Okay you guys, last leg! It's finally done! Holy shit, that took a lot out of me. Here's to one tough story and 120 type-written pages...I give you, the Epilogue!

Deds:

Kitsune's Lover - You've been there supporting me through it all, a million thanks, babe! I couldn't have done it without your encouragement, you're a Godsend! This one's for you!

WaterAngel444 - did you used to be Water Kunoichi??? Is that you?!? I'm so sorry about that scan, I'm still working on it, I haven't forgotten, I will send it, don't worry! Your character was sheer heaven to work with, I had a lot of fun with it, all thanks to you. This one's for you, too! I love you guys!

Every Time We Touch

Kitana watched the sun rise a week later, more lonely now than she had ever been. The group had broken up after their victory, Inuyasha returning Kagome to Kaede's village, to further train her so that she may continue Kikyou's work and protect the jewel. She felt reasonably sure that Inuyasha wouldn't let Kagome get away; she expected him to propose any day now.

Sango and Miroku were well on their way to a happy ending; Kohaku with them again, they built themselves a hut right next to Kaede's and were living there now, even though it wasn't yet done.

Kouga returned to the wolf demons, and no one had heard from him since. He'd spoken to Kagome privately before he left, but she would tell no one of his words, not even Inuyasha.

Shippo happily followed Inuyasha everywhere, hoping that the older demon would adopt him when he married Kagome. He wanted so badly to have parents again, that he didn't mind having to settle for Inuyasha as a Father figure.

Sesshoumaru had, as usual, taken off without so much as a farewell, and she'd been searching for him ever since. It had taken her this long to follow his trail here, to his castle in the Western Province, the sun gilding the castle walls golden in its brilliance. He'd hurt her when he'd left, and she was determined to tell him off. She had a gut feeling that her brother, Koji, was in fact lost to her forever, as she had given up hope of ever finding him. The only thing that mattered to her now was seeing Sesshoumaru one last time.

Storm nudged her shoulder, sensing her unhappiness. She rubbed his jaw half-heartedly. She had begun to close off her heart, and it was killing her. She'd stopped eating, sleeping, and even drinking was down to barely a gulp of water a day. She had nothing to live for; she saw no sense in trying to survive any longer.

She began to grow weary as she stood there, the sun blinding her blue eyes, giving them a watery sheen. He'd taken her heart when he'd left, and she'd be damned if she didn't at least try to get it back before she died.

Turning, her breath stopped in her throat.

Standing before her, in the shadows, was a man, a tall man, with long silver hair, and eyes as golden as the sunrise behind her. Stepping into the light, she closed her mouth and looked away. He was even more handsome than she remembered, and he had that look in his eye, that hungry look that made her want to rip off his clothes, throw away his armour, and beg him to have his way with her.

She would not submit, she promised herself that when she'd started this vendetta, but once again, her heart melted, and tears began to gather in her large eyes.

Sesshoumaru could not believe his good fortune; she'd come after him! No woman had ever done that before…except Rin, but she didn't count. He realised now that fate had made his critical decision for him. Kagura was dead, an unfortunate but necessary consequence of her connection to Naraku; that was why Tensaiga had not responded to Sesshoumaru's demand to resurrect her; it would not bring back someone who had been linked to such evil for so long.

He wanted to pull out his hair in frustration; in his brief period of loss at Kagura's demise, he'd pushed away the one other woman who'd cared for him, whom he cared for in return. He was free to love her now, no demon could begrudge him his love for her. The only question was, would she still accept his love?

Slowly, he walked to her, stopping only a few inches away. She still refused to look at him, so he gently touched his fingers to her chin, and pulled it so he could look at her face.

Her eyes were tear-bright, and all the emotions she was feeling were there for him to see; her hurt, her anger, her resentment, her desire…her love, all were there, clouding her irises with storm-like intensity.

"Kitana," he whispered, his voice raw, his hand moving to cup her smooth jaw. She brought her brows down, and the tears spilled forth, twinkling merrily as they ran in shallow rivulets down her cheeks, a few stray strands of ice-blue hair sticking wherever the salty water touched them.

