When Kyo turned over and said those words, his spell ended. Aara scrambled to her feet, grabbed her clothes, and ran to the Castle, struggling to put on her clothes as she went. "See you later," he called after her. Once at the castle, she went directly to her room and tore off her clothes and drew a hot bath. She loved her baths since it was the only time she was completely alone. As she lay in her bath, she refused to think about what had just happened, so her wandering thoughts turned to the past.

When she had been born, or created, or whatever you wanted to call it, she was in the care of Arina, the oldest of her four sisters. Arina was protector of the borders between the Demon World and the Human World, the most dangerous borders of all. She had twelve powerful Demons bound to her to keep those borders strong.

But Athara also had the task of protecting the boundaries of Otherworld and the Human World. Before her arrival, Demons entered Otherworld and went to freely into the Human World. She had ten males, three of them mages, and used almost all their power on that one border.

Arista protected the boundaries between the Spirit World and the Four Gods World. She had only five males, since her boundaries were the easiest to protect. Aratha had the long border between the Four Gods World and Demon World. Since both sides of that border were hostile, her ten males were taxed to the limit.  Aara's alliance with Suzaku had made her task much easier.

Aara spent the first two years of her life, until she was 14 physically, in Arina's castle. Her own castle, in the center of Otherworld, was being built during those two years. When she turned two (or 14), Arina took her to Kaleffe's room. He was on his bed and she pulled the covers off him, revealing his naked body. She then showed Aara exactly where to touch a male, what a male's anatomy was like, using Kaleffe as her example. Aara watched as she showed her how to arouse a male and what to do after he was aroused. A week later, Aara was taken to another one of her males, a lynx Demon. He was writhing on the bed and Arina explained that animal Demons sometimes went into heat. And then Arina showed her youngest sister what to do about it.

A month later, Aara was taken to her own castle, and introduced to her servants and guards. The first thing she did was travel throughout her land, from the northern mountains to the valleys and lakes in the south. She could feel the rhythm of her lands inside of her very being. Somehow she was connected to them and that connection gave her a fierce need to protect them. When she returned to her castle a month later, Kaleffe brought Youko Kurama to her.

During those hundred years, Aara found two mages, Bakura, a powerful Demon mage and Kaiba, a healer mage.  Bakura arrived after an invitation to several mage, covered in hood and robe for he was ashamed of his appearance, she saw him with her heart rather than her eyes and therefore his terrible eyes and Demon markings never bothered her. And when he saw that she did not flinch at his looks, he knelt before her, promising her allegiance, but asking not to be bound. It was hard not to bind the mage. She could feel his loneliness and wanted to make him part of her, but she respected his wishes. A tower on the north corner was built for him. 

Aara walked to the growling Demon and looked at him. He stared back with absolute hatred in his eyes. Then, ignoring the cries of her guards, she knelt and wrapped her arms around him. His fangs were only an inch away from her neck. Moments before he sank them into her, she used her power and surrounded him with trust and calmness. He stopped growling. Aara told her guards to remove his shackles and carry him to a bedroom and undress him. He would be perfect as her second male.  The guards carried the now docile Demon up the stairs.

She followed them after a few minutes, giving them time to carry out her orders. He was lying on the bed, his nude body long and slender, but with strong biceps and calf muscles. Demons had enormous strength and even the ones that appeared to have no body tone at all were incredibly powerful. A Demon who had well defined muscles like these must be extremely strong. He was facing away from her and she went around the bed to sit next to him. He looked up at her, his eyes no longer red, but a beautiful sky blue. His pupils were long ovals. She began to gently stroke his arm and hip, when he suddenly took her hand, stopping the motion.

[Click here for NC-17 version]

She looked into his eyes and felt his emotions through his hand. The fear was raw: he knew would be killed if she did not save him, but still he begged not to be bound. Under the fear was pride; it took a lot for him to beg like this. And his words were true. She nodded, granting him in that one small gesture both his life and his freedom.

And so because of the pleas of Kouga, the Wolf Demon leader, the Protectors of Otherworld were born. Youko Kurama, her only male, was put in charge of them. And Kouga kept his word. Over the ensuing years, he became high leader of all the wolf clans and brought them all under his sworn word. No humans were ever killed by a wolf or a Wolf Demon again. Instead, the humans were protected by them. In return a wounded wolf could go into a village and get help. After a few years, the wolves began to make dens near the larger villages, and the villagers began to see the wolves as an extension of their village. And in times of poor crops, the Wolf Demons brought fresh meat to them. And the villagers sewed and mended their fur clothing and gave them medicines and fresh milk for their children. Aara never once regretted having trusted Kouga on that fateful day.

