Disclaimers: I do not own Inuyasha

A/N Sorry for the wait. Here's the chapter! ENJOY!

Circus Dog

Chapter 8. Yura of the Hair

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The rest of the evening had flown by pretty fast. The cake had been baked and devoured mostly by a very hungry Inuyasha. Where as Kagome only had a single piece. She wasn't surprised to find that the poor boy had a stomach ache afterwards, but it was his own problem. She had warned him about eating too many sweets. After the whole kitchen had been cleaned up, they had gone to bed. Inuyasha was sleeping in a spare bedroom, or so Kagome thought. Turns out, Inuyasha isn't much of a fan when it comes to sleeping on a night of the new moon.

"Damn it, when's this night going to end?" He growled lowly, fiddling with the hem of his red haorie. He had changed back into his own garments and ditched the others somewhere. Now, he sat cross-legged on the bed, awaiting for the sun to rise. "This sucks. But at least my stomach ache is gone."

He sighed loudly, 'I wish I didn't have to be here. If I were I dog, I bet Kagome would let me sleep in her room.' He snorted, 'Wait, scratch that thought! I didn't mean it. I didn't, right? It has only been a few days now, but I feel as if I've known her for longer. I remember now how I came by her, it seems Naraku can only have temporary effects on me these days. Probably because of her spiritual powers. With me around, there's been a lot of demons. So there's plenty of chances for her to practice using those powers.' He thought. 'If she develops her powers, I bet she'd be able to sense the jewel that Naraku uses to control my demonic transformations.'

"I just wish I could get out of this curse. I've been around for seven hundred years, and I haven't aged a bit because of the damn jewel. I need to find a way to destroy it once and for all." He leaned his head back against the wall.

"What are you still doing awake?" A very tired Kagome asked from his doorway. He hadn't even heard her step in. It is very annoying not being able to know when someone is coming close to him or not.

"Keh, don't worry about it wench, get back to bed."

"I would, but I don't think I'll be able to if you keep talking to yourself." Kagome smiled tiredly.

"Shuddap! I don't talk to myself!"

"Sure you don't. Anyways, it's going to be morning soon, get some sleep." Kagome ordered.

"Whatever wench, I will."

"Good."

"Oi."

"Hmm?" She mumbled having almost left.

"Did I wake you up, you know, with my talking?"

'See, I knew you were talking to yourself.' She had wanted to say, but instead she had replied, "No, I woke up on my own to go to the bathroom. No worries. Hey, that reminds me, I have something for you."

Inuyasha looked at her strangely, 'She has something for me?' "What do you mean?"

"Hold on, stay there. I have to go get it." Kagome told him before rushing off towards her own room.

Shortly after that, she had returned, her hand closed, obviously holding something. She had entered the room and moved to sit next to Inuyasha. Smiling, she held out her closed fist and opened it to let him see the object she held.

It was a necklace.

A golden heart shaped locket to be exact.

"Here, this is for you. I bought it a long time ago with my friends. I've been waiting for a special person to come along so I could give him this. You're a very good friend, and I think you should keep it. I have a picture of me in it, so you'll never forget me when this curse or spell thing is lifted." She explained, always with a smile.

"It's for me?" He stared at the locket.

"Yeah, see," She sat up on the bed, closer to the boy to show him the gift. She had opened it up to show the picture of herself. "I might eventually get a picture of you and we can put it in here too! So we'll never forget all the fun we've been having and have yet to do."

"Yeah but, we hardly know each other." He blabbed.

"So? I feel like I do know you. You're a great friend! You deserve this." She smiled placing it around his neck, "Promise you'll never take it off?"

"Hn? How come?"

"Well for one, it will grant your wishes." She stated.

"What?"

"Oh yeah, I bet this thing is way stronger than some jewel thing."

"Ha! As if! Liar, I wouldn't be caught dead with.. with something like this!" He said loudly, taking off the locket and shoving it towards her.

"What's wrong with it?" She practically yelled, shoving it back towards him. "You are a jerk." She muttered scooting off the bed and walking out.

"H-hey! Where are you going wench!"

"To get some water!" Kagome retorted back.

"Fine!" He snorted, staring down at the present. 'Still, I wish she was right. I wish this thing really could grant wishes. If it could, I'd wish…'

.:.:.:. With Kagome .:.:.:.

"The idiot, I try to be nice, and what do I get? Stupid.. he's so stupid." She sighed drinking the rest of her water. "Hmm, the sun is going to be coming up very soon. So I should get at least a couple more hours of sleep so I won't go into work tired."

