She stared into the sunset which set the cliff ablaze with reddish light and breathed in the intoxicating feudal air that surrounded her. It was over, the battle finished once and for all, and Naraku’s miasma had disappeared along with the sorrows he had caused to his enemies. Yet Kagome Higurashi held on to the completed Shikon no Tama and turned to face her companions, all celebrating in jubilation, each with a partner or lover they had attained throughout the journey. Sango with her lecherous monk Miroku, Shippo gleefully jumping with Kirara as they snuggled into each other’s fur, and the man whom she once loved holding her clay ancestor’s form stood there, watching the sun behind her slowly descend the sky along with Nakaru’s ashes. She couldn’t help but feel a churn in her heart, a surge of jealously in knowing that she came out alone with no one to love or care for.
“Kagome, its time for you to make your wish.” Sango smiled as Inuyasha stepped forward and offered out his hand.
“Give me the jewel Kags. Feh, It’s time for me to give Kikyo a real body with real emotions.” Yet the young schoolgirl held the jewel within her grasp and merely stared at Inuyasha in emotional rage and grimaced.
“Osuwari Inuyasha.” The earth grumbled as the half demon slammed into the ground and started to curse, bewildered at why his friend would deny him his request to allow Kikyo to live and breathe at his side.
“WHAT THE HELL KAGOME ?! It was part of our deal in the beginning! THIS Jewel is to be MY wish! Damn it all! How am I going to stay with Kikyo?! You selfish bitch!”
Kagome turned away and eased towards the edge of the cliff smiling painfully into the burning sun. “Is that all you think of me, Inuyasha? A mere shard detector and second in your heart? I will never allow such a selfish wish to be granted by the likes of you! YOU ASSHOLE !” Her strained voice pierced through the joyous atmosphere and left a trail of uneasy tension.
The miko stepped off the cliff, leaving her friends in awe at her unforseen action as she ran to save her life. Inuyasha stood there with his mouth agape, clutching the shell which contained Kikyo’s soul. The wind in her face, Kagome plummeted to the earth below and closed her eyes, hoping that death would be swift and light. However, she opened her eyes, spotting a blur of silver hair and cursed at Inuyasha’s swiftness. Then as her eyes looked further to the body that held her, she realized it was not Inuyasha, but his older half-brother Sesshomaru.
“Have you gone mentally insane Miko? Perhaps the emotions in your heart have gotten a hold of your rationality.” His cold voice vibrated within her ears and it snapped her back to reality.
The Killing Perfection of the Western Lands had saved her life once again. During the final battle against Naraku, he had been there to aid the group, seeking revenge for the attack against his human ward, Rin. Kagome did not realize that her life was on the line as a stray tentacle nearly plunged straight into her heart and would have instantly killed her. Yet he sliced the tentacle in half and lifted her back to her companions, and as he continued to strife with the onslaught of the samyoshio and tentacles, he was always watching out for the miko and her low defensive capabilities. Sesshomaru would smirk as she ran from the danger and position herself with a holy arrow aimed for Naraku’s head or chest. Of course she would miss, but the youkai had slowly taken a liking to the futuristic woman.
The moment that he laid his eyes upon her, the romantic claims by Kouga and many ningen men for her suddenly meant nothing to him as he placed his heart upon the one girl whom he recalled helped his half brother claim what was rightfully his. He flew in mid air and disappeared holding the young maiden in his arms. Kagome gasped, baffled at what he just did.
“S-Sesshomaru?! What the heck do you think you’re doing!? Put me down this instant! I’ll call -”
“Call who Miko? My pathetic excuse of a half brother? From what I observed, I believe that his heart is no longer loyal to yours.” Sesshomaru’s silver hair swayed in the wind as his stoic face remained towards the horizon. He appeared almost god-like. “That hanyou does not love you.”
Kagome’s heart tightened as he stated the harsh and rational truth about the collapsing relationship between Inuyasha and herself, but quickly wondered why the youkai had taken his time to save her life once again while she was suffering emotionally. ‘He does have the looks and demeanor of a god… I wonder what he looks like underneath those clothes…’ Her face flustered red and looked towards the setting sun that laid ahead of them in an attempt to hide her countenance from her savior. In the distance, she could make out the outline of a castle and abode of the highly respected Sesshomaru Inutashio.
