Enjoy!

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Auburn Strands and Red Threads #19

"What is it with him?" Shun'ō asked.

Orihime sat in her opened doorway and watched Ayame's dome form heal the severely injured Inuyasha. Shun'ō sat on Orihime's shoulder, staring at the boy with disdain. For a few moments, Orihime couldn't respond. The sight she had discovered shocked her so bad her insides still shook.

"Um . . ." She lightly shook her head. "I don't think I understand your question."

"This guy." Shun'ō pointed at the boy, miffed. "This is the third or fourth time that we've had to heal him." He looked at the girl. "His injuries are never minor, so I don't feel good about him hanging around you all the time."

Orihime blinked, surprised. "But he's kind of like Ichigo-"

"No, Hime, he's not. Ichigo attracts danger, but he at least keeps a distance from his friends when that happens, plus, the damage is minimal. Ever since this boy showed up, you've been in one conflict after another."

". . . I really like your new look."

Shun'ō groaned lightheartedly, turning back to the nearly completed healing process. "Thanks, Hime, but you're missing the point."

In silence, they watched as Ayame finished her healing and returned into her fairy form. Orihime couldn't help but awe at Ayame's new look, as well. She wondered how enhanced abilities could impact their appearances; Orihime honestly didn't understand how it made them better at healing.

"How'd it go?" Shun'ō asked.

Ayame floated over to him and touched his forehead.

"Hm," he said after a few seconds. "Is that right?"

Ayame nodded.

Orihime went wide-eyed, staring at the two in confusion.

Shun'ō sighed. "Well, I guess it-"

"Are you using telepathy?!" Orihime sputtered, causing the two to jump.

"Oh . . . Well, yeah," Shun'ō answered, surprised. "Ever since that one night, we've all gotten upgrades to what we can do."

"All? Then . . . How is everyone? They haven't come out yet."

"You also haven't summoned them either." He paused. "With that being said, I think they're still recovering. I hate to say it, but unlike us," he gestured between him and Ayame, "they exert more energy in battle, so they must be coming to terms with this new-found energy."

"So, if I summon them right now . . . ?"

He shrugged. "You might get a pile of mush."

Orihime's eyes widened, mouth parting.

He laughed. "Well, I did say they were recovering. Because we can't really see each other in there, I can only assume they haven't really . . . formed . . . yet. They say things from time to time, but they sound . . ." He looked to Ayame, who touched his arm. He nodded, "Yeah, drunk."

"And your appearances?" Orihime asked. "How do they help?"

"Who knows. They're stylish, aren't they?"

Ayame nodded.

"Okay," Orihime laughed. "So, you two can read each other's' minds?"

"Nnnno, not really. Ayame-"

Orihime jumped, feeling a tiny hand on her arm. The auburn stared at the tiny dark-haired being. "Oh . . . You can transfer your thoughts to us?"

"So long as she's touching us," Shun'ō added. "It's odd, isn't it? Even then, she's not talking. You just . . . understand."

Orihime nodded. "That . . . is amazing." She smiled wide. "You guys have really gotten strong."

Ayame smiled, accepting the compliment.

"What else can you guys do?"

The two looked at each other.

"Well," Shun'ō began, unsure, "we don't really know the full extent of our powers just yet. You might want to do some training with us, but I should warn you, we may be more powerful than your average spar partners. As crazy as it sounds, Ichigo or Uryuu might be the only ones to handle us. Eh . . . And Kisuke, I guess. He has the odd training room."

Orihime internally cringed at the thought. "I don't think I really want to try out these powers."

"They won't just go away, Hime. They're beyond your current skill level, yes, but if you never learn how to control them, you'll just be all the more dangerous."

Orihime looked down at Inuyasha, wanting to think of anything but this highly powerful and extremely dangerous new potential she now had. Inuyasha had a small crease between his brows, suggesting his ever present annoyance, and he was breathing evenly compared to moments ago. She wondered why he never woke up right away after being healed. Shun'ō and Ayame's abilities were greatly enhanced, but he still remained unconscious.

"About him," Shun'ō said, "we still aren't immune to that . . . weird . . . energy he has. It's like he's a . . . a . . ."

"Demon."

He looked at her. "Pardon?"

