"Well, what we have is very special."  Vash said.  "How are things going with Arina?"

"She spends less and less time at her Villa.  Most of the time, Ritsu patrols the barrier by himself  -- Arina only occasionally joins him.  Do you think Athara was right?  Is she really in love with Ga-Wane?"

"She certainly acts like it."

"I do not see this boding well.  Imagine, my level-headed older sister, acting like a love-struck child!  "

"Well, think about it.  She has never known affection -- love, if you want -- before now.  Considering how much she wanted a relationship like ours, she would have made an easy target for someone with the talent to charm women, like Ga-Wane.  In fact, I suspect they both set out to ensnare the other, but it didn't quite turn out as they planned."

Aara sighed.  "But what does the Moth get out of this?  He doesn't do anything for nothing."

"Perhaps he has fallen in love also.  You told me how he acted at the treaty signing -- how he fawned over her."

"I'm not sure if I like the idea of them being in love with each other.  I actually like the idea of it being some sort of nefarious plan more.  I just don't trust him."

"Well, I think you need to get your mind off of your sister.  At least for a few days."  Vash smiled at her.

She looked up at him.  "What have you got in mind?"

"Remember about our plans to visit the Human World?  What about taking that trip now?  I got a message to Souta and he would love to have us for a few days."

Aara thought about it for a few seconds and then nodded.  "Why not?  I can only be gone for a couple of days -- you know -- I cannot neglect my males like my sister does."

"We will come home as soon as you want, Love.  It will be fun!  We'll finally get to see the Human World, and I'll get to spend some time alone with my beautiful mate."

“You look very nice.” Came a melodic voice from across the room.

Vash looked up and smiled. “This is very comfortable. How are you doing?”

“That isn’t very short at all. The girls on my planet wore them even shorter.” Vash smiled at her. “Besides, you have great legs!”

“It feels strange. Sort of … I don’t know … indecent.”

Vash broke out into gales of laughter which earned him a sharp look from his mate. “I’m sorry, dearest, but you wear the most revealing nightgowns possible to have sex with several different men every night and you think a simple dress is indecent?”

Aara glared at him. “That’s not the same!! I don’t parade around the Castle in my nightgowns – I always wear a robe in the hallways.  I only wear them to please my men – of which you are one, I remind you!”

“I know and I appreciate do it.  Aara, dear, believe me, the dress is not indecent. Not at all.”

Aara sighed, looking down at her legs. There was just too much of them showing! Vash moved closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. “You look beautiful!” He slid his other hand down to the hem and then up inside of her dress, running it along her silken thighs.

“See! I told you it was indecent! Anyone can do that!” Aara exclaimed as she moved away from him and pulled her dress down as far as it would go.

“No one is going to touch you – especially when I'm around. If anyone tries, I’ll punch him in the nose.” He tried to move closer again but she backed away. He sighed and gave up with a shrug. “You'll look out of place in your normal clothes.  Look at Kagome.  You know how short her dresses are. Do you think she indecent?”

“Of course not! I guess you’re right – but don’t touch me -- not like that!”

Vash bowed solemnly. “Yes, Milady, your wish is my command.”

Aara gave him one final glare and then stepped into the mid-heeled shoes and almost fell over. Vash quickly rushed to steadied her. “This is going to be terrible!! How can I walk in these?”

“Just practice a little.  Keep your weight on your toes and you’ll get the hang of it.”

For over an hour, Aara practiced walking through the halls and down the stairs with Vash at her side -- just in case she toppled over.  InuYasha was the only one who couldn't contain himself and began to laugh, but her look stopped it mid-chuckle.  The Dog turned pale and quickly excused himself, going to the safety -- and seclusion -- of his room.  The other males and all the servants and guards prudently kept a straight face as they passed the Princess.

“I know.  Kurama gave me a picture book and explained everything – but to see them in person is so different. They are amazing!” She looked at Vash. “You're not surprised by them?”

“We had something similar on my planet. They ran on steam instead of gasoline like these.” Vash answered.

“So that planet was like this one?”

“No, far from it! It was one vast desert. It actually looked more like the arid parts of Demon World.”

“Oh.” Aara said in a small voice. He keeps on referring to that other planet as his planet. After all this time, doesn’t he consider Otherworld his home?

Just at that moment Souta opened the door and invited his guests inside. After greeting his wife, Kemi, they were shown to their room to freshen up.  Vash and Aara were given the largest guest room which was also the farthest away from everyone else.

Aara began to undress while Vash watched from the bed.  She noticed him through the mirror.  "Are you just going to watch?"

"Yep!  I'm planning to sit here and enjoy the view!"  Vash smiled at her.

Aara laughed lightly and walked to his side, sitting down next to him.  She kicked off her shoes with a happy sigh.  “I will never be able to walk in these things during our sightseeing tomorrow!”

