Oh! That male pissed her off! All males pissed her off at the moment. So much so that when Naitokage approached her she had to force herself to calm.

"I heard your suitor is coming tonight." He raised a brow. "Are you alright?"

"I will be fine soon enough, Naito-kun. I am simply being irritated by Lord Sesshoumaru on top of already being annoyed by Karasu. I've had about all I can take of stuck up males." She held back a snarl.

"I understand, my dear. Is there anything that I could do for you, to assist you at this moment?"

"Iie, but domo. I must tend to things myself." She offered a soft smile. "I must go now, but I am sure to see you later." Without waiting for his response she swept down the hall.

"This place is so perfect." Kagome looked at Sango as she said it. "I wish we could stay longer."

"It would be nice, wouldn't it." Sango smiled softly. "Everyone has been so nice, but they all seem on edge now."

"That is because Kumiko has a suitor coming to challenge her for mating rights, tonight apparently." Miroku said as he entered the room.

"What?" Kagome didn't quite understand.

"When a female youkai is unclaimed, males can challenge her. She either has to fight or submit. By the sounds of it, this is not the first time this male has come to fight Lady Kumiko."

"Oh." She still didn't really get it, but nodded anyway.

"Miroku-kun … We should leave before that male comes." Sango looked at him. "I would not want to be here in the aftermath, should she lose."

"Though it does not sound like she would lose, you are right." She moved next to Sango, only to have his lecherous hand find its way to her backside.

There was a resounding crack a moment later and the monk was sprawled out on the floor.

"Someone should go find InuYasha-kun." Sango said a moment later.

"I suppose I will." Offered up Kagome. "He's been acting so weird laetly, I am worried about him."

"I am sure he will be fine, Kagome-chan." Sango smiled.

Kagome turned and made her way out of the room, trying to go find InuYasha.

"Miyoko-chan?" InuYasha whispered as he crouched under her window. "Are you alright?"

"InuYasha-kun!" You could here the excitement even with her hushed tone. "Hai, hai. I am fine. She quickly made her way back to her door to check the hallway. After a moment she was back at the window. "Come in, quickly."

Though InuYasha should have thought about it, he didn't and climbed right in the window. Within an instant, Miyoko had her arms wrapped around his neck and he was being overwhelmed by a smell he could not quite put his finger on.

Amber gaze dulled a bit and he wrapped his arms back around her, nuzzling her neck softly to trying to figure out the smell.

"Miyoko-san! I can't believe you!" Yelled a furious Kumiko from the door way. She stormed across the room. "Lord InuYasha." She walked up and grabbed him by his collar and shook him slightly to snap him out of it.

"Lady Kumiko …" He looked between the two women and blushed. "Gomen nasi. I .. I don't know what came over me."

Kumiko glared at Miyoko before leading InuYasha from the room.

"Kumiko is in heat, Lord InuYasha. And the rest of the youkai and hanyou females are soon to follow her lead. This is not the place for you at the moment. Please. Come with me, so that I might give you the shards and you might leave."

"You have to give the shards to Kagome, she's the only one that can touch them and not be affected." The hanyou said, and though nothing had happened when she herself touched then, Kumiko nodded.

"Alright, so let us go find Kagome then."

"Kumiko-sama." Came a voice from down the hall. A tall youkai with long flowing blue hair strode up to them. She was in an outfit that looked an awful lot like a demon hunters. Though hers was of a solid black, with blue accents.

"Yes, Mine-chan?" Kumiko stopped a moment. "Lord InuYasha, why don't you go find your Kagome and then come back to me."

"Hai." He gave a nod and then strode off to find Kagome.

"I've been informed that Karasu comes tonight. I have come to help you prepare."

"Domo, Mine-chan." She smiled softly. "Let me see these travelers off, and then we shall take the time to prepare."

"Alright." Mine smiled and followed along with Kumiko as they went to collect the shards.

Kumiko made her way to her room, where on that entered. She moved over to a standing closet and stood before it for a moment in silence. It was painted black, with the image of a blood red lotus painted across the front doors. After a moment she opened it. Looking inside there where two swords. One in sight, and one wrapped in fabric that had sutra's on it. Her hand moved out to first stroke the fabic before it dropped to the base of the swords and picked up a small silken pouch.

"Come, Mine-chan. Mayne things must be done before tonight." She turned and smiled, but there was a dark look in her eyes.

"Kumiko-sama, onegia. Tell me you do not plan to use your father sword tonight."

"What choice have I left, Mine-chan? He does more then threaten me now. He threatens you, all of you. He threatens our home and our lives. He will stop at nothing. He knows he will never have me, and thus seeks to destroy the legacy of my blood line. He seeks to destroy all that I have created in my years. I can not let that happen." The expression on her face had gone stoic and her eyes had dulled into a stormy grey.

"Kumiko-sama …" Mine's voice trailed off.

"Come, let us see the miko and her friends off. For there is much we must do before the rise of the moon."

With a nod, Kumiko and Mine made their way out into the halls to track InuYasha and find Kagome.

"InuYasha!" Came the cheery voice of Kagome.

InuYasha did not respond, other then to hang his head so that his eyes became hidden under his hair.

"Lady Kumiko asked me to come find you. She wants to give you the shards so that we might leave now."

"Miroku-kun was just suggesting that we leave as well. Something about a mating battle?"

"Oh?" He perked a bit. He had never seen one of those before, and he would love to see what Kumiko was capable of.

"Yes. He said it would not be safe to stay here, if she lost." She hung her head slightly. She did not want to think that Lady Kumiko would lose, but then, Kagome had no clue what the alter was up against.

"Hai. He is right. If she was to lose, we could be at risk. There is no telling what kind of male she is up against, or how he would act afterward.

"Wait … If he was meaning harm, he wouldn't be able to come through that barrier. Isn't that right?"

"I don't know, I did not have the chance to ask how it worked."

"Me either." She gave a little pout. "Though I suppose, if Lady Kumiko is worried enough that she thinks it is better for us to leave then remain, perhaps we should simply take the shards and go."

"Hai. She was back this way." He turned around and lead Kagoma back in the direction he had come from, shortly coming across Kumiko and Mine walking in their direction.

"Ah, So you have found your miko, Lord InuYasha." She smiled politely. "Kagome-chan, was it? Here. These are for you." She offered out the little pouch.

"Domo!" Kagome said brightly as she took the shards, though when she opened the pouch to see them she was a bit puzzled. They were not tainted as much as most normally were.

"Is there something wrong?" Asked Kumiko softly.

"Iie. It's just that .. these shards aren't very tainted. Where did you get them?"

"They were gifts, my dear. I did not ask of the origins." Kumiko smiled.

"Come on Kagome-chan." He took her by the arm. "Domo, Lady Kumiko. I look forward to seeing you again."

"And I, you." She gave a little bow as InuYasha steered Kagome down the hall.

"Now that that is taken care of, we can go prepare." Mine spoke when the two had vanished around a corner.