Hello my viewers! The next chapter is here! And hopefully, It will meet your expectations. I worked hard on this one, and hope that it shows. I just want to leave a message beforehand to thank you for your continued support in this story, because without you I wouldn't be half as motivated to continue this particular story.
Without further adieu, enjoy the chapter.
~Millenyra
Last time:
On the other hand, the red clad hanyou approached Kagome as some light rustling was heard. Moments after, she felt something being tossed over her head yet not obsuring her vision.
"It's made with hair of the fire rat, you'll have some protection at least" he said as he turned his gaze from her.
"Thank you..."
"Yeah, well, if you weren't so weird lookin' you wouldn't even need it"
Kenshin's eyes snapped open as he was about to retort in her favor, but she beat him to it.
"You should talk dog boy!"
"Yeah, yeah... You ready?" he asked as he leapt onto the ledge of the well.
Kagome soon climbed up next to him after securing the fire rat top to her person. Both took a leap that was quickly followed by the red head. A burst of white light surrounded the three, one which was surrounded quickly with a blue one with brighter specks of blue.
The Ribbon That Binds Us (Battle Amongst Hair)
In an unknown area, at least to most, lay a Yuka back with her hands tucked behind her head atop a bed of hundreds, if not thousands of skulls that one could only think were once human. All of her home was held up by many strands of hair, too many to even count. The girl's red painted lips grew into that of a smile. They would be returning soon, and she would have her prizes. Her smile grew at the thought as she reached for a skull that sat to her left, one that differed from the rest. A red skull. Yura laid it over her chest, nestling it between her breasts that were covered in the skimpy black dress she wore. She sounded excited as her right hand was lifted to brush it over the bald red skull's head.
"They'll be here any minute, only... We won't let them escape with time, will we?" Yura said with a small laugh that echoed somewhat through her fortress.
Out into the wilderness of the forest, the moon sat comfortably in a sky of black. It's light casting what it could on the earth below, where lay the priestess Kaede lay within a small hole of sorts. Dirt lay over the lower half of her body and up to her shoulders, leaves around her head perhaps to help the earth mask her scent and cushion her head in some way. Her right eye could not help but look up at the beauty of tonight's moon yet she could not completely enjoy it, as her thoughts kept returning to the the two... And Kenshin too. Where had he gone? Kaede shook her head a little to instead think of what to say aloud, some part of her hoping that her words would and could be heard by the halfling.
"Hear me InuYasha, Kagome truly is Kikyou reborn. That will aid ye, but little if she knows not her own strength. Help her to find herself. Ye must work together. Ye need Kagome and Kagome, ye need him. Forget ye differences and be as one!"
Elsewhere in the forest, sat the well in a fairly large clearing. Suddenly there was a faint burst of light coming from the mouth of the wooden structure, only to fade away as quickly as it came. Then after a brief silence in the air, came the voice of a girl. Kagome.
"Be careful, there's hair inside here too"
Within moments, A silver haired male climbed up the well offer a brief glance around. Either of his clawed hands sat on the lip of the well, while his feet maintain a fair ammout of balance so he wouldn't fall down again. Kagome soon climbed up between his legs, to cast her own gaze around the clearing. Kenshin was left to climb himself out as well, but he did so on the other side while the two of them spoke.
"So you're saying what Yura is really after, is just us"
"Well duh, I mean why else if she already has my piece of the Sacred Jewel"
Kenshin paused in his climb out of the well at those very word that Kagome had choosen to speak out. Remembering what had happened that day, that girl. He narrowed his eyes at the grass that moved with the breeze. That awful girl had not only taken the Jewel, but now sought to take Kagome's life? His nails dug into the wood of the well a little. He could not allow that to happen. Not a second time. InuYasha's outburst brought him out from his thoughts.
"Your piece of the... How did that happen!?"
Kagome ignored his outburst as Kenshin glared at the back of his head. In her mind, they had more pressing matters right now. There was a hair controlling demon out there that was out for their heads. She was right to assume that right? Why else would her hair chase InuYasha and travel through the well somehow? Kagome rose her gaze from her spot in front of InuYasha, she seemed to be trying to pin point the area where the hair could be coming from. After observing the web of hair in the surrounding area, Kagome had suceeded in finding the main one. It seemed to stand out from the rest.
