Cursed

A/N: Hope you are enjoying the ride provided by my twisted mind ;)

Enjoy  No lemons in this one, only semi-clean fun ;-)

Sakura had insisted, much to Sesshoumarou’s displeasure, to go and pay one last visit to his half brother and his mate to check up on the pups’ health. She had sensed the demon lord’s impatience and did not linger, bidding the little family her best wishes before leaving. Kaede had been kind enough to give her a few miko outfits, as well as a bow, quiver and arrows. The skins of the animals that had been slain the previous days were also given to her, though she did not know what she would do with them yet. Perhaps once arrived at Sesshoumarou’s castle she would have the time to stretch and work them. She had worked with leather and pelts since a very young age, and her determination and patience made her quite capable in this art.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Sakura did not notice that the demon lord was throwing side glances at her and her weird bundle. Why she had decided to keep the pelts and skins of the animals that were killed the previous day was beyond him. Their smell also bothered his sensitive nose, and he couldn’t help himself as he spoke: “Pray tell, my miko, why is it that you have kept those disgusting smelling skins and not yet discarded them?” She gave him a playful grin while answering: “I did not know that their smell was so offensive, lord Sesshoumarou... had I known, I would have left them in the village, where someone could have worked them into something useful. If you had said something back there, I would have refused them and insisted on them keeping the lot. Now, it just seems like quite a waste to just abandon them here...”

The demon lord narrowed his eyes. Though it did not please him, he could not argue with her logic. He knew that she would not have argued with him had he asked her to leave them behind. She smirked when he did not argue and then added: “Besides, I really enjoy working skins and furs. I’ve developed quite a skilful hand at it. While you are busy with taking care of your lordship business, I’ll have to find things to keep myself busy if not I’ll go stir crazy.” She winked at him cheerfully, while saying: “One of our head miko use to say all the time idle hands are the devil’s playground, I agree with her...” Sesshoumarou had never heard that expression before, and he asked: “Explain, my miko.”

She looked at him and tried to find the best way to explain this expression: “Well, it applies mostly to children, whom will find mischief in every corner if their hands are not busy...” The demon lord nodded and agreed with what she was saying: “Hn, I can see how this saying translate to children, but not to adults.” Sakura thought for a moment before answering: “If you think of how soldiers holding a siege, bored from the lack of challenges battle brings will start being implicated in all kinds of larceny, from simple theft to full out plunder and pillage... does this make any sense?”

Sesshoumarou nodded to acquiesce. He had seen the phenomenon more than once and knew it quite well. It was indeed one of the reasons why he was always reluctant to choose a siege as a strategy, as it was an inefficient way to wage war. Not only did it take months of preparation, one also had to battle with neighbouring towns and had to account for the losses then. Also, the long periods on inaction made the men wary, lazy and unruly. His little miko had chosen quite a good example.

He enjoyed the conversations he had with her. Not only was she well versed in many subjects, she seemed to have an opinion about everything, and was able to argue her point in intelligent ways. He wanted to find out more about her, about her shrine: “Tell me about the shrine where you grew up, my miko.”
She sighed slightly, remembering about the temple that had been her home for nearly a quarter of a century. She did not know where to start...

She finally decided that she would start with her own beginning: “I was brought there when only a few days old. My mother died, pregnant of me, and I was rescued by a monk, who left me in the care of the mikos at that shrine. As I grew, it was obvious that I was different from other children. Not only did I learn faster, I performed better and mastered techniques that would take years to acquire in weeks. I was considered as a master archer by the age of eight.” She then took a deep breath before continuing, her voice slightly bitter: “Our shrine was not rich, and the dwindling numbers of followers and tourists made it hard to maintain the shrine properly. One of our head mikos saw in my talents a chance for profit. Pulling in all the favours that were owed, I was trained in hundreds of disciplines. When, by the age of ten, my spiritual powers where stronger than that of all the mikos under our shrines roof combined, our shrine began offering house exorcisms and blessings. I also dealt with possessions, and had a package deal if exorcism and house blessing was combined.”

