The Dark Light
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
By Anime-Goddess-Sakura
Chapter 17 Understanding oneself
Kagome felt refreshed after her long nap. It had been quit a surprise to wake up, next to Mitsuko and with Sesshoumaru hovering over her. She had barely any time to react, before she found herself in a crushing embrace that knocked the air out of her and left a few ribs bruised.
He had then proceeded on kissing her senseless. It sure was a hell of way to wake up. She had to acknowledge that she wouldn't mind being woken up that way every morning. She giggled at the thought and mentally chastised herself for such dirty thoughts; yes… Miroku would be proud of her.
She blushed as she recalled Mitsuko waking up and finding the two of them well…kissing. She could have just crawled under a rock at that moment as Mitsuko stared at them with large silver eyes.
However Mitsuko's reaction had been even more hilarious as she blushed a bright red, before simply covering her face with a blanket and pretending to sleep, even Sesshoumaru had smirked at her reaction.
Innocent and naïve little sister, Kagome thought amusedly.
Yet all fun and games had come to end as the others had charged in the room and began asking questions. Both of them had told them what they had experienced and what they were told, but sadly they were still none the wiser.
She sighed dejectedly. Leave it to the higher powers to come up with such a riddle. Her mind felt like mush after trying to figure out those words the whole day.
The Dark is always tide to the Light; just as evil is always tide to good.
Not every evil is a threat. Not all darkness is an enemy.
It's up to you to decide if you will go against the tide or flow with the rivers.
An aggravated sound left her lips as Kagome gave up.She felt so lazy today. She sighed and lay on her stomach, while she buried her face in the warm chest next to her. A soft growl answered her as she couldn't help but giggle as she buried herself closer to the amazing and hard chest.
"You should rest." Sesshoumaru's voice greeted her, making her raise large blue eyes to gaze at the Demon Lord who was lying quite calmly next to her.
She pursed her lips as she tried not to stick out her tongue at him. Her sweet over protective demon hadn't allowed her to leave the bed for the whole day, claiming that she should rest and regain her strength, especially after that vision.
At first she had refused, but after much persuasion or more like Sesshoumaru kissing her senseless and giving her no say whatsoever in the decision, she found herself bedridden and with the demon Lord not leaving her side not even for a minute.
The soft grumbling of her stomach brought her out of her musings, making her blush.
"You're hungry, I presume?" He asked amusement clearly in his voice, making Kagome growl.
A soft sigh left Sesshoumaru's lips as he sat up. She sat up slightly gazing expectantly at him. Without a word he stood out of bed.
"Stay here." He said calmly.
Without even waiting for an answer he was out of the door, making her bristle at being treated so carelessly. She grinded her teeth together as she pushed herself out of bed. Sesshoumaru could be so obstinate sometimes, expecting that every order that he gave should be followed. She narrowed her blue eyes and huffed as she carefully made her way to the backpack, picking through her things she pulled out a brush.
She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, before jumping back into bed. She let out an amused sound as the soft bed bounced under her weight. She mentally made a note to buy a bed like this in her own era.
She lowered her gaze to the sleeping yukata that she was wearing. She had to admit that it felt extremely delicious against her skin as she fingered the material. The fabric was thin and soft, reminding her of the feathers of her wings.
Shaking her head, she released her dark and long main from the messy bun and proceeded to try to brush out the knots. It was proving to be a harder test than expected as she found herself cursing as the brush got stuck in some knots.
By the time Sesshoumaru returned she was almost in tears, while she fought with the hair from hell. The smell of food, made her stomach grumble and she completely ignored the brush that was now stuck in her hair and she reached for the tray of food that Sesshoumaru was carrying.
To her utter shock Sesshoumaru slapped her hand away and laid the tray of food on the small table next to the bed, all the while ignoring her glare.
"Why did you do that?" She asked clearly pissed, but he once again ignored her as he took a seat on the bed behind her. She let out a startled sound as he picked her up and settled her in his lap.
"What are you doing?" she asked clearly mortified, making him roll his eyes.
She had lain with him in the same bed, she had kissed him numerous times and now she was embarrassed of sitting in his lap. She was quite a perplexing creature, he thought reaching for the brush. He sighed as he noticed the mess that she had created.
With great patience he began the demanding test of brushing her hair. It was difficult to take out the brush, but with a few tugs he was able to release it, then he proceeded with outmost care to slowly comb out the knots.
Kagome was shocked to say the least as she felt him comb her hair. It felt strange, almost too intimate to her for the demon lord to be doing such a mundane task like this.
However the gentle strokes in her hair made her relax against him. She let a satisfied soft sigh, unknowingly stirring Sesshoumaru's desire with her compliance.
The Demon Lord tried to ignore the way she leaned against him, her body pressed against his, while her scent invaded his senses, wrapping around him like the strong and lethal body of a snake, but instead of suffocating him like a snake would, he felt almost drunk on the pure sensual scent of hers.
He mentally berated himself as he continued combing her long mane and sure enough within a few minutes he had managed to take out all of the knots. He watched in satisfaction as her long hair lay in silky tendrils along her back. He moved a bit, so that her head was resting against his left shoulder, giving him an ample view of her face.
Her eyes were closed, her long dark lashes brushing against her rosy cheeks, her mouth parted softly like the petals of a flower in bloom; her whole face radiating peacefulness and serenity that he never knew someone could possess. She looked so tempting and so beautiful that he had to look away, afraid of what he might do to her.
It had become increasingly difficult to control his most primal side when it came to her. He wanted her, all of her and it was becoming rather difficult to deny himself.
Taking hold of himself, he carefully laid the brush on the wooden table and reached for the tray of food. Kagome who felt him move, lazily opened her eyes and turned to gaze at him. He ignored the lazy look in her eyes as he carefully placed the tray in her lap. She blinked a few times as she found the tray of food placed on her lap.
"Thank you." She whispered a blush staining her cheeks as she finally regained her bearings.
"Hn." He carefully picked some fried vegetables with the chopsticks.
She looked questioningly at him as he brought the chopstick to her mouth. She narrowed her eyes slightly at the silent command.
"You're not feeding…" She never got to finish what she was saying as he pushed the food in her mouth.
She began coughing wildly as she tried to swallow her food and try to breathe at the same time. After the coughing fit passed, she turned to glare at Sesshoumaru who was looking quite calmly at her and with some more fried vegetable held by the chopsticks, waiting to feed it to her.
The glare was lost on the Demon Lord, especially seeing that her eyes were red and filled with tears from her coughing. She huffed angrily.
