Thank you to Chapter 15 Reviewers….

Cookie Eating Pandax2 – Awe thanks Love! I'm so glad you dived into this madness and went along for the ride! I enjoy writing this as much as I hope you enjoy reading it! Can't wait to hear your thoughts in the future!

Truthfulpen – Thank you so much for your kind words! I did so much research when writing this and I mean not reading Wikipedia like most people do but I watched documentaries and read books. I studied race and world relations as a part of my degree so a lot of this is based off of factual information. I love LOVE Egyptian culture both past and present. I am also a fan of Ororo as well in X-men but even I'm not that bold to try to bridge the two worlds in such a literal sense. I would like to keep her integrity in place while still playing off of Ancient Egyptian culture. Egyptians were very open about their sexuality and that is a fact. Many queens used this as a way to gain favor or…power. (If you catch my drift wink,wink - nudge, nudge) So that was taken into account when building her as a character. As for ethnicity I tried to stay as close to realism as possible regarding that in Japan. However, I imagine that if there are demons of different shapes and kinds that exist, that is grounds enough for demons being more open minded about race than humans are. So…thank you! I hope to keep you engaged with my storytelling skills! Xoxoxo

Guest – Thank you love for your review!

Loves2Spooge – (1) LoL you will see what the gift is in this chapter! And I know. No one likes to see a child sick. *sad face* (2) Yes Ororo is not taking crap from no one!

Lilura Maeva – *Hello…its me… ~ in my Adele Voice.* Happy Holidays to you too sugar! And I totally understood and loved your photo! The Fanfic site doesn't like links or names that have too many numbers. It counts it as spam and deletes it. And thank you! I imagine Ororo as this powerful woman who doesn't need to be told what to do and that includes her relationships. Now in which direction that will go in…its up in the air. There is also the possibility that it could backfire…just saying. hehehe

DeucesAreWild – He most certainly is not. I don't think anyone really is here. I don't think I'm ready! And I'm writing it!

Rodidor – Yes * in my creepy voice* And the sexual tension will only grow….or not. Hehehe Thank you for your lovely words.

LadyRenkasumi-sama – Thank you! I like doing this as I have been able to have full blown conversations through reviews with those that read my stories. It helps me as well with writing as well because if you guys get too comfortable that lets me know I got to come hard with the next chapter. Someone's got to die! AND I'M ACTUALLY WRITING A FANTASY BOOK! I hope to have it done in February of next year but my love of writing fanfics is getting in the way a bit. My cousin is a published author and I'll put a link of her work on my profile. As for my story if you are interested in giving me some feedback let me know and I'll email you the copywritten short excerpt I have. LoL Tell your boyfriend to read my shit too! Then you can both bond over my work together! (The Perfect Storm – Bringing Couples Together since 2015.) Xoxox

Calhounariel97 – I love your caps of joy! LIKE OMG! WHY ARENT YOU HERE IN MY LIFE IN PERSON! And there will be none of that lemon, lime, fluff shit here! I run a respectable house where we hold hands and listen to Kids Bop all day….*hides stories from the public behind the desk*

CandyKissMe – Awe love! Thank you. I too am a hanyou of my race. And yes I live for strong women. Kagome's great and so are Rin but they were so young in the anime that we really didn't see them grow to really be women you know. But Im glad you like this story! Thanks for your review!

GreenEggsN'Ham – Ororo is BOSS right! Also, you bring up a valid point! I don't think many people paid attention to that small little detail. Kudos to you! You're the only one that I know of that mentioned that. We will see how well she knows about that side of him and you're right that messing with instinct isn't always a good thing. Great Review! This really had me thinking for a bit about something I wrote in the future.

EbonySapphire – Girl…why aren't you sitting beside me as I'm writing this story. =.= Get your ass over here! *pours two cups of tea and waits for you to arrive at the table*

Thank you to those that Followed this story this week!

Elli Mac08

CandyKissMe

Truthfulpen

Thank you to those that Favorited this story this week!

