Mmkay, I'm almost done with this fan-fic. Maybe a couple more chapters and presto! No more!

Chapter 12: Forgotten

Kasumi stopped running. She began to get tired. Not to mention she didn't even know where she was or which way she was going. It was hopeless. She'd never find her friends and family.

"Man," Kasumi said aloud to herself, "I should've stayed with Sesshomaru. Or at least asked him to come with me so I knew where I was…"

She got startled after she heard a noise. Then she noticed a faint new scent. Kasumi had to prepare herself. But how? She didn't have any weapons or protection. Then she saw it. There was hair all over the place. Kasumi grabbed a hold of the hair. It wrapped around her finger tightly. She flinched and wrenched her hand back as she gasped.

"Whoa! It moved!" She observed.

"I see you have the same vision as your mother," came a voice echoing throughout the trees.

Kasumi asked back, "Who are you?"

There then stood a figure in front of her on some more hair. She was in a revealing and slightly skimpy outfit with short black hair. She said, "My my. You must be that girl's daughter. Although, you look more like your father."

"You never answered my question. Who are you?"

"I'm Yura. Yura of the Demon Hair," she answered.

"Yura, huh?" said Kasumi. "Can't say I've heard of you."

"Doesn't matter. You won't be alive long enough to remember me in the first place," Yura said.

Soon a big chunk of hair wrapped around Kasumi's waist, wrists, and ankles, suspending her in the hair.

"Hey!" Kasumi screamed. "What are you doing?!"

Yura got close to Kasumi to observe her fine hair. She smiled and said, "You have beautiful hair. It'd look even prettier if we take that silly tie out."

Yura reached behind Kasumi and pulled out a hair tie keeping her hair bundled together. Her long hair became loose and fell over her body. Yura ran her fingers through Kasumi's hair.

"Yes, very pretty. So well kempt. Another trait you take after your father's," she said.

"Let go of me! I gotta get back to my parents!" Kasumi demanded.

"Now now," Yura said in tsk-tsk manner, "don't be so hasty. We'll have fun."

Yura took out her sword and gently glided the blade across Kasumi's throat. "Now, don't move. We don't want the blood to stain your hair, now do we?"

Kasumi distinguished another strange scent. No… two. She looked to the left and there were two different creatures standing there. One looked like a big half- lizard demon, the other a regular human with long braided black hair.

The human looking one said, "Yura, you heard Naraku. We have to bring her back alive."

Yura put the sword back in its sheath and pouted. "Hiten, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to cover the western grounds."

Hiten replied, "Yura, Naraku told us for you to cover the western grounds while my brother and I cover the forest."

Yura crossed her hands over her chest and said, "I don't care. I didn't want to be resurrected with no fun. I can't help it."

The lizard creature spoke up. "I know, I want to have fun, too. But Naraku said as soon as we have Kasumi, we can train the bigger doggy."

"Manten, I was going to give you some of this beautiful hair of hers, but it seems you don't want it," Yura said with a mischievous grin.

Manten's eyes lit up. He grinned as he said, "You mean… I can finally have… hair?"

Yura nodded. "And you can be just like Hiten with all the girls surrounded by you."

Hiten stepped in and said, "Don't believe in her tricks, Manten. Remember, we're smarter than that. She's just trying to get her kicks so we could get in trouble."

"But Hiten," Manten cried, "Hair! I get to have hair!"

Hiten glared at Manten. Manten sighed. He knew his brother wouldn't give in.

Kasumi interrupted saying, "Sorry, bucko, but you're brother's right. Now, how 'bout you convince this Yura character to let me go and we'll get on with stuff."

Hiten got suspicious. "There's no way you want to go back to Naraku so easily. What's the catch?" He asked.

"It's either you let me go or I do this," she replied. "Iron Revert Soul Stealer!"

The hairs were cut and Kasumi was free. She turned and stood in front of the group. She said, "I know there's more of you, but I know how to be rid of all of you."

"Oh yeah? How?" Manten asked.

"Like this," Kasumi replied. She summoned the Shikon Jewel and commanded its power to lock all who is associated with Naraku be locked inside it.

