Rin ran around the garden, a few of the children from the court chasing after her. What she lacked in speed or strength, she made up for with cunning.

Sango watched as Rin dove through bushes and threw rocks veiled in her scent along the hedges, "using their sense of smell against them?" Kagome giggled at that, "the things that girl will go through to have a good time."

The Autumn breeze ruffled their hair, drawing their attention back to Kagome's wedding plans.

"Did you tell Jaken to pay the deposits for everything?" Sango asked as she stared over Kagome's convoluted plans. It was decided that they'd both have weddings inspired by a place that didn't exist yet.

"I did. He complained the entire way, but everything is in place. The seamstress says the dresses will be ready in two weeks."

Sango nodded once, "are you excited?"

"Wildly," Kagome buried her face in her hands, "I can't believe that it's actually happening. You know? I was always so fixated on InuYasha, forcing a romance that wasn't meant to be." She was grinning, watching as Shippo wrapped something about Sango's wrist and ring finger.

He claimed that he and Rin were making flower jewelry and bounced away.

"I never imagined to like any of those dorks," Sango admitted, "cruel, dumb, and perverted. It was like a cruel joke...but now?"

Kagome squeezed her hand, "it's like a dream."

"Oi! Kagome!" InuYasha fell from the sky, brushing his lips against Sango's cheek before addressing the one he'd been searching for, "where's that mangy wolf?"

She shrugged, "he might be outside the walls. On his off days he runs along the river."

"Runs along it, but doesn't get in it." Sesshomaru was perched upon the hedges, floating so as not to deny them, "a pity."

"What are you both up to?" Sango asked. Any time those two were working together it was a bad time indeed.

"Being cruel."

"And stupid."

They were both smirking at her, making her -once again- reconsider eternity.

"I'll beat you both into the ground."

Kagome hid her smile behind her hands when both men said, "we look forward to it." It fluster Sango endlessly and then they were gonna, leaving her friend to complain about stupid dogs and their stupid act.

XxXxXxXxXx

Sango was wrapped up in her layered, silk kimono, holding tight to Miroku as they held the hands of those tied to Touga's statue.

"You don't have to do this," Sango insisted, "I know the loss of his memory may feel unbearable, but there is a life beyond his reign."

In the end they hadn't wanted to hear it. These people were his nursemaid and swordmaster, the people who'd rocked their late Lord to sleep and soothed his injuries.

They lived in his service and would die with his memory.

So Miroku prayed for their spirits, holding their hands and accepting the tokens of appreciation graciously.

"It's time to go," Sesshomaru put his hands on their shoulders, finding their compassion endearing, "you can't stay here any longer."

Sango didn't want to leave them there, she wanted them to come with her, but they'd made their peace with death. She'd have to do the same.

Large dogs, all the same pale white color as Sesshomaru, held chains between their teeth.

One. They assumed the position, heads down, tails up, muscles taut. InuYasha was torn between watching and looking away. It was his father they were tearing down. The man that made him. The man that saved him. The man that abandoned the brother that abandoned everything for him.

Two. The tugging began. Stones of that size resisted them, digging it's stubborn heels into the ground. InuYasha didn't know if he could watch- if he should. Lord Touga was no longer around because of him. If he'd never been born, none of those terrible things would have happened. But what could he do now? The past was the past and he was here.

Three. Yet, to stand idly by and watch? Sesshomaru sacrificed his happiness and his best friend and his freedom all for InuYasha. Years of tension and now he had the chance to support him in something. They were more than family. After today, they would be bound by magic and blood, linked through the humans that were worth the fuss.

"Let's help." He'd support Sesshomaru today and tomorrow, the same way the elder man had supported him.

"What?" The statue was still fighting, still demanding that it be set free. The swinging of Tessaiga made things exponentially more difficult. Sesshomaru was staring as if he had two heads, but InuYasha was dragging him to the end of the chain.

"Let's help."

Sango had no qualms with it all, she grabbed a link, digging her heels into the cool dirt and Miroku was right behind her.

Sesshomaru stared at the statue and then at the chain, "alright." He settled into place behind InuYasha, dug his feet into the dirt and tugged.

His muscles were screaming, protesting the senselessness of the movements. It wasn't until dust and debris filled the clearing, the chains slack and his men and friends all piled upon one another in their humanoid forms, that he realized that Touga was no more.

Petty glee bubbled beneath the surface of his flat expression. Everything was coming together. He watched Sango and Miroku stand together, arms looped as they watched heavy stone -covered from tip to end in opaque cloth- be settled into three open spaces.

His people believed in grand shows of affection, clear intentions, and no spared expense. If his shows of affection for those that would be his were not far more grandiose than that of his traitorous sperm donor…then what was the point?

