Prologue
Sesshomaru stood over the dead body of a fallen warrior. Clad in a red robe that threatened to bring up many long forgotten memories, the man, boy, really, still looked as though he were fighting. His signature scowl on face, his sword clutched in hand, the bodies of many fallen demons around him.
It was not a pretty sight.
And it was not supposed to end this way.
Inuyasha. His brother. His sparring partner. The bane of his existence. His... enemy? He didn't know anymore. It seemed as though he knew little about anything these days. His gaze traveled across the battlefield toward the source of his confusion.
Kagome.
The young miko stood dressed in her usual strange green attire. She looked older now, though only somewhat. She clutched her bow tightly in one clenched fist at her side. Her other hand clutched the jewel, the cause of all of this. He hated the thing; loathed it, even. Without it, none of this would have happened.
Everything had gone so wrong.
But Kagome...
She looked as though she had known this would happen.
He narrowed his eyes. He did not appreciate such deceit. And yet... He had sensed no lies from her.
And then, she turned her beautiful cerulean eyes on him. He stiffened involuntarily, expecting anger, fear, even hatred. Instead, he saw something else. Something he couldn't identify. She walked over to him and without warning, pressed her lips to his, catching him by surprise.
And Sesshomaru was rarely surprised.
She pulled back, smiling that same, sad smile from days before.
"Thank you. For trying."
And then she was gone, running off into the woods, leaving him alone.