Hal·low·een by Lj

Chapter One

Title: Hal·low·een
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha and/or any of the other characters.
Summery: This was her least favorite time of the year. While she was not a fan of most holidays, she hated this one the most. Perhaps it was simply because she knew that what people dressed up in, for amusement and entertainment, were real. She knew that demons, witches, talking cats and everything else under the sun was real.

A/N- A quick Halloween fic. I thought of this when I was up one night, not able to sleep, sipping a glass of wine by candle light. No, I'm not kidding. So, be nice ;)

Today was the day. As much as I despised this day, it still came around yearly. Well, to be completely honest, it was not so much the day as it was the holiday. I had not despised the holiday until 6 years ago, when I came back from the Feudal Era. More or less, when I had been thrown back into my original time, and told that I had to stay there and live out my life.

While the situation was painful and difficult for me to adjust to, I realized that I should have seen it coming. After all, much like Midoriko had said, the balanced needed to remain neutral In other words, after my selfless wish, there was no way that I could stay in the Feudal Era if Kikyo lived there as well. Which happened to be exactly where Kikyo was going to live, thanks to my wish.

Sighing, I recalled my selfless wish. I had wanted everyone to be happy and for the suffering and destruction that Naraku had caused to be undone. So Sango got her brother back, Miroku no longer had his wind tunnel, Inu Yasha got Kikyo back and so on. Everyone was happy. All except for me, my three years of traveling in the Feudal Era, helping piece back the jewel one shard at a time, was coming to a screeching halt. In fact, it had come to a halt moments after I made the wish. Midoriko had informed me that since Kikyo and I did in fact share a soul, I would have to go.

I shouldn't have been shocked. I was always second. I should have been used to being second choice, after every single time that Inu Yasha left me for Kikyo. Still, it hurt to be told by someone other then Inu yasha that I could not be happy. Hiding my pain, I smiled and said my goodbyes to everyone. Midoriko had informed me I had mere minutes before I had to go back to my time, so naturally, goodbyes were a bit quick.

Sure enough, about twenty minutes later, I could be found in my home in Tokyo bawling my eyes out. It had upset me that after all the sacrifices I made, I would have to pretend that none of it happened. None of it. This, in short, was what led me to hate this holiday. If you are still confused, let me explain.

Today was October 31st. That meant today was the day where children and adults alike would dress in costumes of whoever they wanted but usually monsters or mythical creatures. Mythical my ass. That was why I hated it. This time of year, reminded me of everything I had been trying to forget for the past 6 years. Today, was in fact, Halloween. The holiday that I dreaded the most.

So here I was, sitting on my comfortable couch downing a glass of wine. Well, I had already had finished a bottle and was on my second. Glancing at the title of the bottle, I almost laughed.

Zeller Schwarze Katz

It was a German wine but that was not what I found humorous about it. It was the name of the bottle that almost made me chuckle. Schwarze Katz meant Black cat in German. While the title had nothing to do with Halloween, the bottle of wine was almost perfect for Halloween Taking a sip of the wine, I glanced around my home.

My entire living was covered in Halloween decorations, curtsey of Souta. He felt the opposite as me about this holiday, and he always came over to show it. He had managed to put spiderweb decorations in all the corners, skulls, candlesticks, bat pumpkins, glowing ghosts, black cat silhouettes, pumpkin balloons and cobwebs. All in all, I was highly impressed by the dedication that he put in decorating my home. Perhaps if I had enjoyed the holiday more, I would have been more excited?

There near the large front door, that was now open, sat my brother munching on candy.

"You realize you're supposed to hand out the candy to the kids...not eat it, right?" I inquired with a small smile on my face. Souta turned around to face me, with a mouth full of candy, he smiled.

"Sure, but I get to eat some." He replied. "For all my hard work!" He added happily. I laughed at his reasoning.

"Isn't 18 a little too old to be believing in Halloween?" I teased him while sipping some more wine.

"You say the word 'believing' as if monsters don't exist." He countered back seriously and my face turned grim. He had me there.

"Can't you at least dress up?" He stated suddenly and I rolled my eyes.

"As what?" I asked bordly while attempting to stop a yawn. Glancing at the clock, it read 6pm.

"Put on a Miko robe!" He insistent and I laughed once more. "That Souta, would not be dressing up!" I teased.

"Why not?" He asked while stuffing more candy in his mouth.

