My first BanxSan fanfic and I'm quite proud of how it turned out. A while ago Water-Goddess-Mi asked me to write a SanxBan story and I thought, What the hell, why not? So here it is. Water-Goddess-Mi, here's the story you requested.

Dedication: Dedicated to Water-Goddess-Mi cause if she didn't request it, I wouldn't have written it. Hope you like the first chapter :D

I think it's pretty cute.

Just read and well...you'll see.

Edit: I recently got access to y home computor and spell-checked everything, so yeah. But that doesn't mean EVERYTHING was corrected. Mistakes still happen. So...excuse any errors plz!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Pure and simple.

I looked around me, somewhat amazed.

The mansion to which I had been invited to was huge, an old Victorian. Though on the outside it had an eerie, chilling look to it--what with the faded grayish paint, a few broken windows and creaking shutters, as well as a few large stone gargoyle-type demons on the roof--the main room in which the party would take place had been completely swept clean of dust and cobwebs and was grandly lit. The floor was made of smooth, glittering white tile. The walls had a slightly circular curve to them, and sloped upward to form the massive domed roof. Huge, thick, gracefully carved ivory pillars held up the roof. A gigantic, crystal chandelier hung from the center of ceiling, bathing the room in a pure, white light. Pretty silver light showered me in small dapples.

The party was being held in honor of multiple charities and such around Tokyo that helped the community. From my position near the doorway, just off to the side, I could see my friend, Inuyasha, and his girlfriend, Kikyo. Inuyasha and his older half-brother, Sesshomaru (whose family was stinking rich) had donated thousands of dollars to the local charities around here. Kikyo, who was one of my best friends, just so happened to volunteer at an orphanage downtown. The only reason I was here was because I had a sort of shelter for any stray animals I happened to find on my property. The only reason I could do this was because I lived on my own--well, not really; my brother Kohaku has lived with me since our parents died a while back--at the edge of the city and because I had enough acres to do so. Inuyasha had helped out as well. He'd lent me some money back when I first started to get it up and running and had told me to "Just pay me back whenever." That being the case Inuyasha had pulled some strings (so to speak) and got me invited.

Everyone invited was allowed to bring a single guest and most everyone--from what I could see--had brought a date. I came alone. Well, okay. Not completely alone. I did bring Kirara, the first animal--actually, she's a demon cat that shrinks and grows at will, but that doesn't really matter, does it?--that I ever rescued and is the reason that I opened up the shelter.

So Kirara was calmly perched on my shoulder, gazing about the room with her large, intelligent red eyes and a look of utmost innocence upon her small face. She mewed then, and I followed her gaze. She was staring at another of my friends, Kagura, who was Sesshomaru's date and girlfriend. Sesshomaru had an almost blank look on his face as he trailed behind his excited date. I guessed he was thinking about Rin, his daughter. He'd gone to pick Inuyasha up from the orphanage at which Kikyo volunteered at about two years ago and had met Rin there when she was about seven and about a year before he met Kagura. And a few weeks later he'd adopted her and they were now a happy little family. Plus, Rin and Kagura instantly became like mother and daughter, so I guess it worked out, eh? I wondered who would sane enough to baby sit Rin... It wasn't that she was a bad child; she was just...excitable, really excitable and seemed to have limitless energy.

Kirara suddenly hissed and I instantly saw what had caused her distress: Miroku, my cheating son-of-a-bitch ex-boyfriend. Hate welled up inside me as I watched him and his little whore of a girlfriend. Kirara hissed and snarled, voicing my own thoughts as her hackles rose.

About a year ago, not too long after I had opened the shelter, I had been dating Miroku. Back then he was drinking and had gambled off what little money he had--plus, he was often mean to the animals in his drunken rage. But he was terrified of Kirara, who hadn't liked him from the start. When he was finally and completely broke he came to me, us, begging to let him move in. I'd agreed after a little bit of his whining. Well. Not too soon after that I got a call about a wandering stray dog downtown. Naturally I went to pick it up, but left Kirara inside, of course, where she usually stayed if I couldn't bring her with me to pick up a stray.

When I finally got back home again I found Kirara penned while I found a kennel for the stray. She was locked up in a heated pen for a litter of small kittens I had found a week earlier. She couldn't transform to get out, of course, because that would put the kits in danger. When I let her out she transformed into her larger saber-fanged form and practically tore down the kitchen door, charged into the living room, and flipped the couch over in under five seconds.

I caught up about another two seconds later.

Miroku and some girl years younger than either of us, still a pretty young teen (whom I now knew as Koharu), were cowering beneath the couch, gazing fearfully at a snarling Kirara. And even from their position it was obvious they were naked.

Distraught and furious I ordered them to get out and started up the stairs. About halfway up Miroku, half-dressed and begging, pleaded with me to understand. Kirara soon came, snarled, and bared her fangs. A terrified Miroku quickly high-tailed it out of the house with that little bitch, both only half-dressed.

Koharu suddenly turned and looked straight at me, her eyes sparking with resentment. She sneered nastily at me, but hastily looked away when Kirara arched her back and hissed.

