Sahrah: I'M SO SO SO SO SOOOOO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING! I HAD A HORRIBLE CASE OF WRITER'S BLOCK! I'M SORRY! Ok, this will be the next-to-last chapter. I have a feeling it will be the most spantaculous!
Harhas: that's not a word.
Diane: Neither is treeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelpe! Treelpe.
Leeza: Good point.
Yuki: Point? None of you are making a point! Jeez.
Sahrah: Whaterver. I warn you now, there might be some… err… implicit content that is not suitable for children under the age of 14.
Harhas: Even though Sah-chan is only 13.
Sahrah, Leeza, and Diane: STOP MAKING SENSE!
Yuki: And by implicit, you mean sexual content.
Sahrah: I said MIGHT BE not WILL BE! GAWD!
Leeza: Yeah well… it's worth the power.
Diane: Which is very, very cool. CHAPTEH TIME!
Leeza: ((Pushes chapter button))
Chapter 9: Sunrise
Kagome took off after her look-alike, Kikyo. She ran with the fury that couldn't be matched by anyone; she was in love.
"Those who are gathered here today to witness the union of…"
Kagome burst into the alter with a terrifying fury, stopping the priest in mid-sentence. Her hair was tangled into a mass of knots, with twigs and leaves in her hair. Dried blood was splattered on her dress and hands, and her face was streaked with tears. She had multiple injuries, and was limping slightly.
She had never been more beautiful in her entire life.
"Kagome!" cried Inu Yasha and Kikyo at the same time. The deviously evil daughter of Naraku was crying in anger and horror, and Inu Yasha was crying in… well, it's difficult to put, really. It was a mixture of joy and surprise, happiness, and love. And, of course, the spell breaking.
At first, Inu Yasha's eyes seemed to become very dull. Then, in one motion, he gave Kikyo one hard shove, and she fell.
Everyone in the alter gasped, and Baroness Tsuki Higurashi rose from her seat.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded. "One of these two young women here is an imposter, and the other is my daughter."
"I can explain, then, ma'am."
"The three of us can."
The voices belonged to Sango and Miroku, who walked in behind Kagome, followed by Seshomaru.
The queen stood up. "Then explain."
Miroku stood. "The night of the ball, Lady Kagome was kidnapped by the dark and evil Naraku, and his daughter Kikyo. She then escaped, while at the same time Kikyo impersonated Kagome."
Sango nodded. "I know, because I rescued Kagome."
"Miroku and I found Lady Kagome in the woods yesterday evening," added Seshomaru.
Izayoi considered this. "So, you're saying that the woman who was about to marry my son and rule the land as queen is an evil imposter and not, in fact, the lady Kagome?"
Everyone nodded. "Yes."
"I don't believe you. Produce proof; physical proof. You have NONE. Therefore, YOU are the imposter!" Tsuki pointed angrily at her daughter and a few guards started to trudge towards Kagome.
"I HAVE PROOF!"
Kagome screamed at the crowd of finely dressed aristocrats as she reached into her pocket and pulled out Inu Yasha's dagger.
"She's threatening the royal family?" cried Tsuki in outrage.
"No, my dear friend!" exclaimed Izayoi, "Look at the handle of that dagger! It's the royal crest! She could only have gotten that from Inu Yasha! Inu Yasha is the only one with a dagger that bears our crest!"
Speaking of Inu Yasha, after shoving Kikyo down, was making his way towards Kagome. His spell was broken.
"No!" cried Kikyo in horror. "The plan… it was perfect! Undeniably flawless! You! You should be dead!"
"INU YASHA!" Kagome exclaimed, pushing past the guards, who were standing now without a clue as of what to do, and threw herself into her lover's arms. "Inu Yasha!"
"Kagome…" Inu Yasha whispered, holding her tightly. "Ladies and gentlemen of the royal court! All who are gathered in this holy place! Listen well! The woman I hold in my arms now is none other than the Lady Kagome Higurashi! My beloved maiden and will-be bride. That woman there" –Inu Yasha pointed to Kikyo- "That woman is an imposter! Guards, take that woman to prison!"
