A/N: Ok, I lied. It's going to be a tad longer than 3 chapters. Oh happy day. Thank you for all the lovely reviews. There have been some interesting notes that I will take into consideration once I go back to edit the story. Thanks again, guys! Keep up the good work, lol.
Chapter 3: The Prince, The Spell, The Girl and Her Sandal
Despite the simple fact that this ball had been destined for disaster from the beginning, Sesshoumaru found that his only fault always lay in underestimating the sheer extent of the disaster that his family could bring about, in one swift blow.
It had all started out chipper enough...music, swooning fangirls, this that and the other. Then she had to show up. The Lady Kikyo had blazed through the entrance and as soon as Kagome saw her…well, let's just say that arrows were flying, purifications nearly killed half the party and Inuyasha would never make it out of the 'osuwari' chasm he helped create. Not willingly, of course.
Sesshoumaru had to admit, though, that this was much more entertaining than just standing around looking deadly...yet regal.
"He will come to Hell with me. You are merely an obstacle to be removed." Kikyo threatened, casting a gloom withinn her immediate radius.
Yes, do take him with you, Sesshoumaru thought, the sooner the better.
"Get near him and so help me I'll have you pinned to the tapestry as a permanent part of the collection!"
Kagome had her bow poised and, sure enough, she made good on her word. Of course, it's all fun and games until the fangirls take the ensuing anarchy as a priceless opportunity to make their move.
Sesshoumaru saw them; swarms of maidens/princesses/confused men/old women on each side, getting ready for the kill. Of course, some of them would have jumped the Taisho had it not been for the Lady Izayoi, Sesshoumaru's stepmother. See, she was a no-nonsense kinda bitch.
"Oh my," said the Taisho as the waves of hormonal energy nearly knocked him out. Maybe the ball and the bet hadn't been such hot ideas. In fact, the Taisho was sure that Inuyasha was thinking something along those same lines, as he barely noticed his son, out of the corner of his eye, begging Kikyo to please go away as he cringed behind Kagome.
The wonders that a few hundred osuwaris could work.
Eyeing the crowd, Sesshoumaru simply smirked and did that sexy three-finger-crack movement as he prepared his Dokkasou attack.
The Taisho blanched and, infuriated, yelled, "Are you out of your mind!" He paused, looking at the hordes and the venomous puddles of encroaching drool. "Take the Tetsusaiga. No mere Dokkasou can handle this."
But it was too late. The gangs made a jump for it.
Rin was officially lost. The place was so large that, curiosity having got the better of her, she had begun to aimlessly wander around. She had found herself in a dark room...just kinda stalking around. Suddenly, she yelped, terrified at the little white creature staring at her in the corner.
"What the Hell, Kanna! You tryin'a give me a heart attack?" Oh. Maybe revealing herself just then wasn't the smartest of moves. Sigh...
"How did you escape mother's barrier?" Kanna asked, charmingly emotionless as always.
"Ehehehe..." Rin laughed nervously as she began to retreat. Being alone in a dark room with Kanna was never a good thing. Especially since she felt like this had happened before but her memory seemed to have lapsed at some point. Shit, she thought. "I found a...a hole...in it? Yea...didn't think you'd buy that."
"……"
"So...ah...are Kagura and the mothership anywhere nearby?"
"Kagura is attempting to dissipate a series of mysterious flames that are blocking her access to the Prince. Mother has gotten into the middle of a love triangle, using it as a distraction so that she may burgle a certain Shikon no Tama. She may be arrested before the night is through."
With that, Kanna just sort of...vanished...probably off to look for those mirrors that Naraku had told her about. Wow, Rin thought, so the hellcat's about to get locked up and Kagura's playing firefighter. Good. That ought to keep them off my ass for a while.
Screams in the background got her attention. What the Hell was all the hullaballoo about?
"His Sexy-ness went that way!" "KYAAAAAA!" "After him!" "I want your pups!" "Are you really a man?" "KYAAAA!"
This was getting really interesting. I suppose it's time to put in an appearance, Rin thought, Things seem to be heating up. If I follow the screams, there should be a way outta here.
