Starry Nights by Fallingyuki
Starry Nights
I do not own any part of inuyasha or characters of.
Sesshoumaru noticed the time by the darkening of the sky. Rin had not returned from the field where she was playing with the kitsune. Knowing that it was getting late and she needed her sleep he left the camp and headed to where she last was.
Halfway back Rin and Shippo ran into the taiyoukai. He motioned them to the camp with a tilt of his head. Rin looked at him adoringly, nodded and took the kitsune by the hand and headed back to the camp. He noted that the Miko hadn’t returned. Curious to see what she was doing. She was usually at the fire tending to the evening meal of her pack by now. He continued towards the field where he felt her. What he happened upon startled even him.
Kagome had her hands out away from her body as she swung herself around in slow circles. She would stop and sway and then resume her circular movements. He could hear faint traces of sound coming from her. He tilted his head in curiosity. Where was it coming from? And what kind of music was it, for he knew that was what it was. He looked over her form and noticed some type of item resting on her ears. The music was coming from them. He wondered what magic she used to bring music to her ears as well as his own. His gaze travelled up her form as he tok noteof the pink hue her whole body was emitting. He knew it was her miko power but he didn’t feel the sting of purification. There was a sense of sadness. It surrounded her as she kept spinning.
Strange he thought as he watched her dance. He soon scented salt as he saw tears trail down her cheeks. This was the first time he saw this. She had been through battle after battle and he never smelt this emotion on her. Even in the final battle with Naraku she was firm in stance and joyful at the end of the hanyou.
Why was she crying now?
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Kagome felt the taiyoukai approach. She didn’t care. She didn’t care if he saw her in her moment of sadness. What did it matter to her when she felt the way she did. It was funny. When she added the song to her ipod she never felt that it would be fitting for this day. The song had always gave her feel a sense of peace until this evening. She was grateful that her mother had thought to put in both of her ipods when she came home the last time. She made sure to have one available for after the battle with Naruku feeling it was appropriate to have victory music. She even had a playlist set up for this event. Until she happened upon this song. Then it changed. The sense of finality enveloped her. She couldn’t shake off her sadness and let the music take hold of her. Faster and faster she spun until she collasped on the ground.
It wasn’t until she landed and silently stared up at the stars that she noticed she was crying. She could feel Sesshoumaru’s gaze still upon her and she glanced over.
“Have you ever felt victory to be so sad?” she looked over at her companion for a second before glancing up at the stars.
“I’m going to miss the view. The stars here are so bright and beautiful.” She smiled. “they aren’t as bright where I live.”
“Miss?” Sesshoumaru asked. He felt the question was what the Miko wanted. He too glanced up at the stars. Although the music was faint to his ears he enjoyed the melody as he felt it fit this moment.
“Yeah. I’m going to miss everything here.”
“You are leaving?”
“Yes. I have to return to my home. I wasn’t meant to stay here. I accomplished my task, my duty. I restored the Shikon no tama to its rightful state. Once I make a wish I will return home.”
“What of your kit?”
“I know he knows that I cannot stay. I want to take him with me but I know that I will not be able to. It hurts.” Kagome clutched her chest as she sat up. She felt ill at what she was to do. Tears continued to silently fall.
“This Sesshoumaru thought you were going to mate the hanyou.”
Kagome smiled softly. She looked down at the ground. When she looked at him he could see pain reflected in her eyes. He was startled when he felt a pain inside himself. What is this feeling he thought as he returned her gaze.
“I have let him go.” She looked back up at the stars. The silence that rested between the two continued for a time. After some time she collected herself and stood. Kagome brushed off her kimono. She had started wearing one after the battle. She had two kimonos she wanted to wear as much as possible. There wasn’t much time left and she knew once she went home she would have very few instances to do so. She turned to the taiyoukai and bowed.
“Thank you Sesshoumaru-sama. Thank you for fighting with us in the end. Iknow you didn’t do it for us but I know that without you and your strength we would have had less of a fighting chance. “ she didn’t raise her head until she was done.
Sesshoumaru inclined his head briefly. He didn’t do it for them. He did it to protect his lands from the evil hanyou who threatened the peace of them. He followed the Miko as she headed back to camp. Once there he watched as she started to make the meal for all those in her pack. He watched her that evening. She was more attentive to all those that surrouned the fire. She touched upon every one of them. She smiled as she shared their jokes and happiness. She acted completely different then she had in the field. He wondered where the sadness went and how she had hid it so well.
