Lyra made Sesshomaru stop at her house so she could grab some spare clothes. As much as she loved the beautiful kimono Inukimi gave her, travelling in it wouldn't be ideal. She preferred the clothes she was used to and she wouldn't mind if they got a little dirty. She packed everything into a bag, including some treats for Rin.

Once she was ready to leave, she went to Sesshomaru who was standing by the open window. She looked back at her room and breathed out quietly.

"Lyra? What is it?" Sesshomaru asked as she stopped.

She smiled sadly and peered up at him. "I grew up here. I'm going to miss it..."

He gently stroked her cheek. "Take solace in knowing there will always be a place for you here."

"Yes. You're right."

She closed her eyes as he pressed his lips to her forehead. She was nervous about leaving everything behind. All of her possessions and friends. She wished she could see her friends and say goodbye to them properly but she knew they wouldn't understand like Kanda had. Plus she also knew they wouldn't be able to keep a secret. It was better that they thought she was dead. At least she would be taking all the good memories with her.

And with Sesshomaru, they would create even more happy and beautiful memories.

***

Returning to the feudal era felt so different compared to all the other times she had returned. She thought that it could have been due to knowing the truth about her birth. It was as though she felt complete. It was complete.

It only made it better that it was night and the galaxy was sparkling against the dark backdrop. After returning, Sesshomaru continued flying but Lyra didn't know where. She assumed they were just going to find Rin and Jaken, so she took the time to appreciate the view of the lands. Sesshomaru had been flying for a while though and she just had to know.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Somewhere," he replied.

She laughed and shook her head, resting her chin in her hand. "Could you be a little more specific?"

"No."

She whined slightly. "Sesshomaru, please tell me! The suspense is simply too much to handle."

He didn't respond, ignoring her dramatic pleads. Besides, they were close so she would be able to witness it for herself. Just a few moments later, he began his descent. As soon as Sesshomaru landed and placed her on her feet, she noticed that they were alone on a wide open field. The place was unrecognisable and there were no signs of anyone as far as the eye could see.

Lyra dropped her bag to the ground and slowly turned on the spot. They were literally in the middle of nowhere. There was only a wide expanse of grassy fields surrounding them. Looking up, she felt as if she was falling into space. The star filled sky swallowed all she could see and she loved it. A bright smile plastered onto her face as she spun with delight on the spot. Sesshomaru watched her run with her arms spread out bringing him a sense of content.

Lyra stopped running a short distance away and closed her eyes. The gentle breeze of the night was a reminder of the freedom she had craved in the other world. Being in the open lands was a blessing. She could breathe again.

The way her hair flowed with the waves of the breeze. The way she found joy in the simplest of things. The way her beautiful azure blue eyes would seek out his gold ones and then she would avert her gaze whenever she was shy. Those things possibly seemed insignificant to others, but to Sesshomaru it was those little things that made him love her. The scenery itself improved exponentially when she was a part of it.

Once Lyra had her fill of the crisp air, she breathed out contently and turned back to Sesshomaru.

"I absolutely love it here," she said as she walked over to him. "The billions of stars, the open air, the scent of the grass. And all around us it's as if the heavens are touching the earth."

Sesshomaru held her chin, gently brushing his thumb over her lower lip. "And you are my heaven on earth."

She blushed softly and smiled. "You're such a romantic," she said before reaching up on her tiptoes to peck his lips. "But why are we here?"

"Turn around."

Lyra tilted her head a little, confused as to what it was. She did as she was told. Turning around, she saw nothing but the grassy field and night sky. Suddenly, she saw waves of blue light appear in mid air in front of her. Eyes widening with surprise, she looked up at Sesshomaru.

"There's a barrier here," she said, stating the obvious.

The faintest hint of a smirk appeared across his lips. "Go inside."

Without questioning him, Lyra lifted her bag from the ground and held her hand out to the barrier. The blue waves emitted more from around her hand and she slowly walked through. Her jaw almost dropped at what was in front of her. She had seen this place twice before, once in a dream and once in the future. A palace surrounded by the most beautiful sakura trees and luscious gardens.

Sesshomaru stood beside her as they both looked at the building. "This is the palace my father had built."

"I remember when you told me. Why don't you live here?"

"I preferred not to. After father died, I became the Lord of the Western Lands and this palace had become mine," he explained. "I had no desire to protect life like my father. I only wished to be stronger to surpass him."

Lyra listened to him. She already knew about his goal and how different it was from his father's. Despite that, she knew the goodness that lay in his heart. She could see the small acts of kindness he probably didn't even realise he was doing, always passing it off as it being a way to reach his goal. It was one of the first things she learned about him.

"I still desire to be stronger and kill Inuyasha," he added, causing Lyra to mentally roll her eyes since she knew he would never do it. "But now I have a reason to return here."

He took hold of her hand and Lyra gently squeezed it in return. With her by his side, it was all he needed. The palace would become their home and that was where they would grow their family.

