A/N: Sorry it took so long, I was really busy these few days, it didn't feel like summer vacation at all. But putting that aside, I would like to thank Kellybug for posting five reviews up until now. I got four reviews from another person, but Sasia seemed to have disappeared. Well back to the story.

Chapter 16 Appearances

"Higurashi, I need to speak with you." The white haired incarnation walked slowly out of the ever present shadows. With her mirror held in front of her, Kanna approached Kagome.

"What do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha's rude tone broke in, trying to intervene, however… "Inuyasha, Osuwari." The enchanted beads glowed brightly as Kagome's soft voice echoed eerily in the deathly still room, causing a terrible chill to run up everyone's spine. They shivered at the feeling even more as they stared at Kagome's retreating form. The way she seemed to glide with her eyes glazed over, her voice carried no emotions whatsoever and seemed to drain the warmth from the air itself and the way she carried that ghostly feel about her so effortlessly caused everyone to simply freeze. The resounding smash from Inuyasha as he was firmly dragged down to the ground only added to the ominous air as Kagome walked silently behind Kanna. The two blended perfectly into the Haunted House theme.

"Hey, where do you think you are going," Inuyasha snarled and suddenly jumped up as the spell wore off. No one knows exactly which of the two he was shouting at, nor do they care at the moment as an amused and all too familiar chuckle was heard. The rest of the gang didn't have to wait long before some one wearing a baboon pelt appeared through the shadows in the same direction Kagome disappeared through; there is only so much room in a Haunted house after all.

Seeing everyone else too shocked to respond at the moment, even with the chilling feeling they've been getting, no one expected Naraku to appear here of all places, Souta took the liberty to break the group's silence. "This place is haunted for real, let's follow Kagome and get out of here!" Because the Haunted House is usually a one way place, Souta expected the exit to be where his sister was headed.

"Naraku!" Sango hissed, and having finally snapped herself out of the trance like state she was in at Souta's voice, stepped protectively in front of the boy. Even having Kohaku gone from her for so long, she never seemed to have lost any of the big sister instinct; and at the moment, protecting Souta felt quite right, even if he is someone else's little brother.

Souta looked up uncertainly as Sango stepped in front of him in a fighting stance instead of passing the new comer off as just another puppet with some recorded speech that was meant to scare people. By now, everyone else has also shaken themselves free from their respective freeze with Inuyasha pulling out the Tetsusaiga, Kirara transforming into her bigger form. The group also responded to Naraku by snarling or whimpering in Shippou's case.

What's going on? Souta wondered. It was then that what Sango just hissed registered in his mind. Souta gave a small gasp of fear, it wasn't a terrifying feeling since to Souta, Naraku is still a myth. Don't tell me this is who sis told me about, but he looked different. Souta pondered on the appearance for a bit, his fear momentarily forgotten. Wait a minute, sis did mention something about a baboon pelt and something about it always being a puppet, so it is a puppet! He realized why the group didn't immediately attack the newcomer, because it will do no one any good since their only source of answers will be gone, not that Naraku will tell them anything useful, but it's worth a shot. But what about his sister, why did she follow that weird, white haired young girl. "What's going on?" Souta finally voiced his thought, but by doing so, he has drawn Naraku's attention for the puppet turned to examine at him to his and another person's dismay. Shippou who is currently standing beside him gave a small "eep" and hid behind Miroku for a lack of a better place to hide; Inuyasha whom Shippou always hid behind is simply too close to Naraku, puppet or not, for the comfort of the small Kitsune.

"Kukuku, so this is the Miko's little brother, he might come in handy one day." Even with the weak link between Naraku and the puppet, the group can almost feel the smirk on the twisted villain's face.

"Oh no you don't." Sango stepped slightly to the side, further blocking Souta from view.

"What the heck did you do to Kagome? You bastard!" Inuyasha bellowed impatiently. With his Tetsusaiga transformed, it will be easy for him to strike down the puppet and unfortunately the Haunted House as well. But he doesn't want to blast Kagome accidentally, since he really doesn't know where exactly she is except the general direction she's in and that is the direction of Naraku's annoying puppet.

"Getting impatient are we?" Naraku sounded immensely amused. It was then that he looked to the side where a glazed eyed Kagome walked to the front of the group.

