Kagome's Halloween Costume by Spunkles

You're dressed up as who?

Sota couldn't help but pace back and forth impatiently.

"Come on already," he grumbled to his sister's door.

"I'm hurrying as fast as I can...wait a couple of minutes."

Sota sighed and kicked the door.

"Jeez Sota...just cause your dressed like him does not mean you need to act like him."

Sota rolled his eyes.

"I still don't know why I have to wear this rosary...It only looks like Inuyasha onii-san's a little bit. Not really though. It only kinda looks like it because of the tooth fang. Hey...where did you get the tooth?"

"It's a prop Sota...I found it in a Halloween costume shop."

"Oh."

"What, did you think it was from some demon we battled...gross Sota."

"Well...it would be cooler."

"Whatever."

"What are you going as anyway?"

"The scariest thing I know...something that if I turned into would freak me out forever."

"Are you done yet?"

"Soon."

"Oi wench...come on...I thought you said you had something interesting to show me...besides, we have jewel shards to find."

"Either your impression, of Inuyasha, has gotten better Sota or go tell that loud mouth two-timing jerk to go wait downstairs until I'm ready."

Sota chuckled, but ushered Inuyasha downstairs.

Once they had both gone downstairs, Kagome opened the door bit by bit. Seeing no one outside her door...she smiled and crept downstairs, stopping in her mother's bedroom to pick up the item she had asked her mother to make.

At the bottom of the stairs, she heard Sota & Inuyasha talking with her mother and grandfather.

Smiling to herself, she entered the room saying,

"I'm ready."

All eyes turned to her...

Her mother stared proudly, her alterations and hard work had paid off brilliantly, her Jii-chan was conflicted between the urge to laugh and the urge to run and go get some wards and plaster them to her, her brother stared at her wide-eyed, for he had never seen such a thing before.

Only Inuyasha, who was dressed up like Miroku, at Kagome's request, did the opposite of what she expected.

He fell out on the floor, rolling around, laughing.

"Oh when we're done this trick-or-treating you were telling me about...I'm pulling you back through the well so you Miroku, Shippo, Sango, Kirara, and even Kaede can see you."

Kagome rolled her eyes but nodded to show that she was agreeing...that would increase her fun for the night.

"What are you?" Sota asked.

"She's....she's..." Inuyasha tried to explain, but he just couldn't get it out.

"She's a demon," Grandpa said, sniffing to himself and mumbling how those who dwell as protectors of shrines and their kin should not go around dressed as ugly demons.

Inuyasha couldn't get up the energy to fuss at Grandpa; he was still trying to stop laughing.

"Alright Mr. Laughie...come on..." Kagome told him as she grabbed his collar pulling him up, "we've got to go. Bye Grandpa. Bye mom."

She waved bye as they headed out trick or treating.

Every household they hit looked at Kagome's costume in awe. Some laughed hard, as Inuyasha had done. Others looked on in horror. Other children asked her where she had gotten in.

She merely told them she had made it....with help from her mother.

Those children promised that they were coming up to the shrine next year to get their costumes made.

Kagome smiled.

Sota walked around performing his 'Iron Reaver Soul Stealer' move for the other children. He even had a sword made to look just like Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga and he would whip it out sometimes and shout "Kaze no Kizu."

And Kagome would whisper to Inuyasha, who would in tern, when Sota got a little too out of hand, would shout "Osuwari" and Sota, knowing the role he had to play, always fell to the ground face first.

After getting up for the seventh time, Sota groaned,

"That sucks. Stop sitting me Inuyasha."

"You're Inuyasha tonight pal. And if ya want to be me...you have to be stuck with my curse too."

"In-u-ya-sha," Kagome sing- songed.

"You promised you wouldn't do it tonight," Inuyasha reminded her, looking nervous.

"I know, I know...and I won't. You're S-I-T free tonight...But honestly... can you not try to grope me every once in a while?"

"I'm just trying to stay in character," he said with a lecherous grin.

"I should belt you."

"Aww...but you're not Sango...so that's a no for you."

"Alright...fair...but would you really grope me if I was who I looked like? Cause if so...there's more to you than I know..."

Inuyasha shuddered at the mental picture she had given him and then told her loudly,

"Shut up Kagome."

Kagome giggled and then when the same mental picture she had given Inuyasha ran through her head as well, she burst out laughing once again.

Sota looked at them both a clueless expression on his face...but then he thought about if he really wanted to know and decided that he really didn't. So he shrugged his head and continued his goal to fill his bag to the brim with yummy goodness.

An hour and ½ later, they're bags were full and they headed back to the shrine.

