Riquo stood in the center of a dressing room while women servants moved around her. She squirmed as she felt fingers tugging on her hair, her clothes being stripped off her body and heavy makeup being applied to her face. Riquo wasn't one to be modest, but putting in all into consideration, women whom she'd never even met before (and probably would never see again) were stripping her off her clothes and touching her constantly. Her skin on her face felt too thick, and Riquo continuously turned her head to look for a mirror, only to have two palms press against both sides of her temple to still her.

"Please madam, you mustn't move," she would be told.

Although this was the first time Riquo had ever been fretted over, she could tell which servants were masters and which ones were amateurs. Unfortunately, one of the amateurs was making a futile attempt to apply kohl to Riquo's eyes and poked Riquo in her eye on more than one occasion. When Riquo would narrow her eyes at her, she would stutter and ask her not to blink.

Another amateur, oddly enough, was trying to put clothes on her, but her commands were being ignored amongst the bustle of the rest of the women in the room. So for quite some time, Riquo stood in the room stark naked before the lady working with her hair noticed and scolded the girl for not dressing their guest quick enough.

Riquo was getting fed up as the circumstances already were. Thinking it couldn't get any worse, and that maybe these people were almost done, she kept her mouth and her temper quiet and waited for them to leave. But unfortunately for her, the girl dressing her removed her arm band, as it wasn't part of the outfit Riquo was supposed to where. Riquo watched in slow motion as the girl placed her tribal arm band on a nightstand, with the rest of her things, several feet away from her.

Riquo panicked, knowing what would happen if she didn't get that band back within her grip soon. She took a step, still halfway naked, towards the band when an older women grabbed her by the shoulders and plopped her down onto a soft, cushioned chair.

"Milady! If we do not have you ready by the time the party begins, our master will be most displeased! So please sit still!" Riquo's breathing became rough and ragged, and she began to shake violently. The servants eyed her wearily, whispering amongst themselves about "demon tempers" but continuing to work on her. That's when Riquo felt a stabbing pain in her bottom lip, and opened her mouth so that her fangs could extend without puncturing her lips.

Riquo could have cried. This hadn't happened to her in a long time and of all the nights that she wanted to have some fun, it started. Riquo heard the quickening heartbeat of the girl applying her kohl. She had seen Riquo's fangs extend out of her mouth and was getting more and more nervous. Riquo's hands were fisted together in her lap, but she quickly separated them when she noticed that her claws were also growing in length.

On the verge of an onslaught of tears, Riquo became desperate to find a way to get these women away from her before something drastic happened. Her line of thought was already starting to drift to more hateful thoughts than she would usually  have being having at this point even though the situation she was in had already pissed her off to begin with.

But before an idea could come to her tainted mind, both Riquo's entire eyeballs became pitch black, the only sign that her eye was still there was by the yellow slit in it. Now the kohl girl had completely freaked out. She flinched backwards in fright at the sight of Riquo, dropping all of her utensils on the floor at her feet. This caused the other women to sigh in annoyance and face Riquo to see what the problem was. The same reaction came from every woman in the room. Her black eyes roamed the faces of the servants before her, and she immediately became annoyed with their horrified stares.

"GET OUT!" she snarled.

The women servants screamed in fright and fled the room, dropping whatever they were holding. When the door was slammed shut behind the last servant, Riquo stood up fast, knocking over the chair she was in. Luckily for her, she still was somewhat conscious of what was going on, she hadn't gone completely mindless. Stumbling over to the nightstand, Riquo snatched the black band. Moments after it touched her fingers, her eyes reverted back to their usual multi-green hue. Her breathing slowed as she calmed down, her body morphing back to its usual hanyou self. Once she was sure that all of her demon traits had gone back to normal, Riquo exhaled the air she didn't know she was holding. She had also been hunched over and when she righted herself, a sharp pain pierced through her nerves, forcing her to double over again.

Riquo clenched her teeth as the waves of pain passed through her. As they slowly began to diminish for the time being, Riquo felt something wet slide down her stomach. She looked down to see a drop of blood hit the floor. Quirking a painted eyebrow at the spot, Riquo reluctantly glanced down at her stomach to see another droplet  ooze out from her crescent tattoo.

