Chapter Five

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Inuyasha and I stop just on the outskirts of the village, and my heart leaps into my throat with worry when I see all the bodies of the villagers laying on the ground in the streets. There wasn't a hair in sight.

"Are they…?" I ask softly, Inuyasha's grip unconsciously tightening on my legs.

"No, just sleeping." He replies, his voice surprisingly soft. "Do you see anything?"

"All the hair is gone." I reply, before Inuyasha jumps up onto a rooftop, leaping from roof to roof till we land in front of Kaede's hut. We both walk in, the room dark.

It's chilling and eerie.

'I'm so used to there being a warm fire here.' I think to myself, looking towards the fire pit where the fire was clearly out. 'Kaede, we'll be back for you soon.' I chew on my lower lip, walking over to where my bow and quiver of arrows are leaning against the wall. I grab my quiver, attaching it to the cloth belt of my kimono before grabbing my bow.

Something attached to it glints in the low light.

"She's attached a strand of hair to my bow." I frown, reaching out to run my fingers along the stand as it stretched out from the center of the curved bamboo.

"What?" Inuyasha asks in confusion as he walks over to stand behind me, leaning over to get a better look.

"Yura left a way for us to find her." I elaborate, knowing beyond doubt that was what she had intended when she had attached the hair to my bow. "Somehow she knew I'd come back for my bow."

"Doesn't surprise me." Inuyasha frowns. "Word travels fast in these parts, and you've shown the villagers your powers with a bow more than once." I frown more at that.

Then who else has heard about me?

"Ah." I hiss, wincing as the strand of hair cuts through the skin on my index finger. I snap my hand away, frowning as I look at the paper-cut sized slice. 'That stings!' I think irritably, bringing my finger to my mouth to suck the blood off. Suddenly I feel a heavy weight settle over my head, my peripheral vision now surrounded in red.

Inuyasha's kimono.

I look to him in question. "It's made with hair of the fire rat." Inyasha explains as he looks away from me. "You'll have some protection at least." He mutters. Warmth spreads through me at this, his kindness causing my chest to grow tight.

He actually cared about my well being?

"What about you?" I frown then, and he finally looks to me with a small cocky smirk.

"I'm half demon, remember? Her hair can't slice my skin. Not just a few strands of it, anyway." He explains. "Let's go. We'll follow the strand of hair to where she is hiding." He adds, nodding towards my bow.

"Thank you." I murmur softly, grabbing the edges and folding them more securely around me. It was warm, and it smelt like him. Of pine, grass, and something inherently male. I felt instantly safe as his residual warmth and scent washed over me.

Was that Mayumi's feelings, or mine?

I walk with him out of Kaede's home, and he kneels with his back to me once more. I climb on without having to be told twice this time. 'I could get used to this.' I grumble regrettably to myself.

"You ready?" He asks gruffly as his hands settle in their usual place. I know he means more than just for him to start running. I swallow thinking before nodding.

This was the first time I had sought out danger, rather than danger seeking me out.

"Yeah, I'm ready." I reply, gripping onto his shoulder with one hand, my bow arm resting over his other so my bow stayed extended before us. The strand of hair glinted in the moonlight, clearly leading the way. "Straight ahead."

And with that we were off.


The trail takes us past the Bone Eater's Well, and through the Forest of Inuyasha. We leap over ponds and through ravines for what feels like hours, Inuyasha moving gracefully with each leap. The soothing motion of his running, along with the warmth and smell of his kimono wrapped around me was almost enough to cause me nod off.

Suddenly a glow in the distance catches both of our attentions. Inuyasha lands on the outskirts of the light, and my eyes widen as I see what's in front of us.

"A campfire?" Inuyasha questions with a frown. That isn't what catches my attention first.

"They're all dead." I murmur softly, my hold on his shoulder tightening unconsciously as I gaze at the bodies of the men littered with arrows.

Their headless bodies.