"Fine." She muttered parting her lips as he fed her some more.
She had to admit that the food was delicious. And in a way it felt quite naughty for him to be feeding her in bed. It almost gave her the impression of them being lovers. A blush stained her cheeks and she quickly averted her gaze. She had a hard time to push away the images conjured in her mind, while the word lover kept repeating over and over again in her mind.
"Is there something wrong, Kagome? You look rather flushed." Sesshoumaru commented watching in satisfaction as her cheeks heated up even more.
He didn't know specifically know what she was thinking about, but by the way her scent changed, he had an inkling about what it could be.
"Umm…nothing. I was just…thinking…yes thinking." She said hoping that she didn't look to suspicious.
She looked up as the rich and alluring sound of Sesshoumaru's chuckle reached her ears. She raised her face to gaze at the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. The Demon Lord's eyes were slightly closed, his lips parted slightly as he chuckled, the sound sent a shiver through her body lightening up her spirit. Without knowing it she began laughing as well.
She only stilled as he reached for her, taking hold of her chin and turning her face around so that she could gaze at him. She could see the half lidded look in his eyes as he gazed at her. Her breath hitched in her throat as his thumb caressed her cheek; the touch sending tingles down her spine, making her imagine what else his hands could do to her. She tried to squash those thoughts as she watched his lips tilt in a smirk.
"You might not want to tell me what you we're thinking about, but you forget that your scent gives you away." He watched in satisfaction as she blushed once again.
"I only hope that this Sesshoumaru is the cause for the change in your scent." He murmured, his thumb lowering to her lips where he massaged her lower lip.
Kagome felt like a deer caught in the headlights as she felt his thumb caress her lip. It sent tingles through her spine and made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She quickly pulled away trying to get a hold of herself.
"Ugh, you're worse than Miroku." Kagome said looking away from him, while crossing her arms over her chest, making Sesshoumaru smirk.
She really hated how he knew exactly what buttons to press. With Sesshoumaru it was almost like a rollercoaster, with her not knowing what he was going to do next.
"So do you have anything to do today?" she asked changing the subject and hopefully vanish the blush from her cheeks; she was almost certain that she resembled a ripe tomato by now.
He knew that she was trying to change the subject and for the moment he decided to amuse her. He ran a hand tiredly through his hair as his golden focused on the wall in front of him.
"I have a brief meeting with Sora and the other Lords. We're leaving tomorrow at dawn, so I have to take care of some things." He said letting out a sigh that clearly showed his tiredness.
She felt her spirits deflate. She was really hoping to spend some time with him, of course out of this room, because she was sure if she stayed even one more minute in this room, she was going to wreck the place.
She quickly plastered a smile on her face, hoping that he wouldn't see her disappointment. Yet Kagome was never one to be down. She quickly perked as she thought about spending the day with Sango, Mitsuko and even Kikyo.
Yeah, that was certainly strange, but things have been settled between them and she considered the priestess one of the group now and thus a friend, so she wouldn't mind hanging out with her.
"Oh, so I'm free to roam the castle?" she asked hopefully as she swallowed a piece of meat that he fed to her.
"Not alone." The inu youkai answered taking a sip from a cup on the tray.
He really didn't want Kagome to walk around alone, for some reason he instincts were telling him to not leave her by herself, but the meeting with Sora was important and he had to attend.
"And why not?" she asked clearly not satisfied with his answer.
He wondered sometimes if she would ever just follow his orders and not question him. As he looked into her challenging blue eyes, he came to the conclusion that no…she would always question him.
"I have my reasons." He said cryptically, enjoying the way her watched her purse her lips in indignation.
If only she knew how tempting her lips looked like that, he thought hungrily as his eyes unconsciously lowered to those inviting treats.
He berated himself for straying from his thoughts as he watched her narrow her eyes even further at him. He mentally prepared himself for a ear full, knowing very well that she would not appreciate being told what to do or in this case what not to do. Yet to his surprise she did something completely different.
"Oh, I get it you're jealous." Kagome answered grinning mischievously.
To say he was surprised, would be an understatement. She grinned satisfied at him, noticing the startled look in his eyes. She mentally did a victory dance.
Kagome 1, Sesshoumaru 0.
She quickly swallowed nervously though as his eyes gleamed at her. She tried hard not to fidget as a smirk appeared on his lips.
'Oh, oh…what have I gotten myself into?'
"And what if I am?" Sesshoumaru answered calmly, making Kagome blink owlishly at him.
He watched in satisfaction as her cheeks instantly reddened as she noted that he was indeed serious.
"Why would you be jealous?" She asked timidly, looking away from him.
Her blue eyes widened as he cupped her cheek and turned her face so that she was looking at him.
"You might not realize it, but many of the males here want you, Kagome. And this Sesshoumaru doesn't like this. You should know that inu youkai are very possessive." He said almost too seriously for her, but in a way she understood.
He observed with keen eyes as she tried to come up with something to say to him. Her eyes lowered to her hands which were now buried in the material of her yukata as she almost tore it to pieces as she nervously wrung her hands in it.
He leaned back a bit as her head snapped up and she gazed with sincere blue eyes at him. Her cheeks were once again flushed, but her eyes were what captivated him. They swirled with so many emotions, some of which he could decipher, while others that he didn't recognize, leaving him slightly breathless.
"You have nothing to be jealous about, Sesshoumaru." She whispered, her voice was soft and shy, as she tried to assure him, but for some reason what she said wasn't enough.
He wanted more…he wanted her to say that she belonged to only him, that she loved only him, that he shouldn't be jealous of others.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he nodded his head and let go of her face. He picked up the eating utensils.
She silently parted her lips as he continued feeding her. She didn't say anything else, even though she did want to say more, if only to reassure him further. She felt almost as if Sesshoumaru was angry at her and it pained her.
She tried to ignore the deafening silence around them as she mechanically chewed the food in her mouth. Her mind once again wondered to the possessiveness that the inu youkai had showed a few minutes prior.
She knew that inu youkai were possessive; the perfect example was Inuyasha, who although didn't want her as a mate, always fought with Kouga whenever he would call her his woman.
So she did understand Sesshoumaru's jealousy, but he should know that he didn't have anything to worry about. She loved only him. Furrowing her brows she felt her anger flare. Why were males always so stupid?
"Kagome, what is wrong?" Sesshoumaru asked lowering the chopsticks.
She surprised him by whirling around and kissing him. He was taken back at first, but quickly reacted to her. He burrowed on hand in her hair, angling her face so that he could deepen the kiss even further. She gasped, but he swallowed the sound as he only deepened the kiss.
