A/N: WOOT! I said this chapter was going to be action packed...I kinda lied. Next chapter is action packed--ahem, yeah, there's another part to the Halloween Dance! :-D

Congrats to 2008 for being my 100th reviewer!!! WOOT!! And your prize? You get to give me an idea for a chapter and I'll write it! :-D Of course, credit will go to you, of course! Name something that you want to happen in this story and I'll put it in! If you didn't read this, then I will be sending you a PM so let me know if you read this message!

ANYONE WHO WANTS THE SAME PRIZE MUST COMPETE TO BE MY 200TH REVIEWER NOW!!! If I can get so far... :-D

Well, in the chapter after this one, I'll be posting a 'recap' summary of all that has happened so far, just because my chapters lately are so long and I don't want anyone to lose their minds trying to understand what just happened. That'll definitely be on chapter...14. Make sure to look for it in the beginning author's note if you want to know if you caught on to all that's going on!

THANKS TO MY BETA READER KINKATIA FOR BETA READING BESIDES ALL THE WORK SHE HAS TO DO! THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND YOU DESERVE A PRIZE! One day....muahahahaha! :-D

Sooo...happy reading! Enjoy the chapter!


Oh My Gods! 16


Foreboding, in the form of an ominous black cloud, followed Sesshoumaru as he trailed after his fiancée to the small fountain behind the banquet hall. It nicked at his sixth sense incessantly, allowing paranoia to blind his mind's perceptive eye--every moment was one in which he thought he was being watched. He constantly looked over his shoulder and his golden eyes flicked from side to side, searching for something out of the ordinary.

Nothing...there was nothing there. Then why did he feel so uptight? Why did he feel like an unsuspecting animal seconds away from being caught in a predator's powerful jaws?

He felt sick to his stomach...something wasn't right...

"Hey, are you ok?"

The dog demon took a deep breath and gathered his wits. Though, when his eyes landed on Rin's concerned expression, his resolve immediately fled. She was in danger, and here he was, incapable of doing anything! Yet...what the hell was he supposed to do?

His instincts were hardly ever wrong--if he felt that something wasn't right, then shouldn't he be acting upon it? His unease increased at the thought of anything happening to Rin...again. This time, there was no guarantee that she'd be able to survive.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, preferring to keep his presentiment to himself, for now at least. The last thing he needed was to ruin her first dance with his paranoia. "What should we do now?"

She smiled brightly, though he figured she caught his lie. He was glad, however, that she refrained from commenting on it. "Well...I don't know actually." Rin took a swift look around the garden, glancing from the towering fountain in the center to the numerous rose bushes that surrounded it. "-gasp- Yellow roses! Oooooh, they're so pretty!"

Sesshoumaru had to shake his head in pity of the teen who disregarded everything else in favor of admiring a bush of normal, useless flowers. How can such a simple part of life elicit a genuinely excited response from her? But, even so, he found himself walking after her, if only to keep his overprotective inner demon at bay.

I've actually never seen yellow roses before, Rin thought, gliding a finger across the velvety petal of a blossomed rose, now entranced by its whirling pattern, and yellow is my favorite color. Ok, maybe next to orange.

Since she was completely indulged in the mesmerizing flower, it came as a complete shock to her when another identical rose materialized to her right. No, it didn't appear out of thin air...because a clawed hand was wrapped around its perfect green stem recently cleaned of any thorns. Rin gazed from the flower to the demon offering it to her, and she smiled, rendered speechless by his abrupt display of...she didn't even know what to call it!

"Here," Sesshoumaru cut off a large amount of the stem with a quick snipe of his claws and tucked the flower behind her ear, allowing her cascading waves of obsidian hair to fall around the vibrant, sunny rose, "it suits you."

Does he mean my costume or metaphorically? Rin hardly knew what to say, except that she was overcome with the sudden urge to envelope him in her arms and kiss him until the night turned into day. Is he possessed? Maybe Inuyasha wasn't the only one who transformed on a new moon...

"Sessh..."

There it was again--the magnetic pull that denied her eyes the right to look anywhere else. His golden honey eyes melted with warmth, no longer frozen by the ice that surrounded him every waking moment; just by gazing at him, her eyes softened as well. What was she feeling right now? What should she call the fluttering of her heart, or the sudden flush of her cheeks?

