15

Kohaku smiled as he saw Rin in the crowd although he was very surprised as well. She had always ventured with Sesshomaru and yet he had heard from Sango she was in the village where she resided. Seeing Sesshomaru, he nodded respectfully as Rin was preventing him from bowing as she wrapped her arms around him. Beside Sesshomaru was a woman he could only presume was Satomi from what Sango had mentioned just a few days ago. Actually, he wished to see Sesshomaru, and Jaken had told him where to go.

The face Satomi had looked very similar to Rin's, just more mature and lady like he supposed. It was strange to see a near look alike, but that was not what he came here for. "Hi Rin. You look well," he said before she stepped back with a huge smile on her face. She was always so happy for someone who had been in and through death's door more times than he could bare it.

"I am, thank you. Satomi has been with us and watching out for me, and Lord Sesshomaru is as protective as ever," she said with a proud grin looking at them both, marveling about how adorable they looked side by side. Even if they weren't really a couple, it was still a victory. "What are you doing here?"

"I actually came to speak to Lord Sesshomaru about matters to the North, as he asked me to some time ago," he said now looking to Sesshomaru and giving a proper bow this time. While as a demon slayer it could be deemed odd to bow to a demon, this demon had his full respect and he owed him his own life. "There is news, they're on the move heading South slowly but surely. Something about the deity or god is being mentioned over and over, although nothing clear beyond that."

He saw Satomi and Sesshomaru look to each other, Satomi seemed worried somehow. They knew something. "Yes, I suppose they would be now," Sesshomaru said clearly thinking about what kind of timeline that bumped them up to. "We should speak somewhere quieter."

Sesshomaru lead them to a small tree line outside of the town and folded his arms into his sleeves. Satomi leaned against a tree and marveled at how taken Rin was with Kohaku. Honestly, it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. They talked about the last few months, even before Satomi came into their lives as that must have been the last time she saw him. The big and small events.

"She's a goddess?!" Kohaku said as Rin mentioned that detail nearing the end of her summary. "I've seen demons galore but never a goddess, and you look pretty… well, human."

"It's exhausting, to be put simply. I'm not exactly used to it yet," Satomi admitted with a nervous laugh as Rin finished and moved out of the way. Looking to Kohaku, she noted his young age. Hardly above Rin's age really and yet very mature and taking on a task like this from Sesshomaru. That would require an explanation later.

"About the North," Sesshomaru started determined to get an answer. "Forces? Numbers?"

"Right now, it's just rogue demons that want a blood bath without much strategy. I've disposed of them on my way when I run into them, however I'm sure there's more. As for numbers, the main force centered around the far north by a mountain. The grunts are few in numbers, but enough to cause chaos if left unchecked. Obviously, a way to distract and thin us out from the main force as I'm sure they gather more numbers. From what I've heard the force is particularly ruthless."

"They want me," Satomi realized as she could see why they would unleash chaos without a strategic fight first. "If they can kill me off right away, they have less to worry about. My presence here is an upset for them, even more so than the remain regions uniting in battle. I'm the wild card they didn't count on. So, by causing chaos, they're probably trying to bring us out of what we're trying to do."

"That would make sense. Sango told me you were smart," Kohaku agreed as Sesshomaru didn't like the idea, but it would be something he would do if desperate. However, he didn't sense desperation, just a desire to cause the most harm. He would have to remain on guard, someone just causing chaos because he wanted to was far more dangerous than an honorable demon with a war path. At one point, he could have maybe seen the joy of the kill. Sometimes he still did. However, to do it dishonorably was something he could not bring himself to do.

The mention of Sango surprised her, but then she realized there was a connection. They certainly did bring about the same energy, looks, and the demon slayer garb was another sign. But as she thought about it, despite the serious topic, she hoped he would be her little brother in law one day. He was just so polite and adorable. Bringing herself back to the topic on hand, she shook her head and blushed a slight red.

"We will be making our way East after we are done here, then back to the West. I'm sure we will run into him before then though," Sesshomaru admitted, their adversary didn't seem to be the one to wait around and let everyone else do the work for him.

"I sensed his presence before I fell asleep last night, right after the ceremony. It was pure evil, even more so than Naraku, but more direct. Naraku enjoyed his games, Jiro is much more direct in what he wants. He wants to win, that's it. How he does is hardly a thought, it seems. His thoughts were directed at me," she thought with a shiver as she remembered the feeling that washed over her. As if someone was just behind her with a knife to her back. "There was no hesitation. Just a sea of blood red hatred."

"And you failed to mention this," Sesshomaru said with a glare towards her.

"I was a little preoccupied," she retorted back without a flinch, but just narrowed her eyes back until he realized just what she meant and sighed.