And it worked. Kasumi wondered why she hadn't done that a long time ago, but then said to herself, "Oh yeah… I didn't know how to do so…" In fact, she didn't even think it'd really work in the first place. She thought by just bringing it out, it would keep the group away so she'd buy some time and scurry away.

Kasumi shrugged and proceeded on. She didn't care if she saved herself from evil. She didn't care if her family might be endangered. In fact, she even walked about as if the situation never happened. She just kept walking and thinking about her Mom and Dad.

Then it hit her. A scent she definitely recognized. It was very faint. So faint, she could barely place who it was from. But she knew, that it was someone who she had never been so happy to see. So Kasumi ran to the direction of the scent. It became stronger. She knew it wouldn't be long until her happiness and dignity would come back. Then she saw him. Sitting next to a running river. Peacefully absorbing the tranquility. But Kasumi wanted to interrupt him now more than ever. She stood there watching him, panting. Until finally, she smiled from ear to ear as she ran to him calling out his name, "Miroku!!"

Miroku looked behind him and saw a girl running toward him. She tackled him in a big hug that almost stopped him from breathing. Miroku didn't know who the heck she was or what the hell she was doing. But he kind of liked it. Her reached behind her and rubbed her bottom.

Smack! Kasumi slapped him. She stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes as she glared at him. Miroku stood up as well with a new red hand mark on his right cheek.

"Well, that hurt. Who are you?" He asked.

Kasumi crossed her arms and said, "Tell me you don't remember me."

Miroku got a closer look at her. Long black hair, short, red eyes, dog ears… Dog ears! His mouth gaped open. It couldn't be, he thought to himself.

"Kasumi?" He questioned.

Kasumi grinned. "Took you that long to figure it out."

Miroku laughed happily as he brought Kasumi in a gentle hug. Kasumi returned it as she smiled. It felt so good to see him again. If she felt this good to see Miroku, she couldn't wait to see what it would feel like when she met back up with her parents.

Miroku let go and looked at Kasumi. "Wow, look how big you've gotten. I can't believe how long it's been since we've seen you."

Kasumi giggled. "I know. I'll be seventeen next month. I missed you so much!" She brought Miroku into another hug.

"Where were you all this time?" Miroku asked. "We went and saw Naraku to try and get you back, but he said you escaped. Why didn't you come home?"

"You actually believed Naraku?"

"Hard to imagine, isn't it? But we knew he wasn't bluffing."

"Well," Kasumi said, holding her hands behind her back. "If you knew who I was staying with, I won't be able to live it down."

"Did you stay with Kagura?" Miroku asked.

"Nope."

"Koga?"

"Not that I even know who Koga is, but, no."

"Sesshomaru?"

Kasumi nodded.

"You stayed with Inuyasha's brother?!" Miroku exclaimed.

Kasumi rested her hands on Miroku's shoulder's and pleaded, "Don't tell Dad! He'll kill me!"

"I only have one question," said Miroku. "Why?"

Kasumi bit her lip as she explained, "You see… After I escaped from Naraku's fortress, I ran away. I didn't want to come home because I felt too guilty for what I've done. So after I saw--"

"But you know we would forgive you no matter what," Miroku interrupted.

"I know. And it took me until just now to figure that out," Kasumi replied. "But anyway, I saw Sesshomaru and Jaken and figured they wouldn't mind if I stayed with them. When I made this decision, I didn't think the problem would effect me for so long. Finally I woke up and smelled the coffee, and now… here I am."

"I'm just glad you're back," Miroku said. "Now look, your Mom and Dad went their separate ways again. Your Mom in the future and your Dad still here in Feudal

Japan."

"How come?"

"They both felt horrible. They both felt responsible. So they separated and went on with life as if they've never met you," Miroku explained.

Kasumi's heart sank. This wasn't Naraku's doing this time. This was her own. She should've gone home the minute she escaped. What was I thinking?! She thought. I was forgotten by my own parents!

"What about Sango and Shippo?" she asked.

"Don't worry," said Miroku. "Us three could never forget you. Speaking of Sango and Shippo, why don't we go say hi?"

Kasumi smiled and said, "That's a great idea."