Glitter by Ethidda

Chapter One

Kagome almost felt guilty about taking a break from her job as a nurse. Even as she sat on the train, she felt the urge to walk around, asking how people were doing. But this wasn't just a trip for her, it was a trip for both her and Souta.

Souta had a summer camp in Tokyo, and since he was only fourteen, Kagome's mother hadn't wanted Souta to go all by himself. Her mom also thought that Kagome might benefit from visiting the big city, and held high hopes that Kagome would eventually work in Tokyo and move the whole family into the bustling capital.

Kagome sighed as the full green foliage passed by outside the train window. She loved her mother, kind and accepting as her mother was. And despite the death of Kagome and Souta's father many years ago, her mother managed to remain optimistic and idealistic. Perhaps too much so.

Kagome had tried to ask Souta to give her the details of this two week summer camp that he was attending, but all the descriptions he had given her were vague. When she mentioned this to her mother, though, her mother just waved it off as the inarticulateness of teenaged boys.

Kagome worried a little. She leaned back in her seat on the train, next to Souta, who was sleeping quite peacefully. Kagome knew sometimes, she worried too much, and thought that this was one of them. Souta had always been a good boy, with good grades and he never got into a fight. It was only last school year that he even started staying out after dinner time.

As the train slowed down a little in preparation for a stop, Souta stirred beside Kagome. Without opening his eyes, he muttered, "Are we there yet?"

"Not yet," she replied. "Just one more stop, though."

Since the hour that Souta knew he could come to Tokyo, he had been excited and impatient. Despite evidence to the contrary, Kagome felt as if today was the first time that Souta slept in days. There was nothing more than youthful exuberance at exploration, she assured herself.

***

Two weeks later

Kagome checked her watch again. For the thousandth time, it felt like, but the watch still said that Souta was only five minutes late.

He was supposed to meet her at the lobby of the prominent, five-star hotel, since she had the tickets. In a way, Kagome was almost reluctant to leave Tokyo. The big city, with its busy people, heavy traffic, and diverse interests had been fascinating. Back at the shrine that Kagome lived at, she had to walk for a good hour to get to any store.

But Kagome missed the tranquility at home, too. She attributed part of her discomfort at the city to the fact that she had never set foot outside her town before. During the day, she had had lots of fun exploring the most au courant shops, but at night, she had always been too tired to leave her room.

And a bit too afraid.

Growing up in a shrine, she had always heard many legends about the youkai, animalistic demons with supernatural powers, as Kagome understood them. Her grandfather was enamored with wild tales, and everything-from the pickle to the Goshinki tree had a story behind it.

No, Kagome wasn't afraid of youkai. She was plenty sure that even if one of the youkai did jump out at her from the fantastical stories, she could defend quite adequately. Instead, it was the people walking on the streets that worried her.

From the stories that she had heard from her classmates, Tokyo at night had seemed even more fantastical and awesome than her grandfather's stories: the illicit and illegal activities that supposedly went on, gangs, arguments that escalate into violence, corrupted policemen...

They seemed even wilder and more preposterous than the legends that she had heard from her grandfather.

Kagome couldn't imagine why anybody would wish to hurt another. Perhaps in a moment of frustration, even Kagome had wished for the disappearance of someone, but death...

If those kind of people existed, Kagome didn't need to know about them.

Impatiently, and with worry gnawing at her, Kagome checked her watch again, noticing that fifteen minutes have already passed. She found a public phone and decided to call Souta. Whatever that Souta was doing that kept him from even calling Kagome... Well, it wasn't important enough, and his ears were going to get a good blistering, as soon as Kagome found a way to contact him.

The phone rang several times before somebody picked up the other end. "Yeah?" the rough voice at the other end demanded.

What kind of camp is this? Kagome wondered. "Um, do you know if Souta is still there? This is his sister, Kagome calling."

