A/N: I feel like I didn't give Miroku enough children (or rather Sango didn't) but I can only balance so many people. Oh well.

Sari sat with her mother, letting her squeeze her hand for comfort as they waited for Lord Miroku's family to be finished with their preparations. Sesshoumaru stood beside them, and Seiya beside him, watching intensely as the Eastern family drew markings in the ground with purified salts.

"Princess Sari, could you come stand here?" Lord Miroku asked, directing her into the center of the markings.

"I think under the circumstances we don't need to be so formal. You are about to fuse my inner personality. I'm not sure it gets more personal than that," Sari said as she stepped closer, hearing him chuckle.

"Your spirits seem fine, Lady Sari. That's very important. Just remember to focus on something positive through the ritual. A focal point will help you stay in control and make it easier to chain your beasts together."

Yoru watched from the sidelines, full of anxiety. He knew she needed to do this but he wished there was some way he could help her. His mother placed a hand on his shoulder in understanding as they watched the two families take their places.

Inuyasha remained beside Seiya and the wolves, his mind replaying Sari's request. He understood why she'd asked him. There was no way Sesshoumaru or Kagome would allow their daughter to die, regardless of her mental state. Sari had good reason to fear they would merely keep her locked up until they found a way to save her. That was no life. He would honor her request, but he really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"Sango and Tsuki will perform a containment ritual to keep Sari from escaping should anything go wrong. Toshi and myself will use an extraction ritual to draw out her inner beasts so they can be targeted. Lady Kagome, Lord Sesshoumaru, when her beasts manifest, you'll need to force your auras against them, cornering them together as tightly as possible. When they are together, I will begin the last part of the ceremony, chaining them together before Toshi releases the extraction rite and they can return to her, hopefully bound and in harmony."

Sari took a deep breath, feeling tense as he explained the process.

"What happens if they don't bind and they return to her?" Seiya asked, standing to the side with Inuyasha.

"That's not an option, Seiya," Sari said, turning to face him for a moment. "This is going to work."

"That's the right attitude, Princess," Toshi said with a gentle smile.

"Sari!" Yoru called, seeing her turn to him. "You can do this." She smiled at him and nodded, feeling a bit better with his support as she took her position once more.

"I need a drop of your blood, Lady Sari," Sango asked, holding a small dagger and reaching for her hand. She poked Sari's finger and dropped her blood onto the salt. "This will bind the barrier to you, hopefully making it strong enough against your spiritual resistance."

"Are you ready, Taisho family?" Miroku called, seeing him family in place.

"Ready!" Kagome called from her circle that was a few meters to the right of Sari.

"Let's begin," Sesshoumaru said from the circle on the opposite side.

Sari nodded to Miroku, taking a deep breath as she heard the family beginning their different chants.

The circles at their feet began to glow with ancient spiritual energy. Sari couldn't help but reach out into the air, hissing as the barrier electrocuted her finger. At least she wasn't immune.

With the barrier up, Miroku and Toshi finished their chant and directed the beads in their hands toward Sari. She grunted in pain, fisting her hands as she felt her energies rising within her. The beads began to glow and Sari loosed a cry of pain as her beasts were ripped from her body, towering above her in a magnificent display. From her right shoulder was the body of a dog demon that mirrored her father's, but for the braids in the mane that were Sari's. From her left, a miko glowing with spiritual light held her hands together in prayer. The aspects continued to clash above her head, the pain shooting down into the bones as they fought freely.

Sesshoumaru heard Kagome's gasp as they formed, feeling much of the same awe she expressed. The amount of chaotic energy that sparked between the two beasts was incredible, even more so now that Sari wasn't suppressing them.

"She was holding all of that back?" Koga yelled, feeling the pulsing of the aspects battle making his fur stand on edge.

"If she lost control of all of that, it would be so dangerous," Ayame said quietly, watching closely. Yoru agreed silently, noting the serious look on Inuyasha's face beside him as they continued to observe.

