Hey there! Hope you enjoy my first fanfic 'In The Dark'! Don't read if you are offended by strong language. Please review!

EDIT – I originally began writing this story back in 2014 then life sort of got in the way but now I am back! I have made a few changes, nothing that alters the story, just fixing grammar and adding in a few character interactions. I also want to give a shout out to 'foxchick1' for being an incredibly loyal follower to this story. I hope it lives up to the wait.

Flashback
Thinking

Disclaimer – I do not own any Inuyasha related properties. If I did my flat would be less crappy.

When you live your life in the shadow of a sibling you tend to fall into one of three categories. You hero worship them, you do your best to be nothing like them, or you completely resent them. Kagome Higurashi fit into the latter. She couldn't help but compare herself to her sister. Hell, it had been done for her as long as she could remember. And she fell at almost every hurdle. Her sister was bright as well as beautiful. Kagome was maybe smarter than her but in a family focused on the material things, intelligence didn't rank very high. Neither did sarcasm. Certainly not from a female. Kagome was expected to dress pretty and become a socialite. Not that Kagome didn't like dressing pretty but there had to be more to life than just being well presented at functions. She grimaced at the thought of the evening ahead of her.

August 12.

It was an anniversary though Kagome couldn't remember for what. The day her sister had picked for her new charity launch had arrived and the dance hall buzzed like a hive whacked by a bat. Kagome snapped away on her digital camera as staff put finishing touches on tables, double checked seating arrangements and generally flapped about. It was her gravely important duty to take pictures of how the preparations were coming along. If even a fork was out of place she had to report it. Kagome refrained from rolling her eyes, remembering the days when her sister would be delighted by an invitation to even a simple function and now she was like some kind of Bridezilla (without the wedding) to attend one. She had transcended into something else entirely since it was being thrown by-

Kikyo, Kagome internally corrected herself before allowing herself to say her sister's true name.

The banquet would be exquisite, with 'everyone who is anyone' in attendance. She knew she should feel privileged since at least she was allowed to go, unlike her brother Souta who had been unceremoniously benched.

He isn't exactly helping his case by holding such a fuss about it, besides it's not like this isn't going to be an annual thing. Thought Kagome, knowing his immaturity was the reason for this exclusion. Souta hadn't quite clicked onto this though, making as much noise from his room as possible without getting in the way of people working. That was one thing they had drilled into them as Kikyo had grown in popularity, you do not get in the way of these people working.

She did have to admit she wished one of her friends would be going, even if they would spend a large portion of the night fawning over the various celebrities they would be breaking bread with. Eri, Ayumi and Yuka had been her best friends since they were five but she couldn't even speak to them about how hard it was to be the lesser sister of Japan's biggest sensation. Instead she would be alone, trying to avoid awkward conversations with people who didn't know who she was, despite how she was constantly told how she looked like her sister. The biggest slap in the face had been when she heard the comment "That's what Kikyo looked like before she became beautiful" by one of the managers.

Taking one last picture of the hall, Kagome ascended the stairs to report her findings to her mother and sister. Kikyo's room was very large and white. Completely white. Kagome could barely keep her brown carpet stainless and was constantly baffled as to how she could be related to someone so neat, but the answer was Kikyo simply wasn't home enough to mess it up. Ever since the age of fifteen Kikyo had been one of Japan's most popular models. She inevitably delved into the world of acting, another area affected by her Midas touch. At the age of eighteen she had already been nominated for an Oscar for her first English film. Then came time for her to complete the trinity.

Yes, Kagome would admit her sister was an incredibly talented woman but she would never come to terms with the most successful area of her career.

Her mother entered her room with a small smile and a nervous air around her. Kagome was scribbling away in her song book. Her mother watched from the doorway for a moment, taking in the sweet melody her daughter was humming as she wrote, lost in her thoughts. Mrs Higurashi coughed and Kagome looked up.
"Oh hey!" Kagome smiled up at her mother who tried to return the warmth.
"Honey, we need to have a serious conversation." She paused and took a deep breath, Kagome's smile had lessened drastically. "Kikyo... Kikyo's managers... What I'm trying to say is Kikyo's managers think on the back of the Oscar buzz now would be the perfect time for her to branch into the music industry." Kagome burst out laughing.
"Kikyo couldn't hit a note with a mallet the size of Mount Fuji! Why do they think she could do this?"

Then it hit her.

"No. No you can't. Are you kidding me!? Music... it... it's my life! It's my thing! My ONLY thing! You can't seriously be asking me this?" But she was. Mrs Higurashi looked to the floor. She knew it would be hard for Kagome but it was so important to Kikyo. Could Kagome not understand what this would do for their family? Kikyo would become the most talented woman Japan, no Asia had ever seen!

