A/N:Again, I apologize for the long wait but I'm back! I was so frustrated with his chapter that i've been back and forth with it, even wanting to quit the story as a whole. I just had no motivation and was busy with school but I finally found some! I bring to you chapter 25!

Chapter 25: Revelations

The days had passed and they seemed peaceful. There had been no more sightings of Kasai or any other matters of danger. There had been a few council meetings to discuss some matters of the lands but nothing that needed too much attention. Sesshomaru chose to resume Kimara's training and in turn, she continued Rin's training. He'd observed that she'd improved her skills and knew that she would soon have to use them.

Kimara was guarded as she waited for his next move. Sesshomaru was circling her, his blade drawn as he studied her astutely for any flinch in her stance. But they were both waiting for the other to make a move, waiting for someone to lose this staring contest. Sesshomaru smirked slightly as he saw the slightest movement of her left foot and came at her with speed. Kimara evaded ,dodging him as she rolled out of the way.

A laugh escaped her as the adrenaline got to pumping. The exhilaration of the fight, the movement, and the clanging of metal in her ears. It all made her feel alive and she loved every minute of it. Ever since Sesshomaru gave her his courting mark, her injuries had all healed and she felt somewhat connected to him more so now than ever before. She didn't know if it was the mark or not, but she actually appreciated it since it made her feel refreshed.

"I missed this!" she said, her blade clashing with his.

Sesshomaru enjoyed her enthusiasm. He had to admit that this was something new and since he was courting her, he liked that greatly. No sooner than he took his mind off their sparring, he found himself pinned to the ground with the blade of her spear at his neck. Kimara straddled his hips, a smile on her face.

"Gotcha." she said with a giggle.

The Inuyoukai's hands snaked up to her waist as he sat up, pulling her to him in a heated kiss. Kimara returned the kiss, her spear dropping from her hands as she buried her hands in his hair.

"L-L-L-L-L-LORD SESSHOMARU!"

The screechy voice startled the both of them. Kimara moved away and Sesshomaru frowned at the loss of her touch. He stood to his feet and she followed suit, picking up her spear. To their dismay, their least favorite green youkai stood before them with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. What in the world was he doing here?

Northern Territory

The Northern Castle was busy as servants ran about, trying to prepare for the upcoming Winter Solstice Celebration. Just as many were looking forward to the gathering, Lord Seiji was equally annoyed. This celebration would put a tremendous amount of stress on him and his staff. As if worrying about Kasai and dealing with the court wasn't enough. This celebration wasn't just any old gathering but a gathering for all the lords of the lands as well as many honored guests.

"Is something troubling you, my lord?" came the voice of his mate.

Seiji didin't want to trouble his mate. Of course, she was aware of the goings on of the court but he didn't like bringing his work home with him.

"Don't worry about it, my love." He hummed, trying to deflect the things that were troubling him.

The last thing he needed was for her to worry. His mate frowned, looking upon him. She knew that he was trying to distance her from the dangers, though it was both of their burdens now. That is one of the roles of being a mate of a Lord. Pushing would lead to nothing but more stress on both of them. Instead she placed a soft kiss onto his cheek before leaving him to try to figure things out. When needed, he will come to her. Seiji looked after her as she left, the warmth of her kiss lingering on his skin.

'Thank you for understanding, Naminé.'

Sesshomaru[Study]

Sesshomaru stared at the blank piece of parchment in front of him. As per the rules of the Court, he had to give a formal letter of whom he was courting. All decisions had to go through them before approval and there was no way he could keep this off the records even if he wanted to. Kimara bore his courting mark and no matter what he did, those nosy nobles would find out one way or another. He inwardly cursed as he tried to think of anything to put on the paper and Jaken's bantering did not help either.

"How could you, Milord!"he exclaimed, "To have such relations with that human girl!"

The young lord clenched the pen in his hand tightly. "Jaken..."

"To have this happen in my absence is absurd!" continued the tiny demon, "Why has it come to such disgrace?"

Before he knew it, Sesshomaru had thrown the pen he was holding and hit jaken in the head. At least it shut him up for a while as he groveled in pain. He looked up to see Inuyasha standing before his desk. He could only wonder what his younger brother could want now. They exchanged a look, golden eyes staring into the others.

"You've placed the courting mark, haven't you?" he queried, voice low and in their own language.

Sesshomaru nodded. "I gave her the choice and she consented to allow me to court her." he explained, "I could not force her."