InuYasha fidgeted at his side, turning a chunk of stone over within his hands.

"Are you sure about this?" InuYasha was nervous once more and words carried on the wind, discrete, "what if-."

"Are you a man or aren't you?"

Still. InuYasha flexed his toes against the restrictive leather of boots, feeling as if nerves would swallow him whole.

"Are you alright?" Sango's wide, intrusive stare made him stagger backwards, stammering as he tried to avoid freeing the cat from the bag.

"Just a little uh...stupid feeling," he lied, staring at the lump in his hands, "he really put up a fight."

She raised an eyebrow at him, her stare unbelieving, but she left him to his secrets. He'd been secretive for weeks now, drinking tea at every turn, speaking softly and humming.

It had been enough to make both her and Miroku suspicious.

"What's next?" She asked Sesshomaru. The chunks of stone and the splatter of guts was being cleaned remarkably quickly.

Yet, his expression made her heart race. He was earnest and open and she was assaulted by the affection in his eyes.

"You'll see."

"Why are you looking at me that way?" His gaze was like honey and his fingers on her skin were soft as flower petals, "marry me?" She pressed her nose to his.

"Impatient minx. I will not be marrying you. You will be marrying me." She liked the way his eyelashes were dark crescents along his pale, striped cheeks.

"Sexism does not please me," she insisted in a perfect imitation of his slow, measured countenance.

"Silence, silly woman." He mused her hair. The grass was pristine once again and he pulled closer to her ear, "the answer to your favorite question? Yellow."

And then he pulled away from her and strolled casually away.

She gazed down at her pale yellow kimono, it was adorned with silver woven sunflowers. When she was young she would study flowers and their meanings and she hardly was willing to believe that he's chosen such an off season design for his own amusement.

Miroku noticed her gaze and moved forward, offering her his dark blue sleeve. Purple flowers, oddly reminiscent of sakurasou, were woven into the extra fabric.

InuYasha was making a hasty retreat, but she was surely not oblivious to the orange kinmokusei that decorated his grey haori.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and Sesshomaru was staring at her from across the way, the smuggest of smiles upon his shit eating face. The crowds were gathering and Miroku was leading her deeper, not complaining when the path became clear for their traversing.

He'd waited for them and- despite being no larger than the average man in this place of giants- he seemed to tower over the others

However, it was Haruki who'd spoken and it was all Sango could do to not stare at the red tulips woven along his white haori.

"We rise in an era of humanity and acceptance. Where Lord Touga failed, Lord Sesshomaru will reign with strength and compassion," the first cloth came free and the only thing holding Sango up was purple clad arms. The statue towered before them, only rising to Sesshomaru's double's shoulder, her hiraikotsu resting in an offensive position, " and truth," the next cloth fell and InuYasha was snarling down at them, his claws raised to his chest, lethal and feral, "and wisdom."

It was Miroku's turn to feel weak. His staff was planted firmly before his double, two sutras in his hand.

InuYasha was staring at his statue beside Sesshomaru, nearly trembling as he waited patiently.

He let Sesshomaru pull things from his sleeve first, "for you," he stood before Kagome, all but rolling his eyes as he handed her a letter.

"Should I read it out loud?"

"If you so choose."

"Congratulations," the murmuring had fallen silent as all ears turned to the nervous priestess, "your apprenticeship beneath Healer Saiki has been approved." No more sweeping. No more changing bedpans. She'd be the only human on the floor, the only woman working under Saiki himself, and she forgot the manners he'd drilled into her.

His body was stiff beneath her assault, but she was emotional and excited and he'd done what he'd sworn he wouldn't do.

When she pulled away, wiping hormonal tears from her wide eyes, she knelt at his feet, "thank you!"

He looked a bit harassed, but nodded, "you're welcome." InuYasha followed behind Sesshomaru, his cheeks pink before anything could truly be done.

"Here." He extended his hand, dropping something within her outstretched palm, "your ...intended helped me to choose it. I hope it's-," he cleared his throat, "I hope it's to your liking."

They moved on.

Sesshomaru offered Shippo a paint set, the trunk was larger than he was and filled with paints as vibrant as the fox himself.

InuYasha offered Rin a golden pin, chosen from the jewel room. It fit in her hair like a tiara, the gold woven to look like flowers.

"It suits you," and she thanked him with a vibrant smile. Maybe she was a touch young for such a gift, but these gifts were proof of their intentions. He couldn't risk Miroku not taking him seriously.

The monk wanted to spend his life with InuYasha and the rest of their fucked little group and InuYasha wanted to spend his life with him, but he had to do this right first.

InuYasha's heart was beating like drums in his chest, the light strumming of a lyre made this all feel far too real and he lusted for the cool, calm demeanor of his brother.

