The Dragon's Fate:
Disclaimer: *Head appears in mid air* I would think you know what I'm going to say by now. *Head spins around like a gyroscope* I'm starting to get dizzy.
A/N: Well, at least I got one review. Thanks Caprice Legerdemain. Oh, and your guess was correct.
Chapter 6: The Split-End (Sorry, I couldn't resist making this joke, I have an overactive sense of humor.)
???: "Of course. I can't let you escape; it would be a waste of such pretty hair."
*At the sound of a voice, everyone looks toward where it is coming from, and see a woman, dressed in a black sleeveless outfit with pink eyes and dark green hair that is almost black. Shippo runs behind Kagome, Kilala arches her back and spits, Ryei remains seated and simply glances upward, Sango gets up and grabs her boomerang, before glancing at Miroku, who was looking at their opponent with a lecherous look in his eyes, before getting flattened by Hiraikotsu* "This is not the time for your lechery." "Yes, lady Sango." *However, Kagome and Inuyasha's reactions are both stunned looks of disbelief*
Kag: "Y.Yura?!"
Inu: "I.Impossible! WE ALREADY KILLED YOU!"
Yura: "True. I really must thank that Naraku character for using a shard of the Sacred Jewel to fix my comb; it makes me so much more alive."
Inu: "So that's it is it? Naraku brought you back to give us a hard time. Well, we beat you once, and we'll do it again."
Yura: "Oh? Are you sure? Because I already know about you and your companions from Naraku, though I don't remember him being mentioned."
*As she says this, Yura narrows her eyes and looks at Ryei*
Yura: "There's something strange about him, but I like his hair, so he'll be the first."
*Yura twitches her fingers and several hairs wrap around Ryei's throat, however, he appears completely calm*
Ryei: "You couldn't penetrate my cloak's barrier when it covered the entire campsite, your chances of getting through it right now are even less."
*As he says this, Ryei raises his hand and plucks at one of the hairs as if it were a string on an instrument, he then grabs as many of the hairs as he can and yanks them away from his neck, causing them to snap*
Shi: "Sango, behind you!"
*Out of reflex, Sango jumps to the side, but she and Miroku don't see anything, even though they do hear something going through the air*
Mir: "But, I don't see any attack, and what did Ryei pull at?"
Inu: *Who hadn't even bothered to look when Shippo shouted, preferring to keep his attention on the enemy he could see* Yura uses hairs to attack. They're pretty dangerous to humans, and most people can't see 'em. She likes to get more by taking people's heads."
Kag: "Shippo, you can see the hairs?"
Shi: "Yeah. I wonder why?"
Ryei: "Red Kitsunes are often illusionists. It is natural that they would develop they ability to see through the illusions of others at sometime in their life."
Inu: "Heh, so he does have some use. Miroku, Sango, keep the hairs away from Kagome, Shippo, make sure they know where to aim. Kagome, Try to figure out where the Jewel shard is, we need to find that comb or we'll be at this all day. I'll keep Yura busy. And Ryei, I hope you can do more than just stand there like a dummy, 'cause this bitch can be a real pain to fight."
Mir: "I might not be able to see the hairs, but there is no sign of Naraku's insects, so I can simply use my KAZAAN...Huh!?"
*as Miroku raised his hand in preparation to use the "Wind Tunnel", Yura, simply glanced toward him and motioned with her hand, causing a clump of hairs to shoot out of the trees and wrap around Miroku's hand, leaving him unable to open it, or to remove the prayer beads that kept the Kazaana sealed*
Mir: *as he grabs his staff* "This is not good."
Inu: "Idiot, she said she heard about us from Naraku. If he didn't send his insects, then it was obvious that she had some other way to deal with your hand."
*Yura looks at Inuyasha and gives a little grin*
Yura: "Oh? Then why did you start to smile when he was about to unleash the attack?"
