A/N: Thank-you guys SO much for the reviews!! I don't have time for shout-outs today so go enjoy the chapter! Chow!

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Inuyasha stood up, sobered up a bit now. He cursed the sake horribly under his breath. It had been good while he was drunk, but now it gave him a splitting head ache. Miroku seemed to be in the same state, but also seemed to be taking it much better.

"The festival will be starting in an hour and a half!" a young girl, hanyou by the look of her fluffy ears, yelled into the tavern. "And I need to talk to someone named...Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha suspiciously walked forward to talk to the young girl. She smiled merrily and held a piece of parchment in her hand with a brush already dipped in ink. Her ears twitched happily and Inuyasha's twitched as well.

Softly, so only he could hear, she asked, "Do you know your mate's sizes?"

Inuyasha, surprised, just stood there for a moment, then nodded. She smiled, took down the sizes and Inuyasha's name in Kanji, and walked off. How Inuyasha had remembered Kagome's sizes when she was talking to Sango, he didn't know. He just...did.

When he walked back to the others, they looked at him expectantly. He just shrugged. "Taking a survey," he muttered before taking Kagome's hand. "Come on, we need to leave for the festival."

"But...why do we have to leave early? It starts in another hour and a half!" Kagome asked, looking back to Sango.

Inuyasha just squeezed her hand briefly. "I've never really been to one of these festivals, so I don't know," Inuyasha finally admitted. "I just have this feeling that we have to go to the temple."

Kagome nodded before leaving the tavern with Inuyasha's hand in hers. "See all of you later!"

"Bye, Kagome!"

They both walked in silence together until the temple came into view. Kagome had questions stirring in her head, many questions, but she had a feeling she'd figure it all out when they got there. Besides, the temple's beauty knocked all those questions out of her head.

The walkway to the temple was paved in octagon shaped stones. The temple itself looked like the one she had at her home, the one she took care of, but it was made clearly of stone. Arches were above the gates, beautifully made mahogany arches. In front of the temple doors were two statues, both with their mouths open to say 'Uh' and 'Un', but had been frozen, it seemed, before they could get the words out. She smiled and her eyes trailed the trees on either side of them. Cherry blossoms fully bloomed with little pink leaves falling all around her.

Inuyasha could feel her delight, his own was accumulating. So was his impatience. He had never been to this festival, he had said that truthfully, and he didn't know why he was being called to the temple.

Whatever was going to happen, it was going to happen in style. Something about the fact that the girl-demon had asked for Kagome's sizes just made sure it was going to be in style.

Once they reached the opening, demons and humans of various sizes ushered them apart. Inuyasha smiled reassuringly at Kagome and she smiled back before they were entered into separate rooms.

In the room Kagome was lead into, which was huge and had it's own spring, a bath had been drawn. She smiled and undressed. She couldn't tell why, but she had a feeling she should just take the bath; clothes would be brought later.

Do I have Inuyasha's instincts now? Kagome thought indifferently. Well, if I do, it'll make this easier. I can pretty much tell what I have to do.

While Kagome sat in the bath and washed quickly, a human girl walked into the room and placed some of the finest clothing she had ever seen upon a small dresser. She then bowed at Kagome and left silently. Kagome got out of the bath, wiped herself down, and walked over to the clothing.

Kimono... She thought to herself as she picked up the wonderful fabric. And a beautiful one at that.... Her eyes grew wide in wonder and she slowly slipped on the clothing. The same girl who brought the clothing in came in a little later to help fit it all.

Drapped on her arm was the last part of the kimono itself and the obi. Both were designed with Inuyasha's name in Kanji and the colors, cherry blossom pink and white, made her breath catch. The girl finished the obi and started to work on Kagome's hair, placing it high above her head.

"Beautiful. You look gorgeous," the girl said with a bow.

Kagome bowed back, but her movements were now restricted by the many layers of clothing. She walked over to the tub in her Japanese shoes and looking down into the water. A different person seemed to shine back at her and she gasped. Being dressed in Inuyasha's kanji made her feel more like his, but it also made her feel like she really was a possession to be had.

The feeling of being his made her heart soar and broke down each and every other bad thought. She was his, now and forever, and that's the way it would stay.

"His." She spoke aloud and then made her way to the door.