"I know it's upsetting but you would be given so much credit. You would get full credit for the song writing and..."
Kagome cut her off "YOU WANT TO STEAL MY SONGS TOO!?"
"Not if you don't want, you could have songs written for you to sing."
"I want to be a singer MYSELF! Why on EARTH would I do this?"

It took weeks but eventually Kagome was given an offer she couldn't refuse. And she sold her voice to the devil.

'Kikyo' would of course be singing at the event, which made Kagome squirm. It was always so tempting for her to mess up and expose Kikyo as a fraud, but destroying her sister's life wouldn't make Kagome any less miserable so what was the point?

"Hand them over then!" Kikyo demanded without so much as a "hey" but Kagome was used to her pre-event animosity. Kikyo nodded flipping through the pictures until she reached one she disapproved of.
"Why are the ice sculptures here already!?"
"Don't worry, they were being transported to the freezer when that photo was taken."
"Thank Kami, I would've lost it!" Kikyo laughed while Kagome made a mental note to have the sculptures moved to the freezer.

Kikyo's dress for the evening was lying atop her bed, an emerald green gown with a halter neck. Kagome gently stroked the fabric captivated by the depth of the colour. Beautiful.
"Do you think?" Kikyo stated. Kagome's hands shot to her mouth not realizing the words had come out of her mouth. "You can wear it if you want, I'm going with the red one." She said gesturing to the wardrobe where sure enough a red dress hung.
"Really?" Kagome stuttered, quite shocked by her sister's generosity.
"Why not? You were going to be wearing that old blue thing, this is much nicer." Ouch. That stung a little but Kagome brushed it off, thanked her sister took the dress and went to get ready herself.
"Don't forget this!" Kikyo called after her, handing over a blood red ruby necklace. Kagome froze.
"But this is-" But Kikyo was gone, whisked away by her beauty team to finish getting ready.

Inuyasha Takahashi had been an outcast as a child. He spent the majority of his life alone, hated by men for not being fully human, seen as a weakling by the demon community. Even despite the passage of time and the more tolerated half demons were becoming he knew he would never be fully accepted into either society. Not that it bothered him; he never cared about what people thought of him. No one could deny being half demon made him excellent at his job, his half demon status managed to rope in more human clients than ever before. Well, not quite, his half-brother Sesshomaru denied it. Often.

"Hey boss," Inuyasha called as he sauntered into his brother's office, unannounced, clearly annoying Sesshomaru's secretary.
"Not now mutt, I'm busy." Sesshomaru did indeed look busy. He was hauled over the plans for the evening's extraction.
"You need to learn to chill, I got this."
"Firstly, this is your team's first mission. Secondly, I will 'chill' when it's over."
"Inuyasha! Mr Takahashi is very busy please leave!" Inuyasha turned around; having forgotten the young secretary was behind him.
"Hey Rin! What's new?" He ruffled her hair and she gave him a killer glare. Despite her youthful appearance she was twenty-one but that didn't stop Inuyasha treating her like a child. "Besides the team may be new but I've been doing this for years!"

It was true. Even before he had left school at 16 Inuyasha had been training for the family business, he was the best in swordplay and stealth of the entire staff. The business ranged from simple private investigating to what Inuyasha like to call "spy shit", with a "don't ask don't tell policy" on the jobs. Inuyasha was given orders and would follow them through. His team had been training for this, a more extensive operation, for over a month. Inuyasha knew they had his back.

It would be a team of four, himself, his best friend Miroku, a new recruit Shippo and Sango, the deadliest woman Inuyasha knew. Her presence signified how important this mission was. Miroku was charisma personified; he could talk a stripper into paying him for a lap dance. Not that he would, he preferred the chase, his love of women being his greatest weakness. Shippo was a master of misdirection and was pretty much just going as a backup in case Inuyasha failed. Sango was raised studying the old ways of demon slaying which came in handy when deals with demons went south. Inuyasha had seen her take down five of their strongest operatives within 7 seconds.

"Look Inuyasha, some of us have businesses to run, so get out. Besides shouldn't you be getting ready right about now?" Sesshomaru glared at him. Rin pushed Inuyasha out of the room, shutting the door tightly behind herself.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to embarrass me in front of your brother!" Rin growled at him.
"Just 'cause you have a crush on him" Inuyasha mocked
"Shut the fuck up and get moving, you have to look presentable at this thing and we don't have 6 hours"
"Ha. Ha. Very funny" Inuyasha frowned. Rin stuck her tongue out at him and they laughed.

Kagome stared at herself in the mirror, she was unrecognisable. Her hair normally kept in a ponytail was now cascading down her back, her lips blood red to match the ruby that hung heavily around her neck. It's heavier than it looks. She thought, stroking it gently. The gown fit her perfectly, skimming the surface of the floor. She wore brown strappy sandals underneath and had a band around her thigh like a gun holster attaching her phone to her, she had been to too many of these events to not have her phone hidden but reachable.

"Wow! You look lovely dear," her mother smiled from the door frame.

