A few hours later, as the sun began to sink, the demons started to congregate in the main dining hall. Satsujin had told them all about the arrival of Sesshoumaru's younger brother, and most of them agreed. The ones that were not in favor had to grumble and keep to themselves, but it was a slight minority.
"Well, it's almost time for the sun to set," Inuyasha said. "You guys coming to the party?"
"Sure," Shippou agreed instantly, jumping up on the half-demon's shoulder.
"Alright," Miroku agreed. Sango and Kagome nodded and stood up, but before anyone could go, Satsujin appeared outside the door. He tapped politely on the wooden frames.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
"Sure," Inuyasha replied as the sliding door was opened.
"I had a feeling a bit ago that something was amiss, and I finally figured it out," Satsujin grinned as he snapped his fingers. "You don't have any formal clothes. So I decided to bring some for you to choose from," he said as servants filed into the room, carrying sets of clothing for both males and females, as well as children-sized sets for Shippou. "Please, feel free to try on any of them. It's my personal gift to you-Sesshoumaru will not mind it. After all, I own this wardrobe myself."
"Oh, look at this," Sango gasped as she examined the cloth.
"I'll leave you to change now," Satsujin said as he turned and walked off. "See you all at the banquet," he called over his shoulder.
"I don't know," Inuyasha said skeptically as the others started eyeing the clothes.
"Inuyasha," Shippou said calmly, "don't you want to look good for the party? If we go there looking like this, they're only going to think less of us. They'll respect you a lot more if you're dressed up properly. Do you want them to think we're just a gang of vagabonds?"
"I guess not," Inuyasha agreed. "Alright, alright, we'll wear the fancy clothes," he sighed.
Kagome and Sango grinned as they immediately looked through the clothing, seeing which dressy kimonos would fit. Miroku went over and sifted through, evaluating which garments would look best. Shippou jumped into the pile of clothing and held up one outfit after another, trying to decide which one he liked the most. Inuyasha went over and begrudgingly sorted through the clothes, mumbling about having to change out of his regular kimono.
Half an hour later, just as the sun settled on the horizon, they were done getting dressed. Miroku was wearing a long white robe made of fine silk, with an elegant dragon design on the back. He wore a pair of sandals, as usual. Shippou had chosen to wear a dark green outfit with golden maple leaves decorating the ends of the sleeves on his shirt. His hair was tied up in a new black bow, an he had brushed his fur until it shimmered in the light. Somehow, he had managed to find a pair of black boots that fit his feet perfectly. Sango was dressed in a fancy red kimono with white doves along the entire length of the sleeves and on the dark green sash. Her hair was left down, not tied back as it usually was, and it fell around her shoulders to frame her face nicely. She was wearing sandals. Kirara had been presented with a fancy strip of black and red cloth to have tied around her neck loosely, and she had her fur brushed out. Kagome had donned a dark blue outfit, with simple yet stylish lilies patterned spaciously the entire surface. She was wearing a pair of dark blue sandals that had been among the articles of clothing. Inuyasha was dressed in a black outfit that had a stripe of dark purple around each sleeve and at the collar, and he had finally agreed to wear a pair of boots, though he protested for a good ten minutes.
"Wow, everybody looks so different," Shippou exclaimed. "I like it!"
"I must agree," Miroku nodded.
"Yeah, yeah, everyone looks great," Inuyasha said impatiently. "Now let's go already!"
The group walked down the hallway, getting to the main hall just as the sun disappeared below the horizon. Satsujin saw them and walked over to greet them.
"Ah, you all look fine in those clothes!" Satsujin grinned amiably. "Surely you must keep them! I will not let you leave here without a gift! Now come, sit down with us, eat-you must be hungry by now. The entertainment will begin in about an hour," he said as he led the way over to the head table. "And you, my honored guests-you have reserved seats."
"Are you sure my brother is here?" Inuyasha asked.
"Oh, he's here for certain. I should think he will arrive soon enough; he does tend to show up fashionably late when it comes to meals and banquets. I do believe that he doesn't quite enjoy them as he should, but it's not really any of my business," Satsujin chuckled lightly.
"Alright then," Inuyasha agreed with a shrug. Satsujin showed them where they were sitting, and he went off for a minute, saying he had something important to do for just a little while.
"Man, this is weird," Inuyasha said nervously. "Sesshoumaru would never invite me to any party, or let me stay here, or anything like that."
"Maybe he's getting married," Shippou replied.
Everyone in the group, along with a few nearby demons who had overheard, stopped and stared at the kitsune in disbelief. Shippou gulped and smiled nervously.
"It was just a thought," he said.
Inuyasha cracked a smile, and finally burst out laughing. The others all did the same, finding it hilarious to think of the dog-demon getting married.
"That dog would never get married!" Inuyasha said between laughs. "He's as cold as ice when it comes to relationships of that sort. Ha! Sesshoumaru getting married...pfffttt!"
"Hey, I didn't know," Shippou retorted, annoyed. The fox crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
"What's so funny?" Satsujin asked as he came back. "Did I miss something?"
"I was wondering why Sesshoumaru would let me stay here, and Shippou said that maybe he was going to get married," Inuyasha said, still laughing. "Imagine that! HA!"
"Indeed," Satsujin nodded and suppressed a chuckle. Even though he and the others knew what was really going on, it was quite an amusing thought. Sesshoumaru would never get married, not at the rate he was going. He didn't seem to enjoy that sort of friendship; or any sort, really.