"Did Yura do this?" I ask in horror, feeling like I was in some sort of nightmare. My stomach churned with nausea as I take note of every detail. Some of the bodies had the bone of the spine sticking up from where the neck used to be, others still had their neck but the skin was ripped and shredded grotesquely. Inuyasha's grip on my thighs lets go, allowing me to slid from his back gently as he moves on into the camp to get a better look. Like a coward I stayed where I was, too scared to get closer.

"They're guys from the village. Or their bodies anyway." Inuyasha states, gazing down at the men's bodies on the ground. "Looks like their tops came clean off."

"That hardly looks 'clean' to me." I reply, the torn skin and exposed bones still glaringly apparent.

"Demons aren't exactly known to be gentle and courteous when killing their victims." Inuyasha replies dryly, frown still in place. "Would you come here?" He demands then, and I hesitate long enough to annoy him. "Don't start whining about how you're scared."

"Stop it." I frown at him, narrowing my eyes, even as I take my first couple steps forward. "This is the first time I've ever seen a decapitated body." I admit, swallowing thickly as I look away from the nearest body while I walk by it. As I reach Inuyasha he's looking at me once more with an unreadable expression, his amber eyes and silver hair glowing in the firelight. Without a word he turns then, kneeling back down so I can get on.

Thankfully we put lots of space between ourselves and that camp, but it doesn't help my unease to have seen what Yura was capable of. 'She had obviously taken their heads for their hair.' I think to myself in disgust, hand clenching around my bow tighter as the strand continues to lead us further into the woods and towards a distant foothill. As we come to the side of it Inuyasha leans over on all fours, climbing up at the fairly steep angle with ease. I have to squeeze my legs against his sides a little more to maintain my own balance, and distantly I wonder if he can feel it.

'If he does he sure doesn't act like it.' I think to myself, looking upwards as we continued on. As we get to the top Inuyasha takes a final leap, coming back to stand on his two feet when we land on a tree at the top. His arms wrap back around my legs to steady me. I frown, gazing at the plateau ahead of us, noticing that the strands of hair had gotten a lot closer together.

"We must be getting near to her hideout. The strands of hair aren't so far apart now." I inform him.

Suddenly the tree below us is splits into pieces.

Inuyasha moves smoothly, jumping from the tree and landing gracefully below. My eyes widen as I see huge ropes of hair, two or three feet thick, curl up over the side of the hill and launch directly at us.

"They're here! Jump!" I exclaim, Inuyasha surprisingly listening to me without hesitation as he leaps into the air. "It's coming from the left!" I add, just barely seeing the next attack in time as Inuyasha dodges it mid air. "Now the right!" I shout, unable to stop a small scream as he just barely misses that attack. We land and I can't help the horrified fascination as I see a least a dozen of those large ropes of hair overhead, wiggling like fifty foot snakes in the air. "There's so many of them." I frown, heart racing.

"Just keep doing what you're doing!" Inuyasha snaps.

"Left!" I shout, watching as one of the ropes of hair dive towards us. He leaps to dodge it. "BEHIND!" I shout, Inuyasha landing on all fours and quickly launching towards the slope. He lands on his feet, sliding down the side of the hill with me on his back.

Then suddenly I'm the one catching air.

I grunt as I hit the ground hard, skidding a few feet before coming to a stop. I look up, my eyes widening in concern as I see the silver haired boy caught by all his limbs and strung up high.

Right in front of the hugest hairball I had ever seen.

'And Kagome's cat has had a couple good ones.' I think to myself as I quickly move to stand, his kimono falling from my head to rest on my shoulders. I frown, raising my bow and notching an arrow, pointing it directly at the center of the thing. Yura drops into view from behind the giant hairball, standing boldly in my line of fire on top of her stands of hair.

"Oh my, look at the cute doggy." Yura grins, her eyes roaming over Inuyasha, or more pointedly his hair. Either way a flare of jealously hits me and I let the arrow fly, frowning when she blocks it with a wall of hair. "Is someone jealous?" Yura quips with a sly smirk as my arrow clatters to the ground. My lips tighten into a hard line, not bothering to rise to her taunt.

