Tora-chan: Hey there, I'm still alive, even if I haven't been updating. For which I am seriously sorry. Just be glad that my environmental science class is so boring that I don't want to pay attention.
Yuki: You really should pay attention.
Tora-chan: Yuki go away, the teacher doesn't want to teach so why should I pay attention. I'm not learning anything.
Hiroshi: While they argue about what Tora-chan should be doing we will proceed on to the story.
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Last time: Still running towards Sunrise Temple.
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The birds flew from the trees screaming in dismay as the group flew through the forest. Vitanie was in the lead and increased her speed when a gust of wind blew towards them from the temple. On the wind was the scent of blood and that increased Vitanie's worry and anger.
She broke out of the tree line to see a sky full of lesser demons trying to attack a group behind a small barrier. Her mother was straining to keep the barrier up while Akemi worked of wrapping a wound on Miroku's arm
In the second that she had stopped to assess the situation Sango appeared over the trees on Kirara. Seeing Miroku hurt she sent her hiraikotsu flying through the air making the demons move away from the barrier and towards her. She caught her weapon on its return before sending it over the barrier once again.
Kohaku was standing just outside the barrier sending his chained sickle out killing any demon that came too close. His speed was slowing as the bodies of the killed demons grew around him.
With a growl Vitanie stepped forward her staff in hand. She knocked away and killed lesser demons as she continued towards her family. The stones power was beginning to rise as her anger overcame her common sense.
Without a single thought she threw herself into a large group of demons and let the wind and fire stones send out a gust of wind sending the effected demons away in a burning heat. With another growl she threw her staff to the side and drew the star sword from her side. She began to slash at anything that got in her way as she finally reached the barrier and turned to protect those she cared about.
The battle continued on as the demons continued toward them. She was vaguely aware of the others joining the battle and she stood her ground in front of her mother and brother. She felt the stones drawing on her strength but didn't stop.
She made another slash at some movement to her side before turning forward again. She vaguely heard a curse but slashed once again until a hand grabbed her wrist.
"Don't give me a good reason to kill you, because I will protect myself," Leiko growled at her.
"What? Leiko - - when did you get here?" she asked as her anger slowly stated to reside.
"I've been trying to get your attention for several minutes. You have some nasty cuts on your arms that you need to get them looked at, but we couldn't get near you due to the stones powers," she snarled causing Vitanie to drop her gaze as she noticed Inuyasha, Yuki, and Hideaki taking care of the last of the demons. As her focus dropped she saw Leiko's hands which were now burnt from where she had grabbed her.
"Leiko, your hands!" she exclaimed as the star sword slipped from her fingers.
"Don't worry about me," she sighed as Sora stepped forward.
"You should both go inside and rest. We will come in once we get information," she whispered as her blue eyes began to fade to grey.
--
Vitanie watched the sun fall below the tree line as she sighed. There were scorch marks all around the ground from the power of the fire stone. One side of the well was actually burnt before the fire could be put out.
"Stop blaming yourself," Kagome said as she came to stand beside the tigress.
"I know but it was mostly the power of the stones that caused the most damage here. And I wasn't even sure what I was doing anymore. I ended up hurting Leiko before she could stop me," she whispered.
"Yeah, and if you tried attacking me one more time and I would have started attacking back," the irate lioness grumped as she flexed her stiff hands.
Vitanie dropped her head before turning and rushing of into the forest, not even listening to Kagome and Leiko yelling at her to stop and come back.
Hours later she returned. She was tired and covered and dirt that clearly showed the tear tracks on her cheeks. Without saying a word she walked past the others to her room where she quickly fell asleep.
--
Vitanie arose early the next day, worry eating away at her. She walked out toward the orchard and jumped up into one of the trees. She sat out there for several hours until a noise made her turn.
"What do you want Inuyasha?"
"Stop worrying, it won't get anything done."
"Perhaps not, but it's something that cannot be ignored."
"Just don't focus on it, besides your mother is looking for you," he grumbled before walking away.
With a sigh Vitanie jumped down and walked over to where she saw her mother by the shrine.
"Vitanie, please come inside," Akiasa said before turning and going into the shrine. Once inside they knelt across from each other. "What is bothering you?"