"Right there!" she suddenly said aloud while pointing out towards it.
Both InuYasha and Kenshin rose their gaze to the way she pointed. The red head narrowed his eyes towards the way in where Kagome had pointed. In that time both the silver haired and Kagome had climbed from the well where Kenshin soon followed suit. One he and dog boy spared each other a bit of a glare, Kagome took that chance to climb onto his back, to which cut his glare short. He turned his head to see Kagome preoocupied on staring dead ahead, either of her hands on his shoulders. There was growl threatening to escape from him but that was quickly replaced with a "keh". Sparing one more glance to the red head at his left, InuYasha took off in a sprint. Kenshin was surprisingly sprinting some few feet behind him.
The three of them passed over small bump in the grass path they'd taken, passed a river and up hills. Their journey so far led them to a bonfire that was still very much lit but nobody was around. At least, no body that still breathed. Kenshin took one look around, and immediately felt saddened at the sight. Bodies littered the camp. He counted about five of them. That brought forth a memory thought to be long forgotten, save for a few key differences.
"Where are their heads?" he over head Kagome ask, with a tone that radiated with fear.
Movement from the right of him caught his attenion, InuYasha had stood from his crouched position in front of Kagome with a breathed out sigh escaping him. Taking a moment, he approached the corpses only to stop short as his molten amber eyes surveryed the bodies that lay motionless. InuYasha had reconized them moments before.
"They're guys from the village, or their bodies anyway. Looks like their tops came clean off" he said but turned his head and some of his body with it to look over at Kagome who had shuffled away from the light given by the flames.
Kenshin had turned his eyes to observed her while InuYasha had been preoccupied himself with taking in the horriying sight. He, himself had seen things of this sort but nothing to this magnitude, at least until now. In a way, the red head could understand her relunctance to continue on, if she'd choosen to that is but the voice of the halfling brought him to reality again.
"Now what? I better not hear you say you're scared, or you want to go home"
Kenshin could not help but send a glare at the silver haired dog boy, to which it was ignored. Oh, how he wanted nothing more than to smack some sense and decency into that dog earred mutt. But alas, that would be for another day, they had more pressing matters to attend too. Kagome furrowed her brow suddenly at InuYasha's words, her anger kind of returning somewhat but she couldn't really blame him, could she? The raven haired girl frown as she steeled her nerves and reached for the bow and quiver of arrows that laid before her. She turned to face him when the items were gathered in her arms, to which somewhat surprised the red head. He tore his glare from InuYasha and blinked at the sight. Kagome, the reincarnation of Kikyou, stood there with a bow and quiver filled with a dozen or so arrows. He could almost see the deceased priestess in the girl. Almost.
"Actually, I thought I'd borrow these" Kagome turned a little more in saying those words, her chocolate colored eyes falling to the bow she now held with a pair of furrowed brow.
The girl's thoughts immediately went on about how if they did not stop Yura, even more would perish. InuYasha continued to stare at her with a side ways glance of sorts, while Kenshin only stared directly at Kagome who had her eyes fixed on the bow. Part of him was now left in a bit of a conflict, seeing more of Kikyou in her than he'd like to admit. He narrowed his eyes on the girl as the conflict continued. To let her run right into danger and fight an enemy that utilized hair for attacks, or relieve her of that burden and go in this with InuYasha. At the thought of the dog boy though, he felt his hatred and anger boiling within him again. Taking a moment or so, he smothered that hate and anger for the time being. With a sigh he turned his attention to InuYasha, and found Kagome once more climbing over his back despite hearing him speak out his concerns as the three of them continued their journey towards the dangers. Much to Kenshin's dismay.
"You know you aren't gonna hit, why bother?" he asked while crawling a fairly steep rock formation.
"I just need practice that's all!" she said aloud, sparing a glance to Kenshin would had a little more trouble in climbing than InuYasha.
He felt eyes on him and glanced up to see Kagome sparing a glance to which the red head offered him a bit of a smile despite two things. The sweat forming on his temple and sliding along his cheek, and hearing InuYasha's words. How much he wanted to teach that dog a lesson in manners.
