To All Things by ShadyMinion
To All Things
SM: I disappeared for a while. But it's not entirely my fault. I was locked out of my account since I changed my e-mail and it was before the problem with verification emails was fixed. Huzzah for wellness now!
To All Things
He had heard tales of the miko. She had become a legend among the humans, a being whose story overshadowed that of the great Midoriko. It had been said that past the deep forest, through to the rock wall, in the barren caves of the West, she could be found; a miko of infinite wisdom and compassion. She was the symbol of forgiveness who could cleanse sin and purify souls.
Sesshoumaru had heard the legend grow as the time passed. The story of the miko of legend lived for a century, fed by those who had seen her. She appeared before those who sought her guidance, scorning none. But only to those who needed her, who wished an answer from her, or came with a pure wish was granted her counsel.
Her story reached deep into the heartlands of the Taiyoukais. Greedy youkai who desired to devour her soul and gain power from her were never seen again. Yet, the wiser, or perhaps the more cautious youkai were more surprised by the fairness with which she treated all, for she answered the call of a youkai as well. Many of the younger youkai, striplings of their clan, had gone to her for her wisdom and advice. She was not an enemy of youkai.
Then again, Sesshoumaru had not expected her to be an enemy of youkai. He knew her too well.
A large village was stationed near the entrance to the Hanyou's Forest. It had once been a small village, decimated twice over the course of half a century. But it recovered and progressed each time, showing a tenacity which only humans possessed. It prospered under the tales of the miko, for the miko drew many travelers to the village. The travelers who sought her guidance would often spend their nights in the village during their travels. During which, the travelers would be graced with tales of battles from generations past.
A select few within the village were warriors or spiritualists, descended from a powerful taijiya and monk. Though the village no longer needed such fighters, they were still born and trained. Those who lived within the village were a cautious people, wise beyond their time. They spoke of battles long past with reverence, and had built shrines for the nameless warriors who had died before their time. A special shrine had been erected in an area that had been sectioned off from the village, around an old dry well. It was an odd shrine to be sure, but the villagers never explained and travelers received no answers when they asked.
For the curious traveler, there was one area that was less traveled, but could still be accessed by those who wished to verify the tales told by the villagers. The traveler would be guided by a warrior; demon-slayer or priest, to an area blackened by calamity. It was a hidden place where nothing grew nor lived, but was ripe with the stench of char and smoke. No matter how much time passed, the land there remained unchanged, the earth scorched by everlasting fire. No traveler ever stayed long, nor visited more than once. The air there was fouled and the impurities ran deep. It had been said that the soul of evil resided there.
Beyond the village yawned the entrance to the Hanyou's Forest, a wood unlike any other in the Western Lands.
Sesshoumaru's boots crunched soundlessly through the underbrush. His body moving with a grace that belied his strength. He traveled slowly and unaccompanied. He had waited a long time for this undertaking and it was to be his alone.
The forest was dark and green, overgrown with wild bush and trees. Forests had a tendency to proliferate after a fire, and the blaze that had taken down the Hanyou's Forest had been far from small. It had burned through over two-thirds of the great wood. Yet, after a hundred years, the forest had re-grown, thicker and deeper than Sesshoumaru could have ever remembered it being. The trees had grown quickly, tall and broad, casting the forest floor in tinted shadows under the leafy green canopy. Bushes grew without the benefit of much light, multiplying themselves across the ground and spreading their oddly colored leaves to catch the filtered light.
Animals were abundant within the forest, and lived without fear of youkai. Lower youkai no longer inhabited those woods. But the forest still contained magic, it was a feather light force in the air, a constant presence. The forest was alive and flourished under the power of a watchful guardian. The forest was protected by the miko.
He stopped at the base of the rock wall. Before him rose the high uneven walls of the Western Caves. He had never had any use for them, but the Wolf Tribe had been fond of them a century or so ago. They had moved out suddenly one season, after the death of their leader, and never returned. It was shortly afterward that the miko had begun to appear at the location, though the Taiyoukai had never questioned why. It was an isolated area in the northern region of his lands. It was an area rich in life, but the miko had seemed to be a more social creature than that of a hermit spiritualist.
