Author's Note: CANCEL THE LYNCHING, I'M BACK!!! I'm SO sorry for not updating sooner! I had college finals, projects, and a computer hogging brother to keep me from writing. Not that those are good excuses. To make up for it, I wrote this special chappie that I think you'll all like. I hope it's long enough for you guys.
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. I only dream I do and write stories I hope go into consideration for anime episodes. (Sigh) I still have my dreams.
Chapter 10
"Where are you taking me, Kirara?" Kaede asked softly as they flew over the forest. "Are you taking me to Sango's home?"
The old miko smiled softly when the two-tailed cat mewed at her question. "Ah, is she fairing well?" Another mew was heard. "Good. That does my heart good to hear that."
The priestess knew from Kirara's sudden speed and eagerness that they were nearing their destination. "Kirara… is InuYasha with Sango?" A loud mewl was heard, making Kaede chuckle heartedly. "Heh-heh. I have half a mind to whack that boy's thick head for worrying everyone, but… I suppose I'll be too relieved and happy to see him that I'll probably hug him."
Kaede was silent for a while, listening to the wind blowing past them and the rustling of the leaves on the trees below. She sighed softly then. "What will I tell Kagome and the others when I see them, Kirara? They have been looking for the boy for weeks, and Kagome is very worried." The miko sighed again as the Kirara mewed. "I suppose I will go by my gut after seeing him."
"Heeya!" a young boy exclaimed, throwing a chain rope at a stuffed dummy. The chain soared for a few feet but landed in a pile of tangles several feet away from the mark. "Darn it!" the boy yelled with a scowl on his face.
"You're rushing your throw!" Sango exclaimed. She was in her demon exterminating armor as she instructed the older children of the nearby villagers who had moved into her and InuYasha's village. It had been at least a month since the repairs had been completed and the recruits moved in. She smiled at the group of kids and sighed. "Go on. You showed progress so get out of here and have some fun, but stick together."
The village kids shouted out with joy and ran off to the fort entrance to swim in the deeper part of the creek upstream. Sango smiled as she scanned her village to see life in it again. The running children, cooking mothers, and farming fathers were a welcomed sight to her.
"What do you mean we have to get more soil?" InuYasha could be heard growling a few houses away. Sango sighed softly, sweat dropping, and glanced over to where the commotion was coming from. InuYasha was arguing with a hanyou recruit's elderly mother, and the two were glaring at each other. "We've gathered twenty pots of soil from Jinengi's old man's farm! The soil that's already here is good for farming so how much more can you need!?!"
"You little runt, it's not the soil, it's the memories that are important!" Jinengi's mother spat.
"Well, fine! Explain that to the men who've been transporting dirt!" InuYasha exclaimed as Sango came up behind him.
"InuYasha…" Sango started when rustling could be heard from the nearby shed.
The giant of a hanyou, Jinengi, came out of the hut he and his mother had recently moved into. Without a word, he took one of the giant pots of soil and poured it into the tilled area for his garden.
"No, Ma. What we have is more than enough," Jinengi said softly, looking back at the spectators. Then, he grabbed another pot and poured it as he did the one before. "I don't want to put them through anymore trouble. InuYasha and Sango have already done more than enough for us."
His mother looked at Jinengi for a moment then sighed. "Fine, fine. If that's how you want it, Jinengi," she said as she came over to help her son.
InuYasha snorted and rubbed under his nose as he walked off with Sango right behind him. "At least Jinengi understands there are other things that are more important than his herbs."
"I don't know, InuYasha. I mean, yes, his herbs are potent and his size is intimidating, but is Jinengi really a fighter? He seems so passive," Sango whispered, glancing back at the two farmers.
Inu stopped and faced Sango. "Believe me, Sango, Jinengi may look like he wouldn't hurt a fly, but if there's danger, he'll definitely put a dent in the enemy's forces."
Sango blinked at InuYasha's confidence in the recruit and sighed. "Alright, if you say so…"
"Lady Sango! Master InuYasha!" some of the children exclaimed, running to the two leaders of the village.
"Kirara's back, and she's brought a priestess!" a young village orphan girl exclaimed, smiling. The young girl was actually Inu and Sango's first volunteer to live in their village. She was about ten years old, had medium length black hair that tied in the same fashion as Sango's, and dark brown eyes.
Sango smiled and kneeled down to face the young girl. "Thank you, Hanna."
"Yeah. Now go see if Jinengi and his mother need your help," Inu instructed her with a hint of softness to the command.
Hanna smiled and bowed. "Yes, Master!" Hanna exclaimed and ran off to her task.
Sango smiled as she watched the young girl run and nudged InuYasha gently. "You've developed a soft spot for her."
