Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha or any of its characters.

Author's Note: Here is a Christmas (Yule (though a few days late) for all Wiccan/Druids/Celt/People Like Me) story. I have no problems with any religions and I mean no offence, for this story does deal with religious extremists. If it ever sounds like I'm downing Christianity I was subjected to a modern day witch hunt, and still am a bit shook up (dude there was that and my stalker everyone out there just wants to kill me!) On the note of Stalkers will most like never write about them besides, Kouga, Hojo, Naraku, and Kikyou fall into my stalker category. Any reference to 'witch' is not directed towards Wiccans, although dark priestesses, and any reference from the Christians in this fic, yes. Oh yeah and to assure that I was not lying to you people Christianity came to Japan in the 9th century just it didn't really stick. Yeah it's a one-shot. This is rated R for a reason though I wont tell you why you'll see. Just a warning mass murder, cannibalism, ritual sacrifices, nasty tricks, and sexual activity (no lemons, still rated R not NC-17) are not at all beyond me. Which you people already know. A friend of mine says the revised version of 'Samhain to the Extremes' was still not gory enough; please voice your own opinion on that if you choose to review this fic.

Happy Reading!

-Na

T'was the Night Before Christmas

The snow swirled around as it fell thickly to the ground, not even the golden eyes of the hanyou could see his clawed hand in front of his face. Assuming that his hand had not frozen and fallen off kilometers ago, and you know what the say about assuming, don't.

Kagome struggled through the waist high snow, it was the snowstorm of the century, scratch that of at least the next five centuries. Kagome would have done anything to be home in her own era at that moment. Listening to Souta's pleading for snow, listening to her religion/philosophy teacher drone on about the Christian holiday Christmas that was the next day, and basically how in truth it was ripped off of the Wiccan holiday of Yule, or even going to Ayumi's Christmas party (she thought the holiday sounded neat with Santa and all) and excepting more of Hojo's gifts.

A shift in the wind and the smell of heat tantalizingly hit the noses of three with demon blood. Before any of the humans knew what hit them they were scooped up. Kirara had transformed and nudged Sango on her back followed by
Miroku. But before she could get to Kagome and the kit she held Inu-Yasha had an arm around her waist and leapt towards the heat.

It was rather comical Inu-Yasha would leap and land the snow holding his weight for a fraction of a second. Before sinking in the snow causing a small puff of snow to rise, but before the feather light crystals could settle he would leap again.

In a matter of minutes, or if you prefer about ten leaps the group was at a rather small mountain castle (small castle equals still huge) the warm light of inside could be clearly seen through the snow. Miroku dismounted Kirara and raised his Shakujou to the door, with the cool confidence that only Miroku could bring about, the rings jingled along with the low sound of metal on wood.

Moments later the door opened to reveal a lithe housemaid, "May I help you?" came her soft voice. Sango groaned, as she knew to what Miroku would attach himself upon.

"We are but wiry travelers and were wondering if we may stay out this dreadful storm in your home," was Miroku's reply. Surprised he did not try to fake an exorcism, everyone waited for Miroku to make his move as Sango prepared Hiraikotsu.

"At the apparent bad weather I am sure my master and mistress will welcome you," replied the girl stepping a bit aside, as to bode the aching travelers inside.

"Why thank you, and would yo-" from the classic line Miroku was interrupted and this time it wasn't from any of his friends. Miroku words halted at the sound of the lady of the house, as well as Sango Hiraikotsu poised over Miroku's head.

"Welcome what, Boton?" came a second voice from deeper within the castle, "If they are traveler caught in this dreadful storm, hurry bring them in." With those words the girl, Boton stepped completely from the door, head bowed as Miroku followed by the others entered.

The hall was brightly light and was not at all long before it branched off into rooms. Boton made a gesture for the traveler's outer winter wear. In the door way of the first room to the left stood the lord and lady of the house who looked wide-eyed at Shippou, Kirara, and Inu-Yasha, as they watched the proceedings.

