Epilogue: Freewill

You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill.
I will choose a path that's clear;
I will choose freewill.

--Rush, Freewill (Peart/Lee/Lifeson)

Yui's right knee bounced in a constant frantic rhythm. She couldn't prevent herself from the nervous twitch as she waited next to Miaka and Taka. She knew it was causing the plastic seats to vibrate, but Miaka and Taka kindly did not complain.

When she announced that she was going to the airport today, to meet her American Boyfriend, Taka immediately offered to drive, and Miaka exclaimed she had to come along. Yui very deliberately kept what she told him to a minimum. She and Glen had agreed over email that it was best not to. He wanted to keep his main connection to HER, not Miaka.

"It was another lifetime," he wrote to her. "I'm not going to be just Miaka's warrior again. I'm YOUR boyfriend. I'm coming to see YOU, not Miaka."

Of course, her vague descriptions had aroused their suspicions. She knew that Taka half expected this mystery boyfriend to stand her up. A half-way-around-the-world stand up was a bit much in Yui's opinion, but Taka was remarkably pessimistic about it all. Miaka very kindly refrained from any sort of speculation. Yui mentally rolled her eyes. Sure, they could be all righteous about it. They were a properly married young couple. How times had changed – Yui was now the scandalous one, the single girl living alone, with a no doubt uncouth foreign boyfriend.

Actually, she didn't care. According to the screen above their heads, the plane from Los Angeles was due to land in two minutes. Exactly eleven minutes after that, it would be at the gate. Soon, oh so soon now, Glen would come walking down the terminal.

Yui couldn't wait to see him again. And she knew he was excited to visit her. Night after night, they traded emails. Occasionally, he'd stay up late to instant message her to say good morning. As his typing improved, his emails grew longer and longer. He'd write to her of everything that happened in his day, every thought that crossed his mind. Even since she'd been in New York, she could tell he was maturing, becoming wiser.

"It's weird, but I used to think of Tasuki as this 'other guy I used to be'. Now there's no distinction. He's me. I'm him. And the things that were so hard to learn the first time around come easily now."

He no longer fought with female models or stylists, he said. Even Kurt had commented on the changes. Yui got a short email from the artist saying, "dunno what you did, but thanks! I don't have to apologize for him so much anymore."

They talked about so many different things in their emails. Movies, politics, even religion: how knowing first hand about the existence of gods made it both easier and harder to accept other religions. Yui finally confided the true nature of Seiryuu as she learned it while bonded with the dragon god. Glen told her about the connection the Suzaku seven had experienced with one another when they bonded together to give Miaka the power to defeat Nakago.

So many long conversations, all of them ending in their growing closer and closer. Now, after weeks apart, they'd be together again, and Yui could no longer wait calmly.

She leapt to her feet, bouncing lightly to try to see over the heads of the crowd. The display board flashed, informing them that Japan Air Flight 7 was at the gate.

Less than thirty seconds later, Yui climbed up on the seat to look over the crowds.

"Yui!" Miaka gasped, flushing in embarrassment. Taka looked anywhere but at Yui. She didn't care.

Finally, she spotted spiky red hair, a lean figure weaving its way through the crowds.

"GLEN!" Yui shouted, unabashed, waving her hand. His eyes met hers, and he waved back before doubling his pace, ducking around other passengers.

Yui jumped from the chair and rushed forward to meet him the instant he came through the security gate. She leapt with complete faith, and Glen caught her easily, spinning her around and laughing. They hugged tightly, then Glen dipped his head to capture her lips in a bruising kiss that expressed just how much he'd missed her.

"Hey, Yui-chan," he whispered against her lips.

"Hi," she breathed back.

"Yui?" Miaka's bewildered voice came from behind them. Yui squeezed Glen's arms.

"They insisted," she said quickly, in English. "Taka offered to drive, and Miaka had to come."

He nodded once, sharply. "Alright." Twining her fingers with his, Yui took his hand and turned to present him to her friends, his friends.

In calm Japanese, she said, "Miaka, Taka. I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Glen Rowe."

Miaka yelped at her first good look at Glen, staring.

"Glen Rowe?" repeated Taka in amazement. "Genrou?"

Glen's grin was wicked, sly and fanged. "Hiya, Dumplin'-head. Little Ogre," he said easily, in English.

"Tasuki!" Miaka shrieked, throwing herself at Glen. He laughed and hugged her easily. Even more amazing was when Miaka stepped back, Taka strode up and hugged his brother warrior fiercely, and Yui could have sworn she saw tears in the dark haired man's eyes.

"Oh my god, Yui, you sly thing, you never said a word! Did you know? Did you know he was Tasuki? Oh my god, this is amazing! And Taka! This might mean the others are out there somewhere too!" Miaka ran on excitedly. "Tasuki, have you found anyone else? Where were you born? Oh, you have to tell us everything!" Her words tumbled one over the other, and all in rapid-fire Japanese.

Yui caught Glen's sudden confusion. "Miaka!" she called, drawing her friend's attention. "Glen doesn't speak Japanese."

"Oh!" Miaka slapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said meekly in English.

Taka's quick gaze caught Glen's discomfort, and the way he and Yui stood pressed against one another. "Come on, Miaka, let's go get the car. Yui, you and Glen-kun can get his suitcase, and we'll pick you up outside." He drew his again excitedly babbling wife away.

Yui quickly explained the plan to Glen, who nodded. He watched his first Priestess and her warrior husband for a moment as they walked away.

"What?" Yui asked softly.

He shook his head. "Somehow, I expected… I dunno. They look just like they did last time I saw them."

"That was just over a year ago for them," Yui gently pointed out.

"Yeah, and more than a lifetime for me." He hugged her again, pressing his face into her shoulder.

"You'll get used to it," Yui reassured him, for both their sakes.

"I know. Jus' wish I coulda had, oh, a week alone with you first, y'know?" Yui giggled at his tone, both whining and suggestive.

"Come on, you. Let's get out of this airport and go home." She tugged his arm as she started to walk.

In the next step, Glen had his arm around her waist, walking as closely as possible. "An' I am home now. Anywhere you are is home for me."

Yui's grin lit up the air around her. With this amazing guy by her side, she finally felt like the past was behind her, over and done. Nothing but the future remained.

THE END

Thank you to everyone who's stuck it out, through reposts and site policy changes. It's been, eep!, 3 years since the REPOST started, which makes it closer to 5 years since this story was started. I never forgot Tasuki and Yui, and every time I listened to Rush, on CD or in concert (of which there's been 3 since starting this fic) I thought of them, and how to finish their story at last. And of course, they deserved a Happy Ending. Remember, all the chapter titles are songs by the band Rush, and I really recommend you look up the full lyrics to each. They really do add dimension to the story.

Thanks again to Kittylynne, OtakuPitcher, Roku Kyu, and all the reviewers.