Kohaku looked with pure surprise. Rin just beamed ear to ear. Sesshomaru submitted.

After an awkward silence, Satomi cleared her throat. "We are simply waiting for the generals of the South to finish making their way here. Don't tell me you're leaving right away though? All this way just for a report." The mother voice was in affect as Kohaku didn't know what to say. It was like talking to his own sister, did he really even have a choice?

"I could stay, but I really should…"

"No, you are hardly older than Rin, you need to enjoy being young too. A war is coming no matter what we do. The least you can do is enjoy yourself for an evening," she said without any room for argument. "And don't get me started on you hiring a child to help your spy missions." Pointing a finger to Sesshomaru, you could tell he was surprised. But then he smirked and let out the slightest retained laugh in a 'hmph'.

"Uh, really, ma'am, it's okay," Kohaku said shyly as he tried to look presentable and stand up straight. "I'm a demon slayer, and recon is part of the deal. Sesshomaru is actually quite the help for training in different situations. Spying is just part of the deal, and the occasional putting out the fire while the fire is small situations too. It's no bother to me, really and I'm hardly alone."

Just then the cutest small creature came out of the forest. Tan with black markings and two tails with large red eyes. Jumping to Kohaku's shoulder, Kilala landed with a 'mew' and rubbed her face along his cheek. "Stop it Kilala, you're fine," he said with a laugh before Kilala jumped to Satomi's shoulder.

"Oh, how cute," Satomi gushed over the large red eyes. Such an old soul for such a little demon. As Satomi touched her fur, she could sense years of dedication to the demon slayer tribe. She also saw glances of her journey with Midoriko, Inu-Yasha's group, and Kohaku. They were few, but she could tell this demon was strong and loved her human and demon companions. "You have many stories behind those eyes, I see." Kilala's head just tilted to the side and another 'mew' followed. "So, is this your companion?"

"Yes, this is Kilala. She was my sister's companion until she settled down with Miroku, so I was given her to help while I continue my training. My family has been protected and fought with her for many years."

"Fight?" she questioned curiously. Kilala then jumped off and with a quick flash of fire transformed into her larger, more formidable form. Satomi looked in wonder as she reached out. Kilala accepted her affection as Satomi scratched under her chin resulting in Kilala's eyes to shut and give a solid pur. "Well, you are a good demon friend, aren't you? I wish Ah-Un was this fuzzy and adorable sometimes."

Sesshomaru cleared his throat and she looked back sheepishly. Did she offend him somehow? The look on his face was strange, was he jealous…? Jealous she gave a demon cat affection over him? Well, he was a dog after all. Kilala transformed back with another flash of fire and sat next to Kohaku in waiting. "We should go back soon. You should rest before we continue on. You may not feel it yet, but I'm sure you will feel that your energy will run out sooner given your recent change. I can already tell your not as energetic as usual, or it could be that day light is not helping. We're in uncharted territory until we know more," Sesshomaru said as he uncrossed his arms and stepped towards Satomi.

Was this man always so demanding and attractive when he walked with purpose? Well, he did now. Almost wanting to step back to get her breath back, she decided against it. However, she didn't quite like how he thought he knew everything. Putting a few things on official terms sounded good right about now to put the dog demon in his place.

"It could very well be that I didn't get any sleep, I've been walking around since this morning and we are getting involved in a war. Why else would I not be my normal energetic self, well I'll tell you why. It could also be because now I'm not even fully human but renting a god's powers and thus became the god of the moon. However, I refuse to let it run my life. If I don't test the limits, there's no way I'll learn. We are in uncharted territory, but here we are. A powerful demon lord of the west and a human goddess trying to win a war when we hardly know anything about the demon trying to start it." Sighing in frustration, she turned on her heel with Kohaku and Rin looking to her with surprise and wonder. "I'm heading back. I presume you have business to attend to while we're here and I don't intend on wasting a trip on pure business to the most beautiful locations she now knew. Her life was already limited, there wasn't any time to waste now.

Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks. That was unexpected, but she did have a point, not that he cared to admit that. He knew probably less than she did, but he didn't want her hurt by pushing herself. She would push the limits, and that meant trouble for him. Why did this woman have to be so stubborn?

Turning around, he headed towards the coast to clear his head. Rin and Kohaku were left to shrug at each other. "I think they're together, and then that happens. I've never seen anyone argue with him before though," Rin said curiously as she looked in both directions.

"I don't think he'd tolerate it if they weren't together," Kohaku said as they both nodded before heading back to the town. "We should probably stay close to Satomi though if that's the case of her changing. You never know with this kind of thing if she'll need some help, right?"

