A/N: This chapter is probably the most beautiful one so far. If you like romance, (which is hopefully why you decided to read A Bittersweet Embrace) then this chapter will sweep you away. Haha. I won't say anything else, but enjoy!

Previous: He leaped up and his friends behind him gathered on Kirara to enter the castle. But as Inuyasha got closer to the castle, he saw that is had ivy growing on it and that some of the windows were broken from wind and rain. This did not seem like a place that his brother would stay in. Something really wasn't right. Inuyasha continued on and the closer he got the castle, the more that he could see its real structure. It had an eerie tone to it, almost as if it had been there for too long and bore too many souls of those passed away.

They continued up to the mysterious castle, all the while not realizing that the entrance to Sesshomaru's castle was on the other side of the sunrise.

"Inuyasha, I don't think that this is the place!" Shippo yelled after him, giving a shudder as he passed another eerie window.

"Says who! My brother just doesn't know how to keep a place up and running, that's all!" Either that or Shippo is right. This really seems odd, how could a barrier be so weak, and why would anyone bother to put up a barrier around a place like this?

Falling back, Inuyasha caught his stance on the back of Kirara and jumped up again. The castle entrance could be seen. Inuyasha landed at the door and waited for everyone else to catch up. That was when he noticed something, there was a small faded mark carved on the weather-worn door. He inspected it more closely and saw a dog baying to the moon. The blood-red night enveloped the monstrous demon and the bright colored moon cut through the carving like a knife. The color had almost completely faded, but Inuyasha knew what it was. This was his family seal; he had remembered his mother showing it to him once when he was younger.

Flashback…

"Mother, what is this? It looks like a doggy, but it kinda looks mean…." (he was so cute back then)

"That, Inuyasha, it our family seal."

"What's a family seal?"

"It is something that signifies the existence and everlasting power of a tribe. You, who are from the inu tribe, are one of the representatives of our family seal."

"But why would someone want to put it there anyways?"

"It is used to signify that something belongs to that tribe, and it can also be used to summon someone when the time is right."

"Will I ever need it in my life?"

"Hopefully you won't."

"Why?"

His mother simply shook her head and herded her son into his room.

"Wait mother, can you make a family seal as well?"

"Yes Inuyasha I can, after I met your father, I am little or more, part of the inu tribe."

Inuyasha had disregarded the information shortly after, but now it was coming back to him.

End flashback…

"Inuyasha, are you alright? You didn't leave without us again did you?" Sango's voice cut through his flashback and brought him back to reality. Thinking fast, Inuyasha dug his nails into the seal. He quickly carved it out and took it out of its normal position. Tearing a piece of cloth off from his undershirt, he wrapped it up and stuffed it in his kimono.

"Inuyasha, where did you go?"

He paused for a moment, chipping away some more wood around the area that the carving had lain in, just to make it look more weather worn instead of craved out. "I'm right here!" After making sure that they had heard him, he pushed open the door and ran inside. I found the family seal on the door. That means that this castle once belonged to my father; that is saying that this isn't Sesshomaru's castle. And my mother had said that she wished that I do not ever have to encounter the family seal. But by the look on her face so long ago, she seemed to know that I would. That can only mean that my mother had placed the seal there herself and something is happening that has summoned me here.

He carefully picked his way through the hallway, there was leaves scattered around it and ivy growing on the walls, however the castle still held its touch of beauty. The maple wood could be seen clearly and the pictures had somehow, still endured all the rain and shine that had come through the castle. The pictures were mostly of his mother and father. So this is my father's castle after all… Doubling back, Inuyasha went back to the entrance and examined the different hallways. Despite the castle's old age, it still held many rooms to be explored.

"Inuyasha!" Shippo called out. "Hey Inuyasha, what is this place? It gives me the creeps…" He stared to shake violently and hid behind Miroku.

"Come now Shippo, there is nothing to fear."

"Ah…eh…hehe…."

"It's my dad's castle…"

"What?"

"You heard me; this is my father's castle! There are pictures all around, it looks abandoned, and…" He cut off there, Inuyasha was about to show Miroku and Sango the family seal, but had decided against it. He had no idea why his fingers would not allow him to take out the seal, but he accepted this at the moment. Maybe that seal is more than just a design after all…

"And…," The monk continued.

"Nothing, just forget it."

"Mm…" Sango gave Inuyasha a queer glance, but disregarded his behavior; after all, he had been kind of out of it ever since Sesshomaru took Kagome.

"Feh, you can stop pussyfooting around and get on with searching the castle already!"

"Uh…" This time is was Miroku's turn to give Inuyasha a weird look. He sure is going through a lot of mood swings.

"Well fine, if you guys aren't gonna search the castle, then I will. We need to find out as much as we can from here; it may be out only lead to Kagome's whereabouts." He stormed off angrily, and walked down the far-left hallway.

