TITLE: Cursed Twins

AUTHOR: InuYoukaiAki

DISCLAIMER: I do not own InuYasha and Co.

Author's Notes: Hey there! Here's chapter 19. I hope you like this one. I'm not sure when the next chapter will come out but I'll try by to upload it next week. But be warned, I'm not promising anything since I'm not yet even half way through. Be patient with me. I am pretty busy. But I promise to finish this story! I swear! Well, enjoy! R&R! Thank you so much for the reviews! And I really really really appreciate my beta! As in REALLY! He he he…

Chapter 19: Merging of Ki

"Stop squirming, Kagome," Sango admonished.

It was the morning of the pre-mating ritual. Kagome woke up very early to Sango and Kikyou's insistent shaking. They had bathed early before locking themselves in Kagome's chambers. Apparently, Sesshoumaru was not allowed to see her before the ritual. The ritual would start in the afternoon and thus the royalties of the taiyoukai population would start arriving just after luncheon.

Kagome almost jumped when she heard a knock on her door. Kikyou cautiously approached the shoji before sliding it a little to look outside. Seeing that it was Kagome's lady-in-waiting, she opened it all the way and let the bowing youkai in.

"Hello, Hitomi," Kagome greeted the blue-haired youkai with a charming smile and light blue eyes. She smiled at the girl who smiled back at her.

"You're looking lovely, Lady," she said as she busied herself preparing Kagome's attire for the ritual. Sesshoumaru and InuTaisho had introduced Hitomi to her yesterday. She was the one who was to assist her in all her needs. She had instantly taken to her with her sweet smile and honest eyes.

Kagome had walked with her after dinner in the gardens. Hitomi was shy at first but with Kagome's sunny attitude and warm smiles, the girl had become comfortable with her. Soon, she had stayed with her in her chambers with Sango and Kikyou.

"She would look better if she stopped squirming while I arrange her hair," Sango said, irritated. "It's difficult as it is, Kagome."

"I can't," Kagome said with a groan. "My insides are twisted so much."

Kikyou moved to Kagome's side and began stroking her hair. "Relax, Kagome," she said in a cool soft tone. "Sesshoumaru would take care of you."

Kagome began to relax. "I don't know if what I would give him is appropriate," she sighed. "But I just can't think of anything else."

"I assure you, Lady," Hitomi said calmly. "It is quite appropriate."

"You think?" she asked, her insecurity evident. "How will the other taiyoukai react to me? I'm human!"

Hitomi began arranging Kagome's hair with expertise. "If you were an ordinary human, you'd be dead in a second," she said easily. "But you are the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. You were able to travel to the future. And by now, you and your power are known throughout the land."

"And the fact that you are Sesshoumaru's mate-to-be brings you to a much higher status," Sango said, letting Hitomi take over her work. "After all, you are under the protection of the strongest and longest line of Taiyoukai clans. You are practically untouchable!"

Kagome sighed and nodded. "I can do this," she breathed.

The three smiled at each other and began their fussing over Kagome.

- - -

InuTaisho looked from the corner of his eye as Sesshoumaru approached him. He was at the hall where the pre-mating ritual would take place. Every thing was going smoothly and he was quite satisfied. His eldest son stopped beside him and looked around the decorated chamber with a bored expression.

"So," InuTaisho broke the silence. "What do you think?"

Sesshoumaru looked at him. "Mother would be proud," he said.

Whatever he was expecting to hear from his son, this was definitely not one of them. He cleared his throat as a lump formed, unbidden. "Are you ready?" he asked, changing the topic.

He saw Sesshoumaru nod. There was a momentary silence before the mate-to-be finally decided to tell him what it was he wanted to talk about. He opened his palm to reveal a small round platinum pendant with a red stone at the middle. "Do you recognize this, father?" he asked tentatively.

InuTaisho looked at the object and his brows furrowed. "It is an heirloom of your mother's family," he said.

"Before mother died," Sesshoumaru started, not entirely comfortable with speaking his mind. He was also not used to asking others for information. "She told me that I should give this to my mate."

"And so you have decided that this would be an appropriate token for Kagome," he said. He noticed the worry in Sesshoumaru's eyes. "What is bothering you?"

