CHAPTER FIVE: Murder Mayhem.

Kagome stared out of the window and out at the rain as it paned against the glass. She sighed. It had been over a week since Inuyasha had made her go home. He had told her it was all for her safety, that his house was too dangerous, but she didn't believe him. Inuyasha must be scared. Boy was she wrong. She thought that since this new vampire killer was after her, Inuyasha didn't want anything to do with her anymore. He was too wrapped up in that damn Kikyo…

Kagome mentally scolded herself. Why did it matter if Inuyasha was still in love with a dead girl…he was dead too. So what was the point?

Kagome stood up and took the long journey of two steps from her bedroom to the kitchen. She opened up the refrigerator and saw nothing but empty shelves and a six-pack of Bud Light of her mother's.

Kagome glanced over at Mrs. Higurashi, who was sitting in the living room smoking a pack of cigarettes. Kagome half smiled. Her mom may not be the best mom in the world, she may be a little bit self-centered and had a habit of being verbally abusive, but Kagome in some odd form loved her. She was her mother; I mean you have to love your family, even if they're not perfect.

"Reiki?"

Kagome's mother, Reiki Higurashi, glanced up from the TV and smiled crookedly at her daughter. "What'cha want kiddo?"

"Can I have one?" the teenager held up a beer. With the whole Inuyasha thing, Kagome could really use one at the moment to calm her nerves.

Mrs. Hirugashi just shrugged her shoulders. "Hell if I care…just be sure and don't…don't drink too much, Hun." Her mother smiled a little wider as she brushed a stand of her fried platinum blond hair out of her face. "Don't…make yourself sick."

Mrs. Higurashi wasn't the typical mother, she was a little on the more buddy-buddy level than an actual parent. She had been a very pretty woman once upon a time, prom queen, and all. But now, she didn't take care of herself like she use to, she'd let everything fall apart. When Kagome's father died Reiki had pretty much just decided to go wild and do everything she use to wish she could do, which of course was all the wrong things.

Kagome collapsed onto the couch, popped the lid, and took a long sip. She sank deeper into the couch cushions. This felt good, very good. Everything just seemed to go really bad lately, from bad to worse seemed to be the summery of Kagome's life, so a little bit of alcohol intake could do her some good. The whole Kagura and Kanna incident was just completely screwed over. Kanna's body was found three days ago in the sewers, the sewers near Kouga and the others. And Kagura had been spotted quite a few times here and there lately at night. The police believe that she killed Kanna and ran away. And ever since then, Kagome's school had gone haywire; a murder was something that hardly ever happened in her town.

Kagome sighed as her mind wandered over to thoughts of just how weird her school had become over the last week. Now you couldn't go anywhere without a teacher following you around or demanding to search your book bag, and most of the students seemed to have gone into nutcase mode. Everyone was locking up their doors and shutting up everything. They were afraid that Kagura was going to kill them too. Kagome felt bad for Kagura's parents. The poor family had been shunned out of the area, moving back to 'home', wherever that was.

Kagome sighed. Things had gotten a little screwy, and of course Sango was just eating it all up, not that she was glad the murder had happened, but because Kagome had told her about Kagura being dead…most likely becoming a vampire. Kagome's smile widened slightly. Sango had practically had a heart attack when Kagome had told her about Kouga and the others. That was Sango for you. Sango had begged and pleaded for Kagome to take her to the nest, which of course would have been an accident just waiting to happen.

"What are we watching mom?" Kagome's gaze turned back to the TV.

"Scooby-doo."

Kagome's smile widened. What was it with her mother and Scooby-doo?

"Hey, kid?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Reiki?"

"How come you ain't going to that boy's house no more?" The widow still kept her eyes on Shaggy and Scooby as they tiptoed past the bad guy. "He dump ya or something?"

Kagome groaned. She really didn't want to touch on the Inuyasha subject right now. "Never mind. It's a really-stupid and really-long story."

"All in the past huh?" Reiki smirked. "You're sounding more and more like me everyday."

Kagome gave Reiki a fake smile. "Thanks mom."