Inu snorted. "Don't be ridiculous, Sango. She works hard and does what we tell her, and I appreciate it, that's all."
Sango sighed, smiling. "Whatever you say, InuYasha."
InuYasha snorted again and started off towards the fort entrance where Kirara had landed. Sango followed, quickly catching up to his side. When they reached the fort entrance, a crowd was already around Kirara and Kaede who was still on her back. Smiling softly, Kaede slowly climbed down the two-tailed cat.
One of the village men came forward and bowed respectful. "Lady priestess, it is an honor to have you visit our village. What duty may we assist you in?"
The old priestess smiled and chuckled softly. "Tis no duty that brings me here. I'm purely here to visit dear friends." She rubbed Kirara's large head, making her mew. "T'was this one who summoned me."
"Kaede! You came!" Sango's voice snapped Kaede's attention to the young exterminator, and she beamed to see the long, lost hanyou by Sango's side.
Using her bow to support her, Kaede quickly made her way through the crowd and latched hold of the young couple, surprising both of them, InuYasha especially.
"Uh, Kaede?" InuYasha inquired.
"Hush! You're lucky I'm hugging you, you stubborn boy! Were I a younger woman, I'd throttle you to the ground for worrying me over your safety these past months!" she exclaimed with a harsh tone, but her elderly smile betrayed her scolding.
InuYasha snorted, looking away, but softly said, "Sorry, Kaede."
Kaede blinked wide eyes and looked at InuYasha, then Sango. "My dear Sango! How did ye do it!?!"
"Do what, Lady Kaede?" Sango asked, blinking confused.
"The InuYasha I know would never apologize so thoughtfully. What has happened that would cause such a change in attitude?" Kaede asked, studying Inu's face.
"Oh, that. Well…" Sango came closer to the hanyou's side and took his clawed hand in hers, making him blush and avoid eye contact with the other villagers. "Some things have changed."
Kaede looked at the show of affection that was so odd for both youngsters and nodded understandingly. "I see," she said softly. "So what would a young couple such as ye want from a visit from me?"
InuYasha and Sango blushed at the expected answer to that question, but Sango quickly shook it off. "Actually, we were wondering…" She took the old priestess' hands. "if you would come live with us, Kaede? There's so much good you could help us with here, and we have missed you and worried about you."
Kaede sighed and shook her head. "Alas, ye ask for the one thing I cannot do. My village needs me, and they cannot move to this village. The trip is too long and dangerous for the little ones, and they are not ones for change."
Sango sighed sadly and downcast her brown eyes. "So you've made up your mind about this."
She nodded. "And put my foot down on the matter. However…"
"However?" InuYasha repeated, trying to hide his own disappointment.
Kaede smiled softly and took the young couple's joined hands in her own. "However, I can marry ye."
Both Sango and InuYasha blushed beet red at the suggestion. "Wh-What?!" InuYasha stammered in shock.
Kaede sighed but remained patient. "As I understand it, InuYasha, dog demons do not have so called weddings but mating ceremonies where the young couple become life-long mates. However a beautiful thing, it is not the same thing for a human maiden, who has dreamt of her wedding day since childhood, is it, Sango?" she asked, glancing at Sango's rose-colored cheeks. "I imagine that Sango is like any other girl and would like to have a wedding of her own before becoming your mate, InuYasha."
"Uh?" InuYasha looked over at Sango's blushing face and shimmering eyes. The look in her eyes contrasted so vividly to her battle armor that InuYasha was momentarily stunned. "Sango?"
"InuYasha, I-"
She was shushed when he took both her hands and held them to his hard, warm chest. "Sango, would you? Would you be my wife and mate?"
Blushing but not looking away, Sango's eyes shimmered more as she silently nodded. "Yes. Yes, InuYasha, I will marry you and be your wife and mate. I'll bear your children." Surprising herself, she felt tears running down her face, and she jumped into InuYasha's arms, surprising him. "I'll marry you!" she exclaimed, causing their village to gasp and stare at the uncharacteristic acts of their leaders.
At first wide-eyed, InuYasha held her close and closed his eyes, breathing in her sweet scent. "And I'll marry you, Sango."
Kaede smiled amusingly and turned to the crowd of onlookers. "What are ye looking at? One of ye asked of what help ye can be of me, and here it is! We have much to do for there will be a wedding in the center of the village at sunset!"
The women crowed around the leaders and pulled Sango away. "Come along, Lady Sango!" one of the women exclaimed. "We have only a few short hours before sunset to get you ready."
"Wh-What?" Sango blushed, trying to look back at InuYasha only to see him being ushered away by the men in the opposite direction.
