Note: I really did intend to update this before now but I got started on other projects and that plus school resulted in this story being forgotten. However since people keep reviewing it I couldn't miss its popularity and so I'm continuing it, even going to try and update it more regularly. Thanks for your reviews and please continue to do so. Also I'm aware that they don't have Halloween in Japan, I just chose to say that in this time they celebrate it, I'm sure they do have festivals that are similar anyway.

Halloween Night

Kagome held Shippou's hand tightly in her own as they stepped out of her driveway and gazed out at her old neighbourhood. She had the strangest feeling that something wasn't quite right but that could be attributed to the fact that she was a half demon and Shippou was a full demon about to go trick-or-treating in a world that didn't know that demons like them existed. Rolling her shoulders Kagome smiled at him as she absently fingered the strap that held her arrows to her back. Inu-yasha had insisted she bring her bow and arrows just in case so she'd opted to use them as part of her costume. "You two all set to go?" Kagome asked looking to her right side where Sango stood with Rin's hand in her Sango's.

"Let's get this show on the rode." Sango said, borrowing one of Sota's expressions. She liked Kagome's brother and he had reminded Sango of her own brother, of what her brother might have been like had he lived. But now was not the time. "Let's go."

"Yeah!" Shippou and Rin called out, practically vibrating as they eagerly awaited their adventure.

"All right then, lets go." Kagome said and with a sigh they took a short walk down the sidewalk before coming to a stop in front of the driveway of the first house. The previous owners had moved according to Kagome's mother but apparently the new residents were really nice and Kagome was glad to start off with someone who didn't know her and would want to ask questions. "Here's our first stop." Moving with surprising speed the children practically dragged Kagome and Sango to the door in their hurry to get there. Pressing the doorbell for them Kagome let go of Shippou's hand and let him and Rin stand in front of the door while she and Sango watched from a safe distance.

"Well hello there, if we don't have a demon and a princess at our door." A kindly looking old woman said as she opened the door to smile down at the two children beaming up at her. "So nice of you to come."

"Trick-or-treat." Rin and Shippou called out merrily. "Happy Halloween." Rin added just in case. As they were leaving some kids had stopped at Kagome's house and had said that too.

"Well Happy Halloween to you too." The woman said with a wider smile. "Now just give me a second to grab some treats for the demon and princess." Reaching behind her she handed Rin and Shippou each a bag of pocky and a small bag of orange and black jellybeans. "Here you go."

Eagerly taking the treats from her they put it in their bags, thrilled with their first treats. "Thank you very much." They said with big grins and smiling back the woman nodded to them, then to the adults who'd been watching with smiles on their faces. Once the door was closed the two rushed to the girls' side and eagerly told them what they had gotten and how they'd said thank you even though the girls had been right there the whole time.

"Good job you two, you're going to be master trick-or-treaters by the end of tonight." Kagome said with a wide wink. "Now let's keep going, wouldn't want them to run out of candy before we get there now would we?" Of course the answer was several resounding nos.

"Well then it's off to the next house." Kagome said taking Shippou's hand once again, just in case. They quickly walked to the next house and this time the children were nearly bowled over when the woman who open the door whizzed past them and practically threw herself at Kagome who'd already braced for impact, just in case.

"Kagome, oh you dear girl you're home!" The woman said catching Kagome in a crushing hug that made Kagome thank god she was a half demon and could take it. "When did you get home? How long are you staying? I bet your parents are pleased as punch."

"We're just here for the day, Mrs. Honda, passing through on the way home." Kagome said when she could get a word in. "I wanted the children to have a chance to experience Halloween so we dropped in today on the way back to our home."

"Oh and aren't they just the cutest." Mrs. Honda said letting go of Kagome to round on Shippou who'd moved to Sango's side, just in case the woman tried to attack them too. "They're not yours are they, you're far to young!" She added but with a gleam in her eye. Kagome had missed a lot of school and then had gone off and disappeared, to a job offer far away but Mrs. Honda had always questioned that. The girl had black hair and brown eyes like Kagome after all.

"No, not by blood anyway. My finance and I adopted Shippou after his parents were killed in a tragic accident." Kagome said motioning to Shippou. "And Rin is my future brother-in-law's ward. Oh and this is Sango, a very good friend of mine."

"How lovely, fiancé did you say?" Mrs. Honda said coyly. "You're not wearing a ring."

"That's because Inu-yasha intends to give her his mother's ring, unfortunately Kagome's fingers are smaller then his mother's so it's being adjusted to fit better." Sango said smoothly with a winning smile. Now here was a definite gossiper. Vultures every last one of them.

"Inu-yasha, what an unusual name." Mrs. Honda continued with a gleam in her eye as she prepared to pump Kagome with details about everything, what a scoop to tell the girls tomorrow over cards.

