A/N: Yo! Next chapter is up! I've been getting a pretty dismal number of reviews lately D: keep me going with some more please! Tell me what you think!

Chapter 24: Pomp and Circumstance

"Your stance is still slightly favoring the right, Kagome."

The miko cringed as the side of the blade collided roughly with her left leg. "Tch! Well how do I fix it? I can't exactly focus on a perfect stance when you're lunging at me with that thing!"

Takeshi chuckled. "The key is to make it second nature. You aren't supposed to be thinking about it. Did you practice yesterday like I instructed?"

Flushing slightly, Kagome stuck her chin in the air. "Of course I have!"

The leopard demon slunk closer, inspecting her face. "Consistently for a full hour's time? Four times a day?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "Uh...y-yea."

Takeshi clucked his tongue, about to scold the stubborn woman, when Rin and Shippo came bounding into the dojo.

Kagome smirked. Yes! Saved by the munchkins! She sashayed out of the practice area with an air of confidence. "I'm so, so sorry Takeshi, but it's time for the children and I to get ready for the welcoming ball!" She inwardly giggled. Yea, the one that's eight hours away!

The demon scowled, but his ire didn't last. He grinned foolishly. "Alright, alright. I'll allow you to skip practice little one...this time." The three accomplices beamed at him in thanks. Takeshi put the weapons back up on the racks and walked out of the dojo with the three of them. "But Kagome, I have to ask, have you taken my advice in regards to your D-O-G problem?"

-Kagome's faced scrunched in confusion. "D-o-g...oh! You mean Lord Ass-y McJerk-off?"

Takeshi had no idea what that meant, but it sounded insulting and quite amusing. He failed to stop the burst of laughter that escaped his lips. Kagome, however, seemed completely serious.

"Hmph! I haven't said two words to him since yesterday if that's what you mean. I haven't seen him today anyway, and I don't plan to."

Rin stopped chatting with Shippo to tug on Kagome's kimono. "Is Miss Kagome talking about Lord Sesshomaru? We'll see him soon!"

The time-traveling miko blanched. "What? Rin what are you talking about?" Takeshi shook his head. "Lady Kagome, surely you haven't forgotten?"

The young ward simply smiled wider, not picking up on Kagome 's distress. "At the ball Miss Kagome! Lord Sesshomaru will be there. Lord Sesshomaru always asks the pretty ladies to dance! And Miss Kagome is very pretty! So Rin thought..." By that time, Kagome had blocked the girl out, still trying to comprehend the situation.

"I have to dance with Sesshomaru?" Kagome whispered in outrage.

Shippo nodded sagely in agreement. Takeshi sighed. "Ah yes, young Rin is right. It is custom for all unmated females to dance with the Lord of the palace if he himself is also unmated. It's a...ritual, developed to quicken the process of finding a suitable Lady of the West. Especially for demon lords like Sesshomaru that possess...unique social skills."

It took about two minutes for Kagome to put her jaw back into its upright and closed position.

She opened her mouth to speak...then closed it.

She blinked slowly.

Her head banged against the nearest wall in defeat.

"Shit. I forgot about the ball. Not the ball but the dancing..." She mumbled under her breath. The worried looks from those walking next to her faded into the background. Instead flashbacks of waltzing under the moonlight and a deep sonorous voice whispering in her ear made themselves present in Kagome's subconscious.

She couldn't help but blush. It's hard to believe I'm remembering the same Sesshomaru. He had been such a gentleman, and she had imagined for a moment that they were at a ball, and she was a princess and he was her...her what? Kagome shook herself out of the rosy memory.

"What...WHAT? He was what? My prince?" She whispered furiously to herself. "Kami in heaven, I did not just think that! This is worse than I thought." She clutched her head in aggravation. Leaving her companions dumbstruck in the hall, she stormed toward the room she believed to be hers.

Kagome threw the shoji screen open and slammed it shut, slouching to the floor in misery. "Can this day get any more ridiculous?"

