Wake Me Up When September Ends Chapter 9: The Courting Ceremony Day 2, an inuyasha fanfic

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Last Time:

I hung up the phone and walked back into my bed room. I pulled a pony tail holder off of my dresser and slowly put my hair in a low pony tail. I climbed into bed with Kagome and wrapped my arms around her. Instinctively, she snuggled against the warmth and her tiny fingers clutched at my shirt gently. I smiled and watched her sleep for awhile, occasionally brushing the hair from her beautiful face. She was my princess, my angel, and I'd be damned if I let anything happen to her. I smiled gently and ran a clawed hand down her cheek. She shivered and mumbled "love you fluffy" before becoming silent once more. I sighed softly and closed my eyes, letting sleep overtake me.

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Wake Me Up When September Ends
The Courting Ceremony Day 2

This Time:

---K POV---

The next day around 3:00, I decided I would start getting ready. Sango was coming to pick me up at 4:00, and then she would take me back to dorm so I could find something to wear for my first day singing in front of a whole bunch of people. I was so excited. I grabbed a towel and walked into Sesshomaru's bathroom, my hair up in a high pony tail. I wore a pair of his boxers and one of his wife beaters. He had laughed at me when I emerged from the bathroom, blushing brightly. I set the towel on the toilet and turned the water on. I stripped quickly of my clothes and stepped into the warm shower. I let the warm water wash over me and thought back to this morning.

----------

I woke up feeling warm and secure. I moaned lightly and snuggled more into the warmth. That was when I noticed the warmth was coming off of the body that was lying next to me, stiffening slightly; I looked up into the peaceful, sleeping face of Sesshomaru. I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. Sesshomaru must have sensed my movements because one of his eyes opened and stared directly into mine. His eyes widened slightly and his breath hitched.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It worked…" he breathed.

"What worked?" I asked, confused.

"Go look in the mirror," Sesshomaru said softly.

I eyed him warily. Did he mean the first day of the courting? What had he said would happen that night? I couldn't remember. He smiled at me and kissed my nose and let me go. I climbed slowly out of the bed and went into the bathroom to look in the mirror. When my eyes met my reflection in the mirror, I gasped. I didn't look like Kagome anymore. I saw Sesshomaru standing behind me; smiling and I looked up at him and then back at my reflection. My skin was milky white and flawless. I had two gold stripes on my cheeks and a blue tear drop on my forehead. My hair was longer and reached to my waist. It was the same ebony color but it had silver/blue streaks in it. My eyes were now a deep azure blue but they had honey brown flecks in them. I had grown taller and filled out a little more. Through my gaping mouth, I could see fangs. I touched my pointed ears with my fingers and noticed that my nails were now claws. I felt something around my waist twitch and gasped. I looked down and saw a fuzzy black tail, much like Sesshomaru's, curled around my waist.

"Is this really… me?" I asked.

"Hai," Sesshomaru said, "And you're beautiful."

"What kind of youkai am I?" I turned to face him.

"A very rare, and a very powerful one," he smiled.

"That's not specific," I glared at him.

"You're a black miko inu-youkai," Sesshomaru touched the markings on my face, "We had long since thought that they were extinct…"

"So I'm an extinct race of youkai?" I asked.

"Obviously it's not as extinct as we thought," Sesshomaru chuckled.

"So what now?" I looked towards his golden eyes.

"Now it's your turn to mark me."

I smiled shyly at him and walked up to him. He took me into his arms and just stared at me for a moment. I stared back and could see the lust in his eyes, smelt what must have been his arousal and I crushed my lips to him. I tasted him hungrily. It was as if I was experiencing my first kiss all over again. The slightest movements he made, the softest noises, the strongest smells, literally brought me to the edge. I nibbled gently on his lower lip and he moaned in pleasure. I took this opportunity and explored the inside of his mouth with my tongue. I moved my lips along his jaw bone and down his neck. He growled low in his throat and I began to lick the juncture between his neck and shoulder. His arousal spiked and I bit down. He hissed in pain and I began to lick away the blood. It was the most wonderful thing to taste. I licked the wound clean until blood no longer poured from it and watched as it closed up quickly. When I looked back up at Sesshomaru, he was panting, as was I.

"Congratulations," he said breathlessly, "You've just completed day two of the courting ceremony."

I smiled, "Hooray!"

"So you better get ready," Sesshomaru said, "You need to call Sango and tell her that she needs to take you."

"Why can't you take me?" I asked.