Someone slid it open and she was taken to a different room to sit and wait with a bunch of other newly marked. All of the girls had kanji on their kimonos, each with different names. She smiled. The color varied for each woman, no two had the same two colors. All of a sudden, almost without warning, Yume entered the room dressed in dark green and silver.

Kagome had been standing, but now she had to sit. A lot of the girls looked really nice, and Kagome herself thought she looked great, but Yume's colors and the way she stood a little embarrassed in front of them all made her heart stop.

First, it was the fact that Yume was here at all that made her heart stop. Who was he? She read the silver kanji quickly and had to sit down.

Kouga. Kouga had marked her. Kagome could even see the mark now, now that her marking was almost complete. Yume's hair had been put up high on her head as well, but rebellious strands swirled down all around her. Kagome smiled happily for her friend and stood back up to embrace her.

"Kouga! Oh, I can hardly believe it!" Kagome exclaimed happily.

Yume smiled, but her smile was nervous and her eyes gazed around at all the other woman. "They look so much better than I do," she whispered into Kagome's ear and Kagome shook her head so savagely that her own rebellious, dark strands framed her own face.

"You look great! I can't believe this, this seems so unreal..."

"You're telling me.."

"But I thought you said you had been marked before...wait a minute.." Kagome said and all the enthusiasm fell from her face.

Yume smiled. "That was long ago and that person who marked me is gone, with someone else probably." She spoke in such a manner that Kagome knew the conversation about it had been closed.

Green eyes sparkling, Yume looked Kagome over. "You look so....so gorgeous...Kagome! Inuyasha is going to die! His eyes are going to fall out of his head!"

They laughed and chuckled until the chatter in the room died down. An hour was surely up, someone was going to be coming. And sure enough, Yume perked up and looked at the door.

A boy dressed in the finest haori Kagome had ever seen bowed to them and motioned them out of the door. One by one, Kagome and Yume somewhere in the middle, the girl's filed out of the room and walked clear out of the temple.

Outside, fireworks were going off. Everyone was chanting vibrantly and Yume's eyes grew wide and childlike. Kagome was much the same. It didn't matter if either of them were two or two hundred, they were already starting to feel child-like in pretty clothing. Like a child playing dress up. Kagome smiled at that thought.

She smiled until the men came into view. A lot of the girl's oohed and aahed, some of the newly marked, Kagome was sure. But Kagome couldn't make herself ooh or ahh, because Inuyasha had taken her breath away. She barely had enough breath to keep her upright, let alone speak.

Yume seemed to be in the same state, for Kouga had come into view. Both girl's tore their eyes away from their men and looked at each other before once again looking back at them.

Inuyasha was dressed in another haori, but this one seemed a little more fitting, a little more body forming than his traditional one. And this time the haori was completely white, white, probably, to match Kagome's white Kimono.

His Tetsusaiga was tied around his waist in dark red with Kagome's name sketched across it. She would have needed to sit down, but, seeing as there was no place to sit but dirt, she stayed upright and walked slowly to him.

Kouga looked quite the same, but in different colors. A green haori had been tossed over him, green to match Yume's kimono. Around his waist was his own katana and her own name was stitched to the fabric.

Not all over the place as hers was with his, but mostly around his waist, where the katana was tied. In silver. Kouga's hair was kept up, but it seemed brighter even if it was dark and his hair was raven. It just seemed brighter, more fluid. She couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

Both Inuyasha and Kouga looked on with the same comical expression. Stunning.... That was the only thought that traveled through their minds. Seeing both girls with their own name strung across their body made them flush and their heart beat faster. It was true, these woman....they were their own to love. And they loved them back.

Kagome and Yume stood in front of their respectable mates. Kagome placed her hands into Inuyasha's and looked at him, eyes shining. This was like a marriage ceremony... Kagome thought with wide smiles.

Maybe that's really what it was, a marriage ceremony for all to see. That's what the festival reminds me of. Kagome thought and kissed Inuyasha softly.

Yume stood in front of Kouga as if waiting for his approval. He just grinned, embraced her tightly, and kissed her gently. Yume took that as a great and kissed him back, then took his hand and walked slowly with the other couples. No, the other mates.