But I don't look like me.

"Thanks." She smiled back instead.

Guests had begun to arrive, Kagome would stay here while Kikyo would get in a limo to walk the red carpet, even though it was an event held at her own manor, though that was being kept on the down low. It was and old western Victorian styled building that Kikyo had bought with the wages from her first year of big league modelling. Kagome floated around the throngs of people, catching snippets of gossip here and there. Hearing people commenting on who was best dressed and who had made the biggest faux-pas.

"Psst! Kagome!" She heard from above. At the top of the stairwell was Souta. She rushed as gracefully as possible up the stair case.
"What?" She growled angrily. "You know you have to stay out of sight. If people know we are related to her it will ruin everything!"
"Geez, I was just needing you to grab me some food." He skulked back down the hall. I'll apologize when I give him the food.

She returned down the stairs just in time to see Kikyo enter. She was breath-taking. It was a good decision to go with the red dress, the sweetheart cut sowing off her glorious figure. A bright somehow diamond and pearl necklace hung around her neck, it almost seemed to glow. Kagome suddenly felt as though she looked hideous. Who wouldn't next to Kikyo?

Kagome continued on her journey to find some food for Souta. She sneaked into the kitchen as the area was off limits to guests and she needed to appear to be just another guest. Kikyo didn't have siblings.
"Hello child" She turned at the voice.
"Hey Kaede!" Kaede was the family's housekeeper and had been since Kagome was eight.
"Hungry?"
"No but Souta is, mid if I grab some food for him?"
"Go ahead, plenty to go around." She plated him up some of his favourite appetizers and sent them up the dumbwaiter with a note to say sorry. She knew he would be waiting.

Inuyasha pulled at his bowtie. He had never been one for monkey suits and now was no execption. He had known some big event was being thrown but this was something else. The target was apparently some friend of a famous girl but Inuyasha didn't ask questions. He had been given her description and told where to find her at exactly 8.45 and that was all the intel Sesshomaru had gotten from the client, who had been warned that it was a bit vague but he was paying twice the regular price so Inuyasha wasn't going to complain. The stupid girl had run away from home and the team had been hired by an associate of her father to get her back.

The courtyard was unseasonably cold. Inuyasha stared at the pond waiting for Sango who was, by Inuyasha's standards, late. But that only meant Inuyasha had been early and hated standing about.
"How's it looking?" Sango asked from behind him.
"You're late" he said turning around sharply.
"Three minutes early actually boss." The last word dripping with sarcasm.
"Damn you scrub up well" he said knowing this would piss her off. Though he wasn't wrong, Sango was quite the beauty even in her usual black training gear, but in the pink dress she was currently wearing she truly blended in with the socialites attending the party they were invading. "How are Miroku and Shippo doing?"
"Miroku for one is loving it, at least Shippo seems to be keeping his mind on the mission."
"Just as long as he doesn't fuck some girl in the bathroom and jepordise the mission."
"Hey I can hear you!" Miroku's voice entered their ears via their communication devices.
"I know. Stop flirting dickhead." Miroku just laughed hearing Inuyasha grinding his teeth.
"Take a picture of Sango for me. She is looking fiiiiiiine." Sango went crimson.
"Please do fuck some randomer, enjoy your balls while you have them." She snarled.
"Will you guys please focus" Shippo piped in. Inuyasha scaled the wall, Sango standing guard, getting into position, out of sight on the first floor balcony.

8.37

Kagome looked at the grandfather clock. Kikyo was on at 9, better go warm up. Squeezing through the packed room Kagome made it to the stairs and headed for the piano room. At least Kikyo's charity is going to make a killing. She looked around her making sure no one was around to see. The room had been sound proofed so Kagome could sing to her heart's content without anyone finding out their secret. The only people who knew the truth outside of her family were the music producers and Kikyo's management both of which were paid more than enough money to not be blabbing about it. She started playing and singing scales to warm up her vocal chords. She paused. What was that? The room was cold and dark, lit by a desk lamp atop the piano. Kagome brushed it off and started to play and sing along to her latest composition. It was currently without words but now wasn't the time for that.

Kagome sighed and took a drink of water. The songs she sang for Kikyo were all overly bubbly or big ballads which she couldn't relate to. She had never experienced any great love and the only loss she had suffered couldn't be articulated by the hit chasers who wrote the songs for Kikyo.

"I'm going to be stuck doing this forever." She whispered.

It wasn't until she felt the dripping on her hand that she realised she was crying. She wiped her eyes and walked out onto the balcony taking another drink of water. Stupid rookie mistake, crying before a performance. She stared up at the dark sky. She knew the stars were out there somewhere, just hiding. The moon still shone brightly. Kagome was entranced. Until she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey Hikari."
"W-what!? Who are-" but her question was answered by a bag being pulled over her head.

Hope you guys enjoyed! Please leave a review to let me know what you think!

-forestfairy72