"Inuyasha. He's half demon."

He blinked, leaning back like he had been pushed away. "Inu-what-now is what now?"

Orihime smiled bashfully, gesturing to the unconscious boy. "His name is Inuyasha. He's half demon."

The two fairies looked at each other before looking back at her. "And . . . how do you know this?"

She pursed her lips, scratching her cheek. "He told me."

"He told you? Why would he tell you?"

Ayame touched his arm for a few seconds.

"Wait, what?" He looked between the two girls.

"What is it?" Orihime asked.

"Okay . . . Just . . ." Shun'ō ran a hand through his hair, giving Ayame an apprehensive stare. "We aren't able to be conscious to the outside world when we revert back to your hair pins—we haven't figured it out yet or something—but Ayame said there was a time she healed that boy . . . and his injuries held Ichigo's spiritual energy, and you were lying next to him."

Orihime breathed in deeply. She took a moment to explain her situation with Inuyasha after the night he was revived and how Ichigo eventually came into the mix. By the end, Shun'ō was slacked jawed, and Ayame was showing subtle signs of shock.

"So . . . you and this Inuyasha fellow are . . . friends?"

Orihime nodded.

"After all that's happened, you both are . . . getting along?"

"Uh-huh. We've had dinner a few times, and he took me to where he lives."

"In the Feudal Era?!" Shun'ō's mouth moved, unable to form words properly. "Orihime . . . Demons and all . . . this . . . It certainly explains a lot." He pressed his lips together, frowning. "His so-called demon energy makes it impossible for us to heal every ache and pain—not to mention it's a strain on us."

"Will it harm you?"

"No, no. It just makes us a little sluggish. But, understand, Hime, there can't possibly be a good outcome if you continue to hang around him."

Orihime frowned a bit. "He's not a bad guy. I've gotten to know him, and he really isn't going to start any trouble."

"I understand, but he's just . . ." He sighed, looking back at Inuyasha. "Do you need help moving him before we-"

Inuyasha groaned, shifting his weight.

"Hm," Shun'ō droned. "Guess not."

Shun'ō and Ayame went back to Orihime's pins, leaving the girl to worry over what to do next. Inuyasha's eyes opened, involuntarily closing more than she thought was normal.

"Inuyasha?"

His eyes rolled towards her, floating around in a daze.

"Um . . ." She sighed, crawling over to him. "Come on."

He stared at her as she took hold of his arm and urged him up. After a few futile tugs, he finally forced himself to be led. Much of his weight was supported on her, and he had trouble walking properly, which made the auburn wonder how well healing was working on him. She guided the dazed demon to her bedroom and lied him down on the bed. His eyes closed for good this time, his breathing even once again.

Orihime watched him, lightly pushing hair away from his face. She wondered what he could have been up to and why he dragged himself all the way here. He was supposed to be in his era, so he must have finished there and came back to see her. Hollow activity had been pretty low, but she hadn't even sensed one tonight.

Was he attacked by a demon?

She was sure she never saw one in her time besides the one Inuyasha fought when she first saw him, but it wouldn't make sense for him to get injured in the Feudal Era and then come all the way to her. Maybe . . . something else happened? Something in her time she couldn't detect?

Her fingertips brushed against his bangs, slowly moving to glide across his brows. She marveled at how normal Inuyasha looked despite his background. There was demon blood coursing through him, and the physical characteristics were obvious, but in comparison to Ichigo, he didn't look like he was made for battle.

Ichigo had a certain quality.

It was something in his gaze—something in the way he walked—something in the way he carried himself that marked Ichigo as a warrior before he actually was one. With Inuyasha, he was a boy with immense power and a sword, but he wasn't a warrior. Maybe he didn't have someone to train him like Ichigo did; maybe Inuyasha didn't have the experience Ichigo did, which would explain the chaos behind his movements, but death seemed so plausible for him.

Inuyasha felt incredibly mortal.

His skin, his nose, his cheeks, his lips. She traced every outline of his face, her skin tingling above his. She was aware of the burning his skin caused under her fingertips.

Orihime yanked her hand away, taking a few steps back. "I guess . . . you're sleeping here tonight."

