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Alright, for those of you expecting my other fics, don't worry, those are getting worked on as we speak. But I figured some practice with romantic operations was needed, so I'm posting a oneshot for that purpose.

For those of you familiar with my first oneshot, fret not; this one's gonna be a lot better.

And now, Noble Paladin presents:

Fate Upon the Winds

A Medium Sized Lake Waterfront

Freedom. Her desire. Her dream. Her curse.

All she had been able to think about in her pitiful existence was that one word, a term that was quite possibly the most loaded ideal in existence. Even she could not tell for certain what it truly was, and yet she craved it. The very taste of it upon her tongue was borderline orgasmic, and she did not even know what it felt like in practice.

She desired freedom so much that she would gladly die for it.

No one can understand. They do not know what it is like to be caged…to be controlled…to be on a leash when what you really want is to sail above the skies infinite…

Kagura, the butcher servant of Naraku, hated that title as though it were a wound that would never heal. This was not her. She was no lapdog of a patchwork quilt, no hired hand for a lunatic driven by power and lust. She was the wind, an element that could never be contained! Her freedom was her birthright, and she would never rest until she reclaimed it!I deserve it. I deserve everything that Naraku has kept from me…

Yet she held it not. It was all Kagura could do not to throw herself into the lake, to end her miserable life here and now. If she could not be free, then she did not want to continue on in this world. And if the cool, forgiving waters could offer her final salvation…

She stood up, eyes glaring at the surface, all that stood between her and the sweet release of death. Would she break it? Could she? It was all there before her; the end of her incarceration and all that it entailed. The saimyosho could do nothing to stop her, and Naraku did not care either way; in fact, he expected he would be more than contented to see her fall.

This would be the end, thought Kagura, the end of all. As long as she was of this mortal plane, her life would be tied to Naraku, but if she cut short that thread, then her essence at least would have salvation.

It wasn't the way I planned it, but what other choice do I have?

Her soulless ruby eyes hardened, in anger and in sadness. This was not her; she could not possibly give up so easily. But it was right there before her- the end of her bindings, a tantalizing victory over her deranged master -and it was so incredibly simple she was amazed she had not thought of it before.

The wind blew across Kagura's face in that moment, almost as a sign to come and join it in the dance for which it was formed. With her death she could join her brethren, pirouetting amongst the clouds in a true expression of free will and independence that was up to now beyond her sight.

For one moment of pain, she would have an eternity to make her own decisions, have her own will be the only law she followed. It was indeed an endless paradise, one she could soon call her own…

But, of course, the heavens had another plan in mind, and thusly did she pick up on the scent of an all too familiar demon behind her, causing her to wheel around with her weapon armed.

And there he was, the single biggest son of a bitch she knew.

"Lord Sesshomaru. I didn't expect to see you in these parts, not without Naraku or Inuyasha in the area anyway."

The cold and merciless taiyoukai of the western lands, and the only remaining relative of Inuyasha, stood upon the path that Kagura herself had taken to reach this place, flowing platinum hair and yellow eyes indicative of his grand lineage as the son of the legendary Inutaishou.

For many reasons, most of them on a personal level, Kagura detested the dog demon with a passion above all else. She had come to him once, a long time ago, offering him the power of jewel shards in exchange for his help in destroying Naraku. To say the least it had not gone well, for he had flat-out refused, and even had the nerve to call her weak.

"I might wonder the same thing, kaze demon. Were you sent here by Naraku to strike me down, for if that is the case I shall have no problem in doing the same." With this nonchalant threat, Sesshomaru drew his own weapon, the infamous Tokijin. However, he did not seem to hold it in any threatening manner, almost as if he did not care to use it at the moment.

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm here for my own reasons, unrelated to Naraku and his insanity. So if you don't mind, I have something to deal with."

Kagura turned her back on Sesshomaru, looking out onto the water with…well, not sadness, but a strange sense of gravity that the dog demon had not seen in a long time. However, he was familiar with it, and also quite familiar with the emotions Kagura was going through.

"Tell me, do you honestly think it will work?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Drowning yourself. What makes you think that will give you the freedom you keep talking about? For all you know, you could be damned forever into a prison of your own creation."

"Lord Sesshomaru, one cannot be damned if one has no soul."

It was truly strange logic, and yet it made sense.

I should let this go right here and now; if the wind witch desires to end her life, that's her own decision. As far as I'm concerned she can rot at the bottom of that lake forever…

But for some reason, he could not look away from her. Sesshomaru didn't know why or how, but Kagura fascinated him standing near the lake'sedge, close to the end and yet so very far from it.

And then he saw her put a foot in the chilly water, and something triggered inside his mind. He could not pinpoint any specific purpose for it, but he felt…obligated…to do something.

"Kagura, before you decide to kill yourself, answer me this."

She turned to him, and somehow his heart jolted. He could not grasp what was going on; why was he feeling like this all of a sudden?

Kagura, having no heart, could not feel this, but already she could sense her willingness to die was dissipating.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Suppose you do kill yourself. Suppose you do find this freedom you're looking for. Then what? It will not have any significance if you did not earn it. All you did was take the easy way out, instead of proving you deserve freedom by taking it for yourself. Even the wind, born free, must prove it can be free to begin with at some point or other."

Her eyes flashed in anger again. He had struck a raw nerve.

"How dare you! You have no right to question me, you bastard! I am the wind; freedom is my inheritance!"

"But you must take it first; if you end up sliding beneath the system, all it shall prove is that you are a coward."

"Then why are you making such a big deal about this?"

Sesshomaru, unlike previously, did not respond instantly, but instead bolted over to her so that he was standing only a few inches away. He had no control over himself at all; he had no idea what was going on, but he liked it anyway.

"It's simple, Kagura: I know you're not a coward."

And with a sweep of his claws, he undid the decorative band that held her hair, allowing the inky black tresses to tumble about her face, and immediately he drew her to him.

An unexpected motion from a hated man. It was not a very pleasant combination, so it should serve as no surprise that Kagura began to squirm about. It was a moot point; Sesshomaru's grip was like a vice.

"What are you doing! Let me go this instant, you son of a…"

Whatever else she had to say was lost in the whirlwind that swept her up at that moment. Afterwards, when she attempted to think about it, words and memories eluded her, and all that came to mind were feelings.

In that moment, for reasons that he would neither remember nor forget, Sesshomaru crushed his lips to Kagura's, in a kiss that would be seared in their minds forever. Sparks of electricity coursed betwixt their tongues, and in spite of her initial fury the witch simply decided to slide into it. She could not understand what was happening; she detested this man, wanted to kill him, and yet this just felt…right.

After what seemed like an eternity, the kiss was broken, and Sesshomaru looked no different than he had before.

"Now do you see my point?"

Kagura could do little else save nod slightly. Her head was spinning from shock.

"Alright, then." Without another word, the demon turned his back upon her, and walked into the forest. He would have a lot to think about that night, and for many more nights to come. Hopefully the witch will hold her tongue about this. Word spreads quickly in these parts, and weakness is one thing I cannot show…

Kagura watched him leave the area for a few moments until such time as he was out of range, and turned to face the water again, but this time, to enjoy the view.

Yes, it was true she had a purpose to die for, but now it seemed she had a purpose to live for as well.

FIN

Well, I'm none too sure of how this turned out, so do let me know honestly.