The food lay forgotten on the ground as the tray fell on the floor, neither cared at the moment. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. She moaned as he graced her lower-lip with his fangs, only to lick it afterwards, sending ripples of pleasure through her body.
She was mentally berating herself for her impulsive actions, but her mother always said that actions spoke louder than words, she thought amusedly.
Her mind went blank though as she felt Sesshoumaru run the tips of his claws along her bare thigh, which she didn't even realize that had come exposed as the yukata slid open a bit.
She had to bit back a moan as the goosebumps broke on the surface of her whole body. She would have scowled if she could as she felt the Demon Lord smirk against her lips. He was quite aware of what he was doing to her and the thought made her silently fume. She forgot all about it though as he ran his tongue along her teeth, making her gasp.
Yet the moment was broken as she felt Sesshoumaru part her yukata and cup one of her breasts. She instantly jerked away, almost falling out of his arms. He opened his golden eyes to see her watching him almost scared and he cursed himself for letting his desire for her take hold of him.
"Forgive me." He whispered, trying to keep his desire in check as he willed himself to calm down.
She looked away once again, not sure how to react. She felt slightly ashamed for reacting the way she did.
"It's okay." She muttered slowly extracting herself from him and standing up.
She blushed as she noticed that her yukata was still slightly open. She quickly tight it and turned to pick up the tray of food that had fallen on the floor. She did not know how to face the Demon Lord at the moment.
It wasn't like she didn't like his touches, but he had taken her off guard. She could handle him kissing her, but touching like that kind of went a little far for her, not like she didn't like it. His hand had felt good on her, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for things to go further. She bit her lower lip as she heard him stand up out of bed, but she didn't turn to gaze at him, afraid of seeing anger in his eyes for rejecting him.
She almost jumped as she felt him kneel behind her and gather her in his arms. She tensed, not knowing what he was planning, but quickly relaxed as he nuzzled her neck.
"Forgive this Sesshoumaru for taking such liberties with your person."
"I will not force myself on you, but keep in mind that my body does yearn for yours." She bit her lips as she felt something poking her back and she could only assume what it was. Her cheeks instantly reddened, but before she could reply, he had already let go of her and stood up.
He didn't say anything else, as he opened the door and left, leaving a very confused and embarrassed Kagome behind.
Kagome didn't know what to say or do. She knew that Sesshoumaru was blunt, but never this blunt. His words had been spoken true and she found herself blushing even more. She knew that Sesshoumaru liked her; otherwise he wouldn't be kissing her like he did, but to feel his obvious signs of desire for her, put things in a whole other light.
'Kagome, why do these things always happen to you?'
Shaking her head, she stood up, intend on forgetting what had just happened. She was an adult for God's sake, so she needed to act like one. It was normal for two adults like them to feel sexual attraction towards one another. It was normal. Sesshoumaru was a red blooded male and it was just typical, it shouldn't bother her.
So, why oh why was she blushing again?
Letting out a frustrated growl, she stood up, completely forgetting about the tray on the floor. The servants would pick it up later, right now, she needed to take a bath and hopefully have a talk with Sango. Yes, a talk with Sango would clear things up; maybe she could even offer her some advice.
With that firm resolution she walked out of the door, head held high and shoulders squared.
After Kagome's persuasion or more like Kagome knocking loudly on Sango's bedroom door until she finally woke up, she managed to convince the female to join her for an early morning bath.
The Dark Light was secretly glad that Mitsuko wasn't there, because she seriously didn't know how she would explain the matters regarding Sesshoumaru and her in front of her younger sister.
And besides she really didn't want to corrupt her sister's mind any further. She was certain that the image of Sesshoumaru and her kissing was enough to permanently scar the poor girl.
Jaken's screams must have also helped with waking Sango up. Just before heading to the Sango's room, Kagome had decided to make a little detour. Sneaking into Jaken's room, she pounced on the toad youkai and effectively tied him up with one of the blankets in the room, before dragging him out of the door.
Satisfied with her work, she had grinned mischievously, before making her way to Sango's room.
Of course the toad didn't stay silent and screamed and cursed, but she quickly took care of that, by using another piece of blanket and gagging him. With that done, she proceeded to Sango's room, with Jaken's muffled screams accompanying him.
Once there Kagome almost knocked the door down with her fist. Sango had thrown the door open, expecting some kind of attack. The Dark Light had smiled happily at her and asked her to join her for a bath, resulting that Sango glared heatedly at her. Surprisingly enough after much begging and pouting she complied with her wishes.
After threatening Jaken with extreme bodily harm, the toad youkai finally accepted to look after the two children, who were still asleep. Having her way, Kagome sent Jaken a bright smile, before turning to the other female. Sango sent her the glare from hell, which Kagome promptly ignored as she skipped happily towards her destination.
On the way to the hot springs they had spotted some youkai guards who had glared at Sango and promptly informed Kagome that a human wasn't allowed to bathe in the hot springs in fear of tainting the waters with their human filth.
Of course Kagome had glared heatedly at them and threatened to purify them if they dared to disturb their bath, making the guards quickly scurry away. Content with their reaction, she had dragged Sango to the hot springs.
So here they were now, both soaking in the luxurious warm waters of the hot springs.
"Ahhh, this is life." Kagome muttered leaning against a rock.
She could already feel the hot water soothing all of her aching muscles and relieving the stress from her body. Sango, who sat across from her let out a pleased sigh, as she secured her hair above her head.
"So, Sango, can I talk to you about something?" Kagome asked opening one eye to gaze at the slayer.
The slayer, who had just finished tying up her hair, nodded her head, while she leaned against the rock behind her.
"Of course, Kagome. What's on your mind?" Sango said, perking up.
It's been quite a while since they've had what Kagome liked to call 'girl talk' and Sango was curious to know what was on her friend's mind, especially now that she had Sesshoumaru. Sango didn't tell her friend anything, but she was very curious about the relationship between the two. It was personally hard to picture the two together. Kagome was…well…Kagome, sweet, cheerful, lively, lovable, Kagome and Sesshoumaru was…Sesshoumaru, cold, uncaring.
"Well, it's kind of difficult to tell you this and not to mention embarrassing…" Kagome said making circles in the water with her hand as she tried hard not to blush once again as she recalled exactly what had happened.
Sango observed the strange behavior with interest and she couldn't stop the Miroku like grin from appearing on her lips.