"I'd be careful with those words Lady Kagome. I was uttering them myself before you came storming into my room."

Kagome jumped and looked up. It was then she realized that the room had a thick scent of lilac and ancient magic. Scrolls lay in stacks in corners and a large billowing pillow in sat in the center of the room, upon which the revered raccoon demoness sat, mid-meditation.

Kagome blushed. "Oh! I'm sorry Lady Fue. I thought this was my room. I should have known that I'd get lost."

She bowed before getting up to leave. "I'll leave you to your business milady."

The demoness' pearly laugh set the miko's mind at ease. "Think not of it my dear. In fact, this occurrence serves my purposes. I planned on having you sent for around this time of day anyway. We have to prepare for the welcoming ball!" She grinned from ear to ear, both of which were twitching with girlish excitement.

Kagome's face twisted into a scowl, causing Fue's smile to dim. "Is something the matter my dear?"

Kagome coughed and clutched her stomach. "Yes, actually. I don't feel well...at all. I think I'm just going to rest up tonight. It feels like a long-term illness. Yea, too bad huh? Owwww! Ouch ouch ouch! My stomach hurts! Guess I can't go to the ball." She grunted through clenched teeth.

Lady Fue's eyes narrowed. "Now Lady Kagome, lies are not befitting of one such as you. I take it you do not wish to see Lord Sesshomaru then?" She chuckled. "I admit he is a stubborn pup, just like his father."

Kagome growled. "Aw shoot. Well, it was worth a shot! And him! He's the last person I want to see right now. I had forgotten that I actually have to dance with that...that-!" She crossed her arms, pouting. "This sucks."

Lady Fue kindly placed her hand on Kagome's arm. "My advice is to act as if you only know him on a formal level, as he wishes you to. If I know anything about Sesshomaru, it's that he is very observant. He will expect you to fight back, and he will insult you further in response, causing you to distance yourself from him even more. That is his goal. But if you act amiably, he will no doubt be surprised."

"So he'll be a little caught off guard, what's the point?" Kagome snapped.

Fue grinned, unfazed by the miko's tone. "Have you ever seen Lord Sesshomaru caught unawares?" She regarded the young woman over the rim of her teacup.

Kagome's head ticked with understanding and she smiled deviously.

"Nope."

"Exactly." Fue said with a glint in her eye. She sipped her tea with an air of triumph.

Kagome clutched her fist in her palm. " Ha! That'll show the overgrown poodle!"

The raccoon demonness nodded. "If you can disarm him, he will surely be more willing to talk, and maybe then when you two sort this little spat out, he'll act like the friendly lord you waltzed with."

Kagome sputtered, almost spilling the Ginseng that Lady Fue had offered her. "W-What are you t-talking about? Sesshomaru would never-"

"Do not insult me Lady Kagome. I've known that pup longer than he's known himself, and he has never spoken so fondly of another as he spoke of you in the letter he sent with the imp, Master Jaken. He told me that you had to be instructed, and as I recall there was no other suitable partner traveling with you. He thought you kind, and charming, if not slightly clumsy. How did he word it...yes, he said you were 'a refreshing young onna that never ceased to challenge him. "

Kagome shook her head. "I assure you, he must have had a little too much sake or something. The Lord Sesshomaru I know would rather sharpen his blade on my skull than say nice things about me."

Lady Fue smiled knowingly. "Is that so? Well, we'll just have to see at the ball tonight. Now! Enough talk! We must prepare. There's a bath already prepared. I have the finest kimono for you. It belonged to my sister." The demoness quickly ushered the flustered miko out of the room and down the hall.

Kagome groaned. "I don't think I can waltz in a kimono."

Meanwhile, a certain demon lord was busy with a pile of parchments at his desk.

He should have known leaving the organizing of his desk work in Jaken's hands was a terrible idea. I must not have been in my right mind. Sesshomaru sighed, signing away another document with a flurry of ink.

