A/N: Just a warning – this is NOT a happy chapter. At all. Kagome will be explaining why she so messed up, so you can imagine how not happy it will be. But I felt that this was all necessary, pivotal even, to the plot. Sorry.
Remember – just because Kagome answers Sesshoumaru's questions doesn't mean she's telling the whole truth. So don't run off! Keep reading!
By the way – If you're not a member and want to know when I update, just tell me and give me your email and I'll email you when I put up a new chapter.
The Broken Miko
Chapter 3: Enter Washi, the Eagle Child
Kagome sat down next to the roaring fire and began to towel her hair dry. The Western Lord sat across from her, considerably cleaner than he had been two hours previously. The burgundy kimono clung to his body where it was still damp from his time in the hot spring nearby, giving the hanyou another peek at his impressive physique. But Kagome had never gawked a lot at boys and she easily averted her gaze.
"Ah, much better," murmured the hanyou as she felt the warmth envelope her. She had shed her constricting demon exterminator uniform in favor of the more comfortable traditional miko garb. With the white shirt, deep red pants and sandals, the inuyoukai could see why so many people confused her with Kikyo.
"Now, answer my questions." He was bothered by the fact that his usual patient demeanor had escaped him.
She wasn't listening to him though, as she began rooting through her bag. "I just know I have one more…" she muttered. "I was saving it for a celebratory dinner." Her eyes lifted to meet his through the flames. "Would you like some ramen? We could split it, if I ever find the damn thing."
"I do not eat human food." His voice was tinged by a growl that he could not suppress.
"What exactly do you eat?" Her question was muffled as she buried her head into the overstuffed yellow backpack.
"Lesser youkai."
Her head popped out of the bag and she gave him a look of disgust. "Excuse me?"
"I eat lesser youkai."
"What exactly is a lesser youkai?"
"One that does not have the capability of speech," he answered calmly. Sesshoumaru's previous impatience ebbed slightly. If he must answer simple questions about his eating habits, he would do it gladly if she returned the favor by answering his own questions.
Her eyebrow arched. "So you have conversations with your dinner before you kill them, to make sure they can't talk?"
"This Sesshoumaru has probably ingested a few youkai that were, in fact, capable of speech, but there have not been many. Just as humans have cattle and chickens, youkai have their own herds of edible creatures."
The revulsion she felt faded slightly. "But you eat youkai in the wild as well, don't you?"
"Yes. Do not humans hunt and fish?"
She frowned thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess so. I suppose I just see a big difference between eating a fish and a youkai. I mean, haven't you heard of fruit?"
"You are becoming tedious again," he said, disdain lacing his voice. "However, to answer your inane question, human food is inferior and most youkai refuse to eat it. And we have no need of fruit or vegetables, although we will eat it if absolutely necessary."
"See? That wasn't so hard, even if my question was 'inane'." Kagome reached into her bag once more and eventually pulled out a small white container of ramen noodles. She stared at it with distaste. "Now that I've found it, I'm not really hungry any more. All this talk about eating youkai. Ugh."
Sesshoumaru watched as she tossed the odd covered cup back into her bag. He hoped that she wouldn't now complain about her lack of food.
Before he could ask about this 'mission' into which the girl had trapped him, a scent hit his nose. Another youkai was nearby and closing fast.
He was on his feet and growling before Kagome could even breathe. "What's with you?" she asked, with her hands pressed on the ground and ready to spring to action. "Smell something?"
"Obviously I do, half-breed. Now, be quiet," he snarled.
The hanyou lifted her nose to the air and began to inhale deeply. She smelled the flowers of the nearby bushes, the dirt, the burning wood and the surprising scent of sage and lavender coming from Sesshoumaru. If she had been any less tense, she would have laughed at his rather feminine scent.
Then, another aroma came to her, one that she wouldn't have noticed had she not been trying. It was the scent of fresh spring air after a rainfall.
The Western Lord crouched and leapt straight up into the air, where Kagome could not follow. She stood and craned her neck back to watch his dark form rise into the night air. A smaller form crested over the tree line and Sesshoumaru moved to intercept it, eliciting a cry of surprise from the mysterious creature.
As the taiyoukai returned to the forest floor, Kagome's eyes grew wide as she spotted what he held under his arm.
A kid.