Reaching the Higurashi household they went back inside.

"Tadaima" Sota & Kagome shouted as they entered the house, after removing their shoes.

Inuyasha, thanks to wearing Miroku's long monks robe, didn't have to wear shoes, so he just followed them in.

Her mother greeted them,

"Okaeri nasai" she smiled at her children, still chuckling to herself at both of their costumes.

"Did you get tons of candy?"

"Did we ever...and almost all of the other children want you and Kagome to do their next year's costumes."

Their mother laughed.

"I'm glad that it was such a success....Kagome what are you doing with that candy?"

"Well since I promised Inuyasha that I would go show the others my outfit, I have to take candy for them...especially Shippo. Can you imagine a Halloween without candy for the young...?"

"Understood dear. Don't forget to take the homemade meal I made for you and your friends."

"I won't, "Kagome said, running upstairs briefly to pack her backpack full of supplies and clothes.

She knew if she was going back to the feudal era, Inuyasha wouldn't just let her go to show off her costume...he'd let her show off her costume and then would be raring to go and look for more jewel shards tomorrow morning. No point in having Inuyasha yell and act like a giant baby over nothing, she figured.

Coming back downstairs, she found Inuyasha pacing; he glanced her way and grinned widely, and then said,

"Come on...let's go."

"I'm coming...I'm coming. Get the food from mom."

"Okay."

Grabbing her mother's huge bento box, he led the way down to the well house, with Kagome behind him.

Kagome turned around and waved by to her family before jumping in the well with Inuyasha.

~*~*~*~*~

On the other side of the well, instead of helping Kagome climb up, Inuyasha grabbed her backpack and the bento box and leapt out of the well, he called down to say,

"I'm gonna make sure everybody's at Kaede's. I'll be right back to get you."

"Alright," Kagome answered.

She finished climbing out and stretched before heading on her way to Kaede's village.

On her way, she heard a young, sweet voice loudly whisper,

"Jaken, where are you?"

Coming upon the clearing she was now in, she saw Rin, looking around for Jaken. Rin turned and saw her and stopped, staring, eyes wide.

Kagome had to close her eyes not to burst out laughing at the child's expression.

"Master Jaken...you got huge?"

"Rin...where are you hiding you little brat...when I get my hands on you I'll..."

Jaken trailed off as he entered the clearing and saw an almost exact larger copy of himself staring back at him.

Kagome wasn't sure she could hold the laughter in as she glanced down at Jaken's bugged out eyes at his own double.

"Well...I didn't imagine we grew to almost ningen size. You are almost as handsome as me..."

Kagome closed her eyes to stop the laughter.

"Master Jaken don't be silly. You're only handsome when Rin puts flowers on you..."

"Why you miserable, rude brat..."

Whipping his staff forward, he reached back to hit Rin over the head with it...

Only for it to be plucked from his fingers at the last minute, as Kagome grabbed it and whacked him upside the head instead.

Sesshomaru, coming into the clearing stopped at the oddest sight before him, lifting an eye at the giant sized Jaken beating Jaken on the head with his own staff.

Rin giggled as the bigger Jaken beat up the little Jaken, unaware of her Lord's presence until she heard a twig snap.

Turning around she said,

"Sesshomaru-sama...look...there are two Jaken's...but one Jaken is bigger than the other...how come our Jaken is tiny?"

"Water Kappa demons are usually small Rin."

Rin turned back to survey the Jaken look-alike.

"Then that makes the bigger Jaken..."

"A fake," Sesshomaru said his voice deadly cold.

"Who are you?"

"It's me," Kagome said softly.

"The miko?" Sesshomaru's question was drowned out by Rin's exclamation.

"Kagome onee-san... Rin is glad you came to save me from Jaken's stick. He's always hitting Rin with it. Kagome-oneesan...why are you dressed ugly like Jaken?"

Kagome giggled before answering her.

"It's a costume Rin. In my village, we have a tradition called Halloween and on this night, we dress as ghouls, goblins, or demons, or anything fun and go from hut to hut."

"And then what happens?"

"And then the adults give us candy?"

"What purpose does this serve?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Not a purpose really...it's fun for the village children. The children display their costumes to the other villagers and the other children and they go from hut to hut to receive candy from the villagers."

"Candy?"

"Sweets...here...I have some in a pocket. I have more in my bag, but Inuyasha took that back to Kaede's village."

Stepping forward, she unwrapped a jolly rancher candy and handed it, after holding it out for Sesshomaru's inspection to Rin.

Rin sniffed it and then put it in her mouth.

Her smile almost lit the forest up.

"It's good Sesshomaru-sama. It tastes like nothing Rin has ever tasted before.