Riquo sighed, closing her eyes as sadness flooded her emotions. None of this made sense to her. Sure, she knew that without her bracelet within her grasp her demon blood could overtake her, but that should only be at times of heightened emotional stress. And why her tattoo was dripping blood, that was pretty random too. I hate being that dependent on my damn jewelry! I shouldn't have changed that fast though...what the hell happened. Idly, Riquo scratched her ankle with her toe as she thought...her bare ankle.

Holding out her leg so she could see her ankle, Riquo frowned. Is it possible that I need both of the bracelets to contain my demon blood? But why? What is making my demon blood that hostile?

Her consciousness finally going back to normal, Riquo remembered what it was she was supposed to be doing and swore aloud. Moving around the room, Riquo found a full body mirror...and burst into tears.

That stupid servant forgot to put a top on her, so she was romping around with just a skirt on and her breasts uncovered, a very plain, long red skirt. Her neck and her face had been painted white, which clashed with her tan skin in a violent and ugly way.

The even dumber servant that had been applying her kohl applied a pale blue, which could barely be seen and muted her green eyes. Her hair...Riquo snorted. Maybe that particular women had already been into the sake, for her hair looked like a sweaty mothball to say the least.

Her lips had been painted a bright red and covered with a clear aloe, giving them a fuller, wetter look. Riquo frowned at the person frowning back at her. The people of this village had turned her into exactly what they assumed her to be. A whore.

Deciding that only her sense of style could make this night any better, she looked around the room and found a basin filled with water. Riquo cupped her hands into the water and splashed it onto her face. After doing this several times, and even pouring more clean water into the dirty basin, she grabbed a towel and dried her face. She turned towards the mirror, tossing the towel to the side and smiling in approval. Now she at least looked like Riquo again.

She looked down at her clothes and shook her head. She moved to the closet that was in the room and threw open the doors, going through every outfit their with distaste until she found a formal-style kimono, much like what human women typically wore. Riquo smiled, maybe I can have some fun with this... and started getting to work on her outfit for the party and her performance.

A little while later, a petite servant girl peeked her head through the door and gulped nervously, "M-milady? I have been sent to tell you that the party has begun and you are expected-," she glanced up at Riquo and gasped, "milady! That is not the outfit chosen for you! Please! Sit down and I'll help you get your makeup on."

Riquo raised her hand, silencing the jittery girl, "That will not be necessary. They wanted Riquo the island gypsy dancer, and they're going to get her," she turned and walked out the door past the girl who was officially a neurotic wreck now, "besides, I never used makeup before and sure as hell am not going to start now." She sauntered down the hall and walked down the stairs. A woman approached to her, telling her that she too had been sent to assist Riquo and led her to a back room. In there she could hear the party commencing through the thin paper walls.

The woman tapped on her shoulder, "Wait here milady until Lord Hakuno gives the word." She nodded and turned towards the wall, listening to the party. Her heart skipped a beat as she listened to the music. It had been awhile since she'd danced.

~*~*~

Inuyasha, Kagome, Kouga, Sango and Miroku sat together in a circle of strange people, sake being offered periodically as well as women. Sango glared as Miroku occupied himself with sake and several women at once, all of them wanting to bear his children. Kouga kept Kagome close to him and growled whenever a man got within touching distance of her. Inuyasha, being in his human form, looked too pissed off to enjoy a woman so they steered clear of him although the occasional drunken ditz would drape herself across his lap, and try to fondle him. Only to be glared at and then tossed off.

Everyone else was having a great time, especially the villagers. Men kept hitting on several women and drinking more than they could handle, resulting in them jumping up and hurling outside. Hakuno staggered towards the center of the floor and hiccupped.

"And now…the moment you all have been ::hiccup:: waiting for…our very own ::hiccup:: island gypsy dancer...Riquo!" Everyone cheered as the lights were lowered and a curtain was dropped, revealing a silhouette figure.

Everyone in the room seemed to sober up and watch the figure intently as a man on the bongos began to play a slow, methodical beat. The silhouette moved into the light and Inuyasha's eyes widened.

