"I still wish we could get married on the same day." Kagome sighed as she packed the last of her dresses into a trunk. Tomorrow she would be marrying Inuyasha, and he had promised to send a carriage for her things that evening so the staff could have everything waiting for her when they returned from their honeymoon.
"My day will be here before you know it." Sango smiled at Kagome. "Besides, it would not do for the Rector and his wife to be married without the proper banns being read."
"But still…"
"Kagome, I do not believe you would want to truly share your wedding day with anyone," Sango laughed, "and my wedding is merely 3 weeks behind yours, you will be well and truly back from your honeymoon in time."
"I suppose." Kagome mused, before giving in to giggles as Sango grabbed her by the waist and began to tickle her.
"Besides, you will then be able to tell me what to expect on a wedding night." Sango laughed as Kagome shrieked and tried to get away.
"NO!" Kagome cried out, laughter coloring her voice. "I had to suffer, so you will suffer, after all, it is not a topic for polite conversation."
Both girls stilled as Kagome's words faded, then burst into giggles again.
"Oh how I shall miss you two." Mai stood in the doorway to their bedroom, her smile swimming with tears. "I cannot believe both of my babies are getting married, oh how your father would have loved to see this day."
"Mama," Kagome whispered as she pulled away from Sango to sit on the edge of the bed, holding her arms out for their mother, who happily came to join them. "Will you be alright here, Mama?" Kagome asked as Mai wrapped both girls into a hug. "I can talk to Inuyasha, Tessagia is large enough I am sure there would be room for you."
"Oh nonsense." Mai chided, "you should focus on being a new bride, learning your new home and estate, not on moving your mother. I am quite happy here with Martha and Jonathan, and Kaede has offered to let me come and stay as often as I wish. I will be perfectly fine here."
"Are you sure Mama?" Sango raised an eyebrow. "Afterall, I do seem to recall that you do not know how to start a fire."
"Oh hush you," Mai grumbled, "none of us did in the beginning and we got along fine didn't we?"
"We did, Mama, we did." Sango agreed as she lay her head on Mai's shoulder.
"Did you ever think that moving here from Shikon that our lives would end up like this?" Kagome questioned, and Mai thought for a moment.
"No my dear, but I can honestly say that this is much better than I had thought it would be. I was so scared with us all leaving Shikon and the comforts that it offered that I did not think beyond that. But today is not a day for reminiscing, it is a day for celebration." Mai squeezed both girls before releasing them. "Jonathan said that Inuyasha's man was on the path to the cottage, are you all packed Kagome?"
"Yes Mama." Kagome nodded as she stood. "Everything is in these trunks except what I am wearing and my clothing for tomorrow. Inuyasha had the modiste ship the remainder of my new trousseau to Tessaiga, so they will already be at the manor when we arrive."
"Good, then I will get Jonathan to help bring everything down so it can be loaded into the carriage."
As Mai left the room Kagome turned to Sango, her eyes filled with tears. "This is our last night together…"
"Yes." Sango nodded. When Kagome's mouth fell open at how nonchalant Sango's response had been Sango could not help but laugh. "It is a right of passage though, today we are daughters and sisters, and tomorrow you will be a wife. It is to be expected that things will be different."
"Is it bad of me to be so glad though that we will still be living in the same area?" Kagome sniffed back her tears. "When I think of Yura moving with Hojo to Shikon, leaving her family behind in London, I would not be able to bear being that far from you and Mama."
"No, it is not bad at all!" Sango smiled. "Truly, I am glad for the same reason, I know we will be able to see each other any day we want, we are not really being parted, just we will be residing in different homes."
The girls fell silent as Jonathan and Inuyasha's man Alexander stepped into the room, each taking a trunk with them after a small nod to the ladies.
"Sango…" Kagome whispered as the men made their way down the stairs, "I'm getting married tomorrow."
"You are."
"It's funny, I have been dreaming about getting married almost my entire life, but now that it's here…"
"Are you scared?" Sango asked as she reached out to take Kagome's hand.
"No," Kagome let out a laugh, "strangely, no. I'm excited. But it's different than I felt it would be."