But yeah, why the hell was I jealous?

As Inuyasha struggles on the hold her hair has on him, he draws Yura's attention away from me.

"You must be Inuyasha." Yura comments.

"And you must be Yura of the Hair." Inuyasha correctly identifies her, looking rightly pissed off. "How'd you know my name?!" He demands angrily.

"Let's just say a little birdie told me. Everyone is saying how a half demon, Inuyasha, is playing fetch with the reincarnation of Mayumi." Yura explains, answering my own personal questions from earlier.

'And I thought teenage girls in my time were bad for gossip.' I frown, Inuyasha letting out a sound of annoyance.

"Me? With that halfwit human down there?! Nothing to it!" Inuyasha passionately denies, sounding absolutely disgusted with what Yura had said. I, meanwhile, am trying not to feel hurt. Why should I? His opinion should hardly matter to me, I hardly knew him!

"Well you're both halfwits to me." Yura goes on with superiority. "I've heard what you've done with the Sacred Jewel. Thousands of shards are scattered all over the land now, and they aren't nearly as powerful as the jewel when whole." Yura says, disappointment heavy in her voice before her eyes dart back down to me. "I suppose I'll have to take the shard you possess, and figure out a way to find the rest." She sighs, as if about to do something too beneath her. "I'll have to take care of you both myself, and then be on my way."

"You really think you'll be able to kill me?" Inuyasha demands cockily, especially for someone currently trapped. I frown, looking from him to Yura. "When this is over, you're going to wish you had never met me, or ever heard my name!" He exclaims, using brute strength to bring his arms close enough together to start ripping at the thick ropes of hair wrapped around his wrists. He frees himself from three of them, using the one still wrapped around his left hand to swing towards Yura. He swipes at her, missing.

"Inuyasha! Behind you!" I cry out, watching helplessly as Yura sends more hair in his direction.

"Not more of the same!" He groans, before grunting as it overpowers him, trapping him more securely this time. Yura comes around directly behind him, her fingers reaching out to his silver hair.

"Such pretty hair." She compliments obsessively, and I feel my energy suddenly spike. It's not just jealousy fueling it this time, no, it's pure rage. This...this wasn't me. It couldn't be me.

The rage had to be coming from Mayumi.

"But you really haven't cared for it very well, look at all the split ends." She leans forward, speaking the last bit of that sentence into Inuyasha's ear. She was pressed right up against the back of him as she combs her fingers through the ends of his silver hair.

'That's it!' I think angrily, notching my next arrow. I can feel my energy flowing more strongly now, moving it to flow through my fingertips and into my arrow without much thought. I take aim at Yura's leg, not wanting to accidentally hit Inuyasha instead. Letting the arrow fly, I grin widely as it hits it's intended target, Yura screaming in pain as she drops away from Inuyasha and towards the ground. She just barely catches herself on her hair strands, looking down at the arrow protruding from her leg with pained disgust. The skin around where the arrow was embedded was burned badly, but still intact.

'How did that not do more damage?' I frown, thinking about all the other times I had used my arrow like that. I look down at my now open left hand, finding it shaking. My eyes widen. 'My energy is still drained. I was able to make the shot, but it wasn't as powerful as it usually is when I haven't exhausted myself.' A snap echoing through the valley pulls my attention back to Yura, watching with wide eyed as she throws the arrow, now broken in half, at my feet. Looking into her eyes it's easy to tell.

'Ohhh, she's fucking pissed.' I swallow thickly.

"What are you doing?! RUN!" Inuyasha shouts from where he is hanging as Yura draws her sword.

'Run?! Run where?! It's not like I'll make it very far!' I think to myself, grabbing another arrow as she flies towards me. I notch it and release before really taking aim, watching as it arches above her and misses her completely. Yura, hardly deterred, closes the remaining distance quickly, swinging down at me with her sword. Out of some naive sort of reaction I raise my arm up to cover my face from the attack, wincing as I can feel the pressure of the sword hit me.