"Don't bite it Rin, it's hard, just suck on it." Kagome warned her.

Rin nodded sucking happily.

At the happy look from the child, Kagome emptied her pockets.

"Come here Rin."

Rin ran over to her.

"Say trick or treat."

"Rick ow reat" (her mouth still full of candy).

Kagome laughed.

"Close enough...now hold out your hands."

As Rin did as she said, she placed all the candy she had in her sleeve pockets in the child's outstretched hands.

"Wow...thanks Kagome onee-san."

"Your welcome Rin...just make sure that you take off the wrapping first, okay?"

Rin nodded, bouncing happily running back to show her Sesshomaru-sama her gifts. And then, as instructed by him, ran off to show Ah Un and maybe sneak the dragon a couple of pieces with Jaken following behind her.

"Do you wish a reward for your good dead?" Sesshomaru asked her

Kagome blinked.

"No...why?"

"Humans always want a reward when they do something for another."

"Well I don't. Besides, I got my reward watching her face light up. I just wish I had more on me...I don't suppose you'd be willing to come to Kaede's village with me so I can get her some more, will you?"

At Sesshomaru's lift of his eyebrow she sighed.

"I thought not. Oh well. Hopefully I can keep Inuyasha and the gang and myself from eating them all and she can have some more when we meet again."

"You are odd Miko."

"Probably...but ..."

"Why would you dress up like Jaken?"

"I couldn't think of anything scarier...wouldn't you freak out if you woke up and found yourself looking like Jaken?"

Sesshomaru couldn't stop himself from smiling a little.

"Oh my Kami...you smiled. I saw it."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

Kagome wondered why he wasn't threatening her today. Usually he was trying to kill her. But she wasn't knocking it.

In fact she realized that they were pretty much having a decent conversation.

"Be that as it may...why didn't you dress up as any other...were you afraid you couldn't do it credit?"

"Like who, you?"

"Do not fathom that you could imitate me and do it justice. I meant like...Inuyasha or your demon exterminator friend, or even one of the many demons you've seen."

"I just didn't think of them...besides...my brother dressed up as Inuyasha...see," she said pulling out her photograph she had taken of her brother dressed up like Inuyasha.

"What is this sorcery?"

"It's not sorcery...it's called a picture. Just look at it."

Sesshomaru was about to remind her why it wasn't acceptable to give a Taiyoukai orders, when she said,

"Please."

He nodded and looked...only to chuckle out loud at the photo of her brother dressed up like Inuyasha.

"How did you make the ears, or is your brother a hanyou as well?"

"Oh no...Mom made his costume. I only made him the rosary. And she made a headband and attached white felt pieces to it. She did great work, don't you think?"

"Indeed."

"And the funniest part was we allowed Inuyasha to be in charge of the SIT command and every time Inuyasha shouted it, he'd drop to the ground and mutter loudly."

Sesshomaru chuckled again.

"And my half-brother...what was he dressed up as, if your brother was being him."

"He was dressed up as Miroku."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow again.

"He borrowed Miroku's robes and I wrapped a pair of beads around his right hand to block off his 'Kazana' and my mom got him this dark colored wig so that his hair sort of looks like Miroku's. We tucked his own hair under his robes and mom did something to make his, which she had cut holes out for, look dark and unnoticeable.

Besides it helps that it's done in the evening...so we didn't have to explain much.

The only problem we had was apparently Miroku's robes embed the wearer with his lecherous thoughts and actions, because I had to fend off Inuyasha's advances like I usually had to do Miroku's. Until I gave him a mental image...and that stopped that train of thought."

"Which image was that?"

Kagome smiled as she told him,

"I asked him that if I was really Jaken, would he grope me...and if so...did he have something he wanted to tell me."

Sesshomaru laughed long and hard.

Kagome stared at him in shock.

Sesshomaru eventually calmed back down and Kagome shook her head.

"You should do that more often you know."

"Do what?"

"Laugh."

"It is not something someone in my position does much of."

"Oh...appearances...must be hard to always have to abide by them."

"Hard for you ningen. I do what I have to do."

"Alright, alright...no need for name calling...we were having a decent conversation until you reverted."

Sesshomaru just nodded.

"Anyway...who says I couldn't dress up like you...I bet I'd be good at it too."

Sesshomaru looked her up and down.

"Well...you managed to make Jaken look decent...however...I do not think you can accomplish the beauty there is in me."

"Is that a challenge?"

"I do not issue such petty things to ningen."

"Sure you don't. Fine...you're on...next Halloween, exactly 365 days from today...I'll dress up like you...and we'll see if I do...but if I pull it off well...what's my reward?"