"How so?"
Kagome turned her face to glance at her sister. "For so many years I thought about what my wedding would be like, picturing it down to the type of flowers and food that would be served, and I saw that as the perfect day, but that's not what I am excited about."
"Oh?"
"I'm excited for the day after tomorrow. When it is just me and Inuyasha, and the beginning of our lives together. Isn't that funny? I have always wanted to get married, but the focus was on the day itself, with no thoughts for what comes after. But now, I want that over and done, and I am looking forward to every day after it more."
"That's not strange at all," Sango smiled as her eyes drifted closed, Miroku's face clear in her mind. "That is what I think being truly in love means. Being excited not to just bind your life with another, but to truly live that life with them."
"And here I always thought I was the one led by sensibility, driven to fanciful thinking." Kagome teased as she nudged Sango with her shoulder.
"Hnn, no, I thought you were always the one who showed perfect sense in every setting." Sango smirked as her eyes opened to meet Kagome's and both sisters burst into laughter.
"Oh it is good we will not be far from each other, I imagine we will drive Inuyasha and Miroku mad." Kagome wiped her eyes as tears of joy formed.
"I have a feeling they will enjoy every moment of it though," Sango smiled, "and I imagine we will often be having dinner at Tessaiga."
"As if I would accept anything less." Kagome nodded,her voice serious as she gave her best impression of Yura, only to ruin the effect by crossing her eyes, making Sango burst out into another peal of laughter.
"Oh Kagome, Yura you are not, and oh how thankful I am for that." Sango gasped through her laughter.
"Sango, I do believe you are right." Kagome laughed as she made her way to the bed and the simple nightgown that was laid out. Her laughter faded as she reached out to touch it, it was one of the garments she had chosen to leave behind as she had new ones that the Modiste had made for her. It was silly, she knew, the thought that in the morning she would be shedding the last remnant of childhood and becoming a full woman of society. Not just a woman but a wife, and Inuyasha's wife.
She felt the butterflies that had been churning in her stomach ease with the thought, his golden eyes flitting through her mind, a smile with the hint of a fang, his mouth moving against hers and making her long for more…
Yes, she was looking forward to spending the rest of her days, however long those may be, at Inuyasha's side. She had already agreed to become Inuyasha's wife and bound lifemate, wanting to never leave him alone and unloved again. She knew that there would be pain one day when her mother and finally her sister passed long before she would, but she would have the memories of them, those of childhood and memories they had yet to make, that she would tell her children about centuries from now.
Tears began to swim in her eyes one last time as Sango's arms wrapped around her waist, and the sisters took a moment to hold each other, to treasure the last moments of their childhood and adolescence. Soon, both would be part of another family, but they would also remain the closest of sisters.
Kagome smiled through her tears.
She looked forward to seeing the trouble they would get into.
"We are almost done, Miss Kagome, and oh, how beautiful a bride you are!" Martha gushed as she wound Kagome's hair into an intricate twist, miniature white roses woven into the design.
Kagome was truly a vision clad in her deep green silk dress, her hair accented with white. Her skin glowed against the color of the dress, the shade highlighting her alabaster skin.
"Thank you Martha." Kagome smiled, her gaze drawn to the small bouquet that rested in a jar by the window. The pink hydrangea and white roses were absolutely beautiful. She had specifically chosen the flowers in memory of Inuyasha's proposal, and she knew they would be well suited to match her gown. She had chosen a deeper color than she had previously worn to highlight her new maturity, the pastels and shallowness of youth no longer drew her, for she knew how deep and beautiful life could be, and found beauty beyond the surface.
That and she had been told Inuyasha would be in his red military coat with its golden braids, and had seen the deep green against a red silk at the modiste, and had immediately known it was perfect for her wedding gown.
"Kagome, are you almost ready? We need to hurry to the chur… oh Kagome." Mai began, only to sigh as she saw her daughter turn to the door and saw her in her full wedding regalia. When she stood and Martha handed her the bouquet, Mai found her eyes filled with tears. "You are truly beautiful my dear."
