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The Demon's Ball	By : KPO4 Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 20326 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 9
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‘Boring. So boring!’
A tapping sound echoed through the main hall.
Kagome stared at the ceiling as she drummed her fingers against the golden arm of her throne.
It had been a week since she’d taken up her role as Empress of Umbra. The first two days had been a whirlwind of greetings, ceremonies, and feasts. Miroku and Sango left for the village to alert Kaede and everyone of the new developments while Kagome spent the next day catching up on Umbra’s history, charters, and laws. The fourth day was used to review the contracts and agreements between the four territories. The day after that, she talked to the capital’s councilors and the grounds caretaker Kureno, the loud rooster demon who’d announced her at the Demon’s Ball.
Lord Kazuhiko and his mate also visited regularly. Contrary to their morose appearance, they enjoyed talking. They’d explained how her presence unleashed the tight holds that demons had on their inner beasts. The initial release could sometimes be intense but eventually it would allow the demon to gain a better understanding with their beast’s true nature and ultimately help them perfect their youkai form.
Interestingly, they had stated that theoretically, this would not have created such a ruckus if not for her unique scent: an unmated female so brimming with power that they’d equated it to the nectar of a very ripe and delicious fruit.
Lady Kazuhiko had licked her lips and gazed at Kagome a bit too intently when she described the aroma. “In fall, the pomegranates turn a bright crimson red,” her voice dripping with excitement, “and if you wait patiently, the fruit sugars will develop. Becoming so sweet and heavy with juice that the fruit will just,” she clasped her hands together and made a popping gesture, “burst open and the little sacs of juicy red seeds succulently dangling from soft yellow pulp.” The bat youkai shivered and delicately removed a small square of silky fabric from her pocket and held it to her mouth. “Just superb,” her predatory eyes leered at Kagome. The miko had no doubt that this bewitching woman was drooling from behind that handkerchief.
It was yesterday when she’d fully come to realize that everything in the capital was in perfect working order. She could sit in on meetings and vote but usually everything was taken care of quite smoothly, in large part due to the hand of the solemn Lord of the West. Occasionally she’d wander around the castle when she couldn’t sleep and she happened upon him in his office reading and reviewing contracts and records. She remembered peering at him from the open door a few nights ago.
“Yes?” She jumped when the silver haired youkai looked up from his work and stared into her eyes.
She had suppressed her aura but ever since he’d imprinted on her he’d gained the remarkable ability to discern her location despite masking of her scent and energy. She sheepishly entered the room.
He looked back down to his work but gestured her towards a fluffy pile on a couch near his desk. She settled herself into the fur. It was the pelt he usually wore. ‘Ah,’ she realized, ‘this is probably where Rin rests while he’s working.’
She looked over his shoulder. He was looking through a report between a recent dealing between the Northern and Southern lands. The report detailed exact numbers of an exchange of fruit trees for hunting animals.
“Why are you looking through these?” She lifted one particular paper up detailing an exchange of two mature apple trees for a pregnant doe and buck.
He didn’t bother looking up when he answered. “Lord Kazuhiko has been a bit mischievous with his trade dealings with your good friend Lord Kouga,” the inuyoukai tapped the paper she was holding without looking up from his work. “Take this for instance, those two apple trees happen to have been from a neglected area of the Southern Lands. They are too large and difficult to maintain given the lack of arboreal expertise of the Northern lands. But the wolf just sees a large ungainly giant of a tree and accepts without question.”
“Huh,” she nodded. “Why do you care what they do?” She laid down into the downy cream of fur and watched him curiously.
“To balance the equity of these agreements and maintain harmony between the lands is the most beneficial move at this time,” he dipped his pen in ink and jotted something down.
“So how are you going to do that in this instance?” She yawned.
“It’s a simple enough matter to make the wolf realize the bat’s deception. And Kazuhiko will stop his antics when he realizes he’s been caught.”
“Hnn,” she mumbled sleepily.
She’d fallen asleep to the sound of the scratching of his pen to paper and awoken in her own room the next morning.
She’d joined him twice more until finally he’d told her last night that she was quite more distracting than she probably imagined she was.
Kagome had grown quite curious about the taiyoukai, she’d only ever admired him from afar as an idol, not an actual person. So she particularly enjoyed those nights when she’d come to watch brief flickers of emotion flit across his face. Most often it was irritation but occasionally a fleeting spark of amusement or pleasure. She had yet to see him relax, let alone sleep. Her respect for the taiyoukai had grown greatly since she’d arrived; he cared immensely for the peace of the lands and its inhabitants.
However, she was bored. The Lord of the Western Lands was far too efficient. There was nothing for her to do but to sign papers and get introduced to various families of the nobility.
So seeing as she wasn’t needed, she had planned to go check out the training grounds for the army and maybe get a work out into her schedule. She’d changed into a loose and light training outfit she’d found and was looking forward to a good fight when she was spotted by one of the maids. The young girl had gasped at the sight of her and scuttled off into a different corridor. Kagome had been halfway out the door when a hoard of maids bustled in, surrounded her, stripped her down and thrown an elaborate kimono around her. The dress was easily the heaviest thing she’d ever worn in her life. They tied the ends of the obi taut, demonic strength mercilessly binding her rib cage to her lungs. The ladies clucked and nodded happily before dispersing, leaving their young charge in what they deemed acceptable attire.
