The Next Morning

The next morning arrived too quickly for one Yusuke Urameshi as a knock was heard on the door. Muttering and simply rolling over was Yusuke's only response to the intrusion.

Sighing and shaking his head Kurama looked out across the room at the two sleeping humans of the group as he stood next to Hiei on the balcony. Silently entering and walking across the room he answered the continued knocking. He opened the door to meet the top of a purple haired head bowing to him.

"Good morning sir, I was told by my lady to collect you and your companions. You are to accompany me down to the dining hall where you will be served breakfast and meet the Lady."

"Very well, please wait here."

"Yes sir, but know that you only have twenty minutes to get ready I'm afraid."

Kurama simply nodded to the demon who had been told to summon them as he reentered the room, closing the door behind him. He looked across at the two boys who were still asleep even though he and Hiei had both been awake since the sun had risen over the horizon two hours ago.

"Kuwabara. Yusuke. Wake up, you have only a short time to prepare yourselves for breakfast," Kurama sighed as he shook the two boys awake.

"Alright, alright I'm up," Kuwabara sighed and then proceeded to yawn. "Hmm? Why isn't Yusuke up yet?" He asked pointed to the still sleeping boy.

"He has not awaken yet Kuwabara," Kurama replied as he was about to shake Yusuke again.

"No wait, let me do," Kuwabara suggested as he snuck over to Yusuke's bed and leaned down near his ear. "Pssss, Urameshi. Come on Urameshi, wake up!!"

And that's all that Yusuke heard right before he had his covers torn off and was unceremoniously thrown to the cold floor.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!?" Yusuke asked as he jumped up off the floor to face Kuwabara.

"Yusuke, it is time to get ready for breakfast. We will be meeting the Lady as well," Kurama explained to the miffed Yusuke.

"Yeah, whatever," Yusuke said as he pulled out his over clothes for the day.

Kuwabara simply rolled his eyes and began to root through his trunk to find his clothes for the day. The two boys then headed into the hot springs room to get ready for the day. Yusuke hurried to the shower first while Kuwabara went into the powder room to brush his teeth and take care of business before they switched.

Fifteen minutes later both boys were now awake and dressed for the day. They all hung around in the room until they heard the soft knock of the servant returning.

Dining Hall

After leading the detectives down to the dining hall the servant left them there to find their seats at the massive oak table that extended it's self across the large room. The room was large enough to hold a stadium according to Yusuke, which Kuwabara could only agree with.

"Come, hurry now and eat up before it gets cold," they heard a familiar, songlike voice call out to them across the hall. Glancing down to the middle of the table they found a woman sitting there.

Walking in that direction the boys got a good look at the woman as they came closer to her. She had long black hair which was streaked with highlights of royal blue, gold, red, and a bit of silver. On her forehead she possessed the symbol of a blue crescent moon with a pink circle surrounding it. Graced upon her cheeks were two silver lines of color and above her silver and blue eyes, her eye lids were a faint silvery baby blue. The kimono that she wore was traditional and silver in color. There were silver designs of a river embroidered though out the silk and the kimono was held in place with a baby blue sash.

"Good morning you four," the woman replied as she gestured for them to sit. "Please, eat your fill and then I will take you all on a tour of the castle and inform you of your duties and rights while you are here."

Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei all inclined their heads slightly as they sat across the table from the woman. But Yusuke remained staring.

"What's the matter Yusuke? Your brain finally die," Kuwabara snorted as he looked over his shoulder at the stone-still detective. But Yusuke was busy with something else at that point in time.

"Kagome?...Is that you?" Yusuke questioned as he stared at the woman before him.

"Kagome? You mean that girl that you bumped into the other day, Urameshi?"

"Good morning Yusuke, I can see that you are as observant as ever," Kagome replied with a slight glare on her face.

"Don't give me that crap. Just tell me what the hell you are doing here," Yusuke snapped as he pointed his finger at Kagome. "And since when does my baby cousine know about demons, let alone work for them? Hmm?"

"Oh hush Yusuke, it is far too early in the morning for your theatrics," Kagome replied while waving Yusuke off and causing him to turn red with anger. This caused Kuwabara to snort and Kurama and Hiei to simply smirk at the slighted young man. "Now sit down and eat so that I can give you the tour of the castle before Sesshomaru gets back."

"NOT UNTIL YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION!"

Suddenly Yusuke found himself in a very interesting situation. Here he was standing in the middle of the dining hall and all of the sudden he had a sword up against his neck. "You will not speak to Lady Kagome in such a manner."

Kagome quickly jumped up over the table and gently moved the hand that was holding the sword to Yusuke's throat down. "Ha, release him. He is simply my idiot cousin, so nothing to worry about."