When the crowd was gone, Kaede stood alone for a moment until she spied Hanna shyly watching her a distance away behind a shed. Smiling, the priestess waved her over, and the child obediently came to her. "What is your name, child?"
"I am called Hanna, Lady Kaede. I am Lady Sango and Master InuYasha's squire and am at your service," Hanna said respectfully as she bowed.
Kaede chuckled. "Such a good-minded child. Well, Hanna, since you are the closest one to those two here, will you assist me and Kirara prepare for tonight?"
Hanna beamed and ran off, leading the elderly woman into the village. "Of course, my lady!"
Kaede chuckled again and followed the young girl. 'When I return home and Kagome and the others ask, I'll keep this and his whereabouts to myself. It will be interesting to have them discover the newlyweds for themselves,' she thought, smiling to herself, deeply amused.
"Where are they?" InuYasha growled nervously to Kaede a few moments before sunset. The sky was just starting to turn rose color as the sun started to set in the West. "How long does it take to bathe and change clothes?"
"Be patient, InuYasha. A woman wants to be beautiful on her wedding day, both for her soon-to-be husband and herself, so calm yourself. Besides, it didn't take you mere moments to get ready either," Kaede said, glancing at him.
InuYasha snorted and looked at the setting sun. After taking a thorough bath, InuYasha found that his fire cloth kimono was replaced by the formal ceremonial kimono he was wearing now. The fabric was of fine black silk that contrasted dramatically with his silver hair and amber eyes. His long hair was tied back in a thick, high ponytail that was tied with a matching black ribbon. Man was that a tedious errand. Brushing his hair turned out to take the better part of an hour and made InuYasha, on several occasions, force back tears of pain as Jinengi's mother brushed out tangle after tangle. The hanyou was thoroughly convinced that the old woman enjoyed the task as simple payback for the fight they had had earlier that day. Inu snorted again before hearing small footsteps running towards them.
All of a sudden, a clean and nicely dressed Hanna appeared by Inu's side, smiling. "Master! Lady Sango is coming!" she panted, still smiling.
Suddenly nervous, InuYasha couldn't reply back to the little child as he looked around, searching for Sango, and sniffed the air to try to find her scent. At the sight, Kaede sighed.
"Yea, child, stand by your master's side to be the official witness," she instructed Hanna.
"Yes, ma'am," the young girl nodded and stood straight next to InuYasha's side. She looked in the same direction as the dog hanyou as the fellow villagers gathered around. Hanna smiled and waved at Jinengi, who stood in the back with his great size not blocking anyone's view. Then, the young orphan girl stood even taller with pride as the villagers started to part to let her lady through from the shadowed huts.
"She comes," Kaede murmured softly.
"Huh?" InuYasha blinked and turned to see Sango form emerge into the lighten village square as she was escorted by Kirara who walked in front of her mistress
Blushing softly, the demon exterminator looked the part of a princess bride as she made her way slowly to where InuYasha, Kaede, and Hanna now stood. Her long, dark brown hair was down and free of any binding as it cascaded down her small back. The lit torches and setting sun highlighted her locks with different shaded of browns as she neared them. Her usual kimono was replaced by an extravagant wedding kimono one of the village women had to have lent to her for the ceremony. The kimono was made from white silk with pale pink peach blossoms sewn around the bottom hem of the kimono.
Seeing Sango like this, InuYasha's blush darkened, and he couldn't take his eyes off of her. When she finally reached him, InuYasha took her hand and guided her steps towards him as they both blushed at the sight of one another.
Standing there with her, there was so much InuYasha wanted to say to Sango. There was so much he wanted to ask. "Sango…"
Sango looked up into his eyes with her own clear brown ones and nodded. "Yes…" They were gone then. All the questions, doubts, and fears Inu had before were gone with that simple look, that simple word.
Then, they vaguely heard Kaede begin the wedding ceremony and Kirara's happy mew, and they felt the eyes of all the villagers on them. Despite their training to be demon exterminators, these people were still happy, normal villagers who loved to be part of ceremonies and events, and despite them being under the leadership of Sango and InuYasha for less than a month, they already considered them family, close friends, and allies. InuYasha tightened his hold on Sango's hand lovingly through the ceremony, and the two lovers looked into each other's eyes at peace. It was Kaede's voice that brought their attention back to what was going on around them.
Kaede had pulled out a white, silk ribbon and wrapped it around their joined hands, tying it tightly to secure the knot as she spoke. "Tis ribbon symbolizes this union. It symbolizes the love these young ones share that will keep together and happy forever. Nevermore shall InuYasha and Sango feel loneliness, betrayal, sadness, or fatigue as long as they have each other to hold them up." The old priestess paused for a moment before looking at InuYasha. "InuYasha, do you promise to share your life with Sango; to help her when she falls; to love her forever, no matter what may come?"
