Hey everybody!!! How are you?! I'm sorry for the delay in the updates, but like I've told some people already, I'm really busy during the winter holiday breaks. Sorry. Well, I hope you enjoy this next chapter as much as it gave me a headache!!!

Last Time on Ai Youkai… She smiled wickedly at him and placed a chaste kiss upon his lips.

"It is nice to court you Sesshy-sama"

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To say that the ever proud and powerful Lord Sesshomaru was stunned was an understatement, and a big one at that. Part of him was pissed that she managed to pull this off and seemingly put a spell on him while the other part was surprisingly amazed and happy that she did. Of course the pissed part was larger, for the moment she finished her little ceremony his eyes turned red and he dropped her from the side of the cloud.

Yoru's eyes widened in fear as the inu lord hurled her off the cloud into the air. She was falling, and falling fast. The ground was quickly coming into closer perspective and that was a bad sign meaning that she was in for a big and painful impact. She wouldn't die because she was now a demon but she was sure to have a few broken ribs and what not. Yoru's eyes narrowed and she braced herself for the landing when out of no where she heard a masculine voice.

'Yoru, my child, open your eyes.' it commanded, so she obeyed. The ground was coming closer only an amount of seconds now.

'Focus your demonic energy beneath you in a cloud. Hurry!' it's voice more urgent.

Yoru straightened herself out and forced her ki into a cloud beneath her feet. After what seemed like ages it formed into a glowing gold cloud. Her eyes widened once more but more in amazement this time. The demon that had dropped her waited beneath her on the ground. He looked up at her and glared. So his plans for teaching her a lesson failed, now for plan 'B'.

Yoru growled and brought the cloud down a few meters away from him. She jumped off and closed her eyes focusing on her other side trying to find Kagome.

In Hasuko's head…

"Kagome! Take over! Sesshomaru tried to kill us." Yoru yelled throughout the empty abyss which was their head. She ran about the darkness in search of the light. It seemed like hours but she knew it was only milliseconds in the real world. Yoru sighed and threw herself to the ground, the only thing she was sure was there.

"Kagome… I need you." she muttered under her breath not expecting it to do anything, but it did. Out of no where a blue light appeared from inside her and floated in front of her. It moved back and forth like it was telling it to follow her.

"You… want me to follow you?" she asked uncertain that it was a wise decision. After a few what seemed like minutes of the light bobbing back and forth she shrugged and decided to follow it. It took a while but she was eventually led to a glowing green door. The light disappeared inside of her and she reached out to open the door.

"Kagome…" she called as she pushed it open. She stuck her head inside and there she was. Kagome was asleep on a king sized bed in a field of flowers. Yoru trekked to Kagome's side and sighed. 'So this is her subconscious, huh?' she asked herself.

Yoru crawled onto the bed and shook Kagome's shoulder lightly. The miko let out a soft moan and turned over onto her side.

"Five more minutes Okaa-sama…" she mumbled.

Yoru shook her again and… nothing. She was now irritated and if her miko counterpart did not awaken then she was gonna wake up without her hair in a river of blood! Or so she thought to herself.

"Oi! Kagome! Wake up!" she yelled slapping her on her back. Kagome jolted up and screamed. Yoru covered her ears to spare her the deafening scream and jumped off the bed landing gracefully a good six meters away.

Kagome looked around quickly and let out a breath of relief when she saw Yoru.

"Oh, it's just you. Baka, don't scare me like that." she yelled and pulled herself out of the bed.

"Whatever… Why is your subconscious a field of bloody flowers? They are giving me a head ache!" she hollered back less enthusiastically.

Kagome groaned and trudged over to her counter's side.

"Yeah, yeah, and what is your's like? A sea of blood and gore?" she mused sarcastically.

"Hardly. I like mine to be of a nice waterfall that fills my lotus garden. It is very beautiful and calm compared to your… mess." she snorted.

"Mess?! How in the world is a field of flowers a mess?! It's pretty and it smells good!" she yelled poking at Yoru's chest.

"If you would please refrain from 'poking' my person then I could tell you the reason why I have taken my sweet time coming to you for help-" she was cut off.

"Help? With what? I thought you said you would take care of things so that I wouldn't have to do it myself?!" she threw her arms in the arm in exasperation.

"Well, in order for me to guarantee that our life is almost completely safe around Sesshomaru I enacted the courting ritual with him. It took a bit of flirting and acting… uh… sexy, but it worked. Bad thing is, Sesshomaru recollected himself and is pissed to say the least." she explained backing away from the frighteningly furious miko.