"She is human after all." Inuyasha added, "You'll have to be gentle with her. Its something that we must learn as demons. It took me a while to understand them."

The young lord looked up at his brother who had wisdom much beyond his years. He could only wonder if it was because he had suffered in solitude all of those years because of his hanyou status. It was a laughable thought indeed. His younger half brother was giving him advice about human females.

Aki and Koga

The snow storm had lifted for the moment and Koga figured it was good a time as any to leave and go back to the safety of his den. He'd invited Aki along as well, wanting to hear more of her story. He couldn't help but want to know who this family was that she spoke of.

As they traveled the treetops, Aki's attention was on the snow-covered ground. She grew rather uneasy as the the mountains seemed to move toward them. Her chest tightened at the thought of returning to this place. It held many memories for her, both good and bad.

"Its just up ahead." announced Koga.

Aki looked up to see the distance between them and the mountains closing rapidly and soon enough, they came to stand at the base of the mountains. Koga had gone a little further and was greeted by a few of the guards who were stationed around the perimeter.

"Welcome back, my lord." they greeted.

They eyed the woman behind him in question but soon turned to their lord. "She will be properly introduced once I return." he said, "Escort her to where Ayame is."

With that said, Koga left with a few of his men. Two of the guards introduced themselves as Ginta and Hakkaku before proceeding to escort Aki to the den. Aki took in the scenery around her and a rush of memories flooded her mind. She took a deep yet shaky breath as she mentally gathered herself.

'The mountains that he controlled.' she thought.

The two guards entertained her with idle chatter about the weather and approaching mating season among other matters. Aki indulged them in quick chatter only to keep her mind from wandering further. They kept it up all the way up the mountain until they eventually reached the den.

"Ayame!" shouted Ginta, "We're back!"

Hakkaku nodded, "And we've got a visitor."

Aki looked up to see a young woman come from the very back of the Den. She had pale skin, bright red hair in the style of a ponytail and dazzling emerald was woman was also very pregnant. So this was Ayame, Koga's mate. She was beautiful and it was no wonder Koga spoke about her so much.

"What's all the commotion about?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

She then noticed the woman standing behind them. Ginta and Hakkaku went to explain again but Aki stepped between them so she could stand before Ayame.

"I'ts been such a long time, Ayame."

Ayame looked like she'd seen a ghost. "A-Aki?"

Rin & Kimara

Rin walked with Kimara from the Dojo. They'd finished with her training for the afternoon and they'd returned to Kimara's Quarters. As she watched Kimara move about the room, Rin's mind began to wander back to this morning. Jaken had been babbling on and on about how he'd seen her lord and Kimara in the dojo. She'd been speechless but at the same time, her heart fluttered with joy. Even Shippo had confessed to sensing something different in Kimara's aura but he didn't want to say anything until it had been confirmed.

'Lord Sesshomaru, you've finally opened your heart.'

The young girl was so giddy with excitement that she could barely contain herself. She didn't even hear Kimara call her name.

"Rin?" Kimara called again.

The child snapped out of whatever daze she was in and looked up at her. "Yes?"

"I'm about to go to the bath house." she said, "Care to Join me?"

Rin nodded and she figured that it was good a time to inform her of what Kasumi trusted her with. It could potentially affect her new found relationship but it had to be said and there would be no way around it. She just hoped that she didn't take it the wrong way.

Sesshomaru's Study

Sesshomaru sighed as he finally finished his letter to the court. It was aggravating but it was also something he had to do. Inuyasha had assisted and for once he was thankful for his younger brother.

"Mating Season is approaching fast." said Inuyasha, "What precautions will you take to protect her and Rin?"

Now that he'd brought that up, Sesshomaru honestly didn't have any idea. He knew that having either of them here would put them in serious danger and he didn't want that.

"I'm unsure." he said, "I've never been in such a predicament."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?" he questioned, "Are you aware of what could happen?"

Sesshomaru clenched a fist as those thoughts invaded his mind. He hated thinking that some other filthy youkai could have her against her will during this impending time of year. He was courting her and he would be the only one to do so. There had to be some way to protect her without endangering her at the same time. And forbid if anything happened to Rin.

"I could send them to a secluded location known only to me." he said,"They should be safe there until it passes over.

Inuyasha heaved a sigh. "You can't just seclude them." he said, "That would make them an even bigger target."