Morning

Inuyasha awoke with a start, gasping, eyes darting around the room. His mind was tripping over itself with all he was seeing and feeling when he was certain he should be seeing and feeling very different things. There was sun pouring in from a window, and he was on a bed.

This couldn't be right.

He looked to the doorway, hearing footsteps. Orihime walked in, humming to herself, but stopped when she saw he was awake.

She smiled. "Good morning."

"Wh— How are you—" He looked around the room again. "How did I get here?"

She pursed her lips, brows knitted over wide, grey eyes. "I wish I knew. You showed up last night with another hole going through you." She walked over, leaning down and inspecting him.

Inuyasha turned his head. "Wh-what're you doing?"

"Seeing if you're okay," she mumbled, standing back up and smiling. "You talk in your sleep."

He looked at her skeptically. "Yeah? What I say?"

"I'm not sure," she confessed, rubbing the back of her head. "You kept saying my name, so I thought you were in pain." She looked him over again, noticing his face had turned red. "Oh, maybe you aren't feeling well . . ."

"Forget it," he muttered, getting out of bed.

"So, what were you doing last night?"

Inuyasha picked up his sword from the side of the bed, thinking. He had definitely been in the Feudal Era. In fact, he should be near-

.

"There has been a slow accumulation of demons fusing together and wreaking havoc in the southern mountains."

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"...Damn."

Orihime's eyebrows rose; Inuyasha had become extremely pale.

"I have to go." He rushed to her window, flinging it open, and jumped through it. Orihime stared for a moment, not completely shocked by his actions, before resuming her morning tasks.

At least he was okay.

When he reached the Feudal Era, Inuyasha sprinted through the forest, pushing through foliage and breaking branches.

None of this made sense.

What was he doing in Orihime's part of town? How was it possible he made it there so fast? It took him and the others practically two days to get to the southern mountains, so there was no way he could have made it all the way to her.

Especially, not with the injuries he had.

He cursed, not able to draw any logical conclusion. These things weren't possible. These things don't just happen.

"Watch out!"

Inuyasha plowed through a sturdy object, tumbling to the ground and rolling to a stop. He landed on his back and groaned, sitting up. "What the hell?" He looked behind him to find someone lying on the ground. It was a man wearing a white kimono, and he had long blond hair. Inuyasha got to his feet, looking at him awkwardly. "Uh . . . You okay?"

The man rolled onto his back, looking at him through long bangs; his eyes lit up. "Hey! It's you!"

Inuyasha's brows creased. "Who?"

"You!" The man smiled, pointing at the half-demon. "Remember, last night? You were all dying and bleeding, and I came by and said, 'Hey, you look like you're dying.' then you said some pretty foul things, but I-"

"Stop." Inuyasha groaned, shaking his head. "I don't remember much about last night, but I gotta go."

"Wait, wait!" The man stood. "Did you get home okay?"

"What?"

"That place. You told me you needed to get to Ohumru House."

"O . . ." Inuyasha shook his head again, turning away. "We can talk nonsense later, but I gotta go."

"Ah, but-!" The man watched as the half-demon darted off. He sighed, scratching his chest. "Wonder if I got him there."

Night

Miroku and the gang walked, crestfallen.

They had been walking since last night, after a fruitless search for Inuyasha had to be called off. With what little resources they had, the search had been pitiful. After all the demons had disappeared, Inuyasha was nowhere to be found. They had searched for most of the previous night, but now they were all exhausted, and it benefited them to make it home rather than stay in demon territory.

Kagome had been the most withdrawn. It had been Miroku's call to head home, and she hadn't agreed in the slightest. He understood where she came from, but they would have died out there.

Shippo, who was on Miroku's shoulder, tugged on his hair. "Do you think Inuyasha's alright?"

Miroku looked at child, noting the distress in Shippo's eyes. "I . . . am confident Inuyasha made it to some form of safety."

Shippo frowned. "Now say it like you mean it."

Miroku sighed. "I always have doubts about Inuyasha's abilities to get out of impossible situations, but he manages to prove me wrong every time. If I have faith in him now, he really might be in danger."

"That sounds like an excuse."

"Maybe," Miroku admitted, "but it's true."