The night went by so fast, Kagome could hardly remember it. Yume, however, had it burned into her memory. The walk down the cherry blossom lane, the huge meadow now dark but still welcoming, the golden threads wrapped around one of her wrists and one of Kouga's. S

he remembered it all, and she doubted she'd ever forget. At the very end, after the festival of Marking, Yume fell asleep in Kouga's arms and Kagome did the same with Inuyasha.
None of them could have remembered a happier day in their lives.

Kagome woke up late in the morning. The others had slowly risen themselves only a few minutes before she herself had. Yume and Kouga were standing in their normal clothing, the festival clothing had been packed away for them all to keep. Kagome had thanked the village over and over again, somewhat over enthusiastically. Then they left with the blessings of many other coupled mates and many other newly weds. When they left the village, Kagome turned to Yume.

"What was the festival really for, Yume?" Kagome asked dreamily still caught up in last night's memories.

Yume smiled and entwined her fingers with Kouga's. "It was a marriage really, not much of a festival. They just make it a festival because everyone watches. And there's food, games, sake, and then the Golden Cords."

"I remember them...the demon priest said something about them...but I can't remember what he said."

Yume chuckled lightly. "The Cords were the entwining of both the souls. In other words, you and Inuyasha are now soul mates as much as you are physical mates."
"So it really was a marriage ceremony."

"As much as it possibly could be."

Kagome looked down at the ground. "Oh God! And I've done all this without my mother knowing," she said, suddenly sullen.

Inuyasha looked a little distressed. Should he have taken her to her mothers before they reached the village? Probably. I'm such a jerk! Inuyasha thought to himself. I guess we should-

Inuyasha was shaken out of his thoughts by Kagome. "Let's go to my world for a day. Just for a day. Today...well, today I just want to be for everyone."

Miroku instantly turned around. "Are you sure? You actually want us in your world?"
Sango rolled her eyes. "Piece of gold for your thoughts," she muttered and Miroku grinned.

"Well, if everyone wears those skirts Kagome wears..."

WACK

Miroku fell unconscious.

"Hentai..." Sango muttered, replacing her Hiraikotsu and glancing down at the unconscious priest.

She then deliberately stepped over his body and continued on her merry way.

Kagome's mother was never the unruly type. She was always sweet and kind, with a hard edge only if you rubbed her the wrong way with a razor blade. She herself had been through some troubling years and still she never lost her charm or kindness.

So when Kagome came home, she was met by her. Warm embraces and subtle little questions were the only things that escaped her lips while always sounding concerned.

Of course, even Mrs. Higurashi would be slightly perturbed, though rather interested, when a whole group of people followed Kagome all the way out of the temple and near the doorway to the house. She put on a welcoming smile almost instantly when she saw how nervous all the people seemed to be, and how highly curious their eyes were.
"Mother, these are my friends that I travel with." Kagome smiled warily, hoping her mother would take it well. She took Inuyasha well, anyway. "I'll introduce you to them-"

"Nonsense. Invite them in and I'll make a late lunch. I'm pretty sure they could introduce themselves at the table, right, Kagome?"

Kagome was flustered, but only for a moment. "Oh yeah, sure." She then turned back to look at all the expectant faces. "Erm...you guys can all come in. My mom is going to make lunch."

Nodding, though still looking around in wonder, the others followed Kagome into her house. Inuyasha was two steps behind Kagome, Miroku and Sango behind him, Yume and Kouga behind them, while Shippo and Kirara made up the end of the chain.

Warm smells emitted from the kitchen. Yume, Kouga, Shippo, and Inuyasha smelt the food first and all four of their mouths watered. Sango and Miroku took a few more moments to start to smell the enticing scent, but soon their own mouths were watering as well. They didn't exactly have breakfast that morning nor did they have an early lunch. Actually, to be more precise, they ate nothing.

"Whoa, what smells this good?" Kouga asked, more to himself, but Yume shrugged her shoulders in response.

"I don't know, but Mother has a wide variety of cooking, all of it good, I assure you," Kagome said with a smile as they entered the kitchen.

"Inuyasha, could you be a dear and help Kagome set the table for everyone?"

Inuyasha nodded, though seemed a little reluctant to be doing, what he thought as, "woman's work''.

