From The Ashes

A/N: Ok, here is what I want....

Wanted: A beta. I need someone who has a really good grasp on grammar skills, and who will understand my love of commas.

"Hello, my name is Kogasangel and I am a comma junkie."

I need someone who is patient, who will look over the chapter with a fine-toothed comb and who will not yell at me for my comma usage. Yes, I know I have a problem and admitting it is the first step. I need someone to go over this story, jewel, and the others and help me redo the chapters so that they are correct in grammar and punctuation.

I need someone who would also read my Naruto fandoms. Gotta give the ninjas some lovin.

So, if you are interested, please get in touch with me.

Signed, the comma loving Kogasangel

ps. here is the next chapter of Ashes. My muse finally kicked in and I hope that you enjoy.

*I've finally got my beta. *Editing by Hannah, aka, prinnybubbles. Reposted on 5/11/08*
~!~

Kikyo sighed and shook her head. She could not help but wonder when Koenma would return with her sister. Kaede, before she died, had watched over the field where the well once was. Her sister once told her that Kagome had grown to a seriously high level of power, but never once did she ever think that Kagome would have been suitable to contain a creature like the phoenix.

As Kikyo delved into her thoughts, she didn’t see Kagome’s eyes open. For several minutes, dark eyes flickered with bright orange and yellow hues until her dark eyes become prominent. When she felt that she had a good enough control over the phoenix, at least momentarily, she softly said, “I hate you.”

Kikyo’s head snapped up. Her eyes found Kagome staring at her, the other girl’s eyes filled with tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kagome cut her off.

“I honestly hate you,” she whimpered, finally speaking the words that she had carried around within her heart for so long. “You took everything away from me, and then smiled in my face as if you had won over me. You knew that because I carried your soul, I would have feelings for Inu Yasha, and you ripped him away.”

Kikyo listened carefully to Kagome’s words. The words were not spoken maliciously, but were spoken honestly, filled with the anger that Kagome had long ago suppressed. In many ways, Kagome was like that monk she had come across, the one who had placed a barrier around Mount Hakurei. Both held in their true feelings and suffered for it.

Finally, Kikyo said, “I don’t blame you for hating me. However, I cannot steal what doesn’t want to be stolen. Inu Yasha could never love you the way you wished or deserved. It didn’t matter that you held my soul. You could never take the place that had been given to me. Hanyou and youkai will only give their heart to one person, and I happened to be the one who claimed Inu Yasha’s. For the pain I have caused you, I am sorry. For being with Inu Yasha, you will not receive an apology from me.”

Kagome’s eyes turned to look at the ceiling. Biting her lip, she gave a short nod, and listened as Kikyo stood up and walked to the door. The door opened, and before Kikyo left the room she quietly said, “You have every reason to hate me, this I know all too well. But do not let your hatred blind you and turn you from what you know to be right. The phoenix may be within you, but you are the only one with the power to force it back.”

When she was finally alone, tears streamed down Kagome’s cheeks. This was the first time that she had ever vocalized her feelings about Kikyo. Gods help her, it had felt so good.

~!~

Hiei stood beside the door and watched as the dead miko stepped outside. He had heard every word, and had been ready to go into the room to prevent any violence between the two women. Kikyo turned her eyes towards him and then sighed.

“It seems that the phoenix’s influence is loosening her inhibitions,” she murmured, her eyes moving back over to the closed door. “I’m not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.”

He didn’t respond, simply moved away from the wall he was leaning against and placed his hand upon the door. Before he opened it, he asked, “When is the high miko arriving?”

“Eager to be relieved of your babysitting job, Hiei?” Kikyo teased, and then rolled her eyes when her attempt at humor simply evaded him. “She should be here by morning.”

“Kurama has gone to retrieve the book.” Hiei said, his ears listening to the younger miko move about in the room. “He knows who has the book, and he thinks that the book will be the key to getting the phoenix under control.”

Nodding, Kikyo watched as Hiei slid the door open and entered the room, and then watched as the door slid shut. She made her way to the room that she and Inu Yasha were sharing. When she had closed the door behind her, she let her head fall with a sigh.

She had lied. Before she had decided to be at Inu Yasha’s side, she had known that the hanyou had deeper feelings for her reincarnation—ones that went beyond friendship. Inu Yasha was slowly falling in love with the younger girl, and she had found that she just could not let him go. Not again.

