Usagi rode on Inuyasha's back through the trees with the top of his kimono
on they flew through without any problems, she threw her tiara out cutting
through a thick web of hair in the way of their path. Inuyasha jumped
through once it was cleared and her tiara came back to her hand
instinctively, he went forward toward the strong spicy scent ahead of him.
"We're getting closer, the webs are getting thicker, turn left and slow down a bit," Usagi said before sending her tiara ahead of them.
They came to a clearing where a large ball of black hair stood, Usagi saw Rei on her hands and knees below them, she jumped off before using the kimono top as a shield to get through the hair.
"Finally, now you're tired," Yura said and went in for the kill aiming her sword directly at Rei's heart.
Rei looked up with tears in her eyes, she couldn't believe her life was ending in such a terrible place and this time she doubted there would be a resurrection for her. Usagi swooped down and kicked Yura away before standing in front of Rei willing to protect her friend no matter what the cost as Yura stood up from the kick. Usagi gave Rei the kimono top and prepared to do whatever it took to make sure they came out alive she was indebt to Rei.
"How dare you, I don't care about getting blood on your golden hair anymore, you're going to pay for that," she said and charged at them.
"Iron Reaver soul stealer," Inuyasha shouted cutting off one of her arms before hair wrapped around his limbs.
"On second thought, I want that golden head of hair perfect without a drop of blood on it," Yura said as hair wrapped tightly around Usagi.
Rei slowly began to move toward the red light within the giant hairball, she was slightly tired from the use of energy and it seemed Yura had forgotten about her for the moment.
She stood up swaying slightly as she began to pick up speed going toward the hairball, when she was high enough she sent flames going down multiple strands of hair freeing Usagi and Inuyasha as she came flying back down toward the earth. She hit it with a hard thud and her world went began to fade as the flames continued to spread around going deep into the forest ending Yura's web.
Usagi ran to Rei and placed her head in her lap, Rei looked up at her with a slight smile on her face as Usagi's tears kept her from falling into a slumber.
"Usagi, go get the red skull and smash it," Rei said tiredly before yawning and going into a deep slumber despite everything that was happening around her. Usagi looked up and saw the red skull sitting innocently on top a bunch of other skulls, she picked up and rock and proceeded to the skull to fulfill her best friend's wishes.
Yura glared at Inuyasha as he dodged another attack from her, she had reattached her arm already and was waiting for the right moment to let him know she did when she felt a stab of pain surge through her body. She turned back to see Usagi banging the red skull with a rock, she instantly turned to get her when Inuyasha took the chance. He jumped up and grabbed the shard from the bag around her neck as Usagi gave the skull one good hit cracking it open, she watched as it shattered into pieces along with Yura.
"Rei, we did it," Usagi said happily standing up and dusting off her shirt, she turned around to see Inuyasha walking away with his kimono top.
Rei awoke on a mat with a blanket over her along with a roof over her head to match; she stood up and looked around to see an old woman sitting by a pot above a fire stirring it slowly.
"Who are you and where's Usagi?" Rei asked softly, she was still somewhat weak from the fight with Yura but she needed to see Usagi before she could rest peacefully.
"Ye needs to rest now," the old woman replied a she tested the soup only to go back to stirring it slowly.
"Please, tell me where Usagi is, I'm suppose to be protecting her," Rei said sitting down in front of the old woman.
"She is out getting more water for ye, ye has been out for awhile now and ye has had ye friend worried," she said slowly adding a few things to the soup.
"I gotta go get her so we can finish our search, someone's life depends on it and we can't waste any time, tell me where she went," Rei demanded.
"When ye has restored her strength ye may go but until ye strength has return ye will stay put," she said stirring the soup.
"I understand but my friend could be in real danger so I must disobey you, please forgive me," Rei said going to the door, she began to leave when she felt a shield placed in front of her.
"Ye friend thought ye wouldn't like the fact of staying put, I put up barriers to keep ye put," she said tasting the soup once more.
'These barriers are strong, I can't break through them now, I'll have to wait awhile for my strength to return, Usagi please be careful,' Rei thought as she sat down and stared out the hut.
Usagi stood at the stream filling a bucket with water, she was getting better at it, the first time she did it the water leaked all the way out and the second time she did it the water was filthy. She began back to the hut when she heard a rustle in some bushes, she looked around to see no one out before going to see what it was, she peered through them to see Naraku waiting for her weakly.
"Naraku, come Lady Kaede is making some soup and I'm sure she can help us," Usagi said offering a hand to help him stand up but he politely refused.
"You must not tell Kaede or anyone else about me, these people are under Inuyasha's influence, he told them of me and now they resent me, have you gotten any jewel shards?" he asked looking up at her as she sat down before him.
"Only one, from that demon girl Yura, another demon came and helped us though, I was hoping to ask him to join us," Usagi said grabbing a few berries off the bush.