Still, he'd drown himself to get on Mrs. Higurashi's good side.
Everyone kneeled down the moment Kagome and Inuyasha were finished setting the low table. Mrs. Higurashi then called up the stairs for Kagome's grandfather and Souta.

Racing down the stairs, Souta almost fell flat on his face when he tripped slightly but caught himself. His grandfather, who had been behind him, almost had a heart attack the moment the boy tripped. Still, the both of them made it down safely and without harming themselves or others.

"Hey!" Souta exclaimed in such surprise and wonder that everyone looked up at the boy. "Kagome, who are these guys?" It wasn't meant to sound rude, but, in all his excitement, Souta had actually sounded ruder than he intended.

"Now, now. They'll have a chance to introduce themselves later, Souta. Sit first," Mrs. Higurashi said in a startlingly calm tone, as if having demons and humans from a different time entirely inside her house and having lunch with her was as common as rain falling from the sky.

"Aw, but mom.."

With a stern look, Souta not only shut up and sat down, he shut up, sat down, and looked down at his plate. Kagome grinned slightly though said not a word. Everyone waited patiently for someone to do something, which would get them no where, until Kagome's grandfather suddenly stood up with a bucket of water in his hands and splashed it all over Kouga, Yume, Shippo, and part of Miroku.

Stunned into stupidity, the four soaked companions glanced at their wet clothes then at the man who had thrown it at them.

"Be gone, demons!" he growled and looked as if he was about to throw more water on them when Kagome finally got him to calm down.

"...er...." Kouga seemed a little more than lost for words.

Yume burst out laughing. She couldn't help it, getting splashed with water (holy she assumed) by an old man in the twentieth century just struck her as funny.

As she laughed, others joined in. Kouga was second to last, still a little perturbed at having some crazy old man throw water on him, but finally started laughing. Kagome's mom was last for she was a little angry that her father would try to banish the demons right at the lunch table. Of course, she would see to him later.

Kagome let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't told them that her grandfather tries to excorsice demons that enter the household. In fact, the reason was because she had forgotten. Still, she was slightly embarrassed even if they were all having a laugh about it.

Awkwardly, though still chuckling to herself, Yume stood up and bowed slightly at Mrs. Higurashi once she gained enough control to quit the chuckle. "Pleasure to be here, though I'm not totally sure where here is, Mrs. Higurashi. My name is Yume. As you probably already know, I'm a Wolf demon."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled at Yume and nodded her head slightly. "Pleased to meet you, Yume."

Yume smiled generously back before sitting down once again beside Kouga. Miroku decided this would probably be the best time to introduce himself, even though he was as soaked on his right side as if he had only partly washed his robes. With a sly smile, Miroku stood and bowed, staff held lightly in his right hand.

"Madam, my name is Miroku. My lineage is that of many priests and priestess. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." He then sat back down slowly, almost easing himself next to Sango.

Kouga looked reluctant to stand, but Yume smiled warmly at him and all resistance to stay where he was melted away from him. Growling slightly, he shuffled to his feet and bowed.

"I'm called Kouga, Mrs. Higurashi. I'm also a Wolf demon."

"Nice to meet you, Kouga-dear."

Sango then stood up with Kirara on her shoulder and bowed slightly as well. "My name is Sango. I'm from a long line of demon exterminators. This here is my friend and comrade Kirara. She's a Cat demon." Kirara mewed slightly.

It wasn't long before the late lunch was over with. Souta had asked only a few hundred questions and each one was answered as good as they could be answered.

Mrs. Higurashi was silent during the conversation, eating, though listening as well as she knew how.
When the meal was over, everyone helped clean up. All of this was new to the group from the past, but they didn't mind. They didn't want to seem rude, even if Kouga and Inuyasha grumbled during the work. Kagome only smiled.

A knock at the door and Kagome was gone. Inuyasha followed at her heels, sniffing slightly and acknowledging the fact that Kagome's heart was racing in expectation. Who could she be expecting? Growling slightly and crossing his arms, he stood a little behind Kagome and watched as she opened the door.

A bunch of girls looked in, smiling and giggling. He raised an eyebrow, growled again, and started to turn away. He was stopped, though, when a voice spoke up.

