Hanyo of Snow

Ch9 There and Back Again

(Modern Era - Kagome POV)

If it was any other time I would be enjoying my first hot water bath in days. But I couldn't stop worrying about Y/N.

Last time I checked it was after nightfall and Y/N still hasn't returned.

Mom had also just returned. After a tearful reunion and trying to explain what had happen, she ushered me up to the bathroom after noticing how filthy I was from falling into the well.

She got me a change of clothes and told me that they will keep an eye out for Y/N while I took a bath.

So here I am finishing up on taking a bath while Y/N was probably still stuck in the Sengoku Jidai fighting for his life against some kind of hair yokai. So I couldn't help but be worried for him.

But despite that, I am still have faith that he would be alright. He is quite capable of holding his own against the likes of Mukade J?r? and Inuko.

Getting seriously injured during both fights though, but it's best not to focus on that. Otherwise I'd just worry more.

Still I know that he could hold his own against Yura, but for how long I don't know. She seemed more dangerous then Inuko when she was trying to kill us with her ability to manipulate hair that was more then capable of cutting through flesh if the cut on my cheek was of any indication.

My train of thought was broken off when someone knocked on the door.

"Sis, dinner is ready and everyone is waiting for you down stairs." Sota said through the door as I was wrapping a towel around myself.

"Alright, but I take it that Y/N hasn't shown up yet?" I questioned. Judging by how no one has come by at all with any word of him. So he must still be back in the past.

Sota's sigh only confirmed it.

"There's been no sign of Big Bro at all and Grandpa has been watching the well ever since Mama has come home and hasn't seen anything." He said sadly.

I thought as much.

"Alright, tell them I'll be down in a few minutes." I told him.

"Okay, I'll tell them Sis." He said before running off.

With that I satarted to get dressed, preparing to tell them everything once dinner started.

After that, no matter what happens including if Mom and Gramps try to bare me from the well, I will go down there and drag Y/N back into the present if I have too.

After giving him a lesson for causing me to worry so much.

(Sengoku Jidai- Y/N POV)

I had a sudden sense of dread about something involving Kagome.

I'd worry about it later.

"So let me get his straight." Inuko said as she continued to jump through three canopy. "You and the girl are actually from around 440 some years into the future and that you believe that the well is the only way back?" She inquired.

"That pretty much sums it up." I said honestly. Inuko stopped moving and sent me an inquisitive gaze, looking for anything that could be considered any kind of deception. After a few minutes of looking she let lose a sigh.

"Look I'll give the benefit of the doubt for now and wait to see if it is true. If this does turn out to be a trick I will beat you senseless." She said threatenly.

"That sounds fair enough." I replied honestly. "Though to tell you the truth I was half expecting you to call me crazy for tell you this."

"Honestly I think it is crazy." Inuko said as we reassumed our trek through the trees. "However since you have been truthful so far, I'm willing to give you a chance. Speaking of which we are almost there."

A few moments later we arrived at the well and I hopped off of Inuko. She soon noticed something along the well and picked it up revealing Kagome's school uniform. She must've dropped it before going into the well.

Inuko took a quick sniff before looking over the well.

"Looks like you might be right about the well, because the girl's scent is lingering from the bottom. Since I don't see anything and I don't smell a corpse she must've returned to your time then." She said before she started sniffing the air and promptly froze.

"What's wrong Inuko?" I questioned with a bit of dread. I have an inkling of what scent Inuko picked up and hoped it wasn't her.

"It's Yura and she will be on us soon." Inuko said, confirming my fears. She then sent an inquisitive look at me. "How sure are you that we'll end up in the future?"

"My best guess at this point is 50-50." I replied back.

"Good enough for me." She said nonchalantly.

With that Inuko took me by suprise by picking me up and jumping into the well, plummeting into the familiar void that led both me and Kagome into the past.

(Yura POV)

"Looks like he got away again." I sighed out once I saw Y/N and that other hanyo disappear into the well.