She drew in a ragged breath, and tried to back away, but he would not let her.

"Why, Sesshoumaru? Why did you have to push me away? I was vulnerable enough, but you had to crush my heart like it was nothing! I hate you! I wish you were dead!"

To her shock, instead of hitting her for her obstinate words as she expected, he gathered her in his arms, close to his chest, his rapidly beating heart music to her ears.

"I'm so sorry, Kitana," he whispered over and over again, stroking her hair and just…holding her. She began to sob in earnest, and soon the front of his haori was soaked, but he never took any notice. He was too deeply involved in his own self-pity that he himself felt hot tears touch his cheeks for the first time in centuries.

When she had cried herself dry, and only hiccups remained, he gripped her upper arms, and, looking into her eyes once more, began to ask for her forgiveness.

"Kitana, I have made so many mistakes with you, I don't know where to begin to set it all right again. I don't have a lot of experience with women, and I know I can't expect you to forgive me, but I would at least like to ask that you consider staying with me…I know what a horrible asshole I've been, and I'm so sorry, Kitana…" here, he sunk to his knees before her, and, clasping both of her hands palms-down to his heart, said, "I would be honoured if you would stay with me, as my wife, if you'll have me. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy, Kitana, and if I don't get you now, I will never stop trying. I will wait for you as long as it takes. I have nothing but time, and I want to share it with you."

She began to cry again during his speech, and knew that he'd had her from hello. He had begged her to stay with him, and a Lord never begged. He really must love her!

Wiping her face, she knelt before him, and, taking his face in her hands, cried, "Oh Sesshoumaru, I have waited for those words from you since the day we met! I don't care that we barely know each other; I love you, and that's all that matters! Nothing could keep me from you now!"

Smiling, he gently took her lips, then slowly more, until she was like putty in his hands, Lifting her up, he said, "Not here, darling, let us return to the castle; there is much planning to do."

"Planning?" she asked, puzzled.

"Yes, " he replied, a smile about his face, "you are about to become the Lady of these lands. I will not squander an opportunity to shout my love from the rooftops if I can possibly help it."

Grinning, she wrapped her arms about his neck as he flew through the air, back to the safety of the castle walls.

"Oh Sesshoumaru," she sighed, "I'm so happy. Do you think the others are as happy as we are"

He laughed, and held her tighter.

"No one could be as happy as we are."

oOo

Kagome ripped open the envelope from the demon messenger, and waved as he rode away.

Inside the crisp white paper, an invitation to a wedding was printed neatly in calligraphy on the stiff stationary, purple in colour.

Inuyasha looked over her shoulder as she came back into the hut. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's an invite, " she said slowly, still reading, "to your brother's wedding."

"Is it? I never thought I'd live to see this day," he mused, leaning his rake against the doorframe.

"How long ago did she go after him? A month? Two?"

"Three and a half," she confirmed, and tacked the paper to their bedroom doorjamb, so they wouldn't forget.

A knock was heard at the door, and Sango appeared there, her gut bulging slightly as she came running in.

"Did you get one?"

"We did. You?"

"Uh huh. You going?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Inuyasha snorted at this, but made no comment.
"We're going too. I can't wait to see Kitana again, she deserves so much to be happy."

"Don't we all?" Kagome whispered, trailing her fingers through Inuyasha's hair and rubbing her own slightly distended belly, his hand resting atop hers.

Sango smiled. Now that they had something to look forward to, it would be like old times, when all of them were together, but now they had nothing to worry about except the boys drinking too much sake. She giggled; she couldn't wait!

oOo

Two months later, everyone was assembled at Kaede's, ready to leave. They would be riding Kirara out there, and Sesshoumaru had graciously sent Ah-Un for Kagome and Inuyasha to ride.

Boarding, Keade waved goodbye as all the young people took off; she yelled for them to come back soon. A few hours after leaving, the group arrived at the castle, decorated for the big day, which was tomorrow. Putting down at the front gate, Inuyasha banged on it for admittance.