I blink in shock, slowly lowering my arm to see Yura turned from me. I look at the undamaged kimono and my intact arm, realizing with wonder that it must have been what had saved me. Yura, meanwhile, didn't seem so concerned about the fact I was still alive. No.

She's more concerned about the huge rip in her massive hairball, the skulls of her victims falling through it towards the ground.

'There are hundreds of them.' I think with horrified fascination.

"What have you done?!" Yura cries out as she leaps up from one strand of hair to the next until she comes to stand near where the rip was.

"The guys from the camp." Inuyasha identifies, frowning.

"I'll be putting you in here too once I separate that pretty hair from your head." Yura promises coldly. "It's wasted on you anyway." I watch as she jumps back down gingerly, her wound on her thigh obviously bugging her. She flashes a red comb in front of her, my eyes instantly drawn to it. "But first, that woman over there has to die!" I freeze in shock, the hair catching on fire as she manipulates it towards me.

'What do I do now?!' I cry out to myself, knowing I was subconsciously waiting for Mayumi's guidance. I feel a cold sense of dread fall over me when I hear nothing in response. I wrap Inuyasha's kimono over me as best I can as the fire hits, and I can feel the heat of it around me. All I can hear is the crackling of fire as I fall to my knees, the smoke making it hard to breathe. 'Mayumi! Mayumi, please! I need your help!' I cry out inwardly in desperation, but I'm met with an eerie silence.

Was this it? Was this how I was going to die?

My chest feels heavy with the need to breath fresh air, mind racing. Nobody was going to save me.

So I would have to save myself.

I pull for my energy desperately, feeling it bubbling weakly from deep within. I hold onto that feeling, concentrating hard.

"BLADES OF BLOOD!" Inuyasha's shout broke through my concentration, my hands clenching tightly into fists.

'Not yet, I don't have enough power yet.' I think to myself, holding back. Inuyasha's scream of pain breaks through the crackling of the flames soon after, and my eyes snap open.

He was hanging in the air, impaled by that lady's sword.

Unrestrained my energy bursts forth, the pulse dousing the fire as it nearly shakes Yura from her balance. She blinks as she retracts her sword, now being manipulated by the hair, looking at me in shock. That moment of distraction is all that Inuyasha needs. I frown, watching as he brings his hand back, before sending it plunging directly into Yura's heart.

Was this it?

Now on the ground Inuyasha looks up at her with a cocky smirk. "That ought to do it." He comments to himself, but to my utter shock Yura remains standing. Not only that, but she even begins to reprimand him.

"Why I never! I half demon I just met sticking his hand in my chest?" She exclaims, not sounding all that genuinely disgusted. "Now I have become cross!"

Why wasn't she dead? Where was her weak spot? I frown as I look to her bright red comb. Was it her comb? My eyes then catch the hair strands from the comb that went straight back towards her hideaway. Near the top of the pile of heads I can see something else red, my eyes widening in shock as I realize it's a skull. 'There! That's it!' I think, somehow knowing in my gut that was the source of her power. I move away quietly, making my way to the base of the skull pile and finding a foothold before climbing my way up.

Then the entire pile begins to sway.

'Oh SHIT!' I think, holding on for dear life, and also trying not to think too hard on what I was holding on to.

"Look at you! Up until now you've been acting like we've only broken your nail! Now you're really mad." Inuyasha points out, successfully distracting her from trying to fling me off of the pile. I climb faster, but that unfortunately only causes more movement that redirects her attention back towards me.

"Stop it! You're tangling my hair!" Yura cries out angrily, and the pile moves violently once again. I hold on tight until it stops moving, before my eyes widen as I catch the glint of her sword out of the corner of my eye. I tuck my head under my arm as much as I can, once again feeling the pressure of it hitting before it grazes off of me. I scramble towards the top, but this time Yura was done playing. The hair wraps around my wrists before I can dodge it, pulling me from the pile to lift me mid-air.