“I already talked to Souta and he is going to get some athletic shoes for you, like I have on, first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Vash?” Aara let herself fall flat on the bed with her legs dangling over the side.

Vash looked down at her, then pulled her feet into his lap and began to massage them. “Yes, Love?”

“Are you happy? In Otherworld I mean?”

“You know my powers don’t work that well on you.” Aara sighed. “You keep referring to that planet as “your planet” – isn’t Otherworld your home now?”

“Thank you.” She lifted her arms into the air and Vash came into them instantly. “I want you to be happy. I love you so much.” Aara wrapped her arms tightly across his back.

He kissed her long and hard, leaving her breathless. “Does it work with you too?” He whispered.

“What?”

“Getting pregnant in the Human World.”

“I don’t think it makes a difference – but we can try, just in case.” She laughed and pulled him even closer, wrapping her legs around his hips. “Oh!  For the first time, I like this short skirt!!”

“So do I.” he laughed. “So do I.”

Aara stood with Souta and Vash on a street corner along with many others, all waiting for the traffic light to change. “I didn’t realize there were so many people!”

“There are millions of people here – and this is just one city. The Human World has over six billion people.” Souta told her.

“How many is six billion?” Aara asked.

“Ah, well, about a million times more than everyone in Otherworld, Suzaku and Demon World combined.” Souta said.

“Oh.” Aara said quietly, unable to imagine so many people. She already was missing her quiet little world.

Souta showed them as many sights as he could think of.  They were wandering along the tourist shops when something caught Aara’s eye.  She caught the men's attention and then went inside a nearby store. The men followed her into the store.

“May I see that?” Aara asked the clerk as she pointed to an item in the glass counter.

The shop keeper smiled and brought out a small silver star in a velvet pouch and a certificate. “These are very popular with the tourists. I can engrave the name right here in my shop – only takes a few minutes.” It was a star chart exactly like the one Kurama had brought her.

Aara thanked the shop keeper for his time and then went back outside. [read about the star chart in "Under a Crescent Moon" in the second half of the story]

“I’m so sorry.” Vash whispered.

Aara looked at Vash and then smiled. "I'm not upset, Vash. As a matter of fact, I'm proud that Kurama used his intellect instead of running around and getting himself hurt again. I almost lost him twice and I couldn't bear it if I lost him over such a silly request. You don't know how worried I was when he left to find my star."

"But he said that he faced all sorts of dangers..."

"Actually he didn't tell me any such thing. I just assumed..."

"... and he never corrected you."

Aara looked at Vash and grinned. "All the Protectors get to be brave almost every day, but Kurama is stuck in a Human's body now. The adventures he once knew have been taken from him. I don't blame him at all for keeping silent.  Please, Vash, don't tell anyone that I know about this."

“I promise not to say a word.” Vash said, taking her hand and raising it to his lips. “You are such a special lady. We are all very lucky.”

"Does this mean that it comes from the ocean?" he asked.

"Yes, it does.  Let's see -- lobster, crab, scallops, and a selection of fish.  Any of them would be good."

"Kouga told me all about the ocean.  Is it possible to see it?" Vash asked hopefully.

"I already had a trip on my list.  I was planning to take you tomorrow."

"Why don't we each get one item and then share so you can taste it all." Souta suggested.

"You don't mind?"

"Of course not!"  He glanced at his wife who nodded in agreement.

A short while later, steaming dishes were brought to them with a complete lobster in its bright red shell.

"It has eyes!  And feelers!" Aara exclaimed, drawing back in horror from the platter.

Souta smiled and asked the waiter to remove the shell which he deftly did.  Soon, plump white meat was all that was left on the plate, along with four small dishes of drawn butter.

"I wish I hadn't seen it first." Aara said as Souta served her a portion.  She tentatively speared a piece on her fork and then dipped it in the butter as Kemi demonstrated.  "Wow!  This is delicious!  It may look ugly but it tastes wonderful!"

Aara was closer to the beach. She had taken off her shoes and was playing at the edge of the water, trying to guess where the waves would end.

He sensed her stare and turned, then waved to her. She waved back and resumed playing in the waves. He didn’t move closer, but he watched her. Aara was beautiful, but it was more than her physical beauty that attracted him – and nearly every other male around. It was the beauty of her soul. She was the most loving, generous person he had ever met. She always had time for everyone – none of her males felt neglected and neither did he.

Vash suddenly ran down the sand dune to where his mate was standing and in one easy motion, he picked her up and spun her around. Aara laughed with delight and spread her arms out and leaned her head back, feeling the crisp air swirl around her.

Finally he put her down and then kissed her, long and deep.

“Wow!” Aara murmured when their lips finally parted.

“I love you, Aara.” Vash whispered. “I will love you forever.”

She leaned her head against his chest, hiding a sudden rush of tears, and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I love you too, Vash,” she whispered.