Sesshomaru reached Miroku first, but InuYasha was quick to face Sango- almost scurrying. He offered her a bracelet. The thin gold of the bracelet wove together like vines and a butterfly was perched on either end, each delicate design was filled with precious stones. Coral on one end and amber on the other.

Her body in his arms calmed his raging heart, "thank you, InuYasha." She whispered into his neck and he begged her not to cry. Not yet. He placed his rough thumbs to her eyes, absorbing the liquid, "I love you." She sniffled, blinking away the tears, "thank you."

"And I, you."

She smiled, stepping out of his arms to inspect his gift further.

Then he was facing Sesshomaru. His fingers tight around the bit of canvas he'd forced Haruki to find him. The lyre strumming was growing more insistent, reminding him of the weeks of torment that Sesshomaru had dragged him through.

They would reclaim the only thing their father had left them both.

He offered his gift first, too nervous to wait any longer. The canvas was of Sesshomaru and his mother, he was reading something, cross legged and leaning in his mother's embrace. One arm around him, one turning the pages of the book she balanced on her thigh.

"Haruki was always sketching," but InuYasha saw the batting of eyelashes and the smile that tugged at his lips, "I fear that my gift is not so amazing." A red, folded sash was offered. The ends were dip dyed in blue and it held the same vague scent as the ring. Dust and metal and spices.

"It was Touga's, I kept it sealed away for years for...reasons that seem silly now." InuYasha pulled it closer to his face, able to put a smell to a face now, "You are very similar to him, but ...far kinder and you will make a grand addition to this kingdom."

Their humans stared on wide eyed, neither fully comprehending the gravity of the situations they found themselves in.

"You have a home now," and Miroku seemed to weep with happiness, his violet eyes taking on a watery sheen.

Before anyone could start to cry anymore than was already in motion, Sesshomaru moved close to Sango, grabbing her hands.

Now or never.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas,

With ne'er a fear of drowning

And gladly ride the waves of life

If you will marry me"

Sango felt the ugly cry coming and she was breathing deeply, trying to keep it together, trying to maintain her composure in front of thousands.

InuYasha grabbed Miroku's hand, his voice was scratchy- not nearly as practiced as his brother's- and yet Miroku could not contain his pleased grin.

"My dearest one, my darling dear,

Your mighty words astound me

But I've no need of mighty deeds when I feel

Your arms around me"

There was no going back now, there was only light eyes and dark hair. Anxiety bounced between the four and yet he would not stop. InuYasha could never forget this moment.

As one, the brothers sank to their knees, pulling rings from their pockets

"But I would bring you rings of gold

I'd ever sing you poetry"

"I would keep you from all harm

If you would stay beside me"

They poised the rings, their voices melding together and InuYasha could almost feel the vibrations of his heart against his tongue.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas

With ne'er a fear of drowning

And gladly ride the waves of life

If you

Will marry me."

Miroku was nodding, bouncing his head as if it weren't truly attached to his body. He vibrated with the deep sobbing that fought against his chest.

"If you. Will marry me."

Sesshomaru yelped as he was flung into the dirt and InuYasha staggered as Miroku dropped beside him, his hands on his cheeks, his insistence suffocating.

The tears that smeared along InuYasha's hot cheeks were not entirely Miroku's own, but he would pretend they were as that head of black hair buried itself in his shoulder.

Sango was singing, her voice hiccuping and broken, the ending line of their song twisted for her own snuffling purposes.

"I'll fight and love you darling, dear

With ne'er a fear of losing

And gladly ride the waves of life

For I will marry thee".

Miroku's voice was still buried in his shoulder, his shoulders still shaking, but his words still reached furry, twitching ears.

"Yes, I,

Will Marry

thee."

XxXxXxXxXx

The festival raged.

Drums were exploding in her ears and the smell of unfamiliar treats assaulted her nose, but none of that could matter. Not when she wore his mother's golden band; two halves of a whole. We are one until time grows old.

"Your smile has not broken all evening, I fear your face may get stuck that way."

He was one to talk! His hair was adorned with red tulips, a gesture of congratulations from those brave enough to approach him. And his smile. It had shined just as brightly as the festival lights.

"The difference is that I've taken breaks," Maybe to kiss her, but that hardly counted. Miroku and InuYasha were dancing in the clearing, following the graceless stomping of Rin and Shippo and the drums filled their minds and tickled their feet.

"Congratulations." Kagome was standing before them, two red tulips in her hands as she beamed up at them, "are you excited?" Sesshomaru bowed so she could position the flower in his fine hair.

"More than I can say," Sango hugged her friend, "this stupid man is the love of my life and I-," she felt her tear become trapped between a large thumb and her face.

"Yes, yes, I'm spectacular."

She swatted at him, "I just can't wait for it to be official."