It didn't matter now. All Rin noted was the narrowing space between them...and soon, she closed her eyes as well as parted her supple lips in anticipation of what was to come...

"Aw, this is so romantic!"

...which certainly wasn't that.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in contempt, immediately moving to stand in front of his fiancée protectively as he glared daggers at the asinine fool who just interrupted them. So this was why his nerves were frayed--the person he hated most in his life was stalking him...or even worse, Rin. He had to suppress a savage growl at the thought of his dear cousin getting anywhere near her...again, dammit!

"Have you nothing better to do than waste your time in the mortal realm, Meimori?" He spat, hoping that his older cousin would just sneer for a while and then leave, without any bloodshed involved.

His feeling of unease multiplied ten fold--obviously, when it involved him, nothing as innocent as talking ever occurred...so what was the bastard planning this time?

The sable haired dog demon wearing a battle outfit similar to his cousin's merely smirked in response. "Torturing you is what I live for, my favorite cousin." Though, he soon sobered and cracked his knuckles in a silent warning. "I didn't come here to talk. You know what I want."

"And I'll gladly give it to you," the younger immortal responded, his tone of voice brimming with smooth ice. Sesshoumaru was relieved, however, that his cousin had yet to include Rin in their conversation--hell, he hadn't even spared her a glance! That conniving bastard has something up his sleeve...I know he's keeping information from me, but what is it?

"As much as I like watching dogs eat dogs, I can't exactly enjoy it while in this filthy realm."

Hmph...now he found the missing link...

Sesshoumaru and Rin whipped their heads around when a sultry voice spoke from the shadows, and they were shocked when a beautiful demoness arrogantly made her way to stand beside Meimori. She flashed the couple--or rather, only Sesshoumaru--a coquettish smirk before yawning disinterestedly, drawing out her metal-tipped fan as if she was about to start fanning herself.

All the while, Rin just wondered how this woman could bear wearing tight, black leather from head-to-toe: a black leather vest, black leather pants, and black leather boots--black leather everything!

"Long time no see, Sesshoumaru," she drawled, her mischievous ruby eyes narrowing in appreciation of his...'costume'. "Looking good as ever. I sort of missed having you around as my eye candy." Not one of them missed how the dark-haired dog demon beside her frowned.

"Kagura, I see that you are still as insolent as ever." He glanced at his fiancée, whose ire doubled as the demoness openly ogled him, her eyes lighting in satisfaction. It was bad enough feeling like a piece of meat, but definitely worse when he knew that Rin was going to give him hell about it later...

"Some things never change..." She switched her gaze to Rin, and instantly, disgust filled her expression, "...especially when it comes to that little girl who always hangs around you. Are you going to start crying for your mommy any time soon, misfit?"

Why do people feel the need to call me that?! "Excuse me?!" Rin stepped around her fiancée, anger clouding her mind. "At least I don't walk around with tight leather pants just so my ass wouldn't seem as flat!"

"Hm, it's not like you have any 'assets' to goad about. Don't worry, with me around, Sesshoumaru would never look at you twice--you don't have to keep stuffing your bra."

"WHAT?! I'll have you know that my--"

"No need to fret, my Rin; I love every single part of your body..." Meimori's statement made Rin flush while Sesshoumaru felt like sharpening his claws on his neck. Though, his expression soon became somber and he pursed his lips into a thin line. "We're wasting valuable time arguing about fact and crap. Let's go, cousin, or would you rather run to Kagura for a quick fuck?"

"I could use a quickie right about now...and gods know that the little misfit over there would break if he even tried her..."

That's it--this whore needs to be taught a lesson! "I'm not going to let you insult me, nor will I be impassive like a certain someone here!" She glared at her fiancée, who ignored her all together. What is wrong with him?! Why isn't he even trying to defend me?! Hell, he hardly got angry when Meimori flirted with me! "Accept the fact that you're a whore--no doubt about it!"

"Should I even comment on your virginity, little girl? I bet you haven't even had your first kiss yet." Kagura was adding fuel to the raging fire when it came to pissing Rin off. The sad thing was that she was succeeding in it...without any interventions from a strangely taciturn silver haired dog demon. Why was that? Well, it was to her favor anyway, no need to argue against luck.

"Kagura--shut up already! We all know that I gave Rin her first kiss!" Meimori growled at his companion, disregarding a protesting-but-blushing-for-some-reason Rin in the background. "Sesshoumaru, it's either we leave now, or we'll just have to begin here."

