Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

Genre

: Romance/Angst/Hurt/Action

Pairing

: Harem/Kagome

Summary

: The Youkai Ball is the event of the decade and Kagome is attendance with the three that mean the most her but what are her reasons for being there when she has three mates already? It all has to do with a prophecy and a miko.

Youkai Ball
Chapter One: Threat

x . . . . x

"Why, I'm Kagome Higurashi, Queen to the Makai and these are my mates, the Kings to the Makai. It's a pleasure to meet you."

It was then Koenma nearly fainted.

"Kagome-sama!" Koenma, practically tripping over himself as he made a move to press a large button on his desk. "Let me have a few ogre's get a chair for you to sit on!" he rapidly suckled his pacifier and Kagome merely gave a feminine chuckle in amusement effectively stopping the young ruler in his tracks. He looked up fearfully up at the woman and watched as she took several steps forward.

"We don't plan on staying long, Koenma-san." Kagome spoke softly as she continued walking, her gaze moving over the three other occupants in the room. She paused before the foul tempered mazoukan and arched and an ebony brow. He glared down at her, chocolate orbs filled with challenge. She knew his kind and knew they practically faced extinction. They were a race of warriors. Violent beings that were competitive to a fault and couldn't go without battle for long. The very sport sang through their blood. "You are very rude, Mazoukan." she told him softly. "Yet noble considering you stood in front of the reaper to defend her life had I made a move to end it."

Kagome said nothing more as she continued passed him, Sesshoumaru just a few steps behind her as they stopped before Koenma's desk. He practically whimpered, causing a smile to curl Kagome's lips upward. She wanted to laugh but refrained because even though the Prince of the Rekai was more than pathetic, he was Prince of the Rekai nonetheless. Sesshoumaru stood behind her, his torso pressed neatly against the line of her back to the point where she could feel the warmth emanating from him.

"If you don't plan on staying long, then why have you ventured from your home? You rarely visit us up here unless the reason is direly important." Koenma said softly, refraining from squawking as best he could. Kagome looked down at him and sniffed daintily before answering his question.

"The location for the ball has changed along with the time. It will be held a week from now at the Makai Palace located in the Western Lands rather then the original location of the Northern Lands. Kouga has decided that he rather not entertain guests this year due to the passing of his mate and Sesshoumaru decided to grant his request for moving the ball." she spoke and Koenma looked at Kagome with wide eyes. "This means everything will be done our way or no way and those that refuse to follow our rules will pay in full. The rules will be made clear at the start of the ball." she said, speaking in a tone that held no room for argument.

"Can we leave, now?" Shippo called from his position of leaning against the wall, his arms crossed along his chest. His tail had ceased it's irate twitching and was now swishing in a much more even melody. Kagome cast a look back at the kitsune and nodded her head, giving him a slight hum of approval. "Great! I'm starving and would like to eat out this morning!" he responded as he donned a smile that could melt the hearts of any woman that looked his way. It was Sesshoumaru that spoke next and looked at the mini-ruler.

"As my mate has said, our way or no way. We are not to be trifled with, remember this, and tell your father-" the youkai practically spat the word. "- that we of the Makai Rulers do not appreciate him digging into our affairs and bringing up things of the past that should remain buried. He will know what I am speaking of." he spoke before Kagome placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and steered him away. Kagome quickly cast one look about her at the rekai tentei and then gave one more glance to the reaper.

"I'll be seeing you, Boton!" she spoke casually, a smile on her lips, but a threat clear in her eyes. Boton shuddered as Zuru made another portal, this one away from the rekai. Sesshoumaru and Kagome walked through first, followed by Shippo whom offered no second glances, and finally by Zuru who paused as he looked at the room.

"Sesshoumaru was too subtle in his threat but if your father continues poking around, tell him that he needs our support if he wants the barrier to remain open and the Makai to stay peaceful. If he continues to fuck with us..." he began, his eloquent speech falling away as he became angrier. "...then we will withdraw that support and watch the Ningenkai fall to chaos as the youkai overwhelm it without the Kekkai barrier in place."

Koenma's eyes widened as he stared at the man, "Kagome would never allow that." he whispered in horror.

"She wouldn't know until it was already done. We will protect her regardless of the consequences and no matter who has to die." he murmured, a smile that was dark and malicious curling his lips before he walked into the portal and it closed behind him in silence. Koenma gaped like a fish for a few moments before his tentei spoke. Yusuke was of course the first to open his mouth and naturally a string full of curses fell forth as he looked at his trembling boss.

"What the fuck was that about?" he growled, his whole body tingling with the remaining youki that swarmed the room from the three youkai that had just entertained it. Koenma suckled his pacifier quicker and chose to ignore the question posed. "I know you heard me, Koenma!"