As soon as Kagome stopped, she looked up and fell out of the trance she was in, "What's going on?" She hadn't sensed any jewel shard, but if the group's fighting stance was any indication, something is definitely out of place. And how the hell did she got turned around to face the group, she seriously doesn't remember anything like that happening, she also noticed a slight dent in the ground that's usually made when she used the "sit" command. She pushed the confusion out of her mind and turned to the more pressing matters by slowly following their gaze, afraid of what she might see. Gasp! "Naraku," Kagome looked back at Inuyasha, staring long and hard before finally voicing her confusion that she failed to dismiss, "what just happened?"

Inuyasha ignored the questioning glance the propped for an answer and asked a question of his own, "You mean you don't even remember, wench?"

Unaffected by Inuyasha's now angry tone, Kagome looked wonderingly at the ceiling while responding. "Well… I remember seeing Kanna and… did I pass out, or… Was I actually… Possessed?" She exclaimed, mouth wide and bug eyed.

"Possessed is how I see it, Lady Kagome." Miroku decided to cut in at this moment in case Inuyasha says anything stupid, he looked at Kagome seriously before turning back to face the Baboon pelted puppet Naraku who has, in fact, not moved even one millimeter from his original position from when he first appeared, giving people a feeling that he couldn't move.

By now, a group of teenagers have appeared through the door way and are starting amusedly at what they assumed to be a performance. "So what now?" Miroku muttered more to himself than to anyone else.

"Is it over?" One of the teens whispered uncertainly to his friends, not sure what to make of the situation.

"I don't know." A girl said.

"Shush." Another girl hissed.

Due to the creepy music still playing in the Haunted House, the group did not hear that exchange and therefore still didn't know that they have audience. Naraku however, having seen the teens come in and whisper to each other, found the situation extremely amusing though he did not show it. But as the teens looked at the small group in front of them, Naraku decided to speak again, not appreciating being ignored. "Perhaps I should take the boy." He chuckled darkly. By then, Kanna has somehow gotten behind the gang and is currently moving away with Souta in tow.

Hearing Naraku's words, everyone turned as one to see Souta following the white haired incarnate obediently. Before any of them could jump to Souta's aid, Naraku intervened by stepping in between of them and the two that was slowly retreating.

"Damn you Naraku!" Inuyasha cursed loudly, jumping up and hefting his giant Tetsusaiga. Of course, being in a low roofed building, he immediately hit the ceiling and broke a huge chunk of it out before landing back down on his feet while muttering something that sounded strangely like curses of stupid humans and their habit of closing themselves off in a small and insecure place.

Inuyasha's colorful language earned him a glare from everyone including Kirara and Shippou who are in fact, not humans. Ironic how Inuyasha would curse about both humans and demons while being half of each.

The gang glared at the puppet as one after hearing that annoying chuckle of Naraku's and charged at him. Puppet Naraku responded in transforming and demolishing most of the Haunted House attraction with those disgusting, slightly flesh like tentacles of his. This response did not go over well with Kagome. Standing in the relative open space after the demolition of the Haunted House, she was able to see the massive amount of panic and surprisingly enough, awe that's cause by puppet Naraku's sudden transformation.

The three teens looked terrified at having been half buried beneath the rubble of the Haunted House they were in. Kagome seeing this, run over too help the shocked teens while Inuyasha released his Wind Scar that's aimed for Naraku's head. Luckily the puppet's head, where the base of the puppet is located at is way up high in the sky; otherwise Inuyasha's attack would have hit the unfortunate Pirate Ship ride and probably killing a few people.

The puppet, now destroyed, lost all of the volume it once held and left only a cut up baboon pelt and a smashed wooden doll with a string behind. The combatants stared slightly stunned at having the battle being over almost before it has begun.

Kagome now remembering her little brother, looked around somewhat desperately and eventually finding the slowing disappearing form of Souta. Calling over to Inuyasha and drawing everyone else's attention, she pointed to where Souta went. Inuyasha getting the hint ran over so that Kagome can climb onto his back; Miroku, Sango and Shippou hopped onto Kirara and with that they are off chasing Souta who has just been hoisted onto the wind witch Kagura's feather and is rapidly leaving the scene.

As for the people at the park, everyone who has seen the news held a similar expression on their face that clearly states wonder; everyone else pretty much thought that they are either in some strange, with a few people thinking of it as cool, dream or some not so terrifying nightmare. But in general, they all thought that they were dreaming and couldn't very well get back to their tasks of getting themselves sick on the rides due to it.

A/N: Hope you all liked this one. I still haven't decided if they will get Souta back yet, just so you know. Well, see you next time!