"You always think that Mama." Kagome's cheeks had pinked with the compliment, even though she had expected it from her mother.
"And it will always be true." Mai stepped close and placed a kiss on Kagome's forehead. "Are you ready?"
Kagome nodded, a smile on her face, before it turned slightly teasing as she took in the tears in her mother's eye. "Are you?"
"To give up my baby? I am not sure I ever would be." Mai gave a quiet laugh as she wiped her eyes. "But I know I am giving her to the care of a wonderful man, one who is thankfully not spiriting her away to the other side of England to live."
"He is a wonderful man, isn't he?" Kagome sighed.
"Yes, Inuyasha is a wonderful man, one I know would wait forever for you Kagome but I do not think the Pastor has his patience." Sango chided from the door, her own eyes misty with emotion as she saw her sister turn, her smile broad across her face.
"Well, then let us be off. It would not do to start my time as a wife with a lecture from the Pastor." Kagome laughed as she wrapped her arm through her mother's and led her through the door, Sango and Martha following closely behind.
The drive to the church was quiet, but not due to melancholy or nerves, but because Kagome was afraid she would not be able to contain her own joy if she were to speak. By the time the carriage came to a stop in front of the church she was practically vibrating with her excitement. When she entered the church, her mother and sister on either side to escort her, her heart began to race. It was at that moment that her nerves had frayed, was she ready, would she be a good wife, was she who Inuyasha would need by his side…
When golden eyes turned and met hers from the altar, she felt her nerves begin to settle. When his eyes went wide and his breath caught, his expression showing his awe as she walked towards him, she knew. They would always be enough. Whatever life threw at them, they would be by each other's side.
Martha and Jonathan sat with Mushin and Kaede, the women already wiping tears from their eyes as Inuyasha took two steps from the altar to meet Kagome, Sango and Mai, greeting them with a small bow, even as his eyes remained on Kagome. Inuyasha's staff looked on as Kagome placed her hand in the crook of his arm, letting him escort her to the Pastor. While it wasn't the norm, she knew, she was happy at his action, they were approaching as partners, as equals, to be joined before God.
When the Pastor cleared his through Kagome let her hand drop reluctantly from Inuyasha's arm. During the sermon, she felt the soft brush of his finger against hers, and with a small smile let her pinky curl around his, holding it in place as he drew in a sudden breath. She dared to sneak a look at him, her brown eyes meeting his golden as everything around them fell away. They both spoke when directed by the Pastor, but nothing could draw their gazes apart. When Inuyasha turned to her and took her left hand, raising it to slide a golden ring with an emerald deep enough to match her gown, surrounded by gleaming yellow topaz she felt herself tremble, not with nerves, but with the full meaning of the moment.
She was his, and he was hers. His lips curled into a pleased smile as she heard the Pastor announce them as Husband and Wife, and before the Pastor could finish the direction to kiss the bride Inuyasha was already in motion, his lips gentle on Kagome's as his thumb caressed the ring she now wore.
"I love you." He whispered against her lips, before giving her another chaste kiss.
"I love you too." She responded, and Inuyasha's eyes deepened as he seized her lips in a decidedly less chaste kiss.
The cheers from the pews did not break through the spell that held them, but the loud clearing of the Pastor's throat finally had Inuyasha drawing back, a heated smile on his face as he raised his hand to Kagome's cheek. Kagome dared to raise herself on her toes, placing another kiss against his lips as she whispered to him "My Inuyasha."
"Kagome." Inuyasha groaned as he lowered his forehead to touch hers. "Finally you are mine."
"We are each others." Kagome smiled as she lifted his hand from her cheek and laced her fingers through his. Inuyasha nodded, his eyes closing at the thought, as they took a moment together, unaware of the jubilation that surrounded them.
They would celebrate with those they had come to wish them well, and then their lives together would start.
"Where has the time gone?" Sango cried as she frantically packed her clothing in a trunk.
"Oh that is very decidedly not like you Sango." A teasing voice from behind her made Sango spin, a gasp coming from her as she saw Kagome behind her. "I would have thought you would be packed the moment I left."
