InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Difference a Little Time Can Make ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.

 

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to let me know what you think of this story. The changes from canon will begin to really become visible in this chapter. Though none of you commented in your reviews for the last chapter about why the jewel didn't shatter. I was expecting at least one person to bring that up.

 

I am now nearing the end of my pre-written material. The story is completely outlined but I had a lot of it filled out on paper which is why I have been able to update so fast. So after the next couple of chapters it will take longer to update. Though I do hope to have at least two new chapters posted each week if not more, I most likely will not be posting every day.

 

 

They reached the river quickly. Before Inuyasha set Kagome down he focused his senses on the surrounding area. He detected no danger, only the normal sounds of the forest and further down the stream he could hear the distant sounds of the village women washing their laundry. He carefully set Kagome down and turned his back. “Don't go too far from the shore” he warned her. “The current can get strong near the middle.”

 

Kagome simply nodded as she began to remove her clothes. She looked at the sad state of her shirt and sighed. It was filthy and torn, covered in dirt and blood. She didn't think it would ever come completely clean. She also didn't know what she would do when she could no longer wear it as she didn't believe that her improvisation with the ribbons would work for very long. Leaving her clothes on some nearby rocks, she quickly entered the water, though she heeded Inuyasha's advice and stayed near the shore. The water was cold but she ignored it as she dunked herself under the water and began to rub at her body. As she washed she remembered the feeling of the bandits' hands on her body and she let a sob escape as she scrubbed harder at her body. 'Got to wash, got to get clean' she thought as she scrubbed harder and harder, trying to remove the dirty feeling of his hands touching her where no man had ever touched her before. She didn't notice when her skin turned red and angry looking or scratches appeared as she dug her fingers into her skin.

 

Inuyasha sat with his back to her as he listened to her splash behind him. He felt his ears perk up and then droop when the sound of her sobs reached him. 'I failed' he thought. 'I left her alone after I promised I would protect her and now she's crying because I wasn't there to protect her.' He didn't know why his perceived failure hurt so much. Suddenly, his head shot up as the scent of her blood reached him. He turned to see what could have hurt her since he hadn't sensed anything only to see her frantically scrubbing and tearing at her body. He got up and was moving before he even realized it, wading into the river and wrapping his arms around her to prevent her from hurting herself further.

 

Kagome stiffened when she felt a pair of arms encircle her. “Ssh” she heard Inuyasha whisper. “It's okay. You're safe now. They can't hurt you anymore.” With a sob, she turned and threw herself against his chest, letting all of her fear and anger pour out with her tears. He merely held her and let her cry herself out. He felt nervous at being so close to the crying girl but somehow knew that she needed this. Her state of undress didn't even occur to him as he continued to hold her while she released her pent up emotions.

 

Once she had cried herself out, Kagome continued to lean against his chest for little longer. “Thank you” she told him. He merely tightened his grip on her before releasing her.

 

“Keh. I figured you needed that. You women are always crying about something or other” he said as he looked away. She merely smiled at his attempt to brush off her thanks. All of a sudden, she realized her state of undress and gave a startled shriek as she submerged herself in the water, a furious blush staining her cheeks. Inuyasha also began to blush as he hastily turned around and exited the water.

 

“O-oi. Don't take too much longer with your bath. I want to head out soon” he called as he returned to his previous position on the shore. He tried not to think about the glimpse of her naked body he had seen or wonder what it would feel like to touch it as he waited for her to exit and dress. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he never sensed the approaching danger until it was right on top of them.

 

Kagome had waited until he was seated once more before rising from her crouched position. She felt so embarrassed. She had thrown herself at him without one scrap of clothing on. But, she thought with a glance at the hanyou, 'He let me. He didn't try anything, only comforted me when I needed it.' She submerged herself one last time and then headed to where she had left her clothes. She looked at them with sadness and disgust before beginning to dress. As she finished, movement caught her eye and she gave a little scream as she threw herself back to avoid a spear.

 

At Kagome's scream, Inuyasha shot up and just missed being impaled on a wooden spear. “What the hell?!” he said as he took in their attackers. It was the village women he had heard earlier but there was something strange about the way they stood. It was like they were hanging there like puppets. One of them suddenly raised her hand and swung the knife she held at Inuyasha and he leaped back to land next to Kagome. “What the hell's wrong with you?” he shouted.

 

The women didn't answer. They suddenly jerked forward and Inuyasha could see that their feet were not touching the ground. “What the hell?! Are they possessed or what?” he asked as he grabbed Kagome and leaped again. He set her down and then punched one of the women, knocking her to the ground only for her rise back up into the air again. “What the fuck?!”

 

Kagome looked at their attackers. 'What is going on? They are acting like they are being controlled by something but what?' It reminded her of a puppet show she had seen once when she was younger. Light reflected off of something above them and caught her eye. 'Is that hair?' she wondered. She saw Inuyasha move to strike another and called out “Wait Inuyasha, they're being controlled. It's not them attacking, you have to sever the hair controlling them.”

 

Inuyasha looked back at her with confusion. “What are you talking about wench? What hair?” He knew that the behavior of the women wasn't their own but he could not see what was controlling them. 'But maybe Kagome can' he thought as he moved to rejoin her.

 

'He can't see it?' she thought. She looked back at the women and could see where one strand of hair connected to all of the others and led back into the forest. “There Inuyasha” she pointed. “Cut that strand and it should release them.”

 

Inuyasha looked but didn't see what she was pointing at. “What strand?” he asked as he again dodged a strike, this time from an ax.

 

“This one” Kagome said as she moved and grabbed it with her hands. She winced as she felt it cut into her skin, and drops of her blood coated it.

 

'There!' Inuyasha thought as he spotted where her blood appeared to be floating in the air. He jumped away from the women and swiped at the space between Kagome's hands, feeling something before his claws shredded it. As soon as he did, the women dropped like marionettes whose strings had been cut. “Keh. Now to find whoever was responsible and show them why it's a bad idea to mess with me” he said as he turned to face Kagome. But the scent of her blood hit him before he could say anything else and he quickly grabbed her hands.

 

“Baka! What did you do that for?” he asked as he examined the thin lines across her palms.

 

“It was the only way I could think of to show you where the hair was” she told him. She gasped as he lifted one hand to his mouth and ran his tongue along the cut. “W-what are you doing?” she asked, a blush quickly forming on her cheeks.

 

“Keh! My saliva has healing properties. I can't have you at a disadvantage when we face whatever was behind this” he told her, not wanting to explain how the scent of her blood was driving him mad. He quickly repeated his actions on her other hand and then released her. “Can you see where the hair was coming from?” he asked once he had finished.

 

She nodded and turned to point into the woods, only to gasp in horror. “Oh no!” she cried. There were strands of hair crisscrossing throughout the forest. She could still see where the main thread was and follow it back but it was going to be dangerous with all of that deadly hair surrounding them. She quickly explained what she saw to Inuyasha.

 

“Keh! Like something as stupid as a bunch of hair is going to be enough to stop me.” He said before removing his haori to drape it over her. She looked at him, startled at his actions. “It's made from the fur of the Fire-Rat and is stronger than any suit of armor. It'll keep you safe.” He told her.

 

Kagome was touched. “Th-thank you” she said with a blush. “But what about you? I can't take your armor and leave you unprotected.”

 

“Keh! I'm not a weak human. My skin is tougher than yours, no way will something as stupid as hair be able to hurt me. Now let's go” he said as he pulled her onto his back.

 

He followed her directions, staying to the center of the path to avoid most of the hair. He also ran with his claws extended out in front of him, tearing into any of the hair that he did come across. A fire ahead of him caught his attention and he moved toward it. He reached a clearing with several bodies strewn about, their heads cut off. “Don't look” he told Kagome as he made to leave the clearing. He spotted a bow and quiver of arrows, and grabbed them as he remembered Kagome's earlier actions against the crow youkai. “Here” he said, handing them to her. “Just in case.” She took them without a word. Despite his attempt to shield her, she had caught a glimpse of the clearing.

 

They continued on and eventually came to the clearing that the old well sat in. Kagome told Inuyasha to stop as she spotted a giant hair ball dangling above the well, suspended by thick ropes of different colored hair.

 

Suddenly thick strands of hair shot out from the trees. “Watch out Inuyasha!” Kagome called. He attempted to dodge them while swiping with his claws but they quickly wrapped around his wrists and left him hanging off the ground. Kagome got up from where she had fallen but he yelled “Stay back” before she could move to his side.

 

“Oh how cute. The puppy wants to protect the human.” They turned at the voice to see a human looking girl with chin length hair slide down one of the strands of hair. Her dress was cut in a “V” shape and barely covered anything. “Hand over the Shikon no Tama” she said as she landed on the ground before them.

 

“That's the youkai?” Kagome asked as she stared at the human looking girl.

 

“Keh! She's an oni, an ogress. Don't get too close” Inuyasha warned from where he struggled to free himself.

 

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Yura of the Hair and I'll be taking the Shikon no Tama now, as well as your hair.” She said as she walked closer to Inuyasha, grabbing a length of his hair. “What a lovely color. The baboon man never said your hair was so gorgeous.” She muttered as she stroked it.