*Inuyasha growls and jumps toward Yura as his hand goes to unsheathe the Tetsuiga, but when he pulls, it doesn't come out, and Yura simply moves to the side causing Inuyasha to fly right past her, to land on all fours and skid a little as he uses his momentum to turn around and glare at Yura*
Inu: "What the?"
Kag: "Inuyasha, there is a clump of hairs around the Tetsuiga's hilt just like the one on Miroku's hand. You won't be able to pull it out!"
Yura: "Like you said, I know better than to let you use such dangerous toys. Just think of how much hair you ruined last time we met!"
"Would you consider a gauntlet with a retractable hidden blade a dangerous toy?"
*While Yura had been focusing her attention on Inuyasha, Ryei had come up behind her. Even though he had jumped and was in mid-air, his cloak remained closed so all you could see was his arm sticking out, however, it was apparent that gauntlet did serve more than one purpose as a blade the length of his forearm could be seen coming out at his wrist*
Ryei: "Heads up."
*Before Yura could turn around, Ryei swiped his hand and severed her neck, yet before he could even land, several clumps of hair went past her head and left her as good as new, without even a mark to show where the cut had been*
Ryei: *Landing in a crouched position and looking at Yura over his right shoulder* "So, the hairs are absorbed into the host's body and turned into organic material to repair it."
Yura: "What? How did you get so close? Why couldn't I sense you?"
Ryei: "My aura is unlike that of any other human, or any demon. You probably didn't pick up on it because it was so unfamiliar."
Yura: "What? Impossible. Even that half-breed aura isn't that different. What are you?"
*As Yura yells she sweeps back her hand and sends a large clump of hair at both Ryei and Inuyasha, who both jump away, each in a different direction, but most attention is on Ryei, or rather his right eye, which is finally open enough to be seen, and is light blue with a slit pupil, similar to a cat's but much narrower*
Ryei: "Don't ask."
Inu: "What the."
Ryei: "I'll explain later, and with the way she tends to focus on one target at a time, now is a good chance to attack."
Yura: "NO YOU DON'T!"
*Hearing what Ryei had said, Yura had automatically turned around and sent an attack toward where Inuyasha had landed, but was surprised when she saw nothing there* "SANKONTETSOU!" *Yura looked up right as she was hit by Inuyasha's "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer" attack from above, Inuyasha having jumped up as Yura was turning around, rather than going straight for her like she had expected*
Inu: "Kagome, any idea where that stupid comb is yet?"
Kag: "No, there are too many hairs! I can't tell which ones are connected to her hands."
Ryei: "There is a strand of hair coming out of the back of her head. It looks like one of her own hairs for the most part, so it is easy to overlook. Maybe that one can help."
*Kagome squints and locates the hair Ryei is talking about. As she looks at it, she notices a slight pink aura, like that of a Shikon shard*
Kag: "I found it! And it looks like it is sending her the jewel's power."
Ryei: "That makes sense; that hair is probably how the comb possesses her body."
Miroku: "What do you mean?"
Ryei: "The comb itself is just a comb; it may have powers, but it wouldn't be able to use them on its own, since it wouldn't have a body. Yura probably found the comb sometime in the past and used it to comb her own hair. When she did, the comb possessed her body and used it as its own."
Kag: "But last time, when we broke the comb, Yura disintegrated. Shouldn't she have been released from the spell?"
Ryei: "No, they were still connected. The more hair Yura gathered, the more powerful the comb became. When it was destroyed, the backlash destroyed her body, and since they were still connected at death, when the comb was fixed, it was able to recreate her body thanks to the added power of the Jewel shard."
Mir: "So what would happen if we severed the connection?"
Ryei: "Yura might be released, but while her body was brought back, we can't be sure if her soul was. She must have a soul, but the chances that it is "blank", that it is a new soul with no connection to her original one, are just as good as the chances that she retains her previous soul. Also, with the added power of the Jewel shard, the comb might be able to possess a new body without touching its hair, and that could also make it a lot harder to find the connecting strand of hair."
