Crimson Tears by Strmbringr

Death walks among us

Silence would have reigned supreme if not for the horrid sounds around her filling the sickening void. They were not much better than the silence, not at all. Sobbing, wailing, coughing, hacking, weezing, screams of agony, sounds of pain, cries for help. All of the true sounds left over from an ended battle. You could not really say it ended the war, but that was another tale for later.

None of this surprised her. Absently she knew that as a miko she should be among the healers helping the wounded. Yet she was held transfixed within the paralyzing claws of shock as she looked down into a crater not a foot from where she stood. It was perhaps a hundred feet down at the least. She had not moved for awhile while activity went on around her. Because of her rank no one attempted to motivate her into action.

She felt the presences approach her a moment later, but her gaze to the bottom of the crater did not falter. She was still held in the trance and so the figures were merely annoying flies trying to gain her attention. She felt no emotions, everything was blank stained with crimson. She knew those presences would attempt to console her, but she also knew that they could never truly understand. They could come very, very close, but would never truly understand. She prayed they wouldn't have to.

A femanine hand laid itself gently on one of her shoulders, though she ignored it. She was trying to come up with explanations, excuses even, but every single one of them fell short. Deep down she already realized the truth that was spelled out before her very eyes. She did not want comfort or pity, none at all. She merely wished to be back in the arms of her love. That simply wasn't an option anymore.

"Kagome. Kagome please...'

The woman's pleading voice barely registered for its meaning, though it did puncture through the fog clouding her mind. Her soulful eyes stared blankly at the moment as if she had woken up, but was still half asleep. She turned back to the creater, hesitating only a moment before she began her descent. She wondered if she would ever speak again. Then she wondered if she would care. It didn't really matter. Unbeknownst to her, tears began rolling down her cheeks as she grew closer to the bottom of the crater.

Blood was everywhere. It streaked across the walls of the crater, the contents inside. The final blow had finished them both off. Her gaze toook in all that surrounded her as if to keep it forever embedded in her mind. She knew the pain that would come with remembering, but she needed to. It was likely that she would never recover from the loss of her mate, so it wouldn't matter if she only added the pain from the sight to that burden on her soul. She picked up his remains and made her way to the top of the crater slowly.

Her eyes locked with golden ones a few feet away. The sun met the sky and she felt pain like a nice stabbing into her heart. Golden eyes...like that of his half. The connection blazed before she turned her own away, unable to take the memory. Besides, they had loathed each other. Why would he feel pity for her? For surely that was what she had seen lingering in the golden depths. She glanced down, registering the small clump of ivory hair in her hands and the tears fell anew. Her stamina failed her and she was brought to her knees.

She refused to release her burden, all that was left of him. She merely held the items as if they were some sort of lifeline for her. Her visage cracked as she gazed at the silken strands and her tears because all out sobs, wracking her body with their intensity. Arms grabbed at her to help her up, but she pushed them away with a jerk. Wrenching herself free from them as she staggered to the podium meant for her mate as he gave his troops enstructions. One thought rang true. Revenge.

Her voice was cracking and hoarse from many things. Screaming in rage and pain as she battled along side her friends and troops. Still, her voice carried well enough. The generals, lords, ladies, and gernerally everyone important had arrived to hear her. Many miko stood among the crowd, tending the worst of them because leaders were needed more than anyone else. She held up the shreds of his clothing, still blood soaked, as well as the destructive sword he called his own. Proof was shown of ehr dead mate, their leader, before she spoke, meeting the golden eyes above their heads.

"It had been confirmed that my mate, Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru, has fallen in this battle."

Though the word had spread around camp, not many had believed it. Now, however, any whom had harbored doubts now lost them. The Lord's mate himself telling of his death? Then it did ring true. She had the items to prove it. His white haori stained crimson, the sword of the fangs of the demon Goshinki, bits of his armor, and most of all...his blood. Denail, shock, horror, sadness, anger...those were only a few of the emotions running rampant aroundher. Everyone here knew that she had loved Sesshoumaru and he her. T'was perhaps the only thing emotional about him.

It was assumed that Sesshoumaru would have made Inu-Yasha his heir, as he and Kagome had not had a legitimate child as of yet. Threy believed Inu-Yasha had been made heir in his last dying moments. The hanyou, in fact, did move closer to Kagome and all eyes turned towards him. Kagome bent her head down, shading her face, as no one seemed to realize the slight offense and anger she had taken to being dismissed so easily. Inu-Yasha, sensing this, turned to ehr with mild curiosity.

Her head rose slightly, bangs still shadowing most of her face. A crystaline tear fell and hit a small vial in her hands. Thus, attention was drawn to it. It was full of a red liquid and strands of silver...hair? Very few realized what it was inside the vial. Those who did looked at her, eyes wide. It was then that she lifted her head high, her bands falling apart to center her forehead, revealing the crecent moon marking on her forehead. Many looked to Inu-Yasha in shock, but, seeing his empty forehead, turned back to Kagome.

"My marking as lady of the west stayed because I am also heir to the western lands. My love left them to me. I do not have the strength to rule in his stead, so I have found a solution to this small delema."