"Sure, he's not going anywhere," the voice said. Then slightly muffled, "Hey, Souta, 's your sister on the phone. Gonna get big sister to help?"

A silence.

Then a stream of words too far from the receiver and muffled for Kagome to understand. But the voice sounded similar to Souta's.

Another silence.

Then the rough voice was speaking to her again. "You sound like a nice, responsible girl. Wanna come pick him up?"

The way the voice said 'nice' and 'responsible' with a nasal quality to the words gave Kagome a slight pause. But she needed to pick up Souta, or they were going to miss their train. She doubted that their mom was going to be very happy if she had to spend another... however it was that her mother spent on the train tickets. Probably more, because there was a discount on preordered, roundtrip tickets.

"Sure," she answered. "Can I have the address?"

The man on the other end of the phone chuckled. "But of course," he said, and proceeded to give her the address.

Kagome thanked the man, called a taxi, and gave the driver the address. She hardly noticed when the driver gave her an odd glance.

***

As the taxi drove further from her hotel, an ominous feeling grew from the pit of Kagome's stomach. Just the dark, Kagome reassured herself. The last rays of the golden sun were sweeping through the city, casting dark, long shadows. Neon lights burst forth on the streets, and loud music could be heard, filtered through the crowds of people in the streets from the night clubs.

Suddenly, the taxi stopped in front of a neon sign, which looked just as bright and startling as the rest. Kagome waited for the driver to start the cab again after whatever congestion was passed.

Instead, he told her that they had arrived.

"Are you sure?" Kagome heard herself asking in quiet shock.

"Of course," the driver scoffed. "The address you gave me is the hottest and most exclusive night club in this part of town. I drive plenty of people here every night, just haven't seen many of your likes coming to this place."

"Oh," mouthed Kagome. She paid the driver and got out of the cab. Self-consciously, she adjusted her sweatpants and sweatshirt. She had planned on an all-night trip on the train, not spending any time in a night club.

Not that she actually had any clothes for a night club.

She was here to find Souta, she reminded herself sternly. She wouldn't know what kind of 'summer camp' would involve this kind of night club, but she was determined to find her brother and haul his lazy behind back with her to home.

How she appreciated the nice quiet of her shrine.

She sighed before she lifted her chin determinedly and walked into the club.

***

Most people called him Moon.

Sesshoumaru himself liked it. At least, he preferred it to 'the great and almighty lord of the western lands' that his toady, Jaken, always called him.

Besides, it was a nice, easy name to remember, and a nice, easy name for the sluts to scream out in ecstasy and his enemies to scream out in horror. And it was nice to know that he was the last thought, last image of some men who was stupid enough to try maneuver him.

Sesshoumaru wasn't just one of the richest man in the world or one of the most powerful.

He was both. And more.

But here, and now, all he was, was the owner of the most extravagant and exclusive night club in this part of town. Even without looking through the single sided glass behind him, Sesshoumaru knew what he would be seeing: money changing hands, pills eaten, and he knew for a fact that some people were right now contracting STDs.

The police knew all about it too, but Sesshoumaru pays them too well for them to close down this night club. Or maybe it was the he poses too much of a threat to them.

No, the police were easy to handle; They were always such pushovers.

His current problem, at least part of it, lay huddled in a spineless heap in front of him. Souta Higurashi. The boy who knew too much.

Even worse, from what the boy had let slip, it seemed that his entire family knew this much. There was only one conclusion that Sesshoumaru could come to: the Higurashis needed to be eliminated. It was too dangerous for any human to have this much knowledge of youkai.

He had instructed Jaken to tell the boy's sister where to find the boy. Now, he steepled his fingers and waited for her to show up. Wondering just what kind of sister would this spineless brat have.

Just as Sesshoumaru began to tap his perfectly manicured foot in impatience, somebody burst through the door. A slender girl with pale skin, dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, completely at odds with the lurid outfits of those that danced below, beyond his one-sided glass window.

