"The More Things Change…" by Shadow Master

(BtVS/InuYasha/Nurarihyon no Mago)

email: Ryley [underscore] Breen

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted material contained herein (BtVS/InuYasha/Nurarihyon no Mago). They are the property of their creator and associated companies. I make no profit off of this whatsoever. I write these fanfics because it's fun and because there are those who enjoy reading my works. I will likely never make a profit off of these works until the day I die. Therefore I would appreciate it if you would refrain from filing a lawsuit against me and sending your very expensive lawyers after me for money. I can assure you that no matter what you wouldn't get enough to cover even a tenth of your legal fees so there'd be no point to the lawsuit since it'd cost you more than you'd get from me.

Note: As with pretty much all of my fanfics I'll do what I can to stick as close to canon as I can but only to the extent that it doesn't interfere with the story that I want to tell. If I was doing something official on co-operation with the people behind these shows then perhaps I would do my best to stick 100% to canon but since this is fanfic I figure it gives me a little bit of leeway. So if you're one of those readers that absolutely hates stories that split off or veer away from canon then I suggest you stop right here and leave.

Note 2: As far as timelines are concerned in the BtVS one this occurs during the much used Halloween episode (It's just so convenient for setting up my kind of stories). In the InuYasha this would take place between anime episodes 82 and 83. As for the Nurarihyon no mago universe it'd take place at the end of "Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan: Demon Capital".

The More Things Change…

Approaching the Store Called Ethan Rayne's Costume Store, 3:00p.m

Buffy's POV

"HURRY UP, XANDER!" she yelled over her shoulder as she advanced towards the entrance to the costume store closest to the high school. "WE HAVE TO HURRY!"

"I'M HURRYING! NOT ALL OF US ARE 'GIFTED' LIKE YOU!" Xander yelled back at her, sounding a little out of breath.

That took a little of the snippiness out of her sails as she realized that she had been putting a little too much Slayer speed into her running but she couldn't help it. Not only had she been roped into chaperoning a bunch of bratty elementary students as they went trick or treating by that troll Snyder, but now she had less than an hour to get a costume, get into it and then get back to the school. The Principal obviously had no clue about the proper length of time a modern teenage girl needed to pick out just the right costume and then make herself presentable. Sure, she doubted that the cookies and milk crowd would be impressed but, since she intended to go straight from her 'volunteer work' to her date with Angel, the extra prep work was necessary. As such she wasn't going to take too much time looking through what the store had to offer and would likely take the first thing that looked like it might impress Angel. Personally she was hoping for something like the pictures she'd seen in Giles' books but she knew that the odds of a new store having a dress like that couldn't be that good. Still, she'd look, she'd hope and with a little luck the Hellmouth wouldn't saddle her with the kind of misfortune that her social life tended to have since becoming the Slayer.

She waited at the entrance to the costume store for Willow and Xander to catch up with her but once they had the three of them went inside, finding the place pretty busy. There were a few people she recognized from her classes and others that she'd witnessed Snyder roping into chaperone work, but there were a few strangers in the mix as well. Everyone was looking at what the store had to offer and she had to admit the place was well stocked if nothing else. Everything from decorations to costume accessories to full costumes was arrayed throughout the store, with the quality varying from item to item. Some things were made of quality material and put together by someone who took their time to get it right while other things were barely worth the amount on their price tag. It gave her hope that she might be able to find something to her liking but she'd have to find it fast because time was running out.

"Alright, let's split up and take a look around. We'll meet back here in ten minutes and if one of us hasn't found anything, we'll all look together. Okay?" she asked, looking to her two friends.

Both of them nodded to her but she could tell that Xander was still feeling a little angry towards her for what happened in the student lounge during lunch. While she did not regret roughing up Larry, since she'd heard every word he'd said to Xander, she understood now how things must've looked from her friend's point of view. It'd be the same thing if Xan treated her like some defenseless little girl who couldn't take care of herself. Sure, she was the Slayer, so the idea of her being helpless was ridiculous, but being treated as such by a friend when she had a different opinion made the comparison work. She wouldn't have liked being saved like that, so she could understand where her friend was coming from and was just about done working up to saying she was sorry to him. She'd say something when the ten minutes were up but until then she had to look around the store to see if her much hoped for dress was somewhere waiting to be found.

Walking around she looked with both her hands and her eyes for something that would catch her interest but, aside from a few startling moments with some flashing plastic pumpkins (at which she totally did not scream in fright, no matter what anyone else said), nothing really jumped out at her. There were a few of the usual superhero costumes but of course they were mostly made of spandex or leather and that immediately removed them from her list of possibilities. While she took pride in her good looks, she refused to wear something that'd have guys ogling her like she was a piece of meat for them to take a bite out of. Cordelia might be slutty enough to go for something like that but then being a trophy girlfriend or wife probably came naturally to the rich girl. Other costumes were more modest but also of quality but they were too butch for what she had in mind for her date with Angel. As her internal clock reached nine minutes she sighed as she couldn't find anything that struck her as a good costume choice, so she headed back to the open area just inside the store.

"What'd you get?" she asked as she saw Willow come back with something in her hands.

"A time-honored classic!" Willow replied, holding up the plastic bag holding.

She had to sigh in disappointment at the sight because it only confirmed what she had hoped wouldn't be the case this Halloween. It had been a year and a half since she had first met Willow and since then she'd taken it upon herself to coax the redhead out of her shell in order to become the hottie she knew her friend could be. She'd known many girls like Willow back at her old high school, so she knew how easily any new boldness or confidence could be crushed, therefore she had taken things slow. The fact that her friend was quite useful helping out with the research and the computer stuff was a big help in improving the teenage genius' self-confidence, but clearly it wasn't quite at the level of 'daring' just yet.

"Okay, Will, can I give you a little friendly advice?" she asked, trying to break the truth to Willow gently.

"It's not spooky enough?" Willow asked, hazarding a guess at what the answer might be.

"It's just..." she replied, trying to come up with some sugarcoating but getting nothing. "You're never gonna get noticed if you keep hiding. You're missing the whole point of Halloween!"

"Free candy?" Willow asked with a smile, clearly showing where her focus holiday-wise was at the moment.

She had to roll her eyes at that since it showed that the 'Halloween' folder in her friend's mind hadn't been updated since puberty hit.

To be fair, though, the free candy was a total plus.

"It's come as you aren't night! The perfect chance for a girl to get sexy and wild with no repercussions," she replied, trying to make it sound like it'd be a blast to dress up as something different.

Instantly Willow took on a look of anxiety and fear that no doubt meant the teenager was picturing one humiliating possibility after another.

"Oh, I don't get wild. Wild on me equals spaz," Willow said quickly, shaking her head at the idea of doing anything wild.

"Don't underestimate yourself. You've got it in you," she said encouragingly before trying to think of something else to add on top of that.

