THE TALE OF THE MAIDEN WHO CHANGED A HEART

The trees were chattering their leaves at the dancing wind. I remained silent and I shutted my eyes, just waiting to hear his perfect voice. I thought for a moment, and I realized that this was the first time I have talked to him so much, also it was the first time his arrogant, flawless face looked so concerned. If all his worries were about those three demons, I'll fight to help him to defeat them. I'll give my life for him . I don't want him to fight alone, to be alone. No more. He was my world now; everything I need and want. I opened my eyes at this thought. I stared at the Sacred Tree's roots for a moment. The Tree have been always my favorite place and now Sesshomaru was part of it. I smiled recognizing that the Sacred Tree was bonded to my life.

"Why so quiet?" I heard his nice voice in form of a whisper came from behind of me. Sesshomaru's tone dazzled me from my thoughts.

"I'm waiting for you," I whispered dully. "Besides, you told me that I was a noisy human." I scolded him. I heard a light sigh and I reacted. My eyes went to in search for his face.

I tried to eye him, but it was useless. He was so perfectly hidden in the other side of the tree and he was so quiet and thoughtful as always, but somehow it scared me. This was kind of weird, Sesshomaru telling me a tale? So creepy I must add, and about what?

"I shall start." He finally said, and I kept it lightly chuckled at my curious silence."Kagome, this story is true, and it is the answer for many questions that are stuck in your head." I wanted to laugh, he knew me so well. "So," he started again, "remain silent,please and hear carefully." I nodded to myself embracing my legs, he lightly cleared his throat.

"Long ago, there was Supreme Demon who conquered and owned the Western Lands. He had a son, and he taught him to hate mortals and look at them as nothing. One day..." He paused a little bit, and I supposed that this was hard for him, "...his Father fell in love with a mortal wench. The Great Dog Demon's son couldn't understand how his Father overthrew his own words in such a way. Then, time passed, and the wench gave birth to the product of their despicable 'love'. His Father died saving this mortal having a miserable death. A damned half demon who was also the cause of his pathetic killed him. This killed his joy,his pride." I nodded again knowing that all this was his story, his life, his pain. "His heart froze still, no beating, no time for such useless emotions and feelings that were the source of his Father's weakness. He buried his stone heart deep inside his chest...forever.

"Days, months, years even centuries passed; and the new Lord of the Western Lands looked for the path of Supreme Conquest as his goal for life. He killed every demon that dared to say he was stronger than him. In his quest, he figured out that his Father left 'The Sword of Earth', Tetsusaiga, in his grave. The Great Dog Demon proceeded using his hated half brother in order to get the sword. To his surprise, his half brother was awake from his stupid spell, and by his side was, and odd human wench which glance through him was different from any mortal he saw in the past. " I could feel a smile on his face when he remebered how we met, I blushed where I was waiting for him to continue. "The Lord Demon didn't realized earlier. but something moved inside him every time he looked at her...no fear, no weakness, no supremacy over her, no nothing....Making us equal. Just a sparkle of braveness in her dark eyes.

"Neither him or his weak brother could take off the Tetsusaiga. To his surprise the one that blew the sword off was...her. That rare human, the one that didn't feared him, the one that looked at him as if they were equal. What was her? How could she do something like that? Indeed this one was no ordinary human. A rare one. No. A special one".

My cheeks burned, I felt them going crimson red, I waited for him again and he sighed,

"For days, her face was on his mind, he wanted to destroy that worthless feeling. But he couldn't. Time passed and she was still there in his mind every time he shutted his eyes. For his demise, he found another reason to hate to death his brother: he had the maiden's heart." For him, it seemed that everything he considered important was for this half breed's sake, not his. From the day he knew the truth about the owner of the maiden's heart, he buried more his vulnerable heart", He stopped with such a frustation that I shutted my eyes. Little puppy moved a little and it patted my belly.

"Indeed, this 'love' thing is such a great, cruel feeling..." he said sadly, "...because her face, her beautiful face was always in his mind. Always there, the spaceial human..." I stood still. I couldn't believe what I was hearing I just was hoping that it wasn't a dream. "The Lord Demon didn't want to enface it, but he loved every time he remembered her or when the air blowed her sweet scent to his face, buring his soul in her scent.