San: "So we should find the comb first. Then maybe we can cut the strand and destroy the comb in the same attack."
*Since Kagome had been standing next to her pack the entire time, she already had her bow and arrows in her hand. By tracking the strand, she was able to figure out the direction the comb would be in. Unfortunately it was deeper in the woods, and she couldn't see its exact location from where she was standing*
Kag: "Come on, the comb is this way."
*And Kagome dashed off into the woods, Sango, Miroku, Kilala, and Shippo (who was riding the transformed Kilala) were hard on her tail. Inuyasha and Ryei weren't too far behind, though they were slowed down a little since they were trying to prevent Yura from getting ahead of them to attack Kagome*
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A/N: Well, That should be it for this chapter. It is a lot longer than I expected, seven pages, and this A/N makes eight. I'll try to finish the fight with Yura at the beginning of the next chapter, and then I'll explain a little more about Ryei. I hope I get some more reviews before then. Ja ne.
My pre-reader brought up a few questions, so I thought I would quickly clarify: 1. Kilala/Kirara's name. I choose to use Kilala because it is a perfectly acceptable translation (the "r" and "l" sounds are interchangeable when translating from Japanese to English) and because I find Kilala to be easier to pronounce. 2. Running into the woods at the end when they were previously surrounded. The hair would never have made a solid wall, Kagome said it felt like the Jewel was surrounding them because she was sensing the jewel's power in all the hairs in the vicinity. Also most of the hairs that had been nearby would have been called by Yura and become part of the clumps she used to attack, thus lessening the density of the hairs that Kagome would have to sort through. Finally, Kagome was in the lead of the charge into the woods. She can see the hairs, and thus stay out of their way. Miroku and Sango were following her, thus they would also be safe. And as for Ryei, Inuyasha, and Kilala, Ryei's cloak and the other two's skin are all too tough, and the hairs would snap at contact if the were taut. Ja ne again.
Disclaimer: *Head appears in mid air* I would think you know what I'm going to say by now. *Head spins around like a gyroscope* I'm starting to get dizzy.
A/N: Well, at least I got one review. Thanks Caprice Legerdemain. Oh, and your guess was correct.
Chapter 6: The Split-End (Sorry, I couldn't resist making this joke, I have an overactive sense of humor.)
???: "Of course. I can't let you escape; it would be a waste of such pretty hair."
*At the sound of a voice, everyone looks toward where it is coming from, and see a woman, dressed in a black sleeveless outfit with pink eyes and dark green hair that is almost black. Shippo runs behind Kagome, Kilala arches her back and spits, Ryei remains seated and simply glances upward, Sango gets up and grabs her boomerang, before glancing at Miroku, who was looking at their opponent with a lecherous look in his eyes, before getting flattened by Hiraikotsu* "This is not the time for your lechery." "Yes, lady Sango." *However, Kagome and Inuyasha's reactions are both stunned looks of disbelief*
Kag: "Y.Yura?!"
Inu: "I.Impossible! WE ALREADY KILLED YOU!"
Yura: "True. I really must thank that Naraku character for using a shard of the Sacred Jewel to fix my comb; it makes me so much more alive."
Inu: "So that's it is it? Naraku brought you back to give us a hard time. Well, we beat you once, and we'll do it again."
Yura: "Oh? Are you sure? Because I already know about you and your companions from Naraku, though I don't remember him being mentioned."
*As she says this, Yura narrows her eyes and looks at Ryei*
Yura: "There's something strange about him, but I like his hair, so he'll be the first."
*Yura twitches her fingers and several hairs wrap around Ryei's throat, however, he appears completely calm*
Ryei: "You couldn't penetrate my cloak's barrier when it covered the entire campsite, your chances of getting through it right now are even less."
