7

His eyes widened at her request, and she smiled coyly in return. Not letting go of her wrist, he unconsciously gripped it tighter. The feeling in that hand slowly diminished, but she stood her ground waiting for his verbal reaction. He was almost adorable with how unsure he was to take that information. His eyes and heart were saying two different things, his eyes were cold, but she could hear his heart beat ever so faster. Even if it was faint, she could tell if he didn't acknowledge something for the human girl then his heart betrayed him.

"Well, what will it be? My help or hoping she will be able to harness a deity's power on her own if I am not fully able to give it. I leave the choice up to you, Sesshomaru," she said unyielding her eyes to his. His amber eyes entranced her even if they didn't tell his true intentions. The deity was able to be as unrelenting and that made him uncomfortable, if not a little frustrated. Oh, she would enjoy this. "I know what I would choose, and if you are who I know you to be, you do not gamble. You calculate very carefully and you…"

He outstretched towards her shoulder with his other arm and pulled her forward. His head bent down ever so slightly as she was caught completely unaware. Her eyes widened and met with his as his lips came down to hers firmly. Ungraceful, but far from uncomfortable, she closed her eyes out of instinct and let his demon powers flow through her. Slowly awakening, she could feel her deity power stretching out of its small quarters and out of her body. Golden flecks swarmed them like fireflies as she no longer needed his kiss for power, but all for pleasure.

His own eyes had shut for a moment before opening them and moving away from her. Sesshomaru could feel her power and looked at her expecting an answer in return. "Do we have a deal?"

"With a performance like that, it's hard to say no," she said with a shrug and smile to taunt him. "At least I could hardly say you hate the human girl…" Trailing off, she could tell he was not impressed with her insight. Or rather, he wished she hadn't noticed at all. "Something I said? You shouldn't be so serious." Shaking a finger at him, she laughed innocently as she spun on her tip toes and took in the night sky. "I never thought I'd be able to see the light of day again. That cave was so dark, and her soul was so sad. It took all I had to keep her alive. She almost had Naraku if she would have tapped into my powers. I became dormant after two years of protecting her, but now I can see the moon again. Thanks to you, Sesshomaru. You have my thanks."

"I did not do it for you," he said simply as he walked away and back inside. She smiled and waved him off as she looked to the sky and enjoyed the night sky in solitude.

"The one and only has come

And there can only be one

And at last I am here.

Why can't I even breathe standing in the wreckage

The rain, a lullaby

So, I close my eyes

I'm powerless

I'm meaningless

Like every scar…

Through it all I can hear

Someone whispering 'come near'"

Listening from safe within the walls, he found himself curious about this deity. No wonder his father would have found himself curious as well. The realization half left him proud to be like his father and disgusted at the thought. Humans were tolerable, but a deity was unknown. As if to be a ghost one could almost reach but disappear and this one asked for his power. Never kissing a woman before, he could only go off what he noticed in passing. The actual event was interesting. The passing of power but something else as well. He could see her as she could, against his wishes, see him. Vulnerable is the last way he wanted someone to see him. This deity would be a problem with that if she was so demanding with her desires and wants. Turning to walk further to his study, he readied himself to be guarded around her from now on.

Hours passed as she enjoyed the moon light as if fueled her own powers, however the dark started to subside and now it was time for the human to stir. Sighing, she snapped her fingers and appeared inside her room with a shocked Maori who had just awoken from the small mattress on the floor. Pressing her fingers to her lips, the deity winked as she let the human fall into the bed. Her hair turned from the light blonde to her dark tresses and her blue eyes turned brown and dazed as she closed them.

"Oh, my," Maori said as she walked over to Satomi. "What have we done, now?" Observing her as she slept, she could hear Rin in the other room. Thinking it wise to let Satomi sleep, she left the room closed off and went with Rin to retrieve a small breakfast for their day. Thinking on the transformation, she was curious what was going on with Satomi all night. However, she could smell the demon lord's scent on her. Not a sexual scent, just his general scent in her presence. The thought was interesting enough without the idea of the two actually being a couple. But then… they would be so… well, interesting.

Putting the thought from her mind, she entertained Rin as she sensed Satomi was still in bed with half the day gone. Sesshomaru was in his study, probably going over war plans, and Rin was being curious about the grounds since the company was gone. The gardens, the baths, the kitchens, anything she could get her hands on without leaving the protected grounds was explored. The estate had many levels and she wanted to see them all. Most were extra rooms for guests and training and tea ceremonies when necessary. However, Maori could tell most were not used due to how long it had been since Sesshomaru entertained here. Or rather, he never did entertain at all.

Making their way for the formal dining hall, the smell of delicious food wafted in the air. It was only the two of them, but they made due. Rin seemed unbothered by Sesshomaru's lack of appearance. Perhaps he left her from time to time with that weird Jaken fellow. Speaking of, she hadn't seen him since a couple days ago and he was hard to miss… sight and vocally. Perhaps out on a mission of sorts. That staff of his could do some damage from the looks of it.

