Date with Destiny

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Chapter 3

The mellow music of traditional Japanese instruments reverberated in air. A crowd of people dressed resplendently in sumptuous attire, line the length of the oak paneled hallway that opened up to the grand ball room. It was indeed a most extravagant affair.

Four furisode-clad girls walk in a line as they wander through the gauntlet of guests awaiting to enter into the massive hall.

“Oh my god! Kouga-sama! It's him it's really him.” Squealed an ecstatic Ayame. She had been last in the line but her sudden move forwards created a momentum that was of too great a force to repel. Long sleeves flapping, hair ornaments clinking, Kikyo pitched forward knocking onto Sango. Sango tipping forward pushed the unprepared Kagome onward.

“Kyaaaaaa!” Kagome struggled to grab something to hold. Eyes darting around and then focusing onto silver streams, she quickly grasps it for support.

“Ow, ow, ow... OW!” yelled a youthful, yet brisk voice.

Small hands clutched at his red haori. Blue-black hair sculpted in an intricate design, appeared at the side of his face. Something was attaching itself to HIM. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the forward female and let out a low growl. The accumulated perfumes in the hall way had rendered his sensitive nose useless.

“Shitsurei shimashita (formal: sorry), it was unintentional I assure you!” succeeding low bows hid her face from view.

“Keh! Watch it wench. You shouldn't wear clothing like that if your only going to trip every couple of steps and fall on your peg-skinny ass!” taunted Inuyasha.

“NANI! (What!)” Lifting her face up. Her profuse apologies forgotten she grits her teeth and pushes her shoulders back as she heaves her chest upward. She met his eyes defiantly. Blue met gold. One pair shocked and widened in recognition, the other pair narrowing dangerously into slits. Holding up an index finger she pointed at him. Some of the waiting guests now turn their attentions on the two. Recognizing the one in the red haori as the taiyoukai's half brother, they whispered between themselves. As more people watched the scene unfold. The four companions found themselves separated at the sudden tide of people wanting to observe the spectacle.

“What did you just say about my ass?” A light blue glow eminated softly on the tip of her index finger as she poked him on the chest. “If there is anyone here with a narrow ass it would be yours! Your ass could easily pass through a coke bottle, you freaky white haired psycho!”

More people and youkai crowded around them creating an almost amphitheater-like atmosphere. Her companions recovering from their shock, stood back in silence as the exchange between the two got heated. Kikyo was about to intervene as she could feel the sudden raise in her cousin's reiki (miko powers).

Inuyasha could hear a slight sizzle and felt small jolts of electricity course through his chest. Had his fire rat haori not been there he was positive his would be nursing a very bad burn right now. He stood there speechless for a couple seconds. It WAS her! He knew it, no one else would defy a Taisho other than Kagome. Without any thought he caught her in a tight embrace lifting her off the floor and spinning her startled form in the air.

Everyone gasped audibly, loud gossiping spread like wildfire when the silver-haired stranger lifted Kagome up in the air swirling her around with glee as one would do a child.

Then several things happened in one fluid succession.

“Unhand her this instant you uncouth barbarian!” screamed Kikyo, her control had snapped . Pushing past several onlookers viciously. She fisted one hand in the air intending to punch the hanyou that had her cousin, while piggy-back riding a poor bystanding man whom she was sure was a tanuki in human form. She had promised her uncle Saito (Kagome's father) to look after her younger cousin, before he died. And she'll be damned if she let anything happen to her. Itching for some type of weapon-any type of weapon she can get her hands on, she pulled one silver kanzashi (hairpin) out of her bag, the one with a hello kitty figurine holding a sign that says 'have a nice day' on it. After imbuing a certain amount of miko powers onto her kanzashi, she used a thick pink rubber band to propel the 15cm projectile into the air, dead set on the target which happened to be the hanyou's heart.

“Ya sick, depraved mutt! Don't you dare molest Kagome in front of these people!” screeched Ayame, as she struggled to hike the bottom half of her furisode up her legs to gain better movement. She dragged each leg forward and back toro-style and tackled the red object in front of her to the ground.

Inuyasha not wanting to get Kagome injured put her down quickly to his left side and then turned to meet the full of impact of the tackle All courtesy of her brown-haired toro-impersenator of a friend. Both landed hard on the ground with hard 'Thump'.

Meanwhile...“HENTAI!” Screamed Sango slapping 6 men that surrounded her mercilessly in a single circular movement of her hand.

“It was not us!” They protested then pointed to a hunched over figure in purple hoari and black hakama hiding behind one of them.

“You letch!” fumed Sango as she punched the purple eyed stranger in the face, then continued her punishment of him by locking his head in an arm lock and giving him noggies.