Sesshomaru furrowed his brow as he thought of another solution. He'd protected Rin for years. Why was it so hard now?

The Northern Mountains

Koga had returned to his domain and walking the path back to the main den when he came upon the sound of laughter. As he got closer and entered the den, he found that his mate and Aki were near the back of the den. They were giggling like children but how did they know each other? Ayame noticed him walking in and called him over.

"Koga!" she exclaimed happily, "Come join us!"

The Chief of the Wolves half smiled as he approached the two cackling women. He took a seat next to his mate and she offered him some tea to which he declined. His sapphire eyes found Aki's deep purple ones.

"How is it that you two know each other?" he questioned, eyes shifting between the two of them.

Ayame nodded. "She was someone I looked up to as a child." she began to explain, "Aki was the only female in history to ever hold a man's position as an elder and tribe leader. It was her bravery and reuniting with you that made my harsh training so much more worth it."

Koga nodded, absorbing the information. "My father left the mountains in search of you."

Aki looked up at him in disbelief but turned away a solemn look on her face. "I see."

Flashback

A few weeks had passed since the attack. Aki had been deemed missing since she had not arrived in the West, according to the elders there. Rumors had circulated that she'd been killed during her journey but there had been no evidence to prove that even when search parties had been Dispatched. The entire wolf tribe was in disarray and though they were in mourning, a council was called.

"Aki is too strong of a woman to be killed so easily." came the roar of Rouga's voice.

All eyes were on him as he moved toward the elders. "There have been no findings, Rouga." said one, "You'll have to accept the fact that she's no longer of this world."

Koga watched his father with great difficulty. He'd been so hurt at the loss of his best friend and lover. Though young, Koga understood because he'd been without a mother since birth. She was a great asset to the Wolf Demon Tribe.

"We will allow you to search for her but your clan cannot go without a leader for an extended amount of time." explained the elders.

Rouga nodded in understanding at their words. He agreed that if after a week with no finding her, he would give up his search and return to the Northern Mountains. Koga knew he wouldn't uphold that promise and would search until his last breath for her.

End Flashback

Aki laughed softly. "That man..."

Ayame's eyes glittered with admiration. "That's a wonderful story!" she exclaimed, "He really loved you!"

Aki's smile fell from her face as she motioned to continue her story. "That didn't last for long."

Flashback

The healer had just left the room and Aki could not believe what she'd just heard. She had to be bluffing, right? She was so into her thoughts that she didn't hear Shouran come in. He looked at her in disbelief as tears streamed down her face as she muttered something about not being able to return to her tribe.

"The healer told me..." he said softly, "Are you in any pain?"

The young woman buried her head in her hands as she shook her head furiously, choking out sobs. "I can't believe this."

"I'm sorry." he said softly.

Aki looked up at him with angry tear-filled eyes. "Don't look at me like that!" she screamed, "Don't you dare pity me!"

"That's not what I was trying to do...I..."

The young wolf demoness relinquished her grip on his collar and turned away from him. "I'm pregnant with that beast's child."

End Flashback

"Aki, I'm so sorry."Ayame said softly.

The older woman nodded. "I still can't believe I got pregnant. " she explained, "It was a painful and depressing Six months. I was in a territory unfamiliar to me and I couldn't exactly go back to my tribe. How could I? I wouldn't be accepted nor my child which would no doubt be a half-breed."

"That isn't true." Argued Koga, "The tribe would've understood that such a burden was not your fault and would've welcomed you with open arms. You are our comrade and because of a situation out of your control, you wouldn't have been exiled."

Aki opened her mouth to speak but choked back a sob. "For that very reason, I chose to exile myself. I Just couldn't return pregnant with a child that wasn't of my culture."

Bath House

Kimara and Rin had retreated to the bath house. They'd even been joined by Sango and Kagome. They had been honing their skills as well. It was all they could do since they were at a standstill with the weather picking back up and the first phase of mating season approaching fast. Kagome didn't think it was wise to travel back home until it had passed over. As human women, it would be very dangerous with all those lusty demons just waiting to mark them.

"Mating season is such a troublesome thing." Sango said in annoyance.

Kimara nodded, lathering her hair with shampoo. "From what I've heard of it, It sounds like its just about raging hormones."

"Trust me." said Kagome, "Its more than that."

The other three women present in the room watched as the young woman ran her finger over the fresh courting and Kagome looked at each other before turning back to face their companion.

