They rode in silence except for the wind on their faces. Sesshomaru wasn’t fond of motorcycles, so they had flown to the Library. It was overcast, but that didn’t matter. He had a way of not being seen.

When they got to the house, Marie, Katana and Sean’s mother, was sitting in her room. She was just dozing off when she heard a soft tap on her door.

“Hey, umm, mom?”

“Nao- sorry, Katana,” she got up and opened the door, “I never will get used to that name.”

“It’s okay, umm, can I show you something?” Katana was nervous, but determined, “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Oh? Alright, where is he?”

She smiled, “How’d you know it was a he?”

“I guessed.”

Katana nodded and led her mother to her room.

“Okay mom, promise me you won’t scream.”

“Scream at what?”

“Just promise me,”

Marie was unsure about the whole ‘guy in my room’ thing, but she thought she could handle it. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

“Alright, I promise…”

Slowly, Katana opened the door and led her mother into her room. It was dimly lit, and Marie was rarely allowed in. She took in every bit of it.

“Sesshy?”

Katana shut the door and stepped away from her mother’s side. A man stood in the shadowed corner of her room and he walked over at her call.

“Mom, this is Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands of the demon realm,” she said softly, “he’s my fiancé.”

There was a long pause, while Marie caught one deep breath after another. Her daughter looked at her carefully for any signs of fainting or heart attack. Her mother must have been made of tougher stuff, because she was finally able to speak.

“Who-what-are you?”

“I am a youko,” Sesshomaru said in what for him was a gentle voice, “my name is Sesshomaru, and my title is Lord of the Dog Demons and the Western Lands.”

“The what?”

Katana sensed hysteria coming on, so she sat her mother down gently.

“Before you say anything, he is not evil or cruel,” she paused, “okay, maybe a little bit cruel, but not in the way you think.”

She thought for a moment of how to say this.

“Do you remember when you said that all of this alternate universe stuff was a load of crap? How God only created one Earth?”

Marie nodded.

“Well, that’s true and it’s not. I can’t explain what I don’t understand, but I know that his world is in the past and also in the present. It doesn’t see time the way we do. In his world, a day could be a week here and a month there could be an hour.”

“It sounds like heaven,” Marie said softly.

“Yes, a heaven for adventure and exploring, and some dangerous and not so dangerous creatures and people. There are humans there and half-breeds, and full fledged demons like Sesshy.”

There was a long pause while she digested this new information.

“How did this happen?” Marie said finally.

“What?”

“Your…engagement…relationship…”

Katana turned to Sesshomaru. She had never really known just how they had found each other.

“It was an accident,” he said slowly, “I saw her in an orb and…”

He looked at her, holding her eyes, “I had to find her, to see if her world did exist…”

“He came to me in my dreams,” Katana spoke to her mother, though Sesshomaru still held her eyes, “we are too attached to our own worlds to go through, but in dreams we can be together.”

“I saw her night after night,” he smiled, “I thought she was a spirit.”

“At first I could only see him, and then, he would speak to me,” Katana felt her eyes getting moist, “over the years, we grew together, and he has never left me since.”

Marie was crying silent tears and Katana wanted to ask her why, but Sesshomaru still held her gaze. When he finally looked away, she thought she saw a glimmer run down his cheek.

“I don’t-understand…” Marie’s voice was shaking softly. She looked from one face to the other, and then back down at her hands.

Sesshomaru kneeled before her and took her hands in his own. He kissed them both and a soft golden light flowed into her fingers. She closed her eyes and smiled, her tears stilled on her soft cheeks.

“Thank you,” she whispered, “So much.”

Standing, Marie walked to the door and left the room for a moment. She returned with a small box in a silk pouch.

“This is for you, for your wedding day,” she said, handing the bag not to Katana, but to Sesshomaru. He took it and held it in his hand, before placing it within the folds of his cloak.

Smiling, Katana hugged her mother.

“He loves you, you know…”

“I know mom,” now the steady flow of tears etched her face as well, tears of joy, at having finally been able to share this with Marie. The most important event of her life, and the one person she really wanted to know.

“I want you to come to the wedding,” Katana said softly.

“Oh, I doubt I’ll be there,” she smiled and wiped the tears from Kat’s face, “don’t worry, you don’t need me anymore. Just make sure you give your son all my love.”

“My-?” she smiled again, “yes ma’am.”

Marie stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

“I love you sweetie,” she whispered.

Inside, Katana wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed.

“I love you too mommy.”

