A/N: I was listening to an old Michelle Branch CD of mine the other day when "Where are you now?" started playing and it sounded so much like an S/K so I decided to write this. I hope you enjoy!
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SPOV
I stood on the bow of the ship as my homeland rose from the horizon. It had been so very long since I had returned. What had it been, four centuries now? Nearly so.
I left in search of something. What that thing was, I do not know. I had always lived my life in pursuit of supreme conquest and when I achieved it by obtaining Bakusaiga and destroying Naraku my life felt empty, like I no longer had a purpose. The emptiness festered but I ignored it by focusing my attention on my responsibilities. But after eight years, Rin had grown and the taijiya asked for her hand which I granted and they were married. With her no longer needing me, the void grew larger and caused an inconsolable ache.
So I traveled the countryside for a few decades with Jaken by my side but still the ache remained. I felt myself sinking into a depression and I knew I had to get out. I needed to fill the emptiness inside and I was not finding it in Japan. So I told Jaken I was leaving, that he should return to his people. He protested, claiming he would come with me but he did not understand the pain I was experiencing. I preferred solitude in this state of mind so I left him behind.
For the next few centuries, my life found new meaning. I traveled from country to country learning new languages and cultures and broadening my view of the world. However, what really gave me the most joy during my journeying was learning all the ways of fighting throughout the world. It started with hand-to-hand and swords and other handheld weapons but then the ways of war changed completely with the introduction of the firearm. I was fascinated by these weapons and learned all I could about them since they were the first human device I've ever encountered that it didn't matter if the target was youkai. It still caused harm to us the same as humans. Slowly all the weaker demons were killed off and the stronger youkai, like myself, integrated into human culture or went into hiding.
The world around me continued to change. Technology took off by leaps and bounds and before I knew it I was watching dumbstruck as a man walked on the moon. Not too long after that Japan became the leader in technology so I decided that I had learned all I could from the outside world and would go home now.
Which brings me to this boat. As I stand here watching Japan rise from the sea, I still feel the empty ache in my chest. After all this time it had never gone away. I managed to make it dull but it never disappeared. I tried to think back to the last time I felt peace and a face filled my mind's eye. I shook it away for surely she was dead. Even though she had disappeared after Naraku's death and no one was able to find her, she was most certainly gone. My brother spouted nonsense about seeing her again in the distant future but his grief over losing her must have driven him mad, for a human, even a very powerful miko like herself, could not survive the centuries.
But it was true. The last time I truly felt at peace was when I was in the presence of the Shikon Miko. With her dead, I could admit that to myself. Even though she was a human, she had great power. She was endlessly loyal and fiercely protective over the ones she cared about. She had the most honor of any female I had ever met and I admired her for it.
As I thought of her, the edges of the void pulsed in pain and I finally knew the cause of the emptiness. The girl from my memories had escaped with my heart. I had fallen for her without ever realizing I had and when she disappeared from my life, she carried my heart with her. And after all the places I went, people I met and women that fawned over me throughout the intervening centuries, nothing and no one could take her place. The only woman ever to touch my heart is gone. Forever.
As the boat docked, I felt the depression moving back in and disembarked in a dark fog. I wandered into the city with no real goal in mind. I walked for hours until the sky went red as the sun set. A fitting color, it matched my bleeding heart.
Suddenly the breeze carried a familiar scent. My head snapped up and I turned into the wind. Before me was a torii arch and a long flight of stairs.
I rushed up them without a thought and froze at the top when my gaze found her beneath the massive tree my brother was once sealed to. She obviously felt me arrive because her back stiffened and she turned abruptly. Her eyes widened before rolling back into her head as she suddenly slumped. I rushed forward to catch her before she hit the ground.
Her small, feminine body curled into me and my heart warmed. I didn't know how it was possible but she was here, in my arms, finally. Looking around, I saw a house. Cradling her gently, I carried her inside.
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A/N: What'd you think? Shoot me a review! I already have chapter 2 written but I haven't proofread it yet, so look for it in the near future!