A/N: Warnings: I am doing my best to make Sesshoumaru truly terrifying by the end of this, so watch out, fangirls. Also, the humor will be most apparent in the ballroom scenes and so on- although sometimes I may come through a little in unexpected places.

Prepare for unexpected twists, Kouga stupidity, Inuyasha trying to be charming, and some other not so humorous things.

Hmm. Maybe it will be funnier than I thought at first. But you bet this is going to be scarier and more romantic than 'Rose'- my gosh, that sounds weird. Dracula, more romantic than Erik? Tis a weird world I live in...

Well, the prologue isn't funny, anyway. The humor will just randomly crop up and then vanish, kind of like in Kat Morning's Blood Ties. FABOULOUS Inu/Kag vampire story, that.

Prologue: Blood for Blood

At the top of the ancient castle, the figure of a man stood.

Not much of his face could be seen, as his back was to the moon- only his glittering amber eyes.

His long silver hair whipped behind him chaotically, his two pointed ears standing on top of his head akin to demonic horns.

Inuyasha no Chimamire raised a clawed hand and pointed one sharp fingertip to the east.

"Kyoto." he said aloud.

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In Kyoto, a human female sat in a garden, sighing. She was not yet old enough to be considered a woman, nor so young that she should be called a girl.

For indeed, this female had an exceptional mind. She was fifteen in body, but in spirit, had been so for a good many years.

Her name was Higurashi Kagome.

Higurashi Shigure and Higurashi Suiren, her parents, had been dead for quite some time. To the relief of polite society, Kajishi Touya had taken her in, promising that she would be raised as much a lady as his own daughter, Sango.

Kagome herself was not so relieved.

Sir Kajishi had high standards, and Kagome was by nature an extremely spirited girl. As a matter of fact, it was because of those high standards that Kagome was sitting in the garden at the present moment.

Sir Kajishi had assigned the two ladies a series of difficult mathematical equations, explaining that it was practice for when they were married, and would have to do complicated sums to manage the households.

"But that doesn't make sense." Kagome had said. "Isn't the duty of a wife to look pretty and please her husband?"

Sir Kajishi frowned. "Kagome. I do not know where you thought of such a foul idea, but-"

"I didn't think of it." Kagome interrupted. "Your friend, Sir Moriyama, said so last night."

Sir Kajishi laughed. "Oh, silly Kagome. Sir Moriyama will have his fancies, you should not take him seriously! Sango, will you tell Kagome what a wife's duty is?"

Sango nodded. "Of course, father. A wife's duty is to give her husband an heir, and manage his affairs when he cannot." She paused. "But what you said is also true, with some husbands, Kagome-chan."

"Well I think he should do his own math." Kagome said bitterly.

Sir Kajishi frowned. "Kagome! Go out into the garden, and stay there for a while. I want you to think on why it is that Sango is engaged to Moriyama Miroku, and you have no suitors at all."

Kagome stood up, kicking her chair over. "Fine. But I still wouldn't trade places with your perfect daughter for all the world!"

Looking back on it was what had made Kagome sigh. "I suppose that was a foolish thing to say." she said aloud, not truly believing the words.

Sango was an exceptionally beautiful young lady, seventeen, and in full bloom. Her long laquer-black hair was the envy of the finest ladies in Kyoto, and her eyes, although only brown, were charming, and always sparkling with mirth at all the finest parties. Her hands were finely made, and shone like white lilies.

Sir Kajishi only allowed the finest kimonos for his lovely daughter, and so there was rarely an occasion where Sango did not look as if she had stepped out of the finest scroll painting.

But truly, Kagome did not envy her surrogate sister her fiancee. Moriyama Miroku was the most lecherous young man in all of Kyoto, if not all the prefecture.

True, he was indeed quite charming and handsome, but Kagome disliked his wandering hands.

Kagome's hair was nearly as dark as Sango's but it was only past her shoulders, and not even to her elbows. Her eyes constantly changed shades, and were usally sad or longing. She wore a simple yutaka at the moment.

The strange young lady stood up, and plucked a red rose from the garden.

"I wish someone else would come to Kyoto." Kagome said quietly. "Someone who wouldn't be immediately charmed by Sango, but would see me instead."

Out of her sight, a thorn pricked Kagome's finger. The drop of blood slowly ran down the stem, landing with a soft plock in the grass.

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Sesshoumaru no Samui Kokoro glanced at his younger half brother. "Out of sheer curiousity, why Kyoto?"

Inuyasha gave a casual shrug. "It seemed a nice place. Besides, all of the young ladies go there sooner or later." He licked his lips. "Can you imagine? All that fresh blood, just waiting?"

Sesshoumaru nodded sharply. "Good. I am glad there is some reasoning in your head. It has been a while since anyone visited the old castle."

Inuyasha gave a bark of laughter. "Crazy old villagers! So someone finally started heeding their warnings. Well, it had to happen sometime."

There was a loud thump on the boards above them. "Storm coming!" a man yelled.

Sesshoumaru gestured above. "Would you mind if I disposed of those foolish humans?"

Inuyasha leaned back. "Not at all. You know I prefer not to kill."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "You have no idea what you're missing, little brother."

As the silence was broken by a bloodcurling scream from above, no doubt Sesshoumaru's doing, Inuyasha softly whispered, "The only one I ever intend to kill- is my bride."

AN: Well, how was that for a prologue? This is the second story in my Inuyasha: A Series of Gothic Tales series.

And if you haven't guessed that this is a vampire story, I really don't think you should be reading this.

And if you're curious, here are the rough translations of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's full names:

Inuyasha the Blood-Covered

Sesshoumaru of the Frost-Heart

Next chapter: Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru arrive in Kyoto, and Rin makes her appearence.

Oh yeah, and here's some random links to roleplays on Gaia Online:

My Gothic Beauty and the Beast RP:

http/ www. gaiaonline .com/ forum/ view topic.php?page1 &t9868310#5013 375 46

Phantom of the Opera RP I play Erik in:

http/ www. gaiaonline .com/ forum/view topic.php? t93 52527& page1

I'll shut up provided you review. (stares at you)