"You surely took your time spewing nonsense, dear cousin--I was just about to fall asleep. I'm ready when you are." He received a nod in return, and immediately, the weight of what he was about to do crashed upon his shoulders. His cousin came for one thing and one thing only--to kill him. The way his inhuman silver eyes glinted with malice leaked the secret...tonight, only one of them would survive.

Even though he was usually confident in his fighting skills...his presentiment had yet to leave him...who was going to die tonight? Are my instincts alerting me to...? No, he banished such thoughts from his mind. This Sesshoumaru cannot abandon his kingdom. Meimori would do well to remember that.

"Don't forget to bring me along--the last thing I want is to be a babysitter for misfit over there." Kagura's crimson lips curved upwards in an evil smile; it never ceased to amuse her how easily the little human girl was riled.

Though, when it came to Rin, her hatred ran deep. It was hidden behind her never ending delight in the pain of others, but she did truly hate that weak bitch. Why? The answer was not a secret--Meimori knew why...and Sesshoumaru could guess.

The day Rin died would be a field day for her. Actually, I already had my field day. She inwardly smiled once she recalled the infamous 'incident' that those who remembered it kept locked in their memories. It was the happiest day of her life; sadly, she could never express her joy because a certain demon ruler in the Western Kingdom, not Sesshoumaru, would have her head.

Oh well, the past will soon repeat itself.

Rin was merely confused as she watched the exchange between the two cousins, and of course, the flat-ass whore Kagura. What are they talking about? Where are they going? She blinked, and then set her eyes on her fiancé, ready to--wait, why in the world were his eyes glowing blue?!

And true enough, Sesshoumaru's eyes were covered in a sheet of a soft blue light, while the rest of his body soon followed pursuit. His lips were moving, though she couldn't exactly hear the words he chanted. What is he doing?

She could, however, feel immense energy floating off of him in waves--pure, powerful energy that enticed her and terrified her at the same time. Her eyes were glued on him, carefully observing the way his lips moved along with his chant to the way his energy seemed to swirl around him in a pillar of brilliant light. This is the first time that I get to see an immortal in action...

It awed her; she'd at least give him credit for astounding her. But the others... She glanced at them, wondering what they were doing this whole entire time without uttering a word, and her cinnamon eyes must have widened three times its size at the sight!

"No way..." Both Meimori and Kagura were enveloped in the same pillar of light as Sesshoumaru... Maybe she was a little airheaded, but it didn't take a genius to piece everything together and figure out that her fiancé was just about to...! "No way in hell! You're not leaving me here!"

Without a second thought, Rin penetrated the closest pillar of light and threw her arms around Sesshoumaru. A bright white flash blinded her...and afterwards...

...they were all gone.

Little did they know...that someone had been watching their whole display...someone who was a mortal...and mortals absolutely could not know of the existence of immortals except for special circumstances...

...and this someone was a smirking Yuka.


How the hell did they get separated again?! Argh, was it truly so hard to keep track of his fiancée?! He grumbled impatiently to himself, deciding that he should attempt to search for her outside the building incase she had wanted to breathe in fresh air. Well, despite the fact that not having his enhanced sense of smell made him feel vulnerable and somewhat incomplete, he was actually glad that it was a new moon--all the scents and loud music from the dance would have driven him over the edge...

Sesshoumaru and Rin had basically vanished from the face of the earth given that he had yet so see them at all tonight; he had not even caught a glimpse of the immortal's trademark icy silver hair. When he and Kagome finally arrived at the dance, instead of meeting with their dorm mates, they stood in the middle of excited people literally jumping off the walls because of an intense dance they had witnessed. What dance? It surpassed his knowledge, though his fiancée suggested that perhaps it was his brother and the psychotic bitch.

The day Sesshoumaru, the proud Prince of the Western Lands, participated in any 'intense' dance whatsoever would be the day he danced like a chicken!

...Could that have been true?

Gah, it was all too confusing!

But his only headache at the moment was trying to find Kagome in what he perceived was a maze of college buildings and random forested areas. Students became scarce as he progressed farther away from the ballroom...and as he strayed from the main path, light also became rare. Damn, he wished he at least had some kind of night vision...