Rin steadily made her way out of the room, the screeching getting ever closer. Barely out the door, she looked slightly to her left just in time to see Jaken, her supposed Fairy-God Imp, using his staff to put up random firewalls in a desperate attempt to fight off rabid hordes of screeching women. Sure enough, Kagura was floating about, using her wind blades to try to put the fires out. Apparently, no one warned her that fanning a flame can actually feed the damn thing and make it stronger.
"Jaken-sama!" Rin yelled, "what's all the fuss about? Did someone spike the drinks?" It was hard to believe that all this mayhem could be caused by one lousy prince.
"Run for it, you fool! I can't hold them off much longer- you'll be trampled!" And there go my community hours. I'll never be done, Jaken simpered.
As random people of random genders began to slowly break through the fire (damn those miko-fangirls) and the smell of...toxic flowers... and other such acidic substances became stronger, Rin started to make a run for it, however difficult it was to bust a groove in that kimono and those sandals.
Wow, she thought, he wasn't kidding about damage control. Damn you, glass! Where the Hell are my sports sandals when I need 'em.
As she ran, Rin suddenly realized that there was someone catching up with her. Something really fast. Not good. She took a moment to see just what it was and damn: that was one mighty good-looking woman coming her way! Rin didn't even realize that she was slowing down, just to admire the pretty-ness that was about to get horde-mongered.
"Out of my way, fo-!"
OOOOMPH!
KYAAAAA!
Doooown they went, in a flurry of black and white, Sesshoumaru slamming straight into Rin, as they made a spectacular 9.8 dive, all the way down the 500-something flights of stairs.
Ground equals happiness.
"Owie.." Rin groaned as she made an effort to get off the lump she had successfully pummeled. The effort was in vain as she felt an arm wrapped around her waist. The woman was holding her, rather intimately.
"You're touching me," she said blandly, "Why?" It was more of a statement rather than a question, bringing us back to that lovely rhetoric we just can't get enough of.
"...?" Sesshoumaru was rather certain that he had broken several important bones after that ridiculous landing but, as he tried to use whatever was on him to heave himself up, his eyes snapped open at the thing that was smothering him. No time to ditch her, he thought, and I can always use her as a shield. Better take her along. He looked up to the hordes that were now trying to sacrifice Jaken in the name of fandom. It was as good an opportunity to duck out as any.
To this day, it is still a mystery just where the maidens acquired the torches and pitchforks.
"Get up, girl. We are leaving," he said in that ever-so-sexy voice that simply reeks of masculinity.
Rin stared at him/her wide-eyed. She was a he. And they were both tangled up in some kind of fluffy structure. Was it a tail? Was it for decoration? Did it have battery-operated heating? She had no time to think of answers as she was hoisted up over Sesshoumaru's shoulder in a lovely display of caveman-meets-cavewoman manner.
"Put me down, you brute!" she punched into his back. Much to her annoyance, her punches fell on his armor. Stupid, overly-prepared bastard… she grumbled. Just then, Rin realized that something was missing.
"Hey! Hey you, Ms. Man. Yeah, you! Turn back, one of my sandals got left on the stairs!"
Sesshoumaru looked as bored as ever. Typical, he thought, only a woman would want to turn back for a bloody sandal. "No."
Rin was getting...discontent. "Fuck you too, buddy! That was a solid glass sandal and I need it back. Insurance isn't gonna cover that thing. Hey...what time is it, anyway?"
"It is 11:30, now be SILENT!" Sesshoumaru growled. He was getting ready to ditch this harpy or, better yet, offer her as another tribute to fandom.
11:30, Rin panicked, I'm really cutting it close. I need to get home. Damn...and I didn't get any parting gifts, or get to meet the Princes.
"Hey you, put me down." Such eloquence.
"Woman, have you any idea who I am? No, for if you did, you would be aquiver with fear and not dare to address this Sesshoumaru as 'hey you.'" Sesshoumaru said as he walked deeper through the neighborng (and otherwise conveniently located) forest, intent on making it through to the other side without getting mauled by his adoring public. Surely, should they dare follow, the forest won't let them out alive, he was thinking.
