The others flinched and covered their ears as the unearthly sound echoed through the clearing, but Sesshomaru could not look away.

Her eyes glowed ruby, and her hair changed color, bleeding from the roots, becoming a pale yellow, similar to dead bones. As Noro screamed, her jaw stretched almost to the breaking point as her teeth elongated into fangs, and her body tensed, flipping her onto her hands and knees. Her hands dug viciously into the earth as her fingers grew into claws.

The woman's skin paled, and marks like tears of blood appeared on her skin. Then, she glanced up at the demon lord, and he saw no recognition in her gaze. Just instinctive fear.

With a howl, Noro gathered her yokai around herself and transformed, a large, pale yellow dog bursting into existence, all fang and claw. It leapt towards Sesshomaru, shoving him out of the way as it bounded upwards, disappearing into the clouds.

As he watched her disappear, his mind struggled to make sense of what his inner demon was telling him.

'She is... a yokai?'

'Not just a yokai. She is inu, like us.'

But before he could even guess as to how, his brother interfered.

"Just what the hell was that Sesshomaru," his brother stomped forward, gesturing with his sword. "What the hell did you do to Noro!"

"I did nothing."

His half brother got into his face, angrily yelling at him. He'd find it annoying if he weren't still in shock about Noro. But as it was, he had seen the look in her eyes. She was not in control of herself. If the woman was not stopped, she could cause much damage. He would have to stop her.

"Enough." He shoved his brother away. He would get to the bottom of this strange twist of fate, but the mystery would have to wait. Noro was not in her right mind. She needed to be captured before she caused damage to herself or others.

"Stay with them," he told his brother, and leapt into the air.

As he chased after Noros' demonic scent, his thoughts raced. This was a first transformation, something that was usually done during adolescence, in the safety and privacy of the home, among packmates. The demon inside could be difficult to handle, so it was a common practice to keep them among familiar surroundings, preferably with a parent or elder nearby to pacify them should they fail to gain control. But Noro had no such upbringing, and with such a violent change...

The dai-yokai remembered coming across a skulk of foxes one morning, early on in their travels together. The entire pack had been ripped apart in a deadly display of hatred and ferocity. He knew that Noro had been there; that it had been her that had caused such devastation. And that had been her curse as a human. Now, he had a dark suspicion that if she was not quelled now, many more might die.

He spotted her ahead, a pale shape climbing the clouds, lithe and swift, manic and frenzied. She was a pale yellow, like the color of dry bones, and marks like streaks of blood marred her snout. A train of fur flowed over her shoulder and back, and her long tail streamed in the wind. As she roared, howling at the crescent moon, Sesshomaru felt his own demon stir.

'She is glorious.'

'She is uncontrolled.'

'She is inexperienced. To her, this is a curse. We will teach her.'

'Yes.'

He transformed, and when he did, he caught the attention of the demoness. Snarling, he divebombed her, and she snapped her teeth at him, twisting out of the way. She would not go down easily.

She snarled at him in warning, telling him that he should leave her be. He refused, coming close again, barking threateningly.

The demoness was incensed, and wheeled around, lashing out at him with her claws and fangs. The message was clear. Leave her alone, or else.

But the Demon Lord of the West refused to back down from this challenge of his authority. He leapt towards her, taking her by surprise. Their forms clashed, each tearing and scrabbling at the other as they fought for dominance.

Locked together, they lost control of their flight, and fell, crashing into the earth. He almost pinned her down, but she took advantage of his missing foreleg, and managed to get free, wounding his other front leg in the process.

She whirled around, barking at him madly. Her eyes were wide with rage, and toxic miasma dripped from her snarling jaws as she let him have a piece of her mind.

'She refuses to be taken down. Quite admirable.'

'She's mad. We must subdue her.'

He circled her, eyeing the demoness. She snarled, turning as he stalked around her, keeping him in her line of sight.

She snapped at him, her ears lying flat against her skull. Her fangs shone white against the moonlight. He growled at her in response, but kept his distance.

Now that he got a proper look at her form, she was quite beautiful. Her muscles rippled under her fur as she turned, and her coat was sleek and rich, like white gold. She was smaller than his own demon form by about a head, but more than large enough to crush enemies under her paws.

She took advantage of his distraction and charged at him, biting down into his shoulder as he twisted away. She refused to let go, trying to force him into a more favorable position.

Instead, Sesshomaru tensed his shoulders and rolled, dragging her along with him. As Noro was crushed underneath him, she let go, and he flipped over, biting down onto her neck as he pinned her. She howled, and began to struggle.

He growled loudly as she attempted to force her way out from underneath him like before, his jaw tightening around her neck.

Her whines and cries began to sound more and more desperate the longer she struggled, and finally, a garbled phrase ripped its way out from behind her fangs.

"Must... free...!"

"Calm yourself," he growled back.

"Free...! Freedom... you can't... I.. won't let...!"

"Calm yourself," he tried again. "I am pack. Calm yourself."

He stood patiently as she continued to struggle, and after a few more minutes of half formed words about freedom, he clamped his teeth down even harder, causing her to flinch.

"Calm yourself! I am pack. I will not harm you. Calm yourself, and I will let go. I am pack."

"Not pack! No pack! Only... enemies left!"

"I am pack!" At this point he was growing frustrated. "Smell me! Know I am pack."

Finally, the demoness paused, and sniffed the air around her, and then turned her head, sniffing at his fur in confusion. Her mouth was open, panting to bring in more smell.

"You.. pack?"

"Yes!"

The dog demon could feel a bit of tension leave her body as she processed the information.

"I am not trying to trap you," he growled. "You were acting rashly."

"Was gone. Scared."

"No need. Calm yourself. Transform back."

"Pack... let go?"

"I will let go of you once you transform back."

A huge sign wracked the demoness's body, and Sesshomaru let go, stepping back as miasma whipped around her again, and then all that was left was Noro, shivering in the grass. He quickly shifted back before approaching her cautiously.

She had a fur of her own wrapped around her body, but nothing else, her human clothes having been ripped to shreds when she transformed.

She lay there, curled up in the clearing, and her claws were held firmly over her ears, and her eyes were tightly shut.

"Norowareta?"

"It's so loud," she moaned. "Everything is so loud. I can't think."

"It's your new senses," he hypothesized. "Your mind isn't used to them."

She glanced up at him through squinted eyes, tears gathered at their corners. "Make it stop. Please, it's so loud."

He thought for a moment.

"I could try one thing."

"Please!"

He nodded.

The dai-yokai concentrated, visualizing the whirlpools of demonic energy around them. Hers were chaotic, and only barely held under control. Then he took a breath and expanded his own yokai, slowly but surely surrounding Norowaretas'. He confined and blanketed her demonic energy, choking it down until it was barely a ripple.

As he did so, the look of pain started to leave the demoness's face, and she sighed in relief. Her eyes began to flutter, and her body completely relaxed as she went unconscious. Once she passed out, he stopped.

Her yokai would replenish itself, but more gradually then the sudden onslaught that she had experienced.

He knelt down and gently picked her up, arranging her so that his own yukata and her moko-moko shielded her body. As he brought her back to the others, questions flooded his mind just as much as her new, demonic scent filled his nose.

She smelled nice.