--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Weird Little Love Story

Ch. 25 Good Bye Surprises

By Sesshy's Girl 00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the end of the week, after my operation, I was feeling almost back to normal. I say almost because I still felt quite sore and the three incisions were not yet completely healed. The reason for this was because my angel blood was still weak in my body. I had chosen not to bring it up too fast for fear thatit might overwhelm me and lengthen the recovery process. Besides, I really did want to follow everyone else's advice and take things easy. It would be easier to do if I were weaker, rather then strong.

My eyes had begun to heal as well, like Sesshomaru promised me they would. I was able to see indistinct shapes and blobs of color. However I was a long way from 20-20 vision. Still, I was ecstatic at the improvement in my eyesight. It seemed like a miracle that I could actually see again, after being blind for so long. I hoped that my eyes would make a complete recovery with time. I wanted to have my eyes back in working order and not remain nearsighted. I sorely missed the use of my vision.

While I recovered much of my strength and was able to walk around on my own, Sesshomaru persisted in pushing me around in the wheelchair. It was a gesture I found sweet and irresistible. Also, it kept my mind off of my recovery. I knew my recovery meant that we would be going home soon. I was anxious for that trip in many ways because I wanted to see Rin and Haruka again. I missed them terribly after having been away all this time. It would be nice to have a chance to be with them again. I had no doubt they missed me too.

There was one thing I wanted to do before I left, however. I wanted to find The Commander and say goodbye to him, forever. This wasn't for him; this would be for myself alone. I wanted to have peace of mind, knowing that I had no more ties binding us together. I would be unbound to him, forever more. I knew that having that finality would be good for my peace of mind and my soul. It would bring closure to me.

However, I would have to wait a little longer, for my strength to recover some more, before I attemptedto seek the Commander. I wasn't feeling quite that strong, yet. I had at least two days before anything like that would be occurring. For now, all I had to worry about was resting and staying out of trouble. Doing those were both easy, since Sesshomaru barely let me out of his sight and I was always with someone that he trusted.

Hikari was another frequent companion of mine. She spent much of her time in NERV, feeling too ill and huge to move. While I could not make her physically better, I could ease her mind and distract her from the discomforts. I was happy to help and glad that my presence made her feel better. She had always made the effort to be kind to me, before Third Impact and I always appreciated that.

"I feel like I will never have my body back. Once this baby is born I don't want to have any more for a while. No more." Hikari declared, one boring afternoon during our long confinement in NERV.

I smiled and placed my hand on top of hers. I gave a comforting, encouraging smile, "I'm sure this will be over soon enough and you'll love the new baby all the more for it."

Hikari nodded and shrugged in agreement. "I know. It's just so hard when you know what's coming but it refuses to move faster. Nature will move when she will, it seems. Tell me, what is she thinking Rei? You must have some idea, since you were part of Lilith for so long."

I smiled in response. This was a question I could answer. Lilith had left a strong impression of herself in my mind, during our time together. Yet, even I wasn't sure what her motive was in this instance. "Nature does what it needs to do, when it's time."

Judging by the look on Hikari's face I did not give her a satisfactory answer. I wanted to say more but I was not sure what I could say that would help. So I placed my hand over hers and squeezed it comfortingly. "It won't be long now. Your due date is nearly here."

Hikari nodded and placed her hand on her swollen tummy. "You don't have to tell me that again. I can feel it. Still, I... I would love to be able to marry Touji sometime soon. In fact there are other's who have the similar dreams."

I thought about her comment for some time, an idea beginning to form in my mind. In Sesshomaru's world, there were priests and priestess, which could perform the marriage ceremony. It would not be too difficult to transport people there, to be married. I explained my plan to Hikari and a smile spread across her face. She nodded eagerly and thanked me for the offer

The next day I decided that it was time to make the journey to find The Commander. It was a crisp, lovely morning, when I stepped out of NERV, perfect for a day on the beach. I felt like I received some sign, I had been waiting for. It was time I make that trip to see The Commander. I could literally feel all the pieces falling into place. It was wonderful and unnerving at the same time.

