A/N-This is...the last chapter. Don't cry...(author goes off into a corner and starts to sob uncontrollably. comes back) Ok, I'm done.There's going to be an

epiloge...and I'm going to post an Inu (InuKag)one-shot and a Inspirational Poem that's going in theBible section tonight as well. Thanks to Sehwa and In True Meanings for being so supportive of me thru out the writing of this story.(In True Meanings...I'm thinking of theKakashi/Sakura oneshot...justgive me a wee bit of time).Thanks also to my Muse Forgotten Angel...and any others who have read this story. It actually depresses me to bring it to a close...well onto the chapter.

Disclaimer-I do not own Inuyasha which is Copyright Rumiko Takahashi.

Eternity ch 12

"Sesshie." That voice. A clawed finger twitched. Silk hair brushed across his face as he tried to sit up. A light giggle pervaded his hearing. His golden-yellow eyes flashed as he opened them, his thoughts trained on the owner of the giggle-a giggle he hadn't heard in 18 years. "Sesshomaru-sama...get up." His sensitive eyes adjusted to the bright light as he searched for...her. "Rin..." He said quietly. He took in his surroundings which did not constitue of much.He was in the only halo of light in a pitch black room-Rin was nowhere in sight. Was he dreaming? Or had he gone insane? The giggle sounded again, only this time from behind him. "Turn around silly." He turned...and there she was, and it was as if she had never died.

Rik paced anxiously in the room Kida had taken her too in her (Kida's)mansion. It was large and painted a soft pink with a comfortable bed stuffed with down. The window in the room which let in sunlight looked out over Kida's garden which was in full bloom with Roses, Sakura trees, and every other fragrant blossom that existed. It truly was paradise.

Only Riki couldn't focus on the beauty. She could only focus on how Sesshomaru was with Rin right now...and could possibly be forgetting about her. "Kida...what if he chooses her." The Inu-Youkai waved an impatient hand from where she sat at the desk. "He can't chose her, she's dead. Honestly Riki...you're so insecure." Riki just shook her head and continued pacing. "But he can... he can stay in that dreamlike state forever...and she can stay with him..." "He can't." Interrupted Kida. "Sooner or later, he'll have to wake up to eat. Then he will remember you." Riki stopped pacing and looked at the silver-haired woman.

Kida sighed and said "If it's bugging you so much, just go into the dream and try to trick him. Trick him into remembering you and waking up." Riki considered this for a moment before nodding. "Yeah...how do I get there?" Kida pointed at a shimmer in the air and Riki walked towards it. "Kida?" she said, looking back at the Inu-Youkai. "Hmm?" "Thanks." The demoness opened her arms and Riki ran into them. "I hope, sincerely, that you can fix all this darling. I've done as much as I can." Riki nodded before turning and running full tilt into the shimmer.

When the colours that had been streaming by her head settled down she opened her eyes and saw only darkness with a beam of light about 10 feet in front of her. There was a slight breeze being sucked into the portal behind her that she had just come out of causing her scent to be blown away from the silver haired man kneeling in the spotlight just ahead of her. Then...a young woman stepped out of the shadows...and Sesshomaru reached for her. Rin stepped back and asked him, a hurt look in her eye. "Do youstill love me?" Sesshomaru answered in a gentle voice Riki had only ever heard him use around her "Yes, of courseI do..." Riki couldn't hold it in...a dry sob worked it's way out of her chest.

Sesshomaru whirled around at the sound. Riki stepped out of the shadows, bangs covering her eyes. "So it is true. I am just a replacement." She turned from him, feeling both his gaze and Rin's curious gaze on her.A tear made its way down her cheek. He turned from Rin and reached out a trembling hand to her. "No Riki..."

"What will you do Sesshomaru?" Rin's voice echoed from behind him. He whirled around just in time to see her melt into nothing. He heard the sobs from Riki increase in volume as he turned his back on her. It pained him horribly to hear it but...Rin was there. He turned back around when Rin had vanished, only to see the back of Riki...she didn't want to look at him. Rin reappeared right in front of his face. "Will you try to hold and love a ghost?" He reached out a hand that went right through her, causing a ripple in her face. "And in doing so destroy not only your present but your future?" She vanished allowing him full view of Riki who had collapsed on the floor, tears leaking into her hands.He gasped in shock as she vanished before his eyes.

