Demoness: Here you go! See I kept my promise and didn't make you wait too long now did I? Major thanks to my beta HellsAngelOfDeath a.k.a. Crash for her excellent job editing this thing. I'm just going give you a hint…if you want me to update faster, please review even if you have before. I like to hear from you the readers of what you think and I will try my best to answer any questions you have-

Sesshoumaru: Will you stop begging the readers for reviews and give them the chapter already?

Demoness: *glares* Sorry about that, but if you want the next chapter, that I'm looking at on my computer as we speak, then i would like at least 4 more reviews please. Well on with the story…

Disclaimer: You want one? *shakes disclaimer* Go fetch boy!
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Chapter Three: As the Shadows Draw Closer

Chitenshi glanced at the wrapped box sitting on the seat next to her. 'What could my mother have asked Naiana to make for me? Not only that, but why have her give it to me on my eighteenth birthday?' Chitenshi let her head drop in defeat. "Too many questions and not enough answers," she whispered to herself deciding that this mystery was best left till later.

She turned onto her street, thankful that she could spend the night away from everything with her friends. She approached her house and saw Haily's car parked on the right side of the driveway, leaving the space on the left for Chitenshi. She let a contented sigh out, but soon regretted thinking that everything was fine.

As she pulled into her driveway, she saw that her friends were not inside where they should have been. Instead they sat in a row on the top step of the porch in the same exact position. They were lined up like little dolls waiting for someone to come and play with them. Their legs were bent and rested on the step just below where they sat; right arms were propped upon their knees, with their chins resting in their palms looking bored, yet oddly amused at the same time.

Chitenshi groaned at the sight before her and began muttering to herself. "Figures, of all days to take the key dad. You couldn't have left it there for just one more day? Now I'm going to be burned at the stake by three of my friends, how lovely!" Chitenshi grabbed her school bag from the back and carefully lifted her costume and placed in her lap, getting ready to face her trial and execution. She put her hand on the door handle, but stopped before opening it. She turned and looked back at the mystery beside her.

'Now I can't have them poking around wanting to know what's in there, can I?' Chitenshi placed a hand on top of the package and concentrated on moving it. A soft red glow surrounded her hand and the package beneath. As the light died away, the package slowly faded away leaving nothing behind except the knowledge that it had once been there.

Chitenshi got out of her car, walked up the flower lined path towards the steps on which her executioners sat. She began the slow climb and passed her friends gaining access to the door. Unlocking the door, she waited for the onslaught of comments from the three, but was surprised to find that they had not even turned around to look at her. Chitenshi pushed open the door, set her bag down while placing her costume in a safe place, then went back to the door and stuck her head out. All she could manage to say was an innocent "oops."

That probably wasn't the smartest choice, but it did the trick. No sooner had she voiced the small word, than the three girls were up and chasing after her into the house. Chitenshi heard Haily's voice distinctly over the others because of the vocabulary that was being used and the phrases that flowed from her mouth were enough to kill every plant in the house and make them come back as zombies. Chitenshi was struck with an idea and decided to see how far she could get her friend to go with the comments.

After she rounded a corner that led into the kitchen she turned her head slightly so she could see the three out of the corner of her eye then let her mouth take control. "Now Haily, I can't seem to see why there is cause for such language."

If Haily wasn't pissed before, that certainly saw to it that she was now. "Oh you know damn fucking well why. First, you tell us that the key is in the rock, but the funny thing is, it wasn't in the rock, was it? Second, we sat on those steps outside for over and hour waiting for your sorry ass get home. Third, when your royal highness did finally decide to grace us with her presence, all you had to say was "oops" and you wonder why there is cause for such fucking language!" With that Haily dove for one of Chitenshi's legs and actually managed to grab hold of it.

Chitenshi felt something wrap around her ankle, successfully pulling her foot out from under her. She braced her arms in front of her to cushion the impact when she felt her center crumble. Thanks to her training in both dance and fighting, she barely even landed hard as a result of Haily grabbing her, but it put her in an immutable position. The ground put her so that she was under the mercy of her three pissed off friends who wanted revenge and were going to achieve that revenge in the best way they knew how.

Haily grinned mischievously at Chitenshi, still not relenting in her hold of the ankle. "Girls, I do believe that Chitenshi here is in need of some pay back. Wouldn't you agree?"

Julie and Kay nodded their heads while approaching Chitenshi with their hands in front of them. Chitenshi gave up at that point, knowing what was coming. "Alright get your revenge. I won't fight you."

All three girls crowded around Chitenshi and started tickling her on the sides of her abdomen. She laughed and tried to move away from the fingers, but they just kept coming. Chitenshi may be tough and graceful, but tickling provided a definite weak spot.

Chitenshi couldn't stop laughing long enough even to catch her breath. "Ok! Ok! I give up. You win. I'll do anything, just stop it," she said in between fits of laughter.

The girls stopped and looked at each other and then back to Chitenshi. She looked at their faces and didn't like the situation one bit. 'I definitely shouldn't have said anything.'

