Shayril: Hi, everyone!!! HAPPY HOLDIDAYS!!!!!!!!
Kalika: PARTY!!!!!!!!
Kagome: YAY!!!!!
Shayril: Where's the goodies???
(Dragonwing, Inuyasha, Navi, and Sakura burst in carrying grocery bags.)
Sakura: We have food!
Kalika: YAY!!!!!!
Inuyasha: (Looking around.) Where is everyone? Don't tell me I lugged all
this stuff around for nothin'.
Shayril: Don't worry they're coming. Let's get everything set up.
Kalika: (Dances around putting up decorations and singing.) Rockin' around
the Christmas tree, what a happy holiday. Everyone's dancing merrily in the
new old fashioned way.
Kagome: Don't forget the mistletoe!
Sakura: Of course not.
Navi: (Entering the room) You guys do realize that Christmas and New Year's
is over don't you?
Kalika: Nuh uh! Not here in Shayril's world. It can be Christmas and New
Year's all year long if she wants.
Shayril: (To readers.) Okay folks, you start reading while we decorate.
Chapter Twenty - Words That Are Hard to Say
That night dinner was quiet. If someone were to walk in they would probably think everyone was mute. Not a single sound was uttered. It was beginning to wear on Inuyasha's nerves. Finally, he let his chopsticks clatter to the table.
"Alright. Somebody speak. The quiet is driving me crazy."
'Well, what do you suggest we talk about, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.
"I don't give a shit as long as someone says something. It's not natural for people not to talk or make some sort of noise. Especially not us."
Things immediately went back to normal when Sango stood up to hit Miroku over the head with her hiraikotsu. Kagome looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"You know, he wouldn't be able to grope you if you didn't sit next to him all the time," she pointed out.
Kero looked at the taijiya thoughtfully. "You know, I've been wondering about that. Why is it that you are constantly near him when you know he's gonna grope you?"
"Surely it's obvious, Kero-chan," Akemi joined in.
"What's obvious?"
Her eyes twinkled. "Despite her violent reaction, Sango-chan enjoys it."
"Nani?!" Sango's eyes bugged.
Miroku got a dreamy look on his face. "Could it be true?"
"No!"
To Kagome's delight, Yue decided to join in the fun. "The real question should be, why is Sango-chan the only woman Miroku-chan hasn't asked to bear his child."
"With the exception of Kikyo, that is," Kagome reminded him. "But she doesn't count because she wasn't even alive."
"Plus she was a bitch."
Kagome blinked at Inuyasha's comment. She hadn't thought his feelings for her reincarnation would be completely flipped around. She had expected him to still feel affection for the person she had been when she was alive. Obviously her actions after she came back made him a do a complete turnaround. Then again, Kagome always had thought Kikyo wasn't as great as everyone made her out to be. After all, everything between her and Inuyasha had been borne of her own selfish desires. Her desire to be free of her duties as the guard of the Shikon no Tama was why she prompted the hanyou to become human. It was to ease her pain that Inuyasha kept letting her almost drag him to Hell.
"So answer the question, Miroku-sama," Sakura broke in. "Why have you never asked Sango-chan to bear your child?"
It was obvious that the houshi wasn't thinking when he replied. "I don't want her to."
"And why not?" Sango asked serenely.
"Because you're you."
"What," Sango asked. "Is that supposed to mean?"
Kagome saw that her friend's face was beginning to get red. She really hoped the houshi said the right thing otherwise he would be in pain. Not to mention, Sango would be heartbroken. Those two were being more pig headed about their feelings than Inuyasha had been. If they didn't say something soon then they would wind up being hurt just like Inuyasha had.
"Nothing, Sango dear. You just aren't the right person to ask something like that."
Kagome winced. That was not the right answer. Sango's eyes were blazing and her fists clenched at her sides as she stood, towering over the now confused houshi.
"You mean I'm not the right type of person. The only reason you haven't asked me, not that I want you to, is because you don't think I'm good enough to be the mother of your children."
"That's not."
"Save it! I don't want to hear your voice."
Kagome could see the hurt underlying the anger in her best friend's eyes as she left the dining hall. The door slammed behind her. She turned a glare on the confused houshi.
"Baka! The both of you are morons. It's obvious how you feel about each other; so just tell each other already before it's too late. You'll save yourselves a world of hurt and gain a lifetime of happiness."