Inuyasha sat in his living room, sprawled out in his trusty armchair. He was bored. Yes, a vampire with a soul, a vampire with the gift of daylight was bored, bored out of his mind.

Inuyasha stared up at his fancy chandelier. He sighed. Everything was so boring without her. He missed Kagome. Yep, he missed her, didn't want to admit it but he did.

"Maybe I should just stake myself and get it over with?" he dwindled for the longest time on that thought. Could a vampire commit suicide? I mean he was already dead to begin with…how can he die again? Kagome would have come up with an answer. She always did, she was like that, saying she was always right and that she knew everything. She always had the answers. He groaned as he tilted his chair back as far as it would go and hung his head over the headrest, staring down at his dusty carpeted floor. The house was already beginning to look uninhabited again. He needed Kagome; he needed her badly. His home fell apart without her. But he had to let go and forget…he just had to let her go; it was for her own good. If she were threatened at this house then she'd be targeted if she were at this house. Therefore, she'd be in danger if she were in his house. Why did it feel like when he finally had someone to talk to the earth just laughed at him and jeered it in his face?

"People meet and people part," he told himself. "It's a fact of life; letting go." He stood up and stretched his arms high above his head; he could hear his bones snap, crackle, and pop. Inuyasha groaned. He could use a little bit of excitement, something to get his mind of his girl problems.

He grabbed his coat and sunglasses on his way out the door. A little visit to his favorite bar would be all he needed to flood Kagome as far away from his mind as possible. Or so he thought.

Kagura giggled as she twirled around in a circle, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She eyed the black satiny dress that hung loosely about her shoulders and around her knees. She'd never worn a dress this expensive or this pretty before. It was an obvious designer brand.

She stepped over a dead body and walked up to the jewelry box to glance through the 'free' selection. Her eyes fell upon a simple black pearl necklace. "Oh Master come look at this." She turned to stare at her Master, as she had dubbed him, who was standing behind her. His mouth was curled into a wry smile that flashed his stained fangs in the moonlight.

"Very lovely, my dear; It suits you."

She smiled as he went to put the necklace around her neck. "I've taken care of everything…not a body left alive." He announced in her ear before he nudged with his shoe the body of a young woman that was lying beside him in a pool of her own blood, his latest victim.

Kagura's smile widened as she eyed the body with intrigue. She was getting use to a life without a soul. It had its advantages, for instance she held no remorse nor care towards the lives of others.

Her sire bent down and subtly trailed a fang down the crook of her neck; it surprisingly made her feel uncomfortable. "M-master?"

"What is it?" He barked. She knew better than too ever question him.

Kagura whimpered at his harsh words. Normally she would have been considered the cruel one…or at least that's the way it was when she use to go to high school. But after meeting the silver haired man, she seemed more like a saint than a sinner, but she couldn't let herself be taken advantage of. She refused to be treated with anything less than respect…too bad he didn't see it that way.

"Should…should we really kill all these people?" truth be told, she didn't care whether the people were dead or not, she just found that when her Master was angry he seemed to be more aroused.

Master sighed; maybe he should have saved the white haired girl instead. Kagura and her manipulative ways were beginning to get on his nerves. "We need the money, Kagura."

"But couldn't we just like steal it?" she retorted as she stared down at the body of her third grade teacher. "Do we have to kill everyone? The police are going to catch up with us sooner or later."

She made another mistake. Never consider the humans as equals to the vampires. Mortals were below the nightwalkers, and therefore their laws did not apply to the vampires. Or at least that was the way he viewed it.

Master gave up all attempts of being nice; he smacked her across the face with the back of his hand, knocking her to the floor. He was beginning to wonder if his new concubine had gotten a soul on accident, which was very undoubtedly…, she was too conniving. "Do you want to die?"

"N…o."

"Then we have to sacrifice these…things," he kicked the woman, "for us to live. Don't you get it you stupid girl? These humans…these animals are nothing more than food. Food that we hunt and we kill. It's all a part of life."