Riquo had on the full body kimono, which covered everything from the neck down except for her bare feet. The kimono was a dull, red color, and very plain. Riquo lifted her head to face the crowd, her hair left down, its only decoration a small, white hibiscus flower tucked in behind her ear that she'd plucked from a vase in her room. She closed her eyes and moved her hands up in front of her in a smooth, flowing motion, in sync with the slow tempo of the bongos.

She held a sad expression on her face, masking the excitement that was bursting within her. She stopped her motions with her hands in front her chest, pausing all movement for a long moment.

Nobody spoke as they watched the still figure before them. She was enchanting and she knew it, manipulating these villagers and taunting them with her rhythmic motions. Mentally smiling, Riquo raised a hand so that her large sleeve dropped to her elbow. The villagers gasped, reveling at the small amount of skin she taunted them with.

Riquo's lidded eyes surfed through the audience until they fell on the human form of Inuyasha. They made eye contact. Inuyasha held his breath as Riquo kept her poise still and her eyes connected with his. Then, as if she did this for Inuyasha alone, Riquo extended her middle claw, and starting from the neck of her kimono, made a slit from her neck to her waist.

The whole crowd took in their breath. With a small shudder, Riquo's kimono fell to her hips.

The men shouted at the sight before them and the women just cried out in shock. And she wasn't even halfway through. Her top was literally a large, white strip of cloth that wrapped around her back and tied into a knot in between her breasts. She'd tied it tight, so her breast had been pushed up so they looked larger and pushed out more. Her arm band was, of course, on her arm, but on her other arm, or rather her forearm, Riquo had drawn white tribal designs with a white kohl stick that showed up nicely against her dark skin.

Riquo grinned beautifully at the crowd, enjoying for the first time in her life the gawks and stares she received. Placing her hands on either side of her hips, Riquo slowly pushed down the rest of the kimono until it fell to her feet on its own accord.

The entire room erupted in noise, so much that she actually pressed her ears to her head, but kept up the smile. She had ripped up the white, thin tablecloth that was in her dressing room and made a sarong that wrapped lusciously around her sensual curves. When she turned her body, her black tail shown brightly against her white outfit, and it could be seen that she accommodated her sarong to fit her tail. She used some of the black bangles that the servants provided her and placed them around her ankles, a teasing jingle ringing through the air whenever her feet moved. Her bare legs had been left unmarked, long, tan and beautiful, Riquo had finally revealed the long awaited island gypsy dancer.

Riquo winked at Inuyasha, licking her lips seductively at him. Then moving her body slowly she motioned for the bongo man to start another beat. It started slow, with a tap of the bongo, Riquo popped her hips to left. With another tap she popped them to the right, the beat slowly picking up its pace in foreshadowing of what was to come.

Riquo tilted her head back, moving her hands up her torso to her breasts and then moving them out from her breasts into the air, twisting them slowly along with the beat of the bongos. She twisted and swayed her hips from side to side, her body flowing in a smooth rhythm of curves. Suddenly the drummer stopped his beat and Riquo dropped her head forward letting her thick, brown hair shield her face from the crowd.

Kagome smiled and squeezed Kouga's hand in excitement. She knew what Riquo was going to do. She didn't dance with her for eleven years to forget how her dancing spirit worked. Miroku had abandoned the women he had been entertaining and sat next to Sango. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha and saw that his eyes were transfixed on Riquo's sleek, still form. She smiled to herself. I knew it.

The crowd was silent in anticipation when the drummer started up again with a faster beat. Riquo thrust her head back, whipping all of her hair onto her back. She moved her feet in a sequence nobody knew or recognized. Her hips swerved from side to side and her arms moved above her head. She danced in ways no one had ever seen before, not even Kagome. She curved her body to one side, bringing her hand up her thigh and smacking her hip. She snickered as the men of the audience shouted and raised their cups of sake.

She moved every part of her to the beat of the bongos and Inuyasha couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She was so beautiful and majestic. He licked his lips in anticipation…of what, he didn't know. The drummer raised his arms high and banged down on the drums in one final beat. Riquo arched her back far and held her arms above her. The villagers erupted in shouts and applause. Riquo righted herself and smiled at everyone. Kagome stood along with Kouga and applauded her friend. Kouga riled up the men even more with a loud whistle. Sango managed to raise a slightly tipsy Miroku into a standing position, in which he wrapped his arms around her shoulder and started shouting his applause for Riquo.

