Hoorah for updating!

Sesshoumaru: are you always this jubilant?

A1969: what do you think?

Sesshoumaru: hn.

A1969: ah, his famous catchphrase. Do the disclaimer so we can get on with our lives.

Sesshoumaru: I do not take orders from humans.

A1969: -holds up prayer beads- need I use these?

Sesshoumaru: fine. The author does not own the show. The true owner would be Rumiko Takahashi.

A1969: I should buy you a Scooby Snack!

Sesshoumaru: -death glare-

SoSoSoSoSoSo

Mizuki, Inuyasha and Kagome looked at the broken blade in Hakudoshi's hands. "H-how…w-why…" were the only words Mizuki could utter. The young woman looked despairingly at Inuyasha, her eyes were filled with tears.

"There has to be another way! Inuyasha! Please!" Mizuki cried out. Kagome wrapped her arms around the young woman in order to comfort her, but Mizuki only cried louder.

Inuyasha looked at his brother's body and clenched his fists. He was enraged with his brother for dying on him. Kagome's eyes widened when she saw that Inuyasha's clenched fists were drawing blood. "You fool, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha muttered dangerously. "Why did you die out, huh? YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE INVINCIBLE!!!" Inuyasha fists made contact with the solid ground.

Hakudoshi was silent. He looked at Sesshoumaru, lying lifeless, and he felt sad for Mizuki. "We all have to move on sometimes…" he said slowly.

Mizuki shook her head. "There's got to be…another way…" The young woman felt that fate had dealt wrongly with her. Why…?She thought bitterly. Her very soul felt tormented. She was completely consumed with the grief that one feels when a loved one dies…

Kagome herself was equally stunned with the turn of events. Secretly, she had always thought that Inuyasha was the more vulnerable among the two…until tonight.

The priestess's eyes looked at Inuyasha. Inuyasha's eyes were shadowed and fists were still tightly clenched, drawing blood from his palms.

It might have been hours later when Mizuki felt Kagome place a hand on the young woman's shoulder. "We should leave…" the priestess said softly. "Inuyasha said that he'll carry…"

"No."

"Mizuki," Kagome said almost imploringly. "There's nothing more we can do…"

"Really, now?" a soft voice said. "Nothing more that you can do?"

Everyone looked up. A woman was standing before them. She an unearthly beauty about her and her kimono as well as her hair seemed to sway gently as if in a breeze. Mizuki knew who the woman was.

"Tsuki," Mizuki said recognizing the moon goddess who had claimed to be her mother.

"Who the hell are you?!" Inuyasha demanded. Tsuki turned her attention to Inuyasha and raised a hand as if to silence him.

"I am someone who can help you…" Tsuki said calmly looking at Mizuki.

"Help?" Mizuki asked. A slight bubble of hope rose in her chest. "You mean…you can bring back…?"

"What would you be willing to give?" Tsuki asked calmly.

Mizuki stood up. "My life," she said without hesitating. Kagome and Inuyasha looked at her, even Hakudoshi, their eyes were wide with shock.

"You can't, Mizuki," Kagome quickly said. "Sesshoumaru wouldn't have wanted you to…"

"Silence," Mizuki in perfect imitation of Sesshoumaru. "It's because of me that he's…" she didn't finish her sentence.

Tsuki shook her head. "My daughter"-Kagome and everyone else's eyes widened at the newfound revelation-"you needn't go through such extreme lengths…What I want is something more…subtle…"

"What?"

Tsuki gave her a moonlit smile. "I want you to give me your divine powers…your essence of goddess hood."

"What is she saying?" Kagome asked.

Mizuki bit her lip. "Tsuki," the young woman said calmly, "is a goddess…the moon goddess to be exact…she claims that I am her offspring."

Kagome looked at Mizuki and understood why she had emitted a divine aura in their battle with Makai.

