To My Lovely Readers,

Thanks for the nice comments Readerfreak10, sesshu, and Amaterasu1969, I really loved your reviews! You all get cookies, no worries Amaya Mishugosha… and I don't know if Ookami Kiba is still reading, but I don't think I deserve a cookie for taking so long with the second chapter…but maybe for the third? I like my cookies heated so the chocolate chips are all melty, thanks…haha.

Anyways, here's the third chapter, and under a week too! If you like it, or not, review please!

The fourth chapter might even be typed up this week…we hear about why Aimi was crying the first time she ran into Sesshou-maru. Also they have a run in with one of Naraku's henchmen…and it doesn't turn out well…but you will have to wait and see...

-Amy-Loco

Disclaimer: Most of these character belong to Rumiko Takahashi...not me, otherwise my life would be soooo cool...

The Phoenix: Chapter 3

It was around midday that they reached the high ridge of a hill, and below them in a valley lay the youkai village. Sesshou-maru left Rin and Jaken on the hilltop and took Aimi with him. She let her demon scent free, masking her human scent instead. A youkai village was no place for any human.

Sesshou-maru found her scent odd…he didn't recognize exactly what type of demon she was. As they walked down the sloping hill to the cluster of houses below, he decided she smelled like the wind, with a bit of smoke on the breeze…

They walked directly to the town's center, were there was a courtyard around a well. There were two heavily breathing and bloody youkai facing each other and snarling viciously. They circled slowly within the ring the crowd made around them, keeping the well between them, both of their tails whipping stiffly behind them in anticipation.

The crowd parted silently for Sesshou-maru, but Aimi decided to wait at the back of the crowd. She watched as Sesshou-maru imperiously resolved their argument, with a few clipped words. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but by the end of his short reprimand, both youkai's tails were wilted against the ground.

As Sesshou-maru turned to leave; the panther youkai was left by the well, as the crowd followed the puma demon. It was easy to see which had won the dispute.

As soon as the crowd had dispersed, and the usual activities of the town had begun again, Sesshou-maru went to her. He quickly grabbed her waist and leaped into the air. They flew in leaping bounds, and it was only a few moments before they had landed next to Rin and the toad.

Aimi had just run over to Rin to give her a hug, when Sesshou-maru straightened suddenly, alert.

"What is it?" She asked him.

Sesshou-maru looked at her and said calmly, "Just my half-brother."

She frowned, with her arms still frozen around Rin, when a red blur shot across the clearing.

The blur skidded to a stop at the opposite end of the field, and she saw that it was a boy. He looked fairly young, closer to her age than Sesshou-maru's. He had snowy white hair, and golden eyes that were flashing brightly. He was rougher looking then Sesshou-maru, and a cocky grin lit his face as he hefted a giant sword over one shoulder,

Sesshou-maru strolled in front of Rin and Aimi, casually guarding us. "Inuyasha." He said, contempt clear in his tone.

"I know you hate humans Sesshou-maru, but this is low, even for you!" He yelled, and suddenly erupted into a sprint, blurring towards Sesshou-maru, chopping down with his blade. Sesshou-maru jumped out of range, and Aimi threw Rin out of the way, dodging the sweeping sword.

Sesshou-maru was split, he could only protect one of them, and there was the boy between them.

"Rin." Aimi urged, not bothering to raise her voice: he could hear her. Sesshou-maru didn't waste another moment; he leapt between the boy and Rin.

Inuyasha grabbed to Aimi's arm.

"Let go!" She said firmly, but before she could twist away he flung her at three strangers who had just emerged from the trees. A kind looking girl in odd green and white clothes caught one of her arms, and another more serious girl with a rather large boomerang caught her other. A young man in monk's robes caught Aimi's butt.

"Ahhh!" Aimi screeched, and kicked him.

"Miroku!!" The two girls cried in unison, and each slapped him.

The serious girl punched the top of his head to, for good measure. "Pervert." She muttered.

Sesshou-maru had heard Aimi's cry of surprise, and he received a shallow gash in his new arm for the moment of distraction.

"I see you have your arm back Sesshou-maru…but I can fix that!" Inuyasha crowed, and attacked more ferociously than ever.

"Sesshou-maru!" Aimi started towards him, worried.

"What are you doing?" One girl asked, both holding me back.

"He's hurt!" Aimi exclaimed, watching the blood soaking into his silk sleeve as he fought.

"You care?" The serious girl sounded shocked.

"Of course!" Aimi said, turning to them. "Why are you doing this?"

"Sesshou-maru…we followed your scent from a destroyed village…you were the only survivor. And you are with him, aren't you kidnapped?"

"No!!"

"Oh." The kind girl said. Then, "SIT!"

Aimi was confused until she heard a thump and muffled curses. The boy had slammed face-first into the ground.

Seizing the moment, she ran over to Sesshou-maru, and on impulse hugged him. She could feel his surprise, and then one had rest on her back. She pulled away quickly, and took his arm, looking closely. It was only a shallow wound.

Suddenly two clawed fingers tilted up her face, to meet Sesshou-maru's impassive golden eyes. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. That…monk felt me up though."

Sesshou-maru's eyes narrowed slightly, but her hand rested on his chest, which seemed to stop him from moving towards the strange people with harmful intent. They were all staring at the demon lord and Aimi, including Inuyasha, who had peeled his face out of the ground in order to do so.

Aimi blushed and began to move away, but Sesshou-maru placed a hand on her shoulder.

She finally got tired of their wide eyes, and asked, "What?!"

"But-but-but…" A small ginger haired fox demon that she hadn't noticed before stuttered at them. "Sesshou-maru's mean!!"

"Yes, he is." She said dryly, and Sesshou-maru's cold eyes slid down to give her a look. She smiled back and continued, "But not all the time."

The kind girl looked baffled, but she smiled at them anyway. Inuyasha said to her, confused, "But…Sesshou-maru hates humans..." She rolled her eyes at him, but it was Sesshou-maru who answered.

"Not all of them." If Aimi didn't have such good hearing, she would have missed the slightly warm tone in his voice. He looked down at her again, "We should be going."

Aimi called to Rin as Sesshou-maru pulled her into his arms bridal style, and set Rin in her lap. Clearly he was in a hurry to get back to his home. Inuyasha's mouth fell open at the sight of the Lord of the Western Lands carrying two humans.

"Bye! I'm sure we'll see each other again!" Aimi called to the five of them, as Sesshou-maru sprang into the air. Only the kind girl wasn't astonished enough to wave back.

Reviews? Yes please!!!!