A/N: I know this chapter is kind of short but I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading and for reviewing. :D

Chapter Eight

I woke up the next morning with the feeling of my blood thrumming through my veins. I clenched my hands, fisting up the blankets on my bed. Everything felt so real… so intense. Everything was so loud, almost like everything, every piece of furniture, every ray of sunlight, every dust particle, was buzzing with life. Things even smelled different.

I sat up slowly, testing my limbs, only to find that I needn't have worried, I felt great. Better than great. I felt like I could run a mile and then climb a mountain and swim across the ocean and never even to break a sweat. I just had so much energy. I stood up and stopped. Hadn't something happened yesterday? The attack! I got dressed as fast as I could and ran down to the dining hall.

Everyone was there. Well almost everyone.

"Nicole!" the children ran over to me and hugged me.

"You're back to normal!" Rin told me.

"Yeah, but you looked really cool yesterday," Yuu assured me.

I looked down at them confused, "What do you mean, I'm back to normal?"

All the children started talking at once, so I looked at Lady Emi. She took pity on me, "Children, children you're confusing her. Just calm down, I'll explain." She waited until all the children had sat back down and continued to eat. "Nicole yesterday, you… changed. And-" she was cut off by Jun coming into the dining room.

He looked at me and bowed his head, "Lord Sesshomaru and Lord Isao want to see you in Lord Sesshomaru's office."

I looked at Lady Emi, she smiled and tilted her head towards the door, "Go on, I'm sure they'll explain everything to you."

I nodded and followed Jun out of the room.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I've brought her," Jun announced.

"Enter." Jun did as he was told and opened the door, then he left.

"Nicole! It's so good to see you," Lord Isao smiled, "how are you feeling today?"

I glanced over at Lord Sesshomaru, I was surprised to find that he was watching me. I turned my attention back to Lord Isao and smiled, "I'm feeling great. Better than I've felt in my whole life."

Lord Isao laughed, "That's good! I'm glad you feel that way."

"Nicole." I took in a breath at the sound of my name on his voice. I looked at Lord Sesshomaru, "Sit."

I nodded and took a seat next to Lord Isao, Lord Sesshomaru looked displeased but he didn't say anything. I pulled my eyes away from Lord Sesshomaru and looked at Lord Isao, "Not to be rude, but what did you want to see me for?"

"Oh, yes, right down to business," he looked at Lord Sesshomaru, "do you want to explain or shall I?"

Lord Sesshomaru didn't reply he started talking instead, "Yesterday, the attack."

I nodded, "Yeah I remember that part."

"You wanted to protect the children." I nodded, "That awoke your true self."

To say I was confused would be an understatement. I stared at Lord Sesshomaru, hoping he would fill in the blanks but he stayed silent. So I turned to Lord Isao, "My true self?"

Lord Isao smiled sympathetically at my confusion, "Yes, Nicole, yesterday you changed."

"The kids said that too."

Lord Isao nodded, "Yes. Well it seems that we all found out something that we didn't quite expect."

I stood up and started pacing the room, I was confused and I really don't like to be confused, "Look, just tell me straight. Stop talking in circles and tell me."

"You're a demon."

I whirled around to look at Lord Sesshomaru, "What?"

"You are a demon."

I took a step back and shook my head, "Wha-ha- I-I can't be a-a demon," I stuttered. "I'm human like Rin. I come from a completely different world, a different time. I can't be a demon."

Lord Isao got up and came towards me, "Nicole, calm down. Let us explain before you start denying anything."

I didn't want to listen, I wanted to go screaming out of the room. These people were crazy if they thought I was a demon. But… if I didn't listen then I wouldn't get any answers. I took a deep breath and nodded, "Okay."

Lord Isao motioned for me to sit back down but I shook my head, "Alright. Okay. Here it is. Just to the West of this palace there is a little village," he paused. "The last ruler was Princess Mizuki, she was going to become Queen until she disappeared."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "She… disappeared?" Lord Isao nodded. I looked at Lord Sesshomaru, "Why are you telling me this? What does any of this have to do with me supposedly being a demon?"

