Chapter Three: Down the Rabbit Hole and Back Again

A bird call echoed in the woods as Kagome took off her clothes to reveal her naked body and waded into the pool. The cold engulfed her, but she kept walking anyway until she stood a little bit away from the center. There she halted.

Kagome stood within the ice cold waters, shivering as she tried to work up the will to fully immerse herself. Ripples came from her, as she clutched herself. 'I don't believe this!' cried Kagome 'How can they not know what a bath is?'

For a few moments she stood there shivering, while Kaede sat to one side. 'Come child,' said the old women 'ye'll catch sick if you don't get out.'

'I can't!' cried Kagome 'I'm covered with blood and dirt! And I feel like my hair hasn't been washed in a week!' Then she submerged herself fully and began to swim.

Once she had taken that final plunge, it became easier, and she swam under the water seeing a number of fish as she did so. They scattered around her, making way. Kagome had always been a good swimmer.

Kagome had thought that was all that was special about her. Until she fell into a well and came out in Feudal Japan. Now everyone wanted the jewel which had somehow been inside her body, as though they could not help themselves. She wondered who this Kikyo person had really been, and after that wondered how it had passed from her to me. Now she had to work with some half demon named Inuyasha to collect the pieces. She'd think she was dreaming, but this was too weird to be a dream.

Her mind went back to the previous night…

The jewel shard gleamed with an unworldly light as Kagome held it between two fingers inside Kaede's hut. Kagome wasn't at all sure what to think, for the power within it seemed to be somehow seductive. It promised a great many things, if only it could be completed.

'What did you do to it?!' snapped Inuyasha.

'Stop barking Inuyasha,' said Kaede calmly.

'Leave it to her to wind up breaking it!' snapped Inuyasha 'Even Bankotsu wasn't crazy enough to do something that stupid! And Jakotsu would have broken it out of spite!'

'Um… who?' asked Kagome.

'Technically it wasn't Kagome that broke it,' said Kaede 'but the crows foot attached to her arrow which actually caused it.'

'Oh wow,' said Inuyasha 'I can't tell you how much more fulfilling her complete failure as a priestess is now that I know what technically happened. And as long as we're on the subject, technically speaking there are going to be dozens, perhaps hundreds of villages consumed by powered up demons because she couldn't shoot straight!'

'Well I think I did pretty good for a third shot.' muttered Kagome.

'As ye say,' said Kaede 'the jewel has now been scattered into many different pieces. One hundred, one thousand, who knows. Yet however many shards there may be, all it will take is one in the wrong hands to bring disaster.' The fire flared up.

'Yes, I just finished saying that.' said Inuyasha.

'I'm so sorry,' said Kagome, on automatic. 'I had no idea.' What did you say to something like that? 'Its all my fault.'

'Kagome, Inuyasha,' said Kaede 'only by working together will the two of ye be able to recover the shards of the jewel.'

'Huh?' said Kagome.

'Hold on a second,' said Inuyasha 'are you preparing these speeches in advance? Or should I start expecting a rousing speech if I ask what you want for breakfast.'

'Shut up.' said Kaede.

'But I want to go back home!' cried Kagome in her mind. Meanwhile a calm and firm voice in her mind told her that she had no right to do so. After all, she had caused the problem and now it was hers to fix.

'How am I supposed to do that anyway?' wondered Kagome to herself. 'Inuyasha help? Hah!'

Some ways away, she surfaced up river near a waterfall. Emerging from the water near the shore, she looked up and suddenly realized she was being watched. Inuyasha was sitting cross legged on a nearby cliff, examining her without apology or remorse. Unfortunately into space was looking right at her.

'Ahh!' cried Kagome, before withdrawing into the water. 'Sit boy!'

The necklace around his neck flared to life, and he was hauled down to land with a crash on the ground. Kagome quickly made her way to behind the bushes to begin putting the clothes Kaede had given her.

'Be ye alright, Inuyasha?' asked Kaede.

'I forgot about this stupid necklace!' hissed Inuyasha.

'It serves you right for spying on me like that, you peeping tom!' snapped Kagome as she pulled on a white shirt.

'Hardly,' snapped Inuyasha 'I'm here to make sure-'

'That nothing happens to the shard, correct?' asked Kaede, raising the jewel in question. Meanwhile Kagome pulled up a red skirt around her.

'Actually I'm here to steal it.' said Inuyasha frankly.

'Ah, ye think to do it alone. Ye forget that only yon girl can find those shards.' said Kaede 'While only ye Inuyasha, have strength enough to take them back once found.' Kagome tied the skirt round her waist as she continued to listen.