"Why won't you bleed?!" Yura demands, crossing her arms as she comes to stand in front of me. "You seem ordinary, like there isn't anything special about you." She hums, tilting her head and looking genuinely curious now. I try not to look at the hole in her chest squeezed between her two massive boobs.

'Seriously, do those things defy gravity or something?' I think irritably, and obviously at a very inappropriate time.

"You certainly carry Mayumi's energy signature…" She trails off thoughtfully. I frown more at that, looking at her sharply.

"My name is, Yua." I emphasize, glaring at her. "Mayumi and I are two totally different people!"

"You're telling me. She had much prettier hair." Yuma hums then, reaching out to comb her fingers through my tangled mess of reddish-brown hair. I turn my head away, feeling my irritation rise even higher. "Let's put you to the test!" She exclaims suddenly, before weaving her hair once more, closing it around my neck. Instantly I was choked, unable to hardly breathe as the hair bit into my skin harshly. I can feel myself getting light-headed and dizzy, my body feeling like rubber.

"BLADES OF BLOOD!" Inuyasha shouts out, and almost instantly the pressure on my neck is gone. I take in deep breaths and suddenly I'm weightless, the hair growing slack that had been holding me up. I could hear the skulls clattering to the ground underneath of me as I fall backwards, realizing that the entire thing was coming down. I look up, watching as a hazy red and silver blur comes for me.

"Don't you faint!" Inuyasha gripes even as he cuts me loose and wraps his arms around me, holding me to him protectively as we fall together to the ground. He takes the brunt of the shock of landing, doing his best to ease me into it. I reach up, rubbing at my sore neck as I look to him thankfully.

"Thank you." I murmur softly, Inuyasha stilling for a moment as his amber eyes watch me intently.

I see a glint out of the corner of my eye.

"Inuyasha! Watch out!" I exclaim as I see the sword flying towards us. To my utter shock he pushes me out of the way, taking the attack himself. With a yell of pain the sword pierces him through the shoulder, sending him onto his back in a pained heap. As Yura pulls it back I crawl back over to him, ignoring the sharpness of the skulls under my knees. I place my hand over his shoulder to try and stop the bleeding.

"Are you alright?!" I frown, his hand pushing my own gently away.

"I'll be fine." He replies calmly, his eyes never leaving Yura.

"You forget I'm immortal!" She shouts out to him smoothly, not bothering to catch her sword as it hovered next to her. Her red comb was up and at the ready, and my eyes goes wide in reminder, looking around frantically to find the red skull luckily almost right next to us. Grab one of my arrows I crawl over to it quickly while she is distracted, and start to hammer it with the tip as hard as I can.

'No quite immortal.' I think viciously as I work hard, concentrating solely on my task. With one final swing the arrow finally breaks through, cracking the top of the skull.

Yura goes still, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Light blasts forth, the energy causing the wind to rush about me as I lean back quickly out of the way.

And just like that, she's gone.

"Finally." I murmur softly, feeling relief flood through my system as Yura fades quietly into the night. Her clothes drifted down, one of the only reminders that she had actually existed. I look back to the broken skull at my knees and to my surprise there is a red comb, not unlike the one she had carried, split in half by the skull. I pick up the pieces as Inuyasha approaches, showing it to him.

"So that's what Yura really was." Inuyasha states in realization, and I look at him in surprise.

"Yura was a comb?" I ask in disbelief, slowly moving to stand.

"Sure. With all that you've seen since you've been here, are you surprised?" He asks easily. "It's probably got powers because it was once used to comb the hair of the dead. Yura didn't use it so much as it used her." I notice that his has hand pressing over his most recent wound, and I can't help the concern that washes over me again.

And the guilt knowing he was hurt because I couldn't hold my own.

"We should really get you looked at." I reach out without thinking, my hand brushing against then back of his own over the wound. His skin is warm to the touch against my cold fingers. He starts slightly, and I instantly retract my hand, feeling an embarrassed blush rush towards my cheeks. Why had I done that?