"Souta," she shouted, completely ignoring, or maybe simply failing to notice, Sesshoumaru. "You're late! Do you know how upset mother's going to be when I tell her about this? This isn't even a summer camp--it's a night club! A night club! And you are only fourteen!

"We are so going to be late," she finished miserably as she checked her watch again, as if hoping for a miracle that would slow down time. "No, we're not, actually, because we already missed it."

Finally needing a breath, her bosom heaved as she inhaled loudly. Her blazing blue eyes narrowed at the boy, who seemed to gain a little bit of composure. "You are so dead, and you are going to be so sorry that you made mom waste even more money on two train tickets. We can't even cancel them and get partial refunds!"

"Sis," the boy hissed loudly, finally grabbing the girl's attention. She blinked twice, her blue eyes widening in confusion as she reoriented herself to the dim room, glancing at her surroundings for the first time.

"You shouldn't be here," Souta whispered again.

He was coming to realize the extent of his folly. Just a couple thousand yen, they had told him. There is a one in fifteen chance that you will win back ten times as much. It'd be good for your struggling family.

And he had believed them.

And he was here now. In front of Moon. And he knew that Moon wasn't named for the comforting rays that lit the night. It was for his silver hair that streamed down his back, not at all diminishing his potent masculinity and the tattoo of the crescent moon on his forehead. More, Moon meant the cool sliver of silver dagger that hung on the omnipotent sky. The one where clouds could hide, but not turn away. The sliver of dagger that would always be behind your back.

Even before Souta had been officially 'initiated' into the underground world, he had heard of Moon.

Crossing Moon was like crossing Death, and Souta had little doubt of his fate at this man's hands. But he refused to drag his family into it.

Especially his older sister, Kagome. Kagome, for as long as Souta could remember, was kind and warm. The job of a nurse suited her perfectly, and he could see her joy reflected in her face when she brings cheerfulness to the patients. Even Inuyasha, when Souta had first met him as a runaway, had been moved by Kagome's open generosity.

And if Moon didn't kill him, Souta thought Inuyasha might give it a try for getting Kagome into this situation.

"Neither should you," Kagome replied right back. She shot him another glare, which compared to Moon's cool glance, and although it would ordinarily have him anticipating a long, nagging scolding, this time, Souta could only be grateful that Kagome still had full functions of her body.

Kagome glanced at the man sitting behind the desk. She was surprised that he hadn't yet said a word. Then, she looked at him again.

Silver hair cascaded down his pale, defined face. Triangular slash markings covered his cheeks and a crescent moon was tattooed on his forehead. Mercurial golden orbs that were his eyes were staring right at her, startling in its cool intensity. Kagome couldn't quite tell with him sitting down, but he seemed tall, with his long arms and his compact torso.

But what gave pause was the aura that he exuded. It was... ruthless, sinister, and colder and more obvious than any that Kagome had ever sensed.

If what Grandfather said about her being a miko was ever true, this would be her sixth sense.

Suddenly unsure of herself, she smiled a bit lamely at the figure, knowing instinctively that he was in charge of the situation.

"Hi." She bolstered up her courage and forced a more cheerful, although just as rigid, smile on her face. Her voice seemed abnormally loud in the dark confines of the room. Didn't he need lights to see? "I am Kagome Higurashi."

She held up a hand for him to shake. When he lifted one of his perfectly manicured hands languidly, Kagome didn't know whether she should be relieved or not. For a moment, she had one crazy vision of the long, sharp, and perfect manicured nails slashing somebody's neck. Blood-red liquid gushed from the victim's cut, the color barely discernable under the pale light of the moon.

"I'm Moon," the man said, his voice a deep, smooth timber, running over her like the ice cold river in winter and drawing her away from her inane vision.

Not knowing what else to say, Kagome said, "Nice name." It was meant as a compliment.