Cookie Eating Pandax2

CandyKissMe

Truthfulpen

Chapter 16: Morning Dew

The ominous clouds were grey high above the castle that sat on the hilltops. The rolling clouds hung rather low to the earth growing full of water; ready to dump their bellies onto the earth. The grass was wet and ladled with the rainwater from the mists and the previous night's weather. The smell of rain filled Ororo's lungs as she walked towards her destination. Ororo looked at the dark skies in knowing and reprieve. She wore a purple kimono without the many under layers due to the uncertainty of the situation she was entering. Her fingertips touched the loose paper in her provided kimono. Whereas some would take the harsh greying skies as an omen, to her it was relaxing. Rain was always a gentle reminder for hard workers to rest and replenish. It was a perfect excuse to do so during trying times as well. Her feet walked along the cobbled path as her companion squawked his Lord's will. She strolled near the tall building of the barracks as the men moved out of her way in shock or distrust that a woman specifically her was invading such a private area.

Ororo waved her hand and sent a breeze back towards the castle. She had left the windows open a bit to send Rin a bit of a breeze to cool her inflamed skin but also to freshen up the room. As she walked, she kept thinking about Rin's fever which continued to climb. Her poor little lotus was sick inside bundled in furs and blankets. A cold had gripped her ruthlessly in the night. Ororo desired to go back inside and see to her immediately but first…the lands and the house needed to be safeguarded so she could spend her time with Rin.

A rather large stone wall was coming up ahead with stone steps leading up alongside of it. The sounds of metal clashing and snarls were heard from behind its harsh structure. The one she came to seek stood on top and looked down at the many warriors training below. Many types of soldiers were everywhere dressed in uniform, in training gear, and even bare chested as they moved about through katas and care of the barracks. She could see the look of fear in some various colored eyes of the demons that took note of her passing through. The hate and curiosity in the other gazes did not go unnoticed. Sweat and dirt layered the skin of some of the warriors that were fighting in the yard. Some were openly lustful about her presence, and she found it hilarious that they would ever think that she would consider them as partners. Did she not hand them their asses? Her khopesh weapons rested under the layers that the kimono provided. They hummed against her side underneath the few layers of kimono ready to be utilized. The metal sung softly as if fondly remembering the blood of these men. Lord Jaken's squawking grew louder and captured her attention. She looked forward to seeing the staff in Jaken's hands bounce happily in the air as he once again led the way, complaining that her presence in such a place was undignified for a woman.

Ororo had woken up early that morning to find Lord Sesshomaru had gone and left her a message in which Jaken took it upon himself to deliver rather loudly. It was a rather small message, yet Lord Jaken found it deserved every breath within his lungs and every decibel of his voice. It almost distracted from the shocking revelation that for once, the Inu King had left her a rather lengthy note. She found it miraculous that Sesshomaru had the ability to address various situations with one sentence or even three few words. But this message was rather long for once. Upon reading the Inu's note, she was highly confused and stumbled over the words a bit. His decree was rather shocking, and she found herself unable to tell if what the Lord wrote was indeed what she was comprehending. She even sought out Advisor Itoku to make sure she was reading it correctly. It was through him that she had learned that everyone of importance received a similar letter regarding the temporary state of affairs of the house of Inu.

She of course, laughed hysterically when it settled in her mind that Sesshomaru had completed the deal by giving her temporary position to control. For the incident prior, she asked for something that meant the most to him and it had to be tangible as retribution. So, he had given her access to his kingdom which also meant his workload so that he could gallivant. She found it quite clever as it was something she could have but at the same time could easily be taken away when he came to claim his seat back. Sesshomaru knew very well that she had no desire to maintain her hold on his lands. Advisor Itoku asked for specifics of how such an arrangement came to be that morning finding her behavior odd for one who had learned that they had come into power. She of course did not say but simply told him it was temporary as the Lord was very busy getting his lands in order himself. He leaves me his house while he attends to the yard. She mused finding it very clever and bold of him. He would show her his trust as well as share in his workload in the same breath. "I should have just fought for Rin." She muttered to herself as they approached the barracks steps.