Julie was the one to speak this time while the other two just grinned like they were high. "Anything? Well, if you mean anything then we want you to perform Hit Me Baby One Time by Britney Spears in your school uniform, while we watch and eat popcorn. You're going to be our entertainment for tonight." The snickers from the other two were plainly heard and Chitenshi just groan at the absurdity of the whole thing. If there were two things she immensely disliked, it would be Britney Spears and having to perform like Britney Spears.

Chitenshi just slapped her hands over her eyes and tried to see if bargaining was an option. "Do I have to do that? You made me do that freshman year and I said I would never do it again. Could I possibly do something else and give you all the popcorn I have? Would that be an option?"

Things were getting dire now. At each of her bargains the girls just shook their heads, all the while maintaining that smug grin that Chitenshi despised. "Alright fine! I'll do it, but I'm doing it later!"

Chitenshi sat up and glared at the girls in front of her who were supposed to be her friends. "You've definitely taught me to never be late again. I would rather have a conversation with a cactus for fifteen hours then ever be late again with you three."

All the girls just laughed as they got up off the floor and walked into the kitchen, assuming their normal positions. Haily and Kay in chairs on opposite sides of the table, Julie in a chair over by the desk, and Chitenshi perched up on the counter.

Resting her chin in her palm, Chitenshi started the usual round of questions for the night. "So what do we have planned for tonight? Anything is open, just no parties this weekend at the house."

Julie and Kay breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that, but their new found relief was soon shattered upon a statement from Haily. "No, I wasn't thinking of having a party this time. I was more in favor of going down the shore and cruising the boardwalk for guys." Haily was already counting the possibilities that it would lead to, but it seemed that Kay had other plans.

"You better kill that idea before it takes hold in that brain of yours. The last time we went to the beach, you entered us in a wet T-shirt contest and somehow got us into Club Merge even though we weren't old enough." Kay took a pause and closed her eyes taking in a deep breath before she opened them again and sarcastically looked at Haily.

"But I would have to say that the most memorable moment was when you got those guys to follow us back to Chitenshi's condo down there and if that wasn't bad enough, you stripped them while they slept and then locked them out without their clothes," Kay yelled in frustration.

Haily simply ignored the ranting girl across from her and let a satisfied smile come to her lips as she replayed the scene in her head. "You know Kay, I think that was the best I've done to date, though..." She paused in her sentence and glanced at Chitenshi before she leaned back in the chair and continued. "I couldn't have done it without Chitenshi's help. Of course I take full credit of the idea to lead them back to the condo, but she took it from there and said and I quote, 'Why don't we see how much fun we can have with these boys.' So we had our fun and left them outside. Still to this day, I cannot fathom why they never stirred the whole entire time we undressed them and dragged them outside."

After Haily was finished, Chitenshi just put on an innocent look and shrugged her shoulders. Kay scoffed in annoyance at their antics, slouched in the chair and crossed her arms with a scowl.

"Oh come on Kay! You have to lighten up once in a while. Even you have to admit that they were quite nice to look at down below, if you know what I mean," Haily said toying with Kay, secretly hoping she would take the bait, and Kay, never one to disappoint, took the bait hook, line, and sinker.

As Kay started to preach about morals, Chitenshi decided that it was the best moment to leave and get her room ready for the night ahead, but as she was walking up the stairs, she was stopped when the words from the kitchen filled the house. She just shook her head and gave a small laugh before continuing up the stairs.

"Judging by the vocabulary that Haily is using, this is going to be one of the longer arguments. I honestly don't know how they've stayed friends all these years, especially with Kay being so damn good and proper," she commented as she walked down the hallway and entered her room.

She slid off her shoes and slid across the dark hard wood floors, falling onto her bed. Chitenshi closed her eyes and breathed in the soft scent of the orchids growing throughout the room.

Chitenshi's bedroom was located at the opposite end of the house from the master bedroom where her father slept. Her room was quite large, but held a warm glowing feel to it, due to the way it was decorated. The walls were painted in a rich purple shade that blended into dark blue on the ceiling. Painted stars were scattered upon the ceiling along with a moon that kept watch over the room.

She turned onto her stomach and buried her head into a lush red pillow close to her. These same pillows were piled in various spots on the floor and on the bed allowing for lounging almost anywhere in the room. The same red fabric as what was on the pillows hung from rods above the windows, casting a red hue on the contents inside the room.

Chitenshi opened her eyes and played with the beading on the light blue bed spread, before reluctantly getting up and changing. After rummaging through her drawers, she pulled on a pair of black pants with silver chains hanging on her right hip and a red tank top lined with light blue ribbon.

She checked her appearance and tossed her school uniform into the laundry basket in her bathroom, before pulling out the extra blankets and bedding from the bathroom closet and placing them on the floor at the end of her bed.