A bat demon opened the peephole and said, "Invitations, please."

Kagome and Sango rooted around in their overnight bags, and finally came up with their invites.

Accepting them, the bat allowed them to pass into the castle.

"Welcome to His Lordship's castle. He bids me to tell you to make yourselves at home. Your rooms are on the third floor, in the newest guest wing."

"Thank you," they all bowed, and Miroku whispered to Inuyasha, "This is pretty fancy. I hope you don't do something stupid."

Inuyasha jerked his head away and glared, and Sango smacked Miroku upside the head, saying, "Don't provoke him! He's unstable enough as it is!"

"My apologies, Sango," he rubbed his head ruefully. She was lucky he loved her so much…

Kagome leading the way, they easily found their rooms, marked with their names, and put their stuff away. Meeting again out in the hall, which echoed when they spoke, they made their way to where they hoped they'd find someone who could tell them where everything was. Sango began to bounce on the balls of her feet.

"Kagome," she whined, "ask someone where the bathroom is! I'm going to explode!"

Miroku pointed behind him. "We passed one about two seconds ago."

"Thank the Gods!" she yelled, and ran back to find it. Inuyasha laughed.

Shippo said, "Where's Rin? I want to play! You guys are boring."

Kagome smiled at him in sympathy. "Why don't you use your nose to find her?"

He was gone before she could blink, and she sighed. He was getting so much like Inuyasha it was beginning to wear on her nerves. When Sango joined them again, they turned a corner and found a large balcony, overlooking a massive outdoor garden in the Zen style, with streams, sandpits, large stones, and even a waterfall in the middle of what appeared to be a labyrinth of shrubbery.

And there, in the centre, just on this side of the waterfall, stood a man with white hair, stroking the arm of his blue-haired wife-to-be, her back against a tree and no defences raised. He was sucking her face off, and she was letting him!

Inuyasha was the first to react. "Ewwww," he said, gagging.

Kagome clapped her hands together, "Be happy for him, Inuyasha," she warned. "You're happy; he should be too!"

Inuyasha just snorted, but did not disagree.

Sango grabbed Miroku's arm and leaned her head against her shoulder, whispering, "Aren't they a perfect couple?"

"Just like us, nay?" She turned her head to brush his lips. "My thoughts exactly."

Out in the garden, Kitana's right eye strayed toward the estate, and she caught sight of their audience, who were the last of the guests scheduled to arrive. Now they could finally marry each other! An evil idea popped into her head.

"Mmm, Sesshoumaru," she gurgled, exposing her neck for his to explore, "I think I'm going to burst if you don't kiss me some more..."

He rumbled, and, pulling her kimono off her shoulder, licked her from clavicle to earlobe, slowly, before coming to rest before her again and whispering, "You wouldn't want to make a scene in front of them, would you?"

"Maybe," she breathed, fisting both hands in his hair and bringing one leg up to wrap around his waist.

He laughed, but pulled away. "Tomorrow, you will be mine," he promised, taking her hand and leading her back.

"And you will not leave my bed for a week."

She gasped in mock horror. "Why, my Lord," she choked, "I had no idea you were such a horndog!"

He grinned back at her. "Believe it!" She laughed, and he stopped below the balcony to greet their friends.

"Welcome to my castle," Sesshoumaru called, and Kagome shouted back, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru! It's beautiful here!"

He nodded in thanks, and led Kitana inside, where they climbed two flights of stairs before coming to a stop at the very same balcony they'd just walked under.

Kitana, realeasing her love's hand, rushed to Kagome and Sango, hugging both of them and admiring their baby bumps, while Sesshoumaru awkwardly approached his brother and the monk.

He was silent for a moment, and looking at everything but them. Finally, Inuyasha stuck out his hand, and Sesshoumaru accepted it.

"Congratulations, brother," he said, smiling a little. "I can assure you, you won't regret marriage."

"Thanks, Inuyasha. I'm sorry about our past, I…" he didn't know why he'd tormented his brother, but Inuyasha just shrugged.