* * *
Kagome wasn't surprised to hear a knock on her door thatnight. She and Yue exchanged a look before she went to let Sango in. She was surprised to find her friend in such a disheveled state. She was certain the other girl had been crying. The miko led her over to the settee.
"Are you really that upset over what that jerk said?"
"You know how I feel about him, Kagome-chan. You knew before I did. I thought he had feelings for me too. I had no idea he thought so little of me."
"Sango-chan, you do realize you're being unfair, don't you?"
Sango looked at her incredulously. "How can you say that? You heard what he said!"
Kagome nodded. "Yes, I did. And not a single word he said implied what you're saying. Those were words you put in his mouth. Granted, he didn't use the right words himself, but you know that men aren't very good with words, especially when it comes to how they feel."
"I resent that," Yue said from his seat by the fire.
"You were the worst one of all," Kagom informed him. "At least, you were the first time you told me in the Sky Kingdom. It took you a dozen botched tries before you finally managed to say how you felt."
"You're exaggerating. It wasn't anywhere near a dozen."
She looked at Sango. "It was a dozen. Anyway, my point is that you need to be patient. It'll take some time."
"Arigato, Kagome-chan. I feel better now. I'll leave you guys alone now. Good night."
"'Night, Sango-chan."
When the door closed behind her friend, Kagome disappeared into the bathroom and returned a few minutes later dressed for bed. She cuddled next to Yue and sighed contentedly.
"It didn't really take me that long, did it?"
Kagome giggled. "Yes, love, it did. If I didn't love you so much I would've given up on you."
"Would you really?"
"Yes. Not that it matters since I loved, love, and will always love you too much for words to say. Besides, you finally did say something and we got married. If it's any consolation, you did much better this time."
He smiled as he leaned down to kiss her good night and held her close as they settled down to sleep.
* * *
"Baka! Baka! Baka!" He growled at himself. "I can't believe I said that. It was not what I wanted to say."
What he wanted to say to her was much different. It was more along the lines of 'I love you, Sango. Truth be told, you're the only one I truly want to be the mother of my children.' That's what he wanted to say, but he didn't have the right to. At least not yet. It all depended on whether or not Kagome defeated Naraku. There was no way he would bear his heart to Sango only to leave her heartbroken when his kazaana consumed him.
"Oi, bouzu! I know what you're thinking."
Miroku sighed. "Leave me be, Inuyasha. I'm not in the mood."
"Too bad. You're gonna listen to what I have to say."
"Very well. What do you have to say?"
"I wouldn't worry about dying on Sango if I were you. If you don't say anything because you don't want her to suffer when you die then you'll miss out on one of the best things to happen to you," Inuyasha told him. "Trust me, I know."
The houshi frowned. "What are you talking about?"
The hanyou sighed in exasperation. "I didn't miss out on Kagome just because I wouldn't let go of Kikyo. That was actually just a small part of many excuses I used. Another of which was the fear of breaking her heart by getting killed by some youkai or other. In case you didn't notice, I'm not really popular with the pure bloods on either side. Then, there's the whole Naraku thing. So I let Kagome get away just like you're about to do with Sango. Think about it. 'Night, bouzu."
Miroku had a thoughtful look on his face as his friend disappeared probably off to sit in a tree somewhere. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Why shouldn't he be with the one he loved? Wasn't it better to spend the last years of his life happy? Besides he couldn't imagine a better mother for his children. That settled it then. The next chance he got he would tell Sango how he felt. He spun around on his heel, feeling much better now that he'd made a decision, and froze at the sight of the woman he loved.
"Sango! W. what are you doing out here?" Inwardly he groaned. Brilliant, Miroku, he thought sarcastically.
As expected, the taijiya took it the wrong way. "What? Am I not even good enough to be in your presence now?"
"No. I mean yes. O. of course."
"I'll leave you alone then, houshi-sama," she cut him off bitterly.
She was gone as quickly as she came. Miroku groaned out loud and slapped his forehead, wincing in pain when he realized he had used the hand with the rosary to do the hitting. That did not go the way he wanted it to.
* * *
"Okaa-san!"
Kagome dropped her arms to her side. "Shippou, I told you not to interrupt my training."
"But, okaa-san, Inuyasha's picking on me!" the kitsune whined.
She sighed. "So tell your father. Shippou, if I don't train I'll never be able to defeat Naraku and Sonya."
"Gomen nasai, okaa-san. I won't bother you again."