Immediately, she prepared for the day and knew this needed to be taken cared of first. She would fix the relationship with his warriors before wrestling with his advisors who were probably ready to riot but were too fearful of their king's wrath. Ororo watched her step as they climbed up to stand on a platform that looked down into a very wide yard that stretched as far as the eye could see. The grass seemed to stop growing in this field as it was used clearly for training and suffered from trampling over a long spell of time. A few skinny young demons were training in the corner. Further out into the field were hordes of demons ramming at each other with weapons and power of various kinds. The energy here was wild and a little chaotic. Her eyes searched the field in search of the one she was looking for when she saw him. On the other side of the wall, the young General stood facing the rising sun that was clouded over by the dark clouds. His dark short hair rustled in the breeze. She stood still as Jaken was getting ready to call for his attention.

"Gen-"

"Lord Jaken" Ororo interrupted. "That is not necessary. I have found him. You may go back." She dismissed. "I'm sure you have much more important things to do as you are a very important demon in this kingdom." She stated stroking his ego and hoping it would be enough to send him away.

"You are right! I shall be back later to report." He squawked with a bow. She watched with relief as he left her alone quickly. She was amused to see him show her a little bit more respect. Clearly, her change in status and demonstrated power had changed Jaken's disposition about her. One could hope anyway.

Ororo turned back to the wall. She watched the General while making slow movements to reach him on the other side. Along the way, her eyes would flicker down to the yard where the men fought in practice. She took note of their moves and how very different they all were in shape, size, weight, and power. The soldiers were reliant on their demonic strength she noted. She had discovered this when she was fighting the few that rushed to attack her. Each of them had their own weapon of expertise and when it had failed them, they immediately relied on their demonic abilities and instincts which were easily dispelled with the right combination of spells and movements. Lord Sesshomaru's men showed no hand-to-hand combat skills which was how she was able to defeat them so easily with her feet, fists, and weapons. They were relied too much on their weapons and claws. But her people fought with everything within them.

The General however was a bit more trained showing that he had the training of a Master fighter. His movements were much more focused and responsive despite he too relying on the art of the sword and his claws. She was very impressed with his skills regardless and the fact that he had the reference of mind to try to lure her away from the castle to ensure safety of everyone inside. His father would be proud. She thought. He just needed more experience and maybe time would help him. She watched him yell out orders to help the younglings below with their training. She approached his side, watching him stiffen from her approach. His Inu aura spiked before lying compliant about him protectively.

"General Kenji." She addressed with warmth in her voice. "You have received your Lord's letter?" She eyed the young demon as he dismissed the soldiers below and bowed to her respectfully; clearly having come to terms with his Lord's request.

Lord Sesshomaru had not even spoke a word to the General. Sesshomaru allowed his silence to speak of his disappointment of him and that he had shamed the house. Advisor Itoku and a few other advisors loyal to the young Lord, had given the General enough berating about the major consequences that his actions may have caused the West. Kenji thought the woman was the one attempting to threaten Rin's life but he didn't think that he would be in the wrong and his claims false. Yet, it had been proven true. Kenji knew the ramifications of accosting a foreign diplomat but, seeing her now and smelling of that of his Lord spoke of more dire consequences.

Her scent now was laden with Lord Sesshomaru's scent. It was rumored that she slept in his personal quarters the night before. She was seen by a servant in the den where Inu clan pack members were typically invited only. The General had learned much that the Queen standing before him was indeed an ally and ruled a rather powerful kingdom with enough power and resources to wage war for years against them; that his actions could have caused a war so apocalyptic that he would lose his life in the first minute and the lives of all his men would be gone the next. When he lay in the dirt after fighting her, he knew he had chosen a dead man's game. She hadn't even suffered major wounds from fighting against him and his men. Her moves were foreign, and her aura was boisterous speaking of a power as old as time itself.

His instincts roared in his ears at one point to abandon the fight, but honor wouldn't allow it. The guilt that he felt was magnifying for he took the lives of his men serious. He knew everyone by name and by family. He could not fathom being the cause of even one careless death because he was too hasty to rush an opponent and underestimate them. Had she been focused on lethality rather than saving her strength to fight his Lord, his men would have died that night. General Kenji shook his head at this.

