Jumpin' Thru Hoops!
Kagome sighed as she ran from the angry taiyokai. Her black hair whipped back and forth behind her as she dodged the stumps and roots sticking out of the ground haphazardly. She was ancient compared to humans, she turned 720 last week. But to most yokai she was a teenager. If she had to estimate how old she was comparatively, she was around 17, maybe she just turned 18? It was difficult to calculate because yokai don't measure their lifespan by years normally. It's by achievements and milestones. Those milestones can be different based on the yokai's social position and gender.
Kagome was considered adult in milestones and achievements though she was young. She had defied all thoughts about her abilities and strength. Kagome was Inu no Taisho's head general's daughter. Kiriyo had been proud to have a strong daughter as his heir. He wasn't ashamed that he didn't have a son to take over as head general when it was time. In fact, Kiriyo and Katsu had been the only two people who had believed in Kagome in terms of serving the Taisho clan as well as any male soldier could.
She had trained to be useful in all types of fighting, the one that Kagome mastered without the help of anyone was a very special one. She had the ability to fight with Sesshomaru, Inu no Taisho's first born, and rip his calm mask to shreds. As Kagome and Sesshomaru grew up they developed a relationship similar to that of friends, but Kagome always got under his skin nearly everyday. Now it was a ritual in the Taisho palace. Everything was fine if Sesshomaru was bellowing at Kagome, it was when it was silent that you had to worry.
"Ka. Go. Me." Sesshomaru growled as he pursued Kagome with fury. Today had been worse that usual. They didn’t fight, Kagome had played a prank on him.
"What, Sesshy?" Kagome called over her shoulder as she giggled. "All I did was help you make a change. I thought you were bored so I changed your hair color for you." Kagome had ground up some herbs and dumped them into his hair soap, now his hair was bright green. He was livid with her, more than usual.
Back at the palace Inu no Taisho and General Higurashi Kiriyo were laughing, and trying to stop. Though their efforts were very much in vain.
"Kiriyo, your daughter will be the death of my eldest pup." Taisho Katsu managed to gasp out through his laughter. He was never one to pass up a good prank. But he wasn't certain if it was right that it was Kagome instigating all of the interaction between herself and his son. Katsu made a mental note to speak to his pup about his feelings for Kiriyo's pup.
"Ah, indeed Katsu. But even your mate can't get Sesshomaru out of his mask of indifference. Someone needs to do it or he'll get too uptight." Kiriyo agreed with Katsu. He knew of Kagome's intentions with this interaction with Sesshomaru. She was jumping at every chance she could to get his attention. That included proving everyone wrong in what she could and couldn't do.
Kagome could battle and beat anyone in the Western army. Well, except for Katsu and Sesshomaru, she tied with her father whenever she fought him. She always lost against Katsu and Sesshomaru unless they went easy on her. But other than that she was second in command to her father in the Western army. Kiriyo was silent for a moment before a small smile ghosted across his lips.
"Hey Katsu, what do you think about holding a ball? Maybe I could even suggest an engagement proposition?" Kiriyo inquired softly with a devious smile.
Katsu’s laughter stopped immediately as he realized what was going through Kiriyo's mind. 'So Kagome is interested in Sesshomaru in that way, huh?' He thought to himself before he smirked back at Kiriyo. He was enjoying the thought of having grandpups in the near future.
"Shall we call in Misaki and Akira? I think our mates would love to help with these plans." Katsu inquired, he didn't even have to give an affirmative, and Kiriyo knew Katsu was in 100%.
~*~
'I wonder how long it'll take for him to catch me? I'm still trying to figure out how I always manage to out run him until my endurance runs out. A hanyo shouldn't be able to out run a royal blooded taiyokai.' Kagome wondered. That moment of her lack of attention was enough to send Kagome sprawling on the ground. The root of the tree responsible for tripping her was still wrapped around her ankle. She glared at Bokusenō, because he'd grabbed her ankle and tripped her, Sesshomaru would be upon her in moments.
"Bokusenō, why have you done this?" Kagome got out between gritted teeth. She was seething, today she'd actually gotten dressed up. She was wearing a pale lavender kimono with light green flower petals floating down the right side to sit near the hem. Her obi was a gentle gold. She'd hoped that today the promise made in the past would finally be kept.
"Kagome, This Sesshomaru thinks that Bokusenō is the least of your worries." Sesshomaru stated as he stood towering above her as she was sprawled out on the ground. Kagome huffed as she realized that her beloved chase had come to an anti-climatic end. So she stayed as she was.
Her long beautiful black hair was fanned around her, it looked almost like a peacock's tail feathers spread out. Kagome's little dog ears set atop her head twitched as she listened to the goings on around them in the forest. She tried to not sigh too much as she crossed her arms and stared up at Sesshomaru and Bokusenō.
"I promise there is an easy fix to your hair." Kagome grumbled when she saw that he was about to chew her out for messing with his beloved silver hair. In an even quieter tone Kagome groused about the fact that no matter what he never payed attention to her unless it was for doing something to him that he disliked. Why was it always the negative things that made him finally talk to her?
Sesshomaru was in shock, and left completely speechless. He'd never been told by anyone that they wanted his attention. He'd grown up with Kagome but for the longest time he only thought about her as a bothersome little girl that clung to him. Both Kagome and Sesshomaru recalled a situation somewhat similar to this one.
