Chapter 4

Inuyasha stood across the room from Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha had his sword drawn and Sesshoumaru had his claws at the ready. Jessica was standing in front of Tara and Kagome, protecting them from any possible crossfire.

"Do you know how hard it is to get blood stains out of carpet?" Angel said, interrupting their fight. "Poison stains are even worse, believe me I know. Tara, I refuse to be held responsible for this. I'm going to the mall, whether you come or not is your decision, but if you want to survive each other, I suggest you come."

Sesshoumaru could not respond, he was so shocked. He had just been reprimanded by someone a great deal younger than him. Inuyasha, on the other hand, was not stunned to silence, quite the opposite, actually.

"Bitch! Who do you think you are?! You can't tell me what to do-" before he could even finish his sentence, she had her hand around his throat and was almost nose to nose with him.

"If you value your life, you will not speak to me like that again," she hissed. And before he could even react, he found himself on his butt. With that she turned around to face Sesshoumaru while reaching into her pocket to fish something out. She pulled out her armband and ring made of the same type of metal and place the ring in his hand. "Put that on if you're coming to the mall. Lucky for you it has to be worn on the right side."

For once, Sesshoumaru was wondering he same thing as his brother: who did this girl think she was? There was something familiar about her, but he knew he had never met her. The authority that she commanded made you want to do what she told you. He thought about this as he slid the ring onto his finger. Then, suddenly, he felt something change and looked at his hand. He no longer had claws, and the stripes were gone. But that didn't seem to be the only thing that felt different. He was about to demand Angel tell him what she had done to him when Inuyasha stated cracking up; he was laughing hysterically and pointing at Sesshoumaru. He, then, realized that he no longer felt the familiar weight of his tail on his shoulder and that his hair had turned black. He grabbed Angel's left arm, being that her shirt had no collar. He glared angrily into her eyes, but she stared back, calmly. This truly surprised him, any other person, or demon, facing this glare would be cowering in fear, but this girl remained perfectly calm. He neither smelled nor sensed any fear on her. "Tell me what you have done to me, girl," he demanded icily.

"I have given you a human form," she explained, maintaining her calm front. "But don't worry, you still have all your youkai strengths, well, except for the claws. But it's not as if I turned you into a human, it's just a human form, like an illusion. Do you honestly believe any self-respecting youkai, myself included, would willingly turn themself into a human? If you'll just let go of me, I'll show you. Have you noticed that you still have your strength?"

She was correct. He let go of her, and she slid her metal ring up her arm. As he her change, he noticed her strange, constricting attire. He could not help but wonder how she could move so easily in something so tight. He let his eyes move slowly up her body, taking in every detail, every curve. His eyes lingered a moment longer on her chest before she turned around to walk back to the table to get her purse. He saw the way her hair was done: clipped up from underneath so that it seemed almost like a black fountain. He also noticed a small pearly line just below her neck, not quite hidden by her hair.

Angel was aware of his eyes on her even after she had turned, and, truly, she didn't mind. As a matter of fact, she had been wondering what was taking so long for him to notice. She felt his eyes brush the scar her sister had given her a few days ago and she froze, worrying he might think her weak. "Jessica, did you want anything from the mall, since you're not allowed to go," she asked her half-sister, remembering the reason that she couldn't go.

"What are you talking about? Why can't I go?" Jessica, on the other hand, apparently didn't remember.

"The scar isn't gone yet, baka," Angel replied gesturing to her back. "If you had just put my sword down when I told you to, instead of swinging it around, you would be coming."

"Oh yeah," she finally remembered. (A/N: my sister actually forgets stuff like that, not that she has ever hit me with a sword) "Man, it's taking you a long time to heal."

"You cut almost completely through my spinal cord, of course it's taking a few days. Be happy otou-san was home, or you probably would not be standing here. All you got was grounded until I heal completely," she had said this in English so that Sesshoumaru (and Inuyasha, he might get ideas) wouldn't know that some weak, hanyou child could injure her so badly. All he knew was Jessica had hurt her, she was angry about it, and, for some reason, she didn't kill her. She was also trying desperately not to launch herself at her sister.

"So, let's go to the mall, shall we?" Aifa said, trying to draw attention away from the present topic.

"I still don't get it, why can't the kid come?" Inuyasha was, as ever, a step behind. "And what's a mall?"

"I think I'm getting a migraine," Angel said, putting her right index and middle fingers to her temple. "Kagome, you probably have more patience with him, you explain it to him, I'm leaving." With that said, she turned to walk out the door, followed closely by Aifa and Sesshoumaru, who was refusing to let his curiosity show. He knew he would find out eventually.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Angel said as she was about to turn the handle. she walked over to Inuyasha and forced a ring, almost identical to Sesshoumaru's, onto his finger, as well. "And leave the swords here."

"Hey, bitch! This isn't an illusion! I'm human!" Inuyasha yelled at Angel.

"I must have forgotten to mention that the metal has a different affect on anyone who isn't a full demon," Angel said nonchalantly.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Inuyasha wasn't a happy camper.

"I mean the metal that that ring is made of casts the illusion of being human on anyone who where's it, who is pure youkai. But if anyone less than that where's it, it turns them into a human," she explained as if speaking to a small child. "And I told you not to speak to me like that." She flicked his nose.

He grabbed his nose and gave her one of those looks that says 'you are one of the strangest youkai I have ever met.' (People give me that look all the time.)

"You are so weird sometimes," Aifa said to her, in English.

"I know," she responded, giving a small, theatrical bow.

"Hey, this stupid thing won't come off," Inuyasha was pulling desperately at the ring.

"That's because you have to relax," Jessica said.

"What do you mean 'relax'?" Inuyasha asked.

"Don't show him yet. If you do, he won't keep it on," Angel ordered.

"Nya" Jessica stuck her tongue out at her.

"Stop that, you immature child. Put that tongue back in your mouth before I rip it out," Angel's patience with her sister was already wearing thin. This only caused Jessica to twitch her ears and cross her eyes. "You are impossible. Tara, try to teach your daughter some manners." She stormed out the door in a mood more foul than it had been when Tara had given Kagome permission to use her computer.