Kagome didn’t know it, but she had filled the void within Inu Yasha’s lonely heart. Even now, even as angry as he was at Kagome, he still loved her. It was clear in the way he would look at her. If she was going to be honest, there were times when she wondered if his life would not have been better had she simply returned to the soil and allowed them to find a life, together.

~!~

Hiei watched the girl and noticed that she seemed a bit distant. He was never one for idle conversation, nor did he engage in spontaneous chats with the others in his group. But this girl made him curious, and he hated not knowing what he was dealing with.

“Can you feel it?” Kagome asked, her dark eyes finally turning towards him. He cocked his head to the side, and then nodded once.

“Its anger is simmering, as if waiting for the perfect opportunity to explode,” he replied curtly. “It hates being restricted to this room.”

Kagome gave a soft giggle, but nodded. “You are right,” she affirmed. “The phoenix doesn’t like being inside. It wants to be outside, going wherever it pleases.”

He lifted his eyebrow, but didn’t bother to answer her. “You heard Kikyo and me, didn’t you?” she asked, her tone soft.

He gave a shrug. “I did, and I don’t give a damn what kind of grudges the both of you have,” he said harshly. “As long as you do what I say while under my care, then I am content.”

Kagome frowned and sat up. She studied the short hybrid for several moments and then said, “You have two different kinds of youkai. One of fire, and the other one is very similar to that ice youkai, Yukina.”

His eyes narrowed, but then he turned his head away from her, eyes closing. However, they snapped open when she said, “Yukina is your sister. That is why it is so similar. You have the same parent.”

“You would do well to stay out of my personal business,” Hiei growled, his eyes now upon the miko, his stance threatening. “She doesn’t know, and she won’t know.”

Shrugging, Kagome yawned. “You’re right. It isn’t any of my business, and I’m not going to run and tell her,” she said, and then crossed her arms over her chest and muttered, “Besides, I doubt that you’d let me out of this room long enough to do it.”

His mouth formed a thin line, and he relaxed. He watched as the girl laid back down on the futon that Genkai had provided for her, and noticed that her eyes were growing heavy. Before she fell into the arms of sleep, she asked, “Do you think that I’m a bad person for hating Kikyo, Hiei?”

“Your feelings are your own,” Hiei replied. “I don’t have any right to judge you for hating someone that you believe harmed you or did you wrong.”

Kagome’s eyes slid back over to him and she gave him a smile. “I’m glad,” she whispered, her body relaxing completely. “I’m sick of playing the martyr.”

He watched her as she slept, frowning. In the books that he had read, Kagome had taken a lot of abuse from others, mainly Inu Yasha. Yet she stayed and helped him, even when his dead lover returned.

As he contemplated the miko, the door slid open, and he found himself staring into the golden eyes of Youko.

“I’ve retrieved the book,” he said, his voice quiet. “Genkai wants us to meet in the courtyard.”

Hiei rose to his feet and followed the kitsune out, closing the door behind him. As the partners walked, the silver features faded, and Shuuichi finally emerged. The redhead smiled and asked, “How is she doing?”

“She told the dead miko that she hated her,” Hiei stated. When the green eyes turned to him, the hybrid shrugged. “It seems that the miko has held onto a grudge for a very long time, and finally spoke her mind.”

“The phoenix probably has a lot to do with this.” Shuuichi murmured, and then waved at Yusuke as they entered the courtyard. Hiei took a place off to the side and watched as Shuuichi stood in front of the group, the old book secure in his hand. When everyone was quiet, Koenma nodded at him, and Shuuichi began to speak.

“Youko and I went over this book a few times to make sure that we had our facts straight,” he said, and then lifted himself to sit upon the table behind him. “The creature that we confronted was not the phoenix. From what we have read, that thing was the darker version known as the dark phoenix.”

“But isn’t the dark phoenix the actual phoenix? I’m sorry, but I’m confused.” Shippo said, and watched as everyone around him nodded.

Onigumo stood up. “What he is trying to say is that the phoenix has evolved into the darker image of itself, thus creating a new identity as a dark phoenix,” he explained, his tone calm. “The kinder, gentler phoenix is simply no more.”