"What's wrong?"Sango questioned, "Does it hurt?"

Kimara shook her head slowly, still somewhat distant as she rinsed her hair before moving to the hot spring. "I accepted his courtship but I don't know what I should be doing?" she said softly, "Am I some sort of consort?"

"Why would you think that?" came the voice of Kagome, "Did something happen? Did Sesshomaru hurt you?"

Sango tensed a bit as she felt a spike in Kagome's Aura. Whatever it was really had Kagome annoyed and she dare to think what she would do if she got mad. The miko moved closer to her friend and stared into her eyes.

"Kagome, I don't know how to do this." she admitted, "I've dated only a few times but this is a Demon lord we're talking about. This is a more complicated situation."

So that's what she was worried about. It did scare Kagome that her friend was in courtship with a Demon Lord but she felt that she could change the cold-hearted man.

"Its alright." soothed Kagome, "I thought the same thing when Inuyasha asked me to be his mate."

Kimara looked up, a bit enlightened and looking forward to hearing Kagome's advice. She was more experienced and was in a very similar situation with the exception of Inuyasha being a little kinder.

"All demons have different means of courtship as we discussed." Kagome said, "And Inuyoukai are no different. It also means that Sesshomaru could have his own method of doing things."

Sango put a hand on her shoulder. "Also, there are your feelings and your recent decision." she said softly, soothingly. "How do you feel?"

Kimara nodded, chewing her lip before opening her mouth to answer. "I think that somehow I began to fall for him and before I knew it, we progressed to this stage. We'd kissed a few times, some voluntary and others…."

It was clear from the dark red blush on her cheeks that other unspoken intimacies between the two had taken place and that was the answer to her question. She had to understand her feelings if she wanted to try to understand Sesshomaru's and his courtship. It was going to be a long road for her but she was strong and would endure. And hopefully that would be enough to help Sesshomaru change for the better.

Eastern Castle

The Eastern Castle had also been hit with this hard blizzard. Though the weather was difficult, that didn't mean that work did not have to be done. Tetsuya and Yori had gone on an errand to prepare for the winter solstice celebration held at this time every year. It left her to herself but she didn't mind, wanting a little time for some reflection and to ponder some things. She hadn't heard from her sister or Kasumi and she was beginning to worry.

"Yura-sama?" came a soft voice.

Yura looked up from her cup of tea and into the eyes of Setsuki, one of the servants assigned to her. The young woman bowed before speaking.

"Lord Hironori has summoned you." she said, "It seems quite urgent."

Yura stood to her feet, thanking the girl before going on her way to meet with Hironori. She was far too curious to know why he would summon her. The last time she'd been summoned was to speak about the impending mating season which was sure to be a nuisance. Once she'd made her way to the East wing, she found his study. Once granted entry, she sat before him.

"You summoned me, my lord?"

The lord of the East had a strange look on his face as he moved an open scroll towards her. She picked it up as her eyes began to scan it. The presence of the Western Seal piqued her interest and it made her read faster, gathering every detail. Hironori looked up at her as her hands trembled, crumpling the paper.

"Damn it!" she cursed, "Why in the hell wasn't I notified earlier than this?"

Hironori sighed, shrugging his shoulder. "I can only guess that your sister had something to do with that." he explained, "But I would've guessed it to have reached Sesshomaru by now."

"If I know my sister, she probably had a hand in that as well." she added, "Sesshomaru has enough on his plate as it is with the court and not to mention mating season as well. He wouldn't have had any time to return to the West."

Hironori nodded. "That is true and without Sesshomaru there, there's bound to be discord." he said, "And that just isn't something that your sister should be handling by herself. It could get very messy."

His words were enough as she stood to her feet. "May I have your permission, my lord?"

"Yes, I will make sure everything is prepared for your journey." he said, "Take as long as you need."

Yura nodded. "I hate to burden you like this but I have one last duty to the West."

Western Castle

Yuri walked around her bedroom, her infant son in her arms as she hummed a soft lullaby. With all this craziness going on, she'd barely had time to spend with her mate and son. Her mate was a guardsman for the main gate to the castle and he usually didn't get in until late. Her mind began to wander as she thought about what happened earlier today.

Flashback

Kasumi and Yuri had been making routine checks of supplies and everyday procedures to ensure that they were running smoothly. It was until they'd agreed to meet up in the archives did everything start going wrong. Angry servants had gathered outside of the Archive doors, shouting demands and threats.