Her auras were kicking up a storm around them, the clouds darkening and lightning threatening them from the sky.

"It's time! Push their auras together! I'm sorry, Lady Sari, but this is going to hurt!" Miroku called past the wind whipping around them.

Her parents began immediately, focusing their aura and energy to force the opposing auras into submission. Kagome used her miko power against the dog demon and Sesshoumaru used his demonic aura against the miko, watching them grow to try and fight back. Sari bit her lip and hugged her chest, not wanting to distract her parents with her pain.

As the aspects grew stronger, Sari felt their power bleeding down into her, trying, as Miroku had warned, to take control of her. She felt the warmth of the miko energy cascading down her left, the chill of her dog beast on her right. She felt her fangs enlarging and her eye beginning to burn.

"Sari, focus! Don't lose control!" Sango warned, seeing her features beginning to change.

Seiya fisted his hands from the sidelines and watched his sister slowly losing the fight for power. He looked and saw Yoru gritting his teeth, pain in his eyes at not being able to do anything for her.

"Yoru, she needs you. You have to go up and talk to her," Seiya said through the wind. "If she needs something to focus on, make her focus on you!"

"What can I say?"

"Tell her how you feel, dumbass!" Inuyasha said from beside them, his gaze never leaving Sari. "Now isn't the time to be shy and secretive. She's drowning under the energy. Don't let us lose her."

Yoru nodded and ran up to Sari, ignoring his parents protests as he did. He stood just outside the circle as her parents continued their fight, feeling her energy continuing to multiply and push back.

"Sari, look at me!" Yoru called, seeing her hugging herself tightly in pain.

"Hurts..." she managed, gnashing her teeth. "Too weak..."

"You're not! You're not weak at all, Sari. Look at me!" he tried again, seeing her peak up with her bloody red eye. It was progress.

"Yoru, get back! It's not safe!" Kagome warned, seeing how close he was to her. He ignored her.

"Sari, you're so damn strong. And stubbornly independent. You work at everything you do until you get it perfect. When I was 14 and visiting, Seiya and I had a race around the castle courtyard, do you remember?" Yoru asked, seeing her shake her head slowly. "You timed it for us, and I won, of course," he said with a small smirk for her benefit, her eyes remaining on his.

"Look! It's starting to work!" Seiya said, noting how the auras were coalescing and shrinking back down.

"That night," Yoru continued. "I looked outside from the window of our suite and I saw you dashing across the courtyard in the starlight. Your hair was flying behind you, glistening beneath the moon's rays, and your face was so focused. You ran every night of the two weeks we spent here, over and over, until you met my time."

"I... beat you..." she grunted through the agony, her fangs starting to recede.

"That stubbornness and determination, right there, is why I love you," Yoru said, hearing her gasp at his open admission. "I love every part of you. From the wildness to the calm, from the stubborn to the meek, from the strong to the stronger, because not a hair on your head is weak."

Miroku watched the beasts as they finally fused into a singular being. He took the opportunity to throw his sutra upon them and begin the final chant, chaining them together permanently. Sari screamed in excruciating pain, dropping to her knees as the power once more tried to rush back into her and hide from the monk's efforts.

"Stay with me!" Yoru said, dropping with her to look her in the eyes, seeing her fangs growing again and her gaze clouding over.

"I'm starting to lose it!" Kagome yelled, her strength at it's limits.

"Hold it for a little longer! Sari, you have to gain control!" Sango yelled, working hard to maintain the barrier with Tsuki as the aspects fought against it.

"Yoru, get her focus again, quick!" Toshi yelled, feeling the strain of the ritual as well.

"Sari, please! It's almost over, stay with me!" Yoru heard her growl and snarl, her claws moving to dig into the dirt as she looked back up at him, ready to charge. She was losing her grip too fast!