'Look, I'm perfectly willing to put up with her if it means getting the jewel.' said Inuyasha 'But I don't think she should be allowed to hang onto it.'

Kagome had had enough, and emerged fully dressed to confront him. 'You really do hate me, don't you?'

As soon as Inuyasha looked up, his eyes widened, and he suddenly looked as if he had been shot through the heart. He quickly recovered, however, and looked away. His eyes looked very distant and contemplative. Kagome was pretty sure she knew why he was like this now.

Kagome went and picked up her schoolgirl outfit, which Kaede had been drying by the fire. Giving it a few flaps, Kagome looked up and saw Inuyasha glaring at her. There seemed just a tinge of red in his eyes, and a low growl came from his throat.

'And what ails ye now, Inuyasha?' asked Kaede.

Meanwhile, far away within her distant hideout, Yura of the Hair awoke again. It had taken her a great deal of time to recover from her encounter with Kikyo, but since then she had taken precautions to ensure she didn't fall like that again. For a moment she'd had the sacred jewel, and everything had been perfect.

For a moment. And that moment might well return.

'Oh my, oh me!' she said to her skulls as she arose and stretched. 'Fifty years later and the sacred jewel finally resurfaces!' She picked up a skull and began to comb its hair. 'I'd almost given up hope!' Then she began to laugh.

A women arrived some time later and approached Kaede. 'Lady Kaede?'

'Hmm,' said Kaede.

'Its my daughter.' said the women.

Kaede approached her and engaged in a conversation they did not hear. 'I see,' she said at last 'lets head back.' She glanced back to Kagome and Inuyasha. 'I'll be checking on ye two later. Try not to fight.'

Kaede and the women left, leaving the two of them alone. There was a long, long silence between them. Finally Inuyasha turned to look Kagome in the eye. 'Hey…'

'Now what do you want?' snapped Kagome.

'Get out of those clothes.'

It was one outrage too many, and Kagome found a rock and struck him across the head with it. Or at least she tried to strike him across the head with it, because his claw flashed up and caught her by the hand on reflex, before wrestling the rock from her and hurling it away. 'So do you just respond to all irritations with attempted murder, or is this just a bad day for you?' he asked with a raised eyebrow.

'Your such a pig!' snapped Kagome as she hauled her hand from his.

'I didn't mean get naked, you idiot!' snapped Inuyasha 'I just can't stand seeing you in those clothes!'

'Why?!' she snapped 'Because I look like Kikyo?'

'Yes!' he said 'Its been a couple days since I found out she was dead! And its felt like less! The least you could do is not bring up bad memories!' He paused. 'And anyway, its not as if you look that great anyway.'

'What?' said Kagome.

'Well I mean I'll grant that you have some natural gifts,' said Inuyasha thoughtfully. 'but you have no idea how to use them. Jakotsu was way more appealing by personality alone, and comparing you to Kikyo just wouldn't be fair.'

'Why you-' she began 'nevermind, look I don't want to do this either, but we've got to work together!'

'Not really,' said Inuyasha 'the sacred jewel has been appearing for centuries and disappearing just as suddenly. Do you really think I can't find a priest or priestess capable of sensing its energy in the whole of Japan. Besides, the jewel wants to get into the hands of powerful demons, and any demon that gets the thing is going to go on a rampage. So I just have to wander around, listen for the screams of the innocent and head that way.'

'Oh I get it,' said Kagome 'so you don't care if I just go back home.'

'As long as you give me the sacred jewel, I don't care what you do.' said Inuyasha.

The words were oddly hurtful, but not to Kagome. 'Fine,' said Kagome 'I'm going home, goodbye Inuyasha.' And she began to make her way back.

'Hold it you!' snapped Inuyasha behind her.

'My name isn't you.' said Kagome.

'Wait a minute stupid.' said Inuyasha.

'My name isn't stupid either.'

'Will you stop for a moment, and hear me out!' snapped Inuyasha.

Kagome turned around. 'Why, so you can try and stop me?!'

'No, so you can give me your jewel shard.' said Inuyasha 'If I have it, demons with jewel shards will come after me, and I can get more. If you have it, you'll be devoured long before you can get wherever you are going.'

'Oh this?' asked Kagome, raising the bag in which the shard was held. If she handed it over now, she could just go home and pretend as though nothing had happened. She would be home free. Yet she was annoyed. 'Sit boy!'

Inuyasha was slammed down with a crash against the stone, as Kagome walked away, twirling the sacred jewel bag on her finger. 'And my name is Kagome.' she said. 'Why that stupid, ignorant little… he never once used my name. Not once!'