Before she could, though, she sensed someone approaching and, given the odds, she figured it must be Xander back from his own perusal of the store.

"Hey, Xander!" Willow exclaimed, obviously grateful for a way to change the topic of discussion. "What'd you get?"

In response to the inquiry her only guy friend who wasn't her boyfriend held up a toy rifle for all of them to see and this almost made her roll her eyes. Apparently Willow wasn't the only one who didn't realize that Halloween was the perfect opportunity to break from their usual way of dressing and try something adventurous for a change. It was the same in both their cases but, while Willow reacted by being shy and hiding, Xander did it by distracting people with his own special brand of humor.

She did not like this one bit.

"That's not a costume," she pointed out as she began to fish for ammo she could use against the two natives of Sunnydale.

"I got fatigues from an Army surplus at home," Xander said, giving her a light glare before turning his gaze to Willow. "Call me the Two-Dollar Costume King, baby!"

This was NOT going to happen! Not on her watch! She was not going to let her friends pass up a perfect chance to leave their usual selves behind for a night and become something else!

"Put it back!" she ordered, putting words to her resolve. "You both are going to get better costumes for tonight even if we wind up having to change in the bathrooms at the school!"

She could see that both her friends they were prepared to argue with her and stick to their choices so, in a moment of determination, she decided to go the extra mile just this once.

"If you'll let me pick out better costumes for you, I'll… I'll pay for half of each costume," she said even though that'd take a bite out of her date money. "Think of it as an apology, Xander, for, you know, earlier."

This had a noticeable effect on both of them.

For Xander it was a look of pleasant surprise and she could just tell that his earlier anger towards her was lifting. This put her a little more at ease because, while she was reasonably sure that it would've blown over on its own after a week or so, it was still a relief for it to be happening now. She knew that she'd have to pick out a reasonably manly costume or he'd go right back on the defensive, but she was confident she knew guys well enough to pick the right outfit.

For Willow, the girl was clearly pleased that her friends were making up after the altercation at noon and this was apparently enough to make the redhead less nervous about a different costume. Again, though, like Xander, the academic girl would likely retreat like a spooked mouse if too daring a costume was proposed, so she'd have to strike a balance between sexy and modest. She'd already thought of a few possibilities already but would likely have to tone them down by half if she wanted them to pass Willow's inspection.

With a look between them Xander and Willow nodded to each other before turning to her, smiles on their faces.

"Okay, we graciously accept your offering and your apology," Xander said with his usual lopsided smile. "Let's see what you've got!"

With that the three of them went back into the aisles of the store, with her in the lead as she looked for the perfect costumes for her two friends. Never would she realize that by taking this course of action she'd lose the opportunity to get the dress that was a perfect match for what she'd seen in drawings from Giles' books. Instead of her getting the dress it would go to one Harmony Kendall who sadly would suffer worse than Buffy did in another timeline.

It was after all dangerous enough to be wandering around Sunnydale at night when you'd grown up with all the technology accessible to your average American.

It was even worse when you had the mind of an eighteenth century noblewoman with none of that knowledge and even less common sense.

The Men's Bathroom of Sunnydale High School, 3:45pm

Xander's POV

Gotta hurry! he said as he hurried to wrap the black kimono around himself before securing it in place with a white cloth belt. Got less than fifteen minutes to get to the student lounge or I'm detention bound.

After looking in the mirror to make sure it looked reasonable, he moved onto putting the toed socks and sandals that Buffy had insisted would go great with the costume she'd put together. According to her he was dressing up as a wandering samurai and he had to admit that that was a lot better than the his first choice of going as just another ground pounding soldier. True, it probably would've looked a great deal more impressive if he'd gone as a samurai in full armor and everything but what Buffy had chosen for him was better, given the weather Sunnydale had.

Looks good enough to me, he thought, finally satisfied with how the kimono and sandals looked on him.

It'd been a bit of a pain wrapping that long strip of white cloth around his stomach but he had to admit that, with the kimono a little open, it did make him look a little more like the real deal. Looking over to the bag resting in one of the sinks, he knew that there were only two more things to be added to his costume in order to make it complete. Too bad they were also the two things that he was a little bit hesitant about putting on due to the potential fodder it'd give the Cordettes and the jocks to slam his costume choice. The first was a wig of black hair that was long enough to go down all the way to his waist and, quite frankly, looked like it'd be better suited to a girl. However he had to grudgingly admit Buffy's point that, in all the samurai films and even the few anime he'd seen, guys from back in that time had long hair.

Probably not THIS long but still pretty long.

If I get heckled too badly I'll just take it off and stuff it in the kimono, he thought before turning his thoughts to the other item.

It was a Japanese sword that she'd picked out of a bin filled with swords of various types and he had to admit that, when he'd taken it out of its sheath, it'd looked pretty real to him. Sure, if you touched the blade or tapped it against something else you could tell immediately that it wasn't metal but for Halloween appearances meant more than authenticity. The problem he had with it was the fact that the hilt and the sheath were way more fancy than he remembered a samurai's katana should be, with blue, gold and white covering both surfaces. The hilt was primarily gold but it had engraved on it a fan of the variety you'd see in Asian areas of the world. The sheath was mostly blue but had gold and white engravings on it that looked like clouds or cranes in flight. All in all he'd been worried that it'd looked a little girly, or at least that is what others might thing when they saw him walking around with it. Buffy had suggested simply that if anyone asked, he just tell them that his wandering samurai received it as a gift from a feudal princess as a replacement for the one that'd been broken saving her life from a dozen assassins.

He had to admit that with an explanation like, that the blade did look a lot cooler.

He was just about to grab the wig so he could put it on properly when the door to the bathroom opened, admitting Larry and two of his thugs, with all three of them dressed as pirates. He'd hoped that they'd just take a dump and move on but when their eyes settled on him he knew that he was in for some bullying. It was definitely enough to make him relocate someplace else before putting on the wig or taking out the sword but, before he could move, the three cavemen blocked his only escape route.

"What you wearing there Harris? A dress?!" Larry asked with malicious curiosity.

"Bet he thinks he might get more dates dressed like that," Garry said before cruelly laughing at him.

"Only question is whether he'd get more guys than gals wearing that get-up!" Maury said speculatively before joining in on the laughter.

I swear the second these jocks blow a knee or break a leg ending their football careers, I'm going to be right there to celebrate like there's no tomorrow! he thought angrily even as he continued to try and figure out a way to escape his current predicament.

"Maybe we'll find out if we take a look in the bag!" Larry said before darting forward and grabbing the bag containing the rest of his costume.

He tried to take it back but before he got halfway the two minions grabbed his arms and held him back.

"Well I guess we know which way Harris swings now, guys!" Larry said as he pulled out the black wig with unnecessary flourish.

