A/N: Sorry about the late update.


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Behind the Masquerade

Delinquency





The night air was cool, yet had a clammy feel to it. There was a slight breeze blowing through the thick, moist desert air and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, showing all the millions of blinking stars. The landscape was silent and the only light was from the moon, glaring down its moonlight upon the face of the earth.


The trees rustled every once in a while and a squirrel or whatever nocturnal animal it would be, would every so often scuttle across the path. The night was as peaceful as a normal night should be…well…that is…until…


"OW. I stubbed my foot, Sango!"


"SSH! Kagome! Be quiet! We'll get caught!"


Kagome glared daggers at the offending rock and kicked it off into the distance, willing it to burst in mid air for the pain it had caused her. She didn't like that particular rock…


Kagome continued grumbling under her breath about Satan under the disguise of a rock, but quickly shambled up next to Sango and looked around like her cousin was doing. The coast was clear!


They quickly scampered off to the next tree and poked their head from the trunk, looking around the grounds. It didn't seem like the guards were on patrol tonight, and the gates didn't have anyone watching over it. Nodding at each other from under their black masks, the two girls dashed towards the open gates, careful as to not make too much noise.


They swiftly kept on running even after they cleared the gates, and Kagome really did have to question herself. Was it right to leave without any forms of goodbye to her parents? Then the image of them lecturing her formed into her mind and she sweat dropped. Maybe sneaking out was the best thing…yes, she could go the comfortable way and get there in a carriage, but who wanted to do anything normal? Life only exists once and she was going to make the best out of it.


She looked over to her cousin running next to her and then her eyes strayed to the huge boomerang swung over the older girl's back. Blinking her eyes owlishly, she wondered why Sango would be carrying such a heavy looking thing around with her, but this was Sango, so she didn't think further onto the subject…


…She decided to stop pondering and straight-out ask.


"Sango…how come you're carrying a boomerang around?"


Sango stopped running as she looked back at the castle behind her and then at her best friend next to her. The town was just a few more steps away and she decided that this was a safe enough distance from the evil coach man. Turning back to Kagome, she answered, "Well, you know how my parents want me to learn how to defend myself from stray demons?"


Kagome nodded.


"Well, when I was small, they made me take 'demon exterminating lessons'. I guess I just like to exterminate evil demons whenever I go traveling around the lands nowadays. Plus it acts as a disguise for me so that no one finds out I'm a princess. Since we're traveling to the dog demon's castle, I thought that carrying my Hiraikotsu around would be a good idea in case we meet bandits or demons." Sango smiled and gave Kagome a thumbs-up. "Plus it keeps me in shape and it works as a shield against perverted men too."


Kagome nodded slowly…Sango's logic made sense enough. She didn't know where the perverted man comment came from though.


Strolling casually into the small town, Kagome looked into the dark interiors of the shops and eyed the shadows sleeping on the ground. Peasants were such simple people…sleeping whenever they wanted…working all day…a normal life.


She wished she could live a simple life…


Kagome sighed as she continued to walk through the quiet town, the soft "tap tap"'s from Sango's shoes was the only noise she could hear. It was as dull as castle life, except if she could live a peasant life, then she wouldn't need to worry about the obligations of being a princess…


"Then why are you carrying a bow around?"


"I hate birds…"


*~*~*


Inuyasha growled as he looked down from his window, seeing the tiny people down below patrolling the grounds. He was what you would call---a not very happy little hanyou. Or a very angry little hanyou ready to kill.


How dare his parents make a decision like that without telling him of it! For all they cared, the alliance was just a peace treaty between demons and humans! In fact, the marriage probably WAS just a peace treaty!


He continued growling as he picked up a rock from the desk next to him and threw it down at the soldier's heads, hoping to hit at least one of them. When one of the rocks connected with a soldier's helmet, Inuyasha quickly retreated his head from the window when the soldier looked up to see what had struck him.


The soldier looked confused for a moment before quickly walking along, pretending that he had only felt that knock on his head due to the lack of sleep.