That morning, I dressed myself in a sweater, a denim skirt and the boots Sesshomaru had given me, an odd ensemble but the best I could get my hands on. I thought I looked good, when I looked in the mirror. There was no way The Commander would see me looking like a slob, nor did I want to be uncomfortable. I think I had chosen the best outfit I could, under the circumstances

The beach was where I intended and needed to go today, if I was going to accomplish my mission. I planned to drive there by myself, but when I informed Sesshomaru of my plan, he refused to let me go alone, so in the end I told him that he could come along with me. We went out together to find a vehicle; despite the fact Sesshomaru was clueless. It didn't take me long to spot an SUV, that I liked. Sesshomaru had a very different response to it; he took one look and froze in horror. I tired to explain to him that the SUV was harmless but he refused to go anywhere near it. "It's cursed." He hissed.

Sesshomaru glared with wide eyes at the SUV, as if he expected it to come to life and attack. "Sesshomaru," I breathed. "It's okay. It's called a car. I assure you that I can safely drive one."

"Can you?" Sesshomaru asked, emphasizing his uncertainly.

I gathered from Sesshomaru's comment, that he was concerned with my ability to drive a car. It must look completely alien and terrible to him. I placed my arm on top of his in an attempt to comfort him. "Hai, Sesshomaru. Relax."

Sesshomaru looked into my eyes and drew strength from my confidence. He reluctantly allowed me to take him over to the SUV. I opened to passenger side door for him and then helped him climb inside. After he was seated, I showed him how to operate the seatbelt. Once I was sure that Sesshomaru was okay, I went around to the driver's side, sat down and buckled myself in. I turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. Cautiously I shifted it into drive and placed my foot on the gas. Instantaneously, the SUV responded by jumping foreword several feet.

Beside me, Sesshomaru cried out in surprise and clutched his hands to the armrests. I put my foot on the break and the car stopped. I closed my eyes and focused again on the memories of how to drive, thatI had gained through Instrumentality. I breathed deeply to relax my body and block out Sesshomaru's rapid breath next to me. After a minute of this, I felt more confident about trying again.

Gently, I placed my foot on the gas and pressed down. The SUV responded more smoothly this time and began to roll foreword. It took a little more practice before I was ready to head off on our trip. After several minutes of practice, however, I at last felt that I could do it. So we were off.

While I drove across the devastated landscape, Sesshomaru kept asking me if I could drive and complaining that I was recklessly endangering us both by my actions. I assured him every time he complained; that I could and did, have a license to do so. (Well, I didn't technically but I did have the memories from Instrumentality. There had been many people who could drive, so, I knew what I was doing.) I was only a little rusty and needed to get comfortable behind the wheel once more.

We arrived at the ocean, just over an hour later and I got out of the SUV right away. Sesshomaru waited, while I wandered out on to the beach. He must have somehow understood my need to have him there but to do this alone. I was glad he trusted me enough to give me the space I needed. As quickly as I could, I made my way down to the edge of the LCL, knelt down and stuck my hand into it. It was cold and frosty, sending shivers up my spine. I focused on my breath for a moment and watched as it made little white puffs in the air. The LCL was like ice against my hand but I tried not to let it distract me. I focused my mind solely on what I was going to do. "Commander Ikari." I breathed silently.

I weakened my AT field and sent my spirit self out into the LCL, amongst the other souls. They recognized me as the creator and clustered around me in droves. At first, I didn't hear a response to my call for the Commander but suddenly; there was a strong feeling of recognition from a soul in front of me. I moved foreword to meet him. Vaguely, I could see an outline of the Commander but it was distorted and weak, he was nowhere near coming back. In fact, he might be one of those who would never return to reality from the LCL.

"Rei!" The Commander exclaimed, when he saw me, "I've been looking all over for you."

I was taken back by his urgency to see me. The Commander had never cared for me, unless it was something useful I could do, for him. "Why?"

He tried to grab me by the collar but I kept myself just out of reach. While the Commander's eyes pleaded for mercy, I remembered all the things he never did or gave to me. The Gendo Ikari may have been my guardian but he had never given me anything that wasn't material. To him, I was only a creation, made to serve and obey him. He'd forgotten that he created a living human, not a doll. No more, I refused to be his plaything any longer.

"I want to see Yui. Where's Yui? I thought you were supposed to take me to her." The Commander demanded.

"I did. She's where you are." I replied.