Kagura nodded frantically, not wanting to be smacked again.

"Do you understand me girl?" he knelt down eye-to-eye with her, his body soaked from his victims' blood.

Kagura whimpered again, she began to loose respect for herself, she felt pathetic whimpering before him. But he was her sire…she did belong to him, no matter how much she fought it.

Master sighed as he reached out and stroked her cheek. "I'm sorry." He held no true feelings to his words. "I did not mean to be so rough or hurt you. I'd never hurt you, you know that right?"

Kagura only nodded.

"I love you…why would I ever hurt such a beautiful flower?" he ran his fingers through her lush hair. "Such a pretty flower." He leaned in and kissed her, even if she didn't kiss him back. She was his and he could do what he wanted to with her.

"Master-" he wouldn't let her talk as he entrapped her body and pulled it close to his, letting the blood that covered him seep into her new dress. He found death of others erotic.

Kagura tried to resist him but he wouldn't let her, even if deep down she'd already succumbed to him. She wanted him. He may have a sinister air about him in his amber eyes but he'd entranced her with them. She loved him, even if he didn't feel the same way about her. She was nothing but a toy, a call girl, a sex slave to him…and she was beginning to accept that. She wanted it. He was strong and graceful, handsome and protective…he was everything a woman could want…a vampiric woman, which she was. And she was his.

He pulled away from her and smirked, tucking a stray strand of his silvery white hair behind his ear. "You look like an exotic flower in that dress." He smirked. "I'm glad I ripped it off that woman before I killed her. It would have gotten ruined in that bloody mess." He frowned when he saw a dark red stain on her front. Such a beautiful thing wasted.

Kagura gazed into his amber orbs. She'd seen those orbs before, and they weren't from him. Where'd she seen those exact eyes before? She leaned back in to kiss him but he pulled away, making her feel ashamed. She knew that he could only touch her, not the other way around.

"Come girl." He stood up and helped her to her feet.

Kagura surveyed the bloody mess the room had become. She grabbed onto his hand and entangled her fingers with his; he didn't seem to notice their skins' contact. Kagura recognized all of these people, every last one of them. She even recognized the two boys lying in the corner from her Chemistry class. She pushed any remorse she held aside as she smiled up at her sire. "Thank you, Master."

He just shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll find a way to repay you."

He just kissed her forehead. "You can…" he smirked again. "And you will."

Inuyasha sat at his favorite barstool, drinking his favorite beer, talking to his favorite bartender, inside his favorite bar…and he was still miserable. The bartender, a woman named Kikai, handed Inuyasha another bottle of whiskey.

"So tell me, what's gotten you so upset Mr. Doi." That was Inuyasha's alias: Jinn Doi. No one knew his true name. Inuyasha may be stupid…but not that stupid. He knew better than to give out his real name if by some chance someone recognized it.

"Nothing much, Kikai…just the usual crap…you know? The whole…I have a shitty life routine."

Kikai laughed. "Ah come on Mr. Doi…I've known you for the longest time now…going on three years…and I ain't ever seen you come in here in such a downer mood. You look to be a young man." She was a middle age woman herself, middle to late thirties. "And as handsome a fellow as you are I know it can't be no girl problem."

Inuyasha snorted before he took a swig of his brandy. "Dead on the money."

The bartender chuckled to herself. "A girl? Really? Well I'll be damned."

"Not just any girl, The Girl." He wasn't drunk, he was plastered; his words slurring into each other, reeking havoc on his sentences.

"Ah come on Mr. Doi…if this girl's gotten you all down and depressed she's gotta be something special. So what's her name?" Kikai leaned over and smiled at him enthusiastically.

Inuyasha was too drunk to have any common sense at the moment. "Kagome."

"Kagome eh? Well she has a pretty name. What does she look like?"

Inuyasha fished into his wallet and pulled out a picture of Kikyo. "Exactly like her."

Kikai studied the picture. "Why Mr. Doi…this woman's dead. I know her…she was in that Osuwari murder…my grandpa was the sheriff when this happened. He use to tell me all about it, said it was the saddest thing that ever happened to Salem."