The last bit was completely sarcastic, though she would not have put it below their head miko. When she noticed that the demon lord was looking at her intently, waiting for her to continue, she pursued her story: “When I was twelve, I could say that my life took a rather interesting tangent. I was sent to bless a new tea house that the Ladies of the Willow world had recently opened.” Her face almost took a saddened expression, one that Sesshoumarou could only associate with nostalgia, overshadowing her beautiful featured. He did not want to bring her out of her reminiscence, but couldn’t help but ask: “Ladies of the Willow world?” She smiled sadly and answered: “Geishas”

Sesshoumarou nodded, though he had never heard a miko speak of the geishas in a polite way, even less hear them addressed as ladies. She continued her story, not paying attention to the interruption: “I was very young at the time, and older mikos had filled my head with prejudices about the place. They had even told me that I would be entering a place of sin and debauchery, and that I would most likely come back having lost my innocence.” Her voice was now laced with poison as she continued: “If any of them knew what debauchery went on within the walls of that shrine, their ears would curl...”

She paused to regain her composure before continuing her story: “As I arrived at the tea house, I could sense malignant spirits surrounding the place. As I made my way through the grounds, I could feel that a simple blessing would not suffice, and I would probably be spending hours battling with the spirit present, forcing it to the netherworld. That is when I met the mama-san responsible for that particular house. When I was introduced to her, I knew that she was one of the kindest person I had ever had the pleasure of meeting. She had such charisma and presence that it was hard not to notice her. When I explained the situation, she seemed wary, as if I was trying to get more money from her. I knew I had then read her correctly. She seemed to relax when I told her I would do the exorcism for free, if she promised she wouldn’t tell my head miko. I did not know at the time that a great bond of friendship would form between the two of us.”

The demon lord could not help raising a thin eyebrow at the thought of a Mama-san actually befriending a young miko. The animosity between the two ‘professions’ had always been open, each thinking themselves better than the other.
She smiled at his puzzled look and continued: “She seemed to think that she was in debt towards me. Since I had shown interest in the arts, she offered to teach me what she knew. She gave me lessons and was pleased with the fact that I was a fast learner. She also gave me the most important gift of all, a place to run away to, when times got to tough at the shrine. I was quite disappointed when she told me that she had nothing else to teach me. However, she invited me to come and visit her as a friend instead of as a student. So I continued my routine, and rather than play the flute or the shamisen, or read new poetry, we would discuss actuality and politics, having heated debates about the latest book we’ve read... It was quite therapeutic for me.” She paused while she remembered the woman that she had loved as a mother.

Feeling the demon lord’s eyes burning a head through her skull, she continued: “When our head miko discovered my little escapades, she forbade me to ever go back to her. She chaperoned all my exits, and had me escorted around the grounds. I was able to keep a secret correspondence with her, but it wasn’t the same. The head miko found out about my unofficial training from the mama-san, and decided to branch out, offering special evening services. I was quite a rare item to have, and quite an expensive one as well. Instead of poetry I would do incantations and prayers, instead of playing the shamisen, I would do a sword dance, all while being able to converse and serve tea or sake in a very elegant way.” Her tone was sarcastic and Sesshoumarou could see how she did not appreciate what her superior had her do. He waited for her to continue and was rewarded: “When I was fourteen, I entered university and then graduated medical school with honours in barely one year. I then received, the following year an honorific doctorate in physics for work I did on particle physics, followed by numerous titles and diplomas. It made me a somewhat of an international attraction and grew our shrine’s fame exponentially. You could say that this was my blessing and my curse...” As she saw the demon lords puzzled eyes locked on her, she continued: “You can imagine that a certain priest did not like all the attention around me, and thought is wise to move away...” She smiled at that last bit before she continued: “But on the other hand, my life became a circus. I was on display every waking hours of the day, every day. It is very hard to find peace and quiet, when you are constantly being solicited. I was not only being thrown left right and center to give seminars and classes on various subjects; I was also expected to perform my regular priestess duties...”

She then stopped and blushed, her eyes slightly wide. Sesshoumarou couldn’t but ask: “What is wrong, my miko?” She gave an embarrassed laugh before answering: “I just realized that you had asked me about the shrine I had grown up on... and there I am, ranting about my past... I apologize Lord Sesshoumarou, I did not want to bother you with cumbersome information...” She was now looking on the ground when she nearly bumped into a hard chest. She had not noticed that the demon lord was now standing in front of her.

He held her chin in between is index and his thumb, raising her face until her turquoise pupils met burning amber, before he spoke: “My miko, you have given me a very clear picture of what the shrine you grew up on was like.” He paused before continuing: “If I thought that details about your life were cumbersome, I would not be traveling with you.” His gaze intensified as his face was slowly leaning down into hers. He placed his free hand on her waist gently, almost afraid that she would back away if she realized that it was there. He let his nose touch the ridge of hers as he was moving closer to the forbidden, heart shaped fruit that he longed for. Ever since he had first tasted her lips, their taste had lingered and had obsessed him, and he wanted more.

