A.N.: I'm sure there will be some things in this fic that aren't totally scientifically plausible, just ignore it. I won't get too crazy but I'm also not brushing up on any astronomy or physics or anything lol Also, this story won't always have such a quick update time. FFN app was down for a while and it wouldn't let me post anything so I'm really just getting caught up with where my fics are in AO3. I expect to update this once every week or two, hopefully!
The night sky above was strange.
The stars were all wrong, the constellations and clusters she'd grown to know and love in the feudal era were no where to be seen, and instead of an endless stretch of black glittering with a billion points of diamond light, most of the sky was taken up by a nearby planet, it's surface swirling and red. She could see a multitude of moons surrounding it, and a thin ring circling its perimeter as well. Whatever the atmosphere here was made of, she was protected from the affects of such a close planet, and most importantly, she could breath just fine.
Her observations and musings were made to the quiet music of Sesshomaru's steady breathing. He snored just slightly as he slept in his true form, bigger than life and curled up behind her. She was supposed to be nestled in his fur for warmth and safety, but she felt safe enough taking an hour or two to do one of her favorite things.
Watching the stars had grown into something that always soothed her no matter how sad or mad or stressed she was. Stepping away from camp to be alone with the night sky was a fool proof means to let off some steam.
A tear tracked down her face and she closed her eyes.
This was wrong. All wrong. How was she supposed to replace her grief and terror with the way the stars danced when they twinkled if she couldn't see any stars? How was she supposed to ignore the empty chasm that had replaced her heart if she couldn't trace the bright glow of the Milky Way until her eyes burned?
'Inuyasha….'
Sesshomaru, in what she assumed was some sort of apology for being unable to revive him, had immediately transformed and dug a grave to place his brother in once they'd learned they were no longer on earth. She could feel his anger and rage and assumed transforming had helped release some of it.
Too heavy for her to carry, she'd simply slipped the kotodama from his neck and clutched it to her chest as she sobbed and watched Sesshomaru lay the most vibrant, unstoppable soul she'd ever known to rest on an alien planet so far from home she stopped breathing if she tried to fathom it.
She said a blessing, infused the ground above his grave with enough reiki to repel anyone with even the faintest of ill intentions, and begged Sesshomaru to carve his name in a stone.
The closest thing they could find was some rough, porous hunk of purple that looked like a hunk of dried coral… something that he was able to etch in with his claws. They had no idea how long such a "rock" would last but seeing the symbols for Inuyasha's name carved neatly and sitting officially over his resting spot was the only thing that had worked to soothe even the smallest portion of her grief.
This was less than the very least that he deserved, as far as she was concerned, but at least he had an official grave, made with care by his family.
And it was with care.
Glancing back over her shoulder, Kagome eyed the sleeping silver dog looming up over her, red eyes closed tightly.
He'd changed a great deal in the years she'd known him, partly, she was sure, because of the little human girl he'd adopted and raised.
They'd traveled together, both of their groups, and as the brothers spent more time together, got to know each other more, fought together and worked together and learned to trust, they learned to get along. And then learned not to hate. And then learned to like.
They were brothers now, or had been. And she regretted the future they wouldn't have together as the real, true family members they'd always been meant to be.
She sighed and closed her eyes, finally stopping the fight against the tears that insisted on continuing. She would need to cry these poisonous feelings out, she knew that. They would destroy her if she didn't.
Grief was all consuming that way.
But she wasn't just grieving for Inuyasha's life.
She would never see Sango and Miroku again, never hold their children, never sit in their home and share a meal with them again. She would never see Kaede, never learn under her wisdom while her old, weathered hands showed her how to crush and mix herbs or write out a sutra or bless a new baby. She would never see Mama or Souta or Jii-Chan, her family from the future who would worry for the rest of their lives about what had happened to her to keep her away. Never see Shippo, the baby fox she'd taken in when she was barely more than a child herself and tried her best to mother and nurture in the ways that he needed.
Whatever Naraku had done when he'd made that last minute emergency wish, he'd taken every last thing from her.
While she and Sesshomaru had certainly grown closer, and she'd even call them friends, he wasn't exactly the first person she'd want to be stuck on a deserted island with… deserted planet… wherever they were.
Though more than reliable and trustworthy, he was still mostly quiet and controlled. A steady presence in their little group, when he wasn't hunting you he made you feel very safe.
But he wasn't much of a talker. And while inuyasha hasn't been either, she knew him, knew what he was communicating without words.
Sesshomaru was a mystery still in so many ways.
She sighed, a deep, shaky exhale that helped finally calm all the rapidly spinning parts of her mind that were so tired, so worn, but so unable to work through the awful work of the day and rest.
She stood and made her way back to Sesshomaru, stepping between his massive paws and sinking in to the thick fur at his chest.
Despite his size the sound of his heartbeat was soft, constant, and it lulled her into sleep.