Inuyasha remained seated, still in total awe at what he just witnessed. He wondered silently if this was a once in a life time opportunity, something he might never get the chance to see again. He watched Kagome run up to Riquo's grinning form and hugged her tightly, "Riquo that was awesome! I've never seen you dance like that before!"

Riquo grinned out of pure happiness, "I'm glad you got to see it Kagome. I haven't danced like that since I started wandering," Kagome laughed and stepped aside as Sango came over with Kilala on her shoulder.

"That was wonderful! Where did you learn to dance like that?" Riquo laughed and talked with the two girls as the crowd around them bustled about their drunken business. Inuyasha, having enough of the scene before him, stood and retreated from the room, walking down the stairs and out the door into the twilight.

Riquo burst out laughing when Kouga came and nuzzled Kagome's neck, startling her. Absently, she looked behind them and frowned. Where was Inuyasha? She did a quick sniff 'n' glance around the room and pouted. She tapped on Kagome's shoulder.

"Kagome? Where'd Inuyasha go?"

Kagome frowned and looked around, "I don't know. He was right over there a minute ago."

Riquo sighed. She really wanted to see him. So she headed towards the door when Kouga grabbed her arm, "He's in his human form, Riquo," he said in a warning tone.

She nodded in understanding and walked out the door, leaving the party on its own. When she picked up his scent she followed it outside, leading her down a grassy hill that lay next to a shallow, crystal clear river. Inuyasha sat on the bank of the river with his face tilted up towards the stars. Riquo walked to his side, making enough noise so his human ears could notice her, and plopped down next to him.

They sat in compatible silence for awhile. Inuyasha took several glances at her, using his pathetic human peripheral vision. She was indeed, very beautiful. Her outfit complimented her body very well, and she looked even more island mystic with her tan skin contrasting against the pure white of her clothes.

Inuyasha was jarred out of his thoughts when Riquo leaned forward and dipped her arm into the river, the arm with the tribal markings. Using her other hand, she washed off the white kohl until her arm was clean and free of the makeup. Then, as silently as she'd sat down, she leaned back and tilted her face up to the star-littered sky.

"It's beautiful isn't it? Probably the only thing that kept me going when I was all alone," Inuyasha blinked at her and then followed her example and looked up at the stars. There were a lot out tonight he thought. Inuyasha was growing impatient with himself. Here he was, all alone with the women he'd been thinking about nonstop for that past day and a half, and he couldn't bring himself to say anything!

Clearing his throat, Inuyasha started with a compliment, "You were great tonight. I've never seen anybody dance like that," he cleared his throat again, "actually I don't think I've seen anybody dance at all."

Riquo glanced at Inuyasha, taking note of how nervous he seemed. She smiled at him sympathetically, "Well I'm glad I was your first of many performances to come."

Inuyasha glanced back at her, their eyes making contact for the second time that night. Riquo smiled at him again, and Inuyasha just dropped his head, sadness flooding him.

Riquo frowned, "Inuyasha? Inuyasha what's wrong?"

Inuyasha shook his head, bringing his black hair forward so it could shield his face, "How can you even stand to be around me? After the way I treated you today and what I said to you."

Riquo smiled, pulling back his ebony curtain of hair and placing it behind his human ear. Inuyasha glanced at her but kept his head down. Then, Riquo climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms around his back and hugging him tightly. She kissed his temple, "Inuyasha, I was angry at you for what you said until I thought about it. Those villagers made me appear to be a whore by the way they were treating me and acting," Riquo snorted, "Hell, if I'd worn the outfit they wanted me to wear, I really would have looked like a whore."

Inuyasha growled, which was interesting considering he was human. Then a thought hit him, "Riquo, what happened in the dressing room?"

Riquo pulled away from his chest and frowned at him, "How did you know something happened?"

