The Snow Angel by SunsetMiko

The Announcements

Chapter 229 - The Announcements

*Soul Binder* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge 2)

The next morning was one of celebration as Miroku and Sango returned from the slayers village. Sango was fidgety all through breakfast until she could hold it in no longer and announced that she and Miroku would be getting married. Even though Kagome had expected it, she still participated in the usual squealing, hugging, and jumping up and down that a female friend would do upon hearing such news.

"You'll do it here, won't you?" Kagome asked. "We have a beautiful ballroom. We can bring Kaede to do the ceremony."

Sango nodded. "That sounds wonderful!"

"I'm so happy for you," the miko said with a huge smile. "I always knew you two would end up together."

"You did?" Inuyasha asked in confusion. "I always thought she would end up killing him one day."

Miroku chuckled. "Now my lovely Sango will have no reason to hit me."

"Don't even think about it, monk," she said with a half-smile. "Just because we'll be married doesn't mean you can grope me whenever you feel like it."

"But, my love..."

"Not buts. You'll keep your hands off my butt, and everyone else's, too, or you'll find yourself in a lot of pain," Sango said playfully. She meant it, though. She wasn't comfortable with the idea of Miroku touching her in front of other people. She also wouldn't stand for his constant flirtation and the groping of other women. If they were to be married then he would only flirt with her. She explained her terms to Miroku before agreeing to marry him, and the monk had agreed wholeheartedly.

*Little Goodbye* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge 2)

The girls spent the rest of the morning making plans while Inuyasha and Aika left immediately after breakfast. The hanyou group moved often, and it might take the pair some time to locate them. Aika had no idea how difficult it might be to convince the group that they would be safe, that Lord Sesshoumaru had changed his view on hanyou, having mated a human woman, but she doubted it would be easy. She was thankful to have Inuyasha along, as he might be of assistance in that task. He had been acknowledged and was now an heir to the West, even though he was a hanyou. He might be just what they needed to assure the hanyou group of Lord Sesshoumaru's good intentions in giving them a plot of land to build their own village.

The children were finally allowed to play outside as the snow had begun to melt away thanks to warmer weather. Aiko watched as Shippo and Rin frolicked in what remained of the snow, tossing loose balls of slush at each other until the little girl's lips turned blue. They were warmed up and changed into new, dry clothing just in time for lunch.

It was during lunch that Kagome told the others that she would be leaving the following morning to go to see her family for the last time. She ached to share her fears with Sango, but refused to do so in front of the children. They didn't need to spend the entire time she was gone worrying that she might not be able to come home to them. Instead, she waited until the children were doing their afternoon lessons to share her worries with the friend she considered a sister.

Sango did her best to reassure the miko, but she wasn't very successful. There wasn't anything that could calm her fears. After a great deal of discussion, they decided that Kagome should leave some of the jewel shards behind so that she didn't have them all while traveling through the well. Perhaps then she could be sure that the time portal wouldn't close on her. She would give half the shards to Sesshoumaru to keep at the palace so the jewel didn't pull itself together on her and lock her in the future.

That evening, the children were especially clingy, and it took Kagome and Aiko hours to get them to fall asleep. Finally, it was bedtime again, and a tired and stressed miko made her way to hers and her mate’s room. The couple made love one final time, just in case, before snuggling through the night. Morning would come all too soon.