Sesshomaru lead her through the garden towards the entrance to the palace. Lyra took notice that the gardens would remain well looked after over the next five centuries. When the place eventually becomes a tourist attraction in the future, she at least knew that the respect for it wouldn't diminish. Walking in, she saw that guards had been placed around the perimeter, the entrance and at every level of the building. Clearly, Sesshomaru was not going to be taking any chances whilst Lyra was there. With the guards and the barrier, he could be sure that she would be safe in his absence. The guards bowed out of respect as they walked past them. Sesshomaru was obviously used to it, having not even acknowledged them. However, Lyra was not used to it. In fact she felt a little awkward. She was about to bow in return but she was pulled away before she could.

Inside, everything was so empty. But it was so peaceful. Lyra could remember the number of tourists that roamed those very halls that they were walking in at that moment. Since it was night, torches were lit along the walls providing both light and warmth. They entered a large room and Lyra recognised it as the room that would later house the large painting.

"In the future, there's a painting of us on that wall," she told him, pointing to the wall.

He looked at the empty wall in thought. "Is that so?"

"Mhm. I looked pretty good in it if I do say so myself," she joked with a quiet laugh at the end. Sesshomaru stared at her blankly which made her sigh. "You are allowed to laugh at my terrible jokes. I give you permission."

"Your appearance is not a joke," he spoke seriously. "You are the most beautiful in all the lands."

Even though he had told her she was beautiful many times before, Lyra couldn't stop herself from blushing. Because Sesshomaru was never one to joke, she knew he was being serious. It wasn't even a way of complimenting her because to him, he was simply stating the truth.

He ushered her to follow him as they entered another room. A bedroom. A few torches were lit within lanterns along the walls, giving it a relaxed atmosphere. It was an open room with traditional sliding doors across two adjacent walls which opened up to a private garden. On one side of the room, a traditional bed formed of a low mattress on the floor was already equipped with a sheet and pillows. There was a low table in the middle of the room and the rest of the room was empty.

"You are free to decorate this room however you wish," Sesshomaru told her.

Lyra placed her bag down and walked over to the sliding doors. "It's so calming in here." She opened one of the doors and was taken by surprise at the beautiful garden. "This is amazing!" She left it open to let the warm night air in. Turning around, she looked up at the ceiling. "Wow! It's so high!" She went over to the empty area of the room. "And there's so much we could do with this space. But I also like the fact that it's clear because then there's no clutter. I don't like seeing messy rooms so the less we have, the better. Possibly a plant or something will do."

Sesshomaru watched her excitement. It was just like before when she saw the openness of the fields. She realised she had become a complete chatterbox and turned to him, noticing that he was staring at her.

"I apologise," she said with a nervous smile as she went to him. "I've been talking too much."

"I have missed your voice."

Lyra knew that it usually bothered him when she would speak none stop. Either he would simply ignore her, tell her to be quiet or cut her off with a kiss.

"I longed to hear your useless talks when you were gone," he told her. "You can speak for a hundred years now and I shall listen."

She breathed out softly with a smile as she held his hand. "I lost my voice when I was taken from you. It was as though I had forgotten how to speak freely."

"When one has lost freedom, they cannot speak freely."

She nodded. "That's very true. But you might regret your words because I can say a lot in a hundred years. That probably isn't enough time to say everything that I have on my mind. But you can't take it back because I'm taking what you said as a-"

His lips crashed onto hers, forcing her to stop talking. A couple of seconds later, he pulled away and looked at her. She blinked a couple of times to compose herself before meeting his gaze.

"You have already caused me to regret my own words."

She pouted. "That is so unfair."

Sesshomaru ignored her pout and removed his armour and swords, putting them to the side of the bed. Lyra watched in mock annoyance, folding her arms under her breasts. He also removed the top of his kimono before sitting down upon the bed wearing only his hakama trousers.

"We shall rest here for tonight and retrieve Rin and Jaken in the morning," he said.

Lyra gave up her act since he was taking no notice. "Very well."

She kneeled down on the bed in front of him trying her complete hardest not to let her eyes travel to his bare muscular torso. 'Ugh, he's so gorgeous.'

"Lyra."

"Hm?" Her eyes darted up to look into his own eyes. "Yes? I wasn't staring at your body."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes. "Who other is permitted to bare themselves to you?"

"No one."

He looked at her again. "Are you happy here?"

She smiled with a nod. "It doesn't matter where I am. As long as I am with you, I'm happy."

Sesshomaru was content with her answer. If she was happy, he simply could not ask for anything more. He was suddenly taken aback when Lyra moved to sit on his lap, facing him and straddling his waist with her knees bent on either side of him. His arm automatically moved to hold her waist as she laid her head down on his shoulder. Nuzzling her face into the side of his neck, she breathed softly. The breath hitting his skin caused shivers to run down his spine.

"This is all I need, Sesshomaru. Just you," she spoke in a whisper.

He gently squeezed her waist. "And I you."

