First off, I want to thank everyone for all of the love that y'all show for this story! I hope you all love the idea for it as much as I do, and I will try to update as often as possible for all of you.

Yura's Nest!

Steam filled the small bathroom as Kagome sunk languidly into the herb-infused waters. A contented sigh blew past her plump lips as the heated bath eased every kink and knot from her tired muscles.

"This is the best..." She moaned, sinking down to her shoulders. Now, this was the life! A nice hot bath- and shampoo! Finally, she could thoroughly wash all of the dirt and grime from her skin! Don't get her wrong- the past had its charms, but nothing could beat modern hygiene and technology. But even as she soaked, her mind kept on going back to the Sengoku Jidai. That Sakasagami no Yura had taken her jewel shard right before she fell through the well. She quickly washed her hair and dressed into a clean button down shirt and a dark blue skirt. Pulling on a red knit sweater, she towel dried her hair as best as she could before walking to her bedroom to wait for her mother to finish with dinner. She had missed the pinks and yellows of her room along with all the little knick-knacks that her brother had once said she hoarded.

Without further reservation, she plopped down onto her soft downy comforter. She could have cried tears of joy as she nuzzled her cheek into her plush pillow, rejoicing in the feel of the cotton against her skin. It was a vast difference from the futon that she had been sleeping on in Kaede's hut.

Kaede… Once more her mind went to the past. Would the old miko be disappointed in her for skipping out when she had a responsibility to collect the jewel shards? What about Sesshomaru? Her thoughts seemed to skid to a halt at that. What if that jerk would be mad? What did she care? He had made it pretty plain that he could not stand to be around her, after all! Plus she was back in her own time- her home. The opinion of an entitled daiyoukai did not matter here. With a huff, she sat up in her bed and clapped her hands shut in front of her with a satisfying smat.

"Case closed!" She chirped before bringing a hand down to buyo and scratching him behind a little caramel colored ear. Her mother's voice called from downstairs, signaling that dinner was ready.

"Coming, Mama!" She called back, hopping out of her bed and padding out of her room, and down the hallway. The scent wafting through the house was enough to make her mouth water! When she made it to the kitchen she was delighted to see that her mother had prepared oden- one of her favorites.

"Are you sure that the well won't open up again, Jii-chan?" Souta whimpered from his spot across from Kagome who was all too engrossed in her meal to hear him.

"Of course not! I boarded it up myself and placed special ofuda to seal it shut. Nothing will be coming through that well ever again." He proclaimed proudly, popping a water chestnut into his mouth and chewing. He looked to Kagome to see if she had heard him, displeased when she was filling her bowl, completely oblivious to his lecture. Kagome herself felt like a woman starved as she stared down at the oden.

"Itadakimasu!" She sang, bringing a piece of meat up to her mouth and taking a bite of the savory morsel. She jumped when the door suddenly slammed open behind her, her swallowing reflex kicking into gear and pulling the half-chewed meat into her throat. What in the hell did the Kami have against her? Her hand flew to her throat and she was only vaguely aware of a small hand swatting her hard in between her shoulder blades.

"So this is where you ran off to, miko." That taut baritone sent a chill down her spine. Yeah, he was definitely angry. But at this point, she was more concerned with getting that accursed beef out of her airways. When she finally did manage to get it out of her throat, she quickly spit it out and swiveled to face her unsuspected assailant.

"Sesshomaru?! What are you doing here?!" She was more stunned than anything by the sight of the very disgruntled daiyoukai in her dining room. How the hell did he manage to get there in the first place? Jii-chan beat her to the punch with the questions, jumping to his feet as quickly as his old bones would let him.

"Youkai!" He screeched and Kagome caught the faint wince from Sesshomaru, "How did you get here?!" Sesshomaru pinned him with a glare that promised death if the old man did not lower his tone soon.

"Not that it matters to the likes of you humans, but I followed this one's scent through the dried well." He drawled, reigning in his temper. If he slaughtered her kin she would never cooperate with him.

"Lies! Those seals have been passed down our family shrine for generations!" Jii-chan shrieked again and Kagome sent up a silent prayer to the gods to not let Sesshomaru cut him down where he stood. Sesshomaru chuckled, the sound coming out dry and humorless, as she pulled a crumpled ofuda from his sleeve, presenting it to the elder Higurashi.