Kagome placed her bag on the floor removing her modern gloves and hat. Next she removed Inu-Yasha's haori that was given to her hours ago when her lips had turned purple. She handed it to Inu-Yasha who had nothing to remove except snow from his ears and hair. He took his haori from her without much regard.

The family once more gapped as they saw the strange clothing the girl with the hanyou manservant had under the red haori. Their attention turned towards Miroku as he had already removed his winter bindings and they could clearly tell he was a Buddhist monk. They than looked questionably at Sango the youkai taiji-ya, who was traveling with youkai, clearly she had abandoned her more holy duty. The gaze drifted shock back to Kagome who had removed her pants (snow pants) and was now standing in a shockingly short green dress and white top not of this area.

"Where are you travelers from?" asked the Lord of the house.

Miroku looked up at the two in the doorway, jumping a little from being startled at their presence. Miroku bowed, "Oh please forgive me, my lord. We are travelers from the West from Musashi. I am Miroku, humble Buddhist Monk, the woman over there with the kitsune youkai kit, Shippou, and the neko youkai, Kirara is youkai taiji-ya Sango, the girl in the strange garb is a Miko Kagome, and the dog-eared boy behind her is Inu-Yasha." This in all had earned Miroku a low growl from Inu-Yasha and a glare from Kagome (her clothes were not strange!).

"Very well than, follow me," said the dark haired Lord of the castle. He and his wife turned and walked down the hall followed by the travelers, "we are sorry but we only have three room to offer you. So the taiji-ya will stay with the youkai she accompanies and the hanyou with his own mistress the miko, does that suit you?"

"What she isn't my mistress!" fumed Inu-Yasha. Kagome shot him we're-a-guest-in-this-house-you-will-except-their-terms-or-you'll-sit look that quickly shut up the still grumbling hanyou. As they walked by the now closed doors that the Lord and Lady had come from they could hear the noises of gay chatter, music, and clanking of glasses and hashi (chopsticks). Inu-Yasha found it strange that he didn't smell any food, drinks, or even humans. But he brushed it off he had just spent a substantial amount of time in the snow without the warmth of his Hinezumi no Koromo (Fire-Rat Robe). It was entirely possible for even a hanyou to catch a cold.

"That will be fine, thank you," replied Kagome.

The Lady of the castle glanced back, "Oh I do, hope you will join us for evening festivities for tonight is Christmas Eve."

"Christmas Eve?" asked Shippou. The Lady whirled on the small kitsune youkai like he was an idiot and he completely disrespected her.

Sango looked shocked, she glanced around to see if anyone knew what the Lady was talking about, met with more confused looks and a strange lost in thought look from Kagome who looked as if she was simply in the recesses of her brain knew what they were talking about. Sango tried her best to lie as to not offend the kind people sheltering them, "Please forgive him M'Lady he, is but a child and does not know of what he speaks."

"Yes, dear she is right," said the Lord as he stopped in front of some doors, "now this will be the houshi's (monk's) room, the next door the taiji-ya, and finally the Miko and her hanyou slave. Will send someone when it is time to unveil the Christmas tree."

Everyone nodded and Inu-Yasha growled under his breath, as Kagome placed a restricting hand on his upper arm. The Lord and Lady backtracked and left the group to their own devices.

When the Lord and his wife were out of earshot everyone turned to Kagome, expecting some sort of answer. Kagome looked around nervously for a second, "Umm… well you see, I believe that they are Christians and umm… Christmas Eve is the night before Christmas, which is a holiday to celebrate the birth of some guy; you exchange gifts and decorate a tree or something. What did you expect me to listen in class, when I was worried about you guys?"

They all nodded courtly and Miroku suggested, "Well let us get settled in before we are called upon." In silent agreement everyone entered their assigned rooms.

The second the door was closed to Kagome and Inu-Yasha's room, Inu-Yasha had flipped his lid, yelling at Kagome to no end. And strangely Kagome did not wish to Osuwari (sit) him. Perhaps it was the holiday spirit? Or well, being a hanyou is looked on as low, just think of a hanyou slave.

