In The Ways Of The Cardinal

~ Chapter One ~

Rivaling Paths Down The Darkside Of Oz

~ This is one of my stories I had written along time ago, but although it may be a strange ride ,you'll have fun anyway for you won't understand everything completely until the end.. Lots of breadcrumbs are left along the way.I Welcome you on a journey with me on a wild ride with Inuyasha and the gang ..This is a AU ,but with a dark kick, funny moments,and with hidden memories from the past not of their own, soon joining them..Please I hope you enjoy! I do not own Inuyasha...~

For years , in Tokyo,Japan: the four major highschools continued their rivals towards the others opposite them, and for what it seems like ages. Nobody really knew how the war started, but only knew that when years left behind by the seniors leaving them, handing them the torch downwards to the underclassman, and were expected to carry on with the tradition in the end.

Each highschool named after it's cardinal direction: North Talons, South Timberwolves, East Falcons, and the West Dolphins. Although amongst their prank wars, between their students, groups of changing friends , and relationships , all four of them have something in common , this won't be told at least not yet however, but something deeply hidden within the shadows of darkness is certaintly brewing once again..It was the start of a new year filled with new funnier but evil pranks , infidelity, betrayal , ever changing relationships, friends becoming enemies, and vice versa, including one accidental murder... Now that you know the general information ,you will now be brought to the very begining of that fateful ,but tragic year.

~ Two Years Before~

Leashing The Flame

Senior Year

At the central campus , that linked all four schools in the heart of Tokyo, students gathered in the certain areas for registration, and where the four logo's representing each school were displayed. In the middle of the commotion , once everyone was centered in the courtyard ,and after the gates were opened ,the abrupt cease of the music from the center stage where a small sound system could be played ,had everyone attention to the quiet. Before long ,the cheer team from North dressed in black and silver tops and short skirts, could be seen entertaining the crowd. The sultry sway of their hips, joined with their erotic chants, and in it ,the scandalous play on words, when expliciting their new cheer for the new upcoming football season.

' Come On Move It faster,

Step up ,Harder ,Faster

Take it, Jus' like I like It

Step in , make it stronger

Slam it! Ya know ya got it!

.1 Hell ya Baby!'

While a large part of the male population was drooling , the others kept their desires hidden for fear of the wrath would be severe , and only grew with their jealous girls spitting nails because of the effects currently having a tight hold on the males, theirs or not. Once schedules were planned and forms were completed , the students filed out to their cars ,and go about their enjoyment of their last weekend of Summer. Although that evening for some had plans to meet at the new club only just recieving as they left the school gates. It was a underground club and from what the flyers with the invites say it's having their grand unveiling tonight, and the club , The Dark Side Of Oz came at a very good time. At least, so they thought.

So from North Kagome, and Kanna went ahead of their boyfriends Renkotsu ,and Naraku ,with their friends Jaken and Miroku , promising to meet up with the girls as soon as they could for one reason or another. Shippo, Kouga ,Hakkaku ,Eri, Muso , Ryokotsu,and Suikotsu carpooled in Kouga's Hummer from South. Sango , Sesshomeru ,Kagura , Bankotsu , Myoga, Mukotsu and Jijenji, leased a limo on short notice down to the club from the West .Last but not least from the East, Inuyasha took his best friend Rin on the back of his motocycle , because Kikyo backed out at the last minute for not being able to get out of work. Ayame , Hakodoshi, and Jakotsu rode in Jakotsu's Charger.

Once the directions on the flyer lead them walking down a darkened alley, that dead end before the back of the Italian Resturant, after parking in a abandoned parking lot. It used to be a motel but was now left with the remains of a mysterious fire back in the seventies. Some say it was haunted , and others said it was because of lacking of funds to finish tearing it down, but nobody knew for sure. At the end of the darkening dead end that they started towards ,where the music pounded the concrete at their feet , stood a somewhat uninviting looking storm shelter door.

The door that served as the entrance to the club appeared to be drizzled in bloody crimson over the black paint within the shadows. Two burley men in black suits with the most longest white hair they ever seen ,and if it wasn't for the youth in their faces , they would've thought it would've been a trap for them to the old geezers lunatical musings ,or at least what the males soon thought. They were soon welcomed by the the odd men standing guard over the door, in a voice that slithered down their spines ,and made their skin crawl for some reason.

Inside the clubs entrance laid a yellow brick spiraled, puzzled staircase, that wrapped itself along the borders of the walls through the middle of the ceiling , and along the side walls before going down, with glass railings encased in steel . It took a little while to figure the way because within the appearant size from outside ,it was somewhat bigger than imagined , and being like a puzzle ,made things difficult. It was easy to find yourself where you started , another room entirely, or a trap door, until you finally came to the dance floor, or at least one of them.