Still, he had done nothing about the intrusion and instead allowed the tales of the miko to spread, doing nothing to stifle the fables and myths that grew about her. It had been said that the caves were holy land where youkai feared to tread, for upon that land they became nothing more than mere mortals. Falsity, he knew, but even as the rumors of his weakening power broadened, he had still done nothing. Those who had thought to challenge him due to the rumors found themselves severely disappointed. The miko affected him not, and those youkai had lost their heads.
Golden eyes scanned the rough surfaces of the rock. It was barren. The green of the forest stopped a few scant yards before the rock wall, but the bare ground was cold, unyielding granite. The border between rock and forest was defined, and as soon as one crossed it, they were all too aware of the miko's power.
Traversing the boundary, one became awash in unnatural chill and warmth, the miko's caress. The chill kept one from wandering from the path and the soothing warmth drew the trekkers toward her. Once one had made it thus far, they were not allowed to turn back.
Such was the fate of so many foolish youkai. They had gone to her, greedy for power, only to lose their souls within her inescapable grasp.
Sesshoumaru raised a clawed hand against the cold, dry wall. He felt the familiar shock of purification run through his body. It was a harmless shock, not intended to injure, but it made youkai aware of her abilities. It was her power that would course through the bodies of youkai, running deep, and sending thrills up their spines. Her power was icy and hot, contradicting, but very real.
He tried to push his own youki into the stream of her power, but he was instantly rejected. His youki would not even penetrate the barrier of her power.
"Sesshoumaru."
The Western Lord turned at the soft voice. His eyes met those of a void, bottomless black pools of nothingness. He was only mildly surprised to meet the former minion of one of his past adversaries.
"Kanna."
The white wraithlike child brought her hands up, the reflective circle of an unadorned mirror shimmered between her pale fingers. The child's soul-stealing mirror had been broken long ago. She now bore the unnaturally perfect mirror of the miko.
The surface glowed, a gentle illumination that remained on the face the mirror, lighting nothing else. "You traveled far." She murmured.
Sesshoumaru did not question her. The path he had traveled had not been short in the least bit, and he had walked slowly, choosing not to utilize his demon speed. This was not a trek to have undertaken lightly. He had taken his time in coming here. And he was sure that this was not what she had meant at all.
"She is waiting for you." Kanna's haunting voice called out to him. Her infinitely deep eyes stared at him, a strange understanding flickering in their depths. Her words, spoken without inflection, contained a meaning far beneath their shallow veneer. She spoke not of what was happening, but of the importance of it.
Sesshoumaru lowered his head in an almost imperceptible nod. He understood. He made his way into the cave.
Kanna bowed her head, depthless eyes peering into her own reflection less mirror. "Another is coming." She murmured.
I know.
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The cave was much deeper and darker than he had expected. He had heard rumors about the path, but the experience was far more different than the tales had told. His feet moved forward steadily, the pace all his own, but he could not turn back, even if he had wanted to.
There was a warmth that had settled in his chest the moment he had stepped into the cave. It grew stronger as he had proceeded, warm and soothing. It was an unthreatening lure that was so gentle that it would make even the most wary person lower their guard. However, at the same time, a slight chill had invaded his form, touching upon his shoulders and sides. It was slim, hardly noticeable, but it would become a biting force, slithering through his body, if he so much as placed one foot backward.
Even still, those were small things, enough to keep mortals moving in one direction, much like cattle, but they could not still a Taiyoukai. There was something else within the caves that forced his hand. It was undetectable by ningen senses, but to his youkai body, it was obvious that it had been this that had doomed the malicious youkai.