"You're right. She's the type to push herself to the point of being hurt just to protect us. I treasure her here though, so I'd rather not lose her and I'm sure Sesshomaru would be sad if she left us," Rin said smiling sadly to the ground.

"It was strange to see him sad when you died that time in the underworld. He comes off as a cold-hearted demon, but he's kinder than most would think. You're very lucky to have two people who are willing to protect you like that," he said as he put a hand on her shoulder as they walked. "I'd protect you too, Rin."

Rin blushed a bright red. So many people willing to protect her and have protected her. "The whole reason that they are after Satomi is because of me. When they went after Lord Sesshomaru, they were after me to use as leverage. When she protected me and could get through the barrier when he couldn't, that's when this whole thing started. She was a deity and now chosen to fight along side him. I feel horrible, but she acts so happy all the time. I blame myself, but she never looks at me like it's my fault."

"It's because it's not your fault, Rin. You are someone who brings people together, and somehow things work out. It'll all be okay sooner or later. You'll see."

"I hope so." Rin looked to the town and saw everyone hustling about and yet she felt so drained. Maybe that was what was bothering her for some time now, feeling to blame but now that it was out in the open, she felt relieved somehow. "Thanks, Kohaku."

"Damn that demon, now I feel dizzy," Satomi said as she reached her room. Laying down, she felt like she had been up for days now. As much as she hated to admit it, he wasn't completely wrong. The daylight felt like a huge weight and the shade felt like an even bigger relief than when she was human. It was humid, but not insanely so and this type of weather used to feel so nice. Now, she craved the night and the moonlight it provided.

Yelling at him didn't help matters, but it felt good at the time. There had been so much that happened in such a short amount of time that she felt overwhelmed. Turned goddess, slept with Sesshomaru, realized they may never actually be a real couple, and had their first argument and the sun hadn't even set yet on the first day. Her life ended up always being so complicated that this was just another piece of the puzzle.

Falling asleep, she almost felt she could see Sesshomaru in her dreams. For once, it wasn't sexual, just him looking over the sea with a deep in thought look to him. Then there was Rin who was in the courtyard of the palace talking with Kohaku as Kagome and Inu-Yasha joined them. It was peaceful and relaxing to her troubled mind. Everything seemed so real that she couldn't help but feel like she could just reach out and touch them.

"Ah, so you're advancing this far already." Hearing Tsukiyomi talk to her in the back of her mind as the scenery continued, he was just beside her now. "You can split your mind to see different things happening as your body recovers. Sesshomaru is right, you know. You can only push yourself so far for a human body."

"So, this is actually happening?" she asked as she reached forward, and her fingers turned to dust as she touched Rin on the shoulder and they came back as she moved them off.

"Yes, but only as a spectre. You're not physically here and it's more dreamlike. Your lover is worried about you, you know."

"He's not really my lover."

"I'm a god, not blind. It was pretty clear he was loving you last night."

"I meant as a long term, it wouldn't work with the situation of me dying anyway and he's kind of complicated."

"What does that matter? You can love someone for a night more than you've loved someone your whole life, it's not the time it's how you feel."

The scenery moved to Sesshomaru to the coast as he continued to stare off into the distance. Suddenly, he looked over to her, as if staring right at her. "I thought you said I'm not physically here?"

"You're not, he's just more in-tune with you than most given your activities last night. He can't see you, but he can sense your presence. He is a dog demon with impeccable senses and body as you women would put it."

"You're not helping!" Feeling annoyed, she almost wanted to snap out of her dream. But before she could Sesshomaru disappeared. Looking around, she had a feeling of where he may have gone. Appearing beside him, he was standing at the foot of her bed watching her sleep. "How long as he been watching me?"

"Well, in terms of when you met him, almost every night he could. Even if you didn't see him for days on end, he made sure you were safe as you slept. I thought it was creepy at first, but it actually turns out he has some sort of feeling towards you. At first, he reasoned that he wanted to make sure you weren't going to try anything funny, but after watching you with Rin and with him and your changes, he began to trust you and just wanted to keep you safe. That is his duty as a dog demon, to keep his people safe. You are now part of his people."

"Idiot…" she said as Sesshomaru bent down above her sleeping form. Brushing a hair from her face, he touched her cheek tenderly. A tear started to form on her cheek as she watched him treat her so kindly. On her body, the same tear formed and he wiped it away gently. "Why didn't he tell me?"

"He's too proud. He faulted his father for dying for a human, so how could he come to admit he developed feelings for one? Now that you're a goddess, perhaps he feels less burdened. Or maybe more so, he's a little too mysterious for even me, but that's the general idea I have."