"It is the demon child you set free," explained Sesshoumaru, once he noticed her shocked expression. "He sought us out. You see what you have done by freeing those prisoners."
"I do see," she murmured as he set the child on the ground.
He was blushing furiously and his bright green eyes were trained on the ground as he nervously pushed back his brown hair. A pair of large brown and white feathered wings folded across his back, and he barely reached Sesshoumaru's waist.
Kagome frowned. "Why were you following us?"
The demon flinched at her harsh tone, but had the presence of mind to answer promptly. "I have nowhere else to go. I'm an orphan." His voice was sweet and innocent.
"What does that have to do with us?"
He looked up at the dog hanyou. "You and your mate saved me. I figured you could help me more," he stated with confidence in his childlike logic.
Sesshoumaru snorted. "We are not mates. As if I would mate with a one such as her."
Kagome ignored the Western Lord's petty comment and concentrated more on the kid's second statement. "Why should we help you? I was just freeing the prisoners, that's all. I thought you understood that back in the dungeon," she said, recalling the hug he had given her.
His face fell. "I have nowhere else to go," he repeated.
"That's your problem, not mine," retorted the hanyou. "I don't need another kid hanging around, okay?"
"But… Izo had my parents killed when they couldn't pay my ransom. Then, he just forgot about me after robbing their estate. I have nothing." The child was crying now, albeit silently. He wouldn't allow his voice to waver as the tears rolled down his cheeks.
Kagome swallowed and looked away, trying not to smell the salt marring his spring rain scent. It didn't seem right to have tears smearing that smell. "Go find someone else to take you in, kid. That's not my job anymore."
Sesshoumaru watched this exchange with interest. He felt the pain emanating off of both of them, the fresh pain of the child and the old pain of the hanyou miko. Although the suffering of his newest tormentor amused him, he rarely took pleasure in the suffering of children.
The youngster was drawing shapes in the dirt with his bare toe. "I thought you were nice, but I guess I was wrong."
"I guess you were," she retorted.
The demon child sniffed, the only audible sign of his tears so far. Slowly, he trudged out of the circle of yellow light cast by the fire.
The Western Lord sighed and moved to intercept the small youkai.
The young demon yipped softly when he looked up into the taiyoukai's deadly amber eyes.
"What is your name?"
"Washi," he said, with a glance towards the stupefied Kagome.
'Despite her rejection, he still wants to be near her,' he observed with slight surprise. Out loud, he said, "You will be permitted to stay with us."
The hanyou sputtered a bit before forming words. This was all happening much too fast for her. "Sesshoumaru! I'm not taking care of another orphaned youkai, okay?"
Washi's eyes widened. Sesshoumaru? This was the Lord of the Western Lands? He should have guessed, seeing the crescent moon upon his brow. Everyone with any decent amount of information knew that was the symbol of the West. His eyes lowered to the ground and he smiled at his feet.
"Ridiculous," he responded. "Demons can take care of themselves, no matter what age."
"Isn't this a bit kindhearted of you, Sesshoumaru?" she sneered, pushing down the hurt that suddenly rose in her chest. Did he mean that Shippo had never needed her?
The Western Lord didn't flinch at the intended insult. "The child will be a good companion for Rin. He is about her age. She needs contact with other children. Although, this Sesshoumaru should not have to explain my reasoning to you, half-breed."
"You're a half demon?" piped up Washi, wanting to change the subject so that the girl could not object anymore.
Kagome sent him a glare. "Yes. Can't you smell anything?" she spat, earning her another pained expression from the child.
Sesshoumaru smirked at the hanyou's lack of knowledge. "Eagle demons' sense of smell barely compares even to a human's. Their eyesight, however, surpasses all other youkai."
Washi grinned at the inuyoukai, happy that someone understood. The fact was that both the hanyou and the intimidating demon lord had given him the impression that he would be safe with them. Now that he learned that he was with the infamous Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, Washi was sure he had made the right choice.
He was a high-spirited child before Izo had kidnapped him, and that energy was quickly returning after several months of remission. Washi was convinced that he would be able to win over the hanyou. She seemed to be in pain over something in her past, but he knew that she was essentially a good creature. After all, she had freed him and the others without any questions or demands for reward, hadn't she?
Sesshoumaru's voice broke into his thoughts. "Be warned that we will not travel slowly for your sake. You will receive no special treatment."
"I understand," responded Washi.