What had he been thinking when he told the toad to oversee his personal papers? If memory served it was when...

Immediately the smiling face of the miko materialized in his mind.

"Hn."

He hadn't seen her since the formal meeting with the nobles.

To say it was a complete and utter disastrous failure was a severe understatement. "This Sesshomaru should have expected as much from the miko." He mumbled to himself.

She was always giving her opinion. She never stopped to think about the consequences of her words. She stood out, no matter how much she tried to fit in. That was Kagome. It was impossible to try to change her. She was bold, and the nobles did not take kindly to her confrontational attitude.

So why was it that he had not heard her far-reaching voice in the halls recently?

She was definitely in the shiro somewhere, he could smell the ghost of her presence; whenever he went to the dojo, walked past the kitchens, spoke with Takeshi...

That feline knew something, Sesshomaru was sure of it. But Takeshi refused to reveal more than the obvious. 'She's around here somewhere' he had said. The leopard knew had he been anyone else, Sesshomaru wouldn't accept such a dodgy answer.

He is upset with this Sesshomaru. No doubt over my treatment of the girl.

Not that he particularly cared what the dai or the miko decided to do. They could not avoid him forever. They could however, avoid him until the welcoming ball. And they had been successful so far, thanks to all of this work he had to complete. Sesshomaru set his quill down and rubbed his temples.

There was something...unnatural about the miko's behavior, and it set him on edge. But it was a good type of trepidation. He did not know why, but he was looking forward to their next conversation. When his eyes reopened, they held the fiery determination that made many quiver in fear on the battlefield.

This Sesshomaru will play your games miko; just know that this one never loses.

Lord Ryu sat back in his chair, drumming the tips of his fingers together. "We nobles have been informed that you wish to battle the miko the night following the ball?"

Lady Kaya hissed. "I'll even pay you extra to kill the little bitch!"

Lord Ryu, the elder, stood, banging his fists on the wooden table. "Lady Kaya this Ryu will not ask you again! You are apart of this council because your father is unable to attend due to sickness. I have the greatest respect for Lord Kaze, but you I will not tolerate! Speak out of turn once more and I'm sure even your own sire would not fault me for removing your tongue as Lord Sesshomaru suggested!" The air swirled with the demon's aura to a suffocating degree. "Are we clear Lady Kaya?"

Kaya fell to the ground and assumed the most humble bowing position. "Apologies great one. I will not speak on the matter again, you have my word." Ryu grunted. "I will hold you to that. I do not wish to be interrupted again, for your sake."

The warrior shuffled on his feet. "Have you considered my proposal your nobility?"

Ryu leveled his gaze on the demon. "We have. However, I would like to know just who exactly you are. I do not recall your scent from around this castle, and I do not forget a scent."

The demon stepped out of the shadows, revealing a pale spider demon with glistening eyes. His black hair looked almost blue, and he was dressed smartly for battle; the perfect picture of a soldier. His long, metal-tipped spear was clasped facing downward, and a bright red scarf tied at the head; brushing the floor slightly.

"I am called Kuromaru. I recently transferred from the Eastern lands in China upon the death of the lord and general I served under for a few hundred years. In all my training I have never fought a priestess head-on. I do not wish death upon the woman, as I'm sure she does not wish it upon myself. I only intend to test the limits of my abilities. If your graces would be so kind as to allow me-"

Lord Ryu interrupted the demon. "Very well, we have heard enough. Please wait outside while we come to a unanimous decision."

Kuromaru bowed and left. As soon as he exited the council room, a voice whispered to him from the shodows.

"Well done, Kuromaru. That was a very impressive performance. I must admit I had doubts that you would succeed in infiltrating the castle guard, even with my influence. You will do what is necessary I presume?"

The spider demon looked to his left, already expecting General Takeo to be waiting, and knowing full well who was really speaking to him. "My Lady Haruka told me that I must obey your orders as directed, general. And I will do all that is in my power to please her."