"Practice? Don't you mean learn?" InuYasha asked as he leapt over to a dried up tree, to where he landed with fair ease.
"I'll do it, I really think that I can" Kagome stated as he eyes glanced ahead of them from his back.
Either of her hands gripped at the white top he wore under his fire rat robes that now lay over her back for protection, to which InuYasha cast a side ways glance the left hand that clutched at the fabric. For a moment he stared at her hand, but his ears picked up on not only her voice but that same foreign sound that he'd heard back at the well house in her time.
"They're closer... Lots closer"
At that very moment, hair strands cut through the tree back with very little trouble. An action that cause InuYasha to leap off and two safety, or so they thought. Three quite large strands of hair, which in essense was many strands all bunched up together, rose from the other side of the rocky hill to give chase after their target. InuYasha and the girl on her back, Kagome. As Kenshin finally managed his way up somehow, he was met with the sight of InuYasha jumping about here and there, but saw nothing yet again. Though she seemed to be directing him on where to go and which way to leap.
"From the left! From the right!" she shouted aloud, giving chance for InuYasha to dodge each one.
A frightened screech from the girl on dog boy's back however drew Kenshin's attention to the duo. He could not see what she saw, which happened to be few dozen large strands waving into the air. InuYasha landed on the stone below them after soaring through the air to dodge the last one that Kagome had warned him about. His molten ambers narrowed as he tried again to see their enemy but with no success.
"There's too many, you have to help"
He tore his eyes from the sky to look over his shoulder at her, frustration starting to show in his eyes. While they bickered they were at high risk of being attacked and so Kenshin rushed for them, drawing out his reversed blade hoping that it would be enough to at least diver the attack that would surely come. Triangluar appendage twitched at the sudden footsteps to his left and his eyes immediately went to the red head, to which InuYasha let out a small growl.
"Finally showed your true colors huh?"
Kenshin only sent him a glare once he stood by the red clad halfing and in return so did InuYasha but the gasp coming from the girl on his back suddenly caught their attention. Kenshin was the first to raise his gaze to her but within the next second, he felt something grab his arm and suddenly there was a light weightlessness to him. InuYasha had grabbed him and leapt away from a large strand that threatened to hit them. The red head could only stare up at InuYasha in shock, did he just... Save him? Immediately after InuYasha landed again, his arm was let go and he leapt off to the right then the left under Kagome's directions.
"Give me a break!" InuYasha shouted as he dodged what he assumed would be the last one, as his feet skid across the rocks.
Kagome remained on his back up until the silver haired male's wrist was wrapped with hair, something he should have expected but did not. InuYasha could only resist for a moment before the pull from the hair strands became too much. In the air, he was pulled with a grunt and a scream as Kagome fell off. Thankfully in that time Kenshin had sprung into action and caught her to avoid any injury on her person. Though, InuYasha was not so lucky, his other limbs were quickly bound apart and he glanced up to see a giant hairball when the struggle seemed prove futile.
"Huh?..." InuYasha said more to himself than anyone else.
The red head stayed kneeling to Kagome's left as they both looked up, she seemed just as surprised at the other two, at least for a moment. Kenshin though was not only surprised but maybe a little shocked at the size of what they could see.
"A giant hair ball? Yura's hiding place!" she asked more to herself, following that with a statement.
With that having been said Yura showed herself, soaring in the air with arms outstretched only to land gracefully on a few strands of hair. How she stood on thin strings like those was anyone's guess. Kenshin narrowed her eyes on the hair witch, she was the only who had intended to end Kagome's life. And he didn't appreciate that.
"Oh my, look at the cute doggy" Yura said a loud, after having set her magenta colored eyes over to InuYasha with a smile over her red painted lips.
InuYasha narrowed his eyes at her as the struggle began again. He pulled his right arm closer to himself with some trouble due to the resistance of the hair that bound it. Kenshin stood to his feet by then, the ache to slice her through nagging at him.
"You must be InuYasha"
"And you must be Yura of the hair! How'd you know my name!?" he shouted back, his tone laced with a growl behind it.