She was only thankful Shinji and Inuyasha weren’t around when she shuffled uncomfortably back into the inner hall. She stumbled as the heavy cloth snagged around the geta they’d slipped around her feet. Sighing heavily, she restrained her instincts to rip a leg slit up the side of the dress. It looked like an old heirloom, less expensive and more like national treasure level. Warrior pride a bit wounded, she had retreated back into the throne room.
Pouting, Kagome hopped up and glared at the heavy gold throne that her retainers had dragged up from the recesses of the Capital’s underground storage vaults. Uselessly ornate, impractical, and uncomfortable, had the original Emperor endured this vain boredom? This life as a feckless ornament of the royal court?
And that was where she sat, staring at the ceiling, frustrated and annoyed, drumming her fingers against the shiny arm of her royal seat.
From the room she could hear the sounds of swords ringing in the air, yelling and laughing stinging her ears as the royal forces trained in the warm sun of early afternoon. She seethed with jealousy. Inuyasha, Shinji, and Shippo were having fun out there, not a care in the world.
‘Forget me, will you?’ She narrowed her eyes and smirked. ‘Methinks the royal guard could use a little extra training today.’
She cleared her throat and imagined a movie clapperboard as her director cued her. ‘And,’ she lifted her arms up, ‘Action!’
“Ugh!” She shouted, moaning, grasping her stomach as she curled up in her golden seat. In moments, a young guard was through the doors and by her side.
“Your highness! What’s wrong?” his young, innocent face wide with concern.
She lightly snaked her arms around his neck, her face changing from one of intense pain to one of calm poise.
“Forgive me,” she smiled sweetly before pressing her forehead to his, she deftly untied the string at his collar and loosened the laces of his armor. The youth blushed a scarlet red before passing out from the heavy wave of exhaustion she sent poring into his body.
It took her less than a minute to have changed out of the elaborate dress and to have donned the light leather armor and linen pants of the guard, she’d even taken his leather boots. She finished lacing them and hopped up, tying up her hair before putting the hood up to hide her face. She crossed her arms in thought, was it better to leave this poor guy in his underwear? Or to put the dress on him? She shrugged, better not to risk him catching a cold on the hard stone floor. She wrapped the dress around him and shoddily tied the obi just enough to hold it closed and dragged him to the throne propped into a sitting position. She did her best to pull the collar of the dress up firmly around his neck and face.
She put her hands on her hips, admiring her haphazard work. ‘That should do.’
Later the maids would recollect the image of a young hooded youth skipping off to the training grounds, humming happily to himself.
Kagome arrived, the sound of steel against steel sang in the air. She had to make sure she didn’t run into Shinji or the others.
“We’ll start hand-to-hand combat now,” a loud man boomed out. Kagome turned and saw a very large wide set man. The bull demon looked very familiar.
“Get into pairs!” He shouted, saliva flying.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to meet a pair of icy blue eyes. Her eyes darted up to his pale gold hair.
“You need a partner?” Issei asked.
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Naoki’s older brother had been lost in thought all week. He’d had terrible luck during the courting at this year’s Demon Ball. Next year he’d aim lower, one of the daughters of a noble family from the East had taken a liking to him. His parents were pressuring him into finding a mate soon. Issei had never seriously considered placing a courting mark on any of the girls he’d played around with so far but they’d also never been serious about him. He sighed; afternoon training was dragging on longer than usual.
As he heard the yell for hand-to-hand combat training, he looked around and saw a slim and delicate looking youth; maybe he could vent some of his frustrations with a little brute strength.
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They stood a few strides from one another, sizing each other up. The hooded youth set his stance; feet at shoulder-width, knees slightly bent, and hands curled to cheek level. The dragon was confident; he’d go for a hip throw and then a quick takedown. The kid would be on his back in seconds. Issei’s hand shot out as he darted forward, grabbing the youth’s wrist and pulling him forward, he grabbed his opponent’s elbow and pivoted, ready to throw the wispy teen. Suddenly the youth rotated his captive arm, grabbed Issei’s wrist and stepped in. The dragon was in a tight wristlock. He quickly regained his senses and struggled loose. He was promptly released.
Issei narrowed his eyes. ‘That was weird. Okay let’s get serious now.”
The dragon lunged fist first towards his opponent, throwing a right punch. The defender dropped a hair down, repelling the punch with his left forearm. Issei watched as his opponent’s right fist darted for his throat. It paused ever so slightly before moving quickly in favor of grasping the wrist of the right hand that Issei had thrown for his punch. The hooded stranger had grasped Issei’s wrist and pivoted underneath his extended arm. The stranger pulled sharply downward using his shoulder as a fulcrum. Issei’s eyes widened before squinting in a grimace, he was in an elbow lock. But just as quickly as he was put into the position, he was released again.