Sesshomaru did not have time for this! Some low level cretonne was traipsing around his lands causing mischief and here he was having to retrieve a little human girl! Kami knew he wanted to slaughter her grandsire for the offensive volume of his voice. Did they not know who he was? He was feared and revered throughout the land by all, and here this old fart was screaming at him. Sesshomaru was surprised that his sensitive ears were not bleeding from the offensive pitch. Not to mention the smells in this time! It smelt as if the earth itself was dying! Yes, he most certainly had to do what he came here to do and get the hell out of here. He bent and snatched Kagome by her arm, hauling her up to her feet.

"We are going, miko." He said with finality and turned to leave, intent on dragging her back with him. Kagome herself was infuriated by the audacity of this dog. How dare he try and tell her what to do! Squaring her shoulders, she planted her feet firmly and pulled against him.

"I'm not going anywhere!" She snapped, glaring up at him when he turned that cold gaze on her. Cerulean clashed with gold.

"You have a duty, Miko. You will return with me."

"No, I won't! You may be a lord but you aren't the boss of me, you arrogant dog!"

They continued to go back and forth like that for a moment, each getting into the other's face as Kagome's family watched intently, curious of the familiarity between the two. A few more scathing remarks and it seemed as though Mama Higurashi was finally coming to Kagome's rescue.

"Now wait just a moment!" She snapped, stomping over to the couple with intent burning in earth brown depths. Kagome felt the blood in her veins freeze, ice cold fear stabbing into her gut as she watched her mother crowd the irate daiyoukai. At least she now knew where she got her self-preservation instincts from. She felt her heart jump into her throat when the woman went so far as to grab a handful of silver hair and tug his face down to her level. The look on Sesshomaru's face would have been priceless if she didn't fear for her mother's well-being at that very moment. Said Daiyoukai stood, eyes widened in astonishment, merely only able to stare ahead as mama traced the markings on his face gently.

"What strange tattoos..." She murmured, thoroughly entranced by the magenta stripes on his cheeks. Sesshomaru's grip on her arm slackened and her hands immediately flew up to her face as she watched.

"Erm...Mama, now really isn't the time for that!" She stammered as her heart hammered against her rib cage. That seemed to snap her mother out of her trance. The older Higurashi blinked a few times, releasing her hold on Sesshomaru's hair, a light blush coloring her cheeks. Even Sesshomaru looked a bit embarrassed by the whole thing as he straightened and turned his head away from her to clear his throat. Just what in the name of the kami happened? The fifteen-year-old's head was spinning from it all. Here she was- standing in her dining room with a youkai who just got groped by her mother, for lack of a better word. It seemed as though the kami up above had a dark, twisted sense of humor…

Something from the corner of her eye caught her attention, a glint as light reflected off of something on the sleeve of Sesshomaru's hankimono. She turned to investigate as her brother began to babble nonsense to Sesshomaru. Her eyes widened when she saw the hair, her mind immediately going back to the hair that she had encountered in the clearing right before that Yura character had decided to attack her.

"Sesshomaru...Your shoulder…" She faltered, reaching for the strand. The moment her slender fingers slid under it, it grew taught, slicing into the tender flesh. She gasped, jerking her hand back and holding it up to her face to inspect it. Mama stepped up, her brow drawn in apprehension when she noticed the blood dripping from her daughter's hand.

"Kagome...Your hand...How?" She stammered, reaching toward her. Kagome stepped back, her mind racing. Just how the hell did the hair get here of all places?! Yura had not been able to follow her, so why was her hair able to? Unless….

Her gaze snapped up to Sesshomaru, her eyes boring into his own before she spun on her heel and tore out of there as quickly as her legs would take her. She stopped momentarily to slide her shoes on before she was sprinting out of the door and toward the well-house. It just could not happen! It could not! There was no way that the hair had followed them here! She grabbed the door to the well house and threw it open. No sooner had she done so did she have to dive out of the way as a thick mass of the hair surged toward her.