Shippo looked down, worried. "You saw how that demon had him . . . Flinging him around like it was nothing . . . I just don't know if-"

"Hey, hey," Sango interjected, overhearing the conversation. "He's going to be okay. Inuyasha's always getting something rammed through him. I doubt he'd let this do him in."

"She has a point," Miroku said, poking the boy's cheek. "Unless they get his heart, Inuyasha would never go down so easily."

Shippo wasn't convinced, looking between the two for sincerity, but ultimately cracked a smile. "He is pretty tough, huh?"

Sango scoffed. "Tough? More like stubborn."

"I'd cast my vote for tunnel visioned," Miroku chimed in. "He won't die until all his enemies are dead."

Shippo giggled. "Or he lives to spite them."

"Ha! That's a good one!"

The three laughed, amping up Inuyasha's will to live. Kagome stayed silent, gripping her bow tightly, but stopped and turned abruptly.

"Stop it!" she snapped. "Inuyasha's life isn't anything to joke about!"

They all fell silent, stunned.

"Kagome," Miroku started, "it's not as if we do not have faith that he's alive."

"Y-yeah," Sango said. "Inuyasha's tough, so we just-"

"Think it's funny to laugh while he's out there suffering?" Kagome challenged. "If it was you out there, I doubt he'd sit around and laugh about it. I bet he'd still be back there looking!"

"We tried all we could," Miroku defended. "Unlike Inuyasha, we don't have the endurance or the skills to survive out here."

"So that makes it okay?" She laughed, humorless, turning around and storming off. "Some friends you turned out to be!"

The remaining four stayed behind, wondering if they had taken the situation too lightly.

Kagome walked briskly, hot tears rolling down her face. How could they act so cheerful? They had no idea where Inuyasha was. They left him back there! Claiming that he was durable was just a cowardly way of saying they were scared. If they all looked together, they could help him. His injury must be painful . . . And they left him . . .

A figure dropped in front of her, causing her to scream.

"What the hell are you doin' by yerself?!"

Kagome took in gasps of air, clutching her chest. She had a hard time registering the red attire and silver hair only belonged to one person. "I-Inuyasha?" He was looking at her with panic and confusion, and there wasn't a scratch on him. "What are . . . ?" She shook her head, frantic. "How did you get over here?!"

"Never mind that. What are you doin' over here? You were all the way in the southern mountains."

"And so were you!"

"This ain't about me! Don't you know it ain't safe-!"

"Kagome!"

They looked behind her; Miroku and the others were running their way.

Inuyasha shouted, pointing at them. "What're you all doin' here?!"

"Inuyasha!"

"Inuyasha?"

"US?!" Miroku said incredulously. "What do you mean US?! How did YOU get over here?!"

Inuyasha growled. "This ain't ABOUT me! How'd you guys know I wasn't still back there?!"

"Ah . . . Well . . ." Miroku scratched the side of his face before clearing his throat, becoming dignified. "We tried our best."

"You left me?!"

"Well, no, Inuyasha, you're standing right before us, so it seems you left us."

"Wait . . ." Sango rubbed her temple, glaring at the half-demon. "You left us?! How did you even escape?!"

Inuyasha paused. Somehow the tables had turned, and he had not planned to be on the wrong end of the blame. "Uh . . . I don't . . . really know."

"You don't know? How is your injury healed—can you explain that?"

"Uh . . ." Inuyasha looked at everyone. "N-no."

"Inuyasha," Kagome mumbled. "Sit."

o0o0o

The group walked in silence. The women took up the front, both peeved. Inuyasha sported new bruises as he walked with Shippo and Miroku.

"I'm tellin' ya. I have no idea how I got in front of you guys."

"You're lying," Shippo insisted, attached to Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Am not. I woke up and that's it. I came back after I realized I had gotten too far."

"Liar." Shippo pouted, turning his head away, and mumbled, "You smell like her."

Inuyasha went wide-eyed; Miroku's mouth hung open.

"You-!" The monk caught himself, lowering his voice. "You went all the way back there? What were you thinking?!"

"I told you I don't know how I got there!" Inuyasha whispered. "I woke up, and I was in her bed-"

"WHAT?!"

"Idiot!" Inuyasha hooked his arm behind Miroku's neck, ducking their heads down. "Nothin' like that happened, so calm down."