"It angried him. He considered himself perfect and that feeling, so unstable, wasn't really the meaning of it. In fact it was painful. He could feel a burden on his chest every time he watched her caring for his half brother, or when her pink silk cheeks wept with tears just for him.

"Every night, he observed her, he was astute enough to surpass the half breed's weak sense of smell, and watch his maiden. Her face was the most fragile thing he have ever seen, he wanted to protect her, to bury his face in her chest and he entirely his. But no, he was strong enough for such a weak desire as that. He wasn't like his Father in that part, and he was glad.

"He started to depart form her, he wanted to stay away just to forget her.

But it was nonsense, only with thinking in her he could really feel this immortality of his. He could fell the love. A painful, cruel emotion that made him turn back. So he decided then to take her, far away, just for him to talk her about his entirely unexpected ,odd feelings for her. Sesshomaru sighed, a long one and remained silent. I waited, I knew the next part, I just didn't want to hear it.

"The day he went for her, the Youkai tree called for his presence urgently. And just there, the Youkai Tree told him about the three demons - The Gods of Hell- would escape from the spell the priestess Midoriko put on their souls when they found that the Demon Sucker -Naraku- will be going to be killed and then when he was completly dead they'll broke the spell. The Youkai Tree told him about them and what they wanted: the incarnation of good and evil, demonstrating the supreme spiritual and demonic power in Earth that centuries ago, the Lord's Father and this woman Midoriko were the incarnations and they fought together to put an end to it, and as always, they failed. He knew it then, now a new battle approached waiting for him. Knowing that he was the incarnation of evil, he did knew who was the 'good one' His maiden. And he'd never make her fight with him. Not even if that cost his life." My throat was suddenly dry and a sob was stuck, I tried to pull back the tears of my eyes not to let them weep my cheeks. I shut my eyes.

"Time passed and the grew sad, so sad, that he couldn't even touch knew that by going for her she could be target of the demons. One day he made his mind. He would leave his damned half brother take the glory when killing Naraku and choose the dead woman, he would take his beloved maiden and put her safe. Then he could die in peace." My voice made an odd sound...Sesshomaru my Sesshomaru...hot tears appeared in my eyes but I restraint them. I couldn't cry.

"Alas, the half breed chose the dead woman, and her vulnerable heart filled with hate, she ran away. He reached for her, she was everything he wanted. Everything. Then by talking with her for the first time, he fall in love completly. He knew he was persive enough to steal a kiss from her silken lips. And he did. He found that she felt something for him, his heart rejoiced. She didn't ran from him, she did trembled a little," I smiled and I could feel the smile on his tone. "but she was his all his, her lips were sweet as sugar and her skin so soft so...perfect, just as her beautiful scent. But then he just put her safe as he said." He paused a little, "he took her to the Bone Eater Well, and threw her inside, she struggled. She wanted to be with him, his heart reacted and he just managed to ask for her pardon , he kissed her warm forehead and gave her a necklace that belonged to his Mother in order to never let her forget him and with the other gift he gave her it was stupid to think about forget him, a child would be a part of him. Then he let her go. His heart collapsed. The Lord demon thought he wolud be never able to see her again, but at last, she was to be safe, for away form him."

I stood in shock.

"Three months passed and he just wandered around the place. She took his heart with her too. He wondered about the features of his child, or even the face of him. One day, three days to be exact, the sweet scent returned. This lovely scent of his beloved one. He wanted to go and take her into his arms, forever. To have her away from danger and have their son together. But he couldn't face it. He didn't wanted to see her angry face, her hate for him. But one day, exactly today he was brave enough, and went to her maiden's place apologize and explain everything. She told him that she hated him (just what he feared) and that she would never cry for him again." My eyes filled with tears and sobs broke my throat, he stood still.

He knew it.

He wanted me since the beginning.

He didn't lied.

"But apparently she failed, and this Lord Dog Demon just want to say: I love you, I do love you. I have never felt something like this before. Thank you. my dear Kagome."

Hot tears run through my face.

I stand up and run to the other side of the tree "Oh Sesshomaru!" My voice broke between cries, he caught me in the air into his arms and held me tight to his heart, I felt a kiss on my hair. I embraced him even harder.

"I love you!" I said.

"I love you too...even more." Sesshomaru said, holding me in his arms just making my little dream came true. And then, between tears, he kissed my lips.