Inuyasha pushed her back and little bit so he could open his shirts. Riquo gasped at what she saw. There, encircling Inuyasha's navel, was the outline of a paw print. The skin around it was irritated and the outline looked like it had just healed. Riquo asked, "When did that get there?"

Inuyasha shook his head, "That outline has been there for twenty-one years. It appeared while I was still cursed against the tree, but Kaede estimated when it had appeared."

Riquo frowned, Twenty-one years ago, the year I was born.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat, afraid to ask the inevitable, "Did it bleed?"

Inuyasha nodded, "A little bit."

Riquo swallowed again and sighed, "While the servants were preparing me for the party, the girl that was dressing me took off my arm band, and put it out of my reach. I discovered several years ago, that my arm band as well as my bangle, are what contain my demon blood when I go out of control," she frowned, still confused about what had happened, "but I don't understand why my demon blood took control, I thought that only happened when my life was threatened, but it just happened out of nowhere. Then, after the servants left, and I got my band back on," Riquo placed a hand on her stomach, "the tattoo started bleeding."

Inuyasha stared at her bare ankle again, so her demon blood is contained by her bracelets, just like the tetusaiga contains mine, Inuyasha absently nudged the sword with his elbow. Then, he remembered the pieces in his shirt. Digging through the inside of his shirt, Inuyasha gripped all the pieces within his hand.

"What are you doing?"

He pulled his hand out and opened in front of her showing her the pieces. Riquo gasped, "Are those...are those what I think they are?" Inuyasha nodded, "When I left camp the other day, I searched the field until I found every piece, now I just have to put it back together."

Riquo felt tears forming in her eyes. She picked up a piece and lightly fingered the pink designs. She couldn't believe it. Nobody had ever gone out of their way for her before.

She threw her arms around Inuyasha and kissed him hard on his lips. She opened her lips to allow his entry and he took her mouth with his in a burning kiss.

When he broke the kiss, he looked deep into her emerald eyes and whispered, "Can you fix it?"

Riquo looked down at the pieces again and shrugged, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see. But we'll do that tomorrow. It's getting late and I'm tired from today."

Inuyasha nodded and glanced over her shoulder at the arising sun grinning and brought his brown eyes back to her face, "Care to wait a minute?"

Riquo cocked her head to the side, one of her ears drooping down, "What for?"

Inuyasha grinned and grabbed her legs, lifting her up and situating her so her legs were wrapped around his waist, her sex pressed tightly against his. She cocked an eyebrow at him as he grinned and captured her mouth with his again. Riquo felt her back arch, Wow, he really knows how to kiss!

Inuyasha put both of his hands on her back, rubbing up and down in slow, soothing motions. Then, slowly his hands began to descend, his hands raking over her tail until they cupped her bottom. Riquo growled into the kiss and then gasped when Inuyasha pushed her bottom towards him, rubbing her sex against his hard erection. Riquo moaned into the kiss, feeling herself get warm between her legs.

Suddenly, Riquo felt a weird sensation surge through her body, coming from Inuyasha. She pulled back from his lips in time to see his hair turn completely white, from the roots down. His fangs grew out of his mouth, making Riquo grin and kiss him again, this time biting his bottom lip with her fangs. He growled into the kiss, a real growl, which turned her on even more.

Then she felt his claws grow, poking into her butt and forcing her to push her hips forward, which just resulted in grinding against Inuyasha, making both of them moan. Riquo quirked an eyebrow, still kissing him, he did that on purpose...sneaky lil...

Inuyasha broke the kiss and pulled back from Riquo, just in time for her to see his eyes go from red to his normal amber color.

Riquo smiled, "We should get to our rooms now, the party is over by now and they're most likely looking for us." Inuyasha nodded and stood, with her legs still wrapped around him, covering his obvious erection.

"Inuyasha! What the hell are you doing?! What if someone sees us?"

Inuyasha ignored her and walked to the nearest wall of the palace. Up above, Riquo's balcony that led to her room was several stories over Inuyasha's head. He jumped up to her balcony and landed softly, on the warm tile. He brought her close to his chest in a loving hug and whispered, "Good night, my little island mystic," he put her down onto her feet and kissed her softly on the lips, pressing the broken pieces of her bangle into her hand. He broke the kiss and jumped up from the balcony, onto another balcony overhanging hers...and disappeared.