"Because I have to work," he smiled sadly, "I'm sorry koi

----------

I sighed in happiness and stepped out of the shower. I threw back on the jeans and shirt I was wearing yesterday and brushed my hair out. I looked at my watch, 3:37. I hummed softly to myself and wondered what I could do for half an hour. Sesshomaru had left that morning at 10:25 and I had spent the day watching movies with Inuyasha, until 2:30 when he had to go pick Kyo and spend the rest of the day with his family. I finally decided to explore his house a little bit more to see if anything had changed. I walked downstairs and out to the gardens. His house was over a thousand years old and was very beautiful. The gardens were huge and I had never actually seen all of it. Basically any flower you could think of inhabited Sesshomaru's garden. Near the back corner there was a few private hot springs that had also been there for over a thousand years. I wandered deeper into the gardens when I stumbled on a rather large house of some sort. I smiled to myself and opened the door. There was only one room. It looked to be about two football fiends long and about one football field wide and forty feet high. Huge was an understatement. I stared in amazement around the huge room. At the far end of the wall stood weapons of all sorts. I guessed this was the dojo that Sesshomaru always trained in. I walked over to the swords and found the one that appealed to me most. It was a beautifully crafted sword. The hilt was made out of the most beautiful silver and it had blue, green and yellow stones. The blade was beautifully crafted and had an engraving on it saying, 'Tenshi.' Nothing more, nothing less. I touched the hilt of the sword and shivered when I felt a pulse run through my arm. My ear twitched as I heard my name being called in the distance and gasped, looking at my watch. It was already 4:00! I raced out of the dojo with my new speed and back into the house where I found Sango at the front door.

"Holy Shit! Kagome?" Sango asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Hai, Sango, it's me," I said, smiling, "C'mon, I'll tell you about it in the car."

Sango nodded and we walked out to her car. On the drive back to the dorm, I told her how after she left yesterday, I went to talk to Sesshomaru and sorted things out with him. I told her about Kyoko and how Sesshomaru asked to court me. How the courting ceremony went and that we haven't done anything. She was amazed to say the least.

"Man, you were beautiful before," Sango smiled, "But now you're even more gorgeous!"

I blushed, "Thanks, Sango-chan."

She laughed and nodded her head in response. When we got back to the dorm, I went upstairs and I changed into pair of tight-fitting jeans, a pair of boots and a sparkling blue halter top. The top of the shirt was V cut and the bottom was cut in the shape of a V and just barely covered my stomach. It tied around the neck and the back, so most of my back was exposed. I went into the bathroom and curled my hair and applied some mascara, eye liner and lip gloss to my face. I stared at my reflection in the mirror and bit my lip. How was I supposed to cover up the fact that I was a youkai? I saw Sango walk into the bathroom and smile at me.

"A concealment charm," she said, reading my mind, "It's not that hard, just concentrate on what you looked like before and it'll come."

I nodded and pictured myself starring at the old Kagome in the mirror. I didn't feel anything, but Sango started to clap and I opened my eyes. There in front of me was the old me. I laughed and walked out of the room with Sango. We got back into the car and drove to Chiroyu Bar. Sango had promised to stay with me for my first day so that she could cheer me on. When we walked in, we noticed something. There were no humans. All eyes turned to us and Sango laughed nervously. She clutched at my arm, not use to being the center of attention. I figured since there were no humans, I could turn back into my youkai form. As soon as I changed, I could smell the arousal even more and I cringed in disgust. I walked towards the back where I saw Take and beamed brightly at him.

"Take-san!" I called, waving to him.

"Ah! Higurashi-san!" Take smiled at me and walked towards me, shaking my hand, "And who is this lovely lady?"

"This is my best friend Sango!" I said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sango-san," Take smiled softly at her and took her hand, kissing it lightly.

Sango blushed brightly, "A-arigatou!"

"You never told me this was an all youkai bar, Take-san!" I gushed, looking around with interest.

Take chuckled, "Gomen Higurashi-san."

"Onegai, just Kagome," I smiled at him once more, "So! When do I get to sing?"

"Right now if you'd like!" Take said.

"Good!" I smiled and took Sango's hand, "Don't worry Sango-chan! You're coming with me!"

"N-nani?" Sango sputtered.

"Think about it Sango," I whispered, "You're the only human in a bar filled with youkai. Do you want to be by yourself?"

Sango shook her head quickly and followed me towards the stage. She sat down off to the side while I walked onto the stage. The room got quiet as soon as I walked onto the stage. All eyes were on me and I almost stumbled backwards from some of the lustful stares. Take followed quickly behind me and stood next to me, taking the microphone. There was some feedback and he tapped on it lightly, to make sure it was working correctly. He then cleared his throat and beamed at everyone in the bar.

