Final chapter! Everybody ready? Okay! Enjoy!

My name is Fukai Mori. I am eighteen years old.

I am the Lady of the Southern Lands, and the greatest youkai taija around.

I live with my father, brother, and adopted mother.

Even though I see action every so often, and we all have a nice little royal life, we got bored.

So, we started taking in orphans, human, youkai, and hanyou alike, and teaching them how to get by on their own.

Every few days, I go to visit my husband, Bankotsu, who still leads the life of a mercenary with the Shichinintai.

We have agreed not to settle down together until he's done with being a mercenary.

However, a few days after my most recent visit to the Shichinintai's lair, I began to notice some oddities in my own behavior, and took a trip to the modern era.

I'm now rushing back to Bankotsu, my mind spinning, and my stomach fluttering.

I flew right over the gate, landed, and headed for Bankotsu's room.

The sun was only just coming up, and there was no way he was up yet, but, I had to see him.

I slid the door open gently, went in, and closed it back quietly.

I could hear Bankotsu's light snoring, and see the slight outline of his sleeping figure.

I went over to him, got down on my knees, and put my hand on his face.

"I'll tell you in your dreams, then." I said.

With that, I cast my spell, and watched him sleep.

He made slight, unfathomable expressions. I didn't even get anything from his aura.

Later that morning, he stirred, and his eyes fluttered open.

Bankotsu looked at me, and jumped slightly.

"Mori?" He said. "What the hell? I nearly killed you."

Tears came to my eyes.

"Sorry." I said. "I-I... I had to come see you."

Bankotsu sat up, and put his hand on my face.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" He asked. "You know you're always welcome here. Especially in my bed."

I blushed. "It wasn't about that..." I said. "And yet... It is."

He gave me a funny look. Then, his eyes widened slightly.

"Then, that dream I had..." His voice trailed.

"Yes. I created that dream." I said, tears falling faster. "I didn't want you to lose sleep because of me, so, I made a dream for you."

Bankotsu was frozen.

"D-does the dream have anything to do with what you were gonna tell me?" Bankotsu asked.

"Anything and everything." I said.

Bankotsu stared at me.

"So... do I have to say it, or, do you know?" I asked.

He shook his head, and pulled me into his arms.

"Hey, if you wanted a kid, all you had to do was ask." Bankotsu said, still sounding uncomfortable in his teasing tone.

He laid down, pulling me down with him.

"You're half-way there." I said. "I do want the child... But, I want to know if you want him too?"

I lifted my head so that I could look down into his eyes.

"Him? You're sure it'll be a boy?" Bankotsu asked.

"Do you want him, or not?" I asked.

He hesitated. "I... I..." Bankotsu stuttered.

I was now crying, and couldn't stop.

"Whoa! Hey! Calm down!" Bankotsu said. "I haven't thought about this before, so, give me a sec!"

I rubbed away some of my tears, still sobbing, and met his eyes once more.

After a moment, he shrugged.

"Might not be so bad. You can feed the kid, and stuff. I can train him to lead the next Shichinintai..." Bankotsu said.

My tears came to a halt at that last bit.

"No you will not!" I said. "You died twice! You are not going to put our son through the same thing!"

"You say that like we already..." I think it finally hit him then.

He sat up so that he could look down at me.

"You mean to tell me..." Bankotsu said.

I nodded.

"When?" Bankotsu asked.

"The last time I came over, I guess." I said. "This child already has an aura of life. From what I feel, this child will be a boy. I'm sorry that I've been in tears for most of my visit, but, I was so scared that... that you wouldn't want him."

Bankotsu held me close.

"This changes things... completely." Bankotsu said. "You're gonna want me to quit this whole mercenary deal to help raise him, aren't you?"

"I won't force you, not that I can." I said. "But, it would ease my mind if you did quit, and come to live with me."

Right about then, Bankotsu looked like he might be sick.

"Mori... How many people have you told? Other than me?" Bankotsu asked.

"No one." I said. "Why?"

Bankotsu sighed.

"Okay. I'll go live with you." Bankotsu said. "Just as soon as you tell pops about this."

I hadn't even thought about that.

"Oh, my." I said. "I'm not even sure I'll survive that talk. But, alright. You've got a deal."

