Sakura Yugure's first thought upon entering the hotel room rented by her new aquaintance was: {I've never had a room this rich in all my life.} The 'room' had turned out to be a penthouse suite at a private hotel/resort, and it seemed that it was used often by this 'Morrigan', as it sported a number of decorations that seemed to suit the woman. It was huge, plushly carpeted, and there were two levels and several rooms to it. Overall, it was more luxurious than anything Sakura had even *considered* before.

Morrigan strode in as if it were no more unusual than Sakura's living room at home - {Not *my* home, *hers,* the other Sakura's,} the girl reminded herself - and headed for the kitchen area.

"Come in! Drop off your travel bag at the door, we're not going anywhere for at least tonight," the woman called. Grinning at Sakura from the doorway to the kitchen, Morrigan waved.

{Morrigan-san's a mystery all to herself,} Sakura thought. The woman with light green hair was busying herself in the kitchen, though the divider between the rooms was high enough to keep Sakura from seeing what she was cooking. On the one hand, she was known to the hotel staff and at least one of the guests, which implied a certain respectability. On the other, she'd been fighting that dark man in the alley, and Sakura had *seen* her clothes morph themselves to their current shape. On top of that, the woman posessed an undeniable magnetism. Sakura had been drawn by that as much as the thought of having no other shelter for the night, and it made it hard to refuse the woman anything.

With a sigh, Sakura set her travel bag down and glanced sideways, noticing that the sliding closet doors beside her were gilded mirrors. With an amused grin at all the affectation, she glanced at herself in the mirror. What she saw made her pause, rub her eyes to ensure that she was seeing clearly... and then scream.

Her formerly pale skin had darkened to the same hue as Akuma's.

Morrigan was there in a moment, right beside her, one hand on her shoulder while the other was raised, aiming at the door while the woman looked around warily. After seeing no immediate threat, she glanced at Sakura and asked, "What's wrong?"

Wordlessly, mouth still open in horror, Sakura gestured to her reflection in the mirror, which still showed skin of a dark brown hue. She raised a shaky hand up before her eyes, hoping it was just the mirror that displayed the darkened colour, but it was as darkened as the reflection. Sakura's mouth worked, but no sound came out.

Morrigan looked at her, then seemed to understand. "It's all right," she commented, seeming to radiate calm. {The woman's damned magnetism's getting to me again,} a small, cynical part of Sakura's mind noted. The rest of it, meaning all the parts that had joined in the panic when the new skin tone had registered, ignored it and gratefully allowed themselves to be soothed.

Sakura let the older woman guide her into a chair and perch on the arm of it, gazing down calmly at her. "Now, we'll sort it all out," Morrigan said softly, almost compellingly. "Why don't you tell me what the problem is? Just start at the beginning..." she prompted.

Hardly thinking about it, Sakura began to talk. Nearly an hour later, she finished recounting her visit to Rose and finished with the story of how she'd *sensed* something unusual in this direction and come to see what it was, "...and then I saw that 'Demitri' attacking you in the alley, and you know the rest," she wound up her tale.

Morrigan smiled warmly down at her. "Ah, now I see why you were so disconcerted by your skin colour," she commented. "You feared becoming like this Akuma person. A real berserker, he is - I understand your aversion." She paused briefly. "But I don't think your mystic had it quite right. Come, let's eat, and we can talk about it once we're fed and rested."

She went to the kitchen and was shortly back, coming to the Western-style dining table with two large plates of stir-fry which had an odour savoury enough to make Sakura's mouth water. It never occurred to her that the time Morrigan had spent listening to her should really have ruined any stir-fry, but Sakura had never been fond of cooking, so the error was understandable.

Once the food was disposed of, Sakura wiped her mouth with her napkin and sighed. "So - so what do you think was wrong with what Rose-san told me?" she asked nervously, causing Morrigan to put on a pensive expression.

"Hmm... you're still nervous, and some of what I have to say would be better listened to when you're calm. We need to get your mind off this a bit more..." the woman paused, nibbling one finger in thought. It was such a childish mannerism for such a mature woman that Sakura had to stifle a giggle. Coming to a decision, Morrigan looked up and smiled at her. "I know! Why don't you go have a bath, and then we can see about a makeover if you're still not calmed down. *I* know there's nothing quite so relaxing as being pampered after a hot bath."

Sakura blinked. "Ano..."

Morrigan wasn't having any of the hesitation. "Come come, this way," she smiled as she got up from the table. Taking Sakura gently by the arm, she drew the younger girl out of her chair and up a set of curving stairs to the sceond floor of the penthouse, which was divided into a study, a large bedroom, and an equally large bathroom area, into which Morrigan teasingly cajoled her. "Besides, you haven't cleaned up since that fight in the alleyway! Honestly, at least a third of that dark shade must be dirt! Go on," she said, gently pushing Sakura inside the bathroom and pulling the door closed behind her, "and don't come out until you've had at *least* a shower."