Inuyasha finally gave up and stopped in the middle of a small clearing, now completely lost and alone. He couldn't smell his previous tracks, nor could he see where exactly he was going--being human tonight of all nights sucked! Now what was he supposed to do? He doubted that Kagome would have gone this far just for a stroll! I knew I should've checked those damn restrooms... Keh! I can't believe I'm fucking lost!

This was all his fiancée's fault! Hmph, saying that she'd be right back--as if! He couldn't help it if his hunger was never sated and he was tempted to sneak around the buffet table! But when he returned to their table, she suddenly disappeared! "Where the fuck is she, dammit?! And where the hell am I?!"

"Unsurprisingly, you can never keep track of your alleged mate, Inuyasha."

Who in the seven fucking hells was that?! His violet eyes darkened in suspicion--he wasn't alone, and without detecting the woman's scent or clearly hearing her apathetic voice, he couldn't tell where she was coming from. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

"Of course you wouldn't remember me. All the more amusing, I suppose."

"Keh! If you have business with me, then stop hiding like a damn coward!" The human-turned-hanyou was beyond confused at this point--this mystery woman obviously knew him and Kagome...and he was supposed to know her. And what did she mean by 'of course you wouldn't remember me'?!

"Tsk, tsk. I see that your temper hasn't changed much either." At long last, Inuyasha was able to make out the silhouette of the woman coming towards him at a steady pace, and soon enough, she completely revealed herself.

Decked in black plants and a deep burgundy lace-up corset top, she was attractive--as part of the male species, he had to admit it. Her long, dark hair fell until her hips and callous mahogany eyes accented her expressionless face. Moreover...as continued his speculation, he noticed that her dainty hands were placed on top of two holsters hanging from her belt...what those two large pouches were for went beyond his knowledge...

However, there was a distinctive feature about this woman that had him apprehensive and more baffled than he initially thought possible. For some reason...as his eyes passed over her hair and face...this woman looked remarkably like Kagome. Sure, there were differences, but...damn, were they related in some way? No, the idea was impossible--he neglected to take into account that she carried the strong aura of an immortal...

"Who are you and what the hell do you want?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and squared his shoulders, trying to give off the illusion that he wasn't scared to death.

He was human and weaker than usual--his demon senses completely retreated and overall, this bitch was practically threatening his life. Her motive was unknown to him; for all he knew, she could kill him without much effort if he didn't watch his back.

I might as well let Miss Sorceress Wench kill me with that damn Slipper of Death first. Yes, he rather be murdered by his fiancée and a slipper...

"Again with the inane introductions," she sighed languidly as though she were genuinely annoyed. "I am Kikyou."

"Ok, Kikyou, now can you please answer the rest of my fucking question?" The more time I spend talking with her, the more I feel like a rabbit about to become a wolf's dinner.

"Come now, why so hostile? For all you know, I'm the one who should be hostile...since you have something that I desire." Kikyou mirthlessly smiled and treaded closer to the hanyou-turned-human, reveling in the way he gritted his teeth and took a step back every time she did so. It was futile, though; with a sinking heart, he realized that he had backed into a tree trunk, and there was no evident route to escape.

There has to be some kind of way to distract her! I can't fight her like this, not when I'm a mortal and she's immortal! "I don't even know you--but if you just go away, then I won't have to resort to violence."

If only he was a demon right now...he wouldn't have to fear for his life like some helpless whelp. Keh, this is something Kagome would tell me to do: run away. I have to get a grip on myself! This wench is as harmless as Rin is to Sesshoumaru! Oh shit, that wasn't a good analogy...

"I'll leave when I get what I want," she said venomously, and in a swift movement, she drew out two objects from her holsters that Inuyasha had never seen before in his life. They both glinted deadly, and the worst thing was that she pressed their cool silver metal against his throat, digging deeply into his skin. "You see these? They're called guns--pretty little machines mortals created to penetrate flesh. But mine are very special..."

Shit! Was she going to kill him with those so called 'special' guns?! He wouldn't stand a chance! "I don't have anything that a bitch face like you would want, dammit!"

"Ha, don't make me laugh, half-breed." Kikyou leaned her head in closer, now almost nose to nose with him, though instead of trying to intimidate him, she was analyzing his eyes. What would she deduce from that? "You haven't awakened yet." He figured that it was a statement and not a question.

"Look, you're confusing the shit out of me and I hate being confused!" Well...it was true.