The clueless guards, having found an order, acted upon this demand gladly. With a sword at her throat, Kikyo was led away by the imperial soldiers.
"Is it not possible that Prince Inu Yasha is now under a spell?" murmured a few guests.
"Yes… a spell…"
Miroku interrupted the chaos. "We can give you more proof of the lady's authenticity! Lady Kagome Higurashi's horse, the esteemed stallion! He who bears no rider other than the Lady!"
So the people in the alter peeked outside curiously. Kaji was now healed, thanks to Miroku's magic, and Kagome started to walk up to him.
"What if the horse is spelled, as well?" called a woman.
"As proof… Sango! Go and try to touch that horse!" Miroku said.
Sango obliged, and Kaji reared angrily, causing Sango to fall back away from him. Kagome walked forward, with her hand outstretched. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his strong neck, and the horse bowed low. A few gasps emitted from the audience as Kagome mounted, galloped in a circle, and dismounted neatly.
"This is my daughter!" Tsuki exclaimed with her doubt faded into oblivion. "This is definitely Kagome. My child…"
"There is no wedding dress!" Tsuki fretted, walking in circles worriedly.
"Mother-"
"Don't you 'mother' me, young lady! How can there be a proper wedding without a proper dress? And Sango has no gown either…"
Tsuki, Izayoi, Sango, and Kagome were standing outside of the alter.
"Tsuki…" Izayoi said. "We could always postpone the matrimony…"
"But with all those people gathered…"
"I suppose you are right. But where in the world will we get a decent wedding dress so soon?"
"I think I can help," said a voice from behind. Everyone turned to see Kaede standing on the back of a white horse.
"Priestess Kaede?" Sango's eyes widened. "You… can help?"
"Indeed. Turn around, children."
Sango faced away and her tight body suit became a floor length red ball gown with silver fringes. Her hair tumbled freely around her shoulders and down her back.
And as Kagome turned around, Kaede started making motions in the air with her fingers, weaving around invisible threads. Slowly, Kagome's torn and bloody dress began to glow. It grew longer and wider until it was the shape of a proper wedding gown, the most extravagant ever seen. The sleeves streamed gaily in the wind, and Kagome's tangled hair was tamed into a tight braided bun. The dress stopped glowing, but it was so white that it gave off a glow all it's own.
A silver tiara formed on her head, with a veil flowing from the circlet. Tsuki and Izayoi clapped their hands in joy. The dress was beyond words. Kagome looked like an angel without wings.
"Thank you so much Kae…de…?" When Kagome turned again, Kaede and her white horse were gone.
"…And do you, Lady Kagome Higurashi, take his majesty Prince Inu Yasha Taisho, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do," Kagome spoke clearly.
"And so, anyone who has any reason for these two not to wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." Silence. "I pronounce these two the royal prince and princess, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Time froze as Inu Yasha and Kagome moved towards each other. Very slowly, their lips brushed, and time jolted forward with cheers and cries of happiness.
The grand feast was very grand. And what a feast it was! There was so much laughter and dancing and merriment, littering the castle. Kagome and Inu Yasha seemed to be joined at the hip, dancing until one of them got cramps in the stomach and had to go sit down.
Sango stood against the wall, smiling sadly. "Good for you, Kagome…" she whispered. "You got your love. You've got your happy ending."
Miroku walked up to Sango with a small glass of wine, one in each hand. "Lady Sango, why are you all alone?" He furrowed his brow, confused as to why such a beauty like Sango would be alone.
"Ah… no reason." Sango turned away.
"Here, this is for you," Miroku handed Sango one of the glasses. "I propose a toast to Kagome and Inu Yasha," he said as their glasses tinked together and they took a sip.
Sango shook her head as if to wake herself up and said, "Well, I'd better be going now… I've got to get back to my village."
"Why? Does something important await you there?"