The air was oppressive as it was liberating. The air made the darkness deeper, more tangible, and yet, the path before the person was mysteriously illuminated, allowing for even a blind man to see. The miko's aura was woven into the air, controlling even the slightest of currents. Every once in a while, a breeze would run through his hair, or caress his cheek. It was faint force at his back. Yet her power was unmistakable. There was no creature alive who could resist the subtle manipulation, and the miko knew it.
Her aura dampened the natural senses of what entered the cavern and made the person lower their guard. It was almost suggestive, but her intentions were much more innocent and pure. It would keep the person moving forward and unfaltering. If they needed their request fulfilled, fear could not be allowed to hold them back. Each sound, scent, vision, and even feel of the cave was designed to press the person forth. Those in doubt would never have entered the cave, and those who did could not turn back.
Eventually, the narrow path Sesshoumaru had followed widened into a small alcove, and Sesshoumaru saw the first normal source of light. A torch attached to the cave wall was burning brightly. The youkai found it odd that he had not noticed the flickering flame-light until entering the alcove. But was taken him more by the female who lounged idly on an outcropping of rock, a delicate fan held beneath her chin.
"My, this is a surprise." Kagura drawled. A faint smile tilted her lips. "What is a great youkai lord such as yourself doing in damp and dank cave such as this, a former wolves' den?" She asked with a smirk in her voice.
"My business is not with you." He replied icily. After meeting Kanna at the cavern entrance, he was not at all astounded to see Naraku's remaining remnant also within the miko's employ.
"Hm? Well, that's too bad." She slid gracefully off the rock, spreading her fan out to shield the lower half of her face. She walked across the alcove toward the torch, and it was then that Sesshoumaru saw an opening behind where Kagura had sat. It was the path he had to take to continue, for there were no other openings.
"You wish to pass?" Kagura asked lightly.
Sesshoumaru inclined his head in the barest of nods.
The fan lowered to reveal Kagura's vivacious grin. "Do not look back." She warned playfully, and stepped back.
As soon as Sesshoumaru passed the point between the torch and the opening, Kagura waved her fan. He felt fire roaring behind him, the flames licking at his back. The heat blew his hair forward and scorched his neck. He entered the opening without so much as turning his head. Any advice given within the confines of the cavern had to have come from the miko herself, regardless of who voiced it, and therefore, required obeying. The fire vanished abruptly as he passed through onto the second pathway.
"Took you long enough." Kagura's voice echoed from behind him.
He knew what the wind witch was referring to, but gave her no response, knowing that none was expected. His time was his own to judge and dispense as he willed, but the time she spoke of had not been his own.
Sesshoumaru continued forward.
-:- -:- -:-
There was blood in the air. But unlike the vibrantly crimson human blood, this blood was thick and dark. It smelled of death and of rotted meat. The earth ran black with it.
It was a massacre. This was no battleground. Over and over, weapons sang through the air, slicing and whipping. Dark liquid stained the dirt, and feet sank into the resulting mud. The ground was a swamp of sludge, sucking at their legs, slowing them. It was a putrid field of death and dying.
The sun was blocked out by voluminous clouds of creatures that buzzed and snapped. The ground was over ridden by bodies, all heaped over one another, and more creatures that swarmed over the carcasses of their fallen.
Scattered across the valley six pitiful looking figures fought for their lives. Miroku and Sango, held their ground steadily, but they were only human. Their stamina far exceeded those of normal people, but they could not last forever. Their bodies moved swiftly, sweat dripping down their faces and into their eyes. Frustrated cries of anger and pain and effort screamed past their throats as they cleared horde after horde of lower demons. The chunks of dead flesh collected around their ankles, and their clothes became heavy with blood that was theirs and not.
Inuyasha fought with claws and teeth and blood and fang. He was a flurry of motion, never stopping or holding one place for long. As the humans fought to conserve their energy, he fought expending it. His breaths were shallow and quick as he leapt through the air. Demons came from all directions, all sides, from above, and below. In any direction he swung his sword or claws, youkai perished, and added to growing gore that splattered across his face and body, and fell to the ground in messy wet heaps.