He'd hoped for a second that the usual macho man awkwardness around gays would've caused all three goons to back off and give him an opening to flee but sadly that was not the case. Either Larry didn't really believe what he was saying and was using the whole gay thing like calling him a loser or the three of them weren't as homo-phobic as he'd thought.

"Let's see what else is in here!" Larry said as he took another look into the plastic bag. "Nice sword, Harris! It really matches your dress!"

Naturally it was pissing him off to have them laugh at him like they were but at the same time he knew he wouldn't be able to kick their asses and get out of the bathroom. Despite the experience and added exercise he got from fighting vamps and demons alongside Buffy, he still wasn't good enough to take on three jocks at once. Oh, he'd get a few good shots in, that he could guarantee, but in the end the numbers would outdo his determination and conditioning.

"I still think something is missing, though," Larry said with mock thought on his face. "Fortunately for you, loser, I have just the right thing for your costume."

The caveman jock reached into a bag he'd been carrying when he'd entered the restroom and took out a bottle of white glue that had to be a thousand milliliters in size. Watching as Larry picked up the wig Buffy had selected for his costume, he knew instantly what the jock intended and decided he had to act. Straining as best he could against the minions, he tried to break free so he could grab the wig and cover it up but he failed. As a result he was helpless to do more than watch as half the bottle's contents of glue got spread across the length of the wig.

"Larry, you bastard!" he said, realizing that his costume could very well be in the process of being destroyed right before his eyes.

All he got for his words was a punch in the stomach by one of the minions that knocked the wind completely out of him, causing him to go limp. Dropped to the floor of the bathroom he was helpless to watch as Larry dropped the glue-splattered wig in front of him, laughing the entire time as he along with his minions left.

As soon as the strength returned to his limbs he picked up the wig and immediately began trying to wash out as much of the glue as he could. The glue hadn't hardened yet and maybe if he acted quickly enough he could get the majority of it out and still be able to salvage the wig for his outfit. Not that it was absolutely crucial but it would leave something of a hole in his whole 'wandering samurai' look, likely getting him into trouble with Buffy when she saw him. Sure, he'd tell her that he ran afoul of Larry and his minions but he knew that the Slayer would either blame him for not standing up for himself better or get ideas of pushing him out of the slayage if he was too weak to hold off common bullies.

Neither option was something he liked so, even as the minutes ticked away, he did the best he could but, when his watch showed 3:55pm, he knew he was out of time.

I hope this doesn't stand out too much, he thought as he lifted the wig out of the sink and held it up to take a good look at it.

What he found was an odd combo of pros and cons.

On the one side there were no visible signs of glue on a single strand of hair so at least neither Buffy nor Willow would find out about Larry's actions that way. However some part of the glue that the cro-mag had used had wound up changing the top half of the wig from black to snow white, with a few swirls here and there that made the black parts look like they'd been drawn on with ink. Now a multi-colored wig wasn't necessarily a bad thing since on Halloween you could have a wig that was all the colors of a Hawaiian shirt and it'd be fine. The bad part though was that, thanks to the glue, the wig now looked like it was in a perpetual wind tunnel since, once on his head, it'd be stuck completely horizontal. Putting it on and securing the clips that'd make it harder for it to be pulled off or blown off, he looked in the mirror and almost groaned at how it made him look. Even after he tucked the prop katana beneath the belt of the outfit his eyes still drifted up to the wig that was stuck extending horizontally from the back of his head.

"Great! Just PERFECT!" he growled as he realized that, despite his earnest attempts at washing out the glue, enough remained not only to affect the shape of the fake hair but also the color in parts.

He was about to run out and face the music with the others when the door to the bathroom opened again to reveal Jonathan and Andrew, both of whom were dressed up as monsters of some kind.

"Stupid store!" Jonathan growled as he looked at some kind of plastic container in his right hand. "I wanted purple eyes than looked like bug eyes, not golden eyes that look like they belong to a cat!"

"Not much you can do about it now, Jonathan," Andrew said with sympathy for his friend. "We need to take care of business here and then run out to the lounge or Snyder's going to drop detention on the both of us."

"Yeah… I guess you're right," Jonathan said before tossing the plastic container into the trash bin.

Hearing the entire discussion, an epiphany of sorts came over him and he darted over to the bin, retrieving the container his fellow student had tossed away. After taking a moment to be sure that nothing had gotten inside he popped the lid and found what he'd expected inside: Costume contact lenses and, just as Jonathan had stated, they were golden colored eyes that definitely looked like they'd be at home in the eye sockets of a cat. Imagining them covering his own brown eyes, he was forced to admit that they'd improve his costumed appearance nicely but they'd also give off the look of a demon. Considering he was on a Hellmouth and it was Halloween, did he really want to tempt fate?

Glancing down at his watch, which read 3:57pm, he decided he'd have to risk it so, following the instructions he managed to put both lenses in properly with only a little pain. With that done he ran out the door and navigated the hallways of the school towards the student lounge, hoping that he wouldn't be late.

Detention sucked, after all.

Detentions where Snyder chose to handle himself… he figured being chained to the ninth circle of hell would be preferable.

The Student Lounge, 3:59pm, Willow's POV

"Xander… hurry up!" she muttered as she kept a joint look out for both her best friend and for Snyder.

She prayed that the latter would actually prove to be the late one since it'd give her childhood friend extra minutes to get to the lounge so he wouldn't get detention. From her point of view detentions were bad news no matter how you sliced things. That was because it meant spending time trapped in a room with a teacher handpicked by Snyder, while on the other hand it wouldn't look good on the permanent record to have a lot of detentions listed. She knew that Xander didn't really care about such things but, ever since she'd formed the necessary resolve to give school her all, she'd also done what she could to make sure her friend put forth some effort as well.

It didn't always work but she'd never stop trying.

"Don't worry Willow," Buffy said from the seat next to her. "He's probably gonna come around the corner any second now."

Looking at her friend she nodded before once more taking in the outfit that the Slayer had chosen to wear. As part of the blonde's efforts to get them to go beyond the normal, the costumes the three of them were wearing were all of single theme: ancient Japanese. True, it had simply started as Xander dressing up as a wandering samurai but then the Slayer had obviously gotten the idea to give her a matching outfit in an effort to help her crush on her longtime friend along. From there Xander had gotten the idea that Buffy should also choose a similar outfit since perhaps something a little different might be good for her. With that avalanche of sentiments it was a done deal and, now that she looked at the outfit, she had on she thought perhaps it really was better than her ghost costume.