"Let's just say a little birdie told me. Everyone's saying half demon InuYasha is playing fetch with some reincarnated shrine maiden" Yura stated with a small smile playing on her lips again.
"Me?! With that half wit human down there? Nothin' doin'!"
In hearing those words coming from InuYasha, Kenshin sent dog boy the most intense glare yet while his grip tightened around the hilt of his sword. As he was distracted, hair slithered closer to him and as Kagome opened her mouth to warn him the strand caught him. Both of his ankles were caugh in a bind and Kagome chose them to rise to her feet to help him get free. Somehow with him being able to see the hair now, he pushed the girl back when he noticed another two approaching. One around each of his arms, and like InuYasha he was pulled into the air with either arms and legs outstretched. Yura could not stop the twitch of her lips as they formed a bigger smile then before. Kagome had fallen on her behnid, only glancing up on time to see Kenshin being pulled into the air and his limbs outstretched. The hair witch spared a glance over to the red head with a small laugh escaping her, now she would get both of her prizes.
InuYasha on the other hand, despite being bound as well turned his attention from Yura over to Kenshin who had been pulled up much like himself. He wasn't fond of the guy but from what he'd seen of him so far, he was intent on not allowing harm to come to Kagome. Amber eyes rose to Yura who still stood atop her strands of hair with a little growl rumbling from his chest and leaking from his mouth once passing the confines of his throat. Yura turned her attention from the red head for now who in that time, rose his head to glare her way. Ingoring the glares from both men, she reached into her top and pulled out the container which was originally in Kagome possession. She carefully pulled the Jewel from the container, even as her ears caught the sound of another growl from the half-demon.
"You're both half-wits to me, look at what you've done to the poor Jewel" she begun and her tone changed from serious to one with a hint of teasing, of sorts.
Another growl from the hanyou is what she earned from that, molten ambers narrowing dangerously in her direction with furrowed brows to complete the look of anger and frustration. Being bound by this damned hair was not getting him anywhere. What's more, the stupid red head got himself caught too. Kagome had in that time turned her attention to Yura in seeing her movement from the corner of her eyes, and in doing so immediately noticing the two objects she held.
"That's the Jewel she stole from me..." the raven haired girl whispered out, her hands gripping at the bow in her hand.
"Once you three have been wrapped up, I'll go and find the rest for myself"
At that Kenshin's eyes grew wide and begun to struggle against the wrappings of hair, which in turn had earned him the attention of InuYasha and Yura, herself. Even Kagome's attention was drawn to him as he managed to draw his arm to his chest, the very one holding onto his blade even now.
"The Jewel... It does not belong to you" he whispered out, his eyes now down cast.
Yura's magenta eyes immediately flicked over to the the red head at those words, as did InuYasha's molten ambers who unlike her had to strain his ears a little due to the volume in which his voice had come out. Though the halfling was angry at that hair witch, he could almost feel the air around Kenshin shift, if only slightly. Like before! When he was first awoken and freed from the tree! InuYasha turned to regard the hair witch who also seemed distracted and so smirked. As quickly as he could, the silver haired male pulled and tugged at the hair that bound him in the air. Reaching over with his right hand in order to break the one around his left wrist before the other two around his ankles. InuYasha took his chance then, swinging his way right to Yura who turned her head and at the last moment moved from the path of his sharp claws that threatened to tear her through.
A red comb had materialized in her right hand and she used it to better manipulate the hair in her domain. She sent a wave of hair in InuYasha's direction and bound him again, much to his dismay which he vocally stated. Once either of his wrists and ankles were bound once more, along with his shoulders to avoid much more movement from him, Yura took her position on a few hairs behind the halfling. She spared Kenshin a glance before turning her attention to InuYasha's hair with a smile, taking a few of his silver strands in between her fingers.
"Such pretty hair, but you haven't cared for it very well, look at all the split ends"
"Get off of me!" InuYasha shouted with a growl, turning his body slightly in the process in order to at least hit her with his elbow.
