A/N- Hey all. Thanks to my muse Forgotten Angel and my loyalist reviewers 'In True Meanings' and 'Sehwa.' You guys rock:) if any of my readers want to ask Sesshie, Riki, Souta or any of the main character's questions feel free… it'd be fun. STILL SEARCHING FOR A BETA READER!

Disclaimer-I don't own Inuyasha. I own…(thinks hard…) I own…the plot and…my piano. And my sesshie-chibi

Eternity Ch 9

"Mai…he called me by her name. I hold nothing against her, how could I if she looks just like me, or rather I look just like her…but…how could he?" Riki sobbed. Mai wrapped her arms around Riki, comforting her. "It's ok. Men…well men are jerks. Did you not know that?" said Mai with a sad smirk. Riki just sobbed harder. Mai sighed and said somewhat bitterly "Well…look at it this way…you still have Souta." Riki looked up at Mai startled. Hadn't the two girls just gotten that part cleared up? That Riki had no feelings for Souta? "Riki, we-that is, Souta and myself- we are both 18. I mean, we grew up together for Kami's sake. If we were meant to be…something would've happened already. Maybe he is meant to be with you but you just don't know it yet."

This speech caused Riki to smile, tears glittering like crystals in her chocolate eyes. "Mai…if Souta is indeed meant for me and not for you…well…you'll find someone eventually." Riki said in a reassuring tone.

The girls just sat there for a few more minutes, Mai's presence just comforting the distraught Riki. The silence was broken, however, when a twig snapped directly to the right of the girls. Mai stepped in front of Riki immediately just in case it was a certain Inu Youkai. "If it's Sesshomaru, go away!" yelled Mai bravely, although there was little a Slayer-in-training could've done to stop a fully-grown Taiyoukai. Instead of Sesshomaru, however, Souta stepped out from behind a bush, holding a bouquet of fragrant violets, lilacs and sakura blossoms. Mai saw who it was and turned to Riki. "Try to forget Sesshomaru…Souta…he might work wonders in doing this. If need be…learn to love him." The hurt was obvious in Mai's eyes but she betrayed none of it in her voice as she walked, back towards Souta, out of the clearing.

Souta took her place beside Riki, holding out the bouquet of flowers towards her, which Riki took with a small smile. "I'm sorry my uncle hurt you like that…if I was stronger I could hurt him for you…" Riki just shook her head. "No don't. Just forget about it. I'm going to try my best to." She turned and looked straight into his eyes…and was taken aback at how much they looked like his. This made her break down. Souta took her into his arms as she sobbed her pain. Finally her sobs let up and Souta pulled her back to look into her eyes. "Riki…I know you were just hurt and I've only known you for about a month but…I was wondering if…you'd let me court you." He quickly added "If you don't…if it's too soon, then I'll understand, I'll wait as long as you need."

Riki looked up at the sky which was, on this day, bluer than a lapis necklace Fluffy-Sesshomaru-had showed her long ago. He had said it had belonged to his mother…she shook her head to clear it of thoughts of him. She reached deep down inside of her heart and pulled out an answer. She could, in time, learn to love this boy who had his father's and his uncle's eyes…it was as Mai had said. She needed to, in order to forget Sesshomaru.

Turning back to Souta with a small smile on her face she nodded her consent. "Yes. Yes Souta you may court me." The look on his face was indescribable. Happiness, joy and affection were present all at the same time. He wrapped his arms around her and just sat there holding her.

The spectral figure of Kida floated above the clearing, taking in the scene below, of her step-grandson, holding the girl who should be her daughter-in-law. The horror and faint annoyance that had flickered on her face when Riki had accepted Souta's offer to court her were still visible. Rolling her eyes, not at Riki but at the situation in general she muttered "Riki…as Rin, you sacrificed life in Heaven, Angelic power and eternal life with the Kami's to be with my son, not Souta. What has their meddling done to you?" She had to come up with a plan. And fast.

But she couldn't. The days turned to weeks, which turned, swiftly into months. Every day, Souta would bring a trinket to Riki-flowers, stones that he thought she would like, even once, for their six month courting anniversary he had somehow gotten her a beautiful thin silver necklace with a onyx stone set into silver. As the time passed, Riki began to feel something for him. Nothing so strong as her bittersweet lingering feelings that she still possessed for Sesshomaru, however there was something…how could there not be when they were together almost all the time?