"And who was this demon that helped you for not many demons will help someone that appears completely mortal," Naraku asked as Usagi kept picking berries.
"I don't know but Yura called him Watch Dog, so I guess his name is Watch Dog," Usagi said playing with the berries a bit.
"I must go now before they take notice of me, I shall come see you in a few days to check upon your progress," he said before jumping off.
Usagi smiled and looked down in the bucket to see she had poured the water out and filled it with the berries from the bush, she took a berry and sniffed it cautiously before putting it in her mouth. She smiled at its sweet taste, she decided to keep the berries as a treat for Rei and herself but went got another bucket from some villagers in exchange for some of her berries.
She walked back with a bucket in each hand she had promised herself to not eat another berry until she reached Kaede's hut so Rei could at least have a chance at tasting one. She reached the hut to find Rei glaring at her before she even set foot across the barriers, she smiled uneasily and handed Rei the bucket of berries before venturing too close. Rei tried one and began eating them with delight as Usagi gave Kaede the bucket of water, she sat next to Rei and grabbed a few berries and ate them.
"Berries from thee bush by thee stream, ye was lucky no demon were around, those berries are quite delicious but dangerous to get for they are traps set by demons to lure human to it," Kaede said tasting the soup once more before getting three bowls.
"Stop eating the berries Usagi," Rei scolded moving the bucket away from Usagi as Kaede poured the soup into three bowls she took three more before going to Kaede.
"So the berries are grown by demons to try and get humans to go to it where they capture and eat them...so why didn't a demon attack Usagi?" Rei asked as Usagi ate her soup happily.
"That I do not know, maybe thee demon sensed ye friend wasn't entirely human or perhaps the demon took a liking to ye friend and wishes to make her its mate," Kaede said getting up and walking to the bucket.
"Wait, I remember Ami explaining this to us, when an offering is made and someone takes it, it means they are agreeing to whatever offer was made," Rei said and Kaede nodded.
"But these berries are not like the ones a demon would use to find a mate, the ones demons use for that are red and ye has picked blue, did ye meet with a demon?" Kaede asked before she ate one.
"Yes, I talked to him as I picked the berries," Usagi said picking a carrot out her soup and carefully putting it in Rei's while getting a piece of meat from Rei's.
"What did ye talk about with the demon?" Kaede asked turning to Usagi as Rei did wondering the same thing.
"I cannot tell you, I'm sorry because you have taken us in and cared for us over the past few days but I can't tell you," Usagi said playing with her soup now with her head down.
"We're getting closer, the webs are getting thicker, turn left and slow down a bit," Usagi said before sending her tiara ahead of them.
They came to a clearing where a large ball of black hair stood, Usagi saw Rei on her hands and knees below them, she jumped off before using the kimono top as a shield to get through the hair.
"Finally, now you're tired," Yura said and went in for the kill aiming her sword directly at Rei's heart.
Rei looked up with tears in her eyes, she couldn't believe her life was ending in such a terrible place and this time she doubted there would be a resurrection for her. Usagi swooped down and kicked Yura away before standing in front of Rei willing to protect her friend no matter what the cost as Yura stood up from the kick. Usagi gave Rei the kimono top and prepared to do whatever it took to make sure they came out alive she was indebt to Rei.
"How dare you, I don't care about getting blood on your golden hair anymore, you're going to pay for that," she said and charged at them.
"Iron Reaver soul stealer," Inuyasha shouted cutting off one of her arms before hair wrapped around his limbs.
"On second thought, I want that golden head of hair perfect without a drop of blood on it," Yura said as hair wrapped tightly around Usagi.
Rei slowly began to move toward the red light within the giant hairball, she was slightly tired from the use of energy and it seemed Yura had forgotten about her for the moment.
She stood up swaying slightly as she began to pick up speed going toward the hairball, when she was high enough she sent flames going down multiple strands of hair freeing Usagi and Inuyasha as she came flying back down toward the earth. She hit it with a hard thud and her world went began to fade as the flames continued to spread around going deep into the forest ending Yura's web.
Usagi ran to Rei and placed her head in her lap, Rei looked up at her with a slight smile on her face as Usagi's tears kept her from falling into a slumber.
"Usagi, go get the red skull and smash it," Rei said tiredly before yawning and going into a deep slumber despite everything that was happening around her. Usagi looked up and saw the red skull sitting innocently on top a bunch of other skulls, she picked up and rock and proceeded to the skull to fulfill her best friend's wishes.
Yura glared at Inuyasha as he dodged another attack from her, she had reattached her arm already and was waiting for the right moment to let him know she did when she felt a stab of pain surge through her body. She turned back to see Usagi banging the red skull with a rock, she instantly turned to get her when Inuyasha took the chance. He jumped up and grabbed the shard from the bag around her neck as Usagi gave the skull one good hit cracking it open, she watched as it shattered into pieces along with Yura.