"You did the courting ritual with that Sesshomaru?! Are you serious!? Where is the proof! I want to see it now!" she yelled.

Yoru opened up her kimono to show her the crescent mark and then motioned for Kagome to do the same. Kagome pulled her shirt and looked at her chest and sure enough she had a crescent mark as well.

"Holy…" she started and then looked at Yoru.

"I'm going to kill you one of these days. I'm going to skin you and purify your sorry butt to hell, you got that!?" she yelled attempting to throw herself at the demoness.

Yoru laughed and jumped out of the way.

"Whatever. If you kill me we both die so whatever, but now it's your turn with the demon lord. Bye bye!" she laughed and vanished in a cloud of dust.

End of in Hasuko's head…

Kagome opened her eyes hesitantly and there he was. Right in front of her a few meters away stood a pissed of Inu youkai. His eyes were red and his nails were longer and sharper than usual. Kagome sighed and sat down leaning back on her hands.

"Kami… Yoru just had to do something again. Why is it only me that get's stuck in these embarrassing situations. I know, because if Yoru were the head I'd end up dead or mated to Sesshomaru. Kami, anybody, please help me." she sighed to herself looking up at the sky.

Sesshomaru growled at the female and trotted towards the miko-demon fingers glowing green.

"Submit." he snarled.

Kagome looked at the lord and scoffed.

"You really are full of yourself. What makes you think I should submit to you? Why should I anyways? So you can kill me? Or worse.. Mate me?" she spit defiantly.

The demon lord stopped dead in his tracks and snarled. He didn't scare her like he used to. Before he was the big bad deadly demon lord, but now he was just another male youkai that was now courting her or her mate-to-be. The chance of death by his hands were a little better but who cared, he was still pissed and she was still just an ordinary female. Okay… not ordinary, but you get what I mean.

"Submit or die." he barked.

Kagome sighed and got up to her feet. She looked him in the eye and slowly walked up to him stopping only when she was arms length away from him. She turned her head to the side to show her neck in submission.

"I submit, what now?" she asked coldly.

He craned his neck and sniffed her for a second. He went to her ear and bit it. Kagome jumped a little in pain and surprise, she whimpered. The pain was soothed away by a lick to her ear. She glanced to the side to get a look at him and saw him… smiling? No way, she had to be dreaming it. This was quite odd.

"What are you doing?" she asked refraining from grinning like a mad man.

Sesshomaru pulled away and smirked. His eyes were no longer red and his hands were back to normal.

"Hmff.. You submitted. Good bitch." he stated with a sarcasm laced in there. Now it was Kagome's turn to growl.

"I am not a bitch!"

He smiled and muffled a laugh with his hand.

"I beg to differ. You are an Inu Youkai and as you said my mate-to-be, therefore you are 'my' bitch, ne?"

Kagome gasped and looked at him. Was he serious? She would have thought that he would have killed than admit that she was in technical terms, his bitch.

"Ano… you're okay with that?" she asked blushing.

Sesshomaru shrugged and grabbed her around the waist. Cloud beneath his feet he carried her off into the air. Kagome gaped at the ground quickly distancing itself from them.

"Tell me Ka.. Hakuso, would you prefer I be mad and kill you, or would you rather I accept my unfortunate fate and spare your life." Sesshomaru asked once Kagome had calmed herself and got comfortable.

Kagome looked at him and shrugged.

"I don't know. I would very much like to live but I'm not too happy about being suddenly thrust into a relationship with a powerful Taiyoukai, let alone Lord of the Western Lands. It wasn't even me who enacted the ritual with you, but I still bear your courting mark. Is that really what's supposed to happen? I thought that the courting could only take place if both youkai and their beasts agreed to it?" she questioned. She was not an expert at youkai traditions, but she knew enough to get by.

Sesshomaru raised one of his perfectly shaped silver eyebrows at her and smirked.

"You are a demon and do not know the ritual base?" he asked curious.

"I wasn't a demon until a few hours ago! Give me a break…" she answered back.

Sesshomaru sighed and looked towards the west.

"Before the mating ceremony there is the courting ceremony, much like a minor form of the humans form of engagement. Two demons will place a kiss above their intended's heart and their youkai aura will then merge with the 'kissed' area and form a mark there. The mark will only form if both youkai consent to it. They don't even have to fully consent, it can be just a one percent consentment and it will form-"

"So I don't even have to love you and it will form!? What kind of-"

"Do not interrupt, it is rude."