"Kagome, we should get going, weren't we suppose to stop at your friend's house soon?" Sango asked sweetly. "I don't mean to interrupt but I'm sure you know how children hate to wait Mrs. Honda and Kagome has so many friends we've promised to drop in on."

"Of course dear, you two just hold on a second while I get you your candy." Mr. Honda said from the doorway, coming to see what was taking his wife so long. "How are you, Kagome?" He asked over his shoulder.

"Very well, thank you, Mr. Honda." Kagome said with a warm smile having always liked Mr. Honda, much more then his wife to be sure. "I hope you and the family is well."

"We're all hail and hardy, here you go you two." Mr. Honda said dropping handfuls of candy in to each of the children's bags as he had done for Kagome and Sato. "So this is Shippou, your mother's mentioned him, Kagome. Nice to meet you young man."

"Thank you very much, sir." Shippou said respectively, puffing up his chest in importance. "This is Rin and thank you for the candy and Happy Halloween."

"You're very welcome when Rin echoed Shippou's words. "I hope you'll stop by another time."

"Thank you again." Kagome said with a weary smile as she quickly and with experience herded the children and Sango away from the house and let off a loud sigh when they reached the pavement. "I knew I should have avoided that house but they always give out truckloads of candy so my brother and I usually put up with the cheek pinching and questions."

"Could have been worse." Sango said pointing to the children who were staring into their bags in wonder at all the candy they'd collected already, picturing how much more they'd have before the night was over.

"Good point." Kagome said with a knowing smirk. They were going to be hell to put to bed tonight with all the sugar they'd have eaten by the end of the night. But oh well, that was a big part of Halloween too.

"Look at them! What are they suppose to be, Kagome?" Rin asked pointing to four children who were about to walk past them. Two of them were wearing something similar to Kagome's school uniform only in different colours and their skirts were shorter and the top was slightly different too. The third was wearing blue jeans, black shirt and a red baseball cap. The forth was wearing all black and had ears, whiskers and a limp tail pinned to her behind.

"The girls in the skirts are Sailor Scouts, the boy in the jeans is from an anime called Pokemon and the other girl's a cat." Kagome said with a smile as she waved at them and they waved back, calling out Happy Halloween, which Kagome, Sango and the children returned. "Shall we get going?"

"Yeah. Let's go, more candy, more candy!" The children called out and off they went to get more candy. And so they went from house to house, all down the block and then back up again, the adults carrying the bags towards the end as it got too heavy for them to carry comfortably.

"Where are we going now, Kagome, where are we going now?" Shippou asked as he practically jumped up and down at her side, as he begged her with his eyes to let them go to more houses.

"Shippou, we've been to all the houses on my block, your bag is practically full." Kagome said lifting the bag up so that Shippou could see it. If it weren't for the fact that she was a half demon it would probably be really heavy now.

"Kagome, is that you!"

Wincing visibly Kagome went a bit paler as she recognized the voice who'd called out her name. Turning slowly she watched a familiar figure practically run to her, dragging behind a kid dressed as the Grim Reaper. "Hojo, what a nice surprise."

"Kagome, your home!" Hojo said, just before he let go of the girl and caught her in a crushing hug, swinging her around so happy was he to see her. Holding on so that he wouldn't drop her she smiled weakly when he set her down with a huge smile on his face.

"It's nice to see you too, Hojo." Kagome said stepping back to put some space between them. "It's been a long time."

"Practically forever, Kagome. How are you feeling, are you doing better?" Hojo said with a hopeful smile and Kagome felt the familiar feeling of guilt at his hope. Her grandfather's excuses about her being ill made her feel bad because so many people worried about her and asked about her when she was perfectly fine. Poor Hojo especially had been put through the ringer because of the sick excuse.

"I'm really great, Hojo, thanks for asking. And who is this?" Kagome said with a smile at the young boy who was looking up at Hojo with exasperation, obviously use to this if his face was anything to go on.

"Oh this is Yamato, he's my cousin." Hojo said placing a hand on the kid's head affectionately. "It's so great to see you, Kagome, have you decided to move back here then, to stay?"

"No, I'm just here for a quick visit Hojo, We'll be gone tomorrow." Kagome said with a sweet smile that she hoped looked regretful. "I have to get back to work and to my fiancé, plus the children miss the guys and Sango isn't one for travelling."

"You're engaged." Hojo said faintly, going rather pale with a really sad and pathetic look coming over his face at the fact that she was going to marry someone else. His sweet Kagome was going to be someone else's wife, how could that be?

