InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dr. Miko ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

~~0.o~~

Inuyasha ran down the hall way in Kagome's building, shedding unnecessary clothes and looking over his shoulder in case she should appear from nowhere. He reached her front door, still unlatched from when he had left earlier, and as quietly as he could, slipped inside. The changing had already started, but he began to feel the full force of it as he dragged himself down the hall towards the guest bedroom. `I have to put these clothes back and clean up the mess before she comes home,' it was the only thought that drove him to move in the pain he was feeling. He could feel his nose elongating back into a snout and his teeth shifting and growing. His legs shortened and became more muscular as his feet and hands crumpled from long, elegant fingers into paws with razor sharp claws hidden within. He collapsed onto the spare bed and tried to suppress his groans as the transformation raged on. He struggled out of the rest of his clothes and folded them as best he could, tossing them into the open closet door.

A small sound filled the room; a whimper that Inuyasha was sure hadn't come from him. He turned his rapidly changing face towards the door only to be met with the frightened and confused eyes of Shippou. With the last of his strength, he reached out to the pup, but his body gave into the changes, shaking and thrashing through the final stage until he lay still on the bed, back in full canine form. The young puppy was frozen in the doorway, unable to move or conceive what had taken place only moments before. A grunt from the white inu startled him back to reality and he barked loudly, taking off down the hallway in a frenzy. Inuyasha buried his head in the pillow, the noise making his head throb and ache. Seconds later, he realized what had just happened; Shippou had witnessed his transformation. No one in over 200 years had known his secret, and now he had to explain to this young puppy things he hadn't voiced in almost the same length of time. Slowly, he raised his aching body up and followed the direction of the barking into the living room. Shippou was running circles around the couch when he emerged from the hallway. Inuyasha watched him run by twice before snapping his paw down and pinning the smaller dog to the floor.

"Shut up runt! You're making my headache worse and in this body, I cant get the top off the aspirin!" Shippou quieted down but the look of fear remained etched on his tiny face.

"W…What are you?" Inuyasha took a deep breath and lowered his eyes to meet the puppy pinned beneath his large paw. He released the youngster and cringed slightly, waiting for the barking to commence again; but there was silence. Opening his eyes, he saw Shippou, sitting in the place he had pinned moments before, waiting patiently for an answer to his question.

"You really wanna know?"

"You may have changed your body, but you are still Inuyasha. You can tell me, I wont get scared again." The larger dog sighed and began his tale.

"I am a youkai, an inu youkai. I am from the family of the Crescent Moon in the Western lands. My father was the lord there for many years and the lands were peaceful. We lived in the palace while my brother and I grew up, playing in the gardens, learning the skills of combat and training to one day take over rule of the lands our family had possessed for centuries. But, in the shadows of our peaceful kingdom, trouble brewed and jealousy began to poison some of the soldiers in my father's army. They met in private and developed a plan to take over the throne. They snuck into the palace in the middle of the night, setting fire to the tapestries and furniture. We were all awakened by the smoke, and when my father went to find out what had happened, he was ambushed by his own troops. My mother witnessed the murder and rushed back to find my brother and I, hiding us both in a secret passage used only by the castle servants. We escaped, following the tunnel out to the border of the western lands. My brother and I traveled as orphans, stealing what we could to eat and sleeping in barns and abandoned houses. My brother spoke of nothing but his revenge; he plotted and planned and we practiced combat with our swords for countless hours, getting better and more accurate with each passing day. His quest for power brought us one day to a village high in the Northern Mountains. It was rumored that a priestess protected a jewel that could grant unimaginable power to its possessor, and my brother lusted after such a notion. He decided to seduce the priestess while I slipped into the shrine and stole the stone, however, I was discovered and captured by the guards." Inuyasha paused, the memories flooded through his mind, making him dizzy, bringing back the pain and the betrayal. He was uncertain if he indeed wanted to share so much of himself with the pup. `Would I hesitate if it were Kagome asking?' The question was unnerving, but not as much as the answer. Shaking his head, he continued.