She had put her glass down and was about to go back up to her room, until she saw something. There's was some kind of movement outside of the kitchen window that was making her inner alarms go haywire. "A demon?" 'Should I get Inuyasha? No, it's too dangerous. If what he said about me was true, about these weird purifying powers, then I should be okay alone. But I need a weapon.' She tiptoed towards the back door of the house, knowing that the shed would be near by. 'I can get some stuff in there.'

Unlocking the door, she had twisted the knob opening the door quietly. She had confirmed that no one was watching and decided she would make a run for it towards the shed. 'One… Two…'Her thoughts were cut short as the sound of a twig snapping had caused her to not care about the count and had just ran for it.

Once she had successfully bursted into the shed, she slammed the door closed and heaved in a sigh of relief. "That was too close for comfort." She muttered walking deeper into the shed. She was still obviously wearing her pink plaid pajamas and was bare foot, but that didn't matter. Right now, she had bigger problems. There had to be a demon here, she could just feel it. "Now, I know I had found a bow and arrow in here… Oh great, I guess we only had one set! Now what am I going to do?"

The shed had begun to shake, old dirt and dust falling from the shelves along with a few old box's. Kagome squeaked, a long wooden box had fallen next to her right foot, an object tumbling out of it. The shed still kept shaking as Kagome crouched down to take cover. She covered her head with her hands and shut her eyes tightly. She had reopened them when the shaking had stopped and took this chance to glance down at the item next to her foot.

It was a sword.

A very old sword.

It had knicks in the blade, the golden hilt was loose and the handle was tattered, the material ripped and falling off. There was a black slick sheath still inside of the box that she assumed belonged with the sword. There was no label on the box anywhere indicating her the name or origins of the blade. Shrugging her shoulders, she figured her gramps would keep it only if it was worth his while. So she snatched it up by its handle and grabbed the sheath. "It might come in handy. Since this is the only weapon in here."

With that, she had stood back up and slowly walked back towards the door, the shed started to shake again, which really wasn't good. She had lost her balance a couple of times but had regained it moments later. Gripping onto the door, she slowly slid it open to look outside. The shaking had stopped and the outdoors seemed to look oddly quiet. Innocent even. Too innocent for her liking. Tightening her grasp onto the handle she took in a deep breath. Now or never, time to face the music.

She plunged out of the shed and into the nights air into a fighting stance. The problem was, that there was nothing there. Or so she thought. It had taken a moment, but she had discovered it. Strings, as thin as hair coated the shrine grounds in various knots, like a web. Using the sword, she attempted to cut the hairs, but they only got tangled into them. Once the hairs were moved, it was like alerting the mother spider, except this demon wasn't a spider. It was a woman. She had leapt out from the god tree and landed on strands of hair smirking down at Kagome.

"Hello girl. I see you tried to cut my beautiful hair. Unfortunately for you, that sword is too dull to cut anything!" She chuckled.

Kagome fumed, "Who are you? And why are you here?"

"Don't you dare ask such stupid questions. You know why I am here. You seem to have our puppy somewhere in that house of yours. I came to bring him back, oh and kill you." She added.

Kagome found it hard to swallow the lump in her throat. 'Is she for real?'

"My name is Yura of the Hair. I am from the Cirque, and here to take back what belongs to lord Naraku. You girl, have been a burden to us for too long. I think it's time to eliminate you." She had strands of hair tied to her fingers, and used the to shift the hairs around Kagome, "I think it's time to tie things up.."

All she knew, was that she was stuck. The hair had wound itself around her body and immobilized her. The good part was that the sword was hair free now, but the bad part was that it was useless to her since she had dropped it along with its sheath as she was lifted into the air. So, she did the only thing she was capable of doing in a situation like this, she screamed. Because, lets face it, if she had powers, they were useless without the proper weapons and without the proper training to harness these powers.

The sun was close to coming up now, and Inuyasha was outside in seconds. Growling in a dog like way, he snarled, "Yura! Let her go!"

"Oh dear, it's Inuyasha! But wait, you're human. How can this be? I've never seen you like this before." Yura said, "No matter, once the sun is up, you will return to your pathetic mongrel form I presume and then I can drag you back to milord."

"Keh, I'd like to see you try." Inuyasha grinned.

Kagome struggled with the ties and looked down at the sword, "Inuyasha! Get out of here!"

"I ain't leavin' stupid." Inuyasha shouted back. "Once the sun is up, I'll give you a real fight Yura!" He shouted.

"In your pathetic dog form? I'm sure this will be interesting. Once I'm done with you, mutt, I'll shave your pretty silver fur off and add it to my collection. Then, I'll kill the girl. Her hair isn't as pretty, but waste not want not." She said, and then licked her ruby red lips.

'Why that.. My hair is pretty!' Kagome mentally countered as she struggled to free herself. "Inuyasha, get out of here! I'm serious!"