"No… actually… my family died in an attack a few months ago. There's really nothing there…"
"Then why did you say you had to leave?" Miroku asked.
Sango sighed. "I just feel so out of place, that's all. I'm not a lady, or a royal, or a priestess. I'm just a demon slayer."
Miroku put down his glass and took Sango's hands in his. "Sango, I don't think you are just a demon slayer. You saved Kagome, brought her back… You are a heroine. And… the way you look, no one would ever notice that you were different than everyone else here. You look beautiful."
Sango flushed. "N-no, I…"
"Please, Sango… would you dance with me?" Sango blushed furiously and nodded shyly. "Okay…"
So they danced. Kagome and Inu Yasha, and Sango and Miroku danced joyfully, late into the night. So late, in fact, that Sango and Miroku had to stay the night. They were going to go to an inn, but Inu Yasha and Kagome insisted they stay.
Kagome woke up the next morning facing Inu Yasha's sleeping face. She smiled dreamily, memories of the past night flooding her mind. The kissing. The touching. The passion. The wonderful feeling of being in love.
"Hey, sleepy head," she whispered. Inu Yasha blinked slowly, then opened his eyes.
"Hey," he whispered back. "Say, let's get out of here before the royal hussies spend the day showering us with money and gifts.
"Sounds good to me."
"Hyah!" called Kagome from the back of Kaji. The sun was just peeking over the mountains, and the entire world seemed to be flooded in red, pink, and golden light. The trees slept on, for no one had yet told them it was time to open their sleepy, childlike eyes and greet the dawn.
"It's beautiful…" breathed Kagome from her seat in the grass beside Inu Yasha.
"Yeah. And so is the sunrise," he replied. Kagome giggled and leaned against her husband.
"Promise me, Inu Yasha… we'll be like this… no matter what?"
"Huh? Like what?"
"Like… like a couple of teenagers… madly in love… so in love, we're delusional. So in love… and so happy and free. Promise me that no matter what, we'll still wake up before the sun to sit and watch the sun rise. I want to believe in the future… but I don't want it to change from the bliss I've got now."
Inu Yasha enveloped Kagome in his strong arms and whispered, "I don't promise anything so stupid," he said.
"W-what?" Kagome exclaimed, starting to get upset.
"We'll be like this, but better." Kagome relaxed and giggled.
"For all the days to come, K'gome… we'll be together. And… if we ever get separated again… remember… keep calling out my name. Believe in me. If you keep calling… I'll hear you."
Kagome sighed happily. "And… I'll never give up on me, either. No more giving up. We're married now, as the prince and princess. You might and Seshomaru are going to rule our country, both of you together, one day."
"And you'll be my queen."
"And you'll be my king?"
"I guess… as long as you still call me your knight in shining armor."
"And as long as I'm always the damsel that's almost never in distress."
"Deal," he said.
And for that moment in time, the sun came all the way up over the mountains so far away from that hilltop where the future king and queen sat. And, somewhere in the palace, Miroku was dreaming of Sango. Somewhere else in the same palace, Sango was wistfully remembering the night she had spent dancing with the handsome monk that had been so kind to her. King Taisho and Queen Izayoi slept deeply, happy that their youngest son was happily wed to his beloved. Inu Yasha and Kagome sat staring at the sunrise. As the sun rose, only those few people who sit with their beloveds watching the glowing orb rise could hear the certain sound. The sounds like a chorus of angels, a choir of bluebirds in the tress, a buzzing group of bumble bees among the flowers, a happy group of children at play time, and the quiet, resolute sound of two hearts beating in unison. Kaji nickered quietly into the morning. Kagome's fingers intertwined with Inu Yasha's, and Baroness Tsuki Higurashi turned in her sleep. It was a perfectly normal day. And it was so full of security and warmth.
The sun itself was red, like the deepest rose, the darkest fire, and the most beautiful bleeding heart. It was as beautiful as Kaji, and strong like the promises of days to come.
End
Sahrah: Epilogue coming soon!