Her dark brown eyes narrowed, and she drew away, but her twin handguns were still firmly pressed against his neck. "You haven't reached your full potential, meaning that you haven't realized your true power. No wonder you're not resisting me right now..."

"Keh! It's because I don't want to!"

She ignored his protest. "I suppose the other three are in the same dilemma. This ruins everything." Inuyasha wasn't even going to begin wondering what crazy bitch face was talking about now...

Could someone please tell him what was going on and why this bitch insisted on cutting off his air supply with those weird-looking weapons?! This bitch face appeared out of nowhere looking identical to Kagome and then started demanding something that he knew nothing of!

It was as if she had met him in a past life or something along those lines! And what does she mean about me not realizing my full power? For fuck's sake, I hate being left in the dark!

"Listen and listen closely, Inuyasha, for you will need this information if you wish to survive in the near future." Well, there wasn't much of an option for him since she wasn't about to lighten the pressure her guns were putting on his throat... "Your mother came from a family of seers. Even though mortal, she retained the power to see visions of the future, which always came true."

From reading her journal and talking to Mrs. Higurashi a month ago, Inuyasha remembered that much about his mother. He silently consented, however, that he had never actually witnessed her innate ability. "What does it have to do with me?"

"Be quiet and listen!" He rolled his eyes and mused if he tackled the bitch, then perhaps he would have enough time to flee without being killed in the process. Nah, he could hardly move his head, much less move his whole body... "The ability is passed down to one person from generation to generation, and since you are the only member of the present generation, you inherited your mother's power."

"Bullshit!" There was no fucking way he was going to believe that! "I never had a vision in my entire life and it won't start now!"

"Want to bet?" Kikyou whispered in a deadly calm voice, her expression serious and eyes solemn. "Of course you wouldn't have had a vision--you haven't awakened."

Dammit, Kagome...where the fuck are you? This bitch was insane! "Stop saying that! I don't like hitting women, but if I have to do it to make you get away from me, then I will, ya goddamn psycho bitch face!"

WHAM!

Black dots instantly clouded his vision and his head lolled to one side as he tried to regain his bearings. She freakin' hit me with her gun! It had hit his temple and cheek, causing a splitting headache along with some swelling. The pain of it curled his toes concealed in his fitting black boots and his short nails strove to bury into the thick bark currently poking his hack--to sum it all up, it was agonizing for his human self!

"Fuck," Inuyasha hissed, biting his lip to better withstand the stinging pain of being slapped with a fucking gun--as well as a poor attempt to settle his spinning head, "that shit hurt!" Was that how a gun was used? To whack people with it and hoped they died?! Seemed plausible with what just happened...

"Don't interrupt me with your pitiful knowledge on your origins. Hmph, there's no use in denying the truth." Kikyou sounded like a true sadist; she was unfeeling to the pain she had recently caused the immoral--he still seemed like he was fighting to stay conscious, however. Maybe she hit him a little too hard... "But I need to know where she hid it, and only you can give me that information."

"W-What?" It was difficult to concentrate on one thing, especially when this insane woman with abnormal strength kept spewing random, nonsensical crap.

"I guess a little jumpstart won't hurt...at least for me." Before he could utter another word, she shifted one of her silver handguns only to press it against his temple on the bruised side of his face. He tried to glance at it out of the corners of his eye sockets, but it barely worked; hopefully, tonight wouldn't be the end of him.

"Don't worry, my guns aren't loaded with bullets--I don't need them. You see, I am a miko, as well as an immortal, and I merely transfer my energy into the gun to act as bullets. It won't hurt you too much, since you're unfortunately a human right now, but it does feel worse than a punch. This will, however, awaken your dormant ability to see visions. Why? That's for you to figure out."

All Inuyasha processed was 'miko' and 'punch'. Since when did priestesses punch people? And were those little polka-dotted butterflies fluttering around her severely twisted face? Ah...they reminded him of Rin's atrocious scarf...colorful scarf...

Kikyou smiled, and leaned forward until her lips touched the base of his ear. "Next time we meet, half-breed, I will be expecting the information I came for, and you will give it to me willingly or not." She then placed a chaste kiss upon his rouged cheek. "Relay a message for me to Kagome: I will stop at nothing to get the Shikon no Tama."

BANG!


A/N: END! SHORTENED!