What I had told him wasn't a complete lie but it wasn't the truth. Here in the LCL, he could only find the Yui that he created. He must have enough sanity left to recognize that fact but not what was required to escape. Maybe he thought, that by staying here he would one day be brought back to Yui.

The Commander came after my shirt, in a desperate attempt to keep me from leaving. I easily side stepped him and avoided the attack. "No, she's not. You did something to her. What did you do to her Rei?"

"You should ask yourself."

He removed his glasses and covered his eyes, as tears began to fall. Both of his hands were trembling, as was his lower lip. "Rei, Take me to her." He pleaded.

When I refused, he turned nasty once more and began to attack me even more determinedly. I dodged all of his blows easily but I knew that I wasn't getting anywhere. Suddenly, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I looked back behind me to see Sesshomaru. I felt a warmth and strength from his presence. I turned back to the Commander and told himwith as much strength of will as I could, "No. I told you before. I'm not yours. I will never bow again."

"But . . ."

"Goodbye, Commander. I doubt we'll ever meet again."

"Rei, Take me to her." He demanded.

How dare she, the ungrateful wench, defy him? Who did she think she was? Rei Ayanami was his creation; his tool and she would do as he said, for as long as he said. A white glowing form unexpectedly appeared behind her. Its large, hand-like construct rested on her shoulder and she turned to smile at it. It looked almost dog like but yet human at the same time. It looked at him and snarled, bearing fangs,in that moment Ikari knew Rei was beyond his reach. She had turned her back on him for good. She had bound herself to this creature.

It was some sort of monster and yet she loved it more then him…

I returned to my body and opened my eyes. Sesshomaru was standing behind me with a concerned expression on his face. "Find what you where looking for?" He asked with a slight smile as he embraced me lovingly.

I felt a sense of sadness that the visit had gone so badly, yet I knew that it had gone as well as it could. The Commander and I, if by some miracle our paths crossed, would never see eye to eye. I hated him too much for what he did to me and he could only see me as his perfect tool. My only option now, was to move on. "Yes, I've learned all I needed to know."

Sesshomaru nodded and looked around at the LCL Sea. This was his first chance to see the mass scale destruction I caused. I wondered what he thought of it all. "It's hard to believe that most of humanity is entrapped there." He said, gesturing at the ocean of LCL before us.

"I know. It's strangely beautiful though. Isn't it?"

To me, the way the light reflected off the smooth surface of the LCL had always held a haunting type of beauty. It was strange, considering that LCL was not something thought of as beautiful by any means. It was a sick totem of my mother's blood, Lilith's blood, and my blood. "Yeah, in a sadistic kind of way it is."

I looked over to Sesshomaru, to see if I had heard him correctly. Had he just agreed with me? I was surprised and relieved. If he saw it too, I wasn't crazy or insane. That was good- that was wonderful.

Sesshomaru looked over at me and smiled. He wrapped his arm around me and held me tightly in his arms. I smiled and let him hold me in his tender embrace. I felt incredibly safe and warm here. My fears disappeared and they did not dare to come back and visit me. I looked out over the sea and felt truly calm. I understood and the pain did not trouble me. I instead accepted it and let it be.

Sesshomaru took my hand and we made our way back to the SUV. I started the car and we began the long drive back to NERV. It was a mostly quiet trip, since there wasn't much to say. There were no words to express how grateful I was to Sesshomaru for being here with me. His presence meant that I have a real life.

Sesshomaru took my hand and held it tightly in his. I didn't say anything, as I was afraid of ruining the moment we had between us. The silence was comfortable and it was more then enough. It was the simplest way we knew how to express our feelings. Sesshomaru smiled and I felt at peace.

-------------------

We arrived back at NERV, to find a flurry of action going on. At first all I could do was chase people around, trying to figure out what was going on. Finally, I located Touji, who told us the news. Hikari was about to have her baby. There were also apparently some medical emergencies in the hospital, at the same time. With that, Touji excused himself and ran off. Moments later Kaworu appeared beside me.

"You're back, we need your help. Will you come?"

"Sure."

I turned to Sesshomaru, in time to see him nod as well. Kaworu smiled slightly, in relief and the three of us hurried off, in the direction of the medical tents. Upon our arrival there, I was assigned to a young girl, whose body had been badly crushed by debris. Sesshomaru ended up watching over a young woman, who was quite sick and possibly dying.

