"A Feudal Fairytale Retold"
Chapter 03 :: Demonic Hair Only Kagome Can See
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Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I've decided to go ahead and include Kikyo into our story. Shippo, however, will not make his appearance at all (except for a small cameo appearance of course) I love Ship', don't get me wrong, but I really don't have much of a place for him in this story. Sesshomaru will, however, make an early appearance as he did in the show. Miroku will have a lead role, just not yet. :)
Warnings: Same as before. A little cussing and a little violence. That's all really. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. (simple as can be)
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Inuyasha glanced at Sango. The taijiya was staring perplexed at the weapon she lugged around all the time. What was the deal with that anyway? Inuyasha let out a sigh, "Sango, there is nothing wrong with that stupid thing."
Sango ignored him, "Kagome, could you please bring me another glass of tea?"
"Sure!" Kagome chirped and exited the room.
"Its pointless, the boomerang is fine. You're just wasting your time." Inuyasha crossed his arms.
Sango ran her finger down the right side of the weapon and then tilted her head slightly, still looking at her weapon.
"Are you ignoring me?" Inuyasha growled.
"I'm trying to, but it's very hard to tune out such an aggravating tone." Sango snorted, a smile coming to her face.
"Humph." Inuyasha uncrossed his arms and snatched hiraikotsu from Sango's lap. "I'll break it if you don't start listening to me. I don't like talking to the air, taijiya." He had a slightly playful grin on his face.
Sango narrowed her eyes, the same smile spreading across her features, "Really now, hanyou. You think you will? I'm not too sure... I could just say—"
Inuyasha cleared his throat and handed Sango back her weapon, "There's no need for that!"
Sango smiled, "I know that Inuyasha. But its fun toying with you."
"Merciless woman," He snorted and looked at Kagome as she walked into the room. She handed Sango the tea she had just prepared.
Sango thanked Kagome before her eyes returned back to her weapon. Inuyasha let out a little snort before standing up and exiting the room. Kagome followed after him, deciding she should get to know the hanyou a little more, all things considered.
"Wait Inuyasha-sama!" Kagome called from behind him as the two stepped out of the little hut. Inuyasha glanced at Kagome.
"What is it?" He asked, raising one eye brow at her.
Kagome smile sweetly, "I just wanted to talk to you. That's all really."
Inuyasha 'humphed' "Talk? About what?"
Kagome looked down slightly, "I don't know... I just thought it would be nice..."
Inuyasha shook his head, "Well if we ain't got anything to talk about, then what's the point? That's how I see things."
"I'm sorry then." Kagome said and walked away. Inuyasha crossed his arms as he watched her retreating form. He had been a little rude, but he really wasn't much in the mood for chatting.
"Inuyasha," Sango's voice came from behind him. "Do not treat Kagome so harshly. She only wanted to be nice."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and said nothing in return.
"Come on. I'm finished with my weapon. I suppose we should go ahead and turn in for the night." Sango turned to walk back inside of the small hut, but Inuyasha's voice stopped her.
"Taijiya, just because we've both been forced into this in one way or another, do not ever think I am your friend. I will protect you, but only because of the oath I gave to Kagome in return for the Shikon no Tama. If the jewel is not in my hands by the end of this little journey, then the oath will be null and void and I will kill you both."
Sango narrowed her eyes and nodded a quick snap of her head, "The thought never even crossed my mind, Inuyasha. Your protection is as unwanted as you feel to give it."
"Good. As long as we're on the same terms." Inuyasha crossed his arms, his back facing her. He stared off into the distance.
"But still Inuyasha, acting overly hostile will not get us anywhere. We must cooperate, and so despite the fact that you have just indirectly threatened my life, I will both fight along side you and treat you with the kindness that you deserve." Sango said and then she walked inside.
Inuyasha continued to stare in silence. And then he bowed his head and sighed.