Gulping softly, InuYasha nodded. "I do…. I swear it."
Kaede smiled softly and turned to Sango. "And do you, Sango, promise to share your life with InuYasha; to help him when he falls; to love him forever, no matter what may come?"
Blushing and with shimmering eyes, Sango nodded. "I do and swear it as well."
Kaede chuckled and shook her head. "At first, you were two separate warrior hearts, and now, you enter this night joined. Bound to even a warrior's oath tonight, you are now a single warrior's heart…. I now pronounce you… husband and wife. InuYasha, you may now kiss your bride."
Still blushing but so relieved that nothing had come to ruin this night, he bent over slightly and tilted his head to meet Sango's soft lips. Although they both would have preferred to make the kiss last longer, the applause and cheers from their village made them shy and break the kiss sooner than usual.
The festivities after the wedding went on deep into the night. Laughter was a pleasant sound as everyone danced around the fires and chanted old songs and melodies. Fine rice wine was passed to everyone, and the children happily ate sweet rice balls to their little hearts content. The younger boys longed to dance with Sango just as the girls did with InuYasha to daydream their own far off wedding days.
Frequently through the night, Sango and InuYasha were spied off to the side, away from the festivities, holding each other close and kissing sweetly. It was during one of those said moments that Kaede strayed from the other villagers to the young couple. Realizing she wouldn't get their attention so easily, she coughed roughly, making them jump and turn towards her.
"Kaede? What is it?" Sango asked, blinking.
"Tis nothing much. I merely wish to give you my wedding present," Kaede said softly as she came closer.
"Oh, but you've done too much already," InuYasha said, surprising both women by his soft words.
Kaede regained her composure and smiled. "Believe me, InuYasha. Tis is a gift you will enjoy most of all." With that, she raised her hands to his collar. InuYasha flinched as he felt her pulled on the subjugation rosary beads around his neck Then, the sound of a mere normal string snapping and the clatter of beads hitting the ground made both InuYasha and Sango gasp.
With wide eyes, they stared at the scattered beads on the ground with pale smoke coming from each bead. They looked up and stared at Kaede in shock.
"I figured I should end the spell I placed on you to begin with. Even if all those beads were to be gathered up together again, it would be of no use. There is no more power in those mere marbles now," Kaede explained, turning away from them to return to the ceremony.
"Kaede…" Inu called, stepping toward her.
"Neh? What are you gawking at, silly boy? You two should get going. Tis late."
"Huh?" Sango blushed.
"No one should miss you should you leave now. Hanna and I shall stay with Jinengi and his mother tonight so there shall be no worries," Kaede said offhandedly, waving them off.
"But-" Sango was cut off by InuYasha suddenly pulling her to him. "InuYasha?"
"Kaede's right. If we ever want to be alone tonight we had better leave now while everyone's drunk on saki," InuYasha explained with a slight bit of nervousness in his voice.
"A-Alright," Sango stammered, letting InuYasha guide her through the dark alleys of their village to their own hut, their home.
When they got there, InuYasha lit one of the oil lamps and turned to face his bride. Sango stood near him with a hard blush on her face. Gently, the hanyou took Sango into his arms, causing her to gasp and stiffen softly. However, she quickly relaxed and returned the embrace, burying her face into his chest.
"InuYasha…."
"Yes, Beloved?"
"…. I want you to know… that I've never… done anything with Miroku…." She blushed harder after admitting her innocence.
InuYasha held her tighter. "I know. And I've been with no one as well."
"Not even Kikyo?"
"Not even Kikyo," he admitted. "I'm yours and yours alone."
Sango smiled, greatly relieved. "I love you, InuYasha."
InuYasha smiled and pulled her down with him to their now shared bed mat. "And I love you too," he breathed before laying Sango down and kissing her softly on the lips.
Author's Afterword: I just want to give a big thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed "A Warrior's Heart." This being my very first fanfic, I'm psyched at the support you guys have given me so far. Again, I apologize for not updating sooner, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Kagome, Miroku, and the others will have a nice little surprise in the very near future, neh? Keep reading, folks! Action and drama are in near sights!
Also, I want to take the time to also say that this chappie took a little longer to write because I had some help with ideas for Kaede's proposal and wedding gift from a fellow author, multitude, who I actually know personally from college. He's a great writer and friend, and his story "Letting Go" is up and running in the M rated SanxInu section of this website. Problem is, he's a bit slow updating, so let's put a fire under him, shall we?
I told you I'd do it, multitude. (Heh-Heh)