When I examined the young girl, I discovered that one of my cousin's had tied her soul to her body, in an attempt to save her. She would be dead by now otherwise. She was badly bruised and nearly every bone in her body was crushed. The poor child must be in unimaginable pain. I placed my hand against her forehead to check for a fever. Her skin was slightly warm but not overly so. That was a minor problem, so I was glad to not have to worry about that right now.

I cleaned and bandaged her numerous external injuries. I would need to do something about her broken bones and the internal bleeding; otherwise she was dead. I placed my hand on her chest and closed my eyes. I sent my self from my body into hers. I could feel each and every injury with my mind. There were too many for me to heal on my own. It would overwhelm both her body and my body, making us both ill.

I went through each injury deciding which would be the most important. I settled on the most life threatening ones and set to work, binding them back together one at a time. I was so wrapped up in what I was doing that I didn't notice the passage of time. The next thing I knew there was a hand on my shoulder.

"Rei?"

I came back to my body and opened my eyes. I turned around to see Sesshomaru standing beside me. He looked concerned. I placed my hand on his in an effort to comfort him. Time had flown by and I'd already lost several hours since I began. "Something wrong?"

"Hikari had her baby. I thought you would like to know."

"Thank-you."

Sesshomaru looked down at the little girl I was attempting to save. A sad look flashed across his face. I wondered if he was thinking of Rin or Haruka, when she was young. I placed my hand on his arm to comfort him. "I'm taking care of her. Don't worry."

"How is she?"

"In rough shape. Her bones were crushed pretty badly."

Sesshomaru squeezed my hand and smiled encouragingly. "Take good care of her."

I gave Sesshomaru an odd look. It was not like him to take such an interest in humans. He caught my meaning instantly and nodded behind me. I looked back to see a young woman standing there. Her eyes were large and worried while her hands rung themselves tightly together. I understood Sesshomaru words in a heartbeat. He sympathized with what the young woman was feeling and wanted me to keep her from experiencing the same pain he had been through.

I let Sesshomaru's hand go and turned back to the little girl. I placed my hand on her chest and closed my eyes. This time my mind passed more easily into the injured body of the young girl. I focused all of my attention on healing her body. Using my mind I pulled her body back into place. I worked carefully, rolling her body along as the bones went back into place. Patiently I kept at it, until there was no more I could do.

One minute, I thought I was okay, the next I was falling foreword. Sesshomaru caught me around the waist, keeping me upright. I closed my eyes, breathing hard as I rested against his body. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "I'm fine. That was a little more challenging then I thought. That's all."

"You were wonderful."

"Thanks."

After I had regained some composure, I straightened up. I turned to face the young woman, to see that she was still standing there. I smiled at her and motioned for her to come over. She walked quickly over to the side of the bed and looked down at the girl in the bed. "How is she?"

"She'll be okay. I've pulled all of her broken bones back into place but someone will need to put a cast on her body. She's lucky to be alive."

A small smile spread across the young woman's lips. She leaned over and touched the side of the young girl's face. I smiled happily and wrapped my arms around Sesshomaru's waist. He placed his arms around me and we began our slow walk back to NERV.

I didn't see anyone when we arrived until we reached the room where I had woken up after my operation. There we found everyone else congratulating Hikari and Touji, on the birth of a new baby girl. We happily joined in the joyful festivities, eager to have fun after everything that had happened.

-----------------

The next day I went to see Ritsuko, for one final exam before I went home. She began it by having me lie down on the table, so she could examine the incisions and remove the stitches. She placed her hand gently over the stitches on my back. "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad. I'm feeling pretty good. I think my body is healing well, now that I'm back to normal. Having the angel blood back in my veins helped a lot."

Ritsuko nodded and added thatto my file. "I see no sign on infection and the incisions are healing nicely. You are officially released, after I remove these stitches for you." Ritsuko informed me.

"Thanks for everything you've done for me, Doctor. I really appreciate it."

"No problem Rei. You know I'm always happy to help."

She had me roll over and lay on my back. Ritsuko began pulling out those stitches but then stopped. She blinked several times. Ritsuko seemed mystified, standing very quietly for several minutes. Then she looked at me. "Rei, are you…"

Ritsuko's voice broke off and I couldn't hear the last thing she said. There was no reason to however. I knew exactly what she was asking about already. I nodded calmly. Ritsuko blinked once at my response and then shook her head. She went back to work without saying a thing. Once she was done, she helped me sit up. "Rei you never cease to amaze me. I always thought you were the most predictable but apparently I was wrong."