"Thank you. I'll see you at dinner."
"Bye!"
Kagome watched the little fox child run off with a bemused look in her eyes. When the dojo door shut behind him she immediately took up her stance again. Her energy swirled around her as she practiced her control over it. Not that she would admit it to anyone, but had Naraku not been so afraid during their battle he could have easily defeated her. It wasn't because he was stronger than her or anything like that. It was merely because she didn't know much about her powers. Her memories were slow in coming, being of little help when it came to the battle to come. Hence, the reason for her training. Next time she would be prepared to fight the evil hanyou.
* * *
"Tousan, I thought okaa-san was strong enough to beat Naraku already. Why does she need to train?"
"She is strong enough, Shippou. The thing is, she hasn't used her powers like she will have to against Naraku."
"When will she be finished? I want her to spend time with me like she used to."
Yue sighed. "That probably won't be for a while. She'll be training every day."
"Awww. But I have no one to play with!" Shippou whined.
* * *
"Sakura-chan, when can I get out of bed? I don't like staying here all day."
Sakure smiled at the little girl. "Kagome-chan says one more day before you can go outside, but you can't spend too much time out of bed for a few days."
"But I'm bored. I want to play!" the girrl whined.
"Soon, Rin-chan. It's almost time for bed, anyway."
Rin pouted. "But I'm not sleepy." The moment she spoke a yawn escaped her.
Sakura giggled. "I think you are."
"Only a little bit. Will you tell me a story, Sakura-chan?"
"You have to get under the covers first."
The girl quickly scrambled to the head of the bed and squirmed to get under the covers. She settled herself in the comfortable bed and gave the older girl an expectant look.
"Sakura-chan, when is Seshoumaru-sama coming back?"
"I don't know, Rin-chan. He has a lot of important things to take care of so that he can spend a lot of time with you." Sakura answered. "Now hush so I can tell the story."
* * *
Miroku searched the entire castle for her. He wanted to tell her and set her straight. He really didn't want her to be angry with him anymore. He wanted her to be in his arms holding him as tightly as he held her. He wanted her to spend the rest of her life with him. But most of all, he wanted to find her so that he could tell her all of that! The houshi was so lost in thought that he didn't notice someone was in front of him until he bumped into the person.
"Sorry," he mumbled without looking up.
"You should watch where you're going, houshi-sama."
Miroku's eyes snapped up. "S. Sango! Where have you been? I've been looking for you."
She looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"
"I. I wanted to apologize for my words yesterday. My mouth would not listen to what my brain wanted to say. I honestly don't think you're not good enough for me. The truth is, I think you're better than me and." he trailed off.
"And?" she prompted.
"And I. I." He panicked. "I gotta go. I'll see you later."
Sango had a confused look on her face as the houshi high-tailed it out of sight. A moment later someone started laughing. She turned around to find Kagome coming towards her.
"That's a man for you," the miko chuckled. "Yue did that a couple of times."
"What are you talking about, Kagome-chan?"
Her friend's eyes glinted mischievously as she walked past her. As she headed towards the dining hall she sang, "Love is in the air, every time I look around."
* * *
Akemi stood on her balcony looking at the stars. She was beginning to miss home. She usually wasn't away from it for so long. Not that she minded too much. The fact that her parents were here helped. They were starting to be her parents too, acting like they used to when she was growing up. It was kind of strange though. their souls, who they were, were thousands of years old, but their bodies and even part of their minds were much younger. Sometimes she found it hard to accept ones so young as her parents. They seemed more like a brother and sister to her now.
Akemi sighed and looked down on the courtyard to see Sango and Miroku talking. To her amusement, she noticed her mother standing in the shadow of the large oak tree at the far end of the courtyard. The Guardian sighed wistfully and felt a pang of envy. That was another thing that had been absent from her life. She wished she had someone to share her life with. Her parents had each other, Sango and Miroku looked as if they were about to get each other, and even Sakura and Sesshoumaru seemed to be falling for each other. Akemi was beginning to feel lonely and she didn't like it. With another sigh, she turned and went back inside.
* * *
"Houshi-sama, would you stop following me. What part of 'I want to be alone' do you not understand?"
"I understand perfectly, Sango. And I'll leave as soon as I say what I want to say."
Sango crossed her arms over her chest and gave him an expectant look. "Well, make it quick. And you'd better not run away like a coward again."
"I won't." Miroku took a deep breath. "Sango, I l. I wanted to tell you that I. I."