Youko Kurama had told her about the Fire Demon he had brought back with him from Demon World and asked that he be made a Protector and given a home. She smiled at the Fox.  So the cold-hearted Demon did have feelings after all!  She was never sure since her power and subsequent binding had created his feelings for her.

And through the years, Hiei had always remained her favorite; the one that needed her most.

And she loved being with him. He was a bundle of emotions, just the opposite of Youko Kurama. He showed none of them on his face except when he was with her. And then everything he felt was written all over him. Youko Kurama had given him a taste for sweets with that one morsel of chocolate and ever since then Hiei would ask the cooks to make him pastries and cakes. Aara laughed, telling him that if weren't for his metabolism, he would be her little round Demon. When Vash appeared in their lives, Hiei found a soul mate -- at least for sweets. Vash also had a sweet tooth and the two would always have breakfast together, usually pancakes dripping with syrup. It was amusing to see the tall (6'2") blond man eating breakfast with the tiny (5'1") raven-haired Demon. They would chatter the morning away, becoming the best of friends in the process.

About thirty years ago, the Miko priestess guarding a magical crystal died, and the crystal shattered, scattering all over Otherworld. The crystal had the power to augment Demon powers and therefore the shards were coveted by all of Demon kind. Soon weak Demons became powerful ones and Aara found her lands beset with Demon attacks. She needed to bind more males.

But instead of binding Sesshomaru, a powerful Dog Lord, she bound InuYasha, a half-Demon, a Hanyou, to her. And she never once regretted it. InuYasha was a brave, fearless fighter and, in her arms, sweet and loving.

As shards of crystal began to come into her hands, she and Youko Kurama pondered what to do with them. Youko Kurama didn't feel that he needed to add to his power, and InuYasha was afraid that it would make him less humanlike and more a cold-hearted Demon. He never wanted to stop feeling what he did for the Princess. Hiei had already augmented his powers with his Jagon eye and the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. Two shards were given to Kouga to give him speed since he traveled from pack to pack throughout Otherworld. Youko Kurama kept the others safely.

And Vash! He was her miracle and gave her a taste of what humans felt. He was her companion and her mate and she loved him dearly. After his advent, her life changed, losing her males to her daughters. Now the first three were back. She had not realized how much she missed them and how much she loved them.

"It is not wise to wake a sleeping mage like that," he grumbled.

"I want to know what he is!"

"Who? Oh, Kyo? I have no idea."

"You've got to have some idea! His seed is hot, but it doesn't burn." then she blushed when she saw the look on his face. "Damn! I couldn't stop -- I didn't even try! I just remember his red eyes. I couldn't bind him. The bindings wouldn't stick to his mind. Or whatever happens when I bind, even I'm not even sure how my power works!"

Bakura smiled at her, "It will be interesting to hear you explain this to Vash and the others."

She stood up, "You're not helping!" He spread his fingers apart in a gesture of surrender. Aara left his room as quickly as she came in. A little whirlwind of energy and emotions. Bakura smiled at the thought.

Aara was heading back to her room, when she found herself in Kyo's room instead. Damn!!!

Kyo was lying there, as if waiting for her to arrive. He beckoned her to his bed and she obediently went to him. The next morning, she was still lying there wrapped in his arms. Every time she asked him what he was, he evaded the question.

"Why don't you know anything about Otherworld?"

"I haven't been around for a long time," he said.

"Where were you?"

"Hibernating. I just woke up a few days ago."

On hearing that, she jumped out of bed, promising to return shortly, put on her dress haphazardly, and rushed up to see Bakura again. This time, the mage was just beginning to get dressed when she burst into his room. "Don't you ever knock?" he exclaimed, struggling to put on some clothes.

Bakura gave up trying to get dressed and sat there naked on his unmade bed, "Okay. Kyo can create fire -- he did that with his sword. His seed is hot. He hibernates -- and for a long time judging by his lack of knowledge of the current world. Ummm." Bakura sat there, forgetting about his lack of clothes, trying to puzzle it out. She was looking at the mage; his blue torso covered in black Demon markings. They were beautiful. He caught her staring at him, turned a deeper blue as he blushed, and started dressing again.

"You are so beautiful!" Aara told him. "I should have bound you to me. I still can if you want me to," then she paused, and teased, "Ah, no! I've heard that you've found someone to replace me. Mirago is your willing slave now, isn't she? Always following you around."

"Which is precisely why I am here! You need to figure out what he is!"

Bakura mentally counted off the types of Demons, but none of them fit. Suddenly, he found one that did! "I've got it!" he exclaimed. "He is a fire salamander!"

"A lizard! Kyo is a lizard! I am sharing the bed of a lizard????" she groaned and ran back down to confront Kyo. A lizard indeed!!!

