Kitsunehime: Wow . . . people actually answered the 'gay guy' thing . . . But my stupid sister still says they can't. She says she 'has to see it to believe it.' Ew . . . nasty thought . . .

Kagome: Ew, I just got it too! I did NOT need to see that! *hits herself on head* Ow . . .

Surreal: Great, now I'm going to think of that every time I look at a guy.

Kitsunehime: Not my fault. What was I going to say? Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen, I've started yet another fic. *ignores groans in background* How many is that now? Let's see, there's this one, Shikon no Kakera, the YYH one, then there's the one for Harry Potter, then Dragons of Autumn Twilight . . . five going on at once. Lovely. And I think I should update Shikon no Kakera before my sister decides to strangle me . . .

Koryu: . . . I think you're both weird.

*clonk*

*unconscious Koryu*

Kitsunehime: About the YYH one it's a vampire fic. Come to think of it, I need a title for the Harry Potter fic . . . and for the Dragons of Autumn Twilight fic . . . and the last two are assignments too!

Fahleing: Who cares?

Kitsunehime: *glare* what's your problem?

Fahleing: You left me in a closet for a whole stinking day with that jerk!

Koryu: Who are you calling a jerk, wench?

Fahleing: Freak of nature!

Koryu: Stuck-up pothole!

Kitsunehime: Pothole? Where'd that come from? Weird . . . So, all that's left to say is, only the OC's are mine, nothing else. Lovely, isn't it?







To Rule the Darkness

ch.25 Tainted Youkai



"Oww . . . . My head's killing me," Fahleing complained, sitting up the next morning. She then noticed she was stark naked. As was everyone else. "Mother Night!" She quickly snatched her clothes, which were stuffed into a potted fern, and ran into the storage closet to get dressed. When she got back out, Koryu was up, and she got a full view of his . . . yeah, you know. "Kyaaahh! I did NOT need to see that!" She shoved him over on his side and made a mad dash for the stairs and sanity.

And ended up in the hall clutching her aching head.

A couple hours later, everyone else was conscious, and no one could look at each other. Yep, that's what comes from a crazy round of strip poker at nearly midnight. Lovely, isn't it?


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (skipping ahead again) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


~nearly a year later~


Rin was in the garden, playing with the butterflies. She was taller now, just a tiny bit shorter than Sango.

"Hey, Rin! Look, I caught one!" Shippou, also a bit older now, ran up to her with cupped hands. "See?" He opened them, letting a blue and black striped butterfly flutter out. "Aw man . . . it got away!"

"Let it go, Shippou. Where are Inuyasha and Kagome?"

He shrugged. "They said they were going for a walk by the stream. I was going to go with them, but Inuyasha said it was private," he said, making a face and doing an Inuyasha imitation.

Those two had finally admitted, to themselves and each other, that they at least liked each other a couple months back. The plot to set Sango and Miroku up still wasn't fully working, but at least the two seemed to be friends. Now, Koryu and Fahleing were in the position that Inuyasha and Kagome were in previously: argue, say you hate each other, but glance at the other every so often. Youko and Miyu were expecting their first pup in several months.

"Rin, get inside, now!" Inutaishou roared, approaching quickly from the Hall. "There's a tainted youkai on the grounds!"

"What?! How did it get in?!" Rin exclaimed.

"Just get in! Shippou, where are Kagome and Inuyasha?"

"Down by the stream! Come on, Rin!" Shippou grabbed her hand and they both began to run inside.

"Rin, Shippou, go in the ballroom, now!" Sakuya ordered summoning what little power she still had left to her as one of the demon-dead.

"But I want to help! I wear the Black!" Rin protested.

"You're not at full strength yet! And we need you to rule the Dark Court later! If you have to do something useful, go find Souta and Kohaku and bring them to the ballroom with you. And tell Fahleing and Sango to get down here right now!"

Sulking, Rin did as she said, then sat resentfully under the ballroom steps to wait. There was arguing at the top of the steps.

"Let me fight too! I'm a Red-Jeweled Black Widow, I can handle myself very well, thank you!"

"And I'm NOT letting you risk our pup!" Youko hollered at Miyu. "There's a lot of them out there, and who knows what might happen!"

"I'll be careful, I promise!"

"Both of you, shut up! Youko, go join Inutaishou and the others. Miyu, stay and watch the youngsters!" Sakuya shouted from the stairs to the bedrooms. "Miroku, get your fat ass down here before I have to come and drag it down for you!"

In an even fouler mood than Rin, Miyu flounced down the steps, scowling.

Soon, Kagome also joined them, angrily muttering very unfavorable things about stupid males who thought she was too weak to help. "I have the Shikon no Tama, Mother Night! Even if I can't tap into its full power, I can still use it to boost my own!"

"And I can hold my own against most of this Court!" Miyu fumed. "Not much is likely to get in here anyways!"