“I can’t believe she likes you,” Katana said finally, still shaken from the experience, “and what was that about a son?”

Sesshomaru was looking curiously at the pouch. He started to open it, but Katana stopped him.

“You’re supposed to wait,” she said, smiling, “It’s a custom.”

He nodded, “Very well.”

They sat together on her bed and his arm went around her.

“So, what happens now?” she asked quietly.

“What do you mean?”

She looked at him to see if he was joking, but she should have known better. His face showed only a pleasant confusion. She sighed softly.

“I mean…with us…”

His eyes downcast, he pulled her closer and she rested on his shoulder.

“I don’t want you to go but…I don’t want you to get hurt either…”she cried softly into his shoulder and he held her gently.

“I won’t ever leave you,” he said, his voice brushing her gently, so sure, so strong, “If you need me, I’ll be here for you.”

She wanted him to hold her forever, but he gently pushed her away.

“Look,” he said softly, holding up his left hand. Katana watched as he slipped a band similar to her own onto his ring finger. He then pulled out hers and placed it in her hand.

“You don’t have to wear it,” he whispered, “but I want you to keep it.”

“Sesshy…”

He looked down at her longingly and she sighed.

“Alright,” she said finally, “but you know I’m not going to keep it without wearing it. I don’t care what anybody says…”

She slipped it onto her ring finger and he took her hand in his own.

“Now we’ll always be together…” she smiled. He nodded and stroked her.

“I think it’s time,” he whispered.

“Come on, you have to say bye to everybody before you go…”

They stood and went down the stairs. Paiton and Jayme were in the living room, waiting.

“So you’re really leaving my girl here all alone?” Jayme mumbled. She always said the first thing that popped into her head, but Sesshomaru noticed that she wasn’t angry. There was a more appropriate word for it that he could not think of at that moment.

“Try pissed dog-boy.”

Paiton laughed, “Yeah right, like that’s what he was really thinking.”

“It was, he was thinking of the word for how I feel right now,” Jayme looked over Sesshomaru for a minute before smiling, “alright, so I’m not pissed. Just disappointed.”

That was the word. He looked at Katana and she just shrugged.

“Jay’s weird like that sometimes,” she said softly.

“It’s a gift…didn’t know it worked on demons though.” Jayme stood up and stretched, before walking over and tugging on one of Sesshomaru’s ears. He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

“It’s her way of saying bye,” Katana explained, “like hugging or something.”

Paiton followed her up and held out her hand. He thought for a moment before taking it.

“Sorry about the puppy-dog thing,” she said warmly, “but it was kinda funny…”

“Alright, alright, back up before Jay tries to braid his hair.”

Jayme looked sad at the loss of her opportunity, but backed away good-naturedly. She and Paiton stepped out onto the porch and gave them a minute alone. Katana couldn’t think of anything to say, and neither could Sesshomaru. He pulled her closer to him and looked into her eyes, his golden irises burning into her, as if just that could keep him there forever.

“I’ll miss you,” she said softly.

“Not for long…”

A soft golden glow began to shine around them both.

“I’ll be with you tonight,” he whispered, “in your dreams.”

The glow grew brighter. He pulled her into his arms and they held on.

“Promise me you’ll wait for me,” she wiped her wet eyes against the cloth on his body.

“I’ll wait for you.”

The glow grew brighter. His voice began to fade.

“Don’t forget me…” he whispered.

“I won’t,” she cried, “I won’t forget…”

He was going.

“Katana…”

And then, it was over. Their time together, his presence in her world. She wanted to say good-bye, but it was too late. Sesshomaru was gone.

They sat next to her, waiting for her tears to dry.

“Come on Kat,” Jayme said softly, “he’s not really gone.”

Paiton nodded, “He’s never left you.”

“You can see him right now, if you want…”

Katana shook her head and sat up.

“No, not now, not yet…”

Silently, she walked into her closet and Pai looked at Jayme nervously. But they both smiled when she walked out in her silk kimono.

“Tonight’s still young,” she said smiling. There was a burning light in her eyes that her friends hadn’t seen in so long. A foxfire that pierced through the night. Paiton grinned.

“What are we waiting for?” she asked gleefully.

Jayme grabbed her helmet.

“Let’s ride!”

A light breeze blew through the oak tree outside Katana’s window, but it went unnoticed. Only the thrilling screams of three young girls and the rev of boosted engines pierced the night. A golden moon shone above them, the exact color of Sesshomaru’s eyes. Its light rested on the backs of the racers, trailing their leader. The one in the silk kimono. The lover of the demon lord.