Oh well, I'm still going after them. However I need to be smart about it as they are in an unfamiliar land from what they were talking about earlier at this point.

Still I have a plan, but it should take a bit to play out. It takes a lot of effort to control a lot of hair through a single strand over such a distance after all.

(Modern Era- Kagome POV)

I have just told my family about everything thathad happened over these past 3 days with Y/N and me and I was currently waiting for their response.

After a few moments of silence, Mom spoke up.

"Honestly Kagome, your story is kind of hard to believe.

" She sighed out. "You and Y/N disappeared 3 days ago we have all been extremely worried and have scoured all over the city for you two after disappearing before Sota.

So when you suddenly turn up in the bottom of the well 3 days later wearing miko clothing and telling us that you have spent those days with Y/N in the past along with dealing with yokai, a hanyo like Y/N, and the destruction of the family shrine's sacred jewel.

Along with Y/N being trapped in the past and has possibly sacrificed himself to save you from a unidentifiable yokai sounds pretty far fetched. "

"Believe me, if I didn't experience it all I would've thought it was all crazy." I sighed out.

"I know." Mom said sighingly. "I probably wouldn't have believed you if Sota didn't see what dragged you into the well and if I haven't seen some of Grandpa's exorcisms before. Still all that matters is that your back now."

"But Big Bro isn't back yet." Sota said sorrowfully.

"I know Sota, but we don't even know if any of us can even go through the well and from the sounds if it none of us even stand a chance against this Yura.

" Mom said sadly. Before I could even voice my protest, she sent me a look that instantly caused it to die in my throat.

"Before you say anything Kagome, after dinner we are going to find a way to bring Y/N back if he doesn't return to us before then. "

That immediately placated me and I nodded before something dawned on me.

"Wait if you knew about yokai all this time, thenwhy didn't you tell me about it?" I questioned Gramps.

"I've been telling you for years, but you never believed me." He said in a deadpan.

Okay I guess I had that coming.

"Besides it is the Higurashi tradition for the past 150 years to show the next in line of succession or the eldest child an exorcism after they turn 14.

However all the ones that have occurred in the past year have been what I perceived too dangerous for you at the time.

However evidently I was wrong." Grampssaid simply, while bating away Buyo from trying to eat his food.

"What do you mean by that?" I questioned.

"Simple you and Y/N have far surpassed what yokai I deal with.

I usually exorcise tsukumogami and the occasional mononoke.

However they are weak in comparison to what you two have dealt with.

A ōmukade that was capable of cheating death, a 200 hundred year old inugami hanyo capable of cutting down trees with the slice of her claws, a mutated shibugarasu capable of carrying away children easily, and an unidentifiable yokai that manipulates hair like wires.

The both of you have already surpassed me and although the situation is less then ideal, I can't help but admit how proud I'm at the both of you.

" He replied honestly, with a small smile gracing his face.

Any other time I would have been beaming at this, but there is one thing that is nagging at the back of my head.

"Honest Gramps I'm touched, but there is something that I've been meaning to ask you since I got back." I said. "Y/N told me that he never told anyone that he was a hanyo, so how did you know?"

"Yes, how did you know Grandpa?" Sota questioned as well.

"His father told me while he was drunk about 10 years ago while you two were asleep." He said simple, getting deadpans from me and Mom.

"You can't be serious." I said dryly.

"I am and let me tell you that man couldn't handle his sake.

" Gramps said fondly as he recalled that memory.

"While in the middle of bawling his eyes out he told me of Y/N's heritage.

I was suprised, because while I have heard of hanyos but I've never actually encountered any.

He also told me that he has never told anyone this, because even if Y/N never manifested any powers there are still communities of yokai that dispise hanyo and the most zealous sects of yokai taijiya would seek to kill him for simply having a yuki onna for a mother.