"Yes," Mizuki said without hesitation. "I shall give it to you…"

"Be warned," Tsuki said. "There is the risk of dying if you give it to me…"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

Tsuki smiled at her. "Are you really willing to risk your life for this…demon?" her tone suggested that she didn't quite like Sesshoumaru. Mizuki nodded her head. Mizuki placed both hands on her chest, over her heart and closed her eyes. She searched for that power resting within her. The power of a god…

She found it. Dormant yet powerful, it exuded a sense of power within her. And she understood why Tsuki wanted it. Unlike the power of other gods, her power was slightly impure. Mizuki wondered why and remembered that she had come from a demon father and a goddess mother. The power of two opposing forces coming together…

The power that Tsuki wanted.

Kagome and the others watched as Mizuki slowly pulled her hands away from her. As she did so, a glowing ball light came out of her.

Inuyasha and the others watched as the ball of power floated to Tsuki. The moon goddess held out her hand the ball of power landed in her hand, gradually it vanished in a flash of brilliant light. Mizuki felt utterly weakened and exhausted.

Tsuki looked at her. "It's your turn," Mizuki said calmly. Tsuki smiled at her. She pointed her slender finger to the fragments of Tenseiga in Hakudoshi's hands. The boy stared in shock as the fragments suddenly hovered above him. The pieces of the blade hovered for a moment and then as if they were magnets attracted to the one another, the pieces of Tenseiga pulled themselves together and the sword hovered in front of Inuyasha, good as new.

"Use it on him," Tsuki said calmly. She turned her attention to Mizuki and said, "Be careful…the god of the sun, your uncle, knows about you. That is why I have taken your goddess hood from you."

"What am I?" Mizuki suddenly asked her. "You said that I am your daughter and yet my father was a demon…I think I was half-goddess, half-demon…but you took my goddess hood from me…What am I?"

Her mother gave her a mysterious smile. "You are a moon demon." With that, Tsuki turned and walked away until she gradually vanished. Mizuki turned her attention to Inuyasha, who was now holding Tessaiga.

"Use it," she said. Inuyasha hesitated for a moment before he walked towards Sesshoumaru. He didn't know how to use the Tenseiga, but they said that a caring heart was needed in order to wield the sword…

The hanyou took Tenseiga out of its sheath and held it above his brother. He could see Jaken-like creatures on top of Sesshoumaru. The emissaries of the afterlife.

What am I suppose to do? Inuyasha thought. Am I supposed to kill them?

Trusting his instincts, Inuyasha killed the emissaries of the afterlife with one clean swing of Tenseiga. "He cut something," Hakudoshi murmured.

A few seconds passed and everyone waited with bated breath. A soft breeze blew and soon enough, Sesshoumaru opened his eyes…

"Sesshoumaru!" Mizuki said as the demon lord sat up. The young woman threw herself into his arms. Kagome smiled at them both. She had never really believed that Sesshoumaru was capable of actually loving someone, but as she looked at them both, the way Sesshoumaru held Mizuki in his arms, she knew that she was very wrong.

Sesshoumaru stood up and continued to hold Mizuki in his arms. "Disgusting," Inuyasha muttered. Kagome gave him a gentle shove in the ribs.

Sesshoumaru looked at Inuyasha and said, "I owe you nothing."

Inuyasha blinked. "Just because I have the Tenseiga, doesn't mean that I'm the one who saved you," Inuyasha said vehemently. He handed Sesshoumaru the Tenseiga and looked at Mizuki, "She'sthe one who saved you."

Sesshoumaru looked at Mizuki, there was a questioning look in his eyes. "I'll explain when we go back," she said. Sesshoumaru looked into her eyes. Guessing what he was about to do, Inuyasha and the others turned their back on Mizuki and Sesshoumaru just as their lips met.

Inuyasha, though thoroughly disgusted, was glad that his brother was alive.

SoSoSoSoSoSo

Rin sighed. "What is it?" Takara asked. The inu youkai had taken Rin with her into the garden. She had noticed that the little girl seemed sad and silent last night, so the next day, she had taken for a stroll in the garden.

"Where is Lord Sesshoumaru? And hahaue?" Rin asked solemnly. Takara looked at her.