"Does it have something to do with Sesshoumaru?" She asked curious and eagerly. She was finally getting somewhere.
She was female after all and females always loved gossip especially if it happened to be about a certain Demon Lord that she was still trying to decipher and see if he was good enough for her friend.
"What?" Kagome coughed as she swallowed some water, earning an amused look from Sango.
'How the hell does she know? Am I that predictable?'
Kagome shook her head as she tried to banish those stupid thoughts from her head.
"Ummm…yeah it's about him." She answered meekly, not meeting Sango's eyes.
"So…go on…" Kagome rolled her eyes at Sango's enthusiasm.
She was seriously thinking about not telling her this.
"Hmmmm…look we were kissing and stuff when he…." Kagome could feel her cheeks heating up once again and it had nothing to do with the warm water she was sitting in.
"He what?"
"Ummm…well he told me that he wouldn't force himself on me, but that I should know that his body craved mine." Kagome muttered quickly, wanting to bury herself under the water, so that she could escape Sango's gaze.
Okay, so she gave her the short version, but there was no way in seven hells, she was going to tell her about Sesshoumaru 'poking' her.
"That's quite normal." Sango answered calmly, making Kagome blink at her.
"He's a demon. Demons are far more sexual creatures than humans, well except Miroku of course. He on the other hand is a plain pervert, but we're not talking about Miroku. Sesshoumaru is only being himself and following his instincts."
Sango almost sighed as she noticed Kagome's confused expression, she knew that Kagome was holding back some more information from her, but she respected her privacy…for now.
"It would be typical for him to crave your body, being what he is. And if I'm correct you feel the same way about him, especially with you being half kitsune youkai. Though I'm surprised at his control; other demons would have probably not cared about your opinion or feelings and would have forced themselves on you. It really shows how much control he really has and how much he really cares about you."
"Oh." Kagome whispered, mulling over Sango's words.
"Look, Kagome, just keep in mind that his instincts by now are probably telling him to mate and possibly claim you as his own. You're surrounded by males, unmated, virile males, which I might add seem quite interested in you. He sees them as a threat and wants nothing more than to claim you as his, to secure what he considers his."
"I see." Kagome whispered, not knowing exactly what to say.
"I know it seems difficult and things might be moving too fast for you, but that's just the way demons are. You should be grateful that he is actually willing to wait for your consent, before going any further. I might not know Sesshoumaru's age, but I'm sure that he's not looking for a bed warmer, he's looking for a mate and you're his choice, Kagome…even if you don't believe it." Sango said laying a hand on Kagome's shoulder, hoping to soothe the girl.
She couldn't fathom how it was for her friend. Kagome had always thought herself to be human and for her to be suddenly turned into something else, was more than difficult. Being half kitsune youkai was not easy, kitsunes always followed their desires. Kagome would only have more and more trouble controlling those desires the more she tried to deny them.
She knew that the girl would be scared of the way her body reacted to the demon Lord, but she needed to understand it was only natural. It would take time for her to get used to, her new self. Hopefully Sesshoumaru would help her with it.
Sango wasn't stupid, she had been observing the demon lord some time and she had noticed every little detail and everything that she had told Kagome was true. She still didn't understand the Demon Lord completely, but she was completely certain that Sesshoumaru did want Kagome as mate and he was only waiting on her approval.
Kagome might not know it yet, but since the day she came under Sesshoumaru's protection, he had unconsciously branded her as his. Powerful demons like Sesshoumaru only protected those that were some way or another important to them.
She cast her brown eyes; Kagome still had a lot to learn. It would be difficult, but Sango had faith that she could do this. Kagome had always surpassed every adversary that came her way. She just needed to grow into her skin a little more and embrace her true self.
"Sango, I'm afraid." Kagome whispered softly, raising large blue to gaze at the older woman.
"I know Kagome, I know." Sango said softly, not knowing exactly what to say.
There wasn't anything that she could do to help her; it was up to her alone. Yet she promised that no matter what she would be there for her friend.
Mitsuko stood quietly leaning against a tree with her arms crossed as she watched the soldiers spar. She had woken up early, unable to sleep anymore. After taking a bath, she had decided to take a morning stroll; consequently she had run into the soldiers and decided to stop and watch them.
By now the sun was high in the sky and the castle was already in uproar, with servants running around, trying to do their chores. She was glad that she managed to escape the chaos and was safely now outside.
She had always loved to see people sparring. It kept her skills sharp, seeing that she got to see many types of different fighting techniques. Her silver eyes took everything in, from the stance to the movements of each and every soldier. Her two guardians stood on each side of her, making sure that the soldiers kept their distance.
Many of the soldiers had shot her some very interesting looks and there had been many that had wanted to approach her, but had thought otherwise when Onyx and Amethyst had growled threateningly at them. She unconsciously scratched Onyx behind his ears, making the fox growl happily, while she gazed at the spars.
Youkai were certainly more vicious than angels when it came to sparring. The friendly fights often escalated into something more as blood was drawn. Blood seemed to bring the inner beast, causing the otherwise friendly fights to turn more violent and sometimes even deadly if not stopped soon. Fortunately all of the fights had been stopped just before things could get out of hand.
The more she observed them, the more intrigued she became. It was clear that each species of youkai had certain abilities. The neko, tiger and leopard youkai for example depended a lot on their agility, while the bear, horse and boar youkai used mostly brute strength. Ookami, inu and kitsunes preferred their speed.
Even though all of them fought differently, she had to say that they were great fighters and could prove a worthy challenge to anyone even her. It made her wonder who these fighters really were, if maybe they belonged to a special division or something.
They were certainly not the guards that Kagome and she had fought before; those had been rather easy to deal with. These warriors on the other hand were much more skilled and she had only until now seen them in hand to hand combat, she wondered if maybe they were even more skilled with their weapons of choice.
She could see that their training was vigorous, but all of the looked eager enough to learn and sharpen their skills.
Without wanting to, her mind strayed to her days spent in the Heavens, training with the Celestial Wings. A small smile appeared on her lips. Training and learning to fight hadn't been the easiest of things, but it was well worth it. She missed her four teachers, Yukito, Tomeo, Hiroshi and…Tsubasa.
Her silver eyes flew to the blue sky, studying the white fluffy clouds, her mind wandering back to a time when she was only a little girl and she sat gazing at the clouds with an older boy with snow white hair, dark sun kissed skin and sky blue eyes.
Those had been the happiest day of her lives and she cherished those happy memories.
She shook her head, hoping to expel those feelings. She had grown up and so had the boy. She became the White Light and he became the captain of the Celestial Wings and right now they were a world apart.