Yoru did the only thing he could think of, reaching through the barrier and ignoring the burning of his skin to yank her close and kiss her. She fought against him, clawing at his shoulders and biting his lip. He remained determined and deepened the kiss, cupping her head in his hands and keeping her held against him. She began to respond to him slowly, tangling her tongue with his weakly as her body throbbed and stabbed with the pain of the beasts.

Miroku felt the shift of energy immediately, finishing the chant and locking the auras together in harmony. Toshi released the extraction spell as Kagome and Sesshoumaru dropped their auras, everyone watching as the winds calmed and the now united aspect returning to her body. Sango and Tsuki released the barrier, noting Yoru's burns as he pulled back from Sari.

"Sari?" Kagome called, her knees giving out with her fatigue. Seiya caught her and brought her to the ground gently, both training their eyes on the demoness.

"Sari?" Yoru said gently, brushing her hair back from her face. She went limp, Yoru catching her as she fell to the side. "Sari!"

"This was a painful and exhausting process. We should get her inside to rest. We all could use it," Miroku stated, seeing Kagome clinging to her mate as he lifted her into his arms.

"We'll bring them to the medical wing," Sesshoumaru stated, seeing Yoru lift his daughter up with burned arms.

The next 24 hours were agony for all involved. Sari remained unconscious and unresponsive, her body expending what was left of her strength to heal her. She was covered in burns and lacerations from her own inner demons fighting against her. Sesshoumaru made the doctor treat her every wound as he sat between Sari and his wife, who slept in the cot beside her. Yoru's burns were tended to as well and he joined the others in the drawing room to wait for her to awaken.

When Sari opened her eyes the next day, her father was still sitting beside her. He stood, careful not to wake his wife from her slumber, and greeted Sari quietly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, seeing her struggle to sit up.

"Heavy," she said, blinking her eyes open and turning to look at him. As she did, she saw Kagome behind him and her eyes widened.

"Your mother is fine, merely sleeping. She refused to come to our chambers until you awakened."'

"I'm glad," she whispered, sighing in relief.

"Are you in pain?" Sesshoumaru asked, watching her shake her head.

"My back hurts a bit from the extraction but I'm well enough. I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" she asked, looking up at him. He shook his head and sat on the bed beside her.

Sesshoumaru had mixed feelings of concern for her health along side the relief of her awakening. He wasn't sure how to express the swirls of emotion inside of him, so he started with lifting her hand to cup it between his. Her eyes widened, unsure of what he was doing.

"I'm overwhelmed with relief to see you conscious. This Sesshoumaru is unsure of what would have happened if the ceremony had not been successful."

"We don't know if it has been," Sari said, shifting her gaze down to the blanket. She started to speak again but blinked. She looked back up at her father and closed her right eye, only to open it and switch to her left. "Papa, I can see from my right eye again."

"Sari?" Kagome asked, lifting herself onto her elbow to focus her gaze. She leapt off the bed and over to her daughter, embracing her tightly as Sesshoumaru released her and moved back to give his mate room. "Oh thank goodness you're awake!"

"We really need to stop having this talk," Sari said, hearing her mother laugh through a sob of relief.

"Yes we do!"

"Sari just said said she can see through her right eye now," Sesshoumaru spoke, watching Kagome cup her face to inspect her eye.

"Does that mean it worked?" Kagome saw Sari frown.

"I'm not sure. I don't feel the same pain as I did before but now I don't feel anything."

"When you're feeling up to it, we can go outside and test your abilities and see how if or how they've changed," Sesshoumaru spoke, seeing her nod.

"Sari!" Seiya ran up to her and squeezed her much like Kagome had. "How are you feeling?"

"Mama, can you grab a brush and ink and write 'I'm fine' across my forehead?"

"You can't blame us for being worried. You've been unconscious for a full day-"

"A day?!" Sari asked, looking at the window and then back to her family. "Then tomorrow is..."

"The gala," Seiya finished, seeing the anxiety in her eyes.

"Let's not worry about that for today," Kagome said gently. "You should rest."

