Chapter Four

~Mari POV~

I looked up at the sound of voices.

"We already looked in this house, Grandpa!" I heard a familiar voice say. I recognized it with a pang of longing to be that of my little brother.

"Souta-chan!" I cried as Dove pulled herself to her feet. "Grandpa! Down here; we're in the well!" A rustling noise and footsteps were heard. A second later, two heads appeared, blocking the light from the mouth of the well.

"Mari! Dove! We've found you, at last!" Grandpa called down, holding his arm for me to grab. My hand could grasp his wrist easily, and he pulled me up as best he could. I then heaved Dove up and we laid on our backs, panting and happy to be home… sort of. We told Grandpa and Souta-chan everything. They believed us for the most part, I think Grandpa would've believed us no matter what we said; he is really into the family history. Even if our family did move to England over six generations ago.

Dove and I sighed when he promised to seal the well shut forever. Dove and I went back to our lives, and tried to act like our adventure in ancient china never happened. I tried to forget that I ever began to fall in love- or at least a very deep 'like'- with the half human demon called InuYasha. For some reason, Dove and I found ourselves clutching our necklaces for comfort.

Both of us had a necklace, and we had both had them as long as we could remember. I had no memory of ever taking it off, and the chain had no clasp. They must have been put on when we were very small because the chains were no longer long enough to fit over our heads, so neither of us could remove them.

But even the necklaces' comforting presences seemed of no use. We would sit silently in our hotel room, lying on our beds and thinking, exchanging the occasional 'Remember when…' comment. Finally, July 8th rolled around; Dove's birthday. Grandpa, Souta-chan, Dove and I were sitting, eating noodles and stir fry silently like we did most evenings. We had just begun to put the bowls into the sink and get out the cake when the door burst open. There stood InuYasha, his long mane of hair flowing in the breeze, nostrils flaring and ocher eyes ablaze. We all gaped at him. He crossed the room in a blindingly fast motion.

"Inu… InuYasha?" I said, breaking the silence. He glared down at Dove and I.

"You two," He began, clearly angry. "Who told you that you could go trotting home, huh?" I cast my eyes down, remorse washing through me. But then a flash of anger struck like lightning on a dead tree, starting a fire and spreading fast.

"No one," I answered defiantly, standing so I matched his height. "No one told us we could because we didn't need permission! We do not belong in your time!" Dove stood now, and nodded in agreement.

"Do you need permission to go to your home? We don't! it is our HOME for God's sake!" She ranted. I saw something and held a hand up to stop her rage.

"InuYasha," I said cautiously. "That hair on your sleeve…"

"What? Where?" He asked, examining himself.

"You can't see it?" Dove asked, gripping the strand and pulling it off of him. Suddenly, the hair tightened, cutting into her skin. She cried out in shock and slight pain. I drew one of the ivory handled throwing daggers I had taken to carrying around and sliced it on instinct. I recognized it then.

"It's Yura's hair!" I yelled in alarm. "Quick, to the well!" I paused and looked over my shoulder.

"Bye Grandpa, Souta-chan! If you never see me again, know that I love you!" And with that, I turned and dashed after InuYasha and Dove. Running, I crowd dodged like never before and reached the old weather-beaten house faster than I thought possible. I saw Dove waiting for me on the porch and InuYasha's disappearing back. We threw open the hatch and looked down, seeing the mass of hair trying to come through the well.

"Damn it! We've led the she-demon to the present time! We must force her back!"

"What? I do not see anything!" InuYasha cried, frustrated with his lack of perception. I rolled my eyes and turned to Dove, who had drawn her daggers, they were identical to mine except hers had silver embossed doves on the hilts, whereas mine had tiny embossed wave.

"Let's go,"' I told her, and we jumped down, slashing locks of hair off. "InuYasha!" I cried up at the half demon. "Help us! I will guide you!" He jumped down the ladder as well. "Left, right, left, behind you!" I instructed.

"There is no end!" He cried out after a fair few minutes. My native British accent was thickening in anger and frustration and he could no longer understand my instructions. Dove suddenly stopped slashing with a triumphant sound.

"I think I found the hair that controls it all!" She yelled, slashing at one. With a flop, all the hair stopped moving.

I was just about to rejoice when Dove cried out in pain, her teeth developing fangs. Her hair began to grow longer, turning from black to a shocking white; her nails took the form of claws, and eye whites shining an inhuman silver. Spiky silver wings sprouted from between her shoulder blades.

Vivid teal stripes that matched her irises began forming on her skin, two under each eye and a tiny star outline on her temple. A matching design of intricate swirls and a similar star was etched into her collar bone, and a wraparound stripe formed on her right wrist. I started to run towards her, but InuYasha pulled me into his chest. I was to shocked to struggle.

"What is happening to her?" I asked him as my almost sister's form began to glow.

"Right now, she is becoming a demon. Why? I can only guess, but the hag will know for sure." Suddenly, Dove stopped glowing and lay limply on the ground, panting in exertion. I struggled free of InuYasha's arms and approached her cautiously."Dove?" I asked softly. Her now vibrant teal eyes snapped open and her form blurred. In an instant, she was crouched defensively. Instinctively, I kneeled and exposed my neck, not looking her in the eyes. After a second, her expression cleared and she looked me in the eyes.

"Mari?"