Shuuichi nodded. “When the four souls finally caught the dark phoenix, they sealed it away within themselves. And when the Shikon jewel was formed and corrupted by Naraku, the souls were also corrupted. Not even Kagome’s purifying abilities could reverse them back to their natural state. Like the dark phoenix, the souls are just as dark,” he said.

Kouga stood up and asked, “So what do we do now?”

“What we do is teach Kagome how to deal with her new lot in life, and focus our energies on training her natural power to contain the dark phoenix,” a voice from the shadows said.

Kikyo stood up. “You’re here,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.

Inu Yasha stood up beside his mate and shivered. Together, the two and their group watched as the figure emerged from the shadows.

“Ye are not off the hook, Inu Yasha,” she scolded, her good eye narrowing in a silent challenge. “Ye are going to pay dearly for ruining my herbs.”

Inu Yasha’s ears flattened against his head. Damn, damn, damn.

~!~

Chyjoko watched with narrowed eyes as the woman trembled before him. “Sire, I tried to get that book, but the kitsune beat me to it,” she whimpered, her eyes filled with tears. “I swear, I didn’t mean to fail you.”

He lifted his hand, silently ordering her to be silent, and then turned his attention onto his followers. “Now our enemies will know that they hold a very powerful weapon, and I will have to suffer for it,” he said, his tone rich and velvety. “I do not tolerate excuses. And I will never tolerate failure.”

He turned to the woman, and before she could scream in terror, he severed her head with just a swipe of his claws. Turning back to the large crowd before him, he said, “Do not fail me again.”

When he was finally alone, he smirked and then felt a pair of hands fall upon his shoulders. “I see that your speech was quite effective,” she said, her tone light.

He nodded, then stood up and turned towards the woman. “You look ravishing, my dear,” he said, his eyes moving over the kimono that she had chosen to wear.

Kagura smiled. “I’m glad you like it,” she said, as she pulled out her fan. “Now, what can I do for you, my lord?”

Chyjoko smiled and moved closer to the female. He was going to enjoy her on this night.

~!~

Kagome’s eyes fluttered open, and she winced when a sharp pain shot up her back. Groaning, she sat up and rubbed the sore area.

“Ye are finally awake.”

Kagome froze. Immediately, a face came rushing from the back of her mind. Slowly turning, Kagome’s eyes widened when she saw Kaede sitting a few feet away, watching her.

“Kaede,” Kagome whispered, almost reverently. The older woman nodded and said, “I am glad to see that ye have not forgotten about me. I also hear that ye have managed to find more trouble.”

“How?” Kagome asked, and swallowed the large lump that arose in her throat. “You should not be here.”

“The same could be said for ye,” Kaede retorted softly. “Tell me about the phoenix, Kagome. Tell me everything.”

They talked for nearly two and a half hours. Finally, Kaede emerged from the room, her face pale. It was worse than what Koenma had told her. When she finally reached the large group, Kikyo was at her side, helping her to sit down.

Shuuichi placed a glass of water before the elderly miko. Once she had taken enough to satisfy her thirst, Kaede calmly said, “The miko Midoriko is no longer within the jewel.”

Kikyo lifted her hands to her mouth, and Miroku groaned. Sango touched his arm and asked, “What? What’s wrong?”

All eyes shifted to the hentai monk, and he quietly explained, “Without Midoriko to balance the jewel, the youkai soul that she fought may attempt to rise to power. If he adds his own power to what the phoenix has given to Kagome, it is very possible that Kagome could go mad.”

“Aye,” Kaede agreed, her voice shaking. “Kagome told me that Midoriko had been assigned as her guide. But I believe that by separating her from the jewel, it was only a matter of time before Midoriko simply ceased to exist.”

“The jewel deceived her,” Sesshomaru concluded, his eyes narrowed. “Is it possible to extract the jewel from the miko?”

“No,” Kaede murmured. “The jewel is being reabsorbed into Kagome. Essentially, Kagome is the jewel. And now there is a battle raging inside of her, attempting to gain dominance. It is my belief that Kagome has already surpassed Midoriko in her spiritual power, and that is the only reason why she has maintained control over her mind and body. But I fear that it will not last. Kagome simply does not have the training to survive as a high miko. She doesn’t know how to harness her spiritual power.”

