A young woman stood naked in a small pool of tepid waters, soft swirls of mist wrapped around her bare legs sending chills along her spine. The ground around her was covered in fresh snow, the cold spilled into her chest with every breath numbing her senses. Currents of pure energy swirled around her in a bluish haze. Slowly crimson mist began to intrude on her sanctuary as they grew closer the energies melded together flaring into a purple current.
They were companions.
They were lovers.
They were broken.
They were lost.
Unresponsive to the intrusion she continued to look up into the dark night sky, her dull human eyes only permitted her to barely make out the outline of the new moon. The soft crunch of snow filtered into her ears as the intruder made his way into the clearing. Feeling oddly exposed the Miko wrapped her arms around her breasts as she continued to stare up at the blackened moon.
She was weak
He was strong.
She was Kagome.
He was Sesshomaru.
"Such attempts at modesty is unbecoming for you." He called out to the woman who stood alone in the hot spring, but never was she ever truly alone. Seconds fluttered by softly as she turned her head to face him but as their eyes made contact she quickly looked back to the moon. Her expression softened, her eternal sadness began to seep out through every pore of her body.
"It seems I have found my missing self." She replied as the tears that never seemed to fall began to collect at the corner of her eyes. The soft inaudible sound of the many grains of sand that slowly passed between them was the only thing heard. The demon, unsure of her behavior quickly studied her, checking for anything out of the norm but there was nothing.
In his intense studying of her Sesshomaru grew curious as to what had captivated her attention for so long. Following her gaze he found that the object of her fascination was the moon again. Though unlike the first time they had met where the moon was full this time it was empty, black, new.
He was distracted
She was obscure.
He was intrusive.
She was there.
What had he come for? She was his comrade. This was their second chance. She had to kill him. Once she had wanted to kill him. Once she did want to kill him. He was opposing. Everything was gone. Shouldn't he be gone as well? He was demon. Nothing less. Nothing more. Still her eyes clung to the empty moon but she didn't see it, she saw past it into everything. Maybe anything.
She was going to kill him.
He was going to die.
She was going to die.
He was going to kill her.
Rubbing her fingers together she drew forth her power to their tips and readied herself for the kill. It'll be easy. He won't be expecting it. He must die. He will die. This is the end. Here. Now. It must be finished. He is the end. Beautiful. Powerful. Youkai. Still he stood there, staring up at the moon. His hair glowed like a beacon in the dark. Her hand stilled at her side. It was late. Tonight was not a night for blood. Tomorrow. He dies tomorrow.
He was intricate.
She was hesitant.
He was trusting.
She was treacherous.
Blinking, she turned her attention to him and saw him staring at the moon as well. Turning away she stared into the black depths of the water taking a hesitant step forward her heart jumped making her freeze. Apprehensively she pulled her foot back to its original spot.
"I should have killed you then, shouldn't have I?" he called out to her, effectively stopping her in her tracks. Collecting herself, Kagome turned around to face him. He had lowered his head slightly from its raised position from looking at the moon and gave her a sideways glance. Then slowly he turned his head completely in her direction but kept it at its arrogant tilt.
She was stunned
He was perceptive.
She was nefarious
He was indifferent.
He was testing her and she didn't know what to do. He had to die but she didn't want to kill him. Silence had befallen them and with out their knowledge, with out their approval the stars continued to circle about them as their place in the universe was lost. Her eyes hardened as she glowered at him yet he returned her gaze with open, empty eyes. Her aura flared slightly, he returned her challenge with his youkai powers keeping the balance between them.
He was demon.
She was human.
He was Taiyoukai.
She was Miko.
Walking to the edge of the spring she lifted her leg onto the edge, her eyes were fastened tightly to Sesshomaru's own. Their powers crackled lightly around each other as they collided, trying to fend themselves off. Placing her hand near the ground she quickly drew an arrow from her quiver, lifting herself fully out of the water she ran towards him. Infusing the arrow with her Miko powers she thrust the arrow through his chest. Straight into his heart.
They were everything.
They were nothing.
They were identical.
They were biased.
They stared intently into each other's eyes there own spirit shown brightly through them swirling with power. They stood so close to each other that with each jagged breath that she took her breast came into contact with his bare chest. Her body stilled nonetheless as she kept her face completely impassive. Droplets of blood began to drip softly on their feet. Tokijin driven deep with in her gut. His own blood trickled down his chest as his own breath hitched. Each kept their face blank as stone as they ignored the pain and focused on their silent duel.
She was dieing.
He was withering.
She was autumn.
He was spring.
Her body quaked slightly as her muscles tightened around the sword, a gasp of pain caught in her throat as her face contorted in pain. His muscles rippled as his demonic aura flared, trying desperately to penetrate through her Miko powers; his eyes narrowed as he willed the red from them. Pain flashed through their eyes. The clack of times wings echoed softly in the distance of space as the moon drooped lower in the sky.
His eyes were tepid god.
Her eyes were stormy seas.
His eyes bled red.
Her eyes paled blue.
"Long ago, one word you said: Away. Sorry am I now that I did not listen." Kagome whispered as she brought her hand up, gripping at his chest her eyes pleading.