"I'm sure that everyone has missed a beautiful lady singing these past few months!" Take said, there were shouts of agreement, "I've been to a few of the local karaoke bars to find you a suitable singer! May I introduce to you, Miss. Kagome Higurashi! But I warn you boys look but don't touch. This here is the future Lady of the Western Lands, and Sesshomaru Tama's future mate."

Despite the information, the bar and grill burst into cheers and applause. Most of the female demons looked at me with distaste. Others seemed interested in the way I looked, and probably in the way I sang. I felt a light blush creep onto my face and Take walked over to speak quietly with a very pretty female horse youkai. He frowned and then walked over to me.

"Do you have music of your own?" he asked, "It seems as though Utsuki took all of our music."

"Oh! Yes!" I said, digging through my purse, "I figured you wouldn't have most of the music I listen to anyways."

I pulled out five rather heavy CD cases and Take looked at me in surprise. I smiled sheepishly at him and he took my hand, leading me over to the youkai he was speaking to a minute ago. She had beautifully tanned skin that accented her rosy cheeks. Her beautiful auburn hair was swept up into a pony tail and her orange eyes held my gaze softly. She seemed nice enough and I was sure I would get along with her quite quickly.

"Kagome, this is Suki. She works the music, just give her the CD you want, tell her what number and she'll block out the words so it's only the music and you singing," Take explained.

"It's a pleasure you meet you Suki-san!" I said, giving her a warm smile.

She smiled back at me, "No! The pleasure is all mine, Higurashi-sama! It's an honor to meet the future Lady of the Western Lands!"

I giggled slightly, "There's no need for formalities, Suki-san, Kagome is just fine."

Suki nodded and held her hand out. For a moment, I looked at her confused and then I remembered. She wanted me to give her a CD! I smiled at Take who walked off the stage and went through my CD case, I found a CD I liked and gave it to Suki, telling her which number to skip to. I walked back to the middle of the stage and took the microphone. I stared out into the audience for a moment before I spoke.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" I said cheerfully, "I'm Kagome! I'll be singing here quite regularly! It's an honor to sing here and I hope that it will be to your liking. Most of the music I sing won't be Japanese, but American, because it just seems to catch my attention more. So here it is, my first song!"

The room burst into applause and I looked back at Suki to cue the music. She smiled at me and hit play and I began to sing.

((A/N- This song is "Figured You Out" by Nickelback and I don't own it!))

I like your pants around your feet
I like the dirt that's on your knees
I like the way you still say please
While you're looking up at me
You're like my favorite damn disease!

The room seemed to be in awe over my voice, but I didn't really notice it. I swayed my hips to the music and closed my eyes slowly, letting the sound overtake my body. I brought my other hand up to the mic and began to dance around the stage, ignoring the stares I knew I was getting. All I cared about was the music, the sound, and pumping my voice out so it amazed everyone.

And I love the places that we go!
And I love the people that you know!
And I love the way you can't say no
Too many long lines in a row
I love the powder on your nose!

And now I know who you are!
It wasn't that hard just to figure you out!
(Now I did, you wonder why)
And now I know who you are!
It wasn't that hard just to figure you out!
(Now I did, you wonder why)

I like the freckles on your chest
I like the way you like me best
And I like the way you're not impressed
While you put me to the test
I like the white stains on your dress

And I love the way you pass the test!
And I love the good times that you wreck!
And I love your lack of self-respect
While you're passed out on the deck
I love my hands around your neck

I like your pants around your feet
And I like the dirt that's on your knees
And I like the way you still say please
While you're looking up at me
You're like my favorite damn disease

And I hate the places that we go!
And I hate the people that you know!
And I hate the way you can't say no
Too many long lines in a row!
I hate the powder on your nose!

The final notes sounded from the speakers and I opened my eyes to a cheering crowd. I stood there, on the stage, breathing heavily and laughing. I couldn't believe it. I had never sung that song in public before, but they absolutely loved it! I scrambled back to Suki and gave her another CD. I spent the next three and a half hours singing for everyone, and let me tell you, I loved every minute of it. I walked off the stage and went to get some food. I sat with Sango, at a table in the corner just chatting happily with her. We sat there for about an hour, Sango telling me how wonderfully I had sung. Eventually, I felt someone walk up behind me and kiss the back of my head. I twisted around and saw Sesshomaru standing behind me, his mask securely in place. I stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He nodded his head in acknowledgement and patted my head in affection.