Going to the bath's after dinner, it was then that Maori noticed Rin didn't really talk as much. She seemed content, however, she would hum to herself or entertain herself for the most part. The baths were amazing as always, and she was so pleased to be Rin's escort this day and that the young girl had asked her to join as well. A couple of pods away, she was listening to the girl's humming again.

"Rin, how did you meet lord Sesshomaru?" she asked curiously.

"He brought me back to life and he never told me to leave, so I didn't. I stayed with humans for a time, but it was also with his younger brother," she said as if it was a normal day. Being brought back to life was a very abnormal thing.

"Back to life?"

"I was killed by wolf demons and then again when he was completing a trial. He could only revive me once, but his mother revived me the second time. It's strange though, I don't feel like I should be dead yet and yet it happened twice."

As if that was the weirdest thing about the situation that she died twice…and demons revived her. The mother of Sesshomaru was not one to do such things lightly. Toga was the only one who could make her do such a thing, or even Sesshomaru. She was a kind woman, but not to be crossed. Hell hath no fury, as they say. With the war impending, it was no doubt Sesshomaru would ask her guidance as his father was no longer alive to ask himself. Maori could faintly remember the uproar when Toga went to marry a human woman. Sesshomaru lashed out claiming he was stronger than his father, his father was weak for leaving his mother. However, she simply told him that he was the Lord of the West. Nothing harsh, nothing malicious, just meaning that he had the power to do what he wished and so he did. Her life was still in good standing and that was all she needed with her son.

The memory sparked other odd things of the demon lord, but more so just spoiled brat moments than anything else. Servants being told what to do and it wasn't good enough… really annoying back then actually. However, everyone just did because they felt he was just lashing out. It was soon after that he left to find his own path and then Toga's passing which drove him even further into isolation. Sad, really, she thought as she came back from the memory with Rin wanting to leave.

Satomi had risen since then although she knew not when, and she could sense her presence nearby. Opening the doors from the bath house, they saw her in a dark green yukata this time looking at the water with her knees drawn up to her chin as she sat next to a stream. Smiling at them she waved as Rin and Maori. Rin ran to give her a hug and they smiled intently. The likeness was uncanny really, Hana had told her about their relationship, but seeing them laughing and talking really made it obvious. Warming really. They chatted about how Satomi overslept, not knowing about the woman being out all night, and how Rin explored everywhere in this place today. Any little thing Rin could find to talk about she did. In contrast to her quiet personality all day.

And the days passed like this, Sesshomaru coming and going while the girls found ways to entertain themselves for hours. Finding instruments, Satomi taught Rin how to play a Hocchiku (vertical Japanese flute) and Koto. It was horrendous to Maori's ears, but the humans had their fun. At one-point Sesshomaru had even walked by to see what all the racket was about. He was less than amused but didn't alert the humans to his presence and went back to his study.

For dinner he would join them for sake, disappear and then reappear the next day occasionally. It had been quiet, and it made him uneasy. For a demon charge that was so brash, the fact they were quiet now was not what he had in mind. However, he hadn't seen the deity since that night and wanted to keep it that way. If she kept her bargain, his pride could take the small hit it had. Lesson learned now.

"Kinoko, you disappoint me," a male demon with defined muscles with his black sleeveless happi and dark red hakamas said maliciously as her body was tied to a large pole. He was lashing out at her with his fire demon powers. The burns healed fast enough as she screamed out in pain. "I thought I told you to kill the Western Lord, not toy with the second rate. Now he knows and now we no longer have the element of surprise, and now I am resisting the urge to kill you. Two weeks has passed, and we have nothing to show. My brother almost took these lands and you are getting in my way of reclaiming victory, you stupid woman."

"Jirou, I… AHHHH," she screamed as he lashed out over and over until she was near death. Releasing her of her bonds he left her on the floor of their castle to the north. They were in the dungeons now, but he walked as a few servants bowed to him as he passed. Not many as he killed most just out of enjoyment. The fire demons would rise again, come hell and high water, he enjoyed the idea of hell rising like it once had many centuries ago. The damn dog demon… he would die in his father's stead. The half breed hardly interested him, at least until the older brother died. When he was done they would all be dead. Every one of them.

A wicked smile graced his lips as he reached a walkway outside. His view was high on Mount Asahi, the volcano that humans' thought was quiet he slowly reawakened. Soon it would blow and all he wished for would come true. This castle was built on the arrogance of humans to rule a volcano. Only he could do that, but they made it nice in the meantime. His stance on taking over Japan looked more and more possible each passing day.

One of his other female and a male subordinate, both water demons of the South bowed to him. Brother and sister, tan and black haired, the sister with a body he regularly took advantage of, and her brother who was just as muscular as him but less smart as far as Jirou was concerned, they were a pair that was hard to beat. Even for him years ago, he had a lot of fun in that battle which was why they weren't killed. "We shall go kill Sesshomaru," the brother, Hayate, said with a bow. "Hibiki and I will not fail you as Kinoko did."

"You best not or I may just kill you," was all he said as they bowed again and disappeared from his sight. Folding his arms across his chest, he took in a deep breath. If this did not work, he would take the pleasure himself to kill the damn dog. Yes, this would be a good war to stretch out his abilities.