"What legacy did we bring from our former lives that death should be our lot in this one?" He asked rhetorically as he brought forth his other arm; which had returned to him years ago. Grasping her hand he held it firmly to his chest.
She was old.
He was young.
She was rotting.
He was dieing.
They remained standing next to each other. Their eyes gazed softly into each other's. Their auras mixed together, shimmering in a lavender haze. They saw each other. They were consumed by each other. They were an anomaly. Another tremor of pain shook her tiny frame; Kagome closed her eyes tightly as she willed the pain away. A whimper escaped her lips. A gentle breeze fluttered around them picking up loose snowflakes making them fall around them like cherry blossom pedals.
He was pure.
She was tainted.
He was Taiyoukai.
She was human.
Once again her scars were exposed to the world around them. And here he was, The Great Taiyoukai of the Western Lands adding one more to her collection. Just one more passage of scripture to her life story; this was her final chapter. Her blood pooled at their feet, tainting the snows black, with the last of the ink to form the last of her words. A nearly inaudible groan of pain slipped past his lips as her Miko powers wrapped tightly around his demon heart.
She was vicious.
He was passive.
She was inevitable.
He was helpless.
Time froze around them as their pain slowly ebbed away as their bodies became immune. As their bodies became numb. The pain that had contorted their features faded away, smoothing out their brows as it went. Their expression softened as they continued to look into each other's eyes. Love for one another shown brightly in them as they filled with unshed tears for neither cried. Never.
Time was something.
Time was anything.
They had too little.
They had too much.
Tilting her head slightly she pulled closer to him; stubbornly she ignored the blinding pain of Tokijin sliding deeper within her. Hearing her silently plea he could not refuse her. Tilting his head slightly he bent closer to her, stubbornly he ignored the blinding pain of her arrow sliding deeper into his heart. Their lips met softly in an utterly fleeting moment that left them hollow. The moon was setting low in the horizon. The sky was beginning to bloom into the lighter shades of morning as time continued to spin round and round.
He saw yesterday.
She saw tonight.
He was now.
She was then.
"I hate you now with a hatred more fatal then indifference, for this is the other side of love." he commented, his voice just above a whisper. She was caught off guard. She realized that it was true. But in the same flicker of time it was a lie.
"I need not comment now upon my feelings, the waves that came in together went out together." She replied. A gasp of pain captured her lips as she shuddered, growing weak she slumped forward as her knees buckled under her. Quickly Sesshomaru wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him he held her up.
She was night.
He was day.
She was evil.
He was good
Gently she began to feel the pulls of death tug gently on her spirit. Wishing. Pleading. Demanding that she follow, that she bend to its will but she wouldn't. She couldn't. This was her time. She wouldn't die not just yet she still had time. She still had a little bit left. She still had a little bit left with him. With Sesshomaru.
He was anchored.
She was fleeting.
He was remembered.
She was forgotten.
Her hand gripped tighter to his chest, her blunt human nails scrapped dully across his flesh sending a chill up his spine that caused his heart to clench tightly around the arrow. The purification powers seeped into him like a deadly poison slowly eating away at his very soul.
She was pure.
He was tainted.
She was Miko.
He was demon.
"You walk a road you have chosen for us both, what can I do but helplessly follow suite." He confessed as he continued to hold her up. Not wanting her to fall. Not yet.
"But I do not know the road down which I go, you were to be my guide." She admitted, her voice soft. Pathetic. She was pathetic. Like all humans.
He was adamant.
She was pathetic.
He was Taiyoukai.
She was Human.
"What could I do? Your unshed tears ran on ahead and plunged the road so we went into utter darkness." He reasoned as blood began to slowly drip from the corner of his mouth. The red in his eyes began to consume him, the demon markings along his cheeks became jagged but he fought back.
"They were useless, those tears but had I known what lay ahead I would have shed them centuries ago." She confessed. It was true, never had she imagined the implications of simple unshed tears.
She was wrong.
He was right.
She was Kagome.
He was Sesshomaru.
Leaning closer to her he tilted his head to the side. Answering his silent plea she raised her head to meet his. Their lips were fractions away from each other's when he forcefully pulled Tokijin from her.
He was Taiyoukai.
Giving a strangled cry of surprise and pain she transferred the last of her Miko powers into the arrow with a burst of brilliant light. Both bodies fell to the ground their blood pooling around them; tainting the pure depths of the fresh snow.
She was Miko.
"You can not know how deep my feelings are, theirs colors are hidden, like water among the rocks." Sesshomaru choked out as he reached for her hand. The arrow in his chest burned bright with her purification powers. His hair slowly began to turn black and his markings began to fade as the red bled from his eyes revealing a nearly black brown.
"The patient river of the patient loons will not run dry. My love will still out last it." Kagome whispered softly as she grasped his hand in her own. Her blood continued to flow, like the patient river. Slowly. Ever so slowly. Like the patient loons. Her eyes fluttered shut. His eyes fluttered shut.
They were everything.
They were nothing.
Sesshomaru was dead.
Kagome was dead.
Tenseiga pulsated.