Inu-Yasha sat on the rather large soft sleeping pallet Kagome sat next to him rather silently waiting for the huffing hanyou to calm down. She hesitantly lifted her right hand to scratch and rub Inu-Yasha's left ear in an act to calm him. Strangely it had the desired effect that Kagome had hoped and more, as Inu-Yasha laid down his head in Kagome's lap. Kagome's eyes widened and her ministrations halted for a second but Inu-Yasha was already to far gone and nuzzled into her stomach until she continued the gentle ear rub.

After a few minutes of pure silence, unless you count the quiet content growl that was constantly coming from Inu-Yasha, Kagome spoke up, "Hey how 'bout to make it up to you I'll give you the bed tonight, bring you extra Ramen, not go home after I bring the Ramen for a whole month, and do anything else you want me to?"

"Mmm, yeah, thank you… you smell nice, Kagome," was Inu-Yasha's lazy reply. Kagome looked down at him in shock but noticed his state of mind, that period of time between sleep and awake where you hear everything but have no actions over your truthful replies.

(A/N: Ha ha, this is the part where you are like "what the fuck!?" your reading this for horror and your getting fluff. Lets just say it is the calm before the storm. And the storm is brewing right after the end of the ')', A reminder I am not saying Christians normally act like the people in this story, as to not ruin the story, there is a reason a good reason if you believe that I am disrespecting Christians please bare until the explanation is said in the natural percussion of the story, before you decide. Thank You.)

A soft knock was heard, and almost fell on deft hanyou ears, but Kagome heard it load and clear she stopped rubbing Inu-Yasha's and nudged him to sit up. He wasn't looking to good perhaps he really was getting sick (A/N: ::cough:: hanyou DON'T get sick ::cough::). There was a soft whimper coming from Inu-Yasha as he nuzzled Kagome's stomach again. Kagome nudged him once more, "Inu-Yasha, are you all right? Someone is at the door we must be going," Kagome whispered softly in the ear of the 'puppy' in her lap.

"Miss, the unveiling of the Christmas tree will be shortly, your presence will be requested," said the soft voice of Boton.

That had seemed to snap Inu-Yasha out of his daze as he gripped his head, visions of him in the form of a snow white puppy being coddled by young girl ten years Kagome's minor, slipped away as he sat up and looked at Kagome the child's face shifted back to Kagome's own beautiful one. Within seconds Inu-Yasha was up and opening the door to see the rest of the gang getting out of their own rooms. He tried to forget what he saw, and dismissed it as nothing of Importance. Silly hanyou, everything is important.

They walked down the warmly lit hall to the door that they had heard the noises of celebration from, this time the room was silent. Everyone figured that all the other's where waiting for the showing of the tree. By the door stood five children, the oldest a girl of thirteen followed by four boys looked to be aged twelve, ten, seven, and six.

The curious six-year-old tugged on Miroku's robes, "Are you excited to see the tree mister?"

Before Miroku could answer Boton slapped the boy's hand from Miroku's robs, "Himura! Don't touch them! Leave these guest alone, they do not wish to be bothered by you children!"

Miroku went once more to intervene and say that he adored children and they did not mind at all. When the rice paper screen slid open, There stood the smiling faces of the Lord and Lady.

The Lord gestured towards the room behind him, "Well, come in and see the tree, eat your fill." The children needed no other coaxing as they fled into the room, followed closely by Shippou and Kirara. Sango glanced over the strangely behaving houshi and shrugged before stepping into the room herself, followed slowly by the others.

Directly in the doorway both stood Miroku and Sango agape they were innocently starring at the tree, which was decorated with candles and cookies. They also watched the playing children; saddened that Boton constantly did not allow Shippou or Kirara near the children. Whispers of "filthy demon" reached only the hanyou's ears more than once.

"Oh look dear they are under the mistletoe," replied the Lady, Miroku and Sango looked questionably at her, with an agitated sigh the Lady explained, "When you stand under the mistletoe you must share a kiss."