That action however was seen before he even tried to strike her down, Yura had leaned back and fallen onto a flexible thick strand of hair that launched her into the air again. Quickly she drew her sword from it's sheath and at just the right moment, she struck at InuYasha. From his abdomen and up across his chest in a diagonal swipe, some blood sprayed out followed quickly with a scream of coming from the halfling. Yura had in that time landed on her hair above him with a small bit of laughter escaping her, bringing her tongue out to lick the blood from the blade being held in her hand. For a moment, Yura seemed to savor the taste, but dared not show it on her features. It was delicious.
"I'm going to cut you into little pieces" Yura held the blade upwards, and made a leap for InuYasha expecting to do just that.
InuYasha glared up at her with a growl rumbling in his chest, so he'd die like this!? Was this really the end?! Suddenly a projectile rushed in front of the hair witch before she could approach him further, Yura had leapt away from it with the aid of some strands only to perch herself on another set some few feet away. Her magenta eyes immdiately searched for the source and quickly found it. The girl! She'd almost forgotten. She stared wide eyed to the girl, while as InuYasha turned to look over his shoulder.
"Get them down right now, or the next time I won't miss! I promise!" she shouted while knotching another arrow, aiming right for her with a light shake of her hands.
"The girl who fell in the well..." Yura stated more to herself with unbelieving eyes.
"You heard me!"
The hair witch could only smile as she stood on the strands of hair, eyes immediately going to Kenshin who luckilly was still bound as well but then moved onto InuYasha whose molten ones stared right back with a deep glare. This was indeed amusing.
"Oh, I think she wants you back InuYasha. What a sweet wittle doggy you must be" she teased.
InuYasha growled out before forcing his left arm to move back and maneuvered his torso to follow along, if only enough to look back and growl down to Kagome with a fierce tone. Kagome knew he meant well but she couldn't just sit idly by and continue to watch them being treated like mannequins of sorts.
"I thought I told you to hide, not draw attention to yourself!"
Yura watched for a moment or so, before rising her sword from her side to inspect while small strands of black hair had attached to each of her fingers located on her left hand. She spoke the truth, or what she viewed as the truth.
"of course her hair isn't as pretty as yours, or even..." She paused to spare a glance at Kenshin again whose eyes were still downcast, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end and that concerned her.
No human, male or female had never succeeded in making her on edge as Kenshin was doing now. That concerned her, yes but a part of her also seemed... Hesitant to even approach, or engage him. She narrowed her eyes on him for a moment before the voice of Kagome pierced through her thoughts.
"Not so pretty as his huh? What would you know, you don't even live in a word where they even have shampoo!" with that shout, the arrow was released and just as quickly Kagome realized her mistake.
The projectile was headed right for his head! InuYasha's head! Without much time to think about it, the silver haired male lowered his head just in the knick of time as the arrow whizzed passed and merely grazed his hair. Kagome couldn't help but release the breath she'd been holding in with the feel of sweat rolling it's way down from her temple.
"Would you watch where you're aiming that thing pleaase?!" she heard InuYasha shout out to her before some light distracted her suddenly.
The arrow had pierced the giant ball of hair, and with it came a white light followed with the mass of it letting out even more hair, only this ammount held many skulls within it. Kagome let out a gasp at the sight to which InuYasha turned to see what was wrong, and what he saw appalled even him, though he would not say it aloud.
"Oh no! What have you done!?" Yura asked more to herself, one would guess as her eyes were wide and either of her hands hand in that time been laid over her cheeks.
Her home. Her beautiful home. Damaged.
"Those guys we saw from the village..." InuYasha started.
"I'll be putting you in here too, once I seperate that pretty hair from your end. It's wasted on you anyway" she started dangerously before turning to once again look at him, with her smile returning somewhat.
Soon she would have her prizes. She'd just have to be patient. So very patient. After a moment of staring down the halfling, Yura lowered herself on the strands she stood on, the red comb now in her right hand once more. Her brows forrowed as she opened her eyes after she was at the desired height, a dangerous glint sparkled in her eyes.
"One thing first, that woman over there has to die!" She yelled out before sending out fire strands of fiery hair right for her, using the comb.
As the flames approached, Kagome could not help but gasp out in fear. Would this be the end of her? She shut her eyes as the flames quickly engulfed her, she lowered herself to the dirt as she cried out for help.