"I'll be fine." He reiterates after a tense moment, his gaze unreadable as he looks around the valley. He winces however, kneeling quickly as the pain suddenly overwhelms him.

"I'm sorry, if you hadn't have given me your kimono you would have been fine." I frown deeply, kneeling down in front of him. His amber eyes look up at me, not holding a single bit of regret.

"And you'd be sitting here with one less arm if I hadn't. I'll heal." He replies assuredly. Even still I gently take the kimono off as we both stand, handing it back to him. "Come on, Yua, let's go." He murmurs, and I blink slightly in shock, freezing in place.

Had he actually used my name?

"What?" He demands curiously, and I hesitate, before sealing my lips and smiling while shaking my head.

"Nothing." I reply easily, not wanting to spoil the moment. Together we make our way out of the valley and head back in the direction of the forest Kaede was still hidden in. As I look around, the large moon casting a bright light around us, I realize something monumental.

I was starting to think of this place as a new home.


"Yua." A voice calls out to me as my eyes snap open. I sit up straight on my makeshift bed in Kaede's hut, looking around frantically for the owner.

It was a voice I had yet to hear.

"Yua…reincarnation of Mayumi." The voice goes on, distinctly male in nature. "Protector of the Sacred Jewel." He chuckles darkly then, sending a chill down my spine. The voice echoes around me, having no clear source. My heart was racing. This voice, something about it, told me he was dangerous.

"Who are you?" I demand lowly, hands clenching the material of my blanket so hard that my knuckles were going white.

"You'll get to know me soon enough." The male voice replied slyly as I move to kneel, eyeing my bow and arrows that leaned on the wall nearby. I can see Inuyasha a few feet away, arms and legs crossed as he sleeps soundly. How was he not hearing this? I open my mouth to call his name, but my voice croaks, suddenly lost. Eyes widening I reach up to rub at my throat, trying again desperately. The chilling laughter returns, ice creeping down my back.

"So sweet. It appears that history will most certainly repeat itself." The voice goes on dryly, but this time he sounds more solid. I turn sharply, heart stopping as I see a cloaked figure in Kaede's doorway. His face was covered with what looked to be the face of a baboon, the cloak made of white fur flowing seamlessly from the headdress.

'What the hell?!' I think to myself, heart suddenly speeding back up.

"You. Are. Mine." His voice suddenly growls with possessiveness, before the man hidden in the cloak rushes me. I'm frozen on the spot, unable to move.


Gasping for air as I wake up, I pause for a moment in shock as I look at the wooden slates of Kaede's home above me. The light from the sun was just starting to filter through, casting a glow through the house. I sit up quickly, looking around frantically for the man dressed as a baboon.

'The things I never thought I'd dream about.' I groan inwardly when I realize it was indeed a dream, leaning my head down into my hand. I rub at my forehead with the palm of my hand hard, massaging away the tell tale signs of a tension headache. Who was that guy? Why had my mind created him all of a sudden? I frown, lifting my head and looking around once again, pausing as I see Inuyasha sleeping just as he had been in my dream.

"How can that be comfortable?" I murmur softly to myself, eyeing how relaxed his face was. 'He looks so peaceful.' I add to myself, a warmth spreading through me as I take in his admittedly handsome face. Even more so when it was relaxed as it was now. 'Sleeping makes him look so human.' I think, before looking at his still bloodied shirt as his red fire-rat kimono top laid beside him. 'But if he was human he certainly wouldn't be sleeping after everything last night. He would be dead.' Being stabbed three times with a sword would have surely done that to any normal human. I flush a little, remembering how I had reached out to him and touched his hand. Inuyasha's body had went so stiff. My stomach rolls in hot embarrassment. Clearly he hadn't wanted me to touch him, and truth be told, I hadn't really thought it through before I had been reaching for him. It had been like instinct, something drawing me to be physically close to him while he was hurt.