Rin, even though she was seething mad too, tried to look at it logically. "But, in case the tainted youkai do get in . . . well, let's just say the White, Yellow, and Tiger-eye can't defend themselves very well. No offense, Kohaku, Shippou, Souta."

"I know that!" Miyu snarled. "But what if they get killed out there? Huh? While we're hidden in here?!"


~Meanwhile, outside: ~


Everyone was fighting back to back, fighting three to one. But the enemy was weak compared to those of the Dark Court. Still, their sheer numbers gave the defenders some trouble.

Inuyasha and Fahleing were in the middle of the mob, both with their huge swords out and slashing any nearby tainted youkai. Koryu and Youko were a few yards away, dealing more damage with another sword and a poisonous, man-eating plant controlled by Youko. Sakuya and Inutaishou were the closest to the Hall itself, blasting away with Green and the Black psychic strength. Sango and Miroku were in the most trouble, backed against the front gate.

After hastily making sure that none of their comrades were in the way, Miroku unleashed the kazaana. This seemed to work for a while, until some venom wasps, the Saimyosho, began to fly into the vortex by themselves. Miroku's eyes opened wide in astonishment when he felt their sting, and felt himself go weak.

"Miroku!" Sango exclaimed.

"It seems I am quite susceptible to their venom . . . " Miroku wheezed, closing off the kazaana with an effort. Sango promptly stepped in front of him and employed the Hiraikotsu. Koryu and Youko, being the closest, began to fight their way over to them.

Meanwhile, what they didn't know was that this attack was better planned than they thought. Another group of tainted youkai, also under Naraku's employ, snuck in the back and headed straight for the ballroom.

Kagome sat bolt upright. "They're coming." She fumbled inside her kimono for the Shikon no Tama, and quickly found it.

Miyu shoved Souta, Kohaku, and Shippou behind her, under the stairs, and grabbed a cut rose from the nearest vase, making it grow into a long, thorny whip.

Rin stood up and readied a blast of psychic Black strength to fire at their attackers.

"Well, well, well . . . what have we here? Three bitches and three pups. Easy kill, don't you think?" the leader remarked to his crew.

"Easy kill?! I'll show you easy kill!" Miyu lunged forwards and her whip lashed the spot where his head was mere second before. "I won't miss next time, hellscum!" she snarled.

"Why you . . . "

Kagome didn't give him time to finish his sentence, she shot him with a burst of brilliant pink light. Rin turned the one behind her into an ice sculpture.

But they were even more outnumbered than their fellows outside, in here they were fighting seven to one, not counting the three children.

In an attempt to kill the leader, Miyu overreached and accidentally left a hole in her defense. An ugly, green and purple spotted demon kicked her hard in the stomach, making her double over in pain. Kagome, seeing no other way, stepped in front of her to block the punch that was aimed for Miyu's head. She took the blow herself, and fell down next to her friend.

"No!" Rin screamed, becoming angrier than she had ever been in her entire life.

The Court members outside, having finally finished their battle, came back inside just in time to see all the tainted youkai charge Rin, the three behind her, and the other two on the floor. Miyu, who was still clutching her stomach, still had enough power to raise a Red shield, and did so. For Kagome, it seemed that the Shikon no Tama did take steps to protect its protector, since a shield of purplish-pink light surrounded her. Everyone tried to run down the stairs, jump, or slide down the stair rails to help them, but, out of seemingly nowhere, a blast of freezing cold penetrated the area. It came from Rin.

Black threads of energy were floating all around her, like a ghostly fire, causing stands of hair and the bow on the back of her kimono to billow as if in an updraft.

Each and every one of the youkai hired by Naraku froze in their steps and – literally – froze immediately, even though it was high summer. The newly made ice sculptures glittered for a brief second, then shattered into a million bits of bloody crystal.

Everyone stared, in awe and even some terror, then remembered what they were there for, and rushed down the stairs. The phantom fire around Rin slowly died down, and she collapsed. With his still-excellent reflexes, Inutaishou caught her and made sure she was alright.

Youko went to Miyu as soon as her shield went down, just as Inuyasha did the same with Kagome.

"Are you alright?! What about our pup?!" Youko asked frantically, checking her all over.

"I think we'll be alright . . . " Miyu coughed and shook a bit, but managed to stand up.

Inuyasha had picked up Kagome, who was still unconscious, and was looking for her pulse. He found it with a sigh of relief.

Rin stood up, shaking off the help offered to her. "That is it," she said. "I'm making my Offering to the Darkness."

"But . . . " Inutaishou protested.

"No buts," she said firmly. "I'm doing it."

"At least wait a month, until you're eighteen!" Sakuya implored.

Rin glared at them, but, under their relentless plea, she yielded. "Fine. But, the day I do turn eighteen, I make my Offering to the Darkness and officially form the Dark Court."







Hope you enjoyed that rather . . . um, dramatic chapter. By the way, my sister Mori no Kage is desperate for reviews. *hint*hint*.

Soli: Haha, that's funny! ^_^

Ja!