~*~
"Hey! Sesshomaru! Sesshomaru! Look, look!" Kagome called out in complete glee. Sesshomaru was sparring with his father, Taisho Katsu. He couldn't help but think about what a bother she was. 'Can't she see that I'm busy? And what in the world does she want me to see that's so important? A young lord like me can't be bothered with worthless things.'
"Come on! Sesshomaru! Don't ignore me!" Kagome whined with her ears pinned to her head in some sort of emotion. She darted onto the field he had been sparring with his father on. She grabbed his haori sleeve and pulled. Brushing her aside Sesshomaru dodged his father's sword before it had the chance to hit him. Kagome pouted and then looked happily at what she held in her hand. She'd get his attention and show him what she wanted to show him at the same time.
She leveled her sight on Sesshomaru and then pulled back on the string. 'Carefully, focus. Breathe, aim, release.' Kagome walked through her mother's instructions. The arrow whizzed through the air with a new thing added that had Kagome staring at the arrow in amazement. It had a gentle blue glow around it as it whizzed through the air right on target. She gasped as Sesshomaru moved just an inch in the direction she didn't want him to.
She held her hand over her mouth in horror as she watched her arrow slice completely through Sesshomaru's hair before embedding itself all the way to the stabling feathers into the tree behind Sesshomaru. It had been like watching everyone react in slow motion. Sesshomaru's hand moved slowly to feel his hair. Katsu was staring slack jawed at his pup's hair, or lack thereof, length. All the sparring had stopped and everyone was in dead silence as they watched their young lord.
Sesshomaru turned slowly toward the tree that held the offending object that cut his beloved silver hair. The arrow still had a hint of blue glowing around the feathers. Recognizing the aura that the glowing light held, Sesshomaru turned towards Kagome. His eyes were brimmed in red, his beast nearly in a frenzy with the koroinu hanyo.
"Kagome, what have you done?" Sesshomaru asked with a low dangerously calm voice. Kagome was near tears, she knew how precious his hair was to him even if he didn't say it directly. As he stalked towards her angrily Kagome couldn't stop the tears from falling as she fled the field. This was the first time she'd ever actually been truly afraid of Sesshomaru. As she ran through the woods she stopped and cried by Bokusenō.
"Child, don't cry." Bokusenō's voice flowed smoothly over Kagome calming her down almost immediately. She sighed as she leaned against the ancient tree. "Why doesn't he ever look at me unless I do something bad?" Kagome questioned the old tree yokai, and upon his approach, Sesshomaru heard the question.
~*~
"Why don't you ever look at me unless I do something bad?" Kagome huffed in exasperation up at Sesshomaru. Unintentionally repeated the same question from the past. For a moment he was at a loss for words as the image of the tear stained face of young Kagome seemed to merge with angry and somewhat distraught older Kagome. Sesshomaru was at a loss for he could not understand her determinism to get his attention by going to such lengths. Not sure what to do he sat down by Kagome's feet and studied her face.
"Why do you want my attention so much?" Sesshomaru asked quietly, so quietly that Kagome didn't pick it up even with enhanced hearing. From her point of view all she saw was Sesshomaru sitting down and staring at her with a disgruntled look.
"Tell me Sesshomaru, how many hoops do I have to jump through, and how many opinions do I have to prove wrong? What do I have to do get you to finally pay attention to me?" Kagome whispered with tears in her eyes. She wanted him to look at her, that's why she always made him angry with her. That was the purpose of the pranks. "Anger is better than being ignored."
Sesshomaru wasn't sure he'd heard the last part correctly. So he decided to ensure his hearing hadn't betrayed him. "What did you say to this Sesshomaru?" He was aware that her attempts to get his attention were the pranks and such. He had often disregarded those attempts as behavior of a pup, that's why he acted like it never happened. But did she honestly think he was ignoring her?
Kagome glared at Sesshomaru before turning her gaze to the sky. "I said, your better-than-it-all-ness, that your 'Anger is better than being ignored.'." She sighed once more before closing her eyes and letting her true form come forward. She was an kuroinu hanyo, but she had a second form and she preferred to be in it when she was overcome by some sort of emotion or situation.
To Bokusenō and Sesshomaru all they saw was Kagome closing her eyes before she was surrounded in a light blue glow then laying before them was a black dog. If she stood in this form she'd reach Sesshomaru's shoulder, her forehead sported the Higurashi clan crest of the silver star. It represented the North Star that was the Moon's constant companion no matter what night it was. Her cheeks showed her yokai markings even though they didn't appear in her human form. Two teal stripes along her cheekbones that traced the sides of her body until they met at the tip of her tail.
"What do you want me to do, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked once more before she disappeared from their sight. Not a trace of her scent or aura could be found to locate where she currently was.
Sesshomaru looked at Bokusenō and decided maybe his old friend and adviser might have some answers. "Bokusenō, do you know what all of that meant?" Sesshomaru asked in genuine curiosity.
"Pup, you'll have to answer her questions on your own. Here's a bit of advice though, should you break her heart, you'll have both the Taisho clan and the Higurashi clan backing her up against you." Bokusenō said before he went into slumber, leaving Sesshomaru trying to figure out what the tree had meant.