Hiei moved away from the wall and asked, “What do we need to do in order to keep the phoenix from taking total control?”

“We could kill her and be done with it,” Bankotsu said, his tone hard.

Shippo snarled and snapped, “We are not killing my mother.”

Jumping down from the ledge that he had been sitting on, Bankotsu shook his head. “Look, kid,” he said, a small smirk upon his lips, “In war, there are always casualties. Your mother is a serious threat, and I’m not risking my chance to be reincarnated into a better life just because you can’t see her as anything other than the miko that raised you. If it comes down to her or us, then I choose us, and I’ll slice her head clean off of her shoulders.”

Shippo moved to approach the mercenary, but Yusuke stepped in front of him. “Look,” he snapped, his eyes flashing angrily, “No one is going to kill Kagome. Let’s hear the old lady out, and then decide where to go from there.”

Shippo growled at Bankotsu one more time, but then sat down. Kaede sighed and looked up at Shuuichi. “Did ye find anything else in the book that may help us?” she asked.

Green eyes narrowed, and he nodded. “There was an incident right before the battle between Lord Enma and Chyjoko. The phoenix had a huge amount of followers. Every year, those followers would hold a festival, honoring the phoenix, and thanking it for its protection. But on the day of the last festival that would be held in the phoenix’s honor, the people were attacked by an enemy of the phoenix. When the phoenix arrived, it found its followers dead,” Shuuichi said, his eyes moving over the crowd.

“The phoenix flew into such a rage that it went after its enemy, and not only killed him, but his followers, as well. But it didn’t stop there. The phoenix’s anger had not been abated. Instead, it grew in intensity, and the phoenix warped into the dark phoenix, its power going through the roof. It was at the height of its power when it came across the battle between the king and his brother. After that, the book becomes very vague about what happened to the phoenix.”

Kaede was silent. Something was not making sense. Standing up, she saw the curious stares that were directed at her, and she said, “I am going to get Kagome. I want to ask her some questions.”

Kikyo stood up, ready to argue with her sister that bringing Kagome outside was not such a good idea. But the elder miko shot her sister a glare, silently telling her to hold her tongue. She walked out of the courtyard and made her way to the room where Kagome was. She slid the door open, and when her eyes met Kagome’s, she said, “Follow me, child. There is much that we need to discuss.”

Kagome followed Kaede out of her room, her teeth chewing nervously on her lower lip. When they finally reached the courtyard, Kaede noticed that Shuuichi had pulled another chair around so that Kagome could face Kaede as they talked.

Once settled, Kaede leaned forward and asked, “Is the phoenix calm?”

Kagome’s eyes went blank for a moment, but then focused on the miko before her. “It is….frustrated. It hates being in that room, but for now, it has settled.”

“I see,” Kaede murmured. She looked up and motioned for Shuuichi to hand the book to her. “Kagome, do you recognize this book?”

Kaede handed the book over to her, and Kagome’s hand ghosted down the face of the book, the touch almost loving. She slowly opened it and took in a deep breath.

Sesshomaru, along with the other youkai, tensed. The power in the air appeared so suddenly, and from what he could tell, it was all coming from the miko.

Kagome’s head was bent, and Kaede slowly lifted her hand to touch Kagome. “Child, are ye all right?” she asked.

Kagome’s head snapped up, and Kaede found herself staring into the eyes of a predator. Angry tears streamed down her cheeks, and the voice that came from Kagome’s mouth was not that of the young miko.

“How?” the voice demanded, “How did you get this book? It should have been destroyed years ago.”

Kaede sat back in her chair. Now she knew why the group behind Kagome was so concerned. The air around the miko reeked of violence and anger. “I am speaking to the phoenix, am I correct?” she asked. She kept her voice calm, watching as the young miko’s narrowed.

“What do you want with me, miko?” the phoenix hissed. “You must want to meet your death a second time.”

“Ye do not frighten me, beast,” Kaede retorted. “Now, what do ye want with Kagome?”

It stood up, and looked around, growling loudly when it spotted Kikyo. Inu Yasha quickly got in front of his mate, narrowing his eyes in a silent challenge.

“Sit down!” Kaede snapped, her patience gone. “Ye will not threaten anyone here unless ye would like to be escorted back into your room.”