When Moon responded with silence, Kagome forged ahead valiantly. "I'm Souta's older sister, and we really, really need to get back home now, or mom isn't going to be very happy."

Sesshoumaru noticed Souta's cringe. At least the boy had some sense of self-preservation, not that it was going to do him any good at this stage. Returning to the girl, he asked, "You do realize that he owes us, the company, an exorbitant amount of money." At her confused expression, he clarified, "From gambling."

"Oh," Kagome said, leveling another stern look at her brother. Then she asked, with just a trace of unease creeping into her voice. "How much?"

"About three hundred fifty thousand yen."

"Souta!" Kagome rounded on her brother again. "That's like... four months of mom's salary! How could you?"

Souta muttered something under his breath that sounded like, "But I only wanted to help."

Tightening her fists at her sides, Kagome got her temper under control again, just barely. And only because she knew just by looking at Moon's emotionless mask that most people call the face, she knew that no amount of anger would help.

"Maybe I could pay you back a bit every month? With interest?" Kagome would have to move back to the shrine and spend an extra two hours each day commuting, but if the debt was truly only three hundred fifty thousand yen, she could probably pay back within a year.

"And what guarantee do I have that you will once I let you leave here?" He countered coolly.

Kagome thought hard. "We could sign a contract."

Moon leaned forward, the shadows from his long hair cast shadows that hid his expression. But his voice sounded almost amused. "And have the police know that our place of gambling allows under-aged to gamble as well as violating several other laws?" He shook his head almost gravely. "I don't think so."

Kagome didn't know what to say about that. Despite her abhorrence to law-breaking, she knew that he had the upper-hand. And it was partly Souta's fault to gamble at all. A good reason to not let under-aged children gamble.

She shrugged. "Do you have any suggestions?"

His golden eyes gleamed up at her, as if finally catching her in a trap. "You could work. Here."

"For how long?" Kagome asked, a little suspiciously.

"Until you pay of your debt, shouldn't be more than several months."

"Doing what?"

"Oh, nothing illegal."

Kagome thought about it for a moment. "Will you let Souta go?"

"But of course." Moon's voice sounded almost sincere, but Kagome still felt ill-at-ease. "After all, you would be here, paying the debt."

Kagome thought about it some more. Finally, she came to the conclusion: she was an adult, and could handle herself, whereas Souta still needed to finish school. Just look at the mess he made by lying to them and gambling. She opened her mouth to agree, but was cut off vehemently by Souta.

"No," he shouted.

Sesshoumaru was almost intrigued to notice the sudden growth of a spine in the boy.

But the next moment, the boy sneaked a fearful glance at Sesshoumaru again, before whispering to his sister, "You can't. He's a youkai."

Moon was, but if the boy was in his right mind, the boy would have realized that Moon could hear every word that was being whispered. Youkai powers had its advantages.

"Souta," Sesshoumaru heard Kagome admonish. "I know that Jii-chan thinks that they are real, but they aren't. I mean, you haven't seen him turn into a big cat or something, have you?"

"No," the boy answered a bit reluctantly.

Sesshoumaru scoffed. Nobody wouldn't ever see him turn into a cat either; He was a dog demon.

Kagome patted Souta's shoulder. "It's okay. You'll see, everything will be okay." Then, she leveled Souta with a final glare. "As long as you don't gamble again." Then, gently, she helped Souta up to his feet and guided him toward the door. As a short nod from Sesshoumaru, Jaken began to lead the boy out. "Tell mom not to worry," Kagome said. "I'll see you soon."

Soon. Sesshoumaru almost smiled at how easy it was.

Kagome turned back to Sesshoumaru as the door clicked closed. He eyes couldn't see him very clearly in the dark, but he could see her. Not that she was much to look at with her disheveled hair and baggy clothing. Her only attractive feature was her eyes.

"I trust you will be true to your words," Kagome announced.

And your trust is misplaced. But aloud, Sesshoumaru only said, "Of course."