"Forget it."

Miroku reached out a hand and congratulated Sesshoumaru as well, before all three turned their attention back to the women.

"Sesshoumaru, the girls and I have a surprise show to put on for the guests after the wedding. Do you know where Rin would be? We must speak to her."

"She would be taking her calligraphy lesson with Atsuhara, I believe," he responded, and the women rushed off, to look for the little girl.

"What are they up to now?" he wondered aloud, and Inuyasha looked after them.

"Maybe they're going to dance for us?"

Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Miroku all looked at each other, and began to laugh. Like that would ever happen! They should be so lucky!

oOo

Kitana first led Kagome and Sango to her room to see her wedding kimono, and there was much oohing and ahhing over the short garment. It was white, and trimmed with lace, embroidered on one side with her family crest, the other with Sesshoumaru's. It came down to her mid-thigh when she quickly modelled it for them.

"It's…short," Sango said, but Kagome giggled happily. "I love it! It looks great on you!"

"Thanks," she said, her cheeks flaming. Taking it off, she hung it up and quickly redressed. "Let's get Rin," she said, leading the way. "That poor child hates calligraphy; I say we liberate her from it!"

oOo

Rin's forehead hit the table for the third time that morning. Raising it quickly, she heard a scratchy noise by the window and turned to see Shippo trying to get her attention. She smiled at him, but the cracking sound of a long stick of bamboo startled her from him, as it came into harsh contact across her desk.

She jumped, and Atsuhara said, "Pay attention, Rin! Do you want to learn to write or remain an ignorant peasant for the rest of your life?"

She lowered her gaze and said, "I wish to learn, Sensei."

"Then keep writing."

Ignoring Shippo, though it killed her to do so, she continued to plug away with her reed pen and ink, forming the kanji characters over and over again all the way down the scroll.

When the door slid open, she smiled wide. Standing there, were Kitana, Kagome, and Sango!

"Atsuhara, we've come to steal Rin away from you. You may take the rest of the day off."

He bowed and left the room without a word, and Rin jumped up from her mat, spilling her ink and not caring as she ran into the warm arms of three women she counted as her best friends.

"Rin, how have you been?" Kagome asked, as Sango ruffled her hair.

Rin took a deep breath and said, "Can we dance? Please?"

All three women laughed, and, taking her hands led her back to the dojo, saying, "Of course. That's why we came to bust you out of class! It's all about dance!"

Shippo frowned at the window, forgotten. He decided to spy on them; what were they up to?

oOo

Kitana slid the dojo doors open, revealing a room bigger than the gym in Kagome's school in the modern era. On every wall hung weapons of different shapes and sizes, style, and weight. Sango saw maces, throwing knives, katanas, and sai; Kagome recognised a double-bitted broadaxe on the far wall, next to a roman discus with saw-blade edges, what she would later learn was actually a large ninja throwing star.

Kitana led them to a change room where they removed their clothing and put on something a little more functional; similar to Sango's fighting outfit, but a little looser, and lighter, so they wouldn't get too hot. They were lovely to look at though, and each received a different colour to her own liking.

Sango chose purple, Kagome bright green, Kitana blue, and Rin, orange. A sash came with it to tie it closed at the waist, and an undershirt in white preserved their modesty, as the front of the outfits didn't close over the breasts, but remained open, much like a man's shirt.

"I like these," Sango said, admiring how the silk covered up her bulging belly.

"Me too. It's very comfortable," Kagome added, rooting through her shoulder bag for her CD's.

"What's in the box, Kagome?" Kitana asked, eyeing a big wrapped box with a bow on top. She hadn't been expecting a wedding girft; only the other Lords could afford them, of all the people she and Sesshoumaru had invited, so she was surprised to see Kagome hauling this monster around everywhere.

"I didn't want you to open it till later, but we need it now, so: open your wedding present from all of us!"

Doing as bade, Kitana eagerly ripped off the paper to reveal a box with a big picture of a stereo system on it, and about a ton of batteries to run it.