Sango turned a deep red at the thought of having to kiss Miroku. Miroku on the other hand became nervous as his heart sped up, though he would never admit to such an act, he smirked though nervous he was happy.

With each passing second Sango grew redder, it never occurred to her to refuse, but why? Miroku took Sango's hand in his as his accursed hand fell to the small of her back. In all her embarrassment Sango fell into him relax and prepared, his lips pressed against hers. And their eyes drifted shut nothing of a more pure bliss ran threw. Miroku would be a lecher till the day he died, but that single kiss from Sango could end such lecherous ways. With a shy hesitant flick of his tongue running a crossed her lips Sango began to open her mouth and than all of a sudden a sharp pain elected their ears.

Pulling away Miroku and Sango where surprised to see that their ears where held and twisted by the Lord, "You two take heed there are children present, I will have absolutely none of that in this house!" he roughly pushed Miroku and Sango away from the door a bit.

Inu-Yasha and Kagome walked in next and as hard as they tried to avoid standing under the very same mistletoe as Sango and Miroku, they in turn stepped under a second green sprig.

"You two are under the mistletoe, but we'll it slide who would want to kiss a hanyou?" replied The Lady as the couple stepped into range of the strange green plant that made people kiss!

At the Lady's comment Inu-Yasha wanted to blow up, to yell, scream and rant. Little did he know that Kagome was angrier than he. It was made apparent the second her lips crushed his feverously.

As the kiss grew it became more slow and sensual and Inu-Yasha took on the dominant role. Sliding his tongue out to caress Kagome's lips, which she parted to only meet tongue to tongue.

They would have been stopped if not for their rejoicing friends or shocked hosts. The Lady held out a tray of hors d'oeuvers, and the Lord a tray of a strange spiced red drink, both almost fell to the ground. Sango and Miroku looked at it, with questioning looks.

"It is like a wine, it's a rare holiday drink. Drink up, our second glass is to toast," said the Lord, who stood in front of a vast table piled high with food. Inu-Yasha and Kagome pulled away both blushing wildly as they retrieved their own cup.

In unison Miroku and Sango nodded and said their thanks. They each took a sip of the strange concoction; it was heavily spiced but the under toned after taste was a bit of a more metallic, zingy taste that could have been easily compared to a drink made of apples.

Inu-Yasha was accosted with a strong smell of cold blood the putrid aroma was covered in what seemed to be kitchen spices, a heavy amount of them. And the smell was coming from his cup! He looked frantically around to see that Miroku and Sango were sipping their own (What Inu-Yasha believed) spiced blood. Kagome looked nervously at her own cup. Inu-Yasha had remembered in Kagome's time she was not old enough to drink alcohol, also that children obeyed this rule whole-heartedly. Although he was sure there was no alcohol in the drink, the Lord had said it was wine, like sake (Japanese rice wine) contained alcohol. Inu-Yasha looked at the food in his hand and decided not to trust it either.

It was already too late for Miroku and Sango, Inu-Yasha saw, who were on their third piece and had already, drank half their glass.

Inu-Yasha was pulled from his reserve when Kagome leaned close to him and whispered so only he could hear, "I can't drink this Inu-Yasha there is alcohol, and all of this food, smells unappealing, I don't wish to eat. What do I do?"

Inu-Yasha thought and he thought quickly remember a similar incident with his mother. Her recalled word for word what her handmaid had said, and these people did believe he was Kagome's servant. Besides he didn't want anyone to eat the food, though it was too late for most, as he noticed Shippou and Kirara munching on candy. And he had some overwhelming feeling to follow Kagome around like a puppy, obeying and pleasing her.

"Just don't do anything about it when you are questioned I will handle it," replied Inu-Yasha close to Kagome's left ear.