"Do you think the stones are starting to possess me? I've never caused that much damage before," she whispered.
"Do not worry about the stones. I have never seen them as pure as they are now. Being in your possession they have stayed clean. It was your worry and anger that let the stones power grow so much. It was not the stones that went out of control but you. It was your demon power that you must control."
"Is there anything you could do to help? A barrier or seal, anything at all?"
"I do, but I won't give it to you. This is something you must overcome. If you run from this power now you may never learn to control it. Just remember that you are my daughter as well as Kin's. Now have my power as we as his, now why don't you stay here and consider that. I will make sure everything is ready for your departure," she finished. Just before she made it to the door she heard Vitanie say something.
"Mother - - thank you."
"You have no need to thank me."
--
Vitanie didn't reappear until everyone was ready to leave. It was only than that she walked down the shrine steps.
"Vee, where have you been? We're ready to go," Yuki exclaimed when he saw her.
"I know," she replied quietly as she walked to her mother. She took her bag from her with a soft smile. "You were wrong, I do need to thank you, for everything," she whispered to her before turning and walking away.
"Vitanie are you okay?" Kagome asked.
"I'm fine, Kagome, but thank you for your concern. Now let's get moving we need to get to the spirit stone," she said walking into the trees without a backward glance at her mother, brother, or home.
--
They followed the trail in silence, no one wanting to be the one to voice their uncertainty. Vitanie was in the lead moving forward briskly, determined to get to the spirit stone. They were well into the forest when Mari ran forward and stopped in front of her with a small glare.
"Mari, move out of the way," Vitanie said looking down at the cub.
"No, it's too quiet. When we entered the forest on the way to the temple it was too noisy, now there isn't even a single bird," she exclaimed being the only one brave enough to face Vitanie at the moment.
"She's right Vee. Something's wrong," Leiko commented coming up to her slowly.
"We'll figure out why it's so quiet when we get to the spirit stone," she grumbled as she moved away from Leiko and started to walk around Mari.
From the back of the group another spoke up, "Where is your friend?"
The question stopped Vitanie who turned and met Sora's gaze.
"Does he not rule this forest?"
Inuyasha started to step forward upset about the delay but Yuki stuck his arm out and shook his head staring at the interaction of the group.
Vitanie closed her eyes and sighed. Everyone watched the tension leave her shoulders and back as she relaxed. A soft breeze picked up ruffling her bangs. She tilted her head slightly to the side, her ears perked as if straining to hear something. The only thing she heard was a growl coming from the annoyed dog demon. Instead of facing him she turned with her eyes snapping open as she searched the sky looking for something she hoped she wouldn't find.
"There's a fire - - this way," she said before taking off into the woods straying off the trail.
She heard the others exclaim at her sudden departure and slowed to let them catch up. The first at her side was Hideaki followed closely by Inuyasha. Above her she saw Sango and Kirara flying over the trees. With a sudden thought she called back to the others.
"Kohaku, Miroku can you cover the sides? Keep Shippo, Mari, Sora, Kagome, and Hiroshi between you. Yuki, Leiko take the rear. This is no accident and I want everyone ready," she yelled as she broke through the tree line into a clearing.
On the other side of the grass field she saw the flames licking at the bottom of the trees, feeding on the forest as it grew.
"That fire is not natural. It burns to fast and hot," Hideaki said from beside her.
"I know. I see the taint in the flame, the fire started from black flames," she growled as she continued forward. She stopped short of the trees next to a small stream that ran through the clearing and began calling on the power from the water stone.
Guessing at what Vitanie was going to do Leiko started around the burning section to the other side of the flames. Hideaki saw her and followed not wanting to let the liger out of his sight.
"What are you doing, Lei?" he asked when he caught up and saw her clearing the brush away from the approaching flames.
"If we can keep the fire from spreading Vitanie can drench it with the water from the stream, but if it continues to spread she'll use up all of her energy trying to put it out.
"But what can we do to stop the fire?" Hideaki asked knowing that his manipulation of plants will be of no help her.