"Calm down." Kasumi said as she exited the archives, "What is all of this about?"

The group of angry servants stared her down before an older man came to the front of the group.

"Why has our lord abandoned us?" he questioned, "Is he that incompetent of a ruler that he has fled?"

A woman stepped forward to join the man. "That Human Girl!" she shouted, "Rumor has it that she isn't entirely human! Is that what draws her to our lord?"

Kasumi listened to all of the questions and horrible comments until she'd had enough of their babble. Yuri was prepared to assist her if need be.

"Many of you have sought your answers elsewhere and thus are misinformed about our lord." she began, "It is no secret that he needs to take a mate in order to keep his title. He went to the North on orders from the Court to acquire a suitable mate there by the name of Mitsuki from the Azurai clan."

Yuri put a hand on Kasumi's shoulder. "Kasumi..."

The chief of staff nodded her head, telling her that it was okay and that as his subjects they needed to know this information. Yuri nodded and withdrew her hand. She was right and there was no need to hide it from them anymore. The looks of astonishment on their faces was so baffling.

"We never knew..."

Kasumi nodded. "Who was telling you such lies?"

The servants looked around sheepishly and that told her it was coming from within the castle and not outside, beginning with Rin's situation. She knew it would be a task getting to the bottom of this but she felt like she was reaching a breakthrough. Soon enough, the crowd of servants dispersed except for a young female. Her name was Miki and she worked on the Kitchen Staff. She was about twelve years old with short messy brown hair and dark green eyes.

"Kasumi-san..."she said softly, "Yuri-san..."

The two women looked at each other before returning their gaze to the young child. Miki nodded, chewing her lip before openeing her mouth to speak.

"I know who attacked Lady Rin."

End Flashback

Yuri still couldn't believe what had happened and her heart still raced even now as she thought about it. Even she wanted to call her sister back here to help overcome this. She just couldn't pull her away from her new life.

'We'll be alright, sister.'

Youkai Court

The court had converged, one of the few meetings they had left before the weather would make it impossible to travel. Once everyone had gathered, the session quickly began.

"We are losing time and the Western domain will begin to weaken." stated minor lord Shiorin, "Sesshomaru's subjects will begin to see him as incompetent."

Many began to agree, even some of the Cardinal Lords. It was a tough decision and Sesshomaru only seemed to make it easier and easier for them to decide. Hironori hated that things were not in Sesshomaru's favor but at the same time, they had to do what was best.

"I move to strip Sesshomaru of his title and have Inuyasha attain his post." said Kuro, "All in favor?"

Hands went up around the room with the exception of a few. Tsukiko simply scowled at the arrogance of these fools. She would not comply with this even though she was furious with her son for being so stubborn. It was his own fault but she would not have any part in voting him out. Hironori was glad that his mate was not here, knowing it would only upset her but he then remembered that Yura sat among the crowd. The young woman was seething in anger but she sat as calmly as she could. They had no right to do this and it just wasn't fair. She knew that heirs added more to a lord's status but Sesshomaru always made it clear that he didn't care for them. Hell, the man had only had a few concubines in the last hundred years. So for him to have a child really wasn't warranted.

"As per the voting, Lord Sesshomaru…."

The chamber doors opened to reveal a messenger. "My Lords!" she exclaimed.

"Have you no manners?" shouted Shiorin, "How dare you interrupt!"

The vassal bowed, apologizing profusely. "I truly am sorry my lords." he said, "But I have received a letter of the utmost importance from Lord Sesshomaru."

Hushed murmurs filled the room as everyone wondered what it could be. The Vassal delivered the scroll to Kuro. His eyes widened at the seal and ribbon that adorned the scroll which meant that it was urgently important. He unraveled it as everyone in the room waited with bated breaths.

"Its a letter of courtship!" he said in surprise.

Tsukiko was in shock. What did this all mean? More importantly, who had he decided on courting? She could feel her heart race in anticipation. Kuro read on further and soon closed the letter.

"Well?" said Seiji who decided to break the eerie silence.

Kuro nodded. "It would seem that Sesshomaru has decided to court the young human woman who is in his company."

And there you have it!Sesshomaru has informed the court of his new found courtship! How will the court react to this news? Yura has decided to fufill one last mission to the West. How will she fare? And what else does Aki have to reveal? Find out in the next chapter!