It looked like a really fancy Japanese lady's kimono made up of various shades of red and black on the outside but with a sort of pinkish whitish underclothing that she supposed was like a dress slip or maybe an undershirt. She didn't really have much time to look over the labels that had come with the costume or go online to do more research but all in all it looked pretty nice. The pattern on the kimono itself was very pretty looking to be a combination of leaves and flowers you wouldn't find outside of the 'land of the rising sun'. However there was one component of the outfit she couldn't quite make sense out of and that was a shin length skirt that was beneath the dress-slip thing. It was the same shade of red as most of the outer kimono but looked a lot like scale mail armor like she'd seen in some of Giles' books. The bits and pieces weren't made of metal, of course, just shiny plastic, but it still seemed like a rather odd addition to what she presumed was supposed to be a Japanese noblewoman's kimono. Nevertheless, with a black wig on her head done up in traditional Japanese style it was a definite improvement over the ghost costume she'd worn in the past.

Buffy's outfit was similar but she got the feeling that it'd been intended for someone a little more… developed. Someone like Cordelia or Miss Calendar would probably fill it out better but Buffy had done her best to make it work for her. It wasn't as formal looking as her outfit but rather it had a more relaxed feel to it with the way it seemed to be just barely held up by Buffy's shoulders. It also exposed more than hers since it left the upper arms and upper legs visible while in the front it only came together from the mid-chest down to the waist before flaring out again half a foot or so below the waistline. Fortunately some plastic forearm and shin guards helped cover up a bit more, with toe socks and sandals on the feet instead of the Slayer's usual footwear. Buffy had added an odd necklace she'd grabbed at the cash register of the costume place and then, in an unexpected moment, the clerk had offered to add some sort of Japanese banjo that'd been behind the counter. Naturally her Slayer friend had been against the idea initially since it'd be a bit of a bother to carry the thing around for two hours, but then the clerk had mentioned that one of the essential skills of an educated Japanese woman was music. The man had also gone on to say that the music played by an exceptional mistress of the instrument had been known to ensnare many a man even if they'd only been passing by. That'd been enough to convince her blonde friend to take it since images of wooing Angel with music were no doubt filling her head.

Well, at least we're definitely different from the rest of the Halloween crowd, she thought as she examined the other 'volunteers'.

Just about everyone else wore costumes that you'd expect for Halloween, from traditional vampires or Frankenstein monsters to superhero outfits as well as other fictional characters. Not one of them though was dressed up like she, Buffy and Xander were, so they'd stand out from the crowd sure enough. Fortunately for her, though, her costume covered up just about everything so, while people would still see her face, the rest of the outfit would cause most to pass right over her.

"There he is!" she exclaimed, pointing to Xander who had just come around the corner.

Looking at him she could see most of the costume pieces were there exactly the way they should be but when she got to his head she noticed some rather odd differences. First and most obvious was the fact that the long black haired wig that should've gone down to his waist was sticking out horizontally from the back of his head and had even partially changed to white. Still, she thought that the way that the black was mixed with the white was actually kinda pretty looking so, aside from the gravity defying nature of the wig, she didn't have any complaints. The other odd point when looked at in addition to the hair made her wonder if her best friend wasn't playing chicken with the Hellmouth and daring it to do something. His eyes had changed from their usual chocolate brown human eyes to golden cat eyes and, if she hadn't seen him for a long time, she'd have thought he'd gotten himself possessed or something. However, since it had been less than half an hour since she'd seen him she believed he'd somehow gotten costume contact lenses from someone. Putting it altogether it somehow changed Xander's costume from a wandering samurai to a wandering demon samurai and that sort of thing was dangerously like taunting Murphy AND the Hellmouth.

Still, she had to have the question burning in her mind answered.

"Xander! What happened?" she asked once he stood in front of them.

"Don't want to talk about it!" Xander muttered with a bit of an edge that let her know he wanted the topic dropped.

That could only mean that something happened to wound his manly pride and that it likely had something to do with the wig. Considering the sort of luck her best guy friend had, she'd bet a box of Twinkies that he bumped into Larry again and the jock did something to the wig. Mentally she sighed at the bad luck her friend tended to attract and wondered if he'd ever be cut a break or if he was doomed to forever have something rain on his parade.

"ALRIGHT, GATHER AROUND! GATHER AROUND, YOU REPROBATES!" came Snyder's oh so melodious voice from the other end of the lounge.

"Guess we better get going," Buffy said as she got up from her chair, tried to cover up more of herself with her outfit only to fail, and then began walking to where all the chaperones were gathering.

"Yep! We might've dodged the 'be late and get detention' bullet but if we're slow obeying mein furher, he might fire something else at us," Xander said, sounding like he had a few choice words for the high school principal.

She nodded in agreement as they walked over to where the chaperones had gathered.

"You've all been chosen to escort the brats from Sunnydale Elementary for the next two hours as they go around trick or treating for candy that'll probably make then ten times worse," Snyder said, showing his disdain for non-adults with every word. "In this box is a number. The number is connected to a group of five brats you'll be in charge of for the next two hours. Don't speak to them. We don't need your delinquent ways rubbing off on them. Let's get started."

With those words the box got passed around and one-by-one numbers were drawn from it before the cardboard container was passed to the next person. It took only about five minutes but by then Buffy was the last person to draw a number from the box and of course, once that was done, Snyder just had to put his two cents in.

"No need to speak to them, Summers. The last thing they need is your influence. Just bring them back in one piece and I won't expel you." Snyder said as he left to bring the elementary students in.

"I wish I could expel YOU!" Buffy muttered angrily once she thought the principal was far enough away.

"What… was… THAT?" Snyder asked with a dangerous edge, proving that the Slayer should've waited a bit longer.

"I just said that I wanted to express my gratitude to you," Buffy replied quickly yet uncertainly. "You're such a role model for the student body."

Not a bad cover, Buffy, but I don't think he bought it, she thought before a cross look appeared on Snyder's face.

"Just give me a reason, Summers," Snyder stated with a heavily implied threat. "Just give me a reason."

As she watched the one person with the most authority in the school walked away, she did something she never thought she would.

She stuck out her tongue and used her hands to make an ugly face at the principal's back.

It needed work if the chuckles of her friends were any hint.

Buffy's POV, Later

Definitely should have checked with the guy at the store to see if he had this in a smaller size, she thought as she adjusted her costume one more time in order to keep everyone from seeing what type of bra and panty she preferred.

Still, she had to admit that her plan to have Xander and Willow be more than they thought they could be had worked out quite nicely. Xander, despite the demonic additions to his costume, looked like a cool samurai warrior and the changes only made him look more exotic. Willow, on the other hand, very much looked like a princess, given the extravagant nature of her kimono and the style the wig had been done up in. Of the two of them only the former made her worried, if only because her guy friend was tempting fate with his new look from her point of view. That was why she'd stick close to him, just in case, even though Giles had said that Halloween was supposed to be quiet night for ghosts and demons.