"There, hot enough for you? You'll feel the heat right down to your bones"
Kenshin at Kagome's scream for help, finally snapped out of his daze but by then he believed it was too late. He had turned enough in order to see and silently watch in horror at the sight. Flames had engulfed her! No human could survive fire directly onto their bodies for long. He heard her shout for help over the roaring flamesand pained gripped at his chest. While the witch was distracted for the moment, he focused on trying to get free to help Kagome.
"That's for emptying out my lair, pity there'll be nothing left but wash" Yura said and turning slightly but her eyes remained on the burning girl below.
"Come on..." InuYasha turned his attention from Kagome to Yura.
"Poor thing, I'd almost forgotten... Pets ought never be allowed to outlive their masters" she said while turning to him, reaching out her right hand to draw out her blade and leapt directly for him.
At that remark, InuYasha resisted the urge to twitch his brow in annoyance and instead settled for piercing his claws into his chest where the blood had been seen he'd been sliced. Then next moment, he pulled them outh and shouted his attack with a powerful downward swipe that pulled against the hair that bound him. That was enough to shock her for she remained air borne even as the red arches passed her, cutting through her right wrist. Her right hand falling and going limb along with the sword and she had to stop on a strand to keep going straight for him.
"It's loosening up" he stated as the hair binding his left side started going slack.
He spared the red head a glance as he too noticed it but quickly moved his amber eyes to the witch again. InuYasha hoped to keep her distracted long enough to let Kenshin get free and help the stupid girl somehow.
"That's no fair!" Yura said sternly, looking back at her hand that sat in the air.
"There! How'd you like that! Serves you right!"
"I do wish you'd use some restrain when addressing a lady! Were you brought up in a dog house?"
At that, the skulls that still leaked from her lair even now moved as if every last one of them were laughing. More and more poured out and InuYasha now understood where all the heads had dissappeared too. She was the cause of it all!
"Heads up!" she shouted with the red comb now held in her mouth while using the hand that remained to manipulate the heads and hair.
Each one shot forth towards InuYasha, to which he quickly made quick work of at least two. Shattering them with his fists, with ease. And three others soon followed the last two, while the hand that had sat in the air holding onto the sword flew right for him. InuYasha saw it at the last second and moved away in order to avoid it, but Yura was having none of that. She took the comb from her mouth.
"Stay still, it's much harder to hit when you move"
InuYasha felt the urge to twitch his brow again but resisted once more. Did she really expect him to sit there and let that stupid sword cut him to bits? She was very much delusional. Amber eyes turned to her quickly, and with a growl in his tone he retorted.
"I just bet it is!" he shouted out while sending out his blades of blood at her once more.
Unlike before, Yura was more than prepared. She mover her hand, one which held the comb to the right and curtain of hair moved before her. Shielding her from the attack. InuYasha growled out in frustration, unaway of the danger fast approaching his back. Within a second or so, he let out a pained cry as either of his eyes looked back at the blade piercing him through the left shoulder. The next second he was thrown right into the dirt, and only then the blade was freed from him. Yura caught her sword with ease, and her hand returned to be re-attached.
"Half demon, half power. I should have known"
InuYasha rose his head to glare up at her, with a bead of sweat forming at his brow. His teeth were clenched as he tried to fight back the pain from the wounds that were inflicted on him so far.
"Why you...!"
"I believe you were hoping to use this to become all demon" She said, once again pulling the container which held the Jewel, yet she kept it partially in between her breasts.
While the two were busy and distracted, Kenshin had gotten free from the hair that had previosuly held him up in the air. He made his way to where he'd seen Kagome and the flames had died down at that point, if only a little. A gasp escaped him in seeing that she had survived... but how? How did she live through the heat of those flames. Then he remembered... The cloak of the fire rat or whatever that InuYasha was kind enough to lend her. Kenshin still despised him for what he had done to Kikyou before his sealing, but he supposed he could give the boy a point or two for that kindness. Meanwhile Yura had landed next to InuYasha, sword at the ready with a smile re-appearing on red painted lips.
"Now stay still. If I don't get a clean cut, your blood will stain that pretty silver hair of yours" she said, and immediately intended to cut in a diagnal motion, intended for his neck.