Her eyes were slowly closing, as her lips were drawing closer to his. His warm breath over her face felt like a soft summer breeze. His eyes were burning with an intensity that was almost scary to the young miko, but then again, she felt drawn to them. Just like a butterfly that was attracted to light, she wanted to drown herself in the amber fire that was dancing before her. She only hoped that she would not burn her wings in the process...
Sesshoumarou felt the heat of her body against his, and drew great pride in seeing her pleasure-glazed eyes. After what felt like an eternity, his lips finally connected with hers, harder than the times before. He felt her small hand reaching for his neck and felt shivers down his spine as her soft skin rubbed against his. She curled her fingers his hair, running blunt nails against the lower parts of his skull. He couldn’t suppress a growl of pleasure and almost regretted it, as she seemed tense up when he did.

Sakura thought that she might have been to bold when she started running her fingers through his silky hair. She had fantasized about it since first meeting him. She now understood why men fawned over her head of hair and tried to find ways to touch it... ‘For heaven’s sakes!’ she thought ‘the man let me give him a hand job, he could let me get close to his hair...’ She did not know what to do, whether to leave the offensive hand in its place or removing it. She decided to not move and wait to see what he would do, as he would most likely tell her in the bluntest of ways if he did not enjoy it. That’s when intruding thoughts began pouring into her mind. She smirked internally, knowing that Sesshoumarou’s beast would give her the best pointers as to how to proceed...

‘Our miko is touching us... her skin is so soft’ the beast purred ‘Yes, it sure is,’ answered Sesshoumarou ‘Why did she stop moving, it felt so great...’ whined the beast, ‘I think our growl scared her’ answered Sesshoumarou ‘Do something so she continues, so she understand it was a sound of pleasure... she brings us great pleasure, our little miko... touch her hair in the same way so she continues...’ commanded the beast. Sesshoumarou sighed internally. He knew that if he did not do anything, the miko might withdraw from the kiss and he certainly did not want that. He had no intentions of pushing this little moment further than this kiss, and maybe a little groping, but he did not want it to end so quickly. Before he moved the hand that was holding her chin to the back of her head, he was reminded that she could still hear his thoughts as he felt her relax and continue moving her hands through his hair.

He decided to do the same, and slid his hand at the back of her head. Instead of keeping his touch light as hers, he used this new anchorage to deepen their kiss, his body now inflamed with passion. He felt slightly frustrated, as he could see that she was clearly enjoying the moment that they were in, he could not smell any arousal from her. He scent had hardly changed since they had begun kissing. She could be out and about picking daisies, as far as the demon lord was concerned. He held her closer to his body, earning him a small moan coming from his miko.

He took it as a cue, and let his smooth tongue run the curve of her bottom lip. She let him tease her bottom lip for a few seconds, before opening her own mouth. Sesshoumarou was about to let his tongue assault her mouth and explore thoroughly each tooth, ridges and folds when her reaction surprised him. He had expected her to be mildly submissive and let him go on with his ministrations, when he felt her tongue flick his playfully. At first, it was only small tentative nudges, but as she grew in assurance, her tongue began to become bolder. He felt as if she now had it in her mind to explore his mouth before he explored hers. He would let her have no say in the matter, as he would win this fight for dominance. He allowed his tongue to twirl with hers, locked in a waltz that seemed to last forever. Something flashed in Sesshoumarou’s mind, very briefly.

If he were to guide her to become more trusting, and also if he was to himself learn how to actually surrender to someone, he had to relinquish dominance in certain aspects of his life. He decided to let her win this fight, and allowed her tongue to fully enter his mouth. He felt her other available hand join her sister on the nape of his neck. He also felt her demeanour change. Where she had been uncertain, she was now bold. Where she was scared, she was now confident. The prey had now become the predator. He felt her press her large breasts against his chest. She was now leaning into him, devouring his mouth.

She let her tongue run the roof of his mouth, memorizing each ridge. She then ran her appendage on his teeth, feeling each one individually. She applied too much pressure on his fangs, causing them to slightly cut into the soft epithelial tissue, giving the demon lord a taste of her blood. He had given her full alpha role in the kiss. She, a human miko, was now in an alpha position with the most powerful demon she had ever encountered. The thought sent shivers down her spine. She also felt a new tingling throughout her body. As if fireflies were dancing on each and every one of her lower abdomen nerve endings, small sparkles of pleasure lit up her body.