Soft footsteps alerted her of a new presence. She had barely any time to turn around, before a small form barreled into her, she easily managed to capture herself and her 'attacker', thus avoiding a painful fall.
She looked down to see a very happy young bat hanyou smiling at her. Her amethyst colored eyes sparkled happily as she stared at the White Light with happiness clearly shining in her beautiful orbs.
"Hello, Shiori." Mitsuko said smiling warmly at the child, her eyes shifted on the flower that she had given to her, which was carefully tucked behind her ear. She was glad that the hanyou had loved her present.
"Hi, lady Mitsuko." She whispered shyly as she let go of Mitsuko.
The White Light watched in amusement as Shiori carefully straightened out the imaginary wrinkles in her kimono.
The little hanyou turned curious eyes to the two foxes next to Mitsuko. She could clearly see the inquisitiveness shining in her beautiful eyes. The hanyou jumped when Onyx stood up. She quickly hid behind the White Light, making her smile softly.
"These are Onyx and Amethyst. They're my guardians. " Mitsuko said motioning to the two guardians.
Shiori stared inquiringly at the foxes as she peeked from behind Mitsuko at the two strange creatures. Mitsuko could understand the child's hesitation; she could still recall the first time Onyx and Amethyst had appeared in front of her. She had been only a child back then and she had been scared, even though the two foxes were extremely beautiful creatures, they were still rather imposing and slight dangerous looking, especially with that sharp horn in the middle of their forehead. She motioned for her two guardians to come forward, hoping to be able to placate the fear which emanated from the hanyou.
Both Onyx and Amethyst came forward, making Shiori clutch Mitsuko's clothes even harder. Mitsuko frowned as she detected the scent of her fear getting stronger.
"They won't hurt you." She whispered soothingly as she gently unclasped the hanyou from her body and pushed her forward.
Shiori was clearly not expecting this and quickly turned around to launch at Mitsuko, but she shook her head and pointed towards Onyx and Amethyst who were gazing inquisitively at the little girl.
The White Light could clearly see the excitement in their eyes as well. She knew that both loved children and liked to spend time playing with them.
Shiori seemed to be battling with herself as she stood there gazing at the two foxes. Finally she made the first move and slowly stepped towards the two creatures. She was still slightly uncertain by the way she chewed her thumb, but fortunately she didn't stop and continued until she was only a breath away from the foxes. With trembling fingers she reached for the white fox.
Onyx sensing her fear, slowly lowered his head and let the young child pet his head. Getting a bit bolder, the little girl raised her other hand and began rubbing the fox's ear. She giggled as a soft rumble left the creature's chest.
"He's purring." The little hanyou giggled happily.
"Yes, he is. He loves the attention." Mitsuko said smiling softly, her mind wondering to when she had been just a child and had practically glued herself to her guardians.
Shiori giggled as Amethyst made herself known by nudging her stomach with her snout. Apparently she didn't like to be ignored and Shiori quickly complied her silent demands by petting her snout. Mitsuko smiled softly at the scene in front of her. Shiori looked happy as she giggled with all the attention she was receiving.
At first glance anyone would be intimidated by Amethyst and Onxy, but once you got to know, you would realize how friendly they rally were. Yet that didn't mean that they weren't dangerous, they were extremely protective of her and would even kill to protect her.
She shivered as she recalled that one time, she had snuck out of the heavens and had been attacked by a demon, if it hadn't been for them, she would have surely been killed. Her two guardians had no mercy whatsoever for the demon as they killed him. She knew that they were only protecting her, but it had scared her, how feral they had looked in that one moment.
She shook her head as she rested her gaze once again on Shiori. She looked so small compared to her guardians. It almost made her laugh as Amethyst pushed her a little to hard, causing the hanyou to fell flat on her behind.
"You sure have a way with children." A soft voice said cutting her off her thoughts.
She looked up, her silver eyes locking with calm violet eyes. The Lord of the Northern Lands smiled warmly at her as he slowly made his way to them.
His long violet hair was held in the usual ponytail, while he wore a simple black hakama and dark blue gi that had some kind of intricate flower designs decorating the left shoulders. Her eyes fell to the sword at his side, tucked safely in the sash.
"My Lord." The White Light said softly bowing her head as he stood in front of her.
"No need for such formalities." Tsukyoumaru said as she straightened back up.
"Father!" Shiori yelled noticing the bat youkai there.
The little hanyou forgot about the foxes for a moment as she turned around and ran towards the bat youkai. With a gleeful leap she threw herself at him hugging the Lord tightly.
Mitsuko was surprised at first, but the more she stared at them, the more she realized that they were indeed father and daughter. She looked silently at them as Shiori animatedly told him about the two foxes. He smiled fondly at his daughter, making Mitsuko smile. It was clear that he loved the little girl a lot.
She was caught off guard as the Lord looked up and found her staring. She blushed and quickly looked away. There was just something about his eyes, she thought confusedly. She tensed a bit as she felt him come to stand next to her, while Shiori went back to playing with the foxes. They stood there in companionable silence, while they watched the girl play around.
"She looks so happy. Happier than I have seen her in long time." Tsukyoumaru said breaking the silence.
"Yes, she does look happy." Mitsuko admonished, even though she still didn't know how to act around this mysterious Lord.
She had studied all of the members of the youkai council and had been able to discern each of them, but for some unknown reason she was still ignorant about the bat youkai. He simply put it, he was a mystery.
"You have my gratitude." The Lord of the Northern Lands said bowing his head, shocking Mitsuko with his behavior.
"For what?" she asked confusedly; she certainly didn't remember anything that she had done for him that he needed to thank her for.
She watched in awe as his lips twitched in a gentle smile, while his eyes shone with pleasure.
"I'm sure you have detected by now that she's a hanyou." Mitsuko nodded her head, even though she wasn't quite sure where he was going with this.
"Her mother is human, I presume." The White Light said softly.
Her keen eyes watched as his eyes softened as he heard her words. She didn't ask anymore as he stayed silent, after what seemed a long time, he spoke again. His voice was soft, melancholic, yet at the same time it held such emotion and warmth that she felt herself relax in his company.
"Yes, I met her mother during a trip to one of the neighboring villages in my kingdom. Even though, she was human, she was special in my eyes. She was beautiful and kindhearted, but with quite a temper." He chuckled softly at his own thoughts as he recalled the only woman who had dared to stand up to him.