Inuyasha collapsed on his bed with a heavy groan and looked up at the ceiling. In a month or so, he would have to share this very bed with that Kikyou woman. What luck…


He knew he shouldn't judge the woman on first experience and sight, but he couldn't help feeling that all she was, was a big fat pain in his hanyou ass. And if there was one thing in the world that annoyed him, then it would be a pain in the ass.


He already had lots of pains in the ass in his life already…say for example…Miroku, his perverted cousin who constantly asked girls to bear his little perverted children. Miroku lived with Inuyasha when his parents were killed by some evil demon in some far off land, and let's just say Inuyasha didn't exactly love living under the same roof as the lecher. Then there's Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's older brother, who seems to be more of a cold statue in the corridors than a living thing. They both constantly nagged him, annoyed him and it felt like torture to no end. Now add onto a woman…which would probably turn out to be the biggest pain in the ass of all because…well…


It was a WOMAN.


It wasn't like Inuyasha never met the female species in all of his life…in fact, he met quite a lot with those looks of his, but he had never been forced to meet a woman. Plus what if he didn't like this Kikyou or whatever? Life just wasn't fair…


He sighed again and then his thoughts wandered off to the other woman he would have to meet first before he met Kikyou. Kikyou's sister or something. What was her name? He knew it started with a K, but that was about all he could remember. Oh well, since she was deciding his evil fate, he would just call her 'wench.'


That suited her well enough.


He exhaled rather loudly and then moved his hands up to his neck, where he fingered around for his necklace. When he felt nothing but his flesh, he bolted straight up from the bed and searched again for his beloved necklace. When he still felt nothing, he cursed fluently and pounded the bed with his fists, while growling some obscenities.


"I lost Ikari's necklace! Stupid stupid!" he mumbled and then threw his lamp out the window in anger. He didn't care if it landed on someone's head, but he needed an outlet for his ire. Out went his candle too.


"How could I lose it?!" he growled and stomped around his room with an extremely annoyed look on his face, before after a while, he got exhausted and decided he would just go take a walk along the beach. Either he had dropped the necklace at the beach or lost it at the masquerade party. He couldn't decide which was worse.


Perching on his window sill, he bent down to gather the momentum to jump and then kicked off the pebbly perch, flying into the air. His hair whipped behind him as he went higher, and the air felt extremely cool and crisp to his skin. He could taste and feel the salty feeling of the ocean near his home, and as he descended from his drop, Inuyasha took in a deep breath of the saltiness. The ocean…the place he loved best.


And best of all, whenever there was a new moon and he would start his transformation, it would be the perfect time to go explore the tide pools when the tide would go out. But tonight, it was the full moon, so it would be a while before it would be the new moon.


Inuyasha use to hate the new moon, because that was when all his powers and demon blood would ebb away and he would be as defenseless against demons as a new born baby. But after…when he was about 8, he learned of the tide and rock pools when the tide went out, and he would enjoy sneaking out and going there to spend the night away. When he was 13, an unexpected surprise had made him enjoy the new moon even more, because that was the time when he was allowed to…well…he mustn't tell. It'll reveal in time.


Inuyasha landed perfectly and gracefully upon the high wall and as quiet and speedy as a hawk, he ran along the wall to the outer corners where the ocean would be. Reaching the corner of the wall, he jumped into the air again and did a flip, landing once again, precisely and inaudibly onto the grassy ground.


Looking around cautiously in case the guards caught him, he ran along the grass before it faded away to run into golden sand which looked more like dark glistening sand upon the night's light. Continuing his run along the beach, he constantly glanced at the ocean beside him and watched the dark waters try to lap at his feet. As far out as he could see towards the shadowy horizon, there was only the twinkling of the stars and the moon reflected upon the waters and the gleaming tides lapping along like silk.