"Be patient we will get there. Now before Princess Mizuki disappeared she was promised to marry a Lord from another panther tribe…" The story unfolded. Princess Mizuki didn't want to marry the Lord, instead she fell in love with one of the stable hands at her home. Together they conceived a child, but when the Lord found out about this he killed the stable hand. Princess Mizuki was so upset that she locked herself in her room for days, and then one day the Lord busted his way into her room but she was gone. No one knew where she went.

During the story I had sat down on one of the chairs opposite of Lord Sesshomaru, "What happened to her?"

Lord Isao sighed, "No one really knows for sure, but the rumor is that she ran away from the castle and ran deep into the forest, to seek help of a sorceress." The story goes that Princess Mizuki decided she hated demons, so she had the sorceress turn her into a human, thus turning her baby into a human also. Then she asked the sorceress to send her to forward in time, to a time when she could be with her true love again. The sorceress had warned her that it was a possibility that neither of the spells would last forever, and that eventually she could become a demon again and get sent back to her own time. But Princess Mizuki agreed anyway and the sorceress did as she had asked. "And that's all we know."

I stared straight ahead trying to take everything in, finally I looked to Lord Isao and then to Lord Sesshomaru, "That's an amazing story… but what does that have to do with me?"

Lord Isao took a deep breath, "Nicole, Princess Mizuki was-"

"Your mother."

I looked at Lord Sesshomaru dumbfounded, "No… What? No… are you crazy?!"

Lord Sesshomaru didn't answer but Lord Isao did, "Nicole, I know this may seem unbelievable but it's true. You have to accept it, it's-"

"No. Stop. Just shut up for a minute," I put my hands to my head.

"But-"

I put my hand up to stop him, "Uh uh, just be quiet. Just… just let me think." They were silent and I was thankful. They were trying to tell me my mother was a princess, but not just a princess a demon princess. A panther demon princess. From back in time. That was crazy. Absolutely and completely insane. But then again, so was time traveling right? I mean, how did I get here? At first I thought it was a dream, but being here just felt so right. I hadn't even really thought about how to get home. I took a deep breath, "Let's just pretend for a second that I believe this. Then what?"

"Well you would be a princess too," Lord Isao explained.

"Yeah, okay…" I paused considering this, "and what exactly does that… entail?"

Lord Isao looked to Lord Sesshomaru and Lord Sesshomaru looked at me. Neither of them said anything for a minute, "You would no longer be treated like a servant. You would get a new room, a better room, and better clothes. Frankly you would be treated like a princess."

"What about that village, I mean technically I would be princess of that village right?"

"Lord Sesshomaru has control over that village."

I looked at Lord Sesshomaru for answers, this time he didn't disappoint, "I conquered the village several years ago."

"And the people?" I asked.

Lord Isao chuckled, "You sound like a princess already."

We both ignored him, "The people are treated like all the others under my rule."

I stared at him, "That tells me… absolutely nothing. I don't know what the other villages under your rule are like. All I know is what happens in this palace." Lord Sesshomaru didn't respond.

Lord Isao intervened, "Lord Sesshomaru treats the people under his rule very well. They always have enough food, they are not in poverty but they're not rich either. They pretty much just run themselves."

I nodded, "Okay… okay. Okay. I'll choose to believe this for now. But I have another question: I'm back to normal, why is that?"

"Well," Lord Isao started, "we think that your demon blood has gone dormant again, but once you learn how to wake it up, you will become full demon."

I nodded, "That makes sense… I guess."

We were all silent for several minutes, the Lords were watching me, trying to gauge my reaction. And I was just sitting there going to everything over and over again in my head. My stomach growled interrupting my thoughts.

I stood up, "I'm going to get something to eat," I started to head out of the door when Lord Isao spoke.

"Nicole?"

I halted in the doorway, "Yes?"

"I have a question also." I didn't turn around but I nodded, "Why didn't your mother come back with you?"

I took a deep breath and looked down at the floor, "My mother died when I was six." And then I left.