Her Hearts Winter Thaw by Dragoness

The Beginning of the End

Her Heart’s Winter Thaw

                                                                        By Dragoness

 

Disclaimer: I make no money off of this story.  The characters are the work of the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi, only the story is mine.

Hey guys I’m back.  This new story will be a little more drawn out as updates will be sporadic at best.  There will be lots of romance, limes, and lemons but they will be taking the scenic route.  Sesshomaru will also be OC in this story.  The basis being that he has had time to grow more emotionally and also come to terms with things as far what he saw as his father’s betrayal and his relationship with Inuyasha. Enjoy

Warning : Character Death

 

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

“I love you Kags,” Inuyasha said in barely a whisper.

Tears that had been threatening suddenly started to fall as if a faucet had been turned on at Inuyasha’s use of the nickname he had given her so many years ago.  Smiling through her tears Kagome tried to control the tornado of emotions that were threatening to tear her apart from the inside out. Wiping her face on the sleeve of her kimono Kagome fought to get a hold on herself once more.

There would be time to lose herself in her grief later but now she had to be strong.  She would share Inuyasha’s final moments and let him see her smiling face shining bright with her love for him, so that he could remember and take that mental image with him to the afterlife.  

Sitting beside their bed Kagome held onto Inuyasha’s hand and looked deeply into those golden eyes she loved so much.  Kagome got a queasy feeling at the lack of strength those hands now held.  It just didn’t seem right.  Inuyasha had always been the picture of vitality and strength and to look at him now she could barely see a glimpse of the once over confident hanyou she had fallen in love with three hundred years ago. 

Kagome’s mind kept screaming at her over and over at the injustice it all.  If anything she should have died before him not the other way around.  He wasn’t supposed to grow old and die.  He was supposed to live for many more hundreds of years. 

For the thousandth time Kagome cursed her immortality, a side effect of her wish on the completed jewel.  She still remembered the joy she felt knowing that even though she would not be able to share Inuyasha’s life span she would still be able to be with him for many centuries to come.  It was like a fairytale.  After all the pain and suffering she finally had her happily ever after. 

Just the thought of that now left a bitter taste in her mouth.  Yes, Inuyasha was part youkai but he was also part human.  Kagome had always assumed Inuyasha would live to her time and beyond.  She didn’t know until much later that the life span of a hanyou was not even a quarter of the length of the life span of a full youkai. 

Kagome had to bite down on the side of her cheek to steel herself against the onslaught of despair that threatened to overtake her once more.  For years they had scoured the lands looking for some kind of loophole or spell that would bind Inuyasha to Kagome to no avail.  Sesshomaru couldn’t even help.  

Over the years the brothers had come have to a relationship, a strained one but a relationship none the less.  Sesshomaru was more than willing to help but the problem was that Tenseiga was not as all powerful as they had once believed.  The demon sword could bring the dead back to life but not if the death was from natural causes.  Kagome had learned this the hard way with the death of her sister Sango.  Maybe it was the Kami’s way of keeping some type of balance. 

Kagome was brought back to the present by a slight squeeze of Inuyasha’s hand.  Realizing she had gotten lost in thought Kagome pulled her attention back to her beloved mate once more.

Reaching over with her right hand Kagome cupped the side of Inuyasha’s face gently and then traced the crow’s feet that adorned the corners of his eye.  “I love you too dog boy,” she replied her voice threatening to crack. Over the years much about his appearance had changed but not those.  His eyes were as beautiful and clear as they had been when they had first met.

His breathing getting shallower, Inuyasha pinned Kagome with a hard stare as if willing himself to stay with her for just a little longer.  Smiling weakly Inuyasha flashed a fang and said, “No matter what I don’t regret anything.  I would not have changed a thing.”

Squeezing Kagome’s hand as tight as his weakened body would allow Inuyasha grimaced in pain.  His words coming out slowly and deliberately Inuyasha finished.  “Don’t let this be it for you.  You have so much love Kags. ………you …. have…..move on.”

Kagome’s tears were flowing freely now.  All she could do was nod as Inuyasha took his last breath.

Outside the hut birds scattered as they took to the sky frightened by the sudden wail that pierced the sky.

Sesshomaru who had been monitoring Inuyasha’s health from a safe distance outside of the village closed his eyes in silent prayer for his lost sibling.  He had truly matured, well as much as a whelp like Inuyasha could, and had proven himself worthy of their father’s name.  He had also proven himself as a brother and even a friend of sorts.  As a matter of honor and because the miko was pack Sesshomaru would make sure to look out for Kagome for as long as he walked this earth. 

For right now it would have to be from a far.  At her cries of anguish Sesshomaru had to fight the urge to run and comfort her.  Not because he was so unused to emotions, because he had truly opened up a bit over the years, but because of the reason he had started to put distance between him and the miko in the first place.  Even now with Inuyasha’s passing Sesshomaru couldn’t be sure of his full reasoning for wanting to comfort her. 

Yes, it would be better to keep his distance, for now anyway.  With that last thought the Taiyoukai turned and headed back to the western lands to patrol as he tried to banish thoughts of a certain raven haired beauty that haunted his dreams way too often.

O.k. guys tell me what you think.  Still new at this I hope it was a good beginning.