A Treasure in the Palm of His Hands
Part 2
 

Achika stayed up late and looked up into the black sky. It was a moonless night and the stars were hard to see. She was thinking hard about what she had seen the week before. -He can't be my match. But it must be true. He has the Aura. My Aura. My soul. He holds it and doesn't even know. He is my match, my love, my fiancee. But Sessho-maru of all people. They sure know how to put a curse on you.- she thought. She felt a small shiver go through her body.

-Every time he touches that small crystal he touches me. He touches me in way's no man has ever done and he doesn't have a clue of what he is doing.- she sighed and looked down at her sleeping companions. -At least someone get's some sleep.- she sighed again. Laying down softly on the pillow she felt a light touch on her left breast.

-Will he ever stop touching me.- She groaned. This was torture. She didn't know how to tell him or anyone for that matter and if she couldn't tell her friend's then how could she possibly tell him. He would surly think she was lying and try to kill her, though he can't because her soul is in the aura and he'd have to destroy it but that to he can't do with the bind spell holding him back.

Confusion took over her and she became human but in this state she became tired and fell to sleep. A dark figure loomed over her as she slept. The figure smiled slightly then left with the wind.
 

The next day Achika woke to a heavenly smelled called Kagome's cooking. Kagome knew she didn't have to eat being part demon but still Achika liked to eat. It made he feel like she was one of them. Besides Inu-Yasha ate the instant noodles even though he didn't have to.

Achika sat up. She knew the hearts had come back. She could feel her unhuman strength well up in her as she stretched. She sighed when she felt no touch to her. -He has finally put it down.- She smiled to herself and sat down to eat.

"Achika is something wrong?" Kagome asked looking at her friend who seemed to be off in space somewhere.

"Huh???Ohhh...I'm sorry Kagome...I was just thinking is all." Achika smiled at Kagome's concern.

"bout what?" Shippo asked with intent curiosity.

"Well..." -I can't tell them what is really on my mind...- "Well...I was just thinking about what you all will do with the jewel when you have it complete and what will happen to us then...will we ever see each other again?" She said now really starting to think about that.

Kagome was stumped. She didn't know how to answer. -Inu-Yasha wanted to become full demon with it...but lately he didn't seem to much take much notice to the jewel.- she thought looking over at Inu-Yasha who was slurping down his noodles.

He looked at her and just by the look she gave him he knew what she was thinking. 'What do you want to do?' Her face asked. And the truth was he didn't know. At first he would have done anything to become full demon but when she came and moved his heart, he started to wish that their journey would never end and they would never have to part.

For once in his life he felt whole without his stupid dream of being a full youkai. He looked away from her and continued to slurp his stringy noodles. Achika looked down when she saw that she caused friction in the group once more with her silly questions.
 

Later on that day the group was well on their way to the next shard. It was the same as any other day, Kagome felt out the jewel and Inu-Yasha killed the demon who held it and wouldn't give it up without a fight. Achika, Miroku, and Shippo stayed on the side lines till they needed their help which was never.

Kagome had become more skilled with her archery and Miroku had always had his air rip, while shippo had his building demon powers and Achika had her powers as well. This journey was as much of their as it was Inu-Yasha's and Kagome's. They all stuck together and where there whenever help was needed.

Kagome jumped all on a sudden and made a hand movement. A shard was headed their way. Achika went into the bushes with everyone while Inu-Yasha stayed out in the open and waited.

Without warning the demon flew out from the trees and knocked over Inu-Yasha and flew straight toward Achika. Achika yelped and jumped into the tree above her.

The demon followed close behind as her wings appeared and she started to sore through the sky. She yelped again when something sharp whipped across her arm. She looked behind her.

-No...It can't be.- she said in her head and flew faster. The demon behind her was the same one who had tried to take over Crystal Foam Floating Islands four years ago and not only that he had killed Achika's younger sister and older brother leaving her to be the last Phoenix demon alive. This demon called him self Otaku, and he swore that he would live on till the last of the Phoenix demons where wiped out.