"Well, Yusuke..." Kurama began, licking his suddenly dry lips. "It seems that we have just met the Lords and Lady and they are extremely unhappy with something." his emerald orbs moved along to the demi-ruler and brow arched in question. "I wonder what it is that has them so irate."

"I don't know what happens between my father and the four members of youkai royalty but I do know that is has something to do with uprisings." he sighed as he looked at his three detectives. "My father doesn't trust me as he once did, guys." his eyes took a pained look before he cast them downward. "I can tell you no more then that because I don't know anymore."

"Are all the youkai going to this..." Hiei paused as he found the appropriate word to express his disgust. "... little party all of that caliber in power?"

"Very few are as old as the Makai Lords and have as much strength but they are all of royal bloodlines and carry that zest in their power." Koenma replied, immediately shivering at the lust for power that dominated Hiei's blood like orbs.

"Then I will attend as your guard but do not seek to control me or send me on petty errands, Koenma, or you will find yourself occupying the wrong end of my sword." there was a small, dark chuckle and then with that Hiei was gone from the room with a blur of black.

"Though I'm friends with the guy and have known him for years, sometimes he still creeps me out!" Yusuke grumbled.

Kurama could only smother his chuckle with a deep cough.

x . . . . x

Currently, markings and youkai attributes covered by kitsune magic, the Makai Rulers were sitting in a comfortable outdoor breakfast restaurant. Kagome's cerulean gaze moved over the menu in appreciation while Shippo read over shoulder as he nuzzled her neck. Sesshoumaru had the paper spread out before him and Zuru woefully complained about the sun being too bright for his sensitive eyes. Kagome could only barely suppress her smile as she reached into a small purse she had gathered from home and tossed them to Zuru.

"Cover up if you're going to complain, vampire." she teased as she cast him a mischievous glance over the menu.

"I am not a vampire." he pouted. "I am a kage-youkai." he huffed before reluctantly adding, "... that has an aversion to sunlight."

"And bites us!" Shippo added joyfully. "That about summarizes a vampire for me!"

"Me too!" Kagome chirped. "Sesshoumaru?"

"I refuse to play this game." he murmured, eyes continuing to moved through the paper as Kagome poked her bottom lip outward.

"Mean."

"Hmph."

Mindless banter and idle chat moved at the table and nearly half an hour had past when a tanned man appeared at the table. His hair was as dark as Kagome's reaching the middle of his back and in somewhat of a disarray. He had crystal blue eyes that seemed hollow and broken, with deep bags that caused his face to almost look sunken in. He was handsome, there was no doubt, but he looked like a man that had lost everything and had nothing more to loose. His clothing was nothing more then a simple grey t-shirt, a pair of dark denim jeans, and a black jacket cast over his shirt. Kagome immediately stood up and walked over to the man that was roughly Shippo's height and brought him into a hug.

He returned the hug and burried his nose within her hair before he breathed out deeply and released a low whine.

"I want to howl at the moon and never stop. I just want to die." he murmured into the shell of her ear. Kagome's eyes softened as she pulled away from the ookami and offered him a reassuring smile.

"It gets better after a time." she murmured. "Believe me... I know." he nodded his head at her and then turned to the other men at the table.

He gave them a half hearted smile, "Hey guys." he greeted and the each greeted him with varying levels of sympathy, knowing that the loss of a mate had to be worse then death itself. He took a seat at the table between Shippo and Zuru and sighed. "How did it go?"

"It was... interesting." Sesshoumaru answered, brows creasing as he mentally replayed the visit.

"We met the Rekai Tentei." Kagome murmured.

"After three years? Congratulations!" Kouga laughed. Shippo shrugged and Zuru rolled his eyes.

"They were of no consequence before but now they are." Zuru answered.

"How so?" Kouga inquired.

"They have... " Sesshoumaru murmured as he searched for a word to describe them. "... grown."

Shipp gave the inu-youkai a look but decided to clarify, "What Lord-stick-up-his-butt is trying to say is that they have a ridiculous amount of power. The mazoukan is reaching the S-Class and Youko Kurama is right behind him along with the Forbidden Child." Kouga arched a brow in surprise.

"The Forbidden Child, I can understand. He's been a youkai since birth but the Mazoukan just recently found about his youkai nature and Youko Kurama just started being able to access his youki. The S-Class youkai are a difficult club to get into." Kouga responded as he pursed his lips in concentration. "In fact, the youngest S-Class is Shippo and he's about five hundred years old, right?"

Kagome nodded her head, "Exactly, do you see the dilemma? We're wondering if they will plateau or if they will continue to gain strength."

"And if they continue to gain strength?" Kouga inquired.