 

Inuyasha jerked his head away. “Keh! What makes you think you'll get either, you fucking whore!”

 

“Now, now puppy. That's not very nice. I think I need to teach you some manners before I kill you.” She drew a sword and swung at Inuyasha, slicing into his shoulder. She slowly raised the blade to her face and licked his blood from it. “How do you like my sword, puppy? It's called “Crimson Mist” and it's my favorite. It severs flesh and bone without harming hair. So I can slice you into mincemeat without worrying about damaging that lovely hair of yours.” She raised her hand to strike again. “I'll finish with you before I take the jewel from that girl of yours.”

 

'No, I've got to stop her somehow' Kagome thought as she watched, filled with horror. She clutched at the bow in her hands and then took aim. 'Please let this work' she thought as the arrow began to glow pink. She fired.

 

“What?!” Yura shrieked as one of the strands of hair holding Inuyasha was burned away by a glowing arrow. She turned and saw Kagome pointing another arrow at her. “You little bitch! How dare you burn my beautiful hair.” Kagome released the arrow but Yura managed to dodge it. However, the arrow pierced the mass of hair, unraveling it and causing skulls to rain down into the clearing.

 

Kagome looked at the skulls and shrieked “Eww! She gets her hair from human heads.”

 

Yura turned a deadly glare on Kagome. “That's right little girl and I'm going to make you pay for ruining my nest. You can start by adding your hair to my collection.” She sent a mass of hair at Kagome and buried her with it. “Hmm. On second thought, I don't want your ratty hair after all. Let's see how well you handle fire, human.” Yura flicked a comb in Kagome's direction, sending flames along the hair that Kagome was buried in. Just before the flames reached her, Kagome noticed a glint of something red in the hair ball above her. Then the pile of hair she was buried in caught fire.

 

“Kagomeeee!” Inuyasha called out as his blood froze in his veins and he saw her disappear in a blanket of flames. He pulled and managed to free his arm from the strand of hair Kagome's earlier arrow had weakened. He plunged it into his wound, coating the claws with his own blood as he snarled “Die! Hijin Kessou!” He managed to sever one of her arms as well as the strands of hair that held him in place, freeing himself.

 

As soon as he hit the ground, he turned to look for Kagome but the pile of hair still burned and he could see no trace of the girl. Then he screamed as the tip of a katana burst out of his chest.

 

“That was rude, puppy. You shouldn't turn your back on me when I'm not done playing. Stop worrying about the girl, she's already dead. I'll retrieve the jewel from her body later after I've had a chance to sample your lovely hair.” She pulled the sword out, causing Inuyasha to fall to the ground, though he turned so that he faced her. She sent black strands of hair to wrap around his neck, drawing blood. “Now I believe I was just about to remove your hair. Hold still, I want this to be nice and clean.”

 

She stopped as she prepared to swing. “Someone is pulling on my hair” she said as she turned to face the well. “Still alive are you?”

 

Inuyasha also turned his head and spotted Kagome, still covered with his haori, climbing the mass of hair as though searching for something. He felt his heart unclench a little as he saw that she was alive and apparently unharmed.

 

Yura sent her disembodied hand at Kagome, causing the nest to move up and down and more skulls to come tumbling out. But Kagome held on as she called “Inuyasha! There's a red skull in here. I think it's the source of Yura's power. We have to find it.”

 

“Impudent bitch! You will do no such thing.” Yura made to throw her sword at the girl but Inuyasha was faster. He jumped up, tearing away the hair holding him, and punched right through her chest.

 

“Keh! Not so strong now are you” he said with a grin that faded as Yura still stood there despite the hole in her chest.

 

She looked down at it and frowned. “Didn't anyone ever teach you any manners. You don't put your hands on the chest of a girl you just met.” She raised the sword and shoved it through his chest again before turning her attention back to the girl.

 

Kagome had seen Yura run Inuyasha through with the sword and felt her heart skip a beat. “INUYASHA!” she cried but he didn't move. Her fingers brushed something hard and she glanced down to see the red skull just as Yura appeared before her.

 

She flicked her hand and the hair moved, surrounding both of them. “Don't you know it's not nice to pull someone's hair” she said as she swung her sword at Kagome's arm.

 

“Aah!” Kagome screamed before she realized that she didn't feel any pain. “What?” she said as she opened her eyes and stared at her intact and unharmed arm.

 

“Why won't you bleed?” Yura screamed as she directed her hair to wrap around Kagome's body but that also had no effect.

