Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha and co. I don't own any of the songs that I put into the story, except on cd's. But I do own Shiori, Miyu & Koshin Hakogami, Kil Kai-another snow demon from feudal times & Aisu-female snow demon from feudal times, they are all mine.
AN: " " is speaking, ' ' is thought
AN: Shiori is still in demon form, so she's walking with her wings.
And thanks to those that read & review, especially to Sesshomaru's Angel, thanks for your latest review and you know, I think you're right. I need to get a bit more going between Sess and Shiori. I appreciate it. I hate to read something that just drags and I sure as heck don't want to drag out my own works and lose my readers. And thanks to NefCanuck, I'm so glad that you liked my work and that I had you reading all 20 chapters in one night. :-) Hanalie, thanks for the awesome review. And I understand how the military is around the holidays, I'm a military spouse. Thanks again. Hope I keep you all interested in this story. The reviews mean a lot. Enjoy!!!
Now on with the show.
Glossary:
youkai-demon
inu-youkai-dog demon
ningen-human
ookami-wolf demon
osuwari-sit
aisu-ice
Chapter 20: Meeting Aisu & Dreaming Pleasant Dreams
Lord Kil Kai arrived back at the Western Palace and was met by the Lady Aisu. The Lady Aisu was no ordinary taiyoukai lady. She didn't wear pretty, fancy kimono's, nor did her hair in elaborate styles as was the norm for youkai ladies. She was not quiet nor shy, she was outspoken and very smart. She dressed as warrior youkai, complete with weapons. And despite this, she was still a beautiful taiyoukai. Yes, she is a taiyoukai for her clan, the Black Rose Clan. It was one of the few clans that allowed female heirs to rule and not have that power taken from them upon marriage.
And the Lady Aisu was a formidable warrior, very few could beat her. She was looking at Lord Kil Kai, her betrothed land on from steps and walk in. She had resented being forced into an arranged marriage when it first happened. Now, she realized that she had feelings for the Lord of the North, only he didn't know it. She knew he didn't return her feelings, so she didn't feel the need to tell him. She has been thinking of releasing him from the arrangement. Both no longer have anyone to hold them to it any longer.
Kil Kai felt someone watching him and turned to his left. He saw the Lady Aisu walking down the staircase. He noticed that there was a strange resemblance to the Lady Shiori. 'That can't be. How can these two women, who are strangers, bear any resemblance?' he asked himself. He put on a smile and greeted Aisu. "Good morning, Aisu, how have you been?"
She stopped at the bottom of the staircase. "Good morning, Kil Kai, I'm fine. I was just on my way to the dojo for my morning exercises."
"You always train, don't you just want to have fun?" he asked, smiling.
"I have to stay ready for anything, Kil Kai, I don't always have time for fun and games. My clan may be powerful, but I still must stay strong. There are those that do not like a powerful clan being lead by a female. And there have already been challenges to my leadership. I can't afford to be weak," she answered, turning towards the direction of the dojo.
Kil Kai fell into step beside Aisu. "I didn't know that you had been challenged. When did this start?" He was concerned, he had known that something was wrong, but not this.
"I started shortly after my father died and I was made taiyoukai of my clan. The challengers were those of other clans that saw a female leader as a weakness. So far, no one of my clan has tried to challenge me, but it could happen."
"Why had I not been told?"
Without looking at him, Aisu answered, "Because, it is not really anything for you to concern yourself with. It involves my clan and if they succeed then their will be no union." The last was said with a small smile, to take the sting out of what she said.
"Look, that is not how I want out of this. And, it damn well is my concern, Aisu," he said, very serious.
Aisu stopped walking and looked at him. "I don't want you to worry about it, Kil Kai. My father thought that this would happen when he named me heir. It has happened before to other female leaders of my clan. It's something that I have to deal with, not you. Please, excuse me." She turned and continued down the hall to the dojo.
Kil Kai just stood there and watched her go. He even sighed and turned around. That's when he saw Lord Sesshomaru walking in. Kil Kai was reminded of the statement from Shiori about the two of them having had a discussion last night and a mutual problem. He was going to try to find out what that was.
Sesshomaru noticed the Northern Lord approaching him. He was not looking forward to the questions he had seen in his eyes while he was arguing with the arrogant, stubborn, lovely Guardian. Wait, did he just think she was lovely? 'I need to get that woman out of my head or else I will suffer the same fate as my father,' he thought to himself. Of course, none of this showed on his face as he waited for Kil Kai.
"If you have a few minutes, I would like to talk you, Lord Sesshomaru," he asked formally.
Sesshomaru didn't reply, just nodded once and turned towards his study. This was going to be an interesting conversation. They both entered the study and Sesshomaru ordered tea. After the tea arrived, he looked at Kil Kai and for some unknown reason, told him what has happened between himself and Shiori.
