A/N: Most of the Author's Note will be at the end. I want to thank each and every one of you, and it will take a while to write down all of the names. Oh, and I realized that the way I made Kuronosuke flee like that, well, it was a little rushed. But don't you see? It gives me a foundation for a possible sequel…possibly. I don't know yet.
Epilogue
The carriage pulled into a long driveway. The new house was in a secluded part of the city, surrounded by trees like their last home was.
Miroku was nervous, though he couldn't figure out why. He had a sneaking suspicion that Sango was up to something. She had a little quirky smile on her face that grew as the carriage stopped.
They got out, and Miroku finally got his first look at their new home.
It was pretty, but not very impressive. It looked as though it had been empty for quite a while. It gave the impression that once it had been very beautiful—there was empty soil in the front where it looked as though an elaborate garden had been, and the walls gleamed underneath of the grit and dirt on them.
Sango came up and stood beside him. "It needs a little fixing up." She admitted, "But that wasn't why I picked it."
Miroku nodded, and waited for her to explain.
She didn't, right away.
Instead, she opened the gate and walked down the pathway, smiling up at the house. "There is one master bedroom, and then a few other spare rooms. I figured we might need them, just in case." She turned and grinned at him, and he smiled back.
"But that still isn't what made me like it." She continued.
Miroku followed her up the steps, and inside.
The rooms weren't quite empty. Whoever had lived here before left a lot of their furniture. Miroku found himself staring at a few odd pieces…
Was that an alter?
"Sango—"
"Did you know, Miroku, that this house was once a small community church?"
Miroku frowned curiously at her. "No… I didn't."
Sango nodded almost absent-mindedly. "They renovated it into a house when a bigger church was made nearby. It's really beautiful, don't you think? When it's cleaned up, it will look nice. I think the last person who owned it turned the service room into the living room."
"It wasn't a very big church." was Miroku's only comment. He was confused at Sango's choice of a house. Though he really did like it, it was rather…strange.
Sango grinned at him, seeing his confusion in his eyes. She still eluded it, though. "No, it wasn't."
She took his hand and led him through the house, showing him all of the bedrooms and spare rooms. Miroku had to agree that he did like it. It had a beautiful view, and very nice furnishings. Still, though, many of the other houses they had seen also had them. He couldn't figure out why she had picked this one in particular, especially since it had once been a church—not that he had anything against that…
"Sango," he said at last, when the finished touring the place, "I still don't think I understand why you picked this house in particular."
She smiled secretively. "There's still one last room…"
They were standing before the double doors to the service room that had been turned into a living room.
Miroku gave her another odd look.
Sango met his gaze evenly, and then pushed the doors open.
Miroku walked inside, and his breath caught in his throat.
For, on the opposite wall on the far side of the room, there was an organ.
Miroku froze for a moment, and then turned to look at Sango, who was grinning from ear to ear now.
"Go on," she urged him, "Try it out."
Miroku didn't need to be told twice. He hurried across the room with Sango at his heels.
He slid into place at the bench, and ran his fingers gently over the keys. "I haven't played since we left the Opera House." he said in sudden realization.
Sango nodded. "I know." She whispered.
Miroku took a deep breath, placed his fingers into position, and began to play.
A glorious, sweet sound filled the room, vibrating from every timber.
Miroku closed his eyes and let the music fill him, tears of joy coming to his eyes. He hadn't realized until now how much he missed his music.
Sango watched him play, heart pounding blissfully. He looked so happy now, and she was glad that she had picked this house. She knew he would like it.
When Miroku finished playing, he dropped his hands, trembling slightly. After a moment, he looked back up at Sango.
"Thank you…" he whispered. "Thank you so much…"
Sango just smiled at him. She then was thinking about Miroku, her and the family to come, as she looked around the room. Her smile widened. Her mind started to overflow with happy memories. This included the one with the baby. But, of course, the day that Sango announced that she was pregnant, it hadn't gone as she had expected—
Funny, but it was the cold that woke him. After years of living in the icy dampness of the opera cellars, he had thought himself immune to the effects of a simple chill. Yet Miroku's eyes opened, a frigid air forcing him from his dreams, just in time to hear the clock strike three times…
One…two…three in the morning….