Then he received a letter from his Lord early that morning after his Lord's departure that the thread of his life rested in the Empress's hands. He turned his sharp deep brown eyes to her with an understanding he did not have yesterday. "Yes, Empress?"

"I come to you to seek council." She responded with a smile. Ororo held her hand to stop the young below from leaving. She turned to him watching as the General gripped his sword at his hip. She took note that he was rather calm that morning. He wore his military uniform and looked quite intimidating. Well, that is to someone else. Ororo watched as the General turned to her with a concentrated gaze on his face. The men in the yard all stopped to come closer and watch with curious and critical gazes. She looked confused as to why such melancholy looks were directed at them.

Kenji felt nothing now as she stood so close to him. The power she displayed was silent. Her aura had vanished as if she was a human ningen. But he knew better. The Empress was here for a reason. He thought about the moment that he felt the disconnection to the world after she had nearly slain him. He felt as if his soul and his body had split in half because of her violent electric attack. Fire flushed in his veins and heated him from the inside, scorching him. She had caused all of that with just her index finger and will. His heart rate picked up wondering what his father would say to see his son so weak and so easily beaten. Shame covered him. He trained as hard as he could everyday going over the teachings of his father. Yet, he failed him. He had lay beaten in the grass watching as his Lord engaged her in battle before succumbing to the darkness. He needed to bring honor back to himself and to his father. He knew what needed to be done.

Ororo watched as the General bowed to her respectfully and slowly sank to his knees. He took his sword from his hips and out of its protective sheath. Ororo's eyes widened and moved before her mind could shift. Immediately, she came forward and snatched the sword from his hands, holding it out so the tip rested at his chin. He need not lower himself and make a spectacle. She recognized he was being honorable and had thrown everything to the wayside to go after who he thought to be the threat in his Lord's house. Ororo would not have it. He understood his wrongdoing and would make amends. But this lowering himself this way was not what she wanted and not what his men needed to see. Besides, she had plans for him and he would not serve her like this. Men and their pride. The tip of his sword now rested on the crown of his head. "Are we allies, General?" She asked holding the sword tightly in her hand.

This confused the young General as he stared at the concrete beneath him. Why would she ask this? He nodded but didn't dare move. "You have my allegiance." He sat still waiting for her blow but nothing came.

"Good." She took his sword away from his head and moved passed him. "You can get up now. You have work to do after all." She stated moving his sword like how she moved her own weapons. She thought it was built rather beautifully with such shiny metal that had her envious. It was thin yet she had felt the raw energy that came from his style of weapons before. Almost like it had a life of its own. She stopped suddenly to see the sea of men looking at her skeptically. She held their gazes for a minute. The desire to speak rose inside of her but she had learned much from Lord Sesshomaru regarding silence.

Ororo stopped to point to the young soldiers below. "Keep practicing. Her eyes looked at some of the men leaving and a sigh escaped her lips. "All of you should be out here practicing really." She spoke pointing to everyone watching at the top. "I trained alongside my army and commanded it for over one thousand and twenty-two battles. This won't do if you are to serve your Lord especially on the battlefield. Have any of you seen an endless war for the Gods?" she asked. Her blue gems watched as a few nodded while the rest seemed a bit uncomfortable. "Peace is always a blessing, never doubt this. But it also leaves us comfortable and weak. I am ready to war at any moment. Do any of you think you would be able to fight days on end? Without resources? Without provisions?"

Kenji stood up slowly watching Ororo talk to the demons around her. She spoke so calmly and knowledgeable about fighting and battle. She was clearly a warrior. He looked as she captured the demons' attentions as they moved closer to listen to what she had to say. Never had he seen such a thing especially by the hands of a woman. He couldn't imagine a woman leading an army let alone fighting in so many wars. Her skills made sense especially how she spoke about fighting as often as she did.

Was her country such a war country that they specialized on it? If the West was to ever get on her bad side, would his men stand a chance?