"Let us begin the Christmas Eve feast!" said the Lord as if the effect of the blood… I mean wine had already claimed him. In a furry everyone was seated at his or her assigned seats, Boton positioned by the wall near the Lord awaiting summonses. The Family all bowed their heads and the Lord spoke"(Insert Christian grace here (A/N: What? I'm not Christian I do not know these things))"

As the Lord's voice faded away there was another long pause as people said their own silent prayers. Minutes past as the Buddhists and Shintoists sat in a confused eerie silence. The still was broken with the clank of dishes being passed around the table. The platters passed over Inu-Yasha and Kagome, as it went unnoticed.

After everyone was served and the second glass of wine… I mean blood. The Lord stood, "I would like to toast to the birth of our lord and savior Jesus Christ (A/N: Still not Christian, hope that sounded right) Amen." He raised his glass and everyone followed suit, in the toast.

That was when the Lady noticed the empty plates and untouched glasses of Kagome and Inu-Yasha, "What is the matter dear? Why do you not eat?" The table fell silent, as Kagome grew nervous, what was she to say?

"M'Lady does not feel all to well, and if M'Lady does not eat, neither do I, we do thank you for you kind gesture, but would like to decline," was Inu-Yasha's calm reply. His head was downcast, he had sounded and looked just as a lowly slave would have. The slightly lifted hashi of Sango clattered to her bowl, both Miroku and Shippou stared open mouthed and wide eyed at the hanyou, while Kagome just shot him a questioning look.

The Lord, Lady, and their children found nothing wrong with this at all and the Lady smiled kindly although her gaze shifted to her children as if judging the distance between hanyou and miko, and her children, worried they may catch some weird disease. "Well, than perhaps you mistress would like a bath the tub is at the end of the hall."

Kagome and Inu-Yasha nodded as they stood up from the table, the rest of the gang moved to follow but Kagome shook her head, she wanted them to enjoy themselves.

So with frowns they shifted and turned back to their meals. Soon forgetting their 'ill' comrades and not even noticing the offhandedness of their hosts and the obvious sneers of disgust. Each and everyone was as if they were madly drunk, although not even a drop of alcohol or known drug have touched their person the whole night.

Kagome lay back in the indoor hot spring. Although small it was pretty the house had been built around this natural occurrence. It was probably the only patch of thawed ground and really was hot water. Kagome moaned in the sheer bliss of the hot water covering her previously still frozen body and wiry bones. Kagome leaned her head back, her eyes closed for only a second before she lifted her left leg and blindly tried to wash it with her sudsy cloth.

After failing miserably she opened her eyes and jumped to see that right under her lifted leg was a white scruff of hair and two velvety white puppy-dog ears. Kagome immediately felt her anger rise, how dare Inu-Yasha?

She smirked he would get his cumuppins (A/N: you know what I mean… I hope). Kagome leaned close to the right ear the protruded from the water and in an act to be nice and not drown Inu-Yasha (although she should) Kagome whispered, "Osuwari."

Nothing.

Nada.

Nichts.

Nasshingu (Nothing (applies to all of the above).

There was nothing, no splash, no growl, no submerging head, and no bubbles showing the need for air. Nothing happened, nothing changed, nothing moved. Everything was deathly silent and that is what scared Kagome.

With shaking hands Kagome reached to touch the two dog-ears. With each gaining centimeter Kagome's heart beat even that more erratically. She was hoping it was like those films where Inu-Yasha would jump out and scare her. At the thought of scary movies she was now worried about Inu-Yasha still being alive.

Her fingertips touched a hard ear, it might have been warm, but it was obvious that it was only warm from the hot spring. At this feeling Kagome's blood froze, her breathing hitched, and her heart beat loudly, the sound echoing through out the room. The ear that she touched with her frozen in fear hand slowly slipped from her grasp as the 'Inu-Yasha head' rolled. Kagome stared paralyzed her leg was still raised to wash.

The white furry thing rolled to reveal a puppy snout stuck in the air tongue still lulled to the right side. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief it was a puppy, a quiet, no fidgety puppy who was playing dead.

Kagome lowered her leg into the water and watched the ripple go around the non-reactant puppy. Kagome's hand now moved again but instead of away it moved forward to stroke the puppy's face and bring him out of this silly game.