After a good five minute north fast run or so away from the castle and his village, Inuyasha reached the towering shadows of the cliffs raising up from the sand. It was like a huge, tall and very thick and wide wall guarding his side of the beach from whatever was on the other side. But unbeknownst to travelers or villagers, if they walked along the wall to the outer part where it reached into the water, and then they waded out a bit, there would be a secret entrance into the cliff shrouded by bushes. If they went in, there would be steps that looked like they had been made by demons or humans long ago, and it would wind deep into the middle of the cliff. Then the passageway would take a sharp right and when they walked out, they would come into a tiny little cave surrounded by fireflies and vines with tiny pink or blue flowers growing along the wall. Walking further out, they would come out into a cut off from the cliff that jagged out like a hidden dock.


Inuyasha had found this when he was around eight when he was out along the cliff on the new moon, and that was also when he had discovered the rock and tide pools. It was like some sort of secret hiding place for him back then, and he liked going there to play around by himself or to hide from the servants trying to force him to take a bath.


Now it was just a place for him to think and be alone. Just with the gentle ocean and himself. Sighing, Inuyasha walked out into the dock and went to the very end, where he sat down on the edge and put his feet into the water after pulling up his baggy pants.


It was such a perfect place for him to be by himself…


*~*~*


After a few hours of riding along their horses, [Sango had attacked a band of bandits a few good hours back and stole two of their horses] Kagome and Sango yawned. It was getting a bit late into the night…actually it was more considered morning than night. Just thirty minutes more and the sun would probably rise. They had been traveling along the road for a good seven hours or so, and it wasn't exactly some pleasure trip.


Kagome nearly nodded off and fell off her horse as she eyed the blurry image of her cousin a few feet in front of her. "Sango…I want to go to sleep…" she complained and yawned once again.


The yawn was contagious and Sango yawned along with Kagome as both girls trudged along the grassy grounds. "Yea yea…just a bit more than we'll stop…"


Little tired tears appeared along the contours of Kagome's eyes and the girl rubbed at her eyes jadedly while keeping the other hand on her reins. She was about to slack off her hold on the reins and fall off the horse when a juvenile scream rang shrilly through the night air. This caused all her fatigue to disappear in a heartbeat and she looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the scream.


Blue eyes searching the darkness, Kagome quietly and quickly strung an arrow upon her bow and aimed it out into the dark. Sango, who was as alert as Kagome, grabbed the big boomerang off her back and held it out in front of her and the obedient horse in a offensive stance, ready to throw it out in any sign of danger.


"Let me go, you big bully!" a little kiddy voice shrieked from the right and the two girls nodded to each other and quietly directed their horses towards that direction. The moon went behind some clouds that had formed before and the two girls hopped off their horses, tied them to a tree, and crept along the ground towards the kid's voice which gradually got louder.


Two shadows appeared, one of an adult's and one of a kid's. The kid seemed to be held by the adult and some cursing and growling were heard from the couple.


"Let me go! Lemme go! LEMME GO!" the little kid screamed and flailed around in the man's hold.


"Oh yea, kid? We're about a mile away from any town. I don't think anyone would come to your rescue, so give it up," the man growled to the kid and swung the boy child around in the air.


"AHHH! YOU BIG FAT IDIOT! I'LL BITE YOU!" the boy threatened, and bite the man the kid did.


"OW, you little brat!" the man yelled, and let go of one of his hands on the kid and shook it around. "I'll kill you for that!"


Kagome shuddered at the voice because she had recognized it right away and she snuck around from the tree to hold her arrow at the kid's harasser. If it came down to killing him, then she would…for the kid's safety.


"Put the kid down," Kagome ordered in a low voice, glaring at the guy's back offensively and boldly holding her bow and arrow straight at the guy.


The man stopped pounding the kid and went still. Kagome gulped down nervously as she noticed her hand was quivering, but she held it still again. "Didn't you hear me, Naraku? I said, put the kid down, or I'm going to shoot you without hesitation."


Naraku turned around slowly and revealed to Kagome a smirking grin and his dark eyes twinkling in glee. "Kagome, isn't it nice to see you again? And so soon? Didn't I just meet you yesterday?" he asked, and his smirk grew wider.


