THE EPILOGUE

::9 months have passed::

"MOMMY!" exclaimed a little shoujo of the age seven, rushing to the open arms of her mother. She had dark brunette hair, closer to the color raven, and wore a red kimono that was obviously too big for her size. She wore her hair back in a braid, and had curious and sparkling blue eyes.

"Konbanwa, Seika-chan. How are you? Did Maiko prove it hard to watch over him?"

"Hai, mommy. He was sleeping on the futon when I last saw him..."

I suddenly exclaimed in surprise as the little shounen, five years- old, Maiko, jumped up into my arms. He had dark hair and wore an indigo kimono and had his hair pulled back in a small ponytail. He looked up at me with his shimmering black eyes.

"Konbanwa, mommy! Where's daddy?" triumphed the overly-excited Maiko.

"Now where's my two favorite children in the whole wide world?" Miroku questioned as he stepped inside behind me.

"Daddy!" Seika flailed over to Miroku, and jumped in his arms.

"How's my little hime, hmm?" He tickled her sides.

"Fine, daddy!" the shoujo giggled, squirming around.

Miroku then stopped and placed Seika on the ground, watching her run off to grab the usagi he and Sango had just gotten for her. He smiled as she squealed and fondled all over it. He saw me approaching him and wrapped his arms around my back.

"I'm going to take a shower, so will you watch the kids until I get out? Arigatou, itoshii. Oh, by the way, Kagome and InuYasha will be coming sometime today."

I walked off outside to the hot springs, and undressed quickly. I slid into the hot steamy water.

As I stepped back inside the hut, I pulled my towel around me, leaving a trail of water on the floor. I peeked around the corner, and saw Miroku giving Maiko and Seika piggy-back rides. I smiled to myself as I heard the shrill laughter of our children. I tried to sneak back in the hallway to our bedroom, I felt something clutch at the bottom of my towel.

"What is it, Maiko...Seika...?"

I whirled my head around, and peering back at me, were those familiar mischievous violet orbs. I gasped and pulled the towel around me tighter, if possible.

"You naughty monk," I teased as I ran to the bedroom. I ran on one side of the bed, and Miroku got on the other. As he came closer to me, growling playfully, I leapt onto the bed, and tried to get away. I squeaked as Miroku jumped in front of me, and wrapped his arms around me, all the while, pulling us down on the bed. He smothered me with kisses, and I returned each of them, panting softly.

Miroku kept clutching at my towel.

"Keep...keep the towel on...just a little longer...onegai..." I mumbled through kisses.

"Konbanwa! We're here! Sango! Miroku! We're—Oi. Aaaaannnd...leaving the bedroom," Kagome pushed InuYasha back into the hallway, blushing like mad.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" asked the young kitsune.

"Never mind them, Shippou..." Kagome muttered as InuYasha covered the young kit's eyes.

I blushed and got up from the bed. Luckily, I still had my towel on. Miroku behaved long enough to, well...you get the point. I dressed myself in a yukata and dashed to the room where Kagome, InuYasha, and Shippou were, along with the kids.

"Gomen...about the bedroom thing...Hai. So, how're things?"

"Bye, Auntie Kagome and Uncle Inu-chan! Ja ne, Shippou-kun!" Seika and Maiko exclaimed as Kagome and InuYasha made their way down the hill, and Shippou bounded after them.

'I hope we'll be able to see them again...' I hopefully wondered.

"Mommy, I'm tired," Maiko yawned.

"Yoshi, my kudsai. Demo, tonight, we're going to watch something special, and it only happens once a year."

"Ooh, what is it gonna be, mommy?" asked little Seika.

"You'll see tonight," Miroku answered.

"Awww, but I wanted to know now!" whined Maiko and Seika.

"Iie." Miroku reproved.

"Miroku, do you think we'll see InuYasha and Kagome again?"

"Tch, Sango, of course we will. What makes you think that?"

"I dunno..." I sighed, shrugging it off. "It's just, we don't really know where they live..."

"Hai. But they know where we live."

"You're right. I should stop worrying. I don't know why I even thought that." I paused. "I hope the next time they come, they'll bring a baby,"

Miroku looked at me with a wondering look.

"My, my, Sango...Certain thoughts going through your head out of spite...or better yet...want?"

I furrowed my brow.

"Iie, I just want to see their baby son or daughter! You know how I love children! But don't get that idea, and don't take it the wrong way either. I think two children is enough, ne?"

"I suppose."

"Ii."

I looked at him before I left the room and smiled, then went to Seika and Maiko's room, and had them follow me outside.

"Why are we out here?"

"It's cold! I wanna go back inside!"

"Why are we out here?"

"You already asked that, Maiko!" Seika grumbled.

"Oh, right."

"Ssh, you two!" Miroku silenced them. "Now sit still, and before you know it, you'll be back inside."

"Why are we out here?" Maiko asked again as Seika groaned.

"...You'll see soon enough..." I answered.

"Will I know?"

"Hai."

Maiko clutched around my waist for warmth, and snuggled his face into my kimono. I looked down at him and stroked his ebony hair as he shivered.

"Oh, wow! Look in the sky!" I could hear my daughter exclaim. I nudged Maiko's head upward and looked towards the sky as well.

Clear as day, shooting through the sky, there were hundreds of them. A breath-taking sight. Maiko excitedly gazed at them, and pointed as their tails disappeared over the horizon when they descended.

"What are those...?" Seika wondered aloud.

"Shooting stars." Miroku chirped.

"Wow...can I have one of those?"

"Gomen, you can't. It's not that easy to get one, like that usagi doll we gave you. No one can own it."

"Why not?"

"...Well, it's just not possible."

"Ohh. They're pretty though."

'I bet Kagome and InuYasha are watching this together as well,' I thought. "Well, time for little kudsais to go to bed..."

"Aww, I don't wanna!" came the whining cries.

Miroku and I dragged inside their beds a struggling and kicking Seika and Maiko. We said to them their goodnights, and left their room.

"They really liked the shooting stars." I sighed softly.

"Really? I thought they hated them."

"Stop being so sarcastic!" I joked.

And this is my story. All of this really did happen to me, all of it happened to me and everyone else in the Sengoku Jidai. Kagome still comes back and forth through her world and to ours, but she remains most of her time here, with her hanyou. InuYasha and Kagome, as well as Shippou, and their newest family member, a bright, bumbling baby shounen. They haven't named them yet, but I wonder if he'll be named Inutaisho, after InuYasha's father. He looks exactly like InuYasha, too! He has the dog ears, but instead of snow-white hair, it's colored like Kagome's--raven.

I still love and always will love my Miroku. He's always been there for me, and I'll return the favor of being there for him when he needs me most. We're raising our children, Seika and Maiko, together, still. Pretty soon, they'll move from our home, and journey out far somewhere, once in a while, visiting us. But that's okay. We'll still see them when they do. But right now, I just want to enjoy the good life, and remember the good old days we had together, journeying in search of sacred jewel shards, which we finally did. I would have to say, I've lived a good life so far, and I've got way long to go. I'll just accept it, and let things pass by. That's life. This is mine. My life. Told to you. And it will be remembered.....

Owari.

...5-25-04...

Japanese Terms

Kudsai-child

Demo-But

Ja ne-See you later

Onegai-Please

Hime-Princess

Ii-Good