Inuyasha nodded. "Her name is Kikyo." He sometimes forgot she was dead. Kikai went to hand the picture back to him but he refused to take it. "I don't want it anymore." He sighed.

She gave him a confused look. "Are you sure Mr. Doi? I can tell this photo holds some kinda value to you or else you wouldn't have it."

"Not anymore," Inuyasha hiccupped. "That's over and done with. People meet and people part." He quoted himself. "You know, you can't hold on to past memories that'll just make your life miserable. Just keep it, I don't want that damn picture near me anymore."

"I don't reckon you were related to her by any chance?" She smiled at him as she refilled his glass.

Inuyasha snorted. "No…we weren't related," just engaged. "But I did know her."

Kikai eyed him strangely. "You are aware Mr. Doi that this woman died a little over fifty years ago?"

"Yeah I know…I was there."

Kikai's face suddenly turned very serious. "Mr. Doi…I think you've had enough for one night. There's no way in the world you could have known this woman." She went to take Inuyasha's glass but he just swatted her hand away.

"Trust me. I knew her."

She eyed him suspiciously. "But how? If you're only in your twenties…and she died over fifty years ago," she did the math, and there was just no way.

"I'm older than I look." He chuckled.

She still continued to eye him, annoying the crap out of him to no end.

"Plastic surgery can do wonders," he snickered. "But I did know Kikyo…and she was no comparison to Kagome. I loved them both," he hiccupped, "and even though they share the same face…they're completely different."

Kikai sighed as she poured Mr. Doi another glass. She could tell he'd had a rough week, so even though he was acting a little weird, she'd cut him some slack. "Really now?" she asked almost sarcastically. "So what was Kikyo like?"

"Like the usual rich girl," He retorted dryly. "Very trim and proper; never knew when to let her hair down and actually live a little. But she was incredibly pretty…and smart too. As a matter of fact, before she died she was accepted into Harvard…too bad she never got to go." He took another sip and let out a drunken belch. "But that's the completely opposite of Kag…the only thing that girl knows how to do is fight for her survival, she's smart…but strong and stubborn. She's surprisingly very caring and forgiving though, whereas Kikyo could hold a grudge for…who knows how many fucking years." He rapped his fingers across the counter. "The one thing that made Kikyo stand out though…was her nobility…she was so mature. She was a woman, but Kagome's still just a girl."

Kikai frowned. Mr. Doi's gone insane. "A girl huh? What do ya mean by that?"

"She's…not as intelligent and graceful as Kikyo ever was…but I think…I think that's why I like Kagome so much…she's naïve. She needs protecting and all that mumbo jumbo. Kikyo…she always acted like she could do better without you, but Kagome…" He smiled. "She's always by your side…all loyal and stuff, and she's been through so much…hell almost more than I have…and damn…other than getting killed, Kikyo never had a thing happen to her. I doubt she had so much as a fingernail getting broken. Never any true heart break."

Kikai's smile widened. "You know Mr. Doi…if you weren't so young…or if I weren't so old…I'd have half a mind just to take you myself. You're a good man. I can tell that by the way you hold your opinions of people…by the way you speak highly of this Kagome girl…even if she is just a girl. You'll make some very lucky girl very happy someday…once you sober up that is." And with that she walked away to talk to another customer, leaving Inuyasha to ponder on her words.

Me? A good man? I'm dead. I'm pretty sure being a vampire doesn't go arm in arm with a 'good man.' He snorted to himself and finished off his brandy.

The next day Kagome groaned with a headache as she slowly sat up. Her blaring alarm clock screaming at her wasn't helping her much. She stared starry eyed around the room; her eyes were glazed over as she stumbled out of her bedroom and back into the living room where Reiki was sitting on the couch and watching the news.

Kagome's head was dizzy and out of control. It seemed like the world was rocking back and forth under her. And everything that she looked at seemed to be distorted. She had a hangover.

Reiki looked up at her daughter and frowned. "You got a hangover already." She snorted. "I told you not to drink too much."