The general pushed off from the wall he was leaning on, and regarded the young demon appreciatively. "You will not kill her. She may have arrived with Sesshomaru, but she is to be leaving here with me, as my mate."

The spider demon recoiled in horror. "You wish to mate that wretched human? She is miko no doubt!"

Akio shook his head, his hiss of disapproval game out as a grunt. "You are a blind fool. Do not let your prejudices cloud your intelligence. Can you not see? She is the most powerful priestess on this earth! She commands the Jewel of Four Souls! Do you not believe it wise to obtain that power? Ha! That is why you spiders will never accomplish greatness, and instead will remain minions and servants in this world."

Kuromaru's eyes flashed. "Do not presume to know my intelligence Lord Akio. Could not the same be said of you? You're kind were quite mistreated by the council; nobody respects the snake demons. They were left to drag their useless bodies across the ground, only being able to hope for recognition!" He spat.

Akio was about to retaliated when an informant emerged from the council room. "They will see you now, Kuromaru-san." The mousy demon scurried quickly away, feeling the angry aura.

Kuromaru nodded and went back into the council room, but not before shooting Akio another glare. I will be happy to be rid of that arrogant bastard when the time comes.

He bowed once more to the nobles, awaiting their response.

Lord Ryu cleared his throat. "This council has decided that Kuromaru, of the Western forces will face the Shikon Miko Kagome in a battle tomorrow at sunset. Be prepared. We will not respond well to foolishness. Do not take pity upon her. Treat her as a dangerous opponent, no matter what prejudices you may possess. You are dismissed."

Kuromaru bowed once again in, this time in thanks, and exited the hall. As he rounded the corner, Akio's voice whispered to him.

"Do not fail me, boy. Find her weakness. Injure her a bit, so that her stay here is prolonged inevitably. I will take over after that."

The spider demon grunted. "Just watch your tongue with me, Lord Akio, and I will act in accordance with your wishes. Anger me further, and I will not hesitate to risk my life if it means ruining your plans." He chuckled. "Who knows? Maybe when that happens I can kill Sesshomaru and take the miko as my mate."

Akio hissed. "You wouldn't dare!"

Kuromaru shrugged as he disappeared around hall. "I'm not that interested in the whole idea; far too much dirty work for my tastes, but you've warmed me up to it Lord Akio. If it makes you feel more at ease, should you fail, I can always pick up where you left off."

As Kagome rounded a corner, hair dripping wet, she bumped into something hard. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I was in such a rush and I forgot to look where I was going!" She gave a shaky laugh.

The figure chuckled. "It matters not, milady. Where are you headed? I can escort you there if you wish?"

Kagome looked up to find a relatively handsome, if not strikingly pale, demon looking down at her. She blushed, trying to better cover herself with the towel. "Uh, y-yes, I would appreciate that thank you...um..."

The demon smiled. "Kuromaru. I am called Kuromaru."

Kagome bowed. "It's nice to meet you Kuromaru. I'm Kagome, but I'm sure you already knew that from the wonderful introduction I made the other day." She had the decency to look embarrassed.

The demon guided the miko to the fitting chambers where the seamstresses and old widows fussed around the young demonesses putting on their extravagant kimonos.

"Quite the contrary Lady Kagome, I found the display to be quite...refreshing. Those old relics need a good challenge every few centuries."

Kagome scoffed. "I was holding my tongue, trust me. I really wanted to give them a piece of my mind! Oops, sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you with this..."

The spider demon waved her off. "Nonsense, my dear; though I do have a great deal of training on my hands as of late. I'm apparently supposed to be fighting a strong young priestess tomorrow at sunset..." He smirked slyly.

Kagome gasped. "Y-You're the one I'm fighting?" She stuttered, trying to think of something to say. She sighed, giving up. "Well, this isn't awkward."

Kuromaru laughed. "I assure you it isn't. I think it will be quite fun don't you? You don't necessarily have to win, and it's not a fight to the death, though some of the nobles expressed an interest in such a duel."