Her almost souless ocean eyes fell upon them, as if asking someone to stop her from whatever action she was about to take. Most were overcoming their initial shock at her rank. After all, from the love they all knew about and the dislike for his half brother, it truly wasn't a surprise. The mark hadn't left and Inu-Yasha didn't have one so that meant either that she was heir or Sesshoumaru was alive. Obviously it was not the latter. Still, they all knew of her intelegence and bravery. He had not done this only out of love.

"This is the blood and hair of Sesshoumaru. I am a miko and therefore can never truly become a demon or hanyou without the help of the Shikon no tama. Still, there is a way for me to gain the powers of a demon. I draw upon the latent powers in his blood, as a miko I have the spell to do it. I will always remain human, though this will give me longevity, and much more. I've only used it for longevity before...and only Midoriko has used it for the other."

She stopped talking abruptly and threw back her head, exposing her neck as she did so, and drained the vial. She chanted a spell in a throaty, husky voice before collapsing onto the ground in convulsions. Pain was obviously running through her. If this went wrong she could veyr easily die. Inu-Yasha was visably restraining himself from moving to her side, and one of the main reasons was because the possibly purifying pink glow surrounding her body. He did, however, manage to keep everyone else away lest they get hurt unintentionally.

Then she changed began showing. The miko performing the spell always had the option of letting herself change physically as well. Midoriko had not wished it, Kagome did. It would make it much easier to follow her if she maintained the appearance of a youkai, even if her scent was that of a human, for she would always remain one. Her ears became pointed, her canines lengthened and sharpened to fangs as did her fingernails to thicker claws. Her waist length hair faded slowly to silkver after shoulder length. She gained a more compact, muscular figure, and her once pure azure eyes now had flecks of gold in them.

Her face was an expression of one in the midst of supressing much pain, for she was suprssing a lot of pain. She was forcing her miko blood to accept youki, or demonic power, as well as several youkai features. She was in too much pain to even scream had she wished to. By the time it ended she was left panting for air, her eyes all but unseeing. She refused Inu-Yasha's help, laying there for a moment before forcing herself to rise. Silence took hold as she looked out at them all.

"I live. Perhaps that is only one of the tests I will take as I become your leader. I felt a more youkai appearance would be easier to accept since I have the owers of one..."

Her gold flecked oceans looked rather cold and unforgiving as she surveyed the crowd. Miroku was leaning heavily into his staff, his left arm in a quickly put together sling. Sango bore a deep gash in her side as well as a fracture to her right ankle. From hunting the shards for so many years they had learned how to survive youkai battles rather easily, though they were humans. They were both hobbling over to Kagome, if only for support.

Inu-Yasha himself also approached. His silver strands were noticably crimson soaked, making Kagome's stomach clench at the memory of what she had drank to gain these powers. Crimson matted silver hair. Sesshou...She blinked back the tears brimming in her eyes and steeled herself, hardening her emotions. Tetsuseiga was sheathed as usual at his side, that was expected. He bore a deep gash on his right shoulder and his haori was now a new shade of red so other injuries were hard to dicern.

Next Kouga approached her. He had brought the wolf clan of the Northern Lands to join Kagome's side of the war and given ehr his jewel shards despite the fact that she had mated another. His right arm was manged almost to the point of being unrecognizable as an arm. He looked to have possibly broken a few ribs as well by his constant wince. Her friends, every one of them. They were all silently showing their support to her. It left a tiny spark of warmth in her heart, tiny, but any spark of warmth could eventually light a fire and was better than none.

She truly had no more time to think on her friends, She knew what had to be done immeadiatly, though she wuld prefer to hobble off to her tent and attempt to get over the pain. The pain would never go away, she woudl jsut have to deal with it. As much as she wanted to grieve, mourn, and forget, she simply couldn't. There would be time for it all later, when she got back to the castle where Rin and Shippou awaited them. Sadly, she would disappoint them by not returning with her mate.

"Now is not the time for speeches or celebrations. Yes, we did indeed win this battle, but it was at the high cost of a valuable and loved leader. Today and tomorrow wwe will bury the dead and heal the wounded. After that I wish to move out. I wish to avenge my mate and the souls of our dead! Decide now. The Shikon alliance, the Spider alliance, or nuetrality."

It took a moment for nearly everyone to sink to one knee or show thier acceptance of her in some other manner. Many were assuming that she held the lord's heir in her womb, for surely she had concieved. She and Seshoumaru had had an active sex life, everyone knew this. Many others were simply loyal to her for whatever reason. Besides, they would not break of the alliance for a military leader and strategian dying. For Kagome, they knew, had helped him immensly.

She let them stay like that for a silent count of three, motioning silently for her own personal guards to walk amongst the crowd. They did, and they brought back any not accepting her, removing them from sight. As they rose up, many looked confused by the removal of the others. Many were nervous or anxious. The swell of emotions was giving her a headache. many people had died today, they wondered if more would simply because they did not want to stay with the alliance. She sensed their discomfort easily, from all three of the species. Youkai, hanyou, and human alike.

"Go back and rest or perform your duties. This will be a long war. And do not worry, those taken will be returned as they were taken from you. Arigato."