Sesshoumarou picked up on the change in her scent instantly. He nearly roared in triumph when he smelt the sweat and spicy scent of her arousal. He almost climaxed from the scent. He used all of his acquired self control to not let any of his inner turmoil transpire and distract his miko. He almost cursed as he felt his beast, and winced internally when it spoke to him ‘Our miko likes to be alpha...’ it purred ‘Quiet’ ordered Sesshoumarou, almost whispering, ‘we like it with our miko in charge, she is so strong, will surely be a very strong pack leader... so powerful... we like her being our alpha’ Sesshoumarou sighed internally, whishing it could find a way to gag the foul mouthed lecherous beast. Sesshoumarou was surprised that the miko did not stop with the kiss...

Sakura had heard the argument that the demon lord had had with his beast. She had already suspected that he had willingly given up control and let her work at her own pace. What she did not expect was that his beast actually enjoyed giving the reigns to someone else, and Sesshoumarou did not seem to argue with it. He had actually tried to silence it so that she would not pull away. She felt a certain pride in this, and since he did not want her to stop, she would indulge him. After all, he had let her take control; he had taken a step in the right direction. If he was able to surrender himself to her, he would be able to do so with a potential mate. ‘Interesting, she thought, I only hope things go as smoothly once we find this soul mate of his...’

The kiss seemed to last for an eternity, and yet it almost felt as if less than a second had passed to the demon lord. He wished he could have spent all of his long life in this moment, wrapped in her arms, her body pressed against his. He knew that his whish would not be exhausted today, as his demonic senses suddenly felt a strong aura approaching. He enjoyed the kiss until the very last moment, until both their lives were in danger, and just as he was about to break up their tight embrace, his miko surprised him once again.

Sakura had felt the demon approaching for quite some time. She had been used to never completely let go of her senses. She had been taught at a very young age that if you stopped paying attention to your surroundings, you could easily become a prey. It was the difference between the panther and the zebra, and she was no zebra. She felt the demon approaching, and at the very last second she reluctantly broke the kiss she had shared with Sesshoumarou. He had let her assume alpha position, and it was only fair that she carried it through. As alpha, it was her duty to protect him and she would do so rightfully. She held out her right hand, and called out to the demon that was locked within her as she said: ‘I need your Ochaida, now, demon. When I came of age, you said that I could use it any time I wanted, all I needed to do was ask... I’m not asking, I’m telling you, I need it NOW.’ Her inner voice roared as she spoke. She heard a deep chuckle, and then the demon answered ‘There was no need to lose your temper... here you go, protect what is yours.’ The demon’s words puzzled her, but Sakura pushed the thoughts aside, as she felt the giant sword take form in her hand.

Sakura knew that she was strong enough to wield the giant demon sword. She was, however, worried about the demonic aura surrounding the sword and how it would react to her miko aura. When the sword materialized in her hand, all her doubts were silenced. The sword felt as if it belonged in her hand. It felt at home. It pulsed with a soothing energy. Sakura knew that the sword in her hand must have weighed a good 500 to 600 pounds; it felt light as a feather. She almost felt clumsy carrying it, as she did not have the weight of the sword to balance out her own. She spun around to face the direction in which the demonic aura was coming from.

Breaking from trees onto the path they had just walked jumped an enormous beast. To Sakura, it looked like a cross between a bore and a bear. It was standing upright and was about twenty feet tall. Its large hands showcased razor-sharp claws that were about fifteen inches long, and reminded the miko of grizzly paws. Its face was entirely bore, both of his tusks adding to his great might. His body was covered with dark brown coarse hair. He did not wear any clothes, and Sakura had to refrain from gagging from the sight of the appendage that was dangling from between his legs.

Sakura heard the demon lord let out a deep growl behind her. She smiled at the sound. She would stay between the two demons, as she had every intentions of defeating the foul smelling beast standing before her. Before she could swing her sword, the bore-bear spoke quickly: “It’s her...” Sakura did not have the time to register before his entire body was engulfed in blue flame.