So she sees Mizuki as a mother now, the inu youkai thought. "They shall be back very soon," Takara said in an assuring voice. "Sesshoumaru has just gone to fetch Mizuki."

"Did I make Hahaue leave?" the little girl inquired.

Takara shook her head. "No…someone else did."

A familiar scent reached Takara's nose. She glanced behind her and smiled. "Rin…look who's here."

Rin turned and her face lit up into a wide smile. "Hahaue!" the little girl shouted. She ran to Mizuki and Mizuki held the little girl tightly in her arms.

"I'm so sorry Rin," Mizuki said softly. Rin nodded her head and continued to hold Mizuki closer to her. Takara smiled at Mizuki and turned her attention to Sesshoumaru.

"You're a mess," she remarked.

Sesshoumaru bowed ever so slightly, straightened up and said, "The other lords of the lands must be summoned…it is important." Takara nodded her head and turned her attention to Inuyasha.

"You're much braver than I thought you would be," she murmured.

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome," the hanyou said. Kagome smiled slightly.

"Well," the priestess said, "I guess we'd better get going. Sango and Miroku must be back by now."

"Inuyasha is to remain," Sesshoumaru suddenly said.

"Whaddya need me here for?" the hanyou asked. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at him.

"It is of vital importance that you attend the gathering," Sesshoumaru said dryly. Inuyasha shuddered at the thought of sitting among a bunch of old lords.

"So I guess Hakudoshi and I should leave," Kagome said. "We'll tell the others where you are, Inuyasha."

"You needn't leave," Takara said calmly. "Think of it as my way of saying thank you. You can stay as long as you like."

Kagome nodded. "That's very kind of you, Takara-sama, thank you. But I'll stay only as long as Inuyasha stays."

Takara nodded her head. "I'm leaving," Hakudoshi said. He mounted Entei and flew off. Kagome watched him go and sighed. He hasn't even thanked Mizuki for giving him his heart back, the miko thought.

SoSoSoSoSoSo

Miroku and the others approached a village. It was small yet it looked prosperous. "Well, Sango," Hoshiro said as he bowed low to Sango, "I guess this is where we part ways…are you sure you and your companions do not wish to rest here for the night? Noriko would love to have you over."

Maybe you're the one who wants to have her over for the night, Miroku thought venomously.

At that moment, a young woman came up to them. She had waist length brown hair and black eyes. Her cheeks were tinged with red and her eyes were sparkling.

"Hoshiro!" the girl called out, waving her hand. Hoshiro smiled. Miroku however, did what he always did. He walked up the young lady and held her hand.

The girl blinked. "Eh?" she said.

"Miss, if you consider bearing my children, you won't regret it!" the monk said.

Someone hit him on the head…hard. It wasn't Sango. It was Hoshiro.

"What do you think you're doing?" the young man snapped. "That's my wife you're flirting with!"

Miroku blinked. "Wife? I thought you and Sango were…"

Everyone, even Hoshiro, suddenly laughed. "You thought that Sango and I were more than friends?" he said as he laughed.

Miroku sweat dropped. Sango blushed and looked at him. So that was the reason he was acting all jealous throughout the journey! The taijiya thought with a slight smile on her face.

Shippou jumped on Miroku's shoulder. "You've been a complete idiot from the beginning!" the kitsune said. Miroku did what Inuyasha usually did-he hit Shippou on the head.

"Not you too!" the young kitsune said. Kohaku chuckled and Kirara mewed.

"I think we should get going," Sango said. "Bye Hoshiro! Take care Noriko!"

"Come on, Miroku," Sango said as she grabbed his hand.

The monk looked at Sango and smiled. He tightened his grip on her hand walked with her out of the village, Kohaku, Shippou and Kirara following in their wake.

SoSoSoSoSoSo

Mizuki tucked Rin into bed and the little girl smiled at her. "Hahaue…can you promise me something?" the little girl asked somewhat hesitantly.

"What is it?" the moon demoness asked with a smile.

"Can you promise that you'll never leave me behind again?"