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Sango sat up, blinking the last remnants of sleep from her eyes. Kagome had rolled beside her sometime in the night, probably unconsciously being pulled toward the warmth Sango's body radiated. Sango smiled slightly, feeling a sense of sisterly duty coming over her, "Kagome-chan, wake up. We should leave soon."
"Ah....?" Kagome sniffled, drawing closer to her blankets and sighing, "Yes, yes..."
Sango raised one eye brow and waited a moment, before tapping Kagome's shoulder, "Kagome! Did you hear me? I said we should leave soon to find the shards. If I know that hanyou at all, it wont be long before he comes barging in here to wake us up with no courtesy whatsoever!"
As if on cue, Inuyasha barged into the hut, slinging hiraikotsu over his shoulder, "ALRIGHT! GET UP YOU USELESS WOMEN AND LET'S GO!!!"
Sango and Kagome both covered their ears at the screeching of Inuyasha. Sango sighed, "We're awake. You were a few minutes too late."
"Never mind that! You women sleep too much! I've been awake for over an hour waiting for you, but I shall wait no more. Hurry the hell up!"
Kagome crossed her arms, "Excuse me, Inuyasha-sama, but frankly asking like that is only going to make me move slower! I will no longer be spoken to as if I'm some sort of animal! I am a priestess and you will address me with respect!"
Inuyasha and Sango both stared at Kagome in utter shock. It was the first time either of the two had seen her show some real back bone. Inuyasha's shocked face turned into one of anger, and Sango's into pride. "Kagome-chan! I'm proud of you!" Sango clapped her hands together while Inuyasha nearly fell over. Kagome blushed brightly.
"Oh... I apologize, I lost my temper...." Kagome blinked at the ground.
"Damn right you should apologize to me!!! No one talks to INUYASHA like that! I'll have you know I've killed many with no remorse so it wont bother me a bit to slice you into pieces for that—"Inuyasha blinked, his flow of words dying on his open lips. Sango and Kagome were no where to be seen. He blinked again, hearing Sango's voice.
"Hanyou, come along now! We mustn't waste any more time!"
"She... she's scolding me?! For wasting time??" Inuyasha shook his head, wondering which of the two girls he should be more wary of, the gentle, yet frighteningly bi-polar priestess, or the strong-willed boomerang-wielding taijiya?
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Sango stood dressed in her battle gear, while Kagome wore the traditional red and white outfit of the priestess. Inuyasha blinked, stepping out of the hut, "You two sure do change into clothing quickly."
"Thanks." Kagome smiled, "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Inuyasha-sama, but you really shouldn't be so pushy."
"She's right. We must all try to get along hanyou."
"That's right, so Sango-chan, from now on you will address Inuyasha-sama as Inuyasha and he will call you by your name. We're all companions here so we must treat each other with respect." Kagome said, walking ahead of the two.
Inuyasha and Sango were both left standing with open mouths. Kaede chuckled from behind them, "Kagome may have her cowardly moments, but from time to time my sister Kikyo really comes out in her."
"Great. She has both the useless qualities of Kagome, and the more unwanted qualities of Kikyo." Inuyasha put his hands on his hips, "This will be interesting, to say the least."
Sango narrowed her eyes, "What we all just saw was Kagome, not some ghostly reminder of the priestess Kikyo. It's the same soul, maybe, but they are not the same person." And with that, Sango walked after Kagome.
Inuyasha and Kaede both looked at each other. Inuyasha shrugged before running after the two women, waving his hand in the air toward Kaede's fading form.
Kaede watched after them, a small frown on her lips. And then she smiled, ever so slightly, "I think they'll be fine... just fine."
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"I feel a shard only a few miles from here!" Kagome cried happily, clasping her hands together. The young priestess looked very happy with herself. They had already found one jewel shard and they'd only been traveling for an hour!
"Let's go then!" Inuyasha crouched onto the ground, "Get on!"
Sango blinked, "Your back?"
"Yes idiot!" Inuyasha snapped. The taijiya narrowed her eyes but ignored his spiteful comment. Kagome frowned and let out a long sigh. She and Sango both did as Inuyasha had asked, and the hanyou took off in the direction Kagome had indicated.