Kagome flashed Reiki a one-fingered salute. "It's not the first time I've done this…I think I'll live."

Her mother gave her a wary eye. "Really now," she chuckled. "So my daughter's not as sweet and innocent as she claims to be."

Kagome smirked but it was short-lived when she stumbled over her own feet and landed face first on top of her cat.

Reiki rolled her eyes. "What'd I tell you young'en? You need to be more responsible with beer…if I'm not mistaken."

Kagome rolled her eyes; she was just about to shout a comeback when she suddenly had a vomiting sensation. Kagome rushed to the bathroom.

"I suppose this means you're not going to school eh?" Reiki called after her.

Kagome just ignored her; she was a little busy at the moment.

Reiki glanced at the TV and let out a sudden gasp. "Kagome - come quick - look at what's on the news!"

It took the teenager a minute to stagger back into the room. She still had a dizzy lightheadedness feeling as she stared down at the age old TV with the crappy reception and the tinfoil bunny ears.

Monten sat talking away a mile a minute. "The bodies of a local teacher and her family was discovered robbed and murdered this morning. Mrs. Yayoi Matsunaga was found brutally murdered, along with her husband and four children. "

Kagome suddenly became very sober.

Monten continued, whether Kagome was keeping up with his words or not. "Again, along with the previous Onigumo and Tomoku case…the crime seems to have been done with the same murder weapon…two parallel puncture wounds that are equal in size and shape…but one wound is penetrated even deeper into the skin."

Kagome's blood ran cold. The same murder weapon…this meant that the vampire with the chipped fang must have struck again. Kagome fell to the couch. Yayoi Matsunaga…she had been Kagome's third grade art teacher.

"It's such a crying shame," Reiki gasped. "Yayoi was always such a nice woman…remember when she use to tutor you after school, Kagome?"

Kagome only nodded, too shocked to speak. She tried to say something but her mouth just couldn't seem to form the words on her tongue.

After a few minutes when she had recovered from the news, the raven-haired girl didn't waste any time. She ran and grabbed a jacket on her way out the door, not even bothering to change out of her pajamas. There was only one person she could talk to at a time like this.

Kouga sat in his chair, surrounded by beautiful women…and Hiten.

"What do you want?" Kouga snapped as he watched Hiten come gallivanting through the door of Kouga's secret quarters without so much as a knock.

"We've got problems, Kouga." Hiten said calmly, but the panic was plain as day in his eyes.

"What is it this time?" Kouga sighed. Why was it that he always seemed to get a headache when Hiten was around? A girl whimpered suggestively in her sire's ear. Oh yeah that was why…Hiten always seemed to come in and interrupt things right when they were getting good.

Hiten handed Kouga an amateur picture taken by a disposable camera. "Look who's back in town."

Kouga took the black and gray picture and stared at it for a moment. "Holy shit…how is that bastard alive…he's supposed to be dead."

Hiten nodded. "Should we warn the daywalker?"

Kouga snorted, finally coming to terms with his fear of the face in the picture. "I wouldn't give that half-wit the pleasure…besides. He'll know soon enough…" he thought silently for a moment before adding: "not to mention we don't need to worry about his ass when if this bastard's back…we've got our own that needs protecting." He frowned. "If he's back…Inuyasha's not the only one that's going to be targeted…we are too." He glanced around the room at his 'family' his 'brother in arms.' He had to protect them no matter what the cost.

Kouga made his decisions before he stood to his feet and walked into the main room, so when he spoke everyone would be able to hear him. "Alright…we've got a little visitor coming. A friend of mine who's dangerous as hell and is out for revenge…this bastard's only out for the kill. I know him and I know how he thinks…hell I went to high school with him. He won't care who you are; he'll kill you. So I don't want anyone going out at night alone…we'll go in groups from now on until we're certain it's safe."

A guy went to protest but Kouga wouldn't let him. No one was to question his orders.

"And from now on…you're only to feed once a week…no more in-between snacks."

The nest chorused in groans.