So they tried their best to make sure that he would live as a human if his powers never manifested. "

That was also in line with what Y/N, but he obviously didn't mention anything about yokai taijiya. I'll have to ask him about that later.

"So if you knew about this all along, then why didn't you tell him that you knew all along?" I asked.

"He made me promise not to tell him until Y/N turned 10." Gramps said sadly.

"Then why haven't you said anything to him about it?" Mom asked while giving him a stern glare.

"Because it was his last wish." He said sorrowfully, causing everyone to sink in their seats.

"He called me that I should tell Y/N either after he got his powers or when he turned 15.

I asked why, but he didn't respond as he had dropped dead the next moment.

" He finished with a tear beginning to form in his eyes.

"I can get why, but why did he never told Y/N about that. It's just stupid for him to not have been told at all." I said, angry at the sheer stupidity of something like that.

"Believe me if it wasn't his last request I would have told Y/N years ago. His father while a good man had a terrible penchant for keeping secrets." He said while sighing. "So when he gets home, I'm more then prepared to face his wrath."

"He'll be upset, but I know Big Bro will forgive you Grandpa. Big Bro is kind like that." Sota said.

He's right. Y/N would be mad, but it wouldn't be aimed at Gramps and it would die down soon afterwards.

"We now that this has been settled, I believe that we should finish eating." Mom said getting our attention. "It is starting to get cold after all."

With that we all immediately went back to eating, aiming to finish as soon as possible to go bring Y/N back.

(Inuko POV)

Looks like Y/N wasn't lying at all, because in front of me was that accursed tree. I would recognize it anywhere except it is now hundred of years older. It it still had a bare spot from when I was pinned onto here.

While the tree itself hadn't changed much, the world around it has changed drastically.

First of the forest itself was completely gone.

The tree itself is now residing in a shrine along with the well that according to Y/N has been in the girl's family possession for over 3 centuries.

Around it are houses that are at least 4 times bigger then at the village and the shear amount of them where bigger then any city in my era.

In the background were dozens of castles made out of stone about as big as a small mountain at hothead tallest. Each structure seemed to be lit with what appeared to be thousands of candles.

All in all it was an impressive sight, but there was one thing that was bothering me.

"I can only smell humans around here, but no trace of any yokaiaround here except for you. There was a small trace of yoki in the air in my time due to the amount of yokai in the surrounding area, so how come I can't smell anything?" I questioned.

"Because yokai prefere to to stay out of Tokyo most of the time since this is the human capital of Japan. This area doesn't have a lot of activity with yokai and the last major incident was over 30 some years ago dealing with a clan of tanuki." Y/N said simply.

That would make sense, though I was a little confused on why the capital moved to this Tokyo.

But since it has been hundreds of years it makes sense for them to have moved it during that time.

So that would make it that Heian-kyō was still the yokai capital.

I've never been there, but from what I heard it would be near impossible for yokai to move from anywhere else.

After all they have been there for thousands of years.

I suddenly heard a growl and I turned to see a sheepish looking Y/N.

"Sorry about that, I've been knocked out and haven't eaten anything else since lunch." He admitted looking somewhat embarrassed. I couldn't help but snicker at his reaction.

Still though he has a point. I haven't eaten anything in a while either.

"Well let's get something to eat and try to get the girl to come with us " I said while walking towards what was obviously the girl's house.

It was the only building that looked out of place on the shrine.

"Alright, but let me enter first. They are less likely to freak out if I do it." Y/N said as he soon caught up beside me.

I just nodded at that as we preceded to walk to the girl's home.

(Kagome POV)

I was finishing dinner when I suddenly heard the door open. Not a moment later we turned to find the shōji open and in the doorway was Y/N and Inuko!

"Hi guys, sorry I took so long." He said.

After a moment of silence I decided to give Y/N his lesson.

By punching him in the gut.

"That is for causing all of us to worry!" I shouted at him as he doubled over.