'It was probably Mayumi.' I think to myself, frowning. 'Why else would I feel so attentive to someone I barely even know? Why would I be so…attracted to someone I just met?' I sigh to myself, realizing that I most certainly wasn't going to find sleep again now. As quietly as I can manage I throw my blankets aside, crawling the short distance to the entrance of Kaede's home and slipping my shoes on. As I push the cover on the door aside, a rush of unease hits me, realizing this is exactly where that figure had stood in my dream.

"You. Are. Mine."

A shudder works down my spine. What had he meant by that? Claiming me like that? I shake my head, ridding myself of that residual feeling of intense fear, before allowing the cover to slip shut behind me. The morning air was crisp around me, the village just barely starting to move. The sun was only peeking above the horizon, a golden sliver in the pink and purple sky. It looked like it was going to be another beautiful day here.

I head down the road, bowing respectfully in return to those who bowed their heads in acknowledgement towards me. I finally make it to the river, kneeling down and cupping the cold water in my hands. Splashing it over my face, I instantly feeling more awake, leaning back on my knees. I look down at my reflection, chewing on my lower lip.

'I look so…different.' I think in amazement, and I don't just mean my clothing. My face was still plump, but somehow…I looked more mature. 'It's only been three days.' I scoff in disbelief, shifting from my knees to sit down with my legs crossed.

'Aye, that may be true, but you've gone through more in the past three days than most woman in your lifetime ever go through.' Mayumi's voice broke through the barrier, sounding much stronger than the day before.

'Hey, you're back.' I think pleasantly, and Mayumi's tinkling laughter greets me.

'Of course I am. We're not through just yet.' Mayumi replies gently. 'Even though I could not be with you during your battle with Yura, I'm very proud of the way you handled yourself.' I blink a little in surprise then.

'So you weren't there at all?' I ask, staring down at the grass.

'No, that was all you, Yua.' Mayumi replied, and I feel warmth spark through me as I can detect a hint of pride in her voice.

'I'm nowhere near as powerful without your help.' I frown then, remembering how hard it had been for me to draw out my energy.

'No, you aren't.' Mayumi agrees gently. 'That will come with time and more use of your powers. You'll get there, you just need patience.' She advises wisely, and I can't help a dry laugh.

'Patience isn't one of my strengths.' I admit to her openly, and I can sense her smiling.

'Sometimes it's not mine either, no matter what people say about me.' She freely admits, and I swallow thickly, hesitating.

'So…we are alike then.' I conclude, frowning. 'How do I know what I feel at times is me…or you?'

'It doesn't work like that, Yua. I can't affect your emotions, or your choices.' Mayumi explains, and I frown in confusion.

'You took over my body during the fight with the crow demon and that eight foot troll.' I remind her.

'Only because on a subconscious level you allowed me that control. If you hadn't have wanted me to, I wouldn't have been able to break past your barrier like that.' Mayumi explains, and my eyes widen then in realization.

'So that warmth I feel…that sense of security when I'm around Inuyasha…it's real.' I think in amazement, before quickly regretting it as I remember who is sharing my thoughts right now.

'Don't apologize.' Mayumi speaks up sharply before I can. 'I understand my place, and I've been able to let him go. Don't feel guilty for how you're feeling. Trust me, with him it can't be helped.' She adds the last bit dryly. I can't help a derisive laugh, looking up towards the sun now as it really lights up the sky.

'I honestly don't know what I'm feeling.' I truthfully admit, inwardly sighing. 'I only just got here.'

'It's okay to be confused, especially with what you've gone through so far. Just don't think going forward that your emotions aren't your own. Embrace them.' Mayumi advises. 'You are going to be just fine, Yua.' Somehow I felt confident that Mayumi was right.

Especially with my newfound friends beside me.


I will admit that this chapter was a little tough for me, because it felt like I didn't have AS much room for original content as I have had in previous chapters. Here it is, however! Baboon guy and all!

Looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts as I work on editing the next chapter!

Best!

T.O.T.