inadvertently let a witch turn Sesshomaru into a child, two weeks since she and Sesshomaru shared a passionate kiss. The memory alone set fire to her veins, alighting her face with a redness that never seemed to go away when the priestess thought about the daiyoukai. Which, nowadays, seems to be quite often. Her mouth still tingled with the sensation of his, yet it had felt as fleeting as a passing dream.
Wandering blue eyes took in the intruder of her thoughts. His back was to her, long white hair dancing in the light breeze. During their embrace, Kagome had raked her fingers through his soft hair. She wanted more than anything to do so again. Soon. Kagome didn't realize he had stopped walking until her face was tickled by the fur of his mokomoko-sama.
"We have arrived," Sesshomaru stated, casting a calculating gaze across their surroundings. Golden eyes looked down at her with vague amusement as she furtively apologized for not paying attention. Shaking herself of those thoughts, the priestess mentally chided herself. They were on a mission, for gods sake! She desperately needed to concentrate. Readying her bow, Kagome notched an arrow in preparation for what was to come. With a nod, they moved forward.
The witch's wood wasn't difficult to find thanks to Sesshomaru's keen sense of smell. If it weren't for it, she surely would have drowned in the ocean of bark and dense vegetation. Trees loomed overhead in a thick canopy, removing any ray of sunlight. Darkness swallowed their forms whole as they moved deeper into the wood. Luckily for Kagome, their mission's prerogative was stealth so she was able to keep up with Sesshomaru's pace.
They stalked slowly through the wood until a glimpse of yellow-orange light pooled through a hut's doorframe. With the added illumination, Kagome could just make out the rough edges of the witch's hut. It was a dilapidated thing that sat on the edge of collapsing at any moment. A sudden cackle cracked through the silence like glass shattering. Kagome tightened her grip on the bow, slowly lifting it to take aim.
"Come now, as if I couldn't sense two powerful auras coming into my domain," an old woman's voice beckoned with a lilting tone. "You are welcome into my home, Son of Toga and Shikon Miko."
From the corner of her eye, she noticed sickly green acid forming in between elegant fingers. Dripping poison claws casted a ghoulish light on Sesshomaru's face. He wasted no time in charging at the hut. Kagome waited a moment for the hut to collapse under his intrusion, but none such action occurred. With her arrow taut and barely breathing, she approached the hut. Sesshomaru's body hung in the air, frozen, as she entered the hut. Sizzling drips also hung inches from the witch's nose. Apparently even the poison from his claws remained motionless in the air. At a meager fire sat the witch who poked at her fire without an ounce of concern on her face. Mirthful beetle black eyes addressed Kagome with a bored look.
"When I said you were welcome into my home, I didn't mean for a battle." The old woman scoffed. "Take a seat."
"No," Kagome stared furiously into her black eyes. "Not unless you release him."
With a sigh, the witch shook her head. Removing the stick from her fire, she mumbled a few words, releasing the daiyoukai from his motionless prison. He collided with the floor with a graceless thunk. The moment was brief as he immediately stood up, eyes bleeding a violent shade of red.
"Why you insolent–" Sesshomaru's words were swiftly cut off by another motion of the witch's hand. Kagome winced as Sesshomaru was promptly shoved onto his knees with an additional graceless thunk. Narrowing her eyes at the spell caster as she sat down next to him. With an apologetic expression, she placed a comforting hand on his knee. If he was going to be violent, perhaps it would be better if he was kept in check.
"So, what brings two powerful beings into my humble abode?" The witch could barely hold back her wretched laughter as she spoke.
"How are you able to subdue Sesshomaru?" Kagome demanded ignoring the question. The witch rolled her eyes and gestured outside of the hut.
"My magic is derived from the essence of nature itself. Lots of nature, lots of power. Now what do you want?"
"We demand answers and retribution for transforming Sesshomaru into a child." Kagome stated, her tone even and cold. She had to keep her anger in check if they were to get anywhere with this witch. Said spell caster merely peered at Kagome with curiosity.