"We will elimnate them." Zuru answered with a shrug.

x . . . . x

"Ningen are not allowed to come." Koenma sighed in exasperation as he looked at Keiko. The group had decided to meet at Yusuke's and Kurama's apartment but when Koenma and Boton arrived they had found themselves in the middle of the lover's quarrel of the century. Keiko was seething angrily as she screamed at Yusuke about 'missed dates this' and 'canceled plans that'. Finally, Keiko had yelled she was going and there was nothing that could change her mind and the Koenma found himself intervening.

"Yusuke said that the Queen was ningen!" Keiko screeched. "And if she can go then I can go!"

"She's the Queen, Keiko! She can go because she's a fucking ruler!" Yusuke growled angrily and in exasperation. "And it's her house!"

"So that's it? Another mission? This time gone for another few months after you just got back after three years?" Keiko had tears in her eyes and his silence was answer enough. "Yusuke, you jerk!" she sobbed, her hands coming to wipe her eyes. "I can't do this and I refuse to! We're over!" and with that she turned tail and fled from the apartment. Yusuke was left staring at the spot she had just been standing at with a face filled with an almost bewildered expression. No one spoke for several moment and Kurama slowly approached the tense form.

He placed a hand on Yusuke's shoulder and breathed a soft sigh, "Yusuke?" he called gently. Yusuke's hands were clenched at his sides and his jaw almost popped with the intensity of which he was holding it shut. He closed his eyes momentarily and then opened them to reveal a darker brown then normal.

"I'm fine. Pissed as fuck, but fine." Kurama nodded his head released the younger male.

"We should get going." Boton said softly and Yusuke nodded his head. "I'll create a portal to Makai."

"I thought you couldn't make portals to the Makai." Kurama spoke.

"Normally, you can't unless you're Enma, or the Makai Kings and Queen, but because of the ball, most higher level youkai are granted access."

"If you can create a portal to Makai, can't a portal from the Makai be made to the Ningenkai?" Hiei inquired from the wall he was leaning on.

"Yes, you can but the portals made have a signature and each signature is monitored by the youkai you met before; Zuru. His realm of operating actually lies in the shadow realm and when portals are created they actually access the shadow realm in order to travel. If an unknown signature is used then Zuru will dispatch shadow creatures to find out what's happening. He's actually rididculously efficient." Koenma answered. The three youkai merely nodded their heads as a portal, courtesy of Boton, was created.

Yusuke and Kurama cast one look around their apartment before they entered the portal as well.

x . . . . x

Pale, dainty hands clung to the dark blue sheets that surrounded her. Her ebony hair was tossed back in pleasure as a soft mewl fell from her lips. Her breasts, pale and unbound were heaving as she took in sharp breaths. Tears clung to her closed lashes, her cheeks flushed red. Soft, lips caressed her inner thighs before once again suckling her most sacred part. The pale, moonlit spun hair fell across her legs as her ankles were locked behind the man's neck.

She whimpered and pursed her lips as the man's tongue moved along her core, taking all the sweetness he could. She panted as her hand found his and intertwined their fingers with one another. Tears escaped her closed eye lids and slid along her cheeks. Her body tightened deliciously in all the right places and a particularly hard lick and suck to her clit had her screaming her release. The youkai between her legs drank in her nectar and a soft growl of approval against her most intimate parts spurred her orgasm longer.

Once their were no more juices to be lapped, cool, golden eyes opened with a lazy satisfaction. Sesshoumaru crawled up her nude form, pressing kisses along her body as he went until he was face to face with her.

"Don't cry." he murmured, voice warm, eyes filled with love as all the coldness faded away. "Please don't cry."

"I can't stop." she responded, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I know." Nose buried in her neck, his eyes flashed angrily.

He understood her tears and the reason behind them.

He understood and resented Koenma and his father Enma.

They had recently gotten wind of some very bad news that brought up some very unpleasant memories once again.

Sesshoumaru wasn't a man of many words but more of action so when they received a letter from Enma stating that the youkai uprisings were getting worse and they seemed to be after something that was somehow related to the Kings and Queens, Kagome immediately ran to their room, Sesshoumaru hot on her heals, determined to make her feel anything but the sadness he tasted in the air.

Cerulean eyes blinked up at him as he pulled away. "Come, love, the ball begins soon."

Kagome nodded and nuzzled along his jaw, her lips pressing against his pulse, a gesture of love and acceptance.

His heart melted and his hardened, swearing nothing would harm her, even if he had to skin the King of the rekai in order to protect her.

Nothing.

.

.

.

'Gome Yuki:: Yeah, short chapter! But it got the point across! Next time we'll delve deeper into the issues and the beginning of the ball is underway! :3 I'm sorry if the chapter is a little off! I got distracted by Yu Yu Hakusho while I was writing D: