Phoenix Flight by floridfox

Waiting

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and anything associated with it are owned by more powerful people than myself.

I'm not much for author's notes, so enjoy. Reviews are appreciated. 

*

  It was extremely busy in the terminal. The holiday rush was at its height, causing even the most seasoned and even-tempered of travelers to become impatient with the slowed navigation through the airport. Tired parents feebly tried to quiet their crabby children, and the more self-important passengers of the world carried their agitation around with them like another piece of luggage.

The hustle and bustle of people rushing to their connections, aggravated travelers waiting for delayed flights, and the occasional frazzled flight attendant was commonplace, though it was not to the liking of a certain business traveler who, newspaper unfurled, waited for his imminent demise. This demise came in the form of a flight to Tokyo.

  Sesshomaru started his professional life as an entrepreneur this time around, and his name had become well known in the business world after the twenty-five years he had put into his company. Unfortunately, twenty-five years was all that he could hope to get in without rousing suspicions. To a human eye, Sesshomaru could barely scrape the age of twenty-seven, and he was pushing for fifty-two. As cloaking spells could only do so much at that point, the demon procured for himself a reservation on the Phoenix Flight, the preferred method of gaining a new start.

This particular flight occurred once every few years to keep up with projected and current crash statistics on airlines so as not to cause suspicion. The objective of the Phoenix flight was to convincingly imitate an airplane crash that would leave no survivors. This provided the means for many demons to feign deaths; they could start anew without having to deal with the evidence involved with other circumstances. After perishing in the tragic accident, Sesshomaru would spend anywhere from five years to a decade under the radar, then start again under a different name.

His brows furrowed as he thought about the upcoming experience. He would much rather expire in a more creative fashion, but crashing his own jet for the third time was simply a waste of funds, and he didn't feel like coming up with anything else. No longer reading, he went through his mental checklist once more, even though his story was completely full proof.

  First on the list was his usual transportation. The private jet was reported as grounded, a fictional problem with the electrical system preventing its takeoff. Due of the nature of his extremely booked schedule the next day (which was his doing), there was nothing that could be done. He would be forced to travel with the rest of the frenzied public in a crowded Boeing 777 with its recycled air, the reek of passengers previous and present, the sounds of a few hundred travelers wrecking havoc upon his sensitive hearing, and of course, the quality of the food served aboard. What he would receive tonight for his meal would be depressingly bland, especially compared to the very rare steak normally awaiting him in his own plane.

To avoid thinking any farther down this path, Sesshomaru turned his attention to the terminal, peering furtively over his paper. People watching was one of his more recent hobbies, something he picked up since fewer things in his life kept his attention these days.

  The seating area was completely full of travelers. To his left, he caught the eye of yet another woman staring at him, which, while common, was no less detested. Modern women were much less tactful than the females of years past, openly declaring their interest in his person. The woman wasn't even seeing the real thing, but a magically disguised version of him. A human version. He narrowed his eyes minutely at the woman before moving his attention elsewhere. On the right, an old crone fidgeted with a suspiciously yowling handbag, no doubt containing an unhappily confined feline. He let out a nearly inaudible sigh.

Confined was exactly how Sesshomaru felt. The former taiyoukai allowed himself to daydream for several moments about eras long past. Back when immortal demons were accepted as a part of society. There was once a time where he could have used his cloud or orb of energy to travel without being labeled as a threat to air security. Grimly, he remembered his first and only encounter with heat seeking missiles. It certainly was lucky that he had accumulated enough wealth over the centuries to keep the United States government silent about that minor incident.

  The youkai was awakened from his reverie by the intercom calling the first section of ticket holders to the plane. If he were more pro ne to showing emotion, a grimace would have graced his elegant features.  He stood, folded his newspaper, and placed the strap of his bag over his shoulder.  Sesshomaru began to prepare himself for the next fourteen hours that would be nothing short of torture.

*

     Her luggage was stored. Everything needed for the flight was stocked; each seat was complete with a blanket, pillow, and the small complimentary bag of toiletries. Calm and collected, Kagome Higurashi straightened her pencil skirt and adjusted her nametag. Today would be her first flight catering specifically to first class, and she was determined to make this flight run perfectly. This pressurized cabin was the one thing in her life she could control, and she had grown to be extremely adept at it.

  The ex-priestess took in the empty plane before the passengers arrived, and let out a sigh, thinking about this particular flight's destination. Tokyo. Home.  It was a place she now avoided. When other attendants would place their bids to fly closer to their home base, Kagome preferred to fly anywhere but. Her nights were spent in various countries, thanks to the meal and hotel vouchers she received as part of her job. It was somewhat gratifying that she had the power to go anywhere in the world and only return home when she felt like it. Unfortunately, she was an employee of an Asian airline, and with that came the necessary evil of flying into the capital of Japan occasionally. Even if one took extensive steps to ensure they would not.

Today should have been another successful attempt at avoiding her hometown, but one of the attendants scheduled for this flight called in sick. Kagome just so happened to be in Boston at the time, in between flights, so she agreed to trade with Aiko, who would be headed to Okinawa the next day. Hopefully Aiko would be feeling better by then. The plane was still silent, not quite ready for boarding, so Kagome allowed her mind to wander for a few moments, thinking back to when her life hadn't consisted of running away from her memories.

  She reflected on her brief stint in the feudal era. It hadn't seemed so short whilst she traveled the ancient countryside with her companions. With them, it was if time had come to a standstill; it felt as though they would always be together, collecting shards from various demons, easily skirting the looming danger of Naraku, who never seemed to want to be found. The wonderful memories she collected from her journey with Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Shippo, and Inuyasha paled with memories from the of that one day in the winter that had changed her outlook on life considerably. Kagome took in a sharp breath, feeling a deep pain in her chest at the remembrance. The sudden entra nce of passengers halted the direction her thoughts were headed. Grateful for the distraction, Kagome put on her most charming smile and played the part of greeter.

     "Welcome aboard!"

 

INUYASHA © Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan • Yomiuri TV • Sunrise 2000
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