Suddenly there was a feral roar, and Kagome turned around to see Inuyasha surging towards her with blood red eyes and claws outstretched to kill. 'Sit!' she cried, and he was thrown down, only to rise again, roaring all the louder. 'Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!'

For a moment he lay still upon the ground, twitching, and Kagome took a step back, before making a run for it. She needed to get away from here!

Kaede was led by the women into a village some ways from her own. 'This way, Lady Kaede,' said the women as she led Kaede into her house.

A young women was lying upon a bedroll with a blanket over her. A candle was burning by her, and a bucket willed with water with a cloth drooped over one side could be seen.

'Collapsed without warning, did she?' asked Kaede as she moved forward.

'Aye,' said the Mother 'though she seemed just fine this morning.'

Kaede moved forward to get a better look at the women. She had freckles on her face, and was clad in red. A breeze blew through the door, and made the candle flutter. Suddenly there was a sound like a spinning wheel, and a low shriek. It seemed to come from both everywhere, and nowhere at once. The mother stepped forward, but Kaede raised a hand. 'No, stay back!' She sensed the taint of evil magic.

Suddenly the girl was drawn up into the air, the covers falling from her as one hand picked up a cleaver lying to one side. She looked like a living puppet on strings, which perhaps she was. On her hand were many stranded tied round her flesh.

'Look,' said the mother 'she moved…'

'It looks like hair,' realized Kaede.

Then the women lunged at Kaede with the cleaver.

Metal cut flesh!

When she had calmed herself a bit, Kagome realized that she had reached the well. It stood abandoned as always. 'Thats where I came out.' she said, remembering the sensation of emerging into the sunlight in a world untamed.

It had not been as bad as one would think. The air here was clearer. Things were simpler. Yet… Kagome badly wanted to go home. She approached the well. 'It should take me back, right?'

Yet as she looked into it, she stopped. For the bottom of the well was lined with mangled bones. Kaede had told her that it was called the Bone Eaters Well, a resting place for the bodies of monsters. Though the flesh of the bodies disappeared quickly enough.

She was looking at the bones of Mistress Centipede. The school uniform fell from her arms, while her legs felt weak. She fell to a crouch. 'No way, I can't go in there now…'

She turned around and sat back against the well, while looking at the sky. 'What now?'

As a leaf fell through the sky from above, it was suddenly sliced in half by some unseen force. A low shriek came through the forest, and Kagome stood up. As she did so, her cheek hit something sharp and she flinched away.

Bringing one hand up, she felt blood dripping down her cheek, her blood. She looked up again and suddenly saw the hair. It was all around her, crisscrossing everywhere in sight. 'That looks like… hair!' she said.

'Oh my, oh me…' said a husky voice 'you can see it then.' Kagome looked up in shock to see a women clad in an absurdly revealing black garment, with a sword by her side. Her eyes were pink, and she had red eye liner. She was standing on a strand of hair, and her fingers were all connected to strands of hair. 'My net of hairs, I mean. Pity, because seeing is not enough.'

'Who are you?' asked Kagome.

The women only smiled. 'How do you do? I'm Yura of the Hair. You know, the last time I saw you you were a much bigger threat.'

'What?' said Kagome 'What are you talking about?'

'You needn't bother to remember,' said Yura with a smile, raising one hand. 'because you'll be dead soon!' Hair whipped forward from her hands, and slapped Kagome, before stealing away the sacred jewel bag. 'I'll be having the sacred jewel if you don't mind!' Yura said, as she yanked the bag up to her hand. Drawing out the shard she looked at it, and gasped. 'You naughty, naughty girl! You shattered the jewel!' She looked down at Kagome. 'Where is the rest? Tell me or I shall be cross.'

'You give that back!' cried Kagome despite herself.

'Answer the question,' said Yura. 'where is the rest of it?'

'I'm…' Kagome realized that she was very afraid. 'I'm not really sure!'

Yura's sword came unsheathed of its own accord and she snatched it up. 'In that case… I may as well finish you right now!' And she launched herself off of the hair towards Kagome, who gasped.

Everything seemed to slow down as Yura's blade inched towards her. Kagome didn't want to die! She wanted to live! Suddenly a reflex born of another life kicked in, and Kagome leaned backward. She saw the blade pass within inches of her nose, where her neck used to be. Then she lost her footing and tumbled into the well.

The last thing she saw was Yura's pink eyes peering down after her in the darkness.

For her part, Yura hurled a sword after her. 'No fair escaping!' she cried.