"I thought you weren't like the other pathetic ningen..."

"I'm still not...but I don't mind helping folks when they're in trouble for free, or doing something to make a child smile, but you goaded me into it...so you better think up a good reward."

"I have a reward."

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you when you win...if you win. Either you present me with a decent copy of myself next year and receive your reward, or you don't...and you receive nothing...or maybe I'll just kill you."

Kagome rolled her eyes. They were back to the killing her plan again.

"Actually..."

"Backing out already," Sesshomaru asked her silkily.

"No...can I finish please?"

Sesshomaru nodded.

"What I was saying was who knows what will happen to either one of us in a whole year's time. I'm only 16, but you're ancient. You might not last until then."

"Baiting me is not a way for you to last a year either woman."

"Kagome is my name...you know...and I wasn't trying to bait you...I was just saying that it's possible anything could happen. So instead of a whole year...how about you give me two months...but you have to be back here in a two weeks time. I have a test around then and I'll get Inuyasha to bring me home. If I'm going to make a good replica of you...I want a picture first."

"The sorcery in the film you showed me."

"I told you it's a picture. You'll see. Do you agree?"

"I agree."

"Great. I guess I'll see you then...I better get going. Inuyasha's probably going crazy by now."

Sesshomaru sniffed.

"The hanyou is on his way now. Go...I do not feel like being bothered by him today. I'll be back in 14 days to provide you with your picture."

"Domo Arigatou Sesshomaru-sama."

Sesshomaru nodded before leaping away.

He was gone a few minutes...Kagome headed toward the village when Inuyasha bounded up to her.

"What's been taking you so long?"

"I'll tell you later...come on...don't you want to see their faces?"

Inuyasha gave her a look and then deciding against pursuing it for now, nodded and they walked back to the village, coming upon Kaede's hut quickly.

Smiling to one another, Inuyasha stepped into the house followed by Kagome.

The others looked up in greeting and then stopped and stared at the sight before them.

They had already seen the Inuyasha acting Miroku earlier.

But the giant Jaken was a whole new sight to them.

Shippo yelped and ducked behind Kaede and Sango.

Kaede chuckled.

Sango's eyes widened.

Even Kirara did a double take.

Kagome and Inuyasha chucked at their friends reactions and waited for the final one to react.

Miroku's reaction, however, was similar to Inuyasha's and he fell to the floor laughing.

"Oh Lady Kagome," he said...when he could talk once again, "what would possibly possess you to dress yourself as Jaken?"

"Isn't it great," Kagome said with a smile on her face.

"Ka...Ka...Kagome?" Shippo sniffed, look around Kaede's legs.

"It's me Shippo...don't be afraid. It's a costume...besides...look what I got you," she said going over to her bag and pulling out a giant lollipop.

Shippo bounded over to her inspecting her outfit up close.

"You look like a huge Jaken...I thought you were going to eat me. But I'm glad you're you...oh...Candy!"

Shippo started licking with delight...his tiny face in ecstasy at the taste.

Kagome laughed at her kitsune's expression and turned back to Sango.

"Well, what do you think?"

"I don't know what to say..."

"I'm guessing that means I would win if we had a costume party. Although I think we need to get your robes checked out Miroku...Inuyasha suffered the same affliction that you normally do. He groped me so many times I almost wish I had dressed up like you Sango so I could have brained him with your Hiraikotsu...if only I could lift the dang thing."

Sango then laughed.

"Jeez Kagome...you do the oddest things. But that's a good disguise. I couldn't decide whether to grab my Hiraikotsu or laugh."

"Then I'm very glad laughter won out."

Kagome turned to Kaede.

"You didn't seem surprised at all...how come?"

"Inuyasha bid ye to come in...I figured it was you. Besides...he brought your bag and your mother's stuff in not too long ago...why would he have ye things and not ye...that didn't make much sense. So I knew ye were coming."

Kagome nodded.

"Okay...well now that I've shown all my costume...I think I have to go wash this off...Shippo, Sango...do either of you want to take a bath with me?"

"I'll come," Shippo said dancing.

"Me too," Sango said, gathering her washing supplies.

"Me too," Miroku said.

A loud thump was heard echoing through the village.

Kagome, Shippo, & Sango called cheerful "See you later," to Kaede & Inuyasha.

Inuyasha, finally back in his own clothes, his hair and ears free as usual, stepped over the downed & unconscious Miroku, muttering "Hentai," before leaping up into the trees to keep watch on all.

Kaede laughed and stepped back into her hut.

Those children made her days entertaining. She could only wonder what they were going to do next.

End first chapter