"You're still here?"

"Always, I just thought you needed the company considering. Otherwise I tend to stay quiet."

"Good to know."

Smiling, she could feel Tsukiyomi's presence slowly disappear as she too closed her eyes and let Sesshomaru watch her as she slept. Feeling this calm energy rock her to sleep, she felt so safe. He was stubborn, cold, bold, brash, and sometimes inconsiderate… but he was also protective, calm, quiet, and warm.

Opening her eyes, the sun was now setting and Sesshomaru had already gone. But she could feel where he was before, and his scent was everywhere. Smiling, she could feel her energy had returned. Stretching, she could feel her joint's release of all the sleep and stress. It was time to enjoy the evening and see what Kaito had in store for them.

Fixing her hair and clothes, she came out of the room and could sense Sesshomaru in the meeting room as before. Walking in, she could feel both demons look at her with surprise. Had her energy surprised even them, perhaps she was more tired than she thought earlier today.

"You seem refreshed," Kaito said as he smiled warmly as he stood and bowed to her politely. Sesshomaru just looked at her calmly and said nothing.

"I had a small nap. I felt very protected and relaxed, so it must have done wonders for me," she said looking at Sesshomaru pointedly. She swore if he was a blushing demon, he would have with that. However, what she did get was an averted glance to the side.

"Like a fish in water, the night suits you, goddess," Kaito said before clearing his throat. "The generals will be in tomorrow afternoon, otherwise you're welcome to enjoy the town as you wish. There are people who have heard rumors of your arrival and would love to see the goddess herself. However, it is your choice to do what you will. Sesshomaru and I were just discussing how much you need to be involved exactly, but I think it would be good for moral and he thinks it would just be a parading around using you."

"I wouldn't mind giving hope to them. With three regions uniting, I doubt I'm needed to secure a win, but if it helps then I'm okay with that. The North is rumored to be brutal and far from honorable from the sounds of it. Any form of help I can provide, I will as much as I can."

"We are in your debt, goddess."

"I don't want women to miss their men or think they're not going to come home. The war only starts at the battlefield, it never truly ends though. I want this over for them as well," she added knowing the lasting pain of war was long after the battles took place.

"Spoken wisely," he said understanding what she meant. As male demons, they thought of the battle, but a woman had the aftermath to worry about.

"In any case, I'll tour the town tonight and tomorrow as well. If they wish to approach me, then that's fine and well. I'll welcome their attention to ease their minds."

"You need not do that much," Sesshomaru urged as he narrowed his eyes. "It would be too easy for someone who is less inclined to want your help to get to you and potentially try to take your life. You are why they can go into battle confidently, and if you are hurt before that even happens, think of the drop in morale as a result."

"Then I suppose a strong demon will have to guard me more than usual," she said looking to him with a smile. "I'll be fine and the war effort will be as well. Is there anything else, my lords?"

"Nothing that can't wait for tomorrow when the generals arrive," Kaito said as he rose up along with Sesshomaru. "I'll let you do as you will this evening and if you need anything just ask."

Nodding, Satomi turned and headed out of the door as Sesshomaru followed intently. As they went further down the hall, she could feel the heat of his gaze practically burn holes down her back. "I take it you don't approve?"

"Correct. This is foolish." It was practically a growl as she stopped and faced him.

"You are a demon that does not require extra courage to fight a war he doesn't understand. There are those that are going to battle simply because they are told, they are the ones that need the motivation that the favor is on their side along with their lovers that await their return," she said stepping towards him and putting a hand on his cheek.

He leaned ever so slightly into her touch and sighed in frustration. "You're impossible," he said as he covered the hand on his cheek with his own and turned his face so he could kiss her palm. "If anyone tries to harm you, I'll kill them first."

"Now who's the impossible one?" Smiling as she watched his gentle act, he simply remained silent. "Who says I really need protecting?"

"Until we know your limits and powers, you will always be protected."

He released her hand and walked ahead of her now as she followed to the busy streets. Many met her with reservations at first as the recognized that they were not from the town originally. Sesshomaru was more noticeable, but soon they realized who she was. Children and women talked with her as the men were too afraid to directly with Sesshomaru lingering, but they watched in awe as her aura seemed to sparkle around her. Her clothes hadn't changed yet, but she could feel her power massing, as if their attention powered her.

When the evening had died down, she found herself by the shore. Watching quietly, she sang a lullaby as the waves rolled into the sand at her feet over and over and Sesshomaru watched intently. It was hauntingly beautiful, this woman in the moonlight singing as the water continued to move towards her as the moon itself commanded the seas to. This memory would linger, he had a feeling for the centuries to come in his mind.