"Sorry…."

Rolling his eyes Sesshomaru carried on with the lecture. "As this Sesshomaru said before you so humbly interrupted, only one percent of their collective consciousness -demon and beast's thoughts- have to agree to the courting mark and the mark will inevitably form. The only ways to rid yourself from the mark is to whole heartedly reject the giver, to die, the giver dies, or the giver mates someone else."

Kagome's mouth dropped. "That's horrible! To have your fiancé so to speak just dump you and mate someone else! That would kill me, I know it!" she cried tears forming at her eyes.

Sesshomaru smelling tears looked down at his intended. She was going to cry and then that golden orb thing was going to engulf her and he would have to drop her. What a drag… He sighed and brought his right hind to her face. Cupping her cheek her wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"No need to cry Hakuso. That rarely happens between youkai and this Sesshomaru would never steep so low as to mate another female whilst courting. That is the lowest thing a youkai could do." he said while bringing his other arm around her and pulling her into an awkward embrace.

"A-arigatou Sesshomaru." she cried hugging him tightly. She didn't know why he was comforting her but she was happy he was. She didn't know what she would do if he hadn't. She had been put through enough heartbreak already.

"Another thing… if anyone of the opposite sex other than their intended kisses the mark, they along with the one who kissed it will die." he stated emotionlessly. Kagome looked up at him to see if he were joking and gasped when she saw it was true.

"So… If anyone kisses my mark, then they and I will die?" she asked in a nervous voice. She didn't like all these rules and things. She didn't want to die nor did she want anyone else to die. Sure she didn't want to mate Sesshomaru, but she definitely didn't want him to die and she didn't have the guts to deny him. As if reading her thoughts he spoke.

"This Sesshomaru is… sorry you do not wish to be my fiancé, but he will not deny you. You are my mate-to-be and my mate you will become."

Kagome's eyes widened. So he wanted to become her mate? She was getting so confused and without her inner demon to translate thoughts and things she was lost. Where was Yoru when she needed her? Sleeping probably….

"What do you mean and how did you know what I was thinking?" she asked with little swirls forming at her eyes. She was dizzy and confused.

"This Sesshomaru means, he refuse to break this bond and will take you as his mate when the time comes. He is inu and inu do not break promises even if they are forced to make them. It is their youkai honor and honor they must have or become one of the rogue mad youkai that kill without reason. It is the way youkai work. You would probably not become mad since you were previously human, but had you been born youkai it would be the same for you."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, without honor people become blood thirsty fools without brains. Do you understand?" he asked becoming aggravated with his intended's slowness.

"A little, but that still doesn't explain how you were able to read my thoughts." she said leaning into the embrace for support. She was getting a migraine from all the thinking.

Sesshomaru sighed inwardly and cursed himself for not being able to deny her. She was slow, ignorant, arrogant, loud, emotional, beautiful, and- Wait! Where did that come from. Groaning aloud he forced his previous thoughts aside and brought himself back to the sad thing she would call a conversation.

'It's another effect of the bond. This Sesshomaru can not hear your thoughts, not that you would be thinking anything worth my while. The bond allows the courting couple to feel each others emotions, from those emotions I just merely guessed what you were thinking."

Kagome ohhed and looked away. If it was true that they could feel each others emotions then how come she couldn't feel any of his? Oh, right. He was the ice prince… how could she have forgotten that.

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The rest of the trip went on in silence, which nearly drove poor Kagome insane, but she survived somehow.

Upon landing they were greeted by a line of bowing servants and a loud gong bonger. (lolz) Kagome's eyes widened when she entered the palace. It was huge! And not to mention very traditional. The center building was three stories high and as many as 300 cubic meters long. Around the center building were several other one story buildings that branched out. They were so elegant. Kagome stood there staring at the new place she supposed she would call home. She was just, awestruck.

"Welcome back My Lord. I presume things went well?" asked a maid which looked around fifty. Her hair was up in a neat bun and she wore a light blue yukata and lavender obi.

"Un. This is Lady Hasuko of the Fire Lotus Clan, you will treat her with utmost respect. She is my ma… mate-to-be. Do you understand?" he said flatly.

All the servants and maids eyes widened. They never thought that their lord would get mated or courted, and so soon at that.