Seeing her group of five children, she had to frown a bit as she realized that the self-declared leader had a look in his beady eyes that told her he'd come up with another name to call her that was far from complimentary. The rest of the group was more or less okay with how they behaved but they were way too submissive since they generally agreed with anything the one brat said. Hopefully they'd all grow up to be better people because otherwise she only saw trouble and hardship in their future.

"Alright, kids we're about halfway done so let's turn left at the corner and start circling back to the school so you can be picked up by your folks," she said, trying her best to sound like an adult.

"Are we gonna see any of your friends, floozy?" the brat asked with a smug look on his face.

Definitely someone who'd benefit from a little extreme spanking therapy! she thought. "Maybe. Depends if they decide to take the same route back to the school as us."

This apparently wasn't what the brat had expected and so he was left without a way to continue his little name calling game, so he, along with his fellow elementary school students, were stuck being silent. Walking slowly behind them she was glad that they were about to start heading back to the high school because, the sooner she got rid of the children, the sooner she could go on her date with Angel. While not quite as dignified as the noblewoman's dress she'd seen in Giles' books, she was certain that her costume would make an impression on the man who held her heart.

Plus it might give him motivation enough to move things to second base, she thought with a smile at the possibility.

Not that she hadn't had fun with the little kisses and spending time with him, but now that she'd gotten used to it she was eagerly looking forward to the next phase in their relationship and the experiences that came with it. It was all about the newness of growing up and experiencing new things, after all, but unlike most teenagers she knew she didn't have the luxury of taking her time with everything. As the Slayer she knew that she had a countdown to deal with and that one day soon she'd go out to patrol or fight some demonic threat and never come back. Thanks to Xander she already beat the usual expiration date for a Slayer but she saw that as a lucky hiccup of fate rather than a sign that she had a full life ahead of her. Even with the support the others gave her, saving the world and protecting the Hellmouth ultimately came down to her living up to her responsibilities and being strong enough to thwart the demon of the week.

Sooner or later something would give out and she'd meet her end.

Knowing her luck, it'd be sooner.

Looking ahead she was about to ask the kids not to get too far ahead when something big pinged on her Slayer senses that froze her in her tracks. Whipping her head about she tried to find the source, tried to find a target, but no matter which direction she looked in she couldn't see anything. Then, without warning, she felt as though something solid had slammed into her but she only perceived this for a moment because a second later felt a burning sensation surge from deep within her. It was like someone was quickly raising the temperature of the blood that flowed in her veins, causing it to approach hot tub temperature with the clear intent of going further.

She wanted to fight against it.

She wanted her blood to cool.

But neither was a possibility because, even as her blood got hot, her mind was plunged deep into a fog of numbness far from her body.

The last thing she could perceive before the darkness took her was the feeling of another ascending to the place she once held.

Half a Minute Later, Same Place

"Mmmmmm… not the usual soreness I'm used to after a good night," she said as she rose up off the ground with sensuality and grace.

Once she was sure of her legs having the strength to hold her up she let her eyes take in the new world that existed around her since she knew instantly that she wasn't where she last remembered being. Her last memory was leaving the barn of a particularly handsome farmer after having her way with him and getting a decent meal out of the experience. She made sure to leave enough energy and blood within him so that he'd survive the experience because, unlike some members of her race, she knew better than to leave a body trail for a dedicated youkai hunter to follow. The handsome man might spend a few days under the weather but there were neighbors close enough to his farm that he could find help from them.

So long as no one made too big of a deal about it, no one would even suspect that there was something unnatural about the man's condition.

It had been just as she reached the dirt road that'd take her away from the barn that she'd blacked out, only to awaken in this strange place that was so unlike anything she'd ever seen before. Loosening her kimono a little as it'd been a little too tight on her, she tried to make sense of the new environment but it was a mass of contradictions. On the one side of things she could feel a sea of jyaki flowing all around her and her senses told her that it encompassed an area consistent with a decent sized town. On the other side this was obviously a human town rather a place solely inhabited by 'them', so she couldn't understand why she didn't sense any wards on the homes that were arrayed on either side of the street she stood on, nor any ofuda on the doors. That didn't make sense since any human living near a place they knew to be inhabited by her people or by 'them' took all the necessary precautions. Some villages and towns even had a reasonably competent priest living with them just in case an attack of surprising strength took place.

Given that she could see various breeds running this way and that all around her, the humans would have to be blind and deaf not to realize the dangers that surrounded them.

"Odd, isn't it?" asked a slightly hissing voice from behind her.

Turning around, she saw something that at first look like a rich princess that she'd seen occasionally during her travels but it was when she heard the scrape of something against the stone street that she looked down to see the truth. Poking out of the bottom of the expensive kimono was something that could only be a serpent's tail, red scales covering the top and sides while golden scales graced the bottom. If she were a man she'd be worried. Even being a woman she would have to be careful with how she acted or what words she spoke.

"Indeed. I take it that you were someplace else a few moments ago?" she asked politely, a neutral look on her face.

"Yes, but fortunately I was finished with what I wished to do before I found myself here," the kiyohime replied with a smile that did not bode well for the people she'd just been with.

"It was the same with me. It would have been quite inconvenient to have my meal interrupted," she said before looking about the area. "Whatever the case, I plan on trying to find out how we were brought here and if there is a chance we could go back soon."

"You do not find this strange new ningen land interesting?" the Kiyohime asked with mild interest.

"I will admit that the contradictions here pique my interest but I would not wish to make this place my new home," she replied as another creature ran past them. "Far too many of 'them' here for my liking."

"Indeed. I noticed their presence as well," Kiyohime said with equal distaste for the foul creatures that all her people despised as filth. "Perhaps it would be best to return to our native land rather than remain here. Therefore I shall accompany you. We will find the truth faster together than we would apart."

"Sounds like fun!" she said with an adventurous smile on her face.

With those words the two of them began to use their respective senses to seek out anything out of the ordinary in this vermin infested town. True, as a Hinoenma she'd be much better at tracking down suitable men or others of her kind, but all youkai possessed senses far more impressive than any human.

She'd manage just fine when it came to contributing something to the search.

A Nearby Rooftop

Well, isn't this fun, he thought as he watched the two youkai move off.

Getting to his feet, he had to admit that, ever since he came to a few minutes ago, he had been treated to a set of circumstances that had caught his interest firmly in their grasp. The first thing he'd noticed upon opening his eyes was the obvious fact that he was no longer in his old, shrunken form but rather he was once again the body he'd had upon leaving Kyoto after his great victory at Osaka Castle. It had been a pleasant treat to be able to move about without feeling the annoyances of old age and he'd been comforted to find Nenekirimaru tucked beneath the belt of his kimono. It was different than he remembered it because for one thing, after unsheathing it once, he could see that unlike what his memories told him, this blade was in perfect condition, not broken like it should have been after the fight with Seimei.

