To Eternity

Chapter 7
Day 5475

Miku had gotten married to that high-status white-headed guy and was now ruling her kingdom with him and all of their kids. They invited us over frequently.

Turns out that Luka had known Teto from her own experiences underwater as Neru's boss. She'd given up her position as the witch to come up to the surface, all to be with that creep who told us to get out of Len's room. Funny what love makes you do, isn't it?

As for Len and I, well...

"So that's you and Papa's story?"

"Yup! That's pretty much the whole thing!"

The blonde mother smoothed back the soft brown bangs away from her child's bright eyes and sighed. Life had certainly been good to her. She had three beautiful children, amazing friends, and a husband who loved her more than almost anything else. (Her children made up the almost.)

Her husband walked into the room with the older kids, Sora and Kaii. One son, one daughter, and the youngest daughter at just six, Kira, sat on her lap. Her three treasures, brighter and more precious than any jewel above or over the ocean.

"Come here, guys."

The children, with the exception of Kira, sat on the floor around their mother, who gazed at them all with a worried expression. The father stood next to his wife as her supporting figure.

"Gems, Mommy has to leave now." Kaii swept her blonde hair out of her face and tied it back with a white ribbon while she tried to interrupt her mother. "Mom, wh-" "Kaii, your mother is trying to tell you something important." The ten-year-old glowered at her father and turned away indignantly to look at her brother, older by two years. "Sora, it isn't fair! Why does Mom have to go?"

The blonde studied the hem of his shirt. "Mom has somewhere that she needs to be. Now be quiet, you're making Kira cry."

The toddler's eyes were indeed watering as she played with the stones on the necklace hanging around her mother's neck. "Mommy has to go...love, Mommy." Kira stood up on her mother's lap and hugged her neck.

"I love you, Mommy. See you soon." "Yeah," Sora and Kaii chorused as they stood up and hugged their mom. "Love 'ya, Mom." "Mhm. Come home soon, okay, Mom? Love you." The young mother bit her lip nervously and looked up at her husband, who smiled at her. She picked Kira up off of her lap as she stood up, and then put her daughter in her son's arms.

"Kids, can you go please? I need to talk to your dad..." She gave each of her children one last hug, then turned to her husband as her children exited the room together, crying softly.

"...I'm sorry that I won't be able to help you when your parents..." He smiled and wiped away the blue tears that threatened to roll down her face at any moment, and then kissed her lightly. "Don't worry about it. Sora is very bright, and he'll be a big help. Kaii's doing wonderfully at taking care of Kira, too."

"But-"

"I said not to worry. We'll all be just fine, even you."

"Be kind about it when you tell them, okay? Tell them that I'll be watching over them."

"I know, I know. We've known this day was coming for a long time."

"...the older two were starting to catch on..."

The man smiled and kissed his nervous wife. "Don't think that I'm trying to kick you out. All I'm trying to do is reassure you. We'll all be fine. You're going to be fine, so stop freaking out and worrying about it, okay?"

The mother of his children smiled up at him.

"Yeah, I know."

After one last hug just inside the door to their home, the young woman tied back her short blonde hair and looked at her husband.

"Don't kill the kids, okay?"

"I won't."

"Or tell them that I'm coming back soon."

"I'll let you do that."

"...don't get your hopes up..."

"I haven't."

"..."

"..."

"Hey, Len. I love you."

"I love you too, Rin."

Rin smiled and turned away from her home, making her way to the ocean shore. There, a former maid kneeled next to a corkscrew-haired mermaid with the tentacles of an octopus.

"It's time."

The mermaid broke away from the hug between herself and the maid and turned to Rin.

"Have a good life?"

"...yeah. I did."

"Ready? Neru's waiting for you down there."

"I guess I am. Bye, Luka."

The pink-haired lady smiled and hugged Rin quickly.

"I'll watch over them, okay?"

Rin nodded, tears falling freely and staining Luka's dress. She pulled away and smiled at Teto, who was holding out her hand, beckoning for Rin to come with her.

"Luka?"

"Yes?"

"Tell Len...I'm going to see him sometime, okay? Might not be for a while, but I'm going to try."

"Next Sun's Day sound okay?"

"Yeah."

"Midnight?"

"Yup. If I can get out without Neru..."

The blonde stepped into the shallow blue water and watched as her friend walked away, waving. After she couldn't see her anymore, the blonde turned to the octopus lady.

"I'm ready. But feed me one more piece of seaweed and I'll kill you."

As she was led down into the depths of the ocean, Rin couldn't help but think of the conversation she'd had the night before with Len.

"Hey, Rin?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think that we'll meet again? And actually be able to be together?"

"...yeah. But, that time, it'll be to eternity, right, Len?"

"To Eternity. I like that."

"Yeah, me too."

"For everything you desire, you have to pay an equal price in return. You can't get more nor give more. Can't give more or less. Must be in balance. Or else, there'll be "mishaps." "

~Yuuko Ichihara, xxxHoLic