Sango began tapping her foot impatiently as he stammered, Miroku was kicking himself mentally for getting so nervous, and the unseen Inuyasha snorted while Kagome giggled quietly at the monk. Finally, the houshi decided that actions spoke louder than words and leaned forward to plant his lips on the shocked taijiya's. After a moment he pulled back.
"Marry me, Sango."
Inuyasha almost fell out of the tree while Kagome had to steady herself against the trunk. Neither of them had expected their friends to go that far. Sure, it made sense, but the guy hadn't even told her that he loved her. Meanwhile, Sango was staring at Miroku wide-eyed.
"W. What did you say?"
"I said marry me. I want you to be my wife, Sango. You're the only one I've really ever wanted."
"What about last night? You said I wasn't the right one to bear your child."
Miroku sighed. "I didn't mean for it to sound that way. You see, when I have asked women to bear my child, that's all I'm asking. They are merely a possible way for my bloodline to continue the fight against Naraku should we fail. You're not the person for that." He raised his hand placatingly at the look on her face. "You are the one to settle down and raise a family with not leave to raise my child or children on your own. You are the woman to spend the rest of my life with. I've always known that. I just didn't want to marry you and then leave you heartbroken if the kazaana destroys me. You've already lost so much because of Naraku."
"So why are you asking me?" Sango questioned. "Why risk it now?"
"Two reasons," Miroku replied. "First and foremost, is that I love you and I've realized that if I don't do this just because I might not survive this ordeal then I'll lose out on the greatest thing to ever happen to me."
"And the second reason."
"I have absolute faith that Kagome-sama will defeat Naraku. She is too strong not to. Besides, I refuse to believe otherwise now that I've told you how I feel. So what do you say? Will you be my wife? I love you and I'll be completely miserable for whatever time I have left in this life if I don't have you with me."
Sango was silent for a few moments, her heart was beating so hard she was sure it would bust out of her chest. Only in her most cherished dreams did she imagine this happening. Finally, after three years she could be with the man she loved. She knew joy then. Real, pure, true joy. She looked into his violet eyes and clearly saw his love shining in them. A dazzling smile spread across her face.
"Yes. Of course I'll marry you," Sango said softly. "I love you, Miroku."
A wide, goofy grin spread across his face as he swept her into a tight embrace. His lips lowered to hers in a tender, sweet kiss that held all the pent up emotion he felt for her. Unfortunately, their kiss was interrupted by the sound of shouts and whistles. Reluctantly, he pulled back and they turned to see Inuyasha and Kagome rushing up to them, laughing.
"Congratulations!" the miko cried. "It too you long enough."
"Yeah, bouzu. It's about time!"
"I hope you know that you're performing the ceremony, Kagome-chan," Sango said.
Her best friend grinned. "Of course. To set the record straight, you're getting married first. I've been waiting three years to see it happen."
"Fine by us."
"We have no problem being the first ones in our group to get married."
Just then a yawn broke past Miroku's lips. Sango arched an eyebrow at him while Inuyasha snorted and Kagome giggled. He blushed lightly, a bit embarrassed.
"Perhaps we can talk more in the morning."
"Good idea," Kagome agreed. "My guardian is waiting for me. 'Night, everyone."
She flew off to her balcony, aware of the pained look in Inuyasha's eyes. She sighed, hoping for his sake that he would find someone to love, but more importantly someone who would love him.
(Door bursts open and the entire casts of Inuyasha and Cardcaptor Sakura, including original characters, enter ready to party. Music starts playing and people start dancing and eating.) Shayril: Okay folks there's the chapter. Hope you liked it. If you didn't, be constructive in your criticism. Dragonwing: Yeah! We worked hard on it. Kalika: Yeah! Many long hours were spent writing it. Shayril: What are you guys talking about? You guys stopped working after an hour. I'm the one who did the hours of writing. Miroku: It took you long enough to put Sango and I together. I was beginning to think you never would. Shayril: Hey, be glad I put you together at all. If I wanted to I could just focus on Kagome and Yue's relationship and say to hell with everyone else. Kagome: As great as that sounds, you know you would never do that. You're too much of a romantic not to give everyone someone to love. Shippo: Yeah. You even gave Naraku a girlfriend, for Kami's sake. Inuyasha: Speaking of girlfriends. Shayril: I told you, Inuyasha, you don't get your girlfriend until the sequel. Inuyasha: I know, but can't you at least tell me who she is so I'm ready for her? Shayril: (Shakes head.) Uh, uh. You'll just have to wait like everyone else. Inuyasha: Could you at least give me a hint? Navi: Now where would the fun in that be? Be patient. Sakura: Inuyasha, patient? That's about as impossible as Kero-chan not liking food. Shayril: (Thoughtfully) You're probably right. Well, he's just gonna have to wait. I don't care if he's patient or not. Now, we're gonna party, you guys remember to review. Everyone at the party: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!