Sakura read his levels of energy and knew that he was no match for her. She had monthly sparing matches with a demon that far exceeded his levels, and she knew that he would not even prove to be a challenge. Still, being a miko, she hated to shed blood and take lives. She then said: “Demon, this is your only chance to live. Turn around and leave.” The demon chuckled at her bold answer and said: “Miko, you have caught the attention of a very powerful being. He has offered a reward to any who can bring the miko of the four seasons to him. I have just become a very powerful and rich demon today...” He trailed of, and before he could realise what was happening, we was struck by the side of a giant sword.

Sakura had every intentions of killing the disgusting demon, but she wanted answers to the questions that were assailing her mind. She had hit him with her large demon sword, using its side, as though it was a large paddle. Her speed surprised the demon and she was able to land a strong blow. He flew about thirty feet in the air and landed some seventy feet away. In the blink of the eye, she was standing next to him, the pointy end of her sword snug against his neck. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke: “Demon, answer this question and I will give you a swift end. Answer falsely or not at all and you will suffer and beg me to end your life.”

Sesshoumarou had watched the strange spectacle from a distance and was quite please with his miko. She could hold her own, and her battle stances were the product of years of training. He appreciated the fluidity of her movement, and how she made it look easy to an untrained eye. He had felt chills run down his spine, when she had spoken her ultimatum to the demon lying on the floor, in a cold, heartless voice. He suddenly was glad that she was on his side. He had mentally snickered when she had to him that, at such a young age, she was a weapons master, not believing her. He now knew that she was quite a skilled swordsman. He made a mental note to invite her to a friendly sparring, to truly see her level of expertise. Somehow, he knew that with some effort, he could probably win, due to centuries of experience, paired with his demonic abilities... probably. He also knew that if faced with a weapon other than the sword, she would most likely best him. He stared at the miko with a new found awe. Something lit up in his mind, a new tactic was forming.

The demon lord had already been pondering on ways to keep his miko close to him, even after she had repaid her debt. He felt that she would just leave after the curse was broken, and that did not sit well with him. He wanted her to stay close to him, as he enjoyed her presence so much. He had thought about offering her an official title within his council. He knew that the other ministers would greatly frown upon the addition of a human miko, a female to top things off, but he couldn’t care less. He had a problem, and this provided a solution. He just had to find a role suitable for her. His weapon’s master was getting old, and perhaps he would accept her as an apprentice. However, Sesshoumarou doubted that she would find the position challenging enough to occupy it for more than one full cycle of seasons.

As he was lost in his thoughts, Sesshoumarou lost track of the exchange between the miko and the demon.
The demon snickered at the miko. She looked down at him, and said: “Tell me who sends you, and why.” He spat on her sword and said: “If a weak human such as yourself can hold this, it must not do much harm...” Sakura narrowed her eyes into two slits. She did not take well to insults. In one swift swoop, she chopped of his right hand by simply planting her sword in the ground, where his wrist was laying. She repositioned it as swiftly on his jugular, her eyes burning into his. He squirmed slightly but quickly regained his arrogance and drew his lips in a tight line. She said, her voice laced with poison: “Answer the question, demon.” He looked her in the eye and said: “Come with me and you’ll find out for yourself...”

With this remark, she positioned her sword above his left wrist. She held his gaze as a small smirk appeared on her face. She lowered the sword in a slow, steady pace. She made a clean cut, removing his second clawed appendage. She then commented: “I hope this demon promised you a lot, as you are now going to have to find someone to feed you for the rest of your life...”

Sesshoumarou was speechless, as he watched the miko act. He had seen her be compassionate and kind, caring about the wounded selflessly. He was now watching her be cold and cruel, in both her actions and her words. He licked his lips while watching her tower over the fallen demon. Though her demeanour had been very passive and polite, she was now a force to be reckoned with. She had a goal and would use all means to get to it. He smiled internally as he was glad to have her as an ally. He then took a decision. He would make her in charge of organising this ball she had suggested. This would make her a special retainer on his council, one implicated in the planning of special events. It would allow him to evaluate her interactions with his council members, and see her strengths. He was in need of a new head of council, and whomever she would replace would assume this role.

The miko continued her slow torture until his four limbs were nothing but stubs. She knew that by now, the demon would hold his peace. Her miko senses where telling her to put an end to his suffering and let him cross to the other world. Her dark miko training was telling her to set a Dark Fire around him, plunging him in an eternal hell of pain and suffering.

She had had both her natures fight since she had reached adulthood. Her training had included the dark arts, since her head miko wanted her to be well rounded in all subjects. The training took a little too well in Sakura’s case. The abuse she had gone through as a child as left deep scars within both her mind and soul, and would corrupt her pure powers from time to time, when she felt threatened. She was able to keep it in check most of the time, as she was now, balancing her evil intentions with her good ones.