It was also a closer match for how it'd been when he'd first taken possession of it from his wife, meaning likely that it was only as strong as it'd been then. It had taken quite a few thousand youkai deaths to cause it to grow to a proper katana length and by the time it had his body had shrunk to such a size that he couldn't wield it properly. That was why he'd given it to his son and then from him to his grandson, both of who had used the blade well. Therefore to have it in his hands once more hit him with a bout of nostalgia but he couldn't help but feel that something was missing.

Looking down at his body, he could see that most of his clothes were there except for his red haori and the pelt of the three tailed wolf Gyuki had killed for him. It was at its base a trivial thing but, considering he'd been gifted with his body in its prime and Nenekirimaru was in his hands, then it made sense for him to complete the image. Looking about the area within range of his sight, he soon spotted a piece of clothing hanging on a rope that went from the house to a tree that looked promising. A single jump and a quick hop and he was close enough to it to appraise it as a worthy substitute for the real thing. It looked to be cut the same way as his old red haori but the fabric reminded him more of silk rather than the rougher textured material he remembered. Pulling it off the clothesline, he threw it around his shoulders just as he had done countless times before and, after it'd settled, he looked to see how well it fit.

Yes, I believe this will do nicely, he thought with a smile at how it looked on him. What to do now, I wonder?

He supposed that he could join the Kiyohime and the Hinoenma in their search for a way to get back to their respective homes but…. that would be a waste of the wonderful opportunity he'd been given! He was back in his prime and, unless he was very much mistaken, in another country, if not another world, so this was a chance for him to live it up while he was here. Here he had no obligations to the clan or his family and there would be no way for them to find out what he did while he was there, so there'd be no consequences once he returned home.

With that in mind he leapt onto the rooftops, casting his gaze wide for anything that might catch his interest, whether it be a decent fight, a place to get good food or a particularly beautiful woman. From what he was able to tell by the letters and the words he figured that he was in America, making things that much more interesting for him. While most products made in America made their way to Japan sooner or later, some never made it whether it was due to cultural reasons or grudges held by one side or the other. He'd enjoy sampling what he couldn't enjoy in Japan to the fullest.

"AAAHHHH!"

Looking towards the scream, he couldn't help but smile at the sight his eyes took in because it looked like he was twice blessed in this instance. On the one hand he spied a beautiful young woman clad in cloth that clung to her form like a second skin and definitely was as fit as any woman he'd ever taken to his bed.

That fulfilled one of his sources of amusement.

Chasing after the young woman was some sort of hairy beast that sort of reminded him of an ape except it ran on two legs and was definitely bigger than anything short of a youkai ape. He couldn't sense any fear coming from it but that didn't necessarily mean anything since there were some youkai who didn't bother exerting that much effort if the prey was substandard.

He'd have to see how the ape youkai fought but this could very well be enough to satisfy another source of amusement for him.

Whether or not the young woman would be grateful enough to treat him to a meal at an American restaurant and make it three for three, he'd take those odds.

Thus with a burst of speed and some well-placed jumps he landed between the pursued and the pursuer, causing both to come to a halt.

"I don't think the lady is interested, fur ball," he said casually as he looked at the youkai without fear. "Why don't you do the right thing and look elsewhere? I'm sure there must be one of your own kind somewhere around here."

The only thing the youkai did was growl threateningly, looking as though it would attack at any moment so that it could get at its prey. An eyebrow of puzzlement was his response as he began to wonder if this creature really was a youkai or just some wild beast rampaging through this small town. He decided he'd talk to the thing one more time and, if that failed, he'd stop wasting time and simply end the encounter in one move.

"Your fear will have to be a great deal stronger if you expect to get a reaction out of me," he said, doing his best to convey his complete lack of fear or concern. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

It was at that point that the creature, definitely not a youkai, attacked, having lost what remained of its patience but this did not bother him. If it was not a youkai but rather some mindless beast driven by instinct alone, its moves would be direct and fairly simple. Given the power and skill of the foes he'd bested in the past, he likely wouldn't even have to get serious with the beast. With that in mind he casually stepped to the side to evade its first swipe before doing so again as the ape thing repeated its move with the other arm. Then, as he'd expected, the stupid thing had tried to hit him with both but he'd easily stepped back so that it hit the street in front of him instead.

"Well, I guess if you're so set on it, then I guess it's only fair to show you what you're up against," he said before he brought forth his fear. "Can you handle this?"

Directing his fear towards the ape beast, he looked right into its eyes and treated it like he did all the children or idiots who wouldn't listen to reason. The second his fear made contact the ape thing froze in place, a light tremble through its body letting him know that it was indeed afraid of him now. Grabbing the hilt of Nenekirimaru, he pulled the blade from the sheath before taking on a light defensive stance just in case the beast had a surprise up its furry sleeve. Sadly the beast proved to have at least half a working mind for, as soon as it got a good look at the blade being pointed at it, the creature turned around and ran away, no doubt in search for easier prey.

"Well, that thing was more of a disappointment than I'd thought it'd be," he said as he pulled back his fear and sheathed his blade. "Perhaps you'll do a better at making this a night to remember, fair lady."

Turning to gaze upon the lady that had caught his attention, he found her looking at him with quite the surprised look on her face but no real fear, or no fear of him at least. He was just about to say something when a look of recognition appeared on her face and surprise was replaced by annoyance mixed with contempt.

"What the hell is going on, Harris!?" she exclaimed in anger as well as frustration. "One second I'm on my way to a party, the next I'm being chased by Jojo the dog-faced boy! Party Town's never going to give me back my deposit on this."

"Hmmm? I am afraid you have mistaken me for someone else," he said, sounding more curious about her words then annoyed. "My name is not Harris. Perhaps if you prove more interesting I'll let you know my name. Interested?"

"As if! You can drop the lady's man routine, Xander, 'cause I'm not buying it!" she said with a bit of fire. "What sort of craziness is going on NOW?! Have you talked with Giles yet?"

"I'm afraid I don't know anything more about what's going on in this town than you do, beautiful one," he replied, intrigued even further by what had been said to him. "As for this 'Giles' person, I'm afraid I can't seem to recall where to find him. Do you?"

"At this time of night he's probably at the school library," she replied, turning contemplative for a moment before her inner fire returned, "but you know that, don't you!? What's with this dumb act, dweeb?!"

"I suppose you could say that whatever 'craziness' is going on tonight has left my mind less than clear and that would be why I might be acting a little 'strange' from your point of view," he replied, providing her with a plausible reason why he didn't remember the things she said he should. "Would you lead me to this Giles person?"

"What do I look like!? A tour guide?!" she asked, sounding insulted by the request.

"Well, I could leave to find this Giles by myself but that would leave you alone," he said with a slightly smug smile on his face. "No way of knowing if that ape thing will come back… or maybe something worse coming along…"

"You wouldn't!" she exclaimed as the possible implications hit her.