"No, I'm not leaving you, you stupid girl." He stated. An interesting thing happened moments after that. The sun had started to rise, but his transformation was different. Oddly enough, he didn't feel any pain, but he felt power. He wasn't a dog.

Yura had narrowed her eyes at his transforming body. His human ear were pointing and rising up his head to become dog ears, his jet black hair had gone silver and his demonic powers had returned. "Why is it, you are not a mutt?"

Inuyasha had stared down at his body in question, why hadn't he changed? Well, it shouldn't matter now. All that mattered was saving Kagome. Grinning, he cracked his knuckles. Not only was he no longer a dog, but he also had all of his memories, he didn't think like a dog and he could speak fluently. To add to all of his old new features, he could also fight like he once did five hundred years ago. "Heh, I think it's about time I take out five hundred years worth of anger on you, Yura." He chuckled.

Kagome stared in amazement at Inuyasha. What had caused the change? Then she saw it. Around his neck glowed the locket. It was partly hidden beneath his haorie, but still there. She frowned, 'And he said he didn't want it. I bet.. since it was mine, it's putting up a barrier around him, to protect him!'

"Hold on girl, I'll get ya out of there." He called and leapt up into the air, "Iron reaver!" He shouted, slicing at the things binding her. He had caught her in mid air and dropped back onto the ground letting her down.

Kagome smiled thankfully and bent down to pick up the abandoned sword. "Since I can't use this, I might as well put it back—"

Inuyasha had instantly recognized the sword and snatched it out of her grasp ordering her to keep the sheath. "This is perfect. I haven't seen you in a while Tetsusaiga."

"That's your sword? I thought it was supposed to be able to kill a lot of demons!" Kagome said.

"Keh, you haven't seen me use it before.. Now.. if only I could remember how I used it.." He laughed nervously.

Yura scowled, "Enough chit chat, I don't care if you are in your usual form, you will return to the Cirque, alive or dead!" She screamed moving her hands in rhythmic movements, sending piles of hair towards them.

"Get behind me Kagome."

"But—Don't be reckless!"

"Shut up!" He yelled using his claws to cut at the hair.

"Inuyasha! Stop! We have to get out of here!"

"I said Shut up! Let me protect you!"

'Pro—tect me?' She thought.

Let me protect you!

'But I thought.. I'm just so used to helping him that—'

Let me protect you!

'The phrase seems odd..' She thought.

There was a very strong pulse that had passed through her body. Then it had again. She was totally oblivious to what was happening because next thing she knew, there was a set of bright lights and screams piercing through the air.

.:.:.:. With Inuyasha .:.:.:.

His Tetsusaiga had pulsed within his hands. Now he remembered. It only responded to his feelings. In order to use this, he had to protect someone, a human.

Kagome.

Then he remembered one of its ultimate attacks. The Wind scar. Once it had fully transformed into the fang of his father, he had swung it around a few times to test its power. It had a faint yellow glow of aura, most likely from it being unused. "Time to kick your ass." He may not be able to see the hair, but he can hear, smell and feel them. One shot is all that he needed.

Lifting his sword he had concentrated and summoned up one of the swords ultimate techniques. "Wind—"

Yura growled sending ropes of hair to stop his attack.

"—SCAR!" He shouted, his sword descending.

Then four bright beams of demonic aura had burned their way through the hair and up towards Yura, tearing her body to pieces. He didn't expect her to be so easily beat, but said nothing. It took a moment before the body began to reassemble itself and Yura stood once more, angrier than ever.

"A half demon dares to try and kill me? You have tempted your fate." Yura shrieked using hairs to unsheathe her sword and launch it at Inuyasha.

Kagome licked her dry lips in fear, this wasn't good. Her eyes darted around nervously in search of some kind of weapon to help Inuyasha. Then she saw it. Up in the god tree where she sat before, was a skull. A red skull. 'There's a heavy demonic aura seeping out from that thing. I think.. it has something to do with her.' "Inuyasha!" She hissed lowly, "Listen, there's a red skull in the god tree." She whispered low enough for only him to hear. "I think that's her weakness."

"Right." He called back, using the Tetsusaiga to deflect the puny katana sent at him. "Hey Yura, I bet I know what would really piss you off." His eyes darted to the tree but found no red skull. He couldn't even get a glimpse of it. 'Shit!' "How about I cut all the hairs that you've got attached around here. With all the new split ends, I bet you won't be able to do much." He said.

"Listen girl, you have to get the skull 'cause I can't see it." He told her. He had placed the sword in the ground for one moment to take off his red haorie and hand it to her. "Take this, It'll protect you. At least for a little while." He had taken the sword within his clawed hands once more grinning, "Hurry up and go.. I'll cover you." With that, he dashed off towards Yura intending to cut her down to size.

