Readers,

Well hello again, here is chapter two of my more recent story...

My computer recently crashed, so DoM is gonna be a little while in updating...I had the chapter mostly typed, but not written anywhere. So I have to remember it all and retype it.

Anyways, enjoy this chapter, and the next one will by typed up by next week! Inuyashas finally gonna show up, and Sesshou-maru is going to get a bit angry at Miroku...but you have to wait till I post the next chap heehee.

Please REVIEW!

-Amy-loco

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; Rumiko Takahashi does.

The Phoenix: Chapter Two

"Where are we going?" Aimi asked, leaving Rin to skip ahead, as she fell in step with Sesshou-maru's long stride.

"A village at the edge of this forest. There is a noble dispute." He answered calmly, and said no more, even though they walked for another few hours.

When the stars came out the group stopped in a clearing a little ways off the road. Jaken began a campfire with his staff and some wood he had collected. Sesshou-maru also sent him off to catch fish in a nearby stream, for the 'humans to consume', while the girl and Rin picked some berries near the stream.

Sesshou-maru refused food, but sat against a wide tree and began to meditate. Aimi settled Rin down on some softer grass, giving her a good-night kiss, unaware of Sessou-maru's eyes.

She awoke from her nightmare when the night was at its deepest black. It had happened again, in her dream. She sat for a moment, arms wrapped around her knees. She watched the fingers of her hand curl tight into a fist as she fought off tears.

She grimaced as she realized her cheeks were already stiff from dried tears…she must have been crying in her sleep. It occurred to her that Sesshou-maru might smell their salt and wake up, so she slipped as quietly as she could through the low vegetation of the forest, and then through the surrounding trees, until she reached the small stream she and Rin had picked berries at earlier.

She felt like crumpling to the ground, and breaking into sobs, but instead she held her chin up and sat carefully. She looked at herself in the calmer parts of the stream, where distorted images of her face could be seen reflected on its silvery surface.

'They are dead. They are all gone, and you will never see them again.' She told herself, trying to be strong, but as she watched her eyes filled with tears again.

Would they ever stop coming? Was there any way a person could use up all the extra water in their body, and then start shriveling up as a result of crying too much?

All these tears…because of him. Because of Naraku. How she hated him! At his name bolts of fury, like lightning, shot through her. She knew if she dwelled on it any longer the lightning bursts would build into she exploded. Into what, she didn't know. A sobbing heap or a burning ball of hate?

She noticed she was trembling, and took deep breaths, willing the tears back into her eyes. With her eyes closed, she calmed down, and soon realized that she felt a stare. Someone was watching her.

She turned directly to her right, and saw something white and silvery in between two trees. She looked and saw it was only Sesshou-maru, silently regarding her.

She knew her face was still haunted with traces of anger and fear and sorrow, and immediately regretted that he had caught sight of them.

She watched him stride forward, and pulled her up with his one arm. She felt his hand linger on her wrist, as if he were hesitating.

"You are supposed to be Rin's watcher." He said finally, voice emotionless as usual. "I expect you to not stray from her side."

She lifted her chin again, and said, "I have not put her in danger. You were with her."

He chose to ignore this and repeated, "Do not leave her side." Then he added, in the same monotone he said everything else in, so she almost missed he'd changed the subject, "Why are you crying?"

"You do not care to know." She said, sounding more arrogant than she felt, to annoy him slightly so he would forget the previous subject. She continued, "Would you like your arm back?"

He blinked. "I have already tried many useless temporary attachments. They never last. I do not want another one."

"No, I am not talking about a substitute. I can regenerate it."

"Then, yes." He answered simply.

"There is a catch." She added. "I am going to need a day to rest after this…I am not a full miko, so mixed with my demon powers I can do unusual things, but it still takes a lot out of me."

"It will not be a delay." Sesshou-maru said, while wondering what on earth she was talking about. 'demon powers'? She hadn't a trace of demonic aura.

"All right, we'll need somewhere comfortable." She went over to a grassy knoll off the bank of the stream. "Here looks good…will Jaken and Rin be all right by themselves?"

"Do not concern yourself." He said, twitching one of his elf-like ears.

"Then I won't." Aimi said sharply, then, "Sit down." Sesshou-maru growled lowly at her, warning her not to order him around, but sat anyway.

Aimi kneeled next to him, and started to roll his limp sleeve up, but soon realized it would block her access to his shoulder. Sesshou-maru wordlessly slid his shoulders and chest out of his clothes.

Aimi felt along his clavicle for a moment, and then his shoulder blade. He tensed as she did so, obviously uncomfortable. "You need to relax."

"I am." He said, giving her a cold look, but wondering internally why didn't he cringe at her touch…somehow she did not disgust him. This thought disgruntled him even further, and he resolutely ignored the feeling of her cool fingers running along his skin, and the urges to touch her when she did so.

She finally stopped, placed one hand on his shoulder, and the other on the stump of his arm. She closed her eyes. A golden light streamed like liquid from her fingers. The glow grew larger and larger, encompassing the whole clearing, and becoming eye-searingly bright. It filled her entire field of vision, until she could see nothing else.

Sesshou-maru felt her hands grow very hot, for he could see nothing through the blinding light, but after a moment she collapsed into his arms, and the light was suddenly gone.

Sesshou-maru sat for a moment, vaguely confused as to what to do? Should he just leave her there? He made a decision, and stood with her in his arms. He enjoyed the feeling of having to arms again…he felt strength returning that he hadn't noticed missing. Or maybe it was just the invigorating feel of the girl in his arms?

He let that thought linger, before snapping it back into the recesses of his mind, and walked back to camp. He took her to his usual tree, and suddenly exhausted from the healing, sat with her cradled in his arms.

Sesshou-maru woke to a child laughing. He was awake in an instant...he had fallen asleep. He felt strangely satisfied…he had not slept in a long time, and not so comfortably in far longer.

He looked at Rin, who was standing in front of him, giggling.

Sesshou-maru looked down. Aimi was in his arms, just waking up. She felt warmth all around her, and smoothness against her cheek. She blinked her eyes open sleepily, to stare into pure golden eyes with her own half-lidded ones.

Aimi's eyes jerked open, and she quickly scrambled out of his arms, blushing brilliantly, as Sesshou-maru stood, shrugging into his clothes.

"How long was I out?" She asked Rin, avoiding Sesshou-maru's eyes until her color returned to normal. She expected Rin to say two or three days.

"Since what?" Rin asked, confused.

"Since I fixed Sesshou-maru's arm!" Aimi answered, becoming puzzled herself.

"You…" Rin looked over in surprise and began to skip around Sesshou-maru, who raised an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. "You got Lord Sesshou-maru's arm back! Rin is glad!"

"It was just last night that you grew my arm." Sesshou-maru responded for Rin, who was still skipping in circles and admiring his newly acquired limb. "And since you appear rested, we shall approach the village this afternoon. It is not far."

"…I'm not tired…" Aimi said aloud, surprised. "I'm usually tired after healing, especially after growing, which exhausts me. I sleep for days sometimes…"

Sesshou-maru eyed her. "I never sleep. I haven't in years. With you here…" He stopped talking abruptly, and turned away to wake Jaken so he could clean up.

Aimi frowned a little at his strange words, and would have dismissed them if she hadn't seen a flicker of emotion in his eyes.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease review? I have some cookies with your names on theeeeeeeem...