"Wouldn't I? As I told you before, my mind isn't as clear as it should be and I do not recall ever having met you before If I don't know you, why would I care what happened to you? But if you agreed to guide me to this Giles person then I'd have a reason to protect you now, wouldn't I?"

He could see the indecision on her face, the weighing of the options, but the look of annoyed resignation was enough to tell him what her choice was. "FINE!" she growled out before storming off down the street. "But you SO owe me!"

"Then I look forward to the chance to repay your kindness," he said, following her, not fearing what the debt would be.

Mostly because he suspected that he'd be long gone by the time she came to collect on her debt and that'd leave it squarely in the lap of whoever this 'Harris' person was that he'd been mistaken for.

It was, after all, his specialty to get what he wanted only to avoid paying the bill.

Sunnydale High School Library, Later, Giles' POV

While I am glad that Halloween night is lacking in the usual horrors found on the Hellmouth, I fear that it's only been replaced by the terror children intoxicated with sugar can produce, he thought as another scream of fear reached him within the building.

It was a rather bitter blessing then that the last place children and teenagers wanted to be on such a night was the very place they should value for the sake of their future: the school. It'd keep them from getting too close and disrupting his work but he really believed that they should be more respectful of a place of education. Then again, considering what American's called an education, perhaps subconsciously the youth of this country knew what utter garbage they were being given in school and that was why they didn't take it seriously. Still, that was probably overly optimistic on his part. It was far more likely that they simply cared more about 'dating' and 'having fun' then they did about preparing for their own future. At least he had less to worry about where Willow was concerned than his other charges. The redhead was a natural learner and soaked up information like a sponge but there was the danger that she might mistake knowledge for wisdom.

He would have to do something about that before it became a problem.

He was right in the middle of putting away some updated catalogue cards when the doors to the library opened, admitting two people, one of whom he instantly recognized while the other only ringed a faint bell of familiarity in his mind.

"Giles, you gotta fix this!" Cordelia said, rushing right up to him. "The entire town's gone nuts and Xander thinks he's some kinda freaky ladies' man!"

"Cordelia? What are you going on about?" he asked, trying to make sense of what she said already.

"Are you DEAF!?" she asked in disbelief. "I said the town's gone nuts. There are superheroes flying about, little kid demons trying to kill people and Xander trying to act like a cool samurai! What more do you need to know?!"

Obviously the young woman was quite upset by her experiences outside so he would have to choose his next two or three questions carefully or else she might simply storm off. Taking a moment to consider what she already said, there was apparently some phenomena that affected the entire town causing fictional beings to appear along with demons. This was concerning however, given that he had not heard anything in the preceding weeks about potent spell ingredients coming into Sunnydale, and they WOULD have to be potent in order to affect such drastic transformations, however the high school student's statement was accurate the changes varied from person to person with some being unrecognizable while others were easily identifiable.

Taking a look at the other guest to the library, who he presumed was an affected individual, he tried to determine which of the two possibilities the person represented. However, when he gazed upon the young man's face, he was startled that he hadn't recognized the person the moment he'd entered the library.

"Xander? Is that you?" he asked unable to contain his surprise.

"While I'm beginning to think that the body is Xander's, I am not him," the young man's body replied with a smile that definitely wasn't Xander's usual one.

"Then with whom may I ask am I speaking to?" he asked, hoping that politeness would count for something with the spirit or personality in control of the boy's body.

"I suppose an introduction is in order and… Cordelia, was it… did bring me to you as I'd requested, so it'd only be fair," the personality/spirit replied with a confident smile. "I am the supreme commander of the night parade of a hundred demons, Lord of Pandemonium, Nurarihyon."

While the titles provided did give him some cause for concern, he was familiar with the name but had to wonder how such an unimpressive youkai could ever command such a horde. According to his recollection, the Nurarihyon breed of youkai appeared in the form of an elderly man, wearing the clothes of a Buddhist monk, possessing a knack for eluding the grasp of others. This was attributed to the ability to alter the perceptions of others so that it could go where it would, often to get a free meal from its unsuspecting victims. All in all it was considered to be little more than a nuisance, a trickster, rather than the leader of a group of dangerous demons or something that deserved the title 'Lord of Pandemonium'. Nevertheless, he could see just by looking at Xander that the entity was no stranger to battle and indeed had earned the right to be respected in battle. It was all there in the body language, in the little tells those with the experience could spot, and that made him refrain from saying or doing anything disrespectful.

"Xander went as a DEMON!" Cordelia exclaimed in shock and anger. "On the HELLMOUTH! It's official: the dweeb is braindead!"

"While I know that my kind have earned a somewhat fearful reputation amongst humans, I hardly think we deserve such scorn," Nurariyhon said with light defensiveness in his words. "Humans have committed atrocities every bit as bad as any of my people have, sometimes worse, but like some human leaders I've done what I can to restrain some of the more radical elements."

"Indeed it is all too easy for most people to classify all demons as bloodthirsty threats to humanity," he said offhand as he processed this new information. "The truth of the matter is that there are species of demons that are neutral and some that are even beneficial to humans. They're in the minority, however, and are often slain by those hostile to the human race."

"Is that so? Then we certainly aren't in my world," Nurarihyon said thoughtfully as he scratched his chin. "While I can hardly say that there is peace and understanding between demons of all species the world over, things are not as bad as you describe, Giles-san."

"Indeed," he said as his mind continued to debate possibilities.

"Well, this has been interesting and all but how about we get back to the problem of putting an end to this mess?" Cordelia said somewhat sarcastically as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Looking at the cheerleader, a thought occurred to him that he had not considered.

"Cordelia, where did you get your costume?" he asked as he followed that train of thought. "Obviously you were not changed into your costume so there must be something different about it that sets it apart from the costumes the others were wearing."

"HELLO! I got my outfit from the only place in town with quality stuff! Party Town!" Cordelia said as though the answer should be obvious. "Knowing Summers and the rest, they probably went someplace cheap or a store that just opened."

"Would you happen to know of such a store or at least where it might be located?" he asked, feeling that they were on the right track.

"Ummm… let me think… I know it's downtown…" Cordelia replied, actually thinking seriously for a moment. "Eric's… Errol's… no… Ethan's! YES! Its name was Ethan's costume shop! I remember because Harmony said she was going to check it out after some loser at Party Town ruined her costume!"

"Ethan…" he muttered as the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place.

Ethan BLOODY Rayne!

Now the entire situation with the costumes and the sounds coming from outside made sense since it'd be just the sort of prank the prat would pull.