"I kind of deserved that I'll admit." He wheezed out. "But you didn't have to hit me that hard."

"Now that you mention it I might have gone a bit overboard." I admitted sheepishly.

"You think." Y/N groaned out before straightening himself out and smiled. "Still it's good to be back."

"I'm glad your back Big Bro." Sota said as he walked up to him. "But do you think that you could make some ice?" He asked excitedly.

I kind of figured that he would ask that.

"I knew that would be the first thing that you would ask once you found out. Sadly I can't do anything right now Sota." He said before stretching out his hand. Some mist gathered around it before it quickly dissipated. "I've run out of power so you have to wait a bit."

"Okay." Sota said simply.

Wait a minute.

"How did you run out of power?" I ask worriedly.

The only other time that he has ever out of power was when he faced Mukade Jōrō and Inuko one after the other. Since according to him that his power has increased twofold and for him to used it all against Yura like I think he did was telling of how strong she was.

Then again his ice barely held Inuko, but obviously Yura was obviously trickier to deal with her hair while Inuko seemed to rely on brute strength alone.

"I used it all to incapacitate Yura and allow myself and Inuko to escape. Well after I woke up that is." He admitted.

"What do you mean after you woke up?" I demanded angrily.

If that hair manipulating harlot did what I think she did to Y/N...

"According to Inuko, Yura was planning on doing that after she killed her." He said, slightly easing my anger.

Still willing to go back and murder her though.

"Speaking of Inuko, are you sure that it was a good idea to bring her with you Y/N?

" Gramps asked as he pointed to her, as she was eating a bowl of hot pot while Buyo was pawing for her food.

"I only know what Kagome has said about her and it doesn't exactly paint a good picture as she did try to kill the both of you. "

"That might be true Grandpa, but at this point I know that I can trust her.

Besides if she does cause any trouble I can talk her out of it or Kagome could just say a single word end it.

So you have nothing to worry about." Y/N said before Mom gave him a bowl of hot pot.

"Thank you Mrs. Higurashi." He said before digging in while Gramps nodded in acceptance of his reasoning.

"Y/N how many times have I asked you to just call me Haruka." Mom sighed as she walked towards Inuko. "But your welcome."

"Speaking of Inuko why is she even here?" I questioned him.

"Just wait a minute girl and I'll explain. Just let me and him eat some more of this delicious future food." Inuko said as she went back to eating.

"You told her where we are from." I said to Y/N giving him a flat look.

"I trust her to know about it and she needed to know so we can get away from Yura." He said before going back to eating.

Well that makes sense I suppose.

Anyway a minute later Inuko was done eating and for some reason both Mom and Sota where right behind her, staring intently at her ears.

"That was some good food, but let us get to the point shall we." Inuko said. "I came here to bring Y/N him back to recover a bit and then bring the both of you back through the, because as much as I detest it I need your help girl." She finished a bit bitterly.

...

EHHHHH?!

Inuko needs my help! That is something I thought I would never hear in a thousand years, time travel non withstanding.

"Why do you need my help?" I asked incredulously.

"I need your help with seeing Yura's hairs. The only other person who can do that is Kaede and she is too injured to move right now. So I that's why I need your help." Inuko said before she started to twitch irritability. "Will you stop messing with my ears!" She said to Mom.

"Sorry, but I can't resist." She said while continuing to play with Inuko's ears.

"Let me try." Sota said excitedly.

"Mom you probably shouldn't be doing that, although I did the same thing too." I said, muttering at the end.

So she needs me because something happened to Kaede and from the sounds of it, she is thankfully alive. Though it is just to see hair...wait a minute.

This isn't good.

"Kagome." Y/N said worriedly, while putting down his empty bowl. "What's wrong?"

"There's a strand of hair on both you and Inuko leading out towards the front door." I said with my tone full of dread.

All activity around the table ground to a halt after my words sunk in. We all knew who we were dealing with and the hair was no coincidence.

