A Feudal Fairytale Retold

Chapter 04 :: Yura of the Hair and Teamwork!

-----

Author's Note: Hey everyone, sorry its been so long. Well this is the next chapter, feauturing the lovely, yet slightly insane Yura. Well, technically I don't know if she is crazy, but she always gave off that impression to me… so she cackles a lot.Heh heh. P

Warnings: Violence and cussing, but nothing too horrible.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

-----

Kagome let out a little squeak when a small, slivery creature moved across the path ahead of them. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as the young miko gripped her hands around the taijiya's forearm. Sango smiled at Kagome, and gave a humored expression in Inuyasha's direction.

"It was only a little centipeede." Inuyasha shook his head, "Its more frightened of us than… well, it's as scared of you as you are of it and its certainly not going to attack us. So quit foolin' around!"

"Ah, it just surprised me Inuyasha-sama, that's all." Kagome said in a confident voice, but the fact that she still gripped Sango's arm told Inuyasha that the girl was lying through her teeth.

"Yeah right-" Inuyasha started, but Sango interrupted him.

"It's okay Kagome-chan. I would have been frightened as well. Sometimes even young ones are brave enough to attack, and certain centipede youkai have deadly poison that they spray from their mouths. Within a few minutes, whoever is unlucky enough to be hit will die." Sango then smiled sweetly, "But next time don't jump so fast. They can't see very well but they can sense movement, and quick movements can make them nervous and release the poison as a form of defense."

Kagome's eyes were wide and she nodded in awe, "You know a lot about youkai, Sango-chan!"

The older girl nodded, "My father instructed me personally when I was too young to wield weapons on all sorts of youkais. He…" Her eyes deepened and got bright. She stopped speaking and silence hung about them.

Kagome blushed and looked away. Inuyasha noticed the exchange and blinked. He then decided that the silence was bugging him, so he crossed his arms above his head and said, "Well, that's all fine and dandy but we need to concentrate on locating this shard. I don't really like the idea of fighting what I can't see and I want to get this over with."

"Does losing the ability to see your opponent scare you Inuyasha?" Sango asked a little playful, "On the edge? Nervous perhaps?"

"No! And shut the hell up! Stinkin' taijiya!" Inuyasha sneered at her. She rolled her eyes but grinned, having gotten to him. Kagome just smiled and started on the path again. They weren't too far from where she sensed the shard and she was becoming a little anxious.

Sango followed after Kagome and Inuyasha took the rear. He crossed his arms and stared at the forest floor. Couldn't they just find the damn shard and get this over with? When all the shards were his he'd be able to dump these two and become a real youkai. A smirk spread across Inuyasha's face at this thought. Then he frowned. But he'd given his word to protect Sango… he blinked, when had he started referring to her as Sango anyway?

"Oh…" came Kagome's voice. Inuyasha snapped out of his thoughts and walked past Sango and stood beside Kagome.

"Poor bastards," Inuyasha remarked. They had stumbled upon a campsite that had been demolished.

"Only the heads are missing…" Sango pointed out, her fist tightening around hiraikotsu's strap, "And we were attacked by demonic hair…"

"So horrible…" Kagome muttered, looking away, "We have to perform proper burial rites so that their souls may find peace."

Inuyasha raised one eye brow, "We don't have time for that Kagome."

"But we must!" Kagome almost shrieked, her eyes glistening. "As a miko, it is my duty."

"Then we'll do it after we've gotten the shard." Inuyasha snorted, "Come on." He began walking.

"Looks as if the attack was sudden and happened recently." Sango said as they moved forward, "The shard and the beast who murdered those samurai can't be far from here."

"No." Kagome agreed, "I sense the shard is very close. It won't be much longer."

"Good." Inuyasha snorted. Sango's hand went to her cheek.

"Ouch." She looked at the blood on her fingers, "Kagome, you don't see any hair?"

"None that's moving." Kagome replied, "You must have brushed… what… what is that!?"

Inuyasha and Sango both stared in silence. Inuyasha popped his knuckles, "Looks like a massive ball of hair. It must be the strong hold of whoever's behind this…"

"Hah hah hah!"

"Who the hell…" Inuyasha mumbled, searching for the owner of the voice. A woman was standing in the air, grinning down at them.

"My, my, you are much cleverer than I originally assumed." The woman said to Inuyasha, "Inuyasha, glad to finally make your acquaintance."

"Who the hell are you and how do you know me?" Inuyasha growled.

"Word is you were awakened from a fifty year slumber just the other day and now have become the dog of two human wenches." The woman cackled, "How lovely!"