"Inuyasha, Kagome's time is not a place you accidentally wake up in. How did you even get over there so fast?"

"I told you: I. Don't. Know."

Miroku sighed, wiping his face. "First you don't want to talk about her, then you run across time to her. You love in weird ways, my friend."

"Love?!"

"So, what'd you guys do?" Shippo asked darkly. "You were there all night, right? Was it just you two?"

Inuyasha stared at him. "The hell is your problem?"

"Hey, this ain't about me, pal," Shippo countered. "Tell me what happened last night."

"What business is it of yours, runt?"

Shippo glared at him before setting his sights forward. "Waaaaah! Inuyasha, stop hurting me!"

"Wh-what?"

"Kagome! Inuyasha's hurting me! Make him stop!"

Kagome didn't look back. "Sit, boy."

"Eh?!" Inuyasha cratered to the ground; Shippo jumped to Miroku's shoulder.

"Whoa." The monk nodded approvingly at the child. "Nice tactic."

"He's such a butt," Shippo mumbled, highly annoyed.

The group continued to walk, assured Inuyasha would find his way back.

A man with long blond hair walked through the forest, trying to find his bearings. He wasn't used to the wilderness, and it was just his luck he couldn't hurry this journey any quicker.

"Well, well, well. What to do now that the experiment's a bust?" He sighed, looking around. The southern mountains were located . . . south . . . But which way was south?

"Eh?!"

He looked to his right, noticing a group walking off in the distance. "Hey!" he called out to them, but they didn't notice him. He ran, waving his arms. "Hey, hold on!"

They were soon out of his sight, oblivious to his running and shouting, and the man huffed, cursing softly.

"M-man . . . How am I supposed to get south?" He looked down, noticing a human-sized crater. Peering over the edge, he heard the pained groan before he saw the silver hair. He gasped, smilingly widely. "Fuuuuuuzzy ears!"

Kisuke stared at the wall, his face unusually contorted in intense thought. Orihime had noticed this when dinner began, and she continued to notice after they had finished. Tessai and the others hadn't said a thing about the man's behavior and continued with their lively conversations and banters, and the young girl now found herself alone with the deep thinker.

She didn't know if she should say something.

It never occurred to her that Kisuke was a person who thought too intensely about everything, and as she watched him in confused silence, she began to wonder why she had continued to sit with him.

His eyes shifted, looking at her with the same amount of concentration and uncertainty.

Orihime looked away briefly, fidgeting. "Your eyes are grey."

He blinked, shaking himself slightly. "What was that?"

"Your eyes," Orihime smiled, brushing her eyelids with her fingertips. "They're kinda like mine."

"Oh." He touched his upper cheek unconsciously. "That's rather strange, isn't it?"

Orihime's smile broadened. "I've never met anyone else with grey eyes. Not even my brother had them."

Kisuke rubbed the back of his head. "Come here," he said, gesturing.

She crawled over and took a seat next to him.

Sighing, Kisuke wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rested his cheek on her head. "I don't think you should go to the Feudal Era again."

She tried to look up. "But I've only been there once."

"I understand, but there's something about that time . . . I can't quite remember what it is."

"Is it because it's the Warring States Era?"

"No . . . I mean, yes, that probably has something to do with it, but that's not the issue."

"Is it because of the demons?"

"No, it-" He looked at her, remembering those existed, before shaking off that statement. "No, Hime, there's just something very bad that happens, I'm sure of it."

Orihime nodded, mainly to enjoy the weight of Kisuke's head on hers. "Well, whatever it is, it must have worked out in the end."

"That's the thing," he muttered. "I don't think it did . . ."

"Hm?"

"Nothing, nothing." He sighed. The more he thought about it, the more he was on the verge of remembering what he was trying to tell her to avoid.

"Kisuke," Orihime said, twiddling her thumbs, "do you think you can train me?"

"Train you?"

"Yes. See, I want to enhance my abilities. Well, it's more like I want to get better control over them, but, in case it all goes wrong, I want to be away from others."

"Training . . ." Kisuke mulled the thought over. "Yeah . . . Yeah, that might be able to prolong this."

"Prolong what?"

He shook his head, dismissing it all. "How's that Inuyasha fellow doing?"

"Um . . . I think he's going through some personal stuff right now."