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Kagome got up early the next morning. She packed up her sleeping bag. She threw on a few pieces of wood that sat next to the fire. She wrapped her sweater around her shoulders and reached into her bag. She pulled out an envelope and set it on top of the bag. She bent over the Kitsune and kissed his cheek as she resettled the blanket around his shoulders. She looked around the camp and noticed the taiyoukai’s gaze was upon her. She smiled. The sad smile that she had upon her face as she danced the night before. She bowed her head towards him and headed out the camp. He didn’t think anything of it. She always got up first to tend to the morning meal. He closed his eyes once more.
He opened his eyes awhile later when his half brother began to curse. He lifted one lid at him. It wasn’t unusual for Inuyasha to curse at the Miko. He did it regularly. It wasn’t until he searched for her aura and noticed it was gone. Completely. As if she hadn’t been there.
He sat up and looked around. He sniffed trying to find her scent. It was unmistakable. It was a spicy scent. One he had never smelt before on a ningen. It was refreshing. He stood up when he noticed that it was faint and growing fainter. Why was that? He thought. A scent lasts awhile before it faded. It was impossible for it to fade so quickly. He watched as his brother darted out of the camp. He headed towards the village of the older miko. Funny that he had left without word to his pack.
He glanced around and noticed the confused glances the ningens were giving each other. He looked to the kitsune and watched as the little one had shell shocked eyes. Eyes that began to water as his shoulders shook with his cries. The taijiya walked over the the kitsune and wrapped her arms around him as he began to bawl. Why is he crying. He wondered.
The monk walked over to the huge yellow bag that the miko carried around. He picked up the white parchment and sat down. He opened it read over the contents and sighed. He looked up at his companions with a heavy hearted expression. He knew what had occurred and confirmed with the others in his group what he had read in the letter.
“She is gone.”
Sesshoumaru watch and smel t the tears that began to fall from the taijiyas eyes too. Why do they cry. The fading scent of the miko was the key. Where was she?
Sesshoumaru stood. He wanted to know what was going on. He felt that the group might not share the letter with him and felt that his half brother could supply an answer to his query. He followed the path that his brother took through the forest towards the older miko’s village. Inuyasha passed the village stopping in the middle of a field where the boneeater’s well resided . He could smell the scent of the miko ending there. It didn’t go anywhere else. He looked down into the well noting that the miko wasn’t there. Strange he thought. He glanced over at his brother who had a pained expression on his face.
Inuyasha chuckled.
“She didn’t want to say good-bye.”
“Where is the miko, Inuyasha? Why does her scent end here?”
“She went back to her home.”
“Her home?”
“Yeah, her home.” He slowly slide down the side of the well. He clutched his head between his hands as he took deep breaths.
“Where is her home?”
“On the other side of this well. She is from this exact spot. Five hundred years in the future.”
Sesshoumaru looked sharply at his half-brother . What was he speaking of? The future? Was that even possible.
Inuyasha could feel the confusion rolling off his brother in waves. He was too tired to argue or ignore his brother as he fought the feeling battling inside himself.
“She came through the well from her time. She broke the spell on me, broke the jewel which she had. She stayed to put back the jewel.”
“This Sesshoumaru thought that she would give the wish to you? This Sesshoumaru though the half-breed wanted to be full youkai. Was this Sesshoumaru incorrect?”
Inuyasha chuckled at his brother. “I did. But then in the end, I understood that that damn thing would be the death of me if I did that. It needed an unselfish wish to end its exsistence. So I left that up to Kagome. She made her wish. I felt it. It was how I knew she was gone.”
“How did you feel the wish? I noticed no change in you. You are the same as ever.”
“It was such a small thing. I doubt it would have been noticed by anyone but me.”
“What was it that she wished upon you then.”
“My well-being. She wished on my well-being.”
Sesshoumaru looked at him in askance. What did he mean?
“She balanced my blood. I can feel that my blood has calmed. It won’t rage and take over as it used to. I won’t go on a rampage if I become enraged.” Inuyasha laughed. “That’s so like her. To think of others and not herself.” He got up and headed back to the others.
Sesshoumaru could smell the salt from his brother as he walked away. When he felt his brothers presence no more he reached up to his chest again. He felt that ache again. He wondered for the second time why he felt it when he thought of the miko. He shook his head and and headed back to his pack. It was time to head home. He would think on the miko later. With that, Sesshoumaru disappeared into the trees.