Chapter Twenty - Words That Are Hard to Say
That night dinner was quiet. If someone were to walk in they would probably think everyone was mute. Not a single sound was uttered. It was beginning to wear on Inuyasha's nerves. Finally, he let his chopsticks clatter to the table.
"Alright. Somebody speak. The quiet is driving me crazy."
'Well, what do you suggest we talk about, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.
"I don't give a shit as long as someone says something. It's not natural for people not to talk or make some sort of noise. Especially not us."
Things immediately went back to normal when Sango stood up to hit Miroku over the head with her hiraikotsu. Kagome looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"You know, he wouldn't be able to grope you if you didn't sit next to him all the time," she pointed out.
Kero looked at the taijiya thoughtfully. "You know, I've been wondering about that. Why is it that you are constantly near him when you know he's gonna grope you?"
"Surely it's obvious, Kero-chan," Akemi joined in.
"What's obvious?"
Her eyes twinkled. "Despite her violent reaction, Sango-chan enjoys it."
"Nani?!" Sango's eyes bugged.
Miroku got a dreamy look on his face. "Could it be true?"
"No!"
To Kagome's delight, Yue decided to join in the fun. "The real question should be, why is Sango-chan the only woman Miroku-chan hasn't asked to bear his child."
"With the exception of Kikyo, that is," Kagome reminded him. "But she doesn't count because she wasn't even alive."
"Plus she was a bitch."
Kagome blinked at Inuyasha's comment. She hadn't thought his feelings for her reincarnation would be completely flipped around. She had expected him to still feel affection for the person she had been when she was alive. Obviously her actions after she came back made him a do a complete turnaround. Then again, Kagome always had thought Kikyo wasn't as great as everyone made her out to be. After all, everything between her and Inuyasha had been borne of her own selfish desires. Her desire to be free of her duties as the guard of the Shikon no Tama was why she prompted the hanyou to become human. It was to ease her pain that Inuyasha kept letting her almost drag him to Hell.
"So answer the question, Miroku-sama," Sakura broke in. "Why have you never asked Sango-chan to bear your child?"
It was obvious that the houshi wasn't thinking when he replied. "I don't want her to."
"And why not?" Sango asked serenely.
"Because you're you."
"What," Sango asked. "Is that supposed to mean?"
Kagome saw that her friend's face was beginning to get red. She really hoped the houshi said the right thing otherwise he would be in pain. Not to mention, Sango would be heartbroken. Those two were being more pig headed about their feelings than Inuyasha had been. If they didn't say something soon then they would wind up being hurt just like Inuyasha had.
"Nothing, Sango dear. You just aren't the right person to ask something like that."
Kagome winced. That was not the right answer. Sango's eyes were blazing and her fists clenched at her sides as she stood, towering over the now confused houshi.
"You mean I'm not the right type of person. The only reason you haven't asked me, not that I want you to, is because you don't think I'm good enough to be the mother of your children."
"That's not."
"Save it! I don't want to hear your voice."
Kagome could see the hurt underlying the anger in her best friend's eyes as she left the dining hall. The door slammed behind her. She turned a glare on the confused houshi.
"Baka! The both of you are morons. It's obvious how you feel about each other; so just tell each other already before it's too late. You'll save yourselves a world of hurt and gain a lifetime of happiness."
* * *
Kagome wasn't surprised to hear a knock on her door thatnight. She and Yue exchanged a look before she went to let Sango in. She was surprised to find her friend in such a disheveled state. She was certain the other girl had been crying. The miko led her over to the settee.
"Are you really that upset over what that jerk said?"
"You know how I feel about him, Kagome-chan. You knew before I did. I thought he had feelings for me too. I had no idea he thought so little of me."
"Sango-chan, you do realize you're being unfair, don't you?"
Sango looked at her incredulously. "How can you say that? You heard what he said!"