Miroku stared after the disappearing image of the infuriated hanyou. Inuyasha could be such a headache to deal with sometimes. "Well Sango, I guess we should look around."

"Mm."

"Shippo, Sango and I will go and search the center of the castle; you go with Kirara and Kohaku; go look someplace else."

"Sure, but what are we looking for?"

"Anything that might clue us in on where Sesshomaru's castle might be."

"Ok, let's go Kirara."

"Mm."

"Meow" (so cute!)

Once Kirara, Kohaku and Shippo had disappeared, Miroku placed his arm around Sango and walked her forward. "Come now Sango, an adventure awaits!"

"Uhhh…" This monk is getting really weird…

She stared at Miroku as he started skipping merrily down the hall, towards a small opening at the end. "Wait for me Miroku!" Sango quickly grabbed her hiraikotsu and hurried after the houshi.

"So Rin has spiritual powers now? Rin is very happy that Sesshomaru-sama has noticed Rin's new ability!" She danced joyfully around the field and nearly beheaded Jaken while swinging her bow and arrow around freely.

A manipulated soul? What does that mean? What if it means that I end my life early? Oh no! This is bad, that Sesshomaru, he won't even tell me what happened when it's his fault! Argh! What am I going to do! He wouldn't care about my feelings so I am pretty sure I won't die, otherwise he would have just said it flat out. That means that Sesshomaru is going to try and do something with me…I have to be extra careful now…

"Kagome-sama, can Rin shoot her arrows just to see how many Rin can release?"

Kagome repeated the words going in and out of her head… "Be careful."

"Rin will!" The happy girl started showering everything around her with sacred arrows. She did not pull hard to none of them went far enough to penetrate the barrier.

Kagome was snapped out of her thoughts as a dozen flimsy arrows came at her. She dodged them just in time before becoming a living voodoo doll with pins sticking out of her. "Ah! Rin-chan!"

"Ja?" She let go of the arrow without aiming, and the shot went off. It whizzed right at an unwary Jaken and pinned him solidly in the behind.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The poor demon went into a frenzy and started running all over the place screaming bloody murder.

"Opps…"

Kagome was laughing too hard to feel any sympathy for the green toad demon. She knew that she really shouldn't find this funny, but the picture was simply so humorous, she told herself that anyone would laugh.

"Jaken-sama! Rin is sorry, let Rin help you!" the young girl said in panic. She ran over to the seemingly rabid toad and tried to calm him down. Her efforts turned out futile and she ended up being dragged all over the field by a protesting Jaken.

This is too funny!

Damn monk, he acts like he doesn't' even care if Kagome comes back to us or not! Inuyasha had been walking down the hallway for some time, and as luck would have it, he had not come across even one room so far. Damn it all!

Inuyasha came to a turn, he began debating whether to turn right or keep going. Well this hallway sure doesn't seem like it's going to give me too much luck. He sped off to the right and found himself smack in front of a door. While Inuyasha was peeling himself off of the entrance way, he made a mental note to himself to always watch where he was going.

What is this place? He opened the door, and found himself in a gargantuan scroll library. Inuyasha stood in awe for a moment and stared at the millions (really only hundreds) of scrolls. He carefully took out the closest scroll to him and saw that it had his family seal, as well as his father's seal on it. That ensured that this was indeed his old man's castle after all and not Sesshomaru's.

Fighting Techniques…Inuyasha read off the title of the scroll. He was about to put it back down when something hit him. He probably would not find anything that would lead him to Sesshomaru's castle here. Inuyasha was trying to decide whether or not to read the scroll, or keep looking for a trace of Kagome. The scroll won out, it was simply too enticing for him to leave, after all, Miroku and Sango were still looking for Kagome right? And there was also Shippo, Kohaku, and Kirara. And besides, if I am gonna take Kagome back, then I need to get stronger, this scroll might help.

Fighting Techniques…

Inuyasha read hungrily through the scroll. It had a series of steps and phases that he would need to know in future battles. One showed him how to get out of a tough situation. He needed to get under the enemy by playing dead, or some other method, and direct an attack up at them. It wasn't something that he would use over and over again, as it was extremely risky, but it would do well as a last resort. Inuyasha read on, engulfing his mind in different fighting techniques and moves.

Sango and Miroku had been walking for some time now and surprisingly, found themselves in a garden. (wow, a floating garden, amusing) They weren't really looking for Kagome like they were supposed to, as the garden was too tantalizing to ignore.

Miroku walked over to a beautiful lily with red petals in heart like shapes. He carefully picked it and walked over to Sango.

"Wow, Miroku, all these flowers sure are beautiful. I wonder how they survived to many years without human-care."