"I've rested for a day," Sari countered, moving to stand from the bed. She was grateful she didn't lose her balance as her body felt heavy still. "Papa, I'd like to test my abilities with you."

"You don't need to rush yourself," Seiya said. "There's still time-"

"Let's go outside, Sari," Sesshoumaru said.

"Sesshou, she's recovering!" Kagome protested.

"Sari won't rest until she knows if the ceremony worked. The only way to know is to spar. It will be brief, then she will come back and rest." Sari nodded.

"Thank you, Papa."

They went outside and away from the castle, once more at the training ground. Sari took a deep breath, seeing her father nod for her to come at him when ready. Seiya and Kagome watched with concern as she charged him, her hand swiping to release her crescent attack. The white blades of poison pierced into the ground where Sesshoumaru had stood a moment before. She turned, her father behind her, and loosed a whip of light, much like his own attack. He dodged and extended his claws to slice at her. She lifted her arm and a shield of purification energy formed for his claws to slide off, causing her no harm. He stopped attacking and watched her bow to him.

"I'm going to have to adjust to having two eyes again. My aim was not great and my reflexes suffer for it... But it doesn't hurt anymore," she said, a tear sliding down her face. She wiped it, even as another fell. "My body doesn't feel like it's been rolled over by a boulder every time I use an ability."

"That's wonderful, Sari," Kagome said, coming up to comfort her, seeing her take a deep breath. "Let's get you back to the medical wing."

"Mama, may I rest in a drawing room instead? I feel like I've spent an eternity in the infirmary as of late," she requested, seeing her mother nod.

Kagome walked Sari back to the castle and into the west wing drawing room. It was painted and decorated in light blues and whites, meant to be a calming environment. Sari was fond of this room as she'd spent a fair amount of time with Kagome and her studies here when she was younger. She was made to prop her feet up on a stool and covered with a light blanket at her mother's insistence.

"I'm not an invalid," Sari started. "This really isn't necessary."

"You'll listen to me or go back to the infirmary," Kagome stated simply as a servant brought in a cart of tea and snacks.

"Yes, Mama," Sari said with a sigh.

"Sari, do you remember the ceremony yesterday?" Seiya asked, seeing her frown slightly in thought.

"I remember a lot of pain. It was hard to focus on anything else. I heard Yoru talking to me for a bit but I don't remember anything specific," Sari said, sitting up and holding a tea cup as her mother poured some for her.

"Then do you not remember Yoru's declaration of love?" Sesshoumaru asked directly.

Sari dropped the tea cup as she whipped her head up at her father. The crash of the cup on the floor brought her back and she instantly moved to the floor to start picking up the pieces.

"Sari, stop!" Kagome said, grabbing her hands and making her drop the broken pieces she'd picked up. "It's okay."

"Father, is now really a great time to bring that up?" Seiya asked, seeing their mother get Sari back up onto the couch, ignoring the broken cup and spilled tea for now.

"I don't remember that, Papa," Sari said quietly, her mind racing.

"Did you know he felt that strongly for you?" Kagome asked gently, seeing her hesitate and then nod. "You could have talked to us about this."

"I couldn't, though," Sari risked a glance at her brother as he sat across from her, giving her an apologetic look, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop the conversation from taking place.

"You chose not to," Sesshoumaru said, watching her sigh with frustration.

"You're right. Because I thought you hated me and I was just burdening Mama for it. There was never really a good time to tell either of you I'd been sneaking over the wall to train and taking moonlit walks with the Prince of the Southern lands," Sari confessed. "And when we finally decided to tell both of our parents, you declared that I was to choose a mate at a grand gala event and I..." Sari shook her head, glowering at her lap.

"You what?" Kagome encouraged.

"I thought the two of you didn't want to deal with me anymore," Sari said quietly. "Much of my life for the past few years had been prepping me for one day finding a mate. I thought it was because you wanted to be sure I wouldn't be rejected and sent back as a disgrace. If my parents thought of me as such a burden, how could I ever foist myself onto Yoru to burden him? So I broke it off with him when the wolf pack arrived."

