Death of a Demon Dancer
{ 29 July 2010 } Written for InuRomp. Prompt: "It Only Takes a Moment."
"Wolf, I can smell you there," Sesshomaru announced, his usual stoic tone laced with dry, empty bitterness. As the field cleared of sakura blossoms, still smelling as sweet as Kagura had in her final moments, Kouga the wolf demon made himself known.
"Why are you here?" the inu youkai asked, more curiosity than usual spilling its way into his tone. Rather than answer, Kouga looked towards the heavens, wondering the same thing himself.
He thought he hated Kagura.
When she murdered his pack almost a year ago, he swore vengeance on the wind bitch and had planned to take it that very day when he felt her youki weakening. Having followed her scent, he came upon the field where he stood now, but couldn't bring himself to move as she slowly, peacefully died.
The scene replayed itself in his mind vividly. He saw her lashes flutter shut, the hint of a smile on her crimson red lips, and the iridescent glow of her skin as she disintegrated piece by stunningly beautiful piece, reclaimed by the wind that had born her. In his mind's eye, freeze-framed was a single moment of the happiness she never felt as Naraku's pawn, and sheer bliss at her final letting-go.
Yes, he thought he hated her, but gone with the wind went his grudge, and with it, the burden Kouga had for so long carried on his muscular shoulders.
He shook his head, almost smiling at the impatient twitch Sesshomaru quickly tried to conceal.
"I'm just saying goodbye," he answered absently, and looking once more at the clear, cloudless sky…
`And that I forgive you.'