"Yeah, only recently. I'm not wearing my ring because the band needed to be adjusted." Kagome said, not knowing what to say to make it any easier for the poor guy. He'd tried so hard to get her to go out with him in high school and it wasn't like he was a bad guy, he just wasn't Inu-yasha.

"Yeah, and they love each other a lot and are going to live happily ever after." Shippou stated as he wormed his way between the two. He'd promised Inu-yasha he'd take care of Kagome and he might have been young but he wasn't stupid; this guy was trying to invade Inu-yasha's territory. Fixing the other guy with a hard look Shippou gave Hojo his best Sesshomaru look, the really scary one, not that they weren't all scary usually.

"Shippou." Kagome said giving him a reproving look though she wasn't really that angry. Actually it was kind of cute the way he was behaving but it really wasn't polite behaviour.

"We should be going Hojo, we still have several houses to go to." Yamato said, tugging on Hojo's sleeve. He really didn't like the look on his cousin's face and he figured that Hojo had made himself look enough of a fool for the day. "It was nice meeting you."

"Ah yeah, see you later, Kagome. It was nice meeting you all." Hojo said in a distant voice as he allowed his young cousin to drag hi m away, his eyes staying on Kagome until Yamato deliberately went around a corner, taking Hojo with him.

"He has it bad." Sango said before laying a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Why don't we take them to those few houses over there and then call it a night, what do you say?"

"Yeah, sounds like a good plan." Kagome said and taking Shippou's hand once again made their way across the street.

"Well that's a pretty good load you guys have there." Sango said with a smile as they moved down the deserted street. It was rather creepy for some reason and Sango couldn't seem to ignore a feeling that something was wrong. Trying to toss the idea aside she focused on the children who were eating some pocky that Kagome had given them after she'd look it over.

"Yeah, now Master can have lot's of chocolate." Rin said after she'd swallowed hers. "He really liked the bars that you gave him, Kagome."

"Well I'm glad he liked it-what?" Kagome said then halted as a foreign scent hit her nostrils. She didn't recognize it and it wasn't similar to anything she'd smelled and yet it sent shivers of fear down her spine. Eyes locking onto Sango the two indicated through glances that they both sensed something wrong and threatening. Tightening her grasp on Shippou's hand she ignored the children's chatter and concentrated on figuring out where the danger was. She'd brought her bow and a few arrows along merely for decoration, she'd never expected to need them, otherwise she'd have brought more. Sango had a sword of course but it was old and well, it was a sword, not the demon slayer's chosen weapon.

"Kagome?" Sango said quietly, so quiet that had Kagome not had the ears of a dog she never would have recognized or understood what Sango was so silently asking.

"Look Kagome, I wonder what he's suppose to be." Rin said pointing in front of them where a lone figure had appeared as though from thin air. Instincts kicking in to full gear both women grabbed the children's hands in hard hold's and spun around, thinking to walk away from whatever it was. Behind them was another lone figure, dressed all in black like the first. Looking all around Kagome didn't see anyone else but who was to say for sure.

"Sango, take the children and run, I'll cover your back for as long as I can." Kagome said as she showed her now sharp canine teeth to the one coming from the front. "I have a feeling this is going to get ugly real quick."

"I'm not leaving you here and besides, we'd never make it." Sango said drawing the sword. It had been something Kagome's father had picked up at a garage sale and Kagome fiercely hoped that the thing wouldn't crumble on impact. Pushing Shippou behind her Sango and Kagome moved back to back with the two children between them.

"I'll protect you." Shippou said moving to stand by Sango's side but was stopped by her hand in front of him.

"We'll need you to stay between us and protect Rin if something should happen to us." Sango said, never taking her eyes off the figure that was drawing ever closer, its pace unhurried and causal, as if only out for a stroll. "Can you do that for us, Shippou?"

"I'll guard her with my life." Shippou declared as he pulled out the small dagger from his belt. He moved back between them and took Rin's hand in his free one, squeezing it to let her know he wouldn't desert her. Squeezing back Rin tried to smile but failed miserably.

Watching the man pick up his pace Kagome drew an arrow and pointed it at him with the point aimed for the man's throat. "What do you want?"

"We're hungry demon, its time to feed." Kagome's sensitive ears heard and taking a deep breath Kagome prepared to fire. Meanwhile Sango stood with her feet braced, prepared to swing and fight whatever it was that had chosen to make them their prey. Mere meters from Sango the man attacked, running at her full speed, preparing to swing Sango turned her head slightly when she heard the sound of metal flying through the air just before the knife blade went into the man's throat, embedded to the hilt. Choking on it the man pulled it out and stared at it, seconds before Sango's blade flew through the air, slicing him in half diagonally. At the same time Kagome unleashed an arrow at the man, which found its mark in the creatures heart and was about to follow through with another when the man disappeared as though he'd been nothing more then dust, the other man doing the same. Breathing hard the two women looked around but saw no one else approaching, but where had the dagger come from?