"I'll kill Jaken," Seiya scowled, standing up to pace behind the couch and Kagome pet back Sari's hair in comfort. "If he hadn't destroyed your self-worth by manipulating your view on how Mother and Father think we wouldn't be here!"

"Sari, you know that isn't true, right?" Kagome saw her struggle to answer.

"I don't want it to be. But why else would we be hosting this gala?" Sari asked, studying the chips of broken tea cup scattered on the floor.

"How long has this... infatuation between the two of you been going on?" Sesshoumaru asked, ignoring his mate's glare.

"A few years... probably our whole lives," she answered, staring at the table with a small smile at she thought about it.

"You love him." This time it wasn't a question.

"I do," she replied quietly before looking up at him. "I was never going to let that interfere with your plans for me, Papa. I'm still going to attend the gala and you'll choose my mate as you see fit."

"Sari, you can't be serious," Seiya said, moving to sit on the coffee table, careful of the glass on the floor as he took her hand between his. "I love you but you're so damn foolish sometimes, I just want to shake you. Your feelings and Yoru's are out in the open. You know that no one finds you to be weak. And we just solved the chaos inside of you so you have no reason to believe that you're out of control or unworthy. So what's stopping you from asking for what you really want?"

Sesshoumaru watched Sari struggle to find an answer for him, seeing Kagome pet her hair and comfort her.

"Sari, come here."

"Sesshou-" he held up a hand to Kagome, asking with a look for her to wait.

Sari stood and stepped up to her father, her head low as she waited for his reprimanding for more lies and secrets. She saw his hands move and closed her eyes, uncertainty filling her entire being. When he embraced her, petting her hair like her mother did, her eyes widened. She was unsure of how to react.

"Sari, I cannot change the past. I can only tell you, if This Sesshoumaru had known how strong your feelings for Yoru were, there would never have been a gala."

"Papa," Sari pulled back and looked up at him with wonder.

"That being said, it is too late to cancel it. We will have to continue with it, if only for appearance sake. It remains your choice who you choose as your mate at the end of the gala," he watched his daughter's eyes light up.

"You don't object to Yoru and I?" Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"Sari, he's helped you at every turn in the last couple of weeks. He saved you, risking rejection from you and Father as he proclaimed his love to keep you centered during the ceremony. And you're never happier than when you're around him and not worried about hiding your feelings," Seiya said, seeing her turn to him as he spoke.

"To answer your previous question, this whole gala idea was to find a way to make you happy, Sari. You were lost and we didn't know what else to do for you or what a mess Jaken had put in your head. If Yoru makes you happy and he loves you, which he clearly does, then it's an easy decision," Kagome said, seeing Sari step back from Sesshoumaru to hide her face with her sleeves and take a calming breath, clearly overwhelmed.

"Hey kid!" came Inuyasha's voice as he burst into the room. "It's about time you woke up."

"Uncle Inuyasha," Sari said solemnly and bowed to him. "I'm sorry for making such a selfish request before. I realize how terrible of a position I put you in."

"Feh, don't worry about it. Just get better so I can finish kicking your ass. I'm not leaving our match how it ended and this time you'll have no more excuses."

"What request?" Sesshoumaru saw Sari flinch before she stood upright.

"She asked me to do what you couldn't do and take her out if the ceremony had gone bad. But it didn't, she's awake, and-" Inuyasha grunted as Sesshoumaru put him up against the wall by his throat, his eyes red with anger.

"You agreed to this, Whelp?" Sesshoumaru growled at him, seeing him struggle in his grasp.

"Why didn't you come to us and tell us what Sari said?" Kagome asked, pulling her mate's arm back and stepping between them, even as she yelled at him. Inuyasha dropped and jumped away, holding his throat and catching his breath.

"Because of this," Sari said quietly, full of shame and regret. "If something went wrong, I knew you would keep me locked up somewhere until you could help me and I didn't want to live that way."