He watched the girl as she sighed in frustration and sat down next to the fire. "What's your name?" he ventured to ask.
"Kagome."
"That's pretty."
"Hmm." She closed her eyes and leaned back against a log. Almost immediately, she sensed a presence and peeked out to see the glittering green eyes of the eagle child as he bent over her. "What?" she said, scowling.
"You're pretty too. I like your ears. Can I touch them?"
His tiny hand reached out and Kagome noticed that they resembled talons more than the usual demon claws. "I suppose so," she muttered uneasily.
She felt the hard material of his talons scraped gently across the edges of her blood-red ears and then the pads of his fingers began to massage them. Kagome's eyes fluttered closed and she had to fight the impulse to growl in contentment. It was similar to when her mother would stroke her hair after a hard week in the Feudal Era. It was comforting.
Her eyes snapped open and she pulled away from Washi's fingers. "That's enough," she whispered, but her voice held no anger.
"Okay," he responded, staring at her with his striking, innocent eyes.
"You… should go to sleep," Kagome commented.
"Yeah, I should," he agreed quickly, eager to please. He spread his powerful wings and flapped them a few times to lift himself off the ground. Flying up to the trees, he chose a sturdy branch and settled down.
Kagome felt the demon lord's eyes burning into her back. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she turned to him. "So, what do you want to ask me?" She just wanted to forget the child for the moment, even if that meant bringing up painful memories. Just as long as she didn't cry, everything would be alright.
Sesshoumaru sat down next to a tree and closed his eyes. In the firelight, he appeared more ethereal than usual. His burgundy clothing reflected the reds and oranges onto his face and hair. "Perhaps you should just start from the beginning," he said coldly. In truth, he was relieved she would answer his questions. He really didn't want to get her filthy blood all over the only clothing he possessed at the moment, which would happen if she tested his patience any further.
The hanyou nodded in agreement. "Okay, but you really don't know what you're asking for."
"Just explain, half-breed."
"Hmm." She put a clawed finger to her lips. "Where to start? Ah! I know. The future."
This statement got the desired effect; Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and stared at her. "The future," he repeated.
"Yes. It's where I'm from."
"Impossible." The eyes were closed again.
"Not really. You know that well by Kaede's village? In Inuyasha's Forest?"
A long pause followed and Sesshoumaru decided she wanted a verbal answer. "Yes. I know it."
"It connects my era, which is about 500 years in the future, with this era. I can pass through with the Shikon jewel."
Another pause, while Sesshoumaru decided that the story was too ridiculous to be fabricated. "Go on."
"One day, while I was in the well house in my era, I fell through and found Inuyasha pinned to the tree. I set him free when a demon threatened my life. After the jewel shattered, we gathered them, as you know. And we helped people while we did it. That's the short version anyway." She decided to leave out the fact that she had been the one to shatter the jewel, not sure if he knew it already.
"That does not answer any of my questions."
She frowned. "It wasn't supposed to. But you did ask why I became a hanyou, and you needed to know that to understand my logic."
"I have come to the decision that you have no logic, wench."
"Whatever." Kagome stood up and moved to sit between the fire and Sesshoumaru, with the fire heating up her backside. She watched as his eyes opened yet again, with a hint of curiosity at her comfort. "When did my friends and I see you last?"
"Nine months ago, when you trespassed onto the Western Lands."
"Whatever," she said again. "Let's see… At that time, Naraku still had most of the jewel shards. In fact, besides the ones I held and Koga had, he had all of them. We knew that a fight was coming and so we prepared for it as best we could. Inuyasha even allowed Koga and his clan to join us."
Sesshoumaru momentarily found it impressive that his brother would put his pride aside long enough to let the wolf clan help. "When was this?"
"About six months ago. We could have used your help, you know." Her tone held accusation in it.
"I was occupied elsewhere," he responded.
In truth, Sesshoumaru would have assisted his idiot brother had he known of the battle against the greedy hanyou, but he had been across the country. He had heard of an herb that prolonged life, especially in humans and wished to inquire about it. After all, Rin would grow old and die in a blink of his demon eye if he didn't interfere with the natural course of things. And he did not like to lose his possessions.
"We were doing good at first," she continued, oblivious to the demon lord's wandering attention. "But then it went all downhill."