"I'm afraid that I am only human. I am bound to change over time."

Ritsuko's lips quirked slightly into smile for me. There was something, was it ironic, in her look? I couldn't tell. I climbed down from the table and waved goodbye to Ritsuko. Before I could leave, however, she spoke to me. "Does he know?"

"Not yet. I want to make sure that everything goes okay, a little longer, before I say anything."

"Are you going back to his world?"

I turned around to face her. "I must. He's the one I love most. I can not live without him, so I have to live with him."

"I see."

"Don't worry. I'll let you come visit soon. I promise. I won't forget about myfriends here."

Ritsuko smiled at me and I returned it. I waved goodbye to her and walked out of the room. I felt bittersweet joy, at leaving all of this behind. My consolation to the sadness, was the fact that I knew, I would return one day. That was what I used to keep myself going without regrets.

That was important to me. I didn't want to spend my time looking back on the past. I had done enough of that already. My goal from this point foreword was for me to move on. In my mind, it was the best option for me. Looking back, in regret, would serve no useful purpose.

After finishing my examination with Ritsuko, I went to see Shinji in order to say goodbye. I found him in the middle of organizing a search of the nearby ruins. It seemed like he was always busy now days. Once the group disappeared, I approached Shinji. "It's time for me to go. I'll be back as often as I can."

Shinji smiled and nodded. "I know. Just don't wait to long, okay sis?"

I gave Shinji a sisterly hug and waved goodbye. He smiled and waved back as he watched me go. Then I returned to NERV and made my way through the corridors in search of Sesshomaru. I found him hiding in a room by himself. He looked happy and relaxed. That was a good thing. Sesshomaru was always much easier to be with when he was in a good mood. Not that I didn't love him anyway, of course.

"Ready to go home Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru smiled and nodded eagerly. "Is it time then? How did your appointment go?"

"It went well. I have a clean bill of health and am allowed to leave."

Sesshomaru smiled and motioned for me to join him. He wrapped his arms around me and placed his lips on mine. We held that position for several long moments. At last we broke apart and I smiled happily. "Shall we go now?"

"Sure."

I spread my A.T. Field around the two of us and focused all my attention on the shrine, where we wanted to return. Gradually, the fabric of space and time began to give way under the force of my power. We slid through effortlessly and landed back in Sesshomaru's world. I could smell the scent of soil and nature everywhere. It felt good to be back here. "Miss Rei! Lord Sesshomaru!" I heard a familiar voice cry.

A small form crashed into me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I leaned over and wrapped my arms around her. I was ecstatic to see Rin again. I held tightly onto Rin out of sheer joy. Sesshomaru leaned over and wrapped his arms around both of us. I felt squished between the two of them. "Group Hug!"

I looked up in time to see Haruka approaching us. She wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru making this an official four-person group hug. While nothing could be done about how crushed I was feeling, I loved knowing I was being squeezed by love. At last we broke apart and I was able to breathe. Sesshomaru gave Haruka his own personal hug once he had caught his breath. Then he embraced Rin as well.

Once the hugs were finished being passed around, we made our way back into the shrine. We ate lunch before we left on the long trek back to the Westernland Palace. I walked in silent bliss at Sesshomaru's side, with Rin on my back. Haruka was on Sesshomaru's other side. The rest of our traveling companions, including Inu Yasha, his group and the Panther Demon Tribe, were spread out behind us. I carefully reached out my hand and Sesshomaru took it in his. That was how we made our journey down the long road back.

When we reached the palace, there was a large group of well wishes to greet us. Even Lady Ririko was there. That surprised me because I knew that she disliked me and I expected to be ignored by her. I figured the only reason that she was here, was because Sesshomaru was coming home and she wanted to be here to see him. This theory was proved to be correct, when she approached him and whispered in his ear. Sesshomaru snarled, bearing his fangs threateningly at her.

She flinched in fear and then hurried away. I didn't know what she had said but I had a feeling that it wasn't good. Sesshomaru looked like he was furious. I placed my hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder and he relaxed gradually. He took my hand roughly and led me inside the palace. I held on tightly to Rin, to keep her from being taken but there was no reason to worry. No one attacked us after that.

