An Education by UnknownRandomness

The Shock of a Sudden Bereavement

A/N: This chapter is written for Stella's Word Prompt Game for December, Week 1. I think it started off okay but then it kinda ran away from me. Hope you enjoy. 

Prompt: Crevasse - (n) A deep fissure, as in a glacier, a chasm; a crack or breach in a dike or levee. 

Word Count: 710

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru with an assessing eye, once again struck by how impressive the demon lord was. Stoic, powerful, an accomplished fighter and ruler... He was the epitomisation of perfection and that fact was furthered by his name- none would ever forget it, because it belonged to a creature with a presence that was almost divine. His enemies cowered before him and his subjects beheld him with complete respect shining in their eyes. He always appeared composed, only once before had she seen his control slip when he had transformed.

So it seemed odd that he would let Rin accompany him. They were an unusual combination; a fully-grown inuyoukai and a human child.

'But then again', Kagome thought with a twisted smile, 'we aren't exactly the most normal group are we? Two demons, one hanyou, a demon slayer and two reiki users'.

Their alliance was unprecedented and a force to be reckoned with, especially since Sesshoumaru had joined their quest. Rin was wonderful to be around; being constantly happy and surprisingly insightful, Kagome was pleased that she and Shippo were such good friends.

Although the Western Lord and his entourage had become their allies, they often traveled separately due to his duties to the lands he oversaw. Today was once again time for them to part ways. With an enthusiastic wave from the little girl, the group was gone; spirited away by the silver-haired male.

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It was several months later when she and her companions next crossed paths with the daiyoukai, who was alone. That in itself was unusual, but as Kagome approached to greet him, his eyes rimmed red and he took a short step back away from her.

The others also noticed his odd behaviour and Miroku tentatively asked,

"What troubles you, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

For a long while, he did not respond and the miko took the opportunity to look at him, to really look and what she saw disturbed her. His perfect, stoic facade was cracked. On the outside, he did not seem all that different, but something inside of him had changed... There was a fissure in his soul, and it was widening before their very eyes.

The inuyoukai opened his mouth to speak and when he did, his voice was hard, at odds with the pain that reverberated in every word. The emotion contained within his short sentence was so raw and distraught that Kagome did not process his words and started, alarmed, when Shippo let out a heart-wrenching scream as Sango stifled a gasp with her hands. Miroku visibly paled and Kirara released a pitiful mew whilst Inuyasha offered a genuine and subdued apology to his half-sibling. What was going on? What had happened?!

Turning in confusion to Inuyasha, she felt her heartbeat race as he took one look at her face and lowered his eyes.

"Rin's dead, Kagome."

His voice cracked on the last word and blood began to drip from his clenched fists. 

The phrase revolved around her mind, but it didn't make sense. Shocked disbelief choked her sobs. Rin wasn't dead! This was sick, a sick joke. She couldn't accept it, she wouldn't. Her brain screamed to keep the hysteria at bay; Rin is alive, Rin is alive, Rin is alive, Rin is alive!

But when she raised her watering eyes to Sesshoumaru, she knew that was a fantasy. Before her stood a broken man. And in that moment, she hated him. She had never felt such strong rage towards anyone and she did not care.

Rin was dead and he was broken. Everything was wrong. Tears welled up and slipped over the edge, pouring down her cheeks in gentle rivulets as she stared at the the shadow remnants of a great demon. The crack was spreading through them, widening into a gaping chasm that would rip them apart.

She didn't care... Something inside all of them had snapped. Why were they trying when this was all that would greet them?

Shippo leapt from Kirara's side with a feral screech, pummeling Sesshoumaru's chest with his tiny fists, twisted face wet. The daiyoukai remained still, allowing the kitsune to abuse him... But as she watched, a single tear fell from his closed lids. None of this made sense anymore.

She fell.