"You move out of the way," Inuyasha said as he approached them with his sword ready. From above Sango swooped down on Kirara and threw her hiraikotsu clearing a path through the forest. In the other direction Inuyasha swung his sword sending out a wind scar to clear even more of the trees and brush from the path of the fire.
"Well I guess I'm not needed here," Leiko said looking at the cleared section of forest giving the flames no where to go.
"Actually I wouldn't have come this way if I hadn't seen you two running this way," Sango said as she landed with Kirara.
"We can keep the flames from coming this way you should go back and help the others contain the other side," Inuyasha said using the wind scar again to push the flames back.
"You know I think he's starting to trust us," Hideaki smirked as he grabbed Leiko's hand and started back to the others.
"Either that or we're in a different dimension and someone forgot to tell us," Leiko replied with a chuckle.
When they got back to Vitanie they saw her directing the water into the burning grove soaking the edges to keep it from spreading before focusing on the center. Around the edges Kagome, Kohaku, Miroku, and Sora were using wet clothing and bedrolls to smother some of the flames. Hiroshi was standing behind Vitanie plucking at his lyre in concentration.
"What are you doing come and help us with the flames," Leiko yelled at him just as the first rain drop fell on her. With shock she looked up and saw the once clear blue sky filled with dark grey clouds that were opening up into a down pour. She could see around the edges of the clouds in other parts of the forest that the sky was still clear and that the rain was only over the area around the fire. "Well I guess that's one way to help," she mumbled as she turned to help Kagome with her section.
Ten minutes later the flames were out and they were walking cautiously through the area putting out any smoldering wood that the rain and Vitanie's water hadn't completely drenched.
"You know I have a weird feeling that someone is trying to delay us," Miroku commented as he approached Vitanie and Sango who had just put out the smoldering remains of a large tree.
"What was the first clue," Vitanie sarcastically replied. "The chaos in the forest earlier, the disappearance of Sin, or the fact that this fire is in the opposite direction of the spirit stone,' she finished whipping some of the water from her face and leaving a stripe of soot behind.
"I was thinking of the evil aura that surrounded the fire, but those are also good points," he smiled backing up a few steps and the exasperated look on the tigress's face.
"Sango, I have a question," Vitanie suddenly commented not taking her eye off the monk.
"What is it?" she asked confused as she had been following there conversation.
"How do you put up with him?" she huffed throwing her arms in the air and glancing back at the slayer.
Sango stopped and looked over at the two. Vitanie had a small twinkle of mischievous in her eyes and Miroku stood there with a smirk. Knowing that Vitanie was tired and that she needed a laugh she decided to side with her this time around.
"You know, I'm not sure. I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out," she replied nonchalantly.
Miroku's smirk slid from his face as he looked between the two women. Both of them were now smirking as they saw the defeated expression on his face. The two couldn't help but start laughing as they heard Kagome and Leiko giggling from somewhere among the charred trees. Next thing they knew they where on the ground laughing as Miroku stood there completely drenched from the two pots full of water the priestess and liger had just poured over the monk.
"What's going on over here?" Kohaku asked coming up on them and then chuckled as he stared at Miroku trying to get some of the water out of his clothes.
"Miroku, get back to work," Inuyasha barked as he walked by turning away from the group before they could see his smirk. This just caused them all to laugh more at Miroku's expense.
--
Tora-chan: Wow it's been awhile. I know I've been taking too long to write this, but my life's been a mess this year.
Yuki: No kidding but you started this last semester.
Tora-chan: I'd like to see you get this done faster, you baka wolf.
Yuki: You could have worked on it the day your car got stolen.
Tora-chan: No I was too busy calling the insurance company and repair shop to get the damages fixed.
Yuki: What about the rest of the week when your parents were on their cruise.
Tora-chan: Painting my bedroom so that the new window and carpet could be put in.
Yuki: Oh well guess you're just lazy then (walks away).
Tora-chan: Get back here you baka wolf (runs after him with katana in hand)
Hiroshi: Tora-chan does apologize for the lateness of this chapter and hopes to be able to update again soon, and to insure that she will write a few more chapters before posting the next on. Thank you again for reading and please review and let Tora-chan know what you thought of the chapter and if you have any ideas. Thank you and have a wonderful morning, day, and night.