Once we were inside the palace, we went to our rooms and made ourselves comfortable. Sesshomaru insisted that I move into his room. So, I made my old room Rin's new bedroom. I don't think that Rin completely understood what was happening between us but she was thrilled to have a room to herself. I was ecstatic to move in with Sesshomaru. It made my position in his life and at the palace, as clear as itcould be. By this move, I was now unofficially declared, the Lady of the Westernland. I wondered how I would be accepted in my new role.

I didn't want to be hated but I knew I couldn't expect to be trusted right away. As far as everyone else was concerned, I was an unknown. So they were liable to be wary. I simply hoped for the chance to prove my worth, to those around me.

That evening, Sesshomaru took me for a walk just before sunset. He tied a strip of cloth over my eyes, so that I couldn't see. I complained but he said it was necessary. He then warned me not to use my A.T. Field to compensate for the blindfold making me unable to see. I promised, reluctantly, to obey him and allowed him to lead me out of the house. I could feel the warm breeze against my skin and running through my hair. It felt wonderful. I could smell the scent of spring flowers; that the winds carried and hear the soft pad of my feet as we walked along.

Sesshomaru kept a tight grip on my hand the whole way, so, I felt safe the entire time; I was happy to play along with his plan. It must be special, whatever it was. Secretly, I was eager to see what Sesshomaru had in mind.

After a time, I noticed the ground beneath my feet was changing. It was becoming more uneven. I could smell a new sweet scent on the breeze. I couldn't place it but it seemed familiar. I concentrated hard trying to figure out what it was.

Vaguely I could see the scene laid out before me. The Commander had been taking me-the first Rei-somewhere. To get there we had to trudge across a field of flowers. I shook my head to dispel the fragment of distant memory from my mind. There was no reason for me to connect that event, to what I was experiencing now.

Sesshomaru stopped right in front of me. I was forced to stop, when he did. Sesshomaru turned around and untied the strip of cloth from over my eyes. As it fell away, I was amazed by what I saw. I was standing in the middle of an orchard of sakura trees, all of which were displaying their full springtime glory. The fading light even further enhanced their beauty. Judging by the twisted, gnarly condition of some of them, they must be quite ancient. I swiveled my head around, trying to take in the full view of the scene. "Wow." I mouthed in awe.

"Like it? I think it is absolutely amazing every time I see this."

I nodded wordlessly in agreement. I was completely blown away by the beautiful sight that surrounded me. Sesshomaru stood, smiling happily beside me, watching my reaction to what I was seeing. I didn't look at his face but I was sure he was thrilled to see that I loved it as much as he did.

Sesshomaru grabbed my left hand and slid something cool onto my ring finger. I turned around and caught the glint of something. I looked down, in disbelief and the beautiful ring resting on my finger. I was at a loss for words. It was an engagement ring- an engagement ring, from Sesshomaru. It was the most magnificent thing I had ever seen. I hadn't expected to be given something like this in a million years. The beautiful red ruby seemed to glitter in the sunset sunlight. I turned to Sesshomaru, with tears in my eyes.

"Thank-you. This is…"

My voice faded because I was at a loss for words. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around me in a loving hug. I wrapped my arms around him and held on tightly. I was beyond words to express the joy that I felt. Sesshomaru tilted his head downward and kissed me on the lips.

"I thought you'd love it. It matches your eyes perfectly." He murmured.

A gust of wind blew through the trees causing sakura to fill the air. Sesshomaru twirled me around. We slipped off our shoes; then we danced barefoot through the swirl of sakura petals for several blissful minutes. It was magical experience, the grass was soft and made silken by the sakura. There was also the most important part of it all, Sesshomaru's smiling face in front of me. That was the only thing I could see. Everything whirled in a beautiful dance around us.

Slowly, unwillingly the breeze began to die down and the sakura settled to the ground. This signaled the end of the dance. Sesshomaru and I allowed our feet to still. I smiled dreamily at Sesshomaru as I came out of my trance. He smiled back and held out his hand towards me. "May I escort you back to the palace, my lady?"

I smiled coyly. "You may, my lord. I would be honored if you would be so kind."