Kagome's eyes darkened. "Bet it was that mouthy little demoness who thinks I'm a hoar, and I wouldn't be surprised if Sesshomaru agreed to it. He's been doing everything short of sending me death threats lately anyway."

Kuromaru nodded. "Ah, yes. Well Lady Kaya has been eyeing Lord Sesshonmaru for quite some time from what I hear. She is not a noble actually, it is her sick father that holds the title. Plus, she is no closer to Lord Sesshomaru's bed than that imp retainer of his. Do not mind her. And while Lord Sesshomaru was not in attendance for obvious reasons, he did express some interest a more...serious battle. Something about punishing you for disobeying him?"

Kuromaru looked that the girl from the corners of his eyes to gauge her reaction. He had surmised that the miko and daiyoukai were not on good terms because of her performance the other day, and that saying such a think would further sour her feelings towards him. He was right.

Kagome's jaw dropped. "What? He WHAT? So he thinks a good punishment is me fighting for my life over such a stupid thing? After everything we've been through, he pulls this! Well I'll show him! I'll kick your ass so far out of here, you'll discover America!"

Kuromaru coughed. "Ah, I'm sure you'll defeat me quite completely Lady Kagome."

She stomped past him down the hall; shouting. "Thanks! At least someone believes in me around here!" When she realized her words she stopped and ran back to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kuromaru-san. I didn't mean it that way. What I meant was...well, you know what I mean don't you?" She sighed.

As they rounded the final corner the spider demon nodded, chortling with laughter. "Yes, yes, my dear, I took no offense." They had reached the door now.

"You made for some very enjoyable conversation Kagome. I look forward to our duel." He lifted her palm and placed a kiss upon it before bowing to her. He left her at the door to the fitting room and walked slowly back the way they came. She used that time to try to squeeze the blush out of her face. All these demons and the...the hair! And the voice! And the sparkle!" She rubbed her cheeks. Seems like I'll have to get used to this.

Just then, Takeshi came running up, along with another demon Kagome didn't recognize. Takeshi yelled to her, panting slightly.

"Kagome! Where have you been? Lady Fue has gone mad looking for you. You must be fitted into your kimono immediately or we will be late!"

The other demon bowed smartly to her. "Lady Kagome, it is an honor to make your acquaintance, I am Daisuke, and I will be your personal guard this evening."

Kagome bowed in return. She smirked. "Is that another way of saying you'll be my escort Daisuke-san?"

The guardsman blushed. "Ah! N-no, milady. That privilege goes to Lord Takeshi."

Kagome looked at Takeshi coyly, who feigned surprise. "You planned this didn't you?"

The leopard demon shrugged. "I had a feeling Sesshomaru was supposed to be your escort, which you now do not wish for. Or was I wrong?" Do you want me to go back and tell him you-" He made a motion to leave.

"No!" Kagome reached for his silk sleeve, scowling. "The only thing worse than dancing with him, is having to dance with him AND be around him the entire night while the gentry dissect me with their eyes. The offer is much appreciated, thank you."

She curtsied goofily and opened the shoji screen. Feminine chatter could be heard from inside. "See you then! It was nice meeting you Daisuke-san. I'll definitely save a dance for you!" The hawk demon blushed, stammering incoherently.

Takeshi grumbled. "Not if I steal you away! Have you not heard? One waltz with this Takeshi and the ladies cannot resist!"

Kagome laughed and swatted him on the arm playfully. "Oh please! Get over yourself!" Suddenly a hand came from the room and grabbed Kagome by the collar.

"I've been looking for you young lady! We must make haste! Now come! The kimono is ready." Kagome braced herself against the raccoon demoness' strong grip, but it didn't last long. She was pulled into the room against her will.

"Bye then you two!" She then disappeared into the crowd of bustling women, dreading the picking and prodding and pulling that would follow.

This is going to be a long night.