Kagome nodded. "Yes, I did. And not a single word he said implied what you're saying. Those were words you put in his mouth. Granted, he didn't use the right words himself, but you know that men aren't very good with words, especially when it comes to how they feel."
"I resent that," Yue said from his seat by the fire.
"You were the worst one of all," Kagom informed him. "At least, you were the first time you told me in the Sky Kingdom. It took you a dozen botched tries before you finally managed to say how you felt."
"You're exaggerating. It wasn't anywhere near a dozen."
She looked at Sango. "It was a dozen. Anyway, my point is that you need to be patient. It'll take some time."
"Arigato, Kagome-chan. I feel better now. I'll leave you guys alone now. Good night."
"'Night, Sango-chan."
When the door closed behind her friend, Kagome disappeared into the bathroom and returned a few minutes later dressed for bed. She cuddled next to Yue and sighed contentedly.
"It didn't really take me that long, did it?"
Kagome giggled. "Yes, love, it did. If I didn't love you so much I would've given up on you."
"Would you really?"
"Yes. Not that it matters since I loved, love, and will always love you too much for words to say. Besides, you finally did say something and we got married. If it's any consolation, you did much better this time."
He smiled as he leaned down to kiss her good night and held her close as they settled down to sleep.
* * *
"Baka! Baka! Baka!" He growled at himself. "I can't believe I said that. It was not what I wanted to say."
What he wanted to say to her was much different. It was more along the lines of 'I love you, Sango. Truth be told, you're the only one I truly want to be the mother of my children.' That's what he wanted to say, but he didn't have the right to. At least not yet. It all depended on whether or not Kagome defeated Naraku. There was no way he would bear his heart to Sango only to leave her heartbroken when his kazaana consumed him.
"Oi, bouzu! I know what you're thinking."
Miroku sighed. "Leave me be, Inuyasha. I'm not in the mood."
"Too bad. You're gonna listen to what I have to say."
"Very well. What do you have to say?"
"I wouldn't worry about dying on Sango if I were you. If you don't say anything because you don't want her to suffer when you die then you'll miss out on one of the best things to happen to you," Inuyasha told him. "Trust me, I know."
The houshi frowned. "What are you talking about?"
The hanyou sighed in exasperation. "I didn't miss out on Kagome just because I wouldn't let go of Kikyo. That was actually just a small part of many excuses I used. Another of which was the fear of breaking her heart by getting killed by some youkai or other. In case you didn't notice, I'm not really popular with the pure bloods on either side. Then, there's the whole Naraku thing. So I let Kagome get away just like you're about to do with Sango. Think about it. 'Night, bouzu."
Miroku had a thoughtful look on his face as his friend disappeared probably off to sit in a tree somewhere. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Why shouldn't he be with the one he loved? Wasn't it better to spend the last years of his life happy? Besides he couldn't imagine a better mother for his children. That settled it then. The next chance he got he would tell Sango how he felt. He spun around on his heel, feeling much better now that he'd made a decision, and froze at the sight of the woman he loved.
"Sango! W. what are you doing out here?" Inwardly he groaned. Brilliant, Miroku, he thought sarcastically.
As expected, the taijiya took it the wrong way. "What? Am I not even good enough to be in your presence now?"
"No. I mean yes. O. of course."
"I'll leave you alone then, houshi-sama," she cut him off bitterly.
She was gone as quickly as she came. Miroku groaned out loud and slapped his forehead, wincing in pain when he realized he had used the hand with the rosary to do the hitting. That did not go the way he wanted it to.
* * *
"Okaa-san!"
Kagome dropped her arms to her side. "Shippou, I told you not to interrupt my training."
"But, okaa-san, Inuyasha's picking on me!" the kitsune whined.
She sighed. "So tell your father. Shippou, if I don't train I'll never be able to defeat Naraku and Sonya."
"Gomen nasai, okaa-san. I won't bother you again."
"Thank you. I'll see you at dinner."
"Bye!"
Kagome watched the little fox child run off with a bemused look in her eyes. When the dojo door shut behind him she immediately took up her stance again. Her energy swirled around her as she practiced her control over it. Not that she would admit it to anyone, but had Naraku not been so afraid during their battle he could have easily defeated her. It wasn't because he was stronger than her or anything like that. It was merely because she didn't know much about her powers. Her memories were slow in coming, being of little help when it came to the battle to come. Hence, the reason for her training. Next time she would be prepared to fight the evil hanyou.