He watched as she directed the young demons below with his own sword. She spoke so adamantly about the forces outside of Japan that made them curious and anxious. The way she said certain words and rolled a few letters breathe a foreign appeal into her words. She would pause to search for a word but quickly moved onward with her thought if one couldn't come to her. Despite her accent, the men understood her message. It had not donned on them that foes outside of their lands may want to take the whole ununified country. To constantly war with one's neighbor sounded exhausting but clearly it was a lively threat.

"And then there are these ants called Greeks. They are the worst." She stated clearly disgusted. "They try so hard to conquer but then when they lose and their empire suffers major blows, they crawl to their pathetic little demons on the mountain that clearly do not care much for them but call themselves Gods. And if I was their God, I wouldn't either because of the way they behave so pitifully. I pray the Moors take control of them. Maybe then I might respect them a bit more." She stated gruffly.

The General listened to his men ask questions and she answered with enthusiasm of a seasoned veteran. "Gentlemen! You have men all around you. You have the Mongols to your side and another country north of them which I passed in my journey here. Mongolia, I have learned loves expansion and has an army that moves rather strangely but effectively. I believe your Lord has faced some of their demons before from what I read…a moth demon of some sort. Anyway, you have a land known as China that are too busy warring with themselves to even be of any use. Then there is Persia, Rome, Babylon, the People on my continent…." She named on her fingers. "There are even those across the great water that call themselves Aztecs that eat the hearts of their enemies. And if you would like to see power from self-regard…I recommend the voyage." She stated shivering a bit.

"You say people…are they not demons?" One black dog demon asked sitting upon a rock at a distance.

Ororo smiled and shook her head. "I'm afraid great demons of the Western Lands, that your country is far behind the times." She stated with humor. "In many of the places I mentioned, the people are mixed with humans, demons, hanyous, witches, faes, monks, sirens, etc. of all different colors, backgrounds, and species." She waved her hands. "Even in my country we do not discriminate. And it actually adds to our power by having a variety of beings that can perform various tasks." She watched as everyone broke out in a sea of whispers and disbelief. Mumblings and conversation exploded among the men. She listened as they tried to process a world in which theirs was slowly morphing into if they allowed it. Ororo moved to stand next to the General nodding at him with a smirk.

"Well…what are you waiting for? Teach them!" She commanded moving out of his way. "I believe their minds are open now to become stronger. And who better than teach them but their General. After all you were the only one that could fight me and get me to move besides your Lord. These men need training if they are to serve in the future where people have no respect for your style of fighting. In war, everyone will use everything to keep their heads. They need you."

He nodded in understanding. His father had the same sentiments, but he was old and could not fight like he use to especially during Lord Inutashio's great reign. Many older warriors retired to the countryside to start families or were just too old to fight and now served as Advisors to the western kingdom. That was how Advisor Itoku came to be. He noticed the Empress move to leave them when he had a question of his own to ask of her. "Empress Ororo?"

"Hm?" She paused and turned to look at him.

"When you fought before? You used your hands and your knees as weapons. What fighting style is that?" He asked watching her concentrate on his question. "It wasn't like that of the moves I've encountered here and across seas."

Ororo thought on this deciding a demonstration would best be appropriate. Very quickly she took the weapons that were hidden and pulled them out in a flash. She lifted her kimono so her legs were spread and she bunkered down with her hands out ready to deflect anything. "In Egypt, we have our own fighting style called Tahtib. This style is rooted in constant movement and sweeping the feet and floors because of the sand which shrouds movement. It is also weapons based but we also use more grappling techniques if the enemy gets too close. For men the focus on style of fighting is to draw the enemy closer to be killed. For women it is for getting the opponent away to allow room to either escape or tire out." She moved her weapons swiping quickly as if she was fighting an invisible enemy.

Then her movements changed into fast motions with fluid stances. "This…I picked up from a few men from the spice trade. We gave turmeric and salt and in exchange some men taught a few of my warrior's "animal like" fighting styles. They came from the far east. Men there move so strange with lots of lightening fist movements unlike anything I had ever seen. I paid quite a bit of coin to learn a little. They use the whole body in their movements." Then she stopped and stood up straight pulling down her kimono looking at all the faces interested in her techniques. "However, I really enjoyed the teachings in the Ryūkyū Islands south of here. They teach a fighting style called Tegumi. I had a lot of time to learn while indulging in your language. Does this style interest you?"