Bakura watched her leave, thankful for the peace and quiet. Kurama had brought him a whistling tea kettle once, after he had burnt a couple of pots forgetting they were on the flame, and it drove him crazy. Screaming for attention. There was no way to ignore the damn thing! Finally he threw it out. The Princess often reminded him of that tea kettle.

Aara went into Kyo's room without knocking. He was still lying there in bed, waiting for her to return to him. "I know what you are! So arrogant and in reality only a lizard!"

"A lizard?" Kyo echoed.

"A fire salamander! That's what you are!" she exclaimed.

With that, peals of laughter rang from him. "You think -- I'm -- a -- salamander?" He managed between laughs.

A soft knock sounded on the door and Aara went to answer it. Keiki stood there, balancing on his crutches. "Are you alright? I heard noise."

"I'm fine. That is only Kyo." She told him, "Oh! You've never met Kyo, have you? Come in and I will introduce you."

Keiki struggled into the room, carefully watching where he walked, and then looked at Kyo. Kyo's laughter stopped instantly. "Damn!" he said as he saw Keiki. "A Unicorn!"

Aara looked at them both. The looks they were giving one another were decidedly unfriendly. How did Kyo know that Keiki was a Unicorn? She was sure that no one had told him because everyone who knew had agreed to keep it a secret.

"You know what Kyo is?" she asked Keiki.

"Don't say anything. Or I might have to eat you." Kyo warned Keiki, his voice serious.

Kyo glared at Keiki, and then sighed. "I give up. Unicorns have no sense of fun. Go ahead, tell her."

"A Dragon! You are a Dragon!" Aara asked, amazed. "I didn't know dragons could take human form."

"We learned to - like the Unicorns - to survive." Kyo answered. Then he told her about the dragons.

Once there were many dragons, covering the worlds, but it was not divided then, just one big world. Dragons were alive before the Demons came, before the humans came, even before the Unicorns came. When the Demons found that the Unicorns could kill them, they began the slaughter of their race. But they left the bodies to rot and the humans found them. They took the golden horns and made them into spears for their kings. Quite by accident, one of the kings threw a spear at a Dragon.  The horn pierced its armored body and the Dragon was killed. Word of the Dragon's death reached the Demons too. Thus the war began. Man and Demon against Dragon. And the Dragons were losing. Their only hope was that the Unicorns were also being exterminated and would likely become extinct. So the Dragons decided to sleep, to hibernate, deep under the mountains until it was safe to wake up. Every so often a Dragon would wake, taking human form so he could walk the lands safely. The Dragon's mission was to find out if the Unicorns still lived. If they did, he or she would sleep again. If the Unicorns were gone, he would wake up the other Dragons. It had been ages since Kyo went to sleep, just shortly after the one world had divided into five worlds.  All that time and the Unicorns still managed to survive.

Aara listened to Kyo's tale. There were still lesser dragons around, but even these were much diminished in number. Ryuukoysusei, the dragon that killed InuYasha's father and nearly wiped out the Dog Demons, was one of these lesser dragons. But the Great Dragons had not been seen in ages. Aara was saddened by his history. For the Dragons to survive, the Unicorns had to die. It seemed so unfair -- both were beautiful and magical.

Keiki quietly left the room, saying he needed to get off his leg and rest. Aara sat there, her thoughts filled with sadness. Kyo reached for her and brought her down to his side. "Don't be sad, my beautiful Princess. I have enjoyed your company."

"So now that I am a Dragon and not a lowly salamander, I am now good enough to share your bed?" he teased.

Aara reddened at his words. "Yes, I admit that I prefer you as a Dragon. Oh! Dragons can mesmerize -- that's what you did to me, isn't it?"

"Yes, but you broke my spell the first time. Only three beings have ever broken my spell before and two were very powerful mages.  The other was a Unicorn."

"Will you stay, Kyo? Please stay for a while," she pleaded.

He ran his fingers through her long hair, saying nothing for a long time. Then he spoke, his voice soft, "I would like to stay in the world for a time. But if it were known that the dragons sleep under the mountains, I fear they would be found and killed. But I would like to stay with you."

"Keiki has the same fear. I can protect his kind if he will let me but there is no way to protect the dragons. I do not have that power, nor do any of my males." she said sadly, "But I want you to stay, Kyo. I want you to be part of my life, my family - sleeping under a mountain is not truly living, is it?"

Kyo smiled at her, "No, it isn't. Perhaps if I am found out, I can say I'm the last of my race."

"Or that you are a lesser dragon."

"No, the lesser dragons cannot change form. And we are very different." Kyo looked into her eyes, and then kissed her, "Is there room in your life for me once your males come home?"

"Yes, I will make room!" she promised him.

Kyo laughed and pulled her on top of his own body. "I will stay for a while, Princess," he murmured in her ear.