There was quickly approaching steps and within moments, her blade was stopped short with another. InuYasha rose his eyes in surprise to see the red head holding Yura's blade at bay, she growled angrily at him. While as he, Kenshin merely narrowed his eyes at her dangerously.
"I'd forgotten about you!"
"I have not"
InuYasha stared up at him a moment or so longer before pushing himself to stand, the next second he stabbed her through the chest. His clawed had seen on the other side then he drew back his hand along the container which held the shard. That had caused her hold on the blade to weaken and drop, to which Kenshin sliced at her but despite her shock, she moved back with an angry scowl. InuYasha had fallen back in a four point crouch with the container closeby.
"Now I have become cross!"
/ Why isn't she dead? Her weakness... Where is it!? /
There was a sudden pull on the hair attached to the red comb, and with that her attention was stolen. Yura looked over her shoulder, immediately noticing the girl travelling up her hair. Kenshin cursed their luck, and rushed for her but Yura was too quick in her anger and leapt from the path of his sword. He narrowed his eyes up at the hair manipulating witch while she moved the mass of hair around intending to make Kagome fall.
"Stop pulling my hair!"
A small satisfation welled up within Yura at the girl's screams but she had not heard her fall and so that satisfation was short lived. In that time, InuYasha had gotten free from the damned hair that had him bound and leapt in the air while Kenshin rushed over to catch Kagome should she fall. Which judging by how intent she was at keeping her grip, was not likely. When the moving stopped, Kagome proceeded her way up despite having directly touched a skull moments before. InuYasha on the other hand was now busy dodging even more hair that threatening to either bind him again, or piercing through. Which he doubted was the second.
"You're tangling it all up!" Yura shouted, using her hair to allow her sword to move directly toward Kagome.
"Miss Kagome!"
Kagome shut her eyes quckly, seconds before the blade hit her right arm. Kenshin watching in horror for just a second before his features turned to surprise. She wasn't hurt. But she was falling. Quickly he sheathed his sword to rush in the direction she was falling, while her scream filled the night sky.
"Miss Kagome! I'll catch y..." his voice was cut short when he was forced to draw back due to hair trying their luck in binding him again.
While the two were occupied, Kagome was suddenly caught by either of her wrists with few hairs. The raven haired girl's eyes shot her right arm a stare of surprise, forgetting the dangerous woman in front of her.
"What are you? Why don't you bleed?!" she shouted in frutration, swinging towards her with some few strands only to land amongst another set right in front of Kagome.
Kagome thought on that, Yura was right. Why wasn't her arm cut off and why wasn't she burned? Then realization dawned on her, it was the fire rat robe!
"InuYasha..." she said in a whisper before turning to look at Yura, who seemed to be inspection her.
"Even from here you look mortal enough to me. Lets put you to the test" Yura leapt back and then there was hair sent toward Kagome, right for her neck.
In moments the hair tightened against Kagome's neck, slowly cutting her air supply and the pained expression the girl gave was pleasent for Yura. She laughed and watched with amusement as Kagome struggled for breath, that moment was interupted suddenly with a familiar voice.
"Blades of blood!" as sound of the voice reached her, so did the blades that accompanied it.
Each one cutting through strands of hair that was attached to Yura's fingers, and the rest through her, along with what hair she stood on. InuYasha jumped right into action once when most of the hair went slack, including that witch's lair.
"InuYasha..." Kagome whispered out as her eyes opened slightly, each one threatning to close again at the thought of just drifting unconcious.
"Don't you faint on me you stupid girl!" InuYasha shouted out before landing on the hair to catch her.
In a hurry, InuYasha snapped what hairs he could from her before the mass of it could take them with it. He leapt up, carrying her to safety. Kenshin was thankul for that rescue of the reincarnated Kikyou, no... Kagome. He was also thankful for the hair going slack, which meant he wouldn't need to continously dodge while worrying for the safely of the girl. That peace of mind was short lived however, a short time after the mass of hair collapsed behind the twosome, Yura's sword flew right for them.
"InuYasha! Look out!"
"Huh? he asked, following her line of sight but his ears picked up on the sound of something flying through the air.