Kouga, not to be outdone, seemed as equally careless as the hanyou. He leapt snarling at the lower beasts and slaughtered them like the mindless cattle they were. It mattered little how many died after each attack for more filled their place, swarming in endless masses. The air was thick with bloodlust and humid with sickening stench of decay.
It was unbearably hot. Heat seeped into their weary bodies and the thick rancid air clogged their lungs. The smell was suffocating. They could taste the foul blood in the air. Their bodies became black shapes within the gore.
Green lanced through the sky. Headless bodies rained down, yet the sky showed not a glimmer of light. Above them was a black ceiling of writhing bodies. Below was a pool of meat and bone that slithered and swarmed. Sesshoumaru chose to remain inbetween, floating just above the creatures below. His ears rang deaf with the roars and screams of the horde, yet his face remained impassive. This was battle, and he was not one to lose. His acid whip arced through the air in an artful dance. Poison coated claws dissolved those who came too close. He was slowly, but steadily making his way toward the center of the calamity.
In the center was an eerily silent circle that held two still figures. Across from each other, their backs facing toward the endless slaughter stood a man and woman.
Naraku smirked, his eyes dark with light of sadism. Miasma swirled about his ankles, tendrils reaching outward, but not quite touching the opposing miko.
Across from him, Kagome glared, eyes narrowed to bright sapphire slits. Her aura surged upward, a blue ghost that floated above her.
The two never moved, but their opposing powers met in the center. Azure and indigo clashed, curling about each other and disintegrating the other in electric crackles. They rose up once more, ramming into each other with far more force. They seemed to hold against each other for a moment before exploding outward. The youkai that were around them were obliterated in an instant, yet the two figures remained standing.
The blue miko aura billowed forward, a bright deadly cloud. Dark tendrils slithered forward, then split around the aura as it rushed forth. The miasma wasn't shielding Naraku, but rather was attacking offensively as Kagome tried to purify him. Her energy met with an invisible shield just shy of hitting her opponent. Kagome threw up her arms as the miasma snaked toward her. Blue light lanced backward from her initial attack blasting backwards. The miasma vanished, as did all the youkai at her back.
Then Naraku was beside her. A triumphant smirk twisted his features as he whispered something into her ear. Her face paled and both were lost in a storm of warped light.
The light grew, encompassing the ensuing battle. None could escape the wall of pure energy, and could only pause as it swallowed them all. It faded at suddenly as it came, leaving six standing, and one not.
Naraku stood over Kagome's body, his eyes alight with triumph. It mattered little to him now the outcome of this battle, even if it meant the end of their war. He had accomplished what he had desired.
-:- -:- -:-
The path opened suddenly into a huge cavern. The rock itself glowed, casting the cave with warm light. In the center stood a dark haired woman garbed in the clothing of miko. "Welcome Sesshoumaru." She said softly.
He regarded the miko impassively. "Kikyou."
The other nodded. "It's been a long time, youkai." She said tonelessly. "Do you have a wish that needs granted?" She asked, mockery evident in the question, if not the tone.
"I have no wish to speak with a puppet." He replied stonily.
"Even a puppet of grave soil and bone has feelings." Kikyou chastised. "It is I whom you must speak with first."
"You were borne from the greed of a youkai, and sustained by hatred and vengeance. What is there to speak of?" He glared at the clay miko.
"The past. It is what brings you here now, seeking the miko. Is it not? And as I, living a false life wholly on the past, I am here so that you may understand." Kikyou explained. "This is my purpose, and I have waited far too long for you to dismiss it."
Sesshoumaru refrained from responding to her tone. Kikyou would have her say, then he would move on. A bit more time wouldn't harm him or his purpose.
Kikyou gave Sesshoumaru an even glare, and when she was satisfied that the demon would listen, she continued. "The battle." She said simply.
He nodded once. What of it? There was only one battle of significance that she could be speaking of, and that would be of Naraku's demise. What did she know of it though? The miko of bone and grave soil did not even participate.