"Kagome!" She heard her mother's frantic call to her and she cursed. Why could they not have just stayed in the house?! Couldn't they see that they were all in danger? Kagome scrambled to her feet, stumbling out of the way as another mass slammed into the door beside her.

"No!" She called to them. "Stay away!" She moved to close the door to shut herself in and protect her family. A large hand suddenly shot in, halting the door, sharp claws clicking against the wood and splintering it with the force by which it gripped it. Sesshomaru pushed into the well house and Kagome slammed the door shut behind him. She turned toward the well, her eyes widening when she finally got a good look at just what they were going up against. Large masses of hair slithered from the well like snakes along the wood and floor. It had completely overtaken the bone eater's well itself and it seemed as though it was working to overtake the rest of the small structure.

"Sesshomaru…" Her voice quivered as she backed herself up against the rough wood of the door behind her. If just a strand had been able to cut her, she was horrified to think just what type of damage that so much of it could do! He seemed to read her mind, because he stepped forward and raised a hand, flexing his razor sharp claws. Her eyes widened as a bright green liquid oozed from his claws, dripping onto the wood of the floor. An acrid smell, accompanied by the quiet sizzle of the wood melting filled the air and all Kagome could do was watch as Sesshomaru approached the well. Was he insane?! That hair could mangle him to nothing and here he was casually walking toward it without so much as a twinge of hesitation! He brought his claws down on the mass and the putrid, sulfuric stench of the strands burning was enough to choke Kagome in her spot. Even Sesshomaru had to suppress his gag reflex as the odor assaulted his already abused nose. He was about to turn back toward the little miko, satisfied when the tendrils receded back into the well when the hair surged forth again as if angered by his attempts to subdue it.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome shrieked as he dodged, melting the offending mass with his acid once again. Why did the hair just keep on coming back?! It appeared that Yura had an endless supply of the filament wherever she was. There had to be a way to stop it. Kagome's eyes darted over the mass, searching for a possible weak point….

She spotted it just then- a single, glowing strand pulled taught among the wriggling mass. That had to be it!

"Sesshomaru!" She called to him over the chaos "There's a strand that controls the rest! You need to sever that one!"

Sesshomaru contemplated her for all of a second, rather perplexed by her outcry before he nodded and searched through the hair. His sharp eyes found it quickly and he sliced through it with his acid claws. He watched the mass fell apart, the hair dissolving into nothing where it fell. Behind him, Kagome sagged in relief, glad that the worst of that was over. Relief soon turned to animosity and she stomped over to the Daiyoukai, his blasé gaze sliding over to her, fueling her rage further.

"You brought such a horrible thing here, you jerk!" She growled, trying to get into his face as best as she could given the height difference. Somewhere deep within the confines of her mind, a tiny voice was shrieking abort abort! But she would not listen; no sir. Not Kagome Higurashi. Even when she was about to get chopped to pieces by a dangerous youkai she was set on giving said youkai a piece of her mind.

"Well?! Do you have anything to so say to me for almost getting me and my family killed?!" Her only response was a well groomed eyebrow arching over those molten gold eyes that still looked down on her with such insignificance that she wanted to smack the fool silly where he stood. Stomping her foot, she growled again. There was just no way around things it would seem. She turned toward the well and stomped over to it.

"Fine! Ignore me all you want, but we still have to deal with that Sakasagami no Yura." She huffed at him, planting a foot on the well. A sword was suddenly thrust in front of her and she staggered back a bit with a pitiful squeak, startled. Her eyes slid over the sword, still encased in its glossy black sheath. Cerulean blues skimmed over the subtle accents etched into the wood before coming to rest on the large, pale hand gripping it.

"Take it and do not let go of it." That deep baritone rumbled from beside her. She turned to look up at the Daiyoukai, who merely kept his impassive gaze trained on the well. She hesitantly reached for the sword, switching her gaze from it to its master.

"B-but I don't know how to use a sword. What good will it do me?" She babbled, clutching the proffered weapon. Her head snapped up to his at the sound of a soft snort, doing her best to glare up at him.