Riki felt an odd sensation as her body went invisible. A totally transparent Rin knelt beside her and whispered "Forgive me for making you suffer as I did..." She stood and became visible to Sesshomaru, doing the same for Riki. Helping Riki to her feet, Rin lead her over to stand right beside Sesshomaru. Taking one of Sesshomaru's clawed hands in her own, she placed in Riki's, who still wouldn't look at him. "Or will you forsake the past..." She took a step back as Sesshomaru attempted to grasp her "And embrace the future?" Riki said, picking up her cue from Rin, turing her liquid chocolate eyes onto him.

Riki took her hand out of Sesshomaru's and she went to stand beside Rin. Looking at the two, he marveled at how much alike they looked. "What runs through your mind when you think about the day I died Sesshomaru?" Asked Rin quietly. "Regret...I couldn't get to you in time...I couldn't save you..." Riki interupted him. "And when you saw me fall off of the cliff?" "Terror...I couldn't...lose you again...I didn't want to lose mybeloved again..." "But I'm Riki..." he interupted her this time. "I'm not talking about when Rin died, I'm talking about when...you left me. I didn't want to go through that again." Riki turned back to him, a spark of hope lit in her chocolate eyes. "Then you don't...I'm not..." "Never were..." he replied her unanswered question softly. Rin finally spoke up. "Listen, I truly am sorry for interrupting this tender moment however, Sesshomaru you must choose. You can stay here, in this realm with me-your physical body would sleep forever-" "Or you can return to the real world and be with me." Said Riki. Sesshomaru closed his eyes, not wanting to see either of them as he made his decision.

"Rin...I loved you...And we could've had eternity."Riki looked away as he said this. "But...you died. A long time ago. And I've moved on. I chose..." he walked over and took the hand of the one he loved. "Riki. I want to stay with her." The expression on Riki's face was, for a brief second, unreadable. Then she understood and hugged him joyfully. Right after this, she vanished. He gasped, caught off guard by the sudden disappearance. "Where is she?" he asked the young girl in front of him who was also starting to vanish. "Waking up...as should you. Wake up to be with her."

The next second...he was at her side. Her hand twitched in his as she awoke. As her eyes opened, she saw Sesshomaru rub his too. "Sesshomaru-Fluffy-Did you really mean everything you said there...I'm not...and you want to be with me?" In response her Fluffy gathered her into his arms and held her close for the first time in what seemed an eternity. "What do you think?" he whispered into her hair.

She twisted in his arms until she was looking up at him...leaning foreward she pressed her lips against him, whispering "I love you too...". He smirked against her lips, realizing that she was responding to the 'I love you' he had said to her on the day of her mother's death. Holding her tighter in his arms he broke off the kiss and simply held her.

Why rush when you have forever?

In the castle of the Hevans Kida prepared to take her lumps. The Highest one had-again-found out about her meddling and had called her from her castle to his hall to speak with her. She could tell, right away, however that he was in better spirits...however that could always go either way.

"Lady Kida, first mate of the Former Lord of the West, Inutaishou. I have been informed that you, once again, interfered in the case concerning Riki and your son, Lord of the West Sesshomaru. What have you to say for yourself?" Said the Highest one in a formal tone. Kida lowered her blue eyes as a sign of respect but kept her tone firm. "He's my son. I would risk anything for him, even direct defiance of you." The Highest one kept his look of distance and pride on his face for another moment or two before smiling. "And for that you earn my respect and a hearty well done." Kida looked up at him, hardly daring to believe it. "The loveand desirethat amother-or the father has for a child to be happyis second only to the love soulmates bear for each other. If you hadn't acted on it, I would have been sorely disappointed." With a wave of his hand the Highest one dismissed a thrilled Kida who vanished back to the Manison she shared with Inutaishou and Izayoi.

"He didn't punish you?" said Inutaishou. "Something about the love a mother has for the child and how that is one of the greatest loves." Izayoi nodded in agreement."How true that is. And Kida...I know what you did to Souta... grandson he may be to me, he deserved it. I'm not mad." Kida mentally sighed with relief as the servants brought them out their meal. "Looks like it's going to be a beautiful eternity." said Inutaishou smiling.

A/N-AND THERE SHE GOES! it's done...now i'm off to write the epilouge...R&R