Chapter 1: All Hallows' Eve

"Talking"

Thinking

"Inner Youkai Talking" (out loud, when in control)

Inner Youkai Thinking (in head, only host can hear)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the original characters from the story. Although I do own the storyline and any other characters that had the unfortunate luck to stumble into my head and are now at my mercy. Mwahahahaha!

Here it is again. Why? Every year it appears before me, sneaking into my home, my street, my world. Was it to force me to remember? Or simply make me unable to forget? But I am unable to forget. I never could. And I still don't know if that's a good thing or not...

Kagome sighed, kicking her foot in the air as the other was suspended above the ground, resting on the chair she was lying across. She scanned her living room, her eyes falling onto the pumpkins, balloons, candles, fake webs and all the other Halloween knick-knack that now adorned her current space. She scowled. Stupid Halloween. It wasn't the holiday she hated, but the whole dress-up-as-a-mythical-creature that made her uneasy, because she knew that these 'mythical creatures' weren't so mythical. True; werewolves and vampires and the like didn't really exist, but they were based on real creatures; creatures her mind demands she forgets but her heart screams not to.

Kagome growled, tugging relentlessly at a loose thread that was unfortunate enough to gain her attention. She snapped it, and then wrapped it around one of her clawed fingers. Claws. She sighed again, running those razor-sharp nails through her hair. Stupid well. It had been – what – six years since she had been blocked from it? Six years. Stupid Inuyasha, it was all his and Kikyou's fault! Damn undead clay bi- No! We are not going there.

She glowered at her hand, the thread forgotten. She ran her hand over her face, sensing rather than feeling the marks adorned there. Her once human face now had deep purple hues covering her eyelids, giving the appearance of eye shadow, and two lines of the same colour on each cheek, as well as one that wound around her hips, wrists and ankles. She also had a light pink circle on her forehead, representing the Shikon no Tama that was hanging from her neck. Her mark and the jewel looked so alike it seemed that if she tilted her head, the mark itself would roll right off. The mark indicated that she was of royal lineage, much like Sesshomaru's crescent moon, which showed others he was of the House of the Moon.

So she was from the House of the Shikon? She snorted. Not forgetting, of course, her other youkai features; her elfin ears, her sharp fangs or the black fluffy tail that was wound around her waist twice before overflowing onto the floor, the end swishing gently. She sighed, again picking at the thread wound around her claw as she was lost in her thoughts once more; lost in the Feudal Era.

"Kagome-neesan!" a call from the kitchen interrupted her trail of thoughts.

"What, Souta?" she called back.

She and Souta were the only ones to live her now; Oji-san passed away a few years ago and Okaa-san moving to another city, entrusting the shrine to Kagome, she was a miko after all. Granted; she was a youkai-miko, but a miko none-the-less.

"Hellooo? Earth to Kagome-neesan. I know you can hear me with those crazy ears of yours!"

"Hmm?"

"Come on, come on, come on! People will be coming round soon, go get ready!" bounced her brother.

"Souta..." she began.

"Come on. Ever since... you know, that" he glared pointedly at her "you've hated Halloween. I get it, but it is just a holiday. Maybe you'll have fun!"

"Oh and pray, do tell, what it is I'm to dress up as in less than 20 minutes" she rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"Go get your miko outfit!" came his excited reply.

"Souta. Halloween is to dress up as something you're not. And in case you haven't noticed; I am, in fact, a miko."

"Well just turn into your youkai form and sit out the front then. I'm sure a giant black demon dog would be able to scare the kids and up my rep!"

Kagome sighed. "I'm not doing that, but I will go get my miko outfit on. But if I drain all my power because I had to give up the only weekday this month when I didn't have to wear my glamour" she cracked her knuckles threatening "I will end up."

Souta gasped dramatically. "My sister; the great Shikon no Miko, fainting from wearing a glamour for a few hours? What is the world coming to?" He giggled "Come on! Miko up!"

Kagome shook her head, but stood and made her way up the stairs to her room.

Kagome stood in front of the mirror, gazing back at the woman who stared back. The woman's slightly wavy black hair had dark purple streaks through it, reaching just passed her butt. This woman had a much more womanly figure than the frightened fifteen year old that had fallen into the well for the first time or the angry eighteen year old who stormed through the well on her last trip. Here stood a twenty-four year old woman who still looked eighteen. Marks adorning her face, elfin ears threatening to peak out from under her obsidian hair and her black moko-moko wrapped around her waist. The woman sighed and closed her eyes momentarily in concentration. She looked up a second later, where a deceitfully human looking woman appeared. Kagome was just glad she hadn't ended up looking like Kikyou. She had such a more open face than the dead miko; her large eyes were a beautiful deep blue with flecks of gold through them, her lips fuller and her face was slightly different too. She turned, deciding that Souta probably wanted her to go help with handing out the candy.

A slight scuffle on the porch had Kagome reluctantly sitting up from the armchair. She groaned, hearing the light knock on the front door and the small giggle from the other side. A young girl then, but Kagome didn't sense anyone with her. Kagome quickly made her way to the door, grabbing the bowl full of chocolates and other assorted sugary treats on the way. She opened the door, and there standing before her was a smaller version of herself. Kagome grinned. No one ever dressed up as a miko anymore; it was all vampires and werewolves or random cosplayers. "A miko! Well, I'll be. I thought was the only one to think of that!"

The little girl giggled. She wouldn't have been older than twelve, her black hair reaching the middle of her back. "I'm not just any miko, silly!"

Kagome smiled and bowed. "Oh, I do apologise. Would you mind if I was to inquire exactly which miko you were?"

The girl grinned. "No, I would not. I am the Shikon no Miko!"

Kagome froze and then smiled brightly. Someone remembered her; someone was dressed up as her!

"Rin!"

Kagome looked up, a figure making its way up the path to her shrine. She froze. The young man was wearing a red kosode with billowing arms with a matching hakama and obi, a familiar sword hanging from his side. His black hair swished as he ran, his brown eyes setting sight on the young girl before her. Kagome's mind reeled as she grabbed the doorframe to steady herself. The only thought going through her head was 'What?'