For a moment, Sesshoumaru hesitated. "Yesterday, I spilt my blood on the pendant," he started. "The stone absorbed it."

"I am not sure of the nature of the pendant," InuTaisho said. "But I think your mother had a good reason for asking you to give this to your mate-to-be."

Sesshoumaru nodded and left his father alone.

- - -

Kagome looked at herself in the mirror and blushed. She had never seen this kind of kimono in this era before. It was pure white with blue flames decorating the hems and paired with a dark blue obi. It was really beautiful if it weren't for the fact that the neckline dipped way too low for her comfort. She eyed the ample amount of cleavage being revealed. She blushed as she saw how much the kimono was revealing. Slowly, she walked around and nearly groaned as she noticed for the umpteenth time how the kimono revealed her long legs every time she takes a step.

"And I thought people in this era are conservative," she muttered under her breath. The ridiculous kimono was revealing more than what her former green uniform revealed. And that was saying a lot.

Hitomi giggled. "Lady Kagome, youkai, especially taiyoukai are not the most modest of species," she said.

"They tend to flaunt their assets," Sango said nodding.

"And I must say, Lady," Hitomi said in contemplation. "You do look great. I'm quite sure you will create a stir in the youkai court."

Kagome blushed and looked herself critically in the mirror. The kimono was too revealing for her taste but there was nothing she could do. Sesshoumaru had been the one to choose it for her since he was the Lord of the West and her mate-to-be. She looked at the intricate loops of her hair courtesy of Hitomi with the help of Sango and Kikyou. For the life of her, she could not really see how they were able to make her hair look like that. There were many braided strands that were used to form the many loops just behind her head. Then the strands that were not braided were curled at the edges. A flower-shaped crystal was used to hold everything up.

All in all, she looked really regal. "I wonder how you were able to make this crystal flower hold all this hair up," she said in amusement as she looked at her companions. She giggled but immediately stiffened as she heard the sound of a horn being blown. It was the signal that the guests were already arriving.

Kagome began to fidget nervously. "Oh no," she breathed as panic began to consume her. She was so nervous that she began to pace, clutching the token she would give Sesshoumaru later.

"Now, Kagome," Kikyou said soothingly. She went to her twin and led her towards the futon. "You should relax. Sesshoumaru would not let anything happen to you."

Kagome breathed deeply. "I know that," she said, her eyes misting. "But I'm scared. What if I do something wrong?"

Sango shook her head. "No, you wont," she said smiling. "So just calm down. Inuyasha, Yoji, Kenji and InuTaisho would be here any moment. They would escort you to the hall."

She nodded resolutely and allowed the three to fuss over her. Soon, they heard InuTaisho call out to her.

She nodded at them and bowed her head. Kagome heard the shoji slide open and took a deep breath. Her head had remained bowed that she was not able to see the stunned looks on Inuyasha, Kenji and Yoji as their eyes scanned the length of her. InuTaisho looked proud and a fond smile was on his lips as he noticed the blush staining her cheeks.

"You look lovely, little one," InuTaisho said as he went over to her. He positioned himself on her right side and Inuyasha went to her left. The twins stood behind them.

As she reluctantly looked up, she noticed that InuTaisho was wearing midnight blue attire with a crescent moon adorning the back. Inuyasha was wearing white with a black crescent moon. Yoji and Kenji were wearing identical dark green attire with back-to-back crescent moons at the back. She smiled nervously at them as she allowed them to escort her to the hall.

- - -

Sesshoumaru stood at the audience chamber. It was decorated lavishly for the ritual. He watched as the members of the youkai court began to arrive. He nodded at each of them as they presented themselves.

He waited until the three other ruling taiyoukai went over to him. Lord Shitare, Lord Onoshi and Lord Kigami approached him.

"Finally, the Lord Sesshoumaru has found someone to mate," Lord Shitare of the south proclaimed in a booming voice. "And we have heard quite a lot about this young miko."

"Yes, a very powerful miko who was born when darkness reigned the land," Lord Kigami quoted from the prophecy. "Tell me, Lord Sesshoumaru, how did you find such a rare creature? And let us not forget the treasure in her care."