Shooting a final glare at Kikyo, the phoenix turned and sat down, Kagome’s face showing the phoenix’s displeasure.

Settling back in her own chair, Kaede calmly asked, “Now, are ye ready to cooperate, or not?”

“What have you done to me?” the beast snapped, angrily. It stared at Kagome’s hands, growling viciously when it realized that it could not call upon its power.

“It is a barrier. It blocks power that is not spiritual and keeps it suppressed,” Kaede answered, unconcerned with the growing alarm that was coming from the phoenix. “Ye will not be harmed, but ye will supply us with the information that we seek.”

“You won’t be able to hold me for long. And when I am able to break free, you will pay for this,” the phoenix snapped. “All of you.”

Kaede looked unimpressed as she sat back and stared at the phoenix, her eye never leaving the creature before her. Several minutes passed, and Kaede was sure the phoenix was simply being spiteful and had decided not to speak to her.

Finally, it sighed. “All of this power, and I couldn’t even protect the ones in my care,” it murmured, Kagome’s hand stroking the book. “I failed, and because of it, those precious lives are forever lost to me.”

Kaede took in a deep breath. “Ye avenged them,” she said, and leaned forward. “Ye killed the ones who had harmed your followers, did ye not?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t enough,” the beast said, its eyes lifting to Kaede’s. “Even to this day I can hear their terrified screams, and can do nothing about it. The only thing that makes it go away is the screams of another.”

Kikyo moved forward and stood at her sister’s side, despite Inu Yasha’s obvious displeasure. “So, why fight us?” she asked. “You could help us against Chyjoko.”

Before anyone could blink, the beast in Kagome’s body was on its feet and had allowed a vicious smile to cross her lips. “Help you? Why would I do that? To watch you suffer would bring me a great amount of pleasure,” it hissed.

Kikyo stepped back and took in a deep breath. “Innocents, much like your own people, will be killed,” she murmured.

“It’s not my problem,” the beast snapped. “You, on the other hand, are my problem. Tell me, Kikyo, will your screams be loud enough to drown out the screams in our mind?”

The beast’s hand shot out. But before it could grab Kikyo, it found itself looking into the eye of Kaede, who had moved in front of her sister. The elder miko and beast stared at each other, engaged in a silent battle. But it was the beast that finally moved.

Kagome’s hand fell to its side, and the beast glared at Kikyo. “You’re not worth it,” it sneered. “Then again, you weren’t much in the feudal era, either. I hope you rot and suffer just as much as you have made this body suffer. I have to wonder how your precious Inu Yasha will feel if I were to tell him the secret that you’ve been hiding for so long.”

Kikyo’s eyes widened, and she watched as the beast’s fire-colored eyes slid over to the hanyou and then back over to her. A large smile graced Kagome’s beautiful face, only disappearing when Kaede calmly told her to sit back down.

Inu Yasha’s eyes were upon her, but she turned away. She couldn’t face him now. He’d demand to know what the phoenix meant, and she simply couldn’t tell him.

How could she face him after telling him that before she had died, she had been pregnant with his child, only to discard it by taking herbs that would make her body reject the fetus? How could she tell him that she murdered their child simply because she didn’t want a baby who had youkai blood running through its veins?

As Kikyo walked out of the courtyard, she allowed the tears to fall as the beast called out, “Running away, Kikyo? Then again, I’m not surprised.”

The beast watched the dead miko walk away and nearly purred in satisfaction. But deep within the recesses of its and Kagome’s mind, the loud sound of sobbing could be heard.

~!~

The great youkai lifted its head and listened to the conversation. Oh, he was very aware of the fact that Midoriko was gone, leaving him to his own devices. However, he was far past his prime, and no longer held the expectations that he once held as a young youkai.

There were times in this prison that he forgot his own name. And yet now a chance to rise to power had finally arrived at his feet. But where he would have once boasted his success over the high miko, now he found that he regretted.

His kind had never been born to regret. His kind was proud, vicious, powerful, and never felt badly about the destruction they left behind. But here he was, and he regretted the actions that had brought him to this dark place. Now, he was all alone.

Shikon had offered him the freedom he once craved and all he had to do was to join his power with the phoenix, catapulting it to an even higher level.