The walls, matched the door ,black with dripped red paint as if it were blood running down them. The floors and ceilings were sometype of marbled ,mirror glass ,but from the ground floor ,or at least what you thought was the ground floor ,and one would look seeing the night sky instead of their reflection or that sight of the dance floor on the celling. The tables and chairs were shaped like champange gobblets, with bubbling crimson or blue liquid traveling up the stem , and lower part of the flute. Underneath the liquid seemed to be a odd , but self sustained flames , fiercely waving it's scorching tendrils againts the bubbling current. Topped off with a small tablecloth , drapped over in a dark blue hues, and left with a single black rose in the center within a swirled rose and white colored vase.

The bar offsetting the dance floor was simular to the tables and chairs to complete the eery glow, but was in the shape of a cresent moon. Large pillars made froom glass filled with purple billowing smoke, lined the room that served as private dance stages, but instead of being held up by a pole , it was structured around a gothic pillar. At this point , a straight way to get there wasn't found at the moment with no obvious way leading the way up them. To the one side though did have dancing poles for the almost nude club dancers and whomever wanted to take part.

Portrayed alongside the bloodied walls within the golden frames were framed moving pictures frozen in the photographs. They were simular to the movies of which the club was partually named from ,except they carried much darker undertones than the familar tale one would remember.

The first one was of the girl that was once trapped into the mirror dressed in white ,a mother to the odd one with the pumpkin head , and answered to the name of this time in the photo was the same girl being carried by her son , carrying it's cracked pumpkin head in her arms while he carried her. The girl was limply bleeding in his green stem like hands , while she held together the pieces of his head , and her blood soon ran down from her. The man and the carried woman glitchingly moved towards the mirrors end as though it was coming right at you.

Another was of the Tin Man , visciously tearing himself apart with his own hands that were fillled with rage , and the oil puddled around his crazed form as if it were blood. Next to it had one with the cowardly lion , holding his still beating heart, torn out by his own bloodied hands , and while on his knees ,seemingly begging for something. The scarecrow was positioned in the one further down ,torn apart and thrown into a pile into what looked like logs for a fire,with his head staring shockinly from the burning flames , and screaming into unhearing ears. As the scarecrow watched Dorothy , maniacally chuckling with maddening glee upon her face. Dorothy continues to turn the pit level to roast the little pup , known as Toto ,and currently basting around on a spick.

Once finally making it towards the bar , Kagome and Kanna settled on the crimson stools to order drinks , when one surprisingly wrapped two muscular arms around his waist. Smiling sweetly before turning her black corset formaled clad form ending at her mid thigh to find herself somewhat crestfallen. Kagome was only left to find that it wasn't who she had hoped , it wasn't Renkotsu. Instead she soon found the boy , who mistakely embraced her , was someone who she had in her life laid eyes on.

"What the hell ! I don't know what you want buddy but it's definately not here"Kagome screamed before pushing him back away slightly

"Oh sorry about that my mistake ,I thought you were someone else.. Can I buy you a drink or something Miss? Um I don't think I met you before , My name is Inuyasha"

"No, thankyou , there's no need it's just you spooked me . I am not used to be fondled and gropped by strangers. My name is Kagome and next to me in white is my friend Kanna" Kagome spoke introducing herself and her frind sitting next to her in a white of the shoulder cocktail dress to bring out her short dark hair and brown eyes.

"Hey ":Inuyasha returned while sipping on his beer

"Hi " Kanna and Kagome answered guzzling down theirs

Movements were heard making their their way towards them , and before it's presence was known Inuyasha felt a little uneasy somehow , like something was missing. Soon Kanna's date Naraku came forward to pull her into her embrace , and before Rin came to stand next to Inuyasha. After the introductions were traded , Naraku turned his tired gaze on the girl that seemed to be waiting for something ,and guessing that it would be her boyfriend that he came with , Naraku intervened.

"Heya Kagome ,Renkotsu got a little frustrated when trying to get to you so he told me to protect you until he calmed down before he blew up the place in keeping persitent about following me down." Naraku soothed

"Dammit! This sucks, well maybe I could.. Hey where's Miroku ,maybe I could get him to dance with me?" Kagome sighed

"Where do ya think ?What is he always doing? Miroku is probally doing what he's best at ,being the manhore he is..." Naraku sighed and Kanna giggled

"Kagome, I am sure Inuyasha here will dance with you in a little bit ..Won't ya Yashie?" Rin teased

" Sure.." Inuyasha blushed a little why he all of a sudden why he felt like this...this strange feeling..

'Something isn't right, I don't think .I don't know why but I feel off for some reason' Inuyasha though while looking at the sky in the ceiling

Everyone was seated at the large round table before Kagome turned ,accidentaly caught something rather pecular ,and gasped to see Renkotsu making his way downstairs ,but that wasn't what surprised her, it was what was obliviously keeping him. Renkotsu was currently wrapping his arms around a slim woman ,with a red speghetti straped dress with inky locks and her lips seemed to be all over him. Naraku slyly moved his sights towards where he noticed Kagome's eyes to be currently drawn to . Upon noticing ,Naraku firmly stood ,offering his hand toward Kagome to comfort her.

