Raising the Phoenix
Summary - And the ashes of its previous life will fall.
Disclaimer - It's not like they hand out ownership for anime in Wisconsin, you know.
Rating - "Z"
Warnings - My life has literally disintegrated into "Where am I going and Why am I in this handbasket?" Thank you for your patience, my ISP hasn't been very friendly in the whole "Sara moved a block, now internet her up" thingy. Grr on them and their mothers.
Chapter 4 - Will Turn Upside Down
The day had passed in quiet contemplation for the Taiyoukai. It was odd that the miko would be void of her aura in one moment, yet it would flare to life in the next. It warranted observation.
Meanwhile, his ward was healing quickly. Certainly not by youkai standards, but for a human, she was doing admirably. The traces of infection the miko had found were fading, and the angry red coloring was receding from her wounds. He would not admit the relief he felt at that. Instead, when he got the news, he'd been sure to only nod cooly, keeping his inner feelings to himself.
His brother had been restless all day, pacing around the clearing like a tethered dog. More than once, Sesshoumaru had seen his eyes search the skies, more than once had Inuyasha's nose twitched in its quest of a scent. What the mutt was looking for, he had no idea, but with little to do but sit around in the clearing, Sesshoumaru hated the idea he was just a tad bit curious. Damnit, It was about time for that child to heal so he could get away from this maddening group.
Kagome sighed as Inuyasha once more searched the air for Kikyo's soul stealers. He didn't know what he was doing to her, he couldn't see, and by God, she hoped to keep it that way. He may play himself off to be too cool to care, or even so rough around the edges that he was nothing but a prick, but still, she knew that if he knew - well, he'd feel guilty. At least she hoped he would.
Miroku and Sango seemed to have calmed since the arrival of their powerful guest. In fact, the monk seemed bent on treating the time it took Rin to heal as some sort of vacation, spending most of his time trying to get Sango to blush without groping her. Kagome had to laugh when she noticed how well it was working. She set aside the small jab of jealousy, and the mental image of her and Inuyasha in the same position. It was alright - just because her life wasn't perfect didn't mean that everyone had to suffer.
And Shippo - he was doing the cutest things. He hadn't really left Rin's side much since he'd woken earlier that day. His tiny little hands had run through her hair with a mind of their own, and more than once the adults had caught him singing softly to her. Even the young kit seemed to be falling in love, and yet, Kagome was alone.
She let out another sigh and set to work around the clearing, poking at the already roaring fire, cleaning and organizing her backpack, and then re-stacking the firewood - even though Miroku had done a fine enough job the first time. She was going to try to keep herself busy, try to let the work push negative thoughts away, but after awhile, that proved to be hopeless too.
Like a bolt of lightening on a hot summer day, the solution to the problem crackled through Sesshoumaru's brain. Throughout the day, the miko's aura had flared to life on select occasions - like when her child youkai pressed a flower to the pillow his charge was laying on, but faded when his brother had demanded lunch like a screaming child. Inuyasha. He was the key.
Thinking about it further, he realized that when he'd first encountered the girl, when she had drawn the fang of his father, Inuyasha had protected her - even got angry when he'd thought her dead. Back then he'd assumed she was his bitch, or was going to be. But now... He took a deep breath, drawing the scents of the clearing to his delicate nose. Inuyasha smelt of death and old Earth. Not the scent of his pet miko. She smelled of summer rain, that much he remembered from their first encounter.
Strange. Inuyasha had broken his toy - once more playing the petulant child. Obviously it was reparable, but how would one fix the miko? Scenarios flashed through his mind as he allowed himself a small smirk. Inuyasha would not be pleased.
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