Mizuki sobered. "I'm sorry I left you," she said, her head was bowed. "I promise you, I'll never do it again!" Mizuki kissed her goodnight and waited until Rin was asleep. When the little girl was sleeping, she left the room and looked for Kagome.

She found the young miko hanyou standing just outside her door. "Mizuki," Kagome said in a huff.

"What is it? Is something bothering you?" the moon demoness asked. Kagome nodded her head.

"Well…when Takara-sama said that we could stay…she forgot to mention that…that…" Kagome's voice trailed off.

"That what?"

"That Inuyasha and I are going to be sharing one room!" the miko said in a huff. Mizuki looked at her and gave her a tiny laugh.

"Sorry," Mizuki said. "Takara-sama probably thinks that you and Inuyasha are…married."

Kagome's eyes widened and she blushed profusely. Mizuki looked at her in an amused way. "Well, if you don't want to share one room with him, then tell him to get out."

"I can't." There were splashes of red in Kagome's cheeks.

Mizuki raised an eyebrow at her. "Why not?"

"He's asleep. Besides, after the battle with Ryuukutsusei…I'm sure he must be tired," the miko said thoughtfully.

Mizuki grinned at her. "Just get in there. Don't be malicious! After all…Inuyasha is like a friend to you, right?" Mizuki said with an innocent smile. "Or you can stay with me and Rin if you want. Or you can go ask Takara-sama for another room…"

"I'm staying with you and Rin," Kagome said hurriedly. Kagome walked passed her. "Mind if I go on ahead?"

Mizuki shook her head and was about to follow Kagome when someone grabbed her hand from behind. She spun around. Sesshoumaru looked intently at her as if it was the first time he had seen her.

"Sesshoumaru," she said. "You should be resting."

"It is not necessary," he said. "There is something that I have to ask you."

He led her into the garden. Mizuki looked up at the moon and sighed as she thought of Tsuki. She suddenly turned her attention to Sesshoumaru. "What is it?" she asked. He looked at her for a moment then sat down on a nearby stone bench. She sat down next to him and repeated her question.

"How did you save me?" he inquired. He sounded slightly embarrassed about asking. Mizuki looked up at the moon.

"I gave up…" she couldn't tell him what she was before Tsuki took her goddess hood away.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her. "What did you give up?" he inquired. Mizuki bit her lip.

"Do you remember that goddess…the one who saved my life?"

Sesshoumaru nodded curtly. "Well," Mizuki said. "She said that I am her daughter…my father was a demon, she said. I thought I was a demon…but it turns out, I was half-god and half-demon…until tonight…"

"What do you mean?"

Mizuki sighed. "Tsuki…she took away my…goddess hood and my divine powers…"

Sesshoumaru looked at her. She gave up the powers of a god just to save him? She gave up what she could have been. He stared pensively at the ground. He suddenly realized that she could have been much more but because of him, she couldn't be.

"It's alright," Mizuki said with a cheery smile. "I won't miss the power that much…Heh, I only discovered them tonight! And besides…I'm a demon now…I can be with you…"

Sesshoumaru looked at her. He tilted her chin upwards and said, "Then I am in your debt."

She smiled at him with her usual smile. Sesshoumaru slipped something on her finger. Mizuki looked at it. It was the ring that she had thrown away earlier…the ring he gave her when he proposed to her…

"You told me that you would only marry me when Naraku is dead," he said calmly. "Can you keep that promise?"

She smiled at him and kissed him. "Yes, I promise."

Sesshoumaru slung an arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Mizuki sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder; Sesshoumaru kissed her head and they both looked up at the stars.

SoSoSoSoSoSo

Yay! All finished! It's not too short, is it?

Sesshoumaru: -sarcastically- of course not.

A1969: one more…and I swear I'll…

Sesshoumaru: you are just a human…what could you possibly do?
A1969: could you come closer? I want to tell you where Naraku is…-Places beads on fluffy- HA!

Sesshoumaru: Ningen! Take them off this instant!

A1969: down fluffy.

Sesshoumaru: -kisses the ground-

A1969: the sweet scent of victory! Please review!

Sesshoumaru: I'm going to kill you…