ENTER THE HOT SPRINGS

Sesshoumaru was the last one in the male's hot spring. He lowered himself in, and let the hot water soothe his aching muscles. His rib was sore, but already nearly healed; it wasn't until the fight was over that he let himself feel the extent of the abuse his form had endured. They collectively enjoyed the contented peace, letting the silence enhance their relief.

Inuyasha cracked an eyelid to appraise his brother next to him. His eyes were closed, and his head leaned back on the spring's ledge between his outstretched arms. He'd never seen him so relaxed, and he wondered briefly if he ever had been.

"I can't believe it's finally over." He felt as if the gravity of it hadn't fully hit him.

"Hn."

"What are you going to do now?" A shrug was his only answer.

"Keh. C'mon. We've all waited for this day. You tellin' me YOU ain't got a plan?" Sesshoumaru had joined forces with the rag-tag group to expedite Naraku's impending death. Now that their mission was complete, he assumed the demon would return to his life- whatever that was.

He hated that his brother had to help them at the time. He had always considered that the spider hanyou was his to take down. As things grew more desperate, however, it was clear he had to swallow his pride and accept Sesshoumaru's aid.

But he had gotten used to having him around. His presence became, if nothing else, tolerable.

"This One will see to the Western Lands, as he had before the evil hanyou interfered."

"So the same old same, huh? You don't seem the same." The peaceful air around the demon just didn't seem to fit him. It wasn't unwelcome, just...off-putting.

"This Sesshoumaru admits, with Naraku dispatched he feels...lighter than before. I have never known what it is to feel care-free... I wonder if that is what I now feel."

This admission caused the other men to open their eyes, somewhat shocked he would voice this to them.

"Not only is Naraku gone, but so is the jewel. And with it, any demon who would use it to cause trouble is rendered impotent. Without the jewel, there is no demon who could even hope to be a match for This One. The thought is...relaxing."

The miko had played her part well. It had been her duty to banish the jewel, and she had succeeded. That she dealt the final blow with her pure arrow was troubling, however. He should have been able to finish him with his sword. That had been his duty, and in that respect he had failed. But he would think no more on it now. That Naraku was dead was the important thing.

They all seem to consider his words. He could let his guard down. They doubted he ever would completely, but this was now as close as he would probably get.

"And you, Inuyasha? Will you waste time in mating your miko?" The pair had been an item before Sesshoumaru had joined them months prior. And like the monk and slayer, they had seemed to be waiting for the spider's demise to make things official.

"Keh. Wasted enough time, don't ya think? Nah, I can't wait another moment. If she'll have me, I'm gonna do it tonight. Got a lot of time to make up for." Though they had discussed mating hypothetically, they had made no solid plans. They had been chasing Naraku for so long that to them, unlike Sesshoumaru, victory had not been assured. He turned to Miroku then, "What about you, houshi? Sounds like Sango is ready to get married right now."

Miroku smiled happily at the statement. "I would marry her this very night if I could, but I want to give her a real wedding." They had discussed a wedding. It was the carrot, the reward, for completing their task. It was what kept them going, even in the darkest of times. And though Sango's village had been slaughtered, she had always dreamed of a true wedding.

"I know she'll want her brother to be there...speaking of which, I should probably ask him for her hand, with her father passed on. I am sure he will agree, but I want to do this right." He clasped his hands behind his head, "We have waited this long, what's a few days more?"

"Sounds like she ain't making you wait for your wedding night, at least," Inuyasha smirked as he recalled her insistence on the sleeping arrangements. Miroku waggled his eyebrows suggestively at this.

"Can you blame her? The poor girl has been deprived too long. She will bare my children yet!"

They fell back into a comfortable silence. This time, it was the demon lord who broke it.

"This Sesshoumaru has a challenging road ahead of him," he began.

"I will need a couple of good men to assist in building bridges in the West, so that humans and demons may live side by side peacefully." In traveling with the eclectic group, his world view had evolved. His path had become clear; and it would fall to him to lead his society into the future anew. He realized begrudgingly that he needed to work with humans who shared his vision, and whom he could trust. They continued to listen with interest.

"Accomplished warriors. Loyal pack mates, with capacity for charm. Would either of you happen to know of anyone suited to such a task?"

To say the offer surprised them was an understatement, but they kept their cool. Inuyasha and Miroku shared a grin, as Sesshoumaru's eyes remained closed. He was offering them a place in the West. A home. A future. But no male worth his salt would agree to something so huge without first consulting the woman in their life.

"We'll have to think about it."

"See that you do."

The ladies were enjoying their much-deserved bath as well.

"Kagome...I can never thank you enough for what you did for me. For Inuyasha."

"Of course, Kikyo. All I want is happiness for all of you. I guess the wish wasn't totally selfless, after all..." Kikyo considered her words, and she fixed the younger miko with a grave expression.

"I know you had strong feelings for Inuyasha. I know you loved him." There had been no shortage of animosity between the two when Kikyo had joined the hunt. There was jealousy on both sides, and when Inuyasha made his decision clear, it had broken Kagome's heart. She had held out hopes that the half demon would eventually come around and they would end up together. She had thought they were soul mates, but fate had other plans. Reality had dealt her a harsh blow. "Are you going to be okay with us? We will be mated soon...I really want us all to be friends."

Kagome looked at her seriously. "I'm not going to lie, it's been hard." It had been a rocky alliance between them at first, but things seemed to change as they approached their shared goal. Time heals all wounds, and though not fully healed, great strides had been made. She would be okay.

"I will always love Inuyasha. But as a friend, now. You two were meant for each other, and I really am happy for you. Now that Naraku is dead, I can finally let him go." Kikyo smiled sadly at her. She knew this whole thing hadn't been easy on the girl, but in the end, she had done the right thing.

"So, will you mate him tonight?" she asked timidly, a little uncomfortable with the subject, but very curious. Kikyo blushed at the question.

"I think he has plans to. If he does...I am ready." The smile they shared was genuine.

"How about you, Sango? Are you nervous about sharing a room with your amorous fiancé? I doubt he will keep his hands to himself, you know?" She was only half joking. Now it was Sango's turn to blush.

"Honestly, I'm not. He's waited long enough. We both have." He hadn't wanted to wait, but she had been firm. It had been hard for him to deal with, as he wasn't normally one to abstain; but it seemed like he would be getting his reward for his patience. "We will be married soon anyway, so what's a few days early?"

"So when's the wedding?" asked Kikyo.

"I guess as soon as we get back to the village. I don't have any family left, so Kohaku is the only one I need to tell. You will all be there I hope?"

"Are you kidding? We wouldn't miss it!" It had been a long time coming.

"What about you, Kagome? Do you know what you will do?"

"You know, I don't know. I wasn't even sure if I would be able to stay in the past after I made my wish, but here I am! I don't know if I can go home...if I would be able to come back. I guess I thought I would go back to the future, go to college. But after being here, I'm not so sure that kind of life would suit me anymore."

Could she really be happy with a normal life after all she had been through? "It would kill me not to see my mom again. I hope I can at least go back to visit her, even if I do decide to stay. I guess we'll have to wait and see." If the well had closed up, and she could only choose one, either one, she would be crushed.

"Well, try not to worry too much tonight. We have had a hellish couple of months. Let's just enjoy the moment! You deserve it."

"We all do."