A few hours later, I headed home, and pulled Papa aside to talk.

He took the news rather well. He wasn't happy, but, he certainly wasn't angry.

However, he did act very strangely for the next week.

I did not tell Hana, just because she would be extatic... Not that it helped anything. She's a very smart woman, and would've made a wonderful detective.

She noticed that it was strange when Bankotsu came to live with us.

She noticed Papa's odd behavior.

She noticed how careful they were both being around me.

I think what gave it all away was when she caught Bankotsu and me in my room, just being lovey-dovey, and discussing plans for our son's future.

Whatever it was, Hana found out that I was pregnant, and I was pretty much trapped after that.

No youkai killing. No training the children. Not a single moment without baby clothes, toys, or furniture in my face.

The only thing I really got to do, was sit, eat, sleep, and listen to Hana go crazy.

Luckily, she insisted that Bankotsu suffer with me, as the child's father.

When the child was finally born, I was relieved. There was only one thing Hana was going to bug me about now...

"What will you call him?" Hana asked.

I sighed, looking up at Bankotsu.

"What do you think, Otou-san?" I asked. "Shall we go with the name we picked last fall, or, have you decided on something better?"

Bankotsu moved a little closer, and put his hand on our son's head.

"Yeah, I found something better." Bankotsu said. "I was poking through those papers, with the stories you wrote, and I liked one of the names you made."

"Which one?" I asked.

Bankotsu put his arms around me, and pulled me into his lap.

"Ukyoumaru." Bankotsu said.

I smiled, and kissed our son's forehead.

"I like it, too." I said. "Ukyoumaru, it is."

I looked over at Ryotarou, who was watching with slight sadness in his eyes.

"Hey, ototou." I said. "Would you care to hold your nephew?"

"Eh? Me? Hold him? Now?" Ryotarou asked.

I nodded, and held Ukyoumaru out to him.

Ryotarou hesitated, before carefully taking Ukyoumaru in his arms.

"Watch his head!" Bankotsu said.

Ryotarou did not appear to have heard a word he said.

He was watching Ukyoumaru as though he had never seen anything more amazing.

He was also quite focused on how he held Ukyoumaru.

After a moment, he looked at Papa.

"Do you want a turn, Otou-san?" Ryotarou asked.

Papa looked at me.

I nodded, smiling.

He turned back to Ryotarou, and carefully took Ukyoumaru from him.

The sight amazed me. Papa, my father, was holding my son.

It was nothing short of breath-taking.

Hana got to hold Ukyoumaru one more time before giving him back to me, and insisting that everyone leave, and give me some time with Bankotsu and Ukyoumaru.

I leaned back against Bankotsu, holding Ukyoumaru close.

"So," I said. "How does it feel? Married, with a child?"

Bankotsu kissed the top of my head.

"I never thought I'd do it." Bankotsu said. "I never thought that I'd want it so much."

I turned to look at him. Oh, my Bankotsu. So incredible in every way.

He looked down at me, and my heart skipped like it was the first time.

Very slowly, Bankotsu leaned his face down, and kissed me deeply.

For a few minutes, we were stuck there.

And then, Ukyoumaru woke up hungry.

I broke the kiss so that I could feed him.

"Wish granted." Bankotsu said.

I looked at him.

"Last year, late summer, I was going to grant you that birthday wish when we were so rudely interupted." Bankotsu said. "Took me a while, but, I finally remembered. So, wish granted."

I smiled.

"And then some." I said. "I could never ask for anything more than the Ukyoumaru you've given me."

We smiled at each other, and kissed once more.

Bankotsu and I had four more children after Ukyoumaru.

Each of them beautiful, strong, and very smart.

When they were all grown up, and starting their own lives, Bankotsu and I were still very shapely.

So, we started the Shichinintai up again, re-namimg it the Hachinintai.

Bankotsu wanted to start being a mercenary again.

And, you know what? I joined him.

And we fought together 'til the very end, dying in each other's arms, perfectly happy with the life we had shared, and ready to leave the world in peace...

Otou-san - Father.

Ototou - Little brother.

Okay, I do know the Japanese word for nephew, but, it was rather silly, so, I didn't use it.

So, how was the story? Good? Bad? Did you read it? Please, review!