"Will you go to see him?" Taisrika stood beneath the tree Kikyou sat in watching Inuyasha and Kagome. Taisrika looked up at the priestess' whose eyes were fixed straight ahead.

"No. He knows I'm here." Kikyou murmured.

"He's not doing it to be cruel." Taisrika said gently. "You know he forgives you. He still loves you."

A wry smile curled Kikyou's lips and she inclined her head slowly. "I know. And I...love him." She tipped her head back and closed her eyes against the sun that spilled over her pale face. "So I set him free." She pulled that strip of black cloth that bound her hair free and released it to a stray wind and watched it fly away as her hair tumbled over her shoulders.

Taisrika smiled. "Come then."

Kikyou looked to her. "What do you mean?"

Taisrika looked up at her. "It was destined. One of you was meant to be Keeper. That's how I knew. Knew whom he would choose because Kagome would have wished to forget. Would have chosen home. It is meant for you, Kikyou, to bee Keeper."

"And you think you can trust me after I allied with that Maieku woman?"

"I know I can Kikyou. You are not evil. No where near. You have a powerful love and a heart of steel to do what must be done. And that love will keep the world pure. Your destiny always lay far beyond the sacred jewel."

Taisrika smiled and extended a hand to Kikyou. "Come little sister. Mother of the East. Keeper of the Watchtower."

Kikyou watched Taisrika for a long while then finally smiled and bowed her head in concession and dropped from the tree and glanced in the direction of Kagome and Inuyasha. "Goodbye Inuyasha." She whispered against the breeze before reaching out and accepted Taisrika's hand. And the women faded leaving behind them the scent of apples and roses and the tiny bud of a Sakura tree.

"Is it ready Kaede?" Miroku asked from where he and Shippou sat on the floor watching Kaede ration the dark green liquid into two seperate cups.

Kaede nodded. "Yes. It is finished." Kaede handed the cups to Sango who walked over to Miroku and Shippou and gave them both stern glares.

"I hope you two have learned something from being each other." She said crisply before handing them the cups.

They took them carefully then glanced at each other then both drank at the same instant. A soft blue light went up and swirled around the pair and a soft gold light lifted from Shippou's body to blend with the blue before a stearling silver glow rose from Miroku's body to blend with the gold and blue, whirling then it all died away slowly.

Kaede and Sango stood in stunned silence for a long while watching the pair but neither of them made a move. After a few seconds Sango cleared her throat and stepped forwards.

"Miroku?"

Miroku, or whoever was in Miroku's body, stood slowly and cleared his throat. "Things seem to be in order now."

Sango smiled. "Your back then!"

Shippou scratched. "Finally. I was so tired of being Miroku. I'm hungry."

"Yes well," Miroku threw a look at Shippou then turned back to Sango. "There is one more matter at hand."

"And that would b-" She was cut of as Miroku snatched her up and jerked her forward. She fell and he caught her against him and she lifted a hand out of habit and brought it against his cheek but he ignored it and lowered his head and kissed her.

Sango melted and fell silent under Miroku's mouth, head whirling as he pulled back and stood her up gently. She looked up at him in surprise. "Miroku..."

Miroku looked down at her and laughed nervously then turned to look at Shippou. "And that Shippou is how you win a bet."

Sango blinked as understanding dawned and she snarled. "You mean that was part of the bet?"

Miroku grinned at her innocently. "Now Sango don't get upset I-"

"Oh I'm not upset..." Sango lifted her weapon and Miroku let out a cry and dashed from the hut.

"Sango now lets be rational!"

She went after him...