"Kagome, oh Kagome!" Sango laughed as the sisters ran to wrap their arms around each other. It had been nearly three weeks since Kagome's wedding, and she and Inuyasha had only returned the night before.
"Sango I have missed you." Kagome gasped as her arms tightened around Sango.
"And I you, oh you must tell me everything."
"There is so much to tell," Kagome sighed happily, "but let us also get you packed, what time is someone coming for your trunk?" She drew away from her sister, crossing to pick up a dress that lay across the bed, folding it carefully before placing it in the trunk.
"Miroku should be here by sunset." Sango grinned. "I only have the one trunk that I am taking."
"That is only a few hours away!" Kagome gasped. "Even if it is just one trunk, we must still get you packed." Kagome shot Sango a glance from the side of her eyes. "And do not think that I am not annoyed at your insinuation that I could not contain myself to one trunk."
"It was no insinuation at all." Sango laughed. "You always had more clothing and belongings that you could not be parted with than I."
"Hmmmf, first you have seen me in almost three weeks and you are already teasing me, why did I miss you again?"
"Because I am your best friend and you are mine, dear sister." Sango smiled even as her eyes turned misty. "Even though I now share you with someone, you will always be my sister."
"Oh Sango," Kagome whispered as she wrapped Sango in a hug.
"I'm sorry, I do not mean to be so emotional." Sango sniffed.
"Sango, you are getting married tomorrow, it is ok to be emotional."
"You weren't."
"As we said, I have always been the sensible sister." Kagome nodded sagely, before grinning at the glare Sango sent her. "But truly, it is understandable to be emotional, you are marrying the man you love, but it also does bring some changes."
"It is funny, I have been working with Miroku to get him settled into the Rectory, but somehow it never quite hit me that I would be leaving the cottage until today."
"What is it you told me?" Kagome mused. "It is a right of passage. Tomorrow you go from being daughter to wife, with everything that it entails, and beyond that, you will be a Rector's wife. Far better that be you than me, I would never be able to have the patience for that."
Sango thought for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "That I can honestly agree with you on."
"Come now, let us get you packed, and if you would like, I can stay the night here with you."
"Inuyasha would be alright with that?" Sango asked, amused at the thought.
"He was not too keen on it, but I was able to convince him." Kagome's smile turned a little devilish as she spoke, her eyes sparkling with pure happiness.
"Married life suits you." Sango said quietly as she looked at her sister, the way she held herself, the joy that shone from her.
"It does." Kagome agreed. "It really does. Oh Sango, I never could have imagined being this happy. I pray that your marriage is as happy as mine has started out."
"Yes, that reminds me," Sango said slyly, "as now you are in a place to know. What exactly does happen on your wedding night?"
"SANGO HIGURASHI!" Mai's voice sounded like a firecracker through the small room, making both girls jump. "That is not a question one asks."
"But Mama, it is just us here, and both you and Kagome know but no one will tell me."
"It is for Miroku to teach you, dear, not Kagome or I." Mai said sternly as she shot Kagome a look that would make even a royal obey her.
"Mama is right," Kagome said quietly, giving a small shrug when Sango turned narrowed eyes on her. "It is something that Miroku will want to teach you." The moment Mai turned to inspect the trunk Kagome mouthed 'I will tell you later.'
"And Kagome, do not even think about telling her once I leave this room." Mai said sternly as she folded the clothing that remained on the bed and placed it in the trunk. "I know you are newly married, but there are some things that remain between the husband and his wife only."
"How did you…"
"I am your mother Kagome." Mai turned with an eyebrow raised, a look eerily similar to one Sango sometimes wore. "Do not think I do not know the two of you."
"Yes Mama." The girls murmured at the exact same time, their eyes meeting in exasperation as Mai nodded and finished the folding.
"Now, is there anything else you would like to take with you to your new home?" Mai asked as she cast her eyes around the room.
"No Mama." Sango responded.
"Good, then you are all packed." Mai turned to see her daughters standing side by side, and her eyes began to fill with tears. "Look at you, tomorrow you will both be married women, no time for your mother."