His skin puckered with small bumps of gooseflesh, raised by the kiss of the chill night air. Strange…in 21 years he could never recall having goose bumps…
Perhaps it was because in 21 years, his body had never known such warmth to compare to this cold …
Sango laid asleep against his chest. The places where her body touched his were the only fortunate areas of flesh that were free from the cold.
The fire had long ago burned out, but even in the darkness of the room he could see her, could see the faint scar on her back (Sango didn't care to reveal how she got it. It was one part of her childhood that she didn't want to recall), every lock of hair… She lay naked, her soft cheek pressed against him, her breath fluttering over his chest. Her lips were still a deep shade of pink from his kisses; the pale skin of her hips bore marks from where his fingers had clutched Sango's body to his own. Sango's right arm was thrown protectively around his stomach, and her right leg was entwined rather intimately with his.
He almost had to laugh…they had been so exhausted that both had fallen into a slumber upon the floor of a parlor.
Sango sighed against him and Miroku let his eyes fall closed. Admittedly, a part of him was dreadfully uncomfortable on the floor, but the reassurance of Sango's warm body against his was bliss enough to last him for eternity.
His throat burned and tears threatened to spill.
How many times had he had this dream? This cruel apparition? Where Sango lay in his arms, sated and spent, her lips twisted in a knowing smile as she slept? How many times in his dreams had he loved her? How many times in his dreams had he held her? How many times had that warmth been cruelly torn from him as he had awakened to the emptiness of his life? Of his reality?
Sango tightened her arm around his midsection and Miroku felt his stomach flutter.
This was no dream.
It had all been real…It had all been his…all was his, a memory that he would cherish until the end of all time. Every sigh, every caress, every gasp and every moment of absolute rapture that had crossed Sango's face as he had made his music with her…was his. More precious than life…these moments were so much more…they were immortality.
"Miroku…" Her voice was a throaty whisper against his chest. "Miroku…"
He lifted his head to see her sleep filled eyes staring at him. Gently, he ran his fingers through her beautiful hair…it felt like Heaven against his skin.
"Are you cold, Sango?" His own voice was weak from the aftereffects of their passion.
Sango nodded slowly, pressing a kiss to his chest. She inhaled deeply, the scent of his skin filling and comforting her. He smelt of warmth and familiarity …she inhaled again before pressing her lips once more to him. Part of her didn't want to move. The reality of lying in this man's embrace was almost too much for her, and she was terrified too much as to disturb the air in the room.
She loved him.
Loved him.
Loved him.
Loved him…
"Miroku," Sango laid her head back on his chest, "I've…well, I've been meaning to tell you something." Her voice shook a bit, and Sango's heart suddenly began pounding with the fear that Miroku would notice.
He was too sleepy to, however, and merely rubbed her arm gently with his hands. "Of course, Sango." He turned his head to the side and yawned, blushing as Sango's-now alert- eyes gazed up at him. He cleared his throat. "What is it you wish to tell me?"
She played with her hair. "Miroku, when a woman loves a man they often show that affection for each other by…" Sango looked around her, noticing their intimate position on the parlor floor. "By…by this." She watched Miroku smile. Sango would never refer to their (A/N: (blushes) I can't even type it!) love-making as anything other than 'music.' "It could lead to other things…more extraordinary things, Miroku."
Miroku blinked, not understanding.
"I'm pregnant, Miroku…"
Miroku stopped breathing. After a moment, he mumbled towards the ceiling, "Pregnant?" He bowed his head and looked at Sango, who nodded slowly. Miroku found himself clutching his fists to his sides. "Why?" He hissed.
Sango felt herself roll off Miroku in shock.
"Miroku, I thought you'd be happy!"
Miroku jerked upward and sat. "Happy? Why should I be happy? I have only cursed our unborn child." He cradled his head in his hands helplessly. "Oh Sango, it's not you. It could never be you."
Sango felt her eyes start to water.