"I believe I know who is behind tonight's… commotion," he stated in a chilly tone. "I will go to the costume shop and end the spell. I suggest, Cordelia, that you remain here until I end the spell since it should be safer in here then out there on the streets. As for you, Nurarihyon… while I would prefer if you remained here as well, I will understand if you choose not to. I cannot say when I will be able to end the spell and it could prove rather fatal for Xander if you were to leave him in the middle of a battle."

"Understandable. Would there happen to be any tea here?" Nurarihyon asked, looking about the library. "If I'm going to be staying here I might as well have a drink."

"There should be a fresh pot in my office. Please help yourself," he replied, pleasantly surprised at the request.

"Thank you," Nurarihyon said before walking into the office.

With that handled he immediately left the library before setting course for the parking lot where his car was parked. If he wanted to get to the store as quickly as possible to end the spell, going by automobile was the only way.

I pray that Buffy and Willow will be able to stay out of trouble until I can end the spell, he thought as the doors leading to the outside. Without control of her body Buffy is likely vulnerable and Willow probably won't be much better off.

He knew it was too much to hope for that they'd been changed into something powerful enough to keep her safe.

The Streets of Sunnydale, Willow "The Kiyohime" Rosenberg's POV

"Any luck, Hinoenma?" she asked from her coiled position near the front door of one of the ningen homes where she was sampling some local candy.

"Given that we're working together, Kiyohime, we should at least know each other's name," The Hinoenma replied, pausing from its survey of their current surroundings. "You may call me Katsumi of the South."

An interesting choice considering the fact that names have power amongst our kind, she thought as she evaluated her current companion. Still, given that I have never heard of her, it is unlikely that she knows of me either. Besides, I can handle a single hinoenma.

"I am Lady Minori of Yamana," she said in the same tone she had been taught to by her honored parents, back when she'd been human.

"Well, Minori-chan, I don't think we're going to find anything more around here," Katsumi said with a friendly smile with just a bit of humor. "Maybe if we move closer to this town's marketplace we'll find what we're after."

A marketplace? It might be interesting to see what can be found there, she thought with piqued interest. This candy is certainly tasty even though it's not quite as filling as fresh meat.

"Lead the way then, Katsumi," she said with a bow she'd practiced many times when she'd been human.

With the decision made her temporary companion used her youkai strength to leap to the top of a nearby wooden pole that had strange black ropes connecting it to numerous other poles that lined either side of the street. Clearly wanting to determine which way to go from the highest ground in the area, it didn't take the Hinoenma long to determine a direction.

"It was a little hard to find since it doesn't look anything like the marketplaces I remember, but it's that way," Katsumi said, pointing to the east of where they were. "Let's go."

As they travelled to the east she had to wonder a bit at her present circumstances and where she should go. It had not been more than a month since she'd succeeded in gaining her revenge on the man who'd spurned her advances but things had not turned out like she'd expect. At the moment she regained her mind, the moment her rage-filled need for vengeance had been satisfied, she had expected to either be returned to her human form or perish, allowing her soul to go on to the underworld. Day after day she'd waited for her body to return to normal or for it to turn to ash, releasing her soul to go where it belonged. It had only been a little while before she had woken up that she'd come to the realization that there would be no returning to her human form, nor any release until either old age or injury brought death to her door.

With this truth discovered, she found herself at a loss for what to do and where to go.

She could not live amongst humans anymore, for even if she was careful they would learn her true nature and cast her out without fail.

Assuming they didn't decide to slay her, that was.

Going to live with youkai was the more promising option as she was one of them now but, if the stories she'd been told as a child were true, only commoners amongst them would welcome her. Among the youkai there were generally two types: those who began as youkai and those who became youkai. The first ever looked down upon the second as lesser beings since their origin sprang from the ningen that they considered little more than animals. While it was not impossible for those that began as something else to rise to a position of importance, there was forever an invisible barrier that would keep them from gaining a true position of powerful importance. Could she, someone who'd been used to living the life of a feudal princess, be satisfied with a lesser lifestyle? Could life be worth living without the comforts she was used to?

It was a fact that she was better educated that the commoners, as she was expected given her status in Japanese society to be learned in many things. Commoners, on the other hand, only knew things that pertained to survival or their occupation, with few if any knowing how to read and write. Indeed, it was unlikely that a commoner could ever truly relate to someone of status and it was probably just as unlikely that she would be able to relate to them either.

Perhaps over time that would change but it would not be an easy transition.

Nevertheless it would be better than choosing to remain.

While she had been initially intrigued by the idea of staying in this unknown world, the presence of 'them' quickly soured her to the idea. No, she wasn't referring to humans like some might think but rather those creatures that humans ignorantly chose to lump youkai in with despite evidence to the contrary. She was referring to the foul creatures that were neither human nor youkai, creatures that were not of this world yet treated it as though it belonged to them. Rather than give them their own unique classification humans merely called them demons, called youkai demons, just like they often did anything they couldn't classify as either human or animal.

There was a difference, though.

Youkai were native to this world, born of this world, and therefore had as much right to live there as the humans or animals. The foul creatures wrongfully labeled demons were more parasites than anything else, living off other living things while slowly bringing the world ever closer to death through their actions. The monsters either sought the destruction of every living thing other than their kind or desired to use the peoples of the world to satisfy their own base desires. In either case it was inevitable that such conduct would lead to the planet's ruin forcing the filth to travel to another world, another dimension, in order to continue with their wasteful ways.

What other term than parasite could fit them so perfectly?

For her to live in a land where she was surrounded by such creatures and humans was completely unacceptable.

Therefore aiding the Hinoenma Katsumi in her efforts to find a way for them to return them home was the smart thing to do.

However it was as they turned another corner that an obstacle appeared that was as inconvenient as it was likable. Standing arrayed across the entire street were a collection of creatures that were definitely members of the filth that were wrongfully considered to be the same as youkai. The leader of the group, a vampire from the looks of it, had obviously been waiting for them and seemed quite pleased that he'd succeeded in intercepting them.

"Well, isn't this neat!" the vampire with the spiked white hair. "Of all the things I thought the Slayer would dress up as for Halloween, I never thought it'd be a Jap whore. Guess that must make you her mousy friend then, huh?"

This vampire thought Katsumi was some sort of demon slayer?! she thought with disbelief though she didn't let it show on her face. Either the creature is blind and cannot see the obvious youkai features Katsumi has or he's never seen a real demon Slayer before.

"Guess that means I can get some snakeskin boots after I have my fun with you, Slayer," she vampire said with a confident smirk on his face. "A lot of FUN!"

"Well, you're right about one thing, filth…" Katsumi said as she raised her open right hand. "This is going to be a LOT of FUN!"

She smiled when she saw the nails of the Hinoenma suddenly shoot out a full twelve inches while clearly becoming sharper than the nails of any human or animal. With a single look between them she agreed to fight alongside Katsumi to kill the filth before them so that they could proceed on their way.

It'd be short but the fight would definitely be amusing.