Hello everyone! Yes, I have made a new chapter! Yeah! .:cheers:. I hope you're all happy. This took me only a few hours, but w/e. Oh, and let me just say, I kind of made a change in the way one of my characters acts. She has a voice in her head, and you will all realize why once I write more about it! Well, I wrote more at the bottom, so read that if you want an update. Now, read & review!


Smiling, they made there way to the ball together: Inuyasha still confused on how he could confess and Kagome wondering if Inuyasha still felt the same way.


Chapter 9
Shirã and Sashin

It hurt, watching as the two walked away, hand in hand. She thought he loved her and only her, and was willing to go to hell with her when she asked, and then her reincarnation had to come and ruin it all.

It wasn't fair. She was the priestess that had pinned the hanyou to the tree; she should be the one to have him, not some wench from the future. She needed to remove her; that much was certain.

But would Inuyasha still follow you if you killed his love? asked a voice in her mind.

Of course he will follow me! I am his only love; he has only loved me! I will bring him down if it's the last thing I must do! she shouted into the depths of her mind.

Then we must find Shirã and her brother. They can easily destroy the wench and control Inuyasha's mind. That way, we can both have what we want. I want to finally rest in hell and you wish to have Inuyasha there with you. Fair bargain, answered the voice, laughing silently as the other considered it.

And you are sure that this Shirã and her brother can take care of the girl? If you are wrong, I will banish you from my mind. You may be helping now, but if you steer me wrong… she trailed off and waited for her mind companion to respond.

I will not steer you wrong. Find them and you will find peace, the voice fled back into the depths of her mind and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"I will do as you say, but only until I no longer need you," she said out loud. Still grinning, she called her Soul Collectors to her and drifted off into the darkness that was her soul.


"Come now, Sango, we have to hurry to the ball," said Miroku, standing. Sango shook her head slightly, not wishing to leave the peaceful garden. She had a horrible feeling that if she went to the ball, she would lose everything; her friends, her new found love and her own life. And what was worse was the fact that she knew it had nothing to do with Sesshomaru.

"Miroku, I don't think you should go. Neither should Kagome or Inuyasha. Something bad is going to happen, I just know it! And I couldn't live with myself if you or my friends were to perish. You know that…"

Miroku looked down at her and knelt. He didn't like seeing her distressed; it broke his heart. Lifting her chin with his fingertips, he was surprised when he saw unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

"I don't want to lose you. I just know the minute we step foot into the Royal Hall, whatever I am sensing will capture you. Please don't go, Houshi. I don't want to lose you!" cried Sango.

She could see it all clearly in her mind. Inuyasha and Kagome, there feelings finally revealed, vanishing into the darkness that had consumed already so many. Closing her eyes, she could see the two figures, laughing as they wove dark cords around Miroku and dragged him into the darkness. Opening her eyes slowly, she feared that he was already gone, but he continued to watch her, concern etched into his features.

"I can sense it too. But you mustn't worry, my dear Sango. Nothing can harm us as long as we stick together. Please trust me," Miroku held out his hand and Sango grasped it reluctantly. She didn't want to go, but she knew if she didn't, Yasashiku would be furious and would probably feel it a personal insult. She couldn't risk that after all the hard work her father went through to make sure they stayed together. But she wouldn't let that happen.

The feeling deepened as the two walked towards the hallway that led to the where the ball was being held. Sango feared the worst tonight, and she knew now that Miroku sensed it too.


"You wish for us to rid you of this girl?" growled the tall figure. Long black hair, streaked with red, hung to its waist and a slight smile, revealing as many fangs as possible, showed through the haze of the fog.

"You are Shirã are you not?" she asked. The demon nodded, eyes taking in the human in front of it. Or partial human. Her soul was hatred; her body made from the Earth and ashes.

"That is I. My brother and I will gladly rid you of this human girl, but what will we get in return?" hissed Shirã. She began to pace; she didn't like the feeling of one such as this dead woman standing so calmly in front of her. Her long white and red robes rustled and her right hand was playing lazily with the whip on her left hip. On her other hip was a sword sheath, black and red in colour. Green-red eyes watched the woman with a slight hunger. She wouldn't mind riding herself of this wench; that much was true. But she also sensed that what this dead woman said was etched into her very being.

"I have something you may want. I carry it around, just in case of such an emergency. You will get your payment once the deed is done. I do not wish for you to hurt the hanyou though. Him I wish for myself."

"What is the reward? You tell us and we shall see if what you present is desirable," snarled a new voice.

Shirã turned and nodded to the new figure. "This is my brother, Sashin. He will be helping me, won't you little brother?"

Sashin grinned at his sister, revealing the same number of pointed teeth as Shirã had. His hair hung to his waist as well, a light blue with dark blue lines streaking through it and he wore blue and white robes that had many interesting symbols etched into the material. His soft black shoes suggested that he was quick on his feet and didn't mind getting dirty. On his hips were two sword sheaths, both black and blue in colour. He bowed deeply to the woman that was in front of him and arched an eyebrow at his sister. His eyes were blue with streaks of red within them and he had the look of a sword master.