He was a youkai and she was supposed to be afraid of him, but she never was. She had treated him like she had treated everyone else. He could still recall the first time he had met her. The memories so vivid to him, that he sometimes wondered how long it had really been.
"I instantly fell in love with her. We courted for a while, before I decided to make her as my mate. It wasn't easy at first, seeing that most youkai looked down at humans, while humans were afraid of youkai. Still, that didn't stop us." He said smiling fondly as he recalled the precious years he spent with his mate.
"What happened to her?" Mitsuko asked softly, mentally cursing her nosiness as she watched his face darken in what she assumed was sorrow.
"She died giving birth to Shiori." He answered softly.
She instantly regretted asking that question. She felt poignant for him as she noticed the woe in his eyes. This was the sadness he carried within him that she had noticed from the beginning. This was the secret that his eyes held.
She had never before comforted someone, so she felt so powerless at the moment while she watched the different emotions flitting through his eyes. She could see that even though it might have been a long time that his mate passed away, he still carried the sorrow deep within him. A part of her was touched that now even after she was dead, he still loved her.
"Most in this city detest and look down on a hanyou like Shiori. Believe me, when I say that she hasn't had the best of life so far. Most of the youkai children in the city won't play with her because of the human blood that runs in her veins. Some have even gone so far to call her names and beat her up." He said in the same calm face, making her wonder if he could angry at all.
The slight spike in his youki let her know that he was indeed livid. His normal violet eyes darkened considerably. She was taken back as he turned to stare at her.
"Do you understand now, why I'm grateful to you? You've treated her like your equal and you've somehow managed to make her laugh; something that she hasn't done in a very long time." He said sincerely, causing the White Light to smile softly.
She looked away, her gaze landing on Shiori, who was now on Amethyst's back and playing with the fox's wings. She looked truly happy and she felt proud that she might have been the cause of that, even though to her it was unlikely. She hadn't done anything special after all.
"You have nothing to be grateful to me. I just treated her like I would treat everyone else. I find it utterly foolish to discriminate between the species. We all feel pain, we all bleed the same." She answered softly, her voice barely a whisper to his sensitive youkai ears.
"Yet I must confess that there was a time when I was rather imprudent myself." She said quietly, her eyes clearly showing her sadness.
She recalled how she almost killed her own sister, just because she was different and carried demon blood. She still felt quite ashamed and guilty about the whole ordeal. Now that she found herself between youkai she came to see that they weren't just mindless beasts.
No, they felt pain, sorrow and even love. She might still be wary of them and she knew very well she would need some time to get used to them, but she swore that she wouldn't be so prejudice anymore, in addition youkai blood runs through her veins as well. She couldn't just shun her own heritage.
She slowly brushed her thoughts aside as she felt her mood dampen. It would not do any good to dwell over such useless thoughts. The past was the past and nothing could be change. The only thing she could do was try to correct her past mistakes.
She smiled indulgently as the wind blew around her. The breeze ruffled her blue hair as she closed her eyes and inhaled. The breath of fresh air lightened her spirit a bit. In the castle she felt restricted, caged and almost suffocated to some degree. She hadn't figured out what it was at first, but the more time she spent outside, the more she realized that she was a creature that needed to be outdoors, her connection with the elements urged her to be surrounded by the beauties that Gaia, mother Earth had to offer. She opened her eyes, a small smile tilted her lips as she raised her eyes to gaze at the blue sky.
Meanwhile Tsukyoumaru was curious to know what she meant, but he respected her privacy. He took the time to look at her. His eyes took in a small lithe, but toned frame, her beautiful face, her long hair and her wings. She had to be one of the most beautiful females that he had ever seen. Her physical beauty was appealing, but what drew him to her was the innocence that radiated from within her.
She was one of the few uncorrupted souls, something that was very rare to find in this time. Many were exposed to the harsh reality of life at a very young age, stripping them of their innocence.
He prayed and hoped that she wouldn't become tainted by the evils of the world, but deep down he knew that it would be impossible. In the end she was going to be fighting Naraku and the spider hanyou could strip anyone of their innocence with his evil and malice.
He held back a growl that wanted to escape his lips. Naraku was the purest evil that he had ever come in contact with. The hanyou had no honor, mercy or heart. He took pleasure in slaughtering and manipulating humans, youkai and hanyou alike.
And it was for this reason why the hanyou needed to be killed soon. Not only was he growing in power, but the rest of them were growing weaker. Too many of their villages and forces have been demolished by Naraku's forces.
And yet they couldn't find a pattern in his plans. It was almost as if he randomly chose to attack a village or an army. The bat youkai knew better though. Naraku was clever and kept all of his moves random; it was unsystematic to them at least. Tsukyoumaru knew that he had a reason behind all of his attacks. They just hadn't figured out the reasons yet.
This time he did let out a frustrated growl, startling the White Light next to him. Mitsuko turned to gaze inquisitively at him. He ignored her though as he concentrated on his thoughts.
The next question was where Natsuko fitted in all of this? Sesshoumaru had informed them about Naraku saving Natsuko. And this little piece of information bothered him. Natsuko wasn't weak, she was strong and powerful in her own right, but still that wouldn't motivate Naraku to save her. No, the hanyou had to have ulterior motives, all of which Natsuko was probably oblivious to. The butterfly youkai was walking right into a trap without knowing it.
He was momentarily distracted from his thoughts by a gentle touch on his arm. He turned his head and was met with concerned silver eyes. He followed her hands to his arm. Her small hands were gently laid on his lower-arm.
"What ails you my Lord?" She asked softly, not sure if it was proper to question him, but the need to overrode her doubt.
She had felt his aura spike with anger and it had scared her, making her wonder if she had done anything to offend him. Her fear was quickly pushed away when she felt his aura dim and fill with hopelessness and despair. She instinctively reached for him, not caring or thinking of the consequences.
At the moment, she watched as he followed her hands to his arm. She realized with great embarrassment that she was actually touching him. Her cheeks heated up and she quickly took her hand away. She turned her face away from him, not sure that she wanted to face him at the moment. She couldn't believe that she touched him so casually, he was a Lord and therefore she wasn't allowed to touch him, he deserved her respect.
"Don't fret yourself about me." He said, even though for some reason he missed her touch.
He watched in interest as her snow- white cheeks darkened in color once again. He couldn't stop himself from smiling. The color in her cheeks darkened even more, resembling ripe cherries.
It was so refreshing to see such innocence. She didn't look at him, clearly embarrassed and yet she did her best to hide her discomfort. He found this rather amusing.