"I don't care. Just put the kid down," Kagome repeated, her nervousness growing a bit more the longer he stared at her. He made her feel very edgy with that look on his face…the same look he gave to her when he…


"Come on, Kagome dear. Like you can really kill me with an arrow…I can snap this boy's neck in less than a second and he wouldn't even know what hit him," Naraku answered callously and tightened his grip on the kid's neck as demonstration.


The kid made a tiny squeak of terror as he felt the claws tighten around his neck's sensitive flesh.


"Put the bow and arrow down," Naraku ordered sternly suddenly, although it was only in silent fear as he saw the tiny twinkle of blue and purple light on the tip of Kagome's arrow. He hoped the others hadn't noticed it…


Kagome clenched her teeth as she lowered her bow slightly in frustration at the demand.


"Kagome! No!" Sango warned from behind the tree, but Kagome had already dropped the bow and arrow to point at the ground.


"What do you want in return for the kid?" Kagome whispered enigmatically, glaring darkly at the half man in front of her.


"Kukuku, know me just as well as ever, don't you?" Naraku asked and grinned at the frown the girl gave him at that comment. "Remember Kagome? All those times---"


He was cut off by the outburst from the girl. "Shut up Naraku! I don't want to hear your crap! I just want the boy's safety and maybe then we'll never meet each other ever again!" Kagome raged and breathed in angrily. She didn't need him reminding her of all those painful memories.


This only caused Naraku to smirk even wider than humanly possible. "Okay then, as you wish. I see you're going to Inuyasha's castle, am I correct, Kagome?"


Kagome neither nodded nor shook her head and Naraku took that as a yes.


"Well…if you want this kid to safely get away from me, I want you to steal something from that castle for me…the Shikon no Tama." Naraku stopped talking to let that information sink into the girls' head as he watched the play of emotions flit across the girl's face.


"Whatever Naraku. Just some useless jewel or something, isn't it? I don't care, just give me the kid," Kagome demanded, a plan forming in her mind…


"And don't try to cheat on me by saying you will steal it and then not doing it. Trust me…I got a hold on this boy's life…take him along with you. If you don't give the Shikon no Tama to me by a month, I'll just snap my fingers and bang. The kid's as dead as a rock," Naraku warned and threw the kid to the ground, where the boy took in deep wheezing breaths from being deprived from the sweet air for so long.


Kagome's plan went boom.


"Fine," was all Kagome could answer, while secretly watching the kid scramble towards her.


"Well until then, ja Kagome dear," Naraku responded and whipped his cloak in front of his face. "Remember…no matter how hard you try, you're always connected to me."


"You bastard." Kagome hissed with menace when she saw the kid hide safely behind her, and as fast as lightning, strung the arrow back onto her bow, pulled back, and let it go. It was aimed straight at Naraku and the little purple and blue lights from before flared a bit more and swirled its aura around the arrow.


But as the arrow was about to hit it's mark, Naraku turned into wisps of air and floated off into the sky. The arrow flew past the smoke harmlessly and embedded itself into the tree behind. The lights faded off and what was left was just the plain arrow upon the tree and the calmness of the night.


Kagome dropped her bow and sighed deeply, feeling all the anger and dread leave her like the tide going out. She had felt like she was possessed or something before, by just being near the presence of that…person…but now, all she had, was that familiar feeling of betrayal and deceit.


Forcing the onslaught of tears back into their confines, she bent down gently and picked up the bow and went to the tree where the arrow was. She tried pulling it out, but it was either too tight into the tree, or she just had no more energy left in her tired body.


Dropping to the ground on her knees in fatigue, Kagome took in deep breaths and felt herself float off into dream land. The last coherent thought and sight she saw was the fuzzy face of Sango and the kid, talking to each other about something.


She gave one last yawn and then leaned her head against the trunk of the tree, relaxing her tired muscles and drifting off with nightmares of Naraku invading her mind.


One day…one day, she'll give him back all the pain and suffering he had given her. One day…






***





A/N: Thanks for all your support. :)