Chapter 3:

Kaoru

The three fairy eggs hatched to find themselves further trapped in a larger cage. But no matter how they grew or changed or pushed or pulled, the little fairies found themselves stuck with little hope of ever escaping from the glass coven that held them tightly prisoner.

The first of the three fairies to hatch—and the obvious leader of the group—was a buxom purple fairy called Airisu said to her sisters, "Surely, there must be some way out of this place. Have you tried burrowing under the glass?"

"It's metal," the largest of the three, a green fairy called Tsuta replied, "We can't get through."

"We'll have to try harder then," Airisu replied, "If we're ever to be free we must certainly escape from this place."

"But how did we get here," Tsuta asked, "Fairies are born in hallows—last I was born I was in a hallow."

Airisu nodded. "Right. Something is off about this whole thing. Maybe we've angered the queen fairy somehow."

Tsuta nodded in unknowing agreement.

Their youngest sister, a delicate and beautiful red fairy called Bara, however, had yet to speak. Instead, she hovered over the large demoness that slept in the coffin with them.

"Bara," Airisu snapped, "Come over here. We're brainstorming."

Bara rolled her eyes. "Do you think this thing could help us?"

Both of her sisters perked their eyebrows with hesitation.

"Unlikely," Airisu replied.

"What is it," piped in Tsuta.

"How is it that you know where you're supposed to be born, but you don't know what she is," Bara snapped.

"It's a demon," Airisu informed her plump sister, "They're like us—sort of. But they're powerful and they have tempers. We better not wake this one up."

"But maybe she could help us get out," Bara suggested.

"Or maybe she will fail and then eat us," Airisu replied, flying back over to a scuff she'd made in the glass in their attempts to break free.

"Besides, how do we even wake her up," Tsuta asked, "We've been making all kinds of noise since we've hatched. Surely she would have awoken with all that."

"Stop talking about her," Airisu called, "We have to figure out how to get out of here and you two are sucking up all the air."

"What about a waking charm," Bara suggested.

"No. Quit it with the demoness talk. We have to figure out how to get out of here. If we don't find somewhere to hide come sunrise we're—well, we're toast."

Tsuta gulped.

The other two fairies went off to investigate the seams in the glass, leaving Bara alone peering at the sleeping giant.

Timidly, she pressed her hand into the giant's cheek. It was warm. Her breath smelled like flowers and… dog kibble, Bara discovered and covered her mouth.

"Hello," she asked the large woman, "Are you alive? If so, would you mind waking up? You see: if we don't get out of here and find a place to sleep the sun will burn us up. So, yeah, if you could wake up that would be really great."

The demon did not stir.

"Hello," Bara tried again with more enthusiasm, "We really do need your help."

Nothing.

"Well, you're just being rude," Bara muttered and glanced over at her sisters. Their respective orbs of light could be seen behind the demon's hip. "If this doesn't work, I'm never gonna hear the end of it," she muttered.

Looking over her shoulder she saw rays of sun peeking up over the trees. "Well," she muttered, "Here goes nothing."

Crafting a plume of her own fairy magic, she formed a yellow cloud and clinched her eyes shut. "Please work," she whispered and shouted, "Awake!"

She cast the cloud into the giant's mouth, just as her sisters buzzed over, red in the face and devil-eyed.

When they were sure the demon wasn't going to move, Airisu laid into Bara. "What were you thinking," she demanded, "I told you not to do anything with this monster. We have only minutes left and now we don't even have your magic to help with actually escape. You are so irresponsible! I can't believe I'm stuck with—"

But she stopped short when the giant let out a loud and pressing cough so powerful that it thrust all three fairies into the glass. The demon lurched up crashing her head into the glass, shattering it, before falling back down into her apparent sleep.

"Well," Airisu muttered, "You still should have listened."

"Oh, leave her alone," Tsuta laughed, flying out of the coffin. "At least we're free!"

"I suppose," Airisu replied, "Just come on. Let's find shelter."

But Bara stayed still next to the giant. "Don't you think we should see if she's okay? Maybe find some help for her?"

"You're so silly, Bara," Airisu replied.

The giant's eyes and nose twitched strangely, so Bara—ever helpful—flew up over her mouth and peered in. There she saw it—deep in the giants mouth there was a silver gleam shining out.

"Come on, Bara," Airisu called, but she didn't budge. She fluttered down onto the giant's lip and reached in.

"All most," she muttered; glancing the top of the silver with her fingers. She had to go in further.

"Airisu! Tsuta! Help me!"

Her sisters peered into the coffin hesitantly.

"I need help getting this out of her mouth," Bara called.

"What is it," Tsuta asked.

Airisu swatted her shoulder. "It doesn't matter! Get away from there! The sun will be up any second and you will be a sun-dried fairy!"

"Help me," Bara cried.

Glancing over at Airisu, Tsuta shrugged and lowered herself into the coffin.

"Idiots," Airisu muttered.

Tsuta braced herself and helped lower Bara further into the giant's mouth. Closer still, she could grasp the charm, but it was stuck.

"I need help! I can't get it! Airisu! Help Tsuta pull!"

"No," cried Airisu nervously, "The sun!"

"Come on," both sisters cried in unison.

Wiping away a tear of anger, Airisu flew down to her sisters and took hold of Tsuta waist.

"Pull," shouted Bara.

The three fairy sisters pulled with all their might and, with some budging, the charm let loose, sending them flying out of the coffin and into a bush.

"Told you we'd make it to a bush," Bara joked when they caught their breath.

Airisu elbowed her in the stomach.

They watched as the giant started to move. She sat up through the hole in the coffin and rubbed her eyes.

Bara flew out despite Airisu's objections and up to the giant.

"Here you go," she said to the giant, handing her the charm. "I think this is what was keeping you asleep."

The demon took the charm and read aloud: "Pet" and chuckled.

"Does it mean anything to you," Bara asked.

"Yes," the demon replied. Her voice was gravely and choked with tears. "Thank you."

Bara smiled. "What's your name?"

The demon clutched the charm in her hand and wiped tears away with the balled fist. "My name is Kaoru."

"I'm Bara," she replied, "And those are my sisters. The green one is Tsuta and the pompous one is Airisu."

Kaoru smiled through the tears and bowed low to the three. "I'm in your debt."

"What was that, anyway," Bara asked.

"Oh, no you don't," Airisu trilled, "You'll have to save the story for another time. Now, we're leaving for shelter! The sun is nearly up!"

"You'll tell me the story then, sometime," Bara called as her sister dragged her into the bush.

"Anytime," Kaoru called back.

Once the fairies were gone and the sun had started to rise purple and pink and wide in the sky, Kaoru fell down in the grass and cried happy tears. "The sun," she shouted, "I can't believe it's the sun!"

Sitting up after sunning herself for a long time, she turned toward the town and charged off toward it.

'I'm coming for you, Sesshomaru,' she thought, 'I'm coming.'