"Oh, Kagome, thank you! This is even better than the tiger the Eastern Lord gave us!" she hugged the miko with all her might, while Kagome squeeked, "Tiger?!"

"Yeah, it's tried to eat three people already, so Sesshoumaru's got it confined out behind the gardening shed, where no one will be tempted to go near it. Out of sight, out of mind, right?"

"Wow, that's heavy," Kagome said, her hand over her heart. "It can't get loose, right?"

"Nope, it's stuck there. I just hope someone remembers to feed it, 'cuz I ain't going back there!" she laughed, and Sango smiled, but Kagome was still breathing to hard to do any major smilage.

"Come on, you guys!" Rin said, tugging Kitana's bell-shaped sleeve, "Let's put this thing together and dance!"

oOo

Two hours and much cursing later, the sound system was finally ready to go. Kagome, popping in a mixed CD and shutting the lid, pressed Play and ran to join the others in line, shaking her arms to loosen up before the song started.

Music blared from the speakers a minute later so loudly that Sesshoumaru looked around behind him in surprise, Miroku and Inuyasha following suit. Shippo came running, saying, "Inuyasha! They opened your present, and now they're moving to the music…what are they doing?"

Inuyasha's ears pricked; he recognised this song!

Turning, he led them to a safe window outside the dojo where Sesshoumaru quietly opened one of the screens to have a peek inside.

The boys watched with jaws hanging open as the four girls moved in unison around the floor, moving so fluidly and without pause, that they looked like angels performing a well-known recital on wings.

Sesshoumaru closed his mouth as Kitana's blue hair flew out behind her, obscuring her face from his view, then dragging on the floor as she bent over backwards in a very provocative move. Oh yes, he was looking forward to tomorrow, all right!

Inuyasha covered Shippo's eyes as Kagome began to crawl along the floor, her tongue licking the inside of her left arm as she brought her right leg around to shoot up and run her free hand down it, starting at her toes.

Miroku hadn't even realised that it was possible for anyone to perform that kind of complicated dance move as Sango bent over so far backward that with a small push of her feet, she flipped herself over and did a brief handstand before landing like a cat on her feet once more, flinging out an arm to clasp Kitana's hand and spin her away, as she herself turned and executed a dance step much too quick and complicated for his sharp eyes to follow.

Rin kept right up, breathing hard, but making no mistakes as the music changed to a faster beat, and all four girls took a new starting position.

Suddenly Sesshoumaru closed the window, and Inuyasha growled, "Hey! I was enjoying that!" and Miroku nodded his agreement.

"If they catch us we will enjoy nothing. You want to risk it?" he asked, pointing a brow heavenward in question.

Inuyasha reddened and looked away, as did Miroku, and Shippo gasped for breath, Inuyasha finally releasing him now that there was nothing to see.

From inside, they heard Kitana say, "All right, girls, that's good for now. What do you say we head for the hot spring?"

A chorus of positive voices answered her, and, getting up, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, dragging Miroku, took their leave. If they were caught spying…none of them preferred to think about that.

oOo

Kitana was exhausted when she reached her room that night. She slid open the door and forgot to close it behind her as she stripped from her clothing. She had not put on her armour in over two months; she didn't need to anymore.

Sesshoumaru peeked around the door as she flopped onto her futon, snoring. He smiled as a wicked image entered his mind, but he walked away, saving his fantasy for tomorrow night, when she would finally be his, in every sense of the word.

Inuyasha and Kagome were doing something he was sure was obscene, judging from the noises coming from their room, and Miroku was getting his customary slap from Sango, which resounded throughout the castle. He felt his own cheek throb in sympathy for that one.

Rin was sound asleep, Shippo curled up on the pillow she had abandoned in favour of the mattress. Children were so cute from a reasonable distance… he sighed.

One day he and Kitana would have children of their own. He hoped they had her eyes. Suddenly, for some reason, he thought of Ai.