He unconsciously rubbed his arm on the spot where her hands had been a few minutes prior. Her touch had felt almost feather-like in quality. He had sensed the warmth and concern in her touch.
"I apologize if I intruded in your thoughts." She said softly, her voice barely a whisper.
"You weren't intruding. I just didn't want to bother you with my thoughts." He answered, although he was quite surprise that she would apologize, for something so simple.
From what he had observed of her, she was a very proud creature; she wouldn't just apologize that easily. Even Sesshoumaru held some problem with her. Sesshoumaru had told him that she was a very reserved and willful creature. One would need to have caution with her…still here she was apologizing to him.
She didn't know what possessed her to say such a thing. She blamed it for the fact that she felt at ease with the Demon Lord of the Northern Lands. She shivered as his soft voice drifted to her. His voice was comforting. It reminded her of warm summer nights with clear skies with a soft gentle breeze. Without knowing it she spoke once again.
"You would not trouble me with your thoughts. Maybe I can even be of some assistance if you told me." He was clearly taken back by her words, but hid it quickly behind a small polite smile.
He considered her words and decided that there would be no harm in confiding in the young female. From little he had observed so far, she was intelligent and easy to talk to. Who knows, she might even be able to give him some guidance.
"I was thinking about Naraku. He's becoming a real nuisance. He's turning out to be stronger and stronger. He's killed so many already and still we haven't been able to even find his fortress. In fact we have accomplished nothing at all." Tsukyoumaru said truthfully, his voice taking a very cold tone.
She stayed quiet for a moment, clearly contemplating what he said. He took the time to observe her once again. She was young, but her eyes…they held such wisdom that could only be acquired with age.
"I wouldn't say we haven't accomplished anything. Just think about yesterday. Naraku would have gladly destroyed this whole city and killed all of the inhabitants, but we managed to stop him. I know it's not much compared to all of the destruction that he has caused in these few years, but it is still something."
She knew that others would consider her view immature, but she firmly believed in it.
"Each life is precious and each life we save, gives us the strength and hope that we need to continue. I admire my sister and her friends for not giving up. I respect them for waking up each day and hoping that this would be day that they would defeat Naraku. I'm not sure if I would have the determination like them." She said clearly proud of her sister.
He stayed quiet and contemplated her words. He could understand her point of view, but he couldn't relate to it. To him too many lives had been lost already and nothing would be able to bring them back. Unlike her, he saw the world for what it was.
"Shiori, it's time for your morning lessons." He said cutting his current train of thoughts.
A pout crossed the little hanyou's lips as she turned to gaze at her father. It was clear that she didn't want to leave, but she wouldn't disobey. Onyx and Amethyst let out soft whimpers of disappointed as the child petted their heads and bid them goodbye. After that she quickly rushed towards her father, but not before giving Mitsuko a big hug, which the White Light happily returned.
Her father picked her up in his arms as soon as she stood in front of him. She giggled as he nuzzled her neck, making her giggle even more. Mitsuko watched the display with obvious interest; she didn't see too many youkai display such blatant show of affection. It was endearing to see how much he cared about his daughter. She quickly looked away though when he looked at her.
"We'll see you at dinner." Tsukyoumaru said gently, delighting in the way she smiled softly at him.
"Yes, I'll see you two there." She answered calmly.
He smiled once again, before turning around and walking away. She stood there rooted to the spot, staring at his retreating back. Shiori waved and she instinctively waved back. She didn't stop herself from smiling gently as he turned to look at her.
She didn't know what exactly transpired between them, but for once the sadness around the bat youkai had dimmed and that thought made her happy. With a smile on her face, she turned and walked in the opposite way. The enigmatic Lord was suddenly not so enigmatic anymore and that for some reason lightened her spirits.
Ciro watched her from afar as she talked and greeted the servants. She was unique to say the least, with her friendly persona and charming demeanor. She could fight and she could keep up in a battle, but she wasn't a warrior at her heart, all of this he concluded by observing her.
No, she was too gentle to be a warrior and yet she had quite a personality. Unlike most females, she wasn't demure or soft spoken; no…she commanded respect and had no qualms about speaking back to whoever deserved it in her opinion.
And yet she had a very soft spot for children. He had seen the way she interacted with the human child and the kitsune pup; she radiated so much maternal instinct. He was sure if anyone dared to lay a hand on those pups that she would not hesitate to strike them just like any demoness would.
His bright colored eyes took in her friendly smile that she bestowed on the servants. He scoffed at her; didn't she know that she was above them? Normally noble born females like her would never speak, let alone smile at human servants, they were beneath them and therefore unworthy to be talked to.
Still here she was interacting freely with them, it was just plain preposterous. Without even realizing it, he made his way towards her, intend on giving her an earful.
Kagome was speaking happily to one of the servants when she saw the servant tense, the young girl's eyes went wide, while she paled. Subsequently Kagome sensed the youki, whirling around, she quickly spun around and was met with piercing golden eyes with flecks of red, orange and amber; it felt almost like looking in a burning flame.
She traced the face which those intriguing eyes belonged to. Unruly red bangs hid those mysterious eyes a bit, giving the owner a very sexy and dangerous look. His lips were set in a thin line as he gazed at her.
"Lord Ciro." She managed to squeak out, not sure how to address him.
Just like Sesshoumaru, Ciro managed to be quite intimidating, with his piercing eyes, aristocratic features and flame colored hair. Although unlike his cousin, he was much easier to read.
At the moment he seemed quite disturbed about something; making her wonder if she might have done something wrong. She raised an eyebrow at him as he coldly dismissed the servant. The poor girl quickly bowed her head, before scurrying away; it made her wonder what kind of treatment those poor humans were used to.
She suddenly found herself quite uncomfortable; here she was all alone in a hallway with the youkai staring strangely at her. Both Sesshoumaru and Sango's words rang in her mind, reminding her that apparently some of these males were attracted to her. She wasn't sure if Ciro was one of them though.
She blushed as she raised her face to be met with his piercing eyes. She gasped as he surprised her by slamming both of his hands on both sides of her face and trapping her against the wall. Her heart was now beating rapidly in her throat as she stared confusedly at him, her blue eyes showing her puzzlement.
"Lord Ciro." She whispered, her voice coming barely above a whisper.
She wasn't sure what he was planning and it frightened her. She instinctively gathered some purifying power in her hands, just in case she needed to use it against the youkai that was looming over her.
She distinctively realized that he was really warm, she could feel his body warmth surrounding her and warming her up; she concluded that this was due to the fact that he was a fire youkai. She mentally pictured him being a walking fireplace. The thought almost made her giggle.
