I'm feeling kind of sad tonight. June 30th is the day my father died. I would have probably made it without crying, if I hadn't heard a song he sang so very often today. So, I sort of write this because of that. It's been 3 years, and it still effects me.I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's characters.
....
Inuyasha didn’t understand it. He could put the blame on him, when she was angry or sad. He could be relieved, if she were happy. Every year on the same day, she would just disappear from the group. At first, she would take Kirara with her. Then, when she grew stronger, she would go alone. He tried to follow his ally many times, but she has sat him every time. This year, he just watched her go. What was her problem anyways?
‘She always seems so…gloomy during this time,’ the half breed thought.
“Is she going again, Inuyasha,” asked Sango.
“Yeah…Do you know what’s wrong?”
The slayer shook her head at Inuyasha.
“I’ve asked her, but she’s never told.”
…
Kagome just kept walking, until she came to sit at a place. There, she knelt. She had picked some flowers on the way, and then laid them on the earth. She knew he wasn’t here, even in body. It was the wrong era, and he had moved on. But still- A tear fell from the miko’s face. That was enough. Placing her head in her hands, the tears poured. She thought after four years, her pain would subside.
…
A lone figure walked softly towards the human that followed his brother. She was alone. He had never seen her without his brother before. Was she getting brave? Or, did his brother finally sever ties and went off with the disgusting pile of hard dirt. While he shouldn’t care too much, this was the shikon miko. Not only that, she had gained his respect. Not only was she powerful, but she never ran or instantly tried to kill him. She seemed to not fear him, but wasn’t stupid enough to not respect him.
As he approached her though, he caught the high noted sounded of gasping and froze. Had she noticed him? Then, the smell of salt came to his nose.
‘Tears. This miko is crying?’
From what he heard from the cat demon of the group (since understanding her isn’t hard for him), Kagome only some tears when it came to someone in the group, and usually dealt with Inuyasha. Though, she had mentioned the tears don’t last long. This human smelled like she had been crying a while.
‘So, this is unlike her. It’s good to have an ally to keep tabs on her.’ His thoughts were randomizing a bit. He had known the miko Midoriko once. Kirara had been from his kingdom in the west, and so sent the demon to the miko as strong ally. It was ashamed she had become the jewel in the end.
Stepping closer, he decided to speak.
“Miko, what is the meaning of these tears?”
…
Kagome jerked, pulling out her bow and latching an arrow. When she turned, it was not an enemy she saw. Instead, it was Inuyasha’s brother with a raised brow. His look said ‘you think you will’? She lowered her weapon immediately.
“Oh, it’s you Sesshomaru-sama.” She knew to give him respect.
…
“Yes, it is. Now, answer the question,” asked Sesshomaru. “To show tears like that could bring an enemy attack to you. You show yourself as vulnerable. So, why is it are you crying?”
Something about the pitiful look on her face through Sesshomaru for a loop. He didn’t like to see women crying, human or not. If it had been his brother, he must have really insulted her this time.
“Today…Today is the day my father died four years ago.”
This was certainly not the answer he suspected.
“I take it you respected your father,” asked Sesshomaru, not sure how else to put it.
…
Kagome looked away in remembering.
“He was a good man. He worked hard. He helped to build and construct things. He would come home sore, but happy to keep our family surviving. It was on the job that he died. There was a large beam being carried by ropes overhead. Um… a beam is usually a large piece of metal that goes into really big buildings as a frame for them. I guess that’s a good way to put it.”
She stopped a moment, choking up a bit for the next part. The time explaining that helped her calm down a little, but the next part brought the tears back.
“The rope wasn’t strong. I landed on top of him. They…They couldn’t do much from there. He died, before he even got to the hosp-the healers.”
As the tears flooded her face once more, she tried to hide it from him by completely turning away from him.
“You must think its stupid, especially after these years. But, this day still really hurts. I just got back from a trip with my friends. I-I had some many things I wanted to tell him…I never would tell him. Never again. Mom tries to hide it, but even this day gets her down. I can’t go home. I can’t be strong for her or my brother. Not on this day.”
…
Sesshomaru wasn’t sure what to say. For some reason though, he felt something from this. Yes, he was still furious with his father, but it wasn’t just about the sword of Inuyasha’s mother. It was from him leaving. He dare leave him, not letting him get the chance to prove himself to his father, to show he could be stronger than him one day! In a way, he understood. Though, his feelings were more towards anger than hers.
Walking right up behind her, he knelt down. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he spoke in her ear.
“Showing this much respect, in your way, really does show how important a man was your father. While it is a strange way to honor him, you still do so. For that, I respect your crying over him, as your mother apparently is. She probably is even more.”
He paused a moment and then added more.
“To honor the spirit of your father, may I join you here? After all, you shouldn’t’ be alone out here. Though, this Sesshomaru will not cry.”
…
Rubbing some tears from her eyes, Kagome nodded. She wasn’t sure why he was acting this way, but it would be nice to have someone stronger beside her while she was so upset. She couldn’t lean on this demon, but from his words she felt like for now it was really all right to be weak.
“Then, perhaps you can pray with me.”