Her husband, Lord Shiro, had sent them the tiger behind the shed as a wedding gift, but he'd heard nothing from her. Had he even brought her with him? The other Lords had brought their families, he assumed Shiro would too, but he didn't really know. Part of him hoped not, for when confronted with Kagura, he'd brushed Kitana aside once; could he trust himself not to do it again if he saw Ai?

He went to bed that night with his mind abuzz with doubt, and fear. What would he do if his worst case scenario came to fruition? He loved Kitana, he knew that, but Ai had been a major part of his past, had in fact taught him everything he knew about love, and how to make it. Would she ruin his plans, or would he himself be responsible for his own downfall?

oOo

Sesshoumaru blinked. Sunlight crept across the room, inching from the vaulted ceiling to the floor, only to spill over his bed a minute later. When it began to blind him he got up, and walked to the bath.

He didn't think he'd slept at all last night. Throwing his robe over a towel bar, he slowly climbed into the hot water, a servant laying a fresh towel on the bench next to the spring before leaving him alone.

When he looked up after dunking his hair, he was surprised to see Kitana standing over him, only a robe of black silk preserving her modesty.

He smiled.

"Good morning," she said, untying the sash. He swallowed.

"A very good morning, it would seem," he rumbled, and she grinned.

"Mind if I join you?"

"I wouldn't dream of stopping you."

Sliding the robe off, he saw all of her, not for the first time, but it still felt like the first time. Every experience with her was different; he never knew what she would do, how she would react, or where she would begin.

Moving to sit behind him, she took some shampoo from the side of the spring and lathered his hair, massaging his scalp with her clawed fingers, working the blood to the surface, while he purred his pleasure to her.

Reaching up behind him, he began to rub the inside of her thigh, slowly, until he felt gooseflesh arise, before switching to use his claws, and dragging them slowly were his fingertips had been, and chuckled in satisfaction when he felt her shudder.

"Are you excited?" she asked, her mind far away, thinking of what the day would bring. She would commit herself to him today, and they would officially mate for the first time.

"In more ways than one," he breathed, dunking, then pulling her beneath the surface with him.
Bringing her up again for air, he kissed her wet lips and licked her moist lashes, tasting her, and memorizing her, to sate him until tonight.

She could feel him throbbing, and decided to downplay their fun a bit, before his demon came out and there would be no controlling him. Kagome had told her of his loss of control a while back, when not only Sesshoumaru, but Kouga, too, had gone nuts because she'd apparently been in heat.

She sympathised with him; right about now she felt her own self-control trying to slip away.

Standing, she rose from the bath and walked away, picking up her robe as she did so.

Sesshoumaru said nothing, but his disappointment was as plain as the pout on his face.

oOo

Kagome slapped Inuyasha's hand away as he pulled at his haori for the tenth time in twenty minutes. They sat in the front row of the audience, and Sesshoumaru looked more stoic than ever as he awaited Kitana's arrival through the screen shoji at the entrance to the room. Everyone was here, and he scanned the crowd idly as he waited. The three Lords sat up front, across the isle from his brother and his friends; Inuyasha snarled at the new clothing as if they were some enemy to be defeated. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes mentally. Trust his brother to fight with something as mundane as new clothes.

Lord Shiro sat alone with a young woman, not Ai, he noted, not sure what to feel, but eventually relief won out.

Rin emerged, carrying a basketful of white petals and wearing a white kimono, tied closed with a little white obi. He smiled. She would make some lucky man a beautiful wife someday.

After Rin had taken her place next to Kagome, everyone stood and turned to watch the bride walk down the aisle.

A pause followed as a shamisen player began to pluck the strings of the instrument to a traditional wedding march, and Kitana emerged, dressed as simply as Rin in her white kimono, but her obi was red, and tied high in the back, signifying the new beginning she was about to commit to. She matched Sesshoumaru, who wore his haori with the red hexagons, minus his armour and swords.

Standing next to him, she made her vows before their family and friends, and he made his to her.

Right when they were about to kiss, a voice called out, "Wait."

Sesshoumaru growled. Who dared interrupt his wedding?

Kitana turned to the doorway, and gasped; there stood an apparition she thought to have been long dead, but no one other than her long lost brother Koji stood smiling back at her.