"Yes, indeed it is a wonder." The two stared up into the starry night sky; the inky blackness was cut through with the heavens itself. Every star seemed to represent a different life, or a different love. Nothing could be more perfect.

Miroku placed his hand around Sango's waist, and desperately fought off the urge to grope her. It's now or never.

"These starts, they are so magnificent. They shine so brightly with every kind of beauty. They are truly wondrous."

Miroku looked at her; his eyes shinning with longing. "Yes, my Sango, as are you."

Sango froze for a moment. "Miroku…"

"I have never felt more full then when I am with you Sango. Never in my life have I ever experienced what it is to be so infatuated with a woman."

"I…"

"Sango, I love you."

Sango stared at him; her eyes started brimming with tears of pure love, nothing more and nothing less. "I love you too Miroku."

"Then please, let's not wait any longer. Sango, will you take my hand in marriage?" He held out the flower to her. His eyes shone with enough love to fill the stars, and still have enough left for her.

"Yes, yes Miroku, I belong to you!" She ran forward and kissed him fiercely. Something exploded in Sango's mind and she knew nothing but the feel of Miroku's lips.

Miroku found his hand slowly inching towards Sango's butt, but he didn't stop it this time. And when Sango felt his had come and grope her, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him. Everything that she had gone through was all worth it for this moment. The fierce kiss, warm caress of the one she loved; yes Sango would go through it all again, as long as she could stay with Miroku.

They separated, breathing hard. Sango buried her face in Miroku's robes and cried, not tears of sadness or happiness, but tears of love. She cried for all the times that Miroku had saved her, and the times that they had been together. Sango faced Miroku and pushed him over. She lay on top of him and kissed him again. Miroku smiled and rolled over to push Sango underneath him. Over and over the two rolled, embracing in a never-ending kiss. At last, Sango ended up on top of him. They were both breathing in ragged breaths; locks of hair had fallen out of Sango's hair tie. She placed an elbow on either side of Miroku and looked down at him.

She's so beautiful. "My dear Sango, your beauty surpasses that of anyone I have seen. It passes the heavens and all the stars in the sky."

She blushed at his remark and said, "And my love for you as well."

Miroku was overwhelmed with happiness; Sango was now his wife, his woman. The one that he had wanted to badly had now joined him in an everlasting bond.

Miroku rolled Sango over again and pushed her up against a peach tree. He kissed her again, and made it last for Sango could not go anywhere.

Sango felt Miroku's wet lips caress her neck and exposed part of her chest. She held still and drank in his warm presence.

"Miroku, will you stay with me forever, and only me?"

"Yes," he murmured, "I will love you, and only you."

She burst out with an extra rush of adrenaline and swept her legs underneath Miroku. Casting his body back underneath hers, she lay on top of him.

Miroku held still and caressed her hair. She was the one he loved, Sango deserved to much more that what had happened to her, and he was determined to make it all pay off for her.

The two embraced, and never did seem to let go. It was almost as if the heavens above were cheering for them, all the stars in the sky seemed to twinkle and dance in their presence; as another loving couple, embraced under the radiant night sky.

A/N: Well there it is! I was getting all excited writing this chapter and just didn't know where to stop! Hehe. Well, I loved writing it and I hope that you loved reading it! Please review!

Reviewer Responses:

Aaliyah Starnight: Nah, I just like writing love stories. And what better way to make one then to include Sessy. I do think he is hot, but I love Inuyasha's stubborn attitude! Haha!

Myst172: ………..Run away!

meluvsokka: Yay! You like it! I worked my butt off for you Michelle, so you had better like this one!

Rae (anonymous) Well there, he asked her! Happy?

And thank you to my other reviewers, Animelover45 (Yes, Caroline is very weird) 13ubblz (You are still stupid) lil fluff girl (lay off, I think you scared her enough already!)

Recommended authors:

DrangonflyLover13: This is a hilarious fan-fic where Inuyasha get's split into 6 inus! A must read!

Friend's thoughts:

This is continued from DragonflyLover13's mini story!

INUYASHA AND THE GANG: BAND GEEKS (not related to the actual story, but of course)

Kagome: "Hey, who took my clarinet reed?"
Koga: "Oh, here it is. Somebody threw it in my tuba."
(Inuyasha approaches.)
Inuyasha: "Hey, has anyone seen my drumsti—OW!"
Shippo (bonking Inuyasha on the head with his drumstick): "Ha, ha! Revenge is sweet!"
Inuyasha: "Why you little flute playing—"
(Miroku approaches.)
Miroku (staring at Sango's butt, drooling): "I'm so glad Sango decided to be on the dance line for marching band. -drool, drool-"
(Sesshomaru appears out of nowhere and sees everybody with instruments wearing utterly geeky band outfits and picking their noses.)
Sesshomaru (panicking): "RRRRIIIINNN! The Tylenol isn't working!"