"May I Kagome? Dance with me?" Naraku spoke understandingly and earning her nod ,took her to the dance floor .

After Naraku and Kagome left for the dance floor ,Inuyasha and Rin followed to dance to the music that was currently playing until he looked over to Kagome because he smelt the smell of salt coming from her,and before he could ask if she was okay ,Inuyasha gotten his own heartbreaking shock of his own. Above Kagome 's head from the corner of his eyes ,he found a man with black hair to his mid back ,wearing a black silk shirt, and black dress pants,and who was all over his girlfriend once Inuyasha began to lean down to Rin's ear to inform her he had to go take care of something ,looking up to the stairs ,and to see that the couple was no longer there,but he was sure he knew what he saw. Walking back to the table ,following Naraku and Kagome ,Inuyasha led Rin back to her seat.

Kagome soon realized Inuyasha's change of mood ,as she continued to stare ,and noticing as it was now. The man dressed in a crimson dress shirt with a pair of black jeans and a studded belt ,that hid beneath his jet black hair flowing down his back,behind him .His present stare gave away that he was beyond tense for some reason and blended with his glare to kill, but for the moment she let it go. Kagome, Rin , and Kanna began towards the dance floor with four pairs of eyes on them, unbeknownst to the oblivious girls dancing without a care in the the table was left with Naraku, and Inuyasha ,with a newely arriving ,drunk Miroku.

"Hiya Miroku? How many times have you gotten near buried alive by your cursed affliction?Show me how many fingers?" Naraku teased while seeing Miroku counting his fingers before giving up , and earning a confused look from Inuyasha.

"Don't worry about it . You don't want to know but unfortunaltely like us .I am sure you will know soon enough."Naraku informed

"I lost count but all of them was so worth it to touch those delightfull sweetness!" Miroku sighed dazedly

"Hey ya okay there man you kinda look like Kagome over there was ..It wouldn't have to do with..Oh shit! Don't tell me the girl Renkotsu was stuffing his tongue down her throat ,wasn't anyone of importance?"Naraku said realizing

" Yea , you can say that! Who in the fuck is that ,Renkotsu?" Inuyasha asked

" Renkotsu is Kagome's boyfriend of two years and she is?" Naraku asked piecing things together

"My girlfriend Kikyo, and ,my soon to be ex girlfriend!" Inuyasha yelled slamming another shot of vodka, with a beer chaser, and without noticing that his eyes were almost completely glazed over by red.

Turning his head ,Inuyasha turned quickly to check on Rin ,and noticing that someone had took notice of the girl ,but if he only took notice as of to whom. Instead his sights took in one that's scent captivated his beast complete attention in more ways then one somehow and seemed to pin him still . Kagome started dancing toward the lone new friend sitting now by himself ,as Naraku went to dance with Kanna.

" Inuyasha would you like to dance with me ?" Kagome asked slightly tipsy

Without words, Inuyasha rose before walking over towards her, pulling her against his chest, and leading her back until she leaned up on a nearby wall in a dark corner of the room. Looking up and Inuyasha began to move to the song but it didn't take long before the temptation got the better of him. Soon because of the erotic sway and bump of their bodies touching the last of his control quickly fell away when Inuyasha made his move.. Leaning down to catch her face,raising it slightly to look at him, and Inuyasha finally closed the distance between taking her lips greedily into his.

The kiss was rough at first but then it became more demanding before he released them to look at her once again. Once melting chocolate met that of his burning desire for her in his fiery red gaze, something came over as she shivered before catching the love blending into the mix,and before she found her voice to confirm what she was seeing .Inuyasha beat her to it realizing that what he saw come through with the memories that weren't of his own , not in this time anyway, and in the end it wasn't lost to her, then he spoke.

"Kagome...My Mate.." Inuyasha sank his lips against hers once again catching every moan coming from her sweet mouth

Eventually , the pair spiraled within the grasp that the darkness had on them fell on the floor in the druken haze, like a dream they dreamt long before they knew everything drew blank ,and not remembering ever meeting another once again . It was like someone didn't want them to remember , and it was as soon as the scream from someone behind them they were once taken from each other again.

Although before they did once again forget something happened between them and took them much farther than should have been allowed , unbeknownst to them. Before the blinding light took away their ability to see , and the following chaos that followed after the fell unconscious , two from the shadows and with the fallen couple remerged into darkness. Even if they are forced to forget , Inuyasha and Kagome now have something they can't take away until they can find away back to each other someday . For the marks on their souls bound by the hidden spot on their neck , and for the small miracle growing inside her...

TBC...