The General nodded as he looked at his fist remembering how she used her hands to propel him backwards, rolled and tucked her body while swiping at his midsection, and fought between using her weapons and using her feet. While he had seen such movements in the north and across seas, her style was different. One young demon boy with the face of a young warrior fresh from his father's house came forward trying to copy her stance. She walked down the steps to him with a keen gaze. Her hands came out and she pushed him down into the pose as she was taught to do by her trainers. She whispered in his ear the importance to ground his feet into the earth so no one could knock him over. Another demon with brown fur of a bear came along and copied the boy's movements. She was very pleased to see such eager pupils and her hopes for the fighters of the Lord's army had grown.

She instructed them to first practice rooting the body into the earth through their feet. Ororo looked at the men standing around watching and whispering excitedly. They all needed to be diverse fighters if they were to serve her needs. Especially now that she had Rin and the castle to look after. Ororo needed allies and she needed these men to be up to the task. She crossed her arms and pointed to the vast yard before them. "I want every soldier down here now!" She yelled to the men at the top. No one moved at first scoffing at her audacity. Her eyes misted over, and the grey clouds above began to move in rather quickly. Thunder boomed above them causing the men to jump and immediately they moved at the reminder of her lethality. General Kenji paused only for a moment. His mouth soon opened to echo her command louder for everyone to get into position.

Ororo looked at the General and nodded her thanks. Her eyes were still ghostly white as the wind picked up outside. "I assume the word has not got out yet about my…advancement in your patriarchy?" She tossed his sword back to him lightly.

Kenji smirked and shook his head. "The Lord has given me the announcement to make." He realized his sword was still out and with great care he placed it back to his side.

"Good! Then maybe I get to use these today after all." She stated twirling her weapons dangerously causing a slight shiver to run down his spine." The men need to be trained to my satisfaction. Just because your Lord has been away fighting on his own doesn't mean that he allows space or time for slackers. These men are to be trained to encounter everything and I will personally come here randomly throughout to test them. Get all your men that aren't patrolling down here now." Ororo ordered. "They are my army now and if I wanted to go to war today, I need them to at least be able keep up."

The General nodded and yelled for his underlings to gather all the soldiers. She directed them to form an alignment and to give each other some space to move. Slowly her eyes changed back to their blue shade, but the sky still sat heavy and grey. She looked at them all before patting General Kenji on the back. "This is my punishment for you General Kenji. You must now train them all every day in the early morning hours." She stated for him to hear. "No one is to bother you from this task in the morning. And you are to select five specialists. One in charge of melee style, one specializing in magic, another in weaponry, one in environmental warfare, and lastly one in spiritual or the mind. For these are how we will attack and protect the West.

He quickly looked to her with shock. "Empress?" His mind processing her requests.

"I have been doing a lot of reading lately and I read about your… brilliant father. He got up every day before the sun rose to meditate. He had a routine to warm himself up and to strengthen his mind and resolve. You will do this too." She stated firmly before spinning her weapons in warning. "I want every man to be as adaptable as you are and at least knowing the basics of hand fighting. Even your veterans should be out here in the mornings, practicing and training the younger ones. In the meantime, I will find a teacher for them willing…" She stressed. "To train your men and give them the foundations to be better soldiers without relying on their instincts and demon strengths. War is not just won by strength, but the best wars are won before a weapon is even drawn." With that she quickly turned around officially done with the topic having settled her first account as the Western Empress. She looked up at the heavens and waved her hands at it successfully blowing the clouds back a bit.

"You have two hours before it starts to rain. Use this time wisely." She yelled strolling inside to check on her little one that slept sick and filled with fever. A smile touched her lips at seeing the General's face change into that of concentration. A challenge presented itself to the young General and she was hoping that he would exceed her expectations. She walked away from the barracks very pleased by the outcomes of her first morning in power. "Ok, Inu King." She muttered. "I have got the house. Now how are you doing in the garden."