Her hand stroked the hair of the puppy it felt strange like his skin produced no oil, and he still didn't respond. Kagome raised to her knees to get a good look at the treading non-responsive white furry puppy.

A scream rang throughout the halls of the castle not even a mouse could have ignored the scream. Inu-Yasha shot up and heard the gay chatter of the feasters as if Kagome had not just screamed in pure fright. He was out their shared room and into the bathing room with in seconds.

There sat Kagome huddling in fright at the far end of the spring, a spring of red water. Inu-Yasha sniffed it was Sango's blood. In the center floated still an all white puppy. Eyes glassy and white, the color long since drained from centuries of death.

And Kagome, she sat shaking and crying in the pool of what smelled Like Sango's blood. Inu-Yasha strained his ears and could pick up the drunken giggle of Sango.

Inu-Yasha rushed to Kagome's side careful not to go into the pool of blood. He balanced on the narrow edge that went behind Kagome and the spring. Slowly and carefully Inu-Yasha bent down and wrapped his arms around Kagome cooing calming words in her ears. But it did not placate the shaking girl; she struggled against him. Inu-Yasha lost his footing and plummeted into the deep bloody depths of the once warm hot spring.

When Inu-Yasha accidentally swallowed the blood, it tasted as water, upon his resurface the spring was normal as if nothing had happened, no blood, no puppy. Inu-Yasha was confused but the whimpers of his mistress drew him back to her still huddled in the 'corner'.

Inu-Yasha carefully wrapped his arms around his mistress. He nuzzled her neck licking her chin to calm the crying five-year-old under his puppy paws. Kagome's eyes opened as she saw that nothing was out of place, by the force of improper oxygen intake the naked girl fell into sweet unconsciousness. Inu-Yasha gentle stood with Kagome in his arms her quickly retrieved all her articles and walked out of the door into the dark hallway, the household asleep. Somehow ten minutes turned to ten hours.

Inu-Yasha carefully tucked Kagome in her bed and curled up at her side, as a faithful dog should.

A sweet entrancing sound filled the hallow halls, the voice of a pure young maiden, sang sweetly a tale a curse. It fell upon only the ears of non-Christians in the wee morning hours.

T'was years since the snow fell

White until the edge of the earth

I a maiden of hell

Came upon the Christian shell

On the eve of something holy, a party pursued

In the first guest room lay

A man of such lechery

As to take a young girl to death's play

Second a man who his name he could not say

He hung his children and drowned

The third room was mine

Before it was a child's

Who was followed faithfully by a canine

Pure she was, as sickness allowed her not to dine

And in my bed she once lay, and died a mere five

Her brother drowned

The pup so willing to follow

Haunted by the ghost of a hound

I called the spirits bound

And the girl took her dog in death

Witch! Fell on my ears

Beat and bound till I said

What they wanted, in tears

The family brought death before their years

Even to this, very day

A curse I set

A curse on each room

For my own I let

The girl and pup get

A curse to end all

You will die

Held fast, if you eat the food of the dead

To live is unlikely, so now is the time to cry

You have been cursed where you lie

All but girl and pup are pained

Cryptic it may have been but the sweet sound fell on unconscious ears. Unconscious ears that took in the words and in some recess of the brain knew what they meant.

The scream of a mother who had lost her daughter rang and woke all the sleepers it was amazing that such a large and full castle had only thirteen currently under it's roof. And at that moment nine where in the hall, looking into Miroku's room.

The first of three rooms given to the travelers the night before was the center of everyone's attention. Their lay a half-awake Miroku the bed sheets barely covering his naked form. And there beside him lay the equally naked thirteen-year-old Lord's daughter in a death like sleep.

Inu-Yasha took a sniff of the air just to see how far Miroku had gone with her. But he smelled no sex, no death, no life. But despite his nose, she lay in a state that read rape and death.