* * *
"Tousan, I thought okaa-san was strong enough to beat Naraku already. Why does she need to train?"
"She is strong enough, Shippou. The thing is, she hasn't used her powers like she will have to against Naraku."
"When will she be finished? I want her to spend time with me like she used to."
Yue sighed. "That probably won't be for a while. She'll be training every day."
"Awww. But I have no one to play with!" Shippou whined.
* * *
"Sakura-chan, when can I get out of bed? I don't like staying here all day."
Sakure smiled at the little girl. "Kagome-chan says one more day before you can go outside, but you can't spend too much time out of bed for a few days."
"But I'm bored. I want to play!" the girrl whined.
"Soon, Rin-chan. It's almost time for bed, anyway."
Rin pouted. "But I'm not sleepy." The moment she spoke a yawn escaped her.
Sakura giggled. "I think you are."
"Only a little bit. Will you tell me a story, Sakura-chan?"
"You have to get under the covers first."
The girl quickly scrambled to the head of the bed and squirmed to get under the covers. She settled herself in the comfortable bed and gave the older girl an expectant look.
"Sakura-chan, when is Seshoumaru-sama coming back?"
"I don't know, Rin-chan. He has a lot of important things to take care of so that he can spend a lot of time with you." Sakura answered. "Now hush so I can tell the story."
* * *
Miroku searched the entire castle for her. He wanted to tell her and set her straight. He really didn't want her to be angry with him anymore. He wanted her to be in his arms holding him as tightly as he held her. He wanted her to spend the rest of her life with him. But most of all, he wanted to find her so that he could tell her all of that! The houshi was so lost in thought that he didn't notice someone was in front of him until he bumped into the person.
"Sorry," he mumbled without looking up.
"You should watch where you're going, houshi-sama."
Miroku's eyes snapped up. "S. Sango! Where have you been? I've been looking for you."
She looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"
"I. I wanted to apologize for my words yesterday. My mouth would not listen to what my brain wanted to say. I honestly don't think you're not good enough for me. The truth is, I think you're better than me and." he trailed off.
"And?" she prompted.
"And I. I." He panicked. "I gotta go. I'll see you later."
Sango had a confused look on her face as the houshi high-tailed it out of sight. A moment later someone started laughing. She turned around to find Kagome coming towards her.
"That's a man for you," the miko chuckled. "Yue did that a couple of times."
"What are you talking about, Kagome-chan?"
Her friend's eyes glinted mischievously as she walked past her. As she headed towards the dining hall she sang, "Love is in the air, every time I look around."
* * *
Akemi stood on her balcony looking at the stars. She was beginning to miss home. She usually wasn't away from it for so long. Not that she minded too much. The fact that her parents were here helped. They were starting to be her parents too, acting like they used to when she was growing up. It was kind of strange though. their souls, who they were, were thousands of years old, but their bodies and even part of their minds were much younger. Sometimes she found it hard to accept ones so young as her parents. They seemed more like a brother and sister to her now.
Akemi sighed and looked down on the courtyard to see Sango and Miroku talking. To her amusement, she noticed her mother standing in the shadow of the large oak tree at the far end of the courtyard. The Guardian sighed wistfully and felt a pang of envy. That was another thing that had been absent from her life. She wished she had someone to share her life with. Her parents had each other, Sango and Miroku looked as if they were about to get each other, and even Sakura and Sesshoumaru seemed to be falling for each other. Akemi was beginning to feel lonely and she didn't like it. With another sigh, she turned and went back inside.
* * *
"Houshi-sama, would you stop following me. What part of 'I want to be alone' do you not understand?"
"I understand perfectly, Sango. And I'll leave as soon as I say what I want to say."
Sango crossed her arms over her chest and gave him an expectant look. "Well, make it quick. And you'd better not run away like a coward again."
"I won't." Miroku took a deep breath. "Sango, I l. I wanted to tell you that I. I."
Sango began tapping her foot impatiently as he stammered, Miroku was kicking himself mentally for getting so nervous, and the unseen Inuyasha snorted while Kagome giggled quietly at the monk. Finally, the houshi decided that actions spoke louder than words and leaned forward to plant his lips on the shocked taijiya's. After a moment he pulled back.
"Marry me, Sango."
Inuyasha almost fell out of the tree while Kagome had to steady herself against the trunk. Neither of them had expected their friends to go that far. Sure, it made sense, but the guy hadn't even told her that he loved her. Meanwhile, Sango was staring at Miroku wide-eyed.