"Mama!"
"Do not say that Mama!"
Both Sango and Kagome started to protest their mother's comment only to go quiet as she held up a hand. "I am not saying you will not come to visit, but it will not be as it has been in the past. I know you will both visit, and I will surely come to visit you, but you will have your own families now, and I plan on spoiling all of your children as much as I can."
"Oh Mama…" Sango whispered.
"None of that now, this is a happy occasion." Mai smiled. "Besides, you know full well that Kaede and I will be terrors together, so do not worry."
"I worry more for those you turn your attention to." Kagome teased, making Mai throw her head back and laugh.
"That is true. But we will have a lot of joy with it. Now, I believe I hear Miroku's horse coming up the way, let us get this trunk to him. Then I expect you both to get some rest, and Kagome to not provide you with information that she should not, as you need to wake bright and early for the ceremony tomorrow morning.
"Yes Mama."
"Yes Mama."
"Jonathan, could you please help us with this trunk?" Mai called down the stairs, stepping to the side when Jonathan made his way into the room, nodded to Kagome and then took the trunk.
"Do you need any help with that?" Sango asked, concerned that it would be too much for him.
"I have it Miss Sango, don't you worry about it." Jonathan smiled as he shifted it to his shoulder. "The feed bag for the horses weighs more than this."
"If you are sure."
"I am Miss Sango, you just think about yourself and your wedding tomorrow. Goodnight Miss, Ma'ams."
"I'm a Ma'am…" Kagome whispered as Jonathan carefully moved down the stairs.
"That has just hit you?" Sango laughed as Kagome's cheeks flushed.
"I just had not really thought about it." Kagome admitted. "It is not as if we really left our chamber during our honeymoon other than to eat. We were mostly…"
"Kagome Higurashi, I would recommend you not complete that sentence." Mai's eyebrow rose as she turned to glare at Kagome.
"That is not technically my name anymore mama." Kagome grinned, which made Mai's eyebrow raise even more.
"As long as I am still your mother and you are standing under my roof, I will call you Kagome Higurashi and you will listen, is that clear?"
"Yes Mama." Kagome pouted.
"Come now, I am sure there are lots of things you can tell me about your honeymoon other than what Mama has now forbidden us to talk about." Sango shot her mother a wry glance, only to receive a wink back in return.
"Oh, I can tell you all about the villa Inuyasha took me too, oh the scenery was absolutely lovely and…
When morning dawned Sango found herself wide awake. It was not nerves that woke her though, it was the happiness and realization that in a few short hours she would finally be married to Miroku. She smiled at the soft snoring from beside her, Kagome had wrapped herself around Sango as if seeking body heat, occasionally mumbling 'Inuyasha' as she slept.
"Kagome," Sango whispered as she shook her sister's shoulder, "it's time to get up."
"5 more minutes…" Kagome muttered, burying her face in the pillow.
"Not today Kagome," Sango laughed as she began to tickle her sister, who woke up with a shriek.
"SANGO I HATE YOU!" Kagome cried out as she laughed.
"No, you do not." Sango smiled.
"Fine, I do not." Kagome giggled as Sango eased up her attack. "Are you ready to get married?"
"No." Sango said simply, which drew a gasp from Kagome. "I am ready to be married. I now understand what you meant on your wedding day, that I am looking forward more to tomorrow than I am today."
Kagome smiled as she pushed herself to a sitting position. "And I pray he makes you always feel that way." She pushed her hair out of her face, revealing the small scar on her left wrist, the scar that now bound her to Inuyasha for his life, and not just hers.
In a small way Sango was envious of Kagome for that scar, knowing she would have centuries with the man she loved, but Sango also knew that she herself would cherish Miroku for every day that she had with him.