“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?” demanded a formally dressed Jaken.

ZZZZZzzzzzzz...TWANG!

SIZZLE.

BBQ smell...

'Hmm.. something smells delectable.. the chefs have definitely out done themselves!' he grinned, pleased that the 'food' in his lord's party will be a success. Then he noticed a pink and white kanzashi pin which looks like a round cat, with a tiny message reading 'Have a nice day' inscribed on it, embedded in his uppermost lip.

He would have gasped, he would have screamed in pain at the pure torture and humiliation of it all. But his mouth remained silent, his lips and tongue remained numb.

“Mmmm..mmmm..mmmmm.” mumbled Jaken.

“Oh gomen! I was aiming for the red-dressed idiot over there, but he was rammed by my friend and you came suddenly where he was a moment ago and well... you got zapped.” apologized Kikyo with her head down. “I am so sorry. Please accept my humblest apologies.”

“MMMMMMMMM” fumed Jaken.

“Hahahhaaah.. teheehehehahahah..” Laughed Inuyasha. “That ought to teach your slimy ass not to stick you nose into someone else's business.”

“Don't you mean his lips.” added a snickering Kagome behind her matching gold fan.

Jaken narrowed his eyes a fraction, then grew to the point where his eyeballs were literally popping out of their socket. He bowed respectfully to Kagome and turned to leave in a flurry of lime green clothing far more sickly-green in color than his skin.

“Bug-eyed, buger green and numb lips! It's a Kodak moment... I should have bought my camera.” remarked a now conscious Miroku faking wiping a tear on each bruised eye.

All looked at each other.

Miroku sporting a red hand print on his face, two now-blackening eyes and torn sleeves on his formal haori.

Sango's crumpled furisode looked like it has been slept in and her obi had tilted diagonally.

Kikyo's disheveled appearance looked as though she had just returned from a huge cat fight, and once elaborate hairstyle was now half unbound.

Inuyasha's red-clad form, now has two rings of black-looking like a target motif (due to the zaps Kagome had made with her index finger), and gruff hair had looked frizzy (all again due to Kagome's zaps) had different colored lint balls attached-all from Ayame's furisode.

Ayame was worse off with her messed up bun and thigh-length furisode. She had lost her geta slippers as in the heat of her rage at the hanyou. She had used it as nun-chuks by tying the two with her obi cord, and twirled it expertly in trying to dispel some of the people that were getting in the way.

Only Kagome was the one left unscathed. With elegant poise and alluring appearance, she retained her placid nature and happy demeanor.

“Well, I can see that we all need to freshen up ourselves.” Chirped Kagome with a sunny smile.

Ayame sighed, “all that work...now I have to start again.” she lamented.

“Well no use crying over spilt milk. Lets just make the most of it.” Stated Kikyo gathering her hair in a low pony tail. “That, little toad forgot to give me back my hair pin! And that was my favorite too.”

“I'll get it, just meet me here after you all have freshened up. I'm Inuyasha by the way and the perv is Miroku.” grinned Inuyasha.

“Thanks.. I'd appreciate that.” replied Kikyo. “We all must have gotten off on the wrong foot, I'm Kikyo, that is Ayame and this is Sango, the one who you were spinning around was..”

“Kagome.. hai I know.” he whispered with a warm smile.

“How did y...” Kikyo looked at Inuyasha curiously. He merely smiled then shook his head.

“Come on Letch! You come with me- no telling where that god damn hand of yours would wander off to next.”

“Oh but Inuyasha! It was just starting to get interesting. Besides they might need my help.” protested Miroku.

“Keh! Your help on what? Improving their punches? Looking at your sorry ass I'd say she's already a master at ass whooping.”

“Kami knows the girl in the blue furisode had a punch that nearly knocked off the perversion off my genes.”

“Remind me to hire her as your letch-therapist.”

Both walked away and disappeared in the mass of people. Kaede found them not long afterwards. Handing them their tickets she made haste to her post as the lobby junior receptionist.

Kikyo watched the crowd suspiciously, “Kagome, have you ever met the one called Inuyasha before?”

Kagome ponders for a moment. “Ya know, I'm 100 positive I've never met him in my entire life.”

“Boooooooo.” whispered Sango in a shivering ghostly voice. “Perhaps not in this life Kagome... ooooo... but in a previous incarnation...ooooo.” she continued, making gliding steps around her form.

Ayame chuckled heartily, “You sure he didn't introduce himself to you in your dreams? He's Sesshoumaru's half brother.” she added.

“Oh cut it out the both of you!” huffed Kagome as she stalked towards the ladies room.

Kikyo thought for a moment then shrugged. 'What else can possibly go wrong tonight? After all the worst has happened, and it can't possible get any worse than that.