Sesshomaru gently ran the back of his hand down the side of my face. His eyes were hungry and magnetic. Sesshomaru wanted me, wanted release. I was in need of the same thing. I raised my hand to his forehead and ran my finger over his crescent moon tattoo. Sesshomaru smirked and nipped at my neck. I pinched him back in retaliation. Sesshomaru squeezed my hand and we both laughed softly.

We walked hand in hand back to the palace, both of us feeling giddy. Lady Ririko was waiting for us when we arrived at the door. She was scowling angrily at us, as we approached. I worked hard to school my face, to remain neutral in the face of whatever she was about to say. Sesshomaru wrapped his arm around me protectively. I took comfort in his hold and the assurance that he would not leave me.

"You're still with her, I see. I thought you would have gotten bored of messing around with a human girl by now."

Sesshomaru shook his head, glaring fiercely at his mother. "Never. Rei is the one I love the most. I will never leave her."

Lady Ririko glared angrily at him in response. I could sense her disapproval at our relationship from her cold demeanor. I figured that she hoped to break us up after all this time. She disliked the fact that I was a human, even though I was only half. I knew the reason why she was so hateful of me. However, I had no idea how to change her feeling towards me into something more positive. It was possible that I would never be able to give her reason to like me. The thought was discouraging and I tried not to focus on it too much.

I could see the frustration and inability to understand building up on Lady Ririko's face. It was probably directed at us because she was irritated by our relationship and did not see what attracted us to each other. "Sesshomaru, what attracts you to her so strongly?" Lady Ririko demanded in confusion.

"I love her for the kind, caring person she is." Sesshomaru explained. "The fact she is a half human means absolutely nothing to me."

I could feel the tightness of Sesshomaru's grip on me increase in his strength. I wrapped my hand around him and held him tightly. In my mind I was determined not to let go of Sesshomaru. He was the source of my hope and strength in this life. I trusted that he would take care of me. He wouldn't abandon me. Sesshomaru loved me too much to do that.

"What about the continuation and strength of your blood line?" Demanded Lady Ririko.

"I have Haruka. She is my heir to the throne. I need no help with that. Besides I don't care about that. Why should I?" Sesshomaru replied with a snarl.

"Because you're the Lord. You're supposed to be in charge of preserving your line and the integrity of the throne." Lady Ririko howled back.

I could feel the anger welling up within Sesshomaru. I placed my hand on his arm in order to steady him. He responded by relaxing slightly at my touch. I turned back to face Lady Ririko. "Please let us be. Sesshomaru and I love each other very much. That is all you need to know."

Lady Ririko screwed up her face in anger before she turned and stomped off. Sesshomaru and I watched her go in apprehensive silence. We had no way of knowing what she was thinking for sure. The only thing we could be sure of was that she wanted me gone. I knew that I would not be leaving any time soon. Sesshomaru would see to that one. Neither of us wanted to be separated from the other.

Sesshomaru took my hand and we began our walk back to the palace. His fingers felt warm wrapped around my own. I liked how perfectly our hands fit together despite the size difference. We reached he main door back into the palace. I took one last look back to see the stars coming out in the evening sky, along with a moon.

It was a wonderful sight. The sky was beautiful, with the glittering stars decorating it. There was not a cloud to be seen. It gave one a sense of freedom and flight. I tugged at Sesshomaru's sleeve and pointed to it. He looked up at it with wide eyes. "It's beautiful." He murmured.

"Want to fly through it?" I asked mischievously.

Sesshomaru looked up at the sky in consideration. Then he turned to me and smiled in agreement. I grinned back and wrapped my arms around Sesshomaru. I spread my A.T. Field around us and pushed back against the ground. It fell away swiftly and the wind swirled around us. Sesshomaru smiled at me and spread his arms out to enjoy the feeling of freedom. Using my A.T. Field I sent us spiraling through the air towards the stars.

We lay our heads back and laughed happily. The sky was wonderful above us. Once we were above everything we floated almost effortlessly thought the sky. The more we flew the more comfortable Sesshomaru became. My A.T. Field usually made him uncomfortable, probably because it was the inside of my mind. He must be ignoring where he was because he didn't seem to notice at all.

I recalled a song I had learned during Third Impact. It was an older song but I thought it was appropriate to the situation.