"It was not my fate to fight that battle. As you recall, by the time of that battle, I had already been returned to the earth." She graced him with a humorless smile. "But my purpose is not to speak of the battle, but of your memories of it." She clarified.
His memories?
Blood.
Light.
Blue eyes.
Death.
"What would my memories have to do with you?" He asked.
"Things occurred during and after the battle of which only you possess the knowledge. You have never told anyone else, in these past hundred years, keeping those events to yourself, and brooding over it." She said slowly, her eyes hardening. "Have you an understanding of this?"
He bristled slightly at the intonation that he would focus on only one thing for a hundred years, but kept his peace. It wasn't entirely true, but it was not false. "Yes," he clipped.
"What is it?" She asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Death...is inevitable." He answered slowly, carefully. The miko was searching for something in his answer. He had to answer correctly.
Kikyou's face relaxed, her body losing it's untouchable demeanor at once. The ice surrounding her had melted. She laughed, the sound lighter than anything she had aver produced before. She sounded happy...
"Close enough, Sesshoumaru. I wish you luck." Then her body deteriorated to ash, blown away by an invisible wind, her smile was the last to go.
"The correct answer was that 'death comes to all things.'" A voice called out from the darkness.
Sesshoumaru turned his head just enough to acknowledge the presence behind him. "Kagome."
Her image had materialized out of nothingness behind him. She smiled. "Kikyou took it easy on you. I had never figured her to be so lenient, but I suppose that time had made her weary. One hundred and fifty years is long enough for any soul." She said sympathetically, her eyes on the spot where Kikyou had vanished.
"You resurrected the clay miko as a puppet to use against me?" He asked, his voice tinted with the slightest disbelief.
She turned to him, eyes wide. "Of course not! Did you really think I would do something like that?" She replied indignantly. "Really!" She huffed and crossed her arms. Her familiar bite of temper had remained with her even after all this time had passed. He was secretly glad she had not changed.
The stories had made her otherworldly, but he had known her since before the stories. To him, she would always remain the strange human girl who seemed to belong no where and every where.
He waited for her to explain.
She frowned at him. She never could win any waiting games with him. He had the patience of a rock, infinite. "She came to me on her own. Her soul, as tainted as it was in death, never belonged in hell. She died honorably. Hell did not allow her to remain long, and she turned to me." She explained in one breath.
He did not have to ask why the miko had turned to Kagome. It was the obvious choice for obvious reasons.
"They speak of you." He said quietly.
Her ears perked. "The villagers?"
"And more. Your story extends past the boundaries of the Western Lands." He elaborated.
"Oh."
Her response was less than satisfactory. Shouldn't she enjoy the reputation of a legendary miko? But he knew that she didn't care. It was the type of person she was. Still, for the tale of a human to have lasted so long... Though she was no ordinary human, the fact that she was so well known and respected by both humans and demons alike spoke volumes about her.
She shook her head. "It's not about me, Sesshoumaru." She replied in that calm voice of hers, a soft smile on her lips. "This isn't why I'm here, and you know it. Please, Sesshoumaru, it's been one hundred years. I haven't seen nor heard of you in a century. What brings you here today?"
He was silent for a moment. Hesitating? He had once told her that hesitation was a sign of uncertainty, of fear. He had never been one to give into fear. But there was one thing that she knew of which would test the boundaries of his confidence.
"You came for that." Her voice came out in a breathy whoosh. It was something that she had expected, in fact, she had waited for it. She had waited so long. He would come when he was ready, she knew, but she hadn't known that it would take one hundred years. And now that the time had finally come, it was all she could manage.
He nodded.
She bowed her head. She moved slowly until she stood before him. She held an arm out, bringing her hand to the side of his face, her palm halting scant millimeters from his cheek. He could feel the heat of her hand on his face. Sesshoumaru wanted to lean into that palm, to remember what the feel of her flesh was, that warmth that she radiated naturally, but he couldn't He held himself still.