Flashes of screaming and battle noises passed through her mind. Blood seemed to be covering her and she didn't know who it belonged to, nor did she care. Adrenaline was pulsing through her body, forcing it to act in ways Kagome had never thought possible.
She was like an animal possessed. Watching her friends get hurt had pushed the human over the edge of control.
And then there was laughter. Naraku jeered from the back of the battle as he observed the miko bathe in the sticky red liquid. "You have lost your innocence, priestess!" he taunted as he joined the fray.
"Continue," said Sesshoumaru, his voice breaking her away from the painful memories. He sensed her agitation and did not wish to be burdened with a weeping miko.
She shook her head. "Oh, where was I?"
"Events had taken an unfortunate turn."
"Yeah," she said, as her fingers pulled at the grass beside her. She told herself to keep it simple and sterile, to help prevent any nervous breakdowns. "Miroku saw that we weren't going to win against all those demons, so he used his wind tunnel."
The Western Lord remembered the hive Naraku had given him during their short alliance, before he had tried to betray and injure the inuyoukai. "Did the hanyou not have the poisonous insects with him?"
"He did," breathed Kagome. "But Miroku was determined. He killed at least a thousand demons before the poison got to him. He died fairly quickly."
'Oh damn,' she thought as her eyes prickled. 'Kami give me strength to get through this.' She fought back the tears as she recalled her best friend's cries of anguish over the fallen monk. The demon exterminator had pleaded with him not to use the wind tunnel and yet, he was dead seconds later.
It hurt so much to watch the living Sango bending over her dead love, crying and oblivious to the approaching demons. Only Inuyasha's yells had brought her out of her stupor and back into the battle.
But Kagome could see that the male hanyou was deeply hurt as well. The monk was gone, never to grope another woman, give his wise advice, or hit Inuyasha on the head for his ridiculous comments.
"Sango was next," she whispered. "I don't think she was really thinking clearly after Miroku died. So when Kohaku came after her, she didn't pay attention to things she could normally have beaten easily. She had to watch as Naraku pulled out the shard that kept her brother alive. When he died, Sango lost all of her composure. The next demon that came after her killed her easily. Kirara died protecting her body."
'So much for keeping it simple,' mused the girl sadly. The prickling returned in full force.
Sesshoumaru frowned. "Do not cry," he stated.
"I'm trying," she argued.
"Do not cry." He hated crying females. They were so weak.
She sniffed a bit.
"Continue."
"Fine," she agreed softly. "Koga died defending me from some huge incarnation of Naraku. His death left me alone with Inuyasha and Shippo."
"The fox child."
"Yes," Kagome whispered. She really didn't want to speak of her adopted son. It was too painful.
"He died as well."
The girl just nodded as a torrent of tears began to run down her face. "He… he tried to fight. He said that he had to. To protect me."
Sesshoumaru's scowl deepened. "You're lying." He could smell the guilt coming off of her in waves. The kit was dead, that much was certain. But the manner in which he died was under serious debate in his mind.
"Please, I can't talk about that right now."
As it was, Kagome knew she would be haunted by Shippo's image that night in her dreams. Not that she wanted to sleep after this conversation.
"Then continue explaining and stop crying," the Western Lord responded, deciding the kit's death was a topic for another time. "What of my brother?"
"Aren't you seeing a trend here?" she shot at him, using the palm of hand to wipe away her tears. "He's dead."
Sesshoumaru remained still for a moment, processing this new information. For all of his life, Inuyasha had been a nuisance and, later, an enemy. He felt no true sadness at the announcement of his death, but he did feel something. Perhaps it was regret that they could never be brothers.
No. It was more likely to be anger that someone else had taken Inuyasha's life. That had been his job.
"You said he had chosen the undead miko," he said finally.
"No, that was your assumption."
He frowned slightly. His memory was perfectly sound and the girl had definitely suggested that Kikyo had been chosen over her reincarnation. But the matter was unimportant. Just another thing to be discussed at a later date, but now, he wanted more relevant answers. He had a feeling that the wench would not talk of the final battle anymore after tonight. Not for awhile at least.
"How did he die?"
Kagome wiped away a new set of tears. 'Damn,' she scolded herself silently, 'I've cried enough for him. Stop it!'
Aloud, she said, "Injuries that couldn't heal. Naraku died by Inuyasha's hand, but that didn't mean that your brother got away without a few deep cuts."