"The blade will protect you, just keep it close and do not let go of it." That threw Kagome for a loop. He was concerned for her well-being? But why? Just this morning he had said all of those awful things to her. Question after question swirled inside her head, but she had no time to contemplate before his warm arm slid around her waist and held her to him. He did not give her time to react before he jumped into the well with her. Magic engulfed them, swirling around them, caressing their skin as they floated down like rocks in a pool….

~Sengoku Jidai~

Rouge lips puckered together in a pout when she felt the hair that she had sent after her prey dissipate. It would seem that she was not trifling with just any normal youkai. With a melodious giggle, Yura combed through the thick mass of hair from the skull that she held in her hand.

"Now, my dears." She cooed as she worked. "I shall give life to you once more..." The strands stretched and grew with each stroke, moving to join the bulk of the mass that surrounded her little nest. Yes… Very soon she would have her prey within her grasp and then no one could stop her from gathering the rest of the jewel shards! A familiar youkai brushed across her own and a smile curled her lips…

When they arrived back in the past, Sesshomaru wasted no time in jumping up and out of the well, still holding Kagome flush against his side. Kagome gasped when she gazed upon the clearing. There was more hair than when she had left! Hundreds of more strands joined the others that had made up the web before, turning the whole area into a death trap.

"Yura must have gotten stronger with the jewel shard she stole." She said, gaining Sesshomaru's attention.

"Yura?" He asked, looking down at his reluctant companion. She looked up at him at the questioning lilt in his tone.

"Yeah, she's the one that controls all of the hair." She confirmed, trying to keep the edge off of her voice.

"Hn." That was it? They were dealing with possibly the deadliest hairstylist Kagome had ever seen and the only word that this ego trip had to saw was hn? She opened her mouth, ready to tear into him for his blatant disregard, but the noise was cut off by a screech when she was quite literally flung onto his back. When he suddenly broke into a sprint it took Kagome everything she had to hold on.

"Sesshomaru wait! Watch out for the-" She stopped short when the strands merely snapped in half upon coming into contact with him. "….Nevermind."

Kagome's mind reeled as Sesshomaru followed the trail. Yura had gotten what she wanted when she took her jewel shard; so what did she want now? Why send her hair through the well into her time? Unless the jewel shards weren't her only target. The thought sent a cold chill straight to her bones and she pressed herself more to Sesshomaru's back. Why did she want them, then? What could she possibly gain from killing them? A light flickering up ahead pulled her from her thoughts.

"Sesshomaru look! A campfire!" She called to him over the rush of wind. He slowed to stop once they reached what appeared to be a small camp, and Kagome wished that he had just kept going. Her stomach lurched at the carnage that was there. Soldiers decapitated and dismembered lay in various forms on the ground as their blood soaked into the soul.

"Humans?" She strained to speak as the bile rose in her throat. How horrible! Judging by their armor, they appeared to be soldiers. Sesshomaru seemed to sense her distress and took mercy on her because the next thing she knew they were moving again, this time much slower.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, biting back the urge to drop the girl here in the forest and go finish off this Sakasagami no Yura himself. These were times of war, sights such as the campsite were quite common. Was she truly so fickle that she could not handle the sight of blood? He stopped when he felt her small hand squeeze his shoulder. She slid from his back and he turned to watch her walk back to the camp and crouch down.

"Miko, if you are going to be ill, perhaps you should have stayed at your home." He sneered, stopping short when she straightened and turned back to him with a bow and quiver clutched in her hands. He almost commended the steel in her gaze and the stubborn set of her jaw as she stood looking at him.

"I'm going to borrow these." She said before stepping back over to him. "Let's go, Sesshomaru."

The Daiyoukai studied her for a moment, ensuring that her resolve was firm. He did not need her flaking out on him in the middle of battle. Her fresh apple scent carried with it a hint of fear, but she stayed firm. With a curt nod to her, he turned and crouched to allow her to climb back on to his back. When he felt her legs press to his sides, he stood and took off once more, following the glowing strands that stood out among the rest.

If we don't destroy Yura soon more people will die. Kagome's mind raced with the pressure of it all. She was fighting not to panic as they continued on. The strands were more spaced out here, the majority of them standing out from the rest. That had to mean that they were drawing closer to their destination.