"I'm glad." She said softly, and her eyes glittered with contentment. Her hand dropped to her side. She stepped back, moving to an outcropping of rock, and settling herself down. "Sooooo..." She drawled almost playfully. "What have you come up with?"
"Acceptance." He answered.
Her lips curved in a smile. And she laughed, tears sparkling in her eyes. "That's wonderful." She hopped off the rock, never once expecting for his answer to be so quick and concise. But then again, this was Sesshoumaru, DEMON LORD! He had to be efficient.
"You see, humans aren't so bad. I mean, some are pretty nasty, but on the whole, the race isn't bad. It's something to keep in mind for the future." She babbled happily. "I knew you'd get over it. After all, it was just one battle. The losses were terrible, but, you have to move on. Youkai have devastatingly remarkable memories. You've thought long and hard on this, too long, I think. I'm so happy that you're moving on. You've been so still for too long. And I think-"
"I believe you are mistaken." Sesshoumaru smoothly interjected. "My acceptance has nothing to do with humans, nor that battle. Naraku has long been dead, and his memories will be buried by time. I care nothing for that."
She turned wide eyes on him. "Then..." Her expression saddened. She had hoped that she had been wrong about what he was thinking. But, in truth, there was no other way. The only reason for this visit, was the reason for her remaining existence.
"I could have saved you." He said softly. His eyes stared directly into hers, conveying the emotions his voice could not.
She shook her head.
"I could have saved you." He repeated, quieter. "But I chose not to."
She waved him off with a smile. She reached out to comfort him perhaps? But he never allowed her to finish her motion. Pinning her with his eyes, he made sure that he held her complete attention.
"I regretted that." He admitted. "But long ago I had come to an understanding."
"And now you accept that understanding." Kagome finished for him.
He nodded.
She closed her eyes and released one long breath. When she opened them, he knew that he was not speaking with Kagome, but with the miko of legend which she had become. "It was not your fault. Youkai should never live in the past. The fact that you have come to terms with your understanding shows how much of a difficult decision it was, and the fact that you have grown from this experience. It should lead you onto a new path, and I hope nothing but good things for your future." Her voice, as kind as it was, sounded detached, unlike the usually emotional and vibrant Kagome he knew. He didn't like it.
"You misunderstand." He said, knowing she was avoiding the topic. "I have come to say, that I will follow you."
Her eyes widened, losing their glacial look immediately. Her face flushed. She let out a small laugh. "We were talking about two different things entirely, this whole time, huh?" She eyed him, sliding off the rock. "Sesshoumaru, I knew from the very beginning what you were and how you would think of it at the time. I never blamed you for what happened. You just didn't understand at the time. You certainly took your sweet time in getting here, but at least now it can all be put to rest, right?"
He nodded wordlessly. It was time to let go.
She walked over to him, and standing on her toes, ghosted a kiss on his cheek. He felt nothing but the barest of breezes. "You never had reason to seek forgiveness from me." She whispered into his ear. "You've always had it. Thank you for coming Sesshoumaru." She brought her hands up once more, both hands outstretched to cup his face, but not touching his skin. She leveled a steady gaze, meeting his eyes strongly. "I love you." And with that, she vanished.
The cave fell into darkness, and for a long time, Sesshoumaru did not move from his spot. Kagome was gone, but true to his promise, he would follow her. It was a resolution he had made shortly after accepting his feelings he had not understood.
Fear had made him irrational, and he had lost the thing most important to him, believing it to be a weakness. She should never have had to pay the price for his own stupidity.
But his regret had kept her with him, for as long as he needed to take to tell her.
-:- -:- -:-
Kagome's body did not stir, but Naraku's triumphant grin was more than they needed to know what had happened. He had taken her from them, their happiness and hope, all residing in the body of one young girl. A devastating loss.
It mattered little if he died now, for he knew that they would live with the knowledge of her death on their hands, and they would suffer.