Yet her sword hit only earth at the base of the well. Yura stared down, perplexed and a little annoyed. 'Thats strange,' she reflected 'come to think of it so is that girl.' Then she saw a delightful outfit which lay abandoned by the well. Hadn't the girl been carrying it?

Inuyasha sped through the trees, launching himself through the forest with a skill and practiced ease which had long ago become routine for him. His concern was for that fool of a girl who had run off on her own. The idiot would be a prime target for any demon she ran across. Kikyo wouldn't have had a problem, but Kagome most certainly was not Kikyo.

'Let her go,' he muttered 'I'm better off without her.'

He leaped onto one of the village rooftops, and leaped again until he landed in the town square. To his surprise, however, there were a group of women hanging in the air like puppets. Inuyasha suddenly had the distinct feeling that some familiar evil had returned.

'Well,' he said 'I guess I shouldn't ask what you are up to.'

The women hoisted scyths and axes and cleavers. Inuyasha readied his claws as he felt the familiar old bloodlust coming over him. 'Now this is what I'm talking about!'

Yet no action was taken by the floating maidens, and the bloodlust died down as Inuyasha looked on perplexed. 'Thats strange, I recognize these girls from the village. Look is someone going to tell me whats going on, or do you want a fight?! Cause thats fine if you do, just don't expect me to go easy on ya!'

'Inuyasha wait…' said a familiar tone. Inuyasha looked up to see Kaede crawling towards him on her belly, a serious wound on her shoulder. 'Do not hurt them! Tis not their doing!'

'Kaede…' said Inuyasha, before leaping over the women and landing before her in a crouch. 'What happened, you look awful.'

'Must ye always treat an old women thus.' said Kaede.

'About the girls,' said Inuyasha 'it looks as if its them or us. Unless you have any better ideas, I'm going to choose us.'

'But someone else is controlling them.' said Kaede, before gasping. 'Where is Kagome, tell me ye know where she is.'

'Don't know, don't care,' admitted Inuyasha 'she said she was going home. Or maybe she's been ambushed and killed by demons. She was stupid enough to go out on her own, so its her own fault. Besides, I can handle this without her.'

'Nay!' cried Kaede 'Ye must not hurt them Inuyasha!'

'Your heart bleeds in more ways than one, old women.' said Inuyasha 'But if you want to live to see tomorrow, we have to do something.' Then the girls attacked, coming at him with their blades. Inuyasha dodged their strikes easily, and noticed they were coming at him one at a time.

'Control the strings and ye control the puppets,' said Kaede.

'I don't see you helping none, old woman!' snapped Inuyasha.

'The hair, Inuyasha!' cried Kaede 'Find ye the hair, and mayhap they will wake!'

'Hair?' asked Inuyasha, as old memories came back. 'Oh son of a bitch! Her again!'

'Oh me oh my,' said Yura of the Hair from where she perched on a lone tree branch, manipulating her little dolls. 'its him. It has been ever so long since I tied him up last, and this time I'll take him for my collection.'

Inuyasha surged to attack one of the maidens, but they suddenly were all pulled upwards beyond his reach by an invisible force. He looked up as they gather together, and then fell down to surround him from a distance.

'A trap!' cried Kaede 'Inuyasha, flee the hair!'

Suddenly tiny strings that could not be seen gripped Inuyasha, forcing his hands up against his chest, as they looked around his neck, waist and legs. The strands tightened around him as he struggled against their grip.

One of the maidens descended to try and slay him, but he leaped away, dragging them with him. 'You know,' said Inuyasha 'you might be hiding from me, but I don't need to see you to drag you out, Yura!' And he leaped back, hauling with all his might.

He fell backward, but no one was brought forth.

Yura could sense that he was pulling away. Trying to drag her out. 'Oh so sorry, but the hair extends.' She could feel him falling. 'Perhaps its time to tie things up…' She splayed her hands out, forcing him against a tree and hauling on him.

He was a struggler to be sure, a defiant one who kept on trying to get free. Yet Yura pulled tighter and tighter regardless. Then to her surprise, he broke free, and the tree she had force him against was cut to pieces as he roared. Her hair drooped.

'The hair is slack…' she said 'the cut was not clean.'

How disappointing. Yura drew in her hair, and saw the broken threads. 'Oh, it is silver.' She brought the hair close to her breast. 'It really is him.' Then she swung away through the trees on the strands of her hair. As she felt the breeze running past her, Yura felt a surge of joy. 'He's stubborn, but he's also fun.' She brought up the strand. 'And I simply must have this pretty silver hair of his.'