"Miko remember the sword." Sesshomaru's deep baritone rumbled through his back, vibrating against her chest. She nodded, her grip tightening on the sheath.

"Right! We are getting closer!"

The miko was perceptive, he would give her that. Within a few moments, they broke through the treeline, skidding to a halt in front of a huge ball that sat suspended by thick tendrils of hair that clung to the rock face and adjacent trees. Kagome herself felt every muscle in her body tense in fear.

"This must be..." She stammered out, unable to get out the rest of her sentence.

"The nest, yes." Sesshomaru supplied for her as he looked at it. That Sakasagami no Yura must have just built this nest in the chaos that she had created earlier. He barely had time to react when hair shot at them like a whip, throwing Kagome from his back and grabbing him by his wrists and ankles. It seemed that the fool had a death wish. He melted the hair on his wrists with his acid, making quick work of the hair on his ankles as well, landing gracefully in front of Kagome.

"Sesshomaru! Are you alright?!" The look the daiyoukai looked outright affronted by her concern. He looked as though he wanted to rip her a new one, his lips curled up over his fangs in a sneer.

"This Sesshomaru does not need your-"

"My, my. I've never seen such pretty silver hair." A familiar, honey-sweet voice cooed from above, cutting off Sesshomaru's tyrade. That was Yura's voice! Kagome swiveled about, desperate to find the source of the voice. Up above, the very source of that voice stood perched upon a strand of hair, indigo eyes widened in recognition.

It was that peculiar girl from before! Had she not fallen into the shadows of the dry well before? What was this girl doing with such an imposing youkai such as Sesshomaru? She had heard stories of such a name. The killing perfection; a name that he had lived up to for centuries. Yura had heard that he had been killed fifty years ago, pinned to a tree by a miko. Looking at that thick mane of silver hair had her grateful that he had managed to survive the seal. It would be hers this night. She giggled as the human girl looking around frantically while Sesshomaru's molten gold gaze settled on her immediately. Delight curled in her belly when his companion finally took notice of her.

"Took you long enough, girl. I see you've come back to finish what I had started earlier." She purred, jumping from her perch to land beside the daiyoukai.

Kagome was far less amused than Yura. What in the world was up with this woman? She sure had confidence in herself! Kagome watched as she sauntered around Sesshomaru, brushing her fingers through his long strands as she passed. Appreciation gleamed in those indigo depths, sending a cold chill down Kagome's spine. Her gaze flickered over to Sesshomaru's face to see if he noticed. He was contemplating the little nymph with cold countenance, icy gold following her movements. Of crouse he had noticed- it seemed like he noticed everything that went on around him. Yura was in front of him now, stepping into his space, pressing her petite form against his much larger frame.

"Certainly you are not satisfied with such...homely...company, Milord?" She cooed suggestively and Kagome sat there gobsmacked. Did this tiny slip of a woman just call her homely? She opened her mouth, ready to give this lady a piece of her mind when Sesshomaru's voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"You trespass on this Sesshomaru's lands and slaughter my subjects. What reason have you for such insolence?" He said, changing the subject. A mischevious glint shone in Yura's eyes then, her hand disappearing behind her back as she pressed herself up closer to him.

"My, my aren't you a stiff." She purred and Kagome caught sight of tendrils snaking closer and closer to the pair. This was not good; Yura obviously had something up her sleeve. So why was Sesshomaru just standing there?

"Sesshomaru-!" She tried to call out to him, her warning cut off by a scream as a trail of fire suddenly shot toward her. The flames engulfed her quickly, surrounding her, and all she could do was curl into a ball around Tenseiga. In front of her, Sesshomaru stood watching, unimpressed by the obvious attempt to intimidate him. He turned his gaze to his opponent, who looked rather smugly up at him.

"Not even her bones will remain when my Oni-Bi Gushi is finished with her."

"Just like an oni to not think things through." His cold baritone gave Yura pause and her eyes narrowed up at him.

"What is that supposed to mean, you arrogant dog?" She snapped, pausing once more when he did not even so much as acknowledge her insult, rather his gaze shifted back over to where her flames once raged. "What?!"