"Rei, we did it," Usagi said happily standing up and dusting off her shirt, she turned around to see Inuyasha walking away with his kimono top.
Rei awoke on a mat with a blanket over her along with a roof over her head to match; she stood up and looked around to see an old woman sitting by a pot above a fire stirring it slowly.
"Who are you and where's Usagi?" Rei asked softly, she was still somewhat weak from the fight with Yura but she needed to see Usagi before she could rest peacefully.
"Ye needs to rest now," the old woman replied a she tested the soup only to go back to stirring it slowly.
"Please, tell me where Usagi is, I'm suppose to be protecting her," Rei said sitting down in front of the old woman.
"She is out getting more water for ye, ye has been out for awhile now and ye has had ye friend worried," she said slowly adding a few things to the soup.
"I gotta go get her so we can finish our search, someone's life depends on it and we can't waste any time, tell me where she went," Rei demanded.
"When ye has restored her strength ye may go but until ye strength has return ye will stay put," she said stirring the soup.
"I understand but my friend could be in real danger so I must disobey you, please forgive me," Rei said going to the door, she began to leave when she felt a shield placed in front of her.
"Ye friend thought ye wouldn't like the fact of staying put, I put up barriers to keep ye put," she said tasting the soup once more.
'These barriers are strong, I can't break through them now, I'll have to wait awhile for my strength to return, Usagi please be careful,' Rei thought as she sat down and stared out the hut.
Usagi stood at the stream filling a bucket with water, she was getting better at it, the first time she did it the water leaked all the way out and the second time she did it the water was filthy. She began back to the hut when she heard a rustle in some bushes, she looked around to see no one out before going to see what it was, she peered through them to see Naraku waiting for her weakly.
"Naraku, come Lady Kaede is making some soup and I'm sure she can help us," Usagi said offering a hand to help him stand up but he politely refused.
"You must not tell Kaede or anyone else about me, these people are under Inuyasha's influence, he told them of me and now they resent me, have you gotten any jewel shards?" he asked looking up at her as she sat down before him.
"Only one, from that demon girl Yura, another demon came and helped us though, I was hoping to ask him to join us," Usagi said grabbing a few berries off the bush.
"And who was this demon that helped you for not many demons will help someone that appears completely mortal," Naraku asked as Usagi kept picking berries.
"I don't know but Yura called him Watch Dog, so I guess his name is Watch Dog," Usagi said playing with the berries a bit.
"I must go now before they take notice of me, I shall come see you in a few days to check upon your progress," he said before jumping off.
Usagi smiled and looked down in the bucket to see she had poured the water out and filled it with the berries from the bush, she took a berry and sniffed it cautiously before putting it in her mouth. She smiled at its sweet taste, she decided to keep the berries as a treat for Rei and herself but went got another bucket from some villagers in exchange for some of her berries.
She walked back with a bucket in each hand she had promised herself to not eat another berry until she reached Kaede's hut so Rei could at least have a chance at tasting one. She reached the hut to find Rei glaring at her before she even set foot across the barriers, she smiled uneasily and handed Rei the bucket of berries before venturing too close. Rei tried one and began eating them with delight as Usagi gave Kaede the bucket of water, she sat next to Rei and grabbed a few berries and ate them.
"Berries from thee bush by thee stream, ye was lucky no demon were around, those berries are quite delicious but dangerous to get for they are traps set by demons to lure human to it," Kaede said tasting the soup once more before getting three bowls.
"Stop eating the berries Usagi," Rei scolded moving the bucket away from Usagi as Kaede poured the soup into three bowls she took three more before going to Kaede.
"So the berries are grown by demons to try and get humans to go to it where they capture and eat them...so why didn't a demon attack Usagi?" Rei asked as Usagi ate her soup happily.
"That I do not know, maybe thee demon sensed ye friend wasn't entirely human or perhaps the demon took a liking to ye friend and wishes to make her its mate," Kaede said getting up and walking to the bucket.
"Wait, I remember Ami explaining this to us, when an offering is made and someone takes it, it means they are agreeing to whatever offer was made," Rei said and Kaede nodded.
"But these berries are not like the ones a demon would use to find a mate, the ones demons use for that are red and ye has picked blue, did ye meet with a demon?" Kaede asked before she ate one.
"Yes, I talked to him as I picked the berries," Usagi said picking a carrot out her soup and carefully putting it in Rei's while getting a piece of meat from Rei's.
"What did ye talk about with the demon?" Kaede asked turning to Usagi as Rei did wondering the same thing.
"I cannot tell you, I'm sorry because you have taken us in and cared for us over the past few days but I can't tell you," Usagi said playing with her soup now with her head down.