If she expected Sesshoumaru to make rude, cynical comments about the frailty of half-breeds, she was mistaken. He sat in front of her, silent and unmoved.
"Before he died, he gave me the completed jewel and the Tetsusaiga. He said that he didn't want me to waste the wish on bringing him back or anything. He wanted me to be happy and to be able to live with good memories, not bad ones."
"Fascinating," drawled the Western Lord sarcastically.
She glared at him through a hazy sheen of tears. "What's your problem?"
"Humans have such disgusting sentimentalities," he said, as if that explained everything.
Kagome wanted to make scathing remarks about his father and the 'sentimentality' he had shown towards Inuyasha's mother. Or she could mention Sesshoumaru's attachment to Rin. Or Jaken's attachment to him. Anything to prove that demons had soft places in their hearts as well.
Instead, she felt the need to elaborate. "Inuyasha had admitted he loved me. He wanted me to become his mate after Naraku was destroyed and we had the complete Shikon again. Shippo was going to be adopted as our son." She paused and stared into the amber eyes that reminded her so little, and yet so much of Inuyasha's. "That's how it was supposed to be."
'Well, that explains why she doesn't smell of my brother,' he mused in silence.
"We were going to be a family," she whispered, momentarily forgetting her companion's very presence.
"Why did you not return to your era after the battle?" asked Sesshoumaru, ignoring her emotional rambling.
Her eyes glittered with anger as they refocused on his face. "You think I could go back after all that happened? As much as I love my family, I can't return to that life. I couldn't go to school and pretend that nothing unusual has happened in my life."
"And so you wished to become a hanyou."
She calmed down somewhat, allowing her eyes to stop blazing and her heart to stop thrumming so hard against the inside of her chest. "Yes. Having both demon and human blood was the only way I could use Tetsusaiga. And I was determined to continue helping people. I couldn't really do that as a weak human." She gave him a grim smile and lifted a hand to her ears.
Sesshoumaru glanced up towards the red triangles atop her head, but said nothing.
Kagome blinked and got back on the subject. "Anyway, I haven't even tried going back through the well. I don't think I can now that the jewel's gone though."
"It disappeared when you made your wish."
"Yeah," she murmured.
"You will show me proof of all that you have said."
The corner of her eye twitched. "Fine. On the way to your home, I'll show you their graves."
A silence briefly settled over them as Sesshoumaru contemplated any other questions.
"How did you find this Sesshoumaru?" he finally asked out of pure curiosity. The fact that it had not been Jaken that had appeared at his cell door forced him to believe that the Western Lord's whereabouts was not a widely known fact.
"Myoga had heard something," she answered stoically, trying to regain her composure. "He told me that a demon lord was captured and was being held in the east. I came here on the hunch that it was you. I mean, how many demon lords are there?"
It was a rhetorical question, but Sesshoumaru answered it anyway. "Hundreds."
Kagome's eyes widened. "I would think there was only four. You for the West, and then three others for the East, North and South. Perhaps a few lesser nobles, like Koga."
"Your lack of information astounds me, half-breed," he said dryly.
"Well, then enlighten me," she huffed.
"Your deceased friend, Koga, was indeed a wolf lord. But Inuyasha was also a lord. Have you never realized this?"
She patted at her face, drying the tears quickly. "I guess not," she admitted.
"Every type of youkai has a lord, as do the larger clans. Koga was not only the leader of his clan, but of the entire wolf youkai population. He had many nobles under his command. However, his audacity at claiming you for his mate could easily have been handled if Inuyasha had listened to his lessons as a child."
"What do you mean?" The tracks of her tears glistened as she moved forward slightly.
The wolf youkai had been furious when Inuyasha told him that she was to be the hanyou's mate. The ensuing fight had resulted in a few nasty scrapes before Kagome could get the two to stop, but she would never forget the hurt look of Koga's face when she affirmed Inuyasha's words.
"Inuyasha was my heir, since I have no pups," he explained. "Therefore, he held more power over Koga, for the four lords of the cardinal directions hold complete control over their domains. Koga was my subject, and also Inuyasha's. My half-brother could easily have ordered him to stay away from you."
Sesshoumaru watched her face light up with understanding and realized that she had much to learn about the demon world. As long as he thought of her as an ignorant pup, he probably wouldn't lose patience with her.
Probably.
"Don't think he didn't try," Kagome muttered.