Kagome sat up, sucking in as much oxygen as she could. That had been horrific! Even if the heat had not touched her, the heat had been unbearable! She could not even breathe without sucking in smoke and ash. When she recovered, she shot a glare over at them.

"You tried to kill me!" She accused and she could have sworn that she saw Sesshomaru roll his eyes at the remark. Yura, however, found it rather amusing.

She giggled. "Well, that was the plan, little girl." She bent her middle finger and a wakizashi shot through the air and into her hand.

"You die!" She pounced toward Kagome, her sword poised, ready to strike.

Sesshomaru made to bolt to stop the oni, but a tendril gripped his ankle in a vice, hindering his progress. He cursed when he noticed that Yura was getting closer to the little miko, who just stood frozen to the spot. Why did the little fool just stand there?! At this rate, she would be killed! A vicious snarl ripping from his throat, he tore the strands with his claws and propelled himself forward with a burst of youkai. Yura was nearly to her, her sword poised for the strike. Time slowed to a crawl as he pushed himself to get to her in time, images of his brother flashing through his mind. He was nearly there, just a bit more. One last pulse of youkai pushed him past Yura and toward the miko. He braced himself in front of her, growling when he felt the burn of a blade tearing into his back. The blade cut clean through his bone armor and his hankimono.

Kagome stood frozen with wide, frightened eyes staring at him in disbelief. She watched as his armor gave way, falling from his form and crashing to the ground between them. His hankimono slid from his body as well, the article hanging from where it was tucked into his hakama. Had he really just did that for her? She thought he hated her and here he was taking the brunt of an attack to save her. Pain twisted his usually impassive face into an expression that she never wanted to see from his again. Then she saw the blood, how it poured from his would, rivulets running down his legs to form a grotesque puddle at his feet.

"Sesshomaru...You…?" Her voice quivered as she reached a hand toward him. He was sucking in breaths through his clenched teeth, his frame trembling. A sinister chuckle drew her attention from the daiyoukai, and she snapped from her stupor, running to his side, trying her best to hold him upright.

"How did you like that taste of my Benigasumi? Able to cut clean through flesh and bone without severing hair: an Oni's treasure." Yura chirped as she licked Sesshomaru's blood from the wakizashi. Giving the best glare she could, Kagome stepped between them, dropping Tenseiga, and notched an arrow in the borrowed bow.

"Get away from him, Yura!" She spat, all of the fear she had felt earlier replaced with anger. The oni merely laughed at her, poising herself to strike once more.

"Isn't that cute? Normal arrows won't hurt me, wench." Yura taunted before springing forward, purposely moving slow enough for Kagome to follow her movements. The nerve of this woman! Breathing in deep she let loose the arrow, letting out a cry of victory when it struck Yura's hand, shattering bone and tearing through tendons, severing the extremity from the arm with an explosion of gore. Both women froze and even Sesshomaru gave pause from his position behind Kagome.

Yura stood there for a moment, frozen in shock before she turned her perplexed gaze to the mangled nub of her left wrist. "My...My hand…?" She stammered, "But how?!"

Kagome was wondering much the same thing as she studied the bow in her hand. How had she done that just now? Was the bow that she had picked up magic or something? No mere arrow could have done what hers had just done- so what had happened just then? There was no time to ponder now! Quickly she notched another arrow and took aim once more. Yura dodged this one with ease, leaving it to embed itself into her nest behind her. The result was instantaneous; the ball fell apart, hoards of human skulls attached to the hair cascading from it.

"No! My trophies!" Yura gasped before turning her murderous gaze on the fifteen-year-old. "You'll pay for that, you little bitch!"

Kagome reeled back as a lump formed in her throat. Yep. She was definitely dead now. Behind her Sesshomaru stepped up to her, placing a large hand on her shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze as he passed to stand in front of her. Kagome shook her head, staring ahead of her in disbelief. How was he still standing?!

"Leave the rest to me, Kagome." He said and Kagome's mind screeched to a halt. He had just said her name for the first time since they met. Perhaps he finally respected her now? She did not have time to dwell much into it before all hell broke loose.