"D-did you say, Sesshoumaru? You're Sesshoumaru-sama!" Damn. It had to be him kidnapping me, didn't it.
"Quite."
"Well...well you're not a gentleman!" Rin said, still hanging off his shoulder, more confused than ever, "You should have made yourself known instead of disguising yourself as a woman!"
Sesshoumaru eyes were getting redder and redder by the minute. He tightened his grip on the girl, getting a YIP! from her. Stupid bloody…
"I am not in disguise. Where are your manners, girl?"
"I left 'em back there with my sandal." Rin replied curtly, an ache developing in her bum and back. "And my name is Rinderella, Sesshoumaru-sama, not 'girl.'"
Sesshoumaru scoffed. "Such an ugly name."
"Sesshoumaru isn't much better, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin replied with sweet acidity. "If you please, put me down. I must get home as soon as possible." Before I turn back into a bumpkin.
Sesshoumaru lowered her to her feet and took a moment to consider her. She was a pretty little thing and he supposed he would not be needing her as bait, after all. Still, he was somewhat sorry to lose such fiery company, though he'd rather shave his head than admit it.
"Do as you please," he said coldly and resumed his path.
Alright! Rin thought. A few seconds later, Heeey...wait a minute. I know he is –not- just going to ditch me here with all this…creepiness... "Wait! You can't just leave me here!" She heard some convenient howling in the distance and quickly ran up to Sesshoumaru's back, clutching the fluffy thing with a death grip. Sesshoumaru realized that he was not going to escape this one easily. His eyebrow began to twitch.
He took a deep breath. "Rinderella-"
"Just Rin is fine," she chimed.
"Very well, Rin. I will escort you to your home. Resume walking."
Hmmm…is there a downside to this? Rin didn't have much time to think as the Prince was already on his way. She had 10 minutes 'til the stroke of midnight, she was in the middle of a forest secluded from civilization and she was at the mercy of a Prince who had a stick up his royal a-
Goddammit… "Wait for me, Sesshoumaru-samaaaa!"
"Let go of me you barbarians! I was simply admiring it!" Naraku yelled as the guards tried to kindly 'escort' her off the premises.
The guards were now busy trying to round up the rest of the packs of ravenous women/stalkers/mob, we had effectively been beaten back into the ballroom. The Taisho was rubbing his temples as his wife was trying to talk Kagome into taking the arrows off Kikyo and 'no dear, I don't think she adds to the color of the room' and 'but dear, blood stains won't wash off the tapestry easily...'
Add to that all the damage that Jaken's staff had done and that Kagura woman's wind attacks...jeez Louise... Repairs were going to cost a fortune.
But, you know, just when you think that things can't get worse...
A guard approached the Taisho very timidly. Apparently, he had drawn the short straw and was thus 'volunteered' to give the Taisho the up-to-date report on the current situation.
"S-Sire.."
"Yes," the Taisho looked up tiredly, "What is the report?"
"S-Sire... the crowds have been contained."
"Yes, good. Next."
"There...T-there have been reports of a ghost sighting in some of the upper-level rooms. Something about mirrors, Sire, we are looking into it."
The Taisho sighed. "Very well, next."
"T-the Prince is g-gone, Sire."
"Yes, ne- WHAT! Gone? What the blazes do you mean 'gone'?"
"H-he's disappeared, Sire," the guard replied, hating life so much right now. "W-we are trying t-to trace his whereabouts as we s-speak, Sire."
The Taisho groaned. He almost didn't want to ask. "Is there anything else?"
The guard looked around to see where he could dart for cover. Go to your happy place, he kept telling himself.
"Guard, is there anything else?"
He took a deep breath. "We h-have been able to recover a glass sandal from the scene Sire...It seems...we, we believe the Prince has taken a hostage."
A/N: This is fun to write. Oh, and Queenizzay...I think you're right...this may very well take place in Cambodia...lol.