Kagome could understand. Her own impending nuptials had her atwitter. Speaking of her beloved, he was chasing after InuYasha, trying to force him to accept the flowers.

Sango would spend the rest of her life watching them raise a ruckus and then she was crying again, happy for happiness' sake.

"Realizing you're stuck with Lord Sesshomaru?" Haruki patted her on the shoulder, "truthfully, I'd cry too." Natsuo was hanging from his arm, an adoring quirk of his lips set into place.

"I'm realizing that my life will be filled with the fools that I love as dearly as life itself." She accepted the flower.

"A pack will never forsake you," Haruki told her gently, "should they ever be lost to the other life it's these memories that will pull you through."

She nodded, "I'm sorry about your loss, Haruki. If it helps...even the smallest amount….we avenged your pack. She will never hurt anyone else."

"The details of your super secret mission," his grip on Natsuo tightened, "I'm glad to hear them. Enjoy the festival."

Sesshomaru's hand on her lower back kept the melancholy at bay, "let us go help that sad wolf. It would seem InuYasha is not being very kind." She nodded once, focusing on her own happiness for the night.

They collected tulips from the buckets of water and flowers, "InuYasha!" Sango let her feet leave the ground so she could pick the perfect spot amongst the few others that he'd allowed, "are you having fun?"

"I guess," he'd grunted, watching Sesshomaru tuck the flower behind Miroku's ear, "tell your fiancé to stop moving in on my man."

Sango rolled her eyes, placing her lips on his jaw, "jealousy doesn't become you, InuYasha. Besides," his attention was back on her, staring down at her. The flowers were far too pretty on her head, "you haven't congratulated me. What a horrible man you are."

"You've been busy staring into Sesshomaru's eyes." His lips brushed her cheek, "didn't want to interrupt."

"That's cheap." Miroku insisted from a few feet away, "you didn't raise that boy, allow me to teach him how to treat a woman like Sango."

She was out of InuYasha's arms now, only yelping a bit when Miroku wrapped his arm around her waist and tilted her backwards.

Sesshomaru could give him points for flare. Sango was holding his robes in her hands, giggling wildly when he spun her into InuYasha's arms.

"Now do it properly! Or were doing the bonding without you tonight!" Miroku was feeling smug until Sesshomaru's arms wound around him, his lips right beside his ear. He nipped him reproachfully.

"Since when do you call the shots, monk?"

Joke was on Sesshomaru. His growling and nipping only made him want to be more disobedient.

Sango was dragging InuYasha around the clearing, spinning along with the sounds of drums. He was a little confused, a little unsure, but he never pulled away, never stopped smiling at the glee on her face.

And then she was kissing him, holding him in place with the hands she'd laced behind his neck, "congrats, InuYasha."

He huffed at her, "congrats to you too, Sango."

XxXxXxXxXx

Sango forbid them from shredding her kimono. She forced everyone to neatly store their clothing, insisting that their value was immeasurable.

And then she attacked. A tangle of nameless limbs, trusting and fierce as they sought a closeness that couldn't be given through physical means. It was InuYasha beneath her at the moment, but her back was to him, relishing his crushing grip on her hips. She knew that she'd be bruised tomorrow, but with each rush of ecstasy she found she didn't much care.

Miroku's blood flowed over her tongue, gentle as chamomile tea and he shuddered against her. Prey. He'd been the most popular for being bitten. The gentle whimper, the way his violet eyes knocked backwards. It had driven each of them to insanity.

InuYasha's mark was on her left breast and Miroku had compensated for his lack of fangs with purpling marks on her right.

"Make it quick," InuYasha had bunched his hair to cover Sango's fresh puncture wounds, his head tilted as if he were a doe and Sesshomaru a vicious animal.

It was the farthest thing from sexual. Sesshomaru grabbed his shoulders and dug his fangs into the skin. There was a quick flick of his tongue to contain the bleeding, but other than that...it was lackluster, not that she could expect much of brothers.

"Here," Sesshomaru offered his wrist, but InuYasha cried that it was far too impersonal considering that he held his own brother's fang marks upon his neck.

Miroku, a pervert and a creep, suggested that he take the pectoral. Which, alternatively, was too personal. Sango would have died several times before she bit into Kohaku's chest.

"What about the shoulder?" Sango asked, she was watching as Miroku worked his own fingers within himself, his expression going dark as he took his pleasure from watching InuYasha sink his fangs into the pale skin just above his collar.

And just like that, they were bound. No longer were they four individuals, the company and devotion they'd been chasing ever since they'd been left without… was finally theirs.

"Sesshomaru," Miroku had grown tired of his own company, "let's go out with a bang?" The demon man felt a grin cross his lips.

"Just don't cry like a bitch when you're purple and blue."