"Ah, yes," Lord Onoshi said. "The Shikon no Tama."

Sesshoumaru was quite surprised that the three lords who usually never paid attention to the ningen population had heard of Kagome and the unusual circumstance of her birth.

"I wonder if Kimiko would make an appearance today," Lord Shitare commented with a sidelong glance towards Sesshoumaru who did not indicate any reaction. "I assume you invited her?"

Sesshoumaru looked blankly at his closest ally as he mentioned the name of the "most sought-after" demoness. They had been expecting him to give in to Kimiko's attentions, since said demoness had always been vocal with her interest in him. And yet, he had not given them any reason to believe that he was interested in her.

"It is only proper that Kimiko and her family are invited," he said levelly. "They are part of the court."

Lord Onoshi nodded with a spark in his eyes. "This would be interesting indeed," he said jovially, much to Sesshoumaru's chagrin.

He would not let Kimiko ruin this occasion. After all, Kimiko is known for her not-so pleasant attitude. She is much too spoiled and self-centered. Sesshoumaru almost hoped that Kimiko would throw a fit when the invitation arrived and just refuse to attend the ritual.

His musings were interrupted when a hush descended the room. He knew the guests had felt it, the aura of a miko escorted by three demons and a hanyou. They were approaching the door to the audience room. He knew the exact moment when they stopped just beyond the door.

Time seemed to have stopped as the door opened. Inuyasha and InuTaisho parted to reveal Kagome, clad in the Kimono he had chosen. Her head was bowed and her hands were hidden in her sleeves. The kimono revealed her smooth creamy skin, which glowed healthily. All evidences of the recent encounter with Naraku were already gone. She was really a sight to behold.

As she slowly went forward with her four escorts, Sesshoumaru noticed that every time she took a step, one of her long shapely legs were exposed. His eyes bled red as he saw how the different male youkai in the court were looking hungrily at his mate-to-be. Without another thought, he moved forward until they met in the middle of the chamber. Different youkai of varying strength were present and yet his senses seemed to have blocked all of them when Kagome stopped in front of him less than an arm's length away. He was very aware of her scent and presence.

Sesshoumaru offered Kagome her hand and watched as she looked up to him with a soft blush on her cheeks. She placed her smaller hand in his, and smiled. She looked even more beautiful with the vulnerability evident in her eyes and yet she gave him a radiant trusting smile. She communicated her complete trust and faith in him in that small gesture and he felt honored.

He looked around the room before turning to face the three other lords. "I present to you, Lady Kagome of the Western Lands," he said levelly.

Kagome bowed regally to the three lords and he watched as the three did the same. Suddenly, the spell was broken and murmurs around the crowd erupted.

The music started to play and Sesshoumaru deftly pulled Kagome close to him. He could feel her lithe form sway in time with the music, her body molding with his in a slow sensual dance. He could smell her refreshing scent and feel her tremble in his arms. "Beautiful," he whispered in her ear. A slight shiver ran through her body.

"Thank you," she whispered shyly.

He whirled her around the chamber, making sure that every member of the court caught a glimpse of her, as was custom. Sesshoumaru, despite of himself, could not stop the feelings starting to bloom inside him. He was actually enjoying himself.

- - -

Kagome's mind reeled. The aura of all the strong demons seemed to be pressing down on her. The moment they opened the door, she wanted to turn around and run as far away from them as possible. She felt some hostile presence while the others were merely curious. But she stopped herself and willed herself to relax. It would not do for her to lose control. She must not let Sesshoumaru down.

As she walked towards Sesshoumaru, she felt herself relax as his strong and reassuring presence washed over her. And he looked so perfect in his pristine white clothing with the same blue flames decorating the hems. He was really a sight to behold. And when her body made contact with his, she was drowned inside his amber eyes and strong arms.

Kagome had relaxed completely once she was in Sesshoumaru's arms. She had allowed him to lead her around the room, dancing gracefully. And she had loved every minute of it.

When the music ended, Kagome found herself once again in the middle of the room. She kept her attention solely on Sesshoumaru since she did not want to see the disgusted expression on the other youkai's faces. Sesshoumaru took a step back away from her and she did the same.

