Part 3

Phoenix Spirit

I arrived back at Kerena's tribe's cave to find them all preparing for war. I spotted Kerena, "Kerena, what are you doing?!" She turned around and I noticed something different about her, something evil. In fact, the whole tribe gave off the exact same vibe. All of a sudden I looked down and noticed my jewel was missing. I glared back at Kerena who held it in her hand. She tossed Fushichou into the air and I caught him, "Are you alright?"

He whimpered quietly, "I'm sorry, I tried to stop them, but they were to powerful. They've been out for our tribe's heads forever. We called peace, but they continue to wish to fight out our differences, and now I'm afraid they have the power of your crystal backing them."

I shook my head, "It's not your fault, we'll figure out something."

"No, you won't!" I turned and saw a glance of Serena before I blacked out.

I awoke, hog-tied to a stick, and being carried somewhere. I looked over beside me and there was Fushichou, also hog-tied. He was still blacked out so I closed my eyes and concentrated carefully as not to allow Kerena or her followers to hear me, "Fushichou, it's me, Jesse. Fushichou, wake up!"

"Huh? What? My head hurts."

"We were knocked out, they're taking us somewhere."

"These ropes hurt!" he whined.

"QUIET WOLF PUP!" Kerena exclaimed.

He hushed quickly, "Jesse, what are we going to do? If I'm correct we're heading in the direction of my home! They're going to use us to get Koga to surrender and he will because he won't want anything to happen to either of us!" I glanced down and noticed my sword was also gone. I looked around finally seeing that Zarie was carrying it. She looked at me and I could tell she had no control over her body, and I got the bad feeling again that the rest of them were also pawns in a chess game no one would win.

Soon enough we arrived at the foot of Koga's mountain. I heard howls coming from Koga's wolves and then I heard all of the wolf demons and wolves assemble outside of the cave with Koga front and center. He peered down at Kerena, "So, you've finally come to fight us."

Kerena nodded, "Yes, but I fear that you're going to lose." She flashed my crystal as Zarie handed her the tetsusaiga.

"Where'd you get those?!" Koga barked. I groaned as me and Fushichou were brought into his and the tribe's viewing range. "Jesse! Fushichou!"

We kept our eyes shut, "Shut up, you fool! They are being controlled by someone of a far greater power than any of us possess at this time. Fighting them would be sacrificing yourselves for nothing....DO NOT FIGHT! NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO TO US!"

Koga shook his head, "I can't.....I can't just let her hurt you two."

"Did you hear us or not?!" I exclaimed, "Stay out of this, Koga, and watch why I named the little one, Fushichou!" Koga's eyes grew wide as Fushichou and I both shot our eyes open. "Soul of the Phoenix, awaken, become one with this little wolf pup. Burn your power and knowledge into him, he is ready for them. Take him into your powerful wings and help him fulfill his destiny!" My crystal began to glow brightly and shot out of Kerena's hands along with the tetsusaiga. Beams released from the crystal cutting mine and Fushichou's restraints. We both landed on our feet and I grabbed the tetsusaiga along with my crystal, "Fushichou Seirei, deru! Yurusu ichidou miru junsui tsuyosa!"1

Fushichou rose up off the ground as the same aura surrounding my crystal enveloped him. Everyone watched as he grew into an overly sized, full-grown male wolf. Then the reason I named him Fushichou appeared; out of his back emerged a set of wings. Fushichou's fur burned the color of gold and his wings radiated the colors of fire, red and orange, along with a tad bit of green. His howl rumbled throughout the mountains, "It has been done, the power and knowledge of Phoenix Spirit has been passed on to a new master." Fushichou allowed me to climb upon his back and then he flew into the air.

I stood up at he hovered in the air, "This is a Calling!" I held up the crystal and it began to levitate between my hands, "Ancient powers of the Shikon Crystal, I call upon thee! Lock these poor girls away from harm until we are able to free their souls of the darkness which has overcome them! Shine forth and show those around us that you are the ultimate power and that together, nothing can stop us!"

The sky darkened as the crystal lit up again and rays of light erupted from it. The rays all shot down at Kerena's tribe and each ray enveloped a girl or wolf. I watched as the rays all shot back up towards me and reentered the crystal, locking the girls inside. Fushichou floated back down to the ground and I collapsed for what seemed like the hundredth time. By the time I looked up, Koga was at my side like he was earlier that morning. I blushed as he picked me up and carried me up into the cave. The other wolf demons, along with the wolves and Fushichou, all followed him in. He sat me down on his bed and I leaned against the wall.

Koga sighed, "Okay, explain what just happened."

"What part?" I asked the wolf demon.

"All of it," they all replied.

