27 Days Remaining
Tsukino Cave
"Onee-sama I found one!" Usagi ran into the cave where Minako was lying down. Inuyasha had been sitting with her all night, holding a cloth to her head. He still blamed himself for her ordeal.
Usagi reached out and pressed the shard into Minako's hands. A slight glow overpowered her body and the shard slowly melded into her skin.
The glow slowly faded and Usagi stared at her. "You spaced out, Minako. Where did those shards go?"
Inuyasha chose that moment to show up with breakfast from the village. Kaede was happy to help to the true owner of the Shikon no Tama. "Oi! I'm back!"
He stopped for a moment, staring at Minako. "You're glowing."
"That's because she's the catalyst for the Shikon no Tama," Usagi replied, relaying what she had learned from Kaede. "When she comes into contact with a shard she absorbs it."
"But then...what about the jewel?" Minako wondered. "I still feel its power."
"It can be still used I bet, but only by you," Usagi finished.
Minako shivered. "That means-"
"That you are the perfect prey!" a woman responded, and hairs broke through the barrier, catching Minako around the arms and legs and dragging her away.
"Onee-sama!" I yelled. My eyes narrowed as anger and frustration overwhelmed me.
Inuyasha glared at me, "Why would a yokai take her?"
"It's like I said," I responded, annoyed. "Minako's the jewel now. She is a power source to any and all yokai."
My fists clenched in anger and it took a moment for me to realize that Inuyasha had responded the same way.
"You're worried about onee-sama?" I asked in surprise.
"No way baka," he responded irritably. "It's the Jewel I'm after."
"OSUWARI!" I yelled.
Inuyasha faceplanted on the ground, and seconds later a woman dropped to the ground.
No, I thought. That is no woman. That is a demon.
"Hello there," she said softly, hopping around on air. "I have never seen two humans who looked just like each other. How strange..."
And before I knew it, I was propelled into the air outside the cave and my head was gently tilted back as thin chords pulled around my neck.
That's when I saw it. The demoness was surrounded by a web of hair. This hair was holding Minako captive, and attacking the others.
"Inu-chi! Find onee-sama! The yokai is using her as a power source!" I yelled, transforming and snapping my bonds.
Unfortunately, I forgot gravity.
"Usagi!" Inuyasha yelled, jumping forward, getting cut a couple times by the hair-right in the position to catch me.
"Whoa, nice save," I said softly. "Thanks."
Without another word, he put his kimono on me. "If you're going to fight you need protection."
"Inuyasha," I said, looking at him. "Minako is being used as a power source. In the middle of a hairball."
"Right," he said. "Don't worry, we'll get Minako back. Just quit passing out will ya!"
Minako came to slowly, aware that she was being drained and kept immobile. Straining her powers, she felt her friends closing in on Yura's lair.
Yura came close to Minako, caressing her hair and sifting it through her bony fingers. "I have never seen this on anyone before. What do you call this?"
"It's red hair," Minako hissed, frustrated at her lack of mobility and diluted powers. "It's rare in Feudal Japan."
Yura pouted. "It's too bad I can't have it. But I can't kill the Shikon no Tama. At least...not until I figure out how to get the jewel out of you."
She stroked Minako's cheek and pressed with a nail until the girl winced as blood trickled down her cheek. Minako cried out in pain.
"Get your hands off her!" Inuyasha yelled. He readied his claws.
Yura laughed a little. "I knew you'd all come running back if I hurt her. You want the Jewel to be a demon again, hanyo? Everyone knows about you. But you can't hurt me with those pathetic claws."
Minako heard the anger in his voice as he ran forward to attack Yura. "Minako!"
The sound of him saying her name and the knowledge that he had returned for her gave Minako strength. The bonds slowly began to give way.
At that moment Usagi's Crescent pierced Yura's nest. The mess of skulls and hair fell to the ground.
"You little bitch!" she yelled, pulling Usagi up in the same position as her sister. But somehow, Usagi wasn't cut as easily by the hair.
As, Usagi attempted to get free, Inuyasha attacked Yura using his claws. While they were fighting Minako snapped herself free.
Her mind slowly became sharper as she began to located the source of all the trouble. Minako ran forward and gripped the red skull just as Yura went to attack Inuyasha again-must be the silver hair she loved so much! Minako crushed the skull with her bare hands, snapping the comb inside.
"M-Minna…" she muttered, dropping to the ground and panting for air.
The group suddenly surrounded her, and Inuyasha, though rather weak and embarrassed at his outburst, picked up Minako. "You're okay."
At last, Inuyasha's guilt for what he had done to the Shikon no Tama, and thus, to Minako, began to fade. He resolved to keep protecting her until he could claim the jewel.