Yura swung toward Sesshomaru, commanding the hair as she went. The daiyoukai was ready for her, thrusting his hand clean through her chest, using her own momentum to drive his claws out of her back. A satisfied smile graced his lips at the gaping looking on the oni's face. His victory was short lived however when the corners of her rouged lips tilted up into a smile. How could that be? That attack was meant to end her worthless existence. How was she still alive and smiling at him? He did not have time to ponder on the matter before his left shoulder exploded with fiery pain. A startled snarl ripped from his lungs and he turned his gaze to see Yura's sword sheathed to the hilt in his flesh.

"That should teach you to thrust your hand through a woman's breasts, you brute." She jumped back, withdrawing her sword from his shoulder and his hand from her chest as she went. Realization suddenly dawned on her pixie face and she walked along a strand to stand in front of him once more. Her crimson eyes narrowed down at his right hand that lay clenched on the stone beneath him. Without a moment's hesitation, she stabbed her wakizashi through his large hand.

"It seems that you are a thief to boot." She quipped, yanking the bag out from beneath his palm with a strand of hair. It seemed that he definitely could not call this particular oni stupid. The blade had severed something in his shoulder, rendering his left arm useless for the time being. How she had managed to get so many hits on him already? Had he grown slow during his slumber? That would definitely be something that he was going to have to remedy when he finished with this nuisance. He cursed when felt the hair slither up his back, hissing when it scraped over the wound there to wrap around his neck. His right hand and ankles were restrained as well- it seemed as though Yura wished to finish him off. He tried to pull himself free, even tried to summon his poison once more. But the oni was one step ahead of him this time. She commanded the strands to squeeze his wrist until the bones crunched and shattered beneath the pressure.

"If you are going to kill me get it over with, wench." He growled, lunging for her, only to be yanked back by the hair wrapped around his neck. Yura breathed a smoky chuckle, lifting her sword stepping up to him.

"Oh don't you worry, I will most definitely kill you." As she spoke, Sesshomaru could feel the heavy mass of his hair lifting from his back. "But before that, I want to make sure that I don't get any blood on this gorgeous hair of yours."

"As another trophy?" He spat, the last word coming out a sneer. His only answer was another giggle from the woman over him.

"You are a smart one, aren't you?" She taunted. "It's too bad that you have to die now, thou-"

Yura froze on the spot, the color draining from her porcelain face. Sesshomaru could hear her breaths coming out in short quick puffs. He could smell the rotten scent of her fear rolling off of her in waves. What had happened to the overconfidence that she had just been exhibiting? He scanned the area for any more threats, puzzled when he did not sense any other youkai in the area. He did, however, catch sight of a particular little miko climbing up the waterfall of skulls. He allowed a little smirk to curl his lips. She certainly was full of surprises for him today. Unfortunately, Yura seemed to catch on to what was going on as well.

She whirled around to face her nest, a vicious snarl jolting her dainty frame as she catapulted herself toward the intruder who dared to trespass upon her most precious treasures.

Kagome was climbing as quickly as her tired arms would allow her. She had caught sight of something midst the collection of trophies as Yura had called them: a skull that looked stranger from the rest. But she had been unable to ascertain exactly what had been so different about it. She had noticed that something, in particular, called to her from the skull. It tugged at her soul, beckoning her to it. Perhaps it was Yura's weakness? That could be why it hung partially obscured by the rest of the hair and skulls. So she had slipped away, using the chaos of battle as cover to sneak past her and climb her way up. She tried to ignore the way the coarse, dead hair felt against her palm as she pulled herself up further and further. She kept her eyes trained on the skull, continually telling herself that this could probably help Sesshomaru in this fight. As she grew closer, it became evident just why this particular skull had been hidden midst the rest. Rather than hanging from the strands like the rest, the hair passed through its mouth. She could feel energy radiating from it, almost familiar in the way that it pulsed against her, sending a chill down her spine. This had to be the skull that controlled all of the hair! She threw a look over her shoulder at the two below, her blood running cold when she saw Yura heading straight for her. She had definitely been found out, it would seem…

"You won't get away from me now, girl!" The oni snarled, yanking her arm up, causing the hair that Kagome clung to rise like a wave toward the night sky.

