Snow was falling on Sesshomaru, and he was shivering in his kimon—wait a second. What the hell was he wearing?
Sesshomaru looked down. He was wearing a dark blue hoodie, and black jeans. In his pocket was a pocket knife. He opened up the knife, and to his shock it became a large sword.
"Where am I? Answer the question." Sesshomaru said.
As he pointed the blade at her, it pulsed and changed back into the knife.
"Can't get it up?" I smirked. "I'm kidding. Anyway you haven't lost your powers. Everyone in the shrine is protected by glamour. Except me, mostly. Go ahead."
I erected a target. "Attack that with your demonic power."
Sesshomaru decimated the target. "Yeah! So I just look like a human. Why?"
"Cuz in this world, demons don't exist. At least not where mortals can see them. That's why demons come here after being introduced to the modern world, for asylum and assimilation." I said. "Bet you're tired after your journey."
Kuri took his hand and led him inside the temple. Sesshomaru sat down and looked around. There was an altar in the main room, with an effigy of a female kami. Another woman came in with some blanket. This woman smelled like a fox.
Sesshomaru growled at her.
"Easy. She's a friend. You guys have to get along, ok?" Kuri said.
Sesshomaru relaxed with her touch, though he couldn't fathom why. Foxes and dogs were natural enemies. The two of them should be at each other's throats—literally.
In fact...why hadn't he attacked her when she released him from the trap of time. But when she was near, his violent tendencies eased.
Everything just felt better near this miko. Was this why demons came to her for asylum and assimilation? What power was this?
"It's called empathy." Reiko chuckled. "Relax. Everyone gets the same look on their face after being subjected to her power for the first time. She can't really manipulate you into doing anything you don't want to; and your will is your own. Besides she'd never abuse her power like that. No, Kuri uses her power to help us so that we don't panic. The change can be difficult. Some of us lost more than others..."
"Where did we come from?" Sesshomaru said.
"Well in your time demons and humans were together." Reiko continued. "Here there is the Reikai (Heaven), the Ningenkai (Earth), and the Makai (Hell). The Makai is where all demons were banished after Naraku nearly destroyed the Ningenkai. After a Cold War involving much loss on both sides, it was finally agreed that the border be dissolved and demons allowed in the Ningenkai again, as long as they promised to keep themselves secret from most humans, excluding the very few such as mikos."
"Yes," I said. "But as a miko I still try to keep the slaughter to a minimum. It may sound strange to you, considering I am mostly human. But I understand the demonic need for chaos and carnage, as well as the fact that some of them eat only humans. So I...point them in the direction of the truly evil and look the other way."
"You say you are mostly human...what do you mean?" Sesshomaru asked, a look of nostalgia on his face.
"I have a demon that shares my soul. She is powerful, and delights in chaos and carnage. So I say mostly human, because I am, and yet I am not." I said.
"So you are a Hanyou?" Sesshomaru said quietly.
"Not in the same way. I envy the true Hanyou. For them it is natural, the demonic power actually belongs to them by birthright. For me...it is a separate soul. My mother attempted to purify a powerful demon without the knowledge that she was pregnant, resulting in a parasitic demonic possession. Me." I said after a long pause.
"So you help demons because you are like us?" Sesshomaru said curiously
"No...I help demons because they are my friends." I said. "Demons were the ones who saved me when I found myself soaked in the blood of the innocent and there was little of me left in my soul. A demon called Sesshomaru."
I looked into the darkness. "And I don't know if I will ever see him again. It was long ago. So!" She clapped her hands. "What shall I call you?"
"I am the one you call…Lord Sesshomaru."