When he was done, Kil Kai just blinked. "Well, that is very interesting. Have you ever had anything like this happen before? Not just with her."
Sesshomaru stood up to look out the window, "No, nothing even remotely similar. We both agreed to figure out how to stop this, quickly. I don't know what I would see if it happened again."
"If? You make it sound like it may not happen again," Kil Kai stated. "And what if it's not something that you can turn off? What then?"
Sesshomaru growled, not turning around to answer the question. But the growl was enough of an answer.
Kil Kai stood up and said, before turning to leave, "I wish you luck, my friend. You sound like you're going to need it." He walked out of the study, leaving a very pensive inu youkai alone to stare out the window.
Later that night:
Sesshomaru stood out on his balcony in his sleeping hakamas and no shirt. He was staring at the moon and trying not to think about a very stubborn, outspoken, yet beautiful Guardian. "Uuhhh!! Why am I mooning over this girl as if I was a young whelp? This is ridiculous." He walked back into his private chambers to get to bed. Just before falling asleep, he tried to convince himself that he was not going to dream about her at all. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.
And while he was dozing off, the object of his thoughts was settling down to fall asleep under the open night sky. Also, vowing not to dream about the handsome, ice prince.
How little did these two understand fate. No matter how much they thought they were in control of their lives, they were in for a rude awakening.
Shiori's dream started off with her being on a large snowy slope with a few friends. Everyone was gathered around ready to take off down the mountain. Some were skiing, while a couple, like Shiori were snow boarding. Everyone started off together with loud whoops and yahoos It was a fun time for Shiori to revisit. So much fun that she boarded right into the spectator of her dream. Not only did she board right into the unwanted visitor, she landed right on top of him.
The two layed there for a few minutes trying to catch their breath. Even though this was a dream, the collision felt very real. Shiori was the first to lift her head and shake off the snow. She then caught something close to a growl coming from the ground beneath her. She then pulled off her snow cap and goggles to stare down into a pair of gorgeous amber eyes.
"Comfortable, Guardian?" Sesshomaru asked, staring into her surprised blue eyes. Even though collision was a little painful, he had to admit, if only to himself, he was comfortable with her laying on top of him. 'Wait, what am I thinking? I like this?' he asked himself. But the more he thought about it, the more he found it to be true.
Shiori just stared and then blinked. "What are you doing here, Sesshomaru? Why are you in my dreams again? And so soon?"
He was trying to not think about how he was enjoying where he was to answer her questions as if he felt nothing. "I just fell asleep and I found myself here. Only, I was knocked down by you. By the way, you didn't answer my question."
She was puzzled. "What question?"
He allowed a smirk to show, "Are you comfortable laying there, Guardian?"
She was confused, then she felt the rise and fall of his muscled chest and her eyes bulged. "Oh, shit!! Why didn't you say something earlier?" She moved to get off him, when she was met with some difficulty. "What the. . ." She turned her head as much as she could and found, first, her board was stuck and second, that Sesshomaru's tail was wrapped around her waist. "Do you mind unwinding you tail so I can try to get off of you?"
He just smirked. Then he thought of something else to talk about. "What do you call what you did to me this morning? When I was going to kill your friends? What was that?"
Shiori was surprised. "You don't know what a kiss is?"
"That was a kiss? Why do humans like doing it then if that is all there is?" he asked, unknowingly hoping deep down to get another demonstration.
"Well, that was a one sided kiss. They get much better with both taking part in the kiss. And, with the right kind of chemistry or spark, a good kiss can become a great kiss. Those can knock your senses for a loop," she explained. She was thinking about that kiss and glanced down at his lips briefly. "Why do you ask?"
"Is that so, well I would never know."
"You've never been kissed?! That is hard to believe!" She exclaimed, without thinking.
"Why is it hard to believe?" he was enjoying watching her reactions.
"Oh, come on, I'm not going to stroke your ego." She turned her head and then it dawned on her. "Unless, you're one of those youkai that think kissing is just a lowly human action." She was quiet for a heartbeat and then continued, "That would explain it. Too bad. You don't know what you're missing, pal. Kissing can be great." Again, she attempted to get off his chest, but with little success. She could use her strength to get out of his tail, but she didn't want to rip it off him. Not yet, but if he pissed her off she would consider it.
And before she could think of a way to get out of this situation, she found herself on her back with Sesshomaru laying on top of her. "What do you think you are doing, Fluffy?"
"I want to find out more about this human act of kissing. And, I want you to show me," he was smirking fully now, wondering if she would take the dare.
"Are you nuts?! You don't even like me! Why don't you find another demon to show you how to kiss," she said incredulously.
"As you have said, not many youkai of my station practice the art of kissing. So, who else could I learn from?"