Alone in the bathroom, Sakura looked around at the rich appointments and a set of bathing furnishings large enough to equip a spa, and for a few moments simply stared. {A hot tub, a steam room, a *big* bathtub, a separate shower stall - it's big too, a washing sink over there, another sink that looks like a stall in a beauty salon, complete with barber's chair... wow,} she thought. She glanced back at the closed door and thought briefly about just scrubbing her hands and face and going back out to hear what Morrigan had to say about her, but temptation overcame her and she shucked her clothes, folding them in a neat stack on the floor and heading for the shower stall, suppressing a cry of delight at the variety of soaps, scents, shampoos, and conditioners there.

When she came out, she gave a longing look at the hot tub, but decided against further delay. A quick look around revealed that her clothes were gone, but that wasn't as alarming as it might have been. {Morrigan-san probably took them to be washed - they *were* getting pretty dirty,} she thought, and took down a bathrobe from a hook once she'd dried herself off. The robe was soft and smooth, leading Sakura to guess that it was made of silk. {Just how rich *is* Morrigan-san, anyway?} she wondered briefly, then opened the door to the main bedroom. "Morrigan-san?" she called. "I'm-"

She cut herself off as the woman came into view from around the door, moving briskly back into the bathroom area and bringing Sakura along with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Now for that makeover, dear: I'll start telling you about everything while you relax there," Morrigan told her, maneuvering Sakura into the barber's chair. "I assume you like the hairstyle the way it is?" she asked with a smile.

Sakura smiled back and stammered, "I - um - yes," and bit her lip to keep from babbling. After a moment, she went on, "But don't you usually get other people to do this? I mean," she tried to ask, only to have Morrigan gently shush her with a finger on her lips.

"Relax," she said in a gentle but firm tone, and with a breath, Sakura tried to comply. She found it surprisingly easy. Morrigan went on, "I've learned a little bit of everything since I began travelling the world. I've been told I'm good at this, but you'll have to judge for yourself."

As Morrigan began to trim Sakura's hair, the girl sagged back in the chair and closed her eyes, finally letting tension drain away that had been accumulating through all the weeks since she had invoked the Satsu no Hadou. Death, danger and destruction seemed to be a million miles away as she let the older woman trim her hair, powder her face, and generally make her feel feminine - and human - again.

After a few minutes, Morrigan began to speak quietly, not stopping her ministrations on Sakura as she did so. "Your sensei told you of this 'Satsu no Hadou' and its affect on him and Akuma, but he doesn't know the whole story of such things. It is a force based upon death and destruction, yes, but also upon unfulfilled desire - and retaining such maddening force within a human body is probably what drove this 'Akuma' insane. Too much of anything can destroy someone," she added in an even softer tone. "Likewise, your sensei experienced the same thing you are going through, the separation of self - but from what I've heard of this Ryu, his desires are centered around the fight, and so his separate incarnation became like Akuma - unbalanced, destructive, and angry." She paused for a moment as she rubbed some lotion over Sakura's cheeks. "You have desire and power to match your sensei's, so it's fortunate that you *didn't* remain in one body, or else you might have lost your sanity as well."

Sakura managed to muster enough energy despite her languid state to murmur, "'M not sure'f m'real self is sane 'nyway.." causing Morrigan to chuckle quietly.

"She's probably as sane as any other lovestruck teen," the woman commented, then went on. "Your desires are not so unhealthily focused as Akuma's or Ryu's. You want to fight, to seek challenges, yes, but you also want to protect those you care for, to be cared for, and to live an exciting life. All these combined are keeping you sane." She paused again and gently puffed on the bathrobe, blowing away hair clippings and beauty powder that had settled there - and making Sakura shiver as the breeze also passed *under* the robe and wafted over her skin. Seemingly unaware of this, Morrigan began to gently rub Sakura's shoulders as she went on. "Your mystic friend also mentioned the creatures of the night, the Darkstalkers, which was wise. They more than anyone else can understand the way you are now." She paused again and shifted the chair to a more upright position. "Ahem. How do you like it?" she asked, prompting Sakura to open her eyes - and stare in blank amazement at the figure in the mirror in front of her.

The girl in the mirror appeared older than Sakura, but not by too much. The skin seemed tanned, but not the near-African shade of Akuma's hide. Somewhere along the line, Morrigan must have washed her hair again, because it practically shone, and waved lightly as she turned her head. "Wow..." Sakura said in amazement. She shook her head, losing the languid detachment she had fallen into while being pampered, and turned to face Morrigan. "I... I don't know what to say," she stammered as she tried to formulate a proper thanks.

Morrigan grinned and waved a hand dismissively - and it was only now that Sakura noticed that she was dressed in a twin to Sakura's own bathrobe. {Of course, since she can morph her clothes, that could have happened anytime after I closed my eyes,} she thought, but paid attention as Morrigan pulled her up out of the chair and led them out to the bedroom and began talking again.