Inuyasha sped through the trees, the wounded Kaede on his back as he raced away. The pain of her wounds was very bad, but it was nothing Kaede had not felt before. As she gripped his arms, she thought back upon her long life, and wondered how things had happened to come to this point.

'Hang on tight, you hear!' Inuyasha said.

'Beware Inuyasha, lest you touch…' began Kaede 'the hair will-'

Inuyasha passed by a strand of hair, breaking through it without noticing. 'Hey, did you say something old women.'

'Not at all,' said Kaede.

In a little glade, at the base of an ancient Inuyasha set Kaede down. It was a pleasant place to be, for the waning sunlight was shining through the trees beautifully. The hooting of owls could be heard somewhere about, and despite her wounds Kaede felt an immense sense of peace.

'Did I hear you say you could see the hair?' asked Inuyasha. 'Can you tell me where its being pulled from?'

'Don't be absurd,' said Kaede in a breathless tone. 'with me in this condition and assuming I did know from whence the strands of hair came…' Her breathing became erratic. 'Ye must find Kagome…'

'You mean she can see it too?' asked Inuyasha, voice guarded.

'Aye,' said Kaede 'and to defeat this foe ye'll be needing that power. Without it, ye have no hope. None…' Then she shuddered, and her eyes closed as she lay still.

Inuyasha stared down at her mournfully, remembering the young girl she had once been. Yet another tie to his past, erased.

In another world entirely Tokyo was quite beautiful at sunset.

Kagome awoke to find herself lying on a dirt floor, and staring up at darkness. At first she thought she had merely hit the ground and dreamed the whole thing. Yet then she noticed the clothes she was wearing, and felt the cut on her cheek and knew it had been no dream. 'Where am I?' She looked down at the roots, and then around at the ancient stone walls. 'I'm in the well. Which is where I fell when that women pushed me back.' The women who had tried to kill her. Kagome wondered if she was in shock.

'But we've already been in here a dozen times!' cried Grandfathers voice.

Kagome gasped and looked up in surprise and joy to where the lights had gone on. 'Look grandpa, I keep telling you, this is where she fell.' said Sota's voice.

The two peered over the edge of the well and shined a flashlight down upon her.

'Grandpa!' cried Kagome, scarcely able to control her joy. 'Sota?!'

A few minutes later, Kagome stood atop the shrine gazing down upon Tokyo with an awe and appreciation of the wonders of the modern world which she never thought she'd have. Everything was exactly as she remembered it, everything! The houses, the power poles, the cars.

'I've come home, back to my own time.' she said, feeling a wondrous sense of familiarity.

'You were missing for full three days,' said Grandfather behind her. 'the least you could have done was call.'

'And why are you wearing those weird old clothes?' asked Sota.

'Its not a dream,' thought Kagome 'I'm really back. I've come home!' A surge of emotion ran through her, and tears fell from her eyes as she threw herself into her Grandfathers arms. 'Grandpa, I was so scared!'

'Kagome… what on earth?' asked her Grandfather as he hugged her back.

He didn't understand and neither did Sota. Maybe they would never understand.

Inuyasha's claws swept up great swaths of dirt and cast them between his legs and onto the ground beyond. The grave was coming along nicely, all things considered. Losing his friends had at this point become a habit for him, yet this was the first time he'd had to bury one. He rose up and looked at the hole in satisfaction. 'There, that ought to be enough.' He moved Kaede into the hole, and began to fill the dirt in as a mound. 'Well all things considered old women, its the least I can do for you.'

'I'm resting, not dead.' said Kaede.

Inuyasha blinked. She was still alive? Instantly he grabbed some leaves and began putting them over the mount he had raised over her body. 'Then think of it as a hiding place, I'll even come back and dig ya up, if I remember.'

'Ye promise?' asked Kaede 'Ye won't forget where you left me?'

Inuyasha got up and began to walk away.

'Do not forget Inuyasha.' said Kaede sternly.

'Okay, I heard you!' snapped Inuyasha. 'Geez!'

And then he rushed off.

He could not have known that he was being tracked by Yura of the Hair.

'Little girl,' she said in a sing song voice. 'come out come out wherever you are!'

In the meantime, Kagome was taking a hot bath.

'Ah, Shampoo, its a good thing…'

Authors Note:

Well here we have chapter three, written today. I hope you enjoyed it, and lets see how long I can keep these daily updates going, shall we?

In regards to the differences, they are more subtle than I would like. For those just joining us, Inuyasha had an encounter with Yura of the Hair in Inuyasha of the Band of Seven, which was also where he met Tsubaki. Truth be told, I'm not quite sure where all this is headed myself. I have a few general idea, but lets keep our focus on the now for the immediate future.