"Answer my first question bitch." Inuyasha grounded out. The comment had not gone down too well.

"I am Yura of the Hair." She smiled, "I've come to deliver you to hell."

Inuyasha clenched his fist, but Sango called out, "Are you the one responsible for the deaths of those samurai? If so, what was their crime?"

"Crime?" Yura seemed confused, "There was no crime darling. They merely got in my way." She began to laugh and the she smiled at Sango.

"Then I can not allow you live." Sango said bowing her head, "Your life ends here, Yura of the Hair."

"Such bold words for such a small wench." Yura cackled. She raised one eye brow when Inuyasha started and whirled around to face Sango.

"I'll handle this, so just back off taijiya!"

"No Inuyasha. We'll defeat her to-"

"I do not need your help or your permission. This bitch dies by my hand!" Inuyasha shouted and jumped into the air. Yura cackled and dodged his attack. Kagome let out a scream.

"Move Inuyasha!" a wave of invisible hair engulfed Inuyasha and Kagome let out a cry, fearing the worst. Inuyasha's body was replaced by a miniature ball of hair. He did not resurface.

"Inu…" Sango's voice died off and she narrowed her eyes, "Hiraikotsu!" The giant boomerang connected with Yura's mountain of hair and it began to sink into itself.

"Bitch." Yura growled, no longer fun and games, "I'll kill you."

Sango caught hiraikotsu, "No, I will avenge Inuyasha!"

"What the hell are you going on about? I'm not dead, taijiya." Inuyasha's head poked out of the hair surrounding him. Kagome's knees gave out and the miko stared at Inuyasha with a bright smile. Sango blinked. That old fear… it had resurfaced because she had thought… Sango narrowed her eyes.

"You… you bastard! Don't scare us like that!" Sango berated. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Don't curse me; it's your own faults for assuming I'm that weak." Inuyasha snorted, "Damn it Yura, fight fair. How am I supposed to do anything when I can't see your blasted hair?"

Sango blinked. Inuyasha was just wasting his time. Most youkai did not care if they fought fair or not.

"Fair?" Yura cackled at Inuyasha, "Nonsense."

"Well." Sango growled, "If you do not wish to fight fair, then I'm going to attack you along side Inuyasha."

"Like hell taijiya, I can handle this bitch alone." Inuyasha shouted at Sango.

"Enough!" Sango yelled, grabbing hiraikotsu, "We're a team Inuyasha! And she threatens us all!" The taijiya sprinted towards Yura and leapt into the air, releasing hiraikotsu. Yura raised one eye brow, the boomerang missing her by a long shot.

"Pathetic. You call that a-" Her eyes widened. Inuyasha fell from the sky, hiraikotsu connecting with the ball of hair encasing him. "You… damn you."

Sango grinned, landing on her feet, "My aim is not that terrible, Yura."

Kagome gave a cry of delight, "Go Sango-chan!"

Yura's eyes focused on the miko. A small, red comb appeared in her left hand. Kagome let out a startled scream as hair from all directions attached to her and lifted her into the air. Strands wrapped securely around her neck, Yura brought Kagome to her. "Little girl… although I'd much rather have your companions hair, you may be the first."

Kagome's eyes widened, "Ooooh…." She stuttered. She couldn't control her thoughts long enough to gather any spiritual powers.

"Kagome!" screamed Sango, running forward. Inuyasha was right beside her, gritting his teeth. Sango was about to try and jump to Kagome, when Inuyasha slipped in front of her and she landed on his back.

"I can jump a lot higher than you, Sango." Inuyasha said, his eyes focused on Yura and Kagome. Sango nodded.

"Thanks." Sango tightened a hand around her sword hilt. "We've got to save Kagome."

"Right." Inuyasha nodded. While in the air, Sango jumped from Inuyasha and landed on the massive ball of hair. She stood, closer to Kagome and Yura than she had expected.

"Ah. Wench... you're hair is quite lovely, especially for a human." Yura said, staring at Sango.

"Hmph." Sango snorted, "Watch your back Yura."

"What?" Yura asked, blinking.

Inuyasha pounced on Yura, taking her down from the air. The strands holding Kagome began to slacken, and Kagome let out a petrified scream as she began to fall from the sky. Sango, however, caught her just before she hit the ground. Kagome opened her eyes and blinked.

"You saved me again." Kagome smiled. "Thank you Sango-chan!"