"Aiko, Zakuro, you will be her personal maids. Follow me." he called to the elder demoness that welcomed them and a younger maid in yellow.

Sesshomaru then turned to Hasuko and called her name. She didn't respond. He called again, and again no response. After trying twice more he gave up and began walking away.

"Onna, either follow this Sesshomaru or stand there like an idiot." snapped Sesshomaru who was tired of calling her name and getting no response. He seriously just wanted to get some sleep at the moment. He was exhausted, Ka- Hasuko really just drained his energy.

Kagome finally hearing Sesshomaru looked his way to see him going inside the palace.

"Oi, wait up! Don't just leave me here, Baka!" she yelled causing all those around her to stare at her.

'I wonder where the lord found that one…'

'Rude! That is what she is.'

'She's almost as bad as Inuyasha-sama was.'

She heard them whisper to themselves. Hasuko's eyes flashed red and she growled loudly at the servants.

"Don't you ever compare me to that filthy hanyou! Got it!" she barked angrily and snapped her whip at them causing them to jump.

They all dropped to their knees and bowed begging for forgiveness. The red in Hasuko's eyes dissipated and reverted back to their usual light cherry color. Kagome coming back into full control sighed and walked to the bowing servants. As she came closer to them she could smell their fear. She felt genuinely bad now. She bent down and lifted one up one by one earning a gasp from the group. After they were all back to their feet she smiled and bowed. Earning more gasps.

"Gomen, I didn't mean to scare you like that. I just really don't like Inuyasha. That idiot half killed me and left me for dead. The only reason I'm alive still is because Sesshomaru-sama saved me. Unfortunately for us my beast sorta took control and forced us into this whole courting mate-to-be situation. So, uh… please forgive me!" she begged with a deep bow.

All spectators either gasped or stared in awe and surprise. Hasuko smiled and laughed nervously. This whole gasp and stare bit was unnerving to her. What had they never heard someone apologize before. Just when Kagome felt her irritation come back on one of the maids walked up and bowed.

"No, my lady. We ask you for your forgiveness for we should not have spoken such cruel things. Forgive us please.." she said groveling.

Kagome once again pulled her up and smiled.

"You're forgiven. Even though I don't think you did anything wrong… Just please refrain from mentioning the hanyou when I'm around, okay? I got to go find Sesshomaru, bye!" she said and ran into the palace.

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"No… It's impossible." the monk said to himself. There before him stood a red clad hanyou covered in blood. His eyes were still crimson and his face bore markings on each cheek, but what caught the houshi's eye was the shred of green cloth in the hanyou's claws.

"No, please. Tell me you didn't do it to Kagome. Please!" he cried growing frustrated and confused.

The hanyou did not reply.

Kirara nearly forgotten at the moment snarled fiercely and bore her fangs at the inu. Her now large form almost towering over him as she stood up on her hind legs and lunged at him.

The inu jumped away before she struck him. Kirara looked up to see the hanyou coming in for the kill. She growled and went at him catching his leg in her sharp teeth.

Blood dripped from her canines as she released his leg now standing over him, literally, she pressed her paws down on his shoulders ensuring that the inu could not get away. Looking up at the houshi she growled lightly sending him her message.

Miroku looked stunned, but nodded in understanding. Walking towards the neko youkai he pulled out a sutra from his robes.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha, but I'm going to seal you now." chanting a slient incantation to himself he stuck the sutra on the immobile inu's head. Satisfied at his work Kirara moved from on top of him and transformed into her mini form running back to her master's side.

"Mew.." she called licking Sango's hand. Sango didn't stir. Letting out one of her cute little kitty sighs she snuggled by the unconscious girl and went to sleep.

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ME: this was too darn long for my likings

Inu: yeah, well, live with it! You made me a stupid killing machine and sealed me!

Mir: Uh.. It's in the script.

ME: mhmm..

Sessh: I didn't like this chapter… it was boring…

ME: well I had to explain about everything to give people a clear picture

Kago: AHHH!!! A BUG! A BUG! KILL IT!!

Nara: Ah!! Leave me alone! I'm a spider darn it!

Sessh: I'll kill it. Don't worry

Nara: You're mean! I thought we had a thing together!?

Sessh: That was just a middle schoolers wild dream.

ME: nooo!!! *slaps sesshomaru*If you kill him You'll ruin my plot! Idiot!!!

Sessh: humph..didn't have to slap me..

Shippou: Lollipop! Lollipop!