"Hey, Kagome, is that your two-timing boyfriend?" Eri asked, straining her neck to get a better look at Inuyasha

.
Inuyasha bristled. Two-timing? Who was this girl to say that he was two-timing Kagome? He spun around and went to bare his teeth, but Kagome stopped him. She slipped her arm around Inuyasha's waist and looked up at him. He noticed that her eyes sparkled slightly in the sun's rays and instantly forgot everything around him.

"His name is Inuyasha. Inuyasha, this is Eri," Friendly wave from Eri. "Shizuko," Another wave. "And Hamuri. They're friends from school," Kagome informed him.

He grunted in response to the waves, though nodded his head and let his back lean forward a bit in a sort of bow. When that was done, he turned around and walked off. His cheeks were burning red from having gazed in Kagome's eyes and his heart wouldn't stop hammering.

He was sure Kagome could feel it even as he walked away because of their bond. He growled lightly to himself, half-heartedly. This was Kagome's world, he'd have to seem to belong.
"Wow! He has white hair, Kagome! And...were those ears sticking out of his hair?" Hamuri asked, still trying to gaze at the receding figure.

Kagome giggled nervously. "Ears? You've got to be kidding me, Hamuri!"

Eri tapped her chin lightly and gazed at Kagome. "Was he wearing an old haori? Like the Buddhist priests used to wear during festivals?"

Kagome waved the questions away and was going to invite them in, then thought differently. All of her friends weren't dressed for her world. There would be WAY too many questions as there was.

"Kagome! Kagome, hey, what are you-"

Kagome looked down and saw Shippo frozen in the act of tugging her pant leg. He was staring at Kagome's friends, gulping slightly, with his hand still clutching the pant's fabric. Ecstatic cries came from her friends as they all reached down to pick him up. Eri fluffed his tail lightly, eyes glazing over dreamily.

"What's going on here, Kagome? Who's this?" Shizuko asked wide-eyed. "He fits the description of one of those demons from the Sengoku Jidai..."

Kagome let out a heavy sigh. She didn't want her friends to know about her secret life, definitely know, that would put too much worry into them. And too many questions. But, she had risked bringing everyone here for a day and now she'd have to deal with the consequences. With a nervous smile, she dragging her friends in by the arms and took Shippo out of Hamuri's hands.

"Boy do I have a lot to tell you.." She muttered and her friend's glanced at her in confusion. "Come on into the living room.."

Kouga, Yume, Sango, and Miroku were sitting in front of the TV, gazing at it in wonder. They had heard Kagome talking about the TV, but they never thought.... Miroku flicked through the channels, landed on Ghost in a Shell, and watched. Sango was just as intrigued, tilting her head slightly, but it was Kouga that looked the funniest.

"Kouga, move your head!"

"But I want to see-"

"Your blocking the screen!"

"How do they put the people-"

"KOUGA!"

"ALRIGHT ALREADY!"

Kouga stood up and huffed, backing away from the TV he had placed his face right up to. Was it his fault he had never seen one in his life? No, but the invention was still mysterious to him. Huffing in anger, he went over to Yume and sat down. She grinned at him, placed her hand on his head, and scratched lightly with her claws. He started to doze off, but then shook his head and growled playfully at Yume.

"You need to relax some more, Kouga." Yume said, then sniffed the air. "Kagome's coming, and she's got friends."

"Now, just promise me you won't freak out. You already heard the story...now you're going to meet the group."

"Freak out? Us? Come on, Kagome!"

"I thought you knew us better!"

"Alright..." They heard Kagome sigh and watched as she rounded the corner. "Well, here they are."

Heads perked up. Inuyasha's ears stood on end as he heard the voices as well, though he didn't move his head. He continued to watch TV. Shippo jumped out of Kagome's arms and landed in Sango's, who was dressed in her kimono.

Kagome's friends gazed from one face to another, eyes wide, then all three of them let out equal shrills of surprise.
"You've got to be shitting me!"

"Hamuri! My mother's in the next room!"

"Sorry Kagome, but...Kami-sama.."

Yume looked at Kouga, and their eyes locked in equal surprise. Miroku looked at Sango and their eyes locked as well. Kagome told her friends about the Sengoku Jidai? After a moment of awkward silence, Yume stood up and bowed slightly.

"Hi. My name's Yume and....I'm a Wolf-demon from the Sengoku Jidai."

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Gasp!
Kagome told her friends!!! Read and Review!