Sango winked, "Come on Kagome. I'm sure Inuyasha has taken care of-" Sango stopped speaking when she noticed Inuyasha standing slightly bent over, with a sword straight threw his shoulder.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried. Yura was standing above him, a smirk on her face. Sango stared.

"She's missing her hand."

"Her what!?" Kagome shouted.

Sango narrowed her eyes. "I see no blood…"

"DAMN BITCH!" Inuyasha was shouting, "I'm going to kill you for this!"

Yura placed a hand under Inuyasha's chin, "Oh really? To tell the truth, it was your hair I liked the best. What magnificent silver hair… so lovely…"

"Ah, get your filthy hand off of me bitch!" Inuyasha jerked away. As he did so, Yura grabbed a hold of the sword in his shoulder, pulling it out. Inuyasha growled in pain.

Sango grabbed Kagome, "Kagome, I want you to use your powers and look for anything out of the ordinary. Whatever it is, destroy it with this." Sango handed Kagome her sword, "Go."

Sango turned back to Yura and Inuyasha. She broke out into a run and unsheathed the hidden blade attached to her lower arm and sliced at the hairs beginning to form around Inuyasha. She then attacked Yura, who blocked with her sword.

"Damn Sango! Will you stop interfering?! This is my fight! I can handle myself!" Inuyasha shouted.

Sango blocked Yura's sword, "Shut up and help me you idiot!"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes but ran forward to Sango's aid.

Kagome looked around. The shard was in a small red pouch attached to Yura's belt. Suddenly, her eyes widened. Among the skulls slowly spilling out of the hole in Yura's ball of hair that Sango had caused with her weapon, something… was glowing…

Kagome began to run as fast as she could towards it. When she got to the hair, she paused, just how was she going to climb up? She scrunched her nose up when she realized the only way to climb up would be to grab a hold of the skulls and pull herself up. She sighed and began climbing as quickly as she could.

Yura grabbed Sango by the hair and placed her blade under the taijiya's throat, "The shard on my side is giving me power." Sango's eyes widened as Yura's hand began to reform slowly. Inuyasha growled, sliding to a halt.

"Damn it taijiya, I knew this would happen!"

Yura's eyes widened. Her grip on Sango loosened. She began to hack and cough, holding her throat as if she was choking on something. Sango grinned, replacing her blade. She looked at Inuyasha and pointed over her shoulder, her eyes locked on his, "Kagome just shattered Yura's true form. This battle is over."

Yura of the Hair vanished into nothing. Sango picked up the pouch, "And now we have another jewel shard."

Inuyasha snorted, "Well, we might as well go and look for another one." He crossed his arms and stared at Sango. How had the taijiya known anything was out of the ordinary in the first place if Kagome, the miko, hadn't sensed it?

"I thought you only hunted youkai. How'd you know that?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.

Sango winked at him, "Just something I've picked up on the job."

"Hmph."

Kagome cheered and came running towards them, her eyes bright, "We did it! We defeated our first advisary together! We're a team now!"

Both Sango and Inuyasha looked at her. Then their faces screwed up.

And both began to laugh.

"What?" Kagome asked, blinking. She put her hands on her hips, annoyed that they were laughing at her and she didn't know why, "What's so funny? We did fight as a team."

"I wouldn't call that team work." Sango shook her head, "More like me shouting at Inuyasha."

"What she said. You morons are such distractions." Inuyasha snorted and began to walk away. "Well come on, let's go rest for the night. We'll search some more tomorrow."

"Yeah," Kagome said with a little shrug, "Let's go make camp." Kagome took the lead, her face glowing fiercely with the pride of a job well done. Sango and Inuyasha walked beside each other in silence behind her.

Suddenly Sango turned to Inuyasha, "Don't do that again."

"Do what?" Inuyasha asked annoyed.

"When I thought you died. Don't do it again." Sango said and then she ignored him.

Inuyasha blinked, "What? Like that was my fault!" He growled in defense.

Sango continued to ignore him until Kagome decided she'd found the perfect tree to camp under. The young miko happily made bed and ordered Inuyasha to get some wood. He did so gruffly, mumbling under his breath. Sango layed her own pallet out and smiled at Kagome.

"That was exciting today, wasn't it?" She asked, her eyes twinkling slightly in amusement. Kagome nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh definitely!" Kagome agreed, "I'd never had so much excitement in my life!"

"I've had too much excitement." Sango said, her voice sounding tired. "I'm turning in. Make sure he makes a fire."

"Yeah, sure." Kagome said and nodded.

-----

Yay! They worked as a team! Well, sort of anyway! )

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Sorry for the long wait!

Bye!