Five Years Later

Minato was feeling a bit anxious as the time approached.

Homura noticed it and grinned. "Don't tell me you're actually nervous?"

"Heh, maybe just a little," Minato admitted.

Homura gave him a wry look. "What are you afraid of that she's going to say no?"

Minato chuckled. "I don't suppose that's very likely. I guess I'm worried it won't go perfectly."

"Well if it doesn't you could hardly be to blame. I mean five years of planning?" Homura shook his head. "Honestly I don't get why it's so important to her. I mean the two of you are already as committed as possible."

"You mean even with all the other women I'm required to have sex with?" Minato asked dryly.

He shrugged. "Occupational hazard of being an ashikabi."

Minato looked out at some of the faces seated in the little folding chairs that had been set up on the lawn. Many of his sekirei were seated and looking on. Many of the children were seated as well kicking up their heels or quietly asleep.

Ichiya noticed him looking and waved at him, their son Kento waved too.

He had a grand total of fourteen sekirei, thirteen of whom were female and all of whom had given birth to at least one child. He currently had a total of twenty children, seven boys and thirteen girls ages running from newborn to four. He supposed that at some point he would have to seriously think about expanding the castle to build more rooms.

His day to day life consisted of making sure all his wives and children were all right and happy. It was a good thing money was not an issue. After spending so much time worrying about getting into college and eventually getting a good job he had wound up never going to university or getting a career. But he was just fine with that. What mattered most to him was having his large family be happy.

XXXXXXXXXX

After the battle of Tokyo and the devastation of much of the city there had been a very loud debate as to what to do with the sekirei. In the end it had been decided to make them citizens and to give them the same rights and responsibilities as ordinary Japanese citizens. Many people had screamed that they would go crazy fighting battles all over the country causing the same destruction as in Tokyo.

Of course that hadn't happened. With the artificial pressure of the Sekirei Plan eliminated most quickly settle down to peaceful ordinary lives. They did not turn out to be exceptionally violent or prone to fighting (much to Tsukiumi's chagrin.) There were a few exceptions, but these were isolated incidents that were dealt with by the Japanese Ministry of Alien Affairs and Law Enforcement. Which was a fancy name for what was essentially a new version of the Disciplinary Squad made up of Homura, Musubi, and Shiina who were charged with catching those few sekirei who committed crimes.

The sekirei who had been captured after losing their crests had been returned to Kamikura Island and placed back into suspended animation. They had all been freed and released. Some returned to their ashikabi, while others decided to find a new life.

Minato glanced to where Uzume sat. She was one of the ones who chose to try life without an ashikabi (Shiina was another.) She had returned to Izumo Inn after her release and was still living there as were Matsu and Homura.

Sitting beside Uzume was Miya. Her hands were neatly folded on her lap and she was chatting pleasantly with Uzume. Looking at her it was hard to believe that she was one of the two sekirei who had leveled most of downtown Tokyo while taking so many innocent lives. In the end Miya had left Karasuba gutted and lifeless at the base of a rubble pile that had been a whole city block.

"You know, your mother wanted to be here," Homura mentioned off handedly.

"No," Minato answered automatically.

Following the battle Minato and his sekirei had found her sitting in Minaka's office calmly smoking a cigarette. Minaka was still in his chair with five bullet holes in him. That had been enough to win back Homura's respect but not her son's. For him it was too little too late, he was not sure he would ever forgive her for doing nothing when Yukari needed her.

"If you would just make peace with her you could be on the board of directors of M.B.I." Homura pointed out.

Given all the destruction and chaos following Minaka's death the police had decided not to investigate the matter or any other crimes related to M.B.I., sekirei, or ashikabi. Therefore when Minaka's will became known there was no reason for his mom not to inherit controlling stock in M.B.I. and succeed him as its CEO and President.

She had put an end to Minaka's mad schemes while still working closely with many sekirei like Benitsubasa and Haihane to continue research on the sekirei race and DNA. Not everything had changed with Minaka's death. M.B.I. continued to give unlimited funds to the sekirei and continued to have its own private army. They also kept control of the spaceship on Kamikura and its many secrets. She was slowly revealing some of those hidden technologies to the world including some miracle drugs and cures. What more might be unseen no one knew.

She had offered to make him a Vice President and Board member and take him to the island to reveal its secrets to him. All he had to do was accept her invitation.

"There's nothing she has that I want," Minato said.

Homura looked unhappy but knew there was no point arguing.

A few minutes later the wedding march began.

All eyes turned to the head of the aisle. First came the flower children, the children he'd had with his winged sekirei. Leading them was an adorable four year old girl with long blonde hair and sea deep blue eyes. Her name was Tsuki, his daughter with Tsukiumi. Seeing her father smiling at her she waved to him excitedly and he waved back.

She was just part of the first generation of a brand new race being born throughout Japan. No one knew yet what they would be called or what role they would play in the world's future. They were children with one sekirei and one human parent. Minato believed they were the world's future and the best thing that had come out of Minaka's madness.

After the children had spread out the flower petals came the bride's maids, Musubi, Kazehana, Akizu, Kusano, and Matsu. All of them wearing blue bride's maid dresses and all of them looking very pleased.

And at the very end came his beloved Tsukiumi. She was in a long flowing white wedding gown with a veil and a bouquet of roses. When he had first winged her she had been adamant that a wedding ceremony was not required to make her his wife, that the winging was enough. But as with the wedding rings, even if it was not necessary she still wanted it. She had spent five full years planning this day and it was at last here.

When she reached the end of the aisle she was standing before him looking nervous. He knew that what had her worried was the thought of having to kiss in front of so many people. She could be very scary at times and hard to deal with, but she could also be sweet and gentle and the most loving person on earth.

He reached out and took one of her hands into his. That wasn't part of the ceremony but just felt right. He saw her blush beneath her veil and felt his heart race just a little. Nothing about their lives could really be considered normal, but his love for her seemed like the most natural and perfect thing there could ever be.

"I love you Tsukiumi," he whispered before the priest began.

"And I love you husband," she whispered back with a gentle smile that was only for him.

THE END