The blur seen from a distance had morphed into the figure of Sesshomaru carrying a young maiden bridal style in his arms as the green imp hobbled his way back to greet his foreboding master. Kagome looked to see Sesshomaru’s ward, Rin, whose interest was spiked and was curious as to who the young woman was there and for what purpose her father figure had brought her to their abode.
“Lord Sesshomaru, why is she here?” Her inquiring face glanced towards the eyes of the stern and silver face of the taiyoukai.
“She is to watch over you Rin, as I have business when it comes to dealing with the other lords during the next few weeks. She’ll keep you company until then.” He dropped the maiden down and stepped away, with the following imp blabbering his complaints about the miko being there.
“Milord! This is a disaster!! You seriously cannot keep such a wench in your castle!!”
“Jaken, stay here and watch those two. You shall report to me if that wench has made any plans of escaping back to my pathetic half-brother.” Sesshomaru paused and looked down at his bowing servant. “If you hide anything from me, I will not hesitate to kill you.”
After Sesshomaru opened the grand door to leave the castle, once again a part of him cursed himself for taking a human into his abode, knowing how the lords of the other lands would strike him down as a weak and pitiful leader like his father was. “Have you someone to protect?” The words struck him as he growled into the wind, heading to the circle of the lords that was established by his forefather before him. ‘This Sesshomaru has no one to protect father… no one.’
——-
“Say, wasn’t your name Kagome?” Rin tugged at the still young miko, who in response turned and stared into Rin’s brown lifeless eyes.
‘What…? Her eyes… they’re so lifeless…could she be dead?’ Kagome’s expression came back as life rushed into her breath and she clasped the girl’s face into her hands.
“Rin, what’s wrong with your eyes?” The young girl held the teenager’s hands into hers and looked down at the floor, hiding the pain that had grown over the years from facing the afterlife before Sesshomaru had saved her.
“Lord Sesshomaru saved Rin from that black place… but I’m all better now! See. Rin can play with you Kagome!” Her face displayed a weak smile, but still showed a slight tint of happiness. Kagome contemplated a way to return all of the young girl’s emotions back to herl.
“Hey Rin, can I hug you?”
“Okay Kagome.” The girl grasped the maiden’s shoulders as she hugged her wrapped her fragile arms around Kagome and without realizing it, Kagome healed the girl spiritually, giving the girl back parts of her dignity and conscious./restoring parts of the girl’s dignity and conscious.
As they broke away from the hug Rin smiled, her eyes reflecting back all the happiness the girl had been unable to express before. Her face radiated with the joy she felt now that she was not the lone human inhabitant of the palace. Their bonding was quickly interrupted by the grumpy old imp, who hobbled back with his staff of two heads; he switched back and forth from being a fearful servant to a controlling imp whom had the authority that Sesshomaru had given him. Kagome rose from her knees and bowed to show respect to the youkai, the little imp scoffing at her flattery.
“What did you just do with Rin, Miko?!” Jaken raised his staff of two heads threateningly towards Kagome. “When Sesshomaru finds out about this, you’ll be in big trouble!!”
“I didn’t do anything that harmed her, Jaken, I simply healed her shattered soul. You should be glad that Sesshomaru hasn’t noticed it yet.”
“It’s LORD SESSHOMARU ! You must pronounce his name as LORD Sesshomaru! Darn wench, you make my life much harder!!!”
Yet Kagome smirked as she held the hand of the little girl whose pained soul she had soothed.
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Japanese Vocab (to those who do not understand ._.)
Miko = revered priestess
Shikon no Tama = The legendary Shikon Jewel of the series, it can grant any wish desired by the person holding it
Youkai = Demon
Taiyoukai = Demonic Lord
Inu = Dog *so inuyoukai…duh?*
Samyoshio = little bugs from the series that do Naraku’s bidding. -evil looking-
Hanyou = Half demon/Half human
Osuwari (Thanks Diane :]) = Honorable Sit/Japanese dog Command; when used on Inuyasha he falls to the earth.