Riquo stared at where he had vanished and then stared at the broken pieces, it's him...it has to be him. He's the one.

Riquo sighed, romantic thoughts looming in her head. She pushed aside the curtain that led to her room and walked to her nightstand, placing the pieces individually on the table. As she placed each one down, she wondered how she was going to get her bangle back together. Maybe...maybe I can find a spell for that too.

She giggled, she was so happy at the thought that her and Inuyasha could possibly have a romantic relationship...but the thought of him being her mate? She was excited about that too.

She practically floated over to her dresser against the wall in her room, and opened the top drawer looking for something to sleep in. She glanced down at her outfit and grinned, I might get Kagome to put this aside for me for later...

She focused back onto the drawer again and frowned. The top drawer had several kimonos in it, something Riquo was not fit to sleep in. She closed that drawer and opened the second, only to find several brightly colored sashes piled into the drawer. She frowned again, what the hell do these people sleep in? I can't find a damn thing!

She stripped off the clothes she was wearing, and placed them onto another dresser next to the one she was facing, and found her own clothes neatly folded and sitting on top of the dresser. Sighing, Riquo contemplated on putting on her own clothes or devising another sleep outfit to wear.

Riquo snorted, "I don't know why I'm making this so difficult."

Deciding to do something unique, Riquo picked up two, bright green sashes and closed the drawer. She walked over to her bed, placing them onto her bed and faced the full-body mirror that was next to her bed. She picked up one sash, and wrapped it around her breasts, tying a knot in the back once she was done. Riquo stretched her arms above her head and twisted her upper body back and forth until she was satisfied that the wrap would not move.

Then, she took the other green sash and did the same with it around her waist. She used one of her claws to cut a medium-sized slit in the back of her wrap so she could pull her tail through. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and giggled. She did look just a little bit ridiculous, especially since she was just going to sleep.

She shrugged the thought away, "It's not like anyone's going to see me in this anyway."

"Keh, think again," Riquo whirled around to see Inuyasha standing in the doorway from her room to her balcony. She suddenly got butterflies in her stomach as she stared as Inuyasha's silhouetted form and backed up into a wall as Inuyasha began to stalk towards her. When her back collided with the wall, Riquo began to panic with excitement. Inuyasha came so close to her body, Riquo could feel his breath on her face. He reached his hand out and ran it over the material of the nightdress she'd made, starting at her breast and running it slowly and sensuously down her stomach, and thigh, then back up again.

He snorted, "You definitely won't be needing this."

Riquo got some of her nerve back and arched an eyebrow, "Oh really? And why won't I need it?"

In a flash Inuyasha had pressed his hard body against her, pinning her in between him and the wall, seizing her mouth with his in a needy, violent way. He put his hands on both of her shoulders and slowly slid them down to her wrists, and then quickly pinned her arms up next to her shoulders.

Inuyasha broke the kiss and looked her dead in the eye,, "Because I'm going to feel every inch of you and I don't want ANYTHING in between us," he ran a claw down her chest, slicing open the thin material, revealing her breasts inch by inch, "got that?"

She licked her lips at him and tilted her chin defiantly, "Make me."

Inuyasha snarled at her and kissed her again, picking up her thighs and wrapping them around his waist, pushing her sex against his erection for the second time that night. Keeping his hands on her bottom for support, Inuyasha walked over to her bed and sat her down. He pushed her onto her back and crawled on top of her, straddling her waist. He cupped both of her breasts into his hands and massaged them, earning a suppressed moan out of Riquo. He then tucked his fingers underneath the top of her wrap and ripped the rest off her breasts. He scooted his body down enough so he could do the same to her waist wrap. He spread her legs with his knee, and watched the material stretch and then ripped it with his claws too, revealing her whole body to him now. He stared at her, taking in every curve and spot on her body.

When he didn't make any motion to move, Riquo got impatient and ran her tail across his groin. He groaned closing his eyes. Riquo sat up and put her hands under his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders.

She nuzzled his stomach and purred, "What're you waiting for? A written invitation?"

He grinned and kissed her hard, pushing her back onto the bed.