"I became a prisoner of the miko Kikyo, the priestess sworn to protect the sacred Shikon no Tama. I was a servant in her shrine for 5 years, never hearing a word of my brother or his seduction, or even where he might have gone. Over the years, I… I came to know and perhaps love the priestess, though my feelings were never returned. I thought of her in secret and imagined what our lives would be like together, but my secret was discovered. She changed me into the form I am now, chastising me for loving her and daring to think she may return my affection. She said that if ever the possessor of the jewel fell in love with a dog like me, I would regain my natural form. Until then, I would only be my true self on the night of the full moon, when the pure light of the moon wouldn't shame itself by falling on my form. She laughed and laughed at the thought, and then banished me from the village, left alone to wander as a dog these past 200 years."

Shippou had listened intently and waited patiently for his brother to finish the heart-wrenching tale. The giant white dog sat quietly now, staring down at his feet as if they were the most fascinating things he had ever seen. The young Pomeranian moved slowly up to him, then with no hesitation, burrowed himself into the lap of his older companion, nuzzling the silky fur of his neck in the most open display of affection Inuyasha had ever witnessed, let alone been a part of.

"It's ok now, big brother. We are a family, and even if Kagome doesn't possess the Shikon no Tama, she does love you. Not as a pet, but as a member of our pack; she would do anything for you, just as I know you would for her." Such maturity and compassion from the young puppy was astounding to the inuyoukai, and he knew in the depths of his soul, that he was right.

~~0.o~~

Work went slowly for Dr. Higorashi, she felt as if she were a zombie just going through the motions of doing her job. Her feet drug across the floor as if heavily shackled and her voice was flat and lifeless. She had never made it home the night before, leaving straight from the club to come to work. She had showered in the employee locker room and sported an extra pair of scrubs Rin had loaned her; Sponge Bob Square Pants would never look the same to the hospital staff again. The technicians stayed away from Kagome in her volatile mood; she had already exploded when Rin and Kagura had been late setting up for surgeries in the morning, though it had never once bothered her before, and the news spread quickly all over the hospital. Even Sango gave her friend extra room when passing in the halls, having witnessed this bipolar mood swing a few times before. What really worried her was that each time her best friend acted this way, it was usually a result of something very serious; like when her grandfather had first fallen ill, or the death of her first serious relationship, after she had walked in on her love and his ex girlfriend in the shower together. She promised herself that she'd take Kagome home, make her eat a gallon of ice cream, and spill whatever had happened.

Inuyasha and Shippou had been avoiding Kagome's wrath as well; the awkwardness Inuyasha felt had grown exponentially, knowing he was responsible for her foul mood. Shippou interpreted his discomfort as embarrassment for the heart to heart talk they had shared, so he left it alone. Both finally settled in the office, napping on their matching beds under Kagome's desk.

At closing, Sango snuck up behind Kagome, covering her eyes with one hand and waving a small flower under the raven-haired woman's nose.

"Guess who," she stated in a thinly disguised voice.

"San- chan, where did you find a fresh gardenia at this time of year?" Kagome spun, the hardness melting off her face and her soft lips turning up in a half smile.

"More importantly, love, is what is eating away at your soul. I called the adorable one and told him I had a date tonight; let's rent a movie and spend a girls night together, you know, like we used to." Sango put on her cutest and hardest to resist puppy dog eyes and Kagome gave in quickly.

"Ok, but I have to drop off Shippou and Yash, and I get to pick the movie." Sango groaned but nodded, knowing she'd have to sit through yet another night of `Titanic' and `Dirty Dancing'.

They piled into Kagome's 4 Runner, heading first to her apartment, then to Blockbuster and Cold Stone. Kagome still walked with heavy feet and it made Sango sad to see her normally upbeat and cheery friend so down. After paying for their ice cream, Sango lead Kagome to one of the tables outside. She watched as Kagome's dessert melted in the small Styrofoam bowl, sending gummy bears sledding head first down the gently slope.