Suddenly, another voice started making her long for something else. Part of her wanted to continue tearing into his flesh and shower in his blood and gore. She was quick to push these thoughts aside. Her point was not to simply revel in a blood bath, but get an answer to her question and find out who was after her. Quickly, images of blood, tripe and other organs filled her mind. She stepped away from the demon lying on the floor, as it was not her wish to do something she would later regret. Sakura knew that what she had done was cruel, but what she had done was to get an answer out of him, and get to the source of the conflict, so not innocents would be implicated. She could fight the darkness in her, demanding for an eternal punishment. The miko knew that greed had motivated the demon, and though reprehensible, did not deserve more punishment than he had already suffered.

Sakura turned to the demon lord, whom had been watching the entire scene with avid interest. She looked into his golden orbs, and said: “Lord Sesshoumarou, I see now that he will not speak... I struggle with what to do next, would you please assist me?” Sesshoumarou lifted an eyebrow, as he was surprised that she had actually asked for assistance. To him, this did not show weakness. He admired the fact that she was able to admit that the solutions to her problem displeased her, and seek advice. He looked into her turquoise eyes, and answered: “My miko, what solutions have you considered?”

She sighed deeply before answering. She knew that her thoughts were not what people expected of a miko. However, so far, Sesshoumarou had proven himself to be quite open minded about what she said, so she started: “A part of me wants to put him out of his misery, as there is no point in continuing this.” She said, gesturing towards the pieces of severed limbs on the floor. His burning eyes urged her to continue, and she complied: “Another part of me demands that I engulf him in a Dark Fire.” She waited to see if he had questions, but seemed familiar with the dark spell. She finally added: “Another part of me... a new voice I might say, one that I have never had to battle before is asking for more blood to be shed, for his gore to line the forest...” Her voice trailed off as she was now looking to the ground.

Sesshoumarou smiled internally, as he knew what her internal struggle was. It was hard to face an enemy and not wish to bathe ones hands in their blood. He guessed that though she had plenty of battle training, she had experienced very little bloodshed, and that she did not understand the emotions that she was currently going through. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she raised her gaze to meet his. He spoke in a tender tone: “My miko, one very simple option remains...” She frowned as he spoke, wondering what he meant. He continued: “Simply walk away.”

His tone was still tender, but held a certain command to it, and she knew that she could not ignore it. As he saw that she was struggling with his last comment, he said: “It is the simplest way to act. There is nothing left to gain from remaining here. He will not give you any more information, and you will not further torture him, nor will you give him eternal torment, and you do not seem inclined in bathing in his blood. I therefore recommend that we just leave.” He saw her internal struggle, and continued: “Do you think that this beast of a demon ever showed any form of compassion or mercy during his killings? I think he could be categorised to the group of vicious killers, who take joy in torturing their preys. Do you really think that such a killer would deserve a merciful execution? Just let him die, and let nature take care of the rest...” with his words, the demon lord turned around and started walking across their path.

Sakura took one last look at the demon lying on the cold forest floor and followed behind Sesshoumarou. She did not need her demon sword anymore, and it vanished into the ether. She started to feel guilt grip her, as she thought about her recent actions. She was a miko, trained in the arts of healing, and yet she had just tortured an enemy, and was leaving him to die alone. She nearly turned back before Sesshoumarou interrupted her.

The demon lord had noticed the struggle she was going through. He also understood why it did not sit well with her. He wanted to ease her mind, and hopped that what he was about to tell her would help. He started, his voice smooth and silky: “Did you know, my little miko, that your ancestors were warriors?” When she answered with a frown, he continued: “Their goals were to protect humans from demons and evil doers. They were skilled fighters, and used their strong auras to inflict serious injuries to demons of all levels of powers. Their numbers dwindled, and in order to protect their knowledge, they decided to become pacifist. When I first saw you, I thought you might have come from those times, as your hands were calloused and your body scared. My guess now is that these traits speak louder in your blood than it does in that of other mikos.”

Sakura looked at him and smiled lightly, before walking up to him and landing a small kiss on his lips. He raised an eyebrow, and before he could ask she said: “Thank you, lord Sesshoumarou. You seem to always have the right word at the right time.” She smiled again and continued walking down their path, leaving behind her a stunned demon lord.

**********************************

That’s it for today folks, hope you enjoyed!