I sighed, "When I first arrived here in this era, that gokrakuchou I defeated followed me here from my era. I ran as far as I could, close to Kerena's camp, and used the tetsusaiga to defeat the smaller Birds of Paradise which were also looking for dinner. After doing so, when the dust settled, the large gokrakuchou was gone from sight and before I knew it, I blacked out. I awoke in Kerena's tribe's cave and they had taken care of my wounds by the time I had awoke. Some of Kerena's tribe members taught me how to hunt and take care of myself in this era. It just happened that one day while I was away the gokrakuchou found me and I ended up here. Then, while I had the shield around the cave, I first spotted Fushichou and I noticed something different about him. I knew at that moment he had the potential to take on the spirit of the phoenix which has been locked away for eons. It's a power my mother doesn't even know about. And the thing with the crystal, let's just say it's acting as a holding cell until I figure out what's going on and who's taken their souls and turned the tribe into their mindless pawns."

"I'm going to go with you," Fushichou said turning into a human form.

I nodded, "I'd like that."

Koga brooded for a few minutes then nodded, "I'm going as well."

I shook my head, "No, you have a responsibility here as the leader of your tribe. I have to do this alone, Fushichou is just my guardian."

"Please, I really want to go with you, if someone's taking over demons and turning them against others, I need to find them and destroy them. My tribe has been through enough already, I want to find out what's going on!"

I closed my eyes and thought quietly, "Well, Fushichou, what do you think?"

"Why ya asking me? I'm just a pup, remember?!" I giggled.

"What's so funny?" Koga asked.

"Nothing, it's just that you belong here, Koga. You need to understand, I have a responsibility as the holder of this stone and the tetsusaiga."

"I'm going with you whether you like it or not!"

"No! I don't care if I have to brainwash you to make you forget about me completely, because I will! STAY HERE, YOU....YOU STUBBORN LAMEBRAIN, JERKFACED, POOR EXCUSE OF A CANINE!"

With that I jumped up and ran out of the cave as quickly as possible with Fushichou following close behind. I ran until my legs could take me no more, which was a good thirty miles or so. I crashed on an embankment near a small creek.

Fushichou sat down next to me, "Why'd you call him a--"

"Stubborn, lamebrain, jerkfaced, poor excuse of a canine?" I finished.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Because he is!"

"Why do you say that, what'd he ever do to you?!" Fushichou barked at me.

"In general he is! Here's my reasons: first, he's stubborn, he never takes no for an answer; two, he's a lamebrain, a complete half-wit; three, he's jerkfaced, completely wrapped up in himself; and four, a poor excuse of a canine, cause he should be a better leader to his tribe and not meddle in other's business as much as he does."

"He usually doesn't do that, he hasn't since he met your mother all those years ago. Koga only intrudes on the business of others he cares about. Koga would go out of his way for any one of his tribe members. He's a strong, willful leader, but he cares a lot for others and their feelings, and I believe he feels strongly about you as well."

"WELL HE SHOULDN'T! HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW ME AND HE'S WHAT, LIKE A THOUSAND?! BESIDES, HE WAS IN LOVE WITH MY MOTHER, WHAT KIND OF GIRL WANTS TO DATE A GUY WHO WAS IN LOVE WITH HER MOM?!" I stood and screamed at him.

Fushichou stood up and lowered his vision to the ground, "You."

My heart stopped, "What was that?"

"I know you care about him, maybe just a little, but the feeling's definitely there. When you released the spirit for me, you also became part of me, we're united....connected together through our souls. I know you care for him because every time you think of him you get butterflies, for cryin' out loud! And even if you did hate him for your reasons, you still wouldn't of shoved him away like that; you're not that way. You're just afraid that he's going to get hurt looking out for you like Inuyasha did many times for Kagome."

I kept my back turned to him as I listened to him talk. He was right, I did care, but I couldn't go any further than that. My heart wasn't meant for love, and it never would be ever again. A guy I had cared about died for me when I was only seven. He was demon like me and it was a full moon out the night it happened, so I was out in the city. That night I was attacked my a bunch of demons which lived in the forest outside of town and if he hadn't shown up, I would of lost my life, but instead he took his own to save me. His name was Kaminari, meaning lightning, which he was. He moved faster than any demon and was always there and gone without warning. I loved him, even though I was so young, I truly did. After that night I swore I'd never love again, I refused to because of the pain that Kaminari's death had caused me.

"He can forget it, I will never care about him. Friends, okay, but I don't care what happens to him, he can fend for himself and go find himself another demon to play with!" I exclaimed running off, using the power of the crystal to enhance my speed. I ran for hours upon hours before I finally stopped at a large clearing. I walked to the center and twirled around, then dropped to the ground and closed my eyes. As I slept I had the feeling something wasn't right.

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"Spirit of the Phoenix, (to) appear! (To) Allow (all of) us to see true power!"