"Because I am a miko! You are supposed to dress up as something that you are not." I explained while shaking my head.

"Then dress up as a witch! Isn't that the opposite of a miko?" He said with a smirk.

"Hardly. I suppose you want me to have a broom too?" I joked but this time it was he who laughed.

"How did they fly in the Feudal Era?" He asked curiously.

"Souta..." I told him a warning voice that implied this conversation was over. He knew better then that. He knew better then to bring up something that I was trying to forget.

"Fine, at least get in a costume and play along for my sake!" He said with a grin. Sighing, I nodded. Who was I to deny my brother that simple request?

"I will be right back" I told him, and as I made my way to my bedroom, I heard the pitter patter of children approaching the house. It seemed that trick-or-treating had officially started.

As I took my sweet time to Miko outfit, I thought about how naïve people were in this time. They dressed up as demons in the thought that it was all child's play. For a moment, I could not help but wonder what the youkai of this time thought of this holiday. Did they celebrate it? Did they find it ridiculous and utterly pathetic?

What would Inu Yasha have thought about it? He probably would have thought it was absurd! What about Koga? I couldn't think of a reaction from the wolf. Then my mind came to Lord Sesshoumaru. I laughed at the thought of Sesshoumaru being introduced to the concept of trick-or-treating. He, out of all the youkai that I knew, would probably be the most disturbed about it. A frown as I thought about what had happened to everyone I knew. Had they moved on and forgotten about me? Had Inu Yasha mated Kikyo? Of course he had, I was a fool to think otherwise.

Moving to the mirror, I gazed at myself. There, in the mirror, stood a 24 year old girl with raven black hair down to her hips, while a bit wavy at the bottom, the top and middle of it was almost completely straight. My face had matured and my once large bright blue eyes had formed into narrower ice blue eyes. I was shocked to find that as I aged, instead of looking more and more like Kikyo, like I had assumed I would, I had acquired a much different appearance then her.

While at the age of fifteen I had stood at 5'1 and weighed 109lbs, I was not twenty four and had grown 3 inches and weighed 115lbs. I was curvier, my face had changed, and all in all I was much more of a womennow instead of a mere teenage girl. Deciding that I needed to go out and help Souta, I opened my bedroom door and heading through the rooms, nearing the entrance. It was then I heard Souta talking.

"Oh! Look at you! Dressed up as a Miko!" Souta said happily and my eyes widened. That was hardly a popular costume as of late. Usually it was witches, cats, demons, slutty outfits or cosplay. I stopped walking and listened in.

"Not just any Miko, silly!" A female voice said with pride. I could not help but smile at the tone in her voice. It was as if she was about to educate Souta on what she was dressed up as!

"Oh, really! I'm so sorry, I seem to not be up to date on my Miko's! Please, inform me what Miko you are!" My brother played along fabulously. I let out a quiet giggle at the conversation.

"Don't you know? I'm the famous miko of the Shikon no Tama! See, here's my Jewel!" The girl giggled and my eyes went wide. Holy crap! Holy Crap! Holy Crap! Had I really drank that much wine or did I heard that right?

"Oh, but it looks like the jewel is broken." Souta said quietly, I could tell from shock. He knew of the miko she was referring to!

"No silly, I just haven't finished my quest yet! You see, one I finish the quest, I have to make a wish-" She began but was suddenly interrupted

"Rin, come now, we've got to hurry. Your father will skin me alive if he realized I lost you almost!" A deep voice said with worry. My eyes widened even more so.

"Well then Uncle, perhaps you should keep up with my speed!" The girl replied with amusement in her tone. I could not believe it. Rin? It couldn't be!

"Have you asked for the candy yet, Rin?" The man asked curiously.

"No Uncle, I was just informing this man of who I was. He is not very knowledgeable about Miko's you see...so I was telling him of the jewel and the Miko that I am dressed up as!" Rin said proudly and I leaned against the wall trying to take deep breaths.

"Well, we have to be on our way Rin!" The man said.

"I'm sorry! Kids...with their crazy demon tales" He added to Souta, in almost a nervous tone.

"Crazy demon tales they may be..." Souta began as I heard him grab for some candy.

"But you should be careful to whom she tells them Inu Yasha." Souta finished and I covered my mouth to quiet the gasp that came.

A/N- This was just a simple idea I had for Halloween :) I'm tempted to just make a fun One-shot but idk yet ;)