"The Lord turned into a child?"
"Yes, and by your hand! Luckily for you the transformation wasn't permanent, otherwise I'd shoot you where you stand." At Kagome's words, the witch contemplated her words for a moment before speaking again.
"It was never my intention to transform the Lord into a child!" Her voice rose, childish in its indignation. "In such a form he would have been too vulnerable to accomplish anything."
"Accomplish?" Kagome asked, beginning to get confused. "That's what we're trying to figure out."
"I wasn't trying to turn him into a child, fool. I wanted to provoke his true form so that he would destroy that forsaken village!" The witch cried indignantly, slamming a fist onto the wooden floor. Kagome jumped where she sat from the impact, but her surprise was immediately deterred by a flush of fury.
"Why would you want to do such a horrible thing, you evil hag!" Kagome stood up with a renewed sense of confidence as she glared down at the witch who returned the look.
"My Lord is a powerful and respectable demon. Such imminence would be sullied if he were to fall for a human woman as his father before him," she said, her blatant disgust thick in her tone. "I assumed his transformation would cause him to destroy the place where the woman resided, earning her hatred. Never did I intend for that woman to be you, priestess."
The witch wanted to protect Sesshomaru's honor by destroying her village, willingly desiring to put many lives in danger. Images of splintered huts and fearful faces flooded treacherously into her mind. There was no way Sesshomaru would commit such a heinous act upon the village his own daughter resided in. Fists blanching white she tightly gripped her bow, Kagome snapped into position once more and shot an arrow at the witch's heart. With a surprising agility, the hag dodged.
Steadying herself with deep breath, Kagome summoned as much reiki as she could into the released arrow. It hit its mark deep in the witch's shoulder, but the victory was cut short as she blew a fistful of dust into Kagome's eyes. With a violent cough and another shot of her reiki, the priestess collapsed onto the ground. Black spots dotted her vision, punctuated by a rumbling roar.
0-0
Slowly coming to, the world felt wrong. Her mouth and throat felt paper dry, her whole body ached with a vengeance. Kagome's eyes fluttered softly as they adjusted to the offensively bright light.
'Odd, the witch's wood was so dark.' she thought, her mind still foggy. She visualized her last memory of being blasted with the witch's powder. The dust still scratched inside her throat and most likely in her lungs. It burned ceaselessly as she breathed. While her vision slowly adjusted, Kagome noticed the distinct lack of color of the world around her. Hues of blues, yellows, and browns muddied the clearing where she laid. The sight brought anxious tingles down her spine, she knew this area was vibrant with color.
Looking down, she noticed two furry black paws where her arms should be. Instead of a shocked cry, a keening whimper escaped her. Swiveling her head, she frantically searched for Sesshomaru. Yet there was no one in the vicinity. Whatever happened to her, she needed to see for herself. She needed to find a river, a body of water, anything. A quiet rush of water sounded in her ears, and Kagome rushed ahead following the sound. Branches of bushes slapped across her body, but she hardly noticed. A babbling brook was just up ahead. However, Kagome was not prepared for what her reflection showed.
The face of a massive black dog with piercing blue eyes stared up at her from brook's water. Tentatively, she reached out a paw to tap the water. Perhaps it was all a dream where she would wake up and laugh about it. This was not the case as her dogged reflection remained through the ripples. Backing up to sit on her haunches, Kagome stared at the ground. Her mind was blank and at a loss for words. The damned hag turned her into a dog.
'She's going to pay after this one,' Kagome promised bitterly. Walking away from the offending reflection, she firmly kept her gaze on the grass. A dark presence suddenly loomed over her, enveloping Kagome in a shadowy presence. Above, Sesshomaru stood with a strange look on his face. It was hard to discern whether it was bewilderment or… delight?