A weary smile crossed his lips and he shook his head. He really was too old for this kind of game. Still, it had been nice to hear someone call him by his name.

Kimmido.

~!~

Kagome could feel the heat suddenly fade and she gave a sigh of relief. Her weary eyes opened and she found herself staring at Kaede, whose face was lined with worry. The elder miko leaned forward and gave a small smile.

“Ye are back, child,” she murmured, though her voice was just as weary as Kagome felt. “It would seem that the beast within has a lot of hatred towards Kikyo. I must ask you to be honest. How do you feel about Kikyo?”

Kagome felt her throat tighten for a minute, but then shook her head as images of Kikyo’s distraught face flooded her mind. It was far past the time for her to start being honest with herself.

“I honestly think that I hate her,” Kagome said, her voice soft. “I’ve never hated anyone before, so I am not certain what it feels like. But when I look at her, I can feel my chest tighten and my heart thumping in my chest, as if it was trying to break out. It doesn’t feel very good. Each time I felt this, I simply shoved it back and it only grew.”

Kaede nodded. “Ye hate Kikyo because she represents a future you could have had,” she said, and watched as Kagome nodded.

“I truly loved Inu Yasha,” Kagome said, and smiled as fresh tears began to stream down her cheeks. “I loved him so much that I would watch him walk towards her and not say one word, not let him know how badly it was tearing me up on the inside. I’ve come to understand that I am not Kikyo, nor would I ever want to be. But when I would see him holding her, touching her… well, I would wish that it were me.”

Inu Yasha’s ears flattened against his head and he scowled at the ground. He’d never known that this was how Kagome felt. If he had known… well, he would have tried to be more discreet around her. He had not realized the damage that he had caused.

For a moment, Kagome was quiet. Finally, she lifted her head and smiled through her tears. “Believe it or not, I’ve accepted that I will never be with Inu Yasha,” she murmured. But then her face crumpled, and she began to sob. “I am just so tired of being lonely. When is it my turn to feel what it is like to be loved?”

Kaede stood up and walked to the younger miko. Wrapping her arm around the girl, she held her tightly as Kagome’s sobs echoed through the courtyard.

Koenma looked up and saw that his father was standing in the shadows beside Botan. The king’s face was a mask of shock. And when he looked at his companions, he could see that every single one of them, save for two of the mercenaries, Sesshomaru, Hiei, and Onigumo, felt some kind of compassion for the young woman.

When Kagome’s sobs lessened, she sat up, and then shook her head as she took in a couple of deep breaths. “I would advise you to keep Kikyo as far away from me as possible,” she said, her voice cracking. “I’m not certain that the phoenix won’t try to harm her if it got the chance.”

Kaede nodded, and then narrowed her eye as Onigumo stepped forward. “We need to figure out what to do about Chyjoko,” he said, his deep voice causing Kagome to turn in her seat. When he saw her dark eyes settle on him, he gave a short nod of his head. “Miko.”

Kagome felt her temper rising, but froze when Kaede’s hand touched her shoulder. “He cannot do anything to ye,” she said. “Naraku is dead, and his former self has decided to aid us in our cause.”

Shuuichi quickly stepped forward and picked up the book from the ground, where it had fallen when the phoenix stood up. “Kagome, are you able to read these inscriptions on the cover of this book?” he asked, his green eyes staring into her dark ones.

Kagome looked at the cover of the book and frowned. For a moment, her eyes went blank. When they finally focused, she said, “It’s a prayer to the phoenix. Its followers used to recite it before every festival. That was how they called the phoenix to join them.”

Shuuichi frowned, but when his partner told him to let him out, the young human gave over control to his youkai counterpart, and Youko Kurama emerged once more.

“When I went to retrieve the book, I met with some resistance,” he said, his tone hard. “Apparently, Chyjoko has knowledge of the book and attempted to get it, but I beat his servant to it. The young lady tried to attack me, but because I knew the area that we were in, I was able to evade her.”

Kouga snorted. “Why not kill the wench and be done with it?” he asked, his blue eyes hard upon the kitsune. “Don’t tell me that you’re going soft.”

Youko’s ears twitched in annoyance, but he gave an elegant shrug of his shoulder. “Shuuichi does not like to spill blood. Besides, it was unnecessary for this task. I was able to get away with the prize.”