Fly me to the moon,

And let me play among the stars,

Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars,

In other words,

Hold my hand,

In other words darling kiss me,

Fill my heart with song and let me sing forever more,

You are all I long for,

All I worship and adore,

In other words,

Please be true,

In other's words,

I love you.

Sesshomaru listened while I sang the first round. When I started on the second one he sang along with me. We sang happily through it several more times just out of joy.

I loved it here up in the air. It was such a feeling of freedom to have the wind flying past me. The higher we went the cooler it was. At last it became too cold for us and it was time to go down. I lowered us back to the ground. Sesshomaru was smiling happily when we landed. We walked inside, smiling, but acting like nothing had happened. Both Sesshomaru and I had rumpled clothing and hair. So it was obvious that we had been somewhere traveling fast. We reached an unspoken agreement not to talk about our trip to the stars.

Sesshomaru continued to hum the tune to fly me to the moon as we walked through the yard. We arrived at our room and dressed for the night. Then I began to unbraid my hair. Rin appeared while I was doing this. "Lord Sesshomaru, Miss Rei. Rin is glad to see you."

"Is there something you want Rin?" I asked.

Rin shook her head and sat down next to me. She watched with interest while I unbraided my hair. Her attention didn't waiver when I began to wash my make-up off either. "Where did Miss Rei and Lord Sesshomaru go? Where is Miss Rei's sister?"

While not completely unexpected, the questions caught me off guard because they were asked so suddenly. I carefully covered my surprise with a gentle smile for Rin. I pulled her over to my side and gave her a hug around the shoulders. "Can you keep a secret Rin?" I asked her mysteriously.

Rin looked at me with big, imploring eyes. She was spell bound already. "I am not from this world. My home is in another world entirely, far away from this one. Sesshomaru and I went back to visit my world for a couple days. My sister went with me. She stayed there when we left. That's why she isn't here."

"Why?"

I thought of a way to explain what I had been doing back in my world. There was no way for me to explain to Rin why I had gone home. Thankfully an idea quickly came to me. "I was sick; the only way for me to get better was to go home and get some special treatment. Otherwise I would have remained ill and not been able to get better."

I watched as Rin processed what I said. She seemed to accept my answer after a few moments. Sesshomaru was watching both of us to see what was going to happen. "Why did Miss Rei's sister stay when Miss Rei and Sesshomaru left?"

"She felt that she belong there and wanted to remain at home. The only reason she came here to begin with was because she wasn't comfortable in our home world."

Rin looked up at me with concern. "Is Miss Rei better now? Does she miss her sister?"

I hugged her back tightly to assure her that I was okay. "I'm fine now. I'm not sick anymore. I do miss my sister but I know I can see her whenever I want."

Rin seemed intrigued and surprised at my response. I think she had feared that I would still be ill and missing my sister badly. I was glad that I could put Rin's fears to rest for good. I smiled at her and placed Rin in my lap. "Do you want me to tell you a story Rin?" I asked with a light chuckle.

Rin clapped her hands together in excitement. Her eyed lit up and she turned to look at me. "Yeah, story. Rin likes stories."

"Then I tell you a great story I know then."

Rin settled in to listen to what I was going to tell her. I started speaking, telling a story I had learned from a book I had read back when I was young. It was a Greek legend about the god Eros, son of Venus, and a human girl names Psyche. Rin listened, enraptured by what I told her. When I finished the story Rin wanted another one.

I quickly came up with another story to tell her. This one was another one from mythology. However it was Egyptian instead of Greek. I wove a story about the Isis, the Egyptian goddess who represented the wife and mother. This story was much calmer and soothing then the first story I told her. Rin was struggling to remain awake as I finished the story.

I lifted her into my arms and carried her back to her room for bed. Rin went quietly, muttering a soft goodnight to me as I left the room. I stood in the doorway a moment, smiling in amusement at her face. She was probably dreaming of myths and heroes.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes:

I know, I know, I have been absent for a long time. xp. My best excuse is that school and laziness took over my life. It's not original and very good but it's the best I can offer. I hope this chapter makes up for the long delay.

Thankfully school ends next week so I hope to have more free time on my hands. My goal is to finish this up before school starts again. (We can all hope, right?)

Please, please, please review, they are highly appreciated. I am extremely grateful for each and every one of them.

I don't own Eva or Inu Yasha!!! Nuf said.

Until next time!