"I offer you this," the woman pulled a small pink shard from within her robe. Two more followed and she held them up to the siblings. Shirã hissed warningly and her brother watched the fragments with a hidden fear.

"You dare bring such things into our presence?" growled Sashin. He grimaced as she put the three shards together and they merged.

"Yes. These will make you more powerful then you already are. What do you say?"

"These shards you present us with, they were forced out of the body of the Priestess Midoriko, correct?" asked Shirã.

The woman nodded slightly, her eyes fixed on Shirã's. Shirã glanced at her brother and saw him shudder visibly.

"Off us something else, wench. We do not wish for you shards," said Sashin. Shirã nodded and the woman sighed heavily. She placed the shards back into her robes and thought for a few moments.

You lied. You said they would be pleased if I brought them the shards, she said to the voice in her mind.

You presented them with the wrong shards. Show them the others, hissed the voice.

What other shards? She asked.

The voice cackled quietly and fled. Shuddering, the woman reached into her robes and pulled out the shards again. They were black now, tainted by anger and malice. Smiling, she turned to the siblings and immediately saw the change in their stance.

"Now, now. What is it we have here?" asked Sashin. He stepped forward and reached out to touch the fragments. They seemed to call out to him, coaxing him to take them.

"Brother," hissed Shirã. Sashin stopped and looked back at his sister. She cocked her head to one side and he stepped back to his sister's side immediately.

"If you get rid of the girl, the monk, and the demon exterminator, I shall present you with these shards. Understood?" said the woman.

"One question before Sashin and I agree to your proposal. I wish to know the name of the woman who commands us," said Shirã, eyes narrowing.

"You may call me Kikyo."


"Do you think I look better in this kimono or this one, Master Jaken?" asked Rin, holding up to kimonos. One was a dark blue with light blue symbols on it. The other was her traditional yellow kimono; the one Sesshomaru had first given to her.

"I do not care, Rin. Just please hurry up. Lord Sesshomaru wished for you to meet him as soon as possible," whined Jaken. The toad demon didn't like the fact that he was left to baby-sit the girl while his lord was out wandering.

"Now, now, Master Jaken. I must look my best if I'm going to the ball!" exclaimed Rin. "I think I'll wear this one!" She lifted the blue kimono up high and, giggling, rushed away to change.

"Hurry up, girl. Lord Sesshomaru isn't to be kept waiting!" shouted Jaken. Rin hurried out in her blue kimono and quickly brushed her hair. Before she had left Lady Sango, she had been given a comb that Lady Sango said belonged to Lady Kagome. She also said that Rin could keep it and Rin loved how it made her hair shine.

A knock on the door made Rin jump slightly. She hoped it wasn't Sesshomaru. No, her lord would never knock before entering.

Rushing over to the door, Rin whipped it open and was shocked to see Min standing outside her door, wearing an almost identical kimono to her own. Giggling, Rin let Min come inside and closed the door gently.

"What are you doing here, Min?" asked Rin as she continued to brush her hair.

"I just felt like coming to see you. It looks like we're going to be identical at the Ball," giggled Min. She then saw that Rin was brushing her hair with what looked like a shell with many bristles at the end. "What's that?"

"This?" asked Rin, holding up the brush. Min nodded and Rin explained, "Lady Sango gave it to me. She said it would make my hair extremely soft and make me more beautiful. Want me to brush your hair?"

Min nodded eagerly and Rin began to brush the Princess's hair. Soon, they were both giggling and telling stories.

"So, that Lord – Sesshomaru is his name? – is like your caretaker?" asked Min.

"Oh no. Lord Sesshomaru is my Lord, not caretaker. He brought me back to life after some wolves attacked me." Rin shuddered suddenly, remembering Sesshomaru's words just a few hours before hand. "If you have already forgotten, Rin, I was the one that brought you back to life and I can easily take that life away again."

Rin felt tears well up in her eyes but quickly wiped them away. Sesshomaru didn't mean it. He would never harm her, or so she hoped.

"You were attacked by wolves?" gasped Min. Rin nodded slightly and tried to remember the incident. She explained it as thoroughly as she could and Min was gaping at her when she finished.

"You mean that Lord Sesshomaru rescued you after he was harmed?" Rin nodded. "How come you follow him then?"

"Because I owe him my life. He has it as long as he needs it, for I am indebted to him," answered Rin.

"So, do you care deeply for your lord?" asked Min suddenly. Rin glanced at her sharply, but didn't respond. After a few minutes, Min continued, "I mean, you don't have to tell me or anything, I just want to know. Well, we should get to the ball, don't you think?"

