Cherry Blossoms in the Wind by Raven Winchester

Little Flower

**GUYS! GUESS WHO FINALLY GOT A NEW COMPUTER!!!!!!! IT HAS BEEN WAYYY TOO LONG AND I APOLOGIZE!**

***I do not own Inuyasha.***

 It was the color of her cheeks on a particularly warm day, the soft glow it gave her made her seem even more angelic than she was. Her youthful face covered in splotches of sweat as her miniature legs pushed with all their might to reach her desired branch. Determination shining in her heterochromic orbs, the cool blue such a startling color against the warm amber.  Her ebony pigtails getting in the way more than once to the annoyance of the small child.

   “Azalea, be careful.” Her mother’s gentle admonishment betrayed the smile on her face.

   “But mommy!” The toddler fired back with a whine, haphazardly hanging off of a low branch. She didn’t notice her tiny claws slipping off the worn wood.

    “Azalea!”

 It was the pained shriek that did her in, Azalea’s body crumpling when she hit the stone at an angle. Blood streaming down her forehead at an alarming pace as her mother shrieked for her husband.

   “Sesshomaru!”

 Countless healers, most saying there was nothing to be done for the poor child, visited upon request of the Western Lord. The Lady almost withering away beneath the worry and long hours of care for her child. Days turned into weeks, soon turned into months and ever so quickly turned into years. All of Azalea’s older brothers visited on her birthday, wishing every year to see her unique orbs once more.

 It was a normal day, just like every dreary day before it when she had opened her eyes. So hazy and unfocused for being closed for fourteen years that the agony light thrust upon her made her wish for death. Her eyes slipped closed again without anyone’s notice. She could feel her mother’s aura near her face, a comforting touch calmed her frazzled nerves.

 Kagome lovingly touched her daughter’s face, humming a lullaby to her. She knew her daughter had woken, but she could feel her withering soul. Her precious flower’s time would be cut short, too short. It had taken years for her to accept, even then she still had doubts.

    “It has been fourteen years baby. I can feel you begging to be set free. I… I…” Her voice cracked as she kept speaking, her husband’s hand on her shoulder providing her strength. “I believe it is time daddy and I let you go, little one. We have been so selfish for keeping you caged like a little bird. Your soul is dying Azalea, and you with it.”

 It had been several days since her daughter woke up. Looking at her baby, her first and last baby girl made her want to cry. Azalea’s once tan skin was pale and taut, lacking the spark of life she once knew. She had little to no muscle tone and her body was withering away faster than what the team of healers could keep up with.

  The night of the full moon was when all hell broke loose. Azalea had weakly asked for her mommy and daddy, wishing to be comforted as the chill in her bones spread throughout her body. Kagome and Sesshomaru held her all through that night, whispering their love to her and their apologies that she had been trapped for so long.

   “M-Mommy, please don’t cry.” Her voice was broken, cracking beneath the effort of her words. Seeing Kagome’s mouth open she shushed her softly, “I made a promise the day I fell, to Uncle Inu.”

 Azalea had told them what she promised her dead uncle, her voice fading away slowly.

   “I...love...you…” No one could have been prepared for the pained screams of their Lady, but the howl of their Lord shook the very foundation of the castle with his grief. Kagome clutched her baby girl, her little angel to her chest as she rocked back and forth with tears darkening the white fabric on her child.

 It had taken three days. Three laborious days to dig a hole for her grave as her father had insisted. Her mother had locked herself away for three days, refusing to eat and or drink.

 A gentle rain had greeted them during first light, making it seem as if the sky itself was crying over the loss of such a bright soul. They moved forward, unperturbed by the rain. Her grave was under an abnormally large weeping cherry tree, the blossoms danced in the breeze before they were pulled down by water droplets. Sesshomaru and Kagome watched as their little flower was lowered into the ground. Kagome’s nose was red from crying and Sesshomaru’s hands were bleeding from the amount of effort it took to hand dig his child’s grave.

 No one had seen Sesshomaru and Kagome after that day, not even when the West had collapsed without their lord to guide them. Centuries had come and gone, flying by as if they were naught but a beat of the heart. Some say that on the first full moon of the new year, you can see a small child attempting to jump onto a branch underneath the watchful eyes of a man and his wife.

*It has been so long since I have written something so I am sooo sorry if this is absolute trash. I felt the need to write some angst and by golly it appears I did.  If the format looks weird please let me know as I still haven't entirely figured out Dokuga.  Thanks for reading and please review!*