"W. What did you say?"
"I said marry me. I want you to be my wife, Sango. You're the only one I've really ever wanted."
"What about last night? You said I wasn't the right one to bear your child."
Miroku sighed. "I didn't mean for it to sound that way. You see, when I have asked women to bear my child, that's all I'm asking. They are merely a possible way for my bloodline to continue the fight against Naraku should we fail. You're not the person for that." He raised his hand placatingly at the look on her face. "You are the one to settle down and raise a family with not leave to raise my child or children on your own. You are the woman to spend the rest of my life with. I've always known that. I just didn't want to marry you and then leave you heartbroken if the kazaana destroys me. You've already lost so much because of Naraku."
"So why are you asking me?" Sango questioned. "Why risk it now?"
"Two reasons," Miroku replied. "First and foremost, is that I love you and I've realized that if I don't do this just because I might not survive this ordeal then I'll lose out on the greatest thing to ever happen to me."
"And the second reason."
"I have absolute faith that Kagome-sama will defeat Naraku. She is too strong not to. Besides, I refuse to believe otherwise now that I've told you how I feel. So what do you say? Will you be my wife? I love you and I'll be completely miserable for whatever time I have left in this life if I don't have you with me."
Sango was silent for a few moments, her heart was beating so hard she was sure it would bust out of her chest. Only in her most cherished dreams did she imagine this happening. Finally, after three years she could be with the man she loved. She knew joy then. Real, pure, true joy. She looked into his violet eyes and clearly saw his love shining in them. A dazzling smile spread across her face.
"Yes. Of course I'll marry you," Sango said softly. "I love you, Miroku."
A wide, goofy grin spread across his face as he swept her into a tight embrace. His lips lowered to hers in a tender, sweet kiss that held all the pent up emotion he felt for her. Unfortunately, their kiss was interrupted by the sound of shouts and whistles. Reluctantly, he pulled back and they turned to see Inuyasha and Kagome rushing up to them, laughing.
"Congratulations!" the miko cried. "It too you long enough."
"Yeah, bouzu. It's about time!"
"I hope you know that you're performing the ceremony, Kagome-chan," Sango said.
Her best friend grinned. "Of course. To set the record straight, you're getting married first. I've been waiting three years to see it happen."
"Fine by us."
"We have no problem being the first ones in our group to get married."
Just then a yawn broke past Miroku's lips. Sango arched an eyebrow at him while Inuyasha snorted and Kagome giggled. He blushed lightly, a bit embarrassed.
"Perhaps we can talk more in the morning."
"Good idea," Kagome agreed. "My guardian is waiting for me. 'Night, everyone."
She flew off to her balcony, aware of the pained look in Inuyasha's eyes. She sighed, hoping for his sake that he would find someone to love, but more importantly someone who would love him.
(Door bursts open and the entire casts of Inuyasha and Cardcaptor Sakura, including original characters, enter ready to party. Music starts playing and people start dancing and eating.) Shayril: Okay folks there's the chapter. Hope you liked it. If you didn't, be constructive in your criticism. Dragonwing: Yeah! We worked hard on it. Kalika: Yeah! Many long hours were spent writing it. Shayril: What are you guys talking about? You guys stopped working after an hour. I'm the one who did the hours of writing. Miroku: It took you long enough to put Sango and I together. I was beginning to think you never would. Shayril: Hey, be glad I put you together at all. If I wanted to I could just focus on Kagome and Yue's relationship and say to hell with everyone else. Kagome: As great as that sounds, you know you would never do that. You're too much of a romantic not to give everyone someone to love. Shippo: Yeah. You even gave Naraku a girlfriend, for Kami's sake. Inuyasha: Speaking of girlfriends. Shayril: I told you, Inuyasha, you don't get your girlfriend until the sequel. Inuyasha: I know, but can't you at least tell me who she is so I'm ready for her? Shayril: (Shakes head.) Uh, uh. You'll just have to wait like everyone else. Inuyasha: Could you at least give me a hint? Navi: Now where would the fun in that be? Be patient. Sakura: Inuyasha, patient? That's about as impossible as Kero-chan not liking food. Shayril: (Thoughtfully) You're probably right. Well, he's just gonna have to wait. I don't care if he's patient or not. Now, we're gonna party, you guys remember to review. Everyone at the party: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!