"You fool, you think you can actually stop me puppy? How many times have we fought at the Cirque and found that you were the loser?" Yura chuckled.

"That's only because I didn't know your weak spot. Your hair may be invisible to human and demons eyes, but not to a priestess." He raised his sword using the Kaze no Kizu in mid air at Yura.

That blow alone gave Kagome sufficient time to actually get up into the tree. She had begun to climb the branches and was nearly at the skull. Since she was hidden by all the leafs, she figured she was out of sight. Turns out Yura knows how to protect her precious items, because next thing she knew, hair was slashing at her arms, but breaking once it came into contact with her body. Even her katana had shattered after temping to slice her back. Yura had reassembled herself by then and used her hairs to allow herself to land near Kagome.

Kagome had gotten a grip onto the skull successfully breaking any kind of barrier around it. "Stop it! Don't touch that!" Yura shrieked. A comb had appeared in her hands and she had used it to make more hair appear out of mid air.

Kagome screamed covering her face with one of the sleeves of Inuyasha's haorie, deflecting the hairs.

"Kagome! Toss that thing over here!" She could hear Inuyasha shout.

Kagome had complied and used her right arm to toss the red skull out of the tree and into Inuyasha's grasp. Yura had noticed this and had turned to attack Inuyasha once more. "Give me that you mutt!"

Inuyasha smirked dropping the skull onto the cement ground. "I think not." Then he lower his Tetsusaiga onto the bone. Sparks and demonic aura clashed together before the skull started to crack then break completely in half. A red comb was left, and Yura had disintegrated in mid air, her nets of hair also turning to ash.

"Um.. Inuyasha? A bit of help?" Kagome called from the god tree.

"Nah, I think I'll just leave you there."

"Hey! You can't do that! I have your shirt and your sheath!"

"Big deal wench."

"Inuyasha--!"

"Fine, I'm comin' Jeez.." He snorted.

Once Kagome was back on the ground she sighed, "So, Yura was a comb?"

"Yeah, it was probably once used to comb the hair of the dead. But she's gone now." Inuyasha explained. "We always fought back at the Cirque de Freak. I could never figure out how to kill the damn bitch. I guess you could say she was cheating the whole time."

"Because of the skull?"

"Yeah, it was always invisible. Even the hair, I knew it was there I just couldn't see it. Only someone with spiritual powers can see it and her skull."

"Me!" Kagome chirped.

"Yeah."

Kagome peeled off the haorie and handed it back with the sheath. "Here, I think these belong to you."

"Thanks." He replied gruffly.

"Hm, now what?"

"Now, I go after Naraku."

"What! I don't think so mister."

"Why not?"

"First off, you just got turned back to normal because of me, so you owe me one. Second, you can't face him alone!"

"Wow, hold on, how could you have turned me back to normal?"

Kagome grinned pointing a fingers towards the locket, "See, you do love me." She teased.

Inuyasha blushed placing his haorie back on to hide the locket. "Keh, shut up. This little thing has got nothing to do with it."

"Sure it doesn't, I didn't see it glow when you transformed, nope I didn't." She said sarcastically.

"…..You know I really hate you right now.."

"Yes, I know. But I know you love me too. I bet that the locket is putting up a barrier around you. That's why you're back to yourself."

"Keh, you wish."

"Shall I test out my theory?"

He thought about it for a moment and shuddered, 'No way am I going to risk turning into a dog again..' "Keh, lets get back inside. You should get a little more sleep before going into work." He replied sheathing his sword and attaching it to his hip.

"I win!"

"Keh!"

"Lighten up."

"I don't need to lighten up wench!"

"Don't call me wench!"

"I can call you whatever I want! Wench!"

"Why you--! DOG!"

"…Bitch."

"Mongrel."

"Twit."

"Mutt."

"….Keh! You're right, I am a mutt. But you happen to like this mutt." He grinned mischievously at her.

Kagome blushed looking away. "Jerk!"

"I guess I win now."

Kagome sighed shaking her head and walking back towards the house, 'I'm glad. I'm glad he's back to himself, and I will do all in my power to keep him this way. I will always wish for him to be himself.'

'Just himself.'

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A/N YAY! It's DONE! Well this chapter at least. It's been long, eh? Well now we've found a way to keep him a half demon. Next chapter, I think it will be time to have a chat with good ol' Sesshoumaru. –grins- hope you guys liked this! Till next time! BYE!

Inu: great, I have to wear a girly necklace.

Kag: It isn't girly!

Inu: Says you.

Kag: Miroku, is it girly?

Miro: No I find it manly! See, I wear tones of heart lockets –pulls out 20 lockets from under shirt.-

Kag: o.o

Inu: o.o

San: What an idiot..

Inu: Weirdo..

A/N: R&R