*As he says this, Ryei raises his hand and plucks at one of the hairs as if it were a string on an instrument, he then grabs as many of the hairs as he can and yanks them away from his neck, causing them to snap*
Shi: "Sango, behind you!"
*Out of reflex, Sango jumps to the side, but she and Miroku don't see anything, even though they do hear something going through the air*
Mir: "But, I don't see any attack, and what did Ryei pull at?"
Inu: *Who hadn't even bothered to look when Shippo shouted, preferring to keep his attention on the enemy he could see* Yura uses hairs to attack. They're pretty dangerous to humans, and most people can't see 'em. She likes to get more by taking people's heads."
Kag: "Shippo, you can see the hairs?"
Shi: "Yeah. I wonder why?"
Ryei: "Red Kitsunes are often illusionists. It is natural that they would develop they ability to see through the illusions of others at sometime in their life."
Inu: "Heh, so he does have some use. Miroku, Sango, keep the hairs away from Kagome, Shippo, make sure they know where to aim. Kagome, Try to figure out where the Jewel shard is, we need to find that comb or we'll be at this all day. I'll keep Yura busy. And Ryei, I hope you can do more than just stand there like a dummy, 'cause this bitch can be a real pain to fight."
Mir: "I might not be able to see the hairs, but there is no sign of Naraku's insects, so I can simply use my KAZAAN...Huh!?"
*as Miroku raised his hand in preparation to use the "Wind Tunnel", Yura, simply glanced toward him and motioned with her hand, causing a clump of hairs to shoot out of the trees and wrap around Miroku's hand, leaving him unable to open it, or to remove the prayer beads that kept the Kazaana sealed*
Mir: *as he grabs his staff* "This is not good."
Inu: "Idiot, she said she heard about us from Naraku. If he didn't send his insects, then it was obvious that she had some other way to deal with your hand."
*Yura looks at Inuyasha and gives a little grin*
Yura: "Oh? Then why did you start to smile when he was about to unleash the attack?"
*Inuyasha growls and jumps toward Yura as his hand goes to unsheathe the Tetsuiga, but when he pulls, it doesn't come out, and Yura simply moves to the side causing Inuyasha to fly right past her, to land on all fours and skid a little as he uses his momentum to turn around and glare at Yura*
Inu: "What the?"
Kag: "Inuyasha, there is a clump of hairs around the Tetsuiga's hilt just like the one on Miroku's hand. You won't be able to pull it out!"
Yura: "Like you said, I know better than to let you use such dangerous toys. Just think of how much hair you ruined last time we met!"
"Would you consider a gauntlet with a retractable hidden blade a dangerous toy?"
*While Yura had been focusing her attention on Inuyasha, Ryei had come up behind her. Even though he had jumped and was in mid-air, his cloak remained closed so all you could see was his arm sticking out, however, it was apparent that gauntlet did serve more than one purpose as a blade the length of his forearm could be seen coming out at his wrist*
Ryei: "Heads up."
*Before Yura could turn around, Ryei swiped his hand and severed her neck, yet before he could even land, several clumps of hair went past her head and left her as good as new, without even a mark to show where the cut had been*
Ryei: *Landing in a crouched position and looking at Yura over his right shoulder* "So, the hairs are absorbed into the host's body and turned into organic material to repair it."
Yura: "What? How did you get so close? Why couldn't I sense you?"
Ryei: "My aura is unlike that of any other human, or any demon. You probably didn't pick up on it because it was so unfamiliar."
Yura: "What? Impossible. Even that half-breed aura isn't that different. What are you?"
*As Yura yells she sweeps back her hand and sends a large clump of hair at both Ryei and Inuyasha, who both jump away, each in a different direction, but most attention is on Ryei, or rather his right eye, which is finally open enough to be seen, and is light blue with a slit pupil, similar to a cat's but much narrower*
Ryei: "Don't ask."
Inu: "What the."
Ryei: "I'll explain later, and with the way she tends to focus on one target at a time, now is a good chance to attack."