The fifteen-year-old shrieked, grabbing on to the skull and holding on for dear life as she was carried higher and higher. The feel of the brittle, chipped teeth against her fingers made her skin crawl, but she could not let go. Something told her deep down that this skull was the remedy to all of this carnage. She thought of all of the bodies of humans and animals alike that they had seen on the way here, how she had felt like it was all her fault for letting the Sakasagami no Yura steel her shard of the jewel from her in the first place. No. She had to destroy this skull- she had to try! Sucking in a deep breath, she reached over her shoulder, gripping her last arrow in its quiver. She looked down for just a moment, willing her nerve not to leave her as she prepared herself to do what she set out to do. As soon as this skull was destroyed, the hair would lose its sentience. Yura was swinging around her, screaming words at her that she could not hear over the roaring of her own blood in her ears. Her heart pounding into her chest, she let loose a roar of her own before slamming the tip of the arrow into the crown of the skull. She felt a trimmer ripple through the hair and kept on stabbing into the same spot. After the fourth stab, the bone gave way beneath her onslaught, disintegrating to dust that scattered in the winds to reveal the arrowhead's tip embedded in a red comb. A second later the comb broke in half, the pieces disintegrating just as the skull had done. Behind her Yura stiffened, her own body turning to dust to join her most precious treasure, the hair falling apart behind her. With nothing stable to hold on to, Kagome began to plummet to the earth below. Her scream carried on the wind as the ground rushed up to meet her.

On the ground below, the holding Sesshomaru down broke and fell apart, leaving him to stand freely. He pressed a hand to the wound in his shoulder, applying pressure to attempt to staunch the bleeding. Kagome's scream wrenched him from the haze threatening to overtake him and he looked up to see the girl falling to the earth. Ignoring the fatigue in his own muscles from the blood loss, he crouched low and jumped high up to meet her, gathering the petite girl in his arms. She clung to him as they fell together, leaving Sesshomaru to ponder why he felt an odd warmth in his chest at the trust that this peculiar girl had put in him. He landed softly on the ground, his gaze never leaving Kagome's face. She kept her eyes screwed shut, the action causing her small nose to scrunch up. His beast found the expression endearing, purring contently from within its cage. The logical side was perplexed to say the least.

She is human. He told his primal side. We do not find humans endearing. He felt his beast growl at him from within, and he wondered just when the creature had come to like humans so much.

She is not like the others. It supplied for him, and Sesshomaru found himself agreeing with his other half as the little miko looked up at him with those cerulean blues.

"Are you hurt, Kagome?" He asked, never breaking eye contact with her. The smile she flashed him, so genuine and so uniquely her, had him agreeing with his beast even more.

"Yes, I'm alright. Are you?" The smile had dissolved to be replaced with a frown, her brow drawn in the concern that painted her tone. A human concerned for the well-being of a youkai- who would have thought? She broke eye contact as something off to the side of them caught her attention. She pushed off of him gently, and he gently set her down on her feet. He watched as she stepped over to a scrap of black material that lay in a heap on the ground, crouching in front of it and reaching into the folds. She fished out the little velvet bag that held their shard, a relieved sigh blowing past her lips as she turned that smile back over to him.

"Found it!" She chimed, stepping back over to him, throwing an uncertain look over her shoulder. He could smell her curiosity, the emotion adding a vanilla overlay to the apples that defined her.

"How do you suppose that comb was Yura's weakness….?" She seemed uncertain now and Sesshomaru found himself answering her.

"She transferred her soul over to the comb to give her the ability to control the hair as she did. She allowed an obsession to be her undoing." He drawled before turning his back to her. "Let's go, Kagome."

When he did not hear her footfalls behind him, he turned to see what caused her hesitation. She just stood there, a wistful expression on her face as she stared at him. What was she staring at?

"My name..." She whispered, "You used my name twice just now."

Sesshomaru found himself tilting his head curiously at her. "That is your name, is it not?" He did not give her time to answer, he merely turned once more and started walking back toward the village, grabbing Tenseiga as he went. All he wanted right now was a bath and some rest after everything.

"H-hey! Wait for me, Sesshomaru!" He heard her call as she ran to catch up to him. This girl truly was different from the rest….