"Wow Inuyasha-sama! You're very quick!" Kagome complemented. Inuyasha grinned, showing his fangs. Sango rolled her eyes, but smiled as well.
"How much farther, Kagome?" Sango asked, glancing ahead of them. Kagome looked up and narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Not much, but do you feel strange...suddenly?" Kagome asked, her voice dropping lower.
"Yes... I do..." Sango could feel a presence of evil that had not been there moments before. Inuyasha slid to a halt.
"What is it?" asked Inuyasha, glancing around.
"Inuyasha!!! Jump back!!!" Kagome cried, her eyes widening as an onslaught of hair sprang towards them. Her heart quickened when she heard Sango's strangled cry, the hair wrapping around the taijiya's neck. They hadn't moved out of the way in time.
Sango was abruptly yanked forward, falling to the ground and being pulled towards the forest. Inuyasha reached his hands towards her leg and barely missed it. He cursed under his breath as Sango was pulled into the briars and bushes, being pulled farther from his grip.
"Sango-chan!" Kagome cried out, her eyes wide with tears. The taijiya let out a strangled cry of anger, one hand gripping the invisible hairs, the other reaching for her sword. "Cut the strands Sango!!!"
"What strands!?" Inuyasha shouted, chasing after the taijiya. "What the hell are you talking about? What's got her!?"
Kagome's eyes squinted slightly, "You don't see it?!"
"SEE WHAT?" Inuyasha yelled frustrated. He had no earthly idea what the young miko was talking about. Perhaps she had lost her mind? Probably. But, what the hell could be pulling the taijiya so quickly?
"Gahh!" Sango cried out as the hairs around her neck began to pierce her skin. Inuyasha let out an angry curse and pushed himself to move quicker. Sango began swinging her sword above her recklessly, having barely heard Kagome cries for her cut the strands... but dammit! What strands! All she could see was a flicker of demonic presence here and there, but she knew that the miko's senses were a little more tuned than hers to these sorts of things. Sango clenched her teeth when her hand smacked into a nearby tree and she dropped her sword. Damn.
Kagome let out a little squeak as an onslaught of hair dived towards her and Inuyasha. "Just trust me Inuyasha and jump to the left!"
Inuyasha sighed and did so, the hairs barely missing him. Kagome exhaled, having held her breath without realizing it. "Ok! Now, run as fast as you can Inuyasha, jump ahead of Sango and swipe at the air with all your might! Please!"
"Fine," Inuyasha mumbled, bursting into an even faster pace. He hopped over the taijiya, who was still struggling unsuccessfully against the invisible strands of hair. At least it seemed she and the hair had come to some sort of stalemate. "For her sake, Kagome, I hope your right! Iron Raven Soul Stealer!"
Kagome shut her eyes as Inuyasha cried out his attack. She didn't want to see if something was to go wrong and Sango was hit instead... but thankfully, she didn't hear any cries of serious pain. Only Inuyasha's relieved sigh. And she no longer heard wind rushing passed her ears. They had stopped. Kagome opened her eyes and bright smile came to her face.
Sango laid on the ground, panting. Her eyes were red from being strangled and her skin was much paler than usual. There were purplish-blue bruises on her neck and small slits in her skin. But other than that, she was alright. The taijiya let out a breath, before smiling slightly. "Took you long enough, Inuyasha. A few more minutes and I'd have died from suffocation."
"That's the kind of thanks I get for saving your ass?? You're lucky I even did anything about it! I should have let you get pulled away by whatever the hell that was!" Inuyasha retorted and crossed his arms. "And would you get off my back!"
Kagome blushed and jumped off of Inuyasha's back within the next two seconds, "Sorry, Inuyasha-sama!" She looked at Sango, who had pulled herself to her feet and leaned against hiraikotsu, which Inuyasha had unceremoniously dropped before the taijiya. "Are you ok, Sango-chan?"