"Pooh," Morrigan dismissed her efforts, "You're the one responsible for most of that anyway," she said, which Sakura took to be a compliment on her appearance and blushed. Morrigan went on anyway. "Ahem. There is such a story as the one your mystic mentioned among the Darkstalkers. A long time ago, the head of House Aensland of Makai had a daughter." She paused as they reached the bed and guided Sakura to sit down on it, then moved to sit behind Sakura and began to rub her shoulders and back. Sakura let out a long "Mmmmmm," at that but kept listening.

Morrigan went on, "Early on in her life, however, the lord found that his child held far too much power to be safe. Either she would be a danger to all around her, or the power would consume her. In order to avoid this, he split away half her power as she slept one night, when she was still too young to know the difference. Creating a void to hold the power, he kept it in trust for her, to be returned to her when she was adult. But the lord was far too traditional, and the condition he set for the power to be returned was that of marriage. The lord in his arrogance thought he could arrange a marriage for her just as he had for all his other offspring."

She paused and took a deep breath. "But the child was willful, and spirited."

"I can understand that," Sakura broke in, turning her head to favour Morrigan with a cockeyed grin.

Morrigan grinned back with an arched eyebrow, and used her grip on Sakura's shoulders to pull her onto the bed face-down, whereupon she resumed the backrub. "Hush, you. Where was I? Oh, yes. One day, the lord summoned his daughter to command her to marry, but even with only half her powers the daughter was a match for her father and she chastised him harshly. She informed him that *she* would choose when, or if, she would marry. He pleaded that she had to carry on the line, for she was his true heir; he did not tell her of the stolen power, for she was already most dangerously angry with him. The daughter replied that she would marry only once she found someone strong enough to satisfy her. The lord was greatly dismayed, for he believed himself the strongest of Makai, and how should any other man ever be strong enough to prove himself to her? The daughter traveled all of Makai seeking such a man, but found none. She traveled to Ningenkai, the human world, as well, and engaged in great battles there, for she was greatly surprised and pleased to find Darkstalkers existed there as well. She met one man who was as strong as her, but he was crude and repulsive, and she rejected him, much to the dismay of her father."

Another pause. "The battles fought shook the fabric of all the realms, and even reached the void where the daughter's power slumbered and shook it as well. But the lord had never planned for the power to be stored separately from his daughter for so long. The power of the Aenslands is called Soul Power, and indeed a part of the daughter's soul was bound up in the power that had been stolen from her. The power created a body around the soul, in the image of the daughter as an adolescent. But the body was a transient one, and the power and soul wished to return to their true body. Then an evil man arose who wished all of Makai to be united in one flesh, and he knew the daughter would prove an obstacle to his plans. He carved a path into the void where the power floated in its new body and offered it the chance to claim the daughter's body as her own in return for her help. He gave her the name Lilith, and sent her to hunt the daughter. Lilith felt herself to be, in a way, the sister of the daughter, and finally, the two fought. Lilith laid the daughter low, but her power was tied up in maintaining her body, and she had used too much in the battle and vanished, fading away before the daughter's eyes."

Morrigan sighed. "It was only then that I realized how much I liked the idea of having a sister."

Sakura glanced up from where she lay on the bed. "I kind of thought you were the daughter. I sensed the two of you fighting back there, but I can still sense you, kind of, and it's not just *chi.* The crude guy would be Demitri, right?" she asked.

Morrigan grinned wryly. "Yes. You know, I had to turn myself to *stone* to avoid his attentions once?" Sakura blinked at that, and then giggled. Morrigan laughed, and then asked, "Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you here?"

Sakura sighed. "I can see the parallel between Lilith and me, if that's what you mean. I'm not your sister by blood, but then I'm not really *anyone's* blood relative anymore, am I?" she asked, turning her head to face forward, having gotten a crick in her neck from looking back at Morrigan.

Morrigan's hands slid up to her neck as surely as if she'd known the crick was there, and smoothed it out expertly. "I suppose not," Morrigan answered. "Your physical body was created by your power, like Lilith's, but you have enough soul within you for permanancy, so you don't have to worry about that. Any familial ties you form would be based solely upon affection."

Sakura sighed, most of the tension having left her body. "Mmmm... I haven't felt this good in a long time," she commented idly, but then shrugged off Morrigan's hands and rolled over on the bed to look at her. "Morrigan-san, I have to know if we're going to be family. What sort of creature are you? Another vampire? A demon? An oni?"

Morrigan smiled fondly down at her. "We never thought of ourselves as demons, since we live in Makai... but you have a point," she commented, then looked Sakura in the eyes, a mischievous gleam in her gaze. "Your people would think of me... as a succubus," she said, her eyes beginning to glow.

Sakura had seen glowing eyes before, but these ones were oddly fascinating. {Maybe it's the colour,} she thought as she managed to ask, "You mean... like the spirits... who seduce... men?" Noticing the slow speech, Sakura mused, {I must be more tired than I thought...}

Morrigan smiled down at her, leaning forward and bringing those fascinating eyes even closer. "Not just men, little sister... women too!" she murmured, and Sakura would have asked what she meant by that, but a sudden drowsiness overcame her and she faded away into sleep.