"Kagome, I think we need to get to the well now." Y/N said seriously. I nodded in agreement with Inuko trailing not that far behind us.

The rest of my family stayed behind as they knew that they would be in harms way.

As we walked towards the doorway Y/N picked up his sword lying against the entryway wall.

"Why would you leave your sword here?" I asked him.

"It just seemed rude to show to dinner with a sword." He said simply as we walked out the door.

"Okay fair enough, but o have any idea how Yura's hairs came through with you and Inuko?" I asked again.

"I have a few theories with most of them coming from one thing." He said.

"The Shikon Jewel." I said getting him to nod.

"That would explain how the both of us were able to travel back through the well in the first place, how you and Inuko came back through your shard, and now appernently Yura.

But if that's the case then how did I manage to come back here without the any shards? "

As I was saying this I began to think about this. If this is any indication then anyone who posses the shards with malevolent intentions figures out the secret of the well and if they are exceptionally powerful, then there is no telling what damage they can cause in the mordern era.

And my family will be at ground zero when that happens.

I'm starting to reconsider to go on Kaede's quest. I would have to put up Inuko and traveling all over ancient Japan dealing with who knows what with searching for the jewel shards. Still I would have Y/N by my side and if I do this then I can guarantee their safety.

But I'll focus on that later. For now we'll have to prevent that scenario from becoming a reality right now.

"I believe that is because that you had the Shikon Jewel inside yourself that it must allow you to travel through time unaided by any shards.

" He said before getting a thoughtful look.

"Now that I think about it Inuko might be able to do the same although you have to be one side of the well, but first I have to ask you something.

Did you feel any kind of sensation while you and I were going through the well? "

"Actually now that I think about it there was a tugging sensation during our first trip, but I didn't feel anything on the trip back.

Then again I was knocked unconscious, but I felt the tugging upon first entering the well after Mukade Jōrō dragging me in.

So that sensation must be when you are bringing someone with you that can't travel through the well alone.

Then I take it by your question that you didn't feel the same thing with Inuko.

" I said getting a nod from him. "Then how can she travel by her self then she doesn't have a shard? "

"Maybe it's because of the rosary, it gives you a connection to her otherwise saying Osuwari wouldn't work." He summarized.

Well that makes sense.

"But I guess she get lucky then." He added on. "Since she can travel back and forth without the aid of the jewel the same as you. Without this accursed shard imbedded in my chest I would've been trapped in the past with no escape..."

"Y/N?" I said worriedly upon seeing his expression, the gravity of his words taking full effect.

But he just shook it off and flashed me a smile.

"Don't worry about it Kagome. Although it is a dreadful thought, I won't have to worry about it anymore." Y/N said aveliating my worries. "Besides we have something else to deal with at the moment."

He was right, because all three of us has arrived at the wellhouse.

Y/N unsheathed his sword and Inko drew her claws as I opened the door.

My biggest worry was starting to unfold from my eyes.

From the well came tendrils of hair that were seeping out with more coming out by the second.

"This is bad." I said as I noticed the hair start to draw closer to us.

"Sis!"

"You have got to be kidding me." I said exasperated. I turned to see that Sota was right behind us.

"Sota please do me a favor and stay out!" I shouted while slamming the door shut.

With that out of the way we now had to worry about the hair. Either way this needed to end now.

"Now that he's out of the way, do see where the hair is?" Inuko asked.

"Wait you two can't see the hair as it is clearly in massive trendils coming towards you." I asked them, a little shocked. If they honestly can't see it then we are in trouble.

"I can hear it rustling, but that is pretty much it." Inuko admitted.

"I can't see anything." Y/N also admitted.

Well that's just great.

I didn't have time to think about it as the hair lunged to wards us.

"Inuko, it's in front of you. Y/N it's coming from your right." I said while ducking a few tendrils.

Both of them complied and immediately dodged. They tried to attack the hair, but missed. It came for Inuko from behind her, but she heard it incoming and dodged it.