"Our child, with half the face of an angel, and half like a demon…"
Of course, Sango had then reassured him with a couple of lines that were—
"I am not your mother…"
And…
"I will love our baby no matter what the physical appearance."
This resulted in more kissing, Miroku begging forgiveness, and gradually, a happy to-be father.
"Oh, how happy this has made me, Sango!" Miroku leapt up from the organ bench and embraced her, snapping Sango out of her meditation. She rested her chin on his shoulder and sighed happily.
"I knew you would love it."
Miroku placed a hand on Sango's still-flat stomach. "Yes, and as soon as the little one is born, I will teach him-or her-how to play as well!" He brought his lips to Sango's and gave her a delicate kiss.
"Two musical geniuses, I don't know if I can handle it!" Sango laughed.
Miroku smirked. "By the time I'm done with you, Sango…this house will be filled with 10-20 geniuses."
"You pervert!" She playfully joked, lightly smacking Miroku on his arm. "Who ever said that I would agree to that many?" She ran into the kitchen to make breakfast.
Miroku followed after her in glee, like a dog chasing his owner, "Oh, Sango! Would you bear my children?"
There was an explosion of laughter from inside the other room.
"Sango!" Miroku grinned, going into the kitchen and scooping her up into his arms.
Through fits of giggles a feverish pecks to his flesh, Sango replied, "I'll bear you 100!"
And so, this story, Strange Duet, is at its end.
A/N: Thank you everyone, for reading. I would now like to thank all of you for reading, and thank anyone who ever reviewed.
Especially Demon Exterminator Barbie, my very first reviewer, and to all of you who stuck with me to the end! You gave me the support I needed to continue writing, and I wish I could thank each and every one of you individually for different reasons. However, that would take up a lot of time that I don't have, so instead I will just list your names here. If you EVER reviewed before I finished, then I guarantee your name is on here (if not…I'm so sorry!). Hopefully spelled correctly…
A BIG HUGE thanks to:
Aki-Enjeru alchemistgrl09Alyanorne angel-of-music246 anichick23 animepinay18 audikatia BlackTopHat by the sakura tree Dark Darianna Minamino Dark Midnightstar dark sorceress of egypt darkfallenangel666 DarkHeartKeyblade Dreamer-chan faye1071 firedemongirl18. Flames Of My Heart FluorescentShadows hazeleyegurl28 HyperAnko Ill-fated Solitude inu demon500 Jasane-chan Kagura2216 keikai senshi of nishinos Kept-Promise Kitty Weasley KW KiWi006 Blue LiLDoggieDemon Little Flea MirokuSangoGirl Missy Kit Nakamura Aiko O.oCharmedAnimeGirlo.O Phantom of the Wicked Pilgrim Snow pnaygurl767 Princess Fox Fire Sango-Miroku-4ever ShieldsSlayerSango23 SqUiRtLuVr SuperShouri Takako tinemelk VampirePrincess911 Wondy-Quinn yummyuu paris sangofan89 nicole hershberger ayuluvsinu inu-girl Jasane-Chan lovesong221 Flick the oreo cookie angel-music-angel246 kya i luv u... (not like that!) naxa inugirl4evamore Sangonesan MICHELLEXCORE Ritzu FaithInTheSky2360 candice Arya Cabbage Rose Sandra HarleenQ carazyladeekiraracat14 MirokuSangoGirl MirSanLuver SangoandMirokuGirl44 poto+Inuyashayay Lissy Princess Fox Fire Amber Sango's Counterpart Lavender Izumi kikyosesshomaru kirara980ookamitouHatori-kun
Kera Sheden- I wish you would've finished reading this! (cries)
OukamiMisow: I love you! My best friend and still trying to convince me that Erik's a vampire!
Penny: HE IS!
Well, it's been fun…(sniff sniff) I'll miss you all! THANK YOU EVERYONE! GOODBYE!
Christine
P.S. Does anyone want to be a complete saint and help me edit this story? Just asking, you've already done soo much!
©Strange Duet: Phantom of the Opera, Inuyasha Style
The Sweet Allure of Lady Red Death
Published: 6-30-05 Finished: 4-20-06