Inuyasha threw himself forward with a wild cry, nothing but swiping claws and snapping fangs. Desperation was clear in the faces of the humans, but also despair. It wasn't possible. They were unwilling to believe it.
Kouga reached her body as Inuyasha drew Naraku into a heated conflict of snarls and cursing. Naraku kept his cool exterior, taunting the hanyou with malicious barbs.
A clawed hand on Kagome's face and she stiffened. Her body turned rigid and her head snapped upward, letting out a bloody cough. Crimson stained her front, the bright red color contrasting starkly with the grey skies and blackened ground. Her eyes did not open, but she was breathing. A quick nod to the others, and Kouga was off. He would take her someplace safe, away from battle.
Kouga could not take her to the village. Kaede's village had been attacked, razed to the ground. Inuyasha's forest had been badly burned. Thankfully, many of the villagers had been able to escape as senseless slaughter had not been Naraku's aim, only to destroy those which held sentiment to Inuyasha's group.
He took her to the only other haven he could think of, the Wolf Tribe Den. He deposited her unconscious form deep in the caverns, ordering Ginta and Hakkaku to watch over her with their lives. Then with a snarl, he ran from the caves, back to the battle.
Sesshoumaru had been unmoving as Inuyasha clashed with Naraku. Yet, as Kagome's body showed signs of life, and the wolf had taken her away, he had followed. Kouga's two idiot minions were tripping over themselves over Kagome, both finally deciding to fetch water and blankets. They tore off in separate directions, never noticing the imposing presence of the Taiyoukai.
He stepped toward the fallen miko.
Her eyes opened slowly, taking a moment to regain sense of where she was and what had happened. He saw the memories rush back at her as she clenched her eyes shut a moment, before slowly sliding the lids open again.
Her first sound was another bloody cough.
When her eyes cleared again, she spied Sesshoumaru. He towered over her body as she lay on the ground, covered in furs. She seemed to read the invisible conflict within him. She was dying, and the fact that he was torn over two choices had shown her that in some small way, he did care. She closed her eyes with a half-smile, completely trusting him of his decision.
Tenseiga throbbed at his waist. It was more than a simple pulse, it was a heartbeat, her heartbeat. And it was steadily slowing, fading. And still he stood above her, watching.
Time passed and the wolves did not return. He did not wonder why they had not. He knew that this moment was not to be disturbed.
She lay peaceful on the ground, eyes closed. She had fallen asleep once more, and her life was slowly ebbing from her.
He laid a clawed hand on Tenseiga. He could save her, he knew it. If he truly desired it, he could save her. But he feared her. He feared the emotions she could invoke within him. He feared how completely he could lose himself to her. He hated her for it. The sound of her voice, the feel of her warmth, the scent of her body, it consumed him and burned him. He hated it.
He could save her if he wanted.
But she was weakness. She was something he could not have, and would not allow himself to have.
Tenseiga's beat was faint now, barely noticeable beneath his sensitive palm.
If he wanted...
...he could save her...
Nothing.
The wolves ran in, horrified at the scent. Death was something all creatures could sense. It permeated the being, and hung heavy in the air. It was impossible not to notice.
They wailed upon seeing her still form, running toward her as Sesshoumaru vanished. He had not been seen, overshadowed by the loss of the miko.
Sesshoumaru left, his steps slow and deliberate. He meant to leave her behind, to forget. And yet the vision of her calm face would not leave. She had closed her eyes in trust, and he had made his decision. For the very first time, something tugged at his chest, making him feel heavier than he should be.
It was a very long time before he came to acknowledge that feeling as regret.
-:- -:- -:-
"I love you too." Sesshoumaru whispered to her fading memory. He walked away, knowing that in time, he would follow her. But for now, his path was his own.
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End
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SM: Hey, look, something posted! Alright! I'm not the complete and total lazy bum I think I am. Weird thing that hit me. Took longer than I expected to write, but I had a bunch of other things hanging over my head. But then, SUMMER! I hope to post more things soon. I have a LOT written on random things all over the place. Can't wait to finish them!