"Yes, I'm fine. You can see whatever it was, right Kagome? What did you see?" Sango asked, running a bruised hand through her hair. Her lovely hair was covered in leaves and twigs, and she was trying her best to get them out.
"Hair," Kagome answered. Both Inuyasha and Sango looked at her surprised, "I saw hair. Not regular hair or anything, it was demonic hair and it was being controlled by certain strands that glowed a little bit differently than the rest... I think we should follow those to the source..."
"Ok! Let's go then!" Inuyasha grinned and cracked his knuckles. Sango rolled her eyes and hefted hiraikotsu on to her back.
"Relax, han- ahem, Inuyasha. I'd like to clean my wounds out, if it's not too much trouble. They are fairly small and not very deep, but I never underestimate a wound. I could have traces of poison on my skin from the demonic hair... among other things." Sango said and untied the sash from around her neck. She carried most her herbs and purifying medicine inside.
"I have some medicine as well," Kagome smiled, taking her small bag from her shoulder. Inuyasha let out an exaggerated sigh before plopping down on the ground beside them.
"So cautious. Those wounds are nothing, Taijiya. They're barely even skin deep. Why, if those were on me, they'd already have been healed by now!"
Sango ignored him and Kagome only smiled nervously. Inuyasha still refused to refer to Sango by her name, and Sango continuously slipped up by saying hanyou first, and then Inuyasha's name. Ugh! Could things get any worse now that they were being attacked by hair strands that only she could see??? Kagome let out a little sigh before patting some herbal cream onto Sango's neck.
Inuyasha watched his two companions for a moment, wondering exactly why he was doing this. He could just go off on his own. It would take much longer without Kagome's assistance, but he had confidence that he could collect jewel shards on his own. Only if he hadn't given his word! Inuyasha slightly smiled, despite it all. But then again, it sort of felt... nice... to be surrounded by people again... people who were more or less good and whose company wasn't always bad...
"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Sango asked, looking a little concerned. "I've never seen such a nice expression on your face, well except for when you were bound to that tree..."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "I was just thinking about how nice it would have been if you'd been pulled away forever. How enjoyable this little journey would be."
Sango narrowed her eyes, "Doesn't surprise me at all. Come Kagome, I'm fine now. We should continue with our search." The taijiya stood to her feet, waiting for Kagome to gather her medicines.
"Alright, I can feel the shard in the same direction of the hair strands. Come on." Kagome said, walking ahead of them. She didn't really like being in front, but since she was the only one who could see the strands, she felt that it was her duty to lead them this time. Inuyasha and Sango followed silently behind her, ignoring each other.
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Hallow laughter echoed off the walls, and Yura of the Demon Hair grinned wickedly. She had almost had the taijiya, whose hair was fine and silky. She would have to get the hanyou next, whose exquisite silver hair was uncommonly beautiful. The miko was a problem, but she could rid herself of the foolish girl soon enough. Yura placed a small, delicate hand on a glowing red skull and narrowed her eyes. They would not live to see tomorrow.
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::bows:: There ya go! The third chapter! Sorry it took so long! Hey, check out Journey Anew too! Its my newest story! (bows head at the straight forwardness) Its about Sango (who would have guessed) Sesshomaru, Kagura, and Kouga. Please read! Its rather good. Hehe.
Anywho, I wanted to show that Kagome still could be fiery and take control, like she does in the anime. I sort of made her too cowardly, so I tried to make it up to all you Kagome fans. She's still going to be a bit of a coward though. Eh, its for the story folks. ;;
Sango and Inuyasha argue, but they're actually closer than Inuyasha and Kagome. I mean, they were kinda flirting up there, huh? I think Inuyasha resents Sango a bit because she's got control over him. Be assured, Sango wont just use it recklessly like Kagome did. More than likely she wont even use it that much at all. She's only threatening him right now and getting used to her power over him. But once they become closer and used to each other, the beads wont even be remembered.
Well, review and enjoy! Later!
-Taijiya