"I have one more song I want to sing, Sesshou," I whispered to him, "And this time it's for you!"

Sesshomaru nodded and I dashed back onto the stage. The people in the bar immediately quieted down and stared at me. I didn't mind it by now, but I could see the possessiveness in Sesshomaru's eyes. I giggled at went over to Suki, handing her a CD. I smiled at her and told her which number to switch to and she did so gladly, eagerly awaiting my next song. I stepped out into the middle of the stage and took the mic in my hands. I smiled at the group around me.

"So tonight I've been singing upbeat songs," I said, "But the last song I'm going to sing is going to be a bit slow, and a bit sappy. But that's only because it's for my Sesshou. Don't worry, there won't be too many of these."

There were some chuckles from the crowd and I looked back at Suki and she cued in the music. I stood on the stage and let the music wash over me. I closed my eyes and slowly began to sway to the music, letting the rhythm take over and then I opened my eyes, locking my azure blue orbs with his golden ones.

((A/N- This song is "Come What May" from the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack, and I don't own it!))

Never knew
I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Everyday I love you more and more

Listen to my heart
Can you hear it sing?
Telling me to give you everything!
Seasons may change
Winter to spring
But I love you
Until the end of time

Come what may!
Come what may!
I will love you!
Until my dying day!

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around you

And there's no mountain too high
No river too wide
Sing out this song
And I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather
And stars may collide
But I love you
I love you
Until the end
Until the end of time

Come what may!
Come what may!
I will love you!
Until my dying day!
Oh come what may!
Come what may!
I will love… you.
Oh I will love you.

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place

(Come what may!)
Come what may!
(Come what may!)
Come what may!
(Come what may!)
I will love you!
Until my dying day!

The shouts and cheers from the people around me didn't matter. All that mattered was the love that shone in Sesshomaru's eyes. I jumped off the stage and into his awaiting arms. I hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. I looked over at Sango to find her smiling at the two of us. I released Sesshomaru and sat down at the table. He sat down next to me and watched as me and Sango chatted. Soon, Take walked over and beamed widely at me.

"That was a wonderful first day! Don't you think, Kagome-sama?" Take asked.

"Oh it was!" I gushed, "I loved it! Arigatou!"

"No need to thank me! You were brilliant!" Take complimented.

I blushed and thanked him again. It really was wonderful. I couldn't be happier. After about thirty more minutes of talking, Sesshomaru deemed it time to go home. I walked out of the bar with Sesshomaru and Sango. I hugged Sango and watched as she got into her car and drove off, leaving me and Sesshomaru alone. He smiled at me and took my hand, steering me to his car. He opened the passenger side door for me and I clambered in the car. I watched as he walked to the other side of the car and got in. He shut the door and started the engine, driving off. We sat in silence for a few moments, before he chose to speak.

"You have to take the next few nights off," he said, "You can sing in the afternoon, but at night, you're mine."

"Nani?" I asked, looking over at him.

"The courting ceremony, Kagome," he glanced at me, "Remember?"

"Oh yes! Of course!" I gushed, nodding my head.

"Good. Now, tomorrow morning is when you'll start your training," he stated.

"T-training!" I sputtered, "For what!"

"You're a youkai now, Kags, I can't have you unable to protect yourself," he said.

"But what about my miko powers?" I asked.

"You can still use them, yes," he waved it off, "But if you don't have the proper training and try to use your powers, you could purify yourself. The pure youki of your miko powers will clash with the dark youki of your youkai powers and the pure youki will when and you'll destroy yourself."

"Kuso…" I muttered, "That sucks."

"Hai," he nodded, "And I'd rather not have my future mate destroy herself simply because she refuses to train. You will train with me in the mornings; go to work in the afternoons and come home to finish the courting ceremony, is that understood?"

I grumbled, "Hai, Sesshomaru-sama."

Sesshomaru threw me a rare smile, his fangs showing through his mouth, "Good. That's what I wanted to hear."

I giggled slightly and hit Sesshomaru lightly on the arm. He growled playfully and shot me a look that clearly said, 'you're-so-going-to-get-it'. I laughed and shook my head. He pulled into his driveway and before he had turned the car off, I had flung open the door and ran into the house. I could hear him chuckling. I raced forward, apologizing every time I almost ran into someone. I opened the door to the gardens and ran out into the gardens. I could hear him behind me, catching up to me. I laughed again and put on a burst of speed. I ran towards the hot springs and, not caring that I was still in my clothes, jumped into the water, hoping to cover my scent. I took in a deep breath and dunked under the water. I opened my eyes and was surprised when the water didn't scald my eyes. Doing a little under-water victory dance, I swam onto the other side of the hot springs and came up to get air. I saw a pair of feet on the bank. A pair of feet that looked oddly familiar… I gulped and slowly looked up into the face of a smirking Sesshomaru.