Every sign of mirth was wiped away though by his next statement. She narrowed her eyes at him, her temper flaring.
"Tell me Dark Light, why do you speak with the lowly servants? Do you not see that you're above them?" He asked softly, his breath fanning over her face.
"Listen here, I will talk to whoever I desire and secondly those servants are no less than you and me." She snapped, shocking him, but he quickly composed himself and growled threateningly at her.
The bitch had dared to insult him, he thought vehemently.
She surprised him once again, by growling back at him. Instead of getting him angry it seemed to arouse him; any thought of further berating her, was replaced by more important business in his opinion. He was after all alone with her; he wasn't sure when such an opportunity would arise once again.
He smirked as he leaned closer to her. She impulsively tried to back away from him, but found herself trapped, the wall behind her reminding her that she was indeed cornered with a youkai that was staring at her like she was a piece of meat ready to be devoured.
She was taken back as he raised his hand and gently caressed her cheek, making shivers go down her spine. Her blue eyes widened in shock; she didn't really understand what was going on. She absentmindedly noticed that he was undeniably very warm; his fingers left tiny trails of warmth on her skin that send sparks through her whole body.
She caught herself just in time and stopped herself from leaning into his touch that had become suddenly so tempting. She raised large eyes to gaze at him, but found it a mistake as her eyes met his. She was unable to look away, while he held her gaze. She could clearly see desire in them and it made her blush.
"Tell me Dark Light, do you love my cousin?" Ciro asked leaning into her and nuzzling her neck.
She tensed as she bit her lips. This was wrong, very wrong. She was in love with Sesshoumaru. She wanted to pull away, but she was unable as her body refused to obey her. She knew very well that the kitsune blood in her might be responsible for the way her body was reacting to the inu youkai.
Kitsunes were very seductive and sexual creatures, enjoying the sweet carnal pleasures Sango had told her, so it was only natural for her to react to Ciro. The inu youkai was gorgeous and powerful, two things that appealed to her kitsune nature.
"I asked you a question, so I'm hoping for an answer." The Lord of the Eastern Lands whispered in her ear, making her shiver.
"Yes." She managed to squeak out as he kissed her neck.
She was indeed in love with Sesshoumaru, but her body was reacting to his cousin for kami's sake. She felt awful at the moment, almost as if she was betraying Sesshoumaru. She was brought out of her musings by Ciro's husky voice.
"Than why do you desire me? Are you really such a bitch in heat?" he asked tauntingly.
That of course was the last straw. The lord of the Eastern Lands didn't even know what hit him as he found himself blasted into the wall behind him. He landed in a heap on the floor, but before he could stand up he found his way blocked by Kagome who knelt in front of him, so that they were eyelevel with one another. Just like he had done a few minutes prior, she braced one hand on each side of his face, effectively trapping him.
He growled menacingly as she leaned toward him with blue eyes gleaming dangerously, expecting her to attack him. So he was quite surprised as he felt her breath fan across his sensitive ear as she whispered to him. He couldn't stop the groan that left his lips. Her scent wrapped around him, enticing him.
"My name is Kagome, not bitch, wench or any other degrading name that you can come up with puppy." She smirked, hearing the angry growl that left his lips at being referred to as a puppy.
She knew that she wasn't supposed to do this, but her kitsune nature decided to resurface at the moment and was enjoying taunting the youkai, who had obviously underestimated her.
She leaned even closer to him, pressing her chest against his chest. She felt him tense and she mentally congratulated herself. Leaning in a bit more, she made sure to 'accidentally' brush her lips against his ear as she spoke again.
"And no, I'm not a bitch in heat, like you so kindly pointed out. My heart belongs to your cousin. So the only youkai that will ever be allowed to touch me, to claim me is Sesshoumaru; next time keep your paws to yourself, little puppy." She whispered, her lips gently brushing over his ear, sending a tremor through the inu youkai.
She had obviously won this round as she felt the slight scent of arousal coming from the Lord. She calmly backed away and stood up, all the while smirking at the Lord of the Eastern Lands who was by now resembling his red hair, his face flushed. With a satisfied smirk on her face she turned around and walked way, leaving the flustered Lord behind.
He growled angrily, once she was out of hearing range. The vixen had dared to practically seduce him, only to leave him aching for her, not only that she made it very clear that she was Sesshoumaru's. He growled once again as he stood up, the pressure between his legs, letting him know how much she had affected him.
However he couldn't stop the smile from appearing on his face. She had kitsune blood in her and soon that kitsune blood would demand a mate when her heat hit her. And if Sesshoumaru didn't take her soon, her own instincts would drive her to choose a suitable mate. He knew that he was more than qualified, he was strong, powerful and a Lord at that. Who could resist him?
He could now understand what his cold cousin had seen in the little vixen. It was that damned unconquerable and challenging spirit of hers. He groaned as he took a step forward, the pressure between his legs making it difficult to move. Never in his life had a female been able to awaken such strong desire in him.
It would be very foolish of him to let her slip through his fingers. He knew that she had feelings for his cousin, but as long as she was unmarked, she was free game. One that he was planning to hunt; satisfied with his plan he began making the now painful trek to his chambers.
A cold shower was definitely needed.
TBC………………………………………………………………………………………...
A/N: Thanks to all the reviewers. I can't believe the fic reached 500 reviews. I can't thank you guys enough, knowing that many of you have stuck with me since the beginning of the story. Special thanks goes to my beta dog-demon-emiko. I hope that all the new chapters will be even better.
Oh and btw the name Ciro means Sun. Just so you know. No wonder he's such a hothead. grins
Thanks to all the reviewers: bluediamond-hime, SexySesshoumaru, Hikaritenshi2000 mizunosora, Flames of the Sun, Sakrua, SesshomarusLady-xx, Yanee Girl, YoukaiTenshi, InnocentDarkSassycat, Sesshoumaru's Miko, shadow-inu14, I.N.O.F, Sapphire Birthstone, SakiXX1, Kagome-chan, angel101, WhiteRose-Kurama, Nanami Hikari, kikyo AKA THE DEAD BITCH, Silent Kunoichi aka. Fiona McKinnon, Strawberrylover, sakuragurl101, Sesshomaru Hiei and Kurama addiction, lovepixie, Crazy Hyper Lady, Dark Ice Kitsune, MoonlightChaser, SK Lovers, kim, Golden-Eyed-Girl & ptbear.
Oh and before I forget within an hour another chapter will be posted. Yes, I promise.