"How about I just tell you about the mechanics and then you can find yourself a female youkai to your liking and try it out?" she suggested, feeling nervous, yet secretly wanting to kiss him again.
Sesshomaru could not understand where this urge to tease this Guardian came from, but he was enjoying himself. And this was a dream after all. No one would know what happens here, except him and her. She didn't seem to be the one to kiss and tell. He felt he could also relax a little of his control here in this strange dream of hers. "But, wouldn't having someone teach me, show me be better, than just having someone tell me?" he asked, goading her.
Shiori just stared at him. This was not the Sesshomaru that she met in the Feudal Era. This was more like the one that knew from her previous dreams, before she ever learned about time travel. 'What is going on here? Is this how he changed?' she thought to herself.
Sesshomaru just waited patiently for her answer and watching as thoughts flowed behind her eyes. It was interesting to watch.
Shiori noticed that he was studying her. She quirked and eyebrow up at this and answered his question, "Of course, having someone show you would be better than having someone just explaining it. That would be like trying to explain breathing, but I don't think that I'm the girl to teach you kissing. As I have said, you don't like me very much." She felt confident in what she said, she was sure that he would not want to kiss her a half-breed. She was wrong.
"I think you would make an excellent teacher, Shiori, but if you are too scared, then just say so," he taunted as he sat up so that he was straddling her legs. He was waiting to see what she would say now. He didn't think she was a coward, but he knew she was proud.
His dare worked. She sat up and looked him dead in the eye. "I'm not scared, you jerk, so sit back and prepare to learn." With that she grabbed his haori and pulled in for a kiss. She stopped just a breath away from his lips, watching his eyes. He was curious, but he appeared to be .
He got tired of waiting and closed the last little bit of distance between them. As before, they both felt a jolt, and they both pulled back from the chaste kiss.
Shiori tried to play it cool, "That was a simple kiss. They get to be more. . ." she was trying to think of how to explain other kisses, when Sesshomaru spoke.
"Why don't you just show me," he whispered. "That would be better, don't you think?"
She just stared at him and nodded her head, she did enjoy kissing him, though she would not admit it to him. She said, reaching for his cheek, "This is a bit more, just follow my lead."
He relaxed under touch and nodded once. He watched her lean into him, face raised to his. He didn't have to wait long to feel her lips again.
She tilted her head a little to kiss him and he felt her hand slide into his hair. She shocked him by running her tongue over his closed lips, and then gently bite his lower lip. This caused him to growl softly. He felt a more powerful jolt from this kiss than the first two and on instinct, he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss.
Shiori also felt this new jolt and another one when Sesshomaru deepened the kiss. She took the lead and explored his mouth with her tongue. This produced a louder growl from him.
Sesshomaru did growl louder and began threading his claws through her hair to keep her where she was. He was in the lead now and didn't want to stop kissing the woman in front of him. He pulled away from her reluctantly to catch his breath and almost forgot how to breathe as he saw her face.
Her lips were red and a little puffy from the kiss and her eyes had a bit of a dreamy quality to them. She felt like her brain was on pause and all she could do was feel. Feel the emotions that kiss stirred, excitement, longing, desire. Her senses were in overload and that was only one kiss! She vaguely thought, 'What would happen if we kissed again and didn't stop?'
He felt just as dazed and that was a lot considering he kept his emotions bottled up. He tried to think and found that was impossible. 'What is happening to me? To us? Is she truly weaving a spell?' he thought, after much struggling. He then felt himself waking up and slowly fading from her dream. Before, he could fade completely, he went on impulse and kissed her deeply one more time. Amazed to feel that same powerful jolt again with the kiss.
She had noticed that the dream was ending but before she could say anything, he was kissing her again. She thought one thought with this last kiss, 'Needed lessons my ass!' Then the dream ended for both of them. She woke up blushing and with the feel of the ice prince's warm kiss still on her lips. "Oh, shit! What have I gotten myself into now?" she groaned, closing her eyes.
Western Palace:
Sesshomaru woke up with the feel of her lips lingering and her scent. She smelled of faintly of fresh fallen snow and cherry blossoms. He grudgingly admitted to himself that he enjoyed her scent and the feel of kissing her. He brought his hand to cover his eyes and asked out loud, "What the hell am I doing?"
AN: And again, I'm so sorry that I have been slacking on updating. I hope you like this chapter. I know Sess is a little oocc but I thought is was time to thaw him out. LOL I hope this chapter is enjoyed by my loyal readers. How do you guys like it so far? Please read & review. Or I won't write any more!!! just kidding, please review.
I would like to thank my wonderful editor, ninjawarrior4life, my bro. glad you like it.
And thanks to everyone who has been reading this story from the beginning when I first started posting it. And to those who read and like it.
THX to all my readers.