However she wasn't fast enough and it wrapped around her legs and left arm. Seeing this Y/N went to free her, however the hair wrapped around his right arm too.

"Kagome, please open up." Gramps shouted from the other side of the door.

"Now's not the time Gramps." I shouted back.

Inuko with her free hand managed to cut off the hair binding her legs and Y/N's arm in turn.

"Thanks for that." Y/N said as he freed Inuko's other arm.

"It's no problem." She said while flexing her arms.

While that was going on I noticed that the hair that was cut was putting itself back together.

It gathered itself into one huge tendril and pinned Inuko to the wall by the arm.

Y/N freed her again, but the hair once again pulled itself back together.

If it continued like this then it will only end in all of us tiring out and dead.

Except for Y/N, Yura wanted him alive after all.

It was at that moment when I saw the strands controling this mess. I just need those cut and the hair would go limp. But how to get those cut?

My thoughts were interrupted when Y/N was suddenly completely bound in hair, his sword cluttering to the ground. Inuko also now had a a leg bound and was dodging a few tendrils that were trying to bind her.

I have an ideal, but I need to act on it now.

Grabbing the strands I allowed them to cut my hand. Wincing at the pain I held firm. I hoped this worked, because I felt that the strands were starting to break free.

"Inuko cut them now!" I shouted at her, the pain starting to get me.

"Alright!" She shouted back and sliced them in half.

The hair sudden went limp and feel haplessly onto the ground, slowly disentergrating into smoke.

I let lose a great breathe of relief at that.

Thankfully it was over for now.

"Alright anyone else think we should take a minute and rest before we go confront Yura." Y/N said between pants.

"I agree." Inuko said.

"Same here." I chimed in.

Yura needed to be felt with immediately. Not only has she tried to kill me and Inuko, but she has injured Kaede, most likely terrorized her village, stole my Shikon Jewel shard, is planning on raping Y/N, and has now gone After is through tome and put my family at risk.

She is too much of a hazard to be let lose any longer.

"I think it is time we should end this for good." I said while standing up. Getting nods from the both of them.

"My thoughts exactly."

Oh no...

Before anyone of us could do anything all three off us were bond with hair. Inuko and I were pinned to the walls while Y/N was moved closer to the well.

"You now I've had enough of waiting and thought I should deal with you all personally." Yura said as she pulled herself out of the well.

This is very, very bad. Her presence and the violet glow coming from a drawstring pouch of her own confirmed my worse fears.

A malevolent yokai has just emerged in our own era from the Sengoku Jidai.

"But I had a better thought." She said as my bonds suddenly loseened up quite a bit. Suddenly more hair bound Y/N and wrapped around his face. "I figured why not get rid of some pent up stress and then kill you both." She said while stroking his face, causing him to freak out.

"You bitch! When I get my hands on you-" Inuko shouted, sharing my current sentiment before we were gagged.

"I advise that you both be quiet." She said while dragging Y/N over to the well. "Anyway I'm figure that while I'm going to show him what a true woman is like I'll deal with you two latter."

Soon our bonds disappeared as Yura knocked Y/N out and stepped onto the well's edge.

"Anyway I'd best be going, I've got a hanyo to fuck into submission." She said before her face turned deathly serious. "If you two get any cute ideas about following us. It will only make your deaths come much sooner.

With that they both disappeared into the well.

"Inuko-." I tried to say.

"You don't have to say anything girl, we've got ourselves a bitch to kill." She said before removing her kimono and draping it onto me. "You'll need this, it's made from the Pelt of the Fire Rat and your going to need this more then I do since you are much weaker then me or Y/N."

For once I'm going to let that slide.

I just nodded and picked up Y/N's sword.

"Let's go get Y/N back." I said to her. She nodded and the both of us jumped into the well. Ready to confront Yura for the last time.

(Chapter 9 end)