"Kitty? What are you doing getting married and not inviting me?" he laughed as he ran up the aisle to hug her tightly. Sesshoumaru grew silent. This must be her brother…or at least, he'd better be.

"Koji!" she cried, hugging him tight. Everyone in the audience smiled at the reunited siblings.

Letting her go, he turned her back to Sesshoumaru and gave her a little push, saying, "Forgive me for interrupting, Lord Sesshoumaru. Please, do continue!"

Kitana smiled at him, then at Sesshoumaru, and gave him the longest kiss they'd ever publicly shared, before turning to present themselves to a clapping crowd. Kitana couldn't have been happier.

oOo

Afterward, everyone moved to the great hall for dinner and dancing. The meal was set on a long table, with a roasted pig on a platter in the centre. Every kind of food imaginable was laid out, and a dessert table was heaped with delectable sweets nearby. A tall white cake had its own stand, and Kagome took a picture with her digital camera of Sesshoumaru and Kitana cutting the cake.

When everyone had had their fill, and were leaning back in their chairs, Sesshoumaru seemed to remember something and clicked his chopstick against his glass for attention.

"Kitana, darling," he said, turning to face his new wife, "I believe you had something you wanted to perform for our guests?"

Kitana brightened. "Yes, I do. Kagome, Sango, Rin? Are you coming? We'll be right back," she assured the guests, and they nodded indulgently, digesting the meal. While the girls were gone, servants began moving something with large black boxes into a corner of the room, and setting up a stage next to it. Everyone watched the goings-on unobtrusively while they chatted; who was seeing whom, whose daughters were ready for marriage, whose sons were of the highest skill level in their studies, and it went on from there. Sesshoumaru found himself getting bored; he wanted the party to start.

Finally, Jaken got up on the stage and said in his annoying, toady voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Lady Kitana, Lady Kagome, Lady Sango, and Lady Rin!"

Loud music began to blare from the speakers of the sound system and nearly everyone jumped; the only exceptions were Shippo, Miroku and Inuyasha, for they'd seen the player before Kagome had wrapped it, and she'd showed them how it worked.

The lights were put out around the room, only a few remaining aflame, to create a darker, more sensual effect.

Four girls appeared on stage, and as the music began to speed up, they began to dance.

When the first song ended, the crowd went wild, begging for more. The girls, flushed and sweaty, but happy, agreed to dance to another song.

They danced to five more songs before they ran out of moves, and the dinner tables were cleared away to make room for the guests to dance as the show was taking place, and before long a slow song came on, and couples began to trickle out onto the vacant floor. When the girls came off stage, their men were waiting for them.

"Sango, I think I'm in love," Miroku crowed as he wrapped an arm around her expanding waist, and Sango grinned, taking his cup and tasting the contents: sake. She gave it back to him, a pointed look on her face. It took him a moment, but he asked, "Would you like some water?"

"Why thank you, Miroku," she grinned, "I thought you'd never ask!"

Inuyasha had the foresight to drain his own cup of sake and fill it with water before the dancing was over. He handed it to Kagome, who downed it, then kissed him as if she'd never see him again. He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy her enthusiasm.

Sesshoumaru took Kitana's hand and helped her down offstage, saying, "You were great up there. I didn't know you could dance like that."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, "she whispered, leaning close to kiss him, but they were interrupted by Rin, who pried her way between them to say, "Did you like it, my Lord? Did you? Was I good?"

Sesshoumaru smiled down at her. "You took my breath away," he assured her, and she smiled, hugging his leg. She felt like a million bucks.

Kitana smiled down at her, too. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look into the face of her brother, his red hair scarlet in the semi-darkness.

"My little sister's finally grown up," he said wistfully, and she hugged him again, tears coming to her eyes. "I thought I'd lost you forever," she breathed, and held her breath, to stave off the tears she felt burning behind her eyelids.

"Nope. Can't get rid of me that easily. I searched for you for months," he said, stroking her back. "Yet all it took was a rumour to lead me here. I guess I was just a few weeks too far behind you and Storm. Where is that old dragon, anyway?"