"This is serious," he shouted. "We will be targeted because we are vampires. He will come to this nest…and he will slaughter each and every one of us, just because of the way, we treat the humans. We treat them as if they were precious treasures that keep us alive…he thinks of them as the cow or pig down at the slaughterhouse. No one is safe. Human or vampire alike. He will search and destroy everything that stands in his way…including his own family…just ask the dead, mutilated carcass of his mother. He's a cold-blooded killer…a traitor to vampires. After his arrival, there will be many of his kind who flock in his path. Undoubtedly, he will be recruiting an army from his own blood. He did it the last time he pulled this stunt fifty years ago. Soon there won't be a person alive that he won't be after. He will find us. He will take over out nest. And he will kill us. It's only a matter of time. If we don't act now and stop him…the Bloody War…it will come."

The rooms filled with a round of gasps.

"Surely to God you can't be serious?" One girl screamed at him. "The Bloody War is just a myth…you can't really believe in that can you…?"

"It's in the bible." Hiten snapped, as if that were the proof for everything. "Kouga's right…we're standing in the middle of the Bloody War's battlefield…all the signs show it. We've got to get out of here fast or else we're all going to end up six feet under…again."

Kouga nodded. "I can not be certain if the myth is true or not…but we should still take extra precautions."

"Does this mean we're going to have to abandon the nest?" One woman piped up. "It's our home."

Kouga shook his head. "I can promise that we will not leave the nest without solid proof of the war…but we must continue to be on high alert. If we don't…we'll end up dead…and…and we have to stop him…at all costs."

Kagome burst through the front door angrily.

Inuyasha sat in his trusty armchair, not even bothering to turn around. He knew exactly who had come knocking on his door to visit. "You knocked my damn door down again didn't you?" That would be the forth time she had done that.

Kagome smirked. "Well that's a fine way to welcome me home." She went and plopped down on the couch in front of him, swiping her finger across the coffee table to check for dust. "Have you even bothered to do any cleaning while I was gone?"

He snorted. "Nope!"

Kagome frowned, as she ignored his 'incompetence'. "Did you see the news this morning?"

"Do I look like I'm dull enough to actually watch that damn contraption?" He lied as he threw his cigarette bud at the television sitting across from him.

Kagome ignored his comment. "There's been another murder."

Inuyasha frowned. Was it done by a vampire? He didn't even have to voice his question.

"It was done by the same one that killed Kanna and sired Kagura…"

"How many dead bodies in total?" he asked roughly.

"Six…two adults and four children. She was my teacher…" Kagome sniffed. "I knew these people…I use to baby-sit those kids."

Inuyasha's face fell. Who would stoop so low as to kill children? "How old was the youngest casualty?"

Kagome suddenly felt her hangover come rushing back to her. "Not even a year old."

Inuyasha leaned in and covered his face with his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. "Kagome…why did you come back here when I specifically told you not to?"

"I-I needed…someone who I could talk to and would understand." A silent tear trickled down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away, refusing to show a weakness. "Besides…you know I have a problem following orders."

Inuyasha sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He hated this happening to Kagome…he had to protect her. "We've got a real problem on our hands."

Kagome only nodded.

"I mean a real big problem on our hands…the Bloody War…its coming." He looked up into her confused eyes. "It's a prophecy…a war between the vampires that want to rule over the humans and the humans themselves. The battle is supposed to take place on a great battlefield of darkness, a battlefield that has seen the face of the world's underbelly and tried to fight back. Salem…the witch trail…we're standing right on top of the Bloody War."

Kagome still looked confused. She was so naïve.

"If we don't do something…we're all going to die."

Alright…I think I found a way to water this story down and not have it as bloody as I had planned. Sorry but my aunt is reading this, and she'll tell my mom if it's too bad. . I'm lucky to have an aunt that likes anime though. Everyone else in my family hates it and thinks it's stupid and sacrilegious. My family's very religious. But I just found out yesterday that my Aunt Roxanne watches Inuyasha all the time and thinks his ears are dead sexy. A woman after my own heart.