Miroku at that time chose to see exactly why the Lady had screamed, screamed himself with a look of utter confusion. The lord pulled out of the bed and into the hallway a naked Miroku. Before any words could be said a scream elected from Sango who as with Shippou and Kirara had failed to show at the initial scream.

The door to Sango's room was ripped open as she fled down the hallway to the hot spring. Everyone glanced into the room in a shocked horror. There over Sango's bed hung two lifeless forms one still twitched. The heavier of the two had their neck snapped by the tight bindings. The lighter of the two suffocated. The victims' tear-less faces show that they were taken by surprise possibly while they slept and had no idea that it was friend not foe.

Inu-Yasha could now smell blood and death. And there hung the lifeless bodies of Shippou and Kirara eyelid shut as if asleep. What was scarier? The calm look of sleep upon ones eyes in their brutal onslaught, or the looks of sheer terror that stained their faces seconds before death finally set in?

The Lord and Lady seemed uncaring of the dead demons; they were just 'the devil's' demons, right? Who cared? The lord was currently binding Miroku as his wife prepared a whip for him, made of the same kind of rope that hung Shippou and Kirara.

A load splash a crashing noise was heard from the room of the hot spring. Inu-Yasha and Kagome looked between where Sango lay and Miroku trying decided whom to help. With the last of his strength Miroku who was already bleeding violently, coughed up blood and the words, "Help Sango."

Kagome nodded courtly and ran down the hall Inu-Yasha in tow. They barged into the hot spring expecting a crying Sango like Kagome was the night before. Instead they were met with a blood red spring.

Blinking a few times to assure themselves, that the face down Sango floating in the water and the deep red hue of the water, was not another vision.

They screamed and Kagome began to shake violently as she backed up into Inu-Yasha. They turned down the hall to see Miroku dead on the floor in a pool of his own blood. The Lord still lashing the already mangled body of the now ex-houshi, blood splattered everywhere as the make shift whip cracked the four remaining children laughed and danced around in circles jumping in the pool's of Miroku's blood. The heart shattering screams still echoed. But etched on what was left of his face was a smile.

He had died pure, under false accusations. He was given a rare moment with the woman that he loved, and he died watching his friends run off to assure she stayed alive for him. But it was too late, too late to make camp in the snow, too late to not dine on the food of the dead, too late for a lot of things.

Frozen in the spot looking from one corpse to the other Kagome whimpered, and Inu-Yasha's anger grew. But first Kagome had to be out of harms way.

Faster than Inu-Yasha even knew he could go Kagome and her backpack were in his arms as he sailed out the door and into the night. They stood there in the snow it was almost midnight, catching their breath.

"We can't leave like this Inu-Yasha," said Kagome after a few minutes.

"I know I just wanted to get you out before getting the bodies," Inu-Yasha said as the lights in the house flickered out.

Kagome took her bag from Inu-Yasha and removed a flashlight, "I'm coming too."

It was a direct order from his mistress and he complied gripping her hand in his the prepared to enter the accursed house. Kagome shinned the flashlight where Miroku should have laid.

Nothing.

Nada.

Nichts.

Nasshingu (Nothing (applies to all of the above).

There was not a thin not even a bloodstain, just the dust of hundreds of years. Cautiously they searched the palace till daylight all that was there to show that Inu-Yasha and Kagome ever entered the palace was the footprints in the dust.

Daybreak came, and the Miko and Hanyou exited the palace the sun was already warming the deep snow that now glistened so one could walk atop it. They stared at each other and than at the house.

Where was Miroku? Sango? Shippou? Kirara? Where they even on this particular trip? Did they ever exist?

"Come on Inu-Yasha let's go home," said Kagome sadly as she averted her gaze from the palace to the ground as she began to walk.

Inu-Yasha watched the five-year-old as his paws twitched in anticipation, yes he would follow his mistress like a good puppy should.

Author's Note: It wasn't so bloody and what not 'cause it was for Christmas I hope it was a little freaky though. Hate or love, please tell me what you thought. If you didn't get it, it was all the curse. Thanks!

-Na