Sesshoumaru inclined his head briefly. She watched his long silver hair fall against his shoulder gracefully. She sighed dreamily. Every movement he made was perfect. Her eyes went back to his amber eyes. They were looking intensely at her. Kagome felt so self-conscious and yet she could not bring herself to look away. It was as if he was holding her merely by looking at her.

Kagome smiled wryly. Boy, did she have it bad. Sure, he was good looking. Okay, maybe that's an understatement. Sesshoumaru is perfect, well, except in the emotional arena. She sighed again. It was then that she noticed his outstretched hand. She looked curiously at the appendage and saw a necklace with a platinum pendant on his palm. Her eyes traveled back to his face. His intense look made her step forward until he was able to clasp the necklace behind her neck.

She then took the token she had asked Totousai to forge for her yesterday. It was a simple ring formed by a dragon made of silver. It was biting its tale, forming the ring. It had deep red eyes made of her crystallized blood. Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru, asking without words if she should slip it through his finger. With a slight nod from Sesshoumaru, she slipped the ring on Sesshoumaru's ring finger. The moment the ring slid into place, Kagome felt the pendant against her breast beating in time to her heartbeat. Her hand unconsciously closed around it.

Her curiosity grew when he noticed the eyes of the dragon glowing. The audible gasps from the audience made it clear that this was something unexpected. Kagome clutched at the pendant, fear evident in her eyes as she felt her power beginning to swirl around her and Sesshoumaru. "Move away," she half-begged to Sesshoumaru. "I don't want to hurt you."

Sesshoumaru moved closer. "You're not hurting me," he said levelly.

Kagome looked around and noticed that the other youkai had moved farther away in fear. She also noticed that the swirl of power was not only her own but also Sesshoumaru's. It was as if their powers were engaged in a dance only known to them. Slowly, the two distinct auras combined to form a single unique one. And then it stopped at the same time that the unusual behavior of their tokens stopped.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Kagome asked breathlessly.

"Incredible," Lord Shitare exclaimed from the crowd. "The merging of two ki was rumored to have happened before but nobody had really been able to testify the truth in this! I have never believed it until now."

InuTaisho approached Sesshoumaru and Kagome. "Now I remember that particular heirloom," he said seriously. "It was supposed to tie the life of the recipient to the one who had allowed its blood to be absorbed by the stone. And yet the merging of ki was not supposed to happen unless…"

"Unless what?" Kagome asked breathlessly.

The older demon looked at Kagome seriously. "Unless the recipient had made a similar stone made of her blood and gave it back to the other," he said.

Kagome looked at the ring that Sesshoumaru was wearing. "Is that a bad thing?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oh no, Lady Kagome," Lord Kigami said. "You see, the merging of ki is very rare. It was so rare that it was believed to be merely a myth. This is more intimate than merely mating, more powerful. But nobody is entirely sure of what it could really do since it's been lost very long ago."

"And the fact that it had happened between two individuals of entirely different races is even more rare," Lord Onoshi said. "Today is really a very interesting day indeed."

She looked up at Sesshoumaru and saw him paying close attention to the conversation. "Could this be undone?" he asked.

Kagome felt the words cut her deeply. Sesshoumaru wanted it to be undone. Does he hate her for trapping him like this? She swallowed an involuntary lump in her throat and pushed back her tears. She should be strong. There will be much time for her to cry when she is with Sango, Kikyou and Hitomi. But not in front of Sesshoumaru's court. She should not embarrass him.

"We have not heard of a way to undo this," InuTaisho said.

"Hn," Sesshoumaru said noncommittally, his expression as unreadable as ever.

Kagome felt her heart plummet lower to the ground. She was so engrossed, wallowing in her own self-pity that she had not paid enough attention to her surroundings, until she felt a flare a hostile aura from the entrance. She looked up to see a tall regal youkai with perfect blonde hair, a face arranged with immaculate symmetry and ample bosoms.

The said youkai was glaring daggers at her.

"Die, insolent ningen!" she yelled, as she became a blur, coming towards Kagome with the speed born to a youkai.

End chapter