"Kag, it's killing me to see you like this. What could have happened last night to make…" Then, it hit her like a ton of bricks; the tall, gorgeous, white haired man at the club. What if he did something to her, forced her to do something she didn't want to. The anger grew more and more out of control, causing her face to flush and her eye to twitch. Kagome caught the look of death cross her friend's face and cocked her head.

"San, you ok?"

"It was HIM, wasn't it? What did he do to you, Kagome? What happened? If he did something, anything to hurt you, I'll kill him, do you hear me?" The raw anger startled the blue-eyed doctor and she immediately sank lower in her seat. The guilt washed over her; her friend was so worried that she was ready to kill someone neither of them even knew. All day people had wondered and worried about her, and she finally let the grief penetrate the mask she'd been wearing. Her lower lip quivered and tears formed behind her heavy lids.

"It's nothing really, Sango. I don't even know why I'm so upset, I didn't even know him. We danced, we talked, we kissed, and then he ran off into the night." A single tear pushed its way out and rolled down her soft cheek. Sango blinked, softening her expression ten fold. "I felt so comfortable with him is all. It was like I already knew him; I'd never felt so safe as when he had his arms around me." She wiped her nose on her sleeve, as she'd done when the two were children. She let out a rather unconvincing laugh, "stupid, huh?"

"Kagome. You feel things about people that they themselves are barely aware of. You communicate with animals; you are the most sensitive person I have ever met. The fact that this man means so much to you after only a few hours of knowing him has to mean something." The two girls stared at each other for a long moment, feeling the unspoken love and sisterhood swell between them. "It will work out, Kagome. Everything will make itself right in the end, you'll see. But right now, we've got ice cream melting and movies to watch." They giggled and got up, scooting the heavy chairs back from the table with a loud scrape. Kagome felt resistance from behind her chair and with a quick push, freed herself. A loud grunt caused her to whip her head around just in time to see a figure stagger from the force she had applied to her seat. White hair, slim black pants, cashmere sweater… her heart began to pound within her chest.

"Watch it!" There was a deadly bite in the voice and both girls held their breath as the figure turned to face them.

"Sess…shomauru?" He straightened at hearing his name ring out in the quiet shopping center. His amber eyes locked on the beautiful silhouette he was beginning to know well.

"Ah, Dr. Higorashi, what a pleasant surprise being run over by you of all people." She blushed, hard, and met his gaze. "Is that a tear, whatever could cause an angel like you to cry? I hope it's not on my account, my shoe absorbed most of the impact," he offered in a soft, slightly joking tone. Kagome's smile broadened, looking into the face that was so familiar, so similar to the one she was wishing it to be.

"I'm so sorry about that, I wasn't even paying attention. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it's you I'm worried about." He offered her a hand and helped her to her feet. There was a moment between them before he released her that they stared into each other's eyes, stormy ocean blue meeting calm amber pools. It was only a few seconds, however Sango took the opportunity to devise a plan.

"She had an awful day at work, Sesshoumaru, must be the pressure getting to her. Since we don't have to be back to work until Monday, I was just suggesting that she take the night off to relax, maybe have a bit of fun." Kagome spun on her heels, growling at her friend as she continued. "Unfortunately, I have a date tonight and can't take her out, so I guess it's a blessing that she ran you over." Sesshoumaru's eyes closed slightly, trying to hold in the smirk at the obvious invitation from Sango. He knew there was a reason he liked the cunning young woman, and he could see how the two had remained friends for so long.

"Kagome," he said in a low, sensual voice, "I feel it is my duty to make sure your anger is kept in control, as a potential business partner, I cant afford any lawsuits from other people you assault on the street." Neither woman was prepared for the handsome, powerful, cold Sesshoumaru to have a sense of humor; both were floored by his response- still unsure if he was being serious. From the matching shocked expressions, he took it that they hadn't realized he was joking. He chuckled lightly and offered an arm to Kagome. "Shall we then?"

~~0.o~~