Ivanna found herself on the beach near the Western Citadel, several inches of snow covering the sands and thick flurries falling around them. Hearing footsteps behind her in the fresh snow, she looked over her shoulder to see Sesshomaru walking towards her. He was wearing a deep blue haori with silver where the red triple sakura flowers usually sat on his white clothing and black hamakas tucked into black boots, his hair pulled back into a high ponytail and the silver strands hidden under a golden jeweled crown ring. Glancing down at herself, she wore a three layered white kimono under a deep blue robe that had silver triple sakura crests decorating the silk and felt that her hair was pulled back by multiple hair pins.

"I don't think I like this dream," she whispered sadly as she looked up at him, his expression somber.

"You look beautiful, mate," he spoke gently before looking around. "This is a rare sight, snow rarely falls in this one's lands."

"Maru, will you dance with me again?" Ivanna asked and his molten eyes locked back into her violet orbs. "One last time?"

"Last time?" His eyes widened in despair, a frown on his face .

"It snowed at the citadel just days before she died," she muttered. "Tooru said that it happened just before the solstice."

"You freely speak these things when we dream? This one is not ready to let you go," he murmured as he slid his hand into hers, guiding her into a slow waltz.

"That's not really up to us, is it. You fell for a mortal who barely had much life left in her," she whimpered, "and that mortal fell for an immortal being."

"This one loves you," he whispered as he lowered his face to hers and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"And this one loves you," she cried as she kissed him back as the world started to fade.

Ivanna opened her eyes slowly as tears cling to her lashes and an arm was over her waist while Rin had rolled away and was on her back sprawled out. Ten days had passed since Sesshomaru had returned to her and the solstice was days away. They had been forced to take shelter in a cave only miles away from Edo where there had been multiple sightings of Naraku and his incarnations. Bringing her hands closer to her face, she pressed the cloth of her sleeve to her eyes to absorb any moisture to hide the scent.

"The solstice?"

His words were barely above a whisper and she felt herself flinch in surprise but remained silent, her end of their mating bond muted still muted since meeting with Bokuseno. There wasn't anything she could do or say to defend herself when he had remembered her words in the dream. She could not deny that she had been exploiting the fact that he usually did not remember that much from their dreams.

"Mate, allow this one to feel your thoughts," he murmured as moving his head to bury his nose against her neck.

"And have my ear bitten like some domesticated dog?" she muttered honestly.

"You will not be punished."

"Okay," she sighed.

His hand slid up the center of her body before resting over her sternum as she lowered the shield she had on her end of their mental bond. A quiet breath left her as she felt his presence flood into her body, like turning on a water faucet, from the mark on her body but noticed that the pressure that quickly built up where she still couldn't feel, the paralysis having not faded since stopping at her upper thighs. Memories of her past started to run through her mind in chronological order, like dreams that started with her earliest memory.

Ivanna felt like time had stilled as they both relived her past. Details once foggy or forgotten, fully remembered. Even dreams shared and those with his future self became crystal clear to them both. Returning to the reality of her situation, she found herself and Sesshomaru breathing harder than normal. Her sleeves were soaked from the tears that had freely fallen and absorbed into the cloth and the theoretical water faucet was turned off as his presence returned to only the mark.

"You have carried a heavy burden, mate," he murmured quietly.

"Forgive me, Sesshomaru..." she whispered, "for everything..."

"There is nothing to apologize for."

"There is," she muttered. "I have lied and deceived you. I have withheld information, knowingly and purposely."

"You never once stopped being loyal to this Sesshomaru. Every action you have ever taken has been to protect this pack since joining us, you cannot be faulted for that," Sesshomaru spoke softly as he moved and turned her so that she was facing towards him, and slid his hand down to her legs and fixed them so that they were not twisted. "Our mate is strong."

"The storm has let up!" Jaken's annoying voice squawked happily. "Will we continue on today, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Hn," he nodded though his molten orbs never left hers as she saw the sadness that could be felt through their mark.

"Wake up Rin, it is time to clean up!"

"So annoying," Ivanna muttered and heard a sound of complaint from the kappa as Sesshomaru lifted himself up so he was propped up on the stump of his arm to glare at the kappa as she heard Rin wiggling around behind her.

"Vann, are your legs any better?" Rin yawned as she sat up and Ivanna used her arms to push herself up into a sitting position.

"I'm afraid not, dearest Rin," Ivanna spoke honestly and saw the worry in the child's eyes.

"Did Lord Sesshomaru hurt you during sex? Is that why?" Rin asked and Ivanna heard Jaken cough in surprise.

"No, it is because of my heart. Now, help Jaken clean up before we eat breakfast. The storm has subsided so we will start traveling today."

"Okay," Rin sighed and got up.

Feeling Sesshomaru's clawed hand go though her hair, removing the few tangles as he combed her hair with his fingers, she looked up at him and saw a slight frown on his face. His eyes did not deviate from his hand but she could feel what thoughts were running through his head. Lifting her hand to cup his cheek, she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss ot the corner of his lips.

"One step at a time, mate," she whispered, just barely audible for his sensitive ears and she heard a sigh escape him.

He closed his eyes and rested his head against hers for a moment before pulling himself from her and got to his feet, "This one will hunt for the morning meal."

"Vann, are you okay?" Rin whispered as Sesshomaru left the cave, forgoing his armor and blades as he wasn't planning on going to far.

"I think we all are just ready for this fight to finally be over," Ivanna spoke, unable to smile as she pulled her hair over her right shoulder.

Pulling a white ribbon that had been wrapped around her wrist, she tied it where her hair reached her collarbone and braided it into her hair. Making sure no strands were loose and that it was braided tightly, she tied it off at the end. Moving off the furs and over to the fire, she tended to the flames as her pack mates started to roll up the fur bedding. Sesshomaru returned with a couple skinned rabbits as they finished packing everything into the saddle bags that were now strapped to Ah-Un's saddled back.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru passed of the meat to be cooked and went over to put on his armor.

Turning to face her mate, she scooted away from the fire as she did so and his molten eyes focused on her as he secured the last strap of his armor. Pushing a silent request through their mating, she saw his eyes widen in surprise before drawing Tokijin and lowered himself to one knee over her now useless legs. She gripped the braided violet hair and pulled it taut as he brought his blade to rest against the underside of her hair, just above the white ribbon that secured the braided strands. His eyes silently asking and she smiled before feeling him jerk his blade up, slicing through her hair.

"What...?" she heard Rin cry out in surprise as her short hair fell around her, the strands on the left falling past her collarbone as she now felt that she had a sharp asymetrical cut from how she had secured the strands. "Vann..."

"It is common for a woman to cut her hair so that her mate may carry a physical piece with him when going to war," Jaken spoke quietly, though she could hear the awe in his voice.

"Oh, that makes sense but now your hair is uneven," Rin spoke as she came over.

"It suits you," Sesshomaru murmured softly before getting to his feet and sheathed Tokijin.

Holding out the violet braid, he took it and brought it up to his nose for a moment before tucking it into his clothing under his chestplate. Smelling the rabbits cooking, she glanced over to the fire and saw Jaken rotating them steadily before she was lifted off the ground and into Sesshomaru's arm as he moved to sit against the wall. He settled her into his lap and pressed his nose against his mark on her neck, a silent appreciation for the gift she had given him. Leaning back against him, she brought a hand up to touch the side of his head and felt him growl low against her neck, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulled her tighter to him as they waited for the meat to cook.