"Outside, looking after the tiger," she giggled.

"Really? Well, I guess he's got his work cut out for him then."

Kitana rubbed her brother's arm absently, and chewed her bottom lip. "Koji, where will you go now?"

"Home, I guess. Why?"

"There's nothing at home to go back to. We're not welcome there, our lands were annexed and are no longer ours. Why don't you talk to Sesshoumaru? From what I understand, the Western Lands are quite extensive. I'm sure there's a patch somewhere that's unoccupied; maybe he'll arrange for a trade?"

He smiled gently at her. "Trying to keep me close, Kitty?"

"Of course! How many brothers do you think I have?" she began to cry, and though she'd fought hard to keep everything in this long, the dam burst. He shushed her, and led her out to the dance floor, where they could speak privately.

"I have to go back, Kitty, you know that. If I don't get our lands back, who will? I will not stand idly by while our lands turn to ruin because we aren't there to look after them. We had an empire once; I intend to restore it to it's former glory, no matter what it takes. Besides, I refuse to be a burden to you and Sesshoumaru. It wouldn't be fitting for the Lady of the Lands to allow her brother to sponge off her new family, now, would it?"

Kitana didn't respond; she was too busy trying to regain her composure.

"If that is what you want," she finally choked, "then I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours. Just don't forget to come and see me once in a while, alright?"

He laughed. "Shouldn't I be saying that to you? Before I know it, I'll have more strapping young nephews than I can count, and maybe some beautiful nieces, too. Don't you think they'd benefit from a trip to visit their uncle on the continent? After I retain our lands again, of course," he said, the very image of confidence. She laughed.

"Deal."

He hugged her. She knew he had to go, but she hated to see him leave, just when she'd finally found him after so long a time apart.

Sesshoumaru turned his eyes from Rin, who'd dragged him out on the dance floor, to Kitana. She hugged her brother tightly; was something wrong? He didn't want to interrupt them. Finally, Koji released her, and, kissing her cheek, left the room, Kitana's hand raised in farewell to her beloved brother.

The song ended, and Sesshoumaru passed Rin off on Shippo; the fox-child's cheeks flamed as Rin happily traded partners. Striding to his wife's side, he took her in his arms, expecting a sad face, but was greeted instead with a broad smile.

"Are you alright, darling?" he asked, feeling like an idiot for asking such an obvious question.

"Couldn't be better," she said, laying her head against his heart. "I found my brother and married the man of my dreams all in the same day. How can I not be joyful?"

He smiled. From across the room, Lord Shiro danced by with his daughter, Princess Shita. Ai was nowhere to be seen, and when Lord Shiro caught Sesshoumaru's eye, they exchanged a look - plainly, Lord Shiro knew of Sesshoumaru's affair with his wife, and out of respect, had opted to bring his daughter instead of his wife. Sesshoumaru nodded, in gratitude. He made a mental note to thank Shiro later.

Kagome and Inuyasha danced by, Kagome laughing as Inuyasha spun her around, and Miroku tried to pick up Sango, but she slapped him and he desisted. Sesshoumaru shook his head; that monk just couldn't hold his liquor…or his hands.

Kitana, too, was watching their friends enjoying themselves, and suddenly, she began to feel a lot better. Koji was leaving her, but she, herself, was leaving him, too; to begin a new life, a secure life, where she loved her husband, and he loved her. A life where her smallest demands were met, and she would be pampered like the Lady she'd become. She couldn't have been more content.

The only thing missing were her parents, but she decided to just count her blessings and be thankful for everyone who was there to share her special day with she and Sesshoumaru.

After all, who could ask for more?

oOo

Well, there you have it. What did you think? Was this a shitty ending? I really tried hard, people, but if you don't like it, I'll understand...it was just so difficult, I had no ideas...it was exhausting, but there it is. Lemme know what you think, I'm dying to know! I love you guys, and now, off to write a new (hopefuly better, and shorter!) story. Yay!