Mai and Riki, despite the circumstances, became close as sisters. While they told each other everything, what wasn't spoken of was the way that Mai still looked at Souta-the way she still felt about him. Mai was, however, the only one who knew that Riki still loved Sesshomaru and was unable to forget him. The only one who knew that Riki couldn't love Souta the way he wanted her too. Despite her strong lingering feelings Mai was nothing but supportive. She, in turn told Riki about the father she couldn't remember and the mother who was, according to Kagome, nothing like the woman she had been before her father's death. Once a vivacious young woman, the second murder of her brother right in front of her eyes and the loss of her soul mate had broken Sango. They had also revealed to each other their worst fears. Mai's was that she would lose the last family she had left alive-her mother. Not to beasts or to demons, but that her mother would be lost inside herself. She had come close several times, the only thing that kept her from the brink was her beloved daughter.

Nine months after Souta had approached Riki, seeking permission to court her, Riki's own worst fear came true. She and Souta were walking down a woodland path that lead to the clearing where Souta had first approached her-their special place. As they walked his clawed hand took her own. "Riki. These past nine months, courting you…they've been the best of my life-like a dream. And now, I'd like to know…" his voice trailed off as they entered the clearing. He turned to her, taking both of her hands into his now and said softly "I'd like to know…if you'll marry me." Riki felt a stone drop into her stomach. She had been afraid of him asking this because she wasn't fully over Sesshomaru. She mentally prodded her heart to see how it had mended; she was shocked to realize that saying yes to Souta wouldn't hurt as much as she had expected it to. She knew, she didn't have to love him as she still did Sesshomaru; she just had to love him a little.

She took a deep breath before allowing a smile to cross her face. "Ok. Yes, Souta, I would love to marry you." The look of pure joy that came into Souta's eyes was indescribable. There was, if possible more emotions than humanly possible in his expression. First, fear of refusal, then a kind of shock as though he had misheard her, then unmasked joy. He took her into his arms and whirled her around, laughing with joy. She kept the smile on her face, ignoring the cry of pain in her heart as she (or at least she thought) let go of the past. Souta stopped and brought her in close for-believe it or not- their first ever kiss. He had gone slowly, knowing how much his uncle had hurt this beautiful girl.

Riki's eyes were shut tight to prevent the tears on the threshold of her eyes from falling as she pictured Sesshomaru in Souta's place. 'So much for letting go of the past.' She thought bitterly.

That night, after Souta had told his parents, Mai and Sango of Riki's acceptance to his proposal, Inuyasha had quite a bit to say about it to his mate. "I cannot believe she accepted his proposal. She's supposed to be with Sesshomaru." Abruptly Inuyasha turned to look at Kagome who was already in bed. "I visited him last week. I never thought I'd see it, but Kags…Sesshomaru is broken. As in broken beyond all possible reparation-the only way he'd get better is if she went back to him and now, barring extraordinary circumstances or help from the Kami's that's never going to happen." Inuyasha walked over to the bed and sat down heavily. "They-Riki and Sesshomaru-They're soul mates. That's the only reason why Sesshomaru would be so broken. If he were to hear about how Souta and Riki were engaged, or if he hears about it when they're already married and he can't have her back…he would be past broken. I have no doubts that my brother would go insane." Lying down he looked into the green eyes of his mate. "Somehow we've got to stop them from getting married."

Kagome sighed. She couldn't argue with her mate's logic. Besides, he knew his brother better than her. "I'll leave it in your capable hands then Inu-honey. Good night."

Kida, accompanied by Izayoi (Inutaishou was in a meeting with past Lords of the West) looked in on the pillow talk of the two Inu-Hanyous. "Izayoi, I won't ask you to help me with this…if the Kami's find out I interfered as I am going to again, there will be no more forgiveness. Inutaishou will lose me forever. And you would take the fall with me…he would lose both of us and I will not allow that." The spirit of the female Inu Youkai looked over at her human companion. "Leave now, before you get involved." Izayoi shook her head "It's my foolish grandson's fault for not seeing what was right in front of him. I want to help you." "No Izayoi." Said Kida firmly. "Don't make me send you away by force." The Inu Youkai's blue eyes took on a steely glint, almost like ice,making Izayoi look away. "Fine." She looked back at the demoness who was like her sister. "Just don't do anything too stupid. Inutaishou's not the only one who will hurt if you're taken from us again." She vanished.

Kida looked away from the spot where her friend had just been standing. "I cannot promise that Izayoi." She said softly to the air as a plan began to take place within her mind.

A/N-Well I must say that this chapter wasn't near as long as it was when I first wrote it out. I added a lot of detail and wrote Izayoi in.If, before i mentioned that Kida's eyes were a different colour,(not blue)tell me and i'll adjust it.Let's just say I was a little () bored. Anyways, as I said last chapter and every chapter before that…R&R! My anonymous reviewers are enabled so….people who read who don't have an account…review too:)

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