I still don't know how he ended up with an invitation.

I sighed and stroked Kirara's head until she calmed before venturing further into the room.

I was instantly uncomfortable.

It was way too bright, for one thing. And the noise was deafening. Every so often someone or some couple would bump into me. So instead I found an isolated, somewhat darker, corner. Immediately I noticed a dark, burn mark in the floor near my foot.

I knew this mansion had caught fire perhaps a hundred years ago. Apparently a notorious serial killer had been trapped here when the place caught fire. No one knows whether either the police had set fire to the house to chase him out, the criminal himself had set fire to the house so as not to be caught, whether it was an accident, or if maybe someone else had lit the house aflame. A few years back the government had restored the place but it was still unsafe and forbidden to come near the property. Considering that I was baffled as to why the event was being hosted here if it was so dangerous.

Kirara mewed anxiously and nudged me with her muzzle. I gently stroked her and whispered, "Shh, Kirara." She mewed softly and then relaxed slightly. I did as well, and allowed myself to lean back against the wall and slowly relaxed my tense muscles. My eyes closed slowly and my breaths became slow and calm as the music lulled me.

Kirara sprang up suddenly and leapt from my shoulder and sprang nimbly to the floor. Her ears shot upright and angled towards the large, arching doorway entrance to the ballroom. She paused, then shot off, dodging dancing couples and stamping feet.

With an inward groan and darted after her, forcing my way through the crowd and in-between the crowd. I only just remembered to call out "Sorry!" and "Excuse me!" as I chased after Kirara. Then I pushed my way past a familiar couple, and my friend Kikyo called, "Hey! Sango!"

"Where are you going?!" Inuyasha chipped in.

"Uh...no time! I'll explain later!"

I reached the doorway in time to see the tips of Kirara's twin tails disappear into the darkened upstairs hall. I hesitated at the foot of the stairs. The invitations had made it clear that the party would take place in the ballroom and the rest of the house was off-limits. Anyone caught anywhere besides the ballroom or the front hall near the front doors, at least, would be kicked out. But surely they'd understand, right?

Right.

So I took my first, hesitant step up the stairs, and after a short pause I quickened my pace and my steps came faster. Within a few seconds I was at the top of the stairs and out of breath. After a moment's rest I took off in the direction that I had seen Kirara go. At the end of the hall I saw what appeared to be half-drawn stairs with a length of old, rotted, age-worn rope attached to the bottom of the first step. I guessed it led to an attic. The bottom of the staircase was at least six feet off the ground.

An easy jump for Kirara.

I quickly grasped the flimsy rope and pulled the stairs down, praying that the pull-out trapdoor staircase wasn't rotted enough to break at my first few steps. Then, with a deep breath, I steeled my courage and pounded up the stairs once the bottom of the staircase had touched the floor.

The attic was dark yet spacious, with large boxes and crates made of rotted cardboard and wood stacked on top of each other and pushed crazily up against the walls or strewn around the floor. The air was damp and musty, but breathable. There was a large, thick glass window that took up about half the wall, from the center-point to the ceiling. Little slivers of silver moonlight filtered through the thick glass and set a small, dancing pattern of misted dapples across a section of the floor. Layers upon layers of thick gray dust caked the floor. It was obvious no one had been up here in years. But then I saw a trail of small paw prints through the dust. Kirara.

Cautiously I followed the prints to the back of the attic, where what little light that filled the room was dimmed and then eventually lost in the tight shadows.

The moon shifted and a ray of milky light suddenly fell across my path. I stopped dead and followed the light with my eyes. My gaze fell upon a young man about a year or two older than me. I drew in a sudden breath.

He was tall, slim but not skinny, with powerful, broad shoulders. Even in the darkness I could see he was deeply tanned. He had thick, long black hair pulled into a tight braid that nearly touched the floor. He was wearing an old-fashioned white men's kimono with a warrior-style chest armor. He was barefoot. I looked into his eyes last. Bright and intelligent, they were an unusual dark color. Something between an incredibly dark blue and black. Midnight. That was the only name for the color. Midnight.

He smiled cockily at me, arrogant even. "Took your breath away, did I?" His voice was deep, but not incredibly so. He was young. Twenty-six, my guess. Two years older than myself, as I had guessed.

I was about to lash out a response when I noticed Kirara nestled peacefully in his arms. My mouth fell open and I gaped at them.

"Hmm? Oh, she yours now?" He laughed and gently tossed her to the floor. Kirara landed nimbly and jumped up into my own arms. "Sorry. I should have figured she'd have a new companion now. I haven't seen her in so long..."

"Oh...um...," I stammered, unsure of what to say. "Is she yours...?"

"Nah. She's your companion now."

"Oh. Okay then."

"Are you here for the party?"

"Yeah. You?"

"No."

"You don't have an invitation?!" I gasped. "You have to get out of here before you get caught! You could get into some serious trouble--"

"Calm down," he said smoothly, interrupting me. "I've been here long than any of those jackasses downstairs. Lack of invitation won't stop me." He grinned and took a few steps closer. "No offense to you, of course." Suddenly serious, he asked, "You here alone?"