"If you wanted to take a bath with me, Kagome," he said, smirking, "You only had to say it and I would've gladly done so."

"You… you… You hentai!" I shrieked, climbing out of the spring.

He chuckled and picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder. I cried out in surprise and started beating his back with my fists, "Put me down!"

"Iie," Sesshomaru said simply, "You're coming with me."

I sighed and complied to his will, knowing I wouldn't get put down until he wanted me to. He began walking back towards the direction of the dojo that I had found that afternoon. I shrugged my shoulders slightly. I heard him open the doors to the dojo and he set me gently on the ground. I looked around, yep, it was the same one. He stood next to me, looking at me like I was supposed to do something.

"What am I suppose to do?" I asked.

"Pick a sword," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh…"

I walked over to the swords and looked through them once more. The sword that I had picked up earlier seemed to call to me and I touched the hilt of the sword. There was that electricity again. I shivered slightly and grabbed the sword with my hand, pulling it away from the rest of the swords. I stared at it and held it tightly in both of my hands. After a few moments, I turned back to Sesshomaru, the sword still in my hands.

"I want this one! I want Tenshi!" I said childishly.

Sesshomaru just stared at me. He didn't move, didn't say anything, and just gaped at me. I slowly lowered the sword and stared quizzically at him. What was so bad about Tenshi?

"Is something wrong with Tenshi?" I asked sadly, "Can I not have her?"

"You named the sword?" Sesshomaru asked.

"No! That's silly!" I laughed, "She told me her name was Tenshi!"

"The sword talks to you?" Sesshomaru asked, his eyes wide.

"Well, yeah," I said slowly, "But how is that weird? Tokijin talks to you."

"Hai, but… 'Tenshi' hasn't talked to anyone since my grandmother died. She's been dormant for almost 800 years," Sesshomaru said.

"So what?" I asked, puzzled.

"Nothing, nevermind," Sesshomaru shook his head, "So tomorrow you'll use Tenshi."

I beamed widely at him and put Tenshi back with the rest of the swords. He smiled at me and held his hand out, taking my small hand in his own. We walked, hand in hand, back to the castle. By now, the entire youkai society knew that Sesshomaru was courting me. I didn't really have a big title to my name, but no one seemed to mind, and I was thankful for that. I didn't want to be thought less of just because I was a human before I was asked to be courted by Sesshomaru. I smiled to myself and hummed softly. I felt Sesshomaru's eyes on me and looked up at him, still smiling and humming. He smiled and shook his head at my antics. I only giggled and tightened my hold on his hand. We walked into the castle and up to Sesshomaru's room. When we got into his room, I stopped.

"Oh no!" I cried.

"What's wrong?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I don't have any clothes!" I whined, "And I don't want to wear your clothes again!"

"Why not? You look good in my clothes!" Sesshomaru protested, and I glared at him, "Oh stop whining. I went over and picked your things up at your apartment with Sango and brought them here."

"You did WHAT!" I shrieked.

"I got all your things and brought them here," Sesshomaru said slowly.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because you're living here with me," Sesshomaru stated, "Now go, get changed. Your clothes are in the oak dresser."

I only glared at him and stomped over to the dresser. I opened up the top drawer and pulled out a new pair of underwear. I closed the drawer and opened a second one and pulled out silk PJ bottoms and a matching tank-top shirt. Sesshomaru's eyes watched me as I walked to the bathroom and I 'humphed', flipping my hair over my shoulder. I heard Sesshomaru chuckle and I shut the bathroom door. I slowly changed into my PJs and just stared at my reflection. I still couldn't believe I was a youkai. Ever since I had heard stories about them, I had wanted to be one, and now, here I was, a youkai. I giggled and pulled my hair into a pony-tail. I opened the door and walked out of the bathroom, only to find the lights off and Sesshomaru already in bed. I smiled softly and walked over to the bed, getting in next to Sesshomaru. He growled in content and wrapped his arms around me. I giggled and snuggled against his chest.

"Mmm… Night Sesshou," I whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too, Kagome," he said, "Goodnight, sweet dreams."

I sighed in content and snuggled against Sesshomaru some more. I felt him kiss the top of my head and I slowly drifted asleep, my thoughts on Sesshomaru and what the 3rd day of the courting ceremony would bring.