"Father, he's part of the reason the ritual was successful. He's the one who got Yoru to confess his feelings openly to get Sari back in control," Seiya defended his uncle, seeing his father turn with a snarl as Inuyasha stood up and drew his sword.

"Alright, I'm ready, you pompous ass! Let's go!"

Sari leapt between them, holding her arms out.

"Stop, please!"

Sesshoumaru studied his daughter for a long moment, calming his beast as he considered Seiya's words. The useless Whelp did help Sari...

"You aren't worth the effort it would take to clean the blood off my walls," Sesshoumaru spoke darkly, seeing Inuyasha put his blade away with a scoff.

"I came her to check on your daughter and you're jumping down my throat this way? So much for hospitality!"

"Thank you, Uncle. Your quick thinking helped save me. I owe you," Sari said and bowed once more.

"Just get better and get ready to lose," he said, risking walking past his brother to leave. The tension in the room died down considerably with him gone.

"Sari, you should be resting," Kagome said, sitting Sesshoumaru down and beckoning her back to the couch.

"Yes, Mama," Sari said, avoiding the mess and settling back onto the couch.

"Mother, would you read something to us?" Seiya asked, settling beside his sister and looking across to their parents. "Maybe some poetry or a short story you're fond of? It would be very relaxing."

"And it's been such a long time since we enjoyed a reading as a family," Sari said, seeing Kagome smile at them and stand, moving the bookshelf in the room.

"Let's see what we have here to read from."

Sari waited by the pond, staring down at the water calmly. It was so long since she'd felt so at peace, inside and out. Now there was only one more thing she needed to fix. Said peace was shaken a bit by the fluttering of nerves in her stomach as footsteps approached.

Yoru had gotten a message to meet Seiya out at the pond to talk about Sari. He wasn't sure why he hadn't just come to his room, but he supposed after being inside with family all day he might just need to take a walk. Coming closer to the pond, he got a whiff of a familiar sweetness and furrowed his brow in thought.

"Sari? What are you doing out here?" Yoru asked.

"I asked Seiya to have you meet me out here. I hope that's alright?" Sari felt a bit shy but she turned to him. Her eyes widened as she saw he was covered in small bandages. "Are you hurt?" she ran up to him, gently fingering around the wounds on his arms as he shook his head

"Just a few burns, Sari. It's nothing." It was difficult for him to stand beside her in what he considered their spot, seeing her glowing in the moonlight. It was even more difficult as she touched him. He wanted to kiss her forever.

"Burns?" Her eyes scrunched in puzzlement before she realized. "From me?"

"No, from the barrier I crossed to touch you. Don't fret, Sari," he said gently as she brought her hand to her mouth in thought.

Sari took a breath and grasped his hand between hers. He felt a comforting warmth travel up his arm and spread throughout his body. Each of the small bandages wrapping his arms and the couple on his face glowed a light magenta before he felt the irritation of the burns disappear. When she let go, he unwrapped his arm, noting the burns had vanished.

"Thank you, Sari. But you shouldn't be using your powers like that, not after yesterday. Let me help you back to the castle," he said, peeling off the rest of his bandages, wading them up into his pocket, and offering his arm.

Sari shook her head.

"Will you sit with me a moment? I have somethings I really need to say."

Yoru nodded slowly and followed her to the pond side bench. He kept his distance, studying her face and waiting for her to speak.

"I owe you so many thanks and apologies and I don't know where to begin. You saved me, and not for the first time. And you put yourself in danger. And I hurt you-" she saw his hand come up to pause her rant.

"You don't owe me anything, Sari. I'd do anything for your health and happiness."

Sari looked up at him a moment, a swirl of emotion in her eyes he couldn't quite decipher. She stood up with a swiftness that startled him, turning and moving herself to lean between his muscled legs. He caught her instinctively in his arms as she fisted her hands on his shoulders, bringing her face down to capture his lips in a kiss.

A/N: Go get him Sari! Please review! :)