 

'I'm not cut' Kagome thought as she looked down at her body. 'And that fire earlier, not one burn.' She recalled Inuyasha's words about the haori being better than armor. 'Inuyasha, you saved me again. But what about you?' She forced herself to focus on Yura rather than worry about Inuyasha's fate.

 

Yura came closer to her and peered into her face. “You look like an ordinary mortal to me. Let's test that theory. But first” and she grabbed the pouch containing the Shikon no Tama from Kagome's neck. “You won't be needing this any longer” she said as she nestled it between her breasts. Now, let's see if you can survive this!” She flung her arm out, sending hair to wrap around Kagome's neck.

 

Kagome felt herself choke as the hair cut off her circulation. It tightened, and she could feel blood start to trickle down her neck. 'Inuyasha' she thought as she closed her eyes.

 

“Hijin Kessou!” she heard suddenly and then she was free, and falling to the ground. She felt strong arms wrap around her, cradling her to a strong chest. “Hang on Kagome, I've got you. Don't you dare pass out on me.”

 

Her eyes shot open. “Inuyasha?” she asked as she looked up at her rescuer. He stood there, covered in his own blood but obviously alive.

 

“Keh! What, you thought a weakling like her would actually be able to kill me. As if.”

 

She felt tears of relief well up in her and she went to say something when movement behind him caught her eye. “Inuyasha, watch out!”

 

He turned in time to be impaled on the sword Yura had flung out using her hair. They watched as the sword pulled itself out to hang in the air, dangling from a strand of hair. “Hmph. You seem to forget that I am immortal.” She said as they spotted her hanging in the air, supported by thick strands of hair. She was missing both arms but still controlled the hair around them and was thus still dangerous. “Now die!” she called as she directed the sword towards them again.

 

Kagome recalled the red skull and looked down to see that it was still clutched in her grasp. She grabbed an arrow from the quiver on her back and stabbed it into the top of the skull. 'This skull. The hairs from it are connected to Yura. If I can sever that connection-'

 

As the arrow pierced the top of the skull the sword froze in midair, before tumbling to the ground. Yura, a pained expression on her face, turned and spotted Kagome and yelled “Stop that! I'll kill you girl!” Then, with a flash of pink light the skull cracked, and Yura screamed before dissolving, leaving behind only her clothes.

 

Kagome looked down to see that the arrow had pierced the skull and broken a comb in half. “A comb?” she asked. She looked up as Inuyasha approached, clutching his chest and panting heavily.

 

“Keh. That comb was probably used to comb the hair of the dead. Someone didn't purify it afterward and it began to possess demonic energy. Yura didn't control it so much as it controlled her. Here” he said, holding out the pouch containing the Shikon no Tama before he collapsed next to her.

 

“Inuyasha!” she cried as she through herself down next to him. “You're hurt. This is all my fault, all because you gave me your haori to wear. You wouldn't be hurt right now if you had worn it” she said tears streaming down her face.

 

'She's crying for me' he thought with amazement as he watched the tears stream down her face. “Baka! If I hadn't given it to you, you would be dead. Don't worry about it, I'll be as good as new in a couple of days.” The scent of her blood hit him then. “You're bleeding. Where are you hurt?” He raised his head to look over her body, searching for the wound he could smell.

 

Kagome lifted her hand to her neck. She had forgotten all about Yura cutting it. “It's nothing” she told him. “You're the one who is seriously injured.”

 

He saw her hand go to her throat. “Let me see” he told her. The scent of her blood was driving him mad, filling him with the unsettling sensation that he had failed her. He had to see how bad it was. He grabbed her hand and tugged her down next to him. Tilting her head up, he examined the shallow wound before he leaned closer and gently lapped at it with his tongue. “There” he said as he sealed it, no longer able to smell her blood. He made to push himself to his feet only to collapse again. “Shit” he panted, trying to catch his breath. 'Must have a punctured lung' he thought.

 

Kagome had blushed at his actions but cried out when she saw him collapse again. She clenched her hands, feeling powerless, then frowned as she looked at the pouch in her hand. 'This is all the Shikon no Tama's fault' she thought as she picked up the pouch and removed the jewel to look at it. 'Mistress Centipede, those low level youkai, the bandits and crow youkai, and now Yura. What will come after it next? How many more will suffer?' she wondered as she thought about the dead samurai, the possessed village women, and Inuyasha's wounds. “None of this would have happened if not for this stupid jewel. I wish it would just disappear forever!” she cried suddenly as she thought about all the trouble it had caused.

 

Suddenly the jewel began to glow in her hands. Inuyasha and Kagome stared at it before they had to shield their eyes as the light became too bright. There was a flash and the light vanished, leaving a figure standing before them.

 

 

Author's note: So be honest, who saw that coming?