Yura: "NO YOU DON'T!"
*Hearing what Ryei had said, Yura had automatically turned around and sent an attack toward where Inuyasha had landed, but was surprised when she saw nothing there* "SANKONTETSOU!" *Yura looked up right as she was hit by Inuyasha's "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer" attack from above, Inuyasha having jumped up as Yura was turning around, rather than going straight for her like she had expected*
Inu: "Kagome, any idea where that stupid comb is yet?"
Kag: "No, there are too many hairs! I can't tell which ones are connected to her hands."
Ryei: "There is a strand of hair coming out of the back of her head. It looks like one of her own hairs for the most part, so it is easy to overlook. Maybe that one can help."
*Kagome squints and locates the hair Ryei is talking about. As she looks at it, she notices a slight pink aura, like that of a Shikon shard*
Kag: "I found it! And it looks like it is sending her the jewel's power."
Ryei: "That makes sense; that hair is probably how the comb possesses her body."
Miroku: "What do you mean?"
Ryei: "The comb itself is just a comb; it may have powers, but it wouldn't be able to use them on its own, since it wouldn't have a body. Yura probably found the comb sometime in the past and used it to comb her own hair. When she did, the comb possessed her body and used it as its own."
Kag: "But last time, when we broke the comb, Yura disintegrated. Shouldn't she have been released from the spell?"
Ryei: "No, they were still connected. The more hair Yura gathered, the more powerful the comb became. When it was destroyed, the backlash destroyed her body, and since they were still connected at death, when the comb was fixed, it was able to recreate her body thanks to the added power of the Jewel shard."
Mir: "So what would happen if we severed the connection?"
Ryei: "Yura might be released, but while her body was brought back, we can't be sure if her soul was. She must have a soul, but the chances that it is "blank", that it is a new soul with no connection to her original one, are just as good as the chances that she retains her previous soul. Also, with the added power of the Jewel shard, the comb might be able to possess a new body without touching its hair, and that could also make it a lot harder to find the connecting strand of hair."
San: "So we should find the comb first. Then maybe we can cut the strand and destroy the comb in the same attack."
*Since Kagome had been standing next to her pack the entire time, she already had her bow and arrows in her hand. By tracking the strand, she was able to figure out the direction the comb would be in. Unfortunately it was deeper in the woods, and she couldn't see its exact location from where she was standing*
Kag: "Come on, the comb is this way."
*And Kagome dashed off into the woods, Sango, Miroku, Kilala, and Shippo (who was riding the transformed Kilala) were hard on her tail. Inuyasha and Ryei weren't too far behind, though they were slowed down a little since they were trying to prevent Yura from getting ahead of them to attack Kagome*
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A/N: Well, That should be it for this chapter. It is a lot longer than I expected, seven pages, and this A/N makes eight. I'll try to finish the fight with Yura at the beginning of the next chapter, and then I'll explain a little more about Ryei. I hope I get some more reviews before then. Ja ne.
My pre-reader brought up a few questions, so I thought I would quickly clarify: 1. Kilala/Kirara's name. I choose to use Kilala because it is a perfectly acceptable translation (the "r" and "l" sounds are interchangeable when translating from Japanese to English) and because I find Kilala to be easier to pronounce. 2. Running into the woods at the end when they were previously surrounded. The hair would never have made a solid wall, Kagome said it felt like the Jewel was surrounding them because she was sensing the jewel's power in all the hairs in the vicinity. Also most of the hairs that had been nearby would have been called by Yura and become part of the clumps she used to attack, thus lessening the density of the hairs that Kagome would have to sort through. Finally, Kagome was in the lead of the charge into the woods. She can see the hairs, and thus stay out of their way. Miroku and Sango were following her, thus they would also be safe. And as for Ryei, Inuyasha, and Kilala, Ryei's cloak and the other two's skin are all too tough, and the hairs would snap at contact if the were taut. Ja ne again.