"Now how on earth did a half demon and a fox demon get to this period in earth's history and survive?" A voice asked and Kagome moved to look in Sango's direction where another figure had appeared as though the figure was a part of the shadows that lay around it. This figure was dressed all in black as well, the face and body covered by a black cloak that came all the way to the heeled feet. A woman this time, her voice suggested it, the cloak muffled her voice too much though to tell for sure. "Please don't shoot me with one of those arrows either, if I'd intended to kill you you'd be dead already. Silly boys, they could smell your demon blood and like any addict went after you without thinking it through first. Such is life though." The figure added, motioning to where the other figured had fallen before disappearing.

"Are you the one who threw the knife?" Sango asked, standing side by side with Kagome, the children behind them. The figure was about their height but she seemed bigger, stronger then them, not physically, but in another, deeper way.

"Yes, normally I would have removed the children and let them have a try at you but I wanted you all alive to explain. Especially about that little girl." The figure said and Kagome was nearly sure that the person was female, call it feminine instinct and the fact that she had yet to meet a man who smelled like lilacs.

"What about her?" Kagome said as she stared at the figure as though it would help any. Why focus on Rin, weren't she and Shippou the oddities here?

"I smell Sesshomaru on her, yet she's alive and completely human, why is that?" The figure asked and all four of them drew in their breath at the figure's mentioning of Sesshomaru. How did this figure know about Sesshomaru and what did it mean that it could smell him on her, was this figure a demon as well? She didn't act like a demon or smell like one in Kagome and Shippou's opinion.

"You know my Master?" Rin asked from behind Sango, peering from behind with Shippou's hand still firmly in hers. Even though she wouldn't stand a chance if it came to Shippou protecting her she was glad for his nearness and support.

"Your Master, ah so the rumours are true then, the Great Lord of the West has made a human his pet. How ironic that he would do so but won't even speak a civil word to his own brother, how interesting and typical of him." The figure said with a laugh, confirming in Kagome's mind that this was a female, a dangerous one at that. But of course that wasn't the million-dollar question.

"What do you want with us, if you just wanted to know about Rin then you've got your answer." Kagome said with a hard look at the woman, not willing to wait for the woman to tell them when it suited her. "If you still want to know how I got here I'm afraid that's a long and complicated story that I really don't feel like telling."

"Well aren't you impatient, and what about the fox that hides behind you, how did he get here?"

"I'm not hiding behind her and you better leave us alone or face Inu-yasha's wrath. He's really good at killing people who threaten us." Shippou said from behind them, fighting back the instinct to move from behind Kagome and Sango. He'd promised Sango he'd take care of Rin but if she insulted him again he was going out there.

"Inu-yasha, is that who you belong to?" The woman said, moving slightly closer, more then just minor curiosity in her voice now. "It would explain why your mate's scent is similar to Sesshomaru's and why you have his pet with you, how interesting. Will you be seeing Inu-yasha soon by any chance?"

"Yes, why?" Kagome said having a bad feeling about all this.

"Then you can return this to him, I'm sure he misses it." The woman said as she reached up and lifted a leather necklace with a pouch attached to it. Throwing it at Kagome she caught it reflexively and held it carefully in her hand. "And tell him that I said hi, he'll know who I am as soon as he sees what's inside the pouch."

"Do you have anything you want me to tell my Master?" Rin called out from behind Sango, her curiosity piqued. How did this woman know her master and Inu-yasha, what was in the pouch?

"No, not really." The woman said with a smile in her voice, almost a nice voice now. "Just give him a good scratch behind the ears for me, I'm sure he misses it." Turning around the woman walked away from them, leaving them staring after her as she literally disappeared in front of them, becoming foggy and then clear, nothing left behind to indicate she'd ever been there.

"Kagome?" Sango said hesitantly as she looked over at Kagome with a hint of fear in her voice. "I think we just went up against three Si's."

"Three what?" Kagome asked with a raised eyebrow, she'd never heard of those before.

"A Si is a creature that can change form and hunts other creatures, sucking the blood from their victim's necks. They're second only to full grown demons." Sango said seriously. "I've only heard about them but apparently they turn into a powder almost when they die which evaporates and she did say that it was your demon blood that attracted them to us."

"Here we call them vampires but we don't really believe in them, we always viewed them more as myths." Kagome said slowly, it all sinking in. "Oh my God."

Well do you like it, hate it, despise me now and will never read my work again? If so tell me and I'll kill this new storyline but I figure if you watch the show you expect violence and death to some degree. Anyway let me know your opinion, thanx.