"Yes my Lady," the now revealed guard bowed. He appeared to be an artic dog demon with powder blue, sliver hair. "I apologize my Lady, as your guard I simply found it unacceptable how he was acting towards you."

"No apology necessary Ha, maybe he will learn to be more respectful in the future," Kagome grinned up to the demon. "And now that you know he is my cousin you don't have to worry about calling me Kagome around him and his comrades, okay?"

The dog demon simply gave a small smile before replying, "Of course Kagome." And with that he walked back out of the hall, though hardly out of sight or ear of Kagome.

Kagome turned back to the table to find four figures standing and looking at her. "Umm, guys why aren't you eating anymore. Come on I want you to finish breakfast so that I can show you around. Guys?"

"My Lady," was all that Kurama said as he bowed and Hiei did a stiff, quick nod of his head.

The woman laughed and waved a hand at them, "Is that what you were all stiff and standing about? There is no need for worries or formalities. Call me Kagome when we are in private. Only use formalities when it is required, they make me feel old," she added with a small giggle.

The others could only look at the woman standing before them, and could only conclude that she was anything but old.

That's when something in Yusuke seemed to regain his senses but still could not make any sense of the situation. "What? What's going on here? And why are you acting like a Lady? How the hell do you know of Makai?" Yusuke asked with his mouth hanging half open.

"I'm not acting like anything Yusuke, I am the Lady of Makai, and I have known of Makai far longer than you have. Now, what do you say about finishing, or in your case getting, some breakfast?" Kagome said while gesturing at the awaiting cushions.

"Thank you, My L—Kagome," Kurama replied and seated himself, as well as the others after she sat down.

After Breakfast

"I should get the tour over with now," Kagome sighed. "Come on," she declared as she stood up and ventured toward the entrance hall.

"Wow Urameshi, why didn't you tell us that your cousine was that important?" Kuwabara asked after they had all stood and followed.

"I didn't know stupid, I still don't know how it happened," Yusuke growled.

The Tour

"Alright now, this is the main meeting room," Kagome told all of the Detectives as she opened a door right off of the main entrance. This room was smaller than the dining hall but still was at least three stories high and twice as long as an American football stadium.

"Now, if you follow me I will show you the wing that the Lords and Ladies will be rooming in while they are here. They are in the North Wing, while Sesshomaru and I are in the West. You and all of the servants stay in the East," Kagome explained as they headed down the hallway leading to the North Wing.

The arrival of the Lord of Makai

"Well, those are that's the wing where the Lords and Ladies will be spending most of their time here, well at least the Ladies. The Lords will be in meetings for the majority of the time. But I showed you all of the areas they will be allowed in inside the castle," Kagome sighed at the end of the tour. "Other than that they are allowed to roam the majority of the gardens around the castle at their leisure as well as the library, which you saw at the beginning of the North Wing."

"What about the guards' area and the training grounds?" Hiei questioned. He would never admit it but he knew that the Lord of Makai had a powerful army and he wished to see where and possibly how they trained.

"That will be shown to you later," was all Kagome provided. "Now come on I'll take you back to the entrance hallway so that you can go back to your rooms and prepare for the lords and ladies' arrivals." The detectives all followed Kagome as she lead them through the castle. She was humming softly to herself and had all the males following her fascinated before they saw a silver blur go by.

"Kagome," a deep mono-tone voice stated as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist and shoulders.

The Spirit Detectives all prepared to attack whatever the silver blur was before they hear Kagome exclaim, "Sess!" They all watched as she turned around in the man's arms to give him a hug and a quick peck on the cheek.

The boys couldn't help but think that the tall man looked remarkable familiar to the one that had been with Kagome before. Except that he now had facial markings, silver hair, claws, and a fluffy tail. They could only assume that the man before them was none other than Kagome's mate and the Lord of Makai.

"How was your trip? How is Shippo doing? Is Inu-Yasha coming?" Kagome asked as she bounced in the man's arms, causing the boys to break out of their current thoughts.

As they watched the feared Lord of Makai did something that none of the Detectives would have expected, he laughed, not a large laugh, but a heartfelt chuckle. Still despite that they all couldn't help the shiver that went down their spines. After all, they all knew the stories of the man before them.

"Slow down love, my trip was fine. Yes, Shippo and his family are as healthy as ever. And yes, both Inu-Yasha and Kikyo will be coming to the meeting. Does that satisfy all of your curiosity?" Sesshomaru said with a small smile on his face.

Kagome put her finger up to her chin for a moment thinking before she nodded. It was only after that that Sesshomaru turned to the Spirit Detectives standing before him.

"I suppose these are the ones sent from Koenma?"

"Yup, and the one in jeans and the green jacket is Yusuke. Remember the cousin I told you about?"

"Ah yes, the great Urameshi," Sesshomaru replied as he did a stiff, small head bob bow to each of the detectives.