"You go on without me. I have to go find Master Jaken," replied Rin. Somehow, the toad demon had slipped off when Min had come to see her. Sesshomaru wouldn't be happy about that, which would result in a few headaches for Jaken.

"All right. I'll see you at the Ball?" Rin nodded. "Great. Bye!"

Rin closed the door after Min left and looked at the polished glass that Sango had given her. It was just large enough that she could see her face, but small enough that she could fit it in her hands.

Sitting on the bed, she stared into the polished glass until she grew weary of looking at her reflection. She needed to find Jaken and her lord. That was when the laughter started.


"You left her alone?" growled Sesshomaru as Jaken cowered below him.

"Min, the Princess, was with her, me lord. I did not leave her unattended, I just wished to make sure you were all right," whimpered Jaken.

"If she is harmed, Jaken–" Sesshomaru cut off when he heard the words he was saying. Whirling, he began to walk back to the accommodations that the King had so nicely given him and his company.

"Me lord, she has most likely already left for the ball!" shouted Jaken. Sesshomaru didn't turn; he just continued to walk. She wouldn't go far without consulting him; he knew that for a fact.

Sesshomaru turned the corner and stopped suddenly, the smell of demon reaching his sensitive nose. He didn't like that smell; it was surrounding his doorway. Walking forward, he drew Tokijin and quietly opened the door.

Cackling filled his ears as the door slammed behind him and he was left in darkness. Suddenly, two faces appeared in front of him, both mirrored images of the other. One had long black hair streaked with red whilst the other had long blue hair streaked with navy blue.

A slight scream caught his attention and he found that Rin was tightly tied up in the black haired demon's hands.

"Ah, so the great Dog Demon Sesshomaru is here as well. Don't you find that interesting brother?" laughed the black haired one.

"Yes, sister, this is going to be more interesting then I thought." The blue haired demon grinned broadly, showing his many teeth, "Well, it seems our doggy friend is finding this hard to take in. Look at his face Shirã. I don't think he likes the fact that we have the little girl."

"No, he doesn't look too happy now does he Sashin? Shall we stop his pain by killing the girl off?" laughed Shirã.

"Harm her and I shall kill you both before you have another chance to breathe," growled Sesshomaru, his knuckles white as he held tight to Tokijin. It pulsated with the anger that its master was feeling and desired to feel the two demons blood upon it.

"Oh! Look, I think the doggy is a little possessive! Shall we wait until our first deed is done before we go after the Dog Lords feelings?" asked Sashin. His sister smiled and flung the girl at Sesshomaru. Black smoke enveloped the room and they both disappeared, but there laughter could still be heard.

"Rin. Are you all right?" asked Sesshomaru, shaking the girl's tiny shoulders. Rin opened her eyes slightly and then screamed, but cut herself off when Sesshomaru winced.

"I'm fine, my lord. Who were they?" asked Rin, a little shaky. She sat up and put a hand to her neck. As she pulled it away, her eyes grew wide when she saw blood on her fingertips.

"You're hurt. Let me see," said Sesshomaru, turning her. He lifted her hair and found two gashes across her neck. He shuddered, hoping they hadn't let anything leak into her wound. He quickly placed his hand on her gash and waited until he found nothing fatal within her wound. Cleaning the blood with a small washcloth, he wrapped her neck up and then stood.

"What happened Rin?" he asked. Rin stood with him and then sighed when she saw that her kimono was stained with blood.

"I was looking at my reflection in the polished glass Lady Sango gave me and when I was bored with that, I decided to look for you and Master Jaken. Before I got up though," Rin stopped when she picked up her other kimono. She would just have to wear this one. "I heard laughter. I didn't know what it was until the room went black," Her voice became muffled as she went around the corner to change. She came back a few minutes later, wearing the yellow kimono. She continued, "That was when those two came into my room. One growled at me and told me I wasn't the one they were looking for. The other one, however, picked me up and knocked me out. Then I woke up and you were here. What else happened?"

They must be after Inuyasha. Once again you get into trouble, little brother. Sesshomaru straightened and put his hand on Rin's shoulder.

"We need to find these two demons. I won't attack Inuyasha tonight, but I do not wish him to be harmed before I can get to him," said Sesshomaru calmly. Rin nodded and walked towards the door.

I won't let Shirã and Sashin get away, not after they harmed Rin. But I do know who they are after. Inuyasha better watch over his mate tonight; they had the look of the hunt written all over their faces.

"Are you coming, my lord?" asked Rin.

Sesshomaru nodded and picked up Tokijin. It pulsated twice before going silent and Sesshomaru silently agreed with his sword. This was going to be an interesting night.


A/N:
Now, the matter of reviews is going to be a slight problem. Since we didn't get anywhere near 40 reviews before, let's make this 40 reviews. Sound all right? Good. And if you, my pretty reviers, make it more then 40, I shall put up another chapter quickly. Deal? Well, I must go now! The weekend is here and I still have plenty of work to do. Adios!