Sweat rolled down the dragon’s chin as he lost all patience and blindly flew towards the youth.
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‘Suprascapular nerve motor point,’ Kagome recounted as she tapped the location on her partner’s upper shoulder, weaving out of reach before he could strike. A correct strike to this point caused intense pain, temporary dysfunction of the affected arm and hand, and mental stunning for three to seven seconds. ‘But this was just practice, no sense in purposeless violence.’
‘Brachial plexus origin,’ she tapped the side of his neck, ‘complete cessation of motor activity.’
‘Palm strike under the nose,’ she dipped to avoid an elbow strike, the heel of her palm dancing upwards, rotating just in time to brush lightly against his cheek, ‘impaired vision.’
‘Diaphragm, solar plexus, axillary artery,’ she drew her hand across his frontal upper arm like a blade. ‘Fatal bleed out.’
“5 minute break!” A bellow came from the commanding officer and Kagome relaxed. She let her arms fall just as Issei tackled her. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and braced for further impact but it never came. His breathing was labored, he used her to keep himself from falling over from exhaustion. She helped him over to a grassy patch of shade.
He rolled onto his back and sighed, “What’s your name?”
She paused, “Higarashi.” She took a long drag of water from the animal hide canteen that staff had passed out and handed it to him.
He took it. “You must be a genius fighter,” he tipped his head back and drained what was left.
Kagome frowned, “Don’t mistake hard work as genius.”
She sank down to sit next to him, “Did you have a strategy when you were fighting me?”
“….”
She sighed, “Yeah, I could tell. Strength isn’t all about training your body, it’s about training your heart and your mind. Perseverance, cunning, and confidence. Sorry to say this,” she patted his shoulder, “but the moment I let you out of that elbow lock, the thought of losing entered your mind. I could feel it from the change of your posture and pacing. And that was when you’d already lost.”
Issei crossed his arms over his eyes, “I guess when you’ve been losing your entire life, you get used to it.”
Kagome remembered the exchange between Naoki and Issei. Obviously the elder sibling had an inferiority complex. The unwelcome memory of her past hang-ups toward Kikyo reared its head. ‘Well that’s depressing,’ she inwardly winced.
“Ground fighting and grappling starts now,” the red-faced bull youkai roared out, neck muscles bulging.
Issei sighed again.
Kagome grabbed his arm and pulled him up to his feet.
“See, you’re doing it again. You’ve already consigned yourself to losing. We’ll just take this nice and slow. Let’s just have some fun, okay?”

“This is the mount position,” Higarashi explained while seated on the Issei’s thighs. His slim legs straddling the dragon’s hips.
Issei could smell the sweat beading on the hooded youth’s arms. It was very strange. When they’d first started their combat practice his opponent definitely smelled of acrid teenage boy. Now it was much sweeter, cloying at the youkai’s senses.
“In a mount position, as the attacker you have a few different options: choke, strike, or submission hold…” Higarashi laughed and leaned forward, “we’ll just do locks and holds for now, let’s not have any lasting damage.”
Their faces were barely an inch apart, Issei’s felt his arms slip around his neck and arm while slim legs slipped underneath and around his. Their groins tightly pressed against each other, all of the youth’s weight was on him now “This is called grapevining with an arm triangle chokehold, now try to escape.”
Issei awkwardly struggled; the scent was starting to really build now that they were so close.
“Harder,” the youth’s feminine voice demanded, “like you really want it.”
He did want it, the dragon was suddenly getting very uncomfortable. The scent was throwing him into a feverish pitch.
“I can’t,” his own voice was getting husky with frustration.
“You can,” the whisper was right up against his ear. “Arch your back.”
Issei arched weakly.
“Harder.”
He thrust his hips upward, trying to throw his offender off.
“More.”
The dragon yelled out as he thrust upwards, the hold on his legs finally loosened and he was up on top of his opponent in one smooth motion.

“See, you can do it! It just takes a little perseverance,” Kagome squinted into the sun.
‘Why was it so bright all of a sudden? Did a cloud roll past?’ She put a hand up to shield her eyes and suddenly realized that with this angle, he could see her face. The hood no longer cast a shadow over her features. She stared at him but couldn’t make out his expression with the sun right behind him.
‘Maybe he hasn’t realized?’ She quickly rolled onto her belly so her back was to him.
“So let’s practice some arm locks now,” she tried to squirm out from underneath him.
He locked his legs around her.
“Uh…hey Issei?” She felt hands at her sides, untying the laces that held her armor on. He slipped a hand underneath her armor and moved it over her chest. He searched and found her breast. His fingers brushed against her nipple. She shivered.
He froze. Kagome took this opportunity to worm her way out from underneath him.
She turned just in time to see his eyes roll into the back of his head.
Scrambling over to his side, she checked him over. He’d only fainted. Heatstroke and shock? She dragged the blond youkai into the shade to recover.
She found another canteen of water and draped it on his forehead.
‘Better leave before he wakes up and makes a scene,’ she sheepishly slinked away.
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The Demon's Ball