She leaned against one of her dressers and counted off the things that had been done while reminding herself of the things that had yet to be accomplished. "Let's see, my room is clean, laundry is off the floor, and the bedding is set out. The only things left to do would be to call for pizza, and get them to stop fighting."

Chitenshi was about to pick up the phone, but stopped, suddenly remembering something else. "I should really put my costume in a safer location, away from the prying eyes of my friends."

Sticking her head out the door she could clearly hear that her friends had not left the kitchen and were still bickering. Chitenshi went back into her room, closed her eyes and concentrated. The red glow that had surrounded her hand before was there again, but brighter this time. After a few seconds, the wrapped costume started to appear in her hands. Little by little, the object came into focus as the glow faded away, then disappeared completely as the costume rested in her palm.

Chitenshi looked around her room while holding the costume. "Now, where to put it?" No sooner had she voiced her question than her eyes fells on the black iron spiral staircase that led to the third level and a quiet retreat for Chitenshi. Only her family and the three people downstairs had ever been up there. No on else was allowed because it was a space that was reserved for Chitenshi only; a space to calm her fears and focus her mind when obstacles arose.

Chitenshi swiftly ascended the staircase, coming to stop right at the top. She turned to a nearby candle and gently blew on the wick which ignited in a blue flame. In rapid succession, other candles placed around the room flickered to life, illuminating the room in a soft blue tone. Once the last candle was lit, a chest located at the far side of the room, revealed its presence to Chitenshi.

She walked over to the chest and ran her fingers over the wood, marveling at its smoothness and perfection. 'It's been a while since I've ventured up here for something other than dance.' A soft smile came to her lips as she thought, 'I could just imagine the looks on my friends faces if they saw me light all these candles without a single match.'

Chitenshi gave a small laugh at the thought and knelt in front of the chest. It was made of ebony wood that never faded over the years, but the thing that made this chest unique was the symbol on top and the way it had to be opened. The top of the lid held the symbol that Chitenshi had carried her entire life, a blood red crescent moon that opened to the left, bordered on the left and the right by a white wing.

Chitenshi grabbed a needle off a nearby table and pricked her finger, eliciting a single drop of blood to fall from her onto the center of the crescent moon. In reaction, the moon radiated a soft golden hue, and allowed the lid to lift up slightly. She grabbed the edges and pressed up revealing the contents inside.

The first objects Chitenshi's eyes fell upon were the twin katanas strapped to the lid. Fingers drifted over one of the hilts, wrapping around it and slowly pulling the blade from its sheath. These swords were one of the few things Chitenshi had left and she treasured them. The blades were made of the purest black onyx with cores of unlimited power. At an early age she had mastered them with a technique that could far surpass every grand master in the world. It had been almost four years since Chitenshi had held one of them in her skilled, ivory hands. Too many memories flashed in her eyes, bringing to the surface old wounds long since scarred over.

Chitenshi sheathed the sword, and returned to her original purpose for coming back up here. Lifting the costume from the floor, she gently laid it atop of Naiana's gift she had transferred here earlier. As she retracted her hand, it accidentally brushed against a red leather bound book that held the same symbol as the lid of the chest, but instead of white wings, they were black as the night sky. Blue sparks shot from her hand in reaction to touching the book. Chitenshi pulled back her hand and rubbed it thinking that it was a mistake. She hesitantly reached towards the book, her eyes widening when the sparks from before increased the closer her hand was to the cover.

Chitenshi scrambled back from the chest, her breathing becoming erratic. "This can't be happening," she said shaking her head. "The only time that type of reaction occurs is when there's a full moon, but tonight couldn't…"

The words died on her lips has she hurriedly stood from the floor and rushed to a calendar hanging by the window. Chitenshi's eyes widened in horror, looking at the date. There it was in black and white. The circle next the number was white, showing that the full moon would rise at sunset and cast it's light over the land below.

Chitenshi leaned her back on the wall and slowly slid down, comprehending the seriousness of the situation. She stared at the darkened rays from the setting sun resting her head on the wall behind her.

"I forgot tonight was the full moon. If can't stop my transformation, what am I to do?"

Chitenshi buried her face in her hands, desperate for a solution.

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Standing the shadows on the side of the house, a pair of molten orange eyes flared to life feeling the surge in power emanating from the highest room above him. "Yes my dear Chitenshi, you will show your true self to me this night. Before the rising of the sun on the marrow, you will submit everything to me. Your power and your life …"

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Demoness: *ducks objects being thrown* It's cliffy time! I'm so cruel. *evil laugh* Sesshoumaru's going to be coming in real soon! *looks around* That's if I can find him… *notices puddle on the floor* Oh no… *follows puddle to bedroom* Why the hell are you all wet and why do you smell like chlorine!

Sess: I went for a swim in your neighbor's pool. Do you have a problem with it?

Demoness: *looks horrified* you went swimming like…THAT!

Sess: I do no understand why you are so upset.

Demoness: *shakes head* Just put some clothes on and don't leave this house again!
I'm going to have to move now…