One day, One night
[timeline: immediately before Otherworld 2: Chapter 1 (after the Prologue)]
Aara woke just as the first rays of the sun began to lighten the sky. Even after 16 years of not having to wake up so early, no longer needing to check on six males, she still woke up with the dawn. Sixteen years of peace! How wonderful it was! Minor demons popped up now and again, but were easily subdued by the Protectors. Naraku, their worst nightmare, was being safely guarded by Shido and the Blood Demons and would trouble them no longer.
Otherworld was in perfect harmony except for one small thing. Her daughters were constantly bickering. Ashara seemed to be jealous of her sister, claiming that Vara had the better males. Aara tried to reason with her daughter, reminding her that Fate alone had decided which male was bound to which child and that neither she nor Vara had anything to do with it. But it was a only minor disagreement and she was sure that the girls would work things out.
Aara snuggled deeper into the covers for the morning was chilly, and burrowed herself into his arms. Her mate! Her beloved Vash.
Sixteen years had not dampened the feeling she had for him. Her miracle! Her gift! She loved him with every fiber of her being, much more than she had ever loved any of her bound males. Oh, she loved them, but in a different way -- and each of them in different ways.
She had been with Kurama -- Youko Kurama at that time -- for a century before she bound her second male. Kurama was her friend, but there was a coldness to him that she had never been able to get past. It wasn't just that he was a demon -- it was more. Perhaps it was the way he had been bound, trapped and dragged to her in misery, burning with the animal heat that some male demons endured. Deep in his heart, he had never forgiven that act. The Kitsune, the fox, would never say so out loud, but she could sense it. And it would always stand between them.
Hiei, her little Fire Demon, was very special. Abandoned as a baby, raised by bandits who gave him no affection whatsoever, Aara had touched his heart -- his very soul -- for the first time in his life and he worshipped her for it. His feelings were written all over his face whenever he looked at her. So much for a cold-hearted demon! And for that reason, Hiei would always hold a special place in her heart and her feelings for him were probably the deepest of all except for Vash.
InuYasha! Her sweet InuYasha! Her beautiful silver and white Dog Demon. She loved his silky white hair and his velvet dog ears. She would stare into his golden eyes and he would wiggle with joy just like a puppy. Like Hiei, he adored his Princess.
Bankotsu was her shame and she did everything in her power to make his life with her happy. Bound in anger and raging heat, it had driven him nearly insane. On the surface he was happy and carefree, but the terrible nightmares -- almost every night! -- proved how much pain she had caused him with her bad binding. Perhaps one day, somehow, the slate would be erased and he would be free from the pain.
Tasuki was sweet and truly happy-go-lucky. But she did not love him -- she had bound him for the sake of Suzaku, a country surrounded by enemies. She had no idea what he felt for her -- the binding sometimes made it hard to distinguish between what was her power and what was real.
Sesshomaru was an accident brought on by pure desire of his perfect body. He seemed to enjoy the sexual part of the binding, but had trouble with the brotherhood part. For centuries, the Dog Demon, half brother of InuYasha, had lived alone and walked his lands free. He had not wanted her binding but had no choice in the matter. Her power overwhelmed any resistance he had.
But all that was moot now. Seventeen years ago, Vash had showed up at her doorstep -- literally -- bleeding and broken. One of her kind -- her miracle. And nine months after that she gave birth to their twins, Vara and Ashara, and her males' bindings transferred to the girls.
For sixteen years, she had been alone with Vash. She missed Hiei and InuYasha the most, but she was happy with her mate. Her mate! How wonderful that simple word was! And how much it implied! As the sky lightened, she began to make out his features, although she needed no light to do so. She knew every curve, every line, every part of him.
His yellow blond hair was spilled across the pillow and strayed over his brow. He always combed it straight up, even though she thought he looked better with it down and natural. Dark lashes framed his folded eyelids, and a small beauty mark was just below the left eye. Ashara had inherited that! She knew well the clear green of his eyes -- always sparkling with joy and laughter. Aara had never known anyone so happy.
She was watching him, when one green eye opened, startling her. "What are you doing? I can feel you staring at me." Vash asked sleepily.
She blushed, caught in reverie, and then smiled, "Just watching my beautiful mate!"
He laughed and reached for her, drawing her close, enveloping her in his long arms, "I am the one who has the beautiful mate, not you!" Then he lifted her face for a kiss. And then another! Always more! They could never get enough of each other. Even that very first time.
Vash was hesitant and she asked him what was the matter. "You have six males and I have never been with anyone. I'm not sure what to do." He admitted, his cheeks reddening.
Aara laughed with delight, "Don't worry! I'll show you what to do!" And she did. Vash was a fast learner and a willing student. And before the night was half over, he took the lead. And had held it every since.
After six males obeying her, not making a move unless she did, it was wonderful to have a man quite willing to jump in first. He would boldly pick her up no matter where she was or what she was doing and carry her to their room, laughing between kisses.
Each morning was the same -- they made love! It was never boring or repetitious -- always exciting and heart-stopping. The feel of his body -- even the times when his sharp hips and elbows dug into her soft flesh -- was wonderful! He settled over her, partially on top, deep inside, his green eyes sparkling with delight, and for a short, incredible time they became one person instead of two. Bound to each other stronger than any magical binding could ever hope to be.
Then their day would begin -- Aara went to find Kurama and learn about the events of Otherworld while Vash had his breakfast on the balcony, usually with Hiei. The little Fire Demon had been enticed with chocolate by Kurama and now he couldn't get enough sweets. Vash shared Hiei's sweet tooth and the two had terrible breakfasts filled with every sort of food that no one should be eating. Pancakes swimming in sugar-sweet syrup, donuts glazed in chocolate or powdered with sugar, steaming hot chocolate, candied fruits, cinnamon rolls drenched in frosting -- the list went on and on. Aara didn't know how their systems could withstand such an onslaught of sugar! Hiei, of course, had a demon's metabolism, so Aara was not as worried for him as she was her mate. But neither of them seemed the worse for it -- and Vash was still his tall, slender self.
In the afternoon, she would go to the gardens and lounge on the grass, propped up on pillows, under one of the cherry trees that Kurama had grown. Sweet flowers drifted lazily down and perfumed the air with a gentle fragrance. She loved this time of the day more than any other. Vash would always join her, usually resting his head in her lap. Then they would go for a long walk -- usually the eight-mile lap -- through her gardens.
"What a useless life I have!" she exclaimed one day.
"What would you rather be doing? Fighting demons? Working in the fields?" Vash countered.
Aara laughed and admitted that she actually loved her useless life and wouldn't trade it for anything. He picked her up and swung her around, long red hair and dress swirling around his body. "Neither would I!" And their laughter filled the garden air.
Dinner was always held in the dining hall and included everyone that was part of the Castle or visiting, talking over the day's events. It was a time of gathering and treasured by all. Hiten or Kouga were often in the Castle and they would tell of the events in the Village where they lived -- and of the villages and lands that they patrolled and protected.
But it was the night that Aara loved the best. She felt safe in its embrace and would spend hours on her balcony, standing there in the midnight velvet of the dark, feeling the magic of the night around her. Vash would leave her alone during this time, knowing that this was her special time.
Finally she would go inside and draw a hot tub, usually with bubble bath brought from the Human World or scented oils made especially for her by Kaiba. She would sink into the warm, relaxing waters and shortly thereafter Vash would join her. They would play, they would talk, and always, they would end up making love.
Afterward, content and happy, they would go to bed, falling asleep wrapped tightly around each other; Aara wrapped in the arms of her Vash. Her beloved Vash...
Song: "La Serenissima" by Loreena McKennitt