The thought warmed her as she dressed in her best blue muslin dress, the same one she had first met Miroku in. A smile curved her lips as she remembered that moment from so many months ago, her beating the carpet when he first arrived. Small moments of their times together drifted through her thoughts, their walks at Shikon, his visit to the cottage, his shirt plastered to his chest through the rai…
Her cheeks flushed as she felt her body warm at the remembrance of that image. It had played in many of her dreams since then, and now were paired with the kiss they had shared in the kitchen. While they had kissed in the weeks since, none had been that deep nor left her filled with that feeling of warmth, but in her dreams she now pictured Miroku, his shirt wet, revealing his chest, as his mouth pressed against hers, his hands holding her against him…
"Now what are you thinking about with that expression on your face?" Kagome teased as she tucked the last curl of Sango's hair into place.
"Miroku…" Sango admitted shyly, only to sputter when Kagome laughed. "It is not funny Kagome."
"It is though," Kagome giggled, "and trust me, after tonight you will understand."
Sango's mouth fell open as Kagome winked at her before quickly dressing herself, throwing her hair back into a simple bun. If a wedding night had to do with those thoughts, and that feeling then…
Sango's eyes met Kagome's in the mirror, and Kagome gave a slow smile and nodded.
"Well let us get going, we do not want to be late." Sango's voice was breathy as she stood, and Kagome just laughed at the sound.
"No, we do not."
Rather than use the church in town, Sango and Miroku had chosen to be wed in the Rectory that Miroku had taken over, and a neighboring priest had come to oversee the marriage. The Rectory itself was small, but felt intimate as Mai sat with Kagome and Inuyasha, Inuyasha's arm curled around Kagome's waist. Mushin and Kaede sat opposite them, both their faces beaming as Sango walked down the aisle.
Miroku kept his back to the aisle as Sango approached, and Sango could see the slight tremor of his shoulders that showed his emotion. His black jacket framed his shoulders and chest well, a last remnant of his days as a "Lord" as he liked to call it, but it suited him. As she reached the end of the pews he turned, his indigo eyes capturing hers as he smiled. His hand reached out, and with an answering grin Sango took it stepping up beside him. As the priest began the ceremony they kept their hands intertwined, a physical reassurance that the other was there, beside them.
Miroku turned to face Sango, his eyes misty with tears as he repeated the words from the priest.
"I, Miroku, take thee Sango, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance."
Sango smiled as the priest directed her to provide him with her vows, and repeated after him, her eyes locked with Miroku's.
"I, Sango, take thee Miroku, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and obey, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance."
Miroku lifted her left hand, bringing it to his lips to place a gentle kiss on it before he slid a silver band onto her ring finger. "Sango, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife."
The words washed over Sango as her eyes drifted shut, and she could not stop the smile that formed across her face.
"You may now kiss the bride."
Her eyes opened to see tears falling from Miroku's eyes, and felt her own fill with tears as he stepped in, bending down to place a kiss on her lips.
"I now present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Miroku Hoshi!"
With a whoop of joy Miroku took Sango's hand in his, leading her back down the aisle and to the front steps of the church. There he paused, his eyes turning heated as he tugged Sango's hand and drew her against him, his hand coming to splay against her back as he claimed her lips, finally revealing all the passion he felt for her in that one action. Sango found herself adrift in a sea of flame as she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her hands in his hair as she met his fire with her own.
"Sango," Miroku murmured against her lips, repeating her name like a prayer as his lips met hers again and again."
The applause that sounded around the two finally drew their attention from the other, and Sango felt her cheeks flush as she caught the smirks of the women in the group. She stepped away from Miroku to hug Kagome, neither girl commenting on the tears streaming down the other's cheeks.
With a sniffle Kagome stepped back, knowing Inuyasha would be there to wrap his arms around her as she settled against him. Sango smiled as Miroku came to her side, his arm sliding around her waist. As the two sister's eyes met, their hands reached out, their fingers brushing, as they each smiled.
While they had been through hell and back that year, neither could say they would change any part of it. Each had grown, and learned that they were more like their sister than they had originally thought, each now the embodiment of sense and sensibility, reason, and emotion. Their hands separated as their respective husbands held them close and they smiled.
And so the years went by, with the sisters living almost within sight of each other, enjoying life without disagreement between the two, and their love with their husbands and later their families continued to grow as each day passed.
Fin