Hiei pushed off from the wall and walked over to the kitsune. “Did the woman say anything?” he asked.

“She said that her master was the only one who could control the phoenix and that we were only committing suicide by preventing him from taking control over it,” Youko said, his eyes traveling over to Kagome, who paled.

Kagome’s eyes fell to her lap. “He’s still very angry over the fact that the phoenix ripped away his victory,” she murmured. “He doesn’t want to control the phoenix. He wants to destroy it.”

Kouga moved to Kagome’s side and placed his hand upon her shoulder. He looked over at Ayame, who gave him an encouraging smile. “Listen, Kagome,” he said and watched as she looked up at him. “He isn’t going to lay a finger on you. We won’t let him.”

Kagome gave him a small smile and then nodded when Kaede announced that it was time for Kagome to return to her room. Hiei moved forward, waiting as Kagome stood up and was embraced by Kaede.

“Remember child,” she murmured, her tone affectionate. “Ye must never let the phoenix gain total control. Midoriko believed in you, and so do I.”

Kagome nodded and pulled away, and was quickly led back to her room. When she was gone, Kaede looked up to see King Enma approach.

“Well, what do we do now?” he asked, tiredly. “I can admit that I was wrong about the girl. But she poses a great threat not only to the human realm, but also to the spirit and youkai realms, as well.”

“Aye, she does,” Kaede agreed. “But tonight we have made great progress in Kagome’s rehabilitation. Tonight she finally let the anger and jealousy surface, and was honest about how she felt. Now she will be able to step forward and live her life without being burdened by the emotions she chose to keep locked away. It is a start, but with some work, I do believe that she will prevail.”

The king nodded and turned to walk away. “I hope that you are right,” he murmured.

“For her sake.”

~!~

Kagome sat upon the bedding and hugged her knees to her chest. After several minutes of quiet, she looked over at Hiei and asked, “May I ask you a question?”

“If I said no, would you do it anyway?” he shot back, his eyes closed. He heard her sigh and then let out a sigh of his own. “What is it, miko?”

“Has your life always been this lonely?” she asked, watching as his eyes opened to look at her. “I mean, I don’t recall seeing you socialize with anyone except for Kurama, so I was just curious.”

He thought about ignoring her, but then said, “I’ve never cared to be around people. Kurama is the closest thing I have that would be considered as a friend.”

“It must get lonely,” she replied, and smiled up at him, catching him off guard for a moment.

“It is normal for me,” he said quietly. “I’ve always been alone.”

Kagome’s smile faded, and she shook her head. “But you are not alone. You have the group that you work with, and you have her,” she reminded him.

Hiei’s narrowed eyes caused Kagome to lower her head, but then she softly said, “You are not only depriving yourself of a loving sister, you are depriving her of a brother. I don’t think that I could ever withhold my love for Souta.”

“Hn,” he replied, telling Kagome that he was finished with the subject. She took in a deep breath and laid down on her bed, turning her eyes to the ceiling.

He watched as she settled down, and frowned when the memory of her crying rushed to the front of his mind. He clenched his fists tightly, and then said, “I keep this a secret from her because I am considered a ‘forbidden child’. For her to know that I am her brother, I would have to ask her to accept me, and I cannot risk the chance of losing her.”

“Spoken like a true big brother,” Kagome murmured, missing the surprised look that crossed Hiei’s face. Her eyes closed, and within minutes she was asleep.

He slid down the wall and allowed his head to fall into his hands. Why he had told her that, he didn’t know. He could only hope that she would not decide to let Yukina in on his secret.

~!~

The hand fell away from the door and the shadow backed away. Moving quietly, it turned a corner and entered the kitchen, sliding the door shut behind it.

“Hey, are you all right, Yukina?” Keiko asked, concerned. The young ice youkai gave a weak smile and nodded.

“I will be fine, Keiko,” she replied, and quickly went to the stove to retrieve the pot that she needed to make tea.

As she worked, she recalled Hiei’s words in her mind. How sad his life must have been all these long years. He must have really been distracted by Kagome to not have noticed her presence. However, she would not run to him and tell him that she knew who he was. She would let him come to her. In the meantime, she would watch over him, just as he watched over her.

After all, isn’t that what a family does?