"Well...I brought Kirara..."

"So that's a yes," he stated.

"Yeah."

"Well, how about a dance, then?"

I began to stammer, shocked, but then hastily nodded. "O-Okay," I stuttered. "Th-That sounds...nice." I smiled, my first real one tonight. He returned the smile and came up to me, his steps always fluid, always silent.

He clasped my hand in his and rested his other on my waist. I laid my free hand on his shoulder. Then he began to lead perfectly in a graceful dance, twirling me with ease. I found myself following easily, which shocked me. I had never been the best dancer out there. My amazement must have shown on my face because he laughed then.

"Never danced before, Kitty?"

"Once or twice," I admitted as he spun me. "But badly. I never learned.

"Well, maybe it's time to learn, Kitty," he said as we twirled past the massive window.

"What's with the pet name?"

"What? Don't like it?" he asked, his voice filled with mock hurt. "I do. I think it's cute. Beside, you seem to take Kirara everywhere with you, so it fits."

I couldn't help but smile. I was so calm and at ease that I didn't even pause to think. It didn't occur to me at the time to wonder how he had known Kirara's name--I certainly hadn't told him. But I didn't stop to think...at least not then.

I noticed Kirara perched on one of crates near the window. A halo of silver moonlight surrounded her, causing her creamy fur to glimmer and sparkle. Her red eyes had a strange yet joyous glint in them, something I didn't recognize. Her expression was amused, and she let out a low, teasing, purring mew when she noticed me watching her. I flushed slightly, but he didn't seem to notice. We swept past several stacks of crates and boxes and the faint moonlight was suddenly cut off to a few mere pale dapples and slivers.

Just then Kirara's ears pricked up, and she went rigid, suddenly alert. She blinked rapidly and her gaze locked onto the pull-out trapdoor staircase, which I had left open. I turned my head slightly and glanced over my shoulder, following Kirara's gaze. Two shadows appeared against the far wall, growing taller as the owners came steadily up the stairs. I sucked in a sudden, sharp breath. Great. I was caught and now I would get into some serious trouble. I heard steady footsteps pounding against the stairs and then:

"Sango?"

I sighed in relief as I recognized Inuyasha's voice. My shoulders sagged and I replied, "Over here!"

Kirara mewed and leapt from her perch, springing down and bounding up to my side.

A few moments later Inuyasha and Kikyo appeared, dark silhouettes in the near-darkness. They moved carefully and cautiously through the cluttered attic until I found myself in their prescience. Kikyo glanced at me then exhaled deeply. "Okay, good. You're okay." She looked around the attic and asked, "What made you want to come here? You can barely see two feet in front of you."

I shrugged. "Kirara took off a little while ago and I followed her here."

"Well," Inuyasha said, clapping his clawed hands together briskly, "let's get downstairs again before we ALL get caught and thrown out." He glanced at me curiously. "Sango...when we were in the hallway...it sounded like you were...dancing? And talking to someone. What's up with that?"

"Oh. Oh yeah!" I exclaimed. "I--" My voice faltered as I spun around, only to find myself staring at the dimly outlined frame of a stack of boxes. There was no one there. Confusion settled across my face as I searched around. It would have been nearly impossible for him to have sneaked away unseen or unheard, by at least Kirara or Inuyasha, who happens to be a half-demon, a hanyou. "But he..."

"What?" Inuyasha asked. "Who was here?"

"He...he..."

"What's his name?" Kikyo questioned. "Was he invited to the party?"

"No...," I replied slowly. "He told me he was here before any of us...and that no one could kick him out."

A look of amusement crossed Inuyasha's and Kikyo's faces. "Right," Inuyasha said.

"No. Really."

"What did he look like?" Kikyo pressed.

"Tall," I responded. "Long black hair pulled into a tight braid, tanned skin, and midnight colored eyes."

"'Midnight colored eyes'?" Inuyasha echoed, stifling a laugh.

"It's the only way to describe them!" I defended, my temper flaring. "But...yeah. That's it, basically."

"I see." Kikyo looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Well, there isn't anyone here that sounds like that. Maybe you imagined it...?" she suggested lightly.

"No!" I shouted, a little harshly. "No," I repeated softly. "I didn't imagine it. He was here. He really was..."

Now they appeared skeptical. Inuyasha held up his hands, saying, "Whatever you say, Sango." They didn't trust me. I could see it in their eyes. "Let's get downstairs all the same, ya know, before we really do get thrown out." Laughing silently, he and Kikyo started back to the stairs.

Bending down to pick Kirara up, I followed after them, slowly. "It doesn't matter whether they believe us or not, Kirara," I whispered. "We know he was there."

Kirara mewed in agreement, her head nodding slowly as she trained her eyes with intense focus on a shadowy corner of the room. She made no move to spring away, however, and instead fell silent as we descended the stairs.

Haha. How'd you like it?

Originally meant to be a oneshot, but I changed my mind.

Aren't you all lucky?

R&R

No flames.