They both simply took joy in being in each others presence, grateful they were together again. They both wished to cherish every single moment, every touch, hold and kiss. Things they had taken for granted before they had been separated. Now those moments had become even more precious than before.

Even though they had been sitting in silence, Lyra couldn't sleep. She simply wasn't tired. And it didn't help that she couldn't stop her mind from thinking. Her body was exhausted yet sleep refused to come to her. But there was a reason why.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Yes?"

She sat up and focused on his eyes. "Make love to me."

He was surprised by how forward she was but he didn't show it on his face. There was a time he had visited her in the future world and he had wished to make love to her then. But he had to keep himself under control at that time. However, now they were in their own home. And there was no better way for two lovers to consummate their first night in their own bedroom.

Lyra's eyes watched him as she bit her lower lip in desperation. Sesshomaru had only been silent for a few seconds but that was a few seconds too long. She was slowly becoming needy as she began to untie her kimono and allowed it fall off her shoulders to reveal her naked body to him. Her core had already become moist, aching for him to take her again. The way her body writhed for him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she kissed his mouth with a burning desire, pressing her breasts against his chest.

Sesshomaru wished for it just as much as her, instantly matching the messy yet passionate movement of her lips. Clutching onto the hair on the back of her head, he gave in to her desires as she began to grind her hips against him causing his member to grow hard. He pulled her head back to break the kiss, making her gasp and look at him through lustful eyes, her breathing heavy. He narrowed his eyes a little, his pure dominance forcing her to keep contact with his eyes. She wasn't brave enough to look away. Sesshomaru gripped her hair tighter, tilting her head back slightly before he buried his face in her neck. Slowly, he licked from her collar bone, up to along her jaw and to the base of her ear.

"Are you ready, my beloved?"

***

All Lyra could hear was the tweeting of birds. It definitely beat having to wake to the sound of a blaring alarm clock. As she moved from her side and onto her back, she groaned from an aching pain. Her groin area felt as though it was on fire, inside and out, and her legs felt like jelly. She clenched her eyes tighter before opening them as the pain subsided just a little. 'So worth it.'

The room was bright and airy as a light wind freshened the room. She could still smell a slight hint of the scent of their sex though. As she rubbed the tiredness from her eyes, the bedroom door slid open. Sesshomaru entered, closing the door behind him again. Lyra gazed up at him as he stood beside the bed looking down at her. Obviously he was already fully dressed as though he was ready to go into battle. And then there was Lyra. Only the plain white bed sheet covered her still naked body.

"Are you satisfied?"

Lyra smiled, a hint of a blush creeping up onto her cheeks. "I am very satisfied."

"You are in pain." He could see the position of her legs under the blanket, both being spread apart.

"Yes," she answered truthfully. "I am sure I will get used to it one day."

He kneeled down beside her before softly raking his fingers through her hair, ending by placing his hand on the side of her neck and brushing his thumb along her jaw.

"You are bruised," he told her.

She shrugged. "Signs of showing that I am yours and yours alone."

"As is this."

He tucked his hand into his kimono and pulled out a necklace.

Lyra's eyes widened at the beauty of the jewellery. "Wow! It's stunning."

"I wished to give it to you previously. The day you announced your engagement."

The guilt hit her hard. Although that wasn't Sesshomaru's intention, she couldn't help but feel it.

"I recall your words the day you agreed to marry me," he continued. "Humans often give tokens to the one they wish to marry. I had destroyed it the day you left out of anger. I just had it fixed this morning. To honour your human bloodline, I wish for you to wear this as a sign of our bond."

Lyra smiled up at him. She couldn't believe how much had happened since the time he had proposed to her until now. But despite all that, she found herself exactly where she was always meant to be.

Even though she was in pain, she sat up, with Sesshomaru's help of course. Keeping the bedsheet up to cover herself, she held the necklace, admiring the precious stones and design of it. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. So unique. It was as if the stars themselves had been captured within the stones.

Pulling her thick hair over one shoulder, she clasped the necklace around her neck before pushing her hair back again. She lightly brushed her fingers over it as it adorned her neck.

"It's perfect," she told him as tears welled up in her eyes.

As a tear spilled out, Sesshomaru wiped it away with his thumb. "As are you."

Lyra held his face, pulling him in for a short kiss before looking into his eyes. "And you."

***

With the help of Sesshomaru, Lyra washed and got ready for the day. She wore a shirt and jeans, thankful to herself for remembering to pack them. It would have been a mission in itself to travel around in a kimono. However she wished she had brought something with a high collar to hide her bruises from the night before. After grabbing the treats for Rin, they both set off to retrieve her and Jaken from Kagome and her friends.

Rin and Jaken both bolted towards them as they came into view, both happy to be back with Sesshomaru and Lyra. Jaken was more overjoyed to be with his master as he complained about Inuyasha. Apparently they had argued a lot.

Lyra had gone to speak to Kagome whilst Sesshomaru remained quite a distance away from Kagome's group.