"You needn't worry about that decrepit hag anymore," his soothing voice juxtaposed by the menacing crack of his knuckles. Kagome sighed a breath of relief, the witch was taken care of. "I have to say though, your form is rather lacking."
Kagome shot him an angry glare, promptly turning her back to him with a sniff. She made to leave him there by the river bank, directions be damned if he was going to act like an ass. But, behind her, Sesshomaru rumbled strangely. The sound coming from him stopped the priestess in her tracks as his normally monotone timbre was alight with laughter. She dared a glance back towards him, only to see a faint trace of mirth sparkling in his amber gaze. Even though he wore the icy look well, laughter suited him in a soft and endearing way.
"You are a formidable foe, miko. It is merely amusing to see such a being reduced to a pup. You will not be so vulnerable with me, this one assures you."
Sesshomaru's irises began to bleed a deep red, his mouth extending into a furry, white muzzle. Kagome stepped back as his form extended above her head. As his bright red eyes addressed her, she knew that he was subduing his height to match her own. Apparently, only just enough to be bigger than her.
'Inu men,' Kagome thought, rolling her eyes. Even so, she couldn't muster the energy to be that indignant with him. Deep in her gut, she understood that him transforming to his true form meant more than just accompanying her plight. After all, she had done the same for him, had she not? All of a sudden, memories of Inu Kimi's sky castle crept into Kagome's mind. She imagined if she had the ability to blush, she would be the color of a tomato.
Sesshomaru pulled her from her thoughts with a growl. While there was no discernable language, Kagome understood it. Let's go.
As they ran through the trees, only the wind could envy the feeling of freedom flooding Kagome's veins. Her body in this form was agile and fast. She was soaring alongside Sesshomaru, a silent race instigated between them. The challenge was blatant as they flew through the air. It was invigorating.
The sun began to set in front of them, hues of yellow casting them in a golden haze. It felt like a trick of the light, but Kagome could almost see Sesshomaru beyond the collected mask he held. Together, at this moment they were free. Kagome, filled with a boldness she was not familiar with, shoved herself into Sesshomaru's side. With an indignant yelp from the silver being, they tumbled over into a clearing.
With a rough push, he pinned her to the ground. After a brief, but unsuccessful struggle, Sesshomaru rested his chin on the top of her head. Even though the position was demeaning, a furry black tail tapped the grass in delight, Kagome wanted to laugh then, at how ridiculous they must look and how ridiculous she had acted. She nudged him apologetically, to which he moved to sit next to her on his haunches.
They sat there, together as the sky withered into night. Kagome moved herself close to Sesshomaru as the night air brought on a chill. He made no move to push her off, rather he imperceptibly leaned into her own warmth. Tonight was much different than the night in the castle, but somehow it felt more intimate. Golden eyes glanced towards the small black dog next to him.
While the priestess paid him no heed as her attention was lost to the sky, Sesshomaru watched as she eagerly drank in the starlight. Even in a canine form, he felt the odd stirring in his chest once again. The last time it had come, he and the miko became intimately aware of each other. He had decided that night he would court her, pursue her as a fervent lover would. Yet, in the two weeks they have been apart, he was acting like a coward.
His pride as a daiyoukai urged him to believe that it was so he could lie in wait, to pounce when the timing was right. But Sesshomaru knew better than that. Deep down, Kagome had struck him where he had never hoped to reveal to anyone. That alone was terrifying to confront. Not anymore, he had silently decided as they approached the witch's wood. He would not be afraid any longer.
Leaning his massive head atop hers, Sesshomaru breathed a deep sigh of relief. To his delight, Kagome leaned into him, her tail thumping happily against his.
Feeling whole and content, Sesshomaru turned to look up at the sky with her then he too could get lost in the same universe as her.
––––––––––––––
A/N: I couldn't help myself. Second installment is dedicated to the folks who wanted more from this story. An omake will be posted later today, there was a scene that didn't quite fit the energy of the story. Keep an eye out ;) Thank you for reading~