"Then he should have listened," observed Sesshoumaru.
"I guess Koga didn't pay attention to his lessons either."
Another short silence enveloped them. His eyebrow arched as his gaze fell upon the sheathed Tetsusaiga. "Can you use the sword?"
A blush spread across her tear-stained cheeks. "Well, kind of. It transforms for me, but it's really difficult for me to actually use it."
"It is too heavy," he stated with a smirk.
She glared at him again. "No, smart-ass. I just have never used a sword before I obtained the Tetsusaiga. I don't know how to use it."
The smirk faded from his face. "Six months and you have not acquired any skill or proper training?"
Leaning forward, she gave him a hollow smile. "Well, I was kind of hoping you would help me with that. I mean, up until now, I haven't really needed to use it. I'm rather a powerful hanyou if you hadn't noticed. But with this new lord around, I have a feeling I will be needing some assistance."
A growl rose inside his chest. "That was not part of our agreement."
Now the hanyou smirked. "Actually, it was. You agreed to 'help me on my quest' and this would definitely be of some help."
"You are a trickster," he growled.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It was not intended to be as such."
"I know." She stood up, stretched and hopped into the branches directly above his head. He was clearly annoyed at her and Kagome really didn't want to enter into an argument. The day had taken too much out of her.
"What are you doing, half-breed?"
"I'm going to rest, obviously. I'm not going to sleep though, so don't you try anything sneaky." Kagome lay down in a curiously feline position and closed her eyes.
The Western Lord listened to her breathing above him and smelled the scent of salt mingled with the citrus. She was silently crying again.
He stole a glance upward to the hanyou who was feigning relaxation. Her hair fluttered as she exhaled into the loose strands and her eyelashes glistened with tears. With closed eyes and a closed mouth, she was almost bearable to be around.
Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru forced his thoughts back to what she had told him.
The girl was clearly not entirely truthful about what happened to her, but he had discovered the important facts. Naraku was dead. Inuyasha was dead. The Shikon no Tama would not trouble this world anymore. More relevant to his current situation, the hanyou girl was completely unbalanced.
He sighed. What about him attracted these headstrong women to his side? He hated headstrong women. Rin at least listened to his orders, as a good ward should, but he had no power over the hanyou. In fact, he admitted grudgingly, she had power over him, the great demon lord.
Everything else aside, he must find out exactly what she knew of this 'mission' that supposedly involved him. It disturbed him to not know what he had gotten himself into, a blemish on his perfect record of attentiveness.
Across the clearing, Washi perched in a tree. He did not need to understand everything the hanyou had said to know that her pain was deep.
'She has lost more than me,' he thought to himself.
Washi loved his parents, but they had not been around very much during his childhood. They had been the Lord and Lady of the eagle youkai, a minor but distinguished position. He knew they had cared for him, but they also had a lot of work to do and he didn't resent them for that.
He cracked open one eye and peered at Lord Sesshoumaru.
The taiyoukai sat against the tree underneath the hanyou's branch. His shoulders were tense and his face serious. Washi could tell that he was mulling over everything Kagome had told him.
With his child naivete, he assessed the situation.
Kagome was easy to figure out. A word his nanny, Nomi, had used came to his mind when he thought of the hanyou. 'Broken.' It was what Nomi had called a woman they once saw in a funeral procession. The dead man had been her husband of five hundred years and they had supposedly shared a rare thing in the demon world. They had loved each other. He remembered thinking that the widow looked dead herself, because her eyes held no light and her voice was flat.
Clearly, the female hanyou suffered the same way as that widow. She had loved this Inuyasha guy and had lost him. And it sounded like she had gone through a lot of trouble to have him return her love in the first place, making it that much more painful.
Sesshoumaru would require a bit more thought. He didn't want to be here, that much was obvious. But his relationship with Kagome was under debate. Washi couldn't figure out whether he hated the hanyou or cared for her deeply. Either way, he hadn't invited Washi to join them for his health. He did it get some reaction from Kagome.
It appeared as if these two needed his help just as much as he needed them.
A/N: See? Told you it wasn't happy. I'm sorry if you hate character death, but I just don't believe that Kagome would ever fall for Sesshoumaru if Inuyasha was still around. Besides, this is a story about dealing with loss and rediscovering life.
Also, in case you were wondering, "Washi" is "eagle" in Japanese (or at least that's what the site said…)
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