Achika was the last and the final challenge for him to kill. Flying faster she got far enough ahead then turned around. She flapped her wings hard and sharp sword like feathers went flying in Otaku's direction. He moved but she didn't not stop she flapped her wing harder and made a gust of wind blowing him back a bit.

Inu-Yasha and Kagome along with the rest did the only thing they could do. They watched from the ground until Kagome ran to her backpack and pulled the bow from it and the arrows.

Drawing the string back as far as she could she let the arrow fly and hit Otaku square in the ribs. He grunted slightly and spit fire at Kagome. Inu-Yasha rushed forward and picked up Kagome and jumped in time away from the flames.

With this distraction Achika took the chance to flick more of her wing feathers. She hit him with two. Both turned into soiled crystal and made the wounds bigger. Mixed with that, Kagome took out one of Achika's tail feathers she had given Kagome earlier and used it as an arrow and struck Otaku in the back. The feather had been pink and therefore caused Otaku to become tired.

Achika smiled down at her friends but gasped as Otaku continued to stand and pursue Achika. She knew things where hopeless so in a quick movement transformed into her smaller bird from and flew into the trees where he would loose sight of her.
 

Sessho-maru sat down in his huge mansion, castle, thingy and sighed. -Who could this belong to?- He thought to himself. His thoughts became disturbed as Jaken came bounding in with a smile on his toad like features.

"M'lord." He said in his normal, respectful, tone of voice. "Have you found out the owner yet?" He asked.

"If I had would I be wasting my time here?" He growled and gave Jaken an icy glare. Jaken shrank back.

"I wonder what was wrong with that friend of your brother. She looked like she was in real pain. And I don't know if you noticed it m'lord but she was a phoenix demon." Jaken noted.

"What does any of this matter to me. Why does it matter what she is or who she is." Sessho-maru looked away in a fowl mood. He had lost yet another battle to that miserable half breed of a brother and he was not pleased at all.

"M'lord perhaps if you kidnaped one of the female friends he has then he will give you Tetsusaga in return for their safe return." Jaken smiled at his bright idea.

"Very good Jaken...now tell me...how do we get near one of them. That wench he has been with the longest is skilled in archery and has odd powers not to mention my brother is a lot quicker when thing involve her, and that other half demon surly would not be easy to ca..." Sessho-maru stopped and thought back.

He remembered how she had suddenly got dizzy after he had pushed her. "Then again perhaps I give her to much credit on strength she does not have." He said. "Jaken, you for once may have thought of a good plan. Now all we have to do is..."

"Will you get off my tail!" Achika squawked as she flew in through Sessho-maru's window as Otaku followed.

"I will kill you young princess." He vowed and swiped at her cutting her wing. She fell onto the table in which Sessho-maru was drinking wine at and changed back into her human like form. Otaku wasted no time and dove to slice her open but with a surge of anger she blasted him away with a strong beam putting a hole in the roof as he flew out through it.

Achika turned to Sessho-maru as she stood above him on the table. She bowed. "Quite sorry for the mess." And with that she jumped into the sky after Otaku.

Sessho-maru sweat dropped and then shook his head. "M'lord you let her get away...she was right there." Jaken whined.

Sessho-maru stood and the aura fell from his pocket and tumbled to the floor. At the same time as it connected with the floor so did Achika. She was back on the table in quite some pain but recovered quickly and jumped back up through the hole in the roof.

Sessho-maru lifted an eye a bit but took no real attention to it and looked up into the gaping whole that was once his beloved roof and now is a hole for rain.

"Will you get her now m'lord?" Jaken asked looking up as well. Achika was clawing and snapping at Otaku with a fierceness even Inu-Yasha had never seen.

Sessho-maru got bored of this and decided to lend a hand in his own favor. He jumped out into the sky and stabbed Otaku through the ribs. Otaku ran off in a hurry.

Once Otaku left Sessho-maru saw his chance to take hold of the young Phoenix and with a fast movement he flew away with her in his arms.