Without thinking he turned while pushing her out of harms way, the sword punctured through the right side of his torso and he let out a small grunt.
He was forced to the ground now covered in thousands of skulls, due to the force of impact. Yura landed atop a mountain of them while blue eyes were set on her form. She helf an angry scowl, as she pulled the blade from his torso and with it the pained grunts from InuYasha. The halfling pushed himself up into more of a sitting position, with an angry look about his features.
"You again..."
"You forget, I'm immortal" She moved her arm so that the blade obeyed, and it was send soaring right for InuYasha.
As Kenshin was about to intervene he noticed the sword freeze inched from InuYasha's wide eyed face, with a hand lifted to protect himself. Then he noticed the shocked expression on Yura's face, followed by the thunk behind him. Looking back, Kenshin took notice that Kagome was now busy pounding at the red skull she'd mentioned to him ealier with the sharp head of the arrow. Yura seemed frightened at that fact.
"It's here! This red skull. The hairs are connected to her hand!"
Each time time the skull was hit by the head of the arrow, the hairs coming from the eye sockets and mouth vibrated out to Yura's hand, indicating the danger.
"Stop that! I'll kill you!" Yura shouted before sending the sword right for her.
Time slowed as Kenshin moved to step in the path of the blade that sought out Kagome's life, and Kagome turned her head to look back at the oncoming danger at her back with wide eyes. As time picked up again, quickly she turned and rose the arrow above her head and with all her might she stuck it into the skull that was soon followed with a bright piercing light pink and white. Kenshin was forced to halt in his step and move at arm to protect his sight. Raven hair flowed up into the air, as the light continued and seemingly burst forth a bit of wind with it. Beneath the head of the arrow, the comb cracked and soon snapped half. With that having been done, Yura slowly turned into nothing but dust save for her clothing that drift down to the earth. As the light vanished, Kenshin lowered his arm and proceeded to rush over to Kagome by that time was breathing heavily.
"Miss Kagome...?"
She regarded him for a moment with a small smile despite the heavy breaths of fear. For the most part, she was uninjured. That much he was thankful for. Kagome turned attention to the cause and picked a piece of the red comb as InuYasha approached.
"So that's what Yura really was"
"Yura was a comb?"
"Sure, with all that you've seen since you've been here, are you surprised? It's probably got powers 'cause it was once used to comb the hair of the dead. Yura didn't really use it as much as it did her." he spoke out before the pain became too much, and he collapsed to his knees.
"InuYasha, that stab in your chest... It only happened 'cause I've got your kimono"
"It's no big deal. What happened to the sacred Jewel?" He said, voice laced with pain as his hand lay over his wound.
Kagome blinked a few times at that... The Jewel. She forgot about it! How could she be so irresponsible. While the two stared at each other, Kenshin had reached into his shirt and held it to her with a smile to which she blinked once more at the container dangling in front of her face. After a moment or so, Kagome smiled to Kenshin and thanked him before taking the container. She pulled the Jewel and let out a sigh of relief, then noticed the glare that InuYasha had sent to the red head.
"When the hell did you..."
"That is no concern of yours, that it is not. It is now safely in the hands of Kagome" Kenshin returned his glare, with one of his own.
Kagome suddenly looked annoyed at the two as she returned the shard into the container.
"Will you two quit it!"
"Keh!... Whatever, Kagome. Lets go" InuYasha replied as he pull the fire rat robe from her to tucke it over his shoulder for the moment and stood.
"Huh?" She asked, standing as well.
"What?" he looked at her with a look of confusion.
"You never said my name before"
"Yeah? What of it?"
Kenshin sighed out at his sudden response and crossed his arms over his chest and passed them while they continued. He couldn't help but smile, as they continued to interact without him and the scream that soon followed. He'd seen a whole new side of the beast, yet... He still despised him for what he'd done to the priestess who had not done him wrong.
===== End of Chapter =====
I hope you guys enjoyed this one, and I look forward to the reviews that follows. I'd also like to point out that I'd be working on "Unexpected Meeting" side again, and hope you give that one a chance too. I realize that the prologue and first chapter are short but I'll make the effort to make the third chapter longer than the second. Love you guys, see you in the next one! ~Millenyra
